theguardian--2020-10-14--Record turnout as Americans endure long waits to vote early in 2020 election

As voters turn out in record numbers to choose between Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election , Americans continued to endure hours-long waits to vote early .
A record of 14 million Americans have already voted in the general election , according to an analysis of voting information from the US Elections Project .
In key swing states such as Florida more than 2 million voters have already cast their ballots .
“ The numbers are pretty staggering for us and the return rates and the polling look good , ” Steve Schale , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Politico .
“ But there ’ s just a lot we don ’ t know.
” In Georgia , residents waited for as long as eight hours to exercise their democratic right .
Many took to social media to share their experiences with early voting , noting lines of voters spanning several city blocks or school parking lots .
Political analyst Roland Martin was moved to tears as dozens of voters lined the exterior of a voting center located at a Texas church .
“ I ’ m a grown man , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of emotion because I know what is at stake for our people , ” he wrote on Instagram .
“ I know what Black folks have been through in this country .
Voting is not the be-all-to-end-all , but I sure as hell know it is part of the solution ” .
Long lines are not the only obstacles voters have faced .
Technical glitches have also delayed the process .
Voters have also faced barriers to accessing their ballots , including computer problems in some precincts as well as legal challenges in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Georgia , whose Republican administration has fought accusations of voter suppression , residents reported technical problems that initially slowed voting , including at one voting center in Atlanta .
Democrats have made a push for the traditionally red state in recent weeks , insisting Georgia is competitive .
Nearly 750,000 votes have been cast thus far .
Authorities in Virginia are investigating a voter registration portal that crashed on Tuesday .
Officials have so far ruled a cable that was cut an accident , but the glitch shut down the entire system on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Virginia court has since extended the voter registration deadline to 15 October .
Both parties have steered their supporters toward mail-in and early voting due to a surge in cases of coronavirus in many states across the nation , amid a pandemic that is not under control .
Worrying case rises are being experienced in battleground states including Wisconsin , Michigan and Pennsylvania .
Before , health experts had warned that large crowds on election day could worsen the health risks .
But in an effort to stifle early voting in key battleground @ @ @ @ @ @ @ launched legal challenges to everything from ballot drop-off locations and quantity of sites , to submission and counting deadlines .
On Monday , a Texas appeals court upheld an executive order by Governor Greg Abbott limiting ballot drop-box locations to one per county , meaning a place like Harris county , with a population of 4.7 million – including its largest city of Houston – is left severely underserved .
According to the US Elections Project , 50,000 ballots had already been cast in 122 early voting locations in the county by midday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voting .
Early voting begins on Thursday in the key electoral state of North Carolina .
Meanwhile , Republican state party officials in California were forced to remove unofficial drop boxes placed throughout the state .
Election officials there say the unofficial drop boxes do not meet required security and transfer benchmarks .
And in Pennsylvania , a judge over the weekend denied an effort by the Trump campaign and the Republican party to make ballot drop boxes in the commonwealth unconstitutional .
While a federal judge reopened voter registration in the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bid to extend its the voter registration deadline was rejected .
Nearly 130 million Americans voted in the presidential election in 2016 .
Turnout is expected to exceed those numbers for an election that most analysts say can determine the political trajectory for a generation .
Early returns show a commanding lead for Democrats , even as most polls show their supporters are more likely to favor early or mail-in voting compared with Republicans .
Conservatives , who are also more likely to ignore official federal coronavirus guidance , are more committed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ person on election day .
A surge in mail-in voting in a pandemic has fueled unfounded claims by Trump that the election will be one of the most corrupt in the nation ’ s history .

As voters turn out in record numbers to choose between Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election, Americans continued to endure hours-long waits to vote early.
A record of 14 million Americans have already voted in the general election, according to an analysis of voting information from the US Elections Project. In key swing states such as Florida more than 2 million voters have already cast their ballots.
“The numbers are pretty staggering for us and the return rates and the polling look good,” Steve Schale, a Democratic strategist in Florida, told Politico. “But there’s just a lot we don’t know.”
In Georgia, residents waited for as long as eight hours to exercise their democratic right. Many took to social media to share their experiences with early voting, noting lines of voters spanning several city blocks or school parking lots.
Political analyst Roland Martin was moved to tears as dozens of voters lined the exterior of a voting center located at a Texas church.
“I’m a grown man, but I have no problem showing this type of emotion because I know what is at stake for our people,” he wrote on Instagram. “I know what Black folks have been through in this country. Voting is not the be-all-to-end-all, but I sure as hell know it is part of the solution”.
Long lines are not the only obstacles voters have faced. Technical glitches have also delayed the process. Voters have also faced barriers to accessing their ballots, including computer problems in some precincts as well as legal challenges in places throughout the US south.
In Georgia, whose Republican administration has fought accusations of voter suppression, residents reported technical problems that initially slowed voting, including at one voting center in Atlanta.
Democrats have made a push for the traditionally red state in recent weeks, insisting Georgia is competitive. Nearly 750,000 votes have been cast thus far.
Authorities in Virginia are investigating a voter registration portal that crashed on Tuesday. Officials have so far ruled a cable that was cut an accident, but the glitch shut down the entire system on the last day to register. A Virginia court has since extended the voter registration deadline to 15 October.
Both parties have steered their supporters toward mail-in and early voting due to a surge in cases of coronavirus in many states across the nation, amid a pandemic that is not under control. Worrying case rises are being experienced in battleground states including Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania. Before, health experts had warned that large crowds on election day could worsen the health risks.
But in an effort to stifle early voting in key battleground states, Republican governors and legislators have launched legal challenges to everything from ballot drop-off locations and quantity of sites, to submission and counting deadlines.
On Monday, a Texas appeals court upheld an executive order by Governor Greg Abbott limiting ballot drop-box locations to one per county, meaning a place like Harris county, with a population of 4.7 million – including its largest city of Houston – is left severely underserved.
According to the US Elections Project, 50,000 ballots had already been cast in 122 early voting locations in the county by midday Tuesday – the first day of early voting.
Early voting begins on Thursday in the key electoral state of North Carolina.
Meanwhile, Republican state party officials in California were forced to remove unofficial drop boxes placed throughout the state. Election officials there say the unofficial drop boxes do not meet required security and transfer benchmarks.
And in Pennsylvania, a judge over the weekend denied an effort by the Trump campaign and the Republican party to make ballot drop boxes in the commonwealth unconstitutional. While a federal judge reopened voter registration in the state through Thursday, in Florida, a bid to extend its the voter registration deadline was rejected.
Nearly 130 million Americans voted in the presidential election in 2016. Turnout is expected to exceed those numbers for an election that most analysts say can determine the political trajectory for a generation.
Early returns show a commanding lead for Democrats, even as most polls show their supporters are more likely to favor early or mail-in voting compared with Republicans. Conservatives, who are also more likely to ignore official federal coronavirus guidance, are more committed to vote in the traditional way, in person on election day.
A surge in mail-in voting in a pandemic has fueled unfounded claims by Trump that the election will be one of the most corrupt in the nation’s history.


theguardian--2020-10-14--'Unmasking' inquiry ordered by Barr finds no wrongdoing by Obama officials – report

A federal prosecutor handpicked by the attorney general , William Barr , to investigate whether Obama administration officials had mishandled classified intelligence relating to the Russia investigation has wrapped up his work without finding wrongdoing or considering charges , according to the Washington Post .
The conclusion of an investigation by US attorney John Bash into the so-called “ unmasking ” of names in intelligence reports by Obama officials was seen as a defeat for Donald Trump and Barr , who appeared to be fishing for damaging information that could be used against former vice=president Joe Biden .
“ Unsurprising @ @ @ @ @ @ @ justice department ] resources , ” tweeted Sam Vinograd , an adviser to the national security council under Barack Obama .
A second federal investigation launched by Barr into Obama-era investigations of Russian election tampering , in this case led by US attorney John Durham of Connecticut , likewise has failed to bear political fruit before the presidential election .
Durham continues to investigate the origins of investigations into Russian election meddling and Trump campaign contacts with Russian operatives .
Trump asserts the Trump-Russia investigation was a political hit job .
But the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Robert Mueller resulted in the indictment of 34 individuals and criminal charges against half a dozen Trump associates , including multiple guilty pleas .
Barr told a group of Republican lawmakers earlier this year that Durham would not file a report – much less any charges – before the presidential election , dashing what appeared to be increasingly desperate hopes inside the Trump administration for a Biden-related scandal .
Officials in the executive branch routinely move to “ unmask ” names in classified intelligence documents in order to better understand the documents , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” conducted during the Obama administration revealed that former national security adviser Michael Flynn , a key figure in the 2016 Trump campaign , was in the crosshairs of the Russia investigation , which had picked up contacts between Flynn and Russian operatives that Flynn later lied about .
That revelation proved to be politically damaging to Trump .
The emergence of Flynn ’ s deep ties to Russian operatives , which he later admitted falsely denying , led to his resignation as national security adviser and was an early blow for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asked the then FBI director , James Comey , to “ go easy ” on Flynn , in a scene that would become a central piece of evidence against Trump in Mueller ’ s investigation of possible obstruction of justice by the president .
That investigation would in turn fuel demands for Trump ’ s impeachment , after it was revealed that the US president had pressured the Ukrainian president to generate negative headlines about Biden and his son , Hunter Biden .
Trump was impeached in December 2019 , and acquitted by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the key players in the scheme that led to his impeachment remained active in trying to fabricate a scandal attached to Biden ’ s son in advance of the election .

A federal prosecutor handpicked by the attorney general, William Barr, to investigate whether Obama administration officials had mishandled classified intelligence relating to the Russia investigation has wrapped up his work without finding wrongdoing or considering charges, according to the Washington Post.
The conclusion of an investigation by US attorney John Bash into the so-called “unmasking” of names in intelligence reports by Obama officials was seen as a defeat for Donald Trump and Barr, who appeared to be fishing for damaging information that could be used against former vice=president Joe Biden.
“Unsurprising. What a politically-driven waste of [justice department] resources,” tweeted Sam Vinograd, an adviser to the national security council under Barack Obama.
A second federal investigation launched by Barr into Obama-era investigations of Russian election tampering, in this case led by US attorney John Durham of Connecticut, likewise has failed to bear political fruit before the presidential election.
Durham continues to investigate the origins of investigations into Russian election meddling and Trump campaign contacts with Russian operatives. Trump asserts the Trump-Russia investigation was a political hit job.
But the Russia investigation, led by special counsel Robert Mueller resulted in the indictment of 34 individuals and criminal charges against half a dozen Trump associates, including multiple guilty pleas.
Barr told a group of Republican lawmakers earlier this year that Durham would not file a report – much less any charges – before the presidential election, dashing what appeared to be increasingly desperate hopes inside the Trump administration for a Biden-related scandal.
Officials in the executive branch routinely move to “unmask” names in classified intelligence documents in order to better understand the documents, the Post reported.
The “unmasking” conducted during the Obama administration revealed that former national security adviser Michael Flynn, a key figure in the 2016 Trump campaign, was in the crosshairs of the Russia investigation, which had picked up contacts between Flynn and Russian operatives that Flynn later lied about.
That revelation proved to be politically damaging to Trump. The emergence of Flynn’s deep ties to Russian operatives, which he later admitted falsely denying, led to his resignation as national security adviser and was an early blow for the Trump administration.
Trump at the time asked the then FBI director, James Comey, to “go easy” on Flynn, in a scene that would become a central piece of evidence against Trump in Mueller’s investigation of possible obstruction of justice by the president.
That investigation would in turn fuel demands for Trump’s impeachment, after it was revealed that the US president had pressured the Ukrainian president to generate negative headlines about Biden and his son, Hunter Biden.
Trump was impeached in December 2019, and acquitted by the Senate in early 2020, but the key players in the scheme that led to his impeachment remained active in trying to fabricate a scandal attached to Biden’s son in advance of the election.


theguardian--2020-10-14--Trump and Biden to hold dueling town halls after canceled debate

Donald Trump has scheduled a televised town hall event to be broadcast at the same time on Thursday evening as a separate town hall featuring rival Joe Biden , creating a ratings duel and a split-screen spectacle for a divided country on the night that was supposed to be the second presidential debate .
The dueling events came about after Trump backed out of a virtual debate with Biden that was proposed by the presidential commission on debates to replace the normal match-up of the two men live on a stage together , after Trump tested positive for coronavirus .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ waste my time on a virtual debate , ” Trump said at the time – but campaign insiders feared he had squandered one of few remaining opportunities to draw a positive contrast with his opponent and right his listing campaign .
Trump may now have gained a fresh chance to do that by arranging to take questions live from Florida voters in Miami , with the event to be broadcast on the NBC network as well as two sister cable networks , CNBC and MSNBC , and hosted by journalist Savannah Guthrie .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stephanopoulos , will take place in Philadelphia and air on the ABC network but not on cable .
Both events were scheduled to start at 8pm ET .
NBC told viewers on Wednesday that health officials had determined it safe for producers and other network staff to interact with Trump at the event – and safe for attending voters .
The network issued a statement from Clifford Lane , a clinical director at the National Institutes of Health , saying Trump was “ not shedding infectious virus ” .
The 2020 presidential debate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Covid-19 diagnosis , which was announced on 2 October and followed by a three-night hospital stay by the president .
Federal health guidelines call for a two-week quarantine for known Covid cases , leading the debate commission to propose an online event instead .
Trump , 74 , and Biden , 77 , are both in high-risk health categories .
Trump refused .
“ That ’ s not what debating is all about .
You sit behind a computer and do a debate ?
” he said .
“ It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in polling averages , political analysts say he needs to find a way to shake up the race to have a shot at winning – and , with millions of early votes already cast , few undecided voters remaining and Biden ’ s personal approval rating riding high , time was short for Trump to make such a move .
Spurred by those realities , Trump has returned to the campaign trail , with plans to host rallies this week in Iowa , North Carolina and Florida .
Trump won all three states @ @ @ @ @ @ @ playing defense in territory his campaign had hoped would be sewn up by now .
In a dire sign for Trump campaign finances , the campaign canceled $ 4.5m in ad buys in key battleground states last month – even as the Biden campaign spent $ 65m on ads in 12 states and announced expanded advertising on Google and Facebook .
Biden , meanwhile , held multiple rallies in Ohio this week , signaling his campaign ’ s belief that the state is in play in 2020 after Trump defeated Hillary Clinton there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ averages show Biden holding a narrow lead in the state .
While counter-programming Biden on Thursday night would avoid a situation where the former vice-president had the political arena to himself for a night , the dueling town hall format does not create obvious opportunities for Trump to rebut Biden in real time .
Potentially compounding Trump ’ s difficulties is the fact that the town hall format , which draws Trump out of his bubble of comfortable campaign rallies and adulatory Fox News interviews , is not one Trump has excelled at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hall in Philadelphia last month found the president twisting in the spotlight , making statements that attendees later called obvious lies , and even interrupting questioners .
The dueling town halls came about through a series of refusals , taunts , threats and reversals by Trump and his campaign .
First the Trump campaign challenged Biden to an extra in-person debate , which the Biden camp refused , and then Trump attempted to revive an in-person debate on Thursday , also refused .
Already low , Trump ’ s poll numbers fell after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far only –debate on 30 September , in which Trump interrupted Biden so much the Democrat told the president to “ shut up , man ” .
While Democrats remained cautious about polling reflecting a Biden lead , the dimensions of that apparent lead sparked whispers that perhaps 2020 would not be a repeat of 2016 , when a victory by Clinton in the popular vote was overridden by Trump ’ s victory in the electoral college .
To differentiate between the two election cycles , political analysts point not only to changes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to avoid a recurring blind spot , but also to two factors – Biden ’ s strong favorability rating and the low proportion of undecided voters .
Unlike Clinton , Biden has watched his average favorability rating climb above 50 % and stay there over the course of the election , while Trump hovers at around 43 % .
Elsewhere polling indicates that there are about half as many undecided , likely voters in 2020 as there were in 2016 .
An unusual stability in the 2020 race is visible in graphs of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eight months separated by five to 10 points – with Biden on top .

Donald Trump has scheduled a televised town hall event to be broadcast at the same time on Thursday evening as a separate town hall featuring rival Joe Biden, creating a ratings duel and a split-screen spectacle for a divided country on the night that was supposed to be the second presidential debate.
The dueling events came about after Trump backed out of a virtual debate with Biden that was proposed by the presidential commission on debates to replace the normal match-up of the two men live on a stage together, after Trump tested positive for coronavirus.
“I’m not gonna waste my time on a virtual debate,” Trump said at the time – but campaign insiders feared he had squandered one of few remaining opportunities to draw a positive contrast with his opponent and right his listing campaign.
Trump may now have gained a fresh chance to do that by arranging to take questions live from Florida voters in Miami, with the event to be broadcast on the NBC network as well as two sister cable networks, CNBC and MSNBC, and hosted by journalist Savannah Guthrie.
The Biden event, hosted by George Stephanopoulos, will take place in Philadelphia and air on the ABC network but not on cable. Both events were scheduled to start at 8pm ET.
NBC told viewers on Wednesday that health officials had determined it safe for producers and other network staff to interact with Trump at the event – and safe for attending voters. The network issued a statement from Clifford Lane, a clinical director at the National Institutes of Health, saying Trump was “not shedding infectious virus”.
The 2020 presidential debate schedule was thrown into upheaval by Trump’s Covid-19 diagnosis, which was announced on 2 October and followed by a three-night hospital stay by the president.
Federal health guidelines call for a two-week quarantine for known Covid cases, leading the debate commission to propose an online event instead. Trump, 74, and Biden, 77, are both in high-risk health categories.
Trump refused. “That’s not what debating is all about. You sit behind a computer and do a debate?” he said. “It’s ridiculous.”
With Trump trailing badly in polling averages, political analysts say he needs to find a way to shake up the race to have a shot at winning – and, with millions of early votes already cast, few undecided voters remaining and Biden’s personal approval rating riding high, time was short for Trump to make such a move.
Spurred by those realities, Trump has returned to the campaign trail, with plans to host rallies this week in Iowa, North Carolina and Florida. Trump won all three states handily in 2016 but now finds himself playing defense in territory his campaign had hoped would be sewn up by now.
In a dire sign for Trump campaign finances, the campaign canceled $4.5m in ad buys in key battleground states last month – even as the Biden campaign spent $65m on ads in 12 states and announced expanded advertising on Google and Facebook.
Biden, meanwhile, held multiple rallies in Ohio this week, signaling his campaign’s belief that the state is in play in 2020 after Trump defeated Hillary Clinton there in 2016 by eight points. Polling averages show Biden holding a narrow lead in the state.
While counter-programming Biden on Thursday night would avoid a situation where the former vice-president had the political arena to himself for a night, the dueling town hall format does not create obvious opportunities for Trump to rebut Biden in real time.
Potentially compounding Trump’s difficulties is the fact that the town hall format, which draws Trump out of his bubble of comfortable campaign rallies and adulatory Fox News interviews, is not one Trump has excelled at.
A Trump outing at a town hall in Philadelphia last month found the president twisting in the spotlight, making statements that attendees later called obvious lies, and even interrupting questioners.
The dueling town halls came about through a series of refusals, taunts, threats and reversals by Trump and his campaign. First the Trump campaign challenged Biden to an extra in-person debate, which the Biden camp refused, and then Trump attempted to revive an in-person debate on Thursday, also refused.
Already low, Trump’s poll numbers fell after the candidates’ first – and so far only –debate on 30 September, in which Trump interrupted Biden so much the Democrat told the president to “shut up, man”.
While Democrats remained cautious about polling reflecting a Biden lead, the dimensions of that apparent lead sparked whispers that perhaps 2020 would not be a repeat of 2016, when a victory by Clinton in the popular vote was overridden by Trump’s victory in the electoral college.
To differentiate between the two election cycles, political analysts point not only to changes that state-level pollsters have made since 2016 to avoid a recurring blind spot, but also to two factors – Biden’s strong favorability rating and the low proportion of undecided voters.
Unlike Clinton, Biden has watched his average favorability rating climb above 50% and stay there over the course of the election, while Trump hovers at around 43%. Elsewhere polling indicates that there are about half as many undecided, likely voters in 2020 as there were in 2016.
An unusual stability in the 2020 race is visible in graphs of polling averages showing parallel lines going back eight months separated by five to 10 points – with Biden on top.


theguardian--2020-10-14--Democrats are resigned to losing the supreme court battle – but set on winning the war

It was the five-hour mark when the tech gods finally pulled the plug .
As Senator Richard Blumenthal started questioning supreme court nominee Amy Coney Barrett , the Senate ’ s audio system crashed and her words floated away on the air .
The gremlins were caused not by Covid-enforced video conferencing from some far-flung location but a simple breakdown in the committee room .
By then the hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington had become background noise .
Barrett and the Republican senators backing her have to pretend she is a tabula rasa , as ideologically blank as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comes to deciding cases about abortion , healthcare , same-sex marriage or myriad other issues .
So when the audio system cranked back into gear , Blumenthal of Connecticut asked if a ruling that barred states from criminalising contraceptive use was rightly decided .
Barrett declined to say so .
And when Blumenthal asked about her views on the climate crisis , she parried : “ Senator Blumenthal , I don ’ t think I am competent to opine on what causes global warming or not.
” Had he asked whether the president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody , there is no guarantee that Barrett would have given an unambiguous answer .
In fairness , she was merely applying the “ Ginsburg rule ” : the late justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg ’ s dictum that nominees to the court should offer no hints , no previews , no forecasts .
Or as the law professor Elena Kagan put it 25 years ago : “ Hearings have presented to the public a vapid and hollow charade , in which repetition of platitudes has replaced discussion of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ analysis .
Barrett , however , is taking the Kabuki dance to new extremes .
She remained evasive even when Democrats asked about Donald Trump and his evident belief that she would take his side , just as he demanded “ loyalty ” from the former FBI director James Comey and other public servants .
Patrick Leahy , whose 46 years in the Senate include 20 supreme court nominations and 16 confirmation hearings , won a minor concession when he asked : “ Would you agree , first , that nobody is above @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Not you .
Not me .
Is that correct ?
” Barrett acknowledged : “ I agree no one is above the law.
” But Leahy pressed : “ Does a president have an absolute right to pardon himself for a crime ?
I mean , we certainly heard this question after President Nixon ’ s impeachment.
” ( Trump himself has declared : “ I have the absolute right to pardon myself.
” ) Barrett dodged as best she could : “ Senator Leahy , so far as I know , that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ question has never risen .
That question may or may not arise , but it ’ s one that calls for a legal analysis of what the scope of the pardon power is .
“ So because it would be opining on an open question when I haven ’ t gone through the judicial process to decide it , it ’ s not one on which I can offer a view.
” Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota noted that Trump has been undermining confidence in mail-in voting and pointed out that Barrett would join @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Brett Kavanaugh , who all worked on behalf of Republicans in matters related to Bush v Gore , the case that decided the 2000 election .
Barrett said : “ Senator Klobuchar , if you ’ re asking me whether I was nominated for this seat because I worked on Bush versus Gore for a very brief period of time as a young associate , that doesn ’ t make sense to me.
” Klobuchar : “ I just think it ’ s such a coincidence to me .
I actually didn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the hours ticked by , Barrett , with a water bottle to her right , remained calm under fire .
There was one slip of the tongue that many could sympathise with : “ Senator Whitehouse , I will approach every case with an open wine – erm , open mind.
” For their part , Republicans maintained the illusion that law and policy are clinically separate , that there are no Obama judges or Trump judges , even though the current president publishes shortlists during election campaigns and vows to nominate only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at least twice , the mask slipped .
Lindsey Graham , chair of the Senate judiciary committee , boasted : “ This is the first time in American history that we ’ ve nominated a woman who is unashamedly pro-life and embraces her faith without apology .
And she ’ s going to the court .
A seat at the table is waiting on you.
” Josh Hawley of Missouri also said the quiet part aloud : “ I think it ’ s only fair that I ask whether , hypothetically speaking , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ let ’ s say , a vice-president of the United States who hypothetically had an adult son , who might have a foreign oligarch , who then sold access to his father , the vice-president , and his father intervened in a case to make sure that oligarch wasn ’ t prosecuted , would that violate the foreign corruption the constitution is concerned about ?
” It was a crude invitation to bash Joe Biden and his son Hunter .
At least Barrett was consistent .
“ I can ’ t answer hypotheticals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ apart , Republicans seemed confident that Barrett is cruising towards confirmation as a conservative star of the court for decades to come .
Democrats , who realise the same thing , are using their time to highlight that she would be a bulwark of minority rule and therefore defeating Trump in next month ’ s election is an even bigger priority .
And so the hearing had settled into first world war-style trench warfare .
There were occasional bursts of shelling and sniper fire but little sign of a major offensive capable of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their line of questioning will win the battle ; Democrats believe that theirs will win the war .

It was the five-hour mark when the tech gods finally pulled the plug.
As Senator Richard Blumenthal started questioning supreme court nominee Amy Coney Barrett, the Senate’s audio system crashed and her words floated away on the air.
The gremlins were caused not by Covid-enforced video conferencing from some far-flung location but a simple breakdown in the committee room. By then the hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington had become background noise.
Barrett and the Republican senators backing her have to pretend she is a tabula rasa, as ideologically blank as the notepad in front of her when it comes to deciding cases about abortion, healthcare, same-sex marriage or myriad other issues.
So when the audio system cranked back into gear, Blumenthal of Connecticut asked if a ruling that barred states from criminalising contraceptive use was rightly decided. Barrett declined to say so.
And when Blumenthal asked about her views on the climate crisis, she parried: “Senator Blumenthal, I don’t think I am competent to opine on what causes global warming or not.”
Had he asked whether the president is allowed to stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, there is no guarantee that Barrett would have given an unambiguous answer.
In fairness, she was merely applying the “Ginsburg rule”: the late justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s dictum that nominees to the court should offer no hints, no previews, no forecasts.
Or as the law professor Elena Kagan put it 25 years ago: “Hearings have presented to the public a vapid and hollow charade, in which repetition of platitudes has replaced discussion of viewpoints and personal anecdotes have supplanted legal analysis.
Kagan is now a supreme court justice.
Barrett, however, is taking the Kabuki dance to new extremes. She remained evasive even when Democrats asked about Donald Trump and his evident belief that she would take his side, just as he demanded “loyalty” from the former FBI director James Comey and other public servants.
Patrick Leahy, whose 46 years in the Senate include 20 supreme court nominations and 16 confirmation hearings, won a minor concession when he asked: “Would you agree, first, that nobody is above the law? Not the president. Not you. Not me. Is that correct?”
Barrett acknowledged: “I agree no one is above the law.”
But Leahy pressed: “Does a president have an absolute right to pardon himself for a crime? I mean, we certainly heard this question after President Nixon’s impeachment.” (Trump himself has declared: “I have the absolute right to pardon myself.”)
Barrett dodged as best she could: “Senator Leahy, so far as I know, that question has never been litigated. That question has never risen. That question may or may not arise, but it’s one that calls for a legal analysis of what the scope of the pardon power is.
“So because it would be opining on an open question when I haven’t gone through the judicial process to decide it, it’s not one on which I can offer a view.”
Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota noted that Trump has been undermining confidence in mail-in voting and pointed out that Barrett would join the supreme court justices John Roberts and Brett Kavanaugh, who all worked on behalf of Republicans in matters related to Bush v Gore, the case that decided the 2000 election.
“Do you think that’s a coincidence?” Klobuchar asked.
Barrett said: “Senator Klobuchar, if you’re asking me whether I was nominated for this seat because I worked on Bush versus Gore for a very brief period of time as a young associate, that doesn’t make sense to me.”
Klobuchar: “I just think it’s such a coincidence to me. I actually didn’t know it until yesterday.”
As the hours ticked by, Barrett, with a water bottle to her right, remained calm under fire. There was one slip of the tongue that many could sympathise with: “Senator Whitehouse, I will approach every case with an open wine – erm, open mind.”
For their part, Republicans maintained the illusion that law and policy are clinically separate, that there are no Obama judges or Trump judges, even though the current president publishes shortlists during election campaigns and vows to nominate only those hostile to reproductive rights.
But at least twice, the mask slipped. Lindsey Graham, chair of the Senate judiciary committee, boasted: “This is the first time in American history that we’ve nominated a woman who is unashamedly pro-life and embraces her faith without apology. And she’s going to the court. A seat at the table is waiting on you.”
Josh Hawley of Missouri also said the quiet part aloud: “I think it’s only fair that I ask whether, hypothetically speaking, just hypothetically, if there were, let’s say, a vice-president of the United States who hypothetically had an adult son, who might have a foreign oligarch, who then sold access to his father, the vice-president, and his father intervened in a case to make sure that oligarch wasn’t prosecuted, would that violate the foreign corruption the constitution is concerned about?”
It was a crude invitation to bash Joe Biden and his son Hunter. At least Barrett was consistent. “I can’t answer hypotheticals,” she said.
Such indiscretions apart, Republicans seemed confident that Barrett is cruising towards confirmation as a conservative star of the court for decades to come. Democrats, who realise the same thing, are using their time to highlight that she would be a bulwark of minority rule and therefore defeating Trump in next month’s election is an even bigger priority.
And so the hearing had settled into first world war-style trench warfare. There were occasional bursts of shelling and sniper fire but little sign of a major offensive capable of breaking the deadlock. Republicans reckon that their line of questioning will win the battle; Democrats believe that theirs will win the war.


theguardian--2020-10-14--It's not easy being the first but for Kamala Harris it has become a habit

It took less than one day after Kamala Harris was announced as the Democratic vice-presidential nominee for a racist and baseless “ birther ” conspiracy theory to start circulating among her critics .
The morning after Joe Biden named Harris as his running mate , making her the first black woman and the first Asian American to join a major party ’ s presidential ticket , Newsweek published an op-ed casting doubt upon the California senator ’ s US citizenship because she was born to immigrant parents .
The argument was immediately discredited by legal experts , who noted Harris @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , California , and was thus undeniably a US citizen .
But that irrefutable evidence did not stop Donald Trump , one of the champions of the similarly baseless birther claims against Barack Obama , from stoking the conspiracy theory .
“ I just heard it today that she doesn ’ t meet the requirements , ” Trump said at an August press conference .
“ But that ’ s a very serious , you ’ re saying that , they ’ re saying that she doesn ’ t qualify because she wasn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The president has continued his attacks against Harris in the two months since , most recently calling her a “ monster ” after last Wednesday ’ s vice-presidential debate .
Trump ’ s efforts to demonize Harris have taken on an added element of desperation heading into the final weeks of the presidential election , as polls show Biden leading nationally and in major battleground states .
The Democratic ticket ’ s significant polling advantage increases the likelihood that Harris will indeed become the country ’ s first female vice-president , potentially setting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bid after Biden leaves office .
But Trump ’ s comments have underscored a consistent theme of Harris ’ s entire political career , one that will probably only be amplified if she becomes vice-president : it ’ s not easy being the first .
Harris ’ s involvement with political activism started when she was a child , a fact that she has frequently touted on the campaign trail .
Her mother , a cancer researcher from India , and her father , an economist from Jamaica , met as graduate students @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the 1960s and became involved with the civil rights movement .
Her parents ’ activism gave Harris what she has called “ a stroller ’ s-eye view of the civil rights movement , surrounded by adults who were committed to service and community involvement ” .
Harris has particularly credited her late mother with inspiring her to enter public service , saying during the vice-presidential debate , “ The thought that I ’ d be sitting here right now I know would make her proud , and she must be looking down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ University , a historically black university in Washington , Harris returned to California to obtain her law degree and join the Alameda county district attorney ’ s office .
In 2003 , she ran for San Francisco district attorney , becoming the first black woman to hold the office .
When Harris was elected as California ’ s attorney general seven years later , she broke even more barriers , becoming the first woman , the first African American and the first Indian American to assume the role .
Harris currently serves in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first African American to represent California in the chamber .
Now Harris hopes to be a first again – the first woman to run on a successful presidential ticket .
In addition to Hillary Clinton ’ s historic Democratic nomination in 2016 , Geraldine Ferraro served as Democrat Walter Mondale ’ s running mate in 1984 , and Sarah Palin ran with Republican John McCain In 2008 .
All three women suffered defeats .
If Biden ’ s enviable polling lead over Trump is to be believed , Harris is poised to break @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Harris began well before she was announced as Biden ’ s running mate .
Although she had run against Biden in the Democratic primary and had confronted him at the first debate on his past opposition to mandated bussing to racially integrate schools , Harris was widely considered to be the frontrunner in the “ veepstakes ” as the August announcement approached .
Some of Harris ’ s critics sought to deter Biden from choosing her by going public with their reservations about the potential running mate .
Former senator Chris Dodd , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ selection committee , complained to an associate that Harris had shown “ no remorse ” for attacking Biden at the first debate , a conversation that was reported on by Politico .
Other Biden allies griped to CNBC that Harris was unlikable , disloyal and too ambitious .
Many of these criticisms are familiar to those who followed Clinton ’ s historic presidential campaigns in 2008 and 2016 .
Clinton was frequently attacked as shrill , weak and – of course – too ambitious .
“ There ’ s an uncomfortableness with women @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Walsh , the director of Rutgers University ’ s Center for American Women and Politics .
“ There is this double standard , and ambition is always seen as an admirable quality in men and a questionable quality in women.
” As a woman of color , Harris faces the challenge of weathering attacks based on both her race and her gender .
In addition to the birther conspiracy theory that emerged shortly after she was announced as Biden ’ s running mate , several political strategists argued Harris ’ s opponents have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the “ angry black woman ” against her .
“ We immediately saw sexist and racist language used to describe Senator Harris , ” said Fatima Goss Graves , the CEO and president of the National Women ’ s Law Center Action Fund .
“ But other things were more subtle , and I think it ’ s important to recognize that calling her things like ‘ nasty ’ or ‘ ambitious ’ or ‘ phony ’ or ‘ mean ’ are dog whistles to remind people of these outdated ideas.
” In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mate , who he had already promised would be a woman , Graves signed on to a letter putting newsrooms on notice about their coverage of the vice-presidential nominee .
“ A woman VP candidate , possibly a Black or Brown woman candidate , requires the same kind of internal consideration about systemic inequality as you undertook earlier this year ” after the police killing of George Floyd , the letter said .
“ It ’ s totally appropriate to talk about professional background and the roles that she has held over time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who has attracted criticism for her prosecutorial record .
“ Those are things that are really and seriously worthy of conversation .
What is not worthy of conversation is any idea in 2020 that a woman can ’ t lead.
” Some of the most controversial attacks against Harris have come from the man she and Biden are trying to defeat on 3 November .
Asked about Biden ’ s selection of Harris as his running mate , Trump told reporters in August that Harris , a member of the Senate judiciary committee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she grilled Brett Kavanaugh during his 2018 supreme court confirmation hearings .
( Trump similarly mocked Clinton as a “ nasty woman ” during the 2016 race . )
After the recent vice-presidential debate , the president attacked Harris as a “ monster ” , “ horrible ” , “ totally unlikable ” and a “ communist ” .
“ It ’ s similar to the fears that a lot of the folks who support Donald Trump had about Barack Obama , ” conservative commentator Tara Setmayer said .
“ They are combining @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policies with also an underpinning of racial animus.
” Democrats also argue that Trump is targeting Harris because he has failed to craft an effective attack strategy against Biden and believes it will be easier to make an enemy out of a black woman who , as running mate to 77-year-old Biden , could be a heartbeat away from the presidency .
“ When you can ’ t debate on the merits , when you can ’ t debate on the substance , this is what he always falls back on , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ substance right now , ” said Christina Reynolds , the vice-president of communications at Emily ’ s List , which works to elect Democratic women in favor of abortion rights .
“ I think he wants to run against a so-called ‘ nasty woman ’ , ” Reynolds added .
“ Joe Biden is not as scary in his world.
” Harris herself has been clear-eyed about the challenges she faces as a woman of color running for the second-highest office in the country .
Asked about the baseless birther claims back in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ They ’ re going to engage in lies , they ’ re going to engage in deception , they ’ re going to engage in an attempt to distract from the real issues that are impacting the American people.
” She went on to say , “ I expect they will engage in dirty tactics , and this is going to be a knock-down , drag-out , and we ’ re ready.
” Despite the president ’ s comments about Harris , several strategists expressed confidence that Americans would reject fearmongering attacks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The elements who support Donald Trump aren ’ t going to just disappear , ” Setmayer said .
“ What I ’ m hoping , though , is that there are more of the sane people out there that want to see unity and not division … so that that type of racial hatred is no longer mainstreamed.
” The Biden team appears to be relying on a similar hope , considering the campaign has sought to highlight the historic nature of Harris ’ s nomination as the election approaches .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden campaign released an advert called Mirrors that featured a young black girl watching news coverage about Harris ’ s nomination .
At the end of the ad , the young girl steps on to a stage while the words , “ On November 3rd , vote for her ” appear onscreen .
The girl says into a microphone , “ Our time is now.
” “ I can not wait for America to get to see a woman at that level , ” Reynolds said .
“ The attacks are always going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about what it ’ s going to mean to see her in that position.
” Biden himself has indicated he views Harris as the future of the Democratic party .
Campaigning alongside Harris in March , months before she was announced as the running mate , Biden described himself as a “ bridge ” candidate who would help elevate “ an entire generation of leaders ” .
Those comments have intensified speculation about Harris running to succeed Biden if they win the election next month , raising the possibility that she could become @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president .
Regardless of her future title , Harris ’ s accomplishments have already helped forge a clearer path for women , particularly women of color , seeking higher office , Walsh argued .
“ Each barrier that is broken down opens the door a little bit wider for the people who follow , but it doesn ’ t make the challenges go away , ” Walsh said .
The vice-presidential nominee has voiced a similar sentiment in the past .
In 2009 , while Harris was running for attorney general of California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was .
She responded by quoting her mother : “ You may be the first , but make sure you ’ re not the last .
”

It took less than one day after Kamala Harris was announced as the Democratic vice-presidential nominee for a racist and baseless “birther” conspiracy theory to start circulating among her critics.
The morning after Joe Biden named Harris as his running mate, making her the first black woman and the first Asian American to join a major party’s presidential ticket, Newsweek published an op-ed casting doubt upon the California senator’s US citizenship because she was born to immigrant parents.
The argument was immediately discredited by legal experts, who noted Harris was born in a hospital in Oakland, California, and was thus undeniably a US citizen.
But that irrefutable evidence did not stop Donald Trump, one of the champions of the similarly baseless birther claims against Barack Obama, from stoking the conspiracy theory.
“I just heard it today that she doesn’t meet the requirements,” Trump said at an August press conference. “But that’s a very serious, you’re saying that, they’re saying that she doesn’t qualify because she wasn’t born in this country.”
The president has continued his attacks against Harris in the two months since, most recently calling her a “monster” after last Wednesday’s vice-presidential debate.
Trump’s efforts to demonize Harris have taken on an added element of desperation heading into the final weeks of the presidential election, as polls show Biden leading nationally and in major battleground states.
The Democratic ticket’s significant polling advantage increases the likelihood that Harris will indeed become the country’s first female vice-president, potentially setting her up for a successful White House bid after Biden leaves office.
But Trump’s comments have underscored a consistent theme of Harris’s entire political career, one that will probably only be amplified if she becomes vice-president: it’s not easy being the first.
…
Harris’s involvement with political activism started when she was a child, a fact that she has frequently touted on the campaign trail. Her mother, a cancer researcher from India, and her father, an economist from Jamaica, met as graduate students at the University of California at Berkeley in the 1960s and became involved with the civil rights movement.
This January 1970 photo provided by the Kamala Harris campaign shows her, left, with her sister, Maya, and mother, Shyamala, outside their apartment in Berkeley, California, after her parents’ separation. Photograph: Kamala Harris campaign/AP
Her parents’ activism gave Harris what she has called “a stroller’s-eye view of the civil rights movement, surrounded by adults who were committed to service and community involvement”.
Harris has particularly credited her late mother with inspiring her to enter public service, saying during the vice-presidential debate, “The thought that I’d be sitting here right now I know would make her proud, and she must be looking down on this.”
After graduating from Howard University, a historically black university in Washington, Harris returned to California to obtain her law degree and join the Alameda county district attorney’s office.
In 2003, she ran for San Francisco district attorney, becoming the first black woman to hold the office. When Harris was elected as California’s attorney general seven years later, she broke even more barriers, becoming the first woman, the first African American and the first Indian American to assume the role. Harris currently serves in the US Senate, making her the first African American to represent California in the chamber.
Now Harris hopes to be a first again – the first woman to run on a successful presidential ticket. In addition to Hillary Clinton’s historic Democratic nomination in 2016, Geraldine Ferraro served as Democrat Walter Mondale’s running mate in 1984, and Sarah Palin ran with Republican John McCain In 2008. All three women suffered defeats.
If Biden’s enviable polling lead over Trump is to be believed, Harris is poised to break that losing streak.
…
Kamala Harris hugs Joe Biden after she endorsed him at a campaign rally in Detroit, Michigan on 9 March. Photograph: Jeff Kowalsky/AFP via Getty Images
The attacks against Harris began well before she was announced as Biden’s running mate. Although she had run against Biden in the Democratic primary and had confronted him at the first debate on his past opposition to mandated bussing to racially integrate schools, Harris was widely considered to be the frontrunner in the “veepstakes” as the August announcement approached.
Some of Harris’s critics sought to deter Biden from choosing her by going public with their reservations about the potential running mate.
Former senator Chris Dodd, a member of Biden’s vice-presidential selection committee, complained to an associate that Harris had shown “no remorse” for attacking Biden at the first debate, a conversation that was reported on by Politico. Other Biden allies griped to CNBC that Harris was unlikable, disloyal and too ambitious.
Many of these criticisms are familiar to those who followed Clinton’s historic presidential campaigns in 2008 and 2016. Clinton was frequently attacked as shrill, weak and – of course – too ambitious.
There is this double standard, and ambition is always seen as an admirable quality in men and a questionable quality in women
“There’s an uncomfortableness with women who are ambitious,” said Debbie Walsh, the director of Rutgers University’s Center for American Women and Politics. “There is this double standard, and ambition is always seen as an admirable quality in men and a questionable quality in women.”
As a woman of color, Harris faces the challenge of weathering attacks based on both her race and her gender. In addition to the birther conspiracy theory that emerged shortly after she was announced as Biden’s running mate, several political strategists argued Harris’s opponents have sought to use the racist trope of the “angry black woman” against her.
“We immediately saw sexist and racist language used to describe Senator Harris,” said Fatima Goss Graves, the CEO and president of the National Women’s Law Center Action Fund. “But other things were more subtle, and I think it’s important to recognize that calling her things like ‘nasty’ or ‘ambitious’ or ‘phony’ or ‘mean’ are dog whistles to remind people of these outdated ideas.”
In the days before Biden announced his running mate, who he had already promised would be a woman, Graves signed on to a letter putting newsrooms on notice about their coverage of the vice-presidential nominee. “A woman VP candidate, possibly a Black or Brown woman candidate, requires the same kind of internal consideration about systemic inequality as you undertook earlier this year” after the police killing of George Floyd, the letter said.
“It’s totally appropriate to talk about professional background and the roles that she has held over time,” Graves said of Harris, who has attracted criticism for her prosecutorial record. “Those are things that are really and seriously worthy of conversation. What is not worthy of conversation is any idea in 2020 that a woman can’t lead.”
Kamala Harris speaks to the press in the Spin Room after participating in the second Democratic primary debate in Miami on 27 June 2019. Photograph: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images
Some of the most controversial attacks against Harris have come from the man she and Biden are trying to defeat on 3 November. Asked about Biden’s selection of Harris as his running mate, Trump told reporters in August that Harris, a member of the Senate judiciary committee, was “extraordinarily nasty” when she grilled Brett Kavanaugh during his 2018 supreme court confirmation hearings. (Trump similarly mocked Clinton as a “nasty woman” during the 2016 race.)
After the recent vice-presidential debate, the president attacked Harris as a “monster”, “horrible”, “totally unlikable” and a “communist”.
“It’s similar to the fears that a lot of the folks who support Donald Trump had about Barack Obama,” conservative commentator Tara Setmayer said. “They are combining their fears over the left and leftist policies with also an underpinning of racial animus.”
Democrats also argue that Trump is targeting Harris because he has failed to craft an effective attack strategy against Biden and believes it will be easier to make an enemy out of a black woman who, as running mate to 77-year-old Biden, could be a heartbeat away from the presidency.
What is not worthy of conversation is any idea in 2020 that a woman can’t lead Fatima Goss Graves
“When you can’t debate on the merits, when you can’t debate on the substance, this is what he always falls back on, and he can’t debate on the substance right now,” said Christina Reynolds, the vice-president of communications at Emily’s List, which works to elect Democratic women in favor of abortion rights.
“I think he wants to run against a so-called ‘nasty woman’,” Reynolds added. “Joe Biden is not as scary in his world.”
Harris herself has been clear-eyed about the challenges she faces as a woman of color running for the second-highest office in the country. Asked about the baseless birther claims back in August, Harris told the Grio: “They’re going to engage in lies, they’re going to engage in deception, they’re going to engage in an attempt to distract from the real issues that are impacting the American people.”
She went on to say, “I expect they will engage in dirty tactics, and this is going to be a knock-down, drag-out, and we’re ready.”
Despite the president’s comments about Harris, several strategists expressed confidence that Americans would reject fearmongering attacks based on her race and gender.
“The elements who support Donald Trump aren’t going to just disappear,” Setmayer said. “What I’m hoping, though, is that there are more of the sane people out there that want to see unity and not division … so that that type of racial hatred is no longer mainstreamed.”
The Biden team appears to be relying on a similar hope, considering the campaign has sought to highlight the historic nature of Harris’s nomination as the election approaches. The day of the vice-presidential debate, the Biden campaign released an advert called Mirrors that featured a young black girl watching news coverage about Harris’s nomination. At the end of the ad, the young girl steps on to a stage while the words, “On November 3rd, vote for her” appear onscreen. The girl says into a microphone, “Our time is now.”
“I cannot wait for America to get to see a woman at that level,” Reynolds said. “The attacks are always going to come, but I remain optimistic about what it’s going to mean to see her in that position.”
Biden himself has indicated he views Harris as the future of the Democratic party. Campaigning alongside Harris in March, months before she was announced as the running mate, Biden described himself as a “bridge” candidate who would help elevate “an entire generation of leaders”.
Joe Biden, his wife Jill Biden, Kamala Harris and her husband Douglas Emhoff celebrate after Joe Biden accepted the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination at the 2020 Democratic national convention on 20 August. Photograph: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters
Those comments have intensified speculation about Harris running to succeed Biden if they win the election next month, raising the possibility that she could become the country’s first black female president.
Regardless of her future title, Harris’s accomplishments have already helped forge a clearer path for women, particularly women of color, seeking higher office, Walsh argued.
“Each barrier that is broken down opens the door a little bit wider for the people who follow, but it doesn’t make the challenges go away,” Walsh said.
The vice-presidential nominee has voiced a similar sentiment in the past. In 2009, while Harris was running for attorney general of California, a reporter asked what her motto was. She responded by quoting her mother: “You may be the first, but make sure you’re not the last.”


theguardian--2020-10-15--Kamala Harris presses Amy Coney Barrett on whether she believes climate change is real – video

Democratic vice-presidential candidate Kamala Harris has continued to grill supreme court nominee Amy Coney Barrett on a range of issues @ @ @ @ @ racial discrimination in the US .
Harris pressed Barrett on whether she believed coronavirus was @ @ @ @ @ and climate change was happening .
Barrett avoided answering directly to a number of issues @ @ @ @ @ one from Democratic senator Cory Booker on whether it was wrong to separate children from @ @ @ @ @ coming to the US

Democratic vice-presidential candidate Kamala Harris has continued to grill supreme court nominee Amy Coney Barrett on a range of issues, including climate change and racial discrimination in the US. Harris pressed Barrett on whether she believed coronavirus was infectious, smoking caused cancer and climate change was happening. Barrett avoided answering directly to a number of issues during the questioning, including one from Democratic senator Cory Booker on whether it was wrong to separate children from their parents to deter immigrants coming to the US


theguardian--2020-10-15--Amy Coney Barrett hearing to conclude as Trump and Biden head for TV town halls – US politics live

Accoding to the Johns Hopkins university coronavirus tracker , yesterday the US recorded 59,494 cases of coronavirus .
That is the highest daily total on new cases since 14 August .
The country recorded 985 new Covid deaths .
Andy Tsubasa Field and John Hanna have been reporting for the Associated Press in Kansas , where rural northwestern communities have endured some of the state ’ s biggest spikes in cases last week .
The pandemic arrived late , but it ’ s now stressing Gove County , which has had to send patients to hospitals in other towns .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ only has a handful of beds dedicated to coronavirus patients and not enough staff to monitor the most serious cases around the clock .
The local nursing home had most of its 30-plus residents test positive , and six have died since late September .
The sheriff , the county ’ s emergency management director , the hospital CEO and more than 50 medical staff have tested positive .
Even so , some leaders are reluctant to stir up ill will by talking about how often friends and neighbors wear masks or questioning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abandoned a mask mandate this summer after getting heat from some residents and amid Donald Trump ’ s criticism of such policies .
The state health department said coronavirus cases in Gove County doubled during the two weeks ending Wednesday , from 37 to 75 , and that spike was proportionally among the largest in Kansas .
But locally , officials and doctors say the number is actually far higher at 140 .
“ We have community spread to the point that we have not been able to pin down the root cause @ @ @ @ @ @ @ past month , ” said Dr. Scott Rempel , the county ’ s health officer .
The county commission imposed a mask mandate starting 6 August , when only a handful of cases had been reported , but repealed it 11 days later .
Rempel said it was “ heartbreaking , from a public health perspective.
” With officials ’ response to Covid-19 politicized in an election year , Kansas ’ Democratic governor and the Republican-controlled Legislature have been at odds for months .
More than two-thirds of Gove County ’ s voters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the county with nearly 85 % of the vote in 2016 .
Quinter resident Judy Wolf , a cook at a senior center , said media outlets reporting on the pandemic need to “ quit making a mountain out of a molehill.
” “ Everybody ’ s going to get it and go on with your lives , ” she said .
“ The only ones that are dying are the ones with other health issues .
”

Jessica Glenza (now) and Martin Belam (earlier)

15 Oct 2020 23.50 BST Summary Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden will face voters – but not each other – at dueling town hall-style events on Thursday night, in lieu of a presidential debate. The candidates were originally scheduled to participate in the second of three presidential debates in Miami, until Trump abruptly withdrew from the forum after the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates announced it would be held remotely due to concerns the US president might still be infectious with coronavirus. Follow the events live here.
The candidates were originally scheduled to participate in the second of three presidential debates in Miami, until Trump abruptly withdrew from the forum after the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates announced it would be held remotely due to concerns the US president might still be infectious with coronavirus. Follow the events live here. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris both flew on planes this week with people who have tested positive for coronavirus. A senior aide to Harris and a flight attendant on her campaign plane tested positive, as did an aviation administrator who flew with Biden. The campaign said neither Biden nor Harris had recent close contact with any of the three people, but Harris has canceled her in-person campaigning through Sunday out of an abundance of caution.
A senior aide to Harris and a flight attendant on her campaign plane tested positive, as did an aviation administrator who flew with Biden. The campaign said neither Biden nor Harris had recent close contact with any of the three people, but Harris has canceled her in-person campaigning through Sunday out of an abundance of caution. There were 898,000 new claims filed for jobless benefits in the US last week. This marks the thirtieth week of elevated unemployment claims since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, and it was the highest number recorded since late August.
This marks the thirtieth week of elevated unemployment claims since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, and it was the highest number recorded since late August. Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination hearings have concluded. The Senate judiciary committee will hold a vote on her supreme court nomination next Thursday, and the full Senate will then vote on her confirmation. Given that Republicans control the Senate, Barrett is expected to be confirmed.
The Senate judiciary committee will hold a vote on her supreme court nomination next Thursday, and the full Senate will then vote on her confirmation. Given that control the Senate, Barrett is expected to be confirmed. C-SPAN has indefinitely suspended political editor Steve Scully for lying about his Twitter account being hacked. Scully, who was supposed to moderate the second presidential debate before it was canceled, claimed his account had been hacked after he sent a controversial tweet to former Trump adviser Anthony Scaramucci.
Scully, who was supposed to moderate the second presidential debate before it was canceled, claimed his account had been hacked after he sent a controversial tweet to former Trump adviser Trump attacked Dr Anthony Fauci during his campaign rally in North Carolina today, after the infectious disease expert criticized the president’s reelection campaign for featuring him in a political ad. “He’s a Democrat; everybody knows that,” Trump said. In reality, Fauci, who has led the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases since 1984, does not have a party affiliation, according to his voter registration.
Updated at 00.01 BST
15 Oct 2020 23.47 BST Lauren Gambino Tonight, Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden will face voters – but not each other – at dueling town hall-style events on Thursday night, in lieu of a presidential debate. The candidates were originally scheduled to participate in the second of three presidential debates in Miami, until Trump abruptly withdrew from the forum after the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates announced it would be held remotely due to concerns the US president might still be infectious with coronavirus. Shortly after Trump’s decision, the Biden campaign proceeded to set up a telecast with ABC News in Philadelphia and the commission formally cancelled the debate. But Trump, slipping farther behind in national and battleground state polling, was unwilling to cede the prime-time coverage to his opponent. On Wednesday, NBC news announced that it would hold a town hall with Trump in Miami on Thursday night, at the same time ABC will air its forum with Biden. Speaking on Fox Business ahead of the event Trump bashed NBC News and claimed he was being “set up tonight” in what amounted to “a free hour on television”. And he previewed the event during a rally in North Carolina by swiping at moderator Savannah Guthrie and other network anchors. “So you know, I’m being set up tonight, right. I’m doing this town hall with Con-cast,” Trump said, mocking the name of NBC’s parent company. “So I’m doing it and it’s NBC. The worst.” The Guardian will be following the events live tonight. Town halls live: Trump and Biden hold dueling events after canceled debate Read more
Updated at 00.01 BST
15 Oct 2020 23.15 BST Chris Christie, the former New Jersey governor and Trump ally who has been convalescing from Covid-19, said he was “wrong” to not wear a mask while he attended an event at the White House and while spending time with Trump. Christie attended the Rose Garden event honoring supreme court nominee Amy Coney Barrett that has been linked to several infections in an outbreak at the White House and helped Trump prepare for the first presidential debate. In a statement to the New York Times, he said: I believed when I entered the White House grounds, that I had entered a safe zone, due to the testing that I and many others underwent every day. I was wrong. I was wrong not to wear a mask at the Amy Coney Barrett announcement and I was wrong not to wear a mask at my multiple debate prep sessions with the president and the rest of the team. I hope that my experience shows my fellow citizens that you should follow C.D.C. guidelines in public no matter where you are and wear a mask to protect yourself and others. Christie spent time at an Intensive Care Unit, and was especially vulnerable to complications from the infection due to his asthma. While he has at times been critical of the president, Christie has on the whole been a loyal ally of the president – who has it was “a blessing from God” that he caught the virus and has continued to draw maskless supporters to campaign rallies across the country. In an interview with the New York Times, Christie did not directly blame Trump for his infection.
Updated at 23.49 BST
15 Oct 2020 22.55 BST Donald Trump and Lindsey Graham are leading in South Carolina, per a new New York Times/Siena College poll. Graham, whose flip-flopping on whether he – as chair of the Senate judiciary committee - would support the nomination of a Supreme Court justice during an election year, has been fighting the toughest reelection race of his senate career. The poll, which questioned 605 likely voters, shows Trump with an eight-point lead and Graham with a 3-point lead. The margin of error on the poll is 4.5%. No Democratic presidential candidate has won in South Carolina since 1976. .
Updated at 22.55 BST
15 Oct 2020 22.45 BST Caroline Rose Giuliani has endorsed Joe Biden for president in an essay for Vanity Fair which details how her politics diverges from her father’s. “My father is Rudy Giuliani,” the younger Giuliani writes. “We are multiverses apart, politically and otherwise. I’ve spent a lifetime forging an identity in the arts separate from my last name, so publicly declaring myself as a ‘Giuliani’ feels counterintuitive, but I’ve come to realize that none of us can afford to be silent right now.” Caroline Rose had endorsed Hillary Clinton in 2016, and writes that since childhood she has engaged in debates with her father about LGBTQ rights, policing and other issues. She writes: “It felt important to speak my mind, and I’m glad we at least managed to communicate at all. But the chasm was painful nonetheless, and has gotten exponentially more so in Trump’s era of chest-thumping partisan tribalism. I imagine many Americans can relate to the helpless feeling this confrontation cycle created in me, but we are not helpless. I may not be able to change my father’s mind, but together, we can vote this toxic administration out of office.” Giuliani and his daughter and son at his wedding. Photograph: Carmen Valdes/Ron Galella Collection/Getty Images Rudy Giuliani, the former mayor of New York, is a personal lawyer to Donald Trump and one of the president’s loudest endorsers. He has been in the news lately after he claimed to have found incriminating evidence on a discarded computer of Joe Biden’s son Hunter. Twitter has been blocking the dissemination of the New York Post article reporting the unlikely and unsubstantiated claim. “If being the daughter of a polarizing mayor who became the president’s personal bulldog has taught me anything, it is that corruption starts with ‘yes-men’ and women, the cronies who create an echo chamber of lies and subservience to maintain their proximity to power,” Caroline Rose writes. Read the piece here.
Updated at 22.52 BST
15 Oct 2020 22.11 BST Hi there, it’s Maanvi – reporting from the West Coast. Here are the key moments from Amy Coney Barrett’s confirmation hearings.
15 Oct 2020 22.00 BST Today so far That’s it from me for now. I’ll be back later tonight to blog Trump and Joe Biden’s dueling town halls. Here’s where the day stands so far: Joe Biden and Kamala Harris both flew on planes this week with people who have tested positive for coronavirus. A senior aide to Harris and a flight attendant on her campaign plane tested positive, as did an aviation administrator who flew with Biden. The campaign said neither Biden nor Harris had recent close contact with any of the three people, but Harris has canceled her in-person campaigning through Sunday out of an abundance of caution.
A senior aide to Harris and a flight attendant on her campaign plane tested positive, as did an aviation administrator who flew with Biden. The campaign said neither Biden nor Harris had recent close contact with any of the three people, but Harris has canceled her in-person campaigning through Sunday out of an abundance of caution. There were 898,000 new claims filed for jobless benefits in the US last week. This marks the thirtieth week of elevated unemployment claims since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, and it was the highest number recorded since late August.
This marks the thirtieth week of elevated unemployment claims since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, and it was the highest number recorded since late August. Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination hearings have concluded. The Senate judiciary committee will hold a vote on her supreme court nomination next Thursday, and the full Senate will then vote on her confirmation. Given that Republicans control the Senate, Barrett is expected to be confirmed.
The Senate judiciary committee will hold a vote on her supreme court nomination next Thursday, and the full Senate will then vote on her confirmation. Given that control the Senate, Barrett is expected to be confirmed. C-SPAN has indefinitely suspended political editor Steve Scully for lying about his Twitter account being hacked. Scully, who was supposed to moderate the second presidential debate before it was canceled, claimed his account had been hacked after he sent a controversial tweet to former Trump adviser Anthony Scaramucci.
Scully, who was supposed to moderate the second presidential debate before it was canceled, claimed his account had been hacked after he sent a controversial tweet to former Trump adviser Trump attacked Dr Anthony Fauci during his campaign rally in North Carolina today, after the infectious disease expert criticized the president’s reelection campaign for featuring him in a political ad. “He’s a Democrat; everybody knows that,” Trump said. In reality, Fauci, who has led the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases since 1984, does not have a party affiliation, according to his voter registration.
My west coast colleague, Maanvi Singh, will have more coming up, so stay tuned.
15 Oct 2020 21.48 BST The president is previewing his NBC News town hall tonight by attacking the network. “I will be doing a major Fake @NBCNews Town Hall Forum, live tonight from Miami, at 8:00 P.M.,” Trump said in a new tweet. “They asked me to do it in place of the Rigged Steve Scully (he is now suspended from @cspan for lying) Debate. I wonder if they’ll treat me as well as Sleepy Joe? They should!” I will be doing a major Fake @NBCNews Town Hall Forum, live tonight from Miami, at 8:00 P.M. They asked me to do it in place of the Rigged Steve Scully (he is now suspended from @cspan for lying) Debate. I wonder if they’ll treat me as well as Sleepy Joe? They should! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 15, 2020 Joe Biden participated in an NBC News town hall last week, and he is holding another town hall with ABC News tonight, at the same time as Trump’s event. The dueling town halls are occurring in place of the second presidential debate, which was canceled after Trump refused to agree to a virtual format to limit the potential spread of coronavirus after he tested positive.
15 Oct 2020 21.33 BST According to Joe Biden’s campaign, the aviation administrator who has tested positive for coronavirus flew with the nominee on Monday and Tuesday of this week. “This individual traveled on the plane during the vice-president’s trip to Ohio on Monday and Florida on Tuesday, and was stationed in the last row of the 737 aircraft - over 50 feet away from the vice-president - throughout all of the flights,” campaign manager Jen O’Malley Dillon said in her statement. “This distance is well beyond the standard two rows (in front and behind) of distance the CDC generally uses when conducting contact investigations on aircraft for infectious diseases.” Dillon noted that this individual last tested negative on 11 October and sought another test today after developing coronavirus symptoms and being contacted as part of the contact tracing effort from the two other positive test results reported earlier today. Because of the minimal contact between Biden and this individual, the nominee will not be quarantining or changing his travel plans, as Kamala Harris did. “As we announced earlier today, Senator Harris’ contact with the crew member on her flight, and her staffer, were so incidental that she is not required to quarantine. Nonetheless, we postponed her travel plans out of an abundance of caution given even this incidental contact,” Dillon said. “Given that the vice-president had no physical proximity at all with this administrative crew member, and that his plane is larger than Senator Harris’ plane, and the distance from the individual is significant (over 50 feet), there is no reason to even undertake such a caution.”
Updated at 21.38 BST
15 Oct 2020 21.25 BST Aviation administrator on Biden's campaign plane tests positive for coronavirus An aviation administrator who flew with Joe Biden on his campaign plane has tested positive for coronavirus, the Democrat’s campaign manager announced in a statement. “Around noon on Thursday, October 15th, we learned – as part of our contact tracing of the crew member on Senator Harris’ plane that tested positive for Covid last night – that an administrative member of the aviation company that charters Vice President Biden’s aircraft tested positive for Covid-19,” said Jen O’Malley Dillon in a statement. Dillon noted that Biden “was not in close contact” with the person, as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “In fact, the vice-president did not even have passing contact: this individual was over 50 feet from VP Biden at all times, entered and exited the aircraft from a rear entrance, and both the individual and the vice-president wore masks for the entire flight,” Dillon said. “Given these facts, we have been advised by the vice-president’s doctor and the campaign’s medical advisors that there is no need for the vice-president to quarantine.” The news comes just hours after the campaign announced one of Kamala Harris’ senior aides and a flight attendant on her plane tested positive for the virus.
Updated at 21.41 BST
15 Oct 2020 21.18 BST Joanna Walters We’ll let the 17-year-old Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg speak for herself on US supreme court nominee Amy Coney Barrett’s climate crisis conversation yesterday with Senator and VP-nominee Kamala Harris. To be fair, I don't have any "views on climate change" either. Just like I don't have any "views" on gravity, the fact that the earth is round, photosynthesis nor evolution...
But understanding and knowing their existence really makes life in the 21st century so much easier. https://t.co/R7oOIyBsHC — Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) October 15, 2020 During her nomination hearing yesterday, Barrett refused to say whether she believed climate change was happening and threatening Americans’ health. Barrett told Harris, “I will not express a view on a matter of public policy, especially one that is politically controversial.” Harris replied, “Thank you, Judge Barrett. You’ve made your point clear that you believe it’s a debatable point.”
03:27 Amy Coney Barrett refuses to tell Kamala Harris if she thinks climate change is happening – video
15 Oct 2020 21.06 BST Trump took a victory lap after C-SPAN announced it was indefinitely suspending Steve Scully for lying about his Twitter account being hacked. I was right again! Steve Scully just admitted he was lying about his Twitter being hacked. The Debate was Rigged! He was suspended from @cspan indefinitely. The Trump Campaign was not treated fairly by the “Commission”. Did I show good instincts in being the first to know? — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 15, 2020 “I was right again! Steve Scully just admitted he was lying about his Twitter being hacked. The Debate was Rigged! He was suspended from @cspan indefinitely. The Trump Campaign was not treated fairly by the ‘Commission’. Did I show good instincts in being the first to know?” Trump said in a tweet. It should be noted that Scully sent the tweet at the center of this controversy after the president attacked him as a “never Trumper” because he interned for Biden’s Senate office more than four decades ago.
15 Oct 2020 20.46 BST C-SPAN suspends political editor for lying about Twitter hack - reports C-SPAN has reportedly suspended political editor Steve Scully, who was supposed to moderate the second presidential debate, for lying about his Twitter account being hacked. The AP reports: A week ago, after Trump had criticized him as a ‘never Trumper,’ Scully tweeted “@Scaramucci should I respond to Trump.” [Anthony] Scaramucci, a former Trump communications director and now a critic of the president, advised Scully to ignore him.
Scully said that when he saw his tweet had created a controversy, ‘I falsely claimed that my Twitter account had been hacked.’ He had been frustrated by Trump’s comments and several weeks of criticism on social media and conservative news outlets about his role as moderator, including attacks directed at his family, he said. ‘These were both errors in judgement for which I am totally responsible for,’ Scully said. ‘I apologize.’ Scully was supposed to moderate the second debate tonight, but the Commission on Presidential Debates canceled the debate after Trump refused to agree to a virtual event to prevent him from potentially spreading coronavirus.
15 Oct 2020 20.30 BST Trump attacks Fauci after criticism over campaign ad Trump also attacked Dr Anthony Fauci during his North Carolina campaign rally today, after the infectious disease expert criticized the president’s reelection campaign for featuring him in a political ad. Trump brings up Fauci, prompting boos at his rally. Trump then lies about Fauci's statements, suggested he once said "do not wear a mask under any circumstances," which he never did.
"He's a nice guy, so I keep him around," Trump says, dismissively pic.twitter.com/8zBv1E9qVk — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 15, 2020 The president mocked Fauci for altering his advice to Americans on wearing face masks to limit the spread of coronavirus. “He said do not wear a mask, do not wear a mask under any circumstances” Trump told the crowd. “Then they say, ‘Oh, wear a mask’.” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention initially said healthy people without any known exposure to coronavirus did not have to wear masks, but the agency altered that guidance after evidence showed masks could help limit the spread of the virus from people who are asymptomatic or not yet showing symptoms. Trump also said of Fauci: “He’s a Democrat; everybody knows that.” Fauci, who has led the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases since 1984, actually does not have a party affiliation, according to his voter registration. In North Carolina, President Trump claims "everybody knows" that Dr. Fauci, who has worked under presidents from both parties, is a Democrat. His voter registration: pic.twitter.com/PYIiifkz6q — Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) October 15, 2020 Fauci has also explicitly said he did not want to be featured in Trump’s campaign ads because “it’s so clear that I’m not a political person”. “I have never – either directly or indirectly – endorsed a political candidate,” Fauci told CNN on Monday. “And to take a completely out-of-context statement and put it in which is obviously a political campaign ad, I thought was really very disappointing.”
Updated at 20.37 BST
15 Oct 2020 20.14 BST During his campaign rally in North Carolina, Trump suggested the coronavirus pandemic is going to “peter out,” even as cases rise across the country. “It’s going to peter out, and it’s going to end, but we’re going to help the end,” Trump said, offering very rosy predictions about the development of a coronavirus vaccine and therapeutics. "It's going to peter out and it's going to end" -- Trump lies about the trajectory of the coronavirus outbreak in the US
Trump then shouts out Ronna McDaniel, who is apparently traveling to political rallies again after her own bout with Covid pic.twitter.com/zs1CYN26ev — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 15, 2020 But the number of new coronavirus cases is actually rising in many states. The seven-day national average of new cases has reached 53,124, up from 38,216 a month ago, according to the New York Times. Many experts have said the rise in the Midwest is particularly worrisome, as Americans in those states huddle inside more frequently due to falling temperatures.
15 Oct 2020 19.37 BST Trump gets in a dig against Harris while offering 'best wishes' Speaking at his campaign rally in North Carolina, Trump sent his “best wishes” to Kamala Harris after one of her top aides and a flight attendant she has traveled with tested positive for coronavirus. “We extend our best wishes,” Trump said. “We extend our best wishes, which is more than they did to me, but that’s okay.” "The glass ceiling broke her, but there will be a woman that breaks the glass ceiling, it just won't be Hillary. And you know who else it won't be? It won't be Kamala...but I'm very concerned about her, because 2 people that travel with her...they have tested positive" -- Trump pic.twitter.com/v484zRmMvT — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 15, 2020 In reality, both Joe Biden and Harris said they hoped the president and the first lady would make a full recovery after Trump announced they had tested positive for coronavirus. “Doug and I join Joe Biden and Dr. Biden in wishing President Trump and the First Lady a full and speedy recovery,” Harris said in an October 2 tweet. “We’re keeping them and the entire Trump family in our thoughts. Doug and I join Joe Biden and Dr. Biden in wishing President Trump and the First Lady a full and speedy recovery. We’re keeping them and the entire Trump family in our thoughts. — Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) October 2, 2020
15 Oct 2020 19.28 BST Amy Coney Barrett nomination hearings conclude Lindsey Graham, the Republican chairman of the Senate judiciary committee, has officially gaveled out the final day of Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination hearings. Senator @LindseyGrahamSC and @SenFeinstein shake hands and hug after the #SCOTUShearings conclude.
Full video here: https://t.co/lKxfaDOIaZ pic.twitter.com/rj1diSUxAQ — CSPAN (@cspan) October 15, 2020 Graham said earlier today that the committee would hold a vote on Barrett’s nomination to the supreme court next Thursday, after which the full Senate will vote on her nomination. Given that Republicans control the Senate, Barrett is expected to be approved by the committee and confirmed by the full chamber. As the final day of Barrett’s hearings concluded, Dianne Feinstein, the top Democrat on the committee, applauded Graham’s leadership over the past few days. Feinstein and Graham shook hands and hugged as they left the hearing room, which will likely frustrate the public health experts who have urged Americans to minimize such interactions amid the coronavirus pandemic.