theguardian--2020-09-14--Just 50 days until a US election both sides see as an existential struggle

The election to decide whether Donald Trump will serve a second term as president has already begun , with voters in North Carolina filling out absentee ballots , Minnesotans preparing to start early in-person voting on Friday and other states revving up their election machinery .
But for most Americans , today marks 50 days until election day , 3 November , when voters will take varying degrees of health risks – and face hurdles to voting of varying heights – to cast their ballots in person for Trump or his potential Democratic successor , Joe Biden .
It is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back in US history to assess the high stakes of the 2020 election .
Former president Barack Obama recently joined the ranks of public figures advising Americans to “ vote like your life depends on it – because it does ” .
Obama was talking about the wildfire apocalypse in the western US , and climate change .
But he might also have been talking about other stakes : the coronavirus pandemic , the fate of the democracy , foreign threats , domestic fury .
It is an election in which each side @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other as an existential threat , said Brad Bannon , a Washington-based Democratic strategist .
“ It seems to me that the stakes are about as high as you can get , ” Bannon said .
“ We have a president who has proved incapable of fighting the pandemic , which has killed almost 200,000 Americans now , and could cause irreparable damage to the economy .
We are facing a climate change crisis , we have a racial crisis .
“ And I think the main question is , which of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , to deal with the major problems in the United States ?
” To believe the polling , a majority of the country , including a winning proportion of swing-state voters , are ready to answer that question by casting ballots for Joe Biden .
The national polls have been remarkably stable throughout the election , tracking a consistent and seemingly stable lead for the Democrat that now hangs between seven and eight points .
But after the polls missed Trump ’ s 2016 traction with undecided voters and white people without a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lead has given Democrats precious little comfort , especially because of headwinds that Biden faces in the electoral college .
A recent analysis by Nate Silver of FiveThirtyEight indicated that Biden could win the national popular vote by three points – as many as 5m votes – and still have a less than 50-50 chance of winning the electoral college .
“ I ’ m not going to be confident about Joe Biden ’ s winning this election until he ’ s inaugurated on January 20 , ” Bannon said .
Fifty days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but it leaves plenty of space for the race , and the polls , to change .
While certain key markers in the 2020 race have come and gone – the selection of a vice-presidential candidate ; the national conventions – other major events are yet to come , including three face-to-face debates , the first of which is scheduled for 29 September .
In the background is the grim tally of coronavirus deaths in the United States , which have climbed to about 200,000 and could accelerate through the fall as schools @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relaxed and the flu season unfolds .
The Trump campaign is betting on a strong performance in the debates to help turn the race around .
If that doesn ’ t work , Trump has been whispering out loud about a potential “ October surprise ” in the form of an announcement that the United States has a coronavirus vaccine .
But a vaccine announcement might not be the political ace that Trump appears to think it is .
Public health officials and pharmaceutical companies have been warning that they would not go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccine , and a premature announcement by Trump could backfire .
The coronavirus has other implications for the election .
An unprecedented number of voters are expected to cast absentee ballots this year , leading some analysts to warn that election results will be unusually delayed , as states work through unaccustomed piles of paper .
But predictions of election results delayed by days , weeks or longer might not necessarily be borne out .
Ironically , the state of Florida , where a recount in 2000 kept the country waiting for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deliver a decisive , early result in the 2020 race – if Biden wins the state .
“ Unless we get into an Al Gore-George W Bush situation , we ’ re almost certainly going to know who won Florida by about 10 or 11 o ’ clock at night , ” the former Obama press secretary Robert Gibbs said recently on his podcast .
That ’ s because Florida is used to counting large numbers of absentee ballots , and the state counts them as soon as they come in , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ begin counting .
If Biden can win in Florida , most analysts believe , an electoral college victory is probably his .
But the added uncertainty of mail-in voting creates an extra opportunity for Trump to sow chaos , his critics believe , envisioning scenarios in which Trump declares premature victory or denies the election result outright .
The Biden campaign announced in July that it had hired an army of 600 lawyers to fight any election night “ chicanery ” by Republicans .
The Trump campaign has struggled to respond , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ money .
Last week it was revealed that after raising nearly $ 1bn , the campaign had spent most of it , apparently dumping hundreds of millions of dollars last spring into online searches for potential future donors .
In multiple swing states , the Biden campaign is outspending the Trump side by millions on influential TV ad spots .
A stream of bad headlines for Trump could also define the home stretch as much as any other factor .
For example , he recently told a journalist that he understood the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was not , and the Department of Homeland Security ordered officials to stop producing reports about Russian election interference , according to a whistleblower .
To begin to hit back against Biden , analysts say , Trump needs to escape the series of blows that have kept him on the defensive .
He has attempted to do so using his favorite tactic : hosting big campaign rallies , as he did in Michigan on Thursday night .
The assembled crowd wore a lot of red hats – but not many face masks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asked one rally-goer why he was not wearing a mask , the reply captured the divided American reality as election day approaches .
“ Because there ’ s no Covid , ” the Trump supporter said .
“ It ’ s a fake pandemic .
Created to destroy the United States of America .
”

The election to decide whether Donald Trump will serve a second term as president has already begun, with voters in North Carolina filling out absentee ballots, Minnesotans preparing to start early in-person voting on Friday and other states revving up their election machinery.
But for most Americans, today marks 50 days until election day, 3 November, when voters will take varying degrees of health risks – and face hurdles to voting of varying heights – to cast their ballots in person for Trump or his potential Democratic successor, Joe Biden.
It is difficult to draw the lens sufficiently far back in US history to assess the high stakes of the 2020 election. Former president Barack Obama recently joined the ranks of public figures advising Americans to “vote like your life depends on it – because it does”.
Obama was talking about the wildfire apocalypse in the western US, and climate change. But he might also have been talking about other stakes: the coronavirus pandemic, the fate of the democracy, foreign threats, domestic fury.
It is an election in which each side seems to view a victory by the other as an existential threat, said Brad Bannon, a Washington-based Democratic strategist.
“It seems to me that the stakes are about as high as you can get,” Bannon said. “We have a president who has proved incapable of fighting the pandemic, which has killed almost 200,000 Americans now, and could cause irreparable damage to the economy. We are facing a climate change crisis, we have a racial crisis.
“And I think the main question is, which of the two men do you want to have, to deal with the major problems in the United States?”
I’m not going to be confident about Joe Biden’s winning this election until he’s inaugurated on January 20 Brad Bannon
To believe the polling, a majority of the country, including a winning proportion of swing-state voters, are ready to answer that question by casting ballots for Joe Biden. The national polls have been remarkably stable throughout the election, tracking a consistent and seemingly stable lead for the Democrat that now hangs between seven and eight points.
But after the polls missed Trump’s 2016 traction with undecided voters and white people without a college degree, Biden’s apparent lead has given Democrats precious little comfort, especially because of headwinds that Biden faces in the electoral college.
A recent analysis by Nate Silver of FiveThirtyEight indicated that Biden could win the national popular vote by three points – as many as 5m votes – and still have a less than 50-50 chance of winning the electoral college.
“I’m not going to be confident about Joe Biden’s winning this election until he’s inaugurated on January 20,” Bannon said.
Joe Biden holds backyard conversation with union members during campaigning in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Photograph: Adam Schultz/Biden/Zuma Wire/Rex/Shutterstock
Fifty days is not a lot of time, but it leaves plenty of space for the race, and the polls, to change. While certain key markers in the 2020 race have come and gone – the selection of a vice-presidential candidate; the national conventions – other major events are yet to come, including three face-to-face debates, the first of which is scheduled for 29 September.
In the background is the grim tally of coronavirus deaths in the United States, which have climbed to about 200,000 and could accelerate through the fall as schools open and close, mitigation measures are relaxed and the flu season unfolds.
The Trump campaign is betting on a strong performance in the debates to help turn the race around. If that doesn’t work, Trump has been whispering out loud about a potential “October surprise” in the form of an announcement that the United States has a coronavirus vaccine.
But a vaccine announcement might not be the political ace that Trump appears to think it is. Public health officials and pharmaceutical companies have been warning that they would not go along with the premature rollout of any vaccine, and a premature announcement by Trump could backfire.
The coronavirus has other implications for the election. An unprecedented number of voters are expected to cast absentee ballots this year, leading some analysts to warn that election results will be unusually delayed, as states work through unaccustomed piles of paper.
We’re almost certainly going to know who won Florida by about 10 or 11 o’clock at night Robert Gibbs
But predictions of election results delayed by days, weeks or longer might not necessarily be borne out. Ironically, the state of Florida, where a recount in 2000 kept the country waiting for a month for the election result, could deliver a decisive, early result in the 2020 race – if Biden wins the state.
“Unless we get into an Al Gore-George W Bush situation, we’re almost certainly going to know who won Florida by about 10 or 11 o’clock at night,” the former Obama press secretary Robert Gibbs said recently on his podcast. That’s because Florida is used to counting large numbers of absentee ballots, and the state counts them as soon as they come in, as opposed to waiting until election night to begin counting.
If Biden can win in Florida, most analysts believe, an electoral college victory is probably his. But the added uncertainty of mail-in voting creates an extra opportunity for Trump to sow chaos, his critics believe, envisioning scenarios in which Trump declares premature victory or denies the election result outright.
The Biden campaign announced in July that it had hired an army of 600 lawyers to fight any election night “chicanery” by Republicans.
The Trump campaign has struggled to respond, in part because it is running low on money. Last week it was revealed that after raising nearly $1bn, the campaign had spent most of it, apparently dumping hundreds of millions of dollars last spring into online searches for potential future donors. In multiple swing states, the Biden campaign is outspending the Trump side by millions on influential TV ad spots.
Many red hats were on display at Donald Trump’s rally in Freeland, Michigan, last week but few face masks. Photograph: Dominick Sokotoff/Rex/Shutterstock
A stream of bad headlines for Trump could also define the home stretch as much as any other factor. For example, he recently told a journalist that he understood the coronavirus was dangerous even as he told Americans it was not, and the Department of Homeland Security ordered officials to stop producing reports about Russian election interference, according to a whistleblower.
To begin to hit back against Biden, analysts say, Trump needs to escape the series of blows that have kept him on the defensive. He has attempted to do so using his favorite tactic: hosting big campaign rallies, as he did in Michigan on Thursday night.
The assembled crowd wore a lot of red hats – but not many face masks. When CNN’s Jim Acosta asked one rally-goer why he was not wearing a mask, the reply captured the divided American reality as election day approaches.
“Because there’s no Covid,” the Trump supporter said. “It’s a fake pandemic. Created to destroy the United States of America.”


theguardian--2020-09-14--Collateral Damage by Kim Darroch review – our fall guy in Washington

The former British ambassador to the US is wry and astute in his account of how he fell foul of Donald Trump and Boris Johnson The old Washington saying goes that if you want a friend you can trust , get a dog .
In July 2019 , Kim Darroch , the former British ambassador to the US , needed a dog .
Badly .
First came news that the Mail on Sunday had got hold of a series of leaked diplomatic cables and a highly classified letter , which outlined his candid assessment of Donald Trump and the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was always going to cause “ please return to your seats and stow away your tray tables ” turbulence .
But how much would only become apparent when the president exercised his Twitter thumbs .
Then came the TV debate for the Tory leadership when Boris Johnson , the out-and-out favourite , conspicuously failed to offer Darroch his support .
Collateral Damage is a sharply written book , full of dry and wry observations of a lifelong public servant who , having spent his career shunning the spotlight , suddenly finds himself at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incurring the wrath of a thin-skinned president and a thick-skinned soon-to-be prime minister who seemingly doesn ’ t want to expend political capital saving our man in Washington .
The weekend before the Mail on Sunday leak , I had spent the day with Lord Darroch ( as he is now ) and his wife , Vanessa .
We had played tennis in the morning and had lunch on the terrace of the famous British ambassador ’ s residence on Massachusetts Avenue , Washington , designed by Edwin Lutyens .
The world could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the night before , the president ’ s key adviser , Kellyanne Conway , had thrown a party for him to mark the success of President Trump ’ s state visit to London to coincide with the 75th anniversary of D-day ; the corporate world was circling with lucrative non-exec roles , thinktanks wanted his expertise .
Here was a man at the peak of his powers .
A week later , all that lay in ashes .
The book relives the nightmare and the drama .
At first the White House gives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ survivable , they say .
But all would depend on how the president reacts .
At first it ’ s bad , but not terrible .
He hasn ’ t served his country well , the president tells reporters : “ we are not a big fan of that man ” .
But a tweet on 8 July is much more ominous : “ we will no longer deal with him ” , Trump wrote to his many millions of followers .
If that was a serious blow , the coup de grace @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Johnson in the leadership debate .
There is still enough of the lifelong diplomat in this book that Darroch doesn ’ t go in for character assassination , but you don ’ t need to be Hercule Poirot to figure out what he thinks .
He recounts the conversation with Johnson afterwards : “ Boris said that he was sorry if what he had said had contributed to my decision ; absolutely not his intention .
He had been trying only to say that a televised debate was not the appropriate forum in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We left it at that .
There was a certain tension in the atmosphere but our parting words were amicable.
” I am told there was fury in Massachusetts Avenue over the way Johnson briefed the call to the media , but Darroch doesn ’ t explore this .
It leaves me wondering whether someone in Whitehall sat over the manuscript with a sharp blue pencil .
For Trump , there is respect , if not admiration .
“ He had a killer ’ s instinct for the weaknesses of his opponents , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for pulling in the crowds , ” he observes .
And this : “ Trump understood grievances , because he was himself a tightly wound ball of deeply held grievances.
” You can see how easy , fluent phrase-making like this got him into trouble when his thoughts meant “ for your eyes only ” reached everyone ’ s .
But this book is much bigger and more ambitious than a first-person “ rise and fall ” .
What gives it its narrative force is that the two central characters in the book @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the emblems of the surge in populism , and the two history-shaping events in US/UK politics : the EU referendum on 23 June 2016 , and the US general election a few months later in November .
It ’ s also driven by how the power of social media was shaping reality .
“ The politician who commands social media rules the world .
And it is a world in which outrage is contagious , ” Darroch says .
“ You have to realise that the political centre ground has become completely depopulated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is getting your base riled up : making sure every single one of them gets out and votes.
” For all these events , Darroch had a ringside view – the person who was defending British membership of the EU when he was our man in Brussels , the man who worked hand-in-glove with David Cameron as national security adviser in Downing Street .
And then the person who was trying to sell Theresa May ’ s withdrawal agreement to a slightly bewildered Washington .
If I have a criticism of the book @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t more whodunnit .
Why was an anonymous diplomat being leaked against in such an incendiary way ?
What was the goal ?
Who was behind it ?
Who won by it ?
Darroch glides lightly over motives and suspects .
It was either someone in the Foreign Office who thought he was too pro-European and too anti-Trump , someone who was after his job and was determined to bring him down .
Or he suggests darkly , a foreign power – but doesn ’ t expand upon that .
In Washington , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ backstabbing , there was a fair bit of muttering about and against Darroch ; from people not a million miles away from the US state department and the office of the secretary of state , Mike Pompeo .
And some predated the leak .
Is it possible that Britain ’ s ambassador to Washington was brought down by our great partner in the “ special relationship ” ?
Maybe this is something we will never find out .
But this book is filled with great vignettes and classy analysis from the man who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the top of the diplomatic tree .
And there is nothing dusty or dry in his account of dealing with the twin forces of Boris and Donald , and how they ’ ve shaped politics – and his life .
Jon Sopel is North America editor for the BBC .
His book A Year at the Circus is now available in paperback ( Ebury , £9.99 ) • Collateral Damage : Britain , America and Europe in the Age of Trump by Kim Darroch is published by HarperCollins ( £20 ) .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Free UK p & p over £15

The old Washington saying goes that if you want a friend you can trust, get a dog. In July 2019, Kim Darroch, the former British ambassador to the US, needed a dog. Badly. First came news that the Mail on Sunday had got hold of a series of leaked diplomatic cables and a highly classified letter, which outlined his candid assessment of Donald Trump and the first six months of his presidency. That was always going to cause “please return to your seats and stow away your tray tables” turbulence. But how much would only become apparent when the president exercised his Twitter thumbs. Then came the TV debate for the Tory leadership when Boris Johnson, the out-and-out favourite, conspicuously failed to offer Darroch his support.
Collateral Damage is a sharply written book, full of dry and wry observations of a lifelong public servant who, having spent his career shunning the spotlight, suddenly finds himself at the heart of a media firestorm, incurring the wrath of a thin-skinned president and a thick-skinned soon-to-be prime minister who seemingly doesn’t want to expend political capital saving our man in Washington.
Here was a man at the peak of his powers. A week later, all that lay in ashes
The weekend before the Mail on Sunday leak, I had spent the day with Lord Darroch (as he is now) and his wife, Vanessa. We had played tennis in the morning and had lunch on the terrace of the famous British ambassador’s residence on Massachusetts Avenue, Washington, designed by Edwin Lutyens. The world could not have been set more fair: the night before, the president’s key adviser, Kellyanne Conway, had thrown a party for him to mark the success of President Trump’s state visit to London to coincide with the 75th anniversary of D-day; the corporate world was circling with lucrative non-exec roles, thinktanks wanted his expertise. Here was a man at the peak of his powers. A week later, all that lay in ashes.
The book relives the nightmare and the drama. At first the White House gives him encouraging noises. It will be survivable, they say. But all would depend on how the president reacts. At first it’s bad, but not terrible. He hasn’t served his country well, the president tells reporters: “we are not a big fan of that man”. But a tweet on 8 July is much more ominous: “we will no longer deal with him”, Trump wrote to his many millions of followers.
If that was a serious blow, the coup de grace was, arguably, administered by Boris Johnson in the leadership debate. There is still enough of the lifelong diplomat in this book that Darroch doesn’t go in for character assassination, but you don’t need to be Hercule Poirot to figure out what he thinks. He recounts the conversation with Johnson afterwards: “Boris said that he was sorry if what he had said had contributed to my decision; absolutely not his intention. He had been trying only to say that a televised debate was not the appropriate forum in which to discuss my future prospects. We left it at that. There was a certain tension in the atmosphere but our parting words were amicable.”
I am told there was fury in Massachusetts Avenue over the way Johnson briefed the call to the media, but Darroch doesn’t explore this. It leaves me wondering whether someone in Whitehall sat over the manuscript with a sharp blue pencil.
For Trump, there is respect, if not admiration. “He had a killer’s instinct for the weaknesses of his opponents, and a fairground barker’s gift for pulling in the crowds,” he observes. And this: “Trump understood grievances, because he was himself a tightly wound ball of deeply held grievances.” You can see how easy, fluent phrase-making like this got him into trouble when his thoughts meant “for your eyes only” reached everyone’s.
But this book is much bigger and more ambitious than a first-person “rise and fall”. What gives it its narrative force is that the two central characters in the book – Trump and Johnson – are also the emblems of the surge in populism, and the two history-shaping events in US/UK politics: the EU referendum on 23 June 2016, and the US general election a few months later in November. It’s also driven by how the power of social media was shaping reality. “The politician who commands social media rules the world. And it is a world in which outrage is contagious,” Darroch says. “You have to realise that the political centre ground has become completely depopulated. The way you win elections now is getting your base riled up: making sure every single one of them gets out and votes.”
For all these events, Darroch had a ringside view – the person who was defending British membership of the EU when he was our man in Brussels, the man who worked hand-in-glove with David Cameron as national security adviser in Downing Street. And then the person who was trying to sell Theresa May’s withdrawal agreement to a slightly bewildered Washington.
If I have a criticism of the book, it is that there isn’t more whodunnit. Why was an anonymous diplomat being leaked against in such an incendiary way? What was the goal? Who was behind it? Who won by it? Darroch glides lightly over motives and suspects. It was either someone in the Foreign Office who thought he was too pro-European and too anti-Trump, someone who was after his job and was determined to bring him down. Or he suggests darkly, a foreign power – but doesn’t expand upon that.
In Washington, a city whose currency is gossip and backstabbing, there was a fair bit of muttering about and against Darroch; from people not a million miles away from the US state department and the office of the secretary of state, Mike Pompeo. And some predated the leak. Is it possible that Britain’s ambassador to Washington was brought down by our great partner in the “special relationship”?
Maybe this is something we will never find out. But this book is filled with great vignettes and classy analysis from the man who until just over a year ago sat at the top of the diplomatic tree. And there is nothing dusty or dry in his account of dealing with the twin forces of Boris and Donald, and how they’ve shaped politics – and his life.
Jon Sopel is North America editor for the BBC. His book A Year at the Circus is now available in paperback (Ebury, £9.99)


theguardian--2020-09-14--Trump's first indoor rally since June defies Covid laws, attacks Biden

In open defiance of state regulations and his own administration ’ s pandemic health guidelines , President Donald Trump on Sunday hosted his first indoor rally since June , telling a packed , nearly mask-less Nevada crowd that the nation was making the last turn in defeating the virus .
Eager to project a sense of normalcy in imagery , Trump soaked up the raucous cheers inside the warehouse venue .
Relatively few in the crowd wore masks , with one clear exception : those in the stands directly behind Trump , whose images would end up on TV , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Not since a rally in Tulsa , Oklahoma , that was blamed for a surge of coronavirus infections has he gathered supporters indoors .
There was no early mention from the president that the pandemic had killed nearly 200,000 Americans and was still claiming 1,000 lives a day .
“ We are not shutting the country again .
A shutdown would destroy the lives and dreams of millions Americans , ” said Trump .
In a rambling , hour-long speech , Trump railed against his Democratic rival , Joe Biden , suggesting he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crime : “ Biden wants to appease domestic terrorists and my plan is to arrest domestic terrorists , ” Trump said to an enthusiastic crowd .
“ If Biden wins , the mob wins.
” Biden has criticised Trump for holding campaign events that put people at risk of contracting the coronavirus , which has killed more than 194,000 people in the United States .
Also on Sunday night , author and journalist Bob Woodward , whose book Rage detailed Trump publicly playing down the virus while privately knowing it was more serious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a half after he told Trump his book would be tough on him , the president Tweeted that Rage was going to be fake .
All entrants to the rally were given temperature checks and while masks were encouraged , few wore them .
Nevada ’ s governor , Steve Sisolak , a Democrat , has limited in-person gatherings indoors and outdoors to 50 people since May , a recommendation based on White House reopening guidelines .
In a statement released just before the rally began , Sisolak said Trump was taking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ countless lives in danger .
“ To put it bluntly : he didn ’ t have the guts to make tough choices , ” Sisolak said of Trump ’ s handling of the virus .
“ He left that to governors and the states .
Now he ’ s decided he doesn ’ t have to respect our state ’ s laws .
As usual , he doesn ’ t believe the rules apply to him.
” The city of Henderson informed Xtreme Manufacturing on Sunday that the event as planned was in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Covid-19 emergency directives and that penalties would follow .
The Trump campaign pushed back against the restrictions with the president saying he would support those in attendance if “ the governor came after you ” .
“ If you can join tens of thousands of people protesting in the streets , gamble in a casino , or burn down small businesses in riots , you can gather peacefully under the 1st Amendment to hear from the President of the United States , ” campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh said .
On Monday Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ briefing on the devastating wildfires racing through the region .
He has largely been silent on the blazes that have claimed dozens of lives in Oregon and California .

In open defiance of state regulations and his own administration’s pandemic health guidelines, President Donald Trump on Sunday hosted his first indoor rally since June, telling a packed, nearly mask-less Nevada crowd that the nation was making the last turn in defeating the virus.
Eager to project a sense of normalcy in imagery, Trump soaked up the raucous cheers inside the warehouse venue. Relatively few in the crowd wore masks, with one clear exception: those in the stands directly behind Trump, whose images would end up on TV, were mandated to wear face coverings.
Not since a rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, that was blamed for a surge of coronavirus infections has he gathered supporters indoors. There was no early mention from the president that the pandemic had killed nearly 200,000 Americans and was still claiming 1,000 lives a day.
“We are not shutting the country again. A shutdown would destroy the lives and dreams of millions of Americans,” said Trump.
Supporters wait for Donald Trump during an indoor campaign rally at in Nevada. Photograph: Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images
In a rambling, hour-long speech, Trump railed against his Democratic rival, Joe Biden, suggesting he was taking drugs and was soft on crime: “Biden wants to appease domestic terrorists and my plan is to arrest domestic terrorists,” Trump said to an enthusiastic crowd. “If Biden wins, the mob wins.”
Biden has criticised Trump for holding campaign events that put people at risk of contracting the coronavirus, which has killed more than 194,000 people in the United States.
Also on Sunday night, author and journalist Bob Woodward, whose book Rage detailed Trump publicly playing down the virus while privately knowing it was more serious, told 60 Minutes that an hour and a half after he told Trump his book would be tough on him, the president Tweeted that Rage was going to be fake.
...The Bob Woodward book will be a FAKE, as always, just as many of the others have been. But, believe it or not, lately I’ve been getting lots of GREAT books! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 14, 2020
All entrants to the rally were given temperature checks and while masks were encouraged, few wore them.
Nevada’s governor, Steve Sisolak, a Democrat, has limited in-person gatherings indoors and outdoors to 50 people since May, a recommendation based on White House reopening guidelines. In a statement released just before the rally began, Sisolak said Trump was taking reckless and selfish actions that were putting countless lives in danger.
“To put it bluntly: he didn’t have the guts to make tough choices,” Sisolak said of Trump’s handling of the virus. “He left that to governors and the states. Now he’s decided he doesn’t have to respect our state’s laws. As usual, he doesn’t believe the rules apply to him.”
The city of Henderson informed Xtreme Manufacturing on Sunday that the event as planned was in direct violation of the governor’s Covid-19 emergency directives and that penalties would follow. The Trump campaign pushed back against the restrictions with the president saying he would support those in attendance if “the governor came after you”.
“If you can join tens of thousands of people protesting in the streets, gamble in a casino, or burn down small businesses in riots, you can gather peacefully under the 1st Amendment to hear from the President of the United States,” campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh said.
On Monday Trump will travel to California to receive a briefing on the devastating wildfires racing through the region. He has largely been silent on the blazes that have claimed dozens of lives in Oregon and California.


theguardian--2020-09-14--Even the Republican ‘skinny’ relief bill failed. How is such unnecessary suffering justified? | Marg

Even the Republican ‘skinny’ relief bill failed. How is such unnecessary suffering justified? | Margaret Somers

The 31 million Americans struggling with unemployment today are not a whit less desperate and fearful now that Mitch McConnell ’ s “ skinny ” Covid-19 relief bill failed to pass the US Senate .
Thursday ’ s performative theatrics did little more than provide cover to vulnerable Republicans and add one more day to the now six weeks since Senate Republicans refused to extend the extra $ 600 in Covid-related weekly jobless benefits .
With McConnell sounding all but liberated from any more pressure to show compassion before the election , and the media ’ s attention pinned to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more imperative to refocus on the crisis at hand and to dig beneath the hollow excuses for such demonstrable indifference on the part of lawmakers .
It is time to find an answer to how is such unnecessary suffering justified ?
According to the Republicans , the aid is “ too generous ” and “ disincentivizes ” the unemployed from seeking work .
So perverse are the effects of these benefits , they argue , that it is actually workers gaming the system who are slowing the economic recovery , not the Covid-driven @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these charges persist despite significant evidence to the contrary testifies to the power of the conservative creed that few things in life are more perilous than excess government compassion : “ unearned ” income such as unemployment benefits perversely undermines recipients ’ self-discipline and willingness to work , leaving them even worse off .
It is a self-evident truth of human nature , conservatives avow , that relieving the suffering of those in need induces dependence and indolence , whereas deprivation incentivizes labor .
Here ’ s the secret sauce : since that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as ideas about human nature , can be neither proved nor disproved , such truths are conveniently immune to debunking evidence .
Thus they persist .
They should not , however , be immune from being called out for their stunning inconsistency .
In 2017 these same Republicans trumpeted a radically different truth about human nature when they pronounced that cutting taxes on the wealthy would incentivize them to work harder , invest more and spur rapid economic growth .
But how is it that extra money incentivizes the rich to become paragons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whereas for working people it incentivizes them to become social parasites and economic saboteurs ?
How can there be one human nature for the 1 % , and another for the rest of us ?
It ’ s a question too rarely asked .
So deeply rooted in Anglo-American political culture is this bifurcated view of human nature that it ’ s treated almost like natural law .
In fact , it ’ s a product of history , originally designed to solve a problem not unlike our own , and tied to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ industrial workforce .
In the last decades of the 18th century , the English upper classes revolted against the tax burden of the centuries-old system of poor relief – so named not because it was welfare but because “ the poor ” were simply those who had to work for a living .
As protection against cyclical structural unemployment , its recipients bore no stigma , and access to its benefits was considered a right .
When the need for jobless benefits escalated under the pressures of early industrialization , angry taxpayers found @ @ @ @ @ @ @ turned centuries of social policy on its head by asserting that poverty was caused not by systemic unemployment but by government assistance itself .
Providing the template for today ’ s Steve Mnuchins and Lindsey Grahams , he explained that aid to the jobless perversely incentivized them not to seek work .
Malthus based his argument on a novel view of human nature : society consisted of two “ races ” : property owners and laborers .
While the first embodied the high morality of Enlightenment rationality , the latter were not moral @ @ @ @ @ @ @ instincts .
When hungry , they were industrious ; when full , they lazed .
They did little more than think through their bodies .
As in the natural world , maintaining chronic scarcity was the necessary motor of the whole system .
Since the pangs of hunger alone disciplined the poor to work , if you remove that scarcity by “ artificial ” means – and nothing was more artificial than government assistance – the incentive to work dissolves .
But it was not enough to simply abolish public assistance , although @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in doing just that .
He also railed apocalyptically against reducing scarcity through charity .
Society ’ s very future depended on the unemployed being fully exposed to the harsh discipline of the labor market .
Malthus ’ s enduring contribution to social policy was thus to make hunger the virtuous suffering that underpins a productive workforce , and “ too much ” the virtuous luxury that unleashes the social contributions of the rich .
Armed with these two views of humanity – the rich depicted as noble paragons , the poor as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policy continues to declaim the unfounded “ truth ” that a strong economy depends on inflicting pain on workers while providing government largesse to the rich .
The most recent iteration began with Reagan ’ s massive tax cuts in tandem with his attacks on “ welfare queens ” .
It continued through the derisive conservative trope of “ makers and takers ” to Mitt Romney ’ s infamous “ 47 % ” of “ entitled ” “ tax shirkers ” to former House speaker John Boehner ’ s 2014 claim that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t have to work … I ’ d rather just sit around ” to today ’ s tax-cutting Republicans , who announced that they will extend jobless benefits “ over our dead bodies ” .
To be sure , today ’ s policymakers would be hard pressed to name the Malthusian roots of their belief in the perils of compassion .
But that makes it no less urgent to expose their policies as based on nothing more than historical fiction .
For there is a darker message lurking within this view of human @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bodily instincts robs them of their moral worth and , as we know from how our “ essential ” workers have been treated , makes them utterly disposable .
• None Margaret Somers ’ most recent book , co-authored with Fred Block , is The Power of Market Fundamentalism : Karl Polanyi ’ s Critique ( Harvard , 2016 )

The 31 million Americans struggling with unemployment today are not a whit less desperate and fearful now that Mitch McConnell’s “skinny” Covid-19 relief bill failed to pass the US Senate. Thursday’s performative theatrics did little more than provide cover to vulnerable Republicans and add one more day to the now six weeks since Senate Republicans refused to extend the extra $600 in Covid-related weekly jobless benefits. With McConnell sounding all but liberated from any more pressure to show compassion before the election, and the media’s attention pinned to shinier Trumpian objects, it is even more imperative to refocus on the crisis at hand and to dig beneath the hollow excuses for such demonstrable indifference on the part of lawmakers. It is time to find an answer to the question: how is such unnecessary suffering justified?
According to the Republicans, the aid is “too generous” and “disincentivizes” the unemployed from seeking work. So perverse are the effects of these benefits, they argue, that it is actually workers gaming the system who are slowing the economic recovery, not the Covid-driven loss of millions of jobs.
That these charges persist despite significant evidence to the contrary testifies to the power of the conservative creed that few things in life are more perilous than excess government compassion: “unearned” income such as unemployment benefits perversely undermines recipients’ self-discipline and willingness to work, leaving them even worse off. It is a self-evident truth of human nature, conservatives avow, that relieving the suffering of those in need induces dependence and indolence, whereas deprivation incentivizes labor.
Here’s the secret sauce: since that which is “self-evident”, such as ideas about human nature, can be neither proved nor disproved, such truths are conveniently immune to debunking evidence. Thus they persist.
They should not, however, be immune from being called out for their stunning inconsistency. In 2017 these same Republicans trumpeted a radically different truth about human nature when they pronounced that cutting taxes on the wealthy would incentivize them to work harder, invest more and spur rapid economic growth.
But how is it that extra money incentivizes the rich to become paragons of moral virtue and economic rainmakers, whereas for working people it incentivizes them to become social parasites and economic saboteurs? How can there be one human nature for the 1%, and another for the rest of us?
It’s a question too rarely asked. So deeply rooted in Anglo-American political culture is this bifurcated view of human nature that it’s treated almost like natural law. In fact, it’s a product of history, originally designed to solve a problem not unlike our own, and tied to the early capitalist need for a new industrial workforce.
In the last decades of the 18th century, the English upper classes revolted against the tax burden of the centuries-old system of poor relief – so named not because it was welfare but because “the poor” were simply those who had to work for a living. As protection against cyclical structural unemployment, its recipients bore no stigma, and access to its benefits was considered a right.
When the need for jobless benefits escalated under the pressures of early industrialization, angry taxpayers found an advocate in Thomas Malthus, who turned centuries of social policy on its head by asserting that poverty was caused not by systemic unemployment but by government assistance itself. Providing the template for today’s Steve Mnuchins and Lindsey Grahams, he explained that aid to the jobless perversely incentivized them not to seek work.
Malthus based his argument on a novel view of human nature: society consisted of two “races”: property owners and laborers. While the first embodied the high morality of Enlightenment rationality, the latter were not moral actors but motivated only by their biological instincts. When hungry, they were industrious; when full, they lazed. They did little more than think through their bodies.
As in the natural world, maintaining chronic scarcity was the necessary motor of the whole system. Since the pangs of hunger alone disciplined the poor to work, if you remove that scarcity by “artificial” means – and nothing was more artificial than government assistance – the incentive to work dissolves. But it was not enough to simply abolish public assistance, although Malthus is rightfully credited for his role in doing just that. He also railed apocalyptically against reducing scarcity through charity. Society’s very future depended on the unemployed being fully exposed to the harsh discipline of the labor market.
Malthus’s enduring contribution to social policy was thus to make hunger the virtuous suffering that underpins a productive workforce, and “too much” the virtuous luxury that unleashes the social contributions of the rich. Armed with these two views of humanity – the rich depicted as noble paragons, the poor as inherently indolent and parasitic – conservative social policy continues to declaim the unfounded “truth” that a strong economy depends on inflicting pain on workers while providing government largesse to the rich.
The most recent iteration began with Reagan’s massive tax cuts in tandem with his attacks on “welfare queens”. It continued through the derisive conservative trope of “makers and takers” to Mitt Romney’s infamous “47%” of “entitled” “tax shirkers” to former House speaker John Boehner’s 2014 claim that the jobless think “I really don’t have to work … I’d rather just sit around” to today’s tax-cutting Republicans, who announced that they will extend jobless benefits “over our dead bodies”.
To be sure, today’s policymakers would be hard pressed to name the Malthusian roots of their belief in the perils of compassion. But that makes it no less urgent to expose their policies as based on nothing more than historical fiction. For there is a darker message lurking within this view of human nature: Reducing working people to their bodily instincts robs them of their moral worth and, as we know from how our “essential” workers have been treated, makes them utterly disposable.


theguardian--2020-09-15--Biden condemns Trump as 'climate arsonist' as wildfires burn – as it happened

Immigrants in an Immigration and Customs Enforcement ( Ice ) detention center in Georgia are being subjected to horrific conditions and treatment including “ jarring medical neglect ” and mass hysterectomies of immigrant women , according to a complaint filed by several legal advocacy groups on behalf of a nurse there .
Dawn Wooten has worked as a nurse for more than 10 years , three of which she was employed at Irwin county detention center in Georgia , which is run by private corporation LaSalle Corrections .
The complaint filed on her behalf on 14 September accused the center @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surrounding Covid-19 and generally hazardous and unsanitary conditions .
Immigrants who spoke out against these conditions were regularly pushed into solitary confinement , the complaint said .
Wooten herself was demoted and reprimanded when she spoke out about these practices .
Wooten also reported an alarmingly high rate of hysterectomies - a surgery in which part or all of the uterus is removed - being performed on Spanish-speaking immigrants , many of whom did not appear to understand why they had undergone the procedure .
She said an off-site doctor supposedly performed the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ menstrual cycles , but that many women seemed to not understand what had happened .
In many cases nurses obtained consent from patients by “ simply googling Spanish , ” according to the complaint .
“ Everybody he sees has a hysterectomy – just about everybody , ” Wooten said .
“ That ’ s his specialty , he ’ s the uterus collector .
Everybody ’ s uterus can not be that bad.
” The complaint details health and safety violations related to the procedures .
One woman said she was not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the doctor say he had mistakenly removed the wrong ovary , rendering her unable to have children .
Another went in to have a cyst drained and ultimately got a hysterectomy instead .
“ When I met all these women who had had surgeries , I thought this was like an experimental concentration camp .
It was like they ’ re experimenting with our bodies , ” one detainee said , according to the complaint .
When reached by phone , an employee at Irwin county detention center declined to comment or answer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
LaSalle Corrections did not respond to request for comment .
Ice did not respond to request for comment .

Kari Paul, and Joan E Greve and Martin Belam

15 Sept 2020 01.51 BST Kari Paul here, logging off for the night. Thank you for sticking with us on these fast-moving news days. Here is what you should know from the last few hours: The justice department is set to investigate the Roger Stone case after prosecutors said they were encouraged to lower the sentence for the former Trump colleague
Former Florida gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum came out as bisexual in his first interview since a drug scandal in February
An appeals court decided Monday to allow Donald Trump to phase out ‘Temporary Protected Status’ immigrant humanitarian protections
Donald Trump did some gloating via retweet on Monday after a federal judge ruled shutdown orders in Pennsylvania unconstitutional
A horrific complaint has been filed against an Ice detention center in Georgia alleging poor Covid safety practices and forced hysterectomies of female inmates
The post office is temporarily shutting down some offices in fire-stricken states
Updated at 02.28 BST
15 Sept 2020 01.15 BST The post office is shutting down temporarily in fire-stricken states As historic and destructive fires continue across the western United States, the USPS has temporarily closed post offices in California, Oregon and Washington due to fire danger and power outages related to the fires. As a result of the wildfires in CA, WA and OR, there are some temporary service disruptions. Please check our service alerts page for complete details. — U.S. Postal Service (@USPS) September 14, 2020 The fire-related shutdowns come after increased focus on access to postal services as the 2020 elections approach, for which many citizens will be voting by mail to minimize Covid-19 risks.
Updated at 02.27 BST
15 Sept 2020 01.03 BST More fallout in New York over the suffocation death of Daniel Prude, the Associated Press reports: Rochester mayor Lovely Warren fired the city’s police chief and suspended her top lawyer and communications director Monday in the continuing upheaval over the suffocation death of Daniel Prude. Chief Le’Ron Singletary announced his retirement last week as part of a major shakeup of the city’s police leadership but said he would stay on through the end of the month. Instead, Warren said at a news conference that she had permanently relieved him while suspending Corporation Counsel Tim Curtin and Communications Director Justin Roj without pay for 30 days following a cursory management review of the city’s role in Prude’s death. “This initial look has shown what so many have suspected, that we have a pervasive problem in the Rochester Police Department,” Warren said. “One that views everything through the eyes of the badge and not the citizens we serve. It shows that Mr. Prude’s death was not taken as seriously as it should have been by those who reviewed the case throughout city government at every level.” Officers found Prude running naked down the street in March, handcuffed him and put a hood over his head to stop him from spitting, then held him down for about two minutes until he stopped breathing. He died a week later after he was taken off life support.
14 Sept 2020 00.31 BST Whistleblower complaint alleges Ice detention center is ‘like an experimental concentration camp’ Immigrants in an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) detention center in Georgia are being subjected to horrific conditions and treatment including “jarring medical neglect” and mass hysterectomies of immigrant women, according to a complaint filed by several legal advocacy groups on behalf of a nurse there. Dawn Wooten has worked as a nurse for more than 10 years, three of which she was employed at Irwin county detention center in Georgia, which is run by private corporation LaSalle Corrections. The complaint filed on her behalf on 14 September accused the center of negligence, including poor safety precautions surrounding Covid-19 and generally hazardous and unsanitary conditions. Immigrants who spoke out against these conditions were regularly pushed into solitary confinement, the complaint said. Wooten herself was demoted and reprimanded when she spoke out about these practices. Wooten also reported an alarmingly high rate of hysterectomies - a surgery in which part or all of the uterus is removed - being performed on Spanish-speaking immigrants, many of whom did not appear to understand why they had undergone the procedure. She said an off-site doctor supposedly performed the surgeries on women who complained of heavy menstrual cycles, but that many women seemed to not understand what had happened. In many cases nurses obtained consent from patients by “simply googling Spanish,” according to the complaint. “Everybody he sees has a hysterectomy – just about everybody,” Wooten said. “That’s his specialty, he’s the uterus collector. Everybody’s uterus cannot be that bad.”
The complaint details health and safety violations related to the procedures. One woman said she was not properly anesthetized during a procedure and overheard the doctor say he had mistakenly removed the wrong ovary, rendering her unable to have children. Another went in to have a cyst drained and ultimately got a hysterectomy instead. “When I met all these women who had had surgeries, I thought this was like an experimental concentration camp. It was like they’re experimenting with our bodies,” one detainee said, according to the complaint. When reached by phone, an employee at Irwin county detention center declined to comment or answer how many immigrants are currently housed there. LaSalle Corrections did not respond to request for comment. Ice did not respond to request for comment.
Updated at 01.00 BST
14 Sept 2020 23.38 BST Donald Trump did some gloating via retweet on Monday after a federal judge ruled shutdown orders in Pennsylvania unconstitutional District judge William Stickman IV, who was appointed by Trump, ruled orders made by governor Tom Wolf to shut down businesses in the state and limit gatherings were unconstitutional. Pandemic policies enforced by the Wolf administration violated the right to freedom of assembly and the due process and equal protection clauses of the 14th amendment, the judge ruled. He wrote in his hearing the governor’s efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus “were undertaken with the good intention of addressing a public health emergency” but ultimately were overreaching, arbitrary and violated citizens’ constitutional rights. PENNSYLVANIA GOVERNOR TOM WOLF AN YOUR STUPID WIFE .....YOUR NOT GOING TO MURDER US !!! TRUMP 2020 ... WE LOVE PENNSYLVANIA @realDonaldTrump pic.twitter.com/HxzC3VaYIi — John Favero (@JohnFavere) September 12, 2020 Trump responded to the news by gleefully retweeting memes and videos praising the decision, including one in which elderly people take off their masks to the tune of ‘We’re Not Gonna Take It’ by Twisted Sister.
The Wolf administration will reportedly appeal the decision.
14 Sept 2020 22.56 BST An appeals court decided Monday to allow Donald Trump to phase out immigrant humanitarian protections. In a 2-1 ruling, a California circuit court of appeals reversed a lower court’s decision to block the administration from phasing out Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for people from El Salvador, Haiti, Nicaragua and Sudan. Hundreds of thousands of immigrants, many of whom have lived in the United States for decades, will now be required to find another way to live in the US legally. From Reuters:
Judge Consuelo Callahan, an appointee of Republican former President George W. Bush, wrote in a 54-page opinion that the Trump administration decisions to phase out the protections were not reviewable and therefore should not have been blocked. Callahan also rejected a claim by plaintiffs that Trump’s past criticism of non-white, non-European immigrants influenced the TPS decisions. “While we do not condone the offensive and disparaging nature of the president’s remarks, we find it instructive that these statements occurred primarily in contexts removed from and unrelated to TPS policy or decisions,” she wrote. The plaintiffs in the case will seek another “en banc” review of the matter, their attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union said.
Updated at 23.12 BST
14 Sept 2020 22.19 BST Former Florida gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum said on daytime talkshow the Tamron Hall Show on Monday that he identifies as bisexual. “To be very honest with you, when you didn’t ask the question, you put it out there is whether or not I identify as gay,” he said. “The answer is I don’t identify as gay, but I do identify as bisexual, and that is something that I have never shared publicly before.” Gillum was the mayor of Tallahassee from 2014 to 2018 and ran for governor in 2018, losing narrowly to Republican Governor Ron DeSantis. He checked into a rehab center in February for alcohol abuse after a tabloid published a photo of him passed out in a hotel where a man overdosed and meth was found. Former Florida governor candidate Andrew Gillum tells Tamron Hall he's bisexual: "That is something I have never shared publicly before" pic.twitter.com/prUW7NPk1C — The Recount (@therecount) September 14, 2020 The interview was Gillum’s first since the scandal. His wife R. Jai told Hall she was aware of Gillum’s sexual orientation prior to their marriage.
“What was most hurtful was this belief that I was somehow living a lie in my marriage and in my family,” Gillum said. “That was the most hurtful to me. Because I believe we are all entitled to mistakes, and I believe we are entitled to those mistakes without having every other respectable and redeeming part of our lives invalidated.” Andrew Gillum at a rally in Florida in 2019. Photograph: Wilfredo Lee/AP
Updated at 23.07 BST
14 Sept 2020 21.58 BST Justice Department watchdog to investigate Roger Stone case The Justice Department is investigating whether the sentencing of political consultant and longtime Donald Trump buddy Roger Stone was impacted by his relationship to the president, according to NBC News. The Office of the Inspector General is looking into allegations that in February prosecutors of Stone were encouraged to seek a lighter sentence than they would have previously considered when sentencing Stone. Stone was convicted on seven counts related to misleading an investigation into ties between the Trump campaign and Russia in 2016, including witness tampering and lying to investigators. All four prosecutors quit when attorney general William Barr tried to override the recommendation of seven to nine years. Stone is a close friend of Trump. Aaron Zelinsky, one of the prosecutors who quit, said when testifying before Congress in June that US Attorney, Timothy Shea was “receiving heavy pressure from the highest levels of the Department of Justice to cut Stone a break, and that the US Attorney’s sentencing instructions to us were based on political considerations.” The investigation was prompted primarily by Zelinsky’s testimony, according to NBC News. It is not yet clear how far along this investigation is and whether it has surfaced any wrongdoing, the report said. Roger Stone introduces Republican congressional candidate Laura Loomer at an election night event at the airport Hilton in West Palm Beach, Florida, in August. Loomer, a far-right Republican candidate banned from social media sites because of her racist and anti-Muslim speech, is celebrating a congressional primary victory in Florida while embracing her role as a general election underdog in a heavily Democratic district that Donald Trump calls home. Photograph: Allen Eyestone/AP
Updated at 23.11 BST
14 Sept 2020 21.44 BST Kari Paul here in the San Francisco Bay area, taking over the blog for the next few hours. Stand by for more updates.
14 Sept 2020 21.30 BST Today so far That’s it from me today. My west coast colleague, Kari Paul, will take over the blog for the next few hours. Here’s where the day stands so far: Joe Biden criticized Trump as a “climate arsonist” while wildfires continue to rage along the west coast. In a speech at the Delaware Museum of Natural History, the Democratic nominee said, “If you give a climate arsonist four more years in the White House, why would anyone be surprised if we have more of America ablaze?”
In a speech at the Delaware Museum of Natural History, the Democratic nominee said, “If you give a climate arsonist four more years in the White House, why would anyone be surprised if we have more of America ablaze?” Trump received a briefing on the wildfires in California. The president blamed the recent surge in wildfires on poor forest management, even though climate experts have pointed to record levels of heat and drought, which have been attributed to climate change. When a California official pressed Trump on the facts of climate change, the president said, “I don’t think science knows actually.”
The president blamed the recent surge in wildfires on poor forest management, even though climate experts have pointed to record levels of heat and drought, which have been attributed to climate change. When a California official pressed Trump on the facts of climate change, the president said, “I don’t think science knows actually.” Trump dismissed concerns about the possible spread of coronavirus at his indoor rally in Nevada this weekend. “I’m on a stage and it’s very far away,” the president told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “And so I’m not at all concerned.” But that comment did not address the threat posed to the thousands of Trump supporters who attended the rally in Henderson, Nevada.
“I’m on a stage and it’s very far away,” the president told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “And so I’m not at all concerned.” But that comment did not address the threat posed to the thousands of Trump supporters who attended the rally in Henderson, Nevada. A senior official at the department of health and human services accused CDC scientists of “sedition.” In a live video hosted on his personal Facebook page, Michael Caputo claimed (without any evidence) that CDC officials were forming a “resistance unit” aimed at undermining Trump.
In a live video hosted on his personal Facebook page, claimed (without any evidence) that CDC officials were forming a “resistance unit” aimed at undermining The attorney general of South Dakota was accused of hitting and killing a man while driving home from a Republican fundraiser on Saturday. According to the South Dakota Department of Public Safety, Jason Ravnsborg initially told officials he had hit a deer, but the body of Joe Boever was found the following morning. Kari will have more coming up, so stay tuned.
14 Sept 2020 20.58 BST Caputo accuses CDC scientists of 'sedition' Michael Caputo, the assistant secretary of public affairs at the department of health and human services, reportedly accused scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of “sedition” over their response to the coronavirus pandemic. According to the New York Times, Caputo claimed (without any evidence) that CDC officials were forming a “resistance unit” aimed at undermining Trump. “You understand that they’re going to have to kill me, and unfortunately, I think that’s where this is going,” Caputo said in a live video hosted on his personal Facebook page. Caputo also spread baseless claims that left-wing groups were preparing for armed conflict after the presidential election. “And when Donald Trump refuses to stand down at the inauguration, the shooting will begin,” Caputo said. “The drills that you’ve seen are nothing. ... If you carry guns, buy ammunition, ladies and gentlemen, because it’s going to be hard to get.” Caputo has recently weathered severe criticism after Politico obtained emails showing the official had sought to change key CDC reports on coronavirus, even complaining that the reports “would undermine the president’s optimistic messages about the outbreak.” Trump ally who sought to change CDC Covid reports claims he was fighting 'deep state' Read more
14 Sept 2020 20.37 BST During the briefing on the west coast wildfires, Wade Crowfoot, the secretary of California’s Natural Resources Agency, emphasized that climate change was exacerbating the crisis. "It'll start getting cooler, you just watch." - President Trump.
"I wish science agreed with you" - CA Natural Resources Secretary.
"I don't think science knows actually."- President Trump.#NBC7. pic.twitter.com/0tMvYX3IUN — Danny Freeman (@DannyEFreeman) September 14, 2020 “We want to work with you to really recognize the changing climate and what it means to our forests, and actually work together with that science,” Crowfoot told Trump. “If we ignore that science and sort of put our head in the sand and think it’s all about vegetation management, we’re not going to succeed together protecting Californians.” The president has previously suggested the recent surge in wildfires was attributable to poor forest management, rather than record levels of heat and drought, as climate experts have said. Trump responded by telling Crowfoot, “It’ll start getting cooler, you just watch.” “I wish science agreed with you,” Crowfoot replied. “I don’t think science knows actually,” Trump responded. Shortly after that exchange, Crowfoot sent a tweet with a graphic showing the rise in California’s average temperature in recent decades. It actually won’t get cooler Mr. President. #ClimateChangeIsReal pic.twitter.com/gYWtitBdcN — Wade Crowfoot (@WadeCrowfoot) September 14, 2020
14 Sept 2020 19.50 BST Trump on climate change: 'I don't think science knows' During the briefing on the west coast wildfires, multiple officials, including California governor Gavin Newsom, said climate change was exacerbating the disaster. As one official made this argument, Trump interrupted to say, “It will start getting cooler.” However, climate experts have warned the planet will continue to get hotter if greenhouse gas emissions are not curtailed. But Trump told the officials at the briefing, “Just watch. I don’t think science knows actually.”


theguardian--2020-09-14--Biden calls Trump a 'climate arsonist' as president denies science on wildfire tour

The climate crisis and record wildfires in the western US forced their way into the presidential campaign on Monday , with Joe Biden calling Donald Trump a “ climate arsonist ” and Trump falsely claiming that the planet “ will start getting cooler ” and that the science is still uncertain .
The historic fires in California , Oregon and Washington have killed at least 35 , forced tens of thousands to evacuate and subjected millions to some of the worst air pollution in the world – yet the subject has been slow to penetrate mainstream politics , amid the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ racial injustice .
In a speech in his home town , Wilmington , Delaware , on a hot afternoon on the heels of the hemisphere ’ s hottest summer yet , Biden emphasized the wildfires ’ connection to the human-made climate crisis and pitched his plan to invest in green infrastructure in order to create jobs and stimulate an economic recovery from the pandemic .
“ If we have four more years of Trump ’ s climate denial , how many suburbs will be burned in wildfires , how many suburban neighborhoods will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suburbs will have been blown away in superstorms ?
” Biden asked .
“ If you give a climate arsonist four more years in the White House , why would anyone be surprised if we have more of America ablaze … when more of America is under water ?
” The former vice-president highlighted how the climate crisis is touching all Americans , from the western fires to midwestern floods , droughts and windstorms and Gulf coast hurricanes .
Trump meanwhile blamed the fires on poor forest management , spoke of “ exploding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world will only get hotter if fossil fuel and other climate emissions from human activity are not steeply curtailed .
During his visit to California , for a briefing on the wildfires and to bestow awards to California national guard members who helped rescue campers stranded by one of the strongest of dozens of infernos , Trump also questioned the usefulness of US climate action .
“ When you get into climate change , well , is India going to change its ways ?
Is China going to change its ways ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
” he told reporters when he arrived in Sacramento .
“ We ’ re just a small speck .
They make up a big preponderance of the pollution.
” The US is in fact the biggest historical emitter of climate pollution , although China is currently the top emitter .
In a later briefing , Trump interrupted an official , Wade Crowfoot , the secretary of California ’ s Natural Resources Agency , to argue the climate “ will start getting cooler , you just watch ” .
To which Trump retorted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ science knows actually.
” Crowfoot later tweeted : “ It won ’ t actually get cooler , Mr President , ” alongside a temperature graphic .
Lacking forest management does exacerbate wildfires , but hot and dry conditions because of climate change are a major contributer .
California ’ s governor , Gavin Newsom , in the briefing with Trump acknowledged a need for better forest management but said “ we come to the perspective , humbly ... that climate change is real and that is exacerbating this ” .
Trump , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ downplayed its impact .
The two men ’ s responses illustrate the importance of the November election in determining the trajectory of global climate action .
If Biden wins , the US will recommit to climate efforts , potentially encouraging deeper action from the rest of the world .
The scale and speed of Biden ’ s response would depend largely on congressional politics and could be hampered by his hesitancy to call for a rapid end to the use of fossil fuels , but he has vowed that climate will be a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he will continue to cheerlead fossil fuels , stripping environmental standards and helping the industry compete with clean energy .
Julien Emile-Geay , an associate professor of earth sciences at the University of Southern California , said : “ Voters will soon have to choose between an administration invested into denying objective information – including , but not limited to , all the science it finds inconvenient – and a Democratic ticket that , for all its faults , at least acknowledges this reality .
“ This is what political choice has turned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ objective reality.
” In his speech , Biden said Trump “ has no interest in meeting this moment .
He ’ s already said he wanted to withhold aid to California , to punish the people of California .
Because they didn ’ t vote for him .
This is another crisis .
Another crisis he won ’ t take responsibility for .
The west is literally on fire.
” The conditions in the US are precisely those climate scientists and activists have warned about for years .
On the west coast , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Gulf coast , states are bracing for a possible second major hurricane this season , as Hurricane Sally heads for eastern Louisiana and the Florida panhandle .
“ It ’ s clear that we ’ re not safe in Donald Trump ’ s America , ” Biden said .
“ This is Donald Trump ’ s America .
He ’ s in charge.
” Touting his proposed legislative program , he took further shots at the president .
“ When Donald Trump thinks about climate change , he thinks hoax .
When @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jobs .
When Donald Trump thinks about renewable energy he sees windmills somehow as causing cancer .
I see American manufacturing .
When Donald Trump thinks about LED lightbulbs , he says they ’ re no good , they always make him look orange … ” Globally , most countries are likely to miss a 2020 deadline to advance their climate plans , the United Nations climate chief , Patricia Espinosa , told Climate Home News .
That includes China – the biggest emitter of heat-trapping climate pollution .
A 2015 international agreement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for countries to begin to significantly limit warming .
But the world is far off track .
Having warmed more than 1C since industrialization , it is now on a path toward 3C or higher .

Emily Holden in Washington and Daniel Strauss in Wilmington, Delaware

The climate crisis and record wildfires in the western US forced their way into the presidential campaign on Monday, with Joe Biden calling Donald Trump a “climate arsonist” and Trump falsely claiming that the planet “will start getting cooler” and that the science is still uncertain.
The historic fires in California, Oregon and Washington have killed at least 35, forced tens of thousands to evacuate and subjected millions to some of the worst air pollution in the world – yet the subject has been slow to penetrate mainstream politics, amid the Covid-19 pandemic and a national reckoning on racial injustice.
In a speech in his home town, Wilmington, Delaware, on a warm afternoon on the heels of the hemisphere’s hottest summer yet, Biden emphasized the wildfires’ connection to the human-made climate crisis and pitched his plan to invest in green infrastructure in order to create jobs and stimulate an economic recovery from the pandemic.
“If we have four more years of Trump’s climate denial, how many suburbs will be burned in wildfires, how many suburban neighborhoods will have been flooded out, how many suburbs will have been blown away in superstorms?” Biden asked. “If you give a climate arsonist four more years in the White House, why would anyone be surprised if we have more of America ablaze … when more of America is under water?”
The former vice-president highlighted how the climate crisis is touching all Americans, from the western fires to midwestern floods, droughts and windstorms and Gulf coast hurricanes.
Trump meanwhile blamed the fires on poor forest management, spoke of “exploding” trees, and disputed the science showing the world will only get hotter if fossil-fuel and other climate emissions from human activity are not steeply curtailed.
During his visit to California, for a briefing on the wildfires and to bestow awards to California national guard members who helped rescue campers stranded by one of the strongest of dozens of infernos, Trump also questioned the usefulness of US climate action.
“When you get into climate change, well, is India going to change its ways? Is China going to change its ways? Is Russia going to change its ways?” he told reporters when he arrived in Sacramento. “We’re just a small speck. They make up a big preponderance of the pollution.”
The US is in fact the biggest historical emitter of climate pollution, although China is currently the top emitter.
In a later briefing, Trump interrupted an official, Wade Crowfoot, the secretary of California’s Natural Resources Agency, to argue the climate “will start getting cooler, you just watch”.
00:56 'I don't think science knows': Trump denies climate change link to wildfires – video
Crowfoot responded: “I wish science agreed with you.”
To which Trump retorted: “I don’t think science knows, actually.”
Crowfoot later tweeted: “It won’t actually get cooler, Mr President,” alongside a temperature graphic.
Lacking forest management does exacerbate wildfires, but hot and dry conditions because of climate change are a major contributor.
California’s governor, Gavin Newsom, in the briefing with Trump, acknowledged a need for better forest management but said: “We come to the perspective, humbly ... that climate change is real and that is exacerbating this.”
The responses from Biden and Trump illustrate the importance of the November election in determining the trajectory of global climate action.
If Biden wins, the US will recommit to climate efforts, potentially encouraging deeper action from the rest of the world. The scale and speed of Biden’s response would depend largely on congressional politics and could be hampered by his hesitancy to call for a rapid end to the use of fossil fuels. But he has vowed that climate will be a top priority.
If Trump wins, he will continue to cheerlead fossil fuels, stripping environmental standards and helping the industry compete with clean energy.
Julien Emile-Geay, an associate professor of earth sciences at the University of Southern California, said: “Voters will soon have to choose between an administration invested into denying objective information – including, but not limited to, all the science it finds inconvenient – and a Democratic ticket that, for all its faults, at least acknowledges this reality.
“This is what political choice has turned to in 2020: a referendum on objective reality.”
In his speech, Biden said Trump “has no interest in meeting this moment. He’s already said he wanted to withhold aid to California, to punish the people of California. Because they didn’t vote for him. This is another crisis. Another crisis he won’t take responsibility for. The west is literally on fire.”
The conditions in the US are precisely those climate scientists and activists have warned about for years. On the west coast, dozens of fires are burning. On the Gulf coast, states are bracing for a possible second major hurricane this season, as Hurricane Sally heads for eastern Louisiana and the Florida panhandle.
“It’s clear that we’re not safe in Donald Trump’s America,” Biden said. “This is Donald Trump’s America. He’s in charge.”
Globally, most countries are likely to miss a 2020 deadline to advance their climate plans, the United Nations climate chief, Patricia Espinosa, told Climate Home News. That includes China – the biggest emitter of heat-trapping climate pollution.
A 2015 international agreement was meant to be the first step for countries to begin to significantly limit warming. But the world is far off track. Having warmed more than 1C since industrialization, it is now on a path toward 3C or higher.
Joan E Greve contributed reporting


theguardian--2020-09-14--Netflix should testify before Congress over Cuties? The culture war is out of control | Jessa Crispi

Netflix should testify before Congress over Cuties? The culture war is out of control | Jessa Crispin

It ’ s inspiring to see the left and the right of the US finally unite to create a bipartisan statement : there is a French movie that is bad and we should do something about it .
It ’ s not a second stimulus package or universal healthcare , but in our polarized culture , we take what we can get .
Cuties , which is directed by French-Senegalese Maïmouna Doucouré , is set in Paris and follows Amy , the 11-year-old daughter of Senegalese immigrants , who is torn between her traditional Islamic upbringing and her new dance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with boys and twerking and gyrating during rehearsals for a dance competition .
Soon after its release on Netflix , “ Cancel Netflix ” was trending on Twitter over the weekend .
Republican Senator Ted Cruz has called for a Department of Justice investigation into whether the film violated child pornography laws .
The Republican senator Josh Hawley asked Netflix to “ immediately remove ” Cuties and informally invited Netflix to testify about the film before Congress on Twitter .
The Democratic congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard called Cuties “ child porn ” which she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pedophiles & help fuel the child sex trafficking trade ” .
The film contains no sex or nudity of the girls themselves , though in one scene in Amy uploads a photo of her genitals on social media ( we never see the picture ) .
The dance moves , though sexualized , are no different from the WAP-themed TikToks that teens and pre-teens are posting online by the millions .
Still , the backlash has crystallized much of the fear around the sexual vulnerability of children that has been swirling around from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lolita Express and the QAnon conspiracies about child trafficking .
To critics like Hawley , the film titillates an imagined , enormous audience of insatiable sexual monsters .
Doucouré has been making the rounds trying to do damage control , but it ’ s too late , the posturing is already solidifying .
Cuties has a few film critics as defenders , but the culture war has already probably lost this battle , and it will not be surprising if Netflix pulls the film and issues an apology to save its subscriber base @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the promotional material for the film , saying it was not representative of the film . )
Cuties is not a good movie , but it ’ s an artistic failure rather than a moral one .
It strings together a series of coming-of-age cliches and engages in the same over-the-top handwringing that its congressional audience does .
In one scene , they are seemingly watching about an X-rated sex scene on their smartphone ( again , we don ’ t see any explicit content – only their reaction to it ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other to sneak into a boys bathroom to try to film a classmate ’ s private parts while he is at the urinal .
Moments like this almost feel like they come directly from the overheated imagination of Ben Shapiro after watching WAP .
The problem is that the film ’ s underlying message – it is bad to sexualize young girls – kind of gets lost in all of the sexualization of young girls happening on screen .
Look , I watched it twice in order to write this , and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ twerking and the camera goes in for a close up of a young girl ’ s ass barely covered in short shorts made me come this close to taking the QAnon pledge .
It ’ s happened before , where a work of art creates a public sex panic about the safety of children .
There was the various scandals over Sally Mann ’ s photographs of her nude children , Bill Henson ’ s portraits of pubescent boys and girls , the Larry Clark film Kids , not to mention the David @ @ @ @ @ @ @ childlike but also sexualized 16-year-old Britney Spears in her underwear , clutching a Tellytubby .
Each scandal consisted of the obligatory demonstrations of outrage , a smattering of death threats , and of course performed concern for the poor powerless children , who couldn ’ t possibly know what they were participating in and must be hopelessly damaged as a result .
But no one tried to drag Jann Wenner from Rolling Stone in front of Congress to walk through the cultural relevance of Britney ’ s Baby One More Time video .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ nation had not yet whipped ourselves into a feverish frenzy about trafficking , conspiratorial notion that there is some powerful underground network of predators and pedophiles , whose tentacles span the country and penetrate the “ deep state ” .
This new panic was a long time coming , built on years of Stranger Danger hysteria , mixed with unresolved anxiety from the Catholic church ’ s abuse scandal , made frothy by thousands of poorly factchecked true crime podcasts and streaming docu-dramas .
Cuties is bad , but it ’ s not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have the culture wars again over children ’ s welfare , let us make it about things that actually endanger children : Republicans ’ cuts to child social welfare programs , subsidized housing and addiction treatment that only leave the young more vulnerable .

It’s inspiring to see the left and the right of the US finally unite to create a bipartisan statement: there is a French movie that is bad and we should do something about it. It’s not a second stimulus package or universal healthcare, but in our polarized culture, we take what we can get.
Cuties, which is directed by French-Senegalese Maïmouna Doucouré, is set in Paris and follows Amy, the 11-year-old daughter of Senegalese immigrants, who is torn between her traditional Islamic upbringing and her new dance troupe friends who spend their time flirting with boys and twerking and gyrating during rehearsals for a dance competition.
Soon after its release on Netflix, “Cancel Netflix” was trending on Twitter over the weekend. Republican Senator Ted Cruz has called for a Department of Justice investigation into whether the film violated child pornography laws. The Republican senator Josh Hawley asked Netflix to “immediately remove” Cuties and informally invited Netflix to testify about the film before Congress on Twitter. The Democratic congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard called Cuties “child porn” which she said would “whet the appetite of pedophiles & help fuel the child sex trafficking trade”.
The film contains no sex or nudity of the girls themselves, though in one scene in Amy uploads a photo of her genitals on social media (we never see the picture). The dance moves, though sexualized, are no different from the WAP-themed TikToks that teens and pre-teens are posting online by the millions.
Still, the backlash has crystallized much of the fear around the sexual vulnerability of children that has been swirling around from the revelations around Jeffrey Epstein’s Lolita Express and the QAnon conspiracies about child trafficking. To critics like Hawley, the film titillates an imagined, enormous audience of insatiable sexual monsters.
Doucouré has been making the rounds trying to do damage control, but it’s too late, the posturing is already solidifying. Cuties has a few film critics as defenders, but the culture war has already probably lost this battle, and it will not be surprising if Netflix pulls the film and issues an apology to save its subscriber base soon. (It has already apologized for the promotional material for the film, saying it was not representative of the film.)
Cuties is not a good movie, but it’s an artistic failure rather than a moral one
Cuties is not a good movie, but it’s an artistic failure rather than a moral one. It strings together a series of coming-of-age cliches and engages in the same over-the-top handwringing that its congressional audience does. In one scene, they are seemingly watching about an X-rated sex scene on their smartphone (again, we don’t see any explicit content – only their reaction to it). In another scene they dare each other to sneak into a boys bathroom to try to film a classmate’s private parts while he is at the urinal. Moments like this almost feel like they come directly from the overheated imagination of Ben Shapiro after watching WAP.
The problem is that the film’s underlying message – it is bad to sexualize young girls – kind of gets lost in all of the sexualization of young girls happening on screen. Look, I watched it twice in order to write this, and the scene where the preteen girls are all twerking and the camera goes in for a close up of a young girl’s ass barely covered in short shorts made me come this close to taking the QAnon pledge.
It’s happened before, where a work of art creates a public sex panic about the safety of children. There was the various scandals over Sally Mann’s photographs of her nude children, Bill Henson’s portraits of pubescent boys and girls, the Larry Clark film Kids, not to mention the David LaChapelle Rolling Stone cover portrait of a childlike but also sexualized 16-year-old Britney Spears in her underwear, clutching a Tellytubby. Each scandal consisted of the obligatory demonstrations of outrage, a smattering of death threats, and of course performed concern for the poor powerless children, who couldn’t possibly know what they were participating in and must be hopelessly damaged as a result.
But no one tried to drag Jann Wenner from Rolling Stone in front of Congress to walk through the cultural relevance of Britney’s Baby One More Time video. And that is because we as a nation had not yet whipped ourselves into a feverish frenzy about trafficking, conspiratorial notion that there is some powerful underground network of predators and pedophiles, whose tentacles span the country and penetrate the “deep state”. This new panic was a long time coming, built on years of Stranger Danger hysteria, mixed with unresolved anxiety from the Catholic church’s abuse scandal, made frothy by thousands of poorly factchecked true crime podcasts and streaming docu-dramas.
Cuties is bad, but it’s not bad. If we absolutely have to have the culture wars again over children’s welfare, let us make it about things that actually endanger children: Republicans’ cuts to child social welfare programs, subsidized housing and addiction treatment that only leave the young more vulnerable.