theguardian--2020-09-24--Kentucky’s climate is suffering. Can the state slip the industry ties that prevent change?

April 15 .
That ’ s the traditional frost-free date in Schochoh , in south-central Kentucky , where Sam Halcomb and his family own and operate Walnut Grove Farms .
In April , the soft red winter wheat that Halcomb grows , which finds its way into McDonald ’ s biscuits and grocery store pancake mixes , is flowering and especially vulnerable to cold .
The frost-free date is an estimate , based on years of experience .
If you make it past that date , you ’ re likely to have a healthy harvest .
This year , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with early morning temperatures dropping into the mid-20s Fahrenheit .
“ We were all smacking our heads , saying , ‘ Ah , we almost made it ’ , ” Halcomb said .
Then , on May 9 , another freeze hit .
Two late freezes in one season was “ completely unheard of , ” said Halcomb , a sixth generation farmer .
“ In my whole life , I don ’ t remember ever having a freeze that late.
” A typical wheat yield at Walnut Grove is 85 bushels per @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closer to 60 .
Halcomb ’ s losses totaled about $ 200,000 .
Kentucky ’ s climate is changing fast .
The Bluegrass State is the ninth most threatened state in the country by long-term climate change impacts , ahead of even California , where wildfires recently have wreaked havoc .
Erratic weather , exceptional heat , drought , wildfires and flooding all threaten Kentucky .
There ’ s a growing environmental movement in the state , and more leaders than ever are speaking the language of sustainability .
Coal industry ties run @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many , talk of change is anathema .
The state legislature has mostly avoided the climate issue .
And US Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell , by far the state ’ s best-known politician , has been a dedicated opponent of climate action in Washington .
In a way , Kentucky represents the nation ’ s climate dilemma in microcosm : the effects of the climate crisis are clear here , but legacy interests and the forces of change are at an impasse .
“ There ’ s a lag between where we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re at right now , ” said Lane Boldman , who directs the Kentucky Conservation Committee , a nonprofit environmental policy group .
“ And there really isn ’ t a lot of time.
” McConnell has accepted more than $ 3m from the coal , oil and gas industries over the course of his career .
Critics say he ’ s returned the favor with handouts to keep the dying industry aloft .
In 2017 , McConnell joined the Trump administration in urging America ’ s withdrawal from the Paris climate Agreement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he admitted was “ a show vote ” intended to kill the Green New Deal .
As a campaigner , McConnell has framed efforts to reign in the coal industry as the meddling of a distant federal government out of touch with Kentuckians ’ way of life .
That ’ s not to say coal has been good to Kentuckians , of late .
The coal industry employed some 38,000 Kentuckians when McConnell took office in 1985 ; it ’ s below 4,000 today .
Workers have found themselves cheated by coal bosses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the worst black lung epidemics on record .
Eastern Kentucky counties are among the poorest in the nation , with poverty rates around 40 % .
The water in some of those counties is either undrinkable or unaffordable .
McConnell sits on the Senate agriculture committee but has seemed indifferent to how climate change threatens Kentucky ’ s sizable agricultural sector .
Three of the five wettest years on record in the state have been in the last decade , and this summer saw the most rain of any two-month period on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rain can boost crops , but in many parts of Kentucky rain now comes in unhelpful torrents .
In both the eastern mountains and urban areas , excessive rain has contributed to severe and frequent flooding .
In Louisville , this year , rain has turned neighborhoods into swamps and devastated businesses .
The climate crisis is not the explicit nor the sole cause of all this rain .
But the precipitation uptick is “ very much consistent ” with scientific projections for how climate change will play out in the state , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ climatologist , said .
Many in the state remain unconvinced .
According to a study this month by Yale and George Mason universities , Kentucky is one of only four states in the country where a majority of adults do not believe global warming is caused by humans .
Similar apathy reigns in the state legislature , where Republicans hold a lock on both houses .
The current chair of the House natural resources and energy committee is a climate denier .
Many legislators are still beholden to the coal industry – which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a political force – and to utility companies .
Boldman , of the Kentucky Conservation Committee , warned that Kentucky could soon become less attractive to outside companies – who increasingly are making their own climate commitments to consumers – that might otherwise eye the state for investment .
“ It can turn companies off if they see a state still hanging on to legacy energy , ” Boldman said .
“ Companies now are looking for renewables , and we ’ re playing catch up.
” Charles Booker , who narrowly lost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ US Senate to Amy McGrath , championed environmental justice and the Green New Deal .
Booker , who is Black and hails from impoverished West Louisville , rejected stereotypical divisions between urban and rural voters .
Kentuckians everywhere , he said , had suffered badly from environmental neglect , and he promised a just economic transition for parts of the state historically reliant on coal .
“ From the hood to the holler , ” went one Booker slogan .
Booker ’ s campaign captured national attention ; and the fact that an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he did to facing off against McConnell this November could signal that Kentucky is ready to get serious on climate .
McGrath trails McConnell in the polls – but not by so much , state politicos say , that she should be counted out .
A retired Marine fighter pilot , McGrath calls climate change “ intricately tied to our national security ” , a position that syncs with the US defense department .
Another early line of attack by McGrath focused on the health crisis in eastern Kentucky ; “ Mitch McConnell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” she accused in one ad .
Booker , for his part , has thrown his support behind McGrath .
Local races also suggest that environmental politics may be shifting in Kentucky .
Sarah Lynn Cunningham , director of the Kentucky chapter of the Sierra Club , was struck this spring when a Republican running for state Senate in a competitive district near Louisville sought the group ’ s endorsement .
The candidate was knowledgeable , she said , and expressed dismay that many of his fellow Republicans lagged on the environment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Republican say they would like to compete for our endorsement , ” Cunningham said .
“ That was a first.
” ( In the end , the Sierra Club endorsed the Democrat , who won , flipping a seat held by Republicans since 1995 . )
Stephen Voss , an expert in elections and voter behavior at the University of Kentucky , doubts climate will prove central in this fall ’ s outcome .
Based on his assessment of how environmental issues resonate in Kentucky , however , he suggested that McGrath @ @ @ @ @ @ @ matter of community health , economic durability , and jobs .
“ We ’ ve had nibbles at this approach , ” he said .
“ But no one has successfully done it yet.
” In a statement to the Guardian , McGrath did raise jobs and public health as areas where McConnell ’ s climate record has damaged Kentucky .
McConnell , she said , is “ failing us on climate , because he is beholden to special interests .
If you want to bring jobs , we could get ahead of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” “ Our government ’ s first job is to keep Americans safe , ” McGrath added .
“ And to do that , we need to prepare for climate change.
” The McConnell campaign did not respond to requests for comment .
Perhaps the biggest harbinger of change in Kentucky is the youth vote , with even young conservatives in the state worried about the climate crisis .
The question , Voss said , is whether young people will show up to vote this fall .
Fernanda Scharfenberger , an 18-year-old climate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kentucky , is optimistic on that front .
Two years ago , when Scharfenberger was a junior in high school in Louisville , a boy from a nearby school died after he was swept into a storm pipe during a heavy rain .
The death hit her social group like a shock wave .
Scharfenberger went home that day and Googled climate .
“ As you can imagine , ” she said , “ it got pretty overwhelming pretty quickly.
” She felt called to action .
That December , Scharfenberger traveled with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Washington to lobby for a Green New Deal .
All 50 states were represented but , with 75 young activists present , Kentucky ’ s was the largest delegation .
Back home , Scharfenberger co-founded a Louisville hub for the Sunrise Movement , which has made headlines taking McConnell to task for his ties to the fossil fuel industry and mocking approach to the Green New Deal .
Sunrise hubs later formed in Lexington , Bowling Green , and far-western Murray .
Young activists were disappointed when McGrath bested Booker in the primary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on local climate effects and his full-throated endorsement of a Green New Deal .
Still , they relish the chance to unseat McConnell .
In June , Sunrise members from across the state led a dawn protest outside McConnell ’ s home in Louisville demanding justice for Breonna Taylor , who was killed there by police in March .
The ongoing Black Lives Matter Protests , Scharfenberg said , have kept young activists engaged in community organizing and electoral work , stressing the intersection of environmental and social justice issues in the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time Scharfenberger and many of her fellow activists are entitled to vote .
“ I feel a large commitment and responsibility , ” she said .
“ The people we put in office can so drastically impact people ’ s chances at survival .
And we ’ ve had enough of the bare minimum.
” The Guardian is the lead partner in Covering Climate Now , a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story .
This story is part of that partnership .

April 15. That’s the traditional frost-free date in Schochoh, the small community in south-central Kentucky, where Sam Halcomb and his family own and operate Walnut Grove Farms. Before then, the soft red winter wheat that Halcomb grows, which finds its way into McDonald’s biscuits and grocery store pancake mixes, is flowering and especially vulnerable to cold. The frost-free date is an estimate, based on years of experience. If you make it past that date, you’re likely to have a healthy harvest.
This year, a freeze came on exactly April 15, with early morning temperatures dropping into the mid-20s Fahrenheit. “We were all smacking our heads, saying, ‘Ah, we almost made it’,” Halcomb said. Then, on May 9, another freeze hit.
Two late freezes in one season was “completely unheard of,” said Halcomb, a sixth generation farmer. “In my whole life, I don’t remember ever having a freeze that late.” A typical wheat yield at Walnut Grove is 85 bushels per acre; this year, it was closer to 60. Halcomb’s losses totaled about $200,000.
Kentucky’s climate is changing quickly. The Bluegrass State is the ninth most threatened state in the country by long-term climate change impacts, according to a recent study by SafeHome.org, based on data from Climate Central. That puts it ahead of even California, where wildfires recently have wreaked havoc. Erratic weather, exceptional heat, drought, wildfires and flooding all threaten Kentucky.
There’s a growing environmental movement in the state, and more leaders than ever are speaking the language of sustainability. Coal industry ties run deep, however, and, for many, talk of change is anathema. The state legislature has mostly avoided the climate issue. And US Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell, by far the state’s best-known politician, has been a dedicated opponent of climate action in Washington.
Kentucky is a microcosm of the nation’s climate dilemma: the effects of the climate crisis are clear here, but legacy interests and the forces of change are at an impasse. “There’s a lag between where we need to be and where we’re at right now,” said Lane Boldman, who directs the Kentucky Conservation Committee, a nonprofit environmental policy group. “And there really isn’t a lot of time.”
Mitch McConnell, US Senate majority leader, has been a dedicated opponent of climate action. Photograph: Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images
McConnell has accepted more than $3m from the coal, oil and gas industries over the course of his career. Critics say he’s returned the favor with handouts – tax breaks and regulatory cuts – to keep the dying industry aloft. In 2017, McConnell joined the Trump administration in urging America’s withdrawal from the Paris climate Agreement. In 2019, he engineered what he admitted was “a show vote” intended to kill the Green New Deal. As a campaigner, McConnell has framed efforts to reign in the coal industry as the meddling of a distant federal government out of touch with Kentuckians’ way of life.
That’s not to say coal has been good to Kentuckians, of late. The coal industry employed some 38,000 Kentuckians when McConnell took office in 1985; it’s below 4,000 today. Workers in the mountainous eastern part of the state have found themselves laid off and uncompensated for their work by coal bosses. And deregulation has led to one of the worst black lung epidemics on record. Eastern Kentucky counties are among the poorest in the nation, with poverty rates around 40%. The water in some of those counties is either undrinkable or unaffordable.
Meanwhile, McConnell sits on the Senate agriculture committee but has seemed indifferent to how climate change threatens Kentucky’s sizable agricultural sector.
Three of the five wettest years on record in the state have been in the last decade, and this summer saw the most rain of any two-month period on record going back to 1895. More rain can boost crops, but in many parts of Kentucky rain now comes in unhelpful torrents. In both the eastern mountains and urban areas, excessive rain has contributed to severe and frequent flooding. In Louisville, this year, rain has turned neighborhoods into swamps and devastated businesses.
The climate crisis is not the explicit nor the sole cause of all this rain. But the precipitation uptick is “very much consistent” with scientific projections for how climate change will play out in the state, Stuart Foster, Kentucky’s state climatologist, said.
Many in the state remain unconvinced. According to a study this month by Yale and George Mason universities, Kentucky is one of only four states in the country where a majority of adults do not believe global warming is caused by humans.
Similar apathy reigns in the state legislature, where Republicans hold a lock on both houses. The chair of the House Natural Resources and Energy committee, Jim Gooch, for example, told Louisville’s WFPL radio station recently that the science on climate change remains unsettled. Other legislators seem still beholden to the coal industry, reform advocates say, and to utility companies.
Boldman, of the Kentucky Conservation Committee, warned that Kentucky could soon become less attractive to outside companies – who increasingly are making their own climate commitments to consumers – that might otherwise eye the state for investment. “It can turn companies off if they see a state still hanging on to legacy energy,” Boldman said. “Companies now are looking for renewables, and we’re playing catch up.”
Charles Booker’s campaign for the Senate gained national attention as he rejected divisions between urban and rural voters. Photograph: Bryan Woolston/Reuters
Charles Booker, who narrowly lost the state’s Democratic primary for US Senate to Amy McGrath, championed environmental justice and the Green New Deal. Booker, who is Black and hails from impoverished West Louisville, rejected stereotypical divisions between urban and rural voters. Kentuckians everywhere, he said, had suffered badly from environmental neglect, and he promised a just economic transition for parts of the state historically reliant on coal. “From the hood to the holler,” went one Booker slogan.
Booker’s campaign captured national attention; and the fact that an unabashed climate advocate came as close as he did to facing off against McConnell this November could signal that Kentucky is ready to get serious on climate.
McGrath trails McConnell in the polls – but not by so much, state politicos say, that she should be counted out. A retired Marine fighter pilot, McGrath calls climate change “intricately tied to our national security”, a position that syncs with the US defense department. Another early line of attack by McGrath focused on the health crisis in eastern Kentucky; “Mitch McConnell left our coal miners behind years ago,” she accused in one ad. Booker, for his part, has thrown his support behind McGrath.
Local races also suggest that environmental politics may be shifting in Kentucky. Sarah Lynn Cunningham, chair of the Kentucky chapter of the Sierra Club’s climate change taskforce, was struck this spring when a Republican running for state Senate in a competitive district near Louisville sought the group’s endorsement. The candidate was knowledgeable, she said, and expressed concern that many of his fellow Republicans lagged on the environment. “I’ve never had a Republican say they would like to compete for our endorsement,” Cunningham said. “That was a first.” (In the end, the Sierra Club endorsed the Democrat, who won, flipping a seat held by Republicans since 1995.)
Western Kentucky University students participate in a climate strike in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Photograph: Bac Totrong/AP
Stephen Voss, an expert in elections and voter behavior at the University of Kentucky, doubts climate will prove central in this fall’s outcome. Based on his assessment of how environmental issues resonate in Kentucky, however, he suggested that McGrath could profit by framing climate as a matter of community health, economic durability, and jobs. “We’ve had nibbles at this approach,” he said. “But no one has successfully done it yet.”
In a statement to the Guardian, McGrath did raise jobs and public health as areas where McConnell’s climate record has damaged Kentucky. McConnell, she said, is “failing us on climate, because he is beholden to special interests. If you want to bring jobs, we could get ahead of the curve and be an innovation leader.”
“Our government’s first job is to keep Americans safe,” McGrath added. “And to do that, we need to prepare for climate change.”
The McConnell campaign did not respond to requests for comment.
Perhaps the biggest harbinger of change in Kentucky is the youth vote, with even young conservatives in the state worried about the climate crisis. The question, Voss said, is whether young people will show up to vote this fall.
Fernanda Scharfenberger, an 18-year-old climate activist at Centre College in Danville, Kentucky, is optimistic on that front. Two years ago, when Scharfenberger was a junior in high school in Louisville, a boy from a nearby school died after he was swept into a storm pipe during a heavy rain. The death hit her social group like a shock wave. Scharfenberger went home that day and Googled climate. “As you can imagine,” she said, “it got pretty overwhelming pretty quickly.” She felt called to action.
Fernanda Scharfenberger, 18, is a climate activist. Photograph: Andrew McCormick
That December, Scharfenberger traveled with young people from across the country to Washington to lobby for a Green New Deal. All 50 states were represented but, with 75 young activists present, Kentucky’s was the largest delegation.
Back home, Scharfenberger co-founded a Louisville hub for the Sunrise Movement, which has made headlines taking McConnell to task for his ties to the fossil fuel industry and mocking approach to the Green New Deal. Sunrise hubs later formed in Lexington, Bowling Green, and far-western Murray.
Young activists were disappointed when McGrath bested Booker in the primary; they preferred Booker’s emphasis on local climate effects and his full-throated endorsement of a Green New Deal. Still, they relish the chance to unseat McConnell.
In June, Sunrise members from across the state led a dawn protest outside McConnell’s home in Louisville demanding justice for Breonna Taylor, who was killed there by police in March. The ongoing Black Lives Matter Protests, Scharfenberg said, have kept young activists engaged in community organizing and electoral work, stressing the intersection of environmental and social justice issues in the state.
This November will mark the first time Scharfenberger and many of her fellow activists are entitled to vote. “I feel a large commitment and responsibility,” she said. “The people we put in office can so drastically impact people’s chances at survival. And we’ve had enough of the bare minimum.”
The Guardian is the lead partner in Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. This story is part of that partnership.


theguardian--2020-09-24--Two decades after the 'Brooks Brothers riot', experts fear graver election threats

In late November 2000 , hundreds of mostly middle-aged male protesters , dressed in off-the-peg suits and cautious ties , descended on the Miami-Dade polling headquarters in Florida .
Shouting , jostling , and punching , they demanded that a recount of ballots for the presidential election be stopped .
The protesters , many of whom were paid Republican operatives , succeeded .
A recount of ballots in Florida was abandoned .
What became known as the Brooks Brothers riot went down in infamy , and George W Bush became president after a supreme court decision .
In 2020 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see an unwanted sequel to the Brooks Brothers debacle – but with more violent participants .
After a year in which armed Donald Trump supporters have besieged state houses across the country and shot and killed Black Lives Matter protesters – and in which Trump has said he will only lose if the election is rigged – a 2020 reboot of the Brooks Brothers stunt could be dangerous .
“ Everything is far more amplified or exaggerated than it was 20 years ago , ” said Joe Lowndes , professor of political science @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Producers , Parasites , Patriots , a book about the changing role of race in rightwing politics .
“ In terms of party polarizations , in terms of the Republican shift to the far right and in terms of the Republican party ’ s open relationship with and courting of far-right groups .
This puts us on entirely different grounds.
” Trump supporters have been fed a “ steady diet ” of misinformation that the election is likely to be stolen by Democrats , Lowndes said .
Trump has encouraged supporters to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ poll watchers ” , and on Sunday a group of Trump supporters intimidated early voters at a polling location in Fairfax , Virginia .
“ You ’ ve got thousands of armed vigilantes on the streets this summer , first around these reopen demands [ protests clamoring for coronavirus lockdown restrictions to be lifted ] at state capitols.
” “ Then after that many more of these vigilante far right groups , who are declaring themselves as pro-Trump groups , come out to confront and sometimes menace Black Lives Matter protesters and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Lowndes said .
“ You can imagine them showing up at election sites or where votes are being counted in election districts in contested states in Michigan , or Ohio , Wisconsin , Florida or wherever else.
” The “ Brooks Brothers ” moniker for the 2000 agitators came from the sober clothing chain that has clad US presidents .
The mostly white , mostly male protesters punched and kicked those in their way , including some Democrats , as they fought to stop the recount in Miami-Dade .
“ These @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democratic chairman , Joe Geller , told Time magazine in the days following the riot .
The Miami-Dade county canvassing board shut down its hand recount of presidential election ballots , with at least one of the board ’ s three members attributing his decision to stop to the Brooks Brothers riots , the New York Times reported .
The Republicans , many of whom had been flown to Florida from Washington , had succeeded .
A number of participants were rewarded with jobs at the top levels of Republican politics .
Matt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House political director under Bush .
Garry Malphrus became associate director of the White House Domestic Policy Council .
Rory Cooper picked up numerous roles within the Bush administration .
Some are still active within GOP politics .
The kinds of Trump supporters who have traveled to protests and statehouses , and might respond to the president ’ s calls to monitor polling stations , may not enjoy future careers in politics – although there may be some similarities .
“ The 2020 version of the Brooks Brothers could potentially be white men @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who are staunch Trump supporters , ” said Emmitt Riley , a political scientist and director of the Africana Studies Program at DePauw university .
Riley added : “ I think these are the individuals who are warm toward Confederate imagery , toward images like the Confederate flag .
These are individuals who are highly racially resentful and individuals who also see whiteness as being under attack.
” The winner of November ’ s election may not be clear on the night of the vote , given what is expected to be a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to what Riley said could be a “ perfect storm ” .
The 2013 repeal of part of the Voting Rights Act – a historic law designed to eliminate racial discrimination in elections – combined with a president “ who continues to undermine the principles of American democracy ” , all adds up to a dangerous scenario for the election and the days thereafter , Riley said .
“ As a political scientist , I am sounding the alarm that America ’ s political institutions are at their weakest point that I have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ life , ” he said .
“ In the backdrop of not having the protections of the Voting Rights Act , it is highly conceivable that armed militias show up at polling stations in an effort to eliminate voting.
” Sylvia Albert , director of voting and elections at Common Cause , an elections watchdog group , said she believes disruption of the voting process is unlikely , but she shared the concerns of others that the counting process could be at risk .
“ There are strong laws on voter intimidation , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into regular laws around disturbing the police or being in a group ; there ’ s nothing specific on that issue .
That ’ s not to say laws don ’ t cover it , they do – various laws cover being a nuisance but how that ’ s interpreted in the situation is going to vary by location.
” Albert stressed that she did not believe it was probable there would be altercations at vote-counting sites , but she said : “ I ’ m fearful of violence in a way that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We have seen that the rhetoric on the right , both from the president and Republican lawmakers , has encouraged people to take up arms .
And whether directly or indirectly , encouraged violence .
And that was not happening from George Bush .
”

In late November 2000, hundreds of mostly middle-aged male protesters, dressed in off-the-peg suits and cautious ties, descended on the Miami-Dade polling headquarters in Florida. Shouting, jostling, and punching, they demanded that a recount of ballots for the presidential election be stopped.
The protesters, many of whom were paid Republican operatives, succeeded. A recount of ballots in Florida was abandoned. What became known as the Brooks Brothers riot went down in infamy, and George W Bush became president after a supreme court decision.
In 2020, fears are growing that the US could see an unwanted sequel to the Brooks Brothers debacle – but with more violent participants.
After a year in which armed Donald Trump supporters have besieged state houses across the country and shot and killed Black Lives Matter protesters – and in which Trump has said he will only lose if the election is rigged – a 2020 reboot of the Brooks Brothers stunt could be dangerous.
“Everything is far more amplified or exaggerated than it was 20 years ago,” said Joe Lowndes, professor of political science at the University of Oregon and co-author of Producers, Parasites, Patriots, a book about the changing role of race in rightwing politics.
“In terms of party polarizations, in terms of the Republican shift to the far right and in terms of the Republican party’s open relationship with and courting of far-right groups. This puts us on entirely different grounds.”
Trump supporters have been fed a “steady diet” of misinformation that the election is likely to be stolen by Democrats, Lowndes said. Trump has encouraged supporters to go to voting places to act as “poll watchers”, and on Sunday a group of Trump supporters intimidated early voters at a polling location in Fairfax, Virginia.
“You’ve got thousands of armed vigilantes on the streets this summer, first around these reopen demands [protests clamoring for coronavirus lockdown restrictions to be lifted] at state capitols.”
“Then after that many more of these vigilante far right groups, who are declaring themselves as pro-Trump groups, come out to confront and sometimes menace Black Lives Matter protesters and in a couple of cases kill them,” Lowndes said.
“You can imagine them showing up at election sites or where votes are being counted in election districts in contested states in Michigan, or Ohio, Wisconsin, Florida or wherever else.”
The “Brooks Brothers” moniker for the 2000 agitators came from the sober clothing chain that has clad US presidents. The mostly white, mostly male protesters punched and kicked those in their way, including some Democrats, as they fought to stop the recount in Miami-Dade.
“These were brownshirt tactics,” the Miami-Dade Democratic chairman, Joe Geller, told Time magazine in the days following the riot.
The Miami-Dade county canvassing board shut down its hand recount of presidential election ballots, with at least one of the board’s three members attributing his decision to stop to the Brooks Brothers riots, the New York Times reported.
The Republicans, many of whom had been flown to Florida from Washington, had succeeded. A number of participants were rewarded with jobs at the top levels of Republican politics. Matt Schlapp went on to serve as White House political director under Bush. Garry Malphrus became associate director of the White House Domestic Policy Council. Rory Cooper picked up numerous roles within the Bush administration. Some are still active within GOP politics.
The kinds of Trump supporters who have traveled to protests and statehouses, and might respond to the president’s calls to monitor polling stations, may not enjoy future careers in politics – although there may be some similarities.
People line up to vote early at the Fairfax Government Center in Fairfax, Virginia. Photograph: Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images
“The 2020 version of the Brooks Brothers could potentially be white men, ages between 18 and 40, who are staunch Trump supporters,” said Emmitt Riley, a political scientist and director of the Africana Studies Program at DePauw university.
Riley added: “I think these are the individuals who are warm toward Confederate imagery, toward images like the Confederate flag. These are individuals who are highly racially resentful and individuals who also see whiteness as being under attack.”
The winner of November’s election may not be clear on the night of the vote, given what is expected to be a vast number of postal ballots, adding to what Riley said could be a “perfect storm”.
The 2013 repeal of part of the Voting Rights Act – a historic law designed to eliminate racial discrimination in elections – combined with a president “who continues to undermine the principles of American democracy”, all adds up to a dangerous scenario for the election and the days thereafter, Riley said.
“As a political scientist, I am sounding the alarm that America’s political institutions are at their weakest point that I have ever seen or read about in my life,” he said.
“In the backdrop of not having the protections of the Voting Rights Act, it is highly conceivable that armed militias show up at polling stations in an effort to eliminate voting.”
Sylvia Albert, director of voting and elections at Common Cause, an elections watchdog group, said she believes disruption of the voting process is unlikely, but she shared the concerns of others that the counting process could be at risk.
“There are strong laws on voter intimidation,” said Albert. “Counting comes into regular laws around disturbing the police or being in a group; there’s nothing specific on that issue. That’s not to say laws don’t cover it, they do – various laws cover being a nuisance but how that’s interpreted in the situation is going to vary by location.”
Albert stressed that she did not believe it was probable there would be altercations at vote-counting sites, but she said: “I’m fearful of violence in a way that I was not in 2000.”
“We have seen that the rhetoric on the right, both from the president and Republican lawmakers, has encouraged people to take up arms. And whether directly or indirectly, encouraged violence. And that was not happening from George Bush.”


theguardian--2020-09-24--'My friends were lied to': will coalminers stand by Trump as jobs disappear?

Art Sullivan is considered something of a political heretic by other coalminers in south-western Pennsylvania , where a wave of support for Donald Trump based upon his flamboyant promises of a resurgence in coal helped propel the Republican to the US presidency .
“ Many of my coalminer friends voted for him , ” said Sullivan , who has spent 54 years as a coalminer and , more latterly , consultant to a struggling industry .
“ They were deceived .
Trump had no plan , no concept of how to resurrect the coal industry .
My friends were lied @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disagree with this assessment but the coal comeback promised by Trump in the 2016 election campaign has failed to materialize , with his first term studded with bankruptcies and closures of mines and coal-fired power plants .
There are now about 5,000 fewer miners than when Trump strode into the White House .
The coronavirus pandemic has turbo-charged the decline – so far this year US coal production has collapsed by more than 25 % compared with the same period in 2019 .
It has been a bruising few years rather than the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a miner ’ s helmet , mimed digging coal and excoriated Barack Obama ’ s “ war on coal ” on the campaign trail four years ago .
One of Trump ’ s first executive orders removed a ban on coalmining on federal land and dumped Obama ’ s plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions .
“ Come on , fellas , ” said Trump at the order ’ s signing , where he was surrounded by beaming miners .
“ Basically , you know what this is ?
You know what it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going back to work.
” Such assurances were eagerly accepted by coalmining communities in West Virginia , Pennsylvania and Kentucky who backed Trump and prepared for salvation .
“ When he came into office , it was like someone pulled their finger out of the dyke , ” said Thomas McLoughlin , a former mine inspector who trains new miners .
“ I was flooded with new mining students .
It was overwhelming.
” McLoughlin said he would vote for the president again because Trump was the only candidate prepared to stand up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ won ’ t go under if he ’ s re-elected , ” he added .
The Trump administration has set about weakening or scrapping a slew of environmental rules that bound the industry , such as requirements that new coal-fired power plants capture their carbon emissions and that coal firms do not release wastewater laced with dangerous pollutants , such as lead , selenium and arsenic , into rivers and streams .
Bob Murray , a major Trump donor and founder of the largest private coal company in the US , has boasted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gave the administration to undo what he called “ eight years of pure hell ” under Obama .
Much of Murray ’ s three-and-a-half-page wishlist has been ticked off , including the US withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement .
A particular prize was a weakening of Obama-era standards to reduce mercury pollution from coal plants , a rollback undertaken after Andrew Wheeler , a former lobbyist for Murray Energy , became administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency .
“ We are still feeling the effects of the damage from the Obama administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the West Virginia Coal Association .
“ The social devastation in mining communities has been breathtaking .
The support for Donald Trump is as strong if not stronger than in 2016 .
West Virginia is a Democratic state that has been dyed deep red because of the last administration.
” But while Appalachia will largely stick with Trump in 2020 , more coal capacity has been retired under Trump than during Obama ’ s second term .
“ Coal ’ s not back , ” as Cecil Roberts , president of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conceded last year .
“ Nobody saved the coal industry.
” Coal production fell so sharply last year that renewable energy such as solar and wind overtook it in electricity generation for the first time since at least 1885 , the year Mark Twain published The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn , America ’ s first skyscraper was erected in Chicago and people were burning more wood than coal .
Last year also saw Murray Energy file for bankruptcy , one of half a dozen coal companies to do so that year .
Cheap @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and the advance of renewables have been greater causes of coal ’ s demise than any green regulation , experts say , rendering Trump ’ s rollbacks simply environmentally destructive .
“ The fall of coal is first and foremost a market story , ” said Daniel Kaffine , a University of Colorado economist who has researched the issue .
“ The days of coal supplying the majority of US electricity production are not coming back.
” While metallurgical coal – needed for the making of steel – will hang on , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ energy is in “ a death spiral ” , Kaffine said .
There are about 45,000 coalminers left in the US , half the number employed during Obama ’ s first term .
Plenty of political rhetoric surrounds a workforce that is actually quite small – there are double the number of flight attendants in the US than coalminers , for example , and roughly the same number of chiropractors .
Whole communities sprang up around mining , however , meaning several dependent jobs are lost for each miner put out of work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jobs , through machinery automation and now creeping obsolescence , has left deep scars in Appalachian towns now blighted by unemployment and opioid addiction .
“ People drank Trump ’ s Kool-Aid and he hasn ’ t done it for them , ” said Blair Zimmerman , a former coalminer who is now commissioner of Greene county , Pennsylvania .
“ I ’ m very worried about the future because without mining , our tax base would go and we couldn ’ t survive .
People are leaving the area , it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at other options a long time ago.
” Joe Biden , the Democratic presidential nominee , has outlined a $ 2tn plan to generate millions of jobs in renewable energy , potentially providing a new path for threatened coal workers .
But coalmining has deep roots in communities that many are unwilling to relinquish .
“ It ’ s a damned joke , ” said Bostic , of the West Virginia Coal Association .
“ It ’ s an affront to a coalminer to say : ‘ We will take your job away @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and by the way , you have to pack your family up and move.
’ ” According to Sullivan , coalminers feel they have little choice .
“ The coalminer had no friends and was desperate , ” he said .
“ No one was speaking for us and then Trump was , so people backed him .
Miners see him as their guy.
” The externalities of coal reach far beyond mining communities , however .
As the most carbon-intensive of fuels , coal is a key driver of the climate crisis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wildfires that have ravaged the US west coast this year , as well as the continuing deterioration of the polar ice sheets that imperil coastal cities through sea level rise and storms .
Direct air pollution from the soot and chemicals given off by burned coal is also a major health burden .
Not far from Sullivan and his friends , the Cheswick power plant , close to the banks of the Allegheny River , is close enough to people ’ s homes that nearby residents have to wipe the coal soot from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pittsburgh , in the suburb of Verona , Laura Jacko suspects emissions from the power plant could be behind her husband ’ s asthma and the breathing problems suffered by her son , who was born prematurely .
“ There is nothing more horrifying than holding down your small baby to shove a breathing machine into them , ” Jacko said .
“ It affects me personally and I get pretty angry about it.
” Environmental groups have long pushed for the closure of Cheswick , which has previously been handed a civil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jacko ’ s view , the era of coal needs to come to a managed but swift end .
“ My uncle was a coal worker and had black lung , ” a disease that develops from inhaling coal dust , she said .
“ I don ’ t want their jobs to kill them .
I want them to transition .
These jobs are going away , it ’ s just a matter of when .
Pushing ahead with coal does everyone a disservice.
” The Guardian is the lead partner in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story .
This story is part of that partnership .

Art Sullivan is considered something of a political heretic by other coalminers in south-western Pennsylvania, where a wave of support for Donald Trump based upon his flamboyant promises of a resurgence in coal helped propel the Republican to the US presidency.
“Many of my coalminer friends voted for him,” said Sullivan, who has spent 54 years as a coalminer and, more latterly, consultant to a struggling industry. “They were deceived. Trump had no plan, no concept of how to resurrect the coal industry. My friends were lied to.”
Sullivan’s friends may disagree with this assessment but the coal comeback promised by Trump in the 2016 election campaign has failed to materialize, with his first term studded with bankruptcies and closures of mines and coal-fired power plants.
Donald Trump holds a hat that says ‘Make Coal Great Again’ during a meeting discussing tax reform in 2017. Photograph: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images
There are now about 5,000 fewer miners than when Trump strode into the White House. The coronavirus pandemic has turbo-charged the decline – so far this year US coal production has collapsed by more than 25% compared with the same period in 2019.
It has been a bruising few years rather than the glorious new dawn promised when Trump donned a miner’s helmet, mimed digging coal and excoriated Barack Obama’s “war on coal” on the campaign trail four years ago. One of Trump’s first executive orders removed a ban on coalmining on federal land and dumped Obama’s plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. “Come on, fellas,” said Trump at the order’s signing, where he was surrounded by beaming miners. “Basically, you know what this is? You know what it says, right? You’re going back to work.”
Such assurances were eagerly accepted by coalmining communities in West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Kentucky who backed Trump and prepared for salvation. “When he came into office, it was like someone pulled their finger out of the dyke,” said Thomas McLoughlin, a former mine inspector who trains new miners. “I was flooded with new mining students. It was overwhelming.” McLoughlin said he would vote for the president again because Trump was the only candidate prepared to stand up for coal workers. “My business won’t go under if he’s re-elected,” he added.
The Trump administration has set about weakening or scrapping a slew of environmental rules that bound the industry, such as requirements that new coal-fired power plants capture their carbon emissions and that coal firms do not release wastewater laced with dangerous pollutants, such as lead, selenium and arsenic, into rivers and streams.
Bob Murray, a major Trump donor and founder of the largest private coal company in the US, has boasted of an “action plan” he gave the administration to undo what he called “eight years of pure hell” under Obama. Much of Murray’s three-and-a-half-page wishlist has been ticked off, including the US withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement. A particular prize was a weakening of Obama-era standards to reduce mercury pollution from coal plants, a rollback undertaken after Andrew Wheeler, a former lobbyist for Murray Energy, became administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.
“We are still feeling the effects of the damage from the Obama administration,” said Jason Bostic, vice-president of the West Virginia Coal Association. “The social devastation in mining communities has been breathtaking. The support for Donald Trump is as strong if not stronger than in 2016. West Virginia is a Democratic state that has been dyed deep red because of the last administration.”
But while Appalachia will largely stick with Trump in 2020, more coal capacity has been retired under Trump than during Obama’s second term. “Coal’s not back,” as Cecil Roberts, president of the United Mine Workers of America, glumly conceded last year. “Nobody saved the coal industry.”
Coal production fell so sharply last year that renewable energy such as solar and wind overtook it in electricity generation for the first time since at least 1885, the year Mark Twain published The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, America’s first skyscraper was erected in Chicago and people were burning more wood than coal. Last year also saw Murray Energy file for bankruptcy, one of half a dozen coal companies to do so that year.
Cheap, abundant gas, retrieved via fracking, and the advance of renewables have been greater causes of coal’s demise than any green regulation, experts say, rendering Trump’s rollbacks simply environmentally destructive.
“The fall of coal is first and foremost a market story,” said Daniel Kaffine, a University of Colorado economist who has researched the issue. “The days of coal supplying the majority of US electricity production are not coming back.” While metallurgical coal – needed for the making of steel – will hang on, the practice of burning thermal coal for energy is in “a death spiral”, Kaffine said.
There are about 45,000 coalminers left in the US, half the number employed during Obama’s first term. Plenty of political rhetoric surrounds a workforce that is actually quite small – there are double the number of flight attendants in the US than coalminers, for example, and roughly the same number of chiropractors.
Whole communities sprang up around mining, however, meaning several dependent jobs are lost for each miner put out of work. The long decline of well-paying mining jobs, through machinery automation and now creeping obsolescence, has left deep scars in Appalachian towns now blighted by unemployment and opioid addiction.
Coalminers wait for the arrival of the then US Environmental Protection Agency administrator, Scott Pruitt, at Harvey Mine in Sycamore, Pennsylvania, in April 2017. Photograph: Justin Merriman/Getty Images
“People drank Trump’s Kool-Aid and he hasn’t done it for them,” said Blair Zimmerman, a former coalminer who is now commissioner of Greene county, Pennsylvania. “I’m very worried about the future because without mining, our tax base would go and we couldn’t survive. People are leaving the area, it’s tough. We should have looked at other options a long time ago.”
Joe Biden, the Democratic presidential nominee, has outlined a $2tn plan to generate millions of jobs in renewable energy, potentially providing a new path for threatened coal workers. But coalmining has deep roots in communities that many are unwilling to relinquish. “It’s a damned joke,” said Bostic, of the West Virginia Coal Association. “It’s an affront to a coalminer to say: ‘We will take your job away for one that pays less well, and by the way, you have to pack your family up and move.’”
According to Sullivan, coalminers feel they have little choice. “The coalminer had no friends and was desperate,” he said. “No one was speaking for us and then Trump was, so people backed him. Miners see him as their guy.”
The externalities of coal reach far beyond mining communities, however. As the most carbon-intensive of fuels, coal is a key driver of the climate crisis, indirectly spurring the sorts of huge wildfires that have ravaged the US west coast this year, as well as the continuing deterioration of the polar ice sheets that imperil coastal cities through sea level rise and storms.
Smoke rising from the Cheswick coal-fired power plant in Springdale, Pennsylvania, in 2017. Photograph: Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images
Direct air pollution from the soot and chemicals given off by burned coal is also a major health burden. Not far from Sullivan and his friends, the Cheswick power plant, close to the banks of the Allegheny River, is close enough to people’s homes that nearby residents have to wipe the coal soot from their houses. Five miles downstream towards Pittsburgh, in the suburb of Verona, Laura Jacko suspects emissions from the power plant could be behind her husband’s asthma and the breathing problems suffered by her son, who was born prematurely.
“There is nothing more horrifying than holding down your small baby to shove a breathing machine into them,” Jacko said. “It affects me personally and I get pretty angry about it.”
Environmental groups have long pushed for the closure of Cheswick, which has previously been handed a civil penalty for breaching pollution limits. In Jacko’s view, the era of coal needs to come to a managed but swift end. “My great-grandfather was a coal worker and had black lung,” a disease that develops from inhaling coal dust, she said. “I don’t want their jobs to kill them. I want them to transition. These jobs are going away, it’s just a matter of when. Pushing ahead with coal does everyone a disservice.”
The Guardian is the lead partner in Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. This story is part of that partnership.


theguardian--2020-09-24--The US supreme court has become a threat to democracy. Here's how we fix it | Sabeel Rahman

Just a few days after Ruth Bader Ginsburg ’ s passing , Donald Trump and Senate Republicans are moving quickly to appoint and confirm a replacement .
A growing number of moderates , such as Eric Holder , are warning that should Republicans ram through an appointment , this fact , plus the deliberate blockade of Barack Obama ’ s appointment of Merrick Garland in 2016 , would justify a new Democratic administration and Congress to add seats to the supreme court to restore balance .
With voting already under way in the 2020 election , a rushed appointment and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clear partisan power play , and further collapse the legitimacy of the supreme court .
But more broadly , the firestorm over Justice Ginsburg ’ s replacement is a reminder of how the modern supreme court has too much power in the first place .
It is critical that our democracy reform agenda also consider how to reform the judiciary .
First , courts have too much power to radically remake our social and economic life .
If this latest Trump appointment goes through , the resulting 6-3 far-right majority on the supreme @ @ @ @ @ @ @ next month to invalidate the Affordable Care Act ( in the middle of a deadly pandemic ) .
They would be positioned to further gut voting rights , reproductive rights and rollback anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ+ and Black and brown Americans , while further shielding police departments and immigration officials from accountability for racist state-sponsored violence against people of color .
While courts have at times also ruled in more progressive directions to advance rights and equity , on balance this concentration of power without sufficient accountability is a threat to democracy – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to thrive .
Second , courts today are a threat to democracy because of how they have been weaponized to skew political power and insulate extreme conservative coalitions from democratic accountability .
Over the last decade , conservative jurists and their aligned partisans in the states and the Congress have combined to radically shift the terms of political power in the country towards corporations and away from working class communities and Black and brown communities in particular .
They have dismantled organized labor through “ right-to-work ” laws and union-busting judicial rulings based @ @ @ @ @ @ @ amendment .
They have dismantled the promise of free and fair elections by needlessly gutting the Voting Rights Act from the bench , opening the way for rampant and highly effective state-based policies that suppress the votes of Black and brown Americans .
They have greenlit extreme gerrymandering by ruling that federal courts are powerless to stop politicians from rigging district lines , and opened the floodgates to dark money controlling our politics .
The strategy is clear : rig and skew elections to win legislative power in states and in the Senate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of popular support ; use that leverage to pack the courts with partisans ; and then use those packed courts to further skew the electoral process and to block rival legislation , as a way to hold on to power .
These moves amount to an attempt to election-proof conservative control , reserving for the right the ultimate trump card that would block legislative and electoral shifts needed to rebalance democratic fairness and advance progressive policies .
Therefore , if we are to defend and rebuild our democracy , we need to advance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ themselves .
Congress is already considering the For the People Act , a landmark bill that would restore and expand voting rights , stop the flow of big money in politics , advance fair redistricting measures , and much more .
These measures should be passed first and foremost in any new administration .
But we must also start considering the prospect of structural reform to the federal judiciary .
First , we need a judiciary that is much more reflective of our country .
We need more Black and brown judges , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have had lived experiences of inequity , discrimination and struggle .
Like Thurgood Marshall before her , Ginsburg was one of the few supreme court justices who came into the role following a career devoted to advocating and litigating for equity , justice and inclusion .
Her experience on the frontlines of the battle for justice informed her jurisprudence and brought critical perspective and balance to the court .
Imagine what a court filled with justices with direct lived experience of systemic racism , of gender and LGBTQ discrimination , of the struggle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coverage , would look like , and what such a court would do .
Second , we need to protect democratic politics from being upended by the idiosyncrasies of an individual justice , or the randomness of when a justice might step down or pass away .
That means regularizing the replacement process by establishing fixed and staggered term limits for justices .
We could also expand the size of the supreme court , and move to a model akin to circuit courts of appeals , where cases are heard by randomly drawn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appeal to the larger full circuit .
Third , we need to consider similar changes in the state courts as well .
We have already seen brazen attempts to pack and rig courts in Georgia and Arizona to lock in partisan advantage in the face of demographic shifts and renewed Black and brown organizing and mobilization that threatens long-standing GOP dominance in these states .
In states where state supreme court judges are elected , we see a troubling flow of corporate campaign dollars to swing these elections – and then see how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elected officials to pursue needed reforms .
Our history is full of moments where courts have been weaponized to resist democracy – and where court reform has been needed to usher in a more equitable and inclusive democracy .
At previous moments where our country came close to securing a broadly inclusive , multiracial democracy , defenders of white supremacy and economic power have leveraged the courts to block the advance of democracy .
In the years after the civil war , violent paramilitary white nationalist attacks on Black communities combined with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these attacks from criminal prosecution and struck down new civil rights laws passed under the 14th amendment to unravel Reconstruction and usher in the era of Jim Crow .
The civil rights movement of the mid-20th century advanced a “ Second Reconstruction ” , restoring the push for an inclusive equitable democracy by winning the desegregation mandate of Brown v Board of Education , and securing the Voting Rights Act and the Civil Rights Act .
The modern conservative obsession with taking over the courts represents a backlash exactly echoing the response to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conservatives mobilized calling for Justice Earl Warren ’ s impeachment , and we saw the beginnings of the long march to seize the judicial power for the right .
Democracy and equity , on the other hand , have periodically required a taming of ideologically-extreme courts .
Lincoln and the anti-slavery coalition won the 1860 elections in part on the explicit push to overturn the infamous 1857 Dred Scott case that further codified the enslavement of Black Americans .
Lincoln himself expanded the court to overcome its hostility to the civil war – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ court ’ s jurisdiction to bypass its opposition to Reconstruction .
Franklin D Roosevelt famously threatened to expand the court in 1937 – and though he did not follow through on the threat , it was shortly afterwards that the supreme court abruptly reversed its pattern of striking down critical labor and economic regulations protecting workers and Americans in the height of the Great Depression .
This push came in the aftermath of nearly 30 years of progressive mobilization and campaigning against the “ oligarchy ” of the courts , which had become @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economic legislation protecting Americans from the inequities of the Industrial Revolution .
It is not a coincidence that both of these efforts saw court reform as a critical component to advancing a more equitable and inclusive democracy , a precondition to preserve policies that aimed to dismantle deep systems of racial and economic subordination .
Today , we are fighting in this moment for the basic idea of a multiracial , inclusive democracy where Black and brown communities have the safety , security and freedom to the thrive .
That battle requires structural @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violence , economic inequality and unequal political voice .
But it also will require building a better judiciary , one that enables , rather than frustrates , the process of democratic inclusion and responsiveness .
• None Sabeel Rahman is associate professor of law at Brooklyn Law School and the president of Demos , a progressive thinktank

Just a few days after Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death, Donald Trump and Senate Republicans are moving quickly to appoint and confirm a replacement. A growing number of moderates, such as Eric Holder, are warning that should Republicans ram through an appointment, this fact, plus the deliberate blockade of Barack Obama’s appointment of Merrick Garland in 2016, would justify a new Democratic administration and Congress to add seats to the supreme court to restore balance.
With voting already under way in the 2020 election, a rushed appointment and confirmation in this moment would be a clear partisan power play, and further collapse the legitimacy of the supreme court. But more broadly, the firestorm over Justice Ginsburg’s replacement is a reminder of how the modern supreme court has too much power in the first place. It is critical that our democracy reform agenda also consider how to reform the judiciary.
Courts have too much power to radically remake our social and economic life
First, courts have too much power to radically remake our social and economic life. If this latest Trump appointment goes through, the resulting 6-3 far-right majority on the supreme court would have the power and opportunity next month to invalidate the Affordable Care Act (in the middle of a deadly pandemic). They would be positioned to further gut voting rights, reproductive rights and rollback anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ+ and Black and brown Americans, while further shielding police departments and immigration officials from accountability for racist state-sponsored violence against people of color. While courts have at times also ruled in more progressive directions to advance rights and equity, on balance this concentration of power without sufficient accountability is a threat to democracy – and to the ability of our communities to thrive.
Second, courts today are a threat to democracy because of how they have been weaponized to skew political power and insulate extreme conservative coalitions from democratic accountability. Over the last decade, conservative jurists and their aligned partisans in the states and the Congress have combined to radically shift the terms of political power in the country towards corporations and away from working class communities and Black and brown communities in particular.
‘Like Thurgood Marshall before her, Ginsburg was one of the few justices who came into the role following a career devoted to advocating and litigating for equity, justice, and inclusion.’ Photograph: Pablo Martínez Monsiváis/EPA
They have dismantled organized labor through “right-to-work” laws and union-busting judicial rulings based on a corporate-friendly reading of the first amendment. They have dismantled the promise of free and fair elections by needlessly gutting the Voting Rights Act from the bench, opening the way for rampant and highly effective state-based policies that suppress the votes of Black and brown Americans. They have greenlit extreme gerrymandering by ruling that federal courts are powerless to stop politicians from rigging district lines, and opened the floodgates to dark money controlling our politics.
The strategy is clear: rig and skew elections to win legislative power in states and in the Senate despite the party’s minority level of popular support; use that leverage to pack the courts with partisans; and then use those packed courts to further skew the electoral process and to block rival legislation, as a way to hold on to power. These moves amount to an attempt to election-proof conservative control, reserving for the right the ultimate trump card that would block legislative and electoral shifts needed to rebalance democratic fairness and advance progressive policies.
Therefore, if we are to defend and rebuild our democracy, we need to advance structural reforms – including reforming the courts themselves. Congress is already considering the For the People Act, a landmark bill that would restore and expand voting rights, stop the flow of big money in politics, advance fair redistricting measures, and much more. These measures should be passed first and foremost in any new administration.
But we must also start considering the prospect of structural reform to the federal judiciary.
First, we need a judiciary that is much more reflective of our country. We need more Black and brown judges, more women judges, more judges who have had lived experiences of inequity, discrimination and struggle. Like Thurgood Marshall before her, Ginsburg was one of the few supreme court justices who came into the role following a career devoted to advocating and litigating for equity, justice and inclusion. Her experience on the frontlines of the battle for justice informed her jurisprudence and brought critical perspective and balance to the court. Imagine what a court filled with justices with direct lived experience of systemic racism, of gender and LGBTQ discrimination, of the struggle against homelessness and hunger and unstable healthcare coverage, would look like, and what such a court would do.
‘Imagine what a court filled with justices with direct lived experience of systemic racism, of gender and LGBTQ discrimination...would look like.’ Photograph: Susan Walsh/AP
Second, we need to protect democratic politics from being upended by the idiosyncrasies of an individual justice, or the randomness of when a justice might step down or pass away. That means regularizing the replacement process by establishing fixed and staggered term limits for justices. We could also expand the size of the supreme court, and move to a model akin to circuit courts of appeals, where cases are heard by randomly drawn smaller panels, with an option to appeal to the larger full circuit.
Third, we need to consider similar changes in the state courts as well. We have already seen brazen attempts to pack and rig courts in Georgia and Arizona to lock in partisan advantage in the face of demographic shifts and renewed Black and brown organizing and mobilization that threatens long-standing GOP dominance in these states. In states where state supreme court judges are elected, we see a troubling flow of corporate campaign dollars to swing these elections – and then see how these courts undermine the democratically-sanctioned efforts of elected officials to pursue needed reforms.
A better judiciary
Our history is full of moments where courts have been weaponized to resist democracy – and where court reform has been needed to usher in a more equitable and inclusive democracy.
At previous moments where our country came close to securing a broadly inclusive, multiracial democracy, defenders of white supremacy and economic power have leveraged the courts to block the advance of democracy.
In the years after the civil war, violent paramilitary white nationalist attacks on Black communities combined with a supreme court that pro-actively intervened to immunize these attacks from criminal prosecution and struck down new civil rights laws passed under the 14th amendment to unravel Reconstruction and usher in the era of Jim Crow.
The civil rights movement of the mid-20th century advanced a “Second Reconstruction”, restoring the push for an inclusive equitable democracy by winning the desegregation mandate of Brown v Board of Education, and securing the Voting Rights Act and the Civil Rights Act. The modern conservative obsession with taking over the courts represents a backlash exactly echoing the response to Reconstruction: it was after Brown that conservatives mobilized calling for Justice Earl Warren’s impeachment, and we saw the beginnings of the long march to seize the judicial power for the right.
Our history is full of moments where courts have been weaponized to resist democracy
Democracy and equity, on the other hand, have periodically required a taming of ideologically-extreme courts. Lincoln and the anti-slavery coalition won the 1860 elections in part on the explicit push to overturn the infamous 1857 Dred Scott case that further codified the enslavement of Black Americans. Lincoln himself expanded the court to overcome its hostility to the civil war – and Republicans after the war removed the court’s jurisdiction to bypass its opposition to Reconstruction.
Franklin D Roosevelt famously threatened to expand the court in 1937 – and though he did not follow through on the threat, it was shortly afterwards that the supreme court abruptly reversed its pattern of striking down critical labor and economic regulations protecting workers and Americans in the height of the Great Depression.
This push came in the aftermath of nearly 30 years of progressive mobilization and campaigning against the “oligarchy” of the courts, which had become a primary barrier to needed labor and economic legislation protecting Americans from the inequities of the Industrial Revolution. It is not a coincidence that both of these efforts saw court reform as a critical component to advancing a more equitable and inclusive democracy, a precondition to preserve policies that aimed to dismantle deep systems of racial and economic subordination.
Today, we are fighting in this moment for the basic idea of a multiracial, inclusive democracy where Black and brown communities have the safety, security and freedom to the thrive. That battle requires structural change to dismantle our racialized systems of violence, economic inequality and unequal political voice. But it also will require building a better judiciary, one that enables, rather than frustrates, the process of democratic inclusion and responsiveness.


theguardian--2020-09-24--Trump refuses to commit to a peaceful transfer of power: 'there will be a continuation' – video

The US president has declined to say he will transfer power peacefully in the event he loses the 3 November @ @ @ @ @ Joe Biden .
When asked the question by a reporter during a White House press @ @ @ @ @ replied : 'We ’ re going to have to see what happens , you know @ @ @ @ @ been complaining very strongly about the ballots , and the ballots are a disaster .
@ @ @ @ @ when asked again : 'Get rid of the ballots and you ’ ll have a @ @ @ @ @ ’ t be a transfer , frankly .
There will be a continuation .
The @ @ @ @ @ .
You know it .
And you know who knows it better than anybody else @ @ @ @ @ better than anybody else' • Donald in Blunderland : Trump wo n't commit to peaceful @ @ @ @ @ briefing

The US president has declined to say he will transfer power peacefully in the event he loses the 3 November election to Democratic rival, Joe Biden.
When asked the question by a reporter during a White House press briefing on Wednesday, Trump replied: 'We’re going to have to see what happens, you know that. I’ve been complaining very strongly about the ballots, and the ballots are a disaster.'
Trump refused to commit when asked again: 'Get rid of the ballots and you’ll have a very peaceful – there won’t be a transfer, frankly. There will be a continuation. The ballots are out of control. You know it. And you know who knows it better than anybody else? The Democrats know it better than anybody else'


theguardian--2020-09-25--Breonna Taylor: family attorney says wanton endangerment charge 'doesn't make sense' – live updates

Donald Trump said that Medicare beneficiaries will soon be receiving a $ 200 card in the mail to help them afford their prescriptions .
“ Nobody ’ s seen this before .
These cards are incredible , ” Trump said .
“ I will always take care of our wonderful senior citizens.
” Trump has made longstanding claims that he has lowered drug prices , though the claim is shaky given that executive orders that he ’ s signed haven ’ t been implemented or don ’ t do much to help .
It seems that the president is attempting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after talks about having pharmaceutical companies distribute $ 100 cards to seniors before the election – “ Trump cards ” as people in the industry called them – fell through .
The New York Times reported that drugmakers balked at the idea of being a part of an 11th-hour campaign initiative that seems to be aimed at the president ’ s reelection campaign .
With about 44 million Americans on Medicare , if every beneficiary used their $ 200 card , the cost would come out to $ 8.8bn .
Trump did not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fund the cards .

Lauren Aratani (now), Joan E Greve and Martin Belam (earlier)

25 Sept 2020 02.50 BST Summary We’ll be closing this blog for now, but here’s a quick recap of where things stand before we go: Protests have been seen tonight in multiple major cities across the country. From St Louis to Baltimore and New York City, hundreds are still chanting Breonna Taylor’s name and voicing their frustration over the grand jury’s decision not to charge officers for her death.
From St Louis to Baltimore and New York City, hundreds are still chanting Breonna Taylor’s name and voicing their frustration over the grand jury’s decision not to charge officers for her death. After two police officers suffered injuries from gunshots during last night’s protest in Louisville, local officials in the city have pled for peace. Protests in the city have been going on all day and appear to be continuing. The crowds have been largely peaceful. The city has a curfew in place that started at 9pm and will last until 6.30am.
Protests in the city have been going on all day and appear to be continuing. The crowds have been largely peaceful. The city has a curfew in place that started at 9pm and will last until 6.30am. Breonna Taylor’s family will be holding a press conference tomorrow morning at 10.30 am, their first since the announcement of the grand jury’s decision. They will be joined by their lawyers, including attorney Benjamin Crump. We’ll be back soon with more live coverage of the response to the grand jury’s decision on Breonna Taylor. Thanks for reading.
Updated at 03.12 BST
25 Sept 2020 02.04 BST Protesters in New York City are out on the streets again. Hundreds of people are in Brooklyn in support of Breonna Taylor. This is the second night of protests: large and peaceful crowds were also seen throughout the city last night. BREAKING: Group of about 1,000 protestors are hitting the streets of Brooklyn for a second night in a row@PIX11News #BreonnaTaylor pic.twitter.com/Pk90hnLUSF — Cristian Benavides (@cbenavidesTV) September 25, 2020
Updated at 02.06 BST
24 Sept 2020 00.46 BST Trump holds rally in Jacksonville, Florida Donald Trump is at a rally in Jacksonville, Florida, delivering a stream-of-conscience speech about Joe Biden, Black Lives Matter protests and Democrat lawmakers. Trump is repeating claims that the “Democratic party has been completely taken over by socialist, marxist and far-left”. “We will ensure that Americans never becomes a socialist or communist country. These people are crazy,” Trump said.
Trump spoke about the protests against racial injustice, boasting about how federal forces “solved that problem” in Minneapolis in the aftermath of protests relating the police killing of George Floyd. “They formed a line, the easy part was walking forward,” he said. The crowd laughed as he recounted how a reporter and protestor were struck by tear gas canisters. Trump boasted that his response to the protests in Minneapolis will help him Minnesota, though he lost the state in 2016 and the state has not voted for a Republican candidate since 1972. Current polling shows Biden has a 9-point lead over Trump in the state.
Updated at 01.55 BST
24 Sept 2020 00.33 BST A Black man was executed today in Indiana, the first Black American to be executed on federal charges after the Trump administration’s resumption of federal executions. Christopher Vialva, 40, was pronounced dead at 6:42 pm ET after receiving a lethal injection at a federal prison. Vialva was convicted of murdering a religious couple visiting Texas from Iowa in 1999, when Vialva was 19-years-old. Vialva shot the couple and burned them in the trunk of their car. Vialva is the seventh person to be executed on federal charges since July. Vialva’s lawyer said that race played a role in her client’s place on death row. According to the Associated Press, the Death Penalty Information Center said Black Americans are overrepresented on death rows, and Black people who kill white people are far more likely to be sentenced to death than white people who kill Black people.
24 Sept 2020 00.14 BST A new Fox News poll shows Joe Biden leading Donald Trump in three key states: Nevada, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Fox notes that Biden’s advantage comes from women, minorities, voters under 35 and voters over 65. In all three states, the majority of people disapprove of the job Trump is doing and do not believe that the coronavirus is under control. A poll released today from Monmouth University showed that Trump is in the lead in Iowa and Texas, which both voted for him in 2016. The poll showed similar ambiguity of where Ohio voters stand on the two candidates.
Trump is about to speak at a rally on an airplane tarmac in Jacksonville, Florida. We’ll be tuning in. NEW Fox News polls (Likely voters)
Nevada
Biden 52% (+11)
Trump 41%
Ohio
Biden: 50% (+5)
Trump: 45%
Pennsylvania
Biden: 51% (+7)
Trump 44%https://t.co/EQQySKpZb8 — Johnny Verhovek (@JTHVerhovek) September 24, 2020
24 Sept 2020 23.50 BST At a press conference, Kentucky’s governor, Andy Beshear, condemned the shooting of two police officers in Louisville last night during protests for Breonna Taylor. “I want to condemn this act of violence in the most stark terms. It is absolutely wrong. We want to make sure that any type of activity or demonstrations remain nonviolent and peaceful,” Beshear said. “Just one person can mar something that otherwise is done the right way.”
Beshear said that he had a call with Donald Trump about the incident and said he told the president he thinks Kentucky officials have a handle on the situation but will take extra support from the federal government if needed. Meanwhile, Greg Fischer, the mayor of Louisville, extended the city’s curfew and closure of downtown government facilities through the weekend, noting that “most of the violence we’ve seen have occurred after dark”. Curfew starts at 9pm in the city and ends at 6.30am.
Updated at 00.17 BST
24 Sept 2020 23.29 BST Breonna Taylor's family to hold press conference on Friday The family of Breonna Taylor, alongside their lawyers, including attorney Ben Crump, will hold a press conference in Louisville tomorrow morning at 10:30 am, according to the Associated Press. While Taylor’s family has been outspoken against police brutality, they have not spoken out publicly since the grand jury’s decision was announced Wednesday. Members of her family instead posted on social media about their frustration over the announcement. Tamika Palmer, Taylor’s mother, posted an illustration of Taylor with the caption: “It’s still Breonna for me #thesystemfailedBreonna.” Allow Instagram content? This article includes content provided by Instagram. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. To view this content, click 'Allow and continue'. Allow and continue
Updated at 01.55 BST
24 Sept 2020 23.04 BST Donald Trump said that Medicare beneficiaries will soon be receiving a $200 card in the mail to help them afford their prescriptions. “Nobody’s seen this before. These cards are incredible,” Trump said. “I will always take care of our wonderful senior citizens.” Trump has made longstanding claims that he has lowered drug prices, though the claim is shaky given that executive orders that he’s signed haven’t been implemented or don’t do much to help. It seems that the president is attempting to take things into his own hands after talks about having pharmaceutical companies distribute $100 cards to seniors before the election – “Trump cards” as people in the industry called them – fell through. The New York Times reported that drugmakers balked at the idea of being a part of an 11th-hour campaign initiative that seems to be aimed at the president’s reelection campaign. With about 44 million Americans on Medicare, if every beneficiary used their $200 card, the cost would come out to $8.8bn. Trump did not mention how the White House plans to fund the cards.
Updated at 00.03 BST
24 Sept 2020 22.38 BST Trump unveils 'American First' healthcare plan While unveiling his “America First Healthcare Plan” in a speech in Charlotte, North Carolina, Donald Trump is veering away from healthcare and is trying to paint the Democratic party as “socialism”. “Under the Democrats plan, costs would skyrocket,” he said. “Seniors, they’ve been paying their entire lives.” Trump said, seeming to talk about healthcare, but then seemed to veer off saying that the Democrats support “socialism and open borders”. Trump said if the “unsolicited ballots” go out and Democrats win, “our economy will collapse”. “What they’re doing is socialized medicine. It’s going to be a disaster in terms of quality and cost. It will ruin our country,” he said.
Trump said that Democrats’ claims that he is attacking social security is “disinformation”. “I made social security better.”
Last month, Trump directed the treasury department to allow employers to temporarily suspend collection of social security taxes and has teased the idea of cutting social security taxes.
Updated at 01.58 BST
24 Sept 2020 22.20 BST This is Lauren Aratani taking over for Joan E Greve. Donald Trump is speaking in Charlotte, North Carolina, unveiling his healthcare plan as the Republican lawsuit against Obamacare awaits for a supreme court ruling. Trump is saying that the plan is “much better” than Obamacare, saying that the plan would mean more affordable healthcare. But while Trump is touting his own plan, the two executive orders he is signing today leaves most of the work to Congress to figure out. The first order pressures Republican lawmakers to come up with an alternative to Obamacare’s protection of people with pre-existing conditions seeking healthcare. The second is aimed at “surprise” medical bills, directing Congress to pass legislation that would prevent surprise bills by 1 January, after the election. One reporter at the speech noted not many people in the crowd are wearing masks in the indoor space. As Trump talks up what he’s calling his “America First Healthcare Plan,” lots of folks in the audience are not wearing masks, including some in white lab coats. https://t.co/gJXLE7uWCp — Jill Colvin (@colvinj) September 24, 2020
Updated at 00.02 BST
24 Sept 2020 22.00 BST Today so far That’s it from me today. My Guardian colleague, Lauren Aratani, will take over the blog for the next few hours. Here’s where the day stands so far: A man was charged in the shooting of two Louisville police officers during yesterday’s protests, the city’s police chief announced. Protests in Louisville were re-energized yesterday, after a grand jury announced no charges in direct relation to the fatal police shooting of Breonna Taylor. One officer was indicted for blindly firing into the apartment of Taylor’s neighbors.
the city’s police chief announced. Protests in Louisville were re-energized yesterday, after a grand jury announced no charges in direct relation to the fatal police shooting of One officer was indicted for blindly firing into the apartment of Taylor’s neighbors. Trump again raised doubts about the integrity of the election, a day after he refused to commit to a peaceful transfer of power. “We want to make sure the election is honest, and I’m not sure that it can be,” Trump told reporters shortly before leaving for North Carolina. The president has repeatedly claimed without evidence that voting by mail will be susceptible to widespread fraud, even though voter fraud is actually very rare and US states have been sending mail-in ballots to voters for decades.
a day after he refused to commit to a peaceful transfer of power. “We want to make sure the election is honest, and I’m not sure that it can be,” Trump told reporters shortly before leaving for North Carolina. The president has repeatedly claimed without evidence that voting by mail will be susceptible to widespread fraud, even though voter fraud is actually very rare and US states have been sending mail-in ballots to voters for decades. The FBI director said there is no precedent for a national voter fraud effort. The FBI director, Christopher Wray, told the Senate homeland security committee: “We have not seen historically any kind of coordinated national voter fraud effort in a major election, whether it’s by mail or otherwise. We have seen voter fraud at the local level from time to time.”
The FBI director, told the Senate homeland security committee: “We have not seen historically any kind of coordinated national voter fraud effort in a major election, whether it’s by mail or otherwise. We have seen voter fraud at the local level from time to time.” Another 870,000 Americans filed new unemployment claims last week, according to figures released by the labor department this morning. The number represents a slight increase from a week earlier and underscores the ongoing economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic more than six months after it started.
according to figures released by the labor department this morning. The number represents a slight increase from a week earlier and underscores the ongoing economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic more than six months after it started. Bernie Sanders called for the creation of an independent election commission to protect American democracy. The Vermont senator delivered a speech in Washington today, marking his first in-person event since suspending his presidential campaign in the spring. Sanders said: “This is not just an election between Donald Trump and Joe Biden. This is an election between Donald Trump and democracy – and democracy must win.”
Lauren will have more coming up, so stay tuned.
Updated at 00.01 BST
24 Sept 2020 21.39 BST The Capitol is preparing for its ceremony to honor Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who will lie in state in Statuary Hall tomorrow. Workers displayed two portraits of the late supreme court justice in advance of tomorrow’s ceremony, which will be limited to invited guests due to coronavirus restrictions. Workers in the Capitol are preparing for the Ruth Bader Ginsburg ceremony tomorrow.
Here are the portraits they’ll use. pic.twitter.com/lfWyzFJ0hS — Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) September 24, 2020 Ginsburg is currently lying in repose at the supreme court, where members of the public have been able to pay their respects since yesterday. The House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, noted today that Ginsburg will be the first woman and the first Jewish person to lie in state at the Capitol.
Updated at 00.00 BST
24 Sept 2020 21.18 BST Polls: Trump up in Texas and Iowa, a virtual tie in Ohio Here’s today’s polling roundup, with just 40 days to go until the presidential election. A Monmouth University poll of Iowa showed Trump has a six-point lead over Joe Biden among the state’s registered voters, 50%-44%. When only likely voters are polled, Trump’s lead in Iowa shrinks to 3 points, 49%-46%, which is within the poll’s margin of error. IOWA POLL: #GeneralElection matchup
Registered voters:
50% @realDonaldTrump (48% in August)
44% @JoeBiden (45%)
Likely voters, high turnout:
49% Trump (48%)
46% Biden (46%)
Likely voters, low turnout:
49% Trump (47%)
46% Biden (47%)https://t.co/a8IGA98RVp pic.twitter.com/ZAnFKCRB1U — MonmouthPoll (@MonmouthPoll) September 24, 2020 Quinnipiac University also released two polls of Ohio and Texas, both of which Trump won in 2016. According to Quinnipiac, Trump holds a five-point lead among likely voters in Texas, 50%-45%. The race in Ohio is too close to call, with Biden at 48% and Trump at 47% among likely voters. Trump carried all three of these states in 2016 by eight to nine points, and he will likely need to win all of them again to secure a second term. The polling results provide further evidence that Trump’s lead is narrowing in states he easily won in 2016. With less than six weeks to go until election day and ballots already being sent to voters in many states, the president is running out of time to reverse that trend.
Updated at 23.59 BST
24 Sept 2020 21.02 BST While speaking to reporters before leaving for North Carolina, Trump also briefly addressed the case of Breonna Taylor, the 26-year-old EMT who was fatally shot by Louisville police in March. “I think it’s a sad thing, and I give my regards to the family,” Trump said. “I also think it’s so sad what’s happening with everything about that case, including law enforcement. So many people suffering.” A Kentucky grand jury declined to issue charges in direct connection to the fatal shooting of Taylor. Instead, one officer was indicted for blindly firing into the apartment of Taylor’s neighbors. The announcement set off re-energized protests in Louisville yesterday, during which two police officers were shot. They are both expected to recover, and a man has been charged for the shooting.


theguardian--2020-09-24--Sanders issues stark warning on Trump and calls for election commission

Senator Bernie Sanders has returned to the campaign trail by calling for an independent election commission to stop Donald Trump defying the will of the people and plunging the US into a constitutional crisis .
The independent senator also urged social media companies to “ get their act together ” and news media to prepare the American people to understand that “ there is no longer a single election day ” .
Sanders , whose losing campaign against Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primary in 2016 left wounds on both sides , has earned praise this time for rallying his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who defeated him in this year ’ s nominating contest .
In Washington on Thursday , at his first in-person event since suspending his campaign in the spring , Sanders reiterated that he is “ strongly supporting ” Biden .
But his focus was the unprecedented threat posed by Trump to the oldest continuous democracy in the modern world .
“ No matter how rich and powerful you may be , no matter how arrogant and narcissistic you may be , no matter how much you think you can get anything you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Donald Trump , ” Sanders said .
“ Too many people have fought and died to defend American democracy and you are not going to destroy it.
” The 79-year-old senator from Vermont echoed former president Barack Obama ’ s sombre warning at the Democratic national convention that democracy is in jeopardy .
Standing before four US flags and blue velvet curtains at George Washington University , Sanders said : “ This is not just an election between Donald Trump and Joe Biden .
This is an election between Donald Trump and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sanders warned that the 45th president threatens a peaceful transition of power as no other president has done .
He noted that Trump said at last month ’ s Republican convention : “ The only way they can take this election away from us is if this is a rigged election.
” And at a White House press briefing on Wednesday night , Trump became “ the first president in the history of this country to refuse to commit to a peaceful transition of power if he loses the election ” .
Sanders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ debunked Trump ’ s obsession with voter fraud , particularly with mail-in voting .
He went on : “ Trump ’ s strategy to delegitimise this election and to stay in office if he loses is not complicated .
Finding himself behind in many polls , he is attempting massive voter suppression.
” He accused Trump and his Republican colleagues of making it harder for people to vote and “ sowing the seeds of chaos , confusion and conspiracy theories by casting doubt on the integrity of this election and , if he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in office ” .
Sanders went on : “ Trump has also urged his supporters to become , quote , ‘ poll watchers ’ , but what he is really saying is that he wants his supporters , some of whom are members of armed militias , to intimidate voters .
We ’ re already seeing this in Virginia , where early voters were confronted by Trump supporters , and election officials in Fairfax county said that some voters and polling staff felt intimidated.
” He warned of a scenario in which , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in many battleground states based on the votes of those who voted in person on election day .
As more and more mail-in ballots are counted , Biden moves ahead .
But Trump then announces , with no proof , that there has been massive mail-in ballot fraud and that these votes should not be counted .
The senator endorsed a New York Times article last week by Dan Coats , Trump ’ s former director of national intelligence , calling for a high-level bipartisan and nonpartisan commission to oversee the election to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ carried out fairly .
“ I couldn ’ t agree more , ” the senator said .
“ I strongly second Director Coats ’ call for this election commission.
” And he made a plea to the American people to produce the biggest voter turnout in the country ’ s history .
“ As someone who is strongly supporting Joe Biden , let ’ s be clear : a landslide victory for Biden will make it virtually impossible for Trump to deny the results and is our best means for defending democracy.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the pandemic , Sanders called for state legislatures to take immediate action to allow mail-in votes to be counted before election day .
He added : “ Third , the news media needs to prepare the American people to understand there is no longer a single election day and that it is very possible that we may not know the results on November 3 .
“ Fourth , social media companies must finally get their act together and stop people from using their tools to spread disinformation and to threaten and harass @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Congress and in state legislatures hearings must be held as soon as possible to explain to the public how the election day process and the days that follow will be handled.
” Sanders warned : “ As we count every vote , and prevent voter intimidation everything possible must be done to prevent chaos , disinformation , and yes , even violence .
”

Senator Bernie Sanders has returned to the campaign trail by calling for an independent election commission to stop Donald Trump defying the will of the people and plunging the US into a constitutional crisis.
The independent senator also urged social media companies to “get their act together” and news media to prepare the American people to understand that “there is no longer a single election day”.
Sanders, whose losing campaign against Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primary in 2016 left wounds on both sides, has earned praise this time for rallying his army of progressive supporters around Joe Biden, who defeated him in this year’s nominating contest.
In Washington on Thursday, at his first in-person event since suspending his campaign in the spring, Sanders reiterated that he is “strongly supporting” Biden. But his focus was the unprecedented threat posed by Trump to the oldest continuous democracy in the modern world.
“No matter how rich and powerful you may be, no matter how arrogant and narcissistic you may be, no matter how much you think you can get anything you want, let me make this clear to Donald Trump,” Sanders said. “Too many people have fought and died to defend American democracy and you are not going to destroy it.”
The 79-year-old senator from Vermont echoed former president Barack Obama’s sombre warning at the Democratic national convention that democracy is in jeopardy.
Standing before four US flags and blue velvet curtains at George Washington University, Sanders said: “This is not just an election between Donald Trump and Joe Biden. This is an election between Donald Trump and democracy – and democracy must win.”
Sanders warned that the 45th president threatens a peaceful transition of power as no other president has done. He noted that Trump said at last month’s Republican convention: “The only way they can take this election away from us is if this is a rigged election.” And at a White House press briefing on Wednesday night, Trump became “the first president in the history of this country to refuse to commit to a peaceful transition of power if he loses the election”.
Sanders cited several studies and experts who have debunked Trump’s obsession with voter fraud, particularly with mail-in voting. He went on: “Trump’s strategy to delegitimise this election and to stay in office if he loses is not complicated. Finding himself behind in many polls, he is attempting massive voter suppression.”
He accused Trump and his Republican colleagues of making it harder for people to vote and “sowing the seeds of chaos, confusion and conspiracy theories by casting doubt on the integrity of this election and, if he loses, justifying why he should remain in office”.
Sanders went on: “Trump has also urged his supporters to become, quote, ‘poll watchers’, but what he is really saying is that he wants his supporters, some of whom are members of armed militias, to intimidate voters. We’re already seeing this in Virginia, where early voters were confronted by Trump supporters, and election officials in Fairfax county said that some voters and polling staff felt intimidated.”
He warned of a scenario in which, on election night, Trump is ahead in many battleground states based on the votes of those who voted in person on election day. As more and more mail-in ballots are counted, Biden moves ahead. But Trump then announces, with no proof, that there has been massive mail-in ballot fraud and that these votes should not be counted.
The senator endorsed a New York Times article last week by Dan Coats, Trump’s former director of national intelligence, calling for a high-level bipartisan and nonpartisan commission to oversee the election to reassure all Americans that it has been carried out fairly.
“I couldn’t agree more,” the senator said. “I strongly second Director Coats’ call for this election commission.”
And he made a plea to the American people to produce the biggest voter turnout in the country’s history. “As someone who is strongly supporting Joe Biden, let’s be clear: a landslide victory for Biden will make it virtually impossible for Trump to deny the results and is our best means for defending democracy.”
With a record mail-in vote expected due to the pandemic, Sanders called for state legislatures to take immediate action to allow mail-in votes to be counted before election day. He added: “Third, the news media needs to prepare the American people to understand there is no longer a single election day and that it is very possible that we may not know the results on November 3.
“Fourth, social media companies must finally get their act together and stop people from using their tools to spread disinformation and to threaten and harass election officials. Fifth, in the Congress and in state legislatures hearings must be held as soon as possible to explain to the public how the election day process and the days that follow will be handled.”
Sanders warned: “As we count every vote, and prevent voter intimidation everything possible must be done to prevent chaos, disinformation, and yes, even violence.”