theguardian--2020-11-09--How Georgia's Senate run-offs could finally hand Stacey Abrams her victory

Two years ago , Stacey Abrams became a household name when she ran for governor of Georgia against Brian Kemp , then secretary of state .
Though her votes came in short , she refused to concede – citing widespread voter suppression in a state where the election was run by the opponent himself .
In 2020 , she is still not the governor .
But in some ways , Abrams never lost .
Though it is poised for a recount , Georgia surprised America and the world when – on the basis of the first count –the Democrats outpolled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ result survives the recount then Joe Biden will become the first Democratic presidential candidate to win Georgia in 28 years .
He could not have done it without Stacey Abrams .
The huge voter turnout – inspired by Abrams ’ s work and a groundswell of Black community organizers in her circle – means that both Georgia Senate races will go to a run-off and , if the Democrats were to win both races , they would control the Senate .
Without them Joe Biden will be significantly constrained by a Republican held @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even veto cabinet appointments .
The date of the senate run-offs , 5 January , looms large as another day of destiny for Georgia – and America .
At its heart is a woman who , two years after losing , might be on the brink of a spectacular victory .
As a CNN article last week noted “ For Stacey Abrams , revenge is a dish best served blue ( ie Democrat ) .
” In 2018 , the race for governor in Georgia was a highly contested one .
The final @ @ @ @ @ @ @ votes .
But Abrams , who had earned endorsements from Bernie Sanders and Barack Obama , wouldn ’ t accept the result .
More than one million Georgians had been purged from voter rolls , with nearly 670,000 cancelled from the roles in 2017 .
An Associated Press analysis revealed that 70 % of the cancelled voters were Black – a stark racial disparity since only 32 % of Georgia ’ s population is Black .
This would cut deeply into Abrams voter base .
Meanwhile , the person in charge of maintaining @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
At the time of the race , Kemp was serving as Georgia secretary of state , a position that oversees the state ’ s elections – a clear conflict of interest .
The New Yorker , a few weeks before that election day two years ago , ran a profile headlined Brian Kemp is the Martin Shkreli of Voter Suppression .
( A reference to Kemp ’ s insider influence while referencing the notorious ‘ Pharma Bro ’ who was convicted of fraud for hiking drug prices . )
The New Yorker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as secretary of state has been marred by a record of voter suppression and intimidation tactics .
In general , it ’ s impossible to talk about these actions without talking about how they hurt minority turnout.
” Abrams didn ’ t concede .
But she also didn ’ t stop working .
A Yale educated lawyer by trade , she has now spent years trying to address a sickness at the heart of US democracy : why millions of Americans still can not access the ballot box , especially people of color @ @ @ @ @ @ @ problem is only getting worse .
“ After 2018 , Stacey did not get dejected , demoralized , or decide to sit it out .
She went straight to work to tear down barriers to the ballot , and build power for overlooked communities – both in Georgia and around the country , ” said Vanita Gupta , president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights .
“ She helped create the infrastructure , the multi-racial coalitions , that is bearing amazing results in Georgia and around the country.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Abrams had launched The New Georgia Project , a non-partisan group dedicated to broadening the electorate by registering voters .
After the 2018 race she went one step further : she launched Fair Fight , an organisation that helped train voter protection teams in states across the country .
It also tried to educate and empower young voters of color and encouraged them to register .
The combined efforts of Fair Fight and the New Georgia Project , are credited with registering a staggering 800,00 new voters in the state .
Fair Fight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of grassroots organizers that were cropping up across the state .
Black Voters Matter , a multi-state coalition of organizers working in mostly minority neighborhoods , were active all over Georgia .
The Urban League of Greater Atlanta , turned out in the suburbs of the state ’ s largest city .
Each with a single purpose : to register voters and get them to turn out .
It worked .
From the primary election to the presidential election , Georgia turnout skyrocketed by at least 1 million people since 2016 , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who runs the US Elections Project .
In the days after the election , it would be majority Black communities surrounding the cities of Atlanta and Savannah whose votes would push Trump out of his lead position .
And Abrams ’ influence didn ’ t stop in Georgia .
As Ben Wikler , chair of the Democratic Party in Wisconsin , recognized , Fair Fight also helped Biden win in Wisconsin and other key swing states this year .
In many ways , it was a referendum , not just on Abrams @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happen in the American south if Black people were allowed to vote with the same access as their white counterparts .
This is a fight that has preceded Abrams , but is , in some ways in her blood .
Abrams ’ parents – both Methodist ministers – were involved in the civil rights movement as teenagers .
Her father was arrested for assisting Black communities with registering to vote .
“ My parents took us with them when they voted , ” she told the Guardian last year .
“ They talked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ certain we watched the news and asked questions , because they wanted us to understand that our engagement , our ability to shape our communities , was directly tied to our votes , and they were very clear that they expected us to be voters.
” She was also frank about the difficulties she has faced as a Black woman running for public office , even in the opinion of the Democratic establishment in Georgia .
During her run for the governor ’ s office in 2018 , she considered dropping out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to endorse her campaign .
“ It ’ s a conversation that helped me understand that this is not simply a trope held by those who oppose me as a Democrat , ” she said .
“ It was a trope held by those who just didn ’ t believe in the capacity of communities of color to hold power.
” That mission took on a new tenor this year , the same year the country lost John Lewis , the Atlanta-based congressman who embodied the voting rights movement .
And the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since the 1950s swelled after the death of George Floyd , a Black man murdered by police .
It ’ s a confluence of these factors , then , that put Georgia back on the map as a state to win .
And Abrams has positioned herself deftly in the middle of that , motivated by her own experience and propelled by a new , progressive movement never seen before in Georgia , let alone the American south .
In 2013 , the supreme court gutted the Voting Rights Act of 1965 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ barriers that have plagued the country since Black Americans were given the right to vote in 1868 .
The supreme court ’ s 2013 decision had huge consequences in Georgia , a state that until that point had to get voting changes pre-cleared by the federal government before they went into effect .
The state has cut nearly 10 % of its polling places since the decision , even though nearly 2 million people have been added to its voter rolls , according to an analysis by Georgia Public Broadcasting and ProPublica .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ particularly affected Black voters , who are more likely than white voters to cast their ballots in person .
It was to these attacks on the right to vote that Abrams dedicated herself after the 2018 election .
Earlier this year , it was clear that Georgia had changed .
In the primary election , despite the delays from the pandemic , voters stood in line for hours and overwhelmingly chose Joe Biden as the candidate to face Trump .
It was a sign of what was to come in November .
Abrams @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we have seen dramatic turnout among communities that typically are not at the top of mind for candidates .
We have seen them be engaged , be encouraged , and we have seen them turn out.
” Jen Jordan , Georgia ’ s Democratic senator , told the New York Times that Abrams anticipated the state ’ s changing demographics : “ She saw it coming .
The data was there if you wanted to look at it .
The problem was nobody was really willing to look at the data.
” Except @ @ @ @ @ @ @ helped build across Georgia .
In 2018 Brian Kemp won the race to be governor of Georgia .
Assuming the 2020 recount changes nothing , then he will have lost the fight to deliver Georgia for the Republicans for the first time in 28 years .
On 5 January he will face the might of Abrams once again as she looks to mobilize enough voters to deliver the Senate for the Democrats .
It would be two years too late , but it would be a victory well worth waiting for .

Ankita Rao, Oliver Laughland and Sam Levine

Two years ago, Stacey Abrams became a household name when she ran for governor of Georgia against Brian Kemp, then secretary of state. Though her votes came in short, she refused to concede – citing widespread voter suppression in a state where the election was run by the opponent himself.
In 2020, she is still not the governor. But in some ways, Abrams never lost.
Though it is poised for a recount, Georgia surprised America and the world when – on the basis of the first count –the Democrats outpolled the Republicans last week. If the result survives the recount then Joe Biden will become the first Democratic presidential candidate to win Georgia in 28 years.
He could not have done it without Stacey Abrams.
The huge voter turnout – inspired by Abrams’s work and a groundswell of Black community organizers in her circle – means that both Georgia Senate races will go to a runoff and, if the Democrats were to win both races, they would control the Senate. Without them Joe Biden will be significantly constrained by a Republican held Senate – the leader, Mitch McConnell, could even veto cabinet appointments.
The date of the Senate run-offs, 5 January, looms large as another day of destiny for Georgia – and America. At its heart is a woman who, two years after losing, might be on the brink of a spectacular victory. As a CNN article last week noted, using popular shorthand for “Democratic”: “For Stacey Abrams, revenge is a dish best served blue.”
Tearing down barriers
In 2018, the race for governor in Georgia was a highly contested one. The final tally said Abrams lost by just 55,000 votes. But Abrams, who had earned endorsements from Bernie Sanders and Barack Obama, wouldn’t accept the result.
More than 1 million Georgians had been purged from voter rolls, with nearly 670,000 cancelled from the rolls in 2017. An Associated Press analysis revealed that 70% of the cancelled voters were Black – a stark racial disparity since only 32% of Georgia’s population is Black. This would cut deeply into Abrams’ voter base.
Meanwhile, the person in charge of maintaining the voter rolls was her opponent himself. At the time of the race, Kemp was serving as Georgia secretary of state, a position that oversees the state’s elections – a clear conflict of interest.
The New Yorker, a few weeks before that election day two years ago, ran a profile headlined Brian Kemp is the Martin Shkreli of Voter Suppression (a reference to Kemp’s insider influence and the notorious “Pharma Bro” known for hiking drug prices, who was separately convicted of fraud).
The New Yorker said of Kemp: “His tenure as secretary of state has been marred by a record of voter suppression and intimidation tactics. In general, it’s impossible to talk about these actions without talking about how they hurt minority turnout.”
Abrams didn’t concede. But she also didn’t stop working.
Stacey Abrams corsses the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, on 1 March. Photograph: Butch Dill/AP
A Yale-educated lawyer by trade, she has now spent years trying to address a sickness at the heart of US democracy: why millions of Americans still cannot access the ballot box, especially people of color and poor communities. And that this problem is only getting worse.
“After 2018, Stacey did not get dejected, demoralized, or decide to sit it out. She went straight to work to tear down barriers to the ballot, and build power for overlooked communities – both in Georgia and around the country,” said Vanita Gupta, president and CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. “She helped create the infrastructure, the multi-racial coalitions, that is bearing amazing results in Georgia and around the country.”
Prior to her gubernatorial campaign, Abrams had launched the New Georgia Project, a non-partisan group dedicated to broadening the electorate by registering voters. After the 2018 race she went one step further: she launched Fair Fight, an organisation that helped train voter protection teams in states across the country. It also tried to educate and empower young voters of color and encouraged them to register.
The combined efforts of Fair Fight and the New Georgia Project, are credited with registering a staggering 800,000 new voters in the state.
Fair Fight added to the growth in a coalition of grassroots organizers that were cropping up across the state. Black Voters Matter, a multi-state coalition of organizers working in mostly minority neighborhoods, were active all over Georgia. The Urban League of Greater Atlanta, turned out in the suburbs of the state’s largest city. Each with a single purpose: to register voters and get them to turn out.
It worked. From the primary election to the presidential election, Georgia turnout skyrocketed by at least 1 million people since 2016, according to University of Florida professor Michael McDonald, who runs the US Elections Project. In the days after the election, it would be majority Black communities surrounding the cities of Atlanta and Savannah whose votes would push Trump out of his lead position.
And Abrams’ influence didn’t stop in Georgia. As Ben Wikler, chair of the Democratic Party in Wisconsin, recognized, Fair Fight also helped Biden win in Wisconsin and other key swing states this year.
There's a lot of totally correct talk about how @StaceyAbrams was pivotal to winning Georgia. Folks: Stacey & her team were pivotal to flipping Wisconsin too. And every other battleground. They worked with us to build massive, supercharged voter protection teams—starting *early.* — Ben Wikler (@benwikler) November 6, 2020
In many ways, it was a referendum, not just on Abrams’ work, but on what could happen in the American south if Black people were allowed to vote with the same access as their white counterparts. This is a fight that has preceded Abrams, but is, in some ways in her blood.
A new movement
Abrams’ parents – both Methodist ministers – were involved in the civil rights movement as teenagers. Her father was arrested for assisting Black communities with registering to vote.
“My parents took us with them when they voted,” she told the Guardian last year. “They talked about why politics mattered. They made certain we watched the news and asked questions, because they wanted us to understand that our engagement, our ability to shape our communities, was directly tied to our votes, and they were very clear that they expected us to be voters.”
A ‘We voted!’ mural in Atlanta, Georgia, features Stacey Abrams. Photograph: Elijah Nouvelage/The Washington Post via Getty Images
She was also frank about the difficulties she has faced as a Black woman running for public office, even in the opinion of the Democratic establishment in Georgia. During her run for the governor’s office in 2018, she considered dropping out of the race after a close mentor declined to endorse her campaign.
“It’s a conversation that helped me understand that this is not simply a trope held by those who oppose me as a Democrat,” she said. “It was a trope held by those who just didn’t believe in the capacity of communities of color to hold power.”
That mission took on a new tenor this year, the same year the country lost John Lewis, the Atlanta-based congressman who embodied the voting rights movement. And the same year when the largest civil rights movement since the 1950s swelled after the death of George Floyd, a Black man murdered by police.
It’s a confluence of these factors, then, that put Georgia back on the map as a state to win. And Abrams has positioned herself deftly in the middle of that, motivated by her own experience and propelled by a new, progressive movement never seen before in Georgia, let alone the American south.
In 2013, the supreme court gutted the Voting Rights Act of 1965, meant to protect minorities from prejudiced voting barriers that have plagued the country since Black Americans were given the right to vote in 1868.
The supreme court’s 2013 decision had huge consequences in Georgia, a state that until that point had to get voting changes pre-cleared by the federal government before they went into effect. The state has cut nearly 10% of its polling places since the decision, even though nearly 2 million people have been added to its voter rolls, according to an analysis by Georgia Public Broadcasting and ProPublica.
It’s a move that has particularly affected Black voters, who are more likely than white voters to cast their ballots in person. It was to these attacks on the right to vote that Abrams dedicated herself after the 2018 election.
A clear change
Earlier this year, it was clear that Georgia had changed. In the primary election, despite the delays from the pandemic, voters stood in line for hours and overwhelmingly chose Joe Biden as the candidate to face Trump.
A supporter thanks Stacey Abrams after Joe Biden was named the projected presidential winner. Photograph: Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images
It was a sign of what was to come in November. Abrams told CNN on election day that “we have seen dramatic turnout among communities that typically are not at the top of mind for candidates. We have seen them be engaged, be encouraged, and we have seen them turn out.”
Jen Jordan, Georgia’s Democratic senator, told the New York Times that Abrams anticipated the state’s changing demographics: “She saw it coming. The data was there if you wanted to look at it. The problem was nobody was really willing to look at the data.”
Except Stacey Abrams and the grassroots coalition she helped build across Georgia.
In 2018 Brian Kemp won the race to be governor of Georgia. Assuming the 2020 recount changes nothing, then he will have lost the fight to deliver Georgia for the Republicans for the first time in 28 years. On 5 January he will face the might of Abrams once again as she looks to mobilize enough voters to deliver the Senate for the Democrats.
It would be two years too late, but it would be a victory well worth waiting for.


theguardian--2020-11-09--How Joe Biden beat Donald Trump in the fight for America’s soul – video

In the final episode of Anywhere but Washington , Oliver Laughland and Tom Silverstone return to Florida , the crucial @ @ @ @ @ won last week .
His victory there paved the way for his baseless attacks on @ @ @ @ @ Palm Beach county , home to the president ’ s private club Mar-a-Lago , election @ @ @ @ @ , in a story of hope and joy but also division and lies • Watch @ @ @ @ @ Washington video series

Oliver Laughland, Tom Silverstone, Nicolas Pollock, Noah Payne-Frank, Katie Lamborn, Charlie Phillips

In the final episode of Anywhere but Washington, Oliver Laughland and Tom Silverstone return to Florida, the crucial swing state that Donald Trump won last week. His victory there paved the way for his baseless attacks on the election process. From Palm Beach county, home to the president’s private club Mar-a-Lago, election night turns into election week, in a story of hope and joy but also division and lies


theguardian--2020-11-10--Barr tells prosecutors to pursue 'clear' fraud claims, without evidence – US politics live

A hastily called Trump campaign press conference on Capitol Hill in Washington today recycled unproven claims of voter fraud but offered no specific proof .
“ Do you know that fraudulent votes were actually cast ?
” a reported asked .
“ Or are you simply saying we don ’ t know because we couldn ’ t see it ?
” Kayleigh McEnany , the White House press secretary , could offer only : “ What we are asking for here is patience.
” Journalists crammed into the lobby of the Republican National Committee headquarters after taking temperature checks and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recently been blurring the line between federal government activity and political campaigning .
“ This election is not over – far from it , ” declared Trump ’ s spokesperson , who at her first White House briefing promised never to lie from the podium .
Without evidence , McEnany said : “ There is only one party in America trying to keep observers out of the count room .
And that party , my friends , is the Democrat party .
You take these positions because you are welcoming fraud and you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ went on to claim that Republicans want “ maximum sunlight ” and “ maximum transparency ” , the baseless charge prompted the conservative Fox News network to cut away from briefing .
Host Neil Cavuto said : “ Whoa , whoa , whoa ...
Unless she has more details to back that up , I can ’ t in good countenance continue showing this.
” Meanwhile Ronna McDaniel , chair of the Republican National Committee , claimed the party had “ thousands of reports of poll watchers being intimidated ” in Michigan and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Detroit about ballots being nefariously backdated .
This has been debunked by fact checkers .
Biden leads by more than 4m votes but McDaniel urged : “ If it were this close the other way , if Trump was in the lead in all these states , the media ’ d be screaming , ‘ This isn ’ t over ... We need more time to count and make sure it ’ s right.
’ ” Challenged as to how there could be a conspiracy in “ red counties ” when in fact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well in the Senate , McDaniel failed to answer .
And as McEnany left , a reporter shouted , “ Is the president being a sore loser ?
” Again there was silence .

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

10 Nov 2020 04.02 GMT Summary Here’s a recap of today, from me and Joan E Greve: Pfizer announced its coronavirus vaccine was shown to be 90% effective. US stock markets jumped after the Pfizer announcement was made, although it will likely take several months before a vaccine is widely available to the American public.
US stock markets jumped after the Pfizer announcement was made, although it will likely take several months before a vaccine is widely available to the American public. The US Food and Drug Administration authorized emergency use of Eli Lilly’s experimental Covid-19 antibody treatment for some patients. Per the FDA, clinical trials found that the treatment, bamlanivimab, reduced the need for hospitalization or emergency room visits for older and high-risk Covid-19 patients.
Per the FDA, clinical trials found that the treatment, bamlanivimab, reduced the need for hospitalization or emergency room visits for older and high-risk Covid-19 patients. President-elect Joe Biden announced the formation of his coronavirus advisory board. Speaking in Delaware today, Biden celebrated the Pfizer news but warned the coming months would still be very difficult for the country. “We’re still facing a very dark winter,” the president-elect said. “The challenge before us right now is still immense and growing.”
Speaking in Delaware today, Biden celebrated the Pfizer news but warned the coming months would still be very difficult for the country. “We’re still facing a very dark winter,” the president-elect said. “The challenge before us right now is still immense and growing.” Donald Trump fired the defense secretary, Mark Esper, by tweet. In recent months, the president and Esper had publicly clashed over proposals to rename military bases named after Confederate generals.
In recent months, the president and Esper had publicly clashed over proposals to rename military bases named after Confederate generals. Mitch McConnell defended Trump’s legal challenges in battleground states after being declared the loser in the presidential election. “President Trump is 100% within his rights to look into allegations of irregularities and weigh his legal options,” the Senate majority leader said. It’s important to remember that Trump’s team has produced no evidence of election fraud.
“President Trump is 100% within his rights to look into allegations of irregularities and weigh his legal options,” the Senate majority leader said. It’s important to remember that Trump’s team has produced no evidence of election fraud. Georgia’s two Republican senators called on the state’s Republican secretary of state to resign. “The Secretary of State has failed to deliver honest and transparent elections. He has failed the people of Georgia, and he should step down immediately,” David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler said in a joint statement. Brad Raffensperger, the secretary of state, has fiercely defended the integrity of the Georgia vote count, and his office has provided multiple updates a day on the remaining number of ballots to be counted.
“The Secretary of State has failed to deliver honest and transparent elections. He has failed the people of Georgia, and he should step down immediately,” and said in a joint statement. the secretary of state, has fiercely defended the integrity of the Georgia vote count, and his office has provided multiple updates a day on the remaining number of ballots to be counted. The Trump campaign filed another meritless lawsuit against Pennsylvania’s secretary of state, reviving disproven claims that haven’t held up in the courts so far. The lawsuit baselessly alleges that voters who mailed-in ballots were subject to less rigorous verification standards than those who voted in person. Like the president’s other attempts to dispute his clear loss, it’s unlikely to get him anywhere.
The lawsuit baselessly alleges that voters who mailed-in ballots were subject to less rigorous verification standards than those who voted in person. Like the president’s other attempts to dispute his clear loss, it’s unlikely to get him anywhere. The attorney general also sent a memo to prosecutors, asking them to investigate election “irregularities” despite no evidence of irregularities. The move has little practical, legal implications, but it erodes norms and policies that typically prohibit the justice department from intervening before election results are confirmed by the electoral college, and it serves to sow confusion and distrust in the elections system.
10 Nov 2020 02.27 GMT Once again, Donald Trump’s schedule is clear. Trump waves to media across the Potomac River as he plays a round of golf at the Trump National Golf Club, on 8 November 2020 in Sterling, Virginia. Photograph: Samuel Corum/Getty Images He has no public events planned for tomorrow. The last time he spoke publicly was Thursday when he delivered a lie-filled press conference that several TV networks cut away from after Trump illegitimately declared victory.
Updated at 02.44 GMT
10 Nov 2020 02.20 GMT FDA authorized emergency use of Eli Lilly’s experimental treatment for Covid Helen Sullivan The US Food and Drug Administration on Monday authorized emergency use of Eli Lilly and Co’s experimental Covid-19 antibody treatment for non-hospitalized patients older than 65 or who have certain chronic medical conditions. The FDA said its emergency use authorization (EUA) was based on clinical trials showing that the treatment, bamlanivimab, reduced the need for hospitalization or emergency room visits in Covid-19 patients at high risk of disease progression.
It can now be used for treating mild-to-moderate Covid-19 in adults and pediatric patients over the age of 12, the FDA said. The antibody is not authorized for patients who are hospitalized due to Covid-19 or require oxygen therapy due to Covid-19. The FDA said the drug, which U.S. President Donald Trump has praised, had not been shown to benefit such patients and could worsen their clinical status.
A US government-sponsored study of the treatment in hospitalized Covid-19 patients was recently abandoned because the treatment was not shown to be helping. Catch up on global coronavirus news: Coronavirus live news: WHO warns Covid 'not tired of us' as top UK scientist says vaccine 'feels like watershed moment' Read more
10 Nov 2020 01.56 GMT Julian Borger The US is expected to fly Cameroonian asylum seekers back to their home country on Tuesday despite fears that their lives will be at risk and reports that deportees repatriated last month are now missing. Some of the deportees are activists from the country’s anglophone minority, who face arrest warrants for their political activities from government forces with a well documented record of extrajudicial killings. They and their lawyers refer to Tuesday’s flight as the “death plane”. Lawyers, human rights groups and Democratic senator Chris Van Hollen have appealed to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to halt deportation flights to Cameroon while political violence is still widespread there and while at least some of the detainees have cases pending or motions to reopen cases before the Board of Immigration Appeals. They expressed concern that the deportations were being rushed to clear African asylum-seekers out of the country by the end of the Trump presidency, as part of a scorched earth policy in the administration’s final weeks. There are also allegations of systematic abuse by agents of the DHS’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), often to force the asylum seekers to sign their own deportation orders, and waive their right to pending immigration hearings. In one case, detainees were allegedly put under showers and then tasered by ICE agents, leaving some in need of hospital care. The deportations are taking place despite a finding last year by the US government that the Cameroon government “engages in gross violations of internationally recognized human rights”. About 38 men and 10 women are scheduled to be on Tuesday’s flight, 37 of them Cameroonian, but also six Angolan and three Congolese asylum seekers. In recent days they have been moved from prisons across the south to Prairieland Detention Centre in Alvarado, Texas, in preparation for a charter flight out of Fort Worth. Read more: US to send asylum seekers home to Cameroon despite 'death plane' warnings Read more
10 Nov 2020 01.22 GMT Vanita Gupta, a civil rights attorney who served in the Justice Department during the Obama administration, called the attorney general’s memo a “scare tactic”: Totally predictable – more DOJ scare tactics. Some points:
-Voters decided election & overwhelmingly picked Biden
-States in charge of elections, not fed govt
-Election was secure & fair. No factual basis for memo
-Scaremongering about opening investigations doesn't change result https://t.co/ez4pgmwzSU — Vanita Gupta (@vanitaguptaCR) November 10, 2020
10 Nov 2020 01.04 GMT In September, when the justice department publicized an investigation into whether nine mail-in ballots in Pennsylvania – including seven marked for Donald Trump – were allegedly “discarded”, elections experts warned that William Barr was using his department to provide fodder for the president’s baseless claims of fraud. The justice department had a longstanding policy against interfering in elections, and an earlier memo from Barr himself – obtained by ProPublica – directed department employees to be “particularly sensitive to safeguarding the Department’s reputation for fairness, neutrality, and non-partisanship” when it came to the elections.
Updated at 01.13 GMT
10 Nov 2020 00.51 GMT It’s unclear that the attorney general’s memo will have any practical implications. After all, there is zero evidence of widespread voter fraud – so it’s unlikely US attorneys will find anything credible to prosecute. Ellen Weintraub, the Federal Election Commissioner, told CNN on Saturday that “there really has been no evidence of fraud” in this election. “Very few substantiated complaints, let me put it that way. There is no evidence of any kind of voter fraud,” she said. “There is no evidence of illegal votes being cast.” But in Barr’s memo, the attorney general tells prosecutors that, “although the States have the primary responsibility to conduct and supervise elections under our constitution and the laws enacted by Congress, the United States Department of Justice has an obligation to ensure that federal elections are conducted in such a way that the American people can have full confidence in their electoral process and their government”. “Given this, and given that voting in our current elections has now concluded, I authorize you to pursue substantial allegations of voting and vote tabulation irregularities prior to the certification of elections in your jurisdictions in certain cases,” he continues. The memo primarily functions to erode norms and policies that typically prohibit the justice department from intervening before election results are confirmed by the electoral college, and it serves to sow confusion and distrust in the elections system.
Updated at 00.54 GMT
10 Nov 2020 00.29 GMT Another Trump press conference on unsubstantiated voter fraud allegations David Smith A hastily called Trump campaign press conference on Capitol Hill in Washington today recycled unproven claims of voter fraud but offered no specific proof.
“Do you know that fraudulent votes were actually cast?” a reported asked. “Or are you simply saying we don’t know because we couldn’t see it?” Kayleigh McEnany, the White House press secretary, could offer only: “What we are asking for here is patience.” Journalists crammed into the lobby of the Republican National Committee headquarters after taking temperature checks and heard first from McEnany, who has recently been blurring the line between federal government activity and political campaigning. “This election is not over – far from it,” declared Trump’s spokesperson, who at her first White House briefing promised never to lie from the podium. McEnany speaks during a press conference at the Republican National Committee headquarters. Photograph: Samuel Corum/Getty Images Without evidence, McEnany said: “There is only one party in America trying to keep observers out of the count room. And that party, my friends, is the Democrat party. You take these positions because you are welcoming fraud and you are welcoming illegal voting.” As she went on to claim that Republicans want “maximum sunlight” and “maximum transparency”, the baseless charge prompted the conservative Fox News network to cut away from briefing. Host Neil Cavuto said: “Whoa, whoa, whoa... Unless she has more details to back that up, I can’t in good countenance continue showing this.” Meanwhile Ronna McDaniel, chair of the Republican National Committee, claimed the party had “thousands of reports of poll watchers being intimidated” in Michigan and highlighted a “whistleblower” allegation in Detroit about ballots being nefariously backdated. This has been debunked by fact checkers. Biden leads by more than 4m votes but McDaniel urged: “If it were this close the other way, if Trump was in the lead in all these states, the media’d be screaming, ‘This isn’t over ... We need more time to count and make sure it’s right.’” Challenged as to how there could be a conspiracy in “red counties” when in fact Republicans picked up House seats and performed well in the Senate, McDaniel failed to answer. And as McEnany left, a reporter shouted, “Is the president being a sore loser?” Again there was silence.
Updated at 00.46 GMT
10 Nov 2020 00.20 GMT House speaker Nancy Pelosi condemned the president’s sacking of defense secretary Mark Esper: “The abrupt firing of Secretary Esper is disturbing evidence that President Trump is intent on using his final days in office to sow chaos in our American Democracy and around the world,” she said in a statement. “Continuity and stability are always important during a presidential transition; they are absolutely imperative at this moment, as this historically erratic Administration prepares for its departure.”
After Trump fired Esper via a tweet, several Democrats have said the move would leave the US vulnerable. House armed services committee chair Adam Smith, a Democrat of Washington state, said the dismissal “is a destabilizing move that will only embolden our adversaries”. “President Trump’s decision to fire Secretary Esper out of spite is not just childish, it’s also reckless,” he said.
Updated at 00.25 GMT
10 Nov 2020 00.13 GMT Barr tells prosecutors to pursue claims of irregularities despite lack of evidence William Barr, the US attorney general, has told prosecutors across the country to pursue “clear and apparently-credible allegations of irregularities” in the voting system, despite a lack of evidence that such fraud is occurring. In a memo obtained by the Associated Press, Barr – who has not shied away from violating norms in his efforts to prop up Donald Trump – told attorneys that investigations “may be conducted if there are clear and apparently-credible allegations of irregularities that, if true, could potentially impact the outcome of a federal election in an individual State”, the AP reports. States have another month to resolve election disputes before members of the electoral college finalize the outcome on 14 December.
Updated at 08.25 GMT
10 Nov 2020 00.01 GMT Cheri Bustos, House Democratic campaign chief, said today that she will not seek re-election to that position in the wake of the string of losses House Democrats faced during the election last week. Republicans gained five seats in the House last week. Though Democrats still hold the majority with 215 seats, their influence in the chamber will likely be weakened over the next two years. Bustos herself had a closer-than-expected race against her Republican opponent for her Illinois House district seat. The results were a sting to Democrats after they gained their majority in the House in 2018. Battleground Democrats have argued that Bustos’ team did little to defend them from Republican attacks and that her most aggressive strategies were used in districts in states like Texas and Arkansas that were harder to win, according to Politico. In a statement, Bustos said that she will be focusing her work “on exciting legislative possibilities” and that she is “well-positioned to turn my focus to strengthening infrastructure and health care in the cities, small towns and rural areas I serve”. https://twitter.com/kirk_bado/status/1325898443840233474 I’m signing off for now and will be handing the blog over to my Guardian colleague Maanvi Singh. Stay tuned for more live updates.
Updated at 00.16 GMT
9 Nov 2020 23.44 GMT White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany spoke at a Republican National Committee press conference earlier this evening, repeating Donald Trump’s refusal to accept Joe Biden as the winner of the presidential election and making false claims about voter fraud. At Trump campaign press conference at Republican National Committee. Kayleigh McEnany: “This election is not over. Far from it... Unlike our opponents, we have nothing to hide.” pic.twitter.com/x5PSF1Yoq4 — David Smith (@SmithInAmerica) November 9, 2020 McEnany said that she is at the press conference, which is a campaign event as opposed to a White House event, in her “personal capacity”. Fox News apparently cut away from the press conference saying that they could not air McEnany’s false claims in good conscience. “Whoa, whoa, whoa – I just think we have to be very clear. She’s charging the other side as welcoming fraud and welcoming illegal voting. Unless she has more details to back that up, I can’t in good countenance show you this,” Fox News host Neil Cavuto told viewers as McEnany continued to talk. Watch Fox News cut away from Press Sec. McEnany: pic.twitter.com/SwW9cq9bJI — The Recount (@therecount) November 9, 2020
Updated at 00.00 GMT
9 Nov 2020 23.28 GMT Lawyers that have been working to reunite children who were separated from their families at the border say that the number of children still separated from their parents is higher than previously reported. According to an NBC News story, the lawyers say they still have not been able to find the parents of 666 children. The children were separated from their parents between April and June 2018, when Donald Trump had his “zero tolerance” policy at the US-Mexico border. Here’s more from NBC News: Lawyers working to reunite migrant families separated by the Trump administration before and during its “zero tolerance” policy at the border now believe the number of separated children for whom they have not been able to find parents is 666, higher than they told a federal judge last month, according to an email obtained by NBC News. Nearly 20 percent of those children were under 5 at the time of the separation, according to a source familiar with the data. In the email, Steven Herzog, the attorney leading efforts to reunite the families, explains that the number is higher because the new group includes those “for whom the government did not provide any phone number.” Previously, the lawyers said they could not find the parents of 545 children after they had tried to make contact but had been unsuccessful.
Updated at 00.00 GMT


theguardian--2020-11-10--Barr tells prosecutors to investigate 'vote irregularities' despite lack of evidence

The US attorney general , William Barr , has authorized federal prosecutors to begin investigating “ substantial allegations ” of voter irregularities across the country in a stark break with longstanding practice and despite a lack of evidence of any major fraud having been committed .
The intervention of Barr , who has frequently been accused of politicizing the DoJ , comes as Donald Trump refuses to concede defeat and promotes a number of legally meritless lawsuits aimed at casting doubt on the legitimacy of the election .
Joe Biden was confirmed as president-elect on Saturday after he won the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrote on Monday to US attorneys , giving them the green light to pursue “ substantial allegations of voting and vote tabulation irregularities ” before the results of the presidential election in their jurisdictions are certified .
As Barr himself admits in his letter , such a move by federal prosecutors to intervene in the thick of an election has traditionally been frowned upon , with the view being that investigations into possible fraud should only be carried out after the race is completed .
But Barr , who was appointed by Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such an approach , denouncing it as a “ passive and delayed enforcement approach ” .
The highly contentious action , which was first reported by Associated Press , was greeted with delight by Trump supporters but with skepticism from lawyers and election experts .
Doubts about Barr ’ s intentions were heightened after it was reported that a few hours before the letter to prosecutors was disclosed , he met with Mitch McConnell , the Republican Senate majority leader .
McConnell has so far remained in lockstep with Trump .
Earlier on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president on the floor of the chamber .
He said : “ President Trump is 100 % within his rights to look into allegations of irregularities and weigh his legal options.
” As news of Barr ’ s memo circulated , social media lit up .
“ Here we go , ” tweeted Stephanie Cutter , Barack Obama ’ s deputy campaign manager in the 2012 presidential race after the Barr memo was revealed .
Mimi Rocha , a former assistant US attorney in the southern district of New York , decried the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policy re not getting involved til after election certified .
Not good.
” She added though that there were no “ clear and apparently-credible allegations of irregularities ” , as cited by Barr , and urged federal lawyers to “ remain true to your oaths ” .
The Barr memo is the culmination of months of cumulative controversy in which the attorney general has proven himself willing to imperil the reputation for impartiality of the justice department by following Trump into his election-fraud rabbit hole .
In particular , he has doubled down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rampant fraud in mail-in voting .
That included lying on television about an indictment for an electoral crime in Texas that his department later had to concede never took place .
Barr ’ s intervention emerged shortly after the Trump campaign filed another longshot lawsuit in Pennsylvania , attempting to block the state from certifying its election results .
It was the calling of the Pennsylvania contest on Saturday by media organisations in favor of Biden , who remains about 45,000 votes ahead of Trump in the state , that tipped the Democratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and awarded him the presidency .
The new Pennsylvania lawsuit rehashes many of the already disproven claims that have failed to succeed so far in federal and state courts .
The case hangs on the claim – posited without any new hard evidence – that voters were treated differently depending on whether they voted by mail or in person .
The legal action also claims that almost 700,000 mail-in and absentee ballots were counted in Philadelphia and Allegheny county , both Democratic strongholds , without observers present .
That complaint has already been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democratic attorney general of Pennsylvania , dismissed the lawsuit as meritless .
“ I am confident Pennsylvania law will be upheld and the will of the people of the Commonwealth will be respected in this election , ” he said .

Ed Pilkington and Sam Levine in New York

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The US attorney general, William Barr, has authorized federal prosecutors to begin investigating “substantial allegations” of voter irregularities across the country in a stark break with longstanding practice and despite a lack of evidence of any major fraud having been committed.
The intervention of Barr, who has frequently been accused of politicizing the DoJ, comes as Donald Trump refuses to concede defeat and promotes a number of legally meritless lawsuits aimed at casting doubt on the legitimacy of the election. Joe Biden was confirmed as president-elect on Saturday after he won the critical battleground state of Pennsylvania.
Barr wrote on Monday to US attorneys, giving them the green light to pursue “substantial allegations of voting and vote tabulation irregularities” before the results of the presidential election in their jurisdictions are certified. As Barr himself admits in his letter, such a move by federal prosecutors to intervene in the thick of an election has traditionally been frowned upon, with the view being that investigations into possible fraud should only be carried out after the race is completed.
But Barr, who was appointed by Trump in February 2019, pours scorn on such an approach, denouncing it as a “passive and delayed enforcement approach”.
The highly contentious action, which was first reported by the Associated Press, was greeted with delight by Trump supporters but with skepticism from lawyers and election experts. Within hours of the news, the New York Times reported that the justice department official overseeing voter fraud investigations, Richard Pilger, had resigned from his position.
“Having familiarized myself with the new policy and its ramifications,” Pilger reportedly told colleagues in an email, “I must regretfully resign from my role as director of the Election Crimes Branch.”
Doubts about Barr’s intentions were heightened after it was reported that a few hours before the letter to prosecutors was disclosed, he met with Mitch McConnell, the Republican Senate majority leader.
McConnell has so far remained in lockstep with Trump. Earlier on Monday he expressed support for the defeated president on the floor of the chamber. He said: “President Trump is 100% within his rights to look into allegations of irregularities and weigh his legal options.”
As news of Barr’s memo circulated, social media lit up. “Here we go,” tweeted Stephanie Cutter, Barack Obama’s deputy campaign manager in the 2012 presidential race after the Barr memo was revealed.
Mimi Rocha, a former assistant US attorney in the southern district of New York, decried the memo, saying it “negates DoJ policy re not getting involved til after election certified. Not good.” She added though that there were no “clear and apparently credible allegations of irregularities”, as cited by Barr, and urged federal lawyers to “remain true to your oaths”.
The Barr memo is the culmination of months of cumulative controversy in which the attorney general has proven himself willing to imperil the reputation for impartiality of the justice department by following Trump into his election-fraud rabbit hole.
In particular, he has doubled down on Trump’s baseless claims about rampant fraud in mail-in voting. That included lying on television about an indictment for an electoral crime in Texas that his department later had to concede never took place.
Barr’s intervention emerged shortly after the Trump campaign filed another long-shot lawsuit in Pennsylvania, attempting to block the state from certifying its election results. It was the calling of the Pennsylvania contest on Saturday by media organisations in favour of Biden, who remains about 45,000 votes ahead of Trump in the state, that tipped the Democratic candidate over the 270 electoral college mark and awarded him the presidency.
The new Pennsylvania lawsuit rehashes many of the already disproven claims that have failed to succeed so far in federal and state courts. The case hangs on the claim – posited without any new hard evidence – that voters were treated differently depending on whether they voted by mail or in person.
The legal action also claims that almost 700,000 mail-in and absentee ballots were counted in Philadelphia and Allegheny county, both Democratic strongholds, without observers present. That complaint has been repeatedly debunked.
Josh Shapiro, the Democratic attorney general of Pennsylvania, dismissed the lawsuit as meritless. “I am confident Pennsylvania law will be upheld and the will of the people of the Commonwealth will be respected in this election,” he said.


theguardian--2020-11-10--US passes 10m Covid cases as virus rages across nation

The number of US coronavirus cases passed 10m on Monday as the virus raged across many parts of the nation .
The US recorded more than 100,000 new coronavirus cases for a fifth day in a row on Sunday , and the death toll passed 237,000 .
The numbers were released as Joe Biden named the members of his own Covid taskforce – and it was reported that Ben Carson , the housing and urban development secretary , had become the latest senior Trump aide to test positive for the virus .
Trump adviser David Bossie also tested positive as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spring up in White House circles .
There was also promising news from Europe about the quest for a vaccine .
Some counts had previously put the US caseload over 10m but according to data from Johns Hopkins University in Maryland , 105,927 new cases on Sunday brought the total to 9,964,540 earlier on Monday and the total did not pass the 10m mark until the afternoon .
The daily number was down from record highs on Friday and Saturday .
The death toll stood at 237,409 .
But with cases holding at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Anthony Fauci ’ s infamous warning earlier this month still rang true .
“ We ’ re in for a whole lot of hurt , ” Fauci , the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , told the Washington Post .
“ It ’ s not a good situation .
All the stars are aligned in the wrong place as you go into the fall and winter season , with people congregating at home indoors .
You could not possibly be positioned more poorly.
” Deaths are expected to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are going to be rough , difficult ones , ” Dr Albert Ko , an infectious disease specialist at the Yale School of Public Health , told the Associated Press .
“ We could see another 100,000 deaths by January.
” During the presidential election , Donald Trump repeatedly insisted the US was “ rounding the corner ” and refused to enforce mitigation measures at the White House and campaign events .
On Monday , Carson followed the president , members of his family , senior White House and campaign aides and top @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Carson reportedly experienced symptoms and was tested at Walter Reed hospital , outside Washington DC , though he did not remain there for care .
According to Bloomberg News , other attendees at a White House election night watch party last Tuesday included the attorney general , Bill Barr , the treasury secretary , Steven Mnuchin , and the health secretary , Alex Azar .
On Monday morning , Pfizer and BioNTech announced that interim results in large-scale trials showed their Covid-19 vaccine was more than 90 % effective .
The companies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and humanity ” .
Biden heralded the scientists ’ work , which will certainly be in demand .
From Delaware , where transition planning continued , the president-elect said : “ It is also important to understand that the end of the battle against Covid-19 is still months away.
” Even if the vaccine were to be approved by late November , as industry leaders predicted , Biden said “ it will be many more months before there is widespread vaccination in this country.
” He also said that for now , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against the virus than the vaccine ” and emphasized precautions such as face coverings , social distancing and contact tracing .
Mike Pence tried to take credit for the vaccine breakthrough , claiming Trump ’ s Operation Warp Speed initiative had spurred it – an assertion Pfizer rejected outright .
“ We were never part of the Warp Speed , ” said Kathrin Jansen , the head of vaccine research and development .
“ We have never taken any money from the US government , or from anyone.
” Fauci , speaking on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccine news was promising and that the US pharmaceutical company Moderna , in partnership with the federal government in what ’ s been dubbed Operation Warp Speed , was expecting results soon from trials of a vaccine almost identical to Pfizer ’ s .
Fauci said that a vaccine was “ right around the corner ” and “ help is on the way ” for the world .
Meanwhile , states across the US are struggling .
On Sunday .
the Republican governor of Utah , Gary Herbert , declared a new state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alarming rate of Covid infections within our state , tonight I issued a new state of emergency with several critical changes to our response , ” Herbert said .
“ These changes are not shutting down our economy , but are absolutely necessary to save lives and hospital capacity.
” The governor said the state was being placed under a mask mandate until further notice and casual social gatherings were being limited to household-only for the next two weeks .
All extracurricular activities were being put on hold , he said .
Utah @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 659 deaths .
In California , governor Gavin Newsom warned on Monday that the state ’ s positivity rate was on the rise , after a period of relative success in containing the virus .
He also said some counties could move “ backward ” into more restrictive rules for reopening .
Fauci and other experts have described how the work of the White House coronavirus taskforce has stuttered and dwindled .
On Sunday , the day after his victory over Trump was called , Biden made his first two appointments to his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former surgeon general Dr Vivek Murthy and the former Food and Drug Administration commissioner Dr David Kessler will be co-chairs .
Members include Rick Bright , a scientist and Trump critic who quit the government in October ; the surgeon and New Yorker writer Atul Gawande ; bioethicist and former Obama aide Zeke Emanuel ; Luciana Borio , the FDA acting chief scientist and national security council member under Trump ; and Michelle Osterholm , an infectious diseases specialist at the University of Minnesota .

Martin Pengelly and Victoria Bekiempis in New York and agencies

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The number of US coronavirus cases passed 10m on Monday as the virus raged across many parts of the nation.
The US recorded more than 100,000 new coronavirus cases for a fifth day in a row on Sunday, and the death toll passed 237,000.
The numbers were released as Joe Biden named the members of his own Covid taskforce – and it was reported that Ben Carson, the housing and urban development secretary, had become the latest senior Trump aide to test positive for the virus.
Trump adviser David Bossie also tested positive as a new cluster of infections appeared to spring up in White House circles.
There was also promising news from Europe about the quest for a vaccine.
Some counts had previously put the US caseload over 10m but according to data from Johns Hopkins University in Maryland, 105,927 new cases on Sunday brought the total to 9,964,540 earlier on Monday and the total did not pass the 10m mark until the afternoon.
The daily number was down from record highs on Friday and Saturday. The death toll stood at 237,409. But with cases holding at more than 100,000 a day, Dr Anthony Fauci’s infamous warning earlier this month still rang true.
“We’re in for a whole lot of hurt,” Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told the Washington Post. “It’s not a good situation. All the stars are aligned in the wrong place as you go into the fall and winter season, with people congregating at home indoors. You could not possibly be positioned more poorly.”
Deaths are expected to rise. “The next two months are going to be rough, difficult ones,” Dr Albert Ko, an infectious disease specialist at the Yale School of Public Health, told the Associated Press. “We could see another 100,000 deaths by January.”
During the presidential election, Donald Trump repeatedly insisted the US was “rounding the corner” and refused to enforce mitigation measures at the White House and campaign events. On Monday, Carson followed the president, members of his family, senior White House and campaign aides and top Republicans in Congress in contracting the virus.
Carson reportedly experienced symptoms and was tested at Walter Reed hospital, outside Washington DC, though he did not remain there for care. According to Bloomberg News, other attendees at a White House election night watch party last Tuesday included the attorney general, Bill Barr, the treasury secretary, Steven Mnuchin, and the health secretary, Alex Azar.
On Monday morning, Pfizer and BioNTech announced that interim results in large-scale trials showed their Covid-19 vaccine was more than 90% effective. The companies touted “a great day for science and humanity”.
Biden heralded the scientists’ work, which will certainly be in demand. From Delaware, where transition planning continued, the president-elect said: “It is also important to understand that the end of the battle against Covid-19 is still months away.”
Even if the vaccine were to be approved by late November, as industry leaders predicted, Biden said “it will be many more months before there is widespread vaccination in this country.”
02:41 Joe Biden: US still facing 'very dark winter' despite promising coronavirus vaccine news – video
He also said that for now, “a mask remains a more potent weapon against the virus than the vaccine” and emphasized precautions such as face coverings, social distancing and contact tracing.
Mike Pence tried to take credit for the vaccine breakthrough, claiming Trump’s Operation Warp Speed initiative had spurred it – an assertion Pfizer rejected outright.
“We were never part of the Warp Speed,” said Kathrin Jansen, the head of vaccine research and development. “We have never taken any money from the US government, or from anyone.”
Fauci, speaking on Monday afternoon to CNN, said the vaccine news was promising and that the US pharmaceutical company Moderna, in partnership with the federal government in what’s been dubbed Operation Warp Speed, was expecting results soon from trials of a vaccine almost identical to Pfizer’s.
Fauci said that a vaccine was “right around the corner” and “help is on the way” for the world.
Meanwhile, states across the US are struggling. On Sunday. the Republican governor of Utah, Gary Herbert, declared a new state of emergency.
“Due to the alarming rate of Covid infections within our state, tonight I issued a new state of emergency with several critical changes to our response,” Herbert said. “These changes are not shutting down our economy, but are absolutely necessary to save lives and hospital capacity.”
The governor said the state was being placed under a mask mandate until further notice and casual social gatherings were being limited to household-only for the next two weeks. All extracurricular activities were being put on hold, he said.
Utah has had 132,621 total confirmed cases and 659 deaths.
In California, governor Gavin Newsom warned on Monday that the state’s positivity rate was on the rise, after a period of relative success in containing the virus. He also said some counties could move “backward” into more restrictive rules for reopening.
Fauci and other experts have described how the work of the White House coronavirus taskforce has stuttered and dwindled. On Sunday, the day after his victory over Trump was called, Biden made his first two appointments to his own panel of Covid advisers.
The former surgeon general Dr Vivek Murthy and the former Food and Drug Administration commissioner Dr David Kessler will be co-chairs. Members include Rick Bright, a scientist and Trump critic who quit the government in October; the surgeon and New Yorker writer Atul Gawande; bioethicist and former Obama aide Zeke Emanuel; Luciana Borio, the FDA acting chief scientist and national security council member under Trump; and Michael Osterholm, an infectious diseases specialist at the University of Minnesota.


theguardian--2020-11-10--Mark Esper fired as Pentagon chief after contradicting Trump

Donald Trump has fired his defence secretary , Mark Esper , in the latest sign that the transition to a new Biden administration in January is going to be turbulent on both domestic and foreign fronts .
Esper was fired by tweet on Monday afternoon , with the president declaring he was “ pleased to announce that Christopher C Miller , the highly respected director of the National Counterterrorism Center ( unanimously confirmed by the Senate ) , will be acting secretary of defense , effective immediately .
“ Chris will do a GREAT job !
Mark Esper has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him for his service.
” Esper had been at odds with Trump on a number of issues , most importantly his insistence at the height of the Black Lives Matter protests in the summer that there were no legal grounds to deploy active-service troops on the streets of US cities .
He was also working with Congress on legislation to rename US army bases named after Confederate generals .
In a final interview Esper predicted that he would be followed by a “ yes man ” , adding “ And then God help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ letter to the president , Esper wrote : “ I serve the country in deference to the Constitution , so I accept your decision to replace me.
” He left the Pentagon quietly on Monday without the “ clap-out ” from staff traditionally accorded to a departing secretary .
Miller arrived at the Pentagon on Monday amid questions about the legality of his appointment .
By law , the deputy secretary of defence , currently David Norquist , would become acting secretary in the event of a sudden departure at the top .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ secretary of defence to have been out of active duty military service for seven years .
Miller , a former Green Beret , only left the military in 2014 .
The law can be sidestepped by a vote in Congress , as was done for Esper ’ s predecessor James Mattis , a retired marine .
In the face of Trump ’ s widely reported fury of his intransigence , Esper stopped giving press briefings in the Pentagon in July .
He is reported to have written his resignation letter before the election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to prevent his defence secretary from taking the initiative .
The president insisted he fired Mattis in December 2018 , even though Mattis ’ s critical resignation letter had been widely circulated .
“ The abrupt firing of Secretary Esper is disturbing evidence that President Trump is intent on using his final days in office to sow chaos in our American democracy and around the world , ” the House speaker , Nancy Pelosi , said .
In an interview with Military Times given the day after the election and published on Monday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the occasions he stood up to Trump , angrily rejecting the nickname of Yesper , used by critics who saw him as too subservient to Trump .
“ My frustration is I sit here and say , ‘ Hm , 18 cabinet members .
Who ’ s pushed back more than anybody ?
’ Name another cabinet secretary that ’ s pushed back , ” Esper said .
“ Have you seen me on a stage saying , ‘ Under the exceptional leadership of blah-blah-blah , we have blah-blah-blah-blah ?
” He claimed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which is really important to me ” and “ preserving my integrity in the process ” .
“ At the end of the day , it ’ s as I said – you ’ ve got to pick your fights , ” he added .
“ I could have a fight over anything , and I could make it a big fight , and I could live with that – why ?
Who ’ s going to come in behind me ?
It ’ s going to be a real ‘ yes man.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ This is purely an act of retaliation by a president thinking more about his petty grievances than about the good of the country , ” said Lawrence Korb , a former assistant secretary of defence and senior fellow at the Center for American Progress .
“ It will make the transition to a new administration even more difficult .
The message it sends around the world is that Trump is going to continue his disruptive policies for the rest of his time in office.
” Esper may not be the last head @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
CNN cited an unnamed senior official that Esper feared the directors of the FBI and CIA , Christopher Wray and Gina Haspel , would be next to go .
Though Trump has not conceded defeat in the presidential election , Miller will only have a little more than two months in the role before Joe Biden enters the White House .
Esper was Trump ’ s second permanent secretary of defence , after Mattis , a retired US Marine Corps general who resigned in late 2018 .
Mattis was succeeded by Patrick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spent months in the role but was not formally confirmed by the Senate .
Trump came close to firing Esper on 3 June when the former Raytheon arms executive publicly contradicted the president over the potential use of the 1807 Insurrection Act to deploy active-duty military units against protests in Washington and other cities .
Esper said the circumstances did not justify the use of the act , which can empower a president to send troops into states against the wishes of local authorities .
Trump had threatened to invoke the law two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remarks , the White House noted it was a decision for the president alone .
Esper had also given orders for a battalion of the 82nd Airborne Division and military police units to return to base after they had been flown to the Washington area .
He reversed the withdrawal order after visiting the White House , but the troops were withdrawn a few days later .
According to reports quoting administration sources at the time , Trump ’ s aides advised him against firing his second defence secretary , and Esper was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his own advisers .
According to the Wall Street Journal , he had already begun to draft a resignation letter .
Esper and the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff , Gen Mark Milley , were heavily criticised by former senior defence officials and military leaders , for appearing alongside Trump on 1 June , at a photo op outside a church near the White House , after the surrounding area had been cleared by police and other federal security forces using teargas , mounted police and baton charges .
Milley later @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should not have been there .
In a third source of friction , Esper said he was open to discussion about the renaming of military bases named after Confederate army officers .
The White House had ruled out any change to the names .
Esper became defence secretary in July 2019 , succeeding acting secretary Shanahan .
Shanahan had taken over following Mattis ’ s resignation , who left the administration over Trump ’ s decision to withdraw troops from northern Syria , abandoning Kurdish allies who had led the fight against the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Mattis accused Trump of abuse of executive office and making a “ mockery of the constitution ” in the administration ’ s response to the George Floyd protests .

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Donald Trump has fired his defence secretary, Mark Esper, in the latest sign that the transition to a new Biden administration in January is going to be turbulent on both domestic and foreign fronts.
Esper was fired by tweet on Monday afternoon, with the president declaring he was “pleased to announce that Christopher C Miller, the highly respected director of the National Counterterrorism Center (unanimously confirmed by the Senate), will be acting secretary of defense, effective immediately.
“Chris will do a GREAT job! Mark Esper has been terminated. I would like to thank him for his service.”
Esper had been at odds with Trump on a number of issues, most importantly his insistence at the height of the Black Lives Matter protests in the summer that there were no legal grounds to deploy active-service troops on the streets of US cities.
He was also working with Congress on legislation to rename US army bases named after Confederate generals. In a final interview Esper predicted that he would be followed by a “yes man”, adding: “And then God help us.”
In a coolly worded final letter to the president, Esper wrote: “I serve the country in deference to the Constitution, so I accept your decision to replace me.” He left the Pentagon quietly on Monday without the “clap-out” from staff traditionally accorded to a departing secretary.
Miller arrived at the Pentagon on Monday amid questions about the legality of his appointment. By law, the deputy secretary of defence, currently David Norquist, would become acting secretary in the event of a sudden departure at the top. Furthermore, the law requires that a secretary of defence to have been out of active duty military service for seven years. Miller, a former Green Beret, only left the military in 2014.
The law can be sidestepped by a vote in Congress, as was done for Esper’s predecessor James Mattis, a retired marine.
In the face of Trump’s widely reported fury of his intransigence, Esper stopped giving press briefings in the Pentagon in July. He is reported to have written his resignation letter before the election, and Trump may have moved abruptly to prevent his defence secretary from taking the initiative.
The president insisted he fired Mattis in December 2018, even though Mattis’s critical resignation letter had been widely circulated.
“The abrupt firing of Secretary Esper is disturbing evidence that President Trump is intent on using his final days in office to sow chaos in our American democracy and around the world,” the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, said.
In an interview with Military Times given the day after the election and published on Monday, Esper said he was proud of the occasions he stood up to Trump, angrily rejecting the nickname of Yesper, used by critics who saw him as too subservient to Trump.
“My frustration is I sit here and say, ‘Hm, 18 cabinet members. Who’s pushed back more than anybody?’ Name another cabinet secretary that’s pushed back,” Esper said. “Have you seen me on a stage saying, ‘Under the exceptional leadership of blah-blah-blah, we have blah-blah-blah-blah?”
He claimed success in “protecting the institution, which is really important to me” and “preserving my integrity in the process”.
“At the end of the day, it’s as I said – you’ve got to pick your fights,” he added. “I could have a fight over anything, and I could make it a big fight, and I could live with that – why? Who’s going to come in behind me? It’s going to be a real ‘yes man.’ And then God help us.”
“This is purely an act of retaliation by a president thinking more about his petty grievances than about the good of the country,” said Lawrence Korb, a former assistant secretary of defence and senior fellow at the Center for American Progress. “It will make the transition to a new administration even more difficult. The message it sends around the world is that Trump is going to continue his disruptive policies for the rest of his time in office.”
Esper may not be the last head to fall in the national security leadership. CNN cited an unnamed senior official that Esper feared the directors of the FBI and CIA, Christopher Wray and Gina Haspel, would be next to go.
Though Trump has not conceded defeat in the presidential election, Miller will only have a little more than two months in the role before Joe Biden enters the White House.
Esper was Trump’s second permanent secretary of defence, after Mattis, a retired US Marine Corps general who resigned in late 2018. Mattis was succeeded by Patrick Shanahan, a former Boeing executive who spent months in the role but was not formally confirmed by the Senate.
Trump came close to firing Esper on 3 June when the former Raytheon arms executive publicly contradicted the president over the potential use of the 1807 Insurrection Act to deploy active-duty military units against protests in Washington and other cities.
Esper said the circumstances did not justify the use of the act, which can empower a president to send troops into states against the wishes of local authorities. Trump had threatened to invoke the law two days earlier. Following Esper’s remarks, the White House noted it was a decision for the president alone.
Esper had also given orders for a battalion of the 82nd Airborne Division and military police units to return to base after they had been flown to the Washington area. He reversed the withdrawal order after visiting the White House, but the troops were withdrawn a few days later.
According to reports quoting administration sources at the time, Trump’s aides advised him against firing his second defence secretary, and Esper was urged not to offer his resignation by his own advisers. According to the Wall Street Journal, he had already begun to draft a resignation letter.
Esper and the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, Gen Mark Milley, were heavily criticised by former senior defence officials and military leaders, for appearing alongside Trump on 1 June, at a photo op outside a church near the White House, after the surrounding area had been cleared by police and other federal security forces using teargas, mounted police and baton charges.
Milley later apologised for his appearance, saying he should not have been there.
In a third source of friction, Esper said he was open to discussion about the renaming of military bases named after Confederate army officers. The White House had ruled out any change to the names.
Esper became defence secretary in July 2019, succeeding acting secretary Shanahan. Shanahan had taken over following Mattis’s resignation, who left the administration over Trump’s decision to withdraw troops from northern Syria, abandoning Kurdish allies who had led the fight against the Islamic State.
After a long silence, Mattis accused Trump of abuse of executive office and making a “mockery of the constitution” in the administration’s response to the George Floyd protests.


theguardian--2020-11-09--Was Donald Trump's White House watch party a super-spreader event?

It was supposed to be a scene of celebration .
Instead , the Trump campaign ’ s election night watch party held in the White House East Room – with few masks and no social distancing – is being eyed as a potential coronavirus super-spreading event and yet another symbol of Donald Trump ’ s cavalier attitude toward a virus that is infecting more than 100,000 Americans a day .
Ben Carson , the secretary for housing and urban development , is the latest attendee to test positive , a department spokesman confirmed .
The event has been under scrutiny @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s chief of staff , Mark Meadows , contracted the virus , which has now killed more than 237,000 people in the US alone .
Carson ’ s deputy chief of staff , Coalter Baker , said the secretary “ is in good spirits ” and “ feels fortunate to have access to effective therapeutics which aid and markedly speed his recovery ” .
The latest White House cluster comes just a month after Trump ’ s own diagnosis and hospitalization , and two weeks after several aides to the vice-president , Mike @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , tested positive for the virus .
And it is not the first potential super-spreader event to take place at the White House – a crowded Rose Garden ceremony , at which Trump announced the supreme court nomination of Amy Coney Barrett , also came under scrutiny in October after at least seven attendees tested positive .
The White House has remained secretive about outbreaks .
Many White House and campaign officials , as well as those who attended the election watch party , were kept in the dark about the diagnoses , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ press .
That the virus would continue to spread in the White House has come as no surprise to public health officials who have balked at the White House ’ s lax approach .
“ The administration was cavalier about the risks of the virus for themselves and for the country .
And that ’ s one reason why we have so many cases , ” said Dr Joshua Sharfstein , a public health professor at Johns Hopkins University ’ s school of public health .
Even Mitch McConnell , the Senate majority @ @ @ @ @ @ @ avoiding the White House since August “ because my impression was their approach to how to handle this was different from mine and what I insisted that we do in the Senate , which is to wear a mask and practice social distancing ” .
Trump had long claimed , without basis , that the virus was being hyped by Democrats to hurt his re-election chances and would miraculously “ disappear ” after 3 November .
Meadows in particular has long tried to play down the severity of the virus .
He rarely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during the period immediately following Trump ’ s infection .
He was again without one during Tuesday evening ’ s East Room event , where more than 100 of Trump ’ s most loyal supporters , family members and cabinet secretaries gathered to watch the election results come in and see him deliver what they had hoped would be a victory speech .
While everyone who attended the East Room event had been tested in advance for the virus , there was no social distancing and minimal mask-wearing .
It was a festive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and other beverages strewn across cocktail tables in front of news cameras .
Meadows , who spent time with Trump ’ s family beforehand , was seen working the room , including giving several fist-bumps to those in attendance , before Trump took the stage early on Wednesday morning .
Carson was there , along with the health and human services secretary , Alex Azar – who did wear a mask .
Earlier that day , Meadows had also accompanied the president to his campaign headquarters in Virginia , where Trump received rousing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Meadows did not wear a mask , nor did other White House staffers .
Campaign aides largely did .
If Meadows tested positive on Wednesday – as Bloomberg News reported – he would probably have been infectious during both events , said Saskia Popescu , an epidemiologist who teaches at George Mason University .
The White House did not respond to specific questions about the current outbreak , but said that contact tracing had been conducted by the White House Medical Unit , consistent with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been made , ” the White House said .
But Popescu called the party , in particular , “ a ripe environment for transmission to occur ” .

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It was supposed to be a scene of celebration.
Instead, the Trump campaign’s election night watch party held in the White House East Room – with few masks and no social distancing – is being eyed as a potential coronavirus super-spreading event and yet another symbol of Donald Trump’s cavalier attitude toward a virus that is infecting more than 100,000 Americans a day.
Ben Carson, the secretary for housing and urban development, is the latest attendee to test positive, a department spokesman confirmed. The event has been under scrutiny since another attendee, the president’s chief of staff, Mark Meadows, contracted the virus, which has now killed more than 237,000 people in the US alone.
Carson’s deputy chief of staff, Coalter Baker, said the secretary “is in good spirits” and “feels fortunate to have access to effective therapeutics which aid and markedly speed his recovery”.
The latest White House cluster comes just a month after Trump’s own diagnosis and hospitalization, and two weeks after several aides to the vice-president, Mike Pence, including his chief of staff, tested positive for the virus.
And it is not the first potential super-spreader event to take place at the White House – a crowded Rose Garden ceremony, at which Trump announced the supreme court nomination of Amy Coney Barrett, also came under scrutiny in October after at least seven attendees tested positive.
The White House has remained secretive about outbreaks. Many White House and campaign officials, as well as those who attended the election watch party, were kept in the dark about the diagnoses, unaware until they were disclosed by the press.
That the virus would continue to spread in the White House has come as no surprise to public health officials who have balked at the White House’s lax approach.
“The administration was cavalier about the risks of the virus for themselves and for the country. And that’s one reason why we have so many cases,” said Dr Joshua Sharfstein, a public health professor at Johns Hopkins University’s school of public health.
Even Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader, has said he has been avoiding the White House since August “because my impression was their approach to how to handle this was different from mine and what I insisted that we do in the Senate, which is to wear a mask and practice social distancing”.
Trump had long claimed, without basis, that the virus was being hyped by Democrats to hurt his re-election chances and would miraculously “disappear” after 3 November.
Meadows in particular has long tried to play down the severity of the virus. He rarely wore a mask in public, except during the period immediately following Trump’s infection.
He was again without one during Tuesday evening’s East Room event, where more than 100 of Trump’s most loyal supporters, family members and cabinet secretaries gathered to watch the election results come in and see him deliver what they had hoped would be a victory speech.
While everyone who attended the East Room event had been tested in advance for the virus, there was no social distancing and minimal mask-wearing.
It was a festive atmosphere, with half-empty glasses of wine and other beverages strewn across cocktail tables in front of news cameras. Meadows, who spent time with Trump’s family beforehand, was seen working the room, including giving several fist-bumps to those in attendance, before Trump took the stage early on Wednesday morning.
Reminder that this is what the East Room looked like at the White House on election night as Trump spoke. Meadows was there. Literally the only person wearing a mask is Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar: https://t.co/JN6lakzZ6r — Edward-Isaac Dovere (@IsaacDovere) November 7, 2020
Carson was there, along with the health and human services secretary, Alex Azar – who did wear a mask.
Earlier that day, Meadows had also accompanied the president to his campaign headquarters in Virginia, where Trump received rousing cheers from several dozen staff and volunteers. Meadows did not wear a mask, nor did other White House staffers. Campaign aides largely did.
If Meadows tested positive on Wednesday – as Bloomberg News reported – he would probably have been infectious during both events, said Saskia Popescu, an epidemiologist who teaches at George Mason University.
The White House did not respond to specific questions about the current outbreak, but said that contact tracing had been conducted by the White House Medical Unit, consistent with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.
“Appropriate notifications and recommendations have been made,” the White House said.
But Popescu called the party, in particular, “a ripe environment for transmission to occur”.
The Associated Press contributed reporting


theguardian--2020-11-09--Joe Biden vows to 'spare no effort' in tackling Covid as US sees record cases

Joe Biden vowed on Monday to spare no effort in tackling the coronavirus pandemic as soon as he enters the White House and warned the US is “ facing a very dark winter ” .
Speaking in a televised address to the nation – little more than 48 hours after he was announced the winner of the presidential election – the Democrat said he was ready to get to work , laying out plans as the pandemic on Monday was approaching 10m cases .
The US has experienced record new infections in recent days , a figure expected to significantly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inauguration on 20 January .
According to Johns Hopkins university , as of Sunday the coronavirus had killed 237,570 people in the US and had infected more than 9.9 million .
While he welcomed Pfizer ’ s announcement earlier in the day that it has found a vaccine that it believes is 90 % effective , he warned America could lose 200,000 more lives in the next few months before a vaccine becomes available .
“ I will spare no effort to turn this pandemic around once we ’ re sworn in on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speaking to the camera from his home town of Wilmington , Delaware .
“ Get our kids back to school safely , our businesses growing and our economy running at full speed again .
And get an approved vaccine manufactured and distributed as quickly as possible to as many Americans as possible free of charge .
We ’ ll follow the science.
” But he warned that the challenge ahead was “ immense and growing ” .
“ Although we are not in office yet , I ’ m just laying out what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be done , some of it , between now and the time we ’ re sworn in.
” He added : “ There ’ s a need for bold action to fight this pandemic .
We ’ re still facing a very dark winter.
” Citing statistics that show the US topped 120,000 new cases on several consecutive days last week and rising infection rates , hospitalisations and deaths , he said : “ This crisis claims nearly 1,000 American lives a day .
Nearly 240,000 deaths so far .
The projections still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the coming months before a vaccine can be made widely available.
” On mask-wearing , Biden said : “ Please , I implore you , wear a mask .
Do it for yourself , do it for your neighbour .
A mask is not a political statement , but it is a good way to start pulling the country together.
” Kamala Harris , the vice-president-elect , was also present but did not speak .
The announcement came after Biden ’ s transition team unveiled a coronavirus advisory board of 13 public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ led by three co-chairs : the former surgeon general Vivek Murthy , the ex-food and drug administration commissioner David Kessler and Dr Marcella Nunez-Smith of Yale .
Other experts on the taskforce include Dr Ezekiel Emanuel , a former Obama health adviser and one of the creators of the Affordable Care Act , and Rick Bright , a former top vaccine official from the Trump administration and a whistleblower .
The advisory board , he said , would create a “ blueprint ” to be put in place as soon as the Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This group will advise on detailed plans , build on a bedrock of science and … keep compassion , empathy and care for every American at its core.
” Outlining some of their plans , Biden said there would be increased rapid testing , contact tracing , “ clear and detailed guidance ” for schools and small businesses , a scaling up of treatments and therapeutics and , when it is ready , distributing a vaccine “ equitably and efficiently and free for every American ” .
He also said his administration plans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ address racial disparities .
“ Folks in these communities [ are ] one of our priorities , not an afterthought , ” he said .
Echoing the comments he made in his victory speech on Saturday night , he again reiterated that he would be “ a president for every American ” adding : “ This election is over.
” The goal , he said , was “ to get back to normal as fast as possible ” .
He added : “ Masks are critical in doing that .
It won ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s how we ’ ll get our nation back .
Back up to speed economically , so we can go back to celebrating birthdays and holidays together , so we can attend sporting events together , so we can get back to the lives and the connections we shared before the pandemic.
” It marked a stark change in direction and tone from Donald Trump who , as well as contracting the virus himself , has repeatedly ignored the advice of scientists , often eschewed mask use , declined to issue a national @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House Covid-19 outbreak and stunned the world when he suggested bleach as a potential cure .
After the announcement about a possible vaccine , Trump , who has still refused to concede , tweeted that it was “ SUCH GREAT NEWS !
” Meanwhile , the vice-president , Mike Pence , tried to credit Trump with the breakthrough – despite Pfizer ’ s senior vice-president , Kathrin Janse , telling the New York Times the company did not participate in the government ’ s Operation Warp Speed or take any of its money @

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Joe Biden vowed on Monday to spare no effort in tackling the coronavirus pandemic as soon as he enters the White House and warned the US is “facing a very dark winter”.
Speaking in a televised address to the nation – little more than 48 hours after he was announced the winner of the presidential election – the Democrat said he was ready to get to work, laying out plans as the pandemic on Monday was approaching 10m cases.
The US has experienced record new infections in recent days, a figure expected to significantly worsen before the former vice-president’s inauguration on 20 January. According to Johns Hopkins university, as of Sunday the coronavirus had killed 237,570 people in the US and had infected more than 9.9 million.
While he welcomed Pfizer’s announcement earlier in the day that it has found a vaccine that it believes is 90% effective, he warned America could lose 200,000 more lives in the next few months before a vaccine becomes available.
“I will spare no effort to turn this pandemic around once we’re sworn in on 20 January,” he said, speaking to the camera from his home town of Wilmington, Delaware.
“Get our kids back to school safely, our businesses growing and our economy running at full speed again. And get an approved vaccine manufactured and distributed as quickly as possible to as many Americans as possible free of charge. We’ll follow the science.”
But he warned that the challenge ahead was “immense and growing”. “Although we are not in office yet, I’m just laying out what we expect to do and hope can be done, some of it, between now and the time we’re sworn in.”
He added: “There’s a need for bold action to fight this pandemic. We’re still facing a very dark winter.”
Citing statistics that show the US topped 120,000 new cases on several consecutive days last week and rising infection rates, hospitalisations and deaths, he said: “This crisis claims nearly 1,000 American lives a day. Nearly 240,000 deaths so far. The projections still indicate we could lose 200,000 more lives in the coming months before a vaccine can be made widely available.”
Masks
On mask-wearing, Biden said: “Please, I implore you, wear a mask. Do it for yourself, do it for your neighbour. A mask is not a political statement, but it is a good way to start pulling the country together.”
Kamala Harris, the vice-president-elect, was also present but did not speak.
The announcement came after Biden’s transition team unveiled a coronavirus advisory board of 13 public health experts. The taskforce will be led by three co-chairs: the former surgeon general Vivek Murthy, the ex-food and drug administration commissioner David Kessler and Dr Marcella Nunez-Smith of Yale.
Other experts on the taskforce include Dr Ezekiel Emanuel, a former Obama health adviser and one of the creators of the Affordable Care Act, and Rick Bright, a former top vaccine official from the Trump administration and a whistleblower.
The advisory board, he said, would create a “blueprint” to be put in place as soon as the Biden administration is sworn into office. “This group will advise on detailed plans, build on a bedrock of science and … keep compassion, empathy and care for every American at its core.”
People skate in the ice rink at Bryant Park in New York, 6 November 2020. Photograph: Xinhua/Rex/Shutterstock
Outlining some of their plans, Biden said there would be increased rapid testing, contact tracing, “clear and detailed guidance” for schools and small businesses, a scaling up of treatments and therapeutics and, when it is ready, distributing a vaccine “equitably and efficiently and free for every American”.
He also said his administration plans to better protect vulnerable at-risk populations and address racial disparities. “Folks in these communities [are] one of our priorities, not an afterthought,” he said.
Echoing the comments he made in his victory speech on Saturday night, he again reiterated that he would be “a president for every American” adding: “This election is over.”
The goal, he said, was “to get back to normal as fast as possible”. He added: “Masks are critical in doing that. It won’t be forever, but that’s how we’ll get our nation back. Back up to speed economically, so we can go back to celebrating birthdays and holidays together, so we can attend sporting events together, so we can get back to the lives and the connections we shared before the pandemic.”
It marked a stark change in direction and tone from Donald Trump who, as well as contracting the virus himself, has repeatedly ignored the advice of scientists, often eschewed mask use, declined to issue a national mask mandate, presided over a White House Covid-19 outbreak and stunned the world when he suggested bleach as a potential cure.
After the announcement about a possible vaccine, Trump, who has still refused to concede, tweeted that it was “SUCH GREAT NEWS!” Meanwhile, the vice-president, Mike Pence, tried to credit Trump with the breakthrough – despite Pfizer’s senior vice-president, Kathrin Janse, telling the New York Times the company did not participate in the government’s Operation Warp Speed or take any of its money.