theguardian--2020-10-06--How Pope Francis's encyclical could shake up the US election | Catherine Pepinster

They make up one of the most important constituencies of American voters , so it ’ s no wonder that Catholics have been specifically courted by both Joe Biden and Donald Trump during the US presidential campaign .
Four years ago , according to the Pew Research Center , 52 % of them voted for Trump , compared with 44 % for Hillary Clinton .
And with Biden himself being Catholic , you might expect substantial numbers of the tens of millions of American Catholics who possess a vote to consider switching sides to one of their own .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whole lot more interesting .
This weekend , Pope Francis travelled to Assisi to honour Saint Francis , the saint he most admires , for his dedication to the poor , and to sign his new encyclical .
Encyclicals are the key teaching documents of popes in which they often focus on global issues , not just the internal concerns of the church .
In 2015 , Francis produced Laudato Si ’ , on the environment , where he put all his moral weight behind those advocating the need to take action against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new document , Fratelli Tutti , published on Sunday , describes a post-pandemic world , and the need for greater fraternity and solidarity .
Its message means the pope has waded right into some of the key issues dominating the US presidential election .
Like British monarchs , popes are supposed to be above party political matters , and Pope Francis has certainly not done anything as crass as name names in his encyclical , although he ’ s not above overt criticism .
Ahead of the 2016 election , he described Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ building a wall between the US and Mexico as “ not Christian ” .
In this weekend ’ s document he makes it clear that populism and nationalism – of the kind Trump typifies – are damaging , warning that “ a concept of popular and national unity influenced by various ideologies is creating new forms of selfishness and a loss of the social sense under the guise of defending national interests ” .
With Catholics making up such a large proportion of voters , about 20 % , both Democratic and Republican @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Trump ’ s camp stresses abortion and matters of religious liberty , while Biden has often spoken of the way in which his own Catholic faith has helped him in dark times , and he ’ s not averse to making the personal political .
“ The next Republican that tells me I ’ m not religious , I ’ m going to shove my rosary beads down their throat , ” the Cincinnati Enquirer once reported him as saying .
His team stresses Catholic teaching that focuses on the poor and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well be cheered by the pope ’ s warning in Fratelli Tutti that lack of concern for the poor and vulnerable “ can hide behind a populism that exploits them demagogically for its own purposes , or a liberalism that serves the economic interests of the powerful ” , noting that in both cases , “ it becomes difficult to envisage an open world that makes room for everyone , including the most vulnerable , and shows respect for different cultures ” .
It ’ s also clear that Francis has seen through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ benefits that have only served to create a class of the super-rich and left behind the people who are most in need – such as people with disabilities and , indeed , those who rely on state-provided education and healthcare .
“ If a society is governed primarily by the criteria of market freedom and efficiency , there is no place for such persons , and fraternity will remain just another vague ideal , ” he warns .
For Francis , fraternity is much more than an ideal , but a necessity if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ place .
But while his idealism sets Trump followers ’ teeth on edge , he can also make Democrats on the left uncomfortable , too .
There is no advocacy here of big government and welfare state narratives either .
Instead , he is focused on the local and the small .
And at the heart of his teaching in this document and all his papal pronouncements over the past seven years has been a strong stance on the right to life that takes him all the way from completely rejecting capital punishment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tutti will make for awkward reading for Trump , and his gun-toting , pro-electric chair supporters , including prominent Catholic attorney general William Barr who reintroduced federal executions for the first time since 2003 .
Yet it will also be tricky for Biden and the large constituency of Catholic Democrats who have compromised on abortion .
In that sense Fratelli Tutti can not be classed as giving a wholesale papal imprimatur to Biden .
But for those Catholics still thinking of casting their ballot for Trump , it should inspire them to question @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the most precious thing they possess : their conscience .
This clarion call from across the Atlantic could well be an election clincher .
• None Catherine Pepinster is a former editor of the Catholic weekly , the Tablet • None Who ’ ll win the race for the White House ?
Join Guardian journalists Jonathan Freedland , Daniel Strauss , Lauren Gambino and Richard Wolffe for an online Guardian Live event , on Tuesday 20 October , 7pm BST ( 2pm EST ) .
Book tickets here

They make up one of the most important constituencies of American voters, so it’s no wonder that Catholics have been specifically courted by both Joe Biden and Donald Trump during the US presidential campaign. Four years ago, according to the Pew Research Center, 52% of them voted for Trump, compared with 44% for Hillary Clinton. And with Biden himself being Catholic, you might expect substantial numbers of the tens of millions of American Catholics who possess a vote to consider switching sides to one of their own.
But now this Catholic vote has got a whole lot more interesting. This weekend, Pope Francis travelled to Assisi to honour Saint Francis, the saint he most admires, for his dedication to the poor, and to sign his new encyclical. Encyclicals are the key teaching documents of popes in which they often focus on global issues, not just the internal concerns of the church. In 2015, Francis produced Laudato Si’, on the environment, where he put all his moral weight behind those advocating the need to take action against climate breakdown. This time round his new document, Fratelli Tutti, published on Sunday, describes a post-pandemic world, and the need for greater fraternity and solidarity. Its message means the pope has waded right into some of the key issues dominating the US presidential election.
Like British monarchs, popes are supposed to be above party political matters, and Pope Francis has certainly not done anything as crass as name names in his encyclical, although he’s not above overt criticism. Ahead of the 2016 election, he described Trump’s plan to thwart migrants by building a wall between the US and Mexico as “not Christian”.
In this weekend’s document he makes it clear that populism and nationalism – of the kind Trump typifies – are damaging, warning that “a concept of popular and national unity influenced by various ideologies is creating new forms of selfishness and a loss of the social sense under the guise of defending national interests”.
With Catholics making up such a large proportion of voters, about 20%, both Democratic and Republican campaigners are keen to appeal to them. Trump’s camp stresses abortion and matters of religious liberty, while Biden has often spoken of the way in which his own Catholic faith has helped him in dark times, and he’s not averse to making the personal political. “The next Republican that tells me I’m not religious, I’m going to shove my rosary beads down their throat,” the Cincinnati Enquirer once reported him as saying. His team stresses Catholic teaching that focuses on the poor and the vulnerable.
So the Democrats may well be cheered by the pope’s warning in Fratelli Tutti that lack of concern for the poor and vulnerable “can hide behind a populism that exploits them demagogically for its own purposes, or a liberalism that serves the economic interests of the powerful”, noting that in both cases, “it becomes difficult to envisage an open world that makes room for everyone, including the most vulnerable, and shows respect for different cultures”.
It’s also clear that Francis has seen through the neoliberal experiment and its alleged trickle-down benefits that have only served to create a class of the super-rich and left behind the people who are most in need – such as people with disabilities and, indeed, those who rely on state-provided education and healthcare. “If a society is governed primarily by the criteria of market freedom and efficiency, there is no place for such persons, and fraternity will remain just another vague ideal,” he warns.
For Francis, fraternity is much more than an ideal, but a necessity if the world is to become a better place. But while his idealism sets Trump followers’ teeth on edge, he can also make Democrats on the left uncomfortable, too. There is no advocacy here of big government and welfare state narratives either. Instead, he is focused on the local and the small. And at the heart of his teaching in this document and all his papal pronouncements over the past seven years has been a strong stance on the right to life that takes him all the way from completely rejecting capital punishment to vetoing abortion, too.
Fratelli Tutti will make for awkward reading for Trump, and his gun-toting, pro-electric chair supporters, including prominent Catholic attorney general William Barr who reintroduced federal executions for the first time since 2003. Yet it will also be tricky for Biden and the large constituency of Catholic Democrats who have compromised on abortion. In that sense Fratelli Tutti cannot be classed as giving a wholesale papal imprimatur to Biden. But for those Catholics still thinking of casting their ballot for Trump, it should inspire them to question what Pope Francis would surely say is the most precious thing they possess: their conscience. This clarion call from across the Atlantic could well be an election clincher.
Catherine Pepinster is a former editor of the Catholic weekly, the Tablet
Who’ll win the race for the White House? Join Guardian journalists Jonathan Freedland, Daniel Strauss, Lauren Gambino and Richard Wolffe for an online Guardian Live event, on Tuesday 20 October, 7pm BST (2pm EST). Book tickets here


theguardian--2020-10-07--Biden denounces hate and calls for US unity in 'house divided' speech at  Gettysburg – video

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has called for the US to put politics aside and unite as the country faces @ @ @ @ @ Speaking at Gettysburg , the site of one of the bloodiest battles of the US @ @ @ @ @ he decided to run for president after the far-right rally and resulting violence in Charlottesville @ @ @ @ @ .
'It was hate on the march in the open .
In America , ' @ @ @ @ @ goes away .
It only hides .
And when it 's given oxygen , when @ @ @ @ @ to spread , when it 's treated as normal and acceptable behaviour , we 've @ @ @ @ @ country that we must move quickly to close' • 'Again we are a house divided @ @ @ @ @ for unity in Gettysburg speech

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has called for the US to put politics aside and unite as the country faces 'too many crises'. Speaking at Gettysburg, the site of one of the bloodiest battles of the US civil war, Biden said he decided to run for president after the far-right rally and resulting violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017. 'It was hate on the march in the open. In America,' he said. 'Hate never goes away. It only hides. And when it's given oxygen, when it's given an opportunity to spread, when it's treated as normal and acceptable behaviour, we've opened a door in this country that we must move quickly to close'


theguardian--2020-10-06--'Be afraid of Covid': New York governor Cuomo blasts Trump over coronavirus 'denial' – video

New York governor Andrew Cuomo has denounced Donald Trump over remarks he made telling Americans 'to get out there ' @ @ @ @ @ Cuomo attacked Trump 's comments as 'just more denial ' after the president returned from @ @ @ @ @ three-night stay at the Walter Reed national military medical center .
'Do n't be afraid @ @ @ @ @ Be afraid of Covid .
It can kill you .
Do n't be cavalier .
@

New York governor Andrew Cuomo has denounced Donald Trump over remarks he made telling Americans 'to get out there' and not fear Covid-19. Cuomo attacked Trump's comments as 'just more denial' after the president returned from the White House following a three-night stay at the Walter Reed national military medical center. 'Don't be afraid of Covid? No. Be afraid of Covid. It can kill you. Don't be cavalier.'


theguardian--2020-10-06--'Racism, fear, division': Michelle Obama attacks Trump in election plea – video

In a speech highly critical of the president , the former first lady made an impassioned plea to Americans to @ @ @ @ @ the election on 3 November .
Among the condemnations of Trump 's presidency , she @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus pandemic , saying he 'doubled down on division and resentment ' , adding : @ @ @ @ @ is , once again , patently false ... it ’ s morally wrong ... and @ @ @ @ @ • Donald Trump rebuked for removing mask after leaving hospital – US politics live

In a speech highly critical of the president, the former first lady made an impassioned plea to Americans to vote for Joe Biden in the election on 3 November. Among the condemnations of Trump's presidency, she criticised his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, saying he 'doubled down on division and resentment', adding: 'What the president is doing is, once again, patently false ... it’s morally wrong ... and yes, it is racist'


theguardian--2020-10-06--'Masks matter': Biden says Trump is responsible for contracting coronavirus – video

Joe Biden says he was not surprised by Donald Trump ’ s coronavirus infection and delivered a blunt rebuke to @ @ @ @ @ hall event in Miami , Florida .
The Democratic presidential candidate drew a stark contrast @ @ @ @ @ returning to the White House just an hour earlier had instantly removed his face mask @ @ @ @ @ During the NBC event , moderator Lester Holt noted that a recent poll found two @ @ @ @ @ president bears some responsibility for contracting coronavirus .
Biden agreed , saying : 'Anybody who @ @ @ @ @ saying , masks don ’ t matter , social distancing doesn ’ t matter , @ @ @ @ @ responsible for what happens to them . '
• Trump 14 points behind Biden a @ @ @ @ @ poll shows

Joe Biden says he was not surprised by Donald Trump’s coronavirus infection and delivered a blunt rebuke to the president during a town hall event in Miami, Florida. The Democratic presidential candidate drew a stark contrast with Trump, who on returning to the White House just an hour earlier had instantly removed his face mask for a photo op.
During the NBC event, moderator Lester Holt noted that a recent poll found two in three people think the president bears some responsibility for contracting coronavirus. Biden agreed, saying: 'Anybody who contracts the virus by essentially saying, masks don’t matter, social distancing doesn’t matter, I think is – is responsible for what happens to them.'


theguardian--2020-10-06--Donald Trump appears short of breath during maskless photo op at White House – video

After a three-day stay at a military hospital to treat symptoms of coronavirus , Donald Trump returned to the White @ @ @ @ @ his face mask while posing for cameras .
Video footage suggests the US president , @ @ @ @ @ laboured breathing during part of the photo op , in which he gave the thumbs-up @ @ @ @ @ Marine One lift off from the south lawn .
Trump went on to offer some @ @ @ @ @ virus , which has killed more than 200,000 Americans : ‘ Don ’ t let @ @ @ @ @ ’ t be afraid of it .
You ’ re gon na beat it ’ @ @ @ @ @ the fight for Black voting rights in the US – video • Fight to vote @ @ @ @ @ US election newsletter

After a three-day stay at a military hospital to treat symptoms of coronavirus, Donald Trump returned to the White House where he took off his face mask while posing for cameras.
Video footage suggests the US president, still infectious, was experiencing laboured breathing during part of the photo op, in which he gave the thumbs-up and saluted as he watched Marine One lift off from the south lawn.
Trump went on to offer some bizarrely contradictory advice about the virus, which has killed more than 200,000 Americans: ‘Don’t let it dominate you. Don’t be afraid of it. You’re gonna beat it’


theguardian--2020-10-07--Covid outbreak grips White House as Pence and Harris set to debate – US politics live

Russian interference into US elections has been a touchy subject .
In 2016 the CIA concluded that Putin ’ s nation interfered in order to try and help Trump win the election , something which the Kremlin has strenuously denied , and which Trump has dismissed as a hoax .
A couple of weeks ago Putin proposed that the two countries agree a joint non-interference pact , however , the Russian president has had something to say about the US election today .
Reuters report that he has said this morning that he had noted what he called harsh anti-Russian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but that he had been encouraged by Biden ’ s comments on arms control .
Putin , who said Russia would work with any president , made the comments during an appearance on state television .
“ As far as the candidate from the Democratic Party is concerned ... we also see quite sharp anti-Russian rhetoric .
Unfortunately , we are used to to this , ” Putin said .
But he added that Biden had made what he regarded as encouraging statements on New START , the last major nuclear arms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which is due to expire in February .
“ Candidate Biden publicly said he was ready for an extension of New START or to reach a new treaty to limit strategic ... weapons , and this is a very serious element of our cooperation in the future , ” Putin said .

7 Oct 2020 00.44 BST Kari Paul Facebook has announced significant changes to its advertising and misinformation policies, saying it will stop running political ads in the United States after polls close on 3 November for an undetermined period of time. The changes, announced Wednesday, come in an effort to “protect the integrity” of the upcoming election “by fighting foreign interference, misinformation and voter suppression”, the company said in a blog post. Facebook’s chief executive, officer Mark Zuckerberg, had previously defended the controversial decision not to fact check political advertising on the platform, but in recent weeks Facebook has begun to remove political ads that feature dangerous and misleading claims. In early September, the company pledged to stop running new political ads one week before 3 November, the day of the United States elections, to prevent last-minute misinformation. Now it will disallow political advertising entirely following election day “to reduce opportunities for confusion or abuse”. The company did not say whether the previous ban on new ads remains, or give a timeline for if and when political advertising could return.
7 Oct 2020 00.27 BST Oliver Milman Although Donald Trump again promised in his video that a vaccine would come this year, that’s looking increasingly unlikely. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) told coronavirus vaccine developers on Tuesday it wants at least two months of safety data before authorizing any emergency use, a requirement likely to push any US vaccine availability past the 3 November presidential election. A senior administration official confirmed that the White House had approved the plan, which undercuts Donald Trump’s hopes of getting a vaccine before the majority of voters go to polls. The president had been hinting at a rapid announcement on a successful vaccine in recent weeks despite the fact that a candidate has yet to emerge from clinical trials and there have been growing fears that political pressure on regulators could result in a compromised process and the undermining of public confidence in a vaccine. The FDA on Tuesday released the guidance laying out more stringent recommendations for drugmakers hoping to apply for an emergency use authorization (EUA) for their experimental vaccines. “Being open and clear about the circumstances under which the issuance of an emergency use authorization for a COVID-19 vaccine would be appropriate and is critical to building public confidence and ensuring the use of COVID-19 vaccines once available,” Peter Marks, director of the FDA division responsible for approving vaccines, said in a statement. US Covid vaccine unlikely to arrive before election following FDA move Read more
7 Oct 2020 23.57 BST David Smith There was a school of thought that Donald Trump might be humbled by becoming infected himself with the coronavirus, see the light and encourage Americans to stay safe. It lasted about as long as the hope that he would “pivot” to a traditional presidency after his inauguration. Instead Trump has sought to project the strongman image, flying to the White House by helicopter at sunset, standing on the balcony and taking off his face mask while still contagious, bragging that he feels better than he did 20 years ago and urging the public to neither fear the virus nor let it dominate their lives. His campaign has sent out fundraising emails preaching a similar if-I-can-beat-it-so-can-you-message, hoping to turn personal and political disaster to their electoral advantage against the cautious Joe Biden. It is very on-brand for a president who views illness as a weakness and seeks each day to make himself the hero of his own reality TV show. “He’s operated in kind of cartoon icons his entire career, with iconic images and symbols of being a magnate, owning a football team, an airline, casinos, Mar-a-Lago,” said Gwenda Blair, a Trump biographer. “All these symbols of unbelievable riches were really powerful – that was a very successful manoeuvre and he’s kept it up. So now these photo ops that look ridiculous and dangerous have a certain resonance. Of course he’ll keep doing that. “Now he is going to be an ‘expert’: he’s had it so nobody can tell him anything. If he ever even paused for a second for any medical advice before, that’s over. He knows more about wars than the generals; he will now know more about the coronavirus than any doctors.” 'I'm back': Trumpworld shows no sign of changing after Covid-19 diagnosis | Analysis Read more
7 Oct 2020 23.48 BST Here’s a quick overview of some of the most confounding bits of the president’s video message: In his video, Trump said he’s authorized Regeneroon’s and Eli Lilly’s treatments for emergency use – though it’s unclear whether he actually has. He also said the therapeutics would be available for free – though it’s unclear how given that the president unilaterally ended negotiations over a coronavirus relief bill with Congressional democrats. He also said a vaccine will be available “right after the election” – contradicting his own CDC director, who said last month one wouldn’t be widely available until next Spring. And he suggested that the military would distribute the vaccine, even though officials have indicated that the plan would be to distribute through local public health departments.
7 Oct 2020 23.39 BST Last week, Regeneron said its REGN-COV2 treatment improved symptoms in those with mild or moderate Covid-19, based on results from 275 trial patients. The drug is an experimental shot of antibodies, generated in a lab to mimic the immune system’s response to the virus. Early results have also indicated that the treatment could reduce the levels of virus in the body, and reduce hospital stays. However, these are early results – and the drug has not yet authorized for general use. Another drugmaker, Eli Lilly, is developing another antibody treatment, which is also being tested on patients in the US/
Updated at 23.40 BST
7 Oct 2020 23.30 BST News that the president has been treated with Regeneron’s experimental cocktail caused the company’s stock to rise sharply. Donald Trump has ties to Regeneron’s CEO, Dr. Leonard Schleifer, who is a member of the president’s golf club in Westchester. Schleifer’s company received $450m in government funding this summer as part of the president’s program to encourage the development of a vaccine and treatment. Trump ownsed shares of Regeneron and Gilead Sciences – maker of the antiviral remdesivir, which the president is also said to be taking – per his 2017 filing with the Office of Government Ethics. Neither holdings were listed on the president’s most recent filing.
Updated at 00.05 BST
7 Oct 2020 23.23 BST Trump: 'It was a blessing from God that I caught it' In a video message, Donald Trump said that Regeneron was key to recovering from his infection. He said it was his suggestion to be treated with an experimental cocktail from the drug company, which has rarely been used outside clinical trials. “I feel great. I feel like, perfect,” the president says in the video. “I think this was a blessing from God, that I caught it. This was a blessing in disguise. I caught it, I heard about this drug, I said let me take it, it was my suggestion.” He promised to bring the drug to the American people for free, hawking it – falsely – as a “cure”. There is no cure for Covid-19. The president, who has often talked up unproven, unapproved treatments – from hydroxychloroquine (which he has claimed to take as a prophylactic) to bleach – is doing so once again. Even if the drug is effective, it has not yet been granted emergency authorization for use by the general public.
Updated at 23.58 BST
7 Oct 2020 23.09 BST During tonight’s debate, Mike Pence and Kamala Harris will be positioned 12 feet apart, separated by plexiglass barriers – which scientists say are woefully ineffective. Pence and his aides had initially protested the plexiglass but eventually acquiesced. Although the barriers would block any spit that the candidates spray as they speak, it wouldn’t stop the virus from being carried in the air. As the CDC acknowledged this week, coronavirus can be carried by aerosols – tiny airborne droplets – that can move over and around a sheet of plexiglass. Although Pence has cited multiple negative tests – and has been cleared by the White House physician to participate in the debates. But tests for Covid-19 can come up negative up to 14 days after exposure to the virus. Though the CDC has said Pence has not been in close contact with anyone suspected of being infected, Pence himself said he’d met with Donald Trump – who has been infected.
Updated at 10.39 BST


theguardian--2020-10-07--Top US immunologist quits health role over Trump Covid response

The ousted director of the office involved in developing a coronavirus vaccine has quit his post at the National Institutes of Health , charging that the Trump administration “ ignores scientific expertise , overrules public health guidance and disrespects career scientists ” .
Dr Rick Bright , a whistleblower who crossed swords with the Trump administration over claims his warnings over both coronavirus and the utility of hydroxychloroquine were ignored , left his role complaining that his plan to develop a national testing infrastructure had also been sidelined .
Bright is an immunologist who formerly headed the Biomedical Advanced Research @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health and human services ( HHS ) agency that works to prepare the nation for such threats as a pandemic or a bioterrorism attack .
That agency is now playing a central role in the campaign to deliver a coronavirus vaccine .
Lawyers for Bright say he was sidelined at the National Institutes of Health , where he had been transferred this spring after being ousted as head of a biodefense agency , adding that the NIH had ignored a national coronavirus testing strategy that Bright developed because he had become politically toxic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s departure comes as it was revealed that the head of the Centers for Disease Control , Robert Redfield , had been encouraged to expose the “ slaughter ” resulting from the Trump administration ’ s “ political interference ” in the coronavirus response by William Foege – the US epidemiologist who devised the global strategy to eradicate smallpox and is also a former director of the CDC .
In a private letter made public by USA Today , Foege , who has not previously publicly criticised the CDC ’ s response , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by going public in what appears to have been an ongoing conversation between the two men .
“ You could upfront , acknowledge the tragedy of responding poorly , apologise for what has happened and your role in acquiescing , ” wrote Foege .
“ Don ’ t shy away from the fact this has been an unacceptable toll on our country .
It is a slaughter and not just a political dispute.
” The interventions by Bright and Foege come amid a mounting sense of outrage among both scientists and health professionals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own coronavirus infection , almost on the eve of the US presidential election , that has seen him continue to minimise the threat of a disease that has claimed the lives of 209,000 Americans and infected 7.5 million people .
The scientists also feed criticism that Trump failed to prepare the nation against coronavirus , a narrative that has become central to Democrat Joe Biden ’ s campaign to deny the president a second term .
While Bright ’ s criticism of the Trump administration ’ s response has long been in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ White House as sour grapes , Foege is regarded in US public health circles as a towering figure .
“ So much of this is the deaths .
It ’ s the deaths , ” Foege told the newspaper in an interview after his 23 September letter became public , adding that his motivation for writing to Redfield was Trump ’ s appointment of the highly controversial Dr Scott Atlas to the coronavirus taskforce , even though he is not an infectious disease expert .
Critics – including Bill Gates – have suggested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agrees with what Gates described as the White House ’ s “ crackpot Covid theories ” , while scores of former colleagues at Stanford medical school issued a letter suggesting that his “ opinions and statements run counter to established science ” .
The latest critical comments reflect an increasingly bitter , and often behind the scenes battle with more established expert voices stepping forward who have in recent months been sidelined by Trump .
These include Redfield being overheard by a reporter saying “ everything ” Atlas says “ is false ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the NIH echo Foege ’ s warnings to Redfield .
His lawyers , Debra Katz and Lisa Banks , said in a statement : “ Dr Bright was forced to leave his position at NIH because he can no longer sit idly by and work for an administration that ignores scientific expertise , overrules public health guidance and disrespects career scientists , resulting in the sickness and death of hundreds of thousands of Americans.
” Bright ’ s resignation comes after he initially went public with his complaint in May , alleging he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because he resisted pressure to flood the New York area with hydroxychloroquine , the malaria drug that Trump was touting as a treatment for Covid-19 .
He also alleged that his early efforts to secure supplies of N95 respirator masks for healthcare workers were rebuffed by higher-ups who saw Bright as an alarmist .
At the time , Trump dismissed Bright ’ s allegations as complaints from a disgruntled employee .
Bright later testified before Congress that the US continued to lack a fully developed strategy to battle the coronavirus , warning that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ winter in modern history if there was a resurgence .

The ousted director of the office involved in developing a coronavirus vaccine has quit his post at the National Institutes of Health, charging that the Trump administration “ignores scientific expertise, overrules public health guidance and disrespects career scientists”.
Dr Rick Bright, a whistleblower who crossed swords with the Trump administration over claims his warnings over both coronavirus and the utility of hydroxychloroquine were ignored, left his role complaining that his plan to develop a national testing infrastructure had also been sidelined.
Bright is an immunologist who formerly headed the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, a department of health and human services (HHS) agency that works to prepare the nation for such threats as a pandemic or a bioterrorism attack. That agency is now playing a central role in the campaign to deliver a coronavirus vaccine.
Lawyers for Bright say he was sidelined at the National Institutes of Health, where he had been transferred this spring after being ousted as head of a biodefense agency, adding that the NIH had ignored a national coronavirus testing strategy that Bright developed because he had become politically toxic within the Trump administration.
Bright’s departure comes as it was revealed that the head of the Centers for Disease Control, Robert Redfield, had been encouraged to expose the “slaughter” resulting from the Trump administration’s “political interference” in the coronavirus response by William Foege – the US epidemiologist who devised the global strategy to eradicate smallpox and is also a former director of the CDC.
In a private letter made public by USA Today, Foege, who has not previously publicly criticised the CDC’s response, suggested that Redfield orchestrate his own firing by going public in what appears to have been an ongoing conversation between the two men.
“You could upfront, acknowledge the tragedy of responding poorly, apologise for what has happened and your role in acquiescing,” wrote Foege. “Don’t shy away from the fact this has been an unacceptable toll on our country. It is a slaughter and not just a political dispute.”
The interventions by Bright and Foege come amid a mounting sense of outrage among both scientists and health professionals over Trump’s antics around his own coronavirus infection, almost on the eve of the US presidential election, that has seen him continue to minimise the threat of a disease that has claimed the lives of 209,000 Americans and infected 7.5 million people.
The scientists also feed criticism that Trump failed to prepare the nation against coronavirus, a narrative that has become central to Democrat Joe Biden’s campaign to deny the president a second term.
While Bright’s criticism of the Trump administration’s response has long been in the public domain, and discounted by the White House as sour grapes, Foege is regarded in US public health circles as a towering figure.
“So much of this is the deaths. It’s the deaths,” Foege told the newspaper in an interview after his 23 September letter became public, adding that his motivation for writing to Redfield was Trump’s appointment of the highly controversial Dr Scott Atlas to the coronavirus taskforce, even though he is not an infectious disease expert.
Critics – including Bill Gates – have suggested that Atlas was only hired because he agrees with what Gates described as the White House’s “crackpot Covid theories”, while scores of former colleagues at Stanford medical school issued a letter suggesting that his “opinions and statements run counter to established science”.
The latest critical comments reflect an increasingly bitter, and often behind the scenes battle with more established expert voices stepping forward who have in recent months been sidelined by Trump. These include Redfield being overheard by a reporter saying “everything” Atlas says “is false”.
Bright’s reasons for quitting the NIH echo Foege’s warnings to Redfield. His lawyers, Debra Katz and Lisa Banks, said in a statement: “Dr Bright was forced to leave his position at NIH because he can no longer sit idly by and work for an administration that ignores scientific expertise, overrules public health guidance and disrespects career scientists, resulting in the sickness and death of hundreds of thousands of Americans.”
Bright’s resignation comes after he initially went public with his complaint in May, alleging he had been summarily removed as agency head because he resisted pressure to flood the New York area with hydroxychloroquine, the malaria drug that Trump was touting as a treatment for Covid-19.
He also alleged that his early efforts to secure supplies of N95 respirator masks for healthcare workers were rebuffed by higher-ups who saw Bright as an alarmist. At the time, Trump dismissed Bright’s allegations as complaints from a disgruntled employee.
Bright later testified before Congress that the US continued to lack a fully developed strategy to battle the coronavirus, warning that the nation could face the the darkest winter in modern history if there was a resurgence.


theguardian--2020-10-07--Democrats outraged as Trump halts Covid stimulus talks until after election

Donald Trump on Tuesday called off negotiations with Democratic lawmakers on coronavirus relief legislation until after the election , even as cases of the virus are on the rise across much of the country before flu season .
“ I have instructed my representatives to stop negotiating until after the election when , immediately after I win , we will pass a major Stimulus Bill that focuses on hardworking Americans and Small Business , ” Trump wrote on Twitter a day after emerging from a hospital stay for Covid-19 treatment .
The news triggered a brief stock market selloff .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ negotiations , US stocks were down more than 2 % in late afternoon trading .
However , the president later appeared to backtrack slightly and said he was “ ready to sign right now ” a bill that would approve a fresh round of $ 1,200 stimulus checks to be sent out immediately .
Trump ’ s decision to halt talks came after House speaker Nancy Pelosi on Sunday said during an interview with NBC ’ s Face the Nation that progress was being made in her negotiations with the Trump administration on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than $ 3tn in coronavirus aid enacted into law earlier this year .
Pelosi issued a thundering statement in the wake of the announcement , accusing Trump of “ putting himself first at the expense of the country ” by halting negotiations over a new coronavirus aid package from Congress .
Pelosi said Trump “ showed his true colors ” in stopping the talks between congressional leaders and the White House that have been aimed at bringing $ 2tn in new aid to fight the coronavirus .
The Democratic leader said by “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to crush the virus ” and is abandoning the needs of children and other Americans .
“ The White House is in complete disarray , ” she concluded .
Many Republicans on Capitol Hill could not countenance a relief bill over $ 2tn as Democrats were proposing , with the GOP favoring something between $ 800bn and $ 1.5tn , and they never got above that ceiling despite the many rounds of talks between Pelosi , Mnuchin and sometimes also Mark Meadows , Trump ’ s chief of staff , Politico reported on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mitch McConnell was not going to push a bill a majority of his Senate cohort would not support .
A phone call between McConnell and Trump on Tuesday had the Kentucky Republican senator telling Trump that Pelosi was stringing him along and no deal she cut with Mnuchin would command broad GOP support to pass in the Senate , according to two people with knowledge of the call who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss it , the Washington Post reported .
Some media commentators described Trump ’ s abrupt move @ @ @ @ @ @ @ team – making it a lot harder for him to blame Democrats for any lack of a deal .
Pelosi and Mnuchin had been talking extensively , in person and by phone , in recent days .
But with some arch-conservative senators facing tough re-election battles and campaigning on platforms of fiscal austerity , there has been resistance to Trump spending more trillions on economic relief at this juncture , no matter the individuals , businesses and entities such as the postal service crying out for aid .
Earlier on Tuesday , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told a business conference the US economic expansion was “ far from complete ” following the deep contraction stemming from the coronavirus pandemic .
A failure by the United States to provide further relief , Powell warned , “ would lead to a weak recovery , creating unnecessary hardship for households and businesses.
“ In recent days , financial markets were hopeful progress toward a Covid-19 vaccine and another round of economic stimulus from Congress would boost the US economy , which has been showing signs of renewed weakness .
Pelosi and Mnuchin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a recent Democratic call for around $ 2.2tn in new spending to battle the pandemic and bolster the economy , versus around $ 1.6tn sought by the administration .
It was not clear whether enough Senate Republicans would have gotten behind any deal , however .

The erratic process to approve further coronavirus economic relief for struggling individuals and businesses took another turn on Wednesday morning when Donald Trump pivoted from abruptly canceling talks on a comprehensive package until after the election to urging a new bill to provide personal checks for Americans.
The president tweeted, with a mention of the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, saying: “Move fast, I am waiting to sign!”
Donald Trump on Tuesday called off negotiations with Democratic lawmakers on coronavirus relief legislation until after the election, even as cases of the virus are on the rise across much of the country before flu season.
“I have instructed my representatives to stop negotiating until after the election when, immediately after I win, we will pass a major Stimulus Bill that focuses on hardworking Americans and Small Business,” Trump wrote on Twitter a day after emerging from a hospital stay for Covid-19 treatment.
The news triggered a brief stock market selloff. Following Trump’s announcement breaking off negotiations, US stocks were down more than 2% in late afternoon trading.
However, the president later appeared to backtrack slightly and said he was “ready to sign right now” a bill that would approve a fresh round of $1,200 stimulus checks to be sent out immediately.
Trump’s decision to halt talks came after Pelosi on Sunday said during an interview with NBC’s Face the Nation that progress was being made in her negotiations with the Trump administration on a bill to build on the more than $3tn in coronavirus aid enacted into law earlier this year.
Pelosi issued a thundering statement in the wake of the announcement, accusing Trump of “putting himself first at the expense of the country” by halting negotiations over a new coronavirus aid package from Congress.
Pelosi said Trump “showed his true colors” in stopping the talks between congressional leaders and the White House that have been aimed at bringing $2tn in new aid to fight the coronavirus. The Democratic leader said by “walking away” Trump was “unwilling to crush the virus” and is abandoning the needs of children and other Americans.
“The White House is in complete disarray,” she concluded.
Many Republicans on Capitol Hill could not countenance a relief bill over $2tn as Democrats were proposing, with the GOP favoring something between $800bn and $1.5tn, and they never got above that ceiling despite the many rounds of talks between Pelosi, Mnuchin and sometimes also Mark Meadows, Trump’s chief of staff, Politico reported on Wednesday, adding that the Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, was not going to push a bill a majority of his Senate cohort would not support.
A phone call between McConnell and Trump on Tuesday had the Kentucky Republican senator telling Trump that Pelosi was stringing him along and no deal she cut with Mnuchin would command broad GOP support to pass in the Senate, according to two people with knowledge of the call who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss it, the Washington Post reported.
Some media commentators described Trump’s abrupt move as a goal scored against his own team – making it a lot harder for him to blame Democrats for any lack of a deal.
Wait, so Trump not only rejects stimulus funds that would probably have helped his re-election chances, but *also* does so in a way to make sure that he personally will take blame for it? — Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) October 6, 2020
Pelosi and Mnuchin had been talking extensively, in person and by phone, in recent days. But with some arch-conservative senators facing tough re-election battles and campaigning on platforms of fiscal austerity, there has been resistance to Trump spending more trillions on economic relief at this juncture, no matter the individuals, businesses and entities such as the postal service crying out for aid.
Lawmakers have long thought they would be unable to compromise on a deal before the election. But the failure to deliver desperately needed to aide to Americans was seen as a problem for both parties. Now, Trump has made it a White House decision not to continue negotiating. https://t.co/CaqIZ0IxOk — Alayna Treene (@alaynatreene) October 6, 2020
Earlier on Tuesday, the Federal Reserve chair, Jerome Powell, told a business conference the US economic expansion was “far from complete” following the deep contraction stemming from the coronavirus pandemic.
A failure by the United States to provide further relief, Powell warned, “would lead to a weak recovery, creating unnecessary hardship for households and businesses”.
In recent days, financial markets were hopeful progress toward a Covid-19 vaccine and another round of economic stimulus from Congress would boost the US economy, which has been showing signs of renewed weakness.
Pelosi and Mnuchin had been trying to narrow the gap between a recent Democratic call for around $2.2tn in new spending to battle the pandemic and bolster the economy, versus around $1.6tn sought by the administration.
It was not clear whether enough Senate Republicans would have gotten behind any deal, however.


theguardian--2020-10-07--White House coronavirus cluster: who has tested positive?

For White House staff and senior visiting officials and journalists , the coronavirus outbreak in Donald Trump ’ s inner circle has become like a whodunnit amid a shortage of information and mounting anxiety .
As cleaners in hazmat suits have been pictured disinfecting areas – including briefing rooms and the White House press and communications “ shop ” where three staff have been infected – the questions now being asked are : who caught Covid from whom and when and where ?
And who might be next ?
From the Rose Garden – where Trump hosted an event for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Barrett – to the Oval Office itself and the West Wing ’ s tight-packed four floors of offices and cubbyholes serving everyone from the chief of staff to the vice-president and press briefing room .
It is not only about location and proximity .
As Kayleigh McEnany , the White House press secretary , pointedly made clear after her own positive test she had been unaware of Hope Hicks ’ illness .
And while some of Trump ’ s inner circle , including the vice-president , Mike Pence , and chief of staff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus , others such as McEnany and the former senior adviser Kellyanne Conway have not been so lucky .
The announcement of Trump ’ s diagnosis came two days after his televised debate with his rival presidential candidate , Joe Biden .
However , Biden , who has been criticised by Trump for wearing a mask , has tested negative for the disease .
All of which has led to Trump ’ s movements in the week leading up to his and Melania ’ s positive test result being closely scrutinised , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nominate Barrett , at which 150 guests sat close together without face masks .

For White House staff and senior visiting officials and journalists, the coronavirus outbreak in Donald Trump’s inner circle has become like a whodunnit amid a shortage of information and mounting anxiety.
As cleaners in hazmat suits have been pictured disinfecting areas – including briefing rooms and the White House press and communications “shop” where three staff have been infected – the questions now being asked are: who caught Covid from whom and when and where? And who might be next?
From the Rose Garden – where Trump hosted an event for the supreme court nominee, Amy Coney Barrett – to the Oval Office itself and the West Wing’s tight-packed four floors of offices and cubbyholes serving everyone from the chief of staff to the vice-president and press briefing room.
It is not only about location and proximity. As Kayleigh McEnany, the White House press secretary, pointedly made clear after her own positive test she had been unaware of Hope Hicks’ illness.
And while some of Trump’s inner circle, including the vice-president, Mike Pence, and chief of staff, Mark Meadows, tested negative for coronavirus, others such as McEnany and the former senior adviser Kellyanne Conway have not been so lucky.
The announcement of Trump’s diagnosis came two days after his televised debate with his rival presidential candidate, Joe Biden. However, Biden, who has been criticised by Trump for wearing a mask, has tested negative for the disease.
All of which has led to Trump’s movements in the week leading up to his and Melania’s positive test result being closely scrutinised, including the now infamous Rose Garden event to nominate Barrett, at which 150 guests sat close together without face masks.


theguardian--2020-10-07--Two sides of DC: those threatened by Covid are unimpressed by Trump’s bravado

Washington ’ s mayor , Muriel Bowser , has struggled to bring the US capital ’ s coronavirus infection rate down .
In July , she ordered the wearing of masks in crowded places outside , and the order has largely been obeyed : on Tuesday afternoon , more than nine in ten people walking around the city were wearing masks , and almost everyone in shops and cafes .
The rate of new infections has slowed down considerably since the summer , but the threat of a second wave is looming .
That is true in many American cities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that a significant part of the threat comes from a single address , whose tenants have blatantly ignored the rules – and who have not even returned calls from Bowser ’ s office offering to help with contact tracing .
That address is 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue : the White House , where more than a dozen workers have tested positive for Covid-19 in recent days , including the chief executive .
That is compared to 28 new cases recorded on Tuesday across the whole city of over 700,000 people .
“ We have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a couple of different levels : a political level and a public health level , ” Bowser said .
A city health official managed to get through by telephone , the mayor added , but only “ had a very cursory conversation that we don ’ t consider a substantial contact from the public health side ” .
Worse still , Donald Trump , unbowed by his hospitalisation for the disease stood on the White House balcony on Monday night and dramatically stripped off his mask , even while close to official photographers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ Don ’ t be afraid of Covid .
Don ’ t let it dominate your life , ” ignoring the 210,000 Americans who have died , including 631 in Washington .
Pennsylvania Avenue slashes from the top left to the bottom right of the map of downtown DC : from the extreme wealth of the mostly white north-west where the White House and its attendant lobbyists are , to the low income overwhelmingly black south-east .
The south-east version of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is a nondescript apartment block at the very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it peters out into the poorer suburbs across the Anacostia river .
Orlando Pickens was sitting on a bus stop nearby , waiting for a ride home to Anacostia .
Five people in his immediate family have died from coronavirus , and he was unimpressed by Trump ’ s bravado in the face of the disease .
“ He ’ s talking about people they don ’ t got to be catching buses .
They don ’ t have to go to CVS [ pharmacy ] , ” he said .
As for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Covid hotspot , Pickens was not too worried .
“ None of them are coming out to Anacostia , ” he observed .
That sense of security was not shared a few blocks along the three-lane avenue in the direction of Congress , which stands as its pivot point between north-west and south-east .
The Eastern Market neighbourhood is a traditionally black area of Washington that has become increasingly mixed , attracting white residents for its lower house prices and proximity to the city ’ s political hub .
A growing number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Metro station .
Their buzz has been dimmed by the pandemic but their outside tables on cool fall evenings are still popular with political staffers from Congress and the administration , leading to fears that infection might be spread by White House employees to a far less advantaged community .
On Saturday , when Trump was spending his first full day in Walter Reed hospital , about a hundred residents gathered outside the Eastern Market Metro station to protest against the White House ’ s indifference to public health precautions , and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rick , a city sanitation worker ( who declined to give his last name ) , witnessed the protest .
“ They were saying that people coming out of the White House , the staff and security , they should keep it down there , ” he said pointing to the north-west .
“ It ’ s a hotspot .
They didn ’ t want them out here .
They wanted them to stay in there.
” Yolande Long , a human resources consultant who works in Eastern Market , agreed that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relax in the district was a source of worry .
“ It can actually have a devastating effect .
A ripple effect , ” Long said .
But she added she was far more concerned about the message being sent nationwide from the White House balcony .
“ Him saying he understands everything now about Covid has far-reaching effects on the American public because of the fool that we have living and working there and being the most powerful man in the United States and in the world , ” she said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ currently hospitalised with Covid , and she was unimpressed by Trump ’ s tweeted claim that the US has now developed “ some really great drugs and knowledge ” that had led to his apparent recovery .
“ The problem is , he ’ s the only person that right now will have access to those drugs , ” Long said .
“ If I , all of a sudden , came down with Covid .
I wouldn ’ t be treated like he was.
” Jeffrey Jackson , who sells incense and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Pennsylvania and 8th Street , said he would hope his hospital bills would be paid by publicly-funded Medicaid if he fell ill. “ The average person who ’ s living in poverty , they pretty much got Medicaid , or Medicare , but that may change , ” said Jackson , who added that the economic impact from the pandemic might bring him down first .
Around his shoulder he wore a bandolier with vials of scents in place of bullets .
It used to sell well , but with far less @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of pre-Covid normal .
“ Trump is a businessman but he ’ s not a leader of people , ” Jackson said .
“ He ’ s doing things that no other president would do .
He ’ s not being responsible .
He ’ s doing things contrary to what experts say .
It ’ s crazy .
”

Washington’s mayor, Muriel Bowser, has struggled to bring the US capital’s coronavirus infection rate down.
In July, she ordered the wearing of masks in crowded places outside, and the order has largely been obeyed: on Tuesday afternoon, more than nine in 10 people walking around the city were wearing masks, and almost everyone in shops and cafes.
The rate of new infections has slowed down considerably since the summer, but the threat of a second wave is looming.
That is true in many American cities, but what makes Washington different is that a significant part of the threat comes from a single address, whose tenants have blatantly ignored the rules – and who have not even returned calls from Bowser’s office offering to help with contact tracing.
That address is 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue: the White House, where more than a dozen workers have tested positive for Covid-19 in recent days, including the chief executive. That is compared to 28 new cases recorded on Tuesday across the whole city of over 700,000 people.
“We have reached out to the White House on a couple of different levels: a political level and a public health level,” Bowser said. A city health official managed to get through by telephone, the mayor added, but only “had a very cursory conversation that we don’t consider a substantial contact from the public health side”.
Worse still, Donald Trump, unbowed by his hospitalisation for the disease, stood on the White House balcony on Monday night and dramatically stripped off his mask, even while close to official photographers. On Twitter, he told Americans, “Don’t be afraid of Covid. Don’t let it dominate your life,” ignoring the 210,000 Americans who have died, including 631 in Washington.
Pennsylvania Avenue slashes from the top left to the bottom right of the map of downtown DC: from the extreme wealth of the mostly white north-west where the White House and its attendant lobbyists are, to the low-income, overwhelmingly black south-east.
The south-east version of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is a nondescript apartment block at the very edge of the city, just before it peters out into the poorer suburbs across the Anacostia river.
Orlando Pickens was sitting on a bus stop nearby, waiting for a ride home to Anacostia. Five people in his immediate family have died from coronavirus, and he was unimpressed by Trump’s bravado in the face of the disease.
“He’s talking about people they don’t got to be catching buses. They don’t have to go to CVS [pharmacy],” he said.
As for the threat posed by the White House Covid hotspot, Pickens was not too worried. “None of them are coming out to Anacostia,” he observed.
That sense of security was not shared a few blocks along the three-lane avenue in the direction of Congress, which stands as its pivot point between north-west and south-east.
The Eastern Market neighbourhood is a traditionally black area of Washington that has become increasingly mixed, attracting white residents for its lower house prices and proximity to the city’s political hub.
A growing number of restaurants and bars had clustered around the Metro station. Their buzz has been dimmed by the pandemic but their outside tables on cool fall evenings are still popular with political staffers from Congress and the administration, leading to fears that infection might be spread by White House employees to a far less advantaged community.
On Saturday, when Trump was spending his first full day in Walter Reed hospital, about a hundred residents gathered outside the Eastern Market Metro station to protest against the White House’s indifference to public health precautions, and the immediate danger it posed to Washingtonians.
Rick, a city sanitation worker (who declined to give his last name), witnessed the protest.
“They were saying that people coming out of the White House, the staff and security, they should keep it down there,” he said pointing to the north-west. “It’s a hotspot. They didn’t want them out here. They wanted them to stay in there.”
Yolande Long, a human resources consultant who works in Eastern Market, agreed that the idea of White House staffers coming to relax in the district was a source of worry.
“It can actually have a devastating effect. A ripple effect,” Long said. But she added she was far more concerned about the message being sent nationwide from the White House balcony.
“Him saying he understands everything now about Covid has far-reaching effects on the American public because of the fool that we have living and working there and being the most powerful man in the United States and in the world,” she said.
One of Long’s colleagues is currently hospitalised with Covid, and she was unimpressed by Trump’s tweeted claim that the US has now developed “some really great drugs and knowledge” that had led to his apparent recovery.
“The problem is, he’s the only person that right now will have access to those drugs,” Long said. “If I, all of a sudden, came down with Covid. I wouldn’t be treated like he was.”
Jeffrey Jackson, who sells incense and perfumes on the street at the corner of Pennsylvania and 8th Street, said he would hope his hospital bills would be paid by publicly funded Medicaid if he fell ill.
“The average person who’s living in poverty, they pretty much got Medicaid, or Medicare, but that may change,” said Jackson, who added that the economic impact from the pandemic might bring him down first.
Around his shoulder he wore a bandolier with vials of scents in place of bullets. It used to sell well, but with far less foot traffic, sales were a fifth of pre-Covid normal.
“Trump is a businessman but he’s not a leader of people,” Jackson said. “He’s doing things that no other president would do. He’s not being responsible. He’s doing things contrary to what experts say. It’s crazy.”


theguardian--2020-10-07--'Again we are a house divided': Biden calls for unity in Gettysburg speech

Joe Biden delivered a forceful appeal for national unity from the battleground state of Pennsylvania on Tuesday , as the nation lurched from crisis to crisis and the president continued to downplay the severity of the coronavirus after being hospitalized for Covid-19 .
From the storied civil war battlefield of Gettysburg , a symbol of the divisions that nearly tore the nation in two , Biden cast the election as a “ battle for the soul of the nation ” and emphasized the stakes this November .
“ Today , once again we are a house divided , ” Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American flags with the rolling hills of Gettysburg behind him .
“ But that , my friend , can no longer be .
We are facing too many crises .
We have too much work to do .
We have too bright a future to leave it shipwrecked on the shoals of anger and hate and division.
” In a sweeping speech – one that drew on Abraham Lincoln ’ s address at the same spot , the site of one of the war ’ s bloodiest battles , and Lyndon Johnson ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ later – Biden warned of the “ cost of division ” and his fears that partisanship threatened to undermine the central pillars of American democracy .
Biden vowed to govern as an “ American president ” , one who would seek bipartisan solutions to the nation ’ s most consequential problems , including the coronavirus pandemic , racial injustice and economic turmoil .
Though he did not mention Trump by name , Biden ’ s remarks amounted to an extraordinary rebuke of the president ’ s leadership in the wake of a global @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Americans and infected millions more , including the president and a widening circle of White House aides and allies .
Lamenting the politicization of science and facts , he called for a national strategy .
“ Wearing a mask isn ’ t a political statement – it ’ s a scientific recommendation , ” Biden said , a surgical mask clenched in his fist .
“ We can ’ t undo what has been done .
We can ’ t go back .
But we can do better.
” His remarks drew a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ended negotiations with Democrats over additional relief as millions of Americans continue to suffer from the financial crisis triggered by the virus .
The move was the latest jolt since the president left the hospital on Monday evening .
Earlier on Tuesday , he announced plans to participate in the next presidential debate in Miami on 15 October , which would be exactly two weeks after he tested positive for the virus .
Depending on the severity of Trump ’ s case , he could still be infectious at the point , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Control and Prevention .
Biden told reporters he was “ looking forward ” to debating Trump next week , but made clear that if the president was still infectious , the debate should not go ahead .
“ If he still has Covid , we shouldn ’ t have a debate , ” Biden told reporters in Hagerstown , Maryland .
“ I think we were gon na have to follow very strict guidelines , ” he continued .
“ Too many people have been infected .
It ’ s a very serious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the guidelines of the Cleveland Clinic and what the docs say is the right thing to do.
” Before his speech , which was held outdoors , the campaign announced that Biden had tested negative for the virus .
Biden also sought to grapple with demands for racial justice and police reform that have continued since the killing of George Floyd in May .
He said the legacy of racial injustice in America extends “ 400 years , to the moment when black men , women , and children were first brought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you say we have no need to face racial injustice in this country , you haven ’ t opened your eyes to the truth in America , ” Biden said .
“ Think about what it takes for a Black person to love America .
That is a deep love for this country that for far too long we have never fully recognized.
” But he drew a clear line between support for the protesters and instances of violence in some cities , stating clearly that he supports “ law and order ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – two lines of attack Trump has attempted to level against him .
Four weeks before election day , the speech , one Biden said he worked “ very , very , very hard ” on , sounded like a closing argument .
“ As I look across America today , I ’ m concerned , ” Biden said .
“ The country is in a dangerous place .
Our trust in each other is ebbing .
Hope seems elusive.
” But he was optimistic , as ever , about the possibility of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , acknowledging some may find him naive in the age of hyperpartisanship and political tribalism .
“ The refusal of Democrats and Republicans to cooperate with one another is not due to some mysterious force beyond our control .
It ’ s a decision , a choice we make , ” he said .
“ And if we can decide not to cooperate , we can decide to cooperate as well.
” Pennsylvania , where Biden was raised , is a critical presidential battleground .
Long a Democratic stronghold , Trump clinched the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shows Biden with a wide lead .
Biden held a 12-point lead over Trump among all registered Pennsylvania voters , according to a Monmouth University poll released on Tuesday – powered by his strength in the Philadelphia suburbs and his growth in support among people of color .

Joe Biden delivered a forceful appeal for national unity from the battleground state of Pennsylvania on Tuesday, as the nation lurched from crisis to crisis and the president continued to downplay the severity of the coronavirus after being hospitalized for Covid-19.
From the storied civil war battlefield of Gettysburg, a symbol of the divisions that nearly tore the nation in two, Biden cast the election as a “battle for the soul of the nation” and emphasized the stakes this November.
“Today, once again we are a house divided,” Biden said, framed by a row of American flags with the rolling hills of Gettysburg behind him. “But that, my friend, can no longer be. We are facing too many crises. We have too much work to do. We have too bright a future to leave it shipwrecked on the shoals of anger and hate and division.”
In a sweeping speech – one that drew on Abraham Lincoln’s address at the same spot, the site of one of the war’s bloodiest battles, and Lyndon Johnson’s remarks from there one hundred years later – Biden warned of the “cost of division” and his fears that partisanship threatened to undermine the central pillars of American democracy.
Biden vowed to govern as an “American president”, one who would seek bipartisan solutions to the nation’s most consequential problems, including the coronavirus pandemic, racial injustice and economic turmoil.
Though he did not mention Trump by name, Biden’s remarks amounted to an extraordinary rebuke of the president’s leadership in the wake of a global pandemic that has killed more than 210,000 Americans and infected millions more, including the president and a widening circle of White House aides and allies. Lamenting the politicization of science and facts, he called for a national strategy.
“Wearing a mask isn’t a political statement – it’s a scientific recommendation,” Biden said, a surgical mask clenched in his fist. “We can’t undo what has been done. We can’t go back. But we can do better.”
Joe Biden holds up his mask as he speaks in Gettysburg. Photograph: Andrew Harnik/AP
His remarks drew a stark contrast with Trump, who abruptly ended negotiations with Democrats over additional relief as millions of Americans continue to suffer from the financial crisis triggered by the virus.
The move was the latest jolt since the president left the hospital on Monday evening. Earlier on Tuesday, he announced plans to participate in the next presidential debate in Miami on 15 October, which would be exactly two weeks after he tested positive for the virus.
Depending on the severity of Trump’s case, he could still be infectious at the point, according to guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Biden told reporters he was “looking forward” to debating Trump next week, but made clear that if the president was still infectious, the debate should not go ahead.
“If he still has Covid, we shouldn’t have a debate,” Biden told reporters in Hagerstown, Maryland. “I think we were gonna have to follow very strict guidelines,” he continued. “Too many people have been infected. It’s a very serious problem, so I will be guided by the guidelines of the Cleveland Clinic and what the docs say is the right thing to do.”
Before his speech, which was held outdoors, the campaign announced that Biden had tested negative for the virus.
Biden also sought to grapple with demands for racial justice and police reform that have continued since the killing of George Floyd in May. He said the legacy of racial injustice in America extends “400 years, to the moment when black men, women and children were first brought here in chains”.
“If you say we have no need to face racial injustice in this country, you haven’t opened your eyes to the truth in America,” Biden said. “Think about what it takes for a Black person to love America. That is a deep love for this country that for far too long we have never fully recognized.”
But he drew a clear line between support for the protesters and instances of violence in some cities, stating clearly that he supports “law and order” and opposes “defunding the police” – two lines of attack Trump has attempted to level against him.
Four weeks before election day, the speech, one Biden said he worked “very, very, very hard” on, sounded like a closing argument.
“As I look across America today, I’m concerned,” Biden said. “The country is in a dangerous place. Our trust in each other is ebbing. Hope seems elusive.”
But he was optimistic, as ever, about the possibility of forging national unity and finding common ground, acknowledging some may find him naive in the age of hyperpartisanship and political tribalism.
“The refusal of Democrats and Republicans to cooperate with one another is not due to some mysterious force beyond our control. It’s a decision, a choice we make,” he said. “And if we can decide not to cooperate, we can decide to cooperate as well.”
Pennsylvania, where Biden was raised, is a critical presidential battleground. Long a Democratic stronghold, Trump clinched the state in 2016. But new polling shows Biden with a wide lead.
Biden held a 12-point lead over Trump among all registered Pennsylvania voters, according to a Monmouth University poll released on Tuesday – powered by his strength in the Philadelphia suburbs and his growth in support among people of color.


theguardian--2020-10-07--Will Trump's Covid diagnosis hurt his political standing? | Nathan Robinson

Donald Trump has one particular skill : pretending things are different than they seem .
He was never a good businessman , but he was fantastic at playing a good businessman on TV .
His coronavirus response has been abysmal , but his public insistence that everything is fine has somehow managed to keep him from losing significant support .
Trump ’ s specialty is PR – spinning bad things rather than doing good things .
But PR can only do so much .
Trump has consistently downplayed the seriousness of the pandemic and encouraged people to resist public health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wearing a mask .
Then , having taken few precautions to protect himself or others , he landed in the hospital with Covid-19 and has taken a course of heavy-duty experimental treatment meant for severe cases .
He ’ s also been at the center of an explosion of new positive tests among high-ranking Republicans , including three senators , the former New Jersey governor Chris Christie , Trump ’ s new campaign manager , the White House adviser Hope Hicks , the former White House counselor Kellyanne Conway , and White House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is being criticized for having knowingly exposed staff , donors , and secret service agents to potential infection .
Reality has finally caught up with the man who once suggested that “ like a miracle , [ coronavirus ] will disappear ” .
Trump has not , of course , responded by humbly admitting that he behaved stupidly and should have listened to his critics .
Instead , he is reacting in the only way he knows : pretending nothing is wrong .
Trump ’ s doctor has given misleadingly rosy accounts of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ became furious with his chief of staff , Mark Meadows , for contradicting the doctor and admitting that Trump ’ s vitals had been “ very concerning ” .
Trump released videos to demonstrate that he is in good health and even appears to have staged a photoshoot in which he pretended to work while hospitalized .
Trump ’ s advisers are doing their level best to spin the crisis , with the campaign spokesperson Erin Perrine even suggesting it ’ s a positive , because Trump now has “ experience fighting coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Monday , when he returned to the White House after his hospitalization , he took off his mask to be photographed , despite being likely contagious .
Trump may have a sense that cavalierly flouting Covid-19 guidelines and then getting a severe case of Covid-19 is not a good look for the president .
He reportedly pressed his doctors to let him return to the White House as soon as possible , to show that he is strong and capable .
It is still possible that Trump will come out of this crisis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he recovers quickly , which he claims to be the case , he will use it to try to humanize himself and may be able to revive his earlier insistence that Covid-19 is not much worse than the flu .
Trump will work very , very hard to manipulate the American people into not judging him negatively over this .
And with Joe Biden withdrawing attack ads during Trump ’ s illness , perhaps Trump will weather this scandal like he has weathered so many before .
After all , Trump once said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Avenue ” and not lose support , and since then he ’ s essentially done everything short of that .
Will this new crisis finally be Trump ’ s undoing ?
I don ’ t think we can count on it .
Trump is a television president and his presidency is a giant reality TV show .
The reason people don ’ t see through his lies is that Trump makes sure the lies are all they see .
He keeps people glued to the TV and to Twitter , where he creates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world that actually exists .
His supporters do not question it , partly because it ’ s a reality they want to live in .
It is , after all , a world where the president is fine , the virus is not too threatening , we can go about our business as normal , the economy is thriving , and America is becoming great again .
It ’ s easy to see why people joined the throng gathered outside Walter Reed to wish Trump well ( and probably spread coronavirus ) .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ through Trump ’ s transparently false picture .
But that ’ s not entirely fair .
When our understandings of the world are developed through media , we are only as perceptive as the information we take in , and being deluged with lies has a tendency to make us believe them .
Critics are flabbergasted by the sheer volume of Trump ’ s lies , but the regularity is critical to their success .
Trump has to create an entire alternate reality that exists solely on Fox News and in the minds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more and more difficult to maintain , increasingly absurd claims must be made to sustain it .
Trump had to deny the seriousness of the virus as it tore through the country ; now he is having to deny its seriousness as it tears through his own body .
It sometimes feels like we are living in a reality television show .
The problem , though , is that we aren ’ t , and Trump ’ s fantasy television world is suddenly coming into sharp conflict with the real one .
Devastating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ difficult to sustain , and the coronavirus pandemic has finally reached the White House .
The reality TV clown we elected to rule is now facing serious crises that are harder and harder to wish away .
But do not expect Donald Trump to develop a more sober understanding of reality and take the show off the air .
After all , the ratings are fantastic .

Donald Trump has one particular skill: pretending things are different than they seem. He was never a good businessman, but he was fantastic at playing a good businessman on TV. His coronavirus response has been abysmal, but his public insistence that everything is fine has somehow managed to keep him from losing significant support. Trump’s specialty is PR – spinning bad things rather than doing good things.
But PR can only do so much. Trump has consistently downplayed the seriousness of the pandemic and encouraged people to resist public health measures. He mocked Joe Biden for wearing a mask. Then, having taken few precautions to protect himself or others, he landed in the hospital with Covid-19 and has taken a course of heavy-duty experimental treatment meant for severe cases. He’s also been at the center of an explosion of new positive tests among high-ranking Republicans, including three senators, the former New Jersey governor Chris Christie, Trump’s new campaign manager, the White House adviser Hope Hicks, the former White House counselor Kellyanne Conway, and White House press secretary, Kayleigh McEnany. Trump is being criticized for having knowingly exposed staff, donors, and secret service agents to potential infection. Reality has finally caught up with the man who once suggested that “like a miracle, [coronavirus] will disappear”.
Trump has not, of course, responded by humbly admitting that he behaved stupidly and should have listened to his critics. Instead, he is reacting in the only way he knows: pretending nothing is wrong. Trump’s doctor has given misleadingly rosy accounts of his medical condition, and Trump reportedly became furious with his chief of staff, Mark Meadows, for contradicting the doctor and admitting that Trump’s vitals had been “very concerning”. Trump released videos to demonstrate that he is in good health and even appears to have staged a photoshoot in which he pretended to work while hospitalized. Trump’s advisers are doing their level best to spin the crisis, with the campaign spokesperson Erin Perrine even suggesting it’s a positive, because Trump now has “experience fighting coronavirus” that Joe Biden lacks. On Monday, when he returned to the White House after his hospitalization, he took off his mask to be photographed, despite being likely contagious.
Trump may have a sense that cavalierly flouting Covid-19 guidelines and then getting a severe case of Covid-19 is not a good look for the president. He reportedly pressed his doctors to let him return to the White House as soon as possible, to show that he is strong and capable. It is still possible that Trump will come out of this crisis better off politically than before. If he recovers quickly, which he claims to be the case, he will use it to try to humanize himself and may be able to revive his earlier insistence that Covid-19 is not much worse than the flu. Trump will work very, very hard to manipulate the American people into not judging him negatively over this. And with Joe Biden withdrawing attack ads during Trump’s illness, perhaps Trump will weather this scandal like he has weathered so many before. After all, Trump once said he could “shoot somebody on Fifth Avenue” and not lose support, and since then he’s essentially done everything short of that. Will this new crisis finally be Trump’s undoing? I don’t think we can count on it.
The reason people don’t see through his lies is that Trump makes sure the lies are all they see
Trump is a television president and his presidency is a giant reality TV show. The reason people don’t see through his lies is that Trump makes sure the lies are all they see. He keeps people glued to the TV and to Twitter, where he creates an imaginary reality totally separate from the world that actually exists. His supporters do not question it, partly because it’s a reality they want to live in. It is, after all, a world where the president is fine, the virus is not too threatening, we can go about our business as normal, the economy is thriving, and America is becoming great again. It’s easy to see why people joined the throng gathered outside Walter Reed to wish Trump well (and probably spread coronavirus).
We can blame people for not seeing through Trump’s transparently false picture. But that’s not entirely fair. When our understandings of the world are developed through media, we are only as perceptive as the information we take in, and being deluged with lies has a tendency to make us believe them. Critics are flabbergasted by the sheer volume of Trump’s lies, but the regularity is critical to their success. Trump has to create an entire alternate reality that exists solely on Fox News and in the minds of supporters. As this fiction becomes more and more difficult to maintain, increasingly absurd claims must be made to sustain it. Trump had to deny the seriousness of the virus as it tore through the country; now he is having to deny its seriousness as it tears through his own body.
It sometimes feels like we are living in a reality television show. The problem, though, is that we aren’t, and Trump’s fantasy television world is suddenly coming into sharp conflict with the real one. Devastating wildfires are making climate denialism much more difficult to sustain, and the coronavirus pandemic has finally reached the White House. The reality TV clown we elected to rule is now facing serious crises that are harder and harder to wish away.
But do not expect Donald Trump to develop a more sober understanding of reality and take the show off the air. After all, the ratings are fantastic.


theguardian--2020-10-07--Will the US media call the right winner on election night? Don't count on it

This November ’ s presidential election may be close , and it is certain to be disputed .
Remember what happened in November of 2000 ?
Florida was called prematurely for Gore at 8pm , then called again for Bush at 2.30am .
Gore conceded privately to Bush but later retracted the concession as an automatic recount began .
The Bush team was skilled and successful in the propaganda war that followed .
Something like this could happen again .
The upcoming election will be fought out in the media over how and when votes are counted and the results @ @ @ @ @ @ @ large number of mailed ballots , the media outlets will again compete to make the call and earn the eyeballs of viewers on election night .
We need to take innovative steps , starting now , to ensure the election is called in a fair and accurate way .
Donald Trump has disparaged mail voting , demanded that the election be called on election day itself , and claimed that any election he does not win must be rigged .
Democrats are creating a legal response team of hundreds of lawyers to fight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the battle over Ruth Bader Ginsberg ’ s US supreme court seat is being accelerated in anticipation of a contested election .
Everyone is concerned about foreign interference .
Doubts about whether the election will be fair are being raised from all directions .
The contest will be won not only at the ballot box and in the courts but in the court of public opinion .
Here the media are crucial .
Elections are usually “ called ” long before the votes are actually counted .
Seeking to scoop the other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with exit polling firms to be the first to declare a winner in each race .
Once the winner has been called , the candidate declared to be the loser is expected to concede quickly – ideally before many voters have retired for the night – and the winner offers a victory speech that is enthusiastically covered by the same media outlets .
The election is over sometimes minutes and rarely more than hours after the polls close , even as official counts of votes are still being tabulated and absentee and mail-in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opened .
Some media outlets are responsible and concerned about their reputations for accuracy .
In today ’ s competitive market , however , many media companies are both more partisan and hard pressed to present fast results .
If , as many predict , the mail-in vote is heavily Democratic and the in-person vote is heavily Republican , Trump may lead in many states with only a partial vote count .
If so , Trump will probably declare himself the winner and Fox News will announce this immediately .
Any such declaration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president ’ s supporters .
Knowing this , more liberal media outlets may feel they should declare early for Joe Biden to level the playing field .
The remaining media outlets may equivocate , but the storyline is set by those willing to declare a winner .
All votes count , and we should count all votes – including mail ballots that may take weeks to tally .
But we should also focus on the calling of elections by the media .
Can we really rely on them to call elections fairly ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ have their incentives become less to protect democracy and more to attract audiences ?
We need bipartisan and authoritative panels to work with the networks as returns start to come in .
Ideally , the media should create an independent panel of election certification , drawn from a diverse body of experts representing both major parties and perhaps including former presidents or other retired politicians .
This might be part of a national election commission , as recently proposed by Dan Coats , but the important step is to bring the media together @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Failing that , all media should develop , before election day , panels of experts to oversee their projections and approve their announcements .
Membership on these panels must be bipartisan , public and transparent .
Each media outlet should sign a pledge not to declare any candidate a winner until its panel independently approves the projection .
The authors of this of essay are all past presidents of the American Political Science Association .
We pledge ourselves to work with media in the creation of an independent commission or professional panels of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the media should do everything in its power to prepare Americans for the near certainty that it will be days or weeks before the election outcome is known .
The media should also transform election night coverage from the election version of Monday Night Football ( “ It ’ s Tuesday Night Election : are you ready for some winners ?
” ) to one in which they place short reporting segments throughout the night .
If the outcome is not going to be known on election night , play-by-play coverage on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in fact , dangerously uninformative .
All media should adopt the strict standard that no state winner should be declared until the number of votes remaining to be counted has been certified to be less than the margin between the two major-party candidates .
In reporting , traditional exit polls should not be used to call an election .
Because so many intend to vote by mail or in early voting periods , even exit polls enhanced by polling the rest of the public will be highly problematic .
When will the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Who will they poll ?
Poll undecided voters too soon and they may not vote at all or will change their minds .
Poll them too late and they could have voted weeks earlier , leaving time for them unconsciously to change what they report .
“ Enhanced ” exit polls that add polling data may give helpful context but will not tell us accurately how the public voted .
If the media takes these steps , it could generate the credibility that the current system lacks .
With the help of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that we the people of the United States , in order to have a more perfect union , can wait the hours , days , or weeks necessary to have as perfect a vote count as possible .

John Aldrich, David A Lake, Jane C Mansbridge, Rogers M Smith and others

This November’s presidential election may be close, and it is certain to be disputed. Remember what happened in November of 2000? Florida was called prematurely for Gore at 8pm, then called again for Bush at 2.30am. Gore conceded privately to Bush but later retracted the concession as an automatic recount began. The Bush team was skilled and successful in the propaganda war that followed. Something like this could happen again. The upcoming election will be fought out in the media over how and when votes are counted and the results interpreted. Despite the uncertainty of a large number of mailed ballots, the media outlets will again compete to make the call and earn the eyeballs of viewers on election night. We need to take innovative steps, starting now, to ensure the election is called in a fair and accurate way.
Donald Trump has disparaged mail voting, demanded that the election be called on election day itself, and claimed that any election he does not win must be rigged. Democrats are creating a legal response team of hundreds of lawyers to fight out likely disputes in the courts, and the battle over Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s US supreme court seat is being accelerated in anticipation of a contested election. Everyone is concerned about foreign interference. Doubts about whether the election will be fair are being raised from all directions.
The contest will be won not only at the ballot box and in the courts but in the court of public opinion
The contest will be won not only at the ballot box and in the courts but in the court of public opinion. Here the media are crucial. Elections are usually “called” long before the votes are actually counted. Seeking to scoop the other major news outlets, TV networks collaborate with exit polling firms to be the first to declare a winner in each race. Once the winner has been called, the candidate declared to be the loser is expected to concede quickly – ideally before many voters have retired for the night – and the winner offers a victory speech that is enthusiastically covered by the same media outlets. The election is over sometimes minutes and rarely more than hours after the polls close, even as official counts of votes are still being tabulated and absentee and mail-in ballots sit in warehouses waiting to be opened.
Some media outlets are responsible and concerned about their reputations for accuracy. In today’s competitive market, however, many media companies are both more partisan and hard pressed to present fast results. If, as many predict, the mail-in vote is heavily Democratic and the in-person vote is heavily Republican, Trump may lead in many states with only a partial vote count. If so, Trump will probably declare himself the winner and Fox News will announce this immediately. Any such declaration will create a new reality for the president’s supporters. Knowing this, more liberal media outlets may feel they should declare early for Joe Biden to level the playing field. The remaining media outlets may equivocate, but the storyline is set by those willing to declare a winner.
All votes count, and we should count all votes – including mail ballots that may take weeks to tally. But we should also focus on the calling of elections by the media. Can we really rely on them to call elections fairly? Are they still unbiased observers? Or have their incentives become less to protect democracy and more to attract audiences?
We need bipartisan and authoritative panels to work with the networks as returns start to come in. Ideally, the media should create an independent panel of election certification, drawn from a diverse body of experts representing both major parties and perhaps including former presidents or other retired politicians. This might be part of a national election commission, as recently proposed by Dan Coats, but the important step is to bring the media together to agree on a responsible standard.
The media should do everything in their power to prepare us for the near certainty that it will be days or weeks before the outcome is known
Failing that, all media should develop, before election day, panels of experts to oversee their projections and approve their announcements. Membership on these panels must be bipartisan, public and transparent. Each media outlet should sign a pledge not to declare any candidate a winner until its panel independently approves the projection. The authors of this of essay are all past presidents of the American Political Science Association. We pledge ourselves to work with media in the creation of an independent commission or professional panels of unbiased experts.
Beyond these commissions, the media should do everything in their power to prepare Americans for the near certainty that it will be days or weeks before the election outcome is known. The media should also transform their election night coverage from the election version of Monday Night Football (“It’s Tuesday Night Election: are you ready for some winners?”) to one in which they place short reporting segments throughout the night.
If the outcome is not going to be known on election night, play-by-play coverage on the model of past elections is unnecessary and, in fact, dangerously uninformative. All media should adopt the strict standard that no state winner should be declared until the number of votes remaining to be counted has been certified to be less than the margin between the two major-party candidates.
In reporting, traditional exit polls should not be used to call an election. Because so many intend to vote by mail or in early voting periods, even exit polls enhanced by polling the rest of the public will be highly problematic. When will the media poll the rest of the public? Who will they poll? Poll undecided voters too soon and they may not vote at all or will change their minds. Poll them too late and they could have voted weeks earlier, leaving time for them unconsciously to change what they report. “Enhanced” exit polls that add polling data may give helpful context but will not tell us accurately how the public voted.
If the media take these steps, they could generate the credibility that the current system lacks. With the help of the media, the citizenry can understand that we the people of the United States, in order to have a more perfect union, can wait the hours, days, or weeks necessary to have as perfect a vote count as possible.
John Aldrich, Duke University, APSA president 2013-2014
Robert Axelrod, University of Michigan, APSA president 2006-2007
Janet M Box-Steffensmeier, Ohio State University, APSA president 2020-2021
Henry E Brady, University of California, Berkeley, APSA president 2009-2010
Rodney E Hero, Arizona State University, APSA president 2014-2015
Jennifer L Hochschild, Harvard University, APSA president 2015-2016
M Kent Jennings, University of California, Santa Barbara, APSA president 1997-1998
Robert Jervis, Columbia University, APSA President 2000-2001
Peter J Katzenstein, Cornell University, APSA president 2008-2009
Ira L Katznelson, Columbia University, APSA president 2005-2006
Robert O Keohane, Princeton University, APSA president 1999-2000
David A Lake, University of California, San Diego, APSA president 2016-2017
Margaret Levi, Stanford University, APSA president 2004-2005
Jane J Mansbridge, Harvard University, APSA president 2012-2013
Paula D McClain, Duke University, APSA president 2019-2020
Dianne Pinderhughes, University of Notre Dame, APSA president 2007-2008
G Bingham Powell, Jr, University of Rochester, APSA president 2011-2012
Robert D Putnam, Harvard University, APSA president 2001-2002
Theda Skocpol, Harvard University, APSA president 2002-2003
Rogers M Smith, University of Pennsylvania, APSA president 2018-2019
Kathleen Thelen, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, APSA president 2017-2018