theguardian--2020-11-20--Can Trump actually stage a coup and stay in office for a second term?

Joe Biden won the presidential election , a fact that Donald Trump and other Republicans refuse to acknowledge .
There are worries the president and other Republicans will make every effort to stay in power .
“ There will be a smooth transition to a second Trump administration , ” Mike Pompeo , the secretary of state , said last week .
William Barr , the attorney general , has also authorized federal prosecutors to begin to investigate election irregularities , a move that prompted the head of the justice department ’ s election crimes unit to step down from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
On Tuesday , Trump fired Christopher Krebs , the director of the federal agency that vouched for the reliability of the 2020 election and had pushed back on the president ’ s baseless claims of voter fraud .
Yet , despite all of Trump ’ s machinations , it is extremely unlikely he can find a way to stay in power or stage a coup .
Here ’ s an explanation of why : Trump refuses to accept that Joe Biden won the presidential election .
Is there a constitutional path for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in office for another term ?
Not really .
The electoral college meets on 14 December to cast its vote for president and nearly every state uses the statewide popular vote to allocate its electors .
Biden is projected to win far more than the 270 electoral votes he needs to become president .
His victory doesn ’ t hinge on one state and he has probably insurmountable leads in Michigan , Nevada , Wisconsin , Pennsylvania and Arizona .
There is a long-shot legal theory , floated by Republicans before the election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as Michigan , Wisconsin and Pennsylvania could ignore the popular vote in their states and appoint their own electors .
Federal law allows legislatures to do this if states have “ failed to make a choice ” by the day the electoral college meets .
But there is no evidence of systemic fraud of wrongdoing in any state and Biden ’ s commanding margins in these places make it clear that the states have in fact made a choice .
“ If the country continues to follow the rule of law , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump to remain as president barring new evidence of some massive failure of the election system in multiple states , ” Richard Hasen , a law professor at the University of California , Irvine , who specializes in elections , wrote in an email .
“ It would be a naked , antidemocratic power grab to try to use state legislatures to get around the voters ’ choice and I don ’ t expect it to happen.
” For lawmakers in a single state to choose to override the clear will of its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ probably cause a huge outcry .
For Trump to win the electoral college , several states would have to take this extraordinary step , a move that would cause extreme backlash and a real crisis of democracy throughout the country .
“ There ’ s a strange fascination with various imagined dark scenarios , perhaps involving renegade state legislatures , but this is more dystopian fiction than anything likely to happen , ” said Richard Pildes , a law professor at New York University .
“ The irony , or tragedy , is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ smooth election , with record turnout , under exceptionally difficult circumstances – and yet , a significant portion of the president ’ s supporters are now convinced that the process was flawed.
” Is there any indication Republicans in these important states are going to go along with this ?
Shortly after election day , Jake Corman , the top Republican in the Pennsylvania state senate , indicated his party would “ follow the law ” in Pennsylvania , which requires awarding electors to the winner of the popular vote .
In an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legislature “ does not have and will not have a hand in choosing the state ’ s presidential electors or in deciding the outcome of the presidential election ” .
Last week , Republicans in the Pennsylvania legislature said they wanted to investigate allegations of voter fraud .
There ’ s no evidence of widespread malfeasance in the state , but the move is alarming because it could be the beginning of an effort to undermine the popular vote results in the state .
But in a major blow to the president ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s supreme court ruled that Philadelphia election officials did not improperly block Trump ’ s campaign from observing the counting of mail-in ballots .
The Republican-led legislature in Michigan is also investigating the election , as are Republicans in Wisconsin .
There ’ s no evidence of widespread wrongdoing in either place .
Is this related in any way to the lawsuits Trump is filing ?
Trump ’ s campaign has filed a slew of legally dubious suits since election day .
The purpose of these suits appears not to be to actually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ try to create uncertainty and draw out the counting process .
Each state has its own deadlines for certifying election results that are then used to allocate its electoral college votes .
In at least two states , Pennsylvania and Michigan , Trump ’ s campaign is seeking to block officials from certifying results .
That certification timeline is important because federal law says that as long as election results are finalized by 8 December this year , the result is “ conclusive ” .
That provides a safeguard against Congress , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ votes , from second-guessing election results .
By dragging out the process , the Trump campaign may be seeking to blow past that deadline and create more wiggle room to second-guess the results .
Even if that is the Trump campaign ’ s hope , courts are unlikely to step in , Pildes said .
“ States are going to start certifying their vote totals beginning in less than 10 days , and there is no basis in the claims made thus far for the courts to stop that process , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to fruition and Republican-led legislatures override the will of the people in several states .
Is there any safeguard to stop Trump ?
Yes .
Michigan , Wisconsin , Pennsylvania and Nevada all have Democratic governors who would refuse to approve a set of Trump electors with the popular vote clearly showing Biden winning their state .
Instead , they would submit the electors Biden is entitled to as the winner of the popular vote .
It would then fall to Congress , which is charged with counting the votes from the electoral @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The law that outlines the process for how Congress should handle a dispute in electors from a state is extremely confusing , but experts believe the slate backed by a state ’ s governor is the legally sound one .
There is a rival theory that the president of the Senate , Mike Pence , could have control over the process .
A dispute over electors between the US House and Senate is a worst-case scenario and the US supreme court would probably be asked to step in .
Regardless of however @ @ @ @ @ @ @ does set one final deadline .
Even if counting is ongoing , the president and vice-president ’ s terms both end at noon on 20 January .
At that point if there isn ’ t a final result in the race , the speaker of the House – probably Nancy Pelosi – would become the acting president .

Joe Biden won the presidential election, a fact that Donald Trump and other Republicans refuse to acknowledge.
There are worries the president and other Republicans will make every effort to stay in power. “There will be a smooth transition to a second Trump administration,” Mike Pompeo, the secretary of state, said. William Barr, the attorney general, has authorized federal prosecutors to begin to investigate election irregularities, a move that prompted the head of the justice department’s election crimes unit to step down from his position and move to another role. Trump also fired Christopher Krebs, the director of the federal agency that vouched for the reliability of the 2020 election and had pushed back on the president’s baseless claims of voter fraud.
Yet, despite all of Trump’s machinations, it is extremely unlikely he can find a way to stay in power or stage a coup. Here’s an explanation of why:
Trump refuses to accept that Joe Biden won the presidential election. Is there a constitutional path for him to stage a coup and stay in office for another term?
Not really. The electoral college meets on 14 December to cast its vote for president and nearly every state uses the statewide popular vote to allocate its electors. Biden is projected to win far more than the 270 electoral votes he needs to become president. His victory doesn’t hinge on one state and he has probably insurmountable leads in Michigan, Nevada, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Arizona.
There is a long-shot legal theory, floated by Republicans before the election, that Republican-friendly legislatures in places such as Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania could ignore the popular vote in their states and appoint their own electors. Federal law allows legislatures to do this if states have “failed to make a choice” by the day the electoral college meets. But there is no evidence of systemic fraud or wrongdoing in any state and Biden’s commanding margins in these places make it clear that the states have in fact made a choice.
“If the country continues to follow the rule of law, I see no plausible constitutional path forward for Trump to remain as president barring new evidence of some massive failure of the election system in multiple states,” Richard Hasen, a law professor at the University of California, Irvine, who specializes in elections, wrote in an email. “It would be a naked, antidemocratic power grab to try to use state legislatures to get around the voters’ choice and I don’t expect it to happen.”
For lawmakers in a single state to choose to override the clear will of its voters this way would be extraordinary and probably cause a huge outcry. For Trump to win the electoral college, several states would have to take this extraordinary step, a move that would cause extreme backlash and a real crisis of democracy throughout the country.
“There’s a strange fascination with various imagined dark scenarios, perhaps involving renegade state legislatures, but this is more dystopian fiction than anything likely to happen,” said Richard Pildes, a law professor at New York University. “The irony, or tragedy, is that we managed to conduct an extremely smooth election, with record turnout, under exceptionally difficult circumstances – and yet, a significant portion of the president’s supporters are now convinced that the process was flawed.”
A live broadcast of Donald Trump speaking from the White House is shown on screens at an election night party in Las Vegas on 3 November. Photograph: John Locher/AP
Is there any indication Republicans in these important states are going to go along with this?
Shortly after election day, Jake Corman, the top Republican in the Pennsylvania state senate, indicated his party would “follow the law” in Pennsylvania, which requires awarding electors to the winner of the popular vote. In an October op-ed, Corman said the state legislature “does not have and will not have a hand in choosing the state’s presidential electors or in deciding the outcome of the presidential election”.
Republicans in the Pennsylvania legislature said they wanted to investigate allegations of voter fraud. There’s no evidence of widespread malfeasance in the state, but the move is alarming because it could be the beginning of an effort to undermine the popular vote results in the state. But in a major blow to the president’s legal efforts, the state’s supreme court ruled that Philadelphia election officials did not improperly block Trump’s campaign from observing the counting of mail-in ballots.
The Republican-led legislature in Michigan is also investigating the election, as are Republicans in Wisconsin. There’s no evidence of widespread wrongdoing in either place.
Is this related in any way to the lawsuits Trump is filing?
Trump’s campaign has filed a slew of legally dubious suits since election day. The purpose of these suits appears not to be to actually overturn the election results, but to try to create uncertainty and draw out the counting process.
Each state has its own deadlines for certifying election results that are then used to allocate its electoral college votes. In at least two states, Pennsylvania and Michigan, Trump’s campaign is seeking to block officials from certifying results.
That certification timeline is important because federal law says that as long as election results are finalized by 8 December this year, the result is “conclusive”. That provides a safeguard against Congress, which is responsible for counting the electoral college votes, from second-guessing election results. By dragging out the process, the Trump campaign may be seeking to blow past that deadline and create more wiggle room to second-guess the results.
Even if that is the Trump campaign’s hope, courts are unlikely to step in, Pildes said.
“States are going to start certifying their vote totals beginning in less than 10 days, and there is no basis in the claims made thus far for the courts to stop that process,” he said.
05:51 Can Joe Biden and Kamala Harris unite America after Trump? – video explainer
Say the worst-case scenario comes to fruition and Republican-led legislatures override the will of the people in several states. Is there any safeguard to stop Trump?
Yes. Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Nevada all have Democratic governors who would refuse to approve a set of Trump electors with the popular vote clearly showing Biden winning their state. Instead, they would submit the electors Biden is entitled to as the winner of the popular vote.
It would then fall to Congress, which is charged with counting the votes from the electoral college, to decide what to do. The law that outlines the process for how Congress should handle a dispute in electors from a state is extremely confusing, but experts believe the slate backed by a state’s governor is the legally sound one. There is a rival theory that the president of the Senate, Mike Pence, could have control over the process. A dispute over electors between the US House and Senate is a worst-case scenario and the US supreme court would probably be asked to step in.
Regardless of however long a dispute is, the constitution does set one final deadline. Even if counting is ongoing, the president and vice-president’s terms both end at noon on 20 January. At that point if there isn’t a final result in the race, the speaker of the House – probably Nancy Pelosi – would become the acting president.


theguardian--2020-11-20--'The war on drugs failed': California lawmaker will push to decriminalize psychedelics

The movement to reform drug policy celebrated a number of victories in the recent election , with voters across America opting to legalize marijuana and decriminalize narcotics in an unprecedented overhaul .
Now , a California lawmaker has announced he will take on the arduous battle to decriminalize psychedelics in the state , citing Oregon , which voted to decriminalize hard drugs and legalize psilocybin , and the District of Columbia , which has decriminalized psychedelics , as inspiration .
“ The war on drugs has been an abject failure , ” Scott Wiener , the California state senator who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Guardian .
To drug policy activists who doubted ever seeing their efforts take hold on a legislative level , the moment marks a sea change in the political will to overturn America ’ s failed drug policies .
Should Wiener find success when he introduces the bill in the next legislative session , California would be the largest state to decriminalize psychedelics in the US .
“ We have come a really long ways , ” said David Hodges , the founder of Zide Door Church of Entheogenic Plants , an Oakland-based @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fact that there ’ s a chance that this could be done through the legislature rather than through voter initiative is just a sign of how far things have moved.
” Wiener , however , faces an uphill battle .
Despite California ’ s reputation as a relatively drug-friendly state – and cities such as Oakland and Santa Cruz already decriminalizing psychedelics at a local level – convincing politicians to appear to take a public stance in favor of a controversial issue like drugs will never be easy .
The majority of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through voter initiatives , meaning drug reform advocates had to go through a lengthy and expensive process of collecting the tens of thousands , sometimes hundreds of thousands , of signatures needed to get a proposal on their state ’ s ballot .
This is the traditional route for most drug reforms , advocates said .
“ Historically on controversial issues , including drugs , the people have been way ahead of the politicians , ” said Anthony Johnson , a longtime advocate and chief petitioner for Oregon ’ s Measure 110 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of small amounts of all illicit drugs .
In New Jersey , the issue of legalizing recreational marijuana went to the ballot after it failed in the state legislature .
These initiatives are time-consuming and costly .
Measure 110 cost about $ 3.5m just for the campaign , but Johnson estimated that including the cost of getting on the ballot and Covid-19 restrictions , the price tag was probably closer to $ 5m .
“ And that ’ s for a state of about 6m people , ” he said .
“ Extrapolate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – with a population of close to 40m and land mass more than one and a half times the size of Oregon – “ and you can get a sense of how expensive that can be.
” Without statewide reforms , local measures such as those in Oakland and Santa Cruz can only go so far .
Local officials can ’ t change state laws , so they can only instruct their police departments to de-prioritize certain drug crimes .
“ Then either your police department cooperates or it doesn ’ t , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clearly illustrated in Oakland when , in August , police officers stormed into Zide Door Church of Entheogenic Plants with their guns drawn .
While they made no arrests , they confiscated $ 200,000 in cannabis and psilocybin mushroom products , according to Hodges , the church ’ s founder .
Decriminalization on the state level would prevent something like that from happening again .
Hodges always thought that decriminalizing psychedelics in California would take a voter initiative – a group had tried to get a measure on the ballot for the 2020 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enough signatures in time .
“ I would never have imagined there would be talk about doing this within the California senate , ” he said .
Advocates credit the public awareness around drug use and addiction with the changing perception and political will .
“ People saw that marijuana really wasn ’ t that bad , and then they start wondering , what else isn ’ t so dangerous ?
” Hodges said .
Scientists have started exploring using psilocybin to treat depression , post-traumatic stress disorder and addiction , but have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ In the Nixon days , it was easy to blame drugs on people of color and the hippies , ” Johnson said .
“ Now the president-elect ’ s son is open and honest about his drug addiction issues .
It ’ s become apparent that it ’ s no longer a cultural divide .
Drug addiction and drug use affects everyone ’ s lives.
” Wiener is still in the early phases of putting together his bill , and is working out the fine details .
He knows the challenges before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ challenging in the legislature , ” he said .
But in 2018 , he was able to get a bill that allowed for supervised , safe drug injection sites in the state to then-governor Jerry Brown ’ s desk .
Brown vetoed it .
“ We have been able to pass drug policy bills in the legislature , ” Wiener said .
“ The democratic caucus in both chambers is very diverse .
We ’ ve got a shot.
” Wiener said he would love to eventually introduce a bill similar to Measure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the use and possession of small amounts of all drugs .
And for that , Johnson knows all eyes will be on Oregon for the next few years .
He says he ’ s excited that people are already turning to his state as an example .
“ When you pass a measure like this and then it just immediately builds progress , whether it ’ s a legislator in California speaking up or a measure in Washington taking shape , it ’ s a relief to see science beginning to win the @ @ @

Sign up for the Guardian Today US newsletter
The movement to reform drug policy celebrated a number of victories in the recent election, with voters across America opting to legalize marijuana and decriminalize narcotics in an unprecedented overhaul.
Now, a California lawmaker has announced he will take on the arduous battle to decriminalize psychedelics in the state, citing Oregon, which voted to decriminalize hard drugs and legalize psilocybin, and the District of Columbia, which has decriminalized psychedelics, as inspiration.
“The war on drugs has been an abject failure,” Scott Wiener, the California state senator who plans to introduce the legislation, told the Guardian.
To drug policy activists who doubted ever seeing their efforts take hold on a legislative level, the moment marks a sea change in the political will to overturn America’s failed drug policies. Should Wiener find success when he introduces the bill in the next legislative session, California would be the largest state to decriminalize psychedelics in the US.
“We have come a really long ways,” said David Hodges, the founder of Zide Door Church of Entheogenic Plants, an Oakland-based mushroom and cannabis church. “Just the fact that there’s a chance that this could be done through the legislature rather than through voter initiative is just a sign of how far things have moved.”
Wiener, however, faces an uphill battle. Despite California’s reputation as a relatively drug-friendly state – and cities such as Oakland and Santa Cruz already decriminalizing psychedelics at a local level – convincing politicians to appear to take a public stance in favor of a controversial issue like drugs will never be easy.
Scott Wiener is still in the early phases of putting together his bill, and is working out the fine details Photograph: Rich Pedroncelli/AP
The majority of changes in the 2020 election were done through voter initiatives, meaning drug reform advocates had to go through a lengthy and expensive process of collecting the tens of thousands, sometimes hundreds of thousands, of signatures needed to get a proposal on their state’s ballot.
This is the traditional route for most drug reforms, advocates said. “Historically on controversial issues, including drugs, the people have been way ahead of the politicians,” said Anthony Johnson, a longtime advocate and chief petitioner for Oregon’s Measure 110, the initiative that just decriminalized personal possession of small amounts of all illicit drugs. In New Jersey, the issue of legalizing recreational marijuana went to the ballot after it failed in the state legislature.
These initiatives are time-consuming and costly. Measure 110 cost about $3.5m just for the campaign, but Johnson estimated that including the cost of getting on the ballot and Covid-19 restrictions, the price tag was probably closer to $5m. “And that’s for a state of about 6m people,” he said. “Extrapolate that over a state like California” – with a population of close to 40m and land mass more than one and a half times the size of Oregon – “and you can get a sense of how expensive that can be.”
Without statewide reforms, local measures such as those in Oakland and Santa Cruz can only go so far. Local officials can’t change state laws, so they can only instruct their police departments to de-prioritize certain drug crimes. “Then either your police department cooperates or it doesn’t,” Wiener said.
This predicament was clearly illustrated in Oakland when, in August, police officers stormed into Zide Door Church of Entheogenic Plants with their guns drawn. While they made no arrests, they confiscated $200,000 in cannabis and psilocybin mushroom products, according to Hodges, the church’s founder.
Decriminalization on the state level would prevent something like that from happening again. Hodges always thought that decriminalizing psychedelics in California would take a voter initiative – a group had tried to get a measure on the ballot for the 2020 election, but couldn’t get enough signatures in time. “I would never have imagined there would be talk about doing this within the California senate,” he said.
Advocates credit the public awareness around drug use and addiction with the changing perception and political will. “People saw that marijuana really wasn’t that bad, and then they start wondering, what else isn’t so dangerous?” Hodges said. Scientists have started exploring using psilocybin to treat depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and addiction, but have consistently run up against legal barriers.
People saw that marijuana really wasn’t that bad, and then they start wondering, what else isn’t so dangerous? David Hodges
“In the Nixon days, it was easy to blame drugs on people of color and the hippies,” Johnson said. “Now the president-elect’s son is open and honest about his drug addiction issues. It’s become apparent that it’s no longer a cultural divide. Drug addiction and drug use affects everyone’s lives.”
Wiener is still in the early phases of putting together his bill, and is working out the fine details. He knows the challenges before him. “Drug policy is always challenging in the legislature,” he said. But in 2018, he was able to get a bill that allowed for supervised, safe drug injection sites in the state to then governor Jerry Brown’s desk. Brown vetoed it. “We have been able to pass drug policy bills in the legislature,” Wiener said. “The Democratic caucus in both chambers is very diverse. We’ve got a shot.”
Wiener said he would love to eventually introduce a bill similar to Measure 110 in Oregon – one that decriminalizes the use and possession of small amounts of all drugs.
And for that, Johnson knows all eyes will be on Oregon for the next few years. He says he’s excited that people are already turning to his state as an example.
“When you pass a measure like this and then it just immediately builds progress, whether it’s a legislator in California speaking up or a measure in Washington taking shape, it’s a relief to see science beginning to win the day.”


theguardian--2020-11-20--‘He made a connection’: how did Trump manage to boost his support among rural Americans?

Just a few months ago , Neil Shaffer thought Iowa was lost to Donald Trump .
“ I was worried .
We were in the midst of Covid and the economy wasn ’ t doing so good and Trump wasn ’ t handling the Covid interviews very well , and I was thinking this is gon na be a bloodbath , ” said the farmer and chair of a county Republican party in the north-east of the state .
But on election day , rural Iowa turned out in force for Trump .
He not only beat Joe Biden decisively @ @ @ @ @ @ @ predicted would be close , but the president significantly increased his vote in counties that put Barack Obama into the White House and which then flipped to Trump .
Howard county , where Shaffer lives , swung from Obama to Trump by a massive 42 points in 2016 , the largest shift in the nation .
This year , support for the president increased by another seven points to the horror of Democrats who hoped to reduce Trump ’ s share of the vote even if they did not expect to take back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ half of Iowa ’ s 99 counties .
Two weeks ago , Biden took just six .
That was a pattern repeated across midwestern farmlands as Trump solidified support in America ’ s rural heartland , deepening a divide with the region ’ s cities that delivered victory to Biden in key swing states .
“ Out here , I think 2016 was less a vote for Trump than a vote against Hillary , ” said Shaffer .
“ A lot of people were not sold on her and so they were willing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Now they are Trump people .
They believe in him .
They came out in force.
” Shaffer said Trump commands a loyalty among a core of rural voters that he has not seen for a president before , and that it isn ’ t going away even when he leaves office .
“ I do believe this Trump moment is long .
He ’ s changed politics .
It ’ s kind of like Ronald Reagan but this has become more of a movement .
Nobody was hanging Reagan flags , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election would turn into a referendum of Trump ’ s handling of coronavirus , and that the verdict would not be good after the president ’ s disastrous daily televised briefings in which he contradicted his own scientists .
But Trump increasingly won over voters in the heartland as he cast his objections to the wearing of masks and the closing of businesses to enforce social distancing as matters of personal independence and economic survival .
At about the same time , an unusually large wave of sympathy for George Floyd after he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in May gave way to alarm in parts of the country at sometimes violent protests in cities such as Portland , Oregon , and rising demands to “ defund the police ” .
“ The George Floyd protests had support from people , ” said Cedrick Schlecht , a mechanic and Trump voter who counts himself among those who initially backed Black Lives Matter demands for police accountability .
“ They had a lot of support behind them for reform but then they started torching buildings and looting , and talking about defunding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Reform the police would have been a better choice of words because people around here thought defund meant eliminating the police , and that was too far to the left for people.
” Leading Democrats denounced the violence but hedged on wider issues of police reform which , seen from rural Iowa , gave weight to Republican claims that radicals would wield power in a Biden presidency .
But long before that Trump solidified at least some of his support after an outpouring of anger from some liberals who blamed Clinton ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ America .
“ People felt slighted by them calling us racist hicks and talking about the backwards midwest out in the sticks , ” said Schlecht .
Shaffer said that played a part in driving more voters to the president this year .
“ It was a huge insult to say that you support Trump because you ’ re racist .
A lot of them here voted for Obama , ” he said .
“ The Democrats see us as uneducated , simple thinkers who ’ ve got guns .
It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Iowa.
” Yet it is clear that some Trump voters are racist , and that other supporters set aside the president ’ s own racially motivated divisiveness and belligerence even though they claim to dislike it .
“ I know he says those things and it ’ s wrong , ” said a businesswoman who twice voted for Obama and then took a chance on Trump because she thought he would be good for the economy .
“ I wish he would stop tweeting .
But it ’ s not enough to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If anything , I feel more alienated from the Democrats over the past year .
They ’ ve gone off the reservation .
I don ’ t recognise them any more.
” Trump , on the other hand , has successfully portrayed himself to many midwestern voters as listening to their concerns and acting on them .
“ This is probably the most agricultural-friendly president I ’ ve seen in many years , ” said Shaffer , a farmer himself as well as working in river conservation .
“ This was the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on trade instead of just talking about it.
” Trump lavished grants on farmers he said were paid for from tariffs on Chinese imports .
“ The money from these tariffs on China went into farmers ’ pockets .
Our small farm , we have 145 acres of cropland , had $ 18,000 of this China money , ” he said .
“ Very few farmers that I know of were Biden supporters.
” Trump also benefited from a wider confidence in his handling of the economy , alongside tax cuts , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ America that he would be the best president to oversee the recovery after coronavirus .
“ One thing that helped him was the economy before coronavirus was really strong , ” said Schlecht .
“ Economies are like trains , it takes a while to slow down .
Once they ’ re stopped , it takes forever to get going again .
People are afraid Biden is going to stop the economy because of coronavirus.
” For all that , Trump still lost the election .
Schlecht , who is less enthusiastic about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ago but voted for him again because as a hunter he fears Biden will restrict gun ownership , said while he generates passionate support among some voters he alienates too many others .
“ Trump ’ s kind of an ass , pretty plainly .
He ’ s an abrasive personality .
He had his base but he could have expanded more towards pulling a few other people in to get more votes and he wasn ’ t interested in that at all .
He liked making people mad , ” he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ himself to blame for losing .
“ I think one of the biggest reasons Trump lost was that first debate .
It was so awful even my diehard Republican friends were mortified by it .
If he loses , he has no one else to blame .
It was his to lose , ” he said .
‘ That mentality is going to stick around ’ Shaffer still questions the election results although he is not firmly convinced they were rigged as the president claims .
“ This trickle trickle trickle of still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to maybe some fraudulent things that will perhaps start showing up , ” he said .
But Schlecht has no doubt Trump lost .
“ I think it ’ s pretty well legit .
There probably could have been a few thousand problem votes here and there , provisional ballots or ones that were postmarked late .
But on the whole , I don ’ t think that ’ s enough to make up the difference , ” he said .
Even with Trump gone , Schlecht reckons that his legacy in rural @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think that type of mentality is gon na stick around for a while .
Trump made a connection here , ” he said .
Shaffer said the consequence will be an end to what he called the country club Republican presidential candidate and a shift in the party ’ s politics in his region .
“ We are not the party of the the country club any more .
That was what Romney and George Bush Sr , and even George Jr. Now you ’ re going to have a more populist Republican @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s easier for a populist Republican to win in Iowa than it is an elitist , ” he said .

Just a few months ago, Neil Shaffer thought Iowa was lost to Donald Trump.
“I was worried. We were in the midst of Covid and the economy wasn’t doing so good and Trump wasn’t handling the Covid interviews very well, and I was thinking this is gonna be a bloodbath,” said the farmer and chair of a county Republican party in the north-east of the state.
But on election day, rural Iowa turned out in force for Trump. He not only beat Joe Biden decisively in a state that opinion polls consistently predicted would be close, but the president significantly increased his vote in counties that put Barack Obama into the White House and which then flipped to Trump.
Howard county, where Shaffer lives, swung from Obama to Trump by a massive 42 points in 2016, the largest shift in the nation. This year, support for the president increased by another seven points to the horror of Democrats who hoped to reduce Trump’s share of the vote even if they did not expect to take back Howard.
In 2008, Obama won half of Iowa’s 99 counties. Two weeks ago, Biden took just six. That was a pattern repeated across midwestern farmlands as Trump solidified support in America’s rural heartland, deepening a divide with the region’s cities that delivered victory to Biden in key swing states.
“Out here, I think 2016 was less a vote for Trump than a vote against Hillary,” said Shaffer. “A lot of people were not sold on her and so they were willing to roll the dice on Trump. Now they are Trump people. They believe in him. They came out in force.”
Shaffer said Trump commands a loyalty among a core of rural voters that he has not seen for a president before, and that it isn’t going away even when he leaves office.
Residents cast their votes on election day in Granger, Iowa. Photograph: KC McGinnis/The Guardian
“I do believe this Trump moment is long. He’s changed politics. It’s kind of like Ronald Reagan but this has become more of a movement. Nobody was hanging Reagan flags,” he said.
Shaffer had thought the election would turn into a referendum of Trump’s handling of coronavirus, and that the verdict would not be good after the president’s disastrous daily televised briefings in which he contradicted his own scientists. But Trump increasingly won over voters in the heartland as he cast his objections to the wearing of masks and the closing of businesses to enforce social distancing as matters of personal independence and economic survival.
At about the same time, an unusually large wave of sympathy for George Floyd after he was killed by a Minneapolis police officer in May gave way to alarm in parts of the country at sometimes violent protests in cities such as Portland, Oregon, and rising demands to “defund the police”.
“The George Floyd protests had support from people,” said Cedrick Schlecht, a mechanic and Trump voter who counts himself among those who initially backed Black Lives Matter demands for police accountability.
‘People felt slighted’
“They had a lot of support behind them for reform but then they started torching buildings and looting, and talking about defunding, and that all went away. Reform the police would have been a better choice of words because people around here thought defund meant eliminating the police, and that was too far to the left for people.”
Leading Democrats denounced the violence but hedged on wider issues of police reform which, seen from rural Iowa, gave weight to Republican claims that radicals would wield power in a Biden presidency.
But long before that Trump solidified at least some of his support after an outpouring of anger from some liberals who blamed Clinton’s loss on prejudiced white voters in rural America.
“People felt slighted by them calling us racist hicks and talking about the backwards midwest out in the sticks,” said Schlecht.
Neil Shaffer posed in the barren fields he used to farm in Cresco, Iowa, in December. Photograph: Jordan Gale/The Guardian
Shaffer said that played a part in driving more voters to the president this year.
“It was a huge insult to say that you support Trump because you’re racist. A lot of them here voted for Obama,” he said. “The Democrats see us as uneducated, simple thinkers who’ve got guns. It’s a huge boon for the Republican party of Iowa.”
Yet it is clear that some Trump voters are racist, and that other supporters set aside the president’s own racially motivated divisiveness and belligerence even though they claim to dislike it.
“I know he says those things and it’s wrong,” said a businesswoman who twice voted for Obama and then took a chance on Trump because she thought he would be good for the economy. “I wish he would stop tweeting. But it’s not enough to stop me voting for him again. If anything, I feel more alienated from the Democrats over the past year. They’ve gone off the reservation. I don’t recognise them any more.”
‘Very few farmers were Biden supporters’
Trump, on the other hand, has successfully portrayed himself to many midwestern voters as listening to their concerns and acting on them.
“This is probably the most agricultural-friendly president I’ve seen in many years,” said Shaffer, a farmer himself as well as working in river conservation. “This was the first time a president actually went to battle on trade instead of just talking about it.”
Trump lavished grants on farmers he said were paid for from tariffs on Chinese imports.
“The money from these tariffs on China went into farmers’ pockets. Our small farm, we have 145 acres of cropland, had $18,000 of this China money,” he said. “Very few farmers that I know of were Biden supporters.”
Trump also benefited from a wider confidence in his handling of the economy, alongside tax cuts, which underpinned a belief in parts of rural America that he would be the best president to oversee the recovery after coronavirus.
“One thing that helped him was the economy before coronavirus was really strong,” said Schlecht. “Economies are like trains, it takes a while to slow down. Once they’re stopped, it takes forever to get going again. People are afraid Biden is going to stop the economy because of coronavirus.”
For all that, Trump still lost the election.
An aerial view of mostly harvested farmland at sunset in the final days of the 2020 presidential election in Lacona, Iowa. Photograph: Mario Tama/Getty Images
Schlecht, who is less enthusiastic about the president than he was four years ago but voted for him again because as a hunter he fears Biden will restrict gun ownership, said while he generates passionate support among some voters he alienates too many others.
“Trump’s kind of an ass, pretty plainly. He’s an abrasive personality. He had his base but he could have expanded more towards pulling a few other people in to get more votes and he wasn’t interested in that at all. He liked making people mad,” he said.
Shaffer also thinks Trump only has himself to blame for losing.
“I think one of the biggest reasons Trump lost was that first debate. It was so awful even my diehard Republican friends were mortified by it. If he loses, he has no one else to blame. It was his to lose,” he said.
‘That mentality is going to stick around’
Shaffer still questions the election results although he is not firmly convinced they were rigged as the president claims.
“This trickle trickle trickle of still counting votes every day opens it up to maybe some fraudulent things that will perhaps start showing up,” he said.
But Schlecht has no doubt Trump lost.
“I think it’s pretty well legit. There probably could have been a few thousand problem votes here and there, provisional ballots or ones that were postmarked late. But on the whole, I don’t think that’s enough to make up the difference,” he said.
Even with Trump gone, Schlecht reckons that his legacy in rural America will be enduring.
“I think that type of mentality is gonna stick around for a while. Trump made a connection here,” he said.
Shaffer said the consequence will be an end to what he called the country club Republican presidential candidate and a shift in the party’s politics in his region.
“We are not the party of the the country club any more. That was what Romney and George Bush Sr, and even George Jr. Now you’re going to have a more populist Republican party which is good because obviously it’s easier for a populist Republican to win in Iowa than it is an elitist,” he said.


theguardian--2020-11-20--Along with everything else, Trump has killed satire as well | First Dog on the Moon

What is that stuff running down Rudy Giuliani ’ s face ?
Is it hair dye ?
Has his brain-coal @ @ @ @ @ lies ?
• Sign up here to get an email whenever First Dog cartoons are @ @ @ @ @ needs met at the First Dog shop if what you need is First Dog merchandise @ @

What is that stuff running down Rudy Giuliani’s face? Is it hair dye? Has his brain-coal been liquefied by all the lies?
Sign up here to get an email whenever First Dog cartoons are published
Get all your needs met at the First Dog shop if what you need is First Dog merchandise and prints


theguardian--2020-11-19--Trump's election legal challenges: where do things stand?

As Donald Trump continues to push falsehoods about the election , his legal team has failed to gain traction in court , present pertinent facts or evidence of widespread fraud .
Experts widely agree the evidence doesn ’ t exist , and election officials have declared the election , won by Joe Biden , the most secure in American history .
Experts say Trump has almost no chance of reversing the result .
But his repeated claims that the race was rigged are undermining public confidence in the system , the Associated Press reported , while instilling in his supporters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Republicans have made up to 30 legal challenges so far and by Thursday , more than two weeks after the polls closed for in-person voting and the bulk of mail-in ballots were received , 19 of those lawsuits had been denied , dismissed , settled or withdrawn , NBC reported .
Here is a summary of where Republican election challenges stand in six states : The case The Arizona Republican party is trying to block the certification of the election results in the state ’ s most populous county , Maricopa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ party ’ s lawsuit asking for a new hand count of a sampling of ballots .
An audit already completed by the county found no discrepancies , officials said .
What happened The judge has not issued a decision .
A hearing in the case is scheduled for Wednesday .
In a separate case , Trump ’ s campaign and the Republican National Committee had sought to delay the certification of election results in Maricopa County .
A judge dismissed the case on 13 November .
The case A high-profile conservative attorney , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in an attempt to block the certification of election results in Georgia .
Wood alleges Georgia illegally changed the process for handling absentee ballots , involving standards for judging signatures on absentee ballot envelopes .
Georgia ’ s deputy secretary of state has called Wood ’ s case a “ silly , baseless claim ” .
What happened A judge has scheduled a hearing for Thursday to consider a request for a temporary restraining order to halt certification .
The case Trump ’ s campaign is trying to block the certification of election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election officials “ allowed fraud and incompetence to corrupt the conduct of the 2020 general election ” .
Another lawsuit filed this week on behalf of two Republican poll challengers asks a court to halt the certification of election results until an independent audit is completed to “ ensure the accuracy and integrity of the election ” .
What happened There have been no decisions in either case .
Judges have already swatted down several other Republican efforts to block certification in the Detroit area .
The Trump campaign on Thursday withdrew their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The case Trump ’ s campaign is asking a judge to nullify Nevada ’ s election results or set them aside and declare him the winner , arguing that illegal or improper votes were cast and the use of optical scanning to process signatures on mail-in ballots violated state law .
The Trump lawsuit , filed on Tuesday , rehashes arguments that judges in Nevada and elsewhere have already rejected .
In a separate court filing this week , a voting watchdog group led by a conservative former state lawmaker wants a judge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
What happened There have been no rulings in either case .
The case A Trump campaign case aims to stop the state from certifying the election , alleging Philadelphia and six counties wrongly allowed voters to correct problems with mail-in ballots that were otherwise going to be disqualified for a technicality , like lacking a secrecy envelope or a signature .
The total number of affected ballots was not expected to come anywhere close to Biden ’ s margin of more than 80,000 votes .
What happened Trump ’ s personal lawyer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case this week after others withdrew , and the former New York City mayor argued in court on Tuesday for the first time since the 1990s .
Giuliani made wild allegations of a nationwide conspiracy by Democrats to steal the election .
No ruling yet .
The case Trump ’ s campaign on Wednesday filed for a recount in the counties that cover Milwaukee and Madison , both Democratic strongholds .
It alleged that absentee ballots were illegally altered or issued and that officials violated state law .
What happened Biden leads Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ requested by Trump will begin Friday and has to be complete by 1 December .
Officials say there is no evidence to back up the claims .

As Donald Trump continues to push falsehoods about the election, his legal team has failed to gain traction in court, present pertinent facts or evidence of widespread fraud. Experts widely agree the evidence doesn’t exist, and election officials have declared the election, won by Joe Biden, the most secure in American history.
Experts say Trump has almost no chance of reversing the result. But his repeated claims that the race was rigged are undermining public confidence in the system, the Associated Press reported, while instilling in his supporters the notion of an illegitimate Biden presidency.
The Republicans have made up to 30 legal challenges so far and by Thursday, more than two weeks after the polls closed for in-person voting and the bulk of mail-in ballots were received, 19 of those lawsuits had been denied, dismissed, settled or withdrawn, NBC reported.
Here is a summary of where Republican election challenges stand in six states:
Arizona
The case The Arizona Republican party is trying to block the certification of the election results in the state’s most populous county, Maricopa, until the court rules on the party’s lawsuit asking for a new hand count of a sampling of ballots. An audit already completed by the county found no discrepancies, officials said.
What happened The judge has not issued a decision. A hearing in the case is scheduled for Wednesday.
In a separate case, Trump’s campaign and the Republican National Committee had sought to delay the certification of election results in Maricopa County. A judge dismissed the case on 13 November.
Georgia
The case A high-profile conservative attorney, L Lin Wood Jr, has sued in an attempt to block the certification of election results in Georgia. Wood alleges Georgia illegally changed the process for handling absentee ballots, involving standards for judging signatures on absentee ballot envelopes. Georgia’s deputy secretary of state has called Wood’s case a “silly, baseless claim”.
What happened A judge has scheduled a hearing for Thursday to consider a request for a temporary restraining order to halt certification.
Michigan
The case Trump’s campaign is trying to block the certification of election results in the state, alleging that election officials “allowed fraud and incompetence to corrupt the conduct of the 2020 general election”.
Another lawsuit filed this week on behalf of two Republican poll challengers asks a court to halt the certification of election results until an independent audit is completed to “ensure the accuracy and integrity of the election”.
What happened There have been no decisions in either case. Judges have already swatted down several other Republican efforts to block certification in the Detroit area. The Trump campaign on Thursday withdrew their federal lawsuit challenging the Detroit-area results.
Nevada
The case Trump’s campaign is asking a judge to nullify Nevada’s election results or set them aside and declare him the winner, arguing that illegal or improper votes were cast and the use of optical scanning to process signatures on mail-in ballots violated state law. The Trump lawsuit, filed on Tuesday, rehashes arguments that judges in Nevada and elsewhere have already rejected.
In a separate court filing this week, a voting watchdog group led by a conservative former state lawmaker wants a judge to block statewide certification of the election.
What happened There have been no rulings in either case.
Pennsylvania
The case A Trump campaign case aims to stop the state from certifying the election, alleging Philadelphia and six counties wrongly allowed voters to correct problems with mail-in ballots that were otherwise going to be disqualified for a technicality, like lacking a secrecy envelope or a signature. The total number of affected ballots was not expected to come anywhere close to Biden’s margin of more than 80,000 votes.
What happened Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, jumped into a case this week after others withdrew, and the former New York City mayor argued in court on Tuesday for the first time since the 1990s. Giuliani made wild allegations of a nationwide conspiracy by Democrats to steal the election. No ruling yet.
Wisconsin
The case Trump’s campaign on Wednesday filed for a recount in the counties that cover Milwaukee and Madison, both Democratic strongholds. It alleged that absentee ballots were illegally altered or issued and that officials violated state law.
What happened Biden leads Trump by 20,000 votes statewide. The recount requested by Trump will begin Friday and has to be complete by 1 December. Officials say there is no evidence to back up the claims.


theguardian--2020-11-19--Fight to Vote: A revolt against Trump's election denialism

As the Covid-19 pandemic rages across the country , so too are officials and citizens sick of Donald Trump and his Republican allies undermining the election .
In three key states that flipped for Democrats , the fight over election results has continued amid lawsuits and disinformation .
As Republicans attempt to finagle any last votes – despite the fact that they lost overwhelmingly – it ’ s clear that some have lost patience .
In Wayne county , Michigan , local Republican officials initially refused to confirm the election results in Detroit , a majority-Black city that largely favored @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those officials was fierce .
“ The Trump stain , the stain of racism that you , William Hartmann and Monica Palmer , have covered yourself in , is going to follow you throughout history , ” said Ned Staebler , a business owner in the county .
In Georgia , where the state performed a manual recount because of the close race , the normally staid secretary of state , Brad Raffensberger , said other Republicans such as South Carolina ’ s Lindsey Graham and the Georgia Senate candidate Doug Collins were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I ’ m an engineer .
We look at numbers .
We look at hard data , ” Raffensperger said .
“ I can ’ t help it that a failed candidate like Collins is running around lying to everyone .
He ’ s a liar.
” Meanwhile , the Trump campaign is pouring $ 3m into a partial recount of the votes in two Wisconsin counties .
The president claims his observers were not stationed close enough to the ballot count to spot mistakes .
Local officials disagreed .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not why they were chosen , ” the Milwaukee mayor , Tom Barrett , said of the counties chosen for recounts .
“ They were chosen because they are the two counties that have a very high percentage of Democratic voters .
That ’ s 100 % why they were chosen.
” Meanwhile , Trump has continued firing anybody who stands up to him .
On Tuesday night , the president fired Chris Krebs , the Department of Homeland Security cybersecurity chief in charge of securing the election .
On Monday , Krebs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ compromised by voter fraud , as Trump has charged .
Another DHS cybersecurity official , Bryan Ware , is also resigning from the department .
But there is reason to give thanks With Thanksgiving around the corner , it ’ s crucial to think about the power of Native voters – one of the last groups in the US to gain the right to vote .
This year , they played a key role in Biden ’ s win in states such as Arizona and Wisconsin .
For example , the margin in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as of Monday .
There were 67,000 eligible voters on the Navajo Nation , which heavily supported Biden .
Turnout was also high despite the extensive hurdles many Native Americans face when it comes to casting a ballot on rural reservation land .
I ’ ll leave you with this gem : the whole video of Ned Staebler ’ s comment to Wayne county officials .

Sign up for the Guardian’s Fight to Vote newsletter
Good morning Fight to Vote readers,
As the Covid-19 pandemic rages across the country, so too are officials and citizens sick of Donald Trump and his Republican allies undermining the election.
In three key states that flipped for Democrats, the fight over election results has continued amid lawsuits and disinformation. As Republicans attempt to finagle any last votes – despite the fact that they lost overwhelmingly – it’s clear that some have lost patience.
‘The Trump stain’
In Wayne county, Michigan, local Republican officials initially refused to confirm the election results in Detroit, a majority-Black city that largely favored Joe Biden. The backlash directed at those officials was fierce.
“The Trump stain, the stain of racism that you, William Hartmann and Monica Palmer, have covered yourself in, is going to follow you throughout history,” said Ned Staebler, a business owner in the county.
In Georgia, where the state performed a manual recount because of the close race, the normally staid secretary of state, Brad Raffensberger, said other Republicans such as South Carolina’s Lindsey Graham and the Georgia Senate candidate Doug Collins were pressuring him to throw out legal ballots.
“I’m an engineer. We look at numbers. We look at hard data,” Raffensperger said. “I can’t help it that a failed candidate like Collins is running around lying to everyone. He’s a liar.”
Meanwhile, the Trump campaign is pouring $3m into a partial recount of the votes in two Wisconsin counties. The president claims his observers were not stationed close enough to the ballot count to spot mistakes. Local officials disagreed.
“No, no, that’s not why they were chosen,” the Milwaukee mayor, Tom Barrett, said of the counties chosen for recounts. “They were chosen because they are the two counties that have a very high percentage of Democratic voters. That’s 100% why they were chosen.”
Meanwhile, Trump has continued firing anybody who stands up to him.
Say goodbye to Chris Krebs
On Tuesday night, the president fired Chris Krebs, the Department of Homeland Security cybersecurity chief in charge of securing the election. On Monday, Krebs had said that the election was not compromised by voter fraud, as Trump has charged.
ICYMI: On allegations that election systems were manipulated, 59 election security experts all agree, "in every case of which we are aware, these claims either have been unsubstantiated or are technically incoherent." #Protect2020 https://t.co/Oj6NciYruD — Chris Krebs #Protect2020 (@CISAKrebs) November 17, 2020
Another DHS cybersecurity official, Bryan Ware, is also resigning from the department.
But there is reason to give thanks
With Thanksgiving around the corner, it’s crucial to think about the power of Native voters – one of the last groups in the US to gain the right to vote. This year, they played a key role in Biden’s win in states such as Arizona and Wisconsin. For example, the margin in Arizona between Biden and Trump was 10,377 as of Monday. There were 67,000 eligible voters on the Navajo Nation, which heavily supported Biden.
Turnout was also high despite the extensive hurdles many Native Americans face when it comes to casting a ballot on rural reservation land.
I’ll leave you with this gem: the whole video of Ned Staebler’s comment to Wayne county officials.


theguardian--2020-11-19--'We knocked on 80,000 doors': how progressive Nithya Raman won Los Angeles

A Los Angeles urban planner who made homelessness and housing the central issues of her campaign and condemned the Los Angeles police department for “ responding to protests against police brutality with more police brutality ” , won a crucial local race this November .
Nithya Raman , 39 , joins the list of Bernie Sanders-endorsed progressives who have beaten Democratic party incumbents in closely watched races .
Her opponent , David Ryu , had been endorsed by Nancy Pelosi and Hillary Clinton .
Raman ’ s Los Angeles city council victory won ’ t change the balance of power @ @ @ @ @ @ @ win does show the impact progressives can have by organizing at the local level , and the intensity of enthusiasm she prompted among Angelenos has earned her comparisons to the New York congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez .
Raman ’ s campaign was powered by local advocacy groups , including the Sunrise Movement and Democratic Socialists of America , and she has endorsed a swath of bold progressive policies , from backing a Green New Deal , to arguing that some of the Los Angeles police department ’ s budget should be diverted to pay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workers .
She is pushing for a rent forgiveness program in response to the coronavirus crisis , and opposes all policies that criminalize people who are unhoused .
Raman spoke to the Guardian the week after her victory .
The conversation has been edited for length and clarity .
How significant were the George Floyd protests to the progressive victories in LA this year , including voters choosing a new , more progressive local prosecutor and supporting a measure to devote more taxpayer dollars to community prevention services , rather than incarceration ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ began making connections between what they were protesting in the streets and the decisions made by our county supervisors , our city council .
They were finding out the name of their city council person .
They were learning about what we spend on sheriffs and policing .
Many groups in Los Angeles , like Black Lives Matter LA and the Youth Justice Coalition , had been doing the work around these issues for a long time .
This election in Los Angeles was a result of that existing work on the ground @ @ @ @ @ @ @ built our campaign around voter engagement .
Even before the protests , we had over 600 volunteers come out .
We knocked on 80,000 doors , which as far as we know , is a record .
By the general election , we had 2,000 volunteers over all .
We had 1,000 people just in our Slack .
You had 1,000 people in one Slack channel ?
Your win was one of several progressive victories in Los Angeles this November .
Do you think there was a clear message that voters here were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ step back , what I see is that we have a city and a county where many of the residents have very progressive values , but for many years there ’ s been a real gap between what I saw around me as a progressive and the policymaking that came out of the city .
Many people had not voted in municipal elections before , and the people who did participate were , on the whole , wealthier and less diverse than the population .
This time , with the election overlapping with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ previous years , designed to encourage more people to vote in local elections ] , we had the opportunity for a larger voter turnout .
The last election in my district , just 24,000 people voted .
This general election , four times that number have voted already , with the votes still being counted .
This is a city that Bernie Sanders won and that Elizabeth Warren won .
What you had in this election was the opportunity to show the strength of progressive ideas here in Los Angeles , not just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whole range of issues .
I think it ’ s a mobilization that signals possibly bigger changes for Los Angeles going forward .
What lessons do you think other progressive candidates nationwide might be able to learn from your campaign ?
We really respected voters .
We talked to as many voters as possible and didn ’ t really distinguish people who were likely to vote and people who weren ’ t .
I would encourage every progressive candidate that is eyeing a run to start early and to get out to as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign , some people referred to you the AOC – Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez – of Los Angeles politics .
What do you think of that comparison ?
Um , I ’ m flattered !
She ’ s such a wonderful and eloquent voice .
The proudest moments in my campaign were when young women of color would come up to me and say that they were excited that they saw themselves in me .
I ’ m just really glad that there are more of us , you know ?
And that my daughter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will hopefully never have to wonder whether our political spaces are a space for her , because I ’ m there , and [ AOC ] is there .
As someone who took a very long time to step up and say I wanted to run for office , I ’ m hoping that the young women who are watching and seeing this don ’ t wait that long .

Sign up for the Guardian’s First Thing newsletter
A Los Angeles urban planner who made homelessness and housing the central issues of her campaign and condemned the Los Angeles police department for “responding to protests against police brutality with more police brutality”, won a crucial local race this November.
Nithya Raman, 39, joins the list of Bernie Sanders-endorsed progressives who have beaten Democratic party incumbents in closely watched races. Her opponent, David Ryu, had been endorsed by Nancy Pelosi and Hillary Clinton.
Raman’s Los Angeles city council victory won’t change the balance of power among Democrats in Washington. But her win does show the impact progressives can have by organizing at the local level, and the intensity of enthusiasm she prompted among Angelenos has earned her comparisons to the New York congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Raman’s campaign was powered by local advocacy groups, including the Sunrise Movement and Democratic Socialists of America, and she has endorsed a swath of bold progressive policies, from backing a Green New Deal, to arguing that some of the Los Angeles police department’s budget should be diverted to pay for unarmed community crisis specialists and outreach workers. She is pushing for a rent forgiveness program in response to the coronavirus crisis, and opposes all policies that criminalize people who are unhoused.
Raman spoke to the Guardian the week after her victory. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
How significant were the George Floyd protests to the progressive victories in LA this year, including voters choosing a new, more progressive local prosecutor and supporting a measure to devote more taxpayer dollars to community prevention services, rather than incarceration?
After the protests began happening, people began making connections between what they were protesting in the streets and the decisions made by our county supervisors, our city council. They were finding out the name of their city council person. They were learning about what we spend on sheriffs and policing. Many groups in Los Angeles, like Black Lives Matter LA and the Youth Justice Coalition, had been doing the work around these issues for a long time. This election in Los Angeles was a result of that existing work on the ground, plus this widespread engagement.
Social workers join Black Lives Matter members during a demonstration against racism and police brutality in Los Angeles, on 13 June 2020. Photograph: Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images
We built our campaign around voter engagement. Even before the protests, we had over 600 volunteers come out. We knocked on 80,000 doors, which as far as we know, is a record. By the general election, we had 2,000 volunteers over all. We had 1,000 people just in our Slack.
You had 1,000 people in one Slack channel?
It’s a very respectful Slack.
Your win was one of several progressive victories in Los Angeles this November. Do you think there was a clear message that voters here were sending to city officials?
If you step back, what I see is that we have a city and a county where many of the residents have very progressive values, but for many years there’s been a real gap between what I saw around me as a progressive and the policymaking that came out of the city.
What you had in this election was the opportunity to show the strength of progressive ideas here in Los Angeles
Many people had not voted in municipal elections before, and the people who did participate were, on the whole, wealthier and less diverse than the population. This time, with the election overlapping with the federal election [a change from previous years, designed to encourage more people to vote in local elections], we had the opportunity for a larger voter turnout. The last election in my district, just 24,000 people voted. This general election, four times that number have voted already, with the votes still being counted.
This is a city that Bernie Sanders won and that Elizabeth Warren won. What you had in this election was the opportunity to show the strength of progressive ideas here in Los Angeles, not just around criminal justice, but around a whole range of issues. I think it’s a mobilization that signals possibly bigger changes for Los Angeles going forward.
We really respected voters. We talked to as many voters as possible and didn’t really distinguish people who were likely to vote and people who weren’t. I would encourage every progressive candidate that is eyeing a run to start early and to get out to as many voters as possible.
During the campaign, some people referred to you the AOC – Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez – of Los Angeles politics. What do you think of that comparison?
Um, I’m flattered! She’s such a wonderful and eloquent voice. The proudest moments in my campaign were when young women of color would come up to me and say that they were excited that they saw themselves in me. I’m just really glad that there are more of us, you know? And that my daughter, who is five years old, will hopefully never have to wonder whether our political spaces are a space for her, because I’m there, and [AOC] is there.
As someone who took a very long time to step up and say I wanted to run for office, I’m hoping that the young women who are watching and seeing this don’t wait that long.


theguardian--2020-11-19--'The fight doesn't stop here': what LGBTQ+ advocates want from a Biden presidency

Joe Biden has promised to undo years of anti-LGBTQ+ policies by Donald Trump ’ s administration , but advocates and civil rights leaders are urging the president-elect to go further in expanding protections and opportunities for queer and transgender people .
In its four years in office , the Trump administration systematically attacked the fundamental rights of LGBTQ+ people , stripping away safeguards enacted in the previous administration in education , immigration , healthcare , housing and criminal justice .
The administration in particular targeted trans rights , boosting Republican efforts to exploit trans people with fear-mongering campaign messages , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ definitions of gender that erase trans identity .
Some efforts were more successful than others , but the cumulative impact was severe .
“ I ’ ve been afraid to be growing up in this world where I ’ m not wanted and not accepted , ” said Aryn Bucci-Mooney , a 16-year-old trans student and youth activist in Albany , New York .
“ The climate that Trump has perpetuated is astonishing .
My mental health has declined because of it … It ’ s just been a big sigh of relief @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
One of Trump ’ s earliest efforts to strip away trans rights came in July 2017 , when he announced by tweet that “ the United States government will not accept or allow transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the US military ” .
The ban , which has survived repeated court challenges , impacted an estimated 15,000 trans personnel along with countless others forced to hide their identities or change career paths .
It was the start of a broader offensive that included repeated efforts to deny @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with regulations that encouraged discrimination in schools , sports , medical care , prisons , homeless shelters , employment and beyond .
Trump rolled back protections for trans people in Title VII of the Civil Rights Act , which had prohibited employment discrimination based on gender identity by government contractors .
He also reversed health protections for trans people .
The administration pushed to allow federally funded homeless shelters to reject trans people and no longer mandated the bureau of prisons to consider gender identity when making decisions over where to house prisoners @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Betsy DeVos rescinded anti-discrimination protections for trans children and threatened to take funding from schools that allowed trans athletes to participate on teams that matched their gender .
The policies , said Eliza Byard , executive director of Glsen , a group that works with LGBTQ+ youth , forced trans students across the country to return to using incorrect facilities , a practice that has been linked to increased rates of assault and other serious harms .
The damage will be lasting , she said : “ What has been taken from them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Trump ’ s policies were challenged in court .
In a major victory for LGBTQ+ rights groups , the supreme court ruled in June that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act does protect gay and trans workers .
But Trump ’ s term coincided with reports of increased bullying and harassment in schools , a surge in hate crimes and record levels of violence .
Bucci-Mooney , the trans student , came out when he was 12 at the start of Trump ’ s presidency .
He said he was taunted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ boy ’ s soccer team , and that he eventually quit .
Now on the wrestling team , the high school junior said it would be a relief to have federal policy that supports his basic right to exist .
Trump ’ s rules “ validate the idea that we are not human beings , that it ’ s OK to discriminate against us simply because we were born in the wrong body , that it ’ s OK to take away a student ’ s right to feel safe ” , Bucci-Mooney @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are talking about.
” Nic Talbott , a 27-year-old Ohio resident , was working with an Air Force National Guard recruiter when Trump announced the ban on trans people in the military , forcing him to abandon his plans .
A plaintiff in the legal case challenging the ban , Talbott was denied student loan forgiveness , scholarships , access to health care and other opportunities when he wasn ’ t able to enlist .
He plans enroll in the Reserve Officers ’ Training Corps after Biden removes the ban .
“ It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ friends starting their careers and their families , and I ’ m just sitting here waiting to begin my adult life.
” Serving in the closet was not an option : “ I should be able to live in my private and public life as the best version of myself.
” On LGTBQ+ rights , Biden ’ s team has promised “ the most comprehensive plan to advance equality ” in history .
That starts by dismantling Trump ’ s agenda , including a repeal of the military ’ s trans ban .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ guidance guaranteeing that trans students can access appropriate sports activities , bathrooms , locker rooms and other facilities on his first day in office .
He promised to restore protections for trans people in Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and will reinstate protections for trans people in federally funded homeless shelters .
Under Biden , the US bureau of prisons will reestablish rules that allow trans people to be housed based on their gender .
But activists on the left are hoping Biden does more than return to the policies of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t stop here after election day , ” said Bucci-Mooney .
Biden has pledged to pass the Equality Act , which would strengthen LGBTQ+ protections under the law , though its passage likely hinges on whether Democrats take control of the Senate .
With federal protections secured , advocates argue , the justice department under Biden should aggressively and proactively target anti-trans laws on the state level .
Several states are currently pushing bills to target healthcare and athletic opportunities for trans children and force schools to out trans students to their families @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said Chase Strangio , deputy director for trans justice at the ACLU , who helped win the Title VII case .
“ We ’ re putting young people at incredible risk , either compromising their care when they have supportive families , or outing them when they don ’ t .
We ’ re absolutely going to cause people to die , and it will be catastrophic.
” Strangio said he also hoped the new administration would use the supreme court decision as an opportunity to expand anti-discrimination protections across federal agencies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ law .
On immigration , Biden has promised to rebuild the asylum system that Trump destroyed .
Biden has pledged to “ end prolonged detention ” , noting that LGBTQ+ migrants face higher rates of sexual violence in jail .
But activists are pushing the new administration to release all trans and queer people currently detained and to give them support when they arrive at the border , instead of jail .
“ This is the opportunity to ensure that trans immigrants are not detained , and that we provide them with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jorge Gutierrez , founder of Familia : Trans Queer Liberation Movement ( TQLM ) , a national LGBTQ+ Latinx group .
LGBTQ+ undocumented groups said they were concerned that Biden ’ s transition team now includes Cecilia Muñoz , an official from the Obama-Biden administration , who oversaw the record 3m deportations that took place in the Obama years .
“ It ’ s not good news for us that she ’ s back .
How do we prevent these deportations and push president-elect Biden to do better ?
” said Emilio Vicente @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he also wanted to see Biden ’ s DoJ use its authorities to investigate civil rights abuses against incarcerated trans people , and do more to release LGBTQ+ people and others in federal prisons who have suffered during Covid .
Although the Biden win was a relief , he added , “ This change in administration changes the terms on which we ’ re operating in many ways , but it doesn ’ t change the need for people to continue to organize and demand more from these systems .
”

Joe Biden has promised to undo years of anti-LGBTQ+ policies by Donald Trump’s administration, but advocates and civil rights leaders are urging the president-elect to go further in expanding protections and opportunities for queer and transgender people.
Aryn Bucci-Mooney, 16, is a youth activist in New York. Photograph: Courtesy of Aryn Bucci-Mooney
In its four years in office, the Trump administration systematically attacked the fundamental rights of LGBTQ+ people, stripping away safeguards enacted in the previous administration in education, immigration, healthcare, housing and criminal justice.
The administration in particular targeted trans rights, boosting Republican efforts to exploit trans people with fear-mongering campaign messages, and rewriting regulations with outdated and inaccurate definitions of gender that erase trans identity.
Some efforts were more successful than others, but the cumulative impact was severe. “I’ve been afraid to be growing up in this world where I’m not wanted and not accepted,” said Aryn Bucci-Mooney, a 16-year-old trans student and youth activist in Albany, New York.
“The climate that Trump has perpetuated is astonishing. My mental health has declined because of it … It’s just been a big sigh of relief with Biden’s win,” he said.
‘Some damage can’t be undone’
One of Trump’s earliest efforts to strip away trans rights came in July 2017, when he announced by tweet that “the United States government will not accept or allow transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the US military”. The ban, which has survived repeated court challenges, impacted an estimated 15,000 trans personnel along with countless others forced to hide their identities or change career paths.
It was the start of a broader offensive that included repeated efforts to deny trans people access to basic accommodations, with regulations that encouraged discrimination in schools, sports, medical care, prisons, homeless shelters, employment and beyond.
Trump rolled back protections for trans people in Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which had prohibited employment discrimination based on gender identity by government contractors. He also reversed health protections for trans people.
The administration pushed to allow federally funded homeless shelters to reject trans people and no longer mandated the bureau of prisons to consider gender identity when making decisions over where to house prisoners.
Demonstrators protest Donald Trump’s ban on transgender people in the military. Photograph: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters
Trump’s education secretary, Betsy DeVos rescinded anti-discrimination protections for trans children and threatened to take funding from schools that allowed trans athletes to participate on teams that matched their gender. The policies, said Eliza Byard, executive director of Glsen, a group that works with LGBTQ+ youth, forced trans students across the country to return to using incorrect facilities, a practice that has been linked to increased rates of assault and other serious harms. The damage will be lasting, she said: “What has been taken from them can’t be undone.”
Many of Trump’s policies were challenged in court. In a major victory for LGBTQ+ rights groups, the supreme court ruled in June that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act does protect gay and trans workers. But Trump’s term coincided with reports of increased bullying and harassment in schools, a surge in hate crimes and record levels of violence.
Bucci-Mooney, the trans student, came out when he was 12 at the start of Trump’s presidency. He said he was taunted and bullied when he played on the boy’s soccer team, and that he eventually quit. Now on the wrestling team, the high school junior said it would be a relief to have federal policy that supports his basic right to exist.
Trump’s rules “validate the idea that we are not human beings, that it’s OK to discriminate against us simply because we were born in the wrong body, that it’s OK to take away a student’s right to feel safe”, Bucci-Mooney said. “These are children we are talking about.”
Nic Talbott, a 27-year-old Ohio resident, was working with an Air Force National Guard recruiter when Trump announced the ban on trans people in the military, forcing him to abandon his plans. A plaintiff in the legal case challenging the ban, Talbott was denied student loan forgiveness, scholarships, access to health care and other opportunities when he wasn’t able to enlist. He plans enroll in the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps after Biden removes the ban.
“It’s been difficult to watch my friends starting their careers and their families, and I’m just sitting here waiting to begin my adult life.” Serving in the closet was not an option: “I should be able to live in my private and public life as the best version of myself.”
Nic Talbott, 27, is a plaintiff in a legal case challenging Trump’s ban on trans people in the military. Photograph: Keith Srakocic/AP
‘The fight doesn’t stop here’
On LGTBQ+ rights, Biden’s team has promised “the most comprehensive plan to advance equality” in history. That starts by dismantling Trump’s agenda, including a repeal of the military’s trans ban.
Biden also plans to reinstate the Obama-era guidance guaranteeing that trans students can access appropriate sports activities, bathrooms, locker rooms and other facilities on his first day in office.
He promised to restore protections for trans people in Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and will reinstate protections for trans people in federally funded homeless shelters. Under Biden, the US bureau of prisons will reestablish rules that allow trans people to be housed based on their gender.
But activists on the left are hoping Biden does more than return to the policies of 2016. “The fight doesn’t stop here after election day,” said Bucci-Mooney.
Biden has pledged to pass the Equality Act, which would strengthen LGBTQ+ protections under the law, though its passage likely hinges on whether Democrats take control of the Senate.
With federal protections secured, advocates argue, the justice department under Biden should aggressively and proactively target anti-trans laws on the state level. Several states are currently pushing bills to target healthcare and athletic opportunities for trans children and force schools to out trans students to their families.
LGBTQ+ activists and supporters rally outside the US supreme court in Washington DC. Photograph: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters
The bills could have fatal consequences, said Chase Strangio, deputy director for trans justice at the ACLU, who helped win the Title VII case. “We’re putting young people at incredible risk, either compromising their care when they have supportive families, or outing them when they don’t. We’re absolutely going to cause people to die, and it will be catastrophic.”
Strangio said he also hoped the new administration would use the supreme court decision as an opportunity to expand anti-discrimination protections across federal agencies, with an expansive interpretation of the law.
On immigration, Biden has promised to rebuild the asylum system that Trump destroyed. Biden has pledged to “end prolonged detention”, noting that LGBTQ+ migrants face higher rates of sexual violence in jail. But activists are pushing the new administration to release all trans and queer people currently detained and to give them support when they arrive at the border, instead of jail.
“This is the opportunity to ensure that trans immigrants are not detained, and that we provide them with the legal services they need,” said Jorge Gutierrez, founder of Familia: Trans Queer Liberation Movement (TQLM), a national LGBTQ+ Latinx group.
LGBTQ+ undocumented groups said they were concerned that Biden’s transition team now includes Cecilia Muñoz, an official from the Obama-Biden administration, who oversaw the record 3m deportations that took place in the Obama years. “It’s not good news for us that she’s back. How do we prevent these deportations and push president-elect Biden to do better?” said Emilio Vicente, another TQLM activist.
Strangio said he also wanted to see Biden’s DoJ use its authorities to investigate civil rights abuses against incarcerated trans people, and do more to release LGBTQ+ people and others in federal prisons who have suffered during Covid.
Although the Biden win was a relief, he added, “This change in administration changes the terms on which we’re operating in many ways, but it doesn’t change the need for people to continue to organize and demand more from these systems.”


theguardian--2020-11-20--'Dollars don't vote': Ocasio-Cortez and the 'Squad' rally for action on climate crisis – video

The New York congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was among members of the 'Squad ' , a group of progressive Democrats , @ @ @ @ @ Movement rally in Washington to push Joe Biden on tackling the climate emergency .
AOC @ @ @ @ @ to 'keep his promises ' to working families , women , minorities and climate activists @ @ @ @ @ .
In July , Biden outlined an ambitious climate plan that would spend $ 2tn @ @ @ @ @ clean-energy infrastructure while vowing to cut carbon emissions from electrical power to zero in 15 @ @ @ @ @ up pressure on Biden with protest outside Democratic headquarters

The New York congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was among members of the 'Squad', a group of progressive Democrats, who spoke at a Sunrise Movement rally in Washington to push Joe Biden on tackling the climate emergency.
AOC said they would urge Biden to 'keep his promises' to working families, women, minorities and climate activists as he fills his cabinet.
In July, Biden outlined an ambitious climate plan that would spend $2tn over four years investing in clean-energy infrastructure while vowing to cut carbon emissions from electrical power to zero in 15 years


theguardian--2020-11-20--Trump one of the 'most irresponsible presidents' in US history, Biden says – video

US president-elect Joe Biden says Donald Trump will go down in history as one of the 'most irresponsible presidents in @ @ @ @ @ his challenges to the election results 'incredibly damaging ' .
Biden said he was not @ @ @ @ @ refusal to concede the election would prevent a transfer of power , but added it @ @ @ @ @ who we are as a country ' .
• Biden condemns Trump as one of @ @ @ @ @ American history '

US president-elect Joe Biden says Donald Trump will go down in history as one of the 'most irresponsible presidents in American history', labelling his challenges to the election results 'incredibly damaging'. Biden said he was not concerned that Trump’s refusal to concede the election would prevent a transfer of power, but added it 'sends a horrible message about who we are as a country'.