theguardian--2020-10-16--'We don't have any choice': the young activists naming and shaming US politicians

It was a Saturday night in September when 160 or so middle and high school students logged on to a Zoom call about how to confront American politicians using tactics inspired by young civil rights activists fighting for the abolition of slavery .
The teenagers were online with the Sunrise Movement , a nationwide youth-led climate justice collective , to learn about organizing Wide Awake actions – noisy night-time protests – to force lawmakers accused of ignoring the climate emergency and racial injustice to listen to their demands .
It ’ s a civil disobedience tactic devised by the Wide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who confronted anti-abolitionists at night by banging pots and pans outside their homes in the run-up to the civil war .
Now , in the run-up to one of the most momentous elections in modern history , a new generation of young Americans who say they are tired of asking nicely and being ignored , are naming and shaming US politicians in an effort to get their concerns about the planet , police brutality , inequalities and immigration heard .
The first one targeted the Kentucky senator Mitch McConnell after details emerged about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In the days following the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg , Sunrise activists woke up key Republican senators including McConnell and Lindsey Graham , demanding that they delay the vote on Trump ’ s supreme court nominee until a new president is sworn in .
“ Even though we can ’ t vote , we can show up on the streets and wake up politicians .
It ’ s our future on the line not theirs , ” said 17-year-old Abby DiNardo , a senior from Delaware county .
The high school @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outside the home of the Republican senator Pat Toomey , a former Wall Street banker who has repeatedly voted against climate action measures .
The Sunrise Movement was founded by a small group of disparate young activists in 2017 and initially focussed on helping elect proponents of clean energy in the 2018 midterms .
It has since evolved into an influential youth-led political movement , with more than 400 hubs nationwide that use rallies , sit-ins and old-fashioned voter outreach to help elect local , state and national candidates who back key progressive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and police and immigration reform .
Sunrise members made about 200,000 calls to help Senator Ed Markey , a leading Green New Deal sponsor , win the Massachusetts Democratic primary election against Joe Kennedy who was backed by the House speaker , Nancy Pelosi .
On Thursday middle school students gathered outside the Philadelphia constitution centre during Joe Biden ’ s ABC town hall to demanded a better , bolder climate action plan from the Democratic presidential candidate .
“ Zero emissions by 2050 isn ’ t fast enough , ” said Maddy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is already happening , it ’ s not a theory .
If I do my part , I hope others will be empowered to fight for future generations too.
” Amid a mounting sense of urgency fuelled by Black Lives Matter protests , wildfires and Covid-19 , the movement has become notably younger .
Solei Yoder Salim , a sophomore from Lancaster , last month co-founded a high school hub which already has 40 or so active members from across the county .
Lancaster is a diverse progressive city surrounded by rural conservative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Salim , 15 , spends about five hours a day on electoral work including phone banking in Spanish for Mike Siegel , a Democrat running for Texas 10th congressional district , mailing postcards encouraging youngsters to vote in swing states , and organizing a forthcoming Wide Awake action .
“ The Green New Deal is worth fighting for , it ’ s important for the world and our country .
I like coming together with my community and other high schools , it ’ s important but also fun , ” Salim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than 15 million Americans have turned 18 since the last general election and the majority appear to want Trump out of the White House .
Biden holds a 33-point lead over Trump among 18- to 29-year-olds who plan to vote , according to a Harvard Institute of Politics poll last month .
While less than a third of young Biden voters said they were very enthusiastic about casting a ballot for the 77-year-old former vice-president , voter turnout among the under 30s could be key : 63 % of respondents said they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ compared to just 47 % in the same poll four years ago .
Troy Turner , 29 , Sunrise ’ s electoral coordinator for Pennsylvania , said : “ Biden is super unappealing to young people , he represents the old guard of politics favoring style over substance .
Young people are policy voters , but we have to vote for Biden as he represents potential for a livable future .
Trump represents the apocalypse.
” The movement ’ s endorsements for Congress include Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ; Qasim Rashid , a Muslim anti-violence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Marquita Bradshaw in Tennessee .
But they are mostly supporting local candidates like the anti-fracking advocate Danielle Friel Otten in Chester county , who is up for re-election to the state house .
DiNardo , who is holed up with a handful of colleagues from the Down Ballot Disruption project in a rented house in North Carolina , coaches juniors and seniors on how to do banner drops , town halls and phone banking to help turnout voters for endorsed candidates in 33 states .
“ A lot of these down ballot races @ @ @ @ @ @ @ votes and most people don ’ t pay attention , but we can ’ t win a Green New Deal without these candidates .
A lot of young people don ’ t love Biden , but it ’ s not just about the presidency , ” she said .
Voter turnout is crucial , but it may not be enough .
Trump and his allies have refused to commit to a peaceful transition of power while making wild , unsubstantiated claims about widespread voter fraud .
Abby Leedy , 19 , a full-time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hub leaders on how to mobilize large numbers of protesters in case Trump tries to steal the election .
“ We need to to be ready if Trump tries to pull off a coup by mobilizing his supporters especially white supremacist groups to come to places like Philadelphia and do God knows what .
We ’ re preparing people , but if his supporters start shooting or drive into the crowd there could be a massacre .
This keeps me awake at night , but we really don ’ t have any choice @ @

It was a Saturday night in September when 160 or so middle and high school students logged on to a Zoom call about how to confront American politicians using tactics inspired by young civil rights activists fighting for the abolition of slavery.
The teenagers were online with the Sunrise Movement, a nationwide youth-led climate justice collective, to learn about organizing Wide Awake actions – noisy night-time protests – to force lawmakers accused of ignoring the climate emergency and racial injustice to listen to their demands.
It’s a civil disobedience tactic devised by the Wide Awakes – a radical youth abolitionist organization who confronted anti-abolitionists at night by banging pots and pans outside their homes in the run-up to the civil war.
Now, in the run-up to one of the most momentous elections in modern history, a new generation of young Americans who say they are tired of asking nicely and being ignored, are naming and shaming US politicians in an effort to get their concerns about the planet, police brutality, inequalities and immigration heard.
The first one targeted the Kentucky senator Mitch McConnell after details emerged about the police killing of Breonna Taylor. In the days following the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sunrise activists woke up key Republican senators including McConnell and Lindsey Graham, demanding that they delay the vote on Trump’s supreme court nominee until a new president is sworn in.
“Even though we can’t vote, we can show up on the streets and wake up politicians. It’s our future on the line not theirs,” said 17-year-old Abby DiNardo, a senior from Delaware county. The high school senior recently coordinated a Wide Awake action outside the home of the Republican senator Pat Toomey, a former Wall Street banker who has repeatedly voted against climate action measures.
The Sunrise Movement was founded by a small group of disparate young activists in 2017 and initially focussed on helping elect proponents of clean energy in the 2018 midterms.
‘We can show up on the streets and wake up politicians.’ Photograph: Sunrise Movement
It has since evolved into an influential youth-led political movement, with more than 400 hubs nationwide that use rallies, sit-ins and old-fashioned voter outreach to help elect local, state and national candidates who back key progressive issues such as the Green New Deal and police and immigration reform.
Sunrise members made about 200,000 calls to help Senator Ed Markey, a leading Green New Deal sponsor, win the Massachusetts Democratic primary election against Joe Kennedy who was backed by the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi.
On Thursday middle school students gathered outside the Philadelphia constitution centre during Joe Biden’s ABC town hall to demanded a better, bolder climate action plan from the Democratic presidential candidate.
If I do my part, I hope others will be empowered to fight for future generations too Maddy King
“Zero emissions by 2050 isn’t fast enough,” said Maddy King, 13. “Climate change is already happening, it’s not a theory. If I do my part, I hope others will be empowered to fight for future generations too.”
Amid a mounting sense of urgency fuelled by Black Lives Matter protests, wildfires and Covid-19, the movement has become notably younger.
Solei Yoder Salim, a sophomore from Lancaster, last month co-founded a high school hub which already has 40 or so active members from across the county. Lancaster is a diverse progressive city surrounded by rural conservative neighborhoods including large Mennonite and Amish communities.
Salim, 15, spends about five hours a day on electoral work including phone banking in Spanish for Mike Siegel, a Democrat running for Texas 10th congressional district, mailing postcards encouraging youngsters to vote in swing states, and organizing a forthcoming Wide Awake action.
‘The Green New Deal is worth fighting for, it’s important for the world and our country.’ Photograph: Sunrise Movement
“The Green New Deal is worth fighting for, it’s important for the world and our country. I like coming together with my community and other high schools, it’s important but also fun,” Salim said.
Salim cannot vote but more than 15 million Americans have turned 18 since the last general election and the majority appear to want Trump out of the White House.
Biden holds a 33-point lead over Trump among 18- to 29-year-olds who plan to vote, according to a Harvard Institute of Politics poll last month.
While less than a third of young Biden voters said they were very enthusiastic about casting a ballot for the 77-year-old former vice-president, voter turnout among the under 30s could be key: 63% of respondents said they will “definitely be voting”, compared to just 47% in the same poll four years ago.
Troy Turner, 29, Sunrise’s electoral coordinator for Pennsylvania, said: “Biden is super unappealing to young people, he represents the old guard of politics favoring style over substance. Young people are policy voters, but we have to vote for Biden as he represents potential for a livable future. Trump represents the apocalypse.”
Young people are policy voters, but we have to vote for Biden as he represents potential for a livable future Troy Turner
The movement’s endorsements for Congress include Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez; Qasim Rashid, a Muslim anti-violence advocate and environmental justice campaigner; and Marquita Bradshaw in Tennessee.
But they are mostly supporting local candidates like the anti-fracking advocate Danielle Friel Otten in Chester county, who is up for re-election to the state house.
DiNardo, who is holed up with a handful of colleagues from the Down Ballot Disruption project in a rented house in North Carolina, coaches juniors and seniors on how to do banner drops, town halls and phone banking to help turnout voters for endorsed candidates in 33 states.
“A lot of these down ballot races can be decided by just hundreds of votes and most people don’t pay attention, but we can’t win a Green New Deal without these candidates. A lot of young people don’t love Biden, but it’s not just about the presidency,” she said.
Voter turnout is crucial, but it may not be enough. Trump and his allies have refused to commit to a peaceful transition of power while making wild, unsubstantiated claims about widespread voter fraud.
Abby Leedy, 19, a full-time organizer from Philadelphia, is training young hub leaders on how to mobilize large numbers of protesters in case Trump tries to steal the election.
“We need to to be ready if Trump tries to pull off a coup by mobilizing his supporters especially white supremacist groups to come to places like Philadelphia and do God knows what. We’re preparing people, but if his supporters start shooting or drive into the crowd there could be a massacre. This keeps me awake at night, but we really don’t have any choice.”


theguardian--2020-10-16--Trump and Biden town halls: two channels, two candidates, two planets

America is often described as a “ split screen nation ” , bitterly divided between two political tribes dwelling in echo chambers .
But Thursday night at 8pm was a bit too on the nose .
The NBC network hosted a town hall event with Donald Trump .
ABC hosted a simultaneous town hall event with his Democratic challenger , Joe Biden .
CBS , meanwhile , hosted the reality TV show Big Brother with Julie Chen Moonves .
It was a fitting battle for a ratings-obsessed US president who made himself a reality TV star on The Apprentice .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the same time on two different channels was at least preferable to them talking at the same time in the notoriously rancorous first presidential debate .
For political geeks , it required a nimble finger on the remote control , like toggling between two unmissable sports games .
Anyone who took that trouble discovered , not entirely unexpectedly , that the candidates for the American presidency are not merely from different parties but apparently also from different planets .
Trump ’ s town hall on NBC had a slicker introduction with more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ event in Florida , there was a giant white star in a red circle on the floor , reminiscent of Captain America .
Biden , in Philadelphia , made a more low-key start in an auditorium dominated by blue and the words of the constitution .
The president perched awkwardly on a stool , sweating under studio lights , and rambled feverishly like “ someone ’ s crazy uncle ” , as host Savannah Guthrie put it .
Biden , by contrast , looked relaxed in a white armchair like a grandfather with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eye .
Guthrie delivered a better performance than the moderators of the first presidential debate or last week ’ s vice-presidential debate .
She pushed Trump hard on whether he had taken a Covid-19 test on the day of the first debate .
He stumbled through a variety of answers : possibly , probably and don ’ t know .
Guthrie also challenged Trump over his longtime refusal to wear a mask and America ’ s high death rate .
The president became defensive : “ Look at what ’ s going on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve done a very good job , but now you take a look today at the UK , you take a look at Spain and France and Italy , there ’ s tremendous spikes.
” What was happening in Bidenworld over on ABC ?
He was reminding host George Stephanopoulos that Trump had advocated “ crazy stuff ” like injecting bleach in your body .
Switching back to NBC , Trump was saying of the virus : “ It should ’ ve never happened because of China .
It happened because of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that and understand that .
But it shouldn ’ t have happened.
” By 8.13pm , the president was being asked about white supremacy .
He became agitated .
“ I denounced white supremacy for years but you always do it .
You always start off with a question .
You didn ’ t ask Joe Biden whether or not he denounces antifa.
” Guthrie moved on .
“ Let me ask you about QAnon .
It is this theory that Democrats are a satanic pedophile ring , and that you are the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just once and for all state that that is completely not true and that – ” But Trump interjected : “ I know nothing about QAnon ...
I do know they are very much against pedophilia .
They fight it very hard .
But I know nothing about it.
” And then he was back to antifa .
But Guthrie wouldn ’ t let it go .
“ Republican senator Ben Sasse said , quote , QAnon is nuts and real leaders call conspiracy theories conspiracy theories.
” Let ’ s check in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The words of a president matter .
No matter whether they ’ re good , bad or indifferent , they matter .
When a president doesn ’ t wear a mask , or makes fun of folks like me when I was wearing a mask for a long time , then people say it mustn ’ t be that important.
” Guthrie , meanwhile , demanded to know why Trump retweeted a conspiracy theory suggesting that Osama bin Laden was not , after all , killed by navy Seals in 2011 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ retweet , I ’ ll put it out there .
People can decide for themselves.
” Guthrie : “ I don ’ t get that .
You ’ re the president .
You ’ re not , like , someone ’ s crazy uncle who can just retweet whatever.
” The host also questioned Trump on another sore point : his refusals to commit to a peaceful transfer of power if he loses the looming election .
As usual , he defaulted to his baseless complaints about mail-in voting : “ When I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ garbage can , and they happen to have my name on it – I ’ m not happy about that.
” At the same moment , Biden was talking about America ’ s multiple crises “ happening all at once ” and his plan to make big investments in infrastructure .
It was soothingly , reassuring Old Politics but also , one had to grudgingly admit , less gripping than the horror show unfolding on NBC .
Cedric Humphrey , an African American student , challenged Biden over his past remark that “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you vote for Trump .
The Democrat discussed criminal justice and education policy .
The student was not entirely satisfied .
Biden added : “ There ’ s a lot more .
If you hang around afterwards , I ’ ll tell you more.
” Biden outlined a plan to bring all parties to the table to deal with racial injustice .
“ Most cops don ’ t like bad cops ... You can ban chokeholds , but beyond that you have to teach them how to de-escalate circumstances .
So instead of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thing you do is shoot to kill , you shoot them in the leg.
” Shooting in the leg was a bizarre proposal but unlikely to get much scrutiny when compared to a QAnon-adjacent , virus-minimising commander in chief .
Not all echo chambers are created equal ; not all split screens are symmetrical .
As the clock neared 9pm , Biden again ducked a question on expanding the supreme court , while a voter gushed to Trump : “ You ’ re so handsome when you smile.
” The president looked truly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than Biden , he may declare himself effectively re-elected already .
But if Big Brother over on CBS won , it was of course rigged .

America is often described as a “split screen nation”, bitterly divided between two political tribes dwelling in echo chambers. But Thursday night at 8pm was a bit too on the nose.
The NBC network hosted a town hall event with Donald Trump. ABC hosted a simultaneous town hall event with his Democratic challenger, Joe Biden. CBS, meanwhile, hosted the reality TV show Big Brother with Julie Chen Moonves.
It was a fitting battle for a ratings-obsessed US president who made himself a reality TV star on The Apprentice. Though for some the two men talking at the same time on two different channels was at least preferable to them talking at the same time in the notoriously rancorous first presidential debate.
For political geeks, it required a nimble finger on the remote control, like toggling between two unmissable sports games. Anyone who took that trouble discovered, not entirely unexpectedly, that the candidates for the American presidency are not merely from different parties but apparently also from different planets.
Trump’s town hall on NBC had a slicker introduction with more bells and whistles. At the open-air event in Florida, there was a giant white star in a red circle on the floor, reminiscent of Captain America. Biden, in Philadelphia, made a more low-key start in an auditorium dominated by blue and the words of the constitution.
The president perched awkwardly on a stool, sweating under studio lights, and rambled feverishly like “someone’s crazy uncle”, as host Savannah Guthrie put it. Biden, by contrast, looked relaxed in a white armchair like a grandfather with pipe, slippers and twinkle in his eye.
02:21 Trump grilled on white supremacy, QAnon and his taxes by Savannah Guthrie – video
Guthrie delivered a better performance than the moderators of the first presidential debate or last week’s vice-presidential debate. She pushed Trump hard on whether he had taken a Covid-19 test on the day of the first debate. He stumbled through a variety of answers: possibly, probably and don’t know.
Guthrie also challenged Trump over his longtime refusal to wear a mask and America’s high death rate. The president became defensive: “Look at what’s going on in Europe, massive spikes. They’ve done a very good job, but now you take a look today at the UK, you take a look at Spain and France and Italy, there’s tremendous spikes.”
What was happening in Bidenworld over on ABC? He was reminding host George Stephanopoulos that Trump had advocated “crazy stuff” like injecting bleach in your body.
Switching back to NBC, Trump was saying of the virus: “It should’ve never happened because of China. It happened because of China. And you have to get that and understand that. But it shouldn’t have happened.”
By 8.13pm, the president was being asked about white supremacy. He became agitated.
“I denounced white supremacy for years but you always do it. You always start off with a question. You didn’t ask Joe Biden whether or not he denounces antifa.”
Guthrie moved on. “Let me ask you about QAnon. It is this theory that Democrats are a satanic pedophile ring, and that you are the savior of that. Now can you just once and for all state that that is completely not true and that –”
But Trump interjected: “I know nothing about QAnon ... I do know they are very much against pedophilia. They fight it very hard. But I know nothing about it.”
And then he was back to antifa. But Guthrie wouldn’t let it go. “Republican senator Ben Sasse said, quote, QAnon is nuts and real leaders call conspiracy theories conspiracy theories.”
Let’s check in with ABC again. Biden said: “The words of a president matter. No matter whether they’re good, bad or indifferent, they matter. When a president doesn’t wear a mask, or makes fun of folks like me when I was wearing a mask for a long time, then people say it mustn’t be that important.”
This video has been removed. This could be because it launched early, our rights have expired, there was a legal issue, or for another reason. Joe Biden lays out plans for tax, Covid and the supreme court in town hall event – video
Guthrie, meanwhile, demanded to know why Trump retweeted a conspiracy theory suggesting that Osama bin Laden was not, after all, killed by navy Seals in 2011. Trump said: “That was a retweet, I’ll put it out there. People can decide for themselves.”
Guthrie: “I don’t get that. You’re the president. You’re not, like, someone’s crazy uncle who can just retweet whatever.”
The host also questioned Trump on another sore point: his refusals to commit to a peaceful transfer of power if he loses the looming election. As usual, he defaulted to his baseless complaints about mail-in voting: “When I see thousand of ballots dumped in a garbage can, and they happen to have my name on it – I’m not happy about that.”
At the same moment, Biden was talking about America’s multiple crises “happening all at once” and his plan to make big investments in infrastructure. It was soothingly, reassuring Old Politics but also, one had to grudgingly admit, less gripping than the horror show unfolding on NBC.
Cedric Humphrey, an African American student, challenged Biden over his past remark that “you ain’t Black” if you vote for Trump. The Democrat discussed criminal justice and education policy. The student was not entirely satisfied. Biden added: “There’s a lot more. If you hang around afterwards, I’ll tell you more.”
Biden outlined a plan to bring all parties to the table to deal with racial injustice. “Most cops don’t like bad cops ... You can ban chokeholds, but beyond that you have to teach them how to de-escalate circumstances. So instead of anybody coming at you and the first thing you do is shoot to kill, you shoot them in the leg.”
Shooting in the leg was a bizarre proposal but unlikely to get much scrutiny when compared to a QAnon-adjacent, virus-minimising commander in chief. Not all echo chambers are created equal; not all split screens are symmetrical.
As the clock neared 9pm, Biden again ducked a question on expanding the supreme court, while a voter gushed to Trump: “You’re so handsome when you smile.” The president looked truly gratified. If he got higher ratings than Biden, he may declare himself effectively re-elected already. But if Big Brother over on CBS won, it was of course rigged.


theguardian--2020-10-16--Town hall takeaways: Biden at ease while Trump struggles under pressure

The dueling town halls between Donald Trump and his Democratic challenger Joe Biden may not have had the face-to-face fireworks of the presidential debate they replaced , but they still provided moments of drama and offered clear insight into the dynamics of the 2020 campaign .
Here are some of the key takeaways from an evening when America had a split-screen experience of the race to the White House .
1 ) Biden more at ease in a town hall setting , Trump not so much Whether he was more at ease or felt less restrained , Joe Biden was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than a debate setting .
He seemed more energetic and his answers were thoughtful , although they became , sometimes , overly wonky .
That ’ s in contrast to Donald Trump , who clearly was frustrated at times during his rival town hall .
The president tried to angrily talk over the moderator , Savannah Guthrie , and his frustration with her follow-up questions was visible .
In perhaps the most notable moment of the night , Trump again refrained from condemning QAnon , the internet conspiracy theory that a massive cabal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ satanic pedophilia ring .
The movement has no basis in fact .
Trump , as he has done before , denied any knowledge of the ring but quixotically also said he knows its adherents oppose pedophilia .
“ I do know they are very much against pedophilia .
They fight it very hard .
But I know nothing about it , ” Trump said .
When pressed , Trump still declined to criticize the conspiracy movement .
Biden didn ’ t commit to supporting adding seats to the supreme court , but he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the past .
When asked about the issue by the moderator George Stephanopoulos , Biden first argued that a new judge should only be appointed after the 3 November election .
But when pressed on whether he would consider adding seats to the high court if Trump ’ s nominee , Amy Coney Barrett , was confirmed , Biden said : “ I ’ m open to considering what happens from that point on.
” It was the clearest indicator yet that he intends to make his position on the issue clear before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day .
4 ) Guthrie was on her game and did her homework NBC host Savannah Guthrie came ready to press Trump .
She had follow-up questions .
She was ready for Trump ’ s false statements and incorrect claims .
When asked about the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals ( Daca ) program , Trump said his administration would “ take care ” of it .
But then Guthrie pointed out the Trump administration has methodically undercut the program .
Trump blamed the coronavirus pandemic and the number of cases in Mexico @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That was just one of numerous incidents – including Trump ’ s repeated refusal to be clear on his own coronavirus testing regimen – in which Guthrie grilled the president in ways that he was clearly uncomfortable with .
The president during his town hall was once again unclear on the severity or specifics of the coronavirus pandemic .
He downplayed its seriousness .
He also falsely said a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study found that “ 85 % of people who wear a mask catch it ” .
Guthrie pushed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the study found .
Trump refused to apologize or admit fault for anything .
He refused to admit his administration could have done more to curtail the coronavirus from spreading .
He refused to apologize for retweeting a tweet suggesting that the navy Seals involved in the raid that resulted in Osama bin Laden ’ s death actually killed a Bin Laden double .
He also refused to offer specifics on when he first tested positive for Covid-19 .

The dueling town halls between Donald Trump and his Democratic challenger Joe Biden may not have had the face-to-face fireworks of the presidential debate they replaced, but they still provided moments of drama and offered clear insight into the dynamics of the 2020 campaign.
Here are some of the key takeaways from an evening when America had a split-screen experience of the race to the White House.
1) Biden more at ease in a town hall setting, Trump not so much
Whether he was more at ease or felt less restrained, Joe Biden was clearly more comfortable in the town-hall format than a debate setting. He seemed more energetic and his answers were thoughtful, although they became, sometimes, overly wonky. That’s in contrast to Donald Trump, who clearly was frustrated at times during his rival town hall. The president tried to angrily talk over the moderator, Savannah Guthrie, and his frustration with her follow-up questions was visible.
2) Trump still won’t disavow QAnon
In perhaps the most notable moment of the night, Trump again refrained from condemning QAnon, the internet conspiracy theory that a massive cabal of high-profile figures are involved in a satanic pedophilia ring. The movement has no basis in fact.
Trump, as he has done before, denied any knowledge of the ring but quixotically also said he knows its adherents oppose pedophilia.
“I do know they are very much against pedophilia. They fight it very hard. But I know nothing about it,” Trump said.
When pressed, Trump still declined to criticize the conspiracy movement.
02:21 Trump grilled on white supremacy, QAnon and his taxes by Savannah Guthrie – video
3) Biden open to court-packing
Biden didn’t commit to supporting adding seats to the supreme court, but he suggested more openness than he has in the past. When asked about the issue by the moderator George Stephanopoulos, Biden first argued that a new judge should only be appointed after the 3 November election.
But when pressed on whether he would consider adding seats to the high court if Trump’s nominee, Amy Coney Barrett, was confirmed, Biden said: “I’m open to considering what happens from that point on.” It was the clearest indicator yet that he intends to make his position on the issue clear before Americans go to the polls on election day.
4) Guthrie was on her game and did her homework
NBC host Savannah Guthrie came ready to press Trump. She had follow-up questions. She was ready for Trump’s false statements and incorrect claims.
When asked about the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (Daca) program, Trump said his administration would “take care” of it. But then Guthrie pointed out the Trump administration has methodically undercut the program. Trump blamed the coronavirus pandemic and the number of cases in Mexico for the program’s decline.
That was just one of numerous incidents – including Trump’s repeated refusal to be clear on his own coronavirus testing regimen – in which Guthrie grilled the president in ways that he was clearly uncomfortable with.
5) Trump unclear on coronavirus testing
The president during his town hall was once again unclear on the severity or specifics of the coronavirus pandemic. He downplayed its seriousness. He also falsely said a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study found that “85% of people who wear a mask catch it”.
Guthrie pushed back, noting that was not what the study found.
6) Trump won’t apologize for anything
Trump refused to apologize or admit fault for anything. He refused to admit his administration could have done more to curtail the coronavirus from spreading. He refused to apologize for retweeting a tweet suggesting that the navy Seals involved in the raid that resulted in Osama bin Laden’s death actually killed a Bin Laden double. He also refused to offer specifics on when he first tested positive for Covid-19.


theguardian--2020-10-17--Biden's town hall drew in 1 million more viewers than Trump's – how it happened

The US supreme court agreed today to hear arguments in a closely-watched case over whether Donald Trump can exclude undocumented immigrants from the total population count used to determine how many US House seats each state gets .
The court said Friday it will hear oral argument in the case on 30 November .
Trump issued an executive order blocking undocumented people from the count earlier this summer , but a three-judge panel blocked the measure in early September .
The constitution requires the census , which is used to apportion House seats , to count all “ persons ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that because the decennial census does not ask about citizenship , citizenship status could not be taken into account when apportioning seats .
But the supreme court ’ s decision alone to hear the case is ominous .
The case took a unique procedural route to the court and because it came from a three judge panel , the court is obligated to consider it .
The court could have upheld the three judge panel ’ s ruling without an oral argument – the fact that it set one may be a signal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Separately , the supreme court this week allowed the Trump administration to end counting for the census two weeks early , despite warnings it would result in an undercount of the population .
Observers have speculated the Trump administration is trying to rush the census to ensure Trump has the opportunity to try and exclude undocumented immigrants from the count before he leaves office .

Sam Levin (now), Joan E Greve, Tom McCarthy and Martin Belam (earlier)

16 Oct 2020 00.46 BST Minnesota traces Covid outbreak to Trump rally The Minnesota department of health said it has so far traced 20 Covid-19 cases to a Trump rally in Bemidji in September, CNN reports: The Minnesota Department of Health says it has so far traced 20 cases of Covid-19 back to a rally held by President Donald Trump in Bemidji last month
Two people are now hospitalized.
The state is describing it as an “outbreak.” — David P Gelles (@gelles) October 16, 2020 Sixteen of the 20 cases are people who were at the rally. Two people are now hospitalized, according to CNN.
16 Oct 2020 00.42 BST Donald Trump is now speaking at a rally in Macon, Georgia, attacking the media and Democrats with typical falsehoods and unsubstantiated claims. In his last speech today, the president repeatedly mocked Joe Biden for verbal slips, but misspoke in numerous bizarre ways himself, notes CNN’s fact checker Daniel Dale: In the same speech in which he has mocked Biden for making verbal slips, Trump has called hypersonic weapons “hydrosonic,” referred to some combo of Rick Scott and Matt Gaetz as “Rick Gates,” and mentioned the Obama-era crisis in “Henderson” before correcting to Ferguson. — Daniel Dale (@ddale8) October 16, 2020 At the Macon rally, one state representative and Trump supporter crowd-surfed, an activity that clearly violates social-distancing guidelines: Yes, Democratic @RepVernonJones really crowd-surfed at the Trump rally in Macon. And @AlyssaNo_L has the pic to prove it. #gapol pic.twitter.com/acXnJIzVMZ — Greg Bluestein (@bluestein) October 16, 2020
16 Oct 2020 00.32 BST Joe Kennedy III reports campaign finance violation Congressman Joe Kennedy III’s failed Senate campaign reported today that it improperly spent $1.5m of donations intended for the general election during the primary against Senator Ed Markey, the Boston Globe has just reported. 🚨 BREAKING🚨@joekennedy campaign
has self-reported a campaign finance violation to FEC in which his campaign spent $1.5 million of general election funds in final weeks of primary #masen
https://t.co/7kxrR24ZNb — Victoria McGrane (@vgmac) October 16, 2020 Federal campaign finance rules bar candidates from spending their general election funds on expenses during the primary, the Globe said. “After an internal review, I believe it was an honest mistake by those involved, resulting from misinformation, not malintent,” Kennedy said in a statement to the Globe. “But as the candidate, I take full responsibility for the error that occurred and have worked to rectify it as expeditiously as possible.” Kennedy also said he did not know about the improper spending. Markey won the tight race with support of progressive groups.
Updated at 00.44 BST
16 Oct 2020 23.49 BST 1,000 current and former CDC officers criticize Covid response More than 1,000 current and former officers of a disease-fighting program at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have authored an open letter criticizing the US response to Covid, the Wall Street Journal reports. “The absence of national leadership on Covid-19 is unprecedented and dangerous. CDC should be at the forefront of a successful response to this global public health emergency,” said the letter signed by officers from the Epidemic Intelligence Service program of the CDC. More details: More than 1,000 current & former officers of an elite disease-fighting program at the CDC have signed an open letter expressing dismay at the nation’s public-health response to the pandemic & calling for the federal agency to play a more central role.https://t.co/d3Ew1mlVMH — Rebecca Ballhaus (@rebeccaballhaus) October 16, 2020
16 Oct 2020 23.39 BST Trump’s cabinet is “scrambling to enact regulatory changes affecting millions of Americans” due to fears that he will lose his re-election, according to a new New York Times report. JUST POSTED: Facing the prospect that President Trump could lose his re-election bid, his cabinet is scrambling to enact regulatory changes affecting millions of Americans in a blitz so rushed it may leave some changes vulnerable to court challenges https://t.co/HZXUM7TvW9 — Eric Lipton (@EricLiptonNYT) October 16, 2020 The rushed proposed rules, the Times says, include: Labor department changes that would redefine what it means to be an “independent contractor”, affecting 19m people.
A department of homeland security rule that would make it much more difficult to sponsor an immigrant coming to the US.
A proposal that would loosen limits on how many hours some truckers can spend behind the wheel.
Another DHS proposal that would enable the government to more easily collect biometric data. The blitz is so hurried that some of the changes could be particularly vulnerable to court challenges, the Times reported.
16 Oct 2020 23.01 BST Joe Biden and Kamala Harris both tested negative for Covid-19 today, the campaigns said: New: @JoeBiden's campaign announces he once again tested negative for COVID-19, his 10th negative test since Trump tested positive.
"Vice President Biden underwent PCR testing for COVID-19 today and COVID-19 was not detected," the campaign advises, per pooler @karentravers — Molly Nagle (@MollyNagle3) October 16, 2020 Kamala Harris took another Covid test today and it was negative. — Christopher Cadelago (@ccadelago) October 16, 2020 This comes one day after both reported that they flew on planes this week with people who have tested positive for coronavirus, though they both said they did not have close contact with the affected people.
16 Oct 2020 22.53 BST Supreme court agrees to hear arguments in Census case Sam Levine The US supreme court agreed today to hear arguments in a closely-watched case over whether Donald Trump can exclude undocumented immigrants from the total population count used to determine how many US House seats each state gets. The court said Friday it will hear oral argument in the case on 30 November. Trump issued an executive order blocking undocumented people from the count earlier this summer, but a three-judge panel blocked the measure in early September. The constitution requires the census, which is used to apportion House seats, to count all “persons”. In September, the judges wrote that because the decennial census does not ask about citizenship, citizenship status could not be taken into account when apportioning seats. But the supreme court’s decision alone to hear the case is ominous. The case took a unique procedural route to the court and because it came from a three judge panel, the court is obligated to consider it. The court could have upheld the three judge panel’s ruling without an oral argument – the fact that it set one may be a signal it is open to overturning it. BREAKING: The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a #2020Census case on Nov. 30, increasing the potential for President Trump to try to exclude unauthorized immigrants from the numbers used to reallocate House seats while in office pic.twitter.com/SkxPWkvL0c — Hansi Lo Wang • 7⃣5⃣ DAYS (@hansilowang) October 16, 2020 Separately, the supreme court this week allowed the Trump administration to end counting for the census two weeks early, despite warnings it would result in an undercount of the population. Observers have speculated the Trump administration is trying to rush the census to ensure Trump has the opportunity to try and exclude undocumented immigrants from the count before he leaves office.
16 Oct 2020 22.47 BST Donald Trump called Hope Hicks, his senior advisor who tested positive for Covid earlier this month, up to the stage at his Florida rally: .@realDonaldTrump called up his Senior Advisor Hope Hicks to the stage during a campaign rally in Ocala, FL. pic.twitter.com/NIiMhsCZZG — Doug Mills (@dougmillsnyt) October 16, 2020 She was not wearing a mask, and said very little, but joked: “We can share a microphone now.” Trump is back on the campaign trail this week after his hospitalization for Covid. At a town hall last night, the president spread falsehoods about the virus and masks.
16 Oct 2020 22.31 BST Trump approves wildfire aid for California, reversing rejection Donald Trump reversed his administration’s decision to deny California’s request for additional federal wildfire aid, the state’s governor has announced. “Just got off the phone with President Trump who has approved our major disaster declaration request,” Gavin Newsom tweeted. “Grateful for his quick response.” Newsom’s tweet came hours after he said he was appealing the president’s rejection for additional aid to clean up the damage from six recent large fires. It has been a disastrous wildfire season in California, with more than 8,500 blazes burning more than 6,400 square miles (16,000 sq km) since the start of the year. Trump approves California’s wildfire aid request, reversing an earlier rejection Read more
16 Oct 2020 22.21 BST Senator Dianne Feinstein faces growing progressive backlash Hi all - Sam Levin in Los Angeles, taking over our live coverage for the rest of the day. California senator Dianne Feinstein, the top Democrat on the judiciary committee, is facing growing backlash from progressive groups who argue she has failed in her leadership role in the Amy Coney Barrett nomination hearings. After Demand Justice, a progressive group, called for her to step down yesterday, Naral Pro-Choice America, a leading reproductive rights group, has also called her “wildly out of step with the American people”, saying the “committee needs new leadership”: This is not normal, these hearings are not legitimate. Dianne Feinstein gave credibility to the process when the majority of Americans have been clear that they want to choose the next president—and the next president should fill the vacancy. The committee needs new leadership. pic.twitter.com/Szaxb2S6Wh — NARAL (@NARAL) October 16, 2020 Naral criticized Feinstein of offering “an appearance of credibility to the proceedings”. The ranking Democratic senator notably said, “This has been one of the best set of hearings that I’ve participated in,” and gave chairman Lindsey Graham a hug: I really can't get over what a betrayal this moment was to the thousands (millions?) of progressive activists who have worked their asses off fighting Barrett's confirmation tooth and nail. Feinstein should be ashamed, and she should step down immediately. https://t.co/uPVDeQgrlC — Mark Joseph Stern (@mjs_DC) October 15, 2020 California congresswoman Katie Porter, a Democrat, also criticized Feinstein, telling HuffPost, “I disagree strongly with senator Feinstein that that set of hearings was one of the best or was even acceptable. I think Amy Coney Barrett did not answer basic questions about her beliefs and stonewalled repeatedly. We got many fewer direct answers than we have out of most supreme court hearings.”
16 Oct 2020 22.14 BST Martin Pengelly The Los Angeles Times has obtained an early copy of another Trump book, this one called Tower of Lies: What My 18 Years of Working With Donald Trump Reveals About Him and by Barbara A Res, a former Trump Organization staffer. “The book recounts racist, anti-Semitic and sexist behavior,” the Times reports, “along with Trump’s ability to lie ‘so naturally’ that ‘if you didn’t know the actual facts, he could slip something past you.’” Res left Trump’s employ two decades ago and has been critical of him since. On the page, the Times said, she… …recalled Trump berating her when he spotted a Black worker on a construction site. “Get him off there right now,” he said, “and don’t ever let that happen again. I don’t want people to think that Trump Tower is being built by Black people.” Trump turned red-faced when she brought a young Black job applicant into the lobby of another building, she wrote. “Barbara, I don’t want Black kids sitting in the lobby where people come to buy million-dollar apartments!” Res wrote that Trump hired a German residential manager, believing his heritage made him “especially clean and orderly”, and then joked in front of Jewish executives that “this guy still reminisces about the ovens, so you guys better watch out for him”. Trump and his campaign often pointed to Res during the 2016 election as an example of his progressive history of hiring and promoting women. But during her 18-year tenure, she wrote, Trump talked frequently and graphically about women’s looks and his own sexual exploits – and forced Res to fire a woman because she was pregnant and bar her own secretary from important meetings because she did not look like a model. One might think – see below – that so close to the election, the seam of Trump books might be close to mined out. Tim Murtaugh, communications director for the Trump campaign, would hope so. He told the Times Res’s book was “transparently a disgruntled former employee packaging a bunch of lies in a book to make money”. A Very Stable Genius? No, a narcissist and a racist – a portrait of Trump from a vast library of books Read more
16 Oct 2020 22.01 BST Today so far That’s it from me today. My west coast colleague, Sam Levin, will take over the blog for the next few hours. Here’s where the day stands so far: The number of US coronavirus cases surpassed 8 million, which is more than any other country in the world. The US reported 63,610 new coronavirus cases yesterday, marking the highest single-day total since mid-August.
which is more than any other country in the world. The US reported 63,610 new coronavirus cases yesterday, marking the highest single-day total since mid-August. Despite those alarming statistics, Trump again claimed the country is “rounding the turn” in its coronavirus crisis. Speaking in Southfield, Michigan, Joe Biden criticized the president for suggesting the situation is improving. “It’s not disappearing. In fact, it’s on the rise again,” Biden said. “It’s getting worse, as predicted.”
Speaking in Southfield, Michigan, criticized the president for suggesting the situation is improving. “It’s not disappearing. In fact, it’s on the rise again,” Biden said. “It’s getting worse, as predicted.” Biden’s ABC town hall attracted more viewers than Trump’s NBC town hall last night. According to Nielsen, Biden’s event was watched by almost 1 million more viewers, even though Trump’s town hall was broadcast on more channels. The figures will likely enrage the ratings-obsessed president, who reportedly told aides he hoped to beat Biden and then use the numbers to humiliate them.
According to Nielsen, Biden’s event was watched by almost 1 million more viewers, even though Trump’s town hall was broadcast on more channels. The figures will likely enrage the ratings-obsessed president, who reportedly told aides he hoped to beat Biden and then use the numbers to humiliate them. The US has posted a record-high federal budget deficit of $3.1tr, which is three times as high as last year’s deficit. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the country’s revenue has declined while government spending has soared this year.
which is three times as high as last year’s deficit. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the country’s revenue has declined while government spending has soared this year. Barack Obama will campaign for Biden in Philadelphia next week. The Biden campaign announced Obama, who won Pennsylvania in 2008 and 2012, will travel to Philadelphia next Wednesday. Sam will have more coming up, so stay tuned.


theguardian--2020-10-16--Timeline: what a normal US election looks like and what might happen in 2020

Biden also has an army of lawyers at the ready Biden 's lawyers are planning a `` voter protection program @ @ @ @ @ of voter suppression and intimidation .
They 'll also have to respond to the Trump @ @ @ @ @

Biden also has an army of lawyers at the ready
Biden's lawyers are planning a "voter protection program" to respond to efforts of voter suppression and intimidation. They'll also have to respond to the Trump campaign's legal maneuvers.


theguardian--2020-10-16--Trump condemned for QAnon dodge as Biden town hall wins TV ratings battle

Joe Biden beat Donald Trump in their TV ratings battle from their duelling town hall events , figures showed Friday , while the president faced condemnation over his failure to disavow the QAnon conspiracy theory .
Biden , the Democratic challenger , attracted almost 1 million more viewers , according to Nielsen , even though Trump ’ s event was shown on more channels .
The figures from the TV events late on Thursday will probably enrage the ratings-obsessed president , who told aides he hoped to beat Biden and then use the numbers to humiliate him .
Biden ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million viewers , CNN reported , citing Nielsen , while Trump ’ s audience was about 13 million cross three channels .
The president ’ s responses to questions about QAnon were drawing condemnation on Friday .
QAnon ’ s followers believe that Trump is trying to save the world from a cabal of satanic paedophiles that includes Democratic politicians and Hollywood celebrities .
It has been linked to several violent acts since 2018 including at least one alleged murder .
The US president has praised QAnon adherents including a congressional candidate .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Thursday , he repeatedly claimed to be ignorant of the movement , considered by the FBI as a potential domestic terror threat .
“ I know nothing about QAnon , ” he told NBC ’ s Savannah Guthrie in Miami , Florida .
‘ I do know they are very much against paedophilia .
They fight it very hard .
But I know nothing about it … I just don ’ t know about QAnon.
” But Trump said : “ I don ’ t know .
No , I don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ backlash .
Ben Collins , a journalist at NBC News , tweeted : “ Outside of a straight up endorsement , this is about as about as close to a dream scenario for QAnon followers as is humanly possible.
” The fresh controversy came as millions of people vote early , ahead of the 3 November presidential election , and the coronavirus surges again with 38 states reporting rising cases .
Trump and Biden held simultaneous town halls with voters on rival TV networks in lieu of their second presidential debate , cancelled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ refused to debate virtually .
Although both candidates are white men in their 70s , it proved to be a split screen for the ages , radically divergent in both style and substance .
Speaking in Philadelphia , Biden offered long , detailed answers and promised to follow the science in combating the pandemic .
“ The words of a president matter , ” he told host George Stephanopoulos on ABC .
“ No matter whether they ’ re good , bad or indifferent , they matter .
When a president doesn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fun of folks like me when I was wearing a mask for a long time , then people say it mustn ’ t be that important.
” The former vice-president conceded mistakes in a 1994 crime law that led to the mass incarceration of African Americans and promised to take a firm position on whether to expand the supreme court , saying people “ do have a right to know where I stand .
And they will have a right to know where I stand before they vote.
” But the sober policy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s characteristically vague answers to questions that no other American president in modern times would even be asked .
He became visibly agitated when pressed by Guthrie on his views on white supremacy and his retweeting of a conspiracy theory that Osama bin Laden might still be alive .
And pushed on whether he owes money to any foreign bank or entity , Trump replied : “ I will let you know who – who I owe whatever small amount of money .
“ When you look at vast properties like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ big and they ’ re beautiful and they ’ re well located – when you look at that the amount of money , $ 400m is a peanut .
It ’ s extremely under-levered .
And it ’ s levered with normal banks – not a big deal.
” Much criticised for his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic , Trump claimed : “ What we ’ ve done has been amazing , and we have done an amazing job , and it ’ s rounding the corner.
” But more than 63,500 new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thursday , the highest number since July .
Trump also misrepresented a recent study to make the false claim that 85 % of the people that wear masks catch the virus .
“ That ’ s what I heard and that ’ s what I saw.
” Biden holds a commanding lead over Trump in opinion polls and fundraising .
Trump ’ s campaign , along with the Republican National Committee and related groups , raised $ 247.8m in September , well short of the $ 383m raised by Biden and the Democratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Recovered from the virus , Trump has entered a frenzied spell of campaign rallies in critical swing states but continues to show little message discipline .
On Thursday he renewed his attacks against Gretchen Whitmer , branding the Democratic Michigan governor a “ dictator ” even as authorities announced charges against a 14th suspect in a plot to kidnap her .
Whitmer responded on Twitter : “ One week after a plot to kidnap and murder me was revealed , the president renewed his attacks .
Words matter .
I am asking people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aisle – please , lower the heat of this dangerous rhetoric.
” Democrats are taking nothing for granted , however , following Trump ’ s stunning upset victory over Hillary Clinton in 2016 .
John Zogby , a Democratic author and pollster , said : “ I think Trump is in bad shape .
It ’ s very hard to see a path to victory .
But as I say those words .
I recall hearing them and maybe even saying them exactly four years ago .
I ’ m not ready to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Street is preparing for a likely Biden victory , however .
Shares of the gun makers Smith & Wesson and Sturm Ruger have both rallied around 8 % since late September .
Experts predict a surge of gun sales if Democrats win control of the Senate from Republicans , giving them majorities in both houses of Congress and making it easier to approve gun control legislation .

Joe Biden beat Donald Trump in their TV ratings battle from their duelling town hall events, figures showed Friday, while the president faced condemnation over his failure to disavow the QAnon conspiracy theory.
Biden, the Democratic challenger, attracted almost 1 million more viewers, according to Nielsen, even though Trump’s event was shown on more channels.
The figures from the TV events late on Thursday will probably enrage the ratings-obsessed president, who told aides he hoped to beat Biden and then use the numbers to humiliate him.
Biden’s town hall on ABC averaged 13.9 million viewers, CNN reported, citing Nielsen, while Trump’s audience was about 13 million across three channels. The president’s responses to questions about QAnon were drawing condemnation on Friday.
QAnon’s followers believe that Trump is trying to save the world from a cabal of satanic paedophiles that includes Democratic politicians and Hollywood celebrities. It has been linked to several violent acts since 2018 including at least one alleged murder.
The US president has praised QAnon adherents including a congressional candidate. At a televised “town hall” on Thursday, he repeatedly claimed to be ignorant of the movement, considered by the FBI as a potential domestic terror threat.
“I know nothing about QAnon,” he told NBC’s Savannah Guthrie in Miami, Florida. ‘I do know they are very much against paedophilia. They fight it very hard. But I know nothing about it … I just don’t know about QAnon.”
Guthrie forcefully interjected: “You do know!”
But Trump said: “I don’t know. No, I don’t know.”
There was a widespread backlash. Ben Collins, a journalist at NBC News, tweeted: “Outside of a straight up endorsement, this is about as about as close to a dream scenario for QAnon followers as is humanly possible.”
The fresh controversy came as millions of people vote early, ahead of the 3 November presidential election, and the coronavirus surges again with 38 states reporting rising cases.
Trump and Biden held simultaneous town halls with voters on rival TV networks in lieu of their second presidential debate, cancelled after the president contracted the coronavirus and refused to debate virtually. Although both candidates are white men in their 70s, it proved to be a split screen for the ages, radically divergent in both style and substance.
Speaking in Philadelphia, Biden offered long, detailed answers and promised to follow the science in combating the pandemic. “The words of a president matter,” he told host George Stephanopoulos on ABC. “No matter whether they’re good, bad or indifferent, they matter. When a president doesn’t wear a mask, or makes fun of folks like me when I was wearing a mask for a long time, then people say it mustn’t be that important.”
The former vice-president conceded mistakes in a 1994 crime law that led to the mass incarceration of African Americans and promised to take a firm position on whether to expand the supreme court, saying people “do have a right to know where I stand. And they will have a right to know where I stand before they vote.”
But the sober policy discussion on ABC was often overshadowed by Trump’s characteristically vague answers to questions that no other American president in modern times would even be asked.
He became visibly agitated when pressed by Guthrie on his views on white supremacy and his retweeting of a conspiracy theory that Osama bin Laden might still be alive. And pushed on whether he owes money to any foreign bank or entity, Trump replied: “I will let you know who – who I owe whatever small amount of money.
“When you look at vast properties like I have – and they’re big and they’re beautiful and they’re well located – when you look at that the amount of money, $400m is a peanut. It’s extremely under-levered. And it’s levered with normal banks – not a big deal.”
Much criticised for his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, Trump claimed: “What we’ve done has been amazing, and we have done an amazing job, and it’s rounding the corner.” But more than 63,500 new cases were reported in the US on Thursday, the highest number since July.
Trump also misrepresented a recent study to make the false claim that 85% of the people that wear masks catch the virus. “That’s what I heard and that’s what I saw.”
Biden holds a commanding lead over Trump in opinion polls and fundraising. Trump’s campaign, along with the Republican National Committee and related groups, raised $247.8m in September, well short of the $383m raised by Biden and the Democratic National Committee in the same period.
Recovered from the virus, Trump has entered a frenzied spell of campaign rallies in critical swing states but continues to show little message discipline. On Thursday he renewed his attacks against Gretchen Whitmer, branding the Democratic Michigan governor a “dictator” even as authorities announced charges against a 14th suspect in a plot to kidnap her.
Whitmer responded on Twitter: “One week after a plot to kidnap and murder me was revealed, the president renewed his attacks. Words matter. I am asking people of goodwill on both sides of the aisle – please, lower the heat of this dangerous rhetoric.”
Democrats are taking nothing for granted, however, following Trump’s stunning upset victory over Hillary Clinton in 2016.
John Zogby, a Democratic author and pollster, said: “I think Trump is in bad shape. It’s very hard to see a path to victory. But as I say those words. I recall hearing them and maybe even saying them exactly four years ago. I’m not ready to subscribe to the landslide yet.”
Wall Street is preparing for a likely Biden victory, however. Shares of the gun makers Smith & Wesson and Sturm Ruger have both rallied around 8% since late September. Experts predict a surge of gun sales if Democrats win control of the Senate from Republicans, giving them majorities in both houses of Congress and making it easier to approve gun control legislation.


theguardian--2020-10-16--For Australia's sake, I hope Trump's climate science denialism loses | Michael Mann

Anyone in Australia who witnessed the Black Summer bushfires ( as I did ) , and anyone in the US who experienced the thick smoke from our western wildfires ( as I have ) , knows how much damage climate change is already doing .
The stark reality is that worldwide efforts to avert ever-more catastrophic climate change impacts lie in the balance in the 2020 US election .
Donald Trump will go down in history bearing substantial responsibility for the deaths of over 200,000 Americans due to his rejection of the advice of public health experts and his refusal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and mask-wearing that could have saved many thousands of lives .
But his rejection of the science of climate change sets the stage for a far greater toll .
Far more human lives will be lost from the impacts of climate change if we fail to act .
Whether or not Trump gets re-elected – and how other countries like Australia respond to the outcome of the US election – could determine the fate of our planet .
Indeed , I ’ ve stated that a second Trump term might well be “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it leads to the collapse of international efforts to act .
The damage caused by Trump ’ s climate denial is painfully visible within the US as we endure climate change-fuelled extreme weather events , including unprecedented wildfires in the west and unprecedented hurricanes in the east .
But the damage can be felt around the world .
Trump has proudly , and shamelessly , trumpeted his climate denialism on the global stage , joining with petrostates such as Russia , Saudi Arabia and Brazil in opposing international climate efforts .
Indeed , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be less ambitious on climate too , prime minister Scott Morrison following Trump ’ s lead in promoting climate denial , coddling fossil fuel interests and blocking efforts to support a clean , renewable energy transition .
By pulling the US out of the Paris agreement ( one of the first and only campaign promises he kept ) Trump ceded America ’ s leadership on the defining challenge of our time .
Thus far , other countries have fortunately filled the leadership void , at least temporarily .
The EU and China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have stepped up to the plate , recognising that they will benefit from the opportunities of a clean energy economy and better protect their citizens from dangerous climate change impacts .
But nobody stands to benefit more from climate action , or lose more if we fail to act , than Australia .
Having spent a sabbatical leave down under earlier this year , aimed at collaborating with scientists in Australia to study the impact of climate change on extreme weather events , I instead witnessed those impacts first-hand .
I saw the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shrouded in wildfire smoke .
If Trump is re-elected , and we collectively continue down a path of insufficient climate action , it may not be long before those fires rage year-round , and the Blue Mountains are lost in a perpetual grey and dismal haze .
It ’ s the same with the vibrant sea life of the Great Barrier Reef , which I was fortunate enough to witness with my family during my time in Australia .
The delicate ecosystems of the GBR are already on the ropes , with fossil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the point where bleachings occur with such frequency and ferocity that corals simply can not recover .
Research released this week found that the reef has lost half its coral , largely due to warming oceans caused by climate change .
Add the impact of ocean acidification from increasing carbon emissions , and we could sadly , within a decade or two , be reading the GBR ’ s obituary for real .
It doesn ’ t have to be like that .
For one thing , renewable energy costs are plummeting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ efficient and better , so dirty energy no longer makes economic sense .
For example , on one recent Sunday , all the electricity demand for the entire state of South Australia was met by solar power alone , and every state and territory in Australia has committed to go carbon neutral by 2050 .
Here in the US , we ’ ve seen a record number of cities and states stepping up on climate goals too , knowing clean energy is good for their communities ’ health , resilience and prosperity .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ energy that is already under way .
As we ’ ve learned in the Trump-era , some fossil fuels are too far gone for even the most determined polluter-in-chief to save .
Though another term would give Trump time to defend his environmental rollbacks in court and solidify his dirty energy policies , he has already failed to save coal from market forces , and another four years isn ’ t going to reverse the long-term decline of the industry .
This is a cautionary tale for Australia .
In both the US @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eager to bail out dirty polluters than protect the public , denying politically inconvenient science in order to offer lavish payouts to help unprofitable fossil fuel companies .
If we are to avert catastrophic warming , we must do just the opposite , providing financial incentives for renewables and disincentives for fossil fuels .
That will level the playing field , and accelerate the clean energy transition .
We must take the earliest exit possible off the fossil fuel highway .
By trying to squeeze out the last drop of fossil fuel industry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be on its way to bleaching the life from Australia ’ s coral reefs and blighting the blue of its mountains .
There is some good news , however .
Regardless of whom Americans vote for – and for the sake of the planet , I hope it ’ s Joe Biden and the Democrats – Australians can still work together for structural change at home .
You can ’ t solve it alone , but we also can ’ t solve it without you .
Australia has seen that the sun can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a day .
Now it ’ s time to make that happen every day .
Australia must distance itself from the handful of bad petrostate actors who have sabotaged global climate action and rejoin the coalition of the willing , when it comes to the battle to save our planet .
• Michael E. Mann is distinguished professor of atmospheric science at Pennsylvania State University .
He is author of the upcoming book The New Climate War : The Fight to Take Back Our Planet , due out in January ( Public @ @ @

Anyone in Australia who witnessed the Black Summer bushfires (as I did), and anyone in the US who experienced the thick smoke from our western wildfires (as I have), knows how much damage climate change is already doing. The stark reality is that worldwide efforts to avert ever-more catastrophic climate change impacts lie in the balance in the 2020 US election.
Donald Trump will go down in history bearing substantial responsibility for the deaths of over 200,000 Americans due to his rejection of the advice of public health experts and his refusal to endorse policies such as social distancing and mask-wearing that could have saved many thousands of lives. But his rejection of the science of climate change sets the stage for a far greater toll. Far more human lives will be lost from the impacts of climate change if we fail to act.
Whether or not Trump gets re-elected – and how other countries like Australia respond to the outcome of the US election – could determine the fate of our planet. Indeed, I’ve stated that a second Trump term might well be “game over for the climate” if it leads to the collapse of international efforts to act.
The damage caused by Trump’s climate denial is painfully visible within the US as we endure climate change-fuelled extreme weather events, including unprecedented wildfires in the west and unprecedented hurricanes in the east. But the damage can be felt around the world. Trump has proudly, and shamelessly, trumpeted his climate denialism on the global stage, joining with petrostates such as Russia, Saudi Arabia and Brazil in opposing international climate efforts.
Indeed, Trump’s actions have emboldened Australia to be less ambitious on climate too, prime minister Scott Morrison following Trump’s lead in promoting climate denial, coddling fossil fuel interests and blocking efforts to support a clean, renewable energy transition.
By pulling the US out of the Paris agreement (one of the first and only campaign promises he kept) Trump ceded America’s leadership on the defining challenge of our time. Thus far, other countries have fortunately filled the leadership void, at least temporarily. The EU and China, with its new net-zero pledge, have stepped up to the plate, recognising that they will benefit from the opportunities of a clean energy economy and better protect their citizens from dangerous climate change impacts.
But nobody stands to benefit more from climate action, or lose more if we fail to act, than Australia. Having spent a sabbatical leave down under earlier this year, aimed at collaborating with scientists in Australia to study the impact of climate change on extreme weather events, I instead witnessed those impacts first-hand. I saw the muted beauty of the Blue Mountains when shrouded in wildfire smoke. If Trump is re-elected, and we collectively continue down a path of insufficient climate action, it may not be long before those fires rage year-round, and the Blue Mountains are lost in a perpetual grey and dismal haze.
It’s the same with the vibrant sea life of the Great Barrier Reef, which I was fortunate enough to witness with my family during my time in Australia. The delicate ecosystems of the GBR are already on the ropes, with fossil fuels pushing up temperatures in the ocean to the point where bleachings occur with such frequency and ferocity that corals simply cannot recover. Research released this week found that the reef has lost half its coral, largely due to warming oceans caused by climate change. Add the impact of ocean acidification from increasing carbon emissions, and we could sadly, within a decade or two, be reading the GBR’s obituary for real.
It doesn’t have to be like that. For one thing, renewable energy costs are plummeting while the technology just keeps getting more efficient and better, so dirty energy no longer makes economic sense. For example, on one recent Sunday, all the electricity demand for the entire state of South Australia was met by solar power alone, and every state and territory in Australia has committed to go carbon neutral by 2050. Here in the US, we’ve seen a record number of cities and states stepping up on climate goals too, knowing clean energy is good for their communities’ health, resilience and prosperity.
Policymakers must accelerate the shift to clean energy that is already under way. As we’ve learned in the Trump-era, some fossil fuels are too far gone for even the most determined polluter-in-chief to save. Though another term would give Trump time to defend his environmental rollbacks in court and solidify his dirty energy policies, he has already failed to save coal from market forces, and another four years isn’t going to reverse the long-term decline of the industry.
This is a cautionary tale for Australia. In both the US and Australia, conservative politicians seem more eager to bail out dirty polluters than protect the public, denying politically inconvenient science in order to offer lavish payouts to help unprofitable fossil fuel companies.
If we are to avert catastrophic warming, we must do just the opposite, providing financial incentives for renewables and disincentives for fossil fuels. That will level the playing field, and accelerate the clean energy transition.
We must take the earliest exit possible off the fossil fuel highway. By trying to squeeze out the last drop of fossil fuel industry profits, the Morrison government could well be on its way to bleaching the life from Australia’s coral reefs and blighting the blue of its mountains.
There is some good news, however. Regardless of whom Americans vote for – and for the sake of the planet, I hope it’s Joe Biden and the Democrats – Australians can still work together for structural change at home. You can’t solve it alone, but we also can’t solve it without you. Australia has seen that the sun can power an entire state’s electricity for a day. Now it’s time to make that happen every day.
Australia must distance itself from the handful of bad petrostate actors who have sabotaged global climate action and rejoin the coalition of the willing, when it comes to the battle to save our planet.


theguardian--2020-10-16--One person hoping Donald Trump wins: Boris Johnson | Jonathan Freedland

To contemplate the impact of Donald Trump losing next month , it helps to imagine him winning .
The impact on the United States of a second Trump term would be transformative , of course , but I ’ m thinking of the effect on the wider world and , in particular , on the politics of Britain .
So picture , for just a moment , what a second against-the-odds Trump win would mean for this country .
A Tory party that has made Brexit its defining mission – and insists it views a no-deal crash-out from the EU @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” , as Boris Johnson put it today – would be boosted by the message that populist nationalism was not a 2016 aberration but rather a global movement with enough juice to endure into the mid-2020s .
The Illiberal International embodied by Viktor Orbán , Jair Bolsonaro and Vladimir Putin would draw strength from an unexpected victory for its most senior member ; and , although Johnson does not like to put himself in that company , he and his Brexit government would be lifted by US confirmation that the spirit of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world of competing states , each dedicated to making itself great again .
Now consider the reverse .
Defeat for Trump would signal that the populist fever had broken , that the 2016 nationalist sweat was starting to cool .
As others have argued , with Trump gone , Johnson would look beached and alone , wearing a costume suddenly out of style .
What ’ s more , if Americans repudiate Trump , that would suggest the reassertion of a political rule that seemed to have been shredded in 2016 : that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tolerate .
That incompetence , corruption and dishonesty exact a price .
The restoration of that standard would not be kind to Johnson .
And a defeated Trump would rob the prime minister of what has been a useful , if largely unspoken , argument : no matter how bad Johnson has been , no matter how inept his handling of the pandemic , at least he ’ s not been as awful as that man in the White House .
If Trump is beaten , that handy comparator will become unavailable – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Naturally , if a Trump defeat is bad for the Tories , a Joe Biden win is good for Labour .
Party bigwigs are wary of getting ahead of themselves on that score , and not only because , after the trauma of 2016 , no one is taking anything for granted .
They ’ re also mindful of the temptation – and danger – of reading a Trump defeat as proof that the last four years was a blip , a cue to return to the comforting warmth of the old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ puts it , such complacency would overlook the fact that “ Normal politics was clearly failing because we ended up with Trump ” ( and , you might add , Brexit ) .
There ’ s another caveat , too , besides the obvious fact that Britain and the US are very different countries .
Biden is not in the same position as Keir Starmer .
Coming off a crushing defeat in 2019 , the Labour leader ’ s first task has been to persuade the electorate that he represents a complete break @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is his slogan “ New leadership ” .
Biden has been making the reverse move , reminding voters at every opportunity of the recent Democratic past and his role in it , deputising for a president , Barack Obama , whose stock climbs ever higher .
Even so , the effect of a Biden win on Labour and Starmer would be enormous .
Part of it comes down to the fact that , for all its multiple dysfunctionalities , the US still operates as a global trendsetter , so that a lead set @ @ @ @ @ @ @ specifically , a President Biden would confirm that a candidate who is unexciting but capable and conspicuously decent can win – especially during a crisis .
If that becomes the template for leadership , then it ’ s one that fits Starmer well – and Johnson very badly .
Of course , what holds true of this political moment may no longer apply by the time Starmer fights a general election in 2024 .
With any luck , the pandemic will be a distant memory by then .
Intriguingly , every Labour figure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Johnson will not be the opponent Starmer faces : they assume that he will be gone .
They reckon Johnson hates doing the job and is only waiting for a high note on which to bow out – though those may be in short supply for quite a while .
Either way , those Labour bigwigs strongly doubt that Starmer will have Biden ’ s advantage in competing against a shameless fraud who has so demonstrably failed to manage a national crisis .
All the same , a Biden victory would offer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ For Biden has been at pains to stick to a bread-and-butter message of jobs and healthcare , and not to be diverted into culture-war battles against the right .
Time after time , he has refused to take the bait dangled by Trump .
The Democrats ’ TV ads rarely mention whichever atrocity or insult has just come out of Trump ’ s mouth , staying focused instead on the issues that matter to voters .
As Biden said in their TV debate , addressing the audience after Trump had attacked Biden ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about my family or his family .
It ’ s about your family.
” So far it seems to be working – handily for Starmer who , with his refusal to play the Captain Woke role assigned to him by Tory HQ , has adopted the same tactic .
If Biden were to lose , the chorus from the Democratic left will be loud and vociferous : Biden was too mild , too centrist , too modest in his ambition .
They will be adamant that a radical voice , like that of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ votes to eject Trump from the White House .
If Biden loses , that argument will echo across the Atlantic , as the British left urges Starmer to learn the obvious lesson : abandon caution and turn left .
But surely that means the reverse must apply if Biden wins .
He will have prevailed by appealing to the broadest possible coalition of voters – and not only by not being Donald Trump .
The polls show , yes , dreadful numbers for the president , but also that Biden ’ s ratings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has gone on .
Even back in 2019 , his poll lead over Trump was larger than that enjoyed by the likes of Sanders and Elizabeth Warren .
So this is not only a negative verdict against Trump , though that ’ s part of it : there ’ s also good evidence that Americans warm to Biden and the kind of politics he embodies .
It may not fare well on Twitter , but a message that combines reform , patriotism and reassurance , rather than ideological fervour , seems to appeal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ careful to take one more bit of advice from Biden .
The Democrat has worked hard to unite all wings of his party , to ensure Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are on side as well as Obama and Hillary Clinton .
If Biden wins , that too will be a valuable lesson for Labour .
But let ’ s not get carried away : it ’ s still an if .
• None A panel of Guardian journalists will discuss the US election at a Guardian Live online event on Tuesday 20 October @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Book tickets here

To contemplate the impact of Donald Trump losing next month, it helps to imagine him winning. The impact on the United States of a second Trump term would be transformative, of course, but I’m thinking of the effect on the wider world and, in particular, on the politics of Britain. So picture, for just a moment, what a second against-the-odds Trump win would mean for this country.
A Tory party that has made Brexit its defining mission – and insists it views a no-deal crash-out from the EU “with high hearts and complete confidence”, as Boris Johnson put it today – would be boosted by the message that populist nationalism was not a 2016 aberration but rather a global movement with enough juice to endure into the mid-2020s. The Illiberal International embodied by Viktor Orbán, Jair Bolsonaro and Vladimir Putin would draw strength from an unexpected victory for its most senior member; and, although Johnson does not like to put himself in that company, he and his Brexit government would be lifted by US confirmation that the spirit of the age is not international co-operation but a world of competing states, each dedicated to making itself great again.
Now consider the reverse. Defeat for Trump would signal that the populist fever had broken, that the 2016 nationalist sweat was starting to cool. As others have argued, with Trump gone, Johnson would look beached and alone, wearing a costume suddenly out of style.
What’s more, if Americans repudiate Trump, that would suggest the reassertion of a political rule that seemed to have been shredded in 2016: that there are some things voters will not tolerate. That incompetence, corruption and dishonesty exact a price. The restoration of that standard would not be kind to Johnson. And a defeated Trump would rob the prime minister of what has been a useful, if largely unspoken, argument: no matter how bad Johnson has been, no matter how inept his handling of the pandemic, at least he’s not been as awful as that man in the White House. If Trump is beaten, that handy comparator will become unavailable – along with the relative reassurance it provided.
Naturally, if a Trump defeat is bad for the Tories, a Joe Biden win is good for Labour. Party bigwigs are wary of getting ahead of themselves on that score, and not only because, after the trauma of 2016, no one is taking anything for granted. They’re also mindful of the temptation – and danger – of reading a Trump defeat as proof that the last four years was a blip, a cue to return to the comforting warmth of the old normal. As one former cabinet minister puts it, such complacency would overlook the fact that “Normal politics was clearly failing because we ended up with Trump” (and, you might add, Brexit).
There’s another caveat, too, besides the obvious fact that Britain and the US are very different countries. Biden is not in the same position as Keir Starmer. Coming off a crushing defeat in 2019, the Labour leader’s first task has been to persuade the electorate that he represents a complete break from his predecessor. Not for nothing is his slogan “New leadership”. Biden has been making the reverse move, reminding voters at every opportunity of the recent Democratic past and his role in it, deputising for a president, Barack Obama, whose stock climbs ever higher.
Even so, the effect of a Biden win on Labour and Starmer would be enormous. Part of it comes down to the fact that, for all its multiple dysfunctionalities, the US still operates as a global trendsetter, so that a lead set there is often followed elsewhere. More specifically, a President Biden would confirm that a candidate who is unexciting but capable and conspicuously decent can win – especially during a crisis. If that becomes the template for leadership, then it’s one that fits Starmer well – and Johnson very badly.
Of course, what holds true of this political moment may no longer apply by the time Starmer fights a general election in 2024. With any luck, the pandemic will be a distant memory by then. Intriguingly, every Labour figure I spoke to took it as read that Johnson will not be the opponent Starmer faces: they assume that he will be gone. They reckon Johnson hates doing the job and is only waiting for a high note on which to bow out – though those may be in short supply for quite a while. Either way, those Labour bigwigs strongly doubt that Starmer will have Biden’s advantage in competing against a shameless fraud who has so demonstrably failed to manage a national crisis.
All the same, a Biden victory would offer encouragement to Starmer and his approach. For Biden has been at pains to stick to a bread-and-butter message of jobs and healthcare, and not to be diverted into culture-war battles against the right. Time after time, he has refused to take the bait dangled by Trump. The Democrats’ TV ads rarely mention whichever atrocity or insult has just come out of Trump’s mouth, staying focused instead on the issues that matter to voters. As Biden said in their TV debate, addressing the audience after Trump had attacked Biden’s son: “This is not about my family or his family. It’s about your family.” So far it seems to be working – handily for Starmer who, with his refusal to play the Captain Woke role assigned to him by Tory HQ, has adopted the same tactic.
If Biden were to lose, the chorus from the Democratic left will be loud and vociferous: Biden was too mild, too centrist, too modest in his ambition. They will be adamant that a radical voice, like that of Bernie Sanders, would have won the votes to eject Trump from the White House. If Biden loses, that argument will echo across the Atlantic, as the British left urges Starmer to learn the obvious lesson: abandon caution and turn left.
But surely that means the reverse must apply if Biden wins. He will have prevailed by appealing to the broadest possible coalition of voters – and not only by not being Donald Trump. The polls show, yes, dreadful numbers for the president, but also that Biden’s ratings have steadily gone up as the campaign has gone on. Even back in 2019, his poll lead over Trump was larger than that enjoyed by the likes of Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. So this is not only a negative verdict against Trump, though that’s part of it: there’s also good evidence that Americans warm to Biden and the kind of politics he embodies. It may not fare well on Twitter, but a message that combines reform, patriotism and reassurance, rather than ideological fervour, seems to appeal.
That said, Starmer should be careful to take one more bit of advice from Biden. The Democrat has worked hard to unite all wings of his party, to ensure Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are on side as well as Obama and Hillary Clinton. If Biden wins, that too will be a valuable lesson for Labour. But let’s not get carried away: it’s still an if.