theguardian--2020-10-11--Trump said he could kill and win – Covid and cheating may prove it | Robert Reich

“ I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn ’ t lose voters , ” Donald Trump boasted in 2016 .
He thought his almost unlimited bravado , bombast and dominance of any situation allowed him to get away with figurative murder .
Since then , the president ’ s Fifth Avenue principle has been repeatedly tested – most notably by the Access Hollywood tape , Robert Mueller ’ s findings that Trump obstructed justice and his campaign aides cooperated with Russia , overt racism , quid pro quo to the president of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 40 % of American voters have stuck by him notwithstanding .
That ’ s all he ’ s needed .
And for reasons I ’ ll explain in a moment , he ’ s counting on them to preserve his presidency after 3 November .
They ’ ve stuck by him even as more than 210,000 Americans have died from Covid-19 , one of the world ’ s highest death rates – due in part to Trump initially downplaying its dangers , then refusing responsibility for it , promoting quack remedies for it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pushing states to reopen despite it , and discouraging people from wearing masks .
They ’ ve stuck by him even after he turned the White House into a hotspot for the virus , even after he caught it himself , and even after asserting just days ago that it ’ s less lethal than the flu .
A recent nonpartisan study concluded that Trump ’ s blatant disinformation has been the largest driver of Covid misinformation in the world .
They ’ ve stuck by him even as more than 11 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million risk eviction from their homes , 14 million have lost health insurance , and one out of seven small businesses has permanently shuttered .
Yet Trump cut off talks on economic relief ( he ’ s now backtracking a bit ) , and is pushing the supreme court to repeal the Affordable Care Act , which would cause 20 million more to lose health insurance .
Trump is in effect standing in the middle of Fifth Avenue , killing off tens of thousands of Americans .
Yet here we are , just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and his supporters haven ’ t budged .
The latest polls show him with 40 % to 43 % of voters , while Joe Biden has a bare majority .
But the most egregious test of Trump ’ s Fifth Avenue principle is still to come .
He is counting on his supporters to keep him in power even after he loses the popular vote .
He ’ s ready to claim that mail-in ballots , made necessary by the pandemic , are rife with “ fraud like you ’ ve never seen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ debate with Biden – although it ’ s been shown that Americans are more likely to be struck by lightning than commit voter fraud .
With such allegations he ’ ll probably dispute election results in any Republican-led state which he loses by a small margin , such as Arizona , Florida , Michigan , North Carolina , Pennsylvania or Wisconsin .
Then he ’ ll rely on the House of Representatives to put him over the top .
“ We are going to be counting ballots for the next two years , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rally , noting : “ We have the advantage if we go back to Congress .
I think it ’ s 26 to 22 or something because it ’ s counted one vote per state ” .
He was referring to the 12th amendment to the constitution , which provides that if state electors deadlock or can ’ t agree on a president , the decision goes to the House , where each of the nation ’ s 50 states get one vote .
Because small Republican-dominated states like Alaska ( with one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have the same clout as large Democratic states like California ( with 52 House members , 45 of whom are Democrats ) , Trump does have the advantage right now : 26 state delegations in the House are controlled by Republicans and 22 by Democrats .
Two – Pennsylvania and Michigan – are essentially tied .
But he won ’ t necessarily retain that advantage .
The decision would be made by lawmakers elected in November , who will be sworn in on 3 January – three days before they will convene to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Which is why the House speaker , Nancy Pelosi , is focusing on races that could tip the balance of state delegations – not just in Pennsylvania and Michigan but any others within reach .
“ It ’ s sad we have to have to plan this way , ” she said last week , “ but it ’ s what we must do to ensure the election is not stolen.
” Trump ’ s Fifth Avenue principle has kept him in power for almost four years of death and mayhem that would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But as a former New Yorker he should know that Fifth Avenue ends at the Harlem River , at 142nd Street .
The end is near .
• None Robert Reich , a former US secretary of labor , is professor of public policy at the University of California at Berkeley and the author of Saving Capitalism : For the Many , Not the Few and The Common Good .
His new book , The System : Who Rigged It , How We Fix It , is out now .
He is @ @ @ @ @

“I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn’t lose voters,” Donald Trump boasted in 2016. He thought his almost unlimited bravado, bombast and dominance of any situation allowed him to get away with figurative murder.
Since then, the president’s Fifth Avenue principle has been repeatedly tested – most notably by the Access Hollywood tape, Robert Mueller’s findings that Trump obstructed justice and his campaign aides cooperated with Russia, overt racism, quid pro quo to the president of Ukraine, and impeachment – yet some 40% of American voters have stuck by him notwithstanding.
That’s all he’s needed. And for reasons I’ll explain in a moment, he’s counting on them to preserve his presidency after 3 November.
They’ve stuck by him even as more than 210,000 Americans have died from Covid-19, one of the world’s highest death rates – due in part to Trump initially downplaying its dangers, then refusing responsibility for it, promoting quack remedies for it, muzzling government experts on it, pushing states to reopen despite it, and discouraging people from wearing masks.
Trump is in effect standing in the middle of Fifth Avenue, killing off tens of thousands of Americans
They’ve stuck by him even after he turned the White House into a hotspot for the virus, even after he caught it himself, and even after asserting just days ago that it’s less lethal than the flu. A recent nonpartisan study concluded that Trump’s blatant disinformation has been the largest driver of Covid misinformation in the world.
They’ve stuck by him even as more than 11 million Americans have lost their jobs, 40 million risk eviction from their homes, 14 million have lost health insurance, and one out of seven small businesses has permanently shuttered. Yet Trump cut off talks on economic relief (he’s now backtracking a bit), and is pushing the supreme court to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which would cause 20 million more to lose health insurance.
Trump is in effect standing in the middle of Fifth Avenue, killing off tens of thousands of Americans. Yet here we are, just a few weeks before the election, and his supporters haven’t budged. The latest polls show him with 40% to 43% of voters, while Joe Biden has a bare majority.
But the most egregious test of Trump’s Fifth Avenue principle is still to come. He is counting on his supporters to keep him in power even after he loses the popular vote.
He’s ready to claim that mail-in ballots, made necessary by the pandemic, are rife with “fraud like you’ve never seen”, as he alleged during his debate with Biden – although it’s been shown that Americans are more likely to be struck by lightning than commit voter fraud.
With such allegations he’ll probably dispute election results in any Republican-led state which he loses by a small margin, such as Arizona, Florida, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania or Wisconsin.
Then he’ll rely on the House of Representatives to put him over the top.
“We are going to be counting ballots for the next two years,” Trump warned at a recent Pennsylvania rally, noting: “We have the advantage if we go back to Congress. I think it’s 26 to 22 or something because it’s counted one vote per state”.
He was referring to the 12th amendment to the constitution, which provides that if state electors deadlock or can’t agree on a president, the decision goes to the House, where each of the nation’s 50 states get one vote.
Because small Republican-dominated states like Alaska (with one House member, a Republican) would have the same clout as large Democratic states like California (with 52 House members, 45 of whom are Democrats), Trump does have the advantage right now: 26 state delegations in the House are controlled by Republicans and 22 by Democrats. Two – Pennsylvania and Michigan – are essentially tied.
But he won’t necessarily retain that advantage. The decision would be made by lawmakers elected in November, who will be sworn in on 3 January – three days before they will convene to decide the winner of the election.
Which is why the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, is focusing on races that could tip the balance of state delegations – not just in Pennsylvania and Michigan but any others within reach.
“It’s sad we have to have to plan this way,” she said last week, “but it’s what we must do to ensure the election is not stolen.”
Trump’s Fifth Avenue principle has kept him in power for almost four years of death and mayhem that would have doomed the presidencies of anyone else. But as a former New Yorker he should know that Fifth Avenue ends at the Harlem River, at 142nd Street. The end is near.


theguardian--2020-10-12--US election 2020: who is supreme court nominee Amy Coney Barrett?

Today is the start of the confirmation process for Amy Coney Barrett , a deeply conservative judge who is Donald Trump ’ s pick for supreme court judge .
Guardian US investigative journalist Stephanie Kirchgaessner has been looking at her career and personal life , including membership to the secretive Catholic group People of Praise , and discusses what her appointment would mean for the US If Donald Trump has his way then he will use the few weeks remaining before Americans go to the polls on 3 November to install his choice as the ninth supreme court justice .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ruth Bader Ginsburg , a ferocious campaigner for women ’ s rights whose work turned her into a liberal icon , with Amy Coney Barrett , a deeply conservative judge whose values push in the opposite direction .
The move would shift the balance so starkly in America ’ s highest court that some fear it could lead to key rulings protecting civil rights being overturned – and possibly hamper the ability of Democrats to change laws for decades to come .
The Guardian US investigative journalist Stephanie Kirchgaessner talks to Anushka Asthana @ @ @ @ @ @ @ life – including membership of a secretive Catholic “ covenant community ” called People of Praise that is accused of adhering to a “ highly authoritarian ” structure .
She discusses Barrett ’ s views on abortion and the Affordable Care Act , the Obama-era law that extended health insurance to millions of Americans .
If she is confirmed before the election , one of Barrett ’ s first cases could determine the fate of that act .

Presented by Anushka Asthana with Stephanie Kirchgaessner, produced by Rose de Larrabeiti and Axel Kacoutié; executive producers Nicole Jackson and Phil Maynard

Today is the start of the confirmation process for Amy Coney Barrett, a deeply conservative judge who is Donald Trump’s pick for supreme court judge. Guardian US investigative journalist Stephanie Kirchgaessner has been looking at her career and personal life, including membership to the secretive Catholic group People of Praise, and discusses what her appointment would mean for the US
If Donald Trump has his way then he will use the few weeks remaining before Americans go to the polls on 3 November to install his choice as the ninth supreme court justice. If successful, it would mean replacing Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a ferocious campaigner for women’s rights whose work turned her into a liberal icon, with Amy Coney Barrett, a deeply conservative judge whose values push in the opposite direction. The move would shift the balance so starkly in America’s highest court that some fear it could lead to key rulings protecting civil rights being overturned – and possibly hamper the ability of Democrats to change laws for decades to come.
The Guardian US investigative journalist Stephanie Kirchgaessner talks to Anushka Asthana about Barrett’s career and personal life – including membership of a secretive Catholic “covenant community” called People of Praise that is accused of adhering to a “highly authoritarian” structure. She discusses Barrett’s views on abortion and the Affordable Care Act, the Obama-era law that extended health insurance to millions of Americans. If she is confirmed before the election, one of Barrett’s first cases could determine the fate of that act.


theguardian--2020-10-11--Trump claims he no longer has Covid-19 and is 'immune' – as it happened

Dr. Anthony Fauci , the nation ’ s top infectious disease expert , has spoken out against Donald Trump taking a clip out of context for a campaign ad , what is now one of Fauci ’ s most direct pushback against Trump since the start of the pandemic .
For months during the course of the pandemic , Donald Trump has often been at odds with Fauci , delivering contradictory public health messages and publicly expressing frustration with the doctor ’ s more sober take on the pandemic .
In the spring , as the virus ravaged the Northeast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regular at the White House ’ s coronavirus press briefings .
But in June , Fauci said he was not invited to the press briefings , with Trump telling Fox News that “ Dr .
Fauci ’ s a nice man , but he made a lot of mistakes ” .
At the time , cases were just starting to rise in many parts of the country , the effects of states quickly reopening their economies for the summer , allowing the virus to spread .
Fauci at the time cautioned against reopening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s messaging that states should rush to reopen .
Fauci has done his best to be a neutral , authoritative public health figure over the course of the pandemic , opting to do dozens of virtual interviews to offer his recommendations to Americans .
Trump has since replaced Fauci and Dr Deborah Birx , another respected epidemiologist who was once a regular at the White House press briefing , with Dr Scott Atlas , who has come under scrutiny by public health experts for questioning the effectiveness of masks and parroting the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Covid-19 vaccine .

Lauren Aratani(now) and Tom Lutz (earlier) in New York

11 Oct 2020 22.02 BST Summary We’re closing the blog for today, but we’ll be back tomorrow with more live updates. Before we go, here’s a quick summary of everything that’s happened today: Donald Trump has started to say that he is “immune” to Covid-19 after contracting the virus, contradicting evidence that people can get the virus more than once and ignoring the lack of research about how long antibodies are effective. Twitter flagged Trump’s tweet that claims he’s immune to the virus, saying that it contains misleading information.
Dr Anthony Fauci spoke out against a Trump campaign ad that took praise he gave for the coronavirus task force out of context. In the rare pushback to Trump, Fauci said that the GOP did not get his permission to use the clip and reiterated that he has never publicly endorsed any political candidates “in my nearly five decades of public service”.
The opening statement Amy Coney Barrett, the supreme court nominee whose nomination process will start in the Senate tomorrow, has been leaked and reveals Barrett will say that she would apply the “law as written” and speak about the influence of the late supreme court justice Antonin Scalia on her judicial philosophy.
A new national poll from ABC News and the Washington Post shows Joe Biden maintaining a large lead over Donald Trump, with Biden holding a 12% lead over the incumbent just three weeks until the presidential election.
11 Oct 2020 21.41 BST Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, has spoken out against Donald Trump taking a clip out of context for a campaign ad, what is now one of Fauci’s most direct pushback against Trump since the start of the pandemic. For months during the course of the pandemic, Donald Trump has often been at odds with Fauci, delivering contradictory public health messages and publicly expressing frustration with the doctor’s more sober take on the pandemic. In the spring, as the virus ravaged the Northeast of the country, Fauci was a regular at the White House’s coronavirus press briefings. But in June, Fauci said he was not invited to the press briefings, with Trump telling Fox News that “Dr. Fauci’s a nice man, but he made a lot of mistakes”. At the time, cases were just starting to rise in many parts of the country, the effects of states quickly reopening their economies for the summer, allowing the virus to spread. Fauci at the time cautioned against reopening without regulations in place, contradicting Trump’s messaging that states should rush to reopen. Fauci has done his best to be a neutral, authoritative public health figure over the course of the pandemic, opting to do dozens of virtual interviews to offer his recommendations to Americans. Trump has since replaced Fauci and Dr Deborah Birx, another respected epidemiologist who was once a regular at the White House press briefing, with Dr Scott Atlas, who has come under scrutiny by public health experts for questioning the effectiveness of masks and parroting the Trump administration’s optimistic timeline for a Covid-19 vaccine. Dr Anthony Fauci Photograph: Xinhua/REX/Shutterstock
Updated at 21.42 BST
11 Oct 2020 20.59 BST Donald Trump’s campaign responded to a new statement from Dr Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, who said his words were taken out of context for a new Trump ad. “These are Dr. Facui’s own words. The video is from a nationally broadcast television interview in which Dr. Fauci was praising the work of the Trump administration,” said Trump’s communication director Tim Murtaugh. “The words are accurate and directly from Dr. Fauci’s mouth.” Trump campaign's @TimMurtaugh responds:
“These are Dr. Fauci’s own words. The video is from a nationally broadcast television interview in which Dr. Fauci was praising the work of the Trump Administration. The words spoken are accurate, and directly from Dr. Fauci’s mouth...” https://t.co/RUDsk2K1tl — Will Steakin (@wsteaks) October 11, 2020 The statement of course does not address that Fauci, when he said “I can’t imagine that… anyone could be doing more” was not referring to Trump but the broader coronavirus task force, including himself.
11 Oct 2020 20.39 BST Dr Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, responded to his misleading appearance in a new ad for Donald Trump’s campaign, saying that he was taken out of context by the spot. In the ad, released yesterday, Fauci can be heard saying “I can’t imagine that… anyone could be doing more” in an interview as the ad boasts Trump’s response to Covid-19. The clip came from an interview Fauci had with Fox News and was taken from a snippet when he was describing the work that he and other members of the coronavirus task force undertook to respond to the virus. Fauci was not directing his statement at Trump. “In my nearly five decades of public service, I have never publicly endorsed any political candidate,” Fauci said in a statement to CNN. “The comments attributed to me without my permission in the GOP campaign ad were taken out of context from a broad statement I made months ago about the efforts of federal public health officials.” Trump campaign ads are now featuring misleading quotes from Fauci making it seem as though he endorses the White House’s coronavirus response pic.twitter.com/Vgd44nsren — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 11, 2020
Updated at 21.43 BST
11 Oct 2020 20.11 BST The chief executive of Regeneron, the pharmaceutical company that produced the antibody cocktail that Donald Trump received to treat his case of Covid-19, said that Trump’s experience with the drug is “a case of one” and said the company is working through clinical trials to ensure its safety and effectiveness. “The president is a case of one,” Leonard Schleifer, chief executive of Regeneron, said in an interview with CBS today. “It is evidence of what’s happening, but it’s kind of the weakest evidence you can get.” Does @Regeneron’s antibody cocktail “cure" #Covid19 as @realDonaldTrump claims? $REGN's Leonard Schleifer tells @margbrennan Trump was an ideal candidate for treatment: "He was elderly, he had some risk factors, and didn't have his own immune system in gear when he was sick" pic.twitter.com/W8N89MC4lY — Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) October 11, 2020 The company is likely trying to neutralize itself after falling into political discourse about the virus. Earlier this week, Trump in a video said that Regeneron’s antibody cocktail was the key to his recovery from the virus, calling it a “cure” for Covid-19 though the drug is still in clinical trials. Public health experts criticized the president for touting a drug that has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration, something the president has done before with other unconfirmed treatments of the virus such as hydroxychloroquine and blood plasma.
Updated at 21.46 BST
11 Oct 2020 19.52 BST Jaime Harrison, who is running against Republican Lindsey Graham for his Senate seat representing South Carolina, has raised $57 million over the last three months – the largest haul in a single quarter for a Senate candidate in US history. The biggest quarterly haul for a Senate candidate was $38 million before Harrison set the new record, which was raised by former US representative Beto O’Rourke in his election against Senator Ted Cruz, according to the New York Times. Graham has not yet announced his fundraising figure for the last quarter. Harrison is the former chair of the South Carolina’s Democratic Party and associate chairman of the national Democratic Party. Jaime Harrison Photograph: Meg Kinnard/AP
Updated at 21.27 BST
11 Oct 2020 19.24 BST Twitter flags Trump's tweet about Covid-19 immunity It looks like Twitter flagged Donald Trump’s tweet about being immune to Covid-19. The platform has hid the Tweet completely under a message that says it violates Twitter’s rules “about spreading misleading and potentially harmful information related to Covid-19”. The note also says that Twitter “has determined that it may be in the public’s interest for the Tweet to remain accessible”. Twitter flags Trump for saying that's he's immune to Covid. pic.twitter.com/7xztR83a37 — Josh Wingrove (@josh_wingrove) October 11, 2020 This appears to be the fifth Tweet of Trump’s that the platform has flagged. The first was a Tweet from May when he said “when the looting starts, the shooting starts”. One Tweet in June about using “serious force” against protesters and another in August that called mail boxes a “voter security disaster” were both flagged. The fourth flagged tweet was from September when Trump encouraged voters in North Carolina to vote twice, which is illegal. On Friday, Twitter announced further limits on users who are trying to spread misinformation or encourage violence or election interference, including candidates for office. The platform said it would flag false claims of winning an election from candidates until state election officials or authoritative national news outlets report it.
Updated at 21.46 BST
11 Oct 2020 19.01 BST After talks over a new coronavirus stimulus package, which have been ongoing since July, the White House published an open letter to Congress that targets Democrats for taking “an all-or-nothing approach” to talks. “The House has passed two separate partisan bills instead of compromising with us on bipartisan legislation like we have done in the past,” the letter reads. An update from the White House on stimulus negotiations: pic.twitter.com/JnYzxwDRgr — The White House (@WhiteHouse) October 11, 2020 Of course the letter does not mention that Senate Republicans have played a major role in holding up negotiations. House Democrats passed two different stimulus packages, the hefty $3 trillion HEROES Act in May and a $2.2 trillion at the beginning of the month. Republicans have put forth the $1 trillion HEALS Act in July. While both sides seem reluctant to budget, the White House has indicated that they are more willing to get closer to what Democrats want than Senate Republicans, offering House speaker Nancy Pelosi a $1.8 trillion plan on Friday. Pelosi’s team indicated there was disagreement on the plan’s Covid-19 public health response and overall funding level, meaning a bill is still not close in sight. Senate Republicans meanwhile have acknowledged that they are focused more on the nomination of judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, with Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell saying that a bill will likely not be passed until after the election.
11 Oct 2020 18.23 BST This is Lauren Aratani taking over for Tom Lutz. Senator Kamala Harris just announced that she will be participating in the confirmation hearing for judge Amy Coney Barrett remotely. The testimony in front of the Senate’s judiciary committee is set to start tomorrow. New — @KamalaHarris will participate in the Amy Coney Barrett confirmation hearing remotely from her office. pic.twitter.com/pGu7MXisa4 — Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) October 11, 2020 Her Senate office said in a statement that the Republicans on the committee did not agree to agree to a request from Democrats, including Harris to implement a testing procedure. Two Republican members of the committee, senators Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Mike Lee of Utah, both tested positive for the virus after attending the nominating ceremony for Barrett at the White House Sept. 25, which is considered a super-spreader event. Republicans have been eager to push Barrett’s nomination through the Senate as quickly as possible before the election. On Twitter, Harris said that by moving forward with the hearing tomorrow, Senate Republicans were “endangering the lives of not just members and our staff, but the hardworking people who keep the Senate complex running”. By moving forward with Supreme Court confirmation hearings tomorrow—less than 2 weeks after members tested positive—Chairman Graham and Senate Republicans are endangering the lives of not just members and our staff, but the hardworking people who keep the Senate complex running. — Kamala Harris (@SenKamalaHarris) October 11, 2020
Updated at 21.47 BST
11 Oct 2020 17.52 BST Democratic Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer has said Donald Trump’s supreme court nominee Amy Coney Barrett should, if confirmed, step aside from contentious cases. Reuters reports: Democratic opposition to Barrett on policy issues has focused on her possible role in deciding a case before the Supreme Court in which Trump and Republican-led states are seeking to invalidate the Affordable Care Act (ACA) healthcare law, often called Obamacare. “She doesn’t come unbiased and that’s why she should recuse herself,” Schumer said on Sunday. A key Obamacare provision that would be thrown out if the court strikes down the law bars insurance companies from denying coverage to people with pre-existing conditions. Democrats have criticized Trump for seeking to end Obamacare protections amid a pandemic that has killed more than 210,000 Americans. Schumer also said Barrett should recuse herself from any cases involving the presidential election because of statements made by Trump in which the president has said the court is likely to have election cases. Trump, who is running for reelection against Democrat Joe Biden, has indicated he would expect the court to rule in his favor if Barrett is confirmed.


theguardian--2020-10-11--Amy Coney Barrett to say she will judge cases on law not personal views

Amy Coney Barrett , Donald Trump ’ s latest controversial nominee for the US supreme court , will tell senators in her high-stakes confirmation hearing this week that she will approach cases based on the law , not her personal views , as Democrats urged her to step aside on upcoming contentious cases .
Barrett , a fervent Catholic with a record of opposing abortion rights , will say that courts “ should not try ” to create policy , during Monday ’ s opening remarks , which were obtained by multiple media outlets on Sunday .
Barrett , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seventh circuit court of appeals , will also say that she ’ s “ done my utmost to reach the result required by the law , whatever my own preferences might be ” in her present position .
Senate Democrats are expected to grill Barrett on this .
Trump nominated Barrett to replace liberal Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg , who died in September at the age of 87 .
If the Republican-controlled Senate confirms her , which is considered likely , it will create a 6-3 conservative majority in the country ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a majority will overturn Roe v Wade , a 1973 supreme court ruling that legalized abortion across the US .
The Senate has never confirmed a supreme court justice so close to a presidential election .
Democrats have tried unsuccessfully to delay the confirmation proceedings , because of the close-looming election and coronavirus pandemic , which has killed more than 214,000 people in the US and infected more than 7.7 million .
Multiple attendees at the Rose Garden ceremony where Trump announced Barrett ’ s nomination two weeks ago have been diagnosed with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republicans are rushing to confirm Barrett in advance of the 3 November election , in time to weigh a high-profile case that can undermine the Affordable Care Act , also known as Obamacare .
And if they confirm Barrett before the election , she would hear any challenges involving the election and voting .
Republicans are also working quickly because they might not be able to confirm her after the election .
If Democrat Joe Biden wins the presidency , and Democrats amass senate seats , Barrett ’ s nomination is likely to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Barrett will say that she has decided to uphold the same approach as her mentor , the late supreme court justice Antonin Scalia , whom she described as devoted to his family , “ resolute in his beliefs , and fearless of criticism ” .
The mother-of-seven will also extensively discuss her family .
She will say that she won ’ t let the law define her identity or overshadow other parts of her life .
She will remark that courts are “ not designed to solve every problem or right every wrong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The policy decisions and value judgments of government must be made by the political branches elected by and accountable to the People … the public should not expect courts to do so , and courts should not try.
” Barrett will also say that serving as a justice would be the “ honor of a lifetime ” .
“ I have been nominated to fill Justice Ginsburg ’ s seat , but no one will ever take her place , ” Barrett is also going to say .
Barrett will tell senators about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ When I write an opinion resolving a case , I read every word from the perspective of the losing party .
I ask myself how would I view the decision if one of my children was the party I was ruling against.
” Before Barrett served on the appeals court , she was law school professor at Notre Dame university in Indiana .
The confirmation hearings – which begin with Barrett ’ s opening statement Monday followed by questioning Tuesday and Wednesday – could turn into a bitter discussion of her faith @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can cast Democrats as attacking Barrett ’ s religious views , they could prompt enough political anger to save several close Senate races .
Senate judiciary committee chair , Lindsey Graham , recently said on Fox News that Democratic uproar over the credible sexual misconduct claims against Brett Kavanaugh bolstered Republicans in the 2018 midterm elections .
“ Kavanaugh really did help Republicans pick up Senate seats because they went too far , ” Graham remarked .

Victoria Bekiempis in New York and agencies

Amy Coney Barrett, Donald Trump’s latest controversial nominee for the US supreme court, will tell senators in her high-stakes confirmation hearing this week that she will approach cases based on the law, not her personal views, as Democrats urged her to step aside on upcoming contentious cases.
Barrett, a fervent Catholic with a record of opposing abortion rights, will say that courts “should not try” to create policy, during Monday’s opening remarks, which were obtained by multiple media outlets on Sunday.
Barrett, a Trump-appointed judge now serving on the US seventh circuit court of appeals, will also say that she’s “done my utmost to reach the result required by the law, whatever my own preferences might be” in her present position. Senate Democrats are expected to grill Barrett on this.
Trump nominated Barrett to replace liberal Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died in September at the age of 87. If the Republican-controlled Senate confirms her, which is considered likely, it will create a 6-3 conservative majority in the country’s highest court.
Many conservatives hope such a majority will overturn Roe v Wade, a 1973 supreme court ruling that legalized abortion across the US.
The Senate has never confirmed a supreme court justice so close to a presidential election. Democrats have tried unsuccessfully to delay the confirmation proceedings, because of the close-looming election and coronavirus pandemic, which has killed more than 214,000 people in the US and infected more than 7.7 million.
Multiple attendees at the Rose Garden ceremony where Trump announced Barrett’s nomination two weeks ago have been diagnosed with Covid-19, including the president himself.
Republicans are rushing to confirm Barrett in advance of the 3 November election, in time to weigh a high-profile case that can undermine the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. And if they confirm Barrett before the election, she would hear any challenges involving the election and voting.
Republicans are also working quickly because they might not be able to confirm her after the election. If Democrat Joe Biden wins the presidency, and Democrats amass senate seats, Barrett’s nomination is likely to hit roadblocks.
In her remarks, Barrett will say that she has decided to uphold the same approach as her mentor, the late supreme court justice Antonin Scalia, whom she described as devoted to his family, “resolute in his beliefs, and fearless of criticism”. The mother-of-seven will also extensively discuss her family. She will say that she won’t let the law define her identity or overshadow other parts of her life.
She will remark that courts are “not designed to solve every problem or right every wrong in our public life”.
“The policy decisions and value judgments of government must be made by the political branches elected by and accountable to the People … the public should not expect courts to do so, and courts should not try.”
Barrett will also say that serving as a justice would be the “honor of a lifetime”.
“I have been nominated to fill Justice Ginsburg’s seat, but no one will ever take her place,” Barrett is also going to say.
Barrett will tell senators about her approach to rulings, saying: “When I write an opinion resolving a case, I read every word from the perspective of the losing party. I ask myself how would I view the decision if one of my children was the party I was ruling against.”
Before Barrett served on the appeals court, she was law school professor at Notre Dame university in Indiana.
The confirmation hearings – which begin with Barrett’s opening statement Monday followed by questioning Tuesday and Wednesday – could turn into a bitter discussion of her faith. Republicans are hoping that if they can cast Democrats as attacking Barrett’s religious views, they could prompt enough political anger to save several close Senate races.
Senate judiciary committee chair, Lindsey Graham, recently said on Fox News that Democratic uproar over the credible sexual misconduct claims against Brett Kavanaugh bolstered Republicans in the 2018 midterm elections.
“Kavanaugh really did help Republicans pick up Senate seats because they went too far,” Graham remarked.


theguardian--2020-10-11--Barrett was member of anti-abortion group that promoted clinic criticized for misleading women

Amy Coney Barrett , the supreme court nominee , was a member of a “ right to life ” organization in 2016 that promoted a local South Bend , Indiana , crisis pregnancy center , a clinic that has been criticised for misleading vulnerable women who were seeking abortions and pressuring them to keep their pregnancies .
Barrett , whose confirmation hearing before the Senate judiciary committee is set to begin on Monday , was a member of the University Faculty for Life at Notre Dame from 2010 to 2016 .
Online records show that the group began promoting South @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Center in 2016 on its website , adding a link to the group under a section called “ Pro-Life Links ” .
The revelation adds to a growing body of evidence that Barrett , who has served as an appellate court judge since 2017 , has advocated against abortion , abortion rights , and publicly supported the reversal of Roe v Wade in the years before she joined the federal bench .
The Guardian has reported that she signed a letter in a newspaper in 2006 that called for the landmark abortion law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Roe “ barbaric ” .
The Women ’ s Care Center ( WCC ) in South Bend has , according to local activists and local media reports , been at the centre of the city ’ s contentious fights over women ’ s reproductive rights for years .
Like other CPC ’ s , an online advertisement and link to the WCC is listed online when a user searches on Google under the term “ abortion ” and “ South Bend ” .
A link to the only clinic that does provide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called Whole Woman ’ s Health Alliance ( WWHA ) , appears under the ad for the WCC .
The WCC ’ s website appears to offer women abortion services at first glance , as well as free pregnancy tests and ultrasounds .
If a user clicks on the “ abortion ” tab , the clinic states on its website : “ If you ’ re considering abortion , we offer free , confidential services to help you find out the facts and make a plan that is best for you.
” It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that they can “ understand the procedure ” , using either the abortion pill RU486 or surgical abortion .
In fact , the clinic does not offer abortion services and is clearly supported by conservative faith and pro-life student groups in South Bend and at Notre Dame university .
In a letter to then-mayor Pete Buttigieg , who ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2019 , the WWHA abortion clinic spoke out against an attempt by WCC – the crisis pregnancy center – to open up another clinic next door to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office ultimately vetoed the plan .
At the time , Buttigieg wrote in a letter of his decision that he did not believe it would benefit the city “ to place next door to each other two organizations with deep and opposite commitments on the most divisive social issue of our time ” .
Sharon Lau , midwest advocacy director for Whole Woman ’ s Health Alliance , said in a statement : “ At Whole Woman ’ s Health and Whole Woman ’ s Health Alliance , we have heard story after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ came to us after accidentally going to WCC where they were shamed , manipulated and lied to by WCC staff in order to impose their own anti-abortion agenda .
Pregnant people deserve to access birth control , abortion and other reproductive services without shame or judgement.
” Barrett ’ s membership in the University Faculty for Life , which was disclosed on her Senate questionnaire , is the most direct link the judge has to the WCC crisis pregnancy center .
But Barrett has been involved in a number of other university and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A promotional video on YouTube by the Notre Dame student Right to Life group shows a brief snippet of Barrett speaking with the students in 2013 , in what was described as a meeting to “ build knowledge on every aspect of the life issue ” .
In the same video students say volunteering at the WCC represents an important way to show that the group cares “ not only about the unborn child but about the woman involved in the pregnancy ” .
“ The Women ’ s Care Center really provides @ @ @ @ @ @ @ love and support , ” the video states .
It also shows the students writing letters of congratulations to women who are in crisis pregnancies , as a way to show their support .
The WCC has also counted members of Barrett ’ s Charismatic Christian faith group , the People of Praise , on its board and as volunteers , as well as leaders in the Catholic church she attends .
Crisis pregnancy centers such as WCC scored an important legal victory in the supreme court in 2018 , when the court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Justice Anthony Kennedy , ruled that crisis pregnancy centers were not obliged to tell women when state aid might be available to obtain an abortion .
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg , whose seat Barrett is poised to fill , opposed the decision .

Amy Coney Barrett, the supreme court nominee, was a member of a “right to life” organization in 2016 that promoted a local South Bend, Indiana, crisis pregnancy center, a clinic that has been criticised for misleading vulnerable women who were seeking abortions and pressuring them to keep their pregnancies.
Barrett, whose confirmation hearing before the Senate judiciary committee is set to begin on Monday, was a member of the University Faculty for Life at Notre Dame from 2010 to 2016. Online records show that the group began promoting South Bend’s Women’s Care Center in 2016 on its website, adding a link to the group under a section called “Pro-Life Links”.
The revelation adds to a growing body of evidence that Barrett, who has served as an appellate court judge since 2017, has advocated against abortion, abortion rights, and publicly supported the reversal of Roe v Wade in the years before she joined the federal bench. The Guardian has reported that she signed a letter in a newspaper in 2006 that called for the landmark abortion law to be reversed and called the legacy of Roe “barbaric”.
The Women’s Care Center (WCC) in South Bend has, according to local activists and local media reports, been at the centre of the city’s contentious fights over women’s reproductive rights for years.
Like other CPC’s, an online advertisement and link to the WCC is listed online when a user searches on Google under the term “abortion” and “South Bend”. A link to the only clinic that does provide abortions to women in South Bend, called Whole Woman’s Health Alliance (WWHA), appears under the ad for the WCC.
The WCC’s website appears to offer women abortion services at first glance, as well as free pregnancy tests and ultrasounds. If a user clicks on the “abortion” tab, the clinic states on its website: “If you’re considering abortion, we offer free, confidential services to help you find out the facts and make a plan that is best for you.”
It also offers to give women information so that they can “understand the procedure”, using either the abortion pill RU486 or surgical abortion.
In fact, the clinic does not offer abortion services and is clearly supported by conservative faith and pro-life student groups in South Bend and at Notre Dame university.
In a letter to then-mayor Pete Buttigieg, who ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2019, the WWHA abortion clinic spoke out against an attempt by WCC – the crisis pregnancy center – to open up another clinic next door to the abortion clinic. The mayor’s office ultimately vetoed the plan. At the time, Buttigieg wrote in a letter of his decision that he did not believe it would benefit the city “to place next door to each other two organizations with deep and opposite commitments on the most divisive social issue of our time”.
Sharon Lau, midwest advocacy director for Whole Woman’s Health Alliance, said in a statement: “At Whole Woman’s Health and Whole Woman’s Health Alliance, we have heard story after story from patients from multiple states who came to us after accidentally going to WCC where they were shamed, manipulated and lied to by WCC staff in order to impose their own anti-abortion agenda. Pregnant people deserve to access birth control, abortion and other reproductive services without shame or judgement.”
Barrett’s membership in the University Faculty for Life, which was disclosed on her Senate questionnaire, is the most direct link the judge has to the WCC crisis pregnancy center. But Barrett has been involved in a number of other university and faith-based organizations with ties to WCC.
A promotional video on YouTube by the Notre Dame student Right to Life group shows a brief snippet of Barrett speaking with the students in 2013, in what was described as a meeting to “build knowledge on every aspect of the life issue”. In the same video students say volunteering at the WCC represents an important way to show that the group cares “not only about the unborn child but about the woman involved in the pregnancy”.
“The Women’s Care Center really provides this opportunity for us to show that love and support,” the video states. It also shows the students writing letters of congratulations to women who are in crisis pregnancies, as a way to show their support.
The WCC has also counted members of Barrett’s Charismatic Christian faith group, the People of Praise, on its board and as volunteers, as well as leaders in the Catholic church she attends.
The White House declined to comment.
Crisis pregnancy centers such as WCC scored an important legal victory in the supreme court in 2018, when the court’s conservative majority, joined by Justice Anthony Kennedy, ruled that crisis pregnancy centers were not obliged to tell women when state aid might be available to obtain an abortion.
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, whose seat Barrett is poised to fill, opposed the decision.


theguardian--2020-10-11--Trump claims he’s Covid ‘immune’ as he aims for barrage of rallies in swing states

Donald Trump has claimed he no longer has coronavirus and is now “ immune ” to Covid-19 as he prepares to return to the campaign trail on Monday for a barrage of rallies in swing states in his pursuit of a second term in the White House .
Numerous opinion polls have continued to show the US president trailing his Democratic challenger Joe Biden by a significant margin nationally , adding urgency to Trump ’ s desire to get back to the in-person appearances he believes are key to his success on the 3 November election day .
He will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Florida , on Monday night and follow up with events in Pennsylvania and Iowa on Tuesday and Wednesday , all closely-contested states he won by thin margins in 2016 but now appear to be leaning towards Biden .
Yet questions remain over the state of the 74-year-old president ’ s health following his infection with Covid-19 and a three-night stay in the Walter Reed military medical center in Maryland .
He was discharged one week ago , but the White House and medical professionals have refused to release details on his lung scans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Covid-19 .
In a wide ranging 30-minute interview on Fox News on Sunday , Trump insisted he was completely free of the virus , without providing medical evidence , and further claimed , implausibly , he was immune after receiving an experimental cocktail of antibodies , antiviral drugs and steroids during his hospital stay .
“ To me it ’ s a cure , it ’ s much more than a therapeutic , ” Trump said .
“ Once you ’ ve recovered , you ’ re immune .
I am immune… maybe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a long time .
The president is in very good shape , ” Trump said , adding that immunity gave him a “ protective glow ” .
There are , however , some documented cases of patients who have recovered from coronavirus being reinfected .
Later on Sunday , Twitter flagged a tweet in which Trump claimed he was immune to the coronavirus , saying it violated the social media platform ’ s rules about misleading information related to the pandemic .
“ A total and complete sign off from White House Doctors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t get it ( immune ) , and can ’ t give it .
Very nice to know , ” Trump said in the tweet .
“ This Tweet violated the Twitter Rules about spreading misleading and potentially harmful information related to Covid-19 , ” Twitter ’ s disclaimer read .
A Twitter spokeswoman told Reuters that the tweet made “ misleading health claims ” about Covid-19 and that engagements with the post would be “ significantly limited ” , as is standard in such cases .
The White House physician who oversaw @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has spoken only in general terms about the president ’ s condition .
In a memo released late on Saturday , Dr Sean Conley cleared Trump to return to public events , saying “ he is no longer considered a transmission risk ” .
Like previous bulletins , it did not reveal if Trump had tested negative for Covid-19 , only that the medical team could not find evidence of the virus replicating in his body .
There is no approved test to determine how long a person remains contagious after contracting coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public for the first time since his hospitalisation , delivering an 18-minute address to hundreds of supporters from a White House balcony , loosely themed around “ law and order ” , touching on other election issues including the economy and touting his handling of a pandemic that has killed more than 214,000 Americans and infected more than 7.7 million – far more than any other country .
He exhibited few outward signs of his encounter with the virus , other than sounding a little hoarse .
He also did not wear a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many in the crowd , who were packed tightly together in front of the South Lawn balcony in contravention of government guidance on social distancing .
A spokesperson for Biden ’ s campaign called the Saturday event “ stunningly reckless and irresponsible ” , pointing to another gathering at the White House two weeks earlier when few wore masks or distanced , and at which more than 20 key Trump aides and Republican politicians , including two top senators , are thought to have contracted the virus .
Trump campaign officials have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ front of supporters , believing his enforced absence from the hustings at least partially accounts for slumping opinion poll numbers that see him trailing Biden by up to 16 points in some surveys nationally .
Democrats , meanwhile , remain cautious about their candidate ’ s advantage , aware that Hillary Clinton won the popular vote by more than three million ballots in 2016 but lost the White House in the state by state contests for electoral college votes that determine the winner .
In many state races this year , including almost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as Florida , Pennsylvania , Iowa , New Hampshire and Ohio that Trump needs to hold on to , Biden is polling ahead , although by much smaller margins than nationally .
On Monday , Biden will be pitching to working families at his own event in Toledo , Ohio , where Trump trails his challenger by little more than a half percent in the latest FiveThirtyEight analysis .
“ Democrats generally are very positive to Joe Biden , but they are extraordinarily negative to Donald Trump .
So in many ways , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ argument , ” said Charles Franklin , director of the Marquette Law School poll in Wisconsin , where Biden leads 46-41 % .
Also on Monday , confirmation hearings begin in the US Senate for Amy Coney Barrett , Trump ’ s conservative pick for the supreme court to replace long-serving liberal Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg , who died last month at 87 .
Barrett ’ s controversial nomination has drawn criticism from Democrats , who fear her right-leaning ideology will secure a conservative skew to the nation ’ s highest court for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ precedent such as affordable healthcare and abortion rights .
They are also angry that the Republican Senate majority is attempting to force through Trump ’ s choice just weeks before the election .
In 2016 , Republicans successfully blocked Barack Obama ’ s supreme court pick Merrick Garland , arguing that it was wrong to seat a supreme court justice in an election year .
Some Republican senators have likened the upcoming battle over Barrett ’ s confirmation to “ a holy war ” , believing that Democratic attacks on her Catholic beliefs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dick Durbin , the Democratic Senate minority whip and member of the Senate judiciary committee that will explore Barrett ’ s candidacy , said the American people saw it in far simpler terms .
“ This makes a difference in their life , ” he said in an interview on NBC ’ s Meet the Press .
“ Once Republican voters wake up to the reality and strategy , many are going to say to their senators , ‘ Listen , this is not what we bargained for , we may be conservatives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ My family needs health insurance protections ’ .
” Chris McGreal and Reuters contributed to this report

Donald Trump has claimed he no longer has coronavirus and is now “immune” to Covid-19 as he prepares to return to the campaign trail on Monday for a barrage of rallies in swing states in his pursuit of a second term in the White House.
Numerous opinion polls have continued to show the US president trailing his Democratic challenger Joe Biden by a significant margin nationally, adding urgency to Trump’s desire to get back to the in-person appearances he believes are key to his success on the 3 November election day.
He will appear at a rally in Sanford, Florida, on Monday night and follow up with events in Pennsylvania and Iowa on Tuesday and Wednesday, all closely contested states he won by thin margins in 2016 but now appear to be leaning towards Biden.
Yet questions remain over the state of the 74-year-old president’s health following his infection with Covid-19 and a three-night stay in the Walter Reed military medical center in Maryland. He was discharged one week ago, but the White House and medical professionals have refused to release details on his lung scans or when he last tested negative for Covid-19.
In a wide ranging 30-minute interview on Fox News on Sunday, Trump insisted he was completely free of the virus, without providing medical evidence, and further claimed, implausibly, he was immune after receiving an experimental cocktail of antibodies, antiviral drugs and steroids during his hospital stay.
“To me it’s a cure, it’s much more than a therapeutic,” Trump said. “Once you’ve recovered, you’re immune. I am immune… maybe for a short time, maybe for a long time. The president is in very good shape,” Trump said, adding that immunity gave him a “protective glow”.
There are, however, some documented cases of patients who have recovered from coronavirus being reinfected.
Later on Sunday, Twitter flagged a tweet in which Trump claimed he was immune to the coronavirus, saying it violated the social media platform’s rules about misleading information related to the pandemic.
“A total and complete sign off from White House Doctors yesterday. That means I can’t get it (immune), and can’t give it. Very nice to know,” Trump said in the tweet.
“This Tweet violated the Twitter Rules about spreading misleading and potentially harmful information related to Covid-19,” Twitter’s disclaimer read.
A Twitter spokeswoman told Reuters that the tweet made “misleading health claims” about Covid-19 and that engagements with the post would be “significantly limited”, as is standard in such cases.
The White House physician who oversaw Trump’s treatment at Walter Reed has spoken only in general terms about the president’s condition. In a memo released late on Saturday, Dr Sean Conley cleared Trump to return to public events, saying “he is no longer considered a transmission risk”.
Trump supporters gather in Beverly Hills on Saturday, with less than a month to go before the general election. Photograph: David Buchan/REX/Shutterstock
Like previous bulletins, it did not reveal if Trump had tested negative for Covid-19, only that the medical team could not find evidence of the virus replicating in his body. There is no approved test to determine how long a person remains contagious after contracting coronavirus.
On Saturday, Trump appeared in public for the first time since his hospitalisation, delivering an 18-minute address to hundreds of supporters from a White House balcony, loosely themed around “law and order”, touching on other election issues including the economy and touting his handling of a pandemic that has killed more than 214,000 Americans and infected more than 7.7 million – far more than any other country.
He exhibited few outward signs of his encounter with the virus, other than sounding a little hoarse. He also did not wear a mask during his speech, along with many in the crowd, who were packed tightly together in front of the South Lawn balcony in contravention of government guidance on social distancing.
A spokesperson for Biden’s campaign called the Saturday event “stunningly reckless and irresponsible”, pointing to another gathering at the White House two weeks earlier when few wore masks or distanced, and at which more than 20 key Trump aides and Republican politicians, including two top senators, are thought to have contracted the virus.
Trump campaign officials have been keen to get the president back in front of supporters, believing his enforced absence from the hustings at least partially accounts for slumping opinion poll numbers that see him trailing Biden by up to 16 points in some surveys nationally.
Democrats, meanwhile, remain cautious about their candidate’s advantage, aware that Hillary Clinton won the popular vote by more than three million ballots in 2016 but lost the White House in the state by state contests for electoral college votes that determine the winner.
In many state races this year, including almost all of the key battleground states such as Florida, Pennsylvania, Iowa, New Hampshire and Ohio that Trump needs to hold on to, Biden is polling ahead, although by much smaller margins than nationally.
Donald Trump supporters hold during a rally in Beverly Hills, California, on Saturday. Photograph: Kyle Grillot/AFP/Getty Images
On Monday, Biden will be pitching to working families at his own event in Toledo, Ohio, where Trump trails his challenger by little more than a half percent in the latest FiveThirtyEight analysis.
“Democrats generally are very positive to Joe Biden, but they are extraordinarily negative to Donald Trump. So in many ways, Trump is the Democrats’ greatest get-out-the-vote argument,” said Charles Franklin, director of the Marquette Law School poll in Wisconsin, where Biden leads 46-41%.
Also on Monday, confirmation hearings begin in the US Senate for Amy Coney Barrett, Trump’s conservative pick for the supreme court to replace long-serving liberal Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died last month at 87.
Barrett’s controversial nomination has drawn criticism from Democrats, who fear her right-leaning ideology will secure a conservative skew to the nation’s highest court for a generation, and threaten established legal precedent such as affordable healthcare and abortion rights.
They are also angry that the Republican Senate majority is attempting to force through Trump’s choice just weeks before the election. In 2016, Republicans successfully blocked Barack Obama’s supreme court pick Merrick Garland, arguing that it was wrong to seat a supreme court justice in an election year.
Some Republican senators have likened the upcoming battle over Barrett’s confirmation to “a holy war”, believing that Democratic attacks on her Catholic beliefs could win them votes next month.
Dick Durbin, the Democratic Senate minority whip and member of the Senate judiciary committee that will explore Barrett’s candidacy, said the American people saw it in far simpler terms.
“This makes a difference in their life,” he said in an interview on NBC’s Meet the Press. “Once Republican voters wake up to the reality and strategy, many are going to say to their senators, ‘Listen, this is not what we bargained for, we may be conservatives but we’re not crazy. My family needs health insurance protections’.”
Chris McGreal and Reuters contributed to this report


theguardian--2020-10-11--Jaime Harrison sets Senate fundraising record in race against Lindsey Graham

South Carolina Democrat Jaime Harrison has shattered congressional fundraising records , bringing in $ 57m in the final quarter for his US Senate campaign against Republican incumbent and Trump ally Lindsey Graham as the Republican party tries to retain control of the chamber in November ’ s election .
Harrison ’ s campaign said Sunday that the total was the largest-ever during a single three-month period by any Senate candidate .
That tops the $ 38m raised by Democrat Beto O ’ Rourke in 2018 in the final fundraising period of his challenge to Senator Ted Cruz , Republican of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Graham , a longtime senator , is tied with Harrison in a highly competitive race .
Graham hasn ’ t released fundraising totals for the previous quarter , although it ’ s likely he ’ s been eclipsed by Harrison .
Last month , Graham made a public plea for fundraising to help him keep up with Harrison , saying on Fox News that he was “ getting killed financially ” by Harrison , who he predicted would “ raise $ 100m in the state of South Carolina.
” “ The money is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Graham added .
At the end of June , both candidates were roughly matched at about $ 30m apiece , money that has come largely from out of-state donors .
For the race overall , not including the most recent quarter , Harrison ’ s in-state contribution amount is 10 % .
Graham ’ s is 14 % .
“ This campaign is making history , because we ’ re focused on restoring hope back to South Carolina , ” said Guy King , Harrison ’ s campaign spokesman .
“ While Lindsey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Jaime Harrison is remaining laser-focused on the real issues impacting people here – like health care , broadband access , and Covid relief for businesses and families.
” The latest fundraising report comes one day before the start of what is predicted to be a contentious hearing in the Senate judiciary committee on Donald Trump ’ s nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the supreme court .
Graham is the committee chairman .
His commitment to confirming Trump ’ s third nominee to the court has become a focal point in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chiding Graham for reversing on previous promises not to consider election-year nominations .
Graham has responded by saying he feels Democrats would do the same if given the choice .
Attributing the fundraising success to grassroots support , Harrison ’ s campaign said the $ 57m came in the form of 1.5m donations from 994,000 donors .
The average contribution was $ 37 .
Some voters have said that Harrison ’ s background resonated with them .
Harrison ’ s mother was age 16 when she gave birth to him .
His grandparents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Orangeburg , a majority-Black town in South Carolina where a racial massacre took place in 1968 , CNN reported .
Harrison openly discusses how he saw poverty prevent Black Americans from attaining the same opportunities as others , and has said he endured repeated economic hardships during his youth .
Shortly after Harrison learned to read , he helped their grandparents read bills , realizing that they often didn ’ t couldn ’ t pay them .
There were times when he ate cereal with water not milk , because there wasn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Harrison , who attended public schools , obtained a scholarship to Yale University .
After he graduated in 1998 , Harrison moved back home to teach at his former high school .
Then , Harrison worked at an organization that assisted low-income high-schoolers who want to attend college .
In 2004 , Harrison graduated from Georgetown University ’ s law school , CNN said .
He then worked for South Carolina Democrat Rep. James Clyburn and later , as a lobbyist .
“ It ’ s tough for a Black American to win @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re at a critical moment when it might be possible , ” Tina Herbert , an attorney in the South Carolina city of Columbia , told CNN .
“ So I ’ m very excited about Harrison ’ s campaign .
His story resonates with me .
He really is the hometown boy.
” From 2013 to 2017 , Harrison also chaired the South Carolina Democratic Party , making him the first Black American to hold this role .
Harrison has been an associate chair with the Democratic National Committee since 2017 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s debate with Graham on 3 October , social media users across the country chimed into tweet threads with pledges to donate as often as they could .
In the two days following that matchup , Harrison ’ s campaign said they brought in $ 1.5m – as much as the effort had raised in some previous entire fundraising quarters .
At the beginning of the campaign , Harrison , an associate Democratic National Committee chairman , told The Associated Press he felt it could take $ 10m to win the race , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ given his national-level connections .
To date , he has brought in nearly $ 86m .

South Carolina Democrat Jaime Harrison has shattered congressional fundraising records, bringing in $57m in the final quarter for his US Senate campaign against Republican incumbent and Trump ally Lindsey Graham as the Republican party tries to retain control of the chamber in November’s election.
Harrison’s campaign said Sunday that the total was the largest-ever during a single three-month period by any Senate candidate. That tops the $38m raised by Democrat Beto O’Rourke in 2018 in the final fundraising period of his challenge to Senator Ted Cruz, Republican of Texas, who won the race.
Graham, a longtime senator, is tied with Harrison in a highly competitive race.
Graham hasn’t released fundraising totals for the previous quarter, although it’s likely he’s been eclipsed by Harrison. Last month, Graham made a public plea for fundraising to help him keep up with Harrison, saying on Fox News that he was “getting killed financially” by Harrison, who he predicted would “raise $100m in the state of South Carolina.”
“The money is because they hate my guts,” Graham added.
At the end of June, both candidates were roughly matched at about $30m apiece, money that has come largely from out of-state donors. For the race overall, not including the most recent quarter, Harrison’s in-state contribution amount is 10%. Graham’s is 14%.
“This campaign is making history, because we’re focused on restoring hope back to South Carolina,” said Guy King, Harrison’s campaign spokesman. “While Lindsey Graham continues playing political games in Washington, Jaime Harrison is remaining laser-focused on the real issues impacting people here – like health care, broadband access, and Covid relief for businesses and families.”
The latest fundraising report comes one day before the start of what is predicted to be a contentious hearing in the Senate judiciary committee on Donald Trump’s nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the supreme court. Graham is the committee chairman.
His commitment to confirming Trump’s third nominee to the court has become a focal point in the Senate campaign, with Harrison frequently chiding Graham for reversing on previous promises not to consider election-year nominations. Graham has responded by saying he feels Democrats would do the same if given the choice.
Attributing the fundraising success to grassroots support, Harrison’s campaign said the $57m came in the form of 1.5m donations from 994,000 donors. The average contribution was $37.
Some voters have said that Harrison’s background resonated with them. Harrison’s mother was age 16 when she gave birth to him. His grandparents were largely responsible for raising him in Orangeburg, a majority-Black town in South Carolina where a racial massacre took place in 1968, CNN reported.
Harrison openly discusses how he saw poverty prevent Black Americans from attaining the same opportunities as others, and has said he endured repeated economic hardships during his youth. Shortly after Harrison learned to read, he helped his grandparents read their bills, realizing that they often couldn’t pay them. There were times when he ate cereal with water not milk, because there wasn’t money, he has said.
Harrison, who attended public schools, obtained a scholarship to Yale University. After he graduated in 1998, Harrison moved back home to teach at his former high school. Then, Harrison worked at an organization that assisted low-income high-schoolers who want to attend college. In 2004, Harrison graduated from Georgetown University’s law school, CNN said. He then worked for South Carolina Democrat Rep. James Clyburn and later, as a lobbyist.
“It’s tough for a Black American to win a statewide seat here, but we’re at a critical moment when it might be possible,” Tina Herbert, an attorney in the South Carolina city of Columbia, told CNN. “So I’m very excited about Harrison’s campaign. His story resonates with me. He really is the hometown boy.”
From 2013 to 2017, Harrison also chaired the South Carolina Democratic Party, making him the first Black American to hold this role. Harrison has been an associate chair with the Democratic National Committee since 2017, CNN noted.
During Harrison’s debate with Graham on 3 October, social media users across the country chimed into tweet threads with pledges to donate as often as they could. In the two days following that matchup, Harrison’s campaign said they brought in $1.5m – as much as the effort had raised in some previous entire fundraising quarters.
At the beginning of the campaign, Harrison, an associate Democratic National Committee chairman, told The Associated Press he felt it could take $10m to win the race, an amount he felt he could raise given his national-level connections. To date, he has brought in nearly $86m.


theguardian--2020-10-11--The Guardian view on Boris Johnson's Cop26: ask if GDP growth is sustainable | Editorial

Saving the planet ought to be a goal for , not a cost to , humanity .
Yet this insight appears lost in the discussion about the climate emergency .
Last week , it emerged that the Treasury was thinking about levying a UK-wide carbon tax .
This approach , it was suggested , could be sold as a way of “ raising revenue while cutting emissions ” .
Properly targeted taxes can change behaviour .
But “ revenue raising ” green policies invariably end up being valued by the amount of taxes they produce rather than on their effectiveness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ governments have frozen fuel duties for a decade because it is politically easier to rake in cash than deter driving .
A carbon tax is superficially appealing .
The Treasury desires taxes to offset government spending .
No 10 would like to align , rhetorically , with the green agenda .
But without careful thought a carbon levy could backfire .
A maladroit attempt to tax fuel on environmental grounds kindled France ’ s gilets jaunes ( yellow vests ) protests .
By law , Britain has to reduce its net carbon emissions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there , life in the country will have to change .
For example , for the next stage of a net-zero transition , the public should shift away from heating their homes with gas boilers .
Raising taxes on voters until they squeal and switch to lower carbon intensive heating systems would not be popular or necessarily progressive .
A better strategy would be for the state to finance new green technologies and to regulate energy companies to recoup the investment .
The Treasury dislikes spending and then taxing .
Rightwing governments resist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on ecological sustainability would provide a reason to act in such a way .
The UK government requires an environmental sense of purpose that specifies the appropriate ends for economic activity .
The economist Kate Raworth has pointed out that a failure to do so has left a gap , which politicians fill by maximising national income .
They are not obliged to ask if additional economic growth is sustainable .
Governments ought to confront whether the growth of real GDP is too destabilising for global ecosystems .
For decades the planetary boundary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conventional economics has encouraged political leaders to concentrate on goals that are largely irrelevant to human welfare .
A confluence of world events provides a rare opportunity to change such thinking .
Owing to the pandemic , global greenhouse emissions are forecast to drop by about 5 % this year , compared with 2019 .
If sustained this would be the largest year-to-year drop since the second world war , and it could mark a turning point .
If Joe Biden wins the US presidential election the world ’ s top three emitters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ EU , which account for nearly half of global emissions , should all have mid-century net-zero targets , placing the 1.5˚C warming limit of the Paris agreement within reach .
Preparations for the postponed Cop26 climate summit , to be held in Glasgow , are the ideal way for Britain to take a lead in a global discussion .
Boris Johnson should use the platform to frame UK policy proposals boldly in terms of their impact on people and the planet , not just the economy .

Saving the planet ought to be a goal for, not a cost to, humanity. Yet this insight appears lost in the discussion about the climate emergency. Last week, it emerged that the Treasury was thinking about levying a UK-wide carbon tax. This approach, it was suggested, could be sold as a way of “raising revenue while cutting emissions”. Properly targeted taxes can change behaviour. But “revenue raising” green policies invariably end up being valued by the amount of taxes they produce rather than on their effectiveness in combating the climate crisis. UK governments have frozen fuel duties for a decade because it is politically easier to rake in cash than deter driving.
A carbon tax is superficially appealing. The Treasury desires taxes to offset government spending. No 10 would like to align, rhetorically, with the green agenda. But without careful thought a carbon levy could backfire. A maladroit attempt to tax fuel on environmental grounds kindled France’s gilets jaunes (yellow vests) protests.
By law, Britain has to reduce its net carbon emissions to zero by 2050. To get there, life in the country will have to change. For example, for the next stage of a net-zero transition, the public should shift away from heating their homes with gas boilers. Raising taxes on voters until they squeal and switch to lower carbon intensive heating systems would not be popular or necessarily progressive. A better strategy would be for the state to finance new green technologies and to regulate energy companies to recoup the investment. The Treasury dislikes spending and then taxing. Rightwing governments resist interfering in markets. But a focus on ecological sustainability would provide a reason to act in such a way.
The UK government requires an environmental sense of purpose that specifies the appropriate ends for economic activity. The economist Kate Raworth has pointed out that a failure to do so has left a gap, which politicians fill by maximising national income. They are not obliged to ask if additional economic growth is sustainable. Governments ought to confront whether the growth of real GDP is too destabilising for global ecosystems. For decades the planetary boundary for resource use has been exceeded because conventional economics has encouraged political leaders to concentrate on goals that are largely irrelevant to human welfare.
A confluence of world events provides a rare opportunity to change such thinking. Owing to the pandemic, global greenhouse emissions are forecast to drop by about 5% this year, compared with 2019. If sustained this would be the largest year-to-year drop since the second world war, and it could mark a turning point. If Joe Biden wins the US presidential election the world’s top three emitters, China, the US and the EU, which account for nearly half of global emissions, should all have mid-century net-zero targets, placing the 1.5˚C warming limit of the Paris agreement within reach. Preparations for the postponed Cop26 climate summit, to be held in Glasgow, are the ideal way for Britain to take a lead in a global discussion. Boris Johnson should use the platform to frame UK policy proposals boldly in terms of their impact on people and the planet, not just the economy.