theguardian--2020-10-23--Digested week: Spurs show why it's best not to take a healthy lead for granted

This wasn ’ t quite the return to north London that either Gareth Bale or Spurs had hoped .
Bale had come on in about the 70th minute and Tottenham were seemingly cruising to a healthy 3-0 win .
A quarter of an hour later and Spurs were hanging on to a 3-2 lead .
Then Harry Kane put Bale through and the Welshman did all the hard yards of beating the West Ham left back only to stab the ball wide when it seemed easier to score and put the match to bed .
Needless to say , West @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the game and for several hours afterwards I was almost catatonic with shock and disappointment .
Then I calmed down a bit and decided the game must have been one of the most Spursy performances I had ever seen and if Bale had forgotten how football is played in N17 he had been given the perfect reminder .
Besides , there was no point getting too upset about snatching a draw from the jaws of victory as there is so much more to get angry about in football .
Starting with Sky Sports @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such as myself , an extra £14.95 on top of our ordinary subscriptions to watch selected games .
Sky has been reluctant to disclose just how many people have coughed up for the pleasure so far , which rather suggests that no more than a few thousand people are bothering to make the effort .
Something that won ’ t please the advertisers who are presumably being charged an arm and a leg .
The Tottenham Hotspur Supporters ’ Trust has come up with the ideal solution .
Anyone tempted to fork out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a comparable donation to the Tottenham Foodbank .
Consider it done .
My repeated episodes of hypochondria have always been both a constant source of amusement and a headache ( so far , non-fatal ) for my family and friends .
Only I ’ ve noticed that during the last seven months of the pandemic , more and more people I talk to have understandably got more and more concerned about their health .
How can you tell the difference between an ordinary cough and a coronavirus cough ?
Indeed , one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ daily health check on the Zoe app was sent off for a Covid test after reporting that her fingers felt a bit tingly .
The test came back negative .
But even though I know I have it relatively easy compared with many people , the constant levels of anxiety are taking their toll on me .
Even a trip up the road to the local Budgens can make me feel somewhat on edge and I always feel idiotically relieved to have made it back in one piece .
It ’ s the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ friends that affects me the most .
Talking via FaceTime gets you only so far .
Now that London is in tier 2 of lockdown , I can no longer visit my mother who is in tier 1 as her care home doesn ’ t want to take any risks .
As the home can only allow one visit a week , is closed every third week for testing and I have two sisters , I have only been able to see my mum twice since early March .
And who knows when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is it easy now to see my son in Brighton as I am still not quite sure what the rules are for visits between differing tiers .
Can I go down to see him for for a meal ?
You tell me .
Hardest of all , though , is my daughter whom I haven ’ t seen for nearly a year .
Nor am I likely to see her again any time soon as I can ’ t see travel restrictions between the US and the UK changing anytime soon .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Last Saturday , her birthday present to me arrived in the post and I burst into tears long before opening it .
You have to wonder what it is about the north-west that so gets under Boris Johnson ’ s skin .
Back in 2004 , when he was editor of the Spectator , Boris commissioned and endorsed a leader feature in which he took aim at the people of Liverpool .
As well as casting slurs against the behaviour of Liverpool fans during the Hillsborough disaster , the piece went on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whenever possible as victims , and resent their victim status ; yet at the same time they wallow in it ” .
The then Tory leader , Michael Howard , sent Johnson up to Liverpool to make a personal apology but the damage was done .
Liverpool has never forgiven him .
Now it seems that Johnson is going out of his way to alienate Greater Manchester over his handling of the financial support given to the region as it moves up to coronavirus tier 3 .
The Greater Manchester mayor , Andy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leaders , had originally demanded £90m over the next six months so that the lowest paid workers who lost their jobs could retain a guaranteed 80 % of their former wages .
Johnson said no : the maximum he could offer was £55m .
Burnham then said that £65m was the bare minimum he needed to stop people starving .
Johnson refused to go any higher than £60m and the talks collapsed as the government walked away .
All over £5m , which is peanuts in the grander scheme of Covid-19 bailouts .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ refused at his Downing Street press conference to say that the £60m was still available to the region .
In a desperate bid to prevent an even bigger PR own-goal , ministers later confirmed that the money was still on the table but by then the damage to Johnson ’ s reputation had been done .
By coincidence , next year ’ s Tory party conference is scheduled to take place in Manchester .
It could be a lively event .
In the north-east district of Minneapolis where my daughter lives , Donald @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
So she has no idea if the “ Biden/Harris ” campaign sign she had outside her door was stolen by a secret Republican or a Democrat who was too stingy to buy one for herself .
Either way , Anna has now gone out and bought two Biden/Harris signs and promises to keep doubling them , the more often they get stolen .
She has also set up a webcam to see if she can identify any future culprits .
With less than two weeks to polling day , no one is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appears to be well ahead in the polls .
But if you ’ re looking for a reminder of just how nuts US politics has been over the past four years , I can wholeheartedly recommend the the three-part documentary series , The Trump Show , which is now available on iPlayer .
The programme-makers have got interviews with key players in the Trump regime , including Steve Bannon – now long-haired , dishevelled , looking like the alt-right shock jock in series 6 of Homeland and recorded the day after his court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Anthony Scaramucci , John Bolton and Stormy Daniels .
Apparently Daniels caused a meltdown among her Twitter followers by saying she had just filmed with the BBC : in the adult entertainment world “ BBC ” means something rather different … There was so much material , it was tough for the producers to know what to leave out .
One quote from writer Michael Wolff , who still seems unable to believe his luck in having been given so much access during the first year , didn ’ t even make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ At the beginning I said to him , ‘ Why are you doing this ?
’ and he said very naturally without any hesitation , ‘ To be the most famous man in the world ’ .
And he clicked his fingers and said ‘ Jared , am I the most famous man in the world yet ?
’ and Jared said he was.
” It ’ s going to be a nail-biter on 3 November .
One of my least favourite weekends of the year is coming up .
I hate the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is dark by 5pm .
The long nights closing in fill me with a sense of dread and gloom .
And I ’ m not the only one : apparently 59 % of the country is in favour of remaining on British summer Time throughout the year .
Something that the road safety charity , Brake , has calculated would reduce the number of casualties in road accidents by 11 % during the hours affected by the change .
I appreciate that the long dark mornings may not suit the Scots , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should not be a devolved matter with Scotland free to revert to Greenwich mean time if it wants .
Other countries cope perfectly well with having regions in different time zones and I ’ m sure the UK could adjust with little difficulty to Scotland being one hour behind .
Still , there are two things to cheer me up this morning .
The first is Marcus Rashford ’ s Twitter feed , which has been inundated with offers of food after the government voted not to extend free school meals throughout the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that many families will be struggling financially because of the coronavirus .
It was a spectacular own goal by the government .
The amounts of money involved are tiny compared with other bailouts on offer and public opinion is very much with Rashford .
After all , it ’ s not as if children lose their appetite during holidays and no longer need feeding .
The government has caved in to Rashford once already and I suspect it will again .
The other piece of good news is that parliament is on recess @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a week .
By which I mean that I will be staying at home ; just as I have been for all but two weeks since March .
Still , unless more mayhem breaks out in Westminster , at least I won ’ t be working .
May I live in uninteresting times .
Digested week digested : The winter economic plan that didn ’ t survive till the end of autumn .

Monday
This wasn’t quite the return to north London that either Gareth Bale or Spurs had hoped. Bale had come on in about the 70th minute and Tottenham were seemingly cruising to a healthy 3-0 win. A quarter of an hour later and Spurs were hanging on to a 3-2 lead. Then Harry Kane put Bale through and the Welshman did all the hard yards of beating the West Ham left back only to stab the ball wide when it seemed easier to score and put the match to bed. Needless to say, West Ham equalised with the last kick of the game and for several hours afterwards I was almost catatonic with shock and disappointment. Then I calmed down a bit and decided the game must have been one of the most Spursy performances I had ever seen and if Bale had forgotten how football is played in N17 he had been given the perfect reminder. Besides, there was no point getting too upset about snatching a draw from the jaws of victory as there is so much more to get angry about in football. Starting with the Premier League’s decision to start charging customers, such as myself, an extra £14.95 on top of our ordinary subscriptions to watch selected games. Sky has been reluctant to disclose just how many people have coughed up for the pleasure so far, which rather suggests that no more than a few thousand people are bothering to make the effort. Something that won’t please the advertisers who are presumably being charged an arm and a leg. The Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust has come up with the ideal solution. Anyone tempted to fork out the £14.95 should instead make a comparable donation to the Tottenham Foodbank. Consider it done.
Tuesday
My repeated episodes of hypochondria have always been both a constant source of amusement and a headache (so far, non-fatal) for my family and friends. Only I’ve noticed that during the last seven months of the pandemic, more and more people I talk to have understandably got more and more concerned about their health. How can you tell the difference between an ordinary cough and a coronavirus cough? Indeed, one of my friends who assiduously fills in her daily health check on the Zoe app was sent off for a Covid test after reporting that her fingers felt a bit tingly. The test came back negative. But even though I know I have it relatively easy compared with many people, the constant levels of anxiety are taking their toll on me. Even a trip up the road to the local Budgens can make me feel somewhat on edge and I always feel idiotically relieved to have made it back in one piece. It’s the lack of contact with my family and friends that affects me the most. Talking via FaceTime gets you only so far. Now that London is in tier 2 of lockdown, I can no longer visit my mother who is in tier 1 as her care home doesn’t want to take any risks. As the home can only allow one visit a week, is closed every third week for testing and I have two sisters, I have only been able to see my mum twice since early March. And who knows when I will see her again? Nor is it easy now to see my son in Brighton as I am still not quite sure what the rules are for visits between differing tiers. Can I go down to see him for for a meal? You tell me. Hardest of all, though, is my daughter whom I haven’t seen for nearly a year. Nor am I likely to see her again any time soon as I can’t see travel restrictions between the US and the UK changing anytime soon. I experience her absence as a physical pain. Last Saturday, her birthday present to me arrived in the post and I burst into tears long before opening it.
Larry the cat yawning: snafu. Photograph: Simon Dawson/Reuters
Wednesday
You have to wonder what it is about the north-west that so gets under Boris Johnson’s skin. Back in 2004, when he was editor of the Spectator, Boris commissioned and endorsed a leader feature in which he took aim at the people of Liverpool. As well as casting slurs against the behaviour of Liverpool fans during the Hillsborough disaster, the piece went on to say that Liverpudlians “see themselves whenever possible as victims, and resent their victim status; yet at the same time they wallow in it”. The then Tory leader, Michael Howard, sent Johnson up to Liverpool to make a personal apology but the damage was done. Liverpool has never forgiven him. Now it seems that Johnson is going out of his way to alienate Greater Manchester over his handling of the financial support given to the region as it moves up to coronavirus tier 3. The Greater Manchester mayor, Andy Burnham, along with many other local leaders, had originally demanded £90m over the next six months so that the lowest paid workers who lost their jobs could retain a guaranteed 80% of their former wages. Johnson said no: the maximum he could offer was £55m. Burnham then said that £65m was the bare minimum he needed to stop people starving. Johnson refused to go any higher than £60m and the talks collapsed as the government walked away. All over £5m, which is peanuts in the grander scheme of Covid-19 bailouts. Even more bizarrely, Boris five times refused at his Downing Street press conference to say that the £60m was still available to the region. In a desperate bid to prevent an even bigger PR own-goal, ministers later confirmed that the money was still on the table but by then the damage to Johnson’s reputation had been done. By coincidence, next year’s Tory party conference is scheduled to take place in Manchester. It could be a lively event.
Thursday
In the north-east district of Minneapolis where my daughter lives, Donald Trump supporters are thin on the ground. So she has no idea if the “Biden/Harris” campaign sign she had outside her door was stolen by a secret Republican or a Democrat who was too stingy to buy one for herself. Either way, Anna has now gone out and bought two Biden/Harris signs and promises to keep doubling them, the more often they get stolen. She has also set up a webcam to see if she can identify any future culprits. With less than two weeks to polling day, no one is taking anything for granted even though Biden appears to be well ahead in the polls. But if you’re looking for a reminder of just how nuts US politics has been over the past four years, I can wholeheartedly recommend the the three-part documentary series, The Trump Show, which is now available on iPlayer. The programme-makers have got interviews with key players in the Trump regime, including Steve Bannon – now long-haired, dishevelled, looking like the alt-right shock jock in series 6 of Homeland and recorded the day after his court hearing – Rudy Giuliani, Sean Spicer, Anthony Scaramucci, John Bolton and Stormy Daniels. Apparently Daniels caused a meltdown among her Twitter followers by saying she had just filmed with the BBC: in the adult entertainment world “BBC” means something rather different … There was so much material, it was tough for the producers to know what to leave out. One quote from writer Michael Wolff, who still seems unable to believe his luck in having been given so much access during the first year, didn’t even make it to the final edit: “At the beginning I said to him, ‘Why are you doing this?’ and he said very naturally without any hesitation, ‘To be the most famous man in the world’. And he clicked his fingers and said ‘Jared, am I the most famous man in the world yet?’ and Jared said he was.” It’s going to be a nail-biter on 3 November.
Friday
One of my least favourite weekends of the year is coming up. I hate the Sunday when the clocks go back and it is dark by 5pm. The long nights closing in fill me with a sense of dread and gloom. And I’m not the only one: apparently 59% of the country is in favour of remaining on British summer Time throughout the year. Something that the road safety charity, Brake, has calculated would reduce the number of casualties in road accidents by 11% during the hours affected by the change. I appreciate that the long dark mornings may not suit the Scots, but there is no reason why time-setting should not be a devolved matter with Scotland free to revert to Greenwich mean time if it wants. Other countries cope perfectly well with having regions in different time zones and I’m sure the UK could adjust with little difficulty to Scotland being one hour behind. Still, there are two things to cheer me up this morning. The first is Marcus Rashford’s Twitter feed, which has been inundated with offers of food after the government voted not to extend free school meals throughout the holidays up until next Easter, given that many families will be struggling financially because of the coronavirus. It was a spectacular own goal by the government. The amounts of money involved are tiny compared with other bailouts on offer and public opinion is very much with Rashford. After all, it’s not as if children lose their appetite during holidays and no longer need feeding. The government has caved in to Rashford once already and I suspect it will again. The other piece of good news is that parliament is on recess, so I am off on holiday for a week. By which I mean that I will be staying at home; just as I have been for all but two weeks since March. Still, unless more mayhem breaks out in Westminster, at least I won’t be working. May I live in uninteresting times.
Digested week digested: The winter economic plan that didn’t survive till the end of autumn.


theguardian--2020-10-23--Young voters are disconnecting from democracy  – but who can blame them? | Daniella Wenger and Rober

Young voters are disconnecting from democracy  – but who can blame them? | Daniella Wenger and Roberto Foa

Across the world , and above all in Britain , the Americas and southern Europe , recent research shows that millennials are more dissatisfied with the performance of democracy than previous generations .
Moreover , the gap has only worsened with time .
When Generation X hit 35 , the majority were satisfied with how democracy worked .
Most millennials today take the contrary view .
Inevitably , our findings have proved something of a Rorschach test for commentators who enjoy speculating about the attitudes of younger generations – including the usual mix of patronising condescension and disbelief .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ developed democracies such as the US , the UK and Australia , millennials are less likely to join political parties or vote in elections , yet more likely to complain about the results .
In the 2016 election , only 46 % of young Americans voted , and that hasn ’ t added legitimacy to millennial objections against the current administration ’ s actions on the climate crisis , student loans or housing affordability .
Yet an examination of millennial life trajectories makes clear the reasons for this generational disconnect .
In the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ close to a quarter of the population yet own just 3 % of the wealth , while baby boomers held 21 % at the same age .
In Britain , millennials are the first generation to earn less than their parents and grandparents .
In Greece , Italy , and Spain , youth unemployment is approximately three times the national rate .
If the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result , millennials can hardly be blamed for checking out from mainstream democratic politics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the political centre .
All the enthusiasm with which young voters once backed moderates such as Barack Obama or Justin Trudeau has morphed into anger over unsustainable debt , high rent and low-paying lobs .
And yet we also find that there is nothing inevitable about this youth disconnect from democracy .
Our research shows that in countries such as Norway or South Korea , where jobs are plentiful and education and housing affordable , millennials can even be more satisfied with their political institutions than older generations are .
Meanwhile , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economic exclusion , the democratic disconnect can be bridged .
During Latin America ’ s “ pink tide ” of the 2000s , for instance , leaders such as Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in Brazil or Michelle Bachelet in Chile helped boost youth satisfaction with democracy by extending social benefits to poorer citizens .
On average , across all pink tide administrations , young people ’ s satisfaction with democracy rose 12 percentage points by the end of the first term in office .
Travelling further back in time , the election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Papandreou in Greece in the 1980s suggest that populism of the left can be a vehicle for young people ’ s re-engagement with political life .
Populist rhetoric has in the past brought young people into the political fold , and continues to do so .
Yet faced with this insurgency , the response of the politicians of yesteryear has been to attempt a revival of the political centre , citing Emmanuel Macron ’ s La République En Marche !
or Matteo Renzi as examples of the new way forward .
Alas , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are few signs of a reversal in youth dissatisfaction when “ moderate ” candidates beat “ populists ” into office .
In France there may have been relief among the middle classes when Macron won the presidency in 2017 , but youth discontent reached fresh levels little more than a year later amid the gilets jaunes protests .
Today , the latest opinion polls show far-right candidate Marine Le Pen on course to beat Macron in the first round of the 2022 election , with her National Rally party gathering disproportionate support from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the relatively youthful Matteo Renzi proved a similarly damp squib as younger voters flocked instead towards the amorphous populism of Beppe Grillo ’ s Five Star Movement .
Elsewhere , moderates have fared little better .
In Argentina , Mauricio Macri ’ s 2015 victory over Cristina Fernández de Kirchner ’ s successor might have brought realistic economics and calmer rhetoric to a country long accustomed to neither , but it did little to revive youth enthusiasm for the democratic process – or Macri ’ s prospects for re-election , as he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In the long run , populists offer few solutions to democracy ’ s current malaise .
That is clear from political and economic crises engulfing countries like Venezuela and Turkey today , as well as more accelerated crises such as Greece ’ s abortive 2015 effort to revise the terms of its eurozone membership .
As we show in our report , when populist parties of either left or right hold office for long enough to undermine democracy and economic prosperity , youth satisfaction declines precipitously .
Yet despite their dangers , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in society in a way that conventional politicians do not .
For as long as this remains true , the populist brand of anti-politics will continue to thrive .
So perhaps a paradigm shift is in order .
Instead of becoming distracted by the “ threat ” of populism , we should do more to deliver on democracy ’ s founding promise – to represent the concerns of citizens and to deliver effective and timely policy solutions .
If the populist challenge can shock moderate parties and leaders into taking measures to reverse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ranging from wealth inequalities between successful and left-behind regions , to the growing intergenerational divide and the toxic nexus of money and politics – then it may yet prompt a democratic rebirth .
But if all that mainstream parties can offer is a cosmetic rebrand of the politics of the past , then we should not be surprised if younger citizens continue disconnecting from democracy .
• None Daniella Wenger is research associate at the Bennett Institute for Public Policy , Cambridge University ; Roberto Foa is lecturer at Cambridge University and director @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Research

Across the world, and above all in Britain, the Americas and southern Europe, recent research shows that millennials are more dissatisfied with the performance of democracy than previous generations. Moreover, the gap has only worsened with time. When Generation X hit 35, the majority were satisfied with how democracy worked. Most millennials today take the contrary view.
Inevitably, our findings have proved something of a Rorschach test for commentators who enjoy speculating about the attitudes of younger generations – including the usual mix of patronising condescension and disbelief. And yes, it is true, in developed democracies such as the US, the UK and Australia, millennials are less likely to join political parties or vote in elections, yet more likely to complain about the results. In the 2016 election, only 46% of young Americans voted, and that hasn’t added legitimacy to millennial objections against the current administration’s actions on the climate crisis, student loans or housing affordability.
Yet an examination of millennial life trajectories makes clear the reasons for this generational disconnect. In the US, millennials aged 30 make up close to a quarter of the population yet own just 3% of the wealth, while baby boomers held 21% at the same age. In Britain, millennials are the first generation to earn less than their parents and grandparents. In Greece, Italy, and Spain, youth unemployment is approximately three times the national rate.
If the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result, millennials can hardly be blamed for checking out from mainstream democratic politics. Hence young people are moving away from the political centre. All the enthusiasm with which young voters once backed moderates such as Barack Obama or Justin Trudeau has morphed into anger over unsustainable debt, high rent and low-paying lobs.
And yet we also find that there is nothing inevitable about this youth disconnect from democracy. Our research shows that in countries such as Norway or South Korea, where jobs are plentiful and education and housing affordable, millennials can even be more satisfied with their political institutions than older generations are.
Meanwhile, when leaders take measures to reverse youth economic exclusion, the democratic disconnect can be bridged. During Latin America’s “pink tide” of the 2000s, for instance, leaders such as Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in Brazil or Michelle Bachelet in Chile helped boost youth satisfaction with democracy by extending social benefits to poorer citizens. On average, across all pink tide administrations, young people’s satisfaction with democracy rose 12 percentage points by the end of the first term in office.
Travelling further back in time, the election of François Mitterrand in France and Andreas Papandreou in Greece in the 1980s suggest that populism of the left can be a vehicle for young people’s re-engagement with political life. Populist rhetoric has in the past brought young people into the political fold, and continues to do so. Yet faced with this insurgency, the response of the politicians of yesteryear has been to attempt a revival of the political centre, citing Emmanuel Macron’s La République En Marche! or Matteo Renzi as examples of the new way forward.
Alas, it doesn’t work: there are few signs of a reversal in youth dissatisfaction when “moderate” candidates beat “populists” into office. In France there may have been relief among the middle classes when Macron won the presidency in 2017, but youth discontent reached fresh levels little more than a year later amid the gilets jaunes protests. Today, the latest opinion polls show far-right candidate Marine Le Pen on course to beat Macron in the first round of the 2022 election, with her National Rally party gathering disproportionate support from disaffected French youth.
Meanwhile in Italy, the relatively youthful Matteo Renzi proved a similarly damp squib as younger voters flocked instead towards the amorphous populism of Beppe Grillo’s Five Star Movement. Elsewhere, moderates have fared little better. In Argentina, Mauricio Macri’s 2015 victory over Cristina Fernández de Kirchner’s successor might have brought realistic economics and calmer rhetoric to a country long accustomed to neither, but it did little to revive youth enthusiasm for the democratic process – or Macri’s prospects for re-election, as he was booted from office four years later.
In the long run, populists offer few solutions to democracy’s current malaise. That is clear from political and economic crises engulfing countries like Venezuela and Turkey today, as well as more accelerated crises such as Greece’s abortive 2015 effort to revise the terms of its eurozone membership. As we show in our report, when populist parties of either left or right hold office for long enough to undermine democracy and economic prosperity, youth satisfaction declines precipitously.
Yet despite their dangers, populists respond to real anger and frustration in society in a way that conventional politicians do not. For as long as this remains true, the populist brand of anti-politics will continue to thrive. So perhaps a paradigm shift is in order. Instead of becoming distracted by the “threat” of populism, we should do more to deliver on democracy’s founding promise – to represent the concerns of citizens and to deliver effective and timely policy solutions.
If the populist challenge can shock moderate parties and leaders into taking measures to reverse the true causes of our democratic disconnect– ranging from wealth inequalities between successful and left-behind regions, to the growing intergenerational divide and the toxic nexus of money and politics – then it may yet prompt a democratic rebirth. But if all that mainstream parties can offer is a cosmetic rebrand of the politics of the past, then we should not be surprised if younger citizens continue disconnecting from democracy.


theguardian--2020-10-23--Biden fends off flailing Trump but most voters have already decided | Moira Donegan

Shockingly , the second and last presidential debate , which was held in Nashville , Tennessee , on Thursday night , actually contained some discussion of policy .
This was not thanks to President Trump , who spent much of the evening dissembling , spreading disinformation and attempting to lend credence to a suspicious story circulating in the rightwing media about a laptop that supposedly once belonged to Joe Biden ’ s son .
Instead , the substantive moments of the night were almost all secured by the efforts of NBC ’ s Kristen Welker , the only one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ able to handle the president with the calm authoritativeness and unyielding confidence that is required .
She did what the previous debate ’ s moderator , Chris Wallace , could not do : she kept the candidates as close to the designated topic as possible , she maintained her dignity throughout , and she handled the president ’ s outbursts with the demeanor of sedate decisiveness that experts recommend when handling ill-behaved dogs .
As a result of Welker ’ s temperament and acuity , the debate contained fewer of Trump ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ almost approached a substantial , if not exactly serious , discussion of the policy differences between the two candidates .
This may have also been the result of a visible effort by Trump to contain his temper and avoid the tantrums of the last debate , a chaotic circus of chicanery and contempt that left voters repulsed by Trump and caused his already poor poll numbers to nosedive .
At times early in the debate , Trump seemed to be attempting to restrain himself with almost a physical effort , gritting his teeth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a communications staffer .
Maybe Trump ’ s performance of attempted restraint was meant to convince the thin and dwindling slice of persuadable voters – estimated at roughly 5 % , according to NPR – to vote for him , instead of the challenger .
But amid Trump ’ s viscerally polarizing presidency , that group of undecided voters seems marginal at best , probably too small to meaningfully influence the outcome in most states .
Rather , Trump ’ s comparatively sedate performance in the first 20 or so minutes of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for him in 2016 – particularly white suburban women – who have since been disappointed , even humiliated , by his presidency .
By attempting to appear calmer , more cogent , Trump was trying to reassure these voters who might not vote this year , or might even be voting Democratic , that he ’ s not so embarrassing after all .
The complete sentences , uttered without those flying drops of involuntary spittle from the president ’ s mouth that characterized so much of the last debate , seemed designed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Trump , to vote Republican again , and to convince themselves that a Republican vote is compatible with their own dignity and decency .
Will it work ?
That probably depends on how long people kept watching .
Trump ’ s coherence seemed practiced and difficult for him , and not long into the debate , he dropped the act and returned to his usual rambling and petulant self .
He made frequent references to obscure conspiracy theories born of the far-right internet , references that were illegible to most viewers and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ devoted base .
He made bizarre claims about the Covid-19 pandemic , boasting that his response was successful because not as many people died as probably could have , and blaming his own infection on his meetings with the families of American soldiers who have been killed overseas .
He mocked Biden for the former vice-president ’ s concern for the welfare of ordinary families .
He claimed that he had done more for Black Americans than anyone except maybe Abraham Lincoln , and asserted that he was “ the least racist person @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of claim that seems dubious by the mere fact of its having been made .
He chillingly described children who his administration kidnapped at the southern border as having been “ very well taken care of ” .
News reports showed these children in cages , and have recently revealed that the federal government can not locate the parents of more than 500 of them .
Trump claimed that Joe Biden , under the direction of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , would dismantle buildings in order to rebuild them with smaller windows .
For his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attacks with relative aplomb .
Policy discussions are not his strong suit : Biden ran on a famously non-specific agenda during the primaries , and has focused his general election campaign more on appeals to Americans ’ moral sensibilities than to their policy preferences .
But he scored some meaningful points by insisting on tying his climate plan to jobs growth , and levelled attacks on Trump and the Republican party by decrying their inaction on a much-needed economic relief package and pointing out , correctly , that Trump ’ s Ahab-like focus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ignores the real economic conditions of ordinary Americans .
Careful observers would have noticed that Biden stumbled once or twice , repeating lines he had already used in the last debate – his image of an empty chair at the dinner table in homes that have lost a family member to Covid , his insistence that the election is “ Not about his family or my family , but about your family.
” But Biden did not have to be very good in the debate – he merely had to be better than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with ease .
Trump , meanwhile , is certain to be hailed as having made a pivot in a softer , gentler direction by pundits impressed that he managed some moments of lucidity on the debate stage , but this will be an exaggeration .
Expectations were so low for the president after his performance in the first debate than anything more dignified than an on-camera fart would have been hailed as presidential and sophisticated .
But Biden did manage to make one point late in the evening when he copped , disarmingly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s limitation .
Throughout the night , Trump ceaselessly attacked Biden for his supposed inaction and ineffectiveness while vice-president – “ It ’ s all talk and no action with these politicians , ” the sitting president said .
But Biden explained this with refreshing candor : they didn ’ t achieve all of their agenda , he said , “ because we had a Republican Congress ” .
If you want him to enact his aims , the subtext went , you have to vote out the Republicans down ballot , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s call and deliver Congress to the Democrats ?
It seems that way .
For all the drama and preparation that went into tonight ’ s event , the fact remains that most voters have already made up their minds , and the polls – though they have been horrendously wrong before – seem to indicate that Biden will win the popular vote and that Democrats will expand their lead in the House and possibly retake the Senate .
Virtually nothing that could happen during the last debate could change that .
An @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a number that suggests that turnout this year will far exceed 2016 .
“ The character of the country is on the ballot , ” Biden said .
Many Americans seem to agree with him .
• None Legendary Watergate reporter Bob Woodward will discuss the Trump presidency at a Guardian Live online event on Tuesday 27 October , 7pm GMT .
Book tickets here

Shockingly, the second and last presidential debate, which was held in Nashville, Tennessee, on Thursday night, actually contained some discussion of policy. This was not thanks to President Trump, who spent much of the evening dissembling, spreading disinformation and attempting to lend credence to a suspicious story circulating in the rightwing media about a laptop that supposedly once belonged to Joe Biden’s son.
Instead, the substantive moments of the night were almost all secured by the efforts of NBC’s Kristen Welker, the only one of the debate moderators this cycle who was able to handle the president with the calm authoritativeness and unyielding confidence that is required. She did what the previous debate’s moderator, Chris Wallace, could not do: she kept the candidates as close to the designated topic as possible, she maintained her dignity throughout, and she handled the president’s outbursts with the demeanor of sedate decisiveness that experts recommend when handling ill-behaved dogs.
As a result of Welker’s temperament and acuity, the debate contained fewer of Trump’s interruptions and outbursts, and at times almost approached a substantial, if not exactly serious, discussion of the policy differences between the two candidates. This may have also been the result of a visible effort by Trump to contain his temper and avoid the tantrums of the last debate, a chaotic circus of chicanery and contempt that left voters repulsed by Trump and caused his already poor poll numbers to nosedive. At times early in the debate, Trump seemed to be attempting to restrain himself with almost a physical effort, gritting his teeth as he recited memorized sentences drafted by a communications staffer.
Maybe Trump’s performance of attempted restraint was meant to convince the thin and dwindling slice of persuadable voters – estimated at roughly 5%, according to NPR – to vote for him, instead of the challenger. But amid Trump’s viscerally polarizing presidency, that group of undecided voters seems marginal at best, probably too small to meaningfully influence the outcome in most states. Rather, Trump’s comparatively sedate performance in the first 20 or so minutes of the debate seemed aimed at people who voted for him in 2016 – particularly white suburban women – who have since been disappointed, even humiliated, by his presidency.
By attempting to appear calmer, more cogent, Trump was trying to reassure these voters who might not vote this year, or might even be voting Democratic, that he’s not so embarrassing after all. The complete sentences, uttered without those flying drops of involuntary spittle from the president’s mouth that characterized so much of the last debate, seemed designed to give these voters permission to come back to Trump, to vote Republican again, and to convince themselves that a Republican vote is compatible with their own dignity and decency.
Will it work? That probably depends on how long people kept watching. Trump’s coherence seemed practiced and difficult for him, and not long into the debate, he dropped the act and returned to his usual rambling and petulant self.
He made frequent references to obscure conspiracy theories born of the far-right internet, references that were illegible to most viewers and designed more as signals to his already devoted base. He made bizarre claims about the Covid-19 pandemic, boasting that his response was successful because not as many people died as probably could have, and blaming his own infection on his meetings with the families of American soldiers who have been killed overseas. He mocked Biden for the former vice-president’s concern for the welfare of ordinary families. He claimed that he had done more for Black Americans than anyone except maybe Abraham Lincoln, and asserted that he was “the least racist person in the room” – the sort of claim that seems dubious by the mere fact of its having been made. He chillingly described children who his administration kidnapped at the southern border as having been “very well taken care of”. News reports showed these children in cages, and have recently revealed that the federal government cannot locate the parents of more than 500 of them. Trump claimed that Joe Biden, under the direction of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, would dismantle buildings in order to rebuild them with smaller windows.
For his part, Biden handled Trump’s attacks with relative aplomb. Policy discussions are not his strong suit: Biden ran on a famously non-specific agenda during the primaries, and has focused his general election campaign more on appeals to Americans’ moral sensibilities than to their policy preferences. But he scored some meaningful points by insisting on tying his climate plan to jobs growth, and levelled attacks on Trump and the Republican party by decrying their inaction on a much-needed economic relief package and pointing out, correctly, that Trump’s Ahab-like focus on the performance of the stock market ignores the real economic conditions of ordinary Americans.
If you want him to enact his aims, the subtext went, you have to vote out the Republicans down ballot, too
Careful observers would have noticed that Biden stumbled once or twice, repeating lines he had already used in the last debate – his image of an empty chair at the dinner table in homes that have lost a family member to Covid, his insistence that the election is “Not about his family or my family, but about your family.” But Biden did not have to be very good in the debate – he merely had to be better than Trump, and that much he achieved with ease. Trump, meanwhile, is certain to be hailed as having made a pivot in a softer, gentler direction by pundits impressed that he managed some moments of lucidity on the debate stage, but this will be an exaggeration. Expectations were so low for the president after his performance in the first debate than anything more dignified than an on-camera fart would have been hailed as presidential and sophisticated.
But Biden did manage to make one point late in the evening when he copped, disarmingly to the reality of the Obama administration’s limitation. Throughout the night, Trump ceaselessly attacked Biden for his supposed inaction and ineffectiveness while vice-president – “It’s all talk and no action with these politicians,” the sitting president said. But Biden explained this with refreshing candor: they didn’t achieve all of their agenda, he said, “because we had a Republican Congress”. If you want him to enact his aims, the subtext went, you have to vote out the Republicans down ballot, too.
Will voters heed Biden’s call and deliver Congress to the Democrats? It seems that way. For all the drama and preparation that went into tonight’s event, the fact remains that most voters have already made up their minds, and the polls – though they have been horrendously wrong before – seem to indicate that Biden will win the popular vote and that Democrats will expand their lead in the House and possibly retake the Senate. Virtually nothing that could happen during the last debate could change that. An estimated 40 million Americans have already voted, a number that suggests that turnout this year will far exceed 2016. “The character of the country is on the ballot,” Biden said. Many Americans seem to agree with him.


theguardian--2020-10-23--The final Biden-Trump presidential debate: our panelists' verdict

Jill Filipovic : ‘ Trump has given up trying to articulate a plan ’ If one single thing shone through in Thursday ’ s debate , it was that Donald Trump has absolutely nothing to say .
He has no agenda .
He has no plan .
He has no ideals or hopes or purpose .
All he has is the raw pursuit of power – for his own benefit , no one else ’ s .
Trump failed to put forward even one specific policy he will push in his second term .
He offered some vague hand-waving – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) will get rid of Obamacare and he ’ ll replace it with something better , no you haven ’ t seen his plan , even though he ’ s had four years to create it , but he ’ s working on it , it ’ s almost done , he swears – but gave Americans no vision for a second-term Trump presidency .
Instead , he was purely reactive .
Joe Biden would put forward an idea , and Trump ’ s response was : “ Well why didn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office ?
” Trump is in office , and while a lot has changed in four years , there ’ s little he can be proud of .
More than 220,000 Americans are dead from a disease that has also tanked the economy and pushed thousands of American families to the brink .
America is notorious the world over for ripping children from their parents and putting them in cages ; more than 500 of those children are still not reunited with their parents , a human rights catastrophe .
The US is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our allies .
The president lies with abandon and leads a party that has increasingly moved to the fringes , its followers and even candidates embracing obscene conspiracy theories .
This is Donald Trump ’ s America .
It ’ s no wonder he doesn ’ t want to answer for it .
What ’ s stunning , though , is the degree to which he has simply given up on articulating any plan for the future – and that he ’ s so sure voters won ’ t care .
• None @ @ @ @ @ @ @ OK Boomer , Let ’ s Talk : How My Generation Got Left Behind He bulled over the moderator , he sucked up the time , spread scurrilous claims , said he did more for black people than anyone since President Lincoln , and that those children in cages were well cared for .
He was Donald Trump back from Covid as bellicose as ever during Thursday ’ s debate , a failing candidate on a flailing campaign .
“ He ’ s flat-out lying , ” Joe Biden declared .
“ You @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him .
And you know you I am.
” Biden holds the lead .
Trump shouting down the questions was not what he needed to score an upset and make up lost ground in the final debate .
Dredging up Rudy Giuliani ’ s escapades trying to dig dirt on Biden ’ s family isn ’ t selling with the public .
Trump failed to slow down Biden just days before the election .
The president needed a big win , but Biden maintained his ground with that one statement , looking straight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who he is.
” • None Art Cullen is editor of the Storm Lake Times in north-west Iowa , where he won the Pulitzer prize for editorial writing .
He is a Guardian US columnist and author of the book , Storm Lake : Change , Resilience , and Hope in America ’ s Heartland Lloyd Green : ‘ Trump spoke to his base , Biden spoke to the country ’ On Thursday , the interruptions that marred their first debate were gone .
In the end , the American public , Joe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moderator , emerged as the ultimate winners .
The president ’ s answers were cliched and Biden ’ s responses were detailed .
He successfully demonstrated his capacity to parry Trump ’ s attacks .
The notion that Biden was less than sentient was left in tatters .
Trump ’ s tropism toward paying taxes in China and his failure to release his tax returns was put front and center with less than two weeks before election day , not exactly great timing for a candidate down by nearly 10 points .
Likewise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many bank accounts … and they are all over the place ” sounded tone deaf .
More than 220,000 Americans are dead and the economy lurches .
The stock market is clearly not the measure of all things .
Four years ago , Trump ’ s mantra was tailored to US workers .
Now , the president sounds like a pitchman for the donor class .
When Trump says “ I ’ m the least racist person in this room ” , you have to roll your eyes .
Both men had their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the end of Covid and bragged of an imaginarily low mortality rate .
Biden attacked the oil industry .
The president did nothing to endear himself to seniors , Biden may have lost Texas .
By the end of the evening , Biden had reinforced his middle-class message : Medicare , check ; social security , check ; compassion , check .
The president engaged his base .
Biden spoke to a country .
• None Lloyd Green was opposition research counsel to George HW Bush ’ s 1988 campaign and served in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1992 With the final chance to make an impression on the electorate before election day , Thursday ’ s debate was short on forward-looking policy and more about complaints and past controversies .
There was mud-slinging about who was getting paid by which Russians , whose racist rhetoric and policies were worst , and when businesses should have been shut down because of Covid-19 , among other fodder you can find in your average Facebook comment section .
Yet , for all the talk about Covid-19 that opened the debate , it took @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it took an hour to talk about an economic stimulus .
Less than 10 minutes were dedicated to race .
This is an indictment of the framing of the debate itself as much as it is the candidates .
The foreign disputes that entice legacy media editors probably make most Americans ’ eyes glaze over when eviction , homelessness and economic strife have either arrived for millions of Americans or they ’ re on the horizon .
Sorely lacking was the sense that either of these men have bold ideas to respond to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ history and a transformative plan to help people recover from the health and economic impacts of a pandemic .
There was the usual delusional grandstanding from Trump about being ( maybe ) better for Black Americans than Abraham Lincoln and Joe Biden stating that his response to Covid-19 would be to tell people to wear a mask .
There was no discussion about potential domestic voter suppression , less than two weeks before the election .
Nothing about far-right white supremacists , who pose the deadliest terror threat in the country .
Nothing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unemployment , essential work , Covid-19 deaths and cases , or small business closures .
There was little in this debate to give Americans a substantial sense of security and financial solvency .
Apart from the possibility of ridding America of a Trump presidency , that can apply to the election in general .
• None Legendary Watergate reporter Bob Woodward will discuss the Trump presidency at a Guardian Live online event on Tuesday 27 October , 7pm GMT .
Book tickets here

Jill Filipovic, Art Cullen, Lloyd Green and Malaika Jabali

Jill Filipovic: ‘Trump has given up trying to articulate a plan’
If one single thing shone through in Thursday’s debate, it was that Donald Trump has absolutely nothing to say. He has no agenda. He has no plan. He has no ideals or hopes or purpose. All he has is the raw pursuit of power – for his own benefit, no one else’s.
Trump failed to put forward even one specific policy he will push in his second term. He offered some vague hand-waving – he (or the US supreme court) will get rid of Obamacare and he’ll replace it with something better, no you haven’t seen his plan, even though he’s had four years to create it, but he’s working on it, it’s almost done, he swears – but gave Americans no vision for a second-term Trump presidency. Instead, he was purely reactive. Joe Biden would put forward an idea, and Trump’s response was: “Well why didn’t you do that when you were in office?”
Trump is in office, and while a lot has changed in four years, there’s little he can be proud of. More than 220,000 Americans are dead from a disease that has also tanked the economy and pushed thousands of American families to the brink. America is notorious the world over for ripping children from their parents and putting them in cages; more than 500 of those children are still not reunited with their parents, a human rights catastrophe. The US is increasingly a pariah state, having alienated our allies. The president lies with abandon and leads a party that has increasingly moved to the fringes, its followers and even candidates embracing obscene conspiracy theories.
This is Donald Trump’s America. It’s no wonder he doesn’t want to answer for it. What’s stunning, though, is the degree to which he has simply given up on articulating any plan for the future – and that he’s so sure voters won’t care.
Jill Filipovic is the author of: OK Boomer, Let’s Talk: How My Generation Got Left Behind
Art Cullen: ‘Trump needed a big win. He didn’t get one’
He bulled over the moderator, he sucked up the time, spread scurrilous claims, said he did more for black people than anyone since President Lincoln, and that those children in cages were well cared for. He was Donald Trump back from Covid as bellicose as ever during Thursday’s debate, a failing candidate on a flailing campaign. “He’s flat-out lying,” Joe Biden declared. “You know who he is. Look at him. And you know who I am.”
Biden holds the lead. Trump shouting down the questions was not what he needed to score an upset and make up lost ground in the final debate. Dredging up Rudy Giuliani’s escapades trying to dig dirt on Biden’s family isn’t selling with the public. Trump failed to slow down Biden just days before the election. The president needed a big win, but Biden maintained his ground with that one statement, looking straight into the camera: “You know who he is.”
Art Cullen is editor of the Storm Lake Times in north-west Iowa, where he won the Pulitzer prize for editorial writing. He is a Guardian US columnist and author of the book, Storm Lake: Change, Resilience, and Hope in America’s Heartland
05:42 Trump v Biden: the key moments of the final presidential debate – video highlights
Lloyd Green: ‘Trump spoke to his base, Biden spoke to the country’
On Thursday, the interruptions that marred their first debate were gone. In the end, the American public, Joe Biden, and Kristen Welker, the moderator, emerged as the ultimate winners.
The president’s answers were cliched and Biden’s responses were detailed. He successfully demonstrated his capacity to parry Trump’s attacks. The notion that Biden was less than sentient was left in tatters.
Four years ago, Trump’s mantra was tailored to US workers. Now he sounds like a pitchman for the donor class
Trump’s tropism toward paying taxes in China and his failure to release his tax returns was put front and center with less than two weeks before election day, not exactly great timing for a candidate down by nearly 10 points. Likewise, the president proclaiming “I have many bank accounts … and they are all over the place” sounded tone deaf.
More than 220,000 Americans are dead and the economy lurches. The stock market is clearly not the measure of all things. Four years ago, Trump’s mantra was tailored to US workers. Now, the president sounds like a pitchman for the donor class. When Trump says “I’m the least racist person in this room”, you have to roll your eyes.
Both men had their share of missteps. Trump again predicted the end of Covid and bragged of an imaginarily low mortality rate. Biden attacked the oil industry. The president did nothing to endear himself to seniors, Biden may have lost Texas.
By the end of the evening, Biden had reinforced his middle-class message: Medicare, check; social security, check; compassion, check. The president engaged his base. Biden spoke to a country.
Lloyd Green was opposition research counsel to George HW Bush’s 1988 campaign and served in the Department of Justice from 1990 to 1992
03:26 Trump and Biden clash on coronavirus during final presidential debate – video
Malaika Jabali: ‘A frustrating debate that ignored big issues’
With the final chance to make an impression on the electorate before election day, Thursday’s debate was short on forward-looking policy and more about complaints and past controversies. There was mud-slinging about who was getting paid by which Russians, whose racist rhetoric and policies were worst, and when businesses should have been shut down because of Covid-19, among other fodder you can find in your average Facebook comment section.
Yet, for all the talk about Covid-19 that opened the debate, it took 45 minutes to address healthcare, and it took an hour to talk about an economic stimulus. Less than 10 minutes were dedicated to race. This is an indictment of the framing of the debate itself as much as it is the candidates. The foreign disputes that entice legacy media editors probably make most Americans’ eyes glaze over when eviction, homelessness and economic strife have either arrived for millions of Americans or they’re on the horizon.
Sorely lacking was the sense that either of these men have bold ideas to respond to the biggest social justice movement in US history and a transformative plan to help people recover from the health and economic impacts of a pandemic. There was the usual delusional grandstanding from Trump about being (maybe) better for Black Americans than Abraham Lincoln and Joe Biden stating that his response to Covid-19 would be to tell people to wear a mask. There was no discussion about potential domestic voter suppression, less than two weeks before the election. Nothing about far-right white supremacists, who pose the deadliest terror threat in the country. Nothing about policies to reduce racial disparities in unemployment, essential work, Covid-19 deaths and cases, or small business closures.
There was little in this debate to give Americans a substantial sense of security and financial solvency. Apart from the possibility of ridding America of a Trump presidency, that can apply to the election in general.


theguardian--2020-10-22--Fight to Vote: why early voting history is being made right now

The election is extremely under way , with a record number of Americans casting their ballot via mail or in-person during early voting hours across the country .
I ’ m personally shocked ( in a mostly good way ) how many people are voting early instead of waiting for election day and it seems like I ’ m not the only one .
While it ’ s partly the Covid-19 pandemic driving people to be more proactive , there are also signs that the turnout signals a swell of civic engagement .
Just look at these early voting stats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have voted in the US as of Wednesday morning .
• None 20 % of the votes cast are by people who did not vote in 2016 .
• None Texas is leading the US in most ballots cast so far , with 4.6m votes – that ’ s more than half of the state ’ s voter turnout in 2016 .
• None Florida also beat its early voting record , with 350,000 voters casting their ballot on Monday , the first day of early voting .
Is early voting good for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no easy answer to that .
Currently , there are more registered Democrats voting early than their Republican counterparts .
That includes voting by mail , which we ’ re tracking in swing states here at the Guardian .
It could be that Republicans are opting to vote on election day because the president has tried to sow confusion and fear around mail-in voting .
But will there be enough red votes to make up for the groundswell of blue early votes ?
We won ’ t know until 3 November at least @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well ?
I wouldn ’ t say that .
While voters are turning out in droves , the election process itself is under fire .
Here ’ s why : • None State officials such as Florida ’ s secretary of state are still trying to change rules and put burdensome restrictions in place .
• None Mail-in votes are being rejected over small technicalities .
In North Carolina , this is disproportionately affecting Black voters .
• None Strange voter intimidation issues are cropping up across the country , like these threatening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this policeman who showed up at the polls in Miami .
Amid all this , millions of Americans have decided that their vote matters now more than ever .
The first-time voters we recently interviewed in Texas exemplify this attitude : “ I ’ m 50 years old now .
You see things in another perspective .
How many times can you vote in your life ?
There ’ s not that many .
There are none you can afford to lose .
You always talk about ‘ freedom ’ and this is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – Carmen Rocha , 50 .
Want more election news ?
The Guardian ’ s First Thing morning newsletter curates and explains the day ’ s most compelling political stories .
To get the latest twists and turns in the 2020 presidential race sign up here .

Hello Fight to Vote friends,
The election is extremely under way, with a record number of Americans casting their ballot via mail or in-person during early voting hours across the country.
The US may face its biggest ever ballot brawl this November. Sign up to our weekly email Fight to Vote to stay informed on election integrity and voting rights.
I’m personally shocked (in a mostly good way) how many people are voting early instead of waiting for election day and it seems like I’m not the only one. While it’s partly the Covid-19 pandemic driving people to be more proactive, there are also signs that the turnout signals a swell of civic engagement.
Just look at these early voting stats
An estimated 39.8 million people have voted in the US as of Wednesday morning.
20% of the votes cast are by people who did not vote in 2016.
Texas is leading the US in most ballots cast so far, with 4.6m votes – that’s more than half of the state’s voter turnout in 2016.
Florida also beat its early voting record, with 350,000 voters casting their ballot on Monday, the first day of early voting.
Is early voting good for Democrats or Republicans?
There’s no easy answer to that. Currently, there are more registered Democrats voting early than their Republican counterparts. That includes voting by mail, which we’re tracking in swing states here at the Guardian.
It could be that Republicans are opting to vote on election day because the president has tried to sow confusion and fear around mail-in voting . But will there be enough red votes to make up for the groundswell of blue early votes? We won’t know until 3 November at least.
So the election system is functioning well?
I wouldn’t say that. While voters are turning out in droves, the election process itself is under fire. Here’s why:
State officials such as Florida’s secretary of state are still trying to change rules and put burdensome restrictions in place.
Mail-in votes are being rejected over small technicalities. In North Carolina, this is disproportionately affecting Black voters.
Strange voter intimidation issues are cropping up across the country, like these threatening emails at the University of Florida or this policeman who showed up at the polls in Miami.
Carmen Rocha. Photograph: Carter Johnston/The Guardian
Amid all this, millions of Americans have decided that their vote matters now more than ever. The first-time voters we recently interviewed in Texas exemplify this attitude:
“I’m 50 years old now. You see things in another perspective. How many times can you vote in your life? There’s not that many. There are none you can afford to lose. You always talk about ‘freedom’ and this is that – the option to choose.” – Carmen Rocha, 50.
Want more election news? The Guardian’s First Thing morning newsletter curates and explains the day’s most compelling political stories. To get the latest twists and turns in the 2020 presidential race sign up here.


theguardian--2020-10-23--Trump v Biden: the key moments of the final presidential debate – video highlights

Joe Biden and Donald Trump have gone head-to-head for the final time before the US election on 3 November in @ @ @ @ @ helped by a mute button on the candidates ’ microphones that prevented interruptions .
Squaring @ @ @ @ @ had to field aggressive questioning about his son ’ s business dealings and when Trump @ @ @ @ @ , the challenger branded his opponent 'one of the most racist presidents we ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ .
Here is a look back at the key moments • The final presidential debate @ @ @ @ @ Sign up for Fight to Vote – our weekly US election newsletter

Joe Biden and Donald Trump have gone head-to-head for the final time before the US election on 3 November in the final television debate, helped by a mute button on the candidates’ microphones that prevented interruptions.
Squaring off in Nashville, Biden had to field aggressive questioning about his son’s business dealings and when Trump compared himself to Abraham Lincoln, the challenger branded his opponent 'one of the most racist presidents we’ve had in modern history'. Here is a look back at the key moments


theguardian--2020-10-23--'Kills all the birds': Trump and Biden spar over climate in TV debate – video

The closing moments of the final presidential debate focused on climate change .
Joe Biden stressed the need to expand @ @ @ @ @ again disputing Donald Trump ’ s claim that he intended to ban fracking , which @ @ @ @ @ I know more about wind than you do , ' Trump retorted , drawing an @ @ @ @ @ 'It ’ s extremely expensive .
Kills all the birds' • Humanity has eight years @ @ @ @ @ control – and Trump 's plan wo n't fix it • Sign up for Fight @ @ @ @ @ US election newsletter

The closing moments of the final presidential debate focused on climate change. Joe Biden stressed the need to expand sources of renewable energy while again disputing Donald Trump’s claim that he intended to ban fracking, which he does not. 'I know more about wind than you do,' Trump retorted, drawing an exasperated laugh from Biden. 'It’s extremely expensive. Kills all the birds'


theguardian--2020-10-23--Trump and Biden clash on coronavirus during final presidential debate – video

Donald Trump and Joe Biden have clashed over the handling of the coronavirus pandemic during the final presidential debate .
@ @ @ @ @ will be available within weeks , Biden questioned the veracity of Trump 's claims after @ @ @ @ @ the pandemic would end by Easter .
The pandemic has killed more than 220,000 Americans @ @ @ @ @ including the president • Trump and Biden offer sharply different visions to tackle Covid in @ @ @ @ @ slams Trump on coronavirus response , family separations and racism in final debate – live

Donald Trump and Joe Biden have clashed over the handling of the coronavirus pandemic during the final presidential debate. While Trump says a vaccine will be available within weeks, Biden questioned the veracity of Trump's claims after the president's previous predictions the pandemic would end by Easter. The pandemic has killed more than 220,000 Americans and infected millions more, including the president


theguardian--2020-10-23--'Children brought here by coyotes': Trump squares off with Biden on immigration – video

Donald Trump and Joe Biden have squared off over immigration policies , including the US government being unable to locate @ @ @ @ @ 500 immigrant children .
'Children are brought here by coyotes and lots of bad people @ @ @ @ @ 're brought here and they used to use them to get into our country .
@ @ @ @ @ a border as we 've ever had , ' Trump said .
The president also @ @ @ @ @ Obama-Biden administration , including the catch and release policy , saying 'those with the lowest @ @ @ @ @ ones who returned for an immigration hearing • Biden the winner of final debate , @ @ @ @ @ say • Battle for the suburbs : can Joe Biden flip Texas ?
– video

Donald Trump and Joe Biden have squared off over immigration policies, including the US government being unable to locate the parents of more than 500 immigrant children. 'Children are brought here by coyotes and lots of bad people, cartels, and they're brought here and they used to use them to get into our country. We now have as strong a border as we've ever had,' Trump said. The president also criticised immigration under the previous Obama-Biden administration, including the catch and release policy, saying 'those with the lowest IQ' were the only ones who returned for an immigration hearing


theguardian--2020-10-23--'Abraham Lincoln over here': Trump and Biden clash on racism at presidential debate – video

Donald Trump has defended his handling of race issues in the US , declaring three times during the final presidential @ @ @ @ @ racist person in this room ' .
Trump was questioned on his handling of incidents @ @ @ @ @ Lives Matter movement as a symbol of hate and saying protesting Black athletes should be @ @ @ @ @ Biden called Trump 'one of the most racist presidents we 've had in modern history @ @ @ @ @ every racist fire ' , before adding 'this guy has a dog whistle about as @ @ @ @ @ Civil rights and QAnon candidates : the fight for facts in Georgia – video

Donald Trump has defended his handling of race issues in the US, declaring three times during the final presidential debate he is 'the least racist person in this room'. Trump was questioned on his handling of incidents such as describing the Black Lives Matter movement as a symbol of hate and saying protesting Black athletes should be fired. Presidential rival Joe Biden called Trump 'one of the most racist presidents we've had in modern history. He pours fuel on every racist fire', before adding 'this guy has a dog whistle about as big as a foghorn'


theguardian--2020-10-24--US election: early voting could reportedly fuel highest turnout since 1908 – as it happened

Experts say that despite the snafus , the election is working without too many hiccups for most Americans .
“ There are no more problems now than we would expect to see in a major presidential election , with record high turnout , record enthusiasm to participate and oh , by the way , in the middle of a pandemic , ” said David Becker , executive director of the Center for Election Innovation and Research .
“ So it ’ s remarkable that things have been going as relatively well as they have.
” Even so , many Americans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in person .
Mesha Winford , a cybersecurity analyst working in Virginia , said she will drive three and a half hours to vote in North Carolina .
And voting is not the only thing she ’ s looking forward to – she ’ s been waiting to go to her favorite restaurant – she tweeted that she dreamt she was back home , eating “ bbq , cole slaw , hush puppies , fried chicken gizzards and homemade lemonade ” .
Winford will also see her 85-year-old father , who she last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unwittingly expose him to Covid-19 .
Now she has a plan : she ’ ll take a Covid test first , and when she arrives , they ’ ll plan to see each other at a distance outside his house , or meet briefly at the polling station .
“ It ’ s especially important to him , ” Winford said .
“ Coming from that era , he couldn ’ t always vote in the African American demographic.
” She added that “ people ’ s lives depend on this election ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nurse based in Laredo , Texas , knows that firsthand .
Fralick works in her hospital ’ s Covid-19 unit and during her overnight shift , she signs her name often , using a shorthand scribble to fill out forms .
Although Fralick has worked since September along the border , she lives and votes in Jacksonville , Florida , a key battleground state this election .
The nurse said she uses three signature variations – sometimes spelling out her first name or sometimes just using her initials – and she doesn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her ballot .
She ’ s heard that in some states , if the voter ’ s signatures don ’ t match , they ’ ll reject the ballot .
She ’ s also concerned about postal service delays .
She requested an absentee ballot , but if it doesn ’ t arrive , she ’ ll fly home to vote .
“ I ’ m watching people die , literally .
I ’ m not only voting for myself , I ’ m voting for them , ” Fralick said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can ’ t vote .
”

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

24 Oct 2020 02.43 BST Summary New coronavirus cases continue to surge in dozens of US states. According to the Johns Hopkins University tracker, the US recorded 71,671 new coronavirus cases yesterday, marking the highest single-day total since late July.
According to the Johns Hopkins University tracker, the US recorded 71,671 new coronavirus cases yesterday, marking the highest single-day total since late July. More than 52 million Americans have already cast their ballots, according to the US Elections Project, putting the country on track for the highest turnout of any election since 1908.
according to the US Elections Project, putting the country on track for the highest turnout of any election since 1908. Dr Anthony Fauci said Trump has not attended a White House coronavirus task force meeting in “several months”. The infectious disease expert also noted the task force’s meetings have become much less frequent, even as cases surge across the country.
The infectious disease expert also noted the task force’s meetings have become much less frequent, even as cases surge across the country. Joe Biden laid out his proposed response to the coronavirus pandemic in a speech this afternoon. “I’m not going to shut down the country. I’m not going to shut down the economy. I’m going to shut down the virus,” Biden said in Wilmington, Delaware. The Democratic nominee sharply criticized Trump’s response to the pandemic, accusing the president of having “quit on America”.
“I’m not going to shut down the country. I’m not going to shut down the economy. I’m going to shut down the virus,” Biden said in Wilmington, Delaware. The Democratic nominee sharply criticized Trump’s response to the pandemic, accusing the president of having “quit on America”. The White House announced Israel and Sudan had agreed to normalize relations. The announcement comes a month after Israel signed deals with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain to normalize relations. “There are many, many more coming,” Trump said of the announcement. “This is one where there’s no blood in the sand. Follow the Guardian’s global coronavirus updates: Coronavirus live news: Vaccine trial restarts as cluster worsens in Victoria, Australia Read more
Updated at 03.01 BST
24 Oct 2020 02.37 BST Experts say that despite the snafus, the election is working without too many hiccups for most Americans. Clara McMichael reports: “There are no more problems now than we would expect to see in a major presidential election, with record high turnout, record enthusiasm to participate and oh, by the way, in the middle of a pandemic,” said David Becker, executive director of the Center for Election Innovation and Research. “So it’s remarkable that things have been going as relatively well as they have.” Even so, many Americans are going to great lengths to vote in person. Mesha Winford, a cybersecurity analyst working in Virginia, said she will drive three and a half hours to vote in North Carolina. And voting is not the only thing she’s looking forward to – she’s been waiting to go to her favorite restaurant – she tweeted that she dreamt she was back home, eating “bbq, cole slaw, hush puppies, fried chicken gizzards and homemade lemonade”. Winford will also see her 85-year-old father, who she last visited in March, afraid she could unwittingly expose him to Covid-19. Now she has a plan: she’ll take a Covid test first, and when she arrives, they’ll plan to see each other at a distance outside his house, or meet briefly at the polling station.
“It’s especially important to him,” Winford said. “Coming from that era, he couldn’t always vote in the African American demographic.” She added that “people’s lives depend on this election”. Jenn Fralick, a traveling registered nurse based in Laredo, Texas, knows that firsthand. Fralick works in her hospital’s Covid-19 unit and during her overnight shift, she signs her name often, using a shorthand scribble to fill out forms. Although Fralick has worked since September along the border, she lives and votes in Jacksonville, Florida, a key battleground state this election. The nurse said she uses three signature variations – sometimes spelling out her first name or sometimes just using her initials – and she doesn’t remember which version she used on her ballot. She’s heard that in some states, if the voter’s signatures don’t match, they’ll reject the ballot. She’s also concerned about postal service delays. She requested an absentee ballot, but if it doesn’t arrive, she’ll fly home to vote. “I’m watching people die, literally. I’m not only voting for myself, I’m voting for them,” Fralick said. “Those 220,000 lives that are gone and can’t vote.” Americans traveling miles during pandemic to vote in person Read more
24 Oct 2020 01.43 BST The CEOs of Twitter and Facebook will testify before the Senate judiciary committee on 17 November, the committee announced. Twitter’s Jack Dorsey and Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg will answer questions from the Republican-led committee on the “platforms’ censorship and suppression of New York Post articles” among other things. Trump and Republicans have been outraged by the platforms’ decision to limit the distribution of the Post articles, which alleged that a dubiously acquired laptop the outlet said belonged to Hunter Biden – Joe Biden’s son – contained documents that implicated the family in corruption. Multiple news outlets have failed to substantiate the allegations. Republican senators initially threatened to subpoena the CEOs. With Democrats boycotting the hearing, Republicans voted to subpoena if the CEOs didn’t voluntarily agree to speak before the committee.
Updated at 01.54 BST
24 Oct 2020 01.10 BST The United States on Friday was approaching a record for the number of new daily coronavirus cases, as a new study warned that the pandemic is set to cause half a million American deaths by February. From Oliver Milman in New York and Joan E Greve in Washington and agencies: Covid-19 is on course to ravage states across the nation throughout the coming winter and more than 511,000 lives could be lost by 28 February next year, modeling led by scientists from the University of Washington found. This means that with cases surging in many states, particularly the upper midwest, what appears to be a third major peak of coronavirus infections in the US could lead to nearly 300,000 people dying in just the next four months. In the latest ominous sign about the disease’s grip, the US recorded 71,671 new cases of coronavirus on Thursday, the Associated Press reported, while the seven-day rolling average for cases surpassed 61,140, compared with 44,647 two weeks ago. The record was reached on 22 July when the rolling average was 67,293 in the midst of a summer outbreak driven largely by surges of the virus in Florida, Texas, Arizona and California, the agency reported. Meanwhile, the Washington Post reported that according to its own data tracker, the US hit an all-time daily high for new cases on Friday, with a total of more than 81,000. Several states are setting records across the midwest and west for infections and hospitalizations, amid the autumn surge. US nears daily Covid cases record amid warning of 500,000 deaths by February Read more
23 Oct 2020 23.57 BST ‘Boogaloo Boi’ charged in fire of Minneapolis police precinct during George Floyd protest Lois Beckett A rightwing extremist boasted of driving from Texas to Minneapolis to help set fire to a police precinct during the George Floyd protests, federal prosecutors said. US attorney Erica MacDonald said on Friday that she has charged Ivan Harrison Hunter, a 26-year-old Texas resident, with traveling across state lines to participate in a riot. The charges are the latest example of far-right extremists attempting to use violence to escalate national protests against police brutality into an uprising against the government, and even full civil war. The case also reveals the extent of the coordination between violent members of the nascent far-right “Boogaloo Bois” movement operating in different cities across the country. According to the complaint, Hunter sent multiple private messages on Facebook bragging of his actions in Minneapolis on the night of 28 May and morning of 29 May, writing, “I set fire to that precinct with the Black community,” and, “My mom would call the FBI if she knew.” Video shot that night shows a person later identified as Hunter firing 13 rounds from a semiautomatic assault-style rifle on the 3rd precinct police station while people believed to be looters were inside. He then high-fived another person and shouted, “Justice for Floyd!” according to the complaint. Later, he privately messaged Steven Carrillo, another alleged “Boogaloo Boi” in California, urging him to “go for police buildings”, according to the federal criminal complaint. “I did better, lol,” Carrillo allegedly replied. Hours before Carrillo sent that message, according to the complaint, federal prosecutors say Carrillo had driven to Oakland with an accomplice, and, as protesters were demonstrating blocks away, shot two officers guarding a federal courthouse in downtown Oakland, killing one, David Patrick Underwood. ‘Boogaloo Boi’ charged in fire of Minneapolis police precinct during George Floyd protest Read more
23 Oct 2020 23.44 BST Lou Dobbs, a Fox News anchor and Donald Trump loyalist, launched into a tirade against Lindsay Graham, the Republican of South Carolina who is fighting the toughest reelection race of his Senate career. “I don’t know why anyone in the great state of South Carolina would ever vote for Lindsay Graham,” Dobbs said. Many voters in the state have been put off by Graham’s hypocrisy in rushing to appoint Trump supreme court nominee – after refusing to even consider Obama’s nominee. Moderates have also recoiled at Graham’s transformation from a centrist who fashioned himself as someone who could cut through partisan politics, to a Trumpian who has uncritically backed the president. Dobbs has a different gripe: that Graham has yet to “get to the bottom of Obamagate” – a baseless conspiracy theory that Barack Obama plotted to bring down his successor. Graham has “betrayed President Trump at almost every turn” by not investigating the unsubstantiated allegations, Dobbs said. “Senator Graham needs to be tuned out in South Carolina.” Lou Dobbs is telling South Carolina residents not to vote for Lindsey Graham pic.twitter.com/vQ67BZZN6P — Jason Campbell (@JasonSCampbell) October 23, 2020
Updated at 00.11 BST
23 Oct 2020 23.20 BST Speaking about Kamala Harris, Donald Trump told supporters “we’re not going to have a socialist ... especially a female socialist” in the White House. Trump dances during a campaign rally at The Villages Polo Club in Florida. Photograph: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images Trump, who is losing support from women, earlier at the rally begged, “Please, please, suburban woman, you should love me.” He did note that he was “kidding”. On Harris, he said: “We’re not going to have a socialist president, especially a female socialist president, we’re not gonna have it, we’re not gonna put up with it.”
Updated at 00.12 BST
23 Oct 2020 22.51 BST Why Covid-19 is battering Black Chicagoans Most of the city’s deaths are hyper-concentrated in majority-Black neighborhoods. Gloria Oladipo reports: Phillip Thomas, a Black, 48-year-old Chicagoan, was a “great guy” according to his sister Angela McMiller. He was loved by his family and well-liked by his co-workers at Walmart, where he had worked for nine years.
“I didn’t know about how many friends he had until he passed away,” said Angela. Thomas, who was diabetic, died from Covid-19 this past March. After being sick for two weeks and self-quarantining at the recommendation of his doctor, instead of being given an examination, Phillip was then rushed to the hospital, where he died the next day. Naba’a Muhammad, 59, a writer and Chicago South Shore neighborhood resident, with a lung disease, also contracted coronavirus and was hospitalized. But while he was fortunate to access the necessary care, he immediately noted health disparities facing other Black Chicagoans in his community. “Here you have [Donald Trump] who’s got a helicopter flying him to a special wing of a hospital for help when Black people can’t even get an Uber to the emergency room or a Covid test,” he said, referring to the president’s world-class care at the Walter Reed national military medical center on the outskirts of Washington DC, after being diagnosed with coronavirus in early October. In Chicago, Covid-19 is battering Black communities. Despite only accounting for 30% of the city’s population, Black people make up 60% of Covid cases there and have the highest mortality rate out of any racial or ethnic group.
Most Chicago Covid-19 deaths are hyper-concentrated in majority-Black neighborhoods such as Austin on the West Side and Englewood and Auburn Gresham on the South Side. “The racial and ethnic gaps we’re seeing of who gets the virus and who dies from it are not a surprise,” said Linda Rae Murray, a Chicago doctor, academic, social justice advocate and former president of the American Public Health Association as well as the former chief medical officer of the Cook county department of public health. “They are a reflection of structural racism that exists in our society and inequities that are baked into our country.” ‘It’s like they’re waiting for us to die’: why Covid-19 is battering Black Chicagoans Read more
23 Oct 2020 22.36 BST In Florida, Donald Trump told supporters he’ll do “five or six” rallies a day ahead of the election. I guess this was a bit more dramatic than arriving via golf cart pic.twitter.com/RqzE4mG6vE — Shannon Pettypiece (@spettypi) October 23, 2020 Lagging in national polls, the president has been keeping a busy schedule of rallies already. It’s unclear what effect this will have on voters, many of whom have already cast their ballots. When Trump asked the crowd how many had voted “nearly ever hand” went up, reported NBC’s Shannon Pettypiece, who was at the event.


theguardian--2020-10-24--US 2020 election could have the highest rate of voter turnout since 1908

More than 50 million Americans have cast ballots in the US presidential election with 11 days to go in the campaign , a pace that could lead to the highest voter turnout in over a century , according to data from the US Elections Project on Friday .
The eye-popping figure is a sign of intense interest in the contest between Republican Donald Trump and Joe Biden , his Democratic challenger , as well as Americans ’ desire to reduce their risk of exposure to Covid-19 , which has killed more than 221,000 people across the United States .
Many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mail-in ballots ahead of election day on 3 November , as a safer way to vote during the coronavirus pandemic .
The high level of early voting has led Michael McDonald , the University of Florida professor who administers the US Elections Project , to predict a record turnout of about 150 million , representing 65 % of eligible voters , the highest rate since 1908 .
In Texas , the level of voting has already surpassed 70 % of the total turnout in 2016 .
In Georgia , some have waited in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cast their ballots .
And Wisconsin has seen a record number of early votes , with 1.1 million people having returned their ballots as of this week .
Voters in Virginia , Ohio and Georgia have also seen long lines at early voting sites .
The pandemic has upended campaign traditions and its effects are still being felt .
Americans may find themselves waiting days or weeks to know who won as election officials count tens of millions of mail-in votes .
Democrats are encouraging supporters to vote early – either in person @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United States Postal Service ( USPS ) may not have the capacity to deliver mail-in ballots to election officials on time .
Ongoing Republican efforts to restrict which votes are counted and how have also worried voting rights advocates .
This week , the supreme court allowed Alabama officials to ban curbside voting .
The Iowa supreme court also upheld a Republican-backed law that could prevent election officials from sending thousands of mail-in ballots , by making it more difficult for auditors to correct voter applications with omitted information .
Michael Herron @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Daniel A Smith , a political scientist at University of Florida , calculated that thousands of ballots in the swing states of Florida and North Carolina have been flagged for potential rejection due to signature defects .
“ Racial minorities and Democrats are disproportionately more likely to have cast mail ballots this election that face rejection , ” they wrote in the media outlet the Conversation .
Trump and Biden met on Thursday night for a final debate ahead of election day , with Snap polls taken afterwards showing a majority of viewers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lagging in national polls , the president has been keeping a busy schedule of rallies , although with many voters having cast their ballots already , it ’ s unclear what effect the push will have .
On Friday , the president held events in the battleground state of Florida , where opinion polls show a tight race and over 4 million votes have already been cast , approaching half the total four years ago .
When Trump asked the crowd how many had voted , “ nearly every hand ” went up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who was at the event .
Next week Trump will head to Pennsylvania , Michigan , Wisconsin and , somewhat surprisingly , Nebraska .
He won Pennsylvania , Michigan and Wisconsin by less than 1 point in 2016 , and recent polls show Biden pulling several points ahead in the battleground states .
Biden , meanwhile , delivered a speech in his home state of Delaware on his plans for leading a recovery from the pandemic .
Biden ’ s speech comes as the US has hit its highest single-day coronavirus case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new cases yesterday .
“ This president still doesn ’ t have a plan , ” Biden said .
“ He ’ s given up .
He ’ s quit on you .
He ’ s quit on America.
” Echoing his comments during Thursday night ’ s debate , Biden said he would not shut down the country in response to the coronavirus pandemic .
“ I ’ m not going to shut down the country .
I ’ m not going to shut down the economy .
I ’ m going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden said in Wilmington .

Joan E Greve , Maanvi Singh and agencies

More than 50 million Americans have cast ballots in the US presidential election with 11 days to go in the campaign, a pace that could lead to the highest voter turnout in over a century, according to data from the US Elections Project on Friday.
The eye-popping figure is a sign of intense interest in the contest between Republican Donald Trump and Joe Biden, his Democratic challenger, as well as Americans’ desire to reduce their risk of exposure to Covid-19, which has killed more than 221,000 people across the United States.
Many states have expanded in-person early voting and mail-in ballots ahead of election day on 3 November, as a safer way to vote during the coronavirus pandemic.
The high level of early voting has led Michael McDonald, the University of Florida professor who administers the US Elections Project, to predict a record turnout of about 150 million, representing 65% of eligible voters, the highest rate since 1908.
In Texas, the level of voting has already surpassed 70% of the total turnout in 2016. In Georgia, some have waited in line for more than 10 hours to cast their ballots. And Wisconsin has seen a record number of early votes, with 1.1 million people having returned their ballots as of this week. Voters in Virginia, Ohio and Georgia have also seen long lines at early voting sites.
Tonya Swain votes in Norwalk, California, while wearing a coat that mimics one worn by Melania Trump in 2018 which read, ‘I really don’t care. Do u?’ Photograph: Frederic J Brown/AFP/Getty Images
The pandemic has upended campaign traditions and its effects are still being felt. Americans may find themselves waiting days or weeks to know who won as election officials count tens of millions of mail-in votes. Democrats are encouraging supporters to vote early – either in person or by mail – amid fears that the United States Postal Service (USPS) may not have the capacity to deliver mail-in ballots to election officials on time.
Ongoing Republican efforts to restrict which votes are counted and how have also worried voting rights advocates. This week, the supreme court allowed Alabama officials to ban curbside voting. The Iowa supreme court also upheld a Republican-backed law that could prevent election officials from sending thousands of mail-in ballots, by making it more difficult for auditors to correct voter applications with omitted information.
Michael Herron, a government professor at Dartmouth and Daniel A Smith, a political scientist at University of Florida, calculated that thousands of ballots in the swing states of Florida and North Carolina have been flagged for potential rejection due to signature defects. “Racial minorities and Democrats are disproportionately more likely to have cast mail ballots this election that face rejection,” they wrote in the media outlet the Conversation.
Trump and Biden met on Thursday night for a final debate ahead of election day, with Snap polls taken afterwards showing a majority of viewers believed Biden had the better showing.
Lagging in national polls, the president has been keeping a busy schedule of rallies, although with many voters having cast their ballots already, it’s unclear what effect the push will have.
On Friday, the president held events in the battleground state of Florida, where opinion polls show a tight race and over 4 million votes have already been cast, approaching half the total four years ago.
When Trump asked the crowd how many had voted, “nearly every hand” went up, reported NBC’s Shannon Pettypiece, who was at the event.
Boxes of vote-by-mail ballot envelopes await processing at the King county election headquarters in Renton, Washington. Photograph: Ted S Warren/AP
Next week Trump will head to Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin and, somewhat surprisingly, Nebraska. He won Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin by less than 1 point in 2016, and recent polls show Biden pulling several points ahead in the battleground states.
Biden, meanwhile, delivered a speech in his home state of Delaware on his plans for leading a recovery from the pandemic. Biden’s speech comes as the US has hit its highest single-day coronavirus case count since late July, reporting 71,671 new cases yesterday.
“This president still doesn’t have a plan,” Biden said. “He’s given up. He’s quit on you. He’s quit on America.”
Echoing his comments during Thursday night’s debate, Biden said he would not shut down the country in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
“I’m not going to shut down the country. I’m not going to shut down the economy. I’m going to shut down the virus,” Biden said in Wilmington.