theguardian--2020-09-23--Harry and Meghan criticised after video urging Americans to vote

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have urged American voters to “ reject hate speech , misinformation and online negativity ” in the US election , in a video which triggered accusations that it breached UK protocol demanding political neutrality from members of the royal family .
Speaking in a Time 100 video message , Meghan called the presidential race the “ most important election of our lifetime ” , as the couple appealed to Americans to use their right to vote .
Harry tells viewers : “ This election I am not able to vote in the US .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that I haven ’ t been able to vote in the UK my entire life .
As we approach this November , it ’ s vital that we reject hate speech , misinformation and online negativity.
” The couple did not endorse a candidate .
However , their comments have been interpreted by some as backing Joe Biden over Donald Trump .
Meghan , before she married into the royal family , was an outspoken critic of Trump , once describing him as “ misogynistic ” and “ divisive ” .
Trump , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ often been criticised for using inflammatory language .
In August , Facebook removed one of his posts for the first time for violating its policy against spreading misinformation about coronavirus .
Twitter began labelling Trump ’ s tweets with fact checks in May .
Buckingham Palace distanced itself from Harry ’ s comments .
A palace spokesperson said : “ We would not comment .
The duke is not a working member of the royal family and any comments he makes are in a personal capacity.
” But one palace insider said Harry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to a report in the Times .
Harry remains sixth in line to the throne despite stepping down as a senior working royal , and members of the royal family traditionally do not vote or become involved in elections or political matters .
The Queen , as a constitutional head of state , is politically neutral .
Joe Little , the managing editor of Majesty magazine , said : “ You can understand Meghan getting involved as an American citizen , although she is now a member of the British royal family @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lot more with Prince Harry because as a prince of the blood it ’ s not seen as the done thing to talk about politics , be it British or American .
“ He may be thousands of miles away , but yet he is still a member of the royal family , the Queen ’ s grandson , and it ’ s something he wouldn ’ t do were he still in the UK.
” In the video , seemingly shot at their California home , the couple speak directly to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We ’ re just six weeks out from election day and today is National Voter Registration Day .
Every four years we are told the same thing , that this is the most important election of our lifetime .
But this one is.
” She continues : “ When we vote , our values are put into action and our voices are heard .
Your voice is a reminder that you matter , because you do and you deserve to be heard.
” Speaking about online negativity , Harry says : “ When @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many , whether we realise it or not , it erodes our ability to have compassion and our ability to put ourself in someone else ’ s shoes .
Because when one person buys into negativity online , the effects are felt exponentially .
It ’ s time to not only reflect , but act.
” The former Liberal Democrat MP Norman Baker , author of And What Do You Do ?
– What the Royal Family Don ’ t Want You to Know , said : “ Any private citizen is entitled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The problem with Harry is he is not a private citizen because he has retained his HRH status .
What he wants to try and do is have a foot in both camps , to be a royal when it suits him and a private citizen when it doesn ’ t .
“ So if he drops the HRH , he can comment to his heart ’ s content on whatever he wants .
But as long as he ’ s HRH he is to some extent representing the country.
” A source @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not referring to Trump or any other individual .
They said : “ The duke was talking about the tone of the debate in the run-up to an election which is already quite febrile .
“ He is not talking about any candidate or specific campaign .
He is building on a lot of stuff that he ’ s said before about online communities , how we engage with each other online , rather than specifically making any political points.
” This week , the feminist activist Gloria Steinem revealed Meghan had joined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote .
Steinem also said the duchess had said she was “ so excited ” to see a mixed-race vice-presidential candidate in Kamala Harris , who is on the Democratic ticket .
The Queen has in the past encouraged UK citizens to vote .
While opening the second term of the Welsh parliament in 2003 , she voiced her concern at the low turnout in recent elections , saying : “ I share your concerns that we must encourage all our people to exercise their right to vote .
”

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have urged American voters to “reject hate speech, misinformation and online negativity” in the US election, in a video which triggered accusations that it breached UK protocol demanding political neutrality from members of the royal family.
Speaking in a Time 100 video message, Meghan called the presidential race the “most important election of our lifetime”, as the couple appealed to Americans to use their right to vote.
Harry tells viewers: “This election I am not able to vote in the US. But many of you may not know that I haven’t been able to vote in the UK my entire life. As we approach this November, it’s vital that we reject hate speech, misinformation and online negativity.”
The couple did not endorse a candidate. However, their comments have been interpreted by some as backing Joe Biden over Donald Trump. Meghan, before she married into the royal family, was an outspoken critic of Trump, once describing him as “misogynistic” and “divisive”.
Trump, who is campaigning for re-election, has often been criticised for using inflammatory language. In August, Facebook removed one of his posts for the first time for violating its policy against spreading misinformation about coronavirus. Twitter began labelling Trump’s tweets with fact checks in May.
Buckingham Palace distanced itself from Harry’s comments. A palace spokesperson said: “We would not comment. The duke is not a working member of the royal family and any comments he makes are in a personal capacity.” But one palace insider said Harry had “crossed the line”, according to a report in the Times.
Harry remains sixth in line to the throne despite stepping down as a senior working royal, and members of the royal family traditionally do not vote or become involved in elections or political matters. The Queen, as a constitutional head of state, is politically neutral.
Joe Little, the managing editor of Majesty magazine, said: “You can understand Meghan getting involved as an American citizen, although she is now a member of the British royal family. But I think people will struggle a lot more with Prince Harry because as a prince of the blood it’s not seen as the done thing to talk about politics, be it British or American.
“He may be thousands of miles away, but yet he is still a member of the royal family, the Queen’s grandson, and it’s something he wouldn’t do were he still in the UK.”
In the video, seemingly shot at their California home, the couple speak directly to the camera.
01:09 Harry and Meghan call on Americans to register to vote ahead of US election – video
Meghan says: “We’re just six weeks out from election day and today is National Voter Registration Day. Every four years we are told the same thing, that this is the most important election of our lifetime. But this one is.”
She continues: “When we vote, our values are put into action and our voices are heard. Your voice is a reminder that you matter, because you do and you deserve to be heard.”
Speaking about online negativity, Harry says: “When the bad outweighs the good, for many, whether we realise it or not, it erodes our ability to have compassion and our ability to put ourself in someone else’s shoes. Because when one person buys into negativity online, the effects are felt exponentially. It’s time to not only reflect, but act.”
The former Liberal Democrat MP Norman Baker, author of And What Do You Do? – What the Royal Family Don’t Want You to Know, said: “Any private citizen is entitled to comment on the US election. The problem with Harry is he is not a private citizen because he has retained his HRH status. What he wants to try and do is have a foot in both camps, to be a royal when it suits him and a private citizen when it doesn’t.
“So if he drops the HRH, he can comment to his heart’s content on whatever he wants. But as long as he’s HRH he is to some extent representing the country.”
A source close to Harry said the prince was not referring to Trump or any other individual. They said: “The duke was talking about the tone of the debate in the run-up to an election which is already quite febrile.
“He is not talking about any candidate or specific campaign. He is building on a lot of stuff that he’s said before about online communities, how we engage with each other online, rather than specifically making any political points.”
This week, the feminist activist Gloria Steinem revealed Meghan had joined her in cold-calling Americans urging them to vote. Steinem also said the duchess had said she was “so excited” to see a mixed-race vice-presidential candidate in Kamala Harris, who is on the Democratic ticket.
The Queen has in the past encouraged UK citizens to vote. While opening the second term of the Welsh parliament in 2003, she voiced her concern at the low turnout in recent elections, saying: “I share your concerns that we must encourage all our people to exercise their right to vote.”


theguardian--2020-09-23--FBI warns ‘foreign actors’ likely to spread misinformation on election results

The FBI has published a public service announcement warning that “ foreign actors ” and cybercriminals will likely attempt to spread misinformation about the results of the 2020 presidential election .
The intelligence bureau encouraged Americans to be patient about the results of the election and ensure they are getting information from trusted sources , amid expectations that there won ’ t be a definitive result on “ election night ” , 3 November , because it takes longer to gather and count mailed-in ballots .
There is expected to be tens of millions more Americans than usual voting by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about spreading the coronavirus by going to polling stations in person , which could lead to chaos if candidates claim victory prematurely and the verified result takes many days to emerge .
“ Foreign actors and cybercriminals could create new websites , change existing websites , and create or share corresponding social media content to spread false information in an attempt to discredit the electoral process and undermine confidence in US democratic institutions , ” the agency warned on Tuesday .
The announcement emphasized that it may take several days for state and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ results could be incomplete on the night of the election .
The announcement came soon after reports first published by the Washington Post that Russian president Vladimir Putin and his aides are “ probably directing ” an operation to influence the election against Joe Biden , according to two anonymous sources who reviewed a classified CIA assessment .
The assessment details attempts by Ukrainian lawmaker Andrii Derkach , who has public connections to Donald Trump ’ s personal lawyer , Rudy Giuliani , to spread discrediting information about Biden to members of Congress @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
While accusations of Derkach ’ s attempt to spread misinformation about Biden , which Derkach has denied , have been known for some time , the CIA ’ s assessment was the first indication that Putin could be directly orchestrating the operation .
“ We assess that President Vladimir Putin and the senior most Russian officials are aware of and probably directing Russia ’ s influence operations aimed at denigrating the former US Vice President , supporting the US president and fueling public discord ahead of the US election in November , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says , according to the sources .
In July , Biden released a comprehensive statement that , if elected , he will hold Russia and other foreign governments accountable for any interference with the election .
At the time , Democrats in Congress were raising concerns over foreign election interference and demanded a briefing from the FBI .
In his statement , Biden criticized the Trump administration for failing to take actions to deter and counter any foreign interference , refusing to use the president ’ s authority to sanction certain countries that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American election .
Over the last few months , Trump has dismissed concerns about foreign influence coming from online and has said that mail-in ballots are susceptible to foreign interference , a claim that has been overwhelmingly debunked by top intelligence officials and experts who say that mail-in voting is safe from foreign influence .

The FBI has published a public service announcement warning that “foreign actors” and cybercriminals will likely attempt to spread misinformation about the results of the 2020 presidential election.
The intelligence bureau encouraged Americans to be patient about the results of the election and ensure they are getting information from trusted sources, amid expectations that there won’t be a definitive result on “election night”, 3 November , because it takes longer to gather and count mailed-in ballots.
There is expected to be tens of millions more Americans than usual voting by mail in this election because of precautions about spreading the coronavirus by going to polling stations in person, which could lead to chaos if candidates claim victory prematurely and the verified result takes many days to emerge.
“Foreign actors and cybercriminals could create new websites, change existing websites, and create or share corresponding social media content to spread false information in an attempt to discredit the electoral process and undermine confidence in US democratic institutions,” the agency warned on Tuesday.
The announcement emphasized that it may take several days for state and local officials to certify votes, meaning results could be incomplete on the night of the election.
The announcement came soon after reports first published by the Washington Post that Russian president Vladimir Putin and his aides are “probably directing” an operation to influence the election against Joe Biden, according to two anonymous sources who reviewed a classified CIA assessment.
The assessment details attempts by Ukrainian lawmaker Andrii Derkach, who has public connections to Donald Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, to spread discrediting information about Biden to members of Congress, lawmakers and members of the media.
While accusations of Derkach’s attempt to spread misinformation about Biden, which Derkach has denied, have been known for some time, the CIA’s assessment was the first indication that Putin could be directly orchestrating the operation.
“We assess that President Vladimir Putin and the senior most Russian officials are aware of and probably directing Russia’s influence operations aimed at denigrating the former US Vice President, supporting the US president and fueling public discord ahead of the US election in November,” the first line of the document says, according to the sources.
In July, Biden released a comprehensive statement that, if elected, he will hold Russia and other foreign governments accountable for any interference with the election.
At the time, Democrats in Congress were raising concerns over foreign election interference and demanded a briefing from the FBI.
In his statement, Biden criticized the Trump administration for failing to take actions to deter and counter any foreign interference, refusing to use the president’s authority to sanction certain countries that are accused of trying to influence the American election.
Over the last few months, Trump has dismissed concerns about foreign influence coming from online and has said that mail-in ballots are susceptible to foreign interference, a claim that has been overwhelmingly debunked by top intelligence officials and experts who say that mail-in voting is safe from foreign influence.


theguardian--2020-09-23--Ruth Bader Ginsburg: thousands expected to pay respects as judge lies in repose

Thousands of people are expected to pay their respects outside the US supreme court on Wednesday to the late justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg , the women ’ s rights champion , leader of the court ’ s liberal bloc and feminist icon who died last Friday evening .
Even with the court closed to the public because of the coronavirus and Washington already consumed with talk of Ginsburg ’ s replacement , the justice ’ s former colleagues , family , close friends and the public will have the chance Wednesday and Thursday to pass by the casket of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ court .
The sad occasion is expected to bring together the remaining eight justices for the first time since the building was closed in March and they resorted to meetings by telephone and online .
Politics are unlikely to be absent , as her death so close to the presidential election has thrown America into partisan turmoil , with the Republicans determined to rush a replacement through even before the election on 3 November , as Democrats cry hypocrisy and treachery after the Republican-led Senate blocked a nominee of Barack Obama ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , claiming it was too close to the vote .
Ginsburg will lie in repose for two days at the court where she served for 27 years and , before that , argued six cases for gender equality in the 1970s .
Following a private ceremony Wednesday in the court ’ s Great Hall , her casket will be moved outside the building to the top of the court ’ s front steps so that public mourners can pay their respects in line with public health guidance for the pandemic .
Since her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leaving flowers , notes , placards and all manner of Ginsburg paraphernalia outside the court in tribute to the woman who became nicknamed in popular culture in her final years as the “ Notorious RBG ” .
Court workers cleared away the items and cleaned the court plaza and sidewalk in advance of Wednesday ’ s ceremony .
Following past practice at the tradition-laden court , Ginsburg ’ s casket is expected to arrive just before 9.30am local time on Wednesday , the court said .
Supreme court police will carry it up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lined by former Ginsburg law clerks serving as honorary pallbearers .
Chief justice John Roberts and the other justices will be in the Great Hall when the casket arrives and is placed on the Lincoln Catafalque , the platform on which Abraham Lincoln ’ s coffin rested in the Capitol rotunda in 1865 .
A 2016 portrait of Ginsburg by artist Constance Beaty will be displayed nearby .
It ’ s unclear whether Donald Trump would visit the court before he leaves town on Wednesday afternoon , though he did pay respects when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Barack Obama visited the court after renowned conservative justice Antonin Scalia ’ s death in 2016 .
The entrance to the courtroom , along with Ginsburg ’ s chair and place on the bench next to Roberts , have been draped in black , a longstanding court custom .
These visual signs of mourning , which in years past have reinforced the sense of loss , will largely go unseen this year .
The court begins its new term 5 October , but the justices will not be in the courtroom and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ After the private ceremony inside the court , Ginsburg ’ s casket will be on public view from 11am to 10pm on Wednesday and 9am to 10pm on Thursday .
On Friday , Ginsburg will lie in state at the Capitol , the first woman to do so and only the second supreme court justice after William Howard Taft , who had also been president .
Rosa Parks , a private citizen as opposed to a government official , is the only woman who has lain in honor at the Capitol .
Ginsburg @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Martin , in a private ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery next week .
Martin Ginsburg died in 2010 .

Thousands of people are expected to pay their respects outside the US supreme court on Wednesday to the late justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the women’s rights champion, leader of the court’s liberal bloc and feminist icon who died last Friday evening.
Even with the court closed to the public because of the coronavirus and Washington already consumed with talk of Ginsburg’s replacement, the justice’s former colleagues, family, close friends and the public will have the chance Wednesday and Thursday to pass by the casket of the second woman to serve on the supreme court.
The sad occasion is expected to bring together the remaining eight justices for the first time since the building was closed in March and they resorted to meetings by telephone and online.
Politics are unlikely to be absent, as her death so close to the presidential election has thrown America into partisan turmoil, with the Republicans determined to rush a replacement through even before the election on 3 November, as Democrats cry hypocrisy and treachery after the Republican-led Senate blocked a nominee of Barack Obama’s several months out from the 2016 election, claiming it was too close to the vote.
Ginsburg will lie in repose for two days at the court where she served for 27 years and, before that, argued six cases for gender equality in the 1970s.
Following a private ceremony Wednesday in the court’s Great Hall, her casket will be moved outside the building to the top of the court’s front steps so that public mourners can pay their respects in line with public health guidance for the pandemic.
Since her death Friday evening, people have been leaving flowers, notes, placards and all manner of Ginsburg paraphernalia outside the court in tribute to the woman who became nicknamed in popular culture in her final years as the “Notorious RBG”.
Court workers cleared away the items and cleaned the court plaza and sidewalk in advance of Wednesday’s ceremony.
Members of the public pay respects to Ruth Bader Ginsburg as her flag-draped casket rests on the Lincoln catafalque in Washington DC. Photograph: Alex Wong/Getty Images
Following past practice at the tradition-laden court, Ginsburg’s casket is expected to arrive just before 9.30am local time on Wednesday, the court said.
Supreme court police will carry it up the court steps, which will be lined by former Ginsburg law clerks serving as honorary pallbearers.
Chief justice John Roberts and the other justices will be in the Great Hall when the casket arrives and is placed on the Lincoln Catafalque, the platform on which Abraham Lincoln’s coffin rested in the Capitol rotunda in 1865.
A 2016 portrait of Ginsburg by artist Constance Beaty will be displayed nearby.
It’s unclear whether Donald Trump would visit the court before he leaves town on Wednesday afternoon, though he did pay respects when justice John Paul Stevens died last year and Barack Obama visited the court after renowned conservative justice Antonin Scalia’s death in 2016.
The entrance to the courtroom, along with Ginsburg’s chair and place on the bench next to Roberts, have been draped in black, a longstanding court custom.
These visual signs of mourning, which in years past have reinforced the sense of loss, will largely go unseen this year.
The court begins its new term 5 October, but the justices will not be in the courtroom and instead will hear arguments by phone.
After the private ceremony inside the court, Ginsburg’s casket will be on public view from 11am to 10pm on Wednesday and 9am to 10pm on Thursday.
On Friday, Ginsburg will lie in state at the Capitol, the first woman to do so and only the second supreme court justice after William Howard Taft, who had also been president.
Rosa Parks, a private citizen as opposed to a government official, is the only woman who has lain in honor at the Capitol.
Ginsburg will be buried beside her husband, Martin, in a private ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery next week. Martin Ginsburg died in 2010.


theguardian--2020-09-23--'A horror film': The Comey Rule is a devastating portrayal of Trump

James Comey shuffles backwards and tries in vain to blend into a curtain .
Donald Trump summons him across the room as photographers click furiously .
The US president uses their handshake to aggressively yank Comey closer .
“ I look forward to working with you , ” he mutters menacingly into the FBI director ’ s ear .
“ Let ’ s take a picture.
” This awkward real life incident from three years ago is now the stuff of a blockbuster TV drama .
The Comey Rule , starring Jeff Daniels and Brendan Gleeson , offers a devastating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before he seeks re-election .
At nearly four hours , with a cast of Oscar and Emmy winners , it might be regarded as the longest and most star-studded attack ad in history .
“ The Comey Rule is a horror film , ” wrote Laura Miller on the Slate website , “ and the monster is Donald Trump ” .
The glossy miniseries looks set to be as divisive as Comey himself .
TV critics have complained about its casting and audacious attempt to present contemporary events as history .
Democrats are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Comey , while Republicans may dismiss it as anti-Trump propaganda from the Hollywood elite .
Billy Ray , who wrote and directed the drama , said he is braced for the storm .
“ Donald Trump is not a person who in the past has taken criticism with a great deal of grace .
I do think we ’ re going to be part of a broad national conversation about what happened in 2016 and the repercussions as they affect 2020.
” The drama is based on Comey ’ s 2018 memoir @ @ @ @ @ @ @ FBI director ’ s widely criticized oversight of dueling election year investigations : one into Hillary Clinton ’ s mishandling of emails , the other into contacts between Trump ’ s campaign and Russia .
It then follows Comey ’ s excruciating interactions with President Trump , culminating in his firing – via cable news – in May 2017 .
“ What makes James Comey interesting as a character is that he is flawed , ” Ray , 56 , said by phone from Los Angeles .
“ I would never want to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unflawed and he knows that I feel that way , and he knew that I felt that way from the jump .
“ What I think about James Comey is he has never once said a word in public that has been proven to be untrue .
It ’ s not like anything he has said has been close to untrue or shaky .
You certainly can not say that about Donald Trump or Michael Flynn or Sarah Huckabee Sanders or Mike Pence or anybody else in that administration .
When it comes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Comey.
” “ But more importantly , I felt his story was very emotional and very compelling and just dramatic by its nature , and that if you captured it right , you ’ d wind up with a piece that was very harrowing and oddly hopeful by the end.
” Comey has become a punchbag for both left and right .
After The Comey Rule is broadcast by Showtime on 27 and 28 September , he will testify before the Senate judiciary committee on 30 September , facing accusations from Republicans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump in 2016 .
Democrats , meanwhile , have never forgiven Comey for informing Congress that the FBI was reviewing more Clinton emails just 11 days before the election .
When Comey tweeted a photo of himself wearing an “ Elect more women ” T-shirt last month , Clinton told comedian Stephen Colbert : “ It was quite a surprising moment .
I believe in redemption .
I guess.
” But Ray , whose film credits include The Hunger Games and Captain Phillips , does not think Comey should be scapegoated for Clinton @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The tipping point in that election , the deciding factor , was the infiltration by the Russians .
That came directly from James Clapper [ ex-director of national intelligence ] ; that ’ s not a matter of conjecture ; that ’ s fact .
And they ’ re trying to do it again in 2020.
” “ So I don ’ t accept the idea that James Comey tipped this election .
What I do know is that before he sent that email to the Gang of Eight in Congress , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inner staff , as is depicted in the series , and they went through a very reasonable and intelligent weighing of alternatives and pluses and minuses .
We may not love the decision that they came up with but you can not in any way question the process by which those decisions were arrived at.
” The Comey Rule shows the FBI team agonizing over the choice and second guessing various scenarios , fearing that if it did not inform Congress , the news would leak anyway and be interpreted as a cover-up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added : “ Significantly , Comey sent an email to eight members of Congress and it was Jason Chaffetz of Utah who leaked it to Twitter , not Comey .
It was a Republican who did that .
So I think the blame is misplaced there and had the FBI not sent that email , Rudy Giuliani was absolutely gon na tip it on the news one way or another , so they really had no choice on that one.
” Ray spent time in Washington meeting dozens of people involved in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allowed Comey to see the script , spend a day on set and see a couple of early cuts but says the former FBI director never tried to influence his portrayal .
Comey is played by Daniels , who has played characters of moral integrity in the TV series The Newsroom and the Broadway production of To Kill a Mockingbird .
Ray says he was always the first choice .
“ One , you ’ ve got to have an actor who is just brilliant at what he does .
Two , you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is credible because Comey is such a polarizing figure ; I wanted someone that American audiences just trusted.
” “ Three , I needed someone who I could physically believe was 6ft 8ins ; Jeff is 6ft 3ins , so that was close enough .
And then four , and maybe the most important thing , you had to have an actor who was so confident that he could be in a scene with Donald Trump , which is really the bells and whistles part , and that actor could trust the power @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of his silence , and let another actor just do the fireworks and know that you weren ’ t going to get blown off the screen by it.
” Gleeson , however , turned down the role of Trump when it was first offered to him .
Ray reasoned : “ Why would a guy living happily in Ireland want to come and voluntarily expose himself to the flak he ’ s going to catch from Donald Trump ?
I ’ ll never know why he changed his mind but a month or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ God .
“ I really like the idea of somebody who ’ s outside the American experience lending their point of view about this uniquely American character.
” Trump has been memorably parodied by Alec Baldwin on Saturday Night Live but Ray relished the chance to put him in a serious drama .
“ It might be the most fun I ever had writing a character .
You just have such a wealth of options .
Everything he says and does is cinematic .
Donald Trump just sitting there doing nothing is at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Trump was how do you edit because it ’ s such a temptation to just cram every insane thing he ever said into one series , and of course you can ’ t do that because you ’ re limited to two nights and he ’ s told , I think , 25,000 lies in office , so nobody can capture all that .
But it just required some disciplined editing for me in the writing process.
” The cast also includes Holly Hunter as Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates , Jennifer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Michael Kelly as Comey ’ s deputy Andrew McCabe , and Oona Chaplin and Steven Pasquale as FBI agents Lisa Page and Peter Strzok involved in an affair .
Kingsley Ben-Adir , a British actor in his mid-30s , plays Barack Obama .
As Gleeson ’ s Trump , evocative of a charmless version of Marlon Brando as Don Corleone in The Godfather , flaunts his casual disregard for institutional norms and the rule of law , Daniels ’ face becomes a mask conveying a national nightmare that does not end with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ optimistic about the future of America – with serious caveats .
“ I believe that ultimately America is going to emerge from this period and we are going to succeed and survive .
But what it ’ s going to require is a rigorous period of self examination where we as a country look at what we just did voluntarily to our democracy for the last four years.
” He added : “ We ’ re going to have to ask ourselves some very hard questions about that .
Now , that said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all bets are off .
I don ’ t actually know what ’ s going to happen to America and I ’ m not sure that the American experiment will actually survive it .
”

James Comey shuffles backwards and tries in vain to blend into a curtain. Donald Trump summons him across the room as photographers click furiously. The US president uses their handshake to aggressively yank Comey closer. “I look forward to working with you,” he mutters menacingly into the FBI director’s ear. “Let’s take a picture.”
This awkward real life incident from three years ago is now the stuff of a blockbuster TV drama. The Comey Rule, starring Jeff Daniels and Brendan Gleeson, offers a devastating portrayal of a president just five weeks before he seeks re-election. At nearly four hours, with a cast of Oscar and Emmy winners, it might be regarded as the longest and most star-studded attack ad in history.
“The Comey Rule is a horror film,” wrote Laura Miller on the Slate website, “and the monster is Donald Trump”.
The glossy miniseries looks set to be as divisive as Comey himself. TV critics have complained about its casting and audacious attempt to present contemporary events as history. Democrats are likely to quibble over its sympathetic portrayal of Comey, while Republicans may dismiss it as anti-Trump propaganda from the Hollywood elite.
Billy Ray, who wrote and directed the drama, said he is braced for the storm. “Donald Trump is not a person who in the past has taken criticism with a great deal of grace. I do think we’re going to be part of a broad national conversation about what happened in 2016 and the repercussions as they affect 2020.”
I think we’re going to be part of a broad national conversation about what happened in 2016 and the repercussions as they affect 2020 Billy Ray
The drama is based on Comey’s 2018 memoir A Higher Loyalty and explores the former FBI director’s widely criticized oversight of dueling election year investigations: one into Hillary Clinton’s mishandling of emails, the other into contacts between Trump’s campaign and Russia. It then follows Comey’s excruciating interactions with President Trump, culminating in his firing – via cable news – in May 2017.
“What makes James Comey interesting as a character is that he is flawed,” Ray, 56, said by phone from Los Angeles. “I would never want to tell a story about somebody who was unflawed and he knows that I feel that way, and he knew that I felt that way from the jump.
“What I think about James Comey is he has never once said a word in public that has been proven to be untrue. It’s not like anything he has said has been close to untrue or shaky. You certainly cannot say that about Donald Trump or Michael Flynn or Sarah Huckabee Sanders or Mike Pence or anybody else in that administration. When it comes to truthfulness, I’ll stick with Comey.”
“But more importantly, I felt his story was very emotional and very compelling and just dramatic by its nature, and that if you captured it right, you’d wind up with a piece that was very harrowing and oddly hopeful by the end.”
Jeff Daniels in The Comey Rule. Photograph: CBS Television Studios/Ben Mark Holzberg/SHOWTIME
Comey has become a punchbag for both left and right. After The Comey Rule is broadcast by Showtime on 27 and 28 September, he will testify before the Senate judiciary committee on 30 September, facing accusations from Republicans that he and his agency conspired against Trump in 2016.
Democrats, meanwhile, have never forgiven Comey for informing Congress that the FBI was reviewing more Clinton emails just 11 days before the election. When Comey tweeted a photo of himself wearing an “Elect more women” T-shirt last month, Clinton told comedian Stephen Colbert: “It was quite a surprising moment. I believe in redemption. I guess.”
But Ray, whose film credits include The Hunger Games and Captain Phillips, does not think Comey should be scapegoated for Clinton’s loss to Trump. “The tipping point in that election, the deciding factor, was the infiltration by the Russians. That came directly from James Clapper [ex-director of national intelligence]; that’s not a matter of conjecture; that’s fact. And they’re trying to do it again in 2020.”
“So I don’t accept the idea that James Comey tipped this election. What I do know is that before he sent that email to the Gang of Eight in Congress, he sat down with his team, his inner staff, as is depicted in the series, and they went through a very reasonable and intelligent weighing of alternatives and pluses and minuses. We may not love the decision that they came up with but you cannot in any way question the process by which those decisions were arrived at.”
The Comey Rule shows the FBI team agonizing over the choice and second guessing various scenarios, fearing that if it did not inform Congress, the news would leak anyway and be interpreted as a cover-up on Clinton’s behalf.
I don’t accept the idea that James Comey tipped this election Ray
Ray added: “Significantly, Comey sent an email to eight members of Congress and it was Jason Chaffetz of Utah who leaked it to Twitter, not Comey. It was a Republican who did that. So I think the blame is misplaced there and had the FBI not sent that email, Rudy Giuliani was absolutely gonna tip it on the news one way or another, so they really had no choice on that one.”
Ray spent time in Washington meeting dozens of people involved in the saga, including Comey sceptics. He allowed Comey to see the script, spend a day on set and see a couple of early cuts but says the former FBI director never tried to influence his portrayal.
Comey is played by Daniels, who has played characters of moral integrity in the TV series The Newsroom and the Broadway production of To Kill a Mockingbird. Ray says he was always the first choice. “One, you’ve got to have an actor who is just brilliant at what he does. Two, you’ve got to have someone who is credible because Comey is such a polarizing figure; I wanted someone that American audiences just trusted.”
“Three, I needed someone who I could physically believe was 6ft 8ins; Jeff is 6ft 3ins, so that was close enough. And then four, and maybe the most important thing, you had to have an actor who was so confident that he could be in a scene with Donald Trump, which is really the bells and whistles part, and that actor could trust the power of his own stillness, the power of his silence, and let another actor just do the fireworks and know that you weren’t going to get blown off the screen by it.”
Gleeson, however, turned down the role of Trump when it was first offered to him. Ray reasoned: “Why would a guy living happily in Ireland want to come and voluntarily expose himself to the flak he’s going to catch from Donald Trump? I’ll never know why he changed his mind but a month or so later he did, and thank God.
“I really like the idea of somebody who’s outside the American experience lending their point of view about this uniquely American character.”
Trump has been memorably parodied by Alec Baldwin on Saturday Night Live but Ray relished the chance to put him in a serious drama. “It might be the most fun I ever had writing a character. You just have such a wealth of options. Everything he says and does is cinematic. Donald Trump just sitting there doing nothing is at least interesting.
“So the trick with Trump was how do you edit because it’s such a temptation to just cram every insane thing he ever said into one series, and of course you can’t do that because you’re limited to two nights and he’s told, I think, 25,000 lies in office, so nobody can capture all that. But it just required some disciplined editing for me in the writing process.”
The cast also includes Holly Hunter as Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates, Jennifer Ehle as Comey’s wife Patrice, Michael Kelly as Comey’s deputy Andrew McCabe, and Oona Chaplin and Steven Pasquale as FBI agents Lisa Page and Peter Strzok involved in an affair. Kingsley Ben-Adir, a British actor in his mid-30s, plays Barack Obama.
As Gleeson’s Trump, evocative of a charmless version of Marlon Brando as Don Corleone in The Godfather, flaunts his casual disregard for institutional norms and the rule of law, Daniels’ face becomes a mask conveying a national nightmare that does not end with the closing credits. Yet Ray remains optimistic about the future of America – with serious caveats.
“I believe that ultimately America is going to emerge from this period and we are going to succeed and survive. But what it’s going to require is a rigorous period of self examination where we as a country look at what we just did voluntarily to our democracy for the last four years.”
He added: “We’re going to have to ask ourselves some very hard questions about that. Now, that said, if we re-elect Donald Trump then all bets are off. I don’t actually know what’s going to happen to America and I’m not sure that the American experiment will actually survive it.”


theguardian--2020-09-24--Breonna Taylor: family attorney says wanton endangerment charge 'doesn't make sense' – live updates

Texas Representative Sheila Jackson Lee has been on CNN this morning .
The long-standing member of the House committee on @ @ @ @ @ out of the Kentucky attorney general ’ s office over the Breonna Taylor case as @ @ @ @ @ calling for protests to remain peaceful , she added : It is very obvious to @ @ @ @ @ grave injustice .
This cries out for a civil rights investigation .
The FBI needs @ @ @ @ @ people are in pain , and they have a right to be in pain .
@ @ @ @ @ here : Police , meanwhile , now say they ’ ve made 127 arrests in @ @ @ @ @ protests .
And that is it from me today .
Take care and stay safe @ @ @ @ @ over to Joan Greve .

Joan E Greve (now) and Martin Belam (earlier)

25 Sept 2020 02.50 BST Summary We’ll be closing this blog for now, but here’s a quick recap of where things stand before we go: Protests have been seen tonight in multiple major cities across the country. From St Louis to Baltimore and New York City, hundreds are still chanting Breonna Taylor’s name and voicing their frustration over the grand jury’s decision not to charge officers for her death.
From St Louis to Baltimore and New York City, hundreds are still chanting Breonna Taylor’s name and voicing their frustration over the grand jury’s decision not to charge officers for her death. After two police officers suffered injuries from gunshots during last night’s protest in Louisville, local officials in the city have pled for peace. Protests in the city have been going on all day and appear to be continuing. The crowds have been largely peaceful. The city has a curfew in place that started at 9pm and will last until 6.30am.
Protests in the city have been going on all day and appear to be continuing. The crowds have been largely peaceful. The city has a curfew in place that started at 9pm and will last until 6.30am. Breonna Taylor’s family will be holding a press conference tomorrow morning at 10.30 am, their first since the announcement of the grand jury’s decision. They will be joined by their lawyers, including attorney Benjamin Crump. We’ll be back soon with more live coverage of the response to the grand jury’s decision on Breonna Taylor. Thanks for reading.
Updated at 03.12 BST
25 Sept 2020 02.04 BST Protesters in New York City are out on the streets again. Hundreds of people are in Brooklyn in support of Breonna Taylor. This is the second night of protests: large and peaceful crowds were also seen throughout the city last night. BREAKING: Group of about 1,000 protestors are hitting the streets of Brooklyn for a second night in a row@PIX11News #BreonnaTaylor pic.twitter.com/Pk90hnLUSF — Cristian Benavides (@cbenavidesTV) September 25, 2020
Updated at 02.06 BST
24 Sept 2020 00.46 BST Trump holds rally in Jacksonville, Florida Donald Trump is at a rally in Jacksonville, Florida, delivering a stream-of-conscience speech about Joe Biden, Black Lives Matter protests and Democrat lawmakers. Trump is repeating claims that the “Democratic party has been completely taken over by socialist, marxist and far-left”. “We will ensure that Americans never becomes a socialist or communist country. These people are crazy,” Trump said.
Trump spoke about the protests against racial injustice, boasting about how federal forces “solved that problem” in Minneapolis in the aftermath of protests relating the police killing of George Floyd. “They formed a line, the easy part was walking forward,” he said. The crowd laughed as he recounted how a reporter and protestor were struck by tear gas canisters. Trump boasted that his response to the protests in Minneapolis will help him Minnesota, though he lost the state in 2016 and the state has not voted for a Republican candidate since 1972. Current polling shows Biden has a 9-point lead over Trump in the state.
Updated at 01.55 BST
24 Sept 2020 00.33 BST A Black man was executed today in Indiana, the first Black American to be executed on federal charges after the Trump administration’s resumption of federal executions. Christopher Vialva, 40, was pronounced dead at 6:42 pm ET after receiving a lethal injection at a federal prison. Vialva was convicted of murdering a religious couple visiting Texas from Iowa in 1999, when Vialva was 19-years-old. Vialva shot the couple and burned them in the trunk of their car. Vialva is the seventh person to be executed on federal charges since July. Vialva’s lawyer said that race played a role in her client’s place on death row. According to the Associated Press, the Death Penalty Information Center said Black Americans are overrepresented on death rows, and Black people who kill white people are far more likely to be sentenced to death than white people who kill Black people.
24 Sept 2020 00.14 BST A new Fox News poll shows Joe Biden leading Donald Trump in three key states: Nevada, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Fox notes that Biden’s advantage comes from women, minorities, voters under 35 and voters over 65. In all three states, the majority of people disapprove of the job Trump is doing and do not believe that the coronavirus is under control. A poll released today from Monmouth University showed that Trump is in the lead in Iowa and Texas, which both voted for him in 2016. The poll showed similar ambiguity of where Ohio voters stand on the two candidates.
Trump is about to speak at a rally on an airplane tarmac in Jacksonville, Florida. We’ll be tuning in. NEW Fox News polls (Likely voters)
Nevada
Biden 52% (+11)
Trump 41%
Ohio
Biden: 50% (+5)
Trump: 45%
Pennsylvania
Biden: 51% (+7)
Trump 44%https://t.co/EQQySKpZb8 — Johnny Verhovek (@JTHVerhovek) September 24, 2020
24 Sept 2020 23.50 BST At a press conference, Kentucky’s governor, Andy Beshear, condemned the shooting of two police officers in Louisville last night during protests for Breonna Taylor. “I want to condemn this act of violence in the most stark terms. It is absolutely wrong. We want to make sure that any type of activity or demonstrations remain nonviolent and peaceful,” Beshear said. “Just one person can mar something that otherwise is done the right way.”
Beshear said that he had a call with Donald Trump about the incident and said he told the president he thinks Kentucky officials have a handle on the situation but will take extra support from the federal government if needed. Meanwhile, Greg Fischer, the mayor of Louisville, extended the city’s curfew and closure of downtown government facilities through the weekend, noting that “most of the violence we’ve seen have occurred after dark”. Curfew starts at 9pm in the city and ends at 6.30am.
Updated at 00.17 BST
24 Sept 2020 23.29 BST Breonna Taylor's family to hold press conference on Friday The family of Breonna Taylor, alongside their lawyers, including attorney Ben Crump, will hold a press conference in Louisville tomorrow morning at 10:30 am, according to the Associated Press. While Taylor’s family has been outspoken against police brutality, they have not spoken out publicly since the grand jury’s decision was announced Wednesday. Members of her family instead posted on social media about their frustration over the announcement. Tamika Palmer, Taylor’s mother, posted an illustration of Taylor with the caption: “It’s still Breonna for me #thesystemfailedBreonna.” Allow Instagram content? This article includes content provided by Instagram. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. To view this content, click 'Allow and continue'. Allow and continue
Updated at 01.55 BST
24 Sept 2020 23.04 BST Donald Trump said that Medicare beneficiaries will soon be receiving a $200 card in the mail to help them afford their prescriptions. “Nobody’s seen this before. These cards are incredible,” Trump said. “I will always take care of our wonderful senior citizens.” Trump has made longstanding claims that he has lowered drug prices, though the claim is shaky given that executive orders that he’s signed haven’t been implemented or don’t do much to help. It seems that the president is attempting to take things into his own hands after talks about having pharmaceutical companies distribute $100 cards to seniors before the election – “Trump cards” as people in the industry called them – fell through. The New York Times reported that drugmakers balked at the idea of being a part of an 11th-hour campaign initiative that seems to be aimed at the president’s reelection campaign. With about 44 million Americans on Medicare, if every beneficiary used their $200 card, the cost would come out to $8.8bn. Trump did not mention how the White House plans to fund the cards.
Updated at 00.03 BST
24 Sept 2020 22.38 BST Trump unveils 'American First' healthcare plan While unveiling his “America First Healthcare Plan” in a speech in Charlotte, North Carolina, Donald Trump is veering away from healthcare and is trying to paint the Democratic party as “socialism”. “Under the Democrats plan, costs would skyrocket,” he said. “Seniors, they’ve been paying their entire lives.” Trump said, seeming to talk about healthcare, but then seemed to veer off saying that the Democrats support “socialism and open borders”. Trump said if the “unsolicited ballots” go out and Democrats win, “our economy will collapse”. “What they’re doing is socialized medicine. It’s going to be a disaster in terms of quality and cost. It will ruin our country,” he said.
Trump said that Democrats’ claims that he is attacking social security is “disinformation”. “I made social security better.”
Last month, Trump directed the treasury department to allow employers to temporarily suspend collection of social security taxes and has teased the idea of cutting social security taxes.
Updated at 01.58 BST
24 Sept 2020 22.20 BST This is Lauren Aratani taking over for Joan E Greve. Donald Trump is speaking in Charlotte, North Carolina, unveiling his healthcare plan as the Republican lawsuit against Obamacare awaits for a supreme court ruling. Trump is saying that the plan is “much better” than Obamacare, saying that the plan would mean more affordable healthcare. But while Trump is touting his own plan, the two executive orders he is signing today leaves most of the work to Congress to figure out. The first order pressures Republican lawmakers to come up with an alternative to Obamacare’s protection of people with pre-existing conditions seeking healthcare. The second is aimed at “surprise” medical bills, directing Congress to pass legislation that would prevent surprise bills by 1 January, after the election. One reporter at the speech noted not many people in the crowd are wearing masks in the indoor space. As Trump talks up what he’s calling his “America First Healthcare Plan,” lots of folks in the audience are not wearing masks, including some in white lab coats. https://t.co/gJXLE7uWCp — Jill Colvin (@colvinj) September 24, 2020
Updated at 00.02 BST
24 Sept 2020 22.00 BST Today so far That’s it from me today. My Guardian colleague, Lauren Aratani, will take over the blog for the next few hours. Here’s where the day stands so far: A man was charged in the shooting of two Louisville police officers during yesterday’s protests, the city’s police chief announced. Protests in Louisville were re-energized yesterday, after a grand jury announced no charges in direct relation to the fatal police shooting of Breonna Taylor. One officer was indicted for blindly firing into the apartment of Taylor’s neighbors.
the city’s police chief announced. Protests in Louisville were re-energized yesterday, after a grand jury announced no charges in direct relation to the fatal police shooting of One officer was indicted for blindly firing into the apartment of Taylor’s neighbors. Trump again raised doubts about the integrity of the election, a day after he refused to commit to a peaceful transfer of power. “We want to make sure the election is honest, and I’m not sure that it can be,” Trump told reporters shortly before leaving for North Carolina. The president has repeatedly claimed without evidence that voting by mail will be susceptible to widespread fraud, even though voter fraud is actually very rare and US states have been sending mail-in ballots to voters for decades.
a day after he refused to commit to a peaceful transfer of power. “We want to make sure the election is honest, and I’m not sure that it can be,” Trump told reporters shortly before leaving for North Carolina. The president has repeatedly claimed without evidence that voting by mail will be susceptible to widespread fraud, even though voter fraud is actually very rare and US states have been sending mail-in ballots to voters for decades. The FBI director said there is no precedent for a national voter fraud effort. The FBI director, Christopher Wray, told the Senate homeland security committee: “We have not seen historically any kind of coordinated national voter fraud effort in a major election, whether it’s by mail or otherwise. We have seen voter fraud at the local level from time to time.”
The FBI director, told the Senate homeland security committee: “We have not seen historically any kind of coordinated national voter fraud effort in a major election, whether it’s by mail or otherwise. We have seen voter fraud at the local level from time to time.” Another 870,000 Americans filed new unemployment claims last week, according to figures released by the labor department this morning. The number represents a slight increase from a week earlier and underscores the ongoing economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic more than six months after it started.
according to figures released by the labor department this morning. The number represents a slight increase from a week earlier and underscores the ongoing economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic more than six months after it started. Bernie Sanders called for the creation of an independent election commission to protect American democracy. The Vermont senator delivered a speech in Washington today, marking his first in-person event since suspending his presidential campaign in the spring. Sanders said: “This is not just an election between Donald Trump and Joe Biden. This is an election between Donald Trump and democracy – and democracy must win.”
Lauren will have more coming up, so stay tuned.
Updated at 00.01 BST
24 Sept 2020 21.39 BST The Capitol is preparing for its ceremony to honor Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who will lie in state in Statuary Hall tomorrow. Workers displayed two portraits of the late supreme court justice in advance of tomorrow’s ceremony, which will be limited to invited guests due to coronavirus restrictions. Workers in the Capitol are preparing for the Ruth Bader Ginsburg ceremony tomorrow.
Here are the portraits they’ll use. pic.twitter.com/lfWyzFJ0hS — Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) September 24, 2020 Ginsburg is currently lying in repose at the supreme court, where members of the public have been able to pay their respects since yesterday. The House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, noted today that Ginsburg will be the first woman and the first Jewish person to lie in state at the Capitol.
Updated at 00.00 BST
24 Sept 2020 21.18 BST Polls: Trump up in Texas and Iowa, a virtual tie in Ohio Here’s today’s polling roundup, with just 40 days to go until the presidential election. A Monmouth University poll of Iowa showed Trump has a six-point lead over Joe Biden among the state’s registered voters, 50%-44%. When only likely voters are polled, Trump’s lead in Iowa shrinks to 3 points, 49%-46%, which is within the poll’s margin of error. IOWA POLL: #GeneralElection matchup
Registered voters:
50% @realDonaldTrump (48% in August)
44% @JoeBiden (45%)
Likely voters, high turnout:
49% Trump (48%)
46% Biden (46%)
Likely voters, low turnout:
49% Trump (47%)
46% Biden (47%)https://t.co/a8IGA98RVp pic.twitter.com/ZAnFKCRB1U — MonmouthPoll (@MonmouthPoll) September 24, 2020 Quinnipiac University also released two polls of Ohio and Texas, both of which Trump won in 2016. According to Quinnipiac, Trump holds a five-point lead among likely voters in Texas, 50%-45%. The race in Ohio is too close to call, with Biden at 48% and Trump at 47% among likely voters. Trump carried all three of these states in 2016 by eight to nine points, and he will likely need to win all of them again to secure a second term. The polling results provide further evidence that Trump’s lead is narrowing in states he easily won in 2016. With less than six weeks to go until election day and ballots already being sent to voters in many states, the president is running out of time to reverse that trend.
Updated at 23.59 BST
24 Sept 2020 21.02 BST While speaking to reporters before leaving for North Carolina, Trump also briefly addressed the case of Breonna Taylor, the 26-year-old EMT who was fatally shot by Louisville police in March. “I think it’s a sad thing, and I give my regards to the family,” Trump said. “I also think it’s so sad what’s happening with everything about that case, including law enforcement. So many people suffering.” A Kentucky grand jury declined to issue charges in direct connection to the fatal shooting of Taylor. Instead, one officer was indicted for blindly firing into the apartment of Taylor’s neighbors. The announcement set off re-energized protests in Louisville yesterday, during which two police officers were shot. They are both expected to recover, and a man has been charged for the shooting.


theguardian--2020-09-24--'I wish Harry luck, he's going to need it' – Trump's jibe at Meghan

Donald Trump has taken a swipe at the Duchess of Sussex and wished Prince Harry luck “ because he ’ s going to need it ” , after the couple urged Americans to vote in the upcoming US presidential election .
“ I ’ m not a fan of hers , ” the president told reporters at a White House press briefing .
“ I would say this – and she probably has heard that – I wish a lot of luck to Harry , because he ’ s going to need it.
” It came after the Duke and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ video clip for Time magazine to “ reject hate speech ” in the 3 November election .
Harry , who is not eligible to vote in the US , said : “ As we approach this November , it ’ s vital that we reject hate speech , misinformation and online negativity.
” Meghan , who was born in California and who described the event as “ the most important election of our lifetime ” , said : “ When we vote , our values are put into action , our voices are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mention Trump in the clip , or his election rival , Joe Biden , many have interpreted their comments as an effective endorsement of the Democratic candidate .
The royal family does not vote in general elections , in order to convey political neutrality , and Buckingham Palace has distanced itself from Prince Harry ’ s comments .
A palace spokesperson said : “ The duke is not a working member of the royal family and any comments he makes are in a personal capacity.
” Meghan , 39 , and Harry , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year with their one-year-old son , Archie – following a stint in Canada – after announcing that they were stopping royal duties and working towards financial self-sufficiency .
Earlier this week , the feminist activist Gloria Steinem revealed that Meghan had joined her in cold-calling Americans urging them to vote .

Donald Trump has taken a swipe at the Duchess of Sussex and wished Prince Harry luck “because he’s going to need it”, after the couple urged Americans to vote in the upcoming US presidential election.
“I’m not a fan of hers,” the president told reporters at a White House press briefing. “I would say this – and she probably has heard that – I wish a lot of luck to Harry, because he’s going to need it.”
It came after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex urged people in a video clip for Time magazine to “reject hate speech” in the 3 November election.
Harry, who is not eligible to vote in the US, said: “As we approach this November, it’s vital that we reject hate speech, misinformation and online negativity.”
Meghan, who was born in California and who described the event as “the most important election of our lifetime”, said: “When we vote, our values are put into action, our voices are heard.”
Although the couple did not mention Trump in the clip, or his election rival, Joe Biden, many have interpreted their comments as an effective endorsement of the Democratic candidate.
The royal family does not vote in general elections, in order to convey political neutrality, and Buckingham Palace has distanced itself from Prince Harry’s comments.
01:09 Harry and Meghan call on Americans to register to vote ahead of US election – video
A palace spokesperson said: “The duke is not a working member of the royal family and any comments he makes are in a personal capacity.”
Meghan, 39, and Harry, 36, moved to California earlier this year with their one-year-old son, Archie – following a stint in Canada – after announcing that they were stopping royal duties and working towards financial self-sufficiency.
Earlier this week, the feminist activist Gloria Steinem revealed that Meghan had joined her in cold-calling Americans urging them to vote.


theguardian--2020-09-24--Breonna Taylor decision: two officers shot in Louisville as protests erupt across US – as it happene

Breonna Taylor decision: two officers shot in Louisville as protests erupt across US – as it happened

All Ms. Taylor ’ s family wanted , and all many of the protesters wanted , is for the Constitution and the mechanism of justice to work for them the way it works for others .
Mr. Cameron , who is Black , should know that to suggest that protesters are nothing but a mob dehumanizes the people calling for justice and respect .
And it reminds African-Americans of the way we ’ re so often unfairly portrayed as perpetrators of crime , and so rarely seen as victims .
Police officers who kill citizens are rarely convicted .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the woman killed was not only unarmed but asleep in the moments before a police officer took her life , we hoped that for once , justice would be on our side .
This is yet another disappointing reminder that it ’ s not .
These efforts take a cumulative toll .
Young African-Americans consuming a regular diet of Black death are learning to not trust their government .
It ’ s painful to realize that kneeling for the national anthem can cost a football player like Colin Kaepernick his career , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into an innocent young woman ’ s home late at night will face no consequences .
Black people will try to make sense of this , try to rebuild whatever expectation of safety we can muster , and tap into coping mechanisms that are now so familiar .
Preparing for moments like this feels like a futile job that can never really soften the actual experience .

Martin Belam (now), Helen Sullivan, Lauren Aratani and Joan E Greve (earlier)

24 Sept 2020 12.06 BST Key events so far… I’m going to be closing this blog shortly, but I’ll be bringing you more coverage of the reaction to the Breonna Taylor charging decision over on our US politics live blog for Thursday. In the meantime, here’s a summary of where we are at: The Jefferson county grand jury has indicted one of the officers involved in the shooting of Breonna Taylor. Former Louisville police officer Brett Hankinson faces three felony counts of first-degree wanton endangerment. None of the other officers involved in the fatal shooting were indicted. No homicide charges were issued.
Former Louisville police officer faces three felony counts of first-degree wanton endangerment. None of the other officers involved in the fatal shooting were indicted. No homicide charges were issued. Thousands of people joined protests in many major US city which saw protesters chanting “Say her name! Breonna Taylor” and “No justice, no peace”. Posters and shrines dedicated to Taylor were seen all around as protesters marched.
Posters and shrines dedicated to Taylor were seen all around as protesters marched. Two police officers in Louisville were shot and suffered non-life-threatening injuries. Louisville police have one suspect in custody.
Louisville police have one suspect in custody. A car drove through protests in Denver, there were no injuries. Chemical agents were used on protesters by the authorities in Atlanta and other cities. A riot was declare in Portland, Oregon , where police shared a video which appeared to show them being attacked with a Molotov cocktail.
there were no injuries. and other cities. , where police shared a video which appeared to show them being attacked with a Molotov cocktail. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is representing the family of Breonna Taylor, described the grand jury announcement as “outrageous and offensive.” Crump noted that none of the charges announced today appear to relate directly to the fatal shooting of Taylor. “If Brett Hankison ’s behavior was wanton endangerment to people in neighboring apartments, then it should have been wanton endangerment in Breonna Taylor’s apartment too. In fact, it should have been ruled wanton murder,” Crump said in a tweet.
who is representing the family of described the grand jury announcement as “outrageous and offensive.” Crump noted that none of the charges announced today appear to relate directly to the fatal shooting of Taylor. “If ’s behavior was wanton endangerment to people in neighboring apartments, then it should have been wanton endangerment in Breonna Taylor’s apartment too. In fact, it should have been ruled wanton murder,” Crump said in a tweet. Taylor’s mother, Tamika Palmer, learned of the charging decision minutes before attorney general’s announcement. The family’s attorney, Sam Aguiar, told CNN: “She had to drive all the way down there to be told this, despite two advanced requests from me to not force her to drive down only to learn no indictments.” You can continue to follow the latest developments over here… Breonna Taylor decision: riot declared in Portland as protests grip US cities – US politics live Read more
24 Sept 2020 11.49 BST Another New York Times columnist, Charles M. Blow, sums up the feelings of a lot of people this morning… Been up much of the night trying to think through a column to write about #BreonnaTaylor. But, I just can’t. What is there to say that I haven’t already said? Black bodies falling continue with the consistent repetition of a drumbeat. Justice is rarely available. I’m exhausted… — Charles M. Blow (@CharlesMBlow) September 24, 2020
Updated at 11.49 BST
24 Sept 2020 11.28 BST Dr Melanye Price has written about Breonna Taylor for the New York Times this morning. In a piece headlined “It hurts to keep hoping for justice”, Price picks up on Kentucky’s attorney general, Daniel Cameron using the phrase “Mob justice is not justice”. She writes: All Ms. Taylor’s family wanted, and all many of the protesters wanted, is for the Constitution and the mechanism of justice to work for them the way it works for others. Mr. Cameron, who is Black, should know that to suggest that protesters are nothing but a mob dehumanizes the people calling for justice and respect. And it reminds African-Americans of the way we’re so often unfairly portrayed as perpetrators of crime, and so rarely seen as victims. Police officers who kill citizens are rarely convicted. But in this tragic situation, in which the woman killed was not only unarmed but asleep in the moments before a police officer took her life, we hoped that for once, justice would be on our side. This is yet another disappointing reminder that it’s not. These efforts take a cumulative toll. Young African-Americans consuming a regular diet of Black death are learning to not trust their government. It’s painful to realize that kneeling for the national anthem can cost a football player like Colin Kaepernick his career, but a police officer firing a deadly shot into an innocent young woman’s home late at night will face no consequences. Black people will try to make sense of this, try to rebuild whatever expectation of safety we can muster, and tap into coping mechanisms that are now so familiar. Preparing for moments like this feels like a futile job that can never really soften the actual experience. Read it here: New York Times – Melanye Price: It hurts to keep hoping for justice
Updated at 11.50 BST
24 Sept 2020 11.21 BST Facebook to launch long-delayed independent oversight board in October Also with the election in mind, here is some social media news. Facebook’s long-delayed independent oversight board plans to launch in mid-to-late October, just before the presidential election, although a board member said he did not know whether it would hear cases related to the contest The board, announced by Facebook in response to criticism of its handling of problematic content, will initially have the power to review decisions to take down posts from Facebook and Instagram, and recommend policy changes. Elizabeth Culliford reports for Reuters that some experts have said it will not be able to help combat misinformation, because it will have no authority at first to evaluate posts that the company decides to leave up. Oversight board member – and former Guardian editor – Alan Rusbridger told Reuters in an interview that the board was now aiming for an October launch. A spokesman confirmed that timetable, saying the launch, originally planned for last year, had also been slowed by the coronavirus pandemic. Rusbridger said he did not know whether the board would hear cases about content connected to the US election.
24 Sept 2020 11.19 BST Biden to be endorsed by 489 national security leaders who say Trump 'not equal to the enormous responsibilities of his office' Away from the Breonna Taylor protests for a moment, a quick snap from Reuters here that one of president Donald Trump’s most senior military advisers, retired General Paul Selva, is joining a large group of former Pentagon leaders to publicly endorse Joe Biden, according to a letter seen by the news agency. Selva, who served as vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff until July 2019, appears on a list of 489 national security experts - including former military leaders, ambassadors and White House officials - who signed a letter being released on Thursday that declares Trump “not equal to the enormous responsibilities of his office.”
“Thanks to his disdainful attitude and his failures, our allies no longer trust or respect us, and our enemies no longer fear us,” reads the letter by the group, called “National Security Leaders For Biden.” Other groups of former national security leaders have endorsed Biden and criticized Trump, but, Reuters say, it is remarkable that a recently retired four-star general like Selva - who was the Pentagon’s No. 2 military officer - would publicly endorse any candidate and sign onto a letter condemning a president he served. CNN’s Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr, notes: Most Americans would have no reason to know Gen Selva’s name. But inside the very highest ranks he is very respected. https://t.co/5Hbr5aOtyR — Barbara Starr (@barbarastarrcnn) September 24, 2020
Updated at 11.31 BST
24 Sept 2020 11.08 BST The events of yesterday and last night are liable to push police and justice reform back into the public spotlight and make them a focus of the election campaign. Adam Mahoney has been in Chicago for us, looking at why the city is the only one in America’s top 10 not yet to agree to new police reforms, despite civil rights protests and a bloody summer of police shootings. Community leaders are at their wits end in a city where having the largest per-capita police force in the US is not translating into less crime or less violence, especially in neighborhoods long blighted by structural racism and now slammed by the twin coronavirus and economic crises. “This summer and the pandemic have shown us that if we want justice and love in Chicago, what we’re doing isn’t working,” said Moises Moreno, a city native and director of Pilsen Alliance, an organization on the lower west side that develops grassroots leadership in working class, immigrant communities. Three weeks ago in the Pilsen neighborhood, a cluster of candles and flowers couldn’t quite cover the dried blood on the sidewalk where 26-year-old Miguel Vega had been shot dead by Chicago police, one of five police shootings by the department in the last two months. A sixth shooting was carried out by a sheriff’s officer from surrounding Cook county. While county sheriff Tom Dart released bodycam footage less than a day after that wounding, Chicago Police Department failed to release any of the footage from its five shootings, until two days ago it issued bodycam from the Vega incident. Read it here: Why Chicago hasn’t enacted police reforms despite demands for change Why Chicago hasn't enacted police reforms despite demands for change Read more
Updated at 11.09 BST
24 Sept 2020 10.58 BST Here are some more of the pictures that have been coming through of a night of protest and demonstrations in many US cities. Protesters blocked a police car in downtown Los Angeles. Photograph: Jill Connelly/ZUMA Wire/REX/Shutterstock A protester carries a sign in honor of Breonna Taylor in Chicago, Illinois. Photograph: Natasha Moustache/Getty Images Protesters march under an overpass downtown in Louisville, Kentucky. Photograph: Jon Cherry/Getty Images Hundreds of people take to the streets of Washington DC, marching from the Department of Justice to Black Lives Matter Plaza and beyond. Photograph: Amy Katz/ZUMA Wire/REX/Shutterstock A protester with a loudhailer on a march through the streets of Seattle in remembrance of Breonna Taylor. Photograph: Karen Ducey/ZUMA Wire/REX/Shutterstock Police watch as hundreds of people protest in New York. Photograph: Lev Radin/Pacific Press/REX/Shutterstock
24 Sept 2020 10.35 BST Like many cities in the US there was a Black Lives Matter protest in San Jose yesterday over the Breonna Taylor decision. The East Bay Times reports: As of 6:30pm Wednesday, roughly 100 protesters had gathered outside San Jose City Hall. Among them was 25-year-old San Jose resident Daniel Barrena, who said he was disgusted the jury did not do more. “It just shows that they’re not accountable at all to anyone,” said Barrena, who waved a Zapatista flag in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. “There’s just going to be more protests and more riots until we get the justice we deserve.” Paris Browder said the news was “a slap in the face to me, to every Black person and to Breonna’s family specially.” “I feel infuriated, frustrated, outraged and out of my body,” the 28-year-old San Jose resident said. For 29-year-old San Jose resident Srishti Prabha, the indictment of a single police officer was an example “of just how much political power police have in this country.” “It’s unfortunate that Breonna Taylor’s family is not going to get the justice they wanted,” Prabha continued. “This was a heinous crime and justice did not happen.”
Updated at 10.36 BST
24 Sept 2020 10.19 BST Our multimedia team have put together this report, as thousands of demonstrators took to the streets in more than a dozen cities across the US after a grand jury decided not to directly charge police officers for the killing of Breonna Taylor. 00:53 Breonna Taylor protests erupt across US – video
24 Sept 2020 09.35 BST Pulitzer Prize winning Robin Givhan has written powerfully for the Washington Post this morning, in a piece simply titled Miss Breonna Taylor. The Kentucky attorney general kept calling her Miss. Miss Taylor. Miss Breonna Taylor. He gave her that honorific, that scrap of dignity six months after she was killed. Cameron used the genteel title — “Miss” — as a matter of formality but also as a kind of armor. The nicety would serve as evidence of his respectfulness of Taylor and of his regard for the criminal justice system. The title would also give feeble cover to the system’s indifference to the value of this 26-year-old Black woman’s life. The word would teeter atop a mountain of historical disregard that continues to grow. She did not have a weapon. She had done nothing wrong. She was simply at home. And she was killed by police. Cameron called her death a tragedy. That’s the least of it. No one would be held to account for Taylor’s death. Taylor was killed and the system shrugged. But at least Cameron called her Miss. Read it here: Washington Post – Robin Givhan: Miss Breonna Taylor
24 Sept 2020 09.21 BST Back to Portland, where the Oregonian reports on the evening’s protests. Mark Graves writes for the paper that the demonstration started when hundreds of people filled Southwest Third Avenue in front of the downtown Justice Center: Several Black women addressed the crowd from the steps of the Justice Center and encouraged people to vote and continue pressing for change. As the speeches continued past 9pm, a smaller crowd started forming in front of the Second Avenue side of the Justice Center — the Central Precinct of the Portland police. Portland police declared that gathering an “unlawful assembly shortly” before 10pm It was unclear why. Most people remained focused on the speeches on the opposite side of the building. Police warned people to leave Second Avenue, live videos showed. Dozens of officers then advanced on the crowd, using smoke and other devices to force people to move. At least one protester responded by throwing a firework toward police. He goes on to say A handful of protesters targeted a police precinct with fire and rocks. Police quickly extinguished the flames as they burned the edge of an awning. But soon after, someone threw a Molotov cocktail toward officers. Police ordered the hundreds of people gathered in honor of Breonna Taylor to leave, then used force to make people move. Federal officers helped. Federal officers shot impact munitions on downtown streets a half-mile away from the federal courthouse that President Donald Trump pledged to protect. The scene mirrored many July nights, when federal officers regularly and aggressively dispersed crowds outside the courthouse. Read it here: Oregon Live – Portland, federal police break up downtown protest of Breonna Taylor grand jury decision
Updated at 11.29 BST
24 Sept 2020 09.16 BST Away from the protests for a moment, the Associated Press is reporting that the US justice department is investigating a former Republican Florida Congresswoman accused of spending at least $50,000 of campaign money on vacations and restaurant and luxury hotel bills. The federal department’s public integrity section is looking into the expenditures by Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, from Miami, including a 2017 trip to Walt Disney World with her children and grandchildren, rooms at a Ritz-Carlton resort and a New Year’s Eve meal at a high-end seafood restaurant.
In this 2015 file photo, Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, listens to a question from the media. Photograph: Wilfredo Lee/AP Jeffrey Weiner, an attorney for Ros-Lehtinen, said in a statement to WFOR-TV, which first reported the investigation, that Ros-Lehtinen was aware of the investigation and she and former staff members and volunteers were cooperating with the Federal Election Commission and the Justice Department.
In a statement to the Miami Herald, the attorney added that they are turning over campaign finance and other records subpoenaed by the Justice Department.
“We ... are confident that, if bookkeeping errors were committed, they were due to negligence, and not willful or intentional misconduct by the former congresswoman or anyone on her staff, or her accountants,” the news outlets quoted Weiner as saying.
Ros-Lehtinen declined to seek reelection in 2018 after a 30-year career in Congress. Following her retirement announcement in April 2017, she transferred more than $177,000 from her reelection campaign account to a political action committee she controlled, WFOR-TV reported. Federal law prohibits campaign funds, including those transferred to PACs from being spent on personal use.
Weiner declined to explain the campaign-related purpose of the expenditures but said his team has not “found any evidence whatsoever of intentional wrongdoing” by the former Congresswoman or her staff.
24 Sept 2020 09.10 BST Here’s a reminder of what Kentucky attorney general, Daniel Cameron, said, urging protesters to make their voices heard peacefully after only one police officer involved in the shooting death of Breonna Taylor was indicted by a grand jury. 02:18 Breonna Taylor killing: attorney general calls for calm as no officers directly charged – video