theguardian--2020-09-15--'A savagely broken food system': Cory Booker wants radical reform ... now

From a viral pandemic to the movement for racial justice to the worsening climate crisis , Senator Cory Booker says the massive challenges facing the US right now are all tied to a “ savagely broken food system ” .
And last week , his most recent challenge to that system gained new momentum , when a coalition of 300 farm , food , and environmental advocacy organizations sent a letter to Congress urging legislators to pass a bill that would eventually eliminate the country ’ s largest concentrated animal feeding operations ( Cafos ) .
Speaking exclusively to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ senator who ran for the democratic presidential nomination earlier this year , says : “ Nobody seems to be calling out how multinational , vertically integrated industrial agricultural companies are threatening American wellbeing , and I just think that the more people learn about these practices , the more shocked they are .
“ I don ’ t think most Americans realize that the way we raise animals is such a betrayal of the heritage of our grandparents .
I don ’ t think they realize that … these big companies like Smithfield @ @ @ @ @ @ @ farmers now living like sharecroppers in constant debt , forced to follow their rules .
I ’ ve watched the suffering in North Carolina of minority communities who live around Cafos and can no longer breathe their air … and I ’ ve seen workers in the meatpacking plants and how dangerous those plants are .
“ Everybody is losing in this system – except for the massive corporations that have taken over the American food system.
” Booker was elected to the Senate in 2013 , after serving as mayor of Newark @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2013 .
During his time in the Senate he has focused his efforts on progressive issues like criminal justice reform , reducing economic inequality and increasing access to healthcare .
More recently , the food system and the way it shapes inequalities in the US has emerged as one of his defining interests .
As mayor of Newark , where more than 50 % of the city ’ s residents are people of color , Booker observed a high rate of poverty and food insecurity .
“ I learned early in my time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on things like criminal justice reform and economic justice , that all of these issues and injustices were intersectional , and you have to deal with them with a holistic view , ” he says .
“ Kids who walk into bodegas can buy a Twinkie product cheaper than they can buy an apple because 90 % of our agriculture subsidies go to four major monocrops , ” he says .
Workers exposed to dangers in meatpacking plants and to poor working conditions and pesticide exposures on farms are also disproportionately people of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Black Lives Matter movement .
“ What ’ s motivating me is that I think we need to really sound the alarm in America , ” he says .
“ There are so many crises [ that relate ] to public health , from global warming to economic justice to humane treatment of animals .
What should not be surprising is that a senator is taking this on .
What should be more surprising is that we as a country have not seen this broken food system , especially after a Covid crisis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the American food system .
The real question is why isn ’ t Congress as a whole moving to address this massive threat to public health ?
” The issue of the US food system has picked up steam amid the Covid-19 pandemic , which shed light on the potential of Cafos to spread disease and contribute to antibiotic resistance , as well as the fragility of the US ’ s heavily consolidated food chain .
There have been large coronavirus outbreaks at plants : hundreds of workers have died , thousands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been forced to euthanize and dispose of millions of animals .
Booker , unlike most politicians , is willing to call out the behaviour of powerful meatpacking companies and introduce legislation to directly disrupt and regulate their businesses .
In June , Booker and Senator Elizabeth Warren launched an investigation into meatpacking companies ’ actions during the pandemic , looking at the coronavirus outbreaks and the companies ’ claims that keeping plants running was necessary to feed the country , at the same time as a record amount of meat was being exported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ July , Booker introduced a bill that would prevent the US Department of Agriculture from allowing plants to speed up their lines , but it has so far not moved forward .
Booker has also introduced bills to prevent further consolidation in agribusiness , incentivize climate-friendly farming practices via the Climate Stewardship Act , and increase support for small farms selling into local markets , with specific attention to historically underserved producers like black farmers .
But the Farm System Reform Act , which would place a moratorium on new or expanding large @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of legislation , aimed at phasing out large Cafos altogether by 2040 , and pledging support and legislative protection for farmers transitioning away from the system .
It has now been introduced in the House , and has also gained support from Warren and Bernie Sanders .
“ The Farm System Reform Act is the bold approach we need to bring dangerous factory farming under control now , and begin the necessary transformation to a safe and equitable future for food consumers and workers alike , ” Food and Water Watch executive director @ @ @ @ @ @ @ announcing the letter sent to Congress .
So far most of the enthusiasm is coming from progressive politicians : presidential nominee Joe Biden ’ s plans on climate and rural America do not mention Cafos at all .
But , in Booker ’ s mind , it ’ s not a matter of if the largest factory farms will someday be a thing of the past , it ’ s when .
“ We are on the right side of history , ” he says , comparing the fight for a better food @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like marriage equality and criminal justice reform .
“ This one is going to take awareness , because I just don ’ t think when most Americans sit down and have their dinner they realize that the food that they ’ re eating … is part of a system that ’ s hurting their environment , their health , the wellbeing of workers , and the wellbeing of animals .
I just have a deep , abiding faith in the goodness and the decency of Americans , and that ’ s why I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of justice , that ’ s the way we ’ ll move as a society .
The big question I have is how quickly can we get there ?
” Sign up for the Animals farmed monthly update to get a roundup of the best farming and food stories across the world and keep up with our investigations .
You can send us your stories and thoughts at animalsfarmed @ theguardian.com

From a viral pandemic to the movement for racial justice to the worsening climate crisis, Senator Cory Booker says the massive challenges facing the US right now are all tied to a “savagely broken food system”.
And last week, his most recent challenge to that system gained new momentum, when a coalition of 300 farm, food, and environmental advocacy organizations sent a letter to Congress urging legislators to pass a bill that would eventually eliminate the country’s largest concentrated animal feeding operations (Cafos).
Speaking exclusively to the Guardian, Booker, a New Jersey senator who ran for the democratic presidential nomination earlier this year, says: “Nobody seems to be calling out how multinational, vertically integrated industrial agricultural companies are threatening American wellbeing, and I just think that the more people learn about these practices, the more shocked they are.
“I don’t think most Americans realize that the way we raise animals is such a betrayal of the heritage of our grandparents. I don’t think they realize that … these big companies like Smithfield and Cargill and others have our American farmers now living like sharecroppers in constant debt, forced to follow their rules. I’ve watched the suffering in North Carolina of minority communities who live around Cafos and can no longer breathe their air … and I’ve seen workers in the meatpacking plants and how dangerous those plants are.
“Everybody is losing in this system – except for the massive corporations that have taken over the American food system.”
Booker was elected to the Senate in 2013, after serving as mayor of Newark, New Jersey, from 2006 to 2013. During his time in the Senate he has focused his efforts on progressive issues like criminal justice reform, reducing economic inequality and increasing access to healthcare.
More recently, the food system and the way it shapes inequalities in the US has emerged as one of his defining interests. As mayor of Newark, where more than 50% of the city’s residents are people of color, Booker observed a high rate of poverty and food insecurity. “I learned early in my time as mayor, when I was focused on things like criminal justice reform and economic justice, that all of these issues and injustices were intersectional, and you have to deal with them with a holistic view,” he says.
“Kids who walk into bodegas can buy a Twinkie product cheaper than they can buy an apple because 90% of our agriculture subsidies go to four major monocrops,” he says. Workers exposed to dangers in meatpacking plants and to poor working conditions and pesticide exposures on farms are also disproportionately people of color, concerns recently amplified by the Black Lives Matter movement.
Kids who walk into bodegas can buy a Twinkie product cheaper than they can buy an apple
“What’s motivating me is that I think we need to really sound the alarm in America,” he says. “There are so many crises [that relate] to public health, from global warming to economic justice to humane treatment of animals. What should not be surprising is that a senator is taking this on. What should be more surprising is that we as a country have not seen this broken food system, especially after a Covid crisis, which has so exposed the fragility of the American food system. The real question is why isn’t Congress as a whole moving to address this massive threat to public health?”
Booker’s Farm System Reform Act would place a moratorium on large concentrated animal feedlots. Photograph: Jim West/Alamy
The issue of the US food system has picked up steam amid the Covid-19 pandemic, which shed light on the potential of Cafos to spread disease and contribute to antibiotic resistance, as well as the fragility of the US’s heavily consolidated food chain. There have been large coronavirus outbreaks at plants: hundreds of workers have died, thousands have been ill, and farmers have been forced to euthanize and dispose of millions of animals.
Booker, unlike most politicians, is willing to call out the behaviour of powerful meatpacking companies and introduce legislation to directly disrupt and regulate their businesses. In June, Booker and Senator Elizabeth Warren launched an investigation into meatpacking companies’ actions during the pandemic, looking at the coronavirus outbreaks and the companies’ claims that keeping plants running was necessary to feed the country, at the same time as a record amount of meat was being exported to China and other countries. In July, Booker introduced a bill that would prevent the US Department of Agriculture from allowing plants to speed up their lines, but it has so far not moved forward.
Booker has also introduced bills to prevent further consolidation in agribusiness, incentivize climate-friendly farming practices via the Climate Stewardship Act, and increase support for small farms selling into local markets, with specific attention to historically underserved producers like black farmers.
But the Farm System Reform Act, which would place a moratorium on new or expanding large Cafos, is his most radical piece of legislation, aimed at phasing out large Cafos altogether by 2040, and pledging support and legislative protection for farmers transitioning away from the system. It has now been introduced in the House, and has also gained support from Warren and Bernie Sanders.
“The Farm System Reform Act is the bold approach we need to bring dangerous factory farming under control now, and begin the necessary transformation to a safe and equitable future for food consumers and workers alike,” Food and Water Watch executive director Wenonah Hauter said in a press release announcing the letter sent to Congress.
So far most of the enthusiasm is coming from progressive politicians: presidential nominee Joe Biden’s plans on climate and rural America do not mention Cafos at all.
‘I’ve watched the suffering of communities who live around Cafos and can no longer breathe their air’, says Booker. Photograph: Charlie Neibergall/AP
But, in Booker’s mind, it’s not a matter of if the largest factory farms will someday be a thing of the past, it’s when. “We are on the right side of history,” he says, comparing the fight for a better food system to other successful social justice movements like marriage equality and criminal justice reform.
“This one is going to take awareness, because I just don’t think when most Americans sit down and have their dinner they realize that the food that they’re eating … is part of a system that’s hurting their environment, their health, the wellbeing of workers, and the wellbeing of animals. I just have a deep, abiding faith in the goodness and the decency of Americans, and that’s why I know when it comes to an issue of justice, that’s the way we’ll move as a society. The big question I have is how quickly can we get there?”
Sign up for the Animals farmed monthly update to get a roundup of the best farming and food stories across the world and keep up with our investigations. You can send us your stories and thoughts at animalsfarmed@theguardian.com


theguardian--2020-09-15--Black churches say Donald Trump election ad incites 'white terrorism'

Black American church leaders have accused Donald Trump of inciting “ white terrorism ” against people of colour and depicting churchgoers as “ thugs ” in a presidential election campaign ad .
They are calling for the advertisement ’ s removal from display and federal protection from any bias or threats it could provoke .
The video , named Meet Joe Biden ’ s Supporters , is online and includes violent scenes of burning buildings and police cars followed by footage of the Democratic presidential nominee kneeling in front of the altar at Bethel African Methodist Episcopal ( AME ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leaders in his hometown of Wilmington , Delaware .
The apparent voice of Vice-President Mike Pence is heard saying , “ You won ’ t be safe in Joe Biden ’ s America.
” It then cuts to text that reads : “ Stop Joe Biden and his rioters.
” The AME church on Monday denounced the ad , which they said links the church to violence and implies “ that those who gathered there are ‘ thugs ’ ” .
Meanwhile , the Bethel pastor Silvester Beaman told Religion News Service ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overtly racist and offensive on numerous levels.
” The statement , whose signatories include Bishop Michael L Mitchell , president of the AME council of bishops , and Bishop Frank Madison Reid III , chair of the church ’ s commission on social action , said : “ This ad subtly incites white terrorism against people of colour and attacks the Black church and Black people for refusing to bow down to the idol called white supremacy.
” They demanded an “ immediate apology ” to Bethel AME church and to Beaman , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all networks and “ federal protection ” for the church , its staff and community .
They also called on the federal Departments of Justice and Homeland Security to launch an investigation into the “ legality of the Trump campaign ’ s misrepresentation and Photoshopping images ” and the “ rhetoric as the language that might incite violence , and encourage racial tensions that lead to placing people of colour in harm ’ s way ” .
Describing the ad , Reid told the Guardian : “ In one word it was appalling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thirdly it was destructive.
” He added : “ The insinuation that the church is a violent institution has brought attacks for centuries here in America against any Black person , male or female , any Black institution , that would dare stand up and speak up against white supremacist practices in the areas of culture , politics , spirituality and finances.
” Citing the recent killings in Kenosha , Wisconsin , where an armed , white agitator shot dead two men who were protesting against the police shooting of a Black man @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s deputies in Los Angeles in an ambush at the weekend , Reid added : “ There is a culture of violence that is being stirred up by those who have a political agenda.
” The statement , he said , is a warning “ to alert the nation and to alert people of colour that this election and these shootings and this violence is all the hate that white supremacists ’ hate has produced ” .
While he said he is sure the church in Wilmington is “ prepared ” following @ @ @ @ @ @ @ climate they need “ federal protection until this thing cools down ” .
The statement said the FBI was investigating vandalism against “ multiple ” AME churches and that they “ continue to cope ” following the 2015 mass shooting at Mother Emanuel church in Charleston , South Carolina , by an avowed white supremacist .
“ We are apprehensive that the history of burning and bombing Black churches is being stirred up by a political party that has lost its moral bearings .
We are deeply concerned that the white supremacist lynchings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and women , boys and girls in the past , is the plan for the present and future , ” they said .
The Trump and Biden campaigns , the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security did not respond to the Guardian ’ s requests for comment .
The Trump campaign ’ s deputy national press secretary , Samantha Zager , has previously denied the ad was intended to imply that Black churches make America unsafe , reportedly saying : “ That ’ s absurd and it ’ s shameful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ FBI spokesperson said : “ Per our usual policy , the FBI does not confirm or deny the existence of investigations .
We do not have further comment .
”

Black American church leaders have accused Donald Trump of inciting “white terrorism” against people of colour and depicting churchgoers as “thugs” in a presidential election campaign ad.
They are calling for the advertisement’s removal from display and federal protection from any bias or threats it could provoke.
The video, named Meet Joe Biden’s Supporters, is online and includes violent scenes of burning buildings and police cars followed by footage of the Democratic presidential nominee kneeling in front of the altar at Bethel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) church alongside Black clergy members and community leaders in his hometown of Wilmington, Delaware.
The apparent voice of Vice-President Mike Pence is heard saying, “You won’t be safe in Joe Biden’s America.” It then cuts to text that reads: “Stop Joe Biden and his rioters.”
The AME church on Monday denounced the ad, which they said links the church to violence and implies “that those who gathered there are ‘thugs’”. Meanwhile, the Bethel pastor Silvester Beaman told Religion News Service (RNS): “The ad is overtly racist and offensive on numerous levels.”
The statement, whose signatories include Bishop Michael L Mitchell, president of the AME council of bishops, and Bishop Frank Madison Reid III, chair of the church’s commission on social action, said: “This ad subtly incites white terrorism against people of colour and attacks the Black church and Black people for refusing to bow down to the idol called white supremacy.”
They demanded an “immediate apology” to Bethel AME church and to Beaman, for the ad to be removed from all networks and “federal protection” for the church, its staff and community.
They also called on the federal Departments of Justice and Homeland Security to launch an investigation into the “legality of the Trump campaign’s misrepresentation and Photoshopping images” and the “rhetoric as the language that might incite violence, and encourage racial tensions that lead to placing people of colour in harm’s way”.
Describing the ad, Reid told the Guardian: “In one word it was appalling, another word, divisive, and thirdly it was destructive.”
He added: “The insinuation that the church is a violent institution has brought attacks for centuries here in America against any Black person, male or female, any Black institution, that would dare stand up and speak up against white supremacist practices in the areas of culture, politics, spirituality and finances.”
Citing the recent killings in Kenosha, Wisconsin, where an armed, white agitator shot dead two men who were protesting against the police shooting of a Black man, and the shooting of two sheriff’s deputies in Los Angeles in an ambush at the weekend, Reid added: “There is a culture of violence that is being stirred up by those who have a political agenda.”
The statement, he said, is a warning “to alert the nation and to alert people of colour that this election and these shootings and this violence is all the hate that white supremacists’ hate has produced”.
While he said he is sure the church in Wilmington is “prepared” following the ad, that in the current climate they need “federal protection until this thing cools down”.
The statement said the FBI was investigating vandalism against “multiple” AME churches and that they “continue to cope” following the 2015 mass shooting at Mother Emanuel church in Charleston, South Carolina, by an avowed white supremacist.
“We are apprehensive that the history of burning and bombing Black churches is being stirred up by a political party that has lost its moral bearings. We are deeply concerned that the white supremacist lynchings, murders and assassinations of Black men and women, boys and girls in the past, is the plan for the present and future,” they said.
The Trump and Biden campaigns, the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security did not respond to the Guardian’s requests for comment.
The Trump campaign’s deputy national press secretary, Samantha Zager, has previously denied the ad was intended to imply that Black churches make America unsafe, reportedly saying: “That’s absurd and it’s shameful to even make the allegation.”
An FBI spokesperson said: “Per our usual policy, the FBI does not confirm or deny the existence of investigations. We do not have further comment.”


theguardian--2020-09-15--‘The US feels very volatile’: former ambassador warns of election violence

The former UK ambassador in Washington , Kim Darroch , has warned of a “ genuine risk ” of violence in the aftermath of a close-run US election in November .
Darroch noted that although Joe Biden is maintaining a significant lead nationwide , the margins in some battleground states are shrinking , and he suggested pollsters could be systematically undercounting Donald Trump supporters .
“ I ’ m not sure the pollsters really know how to count Trump voters , ” Darroch said in an interview .
He pointed to the recent violence in Portland , Oregon , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of police shooting of unarmed Black Americans , and the case of Kyle Rittenhouse , a fervent police supporter facing homicide charges after a shooting incident in Kenosha that left two people dead and a third seriously injured .
Rittenhouse has since been hailed as a vigilante hero by the far right .
The crescendo of violence as the 3 November vote looms raises the stakes of a close and disputed election , Darroch said .
“ It ’ s probably much closer on the ground in the battleground states than it seems @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Guardian .
“ Postal voting is clearly going to play a big part in this election , and it feels to me like the Trump campaign are building this up , especially if it ’ s close , to declare it rigged or invalid , ” the former ambassador , now Lord Darroch of Kew , said .
“ If Biden wins , there is a question whether the Trump base will really support or accept that as the outcome .
Equally , if it looks like postal votes have been undercounted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worry about the other side of the argument , ” he added .
“ It feels very volatile.
” Asked about the risk of violence on the streets , Darroch said : “ I think it ’ s there .
All of us have watched Portland and Kenosha , and it feels like a genuine risk .
That 17-year-old who shot the demonstrators and the reaction in alt-right circles is really scary .
“ Whoever wins , you just hope that people will accept the result and take it calmly , though I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ certain that will be the case , ” he said .
He also pointed to the threat of a repeat of Russian interference in the 2016 election .
But he is sceptical about suspicions that Vladimir Putin has a secret source of leverage on Trump .
“ For me , the likeliest theory is that [ the Kremlin ] really didn ’ t want Hillary Clinton as president : anyone but her .
They knew her well from her time as secretary of state and hadn ’ t liked what they had seen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ In part , [ they intervened ] because they could .
Putin ’ s formative years had been in the KGB .
He knew what they could do , and believed in using their skills and capabilities .
Once a KGB man , always a KGB man.
” Darroch stressed the threat posed by persistent malign Russian influence in western societies .
“ If systematically repeated in future elections around the world , it might discredit democracy for a generation , ” he said .
Darroch resigned as ambassador to the US @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reporting on the early stages of the Trump era was leaked to the press , in which he highlighted the turmoil inside the administration .
“ As seen from here , we really don ’ t believe that this administration is going to become substantially more normal ; less dysfunctional , less unpredictable , less faction-riven , less diplomatically clumsy and inept , ” he reported in the summer of 2017 .
He has described his experiences and the circumstances surrounding his ouster in a memoir , Collateral Damage , published this week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the US .
One of the leaked documents was a letter which had very limited circulation in Whitehall , but a year-long police investigation has not led to an arrest .
“ That letter should have been on very , very few files , ” Darroch said .
“ How many it is for the police to say , and as far as I know they are still continuing their investigations.
” Darroch said his three leading theories was that the leaker was someone outraged a British ambassador could be privately critical of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was not sufficiently pro-Brexit , or who was involved in an intricate plot to try to influence the choice of his successor .
In the end the post did not go to a political appointee , as many had suspected , but to another career diplomat , Karen Pierce , who was at the time the UK ’ s permanent representative at the UN .
“ I would just be fascinated at the motivation behind it , ” Darroch said .
“ So if the person responsible was nailed and it was possible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I would just want to say : ‘ Why did you do it ?
’ ”

The former UK ambassador in Washington, Kim Darroch, has warned of a “genuine risk” of violence in the aftermath of a close-run US election in November.
Darroch noted that although Joe Biden is maintaining a significant lead nationwide, the margins in some battleground states are shrinking, and he suggested pollsters could be systematically undercounting Donald Trump supporters.
“I’m not sure the pollsters really know how to count Trump voters,” Darroch said in an interview.
He pointed to the recent violence in Portland, Oregon, and Kenosha, Wisconsin, in the wake of police shooting of unarmed Black Americans, and the case of Kyle Rittenhouse, a fervent police supporter facing homicide charges after a shooting incident in Kenosha that left two people dead and a third seriously injured. Rittenhouse has since been hailed as a vigilante hero by the far right.
The crescendo of violence as the 3 November vote looms raises the stakes of a close and disputed election, Darroch said.
“It’s probably much closer on the ground in the battleground states than it seems from the polls,” Darroch told the Guardian.
“Postal voting is clearly going to play a big part in this election, and it feels to me like the Trump campaign are building this up, especially if it’s close, to declare it rigged or invalid,” the former ambassador, now Lord Darroch of Kew, said.
“If Biden wins, there is a question whether the Trump base will really support or accept that as the outcome. Equally, if it looks like postal votes have been undercounted or there is serious voter suppression you worry about the other side of the argument,” he added. “It feels very volatile.”
Asked about the risk of violence on the streets, Darroch said: “I think it’s there. All of us have watched Portland and Kenosha, and it feels like a genuine risk. That 17-year-old who shot the demonstrators and the reaction in alt-right circles is really scary.
“Whoever wins, you just hope that people will accept the result and take it calmly, though I couldn’t say I’m certain that will be the case,” he said.
He also pointed to the threat of a repeat of Russian interference in the 2016 election. But he is sceptical about suspicions that Vladimir Putin has a secret source of leverage on Trump.
“For me, the likeliest theory is that [the Kremlin] really didn’t want Hillary Clinton as president: anyone but her. They knew her well from her time as secretary of state and hadn’t liked what they had seen,” the former ambassador said.
“In part, [they intervened] because they could. Putin’s formative years had been in the KGB. He knew what they could do, and believed in using their skills and capabilities. Once a KGB man, always a KGB man.”
Darroch stressed the threat posed by persistent malign Russian influence in western societies.
“If systematically repeated in future elections around the world, it might discredit democracy for a generation,” he said.
Kim Darroch: ‘Whoever wins the US election, you just hope that people will accept the result and take it calmly.’ Photograph: Niall Carson/PA
Darroch resigned as ambassador to the US in July last year, after his reporting on the early stages of the Trump era was leaked to the press, in which he highlighted the turmoil inside the administration.
“As seen from here, we really don’t believe that this administration is going to become substantially more normal; less dysfunctional, less unpredictable, less faction-riven, less diplomatically clumsy and inept,” he reported in the summer of 2017.
He has described his experiences and the circumstances surrounding his ouster in a memoir, Collateral Damage, published this week in the UK and next month in the US.
One of the leaked documents was a letter which had very limited circulation in Whitehall, but a year-long police investigation has not led to an arrest.
“That letter should have been on very, very few files,” Darroch said. “How many it is for the police to say, and as far as I know they are still continuing their investigations.”
Darroch said his three leading theories was that the leaker was someone outraged a British ambassador could be privately critical of a US president, or felt Darroch was not sufficiently pro-Brexit, or who was involved in an intricate plot to try to influence the choice of his successor. In the end the post did not go to a political appointee, as many had suspected, but to another career diplomat, Karen Pierce, who was at the time the UK’s permanent representative at the UN.
“I would just be fascinated at the motivation behind it,” Darroch said. “So if the person responsible was nailed and it was possible for me to talk to them, I would just want to say: ‘Why did you do it?’”


theguardian--2020-09-15--Trump's embrace of Kenosha shooter raises vigilante fears for election

In normal times , a militia-supporting man caught on video shooting dead two protesters and seriously wounding another on the streets of an American city would be a pariah .
These are not normal times .
Kyle Rittenhouse , 17 , who this month was charged with committing intentional homicide in Kenosha , Wisconsin , has instead found himself being defended by Donald Trump , and hailed as a hero by rightwing punditry and an assorted bunch of Republicans and conservatives .
Experts warn that Trump ’ s embrace of Rittenhouse , who sat in the front row at a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kenosha as part of a rightwing militia nominally there to protect property , could pave the way for more vigilantism in Trump ’ s name – and have catastrophically violent results come November .
“ Trump has made the election about the idea of citizen paramilitaries , federal forces and the government administration , against looters , rioters , demonstrators and Democrats , ” said Joe Lowndes , professor of political science at the University of Oregon .
“ With [ Trump ’ s ] continual messaging that there is election fraud , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a form of election theft , what happens on election day , or the days that follow that ?
What happens if there are states where it ’ s unclear for a few days who the winner is ?
” More people than ever are expected to vote by mail , given the US is still in the grip of the coronavirus pandemic , and it could potentially be days before a winner is announced .
Trump has repeatedly claimed mail-in ballots are subject to fraud – in fact voter fraud is very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he will lose “ is if this election is rigged ” .
Some of Trump ’ s supporters are likely to take this to heart , and the lionization of Rittenhouse by Republicans could set an example that direct action has been given a nod and a wink .
“ If we have now a big group of people who are well-armed , who are convinced that there ’ s a civil war coming , that this election is going to be fraudulent if Trump doesn ’ t win , what happens then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of hours after Rittenhouse allegedly shot and killed two Black Lives Matter protesters in Kenosha on 25 August , he found himself being celebrated by Trump-supporting pundits .
“ I want him as my president , ” Ann Coulter , an influential far-right political commentator , said .
Tucker Carlson , one of the most celebrated hosts on the conservative Fox News channel , said Rittenhouse had sought to “ maintain order when no one else would ” .
Trump himself offered a defense of Rittenhouse .
“ That was an interesting situation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saw the same tape as I saw .
And he was trying to get away from them , I guess ; it looks like .
And he fell , and then they very violently attacked him .
And it was something that we ’ re looking at right now and it ’ s under investigation.
” As Rittenhouse received the president ’ s support and was lauded by the right wing , fundraisers were set up for his legal expenses .
“ Rittenhouse has become a martyr .
And within 24 hours they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this person , ” said Dr Najja Kofi Baptist , assistant professor in the department of political science at the University of Arkansas .
The backing of Trump and others amounts to an endorsement of Rittenhouse ’ s behavior , Baptist said .
“ It says : ‘ This is how we train our children .
This is what we should do.
’ “ It ’ s doing the same thing as during the presidential campaign when Trump said : ‘ Back in the day , if someone disrupted a campaign speech , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ You don ’ t have to tell people to do it , they will do it automatically because you ’ re giving them the cues .
You ’ re saying it is OK to engage in this behavior.
” That tacit approval of Trump supporters ’ committing acts of violence has continued , including by senior Republican politicians .
The Republican senator Ron Johnson , who represents Wisconsin , refused to specifically condemn Rittenhouse and praised “ citizen soldiers ” as a way of stopping rioting .
The Republican congressman Thomas Massie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and presence and situational awareness.
” The embrace of Rittenhouse doesn ’ t stand in isolation .
Trump infamously said there were “ good people on both sides ” of a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville , where an anti-racism protester was killed by a man who later described himself as a neo-Nazi .
A more recent precedent for the defense , and in some cases endorsement , of Rittenhouse and violence against anti-racism protesters came just a week before the Kenosha killings , at the Republican national convention .
Among the speakers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ formally accepted the Republican nomination , were Mark and Patricia McCloskey , who have been charged with unlawful use of a weapon after they aimed guns at a group of Black Lives Matter protesters in June .
“ Having the McCloskeys speak at the event signals that there is open Republican support for the idea of what they see as self-defense , what they see as legitimate force used against protest , by civilians , not by police , ” Lowndes said .
In Wisconsin citizens have a legal right to carry semi-automatic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one Rittenhouse had strapped across his chest , and some of the Republican support for Rittenhouse is clearly based around his right to self-defense .
The impact of people like Rittenhouse , and the McCloskeys , defending their constitutional rights , with the backing of the president and the Republican party , however , can be to deny other people theirs .
“ Now you ’ ve got this not incidental political force , social force in society that ’ s well-armed and quite dangerous , and which is growing , ” Lowndes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no doubt this is suppressing protests around Black Lives Matter .
”

In normal times, a militia-supporting man caught on video shooting dead two protesters and seriously wounding another on the streets of an American city would be a pariah.
These are not normal times.
Kyle Rittenhouse, 17, who this month was charged with committing intentional homicide in Kenosha, Wisconsin, has instead found himself being defended by Donald Trump, and hailed as a hero by rightwing punditry and an assorted bunch of Republicans and conservatives.
Experts warn that Trump’s embrace of Rittenhouse, who sat in the front row at a Trump rally in January and was in Kenosha as part of a rightwing militia nominally there to protect property, could pave the way for more vigilantism in Trump’s name – and have catastrophically violent results come November.
“Trump has made the election about the idea of citizen paramilitaries, federal forces and the government administration, against looters, rioters, demonstrators and Democrats,” said Joe Lowndes, professor of political science at the University of Oregon.
“With [Trump’s] continual messaging that there is election fraud, that mail-in ballots are going to be a form of election theft, what happens on election day, or the days that follow that? What happens if there are states where it’s unclear for a few days who the winner is?”
More people than ever are expected to vote by mail, given the US is still in the grip of the coronavirus pandemic, and it could potentially be days before a winner is announced.
Trump has repeatedly claimed mail-in ballots are subject to fraud – in fact voter fraud is very rare – and said the only way he will lose “is if this election is rigged”. Some of Trump’s supporters are likely to take this to heart, and the lionization of Rittenhouse by Republicans could set an example that direct action has been given a nod and a wink.
“If we have now a big group of people who are well-armed, who are convinced that there’s a civil war coming, that this election is going to be fraudulent if Trump doesn’t win, what happens then?” Lowndes said.
A matter of hours after Rittenhouse allegedly shot and killed two Black Lives Matter protesters in Kenosha on 25 August, he found himself being celebrated by Trump-supporting pundits.
“I want him as my president,” Ann Coulter, an influential far-right political commentator, said. Tucker Carlson, one of the most celebrated hosts on the conservative Fox News channel, said Rittenhouse had sought to “maintain order when no one else would”.
Trump himself offered a defense of Rittenhouse. “That was an interesting situation,” Trump said. “You saw the same tape as I saw. And he was trying to get away from them, I guess; it looks like. And he fell, and then they very violently attacked him. And it was something that we’re looking at right now and it’s under investigation.”
As Rittenhouse received the president’s support and was lauded by the right wing, fundraisers were set up for his legal expenses.
“Rittenhouse has become a martyr. And within 24 hours they’re raising thousands of dollars for this person,” said Dr Najja Kofi Baptist, assistant professor in the department of political science at the University of Arkansas.
The backing of Trump and others amounts to an endorsement of Rittenhouse’s behavior, Baptist said.
“It says: ‘This is how we train our children. This is what we should do.’
“It’s doing the same thing as during the presidential campaign when Trump said: ‘Back in the day, if someone disrupted a campaign speech, you would do something to them.’
“You don’t have to tell people to do it, they will do it automatically because you’re giving them the cues. You’re saying it is OK to engage in this behavior.”
Donald Trump on accused killer Kyle Rittenhouse: ‘That was a very interesting situation.’ Photograph: Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images
That tacit approval of Trump supporters’ committing acts of violence has continued, including by senior Republican politicians.
The Republican senator Ron Johnson, who represents Wisconsin, refused to specifically condemn Rittenhouse and praised “citizen soldiers” as a way of stopping rioting. The Republican congressman Thomas Massie said Rittenhouse had “exhibited incredible restraint and presence and situational awareness.”
Massie added: “He didn’t empty a magazine into a crowd.”
The embrace of Rittenhouse doesn’t stand in isolation. Trump infamously said there were “good people on both sides” of a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, where an anti-racism protester was killed by a man who later described himself as a neo-Nazi.
A more recent precedent for the defense, and in some cases endorsement, of Rittenhouse and violence against anti-racism protesters came just a week before the Kenosha killings, at the Republican national convention.
Among the speakers at the convention, where Donald Trump formally accepted the Republican nomination, were Mark and Patricia McCloskey, who have been charged with unlawful use of a weapon after they aimed guns at a group of Black Lives Matter protesters in June.
“Having the McCloskeys speak at the event signals that there is open Republican support for the idea of what they see as self-defense, what they see as legitimate force used against protest, by civilians, not by police,” Lowndes said.
In Wisconsin citizens have a legal right to carry semi-automatic “assault weapon-style” rifles like the one Rittenhouse had strapped across his chest, and some of the Republican support for Rittenhouse is clearly based around his right to self-defense.
The impact of people like Rittenhouse, and the McCloskeys, defending their constitutional rights, with the backing of the president and the Republican party, however, can be to deny other people theirs.
“Now you’ve got this not incidental political force, social force in society that’s well-armed and quite dangerous, and which is growing,” Lowndes said. “And there’s no doubt this is suppressing protests around Black Lives Matter.”


theguardian--2020-09-15--Trump election ad uses stock military image 'featuring Russian fighter jets'

A fundraising ad for US president Donald Trump ’ s re-election campaign reportedly used a stock photo featuring Russian fighter jets and weapons as part of a call for viewers to “ support our troops ” .
The ad , which has since been removed , was made by the Trump Make America Great Again Committee , which is run by the Republican National Committee ( RNC ) and the Trump campaign .
The stock image shows five soldiers in silhouette against a sunset as the three planes fly overhead .
Pierre Sprey , who helped design US Air Force @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the ad is “ definitely a MiG-29 ” , as did the director of the Centre for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies in Moscow , Ruslan Pukhov .
“ I ’ m glad to see it ’ s supporting our troops , ” said Sprey .
Pukhov pointed out that at least one of the soldiers in the image was also carrying Russian-made AK-74 assault rifle .
Politico said the Trump campaign did not respond to a request for comment , and the RNC declined to comment .
The MiG-29 was designed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to combat US fighter jets .
Their appearance in the campaign ad comes as recent reports from intelligence officials have suggested that the Russian government is meddling in the US election by attempting to undermine Joe Biden , the Democratic candidate , in order to boost Trump ’ s chances of winning .
This month , Microsoft warned that Russian hackers were targeting US political campaigns .
On Sunday , a former member of Robert Mueller ’ s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 US elections said that Trump was “ compromised @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the special counsel appointed after Trump fired FBI director James Comey , did not establish a criminal conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Moscow , but did hand down multiple indictments and secure convictions of close Trump aides .
He also laid out extensive contacts with Moscow .
On 9 September , former top intelligence official in the Department of Homeland Security , Brian Murphy , accused Trump loyalists in the department of having manipulated intelligence reports , starting in 2018 , to downplay the threat of Russian election interference .

A fundraising ad for US president Donald Trump’s re-election campaign reportedly used a stock photo featuring Russian fighter jets and weapons as part of a call for viewers to “support our troops”.
The ad, which has since been removed, was made by the Trump Make America Great Again Committee, which is run by the Republican National Committee (RNC) and the Trump campaign. The stock image shows five soldiers in silhouette against a sunset as the three planes fly overhead.
Pierre Sprey, who helped design US Air Force planes, told Politico the jet featured in the ad is “definitely a MiG-29”, as did the director of the Centre for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies in Moscow, Ruslan Pukhov.
“That’s definitely a MiG-29,” said Pierre Sprey, who helped design both the F-16 and A-10 planes for the U.S. Air Force. “I’m glad to see it’s supporting our troops.”
(via @dlippman @politico) https://t.co/NibVOLdO63 — Carl Quintanilla (@carlquintanilla) September 15, 2020
“I’m glad to see it’s supporting our troops,” said Sprey. Pukhov pointed out that at least one of the soldiers in the image was also carrying Russian-made AK-74 assault rifle.
Politico said the Trump campaign did not respond to a request for comment, and the RNC declined to comment.
The MiG-29 was designed by the Soviet Union in the 1970s to combat US fighter jets.
Their appearance in the campaign ad comes as recent reports from intelligence officials have suggested that the Russian government is meddling in the US election by attempting to undermine Joe Biden, the Democratic candidate, in order to boost Trump’s chances of winning.
This month, Microsoft warned that Russian hackers were targeting US political campaigns. On Sunday, a former member of Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 US elections said that Trump was “compromised by the Russians”.
Mueller, the special counsel appointed after Trump fired FBI director James Comey, did not establish a criminal conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Moscow, but did hand down multiple indictments and secure convictions of close Trump aides. He also laid out extensive contacts with Moscow.
On 9 September, former top intelligence official in the Department of Homeland Security, Brian Murphy, accused Trump loyalists in the department of having manipulated intelligence reports, starting in 2018, to downplay the threat of Russian election interference.


theguardian--2020-09-15--Dear Joe Biden: the student loan crisis is exploding. We need real action | Various

We write to you as the first generation made worse-off because of higher education .
Student debt is a national crisis that destroys lives , drags down the economy and fuels the racial wealth gap .
No one should be forced to mortgage their future for an education , yet 45 million of us have been forced to do just that .
Today the total amount of student debt stands at $ 1.7tn , and it keeps growing .
This is a direct result of decades of divestment in public funding and the privatization of higher education into a for-profit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the burden of financing higher education on to individual students and households , disproportionately harming Black , Brown , immigrant and low-income communities .
Bold solutions are required to address the harms this policy failure has caused .
These solutions can start with the personnel staffing the US Department of Education .
As bad as Betsy DeVos is , most of the problems with our higher education system predate her .
When President Obama was in office , debtors and advocates sounded the alarm about soaring tuition , mounting student debt , predatory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more , but their warnings went unheeded .
Under the leadership of Arne Duncan , John King and Ted Mitchell , the Department of Education fundamentally failed to listen to and protect their constituents .
Under their watch , the total amount of student debt doubled , surpassing the total amount of credit card debt for the first time in history .
They sat by and allowed impoverished and elderly borrowers ’ social security to be garnished .
Several Obama administration officials became investors in the predatory for-profit Apollo Education , including Tony @ @ @ @ @ @ @ secretary of the education department .
And despite public outcry over abuses , Ted Mitchell fought to keep predatory for-profit schools alive , approved the sale of these schools to ECMC ( an abusive debt collection company ) , and now serves as president of the American Council on Education lobbying against mass student debt cancellation .
Meanwhile , the students who were defrauded by predatory for-profit schools continue to wait for justice .
The education secretary , Arne Duncan , promised them : “ If you ’ ve been defrauded by a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that you get every penny of the debt relief you are entitled to through … as streamlined a process as possible.
” He broke that promise .
And there are hundreds of other Obama Department of Education officials with a history of failing students who are just waiting to waltz back in through the revolving door .
Student debtors can not afford another Democratic administration that sells them out and sells them short .
A Biden administration must make a clean break from this history .
It is time for a new Department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fight for students .
You should appoint strong advocates to fight for students and real solutions to the student debt crisis .
Additionally the Department of Education Organization Act allows the president to appoint up to four assistant secretaries of education .
As president , you should fill all four of these positions .
You should commit to appointing : A secretary of education who will use the authority Congress has already granted the secretary to cancel student debt on their first day in office .
During the primary , Elizabeth Warren promised @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ compromise and settlement ” authority to provide student loan relief , and in March the Trump administration actually did , though the relief they provided was woefully inadequate .
Nevertheless , the move was significant because it is a further recognition of the government ’ s broad power to cancel student debt .
A Biden administration will be inheriting an economic depression and a global health crisis , alongside Mitch McConnell promising to be the “ grim reaper ” killing any policies designed to help people .
Canceling student debt via the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a direct way to stimulate the economy ( estimated at a $ 1tn stimulus over 10 years ) and create millions of new jobs .
With people ’ s lives – and livelihoods – at stake , it would be cruel and unnecessary for the Department of Education to continue profiting from student debt .
We can not afford the economic damage this debt causes to American households .
An assistant secretary of education dedicated to enforcement .
As president , you should appoint an assistant secretary dedicated strictly to enforcing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ simply enforcing its own regulations , the Department of Education could fundamentally reshape how higher education functions and is financed .
For decades now , it has tolerated a wild west approach , allowing scam accreditation agencies , predatory for-profit schools ( which amass huge profits by exploiting low-income communities ) , and law-breaking debt collectors and loan servicers to flourish .
We need someone at the Department of Education who can shut down these corrupt agencies , for-profit schools and abusive servicers and debt collectors once and for all .
An assistant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ equity .
This goes beyond merely protecting civil rights ; our education system is fundamentally racist , from the disparities in K-12 funding , to persistent “ legalized ” segregation , to discriminatory enrollment practices and the deeply racialized nature of student debt .
( Study after study after study after study after study after study have shown that student debt is a driver of the racial wealth gap , and that the more student debt we cancel , the better it is for Black and Brown borrowers . )
This position should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ white supremacy functions at every level of our educational system and how our system must change on deep structural levels to repair and redress these inequities .
By making these commitments you can show the 45 million voters struggling with student debt and the millions of would-be college students that you take their pain seriously .
During the Obama administration we organized protests to mark what we called “ 1T Day , ” the day student debt surpassed $ 1tn .
Unless real solutions like College for All are enacted , we will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration .
A generation ago , college was basically free .
As a result , many elected officials were able to graduate without taking out student loans .
Over the last few decades , millions of students have suffered from a policy failure that developed on their watch – a policy failure that we know how to fix .
You can show that you are committed to staffing a Department of Education that will fight for students , stand for racial justice , and help build a fair , equitable and debt-free higher @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Student Lending at Harvard Law School

The Debt Collective, Justice Democrats, Sunrise Movement and Action Center on Race & the Economy

Dear Joe Biden,
We write to you as the first generation made worse-off because of higher education. Student debt is a national crisis that destroys lives, drags down the economy and fuels the racial wealth gap.
No one should be forced to mortgage their future for an education, yet 45 million of us have been forced to do just that. Today the total amount of student debt stands at $1.7tn, and it keeps growing. This is a direct result of decades of divestment in public funding and the privatization of higher education into a for-profit industry. This broken system has shifted the burden of financing higher education on to individual students and households, disproportionately harming Black, Brown, immigrant and low-income communities. Bold solutions are required to address the harms this policy failure has caused. These solutions can start with the personnel staffing the US Department of Education.
As bad as Betsy DeVos is, most of the problems with our higher education system predate her. When President Obama was in office, debtors and advocates sounded the alarm about soaring tuition, mounting student debt, predatory loan servicers, criminal for-profit colleges and more, but their warnings went unheeded.
Under the leadership of Arne Duncan, John King and Ted Mitchell, the Department of Education fundamentally failed to listen to and protect their constituents. Under their watch, the total amount of student debt doubled, surpassing the total amount of credit card debt for the first time in history. They sat by and allowed impoverished and elderly borrowers’ social security to be garnished. Several Obama administration officials became investors in the predatory for-profit Apollo Education, including Tony Miller, Obama’s former deputy secretary of the education department. And despite public outcry over abuses, Ted Mitchell fought to keep predatory for-profit schools alive, approved the sale of these schools to ECMC (an abusive debt collection company), and now serves as president of the American Council on Education lobbying against mass student debt cancellation.
Meanwhile, the students who were defrauded by predatory for-profit schools continue to wait for justice. The education secretary, Arne Duncan, promised them: “If you’ve been defrauded by a school, we’ll make sure that you get every penny of the debt relief you are entitled to through … as streamlined a process as possible.” He broke that promise. And there are hundreds of other Obama Department of Education officials with a history of failing students who are just waiting to waltz back in through the revolving door.
Student debtors cannot afford another Democratic administration that sells them out and sells them short. A Biden administration must make a clean break from this history. It is time for a new Department of Education staffed with champions who will fight for students. You should appoint strong advocates to fight for students and real solutions to the student debt crisis.
Additionally the Department of Education Organization Act allows the president to appoint up to four assistant secretaries of education. As president, you should fill all four of these positions.
You should commit to appointing:
A secretary of education who will use the authority Congress has already granted the secretary to cancel student debt on their first day in office. During the primary, Elizabeth Warren promised to use the department’s full “compromise and settlement” authority to provide student loan relief, and in March the Trump administration actually did, though the relief they provided was woefully inadequate. Nevertheless, the move was significant because it is a further recognition of the government’s broad power to cancel student debt. A Biden administration will be inheriting an economic depression and a global health crisis, alongside Mitch McConnell promising to be the “grim reaper” killing any policies designed to help people. Canceling student debt via the Department of Education bypasses McConnell, and is a direct way to stimulate the economy (estimated at a $1tn stimulus over 10 years) and create millions of new jobs. With people’s lives – and livelihoods – at stake, it would be cruel and unnecessary for the Department of Education to continue profiting from student debt. We cannot afford the economic damage this debt causes to American households.
An assistant secretary of education dedicated to enforcement. As president, you should appoint an assistant secretary dedicated strictly to enforcing the regulations already on the books. By simply enforcing its own regulations, the Department of Education could fundamentally reshape how higher education functions and is financed. For decades now, it has tolerated a wild west approach, allowing scam accreditation agencies, predatory for-profit schools (which amass huge profits by exploiting low-income communities), and law-breaking debt collectors and loan servicers to flourish. We need someone at the Department of Education who can shut down these corrupt agencies, for-profit schools and abusive servicers and debt collectors once and for all.
An assistant secretary dedicated to racial justice and racial equity. This goes beyond merely protecting civil rights; our education system is fundamentally racist, from the disparities in K-12 funding, to persistent “legalized” segregation, to discriminatory enrollment practices and the deeply racialized nature of student debt. (Study after study after study after study after study after study have shown that student debt is a driver of the racial wealth gap, and that the more student debt we cancel, the better it is for Black and Brown borrowers.) This position should be given full rein to examine how white supremacy functions at every level of our educational system and how our system must change on deep structural levels to repair and redress these inequities.
By making these commitments you can show the 45 million voters struggling with student debt and the millions of would-be college students that you take their pain seriously. During the Obama administration we organized protests to mark what we called “1T Day,” the day student debt surpassed $1tn. Unless real solutions like College for All are enacted, we will be marking 2T Day during a Biden administration.
A generation ago, college was basically free. As a result, many elected officials were able to graduate without taking out student loans. Over the last few decades, millions of students have suffered from a policy failure that developed on their watch – a policy failure that we know how to fix. You can show that you are committed to staffing a Department of Education that will fight for students, stand for racial justice, and help build a fair, equitable and debt-free higher education system.
Sincerely,
The Debt Collective
Sunrise Movement
Justice Democrats
Demand Progress
Action Center on Race & the Economy (ACRE)
The Project on Predatory Student Lending at Harvard Law School
Progressive Democrats of America (DPA)
Council of UC Faculty Associations
Rutgers AAUP-AFT
Student Action
NYC DSA Debt & Finance Working Group
The Leap
Social Security Works
Student Loan Justice
Roots Action
People’s Action
The Progressive Change Campaign Committee
Jolt Action
Our Revolution
Scholars for Social Justice


theguardian--2020-09-18--Former model Amy Dorris accuses Donald Trump of sexual assault

In an exclusive interview with the Guardian , the former model Amy Dorris talked to Lucy Osborne about allegations that Donald Trump sexually assaulted her at the US Open tennis tournament more than two decades ago , in an alleged incident that left her feeling ‘ sick ’ and ‘ violated ’ Guardian journalist Lucy Osborne talks to Anushka Asthana about her interview with Amy Dorris , a former model , who has come forward to accuse Donald Trump of sexually assaulting her at the US Open tennis tournament more than two decades ago , in an alleged incident that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ violated ” .
In an exclusive interview with the Guardian , Amy Dorris alleged that Trump accosted her outside the bathroom in his VIP box at the tournament in New York on 5 September 1997 .
Dorris , who was 24 at the time , accuses Trump of forcing his tongue down her throat , assaulting her all over her body and holding her in a grip she was unable to escape from .
Lawyers for Trump have denied in the strongest possible terms that he ever harassed , abused or behaved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the alleged incident fits within a wider pattern of alleged abuse that Trump has been accused of by 25 other women .
Lucy discusses the impact speaking out has had on these women and why Amy has decided to tell her story .
“ My girls are about to turn 13 years old , and I want them to know that you don ’ t let anybody do anything to you that you don ’ t want , ” she has said .
“ And I ’ d rather be a role model @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I didn ’ t stay quiet , that I stood up to somebody who did something that was unacceptable .
”

Presented by Anushka Asthana with Lucy Osborne and Amy Dorris, produced by Joshua Kelly and Nicholas Cox; executive producers Nicole Jackson and Phil Maynard

In an exclusive interview with the Guardian, the former model Amy Dorris talked to Lucy Osborne about allegations that Donald Trump sexually assaulted her at the US Open tennis tournament more than two decades ago, in an alleged incident that left her feeling ‘sick’ and ‘violated’
Guardian journalist Lucy Osborne talks to Anushka Asthana about her interview with Amy Dorris, a former model, who has come forward to accuse Donald Trump of sexually assaulting her at the US Open tennis tournament more than two decades ago, in an alleged incident that left her feeling “sick” and “violated”. In an exclusive interview with the Guardian, Amy Dorris alleged that Trump accosted her outside the bathroom in his VIP box at the tournament in New York on 5 September 1997. Dorris, who was 24 at the time, accuses Trump of forcing his tongue down her throat, assaulting her all over her body and holding her in a grip she was unable to escape from. Lawyers for Trump have denied in the strongest possible terms that he ever harassed, abused or behaved improperly toward Doris.
Lucy discusses how the alleged incident fits within a wider pattern of alleged abuse that Trump has been accused of by 25 other women. Lucy discusses the impact speaking out has had on these women and why Amy has decided to tell her story. “My girls are about to turn 13 years old, and I want them to know that you don’t let anybody do anything to you that you don’t want,” she has said. “And I’d rather be a role model. I want them to see that I didn’t stay quiet, that I stood up to somebody who did something that was unacceptable.”


theguardian--2020-09-18--Critics condemn Trump's rewrite of America's legacy of racism in DC speech

Donald Trump on Thursday launched an extraordinary attack on American education at a history conference in Washington DC , downplaying America ’ s historic legacy of slavery and claiming children have been subjected to “ decades of leftwing indoctrination ” .
Speaking at what was dubbed the White House Conference on American History , the president intensified efforts to appeal to his core base of white voters with a historically revisionist speech , while blasting efforts to address systemic racism as divisive .
The president specifically attacked the New York Times ’ 1619 Project , a Pulitzer Prize-winning endeavor that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spotlight on the 400th anniversary of the first slave ship arriving in America .
The 1619 Project “ warped ” the American story , Trump said .
The president said the project claimed the US was “ founded on the principle of oppression , not freedom ” .
Trump said children should know “ they are citizens of the most exceptional nation in the history of the world ” .
He also used the appearance to announce plans to establish a commission to promote patriotic education , dubbed the 1776 Commission , that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ teach students “ about the miracle of American history ” .
Critics were swift to condemn Trump ’ s new “ patriotic education ” plan and his attacks on the 1619 Project , something he said the teaching of which was akin to “ child abuse ” , with journalists quickly asserting his claims as blatantly false .
The president , who called curriculum on race “ toxic propaganda , an ideological poison that , if not removed , will dissolve the civic bonds ” , continued his administration ’ s efforts to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ schools to erase a legacy of racism , genocide and imperialism .
The president recently threatened to cut funding to California schools that teach the 1619 Project .
Trump has already cracked down on anti-racism training sessions in federal agencies .
He also argued that America ’ s founding “ set in motion the unstoppable chain of events that abolished slavery , secured civil rights , defeated communism and fascism and built the most fair , equal and prosperous nation in human history ” .
But he did not mention the 246 years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 89 years it was allowed to continue after the colonies declared independence from England .
Nor did the president acknowledge the ongoing fight against racial injustice and police brutality , which has prompted months of protests this year .
Responding to the president ’ s remarks , journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones , the writer behind the 1619 Project , made an observation on who isn ’ t included in Trump ’ s retelling of American history : Hannah-Jones also told the Associated Press that the first amendment to the Constitution abhors government attempts to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ The efforts by the president of the United States to use his powers to censor a work of American journalism by dictating what schools can and can not teach and what American children should and should not learn should be deeply alarming to all Americans who value free speech , ” she said .
Meanwhile members of the Trump administration , including education secretary Betsy DeVos , remain silent on the backlash .

Donald Trump on Thursday launched an extraordinary attack on American education at a history conference in Washington, downplaying America’s historic legacy of slavery and claiming children have been subjected to “decades of leftwing indoctrination”.
Speaking at what was dubbed the White House Conference on American History, the president intensified efforts to appeal to his core base of white voters with a historically revisionist speech, while blasting efforts to address systemic racism as divisive.
The president specifically attacked the New York Times’ 1619 Project, a Pulitzer prize-winning endeavor that was published last year to cast a spotlight on the 400th anniversary of the first slave ship arriving in America.
The 1619 Project “warped” the American story, Trump said. The president said the project claimed the US was “founded on the principle of oppression, not freedom”. Trump said children should know “they are citizens of the most exceptional nation in the history of the world”.
He also used the appearance to announce plans to establish a commission to promote patriotic education, dubbed the 1776 Commission, that would be tasked with encouraging educators to teach students “about the miracle of American history”.
Critics were swift to condemn Trump’s new “patriotic education” plan and his attacks on the 1619 Project, something he said the teaching of which was akin to “child abuse”, with journalists quickly asserting his claims as blatantly false.
Pres Trump said this of history to loud applause: "A radical movement is attempting to demolish this treasured and precious inheritance. We can't let that happen."
Context: A movement is happening to look at America's flaws and it's original sins of slavery and stealing land. — Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche) September 17, 2020
The president, who called curriculum on race “toxic propaganda, an ideological poison that, if not removed, will dissolve the civic bonds”, continued his administration’s efforts to restrict the telling of American history in schools to erase a legacy of racism, genocide and imperialism. The president recently threatened to cut funding to California schools that teach the 1619 Project. Trump has already cracked down on anti-racism training sessions in federal agencies.
He also argued that America’s founding “set in motion the unstoppable chain of events that abolished slavery, secured civil rights, defeated communism and fascism and built the most fair, equal and prosperous nation in human history”. But he did not mention the 246 years of slavery in America, including the 89 years it was allowed to continue after the colonies declared independence from England. Nor did the president acknowledge the ongoing fight against racial injustice and police brutality, which has prompted months of protests this year.
Responding to the president’s remarks, journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones, the writer behind the 1619 Project, made an observation on who isn’t included in Trump’s retelling of American history:
The White House Conference on American History has not a single Black historian on it. Strange. — Ida Bae Wells (@nhannahjones) September 17, 2020
Hannah-Jones also told the Associated Press that the first amendment to the Constitution abhors government attempts to censor speech and guarantees a free press.
“The efforts by the president of the United States to use his powers to censor a work of American journalism by dictating what schools can and cannot teach and what American children should and should not learn should be deeply alarming to all Americans who value free speech,” she said.
Meanwhile members of the Trump administration, including education secretary Betsy DeVos, remain silent on the backlash.


theguardian--2020-09-18--Critics condemn Trump's rewrite of race in America in DC speech – as it happened

Black voters in North Carolina are already getting their ballots rejected four times more than white voters , according to @ @ @ @ @ of what may be to come as millions of voters fill out mail-in ballots over @ @ @ @ @ Of the over 13,000 ballots that black voters have sent in North Carolina , 647 @ @ @ @ @ of the 60,000 ballots white voters sent in , 681 were rejected .
A ballot @ @ @ @ @ made a mistake when filling out a ballot or did not fill out witness information @ @ @ @ @ voter the opportunity to correct their ballot , but FiveThirtyEight points out that not all @ @ @ @ @ ” , or the chance to fix their ballot .
In Nevada , for example @ @ @ @ @ ballots that had missing or mismatched signatures were properly “ cured ” and thus counted @

Lauren Aratani (now), Kenya Evelyn, Adam Gabbatt,  Joan E Greve and Martin Belam (earlier)

18 Sept 2020 01.02 BST Summary Here’s a quick recap of what’s happened today: Critics have condemned Donald Trump’s new “patriotic education” plan, created in response to the New York Times’ 1619 project . The Pulitzer-winning project elaborates on the US’s 250 years of slavery and its effects on modern-day race relations. Trump likened such teaching to “child abuse”.
plan, created in response to the . The Pulitzer-winning project elaborates on the US’s 250 years of slavery and its effects on modern-day race relations. Trump likened such teaching to “child abuse”. Kamala Harris made a pit stop in Pennsylvania as Democrats tapped into Black Voting Power.
made a pit stop in Pennsylvania as Democrats tapped into Eric Trump ’s lawyers said that he is willing to answer questions for the New York attorney general’s investigation into the Trump Organization – but only after the election.
’s lawyers said that he is willing to answer questions for the New York attorney general’s investigation into the – but only after the election. A former aide to Mike Pence was featured in a scathing attack ad from Republican Voters Against Trump . The aide worked with Pence on the White House’s coronavirus taskforce, and she said Trump’s response to coronavirus has made it clear that “he doesn’t actually care about anyone but himself”.
was featured in a scathing attack ad from . The aide worked with Pence on the White House’s coronavirus taskforce, and she said Trump’s response to coronavirus has made it clear that “he doesn’t actually care about anyone but himself”. Meanwhile, the House energy and commerce committee wants answers from senior advisor Stephen Miller and health and human services secretary Alex Azar about a “show of hands” vote on child separation.
wants answers from senior advisor and health and human services secretary about a “show of hands” vote on child separation. A federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s operational changes at the US postal service.
Updated at 01.19 BST
17 Sept 2020 00.53 BST Black voters in North Carolina are already getting their ballots rejected four times more than white voters, according to FiveThirtyEight, a concerning indicator of what may be to come as millions of voters fill out mail-in ballots over the next several weeks. Of the over 13,000 ballots that black voters have sent in North Carolina, 647 were rejected. Meanwhile, of the 60,000 ballots white voters sent in, 681 were rejected.
A ballot is rejected if a voter made a mistake when filling out a ballot or did not fill out witness information. North Carolina gives a voter the opportunity to correct their ballot, but FiveThirtyEight points out that not all states allow “vote curing”, or the chance to fix their ballot. In Nevada, for example, 45% of 12,000 ballots that had missing or mismatched signatures were properly “cured” and thus counted.
17 Sept 2020 00.36 BST What has been, at this point, well over a month of negotiations for a new coronavirus stimulus package is still not seeing success as the House and Senate break for the weekend today. House Democrats passed their $3.4tn package in May and have budged down to $2.2 trillion, according to Politico. Republicans meanwhile have been firm about a much slimmer $650bn relief package. Moderate Democrats have urged House speaker Nancy Pelosi to go along with a slimmer package, with fears that if Republicans refuse to cooperate, there will be no aid until after the election. In a tweet yesterday, Donald Trump urged Republicans to “go for much higher numbers”, though it’s unclear whether the tweet had any real sway on Republican lawmakers.
Updated at 00.41 BST
17 Sept 2020 00.20 BST Yosemite national park just announced that it will be closing due to “significant smoke impacts and hazardous air quality” coming from the wildfires along the west coast. Starting at 5pm Pacific time today, park entrance stations and roads will be closed until conditions improve, which could mean closure for the next several days at least. The park said it will continue to assess air quality, smoke impact and fire activity throughout the region to determine when the park will be safe to reopen. Yosemite joins Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks in California, which have also closed due to wildfires in the region.
Updated at 00.42 BST
17 Sept 2020 00.02 BST Donald Trump’s response to the attack ad that was released this afternoon by Republican Voters Against Trump: “I never met her.” In the ad, Olivia Troye, who was an aide to Vice-President Mike Pence and was his top staffer on the White House’s coronavirus taskforce, said that Trump “doesn’t actually care about anyone else but himself” and emphasized his careless response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Troye says that she left her job after seeing how the administration was handling the virus, but Trump told reporters that she was “terminated”. "I never met her," Trump says of ex Pence aide Olivia Troye, who has cast doubt on any vaccine that comes out before November because Trump may be using it as "prop" to win re-election.
Trump tells press pool before leaving for Wisconsin that Troye was "terminated." — Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) September 17, 2020 Pres says he doesn’t know Olivia Troye and she doesn’t know him. She’s the former Coronavirus adviser who left the WH in August and has since offered sharp criticism of Trump. “They let her go, with cause,” but said she wrote a beautiful departure letter. pic.twitter.com/OUNI8VjZxc — Mark Knoller (@markknoller) September 17, 2020
Updated at 00.43 BST
17 Sept 2020 23.48 BST Controversial guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that said that those who had been exposed to Covid-19 did not need to get tested if they were not showing symptoms was not written by CDC scientists. The New York Times just published a report that says several sources and internal documents have confirmed that CDC scientists were not onboard with the guidance and that it was written by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which “dropped” it on to the CDC’s website. The Times quoted an anonymous source who said that the guidance came from “the top down, from the HHS and the taskforce”. “That policy does not reflect what many people at the CDC feel should be the policy,” the federal official said.
When the guidance was released, multiple public health experts raised alarms that it would hurt efforts to trace and contain the virus and that it was a sign that the CDC’s integrity had been compromised by the White House’s taskforce.
Dr Anthony Fauci, the country’s top infectious disease expert, said that he was “worried” by the guidance, specifically that it would lead people to believe that asymptomatic spread of the virus is not a concern.
Updated at 00.45 BST
17 Sept 2020 23.25 BST Scott Atlas, a Trump coronavirus adviser, has threatened to sue a group of Stanford professors who wrote an open letter denouncing multiple public statement Atlas has made about responding to Covid-19. A letter from his lawyer said the professors’ statement “maliciously defames” Atlas and demanded the signers of the letters to withdraw their claims or be sued, according to Politico. The open letter, which was published last Wednesday, said that Atlas’s statements and opinions “run counter to established science and, by doing so, undermine public-health authorities and the credible science that guides effective public health policy”. Over 100 faculty members with various medical expertise signed the letter. In recent weeks, Atlas has raised concerns among public health experts by questioning the use of masks and embracing the controversial “herd immunity” response to the pandemic. Atlas was criticized for not having a background in public health or infectious diseases, as Trump’s former top advisors Deborah Birx and Anthony Fauci had.
Updated at 23.45 BST
17 Sept 2020 23.03 BST Eric Trump says he's willing to be interviewed for Trump Organization investigation Eric Trump, the president’s second-oldest son, said through his lawyers in a court filing today that he is willing to be interviewed by the New York attorney general’s office for its investigation into the Trump Organization – the caveat being that the questioning has to take place after the election. New York attorney general Letitia James is currently investigating the Trump Organization for allegedly inflating the value of its assets to secure loans and deflating it to avoid taxes. The investigation was launched in March 2019 after Donald Trump’s former fixer Michael Cohen told Congress that Donald Trump misrepresented the value of his financial assets. The AG’s office has issued multiple subpoenas, including one for an interview with Eric Trump, which he has refused to comply with and has called “prosecutorial misconduct”. In his court filings today, lawyers for Eric Trump said that an interview must wait for after the election because of his “extreme travel schedule and related unavailability between now and the election” along with his desire to “avoid the use of his deposition attendance for political purposes”.
Updated at 23.31 BST
17 Sept 2020 22.46 BST Another former executive branch staffer has joined a group of Republican leaders and former Trump administration officials who are advocating against the president’s re-election. Politico reported this afternoon that Josh Venable, former chief of staff to education secretary Betsy DeVos who served from the beginning of Trump’s tenure until October 2018, has joined the Republican Political Alliance for Integrity and Reform. The group was founded by two former senior Department of Homeland Security officials and is just one of a few groups of Republicans who are advocating against Trump in the lead up to the election, including Republican Voters Against Trump and the Lincoln Project. Venable was listed by the group as an adviser, along with a handful of Republican leaders.
Group launched by former DHS chief of staff Miles Taylor @RepairRepublic has released a list of advisers that includes two additional former Trump admin officials — Olivia Troye, VP Pence’s former homeland security adviser and Josh Venable, former CoS to Secretary DeVos pic.twitter.com/dazF9Hu4Dv — Katherine Faulders (@KFaulders) September 17, 2020
Updated at 00.03 BST


theguardian--2020-09-17--‘Steady drumbeat of misinformation’: FBI chief warns of Russian interference in US elections

Christopher Wray , the FBI director , on Thursday warned that Russia is interfering in the 2020 US presidential elections with a steady stream of misinformation aimed at undermining Democrat Joe Biden as well as sapping Americans ’ confidence in the election process .
Moscow is also attempting to undercut what it sees as an anti-Russian US establishment , Wray told the Democratic-led House of Representatives ’ homeland security committee in a hearing on Capitol Hill .
He said his biggest concern was a “ steady drumbeat of misinformation ” that he said he feared could undermine confidence in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ repeatedly addressed election meddling in his testimony to the House committee , saying the bureau is committed to blocking such interference efforts in this year ’ s elections .
He specifically said the bureau has witnessed “ very active efforts by the Russians to influence our election in 2020 ” .
Russian agents , Wray said , were mainly trying to affect the election through “ malign foreign influence ” , such as social media , state media and the use of proxies .
He noted the Russians ’ efforts were meant “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Russians see as kind of an anti-Russian establishment ” .
Wray ’ s testimony follows a 7 August warning by the director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center that Russia , China and Iran were all trying to interfere in the 3 November election .
Multiple reviews by US intelligence agencies have concluded that Russia acted to boost Donald Trump ’ s 2016 campaign and damage his Democratic rival , Hillary Clinton .
The Republican president has long bristled at that finding , which Russia officially denies despite special counsel Robert @ @ @ @ @ @ @ order to help Trump .
Trump himself has repeatedly and without evidence questioned the increased use of mail-in ballots , a long established method of voting in the United States which are expected to see a surge in use this election cycle because of the risks of the coronavirus .
On Thursday Trump wrote on Twitter , without evidence , that they could make it impossible to know the election ’ s true outcome .
After a series of wild tweets about election chaos , Twitter slapped a label on one of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mail , which the president has falsely claimed is particularly vulnerable to voter fraud .
On China , Wray said that the FBI is so active in monitoring Chinese efforts to acquire US technology and other sensitive information that it is opening a new counterintelligence investigation related to China “ every 10 hours ” .
Wray said the FBI is conducting multiple investigations into violent domestic extremists .
He said the largest “ chunk ” of investigations were into white supremacist groups .
The director took a question about threats of domestic terrorism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ known collectively as Antifa , which the president has repeatedly denigrated .
Wray emphasized that the FBI did not view threats in terms of liberal or conservative politics .
“ We ’ re focused on the violence , not the ideology , ” he said .

Christopher Wray, the FBI director, on Thursday warned that Russia is interfering in the 2020 US presidential elections with a steady stream of misinformation aimed at undermining Democrat Joe Biden as well as sapping Americans’ confidence in the election process.
Moscow is also attempting to undercut what it sees as an anti-Russian US establishment, Wray told the Democratic-led House of Representatives’ homeland security committee in a hearing on Capitol Hill.
He said his biggest concern was a “steady drumbeat of misinformation” that he said he feared could undermine confidence in the result of the 2020 election.
Wray repeatedly addressed election meddling in his testimony to the House committee, saying the bureau is committed to blocking such interference efforts in this year’s elections.
He specifically said the bureau has witnessed “very active efforts by the Russians to influence our election in 2020”.
Russian agents, Wray said, were mainly trying to affect the election through “malign foreign influence”, such as social media, state media and the use of proxies.
He noted the Russians’ efforts were meant “primarily to denigrate vice-president Biden and what the Russians see as kind of an anti-Russian establishment”.
Wray’s testimony follows a 7 August warning by the director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center that Russia, China and Iran were all trying to interfere in the 3 November election.
Multiple reviews by US intelligence agencies have concluded that Russia acted to boost Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign and damage his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton. The Republican president has long bristled at that finding, which Russia officially denies despite special counsel Robert Mueller indicting Russian operatives for meddling in order to help Trump.
Trump himself has repeatedly and without evidence questioned the increased use of mail-in ballots, a long established method of voting in the United States which are expected to see a surge in use this election cycle because of the risks of the coronavirus. On Thursday Trump wrote on Twitter, without evidence, that they could make it impossible to know the election’s true outcome.
After a series of wild tweets about election chaos, Twitter slapped a label on one of the president’s tweets about voting by mail, which the president has falsely claimed is particularly vulnerable to voter fraud.
On China, Wray said that the FBI is so active in monitoring Chinese efforts to acquire US technology and other sensitive information that it is opening a new counterintelligence investigation related to China “every 10 hours”.
Wray said the FBI is conducting multiple investigations into violent domestic extremists. He said the largest “chunk” of investigations were into white supremacist groups.
The director took a question about threats of domestic terrorism, specifically about anti fascist radical activists known collectively as Antifa, which the president has repeatedly denigrated.
Wray emphasized that the FBI did not view threats in terms of liberal or conservative politics. “We’re focused on the violence, not the ideology,” he said.


theguardian--2020-09-17--Welcome to your new Politics Minute. Are you ready for the messiest election in US history?

Hello and welcome to the US Politics Minute .
The last Politics Minute was at the end of the 2018 midterms , and now we ’ re back for the 2020 election cycle .
And this time , we ’ re doing things a little differently .
Because as you know , this year is truly unlike any other in American history .
We ’ re getting a new name Next week the US Politics Minute will become the Fight to Vote .
It will still contain all the latest news on the election , but through the lens of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the democratic process in America .
What can you expect ?
If you joined us two years ago , you know we aim to go beyond the politics horse race .
That ’ s more important than ever .
Each week we ’ ll tell you about the powerful yet often hidden forces trying to keep Americans from casting their vote – whether it ’ s spreading misinformation , intimidating poll watchers , election security breaches or kneecapping the US Postal Service .
Why is this election different ?
• None The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ polling stations to shut down .
• None The Republican party has consistently voted to keep election offices , and the post office , underfunded .
We are 47 days away from what could be the biggest ballot brawl in US history If you remember the 2000 “ hanging chad ” debacle between Bush and Gore as well as I do , you know election results can mean an ugly battle .
Chances are , this year will be much , much worse • None As Sam Levine reports , Trump has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months , with false claims that Democrats will try to steal the vote through mail-in-ballots .
• None Trump ’ s campaign has brought lawsuits around the country to block voting practices such as allowing third parties from collecting ballots , counting ballots that arrive after election day , automatically mailing pre-filled ballot applications to voters and using ballot drop boxes • None Reminder : none of these practices are usually harmful , fraudulent or partisan .
In response , Joe Biden has wrangled thousands of lawyers , including legal heavyweights such as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ served in both Obama campaigns , and Donald Verilli , former solicitor general .
What will they do ?
The lawyers are ready to fight for every possible vote , which could be lost as a result of delayed counts , postal service issues or technicalities such as mismatching signatures .
Meanwhile , some states are facing huge threats to their voting integrity • None Florida is still reeling from a devastating blow to the voting rights of more than one million people .
Two years ago , a majority of voters supported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people with past felony convictions .
But last week , the supreme court ruled that Republican legislatures could impose further restrictions , forcing that same population to pay fines and fees before regaining the right to vote .
Critics say this is an illegal poll tax .
• None Meanwhile , in Kentucky , a Covid-19 case shut down an election office , leading to vote-by-mail delays .
While it ’ s still several weeks ahead of the election , the case highlights how the process of counting ballots this year hinges on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Does this all have you riled up ?
Good news , there ’ s something you can do This year , many elderly poll workers have dropped out due to valid fears of Covid-19 .
Election officials are asking young people , who are largely at lower risk of the virus , to step up .
Many organizations are also providing masks , gloves and other safety equipment to work the polls , and some places offer pay .
You can sign up to be a poll worker here or here .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ something for the road Colton Hess and the team at Tok the Vote have been making these fun-ish videos about the election .
Check them out here .

Hello and welcome to the US Politics Minute. The last Politics Minute was at the end of the 2018 midterms, and now we’re back for the 2020 election cycle. And this time, we’re doing things a little differently. Because as you know, this year is truly unlike any other in American history.
We’re getting a new name
Next week the US Politics Minute will become the Fight to Vote. It will still contain all the latest news on the election, but through the lens of election integrity, voting rights and threats to the democratic process in America.
What can you expect?
If you joined us two years ago, you know we aim to go beyond the politics horse race. That’s more important than ever. Each week we’ll tell you about the powerful yet often hidden forces trying to keep Americans from casting their vote – whether it’s spreading misinformation, intimidating poll watchers, election security breaches or kneecapping the US Postal Service.
Why is this election different?
The pandemic is threatening in-person voting and leading polling stations to shut down.
Donald Trump is waging a battle against mail-in ballots, widely considered a safe, non-partisan alternative
The Republican party has consistently voted to keep election offices, and the post office, underfunded.
Without further ado …
We are 47 days away from what could be the biggest ballot brawl in US history
If you remember the 2000 “hanging chad” debacle between Bush and Gore as well as I do, you know election results can mean an ugly battle. Chances are, this year will be much, much worse
As Sam Levine reports, Trump has been undermining the integrity of the election for months, with false claims that Democrats will try to steal the vote through mail-in-ballots.
Trump’s campaign has brought lawsuits around the country to block voting practices such as allowing third parties from collecting ballots, counting ballots that arrive after election day, automatically mailing pre-filled ballot applications to voters and using ballot drop boxes
Reminder: none of these practices are usually harmful, fraudulent or partisan.
In response, Joe Biden has wrangled thousands of lawyers, including legal heavyweights such as Eric Holder and Bob Bauer, who served in both Obama campaigns, and Donald Verilli, former solicitor general.
What will they do? The lawyers are ready to fight for every possible vote, which could be lost as a result of delayed counts, postal service issues or technicalities such as mismatching signatures.
Meanwhile, some states are facing huge threats to their voting integrity
Florida is still reeling from a devastating blow to the voting rights of more than one million people . Two years ago, a majority of voters supported a measure to restore voting rights to people with past felony convictions. But last week, the supreme court ruled that Republican legislatures could impose further restrictions, forcing that same population to pay fines and fees before regaining the right to vote. Critics say this is an illegal poll tax.
Meanwhile, in Kentucky, a Covid-19 case shut down an election office, leading to vote-by-mail delays. While it’s still several weeks ahead of the election, the case highlights how the process of counting ballots this year hinges on a lot of different, delicate factors.
Does this all have you riled up? Good news, there’s something you can do
This year, many elderly poll workers have dropped out due to valid fears of Covid-19. Election officials are asking young people, who are largely at lower risk of the virus, to step up. Many organizations are also providing masks, gloves and other safety equipment to work the polls, and some places offer pay.
You can sign up to be a poll worker here or here.
Before you go, here’s something for the road
Colton Hess and the team at Tok the Vote have been making these fun-ish videos about the election. Check them out here.
And if you’re not receiving this by email yet, here’s how: