theguardian--2020-08-22--Ex-congresswoman Katie Hill is ‘still here’ – and she wants the world to know it

“ I stared at the veins in my wrists , ” writes the former California congresswoman Katie Hill .
“ They were so thin .
They were green in the candlelight .
I started tracing them with the edge of the knife , lightly at first , then pushing harder and harder … Fine red lines started to appear and I knew that if I pushed just a tiny bit harder I would start to bleed.
” This was the moment when the rising Democratic star and protege of the House speaker , Nancy Pelosi , contemplated suicide .
Two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resignation after an affair with a member of her campaign staff was made public and nude photos of her were published online .
That was last October and , astonishingly , there was worse to come in Hill ’ s annus horribilis .
In January her brother Danny Bennett died of a drug overdose ; she was the one who found and attempted to resuscitate him .
On 1 September , which would have been Danny ’ s 21st birthday , she will be back in California to help scatter his ashes at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the words of the songwriter Stephen Sondheim , Hill wants the world to know “ I ’ m still here ” .
She has penned a book , She Will Rise , a guide for women breaking glass ceilings , that she had begun before her brother ’ s death then rushed to finish in three weeks .
She has also launched HerTime , a political action committee that helps young women and women of colour get elected .
She is starting a podcast , knowingly called Naked Politics .
Her Twitter bio @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Not being silenced , ” and has more than 180,000 followers treated to wry posts such as : “ My marriage lasted twice as long as the Confederacy and I ’ ve already taken down all the monuments.
” Hill was part of the blue wave that won a majority in the House of Representatives in the 2018 midterm elections .
She won a Republican district in California ( it has since reverted to red , much to her chagrin ) , becoming one of the youngest women and one of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But she had been in office less than a year when nude images of her were published by RedState , a rightwing website , and the Daily Mail , a British newspaper that has become a US online juggernaut .
Hill alleges that her estranged husband , Kenny Heslep , leaked the photos after she walked out on what she says was an abusive relationship ; he reportedly denies this and claims his computer was hacked .
The pictures – one showing Hill holding a huge bong filled with a brown liquid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had been in a relationship with a young member of her campaign team , something she now admits was a mistake .
Speaking by phone , Hill , who lives in a Washington flat and turns 33 on Tuesday , reflects on the experience : “ It was awful .
There ’ s really nothing like knowing most people that know who you are , or that you run into , have seen these embarrassing pictures that were not only never intended for other people to consume , but also you didn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ somebody who you trusted for your entire adult life had betrayed you with.
” Her very public shaming , she believes , was motivated by a toxic mix of “ revenge porn ” , partisan politics and the media ’ s insatiable appetite for clicks .
“ In RedState , it was Republicans pushing it .
I don ’ t know what the political leanings of people are at the Daily Mail , or if it matters , but it was definitely salacious and it was clickbait .
That ’ s part of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exploitative .
There were tame pictures that would have told the same story ; you don ’ t need the X-rated ones but it was the sexualisation of it , the sensationalisation of it , the fact that I was young and bi.
” She is currently divorcing Heslep and intends to sue the media outlets for distributing the images .
“ It ’ s going to be a challenging and potentially precedent-setting case because it ’ s about how this stuff , even if you blur out a nipple , is exploitative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ man have been treated differently in the same situation ?
“ It ’ s hard to identify exactly how much of a role the sexism separately from other factors played into my resignation but what I know is that an abusive relationship is a factor of sexism .
The photos that were taken and posted without my consent is a factor of sexism .
“ The shaming is a factor of sexism and the way that women are held to a higher standard .
We have someone in the White House who has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of sexual misconduct but it ’ s almost something that we have come to expect or normalise for men and not for women.
” Nine in 10 people who are victims of cyber exploitation or revenge porn are women and more than half of them say they have seriously considered suicide or attempted suicide in the aftermath , Hill points out .
“ These images are consumed and sensationalised and plastered everywhere .
I think there ’ s been one or two situations where men have had embarrassing photos leaked of them but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ My sexuality – the fact that I was bi – was an even bigger factor.
” RedState also reported that Hill had a relationship with a member of her congressional staff , which both she and the staff member denied .
An ethics investigation was opened but she quit before its conclusion .
In the book , she writes of her dread at having to call Pelosi to tender her resignation : her voice shook and she was overcome with tears .
The speaker , also from California , was compassionate and twice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ It was an incredibly difficult conversation .
She ’ d taken me under her wing , she ’ d mentored me , she ’ d given me so many opportunities .
I ’ d been with her at the leadership table for this critical , groundbreaking , historic work that we ’ d done at the beginning of 116th Congress .
It just felt so much like I ’ d let her down too .
Even though she said , ‘ Don ’ t resign , we ’ ll have your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want people to have to have my back , if that makes sense.
” Two days after announcing her resignation Hill was lying in a cold bath beside an empty wine bottle , thinking about taking her life and coming extremely close .
“ I was hiding in my apartment and I didn ’ t wan na get out of bed , but I couldn ’ t sleep .
There just didn ’ t seem to be any way to make it all end.
” She goes on : “ I had the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I knew was going to be the impact on other people if I did it .
I was so horrified by how I ’ d let people down , everyone from my staff to my colleagues to my family and my constituents .
When I thought about it more , especially the people who had worked so hard for me and the young women and girls who looked up to me , I felt that if I just checked out entirely I could never have a [ comeback ] .
I could never @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and recover from it or that you can go through a horrible experience and then rise again .
So I felt I couldn ’ t do that to other people .
I certainly couldn ’ t do it to my family at the end of the day.
” Then came the coronavirus pandemic and uprising against racial injustice .
After security forces fired teargas at peaceful protesters outside the White House so that Donald Trump could stage a photo op , Hill joined the Black Lives Matter marches in Washington .
She has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exercised many white liberals : how to be a constructive ally without patronizing or performative virtue signaling .
“ I talked to a lot of protesters .
I talked to advocates on the issue , and it seems like being there , being a private citizen and showing solidarity absolutely is meaningful .
The other part is doing the learning , figuring stuff out , reading the history that you weren ’ t taught , reading the perspectives that you have never heard .
“ The other thing I would say to people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for you to talk .
This is the time for you to listen and to take a step back if there ’ s an opportunity to do so .
Let people of color have a moment to try to show us things that they ’ ve been silent on for a long time .
You don ’ t need to be the centre of attention.
” Now the presidential election is looming .
Hill , who regards Trump ’ s tenure as an “ absolute shitstorm ” , had endorsed her fellow Californian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so will settle for her as a potential vice-president .
When Joe Biden named Harris as is running mate , there was a predictable chorus of sexist and racist abuse from Trump , Republicans and Fox News .
“ It was completely to be expected and I honestly imagine it will get worse , ” Hill comments .
“ It ’ s almost like a large section of men , particularly this president and his allies , don ’ t even know how to attack a woman without being sexist.
” • None @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Prevention Lifeline is at 800-273-8255 or chat for support .
You can also text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis text line counselor .
In the UK and Ireland , Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123 or email jo @ samaritans.org or jo @ samaritans.ie .
In Australia , the crisis support service Lifeline is at 13 11 14 .
Other international helplines can be found at Befrienders .

“I stared at the veins in my wrists,” writes the former California congresswoman Katie Hill. “They were so thin. They were green in the candlelight. I started tracing them with the edge of the knife, lightly at first, then pushing harder and harder … Fine red lines started to appear and I knew that if I pushed just a tiny bit harder I would start to bleed.”
This was the moment when the rising Democratic star and protege of the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, contemplated suicide. Two days earlier, Hill had announced her resignation after an affair with a member of her campaign staff was made public and nude photos of her were published online.
That was last October and, astonishingly, there was worse to come in Hill’s annus horribilis. In January her brother Danny Bennett died of a drug overdose; she was the one who found and attempted to resuscitate him. On 1 September, which would have been Danny’s 21st birthday, she will be back in California to help scatter his ashes at their old camping spot.
But in the words of the songwriter Stephen Sondheim, Hill wants the world to know “I’m still here”. She has penned a book, She Will Rise, a guide for women breaking glass ceilings, that she had begun before her brother’s death then rushed to finish in three weeks. She has also launched HerTime, a political action committee that helps young women and women of colour get elected.
She is starting a podcast, knowingly called Naked Politics. Her Twitter bio declares defiantly: “Not standing down. Not being silenced,” and has more than 180,000 followers treated to wry posts such as: “My marriage lasted twice as long as the Confederacy and I’ve already taken down all the monuments.”
Katie Hill waves to supporters at her election night party in Santa Clarita, California, on 6 November 2018. Photograph: Mario Tama/Getty Images
Hill was part of the blue wave that won a majority in the House of Representatives in the 2018 midterm elections. She won a Republican district in California (it has since reverted to red, much to her chagrin), becoming one of the youngest women and one of the first openly bisexual people elected to Congress.
But she had been in office less than a year when nude images of her were published by RedState, a rightwing website, and the Daily Mail, a British newspaper that has become a US online juggernaut. Hill alleges that her estranged husband, Kenny Heslep, leaked the photos after she walked out on what she says was an abusive relationship; he reportedly denies this and claims his computer was hacked.
The pictures – one showing Hill holding a huge bong filled with a brown liquid – revealed that both she and Heslep had been in a relationship with a young member of her campaign team, something she now admits was a mistake.
There’s really nothing like knowing most people that know who you are, or that you run into, have seen these embarrassing pictures
Speaking by phone, Hill, who lives in a Washington flat and turns 33 on Tuesday, reflects on the experience: “It was awful. There’s really nothing like knowing most people that know who you are, or that you run into, have seen these embarrassing pictures that were not only never intended for other people to consume, but also you didn’t even know were there and that somebody who you trusted for your entire adult life had betrayed you with.”
Her very public shaming, she believes, was motivated by a toxic mix of “revenge porn”, partisan politics and the media’s insatiable appetite for clicks. “In RedState, it was Republicans pushing it. I don’t know what the political leanings of people are at the Daily Mail, or if it matters, but it was definitely salacious and it was clickbait. That’s part of why I think it’s so exploitative. There were tame pictures that would have told the same story; you don’t need the X-rated ones but it was the sexualisation of it, the sensationalisation of it, the fact that I was young and bi.”
She is currently divorcing Heslep and intends to sue the media outlets for distributing the images. “It’s going to be a challenging and potentially precedent-setting case because it’s about how this stuff, even if you blur out a nipple, is exploitative and uniquely affects women.”
Katie Hill answers questions from reporters following her final speech on the House floor in Washington DC, on 31 October 2019. Photograph: Win McNamee/Getty Images
Would a man have been treated differently in the same situation? “It’s hard to identify exactly how much of a role the sexism separately from other factors played into my resignation but what I know is that an abusive relationship is a factor of sexism. The photos that were taken and posted without my consent is a factor of sexism.
“The shaming is a factor of sexism and the way that women are held to a higher standard. We have someone in the White House who has over 25 people who have accused him of sexual misconduct but it’s almost something that we have come to expect or normalise for men and not for women.”
Even though [Pelosi] said, ‘Don’t resign, we’ll have your back,’ I didn’t want people to have to have my back
Nine in 10 people who are victims of cyber exploitation or revenge porn are women and more than half of them say they have seriously considered suicide or attempted suicide in the aftermath, Hill points out. “These images are consumed and sensationalised and plastered everywhere. I think there’s been one or two situations where men have had embarrassing photos leaked of them but those are very clearly blurred out. My sexuality – the fact that I was bi – was an even bigger factor.”
RedState also reported that Hill had a relationship with a member of her congressional staff, which both she and the staff member denied. An ethics investigation was opened but she quit before its conclusion. In the book, she writes of her dread at having to call Pelosi to tender her resignation: her voice shook and she was overcome with tears. The speaker, also from California, was compassionate and twice tried to talk her out of it.
“It was an incredibly difficult conversation. She’d taken me under her wing, she’d mentored me, she’d given me so many opportunities. I’d been with her at the leadership table for this critical, groundbreaking, historic work that we’d done at the beginning of 116th Congress. It just felt so much like I’d let her down too. Even though she said, ‘Don’t resign, we’ll have your back,’ I didn’t want people to have to have my back, if that makes sense.”
Katie Hill speaks to a constituent at a Halloween carnival in Lancaster, California, on 21 October 2018. Photograph: Mario Tama/Getty Images
Two days after announcing her resignation Hill was lying in a cold bath beside an empty wine bottle, thinking about taking her life and coming extremely close.
“I was hiding in my apartment and I didn’t wanna get out of bed, but I couldn’t sleep. There just didn’t seem to be any way to make it all end.”
She goes on: “I had the knife and what stopped me was what I knew was going to be the impact on other people if I did it. I was so horrified by how I’d let people down, everyone from my staff to my colleagues to my family and my constituents. When I thought about it more, especially the people who had worked so hard for me and the young women and girls who looked up to me, I felt that if I just checked out entirely I could never have a [comeback]. I could never show that you can make a mistake and recover from it or that you can go through a horrible experience and then rise again. So I felt I couldn’t do that to other people. I certainly couldn’t do it to my family at the end of the day.”
Then came the coronavirus pandemic and uprising against racial injustice. After security forces fired teargas at peaceful protesters outside the White House so that Donald Trump could stage a photo op, Hill joined the Black Lives Matter marches in Washington.
She has thought a lot about an issue that exercised many white liberals: how to be a constructive ally without patronizing or performative virtue signaling. “I talked to a lot of protesters. I talked to advocates on the issue, and it seems like being there, being a private citizen and showing solidarity absolutely is meaningful. The other part is doing the learning, figuring stuff out, reading the history that you weren’t taught, reading the perspectives that you have never heard.
Let people of color have a moment to try to show us things that they’ve been silent on for a long time
“The other thing I would say to people is this isn’t the time for you to talk. This is the time for you to listen and to take a step back if there’s an opportunity to do so. Let people of color have a moment to try to show us things that they’ve been silent on for a long time. You don’t need to be the centre of attention.”
Now the presidential election is looming. Hill, who regards Trump’s tenure as an “absolute shitstorm”, had endorsed her fellow Californian Kamala Harris in the Democratic primary, so will settle for her as a potential vice-president. When Joe Biden named Harris as is running mate, there was a predictable chorus of sexist and racist abuse from Trump, Republicans and Fox News.
“It was completely to be expected and I honestly imagine it will get worse,” Hill comments. “It’s almost like a large section of men, particularly this president and his allies, don’t even know how to attack a woman without being sexist.”


theguardian--2020-08-22--'I decided I had to do something': can young voters flip a key swing county against Trump?

It took General George Armstrong Custer to get Katybeth Davis on the ballot this November .
For years , Davis passed a statue of the vanquished US cavalry commander perched imperiously on his horse outside her church in the heart of Monroe county , Michigan .
She was angered at the place of honour given to a man she describes as a genocidal killer of Native Americans and a rapist .
But the 36-year-old construction company supervisor felt there wasn ’ t much she could do about it in her mostly white and increasingly conservative county that swung heavily from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ago .
Then the Black Lives Matter protests swept the country following the death of George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis police in May , shifting US politics and bringing a focus on who and what America commemorates .
Davis , who calls herself “ super-mixed race ” , with African , Native American and European ancestry , seized the moment .
She led protests to remove Custer that , to her surprise , drew sizable crowds and swiftly widened to represent demands for broader change .
Before long Davis found @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first time in her life , to be a township trustee in the blue-collar county just south of Detroit – and campaigning against another leader , Donald Trump .
“ I think we ’ re all sick and tired of being sick and tired .
He ’ s politicised everything .
He ’ s politicised a medical pandemic , ” she said .
“ I can ’ t just sit around and watch it on the news or read it on Twitter any more .
Now I have to do something.
” Davis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ toll from coronavirus under Trump ’ s chaotic leadership , and the groundswell of protest against racial injustice , have mobilised voters in Monroe county who long felt powerless .
Monroe , a county already transformed by the loss of thousands of jobs with the closure of a Ford car factory in the last recession , was an important part of the puzzle that gave Trump victory four years ago .
Amid promises of new jobs , the county swung from twice voting for Obama to delivering a thumping victory for Trump by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than enough for the president to win Michigan by just 10,704 votes .
Victory in the state in turn proved crucial to Trump winning the electoral college and the White House .
Four years later , Republicans and Democrats are squaring up over those same voters who switched from Obama to the president as opinion polls show Trump falling significantly behind the Democratic candidate , Joe Biden , in Michigan .
But swing counties like Monroe are won by more than just those who flip from one party to another .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not to vote , including young voters .
The backlash against Trump , and regret among some Democrats who stayed home in 2016 , was expected to increase turnout this year .
But coronavirus and Black Lives Matter created an urgency that drew people like Davis into political activism .
That has bolstered support for Biden and given the Democrats a shot at winning back the swing county they did not think they had just a few months ago .
Late last year , Ruchita Coomar was listening to a professor at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ highly unusual for a president not to be re-elected unless there is an economic recession .
The 18-year-old student of public policy , and first-time presidential election voter , was despairing .
“ I felt like I was up against history .
It felt hopeless .
But then , out of nowhere , Covid happened and brought a lot of issues to light , like the bare bones of the welfare state and infrastructure and all these other support systems .
And which groups of people were being left out and left behind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Black Lives Matter protests , though , to mobilise a new generation in significant numbers in Monroe .
Coomar was struck by how Floyd ’ s killing drew young people into political debate on social media .
“ I saw this surge of progressive voices in Monroe which I ’ d never really seen before and didn ’ t know were there .
So I just messaged a bunch of other youth who were leading other random initiatives , ” she said .
Together they founded the Monroe Area Youth Alliance ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on registering young people to vote and encouraging them to turn out .
“ I sense a disenchantment , a disconnect between younger people and political systems with the whole Trump thing going on .
When you look at climate change , young people feel like everything ’ s being shoved in our direction without actually having a seat at the table , ” she said .
But coronavirus and Black Lives Matter has brought an immediacy to politics for the young that Coomar said was hard to ignore .
“ There ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and this unforeseen pandemic .
We are in a moment .
There ’ s so much up for grabs right now , ” she said .
Which means Coomar , Davis and others who have raised their voices in Monroe will be voting for Biden , but without any great enthusiasm .
“ I think it ’ d be best if Joe was president but I just have this fear that once Joe Biden is president , it ’ s back to the same old , like , status quo , ” said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrats chose Joe Biden is this moderate middle ground , but a lot of young people are tired of establishment Democrats.
” Neither was Coomar enthused by Biden ’ s pick of a black woman , Kamala Harris , as his running mate .
“ This is difficult because Kamala Harris quite obviously isn ’ t an ideal pick .
I ’ ll be voting for the Biden ticket anyway .
I don ’ t think now is the time to air those grievances , ” she said .
Davis is more enthusiastic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to see her as president .
But she said one of the lessons of the Obama years is that it is a mistake to look to a single leader to change the country .
“ Nobody ’ s looking to Joe Biden for change , ” said Davis .
“ We ’ re telling Joe Biden to implement the change that we are making happen.
” Even for older voters , the pandemic has driven into the background issues that just a few months back were the focus of discussion about Trump among @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impeachment and the president ’ s relationship with Russia .
Another Democratic activist , Christopher Slat , saw Biden as a weak candidate with no significant policies who risked repeating the mistakes that cost Clinton the election , particularly if he was cast as the “ Anybody But Trump ” candidate .
Now Slat , who is running for a state legislature seat lost by the Democrats in 2016 , has changed his mind .
“ When Biden became the presumptive nominee , I was pretty convinced that he could not win .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ impossible for him to lose .
In this area especially , he might actually have coattails that will help me a lot , ” said Slat .
“ The change in his electability is just really a perfect storm of Trump ’ s incompetence on coronavirus and Black Lives Matter .
Both of those have exposed Trump ’ s complete inability to lead and also have made people long for a return to normality , which is what Biden ’ s been running on this whole time.
” Slat is challenging a Republican @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seat in the state legislature .
Bellino said he welcomed the surge of interest among younger voters .
“ I ’ m glad that young people are getting out and getting political because there was none of that going around when I was 18 .
It ’ s wonderful .
So long as they ’ re involved in the process , ” he said .
But Bellino acknowledged that probably was not going to benefit Trump or his own campaign .
“ Probably not , no .
I don ’ t think I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lot of 18- to 25-year-olds , ” he said .
“ I voted for Jimmy Carter twice .
One victory , one loss .
But once you start working hard , paying taxes , you tend to get more conservative.
” Bellino , who owned a beer and wine store until earlier this year , said he was confident that Trump would again win Monroe county even though he admitted support for the president was falling in other parts of Michigan .
“ I think that the president ’ s polling numbers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years ago , and he was never going to win that election either .
I thought the president was going to lose by 10 or 12 points , ” he said .
“ But the president resonated with people in Michigan .
People that want proper border control .
People that want China to play right with us on trade , and Mexico and Canada .
People were fed up .
We lost a lot of jobs because of Nafta .
And it ’ s funny , though , the last three years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are making more money.
” Davis ’ s first victory came before the ballots have even been cast .
The statue of Custer , who spent much of his early childhood in Monroe , was unveiled in 1910 by President William Taft and the slain general ’ s widow , Elizabeth Bacon Custer .
“ There were people that wanted to get ropes and chains and put him in the river , ” Davis said .
“ I saw people were doing petitions for other things like George Floyd , get the cops @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I thought we ’ ll do one to get the statue moved .
I wanted to show we could be diplomatic and bipartisan.
” Davis expected to get a few hundred signatures .
Within weeks she had more than 13,000 .
But as support rose , so did resistance .
One man drove around the protesters flying a large Confederate battle flag from the back of his truck .
Another person in a ski mask held up a sign : “ Black Lives Don ’ t Matter.
” Men with guns turned up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ For all that , the momentum was with the protesters .
City councillors acknowledged that the statue was a problem .
Last month , the council reached a compromise whereby the statue will remain but information on Custer ’ s military career with be added in consultation with Native American tribes , the county museum and others .
Davis said she was pleased with the decision , which presented the chance to turn the statue into a “ real learning opportunity ” .
She also thinks it gives momentum to the push to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the Democrats .
“ I think a lot of the reason why people didn ’ t vote in the past was because they didn ’ t really think that even had a chance to change anything .
Now people are seeing we can change things , ” said Davis .
“ Even me – I never imagined myself being into politics .
I never imagined myself doing this .
”

It took General George Armstrong Custer to get Katybeth Davis on the ballot this November.
For years, Davis passed a statue of the vanquished US cavalry commander perched imperiously on his horse outside her church in the heart of Monroe county, Michigan. She was angered at the place of honour given to a man she describes as a genocidal killer of Native Americans and a rapist.
But the 36-year-old construction company supervisor felt there wasn’t much she could do about it in her mostly white and increasingly conservative county that swung heavily from Barack Obama to Donald Trump four years ago.
Then the Black Lives Matter protests swept the country following the death of George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis police in May, shifting US politics and bringing a focus on who and what America commemorates.
Ruchita Coomar and Katybeth Davis protest against Ice in front of the Custer statue in Monroe. Photograph: Seth Herald/The Guardian
Davis, who calls herself “super-mixed race”, with African, Native American and European ancestry, seized the moment. She led protests to remove Custer that, to her surprise, drew sizable crowds and swiftly widened to represent demands for broader change.
Before long Davis found herself running for elected office for the first time in her life, to be a township trustee in the blue-collar county just south of Detroit – and campaigning against another leader, Donald Trump.
“I think we’re all sick and tired of being sick and tired. He’s politicised everything. He’s politicised a medical pandemic,” she said. “I can’t just sit around and watch it on the news or read it on Twitter any more. Now I have to do something.”
Davis is not alone. The surging death toll from coronavirus under Trump’s chaotic leadership, and the groundswell of protest against racial injustice, have mobilised voters in Monroe county who long felt powerless.
Monroe, a county already transformed by the loss of thousands of jobs with the closure of a Ford car factory in the last recession, was an important part of the puzzle that gave Trump victory four years ago. Amid promises of new jobs, the county swung from twice voting for Obama to delivering a thumping victory for Trump by more than 16,000 votes.
That was more than enough for the president to win Michigan by just 10,704 votes. Victory in the state in turn proved crucial to Trump winning the electoral college and the White House.
Four years later, Republicans and Democrats are squaring up over those same voters who switched from Obama to the president as opinion polls show Trump falling significantly behind the Democratic candidate, Joe Biden, in Michigan.
But swing counties like Monroe are won by more than just those who flip from one party to another. They are also decided by people who choose not to vote, including young voters.
A couple bikes across a bridge in Monroe this August. Photograph: Seth Herald/The Guardian
The backlash against Trump, and regret among some Democrats who stayed home in 2016, was expected to increase turnout this year. But coronavirus and Black Lives Matter created an urgency that drew people like Davis into political activism. That has bolstered support for Biden and given the Democrats a shot at winning back the swing county they did not think they had just a few months ago.
Late last year, Ruchita Coomar was listening to a professor at the University of Michigan explain that it is highly unusual for a president not to be re-elected unless there is an economic recession. The 18-year-old student of public policy, and first-time presidential election voter, was despairing.
“I felt like I was up against history. It felt hopeless. But then, out of nowhere, Covid happened and brought a lot of issues to light, like the bare bones of the welfare state and infrastructure and all these other support systems. And which groups of people were being left out and left behind,” she said.
It took the Black Lives Matter protests, though, to mobilise a new generation in significant numbers in Monroe. Coomar was struck by how Floyd’s killing drew young people into political debate on social media.
“I saw this surge of progressive voices in Monroe which I’d never really seen before and didn’t know were there. So I just messaged a bunch of other youth who were leading other random initiatives,” she said.
Together they founded the Monroe Area Youth Alliance (Maya). The group is focused on registering young people to vote and encouraging them to turn out.
Ruchita Coomar, a local activist in Monroe: ‘I felt like I was up against history.’ Photograph: Seth Herald/The Guardian
“I sense a disenchantment, a disconnect between younger people and political systems with the whole Trump thing going on. When you look at climate change, young people feel like everything’s being shoved in our direction without actually having a seat at the table,” she said.
But coronavirus and Black Lives Matter has brought an immediacy to politics for the young that Coomar said was hard to ignore.
“There’s been so much anger and frustration and this unforeseen pandemic. We are in a moment. There’s so much up for grabs right now,” she said.
Which means Coomar, Davis and others who have raised their voices in Monroe will be voting for Biden, but without any great enthusiasm.
“I think it’d be best if Joe was president but I just have this fear that once Joe Biden is president, it’s back to the same old, like, status quo,” said Coomar. “The whole reason the Democrats chose Joe Biden is this moderate middle ground, but a lot of young people are tired of establishment Democrats.”
Neither was Coomar enthused by Biden’s pick of a black woman, Kamala Harris, as his running mate.
The Monroe county Democratic party headquarters. Photograph: Seth Herald/The Guardian
“This is difficult because Kamala Harris quite obviously isn’t an ideal pick. I’ll be voting for the Biden ticket anyway. I don’t think now is the time to air those grievances,” she said.
Davis is more enthusiastic about Harris, saying she would like to see her as president. But she said one of the lessons of the Obama years is that it is a mistake to look to a single leader to change the country.
“Nobody’s looking to Joe Biden for change,” said Davis. “We’re telling Joe Biden to implement the change that we are making happen.”
Even for older voters, the pandemic has driven into the background issues that just a few months back were the focus of discussion about Trump among Monroe county voters, including immigration, impeachment and the president’s relationship with Russia.
Another Democratic activist, Christopher Slat, saw Biden as a weak candidate with no significant policies who risked repeating the mistakes that cost Clinton the election, particularly if he was cast as the “Anybody But Trump” candidate.
Now Slat, who is running for a state legislature seat lost by the Democrats in 2016, has changed his mind.
“When Biden became the presumptive nominee, I was pretty convinced that he could not win. Now I think it’s almost impossible for him to lose. In this area especially, he might actually have coattails that will help me a lot,” said Slat.
The River Raisin, running through Monroe. Photograph: Seth Herald/The Guardian
“The change in his electability is just really a perfect storm of Trump’s incompetence on coronavirus and Black Lives Matter. Both of those have exposed Trump’s complete inability to lead and also have made people long for a return to normality, which is what Biden’s been running on this whole time.”
Slat is challenging a Republican incumbent, Joe Bellino, for the seat in the state legislature. Bellino said he welcomed the surge of interest among younger voters.
“I’m glad that young people are getting out and getting political because there was none of that going around when I was 18. It’s wonderful. So long as they’re involved in the process,” he said.
But Bellino acknowledged that probably was not going to benefit Trump or his own campaign.
“Probably not, no. I don’t think I’m going to get support from a lot of 18- to 25-year-olds,” he said. “I voted for Jimmy Carter twice. One victory, one loss. But once you start working hard, paying taxes, you tend to get more conservative.”
Bellino, who owned a beer and wine store until earlier this year, said he was confident that Trump would again win Monroe county even though he admitted support for the president was falling in other parts of Michigan.
Katybeth Davis served as a delegate to the 2020 Democratic national convention and is running for Monroe charter township trustee. Photograph: Seth Herald/The Guardian
“I think that the president’s polling numbers are similar to where they were four years ago, and he was never going to win that election either. I thought the president was going to lose by 10 or 12 points,” he said. “But the president resonated with people in Michigan. People that want proper border control. People that want China to play right with us on trade, and Mexico and Canada. People were fed up. We lost a lot of jobs because of Nafta. And it’s funny, though, the last three years, jobs are coming back and people are making more money.”
Davis’s first victory came before the ballots have even been cast.
The statue of Custer, who spent much of his early childhood in Monroe, was unveiled in 1910 by President William Taft and the slain general’s widow, Elizabeth Bacon Custer.
“There were people that wanted to get ropes and chains and put him in the river,” Davis said. “I saw people were doing petitions for other things like George Floyd, get the cops arrested for Breanna Taylor, and so I thought we’ll do one to get the statue moved. I wanted to show we could be diplomatic and bipartisan.”
Davis expected to get a few hundred signatures. Within weeks she had more than 13,000.
But as support rose, so did resistance. One man drove around the protesters flying a large Confederate battle flag from the back of his truck. Another person in a ski mask held up a sign: “Black Lives Don’t Matter.” Men with guns turned up claiming they were defending the statue.
For all that, the momentum was with the protesters. City councillors acknowledged that the statue was a problem. Last month, the council reached a compromise whereby the statue will remain but information on Custer’s military career with be added in consultation with Native American tribes, the county museum and others.
A car drives through the east side of Monroe. Photograph: Seth Herald/The Guardian
Davis said she was pleased with the decision, which presented the chance to turn the statue into a “real learning opportunity”. She also thinks it gives momentum to the push to defeat Trump and flip Monroe county back to the Democrats.
“I think a lot of the reason why people didn’t vote in the past was because they didn’t really think that even had a chance to change anything. Now people are seeing we can change things,” said Davis.
“Even me – I never imagined myself being into politics. I never imagined myself doing this.”


theguardian--2020-08-22--After a repentant Trump voter's one-man protest, what happened next?

Regrets , he ’ s had a few , but then again , there ’ s one he ’ d like to mention .
James Walker voted for Donald Trump in 2016 .
That fateful decision , and a subsequent act of public of repentance , rippled through his family and friendships , his dating life , his career , where he makes his home and countless thousands of posts on social media .
Walker ’ s story is a parable of the times , a glimpse of how the Trump era has awakened ordinary citizens , who might otherwise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and go , and how the internet has become a turbocharged amplifier of division and hatred , healing and redemption .
It was March 2017 when Trump , still in the foothills of his presidency , held a rally in Nashville , Tennessee .
As usual , there was a small group of protesters outside the venue , the Nashville Municipal Auditorium .
Unmissable among them stood Walker wearing beard , sunglasses , black North Face jacket , khaki trousers .
Most strikingly , he wore a red “ Make America great again @ @ @ @ @ @ @ head and a sign in his hands that announced to the world : “ I ’ ve made a huge mistake.
” As a picture it was worth a thousand tweets .
It soon went viral on social media , featured on the Guardian and Reddit websites and was cited by the comedian Bill Maher on his HBO show Real Time .
A Twitter post from this Guardian reporter that day has now accumulated 42,000 retweets and 82,000 likes .
Among the earliest comments : “ no worries man .
Join the # @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Walker – takes guts to do that – no matter who you voted for .
Most people wouldn ’ t do that.
” Many wanted to know : why did he vote for Trump ?
And why did he change his mind ?
Walker grew up in a conservative family in northern California and spent two years in the military but , by 2016 , had begun to question the direction of the Republican party ; nevertheless , he plumped for Trump over Hillary Clinton .
“ I was mid-transition when that election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both candidates that were put up and didn ’ t know which way to go and then immediately felt like I had made the wrong call , ” he explained by phone from Los Angeles , where he now lives .
“ Within a few months I had become so frustrated that I felt it was necessary to stand up and do something.
” Walker , 35 , did not own a Maga hat but ordered one when “ a random , crazy ” idea took hold in his mind .
When the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the red cap on and took along his sign expressing repentance .
He was “ scared ” what reaction he might get as thousands of Trump supporters poured into Nashville , he admits , and had two friends standing nearby as “ bodyguards ” .
“ I intended to stand there for like five minutes and get a photo that I could post as my own private protest , but within two minutes you [ Guardian reporter ] walked up to me and I didn ’ t even entirely know how to react @ @ @ @ @ @ @ came up to me , I would probably need to start running for the exit .
“ Immediately after that , more people started coming up to me and I ended up staying for hours .
I marched all around with the protesters and so many of them came up to me and gave me hugs and thanked me and said me taking a stand like that was inspiring .
It really moved people .
“ People were crying and it just felt like a really healing moment which was not what I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I could find a way to be an activist , even in my own kind of quirky way of standing there in a red hat and holding up a sign as a regretful Trump voter.
” But when Walker approached people attending the Trump rally , the reception was rather less warm .
“ It felt like there was a lot of toxicity and I didn ’ t even feel safe over there.
” He went home and assumed that would be the end of it .
But that evening he started getting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saying he was going viral on Twitter .
“ That kind of freaked me out , ” he admits .
“ Most of the responses from people who were sending me screenshots were positive , but my family was not happy and were rather upset with me doing that .
“ They said , ‘ Why would you do something to hurt Trump ?
’ I was surprised by that because I thought , ‘ Wow , I can ’ t believe that I could do something that hurt Trump ’ , so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same time , it started a longstanding rift down party lines in the family , which is kind of the thing that the whole protest was about , hoping to break down those walls.
” The morning after his protest , Walker received more text messages telling him he had made it to the front page of Reddit .
“ That was the point at which I almost felt like I might have made a mistake because the comments turned very nasty and started to attack every aspect of my character and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a target for a lot of people ’ s frustration , and that ’ s when I felt like I need to shut down and just regroup and think through whether or not I would take another interview .
“ I only read the comments for a couple hours and I never went back but I remember that they targeted my physical appearance .
Of course they attacked me as someone who would admit to voting for Trump and therefore a fool , and then they homed in on other details from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and so they attacked by military service record.
” The reaction among friends in the liberal bastion of East Nashville was mixed .
“ I had a surprising amount of friends on my side but then there were those who just didn ’ t understand why I would do something like that .
To an extent , I didn ’ t either .
I just felt compelled because it seemed like such a critical moment that , in any way I could , I needed to do something and it seemed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ started dating someone and she had to tell all of her friends that she was dating the guy who went viral in the Maga hat in Nashville a week or two ago.
” As the weeks went by , Walker remained ambivalent about whether he had done the right thing .
“ I was unsure whether or not my intent came across , but Bill Maher ran a story on it and said , ‘ The world needs more Republicans like this guy , ’ and , when I heard that , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that was the message I was going for .
“ Republicans aren ’ t all hateful Trump supporters and , even as I ’ m disappointed in many of them , I see a path to close the divide .
But it ’ s only through healing and communication and both of those seem to be off the table right now.
” In a similar spirit , last week the Democratic national convention featured Republicans including Colin Powell , the former secretary of state , and John Kasich , the ex-governor of Ohio @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arguing it was time to put country before party .
Groups such as the Lincoln Project and Republican Voters Against Trump have attacked what they frame as a cult of personality that threatens the fabric of American democracy .
While the internet enabled him to get his message out , it also opened the floodgates to abuse , bullying and trolling , including from liberals and Democrats who refused to forgive his vote .
The web has also become a defining feature of American politics : an incubator of both social activism and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This event inspired me to go more public with my activism and my thoughts on issues and every time I do part of me regrets it because I get such a mixed reaction.
” “ So I ’ m trying to figure out how to navigate being something of an activist online and I haven ’ t cracked the code .
It just seems like no matter what happens , no matter what my intent is , it gets torn apart and there ’ s no room for conversation , which is always @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conversation.
” Walker ’ s journey to activism led him to quit his job as a wine broker in Nashville and move to Los Angeles , where he has found work in the film industry and hopes to become a documentary maker with an emphasis on social justice and socially conscious projects .
This year he joined Black Lives Matter marches in Los Angeles and posted pictures of them on social media .
Again he was out of step with his family .
“ They didn ’ t understand or appreciate that I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they ’ re more of the All Lives Matter crowd.
” His parents , he believes , remain committed to Trump but , in case anyone is still wondering , he intends to vote for Democrat Joe Biden in November .
An act of atonement , perhaps .
Whatever the outcome , however , there is little chance that the election will heal America ’ s cold civil war overnight .
“ When I march at protests I feel hopeful but when I come home and turn on the news I feel otherwise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feels like a mix back and forth every day of optimism that change is around the corner and is accessible for us , and then feeling like there ’ s too much toxicity now.
” “ Until we can put aside those dividing issues and realise we ’ re all Americans and demand change , until those walls break down , I just don ’ t know how we ’ re going to come together .
”

Regrets, he’s had a few, but then again, there’s one he’d like to mention.
James Walker voted for Donald Trump in 2016. That fateful decision, and a subsequent act of public of repentance, rippled through his family and friendships, his dating life, his career, where he makes his home and countless thousands of posts on social media.
Walker’s story is a parable of the times, a glimpse of how the Trump era has awakened ordinary citizens, who might otherwise sit on the sidelines as presidents come and go, and how the internet has become a turbocharged amplifier of division and hatred, healing and redemption.
It was March 2017 when Trump, still in the foothills of his presidency, held a rally in Nashville, Tennessee. As usual, there was a small group of protesters outside the venue, the Nashville Municipal Auditorium. Unmissable among them stood Walker wearing beard, sunglasses, black North Face jacket, khaki trousers. Most strikingly, he wore a red “Make America great again” (Maga) cap on his head and a sign in his hands that announced to the world: “I’ve made a huge mistake.”
As a picture it was worth a thousand tweets. It soon went viral on social media, featured on the Guardian and Reddit websites and was cited by the comedian Bill Maher on his HBO show Real Time. A Twitter post from this Guardian reporter that day has now accumulated 42,000 retweets and 82,000 likes. Among the earliest comments: “no worries man. Join the #resistance”; “Wow – James Walker – takes guts to do that – no matter who you voted for. Most people wouldn’t do that.”
I felt frustrated and didn’t know which way to go and then immediately felt like I had made the wrong call
Many wanted to know: why did he vote for Trump? And why did he change his mind? Walker grew up in a conservative family in northern California and spent two years in the military but, by 2016, had begun to question the direction of the Republican party; nevertheless, he plumped for Trump over Hillary Clinton.
“I was mid-transition when that election came up and I felt frustrated with both candidates that were put up and didn’t know which way to go and then immediately felt like I had made the wrong call,” he explained by phone from Los Angeles, where he now lives. “Within a few months I had become so frustrated that I felt it was necessary to stand up and do something.”
Walker, 35, did not own a Maga hat but ordered one when “a random, crazy” idea took hold in his mind. When the president came to town, he put the red cap on and took along his sign expressing repentance. He was “scared” what reaction he might get as thousands of Trump supporters poured into Nashville, he admits, and had two friends standing nearby as “bodyguards”.
“I intended to stand there for like five minutes and get a photo that I could post as my own private protest, but within two minutes you [Guardian reporter] walked up to me and I didn’t even entirely know how to react to that. I thought if someone came up to me, I would probably need to start running for the exit.
“Immediately after that, more people started coming up to me and I ended up staying for hours. I marched all around with the protesters and so many of them came up to me and gave me hugs and thanked me and said me taking a stand like that was inspiring. It really moved people.
“People were crying and it just felt like a really healing moment which was not what I expected. It reinforced my hope that I could find a way to be an activist, even in my own kind of quirky way of standing there in a red hat and holding up a sign as a regretful Trump voter.”
But when Walker approached people attending the Trump rally, the reception was rather less warm. “It felt like there was a lot of toxicity and I didn’t even feel safe over there.”
He went home and assumed that would be the end of it.
But that evening he started getting text messages from friends and family members saying he was going viral on Twitter. “That kind of freaked me out,” he admits. “Most of the responses from people who were sending me screenshots were positive, but my family was not happy and were rather upset with me doing that.
That was the point at which I almost felt like I might have made a mistake because the comments turned very nasty
“They said, ‘Why would you do something to hurt Trump?’ I was surprised by that because I thought, ‘Wow, I can’t believe that I could do something that hurt Trump’, so that was rather exciting but, at the same time, it started a longstanding rift down party lines in the family, which is kind of the thing that the whole protest was about, hoping to break down those walls.”
The morning after his protest, Walker received more text messages telling him he had made it to the front page of Reddit.
“That was the point at which I almost felt like I might have made a mistake because the comments turned very nasty and started to attack every aspect of my character and all these unknowable things. I became a target for a lot of people’s frustration, and that’s when I felt like I need to shut down and just regroup and think through whether or not I would take another interview.
“I only read the comments for a couple hours and I never went back but I remember that they targeted my physical appearance. Of course they attacked me as someone who would admit to voting for Trump and therefore a fool, and then they homed in on other details from the picture like me wearing my military-issue pants, and so they attacked my military service record.”
The reaction among friends in the liberal bastion of East Nashville was mixed. “I had a surprising amount of friends on my side but then there were those who just didn’t understand why I would do something like that. To an extent, I didn’t either. I just felt compelled because it seemed like such a critical moment that, in any way I could, I needed to do something and it seemed to work.”
He recalls: “I started dating someone and she had to tell all of her friends that she was dating the guy who went viral in the Maga hat in Nashville a week or two ago.”
Trump supporters and a number of empty seats at the president’s sparsely attended rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma in June this year. Photograph: Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images
As the weeks went by, Walker remained ambivalent about whether he had done the right thing. “I was unsure whether or not my intent came across, but Bill Maher ran a story on it and said, ‘The world needs more Republicans like this guy,’ and, when I heard that, I felt like my intentions were heard and that was the message I was going for.
“Republicans aren’t all hateful Trump supporters and, even as I’m disappointed in many of them, I see a path to close the divide. But it’s only through healing and communication and both of those seem to be off the table right now.”
In a similar spirit, last week the Democratic national convention featured Republicans including Colin Powell, the former secretary of state, and John Kasich, the ex-governor of Ohio, as well as repentant Trump voters arguing it was time to put country before party. Groups such as the Lincoln Project and Republican Voters Against Trump have attacked what they frame as a cult of personality that threatens the fabric of American democracy.
But Walker found less charity online.
While the internet enabled him to get his message out, it also opened the floodgates to abuse, bullying and trolling, including from liberals and Democrats who refused to forgive his vote. The web has also become a defining feature of American politics: an incubator of both social activism and rancid tribalism.
It just seems like no matter what my intent is, it gets torn apart and there’s no room for conversation
Walker reflects: “This event inspired me to go more public with my activism and my thoughts on issues and every time I do part of me regrets it because I get such a mixed reaction.”
“So I’m trying to figure out how to navigate being something of an activist online and I haven’t cracked the code. It just seems like no matter what happens, no matter what my intent is, it gets torn apart and there’s no room for conversation, which is always my intention: just to start a conversation.”
Walker’s journey to activism led him to quit his job as a wine broker in Nashville and move to Los Angeles, where he has found work in the film industry and hopes to become a documentary maker with an emphasis on social justice and socially conscious projects.
This year he joined Black Lives Matter marches in Los Angeles and posted pictures of them on social media. Again he was out of step with his family. “They didn’t understand or appreciate that I would publicly support Black Lives Matter because they’re more of the All Lives Matter crowd.”
His parents, he believes, remain committed to Trump but, in case anyone is still wondering, he intends to vote for Democrat Joe Biden in November. An act of atonement, perhaps. Whatever the outcome, however, there is little chance that the election will heal America’s cold civil war overnight.
“When I march at protests I feel hopeful but when I come home and turn on the news I feel otherwise,” Walker muses. “It feels like a mix back and forth every day of optimism that change is around the corner and is accessible for us, and then feeling like there’s too much toxicity now.”
“Until we can put aside those dividing issues and realise we’re all Americans and demand change, until those walls break down, I just don’t know how we’re going to come together.”


theguardian--2020-08-22--The DNC handed the mic over to women, but why did they shun the Squad? | Arwa Mahdawi

Sign up for the Week in Patriarchy , a newsletter on feminism and sexism sent every Saturday .
Why did the DNC deliberately omit progressive voices ?
Sorry mansplainers , your time is running out .
According to an analysis by the New York Times women got more speaking time than men during the Democratic National Convention this week .
The increase in female voices , the Times speculated , is “ a signal of how the [ Democratic ] party ’ s power dynamics may be shifting ” after a record 36 new women won House seats in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s “ trailblazing ” VP nomination .
It ’ s important to celebrate progress .
We should not underplay just how incredible it was to see a biracial Indian and black woman accept the nomination for vice-president of the United States .
We should not forget how much work it took to get to this point .
As Harris said in her powerful acceptance speech , generations of women paved the way for this .
They “ marched and fought – not just for their vote , but for a seat at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ important to celebrate progress , it ’ s also important to acknowledge that the Democratic party still doesn ’ t seem very keen on giving progressives a seat at the table .
The DNC may have handed the mic over to women but there is one group of women they seem intent on shutting up : the Squad .
Not a single one of the progressive young congresswomen who make up the Squad were asked to speak at the DNC .
What about Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , you might ask ?
She spoke for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did , but she wasn ’ t invited by the DNC , she was invited by Bernie Sanders .
As AOC explained on Twitter , DNC rules require a roll call and nominations for every candidate that passes the delegate threshold .
Sanders passed the threshold and AOC was asked to endorse him .
Despite this being standard practice some parts of the media , including NBC , willfully misinterpreted it and cast Ocasio-Cortez as a troublemaker who had hijacked the convention .
( AOC , of course , immediately called NBC out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the most exciting politician of our time .
She , along with the other members of the Squad , have inspired and energized young people and progressives around the world .
They ’ ve helped to demystify politics .
They ’ ve given people hope that we might see a more equitable future .
Why were they shunned by the DNC ?
Why did the establishment think that it was more important that we hear from Sarah Cooper , a comedian , rather than AOC ?
Why did the DNC deliberately omit progressive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republican presidential candidate , Governor John Kasich , who defunded Planned Parenthood in Ohio , to speak in a primetime slot ?
Why did the DNC elevate the likes of Bill Clinton – who still needs to answer questions about his involvement with Jeffrey Epstein – and ignore Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar ?
Pragmatism , obviously .
Democrats know the left has nowhere to go and so they are able to treat progressives with disdain and focus their energies , instead , on pandering to Republicans who might cross over the aisle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I understand the importance of getting rid of Trump ; of course I do .
But that doesn ’ t mean we can ’ t ask the Democrats to do better ; that doesn ’ t mean we can ’ t ask the Democrats to stop taking the left for granted .
There is nothing the establishment loves more than talking about “ unity ” – they would do well to remember that that means making progressives feel included as well .
James Blunt once got scurvy in a quest to be a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ you ’ re beautiful ” apparently got scurvy when he was a university student after eating nothing but meat and condiments for two months .
Blunt told The Times that he adopted the carnivorous diet to assert his masculinity and annoy the girls in his class , who were all vegetarian .
Your fertility app may be spying on you The Android version of Premom , a popular fertility app , has been sharing large amounts of user data with three Chinese companies , according to research the International Digital Accountability Council @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is far from the first time women ’ s health apps have been found to share their users ’ intimate details without consent .
The Golden Stake Killer sentenced to life in prison Four decades after Joseph James DeAngelo raped , tortured , and terrorized women in California , justice has been served .
An estimated 6.8 million fewer girls will be born in India by 2030 because of the use of selective abortions , a new study has found .
India is estimated to have 63 million fewer women since sex determination @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The wine world is rife with misogynoir Wine should bring people to together but , as this piece in the New York Times demonstrates , the industry is an inhospitable place for black women .
Is there really a dating app for Tesla owners ?
The Tesla Dating Company ( “ because you can ’ t spell LOVE without EV ” ) started off as a joke .
However it has generated so much buzz that its founder is now considering actually launching it .
Cambodia is trying to criminalize short skirts The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that would ban women from wearing clothes that are “ too short or too revealing ” and would stop men from going outside topless .
So far the law has received 20 of the 24 provincial administrations across the country ; should it go into effect women ’ s rights activists warn it will “ reinforce patriarchy and imperil women ’ s rights in Cambodia ” .
Germany may soon legally require dog owners to walk their pets at least twice a day for a total of at least one hour .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needs must be taken into account , ” the politician introducing the bill explained .
I think this is a great idea myself but a lot of lazy dog owners are , predictably , barking mad about it .

Sign up for the Week in Patriarchy, a newsletter on feminism and sexism sent every Saturday.
Why did the DNC deliberately omit progressive voices?
Sorry mansplainers, your time is running out. According to an analysis by the New York Times women got more speaking time than men during the Democratic National Convention this week.
The increase in female voices, the Times speculated, is “a signal of how the [Democratic] party’s power dynamics may be shifting” after a record 36 new women won House seats in the 2018 midterm election and Kamala Harris’s “trailblazing” VP nomination.
It’s important to celebrate progress. We should not underplay just how incredible it was to see a biracial Indian and black woman accept the nomination for vice-president of the United States. We should not forget how much work it took to get to this point. As Harris said in her powerful acceptance speech, generations of women paved the way for this. They “marched and fought – not just for their vote, but for a seat at the table.”
But while it’s important to celebrate progress, it’s also important to acknowledge that the Democratic party still doesn’t seem very keen on giving progressives a seat at the table. The DNC may have handed the mic over to women but there is one group of women they seem intent on shutting up: the Squad. Not a single one of the progressive young congresswomen who make up the Squad were asked to speak at the DNC.
What about Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, you might ask? She spoke for a whole 60 seconds! She certainly did, but she wasn’t invited by the DNC, she was invited by Bernie Sanders. As AOC explained on Twitter, DNC rules require a roll call and nominations for every candidate that passes the delegate threshold. Sanders passed the threshold and AOC was asked to endorse him. Despite this being standard practice some parts of the media, including NBC, willfully misinterpreted it and cast Ocasio-Cortez as a troublemaker who had hijacked the convention. (AOC, of course, immediately called NBC out on this.)
Ocasio-Cortez is probably the most exciting politician of our time. She, along with the other members of the Squad, have inspired and energized young people and progressives around the world. They’ve helped to demystify politics. They’ve given people hope that we might see a more equitable future. Why were they shunned by the DNC? Why did the establishment think that it was more important that we hear from Sarah Cooper, a comedian, rather than AOC? Why did the DNC deliberately omit progressive voices but invite the likes of former Republican presidential candidate, Governor John Kasich, who defunded Planned Parenthood in Ohio, to speak in a primetime slot? Why did the DNC elevate the likes of Bill Clinton – who still needs to answer questions about his involvement with Jeffrey Epstein – and ignore Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar?
Pragmatism, obviously. Democrats know the left has nowhere to go and so they are able to treat progressives with disdain and focus their energies, instead, on pandering to Republicans who might cross over the aisle. I understand the strategy here. I understand the importance of getting rid of Trump; of course I do. But that doesn’t mean we can’t ask the Democrats to do better; that doesn’t mean we can’t ask the Democrats to stop taking the left for granted. There is nothing the establishment loves more than talking about “unity” – they would do well to remember that that means making progressives feel included as well.
James Blunt once got scurvy in a quest to be a Real Man
The man famous for warbling “you’re beautiful” apparently got scurvy when he was a university student after eating nothing but meat and condiments for two months. Blunt told The Times that he adopted the carnivorous diet to assert his masculinity and annoy the girls in his class, who were all vegetarian.
Your fertility app may be spying on you
The Android version of Premom, a popular fertility app, has been sharing large amounts of user data with three Chinese companies, according to research the International Digital Accountability Council provided to The Washington Post. This is far from the first time women’s health apps have been found to share their users’ intimate details without consent.
The Golden Stake Killer sentenced to life in prison
Four decades after Joseph James DeAngelo raped, tortured, and terrorized women in California, justice has been served.
Sex-selective abortions dramatically reducing female births in India
An estimated 6.8 million fewer girls will be born in India by 2030 because of the use of selective abortions, a new study has found. India is estimated to have 63 million fewer women since sex determination tests took off in the 1970s.
The wine world is rife with misogynoir
Wine should bring people to together but, as this piece in the New York Times demonstrates, the industry is an inhospitable place for black women.
Is there really a dating app for Tesla owners?
The Tesla Dating Company (“because you can’t spell LOVE without EV”) started off as a joke. However it has generated so much buzz that its founder is now considering actually launching it.
Cambodia is trying to criminalize short skirts
The country recently proposed a public order law that would ban women from wearing clothes that are “too short or too revealing” and would stop men from going outside topless. So far the law has received 20 of the 24 provincial administrations across the country; should it go into effect women’s rights activists warn it will “reinforce patriarchy and imperil women’s rights in Cambodia”.
The week in pet-riarchy: compulsory walkies
Germany may soon legally require dog owners to walk their pets at least twice a day for a total of at least one hour. “Pets are not cuddly toys – their needs must be taken into account,” the politician introducing the bill explained. I think this is a great idea myself but a lot of lazy dog owners are, predictably, barking mad about it.


theguardian--2020-08-22--One thing all sides agree on: the 2020 election is about the soul of America | Cas Mudde

The 2020 Democratic convention is over and the Democratic party has just let out a sigh of relief .
The Democrats and their “ new ” leader were center-stage for several days and nothing went wrong .
In fact , not only did their presidential candidate , Joe Biden , not have any gaffes , his acceptance speech was praised by Republicans , and by Fox News , which seems to be the highest compliment for the Biden campaign team .
If anyone was still wondering , the Democratic national convention made it crystal clear : Biden is going for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Whereas Hillary Clinton still devoted one day to the Sanders base at the 2016 convention , the Biden camp gave Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez just one minute , roughly one-quarter of the time they allotted to Republican ex-governor John Kasich .
Biden ’ s campaign is going to be Ronald Reagan ’ s “ Morning in America ” but with pictures of Black Lives Matter , as was captured perfectly in the “ Rise Up ” video that was debuted , to great enthusiasm from Democrats and anti-Trump Republicans , at the convention .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ president , the empathy president , the man who suffered and feels your pain .
Most importantly , he is going to be the “ not-Trump ” president .
Sure , there is going to be a lot of hinting at progressive change , but Biden will mostly assure so-called moderates – and Wall Street – that they have nothing to worry about .
And why should they ?
As President Trump wryly pointed out : “ In 47 years , Joe did none of the things of which he now speaks .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ !
” The Biden campaign has read the polls and the polls say that the November elections are going to be a referendum on Trump .
Almost anyone who still self-identifies as Republican is now completely behind Trump – who still has an approval rating of 90 % among Republicans – while 60 % of Biden “ supporters ” say they mainly are backing him as a vote against Trump .
But Trump is really just a placeholder , who fuels a much longer-standing polarization .
At least since the 2000 Bush-Gore election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ argued that the next election is about the fate of US democracy .
Each election , these sections have become bigger .
Trump has embraced this division , and amplified it , raising it to new levels .
In today ’ s “ conservative ” narrative , Marco Rubio and Fox News are ( potential ) enemies .
Similarly , on the left , a new radical social media infrastructure has emerged that sees Nancy Pelosi and the New York Times as “ Trump enablers ” .
To be absolutely clear , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ same .
Trump is a threat to US democracy .
He has repeatedly shown his authoritarian instincts , openly fantasizes about an unconstitutional third term , and repeatedly praised domestic extremists and foreign dictators .
And his party is now openly embracing QAnon conspiracy theorists like Marjorie Taylor Green and other white supremacists like Laura Loomer .
Not to speak of the most influential gravedigger of US liberal democracy , the Senate majority leader , Mitch McConnell .
Joe Biden might be many things , but he is no radical .
Nor is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far left ” , as the far-right outrage machine tries to portray him .
In fact , despite Sanders ’ remarkable runs in 2016 and 2020 , the Democratic party is still well in the hands of centrists .
And while the Democrats have been involved in several illiberal and undemocratic policies – from gerrymandering to the illegal surveillance of millions of Americans – their support for the liberal democratic system , in word and deed , is impeccable compared with that of the Republican party .
What does this all mean for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of this polarization is that the mind of the vast majority of potential voters is already fixed , at least on the question of which candidate to potentially vote for .
For most Americans , this 2020 election is about “ the soul of America ” , whatever that “ soul ” exactly might be .
You either see Trump as a danger to US democracy or you think Biden is .
Nothing is going to change that .
Consequently , the election is going to be won by whoever can make the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ come out to vote .
Trump still has an easier task ahead , playing on longstanding racist fears , and profiting from most of the many deficiencies of the electoral system that work in his favor – such as the electoral college , the disproportionate weight for rural America and voter suppression .
He is playing to a much smaller electorate , but one that votes more often .
Biden has a larger potential electorate , but weaker support among them .
Moreover , he does not want to rely on the non-white @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump , but is notoriously low ( in part because of voter suppression ! )
.
Hence , Biden has decided to prioritize the “ moderate ” white vote ( again ) .
But whether his campaign will be able to frighten enough white centrists more about the state of US democracy than over the economic meltdown or “ demographic change ” , remains to be seen .
• None Cas Mudde is the Stanley Wade Shelton UGAF professor of international affairs at the University of Georgia , the author of The Far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ host of the new podcast Radikaal

The 2020 Democratic convention is over and the Democratic party has just let out a sigh of relief. The Democrats and their “new” leader were center-stage for several days and nothing went wrong. In fact, not only did their presidential candidate, Joe Biden, not have any gaffes, his acceptance speech was praised by Republicans, and by Fox News, which seems to be the highest compliment for the Biden campaign team.
If anyone was still wondering, the Democratic national convention made it crystal clear: Biden is going for the “moderate” Democrats and Republicans. Whereas Hillary Clinton still devoted one day to the Sanders base at the 2016 convention, the Biden camp gave Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez just one minute, roughly one-quarter of the time they allotted to Republican ex-governor John Kasich.
Biden’s campaign is going to be Ronald Reagan’s “Morning in America” but with pictures of Black Lives Matter, as was captured perfectly in the “Rise Up” video that was debuted, to great enthusiasm from Democrats and anti-Trump Republicans, at the convention. Biden is going to be the feelgood president, the empathy president, the man who suffered and feels your pain. Most importantly, he is going to be the “not-Trump” president.
Sure, there is going to be a lot of hinting at progressive change, but Biden will mostly assure so-called moderates – and Wall Street – that they have nothing to worry about. And why should they? As President Trump wryly pointed out: “In 47 years, Joe did none of the things of which he now speaks. He will never change, just words!”
The Biden campaign has read the polls and the polls say that the November elections are going to be a referendum on Trump. Almost anyone who still self-identifies as Republican is now completely behind Trump – who still has an approval rating of 90% among Republicans – while 60% of Biden “supporters” say they mainly are backing him as a vote against Trump.
But Trump is really just a placeholder, who fuels a much longer-standing polarization. At least since the 2000 Bush-Gore election, sections of the two camps have argued that the next election is about the fate of US democracy. Each election, these sections have become bigger. Trump has embraced this division, and amplified it, raising it to new levels. In today’s “conservative” narrative, Marco Rubio and Fox News are (potential) enemies. Similarly, on the left, a new radical social media infrastructure has emerged that sees Nancy Pelosi and the New York Times as “Trump enablers”.
To be absolutely clear, the radicalization in both camps is not the same. Trump is a threat to US democracy. He has repeatedly shown his authoritarian instincts, openly fantasizes about an unconstitutional third term, and repeatedly praised domestic extremists and foreign dictators. And his party is now openly embracing QAnon conspiracy theorists like Marjorie Taylor Green and other white supremacists like Laura Loomer. Not to speak of the most influential gravedigger of US liberal democracy, the Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell.
You either see Trump as a danger to US democracy or you think Biden is. Nothing is going to change that
Joe Biden might be many things, but he is no radical. Nor is he a “dangerous pawn of the far left”, as the far-right outrage machine tries to portray him. In fact, despite Sanders’ remarkable runs in 2016 and 2020, the Democratic party is still well in the hands of centrists. And while the Democrats have been involved in several illiberal and undemocratic policies – from gerrymandering to the illegal surveillance of millions of Americans – their support for the liberal democratic system, in word and deed, is impeccable compared with that of the Republican party.
What does this all mean for the coming months? The main consequence of this polarization is that the mind of the vast majority of potential voters is already fixed, at least on the question of which candidate to potentially vote for. For most Americans, this 2020 election is about “the soul of America”, whatever that “soul” exactly might be. You either see Trump as a danger to US democracy or you think Biden is. Nothing is going to change that.
Consequently, the election is going to be won by whoever can make the most voters so afraid that they will come out to vote. Trump still has an easier task ahead, playing on longstanding racist fears, and profiting from most of the many deficiencies of the electoral system that work in his favor – such as the electoral college, the disproportionate weight for rural America and voter suppression. He is playing to a much smaller electorate, but one that votes more often.
Biden has a larger potential electorate, but weaker support among them. Moreover, he does not want to rely on the non-white vote, which overwhelmingly prefers him over Trump, but is notoriously low (in part because of voter suppression!). Hence, Biden has decided to prioritize the “moderate” white vote (again). But whether his campaign will be able to frighten enough white centrists more about the state of US democracy than over the economic meltdown or “demographic change”, remains to be seen.


theguardian--2020-08-22--Pelosi slams Trump 'deep state' tweet on coronavirus vaccines – as it happened

Florida ’ s department of health reports that there were 4,311 new cases of Covid-19 on Friday in the state and 106 new deaths from the virus .
Francisco Alvarado reports on how the pandemic has exposed the state ’ s wealth gap : When the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic reached southern Florida ’ s shores , Bal Harbour residents braced themselves .
In early March , health department officials confirmed a New York man who tested positive for coronavirus had spent time in the wealthy enclave .
About a week later , a pair of Bal Harbour @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Miami-Dade county to test positive for the deadly virus .
The mayor , Gabriel Groisman , quickly went into isolation because he had been with one of the rabbis , Sholom Ber Lipskar .
Grosiman advised anyone who had come in contact with Lipskar and Rabbi Moshe Gruenstein the previous 14 days to also self-isolate .
In Surfside , a small town neighboring Bal Harbour where the rabbis ’ synagogues are located , officials closed the town hall and other facilities and non essential staff were ordered to work from home .
Surfside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had close interactions with anyone who had been in close contact with Lipskar to self-monitor themselves for any Covid-19 symptoms .
Groisman said he and other local leaders had legitimate concerns about coronavirus spreading across Bal Harbour , Surfside and Bay Harbor Islands .
But the outbreak never arrived .
As coronavirus ravages Miami Beach and mainland Miami , Bal Harbour has emerged mostly unscathed from the pandemic .
According to the Florida department of health , 49 of 3,039 Bal Harbour residents have tested positive through 8 August .
Buffered from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into one of the nation ’ s Covid-19 centers and has now killed more than 10,000 Floridians , wealthy coastal locales like Bal Harbour illustrate how sharp the socioeconomic divide is in Miami-Dade in the face of the pandemic .
About 30 minutes away from Bal Harbour , a blue-collar , predominantly Hispanic city is struggling to contain the coronavirus .
Roughly 8.5 % of the 238,942 residents of Hialeah , the second largest municipality in Miami-Dade , have tested positive for Covid-19 .
The city ’ s 20,261 cases is the fourth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You can read the full article below :

Bryan Armen Graham (now) and Tom Lutz  and Martin Pengelly (earlier)

22 Aug 2020 22.16 BST Donald Trump has dismissed the House’s $25bn emergency funding bill for the Postal Service as a “HOAX” in a tweet on Saturday afternoon. “Representatives of the Post Office have repeatedly stated that they DO NOT NEED MONEY, and will not make changes,” Trump tweeted. “This is all another HOAX by the Democrats to give 25 Billion unneeded dollars for political purposes, without talking about the Universal Mail-In Ballot Scam.” Representatives of the Post Office have repeatedly stated that they DO NOT NEED MONEY, and will not make changes. This is all another HOAX by the Democrats to give 25 Billion unneeded dollars for political purposes, without talking about the Universal Mail-In Ballot Scam.... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 22, 2020 Earlier Saturday, the House passed a bill to fund the Postal Service amid ongoing complaints by Democrats that the Trump administration is attempting to sabotage the delivery of mail-in ballots ahead of the November election. The Democratic bill, which passed on Saturday despite opposition from Republicans, would provide $25bn in aid for the USPS and prioritize election mail as “first class”, to ensure ballots arrive in time to be counted in an election in which the coronavirus pandemic will cast a shadow over in-person voting.
22 Aug 2020 21.49 BST Donald Trump’s motorcade is back at the White House after spending the day at his golf club in Virginia. As has become customary during the president’s visits to the Loudoun county club, groups of supporters and protesters gathered outside were there to make themselves heard as Trump departed the property. According to a White House pool report: There was a little impromptu parade, outside of the country club and in the rain, as we waited for the president to depart. Two Jeeps, covered in Trump bumper stickers and flying blue and yellow and pink Trump banners, buzzed up and down the boulevard. A big semi chugged alongside, complete with giant American flag and Trump 2020 mud flaps. This convoy, for the better part of half-an-hour, laid on their horns, on and off again, to show support for the other Trump fans, the ones standing in the grass with their own Trump signs and Trump flags and Trump t-shirts and assorted Trump swag. There were about two dozen, and they cheered as the motorcade passed by. A handful of Biden supporters, who didn’t have a semi or any Jeeps, also stood outside holding their signs. Protesters gather outside Trump National on Saturday in Virginia. Photograph: Yuri Gripas/EPA Trump departs his golf club on Saturday. Photograph: Reuters
Updated at 23.03 BST
22 Aug 2020 21.20 BST TikTok is planning to sue the Trump administration over the president’s executive order banning transactions with the popular video-sharing app and its Chinese parent ByteDance, CNBC reported Saturday. Trump issued the orders earlier this month, saying the US must take “aggressive action” in the interest of national security and foreign policy. “Even though we strongly disagree with the Administration’s concerns, for nearly a year we have sought to engage in good faith to provide a constructive solution,” a TikTok spokesperson said. “What we encountered instead was a lack of due process as the Administration paid no attention to facts and tried to insert itself into negotiations between private businesses. To ensure that the rule of law is not discarded and that our company and users are treated fairly, we have no choice but to challenge the Executive Order through the judicial system.”
22 Aug 2020 20.15 BST New York congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, the chair of the House oversight committee, has released new internal Postal Service documents warning postmaster general Louis DeJoy about a drop in service standards as a result of his drastic operational and organizational changes. The documents came to light on Saturday as the House prepared to vote on providing the cash-strapped Postal Service with $25bn and block policy changes that have stirred concerns about mail-in balloting ahead of the November election.
“The American people do not want anyone messing with the Post Office,” said Maloney, who authored the legislation. “They certainly do not want it to be politicized. They just want their mail, they want their medicines and they want their mail-in ballots delivered in a timely way. And that is exactly what our bill does.” On Friday, DeJoy conceded the changes that he recently implemented were contributing to delays but said he would not reverse the decision to remove mail equipment ahead of the election.
22 Aug 2020 19.54 BST Pelosi slams Trump ‘deep state’ comment about coronavirus vaccines House speaker Nancy Pelosi described Donald Trump’s tweet accusing “the deep state, or whoever, over at” the Food and Drug Administration of deliberately slowing coronavirus vaccine and therapy development as “scary” and “beyond the pale” even for the US president.
“The FDA has a responsibility to approve drugs, judging on their safety and their efficacy, not by a declaration from the White House about speed and politicizing the FDA,” Pelosi told reporters on Capitol Hill. .@SpeakerPelosi described Trump’s comments as “scary” after he suggested, without evidence, that employees at the @US_FDA are attempting to sabotage his re-election campaign by slowing down research on #coronavirus treatments pic.twitter.com/NjCl3IjHnk — Bloomberg QuickTake (@QuickTake) August 22, 2020 The president’s amplification of the “deep state” conspiracy theory comes one day after Fox Business host Lou Dobbs used it to explain the arrest of former Trump campaign manager Steve Bannon. Bannon himself is a key propagator of the theory that unknown government operatives are working against the Trump administration – but has also said the idea is “for nut cases” and should not be taken seriously. In Deep State: Trump, the FBI and the Rule of Law by James B Stewart, published last October, Bannon said the “deep state conspiracy theory is for nut cases”, because “America isn’t Turkey or Egypt”.
22 Aug 2020 19.29 BST New York governor Andrew Cuomo said the state will give voters a chance to correct missing signatures and other clerical errors so their absentee ballots can be counted in anticipation of a wave of mail-in voting for the November election. Election officials are expecting an even bigger flood of mail-in votes in November than for the June primary, after which results were delayed for six weeks. The AP reports: Cuomo said late Friday he’d sign yet temporarily tweak legislation that calls for notifying voters about such problems and provides for fixing them. Under the version that passed the Legislature last month, the voter would have seven business days to file a form to fix the problem after a notice was mailed, in many situations. Cuomo, a Democrat, said he agreed voters should be able to correct inadvertent mistakes that would otherwise invalidate their mail-in votes. But he said the Legislature’s plan came too close to the Nov. 3 presidential election, requiring a series of notifications and mailings that would overtax election officials. “New York must balance the right to vote with the need to ensure a timely, seamless and operationally sound election that leaves no doubt as to its outcome,” he wrote in a memo, saying he and lawmakers had agreed on “temporary modifications” that would give voters an opportunity to correct slip-ups “without relying so heavily on an already burdened mail system.” The original legislation will take effect after November, Cuomo’s memo said. His memo didn’t give further details on the temporary changes, saying they’d be made in an executive order and possibly in further legislation.
22 Aug 2020 19.09 BST The Associated Press has more from Portland, Oregon, where protesters against police brutality and structural racism clashed again with federal agents and law enforcement officers overnight. Such confrontations were the subject of a Trump tweet this morning, in which the president once again expressed his willingness to send in the national guard: About 200 people marched to a police precinct station on yet another night of violence for Oregon’s largest city. Demonstrators hurled bottles and rocks at officers and pointed lasers at them, damaging police cars and causing minor injuries for several officers, Portland police said. One protester was given medical treatment after he threw rocks at officers and was shot with what police described as a “sponge-tipped less-lethal round”. That protester was among nine people arrested. Three were charged with assault on a police officer. Many protesters wore helmets, eye protection, gas masks and body armor and some carried homemade wooden shields, police said. Demonstrations – the majority peaceful but many violent – have happened in Portland for more than two months following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody in late May. The demonstration that went into Saturday morning came a day after protesters in Portland clashed with federal agents outside a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement building. Also Friday, a number of federal buildings across the city were closed as the FBI investigated a car bomb threat.
22 Aug 2020 18.32 BST Florida’s department of health reports that there were 4,311 new cases of Covid-19 on Friday in the state and 106 new deaths from the virus. Francisco Alvarado reports on how the pandemic has exposed the state’s wealth gap: When the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic reached southern Florida’s shores, Bal Harbour residents braced themselves. In early March, health department officials confirmed a New York man who tested positive for coronavirus had spent time in the wealthy enclave. About a week later, a pair of Bal Harbour rabbis were among the first people in Miami-Dade county to test positive for the deadly virus. The mayor, Gabriel Groisman, quickly went into isolation because he had been with one of the rabbis, Sholom Ber Lipskar. Grosiman advised anyone who had come in contact with Lipskar and Rabbi Moshe Gruenstein the previous 14 days to also self-isolate. In Surfside, a small town neighboring Bal Harbour where the rabbis’ synagogues are located, officials closed the town hall and other facilities and non essential staff were ordered to work from home. Surfside residents received a notice cautioning individuals who had close interactions with anyone who had been in close contact with Lipskar to self-monitor themselves for any Covid-19 symptoms. Groisman said he and other local leaders had legitimate concerns about coronavirus spreading across Bal Harbour, Surfside and Bay Harbor Islands. But the outbreak never arrived. As coronavirus ravages Miami Beach and mainland Miami, Bal Harbour has emerged mostly unscathed from the pandemic. According to the Florida department of health, 49 of 3,039 Bal Harbour residents have tested positive through 8 August. Buffered from the summer surge in cases that turned Florida into one of the nation’s Covid-19 centers and has now killed more than 10,000 Floridians, wealthy coastal locales like Bal Harbour illustrate how sharp the socioeconomic divide is in Miami-Dade in the face of the pandemic. About 30 minutes away from Bal Harbour, a blue-collar, predominantly Hispanic city is struggling to contain the coronavirus. Roughly 8.5% of the 238,942 residents of Hialeah, the second largest municipality in Miami-Dade, have tested positive for Covid-19. The city’s 20,261 cases is the fourth most of any city in Florida. You can read the full article below: 'The haves and the have-nots': how Covid revealed Florida's wealth gap Read more
22 Aug 2020 18.17 BST The House has voted to advance a bill that would provide $25bn in funding for the US Postal Service as fears grow the agency will be unable to cope with mail-in ballots in this November’s election. The bill would also stop the USPS from introducing changes such as the removal of sorting machines and a reduction in overtime that could harm its capacity to process mail in November’s election. The postmaster general, Louis DeJoy, is a Trump ally and has been accused of supporting the president’s antipathy towards mail-in voting my making cuts to the USPS. Saturday’s bill passed by 230-171 in the Democrat-majority House. It is almost certain that the bill will fail to pass the Republican-held Senate. Mitch McConnell, the Senate’s majority leader, has said Republicans only want to see USPS funding as part of a wider Covid-19 stimulus package.
Updated at 18.18 BST
22 Aug 2020 18.00 BST The White House’s famous Rose Garden has been given a new look before Melania Trump gives a speech there for next week’s Republican national convention. First look at the refreshened Rose Garden, from where First Lady Melania Trump will speak at the convention Tuesday night pic.twitter.com/WowbDRfkGB — Jonathan Lemire (@JonLemire) August 22, 2020 The White House says the renovations were paid for by private donations but there has been criticism that the venue will be used for a campaign event when Melania Trump gives her speech.
22 Aug 2020 17.50 BST Pelosi says Trump's rush for Covid-19 vaccine is 'very dangerous' House speak Nancy Pelosi has pushed back on Donald Trump’s tweet from earlier today, in which he said the Food and Drug Administration was too slow in producing a Covid-19 vaccine. “The FDA has a responsibility to approve drugs judged on their safety and efficacy, not by a declaration from the White House on speed,” said Pelosi. “This was a very dangerous statement from the president ... that went beyond the pale.” In Trump’s tweet, the president suggested the “deep state” was behind a plot to delay the vaccine and harm his chances in November’s election. Nancy Pelosi said the FDA needs to be methodical in its approach to a vaccine. Photograph: Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images “The deep state, or whoever, over at the FDA is making it very difficult for drug companies to get people in order to test the vaccines and therapeutics,” he wrote on Twitter. “Obviously, they are hoping to delay the answer until after November 3rd. Must focus on speed, and saving lives!” Peter Marks, the director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, has said in the past he would resign rather than approve a Covid-19 vaccine that had not been proven to be safe. “I could not stand by and see something that was unsafe or ineffective that was being put through,” he told Reuters. “You have to decide where your red line is, and that’s my red line. I would feel obligated [to resign] because in doing so, I would indicate to the American public that there’s something wrong.”
22 Aug 2020 17.34 BST Judge orders Trump to pay Stormy Daniels' legal fees A California judge has ordered Donald Trump to pay porn actor Stormy Daniels for her legal fees in the battle over her non-disclosure agreement with the president. The judge said Trump must pay Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, $44,100. Daniels says she had an affair with Trump from 2006 until 2007, and sued the president in 2018 to be released from a non-disclosure agreement she signed with Trump’s former attorney Michael Cohen. The lawsuit was dismissed as the agreement was deemed unenforceable. The judge ruled Daniels was entitled to have her legal fees paid by Trump as she was the “prevailing party” under California law, even though her suit was dismissed. Stormy Daniels claims to have had an affair with Donald Trump before he was president. Photograph: Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images On Thursday, during an appearance in Pennsylvania, the president confirmed Daniels’s story that he is scared of sharks. “They were saying the other night, the shark. They were saying, ‘Sharks, we have to protect them.’ I said, ‘Wait a minute, wait.’ They actually want to remove all the seals in order to save the shark. I said, ‘Wait, don’t you have it the other way around?’ “It’s true,” he added. “I’m not a big fan of sharks either. I don’t know, how many votes am I going to lose?”
Updated at 17.51 BST
22 Aug 2020 17.13 BST The University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation has told CNN that the US death toll from the Covid-19 pandemic could rise to 310,000 by 1 December. However, that figure is under a scenario in which federal and state governments ease social distancing protocols and do not require masks to be worn in public. If more than 95% of the US population wear masks, the projected death toll between now and December would drop by around 70,000 according to the researchers. “It really depends on what our leaders do, as individuals, and what governments do,” the head of the institute, Dr Chris Murray, told CNN’s Anderson Cooper on Friday night. According to Johns Hopkins University, 987 people died of the virus in the US on Friday, the first time the toll had fallen below 1,000 in three weeks.
Updated at 17.49 BST