theguardian--2020-10-28--US election 2020: Trump and Harris to campaign in Arizona as 70m Americans vote early – live updates

Tom Lambert says he plans to pull the lever at his designated polling station in a Kentwood church just as @ @ @ @ @ about the last 10 years – with a gun on his hip and a smile @ @ @ @ @ Michigan resident said he doesn ’ t expect to need to use his firearm while @ @ @ @ @ he added , “ it ’ s the fight you don ’ t expect that @ @ @ @ @ It remains to be seen , however , whether he ’ s legally allowed to @ @ @ @ @ .
Jocelyn Benson , the Michigan secretary of state , earlier this month implemented new @ @ @ @ @ 100ft of polling stations .
Now , after several gun rights advocates , including Lambert @ @ @ @ @ court judge struck down the rules on Tuesday , just a week before election day @ @ @ @ @ s office plans to appeal .

Martin Belam (now) and Tom McCarthy (earlier)

29 Oct 2020 05.01 GMT Summary Here’s a look at today so far, from me and my colleagues Joan E Greve, Miranda Byrant and Sam Levine: Protests continued as more details emerged on Wednesday about the police killing of 27-year-old Walter Wallace in Philadelphia. Mayor Jim Kenney, announced a curfew from 9pm until 6am Thursday.
Mayor Jim Kenney, announced a curfew from 9pm until 6am Thursday. The US supreme court denied two Republican efforts to limit which absentee ballots will be counted. The court rejected a last-minute plea from Pennsylvania Republicans to overturn a three-day extension of the absentee ballot deadline. It also declined to block an agreement giving North Carolina voters more time to return their absentee ballots, the latest in a series on important rulings on absentee ballots in key swing states.
The court rejected a last-minute plea from Pennsylvania Republicans to overturn a three-day extension of the absentee ballot deadline. It also declined to block an agreement giving North Carolina voters more time to return their absentee ballots, the latest in a series on important rulings on absentee ballots in key swing states. Both campaigns held events in Phoenix, Arizona in what has become a hotly contested election battleground. While Trump held a packed rally, Kamala Harris hosted a drive-in event. Read the Guardian’s series Phoenix Rising, to learn more about why the city – and its surrounding suburbs – is undergoing a political transformation.
While Trump held a packed rally, hosted a drive-in event. Read the Guardian’s series Phoenix Rising, to learn more about why the city – and its surrounding suburbs – is undergoing a political transformation. Barack Obama campaigned with Joe Biden in the battleground state of Michigan on Saturday, just three days before election day. This will be the first joint in-person campaign appearance of Biden and Obama since Biden won the Democratic presidential nomination.
just three days before election day. This will be the first joint in-person campaign appearance of Biden and Obama since Biden won the Democratic presidential nomination. The US stock markets took another hit, as coronavirus cases continued to surge across the country. The Dow Jones closed down 942 points, or 3.4%, which appeared to be the worst drop since June.
as coronavirus cases continued to surge across the country. The Dow Jones closed down 942 points, or 3.4%, which appeared to be the worst drop since June. The CEOs of Facebook, Google and Twitter testified before the Senate on section 230, a federal law that provides liability protections to internet companies. The hearing comes as Republicans have accused social media platforms of censorship, allegations that the CEOs have ardently denied.
a federal law that provides liability protections to internet companies. The hearing comes as have accused social media platforms of censorship, allegations that the CEOs have ardently denied. Trump once again complained about the extensive news coverage of the coronavirus pandemic, which has already claimed more than 226,000 American lives. “Covid, Covid, Covid is the unified chant of the Fake News Lamestream Media,” the president said in a tweet this morning. Campaigning for Biden in Florida yesterday, Barack Obama accused Trump of being “jealous of Covid’s media coverage”.
which has already claimed more than 226,000 American lives. “Covid, Covid, Covid is the unified chant of the Fake News Lamestream Media,” the president said in a tweet this morning. Campaigning for Biden in Florida yesterday, accused Trump of being “jealous of Covid’s media coverage”. The identity of “Anonymous”, the Trump administration official who penned a critical op-ed about the president in 2018, was revealed. Former DHS chief of staff Miles Taylor, who went public with his criticism of Trump in August, said he had written the New York Times op-ed. “I believe more than ever that Trump unbound will mean a nation undone,” Taylor said in a statement revealing his identity.
Updated at 05.10 GMT
29 Oct 2020 04.37 GMT “We can’t vote in San Quentin prison. So we held a mock election” Juan Haines and Kevin Sawyer , both incarcerated journalists at San Quentin prison, report: “I want to be heard,” one man wrote on the back of a makeshift ballot in a simulated election held inside San Quentin state prison. Another wrote that he was voting because “I’d like to feel like a citizen; feel like I am important too.” The total population of US prisons and jails is greater than all but four American cities. But with a few exceptions (Maine, Vermont and now Washington DC), citizens held in state and federal prisons cannot participate in the democratic process. In California, even people on parole cannot vote, though a measure called Proposition 17 could change that this year. The thousands of men in San Quentin do not worry about violence at polling places or missing mail-in ballots. We know from the start that our votes won’t count. At least 1,600 men spend more than 23 hours a day locked inside windowless, 4ft x 10ft cells. The unventilated housing units, five tiers high, have their windows welded shut – perfect environments for the coronavirus to thrive. There have been more than 2,200 confirmed cases at San Quentin – three-quarters of the prison’s total population – and 28 incarcerated men have died. Some of the men incarcerated here were nonetheless given a chance to make their choices – and their voices – known through a mock election. The mock election goal: poll those held in the general population in north block and west block, who represent about 85% of the total population. To make it happen, on 1 October, Solitary Watch, which is collaborating with the Guardian to support our election and publish our story, mailed 800 ballots to north block and 800 more to west block. The ballots, delivered via express mail, have been sitting in the prison mailroom since 2 October. Calls from Solitary Watch went unanswered. It was under these circumstances that 150 handmade ballots were passed out in north block on 10 October. Three days later, 170 more were smuggled into west block, accompanied by a note that read: “Since CDCR [California department of corrections and rehabilitation] is holding the ballots, we have to improvise.” Read more: We can't vote in San Quentin prison. So we held a mock election Read more
29 Oct 2020 04.15 GMT After Ice Cube garnered headlines for his tweets announcing a collaboration with the Trump administration on what was called a Platinum Plan for Black America, the hip-hop mogul faced immediate backlash for supposed hypocrisy and misogyny. Kenya Evelyn reports: “Black men are breaking my heart with this caping for [Ice Cube and the president]. Apparently y’all want to be to 2020 what White women were to 2016,” tweeted scholar Brittney Cooper. Political analysts also chided the rapper for failing to admit that he declined invitations to meet with both the Joe Biden campaign and Kamala Harris. The Los Angeles-based rapper neither disavowed working with nor endorsed the president, but the illusion of aligning with Trump allowed campaign officials to signal Ice Cube was proof of “Blaxit” – an initiative calling for the exodus of Black Americans from the Democratic party. 50 Cent encouraged followers to “vote for Trump” after posting that Biden’s proposed tax plan only amplified criticism. He’s since dialed back his support. The sometime rapper faced a mountain of criticism for claiming he doesn’t “care Trump doesn’t like Black people” in the weeks leading up to the 2020 presidential election. Rosa Clemente, an activist and former Green party vice-presidential nominee, argued that these celebrity interventions run counter to existing, youth- and women-led initiatives fighting for institutional change. “They’re right to critique the Democratic party, where they’re wrong is to act like there aren’t already movements out here,” she said. “We don’t need another Black agenda. Yet here come these rappers over the age of 50 who’ve publicly decided to align with a white supremacist”. Read more: Ice Cube and 50 Cent highlight conservative faction among Black, male voters Read more
29 Oct 2020 03.43 GMT Federal agencies have warned that cybercriminals are working to interfere with the US healthcare system that protects hospital information systems nationwide, the AP reports: In a joint alert Wednesday, the FBI and two federal agencies warned that they had “credible information of an increased and imminent cybercrime threat to U.S. hospitals and healthcare providers.” The alert said malicious groups are targeting the sector with attacks that produce “data theft and disruption of healthcare services.” The cyberattacks involve ransomware, which scrambles data into gibberish that can only be unlocked with software keys provided once targets pay up. Independent security experts say it has already hobbled at least five U.S. hospitals this week, and could potentially impact hundreds more. The offensive by a Russian-speaking criminal gang coincides with the U.S. presidential election, although there is no immediate indication they were motivated by anything but profit. “We are experiencing the most significant cyber security threat we’ve ever seen in the United States,” Charles Carmakal, chief technical officer of the cybersecurity firm Mandiant, said in a statement. Read more here.
Updated at 03.43 GMT
29 Oct 2020 03.15 GMT More than 75.7 million Americans have already voted in the election, according to the US Elections Project. With six days to go until election day, more than 25.6m voted in person, and more than 50m absentee ballots were returned. The record-breaking early voting numbers are putting the country on pace to achieve the highest voter participation rate it has seen in more than a century. OH #earlyvote update posted. Nationally, at least 75.7 million people have voted in the 2020 general election https://t.co/s8K2xFDeSA — Michael McDonald (@ElectProject) October 29, 2020
29 Oct 2020 02.48 GMT The coronavirus death toll in US topped 1,000 today States reported 1m tests, about 79,000 new cases, and 1,025 deaths, according to the Covid Tracking Project. Our daily update is published. States reported 1 million tests, 79k cases, 45k currently hospitalized. The COVID-19 death toll was 1,025 today. pic.twitter.com/uhQYQrcWH7 — The COVID Tracking Project (@COVID19Tracking) October 28, 2020
29 Oct 2020 02.45 GMT If Biden wins what would the first 100 days of his presidency look like? Daniel Strauss and Julian Borger report from Washington: If Joe Biden wins the 2020 US election against Donald Trump next week, the new president-elect will face enormous pressures to implement a laundry list of priorities on a range of issues from foreign policy to the climate crisis, reversing many of the stark changes implemented by his predecessor. But Biden’s first and most pressing task for his first 100 days in the White House would be to roll out a new nationwide plan to fight the coronavirus crisis, which has claimed more than 220,000 lives in the US and infected millions – more than any other country in the world – as well as taking steps to fix the disastrous economic fallout. And, while the new president might be fresh from victory, the moderate Biden will also have to wrangle with his own side – a Democratic party with an increasingly influential liberal wing, hungry for major institutional changes to try to answer some of the most urgent questions over the country’s future. “He basically has to do something historic,” said Saikat Chakrabarti, a Democratic activist and former chief of staff to the progressive New York congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. “He’s being handed a depression, a pandemic, and he’s being elected on a mandate to actually solve this stuff and do something big.” Read more: If Biden wins what would the first 100 days of his presidency look like? Read more
29 Oct 2020 02.32 GMT The Trump administration has announced it will lift protections in Alaska’s Tongass national forest, permitting logging in the world’s largest intact temperate rainforest. Cassidy Randall reports: Experts call the Tongass the “lungs of the country” and one of nation’s last remaining bulwarks against climate change. Located on the southern coast of Alaska, it is made up of centuries-old western cedar, hemlock and Sitka spruce trees, and is home to immense biodiversity, including the largest-known concentration of bald eagles.
“It’s ironic that this administration is trying to tout this president’s environmental record when [Trump is] unwinding environmental safeguards all over the place,” said Ken Rait, project director of the Pew Charitable Trust, who two decades ago helped win the protections that Donald Trump is now undoing. “And lifting protections on the Tongass, the nation’s flagship forest, is about the most egregious of all of them.”
The administration’s decision ignores overwhelming public support for keeping protections in place on the Tongass, including resolutions from six south-east Alaska tribes and six south-east Alaska city councils against lifting protections. Of the public comments solicited on the plan, 96% were in favor of keeping protections in places. Tribes also petitioned the government to protect customary cultural use areas of the Tongass. “All other avenues to protect our homelands have been exhausted, to little avail,” they wrote in their petition. Read more: Trump to gut protections in Alaska’s Tongass forest, the ‘lungs of the country’ Read more


theguardian--2020-10-28--San Quentin prisoners, desperate to vote, choose Biden in mock election

“ I want to be heard , ” one man wrote on the back of a makeshift ballot in a simulated election held inside San Quentin state prison .
Another wrote that he was voting because “ I ’ d like to feel like a citizen ; feel like I am important too.
” The total population of US prisons and jails is greater than all but four American cities .
But with a few exceptions ( Maine , Vermont and now Washington , DC ) , citizens held in state and federal prisons can not participate in the democratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on parole can not vote , though a measure called Proposition 17 could change that this year .
The thousands of men in San Quentin do not worry about violence at polling places or missing mail-in ballots .
We know from the start that our votes won ’ t count .
At least 1,600 men spend more than 23 hours a day locked inside windowless , 4ft x 10ft cells .
The unventilated housing units , five tiers high , have their windows welded shut – perfect environments for the coronavirus to thrive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confirmed cases at San Quentin – three-quarters of the prison ’ s total population – and 28 incarcerated men have died .
Some of the men incarcerated here were nonetheless given a chance to make their choices – and their voices – known through a mock election .
The mock election goal : poll those held in the general population in north block and west block , who represent about 85 % of the total population .
To make it happen , on 1 October , Solitary Watch , which is collaborating with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ publish our story , mailed 800 ballots to north block and 800 more to west block .
The ballots , delivered via express mail , have been sitting in the prison mailroom since 2 October .
Calls from Solitary Watch went unanswered .
It was under these circumstances that 150 handmade ballots were passed out in north block on October 10 .
Three days later , 170 more were smuggled into west block , accompanied by a note that read : “ Since CDCR [ California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation ] is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ improvise.
” Every other day , about 160 of the 800 men on north block are let out of their cells for 90 minutes , tier-by-tier , until everyone on all five tiers gets a chance to shower in one of 10 ( racially segregated ) community showers and/or go to the prison yard and/or make a 15-minute telephone call on one of 12 phones , if sign-up slots are available .
Voting took place during this time , and north block cast 103 votes .
On west block , ballots were hastily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ period during brief cell unlocks .
The first day , an impromptu lockup impeded the process , and on the second day a short medical quarantine placed the election in jeopardy .
But 73 ballots were retrieved and tallied .
Overall , this random sampling delivered a landslide to Biden , who received 141 votes to Trump ’ s 27 – a ratio of 8 to 1 .
( One person wrote in “ freedom liberty , ” and three others wrote “ other ” or “ undecided.
” ) Each ballot also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because … ” and left room for handwritten comments .
These showed that while Trump ’ s talk about prison reform and pardons had resonated in San Quentin , only a few thought criminal justice reform would have a better chance under a second Trump term .
Some Trump supporters credited him for building “ the wall , ” creating economic growth , and making good trade deals ; others simply did not like Biden .
Brian Asey has been incarcerated 22 years .
He voted for Biden .
He ’ s never @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote because I want to change our city officials because they are the ones who can make a difference in my community , ” said Asey , who was working in the prison ’ s media department as a film-maker before Covid-19 .
“ The president is too busy lining his and his base ’ s pockets with money to care about anything else … He don ’ t care about the people , he only cares about making money.
” Another Biden voter wrote , “ Trump is a habitual liar.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ find appealing in a place where a man ’ s word is supposed to be his bond .
The words “ Nazi/KKK ” and “ White Supremacy ” were parenthetically scrawled around Trump ’ s name on another vote for Biden .
Alex Ross , 54 , has been incarcerated 26 years .
He voted for Biden .
“ I want to vote because it is necessary that all voices be heard and to counter ethnic cleansing by way of prison , ” Ross said .
So did 49-year-old Tim Hick , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in prison the right to vote is “ a strategic way to red-line people ” .
While Trump voters were in the minority , the current president still garnered some support .
“ Trump ’ s a businessman from jump-start – a good businessman , period , ” said Daniel James Longorio , one of the few Trump supporters in north block .
Last year , the group Initiate Justice conducted a survey of people incarcerated and on parole in California and published a report , Democracy Needs Everyone .
The results suggested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ positive impact on public safety .
While 63 % of respondents in that survey said they never voted prior to incarceration , 98 % said they ’ d vote now , if they could .
They wanted to have a voice in society , a say in elected leadership , and a chance to contribute positively to their community .
San Quentin ’ s Rodney “ Pit ” Baylis , 60 , has been incarcerated 24 years .
He said the last time he voted was 1982 .
“ As long as there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ always be a civil rights movement to fill those missing pages of history , ” Baylis said .
“ The next president ’ s job is going to be the hardest seat to fill because so many things are left broken .
To fill this seat everyone needs to help him .
The Republicans and Democrats have to come together as one to fix this country.
” Meanwhile , some people in prison , conscious of the harm they ’ ve inflicted on fellow citizens , also have a special understanding of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is particularly relevant in these times of deep racial , economic , and political divisions .
One man , explaining his reason for voting , wrote simply : “ We need to heal.
” • None Juan Haines and Kevin Sawyer have both been incarcerated at California ’ s San Quentin state prison for over two decades .
Haines , 63 , is senior editor at the award-winning prison publication the San Quentin News and a regular contributor to the Appeal and to Solitary Watch ; he continued reporting as he fought Covid-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prison ’ s massive outbreak .
Sawyer , 57 , is associate editor at the San Quentin News

By Juan Moreno Haines and Kevin Deroi Sawyer

Authors Juan Haines and Kevin Sawyer are both incarcerated journalists at San Quentin prison.
“I want to be heard,” one man wrote on the back of a makeshift ballot in a simulated election held inside San Quentin state prison. Another wrote that he was voting because “I’d like to feel like a citizen; feel like I am important too.”
The total population of US prisons and jails is greater than all but four American cities. But with a few exceptions (Maine, Vermont and now Washington DC), citizens held in state and federal prisons cannot participate in the democratic process. In California, even people on parole cannot vote, though a measure called Proposition 17 could change that this year. The thousands of men in San Quentin do not worry about violence at polling places or missing mail-in ballots. We know from the start that our votes won’t count.
At least 1,600 men spend more than 23 hours a day locked inside windowless, 4ft x 10ft cells. The unventilated housing units, five tiers high, have their windows welded shut – perfect environments for the coronavirus to thrive. There have been more than 2,200 confirmed cases at San Quentin – three-quarters of the prison’s total population – and 28 incarcerated men have died.
Some of the men incarcerated here were nonetheless given a chance to make their choices – and their voices – known through a mock election. The mock election goal: poll those held in the general population in north block and west block, who represent about 85% of the total population. To make it happen, on 1 October, Solitary Watch, which is collaborating with the Guardian to support our election and publish our story, mailed 800 ballots to north block and 800 more to west block. The ballots, delivered via express mail, have been sitting in the prison mailroom since 2 October. Calls from Solitary Watch went unanswered.
It was under these circumstances that 150 handmade ballots were passed out in north block on 10 October. Three days later, 170 more were smuggled into west block, accompanied by a note that read: “Since CDCR [California department of corrections and rehabilitation] is holding the ballots, we have to improvise.”
Every other day, about 160 of the 800 men on north block are let out of their cells for 90 minutes, tier-by-tier, until everyone on all five tiers gets a chance to shower in one of 10 (racially segregated) community showers and/or go to the prison yard and/or make a 15-minute telephone call on one of 12 phones, if sign-up slots are available. Voting took place during this time, and north block cast 103 votes.
On west block, ballots were hastily passed out and collected over a two-day period during brief cell unlocks. The first day, an impromptu lockup impeded the process, and on the second day a short medical quarantine placed the election in jeopardy. But 73 ballots were retrieved and tallied.
Overall, this random sampling delivered a landslide to Biden, who received 141 votes to Trump’s 27 – a ratio of 8 to 1. (One person wrote in “freedom liberty” and three others wrote “other” or “undecided”.)
Each ballot also said: “I want to vote because …” and left room for handwritten comments. These showed that while Trump’s talk about prison reform and pardons had resonated in San Quentin, only a few thought criminal justice reform would have a better chance under a second Trump term. Some Trump supporters credited him for building “the wall”, creating economic growth, and making good trade deals; others simply did not like Biden.
An aerial view of San Quentin state prison. Photograph: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Brian Asey has been incarcerated 22 years. He voted for Biden. He’s never voted before.
“I want to vote because I want to change our city officials because they are the ones who can make a difference in my community,” said Asey, who was working in the prison’s media department as a film-maker before Covid-19. “The president is too busy lining his and his base’s pockets with money to care about anything else … He don’t care about the people, he only cares about making money.”
Another Biden voter wrote, “Trump is a habitual liar.” That’s not a quality people find appealing in a place where a man’s word is supposed to be his bond. The words “Nazi/KKK” and “White Supremacy” were parenthetically scrawled around Trump’s name on another vote for Biden.
Alex Ross, 54, has been incarcerated 26 years. He voted for Biden. “I want to vote because it is necessary that all voices be heard and to counter ethnic cleansing by way of prison,” Ross said. So did 49-year-old Tim Hick, who said that, politically, denying those in prison the right to vote is “a strategic way to red-line people”.
While Trump voters were in the minority, the current president still garnered some support. “Trump’s a businessman from jump-start – a good businessman, period,” said Daniel James Longorio, one of the few Trump supporters in north block.
Last year, the group Initiate Justice conducted a survey of people incarcerated and on parole in California and published a report, Democracy Needs Everyone. The results suggested that ending felony disenfranchisement would have a positive impact on public safety.
While 63% of respondents in that survey said they never voted before incarceration, 98% said they’d vote now, if they could. They wanted to have a voice in society, a say in elected leadership, and a chance to contribute positively to their community.
San Quentin’s Rodney “Pit” Baylis, 60, has been incarcerated 24 years. He said the last time he voted was 1982.
“As long as there is inequality in America, there will always be a civil rights movement to fill those missing pages of history,” Baylis said. “The next president’s job is going to be the hardest seat to fill because so many things are left broken. To fill this seat everyone needs to help him. The Republicans and Democrats have to come together as one to fix this country.”
Rodney Baylis: ‘The Republicans and Democrats have to come together.’ Photograph: Eddie Herena/Humans of Quentin
Meanwhile, some people in prison, conscious of the harm they’ve inflicted on fellow citizens, also have a special understanding of the need for justice and restoration –something that is particularly relevant in these times of deep racial, economic and political divisions.
One man, explaining his reason for voting, wrote simply: “We need to heal.”
Juan Haines and Kevin Sawyer have both been incarcerated at California’s San Quentin state prison for over two decades. Haines, 63, is senior editor at the award-winning prison publication the San Quentin News and a regular contributor to the Appeal and to Solitary Watch; he continued reporting as he fought Covid-19 from a solitary confinement cell during the prison’s massive outbreak. Sawyer, 57, is associate editor at the San Quentin News


theguardian--2020-10-28--People You May Know review – data mining meets Christian fundamentalism

If you like being shocked , creeped out and righteously infuriated by documentaries such as The Great Hack and The Social Dilemma that explain how our data is being mined by nefarious forces , then you ’ ll love People You May Know .
Directed by Katharina Gellein Viken and Charles Kriel – who also appear on screen , and are together as a couple and bring their infant daughter along with them on their travels – this investigative work is as much a travelogue as an exposé .
It starts in London in 2018 with US-born Kriel serving as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on disinformation and “ fake news ” , as it attempted to turn over the slimy rocks to gather whether Cambridge Analytica had sinister influence on voters supporting Brexit and the 2016 US election .
From there Kriel , Gellein Viken and various researchers follow the trail of breadcrumbs back to the US where they uncover links between several disingenuously titled rightwing organisations using Facebook and other digital resources to target/influence people who attend fundamentalist Christian churches , those with substance abuse problems , folks inclined to vote Republican , and the like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way to a conference for the big kahuna , the Council for National Policy , the little-known umbrella organisation that networks so many of the others together ; the CNP is an outfit that can count Kellyanne Conway , Steve Bannon and many other minions of evil among their membership .
Kriel manages to film them surreptitiously by wearing a crucifix with a tiny camera hidden inside , which is genius .
The dot-connecting of how it all works , persuasively explicated through the use of nifty animated graphics and material gathered under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very persuasive .
At the same time , the protagonists and their merry band of determined historians and hackers are a personable , relatable lot , especially when they demonstrate moments of compassion and understanding as to how seductive all this rightwing or religious rhetoric can be .
Gellein Viken , for instance , is awed by an app one church has constructed that gets to parents , especially mothers , by offering a countdown of exactly how many more days they have to shape their child ’ s values before they come @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be needed to beat back the forces of dark money and delusion in the near future , starting with the US election .
• People You May Know is available on the Sundance Now channel via Amazon Prime Video .

If you like being shocked, creeped out and righteously infuriated by documentaries such as The Great Hack and The Social Dilemma that explain how our data is being mined by nefarious forces, then you’ll love People You May Know. Directed by Katharina Gellein Viken and Charles Kriel – who also appear on screen, and are together as a couple and bring their infant daughter along with them on their travels – this investigative work is as much a travelogue as an exposé. It starts in London in 2018 with US-born Kriel serving as an adviser to the DCMS committee report on disinformation and “fake news”, as it attempted to turn over the slimy rocks to gather whether Cambridge Analytica had sinister influence on voters supporting Brexit and the 2016 US election.
From there Kriel, Gellein Viken and various researchers follow the trail of breadcrumbs back to the US where they uncover links between several disingenuously titled rightwing organisations using Facebook and other digital resources to target/influence people who attend fundamentalist Christian churches, those with substance abuse problems, folks inclined to vote Republican, and the like.
Eventually, the film-makers work their way to a conference for the big kahuna, the Council for National Policy, the little-known umbrella organisation that networks so many of the others together; the CNP is an outfit that can count Kellyanne Conway, Steve Bannon and many other minions of evil among their membership. Kriel manages to film them surreptitiously by wearing a crucifix with a tiny camera hidden inside, which is genius.
The dot-connecting of how it all works, persuasively explicated through the use of nifty animated graphics and material gathered under the terms of fair use, is very persuasive. At the same time, the protagonists and their merry band of determined historians and hackers are a personable, relatable lot, especially when they demonstrate moments of compassion and understanding as to how seductive all this rightwing or religious rhetoric can be. Gellein Viken, for instance, is awed by an app one church has constructed that gets to parents, especially mothers, by offering a countdown of exactly how many more days they have to shape their child’s values before they come of age.
Empathy like that will be needed to beat back the forces of dark money and delusion in the near future, starting with the US election.


theguardian--2020-10-28--Michigan court sides with gun advocates to reverse firearm ban at polls

Tom Lambert says he plans to pull the lever at his designated polling station in a Kentwood church just as he has every election for about the last 10 years – with a gun on his hip and a smile on his face .
The Michigan resident said he doesn ’ t expect to need to use his firearm while casting a ballot , but he added , “ it ’ s the fight you don ’ t expect that you prepare for ” .
It remains to be seen , however , whether he ’ s legally allowed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Benson , the Michigan secretary of state , earlier this month implemented new rules that ban guns within 100ft of polling stations .
Now , after several gun rights advocates , including Lambert , sued , a state court judge struck down the rules on Tuesday , just a week before election day .
The attorney general ’ s office plans to appeal .
Benson developed the rules in response to armed conservative groups announcing plans to monitor voting centers after Trump several weeks ago called on his supporters to “ go into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Already , armed Trump supporters sparked controversy when they showed up in security uniforms during early voting at a Florida polling location .
Other gun owners have said they won ’ t monitor the polls but plan to bring their firearms when they vote .
Both scenarios have drawn accusations of voter intimidation from some Democrats and liberal-leaning groups .
But gun owners and open carry advocates who spoke with the Guardian denied that they are out to intimidate .
They claimed they have to prepare for leftwing groups that may try @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are exercising their second amendment right to defend themselves with a gun no matter where they go .
“ I feel like I need to have my gun at all times , ” said Jim Makowski , an attorney representing plaintiffs in the suit against the secretary of state .
He said there is “ no credible threat ” of violence from conservative groups , and added that he feels it ’ s possible that “ Antifa ” may target polling places , though no groups linked to the leftist antifascist movement have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Hope Sprangel , a gun owner in Sandstone Township , a small town with about 3,000 voters , views the question of whether armed groups should be allowed to patrol polling locations as a left v right issue .
A group like Black Lives Matter shouldn ’ t be permitted to monitor polling stations , Sprangel said , but militias can be trusted with patrolling : “ I don ’ t see them as a dangerous group.
” ( Black Lives Matter hasn ’ t indicated plans to monitor polls , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to monitor polls and alert authorities of any issues . )
Though Sprangel doesn ’ t expect a confrontation in Sandstone , she is not taking any chances in this political environment .
“ This year , tempers are flared , people are angry , they ’ re on edge , ” she said .
Though Benson is looking to head off any violence with the voting center gun ban , plaintiffs claim that she failed to follow administrative protocol in developing it and contend that only the GOP-controlled legislature can enact such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Benson ’ s office has said the secretary has a “ duty and responsibility to protect ” voters from intimidation .
Makowski said Michiganders are already protected by state law – those who intimidate voters at the polls face a felony punishable by up to 20 years .
With such protections in place , he said there ’ s “ no reason or justification for [ Benson ’ s ] legal order ” , which he labeled “ political ” .
Lambert said he and most gun owners support the idea of stopping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Antifa .
Be aware of the militia , ” he said .
But he said banning guns at the polls shouldn ’ t be part of that strategy .
“ I have no problem with someone who is actively trying to intimidate people being stopped , but simply saying firearms are intimidating runs not just counter to reality , but also the US and Michigan constitution , ” he said .
Many don ’ t buy those claims and view gun owners ’ insistence on being armed as a ratcheting of tension .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ polls is a symptom of the larger problem and division in American culture , said Gary Slutkin , the founder of Cure Violence Global , which is offering training in how to navigate a potential confrontation on election day .
“ People want to do whatever they want even if it ’ s problematic for others , and perhaps because it ’ s problematic for others , because the divisions are so large that many people are more interested in causing difficulties than wanting to get along , ” he said .
Preparing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ point of election day , Slutkin noted .
“ Your goal that day is to vote , and not to win an argument , ” he said .
“ Even where people think [ guns are ] necessary for defense , the world is full of better examples of ways to solve things .
”

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Tom Lambert says he plans to pull the lever at his designated polling station in a Kentwood church just as he has every election for about the last 10 years – with a gun on his hip and a smile on his face.
The Michigan resident said he doesn’t expect to need to use his firearm while casting a ballot, but he added, “it’s the fight you don’t expect that you prepare for”.
Jocelyn Benson, the Michigan secretary of state, earlier this month implemented new rules that ban guns within 100ft of polling stations. Now, after several gun rights advocates, including Lambert, sued, a state court judge struck down the rules on Tuesday, just a week before election day. The attorney general’s office plans to appeal.
Benson developed the rules in response to armed conservative groups announcing plans to monitor voting centers after Trump several weeks ago called on his supporters to “go into the polls and watch very carefully”. Already, armed Trump supporters sparked controversy when they showed up in security uniforms during early voting at a Florida polling location.
Other gun owners have said they won’t monitor the polls but plan to bring their firearms when they vote. Both scenarios have drawn accusations of voter intimidation from some Democrats and liberal-leaning groups. But gun owners and open carry advocates who spoke with the Guardian denied that they were out to intimidate. They claimed they have to prepare for leftwing groups that may try to incite violence, and said they were exercising their second amendment right to defend themselves with a gun no matter where they go.
“I feel like I need to have my gun at all times,” said Jim Makowski, an attorney representing plaintiffs in the suit against the secretary of state. He said there was “no credible threat” of violence from conservative groups, and added that he feels it’s possible that “Antifa” may target polling places, though no groups linked to the leftist antifascist movement have publicly said they intend to do so.
Hope Sprangel, a gun owner in Sandstone Township, a small town with about 3,000 voters, views the question of whether armed groups should be allowed to patrol polling locations as a left v right issue. A group like Black Lives Matter should not be permitted to monitor polling stations, Sprangel said, but militias can be trusted with patrolling: “I don’t see them as a dangerous group.” (Black Lives Matter has not indicated plans to monitor polls, but the NAACP plans to send unarmed attorneys to monitor polls and alert authorities of any issues.)
Though Sprangel doesn’t expect a confrontation in Sandstone, she is not taking any chances in this political environment. “This year, tempers are flared, people are angry, they’re on edge,” she said.
Though Benson is looking to head off any violence with the voting center gun ban, plaintiffs claim that she failed to follow administrative protocol in developing it and contend that only the GOP-controlled legislature can enact such rules. A judge agreed, though Benson’s office has said the secretary has a “duty and responsibility to protect” voters from intimidation.
Makowski said Michiganders are already protected by state law – those who intimidate voters at the polls face a felony punishable by up to 20 years. With such protections in place, he said there’s “no reason or justification for [Benson’s] legal order”, which he labeled “political”.
Lambert said he and most gun owners support the idea of stopping voter intimidation, “Be aware of Antifa. Be aware of the militia,” he said. But he said banning guns at the polls shouldn’t be part of that strategy.
“I have no problem with someone who is actively trying to intimidate people being stopped, but simply saying firearms are intimidating runs not just counter to reality, but also the US and Michigan constitution,” he said.
Many don’t buy those claims and view gun owners’ insistence on being armed as a ratcheting of tension. The need to bring firearms to the polls is a symptom of the larger problem and division in American culture, said Gary Slutkin, the founder of Cure Violence Global, which is offering training in how to navigate a potential confrontation on election day.
“People want to do whatever they want even if it’s problematic for others, and perhaps because it’s problematic for others, because the divisions are so large that many people are more interested in causing difficulties than wanting to get along,” he said.
Preparing for a fight isn’t the point of election day, Slutkin noted.
“Your goal that day is to vote, and not to win an argument,” he said. “Even where people think [guns are] necessary for defense, the world is full of better examples of ways to solve things.”


theguardian--2020-10-28--Trump's election day director is waging war on the election in Philadelphia

For decades before he worked for the president , Donald Trump ’ s director of Election Day operations has called out and made allegations of voter fraud by the Democratic party , building a lucrative career in the process .
His name is Mike Roman , and this year he ’ s claiming an increase in mail ballots because of the coronavirus pandemic will allow Democrats to cheat and steal the election , despite little evidence .
Roman is best known for promoting a video of apparent voter intimidation by the New Black Panthers outside a polling place in his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks before George W Bush left office , the justice department investigated the incident that was cited as evidence of Democrats seeking to influence the election .
The case was later dropped because it lacked evidence .
In the decade after , Roman stayed busy .
He wrote about alleged election fraud for conservative websites like Breitbart News .
He managed a research unit for the Koch network , did consulting work for various Republicans and oversaw poll watching for Trump ’ s 2016 campaign .
These days he ’ s focused on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Philadelphia , a key city in the battleground of Pennsylvania that could determine the outcome of the election .
Earlier this year , Roman visited battleground states and worked with local candidates and parties to recruit volunteers to monitor election sites .
The Trump campaign hasn ’ t released information about the number of volunteer observers it has recruited in each state but claims it has established a 50,000-plus army of volunteers across an array of swing states .
“ This is one of the things about Mike Roman , is that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ team of volunteers to ‘ observe ’ satellite voting places and it truly is voter intimidation , plain and simple , ” said Tiffany Muller , president of Let America Vote , a voter ’ s right organization .
Trump ’ s campaign sued Philadelphia this month over city officials preventing campaign representatives from watching residents register to vote or fill out mail ballots in satellite election offices .
Prior to the lawsuit , Roman tweeted out a video of one of Trump ’ s observers being escorted out of the City Hall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Trump observers [ were ] being blocked entry to all of the satellite voting locations in Philly ” .
The video was shared by Eric Trump and President Trump , both claiming the incident was proof of “ corruption ” against the Trump campaign .
But later , it would come to light that one of the supporters law enforcement escorted out of City Hall was James Fitzpatrick , the Pennsylvania director of Election Day operations for the Trump campaign .
He was recording video on his cellphone , being disruptive and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign lost the lawsuit and the appeal .
But the loss hasn ’ t stopped the Trump campaign or its supporters from trying to observe the satellite election offices .
Trump ’ s campaign spent some time last week surveilling and videotaping voters dropping off mail ballots at Philadelphia City Hall .
Pennsylvania ’ s attorney general warned that the campaign ’ s actions fall outside of permitted poll watching practices and could lead to voter intimidation .
On Monday , Roman posted a picture of a voter with five ballots on Twitter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staff in Philadelphia of the crime .
There ’ s no proof the voter was in Philadelphia or a crime was committed .
In Pennsylvania , if a voter has a disability they can designate someone to deliver their ballot .
Roman ’ s personal blog and Twitter feed are filled with similar claims , with many posts targeting Pennsylvania .
He has falsely accused the US Postal Office in Thorndale , Pennsylvania , a suburb of Philadelphia , of having an anti-Trump sticker on its front door and asserted a random , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ devices at a Philadelphia election board warehouse may have compromised the election .
Despite many of Roman ’ s allegations of voter fraud being relatively new , it ’ s clear he ’ s been building his narrative for decades .
In 1993 , Roman worked on a special election campaign in Philadelphia where voter fraud occurred .
After Democrat William Stinson seemingly won the election against Republican Bruce Marks by a narrow margin , Marks campaign successfully argued in court that some of his opponent ’ s campaign workers went to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bribed , tricked and coached residents into voting for Stinson by mail .
The judge threw out all mail ballots and declared Marks the election winner .
“ That ’ s one of a handful of [ voter fraud ] cases in which the allegations of fraud were about absentee voting , ” said Lorraine Minnite , a political scientist at the University of Rutgers Camden .
“ You could call it fraud , you could also call it voter intimidation , because some of that activity involved pressuring people to vote a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and telling them they were eligible to vote a new way when Pennsylvania actually had pretty strict rules.
” That case could herald Roman ’ s tactics ahead of the election results next week .
Just days before the election and hours after Roman made his last claim of voter fraud in Philadelphia , Trump tweeted on Tuesday morning : “ Philadelpiha [ sic ] MUST HAVE POLLWATCHERS !
”

For decades before he worked for the president, Donald Trump’s director of election day operations has called out and made allegations of voter fraud by the Democratic party, building a lucrative career in the process. His name is Mike Roman, and this year he’s claiming an increase in mail ballots because of the coronavirus pandemic will allow Democrats to cheat and steal the election, despite little evidence.
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Roman is best known for promoting a video of apparent voter intimidation by the New Black Panthers outside a polling place in his home town of Philadelphia in 2008. Filed weeks before George W Bush left office, the justice department investigated the incident that was cited as evidence of Democrats seeking to influence the election. The case was later dropped because it lacked evidence.
In the decade after, Roman stayed busy. He wrote about alleged election fraud for conservative websites like Breitbart News. He managed a research unit for the Koch network, did consulting work for various Republicans and oversaw poll watching for Trump’s 2016 campaign. These days he’s focused on peddling the same myth in his hometown of Philadelphia, a key city in the battleground of Pennsylvania that could determine the outcome of the election.
Earlier this year, Roman visited battleground states and worked with local candidates and parties to recruit volunteers to monitor election sites. The Trump campaign hasn’t released information about the number of volunteer observers it has recruited in each state but claims it has established a 50,000-plus army of volunteers across an array of swing states.
“This is one of the things about Mike Roman, is that he’s helping assemble this massive team of volunteers to ‘observe’ satellite voting places and it truly is voter intimidation, plain and simple,” said Tiffany Muller, president of Let America Vote, a voters’ rights organization.
Trump’s campaign sued Philadelphia this month over city officials preventing campaign representatives from watching residents register to vote or fill out mail ballots in satellite election offices. Before the lawsuit, Roman tweeted out a video of one of Trump’s observers being escorted out of the City Hall offices by Philadelphia police, claiming that “Trump observers [were] being blocked entry to all of the satellite voting locations in Philly”.
Philly Election Official says City Hall is NOT a public building!! TRUMP observer thrown out of City Hall! what are they doing?? pic.twitter.com/QufmAfdSIA — Mike Roman (@mikeroman) September 30, 2020
The video was shared by Eric Trump and President Trump, both claiming the incident was proof of “corruption” against the Trump campaign. But later, it would come to light that one of the supporters law enforcement escorted out of City Hall was James Fitzpatrick, the Pennsylvania director of election day operations for the Trump campaign. He was recording video on his cellphone, being disruptive and refused to leave when asked.
The campaign lost the lawsuit and the appeal. But the loss hasn’t stopped the Trump campaign or its supporters from trying to observe the satellite election offices. Trump’s campaign spent some time last week surveilling and videotaping voters dropping off mail ballots at Philadelphia City Hall. Pennsylvania’s attorney general warned that the campaign’s actions fall outside of permitted poll watching practices and could lead to voter intimidation.
On Monday, Roman posted a picture of a voter with five ballots on Twitter, alleging a Trump volunteer alerted election staff in Philadelphia of the crime. There’s no proof the voter was in Philadelphia or a crime was committed. In Pennsylvania, if a voter has a disability they can designate someone to deliver their ballot.
Roman’s personal blog and Twitter feed are filled with similar claims, with many posts targeting Pennsylvania. He has falsely accused the US Postal Service office in Thorndale, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia, of having an anti-Trump sticker on its front door and asserted a random, unrelated theft of a laptop and USB devices at a Philadelphia election board warehouse may have compromised the election.
Despite many of Roman’s allegations of voter fraud being relatively new, it’s clear he’s been building his narrative for decades.
In 1993, Roman worked on a special election campaign in Philadelphia where voter fraud occurred. After Democrat William Stinson seemingly won the election against Republican Bruce Marks by a narrow margin, the Marks campaign successfully argued in court that some of his opponent’s campaign workers went to a neighborhood with a large Latino population and bribed, tricked and coached residents into voting for Stinson by mail. The judge threw out all mail ballots and declared Marks the election winner.
“That’s one of a handful of [voter fraud] cases in which the allegations of fraud were about absentee voting,” said Lorraine Minnite, a political scientist at the University of Rutgers Camden. “You could call it fraud, you could also call it voter intimidation, because some of that activity involved pressuring people to vote a certain way – by mail ballot – and telling them they were eligible to vote a new way when Pennsylvania actually had pretty strict rules.”
That case could herald Roman’s tactics ahead of the election results next week.
Philadelpiha MUST HAVE POLLWATCHERS! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 27, 2020
Just days before the election and hours after Roman made his last claim of voter fraud in Philadelphia, Trump tweeted on Tuesday morning: “Philadelpiha [sic] MUST HAVE POLLWATCHERS!”


theguardian--2020-10-28--'We couldn't stand it anymore': why disaffection with Devin Nunes is growing among his constituents

Paul Buxman remembers how excited he was to meet his new congressman , Devin Nunes , when Nunes showed up at his organic fruit farm in California ’ s central valley in the early 2000s .
Buxman assumed that Nunes , who comes from Portuguese dairy farming stock , was actually interested in sustainable land use .
Maybe they ’ d talk about pesticides , or water , or farm labor issues in one of the world ’ s largest food producing regions .
Maybe Nunes would ask Buxman to address the crowd he ’ d brought along .
None @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , this is the first farmer we ’ ve had as a congressman who ’ s come out to visit a farm , ” Buxman .
“ But all it was was a photo op.
” Buxman never was able to arrange a meeting with Nunes , despite making multiple overtures .
Pretty soon , he stopped voting for him .
Then , after Donald Trump became president and Nunes , as chair of the House Intelligence Committee until 2019 emerged as one of Trump ’ s staunchest defenders , Buxman started leaving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ You have to remember , you don ’ t only represent people who you agree with .
At least , sit quietly and put up with us , ” he ’ d tell them .
Nunes paid no attention until Buxman signed a petition demanding that Nunes stop describing himself as a farmer on the electoral ballot .
Nunes ’ parents had long ago moved the family dairy farm to Iowa and Nunes himself had no apparent farming connection left other than a small investment in a friend ’ s Napa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Now , Nunes did respond – with a lawsuit , accusing Buxman of being part of a dark-money plot that threatened his good name and the integrity of the electoral process .
It was one of a flurry of suits the congressman filed against critics and media organizations after facing heavy criticism for his role in Trump ’ s various Russia scandals .
Lashing out at his critics in this way has not been without a political cost .
Two years ago , after 16 years in Congress , Nunes faced his first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Andrew Janz , came within five percentage points of unseating him .
This year , small business owner and civic activist Phil Arballo could come closer still with a campaign that has focused predominantly on the local issues that many constituents accuse Nunes of ignoring .
In a district that , until recently , was considered one of the few remaining safe Republican seats in California , Arballo is polling about five points behind Nunes but is rapidly closing in , according to a recent internal Democratic party poll .
The Democrat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sizeable fundraising haul , largely from small donations including hundreds of thousands of dollars raised in response to Nunes ’ s constant lawsuits .
( Nunes still enjoys a huge fundraising advantage , though ) .
Arballo ’ s coalition is built on two pillars : the changing demographics of the area , which is now almost 50 % Latino , and disaffection with Nunes .
As Nunes has focused his energies largely on Washington ’ s toxic political culture and made himself less visible in his district , that disaffection has only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about his constituents .
That ’ s the bottom line , ” Arballo said in an interview with the Guardian .
“ Instead of holding himself accountable and reassuring people they ’ re going to be protected , instead of pushing for stimulus money and PPE in response to the coronavirus , he ’ s on Fox News talking about Hillary Clinton .
He ’ s in a different world .
He has no plans for the future .
He believes he ’ s entitled to this seat and takes every voter for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ respond to repeated requests for comment , but his critics say he has done little to counter this critique .
According to local media reports , he has not held an open constituency meeting for about ten years .
He almost never gives media interviews , other than to Fox News and a friendly district radio station .
His rhetorical style is hot and uncompromising , whether he ’ s talking to his favorite TV hosts or on the podcast that he started last year .
Over and over , he has dismissed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Donald Trump as a hoax , demonized Democrats as closet socialists , and characterized Joe Biden as a would-be revolutionary akin to Mao Tse Tung and Pol Pot .
Last month , he published a 95-page pamphlet titled Countdown to Socialism which he has since distributed widely to his constituents .
The Democrats , he writes in it , “ sympathize with the rioters and statue-topplers , they ’ re ashamed of their nation and their history , they believe their fellow countrymen are irredeemably racist and , most important , they want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ something different.
” Such rhetoric may energize the Trump base in his district , but it exhausts and bewilders many others .
Amy Aragon , a schoolteacher , and her husband , who runs a trucking company , are lifelong Republicans who voted for Nunes in each of his past elections .
But this summer they decided they ’ d had enough when they saw how Nunes and Trump responded to the protests over the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis .
The same religious faith that once drew them to conservatism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with moral revulsion at their political leaders as they equated anti-racist protesters with thugs and criminals .
“ When we saw the hatred they were spewing , ” Aragon said , “ we couldn ’ t stand it any more .
We walked into Democratic party headquarters in downtown Fresno and asked for an Arballo sign … Then we asked if there was a way to get involved.
” Two years ago , Andrew Janz ran much of his campaign on national issues , ramming home Nunes ’ s willingness to cheerlead for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being used as a tool by hostile Russian interests .
Arballo , by contrast , has focused on the issues he believes voters of all political stripes care about most : health care , containing the pandemic , lobbying for emergency economic aid , and worrying about the central valley ’ s worsening air quality .
A big part of Arballo ’ s appeal is his life story , which dovetails at many junctures with these concerns .
Arballo had nothing handed to him : his father was an alcoholic and died when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to scrape for every dollar to become the first member of his family to graduate from college .
When the pandemic hit , his wife Cynthia lost her job as a translator for local schools , and they have struggled ever since to make ends meet while shepherding their 6-year-old through remote school learning and also looking after a 2-year-old .
They know first-hand what it is like to wait for months for unemployment benefits .
And they worry that their 6-year-old could lose access to health care because he is asthmatic , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be covered if the Affordable Care Act is overturned as Nunes has advocated .
“ People can relate to my story , ” Arballo said .
“ I know what it ’ s like to live paycheck-to-paycheck and do a household budget .
I grew up here , and my family ’ s still here … Devin Nunes couldn ’ t be more different .
He ’ s been a representative for 18 years and knows nothing outside of that.
” The question of political authenticity looms large in the race and perhaps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the accusation that he ’ s not really a farmer .
A few years ago , his connection to the Alpha and Omega winery in Napa generated unwelcome headlines after the owner of the winery , who describes himself as a “ good friend ” , was alleged to have hosted a party on his yacht involving prostitutes and cocaine .
( Nunes was not present . )
Last year , soon after filing suit against farmer Paul Buxman , Nunes claimed a farm as one of his assets .
But he also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , that the property was worth less than $ 15,000 , the price of a storage shed , and generated no income – an admission that prompted widespread ridicule among his detractors .
Although the district has plenty of ardent Trump supporters , the administration ’ s agenda has , in some respects , been on a collision course with local interests .
The uncompromising crackdown on immigration , for example , has made it much more difficult for the big almond and raisin growers around Fresno and the dairy farmers further south @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bring them to market because most farm laborers in California are undocumented immigrants .
Buxman , a soft-spoken man in his 70s who says he would as soon spend his retirement making marmalade , expressed regret more than anger over Nunes ’ s trajectory from farmer ’ s son to hot-headed ideologue .
“ I ’ ve said prayers for him , ” he recounted .
“ The way I see it , the best thing that could happen to him is that he lose the election .
For his own sake .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ d be glad to help him do that.
” Nunes quietly dropped the suit against Buxman and his co-defendants last year .
And , this year , the designation “ farmer ” no longer appears next to his name on the ballot .

Paul Buxman remembers how excited he was to meet his new congressman, Devin Nunes, when Nunes showed up at his organic fruit farm in California’s central valley in the early 2000s.
Buxman assumed that Nunes, who comes from Portuguese dairy farming stock, was actually interested in sustainable land use. Maybe they’d talk about pesticides, or water, or farm labor issues in one of the world’s largest food producing regions. Maybe Nunes would ask Buxman to address the crowd he’d brought along.
None of it happened. “I thought, this is the first farmer we’ve had as a congressman who’s come out to visit a farm,” Buxman. “But all it was was a photo op.”
Buxman never was able to arrange a meeting with Nunes, despite making multiple overtures. Pretty soon, he stopped voting for him. Then, after Donald Trump became president and Nunes, as chair of the House intelligence committee until 2019 emerged as one of Trump’s staunchest defenders, Buxman started leaving messages with the congressman’s staffers. “You have to remember, you don’t only represent people who you agree with. At least, sit quietly and put up with us,” he’d tell them.
Nunes paid no attention until Buxman signed a petition demanding that Nunes stop describing himself as a farmer on the electoral ballot. Nunes’s parents had long ago moved the family dairy farm to Iowa and Nunes himself had no apparent farming connection left other than a small investment in a friend’s Napa valley winery, the petition argued.
Now, Nunes did respond – with a lawsuit, accusing Buxman of being part of a dark-money plot that threatened his good name and the integrity of the electoral process. It was one of a flurry of suits the congressman filed against critics and media organizations after facing heavy criticism for his role in Trump’s various Russia scandals.
Lashing out at his critics in this way has not been without a political cost. Two years ago, after 16 years in Congress, Nunes faced his first significant re-election battle when a local prosecutor, Andrew Janz, came within five percentage points of unseating him. This year, small business owner and civic activist Phil Arballo could come closer still with a campaign that has focused predominantly on the local issues that many constituents accuse Nunes of ignoring.
Devin Nunes has faced criticism for his role in Donald Trump’s various Russia scandals. Photograph: Michael Reynolds/EPA
In a district that, until recently, was considered one of the few remaining safe Republican seats in California, Arballo is polling about five points behind Nunes but is rapidly closing in, according to a recent internal Democratic party poll. The Democrat has also managed to pull in a sizable fundraising haul, largely from small donations including hundreds of thousands of dollars raised in response to Nunes’s constant lawsuits. (Nunes still enjoys a huge fundraising advantage, though).
Arballo’s coalition is built on two pillars: the changing demographics of the area, which is now almost 50% Latino, and disaffection with Nunes. As Nunes has focused his energies largely on Washington’s toxic political culture and made himself less visible in his district, that disaffection has only grown.
“He’s forgotten about his constituents. That’s the bottom line,” Arballo said in an interview with the Guardian. “Instead of holding himself accountable and reassuring people they’re going to be protected, instead of pushing for stimulus money and PPE in response to the coronavirus, he’s on Fox News talking about Hillary Clinton. He’s in a different world. He has no plans for the future. He believes he’s entitled to this seat and takes every voter for granted.”
Nunes’s office did not respond to repeated requests for comment, but his critics say he has done little to counter this critique. According to local media reports, he has not held an open constituency meeting for about 10 years. He almost never gives media interviews, other than to Fox News and a friendly district radio station. His rhetorical style is hot and uncompromising, whether he’s talking to his favorite TV hosts or on the podcast that he started last year. Over and over, he has dismissed any suggestion of undue Russian influence on Trump as a hoax, demonized Democrats as closet socialists, and characterized Joe Biden as a would-be revolutionary akin to Mao Zedong and Pol Pot.
Last month, he published a 95-page pamphlet titled Countdown to Socialism which he has since distributed widely to his constituents. The Democrats, he writes in it, “sympathize with the rioters and statue-topplers, they’re ashamed of their nation and their history, they believe their fellow countrymen are irredeemably racist and, most important, they want to ‘transform’ our country into something different”.
Such rhetoric may energize the Trump base in his district, but it exhausts and bewilders many others. Amy Aragon, a schoolteacher, and her husband, who runs a trucking company, are lifelong Republicans who voted for Nunes in each of his past elections. But this summer they decided they’d had enough when they saw how Nunes and Trump responded to the protests over the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
The same religious faith that once drew them to conservatism, she said, now filled them with moral revulsion at their political leaders as they equated anti-racist protesters with thugs and criminals. “When we saw the hatred they were spewing,” Aragon said, “we couldn’t stand it any more. We walked into Democratic party headquarters in downtown Fresno and asked for an Arballo sign … Then we asked if there was a way to get involved.”
A demonstrator holds a homemade puppet of Devin Nunes during the impeachment inquiry of Donald Trump. Photograph: Alex Edelman/Getty Images
Two years ago, Andrew Janz ran much of his campaign on national issues, ramming home Nunes’s willingness to cheerlead for Trump and questioning whether the congressman was being used as a tool by hostile Russian interests. Arballo, by contrast, has focused on the issues he believes voters of all political stripes care about most: healthcare, containing the pandemic, lobbying for emergency economic aid, and worrying about the central valley’s worsening air quality.
A big part of Arballo’s appeal is his life story, which dovetails at many junctures with these concerns. Arballo had nothing handed to him: his father was an alcoholic and died when he was 14, and he had to scrape for every dollar to become the first member of his family to graduate from college. When the pandemic hit, his wife Cynthia lost her job as a translator for local schools, and they have struggled ever since to make ends meet while shepherding their six-year-old through remote school learning and also looking after a two-year-old.
They know first-hand what it is like to wait for months for unemployment benefits. And they worry that their six-year-old could lose access to healthcare because he is asthmatic, a pre-existing condition that may no longer be covered if the Affordable Care Act is overturned as Nunes has advocated.
“People can relate to my story,” Arballo said. “I know what it’s like to live paycheck-to-paycheck and do a household budget. I grew up here, and my family’s still here … Devin Nunes couldn’t be more different. He’s been a representative for 18 years and knows nothing outside of that.”
The question of political authenticity looms large in the race and perhaps helps explain Nunes’s sensitivity to the accusation that he’s not really a farmer. A few years ago, his connection to the Alpha and Omega winery in Napa generated unwelcome headlines after the owner of the winery, who describes himself as a “good friend”, was alleged to have hosted a party on his yacht involving prostitutes and cocaine. (Nunes was not present.) Last year, soon after filing suit against farmer Paul Buxman, Nunes claimed a farm as one of his assets. But he also conceded, in a congressional disclosure form, that the property was worth less than $15,000, the price of a storage shed, and generated no income – an admission that prompted widespread ridicule among his detractors.
Although the district has plenty of ardent Trump supporters, the administration’s agenda has, in some respects, been on a collision course with local interests. The uncompromising crackdown on immigration, for example, has made it much more difficult for the big almond and raisin growers around Fresno and the dairy farmers further south around Visalia to produce their goods and bring them to market because most farm laborers in California are undocumented immigrants.
Buxman, a soft-spoken man in his 70s who says he would as soon spend his retirement making marmalade, expressed regret more than anger over Nunes’s trajectory from farmer’s son to hot-headed ideologue. “I’ve said prayers for him,” he recounted. “The way I see it, the best thing that could happen to him is that he lose the election. For his own sake. Then he really could start farming. I’d be glad to help him do that.”
Nunes quietly dropped the suit against Buxman and his co-defendants last year. And, this year, the designation “farmer” no longer appears next to his name on the ballot.


theguardian--2020-10-28--We thought Reagan was the devil – then came Trump. America, we're rooting for you | Ian Martin

HEY !
How you guys doing ?
Longtime British Americanophile “ reaching out ” across the Atlantic .
I ’ m here to heart you , USA .
I ’ m like “ hope the hurting stops soon ” ( strong-arm mid-tone emoji ) .
I guess you ’ re all making a list of The Worst Things Trump Did , then checking it twice because really , who ’ d believe it .
And I know he ’ s primarily your monstrous problem .
But even Brits are citizens of what we used to call “ the free world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leader of it .
And one of the very worst things Trump ’ s done is to make Ronald Reagan look like an intellectual giant .
Simply by comparison , Trump has humanised Reagan and elevated his memory to sainthood .
I ’ m currently researching the Gipper for a project and honestly , next to Trump he genuinely seems like … not the good guy , exactly ?
But definitely presidential .
“ Let ’ s make America great again ” was Reagan ’ s slogan , of course .
It was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ America great in the world again .
Trump ’ s slogan initially stood for rebuilding economic power .
Now it ’ s shorthand for “ let ’ s win the culture war I relentlessly inflame and sure , bring on an actual armed civil war if I lose the election ” .
Of course , Trump ’ s humanity is at such undetectable levels he makes literally anyone else look like St Francis of Assisi .
Infuriatingly , even deadweight predecessors like the Bush dynasty look competent .
But Reagan ?
Along with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I was there at marches and demonstrations , noisily railing against hated neoliberal Raygun , his nuclear missiles , his utterly insane space force .
Oh how we disdained him , this doddery warmonger , this huckleberry clown of a politician .
It never occurred to us that 40 years on we ’ d be contemplating someone so much more clueless , so very much stupider , than Reagan .
None of my business , dear Americans , I know .
You ’ re absolutely right .
It ’ s not my country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re the ones pledging allegiance from sea to shining sea .
I should butt out .
And yet .
All this used to be my business , back in the day when Potus was de facto leader of “ the west ” and led the forces of laissez-faire capitalism against the Evil Empire of Communism .
“ Ideology ” , we used to call it .
Man , we thought Reagan was the devil incarnate 40 years ago .
Now the news is basically “ Self-Satirising Human Cronut Yesterday On Twitter Said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of solidarity , I ’ m watching the televised presidential debate for election 1980 , 40 years ago .
Jimmy Carter the bruised defender , looking for a second term .
Reagan the interloper , the disrupter , landing blow after blow on Carter – the failing economy , the Tehran hostages , the correct pronunciation of “ nuclear ” .
Reagan was the older man but he sounded younger .
What is frankly astonishing is the dignity of the debate itself .
Here were political enemies – diametrically opposed on every issue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when time ran out .
Basic human respect .
And you stop and think - how is this normal , being nostalgic for normality itself ?
Trump often invokes Ronald Reagan as an inspiration , and you can see how the analogy crosses his mind , like tumbleweed .
Reagan too arrived at the White House from the world of entertainment .
But Reagan had been governor of California for two terms .
And president of a powerful union , the Screen Actors Guild .
And served in the military .
Reagan ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government off the backs of the people ” undoubtedly helped Trump the young shark-eyed entrepreneur - greedy to build , greedy for profit , greedy for tax credits .
Reagan consistently said that a free press was a prerequisite for a free country , and that it should hold presidents to account .
Imagine that : a president inviting scrutiny .
Trump dismisses any story he doesn ’ t like as “ fake news ” and deals only with Fox – his Pravda , his Tass .
Unlike Trump , Reagan was self-aware @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surrounded himself with smart counsel and experts .
Trump lives in a bubble of sycophancy .
Some of the stuff Trump ’ s pulling isn ’ t new , it ’ s just louder .
You couldn ’ t imagine any of the other presidents not wanting America First .
And like Trump , Reagan was an authoritarian who sent armed police in to break up civil protest .
Reagan was indifferent to Aids ; Trump is indifferent to Covid-19 .
More than 89,000 people died of Aids over seven years under Reagan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over seven months under Trump are 225,000 and rising … In his foreign policy dealings , Reagan believed in statecraft , that ancient art of diplomacy now apparently lost in the murk of history .
He saw his primary task as leading the world to peace and was prepared to sit down with cold war adversaries to thrash out a disarmament program .
Does Trump even have a foreign policy , besides “ screw you ” ?
A resurrected Reagan would be aghast at Trump meeting Commie-In-Chief Kim Jong-un three times to discuss @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Reagan ’ s statecraft did not hinge on whether the particular head of state “ liked him ” .
Reagan ’ s preoccupation wasn ’ t self-aggrandisement .
He sought world peace , and found gratification in good deeds .
When his mind had gone , his memories lost , all knowledge of being President entirely faded , he remembered this : he had saved 77 people from drowning as a young lifeguard .
That , in his shattered mind , was his legacy .
In Trump ’ s bizarro world , drowners @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ll sign off .
You have important stuff to do , like choosing a president .
I wish you good luck ; we ’ re all aware Kamala Harris is a result and a heartbeat from becoming America ’ s first female Potus .
Things could be worse , no doubt .
But they could also be better .
The best to you and yours , my brothers and sisters .
Ian Martin is a comedy writer .
His credits include Veep , The Death of Stalin , Avenue 5 , The Thick @ @ @ @

Dear America,
HEY! How you guys doing? Longtime British Americanophile “reaching out” across the Atlantic. I’m here to heart you, USA. I’m like “hope the hurting stops soon” (strong-arm mid-tone emoji).
I guess you’re all making a list of The Worst Things Trump Did, then checking it twice because really, who’d believe it. And I know he’s primarily your monstrous problem. But even Brits are citizens of what we used to call “the free world”. Your president was once the leader of it. And one of the very worst things Trump’s done is to make Ronald Reagan look like an intellectual giant. Simply by comparison, Trump has humanised Reagan and elevated his memory to sainthood.
I’m currently researching the Gipper for a project and honestly, next to Trump he genuinely seems like … not the good guy, exactly? But definitely presidential. “Let’s make America great again” was Reagan’s slogan, of course. It was about “American values”, making America great in the world again. Trump’s slogan initially stood for rebuilding economic power. Now it’s shorthand for “let’s win the culture war I relentlessly inflame and sure, bring on an actual armed civil war if I lose the election”.
Trump’s humanity is at such undetectable levels he makes literally anyone else look like St Francis of Assisi
Of course, Trump’s humanity is at such undetectable levels he makes literally anyone else look like St Francis of Assisi. Infuriatingly, even deadweight predecessors like the Bush dynasty look competent. But Reagan? Along with millions of others in the 1980s, I was there at marches and demonstrations, noisily railing against hated neoliberal Raygun, his nuclear missiles, his utterly insane space force. Oh how we disdained him, this doddery warmonger, this huckleberry clown of a politician. It never occurred to us that 40 years on we’d be contemplating someone so much more clueless, so very much stupider, than Reagan.
None of my business, dear Americans, I know. You’re absolutely right. It’s not my country, it’s yours. You’re the ones pledging allegiance from sea to shining sea. I should butt out. And yet. All this used to be my business, back in the day when Potus was de facto leader of “the west” and led the forces of laissez-faire capitalism against the Evil Empire of Communism. “Ideology”, we used to call it. Man, we thought Reagan was the devil incarnate 40 years ago. Now the news is basically “Self-Satirising Human Cronut Yesterday On Twitter Said …”
As I write this letter of solidarity, I’m watching the televised presidential debate for election 1980, 40 years ago. Jimmy Carter the bruised defender, looking for a second term. Reagan the interloper, the disrupter, landing blow after blow on Carter – the failing economy, the Tehran hostages, the correct pronunciation of “nuclear”. Reagan was the older man but he sounded younger. What is frankly astonishing is the dignity of the debate itself. Here were political enemies – diametrically opposed on every issue – politely disagreeing, listening, yielding when time ran out. Basic human respect. And you stop and think – how is this normal, being nostalgic for normality itself?
Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan during a debate in 1980. Photograph: The Ronald Reagan Presidential L/Reuters
Trump often invokes Ronald Reagan as an inspiration, and you can see how the analogy crosses his mind, like tumbleweed. Reagan too arrived at the White House from the world of entertainment. But Reagan had been governor of California for two terms. And president of a powerful union, the Screen Actors Guild. And served in the military. Reagan’s primary domestic objective of “getting government off the backs of the people” undoubtedly helped Trump the young shark-eyed entrepreneur – greedy to build, greedy for profit, greedy for tax credits.
Reagan consistently said that a free press was a prerequisite for a free country, and that it should hold presidents to account. Imagine that: a president inviting scrutiny. Trump dismisses any story he doesn’t like as “fake news” and deals only with Fox – his Pravda, his Tass. Unlike Trump, Reagan was self-aware enough to know his limitations. He surrounded himself with smart counsel and experts. Trump lives in a bubble of sycophancy.
Some of the stuff Trump’s pulling isn’t new, it’s just louder. You couldn’t imagine any of the other presidents not wanting America First. And like Trump, Reagan was an authoritarian who sent armed police in to break up civil protest. Reagan was indifferent to Aids; Trump is indifferent to Covid-19. More than 89,000 people died of Aids over seven years under Reagan administrations. Covid deaths in the US over seven months under Trump are 225,000 and rising …
In his foreign policy dealings, Reagan believed in statecraft, that ancient art of diplomacy now apparently lost in the murk of history. He saw his primary task as leading the world to peace and was prepared to sit down with cold war adversaries to thrash out a disarmament program. Does Trump even have a foreign policy, besides “screw you”? A resurrected Reagan would be aghast at Trump meeting Commie-in-Chief Kim Jong-un three times to discuss nuclear weapons with no tangible results.
Reagan’s statecraft did not hinge on whether the particular head of state “liked him”. Reagan’s preoccupation wasn’t self-aggrandisement. He sought world peace, and found gratification in good deeds. When his mind had gone, his memories lost, all knowledge of being president entirely faded, he remembered this: he had saved 77 people from drowning as a young lifeguard. That, in his shattered mind, was his legacy. In Trump’s bizarro world, drowners are losers.
Anyway, I’ll sign off. You have important stuff to do, like choosing a president. I wish you good luck; we’re all aware Kamala Harris is a result and a heartbeat from becoming America’s first female Potus. Things could be worse, no doubt. But they could also be better. The best to you and yours, my brothers and sisters.
I remain your most ardent admirer,
A Brit, Esq
Ian Martin is a comedy writer. His credits include Veep, The Death of Stalin, Avenue 5, The Thick of it and more


theguardian--2020-10-28--'Already broken': US election unlikely to change relations with Russia

After four years in which the Kremlin loomed large over US politics , the topics of collusion , Russian meddling or Ukrainian scandals have been largely absent from the campaign agenda as election day draws close .
It may be that Moscow still intends to interfere : the FBI director Christopher Wray said last month that the bureau has seen “ very active efforts by the Russians to influence our election in 2020 ” – mainly involving misinformation with the primary goal of denigrating Joe Biden .
And the US indictment of six Russian military intelligence hackers last week served @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
However , as Biden enters the final days of the campaign with a significant lead , Putin appears to be hedging his bets .
The Russian president pointedly declined to amplify Donald Trump ’ s unsubstantiated allegations about Biden ’ s son , Hunter , and his past business dealings in Ukraine , noting he did not “ see anything criminal ” in them .
Putin has also pointed to possible common ground with the Democrats on social democratic ideology and arms control .
The Russian leader and the former vice-president certainly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , though the relationship lacks any of the warmth that Trump claims infuses his bond with the Russian leader .
“ I ’ m looking into your eyes , and I don ’ t think you have a soul , ” Biden told Putin at a 2011 meeting , according to an account he gave the New Yorker .
“ He looked back at me , and he smiled , and he said : ‘ We understand one another.
’ ” Biden has not dwelled on the well-worn topics of Trump ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – in part because coronavirus has cast such a long shadow over the election and the Biden team feel that voters are tired of hearing about Russia .
“ The most resonant issues for American voters right now are Trump ’ s mishandling of the coronavirus pandemic , the economy , and the dangers of white nationalism ; by contrast , Russian election interference in 2016 seems more distant for those just trying to make ends meet , ” said Michael Carpenter , a foreign policy adviser during Biden ’ s time as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign .
It is possible , too , that “ Russiagate ” was never a major vote-winning issue : Trump ’ s supporters dismissed the charges as “ fake news ” and many of his opponents were more focused on other issues .
“ Russia is a media and a Washington conversation .
My students don ’ t care about Russia ; they care about Black Lives Matter and MeToo , ” said Nina Khrushcheva , a Russian-American professor of international affairs at the New School in New York .
Questions over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Ukraine have failed to resonate much beyond Trump ’ s core base , with a recent attempt to reopen allegations of Biden ’ s alleged wrongdoing in Ukraine largely falling flat .
If Moscow did indeed help put Trump in the White House , their man has done little to improve the the bilateral relationship over the past four years , despite his personal praise for Putin .
But his disdain for western alliances and naked America-first self-interest is something that the Kremlin appreciates – and may explain why officials in Moscow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ term .
“ Putin and people around him might like Trump because he fits very nicely with their view of the world .
He ’ s a graphic illustration of their logic that the world is moving away from liberal values and multilateralism and towards sovereignty and traditional values , ” said Andrey Kortunov , of the Russian International Affairs Council .
He said that while Putin genuinely does not understand politicians such as Angela Merkel or Emmanuel Macron – and believes their talk of values to be hollow and cynical – with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kindred spirit , even if there is little affection for him as a person .
The two men share “ scepticism of international bodies , emphasis on sovereignty , a transactionalist approach to foreign policy and a feeling that discussions about values are mere hypocrisy ” , said Kortunov .
Putin earlier this month noted Biden ’ s history of “ sharp anti-Russian rhetoric ” and contrasted it with Trump ’ s oft-stated desire for better ties with Moscow .
“ Biden ’ s approach to Russia would involve supporting a dialogue on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ management and risk reduction from a position of strength , ” said Carpenter , saying it was simplistic to see the question of Russia policy as a black-and-white hawk or dove calculation .
Kortunov said that Russia , unlike Germany , Israel or China , is in the “ privileged position ” that the outcome of the election is likely to have little effect on bilateral relations .
“ But the bad news is that this is because it will be bad either way .
Almost anything that could be broken is already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there is little prospect of improvement .
Kirill Dmitriev , the head of Russia ’ s sovereign wealth fund , who was reportedly an intermediary for informal contacts with members of the Trump entourage after his 2016 victory , declined to say whether he favoured a Trump or Biden victory .
But he said either way it was hard to imagine how things could get worse .
“ We are at the lowest point ever in the history of US-Russian relations so going even lower would be difficult , ” he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the 2016 election , whether it be the hacking of Democratic party servers or armies of internet trolls stirring up trouble on Facebook and Twitter .
But Fiona Hill , who was the national security council director for European and Russian affairs for three years of the Trump administration and testified at Trump ’ s impeachment hearing , said hawkish Russian security official Nikolai Patrushev and other top officials all but admitted Russia ’ s interference in the 2016 vote when she confronted them .
“ The Russians said to us : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They were admitting it essentially .
They said it ’ s on you that this got so out of hand.
” The officials suggested that the US had left Russia an open goal with its divisive politics – and she felt they had a point : “ We were providing the raw materials , making our own mistakes , ” she said .
The Russian interference “ wouldn ’ t have resonated without our deep polarisation and our structural issues ” .
This time round , there are new allegations of Russian attempts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a rightwing site apparently set up by Russians and meant to influence US voters .
But there is less attention now , perhaps because with the amount of disinformation flowing from the White House , the Russian efforts appear to be a drop in the ocean .
“ The biggest risk to this election is not the Russians , it ’ s us , ” said Hill .

Shaun Walker in Moscow and Julian Borger in Washington

After four years in which the Kremlin loomed large over US politics, the topics of collusion, Russian meddling or Ukrainian scandals have been largely absent from the campaign agenda as election day draws close.
It may be that Moscow still intends to interfere: the FBI director Christopher Wray said last month that the bureau has seen “very active efforts by the Russians to influence our election in 2020” – mainly involving misinformation with the primary goal of denigrating Joe Biden. And the US indictment of six Russian military intelligence hackers last week served as a reminder of the potential threat.
However, as Biden enters the final days of the campaign with a significant lead, Putin appears to be hedging his bets. The Russian president pointedly declined to amplify Donald Trump’s unsubstantiated allegations about Biden’s son, Hunter, and his past business dealings in Ukraine, noting he did not “see anything criminal” in them. Putin has also pointed to possible common ground with the Democrats on social democratic ideology and arms control.
The Russian leader and the former vice-president certainly know each other well from past encounters, though the relationship lacks any of the warmth that Trump claims infuses his bond with the Russian leader.
“I’m looking into your eyes, and I don’t think you have a soul,” Biden told Putin at a 2011 meeting, according to an account he gave the New Yorker. “He looked back at me, and he smiled, and he said: ‘We understand one another.’”
Biden has not dwelled on the well-worn topics of Trump’s soft spot for Putin or Kremlin meddling – in part because coronavirus has cast such a long shadow over the election and the Biden team feel that voters are tired of hearing about Russia.
“The most resonant issues for American voters right now are Trump’s mishandling of the coronavirus pandemic, the economy, and the dangers of white nationalism; by contrast, Russian election interference in 2016 seems more distant for those just trying to make ends meet,” said Michael Carpenter, a foreign policy adviser during Biden’s time as vice-president who remains in touch with the campaign.
It is possible, too, that “Russiagate” was never a major vote-winning issue: Trump’s supporters dismissed the charges as “fake news” and many of his opponents were more focused on other issues.
“Russia is a media and a Washington conversation. My students don’t care about Russia; they care about Black Lives Matter and MeToo,” said Nina Khrushcheva, a Russian-American professor of international affairs at the New School in New York.
Questions over the business dealings of Biden’s son in Ukraine have failed to resonate much beyond Trump’s core base, with a recent attempt to reopen allegations of Biden’s alleged wrongdoing in Ukraine largely falling flat.
If Moscow did indeed help put Trump in the White House, their man has done little to improve the the bilateral relationship over the past four years, despite his personal praise for Putin. But his disdain for western alliances and naked America-first self-interest is something that the Kremlin appreciates – and may explain why officials in Moscow want to see Trump win a second term.
“Putin and people around him might like Trump because he fits very nicely with their view of the world. He’s a graphic illustration of their logic that the world is moving away from liberal values and multilateralism and towards sovereignty and traditional values,” said Andrey Kortunov, of the Russian International Affairs Council.
He said that while Putin genuinely does not understand politicians such as Angela Merkel or Emmanuel Macron – and believes their talk of values to be hollow and cynical – with Trump there is a recognition of a kindred spirit, even if there is little affection for him as a person. The two men share “scepticism of international bodies, emphasis on sovereignty, a transactionalist approach to foreign policy and a feeling that discussions about values are mere hypocrisy”, said Kortunov.
Putin earlier this month noted Biden’s history of “sharp anti-Russian rhetoric” and contrasted it with Trump’s oft-stated desire for better ties with Moscow.
“Biden’s approach to Russia would involve supporting a dialogue on arms control, strategic stability, crisis management and risk reduction from a position of strength,” said Carpenter, saying it was simplistic to see the question of Russia policy as a black-and-white hawk or dove calculation.
Kortunov said that Russia, unlike Germany, Israel or China, is in the “privileged position” that the outcome of the election is likely to have little effect on bilateral relations. “But the bad news is that this is because it will be bad either way. Almost anything that could be broken is already broken,” he said. And there is little prospect of improvement.
Kirill Dmitriev, the head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, who was reportedly an intermediary for informal contacts with members of the Trump entourage after his 2016 victory, declined to say whether he favoured a Trump or Biden victory. But he said either way it was hard to imagine how things could get worse. “We are at the lowest point ever in the history of US-Russian relations so going even lower would be difficult,” he said.
Russia still denies all accusations of meddling in the 2016 election, whether it be the hacking of Democratic party servers or armies of internet trolls stirring up trouble on Facebook and Twitter.
But Fiona Hill, who was the national security council director for European and Russian affairs for three years of the Trump administration and testified at Trump’s impeachment hearing, said hawkish Russian security official Nikolai Patrushev and other top officials all but admitted Russia’s interference in the 2016 vote when she confronted them.
“The Russians said to us: ‘You guys left yourselves open.’ They were admitting it essentially. They said it’s on you that this got so out of hand.”
The officials suggested that the US had left Russia an open goal with its divisive politics – and she felt they had a point: “We were providing the raw materials, making our own mistakes,” she said. The Russian interference “wouldn’t have resonated without our deep polarisation and our structural issues”.
This time round, there are new allegations of Russian attempts to influence the political landscape, such as a rightwing site apparently set up by Russians and meant to influence US voters. But there is less attention now, perhaps because with the amount of disinformation flowing from the White House, the Russian efforts appear to be a drop in the ocean.
“The biggest risk to this election is not the Russians, it’s us,” said Hill.


theguardian--2020-10-28--Trump says Covid numbers 'way down' as US passes 226,000 deaths – video

President Donald Trump says Covid-19 cases in the US are 'way down ' despite nearly half a million people contracting @ @ @ @ @ over the last seven days , according to a Reuters tally .
Speaking one week @ @ @ @ @ a campaign rally in Wisconsin , Trump made a baseless prediction that the media would @ @ @ @ @ 'extremely well ' one day after the election • Voter participation poised to soar as @ @ @ @ @ – live

President Donald Trump says Covid-19 cases in the US are ‘way down’ despite nearly half a million people contracting the virus in the country over the last seven days, according to a Reuters tally. Speaking one week out from the election at a campaign rally in Wisconsin, Trump made a baseless prediction that the media would say the country was doing ‘extremely well’ one day after the election


theguardian--2020-10-28--'Let me finish': John Bolton clashes with BBC journalist Emily Maitlis over Trump – video

John Bolton , a former national security adviser to the Trump administration , gets into heated exchanges with BBC Newsnight @ @ @ @ @ he did not appear at Donald Trump 's impeachment trial .
He repeatedly tells Maitlis @ @ @ @ @ , and blames House Democrats for empowering Trump when they failed to convict him during @ @ @ @ @ also pressed Bolton on why he worked alongside Trump despite admitting he saw him as @ @ @ @ @ American security

John Bolton, a former national security adviser to the Trump administration, gets into heated exchanges with BBC Newsnight's Emily Maitlis over why he did not appear at Donald Trump's impeachment trial. He repeatedly tells Maitlis to 'let him finish', and blames House Democrats for empowering Trump when they failed to convict him during the impeachment trial. Maitlis also pressed Bolton on why he worked alongside Trump despite admitting he saw him as corrupt and a threat to American security