theguardian--2020-11-13--'People got involved': how Los Angeles progressives swept the election

Voters in Los Angeles have approved new limits to police power , elected a prosecutor who promised to reopen police shooting cases and mandated that 10 % of the local budget be spent on prevention programs rather than incarceration .
The slate of progressive victories in Los Angeles , which counts 10m residents and is home to the largest jail system in the United States , show the potential impact of local wins for criminal justice reform , as well as the growing electoral influence of Black Lives Matter .
“ So many people got involved and wanted to vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ East Los Angeles resident whose 18-year-old son Paul Rea was shot to death by a Los Angeles sheriff ’ s deputy in 2019 .
“ A lot of the families I talk to – we ’ re tired of living in fear.
” Los Angeles elected a new district attorney , George Gascón , who has pledged not to keep people in prison when they are up for parole , not transfer teens to adult court , not pursue the death penalty and won ’ t use “ gang enhancements ” , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ways .
Though Gascón faced protests in his former job as San Francisco district attorney for refusing to prosecute officers in several high-profile police killing cases , he vowed during the campaign in LA to reopen some police shooting cases , and has said that incarcerating people for low-level offenses during the coronavirus pandemic is “ unconscionable ” .
Law enforcement unions had contributed millions of dollars in political spending to backing Gascón ’ s opponent , the incumbent prosecutor Jackie Lacey .
For the past three years , Lacey had refused to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against what they say are more than 600 police killings and in-custody deaths of prisoners since she took office in 2013 and Lacey ’ s refusal to prosecute the officers responsible .
Gascón held his first meeting with Black Lives Matter on Monday , three days after his victory over Lacey , and he acknowledged how instrumental the group ’ s organizing against his opponent had been .
“ There was a symbolic reason why we ’ re here first , ” he told Black Lives Matter .
“ Because so much of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it happen.
” “ I used to say the system is broken , and I have come to the conclusion that the system is doing exactly what it was designed to do , ” Gascón told the families gathered in a church basement .
“ In this country , policing , prosecution – a lot of it has deep roots in the institution of slavery.
” While he would not be able to reopen the investigation in every police shooting , Gascón said , he had pledged to re-examine whether to prosecute officers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the families , “ I want to work with you.
” In other key Los Angeles races , too , progressive candidates beat contenders backed by donations from police and sheriff ’ s unions .
Even in races where both candidates said they supported cutting the police department funding and endorsed the idea of having unarmed crisis specialists to respond to some emergency calls , rather than armed police , law enforcement donations became a key campaign issue .
Nithya Raman , a progressive challenger endorsed by Bernie Sanders , won a Los @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , an incumbent Democrat endorsed by Nancy Pelosi and Hillary Clinton .
Ryu ’ s campaign had attacked Raman for her support from the “ divisive radicals ” of the Democratic Socialists of America , comments that were criticized as “ red-baiting ” , and had suggested that she supported cutting the police department ’ s budget by 98 % , a claim her campaign denied .
Ryu announced during the campaign he was returning a direct campaign donation from the local police union , and told the Los Angeles Times he was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on his behalf .
Holly Mitchell , a progressive dubbed the “ moral compass ” of the state legislature , won 60 % of the vote after taking a “ no cop money ” pledge , defeating another prominent black Democrat , Herb Wesson , who had received half a million dollars from the union that represents Los Angeles sheriff ’ s deputies .
Mitchell , who is known for lambasting her fellow Democrats for passing a budget that did too little to help “ poor people in California and their children ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ women on the Los Angeles board of supervisors , a powerful slate of county lawmakers once known as the “ five little kings ” .
Voters also overwhelmingly approved a ballot measure to dedicate 10 % of the unrestricted county budget , estimated at nearly $ 400m , to mental health programs , housing support , intervention programs , while barring spending any of that money on law enforcement .
Alex Villanueva , the Los Angeles county sheriff , had claimed in July that the attempt to dedicate funding to prevention programs would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and urged voters to oppose it , “ If you don ’ t want your streets to look like a scene from Mad Max.
” While the election results represented some wins for the left , Erick Huerta , a local activist and the host of the Órale Boyle Heights podcast , cautioned , there is still plenty of work left to do .
Los Angeles has “ that perception of being blue ” , but longtime residents know that the region , like the state , is more conservative than it appears @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who are “ just better at hiding it than the others ” , said Huerta .
But the growing influence of Black Lives Matter in Los Angeles elections was striking , Huerta said , and so was the group ’ s ability to work closely with a wide range of other local activists to win big victories .
“ Intersectional community organizing is the key , ” he said .
“ You can ’ t just organize people in your demographic and your area .
Otherwise , folks are going to be in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beat.
” Garcia , the East Los Angeles mother who had lost her son to a police shooting that Lacey ’ s office had decided was justified , said she was “ in tears ” when she heard last week ’ s election results .
The Monday night meeting with Gascón and other families who had lost children to police violence was “ very emotional ” , Garcia said , and it felt like “ a big step ” to be meeting directly with the district attorney .
“ He saw the pain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I hope he uses that , and does the right thing .
”

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Voters in Los Angeles have approved new limits to police power, elected a prosecutor who promised to reopen police shooting cases and mandated that 10% of the local budget be spent on prevention programs rather than incarceration.
The slate of progressive victories in Los Angeles, which counts 10m residents and is home to the largest jail system in the United States, show the potential impact of local wins for criminal justice reform, as well as the growing electoral influence of Black Lives Matter.
“So many people got involved and wanted to vote,” said Leah Garcia, an East Los Angeles resident whose 18-year-old son Paul Rea was shot to death by a Los Angeles sheriff’s deputy in 2019. “A lot of the families I talk to – we’re tired of living in fear.”
Los Angeles elected a new district attorney, George Gascón, who has pledged not to keep people in prison when they are up for parole, not transfer teens to adult court, not pursue the death penalty and won’t use “gang enhancements”, which have long been used in racially discriminatory ways.
Though Gascón faced protests in his former job as San Francisco district attorney for refusing to prosecute officers in several high-profile police killing cases, he vowed during the campaign in LA to reopen some police shooting cases, and has said that incarcerating people for low-level offenses during the coronavirus pandemic is “unconscionable”.
Law enforcement unions had contributed millions of dollars in political spending to backing Gascón’s opponent, the incumbent prosecutor Jackie Lacey.
For the past three years, Lacey had refused to meet with Black Lives Matter activists protesting against what they say are more than 600 police killings and in-custody deaths of prisoners since she took office in 2013 and Lacey’s refusal to prosecute the officers responsible.
A banner posted by Black Lives Matter Los Angeles. Photograph: Damian Dovarganes/AP
Gascón held his first meeting with Black Lives Matter on Monday, three days after his victory over Lacey, and he acknowledged how instrumental the group’s organizing against his opponent had been.
“There was a symbolic reason why we’re here first,” he told Black Lives Matter. “Because so much of what has happened, you have made it happen.”
“I used to say the system is broken, and I have come to the conclusion that the system is doing exactly what it was designed to do,” Gascón told the families gathered in a church basement. “In this country, policing, prosecution – a lot of it has deep roots in the institution of slavery.”
While he would not be able to reopen the investigation in every police shooting, Gascón said, he had pledged to re-examine whether to prosecute officers in some cases, and he told the families, “I want to work with you.”
In other key Los Angeles races, too, progressive candidates beat contenders backed by donations from police and sheriff’s unions. Even in races where both candidates said they supported cutting the police department funding and endorsed the idea of having unarmed crisis specialists to respond to some emergency calls, rather than armed police, law enforcement donations became a key campaign issue.
Nithya Raman, a progressive challenger endorsed by Bernie Sanders, won a Los Angeles city council race over David Ryu, an incumbent Democrat endorsed by Nancy Pelosi and Hillary Clinton. Ryu’s campaign had attacked Raman for her support from the “divisive radicals” of the Democratic Socialists of America, comments that were criticized as “red-baiting”, and had suggested that she supported cutting the police department’s budget by 98%, a claim her campaign denied.
Ryu announced during the campaign he was returning a direct campaign donation from the local police union, and told the Los Angeles Times he was disavowing any independent spending from the police on his behalf.
Holly Mitchell, a progressive dubbed the “moral compass” of the state legislature, won 60% of the vote after taking a “no cop money” pledge, defeating another prominent black Democrat, Herb Wesson, who had received half a million dollars from the union that represents Los Angeles sheriff’s deputies.
Mitchell, who is known for lambasting her fellow Democrats for passing a budget that did too little to help “poor people in California and their children”, will now become one of five women on the Los Angeles board of supervisors, a powerful slate of county lawmakers once known as the “five little kings”.
Voters also overwhelmingly approved a ballot measure to dedicate 10% of the unrestricted county budget, estimated at nearly $400m, to mental health programs, housing support, intervention programs, while barring spending any of that money on law enforcement.
I used to say the system is broken, and I have come to the conclusion that the system is doing exactly what it was designed to do George Gascón
Alex Villanueva, the Los Angeles county sheriff, had claimed in July that the attempt to dedicate funding to prevention programs would result in decreased funding for law enforcement and urged voters to oppose it, “If you don’t want your streets to look like a scene from Mad Max.”
While the election results represented some wins for the left, Erick Huerta, a local activist and the host of the Órale Boyle Heights podcast, cautioned, there is still plenty of work left to do.
Los Angeles has “that perception of being blue”, but longtime residents know that the region, like the state, is more conservative than it appears, with plenty of local Trump supporters who are “just better at hiding it than the others”, said Huerta.
But the growing influence of Black Lives Matter in Los Angeles elections was striking, Huerta said, and so was the group’s ability to work closely with a wide range of other local activists to win big victories.
“Intersectional community organizing is the key,” he said. “You can’t just organize people in your demographic and your area. Otherwise, folks are going to be in their silos, and will keep getting beat.”
Garcia, the East Los Angeles mother who had lost her son to a police shooting that Lacey’s office had decided was justified, said she was “in tears” when she heard last week’s election results.
The Monday night meeting with Gascón and other families who had lost children to police violence was “very emotional”, Garcia said, and it felt like “a big step” to be meeting directly with the district attorney.
“He saw the pain in us,” Garcia said. “I hope he uses that, and does the right thing.”


theguardian--2020-11-13--Who might figure in Joe Biden's cabinet? Six names tipped for top jobs

Cabinet appointment speculation is a time-honored tradition in Washington DC – and despite everything else going on is US politics at the moment , 2020 is no different .
Donald Trump is refusing to concede he lost the election to Joe Biden , but that hasn ’ t stopped Biden ’ s team from taking steps to transition into the White House , resulting in the age-old parlor game of who could fill which cabinet slot .
The Biden team has kept its cards close to the chest but as is always the case , shortlists keep emerging .
Below @ @ @ @ @ @ @ names for some of the most high-profile positions in the president-elect ’ s cabinet .
Secretary of state or other top foreign or defense job Rice is a longtime state department official who went on to serve stints as ambassador to the United Nations and national security adviser to President Barack Obama .
More recently , she made it through several rounds of the vetting process to be Biden ’ s running mate before the former vice-president picked Kamala Harris .
Rice has been mentioned for multiple high-profile foreign policy and defense jobs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ security post Flournoy is one of the most commonly mentioned potential picks for a top national security or foreign policy position .
If appointed secretary of defense , she would be the first woman in that role .
During the Obama administration she served as the under secretary for defense policy .
She also co-founded the influential Center for a New American Security thinktank .
Even before he lost his re-election campaign , the outgoing Alabama senator Doug Jones had been mentioned publicly and privately as a possible attorney general .
Jones is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a former US attorney who made a name for himself by prosecuting Ku Klux Klansmen involved in the 1963 16th Street Baptist church bombing .
He was also involved in Democratic political circles in Alabama , and Birmingham in particular , where he lives .
Jones has brushed off questions about serving in a Biden administration but that was largely before he lost re-election .
Now , it ’ s unclear what Jones wants to do next .
Candidate for secretary of the treasury One of the cabinet positions under the most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ treasury .
Progressives hope the Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren or former deputy treasury secretary Sarah Bloom Raskin could take the helm .
But competing interests , such as the banking community and the Congressional Black Caucus , have put forth names as well .
Brainard is something of a consensus candidate .
She isn ’ t unpalatable to too many competing organizations and her credentials as a former treasury department official and member of the Federal Reserve board of governors make her a competitive candidate .
Heitkamp is the most commonly mentioned candidate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that covers far more than farm policy .
Heitkamp is the last Democrat to serve as a senator from North Dakota and has been an outspoken advocate on rural issues and trade as it affects the farming community .
As a senator she was a more moderate member of the Democratic caucus .
A former surgeon general of the United States and a regular participant in discussion groups and policy advising for the Biden campaign , Dr Murthy was recently appointed as a co-chair of Biden ’ s Covid-19 advisory board , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is prioritizing a new response to Covid-19 .

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Cabinet appointment speculation is a time-honored tradition in Washington DC – and despite everything else going on is US politics at the moment, 2020 is no different.
Donald Trump is refusing to concede he lost the election to Joe Biden, but that hasn’t stopped Biden’s team from taking steps to transition into the White House, resulting in the age-old parlor game of who could fill which cabinet slot.
The Biden team has kept its cards close to the chest but as is always the case, shortlists keep emerging. Below are some of the most commonly mentioned names for some of the most high-profile positions in the president-elect’s cabinet.
Susan Rice
Secretary of state or other top foreign or defense job
Rice is a longtime state department official who went on to serve stints as ambassador to the United Nations and national security adviser to President Barack Obama. More recently, she made it through several rounds of the vetting process to be Biden’s running mate before the former vice-president picked Kamala Harris. Rice has been mentioned for multiple high-profile foreign policy and defense jobs.
Photograph: Yuri Gripas/Reuters
Michele Flournoy
Secretary of defense or other national security post
Flournoy is one of the most commonly mentioned potential picks for a top national security or foreign policy position. If appointed secretary of defense, she would be the first woman in that role. During the Obama administration she served as the under secretary for defense policy. She also co-founded the influential Center for a New American Security thinktank.
Photograph: Patrick Semansky/AP
Doug Jones
Possible attorney general
Even before he lost his re-election campaign, the outgoing Alabama senator Doug Jones had been mentioned publicly and privately as a possible attorney general. Jones is a longtime friend of Biden’s and a former US attorney who made a name for himself by prosecuting Ku Klux Klansmen involved in the 1963 16th Street Baptist church bombing. He was also involved in Democratic political circles in Alabama, and Birmingham in particular, where he lives. Jones has brushed off questions about serving in a Biden administration but that was largely before he lost re-election. Now, it’s unclear what Jones wants to do next.
Photograph: Cliff Owen/AP
Lael Brainard
Candidate for secretary of the treasury
One of the cabinet positions under the most intense scrutiny is the secretary of the treasury. Progressives hope the Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren or former deputy treasury secretary Sarah Bloom Raskin could take the helm. But competing interests, such as the banking community and the Congressional Black Caucus, have put forth names as well. Brainard is something of a consensus candidate. She isn’t unpalatable to too many competing organizations and her credentials as a former treasury department official and member of the Federal Reserve board of governors make her a competitive candidate.
Photograph: Rex/Shutterstock
Heidi Heitkamp
Contender for secretary of agriculture
Heitkamp is the most commonly mentioned candidate for secretary of agriculture, a role that covers far more than farm policy. Heitkamp is the last Democrat to serve as a senator from North Dakota and has been an outspoken advocate on rural issues and trade as it affects the farming community. As a senator she was a more moderate member of the Democratic caucus.
Photograph: Charles Dharapak/AP
Vivek Murthy
Department of Health and Human Services head?
A former surgeon general of the United States and a regular participant in discussion groups and policy advising for the Biden campaign, Dr Murthy was recently appointed as a co-chair of Biden’s Covid-19 advisory board, a lofty position for an incoming administration that is prioritizing a new response to Covid-19.


theguardian--2020-11-13--Here are 277 policies that Biden can enact on day one – without Congress | Max Moran

On 8 July , the Joe Biden campaign published the results of its unity task forces with the former Bernie Sanders campaign in a 110-page document of policy recommendations .
Though Biden has not committed to enacting the policies recommended by the taskforces , they represent a clear vision for what a Biden presidency might look like .
While each taskforce proposed new legislation to achieve its goals , you can also read the document with an eye toward what a Biden administration could accomplish on day one , without having to go near Congress .
To that end , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ within the executive branch ’ s power to immediately pursue , at least in part .
On their own , none of these 277 policies will fully solve any of the interlinked crises we now face .
But they can go a significant way toward immediate harm reduction .
Some can even solve longstanding problems , simply by enforcing or fully implementing laws already on the books .
Perhaps most important , all of these policies are ideas that leaders in the moderate and progressive wings of the party broadly agree on , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not to enact , save for his own policy preferences .
There is no hiding behind Congress on these topics .
In Biden ’ s first hundred days , we should expect him to have made significant progress on many , if not all , of these proposals .
Those which he does not adopt and pursue vigorously will speak to his nature as a president .
Not all of the proposals are new ideas .
In fact , 48 are simply calls to roll back Trump-era policies , or to reinstate Obama-era @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disbanded .
Any remotely competent Democrat ought to be able to implement these immediately , no matter what their particular policy vision .
Of those 48 Trump policies that the document calls to roll back , 28 are shifts in immigration policy .
The overrepresentation of immigration issues speaks to the extent and the horror of Trump and Stephen Miller ’ s xenophobic project .
Each of the six unity taskforces proposed executive branch policies .
From most to least , the issue areas were : Some policies come from simply exerting the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disposal .
What if instead of facilitating the Golden Age of White-Collar Crime , Biden ’ s attorney general prosecuted big oil for pollution law violations , and “ aggressively pursued ” employers who steal wages , break labor law , misclassify workers , or cheat on their taxes ?
What if they descheduled marijuana and directed federal drug authorities not to pursue marijuana cases ?
What if the Department of Justice restarted Obama-era “ pattern or practice ” investigations into racist police departments , then broadened the practice to look at prosecutors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of these policies is in the unity document .
While the Biden camp isn ’ t ready to embrace blanket federal student loan forgiveness , the document does call for pausing interest and monthly billing on those earning less than $ 25,000 , forgiving debts of the permanently disabled , and forgiving students exploited by predatory schools .
It also finally sets clear rules for automatic enrollment in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program , and strongly hints at ending the federal government ’ s contract with Navient .
That brings us to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a “ Buy Clean ” program to mandate the government buy clean energy produced with high labor standards .
It also calls for across-the-board prioritization of contracts with small businesses owned by women , veterans , and people of color .
Those owners better take care of their workers , though , since Biden can require labor law compliance be taken into account in any federal-contracting decision ( which somehow wasn ’ t a factor already ) .
Plus , he can bar any company that outsources jobs , busts unions , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 15-per-hour minimum wage from doing any business at all with the federal government .
But most exciting for some is the evidence that Democrats are dusting off their copies of the American legal code and looking for forgotten powers already on the books .
Antitrust enforcement has gone from a non-issue to a central plank : The task force calls for a full review of Trump-era mergers and acquisitions , and to take action on those that caused “ harm to workers , raised prices , exacerbated racial inequality or reduced competition.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ antitrust to break out of the shackles of the consumer welfare standard .
The unity task force also wants public data on police use of force–data which the Department of Justice is supposed to gather anyway , but never actually has .
Perhaps that will change soon .
Multiple task forces also called for aggressive enforcement of the Americans With Disabilities Act ; many activists have reflected in recent days on how its promises were never fully realized , and some Democrats seem to be listening .
Of course , there ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Department of Agriculture ’ s horrific civil rights record has been the subject of investigations and hearings since at least 1999 .
The task force document lays out a series of thoughtful reforms to USDA , from greater independence for the Civil Rights Division to reforming a credentialing process that has barred farmers of color from passing on their property .
We predict that these agencies and departments will be most involved in enacting the 277 policies ( from most to least ) : As the Biden transition team begins sending @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and wannabe appointees jostle for influence , we hope that this quick guide will help a would-be Biden administration ’ s leaders to mentally organize for the task ahead .
There is an overwhelming amount of Trumpian corruption to be swept out , and we face so many overlapping existential threats that there ’ s no time to delay .
The Biden transition must prepare as much as it can in advance to enact sweeping policy changes come inauguration day .
• None Republished with permission from the American Prospect ’ s series @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the American Prospect , Prospect.org , 2020 .
All rights reserved

On 8 July, the Joe Biden campaign published the results of its unity taskforces with the former Bernie Sanders campaign in a 110-page document of policy recommendations. Though Biden has not committed to enacting the policies recommended by the taskforces, they represent a clear vision for what a Biden presidency might look like.
While each taskforce proposed new legislation to achieve its goals, you can also read the document with an eye toward what a Biden administration could accomplish on day one, without having to go near Congress. To that end, we found 277 policies that are clearly within the executive branch’s power to immediately pursue, at least in part.
On their own, none of these 277 policies will fully solve any of the interlinked crises we now face. But they can go a significant way toward immediate harm reduction. Some can even solve longstanding problems, simply by enforcing or fully implementing laws already on the books.
Perhaps most important, all of these policies are ideas that leaders in the moderate and progressive wings of the party broadly agree on, and that Biden should have no excuse not to enact, save for his own policy preferences. There is no hiding behind Congress on these topics. In Biden’s first hundred days, we should expect him to have made significant progress on many, if not all, of these proposals. Those which he does not adopt and pursue vigorously will speak to his nature as a president.
Not all of the proposals are new ideas. In fact, 48 are simply calls to roll back Trump-era policies, or to reinstate Obama-era rules and committees that Trump ended or disbanded. Any remotely competent Democrat ought to be able to implement these immediately, no matter what their particular policy vision.
Of those 48 Trump policies that the document calls to roll back, 28 are shifts in immigration policy. The overrepresentation of immigration issues speaks to the extent and the horror of Trump and Stephen Miller’s xenophobic project.
Each of the six unity taskforces proposed executive branch policies. From most to least, the issue areas were:
Immigration (79 policies)
Climate change (56 policies)
The economy (55 policies)
Education (39 policies)
Criminal justice (36 policies)
Healthcare (27 policies)
Some policies come from simply exerting the legal discretion at the administration’s disposal. What if instead of facilitating the Golden Age of White-Collar Crime, Biden’s attorney general prosecuted big oil for pollution law violations, and “aggressively pursued” employers who steal wages, break labor law, misclassify workers or cheat on their taxes? What if they descheduled marijuana and directed federal drug authorities not to pursue marijuana cases? What if the Department of Justice restarted Obama-era “pattern or practice” investigations into racist police departments, then broadened the practice to look at prosecutors and other criminal justice actors? Each of these policies is in the unity document.
While the Biden camp isn’t ready to embrace blanket federal student loan forgiveness, the document does call for pausing interest and monthly billing on those earning less than $25,000, forgiving debts of the permanently disabled and forgiving students exploited by predatory schools. It also finally sets clear rules for automatic enrollment in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, and strongly hints at ending the federal government’s contract with Navient.
That brings us to federal contracting powers. The document calls for a “Buy Clean” program to mandate the government buy clean energy produced with high labor standards. It also calls for across-the-board prioritization of contracts with small businesses owned by women, veterans and people of color. Those owners better take care of their workers, though, since Biden can require labor law compliance be taken into account in any federal-contracting decision (which somehow wasn’t a factor already). Plus, he can bar any company that outsources jobs, busts unions or doesn’t provide a $15-per-hour minimum wage from doing any business at all with the federal government.
But most exciting for some is the evidence that Democrats are dusting off their copies of the American legal code and looking for forgotten powers already on the books. Antitrust enforcement has gone from a non-issue to a central plank: the taskforce calls for a full review of Trump-era mergers and acquisitions, and to take action on those that caused “harm to workers, raised prices, exacerbated racial inequality or reduced competition”. That’s a direct call for antitrust to break out of the shackles of the consumer welfare standard.
The unity taskforce also wants public data on police use of force data which the Department of Justice is supposed to gather anyway, but never actually has. Perhaps that will change soon. Multiple taskforces also called for aggressive enforcement of the Americans With Disabilities Act; many activists have reflected in recent days on how its promises were never fully realized, and some Democrats seem to be listening.
Of course, there’s also discrimination within the federal bureaucracy itself. The Department of Agriculture’s horrific civil rights record has been the subject of investigations and hearings since at least 1999. The taskforce document lays out a series of thoughtful reforms to USDA, from greater independence for the Civil Rights Division to reforming a credentialing process that has barred farmers of color from passing on their property.
We predict that these agencies and departments will be most involved in enacting the 277 policies (from most to least):
Department of Homeland Security (59 policies)
Department of Justice (56 policies)
Executive Office of the President (37 policies)
Department of Labor (26 policies)
Department of State (21 policies)
Department of Energy (17 policies)
Department of Agriculture (15 policies)
Department of Housing and Urban Development (13 policies)
Environmental Protection Agency (13 policies)
As the Biden transition team begins sending “beachheads” into the agencies, and wannabe appointees jostle for influence, we hope that this quick guide will help a would-be Biden administration’s leaders to mentally organize for the task ahead. There is an overwhelming amount of Trumpian corruption to be swept out, and we face so many overlapping existential threats that there’s no time to delay. The Biden transition must prepare as much as it can in advance to enact sweeping policy changes come inauguration day.


theguardian--2020-11-13--The messy battle within the Democratic party's big, ever-expanding tent | Moira Donegan

Before the dust had settled on Joe Biden ’ s presidential victory , a news cycle had begun , yet again , about how the Democratic party was in disarray .
Representative Jim Clyburn , the juggernaut of South Carolina Democratic politics and a frequent emissary for the centrist wing of the party , began telling news reporters that he feared that the summer ’ s Black Lives Matter protests , and in particular the slogan “ Defund the Police ” , had dampened the Democrat ’ s chances of strengthening their majority in the House and retaking the US @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the party ’ s House of Representatives caucus on Thursday , Abigail Spanberger , a Virginia congresswoman who narrowly won re-election on Tuesday , expressed the same concern .
Meanwhile , Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , the standard bearer of the party ’ s progressive wing , gave an interview to the New York Times urging her party to adopt more modern voter engagement tactics and to view the left as allies , not obstacles .
“ I need my colleagues to understand that we are not the enemy , ” she said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not the enemy .
That the Movement for Black Lives is not the enemy , that Medicare for all is not the enemy.
” Democratic infighting is an old story , one that comes up perennially , sometimes ascribed to generational or regional differences : the younger , more city-dwelling Democrats want universal healthcare and demand racial justice ; the older , suburbanite Democrats shush them , worrying they will scare off the white suburban swing voters whom centrists believe that Democrats need for a majority .
The conflict is repeated ad nauseam @ @ @ @ @ @ @ win .
But the truth is that the Democratic party is indeed a deeply divided one .
The coalition that swept Joe Biden to victory was massive , diverse and profoundly self-contradictory .
It contained older Black voters with religious convictions that are not dissimilar to those of the white evangelicals who power the American right , and it contained younger Black voters who believe fiercely in transgender civil rights and the dismantling of the police state .
It contained white college-educated women who took offense at Trump ’ s crass language and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for his threats to their citizenship .
It is a coalition composed of the vast majority of all the Americans who are not white and a sizable minority of the Americans who are , of people who identify as socialists and people who see socialism as a serious threat to their way of life , people who desperately fear for abortion rights and people who deeply oppose them .
The Democratic coalition , in other words , is huge – composed of people with competing , mutually exclusive goals , people who , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ always like each other .
How did the Democrats wind up here , with such a very big tent , with so many competing demands underneath it ?
In large part , the answer to how the Democratic party ’ s coalition became so huge and contradictory lies not with the Democrats , but with Republicans .
Throughout the Trump era but also for decades before , stretching back to the Nixon administration , the Republican party has played an aggressive base politics , shaping its policy positions and public rhetoric around white @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have grown in numbers and the share of the white vote has decreased , Republicans have not adjusted their stance to be more welcoming to non-white voters , but instead have increasingly relied on gerrymandering , voter suppression and anti-democratic institutional advantages to secure their continued power even in the absence of majority support .
The Republicans have abandoned the pretense of trying to convince a majority of voters to back their vision for the country , and instead have taken on an electoral strategy that is about power , not persuasion .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to ensure Republican majorities in these bodies even when Democrats receive more votes , and they suppress the vote with archaic , burdensome and racially targeted state laws to ensure Republican victories even in races that would be competitive with a complete , free electorate .
The result is that Democrats can often achieve only divided government at best even when , like in the 2020 election , they produce a massive majority of the votes .
Republicans , meanwhile , can often secure united government even with a minority of votes .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ party need not even accept the results of an election that does not go in their favor , as we have seen over the past few days as the Trump campaign and Republican-controlled justice department sue in an attempt to have votes for Biden in many swing states declared illegal .
Republican power relies heavily on these anti-democracy tactics , so heavily that in many instances the party no longer intends to persuade a majority of voters .
They intend , instead , to secure minority rule .
The result is that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has become de facto not a competition between ideologies or policy positions , but a competition between pro-and anti-democracy forces .
Though the Republicans sometimes make half-hearted , clumsy and comedically tone-deaf overtures towards men of color in an attempt to secure their votes – Donald Trump increased his share of the Latino male vote significantly in the 2020 election , and attempted to court Black male voters by staging a bizarre photo op with the New Orleans rapper Lil Wayne – their overall strategy has been to remain in power by making @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to vote , and by especially targeting the voting rights of Black Americans .
The goal is to ensure that the votes which matter most belong to their white minority of supporters .
With one party committed to suppressing the vote , and only one other party remaining that considers itself accountable to voters , its no wonder that the Democratic party has assembled a coalition of so many disparate and conflicting constituencies .
As the only pro-democracy party left in America , the Democrats have had to take as their mandate all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and diverse nation .
Voters of different ideological stripes , ages and agendas have begun voting Democratic because the Republican party is repugnant to their principles in some cases , outright hostile to their citizenship in others .
In other words , many voters have come under the Democratic tent because there is nowhere else for them to go .
What does such a large coalition mean for the Democrats ?
In one sense , it ’ s an advantage – it means overwhelming popular support .
Democratic party surrogates never tire of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the popular vote in every election except one since 1992 .
Those popular vote majorities are sizable , too – Joe Biden ’ s popular vote lead over Donald Trump is set to surpass 5m , even bigger than Hillary Clinton ’ s 3m popular vote lead in 2016 .
Anti-democratic provisions in the American constitution mean that more votes do not always translate to more power – Republicans control the Senate , for instance , even though their Democratic colleagues in that body represent millions more constituents .
But in the long @ @ @ @ @ @ @ popular opinion , and sheer numbers , on their side .
But the heft of the Democratic coalition also means that the party is swollen and overburdened , attempting to be all things to all its voters , attempting to please everyone at once .
There is no coherent Democratic agenda , to speak of .
The Biden campaign made little effort to draw attention to its policy proposals during the election season , relying instead on vague , broadly appealing rhetoric about the nation ’ s soul .
Though the party has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , perhaps the one policy area that affects every single voter , the party ’ s healthcare agenda has been inconsistent across congressional districts , with Democrats calling for a single-payer system in blue areas and for a strengthened or merely maintained Affordable Care Act in purple ones .
The issue is perhaps emblematic of the party ’ s problem in representing too many different groups : they can ’ t have one message , because there ’ s nothing that so many different people can all agree on .

Before the dust had settled on Joe Biden’s presidential victory, a news cycle had begun, yet again, about how the Democratic party was in disarray. Representative Jim Clyburn, the juggernaut of South Carolina Democratic politics and a frequent emissary for the centrist wing of the party, began telling news reporters that he feared that the summer’s Black Lives Matter protests, and in particular the slogan “Defund the Police”, had dampened the Democrat’s chances of strengthening their majority in the House and retaking the US Senate.
On a tense conference call for the party’s House of Representatives caucus on Thursday, Abigail Spanberger, a Virginia congresswoman who narrowly won re-election on Tuesday, expressed the same concern. Meanwhile, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the standard bearer of the party’s progressive wing, gave an interview to the New York Times urging her party to adopt more modern voter engagement tactics and to view the left as allies, not obstacles. “I need my colleagues to understand that we are not the enemy,” she said. “And that their base is not the enemy. That the Movement for Black Lives is not the enemy, that Medicare for all is not the enemy.”
Democratic infighting is an old story, one that comes up perennially, sometimes ascribed to generational or regional differences: the younger, more city-dwelling Democrats want universal healthcare and demand racial justice; the older, suburbanite Democrats shush them, worrying they will scare off the white suburban swing voters whom centrists believe that Democrats need for a majority. The conflict is repeated ad nauseam, whether Democrats lose or whether they win.
But the truth is that the Democratic party is indeed a deeply divided one. The coalition that swept Joe Biden to victory was massive, diverse and profoundly self-contradictory. It contained older Black voters with religious convictions that are not dissimilar to those of the white evangelicals who power the American right, and it contained younger Black voters who believe fiercely in transgender civil rights and the dismantling of the police state. It contained white college-educated women who took offense at Trump’s crass language and it contained young Latino voters who feared for his threats to their citizenship. It is a coalition composed of the vast majority of all the Americans who are not white and a sizable minority of the Americans who are, of people who identify as socialists and people who see socialism as a serious threat to their way of life, people who desperately fear for abortion rights and people who deeply oppose them. The Democratic coalition, in other words, is huge – composed of people with competing, mutually exclusive goals, people who, in the end, probably would not always like each other.
How did the Democrats wind up here, with such a very big tent, with so many competing demands underneath it? In large part, the answer to how the Democratic party’s coalition became so huge and contradictory lies not with the Democrats, but with Republicans. Throughout the Trump era but also for decades before, stretching back to the Nixon administration, the Republican party has played an aggressive base politics, shaping its policy positions and public rhetoric around white racial grievance. As Americans of color have grown in numbers and the share of the white vote has decreased, Republicans have not adjusted their stance to be more welcoming to non-white voters, but instead have increasingly relied on gerrymandering, voter suppression and anti-democratic institutional advantages to secure their continued power even in the absence of majority support. The Republicans have abandoned the pretense of trying to convince a majority of voters to back their vision for the country, and instead have taken on an electoral strategy that is about power, not persuasion.
Republicans gerrymander congressional and state legislature districts to ensure Republican majorities in these bodies even when Democrats receive more votes, and they suppress the vote with archaic, burdensome and racially targeted state laws to ensure Republican victories even in races that would be competitive with a complete, free electorate. The result is that Democrats can often achieve only divided government at best even when, like in the 2020 election, they produce a massive majority of the votes. Republicans, meanwhile, can often secure united government even with a minority of votes. Faced with defeat, the anti-democracy Republican party need not even accept the results of an election that does not go in their favor, as we have seen over the past few days as the Trump campaign and Republican-controlled justice department sue in an attempt to have votes for Biden in many swing states declared illegal. Republican power relies heavily on these anti-democracy tactics, so heavily that in many instances the party no longer intends to persuade a majority of voters. They intend, instead, to secure minority rule.
As the only pro-democracy party left in America, the Democrats have had to take as their mandate all the different democratic ambitions of a vast and diverse nation
The result is that the competition between the Republican and Democratic parties has become de facto not a competition between ideologies or policy positions, but a competition between pro-and anti-democracy forces. Though the Republicans sometimes make half-hearted, clumsy and comedically tone-deaf overtures towards men of color in an attempt to secure their votes – Donald Trump increased his share of the Latino male vote significantly in the 2020 election, and attempted to court Black male voters by staging a bizarre photo op with the New Orleans rapper Lil Wayne – their overall strategy has been to remain in power by making it as difficult as possible for people to vote, and by especially targeting the voting rights of Black Americans. The goal is to ensure that the votes which matter most belong to their white minority of supporters.
With one party committed to suppressing the vote, and only one other party remaining that considers itself accountable to voters, its no wonder that the Democratic party has assembled a coalition of so many disparate and conflicting constituencies. As the only pro-democracy party left in America, the Democrats have had to take as their mandate all the different democratic ambitions of a vast and diverse nation. Voters of different ideological stripes, ages and agendas have begun voting Democratic because the Republican party is repugnant to their principles in some cases, outright hostile to their citizenship in others. In other words, many voters have come under the Democratic tent because there is nowhere else for them to go.
What does such a large coalition mean for the Democrats? In one sense, it’s an advantage – it means overwhelming popular support. Democratic party surrogates never tire of reminding Americans that their party has won the popular vote in every election except one since 1992. Those popular vote majorities are sizable, too – Joe Biden’s popular vote lead over Donald Trump is set to surpass 5m, even bigger than Hillary Clinton’s 3m popular vote lead in 2016. Anti-democratic provisions in the American constitution mean that more votes do not always translate to more power – Republicans control the Senate, for instance, even though their Democratic colleagues in that body represent millions more constituents. But in the long term, it means that Democrats have popular opinion, and sheer numbers, on their side.
But the heft of the Democratic coalition also means that the party is swollen and overburdened, attempting to be all things to all its voters, attempting to please everyone at once. There is no coherent Democratic agenda, to speak of. The Biden campaign made little effort to draw attention to its policy proposals during the election season, relying instead on vague, broadly appealing rhetoric about the nation’s soul. Though the party has leaned heavily on the issue of healthcare, perhaps the one policy area that affects every single voter, the party’s healthcare agenda has been inconsistent across congressional districts, with Democrats calling for a single-payer system in blue areas and for a strengthened or merely maintained Affordable Care Act in purple ones. The issue is perhaps emblematic of the party’s problem in representing too many different groups: they can’t have one message, because there’s nothing that so many different people can all agree on.


theguardian--2020-11-14--Trump repeats false Covid claims and attacks New York governor Cuomo in first remarks since election

Trump repeats false Covid claims and attacks New York governor Cuomo in first remarks since election loss – as it happened

New York attorney general poised to sue the Trump administration if it delays the state ’ s access to vaccines After Donald Trump in a press conference on Friday alluded to withholding a Covid-19 vaccine from New York while distributing it to the rest of the US , the state ’ s attorney general has threatened to sue .
“ This is nothing more than vindictive behavior by a lame-duck president trying to extract [ sic ] vengeance on those who oppose his politics , ” New York attorney general Letitia James said in a statement .
Trump ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ passive aggressive public statements between him and New York governor Andrew Cuomo , who called Trump ’ s handling of the coronavirus pandemic “ the worst failure since Pearl Harbor ” .
Throughout the coronavirus pandemic , state governors have complained of fears that speaking negatively of Trump would result in the president withholding Covid supplies .
“ Once there is a fully-developed Covid-19 vaccine , we are confident that a Biden-Harris Administration will provide New York with the proper number of doses so that our state ’ s residents can achieve immunity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dissemination of the vaccine takes place in the twilight of a Trump Administration and the president wants to play games with people ’ s lives , we will sue and we will win .
”

Kari Paul (now) and Joan E Greve (earlier)

14 Nov 2020 02.48 GMT Kari Paul here, logging off for the night! Here is the top news of the evening to keep in mind as we go into the weekend. Stay safe and stay negative, y’all! Republican Martha McSally officially conceded the Arizona Senate race to Democratic opponent Mark Kelly.
Congressional Democrats changed plans for an indoor dinner to be takeaway meals after backlash over coronavirus hypocrisy.
Gavin Newsom is also in hot water for attending a dinner with people outside his household. He apologized on Friday.
Nevada’s governor has tested positive for Covid-19. He is the fifth governor in the US to test positive.
New York attorney general Leticia James has pledged to sue the Trump administration if it vindictively withholds a Covid vaccine.
14 Nov 2020 02.39 GMT New York attorney general poised to sue the Trump administration if it delays the state’s access to vaccines After Donald Trump in a press conference on Friday alluded to withholding a Covid-19 vaccine from New York while distributing it to the rest of the US, the state’s attorney general has threatened to sue. “This is nothing more than vindictive behavior by a lame-duck president trying to extract [sic] vengeance on those who oppose his politics,” New York attorney general Letitia James said in a statement. Trump’s statements come after an ongoing battle of passive aggressive public statements between him and New York governor Andrew Cuomo, who called Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic “the worst failure since Pearl Harbor”. Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, state governors have complained of fears that speaking negatively of Trump would result in the president withholding Covid supplies. “Once there is a fully-developed Covid-19 vaccine, we are confident that a Biden-Harris Administration will provide New York with the proper number of doses so that our state’s residents can achieve immunity,” James said. “If dissemination of the vaccine takes place in the twilight of a Trump Administration and the president wants to play games with people’s lives, we will sue and we will win.”
Updated at 02.40 GMT
14 Nov 2020 00.47 GMT Nevada governor tests positive for Covid-19 Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak said on Friday he has tested positive for Covid-19, as the number of people infected with the virus soars to record highs in the state and across the US. Sisolak, a Democrat, is the fifth governor in the US to report testing positive for the virus, after two Republicans in Missouri and Oklahoma, and one Democrat in Virginia. Ohio’s Republican governor Mike DeWine tested positive in August but received a negative test a few hours later. DeWine tested positive using a rapid test before testing negative later that day after using a more sensitive laboratory-developed test. Sisolak said on a call with reporters he was not yet experiencing symptoms and that the positive results came from a routine test on Friday morning. He is the third person in his office to test positive for the virus. Last week, the governor’s office announced an unnamed Carson City-based staffer who had not been in close contact with Sisolak but had tested positive for the virus. In early October, Sisolak’s Covid-19 response director Caleb Cage also tested positive. “I’m a little tired, but I’ve been tired since March when we started fighting Covid,” Sisolak said. “I think this just puts a spotlight on the fact that you can take all the precautions that are possible and you can still contract the virus. I don’t know how I got it, but we’re going to quarantine and get through it.” The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Updated at 00.52 GMT
13 Nov 2020 23.57 GMT Gavin Newsom apologizes for attending a party as Covid numbers rise In another example of politicians being roasted for not practicing what they preach, California’s governor, Gavin Newsom, has been forced to apologize after attending an outdoor dinner party last week. Newsom acknowledged Friday he should have skipped the birthday party, which took place at an upscale Napa Valley restaurant, as coronavirus numbers soar in the state. “While our family followed the restaurant’s health protocols and took safety precautions, we should have modeled better behavior and not joined the dinner,” Newsom said in a statement. The dinner came just as Newsom’s administration announced new guidelines urging people not to attend events with people outside their households, and as California hit a grim new Covid milestone of 1m infections. His staff had confirmed his attendance at the “intimate” outdoor event. “The restaurant was open for normal dining, consistent with state and county health guidance,” his spokeswoman said. “All of the restaurant safety protocols were adhered to – and the guests followed those protocols.” Sacramento, where Newsom lives, was just assigned the state’s “purple tier” classification for Covid risk – the highest on the risk scale. San Francisco was forced to shut down indoor dining as numbers once again went up this week.
Updated at 00.19 GMT
13 Nov 2020 23.34 GMT Congressional dinner shifts to to-go meals after outrage
The dinner for new members of Congress being held by Democrats will be modified, shifting to a to-go food model, after outrage over an indoor meal, said Nancy Pelosi’s deputy chief of staff Drew Hammill on Friday evening. The change comes after hundreds slammed politicians for dining indoors while thousands of Americans struggle in quarantine amid the coronavirus pandemic and as many cancel their Thanksgiving plans. Hammill reiterated what Pelosi said, which is that the dinner had been approved by the office of attending physician. Still, the event has changed from a sit-down meal to one in which members-elect can pick up dinners to go in a socially distanced manner, Hammill said, “to be a further model for the nation”. Some have said that does not go far enough and that the dinner should be cancelled entirely.
Updated at 00.01 GMT
13 Nov 2020 22.46 GMT Republican Martha McSally finally concedes Arizona Senate seat to incoming Democrat Mark Kelly A week after being declared the loser in the Arizona race for US Senate, Republican Martha McSally has conceded to Democrat Mark Kelly. McSally held out until Friday the numbers showed it was mathematically impossible for her to catch up to Kelly. The concession marks the end of a contentious race to fill the seat left by John McCain, the Republican senator who died in 2018. McSally had been appointed his seat in 2019 January, which she called “an absolute honor”. “With nearly all the votes counted, I called Mark Kelly this morning to congratulate him on winning this race,” she said in a statement. “I also offered support in his transition to ensure Arizonans are best served during this time. I wish him all the best.” The Associated Press had called the race on election night, 4 November, just hours after the polls closed. McSally did not concede, publicly or in private directly to Kelly since then. Kelly ran on a relatively centrist platform, questioning McSally’s alliances with Donald Trump and the Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell. His main campaign issues included healthcare and Trump’s management of the Covid-19 pandemic. Kelly is married to Gabrielle Giffords, who previously represented the Tucson area in Congress before resigning after being injured in a 2011 mass shooting. The couple went on to co-found a gun control organization and Kelly, a former astronaut, entered into politics.
Updated at 23.02 GMT
13 Nov 2020 22.17 GMT Kari Paul here, taking over the blog for the next few hours. Stay tuned for updates.
13 Nov 2020 22.10 GMT Today so far That’s it from me today. My west coast colleague Kari Paul will take over for the next few hours. Here’s where the day stands so far: Donald Trump peddled false claims about coronavirus and attacked New York’s governor, Andrew Cuomo, during a Rose Garden event. The president praised his administration’s work to help accelerate the development of a coronavirus vaccine, but he did not take questions from reporters and did not acknowledge Joe Biden ’s victory in the presidential election.
The president praised his administration’s work to help accelerate the development of a coronavirus vaccine, but he did not take questions from reporters and did not acknowledge ’s victory in the presidential election. The US set another single-day record for new coronavirus infections. According to Johns Hopkins University, the US confirmed 153,496 new cases yesterday, and 919 Americans died of coronavirus.
According to Johns Hopkins University, the US confirmed 153,496 new cases yesterday, and 919 Americans died of coronavirus. Federal and state officials said the election was “ the most secure in American history”, even as Trump continued to spread baseless claims of massive fraud. A group of election officials said in a statement released last night, “While we know there are many unfounded claims and opportunities for misinformation about the process of our elections, we can assure you we have the utmost confidence in the security and integrity of our elections, and you should too.”
even as Trump continued to spread baseless claims of massive fraud. A group of election officials said in a statement released last night, “While we know there are many unfounded claims and opportunities for misinformation about the process of our elections, we can assure you we have the utmost confidence in the security and integrity of our elections, and you should too.” The Trump campaign suffered more legal setbacks, as it withdrew from a lawsuit in Arizona and lost one of the law firms representing the president in Pennsylvania. A Michigan judge also dismissed Republicans’ effort to delay the state’s certification process, clearing the way for Biden to officially become the winner of the election when the electoral college convenes next month.
as it withdrew from a lawsuit in Arizona and lost one of the law firms representing the president in Pennsylvania. A Michigan judge also dismissed Republicans’ effort to delay the state’s certification process, clearing the way for Biden to officially become the winner of the election when the electoral college convenes next month. More than 130 Secret Service agents have contracted coronavirus or been asked to quarantine after Trump’s extensive campaign travel, according to the Washington Post. The president held dozens of large rallies in the final weeks before the election, raising concerns about the spread of coronavirus. Now, roughly 10% of the president’s core security team has been sidelined by the virus.
according to the Washington Post. The president held dozens of large rallies in the final weeks before the election, raising concerns about the spread of coronavirus. Now, roughly 10% of the president’s core security team has been sidelined by the virus. The AP declared Trump to be the winner of North Carolina and its 15 electoral votes, bringing the president’s electoral vote total to 232. Biden’s total currently stands at 290 because the AP has not yet called Georgia, although other networks called the state for the president-elect today. Kari will have more coming up, so stay tuned.
Updated at 22.59 GMT
13 Nov 2020 22.03 GMT Trump concludes Rose Garden event without taking questions Donald Trump has concluded his Rose Garden event without taking any questions from reporters. As Trump left the Rose Garden, reporters shouted questions about whether he would concede the election, but he ignored them. It has been six days since Joe Biden was declared the winner of the presidential election, and Trump has still not acknowledged his victory.
13 Nov 2020 21.58 GMT Speaking at the Rose Garden event, Mike Pence laid out an ambitious timeline for distributing a coronavirus vaccine. “Before the year is out, we’ll be able to administer a vaccine to tens of millions of Americans,” the vice-president said. Pence noted the vaccine would first be distributed to the most vulnerable Americans, such as seniors and frontline workers. Donald Trump said at the beginning of the event that the administration expects a vaccine to be widely available to the American public by April, which is generally in line with what Dr Anthony Fauci has said.
13 Nov 2020 21.52 GMT At his Rose Garden event, Donald Trump has not yet recognized the alarming surge in coronavirus cases across the country. Instead, Trump once again falsely claimed the high number of US cases is due to the country’s high level of testing, even though public health experts say new cases are far outpacing the elevated rate of testing. According to Johns Hopkins University, the US confirmed 153,496 new cases yesterday, setting a new single-day record for the country. Shortly before Trump’s event, Joe Biden released a statement saying the coronavirus crisis required “urgent action”. “Our country is experiencing surges in reported infections, hospitalizations, and fatalities all over the country, with virtually nowhere getting spared,” the president-elect said.
Updated at 22.09 GMT
13 Nov 2020 21.41 GMT Donald Trump seemed to be on the cusp of acknowledging Joe Biden’s victory in the presidential election before backing off. The president was discussing the possibility of a national lockdown, and he seemed ready to say he hoped Biden would not approve a lockdown. Instead, Trump appeared to catch himself and instead said: “This administration will not be going to a lockdown.” Trump seems to be on the cusp of saying "the Biden administration," but catches himself and says "time will tell" pic.twitter.com/6QaZV9TFOq — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) November 13, 2020
Updated at 21.46 GMT
13 Nov 2020 21.35 GMT During his Rose Garden event, Donald Trump repeated his false claim that the US has the highest number of coronavirus cases because it tests more than any other country. In reality, public health experts say the surge in coronavirus cases is far outpacing the rate of increased testing in the US. Trump said a coronavirus vaccine would be widely available to the American public starting in April. “As soon as April, the vaccine will be available to the entire general population,” Trump said. However, the president said the vaccine would not be available to residents of New York, accusing the Democratic governor, Andrew Cuomo, of playing politics. “We won’t be delivering it to New York until we have authorization to do so,” Trump said.
Updated at 22.09 GMT
13 Nov 2020 21.30 GMT Trump delivers update on Operation Warp Speed Donald Trump has appeared at the podium in the White House Rose Garden to deliver an update on Operation Warp Speed, the federal government’s effort to accelerate the development of a coronavirus vaccine. The president said Operation Warp Speed was “unequaled and unrivaled anywhere in the world”, claiming foreign leaders have called to congratulate him on the project. Trump credited Operation Warp Speed with the news, announced earlier this week, that Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine is 90% effective. Pfizer executives said the company was not involved in Operation Warp Speed and did not receive federal money for its vaccine, but Trump said that was an “unfortunate misrepresentation”. A Pfizer spokesperson said the company was part of Operation Warp Speed as a supplier of a potential vaccine, but the company did not receive federal money to help develop its vaccine, unlike Moderna and AstraZeneca.
Updated at 21.37 GMT


theguardian--2020-11-13--Trump comes close to admitting defeat but stops short of formal concession

Donald Trump has come closer than ever to admitting that he lost the US presidential election , suggesting “ time will tell ” but stopping short of a formal concession to president-elect Joe Biden .
In his first public remarks since his defeat was announced , Trump appeared to catch himself making a slip of the tongue as he discussed the possibility of a Biden administration imposing a national lockdown to combat the coronavirus pandemic .
“ Ideally we won ’ t go to a lockdown , ” the president told reporters in the White House Rose Garden .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will not be going to a lockdown .
Hopefully the – whatever happens in the future , who knows which administration will be.
” Trump added : “ I guess time will tell .
But I can tell you this administration will not go to a lockdown.
” Biden was proclaimed the winner of the election last Saturday , a result Trump has refused to acknowledge while launching legal challenges based on unsubstantiated claims of fraud .
The homeland security department on Thursday declared it the most secure election in US history with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ altered .
The president had issued dozens tweets and retweets but had not been seen in public except for a Veterans ’ Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery .
It was the longest spell the American people had gone without hearing him speak since he took office .
Finally , on Friday , Trump held a press conference at the White House to provide an update on Operation Warp Speed , the effort to create a vaccine for Covid-19 .
The event , attended by Vice-President Mike Pence and coronavirus task force coordinator @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after the US set a single-day record of more than 160,000 new cases .
Trump said he expects a vaccine to be available for the entire population as soon as April and an emergency use authorisation for Pfizer ’ s vaccine “ extremely soon ” .
Pfizer has said it expects to report required safety data next week and can then apply for an emergency use authorisation .
Although he appeared deflated , his hair grey instead of its customary blond , Trump still dived into familiar territory , boasting about economic recovery @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political foes , New York governor Andrew Cuomo .
The government would not deliver a coronavirus vaccine to New York state if and when it becomes available , Trump said , because the state has promised to do its own review to ensure their safety .
Cuomo “ doesn ’ t trust where the vaccine is coming from ” , Trump complained .
“ These are coming from the greatest companies anywhere in the world , greatest labs in the world , but he doesn ’ t trust the fact that it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , so we won ’ t be delivering it to New York until we have authorisation to do so and that pains me to say that.
” Cuomo dismissed the attack .
In an interview on MSNBC , the governor said : “ None of what he said is true , surprise surprise .
We ’ re all excited about the possibilities about a vaccine .
It ’ s not that people don ’ t trust the vaccine companies , the pharmaceutical companies .
Pfizer ’ s a great New York company , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ But an overwhelming percentage of Americans are worried about political interference in the vaccination process , in the approval process , by the president .
The American people trust the drug company more than they trust the president.
” Criticism of the administration ’ s response to the virus , which has killed more than 243,000 in the US , became a central argument for Biden ahead of the 3 November election .
There have been more than 100,000 new confirmed cases reported daily for more than a week .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , many believed to be linked to Trump ’ s rallies in the closing days of the campaign .
Biden has devoted most of his public remarks to encouraging Americans to wear a mask and view the coronavirus as a threat with no regard for political allegiance .
He has not endorsed a nationwide shutdown but appealed for Trump to take “ urgent action ” .
“ The crisis does not respect dates on the calendar .
It is accelerating right now , ” he said in a statement on Friday .
Public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s refusal to take aggressive action or to coordinate with the Biden team will only worsen the effects of the virus and hinder the nation ’ s ability to swiftly distribute a vaccine next year .
Yet Trump continues to stall the presidential transition .
When an interviewer on Fox Business suggested that it would look sad if Trump does not attend the inauguration on 20 January , White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany replied : “ I think the president will attend his own inauguration .
He would have to be there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evidence of widespread fraud in the election .
Officials from both political parties have stated publicly that the election went well , and international observers confirmed there were no serious irregularities .
Trump ’ s legal team continues to pursue election lawsuits that have gained little traction in the courts .

Donald Trump has come closer than ever to admitting that he lost the US presidential election, suggesting “time will tell” but stopping short of a formal concession to president-elect Joe Biden.
In his first public remarks since his defeat was announced, Trump appeared to catch himself making a slip of the tongue as he discussed the possibility of a Biden administration imposing a national lockdown to combat the coronavirus pandemic.
“Ideally we won’t go to a lockdown,” the president told reporters in the White House Rose Garden. “I will not go – this administration will not be going to a lockdown. Hopefully the – whatever happens in the future, who knows which administration will be.”
Trump added: “I guess time will tell. But I can tell you this administration will not go to a lockdown.”
Biden was proclaimed the winner of the election last Saturday, a result Trump has refused to acknowledge while launching legal challenges based on unsubstantiated claims of fraud. The homeland security department on Thursday declared it the most secure election in US history with no evidence of votes being compromised or altered.
The president had issued dozens tweets and retweets but had not been seen in public except for a Veterans’ Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery. It was the longest spell the American people had gone without hearing him speak since he took office.
Finally, on Friday, Trump held a press conference at the White House to provide an update on Operation Warp Speed, the effort to create a vaccine for Covid-19. The event, attended by Vice-President Mike Pence and coronavirus task force coordinator Deborah Birx, took place one day after the US set a single-day record of more than 160,000 new cases.
Trump said he expects a vaccine to be available for the entire population as soon as April and an emergency use authorisation for Pfizer’s vaccine “extremely soon”. Pfizer has said it expects to report required safety data next week and can then apply for an emergency use authorisation.
Although he appeared deflated, his hair grey instead of its customary blond, Trump still dived into familiar territory, boasting about economic recovery and settling scores with one of his political foes, New York governor Andrew Cuomo.
The crisis does not respect dates on the calendar. It is accelerating right now Joe Biden
The government would not deliver a coronavirus vaccine to New York state if and when it becomes available, Trump said, because the state has promised to do its own review to ensure their safety.
Cuomo “doesn’t trust where the vaccine is coming from”, Trump complained. “These are coming from the greatest companies anywhere in the world, greatest labs in the world, but he doesn’t trust the fact that it’s this White House, this administration, so we won’t be delivering it to New York until we have authorisation to do so and that pains me to say that.”
Cuomo dismissed the attack. In an interview on MSNBC, the governor said: “None of what he said is true, surprise surprise. We’re all excited about the possibilities about a vaccine. It’s not that people don’t trust the vaccine companies, the pharmaceutical companies. Pfizer’s a great New York company, Regeneron is a great New York company.
“But an overwhelming percentage of Americans are worried about political interference in the vaccination process, in the approval process, by the president. The American people trust the drug company more than they trust the president.”
Criticism of the administration’s response to the virus, which has killed more than 243,000 in the US, became a central argument for Biden ahead of the 3 November election. There have been more than 100,000 new confirmed cases reported daily for more than a week. The secret service is experiencing a significant number, many believed to be linked to Trump’s rallies in the closing days of the campaign.
Biden has devoted most of his public remarks to encouraging Americans to wear a mask and view the coronavirus as a threat with no regard for political allegiance. He has not endorsed a nationwide shutdown but appealed for Trump to take “urgent action”.
“The crisis does not respect dates on the calendar. It is accelerating right now,” he said in a statement on Friday.
Public health experts have warned that Trump’s refusal to take aggressive action or to coordinate with the Biden team will only worsen the effects of the virus and hinder the nation’s ability to swiftly distribute a vaccine next year.
Yet Trump continues to stall the presidential transition. When an interviewer on Fox Business suggested that it would look sad if Trump does not attend the inauguration on 20 January, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany replied: “I think the president will attend his own inauguration. He would have to be there, in fact.”
There is no evidence of widespread fraud in the election. Officials from both political parties have stated publicly that the election went well, and international observers confirmed there were no serious irregularities. Trump’s legal team continues to pursue election lawsuits that have gained little traction in the courts.


theguardian--2020-11-13--Can Trump actually stage a coup and stay in office for a second term?

Joe Biden won the presidential election , a fact that Donald Trump and other Republicans refuse to acknowledge .
There are worries the president and other Republicans will make every effort to stay in power .
“ There will be a smooth transition to a second Trump administration , ” Mike Pompeo , the secretary of state , said on Tuesday .
William Barr , the attorney general , has also authorized federal prosecutors to begin to investigate election irregularities , a move that prompted the head of the justice department ’ s election crimes unit to step down from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Despite all of Trump ’ s machinations , it is extremely unlikely he can find a way to stay in power or stage a coup .
Here ’ s an explanation of why : Donald Trump refuses to accept that Joe Biden won the presidential election .
Is there a constitutional path for him to stage a coup and stay in office for another term ?
Not really .
The electoral college meets on 14 December to cast its vote for president and nearly every state uses the statewide popular vote to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to win far more than the 270 electoral votes he needs to become president .
His victory doesn ’ t hinge on one state and he has probably insurmountable leads in Michigan , Nevada , Wisconsin , Pennsylvania and Arizona .
There is a long-shot legal theory , floated by Republicans before the election , that Republican-friendly legislatures in places such as Michigan , Wisconsin and Pennsylvania could ignore the popular vote in their states and appoint their own electors .
Federal law allows legislatures to do this if states have “ failed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day the electoral college meets .
But there is no evidence of systemic fraud of wrongdoing in any state and Biden ’ s commanding margins in these places make it clear that the states have in fact made a choice .
“ If the country continues to follow the rule of law , I see no plausible constitutional path forward for Trump to remain as president barring new evidence of some massive failure of the election system in multiple states , ” Richard Hasen , a law professor at the University of California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , wrote in an email .
“ It would be a naked , antidemocratic power grab to try to use state legislatures to get around the voters ’ choice and I don ’ t expect it to happen.
” For lawmakers in a single state to choose to override the clear will of its voters this way would be extraordinary and probably cause a huge outcry .
For Trump to win the electoral college , several states would have to take this extraordinary step , a move that would cause extreme backlash and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country .
“ There ’ s a strange fascination with various imagined dark scenarios , perhaps involving renegade state legislatures , but this is more dystopian fiction than anything likely to happen , ” said Richard Pildes , a law professor at New York University .
“ The irony , or tragedy , is that we managed to conduct an extremely smooth election , with record turnout , under exceptionally difficult circumstances – and yet , a significant portion of the president ’ s supporters are now convinced that the process was flawed.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ these important states are going to go along with this ?
Shortly after election day , Jake Corman , the top Republican in the Pennsylvania state senate , indicated his party would “ follow the law ” in Pennsylvania , which requires awarding electors to the winner of the popular vote .
In an October op-ed , Corman said the state legislature “ does not have and will not have a hand in choosing the state ’ s presidential electors or in deciding the outcome of the presidential election ” .
But on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said they wanted to investigate allegations of voter fraud .
There ’ s no evidence of widespread malfeasance in the state , but the move is alarming because it could be the beginning of an effort to undermine the popular vote results in the state .
The Republican-led legislature in Michigan is also investigating the election , as are Republicans in Wisconsin .
There ’ s no evidence of widespread wrongdoing in either place .
Is this related in any way to the lawsuits Trump is filing ?
Trump ’ s campaign has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since election day .
The purpose of these suits appears not to be to actually overturn the election results , but to try to create uncertainty and draw out the counting process .
Each state has its own deadlines for certifying election results that are then used to allocate its electoral college votes .
In at least two states , Pennsylvania and Michigan , Trump ’ s campaign is seeking to block officials from certifying results .
That certification timeline is important because federal law says that as long as election results are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the result is “ conclusive ” .
That provides a safeguard against Congress , which is responsible for counting the electoral college votes , from second-guessing election results .
By dragging out the process , the Trump campaign may be seeking to blow past that deadline and create more wiggle room to second-guess the results .
Even if that is the Trump campaign ’ s hope , courts are unlikely to step in , Pildes said .
“ States are going to start certifying their vote totals beginning in less than 10 days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the claims made thus far for the courts to stop that process , ” he said .
Say the worst-case scenario comes to fruition and Republican-led legislatures override the will of the people in several states .
Is there any safeguard to stop Trump ?
Yes .
Michigan , Wisconsin , Pennsylvania and Nevada all have Democratic governors who would refuse to approve a set of Trump electors with the popular vote clearly showing Biden winning their state .
Instead , they would submit the electors Biden is entitled to as the winner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then fall to Congress , which is charged with counting the votes from the electoral college , to decide what to do .
The law that outlines the process for how Congress should handle a dispute in electors from a state is extremely confusing , but experts believe the slate backed by a state ’ s governor is the legally sound one .
There is a rival theory that the president of the Senate , Mike Pence , could have control over the process .
A dispute over electors between the US House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the US supreme court would probably be asked to step in .
Regardless of however long a dispute is , the constitution does set one final deadline .
Even if counting is ongoing , the president and vice-president ’ s terms both end at noon on 20 January .
At that point if there isn ’ t a final result in the race , the speaker of the House – probably Nancy Pelosi – would become the acting president .

Joe Biden won the presidential election, a fact that Donald Trump and other Republicans refuse to acknowledge.
There are worries the president and other Republicans will make every effort to stay in power. “There will be a smooth transition to a second Trump administration,” Mike Pompeo, the secretary of state, said. William Barr, the attorney general, has authorized federal prosecutors to begin to investigate election irregularities, a move that prompted the head of the justice department’s election crimes unit to step down from his position and move to another role. Trump also fired Christopher Krebs, the director of the federal agency that vouched for the reliability of the 2020 election and had pushed back on the president’s baseless claims of voter fraud.
Yet, despite all of Trump’s machinations, it is extremely unlikely he can find a way to stay in power or stage a coup. Here’s an explanation of why:
Trump refuses to accept that Joe Biden won the presidential election. Is there a constitutional path for him to stage a coup and stay in office for another term?
Not really. The electoral college meets on 14 December to cast its vote for president and nearly every state uses the statewide popular vote to allocate its electors. Biden is projected to win far more than the 270 electoral votes he needs to become president. His victory doesn’t hinge on one state and he has probably insurmountable leads in Michigan, Nevada, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Arizona.
There is a long-shot legal theory, floated by Republicans before the election, that Republican-friendly legislatures in places such as Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania could ignore the popular vote in their states and appoint their own electors. Federal law allows legislatures to do this if states have “failed to make a choice” by the day the electoral college meets. But there is no evidence of systemic fraud or wrongdoing in any state and Biden’s commanding margins in these places make it clear that the states have in fact made a choice.
“If the country continues to follow the rule of law, I see no plausible constitutional path forward for Trump to remain as president barring new evidence of some massive failure of the election system in multiple states,” Richard Hasen, a law professor at the University of California, Irvine, who specializes in elections, wrote in an email. “It would be a naked, antidemocratic power grab to try to use state legislatures to get around the voters’ choice and I don’t expect it to happen.”
For lawmakers in a single state to choose to override the clear will of its voters this way would be extraordinary and probably cause a huge outcry. For Trump to win the electoral college, several states would have to take this extraordinary step, a move that would cause extreme backlash and a real crisis of democracy throughout the country.
“There’s a strange fascination with various imagined dark scenarios, perhaps involving renegade state legislatures, but this is more dystopian fiction than anything likely to happen,” said Richard Pildes, a law professor at New York University. “The irony, or tragedy, is that we managed to conduct an extremely smooth election, with record turnout, under exceptionally difficult circumstances – and yet, a significant portion of the president’s supporters are now convinced that the process was flawed.”
A live broadcast of Donald Trump speaking from the White House is shown on screens at an election night party in Las Vegas on 3 November. Photograph: John Locher/AP
Is there any indication Republicans in these important states are going to go along with this?
Shortly after election day, Jake Corman, the top Republican in the Pennsylvania state senate, indicated his party would “follow the law” in Pennsylvania, which requires awarding electors to the winner of the popular vote. In an October op-ed, Corman said the state legislature “does not have and will not have a hand in choosing the state’s presidential electors or in deciding the outcome of the presidential election”.
Republicans in the Pennsylvania legislature said they wanted to investigate allegations of voter fraud. There’s no evidence of widespread malfeasance in the state, but the move is alarming because it could be the beginning of an effort to undermine the popular vote results in the state. But in a major blow to the president’s legal efforts, the state’s supreme court ruled that Philadelphia election officials did not improperly block Trump’s campaign from observing the counting of mail-in ballots.
The Republican-led legislature in Michigan is also investigating the election, as are Republicans in Wisconsin. There’s no evidence of widespread wrongdoing in either place.
Is this related in any way to the lawsuits Trump is filing?
Trump’s campaign has filed a slew of legally dubious suits since election day. The purpose of these suits appears not to be to actually overturn the election results, but to try to create uncertainty and draw out the counting process.
Each state has its own deadlines for certifying election results that are then used to allocate its electoral college votes. In at least two states, Pennsylvania and Michigan, Trump’s campaign is seeking to block officials from certifying results.
That certification timeline is important because federal law says that as long as election results are finalized by 8 December this year, the result is “conclusive”. That provides a safeguard against Congress, which is responsible for counting the electoral college votes, from second-guessing election results. By dragging out the process, the Trump campaign may be seeking to blow past that deadline and create more wiggle room to second-guess the results.
Even if that is the Trump campaign’s hope, courts are unlikely to step in, Pildes said.
“States are going to start certifying their vote totals beginning in less than 10 days, and there is no basis in the claims made thus far for the courts to stop that process,” he said.
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Say the worst-case scenario comes to fruition and Republican-led legislatures override the will of the people in several states. Is there any safeguard to stop Trump?
Yes. Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Nevada all have Democratic governors who would refuse to approve a set of Trump electors with the popular vote clearly showing Biden winning their state. Instead, they would submit the electors Biden is entitled to as the winner of the popular vote.
It would then fall to Congress, which is charged with counting the votes from the electoral college, to decide what to do. The law that outlines the process for how Congress should handle a dispute in electors from a state is extremely confusing, but experts believe the slate backed by a state’s governor is the legally sound one. There is a rival theory that the president of the Senate, Mike Pence, could have control over the process. A dispute over electors between the US House and Senate is a worst-case scenario and the US supreme court would probably be asked to step in.
Regardless of however long a dispute is, the constitution does set one final deadline. Even if counting is ongoing, the president and vice-president’s terms both end at noon on 20 January. At that point if there isn’t a final result in the race, the speaker of the House – probably Nancy Pelosi – would become the acting president.