theguardian--2020-12-11--First US Covid vaccinations expected next week as FDA emergency approval appears close – live

Aamer Madhani has this for Associated Press on why you may be getting a sense of deja vu as you look at president-elect Joe Biden ’ s picks for his administration – because he ’ s getting the old gang back together .
The incoming Biden administration has a distinctly Obama feel about it already .
There ’ s Denis McDonough , former Obama chief of staff who Biden announced on Thursday would be nominated as the secretary of veterans affairs .
Susan Rice , Obama ’ s former national security adviser , was named the director of Biden ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That ’ s on top of Biden already tapping Obama ’ s agriculture secretary , Tom Vilsack , to head the department once again , former Secretary of State John Kerry to serve as special envoy on climate and Kerry ’ s Obama-era deputy Antony Blinken to lead the State Department .
Jeff Zients , who did stints as acting Office of Management and Budget director and a top economic adviser in the Obama White House , will return as Biden ’ s coronavirus response coordinator .
Biden , assuming the presidency in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crisis in a century and facing a flagging economy , is putting a great premium on past experience and , as a result , has gone frequently back to the Obama well as he fills out his government .
“ Many of the folks who are returning are returning because they believe in public service and know that after four turbulent and destructive years and a brutal pandemic , this is a particularly important time to serve , ” said David Axelrod , who served as a senior adviser to Obama .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and outlooks are consonant with ( Biden ’ s ) .
The challenge is to look forward and not back and innovate beyond what ’ s simply been broken.
” The reliance on Obama veterans carries risks .
Some of the nominee are still distrusted by some Republicans .
And Progressive Democrats view the Obama era with frustration , believing that those in power acted too cautiously at a time that called for bold change .
With a thinned majority in the House and a closely divided Senate , leaning on former Obama @ @ @ @ @ @ @ positions will be a necessity for Biden world for at least the first two years of his term , said University of Chicago political scientist William Howell .
“ If you ’ re a liberal looking for sweeping change , you ’ re going to be disappointed , both in terms of its politics and the ambition of his agenda , ” Howell said .
“ The Cabinet he ’ s putting together is consistent of both the hand he ’ s been dealt and moderate position that delivered him the nomination .
@

Adam Gabbatt (now) and Martin Belam (earlier)

12 Dec 2020 00.52 GMT Summary From me and Adam Gabbatt: Donald Trump signed a temporary funding measure to avert a government shutdown. The stopgap measure, known as a continuing resolution, will expire in a week. The short-term measure buys lawmakers time to reach an agreement on a delayed Covid relief bill.
The stopgap measure, known as a continuing resolution, will expire in a week. The short-term measure buys lawmakers time to reach an agreement on a delayed Covid relief bill. The supreme court rejected a lawsuit from the Texas attorney general challenging election results in other states. This shutting down yet another long-shot attempt by Republicans to change the election results . The suit was backed by over 100 Republicans in Congress, including the minority leader, Kevin McCarthy.
This shutting down yet another long-shot attempt by Republicans to change the election results The suit was backed by over 100 Republicans in Congress, including the minority leader, Kevin McCarthy. The administration said it will purchase an additional 100m doses of the Moderna vaccine. That means the US will be able to distribute 200m doses of the vaccine, if the FDA approves it. An FDA panel is scheduled to discuss and vote on whether to authorize the vaccine next week. The US has the option of getting up to 300m more doses of the vaccine.
That means the US will be able to distribute 200m doses of the vaccine, if the FDA approves it. An FDA panel is scheduled to discuss and vote on whether to authorize the vaccine next week. The US has the option of getting up to 300m more doses of the vaccine. The Washington Post reported that Mark Meadows told Hahn to submit his resignation if the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine was not approved by the end of Friday. The vaccine is expected to be approved, and will likely be made available to at-risk people on Monday or Tuesday.
The vaccine is expected to be approved, and will likely be made available to at-risk people on Monday or Tuesday. Dr Anthony Fauci said he will receive a Covid-19 vaccine publicly, in an attempt to build confidence in the vaccinations. Fauci said he would do so as soon as “the vaccine becomes available to me”. Last week former US presidents Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and George W Bush pledged to get vaccinated on TV to show its safety.
in an attempt to build confidence in the vaccinations. Fauci said he would do so as soon as “the vaccine becomes available to me”. Last week former US presidents Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and George W Bush pledged to get vaccinated on TV to show its safety. The Senate passed a temporary government-wide funding bill, averting a government shutdown at midnight and buying time for negotiations over Covid-19 relief. It buys time for Congress to continue negotiations over a coronavirus relief package. Democrats and Republicans have been divided over the size of a bill.
averting a government shutdown at midnight and buying time for negotiations over Covid-19 relief. It buys time for Congress to continue negotiations over a coronavirus relief package. Democrats and Republicans have been divided over the size of a bill. Indoor dining has been suspended indefinitely in New York City, amid surging hospitalizations. The number of people being treated for Covid-19 symptoms in hospital exceeded 5,000 on Thursday for the first time in nearly nine months. “Hospitalizations have not stabilized, and with a rising infection rate and NYC’s density, this means that indoor dining is too high of a risk,” Cuomo said.
12 Dec 2020 00.28 GMT Following the supreme court decision, the Texas Republican party chairman released a statement suggesting secession, saying, “law-abiding states should bond together and form a Union of states that will abide by the constitution”. The @TexasGOP is out with a statement in the wake of the Supreme Court decision, all but calling for secession:
“Perhaps law-abiding states should bond together and form a Union of states that will abide by the constitution.” pic.twitter.com/4bB3gk88t4 — Adam Kelsey (@adamkelsey) December 12, 2020
Updated at 01.11 GMT
12 Dec 2020 00.23 GMT America's longest-serving marijuana prisoner freed after 31 years Kenya Evelyn A man believed to be the longest-serving inmate for non-violent, marijuana charges has been released from a Florida prison, and is set to spend the holidays with family for the first time in more than 31 years. Richard DeLisi walked out of a correctional facility in Palm Beach county this week “grateful to everyone who [had] been there” and expressing appreciation for supporters and criminal justice reform advocates who say the now 71-year-old’s release was long overdue.
“It was so unjust what they did to me,” DeLisi told Florida’s Ledger newspaper. “I just hope that I can help other people that are in the same situation.” Along with his older brother, DeLisi was sentenced to a 90-year prison term in 1989 after being convicted trafficking more than 100lb of marijuana from Colombia – as well as conspiracy and racketeering charges. Both brothers received three, consecutive 30-year convictions, which well exceeded judicial guidelines for recommended sentences at the time. Criminal justice experts pointed to the sentence as part of the lingering “war on drugs” that saw incarceration rates rise sharply for low-level drug offenders in the 1980s and 90s.
While his brother eventually appealed and was released from prison in 2013, DeLisi’s appeal was rejected. He left prison this week ahead of a scheduled June 2022 release. Read more: America's longest-serving marijuana prisoner freed after 31 years Read more
Updated at 00.24 GMT
11 Dec 2020 23.47 GMT Trump signed a resolution to avert government shutdown at midnight Donald Trump signed a temporary funding measure to avert a government shutdown. The stopgap measure, known as a continuing resolution, will expire in a week. The short-term measure buys lawmakers time to reach an agreement on a delayed Covid relief bill. Lawmakers are at odds over whether or not to send out another round of direct payments to Americans, as coronavirus cases rise and the economic crisis deepens.
Updated at 23.51 GMT
11 Dec 2020 23.39 GMT US supreme court rejects lawsuit challenging Biden wins in swing states The supreme court rejected a lawsuit from the Texas attorney general, challenging election results in other states, shutting down yet another long-shot attempt by Republicans to change the election results. The suit was backed by over 100 Republicans in Congress, including the minority leader, Kevin McCarthy.
Updated at 23.47 GMT
11 Dec 2020 23.08 GMT Justin Trudeau announced that Canada will be extending travel restrictions at the US-Canada border ... until the day after Joe Biden is inaugurated. “Non-essential travel between our two countries remains restricted until at least January 21st, 2021,” the Canadian prime minister said. President-elect Biden’s inauguration will be on 20 January. Update on our border: To keep Canadians safe, we’ve extended the measures currently in place at the Canada-US border by another 30 days. Non-essential travel between our two countries remains restricted until at least January 21st, 2021. — Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) December 11, 2020
Updated at 23.12 GMT
11 Dec 2020 22.45 GMT Administration to purchase additional 100m Moderna vaccine doses The Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Defense said they’ll purchase an additional 100m doses of the Moderna vaccine - which means the US will be able to distribute 200m doses of the vaccine, once the FDA approves it. An FDA panel is scheduled to discuss and vote on whether to authorize the vaccine next week. The US has the option of getting up to 300m more doses of the vaccine. The Trump administration came under criticism after the New York Times reported that it passed on buying additional doses of the Pfizer vaccine.
Updated at 22.53 GMT
11 Dec 2020 21.58 GMT Today so far The Washington Post reported that Mark Meadows told Hahn to submit his resignation if the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine was not approved by the end of Friday. The vaccine is expected to be approved, and will likely be made available to at-risk people on Monday or Tuesday.
The vaccine is expected to be approved, and will likely be made available to at-risk people on Monday or Tuesday. Dr Anthony Fauci said he will receive a Covid-19 vaccine publicly, in an attempt to build confidence in the vaccinations. Fauci said he would do so as soon as “the vaccine becomes available to me”. Last week former US presidents Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and George W Bush pledged to get vaccinated on TV to show its safety.
in an attempt to build confidence in the vaccinations. Fauci said he would do so as soon as “the vaccine becomes available to me”. Last week former US presidents Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and George W Bush pledged to get vaccinated on TV to show its safety. The Senate passed a temporary government-wide funding bill, averting a government shutdown at midnight and buying time for negotiations over Covid-19 relief. It buys time for Congress to continue negotiations over a coronavirus relief package. Democrats and Republicans have been divided over the size of a bill.
averting a government shutdown at midnight and buying time for negotiations over Covid-19 relief. It buys time for Congress to continue negotiations over a coronavirus relief package. Democrats and Republicans have been divided over the size of a bill. Indoor dining has been suspended indefinitely in New York City, amid surging hospitalizations. The number of people being treated for Covid-19 symptoms in hospital exceeded 5,000 on Thursday for the first time in nearly nine months. “Hospitalizations have not stabilized, and with a rising infection rate and NYC’s density, this means that indoor dining is too high of a risk,” Cuomo said. My colleague Maanvi Singh will continue to bring you updates through the evening.
11 Dec 2020 21.03 GMT Devin Nunes, the Republican congressman from California, has tested positive for coronavirus. Nunes, an ardent supporter of Donald Trump, reportedly broke the news during an interview with the KMJNOW radio station. At least 45 members of Congress have now tested positive for coronavirus, according to CNN’s tracker. The majority of those are Republican. Devin Nunes. Photograph: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images
11 Dec 2020 20.45 GMT South Carolina reported its highest ever daily number of new Covid-19 cases on Friday. “One week ago, today, South Carolina announced its highest number of new cases of COVID-19. Today, we eclipse that number by more than 700,” the South Carolina Department of health and environmental control said in a release. The state reported 3,217 confirmed and probable Covid-19 cases on Friday, and 47 deaths. South Carolina has had more than 245,200 cases, and 4,673 deaths. “South Carolina, like many other states, is currently experiencing a worsening of this pandemic,” said Dr Brannon Traxler, interim public heath director of the DHEC. “While the arriving vaccine is the light at the end of the tunnel, it will be months before there is enough vaccine available for everyone. It is incumbent upon all of us to continue to take actions aimed at saving lives.”
11 Dec 2020 20.07 GMT White House threatened FDA head over vaccine approval – report The White House chief of staff threatened Stephen Hahn, the commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, over the approval of a coronavirus vaccine, the Washington Post reported. According to the Post, Mark Meadows told Hahn to submit his resignation if the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine was not approved by the end of the day. The newspaper cited people familiar with the situation who spoke on the condition of anonymity. “The warning led the FDA to accelerate its timetable for clearing America’s first vaccine from Saturday morning to later Friday,” the Washington Post reported. Earlier it had emerged that the FDA, which had previously been expected to formally approve the vaccine on Saturday, would move the authorization forward to Friday night. The Washington Post said that was a result of Meadows’ threat. Mark Meadows, right, with assistant to the president Dan Scavino. Photograph: Win McNamee/Getty Images In a statement to the Post Hahn tamped down the report, however. “This is an untrue representation of the phone call with the Chief of Staff,” Hahn said in a statement to the Post. “The FDA was encouraged to continue working expeditiously on Pfizer-BioNTech’s EUA request. FDA is committed to issuing this authorization quickly, as we noted in our statement this morning.”
Updated at 21.27 GMT
11 Dec 2020 19.53 GMT The Senate has passed a temporary government-wide funding bill, averting a government shutdown at midnight and buying time for negotiations over Covid-19 relief. The stop-gap measure, which is expected to be signed by Donald Trump at some point today, will keep the government running until December 18. It buys time for Congress to continue negotiations over a coronavirus relief package. Those talks remain stalled, but Associated Press reported that there is “universal agreement that Congress won’t adjourn for the year without passing a long-delayed round of pandemic relief”. An emerging $900 billion aid package from a bipartisan group of lawmakers hit a rough patch after Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell swung against the effort, but negotiations are ongoing and pressure remains intense.
11 Dec 2020 19.39 GMT Fauci to 'get vaccinated publicly' Dr Anthony Fauci said he will receive a Covid-19 vaccine publicly in an attempt to build confidence in the vaccinations. Fauci said he would “get vaccinated publicly, in the public space, so that people can see me getting vaccinated,” in an interview with the New York Times. The director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases said he would do so as soon as “the vaccine becomes available to me”. Anthony Fauci, right. Photograph: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters It’s not clear yet how Fauci would receive the vaccine in a manner that the public could witness it. Last week former US presidents Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and George W Bush pledged to get vaccinated on TV to show its safety. Many Americans say they will not agree to be vaccinated against Covid-19. A poll by Gallup, released in mid-November, showed that 42% of the country would not take the vaccine even if it was “available right now at no cost”.


theguardian--2020-12-11--Talk of Rahm Emanuel in Biden cabinet outrages his Chicago critics

Of all the names bouncing around as prospects yet to be tapped for the incoming Biden-Harris administration , there ’ s one triggering intense emotion , especially in his home town .
News that Rahm Emanuel is being considered for transportation secretary or another position in Joe Biden ’ s cabinet or senior team has sparked outrage among Chicagoans who believe his controversial tenure as mayor of that city should disqualify him from a return to the highest echelons of Washington .
Emanuel is a Chicago native with a track record as an Illinois congressman before serving as Barack Obama @ @ @ @ @ @ @ terms as Chicago mayor .
But he ’ s a divisive figure who long ago upset liberals , most prominently in Washington , by discouraging Obama from pursuing what became his signature legislative achievement – healthcare reform via the Affordable Care Act – and then in myriad ways as mayor of Chicago from 2011 to 2019 .
He ’ s been endorsed by key moderate figures such as Illinois senator and Democratic whip Dick Durbin , ex-transportation secretary and former Illinois Republican congressman Ray LaHood , current congressman Mike Quigley and Chicago South @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him as “ the perfect candidate ” for the transportation job .
But prominent progressives in Chicago and elsewhere are livid that Biden would even give his name an airing , accusing Emanuel of exacerbating the city ’ s entrenched , acute inequalities and , most dramatically , botching the handling of Black teenager Laquan McDonald ’ s killing by a white police officer in 2014 .
Rahm Emanuel “ covered up the murder of a young Black man in Chicago in order to advance his political career , ” city alderman Carlos @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dashcam footage of 17-year-old McDonald being gunned down by officer Jason Van Dyke , who was convicted in 2018 of the murder , was suppressed for more than a year before a judge ordered it released .
Emanuel ’ s role in that delay ignited weeks of local and national protests and calls for his resignation .
It left an indelible stain and he didn ’ t run for a third term .
Eva Maria Lewis , a Chicago artist and organizer as well as the founder of the Free Root Operation , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said that a post for Emanuel in the Biden-Harris administration would mean “ people don ’ t care ” what Black Americans have to say .
“ You can ’ t argue against the information , the evidence is all there – 16 shots and a cover-up , everyone knows what that means .
He was essentially ousted .
People were not going to go for him being in office after the Laquan McDonald cover-up , ” she said .
In the aftermath of the scandal , Emanuel opposed a federal investigation into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cultivate a community oversight board for the police , as had been promised .
Elsewhere , New York congresswomen Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and congressman-elect Jamaal Bowman spoke out along similar lines , as did Missouri congresswoman-elect Cori Bush .
Liberal critics in Chicago are opposed on additional grounds .
Ramirez-Rosa pointed to the infamous closing of 50 Chicago public schools under Emanuel .
He added : “ He passed policies that balanced the city of Chicago on the backs of working people .
I think he ’ s shown that he is not fit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and really do what needs to be done to undo the harm that was caused by President Trump.
” And he accused Emanuel of focusing on wielding power “ on behalf of the interests to billionaires ” , including ultra-wealthy Republicans .
Emanuel divested from Chicago ’ s public education after mandating millions in budget cuts as well as 1,400 layoffs , leading to a dire reduction of school nurses , librarians , social workers , and others .
In 2012 , Chicago teachers went on strike for the first time in almost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the most at any one time , were concentrated in majority-black , poorer neighborhoods and disrupted many families ’ lives .
“ Children had to cross gang territory to get an education .
Schools were overcrowded .
People were forced to attend dilapidated schools .
The budget was not equitably distributed – closing the schools was avoidable , ” said Lewis .
Notoriously , Emanuel closed half of Chicago ’ s public mental health clinics with most of them concentrated on the South Side .
The closings resulted in wide disparities in access @ @ @ @ @ @ @ licensed mental health clinicians for every 1,000 South Side residents versus 4.45 for every 1,000 residents on the city ’ s wealthier north side .
The closing led to a convoluted transition process , with hundreds of unaccounted for patients and overburdened neighboring community mental health providers .
Then there is his style , typical descriptions ranging from tough and effective to abrasive and bullying and , obviously , his reputation on transportation , which is glaringly inconsistent .
“ If you didn ’ t agree on an issue , he was extremely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with him where I would ask him questions that should ’ ve been asked on different issues – such as the ‘ Elon Musk tunnel ’ , ” said Scott Waguespack , alderman of Chicago ’ s 32nd ward .
He added : “ Even asking questions about that was met with pushback from him .
He didn ’ t like anyone questioning his projects like that .
That ’ s what people have to expect.
” Emanuel touted a project with Tesla ’ s Musk to built a high speed underground transportation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ Hare airport , which ultimately failed .
“ It was all imagery he put up , that in the long run really had no substance to it , ” said Waguespack .
The mayor also created the Chicago Infrastructure Trust , claiming to have secured $ 1 billion worth of private investment and pledging to create 30,000 jobs over three years .
The promises didn ’ t come to fruition and current mayor Lori Lightfoot has since dissolved the trust .
Overall , Emanuel has a mixed legacy on an ambitious transportation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ walking paths and biking lanes in some neighborhoods , making essential upgrades to Chicago ’ s public transportation and improvements at O ’ Hare – but a drive towards sustainability and greater equality in services was missing .
The Guardian contacted Emanuel for comment but did not receive a response .
And there is another constituency whose opposition to a great “ Return of Rahm ” should give Biden pause – trade unions , including in transportation , whose support was a crucial source of votes in Biden ’ s win last month @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( TWU ) called the prospect a betrayal and Sara Nelson , president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA , called Emanuel a union buster .
Emanuel had a hostile relationship with representatives of teachers and other city employees .
“ We didn ’ t work our asses off to have Rahm Emanuel as the secretary of transportation … he ’ s anti-trade union , he ’ s anti-worker , ” John Samuelsen , international president of TWU , told the Intercept .
Chicago alderman Ramirez-Rosa concluded that any elevation of Emanuel would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meant “ more of the same ” political culture in Washington that has eroded public faith .
He said it would signal that “ if you have lobbyists , big donors , or billionaires backing you up , they will be able to put you in that cabinet so you can carry water for them ” .

Of all the names bouncing around as prospects yet to be tapped for the incoming Biden-Harris administration, there’s one triggering intense emotion, especially in his home town.
News that Rahm Emanuel is being considered for transportation secretary or another position in Joe Biden’s cabinet or senior team has sparked outrage among Chicagoans who believe his controversial tenure as mayor of that city should disqualify him from a return to the highest echelons of Washington.
Emanuel is a Chicago native with a track record as an Illinois congressman before serving as Barack Obama’s chief of staff then two terms as Chicago mayor.
But he’s a divisive figure who long ago upset liberals, most prominently in Washington, by discouraging Obama from pursuing what became his signature legislative achievement – healthcare reform via the Affordable Care Act – and then in myriad ways as mayor of Chicago from 2011 to 2019.
He’s been endorsed by key moderate figures such as the Illinois senator and Democratic whip Dick Durbin, ex-transportation secretary and former Illinois Republican congressman Ray LaHood, current congressman Mike Quigley and Chicago South Side alderman Michelle Harris, who described him as “the perfect candidate” for the transportation job.
But prominent progressives in Chicago and elsewhere are livid that Biden would even give his name an airing, accusing Emanuel of exacerbating the city’s entrenched, acute inequalities and, most dramatically, botching the handling of Black teenager Laquan McDonald’s killing by a white police officer in 2014.
Rahm Emanuel “covered up the murder of a young Black man in Chicago in order to advance his political career”, city alderman Carlos Ramirez-Rosa said of his potential appointment.
Dashcam footage of 17-year-old McDonald being gunned down by officer Jason Van Dyke, who was convicted in 2018 of the murder, was suppressed for more than a year before a judge ordered it released. Emanuel’s role in that delay ignited weeks of local and national protests and calls for his resignation. It left an indelible stain and he didn’t run for a third term.
Eva Maria Lewis, a Chicago artist and organizer as well as the founder of the Free Root Operation, a non-profit fighting poverty-induced gun violence, said that a post for Emanuel in the Biden-Harris administration would mean “people don’t care” what Black Americans have to say.
“You can’t argue against the information, the evidence is all there – 16 shots and a cover-up, everyone knows what that means. He was essentially ousted. People were not going to go for him being in office after the Laquan McDonald cover-up,” she said.
In the aftermath of the scandal, Emanuel opposed a federal investigation into the Chicago police department and failed to cultivate a community oversight board for the police, as had been promised.
Elsewhere, the New York congresswomen Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and congressman-elect Jamaal Bowman spoke out along similar lines, as did Missouri congresswoman-elect Cori Bush.
What is so hard to understand about this?
Rahm Emanuel helped cover up the murder of Laquan McDonald. Covering up a murder is disqualifying for public leadership.
This is not about the “visibility” of a post. It is shameful and concerning that he is even being considered. https://t.co/P28C0E4fYP — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) November 23, 2020
Liberal critics in Chicago are opposed on additional grounds.
Ramirez-Rosa pointed to the infamous closing of 50 Chicago public schools under Emanuel. He added: “He passed policies that balanced the city of Chicago on the backs of working people. I think he’s shown that he is not fit to serve in Biden’s cabinet and really do what needs to be done to undo the harm that was caused by President Trump.”
And he accused Emanuel of focusing on wielding power “on behalf of the interests to billionaires”, including ultra-wealthy Republicans.
Emanuel divested from Chicago’s public education after mandating millions in budget cuts as well as 1,400 layoffs, leading to a dire reduction of school nurses, librarians, social workers, and others. In 2012, Chicago teachers went on strike for the first time in almost 25 years.
The school closures, the most at any one time, were concentrated in majority-black, poorer neighborhoods and disrupted many families’ lives.
“Children had to cross gang territory to get an education. Schools were overcrowded. People were forced to attend dilapidated schools. The budget was not equitably distributed – closing the schools was avoidable,” said Lewis.
Notoriously, Emanuel closed half of Chicago’s public mental health clinics with most of them concentrated on the South Side. The closings resulted in wide disparities in access to mental health treatment, with 0.17 licensed mental health clinicians for every 1,000 South Side residents versus 4.45 for every 1,000 residents on the city’s wealthier North Side. The closing led to a convoluted transition process, with hundreds of unaccounted for patients and overburdened neighboring community mental health providers.
Then there is his style, typical descriptions ranging from tough and effective to abrasive and bullying and, obviously, his reputation on transportation, which is glaringly inconsistent.
“If you didn’t agree on an issue, he was extremely confrontational. I often had one-way confrontations with him where I would ask him questions that should’ve been asked on different issues – such as the ‘Elon Musk tunnel’,” said Scott Waguespack, alderman of Chicago’s 32nd ward.
He added: “Even asking questions about that was met with pushback from him. He didn’t like anyone questioning his projects like that. That’s what people have to expect.”
Emanuel touted a project with Tesla’s Musk to built a high-speed underground transportation system to link downtown to Chicago O’Hare airport, which ultimately failed.
“It was all imagery he put up, that in the long run really had no substance to it,” said Waguespack.
The mayor also created the Chicago Infrastructure Trust, claiming to have secured $1bn worth of private investment and pledging to create 30,000 jobs over three years. The promises didn’t come to fruition and the current mayor, Lori Lightfoot, has since dissolved the trust.
Overall, Emanuel has a mixed legacy on an ambitious transportation vision for Chicago, credited with expanding walking paths and biking lanes in some neighborhoods, making essential upgrades to Chicago’s public transportation and improvements at O’Hare – but a drive towards sustainability and greater equality in services was missing.
The Guardian contacted Emanuel for comment but did not receive a response.
And there is another constituency whose opposition to a great “Return of Rahm” should give Biden pause – trade unions, including in transportation, whose support was a crucial source of votes in Biden’s win last month.
The Transport Workers Union of America (TWU) called the prospect a betrayal and Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, called Emanuel a union buster.
Again, no. DOT is effectively the labor department for aviation - 80% union. It plays a major role in transportation trade too. We do not need a union buster setting the rules for workers in aviation. That just doesn’t reflect @JoeBiden’s deep commitment to workers & our unions. https://t.co/IjEvqwxbKK — Sara Nelson (@FlyingWithSara) November 30, 2020
Emanuel had a hostile relationship with representatives of teachers and other city employees.
“We didn’t work our asses off to have Rahm Emanuel as the secretary of transportation … he’s anti-trade union, he’s anti-worker,” John Samuelsen, international president of TWU, told the Intercept.
Chicago alderman Ramirez-Rosa concluded that any elevation of Emanuel would be a sign that a Biden administration meant “more of the same” political culture in Washington that has eroded public faith.
He said it would signal that “if you have lobbyists, big donors, or billionaires backing you up, they will be able to put you in that cabinet so you can carry water for them”.


theguardian--2020-12-11--Why did white evangelicals vote for Trump? Politics Weekly Extra podcast

Jonathan Freedland is joined by Lerone Martin of Washington University , to discuss how America ’ s strictest Christians came @ @ @ @ @ Now that Trump is on his way out , where does that leave his Christian @ @ @ @ @ white evangelical Christians were all in for Donald Trump .
No voting bloc was more @ @ @ @ @ that year he got 81 % of the white evangelical vote .
And they stood @ @ @ @ @ .
Last month his support among that group was 75 % .
Down a bit @ @ @ @ @ So , how come ?
Jonathan Freedland puts this to Lerone Martin , associate professor @ @ @ @ @ Washington University in St Louis , Missouri .
• Let us know what you think @ @ @ @ @ your feedback to podcasts @ theguardian.com • Help support the Guardian by going to gu.com/supportpodcasts

Presented by Jonathan Freedland, with Lerone A Martin. Produced by Danielle Stephens.

Jonathan Freedland is joined by Lerone Martin of Washington University, to discuss how America’s strictest Christians came to back Donald Trump. Now that Trump is on his way out, where does that leave his Christian backers?
In 2016, white evangelical Christians were all in for Donald Trump. No voting bloc was more committed to him. In that year he got 81% of the white evangelical vote. And they stood by him again in 2020. Last month his support among that group was 75%. Down a bit, but still huge.
So, how come?
Jonathan Freedland puts this to Lerone Martin, associate professor of religion and politics at Washington University in St Louis, Missouri.
Let us know what you think of the podcast: send your feedback to podcasts@theguardian.com
Help support the Guardian by going to gu.com/supportpodcasts


theguardian--2020-12-11--Joe Biden and Kamala Harris named Time magazine's 2020 person of the year

Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have been named Time magazine ’ s person – or persons – of the year for 2020 .
The magazine said : “ Together , Joe Biden and Kamala Harris offered restoration and renewal in a single ticket .
And America bought what they were selling : after the highest turnout in a century , they racked up 81 million votes and counting , the most in presidential history , topping Trump by some 7 million votes and flipping five battleground states.
” The accolade for Biden sees him follow in the footsteps of Barack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( 2016 ) .
Last year ’ s winner was climate activist Greta Thunberg .
Biden , 78 , who served two terms as vice president to Barack Obama , will become the oldest person to assume the office of US president when he is sworn in on 20 January .
Harris will become the first woman , the first Black and the first person of Asian descent to be inaugurated vice president .
The Person of the Year is usually an individual , but multiple people have been named in the past @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also taken to recognizing groups or movements .
In 2017 , the magazine selected “ The Silence Breakers ” of the MeToo movement , and in 2018 , chose to designate journalists who were imprisoned or killed for their work .
Prior to naming this year ’ s winner on Thursday , the magazine announced four finalists , included Biden and Trump – as well as two broader categories : the movement for racial justice , and frontline healthcare workers and Dr Anthony Fauci , the country ’ s leading infectious diseases scientist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every year since he won the 2016 election .
Time has named a person of the year since 1927 .
The selection represents “ an individual but sometimes multiple people who greatly impacted the country and world during the calendar year ” , the magazine says .
The designation is not necessarily an honor .
Rather , it recognizes figures who have “ influenced the news , for better or for worse , ” according to the magazine .
Along with its Person of the Year honor , Time magazine named the Korean @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Year , and basketball star LeBron James was crowned Athlete of the Year .

Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have been named Time magazine’s person – or persons – of the year for 2020.
The magazine said: “Together, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris offered restoration and renewal in a single ticket. And America bought what they were selling: after the highest turnout in a century, they racked up 81 million votes and counting, the most in presidential history, topping Trump by some 7 million votes and flipping five battleground states.”
The accolade for Biden sees him follow in the footsteps of Barack Obama (2012) and Donald Trump (2016). Last year’s winner was climate activist Greta Thunberg.
Biden, 78, who served two terms as vice president to Barack Obama, will become the oldest person to assume the office of US president when he is sworn in on 20 January. Harris will become the first woman, the first Black and the first person of Asian descent to be inaugurated vice president.
The Person of the Year is usually an individual, but multiple people have been named in the past. In recent years the magazine has also taken to recognizing groups or movements. In 2017, the magazine selected “The Silence Breakers” of the MeToo movement, and in 2018, chose to designate journalists who were imprisoned or killed for their work.
Prior to naming this year’s winner on Thursday, the magazine announced four finalists, included Biden and Trump – as well as two broader categories: the movement for racial justice, and frontline healthcare workers and Dr Anthony Fauci, the country’s leading infectious diseases scientist. Trump has been on the shortlist every year since he won the 2016 election.
Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are TIME's 2020 Person of the Year #TIMEPOY https://t.co/o97QNlSBrl pic.twitter.com/KuoBoebBN4 — TIME (@TIME) December 11, 2020
Time has named a person of the year since 1927. The selection represents “an individual but sometimes multiple people who greatly impacted the country and world during the calendar year”, the magazine says. The designation is not necessarily an honor. Rather, it recognizes figures who have “influenced the news, for better or for worse,” according to the magazine.
Along with its Person of the Year honor, Time magazine named the Korean pop group BTS as its Entertainer of the Year, and basketball star LeBron James was crowned Athlete of the Year.


theguardian--2020-12-11--The roadmap to Democrats' longterm political power? A multiracial coalition | Ian Haney López and Kr

The roadmap to Democrats' longterm political power? A multiracial coalition | Ian Haney López and Kristian Ramos

The key to the Democrats ’ 2020 win in the United States is hiding in plain sight : their success in forming a multiracial coalition .
Whereas Republicans relied overwhelmingly on white voters alone , poll data indicates that Democrats convinced white voters along with Latino , Black , Asian American and Native American voters to form a powerful coalition .
The Democrats ’ success in 2020 provides a roadmap to winning future elections .
The US is a multiracial nation , and the Democrats are a multiracial coalition .
But this can be hard to recognize from the way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every case , statistics break down voting patterns by race , for instance reporting that 87 % of Blacks and 65 % of Latinos voted for Joe Biden , while 58 % of whites pulled the lever for Trump .
Political reporting is saturated with information highlighting voting patterns by discrete racial groups , but almost nowhere can one find numbers about the assembled coalitions .
The problem is not the statistics themselves .
Pollsters provide numerical answers to the questions they ’ re asked .
When it comes to race , conventional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ racial camps .
But that routine splitting of racial groups accepts the Republicans ’ basic framing of American politics , blinding Democrats to their great strength as a multiracial coalition .
Since the 1960s , Republicans have campaigned on a message of racial conflict .
They urge whites to see themselves as threatened by demands for racial equality as well as by immigration from continents other than Europe .
Republican rhetoric is usually coded , replacing racial epithets and frank endorsements of white supremacy with terms like “ thugs ” , “ welfare @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Even so , the underlying message remains pervasive : racial groups are locked into conflict – whites against all the rest – and everyone must choose a racial side .
When Democrats and liberal pundits parse the vote by racial bloc rather than by multiracial coalition , they unintentionally reinforce this mental schema .
The group-conflict mindset encourages the view that each racial group has competing interests and strongly implies the existence of inevitable trade-offs when recruiting from different racial groups .
No Democratic candidate for president has won a majority of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrats know they must assemble a multiracial coalition .
Viewing voters through the lens of competing racial teams , however , often pushes Democratic strategists to see the need to build cross-racial solidarity as a liability .
Yet look at the 2020 coalitions .
Based on available exit poll data , Black voters were 22 % of all of those who voted for Joe Biden , Latino voters comprised 16 % , and Asian Americans were a further 5 % .
In other words , Biden won with 43 % of his total @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Asian American voters , combined with 53 % of his support coming from white voters .
In contrast , Donald Trump ’ s “ coalition ” barely deserves that name .
White voters provided 82 % of his support .
Just 3 % of Trump ’ s team were African Americans , with Asian Americans at just under that number .
Latinos were 9 % of Trump voters – but this overstates the racial diversity of Trump ’ s coalition .
Latinos differ among themselves about how they identify racially .
In polling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 13 % of those seeing Latinos as people of color indicated they would vote for Trump , compared with 32 % of those seeing Latinos as ethnically white .
Visualized this way , one sees immediately that the notion of contending racial armies – and especially the Republicans ’ extreme version , which paints white people as besieged – is obviously false .
When viewed in terms of discrete groups , the majority of whites voted for Trump .
But when seen in terms of coalitions , white voters also formed the majority @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it make to describe whites as one racial bloc , let alone as an endangered group ?
But one also sees that , in American politics , race nevertheless remains supremely relevant .
The question for most voters is not what racial group they belong to – white or Black , Latino or Asian .
It ’ s what sort of racial future they expect – one where they must barricade to protect their family against threatening and unfamiliar strangers , or one where their family will best thrive in communities that promote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the most part , Democrats have been slow to sharpen this basic choice between conflict or collaboration , leaving voters to work it out on their own .
Even so , many seem to have figured it out .
Themselves all too often the targets of racist barricades , African Americans overwhelmingly ( but not uniformly ) reject the political party pushing conflict .
Most Latinos and Asian Americans do , too , though some seem to believe they will join the mainstream if they help close the gates behind them .
Among @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those with college degrees and those in urban areas to vote Democratic may reflect more confidence in a collaborative multiracial future .
This emerging sense of linked fate across racial lines is evident in the multiracial coalition that delivered the presidency to the Democrats .
Republicans suspect that in 2024 they ’ re likely to face a mixed-race Black and Asian presidential candidate in the person of the current vice-president-elect , Kamala Harris .
Even if that doesn ’ t come to pass , they certainly see a country with an increasing non-white @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republicans are very likely to continue campaigning on themes of racial threat and conflict .
If so , they will cast the Democratic party as the party of racial minorities , and if Harris is the Democratic candidate , she will be the inevitable bogeyman .
For Democrats , a successful retort is already on hand .
They are not the party of a non-white cabal , as the right alleges .
Nor need they be a party that prioritizes whites , as too often happens when Democrats believe they must choose between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the party of racial coalition , and within this new majority , every racial group has an equal and valued role .
In other words , for Democrats , the multiracial coalition they need to win has already come together .
Now Democrats must lean into it .
One way to do so is to promote the data showing that a multiracial coalition is already taking shape .
Rather than almost exclusively relying on statistics that split people into separate groups , Democrats ( and the media ) should also call for and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrats should make their success in building cross-racial solidarity a core aspect of their brand , popularizing the idea that they represent a future in which all groups by pulling together can find security and the freedom to thrive .
The numbers – when we make them visible – show that Democrats represent the hope of our multiracial society .
• None Ian Haney López is a law professor at the University of California , Berkeley , and the author of Merge Left : Fusing Race and Class , Winning Elections , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the founder of Autonomy Strategies and former communications director of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus

The key to the Democrats’ 2020 win in the United States is hiding in plain sight: their success in forming a multiracial coalition. Whereas Republicans relied overwhelmingly on white voters alone, poll data indicates that Democrats convinced white voters along with Latino, Black, Asian American and Native American voters to form a powerful coalition. The Democrats’ success in 2020 provides a roadmap to winning future elections.
The US is a multiracial nation, and the Democrats are a multiracial coalition. But this can be hard to recognize from the way most polling is reported. In almost every case, statistics break down voting patterns by race, for instance reporting that 87% of Blacks and 65% of Latinos voted for Joe Biden, while 58% of whites pulled the lever for Trump. Political reporting is saturated with information highlighting voting patterns by discrete racial groups, but almost nowhere can one find numbers about the assembled coalitions.
The problem is not the statistics themselves. Pollsters provide numerical answers to the questions they’re asked. When it comes to race, conventional political wisdom urges splitting groups into contending racial camps. But that routine splitting of racial groups accepts the Republicans’ basic framing of American politics, blinding Democrats to their great strength as a multiracial coalition.
Since the 1960s, Republicans have campaigned on a message of racial conflict. They urge whites to see themselves as threatened by demands for racial equality as well as by immigration from continents other than Europe. Republican rhetoric is usually coded, replacing racial epithets and frank endorsements of white supremacy with terms like “thugs”, “welfare queens” and “illegal aliens”. Even so, the underlying message remains pervasive: racial groups are locked into conflict – whites against all the rest – and everyone must choose a racial side.
When Democrats and liberal pundits parse the vote by racial bloc rather than by multiracial coalition, they unintentionally reinforce this mental schema. The group-conflict mindset encourages the view that each racial group has competing interests and strongly implies the existence of inevitable trade-offs when recruiting from different racial groups. No Democratic candidate for president has won a majority of the white vote since 1964, so Democrats know they must assemble a multiracial coalition. Viewing voters through the lens of competing racial teams, however, often pushes Democratic strategists to see the need to build cross-racial solidarity as a liability.
Yet look at the 2020 coalitions. Based on available exit poll data, Black voters were 22% of all of those who voted for Joe Biden, Latino voters comprised 16%, and Asian Americans were a further 5%. In other words, Biden won with 43% of his total vote coming from Black, Latino and Asian American voters, combined with 53% of his support coming from white voters.
In contrast, Donald Trump’s “coalition” barely deserves that name. White voters provided 82% of his support. Just 3% of Trump’s team were African Americans, with Asian Americans at just under that number. Latinos were 9% of Trump voters – but this overstates the racial diversity of Trump’s coalition. Latinos differ among themselves about how they identify racially. In polling one of us conducted in July, 13% of those seeing Latinos as people of color indicated they would vote for Trump, compared with 32% of those seeing Latinos as ethnically white.
Visualized this way, one sees immediately that the notion of contending racial armies – and especially the Republicans’ extreme version, which paints white people as besieged – is obviously false. When viewed in terms of discrete groups, the majority of whites voted for Trump. But when seen in terms of coalitions, white voters also formed the majority of Biden supporters. What sense does it make to describe whites as one racial bloc, let alone as an endangered group?
But one also sees that, in American politics, race nevertheless remains supremely relevant. The question for most voters is not what racial group they belong to – white or Black, Latino or Asian. It’s what sort of racial future they expect – one where they must barricade to protect their family against threatening and unfamiliar strangers, or one where their family will best thrive in communities that promote respect, curiosity and collaboration.
For the most part, Democrats have been slow to sharpen this basic choice between conflict or collaboration, leaving voters to work it out on their own. Even so, many seem to have figured it out. Themselves all too often the targets of racist barricades, African Americans overwhelmingly (but not uniformly) reject the political party pushing conflict. Most Latinos and Asian Americans do, too, though some seem to believe they will join the mainstream if they help close the gates behind them.
With or without Trump, Republicans are very likely to continue campaigning on themes of racial threat and conflict
Among white voters, the greater tendency of those with college degrees and those in urban areas to vote Democratic may reflect more confidence in a collaborative multiracial future. This emerging sense of linked fate across racial lines is evident in the multiracial coalition that delivered the presidency to the Democrats.
Republicans suspect that in 2024 they’re likely to face a mixed-race Black and Asian presidential candidate in the person of the current vice-president-elect, Kamala Harris. Even if that doesn’t come to pass, they certainly see a country with an increasing non-white population. With or without Trump, Republicans are very likely to continue campaigning on themes of racial threat and conflict. If so, they will cast the Democratic party as the party of racial minorities, and if Harris is the Democratic candidate, she will be the inevitable bogeyman.
For Democrats, a successful retort is already on hand. They are not the party of a non-white cabal, as the right alleges. Nor need they be a party that prioritizes whites, as too often happens when Democrats believe they must choose between racial constituencies. Instead, they are the party of racial coalition, and within this new majority, every racial group has an equal and valued role. In other words, for Democrats, the multiracial coalition they need to win has already come together. Now Democrats must lean into it.
One way to do so is to promote the data showing that a multiracial coalition is already taking shape. Rather than almost exclusively relying on statistics that split people into separate groups, Democrats (and the media) should also call for and publicize the coalition numbers. Indeed, Democrats should make their success in building cross-racial solidarity a core aspect of their brand, popularizing the idea that they represent a future in which all groups by pulling together can find security and the freedom to thrive. The numbers – when we make them visible – show that Democrats represent the hope of our multiracial society.


theguardian--2020-12-12--Supreme court rejects Trump-backed Texas lawsuit aiming to overturn election results

The US supreme court has unanimously rejected a baseless lawsuit filed by Texas seeking to overturn the presidential election result , dealing the biggest blow yet to Donald Trump ’ s assault on democracy .
In a brief , one page order , all nine justices on America ’ s highest court dismissed the longshot effort to throw out the vote counts in four states that the president lost : Georgia , Michigan , Pennsylvania and Wisconsin .
The decision hammers another nail in the coffin of Trump ’ s increasingly desperate effort to subvert the will of the people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The suit filed by Ken Paxton , the Texas attorney general , sought to invalidate the results in four swing states , asking the court to extend the deadline for election certification so alleged voting irregularities could be investigated .
It was backed by Donald Trump , 17 other states and 126 Republicans in the House of Representatives – more than half the caucus – including the House minority leader , Kevin McCarthy of California , and the minority whip , Steve Scalise of Louisiana .
Trump had long expressed hope that a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ court , to which he appointed three justices during his term , ensuring a 6-3 conservative majority .
Earlier on Friday he tweeted : “ If the Supreme Court shows great Wisdom and Courage , the American People will win perhaps the most important case in history , and our Electoral Process will be respected again !
” But hours later , his hopes of a political miracle were all but extinguished .
The supreme court wrote : “ The State of Texas ’ s motion for leave to file a bill of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under Article III of the Constitution .
Texas has not demonstrated a judicially cognizable interest in the manner in which another State conducts its elections .
All other pending motions are dismissed as moot.
” Officials in Michigan , Pennsylvania , Georgia and Wisconsin had derided the suit as a publicity stunt .
More than 20 other attorneys general from states including California and Virginia also filed a brief on Thursday urging the court to reject the case .
Josh Shapiro , the attorney general of Pennsylvania , welcomed the court ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ highest court saw through this seditious abuse of our electoral process , ” he tweeted .
“ This swift denial should make anyone contemplating further attacks on our election think twice.
” Democrats in Congress also expressed gratitude .
Eric Swalwell of California tweeted : “ The Supreme Court , a mix of conservative and liberal members , united to defend your vote against @ realDonaldTrumpand his democracy deniers in Congress.
” And Senator Ben Sasse , one of relatively few Republicans to acknowledge Biden ’ s victory , signalled that it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ move on .
He said : “ Since Election Night , a lot of people have been confusing voters by spinning Kenyan Birther-type , ‘ Chavez rigged the election from the grave ’ conspiracy theories , but every American who cares about the rule of law should take comfort that the Supreme Court – including all three of President Trump ’ s picks – closed the book on the nonsense.
” Courts have dismissed numerous of lawsuits and appeals by the Trump campaign and its allies in various states .
William Barr , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ally , has said the justice department uncovered no evidence of widespread voter fraud that could change the outcome of the election .
Saturday will mark the 20th anniversary of the court resolving the 2000 election in Republican George W Bush ’ s favour but that was a much closer contest that came down to one state : Florida .
Biden gained 306 votes in the electoral college – the same as Trump in 2016 – and leads the national popular vote by 7m .
Some Democrats have accused Trump and his Republican @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a senator for Connecticut , said in a floor speech on Friday : “ Those who are pushing to make Donald Trump president for a second term , no matter the outcome of the election , are engaged in a treachery against their nation .
”

The US supreme court has unanimously rejected a baseless lawsuit filed by Texas seeking to overturn the presidential election result, dealing the biggest blow yet to Donald Trump’s assault on democracy.
In a brief, one page order, all nine justices on America’s highest court dismissed the longshot effort to throw out the vote counts in four states that the president lost: Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
The decision hammers another nail in the coffin of Trump’s increasingly desperate effort to subvert the will of the people and deny Joe Biden the presidency.
The suit filed by Ken Paxton, the Texas attorney general, sought to invalidate the results in four swing states, asking the court to extend the deadline for election certification so alleged voting irregularities could be investigated.
It was backed by Donald Trump, 17 other states and 126 Republicans in the House of Representatives – more than half the caucus – including the House minority leader, Kevin McCarthy of California, and the minority whip, Steve Scalise of Louisiana.
The US president continued to present his alternative reality on Saturday morning, tweeting in all-capital letters the lie that he won the election in a landslide. Twitter flagged the post as containing disputed facts.
I WON THE ELECTION IN A LANDSLIDE, but remember, I only think in terms of legal votes, not all of the fake voters and fraud that miraculously floated in from everywhere! What a disgrace! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 12, 2020
The US electoral college will confirm on Monday that Joe Biden won last month’s election, which has been described by leading local, state and national election officials as the most secure in American history.
Trump had long expressed hope that a disputed election would go before the supreme court, to which he appointed three justices during his term, ensuring a 6-3 conservative majority. Earlier on Friday he tweeted: “If the Supreme Court shows great Wisdom and Courage, the American People will win perhaps the most important case in history, and our Electoral Process will be respected again!”
But hours later, his hopes of a political miracle were all but extinguished. The supreme court wrote: “The State of Texas’s motion for leave to file a bill of complaint is denied for lack of standing under Article III of the Constitution. Texas has not demonstrated a judicially cognizable interest in the manner in which another State conducts its elections. All other pending motions are dismissed as moot.”
Officials in Michigan, Pennsylvania, Georgia and Wisconsin had derided the suit as a publicity stunt. More than 20 other attorneys general from states including California and Virginia also filed a brief on Thursday urging the court to reject the case.
Josh Shapiro, the attorney general of Pennsylvania, welcomed the court’s ruling. “Our nation’s highest court saw through this seditious abuse of our electoral process,” he tweeted. “This swift denial should make anyone contemplating further attacks on our election think twice.”
The supreme court has dealt a major blow to Donald Trump’s longshot bid to overturn the election results. Photograph: Patrick Semansky/AP
Democrats in Congress also expressed gratitude. Nancy Pelosi, the House speaker, said: “The court has rightly dismissed out of hand the extreme, unlawful and undemocratic GOP lawsuit to overturn the will of millions of American voters.”
She added: “The 126 Republican members that signed on to this lawsuit brought dishonor to the House. Instead of upholding their oath to support and defend the constitution, they chose to subvert the constitution and undermine public trust in our sacred democratic institutions.”
Eric Swalwell of California tweeted: “The Supreme Court, a mix of conservative and liberal members, united to defend your vote against @realDonaldTrump and his democracy deniers in Congress.”
And Senator Ben Sasse, one of relatively few Republicans to acknowledge Biden’s victory, signalled that it was time for the party and government to move on. He said: “Since Election Night, a lot of people have been confusing voters by spinning Kenyan Birther-type, ‘Chavez rigged the election from the grave’ conspiracy theories, but every American who cares about the rule of law should take comfort that the Supreme Court – including all three of President Trump’s picks – closed the book on the nonsense.”
Courts have dismissed numerous lawsuits and appeals by the Trump campaign and its allies in various states. William Barr, the attorney general and a staunch Trump ally, has said the justice department uncovered no evidence of widespread voter fraud that could change the outcome of the election.
On Saturday, conservative groups fueling the baseless claims of election fraud plan protests in various locations across the nation, including a Washington rally headlined by Trump’s recently pardoned former national security adviser, Michael Flynn.
Saturday also marks the 20th anniversary of the court resolving the 2000 election in Republican George W Bush’s favour but that was a much closer contest that came down to one state: Florida. Biden gained 306 votes in the electoral college – the same as Trump in 2016 – and leads the national popular vote by 7m.
Some Democrats have accused Trump and his Republican backers of sedition. Chris Murphy, a senator for Connecticut, said in a floor speech on Friday: “Those who are pushing to make Donald Trump president for a second term, no matter the outcome of the election, are engaged in a treachery against their nation.”


theguardian--2020-12-12--US supreme court rejects Texas lawsuit seeking to overturn election results – as it happened

A man believed to be the longest-serving inmate for non-violent , marijuana charges has been released from a Florida prison , and is set to spend the holidays with family for the first time in more than 31 years .
Richard DeLisi walked out of a correctional facility in Palm Beach county this week “ grateful to everyone who [ had ] been there ” and expressing appreciation for supporters and criminal justice reform advocates who say the now 71-year-old ’ s release was long overdue .
“ It was so unjust what they did to me , ” DeLisi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I just hope that I can help other people that are in the same situation.
” Along with his older brother , DeLisi was sentenced to a 90-year prison term in 1989 after being convicted trafficking more than 100lb of marijuana from Colombia – as well as conspiracy and racketeering charges .
Both brothers received three , consecutive 30-year convictions , which well exceeded judicial guidelines for recommended sentences at the time .
Criminal justice experts pointed to the sentence as part of the lingering “ war on drugs ” that saw @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offenders in the 1980s and 90s .
While his brother eventually appealed and was released from prison in 2013 , DeLisi ’ s appeal was rejected .
He left prison this week ahead of a scheduled June 2022 release .

Maanvi Singh (now), Adam Gabbatt and Martin Belam (earlier)


theguardian--2020-12-11--Nearly two-thirds of House Republicans join baseless effort to overturn election

More than 120 Republican members of the US House of Representatives formally asked the US supreme court this week to prevent four swing states from casting electoral votes for Joe Biden to seal his victory in the November election , a brazen move that signals how the Republican party has embraced Donald Trump ’ s baseless attacks on the American electoral system .
The request from 126 GOP members – nearly two-thirds of the Republican caucus – came in support of a lawsuit Texas filed earlier this week that sought to block the electoral votes in Michigan , Pennsylvania , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ won in November .
The lawsuit also won support from top House Republicans .
The suit was ultimately rejected by the supreme court on Friday .
The US constitution gives states clear authority to set their own election and does not give other states the right to interfere .
Texas ’ s argument in the suit was also based on unsupported claims of fraud that have been dismissed in lower courts .
“ The lawsuit has so many fundamental flaws that it ’ s hard to know where to start .
It misstates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a remedy that is both unconstitutional and unavailable , ” Lisa Marshall Manheim , a law professor at the University of Washington , wrote in an email .
“ At core , it ’ s an incoherent amalgamation of claims that already failed in the lower courts.
” Despite its ultimate failure the lawsuit represented a troubling case that was unprecedented in American history : a quest to overturn a presidential election on the basis of unsubstantiated claims by an incumbent who soundly lost his re-election bid .
It also became a test @ @ @ @ @ @ @ party that pitted Republican governors , lawmakers and elected officials against one another .
One supreme court brief , filed by prominent Republicans in opposition to the Texas lawsuit , said the arguments “ make a mockery of federalism and separation of powers ” .
Among the 126 lawmakers who signed on to the brief is a particularly puzzling group : 19 Republican members of Congress who represent districts in Pennsylvania , Michigan , Georgia and Wisconsin .
Those members all appeared on the same ballot as the presidential candidates and all but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to which they are now objecting .
By signing on to the brief , those lawmakers are essentially arguing that their own results could have been tainted by the same irregularities they say cost Trump the election in their state .
The Guardian contacted the offices of all 18 of those Republicans who won re-election to ask if they believed there should be further investigation into their electoral victories in November .
None of them responded to a request for comment .
Most of the lawmakers who supported the effort are far-right conservatives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump .
But collectively , their support for the lawsuit meant that more than a quarter of the House , including the California congressman Kevin McCarthy , the Republican minority leader , believe the supreme court should invalidate the votes of tens of millions of Americans .
Seventeen Republican attorneys general have also signed on in support of the last-ditch legal bid to overturn the 2020 presidential contest before states ’ electors meet on Monday to officially declare Biden the victor .
Biden won the election with 306 electoral votes , the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and he leads the popular vote by more than 7 million .
The four states targeted by the Texas lawsuit represent 62 electoral votes .
Biden soundly defeated Trump in Michigan and Pennsylvania , part of the “ blue wall ” that Trump shattered in 2016 .
Biden also clawed back a third “ blue wall ” state – Wisconsin – while eking out a surprise victory in Georgia , where multiple recounts have affirmed his win despite an audacious attempt by the president to pressure the Republican governor and secretary of state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawsuits brought by Trump ’ s campaign and allies in state and federal court were unsuccessful , with the cases so lacking in evidence of the widespread voter fraud they alleged that judges summarily dismissed , derided and even denounced them as meritless .
Election law experts have also roundly criticized the Texas lawsuit , pointing to what they say are substantial legal flaws in the argument brought forth by the state ’ s Republican attorney general , Ken Paxton .
Paxton , a staunch ally of the president , is under indictment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ faces a separate federal investigation related to allegations that he abused the power of his office in connection with a political donor .
He has denied the allegations .
Yet Paxton ’ s attempts to override the election results have raised speculation that he may be angling for a presidential pardon , though he insists that is not his motivation .

Sam Levine in New York and Lauren Gambino in Washington

More than 120 Republican members of the US House of Representatives formally asked the US supreme court this week to prevent four swing states from casting electoral votes for Joe Biden to seal his victory in the November election, a brazen move that signals how the Republican party has embraced Donald Trump’s baseless attacks on the American electoral system.
The request from 126 GOP members – nearly two-thirds of the Republican caucus – came in support of a lawsuit Texas filed earlier this week that sought to block the electoral votes in Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Georgia, all states Biden won in November. The lawsuit also won support from top House Republicans.
The suit was ultimately rejected by the supreme court on Friday. The US constitution gives states clear authority to set their own election and does not give other states the right to interfere. Texas’s argument in the suit was also based on unsupported claims of fraud that have been dismissed in lower courts.
“The lawsuit has so many fundamental flaws that it’s hard to know where to start. It misstates basic principles of election law and demands a remedy that is both unconstitutional and unavailable,” Lisa Marshall Manheim, a law professor at the University of Washington, wrote in an email. “At core, it’s an incoherent amalgamation of claims that already failed in the lower courts.”
Despite its ultimate failure the lawsuit represented a troubling case that was unprecedented in American history: a quest to overturn a presidential election on the basis of unsubstantiated claims by an incumbent who soundly lost his re-election bid.
It also became a test of fealty for the president’s party that pitted Republican governors, lawmakers and elected officials against one another.
One supreme court brief, filed by prominent Republicans in opposition to the Texas lawsuit, said the arguments “make a mockery of federalism and separation of powers”.
Among the 126 lawmakers who signed on to the brief is a particularly puzzling group: 19 Republican members of Congress who represent districts in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Georgia and Wisconsin.
Those members all appeared on the same ballot as the presidential candidates and all but one were elected under the same rules to which they are now objecting.
(Meanwhile, Doug Collins, a Georgia congressman, ran for a US Senate seat and lost. Collins conceded his race, thereby accepting his defeat in a statewide election, and was later chosen by the Trump campaign to lead its recount effort in the state.)
By signing on to the brief, those lawmakers are essentially arguing that their own results could have been tainted by the same irregularities they say cost Trump the election in their state.
The Guardian contacted the offices of all 18 of those Republicans who won re-election to ask if they believed there should be further investigation into their electoral victories in November. None of them responded to a request for comment.
Most of the lawmakers who supported the effort are far-right conservatives from deep red districts that voted for Trump. But collectively, their support for the lawsuit meant that more than a quarter of the House, including the California congressman Kevin McCarthy, the Republican minority leader, believe the supreme court should invalidate the votes of tens of millions of Americans.
Seventeen Republican attorneys general have also signed on in support of the last-ditch legal bid to overturn the 2020 presidential contest before states’ electors meet on Monday to officially declare Biden the victor.
Biden won the election with 306 electoral votes, the same number that Trump won in 2016, and he leads the popular vote by more than 7 million. The four states targeted by the Texas lawsuit represent 62 electoral votes.
Biden soundly defeated Trump in Michigan and Pennsylvania, part of the “blue wall” that Trump shattered in 2016. Biden also clawed back a third “blue wall” state – Wisconsin – while eking out a surprise victory in Georgia, where multiple recounts have affirmed his win despite an audacious attempt by the president to pressure the Republican governor and secretary of state to reverse the result.
Dozens of lawsuits brought by Trump’s campaign and allies in state and federal court were unsuccessful, with the cases so lacking in evidence of the widespread voter fraud they alleged that judges summarily dismissed, derided and even denounced them as meritless. Election law experts have also roundly criticized the Texas lawsuit, pointing to what they say are substantial legal flaws in the argument brought forth by the state’s Republican attorney general, Ken Paxton.
Paxton, a staunch ally of the president, is under indictment in a long-running securities fraud case and faces a separate federal investigation related to allegations that he abused the power of his office in connection with a political donor. He has denied the allegations. Yet Paxton’s attempts to override the election results have raised speculation that he may be angling for a presidential pardon, though he insists that is not his motivation.


theguardian--2020-12-11--FDA chief reportedly urged by White House to approve Pfizer vaccine or quit

The White House chief of staff , Mark Meadows , has reportedly told the head of the US Food and Drug Administration to authorize Pfizer ’ s coronavirus vaccine on Friday or prepare to resign .
Meadows leaned on Hahn during a phone conversation on Friday , according to the Washington Post .
It came after Donald Trump tweeted that the FDA was “ a big , old , slow turtle ” , and told FDA commissioner Stephen Hahn to “ get the dam vaccines out NOW ” .
The warning from Meadows led the FDA to speed up its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine from Saturday morning to later on Friday , according to the Post .
The vaccine would be the first to roll out across the US , after also being approved in the UK and Canada .
An unnamed official told Reuters that Meadows ’ comment about resigning “ wasn ’ t a red line ” but was more of a quip with the intention of urging “ the FDA to act quickly and get the job done and stop the delays ” .
The White House declined to comment , although @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regular updates on the progress toward a vaccine .
“ This is an untrue representation of the phone call with the chief of staff , ” Hahn said in a statement .
“ The FDA was encouraged to continue working expeditiously on Pfizer-BioNTech ’ s EUA request .
FDA is committed to issuing this authorization quickly , as we noted in our statement this morning.
” Earlier in the day , the health secretary , Alex Azar , said the FDA was “ very close ” to granting emergency use authorization for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Americans outside clinical trials could begin on Monday .
“ I ’ ve got some good news for you here , ” Azar told ABC ’ s Good Morning America on Friday .
“ Just a little bit ago the FDA informed Pfizer that they do intend to proceed towards an authorization for their vaccine .
“ We will work with Pfizer and get that shipped out so we could be seeing people getting vaccinated Monday , Tuesday of next week.
” The step followed a vote on Thursday by an outside panel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recommend authorization of the vaccine .
The recommendation signaled that the first approval of a Covid-19 vaccine for use in the US was imminent .
That would mark a major milestone in a pandemic that has killed more than 285,000 Americans and 1.5 million people globally .
The US would become the third country in the world to have authorized the use of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine in the broader public behind the UK and Canada , and it will be the most populous country to do so .
A similar advisory panel will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Moderna with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , on 17 December .
The United States recorded more than 224,000 confirmed cases on Thursday and 2,768 deaths , slightly down from a record high 3,124 deaths a day earlier , according to the coronavirus resource center at Johns Hopkins University .
“ If we have a smooth vaccination program where everybody steps to the plate quickly , we could get back to some form of normality , reasonably quickly , ” Dr Anthony Fauci , director of the National Institute of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Into the summer , and certainly into the fall.
” But that was a distant promise for many communities with overtaxed healthcare systems struggling to handle the surge of patients .
At least 200 US hospitals were at full capacity last week and in one-third of all hospitals , more than 90 % of all ICU beds were occupied , according to a CNN review of weekly data released by the health department .
A top coronavirus adviser to President-elect Joe Biden warned that Americans should plan “ no Christmas parties @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on healthcare systems anticipated ahead .
“ The next three to six weeks at minimum … are our Covid weeks , ” Dr Michael Osterholm , the director of the center for infectious disease research and policy in Minnesota and a member of Biden ’ s coronavirus advisory board , told CNN .
“ It won ’ t end after that , but that is the period right now where we could have a surge upon a surge upon a surge.
” The US Congress failed again on Thursday to strike a deal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , after the Senate majority leader , Mitch McConnell , torpedoed $ 160bn in state and local funds from what had been an emerging $ 900bn deal .
The Senate adjourned until next week when legislators were expected to resume their efforts .
The United Kingdom began administering the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine earlier this week .
Azar said that the FDA had reviewed a recommendation by UK health officials that people with a medical history of serious allergic reactions should avoid the vaccine , after two healthcare workers who suffer from severe allergies and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccine , and had to be treated .
They have since recovered .
“ There was really good discussion at the advisory committee yesterday , especially around these issues of the allergic reactions that we saw in the United Kingdom , ” Azar said .
As a last step before issuing the authorization , the regulator needs to finalize guidance for doctors about prescribing the vaccine and advising patients .
“ It ’ s very close , it ’ s really just the last dotting of Is and crossing of Ts , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week that he had been in contact with members of the Joe Biden transition team to ensure a smooth rollout of the vaccines .
Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines require two does for maximum efficacy .
Hundreds of millions of Americans could be vaccinated over the next year .

The White House chief of staff, Mark Meadows, has reportedly told the head of the US Food and Drug Administration to authorize Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine on Friday or prepare to resign.
Meadows leaned on Hahn during a phone conversation on Friday, according to the Washington Post. It came after Donald Trump tweeted that the FDA was “a big, old, slow turtle”, and told FDA commissioner Stephen Hahn to “get the dam vaccines out NOW”.
The warning from Meadows led the FDA to speed up its timetable for potential emergency approval of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine from Saturday morning to later on Friday, according to the Post. The vaccine would be the first to roll out across the US, after also being approved in the UK and Canada.
An unnamed official told Reuters that Meadows’ comment about resigning “wasn’t a red line” but was more of a quip with the intention of urging “the FDA to act quickly and get the job done and stop the delays”.
The White House declined to comment, although an administration official said Meadows does request regular updates on the progress toward a vaccine.
“This is an untrue representation of the phone call with the chief of staff,” Hahn said in a statement. “The FDA was encouraged to continue working expeditiously on Pfizer-BioNTech’s EUA request. FDA is committed to issuing this authorization quickly, as we noted in our statement this morning.”
Earlier in the day, the health secretary, Alex Azar, said the FDA was “very close” to granting emergency use authorization for the vaccine and that vaccination of the first Americans outside clinical trials could begin on Monday.
“I’ve got some good news for you here,” Azar told ABC’s Good Morning America on Friday. “Just a little bit ago the FDA informed Pfizer that they do intend to proceed towards an authorization for their vaccine.
“We will work with Pfizer and get that shipped out so we could be seeing people getting vaccinated Monday, Tuesday of next week.”
The step followed a vote on Thursday by an outside panel of experts convened by the FDA to recommend authorization of the vaccine. The recommendation signaled that the first approval of a Covid-19 vaccine for use in the US was imminent.
That would mark a major milestone in a pandemic that has killed more than 285,000 Americans and 1.5 million people globally. The US would become the third country in the world to have authorized the use of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine in the broader public behind the UK and Canada, and it will be the most populous country to do so.
A similar advisory panel will review a second vaccine, developed by Moderna with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, on 17 December.
The United States recorded more than 224,000 confirmed cases on Thursday and 2,768 deaths, slightly down from a record high 3,124 deaths a day earlier, according to the coronavirus resource center at Johns Hopkins University.
“If we have a smooth vaccination program where everybody steps to the plate quickly, we could get back to some form of normality, reasonably quickly,” Dr Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told CNN. “Into the summer, and certainly into the fall.”
But that was a distant promise for many communities with overtaxed healthcare systems struggling to handle the surge of patients. At least 200 US hospitals were at full capacity last week and in one-third of all hospitals, more than 90% of all ICU beds were occupied, according to a CNN review of weekly data released by the health department.
A top coronavirus adviser to President-elect Joe Biden warned that Americans should plan “no Christmas parties”, with weeks of continued pressure on healthcare systems anticipated ahead.
“The next three to six weeks at minimum … are our Covid weeks,” Dr Michael Osterholm, the director of the center for infectious disease research and policy in Minnesota and a member of Biden’s coronavirus advisory board, told CNN. “It won’t end after that, but that is the period right now where we could have a surge upon a surge upon a surge.”
The US Congress failed again on Thursday to strike a deal on a new package for coronavirus relief, after the Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, torpedoed $160bn in state and local funds from what had been an emerging $900bn deal.
The Senate adjourned until next week when legislators were expected to resume their efforts.
The United Kingdom began administering the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine earlier this week. Azar said that the FDA had reviewed a recommendation by UK health officials that people with a medical history of serious allergic reactions should avoid the vaccine, after two healthcare workers who suffer from severe allergies and carry epipens had allergic reactions to the vaccine, and had to be treated. They have since recovered.
“There was really good discussion at the advisory committee yesterday, especially around these issues of the allergic reactions that we saw in the United Kingdom,” Azar said.
As a last step before issuing the authorization, the regulator needs to finalize guidance for doctors about prescribing the vaccine and advising patients.
“It’s very close, it’s really just the last dotting of Is and crossing of Ts,” Azar said.
Azar said earlier this week that he had been in contact with members of the Joe Biden transition team to ensure a smooth rollout of the vaccines. Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines require two does for maximum efficacy. Hundreds of millions of Americans could be vaccinated over the next year.
Jessica Glenza contributed to this report


theguardian--2020-12-11--'Abolish the death penalty': Brandon Bernard execution prompts wave of anger

A wave of outrage from human rights groups , activists , elected officials , and others over the execution Thursday night of federal prisoner Brandon Bernard continued to grow on Friday behind a coordinated call for the abolition of the death penalty .
Bernard , 40 , was executed by lethal injection at a federal prison in Terre Haute , Indiana , after the US supreme court rejected a last-minute appeal to stay the execution and Donald Trump did not publicly respond to calls for him to intervene .
After 17 years without a federal execution , the Trump administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and plans four more executions before Joe Biden takes office on 20 January .
Biden has pledged to eliminate the death penalty .
Massachusetts Representative Ayanna Pressley , the sponsor of legislation in the House to end the federal death penalty , tweeted footage on Thursday night of Bernard speaking from prison .
“ Abolish the death penalty , ” she wrote .
That call was taken up by activists from Pressley ’ s progressive allies in Congress to Vanita Gupta , president of the leadership conference on civil and human rights .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Vermont senator Bernie Sanders tweeted on Friday morning .
“ We must end all federal executions and abolish the death penalty .
In a world of incredible violence , the state should not be involved in premeditated murder.
” Sister Helen Prejean , an anti-death penalty advocate , said she had spoken with Bernard the day before he died .
He “ told us about everything he was grateful for in his life , ” she said .
“ He died with dignity and love , in spite of the cruel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ die as a result of egregious prosecutorial misconduct.
” Prejean called the killing a “ a stain on us all ” .
Bernard was sentenced for a role in the 1999 killings in Texas of an Iowa couple whose bodies he burned in the trunk of their car after they were shot by an accomplice , Christopher Vialva .
He directed his last words to the family of Todd and Stacie Bagley , the couple he and Vialva were convicted of killing : “ I ’ m sorry , ” he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that I can say that completely capture how I feel now and how I felt that day.
” He was pronounced dead at 9.27pm eastern time .
“ Brandon Bernard was 19 when he committed murder , ” tweeted Julián Castro , the former housing secretary from Texas .
“ Since then , five jurors and a former prosecutor have said they don ’ t support the death penalty in his case .
Brandon will be the ninth person executed by the federal government this year .
We must end this horrible practice.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ show star Kim Kardashian West and others thought to have Trump ’ s ear , including two lawyers who defended Trump at his impeachment trial this year in the US Senate and who filed briefs in the supreme court appeal , Alan Dershowitz and Kenneth Starr .
Todd Bagley ’ s mother , Georgia , spoke to reporters within 30 minutes of the execution , saying she wanted to thank Trump , the attorney general , William Barr and others at the justice department for bringing the family some closure .
She became @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Bernard before he died and from Vialva , who was executed in September .
“ The apology and remorse … helped very much heal my heart , ” she said , beginning to cry and then recomposing herself .
“ I can very much say : I forgive them.
” In a statement when executions were resumed in July , Barr said the government “ owed ” it to victims to kill the convicts .
“ The justice department upholds the rule of law – and we owe it to the victims @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sentence imposed by our justice system , ” Barr said .
Alfred Bourgeois , a 56-year-old Louisiana truck driver , is set to die Friday for killing his two-year-old daughter .
Bourgeois ’ lawyers alleged he was intellectually disabled and therefore ineligible for the death penalty .
Several courts said evidence did not support that claim .
The first series of federal executions over the summer were of white men , which critics said seemed calculated to make them less controversial amid summer protests over racial discrimination .
Four of the five inmates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inauguration are Black men .
The fifth is a white woman who would be the first female inmate executed by the federal government in nearly six decades .

A wave of outrage from human rights groups, activists, elected officials, and others over the execution Thursday night of federal prisoner Brandon Bernard continued to grow on Friday behind a coordinated call for the abolition of the death penalty.
Bernard, 40, was executed by lethal injection at a federal prison in Terre Haute, Indiana, after the US supreme court rejected a last-minute appeal to stay the execution and Donald Trump did not publicly respond to calls for him to intervene.
After 17 years without a federal execution, the Trump administration has executed nine inmates since July, and plans four more executions before Joe Biden takes office on 20 January. Biden has pledged to eliminate the death penalty.
Massachusetts Representative Ayanna Pressley, the sponsor of legislation in the House to end the federal death penalty, tweeted footage on Thursday night of Bernard speaking from prison. “Abolish the death penalty,” she wrote.
That call was taken up by activists from Pressley’s progressive allies in Congress to Vanita Gupta, president of the leadership conference on civil and human rights.
In a world of incredible violence, the state should not be involved in premeditated murder Bernie Sanders
“Brandon Bernard should be alive today,” Vermont senator Bernie Sanders tweeted on Friday morning. “We must end all federal executions and abolish the death penalty. In a world of incredible violence, the state should not be involved in premeditated murder.”
Sister Helen Prejean, an anti-death penalty advocate, said she had spoken with Bernard the day before he died. He “told us about everything he was grateful for in his life,” she said. “He died with dignity and love, in spite of the cruel, unjust system that condemned him to die as a result of egregious prosecutorial misconduct.”
Prejean called the killing a “a stain on us all”.
Bernard was sentenced for a role in the 1999 killings in Texas of an Iowa couple whose bodies he burned in the trunk of their car after they were shot by an accomplice, Christopher Vialva.
He directed his last words to the family of Todd and Stacie Bagley, the couple he and Vialva were convicted of killing: “I’m sorry,” he said. “That’s the only words that I can say that completely capture how I feel now and how I felt that day.”
He was pronounced dead at 9.27pm eastern time.
“Brandon Bernard was 19 when he committed murder,” tweeted Julián Castro, the former housing secretary from Texas. “Since then, five jurors and a former prosecutor have said they don’t support the death penalty in his case. Brandon will be the ninth person executed by the federal government this year. We must end this horrible practice.”
Brandon Bernard, who was sentenced for a role in the 1999 killings in Texas of an Iowa couple. Photograph: Defense Team Of Brandon Bernard/EPA
Advocates for Bernard included the reality show star Kim Kardashian West and others thought to have Trump’s ear, including two lawyers who defended Trump at his impeachment trial this year in the US Senate and who filed briefs in the supreme court appeal, Alan Dershowitz and Kenneth Starr.
Todd Bagley’s mother, Georgia, spoke to reporters within 30 minutes of the execution, saying she wanted to thank Trump, the attorney general, William Barr and others at the justice department for bringing the family some closure. She became emotional when she spoke about the apologies from Bernard before he died and from Vialva, who was executed in September.
“The apology and remorse … helped very much heal my heart,” she said, beginning to cry and then recomposing herself. “I can very much say: I forgive them.”
In a statement when executions were resumed in July, Barr said the government “owed” it to victims to kill the convicts.
“The justice department upholds the rule of law – and we owe it to the victims and their families to carry forward the sentence imposed by our justice system,” Barr said.
Alfred Bourgeois, a 56-year-old Louisiana truck driver, is set to die Friday for killing his two-year-old daughter. Bourgeois’ lawyers alleged he was intellectually disabled and therefore ineligible for the death penalty. Several courts said evidence did not support that claim.
The first series of federal executions over the summer were of white men, which critics said seemed calculated to make them less controversial amid summer protests over racial discrimination.
Four of the five inmates set to die before Biden’s inauguration are Black men. The fifth is a white woman who would be the first female inmate executed by the federal government in nearly six decades.