theguardian--2020-09-28--Dwayne 'the Rock' Johnson endorses Joe Biden in US presidential election

Dwayne Johnson has come out in support of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in the US presidential election , with the self-proclaimed “ registered independent with centrist ideologies ” saying they are “ the best choice to lead our country ” .
Johnson posted his statement on Instagram and Twitter on Sunday , which he said was his first public presidential endorsement , adding : “ Progress takes courage , humanity , empathy , strength , KINDNESS & RESPECT.
” His post also contained a video of his conversation with Biden and Harris .
In it , he asked them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s respect .
Biden answered : “ By keeping our word .
By levelling with the American people .
By taking responsibility … That sounds so basic , but the American people are strong , they ’ re tough .
They can take anything if you level with them and tell the truth.
” Harris added : “ Truth can sometimes be really difficult to hear , and for that reason sometimes people don ’ t speak it .
But you can not have trust if you don ’ t speak the truth.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ which he discussed concerns around the voting process .
Describing the forthcoming election as “ uniquely critical ” , Johnson advocated that election day should be a federal holiday , while Biden revealed that the Democrats have created what he described as “ the largest group of lawyers that has ever been assembled in a presidential election ” to combat Trump ’ s “ attempt to de-legitimise the vote ” .
Johnson closed his message with a quote from the late supreme court associate justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg : “ Real and enduring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” While this is the Fast & Furious star ’ s first intervention in the current election cycle , he has come out in opposition to Trump before , posting a speech about the Black Lives Matters protests in June .

Dwayne Johnson has come out in support of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in the US presidential election, with the self-proclaimed “registered independent with centrist ideologies” saying they are “the best choice to lead our country”.
Johnson posted his statement on Instagram and Twitter on Sunday, which he said was his first public presidential endorsement, adding: “Progress takes courage, humanity, empathy, strength, KINDNESS & RESPECT.”
His post also contained a video of his conversation with Biden and Harris. In it, he asked them how they would earn the country’s respect. Biden answered: “By keeping our word. By levelling with the American people. By taking responsibility … That sounds so basic, but the American people are strong, they’re tough. They can take anything if you level with them and tell the truth.” Harris added: “Truth can sometimes be really difficult to hear, and for that reason sometimes people don’t speak it. But you cannot have trust if you don’t speak the truth.”
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Johnson posted a second video in which he discussed concerns around the voting process. Describing the forthcoming election as “uniquely critical”, Johnson advocated that election day should be a federal holiday, while Biden revealed that the Democrats have created what he described as “the largest group of lawyers that has ever been assembled in a presidential election” to combat Trump’s “attempt to de-legitimise the vote”.
Johnson closed his message with a quote from the late supreme court associate justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg: “Real and enduring change happens one step at a time.”
While this is the Fast & Furious star’s first intervention in the current election cycle, he has come out in opposition to Trump before, posting a speech about the Black Lives Matters protests in June.


theguardian--2020-09-28--Meet the anti-abortion Republicans defecting from Trump and voting Biden this year | Will Samson

“ What ’ s so pro-life about forced hysterectomies ?
” It ’ s an obvious follow-up question after the revelation that the Department of Homeland Security under Donald Trump forced unwanted reproductive medical procedures on Immigration and Customs Enforcement ( Ice ) detainees .
And with some rank-and-file anti-abortion workers resigning rather than stomach supporting Donald Trump , it lays open the question of whether the movement , even with its judicial success and the possibility of one more appointment to the supreme court , can survive the damage Donald Trump has inflicted .
During the last election , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had some holding their noses and voting for Trump .
Four years later , the problems of standing with such a deeply immoral president , a string of horrific policy actions and a small but significant change in the voting patterns of religious conservatives all may be combining to hasten the diminishment of the movement even as it reaches a coveted milestone .
Christianity Today recently reported that the executive director for Ohio Right to Life resigned rather than support Trump in 2020 .
According to Stephanie Ranade Krider : “ Nothing about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gentle or faithful or full of self-control.
” I understand her sentiment .
As someone activated into the pro-life movement while a student at Liberty University in the 1980s , I believed our work should affirm the value of each human being made in the image of God .
Trump ’ s foul-mouthed debasement of his opponents is in stark contrast to that value .
The lifeblood of any movement is deeply committed followers .
It is difficult to motivate volunteers without even pretending to affirm the core values of compassion and love @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign operative in the 1980s and 90s , I experienced the importance a shared sense of values and a common struggle played in uniting anti-abortioners to work for an emerging conservative majority in the Virginia legislature .
It ’ s unfathomable to imagine uniting those same faithful door walkers and envelope stuffers toward working for a president who locks kids in cages or forces sterilization on detained immigrants .
It should come as no surprise that a small but significant number of conservative evangelical and Catholic voters have made the decision to shift @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democratic party .
As Vote Common Good reported in a swing state poll released last week , evangelicals and Catholics are on track to swing toward Biden an average of 11 % in five key states .
While that may be seen as a small number compared to the hold the Republican party and the anti-abortion movement has had on these voters , it should be seen as the continuation of a trend , especially among younger voters .
In 2008 I spent more than 200 hours interviewing young evangelicals who were leaving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ primary reason was the disconnect they felt between their faith , the teaching of scripture and the political actions of the religious right .
According to one young evangelical I interviewed : “ We couldn ’ t understand – where did people like the Moral Majority come from and why aren ’ t they focused on the issues Jesus cared about ?
” Some may argue that younger evangelicals are still as anti-abortion as their parents , and that has some statistical backing .
But they are also less likely to fall in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ projects .
That may be an ironic byproduct of the desire for credibility within the evangelical academy .
Beginning in the 1990s , schools like Liberty , Wheaton and Biola implemented a more rigorous plan of academics in biblical education and church history .
Armed with that increased knowledge , younger evangelicals reject the biblical and historical shortsightedness the religious right brings to the culture wars .
They find they can not ignore the preponderance of scripture that demands justice for workers , people of all races and even migrant children at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be the next generation of anti-abortion and conservative leaders .
But many I spoke to are forming neo-monastic communities to serve among and care for the poor .
Others are fueling movements toward social justice , care for creation and racial healing .
So , even if Trump is able to put an anti-abortion replacement on the supreme court it may prove to be a pyrrhic victory .
Overturning Roe will not make abortion illegal , but rather shift the fight back to the individual states .
With younger evangelicals engaging with Black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ action and prison reform , it seems unlikely they will take up the mantle of the state by state anti-abortion fight , especially when it has become so caustically linked to Donald Trump and the abuses against life and decency during his time in office .
We need to foster ways for faithful evangelicals to act faithfully , to reclaim the moral narrative and provide space to advocate for the election of leaders who reflect a full set of Christian values that will help our nation heal .
This is why I am @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Majority and participating in actions to reclaim our sacred story .
In the past few weeks , frustrated by the reality that children are still being separated from their families and placed into detention , over 450 faith leaders called upon Trump to change course .
To learn now that mothers of the separated children have been forced to have hysterectomies is news that sends shockwaves through communities of faith .
It ’ s the type of government intervention in the family planning process that is not only fundamentally immoral , but against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all those made in the image of God .
I once asked a younger evangelical who grew up in a Republican and anti-abortion household why he has chosen a life of service among the urban poor .
He said : “ They blew it , man .
Our parents and their generation .
They cared more about power than people .
We needed to do something new.
” Indeed .
• None Will Samson is a former Republican operative .
His research on changes to American Evangelicalism is published in The New Evangelical @ @ @ @ @ @

“What’s so pro-life about forced hysterectomies?” It’s an obvious follow-up question after the revelation that the Department of Homeland Security under Donald Trump forced unwanted reproductive medical procedures on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) detainees. And with some rank-and-file anti-abortion workers resigning rather than stomach supporting Trump, it lays open the question of whether the movement, even with its judicial success and the possibility of one more appointment to the supreme court, can survive the damage Trump has inflicted.
During the last election, the desire to overturn Roe v Wade had some holding their noses and voting for Trump. Four years later, the problems of standing with such a deeply immoral president, a string of horrific policy actions and a small but significant change in the voting patterns of religious conservatives all may be combining to hasten the diminishment of the movement even as it reaches a coveted milestone.
Christianity Today recently reported that the executive director for Ohio Right to Life resigned rather than support Trump in 2020. According to Stephanie Ranade Krider: “Nothing about his words or actions are kind or gentle or faithful or full of self-control.” I understand her sentiment. As someone activated into the “pro-life” movement while a student at Liberty University in the 1980s, I believed our work should affirm the value of each human being made in the image of God. Trump’s foul-mouthed debasement of his opponents is in stark contrast to that value.
The lifeblood of any movement is deeply committed followers. It is difficult to motivate volunteers without even pretending to affirm the core values of compassion and love for all life. As a Republican campaign operative in the 1980s and 90s, I experienced the importance a shared sense of values and a common struggle played in uniting anti-abortioners to work for an emerging conservative majority in the Virginia legislature. It’s unfathomable to imagine uniting those same faithful door walkers and envelope stuffers toward working for a president who locks kids in cages or forces sterilization on detained immigrants.
It should come as no surprise that a small but significant number of conservative evangelical and Catholic voters have made the decision to shift their vote to Joe Biden and the Democratic party. As Vote Common Good reported in a swing state poll released last week, evangelicals and Catholics are on track to swing toward Biden an average of 11% in five key states. While that may be seen as a small number compared to the hold the Republican party and the anti-abortion movement has had on these voters, it should be seen as the continuation of a trend, especially among younger voters.
In 2008, I spent more than 200 hours interviewing young evangelicals who were leaving the organized evangelical church behind. The primary reason was the disconnect they felt between their faith, the teaching of scripture and the political actions of the religious right. According to one young evangelical I interviewed: “We couldn’t understand – where did people like the Moral Majority come from and why aren’t they focused on the issues Jesus cared about?”
Some may argue that younger evangelicals are still as anti-abortion as their parents, and that has some statistical backing. But they are also less likely to fall in line with religious leaders and their political projects. That may be an ironic byproduct of the desire for credibility within the evangelical academy. Beginning in the 1990s, schools like Liberty, Wheaton and Biola implemented a more rigorous plan of academics in biblical education and church history. Armed with that increased knowledge, younger evangelicals reject the biblical and historical shortsightedness the religious right brings to the culture wars. They find they cannot ignore the preponderance of scripture that demands justice for workers, people of all races and even migrant children at the border.
Younger evangelicals were supposed to be the next generation of anti-abortion and conservative leaders. But many I spoke to are forming neo-monastic communities to serve among and care for the poor. Others are fueling movements toward social justice, care for creation and racial healing. So, even if Trump is able to put an anti-abortion replacement on the supreme court it may prove to be a pyrrhic victory. Overturning Roe will not make abortion illegal, but rather shift the fight back to the individual states. With younger evangelicals engaging with Black Lives Matter, the fight for climate action and prison reform, it seems unlikely they will take up the mantle of the state by state anti-abortion fight, especially when it has become so caustically linked to Donald Trump and the abuses against life and decency during his time in office.
We need to foster ways for faithful evangelicals to act faithfully, to reclaim the moral narrative and provide space to advocate for the election of leaders who reflect a full set of Christian values that will help our nation heal. This is why I am lending my voice to the New Moral Majority and participating in actions to reclaim our sacred story. In the past few weeks, frustrated by the reality that children are still being separated from their families and placed into detention, over 450 faith leaders called upon Trump to change course. To learn now that mothers of the separated children have been forced to have hysterectomies is news that sends shockwaves through communities of faith. It’s the type of government intervention in the family planning process that is not only fundamentally immoral, but against every freedom we claim to protect for all those made in the image of God.
I once asked a younger evangelical who grew up in a Republican and anti-abortion household why he has chosen a life of service among the urban poor. He said: “They blew it, man. Our parents and their generation. They cared more about power than people. We needed to do something new.” Indeed.


theguardian--2020-09-28--Trump claims Joe Biden is on 'performance-enhancing drugs' – video

After the New York Times ' revelations about his tax returns , Donald Trump hit back with a series of @ @ @ @ @ his Democratic opponent , Joe Biden , had used 'performance-enhancing drugs ' during appearances .
@ @ @ @ @ briefing , the US president also accused Biden 's son , Hunter , of corruption @ @ @ @ @ policies of unattended open borders • Donald Trump steps up wild attacks on Joe Biden @ @ @ @ @ Will the New York Times taxes report sink Donald Trump ?

After the New York Times' revelations about his tax returns, Donald Trump hit back with a series of baseless allegations, including that his Democratic opponent, Joe Biden, had used 'performance-enhancing drugs' during appearances. In an unfocused White House briefing, the US president also accused Biden's son, Hunter, of corruption and speculated about non-existent Democrat policies of unattended open borders


theguardian--2020-09-28--'Fake news': Trump denies tax claims from New York Times – video

US president Donald Trump paid very little in income taxes in recent years as heavy losses from his business enterprises @ @ @ @ @ dollars in income , the New York Times reported on Sunday citing tax-return data .
@ @ @ @ @ calling it 'total fake news ' at a White House news conference • Six key @ @ @ @ @ Times ' Trump taxes bombshell

US president Donald Trump paid very little in income taxes in recent years as heavy losses from his business enterprises offset hundreds of millions of dollars in income, the New York Times reported on Sunday citing tax-return data. Trump denied the report, calling it 'total fake news' at a White House news conference


theguardian--2020-09-29--Rift emerges on White House Covid-19 taskforce – as it happened

A juror from the closed trial of three police officers accused of shooting and killing Breonna Taylor has filed a lawsuit requesting transcripts from the trial be published and that jurors be able speak publicly about the case .
“ The full story and absolute truth of how this matter was handled from beginning to end is now an issue of great public interest and has become a large part of the discussion of public trust throughout the country , ” the attorney for the juror wrote in the court filing .
The verdict of the grand jury trial led @ @ @ @ @ @ @ US .
None of the three officers were indicted for killing Taylor , an unarmed black woman , in her sleep .
One officer , Brett Hankison , was indicted on three counts of wanton endangerment related to shots that misfired and hit neighbors ’ walls .
The filing specifically cites responses from attorney general Daniel Cameron , on whom attorneys for Taylor ’ s family have also called to release the transcripts and audio recordings .
“ What we also want is for you to quit dodging the question .
You were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) : Did you make a recommendation ” to the grand jury , Louisville attorney Lonita Baker asked .
“ You refused to answer .
Answer the question : Did you even present any charges regarding Breonna Taylor to the grand jury ?
”

Kari Paul (now), Joan E Greve and Martin Belam (earlier)

29 Sept 2020 01.13 BST Summary Kari Paul, signing out for the night. Here is the news of the last few hours to know: A rift between new Trump appointee Scott Atlas and long-serving public health officials including Anthony Fauci is becoming more clear after Fauci criticized Atlas publicly on Monday.
The US will end census counting on 5 October, defying a ruling from a judge who declared operations should extend into November.
An anonymous grand juror in the Breonna Taylor case has sued to unseal court transcripts.
Updated at 01.26 BST
29 Sept 2020 01.11 BST Anonymous grand juror in Breonna Taylor case sues to unseal court transcripts A juror from the closed trial of three police officers accused of shooting and killing Breonna Taylor has filed a lawsuit requesting transcripts from the trial be published and that jurors be able speak publicly about the case. “The full story and absolute truth of how this matter was handled from beginning to end is now an issue of great public interest and has become a large part of the discussion of public trust throughout the country,” the attorney for the juror wrote in the court filing. The verdict of the grand jury trial led to protests in Kentucky and across the US. None of the three officers were indicted for killing Taylor, an unarmed black woman, in her sleep. One officer, Brett Hankison, was indicted on three counts of wanton endangerment related to shots that misfired and hit neighbors’ walls. The filing specifically cites responses from attorney general Daniel Cameron, on whom attorneys for Taylor’s family have also called to release the transcripts and audio recordings. “What we also want is for you to quit dodging the question. You were asked at the press conference (Wednesday): Did you make a recommendation” to the grand jury, Louisville attorney Lonita Baker asked. “You refused to answer. Answer the question: Did you even present any charges regarding Breonna Taylor to the grand jury?”
Updated at 01.36 BST
28 Sept 2020 00.09 BST Trump administration to end Census early, defying federal judge The US will end census counting operations several weeks early, commerce secretary Wilbur Ross announced on Monday, against an order from a federal judge. Ross said the “target date” for ending all counting efforts for the 2020 census is now 5 October, despite a judge ordering the Trump administration to extend counting through 31 October. The move is the latest in an ongoing battle over the census, which is used to allocate seats in Congress. Critics say the Trump administration is seeking to exclude undocumented immigrants from the survey to advantage Republicans in upcoming elections. The Trump administration said it will appeal the original decision from the judge.
28 Sept 2020 23.39 BST White House coronavirus taskforce rift emerges A rift is deepening between longtime US health officials coordinating the coronavirus response and Scott Atlas, a doctor and conservative commentator recently brought onto the team by Donald Trump. In an interview on Monday, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious director, Anthony Fauci, said he is concerned the president’s new task force pick is spreading misinformation and implied he does not work with the other health officials. The interview comes after Fauci was noticeably absent from the president’s Covid briefing, as was the response coordinator, Deborah Birx. Present instead was Atlas, a conservative commentator whose views are more aligned with Trump’s and who praised the president’s coronavirus response. Earlier this month, a group of 98 medical experts including immunologists and infectious disease physicians signed a letter condemning “the falsehoods and misrepresentations of science recently fostered by Dr Scott Atlas”. Fauci said he shared these concerns regarding Atlas spreading misleading and incorrect information. “Well yeah, I’m concerned that sometimes things are said that are really taken either out of context or actually incorrect,” Fauci said. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director, Robert Redfield, has also expressed concerns about Atlas, and was overheard on a phone call saying “everything he says is false” which he later confirmed was about Atlas. Specifically he is concerned Atlas is feeding misinformation to Trump about the concept of herd immunity – that if enough people are infected with coronavirus the numbers will stabilize – and young people’s susceptibility to the virus. Atlas is also against severe lockdowns and mask usage. These views ware at odds with those backed by science and promoted by the likes of Fauci and Birx. Fauci also noted in a CNN interview that as the 2020 presidential election approaches, the coronavirus response has received less attention. “We’re meeting now on an average of one and at the most two times a week,” Fauci said.
Updated at 01.36 BST
28 Sept 2020 22.51 BST Family of unarmed man killed by Maryland police receives record settlement Prince George’s county, Maryland, has reached a $20m settlement with the family of William Green, a 43-year-old black man who was fatally shot by police while handcuffed during an arrest earlier this year. Cpl Michael A Owen Jr, who is also black, was fired from the department the day after the shooting and charged with second-degree murder. He is currently awaiting trial. The $20m settlement was announced in a press conference Monday morning by Angela Alsobrooks, the county executive for Prince George’s county. “I am deeply sorry for your loss,’’ Alsobrooks told Green’s mother at Monday’s news conference.
Updated at 00.26 BST
28 Sept 2020 22.18 BST Fauci implies Atlas is not working with the coronavirus taskforce Anthony Fauci, the doctor and immunologist who serves as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious diseases, had some criticisms for doctor Scott Atlas in an interview on Monday, implying the president’s new task force pick does not work with health officials. I interviewed Dr. Anthony Fauci earlier today and asked if the WH coronavirus task force is working together, or against each other, in light of the Dr. Scott Atlas issues. "Most are working together. I think you know who the outlier is," Fauci told me. — Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) September 28, 2020 In an interview with Brian Stelter at CNN, Fauci said “most are working together” on solutions to the coronavirus pandemic, except one person. “I think you know who the outlier is,” he said. Fauci was noticeably absent on Monday at Trump’s coronavirus briefing, as was the response coordinator, Deborah Birx. Present instead was Atlas, a conservative commentator whose views are more aligned with Trump’s and who has been criticized for his past promotion of inaccurate medical information. A group of 98 medical experts including immunologists and infectious disease physicians signed a letter condemning “the falsehoods and misrepresentations of science recently fostered by Dr. Scott Atlas”. Fauci said he shared these concerns regarding Atlas spreading misleading and incorrect information. “Well yeah, I’m concerned that sometimes things are said that are really taken either out of context or actually incorrect,” Fauci said when asked by CNN if he was worried Atlas was sharing misleading information.
Updated at 22.56 BST
28 Sept 2020 22.00 BST Top lawyer on Mueller inquiry claims Trump tried to impede the investigation Andrew Weismann, a key lawyer on the special counsel that investigated Russian interference in the 2016 elections, said Donald Trump tried to interfere with the inquiry. In his new book, Weismann talks about his experience on Robert Muller’s team. He said in an interview with the Today show on Monday that while he believes the probe uncovered a lot of key information, it fell short in some regards. He made it clear that he would have subpoenaed the president for his tax returns. “We did not do a full financial investigation relating to the president,” he said. The comments come after a bombshell New York Times report that showed the president paid just $750 in income taxes the year he won the presidency.
Updated at 22.23 BST
28 Sept 2020 21.52 BST Hello, Kari Paul here in California, sharing the most important news of the next few hours with you. Stay tuned for updates.
28 Sept 2020 21.30 BST Today so far That’s it from me today. My west coast colleague, Kari Paul, will take over the blog for the next few hours. Here’s where the day stands so far: Vice President Mike Pence warned Americans to expect a rise in the number of coronavirus cases in the coming weeks, during Trump ’s event on coronavirus testing today . Echoing many health experts, Pence said, “The American people should anticipate that cases will rise in the days ahead.” Moments later, the president insisted the country is “rounding the corner” in its coronavirus crisis, even though the US death toll surpassed 200,000 last week.
during ’s event on coronavirus testing today Echoing many health experts, Pence said, “The American people should anticipate that cases will rise in the days ahead.” Moments later, the president insisted the country is “rounding the corner” in its coronavirus crisis, even though the US death toll surpassed 200,000 last week. Democrats attacked Trump over his recent tax returns, some of which were obtained by the New York Times. According to the Times, Trump paid only $750 in federal income taxes the year that he won the presidency, largely because he reported losing more money than he made.
According to the Times, Trump paid only $750 in federal income taxes the year that he won the presidency, largely because he reported losing more money than he made. Nancy Pelosi said Trump’s debt obligations could represent a national security risk. The Democratic speaker argued the American people were entitled to know to whom Trump owes money. “For me, this is a national security question,” Pelosi said. “The public has a right to know.”
The Democratic speaker argued the American people were entitled to know to whom Trump owes money. “For me, this is a national security question,” Pelosi said. “The public has a right to know.” Trump’s 2016 campaign targeted 3.5 million African Americans to deter them from voting, according to a new investigation from Channel 4 News. Voters targeted for “deterrence” were disproportionately black, according to a Trump campaign database reviewed by Channel 4.
according to a new investigation from Channel 4 News. Voters targeted for “deterrence” were disproportionately black, according to a Trump campaign database reviewed by Channel 4. The Washington Post editorial board endorsed Joe Biden’s presidential bid. “In order to expel the worst president of modern times, many voters might be willing to vote for almost anybody,” the board wrote. “Fortunately, to oust president Trump in 2020, voters do not have to lower their standards.” Kari will have more coming up, so stay tuned.
28 Sept 2020 21.13 BST After the vice president spoke, Dr Scott Atlas, a senior adviser to the president who has reportedly been criticized by other members of the White House coronavirus task force, delivered brief remarks. Atlas insisted the country has a handle on the virus, even though the country’s death toll surpassed 200,000 last week. Trump similarly insisted the US is “rounding the corner” in the coronavirus crisis, moments after Vice President Mike Pence said Americans should expect the number of cases to rise in the weeks ahead. The president briefly thanked Abbott for its work developing rapid coronavirus tests. He then left the Rose Garden without taking questions.
28 Sept 2020 21.08 BST Pence says Americans should expect cases to rise in the coming weeks Vice President Mike Pence spoke at the Rose Garden event, claiming the country has “passed through a challenging time” with its coronavirus crisis. Vice President Mike Pence says "the American people should anticipate that [COVID-19] cases will rise in the days ahead" https://t.co/Nj065CIsxp pic.twitter.com/bDik1bL5tq — CBS News (@CBSNews) September 28, 2020 But Pence added, “The American people should anticipate that cases will rise in the days ahead.” A number of health experts have warned that the country could see another surge in coronavirus cases as the weather gets colder.
Updated at 21.10 BST


theguardian--2020-09-29--Trump administration plans to end census early, defying judge's order

The Trump administration has said the 2020 census will end early on 5 October , defying a federal judge ’ s ruling that the count should continue through the end of October .
The US secretary of commerce , Wilbur Ross , made the announcement in a tweet posted on the US Census Bureau ’ s website on Monday .
Ross said the “ target date ” for ending all counting efforts for the 2020 census is now 5 October , despite a judge ordering the Trump administration to extend counting through 31 October .
The move is the latest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which is used to allocate seats in Congress .
The census also is used to determine how to distribute $ 1.5tn in federal spending annually .
Critics say the Trump administration is seeking to exclude undocumented immigrants from the survey to advantage Republicans in upcoming elections .
The Trump administration said it will appeal the original decision from the judge .
The announcement came as a virtual hearing was being held in San Jose , California , as a follow-up to the US district judge Lucy Koh ’ s preliminary injunction , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s plan to end the head count on 30 September .
Koh asked federal government attorneys during Monday ’ s hearing to provide documents on how the new decision to end the head count on 5 October was made .
When a federal government lawyer suggested that the decision-making was a moving target without any records , the judge asked , “ A one sentence tweet ?
Are you saying that is enough reason to establish decision-making ?
A one sentence tweet ?
” Koh said in her ruling last Thursday that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s administration likely would produce inaccurate results that would last a decade .
She sided with civil rights groups and local governments that had sued the US Census Bureau and the US Department of Commerce , which oversees the statistical agency , arguing that minorities and others in hard-to-count communities would be missed if the counting ends this month .
Attorneys for the federal government said they were appealing the decision .
During hearings , federal government attorneys argued that the head count needed to end 30 September in order to meet a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ used for apportionment .
In response to the pandemic , the Census Bureau last April pushed back the deadline for ending the 2020 census from the end of July to the end of October .
The bureau also asked Congress to let it turn in numbers used for apportionment from the end of December to the end of April .
The deadline extension passed the Democratic-controlled House but it stalled in the Republican-controlled Senate after Trump issued a memorandum seeking to exclude people in the country illegally from being used in the apportionment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in New York said earlier this month that the memorandum was unlawful .

The Trump administration has said the 2020 census will end early on 5 October, defying a federal judge’s ruling that the count should continue through the end of October.
The US secretary of commerce, Wilbur Ross, made the announcement in a tweet posted on the US Census Bureau’s website on Monday.
Ross said the “target date” for ending all counting efforts for the 2020 census is now 5 October, despite a judge ordering the Trump administration to extend counting through 31 October.
The move is the latest in an ongoing battle over the census, which is used to allocate seats in Congress. The census also is used to determine how to distribute $1.5tn in federal spending annually.
Critics say the Trump administration is seeking to exclude undocumented immigrants from the survey to advantage Republicans in upcoming elections. The Trump administration said it will appeal the original decision from the judge.
The announcement came as a virtual hearing was being held in San Jose, California, as a follow-up to the US district judge Lucy Koh’s preliminary injunction, which last week suspended the Census Bureau’s plan to end the head count on 30 September.
Koh asked federal government attorneys during Monday’s hearing to provide documents on how the new decision to end the head count on 5 October was made. When a federal government lawyer suggested that the decision-making was a moving target without any records, the judge asked, “A one sentence tweet? Are you saying that is enough reason to establish decision-making? A one sentence tweet?”
Koh said in her ruling last Thursday that the shortened schedule ordered by Trump’s administration likely would produce inaccurate results that would last a decade. She sided with civil rights groups and local governments that had sued the US Census Bureau and the US Department of Commerce, which oversees the statistical agency, arguing that minorities and others in hard-to-count communities would be missed if the counting ends this month.
Attorneys for the federal government said they were appealing the decision. During hearings, federal government attorneys argued that the head count needed to end 30 September in order to meet a 31 December deadline for handing in figures used for apportionment.
In response to the pandemic, the Census Bureau last April pushed back the deadline for ending the 2020 census from the end of July to the end of October. The bureau also asked Congress to let it turn in numbers used for apportionment from the end of December to the end of April.
The deadline extension passed the Democratic-controlled House but it stalled in the Republican-controlled Senate after Trump issued a memorandum seeking to exclude people in the country illegally from being used in the apportionment count. A panel of three judges in New York said earlier this month that the memorandum was unlawful.


theguardian--2020-09-28--Brad Parscale, former Trump campaign manager, hospitalised after self-harm threats

Donald Trump ’ s former campaign manager Brad Parscale has been hospitalised after he threatened to harm himself , according to Florida police and campaign officials .
Police were called to the home in Desota Drive in the Seven Isles community of Fort Lauderdale late on Sunday afternoon .
The home is owned by Bradley and Candice Parscale .
“ When officers arrived on scene , they made contact with the reportee ( wife of armed subject ) who advised her husband was armed , had access to multiple firearms inside the residence and was threatening to harm himself , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement .
“ Officers determined the only occupant inside the home was the adult male .
Officers made contact with the male , developed a rapport , and safely negotiated for him to exit the home.
” Police identified the man as Parscale .
He did not threaten police and accompanied officers willingly under Florida ’ s Baker Act , which gives police the power to detain a person who poses a potential threat to themselves or others for 72 hours for psychiatric evaluation .
On Monday afternoon , police body-cam footage was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and handcuffed by police .
Parscale was taken to Broward Health medical center .
The number and nature of the firearms in the Parscale home was not known .
Fort Lauderdale ’ s mayor , Dean Trantalis , said he had been informed there was a Swat team standoff at Parscale ’ s home .
“ It was indicated to me that he had weapons , ” Trantalis told the Sun-Sentinel .
“ I ’ m glad he didn ’ t do any harm to himself or others .
I commend our Swat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ peaceful ending to this.
” Parscale was removed as Trump ’ s campaign manager in July after a much-hyped campaign rally in Tulsa attracted an embarrassingly sparse crowd .
He was replaced by the then deputy campaign manager , Bill Stepien , but has stayed on as a senior adviser to the campaign .
On his Twitter account Parscale describes himself as “ senior adviser , digital and data ” for Donald Trump .
The Trump campaign communications director , Tim Murtaugh , issued a statement late on Sunday offering support to Parscale @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of our family and we all love him .
We are ready to support him and his family in any way possible.
” A police report on Monday noted that officers were called by a woman reporting that Parscale had been heard “ ranting and raving about something ” before a gunshot was fired .
Candice Parscale told police that she ran from the house because she was alarmed by her husband ’ s behavior , local TV station WPLG reported .
According to the report , Parscale began to barricade himself inside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the police report said , adding that he later spoke to police negotiators .
“ I initiated a double leg take down , ” wrote Sgt Matthew Moceri , a responding officer , noting that the 6ft 8in Parscale towered over him and would not get on the ground .
When officers initially arrived , Candice Parscale said the couple had argued and Brad pulled out a handgun and loaded it .
She said he had post-traumatic stress disorder and had recently become violent , showing police bruises on her arms from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ photographed the injuries , they said , and the Miami Herald reported .
In the US , the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255 , or you can text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis text line counsellor .
In the UK , the Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123 .
In Australia , the crisis support service Lifeline is on 13 11 14 .
Other international suicide helplines can be found at www.befrienders.org .

Donald Trump’s former campaign manager Brad Parscale has been hospitalised after he threatened to harm himself, according to Florida police and campaign officials.
Police were called to the home in Desota Drive in the Seven Isles community of Fort Lauderdale late on Sunday afternoon. The home is owned by Bradley and Candice Parscale.
“When officers arrived on scene, they made contact with the reportee (wife of armed subject) who advised her husband was armed, had access to multiple firearms inside the residence and was threatening to harm himself,” Fort Lauderdale police said in a statement.
“Officers determined the only occupant inside the home was the adult male. Officers made contact with the male, developed a rapport, and safely negotiated for him to exit the home.”
Police identified the man as Parscale. He did not threaten police and accompanied officers willingly under Florida’s Baker Act, which gives police the power to detain a person who poses a potential threat to themselves or others for 72 hours for psychiatric evaluation.
On Monday afternoon, police body-cam footage was released of Parscale being dramatically taken down and handcuffed by police.
Parscale was taken to Broward Health medical center.
The number and nature of the firearms in the Parscale home was not known.
Fort Lauderdale’s mayor, Dean Trantalis, said he had been informed there was a Swat team standoff at Parscale’s home.
“It was indicated to me that he had weapons,” Trantalis told the Sun-Sentinel.
“I’m glad he didn’t do any harm to himself or others. I commend our Swat team for being able to negotiate a peaceful ending to this.”
Parscale was removed as Trump’s campaign manager in July after a much-hyped campaign rally in Tulsa attracted an embarrassingly sparse crowd.
He was replaced by the then deputy campaign manager, Bill Stepien, but has stayed on as a senior adviser to the campaign. On his Twitter account Parscale describes himself as “senior adviser, digital and data” for Donald Trump.
The Trump campaign communications director, Tim Murtaugh, issued a statement late on Sunday offering support to Parscale.
“Brad Parscale is a member of our family and we all love him. We are ready to support him and his family in any way possible.”
A police report on Monday noted that officers were called by a woman reporting that Parscale had been heard “ranting and raving about something” before a gunshot was fired.
Candice Parscale told police that she ran from the house because she was alarmed by her husband’s behavior, local TV station WPLG reported.
According to the report, Parscale began to barricade himself inside the home, hanging up on callers, the police report said, adding that he later spoke to police negotiators.
“I initiated a double leg take down,” wrote Sgt Matthew Moceri, a responding officer, noting that the 6ft 8in Parscale towered over him and would not get on the ground.
When officers initially arrived, Candice Parscale said the couple had argued and Brad pulled out a handgun and loaded it.
She said he had post-traumatic stress disorder and had recently become violent, showing police bruises on her arms from an argument two days prior. Police photographed the injuries, they said, and the Miami Herald reported.
In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255, or you can text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis text line counsellor. In the UK, the Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is on 13 11 14. Other international suicide helplines can be found at www.befrienders.org.


theguardian--2020-09-28--Trump reels from taxes bombshell as he gets set for crunch debate with Biden

Donald Trump heads into the first US presidential debate against Joe Biden on Tuesday night trailing in opinion polls and now reeling from dramatic newspaper revelations detailing his chronic financial losses and years of tax avoidance .
Trump paid just $ 750 in federal income taxes in 2016 , the year he ran for and won election , the New York Times reported .
In 2017 , he paid only $ 750 again .
And he paid no federal income tax at all in 10 out of the previous 15 years .
Evidence that Trump is paying much less than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be weaponized by Biden , his Democratic rival , when the two men go head to head for the first debate in Cleveland , Ohio .
The Biden campaign was quick to seize on the report , releasing an attack ad contrasting Trump ’ s $ 750 payment with elementary school teachers ( who typically pay $ 7,239 ) , firefighters ( $ 5,283 ) , construction managers ( $ 16,447 ) and registered nurses ( $ 10,216 ) .
Biden is hoping to persuade voters who had voted for Barack Obama @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the president is a conman whose connection with working people is illusory .
As the county barrels toward the election on 3 November , Biden has portrayed the contest as “ Scranton v Park Avenue ” , pitting his home town in Pennsylvania against wealthy Manhattan , where Trump built his branding empire and reality television career .
Other Democrats amplified Biden ’ s criticism .
The Senate minority leader , Chuck Schumer , tweeted an emoji calling on followers to raise their hands “ if you paid more in federal income tax @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a Democratic senator for Connecticut , tweeted : “ SEVEN HUNDRED FIFTY DOLLARS .
That ’ s why he hid his tax returns .
Because the whole time , he wasn ’ t paying taxes .
But you were.
” About half of Americans pay no federal income taxes , but the average income tax paid in 2017 was nearly $ 12,200 , according to the IRS .
The supporters who attend his campaign rallies often cite his business acumen , and the sacrifice they say he made to go into politics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But the New York Times report also showed that Trump has lost more money than he made , denting the successful entrepreneur image that he cultivated on the reality TV show The Apprentice .
He even chose “ mogul ” as his Secret Service code name .
“ Ultimately , ” the New York Times wrote , “ Mr Trump has been more successful playing a business mogul than being one in real life.
” More than $ 300m in loans for which he is personally responsible will come due within the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Should he win re-election , his lenders could be placed in the unprecedented position of weighing whether to foreclose on a sitting president.
” The identity of the lenders remains unknown , raising questions over who might exert influence over Trump and whether he has conflicts of interest .
The president – the first since the 1970s to refuse to release his tax returns – initially resorted to his instinctive cry of “ totally fake news ” when the story broke .
On Monday he followed up with a series of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ News Media , just like Election time 2016 , is bringing up my Taxes & all sorts of other nonsense with illegally obtained information & only bad intent .
I paid many millions of dollars in taxes but was entitled , like everyone else , to depreciation & tax credits ... .. “ ... ..Also , if you look at the extraordinary assets owned by me , which the Fake News hasn ’ t , I am extremely under leveraged - I have very little debt compared to the value of assets.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the tax returns were both fake and illegally obtained .
Then , in an attempt to deflect attention with a manufactured controversy , the president tweeted about the debate : “ Joe Biden just announced that he will not agree to a Drug Test .
Gee , I wonder why ?
” There is no evidence that Biden is taking drugs .
Kate Bedingfield , Biden ’ s deputy campaign manager , has responded to such claims in unusually blunt terms by stating : “ Vice-President Biden intends to deliver his debate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thinks his best case is made in urine he can have at it .
We ’ d expect nothing less from Donald Trump , who pissed away the chance to protect the lives of 200K Americans when he didn ’ t make a plan to stop Covid-19.
” Despite the endless dramas of the campaign , Biden has held a remarkably steady lead of around eight to 10 percentage points in most national surveys .
He holds varying leads in battleground states .
With some people already using early voting , the debate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comes amid a coronavirus pandemic that has killed 200,000 Americans , ongoing protests against racial injustice and a fresh uproar over Trump ’ s refusal to commit to a peaceful transfer of power and and rapid nomination of the conservative judge Amy Coney Barrett to the supreme court to replace the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg .
The move earned widespread approval from Christian evangelicals and other conservatives .
Barrett looks set to be confirmed by the Senate a week before election day despite fierce Democratic opposition .
Trump ’ s taxes , however @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on debate night .

Donald Trump heads into the first US presidential debate against Joe Biden on Tuesday night trailing in opinion polls and now reeling from dramatic newspaper revelations detailing his chronic financial losses and years of tax avoidance.
Trump paid just $750 in federal income taxes in 2016, the year he ran for and won election, the New York Times reported. In 2017, he paid only $750 again. And he paid no federal income tax at all in 10 out of the previous 15 years.
Evidence that Trump is paying much less than many of his working-class supporters is likely to be weaponized by Biden, his Democratic rival, when the two men go head to head for the first debate in Cleveland, Ohio.
The Biden campaign was quick to seize on the report, releasing an attack ad contrasting Trump’s $750 payment with elementary school teachers (who typically pay $7,239), firefighters ($5,283), construction managers ($16,447) and registered nurses ($10,216).
Biden is hoping to persuade voters who had voted for Barack Obama but switched to Trump in 2016 that the president is a conman whose connection with working people is illusory. As the county barrels toward the election on 3 November, Biden has portrayed the contest as “Scranton v Park Avenue”, pitting his home town in Pennsylvania against wealthy Manhattan, where Trump built his branding empire and reality television career.
Other Democrats amplified Biden’s criticism. The Senate minority leader, Chuck Schumer, tweeted an emoji calling on followers to raise their hands “if you paid more in federal income tax than President Trump”.
Chris Murphy, a Democratic senator for Connecticut, tweeted: “SEVEN HUNDRED FIFTY DOLLARS. That’s why he hid his tax returns. Because the whole time, he wasn’t paying taxes. But you were.”
About half of Americans pay no federal income taxes, but the average income tax paid in 2017 was nearly $12,200, according to the IRS.
The supporters who attend his campaign rallies often cite his business acumen, and the sacrifice they say he made to go into politics, as reasons to vote for him.
But the New York Times report also showed that Trump has lost more money than he made, denting the successful entrepreneur image that he cultivated on the reality TV show The Apprentice. He even chose “mogul” as his Secret Service code name.
“Ultimately,” the New York Times wrote, “Mr Trump has been more successful playing a business mogul than being one in real life.”
01:35 Trump 'paid $750 in federal income taxes in 2016 and 2017' – video report
More than $300m in loans for which he is personally responsible will come due within the next four years, the paper said. “Should he win re-election, his lenders could be placed in the unprecedented position of weighing whether to foreclose on a sitting president.”
The identity of the lenders remains unknown, raising questions over who might exert influence over Trump and whether he has conflicts of interest.
The president – the first since the 1970s to refuse to release his tax returns – initially resorted to his instinctive cry of “totally fake news” when the story broke.
On Monday he followed up with a series of tweets that said: “The Fake News Media, just like Election time 2016, is bringing up my Taxes & all sorts of other nonsense with illegally obtained information & only bad intent. I paid many millions of dollars in taxes but was entitled, like everyone else, to depreciation & tax credits.....
“.....Also, if you look at the extraordinary assets owned by me, which the Fake News hasn’t, I am extremely under leveraged - I have very little debt compared to the value of assets.”
The defense contained an apparent contradiction: that the tax returns were both fake and illegally obtained.
Then, in an attempt to deflect attention with a manufactured controversy, the president tweeted about the debate: “Joe Biden just announced that he will not agree to a Drug Test. Gee, I wonder why?”
There is no evidence that Biden is taking drugs.
Kate Bedingfield, Biden’s deputy campaign manager, has responded to such claims in unusually blunt terms by stating: “Vice-President Biden intends to deliver his debate answers in words. If the president thinks his best case is made in urine he can have at it. We’d expect nothing less from Donald Trump, who pissed away the chance to protect the lives of 200K Americans when he didn’t make a plan to stop Covid-19.”
Despite the endless dramas of the campaign, Biden has held a remarkably steady lead of around eight to 10 percentage points in most national surveys. He holds varying leads in battleground states. With some people already using early voting, the debate may not change many minds.
It comes amid a coronavirus pandemic that has killed 200,000 Americans, ongoing protests against racial injustice and a fresh uproar over Trump’s refusal to commit to a peaceful transfer of power and and rapid nomination of the conservative judge Amy Coney Barrett to the supreme court to replace the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
The move earned widespread approval from Christian evangelicals and other conservatives. Barrett looks set to be confirmed by the Senate a week before election day despite fierce Democratic opposition. Trump’s taxes, however, appear to have changed the conversation on debate night.


theguardian--2020-09-28--How the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg could change America

She was a pioneer of women ’ s rights and a liberal icon of the US supreme court .
Ruth @ @ @ @ @ last week may alter the course of American politics and lead to a seismic shift @ @ @ @ @ for years to come This episode first aired on Today in Focus , the Guardian @ @ @ @ @ podcast .
The death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg has rocked the US presidential election , @ @ @ @ @ held .
The liberal icon on the supreme court played a role in expanding women @ @ @ @ @ rights and voting rights for African Americans , but her now vacant seat is likely @ @ @ @ @ far more conservative figure picked by Donald Trump .
Liberal-minded Americans fear that many reforms @ @ @ @ @ , could be rolled back .
Moira Donegan tells Anushka Asthana that amid the mourning @ @ @ @ @ the politics of selecting judges for the supreme court has never been more politicised .

Presented by Anushka Asthana and reporded by Moira Donegan. Produced by Serena Barker-Singh and Axel Kacoutié. The executive producers are Phil Maynard and Nicole Jackson. Adapted by Gabrielle Jackson

She was a pioneer of women’s rights and a liberal icon of the US supreme court. Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death last week may alter the course of American politics and lead to a seismic shift towards a more conservative court for years to come
This episode first aired on Today in Focus, the Guardian’s global daily news podcast.
The death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg has rocked the US presidential election, just weeks before it is held. The liberal icon on the supreme court played a role in expanding women’s rights, LGBTQ+ rights and voting rights for African Americans, but her now vacant seat is likely to be filled by a far more conservative figure picked by Donald Trump.
Liberal-minded Americans fear that many reforms, particularly on abortion rights, could be rolled back. Moira Donegan tells Anushka Asthana that amid the mourning for an extraordinary life, the politics of selecting judges for the supreme court has never been more politicised.


theguardian--2020-09-28--The Guardian view on Trump’s tax take: only for the little people | Editorial

The emperor ’ s new clothes is a cautionary tale that politicians know well .
A vain ruler who can not resist buying new garments is sold an imaginary new suit .
Out on a stroll in this “ magical ” attire , he is revealed to be naked by a little boy .
Hans Christian Andersen ’ s exercise in groupthink has the emperor , despite the obvious , continuing to claim that he is garbed in finery .
It is a subversive message ; that power can bend the truth .
Donald Trump thinks himself such a ruler @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , President Trump paid minuscule amounts of federal income tax – $ 750 in 2016 and 2017 , and nothing in 10 of the previous 15 years .
That ’ s because he had a reverse Midas touch with business .
Rather than the self-made-billionaire image honed by The Apprentice , Mr Trump excelled at losing , not making , money .
Mr Trump ’ s golf courses have lost $ 315m since 2000 .
This time it was the Old Grey Lady , not a child , who showed how Mr Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president ’ s reaction was to call the story “ totally fake news ” .
He hopes this language resonates with his base and causes them to identify with him rather than listen to the facts .
Mr Trump built a coalition by appealing more to conspiracy theory than to partisanship ; and his strategy has been to supply his supporters with conspiracy theories to fight what they see as a conspiracy against them .
He lies outrageously and often .
His supporters may even appreciate his deceits .
Many think all politicians @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mr Trump ’ s falsehoods to be hypocrites .
But the New York Times story carries a sting in its long tail .
Should Mr Trump win , he is liable for $ 300m in loans that will come due within four years .
“ His lenders could be placed , ” the paper notes dryly , “ in the unprecedented position of weighing whether to foreclose on a sitting president.
” Being in hock to foreign entities would surely pose a major security risk .
As the story is unfolding , its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ modern US history can not be easily judged .
The news arrived on the eve of the first presidential debate between the Democrats ’ Joe Biden and Mr Trump .
Mr Biden ’ s campaign was quick to cast the president as a leader who thought taxes were just for the little people , pointing out that teachers , nurses and firefighters all paid a lot more to the government than Mr Trump does .
America seems broken by Covid-19 after four years of Mr Trump .
Almost 30 million are claiming unemployment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of households hit by coronavirus face financial hardship .
Decades of worshipping greed has destabilised society .
The lack of political pressure to compel Congress to extend the $ 600 per week additional jobless benefit when it expired in July was shocking – especially considering the Republican rush to push through Judge Amy Coney Barrett ’ s supreme court confirmation hearings .
Inequality is a US national emergency .
It ought to be addressed by increased taxes on the wealthy .
Mr Trump won in 2016 by making promises to voters he was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his working-class supporters , suggesting that many of their fears can not be of concern .
Mr Trump probably believed his own story .
One hopes for the US ’ s sake that come November fewer people will trust him again .

The emperor’s new clothes is a cautionary tale that politicians know well. A vain ruler who cannot resist buying new garments is sold an imaginary new suit. Out on a stroll in this “magical” attire, he is revealed to be naked by a little boy. Hans Christian Andersen’s exercise in groupthink has the emperor, despite the obvious, continuing to claim that he is garbed in finery. It is a subversive message; that power can bend the truth. Donald Trump thinks himself such a ruler.
According to the New York Times, President Trump paid minuscule amounts of federal income tax – $750 in 2016 and 2017, and nothing in 10 of the previous 15 years. That’s because he had a reverse Midas touch with business. Rather than the self-made-billionaire image honed by The Apprentice, Mr Trump excelled at losing, not making, money. Mr Trump’s golf courses have lost $315m since 2000. This time it was the Old Grey Lady, not a child, who showed how Mr Trump was, figuratively, naked.
The president’s reaction was to call the story “totally fake news”. He hopes this language resonates with his base and causes them to identify with him rather than listen to the facts. Mr Trump built a coalition by appealing more to conspiracy theory than to partisanship; and his strategy has been to supply his supporters with conspiracy theories to fight what they see as a conspiracy against them. He lies outrageously and often. His supporters may even appreciate his deceits. Many think all politicians are liars and consider those outraged by Mr Trump’s falsehoods to be hypocrites.
But the New York Times story carries a sting in its long tail. Should Mr Trump win, he is liable for $300m in loans that will come due within four years. “His lenders could be placed,” the paper notes dryly, “in the unprecedented position of weighing whether to foreclose on a sitting president.” Being in hock to foreign entities would surely pose a major security risk. As the story is unfolding, its impact on the most important election in modern US history cannot be easily judged. The news arrived on the eve of the first presidential debate between the Democrats’ Joe Biden and Mr Trump. Mr Biden’s campaign was quick to cast the president as a leader who thought taxes were just for the little people, pointing out that teachers, nurses and firefighters all paid a lot more to the government than Mr Trump does.
America seems broken by Covid-19 after four years of Mr Trump. Almost 30 million are claiming unemployment insurance. Hunger is growing. Two-thirds of households hit by coronavirus face financial hardship. Decades of worshipping greed has destabilised society. The lack of political pressure to compel Congress to extend the $600 per week additional jobless benefit when it expired in July was shocking – especially considering the Republican rush to push through Judge Amy Coney Barrett’s supreme court confirmation hearings. Inequality is a US national emergency. It ought to be addressed by increased taxes on the wealthy. Mr Trump won in 2016 by making promises to voters he was not going to keep. He cheated his working-class supporters, suggesting that many of their fears cannot be of concern. Mr Trump probably believed his own story. One hopes for the US’s sake that come November fewer people will trust him again.


theguardian--2020-09-28--Trump sold voters on the folly that he's a successful businessman. That's a con | Reed Galen

On Sunday night , the New York Times reported that for most of the last 20 years , Donald Trump paid little in the way of income tax .
In 2016 , he paid only $ 750 .
In 2017 , he paid the same .
Many years , as the review of his taxes show , Trump ’ s losses far outweighed his income .
The president ’ s allies have already sprung into action .
It ’ s “ tax avoidance ” , not tax evasion , of course .
They claim Trump ’ s maneuvers are legal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ person would do if they were able .
Trump says the detailed report is “ fake ” .
None of this is a surprise , of course .
Given that Trump is the same man who bankrupted two Atlantic City casinos , launched a short-lived airline and was recently charged with fraud surrounding his “ Trump University ” , the president ’ s finances have consistently been an adventure in accounting .
His status and wealth are crucial to his public image .
He sold the American people on the folly that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an American resurgence .
Much like everything involving Donald Trump , this was pure fiction , a con , that is unraveling before our very eyes .
When he was a reality television star running his own family company , Trump ’ s gymnastic finances were problems of his own making and the headache of his staff , workers and bankers .
As president , how Trump makes and spends his money is indicative of his personal taste ( such as it is ) and his willingness to use the office for personal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are far more concerning .
The New York Times report reveals that Trump is leveraged to the tune of more than $ 400m , much of it personally guaranteed .
Most reputable lending institutions would require significant collateral to extend that kind of credit .
Who then , would be willing to lend so much money to such a high-risk client ?
We don ’ t know that answer , of course .
It does raise the legitimate question , though : to whom does the president of the United States owe so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ willing to do to ensure repayment ?
Especially when you consider that he has hundreds of millions of dollars in loans due for collection in the next four years .
If he is unable to pay them back , what would these lenders be willing to accept in kind as payment for unpaid debts from the man who hopes to continue being the leader of the free world ?
Anyone applying for a “ position of national security ” with the US government must fill out an exhaustive document , the SF-86 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ usual questions about past criminal behavior or drug use , are questions related to the applicant ’ s personal finances .
Difficulties with money have long been among the quickest routes to blackmail and coercion for foreign intelligence services .
More than Trump ’ s own well-documented issues with money , his son-in-law , Jared Kushner has previously found himself in a similar situation .
The Kushner Company ’ s 666 Park Avenue project had been a black hole of cash for years until a sovereign wealth fund made a substantial investment in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ serving as Trump ’ s top adviser in the White House ) .
Add that to this month ’ s report from the Senate intelligence committee that confirmed the 2016 Trump campaign ’ s interactions with agents of Russian intelligence and the president ’ s financial woes become that much more concerning for all Americans .
It ’ s likely at this point that Trump can not afford to be president .
Though his companies generate some revenue , they won ’ t make him the kind of money he needs to climb @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just across the street from the White House can ’ t fill all the holes .
His golf courses , according to the Times , are money pits .
For Trump , the presidency has always been performative .
Standing behind the podium , before adoring crowds – that is what Trump lives for .
The actual business of the job holds little interest for him .
Now that the world knows for sure he ’ s consistently teetering on the brink of financial ruin , it ’ s not hard to believe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being president and more on shoring up his personal empire .
And that , unfortunately , means that the American people will once again take a distant back seat to Trump ’ s personal concerns and needs .
While Americans continue to get sick , thousands more die every week and our way of life is ruined , Trump will do what he always does : put himself at the head of the line .
• None Reed Galen is an independent political strategist and co-founder of the Lincoln Project

On Sunday night, the New York Times reported that for most of the last 20 years, Donald Trump paid little in the way of income tax. In 2016, he paid only $750. In 2017, he paid the same. Many years, as the review of his taxes show, Trump’s losses far outweighed his income.
The president’s allies have already sprung into action. It’s “tax avoidance”, not tax evasion, of course. They claim Trump’s maneuvers are legal and the kind of thing any smart person would do if they were able. Trump says the detailed report is “fake”.
None of this is a surprise, of course.
Given that Trump is the same man who bankrupted two Atlantic City casinos, launched a short-lived airline and was recently charged with fraud surrounding his “Trump University”, the president’s finances have consistently been an adventure in accounting. His status and wealth are crucial to his public image. He sold the American people on the folly that he was a successful businessman who could engineer an American resurgence. Much like everything involving Donald Trump, this was pure fiction, a con, that is unraveling before our very eyes.
When he was a reality television star running his own family company, Trump’s gymnastic finances were problems of his own making and the headache of his staff, workers and bankers. As president, how Trump makes and spends his money is indicative of his personal taste (such as it is) and his willingness to use the office for personal enrichment.
His debts, though, are far more concerning.
The New York Times report reveals that Trump is leveraged to the tune of more than $400m, much of it personally guaranteed. Most reputable lending institutions would require significant collateral to extend that kind of credit. Who then, would be willing to lend so much money to such a high-risk client?
We don’t know that answer, of course. It does raise the legitimate question, though: to whom does the president of the United States owe so much money, and what are they willing to do to ensure repayment? Especially when you consider that he has hundreds of millions of dollars in loans due for collection in the next four years. If he is unable to pay them back, what would these lenders be willing to accept in kind as payment for unpaid debts from the man who hopes to continue being the leader of the free world?
His hotel across from the White House can’t fill the holes. His golf courses, according to the Times, are money pits
Anyone applying for a “position of national security” with the US government must fill out an exhaustive document, the SF-86, before beginning work. Aside from the usual questions about past criminal behavior or drug use, are questions related to the applicant’s personal finances. Difficulties with money have long been among the quickest routes to blackmail and coercion for foreign intelligence services.
More than Trump’s own well-documented issues with money, his son-in-law, Jared Kushner has previously found himself in a similar situation. The Kushner Company’s 666 Park Avenue project had been a black hole of cash for years until a sovereign wealth fund made a substantial investment in the property (after Kushner was already serving as Trump’s top adviser in the White House).
Add that to this month’s report from the Senate intelligence committee that confirmed the 2016 Trump campaign’s interactions with agents of Russian intelligence and the president’s financial woes become that much more concerning for all Americans.
It’s likely at this point that Trump cannot afford to be president. Though his companies generate some revenue, they won’t make him the kind of money he needs to climb out of debt. Even his hotel just across the street from the White House can’t fill all the holes. His golf courses, according to the Times, are money pits.
For Trump, the presidency has always been performative. Standing behind the podium, before adoring crowds – that is what Trump lives for. The actual business of the job holds little interest for him. Now that the world knows for sure he’s consistently teetering on the brink of financial ruin, it’s not hard to believe that he will focus even less on being president and more on shoring up his personal empire.
And that, unfortunately, means that the American people will once again take a distant back seat to Trump’s personal concerns and needs. While Americans continue to get sick, thousands more die every week and our way of life is ruined, Trump will do what he always does: put himself at the head of the line.


theguardian--2020-09-28--Project remake America: could a Biden win usher in major democratic reforms?

Republican efforts to ram through Donald Trump ’ s third US supreme court pick in the wake of the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg are firing up a fierce progressive backlash that some believe could actually trigger the most dramatic round of democracy reforms in America in a generation .
Democratic party leaders are coming under intense pressure to use the first 100 days of a Biden administration – were Trump defeated in November – to tackle some of the most glaring deficiencies in the world ’ s oldest constitutional democracy .
A vast array of reforms – from ending @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elections , to rebalancing the US Senate and tackling the conservative stranglehold over the courts – are all up for grabs , though they are predicated on Biden winning the White House .
Deirdre Schifeling , campaign director of the progressive coalition Democracy For All 2021 , said that the failures of the Trump administration to contain the pandemic and the resulting economic recession , together with the president ’ s unprecedented attacks on voting rights , had paved the way for a potentially historic push next year if Democrats win .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the people that the environment will be ripe for a big transformative package to make our government work for all of us , ” she said .
A massive surge in small donations to progressive and Democratic support groups following Ginsburg ’ s death underlined how the supreme court crisis is boosting the push for reform .
Act Blue , the online fundraising channel , raised $ 100m in the first 36 hours since the justice passed away .
Democratic organizers are hoping that such a war chest can be put to use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as Maine , Colorado , Iowa and even South Carolina where the Trump acolyte Lindsey Graham is facing a tough fight .
A Biden presidential victory , combined with Democrats taking control of the Senate and retaining power in the House would pave the way for potentially seismic democratic reforms .
“ The fight for the soul of this nation is what ’ s at stake in the presidential election , ” said Democratic congresswoman Terri Sewell , who represents Alabama ’ s seventh district covering Selma in the crucible of the civil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a monumental task in restoring faith in our democracy.
” Sewell is sponsor of the Voting Rights Advancement Act that will be central to efforts to fix America ’ s broken democratic system .
The legislation , which was renamed in July in honor of the late John Lewis , seeks to repair the gaping hole punched into the Voting Rights Act in 2013 by the conservative majority of the supreme court in Shelby County v Holder .
That ruling effectively ended the involvement of the US government in preventing voter suppression by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the opinion was handed down , Republican-controlled states across the country rushed to reimpose hurdles to voting directed largely at African American and other minority communities .
“ We will restore federal oversight in voting once again within the first 100 days of the Biden administration .
We will make sure that modern forms of voter suppression are addressed and eradicated , ” Sewell said .
As an example of the kind of tactics her bill would target , she pointed to North Dakota where in advance of the 2018 midterm elections the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that required a physical address .
North Dakota has a sizable Native American community living on reservations where PO boxes – excluded under the new restrictions – are widely used .
The other top priority for the early days of a Biden presidency would be HR 1 , the mammoth omnibus bill known as the “ For the People Act ” that confronts several of the most egregious failings of modern US democracy .
It would : • put an end to the purges of hundreds of thousands of citizens from voter rolls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as Georgia and Ohio ; • make it easier to vote by expanding automatic voter registration ; • encourage a more diverse pool of candidates to run for federal office by providing matching public funding of small donations ; • and deal with gerrymandering , the sleight of hand often used by Republicans to give more conservative white voters the upper hand .
Both the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and the For the People Act have already cleared the House and have been backed by all Democrats in the US Senate .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be high priority under a new Democratic administration .
“ I know and I expect that Joe will pass them both in the first 100 days , ” she said .
Enactment of the dual bills would see many of the shady techniques that Republicans have deployed to hold on to power instantly challenged .
The pushback to Trump ’ s relentless shattering of democratic norms would not end there .
Progressives also have their sights focused on reforming the US Senate , where representation is skewed heavily towards white men – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and 57 female senators out of almost 2,000 in the chamber ’ s history .
The two senators per state composition of the chamber also benefits smaller rural states that lean Republican .
One prominent idea for a fix would be to add four seats to the Senate by securing statehood for Washington DC , whose 700,000 residents are effectively disenfranchised , and for Puerto Rico whose 3 million people are US citizens yet can not vote in presidential elections .
Schifeling said that it was beyond time to amend the status of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ black and Latino .
“ Not only is the lack of statehood for DC undemocratic , it is rooted in racism and white supremacy .
Political power in DC has always been about undermining people of color and we need to fix that once and for all.
” Another major area of concern is the federal courts , which Trump has already packed with rightwing judges at the lower levels .
Now his choice for Ginsburg ’ s replacement is almost certain to lock in a 6 to 3 conservative majority in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the advocacy group Demos Action , said that “ court reform is now back as a topic of conversation ” .
Options being discussed in progressive legal circles , he said , included Congress voting to enlarge the size of the nation ’ s top court to dilute the power of the conservative justices .
Term limits of 18 years could also be imposed , though it is a matter of legal debate whether that could be achieved through legislation or whether it would require a constitutional amendment that might be virtually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ climate .
In all this , there is a danger of things spiraling into ever more dystopian partisanship .
“ You could get a tit for tat , with Democrats adding three more justices and Republicans responding with three more , ” Rahman said .
“ The fear of retaliation is real , but not engaging in structural reform is also no longer tenable at this point.
” The raft of democratic reforms that progressives are now contemplating as a riposte to Trump is not just about repairing a broken system .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the American people is reflected in government .
Take the climate crisis .
Polls show that almost two-thirds of Americans want robust action to combat greenhouse gas emissions but with the Republican party in the sway of deniers and lobbyists for polluting industries , effective action is stymied through the Senate and the courts .
Gene Karpinski , president of the League of Conservation Voters , said that the fight against voter suppression and the movement to act on climate change were one and the same thing .
“ Communities of color @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and they are the same folks who care most deeply about climate change , because they are most profoundly impacted by it .
”

Republican efforts to ram through Donald Trump’s third US supreme court pick in the wake of the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg are firing up a fierce progressive backlash that some believe could actually trigger the most dramatic round of democracy reforms in America in a generation.
Democratic party leaders are coming under intense pressure to use the first 100 days of a Biden administration – were Trump defeated in November – to tackle some of the most glaring deficiencies in the world’s oldest constitutional democracy.
A vast array of reforms – from ending voter suppression and removing corporate money from elections, to rebalancing the US Senate and tackling the conservative stranglehold over the courts – are all up for grabs, though they are predicated on Biden winning the White House.
Deirdre Schifeling, campaign director of the progressive coalition Democracy For All 2021, said that the failures of the Trump administration to contain the pandemic and the resulting economic recession, together with the president’s unprecedented attacks on voting rights, had paved the way for a potentially historic push next year if Democrats win.
“Our political system has so clearly failed the people that the environment will be ripe for a big transformative package to make our government work for all of us,” she said.
A massive surge in small donations to progressive and Democratic support groups following Ginsburg’s death underlined how the supreme court crisis is boosting the push for reform. Act Blue, the online fundraising channel, raised $100m in the first 36 hours since the justice passed away.
Democratic organizers are hoping that such a war chest can be put to use unseating vulnerable Republican senators in states such as Maine, Colorado, Iowa and even South Carolina where the Trump acolyte Lindsey Graham is facing a tough fight. A Biden presidential victory, combined with Democrats taking control of the Senate and retaining power in the House would pave the way for potentially seismic democratic reforms.
“The fight for the soul of this nation is what’s at stake in the presidential election,” said Democratic congresswoman Terri Sewell, who represents Alabama’s seventh district covering Selma in the crucible of the civil rights movement. “Joe Biden faces a monumental task in restoring faith in our democracy.”
Terri Sewell speaks during a press conference about voting rights legislation in June. Photograph: Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images
Sewell is sponsor of the Voting Rights Advancement Act that will be central to efforts to fix America’s broken democratic system. The legislation, which was renamed in July in honor of the late John Lewis, seeks to repair the gaping hole punched into the Voting Rights Act in 2013 by the conservative majority of the supreme court in Shelby County v Holder.
That ruling effectively ended the involvement of the US government in preventing voter suppression by mainly southern states. As soon as the opinion was handed down, Republican-controlled states across the country rushed to reimpose hurdles to voting directed largely at African American and other minority communities.
“We will restore federal oversight in voting once again within the first 100 days of the Biden administration. We will make sure that modern forms of voter suppression are addressed and eradicated,” Sewell said.
As an example of the kind of tactics her bill would target, she pointed to North Dakota where in advance of the 2018 midterm elections the Republican-controlled legislature imposed new voter registration rules that required a physical address. North Dakota has a sizable Native American community living on reservations where PO boxes – excluded under the new restrictions – are widely used.
The other top priority for the early days of a Biden presidency would be HR 1, the mammoth omnibus bill known as the “For the People Act” that confronts several of the most egregious failings of modern US democracy. It would:
put an end to the purges of hundreds of thousands of citizens from voter rolls that have been seen in states such as Georgia and Ohio;
make it easier to vote by expanding automatic voter registration;
encourage a more diverse pool of candidates to run for federal office by providing matching public funding of small donations;
and deal with gerrymandering, the sleight of hand often used by Republicans to give more conservative white voters the upper hand.
Both the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and the For the People Act have already cleared the House and have been backed by all Democrats in the US Senate. Sewell is confident both pieces of legislation would be high priority under a new Democratic administration.
“I know and I expect that Joe will pass them both in the first 100 days,” she said.
Enactment of the dual bills would see many of the shady techniques that Republicans have deployed to hold on to power instantly challenged. The pushback to Trump’s relentless shattering of democratic norms would not end there.
Progressives also have their sights focused on reforming the US Senate, where representation is skewed heavily towards white men – there have only been 10 African American and 57 female senators out of almost 2,000 in the chamber’s history. The two senators per state composition of the chamber also benefits smaller rural states that lean Republican.
One prominent idea for a fix would be to add four seats to the Senate by securing statehood for Washington DC, whose 700,000 residents are effectively disenfranchised, and for Puerto Rico whose 3 million people are US citizens yet cannot vote in presidential elections.
Schifeling said that it was beyond time to amend the status of DC whose population is almost 60% black and Latino. “Not only is the lack of statehood for DC undemocratic, it is rooted in racism and white supremacy. Political power in DC has always been about undermining people of color and we need to fix that once and for all.”
Another major area of concern is the federal courts, which Trump has already packed with rightwing judges at the lower levels. Now his choice for Ginsburg’s replacement is almost certain to lock in a 6 to 3 conservative majority in the supreme court.
Not only is the lack of statehood for DC undemocratic, it is rooted in racism and white supremacy Deirdre Schifeling
Sabeel Rahman, director of the advocacy group Demos Action, said that “court reform is now back as a topic of conversation”. Options being discussed in progressive legal circles, he said, included Congress voting to enlarge the size of the nation’s top court to dilute the power of the conservative justices.
Term limits of 18 years could also be imposed, though it is a matter of legal debate whether that could be achieved through legislation or whether it would require a constitutional amendment that might be virtually impossible to achieve in the current political climate.
In all this, there is a danger of things spiraling into ever more dystopian partisanship. “You could get a tit for tat, with Democrats adding three more justices and Republicans responding with three more,” Rahman said. “The fear of retaliation is real, but not engaging in structural reform is also no longer tenable at this point.”
The raft of democratic reforms that progressives are now contemplating as a riposte to Trump is not just about repairing a broken system. They are also about ensuring that the will of the American people is reflected in government.
Take the climate crisis. Polls show that almost two-thirds of Americans want robust action to combat greenhouse gas emissions but with the Republican party in the sway of deniers and lobbyists for polluting industries, effective action is stymied through the Senate and the courts.
Gene Karpinski, president of the League of Conservation Voters, said that the fight against voter suppression and the movement to act on climate change were one and the same thing. “Communities of color are most excluded from the democratic system and they are the same folks who care most deeply about climate change, because they are most profoundly impacted by it.”


theguardian--2020-09-28--Build your own US election: plot a path to victory for Biden or Trump

The electoral map has shifted in 2020 , amid new challenges from misinformation to mail-in ballots .
Previously reliable states on both sides are now looking more competitive .
In the interactive graphic below , you decide which way these closer states will vote , and try to pave Joe Biden or Donald Trump ’ s path to victory .
Some states remain very likely to go to Biden or Trump because they were won by large margins in 2016 , or they have voted the same way in several recent elections .
Such states – ranked either a “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for either party , according to the Cook Political Report – have already been coloured in for Biden and Trump in the graphic below .
A majority of 270 electoral votes out of a total of 538 is needed to win , and the remaining states are up to you .
Can you take Biden to victory ?
Or will Trump stay in the White House ?
States already placed in the Biden and Trump camp are those classified as “ solid ” or “ likely ” to go to each candidate according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 9 September 2020 .
The remaining states have been divided into groups using their voting history and expectations in 2020 , to help you decide which way they might go .
Voting history and 2016 margins have been retrieved from the Federal Election Commission .
2020 polling indicates a 14-day rolling average of statewide polls calculated by the Guardian , correct as of the timestamp above .
On any day , we collate any polls published in the last 14 days and take a mean average of their results .
If any company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 14 days , we average out their polling results in order to give them just one entry .
After this standardization process , we then take a mean average of these daily entries in order to present the polling average .

Helena Robertson, Ashley Kirk and Frank Hulley-Jones

The electoral map has shifted in 2020, amid new challenges from misinformation to mail-in ballots. Previously reliable states on both sides are now looking more competitive.
In the interactive graphic below, you decide which way these closer states will vote, and try to pave Joe Biden or Donald Trump’s path to victory.
Some states remain very likely to go to Biden or Trump because they were won by large margins in 2016, or they have voted the same way in several recent elections. Such states – ranked either a “solid” or “likely” win for either party, according to the Cook Political Report – have already been coloured in for Biden and Trump in the graphic below.
A majority of 270 electoral votes out of a total of 538 is needed to win, and the remaining states are up to you. Can you take Biden to victory? Or will Trump stay in the White House?
Choose which way the key swing states will vote and trace Biden or Trump's potential path to victory. electoral college votes electoral college votes Under your scenario, would win the election! Under your scenario, Nobody would win the election. It's a tie! Under a 269-269 tie, the Constitution states that the House of Representatives decides the President. Each state's delegation casts a single vote with a majority of 26 out of 50 needed to win. This is likely to favour the Republicans, in which case Trump would end up staying in the White House.
Methodology
States already placed in the Biden and Trump camp are those classified as “solid” or “likely” to go to each candidate according to the Cook Political Report as of 9 September 2020. The remaining states have been divided into groups using their voting history and expectations in 2020, to help you decide which way they might go.
Voting history and 2016 margins have been retrieved from the Federal Election Commission.
2020 polling indicates a 14-day rolling average of statewide polls calculated by the Guardian, correct as of the timestamp above. On any day, we collate any polls published in the last 14 days and take a mean average of their results. If any company has conducted multiple polls in the last 14 days, we average out their polling results in order to give them just one entry. After this standardization process, we then take a mean average of these daily entries in order to present the polling average.