theguardian--2020-08-21--Biden completes a comeback for the ages with career-defining speech

Joe Biden stood in a school gym in Iowa fumbling for a message , generating little electricity and looking his age .
His rivals were drawing bigger crowds and beat him into fourth place in the caucuses .
Political pundits declared him over the hill .
That was February .
Now , in August , Biden resembles an ageing heavyweight boxer who got himself in shape , climbed back into the ring , and landed a knockout punch .
His closing performance at the Democratic convention on Thursday night produced the finest speech of his career , a comeback for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ US president .
After half a century in politics , Biden accepted the Democrats ’ nomination for president in his home city of Wilmington , Delaware .
He spoke in a silent auditorium against a backdrop of stars and stripes before heading outside with his wife , Jill , to watch fireworks in lieu of the traditional balloon drop and confetti .
Biden ’ s speech offered decency , gravity , passion , steel and , importantly , a possible future .
He used the word “ light ” 11 times , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” only five times and drove a coach and horses through Donald Trump ’ s portrayal of him as borderline senile .
“ Here and now , I give you my word , ” Biden said .
“ If you entrust me with the presidency , I will draw on the best of us , not the worst .
I will be an ally of the light , not of the darkness.
” He added : “ United we can , and will , overcome this season of darkness in America .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over fiction , fairness over privilege.
” There were two important themes .
In these hyperpartisan times , Biden promised to reach out and govern for all Americans , a contrast with Trump ’ s politics of division .
“ While I will be a Democratic candidate , I will be an American president .
I will work as hard for those who didn ’ t support me as I will for those who did.
” The former vice-president also went in hard on Trump ’ s handling of the coronavirus pandemic , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election issue .
“ Just judge this president on the facts .
Five million Americans infected with Covid-19 .
More than 170,000 Americans have died .
By far the worst performance of any nation on earth.
” He also promised roads , bridges , highways , broadband , ports and airports to spur economic growth , including 5m new manufacturing and technology jobs .
He vowed to cut health insurance premiums and drug prices and deal with climate change : “ It ’ s not only a crisis , it ’ s an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was hardly the radical , urgent and inspiring manifesto for systemic change that progressives have been urging .
Biden ’ s central message was character and the battle for the soul of the nation .
That was in keeping with much of the first virtual party convention in American history .
It offered numerous testimonies to BIden ’ s kindness and empathy , his sense of justice and fairness .
It set out his long life , pockmarked by tragedy , from dashing young politician to lion in winter poised to write a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had less to say on what his first hundred days in office would look like .
It swerved past awkward policy differences between the moderate and progressive wings of the party on the climate crisis , criminal justice , healthcare , immigration and other issues .
During the Democratic primary , Senator Cory Booker had described Biden as the “ architect of mass incarceration ” for his role a 1994 crime bill , while Mayor Pete Buttigieg warned : “ History has shown us that the biggest risk we could take with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ look to the same Washington playbook and recycle the same arguments.
” On Thursday , both men offered platitudes about Biden ’ s ability to guide the nation to a better future .
The theme over four days was get-back-to-normal incrementalism , less a moonshot than a promise to fix a clapped-out rocket so it can get off the ground .
Questions linger over the level of enthusiasm and excitement around Biden , a 77-year-old white male moderate .
A Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll last week found that 58 % of registered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is more an expression of opposition to Trump than support for the Democrat .
Bret Stephens , a conservative columnist at the New York Times , recently wrote that supporting Biden is about “ embracing mediocrity to ward off malevolence ” .
Democrats were therefore wise to constantly remind voters that this election is a referendum on the incumbent .
Obama rammed home the point that democracy itself is at stake .
Speakers also urged people to vote and vote early , mindful that Trump is working around the clock to destabilise the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to cast their ballots .
The all-online format also helped Democrats keep a disciplined narrative .
Flesh and blood conventions are big , messy , sprawling affairs that feature backstabbing , gossip , morning fringe events and late night drinking where people speak out of turn and tensions spill into the open .
The virtual convention , by contrast , puts the party chairperson firmly in the director ’ s chair .
Production values grew in confidence as the event wore on .
Speeches were shorter and sharper , directed straight at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s remarks became intimate soliloquies .
The convention looked like America in all its glorious diversity : ordinary citizens , so often in the background , were thrust forward and often outshone the politicians .
The stories that will linger belonged to the likes of Ady Barkan , an activist dying from a neurodegenerative disease ; Brayden Harrington , a teenager with a stutter who received help from Biden earlier this year ; and Kristin Urquiza , who said of her father ’ s death from Covid-19 : “ His only pre-existing condition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that he paid with his life.
” The final night was an unlikely mix of religion and comedy , sacred and profane .
Julia Louis-Dreyfus , fittingly the star of Veep , was the host with the tough gig of doing stand-up without an audience .
It was a brave choice but may prove a tactical error : Republicans love nothing more than accusing coastal “ liberal elites ” of sneering at “ the deplorables ” of middle America .
Among the political class this week there was a sense of the changing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Clinton , once towering figures in the party , were both relegated to slots in the first half of their respective evenings .
Senator Bernie Sanders effectively bowed out after five incredible years that upended Democratic politics with a pithy line : “ Nero fiddled while Rome burned .
The president golfs.
” Sanders also urged everyone to rally around Biden , insisting : “ The price of failure is just too great to imagine.
” It ensured a profoundly different mood from the divisions with Clinton in 2016 .
The convention did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thwart the clear and present danger of Trump .
It was less successful , however , in spelling out what comes next .

Joe Biden stood in a school gym in Iowa fumbling for a message, generating little electricity and looking his age. His rivals were drawing bigger crowds and beat him into fourth place in the caucuses. Political pundits declared him over the hill.
That was February. Now, in August, Biden resembles an ageing heavyweight boxer who got himself in shape, climbed back into the ring, and landed a knockout punch. His closing performance at the Democratic convention on Thursday night produced the finest speech of his career, a comeback for the ages more presidential than the current US president.
After half a century in politics, Biden accepted the Democrats’ nomination for president in his home city of Wilmington, Delaware. He spoke in a silent auditorium against a backdrop of stars and stripes before heading outside with his wife, Jill, to watch fireworks in lieu of the traditional balloon drop and confetti.
Biden’s speech offered decency, gravity, passion, steel and, importantly, a possible future. He used the word “light” 11 times, “hope” 10 times and “fear” only five times and drove a coach and horses through Donald Trump’s portrayal of him as borderline senile.
“Here and now, I give you my word,” Biden said. “If you entrust me with the presidency, I will draw on the best of us, not the worst. I will be an ally of the light, not of the darkness.”
He added: “United we can, and will, overcome this season of darkness in America. We will choose hope over fear, facts over fiction, fairness over privilege.”
There were two important themes. In these hyperpartisan times, Biden promised to reach out and govern for all Americans, a contrast with Trump’s politics of division. “While I will be a Democratic candidate, I will be an American president. I will work as hard for those who didn’t support me as I will for those who did.”
The former vice-president also went in hard on Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, which may prove to be the defining election issue. “Just judge this president on the facts. Five million Americans infected with Covid-19. More than 170,000 Americans have died. By far the worst performance of any nation on earth.”
He also promised roads, bridges, highways, broadband, ports and airports to spur economic growth, including 5m new manufacturing and technology jobs. He vowed to cut health insurance premiums and drug prices and deal with climate change: “It’s not only a crisis, it’s an enormous opportunity.”
But predictably, it was hardly the radical, urgent and inspiring manifesto for systemic change that progressives have been urging. Biden’s central message was character and the battle for the soul of the nation.
05:22 'Light is more powerful than dark': Joe Biden accepts presidential nomination – video
That was in keeping with much of the first virtual party convention in American history. It offered numerous testimonies to BIden’s kindness and empathy, his sense of justice and fairness. It set out his long life, pockmarked by tragedy, from dashing young politician to lion in winter poised to write a new and unexpected chapter.
But it had less to say on what his first hundred days in office would look like. It swerved past awkward policy differences between the moderate and progressive wings of the party on the climate crisis, criminal justice, healthcare, immigration and other issues.
During the Democratic primary, Senator Cory Booker had described Biden as the “architect of mass incarceration” for his role a 1994 crime bill, while Mayor Pete Buttigieg warned: “History has shown us that the biggest risk we could take with a very important election coming up is to look to the same Washington playbook and recycle the same arguments.”
On Thursday, both men offered platitudes about Biden’s ability to guide the nation to a better future. The theme over four days was get-back-to-normal incrementalism, less a moonshot than a promise to fix a clapped-out rocket so it can get off the ground.
Questions linger over the level of enthusiasm and excitement around Biden, a 77-year-old white male moderate. A Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll last week found that 58% of registered voters who support Biden say their vote is more an expression of opposition to Trump than support for the Democrat. Bret Stephens, a conservative columnist at the New York Times, recently wrote that supporting Biden is about “embracing mediocrity to ward off malevolence”.
Democrats were therefore wise to constantly remind voters that this election is a referendum on the incumbent. Obama rammed home the point that democracy itself is at stake. Speakers also urged people to vote and vote early, mindful that Trump is working around the clock to destabilise the election and make it harder for people to cast their ballots.
The all-online format also helped Democrats keep a disciplined narrative. Flesh and blood conventions are big, messy, sprawling affairs that feature backstabbing, gossip, morning fringe events and late night drinking where people speak out of turn and tensions spill into the open. The virtual convention, by contrast, puts the party chairperson firmly in the director’s chair.
Production values grew in confidence as the event wore on. Speeches were shorter and sharper, directed straight at the viewer. Barack and Michelle Obama’s remarks became intimate soliloquies.
05:13 DNC 2020: from emotional speeches backing Biden to fiery warnings on Trump – video highlights
The convention looked like America in all its glorious diversity: ordinary citizens, so often in the background, were thrust forward and often outshone the politicians. The stories that will linger belonged to the likes of Ady Barkan, an activist dying from a neurodegenerative disease; Brayden Harrington, a teenager with a stutter who received help from Biden earlier this year; and Kristin Urquiza, who said of her father’s death from Covid-19: “His only pre-existing condition was trusting Donald Trump – and for that he paid with his life.”
The final night was an unlikely mix of religion and comedy, sacred and profane. Julia Louis-Dreyfus, fittingly the star of Veep, was the host with the tough gig of doing stand-up without an audience. It was a brave choice but may prove a tactical error: Republicans love nothing more than accusing coastal “liberal elites” of sneering at “the deplorables” of middle America.
Among the political class this week there was a sense of the changing of the guard. Bill and Hillary Clinton, once towering figures in the party, were both relegated to slots in the first half of their respective evenings. Senator Bernie Sanders effectively bowed out after five incredible years that upended Democratic politics with a pithy line: “Nero fiddled while Rome burned. The president golfs.”
Sanders also urged everyone to rally around Biden, insisting: “The price of failure is just too great to imagine.” It ensured a profoundly different mood from the divisions with Clinton in 2016. The convention did portray a party united in determination to thwart the clear and present danger of Trump. It was less successful, however, in spelling out what comes next.


theguardian--2020-08-21--Are US small business 'gone forever'? No, not all of them | Gene Marks

Just a few weeks ago , a New York Times article warned that as many as one-third of New York ’ s small businesses could be “ gone forever ” .
Bloomberg reports that small businesses are “ dying by the thousands ” .
Business bankruptcies in Maryland have reached a “ staggering state ” .
There are countless stories like these around the US and none of them sound very good .
So are things that bad for small businesses ?
Is there not a great need for billions in new stimulus funding to save them ?
The short @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for all of them .
America is a big country with 30m small businesses .
And if there ’ s one thing I ’ ve learned about small businesses it ’ s that you can ’ t just lump them all together to support a narrative , be it moral or political .
I ’ m not trying to sugarcoat things .
Many small businesses have suffered during the pandemic and consumer-facing businesses have suffered the most .
Restaurants and retail shops have had to significantly curtail operations .
Companies in harder-hit industries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , even dog walkers have seen their livelihoods literally disappear during quarantine .
And I can ’ t even imagine how gyms and fitness centers in some cities and states are going to survive these never-ending months of shutdowns and restrictions .
I see them all as I walk around the city where I live .
These are the businesses that need targeted help from the government .
But that ’ s not the entire story .
Because here ’ s what I also see : the more than 600 clients in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ serves .
These firms are a microcosm of the small business economy nationwide .
These companies are primarily not consumer-facing .
They are privately held and oftentimes family-owned or -managed .
They are little , nondescript firms in out of the way , nondescript industrial parks and suburban office centers .
You drive by them all the time but you never see them because your attention is distracted by other companies selling delicious foods or cool clothes .
These companies don ’ t do that .
They make and sell unsexy products and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trade groups with names like the National Coil Coating Association , the Specialty Equipment Market Association and the Independent Packaging Association .
These are industries that could put you to sleep .
But believe me when I tell you that the people running these businesses – my clients - are not sleeping .
I am in close contact with all of them and I can report that they are doing fine .
Some worse than others .
Some better .
Sure , the media loves to cover the stories of the failing restaurant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clients ’ fortunes are reflected in other kinds of data that don ’ t get much media attention .
For example , just this past week a CNBC/SurveyMonkey small business survey found that more than two-thirds of the small businesses they surveyed are confident that they can survive for more than a year under current conditions – a number up from 37 % in their last quarterly survey .
The National Federation of Independent Businesses reported a small drop in small business confidence this month … but the levels are still comparable to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during the 2008 recession .
Want more evidence of our small business resiliency ?
The National Association of Home Builders Confidence Index ( the construction industry supports countless small firms ) has tied its record high .
Industrial production continues to increase .
Both manufacturing and service business conditions have expanded in the past three months , according to the Institute for Supply Management .
E-commerce sales are up almost 20 % .
And according to a report released this week by Goldman Sachs , small businesses are “ recovering well ” from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ standing at just 6 % below their pre-pandemic levels .
It turns out that small businesses – who employ more than 50 % of the country ’ s workforce – were only responsible for 18 % of the job losses during the pandemic .
My clients coat film , churn out corrugated containers , make prefab structures , assemble machines , distribute building materials and stamp out pallets .
Exciting ?
No .
Critical ?
Yes .
During the pandemic these companies – and millions of others – have continued to work .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ They sent their employees home .
They tapped their reserves .
But they pivoted and they innovated , and they ’ re still here and they ’ re fine .
Make no mistake , this is a severe economic downturn .
Many small businesses will probably never return .
But the vast majority will .
In fact they already have .
You don ’ t hear or read about them because they ’ re boring .
They ’ re quietly making and servicing stuff behind the scenes .
The government needs to target @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no fault of their own .
But for the rest of us , we ’ re OK , thank you very much .

Just a few weeks ago, a New York Times article warned that as many as one-third of New York’s small businesses could be “gone forever”. Bloomberg reports that small businesses are “dying by the thousands”. Business bankruptcies in Maryland have reached a “staggering state”. There are countless stories like these around the US and none of them sound very good. So are things that bad for small businesses? Is there not a great need for billions in new stimulus funding to save them? The short answer is no. Well, not for all of them.
America is a big country with 30m small businesses. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned about small businesses it’s that you can’t just lump them all together to support a narrative, be it moral or political.
I’m not trying to sugarcoat things. Many small businesses have suffered during the pandemic and consumer-facing businesses have suffered the most. Restaurants and retail shops have had to significantly curtail operations. Companies in harder-hit industries – travel, personal care, landlords, even dog walkers have seen their livelihoods literally disappear during quarantine. And I can’t even imagine how gyms and fitness centers in some cities and states are going to survive these never-ending months of shutdowns and restrictions. I see them all as I walk around the city where I live. These are the businesses that need targeted help from the government.
But that’s not the entire story.
Because here’s what I also see: the more than 600 clients in the mid-Atlantic region that my technology consulting firm serves. These firms are a microcosm of the small business economy nationwide. These companies are primarily not consumer-facing. They are privately held and oftentimes family-owned or -managed. They are little, nondescript firms in out of the way, nondescript industrial parks and suburban office centers. You drive by them all the time but you never see them because your attention is distracted by other companies selling delicious foods or cool clothes. These companies don’t do that. They make and sell unsexy products and services for unsexy industries and belong to trade groups with names like the National Coil Coating Association, the Specialty Equipment Market Association and the Independent Packaging Association.
These are industries that could put you to sleep. But believe me when I tell you that the people running these businesses – my clients - are not sleeping. I am in close contact with all of them and I can report that they are doing fine. Some worse than others. Some better. Sure, the media loves to cover the stories of the failing restaurant or Main Street store. But my clients’ fortunes are reflected in other kinds of data that don’t get much media attention.
For example, just this past week a CNBC/SurveyMonkey small business survey found that more than two-thirds of the small businesses they surveyed are confident that they can survive for more than a year under current conditions – a number up from 37% in their last quarterly survey. The National Federation of Independent Businesses reported a small drop in small business confidence this month … but the levels are still comparable to 2017 and nowhere near the depths reached during the 2008 recession.
It turns out that small businesses … were only responsible for 18% of the job losses during the pandemic
Want more evidence of our small business resiliency? The National Association of Home Builders Confidence Index (the construction industry supports countless small firms) has tied its record high. Industrial production continues to increase. Both manufacturing and service business conditions have expanded in the past three months, according to the Institute for Supply Management. E-commerce sales are up almost 20%. And according to a report released this week by Goldman Sachs, small businesses are “recovering well” from the pandemic, with active small businesses standing at just 6% below their pre-pandemic levels. It turns out that small businesses – who employ more than 50% of the country’s workforce – were only responsible for 18% of the job losses during the pandemic.
My clients coat film, churn out corrugated containers, make prefab structures, assemble machines, distribute building materials and stamp out pallets. Exciting? No. Critical? Yes. During the pandemic these companies – and millions of others – have continued to work. They suffered initial setbacks and disruption. They sent their employees home. They tapped their reserves. But they pivoted and they innovated, and they’re still here and they’re fine.
Make no mistake, this is a severe economic downturn. Many small businesses will probably never return. But the vast majority will. In fact they already have. You don’t hear or read about them because they’re boring. They’re quietly making and servicing stuff behind the scenes. The government needs to target those businesses that have really suffered for no fault of their own. But for the rest of us, we’re OK, thank you very much.


theguardian--2020-08-21--Want to dismantle structural racism in the US? Help fight gerrymandering | Meaghan Winter

Americans looking for immediate ways to work to dismantle structural racism can – and must – turn their attention to this November ’ s state legislative races .
Down-ballot races may not receive the same hype as the Biden-Trump contest , but those state races will determine to what extent antiracist activists and lawmakers will be able to achieve concrete policy gains for the next decade .
Fighting gerrymandering is one of the best ways to fight structural racism .
Whichever party wins biggest in state races in November will be able to tip the political scales until 2031 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ draws new district maps every 10 years .
In many , congressional and state legislative district maps are drawn with highly sophisticated computer programs designed to rig the system for the incumbent political party .
Politicians effectively pick their voters .
Ahead of 2010 , the last redistricting election , Republican operatives designed a strategic plan to flip under-the-radar state seats so that they could control congressional and legislative map-drawing .
Republicans swept state races , winning an additional 675 state legislative seats and another six governorships .
Democrats ceded ground across the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Minnesota , North Carolina , Ohio and Wisconsin .
Those wins enabled Republicans to gerrymander maps so that hundreds of state legislative seats nationwide were no longer competitive and the balance of power in Congress was changed by almost 20 House seats .
Unfair maps are a major form of structural racism hiding in plain sight .
In recent redistricting plans , Republicans have “ packed ” and “ cracked ” Black communities to secure their advantage .
By rigging the system to reduce Democratic representation and keep incumbents in office , gerrymandered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of color and their neighbors .
Those voters have little recourse when lawmakers pass or refuse to overturn state-level policies that hurt people of color .
The US supreme court has prohibited explicit racial gerrymanders but has declined to ban gerrymanders that effectively achieve the same outcome .
For decades , loud racist campaign rhetoric and behind-the-scenes gerrymandering plans have worked hand-in-glove : stump speeches about “ law and order ” or “ immigrants stealing jobs ” get a candidate elected ; gerrymandering incentivizes appealing to the most polarized voters and all but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; the incumbent ’ s presence in the legislature allows the state to enact increasingly extreme legislation on issues ranging from guns to healthcare to climate change to prisons to policing – and , of course , voting .
There ’ s no confusing the motive behind this cycle of rhetoric , gerrymandering , disenfranchisement , and policy .
Some of today ’ s most entrenched gerrymanders were originally spearheaded by Lee Atwater , a Republican operative who infamously described the trajectory of Republican messaging on race by saying that by 1968 they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because it “ backfired ” , so instead “ you say stuff like forced busing , states ’ rights and all that stuff ” .
The concerted effort took off just before the 1990 census .
Atwater laid a plan to racially gerrymander Florida , which for years Blue Dog Democrats had gerrymandered to keep themselves in power .
By 1999 , Florida Republicans held the trifecta – governorship , house , and senate – for the first time since Reconstruction .
And they ’ ve had a lock on power on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his allies went on to execute a similar plan in eight southern states .
As the pandemic and its economic fallout have devastated our nation , we have seen the real-life repercussions of Republican gerrymanders .
In Florida , Republican lawmakers declined to expand Medicaid , leaving roughly 800,000 low-income Floridians without health insurance .
In 2013 , after organizers in Orange county succeeded in winning support for local ordinances that guaranteed workers paid sick days , the state legislature passed a law preventing local municipalities from passing their own paid sick leave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has made obvious how harmful it is to require low-income workers to choose between staying home when they ’ re sick and keeping their jobs .
These policies are the building blocks of structural racism : workers of color are more likely than white workers to be paid poverty-level wages .
Black workers are more likely to hold jobs deemed “ essential ” during Covid-19 shut-downs .
Yet 20 states have pre-emption laws on the books that prevent city leaders from passing their own local sick leave policies .
In fact , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , many states moved to prohibit local municipalities from enacting their own mask-wearing and stay-at-home policies .
After Republicans took over state legislatures in 2010 , states implemented an increasing number of pre-emption laws that prevent cities from having their own laws on guns , wages , employment discrimination , and clean energy , and more .
States ’ leeway in prohibiting city leaders from coming up with their own solutions to their constituents ’ problems is only going to become more important as municipalities nationwide face unprecedented budget shortfalls , unemployment and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over policing .
No matter how progressive city leaders try to be , their efforts can be stymied by state officials .
State lawmakers who over-represent white Americans will continue to override lawmakers elected by city-dwellers who are disproportionately Black , brown , immigrant , and LGBTQ+ .
Unless , of course , we change the balance of power in November .
In 2018 , Democrats organized across the country and won back six legislative chambers in six states – real gains , but not enough to undo Republican control in large swaths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strategically invested in state races to win in a redistricting year .
Now , Republican operatives are acting on ambitious plans to win as many legislative seats as possible ahead of 2021 .
Those plans will have the side effect of helping Trump and will potentially enable Republicans to keep their grip on the underlying power structure even if Trump leaves office .
Remedies to our nation ’ s many forms of systemic injustice often feel so enormous as to be out of reach .
But there are actions we can all take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state policies .
You can support efforts like the National Redistricting Action Fund , which aims to end partisan gerrymandering , or groups like Sister District , which organizes volunteers to elect Democrats to state legislative seats .
You can find your local candidate and volunteer .
In local races , whatever time or money you have to give will go far .
Growing up , I often heard it said that racism hurts white people , too .
That always seemed like a line ; white supremacy , in all its many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ glorified white people .
After reporting on state governments , though , I now understand that it ’ s true .
As long as one major political party is simultaneously the party of overt racist rhetoric and disenfranchising voters and eroding public health and stalling action on climate change , racism does threaten us all .
• None Meaghan Winter is a magazine writer and author of All Politics is Local : Why Progressives Must Fight for the States

Americans looking for immediate ways to work to dismantle structural racism can – and must – turn their attention to this November’s state legislative races. Down-ballot races may not receive the same hype as the Biden-Trump contest, but those state races will determine to what extent antiracist activists and lawmakers will be able to achieve concrete policy gains for the next decade. Fighting gerrymandering is one of the best ways to fight structural racism.
Whichever party wins biggest in state races in November will be able to tip the political scales until 2031. In 35 states, the state legislature draws new district maps every 10 years. In many, congressional and state legislative district maps are drawn with highly sophisticated computer programs designed to rig the system for the incumbent political party. Politicians effectively pick their voters.
Whichever party wins biggest in state races in November will be able to tip the political scales until 2031
Ahead of 2010, the last redistricting election, Republican operatives designed a strategic plan to flip under-the-radar state seats so that they could control congressional and legislative map-drawing. Republicans swept state races, winning an additional 675 state legislative seats and another six governorships. Democrats ceded ground across the country, even in unanticipated places like Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio and Wisconsin. Those wins enabled Republicans to gerrymander maps so that hundreds of state legislative seats nationwide were no longer competitive and the balance of power in Congress was changed by almost 20 House seats.
Unfair maps are a major form of structural racism hiding in plain sight. In recent redistricting plans, Republicans have “packed” and “cracked” Black communities to secure their advantage. By rigging the system to reduce Democratic representation and keep incumbents in office, gerrymandered maps dilute the voting power of people of color and their neighbors. Those voters have little recourse when lawmakers pass or refuse to overturn state-level policies that hurt people of color.
The US supreme court has prohibited explicit racial gerrymanders but has declined to ban gerrymanders that effectively achieve the same outcome. For decades, loud racist campaign rhetoric and behind-the-scenes gerrymandering plans have worked hand-in-glove: stump speeches about “law and order” or “immigrants stealing jobs” get a candidate elected; gerrymandering incentivizes appealing to the most polarized voters and all but guarantees an incumbent will stay in office; the incumbent’s presence in the legislature allows the state to enact increasingly extreme legislation on issues ranging from guns to healthcare to climate change to prisons to policing – and, of course, voting.
There’s no confusing the motive behind this cycle of rhetoric, gerrymandering, disenfranchisement and policy. Some of today’s most entrenched gerrymanders were originally spearheaded by Lee Atwater, a Republican operative who infamously described the trajectory of Republican messaging on race by saying that by 1968 they couldn’t use the N-word anymore because it “backfired”, so instead “you say stuff like forced busing, states’ rights and all that stuff”.
The concerted effort took off just before the 1990 census. Atwater laid a plan to racially gerrymander Florida, which for years Blue Dog Democrats had gerrymandered to keep themselves in power. By 1999, Florida Republicans held the trifecta – governorship, house, and senate – for the first time since Reconstruction. And they’ve had a lock on power on the state level ever since. Atwater and his allies went on to execute a similar plan in eight southern states.
As the pandemic and its economic fallout have devastated our nation, we have seen the real-life repercussions of Republican gerrymanders. In Florida, Republican lawmakers declined to expand Medicaid, leaving roughly 800,000 low-income Floridians without health insurance. In 2013, after organizers in Orange county succeeded in winning support for local ordinances that guaranteed workers paid sick days, the state legislature passed a law preventing local municipalities from passing their own paid sick leave policies. The wildfire spread of Covid-19 has made obvious how harmful it is to require low-income workers to choose between staying home when they’re sick and keeping their jobs.
State lawmakers who overrepresent white Americans will continue to override the decisions made by lawmakers elected by city-dwellers
These policies are the building blocks of structural racism: workers of color are more likely than white workers to be paid poverty-level wages. Black workers are more likely to hold jobs deemed “essential” during Covid-19 shutdowns. Yet 20 states have pre-emption laws on the books that prevent city leaders from passing their own local sick leave policies. In fact, as the virus spread this spring and summer, many states moved to prohibit local municipalities from enacting their own mask-wearing and stay-at-home policies.
After Republicans took over state legislatures in 2010, states implemented an increasing number of pre-emption laws that prevent cities from having their own laws on guns, wages, employment discrimination, clean energy and more. States’ leeway in prohibiting city leaders from coming up with their own solutions to their constituents’ problems is only going to become more important as municipalities nationwide face unprecedented budget shortfalls, unemployment and evictions as well as dissent and grief over policing. No matter how progressive city leaders try to be, their efforts can be stymied by state officials. State lawmakers who overrepresent white Americans will continue to override lawmakers elected by city-dwellers who are disproportionately black, brown, immigrant, and LGBTQ+. Unless, of course, we change the balance of power in November.
In 2018, Democrats organized across the country and won back six legislative chambers in six states – real gains, but not enough to undo Republican control in large swaths of the country. Republican donors have strategically invested in state races to win in a redistricting year. Now, Republican operatives are acting on ambitious plans to win as many legislative seats as possible ahead of 2021. Those plans will have the side-effect of helping Trump and will potentially enable Republicans to keep their grip on the underlying power structure even if Trump leaves office.
Remedies to our nation’s many forms of systemic injustice often feel so enormous as to be out of reach. But there are actions we can all take to minimize unfair gerrymanders and to reform state policies. You can support efforts like the National Redistricting Action Fund, which aims to end partisan gerrymandering, or groups like Sister District, which organizes volunteers to elect Democrats to state legislative seats. You can find your local candidate and volunteer. In local races, whatever time or money you have to give will go far.
Growing up, I often heard it said that racism hurts white people, too. That always seemed like a line; white supremacy, in all its many forms, has of course protected and glorified white people. After reporting on state governments, though, I now understand that it’s true. As long as one major political party is simultaneously the party of overt racist rhetoric and disenfranchising voters and eroding public health and stalling action on climate change, racism does threaten us all.


theguardian--2020-08-21--How Julia Louis-Dreyfus roasted Donald Trump in DNC finale – video

Actor Julia Louis-Dreyfus brought a great deal of levity while hosting the final night of the Democratic national convention .
@ @ @ @ @ Veep roasted Donald Trump and urged Americans to vote this November , joking that not @ @ @ @ @ and Vladimir Putin ' can stop the democratic process • Ex-rivals rally around Biden at @ @ @ @ @ key takeaways from DNC finale

Actor Julia Louis-Dreyfus brought a great deal of levity while hosting the final night of the Democratic national convention. The comedian and star of Veep roasted Donald Trump and urged Americans to vote this November, joking that not even 'Facebook, Fox News and Vladimir Putin' can stop the democratic process


theguardian--2020-08-21--Boy with stutter delivers moving DNC speech: 'Joe Biden made me feel confident' – video

Brayden Harrington , 13 , spoke about how he met Joe Biden , who stuttered himself as a boy , @ @ @ @ @ nominee gave him confidence .
'He told me we were members of the same club @ @ @ @ @ was really amazing to hear that someone like me became vice president , ' Brayden @ @ @ @ @ night of the Democratic national convention , Biden outlined his plans to bring relief and @ @ @ @ @ by the coronavirus pandemic as he accepted the nomination to challenge Donald Trump in the @ @ @ @ @ to end 'season of darkness ' as he accepts Democratic presidential nomination

Brayden Harrington, 13, spoke about how he met Joe Biden, who stuttered himself as a boy, and how the Democratic presidential nominee gave him confidence. 'He told me we were members of the same club: we stutter. It was really amazing to hear that someone like me became vice president,' Brayden said.
In the final night of the Democratic national convention, Biden outlined his plans to bring relief and solace to a country battered by the coronavirus pandemic as he accepted the nomination to challenge Donald Trump in the November election


theguardian--2020-08-21--'Light is more powerful than dark': Joe Biden accepts presidential nomination – video

Joe Biden has vowed to unite America and lead the country to overcome “ this season of darkness ” , @ @ @ @ @ presidential nomination on Thursday evening , a long-sought moment that comes more than 30 years @ @ @ @ @ president • Biden vows to end 'season of darkness ' as he accepts Democratic presidential @ @ @ @ @ acceptance speech he 's been waiting decades to deliver

Joe Biden has vowed to unite America and lead the country to overcome “this season of darkness”, as he accepted the Democratic presidential nomination on Thursday evening, a long-sought moment that comes more than 30 years after he first ran for president


theguardian--2020-08-21--'Mika Pintz?' Democrats mock Republicans for mispronouncing 'Kamala' – video

Julia Louis-Dreyfus and former presidential candidate Andrew Yang open the final night of the 2020 Democratic National Convention with a @ @ @ @ @ vice-presidential nominee Kamala Harris ’ s first name

Julia Louis-Dreyfus and former presidential candidate Andrew Yang open the final night of the 2020 Democratic National Convention with a not-so-subtle dig at Republicans mispronouncing vice-presidential nominee Kamala Harris’s first name


theguardian--2020-08-22--USPS chief Louis DeJoy says he won't restore mail-sorting machines ahead of election – as it happene

USPS chief Louis DeJoy says he won't restore mail-sorting machines ahead of election – as it happened

California governor has no answers on millions of potential evictions on 1 September Gavin Newsom , California ’ s governor , refused today to provide specific answers to questions on the imminent and massive eviction crisis in the state .
An estimated 4.1m to 5.4m renters are currently at risk of eviction due to their inability to pay rent during the pandemic , and the California court system is set to allow these cases to proceed starting 1 September .
That means the state could soon experience a surge in homelessness and displacement while also battling severe wildfires and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawmakers have a little over a week to come up with some kind of legislative solution to prevent mass evictions , and when the governor was asked about the crisis during a wildfire update this afternoon , he responded that negotiations were under way with a range of different groups , but had nothing more to share .
A reporter followed up and questioned him on his own position , asking , “ Do you think renters should be evicted now or in the future for rents they couldn ’ t pay because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to directly answer , saying , “ We are committed to advancing the negotiations , and I ’ m committing to make public those efforts as soon as we are in a position to bring all the parties together and they are satisfied with the details of the work that ’ s currently being advanced.
” His comments came hours after a major protest in Los Angeles where tenants rights groups shut down the downtown LA courthouse and demanded rent relief .
For more on the California crisis :

Lois Beckett (now) and Joan E Greve, Daniel Strauss and Martin Belam (earlier)

22 Aug 2020 01.07 BST Evening summary We’re wrapping up our live politics coverage for tonight. An updated summary of today’s key events from myself and Joan Greve: Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said in an interview that w ould shut the country down to stop the spread of Covid-19 if scientists recommended it.
said in an interview that if scientists recommended it. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said he does not intend to restore mail sorting machines that have been removed from some USPS locations. Testifying before the Senate homeland security and governmental affairs committee, DeJoy argued the machines that had been removed were “not needed”. However, DeJoy acknowledged that some of the operational changes he has implemented have caused delays in mail delivery.
Testifying before the Senate homeland security and governmental affairs committee, DeJoy argued the machines that had been removed were “not needed”. However, DeJoy acknowledged that some of the operational changes he has implemented have caused delays in mail delivery. A federal judge denied Trump’s request for a stay of the subpoena for his tax returns. An appeals court denied Trump’s request to immediately put Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R Vance Jr ’s subpoena on hold, and said it would hold a hearing on the matter, but not until 1 September.
to immediately put Manhattan District Attorney ’s subpoena on hold, and said it would hold a hearing on the matter, but not until 1 September. People incarcerated in California prisons are inside the wildfire evacuation zone but not yet being evacuated, and their family members are speaking out.
and their family members are speaking out. Steve Bannon dismissed the federal charges against him as a “political hit job”. The former Trump adviser, who was arrested yesterday for allegedly using money from his anti-immigrant group We Build the Wall for personal expenses, said on his podcast today, “I’m not going to back down. This is a political hit job ... I’m going to continue to fight.”
The former Trump adviser, who was arrested yesterday for allegedly using money from his anti-immigrant group We Build the Wall for personal expenses, said on his podcast today, “I’m not going to back down. This is a political hit job ... I’m going to continue to fight.” Attorney general William Barr said he was “vehemently opposed” to a pardon of whistleblower Edward Snowden. Trump floated the idea of a pardon for Snowden last week, saying, “It seems to be a split decision that many people think that he should be somehow treated differently ... and I’m going to take a very good look at it.”
Trump floated the idea of a pardon for Snowden last week, saying, “It seems to be a split decision that many people think that he should be somehow treated differently ... and I’m going to take a very good look at it.” The Golden State Killer was sentenced to life in prison without parole. Judge Michael Bowman said Joseph James DeAngelo “deserves no mercy” after pleading guilty to 13 murder charges and 13 kidnapping-related charges.
Judge said “deserves no mercy” after pleading guilty to 13 murder charges and 13 kidnapping-related charges. Actress Lori Laughland was sentenced to just two months in prison for her role in a college admissions bribery scandal. Her husband received five months.
Updated at 01.11 BST
21 Aug 2020 00.17 BST Something wonderful happened in Washington. It happened at the zoo. The Associated Press’ White House correspondent shared some good news today: WASHINGTON (AP) — Baby panda born at the National Zoo; mom cradling cub. — Jonathan Lemire (@JonLemire) August 21, 2020
Updated at 00.20 BST
21 Aug 2020 00.15 BST Biden: 'I would shut [the country] down' to prevent spread of Covid-19 If the move was recommended by scientists, Joe Biden told ABC News today, he would shut the country down to stop the spread of Covid-19. “I would shut it down; I would listen to the scientists,” Biden said. Biden criticized the way the Trump administration has presented a zero-sum choice between slowing the spread of the virus and reopening the economy. “We cannot get the country moving, until we control the virus,” Biden said. “That is the fundamental flaw of this administration’s thinking to begin with. In order to keep the country running and moving and the economy growing, and people employed, you have to fix the virus, you have to deal with the virus.” ABC News said the full interview would air on Sunday. NEW: In an exclusive interview with @ABCWorldNews anchor @DavidMuir, @JoeBiden says he would "I would shut [the country] down" to stop the spread of COVID-19 if the move was recommended by scientists
Full clip to air tonight at 6:30pm ESThttps://t.co/mIRHbCp3BD — Johnny Verhovek (@JTHVerhovek) August 21, 2020
Updated at 01.00 BST
21 Aug 2020 00.08 BST Appeals court won’t step in for now on Trump tax records A federal appeals court said Friday it wouldn’t step in right away to delay New York prosecutors’ effort to get President Donald Trump’s tax records, potentially leaving the supreme court as his most promising option to block prosecutors’ subpoena, the Associated Press reports.
The 2nd US circuit court of appeals denied Trump’s request to immediately put Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R Vance Jr’s subpoena on hold while Trump appeals to try to get it invalidated. The appeals court said it would hold a hearing on the request for a delay, but not until 1 September. After winning a lower court ruling, Vance’s office had agreed not to enforce the subpoena before 28 August. The district attorney’s office and Trump’s lawyers didn’t immediately comment on what the appeals court ruling might mean for that timeframe.
Updated at 01.02 BST
21 Aug 2020 00.00 BST Long lines in Oregon as residents waited for $500 relief checks that quickly ran out “It took about 48 hours for the state to run out of funds for a program meant to help Oregonians struggling because of the pandemic.” That’s the Salem Reporter, an Oregon news outlet, describing the lines of hundreds of people trying to get access to a one-time payment of $500 for people who had lost income because of the pandemic. Only 70,000 payments were available. Incredible photos of Salemites waiting in line for $500 relief checks from Amanda Loman for @SalemReporter
The state program is now basically out of money after a few days.https://t.co/uAXC6nyDZO — Rachel Alexander (@rachelwalexande) August 21, 2020
Updated at 01.00 BST
21 Aug 2020 23.42 BST Actress who fought college admissions bribery charges gets just 2 months in prison “Full House” star Lori Loughlin and her fashion designer husband, Mossimo Giannulli, were sentenced to prison for using their wealth and privilege to cheat their daughters’ way into the college of their choice, the Associated Press reports.
Loughlin was sentenced to two months, Giannulli to five months, in the college admissions bribery case. Under the plea deals with prosecutors — unusual because the proposed terms were binding once accepted, instead of granting the judge sentencing discretion — Giannulli will also pay a $250,000 fine and perform 250 hours of community service. Loughlin will pay a $150,000 fine and perform 100 hours of community service. Unlike other prominent parents charged in the case who quickly admitted to the charges — including “Desperate Housewives” actor Felicity Huffman — Loughlin and Giannulli fiercely fought the allegations for more than a year. The news of very brief sentence for the actress and her husband in the bribery case sparked discussion about the way wealthy white Americans are able to exempt themselves from the harshness of the American criminal justice system, and about the much longer and more serious penalties that have been imposed on black parents, including Tanya McDowell and Crystal Mason. Lori Loughlin got 2 in prison for college admissions bribery.
Tanya McDowell, a Black mother, was sentenced to FIVE YEARS in prison falsifying her son’s address to get him into a better school district in a neighboring town. This is America.
https://t.co/fEv10ePJuY — Frederick Joseph (@FredTJoseph) August 21, 2020 Lori Loughlin was just sentenced to two months in prison for paying bribes to get her daughters into USC.
This is the same system that sentenced Crystal Mason, a Black mother of three, to five years for voting when she didn't realize a past felony conviction made her ineligible. — Robert Reich (@RBReich) August 21, 2020
Updated at 23.49 BST
21 Aug 2020 22.58 BST Russia gives permission for dissident to seek medical treatment in Germany New from the Associated Press: Russian doctors gave a dissident who is in a coma after a suspected poisoning permission to be transferred abroad for medical treatment, in a sudden reversal Friday that came after more than 24 hours of wrangling over Alexei Navalny’s condition and treatment. Navalny, a 44-year-old politician and corruption investigator who is one of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s fiercest critics, was admitted to an intensive care unit in the Siberian city of Omsk on Thursday. His supporters believe that tea he drank was laced with poison — and that the Kremlin is behind both his illness and the delay in transferring him to a top German hospital.
21 Aug 2020 22.16 BST Why didn’t Democrats talk more about the Supreme Court at the DNC? This is Lois Beckett, picking up our live politics coverage from our California office. “None of the proposals discussed [at the Democratic National Convention] this week, even if signed into law by a President Biden, will stay on the books for very long given our current Supreme Court. And yet we heard so little on the issue.” That’s Brian Fallon, the executive director of Demand Justice, a progressive advocacy group focused on the court system, talking to NBC News about the Democratic Party’s striking lack of rhetoric this past week about what they might do about Trump’s victory in securing what could likely be a long-term conservative majority on the Supreme Court. More from other progressive advocates about this issue in the piece. NEW: Progressives seethe as Democrats largely ignore Supreme Court at convention
The party adopted a plank calling for "structural court reforms." But almost none of the speakers mentioned the enormous stakes for SCOTUS at the 4-day event.https://t.co/9UP4nh82sA — Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) August 21, 2020
21 Aug 2020 22.01 BST Today so far That’s it from me this week. My west coast colleague, Lois Beckett, will take over the blog for the next few hours. Here’s where the day stands so far: Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said he does not intend to restore mail sorting machines that have been removed from some USPS locations. Testifying before the Senate homeland security and governmental affairs committee, DeJoy argued the machines that had been removed were “not needed.” However, DeJoy acknowledged that some of the operational changes he has implemented have caused delays in mail delivery.
Testifying before the Senate homeland security and governmental affairs committee, DeJoy argued the machines that had been removed were “not needed.” However, DeJoy acknowledged that some of the operational changes he has implemented have caused delays in mail delivery. A federal judge denied Trump’s request for a stay of the subpoena for his tax returns. The president’s lawyers now reportedly intend to go to the 2nd circuit court of appeals to try to get a stay of the subpoena issued by Manhattan district attorney Cy Vance. The federal judge’s decision comes a month after the supreme court ruled that the president was not exempt from grand jury requests.
The president’s lawyers now reportedly intend to go to the 2nd circuit court of appeals to try to get a stay of the subpoena issued by Manhattan district attorney The federal judge’s decision comes a month after the supreme court ruled that the president was not exempt from grand jury requests. Steve Bannon dismissed the federal charges against him as a “political hit job.” The former Trump adviser, who was arrested yesterday for allegedly using money from his anti-immigrant group We Build the Wall for personal expenses, said on his podcast today, “I’m not going to back down. This is a political hit job. ... I’m going to continue to fight.”
The former Trump adviser, who was arrested yesterday for allegedly using money from his anti-immigrant group We Build the Wall for personal expenses, said on his podcast today, “I’m not going to back down. This is a political hit job. ... I’m going to continue to fight.” Attorney general William Barr said he was “vehemently opposed” to a pardon of whistleblower Edward Snowden. Trump floated the idea of a pardon for Snowden last week, saying, “It seems to be a split decision that many people think that he should be somehow treated differently ... and I’m going to take a very good look at it.”
Trump floated the idea of a pardon for Snowden last week, saying, “It seems to be a split decision that many people think that he should be somehow treated differently ... and I’m going to take a very good look at it.” The Golden State Killer was sentenced to life in prison without parole. Judge Michael Bowman said Joseph James DeAngelo “deserves no mercy” after pleading guilty to 13 murder charges and 13 kidnapping-related charges. Lois will have more coming up, so stay tuned.
21 Aug 2020 21.38 BST A couple dozen House members are demanding an investigation into the deaths of thousands of mail-order chicks, as cost-cutting measures cause delays in mail deliveries. For 100+ years, agriculture businesses have relied on @USPS, but recent mail disruptions have taken a huge toll on them. In Maine, thousands of mail-order chicks have died in transit—a tragic & unprecedented occurrence.
I’m urging @USPS & @USDA to investigate now.
My ✉ ⤵ pic.twitter.com/9Brlf1xhDB — Chellie Pingree (@chelliepingree) August 21, 2020 Democratic Congresswoman Chellie Pingree of Maine sent a letter to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue and Postmaster General Louis DeJoy demanding an investigation into reports of the issue. “USPS is the only carrier that will deliver chicks from hatcheries to local, independent poultry producers and has been an essential and reliable partner for rural America since it first began providing this service over 100 years ago,” Pingree said in the letter. “We are deeply concerned that the recent issues with live chick deliveries may have been significantly exacerbated by recent changes to USPS service that have led to mail delays and staffing challenges.” During a Senate hearing today, DeJoy acknowledged that the operational changes he has recently implemented have caused delays in mail delivery.
21 Aug 2020 21.14 BST The justice department announced the arrest of a former Army Green Beret for allegedly conspiring with Russian operatives to provide US defense information. The US attorney for the eastern district of Virginia said in a statement that Peter Rafael Dzibinski Debbins, 45, repeatedly visited Russia and met with Russian intelligence officials between December 1996 and January 2011. Debbins even allegedly received a code name from Russian intelligence agents. Former Army Green Beret charged in Russian espionage conspiracy. @TheJusticeDept @FBIWFO https://t.co/VW6YzS29bW — U.S. Attorney EDVA (@EDVAnews) August 21, 2020 “Our military is tasked with the awesome responsibility of protecting our nation from its adversaries, and its service members make incredible sacrifices in service of that duty,” said US attorney G Zachary Terwilliger. “When service members collude to provide classified information to our foreign adversaries, they betray the oaths they swore to their country and their fellow service members. As this indictment reflects, we will be steadfast and dogged in holding such individuals accountable.”
21 Aug 2020 20.52 BST Fact-check: was Trump actually as unaware as he claims about the anti-immigrant group We Build the Wall? The president’s former senior adviser, Steve Bannon, was arrested yesterday on fraud charges stemming from allegations he used some of the group’s money on personal expenses. When asked about Bannon’s arrest, Trump said, “I know nothing about the project other than I didn’t like when I read about it. I didn’t like it.” But one Republican involved in the project previously said he had spoken to Trump about the group multiple times. CNN has the details: Trump ally Kris Kobach said in an interview last year that he had spoken with the President three times about the private border wall project that is currently at the center of a federal fraud investigation, and that Trump was ‘enthusiastic’ about the project and it carried his blessing. Speaking on an episode of the ‘We Build The Wall’ show in May 2019, Kobach, both the general counsel and a board member for the project, said he periodically spoke to the President to give him updates on progress of the project. ... ‘I’ve spoken to the President about this project on three occasions now,’ Kobach said. ‘And he said -- the first time I told him about it -- he said, ‘well, you tell the guys at We Build The Wall, that they have my blessing.’ And he used those exact words.’
21 Aug 2020 20.35 BST Documents obtained by NBC News contradict Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s comments this morning about restricting postal workers’ overtime. Many postal workers have told news outlets that their overtime hours have recently been cut, contributing to delays in mail delivery. But DeJoy told the Senate homeland security and governmental affairs committee this morning, “We’ve never eliminated overtime ... It has not been curtailed by me or the leadership team.” But the documents obtained by NBC indicate DeJoy’s cost-cutting measures included prohibiting extra or late mail trips to ensure that carriers “return on time.” Louis DeJoy told Sen. @GaryPeters today that he has not cut postal workers' overtime.
But this internal #USPS talking points document I obtained show how his policy changes have the same effect: prohibiting "extra"or "late" trips and mandating that carriers "return on time." pic.twitter.com/fVreXlqZSZ — Geoff Bennett (@GeoffRBennett) August 21, 2020


theguardian--2020-08-21--Iran sanctions: nearly all UN security council unites against 'unpleasant' US

The extent of US isolation at the UN has been driven home by formal letters from 13 of the 15 security council members opposing Trump administration attempts to extend the economic embargo on Iran .
The letters by the council members were all issued in the 24 hours since the US secretary of state , Mike Pompeo , came to the UN ’ s New York headquarters to declare Iran in non-compliance with a 2015 nuclear deal .
Under that deal ( the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action , or JCPOA ) , comprehensive UN sanctions on Iran would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But almost every other council member has issued letters saying that the US has no standing to trigger this sanctions “ snapback ” because it left the JCPOA in May 2018 .
The US has said it is still technically a participant because it is named as one in a 2015 security council resolution endorsing the JCPOA .
The argument was rejected by France , the UK and Germany even before Pompeo made his declaration .
Since then , Reuters reported that it had seen letters from Russia , China , Germany , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vincent and the Grenadines , South Africa , Indonesia , Estonia and Tunisia , all rejecting the US position .
Only the Dominican Republic has yet to issue a formal letter on the subject .
Last week the Caribbean state was the only security council member to back the US when it tried to extend an arms embargo on Iran .
Pompeo visited the island two days after that vote .
Council members who normally consider themselves US allies on most issues said they would have supported Washington if a compromise had been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could have been extended for a limited time period .
The defeat of the US resolution on the embargo led directly to Pompeo ’ s legal gambit to try to snap back UN sanctions .
Diplomats at the UN said the depth of US isolation was in part a reflection of the abrasive style used by Pompeo , who accused Europeans of choosing to “ side with the ayatollahs ” , and the US ambassador to the UN , Kelly Craft , a political appointee .
“ The Americans were actually being over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one diplomat said .
“ The underlying point here is that most countries on the security council basically agree with the US that Iran is not a nice country and it having nuclear weapons and more arms is not a good thing , ” the diplomat said .
“ But the Americans misplayed their hand so often , so aggressively , that they isolated themselves from people not on policy , but on just being unpleasant .
”

The extent of US isolation at the UN has been driven home by formal letters from 13 of the 15 security council members opposing Trump administration attempts to extend the economic embargo on Iran.
The letters by the council members were all issued in the 24 hours since the US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, came to the UN’s New York headquarters to declare Iran in non-compliance with a 2015 nuclear deal.
Under that deal (the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA), comprehensive UN sanctions on Iran would be restored 30 days after the declaration. But almost every other council member has issued letters saying that the US has no standing to trigger this sanctions “snapback” because it left the JCPOA in May 2018.
The US has said it is still technically a participant because it is named as one in a 2015 security council resolution endorsing the JCPOA. The argument was rejected by France, the UK and Germany even before Pompeo made his declaration.
Since then, Reuters reported that it had seen letters from Russia, China, Germany, Belgium, Vietnam, Niger, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, South Africa, Indonesia, Estonia and Tunisia, all rejecting the US position.
Only the Dominican Republic has yet to issue a formal letter on the subject. Last week the Caribbean state was the only security council member to back the US when it tried to extend an arms embargo on Iran. Pompeo visited the country two days after that vote.
Council members who normally consider themselves US allies on most issues said they would have supported Washington if a compromise had been found, in which the arms embargo could have been extended for a limited time period. The defeat of the US resolution on the embargo led directly to Pompeo’s legal gambit to try to snap back UN sanctions.
Diplomats at the UN said the depth of US isolation was in part a reflection of the abrasive style used by Pompeo, who accused Europeans of choosing to “side with the ayatollahs”, and the US ambassador to the UN, Kelly Craft, a political appointee.
“The Americans were actually being over the top in their ridiculousness,” one diplomat said.
“The underlying point here is that most countries on the security council basically agree with the US that Iran is not a nice country and it having nuclear weapons and more arms is not a good thing,” the diplomat said. “But the Americans misplayed their hand so often, so aggressively, that they isolated themselves from people not on policy, but on just being unpleasant.”


theguardian--2020-08-21--Trump campaign fails to show evidence of vote-by-mail fraud, filing reveals

Donald Trump ’ s campaign failed to produce any evidence of vote-by-mail fraud in Pennsylvania after a federal judge ordered it do so , according to a 524-page court filing obtained by the Guardian .
The order came from US district judge Nicholas Ranjan , a Trump appointee , earlier this month amid a lawsuit in Pennsylvania over several voting policies .
The Trump campaign is suing to block the widespread use of official ballot dropboxes in the state in locations other than an election office , and to allow poll watchers to work in counties other than the ones @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wants to block election officials from counting mail-in ballots if a voter forgets to put their mail-in ballot in a secrecy sleeve within the ballot return-envelope .
The campaign argued in court that the current practices will lead to voter fraud without these changes .
Ranjan last week ordered the campaign to turn over its evidence of the prevalence of fraud in Pennsylvania , including fraud related to dropboxes and vote by mail .
While the Trump campaign cited a handful of mail-in ballot fraud cases in its original complaint , the campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in its partially redacted response .
Certain documents in the filing were designated confidential and withheld from the Guardian .
The campaign also offered no evidence of fraud specifically linked to dropboxes or mail-in ballots .
The filing was first reported by Type Investigations .
Several studies and investigations have shown that voter fraud is extremely rare .
The campaign ’ s filing consisted of a half-dozen news articles .
Two of the stories dealt with the conviction of Domenick DeMuro , a former Philadelphia election judge who pleaded guilty earlier this year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ votes at the polls .
A third news story highlighted the conviction of Ozzy Myers , a former congressman who bribed DeMuro .
DeMuro and Meyers are both Democrats .
The campaign also included a 2018 news release about four election workers who had been charged in 2017 with intimidating and harassing voters at the polls .
It also included a news story about legislative hearing earlier this year that quoted two Republican lawmakers asking questions about how to prevent fraud in mail-in voting , but did not offer evidence of it .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a 20 May Fox News story highlighting a lawsuit filed by Judicial Watch , a conservative group , alleging that 800,000 ineligible voters could be on the state ’ s voting rolls .
The group has a reputation for distorting data to make inaccurate claims about voter rolls .
Pennsylvania and the counties being sued say Judicial Watch ’ s claims are inaccurate .
The filing also contains numerous public records requests filed in recent weeks to local election officials in Pennsylvania seeking information about the vote-by-mail process in the state , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and how absentee ballots are processed .
John Powers , an attorney with the Lawyers ’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law , which is opposing the Trump campaign in the suit on behalf of civil rights groups , said the evidence the campaign produced was “ paltry ” .
“ The campaign has not provided any meaningful evidence that voter fraud is a widespread problem in Pennsylvania or that there was any intentional misconduct in the state ’ s June primary election , ” he said .
“ There ’ s certainly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ complaint that just aren ’ t borne out by the facts or what ’ s been produced .
Based on what we ’ ve seen so far , it seems like a lot of hot air.
” The Trump campaign did not respond to a request for comment on the filing .
The effort to limit dropboxes comes as many election officials are eyeing expanding the practice as an alternative for voters to safely return their ballots without having to rely on the United States Postal Service .
Trump has also railed against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to use in record numbers this year because of the Covid-19 pandemic .

Donald Trump’s campaign failed to produce any evidence of vote-by-mail fraud in Pennsylvania after a federal judge ordered it do so, according to a 524-page court filing obtained by the Guardian.
The order came from US district judge Nicholas Ranjan, a Trump appointee, earlier this month amid a lawsuit in Pennsylvania over several voting policies. The Trump campaign is suing to block the widespread use of official ballot dropboxes in the state in locations other than an election office, and to allow poll watchers to work in counties other than the ones they live in.
The campaign also wants to block election officials from counting mail-in ballots if a voter forgets to put their mail-in ballot in a secrecy sleeve within the ballot return-envelope. The campaign argued in court that the current practices will lead to voter fraud without these changes.
Ranjan last week ordered the campaign to turn over its evidence of the prevalence of fraud in Pennsylvania, including fraud related to dropboxes and vote by mail. While the Trump campaign cited a handful of mail-in ballot fraud cases in its original complaint, the campaign turned over little evidence of pervasive fraud in its partially redacted response. Certain documents in the filing were designated confidential and withheld from the Guardian.
The campaign also offered no evidence of fraud specifically linked to dropboxes or mail-in ballots. The filing was first reported by Type Investigations. Several studies and investigations have shown that voter fraud is extremely rare.
The campaign’s filing consisted of a half-dozen news articles. Two of the stories dealt with the conviction of Domenick DeMuro, a former Philadelphia election judge who pleaded guilty earlier this year to illegally taking bribes and ringing up votes at the polls.
A third news story highlighted the conviction of Ozzy Myers, a former congressman who bribed DeMuro. DeMuro and Meyers are both Democrats.
The campaign also included a 2018 news release about four election workers who had been charged in 2017 with intimidating and harassing voters at the polls. It also included a news story about legislative hearing earlier this year that quoted two Republican lawmakers asking questions about how to prevent fraud in mail-in voting, but did not offer evidence of it.
There’s certainly several explosive, salacious claims in the complaint that just aren't borne out by the facts John Powers
The final piece in the document was a 20 May Fox News story highlighting a lawsuit filed by Judicial Watch, a conservative group, alleging that 800,000 ineligible voters could be on the state’s voting rolls. The group has a reputation for distorting data to make inaccurate claims about voter rolls. Pennsylvania and the counties being sued say Judicial Watch’s claims are inaccurate.
The filing also contains numerous public records requests filed in recent weeks to local election officials in Pennsylvania seeking information about the vote-by-mail process in the state, including security protocols in place for drop boxes and how absentee ballots are processed.
John Powers, an attorney with the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, which is opposing the Trump campaign in the suit on behalf of civil rights groups, said the evidence the campaign produced was “paltry”.
“The campaign has not provided any meaningful evidence that voter fraud is a widespread problem in Pennsylvania or that there was any intentional misconduct in the state’s June primary election,” he said. “There’s certainly several explosive, salacious claims in the complaint that just aren’t borne out by the facts or what’s been produced. Based on what we’ve seen so far, it seems like a lot of hot air.”
The Trump campaign did not respond to a request for comment on the filing.
The effort to limit dropboxes comes as many election officials are eyeing expanding the practice as an alternative for voters to safely return their ballots without having to rely on the United States Postal Service. Trump has also railed against vote-by-mail, a process experts expect Americans to use in record numbers this year because of the Covid-19 pandemic.


theguardian--2020-08-21--USPS chief concedes changes causing delays but won’t restore sorting machines

America ’ s postmaster general , Louis DeJoy , conceded on Friday he had implemented recent changes that led to mail delays at the United States Postal Service ( USPS ) but said he would not reverse the decision to remove mail equipment ahead of the election .
DeJoy , a major Republican donor without prior USPS experience , made his first appearance before Congress amid widespread scrutiny over the mail delays and his management of the agency since taking over in June .
Mail-in voting is set to be a key feature of the November election due to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during the coronavirus pandemic .
Democrats and civil liberties groups have raised concerns that the actions taken at the post office could amount to a campaign of voter suppression .
DeJoy said he implemented a change instructing USPS trucks to leave on time , regardless of whether all the mail was ready to go out .
The move led to outcry from postal workers who said a fundamental principle at the USPS has been to not leave mail behind , no matter what .
DeJoy said in theory , the move should have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conceded that hadn ’ t happened .
“ Unfortunately , our production process within the plants was not fully aligned with this established schedule .
So we had some delays in the mail , and our recovery process in this should have been a few days and it ’ s mounted to be a few weeks , ” he said .
“ The only change that I made was that the trucks leave on time .
Theoretically , everyone should have got their mail faster.
” Pressed by Senator Jacky Rosen , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what kind of analysis , if any , USPS had done before implementing the changes .
After widespread outcry , DeJoy announced earlier this week he was suspending recent changes at the agency until after the election .
But when Senator Gary Peters , a Michigan Democrat , pressed him on whether he would restore hundreds of mail sorting machines that have been decommissioned , DeJoy said he would not , noting that mail volume had declined .
“ There ’ s no intention to do that .
They ’ re not needed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had planned to take 671 mail sorting machines out of service this year .
The number of sorting machines decommissioned under DeJoy has jumped significantly from prior years , according to an analysis by the Washington Post .
Losing the machines , in combination with other cuts , has led to mail moving more slowly through postal facilities , postal workers say , including in Los Angeles , where bugs swarmed packages with rotted meat and vegetables , according to the Los Angeles Times .
The postmaster general also said he had been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ machines and mailboxes until they were widely reported .
He said 700 mailboxes had been removed since he became postmaster general , but said that was part of a regular process and 35,000 had been removed over the last 10 years .
While the USPS had pledged to pause mailbox removal until after the election , DeJoy said he agency would “ pick it up ” after .
David Williams , a former USPS inspector general and member of the board of governors , flatly contradicted DeJoy ’ s assessment of removing mail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Progressive Caucus on Thursday .
“ You don ’ t save money by breaking down machines and putting them away and storing them .
You spend money .
So that was a very odd action , ” Williams said .
“ Normally the reason to keep those machines or planks in place are in the event of a Katrina , or a 9/11 , or an election , or the Covid crisis .
Removing those is thinning out the postal service ’ s ability to redirect mail in an incident like that.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was “ not part of ongoing plans ” and was something the treasury secretary , Steven Mnuchin , wanted done .
“ I asked the postal service about it , and they said it wouldn ’ t save anything .
And there would be no reason to remove those.
” Donald Trump admitted last week he opposes additional funding for the USPS , which is in dire financial condition , because it would make it easier to vote by mail , a process he opposes .
DeJoy repeatedly stressed the USPS had capacity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fall .
Some states use a a cheaper and slower class of service to mail out ballots , but in the past , the USPS has traditionally prioritized all election mail , regardless of what class of service it is .
This year , the USPS has signaled to election officials that they will more strictly enforce the class of service , setting off alarm bells that states would have to pay more to guarantee timely delivery .
DeJoy said election mail would be prioritized regardless of the class of service .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ put their ballots in the mail a week ahead of election day in order to guarantee they arrive on time and recently sent warning letters to states that allow voters to request a ballot within a week of the election .
DeJoy said on Friday there were no changes to USPS election mail for this year and said he was “ extremely highly confident ” ballots mailed close to election day would be counted in time .
Many states require ballots to be received by election day in order to count , regardless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mail .
Because of concerns in mail delays , election officials are encouraging voters to request mail-in ballots as soon as possible .
“ We will scour every plant each night leading up to election day , ” he said .
DeJoy , who is set to appear before the House oversight committee on Monday , signaled there will probably be major changes ahead for the agency after the election .
“ We are considering dramatic changes to improve the service to the American people , ” he said .

America’s postmaster general, Louis DeJoy, conceded on Friday he had implemented recent changes that led to mail delays at the United States Postal Service (USPS) but said he would not reverse the decision to remove mail equipment ahead of the election.
DeJoy, a major Republican donor without prior USPS experience, made his first appearance before Congress amid widespread scrutiny over the mail delays and his management of the agency since taking over in June.
Mail-in voting is set to be a key feature of the November election due to the health threats potentially posed by in-person voting during the coronavirus pandemic. Democrats and civil liberties groups have raised concerns that the actions taken at the post office could amount to a campaign of voter suppression.
DeJoy said he implemented a change instructing USPS trucks to leave on time, regardless of whether all the mail was ready to go out. The move led to outcry from postal workers who said a fundamental principle at the USPS has been to not leave mail behind, no matter what. DeJoy said in theory, the move should have led to more efficient delivery, but conceded that hadn’t happened.
“Unfortunately, our production process within the plants was not fully aligned with this established schedule. So we had some delays in the mail, and our recovery process in this should have been a few days and it’s mounted to be a few weeks,” he said. “The only change that I made was that the trucks leave on time. Theoretically, everyone should have got their mail faster.”
Pressed by Senator Jacky Rosen, a Nevada Democrat, DeJoy declined to say what kind of analysis, if any, USPS had done before implementing the changes.
After widespread outcry, DeJoy announced earlier this week he was suspending recent changes at the agency until after the election. But when Senator Gary Peters, a Michigan Democrat, pressed him on whether he would restore hundreds of mail sorting machines that have been decommissioned, DeJoy said he would not, noting that mail volume had declined.
“There’s no intention to do that. They’re not needed,” DeJoy said.
The USPS had planned to take 671 mail sorting machines out of service this year. The number of sorting machines decommissioned under DeJoy has jumped significantly from prior years, according to an analysis by the Washington Post. Losing the machines, in combination with other cuts, has led to mail moving more slowly through postal facilities, postal workers say, including in Los Angeles, where bugs swarmed packages with rotted meat and vegetables, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The postmaster general also said he had been unaware of plans to remove the sorting machines and mailboxes until they were widely reported. He said 700 mailboxes had been removed since he became postmaster general, but said that was part of a regular process and 35,000 had been removed over the last 10 years. While the USPS had pledged to pause mailbox removal until after the election, DeJoy said he agency would “pick it up” after.
David Williams, a former USPS inspector general and member of the board of governors, flatly contradicted DeJoy’s assessment of removing mail equipment during a hearing by the House Progressive Caucus on Thursday.
“You don’t save money by breaking down machines and putting them away and storing them. You spend money. So that was a very odd action,” Williams said. “Normally the reason to keep those machines or planks in place are in the event of a Katrina, or a 9/11, or an election, or the Covid crisis. Removing those is thinning out the postal service’s ability to redirect mail in an incident like that.”
Removing the mailboxes, Williams said, was “not part of ongoing plans” and was something the treasury secretary, Steven Mnuchin, wanted done. “I asked the postal service about it, and they said it wouldn’t save anything. And there would be no reason to remove those.”
Donald Trump admitted last week he opposes additional funding for the USPS, which is in dire financial condition, because it would make it easier to vote by mail, a process he opposes.
DeJoy repeatedly stressed the USPS had capacity and would prioritize delivering election mail this fall. Some states use a a cheaper and slower class of service to mail out ballots, but in the past, the USPS has traditionally prioritized all election mail, regardless of what class of service it is. This year, the USPS has signaled to election officials that they will more strictly enforce the class of service, setting off alarm bells that states would have to pay more to guarantee timely delivery.
DeJoy said election mail would be prioritized regardless of the class of service.
The USPS also has long said voters should put their ballots in the mail a week ahead of election day in order to guarantee they arrive on time and recently sent warning letters to states that allow voters to request a ballot within a week of the election.
DeJoy said on Friday there were no changes to USPS election mail for this year and said he was “extremely highly confident” ballots mailed close to election day would be counted in time. Many states require ballots to be received by election day in order to count, regardless of when they are put in the mail. Because of concerns in mail delays, election officials are encouraging voters to request mail-in ballots as soon as possible.
“We will scour every plant each night leading up to election day,” he said.
DeJoy, who is set to appear before the House oversight committee on Monday, signaled there will probably be major changes ahead for the agency after the election.
“We are considering dramatic changes to improve the service to the American people,” he said.


theguardian--2020-08-21--Lies, suspicion and silence in the Tory party | Letters

In your admirably concise analysis of the government ’ s failings over the past week , there are two flaws : one of them delusional , the other an omission ( The Guardian view on Boris Johnson ’ s government : an omnishambles week , 20 August ) .
First the delusion : “ Much depends on Conservatives with consciences ” may have made sense until 12 months ago .
Then MPs who dared to challenge the leadership on a range of topics , not just Brexit , but crucially the unlawful prorogation of parliament , were thrown out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opinions decided not to seek re-election , and as a consequence the Conservative parliamentary party can now easily be passed off as a slightly more media-friendly version of Farage ’ s Brexit party .
If any are left who have the conscience necessary to challenge “ the New Tory party ” , they will be fearful of showing themselves until such time as things are much worse and they have no alternative .
The omission : aside from citing one opinion poll that suggests Labour is beginning to eat into the Tory lead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I hope that MPs from all other parties are hatching plans to harry ministers at every turn , challenge every decision and use the full force of parliamentary procedure to expose the lies and to investigate the growing suspicion that public money is being misused to feather friends ’ nests .
Les Bright Exeter , Devon • Martin Kettle quite rightly sees Boris Johnson as a threat to parliamentary democracy ( Johnson vowed to strengthen parliament .
Yet he and Cummings are silencing it , 19 August ) .
But we should not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how MPs didn ’ t count , they were just marriage-guidance counsellors on a Friday , ” Tony Benn wrote about a radio discussion between the two in 1997 .
“ I just went for him .
I shouldn ’ t lose my temper , but actually it was quite good.
” And good too if a few more people now lose their temper about what Kettle chillingly identifies as already almost amounting to “ a quiet coup ” .
David Kynaston New Malden , London • What an amazing speech by Barack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Perhaps Theresa May could download it , replace the words Donald Trump with Boris Johnson , president with prime minister and America with the United Kingdom , and then deliver it in the Commons .
If only parliament was sitting .
Elizabeth Brett Welling , Kent • Read more Guardian letters – click here to visit gu.com/letters

In your admirably concise analysis of the government’s failings over the past week, there are two flaws: one of them delusional, the other an omission (The Guardian view on Boris Johnson’s government: an omnishambles week, 20 August).
First the delusion: “Much depends on Conservatives with consciences” may have made sense until 12 months ago. Then MPs who dared to challenge the leadership on a range of topics, not just Brexit, but crucially the unlawful prorogation of parliament, were thrown out of their party. Others who shared those opinions decided not to seek re-election, and as a consequence the Conservative parliamentary party can now easily be passed off as a slightly more media-friendly version of Farage’s Brexit party. If any are left who have the conscience necessary to challenge “the New Tory party”, they will be fearful of showing themselves until such time as things are much worse and they have no alternative.
The omission: aside from citing one opinion poll that suggests Labour is beginning to eat into the Tory lead, the opposition does not feature.
I hope that MPs from all other parties are hatching plans to harry ministers at every turn, challenge every decision and use the full force of parliamentary procedure to expose the lies and to investigate the growing suspicion that public money is being misused to feather friends’ nests.
Les Bright
Exeter, Devon
Martin Kettle quite rightly sees Boris Johnson as a threat to parliamentary democracy (Johnson vowed to strengthen parliament. Yet he and Cummings are silencing it, 19 August). But we should not be surprised. “Johnson talked about how MPs didn’t count, they were just marriage-guidance counsellors on a Friday,” Tony Benn wrote about a radio discussion between the two in 1997. “I just went for him. I shouldn’t lose my temper, but actually it was quite good.” And good too if a few more people now lose their temper about what Kettle chillingly identifies as already almost amounting to “a quiet coup”.
David Kynaston
New Malden, London
What an amazing speech by Barack Obama to the Democratic national convention. Perhaps Theresa May could download it, replace the words Donald Trump with Boris Johnson, president with prime minister and America with the United Kingdom, and then deliver it in the Commons. If only parliament was sitting.
Elizabeth Brett
Welling, Kent
Join the conversation – email guardian.letters@theguardian.com