theguardian--2020-09-24--Trump cuts aid for pro-democracy groups in Belarus, Hong Kong and Iran

The Trump administration has stopped vital technical assistance to pro-democracy groups in Belarus , Hong Kong and Iran , which had helped activists evade state surveillance and sidestep internet censorship .
The Open Technology Fund ( OTF ) has had to stop all its operations in Belarus , and many of its activities supporting civil society in Hong Kong and Iran , because a congressionally-mandated grant of nearly $ 20m has been withheld by a new Trump appointee , Michael Pack .
The OTF is a small non-profit organisation that develops technologies for evading cyber-surveillance and for circumventing internet and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It provides daily help to pro-democracy movements in installing and maintaining them , with the aim of staying at least one step ahead of the state .
The chair of the OTF board , Karen Kornbluh , said the end of funding from the US Agency for Global Media ( USAGM ) , which Pack has been running since June , would mean that activists living under repressive regimes were at increased risk .
“ They are more vulnerable , ” Kornbluh told the Guardian .
“ It means from a US perspective @ @ @ @ @ @ @ core tool that we have for protecting democratic values and protecting those who are seeking their freedoms overseas.
” She added the freeze also meant that the populations in those countries will find it harder to listen to the Voice of America , the USAGM ’ s flagship broadcaster , and USAGM-funded stations like Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Radio Free Asia , because it would be more difficult to overcome state jamming methods .
“ We have these agencies and we ’ re kneecapping them , ” said Kornbluh , a former @ @ @ @ @ @ @ digital innovation and democracy initiative at the German Marshall Fund of the United States .
Pack had agreed over a month ago to appear before the House foreign affairs committee on Thursday , but cancelled with a few days notice and then ignored a committee subpoena to attend .
Since taking over USAGM in June , Pack – an ally of the rightwing ideologue and former Trump adviser Stephen Bannon – purged all the top management and boards of the broadcasters under its control , froze spending , and elevated the profile of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kornbluh and former USAGM officials testifying before the foreign affairs committee described a climate of chaos and creeping authoritarianism at the agency that was sapping the credibility of VOA , RFE/RL and other US broadcasters , with consequences for US national security .
They also said Pack was endangering journalists by refusing to renew the visas for foreign journalists working for VOA , leading to their deportation , potentially to countries where they could be at risk .
In some cases , the management has intervened with US immigration and citizenship services to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and even bought unsolicited tickets home for VOA reporters .
“ They want to demonstrate that as many people as possible are returning back to their countries , ” one of the affected VOA journalists said .
“ I feel like we serve his purpose of America First , foreigners out , media are bad .
I would never expect that from a democracy.
” Pack claimed to have an administrative meeting on Thursday which meant he could not attend the congressional hearing , but the committee chair , Eliot Engel , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been called long after Pack first agreed to appear in Congress .
Pack ’ s office has suggested that visas and funds were frozen over security concerns , but Kornbluh denied allegations that OTF staff used Zoom and were careless with computer drives .
The Fund staff do not use Zoom and uses for the cloud rather than physical drives for storage , she said .
Last month , OTF took USAGM to court , resulting in the reinstatement of Kornbluh and its president Laura Cunningham , who Pack had sought to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still not been unblocked .
Witnesses at Thursday ’ s hearing said Pack ’ s motives for hollowing out the agency were unclear .
The USAGM did not respond to a request for comment .
In an interview with the rightwing Federalist blog last month , Pack claimed that a dispute over vetting procedures meant that the VOA could be infiltrated by foreign intelligence agencies , suggesting that being a journalist was “ a great cover for a spy ” .
At Thursday ’ s committee hearing , Pack was lambasted for echoing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ imprisoning journalists .
“ To assert that spies from foreign intelligence agencies have infiltrated the establishment , ” Ryan Crocker , a former USAGM board member .
“ Not only does it discredit our reputation for honesty , it puts everyone out there in the field at danger.
” Grant Turner , the former chief financial officer and acting USAGM CEO said that Pack ’ s funding freeze had created chaos .
At one point , he said there was no money in the agency headquarters to buy toilet roll .
“ Nothing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experience ] comes even close to the gross mismanagement , the abuse of authority , the violations of law , that have occurred since Michael Pack assumed the role of CEO at USAGM , ” Turner told the committee .

The Trump administration has stopped vital technical assistance to pro-democracy groups in Belarus, Hong Kong and Iran, which had helped activists evade state surveillance and sidestep internet censorship.
The Open Technology Fund (OTF) has had to stop all its operations in Belarus, and many of its activities supporting civil society in Hong Kong and Iran, because a congressionally-mandated grant of nearly $20m has been withheld by a new Trump appointee, Michael Pack.
The OTF is a small non-profit organisation that develops technologies for evading cyber-surveillance and for circumventing internet and radio blackouts imposed by authoritarian regimes. It provides daily help to pro-democracy movements in installing and maintaining them, with the aim of staying at least one step ahead of the state.
The chair of the OTF board, Karen Kornbluh, said the end of funding from the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which Pack has been running since June, would mean that activists living under repressive regimes were at increased risk.
“They are more vulnerable,” Kornbluh told the Guardian. “It means from a US perspective, it’s really undermining this core tool that we have for protecting democratic values and protecting those who are seeking their freedoms overseas.”
She added the freeze also meant that the populations in those countries will find it harder to listen to the Voice of America, the USAGM’s flagship broadcaster, and USAGM-funded stations like Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Radio Free Asia, because it would be more difficult to overcome state jamming methods.
“We have these agencies and we’re kneecapping them,” said Kornbluh, a former US ambassador and now director of the digital innovation and democracy initiative at the German Marshall Fund of the United States.
Pack had agreed over a month ago to appear before the House foreign affairs committee on Thursday, but cancelled with a few days notice and then ignored a committee subpoena to attend.
Since taking over USAGM in June, Pack – an ally of the rightwing ideologue and former Trump adviser Stephen Bannon – purged all the top management and boards of the broadcasters under its control, froze spending, and elevated the profile of pro-administration comment in relation to news.
Kornbluh and former USAGM officials testifying before the foreign affairs committee described a climate of chaos and creeping authoritarianism at the agency that was sapping the credibility of VOA, RFE/RL and other US broadcasters, with consequences for US national security.
They also said Pack was endangering journalists by refusing to renew the visas for foreign journalists working for VOA, leading to their deportation, potentially to countries where they could be at risk.
In some cases, the management has intervened with US immigration and citizenship services to prevent the journalists from securing other visas, and even bought unsolicited tickets home for VOA reporters.
“They want to demonstrate that as many people as possible are returning back to their countries,” one of the affected VOA journalists said. “I feel like we serve his purpose of America First, foreigners out, media are bad. I would never expect that from a democracy.”
Pack claimed to have an administrative meeting on Thursday which meant he could not attend the congressional hearing, but the committee chair, Eliot Engel, noted that the USAGM meeting appeared to have been called long after Pack first agreed to appear in Congress.
Pack’s office has suggested that visas and funds were frozen over security concerns, but Kornbluh denied allegations that OTF staff used Zoom and were careless with computer drives. The Fund staff do not use Zoom and uses for the cloud rather than physical drives for storage, she said.
Last month, OTF took USAGM to court, resulting in the reinstatement of Kornbluh and its president Laura Cunningham, who Pack had sought to purge, but the congressionally-approved funds have still not been unblocked.
Witnesses at Thursday’s hearing said Pack’s motives for hollowing out the agency were unclear. The USAGM did not respond to a request for comment.
In an interview with the rightwing Federalist blog last month, Pack claimed that a dispute over vetting procedures meant that the VOA could be infiltrated by foreign intelligence agencies, suggesting that being a journalist was “a great cover for a spy”.
At Thursday’s committee hearing, Pack was lambasted for echoing the language authoritarian regimes use to justify imprisoning journalists.
“To assert that spies from foreign intelligence agencies have infiltrated the establishment,” Ryan Crocker, a former USAGM board member. “Not only does it discredit our reputation for honesty, it puts everyone out there in the field at danger.”
Grant Turner, the former chief financial officer and acting USAGM CEO said that Pack’s funding freeze had created chaos. At one point, he said there was no money in the agency headquarters to buy toilet roll.
“Nothing in my 17 years [of government experience] comes even close to the gross mismanagement, the abuse of authority, the violations of law, that have occurred since Michael Pack assumed the role of CEO at USAGM,” Turner told the committee.


theguardian--2020-09-24--Florida’s attorney general requests inquiry into Mike Bloomberg’s voting effort

Florida ’ s attorney general asked law enforcement officials on Wednesday to investigate recent fundraising efforts by billionaire and former New York City mayor Mike Bloomberg to pay off court fees and other fines so people with felony convictions can vote .
The same effort has been championed by high profile figures , including the NBA megastar LeBron James .
The basis for an investigation was not immediately clear , but it came a day after Bloomberg announced he had raised $ 16m for the effort .
The Republican attorney general , Ashley Moody , said she began reviewing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s governor , Ron DeSantis , also a Republican .
Her letter , addressed to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the FBI , includes a Washington Post article that frames the $ 16m haul in the context of Bloomberg ’ s efforts to boost Joe Biden in the state .
She also included several state and federal statutes making it clear that someone can not pay someone for their vote .
“ After preliminarily reviewing this limited public information and law , it appears further investigation is warranted .
Accordingly , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this matter and take appropriate steps as merited , ” she said in the brief letter .
A spokesperson for Bloomberg said the letter was shaped by politics .
“ This transparent political ploy is just the latest example of Republicans attempting to keep Floridians disenfranchised , ” the spokesperson said .
Congressman Matt Gaetz , a Florida Republican and Trump ally , also called for an inquiry on Tuesday .
The Florida Rights Restoration Coalition ( FRRC ) launched the campaign after Florida Republicans enacted a 2019 law that requires anyone with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fees ordered as part of their sentence before they can vote again .
Republicans passed the law after Florida voters overwhelmingly approved repealing a lifetime voting ban for people with felony convictions the year prior , a move estimated to extend voting rights to up to 1.4m people in one of the largest expansions of the right to vote in US history .
The Republican law effectively gutted the reform : an estimated 774,000 people can not vote because they owe money .
FRRC does not ask about someone ’ s partisan affiliation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Organizers told the Associated Press and the Washington Post the effort was not aimed at voters of a particular party .
“ To hell with politics , to hell with any other implications or insinuations , at the end of the day it ’ s about real people , real lives , American citizens who want to be a part of this , ” Desmond Meade , the group ’ s executive director , told the AP this week .
“ Different people may give for different reasons , but we are in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reason is to place people over politics , ” Meade told the Washington Post .
“ We are concerned with people from all walks of life , from all sorts of politics.
” The federal statutes cited in Moody ’ s letter have been rarely used , said Pamela Karlan , a professor at Stanford Law School .
“ That ’ s not to say that an overzealous prosecutor , keen to suppress voting among returning citizens , wouldn ’ t try to go after funders – or even after citizens whose fees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote , ” she said .
“ But the idea that we should use government resources to make it harder for people to vote is really offensive.
” Franita Tolson , a law professor at the University of Southern California , noted that Florida lawyers had indicated in court that requiring people to repay fines and fees did not amount to a poll tax .
Objecting to having someone else pay fines and fees undermined that argument , she said in an email .
“ There is cognitive dissonance between the state ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ requiring payment of all fines and fees prior to voting is not a poll tax and its current position that Bloomberg ’ s payment of these fines and fees represents a type of vote buying , ” she said .
“ Either this is a poll tax or not , but it can ’ t be one or the other.
” Moody ’ s letter suggests that Florida may be more interested in creating barriers to voting than collecting on outstanding debt , said Julie Ebenstein , an attorney for the American Civil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ law .
“ Florida created an unconstitutional system that prohibits people from voting until their debts are paid .
Now the state is objecting to those debts being paid .
The state seems intent on preventing voting , rather than collecting payment , ” she said .
The FBI had not received an official copy of Moody ’ s letter Wednesday afternoon , said Andrea Aprea , a spokeswoman .
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement did not respond to a request for comment .

Florida’s attorney general asked law enforcement officials on Wednesday to investigate recent fundraising efforts by billionaire and former New York City mayor Mike Bloomberg to pay off court fees and other fines so people with felony convictions can vote. The same effort has been championed by high profile figures, including the NBA megastar LeBron James.
The basis for an investigation was not immediately clear, but it came a day after Bloomberg announced he had raised $16m for the effort. The Republican attorney general, Ashley Moody, said she began reviewing the matter at the request of Florida’s governor, Ron DeSantis, also a Republican. Her letter, addressed to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the FBI, includes a Washington Post article that frames the $16m haul in the context of Bloomberg’s efforts to boost Joe Biden in the state. She also included several state and federal statutes making it clear that someone cannot pay someone for their vote.
“After preliminarily reviewing this limited public information and law, it appears further investigation is warranted. Accordingly, I request that your agencies further investigate this matter and take appropriate steps as merited,” she said in the brief letter.
Mike Bloomberg announced he had raised $16m to pay off court fees and other fines so people with felony convictions can vote. Photograph: Carolyn Kaster/AP
A spokesperson for Bloomberg said the letter was shaped by politics. “This transparent political ploy is just the latest example of Republicans attempting to keep Floridians disenfranchised,” the spokesperson said. Congressman Matt Gaetz, a Florida Republican and Trump ally, also called for an inquiry on Tuesday.
The Florida Rights Restoration Coalition (FRRC) launched the campaign after Florida Republicans enacted a 2019 law that requires anyone with a felony conviction to repay fines and fees ordered as part of their sentence before they can vote again. Republicans passed the law after Florida voters overwhelmingly approved repealing a lifetime voting ban for people with felony convictions the year prior, a move estimated to extend voting rights to up to 1.4m people in one of the largest expansions of the right to vote in US history. The Republican law effectively gutted the reform: an estimated 774,000 people cannot vote because they owe money.
FRRC does not ask about someone’s partisan affiliation when they apply for financial assistance. Organizers told the Associated Press and the Washington Post the effort was not aimed at voters of a particular party.
“To hell with politics, to hell with any other implications or insinuations, at the end of the day it’s about real people, real lives, American citizens who want to be a part of this,” Desmond Meade, the group’s executive director, told the AP this week.
“Different people may give for different reasons, but we are in this for one reason, and that reason is to place people over politics,” Meade told the Washington Post. “We are concerned with people from all walks of life, from all sorts of politics.”
The federal statutes cited in Moody’s letter have been rarely used, said Pamela Karlan, a professor at Stanford Law School.
“That’s not to say that an overzealous prosecutor, keen to suppress voting among returning citizens, wouldn’t try to go after funders – or even after citizens whose fees were paid and who then try to vote,” she said. “But the idea that we should use government resources to make it harder for people to vote is really offensive.”
Franita Tolson, a law professor at the University of Southern California, noted that Florida lawyers had indicated in court that requiring people to repay fines and fees did not amount to a poll tax. Objecting to having someone else pay fines and fees undermined that argument, she said in an email.
“There is cognitive dissonance between the state’s arguments throughout litigation that the statute requiring payment of all fines and fees prior to voting is not a poll tax and its current position that Bloomberg’s payment of these fines and fees represents a type of vote buying,” she said. “Either this is a poll tax or not, but it can’t be one or the other.”
Moody’s letter suggests that Florida may be more interested in creating barriers to voting than collecting on outstanding debt, said Julie Ebenstein, an attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union that helped challenge the 2019 law.
“Florida created an unconstitutional system that prohibits people from voting until their debts are paid. Now the state is objecting to those debts being paid. The state seems intent on preventing voting, rather than collecting payment,” she said.
The FBI had not received an official copy of Moody’s letter Wednesday afternoon, said Andrea Aprea, a spokeswoman. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement did not respond to a request for comment.


theguardian--2020-09-24--Top Republicans dismiss Trump's refusal to commit to peaceful transfer

Leading Republicans have sought to quell fears that Donald Trump could stoke violence in an attempt to cling to power if he loses the US presidential election – though they stopped short of rebuking Trump directly .
The president sparked fresh anger and disbelief on Thursday after he refused to commit to a peaceful transfer of power .
“ Well , we ’ re going to have to see what happens , ” Trump told reporters at the White House on Wednesday evening , before renewing a baseless complaint about mail-in ballots .
“ Get rid of the ballots and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ … there won ’ t be a transfer , frankly – there ’ ll be a continuation , ” he said , referring to voting by mail instead of in person during the pandemic , and his chances of re-election .
It was one of Trump ’ s most stark and chilling warnings yet that he has no intention of conceding defeat to Democratic rival Joe Biden in November , raising fears of weeks of chaos and even an inauguration day in January 2021 that could see both men expecting to be sworn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump in 2016 , tweeted : “ Trump ’ s refusal to commit to the peaceful transfer of power is the behavior of a desperate would-be dictator who ’ d cling to office even if it meant destroying our democracy .
It ’ s pathetic .
But because he is the president , we should take his threat seriously.
” Some Republicans , long criticised for allowing and enabling Trump to trample on political norms , did seek on Thursday to reassure the public that , in the event of a Biden victory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ahead .
Mitch McConnell , the Senate majority leader , tweeted : “ The winner of the November 3rd election will be inaugurated on January 20th .
There will be an orderly transition just as there has been every four years since 1792.
” Senate judiciary committee chairman Lindsey Graham , a close Trump ally and golf partner , told Fox News : “ I can assure you it will be peaceful .
Now we may have litigation about who won the election , but the [ supreme ] court will decide and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accept that result .
But we need a full court.
” Graham is a key figure in the congressional confirmation process for Trump ’ s supreme court nominee , to be announced on Saturday , to replace the late justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg .
Senator Mitt Romney of Utah , the sole Republican to vote to remove Trump from office at his impeachment trial earlier this year , drew comparisons with a crisis in Europe , tweeting : “ Fundamental to democracy is the peaceful transition of power ; without that , there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president might not respect this Constitutional guarantee is both unthinkable and unacceptable.
” They were joined by Senator Marco Rubio of Florida and Congresswoman Liz Cheney , chair of the Republican conference in the House of Representatives and daughter of former Republican vice president Dick Cheney .
“ The peaceful transfer of power is enshrined in our Constitution and fundamental to the survival of our Republic , ” Cheney posted on Twitter .
“ America ’ s leaders swear an oath to the Constitution .
We will uphold that oath.
” But there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republican side .
Thomas Massie , a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus , tweeted ominously : “ In the spring , stores sold out of hand sanitizer and toilet paper .
This fall , they sold out of ammo.
” Trump , who trails Biden in national opinion polls , has long sought to cast doubt on the integrity of the election , claiming that mail-in voting would be rife with fraud .
This has been debunked by numerous studies .
A record number of Americans are expected to vote by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ catching Covid-19 .
Polls suggest , however , that Democrats are more likely to use this method than Republicans .
Trump recently floated the idea of postponing the election because of the pandemic , which he has no constitutional power to do .
Similarly , on that occasion , McConnell and other Republicans were swift to dismiss the idea .
His latest attempt to stoke fear and instability led to an incredulous Biden asking reporters : “ What country are we in ?
I ’ m being facetious .
I said , what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he says the most irrational things .
I don ’ t know what to say.
” Chuck Schumer , the Senate minority leader , told CNN of the president : “ This man has no honesty , honor , values or faith in the American system.
” The American Civil Liberties Union also registered its concern .
David Cole , national legal director , said : “ The peaceful transfer of power is essential to a functioning democracy .
This statement from the president of the United States should trouble every American .
@

Leading Republicans have sought to quell fears that Donald Trump could stoke violence in an attempt to cling to power if he loses the US presidential election – though they stopped short of rebuking Trump directly.
The president sparked fresh anger and disbelief on Thursday after he refused to commit to a peaceful transfer of power. “Well, we’re going to have to see what happens,” Trump told reporters at the White House on Wednesday evening, before renewing a baseless complaint about mail-in ballots.
“Get rid of the ballots and we’ll have a very peaceful … there won’t be a transfer, frankly – there’ll be a continuation,” he said, referring to voting by mail instead of in person during the pandemic, and his chances of re-election.
It was one of Trump’s most stark and chilling warnings yet that he has no intention of conceding defeat to Democratic rival Joe Biden in November, raising fears of weeks of chaos and even an inauguration day in January 2021 that could see both men expecting to be sworn in.
01:01 Trump refuses to commit to a peaceful transfer of power: 'there will be a continuation' – video
Hillary Clinton, beaten by Trump in 2016, tweeted: “Trump’s refusal to commit to the peaceful transfer of power is the behavior of a desperate would-be dictator who’d cling to office even if it meant destroying our democracy. It’s pathetic. But because he is the president, we should take his threat seriously.”
Some Republicans, long criticised for allowing and enabling Trump to trample on political norms, did seek on Thursday to reassure the public that, in the event of a Biden victory, the transfer of power will go ahead.
Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader, tweeted: “The winner of the November 3rd election will be inaugurated on January 20th. There will be an orderly transition just as there has been every four years since 1792.”
Senate judiciary committee chairman Lindsey Graham, a close Trump ally and golf partner, told Fox News: “I can assure you it will be peaceful. Now we may have litigation about who won the election, but the [supreme] court will decide and if the Republicans lose, we will accept that result. But we need a full court.”
Graham is a key figure in the congressional confirmation process for Trump’s supreme court nominee, to be announced on Saturday, to replace the late justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Senator Mitt Romney of Utah, the sole Republican to vote to remove Trump from office at his impeachment trial earlier this year, drew comparisons with a crisis in Europe, tweeting: “Fundamental to democracy is the peaceful transition of power; without that, there is Belarus. Any suggestion that a president might not respect this Constitutional guarantee is both unthinkable and unacceptable.”
They were joined by Senator Marco Rubio of Florida and Congresswoman Liz Cheney, chair of the Republican conference in the House of Representatives and daughter of former Republican vice president Dick Cheney.
“The peaceful transfer of power is enshrined in our Constitution and fundamental to the survival of our Republic,” Cheney posted on Twitter. “America’s leaders swear an oath to the Constitution. We will uphold that oath.”
But there were alarming signs of dissent on the Republican side. Thomas Massie, a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, tweeted ominously: “In the spring, stores sold out of hand sanitizer and toilet paper. This fall, they sold out of ammo.”
Trump, who trails Biden in national opinion polls, has long sought to cast doubt on the integrity of the election, claiming that mail-in voting would be rife with fraud. This has been debunked by numerous studies.
A record number of Americans are expected to vote by mail this year to avoid spreading or catching Covid-19. Polls suggest, however, that Democrats are more likely to use this method than Republicans.
Trump recently floated the idea of postponing the election because of the pandemic, which he has no constitutional power to do. Similarly, on that occasion, McConnell and other Republicans were swift to dismiss the idea.
His latest attempt to stoke fear and instability led to an incredulous Biden asking reporters: “What country are we in? I’m being facetious. I said, what country are we in? Look, he says the most irrational things. I don’t know what to say.”
Chuck Schumer, the Senate minority leader, told CNN of the president: “This man has no honesty, honor, values or faith in the American system.”
The American Civil Liberties Union also registered its concern. David Cole, national legal director, said: “The peaceful transfer of power is essential to a functioning democracy. This statement from the president of the United States should trouble every American.”


theguardian--2020-09-24--Fight to Vote: will Trump concede if he loses and can Democrats fight back?

Hello , and welcome to the second edition of Fight to Vote .
We used to be called the US Politics Minute , but we ’ re back with a new name !
Each week we ’ ll tell you about the powerful yet often hidden forces trying to keep Americans from casting their vote – whether it involves spreading misinformation or kneecapping the US Postal Service .
This week : Trump refused to commit to a peaceful transition of power .
Will he concede if he loses ?
On Wednesday , the president evaded questions about whether he would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lost in November .
Instead , he doubled down on his usual , completely unfounded rhetoric that the election could be rigged because of the surge in mail-in ballots during the pandemic “ The ballots are out of control .
You know it .
And you know who knows it better than anybody else ?
The Democrats know it better than anybody else , ” he said .
Meanwhile , in a chilling story in the Atlantic , anonymous Republicans said Trump is already planning to challenge election results .
Reminder : A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the US constitution .
There are various ways Trump could refuse to accept election results in November .
Here are some possibilities : • None He could declare victory on 3 November , even if ballots have not yet been processed • None He could work with state-level Republican legislatures to replace Democratic electors with Republican electors as votes are being counted • None Vice-President Mike Pence could interpret the ambiguous Electoral Count Act of 1887 in the administration ’ s favor , saying that the established set of electors don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
It ’ s not entirely clear what his plan is , but Joe Biden has employed a veritable army of lawyers in preparation of a messy election night ( or , more likely , week . )
We ’ ll be reporting on this regularly , so stay tuned to Fight the Vote as the story develops .
Milwaukee , Wisconsin , might be the most important city in this year ’ s election As Sam Levine and Isiah Holmes report , Wisconsin is a battleground state in every election – often @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is both a Democratic stronghold and home to a majority of Wisconsin ’ s African American population .
In 2016 , local activists and experts say , a combination of Republican policies and lack of voter engagement significantly dampened the vote and swayed the state toward Trump .
• None This was also the first year that a new Republican-backed voter ID law , which restricted what kinds of ID people could use to vote , went into effect .
One study says it stopped 20,000+ people , mostly minorities and young people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election day , turnout in Milwaukee dropped by just over 41,000 votes compared with 2012 .
Trump defeated Hillary Clinton in the state by just under 23,000 votes .
He was the first Republican presidential candidate to carry the state since Ronald Reagan in 1984 .
Going postal : US mail was significantly delayed after Trump ’ s appointee took over The Guardian ’ s Sam Levine and Alvin Chang found that the US Postal Service has seen significant delays since the Trump-appointed postmaster general , Louis DeJoy , took over – a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And , last but certainly not least : Ruth Bader Ginsburg died last Friday We often talk about her landmark fight for women ’ s rights , but her record on voting rights was also rock solid .
• None She voted to protect a provision of the Voting Rights Act that shielded voters from unchecked voter suppression policies .
In her memorable dissent , Ginsburg wrote that jettisoning the provision “ is like throwing away your umbrella in a rainstorm because you are not getting wet ” .
• None She voted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that “ voters should choose their representatives , not the other way around ” .
• None This year , Ginsburg voted in favor of extending the time for Wisconsin voters to turn in their ballots because of the pandemic .
Does that make you want to do something ?
A lot of people feel that way .
After RBG died , organizations said voter registration numbers went up immediately that weekend .
Vote.org , a non-partisan group , said it counted : • None more than 40,000 new voter registrations , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ • None more than 35,000 mail ballot requests , a 42 % increase from a week earlier It might seem obvious , but it ’ s critical that you check that your voter registration is up to date – especially in states with early deadlines .
You can find out if you ’ re registered to vote here , and update your registration if you aren ’ t .

Hello, and welcome to the second edition of Fight to Vote.
First, a quick reminder
We used to be called the US Politics Minute, but we’re back with a new name! Each week we’ll tell you about the powerful yet often hidden forces trying to keep Americans from casting their vote – whether it involves spreading misinformation or kneecapping the US Postal Service.
This week: Trump refused to commit to a peaceful transition of power. Will he concede if he loses?
On Wednesday, the president evaded questions about whether he would hand over the White House if he lost in November. Instead, he doubled down on his usual, completely unfounded rhetoric that the election could be rigged because of the surge in mail-in ballots during the pandemic
“The ballots are out of control. You know it. And you know who knows it better than anybody else? The Democrats know it better than anybody else,” he said.
Meanwhile, in a chilling story in the Atlantic, anonymous Republicans said Trump is already planning to challenge election results.
Reminder: A peaceful transition of power is prescribed in the US constitution.
There are various ways Trump could refuse to accept election results in November. Here are some possibilities:
He could declare victory on 3 November, even if ballots have not yet been processed
He could work with state-level Republican legislatures to replace Democratic electors with Republican electors as votes are being counted
Vice-President Mike Pence could interpret the ambiguous Electoral Count Act of 1887 in the administration’s favor, saying that the established set of electors don’t count
Can Democrats do anything about it?
It’s not entirely clear what his plan is, but Joe Biden has employed a veritable army of lawyers in preparation of a messy election night (or, more likely, week.)
We’ll be reporting on this regularly, so stay tuned to Fight the Vote as the story develops.
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, might be the most important city in this year’s election
As Sam Levine and Isiah Holmes report, Wisconsin is a battleground state in every election – often tipping the electoral map. And Milwaukee is both a Democratic stronghold and home to a majority of Wisconsin’s African American population. In 2016, local activists and experts say, a combination of Republican policies and lack of voter engagement significantly dampened the vote and swayed the state toward Trump.
This was also the first year that a new Republican-backed voter ID law, which restricted what kinds of ID people could use to vote, went into effect. One study says it stopped 20,000+ people, mostly minorities and young people, from voting.
On election day, turnout in Milwaukee dropped by just over 41,000 votes compared with 2012. Trump defeated Hillary Clinton in the state by just under 23,000 votes. He was the first Republican presidential candidate to carry the state since Ronald Reagan in 1984.
Going postal: US mail was significantly delayed after Trump’s appointee took over
The Guardian’s Sam Levine and Alvin Chang found that the US Postal Service has seen significant delays since the Trump-appointed postmaster general, Louis DeJoy, took over – a threat to mail-in ballots during the election
And, last but certainly not least: Ruth Bader Ginsburg died last Friday
We often talk about her landmark fight for women’s rights, but her record on voting rights was also rock solid.
She voted to protect a provision of the Voting Rights Act that shielded voters from unchecked voter suppression policies. In her memorable dissent, Ginsburg wrote that jettisoning the provision “is like throwing away your umbrella in a rainstorm because you are not getting wet” .
She voted against partisan gerrymandering in Arizona, saying that “voters should choose their representatives, not the other way around”.
This year, Ginsburg voted in favor of extending the time for Wisconsin voters to turn in their ballots because of the pandemic.
Does that make you want to do something?
A lot of people feel that way. After RBG died, organizations said voter registration numbers went up immediately that weekend. Vote.org, a non-partisan group, said it counted:
more than 40,000 new voter registrations , a 68% increase from the prior weekend
more than 35,000 mail ballot requests, a 42% increase from a week earlier
It might seem obvious, but it’s critical that you check that your voter registration is up to date – especially in states with early deadlines. You can find out if you’re registered to vote here, and update your registration if you aren’t.


theguardian--2020-09-24--Trump had us thinking mainstream Republicans were moderate. How naive | Emma Brockes

One unlikely effect of Donald Trump being in office has been a rise in the reputation of more moderate Republicans .
In 2012 , when Mitt Romney was running for president , he seemed like the incarnation of monied interests – a man who would defend beyond all other principles the right of the American millionaire to be taxed at 13 % .
He was out of touch , and cynically motivated .
Whenever I saw a photo of Romney , I would suffer a surge of dislike .
Then came Trump .
Such is the warping effect of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who wanted to repeal the Affordable Care Act and ban same-sex marriage has somehow become known for being somewhat progressive .
In the first days after Trump ’ s victory , Romney tried and failed to suck up to the president to snag the secretary of state role .
But as Trump ’ s outrages grew , so the senator for Utah became one of his fiercest critics , culminating this February when Romney voted to charge the president with abuse of power .
Catching sight of Romney on TV would , suddenly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wow , I thought , we really got that guy wrong .
Look at how fine and upstanding he is – even his aggressive side-parting looks like a strike for decency in the face of Trump ’ s lassitude .
Maybe you can , after all , work in private equity and still have a conscience .
That sentiment was blown apart this week when Romney announced he would vote to replace the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg , all but ensuring Trump has the votes to nominate a new supreme court justice before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He accompanied this announcement with a statement of such staggering bad faith that it seemed designed to mock the naivety of those who ’ d briefly warmed to him .
“ My liberal friends , ” said Romney , “ have over many decades gotten very used to the idea of having a liberal court , and that ’ s not written in the stars .
It ’ s also appropriate for a nation , which is , if you will , centre-right , to have a court which reflects a centre-right point @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so much that this statement of Romney ’ s was wrong – although it was .
A Gallup poll at the end of 2019 found that , while 37 % of Americans identified as conservative , the rest of the country identified as either moderate ( 35 % ) or liberal ( 24 % ) , which , even if you go along with the interpretation that this means the country skews right , is undermined by other surveys .
Positions conventionally thought of as liberal are held by clear majorities in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leave and increases to the minimum wage .
In 2019 , the Pew Research Center found that 61 % of Americans believed abortion should remain legal .
Beyond which , of course , the popular vote went to Hillary Clinton in 2016 .
If Romney is wrong in his characterisation of the US as centre-right , it ’ s a less grievous error than his cynical mischaracterisation of the person Trump is likely to pick as his supreme court nomination .
For Trump to win the election , he will have to get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ demographic that in our wildest dreams can ’ t be characterised as centre-right .
This crowd , 78 % of whom supported Trump in 2016 , has lately been showing signs of disaffection , with a poll in June this year indicating a drop to 69 % .
The promise of a ban on abortion is likely to change this and reinspire evangelicals ’ enthusiasm for Trump – that is , if his supreme court nomination allies with their special interest .
Romney must know , as well as anyone , that Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ centre-right ” , or centre anything .
They will be hardline , with an eye on overturning abortion rights enshrined in the 1973 Roe v Wade judgment , and pandering to voters who don ’ t believe in evolution .
This is not , to put it mildly , a centrist position .
Even this fudge of Romney ’ s , however , is a less dire mischaracterisation than the one many of us formed about “ moderate ” Republicans .
Perhaps Romney and his ilk did , briefly , find their spine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when it was in their political and personal interests to do so .
Had Romney been made secretary of state , would he have criticised the president ?
In all likelihood not .
And while banning abortion was never a central issue for Romney , he will embrace it for a chance to secure another conservative justice on the supreme court and keep the presidency in Republican hands .
He knows the president is morally bankrupt .
It was an error for us to imagine it mattered to him .
• Who ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House ?
Join Guardian journalists Jonathan Freedland , Daniel Strauss , Lauren Gambino and Richard Wolffe for an online Guardian Live event , on Tuesday 20 October , 7pm BST ( 2pm EST ) .
Book tickets here

One unlikely effect of Donald Trump being in office has been a rise in the reputation of more moderate Republicans. In 2012, when Mitt Romney was running for president, he seemed like the incarnation of monied interests – a man who would defend beyond all other principles the right of the American millionaire to be taxed at 13%. He was out of touch, and cynically motivated. Whenever I saw a photo of Romney, I would suffer a surge of dislike.
Then came Trump. Such is the warping effect of the bar being so lowered, a man who wanted to repeal the Affordable Care Act and ban same-sex marriage has somehow become known for being somewhat progressive. In the first days after Trump’s victory, Romney tried and failed to suck up to the president to snag the secretary of state role. But as Trump’s outrages grew, so the senator for Utah became one of his fiercest critics, culminating this February when Romney voted to charge the president with abuse of power.
Catching sight of Romney on TV would, suddenly, bring on a warm sentiment. Wow, I thought, we really got that guy wrong. Look at how fine and upstanding he is – even his aggressive side-parting looks like a strike for decency in the face of Trump’s lassitude. Maybe you can, after all, work in private equity and still have a conscience.
That sentiment was blown apart this week when Romney announced he would vote to replace the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg, all but ensuring Trump has the votes to nominate a new supreme court justice before the presidential election on 3 November. He accompanied this announcement with a statement of such staggering bad faith that it seemed designed to mock the naivety of those who’d briefly warmed to him.
01:55 'The president is guilty': Romney votes to convict Trump – video
“My liberal friends,” said Romney, “have over many decades gotten very used to the idea of having a liberal court, and that’s not written in the stars. It’s also appropriate for a nation, which is, if you will, centre-right, to have a court which reflects a centre-right point of view.”
It’s not so much that this statement of Romney’s was wrong – although it was. A Gallup poll at the end of 2019 found that, while 37% of Americans identified as conservative, the rest of the country identified as either moderate (35%) or liberal (24%), which, even if you go along with the interpretation that this means the country skews right, is undermined by other surveys. Positions conventionally thought of as liberal are held by clear majorities in the US, including support for paid maternity leave and increases to the minimum wage. In 2019, the Pew Research Center found that 61% of Americans believed abortion should remain legal. Beyond which, of course, the popular vote went to Hillary Clinton in 2016.
If Romney is wrong in his characterisation of the US as centre-right, it’s a less grievous error than his cynical mischaracterisation of the person Trump is likely to pick as his supreme court nomination. For Trump to win the election, he will have to get out the white evangelical vote – a demographic that in our wildest dreams can’t be characterised as centre-right. This crowd, 78% of whom supported Trump in 2016, has lately been showing signs of disaffection, with a poll in June this year indicating a drop to 69%.
The promise of a ban on abortion is likely to change this and reinspire evangelicals’ enthusiasm for Trump – that is, if his supreme court nomination allies with their special interest. Romney must know, as well as anyone, that Trump’s candidate will not be “centre-right”, or centre anything. They will be hardline, with an eye on overturning abortion rights enshrined in the 1973 Roe v Wade judgment, and pandering to voters who don’t believe in evolution. This is not, to put it mildly, a centrist position.
Even this fudge of Romney’s, however, is a less dire mischaracterisation than the one many of us formed about “moderate” Republicans. Perhaps Romney and his ilk did, briefly, find their spine when dealing with Trump – but only when it was in their political and personal interests to do so.
Had Romney been made secretary of state, would he have criticised the president? In all likelihood not. And while banning abortion was never a central issue for Romney, he will embrace it for a chance to secure another conservative justice on the supreme court and keep the presidency in Republican hands.
He knows the president is morally bankrupt. It was an error for us to imagine it mattered to him.
Emma Brockes is a Guardian columnist


theguardian--2020-09-24--'Vote him out': Trump booed while paying respects to Ruth Bader Ginsburg – video

Donald Trump was loudly booed by crowds as he visited the supreme court to pay his respects to Ruth Bader @ @ @ @ @ and liberal icon who died last week aged 87 .
As the president and the @ @ @ @ @ ’ s casket , the crowd yelled : 'Vote him out ! '
Ginsburg is @ @ @ @ @ to lie in state in the US Capitol • Ruth Bader Ginsburg in her own @ @ @ @ @ 'She was what America should be ' : mourners bid farewell to Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Donald Trump was loudly booed by crowds as he visited the supreme court to pay his respects to Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the late justice and liberal icon who died last week aged 87.
As the president and the first lady paused at Ginsburg’s casket, the crowd yelled: 'Vote him out!' Ginsburg is the first woman in history to lie in state in the US Capitol


theguardian--2020-09-25--Breonna Taylor's family to speak after second night of protests for justice – live

It feels like the news is quite court heavy today , what with the Justice department seeking immediate action to ban WeChat [ see 8:11 ] , a federal judge insisting that the US census must carry on through October [ see 7:32 ] and Trump ’ s attempt to stop his tax returns being handed over to a New York prosecutor [ see 6:52 ] .
But there ’ s more .
Kyle Rittenhouse , the 17-year-old accused of killing two protesters days after Jacob Blake was shot by police in Kenosha , Wisconsin , faces a hearing on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to stand trial on homicide charges that could put him in prison for life .
Rittenhouse was arrested at his home in Antioch , Illinois , a day after prosecutors say he shot and killed two protesters and injured a third on the streets of Kenosha on 25 August .
His attorneys have said Rittenhouse acted in self-defense and have portrayed him as a courageous patriot who was exercising his right to bear arms during unrest .
He has become a bit of a cause célèbre among right-wing and gun rights circles .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the killing of two protesters and attempted intentional homicide in the wounding of a third .
He also faces a misdemeanor charge of underage firearm possession for wielding a semi-automatic rifle .
A judge in Lake County , Illinois , is expected to rule on whether to send Rittenhouse to Kenosha to face the charges .
A judge postponed a decision on his transfer last month after Rittenhouse ’ s public defender at the time asked for a delay in the extradition hearing so he had time to hire a private attorney @ @ @ @ @ @ @ custody in Illinois since his arrest , appears to have few options to fight the extradition .
His lawyers could argue that he ’ s mentally unfit and isn ’ t cooperating with them , which could delay the process , former Illinois judge and prosecutor David Erickson told the Associated Press .
“ A prosecutor has to show that a crime was committed in the state of Wisconsin and , more likely than not , this is the guy , ” he said .
Cheryl T. Bormann , a Chicago-area defense lawyer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case , said fighting extradition is a “ losing proposition ” and that Rittenhouse ’ s guilt or innocence has no role in whether Illinois will honor Wisconsin ’ s request .
“ The only real defense to extradition would be that Kyle Rittenhouse is not Kyle Rittenhouse .
In other words , his lawyer would have to show that they got the wrong guy , ” Bormann said .

25 Sept 2020 00.42 BST US prosecutor publicly criticizes Bill Barr James D Herbert, a current assistant US attorney for the district of Massachusetts, has written a letter to the editor publicly criticizing Trump’s attorney general, Bill Barr: While I am a federal prosecutor, I am writing to express my own views, clearly not those of the department, on a matter that should concern all citizens: the unprecedented politicization of the office of the attorney general. The attorney general acts as though his job is to serve only the political interests of Donald J. Trump. This is a dangerous abuse of power. The letter appeared in the Boston Globe yesterday, but a reporter for ABC News has now confirmed it is authentic and that Herbert currently remains employed at the US attorney’s office: NEW: Sources familiar confirm to @ABC the authenticity of this letter from current AUSA James Herbert publicly speaking out against AG Barr. "The current attorney general has brought shame on the department he purports to lead." w/ @AaronKatersky pic.twitter.com/4jzDtk7Q0r — Alex Mallin (@alex_mallin) September 25, 2020
25 Sept 2020 00.37 BST Covid hospitalizations expected to rise in California, officials warn Gabrielle Canon Covid-19 hospitalizations are expected to jump 89% in California, officials said at a news conference today. Cases continue to hover around 3% over the past two weeks – a promising sign that new sectors could begin reopening. But Dr Mark Ghaly, who heads California’s health and human services department, told reporters that the numbers are creeping up, likely due to some lag-time after Labor Day celebrations. “We’re seeing more admissions than we did the day or week prior for Covid-19 in some of our hospital systems across the state,” he said. More than 800,000 people in California have gotten Covid-19 as of Friday and deaths from the disease topped 15,000 earlier in the week. Hospitals aren’t currently close to capacity though, and won’t be even with a spike in cases. Over the summer there were more than 7,000 people hospitalized with the virus at one point and current state predictions through October are under 5,000. California is expected to see an *89% increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations* over the next month as projected transmission rates in various regions have increased and ER visits have gone up over the past week throughout the statehttps://t.co/z3qr42Nc6a — Colleen Shalby (@CShalby) September 25, 2020 California officials are still moving forward with a plan to allow nail salons to reopen, and are allowing counties to govern their own reopening plans based on a tier system. Still, with flu season around the corner, Ghaly said they don’t want to take any chances. “We’ve never done Covid hospitalizations with flu hospitalizations,” he said. “We see things coming together that we want to make sure we’re very vigilant around, to ensure that even if we go up a little bit with our hospitalizations, we don’t continue to have high rates and even come close to the numbers that we saw over the summer.”
Updated at 01.39 BST
25 Sept 2020 00.05 BST Trump declines to comment on his supreme court pick Despite the flurry of news reports suggesting that the president will be nominating Amy Coney Barrett, Trump himself has declined to confirm his selection. He told reporters that he has made his decision, but said he would be withholding the news until 5pm EST on Saturday. He said it “could be anyone of them” and “they’re all outstanding”, referring to five women he has been considering. Asked explicitly about Barrett, he said, “I haven’t said it is her.” “They’re all great,” said Pres Trump about his Supreme Court pick. “Could be anyone of them,” he said, refusing to give a hint. “I haven’t said it is her,” asked about was Judge Amy Coney Barrett. “They’re all outstanding,” he said of the 5 women he was considering. pic.twitter.com/54NrCqmUxF — Mark Knoller (@markknoller) September 25, 2020
25 Sept 2020 23.18 BST The unnamed aides and White House sources confirming that Trump will nominate Amy Coney Barrett have told reporters that the president could change his mind between now and tomorrow, according to multiple accounts. All signs, however, point to Barrett, reports say. The New York Times said aides “cautioned” that “Trump sometimes upends his own plans”, but also noted that the president appears to have only interviewed Barrett for the post. CNN, which first reported the news, said Barrett was seen at her South Bend, Indiana home today. The network also said it was unclear if Barrett has been told she is the choice, and noted that she may be informed “as late as possible to maintain secrecy around the announcement”. Some reporters have been camped outside her home:
The scene outside of Amy Coney Barrett’s South Bend Home, more than 24 hours before we hear the SCOTUS pick. pic.twitter.com/FFt8vOPDYF — Adam Wren (@adamwren) September 25, 2020
25 Sept 2020 23.04 BST While the enormity of tackling climate change can be so overwhelming that some people shut down, presenting people with examples of how they can take action offers hope, says prominent US climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe. In a live interview with Reuters on Thursday Hayhoe explained how the climate crisis was causing weather events such as heat waves, wildfires and hurricanes to become more severe and more frequent.
“According to natural factors we should be very gradually but inevitably getting cooler right now,” said Hayhoe, an atmospheric scientist at Texas Tech University in Lubbock. “Instead we’re getting warmer faster than any time in the history of human civilization on this planet.” Leonardo DiCaprio, Katharine Hayhoe and Barack Obama at the White House for a discussion on the climate crisis, in 2016. Photograph: Pool/Getty Images
The urgency of climate change is real, she said, calling it “a here issue, and a now issue.” Climate change was a major factor in heat waves that made recent fires in Siberia, Australia, and right now in the US West so extensive and damaging, she said. Hayhoe, widely known as a top communicator of climate change, addressed what often stands in the way of more aggressive action toward reducing emissions and adapting our societies to cope with change. “Scaring the pants off us, for most of us, doesn’t move us forward. It actually causes us to freeze. That’s how our brains are hard-wired,” Hayhoe said. “We are wired to move forward not only to escape fear but rather towards a reward, something positive.” Instead, Hayhoe focuses on communicating how climate change is affecting people locally and offering suggestions for how people can help provide solutions, even if those solutions appear small. Giving people a sense of efficacy, she said, means giving people hope. Follow the Guardian’s special series Climate Countdown as we brace ahead of the election. Donald Trump’s actions are scheduled to cause the US to leave the Paris Climate Accord on November 4, the day after the election. That is the pact agreed between most of the world’s countries, to tackle the climate crisis.
25 Sept 2020 22.52 BST Who is Amy Coney Barrett? As more reporters confirm that Amy Coney Barrett is Trump’s pick for supreme court nominee, a quick reminder about some key parts of her background and legacy: She is a 48-year-old judge, who currently sits on the US circuit court of appeals in Chicago. If confirmed, she would be the youngest supreme court justice .
. Barrett was nominated by Trump and confirmed by the Senate in October 2017 by a 55-43 vote. The 7th circuit in Chicago covers the states of Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin.
She is a devout Catholic and mother of seven, who staunchly opposes abortion . Progressives fear she would vote to overturn the critical Roe v Wade ruling, which safeguards the right to abortion.
. Progressives fear she would vote to overturn the critical Roe v Wade ruling, which safeguards the right to abortion. In her nearly three years on the bench, Barrett has authored around 100 opinions and revealing dissents in which she has been consistently conservative on a wide range of topics, including guns, campus sexual assault and health care .
. Barrett served as a law clerk to supreme court justice Antonin Scalia, worked briefly as a private lawyer in DC and became a University of Notre Dame law school professor in 2002.
When asked about her religious beliefs in the 2017 confirmation hearings, she said: “I would stress that my personal church affiliation or my religious belief would not bear in the discharge of my duties as a judge.”
Barrett was on Trump’s list of potential nominees in 2018 to replace Anthony Kennedy, but the president reportedly said, “I’m saving her for Ginsburg.” More: 'I'm saving her for Ginsburg': who is Amy Coney Barrett, Trump's likely supreme court pick? Read more
25 Sept 2020 22.23 BST GOP preparing for Amy Coney Barrett, AP reports Another report is out on the rumors of Trump’s supreme court nominee pick scheduled to be revealed tomorrow: Republicans are expecting and preparing for Trump to announce that he is nominating Judge Amy Coney Barrett, the AP is reporting. More from the AP: Conservative groups and congressional allies are laying the groundwork for a swift confirmation process for Barrett, even before Trump makes the selection official. They, like the president, are wasting little time moving to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, organizing multimillion-dollar ad campaigns and marshalling supporters both to confirm the pick and to boost Trump to a second term. A number of outside conservative groups are planning to spend more than $25 million to support the president’s nominee, the AP noted. The Judicial Crisis Network has organized a coalition that includes American First Policies, the Susan B Anthony List, the Club for Growth and the group Catholic Vote. Some additional background on Barrett: 'I'm saving her for Ginsburg': who is Amy Coney Barrett, Trump's likely supreme court pick? Read more
Updated at 22.26 BST
25 Sept 2020 22.13 BST Oregon declares state of emergency over Proud Boys rally Hi all - Sam Levin in Los Angeles, taking over our live coverage for the rest of the day. First some news from Portland, Oregon, where Governor Kate Brown is sending state troopers and sheriffs deputies to the city to help police monitor a weekend rally by the rightwing Proud Boys and counter-protests by liberal groups. As the AP reports, “Portland has been roiled by often violent protests for more than three months following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis in May. Demonstrations that went into a lull during wildfires resumed this week, fueled by a Kentucky grand jury’s decision to not indict officers in the killing of Breonna Taylor. Brown told reporters she was exercising her authority to place Multnomah county sheriff Mike Reese and Oregon state police superintendent Travis Hampton in charge of Portland’s public safety on Saturday and Sunday. Brown said Portland mayor Ted Wheeler supported the plan. “This is our entire community coming together to protect our community,” Brown said. “We want the highest level of coordination and the strongest leadership possible.” Similar competing demonstrations have ended with fistfights and bloodshed, including the fatal shooting on 29 August of Aaron “Jay” Danielson, a supporter of a rightwing group who was killed after Trump supporters drove pickup trucks in a caravan downtown. The suspect, leftwing protester Michael Reinoehl, was killed by federal officers in neighboring Washington state. Superintendent Hampton said: “If you want to come to Oregon, to Portland, to peacefully protest, to assemble, to voice your outrage, to voice your concern – we welcome you for that. If your job and your intent is to come to Oregon to commit crimes, to provoke, to make people feel unsafe in their homes then we do not want you to come here.” Portland, of course, was one of the cities named by the US Department of Justice as an “anarchist jurisdiction” this week – a wholly political move by attorney general Bill Barr designed to support Donald Trump’s “law and order” electoral campaign. For further reading, from another anarchist jurisdiction, here’s a piece from Gothamist and not the Onion, honest: “Local Anarchists Miffed By Trump’s Designation Of NYC As Anarchist Jurisdiction.”
25 Sept 2020 21.58 BST Trump on threat not to concede power: I was joking… or was I? I’m about to hand this blog on to Sam Levin in our West Coast office. In the meantime, according to the pool report, Donald Trump’s speech in Atlanta went on for around an hour and included the usual doozies, including a joke about fears he will not accept the result of the election should he lose to Joe Biden. According to the pool report: “Will we be president in 10 years?” President Trump asked, then explaining that whenever he said things like this he is joking, but “you can’t joke”. “’I told you he’s a dictator, he will not give up power!’” he said, mimicking what he said were people failing to get his sense of humor. “Twelve more years!” chanted the crowd after the president said the media exaggerates when people jokingly chant 12 more years. Trump also repeated his claim that the election result may not be known on 3 November because of mailed-in ballots and added: “With me, we may end up in a dispute for a long time, because that’s the way [Democrats] want it, but we’re going to end up winning.” The president was speaking to a predominantly African American audience, which reportedly was responsive to his evidence-free attacks on the Black Lives Matter movement. Trump referenced Breonna Taylor and others. “Our hearts break for their families and for all families who have lost a loved one, especially if you look at this way – so senseless. But we can never allow mob rule.” Says BLM is “really hurting the black community”. The crowd boos when he mentioned the words Black Lives Matter. Says BLM aims to “achieve the destruction of the nuclear family, abolish the police, abolish prisons, abolish border security, abolish capitalism and abolish schools”. Denounces “wealthy liberal hypocrites” supporting BLM and living in “walled compounds”. Trump also took a shot at Biden, for “staying in again today”. In response to which the pool reporter notes, drily: “Actually, Biden went to Washington today to pay respects to the late justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg lying in state in the US Capitol.” This is what happened yesterday, when Trump and first lady Melania Trump went to the supreme court to pay their respects: 00:50 'Vote him out': Trump booed while paying respects to Ruth Bader Ginsburg – video
25 Sept 2020 21.39 BST To polling news, in light of the last post, because, well, everybody loves a good poll. Don’t they. The Washington Post heralds a new survey it has carried out with ABC News, which says a clear majority of Americans do not think Donald Trump and the Republicans who hold the Senate should get to confirm a replacement for Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the supreme court justice who died last week aged 87, before the election on 3 November. CNN says the replacement will be Amy Coney Barrett, which we all essentially knew, unless of course it isn’t. The poll from WaPo and ABC, like others which have shown similar results, does not matter one tiny bit in the most obvious sense, because Donald Trump and the Republicans who hold the Senate are going to confirm their replacement for Ginsburg and there is nothing the Democrats or the voters can do to stop them. The court is going to tip 6-3 to the right, after Trump stages his unveiling tomorrow. But, anyway, the WaPo/ABC poll finds: 38% of Americans say the replacement for Ginsburg should be nominated by Trump and confirmed by the current Senate, while 57% say it should be left to the winner of the presidential election and a Senate vote next year. Partisans are deeply divided on the issue, though clear majorities of independents (61%) and women (64%) say the next justice should be chosen by the winner of the election, including about half of each group who feel this way ‘strongly’. What might such sentiment mean at the polls, is the question. My guess is it might be bad news for Trump and Senate Republicans and Democratic control of everything except the court might be on the way. But if it is, a sixth conservative justice will be one hell of a consolation prize. Here again is David Litt, once a speechwriter to Barack Obama, now the author of Democracy In One Book Or Less, about what Democrats might do in return: Republicans will replace RBG but Democrats hold the trump cards – no, really | David Litt Read more
25 Sept 2020 21.17 BST Amy Coney Barrett is Trump supreme court pick – report Citing “multiple senior Republican sources with knowledge of the process”, CNN reports that Donald Trump has settled on Amy Coney Barrett as his pick to replace Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the supreme court. Amy Coney Barrett. Photograph: AP This is not a surprise, as the Indiana judge is widely expected to be Trump’s pick, to be unveiled at the White House on Saturday. Barbara Lagoa of Florida is also reported to have been in contention. CNN has a kind of all-purpose Trumpnews disclaimer very close to the top of its report: “All sources cautioned that until it is announced by the president, there is always the possibility that Trump makes a last-minute change.” See: Iran, strikes against, influence of Tucker Carlson in postponing of (2019). But Barrett “was the plan all along,” CNN quotes “a former senior administration familiar with the process” as saying. “She’s the most distinguished and qualified by traditional measures. She has the strongest support among the legal conservatives who have dedicated their lives to the court. She will contribute most to the court’s jurisprudence in the years and decades to come.”
Trump was indeed reported to have said of Barrett, whose devout Catholicism fills women’s rights and pro-choice advocates with fear: “I’m saving her for Ginsburg.” Here’s David Litt again, on what Democrats might do after Barrett is confirmed, because she will be, because it bears repeating: Republicans will replace RBG but Democrats hold the trump cards – no, really | David Litt Read more
25 Sept 2020 21.02 BST Ron Paul: 'I am doing fine' The AP has an update on the health of Ron Paul: Former Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul posted a picture of himself in a hospital on Friday but said he was OK, after video circulated online of him struggling to speak during an interview. The 85-year-old former Texas congressman, who ran for the White House three times, posted a picture on Facebook showing him smiling in a hospital gown and giving a thumbs-up. “I am doing fine. Thank you for your concern,” he said. The post came after a video took off on social media showing Paul having trouble speaking during an appearance on his live-streamed show, Ron Paul Liberty Report. The video cut away to the interviewer as Paul struggles. Paul is the father of Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, whose office did not immediately return a message. Paul gained a loyal following running for president in 1988 and 2008, then saw his popularity rise with that of the Tea Party movement before he sought the White House again in 2012. He retired from his Texas district in 2013.
25 Sept 2020 20.45 BST Trump speaks in Atlanta Donald Trump has a speaking engagement in Atlanta this afternoon, at a campaign event titled “Black Economic Empowerment: The Platinum Plan.” The pool report offers some interesting descriptions of an event, in a state where the polls are tighter than they might be for a Republican incumbent, which has featured “a series warm-up speeches from African American leaders, including housing secretary Ben Carson”. “Speakers lauded the president with a torrent of scriptural references that frequently gave the atmosphere more of a church than election campaign. ‘God made this man president,’ said one. Allow me to pause a second and allow the tiniest scrap of editorial voice into this blog, although as my editorial voice in such instances is essentially a poor impression of Christopher Hitchens after three Johnnie Walker Black Labels, faced on some college auditorium stage somewhere by an author of something called something like “The Atheist Delusion” … it’s probably a bad idea. Anyway: “God made this man president”. Really? In that case, to quote Woody Allen, while I’m having bad ideas, “If it turns out that there is a God … the worst that you can say about him is that basically he’s an underachiever.” For God and Country review: Christian case for Trump is a thin read indeed Read more “NFL great Herschel Walker” gave the last endorsement speech in Atlanta and said: “I’ve always know that he was different. “He don’t get the credit for all the things that he done in the African American community. He keeps God in the house. “All us Americans have received so many touchdown passes from this man that … it is time to recognize our quarterback.” The pool report adds that “there are approximately 200 people in the audience, nearly all of them African Americans. Zero social distancing. A great many not wearing masks.”
Updated at 20.48 BST


theguardian--2020-09-25--US supreme court vacancy upends Senate races with just weeks to go

The shock of a sudden new vacancy on the US supreme court has rippled out to some of the most contentious Senate races in the final weeks before the 3 November elections , throwing the vital issue of who might win control of the body into confusion .
The recent death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg while Republicans control the Senate and the White House virtually ensures that her replacement will be conservative , swinging the court into a 6-3 conservative majority .
Donald Trump and Republicans have indicated they plan to move swiftly to install a new justice , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will happen during the days when incumbent senators and their challengers are making their final pitches to voters .
As a result , the dynamic in key races has shifted to varying degrees across the country , from Maine to Colorado .
For Republicans , the battle for the Senate is an essential bid to cling to a hugely powerful body ; for Democrats , wresting control of the chamber would be a hugely welcome – if previously unexpected – triumph .
In some races , the supreme court vacancy offers a chance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states that increasingly lean left .
In others , the vacancy gives Republican candidates the opportunity to remind voters who want the high court to tackle cases on abortion , deregulation , and overturning healthcare reform that senators can play a role .
“ It should help red state enthusiasm in that it ’ ll remind people what ’ s at stake in this election , ” said the Republican strategist Cam Savage , who added : “ There will be places in the country where it benefits the Democrats.
” Strategists and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ landscape is not yet clear .
Trump has not announced a nominee and only in the past few days have swing senators indicated whether they support quickly going through the process of confirmation .
In deciding whether to confirm a justice before the election or after , senators have signaled they are taking their own electoral prospects into account .
In Democratic-leaning Maine , where Senator Susan Collins is trailing her Democratic challenger , Sara Gideon , Collins has split with most of her Republican colleagues and said she would hold off on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election .
In Republican-leaning South Carolina , Senator Lindsey Graham has said his chamber should move “ expeditiously ” to confirm a new justice .
That is despite Graham saying in 2016 that if there were a vacancy this close to a presidential election , the vacancy should be filled after the election , regardless of which party is in power .
The Democrat Jamie Harrison , who polls show is trailing Graham by single digits , has used Graham ’ s about-face on confirming a justice as part of his overarching argument @ @ @ @ @ @ @ red-leaning states such as Kansas or Iowa , though , Republicans expect the vacancy to drive conservatives , even ones dissatisfied with Trump , to come out and vote .
In Senate races where Democrats have the upper hand , top Senate Republicans think the vacancy will at least tighten the margins .
Some candidates have framed the vacancy in terms of specific issues such as healthcare – which Democrats see as one of the most effective policy points to discuss on the campaign trail .
“ This is a decision that will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case about healthcare and protections for pre-existing conditions , ” the Democrat Mark Kelly , who is running for Senate in Arizona , said in a statement on Saturday .
“ Arizonans will begin casting their ballots in a few weeks , and I believe the people elected to the presidency and Senate in November should fill this vacancy.
” “ In states like Arizona and North Carolina , a polarized fight helps tighten the margin down-ballot and ties it closer to the top of the ticket , ” a Senate Republican official @ @ @ @ @ @ @ senators in the country , though , have stuck with their party on the supreme court fight .
In Democratic-leaning Colorado , Senator Cory Gardner joined with other Republicans to support confirming a Trump nominee .
In conservative Alabama , Senator Doug Jones has echoed Democratic calls for the winner of the 3 November presidential election to pick the next justice .
It ’ s still early , though , and some of the major national entities that usually work to boost Senate candidates are waiting for more polling on a new justice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concede that stopping Republicans from installing a new justice is almost impossible .
But recent court battles have shown that it can still be a fundraising bonanza for them .
Democrats have enjoyed competitive fundraising in statewide elections this cycle .
The veteran Democratic ad-maker Martha McKenna suggested that the fundraising rush would only increase during a supreme court nomination fight .
“ The only thing you can do to help is money – because of Covid – and that is going to make a difference , I think , ” McKenna said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ funded races in places like Kansas and South Carolina – it ’ s gon na matter.
” The Democratic Ohio senator Sherrod Brown , who is not up for re-election , predicted that quickly confirming a new justice would drive key constituents away from the Republican party .
“ I think what [ Senate majority leader Mitch ] McConnell ’ s doing is especially gon na turn off young voters who care about a woman ’ s right to choose , who care about the environment , who care about climate and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said during a press gaggle .
Brown added : “ Young voters know that and I think that ’ s why McConnell ’ s decision in the end is probably going to hurt his party .
”

The shock of a sudden new vacancy on the US supreme court has rippled out to some of the most contentious Senate races in the final weeks before the 3 November elections, throwing the vital issue of who might win control of the body into confusion.
The recent death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg while Republicans control the Senate and the White House virtually ensures that her replacement will be conservative, swinging the court into a 6-3 conservative majority.
Donald Trump and Republicans have indicated they plan to move swiftly to install a new justice, meaning the vetting period and confirmation battle will happen during the days when incumbent senators and their challengers are making their final pitches to voters.
As a result, the dynamic in key races has shifted to varying degrees across the country, from Maine to Colorado. For Republicans, the battle for the Senate is an essential bid to cling to a hugely powerful body; for Democrats, wresting control of the chamber would be a hugely welcome – if previously unexpected – triumph.
In some races, the supreme court vacancy offers a chance for Democrats to rally their bases in states that increasingly lean left. In others, the vacancy gives Republican candidates the opportunity to remind voters who want the high court to tackle cases on abortion, deregulation, and overturning healthcare reform that senators can play a role.
“It should help red-state enthusiasm in that it’ll remind people what’s at stake in this election,” said the Republican strategist Cam Savage. “[But] there will be places in the country where it benefits the Democrats.”
Strategists and officials for both parties stress the campaign landscape is not yet clear.
Trump has not announced a nominee and only in the past few days have swing senators indicated whether they support quickly going through the process of confirmation.
In deciding whether to confirm a justice before the election or after, senators have signaled they are taking their own electoral prospects into account.
In Democratic-leaning Maine, where Senator Susan Collins is trailing her Democratic challenger, Sara Gideon, Collins has split with most of her Republican colleagues and said she would hold off on confirming a justice until after the November election.
The South Carolina Senate candidate Jamie Harrison speaks during the Democratic national convention in August. Photograph: DNCC/Getty Images
In Republican-leaning South Carolina, Senator Lindsey Graham has said his chamber should move “expeditiously” to confirm a new justice. That is despite Graham saying in 2016 that if there were a vacancy this close to a presidential election, the vacancy should be filled after the election, regardless of which party is in power. The Democrat Jamie Harrison, who polls show is trailing Graham by single digits, has used Graham’s about-face on confirming a justice as part of his overarching argument that Graham is a hypocrite.
In red-leaning states such as Kansas or Iowa, though, Republicans expect the vacancy to drive conservatives, even ones dissatisfied with Trump, to come out and vote. In Senate races where Democrats have the upper hand, top Senate Republicans think the vacancy will at least tighten the margins.
Some candidates have framed the vacancy in terms of specific issues such as healthcare – which Democrats see as one of the most effective policy points to discuss on the campaign trail.
“This is a decision that will impact Arizonans, especially with an upcoming case about healthcare and protections for pre-existing conditions,” the Democrat Mark Kelly, who is running for Senate in Arizona, said in a statement on Saturday. “Arizonans will begin casting their ballots in a few weeks, and I believe the people elected to the presidency and Senate in November should fill this vacancy.”
“In states like Arizona and North Carolina, a polarized fight helps tighten the margin down-ballot and ties it closer to the top of the ticket,” a Senate Republican official said.
Some of the most endangered senators in the country, though, have stuck with their party on the supreme court fight.
In Democratic-leaning Colorado, Senator Cory Gardner joined with other Republicans to support confirming a Trump nominee. In conservative Alabama, Senator Doug Jones has echoed Democratic calls for the winner of the 3 November presidential election to pick the next justice.
It’s still early, though, and some of the major national entities that usually work to boost Senate candidates are waiting for more polling on a new justice before diving into the fray.
Democrats concede that stopping Republicans from installing a new justice is almost impossible. But recent court battles have shown that it can still be a fundraising bonanza for them. Democrats have enjoyed competitive fundraising in statewide elections this cycle. The veteran Democratic ad-maker Martha McKenna suggested that the fundraising rush would only increase during a supreme court nomination fight.
“The only thing you can do to help is money – because of Covid – and that is going to make a difference, I think,” McKenna said. “I really do think fully funded races in places like Kansas and South Carolina – it’s gonna matter.”
The Democratic Ohio senator Sherrod Brown, who is not up for re-election, predicted that quickly confirming a new justice would drive key constituents away from the Republican party.
“I think what [Senate majority leader Mitch] McConnell’s doing is especially gonna turn off young voters who care about a woman’s right to choose, who care about the environment, who care about climate and the future of this country,” Brown said during a press gaggle.
Brown added: “Young voters know that and I think that’s why McConnell’s decision in the end is probably going to hurt his party.”


theguardian--2020-09-25--The meme-fication of US politics: two films reveal the faces behind the posts

On 13 October 2015 , Donald Trump , who had recently announced his run for president , tweeted an image of himself standing at the presidential lectern , his face transmogrified into a green , smug-looking frog , known to certain corners of the internet as Pepe .
With hindsight , this strange moment offers a stake in the ground , marking out the point when the meme was invited into mainstream political culture .
This collapse of the virtual and the real seems to have only accelerated since then .
Online phenomena are no longer cordoned off in their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ screen to play mischief in the so-called “ real world ” .
Two recent documentaries attempt to explain how this all happened , from two very different perspectives .
The first , Feels Good Man , tracks Pepe ’ s journey to notoriety from the point of view of its creator , Matt Furie , a sweet-tempered , somewhat credulous California-based illustrator .
We learn that Furie first created Pepe for his 2005 comic Boy ’ s Club , which tracked the lives of four human-like animal friends living in the languid state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 90s slackers , they drink , smoke , fart , and say things like “ got milk ?
” and “ as if ” .
The comic is crude , light-hearted , funny , portraying a type of masculinity in which , as one fan of the comic explains , “ you can be in your underwear singing Shania Twain ” .
On a whim , Furie uploads a few frames from the comic to his Myspace page .
Soon , a wide array of Pepe memes start to take over .
People @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and post him on obscure forums and bulletin boards , including on 4chan , where Pepe undergoes the first of several major mutations .
By 2008 , he is no longer Furie ’ s “ happy little frog ” but a sad , alienated creature , an avatar for disgruntled dropouts who live in their mothers ’ basements – or in 4chan language , Neets ( Not in Education or Training ) .
As Pepe breaks out on to more mainstream social media platforms , his image changes once again into a more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shared by the likes of Nicki Minaj and Katie Perry .
The 4chaners , who feel their mascot is being stolen by “ normies ” , react by metamorphizing Pepe into the most “ problematic ” creature imaginable .
They generate versions of Pepe emblazoned with swastikas , Pepe gassing Jewish people , Pepe in a KKK hood .
The idea is that if they make the frog politically incorrect , normies will back off .
The ploy worked , perhaps better than expected .
By 2015 , Pepe had become a symbol @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rightwingers , all the way from anti-PC “ activists ” to full-blown “ alt-right ” white nationalists to Donald Trump .
For a long time , Furie remains somewhat nonplussed about Pepe ’ s increasingly toxic online mutations .
“ I am just a spectator , ” he tells a friend .
It is only when his design is designated as a hate symbol by the Anti-Defamation League in September 2016 that he finally confronts how out of hand his Golem-like creature has become .
He teams up with the ADL to launch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and upload their own , peace-loving version of the frog , to drown out the hate .
Of course , the plan fails .
4chan users continue to post racist and pro-Trump memes by the tens of thousands .
When Trump wins the election , 4chaners declare that they memed their candidate all the way to the White House .
While the trolly menaces who launch Pepe to notoriety remain mostly faceless in Feels Good Man , in Alex Lee Moyer ’ s debut documentary , TFW No GF , they become the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stands for “ that feel when no girlfriend ” , a slogan taken up on 4chan . )
Eschewing conventions of expert talking heads or definitive narrative , the film unfolds as a somewhat disjointed collage of interviews with previously anonymous , very online people who have gained notoriety for their shitposting , a way of posting online that intentionally derails conversation through irony or lack of context .
In the tradition of documentaries about fringy subcultures , Moyer takes a non-judgmental , almost sociological lens , allowing the trolls – white men @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bleak , post-industrial American towns – to speak for themselves .
We meet Sean , who identifies as “ five-foot-six and living in a one-bedroom apartment with my mom ” .
The gun-toting brothers Charels and Viddy , who turned to the “ constant onslaught of gore and pornography ” on the internet at a young age to fill the void left by alcoholic parents .
Kyle from El Paso , Texas , who participates in live-action role-playing as a millennial cowboy , gets in fights outside bars , and tweets about it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who is now best known for his appearance in a viral video , filmed at an anti-Trump rally in 2016 , in which he declares that Trump will “ complete the system of German idealism ” .
The awkward , depressive , timid presence these young men project on screen is contrasted with screenshots of their online posting , which is irony-laden , macabre , often abusive , and staggeringly misogynistic .
( Charels , for instance , “ jokes ” that he wants to punch a woman in the stomach so hard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ documentary ’ s title suggests , a source of inspiration for their trolling is unsuccessful relationships with women .
None of Moyer ’ s subjects , however , identify as “ incels ” , and they carefully differentiate themselves from those who confuse shitposting with real world violence , like Elliot Rodger or Alek Minassian , two young men who acted out their violent fantasies through mass murder .
For them , TFW No GF is not a threat , but an emotive motto for a new generation , conveying a fragile emotional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lack of companionship , and no hope for the future .
On 4chan , the memetic representation of this emotion is not Pepe – who symbolizes the smug , trolling self – but Wojak , a Microsoft Paint illustration of a bald man , who often looks depressed or angry .
With his creased , white face and soulless eyes , he is a distinctly uglier character than Pepe , reflecting a broader aesthetic distinction between the two documentaries .
Feels Good Man offers a magnificent visual experience , filled with engaging subjects @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawyers up and successfully enforces Pepe ’ s copyright , barring Alex Jones , Richard Spencer , and a host of far-right figures from using his frog .
In the final scene , we see him swimming in a picturesque rockpool surrounded by friends , finally free from the online spiral into which was been pulled .
In contrast , TFW No GF remains dark and dissonant throughout .
In the end , the young men are seemingly trying to move on with their lives – Charels has a girlfriend , Sean is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ America seems grim and uncertain .
Having spent so much time in the darkest corners of the online world in their formative years , it is difficult to imagine them ever escaping back into the “ real world ” , or liberating themselves from psychic consequences of their nihilist shitposting .
In this sense , they , and Moyer ’ s documentary , might offer a more accurate , if terrifying , view of where the culture is heading .

On 13 October 2015, Donald Trump, who had recently announced his run for president, tweeted an image of himself standing at the presidential lectern, his face transmogrified into a green, smug-looking frog, known to certain corners of the internet as Pepe. With hindsight, this strange moment offers a stake in the ground, marking out the point when the meme was invited into mainstream political culture.
This collapse of the virtual and the real seems to have only accelerated since then. Online phenomena are no longer cordoned off in their virtual barriers but regularly pass through the screen to play mischief in the so-called “real world”. Two recent documentaries attempt to explain how this all happened – from two very different perspectives.
The first one, Feels Good Man, aims to dissect how the Pepe meme was hijacked by extremist groups to turn the comic character into a symbol of far right bigotry. By comparison the second documentary, TFW No GF, allows a handful of trolls to speak for themselves with little critical pushback. The film was partially funded by Cody Wilson, who was described by the Southern Poverty Law Center as someone who “exists in the world of antigovernment extremists, as a product of a sort of extreme post-libertarianism”. In 2017 he launched Hatreon, a site aimed at crowdfunding for white nationalists who had been banned from sites such as Kickstarter and Patreon.
Feels Good Man tracks Pepe’s journey to notoriety from the point of view of its creator, Matt Furie, a sweet-tempered, somewhat credulous California-based illustrator. We learn that Furie first created Pepe for his 2005 comic Boy’s Club, which tracked the lives of four human-like animal friends living in the languid state between college and adult life. Quintessential 90s slackers, they drink, smoke, fart, and say things like “got milk?” and “as if”. The comic is crude, light-hearted, funny, portraying a type of masculinity in which, as one fan of the comic explains, “you can be in your underwear singing Shania Twain”.
On a whim, Furie uploads a few frames from the comic to his Myspace page. Soon, a wide array of Pepe memes start to take over. People make their own versions of the frog and post him on obscure forums and bulletin boards, including on 4chan, where Pepe undergoes the first of several major mutations. By 2008, he is no longer Furie’s “happy little frog” but a sad, alienated creature, an avatar for disgruntled dropouts who live in their mothers’ basements – or in 4chan language, Neets (Not in Education or Training).
As Pepe breaks out on to more mainstream social media platforms, his image changes once again into a more palatable, funny, feminized frog – shared by the likes of Nicki Minaj and Katie Perry. The 4chaners, who feel their mascot is being stolen by “normies”, react by metamorphizing Pepe into the most “problematic” creature imaginable. They generate versions of Pepe emblazoned with swastikas, Pepe gassing Jewish people, Pepe in a KKK hood. The idea is that if they make the frog politically incorrect, normies will back off.
The ploy worked, perhaps better than expected. By 2015, Pepe had become a symbol for a broad coalition of self-styled transgressive rightwingers, all the way from anti-PC “activists” to full-blown “alt-right” white nationalists to Donald Trump.
For a long time, Furie remains somewhat nonplussed about Pepe’s increasingly toxic online mutations. “I am just a spectator,” he tells a friend. It is only when his design is designated as a hate symbol by the Anti-Defamation League in September 2016 that he finally confronts how out of hand his Golem-like creature has become. He teams up with the ADL to launch #SavePepe, inviting people to draw and upload their own, peace-loving version of the frog, to drown out the hate.
Matt Furie in a scene from Feels Good Man. Photograph: Kurt Keppeler/AP
Of course, the plan fails. 4chan users continue to post racist and pro-Trump memes by the tens of thousands. When Trump wins the election, 4chaners declare that they memed their candidate all the way to the White House.
While the trolly menaces who launch Pepe to notoriety remain mostly faceless in Feels Good Man, in Alex Lee Moyer’s debut documentary, TFW No GF, they become the central characters. (TFW No GF stands for “that feel when no girlfriend”, a slogan taken up on 4chan.)
Eschewing conventions of expert talking heads or definitive narrative, the film unfolds as a somewhat disjointed collage of interviews with previously anonymous, very online people who have gained notoriety for their shitposting, a way of posting online that intentionally derails conversation through irony or lack of context. In the tradition of documentaries about fringy subcultures, Moyer takes a non-judgmental, almost sociological lens, allowing the trolls – white men in their 20s who live mostly in bleak, post-industrial American towns – to speak for themselves.
This decision has made the documentary controversial. By focusing on the trolls’ narrative, Moyer has overlooked those who have been harmed by the abuse and hate that has spread on the platforms that they inhabit. This concern is compounded by Cody Wilson’s involvement in funding the film. When confronted about taking money from Wilson, as well as gaining access to his sources in the far-right world, Moyer told Rolling Stone: “This film is going to stand the test of time and it’s going to help a lot of people. And I will accept money from Cody Wilson for this project, whether I agree with any of his personal decisions or not.”
In the film, we meet Sean, who identifies as “five-foot-six and living in a one-bedroom apartment with my mom”. The gun-toting brothers Charels and Viddy, who turned to the “constant onslaught of gore and pornography” on the internet at a young age to fill the void left by alcoholic parents. Kyle from El Paso, Texas, who participates in live-action role-playing as a millennial cowboy, gets in fights outside bars, and tweets about it later. And Kantbot, a philosopher-shitposter who is now best known for his appearance in a viral video, filmed at an anti-Trump rally in 2016, in which he declares that Trump will “complete the system of German idealism”.
The awkward, depressive, timid presence these young men project on screen is contrasted with screenshots of their online posting, which is irony-laden, macabre, often abusive, and staggeringly misogynistic. (Charels, for instance, “jokes” that he wants to punch a woman in the stomach so hard she stops breathing.)
As the documentary’s title suggests, a source of inspiration for their trolling is unsuccessful relationships with women. None of Moyer’s subjects, however, identify as “incels”, and they carefully differentiate themselves from those who confuse shitposting with real world violence, like Elliot Rodger or Alek Minassian, two young men who acted out their violent fantasies through mass murder. For them, TFW No GF is not a threat, but an emotive motto for a new generation, conveying a fragile emotional state that develops out of loneliness, lack of companionship, and no hope for the future.
On 4chan, the memetic representation of this emotion is not Pepe – who symbolizes the smug, trolling self – but Wojak, a Microsoft Paint illustration of a bald man, who often looks depressed or angry. With his creased, white face and soulless eyes, he is a distinctly uglier character than Pepe, reflecting a broader aesthetic distinction between the two documentaries. Feels Good Man offers a magnificent visual experience, filled with engaging subjects, that ends with redemption: Furie lawyers up and successfully enforces Pepe’s copyright, barring Alex Jones, Richard Spencer, and a host of far-right figures from using his frog. In the final scene, we see him swimming in a picturesque rockpool surrounded by friends, finally free from the online spiral into which was pulled.
In contrast, TFW No GF remains dark and dissonant throughout. In the end, the young men are seemingly trying to move on with their lives – Charels has a girlfriend, Sean is lifting weights. But their future in America seems grim and uncertain. Having spent so much time in the darkest corners of the online world in their formative years, it is difficult to imagine them ever escaping back into the “real world”, or liberating themselves from psychic consequences of their nihilist shitposting.
In this sense, they, and Moyer’s documentary, might offer a more accurate, if terrifying, view of where the culture is heading.