theguardian--2020-12-05--Trump's latest batch of election lawsuits fizzle as dozens of losses pile up

For a man obsessed with winning , Donald Trump is losing a lot .
In the month since the election , the president and his legal team have come no closer in their frantic efforts to overturn the result , notching up dozens of losses in courts across the country , with more rolling in by the day .
According to an Associated Press tally of roughly 50 cases brought by Trump ’ s campaign and his allies , more than 30 have been rejected or dropped , and about a dozen are awaiting action .
The advocacy group Democracy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ higher , tweeting on Friday that Trump ’ s team had lost 46 post-election lawsuits following several fresh losses in several states on Friday .
Trump has notched just one small victory , a case challenging a decision to move the deadline to provide missing proof of identification for certain absentee ballots and mail-in ballots in Pennsylvania .
Five more losses came on Friday .
The Trump campaign lost its bid to overturn the results of the election in Nevada and a Michigan appeals court rejected a case from his campaign .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by GOP lawmakers .
And in Arizona , a judge threw out a bid to undo Biden ’ s victory there , concluding that the state ’ s Republican party chairwoman failed to prove fraud or misconduct and that the evidence presented at trial wouldn ’ t reverse Trump ’ s loss .
The Wisconsin supreme court also declined to hear a lawsuit brought by a conservative group over Trump ’ s loss .
Trump ’ s latest failings came as California certified Joe Biden as the official winner in the state , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needed to win the White House .
Secretary of State Alex Padilla ’ s formal approval of the state ’ s 55 pledged electors brought Biden ’ s tally so far to 279 , according to a count by the Associated Press – just over the 270 threshold needed for victory .
The Republican president and his allies continue to mount new cases , recycling the same baseless claims , even after Trump ’ s own attorney general , William Barr , declared this week that the justice department had uncovered no widespread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be a losing strategy , and in a way it ’ s even bad for him : he gets to re-lose the election numerous times , “ said Kent Greenfield , a professor at Boston College Law School .
“ The depths of his petulance and narcissism continue to surprise me.
” Trump has refused to admit he lost and this week posted a 46-minute speech to Facebook filled with conspiracy theories , misstatements and vows to keep up his fight to subvert the election .
Judges in battleground states have repeatedly swatted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and his allies .
Trump ’ s legal team has vowed to take one Pennsylvania case to the US supreme court even though it was rejected in a scathing ruling by a federal judge , as well as an appeals court .
After recently being kicked off Trump ’ s legal team , the conservative attorney Sidney Powell filed new lawsuits in Arizona and Wisconsin this week riddled with errors and wild conspiracy claims about election rigging .
One of the plaintiffs named in the Wisconsin case said he never agreed to participate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social media that he had been included .
In his video posted Wednesday , Trump falsely claimed there were facts and evidence of a mass conspiracy created by Democrats to steal the election , a similar argument made by his lawyer Rudy Giuliani and others before judges , which have been largely unsuccessful .
Most of their claims are rooted in conspiracy theories about voting machines , as well as testimony from partisan poll watchers who claimed they didn ’ t get close enough to see ballots being tallied because of Covid safety @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t hear any facts or evidence , “ tweeted the Pennsylvania attorney general , Josh Shapiro , a Democrat , after watching the video Wednesday night .
“ What I did hear was a sad Facebook rant from a man who lost an election .
”

For a man obsessed with winning, Donald Trump is losing a lot.
In the month since the election, the president and his legal team have come no closer in their frantic efforts to overturn the result, notching up dozens of losses in courts across the country, with more rolling in by the day.
According to an Associated Press tally of roughly 50 cases brought by Trump’s campaign and his allies, more than 30 have been rejected or dropped, and about a dozen are awaiting action.
The advocacy group Democracy Docket put Trump’s losses even higher, tweeting on Friday that Trump’s team had lost 46 post-election lawsuits following several fresh losses in several states on Friday.
Trump has notched just one small victory, a case challenging a decision to move the deadline to provide missing proof of identification for certain absentee ballots and mail-in ballots in Pennsylvania.
Five more losses came on Friday. The Trump campaign lost its bid to overturn the results of the election in Nevada and a Michigan appeals court rejected a case from his campaign. The Minnesota supreme court dismissed a challenge brought by GOP lawmakers. And in Arizona, a judge threw out a bid to undo Biden’s victory there, concluding that the state’s Republican party chairwoman failed to prove fraud or misconduct and that the evidence presented at trial wouldn’t reverse Trump’s loss. The Wisconsin supreme court also declined to hear a lawsuit brought by a conservative group over Trump’s loss.
Trump’s latest failings came as California certified Joe Biden as the official winner in the state, officially handing him the electoral college majority needed to win the White House. Secretary of State Alex Padilla’s formal approval of the state’s 55 pledged electors brought Biden’s tally so far to 279, according to a count by the Associated Press – just over the 270 threshold needed for victory.
The Republican president and his allies continue to mount new cases, recycling the same baseless claims, even after Trump’s own attorney general, William Barr, declared this week that the justice department had uncovered no widespread fraud.
“This will continue to be a losing strategy, and in a way it’s even bad for him: he gets to re-lose the election numerous times,“ said Kent Greenfield, a professor at Boston College Law School. “The depths of his petulance and narcissism continue to surprise me.”
Trump has refused to admit he lost and this week posted a 46-minute speech to Facebook filled with conspiracy theories, misstatements and vows to keep up his fight to subvert the election.
Judges in battleground states have repeatedly swatted down legal challenges brought by the president and his allies. Trump’s legal team has vowed to take one Pennsylvania case to the US supreme court even though it was rejected in a scathing ruling by a federal judge, as well as an appeals court.
After recently being kicked off Trump’s legal team, the conservative attorney Sidney Powell filed new lawsuits in Arizona and Wisconsin this week riddled with errors and wild conspiracy claims about election rigging. One of the plaintiffs named in the Wisconsin case said he never agreed to participate in the case and found out through social media that he had been included.
In his video posted Wednesday, Trump falsely claimed there were facts and evidence of a mass conspiracy created by Democrats to steal the election, a similar argument made by his lawyer Rudy Giuliani and others before judges, which have been largely unsuccessful.
Most of their claims are rooted in conspiracy theories about voting machines, as well as testimony from partisan poll watchers who claimed they didn’t get close enough to see ballots being tallied because of Covid safety precautions.
“No, I didn’t hear any facts or evidence,“ tweeted the Pennsylvania attorney general, Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, after watching the video Wednesday night. “What I did hear was a sad Facebook rant from a man who lost an election.”


theguardian--2020-12-05--Daca program must reopen for new applications, judge rules

The Trump administration must accept new applications for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program , also known as Daca , which protects some young immigrants from deportation , a federal judge ruled on Friday .
The ruling by Judge Nicholas Garaufis means that the administration must reopen the program to first-time applicants and return the period of protections to two years .
In July , the acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security , Chad Wolf , issued a memo that suspended Daca for new applications and reduced how long renewals were valid from for – from two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s ruling follows one from November , in which Garaufis said Wolf had assumed his position unlawfully , and his suspension of the Daca program was therefore invalid .
Garaufis said the government had to post a public notice within three days that new Daca applications were being accepted .
Garaufis also ordered the government to put together a status report on the Daca program by 4 January .
The Daca program was created in 2012 under Barack Obama and allows people brought to the US unlawfully as children the temporary right to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ America , rather than living in fear of deportation .
The program allowed young immigrants to do basic things like get driver ’ s licenses , apply for colleges or get work permits .
Those protected under Daca are known as “ Dreamers ” .
About 650,000 people are currently enrolled in the program .
Daca became a major flashpoint under the Trump administration .
During the 2016 election , Trump promised to rip up Daca immediately , triggering a legal battle that continued throughout his presidency , winding up in the supreme @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in June blocked Trump ’ s bid to end Daca , calling it “ arbitrary and capricious ” and saying that it violated federal law .
His administration , however , continued its policy of not accepting new applications for the program .
Joe Biden has pledged to make Daca permanent via legislation when he takes office .

The Trump administration must accept new applications for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, also known as Daca, which protects some young immigrants from deportation, a federal judge ruled on Friday.
The ruling by Judge Nicholas Garaufis means that the administration must reopen the program to first-time applicants and return the period of protections to two years.
In July, the acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Chad Wolf, issued a memo that suspended Daca for new applications and reduced how long renewals were valid from for – from two years to one year.
Friday’s ruling follows one from November, in which Garaufis said Wolf had assumed his position unlawfully, and his suspension of the Daca program was therefore invalid.
Garaufis said the government had to post a public notice within three days that new Daca applications were being accepted. Garaufis also ordered the government to put together a status report on the Daca program by 4 January.
The Daca program was created in 2012 under Barack Obama and allows people brought to the US unlawfully as children the temporary right to legally live, study and work in America, rather than living in fear of deportation. The program allowed young immigrants to do basic things like get driver’s licenses, apply for colleges or get work permits.
Those protected under Daca are known as “Dreamers”. About 650,000 people are currently enrolled in the program.
Daca became a major flashpoint under the Trump administration. During the 2016 election, Trump promised to rip up Daca immediately, triggering a legal battle that continued throughout his presidency, winding up in the supreme court this year.
The supreme court in June blocked Trump’s bid to end Daca, calling it “arbitrary and capricious” and saying that it violated federal law. His administration, however, continued its policy of not accepting new applications for the program.
Joe Biden has pledged to make Daca permanent via legislation when he takes office.


theguardian--2020-12-05--Biden urges Congress to act on economy and Covid with 'dark winter' ahead – as it happened

A $ 2.3m coronavirus contact-tracing contract in Iowa was awarded to a major Republican donor in a 36-hour bidding process critics say smacks of favoritism from the state ’ s Republican governor .
The man who owns the company has claimed his telemarketing company made 80 million calls to help Trump win the 2016 election .
Here is his current pinned tweet : '' Don ’ t give in , don ’ t back down , and never stop doing what you know is right .
Nothing worth doing ever , ever came easy , and the more righteous your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will face . ''
- @ realDonaldTrump Welcome back to # Iowa @ DonaldJTrumpJr & @ kimguilfoyle .
🇺🇸 # VOTE pic.twitter.com/gAZmnfcpcO And here is more from the Associated Press : MCI is owned by GOP donor Anthony Marlowe , who has boasted that it played a key role in Trump ’ s 2016 victory and was among the state ’ s top backers of Trump ’ s unsuccessful reelection bid .
Marlowe was an Iowa delegate to the Republican National Convention in August who spoke during the roll call vote as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He said his company had grown from 400 employees in 2016 to 4,000 “ thanks to your explosive economic policies.
” MCI subsidiary Mass Markets has been paid $ 1 million by Trump ’ s campaign for telemarketing and data services since 2016 , campaign finance records show .
Marlowe said in 2016 the company made 80 million calls to help Trump get out the vote , raise money and draw crowds to events .
This cycle , MCI provided custom software and telephony services to the campaign .
The Republican governor ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 18,000 for services between 2017 and 2019 to promote rally turnout , and Marlowe ’ s firm has recently done work for the Republican Party of Iowa .
Marlowe has become a major donor , giving more than $ 175,000 to Republican Party groups and candidates since 2017 , including to Trump , Reynolds and the state party , records show .
His wife Julia began working at the White House earlier this year , although the couple has since announced their divorce .
Iowa awarded the contract using federal coronavirus relief funds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , after contact-tracing workers had been unable to keep pace with new cases .
Last month , the state ’ s third-largest county abandoned contact tracing amid exponential growth .
Democratic state Sen. Joe Bolkcom of Iowa City , ranking member of the appropriations committee , called the bidding process “ terrible ” because vendors had only 36 hours to apply .
“ We knew for weeks and weeks we weren ’ t keeping up with contact-tracing .
Suddenly we have this emergency and a competitive process that ’ s meaningless , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hired this company that has these close ties to the governor .
This just reeks of inside dealing.
” He noted the state ’ s no-bid contracts for a $ 26 million testing program and $ 21 million payroll system using coronavirus relief funds also faced favoritism allegations .
Independent experts had long recommended that Iowa hire hundreds or thousands more people to identify , contact and isolate those exposed to infected people to slow the spread .
Facing a virus surge that was overwhelming hospitals , the Iowa Department of Public Health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a contact tracing vendor .
Citing the urgency , the department said proposals would be due the next day at midnight .
Fourteen companies submitted bids for the work .
Marlowe said he wanted MCI , whose proposal was dated Nov. 16 , to be the first to apply to demonstrate its nimbleness .
“ Simply put , we move quickly and get things done , ” he said .
Proposals had to be 10 pages .
MCI ’ s 12-page proposal had one page of references and one page of graphics , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deficiency ” but not disqualifying , agency spokeswoman Sarah Ekstrand said .
MCI was the top-scoring applicant out of the six that met the minimum score , she said .
Reynolds spokesman Pat Garrett said the governor ’ s office played no role in the request for proposals or contract selection .
Marlowe said that he had not discussed the contract with Reynolds and that he doubted she was aware MCI worked on her campaign .
He released emails showing another MCI official had solicited state officials in March and state epidemiologist Dr. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ services .
MCI ’ s proposal said it would charge $ 240,000 per week to provide 200 full-time tracers .

Vivian Ho (now), Jessica Glenza and Martin Belam (earlier)

5 Dec 2020 01.17 GMT Evening summary Busy day if you were an attorney for the Trump team. Thanks for sticking with us while we made sense of all those rulings! Donald Trump and his team notched losses in four states in his bid to contest the election results . A Georgia appellate court, the Wisconsin supreme court, a superior court in Arizona and a district court in Nevada all had some choice words for Team Trump .
and his team notched losses in in his bid to contest the . A appellate court, the supreme court, a superior court in and a district court in all had some choice words for . A judge has ordered the Trump administration to restore Daca.
to restore Five counties in the San Francisco Bay Area have pre-emptively adopted the state’s regional stay-at-home order, which will affect 6m Californians.
Updated at 01.26 GMT
5 Dec 2020 00.44 GMT Who’s ready for loss No 46? A judge has denied the Trump team’s contest of election results in Arizona. 🚨🚨BREAKING: Arizona Court DENIES Election Contest.
Court: "Plaintiff has not proven that the Biden/Harris ticket did not receive the highest number of votes."
Trump and his allies have now lost 46 post-election lawsuits.https://t.co/gXiCj2xUR1 — Marc E. Elias (@marceelias) December 4, 2020 Randall Warner, a Maricopa county superior court judge, wrote in his ruling that the evidence does not show fraud or misconduct, nor does it show illegal votes or erroneous vote counts. He specifically noted the allegation around mail-in ballots and signature comparisons, writing that “the signature comparison is just one part of the verification process” and that “Maricopa County election officials followed this process faithfully in 2020”. “Approximately 1.9m mail-in ballots were cast and, of these, approximately 20,000 were identified that required contacting the voter,” Warner wrote. “Of those, only 587 ultimately could not be validated.” “Plaintiff has not proven that the Biden/Harris ticket did not receive the highest number of votes,” Warner wrote.
Updated at 01.10 GMT
5 Dec 2020 00.26 GMT Here comes another one. For the Trump legal team, the decision from the Wisconsin Supreme Court to deny a petition from a conservative group asking the panel to invalidate the presidential election is loss no. 45, according to a tally by the Democracy Docket. 🚨🚨BREAKING: Wisconsin Supreme Court DENIES application by conservative group to invalidate results of the election.
Trump and his allies have now lost 45 post election cases and won 1.https://t.co/xVhV7iMW3t — Marc E. Elias (@marceelias) December 4, 2020 Justice Brian Hagedorn wrote incredulously that while the unprecedented petition “falls far short of the kind of compelling evidence and legal support we would undoubtedly need to countenance the court-ordered disenfranchisement of every Wisconsin voter”, at least “no one can accuse the petitioners of timidity”. This passage of his decision is worth a read:
Nonetheless, I feel compelled to share a further observation. Something far more fundamental than the winner of Wisconsin’s electoral votes is implicated in this case. At stake, in some measure, is faith in our system of free and fair elections, a feature central to the enduring strength of our constitutional republic. It can be easy to blithely move on to the next case with a petition so obviously lacking, but this is sobering. The relief being sought by the petitioners is the most dramatic invocation of judicial power I have ever seen. Judicial acquiescence to such entreaties built on so flimsy a foundation would do indelible damage to every future election. Once the door is opened to judicial invalidation of presidential election results, it will be awfully hard to close that door again. This is a dangerous path we are being asked to tread. The loss of public trust in our constitutional order resulting from the exercise of this kind of judicial power would be incalculable. I do not mean to suggest this court should look the other way no matter what. But if there is a sufficient basis to invalidate an election, it must be established with evidence and arguments commensurate with the scale of the claims and the relief sought. These petitioners have come nowhere close. While the rough and tumble world of electoral politics may be the prism through which many view this litigation, it cannot be so for us. In these hallowed halls, the law must rule.
Updated at 01.12 GMT
4 Dec 2020 23.23 GMT Trump loses 44th post-election appeal Donald Trump notched his 44th loss in post-election litigation on Friday when a district judge dismissed both an attempt by his campaign to contest the election results in Nevada and another in Georgia, according to a count by Democracy Docket. 🚨BREAKING: 11th Circuit DISMISSES Georgia Kraken appeal. 🐙
Trump and his allies remain 1-44 in post-election litigation.https://t.co/QjoooN47HA — Marc E. Elias (@marceelias) December 4, 2020 🚨🚨BREAKING: Nevada court DISMISSES with prejudice Trump Election Contest!
Trump and his allies are now 1-44 in post election litigation.https://t.co/MSGolxNx6u — Helis Bor (@helisbor) December 4, 2020 First off, here’s a recap of all the election challenges happening: The Nevada dismissal was fairly straightforward, with Judge James Russell ruling that “contestants evidence does not establish by any clear and convincing proof, or any standard of evidence, that ‘the defendant or any person acting, either directly or indirectly, on behalf of the defendant has given, or offered to give, to any person anything of value for the purpose of manipulating or altering the outcome of the election’.” Trump’s campaign had asked a judge to nullify Nevada’s election results or set them aside and declare him the winner, arguing that illegal or improper votes were cast and the use of optical scanning to process signatures on mail-in ballots violated state law. The Georgia dismissal was more an issue of jurisdiction. The lawsuit in Georgia involved the state’s presidential electors from Georgia, who sued the governor and secretary of state, among others, on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, asserting that Georgia’s certified 2020 presidential election results were suspect because of alleged vulnerabilities in Georgia’s election machines and alleged mathematical and statistical anomalies in the vote count. Two days later, they sought a restraining order to prevent the erasing or altering forensic data on voting machines, among other things, and a judge granted them a limited restraining order that applied to the machines in three counties. The Trump team appealed that order. The court had an evidentiary hearing scheduled before the appeal that it was forced to canceled. So the court was fairly scathing in their dismissal of that appeal: In our judicial system, the district court is the central forum for testing, advancing, proving, or disproving a party’s allegations. It is where trials take place and the parties present their evidence. As a court of appeals, “we are a court of review, not of first view.” Typically, we enter the picture only after the district court has considered the parties’ competing positions and a winner has emerged. Less frequently, we review preliminary injunctions or orders that ask a particularly important, purely legal question. The district court has not issued one of those appealable orders. In this case, the district court issued an emergency temporary restraining order at the plaintiffs’ request, worked at a breakneck pace to provide them an opportunity for broader relief, and was ready to enter an appealable order on the merits of their claims immediately after its expedited hearing on December 4, 2020. But the plaintiffs would not take the district court’s “yes” for an answer. They appealed instead. And, because they appealed, the evidentiary hearing has been stayed and the case considerably delayed. For our part, the law requires that we dismiss the appeal and return the case to the district court for further proceedings.
Updated at 00.08 GMT
4 Dec 2020 23.11 GMT Judge orders Trump administration to fully restore Daca A federal court judge has ordered the Trump administration to restore the Daca program that made it possible for undocumented immigrants brought to the country as children to live and work in the US without fear of deportation. BREAKING: VICTORY in the courts for #DACA! Today the Eastern District of New York ruled in our case with @MaketheRoadNY and @WiracYls to undo the harm of the Trump administration’s latest attacks on DACA. Here’s what you need to know 👇 — National Immigration Law Center (@NILC) December 4, 2020 The ruling by US Judge Nicholas Garaufis meant that the administration must reopen the program to first-time applicants and return the period of protections to two years. A quick recap: Daca is a program created in 2012 under Barack Obama that allowed people brought to the US unlawfully as children the temporary right legally to live, study and work in America, instead of always having to fear deportation. The program allowed them to do basic things like get driver’s licenses, apply for colleges or get work permits. This is a major victory for immigrant youth, led by immigrant youth. We would not be celebrating this day were it not for our courageous plaintiffs that fought to affirm that their #HomeIsHere. — National Immigration Law Center (@NILC) December 4, 2020
4 Dec 2020 22.58 GMT Trump orders troops out of Somalia Donald Trump has ordered all 700 American troops out of Somalia, the New York Times is reporting. The mostly special operations troops who have been conducting training and counterterrorism missions will be leaving by 15 January, five days before the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden. A Defense Department official told the Times that many of the troops will be “repositioned” to Kenya.
Updated at 23.20 GMT
4 Dec 2020 22.47 GMT 6m ordered to stay at home in California The five Bay Area counties’ preemptive adoption of the regional stay-at-home order will affect about 6m Californians when it goes into effect on Sunday. The preemptive order comes as San Francisco averages 142 new Covid-19 cases a day and 900 new cases a week. Hospitalizations have tripled over the last month. “It takes several weeks for new restrictions to slow rising hospitalizations and waiting until only 15 percent of a region’s ICU beds are available is just too late,” said San Francisco health officer Dr Tomás Aragon. “Many heavily impacted parts of our region already have less than 15 percent of ICU beds available, and the time to act is now.” This is not the first time that the Bay Area has led the charge on coronavirus measures. The counties of San Francisco, Santa Clara, San Mateo, Marin, Contra Costa and Alameda were the first in the nation to issue a shelter-in-place order, days before Gavin Newsom, California’s governor, issued the order statewide.
4 Dec 2020 22.12 GMT Hey all, Vivian Ho on the west coast, taking over the blog for the rest of the day. And we’re starting off hot with some west coast news. California announced yesterday new plans to launch regional stay-at-home orders based on intensive-care unit capacity. Once the ICU capacity of a region falls below 15%, a stay-at-home order will be triggered, with the vast majority of the state expected to meet that criteria within the next few days. The San Francisco Bay Area, one of the state’s five regions, is expected to be the last region to fall below a 15% capacity. But on Friday, San Francisco and four other Bay Area counties pre-emptively adopted the stay-at-home order in an effort to curb the surge taking place in the area. San Francisco, along with other Bay Area counties, is opting in to the Governor's regional Stay at Home Order effective Sunday at 10pm.
We're on pace to run out of hospital beds to care for patients the day after Christmas. We must turn this around now. https://t.co/F0qwFnCb9e — London Breed (@LondonBreed) December 4, 2020 “Given the steep increase in Covid-19 cases in San Francisco, we must do whatever is necessary in order to get the virus under control,” said San Francisco Mayor London Breed. “This is about protecting people’s lives. We see how quickly it moves and how devastating the effects. We need to do everything we can to prevent our hospital system from becoming overwhelmed and to save lives.” There are 11 counties total in the stay-at-home designation of these early stay-at-home adopters, meaning seven other counties in this region do not have stay-at-home orders while San Francisco, Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin and Santa Clara counties do. This decision will save lives in Oakland. COVID-19 is surging + Bay Area cities are at high risk of exhausting our ICU capacity. This early regional action will help us bend the curve again, and allow us to enter 2021 with more stability. https://t.co/cPeZWeQLQQ — Libby Schaaf (@LibbySchaaf) December 4, 2020 Meanwhile, the other four regions of the state - northern California, the greater Sacramento area, southern California and the San Joaquin valley - are expected to reach the below-15% threshold within the next few days.
Updated at 23.18 GMT
4 Dec 2020 21.58 GMT Covid-19 surges and the jobs recovery collapses as Congress debates relief package The US saw the worst single-day highs for new Covid-19 cases and deaths of the entire pandemic, at 217,664 new cases and 2,879 deaths.
of the entire pandemic, at 217,664 new cases and 2,879 deaths. President-elect Joe Biden urgently called for Congress to pass a $900bn coronavirus stimulus bill , as the jobs recovery slowed significantly in November.
urgently called for Congress to pass a , as the jobs recovery slowed significantly in November. The latest jobs report, bad on its own, does not reflect the worst effects a probable surge could have on the economy.
That is because the November jobs or coronavirus case data does not reflect new cases acquired during the Thanksgiving holiday , which have yet to be diagnosed because of Covid-19’s long incubation period.
, which have yet to be diagnosed because of Covid-19’s long incubation period. New data on travel over the Thanksgiving holiday showed few Americans heeded warnings to stay at home.
to stay at home. Public health officials from all quarters are warning Americans the darkest days are still ahead and to delay any Christmas plans people may have. I’m now handing the blog over to my esteemed colleague Vivian Ho, who will carry us through the evening.
4 Dec 2020 21.46 GMT A $2.3m coronavirus contact-tracing contract in Iowa was awarded to a major Republican donor in a 36-hour bidding process critics say smacks of favoritism from the state’s Republican governor. The man who owns the company has claimed his telemarketing company made 80 million calls to help Trump win the 2016 election. Here is his current pinned tweet: "Don’t give in, don’t back down, and never stop doing what you know is right. Nothing worth doing ever, ever came easy, and the more righteous your fight, the more opposition that you will face." -@realDonaldTrump
Welcome back to #Iowa @DonaldJTrumpJr & @kimguilfoyle. 🇺🇸 #VOTE pic.twitter.com/gAZmnfcpcO — Anthony Marlowe (@AnthonyMarlowe) October 27, 2020 And here is more from the Associated Press: MCI is owned by GOP donor Anthony Marlowe, who has boasted that it played a key role in Trump’s 2016 victory and was among the state’s top backers of Trump’s unsuccessful reelection bid. Marlowe was an Iowa delegate to the Republican National Convention in August who spoke during the roll call vote as the state supported Trump’s renomination. He said his company had grown from 400 employees in 2016 to 4,000 “thanks to your explosive economic policies.” MCI subsidiary Mass Markets has been paid $1 million by Trump’s campaign for telemarketing and data services since 2016, campaign finance records show. Marlowe said in 2016 the company made 80 million calls to help Trump get out the vote, raise money and draw crowds to events. This cycle, MCI provided custom software and telephony services to the campaign. The Republican governor’s campaign paid MCI more than $18,000 for services between 2017 and 2019 to promote rally turnout, and Marlowe’s firm has recently done work for the Republican Party of Iowa. Marlowe has become a major donor, giving more than $175,000 to Republican Party groups and candidates since 2017, including to Trump, Reynolds and the state party, records show. His wife Julia began working at the White House earlier this year, although the couple has since announced their divorce. Iowa awarded the contract using federal coronavirus relief funds that must be used by Dec. 31, after contact-tracing workers had been unable to keep pace with new cases. Last month, the state’s third-largest county abandoned contact tracing amid exponential growth. Democratic state Sen. Joe Bolkcom of Iowa City, ranking member of the appropriations committee, called the bidding process “terrible” because vendors had only 36 hours to apply. “We knew for weeks and weeks we weren’t keeping up with contact-tracing. Suddenly we have this emergency and a competitive process that’s meaningless,” he said. “Now we have hired this company that has these close ties to the governor. This just reeks of inside dealing.” He noted the state’s no-bid contracts for a $26 million testing program and $21 million payroll system using coronavirus relief funds also faced favoritism allegations. Independent experts had long recommended that Iowa hire hundreds or thousands more people to identify, contact and isolate those exposed to infected people to slow the spread. Facing a virus surge that was overwhelming hospitals, the Iowa Department of Public Health announced Nov. 16 that it was seeking a contact tracing vendor. Citing the urgency, the department said proposals would be due the next day at midnight. Fourteen companies submitted bids for the work. Marlowe said he wanted MCI, whose proposal was dated Nov. 16, to be the first to apply to demonstrate its nimbleness. “Simply put, we move quickly and get things done,” he said. Proposals had to be 10 pages. MCI’s 12-page proposal had one page of references and one page of graphics, which the department considered a “minor deficiency” but not disqualifying, agency spokeswoman Sarah Ekstrand said. MCI was the top-scoring applicant out of the six that met the minimum score, she said. Reynolds spokesman Pat Garrett said the governor’s office played no role in the request for proposals or contract selection. Marlowe said that he had not discussed the contract with Reynolds and that he doubted she was aware MCI worked on her campaign. He released emails showing another MCI official had solicited state officials in March and state epidemiologist Dr. Caitlin Pedati in May to promote its services. MCI’s proposal said it would charge $240,000 per week to provide 200 full-time tracers.
4 Dec 2020 21.16 GMT The press conference concludes with Biden saying an enthusiastic “Yes!” when asked if he will go to Georgia, where two key US Senate races are going into runoffs in January.


theguardian--2020-12-04--Florida newspaper investigation finds state government misled public on Covid as cases rose

Florida this week became the third US state to record a million coronavirus cases and yet the public there has been misled by state leadership about the extent and dangers of the pandemic , especially in the run-up to the presidential election , an investigation has concluded .
Governor Ron DeSantis ’ s administration has been engaged in a pattern of spin and concealment about Covid-19 amid the gravest health threat the state has ever faced , according to a South Florida Sun Sentinel investigation .
According to the newspaper , Republican DeSantis influenced a state administration that “ suppressed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dismissed public health professionals , and promoted the views of scientific dissenters ” who supported the governor ’ s ambivalent approach to the disease .
DeSantis declined to be interviewed , the Sun Sentinel said , but it noted he told Fox News ’ Tucker Carlson Tonight earlier this week that the media ’ s criticism of his approach was “ all political ” .
The investigation found that the Florida department of health ’ s county-level spokespeople stopped issuing public statements about Covid-19 between September and the 3 November election .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did not release details about the earliest cases in Florida and denied the virus was spreading person to person , despite the fact that coronavirus is highly contagious .
The attitude struck by state leadership , mimicking the kind of dismissive approach of Donald Trump , the US president to whom DeSantis is a loyalist , has helped foster a public culture in which many defiantly shun face masks and readily gather in crowded bars and parties , the newspaper said , contrary to federal public health guidelines .
The Sun Sentinel said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with scientists , doctors , politicians and officials , and reviewing thousands of pages of documents .
Misinformation has included the governor ’ s spokesman claiming on Twitter that coronavirus was less deadly than the flu , while also citing statistics in a way that played down the toll of the virus .
As Florida ’ s case total approached 900,000 before the election , Dan Gelber , mayor of Miami Beach , said at a press event , while calling for a statewide mask mandate : “ It ’ s become pretty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now isn ’ t working .
It ’ s unmistakably clear that Florida ’ s approach to managing this pandemic is failing pretty horribly.
” He said that lines to get tested were stretching around the block in his community .
“ The state has rolled back its testing facilities … the state needs to take control of this , ” he said .
Gelber added that since DeSantis “ opened up the economy totally in late September and simultaneously prevented local governments from enforcing individual mask mandates we have seen an enormous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the governor ’ s spokesman , told the Sun Sentinel that DeSantis has not been spinning facts and had stuck with a facts-based message that would accomplish the most in saving lives .
“ The governor has been consistent since the beginning of the pandemic , ” he said .
“ Wash hands , maintain social distance , wear a mask , etc .
But he ’ s also adapted to the data as it becomes available.
” The investigation alleged that DeSantis had shut leading scientists out of the public dialogue on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ academic Scott Atlas to tour Florida with him and they appeared at events where they talked up the advantages of avoiding imposing social restrictions .
Atlas became the controversial leading coronavirus adviser to Trump as the president edged away from the most senior public health officials such as Anthony Fauci and Deborah Birx .
Atlas resigned from his White House post earlier this week .
And as the election neared , the Florida department of health cut back on public information about coronavirus and stopped its regular posts on Facebook and Twitter about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leading university-affiliated experts on infectious diseases have been largely sidelined and bypassed .
“ We have over 200 affiliated faculty within this institute , ” Glenn Morris , director of the University of Florida ’ s Emerging Pathogens Institute , told the Sun Sentinel .
“ This is what we do for a living .
Yet the state has not taken full advantage of that expertise .
”

Florida this week became the third US state to record a million coronavirus cases and yet the public there has been misled by state leadership about the extent and dangers of the pandemic, especially in the run-up to the presidential election, an investigation has concluded.
Governor Ron DeSantis’s administration has been engaged in a pattern of spin and concealment about Covid-19 amid the gravest health threat the state has ever faced, according to a South Florida Sun Sentinel investigation.
According to the newspaper, Republican DeSantis influenced a state administration that “suppressed unfavorable facts, dispensed dangerous misinformation, dismissed public health professionals, and promoted the views of scientific dissenters” who supported the governor’s ambivalent approach to the disease.
DeSantis declined to be interviewed, the Sun Sentinel said, but it noted he told Fox News’ Tucker Carlson Tonight earlier this week that the media’s criticism of his approach was “all political”.
The investigation found that the Florida department of health’s county-level spokespeople stopped issuing public statements about Covid-19 between September and the 3 November election.
And earlier on in the pandemic state leaders did not release details about the earliest cases in Florida and denied the virus was spreading person to person, despite the fact that coronavirus is highly contagious.
The attitude struck by state leadership, mimicking the kind of dismissive approach of Donald Trump, the US president to whom DeSantis is a loyalist, has helped foster a public culture in which many defiantly shun face masks and readily gather in crowded bars and parties, the newspaper said, contrary to federal public health guidelines.
The Sun Sentinel said its extensive reporting is based on interviews with scientists, doctors, politicians and officials, and reviewing thousands of pages of documents.
Misinformation has included the governor’s spokesman claiming on Twitter that coronavirus was less deadly than the flu, while also citing statistics in a way that played down the toll of the virus.
As Florida’s case total approached 900,000 before the election, Dan Gelber, mayor of Miami Beach, said at a press event, while calling for a statewide mask mandate: “It’s become pretty clear that what Florida is doing right now isn’t working. It’s unmistakably clear that Florida’s approach to managing this pandemic is failing pretty horribly.”
He said that lines to get tested were stretching around the block in his community. “The state has rolled back its testing facilities … the state needs to take control of this,” he said.
Gelber added that since DeSantis “opened up the economy totally in late September and simultaneously prevented local governments from enforcing individual mask mandates we have seen an enormous surge”.
Fred Piccolo Jr, the governor’s spokesman, told the Sun Sentinel that DeSantis has not been spinning facts and had stuck with a facts-based message that would accomplish the most in saving lives.
“The governor has been consistent since the beginning of the pandemic,” he said. “Wash hands, maintain social distance, wear a mask, etc. But he’s also adapted to the data as it becomes available.”
The investigation alleged that DeSantis had shut leading scientists out of the public dialogue on coronavirus.
In late August DeSantis invited academic Scott Atlas to tour Florida with him and they appeared at events where they talked up the advantages of avoiding imposing social restrictions.
Atlas became the controversial leading coronavirus adviser to Trump as the president edged away from the most senior public health officials such as Anthony Fauci and Deborah Birx. Atlas resigned from his White House post earlier this week.
And as the election neared, the Florida department of health cut back on public information about coronavirus and stopped its regular posts on Facebook and Twitter about Covid-19 safety measures.
Florida’s leading university-affiliated experts on infectious diseases have been largely sidelined and bypassed.
“We have over 200 affiliated faculty within this institute,” Glenn Morris, director of the University of Florida’s Emerging Pathogens Institute, told the Sun Sentinel.
“This is what we do for a living. Yet the state has not taken full advantage of that expertise.”


theguardian--2020-12-04--Obama’s given the left a vital lesson in how to talk – and how not to | Jonathan Freedland

Let ’ s plunge into the gap between what people say and what other people hear .
All kinds of things can grow in that space , many of them poisonous .
In that gap , friendships , even marriages , have come apart ; wars can start .
This week , Barack Obama shone a light into that zone when he talked about the slogan that many Democrats believe cost the party seats in the House of Representatives and Senate last month , a phrase that took flight during the summer of protests against the killing of George Floyd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president said he too wanted to reform the criminal justice system , ridding it of racial bias , but he feared that using that “ snappy slogan ” meant “ you lost a big audience the minute you say it ” .
The very change activists wanted moved further out of reach .
Far better , said Obama , to say that some of the resources now spent on militarised police should be diverted to other services .
If a person , homeless and distressed , is causing disruption in the street , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rather than “ an armed unit that could end up resulting in a tragedy ” .
Put it that way , said Obama , and people start listening .
As it happens , plenty of campaigners insist that that ’ s exactly what they meant by “ defund the police ” .
But what too many voters heard was “ abolish the police ” , by starving them of funds .
And those voters didn ’ t like it , because they reckon that , every now and again , you need a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” was sufficiently ambiguous – hazy on whether police budgets should be eliminated or merely reduced – that it opened up the gap , that space where distrust , confusion and eventually fear grow .
The evidence supports Obama , and not only in the form of the assorted congressional Democrats who say the phrase cost them votes .
One Democratic consultant ran a focus group of wavering voters who had considered backing Joe Biden but eventually plumped for Donald Trump .
Intriguingly , 80 % of these Americans – Trump voters , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ criminal justice system , and 60 % had a favourable view of Black Lives Matter .
When the policy was expressed the way Obama put it , 70 % of them backed it .
But they drew the line at “ defund the police ” .
In other words , the slogan hurt the cause .
Obama has been attacked on the Democratic left , criticised for failing to see the urgent necessity of police reform .
But that is to miss the point .
It ’ s because change is urgent and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it in a way that wins , rather than loses , support .
None of this should be new .
The centrality of language to politics is ancient and recurrent .
In the 1990s , Republicans had an uphill battle fighting against an “ estate tax ” on inheritance bequeathed to the wealthy – until they rebranded it “ the death tax ” .
Then they won .
But it ’ s harder for the left which , by its nature , is asking for permission to change the status quo .
For @ @ @ @ @ @ @ language that reassures voters that it understands , and even shares , their starting assumptions – or , at the very least , does not play into their worst fears .
The psychologist Drew Westen , whose book The Political Brain has become a classic in this field , counsels that the same voters who might reject “ gun control ” – fearing an over-mighty state trying to dominate them – often warm to “ gun safety ” laws .
“ Medicare for all ” might sound wonderful to progressive ears , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to impose a one-size-fits-all system on everyone , even if that means stripping you of a coverage plan you already have and quite like : “ Medicare for all who want it ” has wider appeal .
This has resonance in Britain too .
There is nobody on even the mildest wing of the left who is not in favour of equality , and yet even that sacred word might not be quite as appealing as you think .
James Morris , onetime pollster to Ed Miliband , has seen how many of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ associate “ equality ” with levelling down .
They think it means everyone getting the same , no matter how hard they work .
Those voters don ’ t like that notion , believing it robs them of the opportunity to get on .
And , says Morris , “ they also have a moral objection ” .
They reckon your actions should have consequences , that if you work hard you deserve to be rewarded .
For them , “ equality ” contradicts that .
More effective is “ fairness ” , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fair shot .
Keir Starmer might find such advice helpful , but the “ defund the police ” episode offers another lesson .
It is that leaders of political parties don ’ t get to define their message alone .
Biden never uttered the words “ defund the police ” .
Indeed , very few Democratic politicians ever did .
And yet , in several key contests that slogan played a crucial role .
The Democratic party was held to account for a movement , and a wider cultural left , that went @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to control .
Labour is all too familiar with that danger .
In the 1980s , Margaret Thatcher ran against the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and the women of Greenham Common , the miners , the universities and often obscure local councillors , as much as she did against Neil Kinnock .
Even if he could control his own message , he couldn ’ t control theirs .
In Beyond the Red Wall , another Labour pollster , Deborah Mattinson , reports how distant former Labour voters in Accrington , Stoke and Darlington @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vocal left , whether it be statues , gender or the more outlandish antics of Extinction Rebellion .
It ’ s not that they disagreed necessarily on the issues themselves , rather that they sensed that these were the concerns of people with whom they had nothing in common : “ people who didn ’ t worry about paying for the supermarket shop on a Friday ” .
And if the left ’ s loudest voices , amplified by social media , cared so deeply about those other things , surely that meant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like them .
This is the challenge for Starmer and his party .
As the row over US police reform illustrates , it doesn ’ t mean softening the policy , but rather selling it right – and knowing that if you don ’ t define yourself , somebody else will .
• None Join Sarah Churchwell for a conversation with Joe Biden biographer Evan Osnos in a Guardian Live online event on Thursday 21 January at 7pm GMT , 2pm EST .
Book tickets here

Let’s plunge into the gap between what people say and what other people hear. All kinds of things can grow in that space, many of them poisonous. In that gap, friendships, even marriages, have come apart; wars can start.
This week, Barack Obama shone a light into that zone when he talked about the slogan that many Democrats believe cost the party seats in the House of Representatives and Senate last month, a phrase that took flight during the summer of protests against the killing of George Floyd: defund the police. The former president said he too wanted to reform the criminal justice system, ridding it of racial bias, but he feared that using that “snappy slogan” meant “you lost a big audience the minute you say it”. The very change activists wanted moved further out of reach.
Far better, said Obama, to say that some of the resources now spent on militarised police should be diverted to other services. If a person, homeless and distressed, is causing disruption in the street, a mental health professional should be dispatched rather than “an armed unit that could end up resulting in a tragedy”. Put it that way, said Obama, and people start listening.
As it happens, plenty of campaigners insist that that’s exactly what they meant by “defund the police”. But what too many voters heard was “abolish the police”, by starving them of funds. And those voters didn’t like it, because they reckon that, every now and again, you need a police force. The word “defund” was sufficiently ambiguous – hazy on whether police budgets should be eliminated or merely reduced – that it opened up the gap, that space where distrust, confusion and eventually fear grow.
The evidence supports Obama, and not only in the form of the assorted congressional Democrats who say the phrase cost them votes. One Democratic consultant ran a focus group of wavering voters who had considered backing Joe Biden but eventually plumped for Donald Trump. Intriguingly, 80% of these Americans – Trump voters, remember – agreed racism existed in the criminal justice system, and 60% had a favourable view of Black Lives Matter. When the policy was expressed the way Obama put it, 70% of them backed it. But they drew the line at “defund the police”. In other words, the slogan hurt the cause.
Obama has been attacked on the Democratic left, criticised for failing to see the urgent necessity of police reform. But that is to miss the point. It’s because change is urgent and necessary that Democrats need to argue for it in a way that wins, rather than loses, support.
None of this should be new. The centrality of language to politics is ancient and recurrent. In the 1990s, Republicans had an uphill battle fighting against an “estate tax” on inheritance bequeathed to the wealthy – until they rebranded it “the death tax”. Then they won. But it’s harder for the left which, by its nature, is asking for permission to change the status quo. For that reason, it has to craft language that reassures voters that it understands, and even shares, their starting assumptions – or, at the very least, does not play into their worst fears.
The psychologist Drew Westen, whose book The Political Brain has become a classic in this field, counsels that the same voters who might reject “gun control” – fearing an over-mighty state trying to dominate them – often warm to “gun safety” laws. “Medicare for all” might sound wonderful to progressive ears, but what many Americans hear is a proposal to impose a one-size-fits-all system on everyone, even if that means stripping you of a coverage plan you already have and quite like: “Medicare for all who want it” has wider appeal.
This has resonance in Britain too. There is nobody on even the mildest wing of the left who is not in favour of equality, and yet even that sacred word might not be quite as appealing as you think. James Morris, onetime pollster to Ed Miliband, has seen how many of the voters that Labour needs to win associate “equality” with levelling down. They think it means everyone getting the same, no matter how hard they work. Those voters don’t like that notion, believing it robs them of the opportunity to get on. And, says Morris, “they also have a moral objection”. They reckon your actions should have consequences, that if you work hard you deserve to be rewarded. For them, “equality” contradicts that. More effective is “fairness”, and the insistence that everyone deserves a fair shot.
Keir Starmer might find such advice helpful, but the “defund the police” episode offers another lesson. It is that leaders of political parties don’t get to define their message alone. Biden never uttered the words “defund the police”. Indeed, very few Democratic politicians ever did. And yet, in several key contests that slogan played a crucial role. The Democratic party was held to account for a movement, and a wider cultural left, that went far beyond the precincts it could hope to control.
Labour is all too familiar with that danger. In the 1980s, Margaret Thatcher ran against the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and the women of Greenham Common, the miners, the universities and often obscure local councillors, as much as she did against Neil Kinnock. Even if he could control his own message, he couldn’t control theirs.
In Beyond the Red Wall, another Labour pollster, Deborah Mattinson, reports how distant former Labour voters in Accrington, Stoke and Darlington felt from questions that often exercise the vocal left, whether it be statues, gender or the more outlandish antics of Extinction Rebellion. It’s not that they disagreed necessarily on the issues themselves, rather that they sensed that these were the concerns of people with whom they had nothing in common: “people who didn’t worry about paying for the supermarket shop on a Friday”. And if the left’s loudest voices, amplified by social media, cared so deeply about those other things, surely that meant they didn’t care about people like them.
This is the challenge for Starmer and his party. As the row over US police reform illustrates, it doesn’t mean softening the policy, but rather selling it right – and knowing that if you don’t define yourself, somebody else will.


theguardian--2020-12-05--Trump heads for Georgia but claims of fraud may damage Senate Republicans

Donald Trump will return to the campaign trail on Saturday – not , notionally at least , in his quixotic and doomed attempt to deny defeat by Joe Biden , but in support of two Republicans who face January run-offs which will decide control of the US Senate .
The president and first lady Melania Trump are due to appear in Valdosta , Georgia at 7pm local time .
“ See you tomorrow night !
” Trump tweeted on Friday , as Vice-President Mike Pence stumped in the southern state .
But the president couldn ’ t help tying the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ electoral fraud in key states he lost to Biden .
“ The best way to insure [ sic ] a … victory , ” he wrote , “ is to allow signature checks in the presidential race , which will insure [ sic ] a Georgia presidential win ( very few votes are needed , many will be found ) .
“ Spirits will soar and everyone will rush out and VOTE !
” To the contrary , many observers postulate that Trump ’ s ceaseless baseless claims that the election was rigged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , handing a vital advantage to Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock , the Democratic challengers to senators Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue .
If Ossoff and Warnock win , the Senate will be split 50-50 , Kamala Harris ’ s vote as vice-president giving Democrats control .
Polling in both races is tight .
Trump ’ s recalcitrance is being encouraged by congressional Republicans .
On Saturday the Washington Post reported that only 25 of 247 Republican representatives and senators have acknowledged Biden ’ s victory .
Biden won the electoral college by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was a landslide when it landed in his favour over Hillary Clinton .
The Democrat is more than 7m ballots ahead in the national popular vote , having attracted the support of more than 81 million Americans , the most of any candidate for president .
Democrats performed less well in Senate , House and state elections , however , making the Georgia runoffs vital to the balance of power in Washington as leaders look for agreement on much-needed stimulus and public health measures to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic and its attendant economic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawyers who have both been involved in legal challenges to Biden ’ s victory and trafficked in outlandish conspiracy theories , Lin Wood and Sidney Powell , told Trump supporters not to vote in Georgia unless Republican leaders act more aggressively to overturn the presidential result .
“ We ’ re not gon na go vote 5 January on another machine made by China , ” Wood said on Wednesday .
“ You ’ re not gon na fool Georgians again .
If Kelly Loeffler wants your vote , if David Perdue wants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to earn it .
They ’ ve got to demand publicly , repeatedly , consistently , ‘ Brian Kemp : call a special session of the Georgia legislature ’ .
“ And if they do not do it , if Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue do not do it , they have not earned your vote .
Don ’ t you give it to them .
Why would you go back and vote in another rigged election ?
” After a rush of defeats on Friday , Trump has won one election-related lawsuit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to attack , in Georgia slamming Governor Brian Kemp and secretary of state Brad Raffensperger for overseeing a contest in which the state went Democratic for the first time since 1992 .
Matt Towery , a former Georgia Republican legislator now an analyst and pollster , told Reuters Trump could help in the state “ if he spends most of his time talking about the two candidates , how wonderful they are , what they ’ ve achieved .
“ If he talks about them for 10 minutes and spends the rest of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kemp is , then it will only exacerbate things.
” Gabriel Sterling , the Republican manager of Georgia ’ s voting systems , this week blamed the president and his allies for threats of violence against election workers and officials .
On Friday , he said : “ I think the rhetoric they ’ re engaged in now is literally suppressing the vote.
” At a rally in Savannah , the vice-president was greeted by chants of “ stop the steal ” .
“ I know we ’ ve all got our doubts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said , “ and I actually hear some people saying , ’ Just don ’ t vote.
’ My fellow Americans , if you don ’ t vote , they win.
” Kemp and Loeffler missed campaign events on Friday after a young aide to the senator was killed in a car crash .
Former president Barack Obama held a virtual event in support of Warnock and Ossoff .
From Wilmington , Delaware , where he continues preparations to take power on 20 January , Biden said he would travel to Georgia at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democratic candidates .

Martin Pengelly in New York and agencies

Donald Trump returned to the campaign trail on Saturday – not, notionally at least, in his quixotic and doomed attempt to deny defeat by Joe Biden, but in support of two Republicans who face January run-offs which will decide control of the US Senate.
The president and first lady Melania Trump appeared at a regional airport in Valdosta, in Lowndes county in southern Georgia, a staunchly Republican region.
Trump reminded the chanting crowd that he came to southern Georgia on behalf of the two senators facing runoffs. But he quickly turned to his repeated claims, made without evidence, of widespread fraud in the presidential election.
“They cheated and rigged our presidential election but we’ll still win it. And they are going to try to rig this election too,” Trump told the crowd, who chanted “We love you!” and “Four More Years!”
Trump’s claims have been rejected by state and federal officials across the country, and his campaign’s numerous legal challenges have almost all failed.
Republican governor Brian Kemp was strongly backed by Trump in his run for office in 2018 but he was not expected to attend on Saturday. The governor has drawn Trump’s ire after certifying a state contest Biden won by more than 10,000 votes.
It was reported on Saturday that Trump had called Kemp from the White House, to ask him to overturn the Georgia result. Kemp reportedly declined. Trump persisted, tweeting that Kemp should “immediately ask for a special session of the legislature”.
As the crowd at the rally chanted “stop the steal”, Trump said: “Your governor could stop it very easily if he knew what the hell he was doing.”
According to a tweet from Kemp, Trump also asked him to order an audit of signatures on absentee ballot envelopes in his state, a step Kemp is not empowered to take because he has no authority to interfere in the electoral process on Trump’s behalf.
Trump has repeatedly tied the Georgia runoffs to his baseless accusations of electoral fraud in key states, claims he insisted on Friday would inspire Republicans in Georgia ahead of the Senate run-offs.
“Spirits will soar and everyone will rush out and VOTE!” he wrote.
To the contrary, many observers postulate that Trump’s baseless claims that the election was rigged could depress Republican turnout, handing a vital advantage to Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, the Democratic challengers to senators Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue.
If Ossoff and Warnock win, the Senate will be split 50-50, Kamala Harris’s vote as vice-president giving Democrats control. Polling in both races is tight.
Trump’s recalcitrance is being encouraged by congressional Republicans. On Saturday the Washington Post reported that only 26 of 249 GOP representatives and senators had acknowledged Biden’s victory.
Biden won the electoral college by 306-232, the result Trump said was a landslide when it favoured him over Hillary Clinton. Biden is more than 7m ballots ahead in the popular vote, supported by more than 81 million Americans, the most of any candidate for president.
But Democrats performed less well in Senate, House and state elections, making the Georgia runoffs vital to the balance of power as leaders look to agree stimulus and public health measures to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic and its attendant economic downturn.
Earlier this week, two lawyers who have been involved in legal challenges to Biden’s victory and have trafficked in outlandish conspiracy theories, Lin Wood and Sidney Powell, told Trump supporters not to vote in Georgia unless Republican leaders act more aggressively to overturn the presidential result.
“We’re not gonna go vote 5 January on another machine made by China,” Wood said on Wednesday. “You’re not gonna fool Georgians again. If Kelly Loeffler wants your vote, if David Perdue wants your vote, they’ve got to earn it. They’ve got to demand publicly, repeatedly, consistently, ‘Brian Kemp: call a special session of the Georgia legislature’.
“And if they do not do it … they have not earned your vote. Don’t you give it to them. Why would you go back and vote in another rigged election?”
After a rush of defeats on Friday, Trump has won one election lawsuit and lost 46. But he continues to attack, on Saturday slamming Kemp and secretary of state Brad Raffensperger for refusing to overturn a contest in which the state went Democratic for the first time since 1992.
“Why are these two ‘Republicans’ saying no?” Trump asked. “If we win Georgia, everything else falls in place!”
Matt Towery, a former Georgia Republican legislator now an analyst and pollster, told Reuters Trump could help in the state “if he spends most of his time talking about the two candidates, how wonderful they are, what they’ve achieved. If he talks about them for 10 minutes and spends the rest of the time telling everyone how terrible Brian Kemp is, then it will only exacerbate things.”
Gabriel Sterling, the Republican manager of Georgia’s voting systems, this week blamed the president and his allies for threats of violence against election workers and officials. On Friday, he said: “I think the rhetoric they’re engaged in now is literally suppressing the vote.”
At a rally in Savannah, the vice-president was greeted by chants of “stop the steal”.
“I know we’ve all got our doubts about the last election,” Pence said, “and I actually hear some people saying, ’Just don’t vote.’ My fellow Americans, if you don’t vote, they win.”
Kemp and Loeffler missed events on Friday after a young aide to the senator was killed in a car crash.
Former president Barack Obama held a virtual event in support of Warnock and Ossoff. From Wilmington, Delaware, preparing to take power on 20 January, Biden said he would travel to Georgia at some point, to campaign with the Democratic candidates.


theguardian--2020-12-05--US election results 2020: Joe Biden defeats Donald Trump to win presidency

Americans are also electing members to the two chambers of Congress , the main law-making body of the US .
@ @ @ @ @ and the House of Representatives .
Without support in the Senate and the House , @ @ @ @ @ enact key policies is severely limited .

Niko Kommenda, Antonio Voce, Frank Hulley-Jones, Anna Leach and Seán Clarke

Americans are also electing members to the two chambers of Congress, the main law-making body of the US. Those chambers are the Senate and the House of Representatives.
Without support in the Senate and the House, the president's ability to enact key policies is severely limited.


theguardian--2020-12-05--Columbia students threaten to withhold tuition fees amid Covid protest

Almost 1,800 students at Columbia University in New York are threatening to withhold tuition fees next year , in the latest signal to US academia of widespread preparedness to act on demands to reduce costs and address social justice issues relating to labor , investments and surrounding communities .
In a letter to trustees and administrators of Columbia , Barnard College and Teachers College , the students said : “ The university is acutely failing its students and the local community.
” They accused the university of “ inaction ” since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in March , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say are exorbitant tuition rates “ which constitute a significant source of financial hardship during this economic depression ” .
The letter referred to national protests over structural racism , accusing the university of failing to act on demands to address “ its own role in upholding racist policing practices , damaging local communities and inadequately supporting Black students ” .
Emmaline Bennett , chair of the Columbia-Barnard Young Democratic Socialists of America and a master ’ s student at Teachers College , told the Guardian the university and other colleges had made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they moved to remote learning models necessitated by pandemic conditions .
“ We think it says a lot about the profit motive of higher education , even as the economy is in crisis and millions of people are facing unemployment , ” Bennett said .
“ This is especially true of Columbia , which is one of the most expensive universities in the US.
” Demands outlined in the letter include reducing the cost of attendance by at least 10 % , increasing financial aid by the same percentage and replacing fees with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said , should not come at the expense of instructor or worker pay , but rather at the expense of bloated administrative salaries , expansion projects and other expenses that do not directly benefit students and workers .
The university , the letter said , must invest in community safety solutions that prioritise the safety of Black students , and “ commit to complete transparency about the University ’ s investments and respect the democratic votes of the student body regarding investment and divestment decisions – including divestment from companies involved in human @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fuels .
“ These issues are united by a shared root cause : a flagrant disregard for initiatives democratically supported within the community .
Your administration ’ s unilateral decision-making process has perpetuated the existence of these injustices in our community despite possessing ample resources to confront them with structural solutions .
“ Should the university continue to remain silent in the face of the pressing demands detailed below , we and a thousand of fellow students are prepared to withhold tuition payments for the Spring semester and not to donate to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” A Columbia spokesperson said : “ Throughout this difficult year , Columbia has remained focused on preserving the health and safety of our community , fulfilling our commitment to anti-racism , providing the education sought by our students and continuing the scientific and other research needed to overcome society ’ s serious challenges.
” The university has frozen undergraduate tuition fees and allowed greater flexibility in coursework over three terms .
It has also , it said , adopted Covid-related provisions including an off-campus living allowance of $ 4,000 per semester , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ related to remote learning .
Columbia is not alone in facing elevated student demands .
In late August , for example , students at the University of Chicago staged a week-long picket of the provost ’ s house as part of a campaign to disband the university police department , Chicago ’ s largest private force .
The issue of student debt remains challenging .
In a nod to progressives , President-elect Joe Biden last month affirmed his support for a US House measure which would erase up to $ 10,000 in private @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Biden highlighted “ people … having to make choices between paying their student loan and paying the rent ” and said such debt relief “ should be done immediately ” .
Some Democrats say relief should go further .
In September , Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer and Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren co-authored a resolution which called for the next president to cancel up to $ 50,000 of outstanding federal loans per borrower .
At Columbia , students say their demands for Covid-related fee reductions are only a starting point .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reform the educational system entirely , ” said Bennett .
“ We need to make all universities and colleges free , and to cancel all student debt to prevent enduring educational and economic inequalities .
”

Almost 1,800 students at Columbia University in New York are threatening to withhold tuition fees next year, in the latest signal to US academia of widespread preparedness to act on demands to reduce costs and address social justice issues relating to labor, investments and surrounding communities.
In a letter to trustees and administrators of Columbia, Barnard College and Teachers College, the students said: “The university is acutely failing its students and the local community.”
They accused the university of “inaction” since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in March, when students began demonstrating against what they say are exorbitant tuition rates “which constitute a significant source of financial hardship during this economic depression”.
The letter referred to national protests over structural racism, accusing the university of failing to act on demands to address “its own role in upholding racist policing practices, damaging local communities and inadequately supporting Black students”.
Emmaline Bennett, chair of the Columbia-Barnard Young Democratic Socialists of America and a master’s student at Teachers College, told the Guardian the university and other colleges had made no effort to reduce tuition fees as they moved to remote learning models necessitated by pandemic conditions.
“We think it says a lot about the profit motive of higher education, even as the economy is in crisis and millions of people are facing unemployment,” Bennett said. “This is especially true of Columbia, which is one of the most expensive universities in the US.”
Demands outlined in the letter include reducing the cost of attendance by at least 10%, increasing financial aid by the same percentage and replacing fees with grants.
Such reforms, the letter said, should not come at the expense of instructor or worker pay, but rather at the expense of bloated administrative salaries, expansion projects and other expenses that do not directly benefit students and workers.
The university, the letter said, must invest in community safety solutions that prioritise the safety of Black students, and “commit to complete transparency about the University’s investments and respect the democratic votes of the student body regarding investment and divestment decisions – including divestment from companies involved in human rights violations and divesting fully from fossil fuels.
“These issues are united by a shared root cause: a flagrant disregard for initiatives democratically supported within the community. Your administration’s unilateral decision-making process has perpetuated the existence of these injustices in our community despite possessing ample resources to confront them with structural solutions.
“Should the university continue to remain silent in the face of the pressing demands detailed below, we and a thousand of fellow students are prepared to withhold tuition payments for the Spring semester and not to donate to the university at any point in the future.”
A Columbia spokesperson said: “Throughout this difficult year, Columbia has remained focused on preserving the health and safety of our community, fulfilling our commitment to anti-racism, providing the education sought by our students and continuing the scientific and other research needed to overcome society’s serious challenges.”
The university has frozen undergraduate tuition fees and allowed greater flexibility in coursework over three terms. It has also, it said, adopted Covid-related provisions including an off-campus living allowance of $4,000 per semester, to help with living and technology expenses related to remote learning.
Columbia is not alone in facing elevated student demands. In late August, for example, students at the University of Chicago staged a week-long picket of the provost’s house as part of a campaign to disband the university police department, Chicago’s largest private force.
The issue of student debt remains challenging. In a nod to progressives, President-elect Joe Biden last month affirmed his support for a US House measure which would erase up to $10,000 in private, non-federal loan debt for distressed individuals.
Biden highlighted “people … having to make choices between paying their student loan and paying the rent” and said such debt relief “should be done immediately”.
Some Democrats say relief should go further. In September, Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer and Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren co-authored a resolution which called for the next president to cancel up to $50,000 of outstanding federal loans per borrower.
At Columbia, students say their demands for Covid-related fee reductions are only a starting point.
“In the long-term, we need to reform the educational system entirely,” said Bennett. “We need to make all universities and colleges free, and to cancel all student debt to prevent enduring educational and economic inequalities.”


theguardian--2020-12-06--Trump repeats false claims at Georgia rally amid fears he may damage Senate Republicans

Donald Trump returned to the campaign trail on Saturday – not , notionally at least , in his quixotic and doomed attempt to deny defeat by Joe Biden , but in support of two Republicans who face January run-offs which will decide control of the US Senate .
The president and first lady Melania Trump appeared at a regional airport in Valdosta , in Lowndes county in southern Georgia , a staunchly Republican region .
Trump reminded the chanting crowd that he came to southern Georgia on behalf of the two senators facing runoffs .
But he quickly turned to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , of widespread fraud in the presidential election .
“ They cheated and rigged our presidential election but we ’ ll still win it .
And they are going to try to rig this election too , ” Trump told the crowd , who chanted “ We love you !
” and “ Four More Years !
” Trump ’ s claims have been rejected by state and federal officials across the country , and his campaign ’ s numerous legal challenges have almost all failed .
Republican governor Brian Kemp was strongly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office in 2018 but he was not expected to attend on Saturday .
The governor has drawn Trump ’ s ire after certifying a state contest Biden won by more than 10,000 votes .
It was reported on Saturday that Trump had called Kemp from the White House , to ask him to overturn the Georgia result .
Kemp reportedly declined .
Trump persisted , tweeting that Kemp should “ immediately ask for a special session of the legislature ” .
As the crowd at the rally chanted “ stop the steal ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could stop it very easily if he knew what the hell he was doing.
” According to a tweet from Kemp , Trump also asked him to order an audit of signatures on absentee ballot envelopes in his state , a step Kemp is not empowered to take because he has no authority to interfere in the electoral process on Trump ’ s behalf .
Trump has repeatedly tied the Georgia runoffs to his baseless accusations of electoral fraud in key states , claims he insisted on Friday would inspire Republicans in Georgia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Spirits will soar and everyone will rush out and VOTE !
” he wrote .
To the contrary , many observers postulate that Trump ’ s baseless claims that the election was rigged could depress Republican turnout , handing a vital advantage to Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock , the Democratic challengers to senators Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue .
If Ossoff and Warnock win , the Senate will be split 50-50 , Kamala Harris ’ s vote as vice-president giving Democrats control .
Polling in both races is tight .
Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republicans .
On Saturday the Washington Post reported that only 26 of 249 GOP representatives and senators had acknowledged Biden ’ s victory .
Biden won the electoral college by 306-232 , the result Trump said was a landslide when it favoured him over Hillary Clinton .
Biden is more than 7m ballots ahead in the popular vote , supported by more than 81 million Americans , the most of any candidate for president .
But Democrats performed less well in Senate , House and state elections , making the Georgia runoffs vital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ look to agree stimulus and public health measures to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic and its attendant economic downturn .
Earlier this week , two lawyers who have been involved in legal challenges to Biden ’ s victory and have trafficked in outlandish conspiracy theories , Lin Wood and Sidney Powell , told Trump supporters not to vote in Georgia unless Republican leaders act more aggressively to overturn the presidential result .
“ We ’ re not gon na go vote 5 January on another machine made by China , ” Wood said on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gon na fool Georgians again .
If Kelly Loeffler wants your vote , if David Perdue wants your vote , they ’ ve got to earn it .
They ’ ve got to demand publicly , repeatedly , consistently , ‘ Brian Kemp : call a special session of the Georgia legislature ’ .
“ And if they do not do it … they have not earned your vote .
Don ’ t you give it to them .
Why would you go back and vote in another rigged election ?
” After @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump has won one election lawsuit and lost 46 .
But he continues to attack , on Saturday slamming Kemp and secretary of state Brad Raffensperger for refusing to overturn a contest in which the state went Democratic for the first time since 1992 .
“ Why are these two ‘ Republicans ’ saying no ?
” Trump asked .
“ If we win Georgia , everything else falls in place !
” Matt Towery , a former Georgia Republican legislator now an analyst and pollster , told Reuters Trump could help in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of his time talking about the two candidates , how wonderful they are , what they ’ ve achieved .
If he talks about them for 10 minutes and spends the rest of the time telling everyone how terrible Brian Kemp is , then it will only exacerbate things.
” Gabriel Sterling , the Republican manager of Georgia ’ s voting systems , this week blamed the president and his allies for threats of violence against election workers and officials .
On Friday , he said : “ I think the rhetoric they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suppressing the vote.
” At a rally in Savannah , the vice-president was greeted by chants of “ stop the steal ” .
“ I know we ’ ve all got our doubts about the last election , ” Pence said , “ and I actually hear some people saying , ’ Just don ’ t vote.
’ My fellow Americans , if you don ’ t vote , they win.
” Kemp and Loeffler missed events on Friday after a young aide to the senator was killed in a car crash .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ event in support of Warnock and Ossoff .
From Wilmington , Delaware , preparing to take power on 20 January , Biden said he would travel to Georgia at some point , to campaign with the Democratic candidates .

Martin Pengelly in New York, Oliver Laughland in Valdosta, Georgia and agencies


theguardian--2020-12-05--Obama: Democrats need 'universal language' to appeal to moderate voters

Barack Obama has underlined his belief that Democrats should moderate campaign messaging in order to reach voters turned off by slogans including “ Defund the Police ” , telling a literary group : “ If I spoke the language of James Baldwin as he speaks it on the campaign stump , I ’ m probably not gon na get a lot of votes in Iowa.
” Baldwin , a leading 20th-century African American intellectual and the subject of the Oscar-nominated 2016 documentary I Am Not Your Negro , “ didn ’ t have to go out and get votes ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by PEN America , which will give the former president its 2020 Voice of Influence award next week .
Obama also said he thinks there is an opportunity for more expansive racial dialogue in the US .
But his remarks may add to controversy which welled up this week when he said candidates using “ snappy ” slogans such as Defund the Police risked alienating voters otherwise broadly sympathetic to liberal aims .
Defund the Police became a rallying cry on the left this summer , amid national protests for racial justice following @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Floyd , an African American man , and similar incidents in Atlanta , Kenosha and elsewhere .
Some senior Democratic party figures , including South Carolina congressman James Clyburn , have claimed the call to Defund the Police contributed to disappointing results in Senate , House and state races .
Obama is promoting A Promised Land , his memoir of his rise to the White House and first few years in office .
Speaking to Snapchat this week , he added his voice to the chorus .
“ I guess you can use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Police ’ but , you know , you lost a big audience the minute you say it – which makes it a lot less likely that you ’ re actually going to get the changes you want done , ” he said .
“ The key is deciding : do you want to actually get something done , or do you want to feel good among the people you already agree with ?
” In his remarks to PEN America , which will be streamed on Tuesday , Obama contrasted discussions of race @ @ @ @ @ @ @ getting votes ” with “ truth-telling and the prophetic voice ” .
Politicians , he said , often need to speak a “ universal language ” as a way to reach voters resistant to more pointed discourse about racial injustice .
But he also allowed that the racial upheavals of 2020 , coupled with generational change , may herald an era in which race can be discussed in the political realm in less nuanced terms .
“ What I think has changed – and we saw this this summer – is , because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Floyd , because of what seems like a constant stream of irrefutable evidence of excessive force against unarmed Black folks , that I think white America has awakened to certain realities that even 20 years ago they were still resistant to .
“ That creates a new opening for a different kind of political conversation.
” PEN America will also give an award , for courage , to Darnella Frazier , a young woman who filmed the killing of Floyd .
A recent poll by political strategist Douglas Schoen , previously an adviser @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tony Blair , found that Democrats should drop references to Defund the Police if they want to be competitive in the next midterm elections , in 2022 .
“ The data says to me that if the Democrats go the progressive route they can lose the House and the Senate overwhelmingly in 2022 , ” Schoen told the New York Post .
“ The incoming Biden administration has to understand that unless they take a moderate path , that is a likely potential outcome for the Democrats.
” Asked if Biden ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ centrist or progressive policies , 62 % of respondents to the poll said centrist .
The survey also found that Defund the Police hurt the party in down-ballot races , as 35 % of voters said the issue made them “ less likely to vote for Democrats ” while 23 % said it made them more likely .
Asked if changing the Defund the Police slogan could improve Democrats ’ fortunes , Schoen told the Guardian it would not “ erase the clear impression the left of the Democratic party has created that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ matter how they describe it.
” Obama ’ s comments on the matter have not found support among leading progressives .
Legislators including Ilhan Omar , Jamaal Bowman and Cori Bush were quick to reject his comments to Snapchat .
“ It ’ s not a slogan , ” tweeted Bush .
“ It ’ s a mandate for keeping our people alive .
”

Barack Obama has underlined his belief that Democrats should moderate campaign messaging in order to reach voters turned off by slogans including “Defund the Police”, telling a literary group: “If I spoke the language of James Baldwin as he speaks it on the campaign stump, I’m probably not gonna get a lot of votes in Iowa.”
Baldwin, a leading 20th-century African American intellectual and the subject of the Oscar-nominated 2016 documentary I Am Not Your Negro, “didn’t have to go out and get votes”, Obama said in interview extracts released by PEN America, which will give the former president its 2020 Voice of Influence award next week.
Obama also said he thinks there is an opportunity for more expansive racial dialogue in the US. But his remarks may add to controversy which welled up this week when he said candidates using “snappy” slogans such as Defund the Police risked alienating voters otherwise broadly sympathetic to liberal aims.
Defund the Police became a rallying cry on the left this summer, amid national protests for racial justice following the killing by Minneapolis police of George Floyd, an African American man, and similar incidents in Atlanta, Kenosha and elsewhere.
Some senior Democratic party figures, including South Carolina congressman James Clyburn, have claimed the call to Defund the Police contributed to disappointing results in Senate, House and state races.
Obama is promoting A Promised Land, his memoir of his rise to the White House and first few years in office. Speaking to Snapchat this week, he added his voice to the chorus.
“I guess you can use a snappy slogan like ‘Defund the Police’ but, you know, you lost a big audience the minute you say it – which makes it a lot less likely that you’re actually going to get the changes you want done,” he said.
“The key is deciding: do you want to actually get something done, or do you want to feel good among the people you already agree with?”
In his remarks to PEN America, which will be streamed on Tuesday, Obama contrasted discussions of race in the context of “politics and getting votes” with “truth-telling and the prophetic voice”. Politicians, he said, often need to speak a “universal language” as a way to reach voters resistant to more pointed discourse about racial injustice.
But he also allowed that the racial upheavals of 2020, coupled with generational change, may herald an era in which race can be discussed in the political realm in less nuanced terms.
“What I think has changed – and we saw this this summer – is, because of people’s witness of George Floyd, because of what seems like a constant stream of irrefutable evidence of excessive force against unarmed Black folks, that I think white America has awakened to certain realities that even 20 years ago they were still resistant to.
“That creates a new opening for a different kind of political conversation.”
PEN America will also give an award, for courage, to Darnella Frazier, a young woman who filmed the killing of Floyd.
01:09 'Defund the police' slogan risks turning voters away, says Obama – video
A recent poll by political strategist Douglas Schoen, previously an adviser to Michael Bloomberg, Bill Clinton and Tony Blair, found that Democrats should drop references to Defund the Police if they want to be competitive in the next midterm elections, in 2022.
“The data says to me that if the Democrats go the progressive route they can lose the House and the Senate overwhelmingly in 2022,” Schoen told the New York Post. “The incoming Biden administration has to understand that unless they take a moderate path, that is a likely potential outcome for the Democrats.”
Asked if Biden’s victory was a “mandate” for centrist or progressive policies, 62% of respondents to the poll said centrist. The survey also found that Defund the Police hurt the party in down-ballot races, as 35% of voters said the issue made them “less likely to vote for Democrats” while 23% said it made them more likely.
Asked if changing the Defund the Police slogan could improve Democrats’ fortunes, Schoen told the Guardian it would not “erase the clear impression the left of the Democratic party has created that the progressives stand for defunding – no matter how they describe it.”
Obama’s comments on the matter have not found support among leading progressives. Legislators including Ilhan Omar, Jamaal Bowman and Cori Bush were quick to reject his comments to Snapchat.
“It’s not a slogan,” tweeted Bush. “It’s a mandate for keeping our people alive.”