theguardian--2020-08-12--‘We won't be ignored any more’: the untapped power of poor US voters in 2020

For Sara Fearrington , a former fast-food worker living in North Carolina , no one should be defined by poverty .
“ There ’ s no reason for anyone to be poor , ” she said , because “ poor is not a person ” .
Long before the current coronavirus-triggered recession , Fearrington knew poverty first-hand after going from working in healthcare to waitressing following a move south from New Jersey .
Seldom do candidates speak to her issues as a married mother of six children ( some with asthma ) who lost her job due to the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she wants her voice – and the voice of millions like her – to be heard .
“ I ’ m not a part of the bigger picture , but I am the biggest picture of us all .
We have every right to be a part of something so much bigger than ourselves , ” she said as a part of a virtual town hall on poverty with the Poor People ’ s Campaign .
“ So I ’ m coming for my politicians to say if you ’ re not going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to make you.
” Poverty affects more than 38 million people in America and new research suggests they represent a vast reservoir of votes .
A report for the Poor People ’ s Campaign found that , between the Democratic nominee Joe Biden and incumbent Republican Donald Trump , the candidate who addresses issues of poverty like Fearrington ’ s could take advantage of untapped votes in key swing and battleground states .
The study suggests that attracting the votes of the poor and mobilizing poor people to go to the polls could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ According to the report , of the country ’ s 63 million registered low-income or poor voters , 34 million did not cast a ballot in the 2016 presidential election .
It determined an increased turnout among just 1-7 % of poor and low-income Americans could have a substantial impact on 2020 Senate races .
“ If the low-income electorate showed up at the same participation rate as high-income voters , it could swing the election in 10 states that were previously Republican , and five states that were previously Democrat , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s author and a professor of economics at the Columbia School of Social Work , durning a virtual press conference An increase of at least 1 % of the non-voting , low-income electorate would equal the margin of victory in the 2016 presidential election in Michigan or a 4 % to 7 % increase in states such as Florida , New Hampshire , Pennsylvania or Wisconsin , ” the study notes .
But low-income and impoverished voters still have to turn out , and first they must register to vote .
Voter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but an unprecedented year marked by a recession and racial uprising following the killing of George Floyd has sparked a surge among mostly , young and progressive Americans , many of whom will be voting for the first time .
Shelton McElroy of Louisville is one of them .
Formerly incarcerated , McElroy was disenfranchised until the Kentucky governor , Andy Beshear , pardoned him .
Now associate director of operations for the Bail Fund , McElroy says this election is about making sure his children see their father as an example @ @ @ @ @ @ @ power .
“ I get to demonstrate voting in front of my little girls , took them to the primary with me , ” he said , noting the general election “ means a lot to [ his ] family ” after watching his state ’ s senator , Mitch McConnell , lead Republican efforts to curb stimulus payments .
“ We want to vote for people who actually share our interests , ” he said .
And as momentum builds , a worsening coronavirus pandemic has infected more than 5 million Americans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has disproportionately hit Black , Latino and indigenous Americans , especially those who are poor or low-income .
More than 30 million Americans have filed for unemployment since the pandemic hit .
Critics note the president ’ s recent executive order temporarily halting the payroll tax will do little to relieve the $ 600 weekly unemployment benefits that expired with the Cares Act to combat the economic effects of the outbreak , only further jeopardizing programs like social security .
As the economic disaster bites deeper many expect a housing crisis to follow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million and 40 million people “ could be at risk of eviction in the next several months ” .
The Rev William Barber , the Poor People ’ s Campaign ’ s national co-chair , argued that although poverty has rarely been front and center in presidential campaigns trail , that ’ s now changing .
“ Poor people were in a depression before Covid .
[ They ] are saying we won ’ t be ignored any more , ” he said .
“ So the question is will poor and low-wealth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ballot and conventions ?
So we are challenging both parties to say you can not ignore poor and low-wealth families any more.
” Barber added considering the urgency of this seemingly monumental election , two candidates every chance he gets .
But given the misery enveloping large swaths of the US electorate , Trump and Biden will have no choice but to address it .
“ Changing the political landscape is critical , ” he said .
“ The interlocking injustices that must be addressed simultaneously , that ’ s systemic racism and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
”

For Sara Fearrington, a former fast-food worker living in North Carolina, no one should be defined by poverty. “There’s no reason for anyone to be poor,” she said, because “poor is not a person”.
Long before the current coronavirus-triggered recession, Fearrington knew poverty first-hand after going from working in healthcare to waitressing following a move south from New Jersey.
Seldom do candidates speak to her issues as a married mother of six children (some with asthma) who lost her job due to the pandemic. But in the 2020 presidential race she wants her voice – and the voice of millions like her – to be heard.
“I’m not a part of the bigger picture, but I am the biggest picture of us all. We have every right to be a part of something so much bigger than ourselves,” she said as a part of a virtual town hall on poverty with the Poor People’s Campaign. “So I’m coming for my politicians to say if you’re not going to pay attention I’m going to make you.”
Poverty affects more than 38 million people in America and new research suggests they represent a vast reservoir of votes. A report for the Poor People’s Campaign found that, between the Democratic nominee Joe Biden and incumbent Republican Donald Trump, the candidate who addresses issues of poverty like Fearrington’s could take advantage of untapped votes in key swing and battleground states.
The study suggests that attracting the votes of the poor and mobilizing poor people to go to the polls could prove decisive in the 2020 fight.
According to the report, of the country’s 63 million registered low-income or poor voters, 34 million did not cast a ballot in the 2016 presidential election. It determined an increased turnout among just 1-7% of poor and low-income Americans could have a substantial impact on 2020 Senate races.
“If the low-income electorate showed up at the same participation rate as high-income voters, it could swing the election in 10 states that were previously Republican, and five states that were previously Democrat,” said Robert Paul Hartley, the study’s author and a professor of economics at the Columbia School of Social Work, durning a virtual press conference
An increase of at least 1% of the non-voting, low-income electorate would equal the margin of victory in the 2016 presidential election in Michigan or a 4% to 7% increase in states such as Florida, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania or Wisconsin,” the study notes.
But low-income and impoverished voters still have to turn out, and first they must register to vote. Voter turnout reached a 20-year low in 2016, but an unprecedented year marked by a recession and racial uprising following the killing of George Floyd has sparked a surge among mostly, young and progressive Americans, many of whom will be voting for the first time.
Shelton McElroy of Louisville is one of them. Formerly incarcerated, McElroy was disenfranchised until the Kentucky governor, Andy Beshear, pardoned him. Now associate director of operations for the Bail Fund, McElroy says this election is about making sure his children see their father as an example of using your voice and vote as power.
“I get to demonstrate voting in front of my little girls, took them to the primary with me,” he said, noting the general election “means a lot to [his] family” after watching his state’s senator, Mitch McConnell, lead Republican efforts to curb stimulus payments.
“We want to vote for people who actually share our interests,” he said. And as momentum builds, a worsening coronavirus pandemic has infected more than 5 million Americans, killing nearly 160,000. The crisis has disproportionately hit Black, Latino and indigenous Americans, especially those who are poor or low-income.
More than 30 million Americans have filed for unemployment since the pandemic hit. Critics note the president’s recent executive order temporarily halting the payroll tax will do little to relieve the $600 weekly unemployment benefits that expired with the Cares Act to combat the economic effects of the outbreak, only further jeopardizing programs like social security.
As the economic disaster bites deeper many expect a housing crisis to follow. The Aspen Institute estimates between 30 million and 40 million people “could be at risk of eviction in the next several months”.
The Rev William Barber, the Poor People’s Campaign’s national co-chair, argued that although poverty has rarely been front and center in presidential campaigns trail, that’s now changing.
“Poor people were in a depression before Covid. [They] are saying we won’t be ignored any more,” he said. “So the question is will poor and low-wealth Americans have a major place on the ballot and conventions? So we are challenging both parties to say you cannot ignore poor and low-wealth families any more.”
Barber added considering the urgency of this seemingly monumental election, two candidates every chance he gets. But given the misery enveloping large swaths of the US electorate, Trump and Biden will have no choice but to address it.
“Changing the political landscape is critical,” he said. “The interlocking injustices that must be addressed simultaneously, that’s systemic racism and systemic poverty, are not marginal issues.”


theguardian--2020-08-12--The Guardian view on Kamala Harris: a safe and historic appointment | Editorial

In choosing Kamala Harris as his deputy , the Democrats ’ presidential nominee Joe Biden has shown he can read the room of American politics .
His vice-presidential pick had to be able to reach parts of the country – and his party – that Mr Biden could not .
Ms Harris is such a candidate .
She is both a safe choice and a historic one .
Ms Harris would be the country ’ s first black vice president , its first Asian-American vice-president and its first female vice-president .
In a time of Black Lives Matter , # @ @ @ @ @ @ @ demographics , Ms Harris ’ appointment is about bending the arc of history towards justice .
This message is crucial for younger voters , and especially those of colour , who have been lukewarm towards Mr Biden .
Having Ms Harris on the ticket is not going to turn leftwing “ Bernie ” fans into Biden ones .
But she signals to black voters , who did not turn out enough for Hillary Clinton , their importance and acknowledges the key role black women play for the Democrats .
Like Barack Obama , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most citizens aspire to live in today .
Her appointment is a future-facing one : Ms Harris , at 55 , is more than two decades younger than Mr Biden , who would be the oldest president elected if he won .
Given his age , Mr Biden needed a deputy who could step up .
A senator since 2017 , Ms Harris has seen Washington from the inside .
In Congress , Ms Harris has shown that she can shred her rightwing opponents .
Her record as a prosecutor in California has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defend .
But not enough to disqualify her .
Her decisions , as a district attorney and state attorney general , that unsettled the left insulate her from the Trump campaign charges that she is soft on crime .
This promises to be the dirtiest election in American history .
As long as Covid lingers Donald Trump can not energise his base with bellicose rallies .
He can ’ t point to a reviving economy .
Polls suggest Mr Trump is on course to lose the White House and that his party is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In their desperation Republicans may punch lower and harder .
The Trump campaign also has the resources , in time and money , to fight a deeply divisive campaign against Democrats .
That is why Mr Trump ’ s opponents must remain united .
Next week ’ s ( mostly virtual ) Democratic national convention sees establishment names as well as leftwing rising stars share the stage .
Both Mr Biden and Ms Harris are centrists , backed by wealthy donors while being mostly committed to progressive values .
They face a moment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden and his deputy must be a force for change and can not settle for politics as usual .
In many ways Mr Biden has moved in this direction .
Most voters already feel that Mr Trump is not doing a good job .
Mr Biden has assured the public he can ’ t do any worse .
With Ms Harris , he has shown them he – and they – can do a lot better .

In choosing Kamala Harris as his deputy, the Democrats’ presidential nominee Joe Biden has shown he can read the room of American politics. His vice-presidential pick had to be able to reach parts of the country – and his party – that Mr Biden could not. Ms Harris is such a candidate. She is both a safe choice and a historic one. Ms Harris would be the country’s first black vice president, its first Asian-American vice-president and its first female vice-president. In a time of Black Lives Matter, #MeToo and the United States’ shifting demographics, Ms Harris’ appointment is about bending the arc of history towards justice.
This message is crucial for younger voters, and especially those of colour, who have been lukewarm towards Mr Biden. Having Ms Harris on the ticket is not going to turn leftwing “Bernie” fans into Biden ones. But she signals to black voters, who did not turn out enough for Hillary Clinton, their importance and acknowledges the key role black women play for the Democrats. Like Barack Obama, Ms Harris represents an interracial America that most citizens aspire to live in today. Her appointment is a future-facing one: Ms Harris, at 55, is more than two decades younger than Mr Biden, who would be the oldest president elected if he won.
Given his age, Mr Biden needed a deputy who could step up. A senator since 2017, Ms Harris has seen Washington from the inside. In Congress, Ms Harris has shown that she can shred her rightwing opponents. Her record as a prosecutor in California has left her with things to explain or defend. But not enough to disqualify her. Her decisions, as a district attorney and state attorney general, that unsettled the left insulate her from the Trump campaign charges that she is soft on crime.
This promises to be the dirtiest election in American history. As long as Covid lingers Donald Trump cannot energise his base with bellicose rallies. He can’t point to a reviving economy. Polls suggest Mr Trump is on course to lose the White House and that his party is in danger of losing the Senate. In their desperation Republicans may punch lower and harder. The Trump campaign also has the resources, in time and money, to fight a deeply divisive campaign against Democrats.
That is why Mr Trump’s opponents must remain united. Next week’s (mostly virtual) Democratic national convention sees establishment names as well as leftwing rising stars share the stage. Both Mr Biden and Ms Harris are centrists, backed by wealthy donors while being mostly committed to progressive values. They face a moment of terrible risk for America. Mr Biden and his deputy must be a force for change and cannot settle for politics as usual. In many ways Mr Biden has moved in this direction. Most voters already feel that Mr Trump is not doing a good job. Mr Biden has assured the public he can’t do any worse. With Ms Harris, he has shown them he – and they – can do a lot better.


theguardian--2020-08-12--President Kamala Harris in 2024? This might be Joe Biden's thinking | Martin Kettle

Joe Biden ’ s selection of Kamala Harris as his Democratic vice-presidential running mate in November ’ s American election is by turns audacious and cautious , radical and conservative , historic and same-old .
Nevertheless , although there were several other qualified candidates for the role , Harris is likely to prove a smart choice .
You can see this , in a brief and minor way , by the tsunami of abuse and contempt from Donald Trump and his supporters that didn ’ t materialise after the announcement on Wednesday .
With next week ’ s mainly virtual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the vice-presidential pick was always going to open a window of opportunity for Trump to get into the Biden henhouse and make trouble .
That hasn ’ t happened yet – though doubtless he will try .
But it suggests Harris was not the pick Trump had been hoping for .
Even on day one , the choice reminds us that Biden is very serious about winning the election .
But the radical and historic aspects of Harris ’ s place on the ticket can not be passed over as mere add-ons .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ choose a female running mate .
But Harris will still be only the fourth woman on a major party ticket in US history following Geraldine Ferraro , Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton .
Her three female predecessors were all defeated .
If she is elected , Harris would prove once and for all that women can win .
The choice suggests that Biden , the lifelong Washington pragmatist , recognises the power of female voters to his party and that men are ready to help elect a woman too .
But Biden has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on a major party presidential ticket .
That ’ s hardly a minor milestone in US history , as recent events underscore .
Nor was it a foregone conclusion .
There were qualified alternatives available , including Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar .
But a summer dominated by the aftermath of the George Floyd killing and the Black Lives Matter movement would have been a catastrophically bad moment to pick another white candidate .
Biden also came under a lot of pressure at the business end of the process to choose a black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of something he knows better than anyone – namely , how much his own nomination owes to black voters , who brought his campaign back from the dead in February ’ s South Carolina primary .
Once again , the pragmatist has revealed an openness to new ways that some might have thought beyond him .
This openness has also extended to the policy process that has been undertaken in the wake of the fight for the nomination .
Since May , Biden ’ s team has been working in six policy task @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immigration , criminal justice , climate and education .
Each is co-chaired by a Biden supporter and a former Bernie Sanders backer .
The climate group , for example , is co-chaired by John Kerry and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez .
The process seems to speak to two things : the influence of significant parts of the pro-Sanders left within the party , and Biden ’ s readiness to engage with it in ways that Hillary Clinton , for example , did not in 2016 .
Nevertheless , the Harris pick also shows some of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of new movements .
Harris has often been charged with being too pro-police in police shooting cases as district attorney in San Francisco then attorney general in California , though supporters say she has shifted her view in recent years .
Critics also charge her with being light on policy .
Yet that was not true when she was San Francisco district attorney and began a programme of alternatives to custody for drug offenders .
If she were to spearhead something similar from the vice-presidential office two decades later , it could help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ destructive incarceration obsession .
It is easy to exaggerate the importance of a vice-presidential pick .
It ’ s the presidential candidate who wins or loses the contest .
Biden certainly didn ’ t need to put Harris on the ticket in order to carry California .
But the vice-presidency itself is too easily dismissed .
Franklin Roosevelt ’ s first vice-president ’ s memorable comparison of the job is still often quoted .
Yet , in spite of Mike Pence ’ s performance since 2017 , some recent vice-presidents have been significant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ George HW Bush , Al Gore , Dick Cheney and Biden himself have been substantial vice-presidential players in ways that Dan Quayle , for example , was not .
Harris is in the substantial category for the overwhelming reason that it is possible to imagine her as president .
That ’ s partly because , post-Trump and post-Covid , there would be substantial work for all hands in the new administration .
But the main reason is Biden ’ s age .
He will be 78 in November .
It has been hinted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he might serve only a single term .
He has referred to himself as a transitional figure in the party , paving the way for a new generation .
Either way , Harris has now become overnight the presumptive next Democratic presidential nominee after Biden .
That gives her a lot of power .
For the next generation of Democrats , it is suddenly important to get close to her , and to take what she says seriously .
Trump and Covid mean that American government in the 2020s will not be steered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Yet it is a mistake to imagine that only one part of the Democratic party understands this .
Biden ’ s choice of Harris , like his approach to the Sanders wing over policy , is part of an effort to unify a very divided party to defeat Trump and measure up to the issues facing America and the world .
There are more grounds for thinking this unity may happen than either some Bernie-or-bust revolutionaries or identity politics movements care to admit .
An Obama-type centrist like Harris isn ’ t the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when running against Trump .
Now , though , there is the mother of all election battles to win , whose outcome remains deeply uncertain .

Joe Biden’s selection of Kamala Harris as his Democratic vice-presidential running mate in November’s American election is by turns audacious and cautious, radical and conservative, historic and same-old. Nevertheless, although there were several other qualified candidates for the role, Harris is likely to prove a smart choice.
You can see this, in a brief and minor way, by the tsunami of abuse and contempt from Donald Trump and his supporters that didn’t materialise after the announcement on Wednesday. With next week’s mainly virtual Democratic convention in Milwaukee days away, the vice-presidential pick was always going to open a window of opportunity for Trump to get into the Biden henhouse and make trouble. That hasn’t happened yet – though doubtless he will try. But it suggests Harris was not the pick Trump had been hoping for.
Even on day one, the choice reminds us that Biden is very serious about winning the election. But the radical and historic aspects of Harris’s place on the ticket cannot be passed over as mere add-ons. Biden announced months ago that he would choose a female running mate. But Harris will still be only the fourth woman on a major party ticket in US history following Geraldine Ferraro, Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton. Her three female predecessors were all defeated. If she is elected, Harris would prove once and for all that women can win. The choice suggests that Biden, the lifelong Washington pragmatist, recognises the power of female voters to his party and that men are ready to help elect a woman too.
But Biden has also chosen the first woman of colour on a major party presidential ticket. That’s hardly a minor milestone in US history, as recent events underscore. Nor was it a foregone conclusion. There were qualified alternatives available, including Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar.
But a summer dominated by the aftermath of the George Floyd killing and the Black Lives Matter movement would have been a catastrophically bad moment to pick another white candidate. Biden also came under a lot of pressure at the business end of the process to choose a black woman. It was a timely reminder of something he knows better than anyone – namely, how much his own nomination owes to black voters, who brought his campaign back from the dead in February’s South Carolina primary. Once again, the pragmatist has revealed an openness to new ways that some might have thought beyond him.
This openness has also extended to the policy process that has been undertaken in the wake of the fight for the nomination. Since May, Biden’s team has been working in six policy task forces on the economy, healthcare, immigration, criminal justice, climate and education. Each is co-chaired by a Biden supporter and a former Bernie Sanders backer. The climate group, for example, is co-chaired by John Kerry and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. The process seems to speak to two things: the influence of significant parts of the pro-Sanders left within the party, and Biden’s readiness to engage with it in ways that Hillary Clinton, for example, did not in 2016.
04:50 Why Joe Biden picked Kamala Harris as his running mate – video explainer
Nevertheless, the Harris pick also shows some of the limits of Biden’s embrace of new movements. Harris has often been charged with being too pro-police in police shooting cases as district attorney in San Francisco then attorney general in California, though supporters say she has shifted her view in recent years. Critics also charge her with being light on policy. Yet that was not true when she was San Francisco district attorney and began a programme of alternatives to custody for drug offenders. If she were to spearhead something similar from the vice-presidential office two decades later, it could help to transform America’s catastrophic and destructive incarceration obsession.
It is easy to exaggerate the importance of a vice-presidential pick. It’s the presidential candidate who wins or loses the contest. Biden certainly didn’t need to put Harris on the ticket in order to carry California. But the vice-presidency itself is too easily dismissed. Franklin Roosevelt’s first vice-president’s memorable comparison of the job is still often quoted. Yet, in spite of Mike Pence’s performance since 2017, some recent vice-presidents have been significant, both politically and as executives. George HW Bush, Al Gore, Dick Cheney and Biden himself have been substantial vice-presidential players in ways that Dan Quayle, for example, was not.
Harris is in the substantial category for the overwhelming reason that it is possible to imagine her as president. That’s partly because, post-Trump and post-Covid, there would be substantial work for all hands in the new administration. But the main reason is Biden’s age. He will be 78 in November. It has been hinted, though not definitely stated, that he might serve only a single term. He has referred to himself as a transitional figure in the party, paving the way for a new generation. Either way, Harris has now become overnight the presumptive next Democratic presidential nominee after Biden. That gives her a lot of power. For the next generation of Democrats, it is suddenly important to get close to her, and to take what she says seriously.
Trump and Covid mean that American government in the 2020s will not be steered by the compass of the past. Yet it is a mistake to imagine that only one part of the Democratic party understands this. Biden’s choice of Harris, like his approach to the Sanders wing over policy, is part of an effort to unify a very divided party to defeat Trump and measure up to the issues facing America and the world.
There are more grounds for thinking this unity may happen than either some Bernie-or-bust revolutionaries or identity politics movements care to admit. An Obama-type centrist like Harris isn’t the worst thing in the world to be when running against Trump. Now, though, there is the mother of all election battles to win, whose outcome remains deeply uncertain.


theguardian--2020-08-13--Donald Trump continues attack on Kamala Harris, calling Biden's running mate 'a big failure' – video

President Donald Trump labelled Democratic vice-presidential candidate Kamala Harris ' a big failure ' the day after she was announced @ @ @ @ @ mate .
Trump 's criticism is the second in as many days from his White @ @ @ @ @ called her appointment 'risky ' .
The president cited previous tension between the two during @ @ @ @ @ backed his own vice-president , Mike Pence • Harris and Biden make first appearance as @ @ @ @ @ ' Trump

President Donald Trump labelled Democratic vice-presidential candidate Kamala Harris 'a big failure' the day after she was announced as Joe Biden's running mate. Trump's criticism is the second in as many days from his White House press briefings, where called her appointment 'risky'. The president cited previous tension between the two during the primary election debates and backed his own vice-president, Mike Pence


theguardian--2020-08-13--'America is crying out for leadership': Harris makes debut as Biden running mate – video

Kamala Harris made her campaign-trail debut as Joe Biden 's vice presidential running mate for the Democrats , criticising Donald @ @ @ @ @ pandemic and making an urgent argument for a Biden administration .
Harris , a US @ @ @ @ @ leaped to the attack on Trump , saying he had endangered Americans by not taking @ @ @ @ @ the United States into an economic crisis even as it wrestles with racial and social @ @ @ @ @ has presented my fair share of arguments in court , the case against Donald Trump @ @ @ @ @ and shut , ' Harris said .
• Harris and Biden appear together for first @ @ @ @ @ Trump

Kamala Harris made her campaign-trail debut as Joe Biden's vice-presidential running mate for the Democrats, criticising president Donald Trump for mismanaging the coronavirus pandemic and making an urgent argument for a Biden administration. Harris, a US senator from California, quickly leapt to the attack on Trump, saying he had endangered Americans by not taking the pandemic seriously, plunging the US into an economic crisis even as it wrestles with racial and social injustice. 'As somebody who has presented my fair share of arguments in court, the case against Donald Trump and Mike Pence is open and shut,' Harris said


theguardian--2020-08-12--Why Joe Biden picked Kamala Harris as his running mate – video explainer

Joe Biden has picked his former one-time presidential rival Kamala Harris to be his running mate , making her the @ @ @ @ @ a major party presidential ticket .
The Guardian 's Lauren Gambino explains Harris 's trailblazing @ @ @ @ @ black , female leadership ' and the excitement around the Californian senator 's nomination • @ @ @ @ @ Kamala Harris VP pick ?
Our panel 's verdict • Good day for our country @ @ @ @ @ Harris as VP pick

Lauren Gambino, Tom Silverstone, Nicholas Williams, Nikhita Chulani and Katie Lamborn

Joe Biden has picked his former one-time presidential rival Kamala Harris to be his running mate, making her the first woman of color on a major party presidential ticket. The Guardian's Lauren Gambino explains Harris's trailblazing background, the 'hunger for black, female leadership' and the excitement around the Californian senator's nomination


theguardian--2020-08-13--US unemployment claims dip below 1m for first time in 20 weeks

The number of Americans who filed new claims for unemployment benefits last week dipped below 1 million for the first time in 20 weeks but signs of the coronavirus pandemic ’ s devastating impact on the US jobs market remain .
The latest figures from the labor department showed 963,000 people filing claims after 20 weeks of claims above 1m .
Claims still remain historically high .
Before the pandemic claims were averaging around 200,000 a week and the previous record for claims was 695,000 , set in 1982 .
The latest figures come as millions of unemployed Americans are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 600 boost to their unemployment benefits .
The extra payments , agreed by Congress in March , ended last month and Congress remains deadlocked over an extension .
Donald Trump has signed an executive order that would boost payments by $ 400 a week but the order could take months to implement and cash-strapped states – some of which are already out of money – are expected to contribute to the plan .
The US job market has picked up in the last two months .
In July the US added 1.8m jobs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % from 11.1 % .
The gains were largely in restaurants , bars and the leisure sector which had furloughed millions of workers when the virus struck .
But with states and local governments rapidly running out of cash , economists are expecting a new wave of layoffs as the pandemic continues unabated .
Last month ’ s jobs report showed little growth outside the sectors hit hardest in the wave of quarantine closures .
“ Jobs for more-skilled workers in business/professional services are making little headway overall and are declining in computer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sophia Koropeckyj , economist at Moody ’ s Analytics , wrote in an investors note .
“ These are the secondary effects of the stressed economy .
”

The number of Americans who filed new claims for unemployment benefits last week dipped below 1 million for the first time in 21 weeks, but signs of the coronavirus pandemic’s devastating impact on the US jobs market remain.
The latest figures from the labor department showed 963,000 people filing claims after 20 weeks of claims above 1m. Claims still remain historically high. Before the pandemic, claims were averaging about 200,000 a week and the previous record for claims was 695,000, set in 1982.
The latest figures come as millions of unemployed Americans are dealing with the end of a $600 boost to their unemployment benefits.
The extra payments, agreed by Congress in March, ended last month and Congress remains deadlocked over an extension. Donald Trump has signed an executive order that would boost payments by $400 a week, but the order could take months to implement and cash-strapped states – some of which are already out of money – are expected to contribute to the plan.
The US jobs market has picked up in the last two months. In July, the US added 1.8m jobs and the unemployment rate fell to 10.2% from 11.1%. The gains were largely in restaurants, bars and the leisure sector, which had furloughed millions of workers when the virus struck.
But with states and local governments rapidly running out of cash, economists are expecting a new wave of layoffs as the pandemic continues unabated. Last month’s jobs report showed little growth outside the sectors hit hardest in the wave of quarantine closures.
“Jobs for more-skilled workers in business/professional services are making little headway overall and are declining in computer services, management and advertising,” Sophia Koropeckyj, economist at Moody’s Analytics, wrote in an investor note. “These are the secondary effects of the stressed economy.”’


theguardian--2020-08-13--US proposes change to shower rules after Trump's hair-washing moan

The US president ’ s hair-washing complaints on Wednesday prompted the government to propose an easing of shower pressure standards .
The Trump administration proposed rule changes that would allow shower heads to boost water pressure , after Donald Trump repeatedly complained that bathroom fixtures do not work to his liking .
The Department of Energy plan followed comments from Trump last month at a White House event on rolling back regulations .
He said he believed water does not come out fast enough from fixtures .
“ So what do you do ?
You just stand there longer or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my hair – I don ’ t know about you , but it has to be perfect , ” he said .
Last December , Trump said environmental regulators were looking at sinks , faucets and toilets to revise rules meant to conserve water and fuel that heats it .
“ People are flushing toilets 10 times , 15 times , as opposed to once , ” Trump told a meeting of small business leaders at the White House .
Consumer groups decried the plan , saying current rules saved consumers money by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would effectively allow shower fixtures to include multiple shower heads that would get around the 2.5 gallon per minute standard Congress set in 1992 , when Trump ’ s fellow Republican George HW Bush was president .
The energy department also proposed easier standards on washing machines .
The Trump administration says its regulatory rollbacks save average American households $ 3,100 a year .
But conservationists say easing bathroom fixture standards could boost energy and water costs .
It was uncertain whether the plan would be finalized .
Trump is campaigning for reelection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the vote on 3 November .
If he wins and the proposal advances it could also face court battles .

Donald Trump’s hair has mesmerized many observers since he began his career in politics, but now the president’s own pride in his locks has prompted the US government to propose an easing of shower pressure standards.
The Trump administration proposed rule changes that would allow shower heads to boost water pressure, after Trump repeatedly complained that bathroom fixtures do not work to his liking.
The Department of Energy plan followed comments from Trump last month at a White House event on rolling back regulations. He said he believed water does not come out fast enough from fixtures.
“So what do you do? You just stand there longer or you take a shower longer? Because my hair – I don’t know about you, but it has to be perfect. Perfect,” he said.
Last December, Trump said environmental regulators were looking at sinks, faucets and toilets to revise rules meant to conserve water and fuel that heats it.
“People are flushing toilets 10 times, 15 times, as opposed to once,” Trump told a meeting of small business leaders at the White House.
Consumer groups decried the plan, saying current rules saved consumers money by conserving water and fuel.
Andrew deLaski, the executive director of the Appliance Standards Awareness Project, an energy conservation organization, said the proposals were “silly” and could result in enough gushing water to flood a bathroom.
“The country faces serious problems,” he told the Associated Press. “We’ve got a pandemic, serious long-term drought throughout much of the west. We’ve got global climate change. Showerheads aren’t one of our problems.”
David Friedman, the vice-president of advocacy Consumer Reports, and a former acting assistant secretary for the Department of Energy, said the new rule would cause a big increase in wasted water and cause a rise in utility bills.
“There is absolutely no need to change current showerhead standards,” he said.
The proposal would effectively allow shower fixtures to include multiple shower heads that would get around the 2.5 gallon per minute standard Congress set in 1992, when Trump’s fellow Republican George HW Bush was president.
The energy department also proposed easier standards on washing machines. The Trump administration says its regulatory rollbacks save average American households $3,100 a year. But conservationists say easing bathroom fixture standards could boost energy and water costs.
It was uncertain whether the plan would be finalized. Trump is campaigning for re-election and trails in opinion polls ahead of the vote on 3 November. If he wins and the proposal advances, it could also face court battles.


theguardian--2020-08-13--Scientists warned Trump's wall would threaten endangered species. Officials ignored them

Stark warnings by federal scientists and wildlife experts about the grave threat posed by Donald Trump ’ s border wall to rare and endangered species were repeatedly ignored by the Department of Homeland Security ( DHS ) , according to documents seen by the Guardian .
A cache of emails obtained using the Freedom of Information Act ( Foia ) by environmental groups reveal multiple efforts over several months by experts at the San Bernardino national wildlife refuge in south-eastern Arizona , to save rare desert springs and crystalline streams which provide the only US habitat for the endangered endemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s water-guzzling concrete barrier , the border region ’ s water reserves were depleted due to prolonged drought linked to the climate crisis .
The expansion of water-intensive cash crops and urban growth have also drained aquifers in the arid region , leaving several endangered and threatened species wholly reliant on the freshwater ponds found in the refuge .
In an email sent last October , the long-serving refuge manager , Bill Radke , warned colleagues at the US Fish and Wildlife Service ( FWS ) that the threat of groundwater depletion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It was around the same time that DHS contractors began pumping massive quantities of water from the aquifer relied upon by the refuge to mix concrete for construction of a 20-mile stretch of Trump ’ s 30ft-high border wall .
A few weeks later in early December , Radke described the water usage for the border wall as “ the current greatest threat to endangered species in the south-west region ” – referring to the states of Arizona , New Mexico , Texas and Oklahoma .
According to the emails , refuge staff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to take “ life support actions ” , allowing three ponds to dry up in an effort to save some of the fish .
“ We are monitoring pond levels .
We are developing/implementing contingency plans to protect at least a subset of the endangered fish population that once thrived on the refuge .
We are hoping for the best , but are planning for the worst , ” wrote Radke .
The documents suggest as much as 700,000 gallons of groundwater was being extracted per day to construct the barrier , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ FWS to avoid drilling wells in a five-mile buffer around the refuge .
“ Instead contractors made plans to drill even closer to the refuge , drilling their second new well 480 feet east of [ the refuge ] , ” Radke wrote .
The multibillion-dollar border wall project has avoided proper environmental , scientific and cost oversight as the government suspended 28 federal laws relating to clean air and water , endangered species , public lands and the rights of Native Americans , in order to expedite construction despite multiple legal challenges @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wall construction would drain artesian pools and kill wildlife , including endangered species .
The DHS knew it and did it anyway .
None of this would be legal if the environmental laws were still in place , ” said Laiken Jordahl , the borderlands campaigner at the not-for-profit Center for Biological Diversity which obtained the emails .
“ These documents make it very clear : the survival or extinction of these endangered desert fish is entirely in this administration ’ s hands.
” An FWS spokeswoman said larger pumps were now required @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outflows due to a drop in pressure in the aquifer .
“ The border wall construction contractor has purchased and is currently installing the needed higher capacity pumps , ” she said .
But , pumping water is only a temporary solution and the pumps are already too late for at least three ponds .
A document obtained by Defenders of Wildlife , suggests water extraction was still having a detrimental impact to the refuge as late as May 2020 .
The endangered and protected species under threat from the lowered water levels @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Yaqui chub , Yaqui topminnow , Chiricahua leopard frog and Mexican garter snake .
The DHS insists that it continues to operate under the spirit of the National Environmental Policy Act ( Nepa ) , considered the cornerstone of environmental protection in the US , and takes into account public and expert comments .
A Customs and Border Protection ( CBP ) spokesman told High Country News that “ DHS and CBP have and continue to coordinate weekly , and more frequently on an as needed basis , to answer questions concerning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ address environmental concerns from the US Fish and Wildlife Service .
”

Stark warnings by federal scientists and wildlife experts about the grave threat posed by Donald Trump’s border wall to rare and endangered species were repeatedly ignored by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), according to documents seen by the Guardian.
A cache of emails obtained using the Freedom of Information Act (Foia) by environmental groups reveal multiple efforts over several months by experts at the San Bernardino national wildlife refuge in south-eastern Arizona, to save rare desert springs and crystalline streams which provide the only US habitat for the endangered endemic Río Yaqui fish.
The emails were first reported on in the High Country News.
Even before Trump’s water-guzzling concrete barrier, the border region’s water reserves were depleted due to prolonged drought linked to the climate crisis. The expansion of water-intensive cash crops and urban growth have also drained aquifers in the arid region, leaving several endangered and threatened species wholly reliant on the freshwater ponds found in the refuge.
In an email sent last October, the long-serving refuge manager, Bill Radke, warned colleagues at the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) that the threat of groundwater depletion was a “dire emergency”.
It was around the same time that DHS contractors began pumping massive quantities of water from the aquifer relied upon by the refuge to mix concrete for construction of a 20-mile stretch of Trump’s 30ft-high border wall.
A few weeks later in early December, Radke described the water usage for the border wall as “the current greatest threat to endangered species in the south-west region” – referring to the states of Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and Oklahoma.
According to the emails, refuge staff began monitoring the impact and felt forced to take “life support actions”, allowing three ponds to dry up in an effort to save some of the fish. “We are monitoring pond levels. We are developing/implementing contingency plans to protect at least a subset of the endangered fish population that once thrived on the refuge. We are hoping for the best, but are planning for the worst,” wrote Radke.
The documents suggest as much as 700,000 gallons of groundwater was being extracted per day to construct the barrier, and DHS officials ignored direct requests from the FWS to avoid drilling wells in a five-mile buffer around the refuge. “Instead contractors made plans to drill even closer to the refuge, drilling their second new well 480 feet east of [the refuge],” Radke wrote.
The DHS was warned that wall construction would drain artesian pools and kill wildlife … The DHS knew it and did it anyway Laiken Jordahl
The multibillion-dollar border wall project has avoided proper environmental, scientific and cost oversight as the government suspended 28 federal laws relating to clean air and water, endangered species, public lands and the rights of Native Americans, in order to expedite construction despite multiple legal challenges.
“The DHS was warned that wall construction would drain artesian pools and kill wildlife, including endangered species. The DHS knew it and did it anyway. None of this would be legal if the environmental laws were still in place,” said Laiken Jordahl, the borderlands campaigner at the not-for-profit Center for Biological Diversity which obtained the emails.
“These documents make it very clear: the survival or extinction of these endangered desert fish is entirely in this administration’s hands.”
An FWS spokeswoman said larger pumps were now required to maintain pond levels and appropriate pond outflows due to a drop in pressure in the aquifer. “The border wall construction contractor has purchased and is currently installing the needed higher capacity pumps,” she said.
But, pumping water is only a temporary solution and the pumps are already too late for at least three ponds. A document obtained by Defenders of Wildlife, suggests water extraction was still having a detrimental impact to the refuge as late as May 2020.
The endangered and protected species under threat from the lowered water levels include the Yaqui catfish, beautiful shiner, Yaqui chub, Yaqui topminnow, Chiricahua leopard frog and Mexican garter snake.
The DHS insists that it continues to operate under the spirit of the National Environmental Policy Act (Nepa), considered the cornerstone of environmental protection in the US, and takes into account public and expert comments.
A Customs and Border Protection (CBP) spokesman told High Country News that “DHS and CBP have and continue to coordinate weekly, and more frequently on an as needed basis, to answer questions concerning new border wall construction projects and to address environmental concerns from the US Fish and Wildlife Service.”


theguardian--2020-08-12--Kamala Harris for president in 2024? This might be Joe Biden's thinking | Martin Kettle


theguardian--2020-08-13--'My hair has to be perfect': Trump prompts change in showerhead rule – video

The US president ’ s hair-washing complaints have prompted a proposal on easing of shower-pressure standards .
The Trump administration @ @ @ @ @ allow showerheads to boost water pressure , after Donald Trump complained that bathroom fixtures do @ @ @ @ @ .
The Department of Energy plan followed Trump 's comments last month at a White @ @ @ @ @ regulations where he said he believed water does not come out fast enough from fixtures @ @ @ @ @ I don ’ t know about you , but it has to be perfect , @ @ @ @ @ Elections in 2020 in the US

The US president’s hair-washing complaints have prompted a proposal on easing of shower-pressure standards.
The Trump administration presented rule changes that would allow showerheads to boost water pressure, after Donald Trump complained that bathroom fixtures did not work to his liking.
The Department of Energy plan followed Trump's comments last month at a White House event on rolling back regulations where he said he believed water did not come out fast enough from fixtures. ‘My hair … I don’t know about you, but it has to be perfect,' he said


theguardian--2020-08-13--'America is crying out for leadership': Kamala Harris makes debut as Biden's running mate – video

Kamala Harris made her campaign-trail debut as Joe Biden 's vice-presidential running mate for the Democrats , criticising president Donald @ @ @ @ @ pandemic and making an urgent argument for a Biden administration .
Harris , a US @ @ @ @ @ leapt to the attack on Trump , saying he had endangered Americans by not taking @ @ @ @ @ the US into an economic crisis even as it wrestles with racial and social injustice @ @ @ @ @ presented my fair share of arguments in court , the case against Donald Trump and @ @ @ @ @ shut , ' Harris said • Why Joe Biden picked Kamala Harris as his running @ @ @ @ @ Harris and Biden appear together for first time and excoriate 'failure ' Trump


theguardian--2020-08-14--'Soulmates': Michael Cohen describes his life as Trump's fixer in new book

A teaser for Michael Cohen ’ s book about his time as Donald Trump ’ s lawyer and fixer and his fall from grace was released on Thursday , after the US justice department had issued a gag order to stop the book ’ s publication that was later dropped .
The book , entitled Disloyal : The True Story of the Former Personal Attorney to President Donald J Trump , is slated to be released sometime in September , ahead of the presidential election in November .
Cohen ginned up pre-sales and tweeted about it on Thursday .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 53 , mentions writing in his federal prison cell in upstate New York in his green inmate uniform .
He details his feelings of bewilderment at falling foul of the president of the United States after years of being “ Trump ’ s first call every morning and his last call every night ” .
“ In some ways , I knew him better than even his family did because I bore witness to the real man , ” he writes , calling Trump a con man , a predator , a racist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In his cell , Cohen was about a year in to serving a three-year sentence on federal charges of tax evasion , making false statements , lying to Congress and facilitating illegal payments to silence women about their alleged affairs with Trump in the past , which the president denies .
But Cohen was released in May after fears of Covid-19 spreading in federal prisons .
After tweeting that he was nearly finished with his book in July , Cohen was sent back to prison .
The ACLU ended up joining a lawuit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , saying he was being retaliated against by the authorities , which was ultimately successful .
A gag order from the justice department to halt the book ’ s publication was also dropped .
In the forward to the book , Cohen writes : “ My insatiable desire to please Trump to gain power for myself , the fatal flaw that led to my ruination , was a Faustian bargain : I would do anything to accumulate , wield , maintain , exert , exploit power .
In this way , Donald Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ soulmates.
” Cohen describes driving to Washington DC , from his home in New York ready to testify to Congress during the Trump-Russia investigation , and being terrified that someone would try to kill him , which was why he didn ’ t go by plane or train , after receiving hundreds of death threats for turning against the president .
“ I was wearing a baseball cap and sunglasses and I kept the speedometer at 80 , avoiding the glances of other drivers , ” he writes .
He also says that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before testifying .
Addressing Congress in February 2019 , he accused Trump of criminal conspiracy and said Trump , when he was the Republican candidate in 2016 , was aware of the infamous Trump Tower office meeting in New York between members of his presidential campaign , including son Donald Trump Jr , and a Russian lawyer with ties to the Kremlin , in order to receive damaging information about Hillary Clinton .
In his book foreword , he warns : “ In these dangerous days , I see the Republican party and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – which is in far greater peril than is commonly understood – and following one of the worst impulses of humankind : the desire for power at all costs.
” The Trump administration has tried and failed to stop some high-profile tell-alls .
A damning book by the former national security adviser John Bolton , The Room Where It Happened , was published in June , while the excoriating and personal book Too Much and Never Enough , by Trump ’ s niece Mary L Trump , was published in July .

A teaser for Michael Cohen’s book about his time as Donald Trump’s fixer and his fall from grace was released on Thursday, after the US justice department had issued a gag order to stop the book’s publication that was later dropped.
The book, entitled Disloyal: The True Story of the Former Personal Attorney to President Donald J Trump, is slated to be released some time in September, ahead of the presidential election in November.
The book’s foreword gives a vivid glimpse from Cohen of what will be another bombshell portrayal of what life is like close to Trump, with Cohen flagging that he got himself involved in all kinds of “sins and crimes”.
He likens his former client to a mob boss who “wouldn’t mind if I was dead”.
“From golden showers in a sex club in [Las] Vegas, to tax fraud, to deals with corrupt officials from the former Soviet Union, to catch and kill conspiracies to silence Trump’s clandestine lovers, I wasn’t just a witness to the president’s rise – I was an active and eager participant,” Cohen writes.
Cohen ginned up pre-sales and tweeted about it on Thursday.
Cohen, 53, mentions writing in his federal prison cell in upstate New York in his green inmate uniform.
The day has finally arrived. I have waited a long time to share my truth. To read the foreword and pre-order my book DISLOYAL, visit https://t.co/Va4Rt0Zear — Michael Cohen (@MichaelCohen212) August 13, 2020
He details his feelings of bewilderment at falling foul of the president of the United States after years of being “Trump’s first call every morning and his last call every night”.
“In some ways, I knew him better than even his family did because I bore witness to the real man,” he writes, calling Trump a con man, a predator, a racist, a bully and a liar.
In his cell, Cohen was about a year in to serving a three-year sentence on federal charges of tax evasion, making false statements, lying to Congress and facilitating illegal payments to silence women about their alleged affairs with Trump in the past, which the president denies. But Cohen was released in May after fears of Covid-19 spreading in federal prisons.
After tweeting that he was nearly finished with his book in July, Cohen was sent back to prison. The ACLU ended up joining a lawuit on his behalf to get him out, saying he was being retaliated against by the authorities, which was ultimately successful. A gag order from the justice department to halt the book’s publication was also dropped.
In the foreword to the book, Cohen writes: “My insatiable desire to please Trump to gain power for myself, the fatal flaw that led to my ruination, was a Faustian bargain: I would do anything to accumulate, wield, maintain, exert, exploit power. In this way, Donald Trump and I were the most alike … soulmates.”
Cohen describes driving to Washington DC, from his home in New York ready to testify to Congress during the Trump-Russia investigation, and being terrified that someone would try to kill him, which was why he didn’t go by plane or train, after receiving hundreds of death threats for turning against the president.
“I was wearing a baseball cap and sunglasses and I kept the speedometer at 80, avoiding the glances of other drivers,” he writes.
He also says that he had a panic attack and sobbed before testifying. Addressing Congress in February 2019, he accused Trump of criminal conspiracy and said Trump, when he was the Republican candidate in 2016, was aware of the infamous Trump Tower office meeting in New York between members of his presidential campaign, including son Donald Trump Jr, and a Russian lawyer with ties to the Kremlin, in order to receive damaging information about Hillary Clinton.
In his book foreword, he warns: “In these dangerous days, I see the Republican party and Trump’s followers threatening the constitution – which is in far greater peril than is commonly understood – and following one of the worst impulses of humankind: the desire for power at all costs.”
The Trump administration has tried and failed to stop some high-profile tell-alls. A damning book by the former national security adviser John Bolton, The Room Where It Happened, was published in June, while the excoriating and personal book Too Much and Never Enough, by Trump’s niece Mary L Trump, was published in July.


theguardian--2020-08-14--Joe Biden and Kamala Harris call for nationwide mask mandate – as it happened

From Lauren Gambino in Wilmington and Enjoli Liston in New York : China Cochran met Kamala Harris at a campaign event in Detroit last year and was swept away by the California senator ’ s ambition , charisma and leadership .
So when the Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden named Harris as his running mate on Tuesday – making her the first Black woman on a major US party ’ s presidential ticket – Cochran wasn ’ t just struck by the history .
It represented a full-circle moment for Black women , who the Democratic party often refer to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who for generations have fought for their voices to be heard and political aspirations recognized .
“ It tells Black girls that they can be president , ” Cochran , who recently ran for state representative in Michigan , told the Associated Press .
“ I think it ’ s important for us to look at that and see other young women of color realize that they can go after their dreams and really make change in our world.
” Black women in particular helped rescue Biden ’ s campaign earlier this year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ South Carolina primary , powering him to the Democratic nomination .
As he prepares for the general election on 3 November , Biden is trying to recreate the multiracial and cross-generational coalition that twice sent Barack Obama to the White House .
That will hinge on Black voters in battleground states like Michigan to turn out in force in November .
“ We ’ ve seen from an electoral process what happens if we don ’ t vote , that can mean the difference between winning and losing a state , ” said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and spokeswoman for Hillary Clinton ’ s 2016 presidential campaign .
“ We ’ re in this moral inflection point of this country and Vice-President Biden is someone who ’ s talked about healing the soul of our country and certainly one of the ways to do that is to uplift the voices of Black women.
” Strategists said that Harris will help that effort .
“ It sends a strong signal about not only the current state of our party but what the future of our party looks like , ” Antjuan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ South Carolina , told the AP .
“ And what better way to reward a group of people who have been the political glue in this party than to put an African American woman on the ticket .
”

Maanvi Singh (now), Lauren Aratani and Martin Belam (earlier)

14 Aug 2020 01.04 BST Summary From me and Lauren Aratani: Donald Trump admitted that he opposed additional funding for the United States Postal Service in order to undermine mail-in voting. During his daily press briefing, he said he would not veto a coronavirus relief bill that funded the USPS but falsely claimed that the department needed extra money in order to process a surge of fraudulent ballots.
During his daily press briefing, he said he would not veto a coronavirus relief bill that funded the USPS but falsely claimed that the department needed extra money in order to process a surge of fraudulent ballots. During a coronavirus update that resembled a campaign event, the president read a prepared speech attacking Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. Trump accused his opponent of undermining scientific evidence — despite his own well-documented history of contradicting public health experts and contradicting scientific reality in his response to the coronavirus pandemic. Trump also revived racist birther conspiracy theories.
Trump accused his opponent of undermining scientific evidence — despite his own well-documented history of contradicting public health experts and contradicting scientific reality in his response to the coronavirus pandemic. Trump also revived racist birther conspiracy theories. Biden and Harris announced that they are calling for a nationwide mask mandate , asking every governor to require residents to wear masks in public to slow the spread of coronavirus. The pair will address the Democratic national convention next week from Biden’s hometown of Wilmington, Delaware.
, asking every governor to require residents to wear masks in public to slow the spread of coronavirus. The pair will address the Democratic national convention next week from Biden’s hometown of Wilmington, Delaware. The Senate adjourned today with no coronavirus stimulus package in sight and will be out of session until after 8 Septembe r. This means that millions of Americans will be left with low unemployment insurance for at least a few more weeks.
r. This means that millions of Americans will be left with low unemployment insurance for at least a few more weeks. Donald Trump announced a normalization of relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, with Israel agreeing to halt plans to annex parts of the West Bank . While Trump called it a “historic peace agreement”, Israel’s prime minister said on Thursday that the country will still annex parts of the West Bank but had agreed to a temporary halt.
. While Trump called it a “historic peace agreement”, Israel’s prime minister said on Thursday that the country will still annex parts of the West Bank but had agreed to a temporary halt. Former Trump fixer Michael Cohen released a teaser for his new book, Disloyal. It is slated to be released in September after attempts to stop publication from the Trump administration.
Updated at 01.06 BST
13 Aug 2020 00.37 BST ‘It sends a strong signal’: Black voters respond to Kamala Harris’ nomination From Lauren Gambino in Wilmington and Enjoli Liston in New York: China Cochran met Kamala Harris at a campaign event in Detroit last year and was swept away by the California senator’s ambition, charisma and leadership. So when the Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden named Harris as his running mate on Tuesday – making her the first Black woman on a major US party’s presidential ticket – Cochran wasn’t just struck by the history. It represented a full-circle moment for Black women, who the Democratic party often refer to as its backbone of support, yet who for generations have fought for their voices to be heard and political aspirations recognized. “It tells Black girls that they can be president,” Cochran, who recently ran for state representative in Michigan, told the Associated Press. “I think it’s important for us to look at that and see other young women of color realize that they can go after their dreams and really make change in our world.” Black women in particular helped rescue Biden’s campaign earlier this year by delivering a resounding victory in the South Carolina primary, powering him to the Democratic nomination. As he prepares for the general election on 3 November, Biden is trying to recreate the multiracial and cross-generational coalition that twice sent Barack Obama to the White House. That will hinge on Black voters in battleground states like Michigan to turn out in force in November. “We’ve seen from an electoral process what happens if we don’t vote, that can mean the difference between winning and losing a state,” said Karen Finney, a senior Democratic strategist and spokeswoman for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign. “We’re in this moral inflection point of this country and Vice-President Biden is someone who’s talked about healing the soul of our country and certainly one of the ways to do that is to uplift the voices of Black women.” Strategists said that Harris will help that effort. “It sends a strong signal about not only the current state of our party but what the future of our party looks like,” Antjuan Seawright, a veteran political strategist in South Carolina, told the AP. “And what better way to reward a group of people who have been the political glue in this party than to put an African American woman on the ticket.” ‘It sends a strong signal’: Black voters respond to Kamala Harris’ nomination Read more
Updated at 01.07 BST
13 Aug 2020 00.12 BST Kamala Harris participated in the SF Pride Parade on June 30, 2019 in San Francisco, California. Photograph: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images Just hours after Joe Biden announced Kamala Harris as his running mate, in her home state of California fierce speculation had already begun as to who might replace her in the Senate if she wins a spot in the White House. “It seems early,” said Aimee Allison, who heads She the People, a national network seeking to elevate women of color to political leadership. “But behind the scenes, conversations are already happening. And I don’t think it’s too soon to think about what the community wants, and what the state wants in a leader.” If the Biden-Harris team wins on 3 November, California’s governor, Gavin Newsom, will appoint someone to replace Harris in the Senate for the duration of her term, which ends in 2022. Asked on Wednesday if people have already started pitching themselves for the position, Newsom joked with a reporter: “You may be the only one who hasn’t – unless you just did.” Later, he added that his comment was only a “slight” exaggeration. Read more about who some of the top contenders are: If Kamala Harris wins, who might fill her California Senate seat? Read more
13 Aug 2020 23.58 BST Israel signs historic deal with UAE that will ‘suspend’ West Bank annexation From Oliver Holmes in Jerusalem and Julian Borger in Washington: Israel and the United Arab Emirates have agreed to establish full diplomatic ties in a historic Washington-brokered deal under which Israel will “suspend” its plans to annex parts of the Palestinian territories. However, cracks in the deal became quickly apparent after its announcement on Thursday, with Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, saying there was “no change” to his annexation plans, while the UAE insisted that it “immediately stops annexation”. After Jordan and Egypt, the UAE is only the third Arab country to announce formal diplomatic relations with Israel, and the announcement will reverberate across the Middle East, which has a turbulent history with the Jewish state. Donald Trump, who is facing a tough presidential election on 3 November, played up the deal as a significant foreign policy win. “Everybody said this would be impossible,” the US president told reporters at the White House. “After 49 years, Israel and the United Arab Emirates will fully normalise their diplomatic relations. They will exchange embassies and ambassadors and begin cooperation across the board and on a broad range of areas including tourism, education, healthcare, trade and security.” He said the tenor of the three-way phone call he had with Israeli and UAE leaders “was like love”. Similar agreements were being discussed with other countries in the region, he added, without giving details. Israel has also cultivated ties with Saudi Arabia, Oman and Bahrain. Asked about who might be next in line to establish diplomatic relations, Trump’s son-in-law and adviser, Jared Kushner, said: “We have a couple who are upset that they weren’t first. “I do think that this makes it more inevitable, but it’s going to take hard work and it’s going to take trust being built and dialogue being facilitated in order for people to cross that line as well,” Kushner told journalists. “So hopefully this makes it easier for others; many are watching to see how this goes.” Surrounded by his top aides in the Oval Office, Trump described the pact as a “peace agreement”. However, the UAE’s Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan later tweeted that the country had agreed instead to “cooperation and setting a roadmap towards establishing a bilateral relationship”. For the Palestinians, who have long relied on Arab backing in their struggle for independence, the development will be seen as a big setback in their attempts to increase international pressure on Israel until a full peace deal has been agreed.
The Palestinian politician Hanan Ashrawi accused the UAE of abandoning the Palestinians. “May you never experience the agony of having your country stolen; may you never feel the pain of living in captivity under occupation; may you never witness the demolition of your home or murder of your loved ones. May you never be sold out by your ‘friends’,” she wrote on Twitter.
13 Aug 2020 23.31 BST The president, who championed the racist conspiracy theory that Barack Obama was not born in the US, has revived birtherism at today’s press conference in an attack against Kamala Harris. “I heard it today that she doesn’t meet the requirements. I have no idea if that is right,” he said. “I would have assumed that the Democrats have checked it out.”
The promotion of this racist conspiracy theory through questions and waffling – which allows Trump to deny that he thinks a Black American wasn’t born in the US, while noting that some people think so, and maybe that’s worth looking into – is a tried-and-true tactic that he used in his baseless attacks against Obama, as well. Harris was born in the US, and is a US citizen who is eligible to serve as president.
Updated at 01.10 BST
13 Aug 2020 23.14 BST “Do you regret all the lying you’ve done to the American people?” a reporter asked Donald Trump. He did not respond, and called on another journalist.
13 Aug 2020 23.10 BST Trump falsely claimed that foreign nations can easily “grab” and forge mail-in ballots. Experts say the assertion “defies common sense”. Here’s UC Irvine political scientist Rick Hasen, explaining why: Of all the ridiculous schemes that have been floated by the President or AG Barr for how mail-in ballot fraud could affect the election, the possibility of a foreign entity swaying election by mailing fraudulent absentee ballots is the most ludicrous. It defies common sense. /1 https://t.co/8fbNybBhEX — Rick Hasen (@rickhasen) July 28, 2020 The foreign government would have to do this at scale to produce thousands of votes in even the closest swing state to try to change the outcome. With everyone watching and many states allowing voters to track their ballots this becomes impossible. /5 — Rick Hasen (@rickhasen) July 28, 2020
13 Aug 2020 22.56 BST So far, the coronavirus update has been a campaign event — with Trump delivering a prepared speech attacking Joe Biden. “We will defeat this virus but not by hiding in our basements,” Trump said. “Joe Biden needs to stop playing politics with the virus.” Pressed on his comment that he refuses to support the US Postal Service because they will handle mail-in voting, Trump said he would not veto a bill featuring postal funding. He continued to lie about fraud in mail-in voting and falsely stated that absentee voting and mail-in voting are different. They are the same. He argued baselessly that Democrats want to keep schools —which also serve as polling places — closed so that Americans cannot vote. He argued baselessly that there was fraud in the New York primary that Democrat Carolyn Maloney won.
Updated at 22.59 BST
13 Aug 2020 22.33 BST Trump, who has lied, misled and misrepresented the reality of the coronavirus pandemic in the US, contradicting and ignoring his own public health experts, has begun by attacking Joe Biden: “At every turn, Biden has been wrong about the virus - ignoring the scientific evidence.” He said Biden’s immigration policies would allow “the pandemic to infiltrate every US community”. The pandemic is already widespread.
Updated at 23.21 BST
13 Aug 2020 22.25 BST Hi there, it’s Maanvi Singh, reporting from the West Coast. We’re expecting Trump to deliver his press conference in a few minutes — and will keep you updated with news and fact checks.
13 Aug 2020 22.17 BST Today so far Here’s a quick summary of what’s been happening today: Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are continuing to make the rounds as a duo. The pair announced they are calling for a nationwide mask mandate and said every governor should implement a mask mandate in their states.
The Senate adjourned today with no coronavirus stimulus package in sight and will be out of session until after 8 September. This means that millions of Americans will be left with low unemployment insurance for at least a few more weeks.
Donald Trump announced a normalization of relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, with Israel agreeing to halt plans to annex parts of the West Bank. While Trump called it a “historic peace agreement”, Israel’s prime minister said on Thursday that the country will still annex parts of the West Bank but had agreed to a temporary halt.
Former Trump fixer Michael Cohen released a teaser for his new book, Disloyal, which is slated to be released in September after attempts to stop publication from the Trump administration.
Updated at 23.24 BST
13 Aug 2020 22.07 BST Vice-president Mike Pence is continuing to put out some jabs toward his new Democratic opponent, Kamala Harris, this time criticizing remarks she made about Americans’ eating habits and the environment. Speaking at the “Farmers and Ranchers for Trump” launch event in Iowa, Pence told the crowd that Harris said during her primary campaign that she was concerned about the impact of Americans’ diet. “She would change the dietary guidelines of this country to reduce the amount of red meat that Americans can eat,” Pence said, the crowd booing in response. “Well, I’ve got some red meat for you: we’re not going to let Joe Biden & Kamala Harris cut America’s meat!” VP Mike Pence: "Sen. Kamala Harris said she would change the dietary guidelines of this country to reduce the amount of red meat that Americans can eat."
Crowd boos.
VP: "Well I've got some red meat for you: We're not going to let Joe Biden & Kamala Harris cut America's meat!" pic.twitter.com/TPqcy92rdw — The Hill (@thehill) August 13, 2020 That supporters of the Green New Deal are out to ban hamburgers altogether has long been a talking point of conservatives. While Green New Deal advocates have indicated they want to work with farmers and ranchers to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, a complete ban on red meat has not been a part of the plan.
Updated at 23.22 BST
13 Aug 2020 21.46 BST The teaser for Michael Cohen’s book is now out after the justice department issued a gag order, which has since been dropped, to stop the book’s publication.
The book, titled Disloyal: The True Story of the Former Personal Attorney to President Donald J Trump, is slated to be released sometime in September, ahead of the presidential election in November. The day has finally arrived. I have waited a long time to share my truth. To read the foreword and pre-order my book DISLOYAL, visit https://t.co/Va4Rt0Zear — Michael Cohen (@MichaelCohen212) August 13, 2020 The book’s foreword is now available online and details Cohen’s feelings of bewilderment at seeing Trump for who he really is after being “Trump’s first call every morning and his last call every night”. “In some ways, I knew him better than even his family did because I bore witness to the real man, in strip clubs, shady business meetings, and in the unguarded moments when he revealed who he really was: a cheat, a liar, a fraud, a bully, a racist, a predator, a con man,” Cohen, Trump’s former fixer, writes. Cohen was serving a three-year prison on federal charges of tax evasion, making false statements, lying to Congress and facilitating illegal payments to silence women about their affairs with Trump. But Cohen was released in May after fears of Covid-19 spreading in federal prisons. After tweeting that he was nearly finished with his book in July, Cohen was sent back to prison. The ACLU ended up joining a suit on his behalf to get him out, which was ultimately successful. A gag order from the justice department to halt the book’s publication was also dropped. The Trump administration has made very obvious efforts to stop the publication of high-profile tell-alls, all which have been ultimately unsuccessful. Former national security adviser John Bolton book The Room Where It Happened was published was published in June and Mary L Trump’s, Trump’s niece, book Too Much and Never Enough was published in July.
Updated at 22.13 BST
13 Aug 2020 21.28 BST Senate adjourns until 8 September without stimulus deal The Senate has adjourned its session this afternoon without reaching an agreement with House Democrats on a new stimulus package. The Senate is slated to go back into regular session 8 September. McConnell adjourns the Senate for August, save for pro forma sessions.
Next regular session scheduled for *Sept. 8* — 26 days from today. pic.twitter.com/1gxFDmlvjq — Steven Dennis (@StevenTDennis) August 13, 2020 The Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, told senators that they would be called back to Capitol Hill with a 24-hour notice if a deal is reached. McConnell said that he hopes that a bipartisan deal can be reached “in the coming weeks”. Earlier today the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, said that Democrats will come back to the negotiating table when Senate Republicans agree on a larger stimulus package. “We’re not inching away from their meager piecemeal proposal,” she said. At the press conference, Pelosi had beside her a chart comparing the Democrats’ $3tn Heroes Act, which passed the House in June, to the $1tn Heals Act in the Senate. One line indicated that House Democrats want $100bn for rental assistance while Senate Republicans want nothing. Without a new stimulus package, millions of Americans are left with much lower unemployment insurance since the federal government stopped giving an additional $600 a week at the end of July. The steep drop in income is expected to lead to widespread evictions. In which the Senate leaves town for 25 days as 30,000,000 are receiving $0 in extra unemployment benefits and 40,000,000 are on the brink of eviction. https://t.co/Ieh1JdZ58V — Robert Reich (@RBReich) August 13, 2020
Updated at 22.05 BST


theguardian--2020-08-13--Biden campaign raises $26m in 24 hours after announcing Kamala Harris pick

Joe Biden ’ s Democratic presidential campaign raised $ 26m in the 24-hour period after he announced that Kamala Harris , the California senator , will be his running mate , a huge boost in funding for the ticket .
The amount was seen as a sign of strength and momentum behind Biden ’ s campaign brought on by Harris ’ arrival .
Donald Trump ’ s fundraising in July topped Biden ’ s by nearly $ 30m , bringing in a total of $ 165m compared with Biden ’ s $ 140m , but the former vice-president is closing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fundraiser , Biden said that 150,000 donors were first-time contributors .
“ It ’ s really palpable , the excitement , because there ’ s so much at stake , ” he said .
The fundraiser immediately followed Biden and Harris ’ first joint campaign event in Wilmington , Delaware , on Wednesday , where the candidates said Trump had left the US “ in tatters ” because of his failed response to the Covid-19 pandemic and its economic fallout .
“ We have a president who cares more about himself than the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said , in her first speech as the vice-presidential nominee .
“ He inherited the longest economic expansion in history from Barack Obama and Joe Biden .
And then , like everything else he inherited , he ran it straight into the ground , ” she said .
If they prevail in November , Biden and Harris are likely to inherit a country still reeling from the pandemic that the Trump administration has failed to contain .
Young protesters are demanding sweeping change to political and economic power as well as a governing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ climate crisis and economic inequality .
The pair were briefed by public health experts on the coronavirus crisis on Thursday .
The president ’ s campaign has launched a scattershot assault on Harris , attacking her as “ radical ” and leftwing , even though progressives in her party view her as more moderate .
On Wednesday , Trump used his press briefing to attack Harris with language that nodded to America ’ s pejorative “ angry Black woman ” stereotype .
On Thursday he followed with a series of sexist attacks against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ woman ” and “ extraordinarily nasty ” when referring to her questioning of Trump ’ s intensely controversial US supreme court nominee Brett Kavanaugh during his confirmation hearing in 2018 .
In an interview with Fox Business ’ s Maria Bartiromo on Thursday , Trump referred to Harris as “ the angriest of the group ” of Democrats who ran for president .
Though she had initially been seen as a strong contender , Harris dropped out of the race in December .
Earlier on Thursday morning , Trump tweeted that the media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” saying there was “ nobody meaner or more condescending ” to Biden during the primaries .
Trump ’ s tirade on Fox Business also included the New York congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , saying that she “ is not even a smart person ” and that she “ goes out and yaps ” .
Trump also described the House speaker , Nancy Pelosi , as “ stone-cold crazy ” .
Biden had struggled to keep pace with his Democratic rivals in fundraising during the primary race but quickly grew his finance operation for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a successful fundraiser , and already helped raise millions of dollars for the Biden campaign before she was named as his running mate .
Harris will deliver her much-anticipated speech for the Democratic national convention next week at the Chase Center in Wilmington .
The convention has been totally upended by the coronavirus pandemic .
It has been dramatically scaled back and is to be held almost entirely virtually , with speakers such as Bernie Sanders , Elizabeth Warren , Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and the Obamas slated to make appearances .
Biden will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thursday night .
The national conventions are usually some of the main events of the presidential election , marking the official end of the primaries and gearing the party toward the general election .

Joe Biden’s Democratic presidential campaign raised $26m in the 24-hour period after he announced that Kamala Harris, the California senator, will be his running mate, a huge boost in funding for the ticket.
The amount was seen as a sign of strength and momentum behind Biden’s campaign brought on by Harris’ arrival. Donald Trump’s fundraising in July topped Biden’s by nearly $30m, bringing in a total of $165m compared with Biden’s $140m, but the former vice-president is closing the gap.
During a virtual grassroots fundraiser, Biden said that 150,000 donors were first-time contributors. “It’s really palpable, the excitement, because there’s so much at stake,” he said.
The fundraiser immediately followed Biden and Harris’ first joint campaign event in Wilmington, Delaware, on Wednesday, where the candidates said Trump had left the US “in tatters” because of his failed response to the Covid-19 pandemic and its economic fallout.
“We have a president who cares more about himself than the people who elected him,” Harris said, in her first speech as the vice-presidential nominee.
“He inherited the longest economic expansion in history from Barack Obama and Joe Biden. And then, like everything else he inherited, he ran it straight into the ground,” she said.
If they prevail in November, Biden and Harris are likely to inherit a country still reeling from the pandemic that the Trump administration has failed to contain. Young protesters are demanding sweeping change to political and economic power as well as a governing agenda that addresses systemic racism, the climate crisis and economic inequality.
The pair were briefed by public health experts on the coronavirus crisis on Thursday.
The president’s campaign has launched a scattershot assault on Harris, attacking her as “radical” and leftwing, even though progressives in her party view her as more moderate. On Wednesday, Trump used his press briefing to attack Harris with language that nodded to America’s pejorative “angry Black woman” stereotype.
On Thursday he followed with a series of sexist attacks against Harris, calling her a “mad woman” and “extraordinarily nasty” when referring to her questioning of Trump’s intensely controversial US supreme court nominee Brett Kavanaugh during his confirmation hearing in 2018.
In an interview with Fox Business’s Maria Bartiromo on Thursday, Trump referred to Harris as “the angriest of the group” of Democrats who ran for president. Though she had initially been seen as a strong contender, Harris dropped out of the race in December.
Earlier on Thursday morning, Trump tweeted that the media had given Harris a “free pass” saying there was “nobody meaner or more condescending” to Biden during the primaries.
Trump’s tirade on Fox Business also included the New York congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, saying that she “is not even a smart person” and that she “goes out and yaps”. Trump also described the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, as “stone-cold crazy”.
Biden had struggled to keep pace with his Democratic rivals in fundraising during the primary race but quickly grew his finance operation for the general election. Harris is known as a successful fundraiser, and already helped raise millions of dollars for the Biden campaign before she was named as his running mate.
Harris will deliver her much-anticipated speech for the Democratic national convention next week at the Chase Center in Wilmington. The convention has been totally upended by the coronavirus pandemic. It has been dramatically scaled back and is to be held almost entirely virtually, with speakers such as Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and the Obamas slated to make appearances. Biden will formally accept the Democratic presidential nomination on Thursday night.
The national conventions are usually some of the main events of the presidential election, marking the official end of the primaries and gearing the party toward the general election.
Lauren Gambino contributed to this report


theguardian--2020-08-13--Trump pushes for schools to reopen as US sees deadliest Covid day since May

Donald Trump has vowed to push ahead with the reopening of America ’ s schools , despite the US suffering nearly 1,500 coronavirus-related deaths on Wednesday , the highest number in a single day for three months .
A total of 1,499 deaths from Covid-19 were reported across the country , according to Johns Hopkins University data .
The US continues to lead the world in infections and deaths , with nearly 5.2 million people having contracted the virus , and more than 166,000 having died since the pandemic started .
The parlous situation has not deterred Trump from agitating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , however , with the president warning that children would suffer if they do not resume in-person classes .
Trump also threatened to divert federal funding away from schools if they didn ’ t reopen .
“ We got to open up , ” Trump said on Wednesday .
“ We got to open up our schools and open up our businesses.
” The president added that children “ often have only mild symptoms , and medical complications are incredibly rare – very , very , very rare .
Those that do face @ @ @ @ @ @ @ While young , healthy people appear less likely to suffer badly from coronavirus than older people , they can still spread it to others while asymptomatic .
Young people themselves are also not immune to severe effects – a recent report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that about a quarter of younger people do not recover from the virus for several weeks .
Covid-19 , the study states , “ can be prolonged , even in young adults without chronic medical conditions , potentially leading to prolonged absence from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A separate CDC study specifically of children noted that they are hospitalized at a lower rate than adults from Covid-19 but , once there , they end up in intensive care at similar rates to adults .
Different schools around the US have opted for various approaches , such as online learning or reduced in-person attendance .
In states where coronavirus cases have recently increased , a full reopening of schools has often gone awry – more than 1,000 students in a Georgia district have had to be placed in quarantine after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ difficulty of opening schools safely was likened by Ron DeSantis , Florida ’ s governor and a key Trump ally , to the challenges the US military faced in killing Osama bin Laden .
Florida , where Covid infections have recently surged , has so far only provided permission for two school districts to conduct remote learning .
Polling has shown that most American parents are wary of sending children back to school with the pandemic still raging , with the vast majority favoring at least some online learning in place of standard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic , however , has been blighted by a muddled governmental approach and contradictory actions by various institutions .
Over the past week , a sheriff in a central Florida Covid hotspot banned his officers from wearing protective face masks , while in California a megachurch defied state orders by holding a Sunday service for thousands of people .

Donald Trump has vowed to push ahead with the reopening of America’s schools, despite the US suffering nearly 1,500 coronavirus-related deaths on Wednesday, the highest number in a single day for three months.
A total of 1,499 deaths from Covid-19 were reported across the country, according to Johns Hopkins University data. The US continues to lead the world in infections and deaths, with nearly 5.2 million people having contracted the virus, and more than 166,000 having died since the pandemic started.
The parlous situation has not deterred Trump from agitating for the reopening of schools and businesses, however, with the president warning that children would suffer if they do not resume in-person classes.
Trump also threatened to divert federal funding away from schools if they didn’t reopen.
“We got to open up,” Trump said on Wednesday. “We got to open up our schools and open up our businesses.” The president added that children “often have only mild symptoms, and medical complications are incredibly rare – very, very, very rare. Those that do face complications often have underlying medical conditions.”
While young, healthy people appear less likely to suffer badly from coronavirus than older people, they can still spread it to others while asymptomatic.
Young people themselves are also not immune to severe effects – a recent report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that about a quarter of younger people do not recover from the virus for several weeks. Covid-19, the study states, “can be prolonged, even in young adults without chronic medical conditions, potentially leading to prolonged absence from work, studies or other activities”.
A separate CDC study specifically of children noted that they are hospitalized at a lower rate than adults from Covid-19 but, once there, they end up in intensive care at similar rates to adults.
Different schools around the US have opted for various approaches, such as online learning or reduced in-person attendance. In states where coronavirus cases have recently increased, a full reopening of schools has often gone awry – more than 1,000 students in a Georgia district have had to be placed in quarantine after a string of new infections.
The difficulty of opening schools safely was likened by Ron DeSantis, Florida’s governor and a key Trump ally, to the challenges the US military faced in killing Osama bin Laden. Florida, where Covid infections have recently surged, has so far only provided permission for two school districts to conduct remote learning.
Polling has shown that most American parents are wary of sending children back to school with the pandemic still raging, with the vast majority favoring at least some online learning in place of standard classes.
The US response to the pandemic, however, has been blighted by a muddled governmental approach and contradictory actions by various institutions. Over the past week, a sheriff in a central Florida Covid hotspot banned his officers from wearing protective face masks, while in California a megachurch defied state orders by holding a Sunday service for thousands of people.