theguardian--2020-10-09--Gretchen Whitmer accuses Donald Trump of inciting domestic terror

The Michigan governor who was the target of a foiled rightwing kidnapping plot said on Friday that Donald Trump ’ s rhetoric “ incites more domestic terror ” , after the president posted a series of aggressive tweets overnight that sought to shame the victim of the plot .
Thirteen men have been charged over a plan to kidnap Gretchen Whitmer , the Democratic governor of Michigan , whom Joe Biden considered naming as his running mate for the November election before picking Kamala Harris .
The men , some of whom were members of a rightwing , self-styled militia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and bundling Whitmer into a boat .
Another plan involved killing Whitmer on her doorstep , according to the authorities .
The fallout from the thwarted kidnapping – which was set to take place before the 3 November election – has further pulled back the curtain on the ideological polarization in US society , and descended into a growing political row .
On Friday Biden accused Trump of “ giving oxygen to the bigotry and hate we see on the march in our country ” , as Trump attacked Whitmer hours after the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has spent months criticizing Whitmer and other Democratic governors over measures to try to control the coronavirus pandemic as it surged across America , on Thursday said Whitmer had “ done a terrible job ” in Michigan , and complained that she was yet to thank him for the FBI stopping the plot .
Speaking on Friday morning , Whitmer said Trump was “ creating a very dangerous situation ” .
“ Each time he has tweeted about me , each time that he has said ‘ liberate Michigan ’ and said I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are arrested because they ’ re ‘ good people ’ , that incites more domestic terror , ” Whitmer told ABC News .
“ And I am not the only governor going through this .
Certainly it ’ s been worse for me than most , but it is not unique to me , it is not even unique to Democrats .
This White House has a duty to call it out and they won ’ t do it – in fact , they encourage it.
” Meanwhile , it was disclosed that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moved around by authorities as law enforcement tracked the men who allegedly plotted for months to kidnap her , the state ’ s attorney general said Friday .
Dana Nessel disclosed the detail to CBS This Morning .
She said the Democratic governor was consistently updated about the investigation over the past couple months .
“ She was aware of things that were happening , ” Nessel said .
“ At times , she and her family had been moved around as a result of activities that law enforcement was aware of.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ throughout the spring , when she was among a number of state governors to issue stay-at-home orders in an attempt to stop the spread of Covid-19 .
In April , thousands of protesters , many armed , besieged the Michigan state capitol , in Lansing , to demonstrate against Whitmer ’ s order .
From the White House , Trump cheered the mostly white protesters , tweeting : “ LIBERATE MICHIGAN !
” as he repeatedly attacked Whitmer .
The FBI said on Thursday that the plan to kidnap Whitmer began around the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months in the making .
“ Snatch and grab , man , ” Adam Fox , one of the conspirators , unwittingly told an FBI informant in July .
“ Grab the fuckin ’ governor .
Just grab the bitch .
Because at that point , we do that , dude – it ’ s over.
” Plotters twice surveilled Whitmer ’ s vacation home , including in mid-September , as they developed plans to take her hostage .
The men attempted to construct explosive devices and held combat drills , and planned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s home to slow down police .
Seven of those arrested are backers of the so-called boogaloo movement , NBC News reported .
Experts say boogaloo is a far-right , violent anti-government movement , and some adherents are also tied to neo-Nazi groups .
Of the president ’ s response to the revelations , Whitmer said on Friday : “ A decent human being would pick up the phone and say , ‘ Are you OK ?
How ’ s your family doing ?
’ “ That ’ s what Joe Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you everything you need to know about the character of the two people that are vying to lead our country for the next four years.
” Biden , who is leading Trump in opinion polls in several key swing states – including Michigan – criticized the president in the early hours of Friday morning .
“ When Governor Whitmer worked to protect her state from a deadly pandemic , President Trump issued a call to “ LIBERATE MICHIGAN !
” Biden said in a tweet .
“ That call was heard .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and hate we see on the march in our country – and we have to stop it.
” Pro-Whitmer demonstrators held a gathering of support for the governor outside the state capitol building in Lansing on Thursday evening .

The Michigan governor who was the target of a foiled rightwing kidnapping plot said on Friday that Donald Trump’s rhetoric “incites more domestic terror”, after the president posted a series of aggressive tweets overnight that sought to shame the victim of the plot.
Thirteen men have been charged over a plan to kidnap Gretchen Whitmer, the Democratic governor of Michigan, whom Joe Biden considered naming as his running mate for the November election before picking Kamala Harris.
The men, some of whom were members of a rightwing, self-styled militia group, discussed blowing up a bridge and bundling Whitmer into a boat. Another plan involved killing Whitmer on her doorstep, according to the authorities.
The fallout from the thwarted kidnapping – which was set to take place before the 3 November election – has further pulled back the curtain on the ideological polarization in US society, and descended into a growing political row.
On Friday Biden accused Trump of “giving oxygen to the bigotry and hate we see on the march in our country”, as Trump attacked Whitmer hours after the plotters were named.
Trump, who has spent months criticizing Whitmer and other Democratic governors over measures to try to control the coronavirus pandemic as it surged across America, on Thursday said Whitmer had “done a terrible job” in Michigan, and complained that she was yet to thank him for the FBI stopping the plot.
Speaking on Friday morning, Whitmer said Trump was “creating a very dangerous situation”.
“Each time he has tweeted about me, each time that he has said ‘liberate Michigan’ and said I should negotiate with the very people who are arrested because they’re ‘good people’, that incites more domestic terror,” Whitmer told ABC News.
“And I am not the only governor going through this. Certainly it’s been worse for me than most, but it is not unique to me, it is not even unique to Democrats. This White House has a duty to call it out and they won’t do it – in fact, they encourage it.”
Meanwhile, it was disclosed that Whitmer and her family were at times moved around by authorities as law enforcement tracked the men who allegedly plotted for months to kidnap her, the state’s attorney general said Friday.
Dana Nessel disclosed the detail to CBS This Morning. She said the Democratic governor was consistently updated about the investigation over the past couple months.
“She was aware of things that were happening,” Nessel said. “At times, she and her family had been moved around as a result of activities that law enforcement was aware of.”
Whitmer became a hate figure for rightwingers throughout the spring, when she was among a number of state governors to issue stay-at-home orders in an attempt to stop the spread of Covid-19.
In April, thousands of protesters, many armed, besieged the Michigan state capitol, in Lansing, to demonstrate against Whitmer’s order.
From the White House, Trump cheered the mostly white protesters, tweeting: “LIBERATE MICHIGAN!” as he repeatedly attacked Whitmer.
The FBI said on Thursday that the plan to kidnap Whitmer began around the time of those demonstrations, and was months in the making.
“Snatch and grab, man,” Adam Fox, one of the conspirators, unwittingly told an FBI informant in July.
“Grab the fuckin’ governor. Just grab the bitch. Because at that point, we do that, dude – it’s over.”
Plotters twice surveilled Whitmer’s vacation home, including in mid-September, as they developed plans to take her hostage.
The men attempted to construct explosive devices and held combat drills, and planned to blow up a bridge to Whitmer’s home to slow down police.
Seven of those arrested are backers of the so-called boogaloo movement, NBC News reported. Experts say boogaloo is a far-right, violent anti-government movement, and some adherents are also tied to neo-Nazi groups.
Of the president’s response to the revelations, Whitmer said on Friday: “A decent human being would pick up the phone and say, ‘Are you OK? How’s your family doing?’
“That’s what Joe Biden did. And I think it tells you everything you need to know about the character of the two people that are vying to lead our country for the next four years.”
Biden, who is leading Trump in opinion polls in several key swing states – including Michigan – criticized the president in the early hours of Friday morning.
“When Governor Whitmer worked to protect her state from a deadly pandemic, President Trump issued a call to “LIBERATE MICHIGAN!” Biden said in a tweet.
“That call was heard. He’s giving oxygen to the bigotry and hate we see on the march in our country – and we have to stop it.”
Pro-Whitmer demonstrators held a gathering of support for the governor outside the state capitol building in Lansing on Thursday evening.
Rally in support of Michigan Gov. Whitmer yesterday after FBI foils plot to kidnap her.
📸: Nick King pic.twitter.com/f4gOuvDSB8 — ian bremmer (@ianbremmer) October 9, 2020
The Associated Press contributed reporting


theguardian--2020-10-09--Faith leaders back Biden in sign that evangelical support for Trump is waning

More than 1,600 faith leaders in the US have publicly backed Joe Biden , the Democratic candidate in next month ’ s presidential election , amid signs that some evangelical voters are turning away from Donald Trump .
The Biden endorsements mainly come from Catholics , evangelicals and mainline Protestants .
They include Jerushah Duford , the granddaughter of Billy Graham ; Susan Johnson Cook , a former US ambassador for religious freedom ; Michael Kinnamon , former general secretary of the National Council of Churches ; and Gene Robinson , a former bishop in the Episcopal church .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Trump ’ s lack of kindness and decency is energizing faith communities and will cost him this election , ” said Doug Pagitt , executive director of the Christian campaign organisation Vote Common Good , which compiled the endorsements .
The organisation said the announcement represents the largest group of clergy to endorse a Democratic candidate for president in modern history .
“ Four years ago , many religious voters decided to look the other way and give Trump a chance , but after witnessing his cruelty and corruption , a growing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the president.
” In the 2016 election , more than 80 % of white evangelicals voted for Trump , with many taking the view that his pledge to make conservative and pro-life appointments to the supreme court outweighed unease about his personal behaviour .
White evangelicals make up about a quarter of the US electorate .
But some surveys have suggested an erosion of support for Trump among white evangelicals .
A poll conducted last month on behalf of Vote Common Good in five key battleground states found an 11-point swing among evangelical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ July the Public Religion Research Institute found a seven-point drop in white Christian support for Trump , and a Fox News survey in August showed 28 % of white evangelicals backed Biden , compared with 16 % who supported Hillary Clinton in 2016 .
A group called Pro-life Evangelicals for Biden said that , despite disagreeing with the Democratic candidate ’ s stance on abortion , “ we believe that on balance , Joe Biden ’ s policies are more consistent with the biblically shaped ethic of life than those of Donald Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elect Joe Biden as president.
” Biden , a Catholic who has frequently spoken of how his faith has sustained him through challenging times , is hoping to win over undecided Catholic voters with a series of ads broadcast in battleground states .
Some Catholic bishops have issued statements criticising Trump ’ s policies .
Last month , more than 150 Catholic theologians , activists and nuns signed an open letter to Catholic voters urging them to oppose Trump , saying he “ flouts core values at the heart of Catholic social teaching @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ endorsement of Biden , Josh Dickson , faith engagement director of the Democratic candidate ’ s campaign , said : “ The common good values of the Biden-Harris agenda are resonating with voters motivated by faith .
We know that Joe Biden and [ running mate ] Kamala Harris are the clear moral choice in this election .
We hope this show of support will encourage other voters of faith to make their values , not party affiliation , their primary voting criteria this year.
” One of those publicly backing Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Evangelicals for Social Action , said : “ I urge everyone , especially evangelicals , to support Joe Biden as president .
Poverty , racism , lack of healthcare and climate change are all ‘ pro-life ’ issues .
On those and many other issues , Biden is much closer than Trump to what biblical values demand.
” Belinda Bauman , the author of Brave Souls : Experiencing the Audacious Power of Empathy , said : “ In all my years I ’ ve never publicly endorsed a candidate .
But this year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year we don ’ t just face a political choice , we face a moral one .
”

More than 1,600 faith leaders in the US have publicly backed Joe Biden, the Democratic candidate in next month’s presidential election, amid signs that some evangelical voters are turning away from Donald Trump.
The Biden endorsements mainly come from Catholics, evangelicals and mainline Protestants. They include Jerushah Duford, the granddaughter of Billy Graham; Susan Johnson Cook, a former US ambassador for religious freedom; Michael Kinnamon, former general secretary of the National Council of Churches; and Gene Robinson, a former bishop in the Episcopal church.
“This record-breaking group of endorsers shows that President Trump’s lack of kindness and decency is energizing faith communities and will cost him this election,” said Doug Pagitt, executive director of the Christian campaign organisation Vote Common Good, which compiled the endorsements.
The organisation said the announcement represents the largest group of clergy to endorse a Democratic candidate for president in modern history.
“Four years ago, many religious voters decided to look the other way and give Trump a chance, but after witnessing his cruelty and corruption, a growing number of them are turning away from the president.”
In the 2016 election, more than 80% of white evangelicals voted for Trump, with many taking the view that his pledge to make conservative and pro-life appointments to the supreme court outweighed unease about his personal behaviour. White evangelicals make up about a quarter of the US electorate.
But some surveys have suggested an erosion of support for Trump among white evangelicals. A poll conducted last month on behalf of Vote Common Good in five key battleground states found an 11-point swing among evangelical and Catholic voters towards Biden.
In July the Public Religion Research Institute found a seven-point drop in white Christian support for Trump, and a Fox News survey in August showed 28% of white evangelicals backed Biden, compared with 16% who supported Hillary Clinton in 2016.
A group called Pro-life Evangelicals for Biden said that, despite disagreeing with the Democratic candidate’s stance on abortion, “we believe that on balance, Joe Biden’s policies are more consistent with the biblically shaped ethic of life than those of Donald Trump. Therefore … we urge evangelicals to elect Joe Biden as president.”
Biden, a Catholic who has frequently spoken of how his faith has sustained him through challenging times, is hoping to win over undecided Catholic voters with a series of ads broadcast in battleground states.
Some Catholic bishops have issued statements criticising Trump’s policies. Last month, more than 150 Catholic theologians, activists and nuns signed an open letter to Catholic voters urging them to oppose Trump, saying he “flouts core values at the heart of Catholic social teaching”.
Responding to the Christian leaders’ endorsement of Biden, Josh Dickson, faith engagement director of the Democratic candidate’s campaign, said: “The common good values of the Biden-Harris agenda are resonating with voters motivated by faith. We know that Joe Biden and [running mate] Kamala Harris are the clear moral choice in this election. We hope this show of support will encourage other voters of faith to make their values, not party affiliation, their primary voting criteria this year.”
One of those publicly backing Biden, Ronald Sider, president emeritus of Evangelicals for Social Action, said: “I urge everyone, especially evangelicals, to support Joe Biden as president. Poverty, racism, lack of healthcare and climate change are all ‘pro-life’ issues. On those and many other issues, Biden is much closer than Trump to what biblical values demand.”
Belinda Bauman, the author of Brave Souls: Experiencing the Audacious Power of Empathy, said: “In all my years I’ve never publicly endorsed a candidate. But this year is different – very different. This year we don’t just face a political choice, we face a moral one.”


theguardian--2020-10-09--Trump outraged by Democrats' plan to assess president's fitness to serve

Democrats provoked an angry tirade from Donald Trump on Friday by proposing a congressional commission to assess whether US presidents are capable of performing their duties or should be removed from office .
The gambit came a week after Trump was flown to a military hospital for treatment for coronavirus and 25 days before an election .
The president returned to the White House on Monday but has caused concern with erratic behaviour .
“ This is not about President Trump .
He will face the judgment of the voters but he shows the need for us to create a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pelosi , the speaker of the House of Representatives , told a press conference in which she also took a swipe at the British prime minister , Boris Johnson .
But the timing was impossible to ignore as Trump has continued to give rambling TV interviews , tweet false and contradictory statements and potentially endanger his own White House staff by defying public health guidance .
The president tweeted in response : “ Crazy Nancy Pelosi is looking at the 25th Amendment in order to replace Joe Biden with Kamala Harris .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sleepy Joe is out of it !
!
!
” The 25th amendment to the US constitution provides the procedure for the vice-president to take over the duties of president if he or she dies or resigns or it is determined that he or she can not fulfill the functions of the office .
The Democratic congressman Jamie Raskin of Maryland , introducing the legislation on Friday , said : “ The 25th amendment is all about the stability of the presidency and the continuity of the office .
“ Now , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the authors of the 25th amendment thought it essential in the nuclear age to have a safety valve option and , as they often said , we have 535 members of Congress but we only have one president.
” He added : “ In the age of Covid-19 , which has killed more than 210,000 Americans and now ravaged the White House staff , the wisdom of the 25th amendment is clear .
What happens if a president – any president – ends up in a coma or on a ventilator and has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of power ?
This situation is what demands action.
” This panel would be known as the Commission on Presidential Capacity to Discharge the Powers and Duties of Office .
Raskin , a constitutional law professor , said it would be bipartisan and consist of 17 members , including medical personnel , and could only act in concert with the vice-president .
Asked about the timing of the bill , Raskin explained “ this situation has focused everyone ’ s mind ” on the 25th amendment .
Pelosi repeated her insistence that it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Again , this isn ’ t about any judgment anybody has about somebody ’ s behaviour .
It isn ’ t about any of us making a decision as to whether the 25th amendment should be invoked .
That ’ s totally not the point .
That ’ s not up to us.
” Invoking the 25th amendment would require the support of Vice-President Mike Pence and members of Trump ’ s cabinet .
There has been no hint that this is imminent .
A reporter asked Pelosi if Johnson was an example @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reduced by coronavirus .
She replied : “ I have no idea .
Nor do I have of President Trump .
“ I just said clearly , he is under medication .
Any of us who is under medication of that seriousness is in an altered state .
He has bragged about the medication he has taken .
And again , there are articles by medical professionals saying , as was said earlier , this could have an impact on judgment.
” She then made a surprise attack on the UK ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the US Food and Drug Administration ’ s “ very stringent ” rules for clinical trials and approval .
“ My concern is that the UK ’ s system for that kind of judgment is not on a par with ours in the United States .
So if Boris Johnson decides he ’ s going to approve a drug and this president embraces that , that ’ s the concern I have about any similarity between the two.
” The initiative on the 25th amendment was not without political risks for Democrats as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it as a power grab ahead of the election .
Josh Holmes , former chief of staff and campaign manager for Senate majority leader , the Kentucky Republican Mitch McConnell , tweeted : “ Every time I think our goose is cooked , Nancy Pelosi grabs the microphone and I say to myself , we still have a shot.
” Trump was flown to a military hospital on 2 October after testing positive for Covid-19 .
He spent three nights there receiving a menu of treatments before his doctors said he was well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the White House and immediately removed his face mask , provoking criticism .
Since then his conduct has raised concerns , even by the turbulent standards of the Trump presidency .
He suddenly called off negotiations with Congress over an economic stimulus package , taking his Republican allies by surprise , but then performed an equally jarring U-turn .
And boasted about being a “ perfect physical specimen ” and “ extremely young ” in another Fox phone interview .
Both Trump ’ s doctors and White House officials still refuse to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ negative test , raising questions over who he might have infected .
Trump floated the idea that he might travel to a rally on Saturday in Florida , but the administration indicated on Friday morning that this was unlikely .

Democrats provoked an angry tirade from Donald Trump on Friday by proposing a congressional commission to assess whether US presidents are capable of performing their duties or should be removed from office.
The gambit came a week after Trump was flown to a military hospital for treatment for coronavirus and 25 days before an election. The president returned to the White House on Monday but has caused concern with erratic behaviour.
“This is not about President Trump. He will face the judgment of the voters but he shows the need for us to create a process for future presidents,” Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the House of Representatives, told a press conference in which she also took a swipe at the British prime minister, Boris Johnson.
But the timing was impossible to ignore as Trump has continued to give rambling TV interviews, tweet false and contradictory statements and potentially endanger his own White House staff by defying public health guidance.
The president tweeted in response: “Crazy Nancy Pelosi is looking at the 25th Amendment in order to replace Joe Biden with Kamala Harris. The Dems want that to happen fast because Sleepy Joe is out of it!!!”
The 25th amendment to the US constitution provides the procedure for the vice-president to take over the duties of president if he or she dies or resigns or it is determined that he or she cannot fulfill the functions of the office.
The Democratic congressman Jamie Raskin of Maryland, introducing the legislation on Friday, said: “The 25th amendment is all about the stability of the presidency and the continuity of the office.
“Now, it’s never been necessary, but the authors of the 25th amendment thought it essential in the nuclear age to have a safety valve option and, as they often said, we have 535 members of Congress but we only have one president.”
He added: “In the age of Covid-19, which has killed more than 210,000 Americans and now ravaged the White House staff, the wisdom of the 25th amendment is clear. What happens if a president – any president – ends up in a coma or on a ventilator and has made no provisions for the temporary transfer of power? This situation is what demands action.”
This panel would be known as the Commission on Presidential Capacity to Discharge the Powers and Duties of Office. Raskin, a constitutional law professor, said it would be bipartisan and consist of 17 members, including medical personnel, and could only act in concert with the vice-president.
Asked about the timing of the bill, Raskin explained “this situation has focused everyone’s mind” on the 25th amendment.
Pelosi repeated her insistence that it did not apply to Trump: “Again, this isn’t about any judgment anybody has about somebody’s behaviour. It isn’t about any of us making a decision as to whether the 25th amendment should be invoked. That’s totally not the point. That’s not up to us.”
Invoking the 25th amendment would require the support of Vice-President Mike Pence and members of Trump’s cabinet. There has been no hint that this is imminent.
A reporter asked Pelosi if Johnson was an example of someone whose capacity to govern was reduced by coronavirus. She replied: “I have no idea. Nor do I have of President Trump.
“I just said clearly, he is under medication. Any of us who is under medication of that seriousness is in an altered state. He has bragged about the medication he has taken. And again, there are articles by medical professionals saying, as was said earlier, this could have an impact on judgment.”
She then made a surprise attack on the UK’s efforts to create a vaccine, describing the US Food and Drug Administration’s “very stringent” rules for clinical trials and approval. “My concern is that the UK’s system for that kind of judgment is not on a par with ours in the United States. So if Boris Johnson decides he’s going to approve a drug and this president embraces that, that’s the concern I have about any similarity between the two.”
The initiative on the 25th amendment was not without political risks for Democrats as Trump’s allies sought to portray it as a power grab ahead of the election. Josh Holmes, former chief of staff and campaign manager for Senate majority leader, the Kentucky Republican Mitch McConnell, tweeted: “Every time I think our goose is cooked, Nancy Pelosi grabs the microphone and I say to myself, we still have a shot.”
Trump was flown to a military hospital on 2 October after testing positive for Covid-19. He spent three nights there receiving a menu of treatments before his doctors said he was well enough to be discharged. He returned to the White House and immediately removed his face mask, provoking criticism.
Since then his conduct has raised concerns, even by the turbulent standards of the Trump presidency. He suddenly called off negotiations with Congress over an economic stimulus package, taking his Republican allies by surprise, but then performed an equally jarring U-turn. And boasted about being a “perfect physical specimen” and “extremely young” in another Fox phone interview.
Both Trump’s doctors and White House officials still refuse to say when the president received his last negative test, raising questions over who he might have infected.
Trump floated the idea that he might travel to a rally on Saturday in Florida, but the administration indicated on Friday morning that this was unlikely.


theguardian--2020-10-09--Federal judge denies plea to extend Florida voter registration

A federal judge has denied a motion to extend voter registration in Florida after its website crashed just before the deadline , potentially preventing tens of thousands of people from casting their ballot in November ’ s presidential election .
The judge accused the state of failing its citizens .
The development on Friday came after the Florida governor , Ron DeSantis , had extended the deadline from Monday to Tuesday this week after the state ’ s online system had stopped working for seven hours on the final day of registration .
Voting rights and minority rights advocacy groups @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needed more time , but DeSantis disagreed .
On Thursday , US district court judge Mark E Walker held a hearing to decide whether or not to grant a preliminary injunction to reopen and extend the deadline .
But in a 29-page overnight ruling on Friday he rejected calls for an extension .
He said the decision was “ an incredibly close call ” but that “ the state ’ s interest in preventing chaos in its already precarious – and perennially chaotic – election outweighs the substantial burden imposed on the right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Every man who has stepped foot on the moon launched from the Kennedy Space Center , in Florida .
Yet , Florida has failed to figure out how to run an election properly – a task simpler than rocket science.
” And in a critique of the state ’ s historic elections issues , he said , “ I feel like I ’ ve seen this movie before ” and said the state had “ failed its citizens ” .
“ Notwithstanding the fact that cinemas across the country remain closed , somehow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seen this movie before .
Just shy of a month from election day , with the earliest mail-in ballots beginning to be counted , Florida has done it again , ” he wrote .
He added : “ This case is not about Floridians missing registration deadlines .
This case is also not a challenge to a state statute .
This case is about how a state failed its citizens.
” Data filed by the state indicates that 50,000 people registered during the extended time period .
Based on previous trends , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ additional people might have also registered to vote , if they had been able to access the system .
He also took aim at the secretary of state , Laurel Lee , who he said had implemented a “ half measure ” after the public had raised the alarm .
“ She hastily and briefly extended the registration period and ordered Florida ’ s supervisors of election to accept applications submitted by the secretary ’ s new ‘ book closing ’ deadline , ” he wrote .
He also criticised her for failing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deadline until noon on the date of the new deadline .
“ This left less than seven hours for potential voters to somehow become aware of the news and ensure that they properly submitted their voter registration applications , all while also participating in their normal workday , school , family , and caregiving responsibilities , ” Walker wrote .
With less than a month to go until the 3 November election , it is the latest issue to potentially prevent people from voting in Florida .
In September , a court ruled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote unless they repaid all outstanding debts – potentially blocking an estimated 744,000 people from voting .

A federal judge has denied a motion to extend voter registration in Florida after its website crashed just before the deadline, potentially preventing tens of thousands of people from casting their ballot in November’s presidential election.
The judge accused the state of failing its citizens.
The development on Friday came after the Florida governor, Ron DeSantis, had extended the deadline from Monday to Tuesday this week after the state’s online system had stopped working for seven hours on the final day of registration.
Voting rights and minority rights advocacy groups filed a federal lawsuit, saying voters needed more time, but DeSantis disagreed.
On Thursday, US district court judge Mark E Walker held a hearing to decide whether or not to grant a preliminary injunction to reopen and extend the deadline.
But in a 29-page overnight ruling on Friday he rejected calls for an extension. He said the decision was “an incredibly close call” but that “the state’s interest in preventing chaos in its already precarious – and perennially chaotic – election outweighs the substantial burden imposed on the right to vote.”
Walker said: “Every man who has stepped foot on the moon launched from the Kennedy Space Center, in Florida. Yet, Florida has failed to figure out how to run an election properly – a task simpler than rocket science.”
And in a critique of the state’s historic elections issues, he said, “I feel like I’ve seen this movie before” and said the state had “failed its citizens”.
“Notwithstanding the fact that cinemas across the country remain closed, somehow, I feel like I’ve seen this movie before. Just shy of a month from election day, with the earliest mail-in ballots beginning to be counted, Florida has done it again,” he wrote.
He added: “This case is not about Floridians missing registration deadlines. This case is also not a challenge to a state statute. This case is about how a state failed its citizens.”
Data filed by the state indicates that 50,000 people registered during the extended time period. Based on previous trends, the judge noted, perhaps more than 20,000 additional people might have also registered to vote, if they had been able to access the system.
He also took aim at the secretary of state, Laurel Lee, who he said had implemented a “half measure” after the public had raised the alarm.
“She hastily and briefly extended the registration period and ordered Florida’s supervisors of election to accept applications submitted by the secretary’s new ‘book closing’ deadline,” he wrote.
He also criticised her for failing to notify the public of the new deadline until noon on the date of the new deadline.
“This left less than seven hours for potential voters to somehow become aware of the news and ensure that they properly submitted their voter registration applications, all while also participating in their normal workday, school, family, and caregiving responsibilities,” Walker wrote.
With less than a month to go until the 3 November election, it is the latest issue to potentially prevent people from voting in Florida. In September, a court ruled that people with felony convictions could not vote unless they repaid all outstanding debts – potentially blocking an estimated 744,000 people from voting.


theguardian--2020-10-09--Covid-19 has unmasked the true nature of Donald Trump and Trumpism | Jonathan Freedland

Just in case you were about to feel an unfamiliar spasm of sympathy for Donald Trump following his contraction of coronavirus , this week has provided a helpful reminder not only of his morally repugnant character but also of the danger he poses to the United States and the wider world .
Firmly in the first category is his attempt to blame his infection on the grieving relatives of slain soldiers , citing Gold Star families ’ tendency to “ come within an inch of my face ” .
Speaking to Fox Business on Thursday , Trump said , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want to kiss me ” , and so perhaps it was them who had made him sick .
Clearly keen not to keep all that viral load to himself , Trump later told Fox News – in between coughing bouts – that he plans to host a rally in Florida on Saturday and another in Pennsylvania .
He ’ ll doubtless repeat the gesture he premiered in his bargain-bin Mussolini performance on the White House balcony on Monday night , ripping off his mask with a flourish – as if to prove that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his devotees in a cloud of his contaminated breath .
More serious are his assaults on democracy , which become ever more explicit .
Lashing out at his own henchmen , he channelled Elton John to warn that the slavishly loyal attorney general , William Barr , would find himself in a “ sad , sad situation ” if he did not indict Barack Obama , Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden for “ the greatest political crime in the history of our country ” , namely the federal inquiry into the 2016 Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Like strutting on a balcony , threatening to jail your predecessor along with your former and current opponents for political crimes tends to be a feature of darkly authoritarian states rather than democratic ones .
As if to confirm that Trump ’ s threats to democracy are not empty , that the signals he transmits are received , 13 men were arrested in Michigan on Thursday over a violent plot to kidnap the state ’ s governor and try her for treason .
You ’ ll recall that in April , Trump urged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s lockdown , to “ LIBERATE MICHIGAN !
” .
Trump ’ s chief response to the revelation of this episode of domestic terrorism was not contrition , but rather a rebuke to the governor for failing to say thank you to “ my justice department ” for uncovering the conspiracy .
That “ my ” is telling : it is the grammar of the authoritarian strongman .
Most Republicans continue , like Trump ’ s doctors , to act as enablers in all this .
Especially eye-catching was a tweet from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arguing that democracy was less important than liberty , peace and prosperity – and that sometimes “ Rank democracy can thwart ” those goals .
Few Republicans dare echo the House speaker , Nancy Pelosi , who rather generously described Trump ’ s increasingly unhinged ramblings as evidence that “ he ’ s in an altered state ” .
And yet , the admission by the Republican leader in the senate , Mitch McConnell , that he had not gone near the White House since 6 August because of the administration ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , was striking .
Now , McConnell is not a man to speak without prior thought : unencumbered by scruples , he is a political calculating machine .
And what that remark suggests is the calculation that Republicans need to distance themselves from a president they suspect is heading towards defeat .
They ’ ve seen the polls , same as everyone else .
Those show Biden ’ s lead growing when the race should be tightening , the Democrat consistently ahead in every battleground state bar Florida , and breathing down Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be reliably Republican , including must-win Ohio .
What ’ s more , Biden ’ s lead has increased since Trump ’ s diagnosis a week ago .
Hard-headed Republicans are beginning to suspect that the pandemic will be the president ’ s undoing .
If that ’ s right , there would be a compelling , even karmic , logic to it .
For Covid-19 could almost have been designed to expose the essence , and failings , of Trumpism .
Consider that one of Trumpism ’ s defining traits is its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It was during Trump ’ s first weekend in office that he had his officials lie about the size of his inaugural crowd and speak of “ alternative facts ” .
Opponents railed against this epistemic vandalism , but “ truth ” always seemed an abstract , even elitist concern .
And then came coronavirus , accompanied by Trump ’ s insistence that it would just disappear “ like a miracle ” , or that it could be chased away with an injection of bleach , as if to demonstrate in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ facts and for science leads : namely , to the graves of more than 200,000 Americans .
Similarly , Trumpism adapts the traditional Republican attachment to individual freedom and mutates it into a darker , Darwinian belief that the strong individual can and should do whatever they like , and to hell with the “ suckers and losers ” who might suffer as a result .
In normal times , plenty of Trump supporters saw that as an exhilarating libertinism , one that allowed Trump to cheat on his wives and pay no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ d have lived like that if they could .
But coronavirus doesn ’ t work that way .
Suddenly the “ suckers and losers ” included Trump supporters , or their loved ones .
The virus even caught up with Trump himself – along with everyone who got near him .
And , of course , Trumpism is defined by its toxic brand of masculinity , mocking Biden for wearing a mask – “ Might as well carry a purse with that mask , Joe , ” quipped one Fox host – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to protect others , not yourself .
Trump is still bragging that he is a “ perfect physical specimen ” , that he ’ s seen off Covid , but he says it while wheezing .
This virus has done to Trumpian machismo what it ’ s done to Trumpian disrespect for rules and science : it ’ s exposed it as hollow and a failure .
We don ’ t know what further twists await in this long , melancholy drama ; we don ’ t know who will win next month @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from office , Americans will still have to wrestle with a tough question : what does it say about the US if it took a pandemic to do it ?

Just in case you were about to feel an unfamiliar spasm of sympathy for Donald Trump following his contraction of coronavirus, this week has provided a helpful reminder not only of his morally repugnant character but also of the danger he poses to the United States and the wider world.
Firmly in the first category is his attempt to blame his infection on the grieving relatives of slain soldiers, citing Gold Star families’ tendency to “come within an inch of my face”. Speaking to Fox Business on Thursday, Trump said, “They want to hug me and they want to kiss me”, and so perhaps it was them who had made him sick. Clearly keen not to keep all that viral load to himself, Trump later told Fox News – in between coughing bouts – that he plans to host a rally in Florida on Saturday and another in Pennsylvania. He’ll doubtless repeat the gesture he premiered in his bargain-bin Mussolini performance on the White House balcony on Monday night, ripping off his mask with a flourish – as if to prove that nothing and nobody will stop him shrouding his devotees in a cloud of his contaminated breath.
More serious are his assaults on democracy, which become ever more explicit. Lashing out at his own henchmen, he channelled Elton John to warn that the slavishly loyal attorney general, William Barr, would find himself in a “sad, sad situation” if he did not indict Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden for “the greatest political crime in the history of our country”, namely the federal inquiry into the 2016 Trump campaign’s links to Russia. Like strutting on a balcony, threatening to jail your predecessor along with your former and current opponents for political crimes tends to be a feature of darkly authoritarian states rather than democratic ones.
As if to confirm that Trump’s threats to democracy are not empty, that the signals he transmits are received, 13 men were arrested in Michigan on Thursday over a violent plot to kidnap the state’s governor and try her for treason. You’ll recall that in April, Trump urged his followers, angry about the state’s lockdown, to “LIBERATE MICHIGAN!”. Trump’s chief response to the revelation of this episode of domestic terrorism was not contrition, but rather a rebuke to the governor for failing to say thank you to “my justice department” for uncovering the conspiracy. That “my” is telling: it is the grammar of the authoritarian strongman.
Most Republicans continue, like Trump’s doctors, to act as enablers in all this. Especially eye-catching was a tweet from infected senator Mike Lee of Utah, arguing that democracy was less important than liberty, peace and prosperity – and that sometimes “Rank democracy can thwart” those goals. Few Republicans dare echo the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, who rather generously described Trump’s increasingly unhinged ramblings as evidence that “he’s in an altered state”.
And yet, the admission by the Republican leader in the senate, Mitch McConnell, that he had not gone near the White House since 6 August because of the administration’s lax approach to masks and social distancing, was striking. Now, McConnell is not a man to speak without prior thought: unencumbered by scruples, he is a political calculating machine. And what that remark suggests is the calculation that Republicans need to distance themselves from a president they suspect is heading towards defeat.
They’ve seen the polls, same as everyone else. Those show Biden’s lead growing when the race should be tightening, the Democrat consistently ahead in every battleground state bar Florida, and breathing down Trump’s neck in states that should be reliably Republican, including must-win Ohio. What’s more, Biden’s lead has increased since Trump’s diagnosis a week ago. Hard-headed Republicans are beginning to suspect that the pandemic will be the president’s undoing.
If that’s right, there would be a compelling, even karmic, logic to it. For Covid-19 could almost have been designed to expose the essence, and failings, of Trumpism.
Consider that one of Trumpism’s defining traits is its contempt for truth, facts and science. It was during Trump’s first weekend in office that he had his officials lie about the size of his inaugural crowd and speak of “alternative facts”. Opponents railed against this epistemic vandalism, but “truth” always seemed an abstract, even elitist concern. And then came coronavirus, accompanied by Trump’s insistence that it would just disappear “like a miracle”, or that it could be chased away with an injection of bleach, as if to demonstrate in the starkest possible terms where a disdain for facts and for science leads: namely, to the graves of more than 200,000 Americans.
Similarly, Trumpism adapts the traditional Republican attachment to individual freedom and mutates it into a darker, Darwinian belief that the strong individual can and should do whatever they like, and to hell with the “suckers and losers” who might suffer as a result. In normal times, plenty of Trump supporters saw that as an exhilarating libertinism, one that allowed Trump to cheat on his wives and pay no taxes, all without consequences. They’d have lived like that if they could. But coronavirus doesn’t work that way. Suddenly the “suckers and losers” included Trump supporters, or their loved ones. The virus even caught up with Trump himself – along with everyone who got near him.
And, of course, Trumpism is defined by its toxic brand of masculinity, mocking Biden for wearing a mask – “Might as well carry a purse with that mask, Joe,” quipped one Fox host – forgetting that covering your face is mainly to protect others, not yourself. Trump is still bragging that he is a “perfect physical specimen”, that he’s seen off Covid, but he says it while wheezing. This virus has done to Trumpian machismo what it’s done to Trumpian disrespect for rules and science: it’s exposed it as hollow and a failure.
We don’t know what further twists await in this long, melancholy drama; we don’t know who will win next month. But if Donald Trump is ejected from office, Americans will still have to wrestle with a tough question: what does it say about the US if it took a pandemic to do it?


theguardian--2020-10-09--Pelosi says Trump's Covid medication has him 'in an altered state’ – video

Nancy Pelosi has announced that the House will invoke the 25th amendment , which gives Congress power to evaluate the @ @ @ @ @ presidents in conducting the duties of their office .
Although the amendment enables the House @ @ @ @ @ to review the president ’ s fitness for office , the House of Representatives would @ @ @ @ @ Donald Trump from office without the agreement of the vice-president , Mike Pence , and @ @ @ @ @ Pelosi insisted the proposed commission was not about Trump , but said of the president @ @ @ @ @ .
Any of us who is under medication of that seriousness is in an altered @ @ @ @ @ outraged by Democrats ' plan to assess president 's fitness to serve • Trump unlikely @ @ @ @ @ Pelosi says medication has him 'in an altered state ' – live

Nancy Pelosi has announced that the House will invoke the 25th Amendment, which gives Congress power to evaluate the health and stability of US presidents to conduct the duties of office.
Although the amendment enables the House Speaker to create a commission to review the president’s fitness for office, the House of Representatives would not be able to remove Donald Trump from office without the agreement of the vice-president, Mike Pence, and members of the cabinet.
Pelosi insisted the proposed commission was not about Trump, but said of the president: 'He is under medication. Any of us who is under medication of that seriousness is in an altered state.'


theguardian--2020-10-10--Donald Trump set to host first in-person event since Covid-19 diagnosis – live

It was the week the men in white coats finally came for Donald Trump .
Seven doctors in face masks emerged from Walter Reed military hospital outside Washington attempting to assure a skeptical world that its most famous patient was beating the coronavirus .
They had rushed the US president on to experimental antiviral drugs and prescribed an aggressive course of steroids not available to the average patient .
But they could not cure what many critics regard as Trump ’ s chief pathology : chronic narcissism .
He took a triumphant helicopter flight back to a White House ravaged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Mussolini moment ” on its balcony and unleashed a blitzkrieg of tweets so erratic that they shocked even battle-hardened Trump watchers .
Doctors said his physical vital signs were improving ; pollsters said his political vital signs were flatlining , with his rival , Joe Biden , leading by 16 percentage points in a CNN survey less than a month before the presidential election .
Some said that , if Trump was deliberately trying to sabotage his own campaign , he could hardly do a better job than the past week .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ :

10 Oct 2020 23.29 BST Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden continued to frame the November election as a choice between the interests of Scranton and Park Avenue in a speech on Saturday night at the Plumbers Local Union No 27 training center in Erie, Pennsylvania. “Anyone who actually does an honest day’s work sees him and his promises for what they are,” Biden told a masked, socially distanced crowd at a training facility for plumbers and other tradespeople in Pennsylvania’s fourth-largest city. Donald Trump’s victory in 2016 – by fewer than 2,000 votes in Erie – helped deliver him the key battleground state and the presidency, even as he lost the popular vote. He became the first Republican presidential nominee to carry the longtime Democratic bastion since Ronald Reagan’s landslide reelection in 1984 and the first to win Pennsylvania since George HW Bush’s election in 1988. Erie County rebounded strongly to Democrats in the 2018 midterms. “The president can only see the world from Park Avenue. I see it from Scranton and Claymont. Y’all see it from Erie,” Biden told union officers and members, referring to his childhood hometowns in Pennsylvania and Delaware. Democratic presidential candidate former vice-president Joe Biden speaks at the Plumbers Local Union No 27 training center on Saturday in Erie, Pennsylvania. Photograph: Carolyn Kaster/AP
10 Oct 2020 23.02 BST A federal judge in Pennsylvania has dismissed a lawsuit filed by Donald Trump’s campaign that was seeking to block the use of drop boxes as receptacles for mail ballots, require ballot signatures to match voter registration records and allow nonresident poll watchers at polling places in all-important battleground state.
The Associated Press reports: The ruling by U.S. District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan who was appointed by Trump in Pittsburgh also poured cold water on Trump’s claims that Pennsylvania is fertile ground for election fraud. Trump’s campaign said it would appeal at least one element of the decision, with barely three weeks to go until Election Day in a state hotly contested by Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden. The lawsuit was opposed by the administration of Gov. Tom Wolf, a Democrat, the state Democratic Party, the League of Women Voters, the NAACP’s Pennsylvania office and other allied groups. “The ruling is a complete rejection of the continued misinformation about voter fraud and corruption, and those who seek to sow chaos and discord ahead of the upcoming election,” Wolf’s office said in a statement. The state’s attorney general, Josh Shapiro, a Democrat whose office fought the Trump campaign’s claims, called the lawsuit a political stunt designed to sow doubt in the state’s election. “We told the Trump campaign and the president, ‘put up or shut up’ to his claims of voter fraud in Pennsylvania,” Shapiro told the Associated Press. “It’s important to note they didn’t even need to prove actual voter fraud, just that it was likely or impending, and they couldn’t even do that.” Trump’s campaign said in a statement that it looked forward to a quick decision from the appeals court “that will further protect Pennsylvania voters from the Democrats’ radical voting system.” Ranjan’s opinion made a point of noting the lack of evidence of fraud put forth by the campaign. “While Plaintiffs may not need to prove actual voter fraud, they must at least prove that such fraud is ‘certainly impending,’” Ranjan wrote. “They haven’t met that burden. At most, they have pieced together a sequence of uncertain assumptions.”
Updated at 23.02 BST
10 Oct 2020 22.23 BST Six US states saw record single-day increases in coronavirus cases on Friday, according to NBC News. The record highs in Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma and West Virginia come at a time when nationwide numbers are on the climb and a seventh state, Wisconsin, has set up a field hospital to cope with the influx of patients. “We have to get back to the basics in fighting this virus,” Wisconsin’s Democratic governor, Tony Evers, said on Twitter this week, as the state posted another record day of Covid-19 infections. Members of the Wisconsin national guard test residents for the coronavirus Covid-19 at a temporary test facility set up in the parking lot of the UMOS corporate headquarters. Wisconsin currently has one of the highest positivity rates for COVID-19 in the nation. Photograph: Scott Olson/Getty Images Wisconsin set up a field hospital near state fairgrounds to treat what could be an overflow of patients with Covid-19. More than 8,000 people in the state are hospitalized. “We are on the verge of a crisis in Green Bay and our surrounding counties,” Dr Paul Casey, emergency department head at Bellin health systems in Green Bay, Wisconsin, told CNBC. More than 211,000 people have died of Covid-19 in the US. US Covid cases climb as midwestern states report steep increases Read more
10 Oct 2020 21.50 BST South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham said African Americans and immigrants can “go anywhere” in his home state but they “just need to be conservative” during a televised candidates’ forum on Friday night. Graham, who finds himself in a tooth-and-nail reelection battle with Democratic challenger Jamie Harrison in a once-safe conservative district, made the remark in the context of political careers and said his opponent would lose because he is a Democrat, not because he is Black. “Do I believe our cops are systemically racist? No,” Graham said. “Do I believe South Carolina is a racist state? No. Let me tell you why. To young people out there, young people of color, young immigrants, this is a great state, but one thing I can say without any doubt, you can be an African American and go to the Senate but you just have to share our values.” He went on to say: “If you’re a young, African American or an immigrant, you can go anywhere in this state, you just need to be conservative, not liberal”. Listen to Lindsey Graham declare what Black people can and can’t do.
This is textbook white supremacy.
pic.twitter.com/IRJfSEWWVt — Simran Jeet Singh (@SikhProf) October 10, 2020 The comment was in response to a question about civil unrest, and as America reckons with its long history of racism and ongoing police brutality, including the national revulsion following the killing of Black man George Floyd by a white Minneapolis police officer.
Lindsey Graham says Black people can 'go anywhere' in South Carolina if conservative Read more
10 Oct 2020 21.09 BST Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden was asked whether Donald Trump should be resuming rallies on Saturday in Delaware before departing for a scheduled a campaign event in Erie, Pennsylvania. “I think it’s important the president makes sure of two things,” Biden told reporters. “One, that he is clear, he is not a spreader like his, like Dr Fauci said the super spreader event he had for the Supreme Court announcement. “And secondly, I think it’s important that he make it clear to all the people that they should be socially distanced, they can be on the lawn, that’s fine. But in fact, they should be socially distanced and wearing masks. That’s the only responsible thing to do. And I don’t know what’s going on at the moment now, but I hope he does that.” Biden, who last week said he would be screened more frequently for Covid-19 and committed to release the results of all future tests, told reporters he tested negative on Saturday morning.
Updated at 21.36 BST
10 Oct 2020 21.04 BST Donald Trump’s reelection bid was officially endorsed by the Taliban on Saturday, the latest improbably headline in a campaign season with no shortage of them.
According to CBS News: Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told CBS News in a phone interview: “We hope he will win the election and wind up U.S. military presence in Afghanistan.” The militant group expressed some concern about Mr. Trump’s bout with the coronavirus. “When we heard about Trump being COVID-19 positive, we got worried for his health, but seems he is getting better,” another Taliban senior leader told CBS News. The announcement came on the same day Trump’s opponent in the November election, Democratic candidate Joe Biden, was endorsed by climate crisis activist Greta Thunberg. Tim Murtaugh, the Trump campaign’s communications director, told CBS News that it rejects the Taliban’s support.
10 Oct 2020 20.21 BST Close-ups of Donald Trump’s right hand during today’s remarks from the White House balcony show a couple of flesh-colored bandages, presumably where he received intravenous injection. His remarks were also significantly shorter in duration than anticipated: Trump spoke for 17 minutes after White House officials said he would be at the podium for a half hour. Questions about the US president’s health continue to loom amid the refusal of doctors or aides to reveal when Trump last tested negative for coronavirus. He insisted he was “medication-free” during a Friday night appearance on Tucker Carlson’s prime-time opinion show that was pitched as a “medical evaluation”. “We pretty much finished, and now we’ll see how things go. But pretty much nothing,” Trump said when Fox medical analyst Dr Marc Siegel asked the president what medications he was still taking. Donald Trump takes off his face mask as he prepares to speak to supporters gathered on the South Lawn for a campaign rally that the White House is calling a ‘peaceful protest’. Photograph: Tom Brenner/Reuters
Updated at 21.25 BST
10 Oct 2020 20.06 BST House speaker Nancy Pelosi on Saturday said a new $1.8tn economic stimulus proposal from the Trump administration “amounted to one step forward, two steps back” and would need changes to get support from congressional Democrats. The California lawmaker said in her weekly letter to Democratic colleagues the Trump administration’s proposal lacked a “strategic plan to crush the virus” and gave US president too much discretion to decide how funds were allocated. “At this point, we still have disagreement on many priorities, and Democrats are awaiting language from the Administration on several provisions as the negotiations on the overall funding amount continue,” Pelosi’s letter said. Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell said on Friday he doubted lawmakers would pass a package before the general election on 3 November. “The proximity to the election and the differences of opinion over what is needed at this particular juncture are pretty vast,” McConnell told a news conference in his home state of Kentucky.


theguardian--2020-10-10--Trump's public lands chief refuses to leave his post despite judge's order

A controversial environment chief in the Trump administration has said he has no intention of leaving his post after a US district court judge deemed his tenure and ongoing occupation of the position illegal .
William Perry Pendley , head of the Bureau of Land Management ( BLM ) , said this week that the judge ’ s ruling “ has no impact , no impact whatsoever ” .
“ I have the support of the president , ” he told the Wyoming Powell Tribune .
“ I have the support of the secretary of the interior and my job @ @ @ @ @ @ @ done to accomplish what the president wants to do.
” Perry has served as director of the BLM since July 2019 , when the interior secretary , David Bernhardt , temporarily authorized him to the post .
The BLM manages 248m acres – or 10.5 % of all land in the US , the most of any agency , mostly in 11 western states and Alaska .
It manages public lands for conservation as well as livestock gazing and resource extraction , and critics say the Trump administration has prioritized the latter .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ post in July 2020 , but withdrew the nomination after congressional Democrats indicated unanimous opposition to his appointment , and some Republicans seemed unlikely to support him owing to his fringe views .
Pendley has never been confirmed by the Senate to serve as BLM director .
After Montana ’ s Democratic governor , Steve Bullock , brought a case claiming that Pendley ’ s service was unconstitutional , US district judge Brian Morris ruled two weeks ago that Pendley had “ served unlawfully ” for the last 424 days , prohibited him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his decisions during his tenure be thrown out or reversed .
The interior department said it would appeal against Judge Morris ’ s ruling .
In response to Pendley refusing to vacate his post , the Montana senator Jon Tester accused him of a power grab “ in service of his long-held goal of selling off our lands and enriching his corporate allies ” .
As a former industry attorney and longtime president of the Mountain States Legal Foundation ( MSLF ) , a litigation organization funded by conservative and industry groups including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Pendley boasts a deep background of legal advocacy for extractive resource industries on public lands .
He has made light of killing endangered species .
The Guardian obtained a 2017 recording in which he told a group of North Carolina rightwing activists , “ This is why out west we say ‘ shoot , shovel and shut up ’ when it comes to the discovery of endangered species on your property.
” Congressional Democrats also expressed concern with his views on social justice and racial inequality .
Pendley has mocked Native American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lives Matter movement as based on a “ lie ” .

A controversial environment chief in the Trump administration has said he has no intention of leaving his post after a US district court judge deemed his tenure and ongoing occupation of the position illegal.
William Perry Pendley, head of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), said this week that the judge’s ruling “has no impact, no impact whatsoever”.
“I have the support of the president,” he told the Wyoming Powell Tribune. “I have the support of the secretary of the interior and my job is to get out and get things done to accomplish what the president wants to do.”
Perry has served as director of the BLM since July 2019, when the interior secretary, David Bernhardt, temporarily authorized him to the post. The BLM manages 248m acres – or 10.5% of all land in the US, the most of any agency, mostly in 11 western states and Alaska. It manages public lands for conservation as well as livestock gazing and resource extraction, and critics say the Trump administration has prioritized the latter.
President Trump formally proposed Pendley for the post in July 2020, but withdrew the nomination after congressional Democrats indicated unanimous opposition to his appointment, and some Republicans seemed unlikely to support him owing to his fringe views. Pendley has never been confirmed by the Senate to serve as BLM director.
After Montana’s Democratic governor, Steve Bullock, brought a case claiming that Pendley’s service was unconstitutional, US district judge Brian Morris ruled two weeks ago that Pendley had “served unlawfully” for the last 424 days, prohibited him from acting as director and suggested that his decisions during his tenure be thrown out or reversed.
The interior department said it would appeal against Judge Morris’s ruling.
In response to Pendley refusing to vacate his post, the Montana senator Jon Tester accused him of a power grab “in service of his long-held goal of selling off our lands and enriching his corporate allies”.
As a former industry attorney and longtime president of the Mountain States Legal Foundation (MSLF), a litigation organization funded by conservative and industry groups including the Charles Koch Foundation and Exxon Mobil, Pendley boasts a deep background of legal advocacy for extractive resource industries on public lands.
He has made light of killing endangered species. The Guardian obtained a 2017 recording in which he told a group of North Carolina rightwing activists, “This is why out west we say ‘shoot, shovel and shut up’ when it comes to the discovery of endangered species on your property.”
Congressional Democrats also expressed concern with his views on social justice and racial inequality. Pendley has mocked Native American land management practices and dismissed the Black Lives Matter movement as based on a “lie”.


theguardian--2020-10-10--Trump has made fracking an election issue. Has he misjudged Pennsylvania?

In early August , Ginny Kerslake ’ s lush green yard in a middle-class Pennsylvania suburb turned into a muddy river , thanks to another spill at the pipeline drilling site opposite her house .
A couple of days later , 10,000 gallons of drilling mud , or bentonite clay , contaminated a popular recreational lake that also provides drinking water for residents of Chester county .
The spills are down to construction of the Mariner East ( ME ) pipelines – a beleaguered multibillion-dollar project to transport highly volatile liquids extracted by fracking gas shale fields in western Pennsylvania @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the east , ready to ship to Europe to manufacture plastics .
In Pennsylvania , four years after Trump beat Hillary Clinton by 44,292 votes to win the state , the controversial pipeline project has helped make fracking a political flashpoint in the debate over energy , the climate crisis , environmental inequalities and the influence of big business .
Fracking was a hot topic in this week ’ s vice-presidential debate , and the Republican party has blanketed the state with ads falsely claiming a Biden administration would ban the practice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but like many local anti-fracking voters she is hopeful that a Democratic administration might , at least , be persuadable on the issue .
“ The direct impact in our township has opened our eyes to how elected officials and government agencies we expect to protect us but don ’ t … Without fracking , there are no pipelines and vice versa , ” said Kerslake , speaking in front of the noisy , unsightly drilling site , which can operate from 7am to 7pm six days a week .
The ME @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – which is subject to multiple criminal and regulatory investigations – has caused major disruption to dozens of suburban and rural communities , contaminated surface and groundwater sources in hundreds of mud spills , and created countless sinkholes in parks , roads and yards since construction began in early 2017 .
At least 105,000 people live within a half-mile blast radius of the ME pipeline system , which carries highly flammable , odourless and colourless gases in liquified form ; many more Pennsylvanians attend schools , libraries and workplaces in close proximity .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ air quality , thanks to greenhouse-gas-emitting industries , and according to one recent poll , 83 % of voters in the state think climate change is a serious problem and 58 % look unfavourably at lawmakers who oppose strong action to combat it .
Despite dwindling public support for fracking , the state ’ s governor , Democrat Tom Wolf , recently signed a bipartisan bill approving $ 670m in tax breaks for the natural gas industry , which environmentalists condemned as irreconcilable with greenhouse gas emission targets .
“ The push to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about producing single-use plastics , not cheap energy to heat our homes , and expanding fracking will tie us for years to climate change gases .
This is not what most Pennsylvanians want , but there ’ s a gap in understanding , ” said Kerslake , who was defeated in this year ’ s primary for state representative after conservative non-profit groups linked to the natural gas industry funded half a million dollars ’ worth of attack ads against anti-pipeline candidates .
Chester county , a semi-rural middle-class area with about 525,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Latino and Asian populations , is a swing county : in 2012 , Obama narrowly lost to Mitt Romney , but four years later it was the only county Hillary Clinton flipped in Pennsylvania , winning by almost nine points .
It wasn ’ t enough : Clinton failed to hold on to the state won twice by Bill Clinton and Barack Obama after hemorrhaging voters in rural and suburban districts .
Until 2016 , Pennsylvania had voted for the Democrat in six straight presidential elections , but the party ’ s decline @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Pennsylvania has been bleeding out Democratic voters for decades .
It ’ s insane to think the Democrats can win here in the long term without winning over the massive working-class base by appealing to moderate Republicans … not being Trump isn ’ t enough , ” said Jonathan Smucker , co-founder of the grassroots movements Lancaster Stands Up and PA Stands Up .
An average of national polls on Friday showed Joe Biden leading Trump by more than 10 percentage points , but only 7.1 points in Pennsylvania , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up from 4.2 points last month .
Analysts agree that Pennsylvania is a must-win state this November if the Democrats are to take back the White House , which means Biden convincing urban and suburban voters concerned about the climate crisis and the economy that his ambitious $ 2tn climate plan is also an ambitious jobs plan .
But it ’ s unclear whether the messaging is getting through , as campaigning is overshadowed and hampered by the Covid pandemic .
Joan , 53 , a librarian who declined to give her full @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been surpassed by immediate concerns .
“ I worry about the health and safety of the pipelines and climate change , but most people are overwhelmed by the immediacy of the pandemic and unemployment and voting – it ’ s too much to navigate , ” she said .
Multiple pipelines run about 50ft from the library where she works , visited by about 50,000 people annually .
“ The climate crisis is a very big problem , and I worry about environmental destruction , but what are the alternatives ?
You have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ White , 74 , a retired banker , who plans to vote for Biden but was unaware of his climate plan .
Trump , on the other hand , is sticking to his plan of appealing to his base by falsely claiming Biden will destroy hundreds of thousands of jobs and make heating unaffordable by banning fracking .
Despite Trump ’ s chiding , Biden is largely supportive of fracking , and only backs banning it on federal lands and offshore , which would have minimal impact in Pennsylvania .
In addition , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – and repeated by Trump and Mike Pence – are wildly inflated .
In 2017 , only 26,000 jobs in Pennsylvania were directly related to oil and natural gas extraction , of which about 18,000 were created by the fracking boom , according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics .
“ Fracking creates boom towns and bust towns .
It ’ s never been a stable industry , and requires taxpayer subsidies to function .
Pennsylvania is the reason why Trump is talking about fracking but he ’ s out of touch with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , political director of the advocacy group Food and Water Watch .
According to a recent CBS/YouGov poll , 52 % of voters in the state oppose fracking , mirroring a gradual shift against the industry amid mounting scientific evidence of poor air quality and health risks and relatively few long-term jobs .
But Trump ’ s messaging does resonate with some voters – or at least sows enough doubt to cause confusion among voters like Dave Swavely , 54 , a writer who says the Bible guides his voting , which is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care about climate change , and it should be debated [ by the candidates ] , but natural resources are here for humans to use , and I ’ m sceptical of the environmental agenda .
I don ’ t believe Trump or Biden , unfortunately , but I ’ ll pray and then vote for the lesser of two evils.
” Nevertheless , some recent polling suggests that a stronger stance on fracking by Biden , as adopted by his running mate , Kamala Harris , would play well with most voters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ climate action and clean energy .
It worked for Danielle Friel Otten of Uwchlan township , who beat a Republican incumbent to get elected to the state legislature in 2018 in a race defined by opposition to Mariner East .
“ Voters have woken up .
The jig is up .
Americans want to see elected officials represent their voices and not be beholden to big industry interests , ” said Otten , who also lives in front of a drilling site .
“ The pipeline project is an example of how our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , have been chipped away .
It ’ s why we have to stand up and fight for every vote.
” Amanda Gorgueiro , spokeswoman for Energy Transfer , the parent company of the ME project , said : “ We respect that there are varying opinions when it comes to our country ’ s energy development , however it is important to remember that pipelines are the safest way to transport the energy products that make our daily lives possible .
”

Nina Lakhani in West Whiteland and Uwchlan townships, Chester county

In early August, Ginny Kerslake’s lush green yard in a middle-class Pennsylvania suburb turned into a muddy river, thanks to another spill at the pipeline drilling site opposite her house. A couple of days later, 10,000 gallons of drilling mud, or bentonite clay, contaminated a popular recreational lake that also provides drinking water for residents of Chester county.
The spills are down to construction of the Mariner East (ME) pipelines – a beleaguered multibillion-dollar project to transport highly volatile liquids extracted by fracking gas shale fields in western Pennsylvania to an export facility in Delaware county in the east, ready to ship to Europe to manufacture plastics.
In Pennsylvania, four years after Trump beat Hillary Clinton by 44,292 votes to win the state, the controversial pipeline project has helped make fracking a political flashpoint in the debate over energy, the climate crisis, environmental inequalities and the influence of big business.
Fracking was a hot topic in this week’s vice-presidential debate, and the Republican party has blanketed the state with ads falsely claiming a Biden administration would ban the practice. Climate activists were unimpressed by the debate but like many anti-fracking voters, Kerslake is hopeful that a Democratic administration might, at least, be persuadable on the issue.
“The direct impact in our township has opened our eyes to how elected officials and government agencies we expect to protect us but don’t … Without fracking, there are no pipelines and vice versa,” said Kerslake, speaking in front of the noisy, unsightly drilling site, which can operate from 7am to 7pm six days a week.
The ME horizontal directional drilling (HDD) project – which is subject to multiple criminal and regulatory investigations – has caused major disruption to dozens of suburban and rural communities, contaminated surface and groundwater sources in hundreds of mud spills, and created countless sinkholes in parks, roads and yards since construction began in early 2017.
At least 105,000 people live within a half-mile blast radius of the ME pipeline system, which carries highly flammable, odourless and colourless gases in liquified form; many more Pennsylvanians attend schools, libraries and workplaces in close proximity.
Pennsylvanians suffer the country’s second-worst air quality, thanks to greenhouse-gas-emitting industries, and according to one recent poll, 83% of voters in the state think climate change is a serious problem and 58% look unfavourably at lawmakers who oppose strong action to combat it.
An inactive work site for the Mariner East pipelines sits empty near the Chester County Library in Exton, PA. this past February. Photograph: Hannah Yoon/The Guardian
Despite dwindling public support for fracking, the state’s governor, Democrat Tom Wolf, recently signed a bipartisan bill approving $670m in tax breaks for the natural gas industry, which environmentalists condemned as irreconcilable with greenhouse gas emission targets.
“The push to make Pennsylvania a petrochemical hub is mostly about producing single-use plastics, not cheap energy to heat our homes, and expanding fracking will tie us for years to climate change gases. This is not what most Pennsylvanians want, but there’s a gap in understanding,” said Kerslake, who was defeated in this year’s primary for state representative after conservative non-profit groups linked to the natural gas industry funded half a million dollars’ worth of attack ads against anti-pipeline candidates.
Chester county, a semi-rural middle-class area with about 525,000 inhabitants, mostly white but with growing Latino and Asian populations, is a swing county: in 2012, Obama narrowly lost to Mitt Romney, but four years later it was the only county Hillary Clinton flipped in Pennsylvania, winning by almost nine points.
It wasn’t enough: Clinton failed to hold on to the state won twice by Bill Clinton and Barack Obama after hemorrhaging voters in rural and suburban districts. Until 2016, Pennsylvania had voted for the Democrat in six straight presidential elections, but the party’s decline was a long time in the making.
“Pennsylvania has been bleeding out Democratic voters for decades. It’s insane to think the Democrats can win here in the long term without winning over more working-class voters … not being Trump isn’t enough,” said Jonathan Smucker, co-founder of the grassroots movements Lancaster Stands Up and PA Stands Up.
Not being Trump isn’t enough Jonathan Smucker
An average of national polls on Friday showed Joe Biden leading Trump by more than 10 percentage points, but only 7.1 points in Pennsylvania, according to the website FiveThirtyEight. This is up from 4.2 points last month.
Analysts agree that Pennsylvania is a must-win state this November if the Democrats are to take back the White House, which means Biden convincing urban and suburban voters concerned about the climate crisis and the economy that his ambitious $2tn climate plan is also an ambitious jobs plan.
But it’s unclear whether the messaging is getting through, as campaigning is overshadowed and hampered by the Covid pandemic.
Joan, 53, a librarian who declined to give her full name, said the climate crisis had been surpassed by immediate concerns. “I worry about the health and safety of the pipelines and climate change, but most people are overwhelmed by the immediacy of the pandemic and unemployment and voting – it’s too much to navigate, ” she said.
Multiple pipelines run about 50ft from the library where she works, visited by about 50,000 people annually.
“The climate crisis is a very big problem, and I worry about environmental destruction, but what are the alternatives? You have to provide energy,” said Gwen White, 74, a retired banker, who plans to vote for Biden but was unaware of his climate plan.
Trump, on the other hand, is sticking to his plan of appealing to his base by falsely claiming Biden will destroy hundreds of thousands of jobs and make heating unaffordable by banning fracking.
Despite Trump’s chiding, Biden is largely supportive of fracking, and only backs banning it on federal lands and offshore, which would have minimal impact in Pennsylvania.
In addition, fracking job figures touted by the industry – and repeated by Trump and Mike Pence – are wildly inflated.
The Great Commonwealth of Pennsylvania would absolutely die without the jobs and dollars brought in by Fracking. Massive numbers! Now Biden & Harris, after Radical Left Dem Primaries, are trying to change their stance. Pennsylvania wants Energy and Second Amendment! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 8, 2020
In 2017, only 26,000 jobs in Pennsylvania were directly related to oil and natural gas extraction, of which about 18,000 were created by the fracking boom, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
A hydro fracking tower used for gas drilling in Pennsylvania. Photograph: Alamy Stock Photo
“Fracking creates boom towns and bust towns. It’s never been a stable industry, and requires taxpayer subsidies to function. Pennsylvania is the reason why Trump is talking about fracking but he’s out of touch with public opinion,” said Sam Bernhardt, political director of the advocacy group Food and Water Watch.
According to a recent CBS/YouGov poll, 52% of voters in the state oppose fracking, mirroring a gradual shift against the industry amid mounting scientific evidence of poor air quality and health risks and relatively few long-term jobs.
But Trump’s messaging does resonate with some voters – or at least sows enough doubt to cause confusion among voters like Dave Swavely, 54, a writer who says the Bible guides his voting, which is mostly for Republicans.
“I do care about climate change, and it should be debated [by the candidates], but natural resources are here for humans to use, and I’m sceptical of the environmental agenda. I don’t believe Trump or Biden, unfortunately, but I’ll pray and then vote for the lesser of two evils.”
Danielle Friel Otten being sworn in in Harrisburg in 2019. Photograph: Jacqueline Larma/AP
Nevertheless, some recent polling suggests that a stronger stance on fracking by Biden, as adopted by his running mate, Kamala Harris, would play well with most voters in Pennsylvania, who overwhelmingly support strong climate action and clean energy.
It worked for Danielle Friel Otten of Uwchlan township, who beat a Republican incumbent to get elected to the state legislature in 2018 in a race defined by opposition to Mariner East.
“Voters have woken up. The jig is up. Americans want to see elected officials represent their voices and not be beholden to big industry interests,” said Otten, who also lives in front of a drilling site. “The pipeline project is an example of how our constitutional rights, like health and safety, have been chipped away. It’s why we have to stand up and fight for every vote.”
Amanda Gorgueiro, spokeswoman for Energy Transfer, the parent company of the ME project, said: “We respect that there are varying opinions when it comes to our country’s energy development, however it is important to remember that pipelines are the safest way to transport the energy products that make our daily lives possible.”