theguardian--2020-09-13--Roger Stone to Donald Trump: bring in martial law if you lose election

Roger Stone , whose 40-month prison sentence for lying to Congress and witness tampering in the Russia investigation was commuted by Donald Trump , has said Trump should seize total power and jail prominent figures including Bill and Hillary Clinton and Mark Zuckerberg if he loses to Joe Biden in November .
The long-time Republican strategist and dirty trickster , who has a tattoo of Richard Nixon on his back , lied about contacts with WikiLeaks during the 2016 election regarding emails hacked from Democratic party accounts .
In turn , special counsel Robert Mueller and the Senate intelligence committee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could not recall discussing the leaks with Stone .
Stone did not turn on Trump and had his sentence reduced on the recommendation of attorney general William Barr .
But he still faced prison before Trump acted .
His conviction stands .
Both men were in Nevada on Saturday , Trump holding campaign events while Stone sought to raise money for himself .
He outlined his advice to Trump should he lose in a call to conspiracy theorist Alex Jones ’ s Infowars online show , on Thursday .
Citing widely debunked claims @ @ @ @ @ @ @ balloting and voting by mail , Stone said Trump should consider invoking the Insurrection Act and arresting the Clintons , former Senate majority leader Harry Reid , Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook , Tim Cook of Apple and “ anybody else who can be proven to be involved in illegal activity ” .
Stone also said : “ The ballots in Nevada on election night should be seized by federal marshals and taken from the state .
They are completely corrupted .
No votes should be counted from the state of Nevada if that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Send federal marshals to the Clark county board of elections , Mr President !
” Nevada has not gone to a Republican since 2004 but is shaping up to be a crucial contest this year .
Biden leads there , but polls have tightened .
Trump ’ s own rhetoric was not far removed from that of the man he spared prison .
In Nevada on Saturday , the president continued to make unsubstantiated claims about voter fraud .
After a planned airport rally in Reno was cancelled because of coronavirus restrictions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such strictures in Minden .
Attacking the Nevada governor , Steve Sisolak , a Democrat , he said : “ This is the guy we are entrusting with millions of ballots , unsolicited ballots , and we ’ re supposed to win these states .
Who the hell is going to trust him ?
The only way the Democrats can win the election is if they rig it.
” Trump and his campaign have also consistently claimed without evidence that “ antifa ” , or anti-fascist , activists represent a deadly threat to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden win .
Commenting on a Daily Beast report about leftwing activist groups planning what to do “ if the election ends without a clear outcome or with a Biden win that Trump refuses to recognize ” , Stone told Jones the website should be shut down .
“ If the Daily Beast is involved in provably seditious and illegal activities , ” he said , “ their entire staff can be taken into custody and their office can be shut down .
They wan na play war , this is war.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day operation using the FBI , federal marshals and Republican state officials across the country to be prepared to file legal objections [ to results ] and if necessary to physically stand in the way of criminal activity ” .
In an interview broadcast on Saturday night , Trump told Fox News he would happily “ put down ” any leftwing protests .
“ We ’ ll put them down very quickly if they do that , ” he told Jeannine Pirro .
“ We have the right to do that .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we want .
Look , it ’ s called insurrection .
We just send in and we , we do it very easy .
I mean , it ’ s very easy .
I ’ d rather not do that , because there ’ s no reason for it , but if we had to , we ’ d do that and put it down within minutes , within minutes.
” The Insurrection Act of 1807 allows the president to use federal troops to enforce federal law .
Last used in 1992 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ amid protests over racism and police brutality arising from the killing of George Floyd by officers in Minneapolis .
Ultimately Trump chose simply to send federal agents to confront protesters , most prominently in Portland , Oregon , a move which proved hugely controversial .
In his interview with Fox News , Trump discussed an incident in the city in which US Marshals shot dead a suspect in the killing of a member of a rightwing group .
“ There has to be retribution when you have crime like this , ” Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as those in Portland would lead to “ a backlash ” from the political right , “ the likes of which you haven ’ t seen in many , many years ” .

Roger Stone, whose 40-month prison sentence for lying to Congress and witness tampering in the Russia investigation was commuted by Donald Trump, has said Trump should seize total power and jail prominent figures including Bill and Hillary Clinton and Mark Zuckerberg if he loses to Joe Biden in November.
The long-time Republican dirty trickster, who has a tattoo of Richard Nixon on his back, offered the startling advice on Thursday, in a call to conspiracy theorist Alex Jones’s Infowars online show.
Stone was sentenced in part for lying about contacts with WikiLeaks during the 2016 election regarding emails hacked from Democratic party accounts. In turn, special counsel Robert Mueller and the Senate intelligence committee suspected Trump lied when he said he could not recall discussing the leaks with Stone.
Stone did not turn on the president. He had his sentence reduced on the recommendation of attorney general William Barr but he still faced prison before Trump acted. His conviction stands.
Both men were in Nevada on Saturday, Trump holding campaign events while Stone sought to raise money for himself.
Citing widely debunked claims of fraud around early voting, absentee balloting and voting by mail, Stone told Jones Trump should consider invoking the Insurrection Act and arresting the Clintons, former Senate majority leader Harry Reid, Zuckerberg, Tim Cook of Apple and “anybody else who can be proven to be involved in illegal activity”.
He also said: “The ballots in Nevada on election night should be seized by federal marshals and taken from the state. They are completely corrupted. No votes should be counted from the state of Nevada if that turns out to be the provable case. Send federal marshals to the Clark county board of elections, Mr President!”
Nevada has not gone to a Republican since 2004 but is shaping up to be a crucial contest this year. Biden leads there, but polls have tightened. On Saturday, after a planned rally in Reno was cancelled because of coronavirus restrictions, Trump staged an event which disregarded such strictures in Minden. His rhetoric was not far removed from that of the man he spared prison.
Attacking the Democratic Nevada governor, Steve Sisolak, Trump said: “This is the guy we are entrusting with millions of ballots, unsolicited ballots, and we’re supposed to win these states. Who the hell is going to trust him? The only way the Democrats can win the election is if they rig it.”
Stone said: “Governor Sisolak is a punk. He should not face down the president of the United States.”
On Sunday, on ABC’s This Week, senior Trump campaign adviser Jason Miller also attacked moves to facilitate voting by mail in Nevada. He also called Sisolak a “clubhouse governor … who, by the way, if you go against him politically … politically speaking, you’ll find yourself buried in the desert”.
Trump and his campaign have also consistently claimed without evidence that “antifa”, or anti-fascist, activists represent a deadly threat to suburban voters that will be unleashed should Biden win. Commenting on a Daily Beast report about leftwing activist groups planning what to do “if the election ends without a clear outcome or with a Biden win that Trump refuses to recognise”, Stone told Jones the website should be shut down.
“If the Daily Beast is involved in provably seditious and illegal activities,” he said, “their entire staff can be taken into custody and their office can be shut down. They wanna play war, this is war.”
Stone also advocated “forming an election day operation using the FBI, federal marshals and Republican state officials across the country to be prepared to file legal objections [to results] and if necessary to physically stand in the way of criminal activity”.
In an interview broadcast on Saturday night, Trump told Fox News he would happily “put down” any leftwing protests.
“We’ll put them down very quickly if they do that,” he told Jeannine Pirro.
“We have the right to do that. We have the power to do that if we want. Look, it’s called insurrection. We just send in and we, we do it very easy. I mean, it’s very easy. I’d rather not do that, because there’s no reason for it, but if we had to, we’d do that and put it down within minutes, within minutes.”
The Insurrection Act of 1807 allows the president to use federal troops to enforce federal law. Last used in 1992, it was much discussed this summer, amid protests over racism and police brutality arising from the killing of George Floyd by officers in Minneapolis.
Ultimately Trump chose simply to send federal agents to confront protesters, most prominently in Portland, Oregon, a move which proved hugely controversial.
In his interview with Fox News, Trump discussed an incident in the city in which US Marshals shot dead a suspect in the killing of a member of a rightwing group.
“There has to be retribution when you have crime like this,” Trump said.
He also said protests such as those in Portland would lead to “a backlash” from the political right, “the likes of which you haven’t seen in many, many years”.


theguardian--2020-09-13--Of course there was PPP fraud, but the program was a crucial lifeline | Gene Marks

Now that the paycheck protection program ( PPP ) has ended , there ’ s a new story evolving .
It seems like millions of dollars meant to prop up small businesses were fraudulently received by a bunch of bad people .
Surprised ?
Not if you run a small business .
In a press conference this week , acting assistant attorney general Brian Rabbitt announced that the Department of Justice has already charged 57 people who were trying to steal approximately $ 175m from the program .
“ The money these defendants stole was taxpayer money , ” Rabbitt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a dollar drawn from the American people ’ s account .
Even worse , every dollar they took was a dollar we had set aside to help our fellow Americans weather one of the worst national crises in recent history .
As we allege , these defendants tried to steal these funds for themselves.
” The cases are something out of The Wolf of Wall Street .
There ’ s money stolen to pay for Rolls-Royces , luxury yachts , homes and visits to strip clubs .
A group in South Carolina is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and probably using some of it to pay for heroin and methamphetamines .
The Washington Post reports that an NFL player was charged with fraudulently using PPP funds to pay for Gucci and Dior items .
Politico says that Rolex watches , Lamborghinis and a $ 3,750 diamond pinky ring were among the items confiscated from alleged abusers of the program .
My goodness , who knew ?
Oh , that ’ s right .
I knew .
You knew .
We all knew .
Of course there was fraud .
Anyone who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ injury disaster loan knew this was going to happen .
I have countless clients who mentioned to me just how easy it was to get approved for these grants and loans .
Any business owner who claimed they were “ affected ” by Covid-19 could get relief , regardless of whether they were truly affected now or just worried about the future .
“ I could ’ ve told the bank anything , ” one client said to me .
“ They didn ’ t care .
My banker just told me to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ll get my money.
” But despite these very real scandals these government programs worked .
Millions of loans were extended to small businesses that really needed them .
Billions of dollars were made available – quickly – to keep many companies afloat , or at the very least provide them with a cushion to operate through these very unprecedented times .
The fraud – hundreds of millions – sounds like a lot .
But as a percentage of the overall program it ’ s probably no more or less than what my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely not be paid .
Could the fraud have been less with better policies ?
Sure .
But waiting around for government bureaucrats – secure in their jobs – to come up with detailed rules and procedures would have cost much , much more .
Of course , the political show will continue .
Democrats will accuse Republicans of wasting taxpayers ’ money .
Republicans will argue that their actions saved the economy .
Investigators will root out more celebrities and one-percenters who took advantage and present them on a platter to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But there are bigger fish to fry … like propping up a very damaged economy .
And let ’ s also hope that this finger-pointing circus doesn ’ t stop Congress from doing another round of PPP or some other type of stimulus for those businesses that really need it .
Because many businesses really , really do need it .

Now that the paycheck protection program (PPP) has ended, there’s a new story evolving. It seems like millions of dollars meant to prop up small businesses were fraudulently received by a bunch of bad people. Surprised? Not if you run a small business.
In a press conference this week, acting assistant attorney general Brian Rabbitt announced that the Department of Justice has already charged 57 people who were trying to steal approximately $175m from the program. “The money these defendants stole was taxpayer money,” Rabbitt said. “Every dollar received was a dollar drawn from the American people’s account. Even worse, every dollar they took was a dollar we had set aside to help our fellow Americans weather one of the worst national crises in recent history. As we allege, these defendants tried to steal these funds for themselves.”
The cases are something out of The Wolf of Wall Street. There’s money stolen to pay for Rolls-Royces, luxury yachts, homes and visits to strip clubs. A group in South Carolina is accused of laundering PPP money through casinos and probably using some of it to pay for heroin and methamphetamines. The Washington Post reports that an NFL player was charged with fraudulently using PPP funds to pay for Gucci and Dior items. Politico says that Rolex watches, Lamborghinis and a $3,750 diamond pinky ring were among the items confiscated from alleged abusers of the program.
My goodness, who knew? Oh, that’s right. I knew. You knew. We all knew.
Of course there was fraud. Anyone who applied for a PPP or an economic injury disaster loan knew this was going to happen. I have countless clients who mentioned to me just how easy it was to get approved for these grants and loans. Any business owner who claimed they were “affected” by Covid-19 could get relief, regardless of whether they were truly affected now or just worried about the future. “I could’ve told the bank anything,” one client said to me. “They didn’t care. My banker just told me to get the paperwork in and I’ll get my money.”
Waiting around for government bureaucrats to come up with detailed rules and procedures would have cost much, much more
But despite these very real scandals these government programs worked. Millions of loans were extended to small businesses that really needed them. Billions of dollars were made available – quickly – to keep many companies afloat, or at the very least provide them with a cushion to operate through these very unprecedented times.
The fraud – hundreds of millions – sounds like a lot. But as a percentage of the overall program it’s probably no more or less than what my allowance is for overdue invoices that will likely not be paid. Could the fraud have been less with better policies? Sure. But waiting around for government bureaucrats – secure in their jobs – to come up with detailed rules and procedures would have cost much, much more.
Of course, the political show will continue. Democrats will accuse Republicans of wasting taxpayers’ money. Republicans will argue that their actions saved the economy. Investigators will root out more celebrities and one-percenters who took advantage and present them on a platter to a hungry media looking for a tasty story.
But there are bigger fish to fry … like propping up a very damaged economy. And let’s also hope that this finger-pointing circus doesn’t stop Congress from doing another round of PPP or some other type of stimulus for those businesses that really need it. Because many businesses really, really do need it.


theguardian--2020-09-13--Trump doesn't care if wildfires destroy the west – it didn't vote for him | Robert Reich

The air outside my window is yellow today .
It was orange yesterday .
The Air Quality Index is over 200 .
The Environmental Protection Agency defines this as a “ health alert ” in which “ everyone may experience more serious health effects if they are exposed for 24 hours ” .
Unfortunately , the index has been over 200 for several days .
The west is burning .
Wildfires in California , Oregon and Washington are incinerating homes , killing scores of people , sickening many others , causing hundreds of thousands to evacuate , burning entire towns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ acres , and blanketing the western third of the United States with thick , acrid and dangerous smoke .
Yet the president has said and done almost nothing .
A month ago , Trump wanted to protect lives in Oregon and California from “ rioters and looters ” .
He sent federal forces into the streets of Portland and threatened to send them to Oakland and Los Angeles .
Today , Portland is in danger of being burned and Oakland and Los Angeles are under health alerts .
Trump will visit California on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
One reason : these states voted against him in 2016 and he still bears a grudge .
He came close to rejecting California ’ s request for emergency funding .
“ He told us to stop giving money to people whose houses had burned down because he was so rageful that people in the state of California didn ’ t support him , ” said former Department of Homeland Security chief of staff Miles Taylor .
Another explanation for Trump ’ s silence is that the wildfires are tied to human-caused climate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ humanly possible to worsen .
Extreme weather disasters are rampaging across America .
On Wednesday , the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration released its latest State of the Climate report , finding that just in August the US was hit by four billion-dollar calamities .
In addition to wildfires , there were two enormous hurricanes and an extraordinary Midwest derecho .
These are inconvenient facts for a president who has spent much of his presidency dismantling every major climate and environmental policy he can lay his hands on .
Starting with his unilateral @ @ @ @ @ @ @ climate agreement , Trump has been the most anti-environmental president in history .
He has called climate change a “ hoax ” .
He has claimed , with no evidence , that windmills cause cancer .
He has weakened Obama-era limits on planet-warming carbon dioxide from power plants and from cars and trucks .
He has rolled back rules governing clean air , water and toxic chemicals .
He has opened more public land to oil and gas drilling .
He has targeted California in particular , revoking the state ’ s authority @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those required by the federal government .
In all , the Trump administration has reversed , repealed , or otherwise rolled back nearly 70 environmental rules and regulations .
More than 30 rollbacks are still in progress .
Now , seven weeks before election day , with much of the nation either aflame or suffering other consequences of climate change , Trump unabashedly defends his record and attacks Joe Biden .
“ The core of [ Biden ’ s ] economic agenda is a hard-left crusade against American energy , ” Trump harrumphed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Not quite .
While Biden has made tackling climate change a centerpiece of his campaign , proposing to invest $ 2tn in a massive green jobs program to build renewable energy infrastructure , his ideas are not exactly radical .
The money would be used for improving energy efficiency , constructing 500,000 electric vehicle charging stations , and increasing renewable energy from wind , solar and other technologies .
Biden wants to end the use of fossil fuels to generate electricity by 2035 , and to bring America to net zero emissions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2050 .
His goals may be too modest .
If what is now occurring in the west is any indication , 2050 will be too late .
Nonetheless , Americans have a clear choice .
In a few weeks , when they decide whether Trump deserves another four years , climate change will be on the ballot .
The choice shouldn ’ t be hard to make .
Like the coronavirus , the dire consequences of climate change – coupled with Trump ’ s utter malfeasance – offer unambiguous proof that he couldn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good .
• None Robert Reich , a former US secretary of labor , is professor of public policy at the University of California at Berkeley and the author of Saving Capitalism : For the Many , Not the Few and The Common Good .
His new book , The System : Who Rigged It , How We Fix It , is out now .
He is a columnist for Guardian US

The air outside my window is yellow today. It was orange yesterday. The Air Quality Index is over 200. The Environmental Protection Agency defines this as a “health alert” in which “everyone may experience more serious health effects if they are exposed for 24 hours”. Unfortunately, the index has been over 200 for several days.
The west is burning. Wildfires in California, Oregon and Washington are incinerating homes, killing scores of people, sickening many others, causing hundreds of thousands to evacuate, burning entire towns to the ground, consuming millions of acres, and blanketing the western third of the United States with thick, acrid and dangerous smoke.
Yet the president has said and done almost nothing. A month ago, Trump wanted to protect lives in Oregon and California from “rioters and looters”. He sent federal forces into the streets of Portland and threatened to send them to Oakland and Los Angeles.
Today, Portland is in danger of being burned and Oakland and Los Angeles are under health alerts. Trump will visit California on Monday, but he has said little.
One reason: these states voted against him in 2016 and he still bears a grudge.
He came close to rejecting California’s request for emergency funding.
He told us to stop giving money to people whose houses had burned down Miles Taylor
“He told us to stop giving money to people whose houses had burned down because he was so rageful that people in the state of California didn’t support him,” said former Department of Homeland Security chief of staff Miles Taylor.
Another explanation for Trump’s silence is that the wildfires are tied to human-caused climate change, which Trump has done everything humanly possible to worsen.
Extreme weather disasters are rampaging across America. On Wednesday, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration released its latest State of the Climate report, finding that just in August the US was hit by four billion-dollar calamities. In addition to wildfires, there were two enormous hurricanes and an extraordinary Midwest derecho.
These are inconvenient facts for a president who has spent much of his presidency dismantling every major climate and environmental policy he can lay his hands on.
Starting with his unilateral decision to pull out of the Paris climate agreement, Trump has been the most anti-environmental president in history.
He has called climate change a “hoax”. He has claimed, with no evidence, that windmills cause cancer. He has weakened Obama-era limits on planet-warming carbon dioxide from power plants and from cars and trucks. He has rolled back rules governing clean air, water and toxic chemicals. He has opened more public land to oil and gas drilling.
He has targeted California in particular, revoking the state’s authority to set tougher car emission standards than those required by the federal government.
In all, the Trump administration has reversed, repealed, or otherwise rolled back nearly 70 environmental rules and regulations. More than 30 rollbacks are still in progress.
The core of [Biden’s] economic agenda is a hard-left crusade against American energy Donald Trump
Now, seven weeks before election day, with much of the nation either aflame or suffering other consequences of climate change, Trump unabashedly defends his record and attacks Joe Biden.
“The core of [Biden’s] economic agenda is a hard-left crusade against American energy,” Trump harrumphed in a Rose Garden speech last month.
Not quite. While Biden has made tackling climate change a centerpiece of his campaign, proposing to invest $2tn in a massive green jobs program to build renewable energy infrastructure, his ideas are not exactly radical. The money would be used for improving energy efficiency, constructing 500,000 electric vehicle charging stations, and increasing renewable energy from wind, solar and other technologies.
Biden wants to end the use of fossil fuels to generate electricity by 2035, and to bring America to net zero emissions of greenhouse gases by no later than 2050. His goals may be too modest. If what is now occurring in the west is any indication, 2050 will be too late.
Nonetheless, Americans have a clear choice. In a few weeks, when they decide whether Trump deserves another four years, climate change will be on the ballot.
The choice shouldn’t be hard to make. Like the coronavirus, the dire consequences of climate change – coupled with Trump’s utter malfeasance – offer unambiguous proof that he couldn’t care less about the public good.


theguardian--2020-09-13--Trump boasts about getting 'Bay of Pigs Award' – which doesn't exist

Attacking Joe Biden and seeking to exploit reports that his rival is struggling with Latino voters , Donald Trump boasted on Sunday of receiving “ the highly honoured Bay of Pigs Award ” from Cuban Americans in the battleground state of Florida .
Perhaps inevitably , and to the glee of the internet , no such award exists .
The Bay of Pigs invasion , in April 1961 , saw a CIA-sponsored force of Cuban exiles attempt to overthrow Fidel Castro and his communist regime .
The failure of the mission continues to haunt US-Cuban relations , even after Barack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ together .
Trump , whose company reportedly broke the Cuba trade embargo in 1998 , has sought to reverse Obama ’ s policies .
In his tweet on Sunday , he may have misremembered previous visits to a house in Little Havana , in Miami , which houses a Bay of Pigs museum and library and where survivors of Brigade 2506 , the unit which carried out the invasion , gather to talk and remember .
Trump visited in 1999 , when he was flirting with a run for president on the Reform @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , if not awards : a brigade pin and , the Associated Press reported , “ a plaque of the shoulder patch worn during the invasion ” .
Trump visited the museum again in October 2016 , receiving “ a hand-painted Brigade 2506 shield ” which his campaign insisted on Sunday was the award in question .
Receiving the endorsement of the Bay of Pigs Veterans Association , Trump said : “ You were fighting for the values of freedom and liberty that unite us all .
The same values that are at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on to beat Hillary Clinton in Florida and in the race for the White House .
But at the time of the endorsement from the influential rightwing veterans group , he trailed Clinton in the state by 3.3 % .
The website fivethirtyeight.com now puts Biden up by 2.6 % in Florida .
The Democrat will be supported by $ 100m from the former New York mayor Mike Bloomberg .
But in Florida and in other states with large Latino populations , including Nevada where the president campaigned this weekend , Trump seems @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on reports that the Vermont democratic socialist senator Bernie Sanders has “ concerns ” about Biden ’ s campaign , Trump tweeted : “ Sleepy Joe Biden has spent 47 years in politics being terrible to Hispanics .
Now he is relying on Castro lover Bernie Sanders to help him out .
That won ’ t work !
” Trump has a well-documented habit of claiming to have received awards and honours which do not exist or which he has never been given .
Famously , the president has displayed a fake Time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He has also repeatedly claimed to have been named Man of the Year in Michigan , another battleground state , though one in which he trails Biden by 7.6 % .
A former Republican congressman recently told CNN Trump may have confused a dinner in 2013 at which he spoke , and was given various mementoes , with the bestowing of an official award .

Attacking Joe Biden and seeking to exploit reports that his rival is struggling with Latino voters, Donald Trump boasted on Sunday of receiving “the highly honoured Bay of Pigs award” from Cuban Americans in the battleground state of Florida.
Perhaps inevitably, and to the glee of the internet, no such award exists.
The Bay of Pigs invasion, in April 1961, saw a CIA-sponsored force of Cuban exiles attempt to overthrow Fidel Castro and his communist regime. The failure of the mission continues to haunt US-Cuban relations, even after Barack Obama sought to bring the nations closer together.
Trump, whose company reportedly broke the Cuba trade embargo in 1998, has sought to reverse Obama’s policies.
In his tweet on Sunday, he may have misremembered previous visits to a house in Little Havana, in Miami, which houses a Bay of Pigs museum and library and where survivors of Brigade 2506, the unit which carried out the invasion, gather to talk and remember.
Trump visited in 1999, when he was flirting with a run for president on the Reform party ticket. He was given gifts, if not awards: a brigade pin and, the Associated Press reported, “a plaque of the shoulder patch worn during the invasion”.
Trump visited the museum again in October 2016, receiving “a hand-painted Brigade 2506 shield” which his campaign insisted on Sunday was the award in question.
Receiving the endorsement of the Bay of Pigs Veterans Association, Trump said: “You were fighting for the values of freedom and liberty that unite us all. The same values that are at stake in our election.”
Donald Trump receives a brigade pin at the Bay of Pigs museum, in November 1999. Photograph: Wilfredo Lee/AP
He went on to beat Hillary Clinton in Florida and in the race for the White House. But at the time of the endorsement from the influential rightwing veterans group, he trailed Clinton in the state by 3.3%.
The website fivethirtyeight.com now puts Biden up by 2.6% in Florida. The Democrat will be supported by $100m from the former New York mayor Mike Bloomberg. But in Florida and in other states with large Latino populations, including Nevada where the president campaigned this weekend, Trump seems to be sensing his chance.
Pouncing on reports that the Vermont democratic socialist senator Bernie Sanders has “concerns” about Biden’s campaign, Trump tweeted: “Sleepy Joe Biden has spent 47 years in politics being terrible to Hispanics. Now he is relying on Castro lover Bernie Sanders to help him out. That won’t work!”
Trump has a well-documented habit of claiming to have received awards and honours which do not exist or which he has never been given. Famously, the president has displayed a fake Time magazine cover at his golf clubs.
He has also repeatedly claimed to have been named Man of the Year in Michigan, another battleground state, though one in which he trails Biden by 7.6%.
A former Republican congressman recently told CNN Trump may have confused a dinner in 2013 at which he spoke, and was given various mementoes, with the bestowing of an official award.


theguardian--2020-09-13--Trump ‘compromised by the Russians’, says former member of Mueller’s team

Donald Trump is “ compromised by the Russians ” , a former member of Robert Mueller ’ s investigation insisted on Sunday , contending that the president is “ incapable of placing the national interest ahead of his own ” .
Peter Strzok was removed from the Russia investigation and fired by the FBI over text messages which were critical of Trump .
He has now written a memoir , Compromised : Counterintelligence and the Threat of Donald J Trump .
Speaking to NBC ’ s Meet the Press , Strzok echoed many reporters and observers who have pondered the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vladimir Putin , saying he thought Russia ’ s hold on Trump was based on financial interests and liabilities arising from the president ’ s pre-politics life in real estate .
“ I think when you take a look at the Trump financial enterprise , particularly its relationship with Russian monies and potentially those related to organised crime and other elements , that those interactions have placed him in a position where the Russians have leverage over him and are able to influence his actions.
” Strzok also said “ it is not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in modern history who has the same broad and deep connections to any foreign intel service , let alone a hostile government like Russia ” .
Mueller , the special counsel appointed after Trump fired FBI director James Comey over “ this Russia thing ” , did not establish a criminal conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Moscow as Russian interfered in the 2016 election in the aim of assisting the Republican candidate .
But Mueller did hand down multiple indictments and secure convictions of close Trump aides , while laying out extensive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the president appearing to attempt to obstruct justice .
Trump has claimed vindication , attacking Mueller , Strzok , the FBI and the Obama administration which oversaw the beginnings of the Russia investigation .
He has consistently claimed “ no collusion ” .
“ Mueller was focusing on violations of the law , ” he said , “ and the standard to be able to establish in a courtroom that something occurred is very , very different from the standard that a counterintelligence expert or an intelligence person would look at and judge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ When I read the Mueller report , and certainly when I looked at the recent bipartisan Senate intelligence committee report , almost 1,000 pages , laying out all of these areas of intelligence connections between Trump and his administration [ and ] his campaign and Russia , that ’ s extraordinarily concerning from a counterintelligence perspective.
” Trump , Strzok said , is “ surrounded by people who have a pervasive pattern of contact with the Russians , and not only contact , but contact that they ’ re hiding .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ manager [ Paul Manafort ] who pled guilty and was dealing with people affiliated with Russian intelligence services ; one of his foreign policy advisers who lied to us about his connection to the Russians and pled guilty [ George Papadopoulos ] ; his former national security adviser [ Michael Flynn ] who didn ’ t tell the truth to me and who pled guilty twice to not telling the truth about his contact with the Russians.
” This week , former New York mayor and Trump personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani said he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attempts to leverage scandal in Ukrainian politics for Trump ’ s domestic gain – attempts which helped get Trump impeached – was a Russian agent .
“ Look at that pervasive pattern of contact , ” Strzok said .
The text messages which led to Strzok ’ s dismissal – and his emergence as a bête noire of Trump and his supporters – were exchanged with Lisa Page , an FBI lawyer with whom Strzok was having an affair and who eventually resigned .
“ I certainly regret sending the text messages that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the work of the FBI , the work of the special counsel , ” Strzok said .
“ I ’ ll always regret that .
But at the same time , the way that those were weaponized was unprecedented .
“ It is certainly part of a pattern of activity where this administration has gone to lengths that no other administration has ever done … whether it is in the impeachment hearings with regard to Ukraine , the whistleblower , or anybody in any number of federal government agencies , if somebody dares @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this administration has shown no boundaries in going after people in ways that frankly is shocking and inappropriate.
” Strzok is not the only former member of Mueller ’ s team who has written a book .
On 29 September , the prosecutor Andrew Weissmann will publish Where Law Ends : Inside the Mueller Investigation .
Announcing the book in July , he said he was “ deeply proud of the work we did … but the hard truth is that we made mistakes .
We could have done more .
”

Donald Trump is “compromised by the Russians”, a former member of Robert Mueller’s investigation insisted on Sunday, contending that the president is “incapable of placing the national interest ahead of his own”.
Peter Strzok was removed from the Russia investigation and fired by the FBI over text messages which were critical of Trump. He has now written a memoir, Compromised: Counterintelligence and the Threat of Donald J Trump.
Speaking to NBC’s Meet the Press, Strzok echoed many reporters and observers who have pondered the president’s behaviour towards Russia and Vladimir Putin, saying he thought Russia’s hold on Trump was based on financial interests and liabilities arising from the president’s pre-politics life in real estate.
“I think when you take a look at the Trump financial enterprise, particularly its relationship with Russian monies and potentially those related to organised crime and other elements, that those interactions have placed him in a position where the Russians have leverage over him and are able to influence his actions.”
Strzok also said “it is not without exaggeration that there is no president in modern history who has the same broad and deep connections to any foreign intel service, let alone a hostile government like Russia”.
Mueller, the special counsel appointed after Trump fired FBI director James Comey over “this Russia thing”, did not establish a criminal conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Moscow as Russian interfered in the 2016 election in the aim of assisting the Republican candidate.
But Mueller did hand down multiple indictments and secure convictions of close Trump aides, while laying out extensive contacts with Moscow and multiple instances of the president appearing to attempt to obstruct justice.
Trump has claimed vindication, attacking Mueller, Strzok, the FBI and the Obama administration which oversaw the beginnings of the Russia investigation. He has consistently claimed “no collusion”.
Strzok told NBC he “concluded the opposite”.
“Mueller was focusing on violations of the law,” he said, “and the standard to be able to establish in a courtroom that something occurred is very, very different from the standard that a counterintelligence expert or an intelligence person would look at and judge whether or not that caused them concern.
“When I read the Mueller report, and certainly when I looked at the recent bipartisan Senate intelligence committee report, almost 1,000 pages, laying out all of these areas of intelligence connections between Trump and his administration [and] his campaign and Russia, that’s extraordinarily concerning from a counterintelligence perspective.”
Trump, Strzok said, is “surrounded by people who have a pervasive pattern of contact with the Russians, and not only contact, but contact that they’re hiding.
“Look at 2016, his campaign manager [Paul Manafort] who pled guilty and was dealing with people affiliated with Russian intelligence services; one of his foreign policy advisers who lied to us about his connection to the Russians and pled guilty [George Papadopoulos]; his former national security adviser [Michael Flynn] who didn’t tell the truth to me and who pled guilty twice to not telling the truth about his contact with the Russians.”
This week, former New York mayor and Trump personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani said he was not aware an associate in his attempts to leverage scandal in Ukrainian politics for Trump’s domestic gain – attempts which helped get Trump impeached – was a Russian agent.
“Look at that pervasive pattern of contact,” Strzok said.
The text messages which led to Strzok’s dismissal – and his emergence as a bête noire of Trump and his supporters – were exchanged with Lisa Page, an FBI lawyer with whom Strzok was having an affair and who eventually resigned.
“I certainly regret sending the text messages that were absolutely weaponized and used to bludgeon the work of the FBI, the work of the special counsel,” Strzok said. “I’ll always regret that. But at the same time, the way that those were weaponized was unprecedented.
“It is certainly part of a pattern of activity where this administration has gone to lengths that no other administration has ever done … whether it is in the impeachment hearings with regard to Ukraine, the whistleblower, or anybody in any number of federal government agencies, if somebody dares speak the truth about this administration, this administration has shown no boundaries in going after people in ways that frankly is shocking and inappropriate.”
Strzok is not the only former member of Mueller’s team who has written a book. On 29 September, the prosecutor Andrew Weissmann will publish Where Law Ends: Inside the Mueller Investigation.
Announcing the book in July, he said he was “deeply proud of the work we did … but the hard truth is that we made mistakes. We could have done more.”


theguardian--2020-09-13--Is democracy in America under threat?

Is democracy in America under threat?

As the US election draws closer , the Guardian ’ s Ed Pilkington hears from civil leaders on their fears for the integrity of the process and the future of their democracy This episode first aired on Today in Focus , the Guardian ’ s global daily news podcast .
When Barack Obama spoke at the Democratic national convention recently he had as his backdrop a facsimile of the US constitution .
He spoke pointedly about the importance of that document and criticised Donald Trump for damaging the reputation of the United States , with “ our democratic institutions threatened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a concern shared by many across the US and the Guardian ’ s Ed Pilkington tells Anushka Asthana that he was alarmed by what he heard in interviews with some of the most prominent figures in civil rights , the law and academia on the state of democracy in America .
He spoke to Michael Waldman , the head of the Brennan Center for Justice ; Derrick Johnson , the president of the NAACP ; Deirdre Schifeling , the campaign director of Democracy For All 2021 ; Sabeel Rahman , the head of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president and chief executive of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights .
All told him versions of the same story : democracy in America is in peril like never before .

Presented by Anushka Asthana, reported by Ed Pilkington. Produced by Joshua Kelly and Axel Kacoutié. The executive producers are Nicole Jackson and Phil Maynard

As the US election draws closer, the Guardian’s Ed Pilkington hears from civil leaders on their fears for the integrity of the process and the future of their democracy
This episode first aired on Today in Focus, the Guardian’s global daily news podcast.
When Barack Obama spoke at the Democratic national convention recently he had as his backdrop a facsimile of the US constitution. He spoke pointedly about the importance of that document and criticised Donald Trump for damaging the reputation of the United States, with “our democratic institutions threatened like never before”.
It is a concern shared by many across the US and the Guardian’s Ed Pilkington tells Anushka Asthana that he was alarmed by what he heard in interviews with some of the most prominent figures in civil rights, the law and academia on the state of democracy in America. He spoke to Michael Waldman, the head of the Brennan Center for Justice; Derrick Johnson, the president of the NAACP; Deirdre Schifeling, the campaign director of Democracy For All 2021; Sabeel Rahman, the head of Demos, and Vanita Gupta, the president and chief executive of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. All told him versions of the same story: democracy in America is in peril like never before.


theguardian--2020-09-13--Trump aides insist Woodward tapes reveal strong leadership on Covid

The revelation that Donald Trump deliberately downplayed the coronavirus pandemic forced key aides on to desperate defence on Sunday , barely 50 days from the presidential election .
Ronna McDaniel , chair of the Republican National Committee , and Jason Miller , a campaign senior adviser , tried to mitigate the damage caused by Trump ’ s taped confessions to Watergate journalist Bob Woodward , for his book Rage , by playing up the president ’ s handling of a crisis that has killed more than 190,000 in America .
“ The president was calm and steady in a time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ insisted on NBC ’ s Meet the Press .
“ What would it mean if the president came out and said , ‘ The sky is falling and everybody should be panicked ’ ?
He presented calm and a steady hand and a plan .
And that is what a president should do.
” On ABC ’ s This Week , Miller said Trump had always taken the coronavirus “ very seriously ” and claimed : “ We encourage people very strongly to wear the masks.
” The majority of attendees at a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ neither distanced nor wearing masks .
At another rally in North Carolina earlier in the week , the president mocked social distancing as a tool to prevent the spread of infection .
Trump , who granted Woodward 17 on-the-record interviews , knew the extent of the Covid-19 threat in February , recordings released this week revealed .
The president knew the virus was deadlier than “ normal ” flu and that it was transmitted quickly and easily in the air .
Trump even told Woodward there was “ dynamite behind every door ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Trump decided to deliberately mislead the public by claiming separately that concern about the coronavirus was a Democratic hoax , that he had the crisis under control and that the virus would soon go away .
“ I wanted to always play it down , ” he told Woodward .
“ I still like playing it down , because I don ’ t like to create a panic .
“ And certainly I ’ m not going to drive this country or the world into a frenzy .
We want to show @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a nation , and that ’ s what I ’ ve done.
” The comments caused a firestorm of controversy , with Joe Biden , Trump ’ s challenger in the 3 November general election , calling the president ’ s actions “ almost criminal ” .
Symone Sanders , a senior adviser to the Biden campaign , told ABC : “ Donald Trump had information that could have made a difference not just seven months ago but could have made a difference for us right now .
“ I ’ m @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their children to schools tomorrow not knowing if they ’ re safe , the parents who are trying to juggle working from home or setting up childcare because their children can not go to school .
“ I ’ m concerned about the folks going to work in grocery stores and person-to-person services who do not have the proper personal protective equipment because Donald Trump , the president of the United States , has not moved to ensure that it is so.
” McDaniel was asked if Trump ’ s downplaying of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his dire warnings of anarchy and lawlessness in the wake of recent protests against racism and police brutality showed “ this isn ’ t a president who shies away from trying to incite panic or trying to fire folks up ” .
“ Think what would have happened if he ’ d have gone out and said , ‘ This is awful , we should all be afraid , we don ’ t have a plan ’ , ” McDaniel said .
“ It would have been a run on the banks , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ run on the grocery stores .
As it was , it was already hard to get some of the things we needed in the grocery stores .
So the president was calm and steady in a time of unrest and uncertainty .
And I think history will look back on him well as how he handled this pandemic.
” Another Trump loyalist , trade adviser Peter Navarro , was challenged on CNN ’ s State of the Union over the administration ’ s assertions it had acted swiftly in response to the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China .
“ [ On ] 31 January [ he ] pulls down the flights , saves probably hundreds of thousands of American lives , ” Navarro claimed , even though the “ ban ” was only a partial restriction that still allowed tens of thousands to travel , while travel from Europe was not shut down till later , allowing the virus in that way .
Navarro also attempted to claim Trump had been “ straightforward ” with the American people , even though the president ’ s own words on tape @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Trump adviser also attacked CNN , saying without apparent irony it was “ not honest with the American people ” , before being cut off .
“ The United States has less than 5 % of the world ’ s population , ” host Jake Tapper said , “ and the United States has more than 20 % of the world ’ s coronavirus deaths .
That is a fact .
It does not matter how many times he insults CNN.
” Jay Inslee , the governor of Washington , which has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ linked Trump ’ s handling of the pandemic to the disaster unfolding in his state .
At his rally in Nevada , Trump blamed poor forest management for the blazes , and ignored scientific evidence of the role of the climate emergency .
“ [ He ] has downplayed climate change just like he ’ s downplayed Covid , and for Donald Trump to say he ’ s a hero of climate change is like saying he ’ s a hero of masks against Covid , ” Inslee told ABC .
“ It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this .
This is not a debate .
The time for excuses , for denial , for downplaying this , those days are over .
The days of consequence are upon us .
”

The revelation that Donald Trump deliberately downplayed the coronavirus pandemic forced key aides on to desperate defence on Sunday, barely 50 days from the presidential election.
Ronna McDaniel, chair of the Republican National Committee, and Jason Miller, a campaign senior adviser, tried to mitigate the damage caused by Trump’s taped confessions to Watergate journalist Bob Woodward, for his book Rage, by playing up the president’s handling of a crisis that has killed more than 190,000 in America.
“The president was calm and steady in a time of unrest and uncertainty,” McDaniel insisted on NBC’s Meet the Press.
“What would it mean if the president came out and said, ‘The sky is falling and everybody should be panicked’? He presented calm and a steady hand and a plan. And that is what a president should do.”
On ABC’s This Week, Miller said Trump had always taken the coronavirus “very seriously” and claimed: “We encourage people very strongly to wear the masks.”
I wanted to always play it down. I still like playing it down, because I don’t like to create a panic Donald Trump
The majority of attendees at a Trump rally in Nevada on Saturday were neither distanced nor wearing masks. At another rally in North Carolina earlier in the week, the president mocked social distancing as a tool to prevent the spread of infection.
Trump, who granted Woodward 17 on-the-record interviews, knew the extent of the Covid-19 threat in February, recordings released this week revealed.
The president knew the virus was deadlier than “normal” flu and that it was transmitted quickly and easily in the air. Trump even told Woodward there was “dynamite behind every door”.
But instead of presenting the truth, Trump decided to deliberately mislead the public by claiming separately that concern about the coronavirus was a Democratic hoax, that he had the crisis under control and that the virus would soon go away.
“I wanted to always play it down,” he told Woodward. “I still like playing it down, because I don’t like to create a panic.
“And certainly I’m not going to drive this country or the world into a frenzy. We want to show confidence, we want to show strength as a nation, and that’s what I’ve done.”
The comments caused a firestorm of controversy, with Joe Biden, Trump’s challenger in the 3 November general election, calling the president’s actions “almost criminal”.
Symone Sanders, a senior adviser to the Biden campaign, told ABC: “Donald Trump had information that could have made a difference not just seven months ago but could have made a difference for us right now.
“I’m thinking about the folks who are sending their children to schools tomorrow not knowing if they’re safe, the parents who are trying to juggle working from home or setting up childcare because their children cannot go to school.
“I’m concerned about the folks going to work in grocery stores and person-to-person services who do not have the proper personal protective equipment because Donald Trump, the president of the United States, has not moved to ensure that it is so.”
McDaniel was asked if Trump’s downplaying of the threat was a political gambit, suggesting his dire warnings of anarchy and lawlessness in the wake of recent protests against racism and police brutality showed “this isn’t a president who shies away from trying to incite panic or trying to fire folks up”.
The president was calm and steady in a time of unrest and uncertainty. And I think history will look back on him well Ronna McDaniel
“Think what would have happened if he’d have gone out and said, ‘This is awful, we should all be afraid, we don’t have a plan’,” McDaniel said.
“It would have been a run on the banks, a run on the hospitals, a run on the grocery stores. As it was, it was already hard to get some of the things we needed in the grocery stores. So the president was calm and steady in a time of unrest and uncertainty. And I think history will look back on him well as how he handled this pandemic.”
Another Trump loyalist, trade adviser Peter Navarro, was challenged on CNN’s State of the Union over the administration’s assertions it had acted swiftly in response to the pandemic, specifically in shutting down travel from China.
“[On] 31 January [he] pulls down the flights, saves probably hundreds of thousands of American lives,” Navarro claimed, even though the “ban” was only a partial restriction that still allowed tens of thousands to travel, while travel from Europe was not shut down till later, allowing the virus in that way.
Navarro also attempted to claim Trump had been “straightforward” with the American people, even though the president’s own words on tape confirm he was purposefully withholding information. The Trump adviser also attacked CNN, saying without apparent irony it was “not honest with the American people”, before being cut off.
“The United States has less than 5% of the world’s population,” host Jake Tapper said, “and the United States has more than 20% of the world’s coronavirus deaths. That is a fact. It does not matter how many times he insults CNN.”
Jay Inslee, the governor of Washington, which has been badly affected by deadly wildfires, linked Trump’s handling of the pandemic to the disaster unfolding in his state. At his rally in Nevada, Trump blamed poor forest management for the blazes, and ignored scientific evidence of the role of the climate emergency.
“[He] has downplayed climate change just like he’s downplayed Covid, and for Donald Trump to say he’s a hero of climate change is like saying he’s a hero of masks against Covid,” Inslee told ABC.
“It is way too late to be debating this. This is not a debate. The time for excuses, for denial, for downplaying this, those days are over. The days of consequence are upon us.”


theguardian--2020-09-14--Trump repeats claims he received 'Bay of Pigs Award', which doesn't exist – video

Donald Trump repeats claims he earlier made online , boasting of winning the 'Bay of Pigs Award ' – an @ @ @ @ @ .
Trump twice visited a Bay of Pigs museum in Miami in 2016 , where @ @ @ @ @ Brigade 2506 shield ' , which his campaign insisted was the award in question .
@ @ @ @ @ courting Latino voters in Nevada , a state where he trails rival Joe Biden in @ @ @ @ @ the president failed to overcome Hillary Clinton during the 2016 campaign • Trump boasts about @ @ @ @ @ ' – which does n't exist

Donald Trump repeats claims he earlier made online, boasting of winning the 'Bay of Pigs Award' – an honour that doesn't exist. Trump twice visited a Bay of Pigs museum in Miami in 2016, where he received 'a hand-painted Brigade 2506 shield', which his campaign insisted was the award in question. Trump made the claims while courting Latino voters in Nevada, a state where he trails rival Joe Biden in polls, and one where the president failed to overcome Hillary Clinton during the 2016 campaign


theguardian--2020-09-14--Donald Trump heading to California for wildfires briefing as death toll rises – US politics live

It ’ s very easy to fall into the trap of viewing everything through the prism of partisan politics , but that does appear to be happening with the west coast wildfires at the moment .
Lindsay Whitehurst and Sara Cline have written for the Associated Press about the conflict between Donald Trump and local Democratic party politicians .
Numerous studies in recent years have linked bigger wildfires in the US to global warming from the burning of coal , oil and gas .
Democratic governors say the historic wildfires in California , Oregon and Washington state are a consequence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration has blamed poor forest management .
Trump is headed to McClellan Park today , a former air base just outside Sacramento , California , and California Gov .
Gavin Newsom ’ s office said he would be meeting with Trump .
The governors have been blunt : Washington Gov .
Jay Inslee on Sunday called climate change “ a blowtorch over our states in the West .
It is maddening right now that when we have this cosmic challenge to our communities , with the entire west coast of the United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to deny that these are not just wildfires , these are climate fires , ” Washington Gov .
Jay Inslee said Sunday on ABC ’ s This Week .
As Newsom toured a ghostlike landscape destroyed by flames Friday , he had called out the “ ideological BS ” of those who deny the danger .
“ The debate is over around climate change .
Just come to the state of California , observe it with your own eyes , ” he said .
Oregon Gov .
Kate Brown has said that about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but just in the past week , flames have swallowed over a million acres , pointing to long-term drought and recent wild weather swings in the state .
“ This is truly the bellwether for climate change on the West Coast , ” she said Sunday on CBS ’ Face the Nation .
“ And this is a wake-up call for all of us that we have got to do everything in our power to tackle climate change.
” At a rally in Nevada , Trump blamed the way states have run the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forest management.
” White House adviser Peter Navarro echoed that Sunday on CNN ’ s State of the Union , saying that for many years in California , “ particularly because of budget cutbacks , there was no inclination to manage our forests.
” Millions of dollars are spent on forest management every year in Western states .
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti accused Trump of perpetuating a lie that only forest management can curtail the massive fires seen in recent years .
He pointed to drought and the need to reduce carbon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , if you think that climate change isn ’ t real , ” the Democratic mayor said on CNN ’ s State of the Union .
Warnings of low moisture and strong winds could fan the flames in hard-hit southern Oregon to Northern California and last through Tuesday .

15 Sept 2020 01.51 BST Kari Paul here, logging off for the night. Thank you for sticking with us on these fast-moving news days. Here is what you should know from the last few hours: The justice department is set to investigate the Roger Stone case after prosecutors said they were encouraged to lower the sentence for the former Trump colleague
Former Florida gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum came out as bisexual in his first interview since a drug scandal in February
An appeals court decided Monday to allow Donald Trump to phase out ‘Temporary Protected Status’ immigrant humanitarian protections
Donald Trump did some gloating via retweet on Monday after a federal judge ruled shutdown orders in Pennsylvania unconstitutional
A horrific complaint has been filed against an Ice detention center in Georgia alleging poor Covid safety practices and forced hysterectomies of female inmates
The post office is temporarily shutting down some offices in fire-stricken states
Updated at 02.28 BST
15 Sept 2020 01.15 BST The post office is shutting down temporarily in fire-stricken states As historic and destructive fires continue across the western United States, the USPS has temporarily closed post offices in California, Oregon and Washington due to fire danger and power outages related to the fires. As a result of the wildfires in CA, WA and OR, there are some temporary service disruptions. Please check our service alerts page for complete details. — U.S. Postal Service (@USPS) September 14, 2020 The fire-related shutdowns come after increased focus on access to postal services as the 2020 elections approach, for which many citizens will be voting by mail to minimize Covid-19 risks.
Updated at 02.27 BST
15 Sept 2020 01.03 BST More fallout in New York over the suffocation death of Daniel Prude, the Associated Press reports: Rochester mayor Lovely Warren fired the city’s police chief and suspended her top lawyer and communications director Monday in the continuing upheaval over the suffocation death of Daniel Prude. Chief Le’Ron Singletary announced his retirement last week as part of a major shakeup of the city’s police leadership but said he would stay on through the end of the month. Instead, Warren said at a news conference that she had permanently relieved him while suspending Corporation Counsel Tim Curtin and Communications Director Justin Roj without pay for 30 days following a cursory management review of the city’s role in Prude’s death. “This initial look has shown what so many have suspected, that we have a pervasive problem in the Rochester Police Department,” Warren said. “One that views everything through the eyes of the badge and not the citizens we serve. It shows that Mr. Prude’s death was not taken as seriously as it should have been by those who reviewed the case throughout city government at every level.” Officers found Prude running naked down the street in March, handcuffed him and put a hood over his head to stop him from spitting, then held him down for about two minutes until he stopped breathing. He died a week later after he was taken off life support.
14 Sept 2020 00.31 BST Whistleblower complaint alleges Ice detention center is ‘like an experimental concentration camp’ Immigrants in an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) detention center in Georgia are being subjected to horrific conditions and treatment including “jarring medical neglect” and mass hysterectomies of immigrant women, according to a complaint filed by several legal advocacy groups on behalf of a nurse there. Dawn Wooten has worked as a nurse for more than 10 years, three of which she was employed at Irwin county detention center in Georgia, which is run by private corporation LaSalle Corrections. The complaint filed on her behalf on 14 September accused the center of negligence, including poor safety precautions surrounding Covid-19 and generally hazardous and unsanitary conditions. Immigrants who spoke out against these conditions were regularly pushed into solitary confinement, the complaint said. Wooten herself was demoted and reprimanded when she spoke out about these practices. Wooten also reported an alarmingly high rate of hysterectomies - a surgery in which part or all of the uterus is removed - being performed on Spanish-speaking immigrants, many of whom did not appear to understand why they had undergone the procedure. She said an off-site doctor supposedly performed the surgeries on women who complained of heavy menstrual cycles, but that many women seemed to not understand what had happened. In many cases nurses obtained consent from patients by “simply googling Spanish,” according to the complaint. “Everybody he sees has a hysterectomy – just about everybody,” Wooten said. “That’s his specialty, he’s the uterus collector. Everybody’s uterus cannot be that bad.”
The complaint details health and safety violations related to the procedures. One woman said she was not properly anesthetized during a procedure and overheard the doctor say he had mistakenly removed the wrong ovary, rendering her unable to have children. Another went in to have a cyst drained and ultimately got a hysterectomy instead. “When I met all these women who had had surgeries, I thought this was like an experimental concentration camp. It was like they’re experimenting with our bodies,” one detainee said, according to the complaint. When reached by phone, an employee at Irwin county detention center declined to comment or answer how many immigrants are currently housed there. LaSalle Corrections did not respond to request for comment. Ice did not respond to request for comment.
Updated at 01.00 BST
14 Sept 2020 23.38 BST Donald Trump did some gloating via retweet on Monday after a federal judge ruled shutdown orders in Pennsylvania unconstitutional District judge William Stickman IV, who was appointed by Trump, ruled orders made by governor Tom Wolf to shut down businesses in the state and limit gatherings were unconstitutional. Pandemic policies enforced by the Wolf administration violated the right to freedom of assembly and the due process and equal protection clauses of the 14th amendment, the judge ruled. He wrote in his hearing the governor’s efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus “were undertaken with the good intention of addressing a public health emergency” but ultimately were overreaching, arbitrary and violated citizens’ constitutional rights. PENNSYLVANIA GOVERNOR TOM WOLF AN YOUR STUPID WIFE .....YOUR NOT GOING TO MURDER US !!! TRUMP 2020 ... WE LOVE PENNSYLVANIA @realDonaldTrump pic.twitter.com/HxzC3VaYIi — John Favero (@JohnFavere) September 12, 2020 Trump responded to the news by gleefully retweeting memes and videos praising the decision, including one in which elderly people take off their masks to the tune of ‘We’re Not Gonna Take It’ by Twisted Sister.
The Wolf administration will reportedly appeal the decision.
14 Sept 2020 22.56 BST An appeals court decided Monday to allow Donald Trump to phase out immigrant humanitarian protections. In a 2-1 ruling, a California circuit court of appeals reversed a lower court’s decision to block the administration from phasing out Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for people from El Salvador, Haiti, Nicaragua and Sudan. Hundreds of thousands of immigrants, many of whom have lived in the United States for decades, will now be required to find another way to live in the US legally. From Reuters:
Judge Consuelo Callahan, an appointee of Republican former President George W. Bush, wrote in a 54-page opinion that the Trump administration decisions to phase out the protections were not reviewable and therefore should not have been blocked. Callahan also rejected a claim by plaintiffs that Trump’s past criticism of non-white, non-European immigrants influenced the TPS decisions. “While we do not condone the offensive and disparaging nature of the president’s remarks, we find it instructive that these statements occurred primarily in contexts removed from and unrelated to TPS policy or decisions,” she wrote. The plaintiffs in the case will seek another “en banc” review of the matter, their attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union said.
Updated at 23.12 BST
14 Sept 2020 22.19 BST Former Florida gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum said on daytime talkshow the Tamron Hall Show on Monday that he identifies as bisexual. “To be very honest with you, when you didn’t ask the question, you put it out there is whether or not I identify as gay,” he said. “The answer is I don’t identify as gay, but I do identify as bisexual, and that is something that I have never shared publicly before.” Gillum was the mayor of Tallahassee from 2014 to 2018 and ran for governor in 2018, losing narrowly to Republican Governor Ron DeSantis. He checked into a rehab center in February for alcohol abuse after a tabloid published a photo of him passed out in a hotel where a man overdosed and meth was found. Former Florida governor candidate Andrew Gillum tells Tamron Hall he's bisexual: "That is something I have never shared publicly before" pic.twitter.com/prUW7NPk1C — The Recount (@therecount) September 14, 2020 The interview was Gillum’s first since the scandal. His wife R. Jai told Hall she was aware of Gillum’s sexual orientation prior to their marriage.
“What was most hurtful was this belief that I was somehow living a lie in my marriage and in my family,” Gillum said. “That was the most hurtful to me. Because I believe we are all entitled to mistakes, and I believe we are entitled to those mistakes without having every other respectable and redeeming part of our lives invalidated.” Andrew Gillum at a rally in Florida in 2019. Photograph: Wilfredo Lee/AP
Updated at 23.07 BST
14 Sept 2020 21.58 BST Justice Department watchdog to investigate Roger Stone case The Justice Department is investigating whether the sentencing of political consultant and longtime Donald Trump buddy Roger Stone was impacted by his relationship to the president, according to NBC News. The Office of the Inspector General is looking into allegations that in February prosecutors of Stone were encouraged to seek a lighter sentence than they would have previously considered when sentencing Stone. Stone was convicted on seven counts related to misleading an investigation into ties between the Trump campaign and Russia in 2016, including witness tampering and lying to investigators. All four prosecutors quit when attorney general William Barr tried to override the recommendation of seven to nine years. Stone is a close friend of Trump. Aaron Zelinsky, one of the prosecutors who quit, said when testifying before Congress in June that US Attorney, Timothy Shea was “receiving heavy pressure from the highest levels of the Department of Justice to cut Stone a break, and that the US Attorney’s sentencing instructions to us were based on political considerations.” The investigation was prompted primarily by Zelinsky’s testimony, according to NBC News. It is not yet clear how far along this investigation is and whether it has surfaced any wrongdoing, the report said. Roger Stone introduces Republican congressional candidate Laura Loomer at an election night event at the airport Hilton in West Palm Beach, Florida, in August. Loomer, a far-right Republican candidate banned from social media sites because of her racist and anti-Muslim speech, is celebrating a congressional primary victory in Florida while embracing her role as a general election underdog in a heavily Democratic district that Donald Trump calls home. Photograph: Allen Eyestone/AP
Updated at 23.11 BST
14 Sept 2020 21.44 BST Kari Paul here in the San Francisco Bay area, taking over the blog for the next few hours. Stand by for more updates.
14 Sept 2020 21.30 BST Today so far That’s it from me today. My west coast colleague, Kari Paul, will take over the blog for the next few hours. Here’s where the day stands so far: Joe Biden criticized Trump as a “climate arsonist” while wildfires continue to rage along the west coast. In a speech at the Delaware Museum of Natural History, the Democratic nominee said, “If you give a climate arsonist four more years in the White House, why would anyone be surprised if we have more of America ablaze?”
In a speech at the Delaware Museum of Natural History, the Democratic nominee said, “If you give a climate arsonist four more years in the White House, why would anyone be surprised if we have more of America ablaze?” Trump received a briefing on the wildfires in California. The president blamed the recent surge in wildfires on poor forest management, even though climate experts have pointed to record levels of heat and drought, which have been attributed to climate change. When a California official pressed Trump on the facts of climate change, the president said, “I don’t think science knows actually.”
The president blamed the recent surge in wildfires on poor forest management, even though climate experts have pointed to record levels of heat and drought, which have been attributed to climate change. When a California official pressed Trump on the facts of climate change, the president said, “I don’t think science knows actually.” Trump dismissed concerns about the possible spread of coronavirus at his indoor rally in Nevada this weekend. “I’m on a stage and it’s very far away,” the president told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “And so I’m not at all concerned.” But that comment did not address the threat posed to the thousands of Trump supporters who attended the rally in Henderson, Nevada.
“I’m on a stage and it’s very far away,” the president told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “And so I’m not at all concerned.” But that comment did not address the threat posed to the thousands of Trump supporters who attended the rally in Henderson, Nevada. A senior official at the department of health and human services accused CDC scientists of “sedition.” In a live video hosted on his personal Facebook page, Michael Caputo claimed (without any evidence) that CDC officials were forming a “resistance unit” aimed at undermining Trump.
In a live video hosted on his personal Facebook page, claimed (without any evidence) that CDC officials were forming a “resistance unit” aimed at undermining The attorney general of South Dakota was accused of hitting and killing a man while driving home from a Republican fundraiser on Saturday. According to the South Dakota Department of Public Safety, Jason Ravnsborg initially told officials he had hit a deer, but the body of Joe Boever was found the following morning. Kari will have more coming up, so stay tuned.
14 Sept 2020 20.58 BST Caputo accuses CDC scientists of 'sedition' Michael Caputo, the assistant secretary of public affairs at the department of health and human services, reportedly accused scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of “sedition” over their response to the coronavirus pandemic. According to the New York Times, Caputo claimed (without any evidence) that CDC officials were forming a “resistance unit” aimed at undermining Trump. “You understand that they’re going to have to kill me, and unfortunately, I think that’s where this is going,” Caputo said in a live video hosted on his personal Facebook page. Caputo also spread baseless claims that left-wing groups were preparing for armed conflict after the presidential election. “And when Donald Trump refuses to stand down at the inauguration, the shooting will begin,” Caputo said. “The drills that you’ve seen are nothing. ... If you carry guns, buy ammunition, ladies and gentlemen, because it’s going to be hard to get.” Caputo has recently weathered severe criticism after Politico obtained emails showing the official had sought to change key CDC reports on coronavirus, even complaining that the reports “would undermine the president’s optimistic messages about the outbreak.” Trump ally who sought to change CDC Covid reports claims he was fighting 'deep state' Read more
14 Sept 2020 20.37 BST During the briefing on the west coast wildfires, Wade Crowfoot, the secretary of California’s Natural Resources Agency, emphasized that climate change was exacerbating the crisis. "It'll start getting cooler, you just watch." - President Trump.
"I wish science agreed with you" - CA Natural Resources Secretary.
"I don't think science knows actually."- President Trump.#NBC7. pic.twitter.com/0tMvYX3IUN — Danny Freeman (@DannyEFreeman) September 14, 2020 “We want to work with you to really recognize the changing climate and what it means to our forests, and actually work together with that science,” Crowfoot told Trump. “If we ignore that science and sort of put our head in the sand and think it’s all about vegetation management, we’re not going to succeed together protecting Californians.” The president has previously suggested the recent surge in wildfires was attributable to poor forest management, rather than record levels of heat and drought, as climate experts have said. Trump responded by telling Crowfoot, “It’ll start getting cooler, you just watch.” “I wish science agreed with you,” Crowfoot replied. “I don’t think science knows actually,” Trump responded. Shortly after that exchange, Crowfoot sent a tweet with a graphic showing the rise in California’s average temperature in recent decades. It actually won’t get cooler Mr. President. #ClimateChangeIsReal pic.twitter.com/gYWtitBdcN — Wade Crowfoot (@WadeCrowfoot) September 14, 2020
14 Sept 2020 19.50 BST Trump on climate change: 'I don't think science knows' During the briefing on the west coast wildfires, multiple officials, including California governor Gavin Newsom, said climate change was exacerbating the disaster. As one official made this argument, Trump interrupted to say, “It will start getting cooler.” However, climate experts have warned the planet will continue to get hotter if greenhouse gas emissions are not curtailed. But Trump told the officials at the briefing, “Just watch. I don’t think science knows actually.”


theguardian--2020-09-14--Woodward: Trump raged when told Israel-UAE deal wouldn't make book

Donald Trump asked Bob Woodward to include the deal between Israel and the United Arab Emirates in his book Rage , the author said on Sunday night – and when told that was not possible , tweeted that the book was “ gon na be fake ” .
Woodward ’ s book is based on 17 on-the-record conversations with the president and has stoked huge controversy , seemingly guaranteeing equally huge sales when it hits shelves on Tuesday .
Simon & Schuster ’ s initial print run was reportedly 1.3m copies .
Trump ’ s confession that he played down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him a severe blow as his re-election fight against Joe Biden continues .
To boost that campaign , the administration has presented a series of diplomatic deals as evidence of success on the world stage .
In an interview with CBS 60 Minutes , Woodward said he spoke to Trump again on 14 August .
“ It ’ s a tough book , ” Woodward said he told the president .
“ There are going to be things that you are not gon na like , judgments that I made.
” The president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t get you on this book .
Maybe I ’ ll get you on the next one.
” “ An hour and a half later , ” Woodward said , “ he tweeted out that the Bob Woodward book is gon na be fake.
” “ The Bob Woodward book will be a FAKE , as always , just as many of the others have been , ” Trump ’ s tweet read .
Woodward made his name with Carl Bernstein nearly 50 years ago , reporting the Watergate scandal which brought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two Pulitzer prizes and Rage is his second Trump book , after the bestseller Fear .
Woodward continued his publicity tour on Monday , speaking to NBC ’ s Today , again defending his decision to save tapes of Trump admitting to playing down the coronavirus threat for a book which arrives with more than 190,000 dead in the US .
Regarding foreign policy , NBC played a hitherto unheard tape of Trump discussing his relationships with autocratic and repressive world leaders .
“ I get on very well with Erdoğan , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Turkey .
“ Everyone says ‘ what a horrible guy ’ but for me it works out .
It ’ s funny , the relationships I have , the tougher and meaner they are , the better I get along with them .
Explain that to me someday , OK , but maybe it ’ s not a bad thing .
“ The easy ones are maybe the ones I don ’ t like as much or don ’ t get along with as much.
” Woodward said “ the president just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has decided , ‘ Oh , I ’ m gon na get along with Putin , I ’ m gon na get a long with the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia , MBS .
I ’ m gon na try to get along with Kim Jong-un , the leader of North Korea , but not South Korea and he just smears South Korea , time and time again in my interviews.
” Mohammad bin Salman , the Saudi crown prince , is believed to have ordered the killing and dismemberment of Jamal Khashoggi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ paper , the Washington Post .
In Rage , Woodward reports that Trump said he was “ happy ” that MBS has denied complicity in the murder and also said of the prince : “ I saved his ass.
” “ He is the face of the United States to the world , ” Woodward told NBC .
“ And he has said , ‘ Hey look , I get along with these bad guys , but not the good guys.
” Woodward ’ s conclusion to Rage seems set to go down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as president is taken in its entirety , ” he writes , “ I can only reach one conclusion : Trump is the wrong man for the job.
” He told CBS it was “ a conclusion based on evidence , overwhelming evidence , that he could not rise to the occasion with the virus and tell the truth .
And one of the things that President Trump told me , ‘ In the presidency , there ’ s always dynamite behind the door.
’ “ The real dynamite is President Trump .
@ @ @ @ @ @

Donald Trump asked Bob Woodward to include the deal between Israel and the United Arab Emirates in his book Rage, the author said on Sunday night – and when told that was not possible, tweeted that the book was “gonna be fake”.
Woodward’s book is based on 17 on-the-record conversations with the president and has stoked huge controversy, seemingly guaranteeing equally huge sales when it hits shelves on Tuesday. Simon & Schuster’s initial print run was reportedly 1.3m copies.
Trump’s confession that he played down the danger from the coronavirus has dealt him a severe blow as his re-election fight against Joe Biden continues. To boost that campaign, the administration has presented a series of diplomatic deals as evidence of success on the world stage.
In an interview with CBS 60 Minutes, Woodward said he spoke to Trump again on 14 August.
“It’s a tough book,” Woodward said he told the president. “There are going to be things that you are not gonna like, judgments that I made.”
The president said: “Well, I didn’t get you on this book. Maybe I’ll get you on the next one.”
“An hour and a half later,” Woodward said, “he tweeted out that the Bob Woodward book is gonna be fake.”
“The Bob Woodward book will be a FAKE, as always, just as many of the others have been,” Trump’s tweet read.
Woodward made his name with Carl Bernstein nearly 50 years ago, reporting the Watergate scandal which brought down Richard Nixon. He has shared two Pulitzer prizes and Rage is his second Trump book, after the bestseller Fear.
Woodward continued his publicity tour on Monday, speaking to NBC’s Today, again defending his decision to save tapes of Trump admitting to playing down the coronavirus threat for a book which arrives with more than 190,000 dead in the US.
Regarding foreign policy, NBC played a hitherto unheard tape of Trump discussing his relationships with autocratic and repressive world leaders.
“I get on very well with Erdoğan,” Trump said, referring to the president of Turkey. “Everyone says ‘what a horrible guy’ but for me it works out. It’s funny, the relationships I have, the tougher and meaner they are, the better I get along with them. Explain that to me someday, OK, but maybe it’s not a bad thing.
“The easy ones are maybe the ones I don’t like as much or don’t get along with as much.”
Woodward said “the president just controls foreign relations unilaterally. And he has decided, ‘Oh, I’m gonna get along with Putin, I’m gonna get a long with the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, MBS. I’m gonna try to get along with Kim Jong-un, the leader of North Korea, but not South Korea and he just smears South Korea, time and time again in my interviews.”
Mohammad bin Salman, the Saudi crown prince, is believed to have ordered the killing and dismemberment of Jamal Khashoggi, a contributor to Woodward’s paper, the Washington Post.
In Rage, Woodward reports that Trump said he was “happy” that MBS has denied complicity in the murder and also said of the prince: “I saved his ass.”
“He is the face of the United States to the world,” Woodward told NBC. “And he has said, ‘Hey look, I get along with these bad guys, but not the good guys.”
Woodward’s conclusion to Rage seems set to go down in posterity.
“When his performance as president is taken in its entirety,” he writes, “I can only reach one conclusion: Trump is the wrong man for the job.”
He told CBS it was “a conclusion based on evidence, overwhelming evidence, that he could not rise to the occasion with the virus and tell the truth. And one of the things that President Trump told me, ‘In the presidency, there’s always dynamite behind the door.’
“The real dynamite is President Trump. He is the dynamite.”


theguardian--2020-09-14--Biden aims to make election about Covid-19 as Trump steers focus elsewhere

As the death toll from the coronavirus continues to rise in the US , Joe Biden ’ s presidential campaign is eager to make the pandemic the central issue over the election race ’ s final two months .
Donald Trump ’ s re-election campaign would rather not .
The dramatically divergent approaches for addressing a pandemic on course to soon have cost 200,000 American lives have been on broad display over the past week .
An explosive article in the Atlantic magazine reporting disparaging comments the US president made about military service members and a new book by Bob @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Trump White House offered plenty of ammunition for the Biden campaign .
The Biden campaign held press conferences and conference calls , rolled out ads and issued statements .
But through it all Biden ’ s team also made sure to keep emphasizing its fundamental argument : the Trump administration has bungled handling the pandemic and deserves to be thrown out .
“ The vice-president and Senator [ Kamala ] Harris have been saying for months now that just getting a vaccine , while a critical milestone , an important breakthrough , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the scientific community , is not enough , ” Jake Sullivan , a Biden campaign senior policy adviser , said in a recent call with reporters .
That call was titled “ Press Call on Ensuring a Safe and Effective Covid-19 Vaccine ” but Sullivan needled the Trump administration even if , contrary to serious analysts ’ expectations , a vaccine did become available ahead of the November election .
“ The vaccine is only as good as the ability of the administration to get it it into the arms of hundreds of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Sullivan said .
“ And that is a logistical and operational and implementation challenge of the highest order .
And from the beginning of this pandemic we have seen this president fail time and time again when logistics and implementation were the issue.
” Meanwhile , Trump and his re-election campaign have been eager to label the coronavirus as a fading problem amid promises of rebuilding the US economy and restoring normal life .
Trump recently said the country was “ rounding the final turn ” on the coronavirus pandemic .
Mike @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speech in August , promised the US was “ on track to have the world ’ s first safe , effective coronavirus vaccine by the end of this year ” .
The president and his aides have been more eager to focus on the economy , their attacks on Biden , foreign policy announcements , dark warnings of civil unrest and false predictions of a coming socialism should Biden win .
To a degree , the varying levels of eagerness to talk about coronavirus is understandable for both campaigns .
Polling has shown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ candidate to handle the coronavirus pandemic while voters think the economy is in safer hands with Trump .
“ The president has done a very bad job in this .
There is no metric on which the president can actually claim he ’ s done a good job on Covid , ” said Dr Zeke Emanuel , who served as a special adviser for health policy at the Office of Management and Budget for the Obama administration .
“ We haven ’ t done a good job on testing , on ventilators , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Nothing .
He hasn ’ t prepared the country for a vaccine.
” Emanuel will be briefing Biden this week about distributing a vaccine .
Emanuel added : “ It ’ s obvious why [ Trump ] wants to pretend it ’ s not a big issue or a big deal.
” When Biden picked the California senator Kamala Harris as his running mate , one of their earliest public appearances was to publicize a briefing on public health and the virus the two attended .
“ We ’ re going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week : a briefing on the state of coronavirus here and around the world , and what we should and shouldn ’ t be doing .
And so it usually takes somewhere between an hour and an hour and a half , ” Biden said at that event in mid-August .
“ Now , with the senator , we ’ re going to be digging in.
” Even when the national conversation was focused on the Woodward book , the Biden campaign ignored a wealth of other scandals contained within it and went @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus .
“ He gaslights the American people about the dangers of a deadly virus while behind closed doors he tells his wealthy cabinet measures and Washington insiders about -tells them the truth about how dangerous it was , ” the Ohio senator Sherrod Brown said of private comments Trump made , as reported in Woodward ’ s book .
Of course , with slightly less than two months left to run , whose tactics win out will still be dictated by the path of the virus .
Avik Roy , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s 2012 presidential campaign , said the effectiveness of focusing on the coronavirus depended on how pressing the pandemic remained to Americans leading up to the election .
“ Ultimately what matters is how important the topic is to the public , ” Roy told the Guardian .
“ As of now , it remains very important .
Whether or not that continues , presumably , will be based in part on how the pandemic goes over the next two months.
” • This article was amended on 14 September 2020 to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ad that was erroneously included in the story owing to a misunderstanding over dates .

As the death toll from the coronavirus continues to rise in the US, Joe Biden’s presidential campaign is eager to make the pandemic the central issue over the election race’s final two months.
Donald Trump’s re-election campaign would rather not.
The dramatically divergent approaches for addressing a pandemic on course to soon have cost 200,000 American lives have been on broad display over the past week.
An explosive article in the Atlantic magazine reporting disparaging comments the US president made about military service members and a new book by Bob Woodward delving into the inner workings of the Trump White House offered plenty of ammunition for the Biden campaign.
The Biden campaign held press conferences and conference calls, rolled out ads and issued statements. But through it all Biden’s team also made sure to keep emphasizing its fundamental argument: the Trump administration has bungled handling the pandemic and deserves to be thrown out.
“The vice-president and Senator [Kamala] Harris have been saying for months now that just getting a vaccine, while a critical milestone, an important breakthrough, and a reflection of the success of the scientific community, is not enough,” Jake Sullivan, a Biden campaign senior policy adviser, said in a recent call with reporters.
That call was titled “Press Call on Ensuring a Safe and Effective Covid-19 Vaccine” but Sullivan needled the Trump administration even if, contrary to serious analysts’ expectations, a vaccine did become available ahead of the November election.
“The vaccine is only as good as the ability of the administration to get it it into the arms of hundreds of millions of people in this country,” Sullivan said. “And that is a logistical and operational and implementation challenge of the highest order. And from the beginning of this pandemic we have seen this president fail time and time again when logistics and implementation were the issue.”
Meanwhile, Trump and his re-election campaign have been eager to label the coronavirus as a fading problem amid promises of rebuilding the US economy and restoring normal life.
Trump recently said the country was “rounding the final turn” on the coronavirus pandemic. Mike Pence, in his Republican national convention speech in August, promised the US was “on track to have the world’s first safe, effective coronavirus vaccine by the end of this year”.
The president and his aides have been more eager to focus on the economy, their attacks on Biden, foreign policy announcements, dark warnings of civil unrest and false predictions of a coming socialism should Biden win.
To a degree, the varying levels of eagerness to talk about coronavirus is understandable for both campaigns. Polling has shown voters broadly view Biden as the better candidate to handle the coronavirus pandemic while voters think the economy is in safer hands with Trump.
“The president has done a very bad job in this. There is no metric on which the president can actually claim he’s done a good job on Covid,” said Dr Zeke Emanuel, who served as a special adviser for health policy at the Office of Management and Budget for the Obama administration. “We haven’t done a good job on testing, on ventilators, on PPE, on access to Remdesivir. Nothing. He hasn’t prepared the country for a vaccine.”
Emanuel will be briefing Biden this week about distributing a vaccine. Emanuel added: “It’s obvious why [Trump] wants to pretend it’s not a big issue or a big deal.”
Donald Trump arrives aboard Air Force One on his way to a September 11 remembrance ceremony, in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. Photograph: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters
When Biden picked the California senator Kamala Harris as his running mate, one of their earliest public appearances was to publicize a briefing on public health and the virus the two attended.
“We’re going to get what I get four times a week: a briefing on the state of coronavirus here and around the world, and what we should and shouldn’t be doing. And so it usually takes somewhere between an hour and an hour and a half,” Biden said at that event in mid-August. “Now, with the senator, we’re going to be digging in.”
Even when the national conversation was focused on the Woodward book, the Biden campaign ignored a wealth of other scandals contained within it and went straight for the bits on Trump and the coronavirus.
“He gaslights the American people about the dangers of a deadly virus while behind closed doors he tells his wealthy cabinet members and Washington insiders about -tells them the truth about how dangerous it was,” the Ohio senator Sherrod Brown said of private comments Trump made, as reported in Woodward’s book.
Of course, with slightly less than two months left to run, whose tactics win out will still be dictated by the path of the virus.
Avik Roy, a former healthcare policy adviser for Mitt Romney’s 2012 presidential campaign, said the effectiveness of focusing on the coronavirus depended on how pressing the pandemic remained to Americans leading up to the election.
“Ultimately what matters is how important the topic is to the public,” Roy told the Guardian. “As of now, it remains very important. Whether or not that continues, presumably, will be based in part on how the pandemic goes over the next two months.”