theguardian--2020-10-19--Cornel West: 'George Floyd's public lynching pulled the cover off who we really are'

Cornel West is a thinker .
Readers of Prospect magazine recently voted him the world ’ s fourth-best thinker .
And right now he is thinking about 3 November , and whether the United States will reject or endorse Donald Trump .
No one knows what will happen ; not even West , not least because in the US he sees contradictions that even he can ’ t fully explain .
One such contradiction was Charlottesville , Virginia on the day in August 2017 when far-right activists menaced a community , killed a woman protesting against racism and then basked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ some very fine people ” .
West – always dapper in black suit , black scarf , white shirt , gleaming cufflinks and with his grey-flecked afro standing proud – was there .
“ I remember seeing those folk looking at us and cussing at us and spitting at us and carrying on .
And then the charge , and the anti-fascists coming in to save our lives .
But what I also remember is walking by the park and seeing these neo-fascist brothers listening to some black music .
I said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , isn ’ t it ?
These neo-fascist brothers listening to some Motown just before they going to mow us down.
’ Ain ’ t that something ?
” What West says matters because of his CV and because he straddles so many platforms : in academia , in the media , in popular culture .
He seems too learned to be embraced by popular culture and too popular to have sway in academia , and yet he manages both .
It ’ s capital he intends to expend between now and November @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden , ” he says .
“ I don ’ t endorse him .
But I believe we got ta vote for him .
I am not in love with neoliberal elites either .
I think they have to take some responsibility for this neo-fascist moment .
But in the end , this white supremacy is soooo lethal … and it cuts so deep.
” He pauses and his measured delivery becomes staccato .
There is pain there .
“ When you think about it , 65 % of white brothers voted for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That ’ s the kind of country we live in .
It ’ s like ... Wow !
If it wasn ’ t for black folk and brown folk and progressive white folk … you voted for him then and you will vote for him again ?
Is that what we are talking about ?
With his impact on the world ... everybody knows he is a gangster , everybody knows he is a pathological liar and a xenophobe.
” And how will it turn out ?
Will Trump win again ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
West pauses and reflects .
“ It ’ s hard to say .
Some of us gon na go in and escort him out .
He will probably say the election was rigged , he will probably say it was illegitimate .
He could call on his troops to not accept the result of the election .
Then we are really in a mess , my brother ... civic strife , man.
” It is , many say , the Covid election .
Trump belittled it , under-reacted , ignored his scientists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so he claims – and then made his recovery part of the narrative .
Par for the course , says West .
“ He is creating a character for himself .
Like a dumbed down version of a Pirandello play .
He is trying to convince us that he is the strongman who is the only one who can save America : that he is a Superman bouncing back from the virus he was in denial about.
” West , 67 , sees himself as part of an “ anti-fascist coalition ” against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ least worst .
“ What I don ’ t want to do is present Biden as some great defender of the poor and working people , ” he says .
“ I don ’ t want to lie .
We have had enough lies with Trump.
” It ’ s Hobson ’ s choice .
“ When there is a cold-hearted , mean-spirited neo-fascist like Trump , I have got to try and push Biden over the line.
” The same applies to Kamala Harris , Biden ’ s running mate , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president .
“ She is a brilliant black sister , ” says West .
But , “ she is very much a part of that class and imperial hierarchy ” .
West ’ s yearning to be part of the dominant debate began in childhood in Sacramento , California , where he grew up with his mother Irene , a feted teacher , his father , Clifton , an air force civilian administrator , and three siblings .
The Wests raised their progressive voices in the Shiloh Baptist church , as civil rights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a historic civil rights organisation .
They took the young Cornel to see Martin Luther King .
“ He was very powerful .
I was too young to understand all his words , but he had an impact on my soul.
” A keen scholar , West took his activism to elementary school .
Aged eight , he was kicked out because he refused to salute the flag .
A teacher tried to coerce him and a fracas ensued .
He had his reason ; a family horror , a very American outrage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ My great-uncle was part of a group from the military who came back from the first world war ; a number who were lynched in uniform .
They put the flag around them to let them know they were not going to be full citizens , even though they had been willing to give their lives for the country.
” But the young West – assertive and school-less – was lucky to be bright and have supportive parents who knew their way around the system .
His mother eventually found him a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day to teach in her own .
West found his metier .
“ I had a wonderful time , ” he says .
“ I was blessed to bounce back.
” He was set on a stellar trajectory .
In 1970 , he went to Harvard , graduating in 1973 with a degree in near Eastern languages and civilisation .
Then he went off to Princeton to become the first African American to graduate there with a PhD in philosophy .
After lecturing at Harvard , he went on to the Union Theological @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Paris and Yale University ’ s Divinity School .
At Yale , during an anti-apartheid campus protest , he was arrested and briefly jailed .
In 1988 , he returned to Princeton where he spent six years teaching religion and African American studies before re-entry to Harvard – a tenure that ended explosively in 2002 when he fell out with the university ’ s then president Lawrence Summers .
Re-route again to Princeton for more pioneering teaching of African American studies before , in 2017 , a triumphant return to Harvard gazetted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Central to his rock star ascent are his books .
The first clutch were worthy and well-received .
Then in 1993 came West ’ s collection of essays , Race Matters .
It became the lens through which much of the US discussed race : a standard work in colleges and universities , it was the defining text over which the political and intellectual battles were fought .
Bill Clinton , the then president , called West to the White House for a private consultation .
Some hailed the book , since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as an arrow through America ’ s dark heart .
Others questioned his analysis .
But few argued with the book ’ s contention that race mattered and , in its wake , West mattered , too .
Today , he presents as a genial man of firm positions and strong faith , drawn from a well of Christianity that means Trump , Michael Bloomberg and even Tucker Carlson – the notorious rightwing Fox News anchor – are referred to as brother .
Which can lead to problems – for example , when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Nation of Islam .
“ When I call Trump a brother , they say : ‘ Oh Brother West , my God , he ’ s so open-minded.
’ But I call Louis Farrakhan a brother , and they say : ‘ Oh Brother West must be antisemitic.
’ As a Christian you are told to love thy neighbour , and it ’ s not love thy neighbour with qualifications , its love across the board.
” Any love for Barack Obama , however , is disfigured by the solid line he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office to the rise of Trump .
He has called his country ’ s first black president a “ war criminal ” because of his use of drones .
Now , he says : “ People don ’ t understand the weight of the bailout of Wall Street .
Why would you use a trillion dollars for the top 0.01 % and leave your people dangling , go to them every four years and act as if you ’ re their hero ?
” For West music and culture are vital to his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thoughts of great poets and philosophers with those of Curtis Mayfield or Bootsy Collins .
“ I wouldn ’ t be who I am without an Aretha Franklin or John Coltrane , ” he says .
He also prizes hip-hop .
As we speak , he is preparing for a hip-hop summit aimed at increasing voter registration .
“ Geniuses like Rakim and Tupac are wrestling with their conception of what it means to be human in their context , ” he says .
“ They are artists and all the artists , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Poetry , are the ‘ unacknowledged legislators of the world ’ .
” So , too , the Wachowskis , the cult film-makers who hired him to play Councillor West in The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions .
“ That was something , ” he recalls .
“ We had intellectual dialogue with Keanu Reeves and Laurence Fishburne , reading Schopenhauer and William James .
They are very much intellectuals , they really are.
” But when this politico-cultural lens seeks out Obama , crosshairs appear .
“ It is just sad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being Kenny G rather than John Coltrane , ” he says .
“ What can you say ?
‘ Go on Kenny G , play your notes ; you ’ re alright … ’ Obama ’ s alright .
He ’ s not a fascist or anything .
But we ’ re looking for Coltrane.
” Since the death of George Floyd , people have also been searching for diagnoses and radical prescriptions .
An unprecedented stirring , to West ’ s mind , simply explained .
“ George Floyd ’ s public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the neo-fascist gangster in the White House , and pulled the cover off who we really are and what our system really is , ” he says .
“ We have been living a lie for so long.
” The killing of Breonna Taylor , and the grand jury decision that no police officer should be charged with her death , “ shows the system is decrepit ; rotten , ” West says , quietly .
“ That is why it is more concerned with bullets going through the white neighbour ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the black sister.
” From race matters to Black Lives Matter : “ A beautiful new moment in the struggle for black freedom.
” But even there West sees pitfalls and offers advice .
There must be clear objectives , he says .
It must be “ a profoundly human affair that is always multi-racial , multinational , multigender , multi-sexual orientation ” .
Crucially , it must prioritise those who need it most .
“ The focus must be on empowering the least of these , to use the biblical term – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are overthrowing monuments , that is not empowering poor people .
It becomes a symbolic gesture.
” That strategy , he says , requires deep thought .
“ Lincoln was a white supremacist for most of his life but , I mean , my God , he grew .
He was a force for good .
What happens is you begin to alienate certain members of a larger community that you are trying to speak to.
” When I first interviewed West , he was being feted at Cambridge University and in London @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10 , dispensing social division and austerity .
“ Britain is in deep trouble , ” West said then .
Neither of us saw what would follow .
“ Johnson , ” he spits contemptuously , “ is the kissing cousin of Trump .
He is just more educated , more polished and more sophisticated , but I think he is in the same Trumpian zone with Netanyahu and Modi and Bolsonaro .
I hate to say that I might have been right about Britain , ” he says .
Then he chuckles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ didn ’ t see Johnson coming either.
” Over Zoom , he is a lesson in deliberation : rocking back and forth in his own time register , but that ’ s deceptive because he is also a blur of activity .
There are the demands of academia , the summits , his podcast The Tightrope , an engaging double act with Prof Tricia Rose , the sociologist from Brown University in Rhode Island , spanning race , social affairs and culture .
He is slightly giddy , preparing for the academic Oscar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2024 , one of the series hosted by Edinburgh University since 1888 and described as “ the highest honour in a philosopher ’ s career ” .
His subject : wrestling death and dogma and domination .
He is also a very vocal supporter of Julian Assange and the fight to stop his extradition to the US .
“ He ’ s a truth teller , ” says West .
“ He has been simply laying bare some of the crimes and lies of the American empire.
” But will he pay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for him , ” he says , “ but I don ’ t think it looks good , man.
” If the times are bleak , with just a glimmer of hope for 3 November and thereafter , West insists they follow a predicted trajectory .
“ Militarism , racism , poverty and materialism ; all four of these will suck the energy out of American democracy , ” he says , reciting reverently .
“ Martin Luther King said that right before they killed him – and the truth-tellers often get killed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s the way of the world.
” Should he be concerned ?
He cocks his head and laughs : “ Oh shoot , they could kill me any day ; that ’ s all right with me .
I am going down swinging , brother , like Ella Fitzgerald and Muhammad Ali – with a little bit of Rakim and some Coltrane .
”

Cornel West is a thinker. Readers of Prospect magazine recently voted him the world’s fourth-best thinker. And right now he is thinking about 3 November, and whether the United States will reject or endorse Donald Trump. No one knows what will happen; not even West, not least because in the US he sees contradictions that even he can’t fully explain.
One such contradiction was Charlottesville, Virginia on the day in August 2017 when far-right activists menaced a community, killed a woman protesting against racism and then basked in the affirmation of Trump calling them “some very fine people”. West – always dapper in black suit, black scarf, white shirt, gleaming cufflinks and with his grey-flecked afro standing proud – was there.
“I remember seeing those folk looking at us and cussing at us and spitting at us and carrying on. And then the charge, and the anti-fascists coming in to save our lives. But what I also remember is walking by the park and seeing these neo-fascist brothers listening to some black music. I said: ‘Wow, this is America, isn’t it? These neo-fascist brothers listening to some Motown just before they going to mow us down.’ Ain’t that something?”
What West says matters because of his CV and because he straddles so many platforms: in academia, in the media, in popular culture. He seems too learned to be embraced by popular culture and too popular to have sway in academia, and yet he manages both. It’s capital he intends to expend between now and November.
“I am not crazy about Biden,” he says. “I don’t endorse him. But I believe we gotta vote for him. I am not in love with neoliberal elites either. I think they have to take some responsibility for this neo-fascist moment. But in the end, this white supremacy is soooo lethal … and it cuts so deep.”
West is arrested in Ferguson, Missouri, for an act of civil disobedience in protest at the killing of Michael Brown by police two months earlier, October 2014. Photograph: Charles Rex Arbogast/AP
He pauses and his measured delivery becomes staccato. There is pain there. “When you think about it, 65% of white brothers voted for Trump and 50% of white sisters. That’s the kind of country we live in. It’s like ... Wow! If it wasn’t for black folk and brown folk and progressive white folk … you voted for him then and you will vote for him again? Is that what we are talking about? With his impact on the world ...everybody knows he is a gangster, everybody knows he is a pathological liar and a xenophobe.”
And how will it turn out? Will Trump win again? If he loses, will he go? West pauses and reflects. “It’s hard to say. Some of us gonna go in and escort him out. He will probably say the election was rigged, he will probably say it was illegitimate. He could call on his troops to not accept the result of the election. Then we are really in a mess, my brother ... civic strife, man.”
Trump is creating a character for himself. Like a dumbed down version of a Pirandello play
It is, many say, the Covid election. Trump belittled it, under-reacted, ignored his scientists, caught it, recovered – or so he claims – and then made his recovery part of the narrative. Par for the course, says West. “He is creating a character for himself. Like a dumbed down version of a Pirandello play. He is trying to convince us that he is the strongman who is the only one who can save America: that he is a Superman bouncing back from the virus he was in denial about.”
West, 67, sees himself as part of an “anti-fascist coalition” against Trump. He is rooting for the least worst. “What I don’t want to do is present Biden as some great defender of the poor and working people,” he says. “I don’t want to lie. We have had enough lies with Trump.” It’s Hobson’s choice. “When there is a cold-hearted, mean-spirited neo-fascist like Trump, I have got to try and push Biden over the line.”
The same applies to Kamala Harris, Biden’s running mate, and with Biden already 77, a potential president. “She is a brilliant black sister,” says West. But, “she is very much a part of that class and imperial hierarchy”.
West’s yearning to be part of the dominant debate began in childhood in Sacramento, California, where he grew up with his mother Irene, a feted teacher, his father, Clifton, an air force civilian administrator, and three siblings. The Wests raised their progressive voices in the Shiloh Baptist church, as civil rights demonstrators and through the Urban League, a historic civil rights organisation. They took the young Cornel to see Martin Luther King. “He was very powerful. I was too young to understand all his words, but he had an impact on my soul.”
A keen scholar, West took his activism to elementary school. Aged eight, he was kicked out because he refused to salute the flag. A teacher tried to coerce him and a fracas ensued. He had his reason; a family horror, a very American outrage – the death of his great-uncle. “My great-uncle was part of a group from the military who came back from the first world war; a number who were lynched in uniform. They put the flag around them to let them know they were not going to be full citizens, even though they had been willing to give their lives for the country.”
But the young West – assertive and school-less – was lucky to be bright and have supportive parents who knew their way around the system. His mother eventually found him a school across town and then returned each day to teach in her own. West found his metier. “I had a wonderful time,” he says. “I was blessed to bounce back.”
‘When there is a cold-hearted, neo-fascist like Trump, I have got to try and push Biden over the line’ … West. Photograph: Philip Keith/The Guardian
He was set on a stellar trajectory. In 1970, he went to Harvard, graduating in 1973 with a degree in near Eastern languages and civilisation. Then he went off to Princeton to become the first African American to graduate there with a PhD in philosophy. After lecturing at Harvard, he went on to the Union Theological Seminary, New York, the University of Paris and Yale University’s Divinity School. At Yale, during an anti-apartheid campus protest, he was arrested and briefly jailed. In 1988, he returned to Princeton where he spent six years teaching religion and African American studies before re-entry to Harvard – a tenure that ended explosively in 2002 when he fell out with the university’s then president Lawrence Summers. Re-route again to Princeton for more pioneering teaching of African American studies before, in 2017, a triumphant return to Harvard gazetted with fanfare in the New York Times.
Central to his rock star ascent are his books. The first clutch were worthy and well-received. Then in 1993 came West’s collection of essays, Race Matters. It became the lens through which much of the US discussed race: a standard work in colleges and universities, it was the defining text over which the political and intellectual battles were fought. Bill Clinton, the then president, called West to the White House for a private consultation. Some hailed the book, since republished in a 25th anniversary edition, as an arrow through America’s dark heart. Others questioned his analysis. But few argued with the book’s contention that race mattered and, in its wake, West mattered, too.
Today, he presents as a genial man of firm positions and strong faith, drawn from a well of Christianity that means Trump, Michael Bloomberg and even Tucker Carlson – the notorious rightwing Fox News anchor – are referred to as brother. Which can lead to problems – for example, when he refers to the controversial head of the Nation of Islam. “When I call Trump a brother, they say: ‘Oh Brother West, my God, he’s so open-minded.’ But I call Louis Farrakhan a brother, and they say: ‘Oh Brother West must be antisemitic.’ As a Christian you are told to love thy neighbour, and it’s not love thy neighbour with qualifications, its love across the board.”
Happier days … with Obama at a fundraiser in Harlem, 2007. Photograph: Hiroko Masuike/Getty Images
Any love for Barack Obama, however, is disfigured by the solid line he draws from Obama’s time in office to the rise of Trump. He has called his country’s first black president a “war criminal” because of his use of drones. Now, he says: “People don’t understand the weight of the bailout of Wall Street. Why would you use a trillion dollars for the top 0.01% and leave your people dangling, go to them every four years and act as if you’re their hero?”
I wouldn’t be who I am without an Aretha Franklin or John Coltrane
For West music and culture are vital to his thinking. No one else juxtaposes the thoughts of great poets and philosophers with those of Curtis Mayfield or Bootsy Collins. “I wouldn’t be who I am without an Aretha Franklin or John Coltrane,” he says. He also prizes hip-hop. As we speak, he is preparing for a hip-hop summit aimed at increasing voter registration. “Geniuses like Rakim and Tupac are wrestling with their conception of what it means to be human in their context,” he says. “They are artists and all the artists, as Shelley says in his Defence of Poetry, are the ‘unacknowledged legislators of the world’.”
So, too, the Wachowskis, the cult film-makers who hired him to play Councillor West in The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions. “That was something,” he recalls. “We had intellectual dialogue with Keanu Reeves and Laurence Fishburne, reading Schopenhauer and William James. They are very much intellectuals, they really are.”
West in The Matrix Reloaded. Photograph: Warner Bros
But when this politico-cultural lens seeks out Obama, crosshairs appear. “It is just sad that the first black president ended up being Kenny G rather than John Coltrane,” he says. “What can you say? ‘Go on Kenny G, play your notes; you’re alright …’ Obama’s alright. He’s not a fascist or anything. But we’re looking for Coltrane.”
Since the death of George Floyd, people have also been searching for diagnoses and radical prescriptions. An unprecedented stirring, to West’s mind, simply explained. “George Floyd’s public lynching connected with the pandemic, connected with the neo-fascist gangster in the White House, and pulled the cover off who we really are and what our system really is,” he says. “We have been living a lie for so long.”
The killing of Breonna Taylor, and the grand jury decision that no police officer should be charged with her death, “shows the system is decrepit; rotten,” West says, quietly. “That is why it is more concerned with bullets going through the white neighbour’s door than the bullet that killed the black sister.”
From race matters to Black Lives Matter: “A beautiful new moment in the struggle for black freedom.” But even there West sees pitfalls and offers advice. There must be clear objectives, he says. It must be “a profoundly human affair that is always multi-racial, multinational, multigender, multi-sexual orientation”. Crucially, it must prioritise those who need it most. “The focus must be on empowering the least of these, to use the biblical term – the poor and working-class. When you are overthrowing monuments, that is not empowering poor people. It becomes a symbolic gesture.”
That strategy, he says, requires deep thought. “Lincoln was a white supremacist for most of his life but, I mean, my God, he grew. He was a force for good. What happens is you begin to alienate certain members of a larger community that you are trying to speak to.”
When I first interviewed West, he was being feted at Cambridge University and in London, while David Cameron was at No 10, dispensing social division and austerity. “Britain is in deep trouble,” West said then. Neither of us saw what would follow. “Johnson,” he spits contemptuously, “is the kissing cousin of Trump. He is just more educated, more polished and more sophisticated, but I think he is in the same Trumpian zone with Netanyahu and Modi and Bolsonaro. I hate to say that I might have been right about Britain,” he says. Then he chuckles and shrugs in sympathy: “I didn’t see Johnson coming either.”
Over Zoom, he is a lesson in deliberation: rocking back and forth in his own time register, but that’s deceptive because he is also a blur of activity. There are the demands of academia, the summits, his podcast The Tightrope, an engaging double act with Prof Tricia Rose, the sociologist from Brown University in Rhode Island, spanning race, social affairs and culture. He is slightly giddy, preparing for the academic Oscar award of a hugely prestigious Gifford lecture in 2024, one of the series hosted by Edinburgh University since 1888 and described as “the highest honour in a philosopher’s career”. His subject: wrestling death and dogma and domination.
He is also a very vocal supporter of Julian Assange and the fight to stop his extradition to the US. “He’s a truth teller,” says West. “He has been simply laying bare some of the crimes and lies of the American empire.” But will he pay the price? “I am praying for him,” he says, “but I don’t think it looks good, man.”
If the times are bleak, with just a glimmer of hope for 3 November and thereafter, West insists they follow a predicted trajectory. “Militarism, racism, poverty and materialism; all four of these will suck the energy out of American democracy,” he says, reciting reverently. “Martin Luther King said that right before they killed him – and the truth-tellers often get killed, as you know. That’s the way of the world.” Should he be concerned? He cocks his head and laughs: “Oh shoot, they could kill me any day; that’s all right with me. I am going down swinging, brother, like Ella Fitzgerald and Muhammad Ali – with a little bit of Rakim and some Coltrane.”


theguardian--2020-10-19--'It is serious and intense': white supremacist domestic terror threat looms large in US

On 6 October Chad Wolf , the acting secretary of homeland security , released his department ’ s annual assessment of violent threats to the nation .
Analysts didn ’ t have to dig deep into the assessment to discover its alarming content .
In a foreword , Wolf wrote that he was “ particularly concerned about white supremacist violent extremists who have been exceptionally lethal in their abhorrent , targeted attacks in recent years .
[ They ] seek to force ideological change in the United States through violence , death , and destruction.
” Two days later , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rightwing extremists who had allegedly been plotting to carry out a range of attacks in Michigan , including the kidnapping of the Democratic governor , Gretchen Whitmer .
Later revelations revealed that a group of anti-government paramilitaries that included some of those arrested had also discussed kidnapping the governor of Virginia .
The double strike , just days apart , of the threat assessment and the Michigan plot arrests marked an important moment in America ’ s tortured history of racist terrorism .
US authorities appeared not only to have woken up finally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ threat but were actually doing something about it .
As the FBI director , Christopher Wray , told Congress in February , “ racially and ethnically motivated violent extremists ” have become the “ primary source of ideologically motivated lethal incidents ” in the US .
The danger overshadowed the jihadist threat that has dominated the security debate since 9/11 .
Last year was the deadliest on record for domestic extremist violence since the Oklahoma City bombing of 1995 .
White supremacists were responsible for most of that bloodshed in 2019 – 39 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people who died at the hands of an anti-Hispanic racist in El Paso , Texas , and a Jewish worshipper murdered at Poway Synagogue in California .
While federal authorities may be showing a new resolve to tackle the problem , experts on white supremacy warn that the extremists are showing even greater determination .
The movement is stirring , nationwide .
“ The threat is serious and intense , ” said Vanda Felbab-Brown , a terrorism and extremism expert at Brookings .
“ It is by far the most serious domestic danger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the frequency of attacks , the level of recruitment , the scope of ambition of the groups and the wider political capital they are building.
” If 2019 was the deadliest year in a quarter of a century for domestic terrorism in America , 2020 is shaping up to be the year that white supremacy spreads its wings .
Groups are showing a degree of confidence unparalleled in the modern era .
Agitators have seized the dual opportunities of the coronavirus pandemic and the Black Lives Matter protests to come out of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Even before the start of the pandemic , they were flexing their muscles .
Felbab-Brown recalls attending the gun rally in Richmond , Virginia , in January that attracted thousands of extremists carrying semi-automatic assault rifles .
“ There were militia members from all across the US , Trump supporters with guns , gun rights supporters , all mixing together in large crowds .
They drew energy from each other , enlarged their networks and emboldened their thinking – and that was before Covid.
” Since the pandemic struck in late January , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Armed groups of extremists have presented themselves as vigilante security guards , ostensibly protecting property during anti-police brutality protests but in reality confronting peaceful protesters and sowing chaos and violence that has culminated in loss of life .
Though studies have noted the rise of far-right violence in the US as far back as 2007 , there is one aspect of today ’ s political climate that makes the current threat level uniquely dangerous : Donald Trump .
In the recent presidential debate with Joe Biden he notoriously declined to denounce the extremist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to “ stand back and stand by ” .
Trump has done far more than refuse to criticize white supremacist groups – he has actively communicated with them through his Twitter feed and dog-whistles blown on the campaign trail .
“ He may not be talking to them in person , but he definitely is talking to them through the frequency , ” Felbab-Brown said .
Trump has issued calls to arms to domestic terrorist groups during pandemic lockdowns in Democratic-controlled states .
In April his cry of “ Liberate Michigan !
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ invitation to storm the state capitol with their weapons .
His incendiary “ law and order ” posture in the wake of largely peaceful protests has had similar effect , as did his defence of Kyle Rittenhouse , the white teenager charged with killing two people amid anti-police brutality protests in Kenosha , Wisconsin .
On Thursday , and again over the weekend at his rallies , Trump returned to the theme of the enabling of extremists during the NBC town hall in which he effectively endorsed the toxic pedophilia conspiracy theory espoused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the FBI as a potential domestic terrorism threat .
The president also renewed his attacks on Whitmer – an astonishingly rash act given the terrorist plots against the Michigan governor .
“ Trump ’ s messages to the groups have been egregious and disastrous , on a par with the behavior of Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil and Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines , ” Felbab-Brown said .
“ They have been enormously harmful to the US.
” Michael German , a fellow of the Brennan Center for Justice who worked in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ white supremacist and militia groups , has studied how Trump ’ s racist appeals and implicit encouragement of violence have played with far-right militants .
“ Now they feel sanctioned .
They think , ‘ my violence is no longer criminal , it ’ s allowed , it ’ s what the president wants us to do ’ , ” he said .
German has watched too as the groups have grown more methodical and practiced in their tactics over the past four years of Trump approbation .
The tacit approval they have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them far more effective and dangerous .
“ As an undercover agent , I was present in the room when militants tried to convince a recruit to carry out a violent act and either go to the grave or become a fugitive .
That ’ s a hard hump to get over .
If you feel the president of the United States has authorized you to engage in this activity , it ’ s a lot easier.
” With white supremacy showing a new vitality , German is skeptical that the FBI and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about taking on the threat .
The recent acknowledgments of the extent of the danger from Wolf and Wray are a step in the right direction , but much more urgency is needed .
“ I want to see it in data .
I want to see the arrests , the investigations , I want to know what the FBI is actually doing .
I suspect the data would show that there have been a lot of deaths caused by white supremacists , but disproportionately few investigations , ” German said .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its own story .
The agency divides its counter-terrorism pie up 80 to 20 : 80 % goes on fighting international terrorism , 20 % domestic .
The bureau ’ s own figures compiled for 2008 to 2018 indicate that the balance of threat is the exact reverse – some 73 % of all extremist murders in the US in that period were by far-right terrorists , only 23 % by Islamist terrorists .
At least at the federal level , the FBI is having some success in infiltrating extremist groups as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attested .
The record among state and local law enforcement looks far less impressive .
Among local police forces , the pattern is less likely to be infiltration of far-right groups by officers than the other way round – extremists are inveigling themselves into police forces .
German ’ s work for the Brennan Center , drawing on FBI policy documents , has pointed out that white supremacist and anti-government groups often have “ active links ” with law enforcement officials .
Yet the justice department has no national strategy for spotting and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thursday , armed members of the Boogaloo Bois – extremists agitating for a second civil war – illegally assembled outside the police headquarters in Newport News , Virginia .
Instead of arresting the men for violating a ban on firearms on city property , the police chief handed their leader a bottle of chocolate milk and allowed him to address his ranks through a microphone and sound system that the force provided .
An insight into the world that is being created by this heady combination of a supportive president and fraternizing local @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a fast-approaching volatile election is afforded by a new podcast from the Southern Poverty Law Center .
Baseless takes listeners inside the leadership of the Base , a domestic terror group dedicated to destroying US democracy and sparking a race war that they believe and hope will transform America into a white ethno-state .
Drawing on 83 hours of secret recordings of top leaders inside the Base , including its founder Rinaldo Nazzaro whose true identity was revealed by the Guardian in January , the podcast conveys with chilling intimacy the scale @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The militants describe the intricate vetting process that they follow for all new recruits .
Potential new members are required to fill out a questionnaire that asks them whether they have had any military training .
Promising applicants are then invited into the “ vetting room ” in which a panel of five or six Base extremists , headed by Nazzaro , quiz them through an encrypted phone app .
If they pass that stage , they are then given a task such as posting flyers around schools and college campuses that say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Base ” ; and “ Learn , train , fight , organize ” .
The Base perceives itself not so much as an organization , but as a web of like-minded violent extremists .
“ We see ourselves more of a network , ” Nazzaro is heard saying on the tapes .
But the one quality above all others that the terrorists crave is military experience .
One in five of the 100 individuals who make an appearance on the recordings have had combat training as former or serving military personnel .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Jamila Paksima , co-producer of the Baseless podcast .
“ They are looking for people with military experience who can then train other recruits .
So the US government is equipping people with the skills of warfare that are then potentially being turned back against the American people .
”

On 6 October Chad Wolf, the acting secretary of homeland security, released his department’s annual assessment of violent threats to the nation. Analysts didn’t have to dig deep into the assessment to discover its alarming content.
In a foreword, Wolf wrote that he was “particularly concerned about white supremacist violent extremists who have been exceptionally lethal in their abhorrent, targeted attacks in recent years. [They] seek to force ideological change in the United States through violence, death, and destruction.”
Two days later, the FBI swooped. It arrested 13 rightwing extremists who had allegedly been plotting to carry out a range of attacks in Michigan, including the kidnapping of the Democratic governor, Gretchen Whitmer.
Later revelations revealed that a group of anti-government paramilitaries that included some of those arrested had also discussed kidnapping the governor of Virginia.
The double strike, just days apart, of the threat assessment and the Michigan plot arrests marked an important moment in America’s tortured history of racist terrorism. US authorities appeared not only to have woken up finally to the extent of the white supremacist threat but were actually doing something about it.
As the FBI director, Christopher Wray, told Congress in February, “racially and ethnically motivated violent extremists” have become the “primary source of ideologically motivated lethal incidents” in the US. The danger overshadowed the jihadist threat that has dominated the security debate since 9/11.
Last year was the deadliest on record for domestic extremist violence since the Oklahoma City bombing of 1995. White supremacists were responsible for most of that bloodshed in 2019 – 39 out of 48 deaths, including 23 people who died at the hands of an anti-Hispanic racist in El Paso, Texas, and a Jewish worshipper murdered at Poway Synagogue in California.
The makeshift memorial for victims of the shooting at the Cielo Vista Mall Walmart in El Paso, Texas, on 6 August 2019. Photograph: Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images
While federal authorities may be showing a new resolve to tackle the problem, experts on white supremacy warn that the extremists are showing even greater determination. The movement is stirring, nationwide.
“The threat is serious and intense,” said Vanda Felbab-Brown, a terrorism and extremism expert at Brookings. “It is by far the most serious domestic danger in the US on many levels – the frequency of attacks, the level of recruitment, the scope of ambition of the groups and the wider political capital they are building.”
If 2019 was the deadliest year in a quarter of a century for domestic terrorism in America, 2020 is shaping up to be the year that white supremacy spreads its wings. Groups are showing a degree of confidence unparalleled in the modern era.
Agitators have seized the dual opportunities of the coronavirus pandemic and the Black Lives Matter protests to come out of the shadows and on to the streets. Even before the start of the pandemic, they were flexing their muscles.
Felbab-Brown recalls attending the gun rally in Richmond, Virginia, in January that attracted thousands of extremists carrying semi-automatic assault rifles. “There were militia members from all across the US, Trump supporters with guns, gun rights supporters, all mixing together in large crowds. They drew energy from each other, enlarged their networks and emboldened their thinking – and that was before Covid.”
Since the pandemic struck in late January, the rightwing surge has gathered pace. Armed groups of extremists have presented themselves as vigilante security guards, ostensibly protecting property during anti-police brutality protests but in reality confronting peaceful protesters and sowing chaos and violence that has culminated in loss of life.
Though studies have noted the rise of far-right violence in the US as far back as 2007, there is one aspect of today’s political climate that makes the current threat level uniquely dangerous: Donald Trump. In the recent presidential debate with Joe Biden he notoriously declined to denounce the extremist group the Proud Boys, exhorting them to “stand back and stand by”.
Gun rights advocates attend a rally organized by The Virginia Citizens Defense League near the state capitol building on 20 January in Richmond, Virginia. Photograph: Zach Gibson/Getty Images
Trump has done far more than refuse to criticize white supremacist groups – he has actively communicated with them through his Twitter feed and dog-whistles blown on the campaign trail. “He may not be talking to them in person, but he definitely is talking to them through the frequency,” Felbab-Brown said.
Trump has issued calls to arms to domestic terrorist groups during pandemic lockdowns in Democratic-controlled states. In April his cry of “Liberate Michigan!” was interpreted by militant groups as an invitation to storm the state capitol with their weapons.
His incendiary “law and order” posture in the wake of largely peaceful protests has had similar effect, as did his defence of Kyle Rittenhouse, the white teenager charged with killing two people amid anti-police brutality protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
On Thursday, and again over the weekend at his rallies, Trump returned to the theme of the enabling of extremists during the NBC town hall in which he effectively endorsed the toxic pedophilia conspiracy theory espoused by QAnon, the rightwing movement identified by the FBI as a potential domestic terrorism threat. The president also renewed his attacks on Whitmer – an astonishingly rash act given the terrorist plots against the Michigan governor.
“Trump’s messages to the groups have been egregious and disastrous, on a par with the behavior of Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil and Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines,” Felbab-Brown said. “They have been enormously harmful to the US.”
Donald Trump participates in an NBC News town hall event at the Perez Art Museum in Miami on 15 October. Photograph: Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images
Michael German, a fellow of the Brennan Center for Justice who worked in the 1990s as an undercover FBI agent infiltrating white supremacist and militia groups, has studied how Trump’s racist appeals and implicit encouragement of violence have played with far-right militants. “Now they feel sanctioned. They think, ‘my violence is no longer criminal, it’s allowed, it’s what the president wants us to do’,” he said.
German has watched too as the groups have grown more methodical and practiced in their tactics over the past four years of Trump approbation. The tacit approval they have received from the Trump administration has rendered them far more effective and dangerous.
“As an undercover agent, I was present in the room when militants tried to convince a recruit to carry out a violent act and either go to the grave or become a fugitive. That’s a hard hump to get over. If you feel the president of the United States has authorized you to engage in this activity, it’s a lot easier.”
With white supremacy showing a new vitality, German is skeptical that the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security are serious about taking on the threat. The recent acknowledgments of the extent of the danger from Wolf and Wray are a step in the right direction, but much more urgency is needed.
“I want to see it in data. I want to see the arrests, the investigations, I want to know what the FBI is actually doing. I suspect the data would show that there have been a lot of deaths caused by white supremacists, but disproportionately few investigations,” German said.
The FBI’s use of resources tells its own story. The agency divides its counter-terrorism pie up 80 to 20: 80% goes on fighting international terrorism, 20% domestic.
An armed civilian stands on a roof during protests on 25 August over the shooting of Jacob Blake by a police officer in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Photograph: Tayfun CoskunAnadolu Agency/via Getty Images
The bureau’s own figures compiled for 2008 to 2018 indicate that the balance of threat is the exact reverse – some 73% of all extremist murders in the US in that period were by far-right terrorists, only 23% by Islamist terrorists.
At least at the federal level, the FBI is having some success in infiltrating extremist groups as the arrests of the alleged Michigan kidnap plotters attested. The record among state and local law enforcement looks far less impressive.
Among local police forces, the pattern is less likely to be infiltration of far-right groups by officers than the other way round – extremists are inveigling themselves into police forces. German’s work for the Brennan Center, drawing on FBI policy documents, has pointed out that white supremacist and anti-government groups often have “active links” with law enforcement officials.
Yet the justice department has no national strategy for spotting and removing white supremacist police officers.
On Thursday, armed members of the Boogaloo Bois – extremists agitating for a second civil war – illegally assembled outside the police headquarters in Newport News, Virginia. Instead of arresting the men for violating a ban on firearms on city property, the police chief handed their leader a bottle of chocolate milk and allowed him to address his ranks through a microphone and sound system that the force provided.
An insight into the world that is being created by this heady combination of a supportive president and fraternizing local police amid the turmoil of the pandemic and a fast-approaching volatile election is afforded by a new podcast from the Southern Poverty Law Center. Baseless takes listeners inside the leadership of the Base, a domestic terror group dedicated to destroying US democracy and sparking a race war that they believe and hope will transform America into a white ethno-state.
Drawing on 83 hours of secret recordings of top leaders inside the Base, including its founder Rinaldo Nazzaro whose true identity was revealed by the Guardian in January, the podcast conveys with chilling intimacy the scale of the white supremacists’ ambitions.
Armed Boogaloo Boy protesters led by Mike Dunn holding a banner during a demonstration against new firearm restrictions. Photograph: Chad Martin/Sopa Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
The militants describe the intricate vetting process that they follow for all new recruits. Potential new members are required to fill out a questionnaire that asks them whether they have had any military training.
Promising applicants are then invited into the “vetting room” in which a panel of five or six Base extremists, headed by Nazzaro, quiz them through an encrypted phone app. If they pass that stage, they are then given a task such as posting flyers around schools and college campuses that say “Save your race, join the Base”; and “Learn, train, fight, organize”.
The Base perceives itself not so much as an organization, but as a web of like-minded violent extremists. “We see ourselves more of a network,” Nazzaro is heard saying on the tapes.
But the one quality above all others that the terrorists crave is military experience. One in five of the 100 individuals who make an appearance on the recordings have had combat training as former or serving military personnel.
“This is a clear target,” said Jamila Paksima, co-producer of the Baseless podcast. “They are looking for people with military experience who can then train other recruits. So the US government is equipping people with the skills of warfare that are then potentially being turned back against the American people.”


theguardian--2020-10-18--Trump's hopes fade in Wisconsin as 'greatest economy'  boast unravels

Coarse , cruel , chaotic .
Donald Trump has been called a lot of things .
Even some of his supporters have had a hard time embracing the darker aspects of his personality .
Until recently they have , however , trusted the president on one one vital issue : the economy .
But with just 16 days to go until the election , there are clear signs that Trump ’ s claims to have created the “ greatest economy we ’ ve ever had in the history of our country ” are unravelling .
Perhaps nowhere is that more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Losing Wisconsin ended Hillary Clinton ’ s presidential chances in 2016 .
Famously she didn ’ t campaign there , presuming a win that was snatched from her by Trump ’ s promises to end unfair trade practices that had hurt the state ’ s dairy industry and to bring back manufacturing jobs .
Until February , Trump could have confidently boasted that he had made good on his promises .
Unemployment had fallen to record lows in the state , manufacturing was coming back – albeit at the same , snail-paced crawl @ @ @ @ @ @ @ headline figures looked good .
Then came the coronavirus – a disease that is now ravaging the state and has , in its wake , exposed the fault lines beneath those headline figures .
The virus and the economy now seem to have morphed into some hideous hybrid , and the fragile recovery that followed the first peak in infections is now being threatened by new spikes in infections .
Last week Wisconsin reported 3,747 cases in one day , its highest level since the outbreak , and more than California ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ times Wisconsin ’ s 5.8 million population .
“ The economy is always big .
It ’ s just this year it is so intertwined with the pandemic that is hard to separate them , ” said Mark Graul , a Republican strategist who ran George W Bush ’ s re-election race in Wisconsin in 2004 .
Had the pandemic never happened and the economy been humming along , “ that ’ s all President Trump would be talking about ” – but now all anyone is talking about is the virus and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A recent CNN poll found Trump and his rival , former vice-president Joe Biden , tied among registered voters at 49 % apiece on who would handle the economy better .
Back in May , 54 % of registered voters said Trump would handle the economy better , compared with 42 % for Biden .
Graul expects a close race .
Trump beat Clinton in Wisconsin by just 0.77 % in 2016 .
The polls currently have Biden ahead by a clear 6.5 % in the state , but in a year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happen between now and 3 November .
In this volatile environment , progressives have been making gains with voters , reflecting on the fragility of the economy Trump had hoped would re-elect him .
Earlier this month , the advocacy group Opportunity Wisconsin held a town hall with Wisconsinites from around that state , who talked about how they see Trump ’ s economy .
It wasn ’ t a pretty picture .
For an hour on Zoom , the Democratic senator Tammy Baldwin led a discussion with dairy farmers and cheese makers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of business even before the pandemic began .
University of Wisconsin history professor Selika Ducksworth-Lawton spoke powerfully about how the virus has devastated communities of color in the state .
“ For marginalized communities , this has been awful .
There have been some people who have referred to it almost as an ethnic cleansing , ” she said .
“ We have failed at the most basic requirements of a nation state.
” But perhaps the clearest example of the problems that preceded the pandemic , and have been sadly highlighted by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an early childhood educator from Madison .
“ I ’ m a teacher , I ’ m not a business owner .
I don ’ t have a lot of wealth .
It ’ s just me and my husband trying to make life swing for ourselves and our two kids , ” said Swenson .
Even before the pandemic , she said she felt she was getting very little help .
Early childhood educators make about $ 10 an hour in Wisconsin and receive no benefits .
“ We don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t give two hoots about what Wall Street is doing .
We are not investing in that .
We are trying to pay our rent , pay for food.
” A third of Wisconsin ’ s early childhood educators are on federal assistance “ because that is how hard it is for us to make it.
” Trump ’ s biggest policy achievement – a $ 1.5tn tax cut that was billed as a “ middle-class miracle ” – actually increased her family ’ s taxes , she said .
“ It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s the reality.
” And the Trump administration ’ s response to the pandemic has been “ terrifying ” , she said .
She thinks it is no coincidence that Wisconsin ’ s rates have spiked since children and college students went back to school – a move that came after Trump said children could not spread the coronavirus , an opinion that has been widely debunked .
“ It didn ’ t have to be this bad , ” she said .
Opportunity Wisconsin , aided by the progressive advocacy organization @ @ @ @ @ @ @ success turning opinion around on Trump ’ s economic success through targeted messaging .
But it has had big obstacles to overcome , not just because changing opinions is notoriously hard .
The Republicans have been remarkably successful in their economic messaging , not least in Wisconsin .
Since Ronald Reagan , the Republican party has promulgated the idea that there is a simple formula for economic success : lower taxes , less regulation and smaller government .
That message , repeated over and over for 40 years , helped Wisconsin shift from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ union-bashing laboratory for rightwing economic experiments led by Scott Walker , the former governor , and Paul Ryan , the former House speaker , and backed by the Koch brothers .
That rightward shift was derailed in 2018 with the ousting of Walker and the appointment of Democrat Tony Evers after a coordinated effort by progressives to unseat the Republican star .
What Opportunity Wisconsin did was start with a survey of 27,000 voters , which the group identified as Wisconsinites who were sympathetic to conservative economic ideas – but had doubts about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and who was being left behind .
Using the research , the group targeted 500,000 people who were split into two groups .
One received targeted messages that delved behind the top-line economic figures , profiling stories of real Wisconsinites who were struggling , people who had lost jobs , farms , livelihoods under Trump .
All messages that underlined the issues that were hurting people in the state even before the pandemic struck .
A control group who received no messages was used to measure how successful the effort had been .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ voters who received the targeted messages : • None Belief that Trump ’ s economy is working for everyone fell 3.6 % .
• None Approval of Trump on the economy fell 2.3 % .
Those are remarkable numbers in any social experiment , and especially in a state that Trump won by such a thin margin .
Dana Bye , campaign director for the Hub Project , thinks a change of focus was instrumental in changing people ’ s minds .
“ Nationally and in Wisconsin people look at the stock market @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s the economy .
But often their personal experiences are not reflected in those macro figures , ” she said .
Adjusted for inflation , wages in Wisconsin have gone up just 73¢ in 40 years , said Bye .
“ That ’ s not a statistic you hear often .
Instead we hear about GDP or the stock market.
” “ The big challenge when talking about the economy is that people don ’ t look beyond these big , macro numbers .
The pandemic has crystalized the idea that there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ another for working folk.
” If that message gets through to enough people , what was once Trump ’ s biggest strength in Wisconsin could be his biggest weakness .

Coarse, cruel, chaotic. Donald Trump has been called a lot of things. Even some of his supporters have had a hard time embracing the darker aspects of his personality. Until recently they have, however, trusted the president on one one vital issue: the economy.
But with just 16 days to go until the election, there are clear signs that Trump’s claims to have created the “greatest economy we’ve ever had in the history of our country” are unravelling.
Perhaps nowhere is that more worrying for Trump than in Wisconsin.
Losing Wisconsin ended Hillary Clinton’s presidential chances in 2016. Famously she didn’t campaign there, presuming a win that was snatched from her by Trump’s promises to end unfair trade practices that had hurt the state’s dairy industry and to bring back manufacturing jobs.
Until February, Trump could have confidently boasted that he had made good on his promises. Unemployment had fallen to record lows in the state, manufacturing was coming back – albeit at the same, snail-paced crawl that it had under Obama. The headline figures looked good. Then came the coronavirus – a disease that is now ravaging the state and has, in its wake, exposed the fault lines beneath those headline figures.
The virus and the economy now seem to have morphed into some hideous hybrid, and the fragile recovery that followed the first peak in infections is now being threatened by new spikes in infections. Last week Wisconsin reported 3,747 cases in one day, its highest level since the outbreak, and more than California’s daily average, a state with six times Wisconsin’s 5.8 million population.
“The economy is always big. It’s just this year it is so intertwined with the pandemic that is hard to separate them,” said Mark Graul, a Republican strategist who ran George W Bush’s re-election race in Wisconsin in 2004.
Had the pandemic never happened and the economy been humming along, “that’s all President Trump would be talking about” – but now all anyone is talking about is the virus and what it is doing to the economy.
A recent CNN poll found Trump and his rival, former vice-president Joe Biden, tied among registered voters at 49% apiece on who would handle the economy better. Back in May, 54% of registered voters said Trump would handle the economy better, compared with 42% for Biden.
Graul expects a close race. Trump beat Clinton in Wisconsin by just 0.77% in 2016. The polls currently have Biden ahead by a clear 6.5% in the state, but in a year that feels like no other anything can happen between now and 3 November.
In this volatile environment, progressives have been making gains with voters, reflecting on the fragility of the economy Trump had hoped would re-elect him.
Earlier this month, the advocacy group Opportunity Wisconsin held a town hall with Wisconsinites from around that state, who talked about how they see Trump’s economy. It wasn’t a pretty picture.
For an hour on Zoom, the Democratic senator Tammy Baldwin led a discussion with dairy farmers and cheese makers talking about friends and neighbors going out of business even before the pandemic began. University of Wisconsin history professor Selika Ducksworth-Lawton spoke powerfully about how the virus has devastated communities of color in the state. “For marginalized communities, this has been awful. There have been some people who have referred to it almost as an ethnic cleansing,” she said. “We have failed at the most basic requirements of a nation state.”
But perhaps the clearest example of the problems that preceded the pandemic, and have been sadly highlighted by it, came from Kyra Swenson, an early childhood educator from Madison. “I’m a teacher, I’m not a business owner. I don’t have a lot of wealth. It’s just me and my husband trying to make life swing for ourselves and our two kids,” said Swenson.
Even before the pandemic, she said she felt she was getting very little help. Early childhood educators make about $10 an hour in Wisconsin and receive no benefits. “We don’t get a retirement account. We don’t give two hoots about what Wall Street is doing. We are not investing in that. We are trying to pay our rent, pay for food.”
A third of Wisconsin’s early childhood educators are on federal assistance “because that is how hard it is for us to make it.”
Trump’s biggest policy achievement – a $1.5tn tax cut that was billed as a “middle-class miracle” – actually increased her family’s taxes, she said. “It didn’t benefit us. That’s the reality.”
And the Trump administration’s response to the pandemic has been “terrifying”, she said. She thinks it is no coincidence that Wisconsin’s rates have spiked since children and college students went back to school – a move that came after Trump said children could not spread the coronavirus, an opinion that has been widely debunked. “It didn’t have to be this bad,” she said.
Changing minds
Opportunity Wisconsin, aided by the progressive advocacy organization the Hub Project, has had remarkable success turning opinion around on Trump’s economic success through targeted messaging. But it has had big obstacles to overcome, not just because changing opinions is notoriously hard.
The Republicans have been remarkably successful in their economic messaging, not least in Wisconsin. Since Ronald Reagan, the Republican party has promulgated the idea that there is a simple formula for economic success: lower taxes, less regulation and smaller government. That message, repeated over and over for 40 years, helped Wisconsin shift from a bastion of progressive politics to a union-bashing laboratory for rightwing economic experiments led by Scott Walker, the former governor, and Paul Ryan, the former House speaker, and backed by the Koch brothers.
Trump in June 2018 breaks ground for a new Foxconn factory with the then governor, Scott Walker, and the Foxconn chairman, Terry Gou. Photograph: Evan Vucci/AP
That rightward shift was derailed in 2018 with the ousting of Walker and the appointment of Democrat Tony Evers after a coordinated effort by progressives to unseat the Republican star.
What Opportunity Wisconsin did was start with a survey of 27,000 voters, which the group identified as Wisconsinites who were sympathetic to conservative economic ideas – but had doubts about the direction the economy was taking, and who was being left behind.
Using the research, the group targeted 500,000 people who were split into two groups. One received targeted messages that delved behind the top-line economic figures, profiling stories of real Wisconsinites who were struggling, people who had lost jobs, farms, livelihoods under Trump. All messages that underlined the issues that were hurting people in the state even before the pandemic struck. A control group who received no messages was used to measure how successful the effort had been.
A follow-up survey revealed that among those voters who received the targeted messages:
Belief that Trump’s policies helped Wisconsin fell 8.3%.
Approval of Trump’s 2017 tax law fell 5.2%.
Belief that Trump’s economy is working for everyone fell 3.6%.
Approval of Trump on the economy fell 2.3%.
Those are remarkable numbers in any social experiment, and especially in a state that Trump won by such a thin margin.
Dana Bye, campaign director for the Hub Project, thinks a change of focus was instrumental in changing people’s minds. “Nationally and in Wisconsin people look at the stock market and the jobs figures and think that’s the economy. But often their personal experiences are not reflected in those macro figures,” she said.
Adjusted for inflation, wages in Wisconsin have gone up just 73¢ in 40 years, said Bye. “That’s not a statistic you hear often. Instead we hear about GDP or the stock market.”
“The big challenge when talking about the economy is that people don’t look beyond these big, macro numbers. The pandemic has crystalized the idea that there is one economy for the rich and another for working folk.”
If that message gets through to enough people, what was once Trump’s biggest strength in Wisconsin could be his biggest weakness.


theguardian--2020-10-20--Presidential debate commission adopts mute button to limit interruptions – as it happened

Kelly Loeffler , the Republican US senator from Georgia who has embraced a follower of the toxic rightwing conspiracy theory QAnon in a desperate bid to hang on to her seat , squared off with her Trump-supporting rival and the leading Democratic candidate in their first debate today .
The virtual debate , staged through separate video links to ensure safety amid the pandemic , was a chance for voters to get to grips with one of the most volatile and chaotic races in the nation .
Some 20 candidates are standing in a race which , as a special @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who was appointed to the seat in January following the resignation of Johnny Isakson , is having to fend off a fierce challenge from Doug Collins , an avidly Trump-supporting congressman .
The pair have been scrambling over each other in a rapid dash to the right , trying to outdo the other in their radical conservative credentials .
An exchange between Collins and Loeffler featured sparring on a personal angle .
“ You ’ ve attacked my hair , my makeup , how I talk , my clothes , where I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , adding : “ I am the true conservative .
I don ’ t have to have a record I have to lie about , ” the Gainesville Times reported .
Collins shot back : “ I ’ ve never mentioned anything personally – her fixtures , hair or anything else .
But it ’ s amazing what she [ says ] about me.
” Democratic candidate Raphael Warnock , senior pastor of the Ebenezer Baptist church in Atlanta , where Martin Luther King preached for eight years , asked Collins if he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virulent conspiracy theory rapidly which claims a cabal of Democrats and billionaires is running a pedophile and human trafficking ring and which the FBI has warned is a domestic terrorism threat .
“ I don ’ t agree with QAnon … and don ’ t support them , ” Collins said .
Loeffler said : “ I don ’ t know anything about QAnon .
”

Maanvi Singh (now), Joan E Greve and Martin Belam (earlier)

20 Oct 2020 02.50 BST Summary The presidential debate commission said it will mute candidates during parts of the event this week, allowing both Trump and Biden two minutes of uninterrupted time to answer each moderator question. Both candidates will be unmuted for open discussion afterward. The rule change comes after a chaotic first debate during which Trump, especially, interrupted and talked over Biden and the debate moderator
Both candidates will be unmuted for open discussion afterward. The rule change comes after a chaotic first debate during which Trump, especially, interrupted and talked over Biden and the debate moderator The supreme court blocked Republican efforts to stop an absentee ballot deadline extension in Pennsylvania. The ruling will likely mean thousands more votes are counted in one of the most critical swing states in the election. Republicans in the swing state had tired to stay an order from the Pennsylvania supreme court allowing ballots postmarked by election day to be counted even if the arrive up to three days later.
The ruling will likely mean thousands more votes are counted in one of the most critical swing states in the election. Republicans in the swing state had tired to stay an order from the Pennsylvania supreme court allowing ballots postmarked by election day to be counted even if the arrive up to three days later. Trump attacked Dr Anthony Fauci as a “disaster” on a call with campaign staff. “People are tired of coronavirus,” the president said. “People are tired of hearing Fauci and all these idiots.” The comments came one day after “60 Minutes” aired an interview with Fauci, in which the infectious disease expert said he was not surprised Trump caught coronavirus because of the president’s activities in the days before he developed symptoms.
“People are tired of coronavirus,” the president said. “People are tired of hearing Fauci and all these idiots.” The comments came one day after “60 Minutes” aired an interview with Fauci, in which the infectious disease expert said he was not surprised Trump caught coronavirus because of the president’s activities in the days before he developed symptoms. Joe Biden criticized Trump for attacking Fauci, arguing Americans are “tired of your lies about this virus.” Biden said of Trump in a statement, “We need a leader to bring us together, put a plan in place, and beat this virus — but you have proven yourself yet again to be incapable of doing that.”
arguing Americans are “tired of your lies about this virus.” Biden said of Trump in a statement, “We need a leader to bring us together, put a plan in place, and beat this virus — but you have proven yourself yet again to be incapable of doing that.” Russian intelligence agents were planning a cyber-attack on the Tokyo Olympics, the UK National Cyber Security Centre revealed, as part of a joint operation with the US intelligence agencies. The UK also confirmed details of a Russian attempt to disrupt the 2018 winter Olympics.
the UK National Cyber Security Centre revealed, as part of a joint operation with the US intelligence agencies. The UK also confirmed details of a Russian attempt to disrupt the 2018 winter Olympics. The supreme court agreed to hear two cases involving Trump’s controversial immigration policy. One case centers on Trump’s “Remain in Mexico” policy, which requires asylum-seekers to stay in Mexico as their claims are processed. The other focuses on government funding of the US-Mexican border wall.
One case centers on Trump’s “Remain in Mexico” policy, which requires asylum-seekers to stay in Mexico as their claims are processed. The other focuses on government funding of the US-Mexican border wall. In-person early voting begins today in the crucial swing state of Florida. Democratic vice-presidential nominee Kamala Harris held events in Orlando and Jacksonville today. – Maanvi Singh and Joan E Greve
20 Oct 2020 02.36 BST Ed Pilkington Kelly Loeffler, the Republican US senator from Georgia who has embraced a follower of the toxic rightwing conspiracy theory QAnon in a desperate bid to hang on to her seat, squared off with her Trump-supporting rival and the leading Democratic candidate in their first debate today. The virtual debate, staged through separate video links to ensure safety amid the pandemic, was a chance for voters to get to grips with one of the most volatile and chaotic races in the nation. Some 20 candidates are standing in a race which, as a special election, had no primary. Loeffler, who was appointed to the seat in January following the resignation of Johnny Isakson, is having to fend off a fierce challenge from Doug Collins, an avidly Trump-supporting congressman. The pair have been scrambling over each other in a rapid dash to the right, trying to outdo the other in their radical conservative credentials. An exchange between Collins and Loeffler featured sparring on a personal angle. “You’ve attacked my hair, my makeup, how I talk, my clothes, where I’m from,” Loeffler said, adding: “I am the true conservative. I don’t have to have a record I have to lie about,” the Gainesville Times reported. Collins shot back: “I’ve never mentioned anything personally – her fixtures, hair or anything else. But it’s amazing what she [says] about me.” Democratic candidate Raphael Warnock, senior pastor of the Ebenezer Baptist church in Atlanta, where Martin Luther King preached for eight years, asked Collins if he would condemn QAnon. That is the virulent conspiracy theory rapidly which claims a cabal of Democrats and billionaires is running a pedophile and human trafficking ring and which the FBI has warned is a domestic terrorism threat. “I don’t agree with QAnon … and don’t support them,” Collins said. Loeffler said: “I don’t know anything about QAnon.” Georgia: two rightwing Republicans face Democrat in special election debate Read more
20 Oct 2020 02.24 BST Alison Rourke The World Health Organization’s emergency director, Michael Ryan, has linked soaring transmission rates in the northern hemisphere to the failure to quarantine people exposed to the virus. He said if he could have one wish, it would be to ensure “every contact of a confirmed case is in quarantine for the appropriate period”. “I do not believe that has occurred systematically, anywhere,” Ryan said, adding it was “a good part of the reason why we’re seeing such high numbers”. Ryan said that about half of the 48 countries in the UN health agency’s European region had seen roughly 50% increases in cases within the past week – and hospitalizations and death rates were beginning to track those rises. Some moderately good news is that the average age of sufferers was now much younger, treatment has improved and those infected may have been exposed to lower doses of the virus because of physical distancing and mask-wearing.
Worldwide cases of the virus passed 40 million on Monday. The WHO says 42 potential vaccines are now being tested on humans, of which 10 have reached the third and final stage. A further 156 are being worked on in laboratories with a view to human testing. But the WHO’s chief scientist, Soumya Swaminathan, said that while one or two trials may report data by the end of the year, most would start to do so in early 2021. Coronavirus live news: WHO says failure to quarantine behind soaring cases Read more
20 Oct 2020 01.50 BST The Trump campaign said the president will participate in the debate this week despite the rule change. Trump’s campaign manager Bill Stepien said: “President Trump is committed to debating Joe Biden regardless of last-minute rule changes from the biased commission in their latest attempt to provide advantage to their favored candidate.” Here are the highlights from the first debate: 00:45 'Will you shut up, man?': Biden and Trump clash in first US presidential debate – video
20 Oct 2020 01.34 BST The debate rule change allowing for microphones to be muted is likely to anger the Trump campaign. In a statement, the non-partisan commission noted: “We realize, after discussions with both campaigns, that neither campaign may be totally satisfied with the measures announced today. One may think they go too far, and one may think they do not go far enough. We are comfortable that these actions strike the right balance and that they are in the interest of the American people, for whom these debates are held.” Both campaigns had agreed to a format in which each candidate would have two minutes to answer a question from the moderator, before launching into back and forth open discussion. “The Commission is announcing today that in order to enforce this agreed upon rule, the only candidate whose microphone will be open during these two-minute periods is the candidate who has the floor under the rules,” it said in a statement. Both mics will be unmuted for open discussion.
20 Oct 2020 01.26 BST Analysis: Supreme court ruling on Pennsylvania's deadline for absentee ballots Sam Levine The US supreme court decision to not pause a ruling from the Pennsylvania supreme court extending the deadline for absentee ballots in the state is a hugely consequential ruling that will likely mean thousands more votes are counted in one of the most critical swing states in the election. Chief justice John Roberts joined the court’s three liberal justices in the ruling, producing a 4-4 deadlock. The even split means that a September ruling from the Pennsylvania supreme court ordering ballots to count as long as they are postmarked by election day and received in the days after will stand. The ruling is a win for Democrats, who sought the extension in state court, and a loss for Republicans, who had asked the US supreme court to intervene. Nearly 900,000 voters in Pennsylvania have already returned their ballots, according to state data collected by Michael McDonald, a professor at the University of Florida. The justices made the ruling on an emergency request from Pennsylvania Republicans and, as is customary in similar cases, offered no explanation for their ruling. Justices Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Clarence Thomas all said they would have granted the Republican request.
Pennsylvania typically requires mail-in ballots to arrive by election night in order to count. But last month, the Pennsylvania supreme court, citing potential postal service delays amid the Covid-19 pandemic, extended the deadline by 3 days last month, saying ballots should count as long as they are postmarked by election day. The court also required election officials to count ballots with no postmark or an illegible one.
In a typical election, only around 1% of mail-in ballots are rejected, but that number is expected to rise this year as more people vote by mail for the first time. One of the top reasons mail-in ballots get rejected is because they arrive after election day. The decisions from the Pennsylvania supreme court and US supreme court offer important insurance against that kind of disenfranchisement.
The ruling is a break from a string of rulings this year in which the US supreme court has upheld a swath of voting restrictions across the country, even amid the Covid-19 pandemic. But the Pennsylvania case had an important distinction; while all the voting cases that have reached the supreme court this year have been from federal courts, the Pennsylvania case came from a state court. The supreme court may have been more hesitant to overrule a state court on a manner of election law, which the constitution specifically authorizes the states to set.
Updated at 01.44 BST
20 Oct 2020 01.22 BST The presidential debate commission has adopted rules to mute microphones When Trump and Biden face off on Thursday for a final televised debate, each candidate will have their microphones cut off while the other is delivering responses to questions. During the 90-min debate, each candidate will have two minutes of uninterrupted time to respond to questions before they move on to open debate. The rule change from the non-partisan Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) comes after a chaotic first debate during which the presidential conductors spoke over each other, and Trump, especially, interrupted his opponent. Republicans and Trump have already been sour at the CPD after it canceled the second debate due to safety concerns after Trump was diagnosed with Covid-19, and earlier today contested the topics the commission had chosen for the debate this week.
Updated at 01.28 BST
20 Oct 2020 01.03 BST Justice Department lawyers argued that Trump was addressing his fitness for office and speaking in an official capacity when he called E Jean Carroll – who has accused him of rape – a politically-motivated liar. From the AP: The lawyers argued in papers in Manhattan federal court that the president should be replaced as the defendant in E. Jean Carroll’s defamation lawsuit by the Justice Department because he was acting in an official capacity when he made his statements. They said he was entitled to refute Carroll’s claims because she was trying to call “into question the president’s fitness for office and a response was necessary for the president to effectively govern.” The lawyers had made similar arguments before and were replying to written arguments submitted to a judge by lawyers for Carroll, a media figure who hosted an advice show in the mid-1990s when she says she was attacked. Earlier this month, Carroll’s attorneys argued the opposite, saying Trump can’t insult their client and then cite his job as reason to remove himself as a defendant. “Only in a world gone mad could it somehow be presidential, not personal, for Trump to slander a woman who he sexually assaulted,” they said. Carroll has said Trump raped her in a department store dressing room a quarter century ago after they randomly crossed paths and engaged in conversation as each recognized the other’s measure of fame. Her lawyers argued that defamatory attacks by the president included assertions that Carroll had falsely accused other men of rape, that she lied about him to advance a secret political conspiracy and sell books and that he had never met her even though they’d been photographed together. The lawyers noted that Trump also had said: “She’s not my type.”
Updated at 01.05 BST
19 Oct 2020 00.38 BST After Donald Trump said at his Prescott, Arizona rally that he could raise more campaign money than he had, by hypothetically calling the head of Exxon and offering permits in exchange for $25m, the energy company has issued a statement clarifying that no such exchange occured. "I call the head of Exxon. I'll use a company. 'How, how are you doing, how's energy coming? When are doing the exploration? Oh, you need a couple of permits, huh?' But I call the head of Exxon, I say, 'you know, I'd love you to send me $25m for the campaign'" - Trump #QuidProQuo pic.twitter.com/Tr1ccpyMzw — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 19, 2020 Offering political favors in exchange for campaign donations is illegal. Staging a mick phone call, Trump said, “I call the head of Exxon... ‘How, how are you doing, how’s energy coming? When are doing the exploration? Oh, you need a couple of permits, huh?’” We are aware of the President’s statement regarding a hypothetical call with our CEO…and just so we’re all clear, it never happened. — ExxonMobil (@exxonmobil) October 19, 2020
19 Oct 2020 00.34 BST Supreme court blocks Republican efforts to stop mail-in voting expansion Republicans and the state GOP had asked the supreme court to stay a Pennsylvania supreme court order extending the ballot receipt deadline in the state. In a 4-4 vote, justices Gorsuch, Alito, Kavanaugh, and Thomas voted against the order. The court took a while to issue this ruling - it seems chief justice Roberts was unable to win over any of the opposers. Because the supreme court is missing a justice, after the death of Ruth Bader Ginsberg, a 4-4 means a loss for Republicans. A majority is needed to grant a stay. Breaking news: The US Supreme Court said it would not halt a ruling from the PA Supreme Court extending the ballot receipt deadline in the state. This is one of the most significant rulings of the 2020 election cycle — Sam Levine (@srl) October 19, 2020 Mail-in ballots in Pennsylvania were due by the time polls close on election day, but the Pennsylvania supreme court’s order allowed officials to count ballots postmarked by 8pm on election day to be counted even if they arrive up to three days later. The ruling was celebrated by voting rights advocates, who cited postal services delays and other concerns as millions vote by mail due to the pandemic.
Updated at 01.45 BST
19 Oct 2020 23.47 BST Sam Levin A fire inside an official election drop box in Los Angeles county has damaged voters’ ballots and is under investigation for arson, officials said. The blaze Sunday night in the city of Baldwin Park appeared to be intentional, according to authorities, though the cause and the extent of the destruction were still under investigation. The fire required firefighters to spray water into the box to extinguish the flames, likely causing significant damage. Video from the scene showed dozens of wet and burnt ballots. “The arson of an official ballot drop box … has all the signs of an attempt to disenfranchise voters and call into question the security of our elections,” Hilda L Solis, LA county supervisor, said in a statement, adding that the county has asked the state attorney general and FBI to investigate. The LA county registrar’s office, which oversees the elections in the state’s largest county, has not responded to questions about how many ballots were affected, but said officials had last collected ballots from the site at 10am on Saturday. The fire was reported around 8pm on Sunday, and the damaged drop box location has since remained closed. A fire department spokeswoman said three arson investigators were dispatched to the scene, and that the fire department spent nearly two hours on site responding to the blaze. George Silva, a local resident who saw the fire on Sunday night while on a bike ride, told the Guardian firefighters initially struggled to put out the blaze. “I felt a sense of broken-heartedness and disappointment,” said Silva, who runs a local air conditioning business. “I can’t believe somebody would do this.” He hasn’t voted yet and said he now planned to cast his ballot in person when early voting begins later this month. “I’m waiting until I know my vote will be safe and secure.”
The incident comes one week after California’s Republican party sparked confusion by placing their own unauthorized ballot boxes in several counties, prompting state election officials to send a cease-and-desist order demanding their removal. The state warned that the GOP boxes could mislead voters and violate the law. Los Angeles ballots damaged after suspected arson attack on official drop box Read more


theguardian--2020-10-20--Presidential debate commission adopts rules to mute microphones

When Donald Trump and Joe Biden face off on Thursday for a final televised debate , each candidate will have their microphones cut off while the other is delivering responses to questions .
The 90-minute debate is divided into six 15-minute segments , with each candidate granted two minutes to deliver uninterrupted remarks before proceeding to an open debate .
The non-partisan Commission on Presidential Debates ( CPD ) on Monday announced that “ in order to enforce this agreed upon rule , the only candidate whose microphone will be open during these two-minute periods is the candidate who has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Both mics will be unmuted for open discussion .
The commission added in a statement : “ We realize , after discussions with both campaigns , that neither campaign may be totally satisfied with the measures announced today .
One may think they go too far , and one may think they do not go far enough .
We are comfortable that these actions strike the right balance and that they are in the interest of the American people , for whom these debates are held.
” The rule change comes after a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which the presidential candidates constantly spoke over each other , with Trump relentlessly interrupting and attacking his Democratic rival .
Trump interjected so frequently that Biden at one point lost his patience and snapped : “ Will you shut up , man ?
This is so unpresidential.
” The debate rule change is likely to anger the Trump campaign .
Republicans and Trump have been critical of the CPD for canceling the second debate due to safety concerns after Trump was diagnosed with Covid-19 .
And earlier on Monday , the Trump campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ questions the debate moderator , NBC News correspondent Kristen Welker , had chosen for the debate .
At a recent rally , Trump griped that Welker is “ extremely unfair ” .
He has also tweeted , “ She ’ s always been terrible & unfair , just like most of the Fake News reporters , but I ’ ll still play the game.
” The president ’ s campaign manager Bill Stepien issued a statement Monday night , writing : “ President Trump is committed to debating Joe Biden regardless of last-minute @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their latest attempt to provide advantage to their favored candidate .
”

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Donald Trump has complained that a rule change to mute microphones for part of his final televised debate with Joe Biden is “very unfair” and objected to the topics chosen by the moderator.
When the two face off on Thursday for a final televised debate, each candidate will have their microphones cut off while the other is delivering responses to questions on American families, race in America, climate change, national security and leadership.
The 90-minute debate is divided into 15-minute segments on the six topics, with each candidate granted two minutes to deliver uninterrupted remarks before proceeding to an open debate for nine minutes of each segment.
The non-partisan Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) on Monday announced that “in order to enforce this agreed upon rule, the only candidate whose microphone will be open during these two-minute periods is the candidate who has the floor under the rules”. Both mics will be unmuted for open discussion.
The commission added in a statement: “We realize, after discussions with both campaigns, that neither campaign may be totally satisfied with the measures announced today. One may think they go too far, and one may think they do not go far enough. We are comfortable that these actions strike the right balance and that they are in the interest of the American people, for whom these debates are held.”
The Trump campaign voiced objections to the change but said the Republican would still take part in the Thursday night event, one of his last chances to reach a large prime-time audience before voting ends on 3 November.
“President Trump is committed to debating Joe Biden regardless of last-minute rule changes from the biased commission in their latest attempt to provide advantage to their favored candidate,” Trump’s campaign manager, Bill Stepien, said.
The Trump campaign earlier contested the topics of some of the questions the debate moderator, the NBC News correspondent Kristen Welker, had chosen for the debate with Stepien claiming the campaigns already agreed foreign policy would be the focus.
Trump said the conditions of the debate were unfair: “I will participate but it’s very unfair that they changed the topics and it’s very unfair that again we have an anchor who’s totally biased.”
At a recent rally, Trump griped that Welker is “extremely unfair”. He has also tweeted, “She’s always been terrible & unfair, just like most of the Fake News reporters, but I’ll still play the game.”
A spokesman for Biden replied that the campaigns and debates commission had agreed Welker would choose the topics. “The Trump campaign is lying about that now because Donald Trump is afraid to face more questions about his disastrous Covid response,” Biden’s national press secretary, TJ Ducklo, said.
“As usual, the president is more concerned with the rules of a debate than he is getting a nation in crisis the help it needs.”
00:45 'Will you shut up, man?': Biden and Trump clash in first US presidential debate – video
The rule change on microphones comes after a chaotic first debate on 30 September during which the presidential candidates constantly spoke over each other, with Trump relentlessly interrupting and attacking his Democratic rival.
Trump interjected so frequently that Biden at one point lost his patience and snapped: “Will you shut up, man? This is so unpresidential.”
Republicans and Trump have been critical of the CPD for canceling the second debate due to safety concerns after Trump was diagnosed with Covid-19.
Trump is facing intense pressure to turn around his campaign, hoping for the type of last-minute surge that gave him a come-from-behind victory four years ago, as he trails Biden in national polls and battleground states. But another rise in virus cases and his attacks on experts like Anthony Fauci, the US top infectious disease expert, of who he said on Monday “people are tired of hearing Fauci and all these idiots”, could undermine his final efforts to appeal to voters outside his most loyal base.
“I’m not running scared,” Trump told reporters before taking off for Tucson, Arizona, for his fifth rally in three days. “I think I’m running angry. I’m running happy and I’m running very content ’cause I’ve done a great job.”
Biden was off the campaign trail on Monday, preparing for the debate, but his campaign praised Fauci and criticised Trump for “reckless and negligent leadership” that “threatens to put more lives at risk”.
“Trump’s closing message in the final days of the 2020 race is to publicly mock Joe Biden for trusting science and to call Dr Fauci, the leading public health official on Covid-19, a disaster and other public health officials idiots,” the campaign said.
Concerns about a possible loss to Biden that have been spilling into the open in recent days have been percolating behind the scenes at the Trump campaign. Trump himself has alternated between disbelief and anger at the idea that he could lose to a candidate whom he views as washed up and incompetent, according to three campaign and White House officials not authorised to speak publicly about private conversations.
The Associated Press contributed to this report


theguardian--2020-10-20--US supreme court denies Republican bid to limit Pennsylvania mail-in-voting

The supreme court is allowing Pennsylvania to count ballots received up to three days after the election , in a consequential ruling that will likely mean thousands more votes are counted in one of the most critical swing states in the election .
The court on Monday rejected a Republican plea to pause a September ruling from Pennsylvania ’ s state supreme court that allowed ballots to be counted as long as they are postmarked by election day and received up to three days later .
Chief Justice John Roberts joined the court ’ s three liberal justices in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The even split means that the state supreme court ’ s ruling stands .
The ruling is a win for Democrats , who sought the extension in state court , and a loss for Republicans , who had asked the US supreme court to intervene .
Nearly 900,000 voters in Pennsylvania have already returned their ballots , according to state data collected by Michael McDonald , a professor at the University of Florida .
The justices made the ruling after an emergency request from Pennsylvania Republicans and , as is customary in similar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decision .
Justices Samuel Alito , Neil Gorsuch , Brett Kavanaugh and Clarence Thomas all said they would have granted the Republican request .
Pennsylvania typically requires mail-in ballots to arrive by election night in order to count .
But last month , the Pennsylvania supreme court , citing potential postal service delays amid the Covid-19 pandemic , extended the deadline by three days , saying ballots should count as long as they are postmarked by election day .
The court also required election officials to count ballots with no postmark or an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , only around 1 % of mail-in ballots are rejected , but that number is expected to rise this year as more people vote by mail for the first time .
One of the top reasons mail-in ballots get rejected is because they arrive after election day .
The decisions from the Pennsylvania supreme court and US supreme court offer important insurance against that kind of disenfranchisement .
The ruling is a break from a string of rulings this year in which the US supreme court has upheld a swath of voting restrictions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Covid-19 pandemic .
But the Pennsylvania case had an important distinction ; while all the voting cases that have reached the supreme court this year have been from federal courts , the Pennsylvania case came from a state court .

The supreme court is allowing Pennsylvania to count ballots received up to three days after the election, in a consequential ruling that will likely mean thousands more votes are counted in one of the most critical swing states in the election.
The court on Monday rejected a Republican plea to pause a September ruling from Pennsylvania’s state supreme court that allowed ballots to be counted as long as they are postmarked by election day and received up to three days later.
Chief Justice John Roberts joined the court’s three liberal justices in the ruling, producing a 4-4 deadlock. The even split means that the state supreme court’s ruling stands.
The ruling is a win for Democrats, who sought the extension in state court, and a loss for Republicans, who had asked the US supreme court to intervene. Nearly 900,000 voters in Pennsylvania have already returned their ballots, according to state data collected by Michael McDonald, a professor at the University of Florida.
The justices made the ruling after an emergency request from Pennsylvania Republicans and, as is customary in similar cases, offered no explanation for their decision. Justices Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Clarence Thomas all said they would have granted the Republican request.
Pennsylvania typically requires mail-in ballots to arrive by election night in order to count. But last month, the Pennsylvania supreme court, citing potential postal service delays amid the Covid-19 pandemic, extended the deadline by three days, saying ballots should count as long as they are postmarked by election day. The court also required election officials to count ballots with no postmark or an illegible one.
In a typical election, only about 1% of mail-in ballots are rejected, but that number is expected to rise this year as more people vote by mail for the first time. One of the top reasons mail-in ballots get rejected is because they arrive after election day. The decisions from the Pennsylvania supreme court and US supreme court offer important insurance against that kind of disenfranchisement.
The ruling is a break from a string of rulings this year in which the US supreme court has upheld a swath of voting restrictions across the country, even amid the Covid-19 pandemic. But the Pennsylvania case had an important distinction; while all the voting cases that have reached the supreme court this year have been from federal courts, the Pennsylvania case came from a state court.