theguardian--2020-10-21--'Owning the libs': how Donald Trump Jr became the unlikely political heir apparent

Donald Trump Jr stood on the flatbed of an 18-wheel truck at rodeo grounds in Williams , Arizona , and made his father ’ s re-election pitch to a seemingly unlikely audience : Native Americans .
The US president ’ s campaign claims he has been the “ fiercest ally ” of the Native American community .
Don Jr was here on 15 October to launch the “ Native Americans for Trump ” coalition drawn from the Navajo , Chickasaw , Cherokee , Lumbee , Zuni and White Mountain Apache tribes .
But Don Jr , 42 , had also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pander , ” he said , according to the Arizona Daily Sun newspaper .
“ They tell you everything you want to hear and do exactly the opposite .
They lie to you for years – you guys understand that better than everyone.
” It was one of numerous campaign stops for Trump ’ s eldest son , seen by many as the heir apparent to the “ Make America Great Again ” ( Maga ) movement .
Like his father , Don Jr delivers fiery populist speeches , tweets conspiracy theories and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shocking and outraging liberals on air and online .
Like his father , he has come to personify modern Republicanism .
And as Trump continues to trail his Democratic challenger , Joe Biden , in the polls , attention has turned to who may take up his mantle after November .
“ Trumpism replaced conservatism as the ideological underpinning of the Republican party and , because of that , they don ’ t really fight about issues any more , ” said Rick Wilson , a longtime Republican strategist co-founder of the anti-Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fight about affect and whether or not they ’ re winning these ephemeral social media battles and , in that world , the highest order goal is the ‘ owning of the libs ’ .
It is a throwaway phrase substituting the validity or strength of an argument with a sort of self-satisfaction that you have been transgressive in some way towards liberals or progressives.
” Wilson added : “ Donald Trump Jr is a master of that .
He is a post-Republican Republican .
He is there only to engage in that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Trump world .
It is a political performance art to show your contempt for norms , institutions and education .
“ It has become the ideological underpinning of the GOP [ Grand Old Party , or Republican party ] .
There ’ s no party of ideas any longer .
There ’ s no there there except for sort of the screeching fury of Trumpism.
” After spending some years finding his path , including a stint as a “ ski bum ” , Don Jr has followed in his father ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of his father ’ s alma mater , the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania , and went into the family business .
He is now an executive vice-president at the Trump Organization and a leading campaign surrogate for the president .
Now , Don Jr , whose father worried about naming his son after himself in case he turned out to be a “ loser ” , is adept at throwing red meat to the base , sometimes with greater discipline and precision than his father .
He has written books @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Hate and Wants to Silence Us , and the self-published Liberal Privilege : Joe Biden and the Democrats ’ Defense of the Indefensible .
His girlfriend , the former Fox News personality Kimberly Guilfoyle , often joins him at rallies and virtual fundraisers .
She delivered a memorably raucous speech to an empty room at this year ’ s Republican national convention , culminating in the stentorian battle cry : “ The best is yet to come !
” When a SurveyMonkey poll for Axios in January asked who Republicans would consider @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was second only to Vice-President Mike Pence ( Ivanka Trump , who had been considered for the role of her father ’ s running mate in 2016 , came fourth ) .
Asked if he is considering running for political office during an interview last month on CSpan ’ s Books TV , Don Jr replied : “ People have been doing that after the RNC [ Republican national convention ] , ‘ It ’ s Don Jr versus Nikki Haley for 2024 !
’ I go , ‘ Oh , that ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even know I was running ’ .
” He added : “ Whether I ’ m going to run or not , I have no plans on it right now .
My goal is 2020 .
We ’ ll worry about everything after that but I will stay involved , one way or another , that ’ s for sure.
” Wilson , author of Everything Trump Touches Dies and Running Against the Devil , argues that Don Jr “ speaks fluent Maga ” and is in fact the frontrunner .
“ What @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they ’ re going to run in 24 for president – Ben Sasse and Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz – is they ’ re not going anywhere , ” he said .
“ They should stop right now , they ’ re wasting their time and everyone else ’ s , because the nominee in 2024 is going to be Donald Trump Jr .
He will come in , he will have his father ’ s endorsement and he will promise great feats of lib ownership.
” Leading exponents of “ owning the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and executive director of Turning Point USA , a non-profit that wages culture wars at schools and universities , and Candace Owens , founder of the “ Blexit ” organisation which urges Black people to desert the Democratic party and a sense of “ permanent victimhood ” .
Their social media point-scoring is symptomatic of an age of negative partisanship in which many voters ’ support is motivated more by loathing for the other side than belief in their own .
Some Democrats have also acknowledged that their enthusiasm for this year ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than voting for Joe Biden , a 77-year-old white moderate making his third run for the White House .
Conversely , when Don Jr and his father bash Barack Obama , Hillary Clinton and Biden at campaign rallies , they generate louder reactions from the crowd than when they set out agenda items or achievements .
Don Jr ’ s Twitter feed offers his 5.8 million followers little by way of policy but a torrent of Democrat-baiting and conspiracy theories .
In May he posted on Instagram a meme that falsely insinuated Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he had merely been “ joking around ” , though the disinformation has made its way into the minds of voters .
His current pinned tweet is a video that asserts , without evidence , that : “ The Biden family has spent decades in Washington DC enriching themselves by selling access to Joe Biden ’ s taxpayer funded office .
Hunter Biden is corrupt .
Jim Biden is corrupt .
Joe Biden is corrupt.
” Critics say this invective is filling a vacuum where ideology used to be .
David Litt , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : “ What does the Republican party under Trump stand for ?
They don ’ t stand for small deficits .
They don ’ t stand for the rule of law .
They don ’ t stand for exporting democracy around the world .
So they really stand for making Democrats upset .
“ The one way you can be sure that you ’ re a member of the Trump- era conservative movement is that respectable liberals are either scared or appalled or both by some of the things you said .
So @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where the identity is based not on who you are but on who you aren ’ t and who you make upset.
” Litt , author of Thanks , Obama : My Hopey Changey White House Years and Democracy In One Book or Less , added : “ I think Donald Trump Jr is a perfect example of this because he is a white , straight male who is set to inherit hundreds of millions or billions as long as the tax situation works out and , despite all of that , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ persecuted .
“ I think that idea of saying the real civil rights movement is the fight for Republican billionaires to be able to do whatever they want has become this strange core tenet of the Trump-era Republican party.
” But Don Jr ’ s fate could be decided on 3 November .
If , as polls suggest , his father suffers a humiliating defeat , he could be thrust into a battle for the future of the Republican party with senators , governors and other political veterans .
Joshua Kendall , author @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from George Washington to Barack Obama , said : “ It really all depends on the election .
There are basically two scenarios .
If his father loses , Don Jr and his father might use all those Twitter followers to form some sort of rightwing media empire .
If his father wins then Don Jr is going to be front and centre .
”

Donald Trump Jr stood on the flatbed of an 18-wheel truck at rodeo grounds in Williams, Arizona, and made his father’s re-election pitch to a seemingly unlikely audience: Native Americans.
The US president’s campaign claims he has been the “fiercest ally” of the Native American community. Don Jr was here on 15 October to launch the “Native Americans for Trump” coalition drawn from the Navajo, Chickasaw, Cherokee, Lumbee, Zuni and White Mountain Apache tribes.
But Don Jr, 42, had also come to bash Democrats. “They pander,” he said, according to the Arizona Daily Sun newspaper. “They tell you everything you want to hear and do exactly the opposite. They lie to you for years – you guys understand that better than everyone.”
Don Jr’s Twitter feed offers his 5.8m followers little by way of policy but a torrent of Democrat-baiting and conspiracy theories
It was one of numerous campaign stops for Trump’s eldest son, seen by many as the heir apparent to the “Make America Great Again” (Maga) movement. Like his father, Don Jr delivers fiery populist speeches, tweets conspiracy theories and, above all, relishes goading, shocking and outraging liberals on air and online. Like his father, he has come to personify modern Republicanism.
And as Trump continues to trail his Democratic challenger, Joe Biden, in the polls, attention has turned to who may take up his mantle after November.
“Trumpism replaced conservatism as the ideological underpinning of the Republican party and, because of that, they don’t really fight about issues any more,” said Rick Wilson, a longtime Republican strategist co-founder of the anti-Trump group the Lincoln Project.
“They fight about affect and whether or not they’re winning these ephemeral social media battles and, in that world, the highest order goal is the ‘owning of the libs’. It is a throwaway phrase substituting the validity or strength of an argument with a sort of self-satisfaction that you have been transgressive in some way towards liberals or progressives.”
Wilson added: “Donald Trump Jr is a master of that. He is a post-Republican Republican. He is there only to engage in that performative dickery that is lib owning in the Trump world. It is a political performance art to show your contempt for norms, institutions and education.
“It has become the ideological underpinning of the GOP [Grand Old Party, or Republican party]. There’s no party of ideas any longer. There’s no there there except for sort of the screeching fury of Trumpism.”
After spending some years finding his path, including a stint as a “ski bum”, Don Jr has followed in his father’s footsteps. He is a graduate of his father’s alma mater, the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and went into the family business. He is now an executive vice-president at the Trump Organization and a leading campaign surrogate for the president.
Donald Trump Jr attends a book signing at Marriot Hotel to promote his book ‘Liberal Privilege’ in Long Island, New York, on 18 October. Photograph: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
Now, Don Jr, whose father worried about naming his son after himself in case he turned out to be a “loser”, is adept at throwing red meat to the base, sometimes with greater discipline and precision than his father. He has written books entitled Triggered: How the Left Thrives on Hate and Wants to Silence Us, and the self-published Liberal Privilege: Joe Biden and the Democrats’ Defense of the Indefensible.
His girlfriend, the former Fox News personality Kimberly Guilfoyle, often joins him at rallies and virtual fundraisers. She delivered a memorably raucous speech to an empty room at this year’s Republican national convention, culminating in the stentorian battle cry: “The best is yet to come!”
When a SurveyMonkey poll for Axios in January asked who Republicans would consider voting for in 2024, Don Jr was second only to Vice-President Mike Pence (Ivanka Trump, who had been considered for the role of her father’s running mate in 2016, came fourth).
Asked if he is considering running for political office during an interview last month on CSpan’s Books TV, Don Jr replied: “People have been doing that after the RNC [Republican national convention], ‘It’s Don Jr versus Nikki Haley for 2024!’ I go, ‘Oh, that’s interesting, I didn’t even know I was running’.”
He added: “Whether I’m going to run or not, I have no plans on it right now. My goal is 2020. We’ll worry about everything after that but I will stay involved, one way or another, that’s for sure.”
Wilson, author of Everything Trump Touches Dies and Running Against the Devil, argues that Don Jr “speaks fluent Maga” and is in fact the frontrunner.
“What I tell all these Republicans who think they’re going to run in 24 for president – Ben Sasse and Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz – is they’re not going anywhere,” he said. “They should stop right now, they’re wasting their time and everyone else’s, because the nominee in 2024 is going to be Donald Trump Jr. He will come in, he will have his father’s endorsement and he will promise great feats of lib ownership.”
Donald Trump Jr leaves after the first 2020 presidential campaign debate held in Cleveland, Ohio, on 29 September. Photograph: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters
Leading exponents of “owning the libs” including Charlie Kirk, founder and executive director of Turning Point USA, a non-profit that wages culture wars at schools and universities, and Candace Owens, founder of the “Blexit” organisation which urges Black people to desert the Democratic party and a sense of “permanent victimhood”.
Their social media point-scoring is symptomatic of an age of negative partisanship in which many voters’ support is motivated more by loathing for the other side than belief in their own. Some Democrats have also acknowledged that their enthusiasm for this year’s election is about voting against Trump than voting for Joe Biden, a 77-year-old white moderate making his third run for the White House.
Conversely, when Don Jr and his father bash Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and Biden at campaign rallies, they generate louder reactions from the crowd than when they set out agenda items or achievements. Don Jr’s Twitter feed offers his 5.8 million followers little by way of policy but a torrent of Democrat-baiting and conspiracy theories.
In May he posted on Instagram a meme that falsely insinuated Biden is a paedophile, later insisting that he had merely been “joking around”, though the disinformation has made its way into the minds of voters.
His current pinned tweet is a video that asserts, without evidence, that: “The Biden family has spent decades in Washington DC enriching themselves by selling access to Joe Biden’s taxpayer funded office. Hunter Biden is corrupt. Jim Biden is corrupt. Joe Biden is corrupt.”
Critics say this invective is filling a vacuum where ideology used to be. David Litt, a former speechwriter for Obama, asked: “What does the Republican party under Trump stand for? They don’t stand for small deficits. They don’t stand for the rule of law. They don’t stand for exporting democracy around the world. So they really stand for making Democrats upset.
“The one way you can be sure that you’re a member of the Trump- era conservative movement is that respectable liberals are either scared or appalled or both by some of the things you said. So it becomes this kind of identity politics where the identity is based not on who you are but on who you aren’t and who you make upset.”
Litt, author of Thanks, Obama: My Hopey Changey White House Years and Democracy In One Book or Less, added: “I think Donald Trump Jr is a perfect example of this because he is a white, straight male who is set to inherit hundreds of millions or billions as long as the tax situation works out and, despite all of that, he seems quite certain that he’s persecuted.
“I think that idea of saying the real civil rights movement is the fight for Republican billionaires to be able to do whatever they want has become this strange core tenet of the Trump-era Republican party.”
But Don Jr’s fate could be decided on 3 November. If, as polls suggest, his father suffers a humiliating defeat, he could be thrust into a battle for the future of the Republican party with senators, governors and other political veterans.
Joshua Kendall, author of First Dads: Parenting and Politics from George Washington to Barack Obama, said: “It really all depends on the election. There are basically two scenarios. If his father loses, Don Jr and his father might use all those Twitter followers to form some sort of rightwing media empire. If his father wins then Don Jr is going to be front and centre.”


theguardian--2020-10-21--Voting 'makes things better': Barack Obama praises youth – video

Barack Obama has praised young Black Lives Matter demonstrators saying they gave him 'optimism ' , during a discussion with @ @ @ @ @ of a drive-in rally for Joe Biden on Wednesday night .
At his Philadelphia campaign @ @ @ @ @ need for young voters to make it to the polls to ensure a better future @ @ @

Barack Obama has praised young Black Lives Matter demonstrators saying they gave him 'optimism', during a discussion with black male community leaders ahead of a drive-in rally for Joe Biden on Wednesday night.
At his Philadelphia campaign event, Obama emphasized the need for young voters to make it to the polls to ensure a better future for the country


theguardian--2020-10-22--Amy Coney Barrett committee vote due before Trump and Biden head for debate – live

The Senate judiciary committee has voted to report the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the full Senate .
Democrats @ @ @ @ @ it was an unusual scene as the committee clerk collected verbal votes from the committee @ @ @ @ @ of Democratic senators , including Kamala Harris , had been placed in each of their @ @ @ @ @ names were called , there was silence .
The Republicans present chirped out their “ @ @ @ @ @ , and the clerk announced : “ Mr Chairman , the votes are 12 yays @ @ @ @ @ That means there will be a full vote in the Senate on whether to confirm @ @ @ @ @ Court .

Adam Gabbatt (now) and Martin Belam (earlier)

22 Oct 2020 00.50 BST Summary Donald Trump will face his Democratic rival Joe Biden at 9pm ET at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee for the second and final presidential debate. Joan E Greve and I will be providing live coverage and fact checks.
Joan E Greve and I will be providing live coverage and fact checks. The Trump administration’s botched response to the pandemic has led to between 130,000 and 210,000 preventable death s , according to a report from a team of disaster preparedness and public health experts.“The United States has turned a global crisis into a devastating tragedy,” read a report released Thursday by researchers at Columbia University.
, according to a report from a team of disaster preparedness and public health experts.“The United States has turned a global crisis into a devastating tragedy,” read a report released Thursday by researchers at Columbia University. Trump said he wants the supreme court to “end” Obamacare in his “60 Minutes” interview, which the president released early on Twitter today. Trump’s decision to preemptively share the interview before its planned Sunday broadcast seemed bizarre, given Joe Biden will now be able to bring up the president’s comments on Obamacare during tonight’s debate.
which the president released early on Twitter today. Trump’s decision to preemptively share the interview before its planned Sunday broadcast seemed bizarre, given will now be able to bring up the president’s comments on Obamacare during tonight’s debate. Trump’s chief of staff said the president tested negative for coronavirus on his flight to Nashville, where tonight’s debate will take place. Trump announced he had tested positive for coronavirus two days after the first presidential debate.
where tonight’s debate will take place. Trump announced he had tested positive for coronavirus two days after the first presidential debate. The Senate judiciary committee voted to advance Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination to the supreme court, clearing the way for a chamber-wide vote next week. Democrats on the judiciary committee boycotted this morning’s vote, criticizing Barrett’s likely confirmation as a “sham” because it will come just days before the presidential election.
clearing the way for a chamber-wide vote next week. on the judiciary committee boycotted this morning’s vote, criticizing Barrett’s likely confirmation as a “sham” because it will come just days before the presidential election. Another 787,000 Americans filed new claims for unemployment benefits last week. The figure represented the lowest number of new weekly claims since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, but economists warned that layoffs remain alarmingly high.
The figure represented the lowest number of new weekly claims since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, but economists warned that layoffs remain alarmingly high. Biden said he would form a commission to study the US court system if he is elected. The news comes as the Democratic nominee has been pressed on whether he would “pack” the supreme court to offset conservatives’ 6-3 advantage if Barrett is confirmed. Follow the presidential debates live here: Presidential debate live: Trump and Biden set to face off in final clash Read more
Updated at 01.08 BST
22 Oct 2020 00.37 BST Donald Trump has invited Tony Bobulinski, who said he is a former business associate of Joe Biden’s son Hunter to the debate tonight. Four years ago, Trump pulled a similar. stunt when he invited accused former president Bill Clinton of sexual abuse to a debate with Hillary Clinton. Bobulinski’s emails were a large part of a story New York Post earlier this month that claimed Hunter Biden had helped connect board members of a Ukrainian energy company with his father while Joe Biden was vice president. Other news outlets have not been able to verify the Post’s story, and dozens of senior intelligence officials have signed a letter saying the story “has all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation”.
22 Oct 2020 00.26 BST At tonight’s final presidential debate, each candidate will have his mic muted for two minutes while the other responds to the moderator’s questions. How will it work? A representative from the non-partisan Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) will control the mute button back stage, per the commission. A member of each campaign will monitor that individual. More modifications since the last debate: Anyone in the audience who refuses to wear a face mask will be removed
Only about 200 people will be allowed inside the arena – fewer than last time – to reduce the risk of Covid transmission
Updated at 00.26 BST
22 Oct 2020 23.43 BST Trump will get a last chance to claw back Biden lead at final presidential debate Ed Pilkington Donald Trump has his last chance to move the dial in the fast-approaching US presidential election on Thursday night, when he addresses a large nationwide audience at the final televised presidential debate. Trump will face his Democratic rival Joe Biden at 9pm ET at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. The candidates are expected to attract viewership in the tens of millions of Americans for their 90-minute encounter, giving the US president one last crack at shifting a race that has had him trailing the former vice-president for weeks. NBC News and its moderator Kristen Welker will be hoping for a more civilized debate than the first, held three weeks ago, which collapsed into acrimony amid almost constant interruptions by Trump. In an attempt to prevent a repetition, the commission on presidential debates on Monday tweaked the format so that the candidates’ microphones are turned off while their opponent is speaking for the opening two minutes of each of six issue segments. For the remainder of each of the 15-minute segments, discussion will be open between the two men. Trump will be under pressure to soften his display compared with the first debate on 29 September, which was widely censured as bullying. Polls conducted after the debate suggested it damaged his already beleaguered standing in key battleground states such as Florida and Pennsylvania. But there were few indications that Trump intends to change tack in the final hours leading up to the Nashville debate. On Monday he denigrated Welker as a “radical left Democrat”, while his campaign has accused the debate commission of being biased towards Biden and objected to the six policy subjects that NBC News has chosen. Trump gets last chance to claw back Biden lead at final presidential debate Read more
22 Oct 2020 23.32 BST Bernie Sanders is vying to become labor secretary if Joe Biden wins the presidency, Politico reports. The Vermont senator has been helping the Biden campaign and get out the vote. Politico reports: “I can confirm he’s trying to figure out how to land that role or something like it,” said one person close to the Vermont senator. “He, personally, does have an interest in it.” Sanders on Wednesday declined to confirm or deny that he’s putting his name forward for the position. “Right now I am focused on seeing that Biden is elected president,” he told POLITICO. “That’s what my main focus is.” Former Sanders campaign manager Faiz Shakir said Sanders has not talked directly with anyone on the Biden campaign about a future role, but plans to push Biden, his former Senate colleague, to “include progressive voices” in both the transition and in a potential new administration. Yet two other people close to Sanders, including one former aide, said the senator has expressed interest in being in the administration, should Biden win in November. Sanders has been making his push for the top job at the Labor Department in part by reaching out to allies on the transition team, one person familiar with the process said. Robert Reich, a former Labor secretary in the Clinton administration, told the magazine that Sanders would be “terrific”. Read the full story here.
22 Oct 2020 23.08 BST Former New Jersey governor Chris Christie, who contracted Covid-19 and was hospitalized after he helped Donald Trump prepare for the first presidential debate and attended a White House event where attendees eschewed masks, has made a guest appearance at Ohio’s coronavirus press conference. Christie has been telling people to learn from his mistake. Yesterday, he wrote a Wall Street op-ed titled “I should have worn a mask”. "I thought I was safe. And I was wrong."
Former NJ @GovChristie is an invited guest to today's Ohio coronavirus press conference. pic.twitter.com/rYcuIGa6LA — Tyler Buchanan (@Tylerjoelb) October 22, 2020 But the Trump ally did not goo as far as directly criticizing the president, who has overseen a faltering pandemic response. “Those who deny the scientific realities of the pandemic undermine conditions that allow for rapid and complete reopening,” he said in his op-ed.
22 Oct 2020 22.45 BST Experts: 130,000-210,000 Covid-19 deaths in the US could have been avoided The Trump administration’s botched response to the pandemic has led to between 130,000 and 210,000 preventable deaths, according to a report from a team of disaster preparedness and public health experts. “The United States has turned a global crisis into a devastating tragedy,” read a report released Thursday by researchers at Columbia University. “We estimate that at least 130,000 deaths and perhaps as many as 210,000 could have been avoided with earlier policy interventions and more robust federal coordination and leadership. The team calculated avoidable deaths by estimating how many people would have died in other nations, like Japan and South Korea, if they had the same population as the US, and comparing those figures to the US death rate. “Many of the underlying factors amplifying the pandemic’s deadly impact have existed long before the novel coronavirus first arrived in Washington state on January 20th – a fractured healthcare system, inequitable access to care, and immense health, social and racial disparities among America’s most vulnerable groups,” the researchers noted. “Compounding this is an Administration that has publicly denigrated its own public health officials – and science more generally -- thereby hamstringing efforts by its vaunted public health service to curb the pandemic’s spread.” Read the full report here.
Updated at 23.18 BST
22 Oct 2020 22.18 BST Ahead of election day, Latinos are seeing not just more political ads but also plenty of disinformation. Amy Yee reports for The Guardian: Messages that paint Joe Biden as a socialist spreading among conservative Latinos from Cuba and Venezuela. Conspiracy theories on YouTube about Barack Obama in Spanish. Billboards and posters falsely claiming that voting by mail is illegal in Texas. “We usually see this kind of information disorder in locations with a large Latinx population, such as Miami, Houston or Los Angeles,” said Daniel Acosta Ramos, an investigative researcher at the non-profit First Draft.
Disinformation as a means of causing confusion, doubt and fear around voting is nothing new during campaigns, but social media make it easier to generate and spread. Latinos in particular are targets because they are a critical voting bloc, especially in battlegrounds such as Florida, Arizona and Texas. In Florida, 20% of eligible voters in 2018 were Hispanic, nearly double the share in 2000, according to Pew Research. In Arizona, Hispanics accounted for 24% of all eligible voters in 2018. Latinos are also politically diverse – for example, Cuban Americans tend to vote Republican, while Puerto Ricans lean Democrat – so dissuading voting in Latino communities, even subtly, could tip an election. There are several types of digital voting disinformation, such as giving the wrong time, place or manner of voting, according to democracy watchdog Common Cause. And during Covid-19, when normal routines are disrupted, online disinformation tactics are “much more believable and have a greater impact today than any other election cycle”, said Jesse Littlewood, vice-president at Common Cause, in a webinar. That has real-world effects. In Arizona, early voting began early this month and “there has already been the feeling of intimidation at the polls when Trump supporters show up at the same time,” said Hector Sanchez Barba, chief executive of Mi Familia Vota, the Latino civic engagement non-profit. Instances of intimidating Latino voters are fueled by false but divisive disinformation that undocumented immigrants are voting illegally. There are also false narratives about vote rigging, conspiracy theories or intimidation, such as telling people immigration authorities will patrol polling stations. Latinos the targets of election disinformation – but activists are fighting back Read more
22 Oct 2020 22.01 BST Today so far That’s it from me for now. I will be back tonight to cover the final presidential debate. Here’s where the day stands so far: Trump said he wants the supreme court to “end” Obamacare in his “60 Minutes” interview, which the president released early on Twitter today. Trump’s decision to preemptively share the interview before its planned Sunday broadcast seemed bizarre, given Joe Biden will now be able to bring up the president’s comments on Obamacare during tonight’s debate.
which the president released early on Twitter today. Trump’s decision to preemptively share the interview before its planned Sunday broadcast seemed bizarre, given will now be able to bring up the president’s comments on Obamacare during tonight’s debate. Trump’s chief of staff said the president tested negative for coronavirus on his flight to Nashville, where tonight’s debate will take place. Trump announced he had tested positive for coronavirus two days after the first presidential debate.
where tonight’s debate will take place. Trump announced he had tested positive for coronavirus two days after the first presidential debate. The Senate judiciary committee voted to advance Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination to the supreme court, clearing the way for a chamber-wide vote next week. Democrats on the judiciary committee boycotted this morning’s vote, criticizing Barrett’s likely confirmation as a “sham” because it will come just days before the presidential election.
clearing the way for a chamber-wide vote next week. on the judiciary committee boycotted this morning’s vote, criticizing Barrett’s likely confirmation as a “sham” because it will come just days before the presidential election. Another 787,000 Americans filed new claims for unemployment benefits last week. The figure represented the lowest number of new weekly claims since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, but economists warned that layoffs remain alarmingly high.
The figure represented the lowest number of new weekly claims since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, but economists warned that layoffs remain alarmingly high. Biden said he would form a commission to study the US court system if he is elected. The news comes as the Democratic nominee has been pressed on whether he would “pack” the supreme court to offset conservatives’ 6-3 advantage if Barrett is confirmed. My west coast colleague, Maanvi Singh, will have more coming up, so stay tuned.
22 Oct 2020 21.48 BST Snowden granted permanent residency in Russia, lawyer says Edward Snowden’s lawyer said the whistleblower has been granted permanent residency in Russia, according to the AP. The AP reports: Snowden, a former contractor with the U.S. National Security Agency, has been living in Russia since 2013 to escape prosecution in the U.S. after leaking classified documents detailing government surveillance programs.
‘Today, Snowden was handed a residency permit for an unlimited period of time,’ his Russian lawyer Anatoly Kucherena told Russia’s state Tass news agency. Kucherena told the Interfax news agency that the application was submitted in April, but because of the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown restrictions, it took immigration authorities more time to consider it. Snowden was able to obtain permanent residency rights because of the changes in Russia’s immigration laws made in 2019, the lawyer said. Trump said in August that he would consider a pardon for Snowden, despite previously criticizing the whistleblower as a “traitor.” “There are many, many people — it seems to be a split decision — many people think that he should be somehow be treated differently and other people think he did very bad things,” Trump said at the time. “I’m going to take a very good look at it.”
22 Oct 2020 21.38 BST In a possible preview of tonight’s debate, the Trump campaign just held a press call that was exclusively devoted to attacking Hunter Biden. .@tamarakeithNPR asks @RichardGrenell about debate prep. He answers by asking whether Keith has covered the emails
Keith notes she covers the Trump campaign, not Biden campaign
extensive back and forth, then
"Don't be homophobic," Grenell says, when Keith presses him — Tom LoBianco (@tomlobianco) October 22, 2020 When reporters tried to press Trump adviser Richard Grenell on the president’s debate preparation, Grenell kept trying to steer the conversation back to Joe Biden’s son. Grenell asked reporters whether they had written about Hunter Biden’s emails, prompting one reporter to note that she covers the Trump campaign, not the Biden campaign. After the reporter continued to press Grenell, who is openly gay, he accused her of being homophobic.
22 Oct 2020 21.26 BST The president is reportedly pushing for quick declassification of a document disputing the intelligence community’s conclusion that Russia interfered in the 2016 election to help Trump. Reuters reports: U.S. President Donald Trump and his intelligence chief have pushed for quick declassification of a document disputing the 2017 intelligence community finding that Russia acted to help Trump get elected in 2016, three U.S. government officials familiar with the matter told Reuters on Thursday.
But their effort faces strong objections from inside the intelligence agencies, two officials said on condition of anonymity given the sensitivity of the matter. One reason for their opposition is the proximity of the Nov. 3 election. The intelligence community has concluded Russia’s 2016 election interference was aimed at bolstering Trump’s chances of victory, a finding that was unanimously affirmed by the Republican-led Senate intelligence committee. Intelligence officials have also said Russia is working to damage Joe Biden’s presidential bid in this year’s election.
22 Oct 2020 21.12 BST Trump plans to bring one of Hunter Biden’s former business associates as a guest to tonight’s debate, according to reports. Trump aides have been telling people that the big surprise in store for tonight's debate is he's bringing Tony Bobulinski, the former Hunter Biden business associate, as a guest tonight.
They're hoping to spring this on Biden, the way he brought Bill Clinton accusers in 2016 — Edward-Isaac Dovere (@IsaacDovere) October 22, 2020 The debate invitation to Tony Bobulinski is clearly meant to rattle Joe Biden, but it’s unclear whether it will be successful, given the Biden campaign has made clear the nominee is prepared to respond to attacks on his family. Trump’s move was reminiscent of his decision to invite women who had accused Bill Clinton of sexual misconduct to his second debate against Hillary Clinton in 2016. The move was not successful then, as Hillary Clinton was widely considered to have “won” the debates, and it seems even less likely to be successful now, given Bobulinski is far less well-known than some of Bill Clinton’s accusers, such as Paula Jones.
22 Oct 2020 20.56 BST Russia has hacked into state and local computer networks, intelligence officials say - report Intelligence officials told the New York Times that Russia has hacked into state and local computer networks in recent days, providing clues about the Kremlin’s efforts to interfere in the US presidential election. The Times reports: While senior Trump administration officials said this week that Iran has been actively interfering in the presidential election, many intelligence officials said they remained far more concerned about Russia, which has in recent days hacked into state and local computer networks in breaches that could allow Moscow broader access to American voting infrastructure.
The discovery of the hacks came as American intelligence agencies, infiltrating Russian networks themselves, have pieced together details of what they believe are Russia’s plans to interfere in the presidential race in its final days or immediately after the election on Nov. 3. Officials did not make clear what Russia planned to do, but they said its operations would be intended to help President Trump, potentially by exacerbating disputes around the results, especially if the race is too close to call. There is no evidence that the Russians have changed any vote tallies or voter registration information, officials said. They added that the Russian-backed hackers had penetrated the computer networks without taking further action, as they did in 2016. But American officials expect that if the presidential race is not called on election night, Russian groups could use their knowledge of local computer systems to deface websites, release nonpublic information or take similar steps that could sow chaos and doubts about the integrity of the results, according to American officials briefed on the intelligence.


theguardian--2020-10-22--Jennifer Lawrence: I voted for John McCain rather than Barack Obama

The actor Jennifer Lawrence used to vote Republican , she has revealed .
Speaking on the Absolutely Not podcast , Lawrence told host Heather McMahan she “ grew up Republican .
My first time voting , I voted for John McCain .
I was a little Republican.
” Lawrence said she remained grateful for her upbringing as it enabled her to “ see the fiscal benefits of some of the Republican policies ” while also noting that her and the party ’ s views on social issues “ weren ’ t in line ” .
“ When Donald Trump got @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” said Lawrence .
“ This is an impeached president who ’ s broken many laws and refused to condemn white supremacy and it feels there ’ s been a line drawn in the sand.
” Despite not voting for him the first time around , Lawrence said she reflected fondly on the years when Barack Obama was in power , saying : “ You would go days without thinking about the president.
” Speaking before Trump ’ s election in 2016 , Lawrence said she couldn ’ t “ imagine supporting a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s basic rights .
It ’ s 2015 and gay people can get married and we think that we ’ ve come so far , so , yay !
But have we ?
I don ’ t want to stay quiet about that stuff.
” She also expressed the view that “ if Donald Trump is president of the United States , it will be the end of the world .
And he ’ s also the best thing to happen to the Democrats ever.
” Earlier this month , Lawrence endorsed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s election saying : “ Voting is the foundation of our democracy and our freedom .
And I would consider this upcoming election the most consequential of our lifetime .
“ Donald Trump has and will continue to put himself before the safety and well-being of America .
He does not represent my values as an American , and most importantly as a human being.
” For the past three years , Lawrence has also served on the board of RepresentUs , which she described as “ an incredible non-partisan movement and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s broken political system , and put power back in the hands of the American people .
”

The actor Jennifer Lawrence used to vote Republican, she has revealed. Speaking on Dear Media’s Absolutely Not podcast, Lawrence told host Heather McMahan she “grew up Republican. My first time voting, I voted for John McCain. I was a little Republican.”
Lawrence said she remained grateful for her upbringing as it enabled her to “see the fiscal benefits of some of the Republican policies” while also noting that her and the party’s views on social issues “weren’t in line”.
“When Donald Trump got elected, that just changed everything,” said Lawrence. “This is an impeached president who’s broken many laws and refused to condemn white supremacy and it feels there’s been a line drawn in the sand.”
Despite not voting for him the first time around, Lawrence said she reflected fondly on the years when Barack Obama was in power, saying: “You would go days without thinking about the president.”
Speaking before Trump’s election in 2016, Lawrence said she couldn’t “imagine supporting a party that doesn’t support women’s basic rights. It’s 2015 and gay people can get married and we think that we’ve come so far, so, yay! But have we? I don’t want to stay quiet about that stuff.”
She also expressed the view that “if Donald Trump is president of the United States, it will be the end of the world. And he’s also the best thing to happen to the Democrats ever.”
Earlier this month, Lawrence endorsed Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in November’s election saying: “Voting is the foundation of our democracy and our freedom. And I would consider this upcoming election the most consequential of our lifetime.
“Donald Trump has and will continue to put himself before the safety and well-being of America. He does not represent my values as an American, and most importantly as a human being.”
For the past three years, Lawrence has also served on the board of RepresentUs, which she described as “an incredible non-partisan movement and anti-corruption organisation working to unrig America’s broken political system, and put power back in the hands of the American people.”


theguardian--2020-10-22--Latinos the targets of election disinformation – but activists are fighting back

Messages that paint Joe Biden as a socialist spreading among conservative Latinos from Cuba and Venezuela .
Conspiracy theories on YouTube about Barack Obama in Spanish .
Billboards and posters falsely claiming that voting by mail is illegal in Texas .
Ahead of election day , Latinos are seeing not just more political ads but also plenty of disinformation .
“ We usually see this kind of information disorder in locations with a large Latinx population , such as Miami , Houston or Los Angeles , ” said Daniel Acosta Ramos , an investigative researcher at the non-profit First Draft @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confusion , doubt and fear around voting is nothing new during campaigns , but social media make it easier to generate and spread .
Latinos in particular are targets because they are a critical voting bloc , especially in battlegrounds such as Florida , Arizona and Texas .
In Florida , 20 % of eligible voters in 2018 were Hispanic , nearly double the share in 2000 , according to Pew Research .
In Arizona , Hispanics accounted for 24 % of all eligible voters in 2018 .
Latinos are also politically diverse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to vote Republican , while Puerto Ricans lean Democrat – so dissuading voting in Latino communities , even subtly , could tip an election .
There are several types of digital voting disinformation , such as giving the wrong time , place or manner of voting , according to democracy watchdog Common Cause .
And during Covid-19 , when normal routines are disrupted , online disinformation tactics are “ much more believable and have a greater impact today than any other election cycle ” , said Jesse Littlewood , vice-president at Common Cause @ @ @ @ @ @ @ real-world effects .
In Arizona , early voting began early this month and “ there has already been the feeling of intimidation at the polls when Trump supporters show up at the same time , ” said Hector Sanchez Barba , chief executive of Mi Familia Vota , the Latino civic engagement non-profit .
Instances of intimidating Latino voters are fueled by false but divisive disinformation that undocumented immigrants are voting illegally .
There are also false narratives about vote rigging , conspiracy theories or intimidation , such as telling people immigration authorities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Debbie Mucarsel-Powell of Florida and Joaquín Castro of Texas in September asked the FBI to investigate disinformation targeting Latinos in Florida .
Their letter noted a surge in social media posts with “ false or misleading information ” , as well as disinformation ads in mainstream newspapers and radio .
It cited an insert in El Nuevo Herald , a Spanish-language publication of the Miami Herald , that “ equated Black Lives Matter protesters with Nazis ” .
A Florida radio station aired views that a victory by Biden “ would mean that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ led by Jews and Blacks ” .
Civic and advocacy groups are fighting back .
The non-profit Voto Latino encourages its young audience to relay correct information to older relatives who may not have the language or internet skills to find reliable sources .
It has also trained its staff to spot online disinformation and report it to the watchdog group Disinfo Defense League .
One Voto Latino Instagram post refuted inaccurate statistics about Covid-19 deaths with an explicit FALSE stamp across the image .
“ One person empowered and motivated to counter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their personal networks , ” said Danny Turkel , communications manager at Voto Latino .
Turkel has heard feedback from young people such as : “ ‘ My abuelita said this and I knew it was wrong .
Then I showed her something from Voto Latino.
’ ” Meanwhile , despite the disinformation tactics , there are already signs of strong Latino voter turnout .
Voto Latino alone has registered more than 500,000 voters since mid-2019 .
That ’ s more than total registrations since the organization was founded in 2004 .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coalition , noted that there are already “ huge levels ” of early voting with people sending back ballots .
“ People are very motivated to vote , ” said Jenifer Fernandez Ancona , vice-president at Way to Win .
For many outreach efforts , the best way to cut through the disinformation , and reach voters is to focus on relationships .
Latinos tend to be more receptive when information comes from trusted local and known sources – such as community organizations , relatives and church leaders .
Information from personal contacts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Latino communities , even though it is a hotbed for misinformation because its encrypted messages can ’ t be easily tracked .
“ The person they want to hear from is a neighbour , pastor , the guy they went to high school with , ” said Kristian Ramos , a Democratic strategist with Autonomous Strategies .
“ They want to know : ‘ Are you from my community ?
Are you from here ?
Can I trust you ?
’ ”

Messages that paint Joe Biden as a socialist spreading among conservative Latinos from Cuba and Venezuela. Conspiracy theories on YouTube about Barack Obama in Spanish. Billboards and posters falsely claiming that voting by mail is illegal in Texas.
Ahead of election day, Latinos are seeing not just more political ads but also plenty of disinformation.
“We usually see this kind of information disorder in locations with a large Latinx population, such as Miami, Houston or Los Angeles,” said Daniel Acosta Ramos, an investigative researcher at the non-profit First Draft.
Disinformation as a means of causing confusion, doubt and fear around voting is nothing new during campaigns, but social media make it easier to generate and spread. Latinos in particular are targets because they are a critical voting bloc, especially in battlegrounds such as Florida, Arizona and Texas.
In Florida, 20% of eligible voters in 2018 were Hispanic, nearly double the share in 2000, according to Pew Research. In Arizona, Hispanics accounted for 24% of all eligible voters in 2018. Latinos are also politically diverse – for example, Cuban Americans tend to vote Republican, while Puerto Ricans lean Democrat – so dissuading voting in Latino communities, even subtly, could tip an election.
There are several types of digital voting disinformation, such as giving the wrong time, place or manner of voting, according to democracy watchdog Common Cause. And during Covid-19, when normal routines are disrupted, online disinformation tactics are “much more believable and have a greater impact today than any other election cycle”, said Jesse Littlewood, vice-president at Common Cause, in a webinar organized by PEN America, the advocacy group.
That has real-world effects. In Arizona, early voting began early this month and “there has already been the feeling of intimidation at the polls when Trump supporters show up at the same time,” said Hector Sanchez Barba, chief executive of Mi Familia Vota, the Latino civic engagement non-profit.
Instances of intimidating Latino voters are fueled by false but divisive disinformation that undocumented immigrants are voting illegally. There are also false narratives about vote rigging, conspiracy theories or intimidation, such as telling people immigration authorities will patrol polling stations.
US representatives Debbie Mucarsel-Powell of Florida and Joaquín Castro of Texas in September asked the FBI to investigate disinformation targeting Latinos in Florida. Their letter noted a surge in social media posts with “false or misleading information”, as well as disinformation ads in mainstream newspapers and radio.
It cited an insert in El Nuevo Herald, a Spanish-language publication of the Miami Herald, that “equated Black Lives Matter protesters with Nazis”. A Florida radio station aired views that a victory by Biden “would mean that the US would fall into a dictatorship led by Jews and Blacks”.
Civic and advocacy groups are fighting back. The non-profit Voto Latino encourages its young audience to relay correct information to older relatives who may not have the language or internet skills to find reliable sources. It has also trained its staff to spot online disinformation and report it to the watchdog group Disinfo Defense League. One Voto Latino Instagram post refuted inaccurate statistics about Covid-19 deaths with an explicit FALSE stamp across the image.
“One person empowered and motivated to counter misinformation can have a huge impact in their personal networks,” said Danny Turkel, communications manager at Voto Latino. Turkel has heard feedback from young people such as: “‘My abuelita said this and I knew it was wrong. Then I showed her something from Voto Latino.’”
Meanwhile, despite the disinformation tactics, there are already signs of strong Latino voter turnout. Voto Latino alone has registered more than 500,000 voters since mid-2019. That’s more than total registrations since the organization was founded in 2004.
And Way to Win, a non-profit progressive coalition, noted that there are already “huge levels” of early voting with people sending back ballots. “People are very motivated to vote,” said Jenifer Fernandez Ancona, vice-president at Way to Win.
For many outreach efforts, the best way to cut through the disinformation, and reach voters is to focus on relationships. Latinos tend to be more receptive when information comes from trusted local and known sources – such as community organizations, relatives and church leaders.
Information from personal contacts is especially important because WhatsApp is popular in Latino communities, even though it is a hotbed for misinformation because its encrypted messages can’t be easily tracked.
“The person they want to hear from is a neighbour, pastor, the guy they went to high school with,” said Kristian Ramos, a Democratic strategist with Autonomy Strategies. “They want to know: ‘Are you from my community? Are you from here? Can I trust you?’”


theguardian--2020-10-22--US Senate elections: the key races that will determine power in Washington

While the world ’ s attention is on Donald Trump ’ s attempt to win re-election as president over challenger Joe Biden , the battle for the US Senate that will culminate on 3 November is equally dramatic .
Even if Biden defeats Trump , he will be unable to pass legislation on key issues such as healthcare , immigration and climate change unless the Democrats simultaneously seize the Senate , where the Republicans now have a 47-53 majority .
The Democrats could pull it off .
Democratic challengers in two states , Arizona and Colorado , appear to have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , while only one Democratic incumbent , in Alabama , looks especially vulnerable , according to the latest forecast from the Cook Political Report .
The number of additional seats the Democrats need to win for a voting majority depends on who wins the White House , since any Senate tie of 50-50 is broken by the sitting vice-president .
If Trump wins re-election , the Democrats probably need three states , in addition to Arizona and Colorado , for the majority ; if Biden wins , the Democrats probably need only two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is enough time for races not mentioned here to shift and change the calculus .
Where will those seats come from ?
There are seven races currently judged as tossups by the Cook Political Report ’ s Senate forecasts .
The Democrats ’ top targets are Maine , North Carolina and Iowa .
In all three races , incumbent Republicans appear to be weighed down by the unpopularity of Trump , while their Democratic opponents could benefit from high turnout among voters who wish to see Trump defeated .
Broad demographic trends are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with fewer women saying they will support Trump in 2020 , suburban voters likewise abandoning him , according to the polls , and support for Trump falling off even among whites without a college degree .
In Maine , the longtime Republican incumbent Susan Collins appears at last to have fallen out with the electorate , a majority of whom say they disapprove of Collins ’ vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh , Trump ’ s second pick to join the supreme court .
In North Carolina , the Republican incumbent , Thom Tillis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the coronavirus crisis , while a majority of voters say they supported the state ’ s Democratic governor in his clash with Trump over public health rules for hosting the Republican national convention .
While the Republican Joni Ernst had looked difficult to beat earlier this election cycle , she also appears to have suffered from defending Trump ’ s pandemic policies , and challenger Theresa Greenfield has shown unexpected strength .
But with the campaign still ongoing , these and other races still have time to change .
Republicans are hoping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ court nominee Amy Coney Barrett will galvanize conservative voters , just as the fight over Kavanaugh did in the 2018 midterm elections .
And last-minute political fallout from the debates , the Covid crisis , the economy or some unforeseen twist could change the races yet again .

Ashley Kirk, Tom McCarthy and Helena Robertson

While the world’s attention is on Donald Trump’s attempt to win re-election as president over challenger Joe Biden, the battle for the US Senate that culminates on 3 November is equally dramatic.
Even if Biden defeats Trump, he will be unable to pass legislation on key issues such as healthcare, immigration and climate change unless the Democrats simultaneously seize the Senate, where the Republicans now have a 47-53 majority.
The Democrats could pull it off. Democratic challengers in two states, Arizona and Colorado, appear to have a good chance in defeating Republican incumbents, while only one Democratic incumbent, in Alabama, looks especially vulnerable, according to the latest forecast from the Cook Political Report.
The number of additional seats the Democrats need to win for a voting majority depends on who wins the White House, since any Senate tie of 50-50 is broken by the sitting vice-president. If Trump wins re-election, the Democrats probably need three states, in addition to Arizona and Colorado, for the majority; if Biden wins, the Democrats probably need only two more.
“Probably” because there is enough time for races not mentioned here to shift and change the calculus.
Where will those seats come from? There are seven races currently judged as tossups by the Cook Political Report’s Senate forecasts.
Top Democratic targets: the seven tossups
The Democrats’ top targets are Maine, North Carolina and Iowa.
In all three races, incumbent Republicans appear to be weighed down by the unpopularity of Trump, while their Democratic opponents could benefit from high turnout among voters who wish to see Trump defeated.
Broad demographic trends are also making trouble for Republicans nationally, with fewer women saying they will support Trump in 2020, suburban voters likewise abandoning him, according to the polls, and support for Trump falling off even among whites without a college degree.
In Maine, the longtime Republican incumbent Susan Collins appears at last to have fallen out with the electorate, a majority of whom say they disapprove of Collins’ vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh, Trump’s second pick to join the supreme court.
In North Carolina, the Republican incumbent, Thom Tillis, has defended Trump’s handling of the coronavirus crisis, while a majority of voters say they supported the state’s Democratic governor in his clash with Trump over public health rules for hosting the Republican national convention.
While the Republican Joni Ernst had looked difficult to beat earlier this election cycle, she also appears to have suffered from defending Trump’s pandemic policies, and challenger Theresa Greenfield has shown unexpected strength.
With the campaign in its final week, there is still a chance that these and other races will change course – although time is running out for the Republicans to turn the tide.


theguardian--2020-10-22--'It affects everything': Hawaii residents demand transparency over Pearl Harbor munitions storage

A munitions storage complex being planned by the US army in Hawaii to help counter Chinese influence in the Pacific is running into local opposition .
In July , the US secretary of defense , Mark Esper , called for prioritizing resources , including long-range precision weapons , to the Indo-Pacific region , a reflection of a US shift toward what it calls great power competition with China and Russia .
As part of this long-term strategic competition , the army has unveiled plans to consolidate its munitions storage along the West Loch section of Pearl Harbor on Oahu .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ assessment ( EA ) released by the navy , show the new facility would be built less than a mile from densely populated neighborhoods in the community of Ewa .
Human rights lawyer Poka Laenui lives less than a mile from the Lualualei Annex in the rural district home to many Native Hawaiians .
He said communities that host munitions storage facilities are routinely dismissed and ignored by the military .
“ When you ’ re playing with the lives of everyone in Hawaii with that kind of stuff , you have to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are being affected , ” Laenui said .
He asked how the public can make sound decisions when they are denied information .
Construction is slated to begin in 2022 on a facility intended to improve army “ operational efficiencies ” .
The 62-acre site would include 35 earth-covered reinforced concrete storage magazines and operational support facilities within the 4,092 acre West Loch ammunition depot .
If completed , the proposed facility would allow for the consolidation of munitions stockpiled at the ageing Lualualei Annex , a storage complex built in the 1930s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at West Loch , the navy said , would improve safety by reducing the need to transport military-grade explosives on public roads .
Immediately adjacent to the proposed munitions storage facility is Ewa Gentry , one of West Loch ’ s largest new residential developments with over 8,000 homes and hundreds more planned .
Debbie Luning , the Gentry Homes director for community relations , said the developer wants assurance that the munitions storage will not jeopardize public health or safety .
“ Because of the pandemic , there has been inadequate public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the project , ” she said , calling for a decision on the location of the facility to be postponed “ until it can be properly presented to the area residents ” .
John Rogers , an Ewa neighborhood board member , also sits on the board of a homeowners association representing 720 homes immediately north of West Loch .
Rogers , a retired navy petty officer , said the community had not been given adequate opportunity to ask questions .
When he requested a public meeting with the navy , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the process .
Rogers said , “ I still don ’ t believe that the Ewa community as a whole knows what ’ s going on.
” In an email , a navy spokesperson said , “ The safety of community residents is of the utmost importance , and explosive safety is calculated with extreme care and scrutiny.
” But the navy considers ammunition types and amounts sensitive information and does not disclose calculations to the public .
According to the navy , which controls the land , impacts to public health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and other criteria would be “ negligible or nonexistent ” and so possible effects on air quality , hazardous wastes and materials , noise , water , marine biological and other resources were not analyzed in detail .
But a growing number of Ewa residents have questions and say an environmental assessment is insufficient .
They want the military to prepare a more rigorous environmental impact statement and hold public meetings .
Until 30 years ago , much of the Ewa plain was planted in sugar cane and the population was small , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into Oahu ’ s second city and are home to many active-duty and retired military members and their families .
Today few residents are old enough to remember the military disaster of 1944 when 163 service members were killed and nearly 400 injured in a series of explosions at West Loch , which the military covered up until 1960 .
A second , deadlier munitions disaster occurred at the Port Chicago naval magazine in California less than two months later .
More recent military accidental explosions in Siberia and Ukraine , and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ serve as graphic reminders of potential dangers .
One Ewa resident who is alarmed by the site ’ s proximity to hundreds of homes and public thoroughfares is John Bond , a historian and army veteran .
He has been studying archival military documents and safety buffers called Explosive Safety Quantity Distance arcs in Hawaii and at other military sites .
Bond sees serious problems with West Loch and has documented his findings on a blog .
According to Bond , the explosive arc would not provide adequate protection from an explosion in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ military ammunition terminal in North Carolina with a three-to-four-mile arc and a more transparent process in which the public was told of potential impacts .
In Ewa , where crowded neighborhoods are less than one mile from a potential blast zone , Bond said that transparency was absent .
Bond thinks residents deserve to know what would be inside West Loch ’ s perimeter fence .
“ Nobody is telling people out here this .
The public needs to know , ” Bond said .
“ This affects everything – insurance , disclosure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , homes , codes , schools.
” West Loch has been ignored for years , Bond said .
“ Nobody really understood or maybe didn ’ t want to know what was there .
It didn ’ t affect their daily life , but that ’ s all going to change.
” The Hawaii state senators Kurt Fevella and Mike Gabbard represent neighboring districts that border West Loch .
Both have requested public meetings and more transparency .
Gabbard said his constituents were not anti-military , but called the lack of response “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the navy said public meetings were not required under federal law for environmental assessments .
Instead the navy prefers to engage with neighborhood boards through a liaison .
A navy spokesperson added that the environmental assessment was on the army and navy public websites ( it has since been removed ) with print copies available in public libraries .
Unanswered questions have also fueled suspicion that former nuclear weapons storage sites on Oahu may still or will again house nuclear weapons .
Hans Kristensen , the director of the Nuclear Information Project at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that idea .
“ The rumors are false , ” he said by email .
According to Kristensen , all nuclear weapons were withdrawn from Hawaii to the continental US in the early 1990s and the site denuclearized .
The air force does not store nuclear weapons in Hawaii , Kristensen said , and navy tactical nuclear weapons were scrapped in the 1990s .
A spokesman for the US Indo-Pacific Command would neither confirm nor deny the presence of nuclear weapons and the navy declined to comment on what kind of conventional munitions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leaving residents to speculate and search for answers on their own .

A munitions storage complex being planned by the US army in Hawaii to help counter Chinese influence in the Pacific is running into local opposition.
In July, the US secretary of defense, Mark Esper, called for prioritizing resources, including long-range precision weapons, to the Indo-Pacific region, a reflection of a US shift toward what it calls great power competition with China and Russia.
As part of this long-term strategic competition, the army has unveiled plans to consolidate its munitions storage along the West Loch section of Pearl Harbor on Oahu.
But plans outlined in the draft environmental assessment (EA) released by the navy, show the new facility would be built less than a mile from densely populated neighborhoods in the community of Ewa.
Human rights lawyer Poka Laenui lives less than a mile from the Lualualei Annex in the rural district home to many Native Hawaiians. He said communities that host munitions storage facilities are routinely dismissed and ignored by the military.
“When you’re playing with the lives of everyone in Hawaii with that kind of stuff, you have to have participation by the people whose lives are being affected,” Laenui said. He asked how the public can make sound decisions when they are denied information.
Construction is slated to begin in 2022 on a facility intended to improve army “operational efficiencies”. The 62-acre site would include 35 earth-covered reinforced concrete storage magazines and operational support facilities within the 4,092 acre West Loch ammunition depot.
If completed, the proposed facility would allow for the consolidation of munitions stockpiled at the ageing Lualualei Annex, a storage complex built in the 1930s on west Oahu. A new facility at West Loch, the navy said, would improve safety by reducing the need to transport military-grade explosives on public roads.
Home on the firing range
Immediately adjacent to the proposed munitions storage facility is Ewa Gentry, one of West Loch’s largest new residential developments with over 8,000 homes and hundreds more planned. Debbie Luning, the Gentry Homes director for community relations, said the developer wants assurance that the munitions storage will not jeopardize public health or safety.
“Because of the pandemic, there has been inadequate public outreach to provide the community with details of the project,” she said, calling for a decision on the location of the facility to be postponed “until it can be properly presented to the area residents”.
I still don’t believe that the Ewa community as a whole knows what’s going on John Rogers
John Rogers, an Ewa neighborhood board member, also sits on the board of a homeowners association representing 720 homes immediately north of West Loch. Rogers, a retired navy petty officer, said the community had not been given adequate opportunity to ask questions. When he requested a public meeting with the navy, he was told a presentation was not part of the process.
Rogers said, “I still don’t believe that the Ewa community as a whole knows what’s going on.”
In an email, a navy spokesperson said, “The safety of community residents is of the utmost importance, and explosive safety is calculated with extreme care and scrutiny.” But the navy considers ammunition types and amounts sensitive information and does not disclose calculations to the public.
According to the navy, which controls the land, impacts to public health and safety, socioeconomics, environmental justice and other criteria would be “negligible or nonexistent” and so possible effects on air quality, hazardous wastes and materials, noise, water, marine biological and other resources were not analyzed in detail.
But a growing number of Ewa residents have questions and say an environmental assessment is insufficient. They want the military to prepare a more rigorous environmental impact statement and hold public meetings.
Rapid growth
Until 30 years ago, much of the Ewa plain was planted in sugar cane and the population was small, but Ewa and neighboring Kapolei have swelled into Oahu’s second city and are home to many active-duty and retired military members and their families.
Today few residents are old enough to remember the military disaster of 1944 when 163 service members were killed and nearly 400 injured in a series of explosions at West Loch, which the military covered up until 1960. A second, deadlier munitions disaster occurred at the Port Chicago naval magazine in California less than two months later. More recent military accidental explosions in Siberia and Ukraine, and the non-military explosion in Beirut in August, serve as graphic reminders of potential dangers.
One Ewa resident who is alarmed by the site’s proximity to hundreds of homes and public thoroughfares is John Bond, a historian and army veteran. He has been studying archival military documents and safety buffers called Explosive Safety Quantity Distance arcs in Hawaii and at other military sites. Bond sees serious problems with West Loch and has documented his findings on a blog.
All nuclear weapons were withdrawn from Hawaii to the continental US in the early 1990s. Photograph: Alamy
According to Bond, the explosive arc would not provide adequate protection from an explosion in the facility. He points to a military ammunition terminal in North Carolina with a three-to-four-mile arc and a more transparent process in which the public was told of potential impacts. In Ewa, where crowded neighborhoods are less than one mile from a potential blast zone, Bond said that transparency was absent.
Bond thinks residents deserve to know what would be inside West Loch’s perimeter fence. “Nobody is telling people out here this. The public needs to know,” Bond said. “This affects everything – insurance, disclosure to potential home buyers, land development, homes, codes, schools.”
West Loch has been ignored for years, Bond said. “Nobody really understood or maybe didn’t want to know what was there. It didn’t affect their daily life, but that’s all going to change.”
Findings of no significant impact
The Hawaii state senators Kurt Fevella and Mike Gabbard represent neighboring districts that border West Loch. Both have requested public meetings and more transparency. Gabbard said his constituents were not anti-military, but called the lack of response “frustrating”.
In an email, the navy said public meetings were not required under federal law for environmental assessments. Instead the navy prefers to engage with neighborhood boards through a liaison. A navy spokesperson added that the environmental assessment was on the army and navy public websites (it has since been removed) with print copies available in public libraries.
Unanswered questions have also fueled suspicion that former nuclear weapons storage sites on Oahu may still or will again house nuclear weapons. Hans Kristensen, the director of the Nuclear Information Project at the Federation of American Scientists, rejected that idea. “The rumors are false,” he said by email.
According to Kristensen, all nuclear weapons were withdrawn from Hawaii to the continental US in the early 1990s and the site denuclearized. The air force does not store nuclear weapons in Hawaii, Kristensen said, and navy tactical nuclear weapons were scrapped in the 1990s.
A spokesman for the US Indo-Pacific Command would neither confirm nor deny the presence of nuclear weapons and the navy declined to comment on what kind of conventional munitions would be stored at West Loch, leaving residents to speculate and search for answers on their own.


theguardian--2020-10-22--Electoral college explained: how Biden faces an uphill battle in the US election

Who elects the US president ?
When Americans cast their ballots for the US president , they are actually voting for a representative of that candidate ’ s party known as an elector .
There are 538 electors who then vote for the president on behalf of the people in their state .
Each state is assigned a certain number of these electoral votes , based on the number of congressional districts they have , plus two additional votes representing the state ’ s Senate seats .
Washington DC is also assigned three electoral votes , despite having no voting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 270 of these votes is needed to win the presidency .
The process of nominating electors varies by state and by party , but is generally done one of two ways .
Ahead of the election , political parties either choose electors at their national conventions , or they are voted for by the party ’ s central committee .
The electoral college nearly always operates with a winner-takes-all system , in which the candidate with the highest number of votes in a state claims all of that state ’ s electoral votes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump beat Clinton in Florida by a margin of just 2.2 % , but that meant he claimed all 29 of Florida ’ s crucial electoral votes .
Such small margins in a handful of key swing states meant that , regardless of Clinton ’ s national vote lead , Trump was able to clinch victory in several swing states and therefore win more electoral college votes .
Biden could face the same hurdle in November , meaning he will need to focus his attention on a handful of battleground states to win @ @ @ @ @ @ @ electoral votes a state is assigned somewhat reflects its population , the minimum of three votes per state means that the relative value of electoral votes varies across America .
The least populous states like North and South Dakota and the smaller states of New England are overrepresented because of the required minimum of three electoral votes .
Meanwhile , the states with the most people – California , Texas and Florida – are underrepresented in the electoral college .
Wyoming has one electoral college vote for every 193,000 people , compared with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote per 718,000 people .
This means that each electoral vote in California represents over three times as many people as one in Wyoming .
These disparities are repeated across the country .
Who does it favour ?
Experts have warned that , after returning two presidents that got fewer votes than their opponents since 2000 , the electoral college is flawed .
In 2000 , Al Gore won over half a million more votes than Bush , yet Bush became president after winning Florida by just 537 votes .
In all , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lost the overall popular vote but won the election .
Professor George Edwards III , at Texas A & M University , said : “ The electoral college violates the core tenet of democracy , that all votes count equally and allows the candidate finishing second to win the election .
Why hold an election if we do not care who received the most votes ?
“ At the moment , the electoral college favours Republicans because of the way Republican votes are distributed across the country .
They are more likely to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between the parties.
” Under the winner-takes-all system , the margin of victory in a state becomes irrelevant .
In 2016 , Clinton ’ s substantial margins in states such as California and New York failed to earn her enough electoral votes , while close races in the battleground states of Pennsylvania and Michigan took Trump over the 270 majority .
As candidates easily win the electoral votes of their solid states , the election plays out in a handful of key battlegrounds .
In 2016 , Trump won six such states - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Pennsylvania and Wisconsin – adding 99 electoral votes to his total .
The demographics of these states differ from the national average .
They are older , have more white voters without college degrees , and often have smaller non-white populations .
These characteristics generally favour Republicans , and made up the base of Trump ’ s votes in 2016 .
For example , 67 % of non-college-educated white people voted for Trump in 2016 .
In all six swing states , this demographic is overrepresented by at least six percentage points @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alternative systems for electing the president have been proposed and grown in favour , as many seek to change or abolish the electoral college .
Two states – Maine and Nebraska – already use a different method of assigning their electoral college votes .
The two “ Senate ” votes go to the state-wide popular vote winner , but the remaining district votes are awarded to the winner of that district .
However , implementing this congressional district method across the country could result in greater bias than the current system .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election , and the distribution of voters would still strongly favour Republicans .
The National Popular Vote Compact ( NPVC ) is another option , in which each state would award all of its electoral college votes in line with the national popular vote .
If enough states signed up to this agreement to reach the 270 majority , the candidate who gained the most votes nationwide would always win the presidency .
However , the NPVC has more practical issues .
Professor Norman Williams , from Willamette University , questioned how a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the NPVC , and said that partisanship highlighted its major flaws .
Only Democratic states are currently signed up , but support could simply switch in the future if a Republican candidate faces winning the popular vote but not the presidency .
The NPVC is a solution that would elect the president with the most votes without the difficulty of abolishing the electoral college that is enshrined in the constitution .
The current system is also vulnerable to distorted outcomes through actions such as gerrymandering .
This practice involves precisely redrawing the borders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a party .
The result being abnormally shaped districts that disenfranchise certain groups of voters .
Today , an amendment that would replace the college with a direct national popular vote is seen by many as the fairest electoral system .
According to Professor Edwards III , “ There is only one appropriate way to elect the president : add up all the votes and declare the candidate receiving the most votes the winner .
”

Helena Robertson, Ashley Kirk and Frank Hulley-Jones

Who elects the US president?
When Americans cast their ballots for the US president, they are actually voting for a representative of that candidate’s party known as an elector. There are 538 electors who then vote for the president on behalf of the people in their state.
Each state is assigned a certain number of these electoral votes, based on the number of congressional districts they have, plus two additional votes representing the state’s Senate seats. Washington DC is also assigned three electoral votes, despite having no voting representation in Congress. A majority of 270 of these votes is needed to win the presidency.
The process of nominating electors varies by state and by party, but is generally done one of two ways. Ahead of the election, political parties either choose electors at their national conventions, or they are voted for by the party’s central committee.
The electoral college nearly always operates with a winner-takes-all system, in which the candidate with the highest number of votes in a state claims all of that state’s electoral votes. For example, in 2016, Trump beat Clinton in Florida by a margin of just 2.2%, but that meant he claimed all 29 of Florida’s crucial electoral votes.
Such small margins in a handful of key swing states meant that, regardless of Clinton’s national vote lead, Trump was able to clinch victory in several swing states and therefore win more electoral college votes.
Biden could face the same hurdle in November, meaning he will need to focus his attention on a handful of battleground states to win the presidency.
The unequal distribution of electoral votes
While the number of electoral votes a state is assigned somewhat reflects its population, the minimum of three votes per state means that the relative value of electoral votes varies across America.
The least populous states like North and South Dakota and the smaller states of New England are overrepresented because of the required minimum of three electoral votes. Meanwhile, the states with the most people – California, Texas and Florida – are underrepresented in the electoral college.
Wyoming has one electoral college vote for every 193,000 people, compared with California’s rate of one electoral vote per 718,000 people. This means that each electoral vote in California represents over three times as many people as one in Wyoming. These disparities are repeated across the country.
Who does it favour?
Experts have warned that, after returning two presidents that got fewer votes than their opponents since 2000, the electoral college is flawed.
In 2000, Al Gore won over half a million more votes than Bush, yet Bush became president after winning Florida by just 537 votes. In all, the US has had five presidents who lost the overall popular vote but won the election.
Professor George Edwards III, at Texas A&M University, said: “The electoral college violates the core tenet of democracy, that all votes count equally and allows the candidate finishing second to win the election. Why hold an election if we do not care who received the most votes?
“At the moment, the electoral college favours Republicans because of the way Republican votes are distributed across the country. They are more likely to occur in states that are closely divided between the parties.”
Under the winner-takes-all system, the margin of victory in a state becomes irrelevant. In 2016, Clinton’s substantial margins in states such as California and New York failed to earn her enough electoral votes, while close races in the battleground states of Pennsylvania and Michigan took Trump over the 270 majority.
As candidates easily win the electoral votes of their solid states, the election plays out in a handful of key battlegrounds. In 2016, Trump won six such states - Florida, Iowa, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin – adding 99 electoral votes to his total.
The demographics of these states differ from the national average. They are older, have more white voters without college degrees, and often have smaller non-white populations. These characteristics generally favour Republicans, and made up the base of Trump’s votes in 2016.
For example, 67% of non-college-educated white people voted for Trump in 2016. In all six swing states, this demographic is overrepresented by at least six percentage points more than the national average.
Trump's core demographics are over-represented in swing states The key battlegrounds where Trump was elected in 2016 have a higher percentage of white population than the average US state. Out of these, white non-college-educated are more over-represented than college-educated voters. Lower than average non-white populations favour Republicans. Most of Florida’s Cuban-American community also voted Trump in 2016. These states have larger elderly populations. Older voters have reliably voted Republican in recent elections. Guardian graphic. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2014-2018 American community survey five-year estimates
The alternatives
Several alternative systems for electing the president have been proposed and grown in favour, as many seek to change or abolish the electoral college.
Two states – Maine and Nebraska – already use a different method of assigning their electoral college votes. The two “Senate” votes go to the state-wide popular vote winner, but the remaining district votes are awarded to the winner of that district. However, implementing this congressional district method across the country could result in greater bias than the current system. The popular vote winner could still lose the election, and the distribution of voters would still strongly favour Republicans.
The National Popular Vote Compact (NPVC) is another option, in which each state would award all of its electoral college votes in line with the national popular vote. If enough states signed up to this agreement to reach the 270 majority, the candidate who gained the most votes nationwide would always win the presidency.
However, the NPVC has more practical issues. Professor Norman Williams, from Willamette University, questioned how a nationwide recount would be carried out under the NPVC, and said that partisanship highlighted its major flaws. Only Democratic states are currently signed up, but support could simply switch in the future if a Republican candidate faces winning the popular vote but not the presidency.
The NPVC is a solution that would elect the president with the most votes without the difficulty of abolishing the electoral college that is enshrined in the constitution.
The current system is also vulnerable to distorted outcomes through actions such as gerrymandering. This practice involves precisely redrawing the borders of districts to concentrate support in favour of a party. The result being abnormally shaped districts that disenfranchise certain groups of voters.
Today, an amendment that would replace the college with a direct national popular vote is seen by many as the fairest electoral system.
According to Professor Edwards III, “There is only one appropriate way to elect the president: add up all the votes and declare the candidate receiving the most votes the winner.”


theguardian--2020-10-22--Ohio and Pennsylvania helped elect Trump. But he betrayed us again and again | Bertram de Souza

Ever since the 31 August 2019 demise of the ( Youngstown ) Vindicator , a daily newspaper where I spent 40 years as a reporter , columnist , editorial writer and editorial page editor , I ’ ve written numerous commentaries and editorials about the presidency of Donald J Trump – all in my head .
Sadly , there isn ’ t an antidote for the death of the 150-year-old news institution , which blazed a journalistic trail in Ohio and western Pennsylvania .
On 1 November 2016 , the Vindicator published an editorial endorsing Hillary Clinton over Trump .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Clinton ’ s presidential bid , the newspaper ’ s editorial board believed that on the singularly important issue of leadership , the former secretary of state and US senator from New York stood head and shoulders above Trump , the self-styled billionaire .
The real-estate developer wore his racism , chauvinism , religious bigotry and anti-immigrant railings as badges of honor .
We warned our readers that a Trump presidency would roll back the progress made toward creating a more perfect union .
In our editorial endorsing Clinton , we wrote : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whose attitude toward women , minorities , the disabled and the press makes him clearly unqualified to be the leader of the greatest country on earth .
He lacks the temperament , the vision and the understanding of the role the president plays in domestic and international affairs .
He does not possess the steady hand of leadership that is demanded in times of upheaval and uncertainty.
” On 9 November 2016 , just days after the unfathomable outcome of the presidential election was announced , I wrote a column with the headline @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for snake-oil salesman.
” Actually , I slightly missed the mark : President Trump has not been peddling snake oil .
Rather , he has been the purveyor of political poison that has undermined the American people ’ s trust in democracy and shattered America ’ s reputation around the world as a beacon of freedom , stability and racial pluralism .
Similarly , Trump ’ s slash-and-burn politics and his virulent attack on the free legitimate press have served to remind us of his admiration for foreign dictators .
If the Vindicator @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as the editorial page editor to the owners of the newspaper for endorsing Joe Biden would be this : America is at a crossroads .
The re-election of Donald Trump will take this nation down a path of social and economic destruction that will exacerbate the racial and cultural divide he has fed over the last four years .
Trump ’ s mishandling of the coronavirus and his denigration of the medical and scientific communities – and his dismissive attitude toward the wearing of masks and social distancing , as evidenced by his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make him unworthy of a second term .
I would contend that America is in desperate need of an adult and a steady hand at the helm , which it would get with Biden as president .
Finally , I would argue that Trump lied to the people of the Mahoning Valley .
In July 2017 , Trump hosted a rally in Youngstown , Ohio , to show his appreciation to the multitude of former Democrats – mostly white , male , blue-collar workers who have fallen victim to the new technology-based globalized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote for him .
Trump promised to rebuild the huge steel-producing factories that once dotted the banks of the Mahoning River , and to bolster the American automobile industry that was a mainstay of the region ’ s economy for more than 50 years .
He told those gathered not to sell their homes and not to move .
He said the return of steel-making was imminent , and that he would ensure the expansion of General Motors ’ massive car assembly plant in the region .
Here ’ s what has actually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been built in the past four years .
And , in March 2019 , General Motors closed its compact car-making plant in Lordstown , eliminating 4,500 high-paying jobs .
The giant automaker shrugged off the president ’ s threat of economic retaliation .
Those are the arguments I am certain we would be making in an editorial endorsing Biden .
Sadly , we can ’ t .
The Vindicator ’ s presses have fallen silent .
• None Bertram de Souza is a veteran journalist who served in various positions at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ His Sunday column was one of the most popular features in the Vindicator , which went out of business in 2019 • None Legendary Watergate reporter Bob Woodward will discuss the Trump presidency at a Guardian Live online event on Tuesday 27 October , 7pm GMT .
Book tickets here

Ever since the 31 August 2019 demise of the (Youngstown) Vindicator, a daily newspaper where I spent 40 years as a reporter, columnist, editorial writer and editorial page editor, I’ve written numerous commentaries and editorials about the presidency of Donald J Trump – all in my head. Sadly, there isn’t an antidote for the death of the 150-year-old news institution, which blazed a journalistic trail in Ohio and western Pennsylvania.
On 1 November 2016, the Vindicator published an editorial endorsing Hillary Clinton over Trump. While we weren’t enamored by Clinton’s presidential bid, the newspaper’s editorial board believed that on the singularly important issue of leadership, the former secretary of state and US senator from New York stood head and shoulders above Trump, the self-styled billionaire. The real-estate developer wore his racism, chauvinism, religious bigotry and anti-immigrant railings as badges of honor. We warned our readers that a Trump presidency would roll back the progress made toward creating a more perfect union.
In our editorial endorsing Clinton, we wrote:
“Trump is a self-absorbed rich man whose attitude toward women, minorities, the disabled and the press makes him clearly unqualified to be the leader of the greatest country on earth. He lacks the temperament, the vision and the understanding of the role the president plays in domestic and international affairs. He does not possess the steady hand of leadership that is demanded in times of upheaval and uncertainty.”
On 9 November 2016, just days after the unfathomable outcome of the presidential election was announced, I wrote a column with the headline “With Trump victory, America falls for snake-oil salesman.”
Actually, I slightly missed the mark: President Trump has not been peddling snake oil. Rather, he has been the purveyor of political poison that has undermined the American people’s trust in democracy and shattered America’s reputation around the world as a beacon of freedom, stability and racial pluralism.
Here’s what has actually happened: not one new steel mill has been built in the past four years
Similarly, Trump’s slash-and-burn politics and his virulent attack on the free legitimate press have served to remind us of his admiration for foreign dictators.
If the Vindicator were still around today, my argument as the editorial page editor to the owners of the newspaper for endorsing Joe Biden would be this: America is at a crossroads. The re-election of Donald Trump will take this nation down a path of social and economic destruction that will exacerbate the racial and cultural divide he has fed over the last four years. Trump’s mishandling of the coronavirus and his denigration of the medical and scientific communities – and his dismissive attitude toward the wearing of masks and social distancing, as evidenced by his “anything goes” campaign rallies – make him unworthy of a second term.
I would contend that America is in desperate need of an adult and a steady hand at the helm, which it would get with Biden as president.
Finally, I would argue that Trump lied to the people of the Mahoning Valley. In July 2017, Trump hosted a rally in Youngstown, Ohio, to show his appreciation to the multitude of former Democrats – mostly white, male, blue-collar workers who have fallen victim to the new technology-based globalized economy – who crossed party lines to vote for him.
Trump promised to rebuild the huge steel-producing factories that once dotted the banks of the Mahoning River, and to bolster the American automobile industry that was a mainstay of the region’s economy for more than 50 years. He told those gathered not to sell their homes and not to move. He said the return of steel-making was imminent, and that he would ensure the expansion of General Motors’ massive car assembly plant in the region.
Here’s what has actually happened: not one new steel mill has been built in the past four years. And, in March 2019, General Motors closed its compact car-making plant in Lordstown, eliminating 4,500 high-paying jobs. The giant automaker shrugged off the president’s threat of economic retaliation.
Those are the arguments I am certain we would be making in an editorial endorsing Biden.
Sadly, we can’t. The Vindicator’s presses have fallen silent.