theguardian--2020-12-14--Democrats again look to Black voters to win Georgia runoffs and take the Senate

As James Brown ’ s funk classic Say it loud , I ’ m Black and I ’ m Proud pulsed through the mobile sound system , Cliff Albright marched up a steep roadway , bellowing into a microphone trying to get people out of their doors .
“ Let ’ s go y ’ all , ” he said .
“ Black voters matter every day , everywhere.
” Albright and other members of the organization he co-founded , Black Voters Matter , walk with pride in these central Georgia neighborhoods .
And for good reason .
Turnout here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election .
And although the county , staunchly Republican for decades , stayed red – Joe Biden narrowed the margin by over 6 % .
It ’ s in no small part due to the months of organizing here to mobilize the county ’ s Black voters , who make up around a third of the population .
It was also the later vote tallies , from mail-in voting here in Houston county , that helped propel Biden past Trump to flip the state of Georgia .
A fact that many people in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of pride .
“ We put a lot of work in here , ” Albright said , as he handed out literature , face masks and an invitation to a drive-in watch party of the evening ’ s US senate debate .
“ It ’ s been all year round , because we say Black votes matter 365 .
We do work not just around elections , but on the issues.
” As early voting starts on Monday in the crucial Georgia Senate runoff elections , organizers like Albright , critical players in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republican to Democrat for the first time since 1992 , are once again gearing up for another election .
Black and minority organizers , who have for years been pushing to turn this state ’ s rapidly diversifying demographics into a more progressive politics , are being called on again to secure two Senate seats that would effectively hand Democrats control of the US legislature .
Albright is optimistic that the communities he has worked to mobilize will turnout again and predicts , in fact , a rise in turnout .
“ You @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seen Georgia flip , when previously believed their vote might not matter .
And what they ’ ve seen is that , you know what , if we come out in record numbers we can actually change the state .
So some folks who may not have done it in November , who now want to be a part of it , ” he said .
As Trump continues to undermine the result in Georgia , and the election at-large , Albright believes the president ’ s baseless claims of widespread fraud , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around the country , will serve as extra motivation .
“ The fact that he [ Trump ] is out here trying to target us , to take our votes away , I think that ’ s going to stir up even more excitement , ” he said .
“ If Trump keeps acting a fool , it ’ s going to backfire.
” Black Voters Matter ’ s outreach efforts in central Georgia have been led by Fenika Miller , a lifelong resident of the city of Warner Robins , who has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ organizing here .
She admits feeling exhausted after the year-long election season .
Thanksgiving was her first day off all year .
It also marked the first time she had slept for eight hours .
“ This year feels like a three year election cycle , ” she said .
Miller was also selected as one of 16 Democrats , including former Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams , to cast an electoral college ballot for Biden on Monday , an honor she believes is a reflection of her community ’ s hard work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I was a high school student .
And the first time I ’ m going to cast a vote as an elector is going to be for a Democratic president .
That ’ s a big deal , ” she said .
Miller is one of a number of Black women , including Abrams , that Democrats relied on in November who will be out again in January , empowered by the result last month .
“ Black women are leading our movements , ” she said .
“ We are on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t always necessarily see .
We didn ’ t do this work to save our country , we did it to save ourselves , our families , our communities , our jobs , our childcare , just the basic things that our community needs.
” Grassroots organizers across Georgia say the Covid-19 pandemic and protests over racial injustice helped spur people to motivate voters in ways they previously haven ’ t seen before .
“ Covid has highlighted to people how policy impacts their everyday lives and that elected officials make those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I get a stimulus relief for my business , some elected official makes that determination , ” said Helen Butler , the executive director for the Georgia Coalition for the People ’ s Agenda , a group that works to get people registered to vote .
“ They knew it all along , but Covid has really brought it home because it is impacting so many people.
” Nse Ufot , the CEO of the New Georgia Project , the voter registration group Stacey Abrams started in 2014 , said the group had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the state and become more vigilant about watching the entire registration and election process .
That includes making sure that registered voters actually make it on to the rolls and aren ’ t wrongly removed once they ’ re there , she said ( Georgia has faced scrutiny in recent years for its aggressive – and sometimes inaccurate – removal of voters ) .
On election day in November , she said organizers showed up at polling stations that had been removed to give voters new information about where to go .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ just meant that people were frustrated , ” she said .
Georgia secretary of state Brad Raffensperger announced last month his office was investigating the New Georgia Project , focusing on an effort to get supporters to write postcards to people encouraging them to register and vote .
Raffensperger suggested the group was soliciting votes from people who are ineligible , noting that he had received postcards from New Georgia Project addressed to his son , who died two years ago .
Ufot strongly denies any wrongdoing , saying her group relies on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where to send the postcards .
Earlier this year , a nonprofit , the Voter Information Center , drew ire from election officials across the country for using faulty data to send misleading or incorrect voting information .
“ The fact that they ’ ve had three press conferences from the capitol stairs as opposed to reaching out to us tells us everything we need to know about their priorities and what this is designed to do , ” Ufot said .
“ We use real lawyers to defend us and to defend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have to spend to defend ourselves against the nuisance and partisan investigations is a dollar that we aren ’ t able to put into the field to register new voters and have high quality conversations about the power of their vote and the importance of this moment.
” After years of investing in organizing , Ufot said it was rewarding to see the work pay off .
“ I ’ m definitely one of those people that ’ s like ‘ you weren ’ t with us before November .
Where have you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ posture , is welcome to the fight , welcome to the work , grab a shovel , ’ ” she said .

Oliver Laughland in Warner Robins, Georgia and Sam Levine in New York

As James Brown’s funk classic Say it loud, I’m Black and I’m Proud pulsed through the mobile sound system, Cliff Albright marched up a steep roadway, bellowing into a microphone trying to get people out of their doors.
“Let’s go y’all,” he said. “Black voters matter every day, everywhere.”
Albright and other members of the organization he co-founded, Black Voters Matter, walk with pride in these central Georgia neighborhoods. And for good reason.
Turnout here in Houston county soared in the 2020 election. And although the county, staunchly Republican for decades, stayed red – Joe Biden narrowed the margin by over 6%. It’s in no small part due to the months of organizing here to mobilize the county’s Black voters, who make up around a third of the population.
It was also the later vote tallies, from mail-in voting here in Houston county, that helped propel Biden past Trump to flip the state of Georgia. A fact that many people in these communities celebrate with a deep source of pride.
“We put a lot of work in here,” Albright said, as he handed out literature, face masks and an invitation to a drive-in watch party of the evening’s US senate debate. “It’s been all year round, because we say Black votes matter 365. We do work not just around elections, but on the issues.”
As early voting starts on Monday in the crucial Georgia Senate runoff elections, organizers like Albright, critical players in the efforts to flip the state from Republican to Democrat for the first time since 1992, are once again gearing up for another election.
Black and minority organizers, who have for years been pushing to turn this state’s rapidly diversifying demographics into a more progressive politics, are being called on again to secure two Senate seats that would effectively hand Democrats control of the US legislature.
Albright is optimistic that the communities he has worked to mobilize will turnout again and predicts, in fact, a rise in turnout.
“You’ve got people now who have seen Georgia flip, when previously believed their vote might not matter. And what they’ve seen is that, you know what, if we come out in record numbers we can actually change the state. So some folks who may not have done it in November, who now want to be a part of it,” he said.
As Trump continues to undermine the result in Georgia, and the election at-large, Albright believes the president’s baseless claims of widespread fraud, significantly directed at many communities of color around the country, will serve as extra motivation.
“The fact that he [Trump] is out here trying to target us, to take our votes away, I think that’s going to stir up even more excitement,” he said. “If Trump keeps acting a fool, it’s going to backfire.”
Black Voters Matter’s outreach efforts in central Georgia have been led by Fenika Miller, a lifelong resident of the city of Warner Robins, who has spent most of her career in grassroots organizing here. She admits feeling exhausted after the year-long election season. Thanksgiving was her first day off all year. It also marked the first time she had slept for eight hours.
“This year feels like a three-year election cycle,” she said.
Miller was also selected as one of 16 Democrats, including former Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, to cast an electoral college ballot for Biden on Monday, an honor she believes is a reflection of her community’s hard work.
“The last time Georgia flipped I was a high school student. And the first time I’m going to cast a vote as an elector is going to be for a Democratic president. That’s a big deal,” she said.
Miller is one of a number of Black women, including Abrams, that Democrats relied on in November who will be out again in January, empowered by the result last month.
“Black women are leading our movements,” she said. “We are on the frontlines in a way that people don’t always necessarily see. We didn’t do this work to save our country, we did it to save ourselves, our families, our communities, our jobs, our childcare, just the basic things that our community needs.”
Grassroots organizers across Georgia say the Covid-19 pandemic and protests over racial injustice helped spur people to motivate voters in ways they previously haven’t seen before.
“Covid has highlighted to people how policy impacts their everyday lives and that elected officials make those policies. If you look at whether I get a stimulus relief for my business, some elected official makes that determination,” said Helen Butler, the executive director for the Georgia Coalition for the People’s Agenda, a group that works to get people registered to vote. “They knew it all along, but Covid has really brought it home because it is impacting so many people.”
Nse Ufot, the CEO of the New Georgia Project, the voter registration group Stacey Abrams started in 2014, said the group had learned from the 2016 and 2018 elections in the state and become more vigilant about watching the entire registration and election process. That includes making sure that registered voters actually make it on to the rolls and aren’t wrongly removed once they’re there, she said (Georgia has faced scrutiny in recent years for its aggressive – and sometimes inaccurate – removal of voters). On election day in November, she said organizers showed up at polling stations that had been removed to give voters new information about where to go.
“In the past that would have just meant that people were frustrated,” she said.
Still, severe obstacles remain.
Georgia secretary of state Brad Raffensperger announced last month his office was investigating the New Georgia Project, focusing on an effort to get supporters to write postcards to people encouraging them to register and vote. Raffensperger suggested the group was soliciting votes from people who are ineligible, noting that he had received postcards from New Georgia Project addressed to his son, who died two years ago. Ufot strongly denies any wrongdoing, saying her group relies on state and other data to figure out where to send the postcards.
Earlier this year, a nonprofit, the Voter Information Center, drew ire from election officials across the country for using faulty data to send misleading or incorrect voting information.
“The fact that they’ve had three press conferences from the capitol stairs as opposed to reaching out to us tells us everything we need to know about their priorities and what this is designed to do,” Ufot said.
“We use real lawyers to defend us and to defend our work. Every dollar that we have to spend to defend ourselves against the nuisance and partisan investigations is a dollar that we aren’t able to put into the field to register new voters and have high quality conversations about the power of their vote and the importance of this moment.”
After years of investing in organizing, Ufot said it was rewarding to see the work pay off.
“I’m definitely one of those people that’s like ‘you weren’t with us before November. Where have you been?’ Our position, our posture, is welcome to the fight, welcome to the work, grab a shovel,’” she said.


theguardian--2020-12-14--US to hold world climate summit early next year and seek to rejoin Paris accord

The US will hold a climate summit of the world ’ s major economies early next year , within 100 days of Joe Biden taking office , and seek to rejoin the Paris agreement on the first day of his presidency , in a boost to international climate action .
Leaders from 75 countries met without the US in a virtual Climate Ambition Summit co-hosted by the UN , the UK and France at the weekend , marking the fifth anniversary of the Paris accord .
The absence of the US underlined the need for more countries , including other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Indonesia , to make fresh commitments on tackling the climate crisis .
Biden said in a statement : “ I ’ ll immediately start working with my counterparts around the world to do all that we possibly can , including by convening the leaders of major economies for a climate summit within my first 100 days in office … We ’ ll elevate the incredible work cities , states and businesses have been doing to help reduce emissions and build a cleaner future .
We ’ ll listen to and engage closely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who have continued to sound the alarm and demand change from those in power.
” He reiterated his pledge to put the US on a path to net zero carbon emissions by 2050 , and said the move would be good for the US economy and workers .
“ We ’ ll do all of this knowing that we have before us an enormous economic opportunity to create jobs and prosperity at home and export clean American-made products around the world.
” António Guterres , the UN secretary general , said : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We look forward to a very active US leadership in climate action from now on as US leadership is absolutely essential .
The US is the largest economy in the world , it ’ s absolutely essential for our goals to be reached.
” Donald Trump , whose withdrawal of the US from the Paris agreement took effect on the day after the US election in November , shunned the Climate Ambition Summit .
Countries including Russia , Saudi Arabia and Mexico were excluded as they had failed to commit to climate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Australia ’ s prime minister , Scott Morrison , had sought to join the summit but his commitments were judged inadequate , and an announcement from Brazil ’ s president , Jair Bolsonaro , of a net zero target just before the summit was derided as lacking credibility .
The Climate Ambition Summit failed to produce a major breakthrough , but more than 70 countries gave further details of plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in line with the Paris agreement goal of limiting temperature rises to well below 2C above pre-industrial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Many observers had hoped India might set a net zero emissions target , but its prime minister , Narendra Modi , promised only to “ exceed expectations ” by the centenary of India ’ s independence in 2047 .
China gave some details to its plan to cause emissions to peak before the end of this decade but stopped short of agreeing to curb its planned expansion of coal-fired power .
The UK pledged to stop funding fossil fuel development overseas , and the EU set out its plan to reduce emissions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with 1990 levels .
Alok Sharma , the UK ’ s business secretary , who will preside over UN climate talks called Cop26 next year , said much more action was needed .
“ [ People ] will ask : have we done enough to put the world on track to limit warming to 1.5C and protect people and nature from the effects of climate change ?
We must be honest with ourselves – the answer to that is currently no , ” he said .
When Biden ’ s pledge to bring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2050 is included , countries accounting for more than two-thirds of global emissions are subject to net zero targets around mid-century , including the EU , the UK , Japan and South Korea .
China has pledged to meet net zero by 2060 , and a large number of smaller developing countries have also embraced the goal .
The task for the next year , before the Cop26 conference in Glasgow next November , will be to encourage all the world ’ s remaining countries – including oil-dependent economies such as Russia and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long-term net zero targets , and to ensure that all countries also have detailed plans for cutting emissions within the next decade .
Those detailed national plans , called nationally determined contributions ( NDCs ) , are the bedrock of the Paris agreement , setting out emissions curbs by 2030 .
Current NDCs , submitted in 2015 , would lead to more than 3C of warming , so all countries must submit fresh plans in line with a long-term goal of net zero emissions .
The US will be closely watched for its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vice-president at the Environmental Defense Fund , said : “ The [ Climate Ambition ] Summit captured and reflected the momentum of recent months , but didn ’ t push much beyond it .
The world is waiting for Biden to bring the US back into the Paris agreement , and will be looking for how ambitious the US is willing to be in its NDC .
”

The US will hold a climate summit of the world’s major economies early next year, within 100 days of Joe Biden taking office, and seek to rejoin the Paris agreement on the first day of his presidency, in a boost to international climate action.
Leaders from 75 countries met without the US in a virtual Climate Ambition Summit co-hosted by the UN, the UK and France at the weekend, marking the fifth anniversary of the Paris accord. The absence of the US underlined the need for more countries, including other major economies such as Brazil, Russia and Indonesia, to make fresh commitments on tackling the climate crisis.
Biden said in a statement: “I’ll immediately start working with my counterparts around the world to do all that we possibly can, including by convening the leaders of major economies for a climate summit within my first 100 days in office … We’ll elevate the incredible work cities, states and businesses have been doing to help reduce emissions and build a cleaner future. We’ll listen to and engage closely with the activists, including young people, who have continued to sound the alarm and demand change from those in power.”
He reiterated his pledge to put the US on a path to net zero carbon emissions by 2050, and said the move would be good for the US economy and workers. “We’ll do all of this knowing that we have before us an enormous economic opportunity to create jobs and prosperity at home and export clean American-made products around the world.”
Q&A What does net zero mean? Show Net zero emissions springs from the Paris agreement, though the goal was not made explicit in the treaty’s text. World leaders set the 2C limit, and the aspirational limit of 1.5C, at Paris based on advice from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the leading body of the world’s climate scientists, which has over years worked out that 2C was the threshold of safety, beyond which the ravages of climate breakdown were likely to become catastrophic and irreversible. Even at 1.5C, many low-lying areas could flood from sea level rises and storm surges. After Paris, the IPCC was asked to advise further on the emissions cuts needed to stay within those limits. Building on its previous findings, the world’s climate science authority established in 2018 that emissions would have to reach zero around mid-century, and that this could be achieved if emissions were halved in the next decade or so. That clear scientific backing helped to establish net zero emissions by 2050 as the standard that must be achieved. Net zero emissions means reducing emissions as far as possible, and balancing out whatever remains by increasing carbon sinks, for instance by growing trees or restoring wetlands and peatlands. Phasing out coal, switching to renewable energy, the more efficient use of energy, and moving to electrified transport will all be key. Nuclear power may also play a role, and some countries such as China and France are investing in a new generation of reactors. Carbon capture and storage technology, by which carbon dioxide from large sources as gas-fired power plants or industrial units is captured at source, liquefied and piped into large underground chambers, such as depleted oilfields, is also likely to be needed, in varying amounts according to different analyses. Some scientists believe we also need to start to capture carbon dioxide directly from the air. One method of doing this involves crushing up limestone rocks to spread chalk dust on fields. The limestone absorbs carbon, and the dust improves the soil. Was this helpful? Thank you for your feedback.
António Guterres, the UN secretary general, said: “It is a very important signal. We look forward to a very active US leadership in climate action from now on as US leadership is absolutely essential. The US is the largest economy in the world, it’s absolutely essential for our goals to be reached.”
Donald Trump, whose withdrawal of the US from the Paris agreement took effect on the day after the US election in November, shunned the Climate Ambition Summit. Countries including Russia, Saudi Arabia and Mexico were excluded as they had failed to commit to climate targets in line with the Paris accord. Australia’s prime minister, Scott Morrison, had sought to join the summit but his commitments were judged inadequate, and an announcement from Brazil’s president, Jair Bolsonaro, of a net zero target just before the summit was derided as lacking credibility.
The Climate Ambition Summit failed to produce a major breakthrough, but more than 70 countries gave further details of plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in line with the Paris agreement goal of limiting temperature rises to well below 2C above pre-industrial levels, with an aspirational 1.5C limit.
Many observers had hoped India might set a net zero emissions target, but its prime minister, Narendra Modi, promised only to “exceed expectations” by the centenary of India’s independence in 2047. China gave some details to its plan to cause emissions to peak before the end of this decade but stopped short of agreeing to curb its planned expansion of coal-fired power.
The UK pledged to stop funding fossil fuel development overseas, and the EU set out its plan to reduce emissions by 55% by 2030, compared with 1990 levels.
Alok Sharma, the UK’s business secretary, who will preside over UN climate talks called Cop26 next year, said much more action was needed. “[People] will ask: have we done enough to put the world on track to limit warming to 1.5C and protect people and nature from the effects of climate change? We must be honest with ourselves – the answer to that is currently no,” he said.
When Biden’s pledge to bring the US to net zero emissions by 2050 is included, countries accounting for more than two-thirds of global emissions are subject to net zero targets around mid-century, including the EU, the UK, Japan and South Korea. China has pledged to meet net zero by 2060, and a large number of smaller developing countries have also embraced the goal.
The task for the next year, before the Cop26 conference in Glasgow next November, will be to encourage all the world’s remaining countries – including oil-dependent economies such as Russia and Saudi Arabia – to sign up to long-term net zero targets, and to ensure that all countries also have detailed plans for cutting emissions within the next decade.
Those detailed national plans, called nationally determined contributions (NDCs), are the bedrock of the Paris agreement, setting out emissions curbs by 2030. Current NDCs, submitted in 2015, would lead to more than 3C of warming, so all countries must submit fresh plans in line with a long-term goal of net zero emissions. The US will be closely watched for its plans.
Nathaniel Keohane, a senior vice-president at the Environmental Defense Fund, said: “The [Climate Ambition] Summit captured and reflected the momentum of recent months, but didn’t push much beyond it. The world is waiting for Biden to bring the US back into the Paris agreement, and will be looking for how ambitious the US is willing to be in its NDC.”


theguardian--2020-12-15--Barr couldn't pass Trump's loyalty test: shredding the US constitution | David Smith's sketch

If Dick Cheney gained notoriety as George W Bush ’ s “ Darth Vader ” , William Barr , the US attorney general , appeared a worthy successor as Donald Trump ’ s Lord of the Sith .
Barr played the role of presidential enforcer with apparent relish , whether spinning the Russia investigation in Trump ’ s favour or defending a harsh crackdown on this summer ’ s civil unrest .
But even he could not or would not pass the ultimate loyalty test : shredding the US constitution to help his boss steal an election .
As Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the title of her book , it was a case of Too Much and Never Enough .
Trump tweeted on Monday that Barr will resign before Christmas .
Barr , for his part , issued a resignation letter that noted election fraud allegations “ will continue to be pursued ” before going on to lavish praise on Trump ’ s “ historic ” record despite resistance that included “ frenzied and baseless accusations of collusion with Russia ” .
David Axelrod , the former chief strategist for Barack Obama , observed in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his fawning exit letter , Barr reflected a fundamental understanding of @ realDonaldTrump : Like a dog , if you scratch his belly , he is a lot more docile .
Just as [ k ] Kim [ Jong-un ] !
” But the sycophantic words could not conceal how Barr , like the attorney general Jeff Sessions and the FBI director James Comey before him , had refused to do the 45th president ’ s bidding once too often .
With democracy in existential danger , he was the dog that did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ served as attorney general under George HW Bush in the early 1990s , had always been a believer in expansive presidential power and being tough on crime .
He was therefore “ simpatico ” – to borrow one of Joe Biden ’ s favourite words – with Trump from the off .
Weeks after his Senate confirmation , Barr cleared the president of obstruction of justice even though Robert Mueller ’ s report would identity 10 credible allegations ( for which Trump may yet face prosecution after leaving office ) .
Barr ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s report more than accentuated the positive .
Barr did much else to emulate Roy Cohn , the bullying lawyer and Trump mentor .
Appearing before Congress , he haughtily defended the aggressive law enforcement response to protests in Portland and other cities .
He intervened in the cases of Trump allies such as Michael Flynn and Roger Stone and railed against coronavirus lockdowns .
He acted more like the president ’ s personal attorney than the attorney general .
All this made Barr potentially the pivotal figure in the 2020 election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feared that , on the president ’ s orders , he might try to send federal marshals into polling places to halt counts and impound ballots on the pretext of mail-in voting fraud .
But come election day , the worst did not happen and the system held .
Strikingly , two weeks ago Barr told the Associated Press that the justice department had found no widespread election fraud that would change the outcome of the election .
From that moment he was dead to Trump , who publicly expressed his anger as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the people to ever more unhinged extremes .
In this context , other cracks in the relationship became all the more evident .
Trump was also irked by delays into the release of a report on the origins of the Russia investigation .
Then the Wall Street Journal reported that Barr had worked “ for months ” during the election campaign to keep secret a federal investigation of Biden ’ s son , Hunter .
“ Why didn ’ t Bill Barr reveal the truth to the public , before the Election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tweeted on Saturday – the type of public shaming that has often foreshadowed a firing or “ resignation ” .
That night , Jeanine Pirro , a host on the conservative Fox News channel , which does much to shape Trump ’ s thinking , told viewers : “ You , Mr Barr , are so deep in the swamp , you can ’ t see behind your fellow reptiles.
” Make America great again types on social media erupted , doubly furious at the sense of being betrayed by one of their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s tweet on Monday evening appeared to be a blatant attempt by the TV-obsessed president to change the narrative from Biden ’ s victory in the electoral college moments earlier .
But times have changed .
When Trump fired Sessions , it was a political earthquake that dominated headlines .
This time , the move could not derail Biden ’ s prime-time speech .
Power is almost palpably sapping away from one president and into another .
When Trump has lost the media , he is truly yesterday ’ s man .

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If Dick Cheney gained notoriety as George W Bush’s “Darth Vader”, William Barr, the US attorney general, appeared a worthy successor as Donald Trump’s Lord of the Sith.
Barr played the role of presidential enforcer with apparent relish, whether spinning the Russia investigation in Trump’s favour or defending a harsh crackdown on this summer’s civil unrest.
But even he could not or would not pass the ultimate loyalty test: shredding the US constitution to help his boss steal an election. As Trump’s niece, Mary, puts in the title of her book, it was a case of Too Much and Never Enough.
Trump tweeted on Monday that Barr will resign before Christmas. Barr, for his part, issued a resignation letter that noted election fraud allegations “will continue to be pursued” before going on to lavish praise on Trump’s “historic” record despite resistance that included “frenzied and baseless accusations of collusion with Russia”.
David Axelrod, the former chief strategist for Barack Obama, observed in a Twitter post: “In writing his fawning exit letter, Barr reflected a fundamental understanding of @realDonaldTrump: Like a dog, if you scratch his belly, he is a lot more docile. Just as[k] Kim [Jong-un] !”
But the sycophantic words could not conceal how Barr, like the attorney general Jeff Sessions and the FBI director James Comey before him, had refused to do the 45th president’s bidding once too often. With democracy in existential danger, he was the dog that did not bark.
Barr, who previously served as attorney general under George HW Bush in the early 1990s, had always been a believer in expansive presidential power and being tough on crime. He was therefore “simpatico” – to borrow one of Joe Biden’s favourite words – with Trump from the off.
Weeks after his Senate confirmation, Barr cleared the president of obstruction of justice even though Robert Mueller’s report would identity 10 credible allegations (for which Trump may yet face prosecution after leaving office). Barr’s pre-emptive summary of the special counsel’s report more than accentuated the positive.
Barr did much else to emulate Roy Cohn, the bullying lawyer and Trump mentor. Appearing before Congress, he haughtily defended the aggressive law enforcement response to protests in Portland and other cities. He intervened in the cases of Trump allies such as Michael Flynn and Roger Stone and railed against coronavirus lockdowns. He acted more like the president’s personal attorney than the attorney general.
‘Come election day, the worst did not happen and the system held.’ Photograph: Jessica Hill/AP
All this made Barr potentially the pivotal figure in the 2020 election’s nightmare scenario. Some observers feared that, on the president’s orders, he might try to send federal marshals into polling places to halt counts and impound ballots on the pretext of mail-in voting fraud. But come election day, the worst did not happen and the system held.
Strikingly, two weeks ago Barr told the Associated Press that the justice department had found no widespread election fraud that would change the outcome of the election. From that moment he was dead to Trump, who publicly expressed his anger as he escalated his crusade against the will of the people to ever more unhinged extremes.
In this context, other cracks in the relationship became all the more evident. Trump was also irked by delays into the release of a report on the origins of the Russia investigation. Then the Wall Street Journal reported that Barr had worked “for months” during the election campaign to keep secret a federal investigation of Biden’s son, Hunter.
“Why didn’t Bill Barr reveal the truth to the public, before the Election, about Hunter Biden,” Trump tweeted on Saturday – the type of public shaming that has often foreshadowed a firing or “resignation”.
That night, Jeanine Pirro, a host on the conservative Fox News channel, which does much to shape Trump’s thinking, told viewers: “You, Mr Barr, are so deep in the swamp, you can’t see behind your fellow reptiles.” Make America great again types on social media erupted, doubly furious at the sense of being betrayed by one of their own.
The timing of Trump’s tweet on Monday evening appeared to be a blatant attempt by the TV-obsessed president to change the narrative from Biden’s victory in the electoral college moments earlier. But times have changed. When Trump fired Sessions, it was a political earthquake that dominated headlines. This time, the move could not derail Biden’s prime-time speech.
Power is almost palpably sapping away from one president and into another. When Trump has lost the media, he is truly yesterday’s man.


theguardian--2020-12-15--'The people prevailed': Biden addresses nation as electoral college affirms victory - as it happened

The president-elect will address the electoral college vote count in a speech to the nation later tonight .
According to excerpts released by his transition team , Biden will say : “ In this battle for the soul of America , democracy prevailed ... And so , now it is time to turn the page .
To unite .
To heal.
” Traditionally an afterthought , the meeting of the electoral college has taken on added importance this year because of the president ’ s refusal to concede the election .
Despite an extraordinarily unsuccessful legal campaign to challenge the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump has continued to claim without evidence that the vote was corrupted by fraud and irregularities .
In his speech , Biden will seek to put the election firmly to rest by looking ahead to his presidency and the challenges facing the country .
“ As I said through this campaign , I will be a president for all Americans .
I will work just as hard for those of you who didn ’ t vote for me , as I will for those who did , ” Biden is expected to say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is urgent work in front of all of us .
Getting the pandemic under control to getting the nation vaccinated against this virus .
Delivering immediate economic help so badly needed by so many Americans who are hurting today – and then building our economy back better than ever.
” Biden is scheduled to deliver his speech at 7.30pm ET tonight , after every state has held its meeting of electors .
Hawaii will be the last state to start its meeting , at 7pm ET .
Election results from November show Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 270 needed to win , after four tumultuous years under Trump .
The president-elect and the vice president-elect , Kamala Harris , are due to take office on 20 January .
Trump ’ s refusal to accept reality has been embraced by a significant share of Republican elected officials , including the House leader , Kevin McCarthy , and much of the party ’ s base .
Tensions over the election result , stoked by Trump , erupted in Washington over the weekend , when violence broke out amid a “ Stop @ @ @ @ @

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

15 Dec 2020 01.21 GMT Summary From me and Joan E Greve: The US coronavirus death toll surpassed 300,000 as the country distributed its first doses of the Pfizer vaccine. Frontline healthcare workers started receiving the vaccine today, and many of them said they were “relieved” to get the treatment after months of treating coronavirus patients. Sandra Lindsay , a critical care nurse in New York, said shortly after receiving the vaccine this morning, “I hope this marks the beginning of the end of a very painful time in our history.”
Frontline healthcare workers started receiving the vaccine today, and many of them said they were “relieved” to get the treatment after months of treating coronavirus patients. , a critical care nurse in New York, said shortly after receiving the vaccine this morning, “I hope this marks the beginning of the end of a very painful time in our history.” Members of the electoral college formally cast their votes for president and affirmed Joe Biden as president-elect. Biden has won 306 electoral votes – the same amount Trump won in 2016.
Biden has won 306 electoral votes – the same amount Trump won in 2016. Biden addressed the country on Monday night. “If anyone didn’t know it before, they know it now. What beats deep in the hearts of the American people is this: democracy” he said.
“If anyone didn’t know it before, they know it now. What beats deep in the hearts of the American people is this: democracy” he said. Paul Mitchell, a Republican congressman of Michigan told CNN that he is disgusted with Donald Trump’s ongoing efforts to undermine and overturn the election results. He alerted the House clerk that he will be changing his party affiliation from Republican to independent, and has notified Republican leaders that he’s ending his “engagement and association with the Republican party at both the national and state level”.
He alerted the House clerk that he will be changing his party affiliation from Republican to independent, and has notified Republican leaders that he’s ending his “engagement and association with the Republican party at both the national and state level”. Attorney general William Barr will be leaving his post just before Christmas. Barr’s loyalty to Trump seemed almost bottomless – but he recently angered the president by disputing systematic fraud in the elections.
Barr’s loyalty to Trump seemed almost bottomless – but he recently angered the president by disputing systematic fraud in the elections. The Wisconsin supreme court again rejected Trump’s bid to overturn Biden’s victory in the state. The conservative-leaning court ruled that the president had waited too long to file his challenge. Conservative justice Brian Hagedorn wrote in the decision, “[T]he [Trump] campaign is challenging the rulebook adopted before the season began.”
The conservative-leaning court ruled that the president had waited too long to file his challenge. Conservative justice wrote in the decision, “[T]he [Trump] campaign is challenging the rulebook adopted before the season began.” The US formally blamed Iran for the presumed death of former FBI agent Robert Levinson. The treasury department issued sanctions against two Iranian intelligence officers believed to have been involved in Levinson’s 2007 abduction.
Updated at 01.29 GMT
15 Dec 2020 01.08 GMT Lamar Alexander, a Republican senator of Tennessee, who had previously said that it’ll be “over” once the electoral college affirms the election, has released a statement emphasizing that point. “The presidential election is over,” he said. “States have certified the votes. Courts have resolved disputes. The electors have voted. I hope that President Trump will put the country first, take pride in his considerable accomplishments, and help President-elect Biden get off to a good start. Especially during this pandemic, an orderly transition of power is crucially important.”
Updated at 01.18 GMT
15 Dec 2020 00.59 GMT As much as Biden has emphasized unity since winning the election – and even though he ended his speech with a call to unity, his speech tonight didn’t pull any punches. Biden: "4 years ago, when I was VP, it was my responsibility to announce the tally of the Electoral College votes to the joint session of Congress ... I did my job ... now it's time to turn the page as we've done throughout our history." pic.twitter.com/eCHWQMWxPo — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) December 15, 2020
Updated at 01.19 GMT
15 Dec 2020 00.47 GMT Before concluding his speech, Biden gave his condolences to those who lost loved ones to Covid-19: “Today, our nation passed a grim milestone. 300,000 deaths due to this Covid virus. My heart goes out to each of you in this dark winter of the pandemic.”
Updated at 00.55 GMT
15 Dec 2020 00.42 GMT Biden also called out the 17 Republican state attorney generals and 126 Republican representatives who signed onto the Texas lawsuit seeking to overturn election results in other states. “It’s a position so extreme we’ve never seen it before,” Biden said. The effort “refused to respect the will of the people, refused to respect the rule of law and refused to respect our Constitution”. Now, he said, “is time to unite”.
“There’s urgent work in front of us.”
Updated at 00.55 GMT
15 Dec 2020 00.40 GMT “If anyone didn’t know it before, they know it now. What beats deep in the hearts of the American people is this: democracy” Biden said. After thanking officials who carried out the elections, he also praised the judicial system. “The Trump campaign brought dozens and dozens of legal challenges,” Biden said. “And each of the times they were heard, they were found to be without merit.”
Updated at 00.56 GMT
15 Dec 2020 00.36 GMT “Together, Vice-president-elect Harris and I earned 306 electoral votes,” Biden said, noting that he has won by the same margin as Donald Trump in 2016. Trump called that a “landslide”, Biden noted. “Nothing, not even a pandemic, or an abuse of power can extinguish that flame” of American democracy, Biden added, noting the contributions of election officials in carrying out their duty amid the pandemic, and amid threats and verbal abuse from detractors and Trump supporters. “We owe these public servants a debt of gratitude,” Biden continued. “Our democracy survived because of them.”
Updated at 00.56 GMT
15 Dec 2020 00.32 GMT Joe Biden speaks after electoral college affirms that he is president-elect “The will of the people prevailed,” he said. It’s official, folks. Tune in as I deliver remarks on today’s electoral college vote certification and the strength and resilience of our democracy. https://t.co/Qp2c92mYUV — Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) December 15, 2020
15 Dec 2020 00.25 GMT Joe Biden is affirmed presidential election winner by electoral college Members of the electoral college affirmed that Joe Biden is the president-elect, having won more than 270 electoral votes. Hawaii was the last state to cast its electoral votes, awarding Biden a total of 306 votes.
14 Dec 2020 23.52 GMT Lauren Gambino The president-elect will address the electoral college vote count in a speech to the nation later tonight. According to excerpts released by his transition team, Biden will say: “In this battle for the soul of America, democracy prevailed ... And so, now it is time to turn the page. To unite. To heal.” Traditionally an afterthought, the meeting of the electoral college has taken on added importance this year because of the president’s refusal to concede the election. Despite an extraordinarily unsuccessful legal campaign to challenge the results in state and federal court, Trump has continued to claim without evidence that the vote was corrupted by fraud and irregularities. In his speech, Biden will seek to put the election firmly to rest by looking ahead to his presidency and the challenges facing the country. “As I said through this campaign, I will be a president for all Americans. I will work just as hard for those of you who didn’t vote for me, as I will for those who did,” Biden is expected to say.
He will add: “There is urgent work in front of all of us. Getting the pandemic under control to getting the nation vaccinated against this virus. Delivering immediate economic help so badly needed by so many Americans who are hurting today – and then building our economy back better than ever.” Biden is scheduled to deliver his speech at 7.30pm ET tonight, after every state has held its meeting of electors. Hawaii will be the last state to start its meeting, at 7pm ET. Election results from November show Biden won 306 electoral college votes, exceeding the 270 needed to win, after four tumultuous years under Trump. The president-elect and the vice president-elect, Kamala Harris, are due to take office on 20 January. Trump’s refusal to accept reality has been embraced by a significant share of Republican elected officials, including the House leader, Kevin McCarthy, and much of the party’s base. Tensions over the election result, stoked by Trump, erupted in Washington over the weekend, when violence broke out amid a “Stop the Steal” rally. Read more: Electoral college: key states confirm Joe Biden's victory in presidential election Read more
14 Dec 2020 23.11 GMT Senator Roy Blunt, a Republican of Missouri, is yet another Republican to break with the president by – accurately – calling Joe Biden the president-elect. He told the Senate press poll that “we’ve now gone through the constitutional process and the electors have voted so there’s a president-elect”. .@RoyBlunt to Senate press pool: "We've now gone through the constitutional process and the electors have voted so there's a president elect... We'll deal with Vice President Biden as the president elect." — Bryan Lowry (@BryanLowry3) December 14, 2020
14 Dec 2020 23.07 GMT Throughout his tenure, William Barr went to great lengths to back Donald Trump: He undermined the findings of the Russia investigation, issuing a summary that a judge later said twisted the findings of Robert Mueller.
He had the justice department intervene in a defamation lawsuit E Jean Carroll, an author who has accused Trump of raping her, in an extraordinary move that helped the president fight a private legal matter with taxpayer-funded resources.
He authorized the justice department to investigate unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud – even though he eventually broke with the president in saying that no evidence of systematic fraud was found.
Updated at 23.38 GMT
14 Dec 2020 22.59 GMT William Barr’s resignation letter is dripping with praise for Donald Trump. “You built the strongest and most resilient economy in American history,” Barr writes. “You have restored American military strength.” Barr praises the president’s Covid-19 response, and Middle East policy while repeating Trumpian grievance rhetoric about how the president faced a “partisan onslaught” that was “abusive and deceitful”. ...Deputy Attorney General Jeff Rosen, an outstanding person, will become Acting Attorney General. Highly respected Richard Donoghue will be taking over the duties of Deputy Attorney General. Thank you to all! pic.twitter.com/V5sqOJT9PM — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 14, 2020
Updated at 23.02 GMT


theguardian--2020-12-15--Electoral college confirms Joe Biden's victory in presidential election

Joe Biden was formally elected as the next president of the United States by members of the electoral college on Monday , all but ending Donald Trump ’ s unprecedented bid to subvert the will of millions of Americans and overturn the results of the presidential election .
With California ’ s 55 electoral votes , Biden crossed the 270-vote threshold needed to win the White House , a milestone that moves him one procedural step closer to his inauguration on 20 January despite Trump ’ s refusal to accept his defeat and concede the race .
The president-elect addressed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speech to the nation on Monday night , capping a day marked by heightened security , some political theater and an unusual level of public interest in the constitutionally-mandated affair .
“ In this battle for the soul of America , democracy prevailed , ” Biden said , according to excerpts released by his transition team .
“ We the people voted .
Faith in our institutions held .
The integrity of our elections remains intact .
And so , now it is time to turn the page .
To unite .
To @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and I earned 306 electoral votes , ” Biden said , speaking from Wilmington , Delaware , noting that he has won by the same margin as Donald Trump in 2016 .
“ Nothing , not even a pandemic , or an abuse of power can extinguish that flame ” of American democracy , Biden added , highlighting the contributions of election officials in carrying out their duty amid the pandemic , even amid threats and verbal abuse from detractors and Trump supporters .
“ We owe these public servants a debt of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Our democracy survived because of them.
” Traditionally an afterthought , the meeting of the electoral college has taken on added importance this year because of the president ’ s sustained efforts to undermine the results of a democratic election .
Despite an extraordinarily unsuccessful legal campaign to challenge the results in state and federal court , Trump has continued to claim without evidence that the vote was corrupted by fraud and irregularities .
With an escalation of threats and the promises of protests outside statehouses where the presidential electors gathered , officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ safety .
In Michigan , lawmakers closed the Capitol building to the public as electors voted on Monday , citing credible threats of violence .
Wisconsin also closed its Capitol building , ushering in electors through a side entrance for their security .
Electors in Arizona met at an “ undisclosed location ” due to threats there .
Yet the process was relatively seamless .
Electors from all 50 states and the nation ’ s capital cast their ballots , concluding with Hawaii casting the final votes at 7pm ET to award Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ delivered his remarks shortly thereafter .
In his speech , Biden sought to put the election firmly to rest by looking ahead to his presidency and the challenges facing the country .
“ As I said through this campaign , I will be a president for all Americans .
I will work just as hard for those of you who didn ’ t vote for me , as I will for those who did , ” Biden is expected to say .
He will add : “ There is urgent work in front @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic under control to getting the nation vaccinated against this virus .
Delivering immediate economic help so badly needed by so many Americans who are hurting today – and then building our economy back better than ever.
” Election results from November show Biden and his running mate , Kamala Harris , won 306 electoral college votes , exceeding the 270 needed to win , after four tumultuous years under Trump .
Trump ’ s refusal to accept reality has been embraced by a significant share of Republican elected officials , including the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much of the party ’ s base .
Tensions over the election result , stoked by Trump , erupted in Washington over the weekend , when violent scenes followed a “ Stop the Steal ” rally that attracted thousands of the president ’ s supporters .
Under a complicated system dating back to the 1780s , a candidate becomes US president not by winning a majority of the popular vote but through the electoral college , which allots votes to the 50 states and the District of Columbia largely based on population .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ballots in state capitols and Washington DC by individual electors , typically elected officials , prominent politicians or party officials .
Bill and Hillary Clinton served as an elector in New York .
While there are sometimes “ rogue ” electors who vote for someone other than the winner of their state ’ s popular vote , the vast majority rubber-stamp the results .
After casting her ballot on Monday , Clinton , the 2016 Democratic nominee , who won the popular vote but lost the electoral college vote to Trump , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abolish the electoral college and select our president by the winner of the popular vote , same as every other office .
But while it still exists , I was proud to cast my vote in New York for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.
” When the electors finish voting , their ballots will be sent to Washington , where they will be tallied at a joint session of Congress on 6 January .
Presiding over the session is the vice-president , Mike Pence , who will formally announce the result .
Four @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vice-president , announced Trump ’ s victory .
The president and his allies pressured lawmakers in battleground states where Biden won to appoint an alternate slate of electors who would cast their votes for Trump .
No states agreed to the strategy and the proceedings progress without interruption or delay .
Social distancing , mask wearing and other safety precautions as a result of the pandemic were in effect at gatherings across the country on Monday , as the US death toll from the coronavirus surpassed 300,000 .
Nevada ’ s electors met @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden because of the coronavirus pandemic .
Electoral college members in Georgia , Pennsylvania , Wisconsin , Michigan and Arizona voted for Biden on Monday , confirming his victories in a clutch of battleground states that Trump won in 2016 and that , four years later , his campaign unsuccessfully endeavored to overturn .
“ While there will be those who are upset their candidate didn ’ t win , it is patently un-American and unacceptable that today ’ s event should be anything less than an honored tradition held with pride and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ secretary of state , Katie Hobbs , said .
Hours before Michigan ’ s electors were scheduled to meet and cast their ballots for Biden , a Republican state representative , Gary Eisen , said in a radio interview that there was a “ Hail Mary ” effort under way to disrupt the process .
When asked if he could guarantee there would be no violence in Lansing today , Eisen replied : “ No.
” In response to his comments , he was swiftly stripped of his committee assignments the Republican speaker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A group of Trump supporters had called online for protests outside the state capitol in Lansing , Michigan .
But by early afternoon only a handful had gathered .
“ It ’ s time to move forward together as one United States of America , ” Michigan ’ s governor , Gretchen Whitmer said , after the state ’ s electors cast their 16 votes for Biden .
“ Now is the time for us to put this election behind us and to focus our efforts together to defeat our common enemy , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he would leave the White House if the electoral college voted for Biden , but has since pressed on with his unprecedented campaign to overturn his defeat , filing numerous lawsuits challenging state vote counts .
On Monday , he repeated a series of unsupported claims of electoral fraud .

Lauren Gambino in Washington and Maanvi Singh in Oakland

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Joe Biden was formally elected as the next president of the United States by members of the electoral college on Monday, all but ending Donald Trump’s unprecedented bid to subvert the will of millions of Americans and overturn the results of the presidential election.
With California’s 55 electoral votes, Biden crossed the 270-vote threshold needed to win the White House, a milestone that moves him one procedural step closer to his inauguration on 20 January despite Trump’s refusal to accept his defeat and concede the race.
The president-elect addressed the electoral college vote count in a speech to the nation on Monday night, capping a day marked by heightened security, some political theater and an unusual level of public interest in the constitutionally-mandated affair.
“In this battle for the soul of America, democracy prevailed,” Biden said, according to excerpts released by his transition team. “We the people voted. Faith in our institutions held. The integrity of our elections remains intact. And so, now it is time to turn the page. To unite. To heal.”
“Together, vice-president-elect Harris and I earned 306 electoral votes,” Biden said, speaking from Wilmington, Delaware, noting that he has won by the same margin as Donald Trump in 2016.
Trump called that a “landslide”, Biden remarked.
02:34 'Democracy prevailed,' says Biden after US electoral college confirms his win – video
“Nothing, not even a pandemic, or an abuse of power can extinguish that flame” of American democracy, Biden added, highlighting the contributions of election officials in carrying out their duty amid the pandemic, even amid threats and verbal abuse from detractors and Trump supporters. “We owe these public servants a debt of gratitude,” Biden continued. “Our democracy survived because of them.”
Traditionally an afterthought, the meeting of the electoral college has taken on added importance this year because of the president’s sustained efforts to undermine the results of a democratic election. Despite an extraordinarily unsuccessful legal campaign to challenge the results in state and federal court, Trump has continued to claim without evidence that the vote was corrupted by fraud and irregularities.
With an escalation of threats and the promises of protests outside statehouses where the presidential electors gathered, officials took extra steps to ensure their safety. In Michigan, lawmakers closed the Capitol building to the public as electors voted on Monday, citing credible threats of violence. Wisconsin also closed its Capitol building, ushering in electors through a side entrance for their security. Electors in Arizona met at an “undisclosed location” due to threats there.
Yet the process was relatively seamless. Electors from all 50 states and the nation’s capital cast their ballots, concluding with Hawaii casting the final votes at 7pm ET to award Biden a total of 306 votes. Biden delivered his remarks shortly thereafter.
In his speech, Biden sought to put the election firmly to rest by looking ahead to his presidency and the challenges facing the country.
“As I said through this campaign, I will be a president for all Americans. I will work just as hard for those of you who didn’t vote for me, as I will for those who did,” Biden is expected to say.
He will add: “There is urgent work in front of all of us. Getting the pandemic under control to getting the nation vaccinated against this virus. Delivering immediate economic help so badly needed by so many Americans who are hurting today – and then building our economy back better than ever.”
Election results from November show Biden and his running mate, Kamala Harris, won 306 electoral college votes, exceeding the 270 needed to win, after four tumultuous years under Trump.
Trump’s refusal to accept reality has been embraced by a significant share of Republican elected officials, including the House leader, Kevin McCarthy, and much of the party’s base. Tensions over the election result, stoked by Trump, erupted in Washington over the weekend, when violent scenes followed a “Stop the Steal” rally that attracted thousands of the president’s supporters.
Under a complicated system dating back to the 1780s, a candidate becomes US president not by winning a majority of the popular vote but through the electoral college, which allots votes to the 50 states and the District of Columbia largely based on population.
Electoral college votes are cast by paper ballots in state capitols and Washington DC by individual electors, typically elected officials, prominent politicians or party officials. Bill and Hillary Clinton served as an elector in New York.
While there are sometimes “rogue” electors who vote for someone other than the winner of their state’s popular vote, the vast majority rubber-stamp the results.
After casting her ballot on Monday, Clinton, the 2016 Democratic nominee, who won the popular vote but lost the electoral college vote to Trump, said wryly: “I believe we should abolish the electoral college and select our president by the winner of the popular vote, same as every other office. But while it still exists, I was proud to cast my vote in New York for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.”
I believe we should abolish the Electoral College and select our president by the winner of the popular vote, same as every other office.
But while it still exists, I was proud to cast my vote in New York for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. pic.twitter.com/th9qebu9ka — Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) December 14, 2020
When the electors finish voting, their ballots will be sent to Washington, where they will be tallied at a joint session of Congress on 6 January. Presiding over the session is the vice-president, Mike Pence, who will formally announce the result. Four years ago, Biden, then the vice-president, announced Trump’s victory.
The president and his allies pressured lawmakers in battleground states where Biden won to appoint an alternate slate of electors who would cast their votes for Trump. No states agreed to the strategy and the proceedings progress without interruption or delay.
Social distancing, mask wearing and other safety precautions as a result of the pandemic were in effect at gatherings across the country on Monday, as the US death toll from the coronavirus surpassed 300,000. Nevada’s electors met via Zoom to cast their ballots for Biden because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Electoral college members in Georgia, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan and Arizona voted for Biden on Monday, confirming his victories in a clutch of battleground states that Trump won in 2016 and that, four years later, his campaign unsuccessfully endeavored to overturn.
“While there will be those who are upset their candidate didn’t win, it is patently un-American and unacceptable that today’s event should be anything less than an honored tradition held with pride and in celebration,” Arizona’s secretary of state, Katie Hobbs, said.
Hours before Michigan’s electors were scheduled to meet and cast their ballots for Biden, a Republican state representative, Gary Eisen, said in a radio interview that there was a “Hail Mary” effort under way to disrupt the process. When asked if he could guarantee there would be no violence in Lansing today, Eisen replied: “No.”
In response to his comments, he was swiftly stripped of his committee assignments the Republican speaker of the Michigan house of representatives.
A group of Trump supporters had called online for protests outside the state capitol in Lansing, Michigan. But by early afternoon only a handful had gathered.
“It’s time to move forward together as one United States of America,” Michigan’s governor, Gretchen Whitmer said, after the state’s electors cast their 16 votes for Biden. “Now is the time for us to put this election behind us and to focus our efforts together to defeat our common enemy, Covid-19.”
Trump said late last month he would leave the White House if the electoral college voted for Biden, but has since pressed on with his unprecedented campaign to overturn his defeat, filing numerous lawsuits challenging state vote counts. On Monday, he repeated a series of unsupported claims of electoral fraud.


theguardian--2020-12-14--William Barr steps down as Trump's attorney general

The US attorney general , William Barr , one of Donald Trump ’ s staunchest allies , has resigned just weeks after he contradicted the president by saying the justice department had uncovered no evidence of widespread voter fraud that could change the outcome of the 2020 election .
Barr ’ s departure ends a tenure marked by brazen displays of fealty to a president whose political agenda he willingly advanced .
Critics said Barr had turned the Department of Justice ( DoJ ) into an obedient servant of the White House , eroding its commitment to independence and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ play down tensions as he announced Barr ’ s resignation in a tweet on Monday , moments after members of the electoral college officially pushed Joe Biden over the 270-vote threshold to win the White House on Monday .
The procedural step effectively ends Trump ’ s unprecedented bid to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election based on false claims of widespread voter fraud that Barr concluded were meritless .
“ Just had a very nice meeting with attorney general Bill Barr at the White House , ” the president said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very good one , he has done an outstanding job !
As per letter , Bill will be leaving just before Christmas to spend the holidays with his family… ” In his resignation letter , released by Trump on Twitter , Barr was characteristically effusive of the president .
He praised Trump ’ s resilience in the face of what the attorney general described as a “ partisan onslaught ” that aimed to undermine a duly elected president .
“ No tactic , no matter how abusive and deceitful , was out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Your record is all the more historic because you accomplished it in the face of relentless , implacable resistance , ” he continued , adding : “ Few could have weathered these attacks , much less forge ahead with a positive program for the country.
” Jeff Rosen , the deputy attorney general , who Trump called “ an outstanding person ” , will take over the role of acting attorney general and “ highly respected ” Richard Donoghue , an official in Rosen ’ s office , would become the deputy attorney @ @ @ @ @ @ @ telling the Associated Press in an interview published on 1 December that he disputed the idea , promulgated by the president and his re-election campaign , that there had been widespread fraud in the 2020 election .
Trump has attempted to undermine Biden ’ s victory by pointing to routine , small-scale issues in an election – questions about signatures , envelopes and postal marks – as evidence of widespread fraud across the nation that cost him the election .
Trump and some of his allies have also endorsed more bizarre sources of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s win to election software created in Venezuela “ at the direction of Hugo Chávez ” – the former Venezuelan president who died in 2013 .
“ There ’ s been one assertion that would be systemic fraud and that would be the claim that machines were programmed essentially to skew the election results .
And the DHS and DoJ have looked into that , and so far , we haven ’ t seen anything to substantiate that , ” Barr said in the interview with the AP .
Barr said some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal criminal justice system and asking it to step in on allegations that should be made in civil lawsuits and reviewed by state or local officials , not the justice department .
Barr added : “ There ’ s a growing tendency to use the criminal justice system as sort of a default fix-all , and , people don ’ t like something – they want the Department of Justice to come in and ‘ investigate ’ .
” Those comments infuriated Trump and his supporters as they have tried – and failed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ via the courts , requested recounts , or pressure on officials , of overturning his defeat by Biden .
Speculation about Barr ’ s future was rife from the moment his AP interview was published , as the most high-profile member of the administration flatly to contradict the president ’ s continuing arguments that he is the rightful winner .
For months , Barr also kept a justice department investigation into Joe Biden ’ s son , Hunter Biden , from becoming public , despite calls from Republicans and the White House to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s business dealings , according to the Wall Street Journal .
Hunter Biden , long a target of the president and his political allies , announced last week that his tax affairs were under investigation .
In the weeks before the 2020 election , Trump publicly berated his attorney general for not prosecuting the president ’ s political enemies , among them his Democratic opponent and his predecessor , Barack Obama .
In an October interview , Trump said Barr would be remembered as a “ very sad , sad situation ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Obama .
Barr ’ s refusal to act , Trump warned then , could cost him the election .
Trump announced in December 2018 that he was nominating Barr to become his next attorney general , replacing Jeff Sessions , a loyalist who angered the president when he stepped aside and allowed his deputy to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate Russia ’ s election interference .
Barr , 70 , had previously served as attorney general in the George Bush administration and was initially viewed by political veterans in Washington as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ department from political attacks .
Yet , assuming the post the post as the Russia investigation into allegations of collusion between the Trump 2016 election campaign and Russian operatives neared its denouement in early 2019 , Barr quickly upended expectations by ferociously attacking the special counsel investigation that examined the ties between Russia and the Trump campaign .
In his resignation letter , the attorney general said it was the “ nadir ” of what he believed was a partisan crusade against the president “ was the effort to cripple , if not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ baseless accusations of collusion with Russia ” .
Critics have often accused Barr of showing more loyalty to the president than to the nation .
In one such instance , Barr called a press conference last April and offered a misleading preview of Mueller ’ s report .
He omitted the report ’ s detailed description of potential obstruction of justice by Trump and falsely claimed the White House had cooperated fully .
This set the tone for Trump ’ s inaccurate trumpeting when the report itself came out , in restricted form @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enjoyed “ total exoneration ” by Mueller – a blatant misinterpretation .
And Barr ’ s protocol-smashing , partisan path continued from there , as he intervened in criminal cases brought against prominent individuals in Trump ’ s circle , such as Roger Stone and Michael Flynn .
He also initiated an investigation of the origins of the Russia investigation itself , seen as a fundamental undermining of the work of Mueller and his team , an effort that continues .

The US attorney general, William Barr, one of Donald Trump’s staunchest allies, has resigned just weeks after he contradicted the president by saying the justice department had uncovered no evidence of widespread voter fraud that could change the outcome of the 2020 election.
Barr’s departure ends a tenure marked by brazen displays of fealty to a president whose political agenda he willingly advanced. Critics said Barr had turned the Department of Justice (DoJ) into an obedient servant of the White House, eroding its commitment to independence and the rule of law.
Trump sought to play down tensions as he announced Barr’s resignation in a tweet on Monday, moments after members of the electoral college officially pushed Joe Biden over the 270-vote threshold to win the White House on Monday. The procedural step effectively ends Trump’s unprecedented bid to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election based on false claims of widespread voter fraud that Barr concluded were meritless.
“Just had a very nice meeting with attorney general Bill Barr at the White House,” the president said. “Our relationship has been a very good one, he has done an outstanding job! As per letter, Bill will be leaving just before Christmas to spend the holidays with his family…”
In his resignation letter, released by Trump on Twitter, Barr was characteristically effusive of the president. He praised Trump’s resilience in the face of what the attorney general described as a “partisan onslaught” that aimed to undermine a duly elected president.
“No tactic, no matter how abusive and deceitful, was out of bounds,” Barr wrote.
“Your record is all the more historic because you accomplished it in the face of relentless, implacable resistance,” he continued, adding: “Few could have weathered these attacks, much less forge ahead with a positive program for the country.”
Jeff Rosen, the deputy attorney general, who Trump called “an outstanding person”, will take over the role of acting attorney general and “highly respected” Richard Donoghue, an official in Rosen’s office, would become the deputy attorney general.
Barr surprised many observers by telling the Associated Press in an interview published on 1 December that he disputed the idea, promulgated by the president and his re-election campaign, that there had been widespread fraud in the 2020 election.
Trump has attempted to undermine Biden’s victory by pointing to routine, small-scale issues in an election – questions about signatures, envelopes and postal marks – as evidence of widespread fraud across the nation that cost him the election.
Trump and some of his allies have also endorsed more bizarre sources of supposed fraud, such as tying Biden’s win to election software created in Venezuela “at the direction of Hugo Chávez” – the former Venezuelan president who died in 2013.
“There’s been one assertion that would be systemic fraud and that would be the claim that machines were programmed essentially to skew the election results. And the DHS and DoJ have looked into that, and so far, we haven’t seen anything to substantiate that,” Barr said in the interview with the AP.
Barr said some people were confusing the role of the federal criminal justice system and asking it to step in on allegations that should be made in civil lawsuits and reviewed by state or local officials, not the justice department.
Barr added: “There’s a growing tendency to use the criminal justice system as sort of a default fix-all, and, people don’t like something – they want the Department of Justice to come in and ‘investigate’.”
Those comments infuriated Trump and his supporters as they have tried – and failed – to find any meaningful way, via the courts, requested recounts, or pressure on officials, of overturning his defeat by Biden.
Speculation about Barr’s future was rife from the moment his AP interview was published, as the most high-profile member of the administration flatly to contradict the president’s continuing arguments that he is the rightful winner.
For months, Barr also kept a justice department investigation into Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, from becoming public, despite calls from Republicans and the White House to launch an inquiry into the younger Biden’s business dealings, according to the Wall Street Journal. Hunter Biden, long a target of the president and his political allies, announced last week that his tax affairs were under investigation.
In the weeks before the 2020 election, Trump publicly berated his attorney general for not prosecuting the president’s political enemies, among them his Democratic opponent and his predecessor, Barack Obama. In an October interview, Trump said Barr would be remembered as a “very sad, sad situation” if he did not indict Biden or Obama. Barr’s refusal to act, Trump warned then, could cost him the election.
Trump announced in December 2018 that he was nominating Barr to become his next attorney general, replacing Jeff Sessions, a loyalist who angered the president when he stepped aside and allowed his deputy to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate Russia’s election interference.
Barr, 70, had previously served as attorney general in the George Bush administration and was initially viewed by political veterans in Washington as a much-needed stabilizing force who would insulate the department from political attacks. Yet, assuming the post the post as the Russia investigation into allegations of collusion between the Trump 2016 election campaign and Russian operatives neared its denouement in early 2019, Barr quickly upended expectations by ferociously attacking the special counsel investigation that examined the ties between Russia and the Trump campaign.
In his resignation letter, the attorney general said it was the “nadir” of what he believed was a partisan crusade against the president “was the effort to cripple, if not oust, your administration with frenzied and baseless accusations of collusion with Russia”.
Critics have often accused Barr of showing more loyalty to the president than to the nation. In one such instance, Barr called a press conference last April and offered a misleading preview of Mueller’s report. He omitted the report’s detailed description of potential obstruction of justice by Trump and falsely claimed the White House had cooperated fully.
This set the tone for Trump’s inaccurate trumpeting when the report itself came out, in restricted form, that he and his team had enjoyed “total exoneration” by Mueller – a blatant misinterpretation.
And Barr’s protocol-smashing, partisan path continued from there, as he intervened in criminal cases brought against prominent individuals in Trump’s circle, such as Roger Stone and Michael Flynn.
He also initiated an investigation of the origins of the Russia investigation itself, seen as a fundamental undermining of the work of Mueller and his team, an effort that continues.


theguardian--2020-12-14--US Covid deaths pass 300,000 as first Americans receive coronavirus vaccine

More than 300,000 people have now died because of Covid-19 in the United States , with the latest milestone coming amid record daily fatalities and the national rollout of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine .
The first shot in the US mass vaccination program was given shortly after 9am ET on Monday morning at the Long Island Jewish Medical Center in Queens , New York .
Intensive care nurse Sandra Lindsay became the first person not enrolled in the vaccine trials to receive it .
“ It feels surreal , ” she said .
“ It is a huge sense of relief @ @ @ @ @ @ @ York governor Andrew Cuomo described the vaccine as “ the weapon that will end the war ” .
Donald Trump tweeted : “ First Vaccine Administered .
Congratulations USA !
Congratulations WORLD !
” As hospitals around the US continue to describe a crisis of capacity in intensive care units , experts have described this winter as likely the most perilous time , despite the hopes brought by the recent vaccine progress .
It also comes less than a month after the country lost a quarter of a million people to the disease @ @ @ @ @ @ @ University ’ s coronavirus resource center show more than 300,456 fatalities in the US , and more than 16m cases .
It took just 27 days to go from 250,000 deaths to 300,000 - the fastest 50,000-death jump since the pandemic began .
Some models project that hundreds of thousands more people could die before vaccines become widely available in the spring and summer .
The US has the highest death toll from the disease in the world , followed by Brazil , India and Mexico , and the US is among the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its death rate .
Globally , there have been more than 69m cases and at least 1.5m deaths .
Earlier this month the UK became the first country in the world to begin administering Pfizer ’ s Covid-19 vaccine , followed quickly by Canada and the US .
The US government is aiming to distribute the first wave of 2.9 million vaccine doses to 636 locations nationwide by the end of the week .
US Army General Gustave Perna said on a Monday press call that severe storms expected in some parts of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to vaccine shipments .
On Sunday , trucks hauling trailers loaded with suitcase–sized containers of Covid-19 vaccine rolled out of Pfizer ’ s manufacturing facility in Kalamazoo , Michigan , launching the largest and most complex vaccine distribution project in the US .
While progress on the vaccine is being celebrated across America , it also comes amid safety concerns and fears of anti-vaccination sentiments that might hinder the rollout .
Lindsay , 52 , who is black , told the New York Times she hoped that by being the first person outside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she would help “ inspire people who look like me , who are skeptical in general about taking vaccines ” .
There are also worries over a potentially chaotic roll-out with local plans for vaccine distribution that vary widely , lack federal funding , and will not reach everyone even in early , limited populations .
The US , which has recently been reporting around 2,200 deaths per day , recorded more than 3,000 deaths on one day for the first time on 9 December .
Cases have been surging in the US @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day and experts including Dr Anthony Fauci have said the worst of the surge is expected after Thanksgiving – despite official requests not to travel – and likely just before Christmas .
Fauci , the top US infectious disease expert , told CNN his fears about Christmas were the same as Thanksgiving : people traveling and not social distancing , “ only this may be even more compounded because it ’ s a longer holiday ” .
Dr Michael Osterholm , a member of US president-elect Joe Biden ’ s Covid-19 advisory board @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parties .
There is not a safe Christmas party in this country right now .
“ It won ’ t end after that but that is the period right now where we could have a surge upon a surge upon a surge.
” Hospitals around the country have reported being under huge pressure .
One in 10 Americans – especially across the midwest , south and south-west – live in an area where intensive care beds are either full , or available at lower than 5 % of capacity , the New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ county ’ s interim public health officer , Dr Rais Vohra , told CNN that there was recently one day in the county with zero intensive-care capacity : “ I know that those who aren ’ t in the medical field may not understand or quite grasp just how dire the situation is , but all the things you ’ re hearing about – how impacted our hospitals are , about how dire the situation with our ICUs is – it ’ s absolutely true .
And that really is the reason that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much as possible .
”

More than 300,000 people have now died because of Covid-19 in the United States, with the latest milestone coming amid record daily fatalities and the national rollout of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine.
The first shot in the US mass vaccination program was given shortly after 9am ET on Monday morning at the Long Island Jewish Medical Center in Queens, New York. Intensive care nurse Sandra Lindsay became the first person not enrolled in the vaccine trials to receive it.
“It feels surreal,” she said. “It is a huge sense of relief for me, and hope.”
New York governor Andrew Cuomo described the vaccine as “the weapon that will end the war”. Donald Trump tweeted: “First Vaccine Administered. Congratulations USA! Congratulations WORLD!”
Sandra Lindsay, left, is inoculated with the Covid-19 vaccine by Dr Michelle Chester, in the Queens borough of New York City Photograph: Getty Images
As hospitals around the US continue to describe a crisis of capacity in intensive care units, experts have described this winter as likely the most perilous time, despite the hopes brought by the recent vaccine progress. It also comes less than a month after the country lost a quarter of a million people to the disease.
The latest figures from Johns Hopkins University’s coronavirus resource center show more than 300,456 fatalities in the US, and more than 16m cases. It took just 27 days to go from 250,000 deaths to 300,000 - the fastest 50,000-death jump since the pandemic began. Some models project that hundreds of thousands more people could die before vaccines become widely available in the spring and summer.
The US has the highest death toll from the disease in the world, followed by Brazil, India and Mexico, and the US is among the worst-hit of developed nations in terms of its death rate. Globally, there have been more than 69m cases and at least 1.5m deaths.
Earlier this month the UK became the first country in the world to begin administering Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine, followed quickly by Canada and the US.
The US government is aiming to distribute the first wave of 2.9 million vaccine doses to 636 locations nationwide by the end of the week. US Army General Gustave Perna said on a Monday press call that severe storms expected in some parts of the country this week could pose challenges to vaccine shipments.
On Sunday, trucks hauling trailers loaded with suitcase–sized containers of Covid-19 vaccine rolled out of Pfizer’s manufacturing facility in Kalamazoo, Michigan, launching the largest and most complex vaccine distribution project in the US.
While progress on the vaccine is being celebrated across America, it also comes amid safety concerns and fears of anti-vaccination sentiments that might hinder the rollout.
Lindsay, 52, who is black, told the New York Times she hoped that by being the first person outside of medical trials to get vaccinated, she would help “inspire people who look like me, who are skeptical in general about taking vaccines”.
There are also worries over a potentially chaotic roll-out with local plans for vaccine distribution that vary widely, lack federal funding, and will not reach everyone even in early, limited populations.
The US, which has recently been reporting around 2,200 deaths per day, recorded more than 3,000 deaths on one day for the first time on 9 December.
Cases have been surging in the US since mid-October to more than 200,000 a day and experts including Dr Anthony Fauci have said the worst of the surge is expected after Thanksgiving – despite official requests not to travel – and likely just before Christmas.
Fauci, the top US infectious disease expert, told CNN his fears about Christmas were the same as Thanksgiving: people traveling and not social distancing, “only this may be even more compounded because it’s a longer holiday”.
Dr Michael Osterholm, a member of US president-elect Joe Biden’s Covid-19 advisory board, told CNN: “No Christmas parties. There is not a safe Christmas party in this country right now.
“It won’t end after that but that is the period right now where we could have a surge upon a surge upon a surge.”
Hospitals around the country have reported being under huge pressure. One in 10 Americans – especially across the midwest, south and south-west – live in an area where intensive care beds are either full, or available at lower than 5% of capacity, the New York Times reported.
In California, Fresno county’s interim public health officer, Dr Rais Vohra, told CNN that there was recently one day in the county with zero intensive-care capacity: “I know that those who aren’t in the medical field may not understand or quite grasp just how dire the situation is, but all the things you’re hearing about – how impacted our hospitals are, about how dire the situation with our ICUs is – it’s absolutely true. And that really is the reason that we want everyone to stay home as much as possible.”


theguardian--2020-12-14--Everything you need to know about the electoral college vote

I thought Biden had won the election – why is there another vote ?
Yes , Joe Biden has won and all US states have certified their election results .
But the constitution demands that the electoral college formally cast its vote for president .
The constitution requires “ electors ” to cast those votes – 538 such electors make up the electoral college .
The vote happens on the first Monday after the second Wednesday in December , a wait after the election in early November designed to give states enough time to clarify and certify results .
What @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not a place – the term refers to the group of people who formally elect the president .
Electors are chosen by political parties in each state ahead of the election .
The party which wins a state has its electors formally vote for its candidate .
Donald Trump tried to remove electors in some states ahead of today ’ s vote but the US supreme court rejected that attempt last week .
Where does the electoral college vote happen ?
The electors gather in their own states and cast ballots on paper @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the office of the governor or the secretary of state .
Do we know who these electors are ?
They are usually though not always significant figures in their state ’ s party establishment .
Stacey Abrams is one of Georgia ’ s electors while Hillary Clinton is an elector in New York .
Howe long will this take ?
Indiana , New Hampshire , Tennessee and Vermont were the first states to vote at 10am ET .
Hawaii will be the last to vote , at 7pm .
Some states at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – his campaign has lost 59 cases and won one , which affected a tiny number of votes – vote a little later , Wisconsin at 1pm and Michigan at 2pm .
What happens next ?
The electoral college sends its votes to Washington , where they are counted in a joint session of Congress on 6 January .
The president of the Senate – the vice-president , Mike Pence – then formally announces the winner .
Can Trump do anything to frustrate that process ?
Republicans can object to the counting of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ objections are raised in the House and Senate , Congress has to adjourn to consider them .
However , a successful objection would have to be upheld by both houses of Congress .
As Democrats control the House , this will not happen .
Will Trump finally accept the result at that point ?
Unlikely .
The Latin motto on Trump ’ s Scottish coat of arms , which he gained after a lawsuit , can be translated as “ Never Concede ” .
He has not shown any sign that he will @

I thought Biden had won the election – why is there another vote?
Yes, Joe Biden has won and all US states have certified their election results. But the constitution demands that the electoral college formally cast its vote for president. The constitution requires “electors” to cast those votes – 538 such electors make up the electoral college.
The vote happens on the first Monday after the second Wednesday in December, a wait after the election in early November designed to give states enough time to clarify and certify results.
What is the electoral college?
It is not a place – the term refers to the group of people who formally elect the president. Electors are chosen by political parties in each state ahead of the election. The party which wins a state has its electors formally vote for its candidate.
Donald Trump tried to remove electors in some states ahead of today’s vote but the US supreme court rejected that attempt last week.
Where does the electoral college vote happen?
The electors gather in their own states and cast ballots on paper, usually in the state capitol or the office of the governor or the secretary of state.
Do we know who these electors are?
They are usually though not always significant figures in their state’s party establishment. Stacey Abrams is one of Georgia’s electors while Hillary Clinton is an elector in New York.
Howe long will this take?
Indiana, New Hampshire, Tennessee and Vermont were the first states to vote at 10am ET. Hawaii will be the last to vote, at 7pm. Some states at the heart of Trump’s baseless lawsuits – his campaign has lost 59 cases and won one, which affected a tiny number of votes – vote a little later, Wisconsin at 1pm and Michigan at 2pm.
What happens next?
The electoral college sends its votes to Washington, where they are counted in a joint session of Congress on 6 January. The president of the Senate – the vice-president, Mike Pence – then formally announces the winner.
Can Trump do anything to frustrate that process?
Republicans can object to the counting of the votes on 6 January. If objections are raised in the House and Senate, Congress has to adjourn to consider them. However, a successful objection would have to be upheld by both houses of Congress. As Democrats control the House, this will not happen.
Will Trump finally accept the result at that point?
Unlikely. The Latin motto on Trump’s Scottish coat of arms, which he gained after a lawsuit, can be translated as “Never Concede”. He has not shown any sign that he will.