theguardian--2020-09-19--New York will honor Ruth Bader Ginsburg with statue in Brooklyn

Ruth Bader Ginsburg will be honored with a statue in Brooklyn , the New York City borough where she was born and grew up .
The supreme court justice died on Friday at the age of 87 , 27 years after her nomination by Bill Clinton .
Donald Trump , former presidents , governors , federal jurists and lawmakers led tributes .
In New York , Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that the state would erect the statue .
“ She redefined gender equity and civil rights and ensured America lived up to her founding ideals , ” Cuomo said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ equality , and we can all agree that she deserves a monument in her honor.
” In Washington , hundreds gathered on the steps of the court overnight , marking the passing of a justice who became a hero to liberals .
Elizabeth LaBerge , a lawyer , said Ginsburg ’ s death was another blow for people who have made “ serious law and order a mission of their lives ” .
“ Who is going to take care of us ?
’ ” LaBerge , 36 , told the Washington Post @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a deep loss at this particular time .
It ’ s a lot to put on a woman of her age to keep us safe and functioning as a constitutional democracy.
” The California senator Kamala Harris , Joe Biden ’ s running mate in the presidential election , called Ginsburg a “ titan ” , “ a relentless defender of justice ” and “ a legal mind for the ages ” .
“ Justice Ginsburg , ” she said , “ was known to pose the question , ‘ What is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ District and a supreme court justice ?
’ Her answer : ‘ One generation.
’ She never forgot where she came from , or those who sacrificed to help her grow into the historic icon we all came to revere.
” On Saturday morning , Harris too visited the steps of the court .
“ The stakes of this election couldn ’ t be higher , ” she wrote .
“ Millions of Americans are counting on us to win and protect the supreme court – for their health , for their families @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who has a chance to tip the court firmly to the right , was at first caught off guard .
After stepping off stage at a campaign rally in Minnesota on Friday night , he described Ginsburg as “ an amazing woman who led an amazing life ” .
The president later issued a formal proclamation that remembered Ginsburg “ for her brilliant mind and her powerful dissents at the supreme court ” , and ordered flags flown at half-staff .
On Saturday , Trump said he would move quickly to nominate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fight just weeks before the election .
Biden said : “ Ruth Bader Ginsburg stood for all of us .
She was an American hero , a giant of legal doctrine , and a relentless voice in the pursuit of that highest American ideal : Equal Justice Under Law.
” He also posted : “ Let me be clear : the voters should pick a president , and that president should select a successor to Justice Ginsburg.
” Barack Obama , who nominated two women to follow Ginsburg on to the court , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see that discrimination on the basis of sex isn ’ t about an abstract ideal of equality ; that it doesn ’ t only harm women ; that it has real consequences for all of us .
It ’ s about who we are – and who we can be.
” Bill Clinton said : “ America has lost one of the most extraordinary justices ever to serve on the supreme court … her landmark opinions advancing gender equality , marriage equality , the rights of people with disabilities , the rights of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us closer to ‘ a more perfect union ’ .
” Hillary Clinton said : “ Justice Ginsburg paved the way for so many women , including me .
There will never be another like her .
Thank you RBG.
” The eight remaining supreme court justices issued a joint statement .
Chief justice John Roberts mourned “ a jurist of historic stature [ and ] a cherished colleague ” .
Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan described Ginsburg as a “ hero ” and mentor .
Clarence Thomas called her “ the essence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , while Brett Kavanaugh said he learned from her “ principled voice and marveled at her wonderful wit ” .
Senator Lindsey Graham , the Republican chairman of the judiciary committee who will play a key role in the nomination , said : “ While I had many differences with her on legal philosophy , I appreciate her service to our nation.
” Civil rights activist , Guardian columnist and NBA hall of famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar remembered Ginsburg as “ the best of us ” and a champion of “ equal opportunity and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ginsburg was one of the fiercest , most intelligent defenders of equal opportunity and fair justice for all , ” Abdul-Jabbar said on Saturday in a statement to the Guardian .
“ She was the best of us and her example brought out the best in everyone who believes in a truly democratic America.
” Erin Murphy , a law professor at New York University , remarked on Ginsburg ’ s friendship with the conservative justice Antonin Scalia , who died in 2016 and whose seat was held open by the Senate majority @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of political convention , until a new president could pick a replacement .
“ What irony , ” Murphy wrote , “ that the deaths of Scalia and Ginsburg – the two revered justices from opposite ends of the political spectrum , famously best buds notwithstanding ideological difference – precipitated our extreme free fall into rancor and partisanship.
” Recently receiving the National Constitution Center ’ s Liberty Medal on the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th amendment which gave women the right to vote , Ginsburg said she felt lucky @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It was my great good fortune to have the opportunity to participate in the long effort to place equal citizenship stature for women on the basic human rights agenda , ” Ginsburg said .
“ In that regard , I was scarcely an innovator.
” The justice will be buried at Arlington national cemetery .

Ruth Bader Ginsburg will be honored with a statue in Brooklyn, the New York City borough where she was born and grew up.
The supreme court justice died on Friday at the age of 87, 27 years after her nomination by Bill Clinton.
Donald Trump, former presidents, governors, federal jurists and lawmakers led tributes. In New York, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that the state would erect the statue.
“She redefined gender equity and civil rights and ensured America lived up to her founding ideals,” Cuomo said. “She was a monumental figure of equality, and we can all agree that she deserves a monument in her honor.”
In Washington, hundreds gathered on the steps of the court overnight, marking the passing of a justice who became a hero to liberals. Elizabeth LaBerge, a lawyer, said Ginsburg’s death was another blow for people who have made “serious law and order a mission of their lives”.
She never forgot where she came from, or those who sacrificed to help her grow into the historic icon we came to revere Kamala Harris
“Who is going to take care of us?’ ” LaBerge, 36, told the Washington Post. “It just feels like such a deep loss at this particular time. It’s a lot to put on a woman of her age to keep us safe and functioning as a constitutional democracy.”
The California senator Kamala Harris, Joe Biden’s running mate in the presidential election, called Ginsburg a “titan”, “a relentless defender of justice” and “a legal mind for the ages”.
“Justice Ginsburg,” she said, “was known to pose the question, ‘What is the difference between a bookkeeper in the Garment District and a supreme court justice?’ Her answer: ‘One generation.’ She never forgot where she came from, or those who sacrificed to help her grow into the historic icon we all came to revere.”
On Saturday morning, Harris too visited the steps of the court.
“The stakes of this election couldn’t be higher,” she wrote. “Millions of Americans are counting on us to win and protect the supreme court – for their health, for their families, and for their rights.”
Trump, who has a chance to tip the court firmly to the right, was at first caught off guard. After stepping off stage at a campaign rally in Minnesota on Friday night, he described Ginsburg as “an amazing woman who led an amazing life”.
The president later issued a formal proclamation that remembered Ginsburg “for her brilliant mind and her powerful dissents at the supreme court”, and ordered flags flown at half-staff. On Saturday, Trump said he would move quickly to nominate a replacement, setting up a Senate fight just weeks before the election.
Biden said: “Ruth Bader Ginsburg stood for all of us. She was an American hero, a giant of legal doctrine, and a relentless voice in the pursuit of that highest American ideal: Equal Justice Under Law.” He also posted: “Let me be clear: the voters should pick a president, and that president should select a successor to Justice Ginsburg.”
Barack Obama, who nominated two women to follow Ginsburg on to the court, wrote: “Justice Ginsburg helped us see that discrimination on the basis of sex isn’t about an abstract ideal of equality; that it doesn’t only harm women; that it has real consequences for all of us. It’s about who we are – and who we can be.”
Justice Ginsburg paved the way for so many women, including me. There will never be another like her Hillary Clinton
Bill Clinton said: “America has lost one of the most extraordinary justices ever to serve on the supreme court … her landmark opinions advancing gender equality, marriage equality, the rights of people with disabilities, the rights of immigrants, and so many more moved us closer to ‘a more perfect union’.”
Hillary Clinton said: “Justice Ginsburg paved the way for so many women, including me. There will never be another like her. Thank you RBG.”
The eight remaining supreme court justices issued a joint statement. Chief justice John Roberts mourned “a jurist of historic stature [and] a cherished colleague”.
Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan described Ginsburg as a “hero” and mentor. Clarence Thomas called her “the essence of grace, civility and dignity”, while Brett Kavanaugh said he learned from her “principled voice and marveled at her wonderful wit”.
Senator Lindsey Graham, the Republican chairman of the judiciary committee who will play a key role in the nomination, said: “While I had many differences with her on legal philosophy, I appreciate her service to our nation.”
Civil rights activist, Guardian columnist and NBA hall of famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar remembered Ginsburg as “the best of us” and a champion of “equal opportunity and fair justice”.
“Ruth Bader Ginsburg was one of the fiercest, most intelligent defenders of equal opportunity and fair justice for all,” Abdul-Jabbar said on Saturday in a statement to the Guardian. “She was the best of us and her example brought out the best in everyone who believes in a truly democratic America.”
Erin Murphy, a law professor at New York University, remarked on Ginsburg’s friendship with the conservative justice Antonin Scalia, who died in 2016 and whose seat was held open by the Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, in defiance of political convention, until a new president could pick a replacement.
“What irony,” Murphy wrote, “that the deaths of Scalia and Ginsburg – the two revered justices from opposite ends of the political spectrum, famously best buds notwithstanding ideological difference – precipitated our extreme free fall into rancor and partisanship.”
Recently receiving the National Constitution Center’s Liberty Medal on the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th amendment which gave women the right to vote, Ginsburg said she felt lucky to have joined the fight.
“It was my great good fortune to have the opportunity to participate in the long effort to place equal citizenship stature for women on the basic human rights agenda,” Ginsburg said. “In that regard, I was scarcely an innovator.”
The justice will be buried at Arlington national cemetery.


theguardian--2020-09-19--How Ruth Bader Ginsburg's death could affect Senate races – and Trump v Biden

On the question of supreme court nominees , the Republican senator Susan Collins has repeatedly threaded the same political needle .
It is one with a shrinking eye .
A 64 % majority of voters in Collins ’ home state , Maine , believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases – yet Collins has voted to confirm Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh , two justices nominated by Donald Trump who could roll back abortion rights .
Collins has explained that based on her private impressions , the justices would not overturn the landmark Roe v Wade decision @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Ruth Bader Ginsburg , and a vow by Trump and the Senate majority leader , Mitch McConnell , to replace the liberal lion despite the proximity of a presidential election , the eye of the needle may have closed .
Collins is in the middle of a difficult re-election fight of her own , one in which voters will weigh her commitment on issues including reproductive rights .
Recent polls have put her as much as 12 points behind her Democratic rival , Sarah Gideon .
Now , it appears Collins will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ third Trump nominee , whom the president pledged on Saturday to select “ without delay ” , even though the Senate might not vote until after election day .
This time , in the judgment of activists on both sides of the abortion issue , a vote in favor would clearly be a vote in favor of overturning Roe .
This Month , Collins told the New York Times the calendar was too close to the election to advance a new justice .
“ I think that ’ s too close , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ On Saturday afternoon , the senator duly sought to straddle a particularly nasty chasm .
Though Trump had “ the constitutional authority to make the nomination ” and she would have “ no objection to the Senate judiciary committee beginning the process ” , she said , the decision “ should be made by the president who is elected on 3 November ” .
Collins is not alone among senators for whom the death of Ginsburg has given rise to a potential political crisis .
In battleground states across the country – North @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , South Carolina , Georgia – Republicans are locked in close re-election fights that could be tipped by the battle over the next supreme court justice .
The political earthquake could shake the presidential election as well , as Joe Biden seeks to benefit from a surge of enthusiasm among progressives alarmed by the conservative hijacking of the court .
Trump could likewise benefit if evangelicals are galvanized by an opportunity to capture the court for a generation .
Which way the politics will break is not clear .
While McConnell has vowed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s nominee , he is working with a slim majority and it is not clear he will be able to rally his entire caucus behind him .
As well as Collins , potential defectors , in theory at least , include Senator Lisa Murkowski , who told Alaska Public Radio on Friday : “ I would not vote to confirm a supreme court nominee .
We are 50-some days away from an election.
” Murkowski is not up for re-election and neither is Mitt Romney of Utah , seen as another potential defector @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who when chairman of the Senate judiciary committee laid down a principle that supreme court nominees should not be advanced in election years .
But other key Republican senators are facing tight re-election bids that could yet define their vote .
They include Thom Tillis of North Carolina ; Cory Gardner of Colorado ; Joni Ernst of Iowa ; and Arizona ’ s Martha McSally .
Like Grassley , Lindsey Graham , the current judiciary committee chair , vowed never to consider a supreme court nominee in the last year of a president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ however , he made clear he was ready to work with McConnell and Trump .
In many battleground states , pollsters have found higher levels of trust in Biden than in Trump when it comes to making a supreme court pick .
The fight over Trump ’ s third pick would be all-consuming , as likely to register on voters ’ minds as any other development in a turbulent election year .
Furthermore , Trump and Republicans in the Senate could face a political risk by picking such a fight in advance of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % of voters told the New York Times they disapproved of Collins ’ vote to confirm Kavanaugh in 2018 , a decision that stoked huge fundraising for Collins ’ opponent in Maine .
The Times found that voters in Maine trusted Biden more than Trump to pick justices by a 22-point margin .
The margin was 10 points in Arizona and three in North Carolina .
Analysts have recently seen an increased likelihood of Democrats capturing the Senate , based on Trump ’ s low approval rating and keenness among Democratic and some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office .
If Democrats can take the Senate , they will assume the power to confirm any future supreme court nominees .
But if the cost of their gaining that power is a third Trump justice , the change for many Americans could come too late .

Tom McCarthy, national affairs correspondent

On the question of supreme court nominees, the Republican senator Susan Collins has repeatedly threaded the same political needle. It is one with a shrinking eye.
A 64% majority of voters in Collins’ home state, Maine, believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases – yet Collins has voted to confirm Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, two justices nominated by Donald Trump who could roll back abortion rights.
Collins has explained that based on her private impressions, the justices would not overturn the landmark Roe v Wade decision.
But with the death on Friday of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and a vow by Trump and the Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, to replace the liberal lion despite the proximity of a presidential election, the eye of the needle may have closed.
Collins is in the middle of a difficult re-election fight of her own, one in which voters will weigh her commitment on issues including reproductive rights. Recent polls have put her as much as 12 points behind her Democratic rival, Sarah Gideon.
Now, it appears Collins will be pressured to pass judgment on a third Trump nominee, whom the president pledged on Saturday to select “without delay”, even though the Senate might not vote until after election day. This time, in the judgment of activists on both sides of the abortion issue, a vote in favor would clearly be a vote in favor of overturning Roe.
This Month, Collins told the New York Times the calendar was too close to the election to advance a new justice.
“I think that’s too close, I really do,” she said.
On Saturday afternoon, the senator duly sought to straddle a particularly nasty chasm. Though Trump had “the constitutional authority to make the nomination” and she would have “no objection to the Senate judiciary committee beginning the process”, she said, the decision “should be made by the president who is elected on 3 November”.
Collins is not alone among senators for whom the death of Ginsburg has given rise to a potential political crisis. In battleground states across the country – North Carolina, Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, South Carolina, Georgia – Republicans are locked in close re-election fights that could be tipped by the battle over the next supreme court justice.
The political earthquake could shake the presidential election as well, as Joe Biden seeks to benefit from a surge of enthusiasm among progressives alarmed by the conservative hijacking of the court. Trump could likewise benefit if evangelicals are galvanized by an opportunity to capture the court for a generation.
Which way the politics will break is not clear. While McConnell has vowed to hold a vote on Trump’s nominee, he is working with a slim majority and it is not clear he will be able to rally his entire caucus behind him. As well as Collins, potential defectors, in theory at least, include Senator Lisa Murkowski, who told Alaska Public Radio on Friday: “I would not vote to confirm a supreme court nominee. We are 50-some days away from an election.”
Murkowski is not up for re-election and neither is Mitt Romney of Utah, seen as another potential defector, or Charles Grassley of Iowa, who when chairman of the Senate judiciary committee laid down a principle that supreme court nominees should not be advanced in election years.
But other key Republican senators are facing tight re-election bids that could yet define their vote. They include Thom Tillis of North Carolina; Cory Gardner of Colorado; Joni Ernst of Iowa; and Arizona’s Martha McSally.
Like Grassley, Lindsey Graham, the current judiciary committee chair, vowed never to consider a supreme court nominee in the last year of a president’s term. On Saturday, however, he made clear he was ready to work with McConnell and Trump.
Protesters against the Kavanaugh nomination, outside Susan Collins’ offices on Capitol Hill in September 2018. Photograph: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
In many battleground states, pollsters have found higher levels of trust in Biden than in Trump when it comes to making a supreme court pick.
The fight over Trump’s third pick would be all-consuming, as likely to register on voters’ minds as any other development in a turbulent election year. Furthermore, Trump and Republicans in the Senate could face a political risk by picking such a fight in advance of the election.
In Maine, 55% of voters told the New York Times they disapproved of Collins’ vote to confirm Kavanaugh in 2018, a decision that stoked huge fundraising for Collins’ opponent in Maine. The Times found that voters in Maine trusted Biden more than Trump to pick justices by a 22-point margin. The margin was 10 points in Arizona and three in North Carolina.
Analysts have recently seen an increased likelihood of Democrats capturing the Senate, based on Trump’s low approval rating and keenness among Democratic and some independent voters to eject the president from office.
If Democrats can take the Senate, they will assume the power to confirm any future supreme court nominees. But if the cost of their gaining that power is a third Trump justice, the change for many Americans could come too late.


theguardian--2020-09-19--Another allegation against Donald Trump. Another woman of supreme courage | Barbara Ellen

Are the latest sexual assault allegations against Donald Trump finally registering with voters ?
Or do some of his supporters actually approve of Trump behaving towards women in this way ?
The former model Amy Dorris has come forward – in a story broken by the Guardian – to accuse Trump of assaulting her at the US Open in 1997 ( which she was attending with her then boyfriend ) , leaving her feeling “ sick ” and “ violated ” .
Dorris accuses Trump of grabbing her , forcing his tongue down her throat and groping her , saying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on me that I couldn ’ t rip off ” .
The allegations against Trump now number at least 26 , including more than a dozen accusations of sexual assault , one from the writer E Jane Carroll who is suing him for defamation after he dismissed her as a liar , saying he never met her .
The Trump camp is attempting to undermine Dorris , asking why she continued to mix socially with Trump after the alleged attack , as if being overwhelmed and embarrassed was the clincher .
They say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in truth Dorris was too nervous about the impact on her daughters to come forward in 2016 , and she is still anxious now .
What happens now : does anything ?
Shocking as these allegations are , it was around this stage of the 2016 campaign that Trump ’ s notorious “ Grab ’ em by the pussy ” remarks surfaced , but that didn ’ t stop him becoming president .
It makes you wonder whether this isn ’ t just a case of certain voters dismissing and disbelieving claims about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it makes you wonder whether some voters hear allegations of Trump ’ s sexually aggressive behaviour and regard them not as repulsive and criminal , but as evidence that he is a red-blooded male .
Has this become part of the story : far from hindering Trump , in some people ’ s eyes the allegations increase his popularity ?
This is not to claim that Americans condone rape , rather that some people may not view the allegations as being in the realm of sexual assault , or even sexual misconduct @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the rape narrative is fixed mentally as a stranger in an alleyway with a gun or a knife .
In this context , many of the allegations against Trump could be explained or shrugged away as a man behaving badly , trying his luck , “ doing what men do ” .
In fact , the allegations against the president are serious and criminal .
They don ’ t signify a red-blooded male trying his luck ; they paint a picture of a determined , serial sexual predator .
Thus , even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mounting allegations dismissed as so much white noise , it ’ s also clear how vital it is that these brave women keep coming forward .
As with any case of this kind , the sheer volume of allegations is telling its own story .
Play like posh people and forget the ‘ rule of six ’ Perusing the “ rule of six ” exemptions , it ’ s obvious that the ever-carping British public has only itself to blame if it has failed to nurture the correct professional and leisure pursuits .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ able to celebrate family birthdays ?
They should take up grouse shooting .
Then , armed with guns , and garbed in tweeds , they could trample through grass , shooting at defenceless creatures .
Talk about a smashing family day out .
Presumably , grouse shooting is permitted because it ’ s in the open air and the mainly wealthy folk who enjoy killing things can be trusted to socially distance .
However , socially distanced team sports in public parks aren ’ t permitted , for reasons that are none of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ having a chat in the street is classed as “ illegal mingling ” and , if your family numbers more than six , you won ’ t see them this Christmas .
Rule-breakers will incur hefty fines .
Instead of seeing their inconveniently large families , people should show some common sense and go to play poker or blackjack in casinos .
The government has decreed that casinos can stay open , so it ’ s clear : we must look to the nation ’ s gamblers for guidance in how to conduct @ @ @ @ @ @ @ businessmen , who are still able to assemble in conference halls in groups of up to 30 .
Got that ?
Gamblers , business types and grouse shooters are trusted to behave responsibly .
You and your gran , not so much .
Facetiousness aside , I can ’ t be alone in feeling that I ’ ve entered the end stage of the Covid-19 Twilight Zone .
With bizarre exemptions such as these , is it any wonder that the British public is increasingly disobliging and restless ?
Mark Glastonbury ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and all Could one hope for the unvarnished truth about Glastonbury ?
To mark the festival ’ s 50th year , in a tie-in with the V & A , there is to be an online archive of performances , memorabilia and memories from artists and fans , which have been collected since June .
All of which sounds intriguing , especially in a year when festivals are off .
However , as people continue to write in with misty-eyed tales of boogying and jester ’ s hats , do less rosy-coloured memories @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Like mine , standing in heavy rain , ankle-deep in mud , while a stoned New Ager emptied his bowels next to me .
Another time , I had to rescue the late , great NME writer Steven Wells from the site , as he started gibbering like a hallucinating Vietnam war veteran .
Or what about the halcyon memories of on-site corporate yurts , where people could sanitise the Glastonbury experience to the point where they might as well have stayed in their own back gardens ?
In the interests of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Street Preachers joking on stage about “ building a bypass over this shithole ” surely deserves a spot ?
Happy birthday , Glastonbury festival , there ’ s nothing wrong with reminiscing , especially this year .
Just include some truth .

Are the latest sexual assault allegations against Donald Trump finally registering with voters? Or do some of his supporters actually approve of Trump behaving towards women in this way?
The former model Amy Dorris has come forward – in a story broken by the Guardian – to accuse Trump of assaulting her at the US Open in 1997 (which she was attending with her then boyfriend), leaving her feeling “sick” and “violated”. Dorris accuses Trump of grabbing her, forcing his tongue down her throat and groping her, saying “it felt like there were tentacles on me that I couldn’t rip off”. The allegations against Trump now number at least 26, including more than a dozen accusations of sexual assault, one from the writer E Jane Carroll who is suing him for defamation after he dismissed her as a liar, saying he never met her.
Some people may not view the allegations as being in the realm of sexual assault, or even sexual misconduct
The Trump camp is attempting to undermine Dorris, asking why she continued to mix socially with Trump after the alleged attack, as if being overwhelmed and embarrassed was the clincher. They say the allegations are politically motivated, when in truth Dorris was too nervous about the impact on her daughters to come forward in 2016, and she is still anxious now.
What happens now: does anything? Shocking as these allegations are, it was around this stage of the 2016 campaign that Trump’s notorious “Grab ’em by the pussy” remarks surfaced, but that didn’t stop him becoming president. It makes you wonder whether this isn’t just a case of certain voters dismissing and disbelieving claims about him being a predator. Or worse, it makes you wonder whether some voters hear allegations of Trump’s sexually aggressive behaviour and regard them not as repulsive and criminal, but as evidence that he is a red-blooded male.
Has this become part of the story: far from hindering Trump, in some people’s eyes the allegations increase his popularity? This is not to claim that Americans condone rape, rather that some people may not view the allegations as being in the realm of sexual assault, or even sexual misconduct. For some, even these days, the rape narrative is fixed mentally as a stranger in an alleyway with a gun or a knife.
In this context, many of the allegations against Trump could be explained or shrugged away as a man behaving badly, trying his luck, “doing what men do”. In fact, the allegations against the president are serious and criminal. They don’t signify a red-blooded male trying his luck; they paint a picture of a determined, serial sexual predator.
Thus, even though it’s disheartening to see mounting allegations dismissed as so much white noise, it’s also clear how vital it is that these brave women keep coming forward. As with any case of this kind, the sheer volume of allegations is telling its own story.
Play like posh people and forget the ‘rule of six’
Grouse shooting in Yorkshire. Photograph: Matt Limb OBE/Alamy Stock Photo
Perusing the “rule of six” exemptions, it’s obvious that the ever-carping British public has only itself to blame if it has failed to nurture the correct professional and leisure pursuits.
Why are people moping about not being able to celebrate family birthdays? They should take up grouse shooting. Then, armed with guns, and garbed in tweeds, they could trample through grass, shooting at defenceless creatures. Talk about a smashing family day out. Presumably, grouse shooting is permitted because it’s in the open air and the mainly wealthy folk who enjoy killing things can be trusted to socially distance. However, socially distanced team sports in public parks aren’t permitted, for reasons that are none of our business.
Elsewhere, two families having a chat in the street is classed as “illegal mingling” and, if your family numbers more than six, you won’t see them this Christmas. Rule-breakers will incur hefty fines. Instead of seeing their inconveniently large families, people should show some common sense and go to play poker or blackjack in casinos. The government has decreed that casinos can stay open, so it’s clear: we must look to the nation’s gamblers for guidance in how to conduct ourselves during the pandemic. Same with businessmen, who are still able to assemble in conference halls in groups of up to 30. Got that? Gamblers, business types and grouse shooters are trusted to behave responsibly. You and your gran, not so much.
Facetiousness aside, I can’t be alone in feeling that I’ve entered the end stage of the Covid-19 Twilight Zone. With bizarre exemptions such as these, is it any wonder that the British public is increasingly disobliging and restless?
Mark Glastonbury’s 50th with rain, mud, warts and all
Ankle-deep in mud: Glastonbury 2016. Photograph: Alicia Canter/The Guardian
Could one hope for the unvarnished truth about Glastonbury? To mark the festival’s 50th year, in a tie-in with the V&A, there is to be an online archive of performances, memorabilia and memories from artists and fans, which have been collected since June. All of which sounds intriguing, especially in a year when festivals are off.
However, as people continue to write in with misty-eyed tales of boogying and jester’s hats, do less rosy-coloured memories have a chance of making the cut? Like mine, standing in heavy rain, ankle-deep in mud, while a stoned New Ager emptied his bowels next to me. Another time, I had to rescue the late, great NME writer Steven Wells from the site, as he started gibbering like a hallucinating Vietnam war veteran.
Or what about the halcyon memories of on-site corporate yurts, where people could sanitise the Glastonbury experience to the point where they might as well have stayed in their own back gardens?
In the interests of impartiality, Nicky Wire from the Manic Street Preachers joking on stage about “building a bypass over this shithole” surely deserves a spot? Happy birthday, Glastonbury festival, there’s nothing wrong with reminiscing, especially this year. Just include some truth.


theguardian--2020-09-19--Trump's 1776 commission is proof America is spiraling toward facism | Arwa Mahdawi

Sign up for the Week in Patriarchy , a newsletter on feminism and sexism sent every Saturday .
Gilead here we come Can we use the F word yet ?
Can we finally admit that America is dipping its feet in fascism ?
Armed militias are roaming the streets ; Donald Trump is laying the groundwork to discredit the results of the 2020 election ; the press has been labelled the “ enemy of the people ” ; there are credible allegations that migrant women in detention camps are being coerced into having their uteruses removed ; “ anti-fascists ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And now Trump has announced a “ national commission to support patriotic education ” – in other words , a racist propaganda program .
“ Leftwing rioting and mayhem are the direct result of decades of left-wing indoctrination in our schools , ” Trump declared in a speech on Thursday .
He went on to condemn critical race theory and the 1619 Project , the New York Time ’ s Pulitzer-prize winning initiative to reframe American history by placing the consequences of slavery at the center .
“ [ T ] he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ [ that ] will destroy our country , ” he announced .
Per Trump , the only way to save the United States is to revise its history entirely ; to gloss over violent colonialism and slavery and pretend America doesn ’ t have a bigoted bone in its body .
Which is why , Trump said , he is setting up a 1776 Commission to teach students “ about the miracle of American history ” .
Well , “ miracle ” is certainly one way to describe something completely made-up .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over school curriculum – but don ’ t let that reassure you into thinking that Trump ’ s 1776 Commission is pure puff .
Whenever Trump comes out with an outrageous plan there are always people rushing to point out that he won ’ t actually be able to follow through with it ; that checks and balances will stop him .
But Trump has already stormed through many of these checks and balances ; he ’ s already normalized behaviour that would have brought down any other president .
If he gets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what he might do ; hello re-education camps , goodbye reproductive rights !
And that , ultimately , is what his speech on Thursday was about ; it wasn ’ t so much about American history as it was about America ’ s future .
It was a promise to his base that he will Make America White Again .
Hannah Arendt famously talked about the banality of evil – unspeakable horrors are often perpetuated by unthinking people simply “ doing their job ” .
What we ’ re living through right now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evil .
Trump is still treated as a figure of fun a lot of the time .
A buffoon incapable of becoming a “ proper ” fascist .
Objective White Men™ have lined up to lecture us all on how Trump isn ’ t all that bad and belittle fear of what he is capable of as “ elite hysterics.
” ( Easy to talk dismissively about “ hysterics ” when you don ’ t have a uterus that Trump wants to control . )
But as Madeleine Albright explained in a discussion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A Warning , “ Fascism is not an ideology ; it ’ s a process for taking and holding power.
” Propaganda like the 1776 commission , narratives that make a dominant cultural group feel like victims , is a core part of that process .
The most patriotic thing a person can do is tell the truth , and the truth is that America is spiraling towards fascism horrifyingly fast .
A privately run Immigration and Customs Enforcement ( Ice ) detention center in Georgia has been accused of coercing migrant women @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Department of Homeland Security is now investigating the allegations , some of which were submitted as a whistle-blower complaint by a nurse at the facility .
It ’ s hard to wrap your head around how something this horrific could be happening but , as Moira Donegan explains , “ the allegations of forced sterilizations would make the Irwin county detention center only the latest in America ’ s long history of eugenics , which has disproportionately targeted women of color ” .
“ All these men , some of whom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ d never met , were debating who owned an image of me , ” the model writes in a powerful essay for the Cut .
“ I have learned that my image , my reflection , is not my own.
” Should Margaret Court ’ s name be removed from a prestigious tennis arena ?
Andy Murray is the latest person to say he reckons the Australian Open should consider removing Court ’ s name from the arena at Melbourne Park .
While 78-year-old Court may be a tennis legend she is also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that tennis is full of lesbians intent on recruiting impressionable youngsters .
Kathryn Farmer becomes the first female CEO of a major American railroad Farmer will become CEO of Berkshire Hathaway ’ s BNSF Railway next year .
Almost all of the US kids and teens who ’ ve died from Covid-19 were Hispanic or Black According to a new report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , 121 kids and young adults under 21 have died from Covid-19 .
“ Hispanic , non-Hispanic Black and non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaskan Native @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) of these deaths.
” Donald Trump is accused of sexual assault for the millionth time The 26th time , actually , but who ’ s counting ?
It delights me to inform you of the existence of the Golden Spurtle World Porridge Making Championship , an annual cook-off held in ( where else ? )
Scotland .
Not even Covid-19 can get in the way of oatmeal enthusiasts : the competition will be held online this year , with creative spins on the dish reviewed by an official Porridge Committee .
Gruel-ing @ @

Sign up for the Week in Patriarchy, a newsletter on feminism and sexism sent every Saturday.
Gilead here we come
Can we use the F word yet? Can we finally admit that America is dipping its feet in fascism? Armed militias are roaming the streets; Donald Trump is laying the groundwork to discredit the results of the 2020 election; the press has been labelled the “enemy of the people”; there are credible allegations that migrant women in detention camps are being coerced into having their uteruses removed; “anti-fascists” have been branded public enemy number one. And now Trump has announced a “national commission to support patriotic education” – in other words, a racist propaganda program.
“Leftwing rioting and mayhem are the direct result of decades of left-wing indoctrination in our schools,” Trump declared in a speech on Thursday. He went on to condemn critical race theory and the 1619 Project, the New York Time’s Pulitzer-prize winning initiative to reframe American history by placing the consequences of slavery at the center. “[T]he crusade against American history is toxic propaganda [that] will destroy our country,” he announced. Per Trump, the only way to save the United States is to revise its history entirely; to gloss over violent colonialism and slavery and pretend America doesn’t have a bigoted bone in its body. Which is why, Trump said, he is setting up a 1776 Commission to teach students “about the miracle of American history”. Well, “miracle” is certainly one way to describe something completely made-up.
The federal government doesn’t have jurisdiction over school curriculum – but don’t let that reassure you into thinking that Trump’s 1776 Commission is pure puff. Whenever Trump comes out with an outrageous plan there are always people rushing to point out that he won’t actually be able to follow through with it; that checks and balances will stop him. But Trump has already stormed through many of these checks and balances; he’s already normalized behaviour that would have brought down any other president. If he gets another term there are no limits to what he might do; hello re-education camps, goodbye reproductive rights! And that, ultimately, is what his speech on Thursday was about; it wasn’t so much about American history as it was about America’s future. It was a promise to his base that he will Make America White Again.
Hannah Arendt famously talked about the banality of evil – unspeakable horrors are often perpetuated by unthinking people simply “doing their job”. What we’re living through right now might be characterized as the inanity of evil. Trump is still treated as a figure of fun a lot of the time. A buffoon incapable of becoming a “proper” fascist. Objective White Men™ have lined up to lecture us all on how Trump isn’t all that bad and belittle fear of what he is capable of as “elite hysterics.” (Easy to talk dismissively about “hysterics” when you don’t have a uterus that Trump wants to control.) But as Madeleine Albright explained in a discussion of her 2018 book, Fascism: A Warning, “Fascism is not an ideology; it’s a process for taking and holding power.” Propaganda like the 1776 commission, narratives that make a dominant cultural group feel like victims, is a core part of that process. The most patriotic thing a person can do is tell the truth, and the truth is that America is spiraling towards fascism horrifyingly fast.
Is Ice removing migrant women’s uteruses?
A privately run Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) detention center in Georgia has been accused of coercing migrant women to have hysterectomies without their informed consent. The Department of Homeland Security is now investigating the allegations, some of which were submitted as a whistle-blower complaint by a nurse at the facility. It’s hard to wrap your head around how something this horrific could be happening but, as Moira Donegan explains, “the allegations of forced sterilizations would make the Irwin county detention center only the latest in America’s long history of eugenics, which has disproportionately targeted women of color”.
Emily Ratajkowski on buying herself back
“All these men, some of whom I knew intimately and others I’d never met, were debating who owned an image of me,” the model writes in a powerful essay for the Cut. “I have learned that my image, my reflection, is not my own.”
Should Margaret Court’s name be removed from a prestigious tennis arena?
Andy Murray is the latest person to say he reckons the Australian Open should consider removing Court’s name from the arena at Melbourne Park. While 78-year-old Court may be a tennis legend she is also a raging homophobe: she once warned that tennis is full of lesbians intent on recruiting impressionable youngsters.
Kathryn Farmer becomes the first female CEO of a major American railroad
Farmer will become CEO of Berkshire Hathaway’s BNSF Railway next year.
Almost all of the US kids and teens who’ve died from Covid-19 were Hispanic or Black
According to a new report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 121 kids and young adults under 21 have died from Covid-19. “Hispanic, non-Hispanic Black and non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaskan Native persons accounted for 94 (78%) of these deaths.”
Donald Trump is accused of sexual assault for the millionth time
The 26th time, actually, but who’s counting?
The week in porridge-archy
It delights me to inform you of the existence of the Golden Spurtle World Porridge Making Championship, an annual cook-off held in (where else?) Scotland. Not even Covid-19 can get in the way of oatmeal enthusiasts: the competition will be held online this year, with creative spins on the dish reviewed by an official Porridge Committee. Gruel-ing work.


theguardian--2020-09-20--Ruth Bader Ginsburg: Washington braced for supreme court fight – live

…and welcome to another day ’ s coverage of politics in the US , dominated by the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the looming fight over who will replace her on the supreme court .
The liberal heroine died on Friday , from complications arising from pancreatic cancer and at the age of 87 .
Tributes poured in .
And then the plotting started .
Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell said he would put a nominee to the vote , even though there were less than 50 days to go to the presidential election and , infamously , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a hearing for eight months , saying no such nomination should be made in an election year .
Donald Trump said he would move swiftly to nominate a replacement for Ginsburg , and later confirmed it would be a woman .
Most observers expect it to be Amy Coney Barrett , a strict Catholic viewed with apprehension by pro-choice campaigners .
Lindsey Graham , the chair of the Senate judiciary committee who will steer the nomination , was on record in the Garland fight saying no justice should be confirmed so close to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day ’ s end , citing as motivation Democratic moves in the bitter partisan warfare of the last decade , he said he was game .
He would seek to advance Trump ’ s nominee .
And so to the trenches , where all is not so simple .
The Republicans hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate .
That means that in a process which could even extend into the lame duck period after the election on 3 November , even should Trump lose to Joe Biden , they can lose three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vice-President Mike Pence the tiebreaker .
Two Republican moderates , Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska , are on record saying they think the winner of the presidential election should pick the new justice .
And in Arizona , a special election to replace John McCain could seat a new Democrat , Mark Kelly , by early November .
All eyes are on Mitt Romney of Utah – not up for election , a proven enemy of Trump – and others in tight re-election fights , Thom Tillis of North @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them .
Would McConnell prefer to keep hold of the Senate or tilt the court right for a generation ?
That is the question – or one of them .
For further reading , here ’ s our columnist Robert Reich on how for McConnell , one of the most ruthless , and opponents say damaging , Washington operators of all time , power always trumps principle :

20 Sept 2020 22.19 BST The overall total of coronavirus deaths in California surpassed 15,000 on Sunday even as the state has shown improvements across a number of key indicators.
The Associated Press reports: A tally by Johns Hopkins University put California’s death toll at 15,027 on Sunday, the fourth-highest in the country. New York has suffered by far the most deaths - 33,087 - followed by New Jersey, which has about half as many. Texas is third. California has had the most confirmed virus cases in the country with about 775,000, but key indicators have fallen dramatically since a spike that started after Memorial Day weekend prompted statewide shutdowns of businesses. The state’s infection rate has fallen to 3% in the last week, the lowest level since the first days of the pandemic. Hospitalizations have dropped below 2,700, the lowest since early April, and the number of patients in the intensive care unit has dropped below 850. With figures falling, California last month instituted a new four-tier system for counties to reopen more businesses and activities. Most counties remain in the most restrictive level but some could move to a lower level when the state updates the ratings on Tuesday. A man wears a face mask while walking past signs posted over windows of a store in the Haight-Ashbury district in San Francisco. Photograph: Jeff Chiu/AP
20 Sept 2020 21.59 BST Thousands of documents detailing $2 trillion of potentially corrupt transactions that were washed through the US financial system, including activity linked to former Donald Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort, have been leaked to an international group of investigative journalists. The leak focuses on more than 2,000 suspicious activity reports (SARs) filed with the US government’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). Banks and other financial institutions file SARs when they believe a client is using their services for potential criminal activity. However, the filing of an SAR does not require the bank to cease doing business with the client in question. The documents were provided to BuzzFeed News, which shared them with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. The documents are said to suggest major banks provided financial services to high-risk individuals from around the world, in some cases even after they had been placed under sanctions by the US government. According to the ICIJ the documents relate to more than $2tn of transactions dating from between 1999 and 2017. Leak reveals $2tn of possibly corrupt US financial activity Read more
20 Sept 2020 21.42 BST Donald Trump’s motorcade departed Trump National in northern Virginia shortly after 4pm, passing gatherings of supporters and protestors on its way back to the White House. According to CNN senior congressional correspondent Manu Raju, this marks the 297th day he’s spent at one of his golf clubs in the 1,340 days since he took office. According to White House pool report: There’s a large group of demonstrators outside on both sides of the street, with supporters and opponents of President Trump. There are Biden flags and Trump flags. One of the more vocal people with a Keep America Great hat was shouting “the virus is a hoax” and there were other insults directed toward the press pool. Protesters and supporters wait for Donald Trump’s motorcade on Sunday outside Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia. Photograph: Erin Scott/Reuters Protesters and supporters wait for Donald Trump’s motorcade on Sunday outside Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia. Photograph: Chris Kleponis/EPA
20 Sept 2020 20.55 BST The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Sunday reported 6,748,935 cases of the new coronavirus, an increase of 42,561 cases from its previous count, and said the number of US deaths had risen by 655 to 198,754.
The CDC figures do not necessarily reflect cases reported by individual states.
20 Sept 2020 20.26 BST A majority of Americans want the winner of November’s presidential election to name the successor to Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the supreme court, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Sunday. The national poll, conducted after Ginsburg’s death was announced, suggests that many Americans object to Donald Trump’s plan to “very quickly” confirm another lifetime appointee and cement a 6-3 conservative majority on the court. More from Reuters: The poll found that 62% of American adults agreed the vacancy should be filled by the winner of the Nov. 3 matchup between Trump and Democratic former Vice President Joe Biden, while 23% disagreed and the rest said they were not sure. Eight out of 10 Democrats - and five in 10 Republicans - agreed that the appointment should wait until after the election. Trump needs the support of the Senate, which currently has a 53-47 Republican majority to confirm a nominee. So far two Republican senators - Maine’s Susan Collins and Alaska’s Lisa Murkowski - have said publicly since Ginsburg’s death Friday that they think the winner of the election should make the nomination. Senate Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has vowed a vote with weeks to go in Trump’s term. Democrats are still seething over his refusal to act on Democratic President Barack Obama’s Supreme Court nominee, Merrick Garland, in 2016 after conservative Justice Antonin Scalia died 10 months before that election. McConnell said then that the Senate should not act on a court nominee during an election year, a stance he has since reversed. The looming fight over the Supreme Court vacancy so far does not appear to have given either of the two major political parties much of an advantage in an incendiary campaign season that already was expected to break participation records. The poll found that 30% of American adults said that Ginsburg’s death will make them more likely to vote for Biden while 25% said they were now more likely to support Trump. Another 38% said that it had no impact on their interest in voting, and the rest said they were not sure.
20 Sept 2020 19.59 BST Biden: power rests with voters Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has described Donald Trump’s stated intent to quickly confirm a supreme court justice to replace Ruth Bader Ginsburg as “an exercise in raw political power” that he doesn’t believe the American citizenry will stand for. “President Trump has already made clear this is about power: pure and simple power,” Biden said Sunday afternoon in remarks at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia. “The voters should make clear on this issue that the power in this nation resides with them, the American people. The voters.” He added: “To jam this nomination through the Senate is just an exercise in raw political power and I don’t believe the people of this nation will stand for it.” It would represent an “abuse of power”, he said. “This is constitutional abuse.” The former vice-president also expressed his belief that Trump’s nominee should be withdrawn if Biden takes the White House on 3 November. “If I win this election, President Trump’s nominee should be withdrawn and, as the new president, I should be the one to nominate Justice Ginsburg’s successor,” he said. “We can’t keep rewriting history, scrambling norms, and ignoring our cherished system of checks and balances.” Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden gestures while speaking at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia on Sunday. Photograph: Carolyn Kaster/AP
Updated at 20.02 BST
20 Sept 2020 19.32 BST The Guardian’s video team has cut this explainer breaking down what’s next with the supreme court vacancy. 03:05 Ruth Bader Ginsburg: Republicans and Democrats draw battle lines over replacement – video
20 Sept 2020 19.23 BST Barasso tries out 'Biden rule' The Wyoming senator John Barrasso had an uncomfortable time on NBC’s Meet the Press, as host Chuck Todd reeled off a lengthy list of comments the Republican made in 2016 when he was arguing for voters to decide the direction of supreme court picks.
Todd quoted the chair of the Senate Republican conference insisting four years ago as saying “People should be allowed to consider possible supreme court nominees as one factor in deciding who they’ll support for president” and “We have called on the president to spare the country this fight. The best way to avoid the fight is to agree to let the people decide.” Barrasso’s arguments then, as Todd pointed out, came as Republicans blocked Barack Obama’s election-year supreme court pick, Merrick Garland. They were based on the principle of voters being allowed to choose a president who in turn would choose a supreme court nominee. Pressing, Todd said: “Not once did you say, ‘Oh, it depends on what party the Senate holds versus the party of the president.’ This just sounds like a power grab, pure and simple.” Without explanation or context, Barasso attempted to blame the Democratic presidential nominee, Joe Biden. “Well, it’s the Biden rule,” Barrasso said. “There is no Biden rule,” Todd said. Barrasso offered the explanation that, historically, the Senate had rarely confirmed a nominee in an election year if they were from the opposite political party to the president. “You haven’t had, since 1888 when a party of the Senate and the White House were of different parties, that anyone was confirmed,” Barrasso said, the same talking point wheeled out by the Texas senator Ted Cruz on ABC’s This Week, and referenced in Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell’s statement promising Trump’s pick a vote. Todd was unimpressed. “You have no regrets that Senate Republicans are going to look like hypocrites 44 days before the election for just a complete flip-flop to the average American?” he asked. “I mean, I know you’re trying to come up with these caveats. Nothing about it makes any sort of sense to the average person.”
20 Sept 2020 19.03 BST Martin Pengelly Bryan Armen Graham is about to take the reins of the blog, but before he does, Senator Roy Blunt of Missouri has given me a chance to get back on my favourite hobby horse for minute, telling CBS’s Face the Nation “the constitution prevails here in terms of how we do” supreme court nominations, and telling host Margaret Brennan that “there is a Senate majority put there by voters for reasons like this”. In short, yes, the constitution says the Senate considers and confirms or rejects supreme court nominees chosen by the president. In shorter, it’s, uh, woolly on whether election years make any difference. In very short, about the Senate majority being “put there by voters”? Uh-huh. Yes, the Republicans hold the chamber 53-47 by fair electoral means as the rules of the Senate stand. But given each state gets two senators regardless of population, whether that state is a Wyoming or a Montana or a Dakota – Why are there two? Why? – or a California, a New York or a Texas, many say the rules as they stand are not particularly fair. And in 2018, Democrats got nearly 18m more votes than Republicans in Senate elections. And in 2016 Trump got nearly 3m fewer votes than Hillary Clinton. This we know to be true. We also know that rules is rules. So it goes. Democrats got millions more votes – so how did Republicans win the Senate? Read more
20 Sept 2020 18.31 BST Democratic US representative tests positive Jahana Hayes, a Democratic US representative from Connecticut, has tested positive for coronavirus and will quarantine for 14 days, she announced Sunday on Twitter. Jahana Hayes. Photograph: Michael Brochstein/SOPA Images/REX/Shutterstock “After going to 2 urgent care centers yesterday, I finally got an appointment at a 3rd site and was tested this morning,” the freshman lawmaker said, adding that she has no symptoms “except for breathing issues which are being monitored”. Hayes sought testing after one of her staff members tested positive on Saturday. The 47-year-old said she contracted the virus despite taking “every possible precaution”, and said her experience underscores the need for a national testing strategy “with a coherent way to receive speedy, accurate results”. “This level of anxiety and uncertainty is untenable,” she said. Hayes’s test was one of a one-day record total, according to Reuters, which reports that more than 1 million were performed. Reuters also points out that the US needs 6 million to 10 million tests a day to bring outbreaks under control, according to various experts. The US tested on average 650,000 people a day in the week ended 13 September, down from a peak in late July of more than 800,000 a day. Since the start of the pandemic, testing shortages have hampered efforts to curb the spread of the virus. According to figures from Johns Hopkins University, early on Sunday afternoon the US stood on the brink of recording 200,000 deaths from Covid-19: Trump health official says ‘biology independent of politics’ as US nears 200,000 Covid deaths Read more
20 Sept 2020 18.08 BST ActBlue reports $91.4m in donations since Ginsburg's death Reuters reports on a huge boost for Democratic causes, as donors flock to put their money where their mouths are over the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the looming fight to fill her supreme court seat: Democratic donors smashed fundraising records, funneling more than $90m to candidates and progressive groups in just over 24 hours. As Democrats and Republicans braced for a nomination fight that has upended the November presidential election, the online fundraising organization ActBlue said grassroots donors gave $91.4m to Democratic candidates and causes in the 28 hours after 8pm on Friday, around the time news of Ginsburg’s death broke. That figure, coming from 1.5 million donations, broke the all-time ActBlue records for dollars raised in one day and dollars raised in one hour, said Erin Hill, the non-profit’s executive director. Donors gave $70.6m on Saturday alone, and $6.3m in one hour on Friday night, Hill said, beating the group’s previous records of $41.6m in one day and $4.3m in one hour. The death of Ginsburg so close to the election has energized both the Democratic base and Republican President Donald Trump’s core supporters. If Trump is able to install a conservative, he would cement a 6-3 conservative majority on the court. Much of the Democratic money will be poured into key Senate races, as the party seeks to retake control of the chamber in November, and also to pressure vulnerable Republican incumbents into opposing a move by Trump to install a new justice before the election. Here’s the Associated Press on one of those key races, in which Democrat Mark Kelly is doing well in Arizona. And below is Lauren Gambino’s report on what Democrats and activists might do with all that money: Nan Aron, president of the Alliance for Justice, told reporters she had never seen liberals so energized over an issue that typically animates conservatives. “I think people understand like never before just how huge the stakes are, not just for the court but for healthcare, civil rights, abortion,” she said. “Three and a half years of Trump judges has certainly educated progressives, [and] I think the country, just how critically important the judiciary is and how long after Donald Trump leaves office these judges will be there, signing our rights and freedoms.” Supreme court: Democrats rally in bid to stop Trump filling Ginsburg's seat Read more
20 Sept 2020 17.44 BST Booker appeals to better angels of Republicans' nature Martin Pengelly The New Jersey senator and former candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination Cory Booker thinks appeals to Republicans’ sense of morality might yet stop them pushing through a replacement for Ruth Bader Ginsburg before the election on 3 November, or even after it in the lame duck session. Cory Booker. Photograph: Jacquelyn Martin/AP “We’ve seen moments like this before, where healthcare was in the balance,” Booker told CBS’s Face the Nation. “And the American public, speaking out, got people like John McCain and a couple of my other colleagues to change their vote and do the right thing. So we’ll see how this plays out.” That was a reference to McCain’s dramatic return to the chamber and thumb-down gesture which killed an attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare, in July 2017. But McCain died in August 2018 and Obamacare is just one progressive priority at risk should the court switch to a 6-3 conservative majority. Asked what tactics Democrats might use if appeals to the better angels of Republican natures somehow did not come off, and whether an impending government funding deadline might be leveraged, working on fears of a shutdown, Booker … dodged the question. “For them to go against their word is pretty significant in the public space in terms of their own honor and legitimacy,” he said. “So we’ll see how that plays out. And in addition to that, the election has already begun. If there’s any more convincing that the public needs about what’s at stake, we see some of the most fundamental ideals of our nation that have been settled in many ways – the right for a woman to control her body, the basic understanding of civil rights law – all of that now is in the balance. And I think that this should motivate people significantly to speak up, let their voices be heard and be involved in this process.” Booker also skipped a question about whether he supported packing the court should the Democrats take the Senate, meaning increasing the number of justices beyond nine, a step which is theoretically possible and which many progressives support. He wished, he said, “we would step back and take a beat and understand what we’re doing and the consequences and how they could radiate throughout time”.


theguardian--2020-09-20--Supreme court: Democrats rally in bid to stop Trump filling Ginsburg's seat

The resistance movement forged in the early days of Donald Trump ’ s presidency now faces perhaps its greatest challenge : keeping open a supreme court vacancy that , if filled , will cement a conservative majority for decades to come .
The death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg , the court ’ s most senior and celebrated liberal , set the stage for a furious battle over her replacement weeks before the election .
On Saturday , Trump said he would move “ without delay ” to fill the vacancy , while the Senate majority leader , Mitch McConnell , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the judiciary committee chair , Lindsey Graham , made clear he would be part of the effort .
It was perhaps what Ginsburg feared .
According to NPR , the 87-year-old justice dictated a final message to her granddaughter Clara Spera : “ My most fervent wish is that I will not be replaced until a new president is installed.
” With control of every branch of government now in the balance , liberal groups are redoubling their efforts , pressuring Senate Democrats to deploy every tactic possible to stop Trump seating a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ building ever since the death of Justice Antonin Scalia in February 2016 , when McConnell made the unprecedented decision not to consider Barack Obama ’ s nominee , Merrick Garland , arguing it was too close to a presidential election .
“ American people should have a voice in the selection of their next supreme court justice , ” McConnell said .
Now , McConnell insists the circumstances are different , and that Trump ’ s nominee deserves a vote , even though Americans have already started to cast ballots in the presidential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” the minority leader , Chuck Schumer , told Senate Democrats in a conference call on Saturday , according to a source .
“ If Leader McConnell and Senate Republicans move forward with this , then nothing is off the table for next year.
” Ed Markey was perhaps the first member of the Senate to suggest retaliating by expanding the court .
“ Mitch McConnell set the precedent , ” the Massachusetts Democrat said on Twitter .
“ No supreme court vacancies filled in an election year .
If he violates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the next Congress we must abolish the filibuster and expand the supreme court.
” In a statement following Ginsburg ’ s death , Obama warned that McConnell risked damaging the court .
“ A basic principle of the law – and of everyday fairness – is that we apply rules with consistency , and not based on what ’ s convenient or advantageous in the moment , ” Obama said .
“ The rule of law , the legitimacy of our courts , the fundamental workings of our democracy all depend on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ founder of the liberal judicial advocacy group Demand Justice , said : “ Make no mistake , any supreme court with a Trump justice confirmed to Ruth Bader Ginsburg ’ s seat at this point in the calendar would be fundamentally illegitimate , and Democrats must be prepared to act accordingly.
” Democrats vowed to honor Ginsburg ’ s legacy by ensuring her replacement was not chosen by Trump .
Fulfilling such a promise could require them to win not only the White House but the Senate , too .
Even then , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through in the lame-duck session .
As panic gave way to planning , activist groups stepped up efforts to help Democrats take the Senate .
Across the country , the progressive organization Indivisible flooded Republican senators ’ phone lines , demanding the seat remain unfilled until the inauguration .
Democrats were also shattering online donation records , according to ActBlue , a progressive online platform .
In a 12-hour span after Ginsburg ’ s death was announced , it said , a stunning $ 31m came in .
Nan Aron , president of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she had never seen liberals so energized over an issue that typically animates conservatives .
“ I think people understand like never before just how huge the stakes are , not just for the court but for healthcare , civil rights , abortion , ” she said .
“ Three and a half years of Trump judges has certainly educated progressives , [ and ] I think the country , just how critically important the judiciary is and how long after Donald Trump leaves office these judges will be there , signing our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conservatives have organized around the supreme court , advocating for justices who might overturn Roe v Wade , the 1973 ruling that established the legal right to abortion .
In 2016 , Trump helped mollify conservatives wary of his unorthodox candidacy by committing to nominating anti-abortion judges .
He repeated the exercise this month .
But there are signs the court is now an equally energizing issue for Democrats .
According to a Pew Research Center poll last month , 66 % of supporters of Joe Biden said the supreme court was a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote , compared with 61 % of Trump supporters .
Simple math will guide how McConnell proceeds .
Senate Republicans are defending a 53-seat majority .
A handful of vulnerable incumbents and moderates have expressed concern about moving forward with a nomination so close to the election .
Assuming they win no Democratic votes , Republicans can only afford to lose three if they are to confirm a justice , with Vice-President Mike Pence the tie-breaking vote .
Another wrinkle may be the race in Arizona to fill the vacancy left by John @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defeat the Republican Martha McSally , who was appointed to the seat , some experts believe he could be seated as early as the end of November , making the math of the supreme court fight even more precarious .
Ginsburg ’ s death also sparked finger-pointing , as some Democrats blamed the situation on the former Senate majority leader Harry Reid , for abolishing the 60-vote threshold for most presidential appointees in 2013 , after Republicans refused to approve Obama ’ s picks for lower courts .
In 2017 , Republicans , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for supreme court nominees .
The New York congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said Ginsburg ’ s death should “ radicalize ” progressive voters and motivate them to vote for Biden .
“ Let this moment really put everything into stark focus , because this election has always been about the fight of and for our lives , ” she said , in a video posted to Instagram .
Mass activism that began with the Women ’ s March in January 2017 helped deliver Democratic control of the House the following year .
Now such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help them remove Trump , but secure Ginsburg ’ s legacy .
On Saturday night , hundreds attended a vigil for Ginsburg on the steps of the supreme court .
Though Democrats have not established a record of success in such fights – the effort to bring down Brett Kavanaugh failing most recently , in 2018 – progressive leaders were expected to pledge a campaign of unmitigated offense .
That sentiment is shared by Hillary Clinton , the 2016 presidential nominee who many believed would nominate Ginsburg ’ s replacement .
Speaking on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to use every single possible maneuver that is available ” to stop McConnell filling the vacancy .
She called the Senate majority leader ’ s commitment to confirming Trump ’ s nominee a “ monument of hypocrisy ” that would result in “ the greatest travesty ” .
“ Let ’ s go down fighting , ” she said .
“ Let ’ s not give an inch .
”

The resistance movement forged in the early days of Donald Trump’s presidency now faces perhaps its greatest challenge: keeping open a supreme court vacancy that, if filled, will cement a conservative majority for decades to come.
The death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the court’s most senior and celebrated liberal, set the stage for a furious battle over her replacement weeks before the election. On Saturday, Trump said he would move “without delay” to fill the vacancy, while the Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, vowed to hold a vote, and the judiciary committee chair, Lindsey Graham, made clear he would be part of the effort.
It was perhaps what Ginsburg feared. According to NPR, the 87-year-old justice dictated a final message to her granddaughter Clara Spera: “My most fervent wish is that I will not be replaced until a new president is installed.”
With control of every branch of government now in the balance, liberal groups are redoubling their efforts, pressuring Senate Democrats to deploy every tactic possible to stop Trump seating a third justice.
Democratic fury has been building ever since the death of Justice Antonin Scalia in February 2016, when McConnell made the unprecedented decision not to consider Barack Obama’s nominee, Merrick Garland, arguing it was too close to a presidential election.
Kelli Midgley, center, an English teacher from Baltimore, joins people gathered at the supreme court to honor Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Photograph: J Scott Applewhite/AP
“American people should have a voice in the selection of their next supreme court justice,” McConnell said.
Now, McConnell insists the circumstances are different, and that Trump’s nominee deserves a vote, even though Americans have already started to cast ballots in the presidential election.
“Let me be clear,” the minority leader, Chuck Schumer, told Senate Democrats in a conference call on Saturday, according to a source. “If Leader McConnell and Senate Republicans move forward with this, then nothing is off the table for next year.”
Ed Markey was perhaps the first member of the Senate to suggest retaliating by expanding the court.
“Mitch McConnell set the precedent,” the Massachusetts Democrat said on Twitter. “No supreme court vacancies filled in an election year. If he violates it, when Democrats control the Senate in the next Congress we must abolish the filibuster and expand the supreme court.”
In a statement following Ginsburg’s death, Obama warned that McConnell risked damaging the court.
“A basic principle of the law – and of everyday fairness – is that we apply rules with consistency, and not based on what’s convenient or advantageous in the moment,” Obama said. “The rule of law, the legitimacy of our courts, the fundamental workings of our democracy all depend on that basic principle.”
Barack Obama and Joe Biden with Merrick Garland, Obama’s supreme court nominee. Photograph: Michael Reynolds/EPA
Brian Fallon, founder of the liberal judicial advocacy group Demand Justice, said: “Make no mistake, any supreme court with a Trump justice confirmed to Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s seat at this point in the calendar would be fundamentally illegitimate, and Democrats must be prepared to act accordingly.”
Democrats vowed to honor Ginsburg’s legacy by ensuring her replacement was not chosen by Trump. Fulfilling such a promise could require them to win not only the White House but the Senate, too. Even then, Republicans could try to push a nominee through in the lame-duck session.
As panic gave way to planning, activist groups stepped up efforts to help Democrats take the Senate. Across the country, the progressive organization Indivisible flooded Republican senators’ phone lines, demanding the seat remain unfilled until the inauguration.
Democrats were also shattering online donation records, according to ActBlue, a progressive online platform. In a 12-hour span after Ginsburg’s death was announced, it said, a stunning $31m came in.
Nan Aron, president of the Alliance for Justice, told reporters she had never seen liberals so energized over an issue that typically animates conservatives.
“I think people understand like never before just how huge the stakes are, not just for the court but for healthcare, civil rights, abortion,” she said. “Three and a half years of Trump judges has certainly educated progressives, [and] I think the country, just how critically important the judiciary is and how long after Donald Trump leaves office these judges will be there, signing our rights and freedoms.”
For decades, conservatives have organized around the supreme court, advocating for justices who might overturn Roe v Wade, the 1973 ruling that established the legal right to abortion. In 2016, Trump helped mollify conservatives wary of his unorthodox candidacy by committing to nominating anti-abortion judges. He repeated the exercise this month.
But there are signs the court is now an equally energizing issue for Democrats. According to a Pew Research Center poll last month, 66% of supporters of Joe Biden said the supreme court was a “very important” factor in their vote, compared with 61% of Trump supporters.
Simple math will guide how McConnell proceeds. Senate Republicans are defending a 53-seat majority. A handful of vulnerable incumbents and moderates have expressed concern about moving forward with a nomination so close to the election.
Assuming they win no Democratic votes, Republicans can only afford to lose three if they are to confirm a justice, with Vice-President Mike Pence the tie-breaking vote. Another wrinkle may be the race in Arizona to fill the vacancy left by John McCain. Should the Democrat Mark Kelly defeat the Republican Martha McSally, who was appointed to the seat, some experts believe he could be seated as early as the end of November, making the math of the supreme court fight even more precarious.
Ginsburg’s death also sparked finger-pointing, as some Democrats blamed the situation on the former Senate majority leader Harry Reid, for abolishing the 60-vote threshold for most presidential appointees in 2013, after Republicans refused to approve Obama’s picks for lower courts. In 2017, Republicans, under McConnell, abolished the 60-vote threshold for supreme court nominees.
Mementos in a makeshift memorial in front of the supreme court in Washington. Photograph: Samuel Corum/Getty Images
“Thank you Harry,” Trump tweeted.
The New York congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said Ginsburg’s death should “radicalize” progressive voters and motivate them to vote for Biden.
“Let this moment really put everything into stark focus, because this election has always been about the fight of and for our lives,” she said, in a video posted to Instagram.
Mass activism that began with the Women’s March in January 2017 helped deliver Democratic control of the House the following year. Now such activists hope the movement will not only help them remove Trump, but secure Ginsburg’s legacy.
On Saturday night, hundreds attended a vigil for Ginsburg on the steps of the supreme court. Though Democrats have not established a record of success in such fights – the effort to bring down Brett Kavanaugh failing most recently, in 2018 – progressive leaders were expected to pledge a campaign of unmitigated offense.
That sentiment is shared by Hillary Clinton, the 2016 presidential nominee who many believed would nominate Ginsburg’s replacement.
Speaking on MSNBC, Clinton urged Senate Democrats “to use every single possible maneuver that is available” to stop McConnell filling the vacancy. She called the Senate majority leader’s commitment to confirming Trump’s nominee a “monument of hypocrisy” that would result in “the greatest travesty”.
“Let’s go down fighting,” she said. “Let’s not give an inch.”


theguardian--2020-09-20--'I will fight!': mourners' vow at supreme court vigil for Ruth Bader Ginsburg

On a pavement across the street from the supreme court , school teacher Amanda Stafford chalked the words carefully : “ That ’ s the dissenter ’ s hope : that they are writing not for today , but for tomorrow.
” It was a quotation from Ruth Bader Ginsburg , a justice more renowned for her dissents than her majority opinions , including on the Bush v Gore case that decided the 2000 presidential election .
Ginsburg died from pancreatic cancer on Friday aged 87 , the newest jolt to an angry , divided and fragile nation .
On @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the chill of autumn , thousands came to mourn her at a vigil outside the court in Washington .
Some made speeches .
Others sang songs .
More joined hands or laid flowers and candles .
Stafford paid tribute in chalk .
“ I wanted to show words that are empowering at a time when a lot of people are feeling worn out , ” the 31-year-old from Alexandria , Virginia , explained .
“ As a woman in a country getting ever more divided , it ’ s important to come out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made this her life ’ s work.
” Like many others , including numerous mothers and daughters , Stafford was hit hard by the loss of the feminist lodestar .
“ I broke down crying and went to sit in a park , sobbing .
I called my closest girlfriends and we cried together .
What is the state of American democracy that one single woman passing away feels like a harbinger of hopelessness ?
We ’ re already in a pandemic and losing her felt like the end.
” Stafford ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ court , built in the 1930s in classical style to project the full majesty of the law , its 16 marble columns illuminated as two US flags flew at half mast .
“ RIP RGB , ” said one banner in the rainbow colours of the LGBTQ movement .
“ For my daughter , ” said another , simply .
“ Real change , enduring change , happens one step at a time – Ruth Bader Ginsburg ” was written on cardboard sign amid a sea of pictures , candles and flowers .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” was among the acknowledgements of Ginsburg ’ s support for reproductive rights .
One of the most popular messages was “ When there are nine ” – a reference to Ginsburg ’ s remark , “ When I ’ m sometimes asked when will there be enough [ women on the supreme court ] ?
And I say , when there are nine.
” There were nods to a hip-hop inspired nickname , “ Notorious RBG ” , and a tribute that said , “ Though she be but little she was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Midsummer Night ’ s Dream .
Ginsburg , 5ft 1in tall , was a lover of theatre , especially opera .
But opposite the court loomed the equally imposing US Capitol , a reminder of the political war to come .
Just weeks before a presidential election , Donald Trump appears poised to nominate a conservative to succeed Ginsburg , triggering a bare-knuckle brawl in the Senate .
There was grief for what the nation had lost and fear for the future of its democracy .
But above all at a gathering that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there was a sense of resolve and readiness to fight , a word repeated by many of the speechmakers .
In front of a banner that urged , “ Honor RGB , no confirmation until inauguration ” , the Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren said Ginsburg “ was an icon , she was a trailblazer , she was a role model , she was a friend .
We are here tonight to grieve but not to despair .
There is too much at stake going forward.
” Warren accused the Senate majority leader of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Today Mitch McConnell and his henchmen believe that they can ram through a supreme court justice only 45 days before the election .
“ Mitch McConnell believes that this fight is over .
What Mitch McConnell does not understand is this fight has just begun … Tonight is the moment to say from the heart , with conviction , to ourselves and to anyone who ’ s listening : when it comes to the fight to protect a woman ’ s right to choose , I will fight.
” The senator led @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” and “ I will fight !
” , concluding : “ It is an honour to be in this fight with you.
” Neera Tanden , president of the Center for American Progress , told the gathering : “ The horrifying tragedy of this moment is that a man who was credibly accused of assaulting 20 or so women would have the temerity to name the replacement of Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
” Almost everyone wore masks .
Five people sat crosslegged and held hands in a circle around two dozen candles .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and denouncing Trump .
Amber Jones , 65 , a retired writer , held a sign that said , “ Honor her wish .
No vote.
” She admitted : “ A lot of my friends couldn ’ t face being here tonight .
They ’ ve turned off the news and are trying to take their mind off it .
“ Most of us are girding ourselves for the battle .
The incumbent is rolling back everything we ’ ve worked for 50 years for .
If he stays in office , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get back to where we were .
I hope RGB is looking down at us and going to intercede.
” In the combustible mix of pandemic , presidential election and supreme court fight , anxieties were high .
Jones said : “ I ’ m worried about something approaching civil war because one side has all the guns .
It ’ s not our side.
” Kia Hamadanchy , 34 , a lawyer , said frankly : “ I was worried for the future of America before this .
Just when you think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they get worse.
” Amanda Barber , 35 , a nurse carrying a sign that urged , “ Honor your precedented , honor her legacy ” , said she had turned to a house hunting website .
“ I ’ ve started Zillowing places in Toronto .
It ’ s just for fun .
But I ’ m not sure I can stand another four years of this .
”

On a pavement across the street from the supreme court, school teacher Amanda Stafford chalked the words carefully: “That’s the dissenter’s hope: that they are writing not for today, but for tomorrow.”
It was a quotation from Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a justice more renowned for her dissents than her majority opinions, including on the Bush v Gore case that decided the 2000 presidential election. Ginsburg died from pancreatic cancer on Friday aged 87, the newest jolt to an angry, divided and fragile nation.
On Saturday night, as summer succumbed to the chill of autumn, thousands came to mourn her at a vigil outside the court in Washington. Some made speeches. Others sang songs. More joined hands or laid flowers and candles. Stafford paid tribute in chalk.
“I wanted to show words that are empowering at a time when a lot of people are feeling worn out,” explained the 31-year-old from Alexandria, Virginia. “As a woman in a country getting ever more divided, it’s important to come out and make a stand for someone who made this her life’s work.”
What is the state of American democracy that one single woman passing away feels like a harbinger of hopelessness? Amanda Stafford
Like many others, including numerous mothers and daughters, Stafford was hit hard by the loss of the feminist lodestar.
“I broke down crying and went to sit in a park, sobbing. I called my closest girlfriends and we cried together. What is the state of American democracy that one single woman passing away feels like a harbinger of hopelessness? We’re already in a pandemic and losing her felt like the end.”
Stafford’s homage was one of many outside the court, built in the 1930s in classical style to project the full majesty of the law, its 16 marble columns illuminated as two US flags flew at half mast. “RIP RBG,” said one banner in the rainbow colours of the LGBTQ movement. “For my daughter,” another said simply.
“Real change, enduring change, happens one step at a time – Ruth Bader Ginsburg” was written on cardboard sign amid a sea of pictures, candles and flowers. “She kept theology off our biology” was among the acknowledgements of Ginsburg’s support for reproductive rights.
Elizabeth Warren addresses the crowd at the court. Ginsburg ‘was an icon, she was a trailblazer, she was a role model, she was a friend,’ she said. Photograph: REX/Shutterstock
One of the most popular messages was “When there are nine” – a reference to Ginsburg’s remark, “When I’m sometimes asked when will there be enough [women on the supreme court]? And I say, when there are nine.” There were nods to a hip-hop inspired nickname, “Notorious RBG”, and a tribute that said, “Though she be but little she was fierce” – a quotation from A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Ginsburg, 155cm (5ft 1in) tall, was a lover of theatre and opera.
But opposite the court loomed the equally imposing US Capitol, a reminder of the political war to come. Just weeks before a presidential election, Donald Trump appears poised to nominate a conservative to succeed Ginsburg, triggering a bare-knuckle brawl in the Senate.
There was grief for what the nation had lost and fear for the future of its democracy. But above all at a gathering that was part wake, part rally, there was a sense of resolve and readiness to fight, a word repeated by many of the speechmakers.
In front of a banner that urged, “Honor RBG, no confirmation until inauguration”, the Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren said Ginsburg “was an icon, she was a trailblazer, she was a role model, she was a friend. We are here tonight to grieve but not to despair. There is too much at stake going forward.”
Warren accused the Senate majority leader of trying to hijack the confirmation process. “Today Mitch McConnell and his henchmen believe that they can ram through a supreme court justice only 45 days before the election.
When it comes to the fight to protect a woman’s right to choose, I will fight Elizabeth Warren
“Mitch McConnell believes that this fight is over. What Mitch McConnell does not understand is this fight has just begun … Tonight is the moment to say from the heart, with conviction, to ourselves and to anyone who’s listening: when it comes to the fight to protect a woman’s right to choose, I will fight.”
The senator led chants of “I will fight!” and “I will fight!”, concluding: “It is an honour to be in this fight with you.”
Neera Tanden, president of the Center for American Progress, told the gathering: “The horrifying tragedy of this moment is that a man who was credibly accused of assaulting 20 or so women would have the temerity to name the replacement of Ruth Bader Ginsburg.”
Someone shouted: “No way!”
Almost everyone wore masks. Five people sat crosslegged and held hands in a circle around two dozen candles. Some carried banners and placards celebrating Ginsburg and denouncing Trump.
The crowd listens to speakers. Photograph: José Luis Magaña/AFP/Getty Images
Amber Jones, 65, a retired writer, held a sign that said, “Honor her wish. No vote.” She admitted: “A lot of my friends couldn’t face being here tonight. They’ve turned off the news and are trying to take their mind off it.
“Most of us are girding ourselves for the battle. The incumbent is rolling back everything we’ve worked for 50 years for. If he stays in office, it might be 50 years before we get back to where we were. I hope RBG is looking down at us and going to intercede.”
In the combustible mix of pandemic, presidential election and supreme court fight, anxieties were high. Jones said: “I’m worried about something approaching civil war because one side has all the guns. It’s not our side.”
Kia Hamadanchy, 34, a lawyer, said frankly: “I was worried for the future of America before this. Just when you think things can’t get any worse, they get worse.”
Amanda Barber, 35, a nurse carrying a sign that urged, “Honor your precedented, honor her legacy”, said she had turned to a house hunting website. “I’ve started Zillowing places in Toronto. It’s just for fun. But I’m not sure I can stand another four years of this.”