theguardian--2020-12-08--Biden picks defense secretary as Trump hosts vaccine summit – live

The coronavirus vaccine made by Pfizer and BioNTech provides strong protection against Covid-19 within about 10 days of the first dose , according to documents published by the Food and Drug Administration before a meeting of its vaccine advisory group .
The finding is one of several significant new results featured in the briefing materials , which include more than 100 pages of data analyses from the agency and from Pfizer .
Last month , Pfizer and BioNTech announced that their two-dose vaccine had an efficacy rate of 95 percent after two doses administered three weeks apart .
The new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in far earlier .
What ’ s more , the vaccine worked well regardless of a volunteer ’ s race , weight or age .
While the trial did not find any serious adverse events caused by the vaccine , many participants did experience aches , fevers and other side effects .
New coronavirus cases quickly tapered off in the vaccinated group of volunteers about 10 days after the first dose , according to one graph in the briefing materials .
In a placebo group , cases kept steadily increasing .
The vaccine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ men and women , as well as similar rates in white , Black and Latino people .
It also worked well in obese people , who carry a greater risk of getting sick with Covid-19 .

Joan E Greve (now) and Martin Belam (earlier)

9 Dec 2020 00.54 GMT Summary Here’s a recap, from me, Joan E Greve and Sam Levine: Joe Biden called for 100 million Americans to receive coronavirus vaccines during his first 100 days in office. At an event where he formally introduced his team of health care advisers, the president-elect also reiterated his call for Americans to wear masks for 100 days to limit the spread of coronavirus and said a majority of schools should reopen shortly after his inauguration, assuming Congress allocates funds to make that possible.
At an event where he formally introduced his team of health care advisers, the president-elect also reiterated his call for Americans to wear masks for 100 days to limit the spread of coronavirus and said a majority of schools should reopen shortly after his inauguration, assuming Congress allocates funds to make that possible. Biden confirmed Lloyd Austin would be nominated to lead the defense department. If confirmed, Austin would be the first African American to serve as defense secretary. But the retired four-star general will need to receive a waiver from Congress before being confirmed because of his recent military service.
If confirmed, Austin would be the first African American to serve as defense secretary. But the retired four-star general will need to receive a waiver from Congress before being confirmed because of his recent military service. Biden is expected to name Marcia Fudge, a representative of Ohio, as his pick to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development. She was initially campaigning to be agriculture secretary.
She was initially campaigning to be agriculture secretary. An FDA analysis of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine raised no safety concerns, lifting hopes that the vaccine could soon become available to American adults.
lifting hopes that the vaccine could soon become available to American adults. Donald Trump peddled baseless claims about the election during an event on vaccine distribution. “Hopefully the next administration will be the Trump administration because you can’t steal hundreds of thousands of votes,” the president said. “You can’t have fraud and deception and all of the things that they did and then slightly win a swing state.” Fact-check: Biden has been declared the winner of the presidential election, and there has been no evidence of widespread fraud.
“Hopefully the next administration will be the Trump administration because you can’t steal hundreds of thousands of votes,” the president said. “You can’t have fraud and deception and all of the things that they did and then slightly win a swing state.” Fact-check: Biden has been declared the winner of the presidential election, and there has been no evidence of widespread fraud. A federal judge dismissed the criminal case against Michael Flynn, two weeks after Trump issued a pardon for his former national security adviser. In his decision, judge Emmet Sullivan emphasized that the pardon did not mean Flynn, who twice pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI, was innocent.
two weeks after Trump issued a pardon for his former national security adviser. In his decision, judge emphasized that the pardon did not mean Flynn, who twice pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI, was innocent. The attorney general of Texas is suing four battleground states in the US supreme court over their presidential election results. Attorney general Ken Paxton, a Republican, accused Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin of exploiting the coronavirus pandemic to pass last-minute changes to voting laws. Legal experts said there was little to no chance of the supreme court taking up the case.
Attorney general a Republican, accused Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin of exploiting the coronavirus pandemic to pass last-minute changes to voting laws. Legal experts said there was little to no chance of the supreme court taking up the case. The US supreme court on Tuesday turned away a longshot bid by Pennsylvania Republicans to overturn the election results in Pennsylvania, where Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump in the 2020 race. The suit, filed on behalf of Mike Kelly, a Republican congressman from Pennsylvania, took issue with a 2019 state law that adopted no-excuse absentee voting.
Updated at 01.04 GMT
9 Dec 2020 00.05 GMT Trump officials scramble to justify decision not to buy extra Pfizer vaccine doses Tom McCarthy The Trump administration on Tuesday scrambled to justify a decision not to buy millions of backup doses of a Covid-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer as the vaccine appeared likely to become the first approved for use in the United States. Joe Biden pledges to distribute 100m vaccine shots in first 100 days of presidency – liveRead more Government regulators with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced favorable preliminary findings on Tuesday from a review of Pfizer data, following approval for use in the UK and the first post-approval vaccination there. The Trump administration last spring made a deal for 100m doses of the Pfizer vaccine candidate, but the administration turned down an offer to reserve additional doses, Scott Gottlieb, a current Pfizer board member and former FDA commissioner, confirmed on Tuesday. “Pfizer did offer an additional allotment coming out of that plan, basically the second-quarter allotment, to the US government multiple times – and as recently as after the interim data came out and we knew this vaccine looked to be effective,” Gottlieb told CNBC. “I think they were betting that more than one vaccine is going to get authorized and there will be more vaccines on the market, and that perhaps could be why they didn’t take up that additional 100m option agreement.” With global demand for its vaccine soaring following successful trial results and approval in the United Kingdom, New York-based Pfizer cannot guarantee the United States additional doses before next June, the New York Times reported. The extent to which the decision not to acquire more of the Pfizer vaccine could impede the vaccination effort in the United States was unclear. The news came as the US was on the verge of surpassing 15 million coronavirus cases, the highest number in the world. Read more: Trump officials scramble to justify decision not to buy extra Pfizer vaccine doses Read more
8 Dec 2020 23.37 GMT Congress passes National Defense Authorization Act with veto-proof majority The bill passed 335-78, including a provision to rename Confederate bases. The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) secures military spending and has passed every year for nearly the past six decades. But Donald Trump threatened to veto the bill this year due to the inclusion of a provision to rename military bases and monuments honoring Confederate commanders. Trump also wanted the bill to repeal Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which allows social media companies immunity for content published by users. Congress passed the bill with more than the 2/3 majority needed to avert a presidential veto.
Updated at 23.54 GMT
8 Dec 2020 23.14 GMT The US election's 'safe harbor' deadline is here. What does that mean for Biden? From the Guardian’s Sam Levine: While Donald Trump continues to falsely insist he won the 2020 race, Tuesday marks an important deadline further cementing that Joe Biden will be inaugurated as America’s 46th president on 20 January. This year, 8 December is the so-called “safe harbor” deadline, which federal law says must fall six days before electors meet across the country to cast their votes for president. The statute says that as long as states use existing state law to resolve disputes about electors by the deadline, the votes cast by those electors will be “conclusive”. It is meant to act as a safeguard so that Congress, which will count the electoral votes on 6 January, can’t second-guess or overturn the election results. At least one Republican member of Congress, Mo Brooks of Alabama, has said he will object to electors and Republicans in Pennsylvania have urged lawmakers to do the same. Those challenges are unlikely to be successful because a majority of both houses would have to agree to the challenge. Democrats control a majority of the US House of Representatives. The Guardian spoke to Edward Foley, a law professor at Ohio State University, about the importance of the safe harbor deadline and what it could mean.
Why is the safe harbor deadline so important?
The key concept of safe harbor is the benefit that states get if they meet it. But it’s optional. It’s desirable that they get this benefit, but it’s not essential. And what makes it desirable is Congress promises to accept as “conclusive” – that’s the statutory language – any resolution that the state itself meets if it complies with these two requirements, one being timing and the other being the use of existing law. A state puts itself in as good a position as possible to have its electoral votes accepted by Congress if it’s safe-harbor-compliant. Because if Congress obeys its own promise, then it’s a done deal. Lacking safe harbor status doesn’t mean a state’s electoral votes are going to be rejected by Congress. It just means that they’re arriving in Congress without the benefit of a super-shield, if you will. Read more: The US election's 'safe harbor' deadline is here. What does that mean for Biden? Read more
8 Dec 2020 23.05 GMT The AP has confirmed the news that Biden is expected to choose Fudge for housing secretary... WASHINGTON (AP) — AP sources: President-elect Joe Biden plans to name Ohio Rep. Marcia Fudge his housing and urban development secretary. — Jonathan Lemire (@JonLemire) December 8, 2020
Updated at 23.13 GMT
8 Dec 2020 22.47 GMT Report: Joe Biden to pick representative Marcia Fudge for housing secretary Biden is expected to name Marcia Fudge, a representative of Ohio, as his pick to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Politico reports. From Politico: The offer to lead the roughly $50 billion housing agency comes after weeks in which Fudge launched a bid to become the first Black female Agriculture secretary. Fudge, a member of the House Agriculture Committee, and her allies in the Congressional Black Caucus had lobbied openly for the USDA job. Biden is now leaning toward choosing former Obama agriculture secretary Tom Vilsack, however. House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.) — whose endorsement was pivotal in helping Biden secure the nomination — has pushed aggressively for Fudge to be named to the Cabinet and said earlier Tuesday she would land a top job. The Cleveland congresswoman also has the support of Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), the top Democrat on the Senate Banking Committee, which will handle her nomination. A spokesperson for Fudge did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Biden transition declined to comment. Fudge lamented just last month in an interview with POLITICO that Black policymakers have traditionally been relegated to just a handful of Cabinet positions — including HUD secretary.
Updated at 22.57 GMT
8 Dec 2020 22.44 GMT A $908bn relief plan brought by moderate senators from both parties did not include a second round of direct payments to Americans, drawing objections from some Democrats and Republicans. It’s unclear whether this new $916bn plan will include direct payments. Donald Trump has reportedly expressed a willingness to send a second round of checks.
8 Dec 2020 22.23 GMT Republicans on the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies voted against a resolution that would recognize Joe Biden as president-elect. Republicans on the committee, which includes members of the Senate and House, voted against a motion affirming that they were planning an inauguration for Biden. Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell, House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy and Senator Roy Blunt voted against, resulting in a tied vote against House Majority leader Steny Hoyer, House speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senator Amy Klobuchar. The majority of Republicans on Capitol Hill have yet to acknowledge that Biden has won the election, despite the fact that the states that have certified their elections give the Democrats enough electoral votes to be president.
8 Dec 2020 22.15 GMT Joe Biden will hold an event tomorrow afternoon in Wilmington, Delaware with Lloyd Austin, his pick for defense secretary. Joe Biden, right, has chosen Lt Gen Lloyd Austin for defense secretary. Photograph: Stan Gilliland/EPA If confirmed, Austin will be the first Black secretary of defense. But it could be a tough road ahead to confirm. An officer is required to leave at least seven years after leaving service before becoming secretary of defense. Austin, a retired general, left service just four years ago and will need to receive a waiver in order to take the post.
Updated at 22.32 GMT
8 Dec 2020 22.08 GMT Supreme court rejects Republican effort to overturn Pennsylvania results The Guardian’s Sam Levine reports: The US supreme court on Tuesday turned away a longshot bid by Pennsylvania Republicans to overturn the election results in Pennsylvania, where Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump in the 2020 race. The suit, filed on behalf of Mike Kelly, a Republican congressman from Pennsylvania, took issue with a 2019 state law that adopted no-excuse absentee voting. Several courts, including the Pennsylvania supreme court, had already denied the request, noting that Kelly waited until after the 2020 election to file his suit when the law was in place well before the election. The case is the first piece of 2020 election litigation to reach the US supreme court, but the decision is not a surprise. As is customary with emergency requests, the supreme court did not offer an explanation for its decision. There were no noted dissents.
8 Dec 2020 22.00 GMT Today so far That’s it from me today. My west coast colleague, Maanvi Singh, will take over the blog for the next few hours. Here’s where the day stands so far: Joe Biden called for 100 million Americans to receive coronavirus vaccines during his first 100 days in office. At an event where he formally introduced his team of health care advisers, the president-elect also reiterated his call for Americans to wear masks for 100 days to limit the spread of coronavirus and said a majority of schools should reopen shortly after his inauguration, assuming Congress allocates funds to make that possible.
At an event where he formally introduced his team of health care advisers, the president-elect also reiterated his call for Americans to wear masks for 100 days to limit the spread of coronavirus and said a majority of schools should reopen shortly after his inauguration, assuming Congress allocates funds to make that possible. Biden confirmed Lloyd Austin would be nominated to lead the defense department. If confirmed, Austin would be the first African American to serve as defense secretary. But the retired four-star general will need to receive a waiver from Congress before being confirmed because of his recent military service.
If confirmed, Austin would be the first African American to serve as defense secretary. But the retired four-star general will need to receive a waiver from Congress before being confirmed because of his recent military service. An FDA analysis of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine raised no safety concerns, lifting hopes that the vaccine could soon become available to American adults.
lifting hopes that the vaccine could soon become available to American adults. Donald Trump peddled baseless claims about the election during an event on vaccine distribution. “Hopefully the next administration will be the Trump administration because you can’t steal hundreds of thousands of votes,” the president said. “You can’t have fraud and deception and all of the things that they did and then slightly win a swing state.” Fact-check: Biden has been declared the winner of the presidential election, and there has been no evidence of widespread fraud.
“Hopefully the next administration will be the Trump administration because you can’t steal hundreds of thousands of votes,” the president said. “You can’t have fraud and deception and all of the things that they did and then slightly win a swing state.” Fact-check: Biden has been declared the winner of the presidential election, and there has been no evidence of widespread fraud. A federal judge dismissed the criminal case against Michael Flynn, two weeks after Trump issued a pardon for his former national security adviser. In his decision, judge Emmet Sullivan emphasized that the pardon did not mean Flynn, who twice pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI, was innocent.
two weeks after Trump issued a pardon for his former national security adviser. In his decision, judge emphasized that the pardon did not mean Flynn, who twice pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI, was innocent. The attorney general of Texas is suing four battleground states in the US supreme court over their presidential election results. Attorney general Ken Paxton, a Republican, accused Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin of exploiting the coronavirus pandemic to pass last-minute changes to voting laws. Legal experts said there was little to no chance of the supreme court taking up the case. Maanvi will have more coming up, so stay tuned.
8 Dec 2020 21.44 GMT Senator Doug Jones would not say whether he has recently had talks with Joe Biden about becoming attorney general. “I know that the transition team has a really good process that’s working out really well I think so far,” the Alabama Democrat said on Capitol Hill. Doug Jones, the outgoing Dem senator, wouldn’t say if he’s had talks recently with Biden or his team on AG job. “I know that the transition team has a really good process that's working out really well I think so far,” he said.
“I’m not going to comment any further.” — Manu Raju (@mkraju) December 8, 2020 NBC News reported earlier today that Jones is now the leading contender to become attorney general, although former deputy attorney general Sally Yates and federal judge Merrick Garland are also under consideration. Jones has been in the Senate since winning a 2017 special election, but he lost his bid to serve a full term last month. He and Biden have known each other for decades.


theguardian--2020-12-08--Georgia recertifies election results, confirming Biden's victory

Georgia has re-certified the state ’ s results in the 3 November presidential election after two recounts , confirming again that the Democratic president-elect , Joe Biden , won the state .
Governor Brian Kemp late Monday rubber-stamped the recertification issued earlier in the day by the secretary of state , Brad Raffensperger , despite he and other senior Republicans in the state coming under pressure from Donald Trump to take action to overturn the result .
“ It ’ s been a long 34 days since the election on November 3 , ” Raffensperger , a Republican , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We have now counted legally cast ballots three times , and the results remain unchanged.
” He added : “ Continuing to make debunked claims about a stolen election is hurting our state .
Georgia conducted a full hand recount shortly after the election , which showed Biden still leading by about 13,000 votes .
Despite that hand recount , Donald Trump ’ s campaign requested another recount because of the narrow margin of Biden ’ s victory .
That recount has now confirmed Biden ’ s victory in Georgia , making @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Clinton to carry the state .
Shortly after that announcement was made , Trump again lashed out against Georgia ’ s Republican governor , Brian Kemp .
The president has repeatedly called for a special legislative session in the state to once again challenge the election results , a request that Kemp has reportedly declined .
Raffensperger said on Sunday that a special session to overturn the state ’ s election results “ would be then nullifying the will of the people ” .
Georgia ’ s lieutenant governor , Geoff Duncan , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ State of the Union on Sunday that he did not support Trump ’ s call for a special legislative session .
“ Calling the general assembly back in at this point would almost be along the lines of a solution trying to find a problem , ” Duncan said .
“ And we ’ re certainly not going to move the goalposts at this point in the election .
We are going to continue to follow the letter of the law , which gives us a very clearcut direction as to how to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a rally in Valdosta , Georgia , on Saturday night in which he repeatedly falsely claimed he won the state .
Two Georgia Republicans face 5 January runoffs which will decide control of the Senate .
“ They cheated and they rigged our presidential election , but we will still win it , ” Trump falsely insisted .
“ And they ’ re going to try and rig this [ Senate ] election too .
”

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Georgia has re-certified the state’s results in the 3 November presidential election after two recounts, confirming again that the Democratic president-elect, Joe Biden, won the state.
Governor Brian Kemp late Monday rubber-stamped the recertification issued earlier in the day by the secretary of state, Brad Raffensperger, despite he and other senior Republicans in the state coming under pressure from Donald Trump to take action to overturn the result.
“It’s been a long 34 days since the election on November 3,” Raffensperger, a Republican, said in a press release on Monday. “We have now counted legally cast ballots three times, and the results remain unchanged.” He added: “Continuing to make debunked claims about a stolen election is hurting our state.
Georgia conducted a full hand recount shortly after the election, which showed Biden still leading by about 13,000 votes. Despite that hand recount, Donald Trump’s campaign requested another recount because of the narrow margin of Biden’s victory.
That recount has now confirmed Biden’s victory in Georgia, making the president-elect the first Democrat since Bill Clinton to carry the state.
Shortly after that announcement was made, Trump again lashed out against Georgia’s Republican governor, Brian Kemp. The president has repeatedly called for a special legislative session in the state to once again challenge the election results, a request that Kemp has reportedly declined.
Raffensperger said on Sunday that a special session to overturn the state’s election results “would be then nullifying the will of the people”.
Georgia’s lieutenant governor, Geoff Duncan, a Republican, told CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday that he did not support Trump’s call for a special legislative session.
“Calling the general assembly back in at this point would almost be along the lines of a solution trying to find a problem,” Duncan said. “And we’re certainly not going to move the goalposts at this point in the election. We are going to continue to follow the letter of the law, which gives us a very clearcut direction as to how to execute an election.”
The president staged a rally in Valdosta, Georgia, on Saturday night in which he repeatedly falsely claimed he won the state. Two Georgia Republicans face 5 January runoffs which will decide control of the Senate.
“They cheated and they rigged our presidential election, but we will still win it,” Trump falsely insisted. “And they’re going to try and rig this [Senate] election too.”


theguardian--2020-12-08--Trump thought courts would help him win but judges were his harshest critics

Donald Trump and his allies say their lawsuits aimed at subverting the 2020 election and reversing his loss to Joe Biden would be substantiated , if only judges were allowed to hear the cases .
There is a central flaw in the argument .
Judges have heard the cases and have been among the harshest critics of the legal arguments put forth by Trump ’ s legal team , often dismissing them with scathing language of repudiation .
This has been true whether the judge has been appointed by a Democrat or a Republican , including those named by Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rejected Trump ’ s unfounded claims of widespread voter fraud have underscored not only the futility of the lame-duck president ’ s brazen attempt to sabotage the people ’ s will but also the role of the courts in checking his unprecedented efforts to stay in power .
On Monday , US district judge Linda Parker threw out a lawsuit challenging Michigan ’ s election results that had been filed two days after the state certified the results for Biden .
Parker , appointed by Barack Obama , said the case embodied the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ This lawsuit seems to be less about achieving the relief plaintiffs seek … and more about the impact of their allegations on people ’ s faith in the democratic process and their trust in our government , ” she said .
The lawsuit filed on behalf of a group of voters claimed Biden benefited from fraud , alleging , as in much of the other litigation , a massive Democrat-run conspiracy to shift the results .
It sought to reverse the certification and impound all voting machines for inspection – “ relief @ @ @ @ @ @ @ breathtaking in its reach , ” the judge said .
“ Plaintiffs ask this court to ignore the orderly statutory scheme established to challenge elections and to ignore the will of millions of voters .
This , the court can not , and will not , do , ” she said .
Her ruling stands alongside others in Pennsylvania , Georgia , Arizona and Nevada that have a common thread : they all rejected Trump ’ s claims .
Even in the face of these losses in court , Trump has dangerously contended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the election .
And he ’ s moved out of the courts to directly appeal to lawmakers as his losses mount .
He brought Michigan lawmakers to the White House in a failed bid to set aside the vote tally , and phoned Georgia governor Brian Kemp , asking him to order a special legislative session to overturn the states results .
Kemp refused .
Trump also called the Pennsylvania Republican House speaker , Bryan Cutler , who said state law did not give the legislature the power to overturn the will of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ caps , “ I WON THE ELECTION , BIG.
” While that is not the case , what is true is that Trump is rapidly running out of legal runway .
Out of roughly 50 lawsuits filed , more than 35 have been dropped or dismissed .
The US supreme court was expected to weigh in later this week in a case from Pennsylvania .
In Georgia , US district judge Timothy Batten , appointed by George W Bush , dismissed a lawsuit filed by attorney Sidney Powell , who was dropped from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ago but has still continued to spread faulty election claims .
The lawsuit claimed widespread fraud meant to illegally manipulate the vote count in favor of Biden .
The suit said the scheme was carried out in different ways , including ballot stuffing , votes flipped by the election system from Trump to Biden and problems with absentee ballots .
The judge summarily rejected those claims .
Batten said the lawsuit sought “ perhaps the most extraordinary relief ever sought in any federal court in connection with an election.
” He said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voters in Georgia , which certified the state for Biden again Monday after three vote counts .
“ They want this court to substitute its judgment for that of two-and-a-half million Georgia voters who voted for Joe Biden and this I am unwilling to do , ” Batten said .
Trump has appointed more than 150 federal court judges who have been confirmed by the Senate and pushed through three supreme court justices .
Much like Trump , his lawyers try to blame the political leanings of the judge after their legal arguments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ panel in Philadelphia rejected Trump ’ s election challenge just five days after it reached the court , Trump legal advisor Jenna Ellis called their work a product of “ the activist judicial machinery in Pennsylvania ” .
But Trump appointed the judge who wrote the 27 November opinion .
“ Voters , not lawyers , choose the president .
Ballots , not briefs , decide elections , ” the judge , Stephanos Bibas , who wrote as the third US circuit panel refused to stop the state from certifying its results for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called “ breathtaking.
” All three of the panel members were appointed by Republican presidents .
And they were upholding the decision of a fourth Republican , US district judge Matthew Brann , a conservative jurist and Federalist Society member .
Brann had called the campaign ’ s legal case , which was argued in court by Rudy Giuliani , a “ haphazard ” jumble that resembled “ Frankenstein ’ s monster.
” In state courts , too , the lawsuits have failed .

Donald Trump and his allies say their lawsuits aimed at subverting the 2020 election and reversing his loss to Joe Biden would be substantiated, if only judges were allowed to hear the cases.
There is a central flaw in the argument. Judges have heard the cases and have been among the harshest critics of the legal arguments put forth by Trump’s legal team, often dismissing them with scathing language of repudiation.
This has been true whether the judge has been appointed by a Democrat or a Republican, including those named by Trump himself.
The judicial rulings that have rejected Trump’s unfounded claims of widespread voter fraud have underscored not only the futility of the lame-duck president’s brazen attempt to sabotage the people’s will but also the role of the courts in checking his unprecedented efforts to stay in power.
On Monday, US district judge Linda Parker threw out a lawsuit challenging Michigan’s election results that had been filed two days after the state certified the results for Biden. Parker, appointed by Barack Obama, said the case embodied the phrase “This ship has sailed.”
“This lawsuit seems to be less about achieving the relief plaintiffs seek … and more about the impact of their allegations on people’s faith in the democratic process and their trust in our government,” she said.
The lawsuit filed on behalf of a group of voters claimed Biden benefited from fraud, alleging, as in much of the other litigation, a massive Democrat-run conspiracy to shift the results. It sought to reverse the certification and impound all voting machines for inspection – “relief that is stunning in its scope and breathtaking in its reach”, the judge said.
“Plaintiffs ask this court to ignore the orderly statutory scheme established to challenge elections and to ignore the will of millions of voters. This, the court cannot, and will not, do,” she said.
“The people have spoken.”
Her ruling stands alongside others in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Arizona and Nevada that have a common thread: they all rejected Trump’s claims.
Even in the face of these losses in court, Trump has dangerously contended that, in fact, he won the election. And he’s moved out of the courts to directly appeal to lawmakers as his losses mount.
He brought Michigan lawmakers to the White House in a failed attempt to set aside the vote tally, and phoned Georgia’s governor, Brian Kemp, asking him to order a special legislative session to overturn the states results. Kemp refused. Trump also called the Pennsylvania House speaker, Bryan Cutler, a Republican, who said state law did not give the legislature the power to overturn the will of voters.
And Trump tweeted in all caps, “I WON THE ELECTION, BIG.”
While that is not the case, what is true is that Trump is rapidly running out of legal runway. Out of roughly 50 lawsuits filed, more than 35 have been dropped or dismissed. The US supreme court was expected to weigh in later this week in a case from Pennsylvania.
In Georgia, US district judge Timothy Batten, appointed by George W Bush, dismissed a lawsuit filed by attorney Sidney Powell, who was dropped from the Trump legal team a few weeks ago but has still continued to spread faulty election claims.
The lawsuit claimed widespread fraud meant to illegally manipulate the vote count in favor of Biden. The suit said the scheme was carried out in different ways, including ballot stuffing, votes flipped by the election system from Trump to Biden and problems with absentee ballots. The judge summarily rejected those claims.
Batten said the lawsuit sought “perhaps the most extraordinary relief ever sought in any federal court in connection with an election”.
He said the lawsuit sought to ignore the will of voters in Georgia, which certified the state for Biden again Monday after three vote counts.
“They want this court to substitute its judgment for that of two and-a-half million Georgia voters who voted for Joe Biden and this I am unwilling to do,” Batten said.
Trump has appointed more than 150 federal court judges who have been confirmed by the Senate and pushed through three supreme court justices.
Much like Trump, his lawyers try to blame the political leanings of the judge after their legal arguments are flayed.
When a federal appeals panel in Philadelphia rejected Trump’s election challenge just five days after it reached the court, Trump legal adviser Jenna Ellis called their work a product of “the activist judicial machinery in Pennsylvania”.
But Trump appointed the judge who wrote the 27 November opinion.
“Voters, not lawyers, choose the president. Ballots, not briefs, decide elections,” the judge, Stephanos Bibas, who wrote as the third US circuit panel refused to stop the state from certifying its results for Democrat Joe Biden, a demand he called “breathtaking”.
All three of the panel members were appointed by Republican presidents.
And they were upholding the decision of a fourth Republican, US district judge Matthew Brann, a conservative jurist and Federalist Society member. Brann had called the campaign’s legal case, which was argued in court by Rudy Giuliani, a “haphazard” jumble that resembled “Frankenstein’s monster”.
In state courts, too, the lawsuits have failed.


theguardian--2020-12-08--US election results 2020: Joe Biden's defeat of Donald Trump

Americans are also electing members to the two chambers of Congress , the main law-making body of the US .
@ @ @ @ @ and the House of Representatives .
Without support in the Senate and the House , @ @ @ @ @ enact key policies is severely limited .

Niko Kommenda, Antonio Voce, Frank Hulley-Jones, Anna Leach and Seán Clarke

Americans are also electing members to the two chambers of Congress, the main law-making body of the US. Those chambers are the Senate and the House of Representatives.
Without support in the Senate and the House, the president's ability to enact key policies is severely limited.


theguardian--2020-12-09--Trump's 'Warp Speed' vaccine summit zooms into alternative reality | David Smith's sketch

The US government ’ s drive for a coronavirus vaccine was named “ Operation Warp Speed ” by Peter Marks , an official at the Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) and longtime Star Trek fan .
A staple of Star Trek storylines is alternative realities : someone slipping through a wormhole into a parallel universe where history took a radically different turn .
Cable news viewers went through the wormhole at 2pm on Tuesday : two captains , two crews , two languages ( one English , the other Klingon ) .
Those watching CNN and MSNBC could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , opening his remarks by acknowledging the terrible Covid-19 death toll ( more than 285,000 in the US ) , setting out an ambitious vision for his first hundred days in office ( “ Masking .
Vaccinations .
Opening schools ” ) and unveiling a healthcare team heavy on experience , science and diversity .
But those watching Fox News or other conservative networks found the lame-duck president , Donald Trump , making no mention of the dead ( “ In many respects we ’ re still doing incredibly , with our stock @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hitting all new highs ” ) , boasting about the speed of vaccine development and ranting egregious lies about a stolen election .
In what is now routinely described as a split-screen nation , the contrast was on the nose .
It was also an unusual role reversal from the norm , with the outgoing president delivering happy talk and sunny uplands , while his successor offered a darker vision that warned of trouble ahead .
It was the latest of Biden ’ s team unveilings in his home city of Wilmington , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Office of the president-elect ” backdrop , he said bleakly : “ Last week , Covid-19 was the number one cause of death in America .
“ For Black , Latino , and Native Americans – who are nearly three times as likely to die from it – Covid-19 is a mass casualty .
For families and friends left behind , it ’ s a gaping hole in your heart that will never be fully healed.
” Over in Washington , in the south court auditorium in the White House grounds , Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stars and stripes icons and “ Operation Warp Speed ” written in block letters .
His vaccine summit had been dismissed as a public relations stunt amid embarrassing reports that his administration passed on buying additional doses of Pfizer ’ s vaccine .
Despite a daily death toll that now rivals that of the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks , Trump began by taking a victory lap , praising Vice-President Mike Pence for doing “ an absolutely incredible ” job at the head of the coronavirus taskforce .
“ Stand up , Mike @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We ’ re here to discuss a monumental national achievement , ” Trump went on , describing the race for a vaccine with an exaggeration that veered back into Star Trek – or Buzz Lightyear – territory .
“ Before Operation Warp Speed the typical time frame for development and approval , as you know , could be infinity.
” He then promised : “ This will vanquish the problem , this horrible scourge , as I call it , the China virus , because that ’ s where it came from.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ was dabbling in casual racism , Biden was saying : “ We ’ re in a very dark winter .
Things may well get worse before they get better .
A vaccine may soon be available but we need to level with one other .
It will take longer than we would like to distribute it to all corners of the country … “ We ’ ll need to persuade enough Americans to take the vaccine .
Many have become cynical about its usefulness .
It ’ s daunting , but I promise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on day one .
We didn ’ t get into this mess quickly and it ’ s going to take time to fix.
” Clenching both fists , he added : “ But we can do this .
That ’ s the truth , and telling you the truth is what this team , Vice President-elect Harris and I , will always do.
” Trump , meanwhile , sat at his now infamous tiny desk and signed a reportedly toothless executive order which – “ America first ” to the end – is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to vaccines before they are shipped abroad .
He was joined on stage by a dozen officials , all but two of whom were men .
They included his daughter and senior adviser Ivanka .
But they did not include the infectious diseases expert Anthony Fauci , who had evidently realised the real party is now happening somewhere else .
Fauci popped up on screen at the Biden event in Wilmington , stating : “ I have been through many public health crises before , but this is the toughest one we have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 45th and 46th presidents share a notoriety for gaffes .
So far , both had managed to stay on script .
But Trump could not resist taking questions from the press .
Why , someone asked , are you still hosting Christmas parties despite public health guidelines discouraging them ?
Trump insisted that there were far fewer parties and most people wore masks .
Then came the question : why not include members of the Biden transition in this summit ?
“ Hopefully the next administration will be the Trump administration because you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of votes , ” the president said airily , despite the fact he lost the November presidential election .
“ You can ’ t have fraud and deception and all of the things that they did and then slightly win a swing state .
“ And you just have to look at the numbers , look at what ’ s been on tape , look at all the corruption and we ’ ll see you can ’ t win an election like that .
So hopefully the next administration will be the Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on to extol that administration ’ s glories , including a soaring stock market and the creation of a space force , as if these would be enough to make defeat mathematically impossible .
For the record , the homeland security department and state leaders have debunked Trump ’ s election disinformation and found no significant evidence of interference or fraud .
Change the channel at that moment – as many yearn to do on his presidency – and you found Biden ’ s pick for surgeon general , Vivek Murthy , delivering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is that the best policies – and the best vaccines and treatments – will not heal our nation unless we overcome the fear , anxiety , anger , and distrust so many Americans are feeling right now.
” Does anyone have a vaccine for that ?

The US government’s drive for a coronavirus vaccine was named “Operation Warp Speed” by Peter Marks, an official at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and longtime Star Trek fan.
A staple of Star Trek storylines is alternative realities: someone slipping through a wormhole into a parallel universe where history took a radically different turn. Cable news viewers went through the wormhole at 2pm on Tuesday: two captains, two crews, two languages (one English, the other Klingon).
Those watching CNN and MSNBC could see a sombre president-elect, Joe Biden, opening his remarks by acknowledging the terrible Covid-19 death toll (more than 285,000 in the US), setting out an ambitious vision for his first hundred days in office (“Masking. Vaccinations. Opening schools”) and unveiling a healthcare team heavy on experience, science and diversity.
But those watching Fox News or other conservative networks found the lame-duck president, Donald Trump, making no mention of the dead (“In many respects we’re still doing incredibly, with our stock markets and everything else, which are hitting all new highs”), boasting about the speed of vaccine development and ranting egregious lies about a stolen election.
In what is now routinely described as a split-screen nation, the contrast was on the nose. It was also an unusual role reversal from the norm, with the outgoing president delivering happy talk and sunny uplands, while his successor offered a darker vision that warned of trouble ahead.
It was the latest of Biden’s team unveilings in his home city of Wilmington, Delaware. Speaking against a blue “Office of the president-elect” backdrop, he said bleakly: “Last week, Covid-19 was the number one cause of death in America.
“For Black, Latino and Native Americans – who are nearly three times as likely to die from it – Covid-19 is a mass casualty. For families and friends left behind, it’s a gaping hole in your heart that will never be fully healed.”
Over in Washington, in the south court auditorium in the White House grounds, Trump spoke against a less subtle backdrop of stars and stripes icons and “Operation Warp Speed” written in block letters. His vaccine summit had been dismissed as a public relations stunt amid embarrassing reports that his administration passed on buying additional doses of Pfizer’s vaccine.
Despite a daily death toll that now rivals that of the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks, Trump began by taking a victory lap, praising Vice-President Mike Pence for doing “an absolutely incredible” job at the head of the coronavirus taskforce. “Stand up, Mike. Great job!” Applause.
01:25 '100m shots in 100 days': Biden urges Americans to wear masks as he makes vaccine pledge – video
“We’re here to discuss a monumental national achievement,” Trump went on, describing the race for a vaccine with an exaggeration that veered back into Star Trek – or Buzz Lightyear – territory. “Before Operation Warp Speed the typical time frame for development and approval, as you know, could be infinity.”
He then promised: “This will vanquish the problem, this horrible scourge, as I call it, the China virus, because that’s where it came from.”
At the same moment that Trump was dabbling in casual racism, Biden was saying: “We’re in a very dark winter. Things may well get worse before they get better. A vaccine may soon be available but we need to level with one other. It will take longer than we would like to distribute it to all corners of the country …
“We’ll need to persuade enough Americans to take the vaccine. Many have become cynical about its usefulness. It’s daunting, but I promise you that we will make progress starting on day one. We didn’t get into this mess quickly and it’s going to take time to fix.”
Clenching both fists, he added: “But we can do this. That’s the truth, and telling you the truth is what this team, Vice President-elect Harris and I, will always do.”
Trump, meanwhile, sat at his now infamous tiny desk and signed a reportedly toothless executive order which – “America first” to the end – is designed to give US citizens priority access to vaccines before they are shipped abroad. He was joined on stage by a dozen officials, all but two of whom were men. They included his daughter and senior adviser Ivanka.
But they did not include the infectious diseases expert Anthony Fauci, who had evidently realised the real party is now happening somewhere else. Fauci popped up on screen at the Biden event in Wilmington, stating: “I have been through many public health crises before, but this is the toughest one we have ever faced as a nation.”
05:28 From miracle cures to slowing testing: how Trump has defied science on coronavirus – video explainer
The 45th and 46th presidents share a notoriety for gaffes. So far, both had managed to stay on script. But Trump could not resist taking questions from the press. Why, someone asked, are you still hosting Christmas parties despite public health guidelines discouraging them? Trump insisted that there were far fewer parties and most people wore masks.
Then came the question: why not include members of the Biden transition in this summit? “Hopefully the next administration will be the Trump administration because you can’t steal hundreds of thousands of votes,” the president said airily, despite the fact he lost the November presidential election. “You can’t have fraud and deception and all of the things that they did and then slightly win a swing state.
“And you just have to look at the numbers, look at what’s been on tape, look at all the corruption and we’ll see you can’t win an election like that. So hopefully the next administration will be the Trump administration, a continuation.”
He went on to extol that administration’s glories, including a soaring stock market and the creation of a space force, as if these would be enough to make defeat mathematically impossible. For the record, the homeland security department and state leaders have debunked Trump’s election disinformation and found no significant evidence of interference or fraud.
Change the channel at that moment – as many yearn to do on his presidency – and you found Biden’s pick for surgeon general, Vivek Murthy, delivering an apt warning: “The truth is that the best policies – and the best vaccines and treatments – will not heal our nation unless we overcome the fear, anxiety, anger, and distrust so many Americans are feeling right now.”
Does anyone have a vaccine for that?


theguardian--2020-12-09--Joe Biden pledges to distribute 100m vaccine shots in first 100 days of presidency – as it happened

The Trump administration on Tuesday scrambled to justify a decision not to buy millions of backup doses of a Covid-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer as the vaccine appeared likely to become the first approved for use in the United States .
Joe Biden pledges to distribute 100m vaccine shots in first 100 days of presidency – liveRead more Government regulators with the Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) announced favorable preliminary findings on Tuesday from a review of Pfizer data , following approval for use in the UK and the first post-approval vaccination there .
The Trump administration last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Pfizer vaccine candidate , but the administration turned down an offer to reserve additional doses , Scott Gottlieb , a current Pfizer board member and former FDA commissioner , confirmed on Tuesday .
“ Pfizer did offer an additional allotment coming out of that plan , basically the second-quarter allotment , to the US government multiple times – and as recently as after the interim data came out and we knew this vaccine looked to be effective , ” Gottlieb told CNBC .
“ I think they were betting that more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authorized and there will be more vaccines on the market , and that perhaps could be why they didn ’ t take up that additional 100m option agreement.
” With global demand for its vaccine soaring following successful trial results and approval in the United Kingdom , New York-based Pfizer can not guarantee the United States additional doses before next June , the New York Times reported .
The extent to which the decision not to acquire more of the Pfizer vaccine could impede the vaccination effort in the United States was unclear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was on the verge of surpassing 15 million coronavirus cases , the highest number in the world .

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


theguardian--2020-12-09--Supreme court rejects Republican bid to overturn Biden's Pennsylvania victory

The US supreme court on Tuesday turned away a long-shot bid by Republicans to overturn the election results in Pennsylvania , where Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump in the 2020 race .
The suit , filed on behalf of Mike Kelly , a Republican congressman from Pennsylvania , took issue with a 2019 state law that adopted no-excuse absentee voting , and argued that the expansion of mail-in voting was illegal .
Several courts , including the Pennsylvania supreme court , had already denied the request , noting that Kelly waited until after the 2020 election to file his suit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before the election .
The case is the first piece of 2020 election litigation to reach the US supreme court , which has a 6-3 conservative majority including three Trump appointees .
But the decision is not a surprise .
As is customary with emergency requests , the supreme court did not offer an explanation for its decision .
There were no noted dissents .
Pennsylvania was one of the pivotal states in the election , with Biden , a Democrat , defeating Trump after the Republican president won the state in 2016 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election results .
Trump has falsely claimed that he won re-election , making unfounded claims about widespread voting fraud in states including Pennsylvania .
Democrats and other critics have accused Trump of aiming to reduce public confidence in the integrity of US elections and undermine democracy by trying to subvert the will of the voters .
“ This election is over .
We must continue to stop this circus of ‘ lawsuits ’ and move forward , ” the Pennsylvania attorney general , Josh Shapiro , a Democrat , wrote on Twitter .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to do with another election-related case brought on Tuesday .
Republican-governed Texas , hoping to help Trump , mounted an unusual effort to overturn the election results in Pennsylvania and three other states – Georgia , Michigan and Wisconsin – by filing a lawsuit against them directly at the supreme court .
The Republican plaintiffs argued that the universal , “ no-excuse ” mail-in ballot program passed by the Republican-controlled Pennsylvania legislature in 2019 , enabling voters to cast ballots by mail for any reason , violated the state ’ s constitution .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ received a much higher proportion of the mail-in votes than Trump .
Many more people voted by mail this year because of health concerns prompted by the coronavirus pandemic as they sought to avoid crowds at polling places .
Ahead of the election , Trump urged his supporters not to vote by mail , making groundless claims that mail-in voting – a longstanding feature of American elections – was rife with fraud .
Pennsylvania said in a court filing that the Republican challengers were asking the justices to “ undertake one of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ power ” in US history by nullifying a state ’ s certification of its election results .
The state said most of what the challengers had sought was moot because the election results already were certified and what they were really wanted was for “ the court overturn the results of the election ” .
Trump ’ s campaign and his allies have lost in a stream of lawsuits in key states won by Biden , also including Georgia , Michigan , Wisconsin and others .
Judges have rejected sweeping assertions of voting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ votes – exceeding the necessary 270 – compared to 232 for Trump in the state-by-state electoral college that determines the election ’ s outcome , while also winning the national popular vote by more than 7m votes .
Tuesday represents a “ safe harbor ” deadline set by an 1887 US law for states to certify presidential election results .
Meeting the deadline is not mandatory but provides assurance that a state ’ s results will not be second-guessed by Congress .
After this deadline , Trump could still pursue lawsuits seeking to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effort would become even more difficult .

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The US supreme court on Tuesday turned away a long-shot bid by Republicans to overturn the election results in Pennsylvania, where Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump in the 2020 race.
The suit, filed on behalf of Mike Kelly, a Republican congressman from Pennsylvania, took issue with a 2019 state law that adopted no-excuse absentee voting, and argued that the expansion of mail-in voting was illegal.
Several courts, including the Pennsylvania supreme court, had already denied the request, noting that Kelly waited until after the 2020 election to file his suit when the law was in place well before the election.
The case is the first piece of 2020 election litigation to reach the US supreme court, which has a 6-3 conservative majority including three Trump appointees. But the decision is not a surprise. As is customary with emergency requests, the supreme court did not offer an explanation for its decision. There were no noted dissents.
Pennsylvania was one of the pivotal states in the election, with Biden, a Democrat, defeating Trump after the Republican president won the state in 2016. State officials had already certified the election results.
Trump has falsely claimed that he won re-election, making unfounded claims about widespread voting fraud in states including Pennsylvania. Democrats and other critics have accused Trump of aiming to reduce public confidence in the integrity of US elections and undermine democracy by trying to subvert the will of the voters.
“This election is over. We must continue to stop this circus of ‘lawsuits’ and move forward,” the Pennsylvania attorney general, Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, wrote on Twitter.
The supreme court also must decide what to do with another election-related case brought on Tuesday. Republican-governed Texas, hoping to help Trump, mounted an unusual effort to overturn the election results in Pennsylvania and three other states – Georgia, Michigan and Wisconsin – by filing a lawsuit against them directly at the supreme court.
The Republican plaintiffs argued that the universal, “no-excuse” mail-in ballot program passed by the Republican-controlled Pennsylvania legislature in 2019, enabling voters to cast ballots by mail for any reason, violated the state’s constitution.
Biden won Pennsylvania by 80,000 votes and received a much higher proportion of the mail-in votes than Trump. Many more people voted by mail this year because of health concerns prompted by the coronavirus pandemic as they sought to avoid crowds at polling places.
Ahead of the election, Trump urged his supporters not to vote by mail, making groundless claims that mail-in voting – a longstanding feature of American elections – was rife with fraud.
Pennsylvania said in a court filing that the Republican challengers were asking the justices to “undertake one of the most dramatic, disruptive invocations of judicial power” in US history by nullifying a state’s certification of its election results.
The state said most of what the challengers had sought was moot because the election results already were certified and what they were really wanted was for “the court overturn the results of the election”.
Trump’s campaign and his allies have lost in a stream of lawsuits in key states won by Biden, also including Georgia, Michigan, Wisconsin and others. Judges have rejected sweeping assertions of voting irregularities.
Biden has amassed 306 electoral votes – exceeding the necessary 270 – compared with 232 for Trump in the state-by-state electoral college that determines the election’s outcome, while also winning the national popular vote by more than 7m votes.
Tuesday represents a “safe harbor” deadline set by an 1887 US law for states to certify presidential election results. Meeting the deadline is not mandatory but provides assurance that a state’s results will not be second-guessed by Congress. After this deadline, Trump could still pursue lawsuits seeking to overturn Biden’s victory but the effort would become even more difficult.
Reuters contributed to this report


theguardian--2020-12-08--Biden cabinet: Marcia Fudge reportedly tapped for housing and Tom Vilsack for agriculture

Joe Biden has reportedly selected Ohio congresswoman Marcia Fudge as his housing and urban development secretary and and the former agriculture secretary Tom Vilsack to reprise that role in his administration .
Fudge was first elected to Congress in 2008 to represent a district that includes Cleveland , and is a former chair of the Congressional Black Caucus .
Vilsack spent eight years as head of the US Department of Agriculture during the Obama administration and served two terms as Iowa governor .
Their intended nominations were confirmed to the Associated Press on Tuesday by five people familiar with one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on condition of anonymity to avoid preempting the president-elect ’ s announcement .
As other news outlets started reporting Fudge ’ s selection as HUD secretary Tuesday , Fudge said on Capitol Hill that it would be “ an honor and a privilege ” to be asked to join Biden ’ s cabinet , though she didn ’ t confirm she had been picked .
“ It is something in probably my wildest dreams I would have never thought about .
So if I can help this president in any way possible , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it , ” she said .
A longtime member of the House Agriculture Committee and a fierce advocate for food stamps , Fudge was originally discussed to become agriculture secretary .
But her name was later floated for HUD as Biden ’ s team focused on other candidates for USDA , including Vilsack and former North Dakota senator Heidi Heitkamp .
Biden has said he wants a diverse cabinet , and some Black leaders have said he needs to do more to achieve that .
He announced Tuesday that he had selected the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ secretary , who would be the first Black leader of the Pentagon .
Fudge enjoys the strong backing of South Carolina congressman Jim Clyburn , the No 3 House Democrat who gave Biden a key nod of support in the primaries .
Clyburn has aggressively pushed Fudge for USDA but seemed to back away from that post earlier Tuesday .
“ Marcia Fudge is a tremendous candidate .
I was pitching her for the Department of Agriculture , ” Clyburn noted on CNN .
“ I don ’ t know if that ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but I feel certain that Marcia Fudge is the kind of person that should be in this cabinet and I will continue to advocate for her.
” Fudge has worked as a member of the House Agriculture Committee , where she fiercely advocated for food stamps and other federal programs that help urban areas stem hunger and grow food .
Beyond Clyburn , she also had the backing of progressive groups for the USDA position .
She earned her bachelor ’ s degree in business from the Ohio State University and a law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Cleveland State University .
Politico first reported the news of Fudge ’ s selection .
Biden ’ s relationship with Vilsack goes back decades .
He was an early supporter of Biden ’ s first campaign for president in 1988 while Vilsack was the mayor of Mount Pleasant , Iowa .
He endorsed Biden a year before the 2020 election and campaigned tirelessly for him in Iowa , the nation ’ s first caucus state .
Biden has adopted aspects of Vilsack ’ s rural policy agenda as Democrats look to make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republicans in rural areas over the past decade .
There ’ s little mystery to Vilsack ’ s expertise after running the department for eight years under Obama and sitting at the table with Biden .
Their 34-year friendship and longtime professional connection make the choice one offering little risk .
Vilsack ran a 10-week campaign for the 2008 Democratic nomination before withdrawing and throwing his support to Hillary Clinton .
Vilsack was a finalist for Clinton ’ s running mate that year .
Politico first reported the news of Fudge ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report Vilsack as agriculture secretary .

Joe Biden has reportedly selected the Ohio congresswoman Marcia Fudge as his housing and urban development secretary and and the former agriculture secretary Tom Vilsack to reprise that role in his administration.
Fudge was first elected to Congress in 2008 to represent a district that includes Cleveland, and is a former chair of the Congressional Black Caucus. Vilsack spent eight years as head of the US Department of Agriculture during the Obama administration and served two terms as Iowa governor.
Tom Vilsack, former agriculture secretary during the Obama administration, reportedly will reprise that role for Biden. Photograph: Andrew Harnik/AP
Their intended nominations were confirmed to the Associated Press on Tuesday by five people familiar with one or both of the decisions who spoke on condition of anonymity to avoid preempting the president-elect’s announcement.
As other news outlets started reporting Fudge’s selection as Hud secretary on Tuesday, Fudge said on Capitol Hill that it would be “an honor and a privilege” to be asked to join Biden’s cabinet, though she did not confirm she had been picked.
“It is something in probably my wildest dreams I would have never thought about. So if I can help this president in any way possible, I am more than happy to do it,” she said.
A longtime member of the House agriculture committee and a fierce advocate for food stamps, Fudge was originally discussed to become agriculture secretary. But her name was later floated for Hud as Biden’s team focused on other candidates for USDA, including Vilsack and the former North Dakota senator Heidi Heitkamp.
Biden has said he wants a diverse cabinet, and some Black leaders have said he needs to do more to achieve that. He announced on Tuesday that he had selected the retired army general Lloyd Austin as defense secretary, who would be the first Black leader of the Pentagon.
Fudge enjoys the strong backing of South Carolina congressman Jim Clyburn, the No 3 House Democrat who gave Biden a key nod of support in the primaries. Clyburn has aggressively pushed Fudge for USDA but seemed to back away from that post earlier on Tuesday.
“Marcia Fudge is a tremendous candidate. I was pitching her for the Department of Agriculture,” Clyburn noted on CNN. “I don’t know if that’s where she will end up, but I feel certain that Marcia Fudge is the kind of person that should be in this cabinet and I will continue to advocate for her.”
Beyond Clyburn, she also had the backing of progressive groups for the USDA position.
She earned her bachelor’s degree in business from the Ohio State University and a law degree from the Cleveland-Marshall School of Law at Cleveland State University.
Politico first reported the news of Fudge’s selection.
Biden’s relationship with Vilsack goes back decades. He was an early supporter of Biden’s first campaign for president in 1988 while Vilsack was the mayor of Mount Pleasant, Iowa. He endorsed Biden a year before the 2020 election and campaigned tirelessly for him in Iowa, the nation’s first caucus state. Biden has adopted aspects of Vilsack’s rural policy agenda as Democrats look to make up ground they have lost to Republicans in rural areas over the past decade.
There is little mystery to Vilsack’s expertise after running the department for eight years under Obama and sitting at the table with Biden. Their 34-year friendship and longtime professional connection make the choice one offering little risk.
Vilsack ran a 10-week campaign for the 2008 Democratic nomination before withdrawing and throwing his support to Hillary Clinton. Vilsack was a finalist for Clinton’s running mate that year.
Politico first reported the news of Fudge’s selection, while Axios was first to report Vilsack as agriculture secretary.


theguardian--2020-12-08--Rudy Giuliani expects to leave hospital soon following Covid-19 diagnosis

Donald Trump ’ s lawyer Rudy Giuliani on Tuesday said he is feeling better after contracting Covid-19 and expects to leave the hospital on Wednesday .
The 76-year-old former New York City mayor , who is spearheading Trump ’ s flagging effort to overturn the Republican president ’ s election loss to Democrat Joe Biden , said he began to feel unusually tired on Friday .
By Sunday , when his diagnosis was announced , Giuliani said he was showing other “ mild symptoms ” but that currently he has no fever and only a small cough .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out tomorrow morning , ” Giuliani said in an interview with WABC Radio in New York .
He was at Georgetown University hospital in Washington , two sources familiar with the situation said on Sunday .
Giuliani plans to attend a virtual hearing this week with Georgia lawmakers , one of the sources said on Tuesday .
With Trump ’ s legal effort so far failing to convince any court of the president ’ s claim that widespread fraud cost him the election , Giuliani has been meeting with state officials in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the election results .
State and federal officials have repeatedly said there is no evidence of fraud on any significant scale .
Across the country , courts have rejected cases seeking to toss out votes , including the US supreme court , which on Tuesday refused to block Pennsylvania from formalizing Biden ’ s victory there .
In Georgia , state lawmakers are due to hold a virtual meeting on Thursday to discuss election issues , after a hearing last week in which Giuliani urged the lawmakers to intervene to overturn Biden ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made similar pleas last week in Michigan and Arizona .
After news broke on Sunday of Giuliani ’ s test result , the Arizona state legislature said it would close both chambers this week out of caution “ for recent cases and concerns relating to Covid-19 ” .
Giuliani met with about a dozen Republican lawmakers there last week .
In his radio interview , Giuliani said he had tested negative just before his trip to the three states .
He also confirmed that Jenna Ellis , an attorney with whom he has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ challenges , also had contracted the coronavirus .

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Donald Trump’s lawyer Rudy Giuliani on Tuesday said he was feeling better after contracting Covid-19 and expected to leave the hospital on Wednesday.
The 76-year-old former New York City mayor, who is spearheading Trump’s flagging effort to overturn the Republican president’s election loss to Democrat Joe Biden, said he began to feel unusually tired on Friday.
By Sunday, when his diagnosis was announced, Giuliani said he was showing other “mild symptoms” but that currently he has no fever and only a small cough.
“I think they are going to let me out tomorrow morning,” Giuliani said in an interview with WABC Radio in New York. He was at Georgetown University hospital in Washington, two sources familiar with the situation said on Sunday.
Giuliani plans to attend a virtual hearing this week with Georgia lawmakers, one of the sources said on Tuesday.
00:36 Rudy Giuliani is doing well, does not have fever, Trump says – video
With Trump’s legal effort so far failing to convince any court of the president’s claim that widespread fraud cost him the election, Giuliani has been meeting with state officials in a long-shot bid to persuade them to overturn the election results.
State and federal officials have repeatedly said there is no evidence of fraud on any significant scale. Across the country, courts have rejected cases seeking to toss out votes, including the US supreme court, which on Tuesday refused to block Pennsylvania from formalizing Biden’s victory there.
In Georgia, state lawmakers are due to hold a virtual meeting on Thursday to discuss election issues, after a hearing last week in which Giuliani urged the lawmakers to intervene to overturn Biden’s victory in the state. Giuliani made similar pleas last week in Michigan and Arizona.
After news broke on Sunday of Giuliani’s test result, the Arizona state legislature said it would close both chambers this week out of caution “for recent cases and concerns relating to Covid-19”. Giuliani met with about a dozen Republican lawmakers there last week.
In his radio interview, Giuliani said he had tested negative just before his trip to the three states.
He also confirmed that Jenna Ellis, an attorney with whom he has worked side-by-side on Trump’s legal challenges, had also contracted the coronavirus.


theguardian--2020-12-08--Biden pledges '100m shots in 100 days' as he introduces health team

Joe Biden vowed on Tuesday to ensure 100m coronavirus vaccinations would be administered to Americans during his first 100 days in the White House – as Donald Trump held a parallel event where he ignored the deepening public health crisis , instead repeating his false claims that he , not Biden , won the November election .
The Democratic president-elect on Tuesday introduced his new leadership team covering healthcare and laid out an aggressive plan to defeat the coronavirus pandemic that contrasted sharply with the Trump administration ’ s efforts .
Speaking at an event in his hometown of Wilmington @ @ @ @ @ @ @ team of scientists and doctors he assembled to guide the nation through what they hope will be the final stage of a public health crisis that has killed nearly 284,000 American lives and is one of the worst crises ever to hit the US .
Preparing to assume office in the midst of what experts believe could be the pandemic ’ s darkest hour , Biden outlined his priorities for his first three months in office , including a commitment to distribute “ 100m shots in the first 100 days ” , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during that period to prevent the spread of the virus and a promise to open a “ majority of schools ” .
“ Out of our collective pain , we are going to find a collective purpose , ” Biden said , striking a somber tone as he acknowledged the toll of the brutal coronavirus surge averaging more than 2,200 deaths per day .
“ To control the pandemic , to save lives and to heal as a nation.
” Leading what Biden dubbed his “ core Covid healthcare team ” was Xavier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health and human services .
Becerra , the son of Mexican immigrants , served 12 terms in Congress and is California ’ s the attorney general .
He would be the first Latino to serve as US health secretary .
“ The mission of the Department of Health and Human Services has never been as vital or as urgent as it is today , ” Becerra said via video link from California .
Among the other members of the health team is the former surgeon general Vivek Murthy , whom Biden nominated again @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , whom he picked to lead the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
Anthony Fauci , the government ’ s top infectious disease expert , accepted Biden ’ s invitation to stay on as head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , a position he has held since 1984 , and will serve as Biden ’ s chief medical adviser .
“ Like every good doctor , he ’ ll tell me what I need to know , not what I want to know , ” Biden said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the most prominent and trusted sources of information during the coronavirus epidemic , despite his turbulent relationship with Trump .
Biden said he was honored to be the seventh president Fauci would serve .
In a pre-recorded video , Fauci said the current public health crisis was “ the toughest one we have ever faced as a nation ” and warned that the “ road ahead will not be easy ” .
Echoing Fauci , Biden and his nominees were clear-eyed about the challenges that lay ahead .
The promise of multiple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ team will be judged by its execution of what Biden vowed would be the “ most efficient mass vaccination plan in US history ” .
A coronavirus vaccine by the drugmaker Pfizer is expected to receive approval by the Food and Drug Administration as soon as this week .
Still , “ developing a vaccine is only one herculean task ; distributing it is another ” , Biden said , acknowledging that it may take longer than expected and would require persuading skeptical Americans to take the vaccine .
That , Biden said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ implored Congress to pass a coronavirus economic relief package that would help finance the administration of the vaccines .
Forestalling aid , Biden warned , could dramatically “ slow and stall ” the distribution process .
Biden vowed a starkly different approach from that of the current occupant of the White House , who has spent his final weeks in office ignoring the crisis , fixated instead on overturning the results of an election he lost with increasingly wild legal challenges .
Whereas Trump has long downplayed the threat of the disease and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who used his presidential campaign to demonstrate the seriousness of the pandemic , said his team would “ spare not a single effort ” to defeat the virus and repeated his promise to be guided by science .
At a dueling event celebrating Operation Warp Speed , Trump boasted that his administration had procured vaccines much quicker than expected and claimed that even his critics were praising the achievement as “ one of the miracles of modern medicine ” .
Yet the celebratory White House event came as his administration faced new scrutiny @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Trump administration declined an opportunity to purchase more doses of Pfizer ’ s coronavirus vaccine this summer .
The White House has denied the story , though several news outlets have corroborated the reporting .
As the virus continues its uncontrolled spread , Trump has refused to use his remaining time in office – and significant political sway – to urge Americans to take safety precautions such as mask-wearing and social distancing .
Biden , meanwhile , has little power to influence public response to the virus until he is inaugurated next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Biden warned that a preliminary review of the Trump administration ’ s vaccine distribution plan found several shortcomings , and it remained unclear how the administration had planned to get vaccines from the containers into the arms of 330 million Americans .
Until then , Biden said the “ easiest ” and most “ patriotic ” action Americans could take to protect their families and friends was to wear a mask .
“ We ’ re in a very dark winter – things may well get worse before they get better , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s daunting .
But I promise you , we ’ ll make progress .
”

Joe Biden vowed on Tuesday to ensure 100m coronavirus vaccinations would be administered to Americans during his first 100 days in the White House – as Donald Trump held a parallel event where he ignored the deepening public health crisis, instead repeating his false claims that he, not Biden, won the November election.
The Democratic president-elect on Tuesday introduced his new leadership team covering healthcare and laid out an aggressive plan to defeat the coronavirus pandemic that contrasted sharply with the Trump administration’s efforts.
Speaking at an event in his home town of Wilmington, Delaware, Biden formally introduced the team of scientists and doctors he assembled to guide the nation through what they hope will be the final stage of a public health crisis that has killed nearly 284,000 American lives and is one of the worst crises ever to hit the US.
Preparing to assume office in the midst of what experts believe could be the pandemic’s darkest hour, Biden outlined his priorities for his first three months in office, including a commitment to distribute “100m shots in the first 100 days”, a plea for all Americans to wear masks during that period to prevent the spread of the virus and a promise to open a “majority of schools”.
“My first 100 days won’t end Covid-19 – I cannot promise that,” Biden said, striking a somber tone as he acknowledged the toll of the brutal coronavirus surge averaging more than 2,200 deaths a day. “But I am convinced that in 100 days we can change the course of the disease and change life in America for the better.”
Leading what Biden dubbed his “core Covid healthcare team” was Xavier Becerra, his nominee for secretary of health and human services. Becerra, the son of Mexican immigrants, served 12 terms in Congress and is California’s attorney general. He would be the first Latino to serve as US health secretary.
“The mission of the Department of Health and Human Services has never been as vital or as urgent as it is today,” Becerra said via video link from California.
Among the other members of the health team is the former surgeon general Vivek Murthy, whom Biden nominated again for the role, and Rochelle Walensky, whom he picked to lead the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Anthony Fauci, the government’s top infectious disease expert, accepted Biden’s invitation to stay on as head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, a position he has held since 1984, and will serve as Biden’s chief medical adviser.
“Like every good doctor, he’ll tell me what I need to know, not what I want to know,” Biden said of Fauci, who has become one of the most prominent and trusted sources of information during the coronavirus epidemic, despite his turbulent relationship with Trump. Biden said he was honored to be the seventh president Fauci would serve.
In a pre-recorded video, Fauci said the current public health crisis was “the toughest one we have ever faced as a nation” and warned that the “road ahead will not be easy”.
Echoing Fauci, Biden and his nominees were clear-eyed about the challenges that lay ahead. The promise of multiple vaccines has raised hopes, but his team will be judged by its execution of what Biden vowed would be the “most efficient mass vaccination plan in US history”. A coronavirus vaccine by the drugmaker Pfizer is expected to receive approval by the Food and Drug Administration as soon as this week.
Still, “developing a vaccine is only one herculean task; distributing it is another”, Biden said, acknowledging that it may take longer than expected and would require persuading skeptical Americans to take the vaccine.
That, Biden said, risked slowing the process. He implored Congress to pass a coronavirus economic relief package that would help finance the administration of the vaccines. Forestalling aid, Biden warned, could dramatically “slow and stall” the distribution process.
Biden vowed a starkly different approach from that of the current occupant of the White House, who has spent his final weeks in office ignoring the crisis, fixated instead on overturning the results of an election he lost with increasingly wild legal challenges.
Whereas Trump has long downplayed the threat of the disease and disregarded public health guidelines, Biden, who used his presidential campaign to demonstrate the seriousness of the pandemic, said his team would “spare not a single effort” to defeat the virus and repeated his promise to be guided by science.
At a dueling event celebrating Operation Warp Speed, Trump boasted that his administration had procured vaccines much quicker than expected and claimed that even his critics were praising the achievement as “one of the miracles of modern medicine”.
Yet the celebratory White House vaccine summit came as his administration faced new scrutiny after the New York Times reported that the Trump administration declined an opportunity to purchase more doses of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine this summer. The White House has denied the story, though several news outlets have corroborated the reporting.
As the virus continues its uncontrolled spread, Trump has refused to use his remaining time in office – and significant political sway – to urge Americans to take safety precautions such as mask-wearing and social distancing. Biden, meanwhile, has little power to influence public response to the virus until he is inaugurated next month.
In his remarks from Delaware, Biden warned that a preliminary review of the Trump administration’s vaccine distribution plan found several shortcomings, and it remained unclear how the administration had planned to get vaccines from the containers into the arms of 330 million Americans. Until then, Biden said the “easiest” and most “patriotic” action Americans could take to protect their families and friends was to wear a mask.
“We’re in a very dark winter – things may well get worse before they get better,” Biden said. “It’s daunting. But I promise you, we’ll make progress.”


theguardian--2020-12-08--'100m shots in 100 days': Biden urges Americans to wear masks as he makes vaccine pledge – video

Joe Biden pleads with Americans to wear masks for 100 days after he takes office .
'It 's not a @ @ @ @ @ a patriotic act , ' says the president-elect .
At an event announcing nominees for @ @ @ @ @ pledged to vaccinate 100 million Americans in his first 100 days

Joe Biden pleads with Americans to wear masks for 100 days after he takes office. 'It's not a political statement, it's a patriotic act,' says the president-elect. At an event announcing nominees for his health team, Biden pledged to vaccinate 100 million Americans in his first 100 days