theguardian--2020-10-28--Voter participation poised to soar as more than 70m vote early – live

Some protesters face stacked charges and threats of deportation ; others have been charged with police assault with no reports of injuries Lee Percy Christian III didn ’ t think Arizona law enforcement could stop him from protesting – until they locked him up indefinitely .
Earlier this month , Christian , 27 , was arrested for “ unlawful assembly ” after a Black Lives Matter protest in Phoenix and jailed without bond because of outstanding charges from previous demonstrations .
Prosecutors later suggested bond be set at $ 100,000 .
Christian ’ s lawyers and a judge agreed he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – if he didn ’ t participate in future public protests .
Christian was mortified , but agreed to sign away his right to protests so he could leave jail – he had spent nine days locked up .
“ I ’ m guilty until proven innocent , ” he said recently on the phone .
“ We ’ re in a police state , and the last thing the police want is for me to be out there using my voice.
” Since the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis in May @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cities big and small to protests racial violence and police brutality .
The demonstrations have been overwhelmingly nonviolent , yet in many jurisdictions law enforcement has responded with force .
Tens of thousands of demonstrators , activists and BLM supporters have been arrested .
More than five months since the start of the unrest , hundreds of these protesters have been slapped with serious charges by federal and local prosecutors , according to researchers and a review of court data .
Some protesters have faced stacked charges and threats of life sentences .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” police officers where there ’ s no evidence of violence and no reports of injuries .
Some arrested protesters have been transferred to immigration authorities .
The crackdown comes as Donald Trump , eager to put Democrats on the defense , has ramped up warnings about Black Lives Matter , anti-fascists and the “ far left ” in the lead up to the election .
He has called BLM a “ symbol of hate ” and claimed without evidence that “ Antifa ” will “ attack your homes ” .

Maanvi Singh (now), Lauren Aratani, Joan E Greve, Martin Belam and Tom McCarthy (earlier)

28 Oct 2020 05.09 GMT Summary As of this evening, 70,032,485 Americans have already voted early – either in person or absentee, according to the US Elections Project. The overwhelming enthusiasm has perhaps put this year on pace to see some of the highest voter participation rates in more than a century.
The overwhelming enthusiasm has perhaps put this year on pace to see some of the highest voter participation rates in more than a century. Hundreds took to the streets in Philadelphia to protest the police killing of Walter Wallace Jr, a 27-year-old Black man. Philadelphia police said they will be deploying more officers and have asked for the National Guard to assist them as protests continue.
Philadelphia police said they will be deploying more officers and have asked for the National Guard to assist them as protests continue. Amy Coney Barrett officially joined the supreme court, after Chief Justice John Roberts delivered her judicial oath in a private ceremony this morning.
after Chief Justice delivered her judicial oath in a private ceremony this morning. Trump lashed out against Barack Obama as the former president unleashed blistering criticism of his successor. Speaking at a drive-in rally in Orlando, Florida, Obama once again lambasted Trump’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, noting the president has complained about the news coverage the pandemic has received as the US death toll continues to climb. “He’s jealous of Covid’s media coverage,” Obama said.
Speaking at a drive-in rally in Orlando, Florida, Obama once again lambasted Trump’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, noting the president has complained about the news coverage the pandemic has received as the US death toll continues to climb. “He’s jealous of Covid’s media coverage,” Obama said. Biden delivered a speech in Warm Springs, Georgia, as polls show a close presidential race in the traditionally conservative state. “The president declared, he’s going to wage war on the virus. Instead he shrugged, swaggered and he surrendered,” Biden said in Warm Springs. “Well, I’m here to tell you we can and will get control of this virus.”
as polls show a close presidential race in the traditionally conservative state. “The president declared, he’s going to wage war on the virus. Instead he shrugged, swaggered and he surrendered,” Biden said in Warm Springs. “Well, I’m here to tell you we can and will get control of this virus.” Trump falsely suggested it was illegal to count ballots after election day. “It would be very, very proper and very nice if a winner were declared on November 3, instead of counting ballots for two weeks, which is totally inappropriate, and I don’t believe that’s by our laws,” Trump told reporters before leaving Washington for his three campaign rallies today. In reality, states have until 8 December (known as the “safe harbor” deadline) to tabulate final election results.
“It would be very, very proper and very nice if a winner were declared on November 3, instead of counting ballots for two weeks, which is totally inappropriate, and I don’t believe that’s by our laws,” Trump told reporters before leaving Washington for his three campaign rallies today. In reality, states have until 8 December (known as the “safe harbor” deadline) to tabulate final election results. A federal judge denied the justice department’s bid to take over Trump’s defense in E Jean Carroll’s defamation lawsuit. The judge ruled that the president was not acting in his official capacity when he denied Carroll’s rape allegation, as the justice department had argued. My colleague Tom McCarthy will continue to bring you live updates. Follow along here: US election 2020: more than 70m Americans have voted early – live Read more
28 Oct 2020 04.46 GMT Trump administration sets new low for refugee admissions In a late-night press release, the White House announced it will admit no more than 15,000 refugees over the next fiscal year, setting a historic low since the US began its refugee program in 1980. “This refugee admissions ceiling incorporates more than 6,000 unused places from the FY 2020 refugee admissions ceiling that might have been used if not for the COVID-19 pandemic,” the administration said in a statement. Last year, the administration set the cap for the number of refugees admitted into the US at 18,000. The year before that it was 30,000. The caps have a significant reduction from the 110,000 refugees allowed during Barack Obama’s last year in office. The determination to cap admissions at 15,000 was made earlier this month. Read more: Rights groups appalled as Trump cuts US refugee admissions to record low Read more
28 Oct 2020 04.21 GMT The US diplomats’ union has denounced an attempt by a Trump appointee to remove the “firewall” protecting the editorial independence of the Voice of America, Radio Free Europe and other US overseas broadcasters, warning that it marked an attempt to turn them into vehicles for “government propaganda”. The CEO of the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), Michael Pack, announced overnight on Monday that he would be rescinding the “firewall rule” insulating journalists from editorial direction from politically appointed management. The rule, Pack argued, was “in tension with the law and harmful to the agency and the US national interest”. “The rule threatened constitutional values because the constitution gives the president broad latitude in directing the foreign policy of the United States,” Pack wrote in a message to his staff. The move follows several steps already taken by Pack, an ally of the rightwing ideologue Steve Bannon, to exercise greater political control USAGM broadcasters that include Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Middle East Broadcasting Networks, Radio Free Asia and the Office of Cuba Broadcasting. Since taking up the job in June, he has conducted a purge on senior journalists and refused to renew the visas of foreign reporters. The American Foreign Service Association (AFSA) said it stood in solidarity with USAGM staff in opposition to the move Fears of crackdown on US journalism as Trump ally removes editorial 'firewall' Read more
28 Oct 2020 04.01 GMT In a new series, Guardian US is zooming in on Maricopa county, a spot that could decide the fate of Trump – and America. Maricopa county, which encompasses Arizona’s capital, Phoenix, and blossoming rings of surrounding suburbs, has nearly 4.5 million residents and dominates the state politically. One third of Maricopa residents identify as Latino, according to US census data. Over the past decade, demographic change, population growth and a cultural shift seen across America’s suburbs has turned this sprawling desert metropolis – a bastion of western conservatism for decades – into one of the most closely watched and fiercely contested presidential battlegrounds in the nation.
The county holds the keys to winning Arizona, and no Republican has ever won the White House without winning this key Sun Belt state. In 2016, Donald Trump won here by just three percentage points. Can he do it again in 2020? Read more from the opening piece in the series, Phoenix rising, here: The Arizona county that could decide the future of Trump – and America Read more
Updated at 04.11 GMT
28 Oct 2020 03.23 GMT Health officials and scientists in the administration told the Daily Beast they were offended by a press release that listed “ending the Covid-19 pandemic” as a major accomplishment of Donald Trump’s and quoted the president’s daughter Ivanka alongside experts. The Daily Beast reports: In a statement released Tuesday afternoon The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy said that it considered “ending the COVID-19 pandemic” to be one of President Donald Trump’s major first term accomplishments. The office released a corresponding report that listed achievements of the Trump administration in the area of science and innovation. “It’s mind boggling,” one official said of the White House’s assertion it had ended the pandemic. “There’s no world in which anyone can think that [statement] is true. Maybe the president. But I don’t see how even he can believe that. We have more than 70,000 new cases each day.” Four officials working with the White House coronavirus task force told The Daily Beast that they viewed the White House’s statement as a personal slight and a public rebuke of their efforts to try and get control of the virus. Officials described the report as the latest example of the president and his team of advisers refusing to acknowledge that the U.S. is experiencing a worrying resurgence of the virus. “We have exploding case counts. Death rates will undoubtedly rise. They are living in a parallel universe that bears no relation to the reality that Americans are living,” said Dr. Tom Frieden, former director of the Centers for Disease Control in the Obama administration. “And this idea that we should let it spread and protect the vulnerable is a really dangerous mistake. The idea that it [containing the virus] can’t be done ignores reality.” Read more here.
Updated at 03.52 GMT
28 Oct 2020 02.40 GMT At the Trump rally in Nebraska, the Los Angeles Times’ Eli Stokols writes that the Wifi network was called “Where is Hunter?” and the password was “10FORTHEBIGGUY”. The network was “largely non-functioning,” he wrote in the Press Pool report. Supporters at the rally, as they are wont to do, chanted “Lock him up,” when Trump’s speech turned to unsubstantiated and unverified accusations against his opponent Joe Biden’s son Hunter.
28 Oct 2020 02.20 GMT America's protest crackdown: five months after George Floyd, hundreds face trials and prison Sam Levin Some protesters face stacked charges and threats of deportation; others have been charged with police assault with no reports of injuries Protesters demonstrate outside of Phoenix police headquarters against the death of George Floyd, killed in Minneapolis, and Dion Johnson, killed in Arizona. Photograph: Nicole Neri/Reuters Lee Percy Christian III didn’t think Arizona law enforcement could stop him from protesting – until they locked him up indefinitely.
Earlier this month, Christian, 27, was arrested for “unlawful assembly” after a Black Lives Matter protest in Phoenix and jailed without bond because of outstanding charges from previous demonstrations. Prosecutors later suggested bond be set at $100,000. Christian’s lawyers and a judge agreed he could be released on a lower bond – if he didn’t participate in future public protests. Christian was mortified, but agreed to sign away his right to protests so he could leave jail – he had spent nine days locked up. “I’m guilty until proven innocent,” he said recently on the phone. “We’re in a police state, and the last thing the police want is for me to be out there using my voice.” Since the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis in May, millions of Americans have marched in cities big and small to protests racial violence and police brutality. The demonstrations have been overwhelmingly nonviolent, yet in many jurisdictions law enforcement has responded with force. Tens of thousands of demonstrators, activists and BLM supporters have been arrested. More than five months since the start of the unrest, hundreds of these protesters have been slapped with serious charges by federal and local prosecutors, according to researchers and a review of court data. Some protesters have faced stacked charges and threats of life sentences. Others have been charged with “assaulting” police officers where there’s no evidence of violence and no reports of injuries. Some arrested protesters have been transferred to immigration authorities. The crackdown comes as Donald Trump, eager to put Democrats on the defense, has ramped up warnings about Black Lives Matter, anti-fascists and the “far left” in the lead up to the election. He has called BLM a “symbol of hate” and claimed without evidence that “Antifa” will “attack your homes”. America's protest crackdown: five months after George Floyd, hundreds face trials and prison Read more
28 Oct 2020 02.04 GMT Survey: Indian Americans back Biden and Democrats Indian Americans are overwhelmingly backing Joe Biden according to a new survey. Of more than Indian American citizens surveyed, 72% planned to vote for Biden and 22% for Trump. Although Indian Americans make up about .8% of eligible voters in the US, both presidential campaigns have been courting them. The Biden/Harris campaign recently held a South Asian get out the vote rally, a virtual event that featured stars from the Netflix reality TV show Indian Matchmaker as well as Indian actors and public figures. Kamla Harris, if elected, would become the first Black and Indian American vice-president in US history. I cried when @KamalaHarris thanked her ”chithis” (aunties in Tamil) as she accepted the nomination for VP
So many little brown & black girls will finally see themselves in their leaders if we vote
Call your aunties/uncles/cousins about their voting plan: https://t.co/ZBqEahzzx7 pic.twitter.com/OecpiKx4h9 — Padma "Did You Vote Yet?" Lakshmi (@PadmaLakshmi) October 27, 2020 Donald Trump, meanwhile, has maintained a friendship with India’s rightwing prime minister, Narendra Modi, even hosting a “Howdy, Modi: Shared Dreams, Bright Futures” rally in Houston last year that drew hundreds of thousands. But “the data show that Indian Americans continue to be strongly attached to the Democratic party, with little indication of a shift toward the Republican party,” said researchers from Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and the University of Pennsylvania. “In addition, Indian Americans view US-India relations as a low priority issue in this electoral cycle, emphasizing instead nationally salient issues such as healthcare and the economy,” they wrote.
Updated at 02.19 GMT
28 Oct 2020 01.37 GMT More than 70 million Americans have voted early As of this evening, 70,032,485 Americans have already voted early – either in person or absentee, according to the US Elections Project. The overwhelming enthusiasm has perhaps put this year on pace to see some of the highest voter participation rates in more than a century. Thus far, early voters have favored Democrats in most states that provide data on who is voting early, but Republicans have been narrowing the gap. #earlyvote evening update 10/27
At least 70 million people have voted in the 2020 general election 🥳https://t.co/s8K2xFDeSA pic.twitter.com/YWReHAumTI — Michael McDonald (@ElectProject) October 28, 2020
Updated at 02.05 GMT
28 Oct 2020 00.40 GMT It seems the president’s staff has been leaving notes and printouts for journalists in the White House press pool. The printouts include a promo for upcoming Fox News programming, with the handwritten message: “Must-see TV”. Journalists also received a printout of early voting numbers by party affiliation in Michigan. “The president wasn’t aware until somewhat recently that the press corps doesn’t have access to wifi” while aboard Air Force One, said Jennifer Jacobs of Bloomberg. “So he’s been leaving us printouts. It’s essentially a paperwork version of a tweet.” This is the 4th note Trump has asked staff to leave on reporters’ seats on Air Force One this week. New trend. https://t.co/GmGAre1rup — Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) October 28, 2020
Updated at 00.50 GMT
28 Oct 2020 00.23 GMT Donald Trump’s campaign website was briefly down. The campaign said the website was “defaced”. The site’s “About” section was replaced with what appeared to be a scam to collect cryptocurrency, TechCrunch reports. The new text read: “the world has had enough of the fake-news spreaded daily by president donald j trump. it is time to allow the world to know truth.” Whoever switched out the website content also claimed to have information about “origin of the corona virus” and provided addresses to collect cryptocurrency. “There was no exposure to sensitive data because none of it is actually stored on the site. The website has been restored,” said Trump communications director Tim Murtaugh. .@realDonaldTrump's campaign website has been hacked. Doing research for a climate change article and this is what pops up: pic.twitter.com/Kjc2ELSdAV — Gabriel Lorenzo Greschler (@ggreschler) October 27, 2020
Updated at 00.52 GMT
28 Oct 2020 00.13 GMT Facebook’s moratorium on political ads in the last stretch before election day was full of glitches, according to campaigns. Reuters reports: Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden’s digital director Rob Flaherty slammed the social media giant on Tuesday, saying on Twitter its systems broke “within seconds of launching the silly, performative pre-election hoop-jumping exercise.” A Biden spokesman said an undisclosed number of his campaign’s ads were affected.
Under pressure to crack down on misinformation and other abuses, Facebook said last month it would impose a moratorium – or temporary ban – on new political ads in the week before Nov. 3 in an attempt to tamp down on misinformation on social media as Election Day approached. The company stopped accepting new political or issue ads on Tuesday. Facebook said it would allow pre-existing ads to run during that period but would block any adjustments to the ads’ content or design.
A Facebook spokeswoman declined to answer Reuters questions, but Facebook’s director of product management Rob Leathern said on Twitter: “We’re investigating the issues of some ads being paused incorrectly, and some advertisers having trouble making changes to their campaigns.” Campaigns rushed to submit any ads they might need for the election period ahead of the moratorium, strategists have told Reuters in recent days.
President Donald Trump’s re-election campaign started running pre-prepared ads touting GDP numbers that will not be released until Thursday. Facebook Inc said on Tuesday it had rejected a pre-prepared Trump campaign ad that told users to “vote today,” because it did not have “the proper context or clarity” – a violation of its policies.
Updated at 00.40 GMT


theguardian--2020-10-27--Democrats urge voters to hand deliver ballots to beat court deadline

Democratic campaigners were scrambling to convince American voters to deliver absentee ballots by hand rather than rely on the US postal service , after the supreme court sided with Republicans in Wisconsin in refusing to allow a count of votes arriving after election day .
Democrats argued that the flood of absentee ballots , and other challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic , made it necessary to extend the posting deadline .
The court is due to hear similar cases from two pivotal battleground states , North Carolina and Pennsylvania , before 3 November .
With the bench now packed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ swearing in on Tuesday of the new Donald Trump-picked justice , Amy Coney Barrett , the supreme court has become the object of intense scrutiny .
Barrett , 48 , was formally sworn in by the US chief justice , John Roberts , in a private ceremony on Tuesday , fuelling anxiety among Democrats over what her presence in the court might mean for other election-related cases , including any challenge to the result .
The Wisconsin decision triggered a rush by Democratic party campaign workers to track more than 360,000 so far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They urged voters to deliver their ballots by hand by 3 November rather than rely on a postal service that has been hamstrung by delays , some reportedly politically inspired .
“ We ’ re phone banking .
We ’ re text banking .
We ’ re friend banking .
We ’ re drawing chalk murals , driving sound trucks through neighbourhoods & flying banners over Milwaukee .
We ’ re running ads in every conceivable medium , ” Ben Wikler , the party ’ s chairman in Wisconsin , tweeted after the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ joining the court on Tuesday concern has grown over how she might rule in any election related case , not least in the event of a contested election .
In a century and a half no justice has been sworn in so close to an election ; and Trump has said he expects the court to decide the outcome of the US election campaign – in which the Democrat Joe Biden currently enjoys a national nine-point lead .
The supreme court has only once decided the outcome of a US presidential election ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which ultimately was awarded to the Republican George W Bush over his Democrat rival , Al Gore .
The supreme court is also weighing a plea from Trump to prevent the Manhattan district attorney from acquiring his tax returns .
Focus on the US president ’ s partisan effort to stack the court comes with justices also due to hear a series of high-profile cases including over Obamacare and LGBTQ rights .
While it is not certain Barrett will take part in any of these issues , it is up to her to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recuse herself .
Barrett , the most open opponent of abortion rights to join the court in decades , could also be called upon to weigh in on Mississippi ’ s 15-week abortion ban .
Trump has said he wants Barrett to be confirmed before election day so she could cast a decisive vote in any election-related dispute , potentially in his favour .
The Wisconsin ruling on vote counts comes as the two candidates for president entered the final week of campaigning .
Amid a historic wave of early voting , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ballots , the Biden campaign released two new “ closing argument ” ads emphasising that the election represented both a test of “ character ” and a “ soul for the battle of the nation ” ( without mentioning Trump by name ) .
Significantly about half of those who have already voted early have done so in a dozen or so of the battleground states that will likely decide the presidency .
With Trump staging rallies in Michigan , Wisconsin and Nebraska on Tuesday , Biden was scheduled to hold two events @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Democrats in a presidential election since 1996 .
In the midst of the continuing campaigning , and with national polls showing Biden maintaining a substantial lead , the moves around the supreme court have assumed an outsized significance even as Barrett vowed it was the “ job of a judge to resist her policy preferences ” .
The last week of the campaign will take place against the backdrop of a record seven-day stretch of new coronavirus cases reaching above 71,000 daily .
Focus on the court has intensified with the Wisconsin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ indication of how Barrett ’ s appointment could affect such cases .
The conservative majority , even before her appointment , generally sided with state officials opposing court-imposed changes to election procedures to make it easier to vote during the pandemic .
The ruling on Monday prevents Wisconsin from counting mailed ballots that are received after election day .
In his ruling Justice Brett Kavanaugh , another Trump pick , appeared to give support to the president ’ s argument that results counted after election day could be fraudulent .
He said results @ @ @ @ @ @ @ avoid “ the chaos and suspicions of impropriety that can ensue if thousands of absentee ballots flow in after election day and potentially flip the results of an election ” .

Peter Beaumont, Ed Pilkington in New York and Maanvi Singh in Oakland

Democratic campaigners were scrambling to convince American voters to deliver absentee ballots by hand rather than rely on the US postal service, after the supreme court sided with Republicans in Wisconsin in refusing to allow a count of votes arriving after election day.
Democrats argued that the flood of absentee ballots, and other challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic, made it necessary to extend the posting deadline. The court is due to hear similar cases from two pivotal battleground states, North Carolina and Pennsylvania, before 3 November.
With the bench now packed with a 6-3 conservative majority after the swearing in on Tuesday of the new Donald Trump-picked justice, Amy Coney Barrett, the supreme court has become the object of intense scrutiny.
Barrett, 48, was formally sworn in by the US chief justice, John Roberts, in a private ceremony on Tuesday, fuelling anxiety among Democrats over what her presence in the court might mean for other election-related cases, including any challenge to the result.
The Wisconsin decision triggered a rush by Democratic party campaign workers to track more than 360,000 so far unreturned mail-in ballots in the state. They urged voters to deliver their ballots by hand by 3 November rather than rely on a postal service that has been hamstrung by delays, some reportedly politically inspired.
“We’re phone banking. We’re text banking. We’re friend banking. We’re drawing chalk murals, driving sound trucks through neighbourhoods & flying banners over Milwaukee. We’re running ads in every conceivable medium,” Ben Wikler, the party’s chairman in Wisconsin, tweeted after the supreme court decision.
With Barrett formally joining the court on Tuesday concern has grown over how she might rule in any election related case, not least in the event of a contested election.
In a century and a half no justice has been sworn in so close to an election; and Trump has said he expects the court to decide the outcome of the US election campaign – in which the Democrat Joe Biden currently enjoys a national nine-point lead.
The supreme court has only once decided the outcome of a US presidential election; that was the disputed contest in 2000 which ultimately was awarded to the Republican George W Bush over his Democrat rival, Al Gore.
The supreme court is also weighing a plea from Trump to prevent the Manhattan district attorney from acquiring his tax returns. Focus on the US president’s partisan effort to stack the court comes with justices also due to hear a series of high-profile cases including over Obamacare and LGBTQ rights.
While it is not certain Barrett will take part in any of these issues, it is up to her to make the decision whether or not to recuse herself. Barrett, the most open opponent of abortion rights to join the court in decades, could also be called upon to weigh in on Mississippi’s 15-week abortion ban.
Trump has said he wants Barrett to be confirmed before election day so she could cast a decisive vote in any election-related dispute, potentially in his favour.
The Wisconsin ruling on vote counts comes as the two candidates for president entered the final week of campaigning. Amid a historic wave of early voting, more than 70 million Americans having already cast their ballots, the Biden campaign released two new “closing argument” ads emphasising that the election represented both a test of “character” and a “battle for the soul of the nation” (without mentioning Trump by name).
Significantly about half of those who have already voted early have done so in a dozen or so of the battleground states that will likely decide the presidency.
With Trump staging rallies in Michigan, Wisconsin and Nebraska on Tuesday, Biden was scheduled to hold two events in Georgia, a state not won by Democrats in a presidential election since 1996.
In the midst of the continuing campaigning, and with national polls showing Biden maintaining a substantial lead, the moves around the supreme court have assumed an outsized significance even as Barrett vowed it was the “job of a judge to resist her policy preferences”.
The last week of the campaign will take place against the backdrop of a record seven-day stretch of new coronavirus cases reaching above 71,000 daily.
Focus on the court has intensified with the Wisconsin ruling, which was seen as an indication of how Barrett’s appointment could affect such cases. The conservative majority, even before her appointment, generally sided with state officials opposing court-imposed changes to election procedures to make it easier to vote during the pandemic. The ruling on Monday prevents Wisconsin from counting mailed ballots that are received after election day.
In his ruling Justice Brett Kavanaugh, another Trump pick, appeared to give support to the president’s argument that results counted after election day could be fraudulent. He said results should be announced on election night to avoid “the chaos and suspicions of impropriety that can ensue if thousands of absentee ballots flow in after election day and potentially flip the results of an election”.


theguardian--2020-10-27--‘He's jealous of Covid’s media coverage’: Obama ridicules Trump at Florida rally

Barack Obama ridiculed Donald Trump at a Florida rally on Tuesday for the president ’ s complaints about the media closely covering the national coronavirus crisis .
The 44th president has recently abandoned traditional decorum where a former president refrains from publicly criticizing his successor , lambasting the 45th president in recent speeches for his response to the coronavirus pandemic , in particular .
At a drive-in rally in Orlando to boost support for his former vice-president and now Democratic nominee for the White House , Joe Biden , Obama took a tone combining mockery of Trump with indignation .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus in the US and asked rhetorically of the president : “ What is his closing argument ?
” with the election just a week away .
“ That people are too focused on Covid .
He said this at one of his rallies ‘ Covid , Covid , Covid ’ , he is complaining .
He is jealous of Covid ’ s media coverage , ” Obama said with mock incredulity as the crowd laughed .
At a rally on Saturday in North Carolina , Trump did say those words and complained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attention to coronavirus , even as he claimed record case numbers are exaggerated and downplayed the death rates .
Obama said : “ If he had been focused on Covid from the beginning , cases would not be reaching record highs across the country this week , the White House would not be having its second outbreak in a month .
Staff working for Mike Pence , the vice-president , have come down with Covid , it was revealed at the weekend , just a few weeks after Trump , his wife and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prominent people tested positive after the event at the White House to nominate Amy Coney Barrett to the supreme court .
Obama also roasted the White House for chief of staff Mark Meadows ’ s remark on television at the weekend that the administration was not going to control the pandemic .
Obama said : “ Winter is coming .
They are waving the white flag of surrender .
Florida , we can ’ t afford four more years of this , that ’ s why we ’ ve got to send Joe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tweeted that it was a “ no crowd , fake speech ” and slammed conservative Fox News for airing it .

Joan E Greve in Washington and Joanna Walters in New York

Barack Obama ridiculed Donald Trump at a Florida rally on Tuesday for the president’s complaints about the media closely covering the national coronavirus crisis.
The 44th president has recently abandoned traditional decorum where a former president refrains from publicly criticizing his successor, lambasting the 45th president in recent speeches for his response to the coronavirus pandemic, in particular.
At a drive-in rally in Orlando to boost support for his former vice-president and now Democratic nominee for the White House, Joe Biden, Obama took a tone combining mockery of Trump with indignation.
He spoke of record numbers dying of coronavirus in the US and asked rhetorically of the president: “What is his closing argument?” with the election just a week away.
“That people are too focused on Covid. He said this at one of his rallies ‘Covid, Covid, Covid’, he is complaining. He is jealous of Covid’s media coverage,” Obama said with mock incredulity as the crowd laughed.
At a rally on Saturday in North Carolina, Trump did say those words and complained that the media was paying too much attention to coronavirus, even as he claimed record case numbers are exaggerated and downplayed the death rates.
Obama said: “If he had been focused on Covid from the beginning, cases would not be reaching record highs across the country this week, the White House would not be having its second outbreak in a month.
Staff working for Mike Pence, the vice-president, have come down with Covid, it was revealed at the weekend, just a few weeks after Trump, his wife and youngest son all had coronavirus and multiple prominent people tested positive after the event at the White House to nominate Amy Coney Barrett to the supreme court.
Obama also roasted the White House for chief of staff Mark Meadows’s remark on television at the weekend that the administration was not going to control the pandemic.
Obama said: “Winter is coming. They are waving the white flag of surrender. Florida, we can’t afford four more years of this, that’s why we’ve got to send Joe Biden to the White House.”
The US may face its biggest ever ballot brawl this November. Sign up to our weekly email Fight to Vote to stay informed on election integrity and voting rights
The former president’s speech came as newly released figures show more than 70 million Americans have already cast their votes.
As of Tuesday evening, 70,032,485 people have voted either in person or absentee, according to the US Elections Project.
The overwhelming enthusiasm could put this year on pace to see historic participation rates, perhaps higher than any in more than a century. Thus far, early voters have favored Democrats in most states that provide data on who is voting early, but Republicans have been narrowing the gap.
Democratic campaigners, meanwhile, are urging voters to turn in absentee ballots at drop boxes, instead of relying on the US Postal Service – to ensure that votes are received on time and counted. Yesterday, the supreme court blocked officials in Wisconsin from counting votes that are sent by election day but arrive later, and the court is expected to rule on similar cases in North Carolina and Pennsylvania before election day.
Among the endorsers of dropping off one’s ballot – Lady Gaga.
Category: Ballot Drop Off Realness pic.twitter.com/3cYeStflOH — Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) October 27, 2020
Both presidential candidates were in key election states on Tuesday evening, holding rallies a week before election day.
Joe Biden appeared at a drive-in rally in Atlanta that had 365 cars and 771 people attending, according to a reporter on Twitter, one of the largest rallies Biden has held since the pandemic.
Biden struck an optimistic tone when addressing the crowd. “I think we’re going to surprise the living devil out of everybody this year,” he said. “I can’t tell you how important it is that we flip the United States Senate. There’s no state more consequential than Georgia.”
Meanwhile, Trump was West Salem, Wisconsin, doing a lap in his motorcade around the LaCross Fairgrounds Speedway track. At his rally, Trump downplayed the pandemic even as Wisconsin sees its highest number of Covid infections yet. He’s criticizing the “fake news” for focusing on Covid.
Trump also hit back at Obama’s speech, describing it on Twitter that it was a “no crowd, fake speech” and slammed conservative Fox News for airing it.
Lauren Aratani contributed reporting


theguardian--2020-10-27--Fears of crackdown on US journalism as Trump ally removes editorial 'firewall'

The US diplomats ’ union has denounced an attempt by a Trump appointee to remove the “ firewall ” protecting the editorial independence of the Voice of America , Radio Free Europe and other US overseas broadcasters , warning that it marked an attempt to turn them into vehicles for “ government propaganda ” .
The CEO of the US Agency for Global Media ( USAGM ) , Michael Pack , announced overnight on Monday that he would be rescinding the “ firewall rule ” insulating journalists from editorial direction from politically appointed management .
The rule , Pack argued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ law and harmful to the agency and the US national interest ” .
“ The rule threatened constitutional values because the constitution gives the president broad latitude in directing the foreign policy of the United States , ” Pack wrote in a message to his staff .
The move follows several steps already taken by Pack , an ally of the rightwing ideologue Steve Bannon , to exercise greater political control USAGM broadcasters that include Voice of America , Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty , Middle East Broadcasting Networks , Radio Free Asia and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taking up the job in June , he has conducted a purge on senior journalists and refused to renew the visas of foreign reporters .
The American Foreign Service Association ( AFSA ) said it stood in solidarity with USAGM staff in opposition to the move “ This action runs counter to the tradition of independence and non-partisanship of US public broadcasting … and tarnishes America ’ s tradition of a free press that goes back to the founders , ” AFSA said in a statement .
“ Government propaganda has no place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the best antidote to foreign disinformation.
” Eliot Engel , the chair of the House foreign affairs committee , said Pack had no legal authority to rescind the “ firewall rule ” .
“ Congress created that firewall by law and although Mr Pack can huff and puff , he can ’ t blow that wall down .
The rule he rescinded yesterday clarified the legal protections .
The firewall remains , ” Engel said in a statement .
In another potential threat to independent journalism , the Department of Homeland Security @ @ @ @ @ @ @ visas from five years to 240 days with the possibility of just one extension , which would be contingent on a DHS review of “ the content that the foreign information media representative is covering in the United States ” .
“ The proposed changes by the DHS would restrict the ability of independent foreign news organizations from reporting news within the US and could lead to reprisals affecting US journalists in other countries , ” the president of the Society of Professional Journalists , Matthew Hall , said .

The US diplomats’ union has denounced an attempt by a Trump appointee to remove the “firewall” protecting the editorial independence of the Voice of America, Radio Free Europe and other US overseas broadcasters, warning that it marked an attempt to turn them into vehicles for “government propaganda”.
The CEO of the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), Michael Pack, announced overnight on Monday that he would be rescinding the “firewall rule” insulating journalists from editorial direction from politically appointed management.
The rule, Pack argued, was “in tension with the law and harmful to the agency and the US national interest”.
“The rule threatened constitutional values because the constitution gives the president broad latitude in directing the foreign policy of the United States,” Pack wrote in a message to his staff.
The move follows several steps already taken by Pack, an ally of the rightwing ideologue Steve Bannon, to exercise greater political control USAGM broadcasters that include Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Middle East Broadcasting Networks, Radio Free Asia and the Office of Cuba Broadcasting. Since taking up the job in June, he has conducted a purge on senior journalists and refused to renew the visas of foreign reporters.
The American Foreign Service Association (AFSA) said it stood in solidarity with USAGM staff in opposition to the move
“This action runs counter to the tradition of independence and non-partisanship of US public broadcasting … and tarnishes America’s tradition of a free press that goes back to the founders,” AFSA said in a statement. “Government propaganda has no place in official US news reporting. Truth is the best antidote to foreign disinformation.”
Eliot Engel, the chair of the House foreign affairs committee, said Pack had no legal authority to rescind the “firewall rule”.
“Congress created that firewall by law and although Mr Pack can huff and puff, he can’t blow that wall down. The rule he rescinded yesterday clarified the legal protections. The firewall remains,” Engel said in a statement.
Government propaganda has no place in official US news reporting. Truth is the best antidote to foreign disinformation AFSA
In another potential threat to independent journalism, the Department of Homeland Security has proposed reducing the length of journalist visas from five years to 240 days with the possibility of just one extension, which would be contingent on a DHS review of “the content that the foreign information media representative is covering in the United States”.
“The proposed changes by the DHS would restrict the ability of independent foreign news organizations from reporting news within the US and could lead to reprisals affecting US journalists in other countries,” the president of the Society of Professional Journalists, Matthew Hall, said.
“Both outcomes are unacceptable.”


theguardian--2020-10-27--'Thank you for all the love': Melania Trump returns to campaign after Covid diagnosis

Melania Trump returned to the campaign trail on Tuesday afternoon , a week before election day and nearly a month after her positive test for coronavirus .
The first lady , a reluctant campaigner at the best of times , postponed a planned return last week , citing a “ lingering cough ” and an abundance of caution .
She has not appeared at a Trump rally since the president kicked off his re-election campaign in Florida in June 2019 .
But on Tuesday she headed for the suburbs of Philadelphia , for an event aimed at appealing to female @ @ @ @ @ @ @ post-industrial Democratic strongholds which Donald Trump won from Hillary Clinton in 2016 , is emerging as perhaps the key battleground state in 2020 .
Joe Biden leads polling there by more than five points , according to the fivethirtyeight.com average , but results have narrowed as the president has returned to the state again and again .
Speaking in Atglen , the first lady told a crowd : “ Thank you for the all the love you gave us when our family was diagnosed with Covid-19 .
We are feeling so much better @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the amazing therapeutic options available in our country.
” On Monday , Donald Trump staged rallies in Allentown , Lititz and Martinsburg .
Melania Trump ’ s event on Tuesday was moderated by the former White House counsellor Kellyanne Conway .
The president is seeking to make up ground with women , particularly in suburban areas , who have deserted him in droves .
At one recent rally in Johnstown , Pennsylvania , Donald Trump pleaded : “ Suburban women , will you please like me ?
Remember ?
Hey , please @ @ @ @ @ @ @ OK ?
” The first lady appeared with her husband at the White House on Sunday , for a Halloween celebration , and on Monday night , for a ceremony marking the conservative justice Amy Coney Barrett ’ s controversial confirmation to the supreme court .
A previous event for Barrett , on 26 September , has been called a “ super-spreader event ” , given that coronavirus prevention measures such as mask-wearing and social distancing were not observed and the president , first lady , senior advisers and leading Republicans all fell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Barron , also contracted the virus .
Announcing her recovery , Melania Trump said she had been “ very fortunate as my diagnosis came with minimal symptoms , though they hit me all at once and it seemed to be a rollercoaster of symptoms in the days after .
I experienced body aches , a cough and headaches , and felt extremely tired most of the time.
” In contrast to her husband , who was hospitalised and received treatment not available to the public , the first lady said she “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in terms of medicine , opting more for vitamins and healthy food ” .
The Trump administration has been strongly criticised for continuing to stage campaign events with minimal Covid mitigation measures , even as cases surge across the country and as an outbreak was detected among senior aides to Mike Pence , the vice-president .
Pennsylvania is currently seeing rising case numbers , particularly around Philadelphia .
More than 8.6m cases have been recorded in the US as a whole , and nearly 226,000 deaths .

Melania Trump returned to the campaign trail on Tuesday afternoon, a week before election day and nearly a month after her positive test for coronavirus.
The first lady, a reluctant campaigner at the best of times, postponed a planned return last week, citing a “lingering cough” and an abundance of caution. She has not appeared at a Trump rally since the president kicked off his re-election campaign in Florida in June 2019. But on Tuesday she headed for the suburbs of Philadelphia, for an event aimed at appealing to female voters.
Pennsylvania, one of the post-industrial Democratic strongholds which Donald Trump won from Hillary Clinton in 2016, is emerging as perhaps the key battleground state in 2020. Joe Biden leads polling there by more than five points, according to the fivethirtyeight.com average, but results have narrowed as the president has returned to the state again and again.
Speaking in Atglen, the first lady told a crowd: “Thank you for the all the love you gave us when our family was diagnosed with Covid-19. We are feeling so much better now thanks to healthy living and some of the amazing therapeutic options available in our country.”
On Monday, Donald Trump staged rallies in Allentown, Lititz and Martinsburg. Melania Trump’s event on Tuesday was moderated by the former White House counsellor Kellyanne Conway.
The president is seeking to make up ground with women, particularly in suburban areas, who have deserted him in droves. At one recent rally in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Donald Trump pleaded: “Suburban women, will you please like me? Remember? Hey, please, I saved your damn neighborhood, OK?”
The first lady appeared with her husband at the White House on Sunday, for a Halloween celebration, and on Monday night, for a ceremony marking the conservative justice Amy Coney Barrett’s controversial confirmation to the supreme court.
Melania Trump in Pennsylvania: "Thank you for the all the love you gave us when our family was diagnosed with COVID-19. We are feeling so much better now thanks to healthy living and some of the amazing therapeutic options available in our country." https://t.co/dlmHTmd8jP pic.twitter.com/w5N2oXBrLd — ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) October 27, 2020
A previous event for Barrett, on 26 September, has been called a “super-spreader event”, given that coronavirus prevention measures such as mask-wearing and social distancing were not observed and the president, first lady, senior advisers and leading Republicans all fell sick. Melania Trump’s son, Barron, also contracted the virus.
Announcing her recovery, Melania Trump said she had been “very fortunate as my diagnosis came with minimal symptoms, though they hit me all at once and it seemed to be a rollercoaster of symptoms in the days after. I experienced body aches, a cough and headaches, and felt extremely tired most of the time.”
In contrast to her husband, who was hospitalised and received treatment not available to the public, the first lady said she “chose to go a more natural route in terms of medicine, opting more for vitamins and healthy food”.
The Trump administration has been strongly criticised for continuing to stage campaign events with minimal Covid mitigation measures, even as cases surge across the country and as an outbreak was detected among senior aides to Mike Pence, the vice-president.
Pennsylvania is currently seeing rising case numbers, particularly around Philadelphia. More than 8.6m cases have been recorded in the US as a whole, and nearly 226,000 deaths.


theguardian--2020-10-27--Section 230: tech CEOs to defend key internet law before Congress

The CEOs of Facebook , Twitter and Google are expected to tell lawmakers in a rare appearance before Congress that a federal law protecting internet companies is crucial to free expression online .
Wednesday ’ s hearing with Mark Zuckerberg , Jack Dorsey and Sundar Pichai will take place less than a week before election day and was convened to address section 230 of the Communications Decency Act , a law underpinning US internet regulation that exempts platforms from legal liability for content generated by its users .
The hearing will investigate “ how best to preserve the internet as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to the Senate judiciary committee , and it comes largely in response to allegations of anti-conservative bias in the tech world .
Senate Republicans indicated they wanted to question Pichai and Zuckerberg in October to discuss issues related to section 230 .
Dorsey was added to the mix after Twitter restricted the circulation of a controversial New York Post article that featured potentially hacked materials relating to Joe Biden ’ s son Hunter .
In prepared testimony for Wednesday ’ s hearing , Dorsey , CEO of Twitter , said eroding the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how we communicate on the internet , leaving only a small number of giant and well-funded technology companies ” .
Facebook ’ s Zuckerberg warned that tech companies were likely to censor more content to avoid legal risks if section 230 were repealed .
“ Without section 230 , platforms could potentially be held liable for everything people say , ” he said .
The Facebook executive also argued that without the law , tech companies could face liability for doing even basic moderation , such as removing hate speech and harassment .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rules for the internet if it were done with the potential consequences in mind .
Pichai said Google approached its work without political bias and was able to offer the information it did because of existing legal frameworks such as section 230 .
“ I would urge the committee to be very thoughtful about any changes to section 230 and to be very aware of the consequences those changes might have on businesses and consumers , ” Pichai ’ s written testimony said .
Republicans ’ allegations that tech companies unfairly silence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a recent report alleged that Facebook had suppressed progressive content to appease Republican lawmakers .
Still , Donald Trump has repeatedly accused Twitter and Facebook of censoring him and has zeroed in on section 230 as one of the culprits .
Trump has stepped up his criticism since the companies began to label or even remove posts by the president or his campaign that spread misinformation or call for violence .
“ Repeal section 230 !
!
!
” Trump tweeted on 6 October , after Twitter added a misinformation warning label @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flu is more deadly than Covid-19 .
Ironically , the repeal of section 230 protections would probably lead social media platforms to take more , not less , action over Trump ’ s posts , as it would hold them legally liable for any falsehoods he posts .
Experts say the effects would be comparable to what was seen with the passage of Fosta/Sesta , legislation that held platforms responsible for sexual service advertisements posted on their sites .
The passage of those bills led to the removal of Craigslist personal ads and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Privacy advocates have long called for the protection of section 230 , saying it is integral to internet freedom .
The Electronic Frontier Foundation , a non-profit civil liberties group , called section 230 “ the most important law protecting internet speech ” .
The Internet Society , another non-profit organization advocating for internet access , warned that poorly informed policy decisions on section 230 could bring “ dire consequences ” for what we are able to do online .
That is because the law applies not only to platforms like Facebook @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like domain name registries and internet service providers .
Without section 230 , these entities may have to approve content prior to posting or take other action that would significantly slow the flow of the internet as we know it .
Despite the warnings , the modification of existing regulations has become a major point of contention in the run-up to the election , with both presidential candidates proposing section 230 ’ s repeal .
There have been an additional 20 attempts to amend or revoke the law in the past two years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the law , the hearing will bring up issues about consumer privacy and media consolidation .
On Tuesday , Senator Maria Cantwell , the top Democrat on the Senate commerce panel , released a report on how big tech platforms have decimated the local news industry , including newspapers and broadcasters .
The tech executives will begin their testimony at 10am ET and all three will appear remotely .

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The CEOs of Facebook, Twitter and Google are expected to tell lawmakers in a rare appearance before Congress that a federal law protecting internet companies is crucial to free expression online.
Wednesday’s hearing with Mark Zuckerberg, Jack Dorsey and Sundar Pichai will take place less than a week before election day and was convened to address section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, a law underpinning US internet regulation that exempts platforms from legal liability for content generated by its users.
The hearing will investigate “how best to preserve the internet as a forum for open discourse”, according to the Senate judiciary committee, and it comes largely in response to allegations of anti-conservative bias in the tech world.
Senate Republicans indicated they wanted to question Pichai and Zuckerberg in October to discuss issues related to section 230. Dorsey was added to the mix after Twitter restricted the circulation of a controversial New York Post article that featured potentially hacked materials relating to Joe Biden’s son Hunter.
In prepared testimony for Wednesday’s hearing, Dorsey, CEO of Twitter, said eroding the foundation of section 230 “could collapse how we communicate on the internet, leaving only a small number of giant and well-funded technology companies”.
Facebook’s Zuckerberg warned that tech companies were likely to censor more content to avoid legal risks if section 230 were repealed. “Without section 230, platforms could potentially be held liable for everything people say,” he said.
The Facebook executive also argued that without the law, tech companies could face liability for doing even basic moderation, such as removing hate speech and harassment. He said he supported “updating” the rules for the internet if it were done with the potential consequences in mind.
Pichai said Google approached its work without political bias and was able to offer the information it did because of existing legal frameworks such as section 230. “I would urge the committee to be very thoughtful about any changes to section 230 and to be very aware of the consequences those changes might have on businesses and consumers,” Pichai’s written testimony said.
Republicans’ allegations that tech companies unfairly silence conservative voices is unsubstantiated. In fact, a recent report alleged that Facebook had suppressed progressive content to appease Republican lawmakers.
Still, Donald Trump has repeatedly accused Twitter and Facebook of censoring him and has zeroed in on section 230 as one of the culprits. Trump has stepped up his criticism since the companies began to label or even remove posts by the president or his campaign that spread misinformation or call for violence.
“Repeal section 230!!!” Trump tweeted on 6 October, after Twitter added a misinformation warning label to one of his tweets claiming the flu is more deadly than Covid-19.
Ironically, the repeal of section 230 protections would probably lead social media platforms to take more, not less, action over Trump’s posts, as it would hold them legally liable for any falsehoods he posts. Experts say the effects would be comparable to what was seen with the passage of Fosta/Sesta, legislation that held platforms responsible for sexual service advertisements posted on their sites. The passage of those bills led to the removal of Craigslist personal ads and upended content policies on sites like Tumblr.
Privacy advocates have long called for the protection of section 230, saying it is integral to internet freedom. The Electronic Frontier Foundation, a non-profit civil liberties group, called section 230 “the most important law protecting internet speech”.
The Internet Society, another non-profit organization advocating for internet access, warned that poorly informed policy decisions on section 230 could bring “dire consequences” for what we are able to do online.
That is because the law applies not only to platforms like Facebook and Twitter but to other internet infrastructure like domain name registries and internet service providers. Without section 230, these entities may have to approve content prior to posting or take other action that would significantly slow the flow of the internet as we know it.
Despite the warnings, the modification of existing regulations has become a major point of contention in the run-up to the election, with both presidential candidates proposing section 230’s repeal. There have been an additional 20 attempts to amend or revoke the law in the past two years.
In addition to discussions on reforming the law, the hearing will bring up issues about consumer privacy and media consolidation. On Tuesday, Senator Maria Cantwell, the top Democrat on the Senate commerce panel, released a report on how big tech platforms have decimated the local news industry, including newspapers and broadcasters.
The tech executives will begin their testimony at 10am ET and all three will appear remotely.
Reuters contributed reporting


theguardian--2020-10-27--The Guardian view on the 2020 US elections: It’s time to dump Trump. America’s only hope is Joe Bide

The Guardian view on the 2020 US elections: It’s time to dump Trump. America’s only hope is Joe Biden

Donald Trump ’ s presidency has been a horror show that is ending with a pandemic that is out of control , an economic recession and deepening political polarisation .
Mr Trump is the author of this disastrous denouement .
He is also the political leader least equipped to deal with it .
Democracy in the United States has been damaged by Mr Trump ’ s first term .
It may not survive four more years .
If the Guardian had a vote , it would be cast to elect Joe Biden as president next Tuesday .
Mr Biden has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ States .
Mr Trump does not .
Mr Biden cares about his nation ’ s history , its people , its constitutional principles and its place in the world .
Mr Trump does not .
Mr Biden wants to unite a divided country .
Mr Trump stokes an anger that is wearing it down .
The Republican presidential nominee is not , and has never been , a fit and proper person for the presidency .
He has been accused of rape .
He displays a brazen disregard for legal norms .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ignorance .
It is astonishing that his financial interests appear to sway his outlook on the national interest .
His government is cruel and mean .
It effectively sanctioned the kidnapping and orphaning of migrant children by detaining them and deporting their parents .
He has vilified whistleblowers and venerated war criminals .
Mr Trump trades in racism , misogyny , homophobia and transphobia .
Telling the Proud Boys , a far-right group that has endorsed violence , to “ stand back and stand by ” was , in the words of Mr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as big as a foghorn ” .
From the Muslim ban to building a wall on the Mexican border , the president is grounding his base in white supremacy .
With an agenda of corporate deregulation and tax giveaways for the rich , Mr Trump is filling the swamp , not draining it .
A narcissist , Mr Trump seems incapable of acknowledging the suffering of others .
Coronavirus has exposed a devastating lack of presidential empathy for those who have died and the families they left behind .
Every day reveals the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ required to be president and Mr Trump ’ s ability .
He is protected from the truth by cronies whose mob-like fealty to their boss has seen six former aides sentenced to prison .
A post-shame politician , Mr Trump outrageously commuted the sentence of one of his favoured lackeys this summer .
The idea that there is one rule for wealthy elites and another for the ordinary voter damages trust in the American system .
Mr Trump couldn ’ t care less .
Like other aspiring autocrats , Mr Trump seeks to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the people ” to mobilise his base .
In 2016 , the institutions that should have acted as a check on Mr Trump ’ s rise to power failed to stop him .
This time there has been some pushback over a Trump disinformation campaign about Mr Biden ’ s son .
It is an indictment of the Trump age that social media companies acted before politicians in the face of a clear and present danger to democracy .
Mr Biden has his flaws , but he understands what they are and how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ centrist in the Democratic primaries , his election platform has borrowed ideas from the progressive wing of his party and incorporated a “ green new deal ” and free college for the middle class .
Mr Biden should not retreat into his comfort zone .
The failures of capitalism have been thrown into sharp relief by the pandemic .
If elected , he will raise taxes on richer Americans and spend more on public services .
This is the right and fair thing to do when a thin sliver of America has almost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It ’ s not just Americans for whom Mr Biden is a better bet .
The world could breathe easier with Mr Trump gone .
The threat from Pyongyang and Tehran has grown thanks to President Trump .
A new face in the White House would restore America ’ s historic alliances and present a tougher test to the authoritarians in Moscow and Beijing than the fawning Mr Trump .
On climate change , Mr Biden would return the United States to the Paris agreement and give the world a fighting chance to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a President Biden there would be a glimmer of hope that the US would return as a guarantor of a rules-based international order .
Perhaps no country has so much to lose from Mr Biden ’ s victory as Britain .
It has the misfortune of being led by Boris Johnson , whom Democrats bracket with Mr Trump as another rule-breaking populist .
Mr Biden , a Catholic proud of his Irish roots , has already warned the Johnson government that it must not jeopardise the Good Friday agreement in its Brexit negotiations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ UK can no longer be America ’ s bridge across the Atlantic .
Unfortunately , Britain has a prime minister who led the country out of Europe just when an incoming President Biden would be looking to partner with it .
Whether Mr Trump is defeated or not next week , Americans will have to learn to live with Trumpism for years to come .
The first impeached president to run for re-election , Mr Trump avoided being the first to be removed from office because the Republican party has lost its moral @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has become subsumed by the politics of grievance and entitlement .
The GOP turns a blind eye to Mr Trump ’ s transgressions in return for preserving the privileged status of white Christian America .
The most obvious sign of this Faustian pact is the Senate ’ s confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett to the US supreme court — Mr Trump ’ s third justice .
Conservatives now have a 6-3 advantage in the highest court in the land .
Compliant judges are key to retaining the status quo when Republicans face a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is twofold : first is voter suppression ; if that fails , Mr Trump appears ready to reject the result .
He has spent years conditioning his supporters , especially those armed to the hilt , to mistrust elections and to see fraud where it doesn ’ t exist .
We have been here before .
In 2000 , Al Gore won the popular vote by more than half a million ballots .
The election turned on a handful of votes needed to capture the electoral vote in Florida .
But the votes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sunshine State .
They were cast by the five supreme court justices named by Republican presidents who gave the election to George W Bush .
In the 2018 midterms , a coalition of millions marched into polling booths to disavow the president .
It is heartening that more than 60 million people have cast their ballot in early voting at a time when the president is doing much to call US democracy into question amid baseless claims of a “ rigged election ” .
Americans are busily embracing their democratic right , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ show that voters , worried about whether democracy would endure , strove to save it .
Anything other than a vote for Mr Biden is a vote to unleash a supercharged Trumpism .
All pretence of civility would be dropped .
The divides of race , class and sex would become even wider .
Mr Trump is a symptom of America ’ s decline .
Finding a solution to this problem begins with a vote for Mr Biden .

Donald Trump’s presidency has been a horror show that is ending with a pandemic that is out of control, an economic recession and deepening political polarisation. Mr Trump is the author of this disastrous denouement. He is also the political leader least equipped to deal with it. Democracy in the United States has been damaged by Mr Trump’s first term. It may not survive four more years.
If the Guardian had a vote, it would be cast to elect Joe Biden as president next Tuesday. Mr Biden has what it takes to lead the United States. Mr Trump does not. Mr Biden cares about his nation’s history, its people, its constitutional principles and its place in the world. Mr Trump does not. Mr Biden wants to unite a divided country. Mr Trump stokes an anger that is wearing it down.
The Republican presidential nominee is not, and has never been, a fit and proper person for the presidency. He has been accused of rape. He displays a brazen disregard for legal norms. In office, he has propagated lies and ignorance. It is astonishing that his financial interests appear to sway his outlook on the national interest. His government is cruel and mean. It effectively sanctioned the kidnapping and orphaning of migrant children by detaining them and deporting their parents. He has vilified whistleblowers and venerated war criminals.
Mr Trump trades in racism, misogyny, homophobia and transphobia. Telling the Proud Boys, a far-right group that has endorsed violence, to “stand back and stand by” was, in the words of Mr Biden, “a dog whistle about as big as a foghorn”. From the Muslim ban to building a wall on the Mexican border, the president is grounding his base in white supremacy. With an agenda of corporate deregulation and tax giveaways for the rich, Mr Trump is filling the swamp, not draining it.
A narcissist, Mr Trump seems incapable of acknowledging the suffering of others. Coronavirus has exposed a devastating lack of presidential empathy for those who have died and the families they left behind. Every day reveals the growing gap between the level of competence required to be president and Mr Trump’s ability. He is protected from the truth by cronies whose mob-like fealty to their boss has seen six former aides sentenced to prison. A post-shame politician, Mr Trump outrageously commuted the sentence of one of his favoured lackeys this summer. The idea that there is one rule for wealthy elites and another for the ordinary voter damages trust in the American system. Mr Trump couldn’t care less.
The people’s enemy
Like other aspiring autocrats, Mr Trump seeks to delegitimise his opposition as “enemies of the people” to mobilise his base. In 2016, the institutions that should have acted as a check on Mr Trump’s rise to power failed to stop him. This time there has been some pushback over a Trump disinformation campaign about Mr Biden’s son. It is an indictment of the Trump age that social media companies acted before politicians in the face of a clear and present danger to democracy.
Mr Biden has his flaws, but he understands what they are and how to temper them. Seen as too centrist in the Democratic primaries, his election platform has borrowed ideas from the progressive wing of his party and incorporated a “green new deal” and free college for the middle class. Mr Biden should not retreat into his comfort zone. The failures of capitalism have been thrown into sharp relief by the pandemic. If elected, he will raise taxes on richer Americans and spend more on public services. This is the right and fair thing to do when a thin sliver of America has almost half the country’s wealth.
It’s not just Americans for whom Mr Biden is a better bet. The world could breathe easier with Mr Trump gone. The threat from Pyongyang and Tehran has grown thanks to President Trump. A new face in the White House would restore America’s historic alliances and present a tougher test to the authoritarians in Moscow and Beijing than the fawning Mr Trump. On climate change, Mr Biden would return the United States to the Paris agreement and give the world a fighting chance to keep global temperatures in check. With a President Biden there would be a glimmer of hope that the US would return as a guarantor of a rules-based international order.
Perhaps no country has so much to lose from Mr Biden’s victory as Britain. It has the misfortune of being led by Boris Johnson, whom Democrats bracket with Mr Trump as another rule-breaking populist. Mr Biden, a Catholic proud of his Irish roots, has already warned the Johnson government that it must not jeopardise the Good Friday agreement in its Brexit negotiations. Having left the EU, the UK can no longer be America’s bridge across the Atlantic. Unfortunately, Britain has a prime minister who led the country out of Europe just when an incoming President Biden would be looking to partner with it.
Faustian pact
Whether Mr Trump is defeated or not next week, Americans will have to learn to live with Trumpism for years to come. The first impeached president to run for re-election, Mr Trump avoided being the first to be removed from office because the Republican party has lost its moral compass. The party of Abraham Lincoln has become subsumed by the politics of grievance and entitlement. The GOP turns a blind eye to Mr Trump’s transgressions in return for preserving the privileged status of white Christian America.
The most obvious sign of this Faustian pact is the Senate’s confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett to the US supreme court — Mr Trump’s third justice. Conservatives now have a 6-3 advantage in the highest court in the land. Compliant judges are key to retaining the status quo when Republicans face a shrinking electoral base. The Republican strategy is twofold: first is voter suppression; if that fails, Mr Trump appears ready to reject the result. He has spent years conditioning his supporters, especially those armed to the hilt, to mistrust elections and to see fraud where it doesn’t exist.
We have been here before. In 2000, Al Gore won the popular vote by more than half a million ballots. The election turned on a handful of votes needed to capture the electoral vote in Florida. But the votes that counted were not found in the Sunshine State. They were cast by the five supreme court justices named by Republican presidents who gave the election to George W Bush.
In the 2018 midterms, a coalition of millions marched into polling booths to disavow the president. It is heartening that more than 60 million people have cast their ballot in early voting at a time when the president is doing much to call US democracy into question amid baseless claims of a “rigged election”. Americans are busily embracing their democratic right, and a record turnout in this election may show that voters, worried about whether democracy would endure, strove to save it. Anything other than a vote for Mr Biden is a vote to unleash a supercharged Trumpism. All pretence of civility would be dropped. The divides of race, class and sex would become even wider. Mr Trump is a symptom of America’s decline. Finding a solution to this problem begins with a vote for Mr Biden.


theguardian--2020-10-27--What is at stake for Donald Trump? It’s certainly not just the election | Arwa Mahdawi

Going bankrupt once is unfortunate .
Going bankrupt twice looks like carelessness .
Driving your companies into bankruptcy six times , however , as Donald Trump has done , makes you a brilliant businessman .
That is according to the US president , anyway .
Trump , a self-described “ king of debt ” , is proud of his multiple business bankruptcies , boasting frequently about how he has “ brilliantly ” exploited corporate bankruptcy laws in order to wriggle out of his companies ’ financial obligations .
Time and time again , Trump has managed to make others – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for his failures .
Trump , who has never declared personal bankruptcy , has been able to protect his own assets and move on to the next fiasco .
But is Teflon Don ’ s luck finally running out ?
With just days to go until the US election , Trump is facing a potentially crippling combination of financial stressors .
His business empire has been hit hard by the pandemic ; according to a recent report by the Washington Post , Trump ’ s golf clubs and hotels are practically empty .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pandemic : the New York Times ’ investigation into Trump ’ s taxes last month found his businesses were losing money at a staggering rate .
( Seriously , what kind of genius invests heavily in a dying sport such as golf ? )
Then there is the fact that Trump is in the middle of a dispute with the Internal Revenue Service ( IRS ) over a $ 72.9m tax refund he claimed in 2010 ; if the IRS rules against him , he may owe more than $ 100m .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ has at least $ 400m in loans with repayments due in the next four years .
In fact , that number may be optimistic : Forbes reckons he owes more than $ 1bn .
Can Trump afford to pay all his loans ?
Absolutely , he says .
In a “ town hall ” meeting earlier this month , Trump claimed his business loans constitute a “ tiny percentage ” of his net worth .
Of course , anything that comes out of that man ’ s mouth needs to be taken with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is , Trump ’ s finances are a riddle wrapped in a mystery hidden inside an enormous number of enigmatic shell companies and offshore bank accounts .
Nobody knows exactly how much money the president has .
While we know that he owes significant amounts to Deutsche Bank ( at least $ 320m ) and a real estate investment trust called Ladder Capital ( at least $ 113m ) , it is not clear to whom else he owes money .
Much has been said about how , if Trump wins a second @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conflict of interest .
However , we all know that Trump is not bothered by ethics .
If he gets another four years , one imagines he will find it easy to pay off his loans .
But what if he loses ?
Will banks be so eager to renegotiate the terms of their agreements with him ?
One reason Trump has been able to fail upwards is the value of his brand .
Buildings with his name on them used to sell at a premium ; a financial summary Trump issued in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deal , brand and branded developments ” at $ 3.3bn .
In the past few years , however , Trump ’ s brand has taken a kicking .
Indeed , his name has been stripped from a number of buildings because it has become a liability rather than an asset .
If Trump loses the election , there is a possibility he will lose everything .
He could face numerous legal problems .
There is a not-insignificant chance he may end up in jail .
( Joe Biden has promised that , if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pardon Trump if he is convicted of any crimes . )
If Trump does manage to avoid jail , he might not be able to escape his debts .
The jig might finally be up .
Sure , no one knows how much money Trump has , but it is clear that this is an election he can ’ t afford to lose .

Going bankrupt once is unfortunate. Going bankrupt twice looks like carelessness. Driving your companies into bankruptcy six times, however, as Donald Trump has done, makes you a brilliant businessman.
That is according to the US president, anyway. Trump, a self-described “king of debt”, is proud of his multiple business bankruptcies, boasting frequently about how he has “brilliantly” exploited corporate bankruptcy laws in order to wriggle out of his companies’ financial obligations. Time and time again, Trump has managed to make others – employees, investors and banks – pay for his failures. Trump, who has never declared personal bankruptcy, has been able to protect his own assets and move on to the next fiasco.
But is Teflon Don’s luck finally running out? With just days to go until the US election, Trump is facing a potentially crippling combination of financial stressors. His business empire has been hit hard by the pandemic; according to a recent report by the Washington Post, Trump’s golf clubs and hotels are practically empty. They were not doing that well before the pandemic: the New York Times’ investigation into Trump’s taxes last month found his businesses were losing money at a staggering rate. (Seriously, what kind of genius invests heavily in a dying sport such as golf?)
Then there is the fact that Trump is in the middle of a dispute with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) over a $72.9m tax refund he claimed in 2010; if the IRS rules against him, he may owe more than $100m. On top of all that, Trump has at least $400m in loans with repayments due in the next four years. In fact, that number may be optimistic: Forbes reckons he owes more than $1bn.
Can Trump afford to pay all his loans? Absolutely, he says. In a “town hall” meeting earlier this month, Trump claimed his business loans constitute a “tiny percentage” of his net worth. Of course, anything that comes out of that man’s mouth needs to be taken with several heaps of salt. The fact is, Trump’s finances are a riddle wrapped in a mystery hidden inside an enormous number of enigmatic shell companies and offshore bank accounts. Nobody knows exactly how much money the president has. While we know that he owes significant amounts to Deutsche Bank (at least $320m) and a real estate investment trust called Ladder Capital (at least $113m), it is not clear to whom else he owes money.
Much has been said about how, if Trump wins a second term, his debts represent a huge conflict of interest. However, we all know that Trump is not bothered by ethics. If he gets another four years, one imagines he will find it easy to pay off his loans. But what if he loses? Will banks be so eager to renegotiate the terms of their agreements with him? One reason Trump has been able to fail upwards is the value of his brand. Buildings with his name on them used to sell at a premium; a financial summary Trump issued in 2015 valued his “real estate licensing deal, brand and branded developments” at $3.3bn. In the past few years, however, Trump’s brand has taken a kicking. Indeed, his name has been stripped from a number of buildings because it has become a liability rather than an asset.
If Trump loses the election, there is a possibility he will lose everything. He could face numerous legal problems. There is a not-insignificant chance he may end up in jail. (Joe Biden has promised that, if he becomes president, he will not pardon Trump if he is convicted of any crimes.) If Trump does manage to avoid jail, he might not be able to escape his debts. The jig might finally be up. Sure, no one knows how much money Trump has, but it is clear that this is an election he can’t afford to lose.


theguardian--2020-10-27--As the future of Obamacare heads to the supreme court, so do trans rights

Starting in 2009 , Jack Jimenez ’ s face would feel tingly and his vision would turn wonky .
Sometimes it felt like he was getting a deep-tissue head massage , even when no one was touching him .
The now 37-year-old from California tried for five years to get help from various doctors , many of whom told him he was just anxious .
“ Of course I ’ m anxious .
But also legit I have a problem .
Every single doctor was just terrible , ” he said .
At the time , Jimenez was working as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shifts because a client could die at any second , ” he said .
“ They weren ’ t required to give us insurance because we were all part-time employees.
” He tried to obtain private health insurance , only to be denied because of a pre-existing condition – his gender dysphoria diagnosis .
Jimenez is trans and him living his true identity was reason enough to deny him coverage .
It wasn ’ t until 2014 when the Affordable Care Act ( also known as the comprehensive healthcare reform law and as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was able to get insurance , the specialist treatment he needed , and a diagnosis because the law eliminated exclusions for pre-existing conditions .
It turned out he had pseudotumor cerebri , a condition in which spinal fluid leaks into the skull .
The symptoms mimic those of a brain tumor , including vision issues , headaches and ringing in the ears .
“ It ’ s that very first doctor appointment .
It ’ s unbelievable , ” he said .
“ To have people look at you and go , ‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can see why that ’ s a big concern .
Let me write down these three pages of weird symptoms that you ’ ve been having and let ’ s do some tests and figure out what the hell is wrong with you , ’ ” he said .
“ Nobody , nobody had really done that at all.
” After several rounds of tests and multiple MRIs , he started treatment and is healthy with minimal symptoms today .
But the law that allowed Jimenez to finally find some relief is at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Affordable Care Act ( ACA ) is scheduled to be argued before the supreme court on 4 November .
The lawsuit – which has been widely panned by legal experts – was brought by 19 Republican state attorneys general and seeks to have the entire landmark healthcare law tossed out .
The future of the ACA was a common theme during hearings for Judge Amy Coney Barrett ’ s nomination to the high court – now that she has been confirmed , she will soon be hearing California v Texas , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Life for trans people in terms of access to healthcare before and after the ACA is like night and day , ” said Shannon Minter , an expert in transgender law and an attorney at the National Center for Lesbian Rights .
But many Americans don ’ t have a grasp on the important role the ACA has played for LGBTQ people , especially those who are transgender , potentially making this fall ’ s supreme court arguments the most critical transgender rights case ever heard at the court .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a major case currently before the court that has the potential to have the greatest impact on transgender people it ’ s unquestionably the ACA , ” said Minter , “ I ’ m amazed that more people don ’ t understand this , that this hasn ’ t gotten more attention.
” Though the ACA was signed into law in 2010 , the most major aspects of the law , like protections for people with pre-existing conditions , weren ’ t phased in until 1 January 2014 .
“ Even up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who could not get a policy , even if they all the money in the world .
Insurance companies did not have to sell them a policy , ” said Sharita Gruberg , the director of policy for the LGBT Research and Communications Project at the Center for American Progress .
Trans people who could access insurance before the ACA – often those who worked for very progressive employers or worked in states with early health care non-discrimination laws – could not generally get coverage for transition-related care due to blanket exclusions by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people were on their own when it came to paying for hormone replacement therapy or transition-related surgeries like a vaginoplasty or mastectomy .
That also meant that a trans woman who could not afford a $ 20,000 affirming procedure would not be able to access a potentially life-saving surgery .
People with untreated gender dysphoria often deal with high rates of suicidal ideation .
The 2015 USTS found that 41 % of respondents reported having attempted suicide at least once in their lifetimes , with 7.3 % reporting attempts within the last year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ identified contribute to this statistic , from family rejection to identity-based violence and discrimination – but access to gender affirming care like hormones and surgery have been shown to have a positive effect on trans suicidality .
Section 1557 of the ACA bans healthcare providers and insurers from discriminating on the basis of sex .
The Obama administration interpreted this provision to include trans people in 2016 .
The rule was set to begin being enforced on 1 January 2017 , and insurance companies based their 2017 yearly coverage on the new rule @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wiping out exclusions for trans-related care for the upcoming year .
However , a federal court stayed the rule , and eventually vacated it , the day before its official implementation , meaning technically Section 1557 was never enforced .
But that didn ’ t stop most insurance companies from doing away with their transgender exclusions in the meantime .
Generally , adding coverage for transition-related care added very little additional cost to premiums , and some insurance companies found it more cost efficient to cover the surgeries rather than cover the mental @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Trump administration , however , had its eyes on the law ’ s trans protections and in mid-June this year finalized a rule cutting LGBTQ people generally , and trans people specifically , out of the government ’ s interpretation of sex discrimination under the ACA .
This meant that insurance companies could once again exclude transition-related care from their coverage plans .
That rule was , in turn , stayed by two federal courts citing Bostock , which was decided just days after the Trump administration finalized its updated 1557 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how the ACA has pushed insurers to remove these exclusions , and she ’ s happy to report significant progress on that front .
“ Now we ’ re seeing most insurers have removed these exclusions , ” she said .
There are issues with individuals getting denied specific care for bureaucratic reasons , she said , but by and large the blanket exclusions are largely a thing of the past .
But things could become uncertain if the ACA is thrown out in its entirety .
According to Keith , most insurers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ illegal , but they may not automatically bring back blanket exclusions if the law is thrown out by the supreme court .
“ We ’ re still not at the point where people are getting , in every case , the coverage that they both need and are required under the law to get .
[ But ] as long as we have the ACA there ’ s some recourse .
If that ’ s gone , the insurers might not go back to categorical exclusions , but they also are not going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to cover transition related care.
” Jimenez worries about a day in the future when he may again become uninsurable due to his trans identity .
He ’ s currently insured through his partner , but his 14 year-old son was born with a congenital heart defect .
If his partner lost their insurance , and the ACA is thrown out , both he and his son would be at risk .
“ It ’ s the whole uncertainty of everything at every moment , all the time right now , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hopeless .
And this is another thing to just toss on everybody .
”

Starting in 2009, Jack Jimenez’s face would feel tingly and his vision would turn wonky. Sometimes it felt like he was getting a deep-tissue head massage, even when no one was touching him. The now 37-year-old from California tried for five years to get help from various doctors, many of whom told him he was just anxious.
“Of course I’m anxious. But also legit I have a problem. Every single doctor was just terrible,” he said.
At the time, Jimenez was working as a caregiver. “I worked 24-hour shifts because a client could die at any second,” he said. “They weren’t required to give us insurance because we were all part-time employees.”
He tried to obtain private health insurance, only to be denied because of a pre-existing condition – his gender dysphoria diagnosis. Jimenez is trans and him living his true identity was reason enough to deny him coverage.
It wasn’t until 2014 when the Affordable Care Act (also known as the comprehensive healthcare reform law and as Obamacare) was implemented, that Jimenez was able to get insurance, the specialist treatment he needed, and a diagnosis because the law eliminated exclusions for pre-existing conditions. It turned out he had pseudotumor cerebri, a condition in which spinal fluid leaks into the skull. The symptoms mimic those of a brain tumor, including vision issues, headaches and ringing in the ears.
“It’s that very first doctor appointment. It’s unbelievable,” he said. “To have people look at you and go, ‘Oh, OK. Yes. I can see why that’s a big concern. Let me write down these three pages of weird symptoms that you’ve been having and let’s do some tests and figure out what the hell is wrong with you,’” he said. “Nobody, nobody had really done that at all.”
The potential to have the greatest impact on transgender people it’s unquestionably the ACA Attorney Shannon Minter
After several rounds of tests and multiple MRIs, he started treatment and is healthy with minimal symptoms today. But the law that allowed Jimenez to finally find some relief is at risk of being entirely done away with.
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) is scheduled to be argued before the supreme court on 4 November. The lawsuit – which has been widely panned by legal experts – was brought by 19 Republican state attorneys general and seeks to have the entire landmark healthcare law tossed out. The future of the ACA was a common theme during hearings for Judge Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination to the high court – now that she has been confirmed, she will soon be hearing California v Texas, a case challenging the landmark healthcare law.
A genderqueer person sitting in a doctor’s exam room. Photograph: Zackary Drucker
“Life for trans people in terms of access to healthcare before and after the ACA is like night and day,” said Shannon Minter, an expert in transgender law and an attorney at the National Center for Lesbian Rights. But many Americans don’t have a grasp on the important role the ACA has played for LGBTQ people, especially those who are transgender, potentially making this fall’s supreme court arguments the most critical transgender rights case ever heard at the court.
“If you were just going to point to a major case currently before the court that has the potential to have the greatest impact on transgender people it’s unquestionably the ACA,” said Minter, “I’m amazed that more people don’t understand this, that this hasn’t gotten more attention.”
Though the ACA was signed into law in 2010, the most major aspects of the law, like protections for people with pre-existing conditions, weren’t phased in until 1 January 2014. “Even up to 2013, you had trans folks who could not get a policy, even if they all the money in the world. Insurance companies did not have to sell them a policy,” said Sharita Gruberg, the director of policy for the LGBT Research and Communications Project at the Center for American Progress.
Life for trans people in terms of access to healthcare before and after the ACA is like night and day Shannon Minter
Trans people who could access insurance before the ACA – often those who worked for very progressive employers or worked in states with early health care non-discrimination laws – could not generally get coverage for transition-related care due to blanket exclusions by insurance companies. That meant that trans people were on their own when it came to paying for hormone replacement therapy or transition-related surgeries like a vaginoplasty or mastectomy.
That also meant that a trans woman who could not afford a $20,000 affirming procedure would not be able to access a potentially life-saving surgery.
People with untreated gender dysphoria often deal with high rates of suicidal ideation. The 2015 USTS found that 41% of respondents reported having attempted suicide at least once in their lifetimes, with 7.3% reporting attempts within the last year. There are many reasons researchers have identified contribute to this statistic, from family rejection to identity-based violence and discrimination – but access to gender affirming care like hormones and surgery have been shown to have a positive effect on trans suicidality.
Section 1557 of the ACA bans healthcare providers and insurers from discriminating on the basis of sex. The Obama administration interpreted this provision to include trans people in 2016. The rule was set to begin being enforced on 1 January 2017, and insurance companies based their 2017 yearly coverage on the new rule, writing in basic protections and often wiping out exclusions for trans-related care for the upcoming year. However, a federal court stayed the rule, and eventually vacated it, the day before its official implementation, meaning technically Section 1557 was never enforced.
But that didn’t stop most insurance companies from doing away with their transgender exclusions in the meantime. Generally, adding coverage for transition-related care added very little additional cost to premiums, and some insurance companies found it more cost efficient to cover the surgeries rather than cover the mental healthcare that comes along with denying coverage.
The Trump administration, however, had its eyes on the law’s trans protections and in mid-June this year finalized a rule cutting LGBTQ people generally, and trans people specifically, out of the government’s interpretation of sex discrimination under the ACA. This meant that insurance companies could once again exclude transition-related care from their coverage plans.
That rule was, in turn, stayed by two federal courts citing Bostock, which was decided just days after the Trump administration finalized its updated 1557 rule.
Keith said Out2Enroll has tracked how the ACA has pushed insurers to remove these exclusions, and she’s happy to report significant progress on that front. “Now we’re seeing most insurers have removed these exclusions,” she said. There are issues with individuals getting denied specific care for bureaucratic reasons, she said, but by and large the blanket exclusions are largely a thing of the past.
But things could become uncertain if the ACA is thrown out in its entirety. According to Keith, most insurers dumped their trans exclusions because they became illegal, but they may not automatically bring back blanket exclusions if the law is thrown out by the supreme court.
“We’re still not at the point where people are getting, in every case, the coverage that they both need and are required under the law to get. [But] as long as we have the ACA there’s some recourse. If that’s gone, the insurers might not go back to categorical exclusions, but they also are not going to have this law that requires them to cover transition related care.”
Jimenez worries about a day in the future when he may again become uninsurable due to his trans identity. He’s currently insured through his partner, but his 14 year-old son was born with a congenital heart defect. If his partner lost their insurance, and the ACA is thrown out, both he and his son would be at risk. “It’s the whole uncertainty of everything at every moment, all the time right now,” he said. “Everything just feels really hopeless. And this is another thing to just toss on everybody.”


theguardian--2020-10-27--Obama mocks Trump: 'He’s jealous of Covid’s media coverage' – video

Former US president Barack Obama mocked Donald Trump at an election rally for Joe Biden in Florida .
Obama criticised @ @ @ @ @ to the coronavirus pandemic , noting that Trump had complained about the amount of news @ @ @ @ @ as the US death toll continues to climb .
'He ’ s jealous of Covid @ @ @ @ @ ' Obama said .
The former president also criticised Trump for his personal lack of @ @ @ @ @ he had turned the White House into a 'hot zone ' in the wake of @ @ @ @ @ president and his senior staff .
'Florida , we can ’ t afford four more @ @ @ @ @ Obama added .
'We can not afford this kind of incompetence and disinterest . '

Former US president Barack Obama mocked Donald Trump at an election rally for Joe Biden in Florida. Obama criticised his successor’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, noting that Trump had complained about the amount of news coverage it had received even as the US death toll continues to climb. 'He’s jealous of Covid’s media coverage,' Obama said.
The former president also criticised Trump for his personal lack of coronavirus safety, saying that he had turned the White House into a 'hot zone' in the wake of two coronavirus outbreaks among the president and his senior staff. 'Florida, we can’t afford four more years of this,' Obama added. 'We cannot afford this kind of incompetence and disinterest.'