theguardian--2020-11-18--Trump fires top US cybersecurity official as agency refutes voter fraud - as it happened

Mark Warner , a Democratic senator of Virginia and co-chair of the Senate cybersecurity caucus , said Krebs “ is @ @ @ @ @ exactly the person Americans want protecting the security of our elections ” .
“ It @ @ @ @ @ chose to fire him simply for telling the truth , ” he said , echoing @ @ @ @ @ .
While Warner was among many officials who expected Krebs to be fired , his @ @ @ @ @ .
During the presidential transition period , when the US is especially vulnerable to foreign @ @ @ @ @ the top of the DHS ’ newly created cybersecurity agency is not ideal .

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

18 Nov 2020 01.46 GMT Summary Here’s a recap, from me and Joan E Greve: Donald Trump fired Chris Krebs , the director of the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (Cisa). Krebs’ agency had issued a statement pushing back against the baseless claims of widespread voter fraud that Trump has continued to endorse.
Krebs’ agency had issued a statement pushing back against the baseless claims of widespread voter fraud that Trump has continued to endorse. Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa has tested positive for coronavirus. The 87-year-old senator was speaking on the Senate floor just yesterday, raising alarm that he could have exposed other lawmakers and staffers.
The 87-year-old senator was speaking on the Senate floor just yesterday, raising alarm that he could have exposed other lawmakers and staffers. The Pennsylvania supreme court delivered another defeat to the Trump campaign, as the president’s legal efforts struggle to gain traction. Reversing a lower court’s decision, the state supreme court ruled that Philadelphia election officials did not improperly block the Trump campaign from observing the city’s vote count.
as the president’s legal efforts struggle to gain traction. Reversing a lower court’s decision, the state supreme court ruled that Philadelphia election officials did not improperly block the Trump campaign from observing the city’s vote count. The Trump campaign tried to delay the certification of election results in Pennsylvania, where Joe Biden leads by about 73,000 votes. Arguing on behalf of the Trump campaign, Rudy Giuliani repeated the president’s baseless claims of widespread election fraud, while a lawyer for Pennsylvania’s secretary of state called for dismissing the lawsuit.
where leads by about 73,000 votes. Arguing on behalf of the Trump campaign, repeated the president’s baseless claims of widespread election fraud, while a lawyer for Pennsylvania’s secretary of state called for dismissing the lawsuit. Judy Shelton’s nomination to the Federal Reserve’s board of governors failed to advance in the Senate. Every Senate Democrat and two Senate Republicans opposed advancing Shelton’s nomination, but majority leader Mitch McConnell could take up the issue again if Rick Scott or Chuck Grassley, both of whom are quarantining after potential coronavirus exposure, soon return to Capitol Hill.
Every Senate Democrat and two Senate Republicans opposed advancing Shelton’s nomination, but majority leader could take up the issue again if or both of whom are quarantining after potential coronavirus exposure, soon return to Capitol Hill. Biden announced a new round of senior staff appointments. The president’s former campaign manager, Jen O’Malley Dillon, will serve as deputy chief of staff, and congressman Cedric Richmond, a key House ally for Biden, will join the administration as the director of the White House office of public engagement.
The president’s former campaign manager, will serve as deputy chief of staff, and congressman a key House ally for Biden, will join the administration as the director of the White House office of public engagement. Biden is reportedly wary of continuing investigations of the Trump administration once he is sworn in. According to NBC News, one adviser to Biden said the president-elect has made it clear that he “just wants to move on”. Trump fires head of US cybersecurity agency that refuted voter fraud claims Read more
Updated at 01.49 GMT
18 Nov 2020 01.36 GMT Mark Warner, a Democratic senator of Virginia and co-chair of the Senate cybersecurity caucus, said Krebs “is an extraordinary public servant and exactly the person Americans want protecting the security of our elections”. “It speaks volumes that the president chose to fire him simply for telling the truth,” he said, echoing many of his Democratic colleagues. While Warner was among many officials who expected Krebs to be fired, his dismissal does raise cybersecurity concerns. During the presidential transition period, when the US is especially vulnerable to foreign threats, a vacancy at the top of the DHS’ newly created cybersecurity agency is not ideal.
Updated at 01.43 GMT
18 Nov 2020 01.18 GMT As Donald Trump and his supporters continue to sow doubt about the integrity of the election, Maricopa county supervisor Clint Hickman, a Republican, has issued a statement saying, “It is time to dial back the rhetoric, rumors, and false claims.” “No matter how you voted, this election was administered with integrity, transparency and in accordance with state laws,” Hickman said. A letter to Maricopa County Voters from Chairman Hickman: pic.twitter.com/1Bs1GEFTn1 — Maricopa County (@maricopacounty) November 18, 2020
Updated at 01.21 GMT
18 Nov 2020 00.56 GMT Adam Schiff, the Democratic California congressman who chairs the House intelligence committee, has responded to the news, saying that Trump’s move to fire Krebs is “pathetic and predictable from a president who views truth as his enemy”. Director Krebs worked diligently to safeguard our elections from interference and misinformation.
He protected our democracy. And spoke truth to power.
That’s why Trump retaliated and fired him.
It’s pathetic and predictable from a president who views truth as his enemy. — Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) November 18, 2020
Updated at 01.21 GMT
18 Nov 2020 00.53 GMT Twitter quickly flagged the tweets in which Trump announced Krebs’ firing because the repeated many of the baseless election fraud claims the president has been making in recent weeks. Unwilling to accept reality and concede the election, Trump has doubled down on conspiracy theories about election fraud. His administration has blocked the Biden transition team from receiving briefings, but now that Krebs is no longer working in an official capacity - the incoming administration may be able to glean non-classified briefings from the former cybersecurity official.
18 Nov 2020 00.42 GMT Several top Democrats have condemned the president’s decision to fire Krebs. On CNN, senator Chris Coons of Delaware said, “Chris Krebs’ federal service is just the latest casualty in President Trump’s four-year-long war on the truth.” Angus King, the Maine senator who is among the candidates who may be appointed Director of National Intelligence in the upcoming Biden administration, said Krebs “is a dedicated public servant who has helped build up new cyber capabilities in the face of swiftly-evolving dangers. By firing him for doing his job, President Trump is harming all Americans.” Chris Krebs is a dedicated public servant who has helped build up new cyber capabilities in the face of swiftly-evolving dangers. By firing him for doing his job, President Trump is harming all Americans – who rely on CISA’s defenses, even if they don’t know it. My statement: pic.twitter.com/gCzImQG2jZ — Senator Angus King (@SenAngusKing) November 18, 2020
18 Nov 2020 00.19 GMT Donald Trump fires official for pushing back against baseless rumors of election fraud Trump said Chris Krebs, the director of the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), “has been terminated”.
Krebs had indicated he expected to be fired. Last week, his agency released a statement refuting claims of widespread voter fraud. “The November 3rd election was the most secure in American history,” the statement read. “There is no evidence that any voting system deleted or lost votes, changed votes, or was in any way compromised.” Trump mentioned the note in his tweet firing Krebs. He also repeated baseless, false claims that dead people had voted and machines changed votes. Here’s more background: Top US cybersecurity official reportedly says he expects to be fired Read more
17 Nov 2020 23.31 GMT Sam Levine Republicans blocked Michigan’s largest county from certifying the results of the 3 November election on Tuesday, an alarming development that leaves wiggle room for Donald Trump in a state he lost by around 146,000 votes. The Wayne County Board of Canvassers just deadlocked on certifying the vote on party lines. This is unprecedented in my 20 years covering government here. — Nancy Kaffer (@nancykaffer) November 17, 2020 The four-member board of canvassers in Wayne County, which includes Detroit, deadlocked along partisan lines on Tuesday over certifying the election results. Joe Biden carried the county by nearly 323,000 votes. The decision essentially leaves certification up to the Michigan state board of canvassers, according to the Washington Post. The board is split along partisan lines and must approve election results with at least a 3-1 vote, according to Bridge Michigan.
There’s some concern that if the board doesn’t act to certify the results, the Michigan state legislature could step in and appoint its own electors. Michigan Republican leaders in the state legislature have downplayed those concerns. A Republican member of the board of canvassers said on Tuesday she would be willing to certify results in parts of the county other than Detroit, which many saw to be an overtly partisan and racist move. Detroit is more than 78% Black. Let's all contemplate this for a minute please. Republican Board of Canvasser member wants to certify the Wayne County elections BESIDES Detroit. https://t.co/eqFb7Bpgel — Dana Nessel (@dananessel) November 17, 2020 The Trump campaign has focused on ballot counting in Detroit in several of the lawsuits it has filed in the state seeking to block certification of the results. Several judges have dismissed those lawsuits, finding no irregularities.
17 Nov 2020 23.18 GMT Here’s a view of Chuck Grassley, unmasked, speaking at the Senate yesterday Grassley last spoke from Senate floor Monday afternoon just after 4pm and participated in 5:30pm Senate floor vote. https://t.co/7k3zTPQmei pic.twitter.com/pyZhHfSN1a — Craig Caplan (@CraigCaplan) November 17, 2020 We’re monitoring which other senators might decide to quarantine after interacting with Grassley. Florida senator Rick Scott, who said he was exposed to the virus in his home state, is also quarantining. He has tested negative so far, he said. Grassley was in close contact with senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia, and potentially others. While the Iowa senator did wear a mask when he wasn’t speaking, other Republican senators didn’t. Democrat Sherrod Brown of Ohio confronted Republican Dan Sullivan of Alaska on the floor about wearing a mask - in part to protect staffers – including a stenographer - sitting below him. “I don’t wear a mask when I’m speaking,” Sullivan responded. “I don’t need your instruction.” Republican Ted Cruz of Texas also seized on the opportunity to attack Brown, calling his colleague “complete ass” and accusing the Ohio senator of “fake virtue”.


theguardian--2020-11-18--Trump fires head of US cybersecurity agency that refuted voter fraud claims

Donald Trump has fired the director of the federal agency that vouched for the reliability of the 2020 election and pushed back on the president ’ s baseless claims of voter fraud .
Trump fired Christopher Krebs , who served as the director of the Department of Homeland Security ’ s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency ( Cisa ) , in a tweet on Tuesday , saying Krebs “ has been terminated ” and that his recent statement defending the security of the election was “ highly inaccurate ” .
The firing of Krebs , a Trump appointee , comes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ victory of the president-elect , Joe Biden , and removing high-level officials seen as insufficiently loyal .
He fired Mark Esper , the defense secretary , on 9 November part of a broader shake-up that put Trump loyalists in senior Pentagon positions .
Krebs had indicated he expected to be fired .
Last week , his agency released a statement refuting claims of widespread voter fraud .
“ The November 3rd election was the most secure in American history , ” the statement read .
“ There is no evidence that any voting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ votes , or was in any way compromised.
” Krebs , a former Microsoft executive , ran the agency , known as Cisa , from its creation in the wake of Russian interference with the 2016 election through the November election .
He won bipartisan praise as Cisa coordinated federal state and local efforts to defend electoral systems from foreign or domestic interference .
Trump mentioned the Cisa statement in his tweet firing Krebs .
The president ’ s tweets also repeated many of the baseless election fraud claims he has made in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ swift to condemn the president ’ s decision to fire Krebs .
On CNN , senator Chris Coons of Delaware said , “ Chris Krebs ’ federal service is just the latest casualty in President Trump ’ s four-year-long war on the truth.
” Angus King , the Maine senator who is among the candidates who may be appointed Director of National Intelligence in the upcoming Biden administration , called Krebs “ a dedicated public servant who has helped build up new cyber capabilities in the face of swiftly-evolving dangers .
“ By @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Trump is harming all Americans.
” Adam Schiff , the Democratic California congressman who chairs the House intelligence committee , said that Trump ’ s move is “ pathetic and predictable from a president who views truth as his enemy ” .
And Mark Warner , a Democratic senator of Virginia and co-chair of the Senate cybersecurity caucus , said Krebs “ is an extraordinary public servant and exactly the person Americans want protecting the security of our elections ” .
“ It speaks volumes that the president chose to fire him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said , echoing many of his Democratic colleagues .
Ben Sasse , a Republican senator of Nebraska also chimed in .
“ Chris Krebs did a really good job , ” he said .
“ He obviously should not be fired.
” Two other DHS officials – Bryan Ware , Cisa ’ s assistant director of international affairs , and Valerie Boyd , DHS assistant secretary of international affairs – were also reportedly forced out last week .
Krebs tweeted from his personal account that he was “ honored to serve ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which the president announced Krebs ’ firing for containing “ disputed ” claims about the election .
Unwilling to accept reality and concede the election , Trump has doubled down on conspiracy theories about election fraud .
His administration has blocked the Biden transition team from receiving briefings , but now that Krebs is no longer working in an official capacity , the incoming administration may be able to glean non-classified briefings from the former cybersecurity official .

Donald Trump has fired the director of the federal agency that vouched for the reliability of the 2020 election and pushed back on the president’s baseless claims of voter fraud.
Trump fired Christopher Krebs, who served as the director of the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (Cisa), in a tweet on Tuesday, saying Krebs “has been terminated” and that his recent statement defending the security of the election was “highly inaccurate”.
The firing of Krebs, a Trump appointee, comes as Trump is refusing to recognize the victory of the president-elect, Joe Biden, and removing high-level officials seen as insufficiently loyal. He fired Mark Esper, the defense secretary, on 9 November part of a broader shake-up that put Trump loyalists in senior Pentagon positions.
Krebs had indicated he expected to be fired. Last week, his agency released a statement refuting claims of widespread voter fraud. “The November 3rd election was the most secure in American history,” the statement read. “There is no evidence that any voting system deleted or lost votes, changed votes, or was in any way compromised.”
Krebs, a former Microsoft executive, ran the agency, known as Cisa, from its creation in the wake of Russian interference with the 2016 election through the November election. He won bipartisan praise as Cisa coordinated federal state and local efforts to defend electoral systems from foreign or domestic interference.
Trump mentioned the Cisa statement in his tweet firing Krebs. The president’s tweets also repeated many of the baseless election fraud claims he has made in recent weeks.
Several top Democrats were swift to condemn the president’s decision to fire Krebs.
On CNN, senator Chris Coons of Delaware said, “Chris Krebs’ federal service is just the latest casualty in President Trump’s four-year-long war on the truth.”
Angus King, the Maine senator who is among the candidates who may be appointed Director of National Intelligence in the upcoming Biden administration, called Krebs “a dedicated public servant who has helped build up new cyber capabilities in the face of swiftly-evolving dangers.
“By firing him for doing his job, President Trump is harming all Americans.”
Adam Schiff, the Democratic California congressman who chairs the House intelligence committee, said that Trump’s move is “ pathetic and predictable from a president who views truth as his enemy”.
And Mark Warner, a Democratic senator of Virginia and co-chair of the Senate cybersecurity caucus, said Krebs “is an extraordinary public servant and exactly the person Americans want protecting the security of our elections”.
“It speaks volumes that the president chose to fire him simply for telling the truth,” he said, echoing many of his Democratic colleagues.
Ben Sasse, a Republican senator of Nebraska also chimed in. “Chris Krebs did a really good job,” he said. “He obviously should not be fired.”
Two other DHS officials – Bryan Ware, Cisa’s assistant director of international affairs, and Valerie Boyd, DHS assistant secretary of international affairs – were also reportedly forced out last week.
Krebs tweeted from his personal account that he was “honored to serve”.
Twitter quickly flagged the tweets in which the president announced Krebs’ firing for containing “disputed” claims about the election.
Unwilling to accept reality and concede the election, Trump has doubled down on conspiracy theories about election fraud. His administration has blocked the Biden transition team from receiving briefings, but now that Krebs is no longer working in an official capacity, the incoming administration may be able to glean non-classified briefings from the former cybersecurity official.


theguardian--2020-11-17--Pennsylvania court deals blow to Trump campaign’s bid to overturn Biden win

Philadelphia election officials did not improperly block Donald Trump ’ s campaign from observing the counting of mail-in ballots , the Pennsylvania supreme court ruled on Tuesday , a major blow to the president ’ s already flailing legal efforts .
The decision is significant because one of the Trump campaign ’ s loudest claims since the election has been that they were improperly blocked from observing the counting of ballots in Philadelphia .
While campaign observers were always allowed to observe , the campaign alleged they were being kept too far from the counting – about 15-18ft – to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a court order in the days after election day requiring Philadelphia officials to let observers within 6ft .
But the Pennsylvania supreme court reversed that decision on Tuesday , noting that Pennsylvania law gives Philadelphia election officials wide discretion to decide the rules around observers .
“ The board did not act contrary to law in fashioning its regulations governing the positioning of candidate representatives during the pre-canvassing and canvassing process , as the election code does not specify minimum distance parameters for the location of such representatives , ” justice Barbara Todd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ five justice majority .
“ We find the board ’ s regulations as applied herein were reasonable in that they allowed candidate representatives to observe the board conducting its activities as prescribed under the election code.
” Even the two Republican justices who dissented from the majority opinion disagreed with the idea , advanced by the Trump campaign , that legitimate votes should be rejected because of improper observation practices .
“ Short of demonstrated fraud , the notion that presumptively valid ballots cast by the Pennsylvania electorate would be disregarded based on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – thus disenfranchising potentially thousands of voters – is misguided , ” wrote chief justice Thomas Saylor in his dissenting opinion .
“ Accordingly , to the degree that there is a concern with protecting or legitimizing the will of the Philadelphians who cast their votes while candidate representatives were unnecessarily restrained at the convention center , I fail to see that there is any real issue.
” Joe Biden currently leads Trump in Pennsylvania by 72,832 votes .
The decision came as Rudy Giuliani , Trump ’ s personal attorney , appeared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to accuse Democrats in control of big cities of hatching a nationwide conspiracy to steal the election , despite no such evidence having emerged to support it .
Lawyers defending the Democratic secretary of state , Philadelphia and several counties said the Trump campaign ’ s arguments lack any constitutional basis or were rendered irrelevant by a state supreme court decision .
They asked US district judge Matthew Brann to throw out the case , calling the allegations “ at best , garden-variety irregularities ” that would not warrant invalidating Pennsylvania ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not yet been issued , a loss in the case would likely doom Trump ’ s already-remote prospects of altering the election ’ s outcome .

Philadelphia election officials did not improperly block Donald Trump’s campaign from observing the counting of mail-in ballots, the Pennsylvania supreme court ruled on Tuesday, a major blow to the president’s already flailing legal efforts.
The decision is significant because one of the Trump campaign’s loudest claims since the election has been that they were improperly blocked from observing the counting of ballots in Philadelphia.
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While campaign observers were always allowed to observe, the campaign alleged they were being kept too far from the counting – about 15-18ft – to make any meaningful observation. It secured a court order in the days after election day requiring Philadelphia officials to let observers within 6ft.
But the Pennsylvania supreme court reversed that decision on Tuesday, noting that Pennsylvania law gives Philadelphia election officials wide discretion to decide the rules around observers.
“The board did not act contrary to law in fashioning its regulations governing the positioning of candidate representatives during the pre-canvassing and canvassing process, as the election code does not specify minimum distance parameters for the location of such representatives,” justice Barbara Todd, a Democrat, wrote for the five justice majority.
“We find the board’s regulations as applied herein were reasonable in that they allowed candidate representatives to observe the board conducting its activities as prescribed under the election code.”
Even the two Republican justices who dissented from the majority opinion disagreed with the idea, advanced by the Trump campaign, that legitimate votes should be rejected because of improper observation practices.
“Short of demonstrated fraud, the notion that presumptively valid ballots cast by the Pennsylvania electorate would be disregarded based on isolated procedural irregularities that have been redressed – thus disenfranchising potentially thousands of voters – is misguided,” wrote chief justice Thomas Saylor in his dissenting opinion.
“Accordingly, to the degree that there is a concern with protecting or legitimizing the will of the Philadelphians who cast their votes while candidate representatives were unnecessarily restrained at the convention center, I fail to see that there is any real issue.”
Joe Biden currently leads Trump in Pennsylvania by 72,832 votes.
The decision came as Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s personal attorney, appeared in a Pennsylvania federal court on Tuesday to accuse Democrats in control of big cities of hatching a nationwide conspiracy to steal the election, despite no such evidence having emerged to support it.
Lawyers defending the Democratic secretary of state, Philadelphia and several counties said the Trump campaign’s arguments lack any constitutional basis or were rendered irrelevant by a state supreme court decision.
They asked US district judge Matthew Brann to throw out the case, calling the allegations “at best, garden-variety irregularities” that would not warrant invalidating Pennsylvania’s election results.
While a ruling has not yet been issued, a loss in the case would likely doom Trump’s already-remote prospects of altering the election’s outcome.
The Associated Press contributed reporting


theguardian--2020-11-17--Republican senator Chuck Grassley tests positive for coronavirus

Chuck Grassley , the longest-serving Republican senator , announced Tuesday he had tested positive for coronavirus .
Grassley , 87 , the senior senator from Iowa , said earlier in day that he was quarantining after being exposed to the virus and would work virtually as he waits for results of a test .
He did not say how he was exposed .
Then later in the afternoon he confirmed that he had been infected .
“ I ’ m feeling well and not currently experiencing any symptoms , but it ’ s important we all follow public health guidelines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Grassley said in a statement .
The Iowa Republican is the president pro tempore of the Senate , meaning he presides over the Senate in the absence of Mike Pence – the vice-president of the US is also the president of the Senate – and is third in the line of presidential succession , behind Pence and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , should anything befall the president and leave him unable to carry out his job .
The president pro tempore is the senator in the majority party who has served the longest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Grassley will break a 27-year streak of not missing a single Senate vote .
According to his office , the last time he missed a vote was in 1993 , when he was in Iowa assisting with relief efforts after severe flooding .
Grassley was unable to vote on Tuesday on Judy Shelton ’ s controversial nomination by Donald Trump to the Federal Reserve ’ s board of governors .
Her confirmation ended up being blocked for the time being , with some Republicans , including Grassley , absent and some joining Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was first elected to the US House in 1974 and then to the Senate in 1980 .
He is the chairman of the Senate finance committee and is expected to become the top Republican on the Senate judiciary committee when a new Senate session begins in January .
Before quarantining , Grassley had spoken on the Senate floor without wearing a mask .
Last week he bucked the president when he joined the call for Joe Biden to receive daily intelligence briefings , with those briefings currently withheld from the president-elect because the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s victory in the election and Trump ’ s election campaign is mounting long-shot legal challenges to the result .
Grassley was asked by CNN whether Biden should have access to classified briefings .
“ I would think – especially on classified briefings – the answer is yes , ” Grassley said .

Chuck Grassley, the longest-serving Republican senator, announced Tuesday he had tested positive for coronavirus.
Grassley, 87, the senior senator from Iowa, said earlier in day that he was quarantining after being exposed to the virus and would work virtually as he waits for results of a test. He did not say how he was exposed.
Then later in the afternoon he confirmed that he had been infected.
I’ve tested positive for coronavirus. I’ll b following my doctors’ orders/CDC guidelines & continue to quarantine. I’m feeling good + will keep up on my work for the ppl of Iowa from home. I appreciate everyone’s well wishes + prayers &look fwd to resuming my normal schedule soon — ChuckGrassley (@ChuckGrassley) November 17, 2020
“I’m feeling well and not currently experiencing any symptoms, but it’s important we all follow public health guidelines to keep each other healthy,” Grassley said in a statement.
The Iowa Republican is the president pro tempore of the Senate, meaning he presides over the Senate in the absence of Mike Pence – the vice-president of the US is also the president of the Senate – and is third in the line of presidential succession, behind Pence and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, should anything befall the president and leave him unable to carry out his job.
The president pro tempore is the senator in the majority party who has served the longest.
By missing votes this week, Grassley will break a 27-year streak of not missing a single Senate vote. According to his office, the last time he missed a vote was in 1993, when he was in Iowa assisting with relief efforts after severe flooding.
Grassley was unable to vote on Tuesday on Judy Shelton’s controversial nomination by Donald Trump to the Federal Reserve’s board of governors. Her confirmation ended up being blocked for the time being, with some Republicans, including Grassley, absent and some joining Democrats in voting “no”.
Grassley was first elected to the US House in 1974 and then to the Senate in 1980. He is the chairman of the Senate finance committee and is expected to become the top Republican on the Senate judiciary committee when a new Senate session begins in January.
Before quarantining, Grassley had spoken on the Senate floor without wearing a mask.
Last week he bucked the president when he joined the call for Joe Biden to receive daily intelligence briefings, with those briefings currently withheld from the president-elect because the Trump administration refuses to acknowledge Biden’s victory in the election and Trump’s election campaign is mounting long-shot legal challenges to the result.
Grassley was asked by CNN whether Biden should have access to classified briefings. “I would think – especially on classified briefings – the answer is yes,” Grassley said.


theguardian--2020-11-17--Fears of foreign policy chaos in Trump's final days fueled by Iran bombing report

Fears that Donald Trump might try to wreak havoc on the world stage in his final , desperate , weeks in office appear to have been well-founded , after he reportedly asked for options on bombing Iran .
A report in the New York Times said Trump was advised against strikes on Iranian nuclear sites by senior officials warning of the risk of triggering a major conflict .
But it added that the president may not have entirely given up on the idea of staging attacks on Iran or its allies and proxies in the region .
On the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defence secretary , Christopher Miller , confirmed that the US would draw down its military presence in Afghanistan and Iraq to 2,500 troops in each country , shrugging off concerns that an abrupt withdrawal in Afghanistan could derail peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban by convincing the rebels they could win without a deal .
A defence department inspector general report on Tuesday said it was “ unclear ” whether the Taliban were violating a separate deal it made with the US in February .
The developments come days after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defence secretary had argued against a rapid departure from Afghanistan , and installed loyalists in the Pentagon and National Security Agency , with a record of backing aggressive action against Iran , or supporting a rapid extrication from Afghanistan .
Miller issued a message to Pentagon staff on Tuesday , with a warning not to try to resist new orders from the top .
“ Do your job , ” Miller said .
“ Focus on your assignment.
” He stated his first goal was : “ Bring the current war to an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the security of our citizens.
” Miller did not define the “ current war ” but it was widely seen as a reference to the military presence in Afghanistan and Iraq .
The new acting under secretary of defence for intelligence and security , Ezra Cohen-Watnick , installed in the Pentagon at the same time as Miller , has reportedly pushed for regime change in Iran , and for aggressive action against Iranian-backed militias in Syria and Iraq .
The turmoil in foreign and defence policy comes at a time when Trump is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ preventing Joe Biden ’ s incoming team from receiving intelligence or policy briefings .
Former officials have suggested that Trump is aware he will eventually have to leave office and is considering another run at the presidency in 2024 .
To that end , he is looking at last-minute options for fulfilling campaign promises he can point to , to build a narrative that he ran a successful administration that was removed by a rigged election .
“ This will be his version of the Lost Cause , ” a former official from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to attempts after the civil war to romanticise the Confederacy .
“ He can go out in a blaze of glory , and the stab in the back theory gets strengthened because he can point to all the things that he did.
” The former official added there were also factions in the Trump administration who view the weeks until Biden ’ s inauguration as a last chance to achieve their objectives .
One of those factions is focused on Iran regime change , and has made common cause with Trump in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action ( JCPOA ) , by which Iran received sanctions relief in return for accepting limits on its nuclear programme .
So far , the effort to kill the deal has failed .
Iran and the other national parties to the JCPOA have continued to express faith in the agreement , even after Tehran increased its production of low-enriched uranium far beyond JCPOA limits in response to US sanctions .
Mike Pompeo ’ s state department is reportedly planning to add another layer of sanctions with each @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attempt to make the breakdown of the agreement irreversible .
“ What I ’ ve always worried about was that people around Trump would try to persuade him that he ’ s the last thing standing between the ‘ weak Democrats ’ who would take over after him , and Iran developing a bomb , ” said Rob Malley , a former Obama administration official who was one of the JCPOA negotiators , and is now head of the International Crisis Group .
On Tuesday ’ s report that Trump ’ s aides @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Iran , Malley said : “ I ’ m not sure this is the end of the story .
There may be a covert operation that would be less risky than what the president might have been talking about … And unlike in the years past , he would not have to carry the consequences.
” Malley pointed to other goals that administration factions might seek to achieve in the freewheeling , norm-busting atmosphere of Trump ’ s last stand , like recognizing Israeli sovereignty over West Bank settlements ( Pompeo is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state to visit a settlement this week ) or designate groups such as Yemen ’ s Houthi movement or Egypt ’ s Muslim Brotherhood as terrorist organizations .
Taking military action as a lame duck president , however , is likely to be harder than taking such administrative measures , as the armed services would resist taking steps they saw as reckless .
“ One thing the Pentagon excels at is slow-rolling the White House , ” Tom Ricks , a military historian , said .
“ The services are very conscious of @ @ @ @ @

Fears that Donald Trump might try to wreak havoc on the world stage in his final, desperate, weeks in office appear to have been well-founded, after he reportedly asked for options on bombing Iran.
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A report in the New York Times said Trump was advised against strikes on Iranian nuclear sites by senior officials warning of the risk of triggering a major conflict. But it added that the president may not have entirely given up on the idea of staging attacks on Iran or its allies and proxies in the region.
On the same day, Trump’s newly installed defence secretary, Christopher Miller, confirmed that the US would draw down its military presence in Afghanistan and Iraq to 2,500 troops in each country, shrugging off concerns that an abrupt withdrawal in Afghanistan could derail peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban by convincing the rebels they could win without a deal.
A defence department inspector general report on Tuesday said it was “unclear” whether the Taliban were violating a separate deal it made with the US in February.
The announcement of the withdrawal, which did not appear to have been coordinated with US allies in Afghanistan, drew a rebuke from the Nato secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, who normally avoids criticising member states, especially the most powerful.
Stoltenberg warned Afghanistan could once again become “a platform for international terrorists” in the event of hasty departure, and declared: “the price for leaving too soon or in an uncoordinated way could be very high.”
The developments come days after Trump removed Mark Esper, who as defence secretary had argued against a rapid departure from Afghanistan, and installed loyalists in the Pentagon and National Security Agency, with a record of backing aggressive action against Iran, or supporting a rapid extrication from Afghanistan.
Miller issued a message to Pentagon staff on Tuesday, with a warning not to try to resist new orders from the top. “Do your job,” Miller said. “Focus on your assignment.”
He stated his first goal was: “Bring the current war to an end in a responsible manner that guarantees the security of our citizens.”
Miller did not define the “current war” but it was widely seen as a reference to the military presence in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The new acting under secretary of defence for intelligence and security, Ezra Cohen-Watnick, installed in the Pentagon at the same time as Miller, has reportedly pushed for regime change in Iran, and for aggressive action against Iranian-backed militias in Syria and Iraq.
The turmoil in foreign and defence policy comes at a time when Trump is refusing to accept election defeat and is preventing Joe Biden’s incoming team from receiving intelligence or policy briefings.
Former officials have suggested that Trump is aware he will eventually have to leave office and is considering another run at the presidency in 2024. To that end, he is looking at last-minute options for fulfilling campaign promises he can point to, to build a narrative that he ran a successful administration that was removed by a rigged election.
“This will be his version of the Lost Cause,” a former official from the Trump White House said, referring to attempts after the civil war to romanticise the Confederacy. “He can go out in a blaze of glory, and the stab in the back theory gets strengthened because he can point to all the things that he did.”
The wreckage of the vehicle in which the Iranian general Qasem Soleimani was killed in a Trump-ordered attack at Baghdad airport in January. Photograph: Iraq’S Security Media Cell Handout/EPA
The former official added there were also factions in the Trump administration who view the weeks until Biden’s inauguration as a last chance to achieve their objectives.
One of those factions is focused on Iran regime change, and has made common cause with Trump in the effort to destroy the 2015 nuclear deal, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), by which Iran received sanctions relief in return for accepting limits on its nuclear programme.
So far, the effort to kill the deal has failed. Iran and the other national parties to the JCPOA have continued to express faith in the agreement, even after Tehran increased its production of low-enriched uranium far beyond JCPOA limits in response to US sanctions.
Mike Pompeo’s state department is reportedly planning to add another layer of sanctions with each remaining week of the presidency in an attempt to make the breakdown of the agreement irreversible.
“What I’ve always worried about was that people around Trump would try to persuade him that he’s the last thing standing between the ‘weak Democrats’ who would take over after him, and Iran developing a bomb,” said Rob Malley, a former Obama administration official who was one of the JCPOA negotiators, and is now head of the International Crisis Group.
On Tuesday’s report that Trump’s aides had persuaded him against carrying out strikes on Iran, Malley said: “I’m not sure this is the end of the story. There may be a covert operation that would be less risky than what the president might have been talking about … And unlike in the years past, he would not have to carry the consequences.”
Malley pointed to other goals that administration factions might seek to achieve in the freewheeling, norm-busting atmosphere of Trump’s last stand, like recognizing Israeli sovereignty over West Bank settlements (Pompeo is set to be the first secretary of state to visit a settlement this week) or designate groups such as Yemen’s Houthi movement or Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood as terrorist organizations.
Taking military action as a lame duck president, however, is likely to be harder than taking such administrative measures, as the armed services would resist taking steps they saw as reckless.
“One thing the Pentagon excels at is slow-rolling the White House,” Tom Ricks, a military historian, said. “The services are very conscious of their constitutional responsibilities.”


theguardian--2020-11-17--How Trump’s presidency turned off some Republicans – a visual guide

After four years of Donald Trump ’ s presidency , many voters who typically vote Republican turned against him .
For example , in Winnebago county , Wisconsin , about 72 % of voters cast their ballot for the Republican House candidate – either Glenn Grothman or Mike Gallagher , depending on where they live .
But just 52 % cast their vote for Trump .
This happened in county after county : Trump performed worse than other Republicans on the ballot .
Here ’ s how Trump performed in each county compared with the Republican House candidate on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lost the election , but why Republicans gained seats in the House .
To be clear , Trump also underperformed other Republicans in 2016 .
But since the last election , the gap between Trump and other Republicans grew in all kinds of communities in the US .
In other words , the election wasn ’ t just about Democrats rejecting Trump by turning out in record numbers .
It was also about Republicans and independents who preferred the Republican party – but just without Donald Trump .
Trump ’ s appeal in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ counties , where he actually outperformed Republican House candidates .
But this time around , Trump underperformed in these areas – and he did even worse everywhere else .
For example in Christian county , Illinois , where about 95 % of the population is white , Trump won about 73 % of the votes .
But the Republican house candidate , Rodney Davis , did 10 percentage points better .
Meanwhile , Trump severely underperformed Republican House candidates in places with more people of color , which tend to be metropolitan areas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a monolith .
In fact , in a few areas with more people of color , Trump actually outperformed the House candidate .
For example , in Zapata county , Texas , a predominantly Hispanic area near the southern border , Trump won with 53 % of the votes .
But the Republican House candidate , Sandra Whitten , lost by nearly 20 points .
We can see that distribution in this chart showing how Trump did in every county : Still , the overarching takeaway is that even the Republican base in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ away from Trump this election .
Metropolitan areas tend to skew Democratic , but there are still a huge number of Republicans .
In those areas , Trump underperformed the House candidate with those voters by four points in 2016 .
This time around , he underperformed by more than 12 points .
This tracks with the data on how Biden won the 2020 presidential election .
Democrats made huge gains in the suburbs of big cities , like Philadelphia and Milwaukee .
But not only did they get big turnout there ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Trump .
Meanwhile , in rural areas Trump actually performed better than he did in 2020 .
But if Republicans are doing electoral math here , just 8 million presidential voters live in what this analysis categorizes as rural counties .
Even though Trump won those areas by 3.5 million votes , it ’ s only a fraction of the amount by which Trump underperformed in more populous areas .
Trump did far worse than Republicans down-ballot in areas with more college degrees One of the biggest determinants of how an area @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that has a college degree .
In places with more degrees , Trump largely kept up with ballot Republicans in 2016 .
In 2020 , that gap widened .
For example in Madison county , Mississippi – a Jackson suburb where nearly half the residents over 25 have college degrees – Trump won 58 % of the vote .
But the Republican House candidates in the county got 73 % of the vote .
Meanwhile , in the parts of America with the lowest rate of college degrees , Trump did quite well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In fact , in the majority of these counties , which tend to be more rural , Trump actually outperformed down-ballot Republicans .
One caveat of this analysis is that it uses county-level data , which means some of the nuances in larger counties are left unexplored .
These metropolitan areas are categorized as having more college degrees .
But these areas also have high levels of inequality , which means there are also a lot of people who don ’ t have high-school diplomas .
Trump may have less appeal – but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hardly means Trumpism is fading away in the party .
After all , Trump is trying to stage a coup by insisting he won an election that he clearly lost – and many Republicans officials are staying silent or parroting his argument .
In addition , 70 % of Republicans agree with Trump and they say the election was not “ free and fair ” despite no evidence backing up this claim .
Still , what this means is that four years of Trump pushed away a significant swath of Republican and independent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ without Trump on the ballot ?
The first test will be in the Georgia special elections in January which will determine the balance of the US Senate .
Even though Trump lost Georgia by a few thousand votes , both House and Senate Republicans outperformed Trump – and could do so by even bigger margins in the special election without Trump weighing them down .

Alvin Chang, Pablo Gutiérrez and Ashley Kirk

After four years of Donald Trump’s presidency, many voters who typically vote Republican turned against him.
For example, in Winnebago county, Wisconsin, about 72% of voters cast their ballot for the Republican House candidate – either Glenn Grothman or Mike Gallagher, depending on where they live. But just 52% cast their vote for Trump.
This happened in county after county: Trump performed worse than other Republicans on the ballot. Here’s how Trump performed in each county compared with the Republican House candidate on the same ballot:
This is why Trump lost the election, but why Republicans gained seats in the House.
To be clear, Trump also underperformed other Republicans in 2016. But since the last election, the gap between Trump and other Republicans grew in all kinds of communities in the US. In other words, the election wasn’t just about Democrats rejecting Trump by turning out in record numbers. It was also about Republicans and independents who preferred the Republican party – but just without Donald Trump.
White Republican counties turned away from Trump
Trump’s appeal in 2016 was especially salient in very white counties, where he actually outperformed Republican House candidates.
But this time around, Trump underperformed in these areas – and he did even worse everywhere else.
For example in Christian county, Illinois, where about 95% of the population is white, Trump won about 73% of the votes. But the Republican house candidate, Rodney Davis, did 10 percentage points better.
Meanwhile, Trump severely underperformed Republican House candidates in places with more people of color, which tend to be metropolitan areas. But these places aren’t a monolith. In fact, in a few areas with more people of color, Trump actually outperformed the House candidate.
For example, in Zapata county, Texas, a predominantly Hispanic area near the southern border, Trump won with 53% of the votes. But the Republican House candidate, Sandra Whitten, lost by nearly 20 points.
We can see that distribution in this chart showing how Trump did in every county:
Still, the overarching takeaway is that even the Republican base in racially homogeneous parts of white America moved away from Trump this election.
Trump lost ground with Republicans in metropolitan areas
Metropolitan areas tend to skew Democratic, but there are still a huge number of Republicans. In those areas, Trump underperformed the House candidate with those voters by four points in 2016. This time around, he underperformed by more than 12 points.
This tracks with the data on how Biden won the 2020 presidential election. Democrats made huge gains in the suburbs of big cities, like Philadelphia and Milwaukee. But not only did they get big turnout there; many Republicans also didn’t vote for Trump.
Meanwhile, in rural areas Trump actually performed better than he did in 2020.
But if Republicans are doing electoral math here, just 8 million presidential voters live in what this analysis categorizes as rural counties. Even though Trump won those areas by 3.5 million votes, it’s only a fraction of the amount by which Trump underperformed in more populous areas.
Trump did far worse than Republicans down-ballot in areas with more college degrees
One of the biggest determinants of how an area voted was the portion of the population that has a college degree.
In places with more degrees, Trump largely kept up with ballot Republicans in 2016. In 2020, that gap widened.
For example in Madison county, Mississippi – a Jackson suburb where nearly half the residents over 25 have college degrees – Trump won 58% of the vote. But the Republican House candidates in the county got 73% of the vote.
Meanwhile, in the parts of America with the lowest rate of college degrees, Trump did quite well compared with the Republican House candidate. In fact, in the majority of these counties, which tend to be more rural, Trump actually outperformed down-ballot Republicans.
One caveat of this analysis is that it uses county-level data, which means some of the nuances in larger counties are left unexplored. These metropolitan areas are categorized as having more college degrees. But these areas also have high levels of inequality, which means there are also a lot of people who don’t have high-school diplomas.
Trump may have less appeal – but Trumpism isn’t gone
This data hardly means Trumpism is fading away in the party.
After all, Trump is trying to stage a coup by insisting he won an election that he clearly lost – and many Republicans officials are staying silent or parroting his argument. In addition, 70% of Republicans agree with Trump and they say the election was not “free and fair” despite no evidence backing up this claim.
Still, what this means is that four years of Trump pushed away a significant swath of Republican and independent voters.
So how do Republicans perform without Trump on the ballot? The first test will be in the Georgia special elections in January which will determine the balance of the US Senate. Even though Trump lost Georgia by a few thousand votes, both House and Senate Republicans outperformed Trump – and could do so by even bigger margins in the special election without Trump weighing them down.


theguardian--2020-11-17--Why US ballot count live streams became misinformation magnets

At a vote-counting center in Montgomery county , Maryland , a man sat in a room with other election workers , wearing a grey hat and dark purple rubber gloves .
He unfolded a ballot , looked around and leaned forward to mark it .
The man appeared on a Yahoo Finance livestream of the center .
The video went viral , one version ending up on YouTube , where the narrator said they found it on 4chan .
“ Do you notice that , folks ?
” said the narrator .
“ How he looks around to see if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he ’ s about to commit a crime ?
” The video spread across social media , viewers claiming the election worker was committing fraud .
Then election officials launched an investigation and found the voter hadn ’ t used a dark enough pen to mark their ballot ; the worker was darkening their selections – a routine practice .
Live streams of the ballot count aren ’ t a new phenomenon .
But this year the practice exploded as Donald Trump cast doubts on the integrity of the vote and the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ difficult .
In the aftermath of a fraught election , many are still grappling to figure out if this method of achieving transparency is too vulnerable to being manipulated or taken out of context to further a political agenda .
When Paul Andrews was elected auditor of Kitsap county , Washington , two years ago , the first thing he did was implement a live stream of the ballot count .
It was a no-brainer to Andrews , and with his IT background , easy to facilitate .
Some people , he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from their computer during their lunch break .
Andrews , instead , watched the count .
But this year was different .
The 2020 election had occupied Andrews ’ mind for years leading up to the count , and he not only led the livestreaming effort , but also hired and trained more staff and upgraded equipment so election day could run without controversy .
“ Everything we ’ ve done over these last couple years has been in preparation for this , ” Andrews said .
Election officials across the country , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before the pandemic .
In Arizona , state legislators passed a law in 2019 requiring that each county have a live stream .
As pro-Trump protesters convened outside vote-counting centers in Maricopa county , demanding that the vote be counted , the live streams became a way for the public to observe the count themselves .
“ Arizona does a lot of things wrong , ” said the Arizona state senator Martín Quezada , from Maricopa county , who introduced the bill .
“ But the way we run our elections , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very , very well.
” The concerns from officials about the general election were legitimate : Trump has refused to concede the election to Joe Biden and in many states , Republicans have challenged the results .
Some claims can directly be refuted by the live streams .
“ It ’ s a real testament to how transparent [ election officials ] wanted this process , ” said David Becker , executive director of the Center for Election Innovation and Research .
“ The Trump campaign is continuing to say that observers weren @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve got 24/7 video evidence of the counting process that anyone could watch showing observers in these locations.
” But while thousands tuned into the live streams , these efforts sometimes backfired .
In Delaware county , Pennsylvania , a video was taken from the live stream showing a woman filling in ballots .
It went viral , proliferating further after Charlie Kirk , the founder of Turning Point , a rightwing student organization , showed it during his election live stream .
A spokesperson told USA Today the video had been misleadingly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the end of the table and the worker was manually transcribing damaged ballots , a common and lawful practice .
“ The issue comes where information can be picked up , cut , taken out of context and reframed or reinterpreted , ” said Kate Starbird , associate professor at the University of Washington and cofounder of the Center for an Informed Public .
“ That just becomes raw material for people trying to create conspiracy theories.
” Counties can take precautions , according to Starbird , like adding the date and location @ @ @ @ @ @ @ already – it was written into the Arizona law , for example , that feeds must include the date and time .
Back in Kitsap county , Andrews breathed a sigh of relief that election day operations went smoothly , but things are not quite back to normal yet .
In the past , he said , election workers would take time off and go on vacation in December , after the election was certified .
But this year , Washington state is headed into a second lockdown due to a surge in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yet to concede the election .
So the workers may have to take advantage of a different type of streaming .
“ It doesn ’ t sound like anybody ’ s going to go anywhere , ” Andrews said .
“ Maybe their couch and Netflix .
”

At a vote-counting center in Montgomery county, Maryland, a man sat in a room with other election workers, wearing a grey hat and dark purple rubber gloves. He unfolded a ballot, looked around and leaned forward to mark it. The man appeared on a Yahoo Finance livestream of the center. The video went viral, one version ending up on YouTube, where the narrator said they found it on 4chan.
“Do you notice that, folks?” said the narrator. “How he looks around to see if anyone is watching him – as if he’s about to commit a crime?”
The video spread across social media, viewers claiming the election worker was committing fraud. Then election officials launched an investigation and found the voter hadn’t used a dark enough pen to mark their ballot; the worker was darkening their selections – a routine practice.
Live streams of the ballot count aren’t a new phenomenon. But this year the practice exploded as Donald Trump cast doubts on the integrity of the vote and the pandemic made in-person options of observing the vote difficult. In the aftermath of a fraught election, many are still grappling to figure out if this method of achieving transparency is too vulnerable to being manipulated or taken out of context to further a political agenda.
When Paul Andrews was elected auditor of Kitsap county, Washington, two years ago, the first thing he did was implement a live stream of the ballot count. It was a no-brainer to Andrews, and with his IT background, easy to facilitate. Some people, he said, looked at their favorite vacation spot from their computer during their lunch break. Andrews, instead, watched the count.
But this year was different. The 2020 election had occupied Andrews’ mind for years leading up to the count, and he not only led the livestreaming effort, but also hired and trained more staff and upgraded equipment so election day could run without controversy. “Everything we’ve done over these last couple years has been in preparation for this,” Andrews said.
Election officials across the country, like Andrews, began to prepare even before the pandemic. In Arizona, state legislators passed a law in 2019 requiring that each county have a live stream. As pro-Trump protesters convened outside vote-counting centers in Maricopa county, demanding that the vote be counted, the live streams became a way for the public to observe the count themselves.
“Arizona does a lot of things wrong,” said the Arizona state senator Martín Quezada, from Maricopa county, who introduced the bill. “But the way we run our elections, I think we’ve been doing it very, very well.”
The concerns from officials about the general election were legitimate: Trump has refused to concede the election to Joe Biden and in many states, Republicans have challenged the results. Some claims can directly be refuted by the live streams.
“It’s a real testament to how transparent [election officials] wanted this process,” said David Becker, executive director of the Center for Election Innovation and Research. “The Trump campaign is continuing to say that observers weren’t allowed in … We’ve got 24/7 video evidence of the counting process that anyone could watch showing observers in these locations.”
But while thousands tuned into the live streams, these efforts sometimes backfired.
In Delaware county, Pennsylvania, a video was taken from the live stream showing a woman filling in ballots. It went viral, proliferating further after Charlie Kirk, the founder of Turning Point, a rightwing student organization, showed it during his election live stream.
A spokesperson told USA Today the video had been misleadingly cropped; there were election observers at the end of the table and the worker was manually transcribing damaged ballots, a common and lawful practice.
“The issue comes where information can be picked up, cut, taken out of context and reframed or reinterpreted,” said Kate Starbird, associate professor at the University of Washington and cofounder of the Center for an Informed Public. “That just becomes raw material for people trying to create conspiracy theories.”
Counties can take precautions, according to Starbird, like adding the date and location on the feed. Some do this already – it was written into the Arizona law, for example, that feeds must include the date and time.
Back in Kitsap county, Andrews breathed a sigh of relief that election day operations went smoothly, but things are not quite back to normal yet. In the past, he said, election workers would take time off and go on vacation in December, after the election was certified.
But this year, Washington state is headed into a second lockdown due to a surge in coronavirus cases, and the president has yet to concede the election. So the workers may have to take advantage of a different type of streaming.
“It doesn’t sound like anybody’s going to go anywhere,” Andrews said. “Maybe their couch and Netflix.”


theguardian--2020-11-17--‘We should be thankful to him’: why some Muslim voters stood by Trump

Dr Khalid Khan is an internal medicine physician in Houston , Texas .
Even in the face of a pandemic that has cost almost a quarter of a million American lives , and an administration that often seemed to demonize Islam , the doctor and self-proclaimed devout Muslim cast his ballot for Donald Trump .
“ When you eat a dish , you might not like every ingredient .
But you like the whole dish .
We should take the good and leave the bad , ” Khan said , comparing the US president to a mediocre meal .
Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policies .
Trump ’ s travel ban that targeted mainly Muslim countries in 2017 sparked outrage not just from American Muslims but from Senator Bernie Sanders ; the Senate minority leader , Chuck Schumer ; and the then US senator for California and now the vice-president-elect , Kamala Harris .
“ Make no mistake – this is a Muslim ban .
Broad-brush discrimination against refugees and immigrants from Muslim-majority countries , most of whom are women and children runs counter to our national security interests , and will likely be used as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the time .
But despite Trump ’ s policies against the religious group , some Muslims like Khan , still voted for him .
In fact , the margin between Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden among Muslims was closer than experts predicted , revealing Muslim voters are not a monolithic bloc and can be courted by Republicans , even when apparently targeted by their policies .
A survey conducted by the Associated Press revealed that while the majority of Muslims interviewed voted for the president-elect , 35 % said they voted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than the results from an exit poll conducted by the Council on American Islamic Relations , or Cair , that counted 18 % of Muslim votes going for Trump .
Though Muslims account for less than 1 % of the total US electorate , in places like Michigan , these voters can potentially be key to winning a state in a tight election battle , as happened in 2016 and again in 2020 .
Exit polls can be notoriously misleading due to a number of factors such as the time the poll was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is telling the truth about if and who they voted for .
But Trump-voting Muslims who spoke to the Guardian revealed a wide variety of reasons for backing a president who had termed their own religious group “ a massive problem ” .
Even as the United States leads in coronavirus case count and number of deaths , Khan said he believed Trump handled the pandemic as best he could , but wished he would advise Americans to wear a mask more .
“ As a physician , if we took everything a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we would never be able to diagnose them , ” Khan said .
“ Anybody in his place would have done the same .
But I don ’ t believe we should reject him over that .
He is lacking in really making people wear a mask.
” Khan ’ s wife , Annette , a nurse and a white Christian convert to Islam , said she believed her husband ’ s support for Trump was valid .
“ I do acknowledge that during his presidency he said some things that would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was out of ignorance , ” Annette Khan said .
“ His lack of dealings with Muslims and lack of knowledge are the cause .
When he banned Muslims from coming into the country he was referring to those who were already established by the Obama administration as being terrorist-harboring countries .
Not all Muslim countries.
” On the heels of the newly appointed supreme court justice Amy Coney Barrett , abortion remains a hot topic and a key issue for faith-based voters .
Annette Khan credits her social conservative views on abortion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and sees them reflected in the Republican party under Trump .
“ The Republican party is anti-abortion , and anti-gay marriage , which honestly is an oxymoron .
For gay marriage does not exist for conservative and fundamental people of faith groups , regardless of their affiliation , be they Christians , Jews or Muslims .
This is consistent with Islamic beliefs , ” she said .
Salman Razzaqi is a Minnesota native that now lives in Houston .
Razzaqi , a proud Indian American Muslim , voted for Trump .
But his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ based on his religion .
“ Shame on us for bringing our religion and ethnicity into this .
I wish 95 % of people voted for Trump .
He ’ s the one who harmed Muslims the least , ” Razzaqi said , citing Obama ’ s interventionist history in the Middle East – an important issue for many Muslim voters .
“ They [ Democrats ] always start a war .
[ Obama ] destroyed Libya .
He destroyed Syria .
He started a war in Sudan .
He started a war @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there was not one bombing in Iraq .
There was not one drone attack in Pakistan in four years .
Syria is much better now than it was four years ago .
Libya was left alone , ” Razzaqi said .
“ He is an angel compared to Obama and Bush .
We should be thankful to him.
” While it ’ s true that the Obama administration carried out 1,878 drone strikes predominantly in the Middle East , Trump has repealed an Obama era rule that mandated the release of data on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Razzaqi said he voted for Trump in 2016 and 2020 , but he wasn ’ t always a fan of the Republican party .
“ Obama came and I liked him a lot .
Very humble , very nice guy , but he just started handing out money , ” Razzaqi said .
“ I ’ ve always been a Democrat but I realize that they ’ re spoiling their own people and destroying American values that require you to get up and go and work and make your earning.
” Razzaqi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ managing his properties .
When asked if he would be affected by Biden ’ s plan to tax those making over $ 400,000 annually , he said he would .
Like many who voted for Trump , Razzaqi sees the president as a “ shrewd businessman ” and Democrats as too generous on welfare issues .
“ He ’ s not a seasoned politician .
He ’ s a borderline crook and knows how to mend the laws and play the IRS .
Making money in America is not a problem .
Increasing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Razzaqi said .
“ Running a country is a business.
” Razzaqi acknowledged Trump ’ s Muslim ban but chalked it up to a lack of self-restraint .
“ He ’ s got the biggest mouth .
That ’ s the biggest problem , ” Razzaqi said .
“ If he had the etiquette , he would be remembered as the best president ever.
” While Razzaqi ardently supports Trump , he believes Biden has fairly won the election , despite Trump ’ s false and unfounded claims that he lost due to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ] lost the election , ” Razzaqi said .
“ He should concede and walk away .
”

Dr Khalid Khan is an internal medicine physician in Houston, Texas. Even in the face of a pandemic that has cost almost a quarter of a million American lives, and an administration that often seemed to demonize Islam, the doctor and self-proclaimed devout Muslim cast his ballot for Donald Trump.
“When you eat a dish, you might not like every ingredient. But you like the whole dish. We should take the good and leave the bad,” Khan said, comparing the US president to a mediocre meal.
Trump spent much of his presidency pushing anti-Muslim policies. Trump’s travel ban that targeted mainly Muslim countries in 2017 sparked outrage not just from American Muslims but from Senator Bernie Sanders; the Senate minority leader, Chuck Schumer; and the then US senator for California and now the vice-president-elect, Kamala Harris.
“Make no mistake – this is a Muslim ban. Broad-brush discrimination against refugees and immigrants from Muslim-majority countries, most of whom are women and children runs counter to our national security interests, and will likely be used as a terrorist recruitment tool,” Harris said at the time.
But despite Trump’s policies against the religious group, some Muslims like Khan, still voted for him. In fact, the margin between Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden among Muslims was closer than experts predicted, revealing Muslim voters are not a monolithic bloc and can be courted by Republicans, even when apparently targeted by their policies.
We should take the good and leave the bad Dr Khalid Khan
A survey conducted by the Associated Press revealed that while the majority of Muslims interviewed voted for the president-elect, 35% said they voted for Trump. That percentage was higher than the results from an exit poll conducted by the Council on American Islamic Relations, or Cair, that counted 18% of Muslim votes going for Trump.
Though Muslims account for less than 1% of the total US electorate, in places like Michigan, these voters can potentially be key to winning a state in a tight election battle, as happened in 2016 and again in 2020.
Exit polls can be notoriously misleading due to a number of factors such as the time the poll was conducted and whether or not a voter is telling the truth about if and who they voted for. But Trump-voting Muslims who spoke to the Guardian revealed a wide variety of reasons for backing a president who had termed their own religious group “a massive problem”.
Even as the United States leads in coronavirus case count and number of deaths, Khan said he believed Trump handled the pandemic as best he could, but wished he would advise Americans to wear a mask more.
“As a physician, if we took everything a patient said out of their mouth, we would never be able to diagnose them,” Khan said. “Anybody in his place would have done the same. But I don’t believe we should reject him over that. He is lacking in really making people wear a mask.”
Khan’s wife, Annette, a nurse and a white Christian convert to Islam, said she believed her husband’s support for Trump was valid.
“I do acknowledge that during his presidency he said some things that would be perceived as anti-Muslim. I believe it was out of ignorance,” Annette Khan said. “His lack of dealings with Muslims and lack of knowledge are the cause. When he banned Muslims from coming into the country he was referring to those who were already established by the Obama administration as being terrorist-harboring countries. Not all Muslim countries.”
On the heels of the newly appointed supreme court justice Amy Coney Barrett, abortion remains a hot topic and a key issue for faith-based voters. Annette Khan credits her social conservative views on abortion and sexuality to her faith as well and sees them reflected in the Republican party under Trump.
“The Republican party is anti-abortion, and anti-gay marriage, which honestly is an oxymoron. For gay marriage does not exist for conservative and fundamental people of faith groups, regardless of their affiliation, be they Christians, Jews or Muslims. This is consistent with Islamic beliefs,” she said.
Salman Razzaqi is a Minnesota native that now lives in Houston. Razzaqi, a proud Indian American Muslim, voted for Trump. But his reasons for doing so are not all based on his religion.
I wish 95% of people voted for Trump. He’s the one who harmed Muslims the least Salman Razzaqi
“Shame on us for bringing our religion and ethnicity into this. I wish 95% of people voted for Trump. He’s the one who harmed Muslims the least,” Razzaqi said, citing Obama’s interventionist history in the Middle East – an important issue for many Muslim voters.
“They [Democrats] always start a war. [Obama] destroyed Libya. He destroyed Syria. He started a war in Sudan. He started a war in Yemen. Last eight months, there was not one bombing in Iraq. There was not one drone attack in Pakistan in four years. Syria is much better now than it was four years ago. Libya was left alone,” Razzaqi said. “He is an angel compared to Obama and Bush. We should be thankful to him.”
While it’s true that the Obama administration carried out 1,878 drone strikes predominantly in the Middle East, Trump has repealed an Obama era rule that mandated the release of data on drone strikes and resulting deaths in 2019.
Razzaqi said he voted for Trump in 2016 and 2020, but he wasn’t always a fan of the Republican party.
“Obama came and I liked him a lot. Very humble, very nice guy, but he just started handing out money,” Razzaqi said. “I’ve always been a Democrat but I realize that they’re spoiling their own people and destroying American values that require you to get up and go and work and make your earning.”
Razzaqi makes his living by renting out and managing his properties. When asked if he would be affected by Biden’s plan to tax those making over $400,000 annually, he said he would. Like many who voted for Trump, Razzaqi sees the president as a “shrewd businessman” and Democrats as too generous on welfare issues.
“He’s not a seasoned politician. He’s a borderline crook and knows how to mend the laws and play the IRS. Making money in America is not a problem. Increasing wealth is not a problem,” Razzaqi said. “Running a country is a business.”
Razzaqi acknowledged Trump’s Muslim ban but chalked it up to a lack of self-restraint.
“He’s got the biggest mouth. That’s the biggest problem,” Razzaqi said. “If he had the etiquette, he would be remembered as the best president ever.”
While Razzaqi ardently supports Trump, he believes Biden has fairly won the election, despite Trump’s false and unfounded claims that he lost due to fraudulent voting,
“I think [Trump] lost the election,” Razzaqi said. “He should concede and walk away.”


theguardian--2020-11-18--Facebook and Twitter CEOs face Senate hearing over handling of 2020 US election – video

The chief executive officers of Twitter and Facebook appear before a US Senate hearing to testify about allegations of anti-conservative @ @ @ @ @ the 2020 election .
Jack Dorsey and Mark Zuckerberg face questioning for the second time @ @ @ @ @ with Republican lawmakers alleging – without evidence – censorship of conservative views

The chief executive officers of Twitter and Facebook appear before a US Senate hearing to testify about allegations of anti-conservative bias and their handling of the 2020 election. Jack Dorsey and Mark Zuckerberg face questioning for the second time in as many months, with Republican lawmakers alleging – without evidence – censorship of conservative views


theguardian--2020-11-18--Trump condemned for 'shameful' firing of Chris Krebs after he refuted voter fraud – live

Late last week , Students for Trump founder Ryan Fournier declared on social media that he had unearthed definitive proof of widespread voter fraud in Detroit .
He pointed to an absentee ballot cast by “ 118-year-old William Bradley ” , a man who had supposedly died in 1984 .
“ They ’ re trying to steal the election , ” Fournier warned in a since-deleted Facebook post .
But the deceased Bradley hadn ’ t voted .
Within days , Bradley ’ s son , also named William Bradley , but with a different middle name , told PolitiFact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That was confirmed by Michigan election officials , who said a clerk had entered the wrong Bradley as having voted .
The false claim that the deceased Bradley had voted in the 3 November election is one of a barrage of voter fraud conspiracy theories fired off by Trump supporters across the country during recent weeks , and all have been debunked while failing to prove that widespread irregularities exist .
Instead , the theories often reveal Trump supporters ’ fundamental misunderstandings of the election system while creating a game of conspiracy theory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only one of dozens of allegedly dead Michigan voters who were found to be alive .
Trump supporters pointed to Napoleon Township ’ s Jane Aiken , who they claimed was born in 1900 , and cited an obituary as evidence that she was deceased .
But the township ’ s deputy police chief investigated and found the obituary to be for a different Jane Aiken .
Police told Bridge Magazine that the Aiken who cast the ballot is “ 94 years old , alive and well .
Quite well , actually.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Michiganders who Trump supporters claim are dead voters .
They found 37 were dead and had not voted .
Five are alive and had voted , and the remaining eight are also alive but didn ’ t vote .
Read more of Tom Perkins ’ report here : The dead voter conspiracy theory peddled by Trump voters , debunked

19 Nov 2020 01.11 GMT Summary From me and Joan E Greve: The US coronavirus death toll surpassed 250,000. That’s a higher death toll than any other country in the world.
That’s a higher death toll than any other country in the world. New York will close all public schools starting tomorrow, as the city experiences a rise in new cases of coronavirus. New York’s seven-day average positivity rate has hit 3%, requiring schools to cancel in-person instruction, per state guidelines.
as the city experiences a rise in new cases of coronavirus. New York’s seven-day average positivity rate has hit 3%, requiring schools to cancel in-person instruction, per state guidelines. More states, including Kentucky and Minnesota, announced new restrictions on gatherings. Kentucky’s governor Andy Beshear said at a news conference today that “when fighting Covid-19, action is unpopular, but inaction is deadly”.
Kentucky’s governor Andy Beshear said at a news conference today that “when fighting Covid-19, action is unpopular, but inaction is deadly”. Joe Biden held a virtual meeting with frontline health care workers, pledging to pursue a robust response to the coronavirus pandemic after he is inaugurated in January.
pledging to pursue a robust response to the coronavirus pandemic after he is inaugurated in January. Pfizer said a late-stage vaccine trial showed its coronavirus vaccine is actually 95% effective, after previously saying it was more than 90% effective. The company expects to apply for emergency authorization in the US within days.
after previously saying it was more than 90% effective. The company expects to apply for emergency authorization in the US within days. Donald Trump’s campaign said it would request recounts of two Wisconsin counties. The Trump campaign has already wired $3m to the Wisconsin Elections Commission and called for recounts in the Democratic-leaning Milwaukee and Dane counties. Biden currently leads in Wisconsin by more than 20,000 votes, so a partial recount is unlikely to reverse his victory there.
The Trump campaign has already wired $3m to the Wisconsin Elections Commission and called for recounts in the Democratic-leaning Milwaukee and Dane counties. Biden currently leads in Wisconsin by more than 20,000 votes, so a partial recount is unlikely to reverse his victory there. House Democrats re-elected Nancy Pelosi as their nominee for speaker. In her acceptance speech, Pelosi said the next Congress should focus on “justice”. “It has to be about justice in our economy. It has to be about justice in our justice system, passing the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act,” Pelosi said. US passes 250,000 deaths from coronavirus Read more
Updated at 01.30 GMT
19 Nov 2020 00.39 GMT Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota has also announced new restrictions. The state will prohibit in-person gatherings with members of different households starting Friday. Bars and restaurants will be take-out only. Schools, however, will remain operational – with a combination of in-person and virtual instruction. I’m announcing new steps to combat the spread of COVID-19 where it’s spreading most in our communities. Tune in live at 6. The announcement will also be broadcast live in Spanish, Hmong, and Somali through @TPTNOW, @3hmoobtv, and Somali TV Minnesota.https://t.co/3mhdgZsgQe — Governor Tim Walz (@GovTimWalz) November 18, 2020
Updated at 00.41 GMT
19 Nov 2020 00.27 GMT More states and cities are announcing coronavirus restrictions as the number of cases build. Kentucky’s governor Andy Beshear said at a news conference today that “when fighting Covid-19, action is unpopular, but inaction is deadly”. The economy “remains open” he said, but announced new guidelines restricting the size of private gatherings to 8 people from no more than two households, shutting down in-person schooling and restricting indoor dining. This is not, and will not be, a shutdown. Our economy is open. But today we are announcing significant, but surgical and targeted steps designed to slow the spread of the virus and protect our people. https://t.co/WKgIXkLSfB pic.twitter.com/ADzRxbxGxv — Governor Andy Beshear (@GovAndyBeshear) November 18, 2020
Updated at 00.41 GMT
19 Nov 2020 00.01 GMT Georgia recount expected to affirm Biden victoory As Georgia wraps up its hand recount of 5m ballots, Joe Biden has maintained his lead. Donald Trump gained a bit more than 1,300 votes, shaving Biden’s lead down a little bit. But Biden still appears to have just under 13,000 more votes than Trump. On CNN, secretary of state Brad Raffensperger said the votes that Trump gained in the recount can mostly be attributed to clerical errors. He reaffirmed: “we have not seen any widespread fraud”. The state is expected to release the complete results of its audit tomorrow.
Updated at 00.26 GMT
18 Nov 2020 23.30 GMT More than 900 employees at Mayo Clinic, a top research hospital that is based in Rochester, Minnesota, have contracted Covid-19 in the last two weeks.
Lauren Aratani reports: At a press briefing on Tuesday, Dr Amy Williams, dean of clinical practice at the hospital, said that the vast majority of staff who were infected – 93% – were not infected at work, according to the St Paul Pioneer Press. Most of those who were infected at work contracted the virus while eating without a mask during their breaks, Williams said. The hundreds of employees who have contracted the virus over the last two weeks make up over a third of all employees who were infected since the start of the pandemic. The hospital is experiencing a shortage of 1,000 employees at its headquarters in Rochester, according to the Pioneer Press. “It shows you how easy it is to get Covid-19 in the midwest,” Williams said during a press call. “Our staff are being infected mostly due to community spread, and this impacts our ability to care for patients.” The hospital did not say whether any of those infected had died from the virus. Lost on the Frontline, a joint effort by the Guardian and Kaiser Health News, is investigating the deaths of 1,396 healthcare workers who appear to have died of Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic. Covid-19 cases have been rising across the country as the dreaded winter surge in cases has arrived. Yesterday, 161,000 new cases in the US were reported, and 76,830 people were reported to be currently hospitalized with the virus across the country. Minnesota has seen a particularly alarming spike in cases over the last few weeks. The seven-day moving average for new cases in the state was 7,402 on Tuesday, the highest it has been in the state, according to Johns Hopkins University. The governor is anticipated to enact new restrictions on social gatherings and businesses such as bars and restaurants amid the influx. Mayo Clinic: 900 employees at top US hospital catch Covid-19 in two weeks Read more
18 Nov 2020 23.04 GMT California’s governor Gavin Newsom, who came under fire for attending a fancy dinner with lobbyists at the French Laundry in Napa, was joined by officials from the California Medical Association, Politico reports: CEO Dustin Corcoran and top CMA lobbyist Janus Norman both joined the dinner at the French Laundry, an elite Napa fine dining restaurant, to celebrate the 50th birthday of lobbyist and longtime Newsom adviser Jason Kinney, a representative of the powerful interest group confirmed Wednesday morning. Both Norman and Corcoran are friends of Kinney, as is Newsom, who referred this week to his 20-year friendship with Kinney. In a photo obtained by Fox LA, Norman is clearly visible seated to Newsom’s left. Newsom had said it was a “mistake” to attend the 6 November dinner, held on the restaurant’s patio. Indoor and outdoor dining was allowed in Napa at the time, but even if the upscale gathering wasn’t against the rules, it struck many as out of touch as the governor and other officials ask Californians to cancel Thanksgiving plans and coronavirus cases surge.
Updated at 23.07 GMT
18 Nov 2020 22.51 GMT US coronavirus death toll surpasses 250,000 According to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University, the US coronavirus death toll is now at 250,029, representing a higher death toll than any other country in the world.
The death toll has quickly accelerated in recent days amid a national surge in new cases. The figures from Johns Hopkins indicate 1,707 Americans died of the virus yesterday alone. A number of states have introduced stricter guidelines in recent weeks to try to mitigate the spread of the virus. New York mayor Bill de Blasio has announced public schools will be closed starting tomorrow because the city’s seven-day average positivity rate has reached 3%.
Updated at 23.03 GMT
18 Nov 2020 22.35 GMT Walmart, McDonald’s and Uber are among the companies that have the most employees on food stamps and Medicaid, according to a report from the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office (GAO). The GAO looked into the matter at the behest of Bernie Sanders. “These giant corporations pay starvation wages – wages so low their workers have to rely on Medicaid and food stamps,” Sanders said, pointing to several fast food and other companies whose workers have to rely on benefits because they do not make enough money to survive. The Washington Post has published a detailed report of the findings here. These giant corporations pay starvation wages—wages so low their workers have to rely on Medicaid and food stamps to survive:
Walmart
McDonald’s
Dollar Tree
Uber
Burger King
FedEx
Wendy's
This is what a rigged economy is about. We need a $15 living wage and Medicare for All. https://t.co/GFzfK9ERae — Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) November 18, 2020 Sanders and his supporters are vying for him to become labor secretary in the upcoming Biden administration. Sanders has long been advocating for a federal $15 minimum wage.
Updated at 22.40 GMT
18 Nov 2020 22.17 GMT Welfare checks and hotspots: how a school district is fighting to keep kids in class amid Covid Abené Clayton reports from Richmond, California: When the West Contra Costa unified school district (WCCUSD) first shut down in-class instruction in early-March, 750 of their students never picked up their school-issued laptops or signed into their online classes, according to Marin Trujillo, WCCUSD’s community engagement coordinator. The sudden drop-off prompted a fact-finding mission to understand why students had disappeared. “We organized semi-welfare checks where we had to go one family at a time,” Trujillo said. “We saw how economic anxiety can get in families’ way, some had trouble connecting to the internet. The need was very great.” District staff and officials said they have connected with most of these “missing” youth over the summer. But now, more than halfway through the first semester, teachers say last year’s troubling pattern of chronic absenteeism is repeating itself. The reasons students miss school regularly vary, but state data shows that students living in poverty and dealing with homelessness are most likely to be absent. Even before the coronavirus, absenteeism numbers in Contra Costa schools were high – a 2016 grand jury report found that the county’s public schools ranked 46th out of 58 California counties for having the worst levels of truancy. Latino, Black, disabled and homeless students represent the lion’s share of truant students, according to the most recent state data. The pandemic added new factors driving absenteeism, including practical problems such as spotty internet access and out of date immunization records. This semester, administrators are starting from square one and can’t locate an estimated 2,000 students, according to county board of education trustee Fatima Alleyne. Welfare checks and hotspots: how a school district is fighting to keep kids in class amid Covid Read more
Updated at 22.21 GMT
18 Nov 2020 22.00 GMT Today so far That’s it from me today. My west coast colleague, Maanvi Singh, will take over the blog for the next few hours. Here’s where the day stands so far: New York will close all public schools starting tomorrow, as the city experiences a rise in new cases of coronavirus. New York’s seven-day average positivity rate has hit 3%, requiring schools to cancel in-person instruction, per state guidelines.
as the city experiences a rise in new cases of coronavirus. New York’s seven-day average positivity rate has hit 3%, requiring schools to cancel in-person instruction, per state guidelines. Joe Biden held a virtual meeting with frontline health care workers, pledging to pursue a robust response to the coronavirus pandemic after he is inaugurated in January. The meeting comes as the US coronavirus death toll approaches 250,000.
pledging to pursue a robust response to the coronavirus pandemic after he is inaugurated in January. The meeting comes as the US coronavirus death toll approaches 250,000. Pfizer said a late-stage vaccine trial showed its coronavirus vaccine is actually 95% effective, after previously saying it was more than 90% effective. The company expects to apply for emergency authorization in the US within days.
after previously saying it was more than 90% effective. The company expects to apply for emergency authorization in the US within days. Donald Trump’s campaign said it would request recounts of two Wisconsin counties. The Trump campaign has already wired $3m to the Wisconsin Elections Commission and called for recounts in the Democratic-leaning Milwaukee and Dane counties. Biden currently leads in Wisconsin by more than 20,000 votes, so a partial recount is unlikely to reverse his victory there.
The Trump campaign has already wired $3m to the Wisconsin Elections Commission and called for recounts in the Democratic-leaning Milwaukee and Dane counties. Biden currently leads in Wisconsin by more than 20,000 votes, so a partial recount is unlikely to reverse his victory there. House Democrats re-elected Nancy Pelosi as their nominee for speaker. In her acceptance speech, Pelosi said the next Congress should focus on “justice”. “It has to be about justice in our economy. It has to be about justice in our justice system, passing the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act,” Pelosi said. Maanvi will have more coming up, so stay tuned.
Updated at 22.09 GMT
18 Nov 2020 21.44 GMT Joe Biden called Nancy Pelosi today to congratulate her on being re-elected as House Democrats’ nominee for speaker, the president-elect’s team said in a statement. The Biden transition team said, “President-elect Biden called Speaker Pelosi to congratulate her on her election as Democratic nominee for Speaker of the House and express that he looks forward to working with her and Democratic leadership in the House on a shared agenda to get Covid-19 under control and build our economy back better.” Pelosi accepted her caucus’ nomination earlier today and said she looked forward to collaborating with Biden once he was inaugurated, emphasizing the need to pass another coronavirus relief package.
Updated at 22.09 GMT
18 Nov 2020 21.30 GMT Senator Chuck Grassley said he remains “symptom free,” a day after announcing that he tested positive for coronavirus. I remain symptom free & in isolation. I continue to feel good Thx for all the messages of encouragement & prayers — ChuckGrassley (@ChuckGrassley) November 18, 2020 The Iowa Republican said in a tweet, “I remain symptom free & in isolation. I continue to feel good Thx for all the messages of encouragement & prayers.” The 87-year-old missed his first Senate vote in 27 years yesterday, after learning he had been exposed to someone who later tested positive for coronavirus. Grassley announced his own positive test result hours later. Speaking on the Senate floor today, majority leader Mitch McConnell said, “Certainly if any member of this body has the good health and stamina to kick the virus to the curb, it’s Senator Grassley. So we’ll look forward to seeing him soon.”