theguardian--2020-06-22--Republican dark money groups set sights on taking control of 2020 district maps

A little-known Republican group is ramping up millions of dollars in funding from major US corporations such as CitiGroup and Chevron to protect the conservative stronghold on the country .
The Republican State Leadership Committee ( RSLC ) – which held the key to the GOP ’ s political takeover a decade ago – launched the Right Lines 2020 campaign last September , taglined : “ Socialism starts in the states .
Let ’ s stop it there , too.
” It ’ s hoping to meet a $ 125m investment goal in an effort to retain 42 state legislature @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to holding power in the House of Representatives in battleground states including Wisconsin , Texas , Florida and New York .
“ There ’ s a decade of power and a decade of dominance that ’ s truly on the line , ” RSLC president Austin Chambers , a 24-year-old Republican operative , told Sean Spicer on his Newsmax show in March .
The group recently appointed party strategist Karl Rove and ousted White House chief of staff Reince Priebus to its board .
Ahead of November ’ s election , Republicans face @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump , with dark money pouring in on both sides , and consumers who are significantly more vocal and critical of corporations ’ politics , especially in the wake of Citizens United .
But this year ’ s election also coincides with the decennial census , from which demographic data helps determine the number of seats in the House .
The state legislatures elected this fall will be in charge of drawing almost all the maps .
The RSLC ’ s goal is to get Republicans elected in down-ballot races .
This can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including attack ads .
For corporations , funneling their money through the group is a simple way to support lawmakers sympathetic to their bottom line and exert political influence .
The RSLC has gone to extreme lengths to undertake its mission , changing the political landscape in the process .
In the run-up to the 2010 midterms , it led an unprecedented strategy , the Redistricting Majority Project , or Redmap , to flip legislatures in competitive states .
Once in charge , Republicans manipulated district maps to their advantage , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who controls redistricting can control Congress , ” Rove famously said in 2010 .
In 2012 , Democrats won 1.4m more votes than Republicans , yet Republicans maintained a 33-seat margin in the House .
A 2019 USC study found that 59 million Americans now live under minority rule , where the party that receives the minority share of the vote in a state election controls the majority of seats in the subsequent state legislature .
While both Democrats and Republicans gerrymander , Redmap changed the game .
Over half of the RSLC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ end of 2019 came from public companies and trade associations , according to an analysis by The Center for Political Accountability ( CPA ) , which tracks corporate political spending .
The largest single donor , however , was the conservative dark money group the Judicial Confirmation Network with $ 1.1m , the same group behind the nomination of conservative supreme court justice Brett Kavanaugh .
Despite the huge amount of financial support , the RSLC spends relatively little to accomplish their goal , doling out roughly $ 1m per state in its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ money towards groups on the ground that support candidates , or towards independent expenditures , including mailers , robocalls and digital and TV spots – which often veer into attack ads .
“ The money doesn ’ t go out broadly , ” said Bruce Freed , CPA president .
“ It goes to specific states that they see as targets of opportunity .
And so the company that contributes has much greater bang for the buck.
” In the recent Wisconsin election , the RSLC spent over $ 800,000 on TV ads @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her as soft on sex offenders .
She unsuccessfully tried to block the ads , and later won the state supreme court seat .
Justice Courtney Goodson also sued the RSLC in 2018 when she ran to defend her seat on the Arkansas state supreme court .
The RSLC paid for a 15-second spot and mailers lambasting contributions she had received from a friend of her attorney husband , who had been a top donor to her first state supreme court campaign before they married .
But experts said the RSLC and its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fly under the radar .
Once an arcane process , gerrymandering is now a contentious issue battled by grassroots movements .
“ Redistricting historically was something that occurred behind the scenes in smoke-filled rooms and the people didn ’ t pay attention , ” said Michael Li , senior counsel at the Brennan Center .
“ Now it ’ s something that angers people.
” Rigged maps and their corrosive effects on democracy have drawn fierce protests in states like Wisconsin and Michigan over the past decade .
Crowds came out once again @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s influential ruling drawing a line between political and racial gerrymandering , putting even more pressure on the parties to win control of the redistricting process .
Consumers are also more concerned with corporate politics than they were a decade ago .
Think of grocery store chain Publix , which suspended political contributions after Parkland high school students staged protests in their stores over unprecedented donations to gubernatorial candidate Adam Putnam , a self-professed “ proud NRA sellout ” .
RSLC contributors Citigroup , Chevron , and Dominion Energy are one of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Black Lives Matter protests , though not always directly .
Altria and Dominion Energy have both pledged $ 5m to fight “ racial and social inequality ” .
But these words can ring hollow .
“ They can look moderate or woke to the public , even though they don ’ t spend their money to pursue those issues politically the same way they pursue their narrower [ interests ] , ” said Jake Grumbach , an assistant professor of political science at the University of Washington .
The Guardian reached out to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ donors in 2019 , most of which disclose their political contributions on their websites .
Chevron , Dominion and Reynolds all replied that companies contribute in a bipartisan , transparent manner according to their business interests , and declined to answer questions about Redmap .
Altria and BNSF did not comment .
Ultimately , Freed said , companies don ’ t consider the consequences of their political spending .
“ Corporations either turned a blind eye or they didn ’ t pay attention , but they ’ re responsible through their spending.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee , raised only a third as much as the RSLC in 2010 , the two groups are virtually neck-and-neck so far in the 2020 election cycle .
“ Democrats were asleep at the wheel in 2010 , ” Li said .
“ Increasingly [ they ] understand that they need to at least get a blocking position if not control redistricting.
” Former attorney general Eric Holder has launched the National Democratic Redistricting Committee ( NRDC ) , backed by Barack Obama and largely funded by the Pacs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and shored up by large contributions from leading labor unions .
Dave Abrams , the RSLC deputy executive director , called the Democrats ’ pledge to stop partisan gerrymandering “ flat bullshit ” , and said the RSLC and its supporters were leading the fight against “ radical leftists ” .
But the two sides ’ strategies aren ’ t exactly the same , said David Daley , who wrote Ratfucked , a book on gerrymandering .
“ The Republican strategy in 2010 was based on winning trifecta control in all of these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an inexpensive loophole.
” While Democrats have been trying to claw back power , “ it ’ s not about taking complete control of these parties and then drawing themselves in ” , Daley said .
“ They ’ re too far behind to even think about that.
” Republicans may not be able to hold onto their seats this time .
In 2019 , the NRDC , Holder ’ s organization , hit its targets in Kentucky , Virginia , and Louisiana – save for flipping the Louisiana state Senate .
Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wisconsin ’ s conservative-controlled state supreme court election in April .
“ Everybody understands this is a war that has real consequences and you ’ ve got one shot at it , ” Li said .
“ It ’ s not like we can come back and do this two years like this ; this is your moment , and if you ’ re going to influence what the maps look like , and who ’ s in power for the next decade .
”

A little-known Republican group is ramping up millions of dollars in funding from major US corporations such as CitiGroup and Chevron to protect the conservative stronghold on the country.
The Republican State Leadership Committee (RSLC) – which held the key to the GOP’s political takeover a decade ago – launched the Right Lines 2020 campaign last September, taglined: “Socialism starts in the states. Let’s stop it there, too.” It’s hoping to meet a $125m investment goal in an effort to retain 42 state legislature seats that the group says are key to holding power in the House of Representatives in battleground states including Wisconsin, Texas, Florida and New York.
“There’s a decade of power and a decade of dominance that’s truly on the line,” RSLC president Austin Chambers, a 24-year-old Republican operative, told Sean Spicer on his Newsmax show in March. The group recently appointed party strategist Karl Rove and ousted White House chief of staff Reince Priebus to its board.
Ahead of November’s election, Republicans face an intense Democratic challenge to unseat Donald Trump, with dark money pouring in on both sides, and consumers who are significantly more vocal and critical of corporations’ politics, especially in the wake of Citizens United. But this year’s election also coincides with the decennial census, from which demographic data helps determine the number of seats in the House. The state legislatures elected this fall will be in charge of drawing almost all the maps.
The RSLC’s goal is to get Republicans elected in down-ballot races. This can mean funding state candidates and campaign materials, including attack ads. For corporations, funneling their money through the group is a simple way to support lawmakers sympathetic to their bottom line and exert political influence.
The RSLC has gone to extreme lengths to undertake its mission, changing the political landscape in the process. In the run-up to the 2010 midterms, it led an unprecedented strategy, the Redistricting Majority Project, or Redmap, to flip legislatures in competitive states. Once in charge, Republicans manipulated district maps to their advantage, a tactic known as gerrymandering. “He who controls redistricting can control Congress,” Rove famously said in 2010.
In 2012, Democrats won 1.4m more votes than Republicans, yet Republicans maintained a 33-seat margin in the House. A 2019 USC study found that 59 million Americans now live under minority rule, where the party that receives the minority share of the vote in a state election controls the majority of seats in the subsequent state legislature. While both Democrats and Republicans gerrymander, Redmap changed the game.
Over half of the RSLC’s $17m contributions at the end of 2019 came from public companies and trade associations, according to an analysis by The Center for Political Accountability (CPA), which tracks corporate political spending. The largest single donor, however, was the conservative dark money group the Judicial Confirmation Network with $1.1m, the same group behind the nomination of conservative supreme court justice Brett Kavanaugh.
Despite the huge amount of financial support, the RSLC spends relatively little to accomplish their goal, doling out roughly $1m per state in its 2010 coup. The RSLC funnels the money towards groups on the ground that support candidates, or towards independent expenditures, including mailers, robocalls and digital and TV spots – which often veer into attack ads.
“The money doesn’t go out broadly,” said Bruce Freed, CPA president. “It goes to specific states that they see as targets of opportunity. And so the company that contributes has much greater bang for the buck.”
In the recent Wisconsin election, the RSLC spent over $800,000 on TV ads against judge Jill Karofsky attempting to portray her as soft on sex offenders. She unsuccessfully tried to block the ads, and later won the state supreme court seat. Justice Courtney Goodson also sued the RSLC in 2018 when she ran to defend her seat on the Arkansas state supreme court. The RSLC paid for a 15-second spot and mailers lambasting contributions she had received from a friend of her attorney husband, who had been a top donor to her first state supreme court campaign before they married.
But experts said the RSLC and its donors may no longer be able to fly under the radar. Once an arcane process, gerrymandering is now a contentious issue battled by grassroots movements. “Redistricting historically was something that occurred behind the scenes in smoke-filled rooms and the people didn’t pay attention,” said Michael Li, senior counsel at the Brennan Center. “Now it’s something that angers people.”
Rigged maps and their corrosive effects on democracy have drawn fierce protests in states like Wisconsin and Michigan over the past decade. Crowds came out once again last year after the supreme court’s influential ruling drawing a line between political and racial gerrymandering, putting even more pressure on the parties to win control of the redistricting process.
Consumers are also more concerned with corporate politics than they were a decade ago. Think of grocery store chain Publix, which suspended political contributions after Parkland high school students staged protests in their stores over unprecedented donations to gubernatorial candidate Adam Putnam, a self-professed “proud NRA sellout”.
RSLC contributors Citigroup, Chevron, and Dominion Energy are one of a number of companies aligning themselves with the Black Lives Matter protests, though not always directly. Altria and Dominion Energy have both pledged $5m to fight “racial and social inequality”. But these words can ring hollow.
“They can look moderate or woke to the public, even though they don’t spend their money to pursue those issues politically the same way they pursue their narrower [interests],” said Jake Grumbach, an assistant professor of political science at the University of Washington.
The Guardian reached out to the RSLC’s top five corporate donors in 2019, most of which disclose their political contributions on their websites. Chevron, Dominion and Reynolds all replied that companies contribute in a bipartisan, transparent manner according to their business interests, and declined to answer questions about Redmap. Altria and BNSF did not comment. Ultimately, Freed said, companies don’t consider the consequences of their political spending. “Corporations either turned a blind eye or they didn’t pay attention, but they’re responsible through their spending.”
While the RSLC’s counterpart, the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, raised only a third as much as the RSLC in 2010, the two groups are virtually neck-and-neck so far in the 2020 election cycle. “Democrats were asleep at the wheel in 2010,” Li said. “Increasingly [they] understand that they need to at least get a blocking position if not control redistricting.”
Former attorney general Eric Holder has launched the National Democratic Redistricting Committee (NRDC), backed by Barack Obama and largely funded by the Pacs of George Soros and Donald Sussman, and shored up by large contributions from leading labor unions.
Dave Abrams, the RSLC deputy executive director, called the Democrats’ pledge to stop partisan gerrymandering “flat bullshit”, and said the RSLC and its supporters were leading the fight against “radical leftists”.
But the two sides’ strategies aren’t exactly the same, said David Daley, who wrote Ratfucked, a book on gerrymandering. “The Republican strategy in 2010 was based on winning trifecta control in all of these states, recognizing that state legislatures represented an inexpensive loophole.” While Democrats have been trying to claw back power, “it’s not about taking complete control of these parties and then drawing themselves in”, Daley said. “They’re too far behind to even think about that.”
Republicans may not be able to hold onto their seats this time. In 2019, the NRDC, Holder’s organization, hit its targets in Kentucky, Virginia, and Louisiana – save for flipping the Louisiana state Senate. Democrats also won Karofsky’s seat on Wisconsin’s conservative-controlled state supreme court election in April.
“Everybody understands this is a war that has real consequences and you’ve got one shot at it,” Li said. “It’s not like we can come back and do this two years like this; this is your moment, and if you’re going to influence what the maps look like, and who’s in power for the next decade.”


theguardian--2020-06-22--Trump held off China sanctions over Xinjiang to protect trade deal

President Trump held off on imposing tougher sanctions on Chinese officials blamed for a crackdown on China ’ s Uighur Muslim minority because of concern such measures would have interfered with trade negotiations , he said in an interview published on Sunday .
“ Well , we were in the middle of a major trade deal .
And I made a great deal , $ 250bn potentially worth of purchases , ” Trump told Axios on Friday when asked why he had not enacted Treasury sanctions against communist party officials linked to repression in the Xinjiang region .
“ And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a negotiation and then all of a sudden you start throwing additional sanctions on – we ’ ve done a lot .
I put tariffs on China , which are far worse than any sanction you can think of , ” Trump said .
Axios reported that China hawks in the Trump administration had expressed frustration that the president had not used the 2016 Global Magnitsky Act to sanction Chinese officials .
The Act gives the president the power to impose sanctions based on “ credible evidence ” of human rights violations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or “ other gross violations of internationally recognised human rights ” .
But Trump told Axios no one had mentioned it to him “ with regard to China ” .
Instead he pointed to Uighur Human Rights Policy Act signed last week that called for sanctions over Xinjiang .
He insisted , however , he had discretion to decide any application of the measures .
The United Nations estimates that more than a million Muslims have been detained in camps the the province .
The State Department has accused China of subjecting Muslims @ @ @ @ @ @ @ denied mistreatment , instead insisting the camps provide vocational training and help fight extremism .
US officials previously told Reuters that since late 2018 they had weighed sanctions against Chinese officials over Xinjiang but refrained because of trade and diplomatic considerations .
Under a Phase 1 trade deal negotiated in 2019 that took effect in February , China agreed to buy at least $ 200bn in additional US goods and services over two years .
The former US national security adviser , John Bolton , alleged in his new book that Trump sought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to win re-election during a 2019 meeting by making agricultural purchases , and Trump also encouraged Xi to go ahead with building camps in Xinjiang .
The United States since last year has placed import restrictions on some Chinese companies and visa bans on unnamed Chinese officials linked to Xinjiang but has not imposed harsher Treasury sanctions .

President Trump held off on imposing tougher sanctions on Chinese officials blamed for a crackdown on China’s Uighur Muslim minority because of concern such measures would have interfered with trade negotiations, he said in an interview published on Sunday.
“Well, we were in the middle of a major trade deal. And I made a great deal, $250bn potentially worth of purchases,” Trump told Axios on Friday when asked why he had not enacted Treasury sanctions against communist party officials linked to repression in the Xinjiang region.
“And when you’re in the middle of a negotiation and then all of a sudden you start throwing additional sanctions on – we’ve done a lot. I put tariffs on China, which are far worse than any sanction you can think of,” Trump said.
Axios reported that China hawks in the Trump administration had expressed frustration that the president had not used the 2016 Global Magnitsky Act to sanction Chinese officials. The Act gives the president the power to impose sanctions based on “credible evidence” of human rights violations, including extrajudicial killings, torture, or “other gross violations of internationally recognised human rights”.
But Trump told Axios no one had mentioned it to him “with regard to China”. Instead he pointed to Uighur Human Rights Policy Act signed last week that called for sanctions over Xinjiang. He insisted, however, he had discretion to decide any application of the measures.
The United Nations estimates that more than a million Muslims have been detained in camps the the province. The State Department has accused China of subjecting Muslims to torture and abuse.
China has denied mistreatment, instead insisting the camps provide vocational training and help fight extremism.
US officials previously told Reuters that since late 2018 they had weighed sanctions against Chinese officials over Xinjiang but refrained because of trade and diplomatic considerations.
Under a Phase 1 trade deal negotiated in 2019 that took effect in February, China agreed to buy at least $200bn in additional US goods and services over two years.
The former US national security adviser, John Bolton, alleged in his new book that Trump sought Chinese president Xi Jinping’s help to win re-election during a 2019 meeting by making agricultural purchases, and Trump also encouraged Xi to go ahead with building camps in Xinjiang.
Trump has denied the accusations.
The United States since last year has placed import restrictions on some Chinese companies and visa bans on unnamed Chinese officials linked to Xinjiang but has not imposed harsher Treasury sanctions.


theguardian--2020-06-22--What is Elite TikTok and what has it got to do with Donald Trump?

Matilda , help !
I have come across something called Elite/Alt TikTok .
Have Elon Musk and Grimes renamed their baby ?
Ha , no .
So , to understand Alt and Elite TikTok you first need to understand how TikTok started .
In the beginning , the platform was essentially a bunch of genetically blessed teenagers lip-syncing to popular songs and repeating the same five or six trendy dances over and over again .
There is an upper echelon of popular creators , including Addison Rae , Charli D ’ amelio and Chase Hudson , who are popular with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and millions of followers .
Think of this side of TikTok as “ Straight Tiktok ” .
“ Elite TikTok ” , “ Alt Tiktok ” or “ Queer TikTok ” is the anti-capitalist rebellion to this .
The content is all on the same platform , but that ’ s pretty much where the similarities end .
Alt TikTok replaces relatable dances with pure chaos .
Soundtracks are distorted and unsettling , and rather than coveting brands and material possessions , users are obsessed with frogs , beans and pretending to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There is no way to “ find ” Elite Tiktok , you just have to be strange enough , or cool enough that the videos you like and spend time on will mean the algorithm will let you into this exclusive club .
Crystal clear .
All of that sounds eminently sensible and productive .
But now Alt TikTok ( let ’ s call it that , ‘ elite ’ troubles me ) has been trolling Donald Trump .
How has it managed to bewilder this very stable genius ?
The thing about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all about being part of the in crowd ( it is elite , remember ) so this whole Trump rally saga began as just another inside joke .
Essentially it all started when @ TeamTrump posted to Twitter suggesting that people reserve seats for Trump ’ s infamous Tulsa rally in a few days ’ time .
It was free to reserve tickets , and it only took a passing knowledge of how to create dummy email addresses and get fake numbers off Google Voice to make multiple accounts and notionally reserve hundreds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exactly what Alt TikTok encouraged people to do .
Most of the TikToks were deleted or made private after a few days , but hundreds if not thousands of small creators posted instructions on how to reserve tickets to ensure the 19,000-seat stadium would be nearly empty when the president himself rocked up .
“ Man , it would be a shame if people knew you could reserve tickets for Trump ’ s Tusla rally for free , ” said a TikTok user , Triippmusic .
“ Man , it would be a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needed was the area code which was 74103.
” The video has nearly 200,000 likes and 18,000 shares .
The wildest thing about this plan is it seems as though it might have worked .
Before the rally , Trump ’ s team was boasting that more than 1 million people had expressed interest , but when it began there was only about 6,000 people in attendance , with photos of vast empty rows plastered across global media .
While it ’ s extremely difficult to prove that fake bookings actually caused any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ figures from both sides of politics have attributed the low turnout to the campaign .
As the New York Times reported , Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez gave a shoutout to “ Zoomers ” and the Republican strategist Steve Schmidt said “ the teens of America have struck a savage blow against Donald Trump ” .
K-Pop is somehow involved in this .
Can you explain the political weaponisation of Korean boy bands ?
K-pop Twitter is a huge subsection of the social network that is is obsessed with Korean pop bands such as BTS and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Alt TikTok and shares the ability to act en masse when it comes to social media activism .
You may remember that it flooded the “ White Lives Matter ” hashtag with random posts to make it nearly impossible for white supremacists to use the hashtag to spread information .
The callout to book Tulsa tickets also spread across its corner of the internet , to apparently great success .
Being serious for a moment : this subversion is being applauded by some on the progressive side of US politics as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But what if it were a Joe Biden rally , and the interference was from Chinese citizens on Weibo ?
Is it just because it ’ s Trump ?
I think the answer might be that it ’ s both , and in the end it will be history that decides if these frog-loving , K pop-befriending internet weirdos are heroes or villains .
On one hand it ’ s a bit of a laugh ; some teens found a funny flaw in the Republican party ’ s plans for a controversial rally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rightwingers believe that more than a million people wanted to come to their event –only to be embarrassed when barely anyone turned up .
On the other hand , it ’ s a group of nameless and faceless internet trolls who have purposefully disrupted an election campaign event by the president of the United States .
Not to mention that vast numbers of accounts originate from a foreign country ( in this case , Korea ) , and TikTok is owned by the Beijing-based ByteDance .
But I guess as Xoomers would say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ serious , bruh .
”

Matilda, help! I have come across something called Elite/Alt TikTok. Have Elon Musk and Grimes renamed their baby?
Ha, no. So, to understand Alt and Elite TikTok you first need to understand how TikTok started. In the beginning, the platform was essentially a bunch of genetically blessed teenagers lip-syncing to popular songs and repeating the same five or six trendy dances over and over again. There is an upper echelon of popular creators, including Addison Rae, Charli D’amelio and Chase Hudson, who are popular with kids, very brand-safe and have millions and millions of followers. Think of this side of TikTok as “Straight Tiktok”. “Elite TikTok”, “Alt Tiktok” or “Queer TikTok” is the anti-capitalist rebellion to this.
The content is all on the same platform, but that’s pretty much where the similarities end. Alt TikTok replaces relatable dances with pure chaos. Soundtracks are distorted and unsettling, and rather than coveting brands and material possessions, users are obsessed with frogs, beans and pretending to be the official TikTok accounts for Walmart.
There is no way to “find” Elite Tiktok, you just have to be strange enough, or cool enough that the videos you like and spend time on will mean the algorithm will let you into this exclusive club.
Crystal clear. All of that sounds eminently sensible and productive. But now Alt TikTok (let’s call it that, ‘elite’ troubles me) has been trolling Donald Trump. How has it managed to bewilder this very stable genius?
The thing about Alt TikTok is that it’s all about being part of the in crowd (it is elite, remember) so this whole Trump rally saga began as just another inside joke.
Essentially it all started when @TeamTrump posted to Twitter suggesting that people reserve seats for Trump’s infamous Tulsa rally in a few days’ time. It was free to reserve tickets, and it only took a passing knowledge of how to create dummy email addresses and get fake numbers off Google Voice to make multiple accounts and notionally reserve hundreds of seats.
So that’s exactly what Alt TikTok encouraged people to do. Most of the TikToks were deleted or made private after a few days, but hundreds if not thousands of small creators posted instructions on how to reserve tickets to ensure the 19,000-seat stadium would be nearly empty when the president himself rocked up.
“Man, it would be a shame if people knew you could reserve tickets for Trump’s Tusla rally for free,” said a TikTok user, Triippmusic.
“Man, it would be a bummer if the only real information you needed was the area code which was 74103.” The video has nearly 200,000 likes and 18,000 shares.
The wildest thing about this plan is it seems as though it might have worked. Before the rally, Trump’s team was boasting that more than 1 million people had expressed interest, but when it began there was only about 6,000 people in attendance, with photos of vast empty rows plastered across global media.
While it’s extremely difficult to prove that fake bookings actually caused any genuine Trump supporters to lose seats, figures from both sides of politics have attributed the low turnout to the campaign. As the New York Times reported, Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez gave a shoutout to “Zoomers” and the Republican strategist Steve Schmidt said “the teens of America have struck a savage blow against Donald Trump”.
K-Pop is somehow involved in this. Can you explain the political weaponisation of Korean boy bands?
K-pop Twitter is a huge subsection of the social network that is is obsessed with Korean pop bands such as BTS and Black Pink. It has close ties with Alt TikTok and shares the ability to act en masse when it comes to social media activism. You may remember that it flooded the “White Lives Matter” hashtag with random posts to make it nearly impossible for white supremacists to use the hashtag to spread information.
The callout to book Tulsa tickets also spread across its corner of the internet, to apparently great success.
Being serious for a moment: this subversion is being applauded by some on the progressive side of US politics as a spectacular win over the conservative establishment. But what if it were a Joe Biden rally, and the interference was from Chinese citizens on Weibo? Is it just because it’s Trump?
I think the answer might be that it’s both, and in the end it will be history that decides if these frog-loving, K pop-befriending internet weirdos are heroes or villains.
On one hand it’s a bit of a laugh; some teens found a funny flaw in the Republican party’s plans for a controversial rally and managed to make some silly old rightwingers believe that more than a million people wanted to come to their event –only to be embarrassed when barely anyone turned up.
On the other hand, it’s a group of nameless and faceless internet trolls who have purposefully disrupted an election campaign event by the president of the United States. Not to mention that vast numbers of accounts originate from a foreign country (in this case, Korea), and TikTok is owned by the Beijing-based ByteDance.
But I guess as Xoomers would say, “It’s not that serious, bruh.”


theguardian--2020-06-23--Trump executive order extends a ban on employment-based visas through 2020

The Trump administration is temporarily suspending the entry of certain foreign workers to the United States in a move painted as freeing up jobs while the economy reels from the coronavirus pandemic , despite strong opposition from many businesses .
The presidential proclamation , issued on Monday , will extend a ban on green cards issued outside the US until the end of the year and adds many temporary work visas to the freeze , including the H-1B visas , which permit employers to hire foreign workers with specialized knowledge and are used heavily by technology companies and multinational corporations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a way to preserve US jobs amid the economic downturn .
A senior official who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity estimated the restrictions will free up to 525,000 jobs for Americans .
However , major tech companies such as Amazon , Google and Twitter were quick to speak out against the new immigration limits .
Amazon called the move “ short-sighted ” in a statement , saying that “ preventing high skilled professionals from entering the country and contributing to America ’ s economic recovery puts American ’ s global competitiveness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contributed immensely to America ’ s economic success , making it a global leader in tech , and also Google the company it is today , ” said Sundar Pichai , the chief executive of Google .
“ Disappointed by today ’ s proclamation – we ’ ll continue to stand with immigrants and work to expand opportunity for all.
” And Jessica Herrera-Flanigan , the Twitter vice-president for public policy and philanthropy , said : “ This proclamation undermines America ’ s greatest economic asset : its diversity .
People from all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our labor force , pay taxes , and contribute to our global competitiveness on the world stage.
” The ban , while temporary , would amount to major restructuring of legal immigration if made permanent , a goal that had eluded the administration before the pandemic .
Long-term changes targeting asylum seekers and high-tech workers are also being sought .
Business groups pressed hard to limit the changes , but got little of what they wanted , marking a victory for immigration hardliners as Trump seeks to further solidify their support ahead of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new visas applies to H-1B visas , which are widely used by tech workers and their families , H-2B visas for nonagricultural seasonal workers , J-1 visas for cultural exchanges and L-1 visas for managers and other key employees of multinational corporations .
There will be exemptions for food processing workers , which make up about 15 % of H-2B visas , the official said .
Health care workers assisting with the coronavirus fight will continue to be spared from the green-card freeze , though their exemption will be narrower .
Trump imposed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abroad in April , which was set to expire Monday .
That announcement , which largely targeted family members , drew a surprisingly chilly reception from immigration hardliners , who said the president didn ’ t go far enough .
The new steps to include non-immigrant visas went a long way toward appeasing hardliners .
BSA , a group that represents major software companies , urged the administration to reconsider its changes , particularly to the H-1B program , saying they will hinder economic recovery by making it harder to fill critical positions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more abundant than the number of US employees qualified to fill them means these jobs can be kept in the US , ” the group said .
“ This allows companies based in the US to remain globally competitive , which in turn boosts the US economy , creating jobs for millions of Americans.
” A pro-immigration group with strong Silicon Valley backing , FWD.us , said the moves “ will not only hinder efforts to save lives , but will prevent job creation and hurt our economy as our country struggles to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issued abroad are designed to take effect immediately .
Other changes , including restrictions on work permits for asylum seekers , will go through a formal rule-making process that takes months .
The administration is proposing a new way of awarding H-1B visas , the official said , awarding them by highest salary instead of by lottery .
H-1B visas are capped at 85,000 a year for people with “ highly specialized knowledge ” and minimum of a bachelor ’ s degree , often in science , technology , engineering , teaching and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ used the visas as a tool to outsource jobs to foreigners , replacing Americans .

The Trump administration is temporarily suspending the entry of certain foreign workers to the United States in a move painted as freeing up jobs while the economy reels from the coronavirus pandemic, despite strong opposition from many businesses.
The presidential proclamation, issued on Monday, will extend a ban on green cards issued outside the US until the end of the year and adds many temporary work visas to the freeze, including the H-1B visas, which permit employers to hire foreign workers with specialized knowledge and are used heavily by technology companies and multinational corporations.
The administration cast the effort as a way to preserve US jobs amid the economic downturn. A senior official who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity estimated the restrictions will free up to 525,000 jobs for Americans.
However, major tech companies such as Amazon, Google and Twitter were quick to speak out against the new immigration limits.
Amazon called the move “short-sighted” in a statement, saying that “preventing high skilled professionals from entering the country and contributing to America’s economic recovery puts American’s global competitiveness at risk”.
“Immigration has contributed immensely to America’s economic success, making it a global leader in tech, and also Google the company it is today,” said Sundar Pichai, the chief executive of Google. “Disappointed by today’s proclamation – we’ll continue to stand with immigrants and work to expand opportunity for all.”
And Jessica Herrera-Flanigan, the Twitter vice-president for public policy and philanthropy, said: “This proclamation undermines America’s greatest economic asset: its diversity. People from all over the world come here to join our labor force, pay taxes, and contribute to our global competitiveness on the world stage.”
The ban, while temporary, would amount to major restructuring of legal immigration if made permanent, a goal that had eluded the administration before the pandemic. Long-term changes targeting asylum seekers and high-tech workers are also being sought.
Business groups pressed hard to limit the changes, but got little of what they wanted, marking a victory for immigration hardliners as Trump seeks to further solidify their support ahead of the November election.
The ban on new visas applies to H-1B visas, which are widely used by tech workers and their families, H-2B visas for nonagricultural seasonal workers, J-1 visas for cultural exchanges and L-1 visas for managers and other key employees of multinational corporations.
There will be exemptions for food processing workers, which make up about 15% of H-2B visas, the official said. Health care workers assisting with the coronavirus fight will continue to be spared from the green-card freeze, though their exemption will be narrower.
Trump imposed a 60-day ban on green cards issued abroad in April, which was set to expire Monday. That announcement, which largely targeted family members, drew a surprisingly chilly reception from immigration hardliners, who said the president didn’t go far enough. The new steps to include non-immigrant visas went a long way toward appeasing hardliners.
BSA, a group that represents major software companies, urged the administration to reconsider its changes, particularly to the H-1B program, saying they will hinder economic recovery by making it harder to fill critical positions.
“Filling these roles that are more abundant than the number of US employees qualified to fill them means these jobs can be kept in the US,” the group said. “This allows companies based in the US to remain globally competitive, which in turn boosts the US economy, creating jobs for millions of Americans.”
A pro-immigration group with strong Silicon Valley backing, FWD.us, said the moves “will not only hinder efforts to save lives, but will prevent job creation and hurt our economy as our country struggles to recover”.
The freezes on visas issued abroad are designed to take effect immediately. Other changes, including restrictions on work permits for asylum seekers, will go through a formal rule-making process that takes months.
The administration is proposing a new way of awarding H-1B visas, the official said, awarding them by highest salary instead of by lottery.
H-1B visas are capped at 85,000 a year for people with “highly specialized knowledge” and minimum of a bachelor’s degree, often in science, technology, engineering, teaching and accounting. Critics say hi-tech companies have used the visas as a tool to outsource jobs to foreigners, replacing Americans.


theguardian--2020-06-22--Trump attacks mail-in voting with new series of false claims

Donald Trump launched a fresh attack on mail-in voting on Monday , making a series of false allegations to suggest the 2020 election will be tainted by fraud .
The president has been advancing untrue claims about mail-in balloting for months , fueling concerns he is laying the groundwork to contest the results of the 2020 election .
On Monday , he put forward a new theory , claiming that foreign countries would print millions of mail-in ballots and mail them to voters .
The idea was previously advanced by US attorney general William Barr earlier this month and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interview on Sunday .
Trump made the claims after reports he was seething after a campaign rally in Tulsa , Oklahoma , where attendance was far below what his campaign had projected .
Trump told the Politico news site last week that expanding vote-by-mail was his “ biggest risk ” as he seeks re-election .
Experts have said that it would be nearly impossible for a foreign country to orchestrate the kind of fraud Trump and Barr are hyping .
Many election offices have systems in place to closely track mail-in ballots and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a voter such as comparing the signature on the ballot to ones on file .
“ There are many checks and balances in place to ensure that nobody could just print ‘ millions ’ of ballots and vote them , ” said David Becker , executive director of the Center for Election Innovation and Research , who works with election officials across the country .
“ We have decades of experience enforcing these security measures , including during world war II , confirming the integrity of mail voting .
That ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including most Republicans , promote mail voting and vote by mail themselves.
” Different jurisdictions are required to print ballots with different combinations of races and layouts , depending on where a voter lives .
There can even be specific paper stocks required for ballots – all measures that would make it extremely difficult for a foreign power to simply print and mail out ballots .
In Wake county , North Carolina , for example , there are nearly 100 different ballots for voters this fall depending on where they live , tweeted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ county board of election .
All of mail-in ballots are examined at a public meeting by all five members of the county board , he added .
“ It ’ s ridiculous .
You can ’ t just print ballots .
There is a specific process with vendors or internal to election offices .
Ballot tracking is a way that you can add security , ” said Amber McReynolds , CEO of the National Vote at Home Institute and a former election official in Denver .
“ If either Barr or Trump had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that know the process , they would know this is not feasible.
” In a separate tweet on Monday , Trump pointed to the fact that Americans have voted during times of war to suggest that Covid-19 was merely being used as an excuse to “ cheat ” .
But members of the military have long voted by mail and there is a long history of expanding access to the ballot because of war , Alexander Keyssar , a historian who has studied elections , told NBC News in April .
Trump has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ though he and other members of his administration have frequently used it .
On Monday , Business Insider reported that the vice-president , Mike Pence , and his wife , Karen , voted in the Indiana primary this month using the Indiana governor ’ s mansion as their address .
Pence had done the same in 2018 .
Indiana ’ s constitution says that someone does not lose their residency if they are called away from the state on federal service , said Ian Hauer , a spokesman for the Indiana secretary of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spokesman tweeted that the governor ’ s mansion was still the legally correct address for the Pences to vote absentee .

Donald Trump launched a fresh attack on mail-in voting on Monday, making a series of false allegations to suggest the 2020 election will be tainted by fraud.
The president has been advancing untrue claims about mail-in balloting for months, fueling concerns he is laying the groundwork to contest the results of the 2020 election.
On Monday, he put forward a new theory, claiming that foreign countries would print millions of mail-in ballots and mail them to voters.
The idea was previously advanced by US attorney general William Barr earlier this month and the attorney general repeated it in a television interview on Sunday.
RIGGED 2020 ELECTION: MILLIONS OF MAIL-IN BALLOTS WILL BE PRINTED BY FOREIGN COUNTRIES, AND OTHERS. IT WILL BE THE SCANDAL OF OUR TIMES! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 22, 2020
Barr: Mail-in Ballots ‘Absolutely Opens the Floodgates to Fraud‘ https://t.co/vd4AD3EPb0 via @BreitbartNews. This will be the Election disaster of our time. Mail-In Ballots will lead to a RIGGED ELECTION! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 22, 2020
Trump made the claims after reports he was seething after a campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where attendance was far below what his campaign had projected. Trump told the Politico news site last week that expanding vote-by-mail was his “biggest risk” as he seeks re-election.
Experts have said that it would be nearly impossible for a foreign country to orchestrate the kind of fraud Trump and Barr are hyping.
Many election offices have systems in place to closely track mail-in ballots and have other methods of verifying the identity of a voter such as comparing the signature on the ballot to ones on file.
“There are many checks and balances in place to ensure that nobody could just print ‘millions’ of ballots and vote them,” said David Becker, executive director of the Center for Election Innovation and Research, who works with election officials across the country.
“We have decades of experience enforcing these security measures, including during world war II, confirming the integrity of mail voting. That’s why election officials from both parties, including most Republicans, promote mail voting and vote by mail themselves.”
Different jurisdictions are required to print ballots with different combinations of races and layouts, depending on where a voter lives. There can even be specific paper stocks required for ballots – all measures that would make it extremely difficult for a foreign power to simply print and mail out ballots.
In Wake county, North Carolina, for example, there are nearly 100 different ballots for voters this fall depending on where they live, tweeted Gerry Cohen, a member of the county board of election. All of mail-in ballots are examined at a public meeting by all five members of the county board, he added.
“It’s ridiculous. You can’t just print ballots. There is a specific process with vendors or internal to election offices. Ballot tracking is a way that you can add security,” said Amber McReynolds, CEO of the National Vote at Home Institute and a former election official in Denver. “If either Barr or Trump had toured an election office or had advisers that know the process, they would know this is not feasible.”
In a separate tweet on Monday, Trump pointed to the fact that Americans have voted during times of war to suggest that Covid-19 was merely being used as an excuse to “cheat”. But members of the military have long voted by mail and there is a long history of expanding access to the ballot because of war, Alexander Keyssar, a historian who has studied elections, told NBC News in April.
Trump has continued to attack voting by mail even though he and other members of his administration have frequently used it. On Monday, Business Insider reported that the vice-president, Mike Pence, and his wife, Karen, voted in the Indiana primary this month using the Indiana governor’s mansion as their address. Pence had done the same in 2018.
Indiana’s constitution says that someone does not lose their residency if they are called away from the state on federal service, said Ian Hauer, a spokesman for the Indiana secretary of state, Connie Lawson. A Pence spokesman tweeted that the governor’s mansion was still the legally correct address for the Pences to vote absentee.


theguardian--2020-06-22--Irresistible review – Jon Stewart’s political non-satire for liberals is as dull as it gets

Jon Stewart made his reputation as a smart political comedian and commentator on Comedy Central ’ s The Daily Show on TV , before quitting in 2015 to develop movie projects , of which the first was his excellent Rosewater .
But this – heartsinkingly – is the follow-up .
It ’ s a flaccid , toothless , supercilious political non-satire for liberals too fastidious to take sides or take action .
The film perches on a fence of wry disdain and makes droll gestures of disapproval at the wasteful big-money awfulness of everyone ’ s political campaign .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tortuous plot twist which frankly isn ’ t convincing , despite the talking-head expert interviewee who is wheeled on over the closing credits to assure us that it is .
What we ’ re left with is a bland cop-out , which incidentally won ’ t worry anyone yearning for Donald Trump ’ s second term .
Steve Carell finds some of his dullest form playing Gary Zimmer , a Washington DC political strategist for the Democratic party , desperately searching for the next big thing after the debacle of 2016 .
( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tucci ’ s media-manipulator in the small-town political satire Swing Vote . )
To Zimmer ’ s astonished delight , one of his minions finds a viral YouTube video of a retired Marine Corps veteran called Colonel Jack Hastings , played by Chris Cooper , giving a passionate speech about caring community values at a town-hall meeting somewhere in Wisconsin , where folks have been financially stricken by the recent army-base closure .
The holy grail : a tough guy who ’ s also a progressive .
Cunning Zimmer duly shows up in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the niceness thereabouts ) to persuade the grumpily authentic Hastings to run as a Dem for mayor and maybe something more if it all works out .
Soon the top brass in Washington are excited ; the cash rolls in for his campaign and the Republicans get fired up too – bringing in their ice-queen spin-doctor Faith Brewster , played by Rose Byrne , who seems to have some history and toxic sexual chemistry with Zimmer .
There are , arguably , one or two reasonable touches , such as the observation about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the notorious “ Jeb !
” campaign for the hapless Jeb Bush .
But really , any single TV episode of Veep or Parks and Recreation has far more wit , fun and political zap than this great big laugh-free feast of self-congratulatory dullness .
Zimmer himself never has any funny lines and the rules about making the leading man relatable – and making the Democratic guy basically nice – mean that he is never allowed to have any of that Satanic political glamour of pure wickedness that might have made his character @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the forbidden fossil-fuel of cynicism that might have given it some movement .
And in a couple of strange and toe-curling initial scenes , we are even invited to believe that there could potentially be something of a romantic spark between Zimmer and Colonel Hastings ’ s daughter , Diana , played by Mackenzie Davis .
The talents of Topher Grace and Natasha Lyonne are thrown away in the tiny roles of pollsters and online number-crunchers that Zimmer has brought in .
It could be that much of their characters were lost in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is not especially interested in the hot-button issues of Facebook and data-harvesting .
The eerie absence of race as an issue in the film is also naive .
The story runs on predictable lines , with the underdog Hastings making exciting gains on the Republican incumbent ; then his momentum stalls and there ’ s a dilemma – how nasty are his team prepared to be to clinch their win ?
And there ’ s that very exasperating ending , to which I can only say that in the real world , Zimmer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from hedge-funders and the like , would take a pretty close interest in the bottom line .
The real finale , however , comes in the typography : the word “ RESIST ” is eye-catchingly picked out in the middle of the title , in fine Michael-Moore-lite style .
Resist ?
Really ?
How ?
The movie has signed off with a pert little flourish to the effect that the whole system is broken , so maybe we should wish a plague on both their houses or neither .
Either way , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t conceal the fact that it ’ s contrived , unfunny and redundant .

Jon Stewart made his reputation as a smart political comedian and commentator on Comedy Central’s The Daily Show on TV, before quitting in 2015 to develop movie projects, of which the first was his excellent Rosewater. But this – heartsinkingly – is the follow-up. It’s a flaccid, toothless, supercilious political non-satire for liberals too fastidious to take sides or take action. The film perches on a fence of wry disdain and makes droll gestures of disapproval at the wasteful big-money awfulness of everyone’s political campaign. And it’s leading to a big tortuous plot twist which frankly isn’t convincing, despite the talking-head expert interviewee who is wheeled on over the closing credits to assure us that it is. What we’re left with is a bland cop-out, which incidentally won’t worry anyone yearning for Donald Trump’s second term.
Steve Carell finds some of his dullest form playing Gary Zimmer, a Washington DC political strategist for the Democratic party, desperately searching for the next big thing after the debacle of 2016. (Stewart may have been inspired by Stanley Tucci’s media-manipulator in the small-town political satire Swing Vote.) To Zimmer’s astonished delight, one of his minions finds a viral YouTube video of a retired Marine Corps veteran called Colonel Jack Hastings, played by Chris Cooper, giving a passionate speech about caring community values at a town-hall meeting somewhere in Wisconsin, where folks have been financially stricken by the recent army-base closure. The holy grail: a tough guy who’s also a progressive.
Cunning Zimmer duly shows up in hicksville (wrinkling his nose at all the niceness thereabouts) to persuade the grumpily authentic Hastings to run as a Dem for mayor and maybe something more if it all works out. Soon the top brass in Washington are excited; the cash rolls in for his campaign and the Republicans get fired up too – bringing in their ice-queen spin-doctor Faith Brewster, played by Rose Byrne, who seems to have some history and toxic sexual chemistry with Zimmer.
There are, arguably, one or two reasonable touches, such as the observation about punctuation on billboard ads, inspired by the notorious “Jeb!” campaign for the hapless Jeb Bush. But really, any single TV episode of Veep or Parks and Recreation has far more wit, fun and political zap than this great big laugh-free feast of self-congratulatory dullness. Zimmer himself never has any funny lines and the rules about making the leading man relatable – and making the Democratic guy basically nice – mean that he is never allowed to have any of that Satanic political glamour of pure wickedness that might have made his character interesting. The movie never permits itself the forbidden fossil-fuel of cynicism that might have given it some movement.
The talents of Topher Grace and Natasha Lyonne are thrown away in the tiny roles of pollsters and online number-crunchers that Zimmer has brought in. It could be that much of their characters were lost in the edit, but certainly the film is not especially interested in the hot-button issues of Facebook and data-harvesting. The eerie absence of race as an issue in the film is also naive.
The story runs on predictable lines, with the underdog Hastings making exciting gains on the Republican incumbent; then his momentum stalls and there’s a dilemma – how nasty are his team prepared to be to clinch their win? And there’s that very exasperating ending, to which I can only say that in the real world, Zimmer, having raised serious amounts of cash from hedge-funders and the like, would take a pretty close interest in the bottom line.
The real finale, however, comes in the typography: the word “RESIST” is eye-catchingly picked out in the middle of the title, in fine Michael-Moore-lite style. Resist? Really? How? The movie has signed off with a pert little flourish to the effect that the whole system is broken, so maybe we should wish a plague on both their houses or neither. Either way, the supposed satirical attitude of Irresistible can’t conceal the fact that it’s contrived, unfunny and redundant.


theguardian--2020-06-22--Voting in the New York primary is by no means futile for Sanders supporters | Billy Richling and Fra

Voting in the New York primary is by no means futile for Sanders supporters | Billy Richling and Francisco Navas

Although Joe Biden is the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee , voting in the New York primary on Tuesday ( or during early voting ) is by no means futile for progressives who were largely supporting Bernie Sanders and policies such as the Green New Deal and Medicare for All .
But voting for all of Sanders ’ ( or any candidate ’ s ) delegates to achieve this goal could backfire , because of the way our system is built .
In the end , it requires not voting just for delegate candidates who fall under Biden v Bernie , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their individual platforms .
The Democratic presidential primary is a massive delegate selection process .
Biden has already won more than the 1,991 delegates needed nationwide to secure the nomination .
But delegates also set the party ’ s rules and platform , which is why Sanders and his supporters were infuriated when , in April , the New York state board of elections attempted to cancel its primary .
Eventually , a lawsuit headed by Andrew Yang forced New York to reinstate its primary .
To vote for the delegates that will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , voters need to understand that Sanders ’ delegate candidates aren ’ t running against Biden ’ s delegate candidates – they ’ re running against each other .
Here ’ s how the process works : 184 of the 320 delegates New York sends to the convention are elected directly by voters .
Those 184 delegates are split among the state ’ s 27 congressional districts .
Each district gets to elect between six and eight delegates , and though delegate candidates pledge themselves to a presidential candidate , they appear separately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the presidential candidates themselves .
A candidate needs to win at least 15 % of the total votes within a congressional district to be eligible to earn delegates there – everyone else ’ s votes are scrapped .
Those who make the cut split the district ’ s available delegate slots according to the proportion of the remaining votes they received .
In most places , it ’ s unlikely anyone but Biden or Sanders will meet that 15 % threshold , which means those two will split the district ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both earn an equal number of votes in a district with eight delegate slots , for example , they ’ ll each get to fill four .
But Biden and Sanders each have eight delegate candidates listed on that ballot , so how do voters determine which of their delegate candidates participate in the convention ?
By both delegate vote count and gender .
The Biden delegate candidate who got the most votes of his cohort fills the first of Biden ’ s six available slots .
The next Biden delegate elected isn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s actually the top vote-getter of the opposite gender .
In other words , if that first delegate identifies as a male , the second has to be a female .
The rest of Biden ’ s delegates are chosen by descending vote count , alternating by gender , until all his lots are filled .
Bernie does the same with his slots .
Under this system , bubbling in all of Sanders ’ delegates makes no sense , because he won ’ t win 100 % of the delegate share @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all eight of Sanders ’ delegate candidates , voters are cancelling out their own votes .
What can voters do ?
Obviously , you don ’ t know in advance what fraction of your district ’ s delegate slots each presidential candidate will win .
All you know is that if you want more Sanders delegates , you need to vote for Sanders himself .
But those delegate names listed on the ballot aren ’ t mindless Bernie bots or Biden drones .
Within each presidential candidate ’ s delegate cohort are individuals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ priorities .
So if you ’ re a progressive , the strategic thing to do is to identify the most left-leaning delegate candidates on the Bernie slate and , separately , on the Biden slate as well .
Several are local elected officials or otherwise notable figures whose positions and history can be found online .
Others are slightly more esoteric .
The delegate candidates in New York ’ s 16th congressional district , for example , which covers parts of the Bronx and Westchester , include the state assembly member Jeffrey Dinowitz @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hudson Valley Progressive Action Network co-chair Stephan Spilkowitz ( pledged to Sanders ) .
But the slate also includes Shred Fitness ’ founder , Caroline Levere ( Biden ) , and two undergraduate student activists , Katelin Penner and Samuel Mollin ( both Sanders ) .
Each congressional district has its own slate of delegate candidates , so voters have to identify the ones that most align with the voters views , not simply their favorite candidate .
Doing so could help guarantee the Democratic party ’ s platform is as progressive as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ absentee ballot but want to change your vote , you can show up to a polling place on election day and vote , no questions asked .
In-person ballots are counted before absentee ballots , so you can vote in person and the board of elections will discard the absentee ballot .

Although Joe Biden is the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, voting in the New York primary on Tuesday (or during early voting) is by no means futile for progressives who were largely supporting Bernie Sanders and policies such as the Green New Deal and Medicare for All.
But voting for all of Sanders’ (or any candidate’s) delegates to achieve this goal could backfire, because of the way our system is built. In the end, it requires not voting just for delegate candidates who fall under Biden v Bernie, but rather voting for them based on their individual platforms.
The Democratic presidential primary is a massive delegate selection process. Biden has already won more than the 1,991 delegates needed nationwide to secure the nomination. But delegates also set the party’s rules and platform, which is why Sanders and his supporters were infuriated when, in April, the New York state board of elections attempted to cancel its primary. Eventually, a lawsuit headed by Andrew Yang forced New York to reinstate its primary.
To vote for the delegates that will push the party platform to the left, voters need to understand that Sanders’ delegate candidates aren’t running against Biden’s delegate candidates – they’re running against each other.
Here’s how the process works: 184 of the 320 delegates New York sends to the convention are elected directly by voters. Those 184 delegates are split among the state’s 27 congressional districts. Each district gets to elect between six and eight delegates, and though delegate candidates pledge themselves to a presidential candidate, they appear separately on the ballot.
A sample ballot for New York’s 16th congressional district. Photograph: The Guardian
The process starts with the presidential candidates themselves. A candidate needs to win at least 15% of the total votes within a congressional district to be eligible to earn delegates there – everyone else’s votes are scrapped. Those who make the cut split the district’s available delegate slots according to the proportion of the remaining votes they received.
In most places, it’s unlikely anyone but Biden or Sanders will meet that 15% threshold, which means those two will split the district’s delegate slots between them. If they both earn an equal number of votes in a district with eight delegate slots, for example, they’ll each get to fill four.
But Biden and Sanders each have eight delegate candidates listed on that ballot, so how do voters determine which of their delegate candidates participate in the convention? By both delegate vote count and gender.
The Biden delegate candidate who got the most votes of his cohort fills the first of Biden’s six available slots. The next Biden delegate elected isn’t the next highest vote-getter, it’s actually the top vote-getter of the opposite gender. In other words, if that first delegate identifies as a male, the second has to be a female. The rest of Biden’s delegates are chosen by descending vote count, alternating by gender, until all his lots are filled. Bernie does the same with his slots. Under this system, bubbling in all of Sanders’ delegates makes no sense, because he won’t win 100% of the delegate share. In fact, by voting for all eight of Sanders’ delegate candidates, voters are cancelling out their own votes.
What can voters do? Obviously, you don’t know in advance what fraction of your district’s delegate slots each presidential candidate will win. All you know is that if you want more Sanders delegates, you need to vote for Sanders himself.
But those delegate names listed on the ballot aren’t mindless Bernie bots or Biden drones. Within each presidential candidate’s delegate cohort are individuals with a range of policy preferences and priorities. So if you’re a progressive, the strategic thing to do is to identify the most left-leaning delegate candidates on the Bernie slate and, separately, on the Biden slate as well. Several are local elected officials or otherwise notable figures whose positions and history can be found online. Others are slightly more esoteric.
The delegate candidates in New York’s 16th congressional district, for example, which covers parts of the Bronx and Westchester, include the state assembly member Jeffrey Dinowitz (pledged to Biden) and Lower Hudson Valley Progressive Action Network co-chair Stephan Spilkowitz (pledged to Sanders). But the slate also includes Shred Fitness’ founder, Caroline Levere (Biden), and two undergraduate student activists, Katelin Penner and Samuel Mollin (both Sanders).
Each congressional district has its own slate of delegate candidates, so voters have to identify the ones that most align with the voters views, not simply their favorite candidate. Doing so could help guarantee the Democratic party’s platform is as progressive as possible.
If you already submitted an absentee ballot but want to change your vote, you can show up to a polling place on election day and vote, no questions asked. In-person ballots are counted before absentee ballots, so you can vote in person and the board of elections will discard the absentee ballot.


theguardian--2020-06-23--Trump to sign executive order to punish people who destroy or deface monuments – live

A former federal prosecutor who withdrew from the Roger Stone case intends to testify tomorrow that the sentencing of the @ @ @ @ @ by senior officials .
Former prosecutor Aaron S.J .
Zelinsky , who previously worked with @ @ @ @ @ is expected to testify before the House judiciary committee tomorrow .
According to a copy @ @ @ @ @ Zelinsky will say , “ What I heard — repeatedly — was that Roger Stone @ @ @ @ @ any other defendant because of his relationship to the president.
” Zelinsky plans to tell @ @ @ @ @ , the acting US attorney for the District of Columbia , “ was receiving heavy @ @ @ @ @ of the Department of Justice to cut Stone a break ” and agreed to do @ @ @ @ @ afraid of the president.
” Zelinsky and three other prosecutors withdrew from the Stone case @ @ @ @ @ their inital sentencing recommendation of seven to nine years in prison in order to offer @ @ @ @ @

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

24 Jun 2020 01.41 BST Donald Trump spoke in Phoenix, Arizona, to a packed crowd of supporters who weren’t wearing face masks. The city’s mayor expressed concerns about the event, as coronavirus cases surged in the state.
The city’s mayor expressed concerns about the event, as coronavirus cases surged in the state. Voters in Kentucky and New York voted in primaries today, but don’t bank on results tonight . Both states have expanded mail-in voting because of the Covid-19 pandemic and will continue to accept ballots postmarked by today. In Kentucky, a Democratic candidate vying to challenge the Republican Senate leader, Mitch McConnell, filed an injunction to keep polls in Louisville open late, as voters who didn’t vote absentee banged on doors to register their choices
Both states have expanded mail-in voting because of the Covid-19 pandemic and will continue to accept ballots postmarked by today. In Kentucky, a Democratic candidate vying to challenge the Republican Senate leader, Mitch McConnell, filed an injunction to keep polls in Louisville open late, as voters who didn’t vote absentee banged on doors to register their choices Joe Biden and Barack Obama raised $7.6m at a virtual fundraiser today. The event was virtually attended by 175,000 people, according to the Biden campaign. This is the most money raised by a single Biden event so far in this cycle.
The event was virtually attended by 175,000 people, according to the Biden campaign. This is the most money raised by a single Biden event so far in this cycle. The European Union is reportedly considering denying entry to Americans once borders reopen, due to the US response to the coronavirus pandemic. The move would be a sharp rebuke of Trump and his administration’s handling of the crisis, which has already claimed more than 120,000 American lives.
due to the US response to the coronavirus pandemic. The move would be a sharp rebuke of and his administration’s handling of the crisis, which has already claimed more than 120,000 American lives. Rayshard Brooks’ funeral was held in Atlanta, Georgia. Family members and friends offered fond remembrances of Brooks, who was fatally shot in the back by a white police officer earlier this month.
Family members and friends offered fond remembrances of Brooks, who was fatally shot in the back by a white police officer earlier this month. The officer who fired 10 rounds into Breonna Taylor’s home was made redundant by the Louisville police . In a termination letter, the police chief, Robert Schroeder, wrote that officer Brett Hankison “blindly” fired into Taylor’s apartment. “I am alarmed and stunned you used deadly force in this fashion,” he wrote. But Hankinson can still appeal the termination.
. In a termination letter, the police chief, Robert Schroeder, wrote that officer Brett Hankison “blindly” fired into Taylor’s apartment. “I am alarmed and stunned you used deadly force in this fashion,” he wrote. But Hankinson can still appeal the termination. Senate Democrats signaled they would block the Republican police reform bill from being taken up for debate. Three Democratic senators said in a letter to the majority leader Mitch McConnell that the legislation was “not salvageable”, leaving many lawmakers pessimistic about police reform passing Congress before the November elections.
Three Democratic senators said in a letter to the majority leader that the legislation was “not salvageable”, leaving many lawmakers pessimistic about police reform passing Congress before the November elections. Trump said he would soon sign an executive order on monuments. The president said the order would be aimed at punishing “vandals” and “hoodlums” who have defaced or tried to take down controversial monuments since the start of the George Floyd protests. However, it’s unclear what impact the order would have, considering it’s already a federal crime to deface federal property.
The president said the order would be aimed at punishing “vandals” and “hoodlums” who have defaced or tried to take down controversial monuments since the start of the protests. However, it’s unclear what impact the order would have, considering it’s already a federal crime to deface federal property. Senior health officials, including Dr Anthony Fauci, testified on Capitol Hill. Fauci said he was “cautiously optimistic” a coronavirus vaccine would be made available by early next year. The health officials also said Trump never told them to slow down coronavirus testing, contradicting the president’s comments.
Fauci said he was “cautiously optimistic” a coronavirus vaccine would be made available by early next year. The health officials also said Trump never told them to slow down coronavirus testing, contradicting the president’s comments. A former federal prosecutor said the sentencing of Roger Stone was politicized by senior officials. Former prosecutor Aaron SJ Zelinsky, who withdrew from the Stone case after justice department leaders overrode prosecutors’ initial sentencing recommendation in order to recommend a more lenient sentence for the former Trump associate, will testify before the House judiciary committee tomorrow.
Updated at 02.22 BST
24 Jun 2020 01.13 BST Washington’s governor, Jay Inslee, announced a mandate requiring all residents to wear a face mask when in public. The order goes into effect on Friday and violations could result in a misdemeanor. “I think this is the way we need to look at this,” Inslee said at a news conference. “We just cannot wish this virus to go away. We have to use tools that are available to us that we know, that work.” The mandate will be formally issued by the health secretary, John Wiesman, and exempts children under the age of five – though kids 3-5 years old are recommended to wear face coverings. People who are deaf or hard of hearing are also exempt, in in scenarios when they are communicating with others.
The requirement comes as cases surged in some parts of Washington, even as the state continued reopening businesses and public spaces.
Updated at 02.23 BST
23 Jun 2020 00.47 BST “Absentee ballots are fine,” Trump said, justifying why he voted absentee in Florida but opposes mail-in voting. As we all know, absentee votes are mailed through the postal service, whereas mail-in ballots are posted, though the mail system. Trump actually voted absentee in the Florida primaries, even though he was in Florida at the time and could have voted in person, as CNN reports.
Updated at 00.50 BST
23 Jun 2020 00.41 BST Trump continued to lie about mail-in voting, suggesting that absentee ballots will be “stolen from mailboxes” and “forged”. “Will they be counterfeited maybe by the millions by foreign powers?” Trump speculated. I’ll let my colleague, voting rights reporter Sam Levine, explain why the president’s claims are false and misleading: Experts have said that it would be nearly impossible for a foreign country to orchestrate the kind of fraud Trump and Barr are hyping. Many election offices have systems in place to closely track mail-in ballots and have other methods of verifying the identity of a voter such as comparing the signature on the ballot to ones on file. Trump attacks mail-in voting with new series of false claims Read more
23 Jun 2020 00.37 BST Donald Trump just quoted Martin Luther King, Jr, saying he and the Right “believe that people should not be judged based on the color of their skin but the content of their character”. He used racist phrases to described coronavirus, including “kung flu” earlier in the speech.
Updated at 00.57 BST
23 Jun 2020 00.34 BST In Philadelphia, a reporter and several demonstrators demanding that the city demilitarize the police were reportedly apprehended, by officers outfitted in “counter-terrorism” gear. So here is the video before I got detained... pic.twitter.com/2U6NEsvBTa — Samantha Melamed (@samanthamelamed) June 23, 2020 So I just told a police officer wielding a baton that im a reporter. He told me to “put this on Twitter”. Then he tightly handcuffed me with zip ties and he and another one mocked me while dragging me backward down two flights of stairs along with few dozen others arrested in MSB — Samantha Melamed (@samanthamelamed) June 23, 2020 Philadelphia Inquirer reporter Samanta Melamed told police she was a reporter but was detained nonetheless. Protestors gathered in the lobby of the city’s Municipal Services Building to demand that officials amend the budget and defund the police. Hundreds also stood outside city hall, as nationwide demonstrations against police brutality continued nearly a month after George Floyd was killed by police in Minneapolis.
23 Jun 2020 00.24 BST In Phoenix, more false claims from Trump: Trump on healthcare: “We will always protect people with pre-existing conditions.” Fact check: Trump tried to weaken protections for patients with pre-existing conditions provided by Obamacare through repeal and replace proposals that didn’t make it through Congress. The White House is also championing a federal lawsuit to repeal Obamacare. Trump: “We passed VA Choice... Nobody thought we were going to get that one done.” Fact check: The Veterans Choice Program was started in 2014 by Obama, following a scandal over wait times at veterans health facilities. Trump signed legislation to continue the program.
23 Jun 2020 00.13 BST More from voting rights reporter Sam Levine: Kentucky voters banged on shut doors demanding to be able to vote at the Kentucky Expo center in Louisville after the official poll time in Kentucky. Voters are entitled to vote as long as they are in line when the polls close, but the local county clerk had argued that people had to be physically inside the Expo center, not outside on the pavement, to vote at 6pm. That left about 100 voters locked outside the expo doors on the pavement demanding to be let in.
The rush to get inside before 6pm: pic.twitter.com/gxTEQwphDR — Joe Sonka 😐 (@joesonka) June 23, 2020 Door banging getting really aggressive now: pic.twitter.com/YJhNOn2fJf — Joe Sonka 😐 (@joesonka) June 23, 2020 A judge then granted a request from Charles Booker, a state representative seeking the Democratic nomination for a US Senate seat, and the doors were briefly opened until 6.30.
In addition to the voters just outside the expo center, there were also reports that voters were lined up in their cars waiting to get into the Expo center so voters could cast a ballot. It’s unclear if those voters will get to vote.
Updated at 01.01 BST
23 Jun 2020 00.05 BST Louisville officer fired over Breonna Taylor killing The Louisville cop who shot 10 rounds into Breonna Taylor’s home has been fired, according to the police department. pic.twitter.com/E48Lx1DH73 — LMPD (@LMPD) June 23, 2020 In a termination letter, the police chief, Robert Schroeder, wrote that officer Brett Hankison “blindly” fired into Taylor’s apartment, creating a “substantial danger of death and serious injury”. “I find your conduct a shock to the conscience,” he wrote. “I am alarmed and stunned you used deadly force in this fashion.” Hankison can still appeal his termination, because of “due process rights granted to police officers under Kentucky state law and the collective bargaining agreement between the police union and city” the Louisville Courier-Journal reports. Taylor, a 26-year-old EMT, was killed more than two months ago, after officers forced their way into her apartment with a “no-knock” warrant. Activists have been calling for those that killed her to be arrested.
Updated at 01.27 BST
23 Jun 2020 00.00 BST Trump has repeated one false claim after another. Trump: Democrats “get everybody even if they’re not registered, if they’re not citizens if they’re here illegally” to vote. Fact check: This is not true. Trump has repeatedly undermined efforts to expand voting by mail by spreading misinformation about potential cheating. Trump: California admitted that 1m or more people voted illegally. Fact check: This is not true. The settlement that Trump is referencing concerned inactive voters on registration rolls in a case that had to do with updating old records.
Updated at 00.00 BST
23 Jun 2020 23.51 BST In Phoenix, Donald Trump appears pleased with the packed house, a few days after seeing thousands of empty seats in Tulsa. As his opponent’s fundraiser with Barack Obama winds down, Trump derided Biden. “It only took [Obama] how long? A year and a half to endorse him?” he mocked. Obama — who avoided picking favorites among the Democratic primary candidates — endorsed Biden in mid-April, a day after Biden’s last remaining Democratic rival Bernie Sanders endorsed the former vice president.
23 Jun 2020 23.27 BST In Louisville, Charles Booker, who is vying to be the Democratic challenger to Senate leader Mitch McConnell in November, had filed an injunction to keep polls open until 9pm local time due to long lines at Kentucky Expo Center, the county’s only in-person election day polling place. He urged voters to stay in line, even after the polling place officially closed at 6pm. STAY IN LINE! A judge is reviewing the situation.
STAY IN LINE. — Charles Booker (@Booker4KY) June 23, 2020 After a bipartisan agreement between the Republican secretary of state Michael Adams and Democratic governor Andy Beshear, all registered voters in Kentucky had the option to vote by mail. More than 883,000 ballots were requested, and 452,000 were returned by Monday afternoon, according to officials.
Updated at 23.43 BST


theguardian--2020-06-23--Fauci says US will increase Covid-19 testing despite Trump's claims of slowing down

The US ’ s top infectious disease expert has testified before Congress that the country will be doing more Covid-19 testing , not less , hours after Donald Trump insisted he was serious when he called for testing to slowdown in the US .
Coronavirus cases have continued to rise in about half of US states , but Trump said at a weekend rally in Tulsa , Oklahoma , that increased testing was making the US look bad and that he had asked staff to slow down .
His press secretary had later said the remarks were “ in jest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Tuesday , telling reporters that the comments weren ’ t a joke .
Speaking to a congressional committee hours later , however , Dr Anthony Fauci said : “ I know for sure that to my knowledge none of us have ever been told to slow down on testing .
That just is a fact .
In fact , we will be doing more testing.
” Fauci , a member of the White House coronavirus task force , spoke to the committee alongside the heads of the Centers for Disease Control and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a top official at the Department of Health and Human Services .
About 2.3 million Americans have been sickened in the pandemic , and some 120,000 have died , according to data from Johns Hopkins University .
Fauci last testified before Congress in May , when states were still mostly shut down .
Since then staggered re-openings have taken place across the country , and several states are seeing a concerning increase in cases .
He said the state of coronavirus in the US was overall a “ mixed bag , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s huge size and diversity .
He said some areas , such as New York City , had done well to rein in cases by following the government ’ s guidelines for re-opening , but said the “ disturbing surge ” in infections in other parts of the country was very concerning .
“ The next couple of weeks are going to be critical to address those surges we ’ re seeing , ” Fauci said , specifically citing the increase in cases in Florida , Arizona and Texas .
He was joined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CDC director Dr Robert Redfield , FDA chief Dr Stephen Hahn and the head of the US Public Health Service , Admiral Brett Giroir .
The concerns shared by top health leaders at the hearing contradicted Trump ’ s continued efforts to downplay the affects of Covid-19 .
At least eight Trump campaign staffers tested positive for Covid-19 in Tulsa , where Trump told a campaign rally that he had asked administration officials to slow down testing , because too many positive cases are turning up .
After administration figures including White House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weren ’ t serious or were a joke , Trump on Tuesday said : “ I never kid.
” “ Testing is a double-edged sword , ” Trump told reporters .
“ One way , it shows you have cases and in another way you find out where the cases are and you do a good job.
” When asked individually at the congressional hearing if the president had asked the US health leaders to slow down testing , they all responded “ no.
” At the time of the May hearing , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ testify from a video feed at home .
This time , the speakers were in person for this hearing , though most congressional representatives relied on video feeds to ask questions .
In the chamber , the men sat with tubs of disinfectant wipes and hand sanitizer pumps next to their nameplates .
While committee members and speakers are usually packed tight , people sat at a distance , wearings masks which they removed to speak .
Fauci told the committee he was “ cautiously optimistic ” that a vaccine would be ready @ @ @ @ @ @ @ early 2021 .
He said phase three of vaccine testing is to begin next month .
The group also expressed concern about what could happen if coronavirus cases are still high when flu season arrives in the autumn .
In a prepared statement , the experts said such a collision could again burden the country ’ s healthcare system .
“ If there is Covid-19 and flu activity at the same time , this could place a tremendous burden on the healthcare system related to bed occupancy , laboratory testing needs , personal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” the statement said .
There is still no vaccine for Covid-19 , and there are no treatments specifically developed for the disease , although the antiviral drug remdesivir has been shown to help some patients , as well as a steroid called dexamethasone , and plasma from patients who have recovered .
Since Fauci last testified , hospital physicians have become more skilled in treating coronavirus patients with the techniques and medications at their disposal .
The US continues to ramp up testing , with some 27.5 million Americans , or more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tested thus far .
But most communities still lack enough health workers trained in doing contact tracing , the work of identifying people who have had interactions with an infected person .
That could make it more difficult to tamp down emerging outbreaks .
Fauci remains optimistic that a vaccine will be found , noting that patients develop antibodies to the virus – a sign that the human immune system is able to battle back .
However , he shies away from promising results by the end of the year , as Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ panel has oversight over drugs and vaccines , among other facets of the US healthcare system .
Committee Democrats have been harshly critical of the administration .
However , not all Republicans have lined up to defend the White House .
Some GOP members were growing concerned early in the year that the administration wasn ’ t doing enough to prepare .
Associated Press contributed to this report

A US public health chief told Congress on Tuesday that coronavirus has “brought this nation to its knees” as America struggles with more than 2.3 million confirmed cases and more than 121,000 deaths so far.
Dr Robert Redfield, director of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), told a hearing in Washington that core public health capabilities in the US had been vastly underfunded for a long time and needed urgent investment.
“We have all done the best that we can do to tackle this virus and the reality is that it’s brought this nation to its knees,” Redfield told the House energy and commerce committee.
“We are probably going to spend $7tn because of one little virus,” he added.
He said that the US had “used the capacity that we have” to confront the pandemic but that “the critics will be there”.
The Trump administration has been heavily criticized for a slow and shaky early response to coronavirus as it spread from Asia and Europe to the US in early 2020, especially as Donald Trump repeatedly downplayed the risk of Covid-19 and the damage it would come to wreak upon the US.
Redfield said that the US at local, state and federal level has chronically underinvested in “the core capabilities of public health”, including data analysis, “laboratory resilience”, the public health workforce, emergency response capabilities and “our global health security around the world”, adding that “now is the time” to step up spending.
Earlier in the hearing, Dr Anthony Fauci, the US’s top infectious disease expert testified that the country will be doing more Covid-19 testing, not less, hours after the president insisted he was serious when he said at a rally at the weekend that he had called for testing to slow down in the US.
Coronavirus cases have continued to rise in about half of US states, but Trump said at the rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, that increased testing was making the US look bad and that he had asked staff to slow down. His press secretary later said the remarks were “in jest” but the president stood by them on Tuesday, telling reporters that the comments weren’t a joke.
Speaking to the congressional committee hours later, however, Fauci said: “I know for sure that to my knowledge none of us have ever been told to slow down on testing. That just is a fact. In fact, we will be doing more testing.”
01:19 'More testing, not less': Fauci contradicts Trump on coronavirus testing – video
Fauci, a member of the White House coronavirus task force, spoke to the committee alongside Redfield; the head of the Food and Drug Administration, Stephen Hahn; and a top official at the Department of Health and Human Services, Brett Giroir.
Fauci last testified before Congress in May, when states were still mostly shut down. Since then staggered reopenings have taken place across the country, and several states are seeing a concerning increase in cases.
05:28 From miracle cures to slowing testing: how Trump has defied science on coronavirus – video explainer
He said the state of coronavirus in the US was overall a “mixed bag”, in part because of the country’s huge size and diversity.
He said some areas, such as New York City, had done well to rein in cases by following the government’s guidelines for reopening, but said the “disturbing surge” in infections in other parts of the country was very concerning.
“The next couple of weeks are going to be critical to address those surges we’re seeing,” Fauci said, specifically citing the increase in cases in Florida, Arizona and Texas.
The concerns shared by top health leaders at the hearing contradicted Trump’s continued efforts to downplay the effects of Covid-19.
At least eight Trump campaign staffers tested positive for Covid-19 in Tulsa, where Trump told a campaign rally that he had asked administration officials to slow down testing, because too many positive cases are turning up.
After administration figures including White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany suggested the comments weren’t serious or were a joke, Trump on Tuesday said: “I never kid.”
“Testing is a double-edged sword,” Trump told reporters. “One way, it shows you have cases and in another way you find out where the cases are and you do a good job.”
When asked individually at the congressional hearing if the president had asked the US health leaders to slow down testing, they all responded “no”.
At the time of the May hearing, Fauci was one of many speakers to testify from a video feed at home. This time, the speakers were in person for this hearing.
In the chamber, the men sat with tubs of disinfectant wipes and hand sanitizer pumps next to their nameplates. While committee members and speakers are usually packed tight, people sat at a distance, wearings masks, which they removed to speak.
Fauci told the committee he was “cautiously optimistic” that a vaccine would be ready at the end of the year or early 2021.
The group also expressed concern about what could happen if coronavirus cases were still high when flu season arrives in the autumn.
In a prepared statement, the experts said such a collision could again burden the country’s healthcare system.
“If there is Covid-19 and flu activity at the same time, this could place a tremendous burden on the healthcare system related to bed occupancy, laboratory testing needs, personal protective equipment and healthcare worker safety,” the statement said.