theguardian--2020-08-18--Chain reaction: Michelle Obama’s 'vote' necklace goes viral

Throughout Michelle Obama ’ s powerful 18-minute virtual Democratic national convention speech one message was clear : V-O-T-E , spelled out not just through her evisceration of Donald Trump but also by the letters of her necklace .
“ Vote for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris like our lives depend on it , ” Obama said , while wearing a gold necklace that quickly went viral , and became a top US Google search term during the last hour of the convention .
This piece was from ByChari , a small Los Angeles-based jewellery company owned by Chari Cuthbert , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s decision to promote Cuthbert echoes a trend seen also on the recent cover of British Vogue , in which 40 activists wore clothes largely by BAME designers , for influential people and organisations to seek out small black-owned businesses to promote , rather than defaulting to the largely white-run conglomerates that dominate the fashion industry .
Obama is a master of using her clothes to create a visual message , and in promoting marginalised and under-the-radar businesses with her style choices .
Cuthbert , who launched ByChari in 2012 and recently spoke @ @ @ @ @ @ @ running her business during the pandemic , tweeted on Monday night that she was “ beyond honoured and humbled ” that Obama wore her necklace .
The necklace also echoed Bruce Davidson ’ s photograph from the Selma March , in which the word “ Vote ” was written on the forehead of a civil rights protester .
Barack Obama spoke movingly about Selma in his eulogy of John Lewis in July , in which he praised the Democratic congressman ’ s perseverance and spoke out against the dangerous forces that continued to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expanded on these themes on Monday night , urging the public to request mail-in ballots and ensure their friends and family did the same , and go out in person .
“ We have got to grab our comfortable shoes , put on our masks , pack a brown-bag dinner , and maybe breakfast too , because we ’ ve got to be willing to stand in line all night if we have to , ” she said .

Throughout Michelle Obama’s powerful 18-minute virtual Democratic national convention speech one message was clear: V-O-T-E, spelled out not just through her evisceration of Donald Trump but also by the letters of her necklace.
“Vote for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris like our lives depend on it,” Obama said, while wearing a gold necklace that quickly went viral, and became a top US Google search term during the last hour of the convention.
Michelle Obama’s necklace
This piece was from ByChari, a small Los Angeles-based jewellery company owned by Chari Cuthbert, who is African American.
Obama’s decision to promote Cuthbert echoes a trend seen also on the recent cover of British Vogue, in which 40 activists wore clothes largely by BAME designers, for influential people and organisations to seek out small black-owned businesses to promote, rather than defaulting to the largely white-run conglomerates that dominate the fashion industry.
18:00 Michelle Obama: the former first lady's DNC speech in full – video
Obama is a master of using her clothes to create a visual message, and in promoting marginalised and under-the-radar businesses with her style choices.
Cuthbert, who launched ByChari in 2012 and recently spoke to Time magazine about the challenges of running her business during the pandemic, tweeted on Monday night that she was “beyond honoured and humbled” that Obama wore her necklace.
I never imagined that something I'm so passionate about could mean so much to so many! The response has been incredible and I am beyond honored and humbled that @michelleobama wore my design. pic.twitter.com/rbkEZ7HUei — BYCHARI (@ByChari) August 18, 2020
The necklace also echoed Bruce Davidson’s photograph from the Selma March, in which the word “Vote” was written on the forehead of a civil rights protester.
Barack Obama spoke movingly about Selma in his eulogy of John Lewis in July, in which he praised the Democratic congressman’s perseverance and spoke out against the dangerous forces that continued to discourage voting.
The former first lady expanded on these themes on Monday night, urging the public to request mail-in ballots and ensure their friends and family did the same, and go out in person.
“We have got to grab our comfortable shoes, put on our masks, pack a brown-bag dinner, and maybe breakfast too, because we’ve got to be willing to stand in line all night if we have to,” she said.


theguardian--2020-08-18--Michelle Obama’s rebuke and anti-Trump Republicans: key DNC takeaways

Monday marked opening night of a Democratic national convention that will be like no other in US history , as four days of events and speeches are held almost entirely online due to the coronavirus pandemic that has claimed more than 170,000 lives so far and continues to rage across the country .
Here are the main takeaways from the evening ’ s program : Michelle Obama stole the show .
The former first lady delivered a searing rebuke of Donald Trump in a keynote speech , arguing the president is incapable of leading the country during this moment of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its economic fallout and the national reckoning on racism sparked by the police killing of George Floyd in May .
“ If we have any hope of ending this chaos , we have got to vote for Joe Biden like our lives depend on it , ” the former first lady said .
The pre-taped speech attracted instant widespread praise , with many Democrats saying Obama offered an eloquent and urgent call to action .
An everyday American who lost her father to coronavirus upstaged many Democratic lawmakers .
Kristin Urquiza specifically blamed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Anthony Urquiza , who voted for Trump in 2016 about the seriousness of the virus .
The president has repeatedly downplayed the threat of the virus , instead championing the reopening of the economy and schools .
“ My dad was a healthy 65-year-old , ” Urquiza said .
“ His only pre-existing condition was trusting Donald Trump , and for that , he paid with his life.
” Urquiza ’ s words struck a chord with many viewers , and commentators compared her speech to that of Gold Star father Khizr Khan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2016 Democratic convention .
George Floyd ’ s family delivered a plea for changes in policing .
“ George should be alive today , ” Philonise Floyd said of his brother , a Black man who was kill by a white Minneapolis police officer in May .
Floyd listed some of the African Americans killed by police in recent years and said : “ When this moment ends , let ’ s make sure we never stop saying their names.
” Bernie Sanders called on his supporters to rally around Biden .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ night in particular , was unity .
The progressive Vermont senator , Biden ’ s former rival for the presidential nomination , acknowledged his policy differences with the Democratic nominee , but Sanders argued Trump ’ s disastrous handling of the pandemic demanded that all Americans come together to elect Biden .
“ Nero fiddled while Rome burned , ” Sanders said .
“ Trump golfs.
” Anti-Trump Republicans warned against the dangers of re-electing the president .
The former Ohio governor John Kasich , a frequent Trump critic , delivered his speech @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the road , attracting some mockery on Twitter .
“ America is at a crossroads , ” Kasich said .
“ The stakes in this election are greater than any in modern times.
” Like Sanders , Kasich acknowledged he does not agree with Biden on every issue , but he described his vote for the Democratic candidate as a matter of necessity amid a historic time of crisis .
The virtual convention , while not seamless , still produced some memorable moments .
The night saw some glitches and timing misses , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , despite the unprecedented nature of this year ’ s conventions .
However , certain lawmakers ’ Zoom backgrounds did prompt questions , such as , where did Bernie Sanders find all that chopped wood to stand in front of ?

Monday marked opening night of a Democratic national convention that will be like no other in US history, as four days of events and speeches are held almost entirely online due to the coronavirus pandemic that has claimed more than 170,000 lives so far and continues to rage across the country.
Here are the main takeaways from the evening’s program:
Michelle Obama stole the show. The former first lady delivered a searing rebuke of Donald Trump in a keynote speech, arguing the president is incapable of leading the country during this moment of profound crisis due to the pandemic, its economic fallout and the national reckoning on racism sparked by the police killing of George Floyd in May.
“If we have any hope of ending this chaos, we have got to vote for Joe Biden like our lives depend on it,” the former first lady said. The pre-taped speech attracted instant widespread praise, with many Democrats saying Obama offered an eloquent and urgent call to action.
An everyday American who lost her father to coronavirus upstaged many Democratic lawmakers. Kristin Urquiza specifically blamed Trump for misleading her father, Mark Anthony Urquiza, who voted for Trump in 2016 about the seriousness of the virus.
The president has repeatedly downplayed the threat of the virus, instead championing the reopening of the economy and schools.
“My dad was a healthy 65-year-old,” Urquiza said. “His only pre-existing condition was trusting Donald Trump, and for that, he paid with his life.”
00:58 Kristin Urquiza blames Trump for her father's coronavirus death in DNC speech – video
Urquiza’s words struck a chord with many viewers, and commentators compared her speech to that of Gold Star father Khizr Khan, who memorably criticized Trump at the 2016 Democratic convention.
George Floyd’s family delivered a plea for changes in policing. “George should be alive today,” Philonise Floyd said of his brother, a Black man who was kill by a white Minneapolis police officer in May. Floyd listed some of the African Americans killed by police in recent years and said: “When this moment ends, let’s make sure we never stop saying their names.”
Bernie Sanders called on his supporters to rally around Biden. A theme of the convention, and this night in particular, was unity. The progressive Vermont senator, Biden’s former rival for the presidential nomination, acknowledged his policy differences with the Democratic nominee, but Sanders argued Trump’s disastrous handling of the pandemic demanded that all Americans come together to elect Biden. “Nero fiddled while Rome burned,” Sanders said. “Trump golfs.”
01:29 Kasich among anti-Trump Republicans backing Joe Biden at DNC – video
Anti-Trump Republicans warned against the dangers of re-electing the president. The former Ohio governor John Kasich, a frequent Trump critic, delivered his speech endorsing Biden alongside a literal fork in the road, attracting some mockery on Twitter. “America is at a crossroads,” Kasich said. “The stakes in this election are greater than any in modern times.” Like Sanders, Kasich acknowledged he does not agree with Biden on every issue, but he described his vote for the Democratic candidate as a matter of necessity amid a historic time of crisis.
The virtual convention, while not seamless, still produced some memorable moments. The night saw some glitches and timing misses, but overall the event went as planned, despite the unprecedented nature of this year’s conventions. However, certain lawmakers’ Zoom backgrounds did prompt questions, such as, where did Bernie Sanders find all that chopped wood to stand in front of?


theguardian--2020-08-18--'They're afraid of the voter': Pelosi says Democrats will fight for USPS – video

The House speaker on Tuesday said Democrats would fight to protect the US Postal Service and postal voting after Donald @ @ @ @ @ announced he was halting some operational changes to mail delivery that critics warned could disrupt @ @ @ @ @ to reporters in front of a US post office in the Bayview neighbourhood in San @ @ @ @ @ Trump administration 's stance on funding for the postal service • USPS crisis : postmaster @ @ @ @ @ until after election

The House speaker on Tuesday said Democrats would fight to protect the US Postal Service and postal voting after Donald Trump's new postmaster general announced he was halting some operational changes to mail delivery that critics warned could disrupt the November election. Speaking to reporters in front of a US post office in the Bayview neighbourhood in San Francisco, Pelosi mocked the Trump administration's stance on funding for the postal service


theguardian--2020-08-18--Democratic national convention day one: Michelle Obama & Bernie Sanders among speakers – watch live

Democrats kick off a four-day virtual convention with a display of party unity for Joe Biden and the broad coalition @ @ @ @ @ Trump in November .
Biden 's top primary rival , Bernie Sanders , and the @ @ @ @ @ will headline a parade of speakers appearing from around the US to make a virtual @ @ @ @ @ , organizers said

Democrats kick off a four-day virtual convention with a display of party unity for Joe Biden and the broad coalition aiming to defeat Republican Donald Trump in November.
Biden's top primary rival, Bernie Sanders, and the former first lady Michelle Obama will headline a parade of speakers appearing from around the US to make a virtual case for a Biden presidency, organizers said


theguardian--2020-08-19--Obama expected to denounce Trump's 'cynical moves' on mail-in voting – US politics live

Speaking on the second night of the DNC , Ocasio-Cortez was assigned to second the nomination of Senator Bernie Sanders @ @ @ @ @ his presidential bid and endorsed Joe Biden last spring , but he was in line @ @ @ @ @ part of the process of transferring his delegates to Biden .
Soon after , NBC @ @ @ @ @ seemed to impute some intrigue to the fact that Ocasio-Cortez had not endorsed Biden for @ @ @ @ @ not typically conferred in the convention setting and there was no reason or expectation for @ @ @ @ @ Hours later , the tweet was deleted .
But Ocasio-Cortez and others were dissatisfied , @ @ @ @ @ stoking false controversy at a time when the Democratic party faces a generational divide between @ @ @ @ @

Daniel Strauss (now) and Martin Belam (earlier)

20 Aug 2020 02.00 BST Evening summary We’re wrapping up our live US politics coverage for the evening but you can follow our Democratic National Convention blog for continuing updates. An updated summary of some of today’s key events: Facebook announced that it taken down or restricted more than 10,000 groups, pages and Instagram accounts associated with QAnon , the baseless right-wing conspiracy theory that has been linked with attempted acts of violence and identified as a potential ongoing inspiration for acts of domestic extremism.
associated with , the baseless right-wing conspiracy theory that has been linked with attempted acts of violence and identified as a potential ongoing inspiration for acts of domestic extremism. The president then publicly praised supporters of QAnon, whose supporters believe Trump is secretly fighting back against a Satanic cabal of Democrats, celebrities, and other powerful figures who are carrying out horrific acts of pedophilia and child abuse. “ I understand they like me very much, which I appreciate,” Trump said. “These are people that love our country.”
whose supporters believe Trump is secretly fighting back against a Satanic cabal of Democrats, celebrities, and other powerful figures who are carrying out horrific acts of pedophilia and child abuse. “ Trump said. Supporters of the QAnon conspiracy theory were jubilant at Trump’s comments.
Laura Loomer, the anti-Islamic extremist and conspiracy theorist who won a Republican congressional primary in Florida, claimed that the RNC chair Ronna McDaniel called her a “political rock star” and a “change agent for the Republican Party” in a congratulatory phone call. A McDaniel spokesperson did not comment.
and conspiracy theorist who won a Republican congressional primary in Florida, claimed that the called her a “political rock star” and a “change agent for the Republican Party” in a congratulatory phone call. A McDaniel spokesperson did not comment. The postmaster general is refusing to reverse the operational changes already implemented at the US Postal Service, according to House speaker Nancy Pelosi. Postmaster General Lois DeJoy spoke to Pelosi this morning, and the speaker said he refused to commit to restoring mail sorting machines already removed from some USPS locations. DeJoy announced yesterday he was suspending planned operational changes, but Pelosi said, “The Postmaster General’s alleged pause is wholly insufficient and does not reverse damage already wreaked.”
according to House speaker Postmaster General spoke to Pelosi this morning, and the speaker said he refused to commit to restoring mail sorting machines already removed from some USPS locations. DeJoy announced yesterday he was suspending planned operational changes, but Pelosi said, “The Postmaster General’s alleged pause is wholly insufficient and does not reverse damage already wreaked.” The White House dodged questions about whether Trump would accept the election results if he loses to Joe Biden. “Is the president saying if he doesn’t win this election, that he will not accept the results unless he wins?” a reporter asked press secretary Kayleigh McEnany at today’s briefing. McEnany replied, “The president has always said he’ll see what happens and make a determination in the aftermath.”
20 Aug 2020 01.39 BST GOP congressman who endorsed Biden was concerned about Trump and QAnon Earlier today, even before Trump openly praised adherents of QAnon, a baseless conspiracy about a satanic network of child abusers, a former Republican congressman talked to CNN about why he was endorsing the Democratic candidate for president in 2020. One reason, former congressman Charlie Dent said, was Trump’s praise Marjorie Taylor Greene, a racist QAnon supporter who recently won the Republican primary for Georgia’s 14th Congressional district, a strongly Republican district. Greene had also embraced a September 11 conspiracy. “All this does is empower the whack jobs and the nuts to come out. With strong leadership we should be able to marginalize folks like that,” Dent said. Former Republican Rep. Charlie Dent endorses Joe Biden on CNN: "I mean, a 9/11 truther for Pete's sake. And the president called this person a rising star. I mean, all this does is empower the whack jobs and the nuts to come out." — Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) August 19, 2020
Updated at 01.45 BST
20 Aug 2020 01.09 BST FBI: Twitter account shared infamous antisemitic document via ‘automatic process’ Earlier today, an official FBI Twitter account shared a link to an infamous antisemitic document, “The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion,” a fraudulent text that has been used for more than a century, including in Nazi Germany, to justify hatred, discrimination, and violence against Jewish people. The FBI’s tweet listed only the title of the document, and a link to a PDF, with no additional context, sparking criticism and outrage. In a statement hours after the tweet was posted, an FBI spokesperson said the tweet was posted “via an automated process without further outlining the context of the documents.” “We regret that this release may have inadvertently caused distress among the communities we serve.” The original tweet is still live, still without any context, being shared more and more widely. The @FBIRecordsVault tweet in question: pic.twitter.com/v14vDkKIil — Lois Beckett (@loisbeckett) August 19, 2020 The FBI spokesperson provided the following explanation of the “automated process” the agency said was responsible for the posting of the anti-semitic document: Per the Freedom of Information Act, 5 USC § 552, the FBI makes records requested by three or more requesters available to the public by posting on the “Vault,” the FBI’s electronic FOIA reading room located at fbi.gov. As per standard procedure for FOIA, these materials became available for release and were posted automatically. The FBI’s FOIA Twitter account (@FBIRecordsVault) is automated and automatically tweets new Vault posts as they are published on the Vault website. New posts added to the Vault will appear on the Vault’s “Recently Added” page. An automated system monitors that page via an RSS feed and feeds links to new FOIA releases onto the @FBIRecordsVault Twitter account.
Updated at 01.46 BST
19 Aug 2020 00.12 BST Was it a mistake for a journalist to ask Trump to comment on QAnon on camera? Right now, many journalists are trying to capture just how bad it is that the president of the United States has praised an already-growing conspiracy about satanic child abuse. But journalist Ashley Feinberg made a different point: was it simply a mistake for a journalist to give Trump an opportunity to comment on a conspiracy like this live on camera? Feinberg noted that the likelihood of Trump giving a response like the one he gave is not hard to predict, given years of previous responses to questions like this, and “the outcome is objectively dangerous.” don't really think reporters should be asking him shit like this live on camera when the outcome is objectively dangerous and doesn't actually tell us anything, he gives answers like this to every third question he's asked https://t.co/bT38oriDpM — Ashley Feinberg (@ashleyfeinberg) August 19, 2020
19 Aug 2020 00.06 BST Unprecedented but not surprising: reactions to Trump’s praise for QAnon conspiracy Today, Trump chose to praise supporters of a baseless conspiracy theory who believe that he is fighting a secret battle against a cabal of Democrats, celebrities, and billionaires who control the world while engaging in horrific pedophilia and child abuse. Early reactions to the president’s refusal to condemn a conspiracy that idolizes him highlight how troubling and dangerous his comments are, particularly since the QAnon conspiracy has already been linked to numerous attempted acts of violence and has been identified by law enforcement as a potential inspiration for more extremist violence. FBI: The deranged QAnon conspiracy theory poses a potential domestic terrorism threat
Combating Terrorism Center at West Point: it's a public security threat & potential domestic terror threat
Trump: "these are people that love our country." — Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) August 19, 2020 Will Sommer, a reporter who has covered right-wing extremists for years, said the comments would certainly be a “huge validation” for the conspiracy’s believers, and argued that merely describing the bizarre contents of the conspiracy failed to capture just how much harm it is currently causing. This is going to be a huge validation for QAnon believers. I wish the reporter had also mentioned the results of QAnon belief: the child kidnappings, the harassment and death threats, the murders, the terrorism, the estranged families. https://t.co/9UZnmMDRFN — Will Sommer (@willsommer) August 19, 2020 Of course, as PBS NewsHour White House correspondent Yamiche Alcindor writes, it’s certainly not the first time Trump has fueled dangerous and violent conspiracies. President Trump has trafficked in conspiracy theories since the beginning of his political career (i.e. birtherism) and continues to do so regularly. Now, he's not denouncing QAnon.
That is unprecedented, breaking norms, untraditional ... but not surprising. — Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche) August 19, 2020
Updated at 00.41 BST
19 Aug 2020 23.45 BST Full text of Trump’s praise for QAnon child abuse conspiracy During a White House press briefing Trump was asked about the QAnon conspiracy, and “what you have to say to people who are following this movement right now.” Trump not only refused to condemn or reject the QAnon conspiracy, he praised its followers as “people that love our country.” The full text: Trump: “I don’t know much about the movement other than I understand they like me very much, which I appreciate. But I don’t know much about the movement. I have heard that it is gaining in popularity and from what I hear, these are people who they watch the streets of Portland, when they watch what happened in the streets of New York City in just the last six or seven months...These are people that don’t like seeing what’s going on in places like Portland and in places like Chicago and New York and other cities and states. And I’ve heard these are people that love our country, they just don’t like seeing it. I don’t know really anything about it other that they do supposedly like me, and they would also like to see problems in these areas, like especially the areas we’re talking about, go away. There’s no reason the Democrats can’t run a city.. And if they can’t, we’ll send in all of the federal troops and law enforcement. We’ll straighten out their problems in 24 hours.” The journalist who asked the question clarified: QAnon supporters believe “you are secretly saving the world from this Satantic cult of pedophiles and cannibals. Does that sound like something you are behind?” Trump: “Well, I haven’t heard that. But is that supposed to be a bad thing or a good thing? I mean, you know, if I can help save the world from problems, I’m willing to do it. I’m willing to put myself out there. And we are actually. We’re saving the world from a radical left philosophy that will destroy this country, and when this country is gone, the rest of the world would follow. The rest of the world would follow.” Trump is asked to shed light on his thoughts about about the lunatic QAnon conspiracy theory. Instead of denouncing it, he says, "I understand they like me very much, which I appreciate."
"I've heard these are people who love our country," he adds, coming close to an endorsement pic.twitter.com/gcvHvuqzIa — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 19, 2020


theguardian--2020-08-19--Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez accuses NBC of spreading misinformation after DNC speech

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez accused NBC News of spreading an “ incredible amount of damage and misinformation ” overnight on Tuesday after the network construed a routine procedural speech by her as a snub of the Democratic presidential nominee , Joe Biden .
Speaking on the second night of the Democratic national convention ( DNC ) , Ocasio-Cortez was assigned to second the nomination of Senator Bernie Sanders as president .
Sanders ended his presidential bid and endorsed Biden last spring , but he was in line for a formal nomination as part of the process of transferring his delegates to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for president during the primary season before switching her support to Biden .
“ In a time when millions of people in the United States are looking for deep systemic solutions to our crises of mass evictions , unemployment and lack of healthcare , ” Ocasio-Cortez said in a short speech on Tuesday , “ en espíritu del pueblo and out of a love for all people , I hereby second the nomination of Senator Bernard Sanders of Vermont for president of the United States of America.
” Soon after , NBC News @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some intrigue to the fact that Ocasio-Cortez had not endorsed Biden for president .
Such endorsements are not typically conferred in the convention setting and there was no reason or expectation for Ocasio-Cortez to do so .
But an NBC News account tweeted : “ In one of the shortest speeches of the DNC , Rep Ocasio-Cortez did not endorse Joe Biden : ‘ I hereby second the nomination of Sen. Bernard Sanders of Vermont for president of the United States of America.
’ ” Hours later , the tweet was deleted and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reading , “ This tweet should have included more detail on the nominating process.
” But Ocasio-Cortez and others were dissatisfied , accusing the news outlet of stoking false controversy at a time when the Democratic party faces a generational divide between leaders like Ocasio-Cortez , a 30-year-old progressive , and Biden , a 77-year-old who won his first Senate race 17 years before she was born .
Ocasio-Cortez tweeted three times at NBC , starting after midnight : As of this writing NBC News had not released further comment .
Sanders was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democratic national convention , before his delegates were passed to Hillary Clinton .
Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard nominated Sanders , and the nomination was seconded by a state campaign director and a spokeswoman for an election watchdog group .

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez accused NBC News of spreading an “incredible amount of damage and misinformation” overnight on Tuesday after the network construed a routine procedural speech by her as a snub of the Democratic presidential nominee, Joe Biden.
Speaking on the second night of the Democratic national convention (DNC), Ocasio-Cortez was assigned to second the nomination of Senator Bernie Sanders as president. Sanders ended his presidential bid and endorsed Biden last spring, but he was in line for a formal nomination as part of the process of transferring his delegates to Biden.
Ocasio-Cortez had originally endorsed Sanders for president during the primary season before switching her support to Biden.
“In a time when millions of people in the United States are looking for deep systemic solutions to our crises of mass evictions, unemployment and lack of healthcare,” Ocasio-Cortez said in a short speech on Tuesday, “en espíritu del pueblo and out of a love for all people, I hereby second the nomination of Senator Bernard Sanders of Vermont for president of the United States of America.”
Soon after, NBC News sent a tweet that seemed to impute some intrigue to the fact that Ocasio-Cortez had not endorsed Biden for president. Such endorsements are not typically conferred in the convention setting and there was no reason or expectation for Ocasio-Cortez to do so.
But an NBC News account tweeted: “In one of the shortest speeches of the DNC, Rep Ocasio-Cortez did not endorse Joe Biden: ‘I hereby second the nomination of Sen. Bernard Sanders of Vermont for president of the United States of America.’”
Hours later, the tweet was deleted and an editor’s note was appended reading, “This tweet should have included more detail on the nominating process.”
But Ocasio-Cortez and others were dissatisfied, accusing the news outlet of stoking false controversy at a time when the Democratic party faces a generational divide between leaders like Ocasio-Cortez, a 30-year-old progressive, and Biden, a 77-year-old who won his first Senate race 17 years before she was born.
Ocasio-Cortez tweeted three times at NBC, starting after midnight:
You waited several hours to correct your obvious and blatantly misleading tweet.
It sparked an enormous amount of hatred and vitriol, & now the misinfo you created is circulating on other networks.
All to generate hate-clicks from a pre-recorded, routine procedural motion. https://t.co/crDlEymgMD — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) August 19, 2020
This is completely unacceptable, disappointing, and appalling.
The DNC shared the procedural purpose of my remarks to media WELL in advance. @NBC knew what was going to happen & that it was routine.
How does a headline that malicious & misleading happen w/ that prior knowledge? — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) August 19, 2020
So @NBCNews how are you going to fix the incredible amount of damage and misinformation that you are now responsible for?
Because a 1:15am tweet to slip under the radar after blowing up a totally false and divisive narrative across networks isn’t it. https://t.co/zf6Wqiotvv — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) August 19, 2020
As of this writing NBC News had not released further comment.
Sanders was also nominated for president at the 2016 Democratic national convention, before his delegates were passed to Hillary Clinton. Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard nominated Sanders, and the nomination was seconded by a state campaign director and a spokeswoman for an election watchdog group.


theguardian--2020-08-19--Pompeo pressed on claims China is helping build Saudi uranium facility

Congressional Democrats have asked the US secretary of state , Mike Pompeo , to provide information about China ’ s alleged role in building a uranium processing facility in Saudi Arabia .
US officials have told journalists and nuclear experts they suspect a mill for producing yellowcake – refined uranium ore – is being built by Chinese technicians in the desert near Al-Ula in the north-west of the kingdom .
The alleged construction of a yellowcake facility was first reported by the Wall Street Journal , but experts have yet to confirm its existence through satellite imagery .
If confirmed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Saudi monarchy is secretly expanding its capacity to make nuclear weapons , though it would take several more years to advance from yellowcake to producing the fissile material necessary for a warhead .
In 2018 the country ’ s crown prince , Mohammed bin Salman , told CBS News that if Iran built a nuclear weapon “ we will follow suit as soon as possible ” .
Iran had been abiding by a 2015 multilateral deal in which it accepted strict limits on its nuclear programme in return for sanctions relief , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that agreement in 2018 and began imposing escalating sanctions , Tehran has gradually expanded its nuclear activities beyond the limits set in 2015 , and most experts say nuclear proliferation in the region is steadily increasing .
The Trump administration , which has been protective of Prince Mohammed , has so far said nothing publicly about reports of covert Saudi nuclear activities .
On Monday , the Democratic chairmen of three House foreign affairs subcommittees sent Pompeo a letter asking for “ information regarding the People ’ s Republic of China ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Saudi Arabia , and the state department ’ s response to these sales ” .
The three Democrats : Joaquin Castro , Ami Bera , and Theodore Deutch , asked Pompeo to provide answers to questions on whether the US had registered its concerns with Saudi Arabia and China about the alleged yellowcake factory , and whether the state department was taking steps to prevent Saudi Arabia moving on to other steps further up the chain towards producing fissile material .
They also wanted to know whether the US was supporting the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ persuade Saudi Arabia to accept a comprehensive safeguards agreement that would involve substantial monitoring and inspections .
“ At the very minimum , you would expect the administration would speak out and have an opinion on these things , and do what it can to stop a country breaking out with nuclear weapons , ” Castro told the Guardian .
“ But with this administration , they play favourites with certain countries .
They look the other way with different leaders .
This is another symptom of the Trump administration ’ s disengagement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ given Pompeo until the end of the month to provide their requested information .
The state department under his leadership has frequently ignored such requests , in a challenge to the oversight role of Congress .

Congressional Democrats have asked the US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, to provide information about China’s alleged role in building a uranium processing facility in Saudi Arabia.
US officials have told journalists and nuclear experts they suspect a mill for producing yellowcake – refined uranium ore – is being built by Chinese technicians in the desert near Al-Ula in the north-west of the kingdom.
The alleged construction of a yellowcake facility was first reported by the Wall Street Journal, but experts have yet to confirm its existence through satellite imagery. If confirmed, it would strengthen suspicions that the Saudi monarchy is secretly expanding its capacity to make nuclear weapons, though it would take several more years to advance from yellowcake to producing the fissile material necessary for a warhead.
In 2018 the country’s crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, told CBS News that if Iran built a nuclear weapon “we will follow suit as soon as possible”.
Iran had been abiding by a 2015 multilateral deal in which it accepted strict limits on its nuclear programme in return for sanctions relief, but since Donald Trump withdrew the US from that agreement in 2018 and began imposing escalating sanctions, Tehran has gradually expanded its nuclear activities beyond the limits set in 2015, and most experts say nuclear proliferation in the region is steadily increasing.
The Trump administration, which has been protective of Prince Mohammed, has so far said nothing publicly about reports of covert Saudi nuclear activities.
On Monday, the Democratic chairmen of three House foreign affairs subcommittees sent Pompeo a letter asking for “information regarding the People’s Republic of China’s reported transfers of nuclear and missile technology to Saudi Arabia, and the state department’s response to these sales”.
The three Democrats: Joaquin Castro, Ami Bera, and Theodore Deutch, asked Pompeo to provide answers to questions on whether the US had registered its concerns with Saudi Arabia and China about the alleged yellowcake factory, and whether the state department was taking steps to prevent Saudi Arabia moving on to other steps further up the chain towards producing fissile material. They also wanted to know whether the US was supporting the International Atomic Energy Agency in trying to persuade Saudi Arabia to accept a comprehensive safeguards agreement that would involve substantial monitoring and inspections.
“At the very minimum, you would expect the administration would speak out and have an opinion on these things, and do what it can to stop a country breaking out with nuclear weapons,” Castro told the Guardian.
“But with this administration, they play favourites with certain countries. They look the other way with different leaders. This is another symptom of the Trump administration’s disengagement from the world.”
The Democrats have given Pompeo until the end of the month to provide their requested information. The state department under his leadership has frequently ignored such requests, in a challenge to the oversight role of Congress.


theguardian--2020-08-19--Virtual roll call and emotional stories: key takeaways from the DNC's second night

Democrats formally nominated former vice-president Joe Biden for the presidency on Tuesday , the second night of their virtual convention .
Here are some of the key takeaways from the night : Biden was formally nominated for president with an impressive virtual roll call vote .
In 2016 , about 50,000 people attended the Democratic convention .
But because Democrats are not able to meet in person in Milwaukee , Wisconsin , this week due to the coronavirus pandemic , each delegation filmed a video to cast their votes for president .
The videos provided a vibrant visualization of every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well-received presentation raised the possibility that future conventions could retain certain elements of this year ’ s virtual event .
Jill Biden offered a personal case for the election of her husband .
The Biden campaign produced a moving video recounting how Jill Biden met her future husband shortly after his first wife and his young daughter were killed in a car accident in 1972 .
Tragedy visited the Bidens again when their eldest son , Beau , died of brain cancer at age 46 five years ago .
Jill Biden argued that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public service , despite these devastating losses , underscored how he would lead the country through this moment of crisis .
“ How do you make a broken family whole ?
The same way you make a nation whole , ” she said .
“ With love and understanding – and with small acts of kindness .
With bravery .
With unwavering faith.
” It was an emotional night , with many moments tugging on viewers ’ heartstrings .
In addition to the Bidens recounting the loss of their family members , progressive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lateral sclerosis ( ALS ) , made an emotional plea for expanding access to quality healthcare and described Donald Trump ’ s potential re-election as an “ existential threat ” .
“ We live in the richest country in history and yet we do not guarantee this most basic human right , ” Barkan said .
“ Everyone living in America should get the healthcare they need regardless of their employment status or ability to pay.
” The Biden campaign also produced a video focused on Biden ’ s friendship with longtime Republican @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brain cancer two years ago .
Democrats continued their theme of highlighting Republican endorsements of Biden .
Former secretary of state Colin Powell and former defense secretary Chuck Hagel both praised Biden as a leader with the necessary skills to guide the country through a global pandemic and move past the divisions of Trump ’ s presidency .
“ What a difference it will make to have a president who unites us , who restores our strength and our soul , ” Powell said .
The endorsements were the latest effort by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who voted for Barack Obama but flipped to supporting Trump in 2016 .
The New York congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez delivered a short nominating speech for the Vermont senator Bernie Sanders , sparking some confusion on social media .
By the rules of the convention , each candidate who passes a certain delegate threshold are required to be nominated and included in the roll call vote .
However , some Twitter users appeared to incorrectly believe the progressive congresswoman was trying to snub Biden by endorsing Sanders , prompting Ocasio-Cortez herself to clear up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ complicated convention rules over Twitter is quite the headache .

Democrats formally nominated former vice-president Joe Biden for the presidency on Tuesday, the second night of their virtual convention.
Here are some of the key takeaways from the night:
Biden was formally nominated for president with an impressive virtual roll call vote. In 2016, about 50,000 people attended the Democratic convention. But because Democrats are not able to meet in person in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, this week due to the coronavirus pandemic, each delegation filmed a video to cast their votes for president. The videos provided a vibrant visualization of every region in the country, and the well-received presentation raised the possibility that future conventions could retain certain elements of this year’s virtual event.
Jill Biden offered a personal case for the election of her husband. The Biden campaign produced a moving video recounting how Jill Biden met her future husband shortly after his first wife and his young daughter were killed in a car accident in 1972. Tragedy visited the Bidens again when their eldest son, Beau, died of brain cancer at age 46 five years ago. Jill Biden argued that her husband’s continued commitment to public service, despite these devastating losses, underscored how he would lead the country through this moment of crisis. “How do you make a broken family whole? The same way you make a nation whole,” she said. “With love and understanding – and with small acts of kindness. With bravery. With unwavering faith.”
It was an emotional night, with many moments tugging on viewers’ heartstrings. In addition to the Bidens recounting the loss of their family members, progressive activist Ady Barkan, who has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), made an emotional plea for expanding access to quality healthcare and described Donald Trump’s potential re-election as an “existential threat”. “We live in the richest country in history and yet we do not guarantee this most basic human right,” Barkan said. “Everyone living in America should get the healthcare they need regardless of their employment status or ability to pay.” The Biden campaign also produced a video focused on Biden’s friendship with longtime Republican senator John McCain, who died of brain cancer two years ago.
00:48 Activist Ady Barkan delivers powerful speech on protecting US healthcare – video
Democrats continued their theme of highlighting Republican endorsements of Biden. Former secretary of state Colin Powell and former defense secretary Chuck Hagel both praised Biden as a leader with the necessary skills to guide the country through a global pandemic and move past the divisions of Trump’s presidency. “What a difference it will make to have a president who unites us, who restores our strength and our soul,” Powell said. The endorsements were the latest effort by the Biden camp to appeal to centrist voters who voted for Barack Obama but flipped to supporting Trump in 2016.
The New York congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez delivered a short nominating speech for the Vermont senator Bernie Sanders, sparking some confusion on social media. By the rules of the convention, each candidate who passes a certain delegate threshold are required to be nominated and included in the roll call vote. However, some Twitter users appeared to incorrectly believe the progressive congresswoman was trying to snub Biden by endorsing Sanders, prompting Ocasio-Cortez herself to clear up the confusion. Lesson learned: explaining complicated convention rules over Twitter is quite the headache.


theguardian--2020-08-19--DNC's uplifting moments paper over contradictions and hypocrisies

If Joe Biden wins November ’ s US election , he will be the oldest president in American history , surpassing Donald Trump ’ s record .
At 78 on inauguration day , he will be older than Ronald Reagan on the day he left office .
The second night of the virtual Democratic national convention on Tuesday made no attempt to hide this fact .
Even as the Trump re-election campaign put out a vicious advert insisting that Biden ’ s mind has gone downhill in recent years , there were reminders of his longevity at every turn – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Democrats would rather forget .
So along with inspiring stories and improved production values , this was a night of nagging contradictions and hypocrisies – just the things that Trump exploited to claim that only a maverick outsider could blow up the Washington establishment .
Here was one-term president Jimmy Carter , who ended the 1970s besieged by crisis and deep disapproval .
Now 95 , he gave his blessing via audio message , pointing out : “ When I ran for president in 1976 , Joe Biden was my first and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Many of the grassroots party members who spoke on Tuesday night had not been born in 1976 .
Here was former president Bill Clinton , who turns 74 on Wednesday , making him three years younger than the nominee .
This was his 11th straight convention speech but the first since the # MeToo movement cast his affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky , and various harassment or assault allegations , in a fresh light .
Clinton is also now regarded as an old school centrist in a party tacking left .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ was John Kerry who , like Biden now , was challenging an unpopular incumbent in the form of George W Bush in 2004 , only to fall short .
“ When this president goes overseas , it isn ’ t a goodwill mission , it ’ s a blooper reel , ” he said .
“ He breaks up with our allies and writes love letters to dictators .
America deserves a president who is looked up to , not laughed at.
” And here was Colin Powell , who was Bush ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ invasion of Iraq .
Film-maker Michael Moore , who was a Bernie Sanders campaign surrogate , tweeted sardonically : “ Can ’ t wait for Colin Powell ’ s ‘ irrefutable and undeniable ’ case for a Biden presidency tonight !
Nothing unites our country more than all of us fondly reminiscing about the US bombing , invading , terrorizing , & pillaging Iraq on the basis of lies this man told to the United Nations.
” All of the above got more speaking time than Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a minute to formally nominate Biden ’ s former rival , Sanders , ahead of the preordained roll call that declared Biden the nominee .
She used it to praise “ a movement that realised the unsustainable brutality of an economy that rewards explosive inequalities of wealth for the few at the expense of long-term stability for the many ” .
It was as if she was the guest at the wedding that everyone prays won ’ t spill the big family secret .
Amid all the flexing of muscles by the party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ uplifting moments as again the digital convention format allowed people at the grassroots to shine .
The keynote address featured not one but 17 of the party ’ s best and brightest from all over the country , including state representatives , mayors , a Navajo Nation president and members of Congress .
There was a particularly moving segment with progressive activist Ady Barkan , who has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis , or ALS .
“ Even during this terrible crisis , Donald Trump and Republican politicians are trying to take away millions of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
And the surprise of the night was the roll call to formally nominate the candidate , which in normal times unfolds on the floor of the arena with delegates wearing wacky hats and soon becomes rather tedious .
In the Covid-19 era , however , viewers were transported to every US state and territory with an array of diverse delegates , accents , languages and backdrops , and quirks such as a chef holding a tantalising plate of calamari in Rhode Island .
For a moment , America could look @ @ @ @ @ @ @ liked what it saw .
The roll call culminated with a grinning Biden – nominated at last , after failed attempts in 1988 and 2008 – in what looked like a school library accompanied by balloons and streamers , a nod to the pageantry of old .
At the end , there was another convention staple , a biographical film about the candidate ’ s spouse .
There was the story of the tragic loss of his first wife and baby daughter and his courtship of the woman who would become second lady @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t big on the whole date scene thing but when I met Jill , I fell in love with her when I saw her.
” ) Standing in an empty classroom at a school where she once taught , a powerful symbol of Trump ’ s mishandling of the coronavirus , Jill Biden asked : “ How do you make a broken family whole ?
The same way you make a nation whole .
With love and understanding – and with small acts of kindness .
With bravery .
With unwavering faith.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ multiple tragedies in Biden ’ s own life have granted him empathy and humility suited to a moment when America itself is grieving losses in its public health , economy and moral leadership .
It also ensured the evening closed on a high note , not in feuds over Clinton and # MeToo , Powell and Iraq or Ocasio-Cortez being woefully underused .
That , of course , did not stop Fox News running the chyron “ Dems trot out political failures to promote Biden ” .
Expect to hear a lot more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

If Joe Biden wins November’s US election, he will be the oldest president in American history, surpassing Donald Trump’s record. At 78 on inauguration day, he will be older than Ronald Reagan on the day he left office.
The second night of the virtual Democratic national convention on Tuesday made no attempt to hide this fact. Even as the Trump re-election campaign put out a vicious advert insisting that Biden’s mind has gone downhill in recent years, there were reminders of his longevity at every turn – and of some things in the past that Democrats would rather forget.
So along with inspiring stories and improved production values, this was a night of nagging contradictions and hypocrisies – just the things that Trump exploited to claim that only a maverick outsider could blow up the Washington establishment.
Democratic national convention day two: Ocasio-Cortez & Jill Biden among speakers – watch in full
Here was one-term president Jimmy Carter, who ended the 1970s besieged by crisis and deep disapproval. Now 95, he gave his blessing via audio message, pointing out: “When I ran for president in 1976, Joe Biden was my first and most effective supporter in the Senate.” Many of the grassroots party members who spoke on Tuesday night had not been born in 1976.
Here was former president Bill Clinton, who turns 74 on Wednesday, making him three years younger than the nominee. This was his 11th straight convention speech but the first since the #MeToo movement cast his affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky, and various harassment or assault allegations, in a fresh light. Clinton is also now regarded as an old school centrist in a party tacking left.
Here among the ghosts of conventions past was John Kerry who, like Biden now, was challenging an unpopular incumbent in the form of George W Bush in 2004, only to fall short. “When this president goes overseas, it isn’t a goodwill mission, it’s a blooper reel,” he said. “He breaks up with our allies and writes love letters to dictators. America deserves a president who is looked up to, not laughed at.”
And here was Colin Powell, who was Bush’s secretary of state during the illegal invasion of Iraq. Film-maker Michael Moore, who was a Bernie Sanders campaign surrogate, tweeted sardonically: “Can’t wait for Colin Powell’s ‘irrefutable and undeniable’ case for a Biden presidency tonight! Nothing unites our country more than all of us fondly reminiscing about the US bombing, invading, terrorizing, & pillaging Iraq on the basis of lies this man told to the United Nations.”
All of the above got more speaking time than Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, the progressive star, who had only a minute to formally nominate Biden’s former rival, Sanders, ahead of the preordained roll call that declared Biden the nominee. She used it to praise “a movement that realised the unsustainable brutality of an economy that rewards explosive inequalities of wealth for the few at the expense of long-term stability for the many”. It was as if she was the guest at the wedding that everyone prays won’t spill the big family secret.
Amid all the flexing of muscles by the party establishment, however, there were some uplifting moments as again the digital convention format allowed people at the grassroots to shine. The keynote address featured not one but 17 of the party’s best and brightest from all over the country, including state representatives, mayors, a Navajo Nation president and members of Congress.
There was a particularly moving segment with progressive activist Ady Barkan, who has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS. “Even during this terrible crisis, Donald Trump and Republican politicians are trying to take away millions of people’s health insurance,” he said.
And the surprise of the night was the roll call to formally nominate the candidate, which in normal times unfolds on the floor of the arena with delegates wearing wacky hats and soon becomes rather tedious. In the Covid-19 era, however, viewers were transported to every US state and territory with an array of diverse delegates, accents, languages and backdrops, and quirks such as a chef holding a tantalising plate of calamari in Rhode Island. For a moment, America could look itself in the mirror, and it liked what it saw.
The roll call culminated with a grinning Biden – nominated at last, after failed attempts in 1988 and 2008 – in what looked like a school library accompanied by balloons and streamers, a nod to the pageantry of old.
At the end, there was another convention staple, a biographical film about the candidate’s spouse. There was the story of the tragic loss of his first wife and baby daughter and his courtship of the woman who would become second lady, Jill (“I wasn’t big on the whole date scene thing but when I met Jill, I fell in love with her when I saw her.”)
Standing in an empty classroom at a school where she once taught, a powerful symbol of Trump’s mishandling of the coronavirus, Jill Biden asked: “How do you make a broken family whole? The same way you make a nation whole. With love and understanding – and with small acts of kindness. With bravery. With unwavering faith.”
It made a convincing case that the multiple tragedies in Biden’s own life have granted him empathy and humility suited to a moment when America itself is grieving losses in its public health, economy and moral leadership. It also ensured the evening closed on a high note, not in feuds over Clinton and #MeToo, Powell and Iraq or Ocasio-Cortez being woefully underused.
That, of course, did not stop Fox News running the chyron “Dems trot out political failures to promote Biden”. Expect to hear a lot more of that when Republicans convene next week.


theguardian--2020-08-19--Democratic convention: Jill Biden closes second night as Joe formally secures nomination – as it hap

Democratic convention: Jill Biden closes second night as Joe formally secures nomination – as it happened

That ’ s it from us tonight .
The Guardian team will be back tomorrow for the third night of the Democratic convention , when vice-presidential candidate Kamala Harris will deliver her speech .
Here are the key takeaways from the night : • Joe Biden was formally nominated for president with an impressive virtual roll call vote .
Because Democrats are not able to meet in person in Milwaukee , Wisconsin , this week , each state delegation filmed a video to cast their votes for president .
The videos provided a vibrant visualization of every region in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the possibility that future conventions could retain certain elements of this year ’ s virtual event .
• Jill Biden offered a personal case for the election of her husband .
The Biden campaign produced a moving video recounting how Jill met her future husband shortly after his first wife and his young daughter were killed in a car accident .
Biden also reflected on the sorrow of losing their eldest son , Beau , to brain cancer at the age of 46 .
The former second lady argued that her husband ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ despite these devastating losses , underscored how he would lead the country through this moment of crisis .
“ How do you make a broken family whole ?
The same way you make a nation whole , ” Biden said .
“ With love and understanding – and with small acts of kindness .
With bravery .
With unwavering faith.
” • It was an emotional night , with many moments tugging on viewers ’ heartstrings .
In addition to the Bidens recounting the loss of their family members , progressive activist Ady @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sclerosis ( ALS ) , made an emotional plea for expanding access to quality healthcare and described Donald Trump ’ s potential reelection as an “ existential threat ” .
“ We live in the richest country in history and yet we do not guarantee this most basic human right , ” Barkan said .
“ Everyone living in America should get the healthcare they need regardless of their employment status or ability to pay.
” The Biden campaign also produced a video focused on Biden ’ s friendship with longtime Republican senator @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cancer two years ago .
• Democrats continued their theme of highlighting Republican endorsements of Biden .
Former secretary of state Colin Powell and former defense secretary Chuck Hagel both praised Biden as a leader with the necessary skills to guide the country through a global pandemic and move past the divisions of Trump ’ s presidency .
“ What a difference it will make to have a president who unites us , who restores our strength and our soul , ” Powell said .
The endorsements marked the latest effort by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who voted for Barack Obama but flipped to supporting Trump in 2016 .
• The New York congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez delivered a nominating speech for the Vermont senator Bernie Sanders , sparking some confusion on social media .
By the rules of the convention , each candidate who passes a certain delegate threshold are required to be nominated and included in the roll call vote .
However , some Twitter users appeared to incorrectly believe the progressive woman was trying to snub Biden by endorsing Sanders , prompting Ocasio-Cortez herself to clear up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ complicated convention rules over Twitter is quite the headache .
The Guardian team will be back again tomorrow .
Thank you for following along with our convention coverage tonight .

Joan E Greve in Washington and Maanvi Singh

19 Aug 2020 06.06 BST Key takeaways from the second night of the Democratic convention That’s it from us tonight. The Guardian team will be back tomorrow for the third night of the Democratic convention, when vice-presidential candidate Kamala Harris will deliver her speech. Here are the key takeaways from the night: Joe Biden was formally nominated for president with an impressive virtual roll call vote. Because Democrats are not able to meet in person in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, this week, each state delegation filmed a video to cast their votes for president. The videos provided a vibrant visualization of every region in the country, and the well-received presentation raised the possibility that future conventions could retain certain elements of this year’s virtual event.
Because are not able to meet in person in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, this week, each state delegation filmed a video to cast their votes for president. The videos provided a vibrant visualization of every region in the country, and the well-received presentation raised the possibility that future conventions could retain certain elements of this year’s virtual event. Jill Biden offered a personal case for the election of her husband. The Biden campaign produced a moving video recounting how Jill met her future husband shortly after his first wife and his young daughter were killed in a car accident. Biden also reflected on the sorrow of losing their eldest son, Beau, to brain cancer at the age of 46. The former second lady argued that her husband’s continued commitment to public service, despite these devastating losses, underscored how he would lead the country through this moment of crisis. “How do you make a broken family whole? The same way you make a nation whole,” Biden said. “With love and understanding – and with small acts of kindness. With bravery. With unwavering faith.”
The Biden campaign produced a moving video recounting how Jill met her future husband shortly after his first wife and his young daughter were killed in a car accident. Biden also reflected on the sorrow of losing their eldest son, Beau, to brain cancer at the age of 46. The former second lady argued that her husband’s continued commitment to public service, despite these devastating losses, underscored how he would lead the country through this moment of crisis. “How do you make a broken family whole? The same way you make a nation whole,” Biden said. “With love and understanding – and with small acts of kindness. With bravery. With unwavering faith.” It was an emotional night, with many moments tugging on viewers’ heartstrings. In addition to the Bidens recounting the loss of their family members, progressive activist Ady Barkan , who is has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), made an emotional plea for expanding access to quality healthcare and described Donald Trump ’s potential reelection as an “existential threat”. “We live in the richest country in history and yet we do not guarantee this most basic human right,” Barkan said. “Everyone living in America should get the healthcare they need regardless of their employment status or ability to pay.” The Biden campaign also produced a video focused on Biden’s friendship with longtime Republican senator John McCain , who died of brain cancer two years ago.
In addition to the Bidens recounting the loss of their family members, progressive activist , who is has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), made an emotional plea for expanding access to quality healthcare and described ’s potential reelection as an “existential threat”. “We live in the richest country in history and yet we do not guarantee this most basic human right,” Barkan said. “Everyone living in America should get the healthcare they need regardless of their employment status or ability to pay.” The Biden campaign also produced a video focused on Biden’s friendship with longtime Republican senator , who died of brain cancer two years ago. Democrats continued their theme of highlighting Republican endorsements of Biden. Former secretary of state Colin Powell and former defense secretary Chuck Hagel both praised Biden as a leader with the necessary skills to guide the country through a global pandemic and move past the divisions of Trump’s presidency. “What a difference it will make to have a president who unites us, who restores our strength and our soul,” Powell said. The endorsements marked the latest effort by the Biden camp to appeal to centrist voters who voted for Barack Obama but flipped to supporting Trump in 2016.
Former secretary of state and former defense secretary both praised Biden as a leader with the necessary skills to guide the country through a global pandemic and move past the divisions of Trump’s presidency. “What a difference it will make to have a president who unites us, who restores our strength and our soul,” Powell said. The endorsements marked the latest effort by the Biden camp to appeal to centrist voters who voted for but flipped to supporting Trump in 2016. The New York congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez delivered a nominating speech for the Vermont senator Bernie Sanders, sparking some confusion on social media. By the rules of the convention, each candidate who passes a certain delegate threshold are required to be nominated and included in the roll call vote. However, some Twitter users appeared to incorrectly believe the progressive woman was trying to snub Biden by endorsing Sanders, prompting Ocasio-Cortez herself to clear up the confusion. Lesson learned: explaining complicated convention rules over Twitter is quite the headache. The Guardian team will be back again tomorrow. Thank you for following along with our convention coverage tonight.
Updated at 06.11 BST
19 Aug 2020 05.45 BST Tonight, Sally Yates, Bill Clinton and Chuck Schumer all echoed Michelle Obama’s most memorable condemnation of Donald Trump yesterday: “It is what it is”. The Democrats’ indictment of Trump uses the president’s own words against him. “A thousand Americans are dying a day,” Jonathan Swan of Axios said during a recent interview with Trump. “They are dying. That’s true. And you – it is what it is,” he responded. “But that doesn’t mean we aren’t doing everything we can. It’s under control as much as you can control it.” “President Lincoln, honoring the great sacrifice at Gettysburg, didn’t say ‘It is what it is.’ President Roosevelt, seeing a third of the nation ill-housed, ill-clad, and ill-nourished, didn’t say ‘It is what it is.’ America, Donald Trump has quit on you,” Schumer said. – Maanvi Singh
Updated at 06.09 BST
19 Aug 2020 05.40 BST Shortly after delivering her nomination speech for Bernie Sanders, progressive congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez took to Instagram Live to encourage her supporters to rally around Joe Biden in November.
Following the #DNC @AOC went on Instagram live to further push her followers to rally in support of Biden and then went on to say, “the moment Joe Biden is elected we continue our fight for guaranteed healthcare, living wages...” pic.twitter.com/3boAgdAlng — Haleigh Hoffman 😷 (@HaleighHoffman) August 19, 2020 However, Ocasio-Cortez also made clear that progressives should continue their fight for Medicare for All and tuition-free public college, among other initiatives. “The moment that Joe Biden is elected, we continue our fight for guaranteed healthcare. We continue our fight for living wages,” Ocasio-Cortez said.
Updated at 06.08 BST
19 Aug 2020 05.33 BST Republican candidate barred from Twitter for hate speech wins Republican nomination for congress While the DNC tonight had focused on the presidential election – Democrats will also face off against Republicans in many down-ballot races across the US. One of those is the congressional race in Palm Beach, Florida district where Donald Trump is registered to vote. The district is expected to favor Democratic incumbent Lois Frankel. Nonetheless, Trump, tonight touted Laura Loomer, the rightwing commentator who was banned from Twitter and Facebook for hate speech against Minnesota Democratic representative Ilhan Omar, who just won the Republican nomination there. – Maanvi Singh
Updated at 06.08 BST
19 Aug 2020 05.24 BST After Jill Biden finished her speech tonight, Joe Biden joined her on screen to offer some kind words about what a wonderful first lady she would be. But some convention viewers noted that sweet moment got off to an awkward start, with Biden’s hand getting caught in the ear loops of her husband’s face mask. pic.twitter.com/qY5mB8KXfP — Peter Stevenson (@PeterStevenson) August 19, 2020
Updated at 05.25 BST
19 Aug 2020 05.19 BST Today, Joe Biden accepted the nomination that he first sought more than three decades ago. Biden’s first bid for the presidency, in the 80s, came to an end after a plagiarism scandal, after it was revealed that he pilfered parts of his closing arguments in debate from a British Labour party politician. – Maanvi Singh
Updated at 06.07 BST
19 Aug 2020 05.14 BST Tomorrow night, Elizabeth Warren and Nancy Pelosi will speak, Kamala Harris will formally accept the vice-presidential nomination and Barack Obama will deliver the keynote address. You can find the full schedule here.
19 Aug 2020 04.56 BST Now here’s more about that calamari cameo ...
Joseph McNamara, left, announces the state’s delegates during the virtual convention as a plate of calamari makes a cameo on the right. Photograph: DNCC/Getty Images The Providence Journal interviewed Joseph McNamara, the man lucky enough to appear alongside the calamari tonight and speak on behalf of Rhode Island’s delegates: “It’s tough for any elected official to say anything in 30 seconds,” said McNamara, who as a state representative from Warwick championed declaring calamari the official “state appetizer.” That, in part, explains why McNamara used his 30 seconds to give the state’s fishing industry — and the squid, in particular — a plug. Filmed on Oakland Beach in Warwick, behind Iggy’s Boardwalk with executive chef John Bordieri close by, holding a plate of calamari, the Rhode Island story McNamara told began with the potential decimation of the state’s fishing industry in the spring, when the state closed restaurants to stop the spread of the coronavirus. Prices dropped dramatically. In some cases, wholesalers stopped buying, and fishermen had no place to sell their catch. To help fishermen navigate this storm, the state temporarily changed some regulations to allow them to peddle their catches directly to consumers, fish markets and restaurants, instead of selling exclusively to wholesalers. Through an emergency regulation on April 17, the state created a direct-sale dealer license for Rhode Island fishermen. McNamara said: “It is a story of adapting ... [and] using innovation during the pandemic to help businesses and industries.” As a result of state marketing efforts, he said, “Rhode Island-style calamari″ is now sold in restaurants nationwide as an “upscale” appetizer which, in turn, has translated into a $60-million-a-year industry. Joseph McNamara is the state’s Democratic party chairman. – Maanvi Singh
Updated at 05.29 BST


theguardian--2020-08-19--Democrats spurn AOC and uplift Bill Clinton  at the party's own risk | Ross Barkan

Though the traditional theater of the Democratic national convention is gone , the screaming delegates and balloon drops swapped for an endless procession of sleek videography , who speaks and for how long is still relevant to how the largest national party in America presents itself to voters .
Embarrassed in 2016 , the Democratic National Committee is trying once more to defeat Donald Trump and is proving , at least so far , it has learned nothing from its catastrophic failure .
On Tuesday night , Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , perhaps the most famous first-term congresswoman in American history and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spoke for just over 90 seconds to a national audience .
Former president Bill Clinton was allotted almost the same amount of time .
Mike Bloomberg , the former Republican mayor of New York City and a failed Democratic presidential candidate will speak more than Ocasio-Cortez this week .
Speaking slots are not the stuff that drive national campaigns .
But the priorities of Democratic elites are clear : they wish the Democratic party will not transform into the party of Ocasio-Cortez , where unapologetic calls for universal healthcare , a real plan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal jobs guarantee are all assumed , without question , to belong to a party platform .
Consigning Ocasio-Cortez , the biggest young star the Democrats have , to a mere minute of airtime is further evidence that those who control the Democratic party hope to marginalize the leftists who seek radical and necessary change .
For now , Democrats may get away with it .
Trump is so noxious and inherently destructive that all Democrats across the ideological spectrum will unite this fall to try to defeat him .
Joe Biden ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forgettable Democratic effort in modern history , may well be enough to elect him the 46th president of the United States , assuming Democratic turnout surges on the day so many voters get a chance to chase Trump from public life .
Hillary Clinton ’ s tepid 2016 campaign could not inspire enough voters in key states , but Biden will have four years of incendiary incompetence and bigotry to run against .
What ’ s dispiriting , but not surprising , is how Democratic elites continue to believe Bill Clinton should be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nation .
Along with George W Bush and Ronald Reagan , it ’ s Clinton who is to blame for the hollowing out of America over the last 30 years .
As a triangulating “ new ” Democrat , he cemented the Reagan legacy by gutting welfare , punishing millions of the most vulnerable Americans .
His belief in free trade chased well-paying , blue-collar jobs beyond the American border , crushing factory towns .
And his championing of draconian criminal justice policy turbocharged the era of mass incarceration .
It is ironic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression , brought about by a once-in-a-century pandemic .
None of the economic dogma Clinton and his allies preached can be embraced today if the nation is to be rescued .
Clinton and his ilk obsessed over cutting the deficit and shrinking government spending .
The New Deal era – of massive , popular public programs to aid the workers most vulnerable to economic downturns – was utterly repudiated .
Even Biden , a disciple of the same anti-progressive movement , has acknowledged only trillions of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economy around .
He can not afford to take advice from Clinton anymore , not with surging unemployment .
Clinton represents a past no Democrat should want to return to .
The embrace of Bloomberg and John Kasich is particularly blinkered , in light of an alternate universe in which a 30-year-old political superstar is granted a prime-time speaking slot to outline where Democrats should actually go .
Kasich was an anti-union , anti-choice governor who has reinvented himself as a doddering anti-Trump moderate , mostly complaining that Trump is too uncouth to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when this is all done , get back to its austerity roots .
Bloomberg , a billionaire oligarch who failed in his hostile takeover of the Democratic party earlier this year , really has nothing else to say .
Four years ago , speaking at the Democratic convention in Philadelphia , he berated Trump as a con man , winning plaudits from vapid party elders who believed the American people would be moved by the spectacle of a rich man criticizing another rich man .
Despite wasting more than a billion dollars on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ways that money could have been spent – Bloomberg managed a single primary victory .
If the Democratic party continues to uplift voices like Clinton and Bloomberg while spurning Ocasio-Cortez , it will truly get what it deserves .
• None Ross Barkan is a writer based in New York City

Though the traditional theater of the Democratic national convention is gone, the screaming delegates and balloon drops swapped for an endless procession of sleek videography, who speaks and for how long is still relevant to how the largest national party in America presents itself to voters. Embarrassed in 2016, the Democratic National Committee is trying once more to defeat Donald Trump and is proving, at least so far, it has learned nothing from its catastrophic failure.
On Tuesday night, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, perhaps the most famous first-term congresswoman in American history and a leader of the progressive movement, spoke for just over 90 seconds to a national audience. Former president Bill Clinton was allotted almost the same amount of time. Mike Bloomberg, the former Republican mayor of New York City and a failed Democratic presidential candidate will speak more than Ocasio-Cortez this week.
Speaking slots are not the stuff that drive national campaigns. But the priorities of Democratic elites are clear: they wish the Democratic party will not transform into the party of Ocasio-Cortez, where unapologetic calls for universal healthcare, a real plan to combat climate change, and a federal jobs guarantee are all assumed, without question, to belong to a party platform. Consigning Ocasio-Cortez, the biggest young star the Democrats have, to a mere minute of airtime is further evidence that those who control the Democratic party hope to marginalize the leftists who seek radical and necessary change.
For now, Democrats may get away with it. Trump is so noxious and inherently destructive that all Democrats across the ideological spectrum will unite this fall to try to defeat him. Joe Biden’s tired campaign, perhaps the most forgettable Democratic effort in modern history, may well be enough to elect him the 46th president of the United States, assuming Democratic turnout surges on the day so many voters get a chance to chase Trump from public life. Hillary Clinton’s tepid 2016 campaign could not inspire enough voters in key states, but Biden will have four years of incendiary incompetence and bigotry to run against.
What’s dispiriting, but not surprising, is how Democratic elites continue to believe Bill Clinton should be exhumed every four years to address the nation. Along with George W Bush and Ronald Reagan, it’s Clinton who is to blame for the hollowing out of America over the last 30 years. As a triangulating “new” Democrat, he cemented the Reagan legacy by gutting welfare, punishing millions of the most vulnerable Americans. His belief in free trade chased well-paying, blue-collar jobs beyond the American border, crushing factory towns. And his championing of draconian criminal justice policy turbocharged the era of mass incarceration.
It is ironic Clinton was called upon to speak during the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, brought about by a once-in-a-century pandemic. None of the economic dogma Clinton and his allies preached can be embraced today if the nation is to be rescued. Clinton and his ilk obsessed over cutting the deficit and shrinking government spending. The New Deal era – of massive, popular public programs to aid the workers most vulnerable to economic downturns – was utterly repudiated.
Even Biden, a disciple of the same anti-progressive movement, has acknowledged only trillions of dollars in federal spending will turn the economy around. He cannot afford to take advice from Clinton anymore, not with surging unemployment. Clinton represents a past no Democrat should want to return to.
The embrace of Bloomberg and John Kasich is particularly blinkered, in light of an alternate universe in which a 30-year-old political superstar is granted a prime-time speaking slot to outline where Democrats should actually go. Kasich was an anti-union, anti-choice governor who has reinvented himself as a doddering anti-Trump moderate, mostly complaining that Trump is too uncouth to lead a Republican party that should, when this is all done, get back to its austerity roots.
Bloomberg, a billionaire oligarch who failed in his hostile takeover of the Democratic party earlier this year, really has nothing else to say. Four years ago, speaking at the Democratic convention in Philadelphia, he berated Trump as a con man, winning plaudits from vapid party elders who believed the American people would be moved by the spectacle of a rich man criticizing another rich man. Despite wasting more than a billion dollars on his presidential campaign – imagine the better ways that money could have been spent – Bloomberg managed a single primary victory. If the Democratic party continues to uplift voices like Clinton and Bloomberg while spurning Ocasio-Cortez, it will truly get what it deserves.


theguardian--2020-08-19--Moralising about relationships between consenting adults has dangerous precedents | James Greig

In certain corners of the internet , few topics arouse as much rage as that of relationships between people of significantly different ages .
It ’ s a cyclical controversy , which needs only the tiniest spark to reignite it .
If you ’ re unfamiliar with the debate , let me drag you down with me : over the past few years , a sizeable segment of the liberal-left has decided that age gaps within relationships ( eg a 40-year-old going out with a 23-year-old ) are inherently problematic .
It ’ s an attitude which seems to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and social justice politics , both of which rightly place an emphasis on caring for the vulnerable .
The argument goes that age gaps reflect an imbalance of power and therefore leave young people open to coercion or abuse .
The older partner is usually characterised as predatory ; the younger partner as having been taken advantage of , even if they are well into their early twenties .
Crucially , accusations of abuse are made even when the person considered the “ victim ” has alleged no such wrongdoing themselves : for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ criticised for the age-gap between himself and his husband , Brazilian politician David Miranda , despite the fact that Miranda strenuously objected to the implication that there was anything untoward about their relationship .
The fact that the couple had been happily married for 15 years was not sufficient to stop online scolds from informing Miranda that he was , in fact , a victim of grooming .
More recently , Americans have been debating the ethics of age differences after an episode involving vague accusations of ( consensual ) relations between a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ university students .
It ’ s an emotive topic for so many people , I think , because it reminds them of painful experiences they had when they were younger .
For the most part , the anti-age gap sentiment comes from a sincere desire to safeguard vulnerable people .
But , however well-intentioned , it often tips over into an ugly puritanism .
This is particularly troubling when it concerns relationships between queer men , given the stereotypes about predatory gay men it plays into .
The rhetoric often sounds like the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ progressive audience .
This is complicated by the fact that much of the criticism comes from within the queer community itself – but queer people are not immune to being sanctimonious .
Despite the liberal gloss , these arguments have some deeply reactionary precedents .
In the UK , the notion that young gay men lack the agency to consent was central to the campaign against equalising the age of consent , both in 1994 , when it was lowered to 18 , and 2000 , when parity was finally achieved .
During @ @ @ @ @ @ @ boys being “ corrupted ” was a dominant theme .
Michael Howard , then home secretary , said that “ young men ” needed to be protected from “ activities which their lack of maturity might cause them to regret ” .
As an article in the Times put it : “ Most older homosexual men are not predatory ; but some are .
Most young teenagers are not vulnerable to such attentions ; but some are.
” I ’ ve seen it insinuated , time and time again , that gay men @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gaps are inherently exploitative are themselves predators .
So , it ’ s worth stating that , in my late twenties , I remain pathologically resistant to the idea of dating anyone younger than myself .
When I ’ m 70 , I ’ ll be on the hunt for a 78-year-old who ’ ll treat me like a precious , delicate baby .
If I am interested in justifying my own behaviour , it ’ s from the perspective of the younger partner – even if , for the purposes of this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ young ” .
But having been so fairly recently , I can say that the encounters I ’ ve had with older men have been overwhelmingly benign ( which isn ’ t to say they ’ ve all been enjoyable ) .
Part of the problem with this discussion is the emphasis on “ lived experience ” , which means that the person most willing to reveal their trauma , and identify as a survivor , is credited with the most authority .
While I resent playing into this , it does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experienced violence from men my own age .
The fact that I ’ ve had a comparatively good time with older men is random and idiosyncratic , as people ’ s personal lives usually are , and proves nothing : my experiences aren ’ t more representative than anyone else ’ s .
But I don ’ t think they ’ re less so either .
If we ’ re to figure out a reasonable ethics for this , we have to consider the whole picture .
A prescriptive , one-size-fits-all rule between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ignores the complexities of desire .
Sometimes we ’ re attracted to people precisely because they hold some power over us .
We are drawn towards those who are more confident or charismatic than we are .
It ’ s possible to find yourself terrorised by someone born within a year of you simply because they have the kind of personality that makes them want to control others .
Obsessing over which age gaps are acceptable occludes the wider range of contexts in which abuse occurs .
We should listen to people when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ else , when they tell us they have been treated badly .
“ Believe survivors ” is a solid maxim , but the left should refrain from moralising about the sex lives of consenting adults .
We can find something distasteful or even contemptible , without it being unjust or immoral .
We should trust people when they tell us that their relationships are abusive ; equally , we should trust when they tell us that they ’ re fine .

In certain corners of the internet, few topics arouse as much rage as that of relationships between people of significantly different ages. It’s a cyclical controversy, which needs only the tiniest spark to reignite it.
If you’re unfamiliar with the debate, let me drag you down with me: over the past few years, a sizeable segment of the liberal-left has decided that age gaps within relationships (eg a 40-year-old going out with a 23-year-old) are inherently problematic. It’s an attitude which seems to be derived from a confluence of post-MeToo feminism and social justice politics, both of which rightly place an emphasis on caring for the vulnerable. The argument goes that age gaps reflect an imbalance of power and therefore leave young people open to coercion or abuse. The older partner is usually characterised as predatory; the younger partner as having been taken advantage of, even if they are well into their early twenties.
Crucially, accusations of abuse are made even when the person considered the “victim” has alleged no such wrongdoing themselves: for example, journalist Glenn Greenwald was recently criticised for the age-gap between himself and his husband, Brazilian politician David Miranda, despite the fact that Miranda strenuously objected to the implication that there was anything untoward about their relationship. The fact that the couple had been happily married for 15 years was not sufficient to stop online scolds from informing Miranda that he was, in fact, a victim of grooming. More recently, Americans have been debating the ethics of age differences after an episode involving vague accusations of (consensual) relations between a congressional candidate and college instructor, and university students.
It’s an emotive topic for so many people, I think, because it reminds them of painful experiences they had when they were younger. For the most part, the anti-age gap sentiment comes from a sincere desire to safeguard vulnerable people. But, however well-intentioned, it often tips over into an ugly puritanism. This is particularly troubling when it concerns relationships between queer men, given the stereotypes about predatory gay men it plays into. The rhetoric often sounds like the hoariest old homophobia, repackaged for a progressive audience. This is complicated by the fact that much of the criticism comes from within the queer community itself – but queer people are not immune to being sanctimonious.
Despite the liberal gloss, these arguments have some deeply reactionary precedents. In the UK, the notion that young gay men lack the agency to consent was central to the campaign against equalising the age of consent, both in 1994, when it was lowered to 18, and 2000, when parity was finally achieved. During the debates, the notion of young boys being “corrupted” was a dominant theme. Michael Howard, then home secretary, said that “young men” needed to be protected from “activities which their lack of maturity might cause them to regret”. As an article in the Times put it: “Most older homosexual men are not predatory; but some are. Most young teenagers are not vulnerable to such attentions; but some are.”
I’ve seen it insinuated, time and time again, that gay men who argue against the idea that age gaps are inherently exploitative are themselves predators. So, it’s worth stating that, in my late twenties, I remain pathologically resistant to the idea of dating anyone younger than myself. When I’m 70, I’ll be on the hunt for a 78-year-old who’ll treat me like a precious, delicate baby. If I am interested in justifying my own behaviour, it’s from the perspective of the younger partner – even if, for the purposes of this debate, I’m no longer “young”.
But having been so fairly recently, I can say that the encounters I’ve had with older men have been overwhelmingly benign (which isn’t to say they’ve all been enjoyable). Part of the problem with this discussion is the emphasis on “lived experience”, which means that the person most willing to reveal their trauma, and identify as a survivor, is credited with the most authority. While I resent playing into this, it does feel relevant to say that I have experienced violence from men my own age. The fact that I’ve had a comparatively good time with older men is random and idiosyncratic, as people’s personal lives usually are, and proves nothing: my experiences aren’t more representative than anyone else’s. But I don’t think they’re less so either. If we’re to figure out a reasonable ethics for this, we have to consider the whole picture.
A prescriptive, one-size-fits-all rule between consenting adults cannot work because it ignores the complexities of desire. Sometimes we’re attracted to people precisely because they hold some power over us. We are drawn towards those who are more confident or charismatic than we are. It’s possible to find yourself terrorised by someone born within a year of you simply because they have the kind of personality that makes them want to control others. Obsessing over which age gaps are acceptable occludes the wider range of contexts in which abuse occurs.
We should listen to people when their agency is being thwarted by someone else, when they tell us they have been treated badly. “Believe survivors” is a solid maxim, but the left should refrain from moralising about the sex lives of consenting adults. We can find something distasteful or even contemptible, without it being unjust or immoral. We should trust people when they tell us that their relationships are abusive; equally, we should trust when they tell us that they’re fine.


theguardian--2020-08-19--Emotional stories and a virtual roll call backing Biden: day two at the DNC – video highlights

Democrats formally nominated Joe Biden for president during an emotional second night of their party ’ s virtual convention , @ @ @ @ @ an 'existential threat ' to America who had failed to get a grip on the @ @ @ @ @ the key moments from the evening • Jill Biden closes second night as Joe formally @ @ @ @ @ happened • Sign up to our First Thing newsletter

Democrats formally nominated Joe Biden for president during an emotional second night of their party’s virtual convention, warning that Donald Trump was an 'existential threat' to America who had failed to get a grip on the coronavirus pandemic. Here are the key moments from the evening


theguardian--2020-08-19--Activist Ady Barkan delivers powerful speech on protecting US healthcare – video

Prominent activist Ady Barkan called on voters to act in the forthcoming presidential election to safeguard the future of the @ @ @ @ @ during this terrible crisis , Donald Trump and Republican politicians are trying to take away @ @ @ @ @ insurance , ' Barkan said on the second night of the Democratic national convention

Prominent activist Ady Barkan called on voters to act in the forthcoming presidential election to safeguard the future of the US healthcare system.
'Even during this terrible crisis, Donald Trump and Republican politicians are trying to take away millions of people's health insurance,' Barkan said on the second night of the Democratic national convention


theguardian--2020-08-19--Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez praises Bernie Sanders in DNC speech – video

In a symbolic speech at the Democratic National Convention , New York congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez praised Bernie Sanders for his @ @ @ @ @ our democracy ' , calling it ' a movement that realized the unsustainable brutality of @ @ @ @ @ inequalities of wealth for the few at the expense of long-term stability for the many @ @ @ @ @ was formally nominated for president , Ocasio-Cortez delivered this short nominating speech Sanders , but @ @ @ @ @ media as some appeared to incorrectly believe she was trying to snub Biden .
Ocasio-Cortez @ @ @ @ @ was standard procedure in order for Sanders to be included in the roll call .
@ @ @ @ @ the primary contest • Virtual roll call and emotional stories : key takeaways from the @ @ @ @

In a symbolic speech at the Democratic National Convention, New York congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez praised Bernie Sanders for his 'historic grassroots campaign to reclaim our democracy', calling it 'a movement that realized the unsustainable brutality of an economy that rewards explosive inequalities of wealth for the few at the expense of long-term stability for the many'.
Before Joe Biden was formally nominated for president, Ocasio-Cortez delivered this short nominating speech Sanders, but there was confusion on social media as some appeared to incorrectly believe she was trying to snub Biden. Ocasio-Cortez explained on Twitter that it was standard procedure in order for Sanders to be included in the roll call. Sanders was the runner-up in the primary contest