theguardian--2020-10-25--Republicans want to open pristine Alaska wilderness to logging. This is a tragedy | Kim Heacox

Forests are the lungs of the Earth .
Around the world , every minute of every day , trees perform magic .
They inhale vast amounts of carbon dioxide , a greenhouse gas , and exhale oxygen , the stuff of life .
They keep things in balance .
And no single forest does this better – contains more living plant life per area , or stores more carbon – than the 17m-acre Tongass national forest in coastal Alaska .
Take a deep breath .
The oxygen you just pulled into your lungs that entered your bloodstream and nourished your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Amazon of North America , the Tongass is mostly a roadless , wilderness kingdom of mosses , lichens , salmon , deer , bald eagles and bears – all beneath ice-capped mountains , ribboned with blue glaciers , blanketed with green , shaggy stands of Sitka spruce , western red cedar and western hemlock .
Trees up to 10 feet in diameter , 200 feet tall , and 800 years old .
But while the Amazon is a tropical rainforest , the Tongass , found at the mid-latitudes , is a temperate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Earth ( found only in coastal Alaska and British Columbia , the Pacific north-west , the southern coast of Chile , and the South Island of New Zealand ) .
A true old-growth forest , the Tongass represents a council of ancients .
Indigenous Tlingit elders say it is rich with answers – even wisdom – if we ask the right questions and show proper restraint .
And what does the Trump administration intend to do with it ?
Open it up for business .
Their plan , more than two years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Alaska senator Lisa Murkowski , secretary of agriculture , Sonny Perdue , and Alaska governor , Mike Dunleavy – all Republicans bereft of a science education and an ecological conscience – is simple and wrongheaded : put the Tongass back to work as a so-called “ healthy ” forest , according to Mr Perdue .
How ?
By re-introducing large-scale clearcut logging and extensive road building on 9.3m acres .
To do this , they must exempt Alaska from the 2001 US Forest Service “ Roadless Rule ” , an enlightened conservation initiative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ short , the Tongass would no longer be protected .
A final decision is likely to be released later this month .
Never mind that 96 % of thousands of recent public comments say the Tongass should remain roadless to protect clean water , salmon streams , wildlife habitat and old-growth trees .
Never mind as well that logging the Tongass would create few jobs while adding to an already bloated federal deficit .
Back in the 1970s , 80s and 90s , taxpaying Americans anted up an average of $ 30m a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1,000 board feet of timber for less money than the cost of a cheeseburger .
All while many of the trees were shipped “ in the round ” ( as whole logs ) to Asia to become rayon , cellophane and other throwaway consumer goods .
Another sale generated only 2.5 cents on every dollar the Forest Service spent building roads and preparing paperwork .
And today ?
To build roads in the Tongass would cost taxpayers up to $ 500,000 a mile .
Anthropologist and former Alaska writer laureate Richard Nelson , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ edge of the Tongass , once said he wasn ’ t bothered when he found a stump in the forest .
What broke his heart was when he came upon a “ forest of stumps ” .
Entire mountainsides , valleys and islands shorn of trees .
Yes , parts of the Tongass can be responsibly cut , and are .
Many local Alaska economies use second-growth stands to harvest good building materials .
And yes , a ravaged forest will return , but not for a long time .
The Alaska department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , industrial-scale Tongass clearcuts need more than 200 years to “ acquire the uneven-aged tree structure and understory characteristic of old growth ” .
That is , to be truly healthy and robust again .
This according to scientists , not politicians .
The wholesale destruction of our imperiled planet ’ s most life-sustaining forests has to stop .
How ?
A good first step : vote for politicians who make decisions based on solid science .
Between 2001 and 2017 , 800m acres of tree cover ( an area nearly 50 times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , all while global temperatures climbed , wild birds and mammals perished by the billions , and fires , hurricanes , tornadoes and droughts intensified .
And since 2017 ?
Witness Australia and California .
What few large , primal forests remain intact today , such the Tongass , become increasingly valuable for their ability to mitigate climate change .
Scientists call this “ pro-forestation ” : the practice of leaving mature forests intact to reach their full ecological potential .
The Tongass alone sequesters 3m tons of C0 annually , the equivalent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ roads of the US every year .
The better we understand science and indigenous wisdom , the better we ’ ll recognize the living Earth as a great teacher that ’ s fast becoming our ailing dependent .
We each get three minutes without oxygen , and we ’ re not the only ones .
It ’ s a matter of having a deep and abiding regard for all life .
“ What makes a place special is the way it buries itself inside the heart , ” Nelson wrote in his memoir @ @ @ @ @ @ @ N ] ot whether it ’ s flat or rugged , rich or austere , wet or arid , gentle or harsh , warm or cold , wild or tame .
Every place , like every person , is elevated by the love and respect shown toward it , and by the way in which its bounty is received.
” • None Kim Heacox is the author of books including The Only Kayak , a memoir , and Jimmy Bluefeather , the only novel to ever win the National Outdoor Book Award .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ edge of the Tongass

Forests are the lungs of the Earth.
Around the world, every minute of every day, trees perform magic. They inhale vast amounts of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, and exhale oxygen, the stuff of life. They keep things in balance. And no single forest does this better – contains more living plant life per area, or stores more carbon – than the 17m-acre Tongass national forest in coastal Alaska.
Take a deep breath. The oxygen you just pulled into your lungs that entered your bloodstream and nourished your mind was once in a tree.
The Amazon of North America, the Tongass is mostly a roadless, wilderness kingdom of mosses, lichens, salmon, deer, bald eagles and bears – all beneath ice-capped mountains, ribboned with blue glaciers, blanketed with green, shaggy stands of Sitka spruce, western red cedar and western hemlock. Trees up to 10 feet in diameter, 200 feet tall, and 800 years old. But while the Amazon is a tropical rainforest, the Tongass, found at the mid-latitudes, is a temperate rainforest, one of the rarest biomes on Earth (found only in coastal Alaska and British Columbia, the Pacific north-west, the southern coast of Chile, and the South Island of New Zealand).
A true old-growth forest, the Tongass represents a council of ancients. Indigenous Tlingit elders say it is rich with answers – even wisdom – if we ask the right questions and show proper restraint.
And what does the Trump administration intend to do with it?
Open it up for business.
Their plan, more than two years in the making and spearheaded by the Alaska senator Lisa Murkowski, secretary of agriculture, Sonny Perdue, and Alaska governor, Mike Dunleavy – all Republicans bereft of a science education and an ecological conscience – is simple and wrongheaded: put the Tongass back to work as a so-called “healthy” forest, according to Mr Perdue. How? By re-introducing large-scale clearcut logging and extensive road building on 9.3m acres. To do this, they must exempt Alaska from the 2001 US Forest Service “Roadless Rule”, an enlightened conservation initiative that applies to 39 states. In short, the Tongass would no longer be protected.
A final decision is likely to be released later this month.
Never mind that 96% of thousands of recent public comments say the Tongass should remain roadless to protect clean water, salmon streams, wildlife habitat and old-growth trees. Never mind as well that logging the Tongass would create few jobs while adding to an already bloated federal deficit.
Logging in Alaska is heavily subsidized.
Back in the 1970s, 80s and 90s, taxpaying Americans anted up an average of $30m a year. One deficit sale offered every 1,000 board feet of timber for less money than the cost of a cheeseburger. All while many of the trees were shipped “in the round” (as whole logs) to Asia to become rayon, cellophane and other throwaway consumer goods. Another sale generated only 2.5 cents on every dollar the Forest Service spent building roads and preparing paperwork.
And today? To build roads in the Tongass would cost taxpayers up to $500,000 a mile.
The wholesale destruction of our imperiled planet’s most life-sustaining forests has to stop
Anthropologist and former Alaska writer laureate Richard Nelson, who lived in Sitka, on the edge of the Tongass, once said he wasn’t bothered when he found a stump in the forest. What broke his heart was when he came upon a “forest of stumps”. Entire mountainsides, valleys and islands shorn of trees.
Yes, parts of the Tongass can be responsibly cut, and are. Many local Alaska economies use second-growth stands to harvest good building materials.
And yes, a ravaged forest will return, but not for a long time. The Alaska department of fish and game estimates that large, industrial-scale Tongass clearcuts need more than 200 years to “acquire the uneven-aged tree structure and understory characteristic of old growth”. That is, to be truly healthy and robust again. This according to scientists, not politicians.
The wholesale destruction of our imperiled planet’s most life-sustaining forests has to stop. How? A good first step: vote for politicians who make decisions based on solid science.
Between 2001 and 2017, 800m acres of tree cover (an area nearly 50 times larger than the Tongass) disappeared worldwide, all while global temperatures climbed, wild birds and mammals perished by the billions, and fires, hurricanes, tornadoes and droughts intensified. And since 2017? Witness Australia and California.
What few large, primal forests remain intact today, such the Tongass, become increasingly valuable for their ability to mitigate climate change. Scientists call this “pro-forestation”: the practice of leaving mature forests intact to reach their full ecological potential. The Tongass alone sequesters 3m tons of C0 2 annually, the equivalent of removing 650,000 gas-burning cars off the roads of the US every year.
The better we understand science and indigenous wisdom, the better we’ll recognize the living Earth as a great teacher that’s fast becoming our ailing dependent. We each get three minutes without oxygen, and we’re not the only ones. It’s a matter of having a deep and abiding regard for all life.
Call it respect.
“What makes a place special is the way it buries itself inside the heart,” Nelson wrote in his memoir, The Island Within. “[N]ot whether it’s flat or rugged, rich or austere, wet or arid, gentle or harsh, warm or cold, wild or tame. Every place, like every person, is elevated by the love and respect shown toward it, and by the way in which its bounty is received.”


theguardian--2020-10-25--A Joe Biden White House will have little time and less love for ‘Britain’s Trump’ | Andrew Rawnsley

When the long race for the White House ends , another begins : the sprint to be the first European leader to be granted an audience by the new US president .
In 2016 , Theresa May was distraught to have got a wooden spoon in the competition to put in an early congratulatory telephone call to Trump Tower .
That made her even more neuralgic about beating a path to Washington ahead of her European rivals .
Mrs May had to throw in the promise of a Trump state visit to the UK – I rather rudely called it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to ensure that she got to the White House first .
This desperation can make British prime ministers look pathetically needy , but there is a reason why they set so much store by displays of proximity with the Oval Office .
How important a prime minister is to the United States , the planet ’ s largest economy and most potent military force , sends a message about how much influence the UK wields in the world .
So it is telling that Number 10 is resigned to the prospect that Boris @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Joe Biden ’ s call sheet if he becomes the 46th president .
Nor is there any expectation that Mr Johnson will be first in line when they hand out invitations to the White House .
He has already quit a race UK prime ministers are usually pretty good at winning .
“ There is an intrinsic problem for Boris , ” observes Sir Christopher Meyer , the UK ’ s ambassador in Washington during the presidencies of Bill Clinton and George W Bush .
“ The Democrats think Boris is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Being “ Britain ’ s Trump ” goes down almost as poisonously as being Trump himself among many in Team Biden .
They are bracketed together in the minds of Democrats not just because both are rule-breaking populists who have polarised their countries and trashed historic alliances .
Likely members of a Biden administration remember examples of the Tory leader ’ s insultingly Trumpian behaviour .
Ben Rhodes , who was deputy national security adviser when Mr Biden was vice-president to Barack Obama , has remarked : “ I ’ m old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Obama opposed Brexit because he was Kenyan.
” A more recent inflammatory episode exposed a complete absence of thought in Number 10 about the man whom the polls suggest will be the next US president .
One of the most essential things to know about Mr Biden – it would be on the first page if anyone wrote a book called Biden for Beginners – is that he is a Catholic who is extremely proud of his Irish ancestry .
Mr Johnson was either blithe or ignorant about that when he declared that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by dishonouring clauses concerning Ireland in the withdrawal agreement with the EU .
Mr Biden was one of the voices in the chorus of American condemnation that the Johnson government was jeopardising the Good Friday agreement .
“ That was profoundly clumsy and stupid , ” says Sir Chris .
“ It immediately ignited the Irish-American lobby in Washington , which is second in power only to the pro-Israeli lobby.
” Mr Johnson can be quite adept at shape-shifting when he thinks it suits his interests .
He was a liberal mayor of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the anti-immigrant Brexit campaign .
Confronted with a Democrat in the White House , he may try to slough off his Trumpian skin and offer himself as a useful partner for an internationalist president .
For his part , Mr Biden will say that America ’ s ties with the UK are important to him , if only because that is what all American presidents say .
It is nevertheless set to start out as one of the frostiest relationships between Number 10 and the White House since Harold Wilson and Lyndon Johnson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been a large figure in US politics for decades , one well-placed observer says that Number 10 is “ absolutely clueless ” about him and his key people .
In the past , it has been usual for the Washington embassy to attach a diplomat to the campaigns of presidential candidates , the better to get to know their teams and likely priorities in office .
Wary of any suggestion of outside interference in the US election , the Biden team banned meetings with foreign diplomats .
Downing Street has found it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ connections .
Previous Tory governments had good lines of communication to both parties in the US .
This Brexiter-dominated cabinet has cultivated ties solely with Republicans .
It was only very recently and very belatedly that Dominic Raab , the foreign secretary , managed to get some time with Biden allies on Capitol Hill .
If they were smarter , the Johnson government would also have paid a lot of attention to Mr Biden ’ s running mate , Kamala Harris , because she will be a 77-year-old ’ s heartbeat away from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration decides to let bygones be bygones , the Johnson government will still struggle to make itself relevant in Washington .
After a Trump presidency that has massively strained America ’ s historic alliances while often fawning to authoritarians , a Biden presidency will try to reassert US leadership of the world ’ s democracies .
A critical feature of that will be detraumatising the transatlantic relationship .
At a recent Ditchley conference of foreign policy experts from America , Britain and elsewhere , one question that preoccupied the gathering was who would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ friend ” in Europe .
Emmanuel Macron is very eager to secure that status , though others familiar with thinking among the Biden team believe that their highest priority will be re-establishing strong relations with Germany .
Almost no one expects the UK to have preferred partnership status .
After the huge distress to European leaders of enduring a US president who willed the breakup of the European Union , a Biden administration will revert to something much closer to America ’ s traditional post-1945 policy .
Namely that US interests are best @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Having severed its central bond with its neighbours , the UK can no longer hope to offer itself to Washington as America ’ s bridge across the Atlantic .
Searching for areas where the relationship could still be close , some emphasise “ the hard security issues ” – military co-operation , counter-terrorism and intelligence – where there are mutual interests that have historically transcended the personalities of leaders .
“ When the Americans are looking for military help , they ask who are our allies and what have they got ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ this still matters .
But Johnson government officials sound rather desperate when they try to talk up the importance of the UK ’ s much-reduced military heft .
Mr Biden is not planning any wars and , even if he were , the United States can act without the help of Britain .
The biggest foreign policy challenge of the Biden presidency will be managing his country ’ s tense strategic competition with China while avoiding a deterioration into armed confrontation .
Britain ’ s ability to be of use to Washington in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to apply meaningful pressure on China is not high .
The UK government has protested in vain about China ’ s treatment of Hong Kong .
Downing Street also sounds as if it is clutching at very feeble straws when it suggests that there will be an opportunity to win favour next year when Britain hosts the UN climate change conference .
Mr Biden is not exactly a summit novice and his team have clocked that Britain was mealymouthed when Mr Trump ripped up American commitments to tackling the climate crisis .
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the White House ought to unnerve Mr Johnson .
The Trump presidency emboldens populist nationalists around the world by encouraging them to believe that they are part of an irresistibly triumphant global trend .
Defeat for him will give his one term in office more the character of a freakish spasm and leave imitators looking like purveyors of an ideological style that is going out of fashion .
During the Trump period , Mr Johnson has tried to lever influence with other leaders by presenting himself as the man who has the ear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the White House wild man .
“ Boris Johnson sold himself as the Trump whisperer , ” says Jonathan Powell , a diplomat in Washington before he became Tony Blair ’ s chief of staff .
“ Without Trump , what is the point of Johnson ?
” More existentially , the British may ask themselves where his policies have left this country other than looking alone in a dangerous world .
Brexit has fractured the relationship with Europe , one pillar of the postwar foreign policy .
Now it looks highly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ close relationship with the US , will be shuddering .
• Andrew Rawnsley is Chief Political Commentator of the Observer

When the long race for the White House ends, another begins: the sprint to be the first European leader to be granted an audience by the new US president. In 2016, Theresa May was distraught to have got a wooden spoon in the competition to put in an early congratulatory telephone call to Trump Tower. That made her even more neuralgic about beating a path to Washington ahead of her European rivals. Mrs May had to throw in the promise of a Trump state visit to the UK – I rather rudely called it “pimping out the Queen” – to ensure that she got to the White House first.
This desperation can make British prime ministers look pathetically needy, but there is a reason why they set so much store by displays of proximity with the Oval Office. How important a prime minister is to the United States, the planet’s largest economy and most potent military force, sends a message about how much influence the UK wields in the world. So it is telling that Number 10 is resigned to the prospect that Boris Johnson will not be the first name on Joe Biden’s call sheet if he becomes the 46th president. Nor is there any expectation that Mr Johnson will be first in line when they hand out invitations to the White House. He has already quit a race UK prime ministers are usually pretty good at winning.
“There is an intrinsic problem for Boris,” observes Sir Christopher Meyer, the UK’s ambassador in Washington during the presidencies of Bill Clinton and George W Bush. “The Democrats think Boris is a pea from the same pod as Trump.” Being “Britain’s Trump” goes down almost as poisonously as being Trump himself among many in Team Biden. They are bracketed together in the minds of Democrats not just because both are rule-breaking populists who have polarised their countries and trashed historic alliances. Likely members of a Biden administration remember examples of the Tory leader’s insultingly Trumpian behaviour. Ben Rhodes, who was deputy national security adviser when Mr Biden was vice-president to Barack Obama, has remarked: “I’m old enough to remember when Boris Johnson said Obama opposed Brexit because he was Kenyan.” A more recent inflammatory episode exposed a complete absence of thought in Number 10 about the man whom the polls suggest will be the next US president.
It is set to start out as one of the frostiest relationships between Number 10 and the White House since Harold Wilson and Lyndon Johnson
One of the most essential things to know about Mr Biden – it would be on the first page if anyone wrote a book called Biden for Beginners – is that he is a Catholic who is extremely proud of his Irish ancestry. Mr Johnson was either blithe or ignorant about that when he declared that he was ready to break international law by dishonouring clauses concerning Ireland in the withdrawal agreement with the EU. Mr Biden was one of the voices in the chorus of American condemnation that the Johnson government was jeopardising the Good Friday agreement. “That was profoundly clumsy and stupid,” says Sir Chris. “It immediately ignited the Irish-American lobby in Washington, which is second in power only to the pro-Israeli lobby.”
Mr Johnson can be quite adept at shape-shifting when he thinks it suits his interests. He was a liberal mayor of London before he became the face of the anti-immigrant Brexit campaign. Confronted with a Democrat in the White House, he may try to slough off his Trumpian skin and offer himself as a useful partner for an internationalist president. For his part, Mr Biden will say that America’s ties with the UK are important to him, if only because that is what all American presidents say. It is nevertheless set to start out as one of the frostiest relationships between Number 10 and the White House since Harold Wilson and Lyndon Johnson in the 1960s.
Though Mr Biden has been a large figure in US politics for decades, one well-placed observer says that Number 10 is “absolutely clueless” about him and his key people. In the past, it has been usual for the Washington embassy to attach a diplomat to the campaigns of presidential candidates, the better to get to know their teams and likely priorities in office. Wary of any suggestion of outside interference in the US election, the Biden team banned meetings with foreign diplomats. Downing Street has found it hard to find other ways to establish connections. Previous Tory governments had good lines of communication to both parties in the US. This Brexiter-dominated cabinet has cultivated ties solely with Republicans. It was only very recently and very belatedly that Dominic Raab, the foreign secretary, managed to get some time with Biden allies on Capitol Hill. If they were smarter, the Johnson government would also have paid a lot of attention to Mr Biden’s running mate, Kamala Harris, because she will be a 77-year-old’s heartbeat away from the presidency.
Even if a Biden administration decides to let bygones be bygones, the Johnson government will still struggle to make itself relevant in Washington. After a Trump presidency that has massively strained America’s historic alliances while often fawning to authoritarians, a Biden presidency will try to reassert US leadership of the world’s democracies. A critical feature of that will be detraumatising the transatlantic relationship. At a recent Ditchley conference of foreign policy experts from America, Britain and elsewhere, one question that preoccupied the gathering was who would become Mr Biden’s “special friend” in Europe. Emmanuel Macron is very eager to secure that status, though others familiar with thinking among the Biden team believe that their highest priority will be re-establishing strong relations with Germany. Almost no one expects the UK to have preferred partnership status.
Kamala Harris will be a 77-year-old’s heartbeat away from the presidency
After the huge distress to European leaders of enduring a US president who willed the breakup of the European Union, a Biden administration will revert to something much closer to America’s traditional post-1945 policy. Namely that US interests are best served by Europe being stable and cohesive. Having severed its central bond with its neighbours, the UK can no longer hope to offer itself to Washington as America’s bridge across the Atlantic.
Searching for areas where the relationship could still be close, some emphasise “the hard security issues” – military co-operation, counter-terrorism and intelligence – where there are mutual interests that have historically transcended the personalities of leaders. “When the Americans are looking for military help, they ask who are our allies and what have they got?” says one senior Tory who thinks this still matters. But Johnson government officials sound rather desperate when they try to talk up the importance of the UK’s much-reduced military heft. Mr Biden is not planning any wars and, even if he were, the United States can act without the help of Britain.
The biggest foreign policy challenge of the Biden presidency will be managing his country’s tense strategic competition with China while avoiding a deterioration into armed confrontation. Britain’s ability to be of use to Washington in that sphere is limited because our capacity to apply meaningful pressure on China is not high. The UK government has protested in vain about China’s treatment of Hong Kong.
Downing Street also sounds as if it is clutching at very feeble straws when it suggests that there will be an opportunity to win favour next year when Britain hosts the UN climate change conference. Mr Biden is not exactly a summit novice and his team have clocked that Britain was mealymouthed when Mr Trump ripped up American commitments to tackling the climate crisis.
There are compelling reasons why a change at the White House ought to unnerve Mr Johnson. The Trump presidency emboldens populist nationalists around the world by encouraging them to believe that they are part of an irresistibly triumphant global trend. Defeat for him will give his one term in office more the character of a freakish spasm and leave imitators looking like purveyors of an ideological style that is going out of fashion.
During the Trump period, Mr Johnson has tried to lever influence with other leaders by presenting himself as the man who has the ear of, and can help to interpret, the White House wild man. “Boris Johnson sold himself as the Trump whisperer,” says Jonathan Powell, a diplomat in Washington before he became Tony Blair’s chief of staff. “Without Trump, what is the point of Johnson?” More existentially, the British may ask themselves where his policies have left this country other than looking alone in a dangerous world. Brexit has fractured the relationship with Europe, one pillar of the postwar foreign policy. Now it looks highly likely that the other pillar, a close relationship with the US, will be shuddering.


theguardian--2020-10-25--From climate to China, how Joe Biden is plotting America’s restoration

By any measure , Joe Biden is old in the ways of the world .
As Barack Obama ’ s vice-president , he met all the big international actors .
As chairman of the Senate foreign relations committee , he helped direct US foreign policy .
After four years of Donald Trump ’ s manic leadership , the Democrat offers a steady , dependable hand on the tiller .
Biden ’ s grand aim : a glorious American restoration , at home and abroad .
But his long experience cuts both ways .
For many on the left , Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so much a new dawn as a return to the Washington establishment-led policies of the pre-Trump era .
Those hoping for radical action on pressing issues such as the climate crisis , global inequality , or confronting authoritarian “ strongman ” leaders could be disappointed .
If he wins , Biden ’ s supporters say , America will be back in charge at the global helm .
Normal service will resume .
Biden ’ s critics say he is but a pale shadow of his old boss – a cautious , centrist politician @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s vision .
In either case , who Biden selects to be his secretary of state , national security adviser and defence secretary could be crucial .
Pressure from Democratic party progressives such as Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren pushed Biden leftwards during the campaign .
The twin health and economic crises caused by the coronavirus pandemic also shifted his thinking .
He now talks about “ reimagining ” America ’ s relationship with the world .
Whether his views have really changed remains to be seen .
And for all his foreign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden ’ s primary focus , if elected , will be domestic .
Writing in Foreign Affairs magazine earlier this year , he set out a “ foreign policy for the middle class ” whose top priority was “ enabling Americans to succeed in the global economy ” .
Strengthening the US at home was a prerequisite for restoring global leadership , he said .
His priorities were plain .
The idea that America must and should lead internationally , and that Trump “ abdicated ” that duty , is nevertheless hard-wired into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ war .
This assumption of supremacy is challenged nowadays by those who believe post-1989 and post-9/11 US leadership , and particularly its armed interventions abroad , have served neither the US nor the world .
They point to Iraq – a war Biden supported .
“ If you liked US national security policy before Trump mucked things up , then Biden is probably your kind of guy , ” wrote historian Andrew Bacevich , a former army colonel .
“ Install him in the Oval office and the mindless pursuit of ‘ dominance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resume.
” Bacevich argues foreign policy-making – for example , decisions about sanctions on Cuba or Iran – should be taken out of the hands of the foreign policy elite , publicly debated , and democratised .
Biden ’ s is more a top-down approach .
To be fair , he says he will rebuild alliances , nurture multilateralism , and always try diplomacy first .
But the worry remains that his grand project could become a restoration tragedy , heralding a return to old-fashioned , high-handed American exceptionalism .
Trump abandoned the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has pledged to immediately rejoin it , committing the US to meeting international global warming targets by cutting national greenhouse gas emissions .
In July he announced a $ 2tn , four-year plan to invest in a range of climate crisis solutions and a separate scheme to decarbonise the electricity sector by 2035 .
On the pandemic , Biden has said the US will rejoin the World Health Organization and restore funding .
He has proposed a US-led coalition to coordinate the search for a Covid-19 vaccine and new treatments .
Biden says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between democracy and authoritarianism – and that the US must be at the forefront .
“ As a nation , we have to prove to the world that the US is prepared to lead again – not just with the example of our power but also with the power of our example , ” he wrote in Foreign Affairs .
He says he will convene a “ global summit for democracy ” within his first year in office “ to renew the spirit and shared purpose of the nations of the free world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the US presidency is again seen as a principled defender of open and fair elections , judicial independence , human rights , and free speech .
As a man proud of his Irish roots , Biden is strongly opposed to any Brexit outcome that jeopardises the Good Friday agreement or threatens peace in Ireland .
Even if such concerns are allayed , a swift US-UK free trade deal , as promised by Trump , is likely to prove harder to achieve .
Given Boris Johnson ’ s perceived Trump-style brand of rightwing populist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Berlin and Paris , rather than London , as preferred partners on European issues .
Like Obama , he favours a strong , united EU that makes common cause with the US .
Biden may be the undertaker who finally buries the “ special relationship ” .
Despite Trump ’ s repeated claims to the contrary , Biden says he will be tough on China , citing its threats to Taiwan , its “ unfair ” trade practices , and its habit of “ robbing ” American companies of technology and intellectual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proposes “ to build a united front of US allies and partners to confront China ’ s abusive behaviours and human rights violations – even as we seek to cooperate on issues where our interests converge , such as climate change , non-proliferation and global health security ” .
He has been notably critical of Beijing ’ s treatment of Uighur Muslims .
Biden plans to revive the system of nuclear arms control treaties with Russia degraded during the Trump years , starting with an extension of the 2010 New Start strategic arms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says he will rehabilitate the 2015 Iran nuclear deal that Trump abandoned , if Tehran recommits to observing its terms .
On North Korea ’ s nuclear weapons , he has little new to say .
However , the modernisation of the US ’ s own nuclear arsenal , begun by Obama , looks set to continue .
Biden says he wants to reinvigorate Nato and strengthen alliances in Asia ; will adopt a strong deterrent stance in the face of Russia ’ s anti-western machinations ; will try to revive the Israel-Palestine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ end US support for the Saudi war in Yemen ; halt family separations on the Mexican border and reform immigration ; and support the UN and international law .
Like Trump , he also vows to end what he calls “ forever wars ” .
“ We should bring the vast majority of our troops home from wars in Afghanistan and the Middle East and narrowly define our missions as defeating al-Qaida and Isis , ” he states .
Another Middle East war , in Syria , is rarely mentioned .
“ Diplomacy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Biden says .
“ In the conduct of foreign policy , a nation ’ s word is its most valuable asset .
As president , I will elevate diplomacy as the United States ’ principal tool of foreign policy .
”

By any measure, Joe Biden is old in the ways of the world. As Barack Obama’s vice-president, he met all the big international actors. As chairman of the Senate foreign relations committee, he helped direct US foreign policy.
After four years of Donald Trump’s manic leadership, the Democrat offers a steady, dependable hand on the tiller. Biden’s grand aim: a glorious American restoration, at home and abroad.
But his long experience cuts both ways. For many on the left, Biden’s conventional global outlook represents not so much a new dawn as a return to the Washington establishment-led policies of the pre-Trump era.
Those hoping for radical action on pressing issues such as the climate crisis, global inequality, or confronting authoritarian “strongman” leaders could be disappointed.
If he wins, Biden’s supporters say, America will be back in charge at the global helm. Normal service will resume. Biden’s critics say he is but a pale shadow of his old boss – a cautious, centrist politician like Obama but lacking the latter’s vision.
In either case, who Biden selects to be his secretary of state, national security adviser and defence secretary could be crucial.
Pressure from Democratic party progressives such as Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren pushed Biden leftwards during the campaign.
The twin health and economic crises caused by the coronavirus pandemic also shifted his thinking. He now talks about “reimagining” America’s relationship with the world.
Whether his views have really changed remains to be seen. And for all his foreign policy expertise, it’s clear Biden’s primary focus, if elected, will be domestic.
Writing in Foreign Affairs magazine earlier this year, he set out a “foreign policy for the middle class” whose top priority was “enabling Americans to succeed in the global economy”.
Strengthening the US at home was a prerequisite for restoring global leadership, he said. His priorities were plain.
The idea that America must and should lead internationally, and that Trump “abdicated” that duty, is nevertheless hard-wired into Biden, a child of the cold war.
This assumption of supremacy is challenged nowadays by those who believe post-1989 and post-9/11 US leadership, and particularly its armed interventions abroad, have served neither the US nor the world. They point to Iraq – a war Biden supported.
US Marines in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. Joe Biden, like Trump, has said he’d like to bring US troops home. Photograph: Manpreet Romana/AFP via Getty Images
“If you liked US national security policy before Trump mucked things up, then Biden is probably your kind of guy,” wrote historian Andrew Bacevich, a former army colonel. “Install him in the Oval office and the mindless pursuit of ‘dominance in the name of internationalism’ will resume.”
Bacevich argues foreign policy-making – for example, decisions about sanctions on Cuba or Iran – should be taken out of the hands of the foreign policy elite, publicly debated, and democratised.
Biden’s is more a top-down approach. To be fair, he says he will rebuild alliances, nurture multilateralism, and always try diplomacy first.
But the worry remains that his grand project could become a restoration tragedy, heralding a return to old-fashioned, high-handed American exceptionalism.
Climate & health
Wind turbines in Carthage, Maine. Photograph: Robert F Bukaty/AP
Trump abandoned the Paris climate agreement last year; Biden has pledged to immediately rejoin it, committing the US to meeting international global warming targets by cutting national greenhouse gas emissions. In July he announced a $2tn, four-year plan to invest in a range of climate crisis solutions and a separate scheme to decarbonise the electricity sector by 2035. On the pandemic, Biden has said the US will rejoin the World Health Organization and restore funding. He has proposed a US-led coalition to coordinate the search for a Covid-19 vaccine and new treatments.
Democracy & values
Biden says the world is caught in a battle between democracy and authoritarianism – and that the US must be at the forefront. “As a nation, we have to prove to the world that the US is prepared to lead again – not just with the example of our power but also with the power of our example,” he wrote in Foreign Affairs. He says he will convene a “global summit for democracy” within his first year in office “to renew the spirit and shared purpose of the nations of the free world”. He has vowed to ensure the US presidency is again seen as a principled defender of open and fair elections, judicial independence, human rights, and free speech.
Britain & Europe
Biden with German chancellor Angela Merkel in 2013. Photograph: Markus Schreiber/AP
As a man proud of his Irish roots, Biden is strongly opposed to any Brexit outcome that jeopardises the Good Friday agreement or threatens peace in Ireland. Even if such concerns are allayed, a swift US-UK free trade deal, as promised by Trump, is likely to prove harder to achieve. Given Boris Johnson’s perceived Trump-style brand of rightwing populist politics, Biden is expected to call on Berlin and Paris, rather than London, as preferred partners on European issues. Like Obama, he favours a strong, united EU that makes common cause with the US. Biden may be the undertaker who finally buries the “special relationship”.
China
Despite Trump’s repeated claims to the contrary, Biden says he will be tough on China, citing its threats to Taiwan, its “unfair” trade practices, and its habit of “robbing” American companies of technology and intellectual property. To do so, he proposes “to build a united front of US allies and partners to confront China’s abusive behaviours and human rights violations – even as we seek to cooperate on issues where our interests converge, such as climate change, non-proliferation and global health security”. He has been notably critical of Beijing’s treatment of Uighur Muslims.
Nuclear proliferation
A North Korean missile launch in March 2020. Photograph: KCNA/Reuters
Biden plans to revive the system of nuclear arms control treaties with Russia degraded during the Trump years, starting with an extension of the 2010 New Start strategic arms treaty negotiated by Obama. He also says he will rehabilitate the 2015 Iran nuclear deal that Trump abandoned, if Tehran recommits to observing its terms. On North Korea’s nuclear weapons, he has little new to say. However, the modernisation of the US’s own nuclear arsenal, begun by Obama, looks set to continue.
Conflicts
Biden says he wants to reinvigorate Nato and strengthen alliances in Asia; will adopt a strong deterrent stance in the face of Russia’s anti-western machinations; will try to revive the Israel-Palestine peace process short-circuited by Trump; will end US support for the Saudi war in Yemen; halt family separations on the Mexican border and reform immigration; and support the UN and international law. Like Trump, he also vows to end what he calls “forever wars”. “We should bring the vast majority of our troops home from wars in Afghanistan and the Middle East and narrowly define our missions as defeating al-Qaida and Isis,” he states. Another Middle East war, in Syria, is rarely mentioned.
Diplomacy first
“Diplomacy requires credibility and Trump has shattered ours,” Biden says. “In the conduct of foreign policy, a nation’s word is its most valuable asset. As president, I will elevate diplomacy as the United States’ principal tool of foreign policy.”


theguardian--2020-10-25--Trump assaulted American democracy – here's how Democrats can save it | Robert Reich

Barring a miracle , Amy Coney Barrett will be confirmed on Monday as the ninth justice on the US supreme court .
This is a travesty of democracy .
The vote on Barrett ’ s confirmation will occur just eight days before election day .
By contrast , the Senate didn ’ t even hold a hearing on Merrick Garland , who Barack Obama nominated almost a year before the end of his term .
Majority leader Mitch McConnell argued at the time that any vote should wait “ until we have a new president ” .
Barrett was nominated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote by nearly 3m ballots , and who was impeached by the House of Representatives .
When Barrett joins the court , five of the nine justices will have been appointed by presidents who lost the popular vote .
The Republican senators who will vote for her represent 15 million fewer Americans than their Democratic colleagues .
Once on the high court , Barrett will join five other reactionaries who together will be able to declare laws unconstitutional , for perhaps a generation .
Barrett ’ s confirmation is the culmination of years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , rural and white segment of the US population has been imposing its will on the rest of America .
They ’ ve been bankrolled by big business , seeking lower taxes and fewer regulations .
In the event Joe Biden becomes president on 20 January and both houses of Congress come under control of the Democrats , they can reverse this trend .
It may be the last chance – both for the Democrats and , more importantly , for American democracy .
For starters , increase the size of the supreme @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the number of justices .
The court changed size seven times in its first 80 years , from as few as five justices under John Adams to 10 under Abraham Lincoln .
Biden says if elected he ’ ll create a bipartisan commission to study a possible court overhaul “ because it ’ s getting out of whack ” .
That ’ s fine , but he ’ ll need to move quickly .
The window of opportunity could close by the 2022 midterm elections .
Second , abolish the Senate filibuster .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ needed to enact legislation .
This means that if Democrats win a bare majority there , Republicans could block any new legislation Biden hopes to pass .
The filibuster could be ended with a rule change requiring 51 votes .
There is growing support among Democrats for doing this if they gain that many seats .
During the campaign , Biden acknowledged that the filibuster has become a negative force in government .
The filibuster is not in the constitution either .
The most ambitious structural reform would be to rebalance the Senate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been emptying as the US population has shifted to vast megalopolises .
The result is a growing disparity in representation , especially of nonwhite voters .
For example , both California , with a population of 40 million , and Wyoming , whose population is 579,000 , get two senators .
If population trends continue , by 2040 some 40 % of Americans will live in just five states , and half of America will be represented by 18 Senators , the other half by 82 .
This distortion also skews the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s number of electors equals its total of senators and representatives .
Hence , the recent presidents who have lost the popular vote .
This growing imbalance can be remedied by creating more states representing a larger majority of Americans .
At the least , statehood should be granted to Washington DC .
And given that one out of eight Americans now lives in California – whose economy , if it were a separate country , would be the ninth-largest in the world – why not split it into a North and South @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the number of states .
Those who recoil from structural reforms such as the three I ’ ve outlined warn that Republicans will retaliate when they return to power .
That ’ s rubbish .
Republicans have already altered the ground rules .
In 2016 , they failed to win a majority of votes cast for the House , Senate or the presidency , yet secured control of all three .
Barrett ’ s ascent is the latest illustration of how grotesque the power imbalance has become , and how it continues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If not reversed soon , it will be impossible to remedy .
What ’ s at stake is not partisan politics .
It is representative government .
If Democrats get the opportunity , they must redress this growing imbalance – for the sake of democracy .
• None Robert Reich , a former US secretary of labor , is professor of public policy at the University of California at Berkeley and the author of Saving Capitalism : For the Many , Not the Few and The Common Good .
His new book , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ How We Fix It , is out now .
He is a columnist for Guardian US

Barring a miracle, Amy Coney Barrett will be confirmed on Monday as the ninth justice on the US supreme court.
This is a travesty of democracy.
The vote on Barrett’s confirmation will occur just eight days before election day. By contrast, the Senate didn’t even hold a hearing on Merrick Garland, who Barack Obama nominated almost a year before the end of his term. Majority leader Mitch McConnell argued at the time that any vote should wait “until we have a new president”.
Barrett was nominated by a president who lost the popular vote by nearly 3m ballots, and who was impeached by the House of Representatives. When Barrett joins the court, five of the nine justices will have been appointed by presidents who lost the popular vote.
The Republican senators who will vote for her represent 15 million fewer Americans than their Democratic colleagues.
Once on the high court, Barrett will join five other reactionaries who together will be able to declare laws unconstitutional, for perhaps a generation.
The constitution says nothing about the number of justices. The court changed size seven times in its first 80 years
Barrett’s confirmation is the culmination of years in which a shrinking and increasingly conservative, rural and white segment of the US population has been imposing its will on the rest of America. They’ve been bankrolled by big business, seeking lower taxes and fewer regulations.
In the event Joe Biden becomes president on 20 January and both houses of Congress come under control of the Democrats, they can reverse this trend. It may be the last chance – both for the Democrats and, more importantly, for American democracy.
How?
For starters, increase the size of the supreme court. The constitution says nothing about the number of justices. The court changed size seven times in its first 80 years, from as few as five justices under John Adams to 10 under Abraham Lincoln.
Biden says if elected he’ll create a bipartisan commission to study a possible court overhaul “because it’s getting out of whack”. That’s fine, but he’ll need to move quickly. The window of opportunity could close by the 2022 midterm elections.
Second, abolish the Senate filibuster. Under current rules, 60 votes are needed to enact legislation. This means that if Democrats win a bare majority there, Republicans could block any new legislation Biden hopes to pass.
The filibuster could be ended with a rule change requiring 51 votes. There is growing support among Democrats for doing this if they gain that many seats. During the campaign, Biden acknowledged that the filibuster has become a negative force in government.
The filibuster is not in the constitution either.
At the least, statehood should be granted to Washington DC
The most ambitious structural reform would be to rebalance the Senate itself. For decades, rural states have been emptying as the US population has shifted to vast megalopolises. The result is a growing disparity in representation, especially of nonwhite voters.
For example, both California, with a population of 40 million, and Wyoming, whose population is 579,000, get two senators. If population trends continue, by 2040 some 40% of Americans will live in just five states, and half of America will be represented by 18 Senators, the other half by 82.
This distortion also skews the electoral college, because each state’s number of electors equals its total of senators and representatives. Hence, the recent presidents who have lost the popular vote.
This growing imbalance can be remedied by creating more states representing a larger majority of Americans. At the least, statehood should be granted to Washington DC. And given that one out of eight Americans now lives in California – whose economy, if it were a separate country, would be the ninth-largest in the world – why not split it into a North and South California?
The constitution is also silent on the number of states.
Those who recoil from structural reforms such as the three I’ve outlined warn that Republicans will retaliate when they return to power. That’s rubbish. Republicans have already altered the ground rules. In 2016, they failed to win a majority of votes cast for the House, Senate or the presidency, yet secured control of all three.
Barrett’s ascent is the latest illustration of how grotesque the power imbalance has become, and how it continues to entrench itself ever more deeply. If not reversed soon, it will be impossible to remedy.
What’s at stake is not partisan politics. It is representative government. If Democrats get the opportunity, they must redress this growing imbalance – for the sake of democracy.


theguardian--2020-10-25--'This will make lib heads explode': Donald Trump Jr posts 2024 picture

Donald Trump Jr posed in front of a “ Don Jr 2024 ” sign in Nevada on Saturday , posted the picture online and waited for “ the lib heads to explode ” .
“ Hahahahaha , ” wrote the president ’ s oldest son , on Instagram .
“ Oh boy .
This was a sign up at the Fallon Nevada Livestock Auction .
This will make the lib heads explode.
” ( “ Lib ” being short for liberal . )
“ To whomever made that thanks for the compliment … but let ’ s get through 2020 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ !
!
!
” Though Nevada went for Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Joe Biden leads Donald Trump Sr there this year , it is considered a swing state .
Democratic voters are concentrated in Las Vegas and its suburbs while Republicans can be found in more rural areas .
Trump Jr , 42 , is best known as an internet provocateur who shares both his father ’ s brashness and his inclination for sharing disinformation .
Since his father won the White House he has not been involved in policy like his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Jared Kushner , or as active in running the Trump Organization as his brother , Eric .
He also has two half-siblings , Tiffany and Barron .
But Don Jr does seem to be the Trump offspring most inclined to politics and he has turned into a valuable campaign surrogate with a knack for communicating with the president ’ s base .
“ Don Jr represents the emotional center of the MAGA universe , ” Jason Miller , a senior advisor on Trump ’ s campaign , told the New York Times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ America Great Again ” , a Trump slogan .
Trump Jr has only joked about running for office but he – and his sister – have registered strongly in polls regarding notional Republican candidates for 2024 , whether to succeed his father or to attempt to deny Joe Biden a second term .
The president ’ s oldest son has also published two books with political themes , seeing the first top bestseller lists , if with help from the party , and suffering embarrassment over a mistake on the cover of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Pennsylvania Republicans were floating the idea of Trump Jr replacing Pat Toomey , a Republican senator who has announced he will retire .
Trump Jr himself has not spoken about the Pennsylvania seat .
Speaking to the Guardian this week , Rick Wilson , a former Republican consultant and member of the anti-Trump Lincoln Project , called Trump Jr “ a post-Republican Republican … there only to engage in that performative dickery that is lib-owning in the Trump world .
It is a political performance art to show your contempt for norms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on to explain why , should Trump Jr actually consider a run for office , that might be an asset .
“ It has become the ideological underpinning of the GOP .
There ’ s no party of ideas any longer .
There ’ s no there there except for sort of the screeching fury of Trumpism .
”

Donald Trump Jr posed in front of a “Don Jr 2024” sign in Nevada on Saturday, posted the picture online and waited for “the lib heads to explode”.
“Hahahahaha,” wrote the president’s oldest son, on Instagram. “Oh boy. This was a sign up at the Fallon Nevada Livestock Auction. This will make the lib heads explode.” (“Lib” being short for liberal.)
“To whomever made that thanks for the compliment … but let’s get through 2020 with a big win first!!!!!”
Though Nevada went for Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Joe Biden leads Donald Trump Sr there this year, it is considered a swing state. Democratic voters are concentrated in Las Vegas and its suburbs while Republicans can be found in more rural areas.
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Trump Jr, 42, is best known as an internet provocateur who shares both his father’s brashness and his inclination for sharing disinformation.
Since his father won the White House he has not been involved in policy like his sister, Ivanka, and her husband, Jared Kushner, or as active in running the Trump Organization as his brother, Eric. He also has two half-siblings, Tiffany and Barron.
But Don Jr does seem to be the Trump offspring most inclined to politics and he has turned into a valuable campaign surrogate with a knack for communicating with the president’s base.
“Don Jr represents the emotional center of the Maga universe,” Jason Miller, a senior advisor on Trump’s campaign, told the New York Times, using an acronym for “Make America Great Again”, a Trump slogan.
Trump Jr has only joked about running for office but he – and his sister – have registered strongly in polls regarding notional Republican candidates for 2024, whether to succeed his father or to attempt to deny Joe Biden a second term.
The president’s oldest son has also published two books with political themes, seeing the first top bestseller lists, if with help from the party, and suffering embarrassment over a mistake on the cover of the second.
A Vice reporter recently suggested that Pennsylvania Republicans were floating the idea of Trump Jr replacing Pat Toomey, a Republican senator who has announced he will retire. Trump Jr himself has not spoken about the Pennsylvania seat.
Speaking to the Guardian this week, Rick Wilson, a former Republican consultant and member of the anti-Trump Lincoln Project, called Trump Jr “a post-Republican Republican … there only to engage in that performative dickery that is lib-owning in the Trump world. It is a political performance art to show your contempt for norms, institutions and education.”
Wilson went on to explain why, should Trump Jr actually consider a run for office, that might be an asset.
“It has become the ideological underpinning of the GOP. There’s no party of ideas any longer. There’s no there there except for sort of the screeching fury of Trumpism.”


theguardian--2020-10-25--White House chief of staff says 'we're not going to control pandemic', after Pence staffers test pos

White House chief of staff says 'we're not going to control pandemic', after Pence staffers test positive – as it happened

From the Guardian ’ s Richard Luscombe in Miami : Born in Hawaii with deep roots in Chicago , Barack Obama is far removed from the traditional image of Florida Man .
But with two appearances here in four days stumping for Joe Biden , the former president is relishing the atmosphere of the Sunshine State in the final days of the 2020 campaign .
On Tuesday , Obama will follow up Saturday ’ s skewering of Donald Trump at a drive-in rally in North Miami with a similar gathering in Orlando , the exact details yet to be released @ @ @ @ @ @ @ event means that , inside 96 hours , Obama will have made the same number of Florida appearances campaigning for his former vice-president that he did for Hillary Clinton in the last weeks of her run for the White House four years ago , “ Oh , it ’ s good to be back in Florida , ” Obama told the crowd in North Miami , shortly after paying a surprise visit to thank campaign workers in the nearby city of Miami Springs who helped him carry the state in 2008 and 2012 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Florida .
And now I ’ m asking you to deliver for Joe and deliver for Kamala.
” Obama ’ s role in flipping Florida back blue after Trump seized the state by barely 1.2 percent in 2016 is more than just symbolic .
Popular with Hispanic voters to a level that Biden has not been able to achieve , his messaging in a state where 2.5 million Latinos make up 17 percent of the electorate is crucial .
On Saturday , he attacked Trump ’ s handling of the coronavirus pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ African Americans and Latinos harder than anybody in Florida.
” It is a point he is certain to press again on Tuesday in Orlando , the heart of the I-4 corridor with a significant Hispanic population , including about 300,000 Puerto Ricans .
The demographic also offers Obama another opportunity to slam Trump .
Criticism of the president ’ s handling of 2017 ’ s Hurricane Maria , which devastated the island , was loud among Central Florida ’ s Puerto Rican community , with images of Trump casually tossing rolls of paper @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ When a hurricane devastates Puerto Rico , a president ’ s supposed to help it rebuild , not toss paper towels [ or ] withhold billions of dollars in aid until just before an election , ” Obama told the crowd in Miami .
Expect more of the same in Orlando on Tuesday as Trump , the ultimate Florida Man , gets roasted by his nemesis once again .

Lauren Aratani in New York (now), Bryan Armen Graham  and Martin Pengelly (earlier)

25 Oct 2020 21.32 GMT Summary Here’s a quick overview of what happened today: The Senate, which is in the middle of a special weekend session, made its final step toward confirming Amy Coney Barrett to the US Supreme Court. Senate Republicans overrode a Democratic filibuster and are set to confirm Barrett tomorrow night.
Senate Republicans overrode a Democratic filibuster and are set to confirm Barrett tomorrow night. White House chief of staff Mark Meadows said in an interview with CNN that the president is “not going to control the pandemic”. The unusually candid statement gave insight into the mindset of a White House that has, from the beginning, played down the effect of the coronavirus.
The unusually candid statement gave insight into the mindset of a White House that has, from the beginning, played down the effect of the coronavirus. Meanwhile, the US merely set a new Covid case record on Saturday, coming close to the 83,757 cases that were reported on Friday – the highest number in a single day – at 83,718 new cases. US health officials have for weeks voiced concerns of a new surge as the weather gets colder, and people stay indoors where the virus is more likely to spread. We’ll be back tomorrow with more live updates. Thanks for reading.
25 Oct 2020 21.24 GMT A ballot drop box that held more than 120 ballots was set on fire in Boston earlier Sunday. The box was outside the Boston Public Library in downtown Boston. Police say that the fire appears to have been a “deliberate attack”. Officials said that of the 122 ballots that were inside the box when it was emptied, and 87 of the ballots were still legible and able to process. The Massachusetts secretary of state said that voters whose ballots were affected by the fire will be sent a new ballot and will also have the option of voting early in person, if they choose. Security cameras around the box showed footage of a person setting fire to the box. The Boston Police Department is asking the public to help identify the person who started the fire. BPD Investigating Ballot Box Fire in the area of 700 Boylston Street in Boston. https://t.co/8FYA34H815 pic.twitter.com/FNrO1PpEUg — Boston Police Dept. (@bostonpolice) October 25, 2020 In a joint statement, William Galvin, Massachusetts’ secretary of state, and Boston mayor Marty Walsh said: “We ask voters not to be intimidated by this bad act, and remain committed to making their voices heard in this and every election.”
25 Oct 2020 21.08 GMT Donald Trump Jr. posed in front of a “Don Jr. 2024” sign for a picture he posted on Instagram yesterday. “Hahahahaha. Oh boy. This was a sign up at the Fallon Nevada Livestock Auction,” he wrote on Instagram. “This will make the lib heads explode. To whomever made that thanks for the compliment… but let’s get through 2020 with a big win first!!!!!” Hmm. Don Jr not going out of his way to play down the 2024 speculation. pic.twitter.com/G99NigQSpA — Ben Riley-Smith (@benrileysmith) October 24, 2020 Though Nevada went blue for Hillary Clinton in 2016, the state is technically a swing state that leans slightly left. Joe Biden holds a lead over Trump in the state, where Democratic voters are concentrated in Las Vegas and its surrounding suburbs while Republicans can be found in more rural areas of the state. Donald Trump Jr, 42, is best known for being an internet provocateur, complementing his father’s brashness and inclination for sharing disinformation on Twitter. Trump hasn’t been as involved in White House policy as his sister, Ivanka, and her husband, Jared Kushner, nor has he been as active in running the Trump Organization as his brother, Eric, but Don Jr. has seemed to be the Trump offspring most inclined to politics and has turned into a valuable asset for his father’s campaign. “Don Jr. represents the emotional center of the MAGA universe,” Jason MIller, a senior advisor on Trump’s campaign, told the New York Times. While Trump has only joked about running for office, a Vice reporter suggested that Pennsylvania Republicans were floating the idea of Trump replacing a Republican Senator from the state who will be retiring. Trump himself has not spoken about the Pennsylvania Senate seat.
25 Oct 2020 20.34 GMT At least 58 million Americans have voted in the 2020 general election through early voting, according to Michael McDonald, a professor at the University of Florida who is running the US Election Project that’s keeping tabs on early voting count. Using individual state reports with ballot counts, the project estimates that 39.7 million Americans have voted by mail while 19 million have voted early in-person. Over 19 million of the total early votes come from California, Texas and Florida – the states with the highest population. Across 19 states that provide party registration with their reports, 13 million have been Democrat while 7 million are Republican. Another 6 million are registered independents. On Twitter, McDonald pointed out that Texas has hit nearly 80% of the total turnout in the state in 2016. McDonald has suggested that this election could have the highest voter turnout since 1908, with an estimated 65% of eligible voters participating in the election. #earlyvote morning update 10/25
At least 58 million people have voted in the 2020 general election 🥳https://t.co/s8K2xFDeSA pic.twitter.com/8NI64sWGRq — Michael McDonald (@ElectProject) October 25, 2020 Joining the group of early voters is this interesting group of Joe Biden supporters in Nevada. Nevada:
Biden voters. Latinos. On horseback. In style.
This is my America... pic.twitter.com/8ri9Ur7SyH — Rex Chapman🏇🏼 (@RexChapman) October 25, 2020
25 Oct 2020 20.13 GMT From the Guardian’s Richard Luscombe in Miami: Born in Hawaii with deep roots in Chicago, Barack Obama is far removed from the traditional image of Florida Man. But with two appearances here in four days stumping for Joe Biden, the former president is relishing the atmosphere of the Sunshine State in the final days of the 2020 campaign. On Tuesday, Obama will follow up Saturday’s skewering of Donald Trump at a drive-in rally in North Miami with a similar gathering in Orlando, the exact details yet to be released by the Biden campaign. But the event means that, inside 96 hours, Obama will have made the same number of Florida appearances campaigning for his former vice-president that he did for Hillary Clinton in the last weeks of her run for the White House four years ago, “Oh, it’s good to be back in Florida,” Obama told the crowd in North Miami, shortly after paying a surprise visit to thank campaign workers in the nearby city of Miami Springs who helped him carry the state in 2008 and 2012. “You delivered twice for me, Florida. And now I’m asking you to deliver for Joe and deliver for Kamala.” Obama’s role in flipping Florida back blue after Trump seized the state by barely 1.2 percent in 2016 is more than just symbolic. Popular with Hispanic voters to a level that Biden has not been able to achieve, his messaging in a state where 2.5 million Latinos make up 17 percent of the electorate is crucial. On Saturday, he attacked Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, and noted it had “hit African Americans and Latinos harder than anybody in Florida.” It is a point he is certain to press again on Tuesday in Orlando, the heart of the I-4 corridor with a significant Hispanic population, including about 300,000 Puerto Ricans. The demographic also offers Obama another opportunity to slam Trump. Criticism of the president’s handling of 2017’s Hurricane Maria, which devastated the island, was loud among Central Florida’s Puerto Rican community, with images of Trump casually tossing rolls of paper towels to suffering residents still fresh. “When a hurricane devastates Puerto Rico, a president’s supposed to help it rebuild, not toss paper towels [or] withhold billions of dollars in aid until just before an election,” Obama told the crowd in Miami. Expect more of the same in Orlando on Tuesday as Trump, the ultimate Florida Man, gets roasted by his nemesis once again.
25 Oct 2020 19.53 GMT Joe Biden released a statement in response to White House chief of staff Mark Meadows’ interview with CNN today where he said that the White House is not going to control the pandemic. “We’re not going to control the pandemic. We’re going to control the fact that we get a vaccine, therapeutics and other mitigation,” Meadows told CNN’s Jake Tapper. Biden said that the interview wasn’t a slip-up, but “a candid acknowledgement of what President Trump’s strategy has clearly been from the beginning of this crisis: to wave the white flag of defeat and hope that by ignoring it, the virus would simply go away. It hasn’t, and it won’t.” BIDEN: "This wasn't a slip by Meadows, it was a candid acknowledgement of what President Trump's strategy has clearly been from the beginning of this crisis: to wave the white flag of defeat and hope that by ignoring it, the virus would simply go away. It hasn't, and it won't." pic.twitter.com/BTizJZMQdf — Scott Wong (@scottwongDC) October 25, 2020
25 Oct 2020 19.30 GMT Vladimir Putin has made it clear that he’s happy with Donald Trump’s coziness with Russia, but the Kremlin today contradicted Trump and said that he doesn’t believe Joe Biden’s ties with Ukraine are criminal. Trump used Thursday’s debate with Biden as an opportunity to accuse Biden’s son of having unethical ties to Ukraine, accusations that have not been verified and that Biden has denied. According to Reuters, Putin said today that he is willing to work with any US leader, but noted that Biden has “sharp anti-Russian rhetoric”. Here’s more from the Reuters report: Putin appeared less friendly towards Trump in remarks broadcast by Russian state TV on Sunday. In what may be seen by some analysts as an attempt to try to curry favour with the Biden camp, the Russian presdient took the time to knock down what he made clear he regarded as false allegations from Trump about the Bidens. “Yes, in Ukraine he [Hunter Biden] had or maybe still has a business, I don’t know. It doesn’t concern us. It concerns the Americans and the Ukrainians,” said Putin. “But well yes he had at least one company, which he practically headed up, and judging from everything he made good money. I don’t see anything criminal about this, at least we don’t know anything about this [being criminal]”.
25 Oct 2020 19.00 GMT Mike Pence, who as vice president is technically the president of the Senate, is coming under criticism from Democrats for planning to come into the chamber to preside over the vote for Amy Coney Barrett’s confirmation to the Supreme Court. At a rally in Florida yesterday, Pence said “I wouldn’t miss that vote for the world”. Pence’s appearance would be symbolic as he does not need to be physically present in the Senate for the confirmation to go through. Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer denounced Pence’s plan to attend the vote tomorrow, saying it sets “a terrible, terrible example for the American public”. “It is clear to me that their closing message is that they’re going to personally deliver Covid to as many people as possible,” Brian Schatz, a Democratic senator for Hawaii, told a reporter. “It is clear to me that their closing message is that they’re going to personally deliver COVID to as many people as possible,” Schatz adds — Igor Bobic (@igorbobic) October 25, 2020 At least five people close to Pence, including his chief of staff, have tested positive for Covid-19. A White House official said Sunday that Pence and his wife have tested negative for the virus. His office said that the vice president does not plan to quarantine. Guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) say a person should quarantine for 14 days if they were in close contact with a person who tested positive, even if they themselves do not have symptoms or tested negative. Pence, who is head of the White House’s coronavirus task force, has said that he can bypass CDC guidelines because he is an essential worker – a claim that has been questioned by health experts.
25 Oct 2020 18.27 GMT Ed Pilkington Andrew Cuomo, the governor of New York state, is having a field day over the comments of the White House chief of staff Mark Meadows this morning. In a rare moment of transparency, Meadows admitted to a Sunday political talk show that the Trump administration had no intention of containing coronavirus, saying: “We’re not going to control the pandemic”. Cuomo said that thinking was tantamount to giving in to the virus. “They surrendered without firing a shot. It was the great American surrender,” he said on Sunday, as reported by the Daily News. The New York governor said that the Trump administration’s approach to Covid was summed up from the start by such capitulation. “They have believed from the beginning that they can’t control the virus,” he said. By contrast, Cuomo prides himself on having wrestled coronavirus to the ground. After a bad start to the pandemic, which saw New York City become the world’s top hotspot, the rate of infection has been reduced to one of the lowest in the country through an aggressive program of testing and contact tracing. There have been a total of almost 500,000 confirmed cases in the state, and 25,730 deaths. About 120,000 New Yorkers are being tested every day. “What we learned in New York was, if you put up a fight you will have won. Because New York won,” Cuomo said.
25 Oct 2020 18.10 GMT After the Senate voted to move forward with the final vote to confirm Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, Mitch McConnell spoke on the Senate floor, celebrating the lasting influence of the vote for posterity. “By tomorrow night, we’ll have a new member of the United States Supreme Court,” he told the chamber. McConnell acknowledged that this election could change the tide in Washington but said that not much could be done to change the nature of the court “for a long time to come”. McConnell, just after the Senate votes to limit debate on Amy Coney Barrett: "A lot of what we’ve done over the last four years will be undone sooner or later by the next election. They won’t be able to do much about this for a long time to come." — Nicholas Fandos (@npfandos) October 25, 2020 One Capitol Hill reporter noted that it appears the bruising on McConnell’s face and hands that were seen on Friday appeared to have gotten better. Apparently, getting three judges onto the Supreme Court in four years can do wonders to one’s health. Also, McConnell's right hand, which was deeply bruised earlier this week and prompted several Qs about his health, appears much better. Most of the bruising is gone https://t.co/WPFJcqsog2 — Seung Min Kim (@seungminkim) October 25, 2020
Updated at 18.19 GMT
25 Oct 2020 17.35 GMT Senate to confirm Amy Coney Barrett to Supreme Court tomorrow 01:34 McConnell revels in moving Amy Coney Barrett’s supreme court vote forward – video The Senate just made a 51-48 vote to move forward with the final vote for Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination to the Supreme Court. Republicans overrode a Democratic filibuster with today’s vote, and the final vote for her confirmation will take place tomorrow night. With the Republican majority in the Senate, Barrett’s nomination is pretty much a guarantee, despite weeks of criticism from Democrats about a Supreme Court nomination weeks before the presidential election. #Breaking: Amy Coney Barrett on track for confirmation tomorrow evening after Senate Republicans defeat a Democratic filibuster, 51-48, during a rare Sunday session just nine days before the election — Manu Raju (@mkraju) October 25, 2020
Updated at 20.31 GMT
25 Oct 2020 17.10 GMT The NFL has fined the Tennessee Titans $350,000 for violating protocols leading to the league’s first Covid-19 outbreak during the season, multiple outlets are reporting. The Titans had 24 people, including 13 players, test positive for the coronavirus between 24 September and 11 October. The outbreak led the NFL to postpone two Tennessee games and the rescheduling of a game against Pittsburgh from 4 October to today and the second against Buffalo from 11 October to 13 October. The league and its players association sent officials, including infectious disease experts, to Nashville where they reviewed video and interviewed players, coaches and other personnel. ESPN reports the NFL informed the Titans last week that their review had concluded and the organization would face a potential fine. Individuals would not be disciplined and there was no discussion of forfeiture of draft picks.
25 Oct 2020 16.35 GMT Archie Bland One of the more surprising headlines of the day comes from the Wall Street Journal in: Health Agency Halts Coronavirus Ad Campaign, Leaving Santa Claus in the Cold. The WSJ reports that the Trump administration offered Santa Claus performers a deal: if they agreed to promote a Covid-19 vaccine, they would get early access to it. The story says that performers playing Mrs Claus or elves would also have been included. But the plan has now been called off. The article continues: Ric Erwin, chairman of the Fraternal Order of Real Bearded Santas, called the news “extremely disappointing”, adding: “this was our greatest hope for Christmas 2020, and now it looks like it won’t happen.” You can read more of this belter at the Wall Street Journal (although it’s behind a paywall).
25 Oct 2020 16.08 GMT The US Senate has started day two of a rare weekend session to continue debate over the confirmation of federal appeals court judge Amy Coney Barrett to the supreme court. Democrats have expressed outrage at the vacancy being filled so close to the election – in fact boycotting Thursday’s vote to advance her nomination to the full Senate – but the Republicans’ 53-47 majority in the upper chamber ensures they have the votes they need to approve her nomination and cement a 6-3 conservative majority on the high court for years to come. No supreme court nominee has ever been installed so close to a presidential election and, just four years ago, the Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, and senator Lindsey Graham, who now chairs the judiciary committee, said that installing a nominee in an election year would be a shameful defiance of the will of voters. Barrett, 48, is expected to be confirmed Monday and quickly join the court. This post was amended on 25 October 2020 to give the correct figure for the Republicans’ senate majority.
Updated at 23.21 GMT
25 Oct 2020 16.04 GMT More from Richard Luscombe… Joe Biden’s deputy campaign manager, Kate Bedingfield, was grilled on NBC’s Meet the Press about the Democrat nominee’s “light physical footprint”.
To the backdrop of a graphic comparing Biden’s appearances since September in four key battleground states – North Carolina, Arizona, Florida and Pennsylvania – to Trump’s (the president leads 19-14), host Chuck Todd wanted to know why Biden was concentrating heavily on Georgia instead of more northerly swing states. The answer: Biden is “focused on maintaining as many paths to 270 electoral votes as we possibly can.” Bedingfield also pointed out that at a scheduled appearance in Warm Springs, Georgia, on Tuesday, Biden would deliver his closing arguments at a place “which obviously has historical significance in this country”. Warm Springs is the resort town where the 32nd president, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, built his Little White House, a cottage he used while suffering from polio in the 1930s. “Vice-President Biden has visited all of these battleground states multiple times,” Bedingfield said. “He was in Pennsylvania yesterday, doing two events, along with Dr [Jill] Biden. So no, we have been very aggressively campaigning. “Here’s the difference between what we’re doing and what Donald Trump is doing, we’re doing it safely.” Bedingfield noted that the president’s rallies feature large, mostly maskless crowds with no social distancing. A new CBS poll, meanwhile, showed Biden tied with Trump in Georgia and holding narrow leads in other southern battlegrounds, including Florida and North Carolina. Todd also pressed Bedingfield on Biden’s comments at last week’s final debate about the oil industry. Why, he wondered, would oil workers in Texas or elsewhere support a candidate who supports a transition away from the industry at a risk to their jobs? “There is only one person in this country who Joe Biden thinks should lose his job and it’s Donald Trump,” she said. “Joe Biden … is not going to end the fossil fuel industry, he’s going to end subsidies for the oil industry. He believes your taxpayer dollars should go to education. Donald Trump believes they should go to Exxon. That’s a conversation we’re willing to have any day.”


theguardian--2020-10-25--'They won't be able to do anything about this': McConnell revels in Barrett supreme court vote

“ By tomorrow night , ” Mitch McConnell told Senate Republicans on Sunday , after they voted to limit debate and advance the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett , “ we ’ ll have a new member of the United States supreme court .
“ A lot of what we ’ ve done over the last four years will be undone sooner or later by the next election , ” the majority leader said on the Senate floor .
“ They won ’ t be able to do much about this for a long time to come.
” The Republican @ @ @ @ @ @ @ backed by polling data , that Democrats will take back the White House and the Senate on 3 November .
Sunday ’ s vote moved the Senate closer to a final vote on Donald Trump ’ s third supreme court nominee , a little more than a week before the election .
The confirmation vote is expected on Monday evening .
Two Republicans , Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine , opposed limiting debate .
But Murkowski said on Saturday she intends to vote to confirm .
“ I have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the job and to do it well , ” she said .
No nominee has ever been confirmed this close to an election .
More than 58 million ballots have already been cast .
Democrats boycotted the committee vote on Thursday that advanced the nomination .
Ahead of Monday night ’ s vote , they expressed concerns about the risks of contracting Covid-19 , after several Republican staffers and members of Vice-President Mike Pence ’ s team tested positive .
Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer urged Democrats not to congregate in the chamber @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and from a safe distance ” .
McConnell twice declined to answer questions about whether Pence would come to the chamber to preside on Monday .
At a rally in Florida on Saturday , however , Pence said : “ I wouldn ’ t miss that vote for the world.
” Schumer said Pence “ reportedly intends to come ” , and blasted him for being willing to put “ the health of everyone who works in this building at risk ” .
“ It sets a terrible , terrible example to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrat said .
“ The Republican party is willing to ignore the pandemic to rush this supreme court nomination forward.
” Brian Schatz , a senator for Hawaii , told a reporter : “ It is clear to me that their closing message is that they ’ re going to personally deliver Covid to as many people as possible.
” Republicans did not appear concerned .
“ We ’ ve done a very good job within the Senate to follow the guidelines as best we can and I think the vice-president will do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of South Dakota , adding that Pence was “ very responsible ” .
On Sunday the White House said Pence did not have to follow federal guidelines and quarantine for 14 days because he was an essential worker .
Pence continued campaigning .
With Barrett , the supreme court will have a 6-3 conservative majority that could last for years .
In the short term , Barrett could weigh in on cases involving the election .
Trump has said he believes the court will decide the election and has made clear he wants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases .
Barrett is also likely to participate in oral arguments on 10 November , in which Trump and fellow Republicans are asking the court to strike down the Affordable Care Act , the health law known as Obamacare , in the middle of a pandemic which has infected 8.5m and killed 224,000 .
A favourite of Christian conservatives , Barrett frustrated judiciary committee Democrats this month by sidestepping questions on abortion , presidential powers , climate change , voting rights , Obamacare and other issues .
She has criticized rulings upholding Obamacare @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no agenda to invalidate the measure .
Democrats were incensed that Republicans moved forward with Barrett ’ s confirmation so near an election , after refusing in 2016 to act on a nomination by Barack Obama , because it was an election year .
Republicans are hoping Barrett ’ s confirmation can give a boost to Trump and senators seeking re-election .
Democrats are considering structural reform to the Senate and the court , should they win back control .
Republicans claim such reforms , including expansion of the court , would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been a federal appeals court judge since 2017 .
Before that she was a legal scholar at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana .
Trump touted her nomination at a campaign rally in New Hampshire on Sunday .
“ We ’ re giving you a great new supreme court justice , ” he said .

“By tomorrow night,” Mitch McConnell told Senate Republicans on Sunday, after they voted to limit debate and advance the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett, “we’ll have a new member of the United States supreme court.
“A lot of what we’ve done over the last four years will be undone sooner or later by the next election,” the majority leader said on the Senate floor. “They won’t be able to do much about this for a long time to come.”
The Republican was alluding to the possibility, largely backed by polling data, that Democrats will take back the White House and the Senate on 3 November.
Sunday’s vote moved the Senate closer to a final vote on Donald Trump’s third supreme court nominee, a little more than a week before the election. The confirmation vote is expected on Monday evening.
Two Republicans, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine, opposed limiting debate. But Murkowski said on Saturday she intends to vote to confirm.
“I have no doubt about her capability to do the job and to do it well,” she said.
No nominee has ever been confirmed this close to an election. More than 58m ballots have already been cast.
Democrats boycotted the committee vote on Thursday that advanced the nomination. Ahead of Monday night’s vote, they expressed concerns about the risks of contracting Covid-19, after several Republican staffers and members of Vice-President Mike Pence’s team tested positive. The Senate minority leader, Chuck Schumer, urged Democrats not to congregate in the chamber and to cast their votes “quickly and from a safe distance”.
McConnell twice declined to answer questions about whether Pence would come to the chamber to preside on Monday. At a rally in Florida on Saturday, however, Pence said: “I wouldn’t miss that vote for the world.”
Schumer said Pence “reportedly intends to come”, and blasted him for being willing to put “the health of everyone who works in this building at risk”.
“It sets a terrible, terrible example to the American people,” the New York Democrat said. “The Republican party is willing to ignore the pandemic to rush this supreme court nomination forward.”
Brian Schatz, a senator for Hawaii, told a reporter: “It is clear to me that their closing message is that they’re going to personally deliver Covid to as many people as possible.”
Republicans did not appear concerned.
“We’ve done a very good job within the Senate to follow the guidelines as best we can and I think the vice-president will do the same,” said Mike Rounds of South Dakota, adding that Pence was “very responsible”.
On Sunday the White House said Pence did not have to follow federal guidelines and quarantine for 14 days because he was an essential worker. Pence continued campaigning.
With Barrett, the supreme court will have a 6-3 conservative majority that could last for years. In the short term, Barrett could weigh in on cases involving the election. Trump has said he believes the court will decide the election and has made clear he wants Barrett on the bench for any such cases.
Barrett is also likely to participate in oral arguments on 10 November, in which Trump and fellow Republicans are asking the court to strike down the Affordable Care Act, the health law known as Obamacare, in the middle of a pandemic which has infected 8.5 million and killed 224,000.
A favourite of Christian conservatives, Barrett frustrated judiciary committee Democrats this month by sidestepping questions on abortion, presidential powers, climate change, voting rights, Obamacare and other issues. She has criticized rulings upholding Obamacare but said during her confirmation she has no agenda to invalidate the measure.
05:10 Amy Coney Barrett: key moments from the supreme court confirmation hearings – video
Democrats were incensed that Republicans moved forward with Barrett’s confirmation so near an election, after refusing in 2016 to act on a nomination by Barack Obama, because it was an election year. Republicans are hoping Barrett’s confirmation can give a boost to Trump and senators seeking re-election.
Democrats are considering structural reform to the Senate and the court, should they win back control. Republicans claim such reforms, including expansion of the court, would be dangerous.
Barrett, 48, has been a federal appeals court judge since 2017 . Before that she was a legal scholar at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana. Trump touted her nomination at a campaign rally in New Hampshire on Sunday.
“We’re giving you a great new supreme court justice,” he said.


theguardian--2020-10-25--A political populism far removed from Donald Trump | Letters

Andy Beckett presents an entirely negative picture of populism ( This is a moment of truth for rightwing populists – but don ’ t celebrate yet , 23 October ) .
There are many unfortunate examples in our present age of how destructive populist movements can be .
However , he appears unaware of earlier and more positive episodes of populism , in particular the founding of the People ’ s party in 1891 in the US .
This became a significant political party , gaining 8 % of the popular vote when it fielded a candidate in the 1892 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ People ’ s party , also known as the Populist party , lay in the exploitation of sharecroppers and tenant farmers by business monopolies and the banking elite .
These agrarian workers had been plunged into debt , after taking on loans to fund investments in new farming equipment , when they were hit by droughts and falling crop prices , together with extortionate loan terms and interest rates .
The Populist party agitated for massive political reforms , which included the recognition of unions , regulation of the railway industry , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tax , and women ’ s suffrage .
These ideas were considered radical at the time , and still are !
The current problem with populism is that most of it is not genuine , but is either generated by cynical groups with a hidden interest , or is hijacked by unscrupulous politicians for ulterior purposes .
However , there still are populist movements that serve a higher purpose .
Be careful not to diss populism per se , as it has a distinguished pedigree .
It is the pseudo-populists who need to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dr Stephen Blomfield Sheffield • Andy Beckett ’ s piece on populism was a brilliant discussion of one of the most pressing questions of our time .
I only have one small quibble .
He says we should remember that populists do sometimes “ get re-elected ” .
But that ’ s not the point .
Populism is democracy ’ s ugly sister .
It flourishes when the primordial democratic promise of political equality is negated by a dysfunctional political system .
The answer is the maximum possible diffusion of power .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ systems are less likely to be infected by the populist virus than centralised ones .
A radical overhaul of our dysfunctional political system is the only way out of the populist trap .
David Marquand Penarth , South Glamorgan • I disagree that the “ predictable and cautious politics ” of the 1990s and 2000s provoked an outburst of populism .
It was because these political periods were unstable that there was a backlash .
The administrations of John Major and Tony Blair produced boom and bust , two massive recessions with widespread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government was still essentially Thatcherite even though it tried to fiddle around the edges to make things a bit better for the least affluent .
The inevitable crunch came in 2007 precisely because banking and housing remained unreformed .
Then came David Cameron , George Osborne and austerity .
Populism is the muddled reaction against 40 years of Thatcherism .
David Redshaw Gravesend , Kent • David Runciman highlights the need for politicians with experience and judgment when faced with a crisis like the Covid-19 pandemic ( Boris Johnson is learning that in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the science ’ , 24 October ) .
The problem is that our pluralist democratic system is not designed to produce politicians with the wisdom and practical experience to use facts in a relevant way , but only ones that can gain resonance at the ballot box .
Both Boris Johnson and Donald Trump exemplify the deficiency .
Derek Heptinstall Westgate-on-Sea , Kent

Andy Beckett presents an entirely negative picture of populism (This is a moment of truth for rightwing populists – but don’t celebrate yet, 23 October). There are many unfortunate examples in our present age of how destructive populist movements can be. However, he appears unaware of earlier and more positive episodes of populism, in particular the founding of the People’s party in 1891 in the US. This became a significant political party, gaining 8% of the popular vote when it fielded a candidate in the 1892 presidential election.
The origins of the People’s party, also known as the Populist party, lay in the exploitation of sharecroppers and tenant farmers by business monopolies and the banking elite. These agrarian workers had been plunged into debt, after taking on loans to fund investments in new farming equipment, when they were hit by droughts and falling crop prices, together with extortionate loan terms and interest rates.
The Populist party agitated for massive political reforms, which included the recognition of unions, regulation of the railway industry, the direct election of senators, progressive income tax, and women’s suffrage. These ideas were considered radical at the time, and still are!
The current problem with populism is that most of it is not genuine, but is either generated by cynical groups with a hidden interest, or is hijacked by unscrupulous politicians for ulterior purposes. However, there still are populist movements that serve a higher purpose. Be careful not to diss populism per se, as it has a distinguished pedigree. It is the pseudo-populists who need to be challenged and brought to heel.
Dr Stephen Blomfield
Sheffield
Andy Beckett’s piece on populism was a brilliant discussion of one of the most pressing questions of our time. I only have one small quibble. He says we should remember that populists do sometimes “get re-elected”.
But that’s not the point. Populism is democracy’s ugly sister. It flourishes when the primordial democratic promise of political equality is negated by a dysfunctional political system. The answer is the maximum possible diffusion of power. It’s not an accident that federal systems are less likely to be infected by the populist virus than centralised ones. A radical overhaul of our dysfunctional political system is the only way out of the populist trap.
David Marquand
Penarth, South Glamorgan
I disagree that the “predictable and cautious politics” of the 1990s and 2000s provoked an outburst of populism. It was because these political periods were unstable that there was a backlash. The administrations of John Major and Tony Blair produced boom and bust, two massive recessions with widespread unemployment and widening inequality.
The Blair government was still essentially Thatcherite even though it tried to fiddle around the edges to make things a bit better for the least affluent. The inevitable crunch came in 2007 precisely because banking and housing remained unreformed. Then came David Cameron, George Osborne and austerity. Populism is the muddled reaction against 40 years of Thatcherism.
David Redshaw
Gravesend, Kent