theguardian--2020-12-14--Dr Jill Biden won't be a 'traditional' US first lady. Some men are threatened by that | Keli Goff

Last week the writer Joseph Epstein embarrassed himself by publishing a Wall Street Journal column denigrating incoming first lady Jill Biden for using the “ Dr ” title she earned with her doctorate .
He wrote : “ Madame First Lady — Mrs. Biden — Jill — kiddo .
Any chance you might drop the ‘ Dr. ’ before your name ?
‘ Dr .
Jill Biden ’ sounds and feels fraudulent , not to say a touch comic.
” The backlash was swift .
The president-elect ’ s communications director , Kate Bedingfield , tweeted : “ What patronizing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The daughter of Martin Luther King Jr tweeted in support of Jill Biden , reminding people that her father used the title Dr , despite not being a medical doctor .
She added “ And his work benefited humanity greatly , yours does , too.
” And the first lady to be replied herself in a tweet on Sunday , saying : “ Together , we will build a world where the accomplishments of our daughters will be celebrated , rather than diminished.
” Epstein ’ s article exposed the cultural powder-keg Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ maintained her professional career teaching community college while serving as second lady and intends to continue working as first lady .
While some of us are thrilled with that , others , like Epstein are threatened .
First ladies have often been expected to sacrifice their careers to perform ceremonial tasks .
I can ’ t imagine what it was like for Michelle Obama , a Harvard-trained lawyer like her spouse , to be expected to oversee a White House garden and Christmas decorations while her husband ran the free world .
Of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in defining the first lady role than her predecessors .
Because of the unfair stereotypes that caricature African American women , the bar for her to succeed was set incredibly high .
Unfortunately , that meant mimicking the least threatening first ladies who preceded her .
At the time plenty of Americans would have been unlikely to describe a nearly 6ft-tall , Ivy league-educated , brown-skinned black woman as non-threatening .
So instead she transformed into a pearls-and-sweater set hugger-in chief .
No one is threatened by a hugger-in-chief .
For Melania Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
With her modeling days behind her , before her husband ’ s election she had settled comfortably into the role of trophy wife turned socialite .
Essentially her full-time job was being the charming spouse of her powerful husband , which is ultimately what the role of first lady has been .
While audio tapes recorded by her former friend and aide Stephanie Winston Wolkoff denote a darker , less charming side of Trump , she fundamentally did what most first ladies do .
She hosted state dinners , did some volunteering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ White House grounds .
Again , she leaves a fairly non-threatening legacy , like the first ladies who most recently preceded her .
But Biden announced from the get-go that she would continue her career as a community college professor , regardless of whether her husband was elected president .
She had already broken the mold by maintaining her career while he was vice president .
Though this is not particularly unusual in some of our allied countries ( Cherie Blair , for example , maintained a career in academia while her husband @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is highly unusual for America .
Biden will soon become the least traditional first lady in recent history .
The last time an American first lady charted a nontraditional path it didn ’ t go so well .
Remember when Hillary Clinton was leading the charge on healthcare reform back in 1993 ?
She probably wishes that you didn ’ t .
Years later Clinton is looked back on as a pioneer – yet the blowback she received at the time was brutal .
Some of it was driven by the legitimate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you are not electing his spouse to do policy .
Fair enough .
But some of the opposition and vitriol was clearly driven by something more disturbing and enduring : the idea that many Americans want a traditional and non-threatening first lady – a first wife , first mother , first hostess , first cookie-baker , first-hugger , but not a first career woman and certainly not an ambitious woman .
The fact that Biden is a woman whose professional ambitions are important enough to her to continue them despite being married to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is what really troubles Epstein .
He makes that clear in his column ’ s conclusion , in which he writes , “ Forget the small thrill of being Dr Jill , and settle for the larger thrill of living for the next four years in the best public housing in the world as first lady Jill Biden.
” He is oblivious to the fact that marrying a powerful man may not be what Biden , or any modern woman , would consider her greatest thrill today .
Thanks to the example set @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her husband Doug , perhaps soon more men will become comfortable seeking out the thrill of marrying a powerful woman .
• None Keli Goff was nominated for two Emmy awards for her work as a producer on the Netflix documentary Reversing Roe .
She is a contributor to NPR/KCRW ’ s Left , Right & Center

Last week the writer Joseph Epstein embarrassed himself by publishing a Wall Street Journal column denigrating incoming first lady Jill Biden for using the “Dr” title she earned with her doctorate. He wrote: “Madame First Lady — Mrs. Biden — Jill — kiddo. Any chance you might drop the ‘Dr.’ before your name? ‘Dr. Jill Biden’ sounds and feels fraudulent, not to say a touch comic.”
The backlash was swift. The president-elect’s communications director, Kate Bedingfield, tweeted: “What patronizing, sexist, elitist drivel”. The daughter of Martin Luther King Jr tweeted in support of Jill Biden, reminding people that her father used the title Dr, despite not being a medical doctor. She added “And his work benefited humanity greatly, yours does, too.” And the first lady to be replied herself in a tweet on Sunday, saying: “Together, we will build a world where the accomplishments of our daughters will be celebrated, rather than diminished.”
Epstein’s article exposed the cultural powder-keg Biden was always destined to ignite. She maintained her professional career teaching community college while serving as second lady and intends to continue working as first lady. While some of us are thrilled with that, others, like Epstein are threatened.
First ladies have often been expected to sacrifice their careers to perform ceremonial tasks. I can’t imagine what it was like for Michelle Obama, a Harvard-trained lawyer like her spouse, to be expected to oversee a White House garden and Christmas decorations while her husband ran the free world.
Of course, Obama had much less flexibility in defining the first lady role than her predecessors. Because of the unfair stereotypes that caricature African American women, the bar for her to succeed was set incredibly high. Unfortunately, that meant mimicking the least threatening first ladies who preceded her. At the time plenty of Americans would have been unlikely to describe a nearly 6ft-tall, Ivy league-educated, brown-skinned black woman as non-threatening. So instead she transformed into a pearls-and-sweater set hugger-in chief. No one is threatened by a hugger-in-chief.
For Melania Trump, the transformation was far less pronounced. With her modeling days behind her, before her husband’s election she had settled comfortably into the role of trophy wife turned socialite. Essentially her full-time job was being the charming spouse of her powerful husband, which is ultimately what the role of first lady has been. While audio tapes recorded by her former friend and aide Stephanie Winston Wolkoff denote a darker, less charming side of Trump, she fundamentally did what most first ladies do. She hosted state dinners, did some volunteering, and remodeled various parts of the White House grounds. Again, she leaves a fairly non-threatening legacy, like the first ladies who most recently preceded her.
But Biden announced from the get-go that she would continue her career as a community college professor, regardless of whether her husband was elected president. She had already broken the mold by maintaining her career while he was vice president. Though this is not particularly unusual in some of our allied countries (Cherie Blair, for example, maintained a career in academia while her husband Tony was British prime minister), it is highly unusual for America.
Biden will soon become the least traditional first lady in recent history. The last time an American first lady charted a nontraditional path it didn’t go so well. Remember when Hillary Clinton was leading the charge on healthcare reform back in 1993? She probably wishes that you didn’t. Years later Clinton is looked back on as a pioneer – yet the blowback she received at the time was brutal. Some of it was driven by the legitimate gripe that when you elect a president you are not electing his spouse to do policy. Fair enough. But some of the opposition and vitriol was clearly driven by something more disturbing and enduring: the idea that many Americans want a traditional and non-threatening first lady – a first wife, first mother, first hostess, first cookie-baker, first-hugger, but not a first career woman and certainly not an ambitious woman.
The fact that Biden is a woman whose professional ambitions are important enough to her to continue them despite being married to the country’s most powerful man is what really troubles Epstein. He makes that clear in his column’s conclusion, in which he writes, “Forget the small thrill of being Dr Jill, and settle for the larger thrill of living for the next four years in the best public housing in the world as first lady Jill Biden.” He is oblivious to the fact that marrying a powerful man may not be what Biden, or any modern woman, would consider her greatest thrill today.
Thanks to the example set by vice president-elect Kamala Harris, and her husband Doug, perhaps soon more men will become comfortable seeking out the thrill of marrying a powerful woman.


theguardian--2020-12-15--'Democracy prevailed,' says Biden after US electoral college confirms his win – video

US President-elect Joe Biden has delivered a forceful rebuke to President Donald Trump 's attacks on the legitimacy of his @ @ @ @ @ the state-by-state electoral college vote that officially determines the US presidency .
’ In this @ @ @ @ @ America , democracy prevailed , ’ Biden said in a prime-time speech from his hometown @ @ @ @ @ ‘ The flame of democracy was lit in this nation a long time ago , @ @ @ @ @ We now know that not even a pandemic or an abuse of power can extinguish @ @ @ @ @ vote , typically a formality , assumed outsized significance in light of Trump 's extraordinary @ @ @ @ @ due to what he has falsely alleged was widespread voter fraud in the 3 November @ @ @ @ @ 's time to turn the page , as we 've done throughout our history – @ @ @ @ @ , ’ Biden concluded .
• 'The people prevailed ' : Biden addresses nation as @ @ @ @ @ as it happened

US President-elect Joe Biden has delivered a forceful rebuke to President Donald Trump's attacks on the legitimacy of his victory, hours after winning the state-by-state electoral college vote that officially determines the US presidency. ’In this battle for the soul of America, democracy prevailed,’ Biden said in a prime-time speech from his hometown of Wilmington, Delaware. ‘The flame of democracy was lit in this nation a long time ago,' Biden said. ‘We now know that not even a pandemic or an abuse of power can extinguish that flame.’ Monday's vote, typically a formality, assumed outsized significance in light of Trump's extraordinary effort to subvert the process due to what he has falsely alleged was widespread voter fraud in the 3 November election. ’Now it's time to turn the page, as we've done throughout our history – to unite, to heal,’ Biden concluded.


theguardian--2020-12-15--Joe Biden heads to Georgia to support Democrats in crucial Senate runoffs – live

On a somewhat lighter note , the national guard in Alaska has managed to carry out their Operation Santa Claus tradition despite a pandemic being on .
The tradition was born out of hard times in 1956 , when residents in the village of St. Mary ’ s faced a tough choice : food or gifts for the children after flooding , then drought , devastated subsistence activities .
They chose food .
The Alaska Air National Guard then stepped in , delivering donated gifts and supplies to the community , Since then , the program has grown , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a partner in providing toys and other items to children across rural Alaska .
Each year , Operation Santa Claus attempts to deliver gifts to two or three villages that are selected for varying reasons , such as having a particular hardship in the last year or high poverty levels .
“ For 65 years we have not missed a beat , ” said Chief Master Sgt .
Winfield Hinkley , Jr. , command senior enlisted leader of the Alaska National Guard .
“ And I will tell you , Covid is rough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it will not stop us from carrying out this tradition .
It is an honor to do it.
” This year , report the Associated Press , volunteers packed toys , stocking stuffers , backpacks , knit hats , toothbrushes and toothpaste and books for 127 children .
In a normal year , the arrival of Operation Santa Claus is a community event , with locals driving Santa and Mrs. Claus and helpers in the back of pickups or on sleds pulled by snowmobiles to the local school for a party .
All @ @ @ @ @ @ @ photos taken with Santa and eat an ice cream sundae , and children get a gift .
But during the pandemic , Coivd-19 protocols dictated the gifts be delivered to airstrips , where locals picked up and distributed them .
Stevens Village First Chief David Kriska said having the National Guard call and see if they would be interested was reassuring .
“ It was great because just being so locked down and with travel , you know , so out of touch with the outside world , ” he said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wanted to do something like that was like , ‘ Whoa , hey , awesome !
” ’ However , he wishes it could have been the full experience , including having his children sit on Santa ’ s lap .
“ It would have been great for my kids to interact with them because they ’ re needing that social interaction , ” he said .
“ I would have loved to have that picture with my daughters .
”

Lauren Gambino (now) and Martin Belam (earlier)

16 Dec 2020 00.37 GMT Welp. Just asked House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy if he’s willing to acknowledge that Biden won the election and is president-elect. He walked in silence into Pelosi’s office. — Manu Raju (@mkraju) December 16, 2020
16 Dec 2020 00.17 GMT More Biden administration picks emerge So far today we have Gina McCarthy for domestic climate czar, Jennifer Granholm for head of the energy department and Pete Buttigieg for transportation secretary. The selections keep coming: it looks like today we also have Ali Zaidi, an aide for New York governor Andrew Cuomo, for deputy White House climate coordinator and Michael Regan, top environmental regulator in North Carolina, for EPA administrator. NBC News confirms that Biden is expected to name Jennifer Granholm as energy secretary, Gina McCarthy as domestic climate coordinator, and Ali Zaidi as deputy White House climate coordinator. Michael Regan is likely choice for EPA administrator, I'm told. — Geoff Bennett (@GeoffRBennett) December 15, 2020 SCOOP: @JoeBiden has picked former EPA Administrator @GinaNRDC to be the first-ever national climate adviser, spearheading the new administration's domestic climate policy. Cuomo aide @ali_a_zaidi will be her deputy. W/ @brady_dennis https://t.co/aON08utD0f — Juliet Eilperin (@eilperin) December 15, 2020
Updated at 00.54 GMT
15 Dec 2020 23.25 GMT President-elect Joe Biden will pick Jennifer Granholm, former governor of Michigan, to run the energy department, Politico reports.
Granholm served two terms as Michigan’s governor and defeated the husband of education secretary Betsy DeVos to win her second term. In November, she penned an op-ed for the Detroit News calling for Michigan’s auto industry to invest in low-carbon economy, stating that “the time for a low-carbon recovery is now”. “She’s really a student of the [energy] transition,” Skip Pruss, who directed the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor, and Economic Growth under Granholm, told Politico. “If you were to ask me what was a limitation in Michigan, I would say that she was slightly ahead of her time.”
Updated at 23.32 GMT
15 Dec 2020 22.35 GMT More (not much more) on the Covid package: From colleague Jason Donner. McConnell: We're still talking to each other and I think there's an agreement that we're not gonna leave here without the Omni and the COVID package...We’ll have an agreement as soon as we can agree. — Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) December 15, 2020
Updated at 22.41 GMT


theguardian--2020-12-15--As Biden won the presidency, Republicans cemented their grip on power for the next decade

While the world focused on the election between Donald Trump and Joe Biden in November , some of the most consequential contests were in state legislative races between candidates many have never heard of .
State lawmakers have the authority to redraw electoral districts in most US states every 10 years .
In 2010 , Republicans undertook an unprecedented effort – called Project Redmap – to win control of state legislatures across the country and drew congressional and state legislative districts that gave them a significant advantage for the next decade .
In 2020 , Democrats sought to avoid a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dollars and other resources into winning key races .
It didn ’ t go well .
Democrats failed to flip any of the legislative chambers they targeted andRepublicans came out of election night in nearly the best possible position for drawing districts , according to an analysis by FiveThirtyEight , and will have the opportunity to draw 188 congressional seats , 43 % of the House of Representatives .
Democrats will have a chance to draw at most just 73 seats .
Republicans will probably also be able to draw districts that will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hold their majority in the US House in 2022 .
“ It was really bad .
It was devastating to the project of building long-term power , ” said Amanda Litman , the co-founder and executive director of Run for Something , a group focused on local races .
There isn ’ t a single explanation for why Democrats performed so poorly in down-ballot races .
The decision not to canvass in person may have had a more severe impact on local races .
Democratic candidates were also trying to win in districts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own advantage .
“ The loss in down-ballot races was a loss by a thousand paper cuts , ” Litman said .
Democrats are quick to point out that their position isn ’ t as bad as it was after 2010 .
There are Democrats in the governor ’ s mansion in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania who can veto excessively gerrymandered maps .
An independent commission will draw districts in Michigan for the first time , thanks to a 2018 referendum grassroots by activists .
Voters in Colorado , Utah , and Virginia have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ partisan influence .
But Republicans have two additional advantages this year .
In 2019 , the US supreme court said that federal courts could not strike down districts on the grounds that they were too partisan , giving lawmakers a green light to virtually guarantee their own re-election .
2021 will also be the first time that places with a history of voting discrimination will also be able to draw districts without first submitting them to the justice department for approval because of a 2013 supreme court decision , Shelby County v Holder @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the heart of the 1965 Voting Rights Act .
Here ’ s a look at who will draw the districts in several key states : Texas offered Democrats one of their best chances to prevent Republican gerrymandering .
Going into the November elections , Republicans controlled both chambers of the state legislature and the governor ’ s mansion , the bodies involved in redistricting .
Democrats , however , believed they could flip control of the state House of Representatives , giving them a seat at the table .
Democrats needed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to take control of the House , a move that seemed well within grasp after the party flipped 12 seats just two years ago .
But Democrats fell far short , flipping just one seat and losing another .
Republicans will once again have total control to draw all of Texas ’ 40 congressional districts – the state is projected to gain two to three seats in Congress because of population growth – as well as nearly 200 districts that make up the state legislature .
Those districts will probably cement Republican control @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political gains in recent years .
Democrat Akilah Bacy , a lawyer and community activist , was running to flip a House district in the north-west Houston area .
She lost her race by just under 2,100 votes .
Bacy said she thought a last-minute decision by the governor , Greg Abbott , to only allow a single ballot drop-off location for the 2.4m voters in her county affected the race .
But , she added that Democrats needed to more carefully calibrate their messaging .
“ I knew we were fighting an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an interview with the Guardian .
“ There is definitely some introspective work we need to do in the Democratic party and make sure that we are speaking to everyone in our base .
Not only that , but making sure that our messages are local to the communities and making sure that they ’ re messages that matter to the community.
” Ten years ago , Republicans gerrymandered their way to clear majorities .
After the 2010 census , Texas had gained about 4 million residents – mostly Black and Hispanic people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seats .
The Republican-controlled legislature drew new maps so that three of the four new districts would skew Republican .
A federal court blocked the state from using those maps in 2012 because they discriminated against people of color , and the court drew new interim maps to be used that year .
These maps , though , were still based on the partisan maps and had a lot of the same problems .
After that election , the Republicans permanently adopted these maps with only minor changes and argued they should be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them .
Critics filed a lawsuit saying the maps still discriminated against people of color .
In 2018 , the US supreme court ’ s conservative majority ruled that the new districts were not racially discriminatory , except for one state house district in Fort Worth .
The decisionallowed Texas to get away with serious discrimination without real consequences .
One shape that was allowed to stay was the 35th congressional district , which encompasses parts of San Antonio in the south and Austin in the north – a district that packs various @ @ @ @ @ @ @ district .
“ I am very clear and sober-minded as to what will happen and what is most likely to happen as far as gerrymandering goes and with there being no Voting Rights Act as well , ” Bacy said .
“ You might be able to quiet the people for a moment , but you can not silence a state that is growing in the way that Texas is growing.
” Democrats had a chance to mitigate Republican gerrymandering in North Carolina , which has recently seen some of the most egregious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ complete control over the state legislature heading into the 2020 election , and Democrats needed to gain five seats in the state senate to have a voice in redistricting .
But Democrats failed to flip either the state senate or the state house of representatives , meaning a Republican-controlled legislature will draw the new districts and keep their majorities in the state legislature .
Under state law , North Carolina ’ s governor , currently Democrat Roy Cooper , does not have a veto over redistricting maps , so Republicans have complete control @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a huge win for Republicans in North Carolina , which is projected to gain an additional congressional seat because of population growth .
Democrat JD Wooten , who was running to represent a state senate seat in a district west of state ’ s famed research triangle , told the Guardian his campaign had plenty of volunteers and funding .
But in the end , Republicans were able to just turn out more voters .
“ At the end of the day , the old thinking that the more voters , the more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , that didn ’ t hold , ” he said .
“ We needed a perfect storm going into 2020 to do what we were hopeful we could do.
” Over the last decade , North Carolina Republicans have displayed some of the most brazen attempts at political gerrymandering .
In 2011 , lawmakers drew state legislative maps that allowed them to maintain a supermajority in the state legislature , even though they only won about half of the statewide vote .
That advantage allowed them to pass controversial laws , like an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were just as brutal at the congressional level .
They drew districts that gave Republicans a 10-3 advantage in the congressional delegation , packing Democratic voters into only a handful of districts .
This meant Democrats had wide margins in two congressional districts – the first and 12th – but lost competitive races nearly everywhere else .
The 12th district , for example , groups black voters in Greensboro to the north and Charlotte in the south , even though they aren ’ t geographically close to each other .
The supreme court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a racial gerrymander because it packed black voters into fewer districts to dilute their voting power .
When Republicans were forced to redraw the congressional map , they made it openly clear they wanted to maximize their partisan advantage .
Republicans kept their clear advantage in the redrawn map , producing precisely drawn gerrymandered districts .
North Carolina A & T University – the largest historically black college in America – was split into two congressional districts .
Democrats have reason for some hope in North Carolina , however .
Last year , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s legislative map , saying it was so egregiously gerrymandered that it violated the state constitution .
Democrats still control a narrow majority in the North Carolina supreme court , offering state courts as one possible avenue for voting advocates to check Republican gerrymandering in the state .
Republicans control the legislature and governor ’ s mansion and have all the power in drawing the new districts .
Florida is projected to gain at least one more congressional seat in addition to the 29 it already has .
In 2010 , Florida @ @ @ @ @ @ @ racial and partisan gerrymandering .
The Republican-led legislature still tried to gerrymander maps by packing Democratic voters into a handful of districts .
For example , here ’ s the fifth congressional district , which twists and turns to include Jacksonville , Gainesville and Orlando .
The courts ordered the legislature to draw new maps in 2014 – but those maps were again struck down because they were drawn with an “ unconstitutional intent to favor the Republican party and incumbents ” .
Eventually the Florida supreme court approved a new map drawn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also ordered the legislature to redraw the state senate map in 2012 and in 2015 .
The original maps did exactly what Republicans wanted : They won just 54 % of votes but nearly two-third of the congressional seats .
After the new maps were drawn , the proportion of votes to seats evened out .
Republicans came away from the 2020 election controlling both chambers of the Pennsylvania legislature , giving them the authority to draw congressional districts .
But Democrats control the governor ’ s mansion , which will allow the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any maps that severely benefit the GOP .
That ’ s a significant break from 2011 , when Republicans had complete control over state government .
They took advantage , packing Democrats into just five of the state ’ s 18 congressional districts .
The maps produced some bizarre shapes , such as the seventh district .
The 2012 election showed that Republican partisan gerrymandering had worked .
The congressional map allowed Republicans to win just half the votes but hold on to 13 of the 18 seats , and this was the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2014 and 2016 .
In 2018 the state supreme court struck down the congressional map , saying it was so egregiously gerrymandered that it violated the state constitution .
The state supreme court eventually struck down the congressional maps for being a partisan gerrymander and drew a new map for use in 2018 .
With the new maps , Republicans won about half the votes and half the seats .
Democrats still hold a majority on the state supreme court , which could offer another important check on GOP efforts to gerrymander over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t control either chamber of the Wisconsin legislature , but the state ’ s Democratic governor , Tony Evers , can veto any electoral maps .
Democrats ensured that veto power will hold by breaking Republicans ’ supermajority in the state legislature in November .
There are few places in America where gerrymandering has been more consequential than in Wisconsin .
A Project Redmap target , Scott Walker , a conservative Republican , was elected governor and Republicans took control of the state legislature in 2010 .
Shortly thereafter , Republicans drew maps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to lose state control of state government .
They were able to control 60 of the state ’ s 99 assembly seats , even while winning around half of the statewide vote .
The gerrymandering was so egregious that it made it possible for Republicans to win a supermajority in the state assembly while winning a minority of the statewide vote , Michael Li , a redistricting expert at the Brennan Center for Justice , wrote earlier this year .
In 2018 , Democrats won every statewide race , but Republicans held control @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state assembly .
This entrenched power has supported a litany of Republican goals in the state , including weakening public sector unions and passing measures like voter ID .
The congressional maps packed Democrats more tightly into their districts , but the makeup of the delegation stayed the same over the last 10 years .
For example , Milwaukee and a few blue-collar suburbs were packed tightly into the fourth district , allowing Republicans to hold on to three seats in the areas .
Two more states to watch : Ohio and Georgia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s mansion and both chambers of the legislature , giving them complete control over the drawing of the state ’ s 14 congressional districts as well as state house districts .
That power will probably allow Republican lawmakers to draw districts that diminish an electorate in Georgia that is increasingly diverse and Democratic-leaning after Joe Biden was the first Democrat in nearly 30 years to carry the state .
Ohio , another Redmap target , has also seen some of the most severe partisan gerrymandering .
Last year , a federal court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ map , where Republicans consistently held a 12-4 advantage , saying : “ This partisan gerrymander was intentional and effective and that no legitimate justification accounts for its extremity.
” The US supreme court later reversed the ruling , leaving the map in place .
This redistricting cycle , Republicans will control the legislature and governor ’ s mansion in Ohio , but in 2018 voters approved a ballot measure designed to rein in excessive partisan gerrymandering .
The measure blocks lawmakers from passing a permanent map without getting meaningful support from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some of a say in the process .
Data for redistricting laws for each states is from the National Conference of State Legislatures and the Brennan Center for Justice .
Data on the makeup of state legislatures after the 2020 election is from 270toWin .
Congressional district shapes are from the US Census Bureau and the Digital Boundary Definitions of United States Congressional Districts , 1789-2012 ; election results are from the from Stephen Pettigrew via Harvard Dataverse , the MIT Elections Lab and the Princeton Gerrymandering Project .

While the world focused on the election between Donald Trump and Joe Biden in November, some of the most consequential contests were in state legislative races between candidates many have never heard of.
State lawmakers have the authority to redraw electoral districts in most US states every 10 years. In 2010, Republicans undertook an unprecedented effort – called Project Redmap – to win control of state legislatures across the country and drew congressional and state legislative districts that gave them a significant advantage for the next decade. In 2020, Democrats sought to avoid a repeat of 2010 and poured millions of dollars and other resources into winning key races.
It didn’t go well.
Democrats failed to flip any of the legislative chambers they targeted and Republicans came out of election night in nearly the best possible position for drawing districts, according to an analysis by FiveThirtyEight, and will have the opportunity to draw 188 congressional seats, 43% of the House of Representatives. Democrats will have a chance to draw at most just 73 seats. Republicans will probably also be able to draw districts that will make it more difficult for Democrats to hold their majority in the US House in 2022.
“It was really bad. It was devastating to the project of building long-term power,” said Amanda Litman, the co-founder and executive director of Run for Something, a group focused on local races.
There isn’t a single explanation for why Democrats performed so poorly in down-ballot races. The decision not to canvass in person may have had a more severe impact on local races. Democratic candidates were also trying to win in districts that Republicans had already gerrymandered to their own advantage. “The loss in down-ballot races was a loss by a thousand paper cuts,” Litman said.
Democrats are quick to point out that their position isn’t as bad as it was after 2010. There are Democrats in the governor’s mansion in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania who can veto excessively gerrymandered maps. An independent commission will draw districts in Michigan for the first time, thanks to a 2018 referendum grassroots by activists. Voters in Colorado, Utah, and Virginia have also all passed recent measures to limit partisan influence.
But Republicans have two additional advantages this year. In 2019, the US supreme court said that federal courts could not strike down districts on the grounds that they were too partisan, giving lawmakers a green light to virtually guarantee their own re-election. 2021 will also be the first time that places with a history of voting discrimination will also be able to draw districts without first submitting them to the justice department for approval because of a 2013 supreme court decision, Shelby County v Holder, that struck down a pre-clearance provision at the heart of the 1965 Voting Rights Act.
Here’s a look at who will draw the districts in several key states:
1 Texas
Texas offered Democrats one of their best chances to prevent Republican gerrymandering. Going into the November elections, Republicans controlled both chambers of the state legislature and the governor’s mansion, the bodies involved in redistricting. Democrats, however, believed they could flip control of the state House of Representatives, giving them a seat at the table. Democrats needed to flip nine seats in the state legislature to take control of the House, a move that seemed well within grasp after the party flipped 12 seats just two years ago.
But Democrats fell far short, flipping just one seat and losing another.
Republicans will once again have total control to draw all of Texas’ 36 congressional districts – the state is projected to gain two to three seats in Congress because of population growth – as well as nearly 200 districts that make up the state legislature. Those districts will probably cement Republican control in a state where Democrats have made political gains in recent years.
Democrat Akilah Bacy, a lawyer and community activist, was running to flip a House district in the north-west Houston area. She lost her race by just under 2,100 votes. Bacy said she thought a last-minute decision by the governor, Greg Abbott, to only allow a single ballot drop-off location for the 2.4m voters in her county affected the race. But, she added that Democrats needed to more carefully calibrate their messaging.
“I knew we were fighting an uphill battle,” Bacy said in an interview with the Guardian. “There is definitely some introspective work we need to do in the Democratic party and make sure that we are speaking to everyone in our base. Not only that, but making sure that our messages are local to the communities and making sure that they’re messages that matter to the community.”
Ten years ago, Republicans gerrymandered their way to clear majorities.
After the 2010 census, Texas had gained about 4 million residents – mostly Black and Hispanic people – which gave them four more congressional seats.
The Republican-controlled legislature drew new maps so that three of the four new districts would skew Republican. A federal court blocked the state from using those maps in 2012 because they discriminated against people of color, and the court drew new interim maps to be used that year. These maps, though, were still based on the partisan maps and had a lot of the same problems.
After that election, the Republicans permanently adopted these maps with only minor changes and argued they should be allowed because the courts themselves had drawn them. Critics filed a lawsuit saying the maps still discriminated against people of color. In 2018, the US supreme court’s conservative majority ruled that the new districts were not racially discriminatory, except for one state house district in Fort Worth. The decisionallowed Texas to get away with serious discrimination without real consequences.
One shape that was allowed to stay was the 35th congressional district, which encompasses parts of San Antonio in the south and Austin in the north – a district that packs various clusters of Hispanic voters into the same district.
“I am very clear and sober-minded as to what will happen and what is most likely to happen as far as gerrymandering goes and with there being no Voting Rights Act as well,” Bacy said. “You might be able to quiet the people for a moment, but you cannot silence a state that is growing in the way that Texas is growing.”
2 North Carolina
Democrats had a chance to mitigate Republican gerrymandering in North Carolina, which has recently seen some of the most egregious examples of the practice. Republicans had complete control over the state legislature heading into the 2020 election, and Democrats needed to gain five seats in the state senate to have a voice in redistricting.
But Democrats failed to flip either the state senate or the state house of representatives, meaning a Republican-controlled legislature will draw the new districts and keep their majorities in the state legislature. Under state law, North Carolina’s governor, currently Democrat Roy Cooper, does not have a veto over redistricting maps, so Republicans have complete control of the process.
That’s a huge win for Republicans in North Carolina, which is projected to gain an additional congressional seat because of population growth.
Democrat JD Wooten, who was running to represent a state senate seat in a district west of state’s famed research triangle, told the Guardian his campaign had plenty of volunteers and funding. But in the end, Republicans were able to just turn out more voters.
“At the end of the day, the old thinking that the more voters, the more likely it is that Democrats will win, that didn’t hold,” he said. “We needed a perfect storm going into 2020 to do what we were hopeful we could do.”
Over the last decade, North Carolina Republicans have displayed some of the most brazen attempts at political gerrymandering.
In 2011, lawmakers drew state legislative maps that allowed them to maintain a supermajority in the state legislature, even though they only won about half of the statewide vote. That advantage allowed them to pass controversial laws, like an anti-transgender bathroom law in 2016.
Republicans were just as brutal at the congressional level. They drew districts that gave Republicans a 10-3 advantage in the congressional delegation, packing Democratic voters into only a handful of districts. This meant Democrats had wide margins in two congressional districts – the first and 12th – but lost competitive races nearly everywhere else.
The 12th district, for example, groups black voters in Greensboro to the north and Charlotte in the south, even though they aren’t geographically close to each other.
The supreme court eventually ruled that those two districts were a racial gerrymander because it packed black voters into fewer districts to dilute their voting power. When Republicans were forced to redraw the congressional map, they made it openly clear they wanted to maximize their partisan advantage.
Republicans kept their clear advantage in the redrawn map, producing precisely drawn gerrymandered districts. North Carolina A&T University – the largest historically black college in America – was split into two congressional districts.
Democrats have reason for some hope in North Carolina, however. Last year, a state court struck down North Carolina’s legislative map, saying it was so egregiously gerrymandered that it violated the state constitution. Democrats still control a narrow majority in the North Carolina supreme court, offering state courts as one possible avenue for voting advocates to check Republican gerrymandering in the state.
3 Florida
Republicans control the legislature and governor’s mansion and have all the power in drawing the new districts. Florida is projected to gain at least one more congressional seat in addition to the 27 it already has.
Florida passed a law to stop gerrymandering. Republicans gerrymandered anyway.
In 2010, Florida voters passed two constitutional amendments to ban racial and partisan gerrymandering. The Republican-led legislature still tried to gerrymander maps by packing Democratic voters into a handful of districts.
For example, here’s the fifth congressional district, which twists and turns to include Jacksonville, Gainesville and Orlando.
The courts ordered the legislature to draw new maps in 2014 – but those maps were again struck down because they were drawn with an “unconstitutional intent to favor the Republican party and incumbents”. Eventually the Florida supreme court approved a new map drawn by voting rights groups. The courts also ordered the legislature to redraw the state senate map in 2012 and in 2015.
The original maps did exactly what Republicans wanted: They won just 54% of votes but nearly two-third of the congressional seats. After the new maps were drawn, the proportion of votes to seats evened out.
4 Pennsylvania
Republicans came away from the 2020 election controlling both chambers of the Pennsylvania legislature, giving them the authority to draw congressional districts. But Democrats control the governor’s mansion, which will allow the party to have a significant check on any maps that severely benefit the GOP.
That’s a significant break from 2011, when Republicans had complete control over state government.
They took advantage, packing Democrats into just five of the state’s 18 congressional districts.
The maps produced some bizarre shapes, such as the seventh district.
The 2012 election showed that Republican partisan gerrymandering had worked. The congressional map allowed Republicans to win just half the votes but hold on to 13 of the 18 seats, and this was the case for the following two elections in 2014 and 2016.
In 2018 the state supreme court struck down the congressional map, saying it was so egregiously gerrymandered that it violated the state constitution. The state supreme court eventually struck down the congressional maps for being a partisan gerrymander and drew a new map for use in 2018. With the new maps, Republicans won about half the votes and half the seats. Democrats still hold a majority on the state supreme court, which could offer another important check on GOP efforts to gerrymander over the next decade.
5 Wisconsin
Democrats don’t control either chamber of the Wisconsin legislature, but the state’s Democratic governor, Tony Evers, can veto any electoral maps. Democrats ensured that veto power will hold by breaking Republicans’ supermajority in the state legislature in November.
It’s a modest change with huge consequences.
There are few places in America where gerrymandering has been more consequential than in Wisconsin.
A Project Redmap target, Scott Walker, a conservative Republican, was elected governor and Republicans took control of the state legislature in 2010. Shortly thereafter, Republicans drew maps that made it nearly impossible for them to lose state control of state government. They were able to control 60 of the state’s 99 assembly seats, even while winning around half of the statewide vote. The gerrymandering was so egregious that it made it possible for Republicans to win a supermajority in the state assembly while winning a minority of the statewide vote, Michael Li, a redistricting expert at the Brennan Center for Justice, wrote earlier this year.
In 2018, Democrats won every statewide race, but Republicans held control of 63 of 99 seats in the state assembly. This entrenched power has supported a litany of Republican goals in the state, including weakening public sector unions and passing measures like voter ID.
The congressional maps packed Democrats more tightly into their districts, but the makeup of the delegation stayed the same over the last 10 years.
For example, Milwaukee and a few blue-collar suburbs were packed tightly into the fourth district, allowing Republicans to hold on to three seats in the areas.
Two more states to watch: Ohio and Georgia
In Georgia, Republicans control the governor’s mansion and both chambers of the legislature, giving them complete control over the drawing of the state’s 14 congressional districts as well as state house districts. That power will probably allow Republican lawmakers to draw districts that diminish an electorate in Georgia that is increasingly diverse and Democratic-leaning after Joe Biden was the first Democrat in nearly 30 years to carry the state.
Ohio, another Redmap target, has also seen some of the most severe partisan gerrymandering. Last year, a federal court struck down the state’s congressional map, where Republicans consistently held a 12-4 advantage, saying: “This partisan gerrymander was intentional and effective and that no legitimate justification accounts for its extremity.” The US supreme court later reversed the ruling, leaving the map in place.
This redistricting cycle, Republicans will control the legislature and governor’s mansion in Ohio, but in 2018 voters approved a ballot measure designed to rein in excessive partisan gerrymandering. The measure blocks lawmakers from passing a permanent map without getting meaningful support from the minority party, which should give Democrats some of a say in the process.
Data for redistricting laws for each states is from the National Conference of State Legislatures and the Brennan Center for Justice. Data on the makeup of state legislatures after the 2020 election is from 270toWin. Congressional district shapes are from the US Census Bureau and the Digital Boundary Definitions of United States Congressional Districts, 1789-2012; election results are from the from Stephen Pettigrew via Harvard Dataverse, the MIT Elections Lab and the Princeton Gerrymandering Project.


theguardian--2020-12-15--Wall Street donates millions to back Republicans in Georgia Senate race

Billionaire Republicans on Wall Street have been opening their wallets to try and protect David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler ’ s Senate seats in January 5 ’ s high-stakes runoff in Georgia against two Democrat challengers .
Two super Pacs are planning to spend about $ 80m on ads and other efforts backing the Republicans .
Among donors are top finance CEOs Stephen Schwarzman , of Blackstone Group , and Kenneth Griffin , of Citadel LLC , who have donated millions to the Senate Leadership Fund super Pac which is supporting Perdue , according to campaign finance records .
Last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the chair of Donald Trump ’ s strategic and policy forum , contributed $ 15m and Griffin donated $ 10m to the Pac ; while earlier in the year , the Pac received $ 20m from Schwarzman and $ 25m from Griffin .
Separately , a fundraising committee backing both Republican senators that launched last month has surpassed its goal of raising $ 35m to oppose Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock .
This committee is also being helped by fundraising on Wall Street including Schwarzman , Griffin and others , say two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ determine which party controls the Senate – and consequently how much political power Joe Biden ’ s administration will have to push its agenda .
If Ossoff and Warnock win , the Senate would be split 50-50 , giving Democrats control since Vice-President elect Kamala Harris would have a tie breaking vote .
With the stakes so high , reports show that over $ 400m on ads has been spent or booked so far in Georgia by the candidates ’ campaigns , their parties and outside backers .
As fundraising and spending on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ looks as though the two senators and their supporters are on track to have a distinct edge over their Democratic challengers .
Analysis from the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics ( CPR ) shows that securities firms , insurance and real estate companies have historically been the top donors to Perdue and Loeffler .
Elected in 2014 , Perdue has raked in about $ 4.4m from securities , investment and real estate companies from 2015-2020 , making the sector his leading campaign funder , CRP data shows .
Loeffler , who was appointed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a retiring senator with health problems , has this cycle pulled in over $ 1.1m from these firms , or more than other sectors donated , says CRP .
“ Perdue and Loeffler ’ s money from Wall Street and real estate towers over every other sector that supports them in the 2020 cycle , ” said Sheila Krumholz , the executive director of CRP .
“ On top of money to the candidates , conservative outside groups are also raking in cash from major financial interests for the Georgia Senate runoffs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – and the Senate – for the GOP.
” Perdue ’ s top 10 donors , meanwhile , have included executives from insurer AFLAC and Wall Street giant Goldman Sachs which , respectively , gave him $ 92,000 and $ 88,000 , according to CRP .
Loeffler ’ s 10 leading donors have included $ 114,650 from Intercontinental Exchange , a company her husband Jeffrey Sprecher runs ; $ 29,450 from AFLAC ; and $ 22,500 from Blackstone Group .
The Senate Leadership Fund , which boasts close ties to Senate majority Leader @ @ @ @ @ @ @ financial industry checks from Schwarzman and Griffin .
Other finance sector mega donors to the super Pac include the CEOs of Charles Schwab Corp which gave $ 6.3m , plus Elliott Management and Stephens Inc , both of which chipped in $ 4m .
Overall , CRP data revealed that donations from finance , insurance and real estate sectors totaled close to $ 126m to the super PAC which raised close to $ 400m in the election cycle .
Democrats on Wall Street , meanwhile , have been supporting a big Pac backing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far been outmatched in donations .
The pro-Democrat Senate Majority Pac , which is expected to spend millions of dollars in the runoffs , before 3 November raked in big money from two financial giants , receiving $ 10.2m Renaissance Technologies , and $ 5m from Paloma Partners , according to CRP .
Overall , however , as of 23 November , the Senate Majority Pac had just $ 2.1m left to spend , while the Senate Leadership Fund had $ 60.8m , according to CRP .
Perdue and Loeffler ’ s strong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attributable to their industry ties .
An ex-CEO of Dollar General whose net worth was estimated last year at $ 16m , Perdue used to be on the board of Cardlytics , a financial tech company .
Loeffler ’ s husband Sprecher , chairs the New York Stock Exchange and leads global exchange operator ICE .
The couple ’ s net worth has been pegged by Forbes at $ 800m .
Both senators , though , have been dogged by ethical issues involving significant stock trading during the pandemic ’ s early stages @ @ @ @ @ @ @ insider trading .
Perdue , who is the most prolific stock trader in the Senate , drew scrutiny from the justice department due to his well timed and profitable stock trading in Cardlytics : Perdue sold about $ 1m worth of his Cardlytics stock in January .
Investigators looked at a personal email he received before the stock sale and whether he had learned early of a major management shift , the New York Times reported .
DoJ reportedly opted not to charge Perdue with any illegal trading , but the issue has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ influenced his decision not to appear at a debate with Ossoff earlier this month .
Loeffler too was embroiled in an inquiry into possible insider trading during the pandemic : she dumped millions of dollars in stocks soon after she received a private briefing from health officials on the new threat in January .
DoJ investigated her trades and those of some other members , but told Loeffler in March it was not pursuing charges .
Still , the stock trading issue has surfaced in the runoffs : when the moderator at her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about whether Senators should be allowed to trade stocks she avoided answering , calling the controversy about her trading a “ conspiracy ” and “ left wing media lie ” .

Billionaire Republicans on Wall Street have been opening their wallets to try and protect David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler’s Senate seats in January 5’s high-stakes runoff in Georgia against two Democrat challengers.
Two super Pacs are planning to spend about $80m on ads and other efforts backing the Republicans.
Among donors are top finance CEOs Stephen Schwarzman, of Blackstone Group, and Kenneth Griffin, of Citadel LLC, who have donated millions to the Senate Leadership Fund super Pac which is supporting Perdue, according to campaign finance records.
Last month, Schwarzman, who briefly was the chair of Donald Trump’s strategic and policy forum, contributed $15m and Griffin donated $10m to the Pac; while earlier in the year, the Pac received $20m from Schwarzman and $25m from Griffin.
Separately, a fundraising committee backing both Republican senators that launched last month has surpassed its goal of raising $35m to oppose Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock. This committee is also being helped by fundraising on Wall Street including Schwarzman, Griffin and others, say two GOP sources.
The Georgia runoff will determine which party controls the Senate – and consequently how much political power Joe Biden’s administration will have to push its agenda.
If Ossoff and Warnock win, the Senate would be split 50-50, giving Democrats control since Vice-President elect Kamala Harris would have a tie breaking vote.
With the stakes so high, reports show that over $400m on ads has been spent or booked so far in Georgia by the candidates’ campaigns, their parties and outside backers.
Republican Senator David Perdue of Georgia arrives for Vice-President Mike Pence’s defend the majority rally on 10 December in Augusta. Photograph: Curtis Compton/AP
As fundraising and spending on ads in Georgia has increased, it looks as though the two senators and their supporters are on track to have a distinct edge over their Democratic challengers.
Analysis from the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics (CRP) shows that securities firms, insurance and real estate companies have historically been the top donors to Perdue and Loeffler.
Elected in 2014, Perdue has raked in about $4.4m from securities, investment and real estate companies from 2015-2020, making the sector his leading campaign funder, CRP data shows.
Loeffler, who was appointed in late 2019 to fill the seat of a retiring senator with health problems, has this cycle pulled in over $1.1m from these firms, or more than other sectors donated, says CRP.
“Perdue and Loeffler’s money from Wall Street and real estate towers over every other sector that supports them in the 2020 cycle,” said Sheila Krumholz, the executive director of CRP. “On top of money to the candidates, conservative outside groups are also raking in cash from major financial interests for the Georgia Senate runoffs in an attempt to keep these seats – and the Senate – for the GOP.”
Perdue’s top 10 donors, meanwhile, have included executives from insurer AFLAC and Wall Street giant Goldman Sachs which, respectively, gave him $92,000 and $88,000, according to CRP.
Loeffler’s 10 leading donors have included $114,650 from Intercontinental Exchange, a company her husband Jeffrey Sprecher runs; $29,450 from AFLAC; and $22,500 from Blackstone Group.
The Senate Leadership Fund, which boasts close ties to Senate majority Leader Mitch McConnell, has drawn its largest financial industry checks from Schwarzman and Griffin.
Other finance sector mega donors to the super Pac include the CEOs of Charles Schwab Corp which gave $6.3m, plus Elliott Management and Stephens Inc, both of which chipped in $4m.
Overall, CRP data revealed that donations from finance, insurance and real estate sectors totaled close to $126m to the super PAC which raised close to $400m in the election cycle.
Democrats
Democratic Senate candidate Raphael Warnock speaks at a rally in Atlanta, Georgia, on the first day of early voting on 14 December. Photograph: Nathan Posner/REX/Shutterstock
Democrats on Wall Street, meanwhile, have been supporting a big Pac backing Ossoff and Warnock, though have so far been outmatched in donations.
The pro-Democrat Senate Majority Pac, which is expected to spend millions of dollars in the runoffs, before 3 November raked in big money from two financial giants, receiving $10.2m Renaissance Technologies, and $5m from Paloma Partners, according to CRP.
Overall, however, as of 23 November, the Senate Majority Pac had just $2.1m left to spend, while the Senate Leadership Fund had $60.8m, according to CRP.
Perdue and Loeffler’s strong support from financial industry leaders seems partly attributable to their industry ties. An ex-CEO of Dollar General whose net worth was estimated last year at $16m, Perdue used to be on the board of Cardlytics, a financial tech company.
Loeffler’s husband Sprecher, chairs the New York Stock Exchange and leads global exchange operator ICE. The couple’s net worth has been pegged by Forbes at $800m.
Both senators, though, have been dogged by ethical issues involving significant stock trading during the pandemic’s early stages which sparked federal inquiries into potential illegal insider trading.
Jon Ossoff, Democratic candidate for the US Senate in Georgia at a rally in Atlanta on 11 December. Photograph: Rich Von Biberstein/Icon SMI/ZUMA Press/REX/Shutterstock
Perdue, who is the most prolific stock trader in the Senate, drew scrutiny from the justice department due to his well timed and profitable stock trading in Cardlytics: Perdue sold about $1m worth of his Cardlytics stock in January. Investigators looked at a personal email he received before the stock sale and whether he had learned early of a major management shift, the New York Times reported.
DoJ reportedly opted not to charge Perdue with any illegal trading, but the issue has roiled his runoff campaign and may have influenced his decision not to appear at a debate with Ossoff earlier this month.
Loeffler too was embroiled in an inquiry into possible insider trading during the pandemic: she dumped millions of dollars in stocks soon after she received a private briefing from health officials on the new threat in January.
DoJ investigated her trades and those of some other members, but told Loeffler in March it was not pursuing charges.
Still, the stock trading issue has surfaced in the runoffs: when the moderator at her debate with Warnock last Sunday pressed Loeffler about whether Senators should be allowed to trade stocks she avoided answering, calling the controversy about her trading a “conspiracy” and “left wing media lie”.


theguardian--2020-12-15--Biden hails democracy and rebukes Trump after electoral college victory

Joe Biden delivered a sharp repudiation of Donald Trump and his weekslong quest to subvert the results of November ’ s election , declaring that the “ will of the people had prevailed ” in a speech that came shortly after the electoral college officially confirmed his victory .
It was “ time to turn the page ” on a presidential election that tested the resilience of American democracy , the president-elect said just moments after Hawaii cast the final four electoral college votes , clearing a milestone that all but ended Trump ’ s unprecedented attempt to overturn the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and its uncharted aftermath as a triumph of American democracy and “ one of the most amazing demonstrations of civic duty we ’ ve ever seen in our country ” .
The final tally – 306 to 232 electoral votes – followed a baseless campaign by the president to reverse the results of an election that saw historic turnout despite a pandemic .
Trump lost not only in the electoral college but the popular vote , too – by nearly 7m .
Yet for weeks , the president has clung to meritless accusations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ battleground states that delivered the victory to Biden .
His refusal to concede has sowed doubt among his supporters about the integrity of the vote and undermined faith in the institutions of American governance .
In a speech delivered from Wilmington , Delaware , Biden said “ our democracy – pushed , tested , threatened – proved to be resilient , true and strong ” .
Biden , who will become the 46th president of the United States when he is sworn in on 20 January , continued : “ We the people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remains intact .
And so , now it is time to turn the page , as we ’ ve done throughout our history – to unite , to heal.
” Since Biden entered the presidential race last year , he has cast the election as a “ battle for the soul ” of the nation .
In his remarks on Monday night , Biden described his electoral college victory as a fulfilment of that mission and a rejection of Trump .
The president-elect called Trump ’ s assault on the democratic process “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his unsubstantiated claims about widespread voter fraud .
He singled out the 17 state attorneys general and 126 members of Congress who he said helped legitimize a legal effort to throw out tens of millions of votes in Wisconsin , Michigan , Pennsylvania and Georgia and “ hand the presidency to a candidate who lost the electoral college , lost the popular vote and lost each and every one of the states whose votes they were trying to reverse ” .
The supreme court rejected the lawsuit .
These officials , Biden said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that we ’ ve never seen it before – a position that refused to respect the will of the people , refused to respect the rule of law and refused to honor our constitution ” .
Anticipating further resistance from Trump and his allies , Biden noted that the president and his campaign were “ denied no course of action ” and stressed that their efforts failed in states with Republican governors and in courts with Republican-appointed judges .
“ They were heard , ” he said .
“ And they were found @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continued to dispute the legitimacy of the election on Monday , claiming that the result was “ RIGGED ” due to “ massive fraud ” .
Twitter moved quickly to label the pronouncements “ disputed ” .
As California ’ s 55 electors cast their ballots for Biden , pushing him over the 270-vote threshold to win the White House , Trump announced on Twitter that his attorney general , Bill Barr , was resigning , effective 23 December .
Trump had recently lost patience with Barr , viewed as a loyalist who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agenda , after the attorney general acknowledged that his department had found no evidence of widespread voter fraud .
In a sign that Republicans were increasingly prepared to accept reality , some senators and members of Congress acknowledged the electoral college vote .
“ The orderly transfer of power is a hallmark of our democracy , and although I supported President Trump , the electoral college vote today makes clear that Joe Biden is now president-elect , ” the Republican senator Rob Portman , of Ohio , said in a statement .
Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have accepted the electoral college vote , after resisting his victory for weeks .
Ever hopeful that four years of deep partisan division will yield a new era of bipartisanship , Biden said he was “ convinced we can work together for the good of the nation ” .
With the election all but finalized , he called on elected officials to turn to the “ urgent work ” of combating the coronavirus pandemic .
On Monday , the US death toll surpassed more than 300,000 , a grisly reminder on the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a vaccine against the virus .
Though the path forward remains challenging , exacerbated by the divisions that persist , Biden said the electoral college vote should serve as a sign of hope for a weary nation .
He pointed to the election officials – many of them volunteers – who carried out their duties in the face of political pressure , threats of violence and , in some cases , an intervention from the president himself .
Their unwavering commitment to the electoral process ensured that the “ flame of democracy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ They showed a deep and unwavering faith in and a commitment to the law , ” Biden said .
“ They knew the elections they oversaw were honest and free and fair .
They saw it with their own eyes and they wouldn ’ t be bullied into saying anything different .
”

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Joe Biden delivered a sharp repudiation of Donald Trump and his weekslong quest to subvert the results of November’s election, declaring that the “will of the people had prevailed” in a speech that came shortly after the electoral college officially confirmed his victory.
It was “time to turn the page” on a presidential election that tested the resilience of American democracy, the president-elect said just moments after Hawaii cast the final four electoral college votes, clearing a milestone that all but ended Trump’s unprecedented attempt to overturn the results.
Biden hailed the presidential election and its uncharted aftermath as a triumph of American democracy and “one of the most amazing demonstrations of civic duty we’ve ever seen in our country”.
The final tally – 306 to 232 electoral votes – followed a baseless campaign by the president to reverse the results of an election that saw historic turnout despite a pandemic. Trump lost not only in the electoral college but the popular vote, too – by nearly 7m.
Yet for weeks, the president has clung to meritless accusations of voter fraud in a slate of battleground states that delivered the victory to Biden. His refusal to concede has sowed doubt among his supporters about the integrity of the vote and undermined faith in the institutions of American governance.
In a speech delivered from Wilmington, Delaware, Biden said “our democracy – pushed, tested, threatened – proved to be resilient, true and strong”.
Biden, who will become the 46th president of the United States when he is sworn in on 20 January, continued: “We the people voted. The integrity of our elections remains intact. And so, now it is time to turn the page, as we’ve done throughout our history – to unite, to heal.”
Since Biden entered the presidential race last year, he has cast the election as a “battle for the soul” of the nation. In his remarks on Monday night, Biden described his electoral college victory as a fulfilment of that mission and a rejection of Trump.
The president-elect called Trump’s assault on the democratic process “unconscionable” and assailed Republicans who embraced his unsubstantiated claims about widespread voter fraud. He singled out the 17 state attorneys general and 126 members of Congress who he said helped legitimize a legal effort to throw out tens of millions of votes in Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Georgia and “hand the presidency to a candidate who lost the electoral college, lost the popular vote and lost each and every one of the states whose votes they were trying to reverse”. The supreme court rejected the lawsuit.
These officials, Biden said, adopted a position “so extreme that we’ve never seen it before – a position that refused to respect the will of the people, refused to respect the rule of law and refused to honor our constitution”.
Anticipating further resistance from Trump and his allies, Biden noted that the president and his campaign were “denied no course of action” and stressed that their efforts failed in states with Republican governors and in courts with Republican-appointed judges.
“They were heard,” he said. “And they were found to be without merit.”
Texas presidential electors take the oath of office to cast ballots on Monday. Photograph: Bob Daemmrich/ZUMA Wire/REX/Shutterstock
Yet Trump continued to dispute the legitimacy of the election on Monday, claiming that the result was “RIGGED” due to “massive fraud”. Twitter moved quickly to label the pronouncements “disputed”. As California’s 55 electors cast their ballots for Biden, pushing him over the 270-vote threshold to win the White House, Trump announced on Twitter that his attorney general, Bill Barr, was resigning, effective 23 December.
Trump had recently lost patience with Barr, viewed as a loyalist who eagerly advanced the president’s political agenda, after the attorney general acknowledged that his department had found no evidence of widespread voter fraud.
In a sign that Republicans were increasingly prepared to accept reality, some senators and members of Congress acknowledged the electoral college vote.
“The orderly transfer of power is a hallmark of our democracy, and although I supported President Trump, the electoral college vote today makes clear that Joe Biden is now president-elect,” the Republican senator Rob Portman, of Ohio, said in a statement.
Biden thanked the handful of Republican senators who have accepted the electoral college vote, after resisting his victory for weeks. Ever hopeful that four years of deep partisan division will yield a new era of bipartisanship, Biden said he was “convinced we can work together for the good of the nation”.
With the election all but finalized, he called on elected officials to turn to the “urgent work” of combating the coronavirus pandemic. On Monday, the US death toll surpassed more than 300,000, a grisly reminder on the same day Americans began receiving the first shots of a vaccine against the virus.
Though the path forward remains challenging, exacerbated by the divisions that persist, Biden said the electoral college vote should serve as a sign of hope for a weary nation.
He pointed to the election officials – many of them volunteers – who carried out their duties in the face of political pressure, threats of violence and, in some cases, an intervention from the president himself. Their unwavering commitment to the electoral process ensured that the “flame of democracy” was not extinguished, he said.
“They showed a deep and unwavering faith in and a commitment to the law,” Biden said. “They knew the elections they oversaw were honest and free and fair. They saw it with their own eyes and they wouldn’t be bullied into saying anything different.”


theguardian--2020-12-15--Biden addresses nation as election victory formally affirmed - as it happened

The president-elect will address the electoral college vote count in a speech to the nation later tonight .
According to excerpts released by his transition team , Biden will say : “ In this battle for the soul of America , democracy prevailed ... And so , now it is time to turn the page .
To unite .
To heal.
” Traditionally an afterthought , the meeting of the electoral college has taken on added importance this year because of the president ’ s refusal to concede the election .
Despite an extraordinarily unsuccessful legal campaign to challenge the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump has continued to claim without evidence that the vote was corrupted by fraud and irregularities .
In his speech , Biden will seek to put the election firmly to rest by looking ahead to his presidency and the challenges facing the country .
“ As I said through this campaign , I will be a president for all Americans .
I will work just as hard for those of you who didn ’ t vote for me , as I will for those who did , ” Biden is expected to say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is urgent work in front of all of us .
Getting the pandemic under control to getting the nation vaccinated against this virus .
Delivering immediate economic help so badly needed by so many Americans who are hurting today – and then building our economy back better than ever.
” Biden is scheduled to deliver his speech at 7.30pm ET tonight , after every state has held its meeting of electors .
Hawaii will be the last state to start its meeting , at 7pm ET .
Election results from November show Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 270 needed to win , after four tumultuous years under Trump .
The president-elect and the vice president-elect , Kamala Harris , are due to take office on 20 January .
Trump ’ s refusal to accept reality has been embraced by a significant share of Republican elected officials , including the House leader , Kevin McCarthy , and much of the party ’ s base .
Tensions over the election result , stoked by Trump , erupted in Washington over the weekend , when violence broke out amid a “ Stop @ @ @ @ @

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

15 Dec 2020 01.21 GMT Summary From me and Joan E Greve: The US coronavirus death toll surpassed 300,000 as the country distributed its first doses of the Pfizer vaccine. Frontline healthcare workers started receiving the vaccine today, and many of them said they were “relieved” to get the treatment after months of treating coronavirus patients. Sandra Lindsay , a critical care nurse in New York, said shortly after receiving the vaccine this morning, “I hope this marks the beginning of the end of a very painful time in our history.”
Frontline healthcare workers started receiving the vaccine today, and many of them said they were “relieved” to get the treatment after months of treating coronavirus patients. , a critical care nurse in New York, said shortly after receiving the vaccine this morning, “I hope this marks the beginning of the end of a very painful time in our history.” Members of the electoral college formally cast their votes for president and affirmed Joe Biden as president-elect. Biden has won 306 electoral votes – the same amount Trump won in 2016.
Biden has won 306 electoral votes – the same amount Trump won in 2016. Biden addressed the country on Monday night. “If anyone didn’t know it before, they know it now. What beats deep in the hearts of the American people is this: democracy” he said.
“If anyone didn’t know it before, they know it now. What beats deep in the hearts of the American people is this: democracy” he said. Paul Mitchell, a Republican congressman of Michigan told CNN that he is disgusted with Donald Trump’s ongoing efforts to undermine and overturn the election results. He alerted the House clerk that he will be changing his party affiliation from Republican to independent, and has notified Republican leaders that he’s ending his “engagement and association with the Republican party at both the national and state level”.
He alerted the House clerk that he will be changing his party affiliation from Republican to independent, and has notified Republican leaders that he’s ending his “engagement and association with the Republican party at both the national and state level”. Attorney general William Barr will be leaving his post just before Christmas. Barr’s loyalty to Trump seemed almost bottomless – but he recently angered the president by disputing systematic fraud in the elections.
Barr’s loyalty to Trump seemed almost bottomless – but he recently angered the president by disputing systematic fraud in the elections. The Wisconsin supreme court again rejected Trump’s bid to overturn Biden’s victory in the state. The conservative-leaning court ruled that the president had waited too long to file his challenge. Conservative justice Brian Hagedorn wrote in the decision, “[T]he [Trump] campaign is challenging the rulebook adopted before the season began.”
The conservative-leaning court ruled that the president had waited too long to file his challenge. Conservative justice wrote in the decision, “[T]he [Trump] campaign is challenging the rulebook adopted before the season began.” The US formally blamed Iran for the presumed death of former FBI agent Robert Levinson. The treasury department issued sanctions against two Iranian intelligence officers believed to have been involved in Levinson’s 2007 abduction.
Updated at 01.29 GMT
15 Dec 2020 01.08 GMT Lamar Alexander, a Republican senator of Tennessee, who had previously said that it’ll be “over” once the electoral college affirms the election, has released a statement emphasizing that point. “The presidential election is over,” he said. “States have certified the votes. Courts have resolved disputes. The electors have voted. I hope that President Trump will put the country first, take pride in his considerable accomplishments, and help President-elect Biden get off to a good start. Especially during this pandemic, an orderly transition of power is crucially important.”
Updated at 01.18 GMT
15 Dec 2020 00.59 GMT As much as Biden has emphasized unity since winning the election – and even though he ended his speech with a call to unity, his speech tonight didn’t pull any punches. Biden: "4 years ago, when I was VP, it was my responsibility to announce the tally of the Electoral College votes to the joint session of Congress ... I did my job ... now it's time to turn the page as we've done throughout our history." pic.twitter.com/eCHWQMWxPo — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) December 15, 2020
Updated at 01.19 GMT
15 Dec 2020 00.47 GMT Before concluding his speech, Biden gave his condolences to those who lost loved ones to Covid-19: “Today, our nation passed a grim milestone. 300,000 deaths due to this Covid virus. My heart goes out to each of you in this dark winter of the pandemic.”
Updated at 00.55 GMT
15 Dec 2020 00.42 GMT Biden also called out the 17 Republican state attorney generals and 126 Republican representatives who signed onto the Texas lawsuit seeking to overturn election results in other states. “It’s a position so extreme we’ve never seen it before,” Biden said. The effort “refused to respect the will of the people, refused to respect the rule of law and refused to respect our Constitution”. Now, he said, “is time to unite”.
“There’s urgent work in front of us.”
Updated at 00.55 GMT
15 Dec 2020 00.40 GMT “If anyone didn’t know it before, they know it now. What beats deep in the hearts of the American people is this: democracy” Biden said. After thanking officials who carried out the elections, he also praised the judicial system. “The Trump campaign brought dozens and dozens of legal challenges,” Biden said. “And each of the times they were heard, they were found to be without merit.”
Updated at 00.56 GMT
15 Dec 2020 00.36 GMT “Together, Vice-president-elect Harris and I earned 306 electoral votes,” Biden said, noting that he has won by the same margin as Donald Trump in 2016. Trump called that a “landslide”, Biden noted. “Nothing, not even a pandemic, or an abuse of power can extinguish that flame” of American democracy, Biden added, noting the contributions of election officials in carrying out their duty amid the pandemic, and amid threats and verbal abuse from detractors and Trump supporters. “We owe these public servants a debt of gratitude,” Biden continued. “Our democracy survived because of them.”
Updated at 00.56 GMT
15 Dec 2020 00.32 GMT Joe Biden speaks after electoral college affirms that he is president-elect “The will of the people prevailed,” he said. It’s official, folks. Tune in as I deliver remarks on today’s electoral college vote certification and the strength and resilience of our democracy. https://t.co/Qp2c92mYUV — Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) December 15, 2020
15 Dec 2020 00.25 GMT Joe Biden is affirmed presidential election winner by electoral college Members of the electoral college affirmed that Joe Biden is the president-elect, having won more than 270 electoral votes. Hawaii was the last state to cast its electoral votes, awarding Biden a total of 306 votes.
14 Dec 2020 23.52 GMT Lauren Gambino The president-elect will address the electoral college vote count in a speech to the nation later tonight. According to excerpts released by his transition team, Biden will say: “In this battle for the soul of America, democracy prevailed ... And so, now it is time to turn the page. To unite. To heal.” Traditionally an afterthought, the meeting of the electoral college has taken on added importance this year because of the president’s refusal to concede the election. Despite an extraordinarily unsuccessful legal campaign to challenge the results in state and federal court, Trump has continued to claim without evidence that the vote was corrupted by fraud and irregularities. In his speech, Biden will seek to put the election firmly to rest by looking ahead to his presidency and the challenges facing the country. “As I said through this campaign, I will be a president for all Americans. I will work just as hard for those of you who didn’t vote for me, as I will for those who did,” Biden is expected to say.
He will add: “There is urgent work in front of all of us. Getting the pandemic under control to getting the nation vaccinated against this virus. Delivering immediate economic help so badly needed by so many Americans who are hurting today – and then building our economy back better than ever.” Biden is scheduled to deliver his speech at 7.30pm ET tonight, after every state has held its meeting of electors. Hawaii will be the last state to start its meeting, at 7pm ET. Election results from November show Biden won 306 electoral college votes, exceeding the 270 needed to win, after four tumultuous years under Trump. The president-elect and the vice president-elect, Kamala Harris, are due to take office on 20 January. Trump’s refusal to accept reality has been embraced by a significant share of Republican elected officials, including the House leader, Kevin McCarthy, and much of the party’s base. Tensions over the election result, stoked by Trump, erupted in Washington over the weekend, when violence broke out amid a “Stop the Steal” rally. Read more: Electoral college: key states confirm Joe Biden's victory in presidential election Read more
14 Dec 2020 23.11 GMT Senator Roy Blunt, a Republican of Missouri, is yet another Republican to break with the president by – accurately – calling Joe Biden the president-elect. He told the Senate press poll that “we’ve now gone through the constitutional process and the electors have voted so there’s a president-elect”. .@RoyBlunt to Senate press pool: "We've now gone through the constitutional process and the electors have voted so there's a president elect... We'll deal with Vice President Biden as the president elect." — Bryan Lowry (@BryanLowry3) December 14, 2020
14 Dec 2020 23.07 GMT Throughout his tenure, William Barr went to great lengths to back Donald Trump: He undermined the findings of the Russia investigation, issuing a summary that a judge later said twisted the findings of Robert Mueller.
He had the justice department intervene in a defamation lawsuit E Jean Carroll, an author who has accused Trump of raping her, in an extraordinary move that helped the president fight a private legal matter with taxpayer-funded resources.
He authorized the justice department to investigate unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud – even though he eventually broke with the president in saying that no evidence of systematic fraud was found.
Updated at 23.38 GMT
14 Dec 2020 22.59 GMT William Barr’s resignation letter is dripping with praise for Donald Trump. “You built the strongest and most resilient economy in American history,” Barr writes. “You have restored American military strength.” Barr praises the president’s Covid-19 response, and Middle East policy while repeating Trumpian grievance rhetoric about how the president faced a “partisan onslaught” that was “abusive and deceitful”. ...Deputy Attorney General Jeff Rosen, an outstanding person, will become Acting Attorney General. Highly respected Richard Donoghue will be taking over the duties of Deputy Attorney General. Thank you to all! pic.twitter.com/V5sqOJT9PM — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 14, 2020
Updated at 23.02 GMT


theguardian--2020-12-16--More Biden cabinet picks emerge as McConnell acknowledges victory – as it happened

So far today we have Gina McCarthy for domestic climate czar , Jennifer Granholm for head of the energy department @ @ @ @ @ secretary .
The selections keep coming : it looks like today we also have Ali @ @ @ @ @ New York governor Andrew Cuomo , for deputy White House climate coordinator and Michael Regan @ @ @ @ @ North Carolina , for EPA administrator .

Vivian Ho (now), Lauren Gambino and Martin Belam (earlier)


theguardian--2020-12-15--Biden taps Pete Buttigieg for transportation post and Jennifer Granholm for energy

More picks for senior positions in Joe Biden ’ s incoming administration emerged on Tuesday , including Pete Buttigieg , the former South Bend mayor , for transportation secretary , and Jennifer Granholm , the former governor of Michigan , to run the energy department .
Buttigieg confirmed he had been tapped as transportation secretary in a tweet on Tuesday evening , saying he was “ honored ” .
Biden said in a statement that Buttigieg was a “ patriot and a problem-solver who speaks to the best of who we are as a nation ” .
“ I am @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this position stands at the nexus of so many of the interlocking challenges and opportunities ahead of us , ” Biden said , “ Jobs , infrastructure , equity , and climate all come together at the DOT , the site of some of our most ambitious plans to build back better.
” Biden ’ s decisions comes as he rounds out his cabinet of top officials to run federal agencies , having already selected former Obama adviser Tony Blinken as his secretary of state , retired Army Gen Lloyd Austin as his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Janet Yellen as his treasury secretary .
He ’ s also picked former agriculture secretary Tom Vilsack to reprise that role in the Biden administration , and Ohio representative Marcia Fudge to serve as housing secretary .
Buttigieg is one of the few white men Biden has picked to serve as a cabinet secretary .
He would also be the first openly gay person confirmed by the Senate to a cabinet post .
Granholm ’ s selection as energy secretary was widely reported on Tuesday and confirmed to the Associated Press by four @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Granholm has yet to comment publicly .
Granholm served two terms as Michigan ’ s governor and defeated the husband of the US education secretary , Betsy DeVos , to win her second term .
In November , she penned an op-ed for the Detroit News calling for Michigan ’ s auto industry to invest in a low-carbon economy , stating that “ the time for a low-carbon recovery is now ” .
“ She ’ s really a student of the [ energy ] transition , ” Skip Pruss , who directed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and economic growth under Granholm , told Politico .
“ If you were to ask me what was a limitation in Michigan , I would say that she was slightly ahead of her time.
” Buttigieg , 38 , ran an upstart presidential campaign and proved to be a competitive candidate with a knack for building a notable warchest .
After he dropped out of the Democratic primary for president , he quickly endorsed Biden .
Buttigieg ’ s name had floated around lists for multiple cabinet positions .
He was often @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the United Nations , a position that some of his supporters noted could help improve his international relations credentials and give him an opening to New York donors .
But Buttigieg was passed up for Linda Thomas-Greenfield , a veteran American diplomat .
His name had been mentioned for other positions including secretary of Veterans Affairs .
But Buttigieg , a navy veteran , was not interested in that job , according to multiple Democratic supporters .
Buttigieg ’ s team has denied any report or suggestion that he turned down an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had also been mentioned as a possible secretary of commerce .
Throughout his presidential campaign , Buttigieg struggled to get any traction among African American voters .
He will probably face similar questions on how his tenure as mayor of South Bend affected African Americans .
Still , as transportation secretary Buttigieg will be involved in a part of the Biden administration that affects African Americans across the country .
Buttigieg ’ s appointment was met with praise by some high-profile Democrats .
“ As a former mayor , he knows the importance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interstate roads and bridges , and in the connections provided by a secure rail network , ” New Jersey ’ s governor , Phil Murphy , said in a statement .
“ President-elect Biden has chosen the right person to lead on delivering the promise of clean energy and electric vehicles , on creating new union jobs , and on investments in environmental justice – all of which are inextricably intertwined within our transportation infrastructure.
” Biden ’ s selection of Buttigieg for transportation secretary drew praise from LGBTQ rights groups , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a decades-long effort ” to have LGBTQ representation in the US government .
“ Its impact will reverberate well-beyond the department he will lead , ” added Annise Parker , president and CEO of the LGBTQ Victory Institute .
The South Bend chapter of Black Lives Matter , however , denounced Buttigieg ‘ s impending nomination .
The group had made their displeasure of Buttigieg known during his presidential campaign , following the 2019 South Bend shooting of a Black man by a white police officer .
“ We saw Black communities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration , ” said Jorden Giger , BLM ’ s South Bend leader , in a statement , referring to Buttigieg ‘ s effort to tear down substandard housing .
“ We saw the machinery of his police turned against Black people.
” Biden also plans to tap the former Environmental Protection Agency chief Gina McCarthy to become his domestic climate czar , spearheading Biden ’ s ambitions for a massive , coordinated domestic campaign to slow climate change .
Her counterpart in climate efforts will be the former secretary of state John @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his climate envoy for national security issues .

Joe Biden has picked Pete Buttigieg, his former rival for the Democratic presidential nomination, to be his transportation secretary, in a move which would make the former South Bend mayor the first out gay person to be confirmed by the Senate to a cabinet post.
The nomination came as more picks for senior positions in Biden’s incoming administration emerged on Tuesday, including Jennifer Granholm, the former governor of Michigan, to run the energy department.
Buttigieg confirmed he had been tapped as transportation secretary in a tweet on Tuesday evening, saying he was “honored”.
This is a moment of tremendous opportunity—to create jobs, meet the climate challenge, and enhance equity for all.
I'm honored that the President-elect has asked me to serve our nation as Secretary of Transportation. — Pete Buttigieg (@PeteButtigieg) December 16, 2020
Biden said in a statement that Buttigieg was a “patriot and a problem-solver who speaks to the best of who we are as a nation”.
“I am nominating him for secretary of transportation because this position stands at the nexus of so many of the interlocking challenges and opportunities ahead of us,” Biden said, “Jobs, infrastructure, equity, and climate all come together at the DOT, the site of some of our most ambitious plans to build back better.”
Biden’s decisions comes as he rounds out his cabinet of top officials to run federal agencies, having already selected former Obama adviser Tony Blinken as his secretary of state, retired Army Gen Lloyd Austin as his secretary of defense and former Fed chair Janet Yellen as his treasury secretary. He’s also picked former agriculture secretary Tom Vilsack to reprise that role in the Biden administration, and Ohio representative Marcia Fudge to serve as housing secretary.
Buttigieg is one of the few white men Biden has picked to serve as a cabinet secretary.
Granholm’s selection as energy secretary was widely reported on Tuesday and confirmed to the Associated Press by four people familiar with the plans, although Granholm has yet to comment publicly.
Granholm served two terms as Michigan’s governor and defeated the husband of the US education secretary, Betsy DeVos, to win her second term. In November, she penned an op-ed for the Detroit News calling for Michigan’s auto industry to invest in a low-carbon economy, stating that “the time for a low-carbon recovery is now”.
“She’s really a student of the [energy] transition,” Skip Pruss, who directed the Michigan department of energy, labor, and economic growth under Granholm, told Politico. “If you were to ask me what was a limitation in Michigan, I would say that she was slightly ahead of her time.”
Buttigieg, 38, ran an upstart presidential campaign and proved to be a competitive candidate with a knack for building a notable warchest. After he dropped out of the Democratic primary for president, he quickly endorsed Biden.
Buttigieg’s name had floated around lists for multiple cabinet positions. He was often mentioned as a possible candidate for ambassador to the United Nations, a position that some of his supporters noted could help improve his international relations credentials and give him an opening to New York donors. But Buttigieg was passed up for Linda Thomas-Greenfield, a veteran American diplomat.
His name had been mentioned for other positions including secretary of Veterans Affairs. But Buttigieg, a navy veteran, was not interested in that job, according to multiple Democratic supporters. Buttigieg’s team has denied any report or suggestion that he turned down an offer to run that department. He had also been mentioned as a possible secretary of commerce.
Jennifer Granholm speaks during the the Democratic national convention in 2016. Photograph: Paul Sancya/AP
Throughout his presidential campaign, Buttigieg struggled to get any traction among African American voters. He will probably face similar questions on how his tenure as mayor of South Bend affected African Americans. Still, as transportation secretary Buttigieg will be involved in a part of the Biden administration that affects African Americans across the country.
Buttigieg’s appointment was met with praise by some high-profile Democrats.
“As a former mayor, he knows the importance of investing in safer, more efficient interstate roads and bridges, and in the connections provided by a secure rail network,” New Jersey’s governor, Phil Murphy, said in a statement. “President-elect Biden has chosen the right person to lead on delivering the promise of clean energy and electric vehicles, on creating new union jobs, and on investments in environmental justice – all of which are inextricably intertwined within our transportation infrastructure.”
Biden’s selection of Buttigieg for transportation secretary drew praise from LGBTQ rights groups, with one calling it “a new milestone in a decades-long effort” to have LGBTQ representation in the US government.
“Its impact will reverberate well-beyond the department he will lead,” added Annise Parker, president and CEO of the LGBTQ Victory Institute.
The South Bend chapter of Black Lives Matter, however, denounced Buttigieg‘s impending nomination. The group had made their displeasure of Buttigieg known during his presidential campaign, following the 2019 South Bend shooting of a Black man by a white police officer.
“We saw Black communities have their houses torn down by his administration,” said Jorden Giger, BLM’s South Bend leader, in a statement, referring to Buttigieg‘s effort to tear down substandard housing. “We saw the machinery of his police turned against Black people.”
Biden also plans to tap the former Environmental Protection Agency chief Gina McCarthy to become his domestic climate czar, spearheading Biden’s ambitions for a massive, coordinated domestic campaign to slow climate change. Her counterpart in climate efforts will be John Kerry, the former secretary of state, earlier named by Biden as his climate envoy for national security issues.
The Associated Press contributed reporting.