theguardian--2020-10-22--Our secret weapon for reaching Latino voters? WhatsApp | Xochitl Oseguera

Every election season we are flooded with headlines that suggest Latinos do not vote , despite being the largest racial or ethnic minority voting in the US presidential election this November .
This stereotype has led to Latino voters being lumped together as “ unmotivated ” and “ unengaged ” .
This year , we are going to show that not only do we vote , but we organize , educate and fill in the gaps where many presidential candidates have fallen short in motivating our communities .
There are so many different cultures represented by the “ Latinx ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have in common is the undeniable power of the mamá .
Debates happen and decisions are made at our mom ’ s dinner tables , and we have begun to turn this power into political engagement .
To channel this energy , mom-led organizations like MamásConPoder are taking a new approach this year : WhatsApp .
It is estimated that more than half of the US Latinx population uses WhatsApp at least monthly , with more than 32 million users and counting .
Not only are an overwhelming number of Latinos on WhatsApp @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than other popular voter engagement tools such as Instagram and Twitter .
Currently , there are 10 million more Latinos on WhatsApp than on Instagram .
In the case of Twitter , the number triples .
WhatsApp is an invaluable tool in reaching Latinos where we are and sharing educational materials that inform our voting decisions .
This direct technological link to such an underserved voting bloc allows activists and community organizers to talk – whether in groups or one-on-one – with inquisitive voters and answer their questions .
We can also use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , graphics and culturally relevant memes .
This work is critical , since Latinx communities historically have gone overlooked and unengaged by political campaigns .
The apathy from political candidates has been so blatant that ahead of the presidential primary in Texas – a critical state for candidates of both parties – a poll from the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement showed that 75 % of young Latinos in Texas had not heard from any presidential campaign in the six months before the survey .
This lack of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and across political parties .
This is unacceptable .
We – mothers , organizers and community leaders – are fighting for the rights we all deserve and stepping in because we know from experience that if we don ’ t do it ourselves , no one else will .
Luckily , we are not alone in our commitment to the Latinx voting bloc .
Organizations such as Voto Latino are working to register voters through virtual events and rallies .
And many state organizers have created coalitions dedicated to getting out the Latinx @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and North Carolina .
While the issues that bring us to the ballot box might be different , the importance of our votes are the same .
Our votes decide whether our loved ones have access to health insurance , housing and jobs that provide enough for their families .
We are voting for the protection of immigrant rights and for the impact of the coronavirus and climate change to be taken seriously .
We are voting for our livelihoods , our economies and for our right to be treated as equal in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ organizers has shown that if we come together across cities , states and communities , we can ensure that everyone has the information they need to not only vote , but to feel empowered in their ability to make such an important decision .
• None Xochitl Oseguera is the vice-president of MamásConPoder

Every election season we are flooded with headlines that suggest Latinos do not vote, despite being the largest racial or ethnic minority voting in the US presidential election this November. This stereotype has led to Latino voters being lumped together as “unmotivated” and “unengaged”. This year, we are going to show that not only do we vote, but we organize, educate and fill in the gaps where many presidential candidates have fallen short in motivating our communities.
There are so many different cultures represented by the “Latinx” label, but one thing we all have in common is the undeniable power of the mamá. Debates happen and decisions are made at our mom’s dinner tables, and we have begun to turn this power into political engagement. To channel this energy, mom-led organizations like MamásConPoder are taking a new approach this year: WhatsApp.
It is estimated that more than half of the US Latinx population uses WhatsApp at least monthly, with more than 32 million users and counting. Not only are an overwhelming number of Latinos on WhatsApp, but they use it far more than other popular voter engagement tools such as Instagram and Twitter. Currently, there are 10 million more Latinos on WhatsApp than on Instagram. In the case of Twitter, the number triples.
WhatsApp is an invaluable tool in reaching Latinos where we are and sharing educational materials that inform our voting decisions. This direct technological link to such an underserved voting bloc allows activists and community organizers to talk – whether in groups or one-on-one – with inquisitive voters and answer their questions. We can also use WhatsApp to share informative resources including videos, graphics and culturally relevant memes.
This work is critical, since Latinx communities historically have gone overlooked and unengaged by political campaigns. The apathy from political candidates has been so blatant that ahead of the presidential primary in Texas – a critical state for candidates of both parties – a poll from the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement showed that 75% of young Latinos in Texas had not heard from any presidential campaign in the six months before the survey.
This lack of engagement has been mirrored across the country and across political parties. This is unacceptable. We – mothers, organizers and community leaders – are fighting for the rights we all deserve and stepping in because we know from experience that if we don’t do it ourselves, no one else will.
Luckily, we are not alone in our commitment to the Latinx voting bloc. Organizations such as Voto Latino are working to register voters through virtual events and rallies. And many state organizers have created coalitions dedicated to getting out the Latinx vote in major states such as Pennsylvania and North Carolina.
While the issues that bring us to the ballot box might be different, the importance of our votes are the same. Our votes decide whether our loved ones have access to health insurance, housing and jobs that provide enough for their families. We are voting for the protection of immigrant rights and for the impact of the coronavirus and climate change to be taken seriously. We are voting for our livelihoods, our economies and for our right to be treated as equal in this country.
The work of Latinx organizers has shown that if we come together across cities, states and communities, we can ensure that everyone has the information they need to not only vote, but to feel empowered in their ability to make such an important decision.


theguardian--2020-10-22--Trump responds to Barack Obama's speech at Biden-Harris rally – video

Donald Trump has responded to Barack Obama 's speech at a campaign rally for Joe Biden , saying the former @ @ @ @ @ .
`` I think the only one , the only one more unhappy than crooked @ @ @ @ @ Hussein Obama , '' Trump said .
Less than two weeks from the election , @ @ @ @ @ to North Carolina , where he told supporters `` I love this particular state , @ @ @ @ @ come here so often .
I 've been all over your state , you better @ @ @ @

Donald Trump has responded to Barack Obama's speech at a campaign rally for Joe Biden, saying the former president underestimated him in 2016. "I think the only one, the only one more unhappy than crooked Hillary that night was Barack Hussein Obama," Trump said. Less than two weeks from the election, Trump's campaign took him to North Carolina, where he told supporters "I love this particular state, but I might not have come here so often. I've been all over your state, you better let me win"


theguardian--2020-10-23--Presidential debate: Biden slams Trump over coronavirus response and tax returns – live

The debate turned to race in America , amid a national reckoning over racism in the country .
“ The @ @ @ @ @ , there is institutional racism in America , ” Biden said .
Trump , who @ @ @ @ @ “ institutional racism ” , responded by once again arguing that he has done more @ @ @ @ @ president since Abraham Lincoln .

23 Oct 2020 05.26 BST Final presidential debate summary That’s it from us tonight. Thanks for following along with our coverage of the final presidential debate. Here are the key takeaways of the night: Trump and Biden sparred over the coronavirus pandemic, with the president defending his response to a pandemic that has already claimed 223,000 American lives. Trump said of the pandemic, “I take full responsibility. It’s not my fault that it came here. It’s China’s fault.” Biden argued Trump had “no clear plan” to bring the virus under control.
with the president defending his response to a pandemic that has already claimed 223,000 American lives. Trump said of the pandemic, “I take full responsibility. It’s not my fault that it came here. It’s China’s fault.” Biden argued Trump had “no clear plan” to bring the virus under control. Biden criticized Trump as “one of the most racist presidents we’ve had in modern history”. Asked how he would respond to Americans who are concerned about his record on race, Trump said, “I am the least racist person in this room.” Biden responded, “He pours fuel on every single racist fire. ... This guy has a dog whistle about as big as a foghorn.”
Asked how he would respond to Americans who are concerned about his record on race, Trump said, “I am the least racist person in this room.” Biden responded, “He pours fuel on every single racist fire. ... This guy has a dog whistle about as big as a foghorn.” Trump reiterated that he wanted the supreme court to dismantle Obamacare. Echoing his comments to 60 Minutes, the president said Obamacare was “no good”, adding, “What we’d like to do is terminate it.” Biden said he would support Obamacare as president and would build upon it with a public option, describing his plan as “Bidencare”.
Echoing his comments to 60 Minutes, the president said Obamacare was “no good”, adding, “What we’d like to do is terminate it.” Biden said he would support Obamacare as president and would build upon it with a public option, describing his plan as “Bidencare”. Trump tried to jump on Biden for endorsing a transition away from fossil fuels, arguing the Democrat would be bad for the economy. Biden emphasized the need to expand renewable energy sources, and he later told reporters that his comments about moving away from fossil fuels were aimed at government subsidies for fossil fuels.
arguing the Democrat would be bad for the economy. Biden emphasized the need to expand renewable energy sources, and he later told reporters that his comments about moving away from fossil fuels were aimed at government subsidies for fossil fuels. Moderator Kristen Welker of NBC News was praised for her orderly management of tonight’s debate. Unlike the first debate, which devolved into chaos as Trump repeatedly interrupted Biden and moderator Chris Wallace, Welker successfully kept the debate on task, allowing for more substantive answers from the nominees.
Unlike the first debate, which devolved into chaos as Trump repeatedly interrupted Biden and moderator Welker successfully kept the debate on task, allowing for more substantive answers from the nominees. Overall, the debate seems unlikely to sway many voters, which is a victory for Biden. Snap polls taken after the debate showed viewers favored Biden’s performance by about 10-15 points, results that closely mirror recent national polls. Given his poor polling numbers, Trump needed to shake up the race somehow with tonight’s debate, and it does not seem like he has done that. It is past midnight on the east coast, which means we are now 11 days from the presidential election. The Guardian’s US politics live blog will be back in the morning, so tune back in then for more updates and analysis from our team.
Updated at 05.31 BST
23 Oct 2020 05.15 BST Chris Wallace, who moderated a chaotic first debate during which Donald Trump repeatedly talked over him and Joe Biden, said he was “jealous” that tonight’s moderator Kristen Welker was able to maintain order. Speaking on Fox News immediately after tonight’s debate concluded, Wallace said, “I would’ve liked to have been able to moderate that debate and get a real exchange of views instead of hundreds of interruptions.” Oh, Chris Wallace. #Debates2020 pic.twitter.com/GNFlIDWa3a — Martine St-Victor (@MartineMontreal) October 23, 2020
23 Oct 2020 05.08 BST CNN’s snap poll of debate watchers showed similar results to the DataProgress survey, with 53% of viewers saying Biden won and 39% saying Trump won. Results of the CNN instant poll of debate watchers: 53% say Biden won, 39% say Trump won. pic.twitter.com/AK4Fc99tez — Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) October 23, 2020 Those results mirror recent national polls, which is bad news for Trump, given the president needed a major moment in tonight’s debate to shake up the race. He doesn’t seem to have landed one.
23 Oct 2020 05.03 BST Symone Sanders, a senior adviser in the Biden campaign, said that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, and their spouses, will be campaigning hard over the next few days until 3 November. “We cannot let up,” she said, speaking to Brian Williams on MSNBC. “This race is a lot closer than it looks ... That is why we have to fight to the very end.” After 2016, when most polls showed Hillary Clinton leading but Donald Trump snagged a win, the Biden campaign has been cautious – continuing to push out their message as election day rolls closer. – Maanvi Singh
Updated at 05.05 BST
23 Oct 2020 05.00 BST Speaking to reporters on the tarmac before leaving Nashville, Biden tried to clean up his comments about phasing out fossil fuels during tonight’s debate. The Democratic nominee said his climate policies would not cause jobs to be cut because many more jobs would be created by expanding renewable energy sources. Biden added, “We’re not getting rid of fossil fuels. We’re getting rid of the subsidies for fossil fuels, but we’re not getting rid of fossil fuels for a long time.” When Biden mentioned transitioning away from fossil fuels tonight, Trump jumped on the comment, saying his opponent would be bad for the US economy.
23 Oct 2020 04.55 BST Pollster Frank Luntz’s focus group of undecided seemed to like Donald Trump’s relatively restrained performance tonight. While the group described Biden as “vague”, “unspecific” and “elusive”; they described Trump as “poised” and “surprisingly presidential”. Luntz said, “Similarly as before, they say Joe Biden is a more decent person, but they side more with Trump’s policies and how they affect their daily lives.” My focus group’s words to describe Trump tonight:
• “Controlled”
• “Reserved”
• “Poised”
• “Con artist”
• “Surprisingly presidential”
Words to describe Biden tonight:
• “Vague”
• “Unspecific”
• “Elusive”
• “Defensive”
• “Grandfatherly”
👉🏻 https://t.co/LOOQDLAjoT pic.twitter.com/qa54f6F94S — Frank Luntz (@FrankLuntz) October 23, 2020 That contrasts a bit with the snap poll Joan just wrote about, where the majority of voters said Biden won the night. Trump needed to show restraint after an aggressive, chaotic performance at the first debate when he repeatedly interrupted Biden and the moderator. – Maanvi Singh
Updated at 05.28 BST
23 Oct 2020 04.46 BST A snap poll taken by DataProgress showed American voters who watched the debate believed Biden won the night. According to the poll, 52% of voters said Biden won, while 41% said Trump had the better performance. An additional 7% were undecided. Preliminary results from the @DataProgress snap debate poll: A majority of voters who watched the debate say Biden won (52% Biden, 41% Trump, 7% undecided) and moderates in particular think Biden won by a 2:1 margin — Charlotte Swasey (@charlotteeffect) October 23, 2020 The results are quite similar to recent national polls of the presidential race. The FiveThirtyEight average of national polls currently has Biden at 52.1% and Trump at 42.2%. It’s important to remember that Trump came into the night at a significant disadvantage and needed to somehow shake up the race with the final debate. It’s not clear Trump managed that.
Updated at 04.49 BST
23 Oct 2020 04.36 BST During the climate change segment of the debate, there was a lot of back and forth about fracking – with Trump accusing Biden of flip-flopping on his opposition to fracking to appeal to voters in swing state Pennsylvania. Biden, adamant, insisted he wasn’t going to ban fracking – much to the dismay of progressives who are calling for more ambitious climate action. His plan is to ban new gas and oil permits — including fracking — on federal lands. But it’s unclear why Biden has held back on banning fracking. Even in Pennsylvania, 52% oppose fracking, per a CBS News poll of registered voters. Here’s more on how fracking has disrupted and contaminated communities in Pennsylvania, from my colleague Nina Lakhani: Trump has made fracking an election issue. Has he misjudged Pennsylvania? Read more – Maanvi Singh
Updated at 04.37 BST
23 Oct 2020 04.29 BST Speaking to reporters on the tarmac before leaving Nashville, Joe Biden said he felt “good” about his debate performance, and he applauded the moderating of Kristen Welker. “I thought the moderator did a good job of making it run smoothly, and so it was [a] much, much more rational debate than the first one,” Biden said. Biden on the tarmac in TN just now on how he feels tonight's debate went: "Well that’s for the public to judge. I felt good about it. And I thought the moderator did a good job of making it run smoothly and so it was much, much more rational debate than the first one." — Johnny Verhovek (@JTHVerhovek) October 23, 2020


theguardian--2020-10-23--US election 2020: Can the Democrats win back trust in Ohio? – podcast

The race in Ohio has long been a reliable guide to the US election : the state ’ s winner usually goes on to win the presidency .
In 2016 , it broke decisively for Trump , but this year there are signs that its voters are turning away from the president For decades , the mid-western state of Ohio has been one of the classic bellwethers of US elections .
Whichever candidate won there could usually expect to enter the White House .
It remains true that no Republican candidate has ever taken the presidency without winning Ohio .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ towards Donald Trump – he won there by a clear 8 percentage points with promises to revitalise the state and bring back its vanishing industrial jobs .
This year , those same voters return to the polls amid rising cases of Covid-19 , a flatlining economy and scant evidence of returning industry .
The Guardian ’ s Oliver Laughland visits the city of Youngstown , where supporters of the president are still loudly confident despite the state now appearing too close to call .
For John Russo , co-author of Steel Town USA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there is evidence that working-class voters are deserting Trump amid broken promises and a growing sense of resentment and disengagement with politics .

Presented by Anushka Asthana with Oliver Laughland and John Russo; produced by Mythili Rao and Axel Kacoutié; executive producers Phil Maynard and Nicole Jackson

The race in Ohio has long been a reliable guide to the US election: the state’s winner usually goes on to win the presidency. In 2016, it broke decisively for Trump, but this year there are signs that its voters are turning away from the president
For decades, the mid-western state of Ohio has been one of the classic bellwethers of US elections. Whichever candidate won there could usually expect to enter the White House. It remains true that no Republican candidate has ever taken the presidency without winning Ohio. In 2016, it more than moved towards Donald Trump – he won there by a clear 8 percentage points with promises to revitalise the state and bring back its vanishing industrial jobs.
This year, those same voters return to the polls amid rising cases of Covid-19, a flatlining economy and scant evidence of returning industry. The Guardian’s Oliver Laughland visits the city of Youngstown, where supporters of the president are still loudly confident despite the state now appearing too close to call. For John Russo, co-author of Steel Town USA: Work and Memory in Youngstown, there is evidence that working-class voters are deserting Trump amid broken promises and a growing sense of resentment and disengagement with politics.
Archive: WKBN-27


theguardian--2020-10-23--Trump and Biden go head-to-head in final debate before election

Donald Trump and Joe Biden clashed over the president ’ s response to the coronavirus pandemic during Thursday night ’ s final presidential debate in Nashville – perhaps the last chance for the president to shift the dynamics of a race that increasingly favors his Democratic opponent with less than two weeks until election day .
The debate began relatively calmly , with the rivals making their closing arguments to the nation amid a pandemic that has killed more than 220,000 Americans and infected millions more , including the president .
In part due to the pandemic , more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ballot , shattering records and leaving Trump an increasingly narrow window to reset the debate .
Trump said the impact of the virus would have been far worse had he not taken action to stop travel from China and vowed that a vaccine would be ready “ within weeks ” .
“ We ’ re rounding the corner , ” Trump insisted , even as cases rise again across the US and public health experts warn that the US is on the precipice of a dangerous new wave .
“ It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In contrast , Biden opened his remarks by acknowledging the grim toll of the coronavirus pandemic .
“ 220,000 deaths .
If you hear nothing else I say tonight , hear this , ” Biden said .
“ Anyone who is responsible for that many deaths should not remain as President of the United States.
” Despite the cascading public health and economic crises , Biden has maintained a steady lead over the incumbent , according to public opinion polls , while Trump has struggled to outline his vision for a second term @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his response to the pandemic .
Trump ’ s challenge will be to demonstrate that he can keep his cool after a chaotic and widely criticized first presidential debate in Cleveland last month , during which he repeatedly interrupted Biden .
Trump ’ s angry performance was poorly reviewed , and Biden only strengthened his polling lead following the clash .
This time , each candidate will have his microphone muted while his rival delivers a two-minute response to each of the six predetermined debate topics , which include : fighting Covid-19 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ climate change , national security and leadership .
The button will not be used during the subsequent open debate segment of each discussion , even if a candidate interrupts or talks over his opponent .
Trump ’ s campaign attacked the independent Commission on Presidential Debates over the change , calling it an “ attempt to provide advantage to their favored candidate ” .
The campaign also contested the topics , and Trump has complained that the moderator , the NBC News correspondent Kristen Welker , was “ extremely unfair ” .
Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before the debate Thursday , and both results were negative .
In the final weeks of the campaign , Trump has returned to his attacks on Biden as a corrupt Washington insider , and cast his Democratic rival as the patriarch of the “ Biden crime family ” .
By contrast , Biden has hammered the case that Trump ’ s handling of the coronavirus is evidence that he is not fit to be president , a theme Barack Obama stressed during his first return to the campaign trail on Wednesday .
Few @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get under his skin like his predecessor , and Obama was unsparing in his ridicule of the president .
“ Eight months into this pandemic , cases are rising again across this country ” Obama said at a drive-in rally in Philadelphia .
“ Donald Trump isn ’ t suddenly going to protect all of us .
He can ’ t even take the basic steps to protect himself.
” A second debate , scheduled to take place in Miami , was cancelled when Trump abruptly withdrew after the commission announced that it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Covid diagnosis .
The candidates held dueling town halls instead .

The Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden assailed Donald Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic during Thursday night’s final presidential debate, as the president attempted to reset a race that shows him trailing his opponent in opinion polls less than two weeks before election day.
The evening in Nashville began relatively calmly, with the rivals making their closing arguments to the nation amid a pandemic that has killed more than 220,000 Americans and infected millions more, including the president. In part due to the pandemic, more than 40 million Americans have already cast their ballot, shattering records and leaving Trump an increasingly narrow window to reset the debate around his handling of the coronavirus crisis and its economic fallout.
But Trump continued to downplay the severity of the public health crisis, defending his response and predicting that a vaccine was imminent, even though his own public health experts have said one would likely not be widely available to the American public until next summer.
“It will go away,” Trump said, offering a rosy assessment of the pandemic’s trajectory even as cases have started rising again across the US and public health experts warn that the US is on the precipice of a dangerous new wave.
“We’re rounding the corner,” he added.
“We can’t keep this country closed. This is a massive country with a massive economy,” Trump said. “There’s depression, alcohol, drugs at a level nobody’s ever seen before. The cure cannot be worse than the problem itself.”
In contrast, Biden opened his remarks by acknowledging the grim toll of the coronavirus pandemic and warned that the nation must prepare for “a dark winter”.
Biden said: “220,000 deaths. If you hear nothing else I say tonight, hear this. Anyone who is responsible for that many deaths should not remain as president of the United States.”
03:26 Trump and Biden clash on coronavirus during final presidential debate – video
The 90-minute debate was a far more coherent and civil affair than the first presidential debate last month, which devolved into a chaotic brawl with Trump incessantly hectoring his opponent and sparring with the moderator. The shift in tone was probably due to a rule change that required a candidate’s microphone to be muted while his rival delivered a two-minute response to the opening question on each of the six debate topics.
On Thursday, Trump largely abided by the rules, allowing Biden to speak uninterrupted, and even complimenting the moderator, the NBC News correspondent Kristen Welker, who he spent the last week criticizing.
Biden, too, was more restrained. When Trump made a false claim about his opponent, Biden looked skyward, as if calling on a higher power to keep him from reacting. But it didn’t always stop him.
When Trump said Biden called his decision to impose Covid-19 related travel restrictions on China “xenophobic”, the Democrat shot back: “He is xenophobic, but not because he cut off access from China.”
The stakes were high for both candidates, even if the debate was unlikely to dramatically redefine the contours of the presidential race. Despite the cascading public health and economic crises, Biden has maintained a steady lead over the incumbent, according to public opinion polls, while Trump has struggled to outline his vision for a second term and grapple with voters’ disapproval of his response to the pandemic.
Despite the increasingly ugly and personal nature of the campaign, the evening featured a substantive policy debate as the candidates diverged sharply on the issues of race, immigration and climate.
02:09 'Abraham Lincoln over here': Trump and Biden clash on racism at presidential debate – video
They were asked to speak directly to the black and brown Americans about racism in America. Biden said plainly that institutional racism exists and that combatting racial inequality would be a priority of his administration. Trump, ignoring the prompt, assailed his opponent for playing a central role writing the 1994 crime bill that many experts and critics say laid the groundwork for mass incarceration that disproportionately affected Black communities. Shielding his eyes to peer into the audience and concluding it was too dark to see properly, Trump was nonetheless confident that he was the “least racist person in this room”.
Biden was incredulous. “This guy has a dog whistle about as big as a foghorn,” he said, accusing Trump of being “one of the most racist presidents we’ve had in modern history” and a leader who intentionally “pours fuel on every single racist fire”.
In an exchange on immigration, Trump attempted to defend his administration’s decision to separate thousands of immigrant families at the southern border, even after revelations that 545 children have still not been reunited with their parents after two years apart. The president said the White House was working on a plan to reunite the children and their parents but insisted the blame lay with the Obama administration, which enforced a record number of deportations.
Biden forcefully denied that the previous administration was responsible for Trump’s family separation policy, decrying the situation as “criminal”.
But pressed on why voters should trust him to deliver immigration reform when the Obama administration failed to deliver on this promise, he conceded: “we made a mistake. It took too long to get it right.”
02:15 'Children brought here by coyotes': Trump squares off with Biden on immigration – video
The final moments of the debate were devoted to a discussion on climate change. Biden stressed the need to expand sources of renewable energy – while again disputing Trump’s claim that he intended to ban fracking, which he does not.
“I know more about wind than you do,” Trump retorted, drawing an exasperated laugh from Biden. “It’s extremely expensive. Kills all the birds.”
But at one point Biden said he would “transition from the oil industry” and replace it with renewable energy over the next several years. “That’s a big statement,” Trump said.
Departing Nashville after the debate, Biden sought to clarify the remark: “We’re not getting rid of fossil fuels. We’re getting rid of the subsidies for fossil fuels.”
'Kills all the birds': Trump and Biden spar over climate in TV debate – video
The candidates also clashed sharply on their finances and family business entanglements.
Citing revelations in the New York Times that Trump only paid $750 a year in federal income taxes while maintaining an undisclosed bank account in China, Biden implored Trump to “release your tax returns or stop talking about corruption”. Trump, who has not yet released his tax returns, claimed his accountants told him that he had “prepaid tens of millions of dollars” in taxes.
In turn, Trump repeatedly leveled unsubstantiated claims about the former vice-president’s son Hunter Biden. The Democratic nominee defended his son and categorically denied the accusations as he sought to turn the conversation back to policy.
“There’s a reason why he’s bringing up all this malarkey,” Biden said, speaking directly to the camera. “He doesn’t want to talk about the substantive issues. It’s not about his family and my family. It’s about your family.”


theguardian--2020-10-23--Trump says he wants supreme court to 'end' Obamacare as final debate looms – as it happened

Donald Trump has his last chance to move the dial in the fast-approaching US presidential election on Thursday night , when he addresses a large nationwide audience at the final televised presidential debate .
Trump will face his Democratic rival Joe Biden at 9pm ET at Belmont University in Nashville , Tennessee .
The candidates are expected to attract viewership in the tens of millions of Americans for their 90-minute encounter , giving the US president one last crack at shifting a race that has had him trailing the former vice-president for weeks .
NBC News and its moderator Kristen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ civilized debate than the first , held three weeks ago , which collapsed into acrimony amid almost constant interruptions by Trump .
In an attempt to prevent a repetition , the commission on presidential debates on Monday tweaked the format so that the candidates ’ microphones are turned off while their opponent is speaking for the opening two minutes of each of six issue segments .
For the remainder of each of the 15-minute segments , discussion will be open between the two men .
Trump will be under pressure to soften his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 29 September , which was widely censured as bullying .
Polls conducted after the debate suggested it damaged his already beleaguered standing in key battleground states such as Florida and Pennsylvania .
But there were few indications that Trump intends to change tack in the final hours leading up to the Nashville debate .
On Monday he denigrated Welker as a “ radical left Democrat ” , while his campaign has accused the debate commission of being biased towards Biden and objected to the six policy subjects that NBC News has chosen .

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

22 Oct 2020 00.50 BST Summary Donald Trump will face his Democratic rival Joe Biden at 9pm ET at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee for the second and final presidential debate. Joan E Greve and I will be providing live coverage and fact checks.
Joan E Greve and I will be providing live coverage and fact checks. The Trump administration’s botched response to the pandemic has led to between 130,000 and 210,000 preventable death s , according to a report from a team of disaster preparedness and public health experts.“The United States has turned a global crisis into a devastating tragedy,” read a report released Thursday by researchers at Columbia University.
, according to a report from a team of disaster preparedness and public health experts.“The United States has turned a global crisis into a devastating tragedy,” read a report released Thursday by researchers at Columbia University. Trump said he wants the supreme court to “end” Obamacare in his “60 Minutes” interview, which the president released early on Twitter today. Trump’s decision to preemptively share the interview before its planned Sunday broadcast seemed bizarre, given Joe Biden will now be able to bring up the president’s comments on Obamacare during tonight’s debate.
which the president released early on Twitter today. Trump’s decision to preemptively share the interview before its planned Sunday broadcast seemed bizarre, given will now be able to bring up the president’s comments on Obamacare during tonight’s debate. Trump’s chief of staff said the president tested negative for coronavirus on his flight to Nashville, where tonight’s debate will take place. Trump announced he had tested positive for coronavirus two days after the first presidential debate.
where tonight’s debate will take place. Trump announced he had tested positive for coronavirus two days after the first presidential debate. The Senate judiciary committee voted to advance Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination to the supreme court, clearing the way for a chamber-wide vote next week. Democrats on the judiciary committee boycotted this morning’s vote, criticizing Barrett’s likely confirmation as a “sham” because it will come just days before the presidential election.
clearing the way for a chamber-wide vote next week. on the judiciary committee boycotted this morning’s vote, criticizing Barrett’s likely confirmation as a “sham” because it will come just days before the presidential election. Another 787,000 Americans filed new claims for unemployment benefits last week. The figure represented the lowest number of new weekly claims since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, but economists warned that layoffs remain alarmingly high.
The figure represented the lowest number of new weekly claims since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, but economists warned that layoffs remain alarmingly high. Biden said he would form a commission to study the US court system if he is elected. The news comes as the Democratic nominee has been pressed on whether he would “pack” the supreme court to offset conservatives’ 6-3 advantage if Barrett is confirmed. Follow the presidential debates live here: Presidential debate live: Trump and Biden set to face off in final clash Read more
Updated at 01.08 BST
22 Oct 2020 00.37 BST Donald Trump has invited Tony Bobulinski, who said he is a former business associate of Joe Biden’s son Hunter to the debate tonight. Four years ago, Trump pulled a similar. stunt when he invited accused former president Bill Clinton of sexual abuse to a debate with Hillary Clinton. Bobulinski’s emails were a large part of a story New York Post earlier this month that claimed Hunter Biden had helped connect board members of a Ukrainian energy company with his father while Joe Biden was vice president. Other news outlets have not been able to verify the Post’s story, and dozens of senior intelligence officials have signed a letter saying the story “has all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation”.
22 Oct 2020 00.26 BST At tonight’s final presidential debate, each candidate will have his mic muted for two minutes while the other responds to the moderator’s questions. How will it work? A representative from the non-partisan Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) will control the mute button back stage, per the commission. A member of each campaign will monitor that individual. More modifications since the last debate: Anyone in the audience who refuses to wear a face mask will be removed
Only about 200 people will be allowed inside the arena – fewer than last time – to reduce the risk of Covid transmission
Updated at 00.26 BST
22 Oct 2020 23.43 BST Trump will get a last chance to claw back Biden lead at final presidential debate Ed Pilkington Donald Trump has his last chance to move the dial in the fast-approaching US presidential election on Thursday night, when he addresses a large nationwide audience at the final televised presidential debate. Trump will face his Democratic rival Joe Biden at 9pm ET at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. The candidates are expected to attract viewership in the tens of millions of Americans for their 90-minute encounter, giving the US president one last crack at shifting a race that has had him trailing the former vice-president for weeks. NBC News and its moderator Kristen Welker will be hoping for a more civilized debate than the first, held three weeks ago, which collapsed into acrimony amid almost constant interruptions by Trump. In an attempt to prevent a repetition, the commission on presidential debates on Monday tweaked the format so that the candidates’ microphones are turned off while their opponent is speaking for the opening two minutes of each of six issue segments. For the remainder of each of the 15-minute segments, discussion will be open between the two men. Trump will be under pressure to soften his display compared with the first debate on 29 September, which was widely censured as bullying. Polls conducted after the debate suggested it damaged his already beleaguered standing in key battleground states such as Florida and Pennsylvania. But there were few indications that Trump intends to change tack in the final hours leading up to the Nashville debate. On Monday he denigrated Welker as a “radical left Democrat”, while his campaign has accused the debate commission of being biased towards Biden and objected to the six policy subjects that NBC News has chosen. Trump gets last chance to claw back Biden lead at final presidential debate Read more
22 Oct 2020 23.32 BST Bernie Sanders is vying to become labor secretary if Joe Biden wins the presidency, Politico reports. The Vermont senator has been helping the Biden campaign and get out the vote. Politico reports: “I can confirm he’s trying to figure out how to land that role or something like it,” said one person close to the Vermont senator. “He, personally, does have an interest in it.” Sanders on Wednesday declined to confirm or deny that he’s putting his name forward for the position. “Right now I am focused on seeing that Biden is elected president,” he told POLITICO. “That’s what my main focus is.” Former Sanders campaign manager Faiz Shakir said Sanders has not talked directly with anyone on the Biden campaign about a future role, but plans to push Biden, his former Senate colleague, to “include progressive voices” in both the transition and in a potential new administration. Yet two other people close to Sanders, including one former aide, said the senator has expressed interest in being in the administration, should Biden win in November. Sanders has been making his push for the top job at the Labor Department in part by reaching out to allies on the transition team, one person familiar with the process said. Robert Reich, a former Labor secretary in the Clinton administration, told the magazine that Sanders would be “terrific”. Read the full story here.
22 Oct 2020 23.08 BST Former New Jersey governor Chris Christie, who contracted Covid-19 and was hospitalized after he helped Donald Trump prepare for the first presidential debate and attended a White House event where attendees eschewed masks, has made a guest appearance at Ohio’s coronavirus press conference. Christie has been telling people to learn from his mistake. Yesterday, he wrote a Wall Street op-ed titled “I should have worn a mask”. "I thought I was safe. And I was wrong."
Former NJ @GovChristie is an invited guest to today's Ohio coronavirus press conference. pic.twitter.com/rYcuIGa6LA — Tyler Buchanan (@Tylerjoelb) October 22, 2020 But the Trump ally did not goo as far as directly criticizing the president, who has overseen a faltering pandemic response. “Those who deny the scientific realities of the pandemic undermine conditions that allow for rapid and complete reopening,” he said in his op-ed.
22 Oct 2020 22.45 BST Experts: 130,000-210,000 Covid-19 deaths in the US could have been avoided The Trump administration’s botched response to the pandemic has led to between 130,000 and 210,000 preventable deaths, according to a report from a team of disaster preparedness and public health experts. “The United States has turned a global crisis into a devastating tragedy,” read a report released Thursday by researchers at Columbia University. “We estimate that at least 130,000 deaths and perhaps as many as 210,000 could have been avoided with earlier policy interventions and more robust federal coordination and leadership. The team calculated avoidable deaths by estimating how many people would have died in other nations, like Japan and South Korea, if they had the same population as the US, and comparing those figures to the US death rate. “Many of the underlying factors amplifying the pandemic’s deadly impact have existed long before the novel coronavirus first arrived in Washington state on January 20th – a fractured healthcare system, inequitable access to care, and immense health, social and racial disparities among America’s most vulnerable groups,” the researchers noted. “Compounding this is an Administration that has publicly denigrated its own public health officials – and science more generally -- thereby hamstringing efforts by its vaunted public health service to curb the pandemic’s spread.” Read the full report here.
Updated at 23.18 BST
22 Oct 2020 22.18 BST Ahead of election day, Latinos are seeing not just more political ads but also plenty of disinformation. Amy Yee reports for The Guardian: Messages that paint Joe Biden as a socialist spreading among conservative Latinos from Cuba and Venezuela. Conspiracy theories on YouTube about Barack Obama in Spanish. Billboards and posters falsely claiming that voting by mail is illegal in Texas. “We usually see this kind of information disorder in locations with a large Latinx population, such as Miami, Houston or Los Angeles,” said Daniel Acosta Ramos, an investigative researcher at the non-profit First Draft.
Disinformation as a means of causing confusion, doubt and fear around voting is nothing new during campaigns, but social media make it easier to generate and spread. Latinos in particular are targets because they are a critical voting bloc, especially in battlegrounds such as Florida, Arizona and Texas. In Florida, 20% of eligible voters in 2018 were Hispanic, nearly double the share in 2000, according to Pew Research. In Arizona, Hispanics accounted for 24% of all eligible voters in 2018. Latinos are also politically diverse – for example, Cuban Americans tend to vote Republican, while Puerto Ricans lean Democrat – so dissuading voting in Latino communities, even subtly, could tip an election. There are several types of digital voting disinformation, such as giving the wrong time, place or manner of voting, according to democracy watchdog Common Cause. And during Covid-19, when normal routines are disrupted, online disinformation tactics are “much more believable and have a greater impact today than any other election cycle”, said Jesse Littlewood, vice-president at Common Cause, in a webinar. That has real-world effects. In Arizona, early voting began early this month and “there has already been the feeling of intimidation at the polls when Trump supporters show up at the same time,” said Hector Sanchez Barba, chief executive of Mi Familia Vota, the Latino civic engagement non-profit. Instances of intimidating Latino voters are fueled by false but divisive disinformation that undocumented immigrants are voting illegally. There are also false narratives about vote rigging, conspiracy theories or intimidation, such as telling people immigration authorities will patrol polling stations. Latinos the targets of election disinformation – but activists are fighting back Read more
22 Oct 2020 22.01 BST Today so far That’s it from me for now. I will be back tonight to cover the final presidential debate. Here’s where the day stands so far: Trump said he wants the supreme court to “end” Obamacare in his “60 Minutes” interview, which the president released early on Twitter today. Trump’s decision to preemptively share the interview before its planned Sunday broadcast seemed bizarre, given Joe Biden will now be able to bring up the president’s comments on Obamacare during tonight’s debate.
which the president released early on Twitter today. Trump’s decision to preemptively share the interview before its planned Sunday broadcast seemed bizarre, given will now be able to bring up the president’s comments on Obamacare during tonight’s debate. Trump’s chief of staff said the president tested negative for coronavirus on his flight to Nashville, where tonight’s debate will take place. Trump announced he had tested positive for coronavirus two days after the first presidential debate.
where tonight’s debate will take place. Trump announced he had tested positive for coronavirus two days after the first presidential debate. The Senate judiciary committee voted to advance Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination to the supreme court, clearing the way for a chamber-wide vote next week. Democrats on the judiciary committee boycotted this morning’s vote, criticizing Barrett’s likely confirmation as a “sham” because it will come just days before the presidential election.
clearing the way for a chamber-wide vote next week. on the judiciary committee boycotted this morning’s vote, criticizing Barrett’s likely confirmation as a “sham” because it will come just days before the presidential election. Another 787,000 Americans filed new claims for unemployment benefits last week. The figure represented the lowest number of new weekly claims since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, but economists warned that layoffs remain alarmingly high.
The figure represented the lowest number of new weekly claims since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, but economists warned that layoffs remain alarmingly high. Biden said he would form a commission to study the US court system if he is elected. The news comes as the Democratic nominee has been pressed on whether he would “pack” the supreme court to offset conservatives’ 6-3 advantage if Barrett is confirmed. My west coast colleague, Maanvi Singh, will have more coming up, so stay tuned.
22 Oct 2020 21.48 BST Snowden granted permanent residency in Russia, lawyer says Edward Snowden’s lawyer said the whistleblower has been granted permanent residency in Russia, according to the AP. The AP reports: Snowden, a former contractor with the U.S. National Security Agency, has been living in Russia since 2013 to escape prosecution in the U.S. after leaking classified documents detailing government surveillance programs.
‘Today, Snowden was handed a residency permit for an unlimited period of time,’ his Russian lawyer Anatoly Kucherena told Russia’s state Tass news agency. Kucherena told the Interfax news agency that the application was submitted in April, but because of the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown restrictions, it took immigration authorities more time to consider it. Snowden was able to obtain permanent residency rights because of the changes in Russia’s immigration laws made in 2019, the lawyer said. Trump said in August that he would consider a pardon for Snowden, despite previously criticizing the whistleblower as a “traitor.” “There are many, many people — it seems to be a split decision — many people think that he should be somehow be treated differently and other people think he did very bad things,” Trump said at the time. “I’m going to take a very good look at it.”
22 Oct 2020 21.38 BST In a possible preview of tonight’s debate, the Trump campaign just held a press call that was exclusively devoted to attacking Hunter Biden. .@tamarakeithNPR asks @RichardGrenell about debate prep. He answers by asking whether Keith has covered the emails
Keith notes she covers the Trump campaign, not Biden campaign
extensive back and forth, then
"Don't be homophobic," Grenell says, when Keith presses him — Tom LoBianco (@tomlobianco) October 22, 2020 When reporters tried to press Trump adviser Richard Grenell on the president’s debate preparation, Grenell kept trying to steer the conversation back to Joe Biden’s son. Grenell asked reporters whether they had written about Hunter Biden’s emails, prompting one reporter to note that she covers the Trump campaign, not the Biden campaign. After the reporter continued to press Grenell, who is openly gay, he accused her of being homophobic.
22 Oct 2020 21.26 BST The president is reportedly pushing for quick declassification of a document disputing the intelligence community’s conclusion that Russia interfered in the 2016 election to help Trump. Reuters reports: U.S. President Donald Trump and his intelligence chief have pushed for quick declassification of a document disputing the 2017 intelligence community finding that Russia acted to help Trump get elected in 2016, three U.S. government officials familiar with the matter told Reuters on Thursday.
But their effort faces strong objections from inside the intelligence agencies, two officials said on condition of anonymity given the sensitivity of the matter. One reason for their opposition is the proximity of the Nov. 3 election. The intelligence community has concluded Russia’s 2016 election interference was aimed at bolstering Trump’s chances of victory, a finding that was unanimously affirmed by the Republican-led Senate intelligence committee. Intelligence officials have also said Russia is working to damage Joe Biden’s presidential bid in this year’s election.
22 Oct 2020 21.12 BST Trump plans to bring one of Hunter Biden’s former business associates as a guest to tonight’s debate, according to reports. Trump aides have been telling people that the big surprise in store for tonight's debate is he's bringing Tony Bobulinski, the former Hunter Biden business associate, as a guest tonight.
They're hoping to spring this on Biden, the way he brought Bill Clinton accusers in 2016 — Edward-Isaac Dovere (@IsaacDovere) October 22, 2020 The debate invitation to Tony Bobulinski is clearly meant to rattle Joe Biden, but it’s unclear whether it will be successful, given the Biden campaign has made clear the nominee is prepared to respond to attacks on his family. Trump’s move was reminiscent of his decision to invite women who had accused Bill Clinton of sexual misconduct to his second debate against Hillary Clinton in 2016. The move was not successful then, as Hillary Clinton was widely considered to have “won” the debates, and it seems even less likely to be successful now, given Bobulinski is far less well-known than some of Bill Clinton’s accusers, such as Paula Jones.
22 Oct 2020 20.56 BST Russia has hacked into state and local computer networks, intelligence officials say - report Intelligence officials told the New York Times that Russia has hacked into state and local computer networks in recent days, providing clues about the Kremlin’s efforts to interfere in the US presidential election. The Times reports: While senior Trump administration officials said this week that Iran has been actively interfering in the presidential election, many intelligence officials said they remained far more concerned about Russia, which has in recent days hacked into state and local computer networks in breaches that could allow Moscow broader access to American voting infrastructure.
The discovery of the hacks came as American intelligence agencies, infiltrating Russian networks themselves, have pieced together details of what they believe are Russia’s plans to interfere in the presidential race in its final days or immediately after the election on Nov. 3. Officials did not make clear what Russia planned to do, but they said its operations would be intended to help President Trump, potentially by exacerbating disputes around the results, especially if the race is too close to call. There is no evidence that the Russians have changed any vote tallies or voter registration information, officials said. They added that the Russian-backed hackers had penetrated the computer networks without taking further action, as they did in 2016. But American officials expect that if the presidential race is not called on election night, Russian groups could use their knowledge of local computer systems to deface websites, release nonpublic information or take similar steps that could sow chaos and doubts about the integrity of the results, according to American officials briefed on the intelligence.


theguardian--2020-10-22--White supremacists behind majority of US domestic terror attacks in 2020

White supremacists and other rightwing extremists have been responsible for 67 % of domestic terror attacks and plots so far this year , with at least half of that violence targeting protesters , according to a new analysis from a centrist thinktank .
The report found only a single deadly “ far-left ” attack in 2020 , the shooting of Aaron Danielson , a rightwing activist , by a self-described “ anti-fascist ” during a protest in Portland this August .
Experts on extremism said this was the first killing linked to an anti-fascist in the United States in 25 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for 41 politically motivated attacks and plots this year , while “ far-left ” actors were responsible for 12 , according to analysts at the Center for Strategic and International Studies ( CSIS ) , who have assembled a database of domestic terror attacks going back to 1994 .
The new data stands in stark contrast to claims by Donald Trump and justice department officials , who have responded to massive protests against police violence and racism by arguing that leftwing violence is a major threat , and that anti-fascist , or “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a domestic terror group .
Despite months of political unrest , a much smaller number of Americans have been killed in domestic terrorism incidents this year than in previous years , CSIS analysts found , in part because there has not yet been a politically motivated mass shooting .
In total , only five people died in five domestic terror incidents this year through 31 August , the analysts concluded , including Danielson , a supporter of the far-right Patriot Prayer group .
The other deaths include two law enforcement officers shot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extremist in California ; the son of a New Jersey judge shot to death by an anti-feminist terrorist ; and a Black Lives Matter protester shot dead during a protest in Austin , Texas .
In recent years , the annual number of victims of domestic terrorism attacks has been much higher , ranging from 22 to 66 people , according to the CSIS database , with single incidents , such as the mass shooting targeting Latinos in an El Paso Walmart last year , or the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Some high-profile incidents are not included in CSIS ’ s tally of domestic terrorism attacks , including the shooting deaths of two Black Lives Matter protesters in Kenosha , Wisconsin , this August .
In the Kenosha incident , the analysts did not see a clear “ political motivation ” by the alleged 17-year-old shooter , or evidence that the killings had been premeditated , said Seth Jones , the counter-terrorism expert who led the creation of CSIS ’ s dataset .
But Jones said it was noteworthy “ how much domestic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ summer of 2020 into cities ” , with a noticeable increase in the number of car attacks on protesters , and in street violence .
One of the fatal incidents that was coded as “ violent far-right ” domestic terrorism in the CSIS database was carried out by an army sergeant in Texas who has not yet faced any criminal charges in the case .
Garrett Foster was shot to death during a Black Lives Matter protest in Austin , Texas , on 25 July .
Daniel Perry , the army sergeant who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claimed he was acting in self-defense .
The CSIS report cites a series of social media comments Perry made in the months before the shooting , including , “ Now is the time to take up arms and protect yourselves against violence ” , and a response to a Trump tweet about protesters in Oklahoma , “ Send them to Texas we will show them why we say don ’ t mess with Texas ” , in categorizing the shooting as politically motivated terrorism .
Clint Brody , a lawyer for Perry , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trying “ to equate an act of self-defense with domestic terrorism ” , and said that Foster , the protester who was killed , had also made troubling posts on social media .
Asked for comment , the Austin police department and local district attorney ’ s office said only that the investigation was ongoing .
The 11 non-fatal incidents analysts coded as “ far-left political violence ” include the burning of a police precinct in Minneapolis that was known locally as “ a playground for renegade cops ” ; attempts to set @ @ @ @ @ @ @ City and Tacoma , Washington ; molotov cocktail and other incendiary attacks on government buildings in Portland , Seattle , and Apple Valley , Minnesota ; and an assault on a Democratic state senator who was filming protesters tearing down statues in Wisconsin .
The non-fatal rightwing attacks include a knife attack that wounded three members of an Asian-American family in Texas ; a shooting at a shopping center in Arizona by a man prosecutors said was part of the misogynistic “ incel ” movement ; multiple terror plots by The Base , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ race war ; and several threats and violent incidents linked to the QAnon conspiracy theory .
CSIS defines terrorism as “ the deliberate use – or threat – of violence by non-state actors in order to achieve political goals ” , and analysts cautioned that they had omitted many violent incidents in 2020 in which the political motivation was not clear .
For instance , “ though some sources recorded over 100 far-right vehicle attacks at protests in 2020 ” , the CSIS database only “ verified 11 as terrorist attacks ” , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rightwing domestic terrorism attacks would have been higher if CSIS had categorized “ boogaloo ” anti-government extremists as rightwing , as many experts do .
Instead , they classified the emerging violent movement as “ other ” .
The New America Foundation , a liberal thinktank that maintains a database of fatal domestic terrorism incidents since 9/11 , agreed with CSIS that the Portland shooting should be seen as an act of “ far-left wing ” terrorism , but categorized the Kenosha shooting as an incident of far-right violence .
While it is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases , Jones said , the broader trend in the data is clear : white supremacists and similar actors pose the greatest domestic terror threat to the United States today , a finding that is consistent across multiple databases maintained by researchers who track extremist violence , and that was recently confirmed by a Department of Homeland Security threat assessment , which said that white supremacists “ remain the most persistent and lethal threat in the homeland ” .

White supremacists and other rightwing extremists have been responsible for 67% of domestic terror attacks and plots so far this year, with at least half of that violence targeting protesters, according to a new analysis from a centrist thinktank.
The report found only a single deadly “far-left” attack in 2020, the shooting of Aaron Danielson, a rightwing activist, by a self-described “anti-fascist” during a protest in Portland this August. Experts on extremism said this was the first killing linked to an anti-fascist in the United States in 25 years.
Violent rightwing actors were responsible for 41 politically motivated attacks and plots this year, while “far-left” actors were responsible for 12, according to analysts at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), who have assembled a database of domestic terror attacks going back to 1994.
The new data stands in stark contrast to claims by Donald Trump and justice department officials, who have responded to massive protests against police violence and racism by arguing that leftwing violence is a major threat, and that anti-fascist, or “antifa”, activists should be designated as a domestic terror group.
Despite months of political unrest, a much smaller number of Americans have been killed in domestic terrorism incidents this year than in previous years, CSIS analysts found, in part because there has not yet been a politically motivated mass shooting.
In total, only five people died in five domestic terror incidents this year through 31 August, the analysts concluded, including Danielson, a supporter of the far-right Patriot Prayer group. The other deaths include two law enforcement officers shot dead by an anti-government “boogaloo” extremist in California; the son of a New Jersey judge shot to death by an anti-feminist terrorist; and a Black Lives Matter protester shot dead during a protest in Austin, Texas.
In recent years, the annual number of victims of domestic terrorism attacks has been much higher, ranging from 22 to 66 people, according to the CSIS database, with single incidents, such as the mass shooting targeting Latinos in an El Paso Walmart last year, or the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando in 2016, leaving dozens of people dead.
Some high-profile incidents are not included in CSIS’s tally of domestic terrorism attacks, including the shooting deaths of two Black Lives Matter protesters in Kenosha, Wisconsin, this August.
In the Kenosha incident, the analysts did not see a clear “political motivation” by the alleged 17-year-old shooter, or evidence that the killings had been premeditated, said Seth Jones, the counter-terrorism expert who led the creation of CSIS’s dataset.
But Jones said it was noteworthy “how much domestic terrorism in the US shifted over the summer of 2020 into cities”, with a noticeable increase in the number of car attacks on protesters, and in street violence.
Donald Trump has responded to massive protests against police violence and racism by arguing that leftwing violence is a major threat. Photograph: Shawn Thew/EPA
One of the fatal incidents that was coded as “violent far-right” domestic terrorism in the CSIS database was carried out by an army sergeant in Texas who has not yet faced any criminal charges in the case.
Garrett Foster was shot to death during a Black Lives Matter protest in Austin, Texas, on 25 July. Daniel Perry, the army sergeant who was named as the shooter, has claimed he was acting in self-defense.
The CSIS report cites a series of social media comments Perry made in the months before the shooting, including, “Now is the time to take up arms and protect yourselves against violence”, and a response to a Trump tweet about protesters in Oklahoma, “Send them to Texas we will show them why we say don’t mess with Texas”, in categorizing the shooting as politically motivated terrorism.
Clint Brody, a lawyer for Perry, criticized the authors of the report for trying “to equate an act of self-defense with domestic terrorism”, and said that Foster, the protester who was killed, had also made troubling posts on social media.
Asked for comment, the Austin police department and local district attorney’s office said only that the investigation was ongoing.
The 11 non-fatal incidents analysts coded as “far-left political violence” include the burning of a police precinct in Minneapolis that was known locally as “a playground for renegade cops”; attempts to set police cars on fire in New York City and Tacoma, Washington; molotov cocktail and other incendiary attacks on government buildings in Portland, Seattle, and Apple Valley, Minnesota; and an assault on a Democratic state senator who was filming protesters tearing down statues in Wisconsin.
The non-fatal rightwing attacks include a knife attack that wounded three members of an Asian-American family in Texas; a shooting at a shopping center in Arizona by a man prosecutors said was part of the misogynistic “incel” movement; multiple terror plots by The Base, a neo-Nazi group trying to instigate a race war; and several threats and violent incidents linked to the QAnon conspiracy theory.
CSIS defines terrorism as “the deliberate use – or threat – of violence by non-state actors in order to achieve political goals”, and analysts cautioned that they had omitted many violent incidents in 2020 in which the political motivation was not clear.
For instance, “though some sources recorded over 100 far-right vehicle attacks at protests in 2020”, the CSIS database only “verified 11 as terrorist attacks”, the analysts wrote.
The percentage of rightwing domestic terrorism attacks would have been higher if CSIS had categorized “boogaloo” anti-government extremists as rightwing, as many experts do. Instead, they classified the emerging violent movement as “other”.
The New America Foundation, a liberal thinktank that maintains a database of fatal domestic terrorism incidents since 9/11, agreed with CSIS that the Portland shooting should be seen as an act of “far-left wing” terrorism, but categorized the Kenosha shooting as an incident of far-right violence.
While it is possible to debate the classification of specific cases, Jones said, the broader trend in the data is clear: white supremacists and similar actors pose the greatest domestic terror threat to the United States today, a finding that is consistent across multiple databases maintained by researchers who track extremist violence, and that was recently confirmed by a Department of Homeland Security threat assessment, which said that white supremacists “remain the most persistent and lethal threat in the homeland”.


theguardian--2020-10-22--AOC played Among Us and achieved what most politicians fail at: acting normal

On Tuesday night , US members of Congress Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omar held what is perhaps the most unusual voter outreach event in recent memory .
They signed on to play a livestreamed video game on Twitch , and joined a crew of online strangers to build a spaceship and try to get away with murder – literally .
They were playing the incredibly popular Among Us – a 2018 game currently in the middle of a revival in interest , thanks to the coronavirus pandemic and its faddish attraction to influencers .
To play the game , crewmates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an impostor tries to kill members of the crew without getting caught .
In the first round , Ocasio-Cortez – a complete newbie to the game – was picked as the impostor , while Omar , her confidante on Capitol Hill was none the wiser , so the live stream was set to be fun from the start .
And it was , by every metric we have for this kind of event , an incredible success .
Ocasio-Cortez ’ s Twitch channel garnered a staggering audience of 439,000 viewers , all watching @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a Twitch stream is about 628,000 concurrent viewers ) with approximately 5.2 million viewers watching the stream in aggregate .
Meme-makers extended the conversation well into the week .
Politicians do not draw this large of an online audience so quickly on these platforms : when Donald Trump and Joe Biden stream on Twitch for campaign events , total views peak at around 6,000 and 17,000 , respectively .
The success of Ocasio-Cortez and Omar ’ s stream extends beyond their already-established popularity among young progressives .
The game itself is great @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you may know as Werewolf , or Mafia , Among Us casts suspicion from the start , because although players know that there is an impostor “ among us ” ( perhaps two ) , they don ’ t know who the impostor is .
AOC ’ s stream was as good a sale as any : she fretted over the anxiety of having to play the role of the impostor , nearly giving herself away and saying “ nooooo ” out loud when she realized she would be the first person evading @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she was just a crewmate , she lamented to viewers about how she was “ running so behind ” on her tasks , and was shocked when an impostor found and killed her little pink avatar .
When another player ’ s body was found , viewers could speculate with her : who ’ s the most suspicious player ?
( “ I ’ m voting early , ” she would say when casting her lot against a suspect , using every opportunity to stay on-message ) .
You don ’ t really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ games to get drawn into the suspense of the game .
But Ocasio-Cortez and Omar aren ’ t just famous people playing an unusually popular video game ; they ’ re members of Congress trying to get out the vote .
And in this , they achieved something most politicians attempt and fail at daily : they looked like completely normal people .
They were having fun , accusing each other of being the impostor , cheering when they won , shouting about how they knew all along when an impostor was finally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ here : AOC , in particular , has an established online presence , and engages with the public online in an almost-collegial manner .
This , like the notion of playing a video game when she and Omar ostensibly have “ more important ” things to do , has earned her the scorn of others in Congress , but consider the things other candidates do to get out the vote : fish fries , baby kissing and benefit concerts .
You go where people are , and in 2020 , young people are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In internet culture , there ’ s nothing more vulgar than a tourist , someone with a purely transactional interest in a scene .
And no matter how earnest Joe Biden is , or how cynically exploitative Trump is , in certain online circles , they will always be tourists simply because they ’ re too far removed from what young people are doing online to do what Ocasio-Cortez did : notice that there was a game people loved to watch on Twitch , asking if anyone wanted to play with her , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to do it with nearly half a million people watching .
And in the end , that ’ s the secret to Ocasio-Cortez and Omar ’ s success : that , for a little while , they weren ’ t opportunistic politicians , but motivated fellow citizens , just a couple of Twitch streamers among us .

On Tuesday night, US members of Congress Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omar held what is perhaps the most unusual voter outreach event in recent memory. They signed on to play a livestreamed video game on Twitch, and joined a crew of online strangers to build a spaceship and try to get away with murder – literally.
They were playing the incredibly popular Among Us – a 2018 game currently in the middle of a revival in interest, thanks to the coronavirus pandemic and its faddish attraction to influencers. To play the game, crewmates complete mundane tasks on a spaceship while an impostor tries to kill members of the crew without getting caught. In the first round, Ocasio-Cortez – a complete newbie to the game – was picked as the impostor, while Omar, her confidante on Capitol Hill was none the wiser, so the live stream was set to be fun from the start.
And it was, by every metric we have for this kind of event, an incredible success. Ocasio-Cortez’s Twitch channel garnered a staggering audience of 439,000 viewers, all watching her in real time (the record for a Twitch stream is about 628,000 concurrent viewers) with approximately 5.2 million viewers watching the stream in aggregate. Meme-makers extended the conversation well into the week. Politicians do not draw this large of an online audience so quickly on these platforms: when Donald Trump and Joe Biden stream on Twitch for campaign events, total views peak at around 6,000 and 17,000, respectively.
The success of Ocasio-Cortez and Omar’s stream extends beyond their already-established popularity among young progressives. The game itself is great sport. Much like the party game you may know as Werewolf, or Mafia, Among Us casts suspicion from the start, because although players know that there is an impostor “among us” (perhaps two), they don’t know who the impostor is.
AOC’s stream was as good a sale as any: she fretted over the anxiety of having to play the role of the impostor, nearly giving herself away and saying “nooooo” out loud when she realized she would be the first person evading suspicion. In later games, where she was just a crewmate, she lamented to viewers about how she was “running so behind” on her tasks, and was shocked when an impostor found and killed her little pink avatar.
The best moments from @AOC's Among Us stream on @Twitch last night. pic.twitter.com/13dGGgeWTF — The Recount (@therecount) October 21, 2020
When another player’s body was found, viewers could speculate with her: who’s the most suspicious player? (“I’m voting early,” she would say when casting her lot against a suspect, using every opportunity to stay on-message). You don’t really have to know a thing about video games to get drawn into the suspense of the game.
But Ocasio-Cortez and Omar aren’t just famous people playing an unusually popular video game; they’re members of Congress trying to get out the vote. And in this, they achieved something most politicians attempt and fail at daily: they looked like completely normal people. They were having fun, accusing each other of being the impostor, cheering when they won, shouting about how they knew all along when an impostor was finally revealed.
Credibility goes a long way here: AOC, in particular, has an established online presence, and engages with the public online in an almost-collegial manner. This, like the notion of playing a video game when she and Omar ostensibly have “more important” things to do, has earned her the scorn of others in Congress, but consider the things other candidates do to get out the vote: fish fries, baby kissing and benefit concerts. You go where people are, and in 2020, young people are watching video games played on Twitch.
In internet culture, there’s nothing more vulgar than a tourist, someone with a purely transactional interest in a scene. And no matter how earnest Joe Biden is, or how cynically exploitative Trump is, in certain online circles, they will always be tourists simply because they’re too far removed from what young people are doing online to do what Ocasio-Cortez did: notice that there was a game people loved to watch on Twitch, asking if anyone wanted to play with her, and sitting down for a few hours to do it with nearly half a million people watching. And in the end, that’s the secret to Ocasio-Cortez and Omar’s success: that, for a little while, they weren’t opportunistic politicians, but motivated fellow citizens, just a couple of Twitch streamers among us.


theguardian--2020-10-22--Is capital finally losing faith in Trump? | Adam Tooze

What has kept Donald Trump in the presidential race is his electoral base .
It consists of white men , rural and small-town voters and small-business owners .
The big bucks for the campaign come from a coterie of wealthy loyalists .
This bloc will stick with Trump whatever he says or does .
But the attitude of other groups that one might expect to be Trump ’ s natural supporters , such as big business , financial markets , a lobby like the chamber of commerce – “ capital ” , in other words – is far less clear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden ’ s lead has stabilised , so too has their optimism .
With an eye to an impending shift of power , the Chamber of Commerce has endorsed a cluster of Democrats in tight House races , provoking outrage from the president .
These unexpected alignments point to the scrambling of assumptions that is characteristic of the Trump era .
The GOP is normally the party of business .
The president himself is a businessman .
His administration has been stacked with plutocrats , CEOs and lobbyists .
It has delivered tax @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a shell of its former self ; the Environmental Protection Agency has been gutted , and financial regulations slashed .
Trump has packed the courts with judges who will deliver judgments against labour rights , environmentalism protection and business regulation .
If , as seemed possible at the beginning of this year , the US economy had stayed on course and the Dems had selected the leftwing Elizabeth Warren or Bernie Sanders as their candidate to run against Trump , the battle lines would have been clearly drawn .
But that is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden , a centrist who as senator for Delaware between 1973 and 2009 represented one of the greatest tax havens in the western world during the height of financialisation .
And then came the coronavirus shock and the most severe crisis that the US economy has suffered since the second world war .
The initial response of the Trump administration and Congress was less dysfunctional than one might have expected .
The Cares Act was generous both to ordinary Americans and business .
But since April the intractable corona-crisis has brought out the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unleashed by Black Lives Matter protests have solidified Trump ’ s base , but they have not widened his appeal .
And , as the public mood has shifted , business leaders have remembered the issues that made them leery of Trump in the first place .
In 2016 , Trump struggled to gain endorsements .
The Chamber of Commerce was neutral , backing neither Trump nor Clinton .
It could not support a Republican candidate who was protectionist on trade , hostile to immigration and openly critical of the Fed chair , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s victory on the night of 8 November 2016 , that hesitancy was forgotten .
Markets boomed .
And Trump has delivered the goods in terms of tax breaks and regulatory giveaways .
But on the strategic issues he has been every bit as disruptive as could have been imagined .
His trade policy has been the most aggressive since the second world war .
Relations with China , the big play of US business since the 1990s , are deteriorating into a cold war .
Last year , Trump denounced his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cooperative Jerome Powell , suggesting he might be more dangerous than Xi Jinping .
As recently as the second week of March the markets were jolted by rumours that Trump might be about to oust Powell .
Meanwhile , Trump exploits the immigration issue for rabble-rousing purposes .
American business is as keen as ever on cheap labour and the actual flow of newcomers has slowed to a historic low .
The real issue – addressing the racist treatment of Latin American workers in the US – remains unaddressed .
On the climate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evolved more than one might have expected since 2016 .
Trump ’ s boast of reviving the coal industry is evidently absurd .
Outright climate denial is no longer the order of the day , even for the likes of Exxon or Chevron .
They now favour some kind of carbon tax .
The smart money is on renewables as the cheap energy alternative .
If big business were the commanding political force that its critics sometimes imagine it to be , it would come out openly and state the obvious : Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go .
What stops them from doing so ?
They profess to fear the left .
They talk up Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , “ the squad ” and their socialist agenda .
But that is nonsense .
The actual threat is on the right .
First , in the 1990s , there were Pat Buchanan with his anti-globalisation “ new nationalism ” and Newt Gingrich and the Republican Revolution .
Then , in 2008 , there was Sarah Palin .
In 2010 , the Tea Party and the Freedom Caucus .
Then there was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is QAnon .
Again and again , the seam in the GOP coalition between big business interests and less aligned forms of nationalism , populism and xenophobia has torn open .
The difference in 2020 is that it is the radicalised GOP base that has its man in the White House .
Having gerrymandered the electoral districts , the GOP doesn ’ t fear the Democrats but primary congressional selection challenges from its own side .
This is what explains the behaviour of Mitch McConnell , the Senate majority leader , over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is clear that the US economy desperately needs a second boost .
In an election year you would think it would be in the GOP ’ s interest .
Business is pleading for it .
But McConnell has not thrown his weight behind Treasury Secretary ’ s Steven Mnuchin ’ s effort to cut a deal with Nancy Pelosi and the House Democrats .
Unemployment may be a disaster , but for the congressional Republicans it is a far bigger threat to be viewed as disloyal by the rightwing base , Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were he to negotiate a giant government stimulus with Pelosi .
That leaves the US , once the anchor of the western world , still the world ’ s largest economy , hanging in the balance .
The greatest fear , of course , is of a disputed election , which would shake US institutions to their core .
This is the risk that the markets have hedged against by buying the Vix , the so-called fear index .
Normally , insuring yourself against future risks is more expensive than against risks in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is the reverse .
The price for insurance against volatility in the week after election day on 3 November has surged to all-time highs .
But there is another , no less serious risk .
What if Biden does win the White House , but the GOP retains its grip on the Senate ?
When Obama came in , in the midst of the 2008-9 financial crisis , he had at least two years with a congressional majority .
Given half a chance McConnell would strangle a Biden presidency in its cradle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its working population would be the first victim .
There is also a third risk : an Obama rerun , in which the Democrats win majorities but pass a stimulus that addresses none of the fundamental issues in the economy , allowing outrageous inequalities to continue and failing to build the kind of constituency of lifelong Democrat voters that the New Deal was so effective at creating in the 1930s and 40s .
This isn ’ t just a matter of suppressing the next wave of rightwing populism after Trump , but of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nonetheless , assuming a Trump victory is now unlikely , the only safe outcome for the American economy , as well as the American constitution , is a Democrat clean sweep .
• Adam Tooze is a professor of history at Columbia University

What has kept Donald Trump in the presidential race is his electoral base. It consists of white men, rural and small-town voters and small-business owners. The big bucks for the campaign come from a coterie of wealthy loyalists. This bloc will stick with Trump whatever he says or does.
But the attitude of other groups that one might expect to be Trump’s natural supporters, such as big business, financial markets, a lobby like the chamber of commerce – “capital”, in other words – is far less clear cut. If anything, as Joe Biden’s lead has stabilised, so too has their optimism. With an eye to an impending shift of power, the Chamber of Commerce has endorsed a cluster of Democrats in tight House races, provoking outrage from the president. These unexpected alignments point to the scrambling of assumptions that is characteristic of the Trump era.
The GOP is normally the party of business. The president himself is a businessman. His administration has been stacked with plutocrats, CEOs and lobbyists. It has delivered tax cuts and deregulation. The tax-collecting IRS is a shell of its former self; the Environmental Protection Agency has been gutted, and financial regulations slashed. Trump has packed the courts with judges who will deliver judgments against labour rights, environmentalism protection and business regulation. If, as seemed possible at the beginning of this year, the US economy had stayed on course and the Dems had selected the leftwing Elizabeth Warren or Bernie Sanders as their candidate to run against Trump, the battle lines would have been clearly drawn.
But that is not what happened. The Democrats selected Biden, a centrist who as senator for Delaware between 1973 and 2009 represented one of the greatest tax havens in the western world during the height of financialisation. And then came the coronavirus shock and the most severe crisis that the US economy has suffered since the second world war.
The initial response of the Trump administration and Congress was less dysfunctional than one might have expected. The Cares Act was generous both to ordinary Americans and business. But since April the intractable corona-crisis has brought out the worst in Trump. The culture wars unleashed by Black Lives Matter protests have solidified Trump’s base, but they have not widened his appeal. And, as the public mood has shifted, business leaders have remembered the issues that made them leery of Trump in the first place.
In 2016, Trump struggled to gain endorsements. The Chamber of Commerce was neutral, backing neither Trump nor Clinton. It could not support a Republican candidate who was protectionist on trade, hostile to immigration and openly critical of the Fed chair, Janet Yellen.
The greatest fear, of course, is of a disputed election, which would shake US institutions to their core
Within hours of Trump’s victory on the night of 8 November 2016, that hesitancy was forgotten. Markets boomed. And Trump has delivered the goods in terms of tax breaks and regulatory giveaways. But on the strategic issues he has been every bit as disruptive as could have been imagined. His trade policy has been the most aggressive since the second world war. Relations with China, the big play of US business since the 1990s, are deteriorating into a cold war. Last year, Trump denounced his own Fed chair, the mild-mannered and cooperative Jerome Powell, suggesting he might be more dangerous than Xi Jinping. As recently as the second week of March the markets were jolted by rumours that Trump might be about to oust Powell. Meanwhile, Trump exploits the immigration issue for rabble-rousing purposes. American business is as keen as ever on cheap labour and the actual flow of newcomers has slowed to a historic low. The real issue – addressing the racist treatment of Latin American workers in the US – remains unaddressed.
On the climate emergency the attitude of American business has evolved more than one might have expected since 2016. Trump’s boast of reviving the coal industry is evidently absurd. Outright climate denial is no longer the order of the day, even for the likes of Exxon or Chevron. They now favour some kind of carbon tax. The smart money is on renewables as the cheap energy alternative.
If big business were the commanding political force that its critics sometimes imagine it to be, it would come out openly and state the obvious: Trump is a menace, he needs to go.
What stops them from doing so? They profess to fear the left. They talk up Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, “the squad” and their socialist agenda. But that is nonsense. The actual threat is on the right.
First, in the 1990s, there were Pat Buchanan with his anti-globalisation “new nationalism” and Newt Gingrich and the Republican Revolution. Then, in 2008, there was Sarah Palin. In 2010, the Tea Party and the Freedom Caucus. Then there was Steve Bannon and Breitbart. Now there is QAnon. Again and again, the seam in the GOP coalition between big business interests and less aligned forms of nationalism, populism and xenophobia has torn open. The difference in 2020 is that it is the radicalised GOP base that has its man in the White House.
Having gerrymandered the electoral districts, the GOP doesn’t fear the Democrats but primary congressional selection challenges from its own side. This is what explains the behaviour of Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader, over the second round of Covid stimulus.
It is clear that the US economy desperately needs a second boost. In an election year you would think it would be in the GOP’s interest. Business is pleading for it. But McConnell has not thrown his weight behind Treasury Secretary’s Steven Mnuchin’s effort to cut a deal with Nancy Pelosi and the House Democrats. Unemployment may be a disaster, but for the congressional Republicans it is a far bigger threat to be viewed as disloyal by the rightwing base, Trump’s loyalists; and this would happen were he to negotiate a giant government stimulus with Pelosi.
That leaves the US, once the anchor of the western world, still the world’s largest economy, hanging in the balance. The greatest fear, of course, is of a disputed election, which would shake US institutions to their core. This is the risk that the markets have hedged against by buying the Vix, the so-called fear index. Normally, insuring yourself against future risks is more expensive than against risks in the near term. In 2020, it is the reverse. The price for insurance against volatility in the week after election day on 3 November has surged to all-time highs.
But there is another, no less serious risk. What if Biden does win the White House, but the GOP retains its grip on the Senate? When Obama came in, in the midst of the 2008-9 financial crisis, he had at least two years with a congressional majority. Given half a chance McConnell would strangle a Biden presidency in its cradle. The American economy, business and its working population would be the first victim.
There is also a third risk: an Obama rerun, in which the Democrats win majorities but pass a stimulus that addresses none of the fundamental issues in the economy, allowing outrageous inequalities to continue and failing to build the kind of constituency of lifelong Democrat voters that the New Deal was so effective at creating in the 1930s and 40s. This isn’t just a matter of suppressing the next wave of rightwing populism after Trump, but of widening and solidifying the Democratic bloc.
Nonetheless, assuming a Trump victory is now unlikely, the only safe outcome for the American economy, as well as the American constitution, is a Democrat clean sweep.