shareblue--2020-11-20--Georgia senator distracts from insider trading allegations with racist new ad

Georgia Sen. David Perdue ( R ) released a campaign ad this week invoking racist and antisemitic tropes and negatively depicting both Jews and people of color , in an attempt to persuade voters against voting for his Democratic opponent .
Perdue tweeted the campaign video on Friday morning , claiming that his runoff race against Democratic opponent Jon Ossoff was not just about him , but his responsibility to save the country from the individuals depicted in his video — an unmistakable dogwhistle .
`` This race is about more than Jon @ Ossoff and me , '' Perdue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 5 runoff election , tweeted .
`` This is a battle for the future of our country .
Democrats want to move America away from our founding principles and turn our country into a socialist state .
Help @ KLoeffler and me stop them . ''
The video first depicts a masked Sen. Chuck Schumer ( D-NY ) saying , `` Now we take Georgia , then we change America ! ''
Ominous music underscores his words and vibrant orange text captions it .
Schumer is Jewish , and Perdue 's ad invokes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rich and powerful Jews secretly running America .
Next , the video cuts to Perdue 's Democratic opponent Jon Ossoff , who says , `` Change has come to Georgia — change is coming to America ! ''
Ossoff is also Jewish .
It quickly shifts to Stacey Abrams , a Black Democratic voting rights activist and former minority leader of the Georgia House of Representatives .
`` We change Georgia , we change the South , '' Abrams says in the video .
`` We change the South , we change America @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the blue wave is comprised of those who are documented and undocumented . ''
The clip appeared to bolster Perdue 's racist and fearmongering messaging against immigrant populations , a common theme often pushed by white nationalist groups .
Next , it zeroes in on Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , who is of Puerto Rican descent .
`` ( We have ) to make sure that we do n't have a Republican Senate majority , '' she says in the clip .
`` In these races in Georgia , that we secure a Democratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do n't have to negotiate ... '' Perdue 's ad cuts her off there .
A somber voiceover says : `` No negotiation , total Democratic control .
That 's their goal . ''
A collage of images of images flickers across the screen , this time of Sen. Kelly Loeffler 's Democratic challenger Rev .
Rafael Warnock , Sen. Bernie Sanders ( I-VT ) , Ossoff , and Ocasio-Cortez — once again , all Jewish or people of color .
It then lists a number of supposed goals supported by Perdue 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the police , and passing the Green New Deal .
It claims they want to `` open the borders , '' `` give voting rights to illegal immigrants , '' eliminate private health insurance , cut the military budget , make Washington , D.C. , a state , and `` pack the Supreme Court . ''
`` If they 're in charge , America will never be the same , '' the voiceover declares .
`` Believe them when they tell you what they 're going to do .
Stop them before it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Donate now . ''
Perdue 's fearmongering about opening the border and granting voting rights to `` illegal immigrants '' — and the threat he claims this poses to the American way of life — is a classic racist dogwhistle employed by Republican lawmakers .
And his scapegoating of Jewish Democrats and Democrats of color , suggesting they are a threat to America , is both antisemitic and racist .
Perdue 's campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the campaign ad .
This is n't the first time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ racist and antisemitic tropes .
In July , he featured a campaign ad that edited Ossoff 's nose to make it appear more elongated .
Portraying Jews with large noses is an antisemitic trope with a long history that goes back hundreds of years .
Perdue later took down the ad after public outcry .
Just three months later , at an October Trump rally in Macon Georgia , he purposefully mispronounced Vice President-elect Kamala Harris ' name in an overt display of racism .
`` The most insidious thing that Chuck Schumer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and Bernie [ Sanders ] and Elizabeth [ Warren ] and Kamala — Kah-ma-la , or Kah-mah-la , or Kamala-mala-mala , I do n't know , whatever , '' Perdue said as Trump supporters laughed along .
Perdue 's latest ad also appears designed to distract from the various political scandals in which he 's currently embroiled .
According to a ProPublica report Friday , Perdue pushed Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to provide a cushy tax break to sports owners , in a previously unpublished 2019 letter obtained by the outlet .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ not , the perk would have benefited some of Perdue 's top donors .
Owners of professional sports teams and clubs — including his fellow senator , Kelly Loeffler , co-owner of Atlanta 's WNBA team — have donated some $ 425,000 dollars to his current campaign .
And on Wednesday , more allegations of insider trading surfaced in a Daily Beast report that claimed Perdue snagged `` up to $ 190,000 worth of stock in BWX Technologies , a company he had never invested in before '' just before taking over as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Seapower .
In that role , Perdue helped shape the annual National Defense Authorization Act , which that year included `` $ 4.7 billion for Virginia-class submarines . ''
As the Daily Beast noted , `` BWX is one of two to three vendors with Pentagon contracts to design and make key parts for Virginia-class submarines , including nuclear reactors that power them and the systems that launch missiles from the submarines . ''
Perdue has faced several previous allegations of insider trading as well .
According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of thousands of dollars worth of stock in a company that manufactures personal protective equipment , such as the kind used by front line workers fighting the pandemic , on the same day he attended a private Senate briefing on the crisis .
`` He also continued to sell off shares of Caesar Entertainment , the casino company whose properties were shuttered as the virus spread , '' the outlet reported .
`` On March 26 the senator invested up to $ 50,000 in streaming provider Netflix , which has seen a surge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Georgia Sen. David Perdue (R) released a campaign ad this week invoking racist and antisemitic tropes and negatively depicting both Jews and people of color, in an attempt to persuade voters against voting for his Democratic opponent.
Perdue tweeted the campaign video on Friday morning, claiming that his runoff race against Democratic opponent Jon Ossoff was not just about him, but his responsibility to save the country from the individuals depicted in his video — an unmistakable dogwhistle.
“This race is about more than Jon @Ossoff and me,” Perdue, who faces Ossoff in a Jan. 5 runoff election, tweeted. “This is a battle for the future of our country. Democrats want to move America away from our founding principles and turn our country into a socialist state. Help @KLoeffler and me stop them.”
The video first depicts a masked Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) saying, “Now we take Georgia, then we change America!” Ominous music underscores his words and vibrant orange text captions it.
Schumer is Jewish, and Perdue’s ad invokes a common antisemitic trope of cabals of rich and powerful Jews secretly running America.
Next, the video cuts to Perdue’s Democratic opponent Jon Ossoff, who says, “Change has come to Georgia — change is coming to America!” Ossoff is also Jewish.
It quickly shifts to Stacey Abrams, a Black Democratic voting rights activist and former minority leader of the Georgia House of Representatives.
“We change Georgia, we change the South,” Abrams says in the video. “We change the South, we change America. The thing of it is, the blue wave is comprised of those who are documented and undocumented.”
The clip appeared to bolster Perdue’s racist and fearmongering messaging against immigrant populations, a common theme often pushed by white nationalist groups.
Next, it zeroes in on Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who is of Puerto Rican descent.
“(We have) to make sure that we don’t have a Republican Senate majority,” she says in the clip. “In these races in Georgia, that we secure a Democratic, a Senate majority so that we don’t have to negotiate …”
Perdue’s ad cuts her off there.
A somber voiceover says: “No negotiation, total Democratic control. That’s their goal.”
A collage of images of images flickers across the screen, this time of Sen. Kelly Loeffler’s Democratic challenger Rev. Rafael Warnock, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Ossoff, and Ocasio-Cortez — once again, all Jewish or people of color.
It then lists a number of supposed goals supported by Perdue’s political opponents: increasing taxes, defunding the police, and passing the Green New Deal. It claims they want to “open the borders,” “give voting rights to illegal immigrants,” eliminate private health insurance, cut the military budget, make Washington, D.C., a state, and “pack the Supreme Court.”
“If they’re in charge, America will never be the same,” the voiceover declares. “Believe them when they tell you what they’re going to do. Stop them before it’s too late. Save America. Donate now.”
Perdue’s fearmongering about opening the border and granting voting rights to “illegal immigrants” — and the threat he claims this poses to the American way of life — is a classic racist dogwhistle employed by Republican lawmakers.
And his scapegoating of Jewish Democrats and Democrats of color, suggesting they are a threat to America, is both antisemitic and racist.
Perdue’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the campaign ad.
This isn’t the first time Perdue has come under fire for invoking racist and antisemitic tropes.
In July, he featured a campaign ad that edited Ossoff’s nose to make it appear more elongated. Portraying Jews with large noses is an antisemitic trope with a long history that goes back hundreds of years.
Perdue later took down the ad after public outcry.
Just three months later, at an October Trump rally in Macon Georgia, he purposefully mispronounced Vice President-elect Kamala Harris’ name in an overt display of racism.
“The most insidious thing that Chuck Schumer and Joe Biden are trying to perpetuate, and Bernie [Sanders] and Elizabeth [Warren] and Kamala — Kah-ma-la, or Kah-mah-la, or Kamala-mala-mala, I don’t know, whatever,” Perdue said as Trump supporters laughed along.
Perdue’s latest ad also appears designed to distract from the various political scandals in which he’s currently embroiled.
According to a ProPublica report Friday, Perdue pushed Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to provide a cushy tax break to sports owners, in a previously unpublished 2019 letter obtained by the outlet.
The Treasury declined, but had it not, the perk would have benefited some of Perdue’s top donors.
Owners of professional sports teams and clubs — including his fellow senator, Kelly Loeffler, co-owner of Atlanta’s WNBA team — have donated some $425,000 dollars to his current campaign.
And on Wednesday, more allegations of insider trading surfaced in a Daily Beast report that claimed Perdue snagged “up to $190,000 worth of stock in BWX Technologies, a company he had never invested in before” just before taking over as chair of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower.
In that role, Perdue helped shape the annual National Defense Authorization Act, which that year included “$4.7 billion for Virginia-class submarines.”
As the Daily Beast noted, “BWX is one of two to three vendors with Pentagon contracts to design and make key parts for Virginia-class submarines, including nuclear reactors that power them and the systems that launch missiles from the submarines.”
Perdue has faced several previous allegations of insider trading as well.
According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, in late January, Perdue bought tens of thousands of dollars worth of stock in a company that manufactures personal protective equipment, such as the kind used by front line workers fighting the pandemic, on the same day he attended a private Senate briefing on the crisis.
“He also continued to sell off shares of Caesar Entertainment, the casino company whose properties were shuttered as the virus spread,” the outlet reported. “On March 26 the senator invested up to $50,000 in streaming provider Netflix, which has seen a surge in traffic as people stay home.”
Perdue has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-11-20--Judge: No, it's still not Trump's job to smear a woman who says he raped her

A federal judge on Wednesday once again told Donald Trump that the Department of Justice can not serve as his personal defense lawyers in a defamation case filed by a woman who accused Trump of rape .
Journalist E. Jean Carroll , who had accused Trump of raping her in a book published in 2019 , filed a defamation lawsuit against him after he denied having met her and accused her of lying .
In September , the Department of Justice announced it was intervening in the lawsuit , claiming Trump was acting in his capacity as president when he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was correct for the department to act in his defense .
In October , U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan denied the DOJ 's request to serve as Trump 's lawyers in the case , which essentially would have left taxpayers footing the bill and acknowledged Trump 's denials of the rape charge as actions carried out as part of his official duties .
`` The President of the United States is not an employee of the Government within the meaning of the relevant statutes , '' Kaplan wrote in his decision .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ employee , President Trump 's allegedly defamatory statements concerning Ms. Carroll would not have been within the scope of his employment .
Accordingly , the motion to substitute the United States in place of President Trump is denied . ''
But the docket sheet was never updated to reflect the ruling , leading to Kaplan once again reminding the government lawyers that they are not Trump 's lawyers in the matter .
`` The docket sheet erroneously lists Mr. [ Stephen ] Terrell and another attorney as counsel for defendant Trump , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nov. 18 .
`` That is incorrect .
They represent only the United States . ''
Trump has been working to delay Carroll 's defamation lawsuit for months .
But his efforts were blocked in August by a New York Supreme Court judge , who ruled that Carroll could both depose Trump and seek to obtain his DNA .
That 's when the Department of Justice announced it was taking over the defense in the case .
The announcement appeared to be an effort by Trump to get the case dismissed altogether , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government can not be sued for defamation .
The move was rejected by the court .
`` DOJ is allowed—indeed , it is *required*—to take over tort suits against federal officials for torts committed within the scope of their employment .
But how is claiming that Carroll lied about a decades-old rape allegation within the scope of Trump ’ s employment *as President* ?
!
? ''
tweeted Steve Vladeck , a professor at the University of Texas Law School .
Carroll is one of dozens of women who have accused Trump of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ permission of The American Independent Foundation .

A federal judge on Wednesday once again told Donald Trump that the Department of Justice cannot serve as his personal defense lawyers in a defamation case filed by a woman who accused Trump of rape.
Journalist E. Jean Carroll, who had accused Trump of raping her in a book published in 2019, filed a defamation lawsuit against him after he denied having met her and accused her of lying.
In September, the Department of Justice announced it was intervening in the lawsuit, claiming Trump was acting in his capacity as president when he denied he raped Carroll and that therefore it was correct for the department to act in his defense.
In October, U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan denied the DOJ’s request to serve as Trump’s lawyers in the case, which essentially would have left taxpayers footing the bill and acknowledged Trump’s denials of the rape charge as actions carried out as part of his official duties.
“The President of the United States is not an employee of the Government within the meaning of the relevant statutes,” Kaplan wrote in his decision. “Even if he were such an employee, President Trump’s allegedly defamatory statements concerning Ms. Carroll would not have been within the scope of his employment. Accordingly, the motion to substitute the United States in place of President Trump is denied.”
But the docket sheet was never updated to reflect the ruling, leading to Kaplan once again reminding the government lawyers that they are not Trump’s lawyers in the matter.
“The docket sheet erroneously lists Mr. [Stephen] Terrell and another attorney as counsel for defendant Trump,” Kaplan wrote in the opinion, dated Nov. 18. “That is incorrect. They represent only the United States.”
Trump has been working to delay Carroll’s defamation lawsuit for months. But his efforts were blocked in August by a New York Supreme Court judge, who ruled that Carroll could both depose Trump and seek to obtain his DNA.
That’s when the Department of Justice announced it was taking over the defense in the case.
The announcement appeared to be an effort by Trump to get the case dismissed altogether, legal experts said, because the federal government cannot be sued for defamation. The move was rejected by the court.
“DOJ is allowed—indeed, it is *required*—to take over tort suits against federal officials for torts committed within the scope of their employment. But how is claiming that Carroll lied about a decades-old rape allegation within the scope of Trump’s employment *as President*?!?” tweeted Steve Vladeck, a professor at the University of Texas Law School.
Carroll is one of dozens of women who have accused Trump of sexual assault or rape.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-11-20--White House: Some lawmakers skipped Trump's inauguration so he doesn't have to concede

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany on Friday justified Donald Trump 's refusal to concede that he lost the election by running through a list of grievances about how Democrats treated Trump in 2016 .
Trump has refused to admit that he lost the 2020 election , instead tweeting debunked claims of voter fraud and election rigging .
The General Services Administration , which is responsible for administering the transition to brief and prepare President-elect Joe , has refused to ascertain that Biden did indeed win the election and continues to block the transition .
The Trump administration 's refusal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the incoming administration is happening despite the increasing death toll of the COVID-19 pandemic and the need for a nationwide vaccine distribution plan .
Experts say the refusal to cooperate could make the virus , now surging across much of the country , even worse .
But this obstruction is justified — according to McEnany , who has been largely absent from the White House since the election , instead appearing on Fox News on behalf of Trump 's campaign to push lies about `` voter fraud '' — because , among @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump 's inauguration in 2017 .
`` You had 70 lawmakers say we 're not coming to his inauguration , Democratic lawmakers , '' said McEnany .
Many of those lawmakers refused to attend the event out of solidarity with the late Rep. John Lewis ( D-GA ) , who was attacked by Trump for declining to attend the inauguration .
Their absence had no effect on the transition .
McEnany also complained about the FBI investigation into the Trump campaign 's connections to Russia , which she falsely offered as evidence that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` It 's worth remembering that this president was never given an orderly transition of power , '' McEnany said .
`` So while every legal vote is counted , let us not forget the inexcusable transition or lack thereof that President Trump had to endure in 2016 . ''
In fact , the transition to Trump was authorized by the General Services Administration on the day after the 2016 presidential election .
`` On the day after the presidential election in 2016 , I ascertained that Donald Trump had won , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrote in a column for CNN .
`` My determination was based on several factors : a review of the results reported by every state , the major news organizations that called the election for Trump , Trump 's clear margin of victory and the absence of voting irregularities or fraud . ''
Biden 's victory over Trump meets and exceeds the standards Roth used for the transition from Obama to Trump .
Biden 's win in the electoral college of 306-232 over Trump has been acknowledged by the major media outlets , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of nearly 6 million votes .
Former President Barack Obama hosted Trump at the White House two days after the election .
Former first lady Michelle Obama hosted Melania Trump that day as well .
Thus far , the current occupants of the White House have not extended any such invitations to the Bidens and have not indicated any plans to do so .
McEnany 's lie — that Trump was never allowed a proper transition — is betrayed by Trump himself , who in his 2017 inaugural address praised the transition .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ on these steps to carry out the orderly and peaceful transfer of power , and we are grateful to President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama for their gracious aid throughout this transition , '' Trump said .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany on Friday justified Donald Trump’s refusal to concede that he lost the election by running through a list of grievances about how Democrats treated Trump in 2016.
Trump has refused to admit that he lost the 2020 election, instead tweeting debunked claims of voter fraud and election rigging. The General Services Administration, which is responsible for administering the transition to brief and prepare President-elect Joe, has refused to ascertain that Biden did indeed win the election and continues to block the transition.
The Trump administration’s refusal to cooperate in the transfer of power to the incoming administration is happening despite the increasing death toll of the COVID-19 pandemic and the need for a nationwide vaccine distribution plan. Experts say the refusal to cooperate could make the virus, now surging across much of the country, even worse.
But this obstruction is justified — according to McEnany, who has been largely absent from the White House since the election, instead appearing on Fox News on behalf of Trump’s campaign to push lies about “voter fraud” — because, among other reasons, some Democratic lawmakers boycotted Trump’s inauguration in 2017.
“You had 70 lawmakers say we’re not coming to his inauguration, Democratic lawmakers,” said McEnany.
Many of those lawmakers refused to attend the event out of solidarity with the late Rep. John Lewis (D-GA), who was attacked by Trump for declining to attend the inauguration. Their absence had no effect on the transition.
McEnany also complained about the FBI investigation into the Trump campaign’s connections to Russia, which she falsely offered as evidence that Trump was never given a real transition.
“It’s worth remembering that this president was never given an orderly transition of power,” McEnany said. “So while every legal vote is counted, let us not forget the inexcusable transition or lack thereof that President Trump had to endure in 2016.”
In fact, the transition to Trump was authorized by the General Services Administration on the day after the 2016 presidential election.
“On the day after the presidential election in 2016, I ascertained that Donald Trump had won,” former GSA administrator Denise Turner Roth wrote in a column for CNN. “My determination was based on several factors: a review of the results reported by every state, the major news organizations that called the election for Trump, Trump’s clear margin of victory and the absence of voting irregularities or fraud.”
Biden’s victory over Trump meets and exceeds the standards Roth used for the transition from Obama to Trump. Biden’s win in the electoral college of 306-232 over Trump has been acknowledged by the major media outlets, and he has a popular vote victory of nearly 6 million votes.
Former President Barack Obama hosted Trump at the White House two days after the election. Former first lady Michelle Obama hosted Melania Trump that day as well.
Thus far, the current occupants of the White House have not extended any such invitations to the Bidens and have not indicated any plans to do so.
McEnany’s lie — that Trump was never allowed a proper transition — is betrayed by Trump himself, who in his 2017 inaugural address praised the transition.
“Every four years, we gather on these steps to carry out the orderly and peaceful transfer of power, and we are grateful to President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama for their gracious aid throughout this transition,” Trump said.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-11-20--New congresswoman who backs Trump's election lies is mad her opponent won't concede

A pro-Trump Republican who won a House seat in Minnesota in the 2020 election appeared on Fox News Thursday and complained that her Democratic opponent has n't called her to concede the race .
But while she expressed concern about her own transition to the seat held previously by longtime Rep. Collin Peterson , she defended Donald Trump 's refusal to begin a peaceful transfer of power to the man who won the national election , President-elect Joe Biden .
Michelle Fischbach , a former lieutenant governor of Minnesota , defeated longtime Peterson , one of the two Democrats in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the impeachment inquiry into Trump last year , by 53 % to 40 % earlier this month .
`` He 's never called , '' Fischbach told Fox News .
`` I was just surprised that he decided not to call because he 's had a couple of weeks now . ''
She added that she was worried that constituent casework might get lost in the shuffle when she becomes a member of the House in January .
`` It 's unfortunate , '' she said .
`` I hope those folks know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we 're able to help them .
...
I do n't know how many case files there would be , but those folks are going to be hanging out there not really knowing what to do . ''
A spokesperson for Fischbach did not immediately respond to an inquiry for this story .
When asked about Trump 's own refusal to concede his defeat to Biden , Fischbach suggested that this was fine because , unlike Peterson , Trump is contesting his defeat .
`` I pray that it will be handled correctly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because I believe he did win , '' she said , `` and I think that those votes — when they did n't win the votes of the American people , they 're just finding votes at this point . ''
Biden decisively won popular vote and Electoral College majorities , and bipartisan election officials have found no evidence of any widespread fraud .
Still , Trump has repeatedly lied about the election , declaring himself the real victor .
There is clearly significantly less work involved in a transition for a single @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the entire federal executive branch from one president to another .
In refusing to acknowledge the outcome of the presidential election , the Trump administration has prevented Biden from receiving classified intelligence briefings , stopped his transition team from beginning security clearances for possible hires , and blocked the team from coordinating pandemic response plans with the outgoing administration .
Biden , speaking about the coronavirus pandemic , noted on Monday : `` More people may die if we do n't coordinate . ''
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation @

A pro-Trump Republican who won a House seat in Minnesota in the 2020 election appeared on Fox News Thursday and complained that her Democratic opponent hasn’t called her to concede the race. But while she expressed concern about her own transition to the seat held previously by longtime Rep. Collin Peterson, she defended Donald Trump’s refusal to begin a peaceful transfer of power to the man who won the national election, President-elect Joe Biden.
Michelle Fischbach, a former lieutenant governor of Minnesota, defeated longtime Peterson, one of the two Democrats in the House of Representatives who voted against the impeachment inquiry into Trump last year, by 53% to 40% earlier this month.
“He’s never called,” Fischbach told Fox News. “I was just surprised that he decided not to call because he’s had a couple of weeks now.”
She added that she was worried that constituent casework might get lost in the shuffle when she becomes a member of the House in January.
“It’s unfortunate,” she said. “I hope those folks know to give us a call and that we’re able to help them. … I don’t know how many case files there would be, but those folks are going to be hanging out there not really knowing what to do.”
A spokesperson for Fischbach did not immediately respond to an inquiry for this story.
When asked about Trump’s own refusal to concede his defeat to Biden, Fischbach suggested that this was fine because, unlike Peterson, Trump is contesting his defeat.
“I pray that it will be handled correctly and that President Trump will win, because I believe he did win,” she said, “and I think that those votes — when they didn’t win the votes of the American people, they’re just finding votes at this point.”
Biden decisively won popular vote and Electoral College majorities, and bipartisan election officials have found no evidence of any widespread fraud. Still, Trump has repeatedly lied about the election, declaring himself the real victor.
There is clearly significantly less work involved in a transition for a single member of Congress than in the handoff of the entire federal executive branch from one president to another.
In refusing to acknowledge the outcome of the presidential election, the Trump administration has prevented Biden from receiving classified intelligence briefings, stopped his transition team from beginning security clearances for possible hires, and blocked the team from coordinating pandemic response plans with the outgoing administration.
Biden, speaking about the coronavirus pandemic, noted on Monday: “More people may die if we don’t coordinate.”
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-11-20--Republicans determined to make it harder to vote after Trump loss

Brad Raffensperger , Georgia 's Republican secretary of state , proposed new rules on Friday that would make it harder to vote , including requiring identification to vote by mail , and making it easier to challenge ballots of voters based on a nebulous suspicion that a voter does n't live at the address they claim to .
Raffensperger made the announcement while certifying Georgia 's Nov. 3 election results , which showed President-elect Joe Biden carried the state by more than 12,000 votes .
He said that the election was not marred by fraud and that `` numbers do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the numbers that we have presented today are correct , '' he added .
Still , Raffensberger proposed new voting rules that would raise the barrier to casting ballots , based on the lies spread by members of his own party that the 2020 election was rife with mail-in ballot fraud .
Among the proposed rules was a `` controversial '' signature match system , which Sen. Lindsey Graham ( R-SC ) brought up in a phone call with Raffensperger shortly after the election .
According to the secretary of state , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ toss out legally cast ballots to help Trump win the state .
Graham has denied that accusation , claiming he simply asked Raffensperger about the `` integrity '' of mail-in voting , according to the Washington Post .
`` Raffensperger is saying two things : We ’ re confident in the system .
We need to change the system .
I ’ m not sure how that squares , '' NBC News reporter Charlie Gile tweeted on Friday , after the secretary of state 's announcement .
Ultimately , Raffensperger 's comments give @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the baseless voter fraud lies pushed by Donald Trump and the GOP : that Republicans would use these baseless allegations of fraud to pass draconian laws that disenfranchise voters .
Of course , there was nothing wrong with the way the elections were conducted in 2020 .
Chris Krebs , the now-former head of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency said in a statement last week that the 2020 election was `` the most secure in American history . ''
Trump fired Krebs on Tuesday for that factual statement , as it did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of election victory .
Further , educating voters about how to properly cast mail-in ballots in fact led to fewer ballot rejections this year .
Yet even Republicans like Raffensberger , who actually fought back against his party 's efforts to throw out legally cast ballots , are now advocating for making it harder to vote .
Republicans have a pattern of trying to disenfranchise voters with ID laws based on myths about widespread fraud — laws that often target minority voters who support Democrats — with the recent election spurring them on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tate Reeves recently pledged to `` do everything in my power to make sure universal mail-in voting and no-excuse early voting are not allowed '' in his state , citing the Nov. 3 election and the need to finish counting `` legal '' ballots .
Trump himself has pushed the idea that only `` legal '' ballots should be counted , suggesting any that were cast by mail were somehow fraudulent .
`` I will do everything in my power to ensure every ballot legally cast in the 2020 election in Mississippi gets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Reeves tweeted on Nov. 5 .
`` But based on what I see in other states today , I will also do everything in my power to make sure universal mail-in voting and no-excuse early voting are not allowed in MS—not while I ’ m governor !
Too much chaos .
Only way it ’ d happen is if many GOP legislators override a veto ! ''
Shortly after winning reelection against Democratic challenger Jaime Harrison , South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham launched similar attacks on mail-in voting , suggesting that Republicans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which led to record high turnout in many states , to ensure they win future elections .
`` If we do n't do something about voting by mail , we 're gon na lose the ability to elect a Republican in this country , '' he said .
And in Georgia , Republicans state legislators are already working to undermine the absentee and mail-in voting processes , with state representative and House Judiciary Chair Barry Fleming writing in a racist Nov. 15 op-ed for the Augusta Chronicle , `` If elections were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be the shady part of town down near the docks you do not want to wander into because the chance of being shanghaied is significant .
Expect the Georgia Legislature to address that in our next session in January . ''
Since 2010 , 24 states have passed laws restricting voting , according to an NPR review .
Georgia is among them , having passed a law that would purge voters from the rolls if they had n't voted in a certain time period — a law that has led to hundreds of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` As historians and election experts have catalogued , there is a long history in this country of racially suppressive voting measures — including poll taxes and all-white primaries — put in place under the guise of stopping voter fraud that wasn ’ t actually occurring in the first place , '' the Brennan Center for Justice wrote in 2017 , explaining that voter fraud myths are often used to suppress the right to vote .
`` The surest way toward voting that is truly free , fair , and accessible , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know the facts in the face of such rhetoric . ''
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Brad Raffensperger, Georgia’s Republican secretary of state, proposed new rules on Friday that would make it harder to vote, including requiring identification to vote by mail, and making it easier to challenge ballots of voters based on a nebulous suspicion that a voter doesn’t live at the address they claim to.
Raffensperger made the announcement while certifying Georgia’s Nov. 3 election results, which showed President-elect Joe Biden carried the state by more than 12,000 votes. He said that the election was not marred by fraud and that “numbers don’t lie.”
“I believe that the numbers that we have presented today are correct,” he added.
Still, Raffensberger proposed new voting rules that would raise the barrier to casting ballots, based on the lies spread by members of his own party that the 2020 election was rife with mail-in ballot fraud.
Among the proposed rules was a “controversial” signature match system, which Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) brought up in a phone call with Raffensperger shortly after the election. According to the secretary of state, Graham asked Raffensperger in that call to toss out legally cast ballots to help Trump win the state.
Graham has denied that accusation, claiming he simply asked Raffensperger about the “integrity” of mail-in voting, according to the Washington Post.
“Raffensperger is saying two things: We’re confident in the system. We need to change the system. I’m not sure how that squares,” NBC News reporter Charlie Gile tweeted on Friday, after the secretary of state’s announcement.
Ultimately, Raffensperger’s comments give credence voting rights advocates’ fears following the baseless voter fraud lies pushed by Donald Trump and the GOP: that Republicans would use these baseless allegations of fraud to pass draconian laws that disenfranchise voters.
Of course, there was nothing wrong with the way the elections were conducted in 2020.
Chris Krebs, the now-former head of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency said in a statement last week that the 2020 election was “the most secure in American history.” Trump fired Krebs on Tuesday for that factual statement, as it did not back up Trump’s false claims of election victory.
Further, educating voters about how to properly cast mail-in ballots in fact led to fewer ballot rejections this year.
Yet even Republicans like Raffensberger, who actually fought back against his party’s efforts to throw out legally cast ballots, are now advocating for making it harder to vote.
Republicans have a pattern of trying to disenfranchise voters with ID laws based on myths about widespread fraud — laws that often target minority voters who support Democrats — with the recent election spurring them on.
In Mississippi, Republican Gov. Tate Reeves recently pledged to “do everything in my power to make sure universal mail-in voting and no-excuse early voting are not allowed” in his state, citing the Nov. 3 election and the need to finish counting “legal” ballots.
Trump himself has pushed the idea that only “legal” ballots should be counted, suggesting any that were cast by mail were somehow fraudulent.
“I will do everything in my power to ensure every ballot legally cast in the 2020 election in Mississippi gets counted—no matter how long it takes,” Reeves tweeted on Nov. 5. “But based on what I see in other states today, I will also do everything in my power to make sure universal mail-in voting and no-excuse early voting are not allowed in MS—not while I’m governor! Too much chaos. Only way it’d happen is if many GOP legislators override a veto!”
Shortly after winning reelection against Democratic challenger Jaime Harrison, South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham launched similar attacks on mail-in voting, suggesting that Republicans should get rid of the voting option, which led to record high turnout in many states, to ensure they win future elections.
“If we don’t do something about voting by mail, we’re gonna lose the ability to elect a Republican in this country,” he said.
And in Georgia, Republicans state legislators are already working to undermine the absentee and mail-in voting processes, with state representative and House Judiciary Chair Barry Fleming writing in a racist Nov. 15 op-ed for the Augusta Chronicle, “If elections were like coastal cities, absentee balloting would be the shady part of town down near the docks you do not want to wander into because the chance of being shanghaied is significant. Expect the Georgia Legislature to address that in our next session in January.”
Since 2010, 24 states have passed laws restricting voting, according to an NPR review.
Georgia is among them, having passed a law that would purge voters from the rolls if they hadn’t voted in a certain time period — a law that has led to hundreds of thousand of voters to be wrongly removed.
“As historians and election experts have catalogued, there is a long history in this country of racially suppressive voting measures — including poll taxes and all-white primaries — put in place under the guise of stopping voter fraud that wasn’t actually occurring in the first place,” the Brennan Center for Justice wrote in 2017, explaining that voter fraud myths are often used to suppress the right to vote.
“The surest way toward voting that is truly free, fair, and accessible,” it added, “is to know the facts in the face of such rhetoric.”
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-11-20--Ohio pushes abortion ban just in case Supreme Court overturns Roe

With Donald Trump 's appointment of Amy Coney Barrett , an anti-abortion right-wing radical , to the U.S. Supreme Court , anti-abortion legislators in conservative states are looking to push through extreme abortion bans in the event Roe v. Wade is overturned by the court .
In Ohio , for example , legislators are using the lame-duck session to push a `` trigger ban , '' a type of law that would automatically ban abortion in the state if Roe were overturned .
The bill is being pushed by the anti-abortion group Ohio Right to Life , which sees Barrett @ @ @ @ @ @ @ perfect opportunity to be more aggressive with anti-abortion legislation .
`` We have said over the last 12 years that we want to end abortion , and we know how to get there is to go incrementally and let the courts weigh in , '' said Mike Gonidakis , president of the anti-abortion group .
`` Now we have the court , '' he added .
`` We can be more aggressive now , and take a finer approach to the heart of Roe vs .
Wade . ''
As of now , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ automatically make abortion illegal or almost entirely illegal if the Supreme Court were to overturn Roe .
States approach such laws in various ways .
In Mississippi , for example , there is a law on the books that takes effect 10 days after Roe is no longer the law of the land .
Wisconsin never removed its pre-Roe prohibition from the books .
In theory , that could mean the law would simply take effect again once Roe was gone .
In Louisiana , a law passed in 2006 would automatically ban @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's bill would ban all abortions immediately upon a reversal of Roe , save for those determined to be necessary to prevent the death of the pregnant person or a `` serious risk of the substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function of the pregnant woman . ''
The bill explicitly states that an abortion can not be considered necessary on the basis of mental health , only physical .
Unless there is a `` medical emergency , '' which the bill fails to define , two physicians must agree that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ death or serious injury of the pregnant person .
The doctor who performs the abortion in these circumstances must also use a method `` that provides the best opportunity for the unborn child to survive '' unless that method creates a greater risk of death to the pregnant person .
The second doctor must be in the room when the abortion is performed `` to take control of , provide immediate medical care for , and take all reasonable steps necessary to preserve the life and health of the unborn child . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a person is going to die if they do not have an abortion — but it is somehow still not an emergency — doctors must ( 1 ) find another doctor to agree with them about their diagnosis ; ( 2 ) get that second doctor to the same location as the first doctor ; and ( 3 ) engage in an additional delay to determine which procedure might best let the fetus survive rather than using what would most efficiently and quickly save the life of the patient .
And if doctors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's a felony .
The bill 's sponsor , GOP Ohio state Rep. John Becker , is a familiar face to reproductive health activists .
In 2019 , he introduced a bill that would have required people with an ectopic pregnancy — a dangerous and life-threatening condition that occurs when a fertilized egg implants outside of the uterus — to undergo a procedure to `` reimplant '' the fertilized egg .
The problem with that proposal is that such a procedure does not exist .
The same 2019 bill also targeted common birth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out to Becker , he blithely stated that drug manufacturers would just have to alter how birth control works if his bill passed .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

With Donald Trump’s appointment of Amy Coney Barrett, an anti-abortion right-wing radical, to the U.S. Supreme Court, anti-abortion legislators in conservative states are looking to push through extreme abortion bans in the event Roe v. Wade is overturned by the court.
In Ohio, for example, legislators are using the lame-duck session to push a “trigger ban,” a type of law that would automatically ban abortion in the state if Roe were overturned.
The bill is being pushed by the anti-abortion group Ohio Right to Life, which sees Barrett’s confirmation to the court as the perfect opportunity to be more aggressive with anti-abortion legislation.
“We have said over the last 12 years that we want to end abortion, and we know how to get there is to go incrementally and let the courts weigh in,” said Mike Gonidakis, president of the anti-abortion group.
“Now we have the court,” he added. “We can be more aggressive now, and take a finer approach to the heart of Roe vs. Wade.”
As of now, 10 states have trigger laws that would automatically make abortion illegal or almost entirely illegal if the Supreme Court were to overturn Roe.
States approach such laws in various ways. In Mississippi, for example, there is a law on the books that takes effect 10 days after Roe is no longer the law of the land.
Wisconsin never removed its pre-Roe prohibition from the books. In theory, that could mean the law would simply take effect again once Roe was gone.
In Louisiana, a law passed in 2006 would automatically ban abortions if Roe were overturned.
Ohio’s bill would ban all abortions immediately upon a reversal of Roe, save for those determined to be necessary to prevent the death of the pregnant person or a “serious risk of the substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function of the pregnant woman.” The bill explicitly states that an abortion cannot be considered necessary on the basis of mental health, only physical.
Unless there is a “medical emergency,” which the bill fails to define, two physicians must agree that the abortion is necessary to prevent the death or serious injury of the pregnant person.
The doctor who performs the abortion in these circumstances must also use a method “that provides the best opportunity for the unborn child to survive” unless that method creates a greater risk of death to the pregnant person. The second doctor must be in the room when the abortion is performed “to take control of, provide immediate medical care for, and take all reasonable steps necessary to preserve the life and health of the unborn child.”
So, in a situation in which a person is going to die if they do not have an abortion — but it is somehow still not an emergency — doctors must (1) find another doctor to agree with them about their diagnosis; (2) get that second doctor to the same location as the first doctor; and (3) engage in an additional delay to determine which procedure might best let the fetus survive rather than using what would most efficiently and quickly save the life of the patient.
And if doctors don’t do all this? It’s a felony.
The bill’s sponsor, GOP Ohio state Rep. John Becker, is a familiar face to reproductive health activists. In 2019, he introduced a bill that would have required people with an ectopic pregnancy — a dangerous and life-threatening condition that occurs when a fertilized egg implants outside of the uterus — to undergo a procedure to “reimplant” the fertilized egg. The problem with that proposal is that such a procedure does not exist.
The same 2019 bill also targeted common birth control methods. When that was pointed out to Becker, he blithely stated that drug manufacturers would just have to alter how birth control works if his bill passed.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-11-20--Anti-mask governor brags her state is only second worst for COVID

South Dakota Gov .
Kristi Noem bragged this week that her state does not have the highest number of new coronavirus cases per capita .
It has the second highest number .
At a Wednesday press conference , the Republican scolded the press for its coverage of her state 's uncontrolled pandemic spread .
`` Now , some in the media are saying that South Dakota is the worst in the world right now , and that is absolutely false .
I ’ d encourage you to look at the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center , '' she told reporters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that there are other states with far higher new confirmed cases per 100,000/1,000 people compared to South Dakota . ''
A local television station 's fact-check on Thursday determined that Noem 's claim was partially right : Just one state — neighboring North Dakota — has a higher rate of new confirmed cases , according to the Johns Hopkins data .
For months , South Dakota has been the worst or near worst state in the country , as far as per capita cases .
But as the pandemic has overwhelmed the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to curb it .
She was one of a handful of governors who never issued any state-at-home order , claiming to be standing up for `` citizens ' rights . ''
She has bucked public health experts ' recommendations of a statewide mask mandate , calling it a `` personal decision '' and frequently sharing pictures of herself unmasked and close to others .
`` Unfortunately , the spread of # COVID19 is rising in nearly every state , regardless of if they have mask mandates in place , '' she misleadingly tweeted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dakota , we ’ re focusing on solutions that DO good , not on responses that FEEL good . ''
A New York Times analysis this week found clear evidence that states with the fewest safety rules — like South Dakota — have the worst outbreaks .
In August , Noem encouraged people to travel to Sturgis , South Dakota , for a massive annual motorcycle rally — even though medical experts urged its cancellation , calling it a `` recipe '' for disaster .
The event drew hundreds of thousands , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As predicted , the rally became a superspreader event .
One study estimated that by September , it had already caused over $ 12 billion in public health costs from new coronavirus cases .
`` This is enough to have paid each of the estimated 462,182 rally attendees $ 26,553.64 not to attend , '' its authors noted .
Last month , Noem went on Fox News to claim that , despite the uncontrolled virus , her state was a great example of `` Republican leadership . ''
`` [ M ] y @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fact that we did n't shut down their businesses , we allowed them to be flexible , take care of health , and protect the public — while still taking care of their customers and employees as well .
So we 're doing good [ sic ] in South Dakota .
We 're managing COVID-19 , '' she falsely told the network .
`` But also our economy is thriving .
I think people are recognizing that leadership has consequences and what we 're doing in South Dakota is Republican leadership . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ her nonresponse to the virus as a selling point for South Dakota , suggesting people move to her state because of the lack of safety rules .
`` There 's no governor in America that has trusted their people to make the right choices more than I have , '' she argued .
At least 65,499 South Dakotans have contracted the coronavirus so far — with 705 deaths .
The state 's population is just under 885,000 , according to a July 2019 Census Bureau estimate .
Published with permission of The American @ @ @

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem bragged this week that her state does not have the highest number of new coronavirus cases per capita.
It has the second highest number.
At a Wednesday press conference, the Republican scolded the press for its coverage of her state’s uncontrolled pandemic spread.
“Now, some in the media are saying that South Dakota is the worst in the world right now, and that is absolutely false. I’d encourage you to look at the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center,” she told reporters. “There you’ll see that there are other states with far higher new confirmed cases per 100,000/1,000 people compared to South Dakota.”
A local television station’s fact-check on Thursday determined that Noem’s claim was partially right: Just one state — neighboring North Dakota — has a higher rate of new confirmed cases, according to the Johns Hopkins data.
For months, South Dakota has been the worst or near worst state in the country, as far as per capita cases.
But as the pandemic has overwhelmed the state, Noem has refused to take action to curb it. She was one of a handful of governors who never issued any state-at-home order, claiming to be standing up for “citizens’ rights.”
She has bucked public health experts’ recommendations of a statewide mask mandate, calling it a “personal decision” and frequently sharing pictures of herself unmasked and close to others.
“Unfortunately, the spread of #COVID19 is rising in nearly every state, regardless of if they have mask mandates in place,” she misleadingly tweeted on Tuesday. “Here in South Dakota, we’re focusing on solutions that DO good, not on responses that FEEL good.” A New York Times analysis this week found clear evidence that states with the fewest safety rules — like South Dakota — have the worst outbreaks.
In August, Noem encouraged people to travel to Sturgis, South Dakota, for a massive annual motorcycle rally — even though medical experts urged its cancellation, calling it a “recipe” for disaster. The event drew hundreds of thousands, with few masks and little social distancing.
As predicted, the rally became a superspreader event. One study estimated that by September, it had already caused over $12 billion in public health costs from new coronavirus cases.
“This is enough to have paid each of the estimated 462,182 rally attendees $26,553.64 not to attend,” its authors noted.
Last month, Noem went on Fox News to claim that, despite the uncontrolled virus, her state was a great example of “Republican leadership.”
“[M]y people are happy. They appreciated the fact that we didn’t shut down their businesses, we allowed them to be flexible, take care of health, and protect the public — while still taking care of their customers and employees as well. So we’re doing good [sic] in South Dakota. We’re managing COVID-19,” she falsely told the network. “But also our economy is thriving. I think people are recognizing that leadership has consequences and what we’re doing in South Dakota is Republican leadership.”
In June, Noem tried to use her nonresponse to the virus as a selling point for South Dakota, suggesting people move to her state because of the lack of safety rules. “There’s no governor in America that has trusted their people to make the right choices more than I have,” she argued.
At least 65,499 South Dakotans have contracted the coronavirus so far — with 705 deaths. The state’s population is just under 885,000, according to a July 2019 Census Bureau estimate.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-11-21--Trump tells his fans to ditch Fox News after it calls election for Biden

Now that his largely invisible network has suddenly been flooded by fans of Donald Trump , Newsmax television personality Grant Stinchfield is puffing out his chest .
`` They do n't know what to do with all of us , '' Stinchfield said on the air Monday night .
`` We 're killing it here on Newsmax with a tactic they 've never tried .
It 's called the truth , the stone-cold truth , and once you get a taste of it , you will never tolerate being lied to again . ''
The conservative network 's critics suggest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's viewers are being presented discredited stories such as a voting system that changed or deleted votes , questions about how closely Republicans were able to monitor vote-counting , and the volume of absentee ballots being accepted .
There is no evidence of widespread fraud in the 2020 election .
In fact , election officials from both political parties have stated publicly that the election went well and international observers confirmed there were no serious irregularities .
Newsmax 's burst , whether or not it lasts , has been astonishingly swift and could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's dominance with conservative viewers in two decades .
`` We 've really cornered Fox from the right , '' said Chris Ruddy , Newsmax founder and a friend of Trump .
`` They 've never had that . ''
From the beginning of July to the week before Election Day , Newsmax averaged 58,000 viewers from 7 to 10 p.m. on weekdays .
That jumped to 568,000 the week after the election , the Nielsen company said .
In the same period , daytime viewership increased from 46,000 to 450,000 .
For @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 3.6 million viewers in the evening , Nielsen said .
Fox 's prime-time viewership during the two weeks after the election was up 50 % over last year .
`` We love competition .
We have always thrived on competition , '' Fox Corp. CEO Lachlan Murdoch said on an Election Day earnings call .
Ruddy traced much of Newsmax 's increase to Trump supporters angered by Fox 's election night call that Democrat Joe Biden had won Arizona — ahead of any other news organization .
While that call proved correct , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an ill-timed sign of insufficient loyalty from their favorite network .
Trump , who criticized Fox throughout the campaign , has driven the point home with repeated tweets suggesting his followers check out Newsmax or a smaller rival that also presses a conservative viewpoint , One America News Network .
`` There 's a large part of the country that wants to have a voice , the same people who gave birth to what turned into a very robust Fox News , '' said Michael Clemente , Newsmax 's CEO until last April @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Now , more than ever , they want to be heard , and have influence equal to their peers on the coasts .
Their loyalty is to that voice and not to any place or another . ''
Newsmax says it has an editorial staff of 70 , including those attached to its website , which at midday Wednesday led with stories about Trump 's press secretary calling restrictions on Thanksgiving gatherings `` Orwellian , '' and the president 's latest false tweet claiming an election victory .
The television network is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not to be `` out-foxed , '' but it was telling on Monday that both Newsmax and OANN spent considerable time discussing an interview that was conducted on Fox , where a Trump lawyer predicted her client would win by millions of votes .
Programming generally consists of news talk shows , and it 's not difficult to see where the loyalty lies .
`` Donald Trump is the most powerful person in the world , '' said Greg Kelly , a former personality at Fox 's New York affiliate who is Newsmax @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because he 's president , but because he 's loved by so many people . ''
When Newsmax 's Chris Salcedo asked a question about Biden during an interview Monday with Trump aide Peter Navarro , he was quickly brushed off .
`` As far as I 'm concerned , President Trump is going to have a second term , '' Navarro said .
Newsmax has n't declared Biden the president-elect , unlike other news organizations , including Fox and the Associated Press .
They say they are waiting for final certification of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ though Ruddy conceded in an interview that Trump has an extremely narrow chance of overturning the results , he said it 's up to the states , not media organizations , to declare a winner .
When that process is done , Newsmax will accept the winner , he said .
But if Trump 's chances of overturning the results are so small , why should a discussion about them dominate Newsmax 's airtime ?
`` I think that people that are not pro-Trump or do n't like him think we should get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it , '' he said .
`` But conservatives are quite anxious to hear about developments . ''
He said he differs from Trump in believing the administration should be cooperating in a transition , even if the president holds out hope that the results could somehow be overturned .
`` I would tell him if I speak to him that I think they should engage in a transition , '' he said .
The spotlight on smaller rivals comes at an extraordinarily tumultuous time at Fox .
There 's always been a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the network , but this time it 's reflected in the ultimate `` unspinnable '' story of election results , said Nicole Hemmer , a Columbia University professor and author of `` Messengers of the Right : Conservative Media and the Transformation of American Politics . ''
In some respects , the surge in Newsmax 's viewership represents a temper tantrum by some Fox viewers , she said .
For Newsmax , a big question is whether its programming is compelling enough to hold viewers who are clearly sampling .
Besides Kelly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is Newsmax 's best-known personality .
Both their shows are aired twice a night ; Ruddy said a new prime-time show will start next month and another is in the works .
`` It 's going to be a challenge for ( Newsmax ) to grow their numbers in the way that Fox did because of the lack of a news operation , '' Hemmer said .

Now that his largely invisible network has suddenly been flooded by fans of Donald Trump, Newsmax television personality Grant Stinchfield is puffing out his chest.
“They don’t know what to do with all of us,” Stinchfield said on the air Monday night. “We’re killing it here on Newsmax with a tactic they’ve never tried. It’s called the truth, the stone-cold truth, and once you get a taste of it, you will never tolerate being lied to again.”
The conservative network’s critics suggest the opposite is true, that Newsmax’s viewers are being presented discredited stories such as a voting system that changed or deleted votes, questions about how closely Republicans were able to monitor vote-counting, and the volume of absentee ballots being accepted.
There is no evidence of widespread fraud in the 2020 election. In fact, election officials from both political parties have stated publicly that the election went well and international observers confirmed there were no serious irregularities.
Newsmax’s burst, whether or not it lasts, has been astonishingly swift and could foreshadow significant competition to Fox News Channel’s dominance with conservative viewers in two decades.
“We’ve really cornered Fox from the right,” said Chris Ruddy, Newsmax founder and a friend of Trump. “They’ve never had that.”
From the beginning of July to the week before Election Day, Newsmax averaged 58,000 viewers from 7 to 10 p.m. on weekdays. That jumped to 568,000 the week after the election, the Nielsen company said. In the same period, daytime viewership increased from 46,000 to 450,000.
For the same dates, Fox News averaged 3.6 million viewers in the evening, Nielsen said. Fox’s prime-time viewership during the two weeks after the election was up 50% over last year.
“We love competition. We have always thrived on competition,” Fox Corp. CEO Lachlan Murdoch said on an Election Day earnings call.
Ruddy traced much of Newsmax’s increase to Trump supporters angered by Fox’s election night call that Democrat Joe Biden had won Arizona — ahead of any other news organization. While that call proved correct, for the president’s backers it was an ill-timed sign of insufficient loyalty from their favorite network.
Trump, who criticized Fox throughout the campaign, has driven the point home with repeated tweets suggesting his followers check out Newsmax or a smaller rival that also presses a conservative viewpoint, One America News Network.
“There’s a large part of the country that wants to have a voice, the same people who gave birth to what turned into a very robust Fox News,” said Michael Clemente, Newsmax’s CEO until last April and a former Fox News executive. “Now, more than ever, they want to be heard, and have influence equal to their peers on the coasts. Their loyalty is to that voice and not to any place or another.”
Newsmax says it has an editorial staff of 70, including those attached to its website, which at midday Wednesday led with stories about Trump’s press secretary calling restrictions on Thanksgiving gatherings “Orwellian,” and the president’s latest false tweet claiming an election victory.
The television network is running a clever ad telling conservative viewers not to be “out-foxed,” but it was telling on Monday that both Newsmax and OANN spent considerable time discussing an interview that was conducted on Fox, where a Trump lawyer predicted her client would win by millions of votes.
Programming generally consists of news talk shows, and it’s not difficult to see where the loyalty lies.
“Donald Trump is the most powerful person in the world,” said Greg Kelly, a former personality at Fox’s New York affiliate who is Newsmax’s most polished broadcaster. “Not because he’s president, but because he’s loved by so many people.”
When Newsmax’s Chris Salcedo asked a question about Biden during an interview Monday with Trump aide Peter Navarro, he was quickly brushed off.
“As far as I’m concerned, President Trump is going to have a second term,” Navarro said.
Newsmax hasn’t declared Biden the president-elect, unlike other news organizations, including Fox and the Associated Press. They say they are waiting for final certification of the vote before doing so.
Even though Ruddy conceded in an interview that Trump has an extremely narrow chance of overturning the results, he said it’s up to the states, not media organizations, to declare a winner. When that process is done, Newsmax will accept the winner, he said.
But if Trump’s chances of overturning the results are so small, why should a discussion about them dominate Newsmax’s airtime?
“I think that people that are not pro-Trump or don’t like him think we should get past it or they are tired of it,” he said. “But conservatives are quite anxious to hear about developments.”
He said he differs from Trump in believing the administration should be cooperating in a transition, even if the president holds out hope that the results could somehow be overturned.
“I would tell him if I speak to him that I think they should engage in a transition,” he said.
The spotlight on smaller rivals comes at an extraordinarily tumultuous time at Fox. There’s always been a tension between the news and opinion sides of the network, but this time it’s reflected in the ultimate “unspinnable” story of election results, said Nicole Hemmer, a Columbia University professor and author of “Messengers of the Right: Conservative Media and the Transformation of American Politics.”
In some respects, the surge in Newsmax’s viewership represents a temper tantrum by some Fox viewers, she said.
For Newsmax, a big question is whether its programming is compelling enough to hold viewers who are clearly sampling. Besides Kelly, former Trump press secretary Sean Spicer is Newsmax’s best-known personality. Both their shows are aired twice a night; Ruddy said a new prime-time show will start next month and another is in the works.
“It’s going to be a challenge for (Newsmax) to grow their numbers in the way that Fox did because of the lack of a news operation,” Hemmer said.


shareblue--2020-11-21--Federal prison knowingly allowed sick inmates to expose others to coronavirus

A federal prison complex in Louisiana that emerged as an early coronavirus hotspot — with hundreds of inmates suffering from the virus — failed to comply with federal health guidance and left inmates with the virus in their housing units for a week without being isolated , the Justice Department 's inspector general said Tuesday .
The inspector general 's findings after a remote inspection of the Federal Correctional Complex in Oakdale , Louisiana , comes as the Bureau of Prisons continues to struggle with an exploding number of coronavirus cases in its prisons .
Health officials have been warning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dangers of epidemics in jails and prisons , which are ideal environments for virus outbreaks .
Across the country , 182,776 inmates at state and federal prisons have been diagnosed with the coronavirus9 , according to data compiled by the Marshall Project and the Associated Press .
In federal prisons alone , 140 inmates have died of COVID-19 , including eight at FCC Oakdale .
The inspector general 's report alleges prison officials at FCC Oakdale failed to comply with the guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Bureau @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quarantining inmates .
`` Some inmates who had tested positive were left in their housing units for up to 6 days without being isolated , '' the report concluded .
Correction officers and other staff members at the prison were also never told they would be interacting with inmates who had tested positive with the virus and were not given proper personal protective gear , the watchdog 's report said .
While top officials at the prison asserted they had an abundant supply of protective equipment on hand , staff members told the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have proper equipment .
The report also found that in some cases staff members `` did not understand the necessity '' of wearing proper protection when interacting with inmates who had tested positive for the virus .
In one instance , a staff member told investigators he did n't have access to an N95 mask or a surgical mask when he was in close contact with infected inmates , and two others said they wore only surgical masks .
One of those employees later tested positive for the virus .
Another employee said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while escorting sick inmates to a local hospital `` because his supervisor told him that he did not need to wear one , '' the report said .
Union officials said some staff members refused to escort sick inmates because they were n't given the appropriate gear .
In early April , the Bureau of Prisons told the AP that local health officials told the federal government there was no need to test inmates anymore for the coronavirus and those showing symptoms should be presumed to have it .
But a spokesman for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the time that officials did not tell the prison to stop testing prisoners .
He said state officials advised the prison , in the absence of testing , to isolate prisoners with symptoms .
The report also found that an outbreak at the prison forced correction officers to work longer shifts and in some instances as long as 40 hours straight , a chronic issue within the federal prison system .
In a statement , the Bureau of Prisons said it identified areas where its strategies to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including changing personnel .
The agency said the remedies `` essentially mirrored '' the issues identified in the report .
For years , union officials have been sounding the alarm about the chronic understaffing within the Bureau of Prisons , though the system allows for the use of excessive overtime .
There 's nothing stopping guards from working multiple shifts per day , and the staffing levels have reached a point where officers at some facilities , such as the New York City jail where wealthy financier Jeffrey Epstein took his own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week .
The report is the result of remote inspections being conducted by the inspector general 's office after Attorney General William Barr asked Inspector General Michael Horowitz to take a look at the federal prisons that were emerging as hot spots and identify any concerns and ways the Justice Department could improve the work being done .

A federal prison complex in Louisiana that emerged as an early coronavirus hotspot — with hundreds of inmates suffering from the virus — failed to comply with federal health guidance and left inmates with the virus in their housing units for a week without being isolated, the Justice Department’s inspector general said Tuesday.
The inspector general’s findings after a remote inspection of the Federal Correctional Complex in Oakdale, Louisiana, comes as the Bureau of Prisons continues to struggle with an exploding number of coronavirus cases in its prisons.
Health officials have been warning for more than a decade about the dangers of epidemics in jails and prisons, which are ideal environments for virus outbreaks. Across the country, 182,776 inmates at state and federal prisons have been diagnosed with the coronavirus9, according to data compiled by the Marshall Project and the Associated Press.
In federal prisons alone, 140 inmates have died of COVID-19, including eight at FCC Oakdale.
The inspector general’s report alleges prison officials at FCC Oakdale failed to comply with the guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Bureau of Prisons’ headquarters for isolating and quarantining inmates.
“Some inmates who had tested positive were left in their housing units for up to 6 days without being isolated,” the report concluded.
Correction officers and other staff members at the prison were also never told they would be interacting with inmates who had tested positive with the virus and were not given proper personal protective gear, the watchdog’s report said.
While top officials at the prison asserted they had an abundant supply of protective equipment on hand, staff members told the inspector general’s office they did not have proper equipment. The report also found that in some cases staff members “did not understand the necessity” of wearing proper protection when interacting with inmates who had tested positive for the virus.
In one instance, a staff member told investigators he didn’t have access to an N95 mask or a surgical mask when he was in close contact with infected inmates, and two others said they wore only surgical masks. One of those employees later tested positive for the virus.
Another employee said he didn’t wear an N95 mask while escorting sick inmates to a local hospital “because his supervisor told him that he did not need to wear one,” the report said. Union officials said some staff members refused to escort sick inmates because they weren’t given the appropriate gear.
In early April, the Bureau of Prisons told the AP that local health officials told the federal government there was no need to test inmates anymore for the coronavirus and those showing symptoms should be presumed to have it. But a spokesman for the Louisiana Department of Health said at the time that officials did not tell the prison to stop testing prisoners. He said state officials advised the prison, in the absence of testing, to isolate prisoners with symptoms.
The report also found that an outbreak at the prison forced correction officers to work longer shifts and in some instances as long as 40 hours straight, a chronic issue within the federal prison system.
In a statement, the Bureau of Prisons said it identified areas where its strategies to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 were not being applied consistently and began remedies, including changing personnel. The agency said the remedies “essentially mirrored” the issues identified in the report.
For years, union officials have been sounding the alarm about the chronic understaffing within the Bureau of Prisons, though the system allows for the use of excessive overtime. There’s nothing stopping guards from working multiple shifts per day, and the staffing levels have reached a point where officers at some facilities, such as the New York City jail where wealthy financier Jeffrey Epstein took his own life, work mandatory overtime nearly every week.
The report is the result of remote inspections being conducted by the inspector general’s office after Attorney General William Barr asked Inspector General Michael Horowitz to take a look at the federal prisons that were emerging as hot spots and identify any concerns and ways the Justice Department could improve the work being done.


shareblue--2020-11-22--Trump looks to gut dozens of environmental protects on his way out the door

Down to its final weeks , the Trump administration is working to push through dozens of environmental rollbacks that could weaken century-old protections for migratory birds , expand Arctic drilling , and hamstring future regulation of public health threats .
The pending changes , which benefit oil and gas and other industries , deepen the challenges for President-elect Joe Biden , who made restoring and advancing protections for the environment , climate , and public health a core piece of his campaign .
`` We 're going to see a real scorched-earth effort here at the tail end of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a vice president at the National Audubon Society .
The proposed changes cap four years of unprecedented environmental deregulation by Donald Trump , whose administration has worked to fundamentally change how federal agencies apply and enforce the Clean Water Act , Clean Air Act , and other protections .
Most of the changes are expected to sail through the approval process , which includes the White House releasing the final version and publication in the Federal Register .
Some decisions , if they go into effect , will be easy for Biden to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to return the United States to the Paris climate accord as a first step in his own $ 2 trillion climate plan .
But he faces years of work in court and within agencies to repair major Trump cuts to the nation 's framework of environmental protections .
One change that Trump wants to push through would restrict criminal prosecution for industries responsible for the deaths of the nation 's migratory birds .
Hawks and other birds that migrate through the central U.S. to nesting grounds on the Great Plains navigate deadly threats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to wind turbines that knock them from the air and oil field waste pits where landing birds perish in toxic water .
Right now , the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 is a vital tool for protecting more than 1,000 species of birds , including hawks and other birds of prey .
Federal prosecutors use the act to recover damages , including $ 100 million from BP for its 2010 oil-rig spill into the Gulf of Mexico , which killed more than 100,000 seabirds .
But the Trump administration wants to make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such preventable , unintentional deaths .
Federal officials advanced the bird treaty changes to the White House , one of the final steps before adoption , two days after news organizations declared Biden the winner of the presidential race .
For industry , `` that 's an important one , '' said Rachel Jones , vice president of the National Association of Manufacturers .
Jones lobbied for the changes in the Migratory Bird Treaty Act at a meeting last year between private-sector representatives and staff from the White House and Interior Department .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the infrastructure we need for a modern society . ''
Earlier moves by the Trump administration , which are now facing court challenges , remove protections for millions of miles of waterways and wetlands , narrow protections for wildlife species facing extinction , and open more of the hundreds of millions of acres of public land to oil and gas drilling .
Asked about the push now , as Trump and many of his supporters continue to deny his election loss , Environmental Protection Agency spokesman James Hewitt said , `` EPA continues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meaningful environmental progress while moving forward with our regulatory reform agenda . ''
Pushing to get new rules on the books before the end of a president 's term is not unusual — former Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush both did it , said Cary Coglianese , an expert on administrative law and rule-making at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School .
Obama agency heads , after a 2016 Trump victory that surprised many , pushed through rules that sought to protect funding for Planned Parenthood and toughen pollution rules @ @ @ @ @ @ @ among others .
But environmentalists and some former federal officials said the actions being taken in Trump 's final days reflect a pro-industry agenda taken to the extreme , in disregard for imperiled wildlife , climate change , and damage to human health from air pollution .
`` What we 're seeing at the end is what we 've seen all along , which is a fealty to private interests over public interests , '' said David Hayes , former deputy secretary of the Interior Department under Obama and now adjunct professor at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` They seem intent on finalizing these as a kind of ideological point . ''
Many of the final rollbacks still pending under the Trump administration have significant implications for oil and gas companies .
That includes the administration 's steps this week toward a sale of energy leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge .
Monday 's announcement of upcoming sale drew rebukes from environmentalists and Democrats in Congress .
Brett Hartl with the Center for Biological Diversity said backers of drilling are playing the long game and know that another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ along eventually .
`` Any time you 've officially got an area under lease … it makes it harder to keep the land protected in the long run , '' Hartl said .
Another proposal that arrived at the White House last week would set emissions standards for small but dangerous particles of pollution emitted by refineries and other industrial sources .
Other changes would allow more drilling and mining on thousands of square miles of public lands around New Mexico 's Chaco Canyon National Historical Park and deep in the Alaska wilderness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days pursued American `` energy dominance , '' in which imported oil would no longer be needed and U.S. companies would produce a surplus of fuels that could be sold to other countries .
Finalizing the pending changes is critical to maintaining the nation 's `` energy leadership , '' said American Petroleum Institute senior vice president Frank Macchiarola .
For the oil and gas industry , he said , the opening of the Arctic refuge to drilling was long overdue and would provide jobs and needed revenue for the state of Alaska @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pending Senate contests in Georgia for insight into how easily any of his administration 's last-minute changes can be undone .
If Democrats win both , they 'll control the Senate and the House and will be in position to invoke the Congressional Review Act , which allows Congress to strike down newly approved regulations .
Otherwise , outside parties could sue or the Biden administration would have to undertake the often lengthy process of reversing changes that are fully enacted before Trump leaves office .
`` Regulations are not like diamonds , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ professor .
`` They do n't last forever . ''

Down to its final weeks, the Trump administration is working to push through dozens of environmental rollbacks that could weaken century-old protections for migratory birds, expand Arctic drilling, and hamstring future regulation of public health threats.
The pending changes, which benefit oil and gas and other industries, deepen the challenges for President-elect Joe Biden, who made restoring and advancing protections for the environment, climate, and public health a core piece of his campaign.
“We’re going to see a real scorched-earth effort here at the tail end of the administration,” said Brian Rutledge, a vice president at the National Audubon Society.
The proposed changes cap four years of unprecedented environmental deregulation by Donald Trump, whose administration has worked to fundamentally change how federal agencies apply and enforce the Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, and other protections.
Most of the changes are expected to sail through the approval process, which includes the White House releasing the final version and publication in the Federal Register.
Some decisions, if they go into effect, will be easy for Biden to simply reverse. He already has pledged to return the United States to the Paris climate accord as a first step in his own $2 trillion climate plan. But he faces years of work in court and within agencies to repair major Trump cuts to the nation’s framework of environmental protections.
One change that Trump wants to push through would restrict criminal prosecution for industries responsible for the deaths of the nation’s migratory birds. Hawks and other birds that migrate through the central U.S. to nesting grounds on the Great Plains navigate deadly threats — from electrocution on power lines, to wind turbines that knock them from the air and oil field waste pits where landing birds perish in toxic water.
Right now, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 is a vital tool for protecting more than 1,000 species of birds, including hawks and other birds of prey. Federal prosecutors use the act to recover damages, including $100 million from BP for its 2010 oil-rig spill into the Gulf of Mexico, which killed more than 100,000 seabirds.
But the Trump administration wants to make sure companies face no criminal liability for such preventable, unintentional deaths.
Federal officials advanced the bird treaty changes to the White House, one of the final steps before adoption, two days after news organizations declared Biden the winner of the presidential race.
For industry, “that’s an important one,” said Rachel Jones, vice president of the National Association of Manufacturers. Jones lobbied for the changes in the Migratory Bird Treaty Act at a meeting last year between private-sector representatives and staff from the White House and Interior Department. “It really matters in relation to the infrastructure we need for a modern society.”
Earlier moves by the Trump administration, which are now facing court challenges, remove protections for millions of miles of waterways and wetlands, narrow protections for wildlife species facing extinction, and open more of the hundreds of millions of acres of public land to oil and gas drilling.
Asked about the push now, as Trump and many of his supporters continue to deny his election loss, Environmental Protection Agency spokesman James Hewitt said, “EPA continues to advance this administration’s commitment to meaningful environmental progress while moving forward with our regulatory reform agenda.”
Pushing to get new rules on the books before the end of a president’s term is not unusual — former Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush both did it, said Cary Coglianese, an expert on administrative law and rule-making at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School.
Obama agency heads, after a 2016 Trump victory that surprised many, pushed through rules that sought to protect funding for Planned Parenthood and toughen pollution rules on the oil and gas industries, among others.
But environmentalists and some former federal officials said the actions being taken in Trump’s final days reflect a pro-industry agenda taken to the extreme, in disregard for imperiled wildlife, climate change, and damage to human health from air pollution.
“What we’re seeing at the end is what we’ve seen all along, which is a fealty to private interests over public interests,” said David Hayes, former deputy secretary of the Interior Department under Obama and now adjunct professor at the New York University School of Law. “They seem intent on finalizing these as a kind of ideological point.”
Many of the final rollbacks still pending under the Trump administration have significant implications for oil and gas companies. That includes the administration’s steps this week toward a sale of energy leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
Monday’s announcement of upcoming sale drew rebukes from environmentalists and Democrats in Congress.
Brett Hartl with the Center for Biological Diversity said backers of drilling are playing the long game and know that another Republican administration favorable to drilling will come along eventually.
“Any time you’ve officially got an area under lease … it makes it harder to keep the land protected in the long run,” Hartl said.
Another proposal that arrived at the White House last week would set emissions standards for small but dangerous particles of pollution emitted by refineries and other industrial sources. Other changes would allow more drilling and mining on thousands of square miles of public lands around New Mexico’s Chaco Canyon National Historical Park and deep in the Alaska wilderness.
The Trump administration from its first days pursued American “energy dominance,” in which imported oil would no longer be needed and U.S. companies would produce a surplus of fuels that could be sold to other countries.
Finalizing the pending changes is critical to maintaining the nation’s “energy leadership,” said American Petroleum Institute senior vice president Frank Macchiarola. For the oil and gas industry, he said, the opening of the Arctic refuge to drilling was long overdue and would provide jobs and needed revenue for the state of Alaska.
Trump critics are looking to two pending Senate contests in Georgia for insight into how easily any of his administration’s last-minute changes can be undone.
If Democrats win both, they’ll control the Senate and the House and will be in position to invoke the Congressional Review Act, which allows Congress to strike down newly approved regulations. Otherwise, outside parties could sue or the Biden administration would have to undertake the often lengthy process of reversing changes that are fully enacted before Trump leaves office.
“Regulations are not like diamonds,” said Coglianese, the Penn law professor. “They don’t last forever.”