shareblue--2020-11-19--'This violence is an epidemic': What experts say must be done to save trans lives

Experts and advocates who track violence against the transgender community say lawmakers need to take crucial steps to keep transgender people safe , and fast .
Among the things they suggest to make sure that happens : passage of a federal nondiscrimination law and police accountability legislation , better data collection , and sex work decriminalization .
On Thursday , one day before the Transgender Day of Remembrance , which memorializes those who have been killed as a result of anti-transgender violence , the Human Rights Campaign released a report documenting the lives lost this year .
At least 37 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ killed in 2020 so far .
Since 2013 , the organization has tracked 201 incidents of fatal violence against transgender and gender non-conforming people .
2020 has had a record number of killings .
`` This grim milestone has proven what we have long known : this violence is an epidemic , '' Alphonso David , president of the Human Rights Campaign , said in a statement .
He added , `` Each one of the lives we lost was someone who was ripped from their family , their friends , and their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ often driven by bigotry and transphobia and inflamed by the rhetoric of those who oppose our progress . ''
The Human Rights Campaign found that 84 % of the victims in the past seven years were transgender women and 66 % were Black transgender women .
Young people and people in the South were also critically impacted by this violence , according to the report .
One of those victims was Angel Unique , a 25-year-old Black transgender woman , who was a licensed cosmetologist .
She was shot and killed in Memphis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Takia Weddle , a friend of Unique 's , told WATN Local 24 , a Tennessee ABC affiliate , that people who knew her said she was `` very funny '' and `` very nice to everybody she met . ''
`` I still ca n't believe it really because that was the only person I was with every single day .
I talked to my best friend more than I talked to my boyfriend , '' Weddle said .
In 30 % of cases analyzed by the Human Rights Campaign , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were known by the victim but were not a family member , intimate partner , or close friend .
The report estimated that 29 % were committed by an intimate partner , 14 % by a close family member or friend , and 1 % by the police or federal government .
There are a number of key factors that put transgender people 's lives in danger , according to the report , including anti-transgender stigma that manifests in `` lack of family acceptance , '' `` a hostile political climate , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discrimination makes it difficult for transgender people to get health care , education , and employment .
The report also says that biases within the criminal justice system and `` increased risk factors '' of intimate partner violence , homelessness , poverty , and mental health disparities play a role in transgender people 's vulnerability to violence .
For many of the transgender women of color who are victims of this violence , racism and sexism only intensify all of these existing vulnerabilities they face .
To improve the safety of transgender people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rights Campaign has advocated for the passage of federal nondiscrimination protections in the Equality Act and the passage of more of these protections at the state level .
The report also mentions the elimination of what is known as the trans panic defense , which allows those accused of violence against a transgender person to argue that they only committed that act because they found out the victim was transgender .
Some states have enacted bans on this defense , but the vast majority have not .
Across the country , transgender people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ correcting information on their identification documents , including high costs and unnecessary medical requirements .
The Human Rights Campaign has argued that more states need to remove these barriers to ensure transgender people do not face discrimination or violence if they do n't have accurate identification .
Improved data collection would help policymakers and advocates have a better understanding of the needs of transgender people and violence against them .
The report recommends the passage of the LGBTQ Data Inclusion Act , a federal bill that would prompt federal agencies to review their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Jabara-Heyer No Hate Act , which focuses on improving hate crime data .
The report additionally calls on Congress to pass the Justice in Policing Act of 2020 , which includes police accountability measures and would address over-policing and police brutality against transgender people and minority groups in general .
It states that decriminalization of sex work should be a priority for lawmakers as well , given that criminalization `` poses a serious threat to public health and increases violence in LGBTQ communities . ''
Many of these goals are supported by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Shepard Foundation , which wants to pass the Jabara-Heyer No Hate Act ; the Transgender Law Center , which supports the decriminalization of sex work ; and the National LGBTQ Task Force , which supports the Justice in Policing Act .
In an interview with Philadelphia Gay News in October , President-elect Joe Biden said he supported many of these asks , including the passage of the Equality Act , Jabara-Heyer No Hate Act , and a prohibition on LGBTQ panic defenses .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Experts and advocates who track violence against the transgender community say lawmakers need to take crucial steps to keep transgender people safe, and fast.
Among the things they suggest to make sure that happens: passage of a federal nondiscrimination law and police accountability legislation, better data collection, and sex work decriminalization.
On Thursday, one day before the Transgender Day of Remembrance, which memorializes those who have been killed as a result of anti-transgender violence, the Human Rights Campaign released a report documenting the lives lost this year.
At least 37 transgender and gender non-conforming people have been killed in 2020 so far. Since 2013, the organization has tracked 201 incidents of fatal violence against transgender and gender non-conforming people. 2020 has had a record number of killings.
“This grim milestone has proven what we have long known: this violence is an epidemic,” Alphonso David, president of the Human Rights Campaign, said in a statement.
He added, “Each one of the lives we lost was someone who was ripped from their family, their friends, and their community by an act of senseless violence often driven by bigotry and transphobia and inflamed by the rhetoric of those who oppose our progress.”
The Human Rights Campaign found that 84% of the victims in the past seven years were transgender women and 66% were Black transgender women. Young people and people in the South were also critically impacted by this violence, according to the report.
One of those victims was Angel Unique, a 25-year-old Black transgender woman, who was a licensed cosmetologist. She was shot and killed in Memphis at a Motel 6 on Oct. 25.
Takia Weddle, a friend of Unique’s, told WATN Local 24, a Tennessee ABC affiliate, that people who knew her said she was “very funny” and “very nice to everybody she met.”
“I still can’t believe it really because that was the only person I was with every single day. I talked to my best friend more than I talked to my boyfriend,” Weddle said.
In 30% of cases analyzed by the Human Rights Campaign, an estimated 56% of the assailants were known by the victim but were not a family member, intimate partner, or close friend. The report estimated that 29% were committed by an intimate partner, 14% by a close family member or friend, and 1% by the police or federal government.
There are a number of key factors that put transgender people’s lives in danger, according to the report, including anti-transgender stigma that manifests in “lack of family acceptance,” “a hostile political climate,” and “cultural marginalization.”
That discrimination makes it difficult for transgender people to get health care, education, and employment.
The report also says that biases within the criminal justice system and “increased risk factors” of intimate partner violence, homelessness, poverty, and mental health disparities play a role in transgender people’s vulnerability to violence. For many of the transgender women of color who are victims of this violence, racism and sexism only intensify all of these existing vulnerabilities they face.
To improve the safety of transgender people in the United States, the Human Rights Campaign has advocated for the passage of federal nondiscrimination protections in the Equality Act and the passage of more of these protections at the state level.
The report also mentions the elimination of what is known as the trans panic defense, which allows those accused of violence against a transgender person to argue that they only committed that act because they found out the victim was transgender.
Some states have enacted bans on this defense, but the vast majority have not.
Across the country, transgender people still face a number of barriers to correcting information on their identification documents, including high costs and unnecessary medical requirements. The Human Rights Campaign has argued that more states need to remove these barriers to ensure transgender people do not face discrimination or violence if they don’t have accurate identification.
Improved data collection would help policymakers and advocates have a better understanding of the needs of transgender people and violence against them. The report recommends the passage of the LGBTQ Data Inclusion Act, a federal bill that would prompt federal agencies to review their data collection efforts on LGBTQ people, and Jabara-Heyer No Hate Act, which focuses on improving hate crime data.
The report additionally calls on Congress to pass the Justice in Policing Act of 2020, which includes police accountability measures and would address over-policing and police brutality against transgender people and minority groups in general. It states that decriminalization of sex work should be a priority for lawmakers as well, given that criminalization “poses a serious threat to public health and increases violence in LGBTQ communities.”
Many of these goals are supported by other LGBTQ organizations, including the Matthew Shepard Foundation, which wants to pass the Jabara-Heyer No Hate Act; the Transgender Law Center, which supports the decriminalization of sex work; and the National LGBTQ Task Force, which supports the Justice in Policing Act.
In an interview with Philadelphia Gay News in October, President-elect Joe Biden said he supported many of these asks, including the passage of the Equality Act, Jabara-Heyer No Hate Act, and a prohibition on LGBTQ panic defenses.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-11-19--'Utterly inexcusable': Sen. Perdue slammed for new insider trading allegations

Georgia Democratic Senate candidate Jon Ossoff slammed his opponent David Perdue on Thursday as new allegations of insider trading against the incumbent Republican senator surfaced .
The new allegations are the latest in a long line of accusation leveled at Perdue surrounding his stocks portfolio .
`` David Perdue 's corruption and self-dealing are flagrant , '' Ossoff tweeted on Twitter Thursday .
`` He is blatantly exploiting his office to line his own pockets .
This conduct is utterly inexcusable . ''
He added that senators should be prohibited across the board from participating in the trade of individual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week that in late 2018 , a month before he was named chair of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower , Perdue `` acquired up to $ 190,000 worth of stock in BWX Technologies , a company he had never invested in before . ''
BWX Technologies is a Virginia-based company that manufactures high-tech submarine parts for the Navy .
In his role as subcommittee chair , Perdue helped shape the National Defense Authorization Act , which garnered $ 4.7 billion for Virginia-class submarines .
The new report alleged that he sold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ simultaneously working on the NDAA .
He purportedly netted $ 15,000 to $ 50,000 in the trade , according to his financial disclosures .
Perdue 's office told The Daily Beast that scrutiny regarding the trades was unwarranted and any questions surrounding his stocks portfolio had been `` asked and answered . ''
`` Senator Perdue does n't manage his trades , they are handled by outside financial advisers without his prior input or approval , '' a Perdue spokesperson told the outlet .
`` No amount of lies from liberal media outlets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fact . ''
Perdue is defending his seat in a runoff election against Ossoff set for Jan. 5 , which along with another special election in the state will decide control of the Senate .
The STOCK Act , a law implemented in 2012 , prevents senators from using nonpublic knowledge gleaned in an official capacity to make financial trading decisions .
And it 's not the first time Perdue has been scrutinized for allegedly violating that law .
In 2017 , Perdue fought on the Senate floor to water down federal regulations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allegedly bought some stakes in prepaid debit card provider FirstData , which stood to profit from weakened regulations .
At the time , Perdue told the Daily Beast any allegations of financial impropriety were `` categorically false . ''
In January , Perdue was alleged to have invested in DuPont de Nemours , a company that makes personal protective equipment — the very same day he attended a classified Senate briefing on the spread of COVID-19 .
The senator 's campaign has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing .
During Perdue and Ossoff 's first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the incumbent over his insider trading allegations in a video that quickly went viral .
`` Perhaps Sen. Perdue would have been able to respond properly to the COVID-19 pandemic if you hadn ’ t been fending off multiple federal investigations for insider trading , '' Ossoff said , referring to Perdue 's mishandling of the crisis .
`` It ’ s not just that you 're a crook , Senator .
It 's that you 're attacking the health of the people that you represent . ''
Perdue 's fellow senator , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this week for alleged ethics violations and has previously faced a later-dismissed probe by the Senate Ethics Committee into insider trading allegations .
She , too , is vying to keep her Senate seat in a January runoff election against Democrat Rev .
Raphael Warnock .
Sen. Perdue 's campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment for this story .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Georgia Democratic Senate candidate Jon Ossoff slammed his opponent David Perdue on Thursday as new allegations of insider trading against the incumbent Republican senator surfaced.
The new allegations are the latest in a long line of accusation leveled at Perdue surrounding his stocks portfolio.
“David Perdue’s corruption and self-dealing are flagrant,” Ossoff tweeted on Twitter Thursday. “He is blatantly exploiting his office to line his own pockets. This conduct is utterly inexcusable.”
He added that senators should be prohibited across the board from participating in the trade of individual stocks.
“Ban Senators from trading individual stocks,” he tweeted. “Period.”
The Daily Beast reported this week that in late 2018, a month before he was named chair of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower, Perdue “acquired up to $190,000 worth of stock in BWX Technologies, a company he had never invested in before.”
BWX Technologies is a Virginia-based company that manufactures high-tech submarine parts for the Navy.
In his role as subcommittee chair, Perdue helped shape the National Defense Authorization Act, which garnered $4.7 billion for Virginia-class submarines.
The new report alleged that he sold off his stocks in BWX Technologies while simultaneously working on the NDAA. He purportedly netted $15,000 to $50,000 in the trade, according to his financial disclosures.
Perdue’s office told The Daily Beast that scrutiny regarding the trades was unwarranted and any questions surrounding his stocks portfolio had been “asked and answered.”
“Senator Perdue doesn’t manage his trades, they are handled by outside financial advisers without his prior input or approval,” a Perdue spokesperson told the outlet. “No amount of lies from liberal media outlets or Democratic political groups will change that fact.”
Perdue is defending his seat in a runoff election against Ossoff set for Jan. 5, which along with another special election in the state will decide control of the Senate.
The STOCK Act, a law implemented in 2012, prevents senators from using nonpublic knowledge gleaned in an official capacity to make financial trading decisions. And it’s not the first time Perdue has been scrutinized for allegedly violating that law.
In 2017, Perdue fought on the Senate floor to water down federal regulations for prepaid debit card providers — then allegedly bought some stakes in prepaid debit card provider FirstData, which stood to profit from weakened regulations.
At the time, Perdue told the Daily Beast any allegations of financial impropriety were “categorically false.”
In January, Perdue was alleged to have invested in DuPont de Nemours, a company that makes personal protective equipment — the very same day he attended a classified Senate briefing on the spread of COVID-19.
The senator’s campaign has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.
During Perdue and Ossoff’s first campaign debate in October, Ossoff criticized the incumbent over his insider trading allegations in a video that quickly went viral.
“Perhaps Sen. Perdue would have been able to respond properly to the COVID-19 pandemic if you hadn’t been fending off multiple federal investigations for insider trading,” Ossoff said, referring to Perdue’s mishandling of the crisis. “It’s not just that you’re a crook, Senator. It’s that you’re attacking the health of the people that you represent.”
Perdue’s fellow senator, Kelly Loeffler, also came under fire this week for alleged ethics violations and has previously faced a later-dismissed probe by the Senate Ethics Committee into insider trading allegations. She, too, is vying to keep her Senate seat in a January runoff election against Democrat Rev. Raphael Warnock.
Sen. Perdue’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment for this story.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-11-19--Sen. Kelly Loeffler calls ethics complaints against her a 'frivolous' distraction

Sen. Kelly Loeffler ( R-GA ) was hit with multiple ethics complaints on Thursday after she solicited campaign contributions while located in the Capitol building the day before — a violation of federal law .
Her campaign dismissed the allegations as merely a `` frivolous '' distraction .
`` We 're only two weeks into this race and the Democrats are already so desperate to try to distract from Raphael Warnock 's [ record ] that they 're spending their time filing frivolous complaints , '' a Loeffler campaign spokesperson told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution .
Loeffler was appointed to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last December .
She finished second in the November special election for the remaining two years of the term but , because no candidate got a majority , will face off against Warnock , a Democrat , in a runoff on Jan. 5 .
It shall be unlawful for an individual who is an officer or employee of the Federal Government , including the President , Vice President , and Members of Congress , to solicit or receive a donation of money or other thing of value in connection with a Federal , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in any room or building occupied in the discharge of official duties by an officer or employee of the United States , from any person .
But that did not stop Loeffler from begging for donations during an interview with Fox News conducted as she stood inside the Capitol .
`` We know that hundreds of millions of dark liberal money is pouring into our state , '' one of the Senate 's richest members complained .
`` That 's why it 's so important that everyone across the country get involved .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ five or 10 bucks . ''
The Democratic Party of Georgia requested that the Justice Department investigate and filed a formal complaint on Thursday addressed to Sen. James Lankford and Sen. Christopher Coons , the chair and vice chair respectively of the Senate Select Committee on Ethics , noting : `` Using the trappings of her office to garner financial support for her own campaign is a clear violation of federal laws and the ethics rules of the U.S .
Senate . ''
Their complaint reminded the members that the committee 's own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and staff may not receive or solicit campaign contributions in any federal building . ''
The American Democracy Legal Fund , a nonprofit government ethics group , filed a separate complaint on Thursday in which it requested `` an immediate investigation by the Senate Select Committee on Ethics into unethical and illegal conduct on the part of United States Senator Kelly Loeffler . ''
The Loeffler campaign did not immediately respond to an inquiry for this story .
But back in April , Stephen Lawson , the campaign 's communications director who is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , expressed outrage about Loeffler 's Republican challenger for the Senate seat , Rep. Doug Collins , breaking ethics rules , writing : `` Is anyone surprised that Doug Collins is breaking ethics rules to fund his ego-driven campaign ?
He will literally do and say anything to advance his career in politics and protect his taxpayer funded salary .
Sad – but completely expected from a self-entitled career politician like D.C .
Doug . ''
The Warnock campaign issued a statement about the ethics complaint against Loeffler on Thursday : `` Senator @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own interests in front of the needs of Georgians and her shameless violation of federal law and Senate ethics rules is another unfortunate example of how she 's only looking out for herself — just like when she traded stocks after receiving a confidential Senate briefing .
I 'm in this race to expand access for quality health care and fight for working families , while Kelly Loeffler is in this race for a return on her investment . ''
Last month , ethics complaints were filed against Sen. Lindsey Graham ( R-SC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during an interview from the Capitol .
Republicans had previously seemed to object to soliciting campaign cash from within federal buildings .
After Vice President Al Gore admitted in 1997 to making fundraising calls from the White House , former Rep. Jack Kemp , who ran for vice president on the Republican ticket with Sen. Bob Dole in 1996 , demanded a special prosecutor and a congressional investigation into the `` corruption of political fund raising in America . ''
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-GA) was hit with multiple ethics complaints on Thursday after she solicited campaign contributions while located in the Capitol building the day before — a violation of federal law. Her campaign dismissed the allegations as merely a “frivolous” distraction.
“We’re only two weeks into this race and the Democrats are already so desperate to try to distract from Raphael Warnock’s [record] that they’re spending their time filing frivolous complaints,” a Loeffler campaign spokesperson told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Loeffler was appointed to a vacant Senate seat by Georgia’s governor last December. She finished second in the November special election for the remaining two years of the term but, because no candidate got a majority, will face off against Warnock, a Democrat, in a runoff on Jan. 5.
Federal law clearly states:
It shall be unlawful for an individual who is an officer or employee of the Federal Government, including the President, Vice President, and Members of Congress, to solicit or receive a donation of money or other thing of value in connection with a Federal, State, or local election, while in any room or building occupied in the discharge of official duties by an officer or employee of the United States, from any person.
But that did not stop Loeffler from begging for donations during an interview with Fox News conducted as she stood inside the Capitol.
“We know that hundreds of millions of dark liberal money is pouring into our state,” one of the Senate’s richest members complained. “That’s why it’s so important that everyone across the country get involved. They can visit KellyForSenate.com to chip in five or 10 bucks.”
The Democratic Party of Georgia requested that the Justice Department investigate and filed a formal complaint on Thursday addressed to Sen. James Lankford and Sen. Christopher Coons, the chair and vice chair respectively of the Senate Select Committee on Ethics, noting: “Using the trappings of her office to garner financial support for her own campaign is a clear violation of federal laws and the ethics rules of the U.S. Senate.”
Their complaint reminded the members that the committee’s own guidance clearly states: “Senate Members and staff may not receive or solicit campaign contributions in any federal building.”
The American Democracy Legal Fund, a nonprofit government ethics group, filed a separate complaint on Thursday in which it requested “an immediate investigation by the Senate Select Committee on Ethics into unethical and illegal conduct on the part of United States Senator Kelly Loeffler.”
The Loeffler campaign did not immediately respond to an inquiry for this story. But back in April, Stephen Lawson, the campaign’s communications director who is now playing down Loeffler’s alleged violation, expressed outrage about Loeffler’s Republican challenger for the Senate seat, Rep. Doug Collins, breaking ethics rules, writing: “Is anyone surprised that Doug Collins is breaking ethics rules to fund his ego-driven campaign? He will literally do and say anything to advance his career in politics and protect his taxpayer funded salary. Sad – but completely expected from a self-entitled career politician like D.C. Doug.”
The Warnock campaign issued a statement about the ethics complaint against Loeffler on Thursday: “Senator Loeffler sees no problem with putting her own interests in front of the needs of Georgians and her shameless violation of federal law and Senate ethics rules is another unfortunate example of how she’s only looking out for herself — just like when she traded stocks after receiving a confidential Senate briefing. I’m in this race to expand access for quality health care and fight for working families, while Kelly Loeffler is in this race for a return on her investment.”
Last month, ethics complaints were filed against Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) after he too solicited campaign donations during an interview from the Capitol.
Republicans had previously seemed to object to soliciting campaign cash from within federal buildings. After Vice President Al Gore admitted in 1997 to making fundraising calls from the White House, former Rep. Jack Kemp, who ran for vice president on the Republican ticket with Sen. Bob Dole in 1996, demanded a special prosecutor and a congressional investigation into the “corruption of political fund raising in America.”
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-11-19--Trump invites Michigan GOP leaders to White House as he works to overturn election

Donald Trump summoned Michigan 's Republican legislative leaders to the White House for a meeting Friday amid a longshot GOP push to overturn the certification of Democrat Joe Biden 's victory in the battleground state .
Two people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press that Trump invited Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey and House Speaker Lee Chatfield .
They agreed to go , according to a state official aware of the leaders ' plans .
The two officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were discussing private conversations .
It was not immediately clear what the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nor Chatfield commented .
The Legislature would be called to select electors if Trump succeeds in convincing the state 's board of canvassers not to certify Biden 's 153,000-vote victory in the state .
Both Shirkey and Chatfield have indicated they will not try to overturn Biden 's win .
`` Michigan law does not include a provision for the Legislature to directly select electors or to award electors to anyone other than the person who received the most votes , '' Shirkey 's spokeswoman said last week .
Also Thursday , state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not revoke its certification of election results after two Republicans who approved Joe Biden 's local landslide wanted to revert to their initial stance of refusing to bless the vote tally .
The GOP effort to change position represented another complication in what is typically a routine task .
Monica Palmer and William Hartmann , the two Republican canvassers in Wayne County , said they only voted to certify the results after `` hours of sustained pressure '' and after getting promises that their concerns about the election would be investigated .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the American people deserve better — than to be forced to accept an outcome achieved through intimidation , deception and threats of violence , '' they said in a statement Wednesday night .
`` Wayne County voters need to have full confidence in this process . ''
State officials said the certification of the Detroit-area vote will stand .
Michigan 's chief election officer said a post-election audit will be performed , though not to check `` mythical allegations '' of fraud .
`` There is no legal mechanism for them to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ done , and the next step in the process is for the Board of State Canvassers to meet and certify , '' said Tracy Wimmer , a spokeswoman for the Michigan secretary of state .
The four-member state board , which is expected to meet Monday , is split with two Democrats and two Republicans — the same makeup as the Wayne County board .
Trump 's campaign believes the latest about-face by Palmer and Hartmann is legitimate .
It withdrew a federal lawsuit challenging the Detroit-area results , attaching affidavits from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against certification Tuesday , leaving the county Board of Canvassers deadlocked at 2-2 along party lines .
Palmer complained that certain Detroit precincts were out of balance , meaning that absentee ballot books did not match the number of ballots cast .
`` This is not an indication that any votes were improperly cast or counted , '' Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said .
The GOP move drew an immediate rebuke from the public and injected partisan politics into the business of an unsung panel that is supposed to confirm the will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the matter told The Associated Press that Trump reached out to Palmer and Hartmann on Tuesday evening after the revised vote to express gratitude for their support .
In a statement , the pair reported being the target of threats , which they reported to law enforcement .
Trump `` was checking to make sure I was safe after seeing/hearing about the threats and doxxing , '' Palmer said in a text message to the Detroit Free Press , referring to the practice of publicly disclosing someone 's personal information .
Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than 2-1 margin on his way to winning Michigan by 153,000 votes , according to unofficial results .
His victory reversed Trump 's 2016 gains in the industrial Midwest and put the Democrat on the path to achieving the 270 Electoral College votes needed to win the White House .
The county canvassers later voted again and certified the results , 4-0 .
Then , on Wednesday , Palmer and Hartmann signed affidavits saying they believe the vote should not be certified .
Jonathan Kinloch , a Democratic canvasser , said he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the stormy Tuesday night meeting when the audience on Zoom was allowed to speak after the 2-2 tie and before the unanimous vote .
`` I heard people basically being very assertive in demonstrating their outrage , but it happens all the time , '' Kinloch said .
`` This was a very important meeting to the city , the county , and it impacted a lot of folks . ''
Benson , a Democrat , said a post-election audit will be conducted in Wayne County and any other community with `` significant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ neither designed to address nor performed in response to false or mythical allegations of 'irregularities ' that have no basis in fact , '' she said .
There has been no evidence of widespread voting fraud in Michigan or any other state .
Federal and state officials from both parties have declared the 2020 election safe and secure .
But Trump and his allies have spent two weeks raising false claims of fraud and refusing to concede to Biden .

Donald Trump summoned Michigan’s Republican legislative leaders to the White House for a meeting Friday amid a longshot GOP push to overturn the certification of Democrat Joe Biden’s victory in the battleground state.
Two people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press that Trump invited Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey and House Speaker Lee Chatfield. They agreed to go, according to a state official aware of the leaders’ plans. The two officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were discussing private conversations.
It was not immediately clear what the meeting would be about. Neither Shirkey nor Chatfield commented.
The Legislature would be called to select electors if Trump succeeds in convincing the state’s board of canvassers not to certify Biden’s 153,000-vote victory in the state.
Both Shirkey and Chatfield have indicated they will not try to overturn Biden’s win.
“Michigan law does not include a provision for the Legislature to directly select electors or to award electors to anyone other than the person who received the most votes,” Shirkey’s spokeswoman said last week.
Also Thursday, state officials said Michigan’s largest county cannot revoke its certification of election results after two Republicans who approved Joe Biden’s local landslide wanted to revert to their initial stance of refusing to bless the vote tally.
The GOP effort to change position represented another complication in what is typically a routine task. Monica Palmer and William Hartmann, the two Republican canvassers in Wayne County, said they only voted to certify the results after “hours of sustained pressure” and after getting promises that their concerns about the election would be investigated.
“We deserve better — but more importantly, the American people deserve better — than to be forced to accept an outcome achieved through intimidation, deception and threats of violence,” they said in a statement Wednesday night. “Wayne County voters need to have full confidence in this process.”
State officials said the certification of the Detroit-area vote will stand. Michigan’s chief election officer said a post-election audit will be performed, though not to check “mythical allegations” of fraud.
“There is no legal mechanism for them to rescind their vote. Their job is done, and the next step in the process is for the Board of State Canvassers to meet and certify,” said Tracy Wimmer, a spokeswoman for the Michigan secretary of state.
The four-member state board, which is expected to meet Monday, is split with two Democrats and two Republicans — the same makeup as the Wayne County board.
Trump’s campaign believes the latest about-face by Palmer and Hartmann is legitimate. It withdrew a federal lawsuit challenging the Detroit-area results, attaching affidavits from the pair.
Palmer and Hartmann initially voted against certification Tuesday, leaving the county Board of Canvassers deadlocked at 2-2 along party lines. Palmer complained that certain Detroit precincts were out of balance, meaning that absentee ballot books did not match the number of ballots cast.
“This is not an indication that any votes were improperly cast or counted,” Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said.
The GOP move drew an immediate rebuke from the public and injected partisan politics into the business of an unsung panel that is supposed to confirm the will of the voters. A person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press that Trump reached out to Palmer and Hartmann on Tuesday evening after the revised vote to express gratitude for their support.
In a statement, the pair reported being the target of threats, which they reported to law enforcement.
Trump “was checking to make sure I was safe after seeing/hearing about the threats and doxxing,” Palmer said in a text message to the Detroit Free Press, referring to the practice of publicly disclosing someone’s personal information.
Biden crushed Trump in Wayne County by a more than 2-1 margin on his way to winning Michigan by 153,000 votes, according to unofficial results. His victory reversed Trump’s 2016 gains in the industrial Midwest and put the Democrat on the path to achieving the 270 Electoral College votes needed to win the White House.
The county canvassers later voted again and certified the results, 4-0. Then, on Wednesday, Palmer and Hartmann signed affidavits saying they believe the vote should not be certified.
Jonathan Kinloch, a Democratic canvasser, said he heard passion — not threats — during the stormy Tuesday night meeting when the audience on Zoom was allowed to speak after the 2-2 tie and before the unanimous vote.
“I heard people basically being very assertive in demonstrating their outrage, but it happens all the time,” Kinloch said. “This was a very important meeting to the city, the county, and it impacted a lot of folks.”
Benson, a Democrat, said a post-election audit will be conducted in Wayne County and any other community with “significant clerical errors.”
“Audits are neither designed to address nor performed in response to false or mythical allegations of ‘irregularities’ that have no basis in fact,” she said.
There has been no evidence of widespread voting fraud in Michigan or any other state. Federal and state officials from both parties have declared the 2020 election safe and secure. But Trump and his allies have spent two weeks raising false claims of fraud and refusing to concede to Biden.


shareblue--2020-11-19--GOP lawmakers keep proving they don't understand how elections work

In a Twitter tirade Wednesday night , Donald Trump fired off an accusation that Wisconsin officials violated the rules during the Nov. 3 presidential election — because they did n't stop counting votes when he was winning .
In railing against the way the 2020 election was conducted , Trump joins other Republican lawmakers in betraying a failure to understand how the voting process is conducted .
Tweeting a graph showing that President-elect Joe Biden received a boost from a `` data dump '' of 143,379 votes in the early hours of Nov. 4 , Trump expressed outrage that those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this in Wisconsin ! ''
he tweeted alongside the image .
`` A day AFTER the election , Biden receives a dump of 143,379 votes at 3:42 a.m. , when they learned he was losing badly .
This is unbelievable ! ''
His tirade failed to take into account that vote tallies continue to be submitted as counties finish counting ballots , and that the graph indicates nothing except that ballots were still in the process of being counted when the state showed an initial Trump lead .
Sen. Lindsey Graham ( R-SC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week for alleged ethics violations that betray a baseline misunderstanding of the election process .
Georgia 's Republican secretary of state , Brad Raffensperger , said this week that Graham implied on a phone call to him that he should throw out thousands of legal votes in counties with a high rate of mismatched ballot signatures .
`` It was just an implication of , 'Look hard and see how many ballots you could throw out , ' '' Raffensperger said .
But the absentee voting process in Georgia only requires that a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ explanation if a discrepancy exists between a ballot signature and the voter 's past signatures on record .
According to the New York Times , absentee ballots and envelopes containing signatures are separated upon arrival to make sure the privacy of the voter 's ballot is protected .
Because of this , Georgia 's vote recount can not reverify signatures because there is no way to match the already-separated ballots and envelopes back up .
Earlier this week , Rep. Matt Gaetz ( R-FL ) appeared on the `` Fox Across America '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are not present in the states in which they are registered casting ballots .
`` I believe there are countless examples of fraud , '' Gaetz said .
`` And to me , one of the big ones is this universe of tens of thousands of voters that have moved out of their state and they 've literally filled out change of address forms and yet they 're voting in their old state . ''
But what Gaetz describes is a common occurrence .
Absentee ballots are frequently cast by active-duty military families @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reside elsewhere and are legally permitted to vote in their home states .
GOP lawmakers have consistently tried to disenfranchise such voters .
In early November , the Nevada Republican Party filed a complaint with Attorney General Bill Barr accusing more than 1,000 active-duty military voters of committing voter fraud .
Their crime ?
Legally voting by absentee ballot in their state of residence , even though they reside on military posts elsewhere .
On Nov. 10 , Sen. Rand Paul ( R-KY ) seemed to think he 'd come up with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He tweeted a suggestion that states should conduct risk-limiting audits by assessing a sample of several thousand votes .
But as Wired reports , risk-limiting audits had already been planned in five states in 2020 — including Paul 's home state of Kentucky .
Sen. Josh Hawley ( R-MO ) also came up with a great idea for elections that others had already had .
On Nov. 10 , Hawley introduced a new bill to `` protect the integrity '' of American elections by requiring mail-in ballots to be tallied upon arrival , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that such a safeguard had already been repeatedly proposed by state Democrats , who had foreseen an unprecedented influx of absentee votes in the context of the coronavirus pandemic .
These measures had already been widely rejected by Republicans .
Republicans in the Pennsylvania state Legislature blocked all efforts by Democrats to process ballots before Election Day , slowing down their vote count .
And although Michigan state law allowed for a small amount of early processing to take place in very large counties ( and only 10 hours early ) , that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republican-led Legislature would offer .
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy repeatedly said during a press conference Nov. 4 that no one should vote after Election Day — falsely implying that counting absentee ballots that arrive after the election means accepting votes cast after the election .
`` Do you agree with the president , should they stop counting votes ? ''
a reporter asked McCarthy on .
`` Again , your questions never change , '' answered McCarthy .
`` What the president wants to make sure is that every legal vote is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Election Day , not the days after , as others would have . ''
But no state allows for votes to be cast after Election Day .
And , the New York Times reports , 22 states and the District of Columbia allow for mail-in ballots to be counted after Election Day if postmarked prior to Election Day .
In another glaring example of Republicans not seeming to understand how elections work , Rep. Ted Budd ( R-NC ) and 38 other House members who disliked the election 's outcome complained to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ addressed to Attorney General William Barr and sent on Nov. 6 , the Congress members urged the DOJ to investigate — in the absence of any evidence — voter fraud in every single state .
`` It is time for you to use the resources of the Department to ensure that the process is conducted in a manner that is fully consistent with state and federal law , '' they said .
In response to a lawsuit filed by Trump supporters against Wayne County , Michigan , and the city of Detroit earlier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ summed up the major deficiency in Republican arguments for the existence of voter fraud in court filings .
`` Most of the objections raised in the submitted affidavits are grounded in an extraordinary failure to understand how elections function . ''

In a Twitter tirade Wednesday night, Donald Trump fired off an accusation that Wisconsin officials violated the rules during the Nov. 3 presidential election — because they didn’t stop counting votes when he was winning.
In railing against the way the 2020 election was conducted, Trump joins other Republican lawmakers in betraying a failure to understand how the voting process is conducted.
Tweeting a graph showing that President-elect Joe Biden received a boost from a “data dump” of 143,379 votes in the early hours of Nov. 4, Trump expressed outrage that those votes were counted.
“Look at this in Wisconsin!” he tweeted alongside the image. “A day AFTER the election, Biden receives a dump of 143,379 votes at 3:42 a.m., when they learned he was losing badly. This is unbelievable!”
His tirade failed to take into account that vote tallies continue to be submitted as counties finish counting ballots, and that the graph indicates nothing except that ballots were still in the process of being counted when the state showed an initial Trump lead.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) has also come under fire this week for alleged ethics violations that betray a baseline misunderstanding of the election process.
Georgia’s Republican secretary of state, Brad Raffensperger, said this week that Graham implied on a phone call to him that he should throw out thousands of legal votes in counties with a high rate of mismatched ballot signatures.
“It was just an implication of, ‘Look hard and see how many ballots you could throw out,'” Raffensperger said.
But the absentee voting process in Georgia only requires that a voter be notified and asked for further explanation if a discrepancy exists between a ballot signature and the voter’s past signatures on record.
According to the New York Times, absentee ballots and envelopes containing signatures are separated upon arrival to make sure the privacy of the voter’s ballot is protected. Because of this, Georgia’s vote recount cannot reverify signatures because there is no way to match the already-separated ballots and envelopes back up.
Earlier this week, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) appeared on the “Fox Across America” radio show and complained about voters who are not present in the states in which they are registered casting ballots.
“I believe there are countless examples of fraud,” Gaetz said. “And to me, one of the big ones is this universe of tens of thousands of voters that have moved out of their state and they’ve literally filled out change of address forms and yet they’re voting in their old state.”
But what Gaetz describes is a common occurrence. Absentee ballots are frequently cast by active-duty military families and college students — many of whom reside elsewhere and are legally permitted to vote in their home states.
GOP lawmakers have consistently tried to disenfranchise such voters. In early November, the Nevada Republican Party filed a complaint with Attorney General Bill Barr accusing more than 1,000 active-duty military voters of committing voter fraud.
Their crime? Legally voting by absentee ballot in their state of residence, even though they reside on military posts elsewhere.
On Nov. 10, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) seemed to think he’d come up with a great idea to protect election integrity.
He tweeted a suggestion that states should conduct risk-limiting audits by assessing a sample of several thousand votes.
But as Wired reports, risk-limiting audits had already been planned in five states in 2020 — including Paul’s home state of Kentucky.
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) also came up with a great idea for elections that others had already had.
On Nov. 10, Hawley introduced a new bill to “protect the integrity” of American elections by requiring mail-in ballots to be tallied upon arrival, before Election Day.
He seemed unaware that such a safeguard had already been repeatedly proposed by state Democrats, who had foreseen an unprecedented influx of absentee votes in the context of the coronavirus pandemic. These measures had already been widely rejected by Republicans.
Republicans in the Pennsylvania state Legislature blocked all efforts by Democrats to process ballots before Election Day, slowing down their vote count.
And although Michigan state law allowed for a small amount of early processing to take place in very large counties (and only 10 hours early), that was the best compromise the state’s Republican-led Legislature would offer.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy repeatedly said during a press conference Nov. 4 that no one should vote after Election Day — falsely implying that counting absentee ballots that arrive after the election means accepting votes cast after the election.
“Do you agree with the president, should they stop counting votes?” a reporter asked McCarthy on.
“Again, your questions never change,” answered McCarthy. “What the president wants to make sure is that every legal vote is counted. The people vote up until Election Day, not the days after, as others would have.”
But no state allows for votes to be cast after Election Day. And, the New York Times reports, 22 states and the District of Columbia allow for mail-in ballots to be counted after Election Day if postmarked prior to Election Day.
In another glaring example of Republicans not seeming to understand how elections work, Rep. Ted Budd (R-NC) and 38 other House members who disliked the election’s outcome complained to the Department of Justice.
In a letter addressed to Attorney General William Barr and sent on Nov. 6, the Congress members urged the DOJ to investigate — in the absence of any evidence — voter fraud in every single state.
“It is time for you to use the resources of the Department to ensure that the process is conducted in a manner that is fully consistent with state and federal law,” they said.
In response to a lawsuit filed by Trump supporters against Wayne County, Michigan, and the city of Detroit earlier this month, lawyers for the city summed up the major deficiency in Republican arguments for the existence of voter fraud in court filings.
“Most of the objections raised in the submitted affidavits are grounded in an extraordinary failure to understand how elections function.”


shareblue--2020-11-19--Watch Rudy Giuliani cite 'My Cousin Vinny' to argue Trump didn't lose the election

Donald Trump 's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani cited a scene from the Oscar-winning comedy `` My Cousin Vinny '' on Thursday as part of the Trump campaign 's attempts to undo the results of the presidential election .
During a press conference in which Giuliani repeatedly claimed without evidence that the election had been stolen , Giuliani noted to reporters that it 's `` one of my favorite law movies '' and then recounted a scene in which a witness tells the lawyer played by Joe Pesci that he is holding up two fingers when he is holding up three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ compared the fictional scene to the Trump 's campaign 's complaints about where election observers were placed in Pennsylvania , attempting to call into doubt the thousands of votes cast in that state for Joe Biden .
Former Trump chief of staff Mick Mulvaney recently expressed alarm that Giuliani is leading Trump 's legal efforts against the election .
`` I 'm still a little concerned with the use of Rudy Giuliani , '' Mulvaney told Fox Business .
`` This is a specialty .
This is not a television program , this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ GIULIANI : In all cases , they were put in a corral so far away — probably the closest they got is from here to the back of that room .
We could do , like , a — did you you all watch `` My Cousin Vinny '' ?
You know the movie ?
It 's one of my favorite law movies 'cause he comes from Brooklyn .
And the nice lady who said she saw — and then he says to her , `` How many fingers do I got up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Well , she was too far away to see it was only two .
These people were further away than my cousin Vinny was from the witness .
They could n't see a thing .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Donald Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani cited a scene from the Oscar-winning comedy “My Cousin Vinny” on Thursday as part of the Trump campaign’s attempts to undo the results of the presidential election.
During a press conference in which Giuliani repeatedly claimed without evidence that the election had been stolen, Giuliani noted to reporters that it’s “one of my favorite law movies” and then recounted a scene in which a witness tells the lawyer played by Joe Pesci that he is holding up two fingers when he is holding up three, disqualifying her eyewitness testimony.
Giuliani compared the fictional scene to the Trump’s campaign’s complaints about where election observers were placed in Pennsylvania, attempting to call into doubt the thousands of votes cast in that state for Joe Biden.
Earlier in the day, Trump had billed the Giuliani press conference as part of a “very clear and viable path to victory.” Biden defeated Trump in Pennsylvania by over 80,000. The Trump campaign has failed to offer real evidence that would call the votes into doubt, which is why more than a dozen lawsuits by the campaign have already been dismissed. They have offered affidavits largely consisting of unverified complaints from election observers about minor procedural issues.
Former Trump chief of staff Mick Mulvaney recently expressed alarm that Giuliani is leading Trump’s legal efforts against the election.
“I’m still a little concerned with the use of Rudy Giuliani,” Mulvaney told Fox Business. “This is a specialty. This is not a television program, this is the real thing.”
From a Nov. 19 press conference:
RUDY GIULIANI: In all cases, they were put in a corral so far away — probably the closest they got is from here to the back of that room. We could do, like, a — did you you all watch “My Cousin Vinny”? You know the movie? It’s one of my favorite law movies ’cause he comes from Brooklyn. And the nice lady who said she saw — and then he says to her, “How many fingers do I got up?” And she says three. Well, she was too far away to see it was only two. These people were further away than my cousin Vinny was from the witness. They couldn’t see a thing.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-11-19--Trump contacted Michigan GOP officials who tried to throw out Black votes

Two Republican officials in Michigan tried to backtrack on their decision to certify the results in the state 's heavily Black Wayne County on Thursday , the Washington Post reported .
It 's the latest effort by the GOP to overturn Donald Trump 's landslide loss in what 's so far been a wildly unsuccessful coup attempt .
The two GOP canvassers , Monica Palmer and William Hartmann , had voted on Tuesday night not to certify the results from Wayne County .
It 's usually a mundane event in which local officials certify that the vote totals reported by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Hartmann instead demanded an audit of the votes in Detroit — the majority-Black city located in Wayne County that voted overwhelmingly for President-elect Joe Biden .
The Republican officials were berated by local poll workers and voters , including Ned Staebler , CEO of Detroit business incubator TechTown , who called the two out in a now-viral video .
`` The Trump stain , the stain of racism that you , William Hartmann and Monica Palmer , have covered yourself in , is going to follow you throughout history , '' Staebler @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only took issue with the votes from the heavily Black part of the county .
Following the intense backlash , Palmer and Hartmann voted just hours later to certify the results after all .
However , after the vote on Tuesday , Trump personally reached out Palmer and Hartmann to thank them for their support , the Associated Press reported .
The day after that call , both Palmer and Hartmann signed affidavits trying to backtrack on their vote , claiming they were wrongly pressured into certifying the county 's vote total .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Palmer wrote in an affidavit , the Washington Post reported .
`` I fully believe the Wayne County vote should not be certified . ''
A spokesperson for Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said that the duo could not change their vote .
`` There is no legal mechanism for them to rescind their vote .
Their job is done and the next step in the process is for the Board of State Canvassers to meet and certify , '' a Benson spokesperson said , according to CNN 's Annie Grayer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — that 's more than 14 times the margin Trump got in the state in 2016 , when he won by 10,704 votes .
The effort to stop the certification of votes is an effort to stop states from finalizing their results before the Electoral College meets in December .
Republicans hope that by doing so , state legislatures or even Congress could take steps to overturn the will of the voters — who voted overwhelmingly for Biden .
Biden not only carried the Electoral College by a margin of 306 to 232 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2016 — but Biden also won the popular vote by nearly 6 million ballots and counting .
In fact , Biden is on pace to win 80 million popular votes , the most of any president in history .
Rick Hasen , an election law expert , said the effort to stop the certification of the results is almost certainly doomed to fail , but condemned it anyway .
`` This is very dangerous for our democracy , as it is an attempt to thwart the will of the voters through political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrote on his Election Law Blog .
`` Even though it is extremely unlikely to work , it is profoundly antidemocratic and a violation of the rule of law .
It ’ s inexcusable . ''
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Two Republican officials in Michigan tried to backtrack on their decision to certify the results in the state’s heavily Black Wayne County on Thursday, the Washington Post reported. It’s the latest effort by the GOP to overturn Donald Trump’s landslide loss in what’s so far been a wildly unsuccessful coup attempt.
The two GOP canvassers, Monica Palmer and William Hartmann, had voted on Tuesday night not to certify the results from Wayne County. It’s usually a mundane event in which local officials certify that the vote totals reported by the county are correct.
But Palmer and Hartmann instead demanded an audit of the votes in Detroit — the majority-Black city located in Wayne County that voted overwhelmingly for President-elect Joe Biden.
The Republican officials were berated by local poll workers and voters, including Ned Staebler, CEO of Detroit business incubator TechTown, who called the two out in a now-viral video.
“The Trump stain, the stain of racism that you, William Hartmann and Monica Palmer, have covered yourself in, is going to follow you throughout history,” Staebler said, pointing out that the pair only took issue with the votes from the heavily Black part of the county.
Following the intense backlash, Palmer and Hartmann voted just hours later to certify the results after all.
However, after the vote on Tuesday, Trump personally reached out Palmer and Hartmann to thank them for their support, the Associated Press reported.
The day after that call, both Palmer and Hartmann signed affidavits trying to backtrack on their vote, claiming they were wrongly pressured into certifying the county’s vote total.
“I rescind my prior vote,” Palmer wrote in an affidavit, the Washington Post reported. “I fully believe the Wayne County vote should not be certified.”
A spokesperson for Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said that the duo could not change their vote.
“There is no legal mechanism for them to rescind their vote. Their job is done and the next step in the process is for the Board of State Canvassers to meet and certify,” a Benson spokesperson said, according to CNN’s Annie Grayer.
Biden won Michigan by 157,772 votes — that’s more than 14 times the margin Trump got in the state in 2016, when he won by 10,704 votes.
The effort to stop the certification of votes is an effort to stop states from finalizing their results before the Electoral College meets in December. Republicans hope that by doing so, state legislatures or even Congress could take steps to overturn the will of the voters — who voted overwhelmingly for Biden.
Biden not only carried the Electoral College by a margin of 306 to 232 — the very same margin Trump received in 2016 — but Biden also won the popular vote by nearly 6 million ballots and counting. In fact, Biden is on pace to win 80 million popular votes, the most of any president in history.
Rick Hasen, an election law expert, said the effort to stop the certification of the results is almost certainly doomed to fail, but condemned it anyway.
“This is very dangerous for our democracy, as it is an attempt to thwart the will of the voters through political pressure from the President,” Hasen wrote on his Election Law Blog. “Even though it is extremely unlikely to work, it is profoundly antidemocratic and a violation of the rule of law. It’s inexcusable.”
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-11-19--Lindsey Graham outraged that election tampering could get him in trouble

Sen. Lindsey Graham ( R-SC ) complained to Fox News on Thursday that he is the subject of a new ethics complaint accusing him of interfering in the presidential election in Georgia .
`` I 've had it with the media .
They come after me every day .
Every time I wake up , I get an ethics complaint filed against me by some liberal group out there , '' Graham told the hosts of `` Fox & Friends . ''
`` It 's not going to work , I 'm not going to shut up , I 'm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to fight .
And I 'm going to fight in Georgia . ''
On Wednesday , three leading experts on government ethics — including Richard Painter , who was chief ethics lawyer under George W. Bush — filed a complaint with the heads of the Senate ethics committee , asking them to investigate Graham .
The complaint is based on a statement from Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger , a Republican , who said Graham called him to ask about throwing out legally cast ballots .
`` This alleged attempt by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Trump after the fact by encouraging the very fraud he purports to be investigating threatens the fabric of our nation by undermining the very thing that makes it a republic , our elections , '' the complaint notes .
Donald Trump lost to Joe Biden in Georgia by nearly 14,000 votes , flipping a traditionally Republican state into the Democratic column as part of Biden 's election win .
Graham has been one of Trump 's closest allies in Congress and has been arguing , since the election , that Trump should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by GOP-controlled legislatures or , according to the ethics complaint , by having legal ballots thrown out .
Graham also told reporters that he had contacted election officials in Arizona and Nevada , both states where Biden defeated Trump .
From the Nov. 19 edition of Fox News ' `` Fox & Friends '' : LINDSEY GRAHAM : I 'm going to Georgia .
Ground zero for democracy is Georgia .
Do n't let the liberal left and the media intimidate conservatives .
I 've had it with the media .
They come @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I wake up , I get an ethics complaint filed against me by some liberal group out there .
It 's not going to work , I 'm not going to shut up , I 'm not going to resign , I am going to fight .
And I 'm going to fight in Georgia , and you need to fight with me in Georgia .
Help these two candidates in Georgia .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) complained to Fox News on Thursday that he is the subject of a new ethics complaint accusing him of interfering in the presidential election in Georgia.
“I’ve had it with the media. They come after me every day. Every time I wake up, I get an ethics complaint filed against me by some liberal group out there,” Graham told the hosts of “Fox & Friends.”
“It’s not going to work, I’m not going to shut up, I’m not going to resign, I am going to fight. And I’m going to fight in Georgia.”
On Wednesday, three leading experts on government ethics — including Richard Painter, who was chief ethics lawyer under George W. Bush — filed a complaint with the heads of the Senate ethics committee, asking them to investigate Graham.
The complaint is based on a statement from Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a Republican, who said Graham called him to ask about throwing out legally cast ballots.
“This alleged attempt by Senator Graham to throw the election for President Trump after the fact by encouraging the very fraud he purports to be investigating threatens the fabric of our nation by undermining the very thing that makes it a republic, our elections,” the complaint notes.
Donald Trump lost to Joe Biden in Georgia by nearly 14,000 votes, flipping a traditionally Republican state into the Democratic column as part of Biden’s election win.
Graham has been one of Trump’s closest allies in Congress and has been arguing, since the election, that Trump should somehow be declared the winner — either by GOP-controlled legislatures or, according to the ethics complaint, by having legal ballots thrown out.
Graham also told reporters that he had contacted election officials in Arizona and Nevada, both states where Biden defeated Trump.
From the Nov. 19 edition of Fox News’ “Fox & Friends”:
LINDSEY GRAHAM: I’m going to Georgia. Ground zero for democracy is Georgia. Don’t let the liberal left and the media intimidate conservatives. I’ve had it with the media. They come after me every day. Every time I wake up, I get an ethics complaint filed against me by some liberal group out there. It’s not going to work, I’m not going to shut up, I’m not going to resign, I am going to fight. And I’m going to fight in Georgia, and you need to fight with me in Georgia. Help these two candidates in Georgia.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-11-20--CDC begs Americans not to travel for Thanksgiving as virus surges everywhere

With the coronavirus surging out of control , the nation 's top public health agency pleaded with Americans on Thursday not to travel for Thanksgiving and not to spend the holiday with people from outside their household .
It was some of the firmest guidance yet from the government on curtailing traditional gatherings to fight the outbreak .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued the recommendations just one week before Thanksgiving , at a time when diagnosed infections , hospitalizations , and deaths are skyrocketing across the country .
In many areas , the health care system is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patients filling up beds and medical workers falling ill themselves .
The CDC 's Dr. Erin Sauber-Schatz cited more than 1 million new cases in the United States over the past week as the reason for the new guidance .
`` The safest way to celebrate Thanksgiving this year is at home with the people in your household , '' she said .
If families do decide to include returning college students , military members , or others for turkey and stuffing , the CDC is recommending that the hosts take added precautions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with people keeping 6 feet apart and wearing masks and just one person serving the food .
Whether Americans heed the warning is another matter .
The deadly comeback by the virus has been blamed in part on pandemic fatigue , or people getting tired of masks and other precautions .
And surges were seen last summer after Memorial Day and July Fourth , despite blunt warnings from health authorities .
The United States has seen more than 11 million diagnosed infections and over 250,000 deaths from the coronavirus .
CDC scientists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people who are infected do not have obvious symptoms but can still spread the virus .
Also on Thursday , Rhode Island Gov .
Gina Raimondo announced what she called a `` two-week pause '' with some businesses closures and capacity reduced for restaurants and houses of worship starting Nov. 30 .
She said officials will reevaluate COVID-19 caseloads on Dec. 13 .
If they have n't eased by then , she said `` a full state lockdown '' will follow .
And New Hampshire 's Republican Gov .
Chris Sununu , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mandate , issued an order requiring face coverings to be worn in public spaces indoors and outdoors .
Hospitals are struggling to keep up with non-coronavirus cases ranging from broken bones to heart attacks in states where COVID-19 cases are tying up resources .
In Kansas , rural hospitals are running into difficulty trying to transfer patients to larger hospitals for more advanced care .
`` Whether it is regular pneumonia or appendicitis or fractures that need surgery , they have a limited amount of beds in their facilities and they are not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' said Perry Desbien , a nurse practitioner who works in Smith Center and other rural communities .
`` They are saying , 'Send them home .
Have them follow up in the office .
Unless it is life-threatening , we do n't want to see them either . '
'' Earlier this month , the Mayo Clinic Health System in Wisconsin announced it was suspending elective medical procedures .
Illinois Gov .
J.B. Pritzker noted that with COVID-19 patients claiming a quarter of the state 's hospital beds , there are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expectant mothers , or cancer patients .
`` When we let our hospitals get overrun or even close to it , it is all of us suffering , '' Pritzker said .
The Mayo Clinic Health System , a Midwest network of hospitals and clinics run by the world-renowned Mayo Clinic , reported that 905 staff members have been diagnosed with COVID-19 in the past two weeks .
Dr. Amy Williams , executive dean of Mayo Clinic Practice , said the vast majority were exposed in the community and not at work .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ is in our communities and how easy it is to get COVID-19 in the communities here in the Midwest , '' she said .
In Kansas , 150 employees and doctors at a Topeka hospital had active coronavirus cases or were isolated and on leave because of contact with someone who had coronavirus .
And the University of Kansas Hospital in Kansas City had 187 employees , including physicians , nurses and support staff , out as of Tuesday after testing positive .
An additional 200 were not at work while they awaited @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the percentage of tests coming back positive for the virus — has taken on a more prominent role in the nation 's response to the crisis in recent days .
New York City shut down in-person classes in the nation 's largest school system this week after the positivity rate surpassed 3 % .
That angered families who believe it is too stringent a standard and question why bars and restaurants can remain open .
The positivity rate has soared to record levels all around the nation .
South Dakota , Iowa , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ above 50 % , and the national average is now 10 % .
Health experts caution that there are weaknesses in the positivity data because states calculate the rate differently .
But they say the overall trend is not in dispute , and it indicates severe spread and , in many places , insufficient testing .

With the coronavirus surging out of control, the nation’s top public health agency pleaded with Americans on Thursday not to travel for Thanksgiving and not to spend the holiday with people from outside their household.
It was some of the firmest guidance yet from the government on curtailing traditional gatherings to fight the outbreak.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued the recommendations just one week before Thanksgiving, at a time when diagnosed infections, hospitalizations, and deaths are skyrocketing across the country. In many areas, the health care system is being squeezed by a combination of sick patients filling up beds and medical workers falling ill themselves.
The CDC’s Dr. Erin Sauber-Schatz cited more than 1 million new cases in the United States over the past week as the reason for the new guidance.
“The safest way to celebrate Thanksgiving this year is at home with the people in your household,” she said.
If families do decide to include returning college students, military members, or others for turkey and stuffing, the CDC is recommending that the hosts take added precautions: Gatherings should be outdoors if possible, with people keeping 6 feet apart and wearing masks and just one person serving the food.
Whether Americans heed the warning is another matter. The deadly comeback by the virus has been blamed in part on pandemic fatigue, or people getting tired of masks and other precautions. And surges were seen last summer after Memorial Day and July Fourth, despite blunt warnings from health authorities.
The United States has seen more than 11 million diagnosed infections and over 250,000 deaths from the coronavirus. CDC scientists believe that somewhere around 40% of people who are infected do not have obvious symptoms but can still spread the virus.
Also on Thursday, Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo announced what she called a “two-week pause” with some businesses closures and capacity reduced for restaurants and houses of worship starting Nov. 30. She said officials will reevaluate COVID-19 caseloads on Dec. 13. If they haven’t eased by then, she said “a full state lockdown” will follow.
And New Hampshire’s Republican Gov. Chris Sununu, who previously resisted calls for a statewide mask mandate, issued an order requiring face coverings to be worn in public spaces indoors and outdoors.
___
KEEPING UP WITH NON-COVID-19 CASES
Hospitals are struggling to keep up with non-coronavirus cases ranging from broken bones to heart attacks in states where COVID-19 cases are tying up resources.
In Kansas, rural hospitals are running into difficulty trying to transfer patients to larger hospitals for more advanced care.
“Whether it is regular pneumonia or appendicitis or fractures that need surgery, they have a limited amount of beds in their facilities and they are not taking a lot of these routine cases,” said Perry Desbien, a nurse practitioner who works in Smith Center and other rural communities. “They are saying, ‘Send them home. Have them follow up in the office. Unless it is life-threatening, we don’t want to see them either.'”
Earlier this month, the Mayo Clinic Health System in Wisconsin announced it was suspending elective medical procedures.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker noted that with COVID-19 patients claiming a quarter of the state’s hospital beds, there are fewer resources for heart attack patients, expectant mothers, or cancer patients.
“When we let our hospitals get overrun or even close to it, it is all of us suffering,” Pritzker said.
SICK HOSPITAL WORKERS
The Mayo Clinic Health System, a Midwest network of hospitals and clinics run by the world-renowned Mayo Clinic, reported that 905 staff members have been diagnosed with COVID-19 in the past two weeks.
Dr. Amy Williams, executive dean of Mayo Clinic Practice, said the vast majority were exposed in the community and not at work.
“It shows how widely spread this is in our communities and how easy it is to get COVID-19 in the communities here in the Midwest,” she said.
In Kansas, 150 employees and doctors at a Topeka hospital had active coronavirus cases or were isolated and on leave because of contact with someone who had coronavirus. And the University of Kansas Hospital in Kansas City had 187 employees, including physicians, nurses and support staff, out as of Tuesday after testing positive. An additional 200 were not at work while they awaited test results.
POSITIVITY RATE
The positivity rate — the percentage of tests coming back positive for the virus — has taken on a more prominent role in the nation’s response to the crisis in recent days.
New York City shut down in-person classes in the nation’s largest school system this week after the positivity rate surpassed 3%. That angered families who believe it is too stringent a standard and question why bars and restaurants can remain open.
The positivity rate has soared to record levels all around the nation. South Dakota, Iowa, and Wyoming’s rate are all averaging above 50%, and the national average is now 10%.
Health experts caution that there are weaknesses in the positivity data because states calculate the rate differently. But they say the overall trend is not in dispute, and it indicates severe spread and, in many places, insufficient testing.


shareblue--2020-11-20--New York investigating how Trump's company might have dodged taxes

New York 's attorney general has sent a subpoena to the Trump Organization for records related to consulting fees paid to Ivanka Trump as part of a broad civil investigation into Donald Trump 's business dealings , a law enforcement official said Thursday .
The New York Times , citing anonymous sources , reported that a similar subpoena was sent to Trump 's company by the Manhattan district attorney , which is conducting a parallel criminal probe .
The Associated Press could not immediately independently confirm the district attorney 's subpoena , but the one sent by Attorney General Letitia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the investigation who spoke on condition of anonymity .
The records requests followed recent reporting in the Times , based partly on two decades ' worth of Trump 's tax filings , that he had reduced his company 's income tax liability over several years by deducting $ 26 million in consulting fees as a business expense .
Records strongly suggested , the Times reported , that $ 747,622 of those fees had been paid to Ivanka Trump , Trump 's daughter , through a company she owned at a time when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
If true , that would n't necessarily pose a problem for Ivanka Trump herself , as long as she paid income tax on the consulting payments , which she reported publicly .
It could , however , raise questions about whether the Trump Organization 's related tax deductions were allowable .
The Internal Revenue Service has , in the past , pursued civil penalties over large consulting fee write-offs it found were made to dodge tax liability .
The Times wrote that there was no indication Ivanka Trump is a target of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's investigation .
`` This is harassment pure and simple , '' she said on Twitter late Thursday .
`` This 'inquiry ' by NYC democrats is 100 % motivated by politics , publicity and rage .
They know very well that there 's nothing here and that there was no tax benefit whatsoever .
These politicians are simply ruthless . ''
The Trump Organization 's lawyer , Alan Garten , and its media relations office did n't immediately return messages Thursday .
James and Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. , both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into Trump 's business affairs .
Both investigations are at least partly related to allegations , made in news reports and by Trump 's former lawyer , Michael Cohen , that Trump had a history of inflating the value of some assets to impress banks and business partners , but lowering that value when seeking tax benefits .
Vance has been involved in a long court battle seeking access to Trump 's tax filings as part of the investigation .

New York’s attorney general has sent a subpoena to the Trump Organization for records related to consulting fees paid to Ivanka Trump as part of a broad civil investigation into Donald Trump’s business dealings, a law enforcement official said Thursday.
The New York Times, citing anonymous sources, reported that a similar subpoena was sent to Trump’s company by the Manhattan district attorney, which is conducting a parallel criminal probe.
The Associated Press could not immediately independently confirm the district attorney’s subpoena, but the one sent by Attorney General Letitia James was described by an official briefed on the investigation who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The records requests followed recent reporting in the Times, based partly on two decades’ worth of Trump’s tax filings, that he had reduced his company’s income tax liability over several years by deducting $26 million in consulting fees as a business expense.
Records strongly suggested, the Times reported, that $747,622 of those fees had been paid to Ivanka Trump, Trump’s daughter, through a company she owned at a time when she was also a Trump Organization executive.
If true, that wouldn’t necessarily pose a problem for Ivanka Trump herself, as long as she paid income tax on the consulting payments, which she reported publicly.
It could, however, raise questions about whether the Trump Organization’s related tax deductions were allowable. The Internal Revenue Service has, in the past, pursued civil penalties over large consulting fee write-offs it found were made to dodge tax liability.
The Times wrote that there was no indication Ivanka Trump is a target of either the state’s or the city’s investigation.
“This is harassment pure and simple,” she said on Twitter late Thursday. “This ‘inquiry’ by NYC democrats is 100% motivated by politics, publicity and rage. They know very well that there’s nothing here and that there was no tax benefit whatsoever. These politicians are simply ruthless.”
The Trump Organization’s lawyer, Alan Garten, and its media relations office didn’t immediately return messages Thursday.
James and Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr., both Democrats, are both conducting wide-ranging inquiries into Trump’s business affairs.
Both investigations are at least partly related to allegations, made in news reports and by Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen, that Trump had a history of inflating the value of some assets to impress banks and business partners, but lowering that value when seeking tax benefits.
Vance has been involved in a long court battle seeking access to Trump’s tax filings as part of the investigation.


shareblue--2020-11-20--Trump judges: 'Therapy' to make kids stop being gay is 'free speech' so it's OK

A pair of judges appointed by Donald Trump ruled Friday that bans in two Florida counties on anti-LGBTQ `` conversion therapy '' were unconstitutional .
`` Conversion therapy '' is a dangerous practice that claims gay , bisexual , and lesbian people 's sexual orientation and trans people 's gender can be changed through the use of methods that groups of psychiatric professionals consider harmful to LGBTQ people 's mental health .
Twenty states in the United States have bans on the so-called therapy for minors .
The judges , Barbara Lagoa and Britt Grant , both U.S .
Circuit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 11th Circuit , were both appointed by Trump and were among a three-judge panel charged with determining whether bans on the `` therapy '' in Boca Raton and Palm Beach should be allowed to stand .
The third judge on the panel , Judge Beverly C. Martin , was appointed by President Barack Obama and dissented in the case .
Lagoa and Grant claimed Friday that the bans violated the First Amendment .
`` We understand and appreciate that the therapy is highly controversial .
But the First Amendment has no carveout @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the decision .
`` We hold that the challenged ordinances violate the First Amendment because they are content-based regulations of speech that can not survive strict scrutiny . ''
The two further defended the practice by claiming that the therapists are n't trying to `` change sexual orientation '' because the therapists make the distinction that their clients , who are minors , want to `` reduce same-sex behavior and attraction and eliminate what they term confusion over gender identity . ''
Lagoa , who was once on Trump 's short list @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the support of the Florida Family Policy Council , an anti-LGBTQ group , for her appointment to the Florida Supreme Court in 2019 .
The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights also notably opposed Grant 's confirmation to the 11th Circuit , citing her work on an amicus brief that claimed there was no constitutional right to marriage equality .
Liberty Counsel , which the Southern Poverty Law Center has designated as an anti-LGBTQ hate group , was responsible for bringing the case before the court , on behalf of two marriage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infringed on their right to free speech .
For years , there has been extensive research and input from mental health professionals that shows how dangerous `` conversion therapy '' is for the LGBTQ people subjected to it .
The American Psychiatric Association has said it stands against `` conversion therapy , '' and said there is a `` significant risk of harm '' from the practice , which has `` not been scientifically validated . ''
Additionally , the Health and Human Services department released a report in 2015 that advocated an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , special expert on LGBTQ Affairs at Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration at the time , said the treatments were `` not effective , reinforce harmful gender stereotypes , and are not appropriate mental health treatments , '' according to Reuters .
In 2019 , A Williams Institute report estimated that about 700,000 LGBTQ people aged 18 to 59 had been subject to `` conversion therapy '' and that tens of thousands more people would also experience the practice as minors in states without these bans .
There have also been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the globe .
The United Nations released a report earlier this year that advocated for countries to ban `` conversion therapy . ''
It mentioned the United States as one of the countries in which political authorities and faith-based organizations still supported the practice .
There is a possibility that the issue of `` conversion therapy '' could reach the Supreme Court , where there is a clear conservative majority : According to Slate 's Mark Joseph Stern , Friday 's decision means that there is a `` very good chance '' the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whether the practice is unconstitutional .
The outlook is poor LGBTQ rights in general .
Trump 's recently confirmed justice , Amy Coney Barrett , has made numerous anti-LGBTQ statements in the past and has associations with various anti-LGBTQ groups and institutions .
And Justice Samuel Alito proclaimed just a week ago that people who oppose marriage equality are being silenced unfairly .
`` You ca n't say that marriage is a union between one man and one woman , '' he claimed .
`` Until very recently , that 's what the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it 's considered bigotry .
That this would happen after our decision in [ the historic marriage equality decision Obergefell v. Hodges ] should not have come as a surprise . ''
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

A pair of judges appointed by Donald Trump ruled Friday that bans in two Florida counties on anti-LGBTQ “conversion therapy” were unconstitutional.
“Conversion therapy” is a dangerous practice that claims gay, bisexual, and lesbian people’s sexual orientation and trans people’s gender can be changed through the use of methods that groups of psychiatric professionals consider harmful to LGBTQ people’s mental health.
Twenty states in the United States have bans on the so-called therapy for minors.
The judges, Barbara Lagoa and Britt Grant, both U.S. Circuit judges for the Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit, were both appointed by Trump and were among a three-judge panel charged with determining whether bans on the “therapy” in Boca Raton and Palm Beach should be allowed to stand. The third judge on the panel, Judge Beverly C. Martin, was appointed by President Barack Obama and dissented in the case.
Lagoa and Grant claimed Friday that the bans violated the First Amendment.
“We understand and appreciate that the therapy is highly controversial. But the First Amendment has no carveout for controversial speech,” Grant wrote in the decision. “We hold that the challenged ordinances violate the First Amendment because they are content-based regulations of speech that cannot survive strict scrutiny.”
The two further defended the practice by claiming that the therapists aren’t trying to “change sexual orientation” because the therapists make the distinction that their clients, who are minors, want to “reduce same-sex behavior and attraction and eliminate what they term confusion over gender identity.”
Lagoa, who was once on Trump’s short list for the Supreme Court, previously received the support of the Florida Family Policy Council, an anti-LGBTQ group, for her appointment to the Florida Supreme Court in 2019.
The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights also notably opposed Grant’s confirmation to the 11th Circuit, citing her work on an amicus brief that claimed there was no constitutional right to marriage equality.
Liberty Counsel, which the Southern Poverty Law Center has designated as an anti-LGBTQ hate group, was responsible for bringing the case before the court, on behalf of two marriage and family therapists who claimed the bans infringed on their right to free speech.
For years, there has been extensive research and input from mental health professionals that shows how dangerous “conversion therapy” is for the LGBTQ people subjected to it. The American Psychiatric Association has said it stands against “conversion therapy,” and said there is a “significant risk of harm” from the practice, which has “not been scientifically validated.”
Additionally, the Health and Human Services department released a report in 2015 that advocated an end to the practice. Elliot Kennedy, special expert on LGBTQ Affairs at Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration at the time, said the treatments were “not effective, reinforce harmful gender stereotypes, and are not appropriate mental health treatments,” according to Reuters.
In 2019, A Williams Institute report estimated that about 700,000 LGBTQ people aged 18 to 59 had been subject to “conversion therapy” and that tens of thousands more people would also experience the practice as minors in states without these bans.
There have also been calls to end these so-called treatments across the globe. The United Nations released a report earlier this year that advocated for countries to ban “conversion therapy.” It mentioned the United States as one of the countries in which political authorities and faith-based organizations still supported the practice.
There is a possibility that the issue of “conversion therapy” could reach the Supreme Court, where there is a clear conservative majority: According to Slate’s Mark Joseph Stern, Friday’s decision means that there is a “very good chance” the Supreme Court could hear a case on whether the practice is unconstitutional.
The outlook is poor LGBTQ rights in general. Trump’s recently confirmed justice, Amy Coney Barrett, has made numerous anti-LGBTQ statements in the past and has associations with various anti-LGBTQ groups and institutions. And Justice Samuel Alito proclaimed just a week ago that people who oppose marriage equality are being silenced unfairly.
“You can’t say that marriage is a union between one man and one woman,” he claimed. “Until very recently, that’s what the vast majority of Americans thought. Now it’s considered bigotry. That this would happen after our decision in [the historic marriage equality decision Obergefell v. Hodges] should not have come as a surprise.”
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.