csmonitor--2020-11-22--Most G-20 leaders seek coordinated response to pandemic woes

Leaders of the world 's most powerful nations wrapped up the Group of 20 summit on Sunday , vowing to spare no effort to protect lives and ensure affordable access to COVID-19 vaccines for all people .
The two-day summit of heads of state was held virtually due to the coronavirus pandemic , which has killed at least 1.38 million people globally , with the world ’ s highest death tolls recorded in seven of the G-20 countries .
The virus has wiped out hundreds of millions of jobs globally and plunged millions into extreme poverty .
The virus “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and underscored our common challenges , ” the G-20 said in a final statement that focused heavily on battling the coronavirus , enhancing environmental protections and supporting the global economy .
The group vowed “ to spare no effort to protect lives . ''
The G-20 , which includes the U.S. , India , China , the U.K. , France , Germany , Japan and others , also stressed the importance of global access to COVID-19 vaccines , drugs and tests .
“ We will spare no effort to ensure their affordable and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with members ’ commitments to incentivize innovation , ” the statement said .
The G-20 expressed support for efforts like COVAX , an international initiative to distribute COVID-19 vaccines to countries worldwide .
The U.S. , however , has declined to join under President Donald Trump .
German Chancellor Angela Merkel told reporters Sunday in Berlin after the virtual summit that Germany had given financial support to the COVAX initiative , but that more money was needed .
The G-20 statement did not directly address an urgent appeal by U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres @ @ @ @ @ @ @ additional investment is needed for mass manufacturing , procurement and delivery of new COVID-19 vaccines around the world , including $ 4 billion immediately .
There is also concern that countries such as Britain , the U.S. , France and Germany have directly negotiated deals with pharmaceutical companies , meaning that the vast majority of the world ’ s vaccine supply next year is already reserved .
“ Fortunately , there ’ s now hope for vaccines , ” Merkel said , adding that “ it is important that not only Europe secures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doing now , but ... that it is important for the entire world ” to have access to vaccines .
She said it is important that COVAX starts negotiating with the producers of potential vaccines based on the money it already has , but that she was somewhat worried those negotiations had not happened yet .
Saudi Arabia ’ s King Salman rounded out the summit , saying the G-20′s final statement “ succeeded in sending out a message of hope and reassurance to our citizens and all people around the world.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been expecting from us .
This achievement today is a culmination of our joint efforts throughout this challenge-fraught year , ” the Saudi monarch said .
Saudi Arabia presided over the G-20 this year and was host of the virtual summit , which was originally intended to be held in-person in Riyadh before the pandemic .
During the Saudi king 's speech , small video squares showed the leaders of Germany , France , the U.K. , Canada , South Korea , China , India and South Africa watching the final remarks .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ speeches , but was not in attendance for the virtual summit ’ s conclusion .
It appeared all G-20 countries agreed to the full content of the final statement , with the exception of Turkey , which was due to give a press conference later Sunday explaining further .
Delegates from the G-20 had convened virtually throughout the year to discuss the coronavirus , agreeing to suspend debt payments for the world 's poorest nations until mid-2021 to allow those countries to focus their spending on health care and social support programs .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ join the effort .
Already , 46 countries have requested to benefit from the debt suspension initiative , amounting to $ 5.7 billion in debt referral .
The U.N. secretary general , however , has called on the G-20 to extend debt repayments through the end of 2021 and expand the scope to middle-income countries in need .
G-20 countries are allowing low-income countries with unsustainable debts to apply for permanent debt relief on a case-by-case basis .
In final remarks at the summit , Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte laid out his country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year as it assumes the rotating presidency from Saudi Arabia .
“ The existential threat , represented by climate change , soil degradation and by the decline of global biodiversity , has brought us to a crossroads , which will determine if we are able to save our planet and construct a sustainable future , ” Conte said .
Conte said the pandemic will continue to be at the top of the group 's agenda and reiterated his support for universal access to vaccines .

Leaders of the world’s most powerful nations wrapped up the Group of 20 summit on Sunday, vowing to spare no effort to protect lives and ensure affordable access to COVID-19 vaccines for all people.
The two-day summit of heads of state was held virtually due to the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed at least 1.38 million people globally, with the world’s highest death tolls recorded in seven of the G-20 countries. The virus has wiped out hundreds of millions of jobs globally and plunged millions into extreme poverty.
The virus “revealed vulnerabilities in our preparedness and response and underscored our common challenges,” the G-20 said in a final statement that focused heavily on battling the coronavirus, enhancing environmental protections, and supporting the global economy.
The group vowed “to spare no effort to protect lives.”
The G-20, which includes the United States, India, China, the U.K., France, Germany, Japan, and others, also stressed the importance of global access to COVID-19 vaccines, drugs, and tests.
“We will spare no effort to ensure their affordable and equitable access for all people, consistent with members’ commitments to incentivize innovation,” the statement said.
The G-20 expressed support for efforts like COVAX, an international initiative to distribute COVID-19 vaccines to countries worldwide. The U.S., however, has declined to join under President Donald Trump.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel told reporters Sunday in Berlin after the virtual summit that Germany had given financial support to the COVAX initiative, but that more money was needed.
The G-20 statement did not directly address an urgent appeal by U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who said $28 billion in additional investment is needed for mass manufacturing, procurement, and delivery of new COVID-19 vaccines around the world, including $4 billion immediately.
There is also concern that countries such as Britain, the U.S., France, and Germany have directly negotiated deals with pharmaceutical companies, meaning that the vast majority of the world’s vaccine supply next year is already reserved.
“Fortunately, there’s now hope for vaccines,” Ms. Merkel said, adding that “it is important that not only Europe secures vaccines, as the European Union is doing now, but ... that it is important for the entire world” to have access to vaccines.
She said it is important that COVAX starts negotiating with the producers of potential vaccines based on the money it already has, but that she was somewhat worried those negotiations had not happened yet.
Saudi Arabia’s King Salman rounded out the summit, saying the G-20′s final statement “succeeded in sending out a message of hope and reassurance to our citizens and all people around the world.”
“This is what the world has been expecting from us. This achievement today is a culmination of our joint efforts throughout this challenge-fraught year,” the Saudi monarch said.
Saudi Arabia presided over the G-20 this year and was host of the virtual summit, which was originally intended to be held in-person in Riyadh before the pandemic. During the Saudi king’s speech, small video squares showed the leaders of Germany, France, the U.K., Canada, South Korea, China, India, and South Africa watching the final remarks. Mr. Trump participated in the summit with prerecorded speeches, but was not in attendance for the virtual summit’s conclusion.
It appeared all G-20 countries agreed to the full content of the final statement, with the exception of Turkey, which was due to give a press conference later Sunday explaining further.
Delegates from the G-20 had convened virtually throughout the year to discuss the coronavirus, agreeing to suspend debt payments for the world’s poorest nations until mid-2021 to allow those countries to focus their spending on health care and social support programs. The G-20 called on private lenders to join the effort.
Already, 46 countries have requested to benefit from the debt suspension initiative, amounting to $5.7 billion in debt referral. The U.N. secretary general, however, has called on the G-20 to extend debt repayments through the end of 2021 and expand the scope to middle-income countries in need.
G-20 countries are allowing low-income countries with unsustainable debts to apply for permanent debt relief on a case-by-case basis.
In final remarks at the summit, Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte laid out his country’s objectives for the G-20 next year as it assumes the rotating presidency from Saudi Arabia.
“The existential threat, represented by climate change, soil degradation and by the decline of global biodiversity, has brought us to a crossroads, which will determine if we are able to save our planet and construct a sustainable future,” Mr. Conte said.
Get stories that
empower and uplift daily. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads.
Mr. Conte said the pandemic will continue to be at the top of the group’s agenda and reiterated his support for universal access to vaccines.
This story was reported by The Associated Press.


csmonitor--2020-11-22--Why a federal judge threw out Trump's Pennsylvania lawsuit

As they frantically searched for ways to salvage President Donald Trump 's failed reelection bid , his campaign pursued a dizzying game of legal hopscotch across six states that centered on the biggest prize of all : Pennsylvania .
The strategy may have played well in front of television cameras and on talk radio to Trump 's supporters .
But it has proved a disaster in court , where judges uniformly rejected their claims of vote fraud and found the campaign 's legal work amateurish .
In a scathing ruling late Saturday , U.S. District Judge Matthew Brann — a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pennsylvania — compared the campaign 's legal arguments to “ Frankenstein 's Monster , ” concluding that Trump 's team offered only “ speculative accusations , '' not proof of rampant corruption .
The campaign on Sunday filed notice it would appeal the decision to the 3rd U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals , a day before the state 's 67 counties are set to certify their results and send them to state officials .
So , as the legal doors close on Trump 's attempts to have courts do what voters would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him a second term , his efforts in Pennsylvania show how far he is willing to push baseless theories of widespread voter fraud .
It was led by Rudy Giuliani , Trump 's personal lawyer , who descended on the state the Saturday after the Nov. 3 election as the count dragged on and the president played golf .
Summoning reporters to a scruffy , far-flung corner of Philadelphia on Nov. 7 , he held forth at a site that would soon become legendary : Four Seasons Total Landscaping .
The 11:30 a.m. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Only minutes earlier , news outlets had started calling the presidential contest for Democrat Joe Biden .
The race was over .
Just heating up was Trump ’ s plan to subvert the election through litigation and howls of fraud — the same tactic he had used to stave off losses in the business world .
And it would soon spread far beyond Pennsylvania .
“ Some of the ballots looked suspicious , ” Giuliani , 76 , said of the vote count in Philadelphia as he stood behind a chain link @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He maligned the city as being run by a “ decrepit Democratic machine.
” “ Those mail-in ballots could have been written the day before , by the Democratic Party hacks that were all over the convention center , ” Giuliani said .
He promised to file a new round of lawsuits .
He rambled .
“ This is a very , very strong case , ” he asserted .
Justin Levitt , a Loyola Law School professor who specializes in election law , called the Trump lawsuits dangerous .
“ It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s a harmful sideshow , '' Levitt said .
“ It ’ s a toxic sideshow .
The continuing baseless , evidence-free claims of alternative facts are actually having an effect on a substantial number of Americans .
They are creating the conditions for elections not to work in the future.
” Not a single court has found merit in the core legal claims , but that did not stop Trump 's team from firing off nearly two dozen legal challenges to Biden ’ s victory in Pennsylvania , including an early morning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ once-imprisoned lawyer .
The president 's lawyers fought the three-day grace period for mail-in ballots to arrive .
They complained they were n't being let in to observe the vote count .
They said Democratic counties unfairly let voters fix mistakes on their ballot envelopes .
Everywhere they turned , they said , they sniffed fraud .
“ I felt insidious fraud going on , ” Philadelphia poll watcher Lisette Tarragano said when Giuliani called her to the microphone at the landscaping company .
In fact , a Republican runs the city 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office got death threats as Trump ’ s rants about the election intensified .
No judges ever found any evidence of election fraud in Pennsylvania or any other state where the campaign sued — not in Michigan , Wisconsin , Arizona , Nevada or Georgia .
Instead , Trump lawyers found themselves backpedaling when pressed in court for admissible evidence , or dropping out when they were accused of helping derail the democratic process .
“ I am asking you as a member of the bar of this court , are people representing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign ) … in that room ?
” U.S. District Judge Paul Diamond asked at an after-hours hearing on Nov. 5 , when Republicans asked him to stop the vote count in Philadelphia over their alleged banishment .
“ There ’ s a nonzero number of people in the room , ” lawyer Jerome Marcus replied .
The count continued in Philadelphia .
The Trump losses kept coming .
By Friday , Nov. 6 , when a state appeals court rejected a Republican complaint over provisional ballots and a Philadelphia judge refused to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Biden was up by about 27,000 votes .
Nationally , the race had not yet been called .
But it was becoming clear that a Biden win in Pennsylvania , with its 20 electoral votes , was imminent .
When it came , Trump quickly pivoted to litigation .
It did not go well .
A U.S. appeals court found Pennsylvania 's three-day extension for mail-in ballots laudatory , given the disruption and mail delays cause by the pandemic .
Judges in Michigan and Arizona , finding no evidence of fraud , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote tallies .
Law firms representing the campaign started to come under fire and withdrew .
That left Giuliani , who had not argued a case in court for three decades , in charge of the effort to overturn the election .
“ You can say a lot at a driveway ( news conference ) .
...
When you go to court , you ca n't , ” said lawyer Mark Aronchick , who represented election officials in Philadelphia , Pittsburgh and elsewhere in several of the Pennsylvania suits .
“ I don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chatter until I see a legal brief.
” On Tuesday , Giuliani stepped into the courtroom .
He was a late addition to the docket after election lawyers from Porter Wright Morris & Arthur had bowed out over the previous weekend .
He had an entourage in tow , a show of force that had everything but a compelling legal argument .
Giuliani asked Brann to hold up the certification of the state ’ s 6.8 million ballots over two Republican voters whose mail-in ballots were tossed over technical errors .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Instead , he treated us to an even more expanded version of his Total Landscaping press conference , ” Aronchick said .
“ It didn ’ t bear any relationship to the actual case.
” Giuliani , admired by some for his tough talk as Manhattan ’ s top prosecutor and his leadership as New York City ’ s mayor during the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks , struggled to answer even basic legal questions .
But he waxed on about a supposed conspiracy to rig the state election .
“ The best @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nationwide voter fraud , ” Giuliani argued .
Under questioning , though , he acknowledged their complaint no longer included a fraud claim .
And then , just as it had at Four Seasons , reality came crashing down on him , when news broke in the courtroom that the Pennsylvania Supreme Court had rejected the campaign 's appeal over observer access in Philadelphia .
It was one of the campaign 's last remaining claims .
Even the dissent was crushing .
“ The notion that presumptively valid ballots cast by the Pennsylvania @ @ @ @ @ @ @ procedural irregularities that have been redressed ... is misguided , ” Chief Justice Thomas G. Saylor wrote for the minority in the 5-2 decision .
Brann , who sits in Williamsport , let the federal court hearing drag on past the dinner hour , and gave both sides time to file additional motions .
The campaign filings were replete with typos , spelling mistakes and even an errant reference to a “ Second Amendment Complaint ” instead of a second amended complaint .
The campaign took the opportunity to answer one of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ raised : It only wanted the presidential election results set aside , not votes on the same ballots for other offices .
The briefs were filed by Giuliani and co-counsel Marc Scaringi , a local conservative talk radio host who , before he was hired , had questioned the point of the Trump litigation , saying “ it will not reverse this election.
” Aronchick balked at the campaign 's core premise that local election workers — perhaps working for the Mafia , as Giuliani suggested — had plotted to spoil Trump 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to suggest part of them are in a conspiracy ?
How does that work ?
” Aronchick asked .
“ Who ?
Where ?
When ?
How ?
” Brann , in his ruling , said he expected the campaign to present formidable evidence of rampant corruption as it sought to nullify millions of votes .
Instead , he said , the campaign presented “ strained legal arguments without merit and speculative accusations.
” The 3rd Circuit , based in Philadelphia , may have already tipped its hand .
In its Nov. 13 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` indisputable in our democratic process : that the lawfully cast vote of every citizen must count.
” Biden 's lead in the state has expanded to more than 80,000 votes .
“ Our system depends on the possibility that you might lose a fair contest .
If that possibility does n't exist , you do n't have a democracy , ” said Levitt , the law school professor .
“ There are countries that run like that .
It just does n't describe America .
”

As they frantically searched for ways to salvage President Donald Trump's failed reelection bid, his campaign pursued a dizzying game of legal hopscotch across six states that centered on the biggest prize of all: Pennsylvania.
The strategy may have played well in front of television cameras and on talk radio to Mr. Trump's supporters. But it has proved a disaster in court, where judges uniformly rejected their claims of vote fraud and found the campaign's legal work amateurish.
In a scathing ruling late Saturday, United States District Judge Matthew Brann – a Republican and Federalist Society member in central Pennsylvania – compared the campaign's legal arguments to “Frankenstein's Monster,” concluding that Mr. Trump's team offered only “speculative accusations," not proof of rampant corruption.
The campaign on Sunday filed notice it would appeal the decision to the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, a day before the state's 67 counties are set to certify their results and send them to state officials.
So, as the legal doors close on Mr. Trump's attempts to have courts do what voters would not do on Election Day and deliver him a second term, his efforts in Pennsylvania show how far he is willing to push baseless theories of widespread voter fraud.
It was led by Rudy Giuliani, Mr. Trump's personal lawyer, who descended on the state the Saturday after the Nov. 3 election as the count dragged on and the president played golf. Summoning reporters to a scruffy, far-flung corner of Philadelphia on Nov. 7, he held forth at a site that would soon become legendary: Four Seasons Total Landscaping.
The 11:30 a.m. news conference was doomed from the start.
Only minutes earlier, news outlets had started calling the presidential contest for Democrat Joe Biden. The race was over.
Just heating up was Mr. Trump’s plan to subvert the election through litigation and howls of fraud – the same tactic he had used to stave off losses in the business world. And it would soon spread far beyond Pennsylvania.
“Some of the ballots looked suspicious,” Mr. Giuliani said of the vote count in Philadelphia as he stood behind a chain link fence, next to a sex shop. He maligned the city as being run by a “decrepit Democratic machine.”
“Those mail-in ballots could have been written the day before, by the Democratic Party hacks that were all over the convention center,” Mr. Giuliani said. He promised to file a new round of lawsuits. He rambled.
“This is a very, very strong case,” he asserted.
Justin Levitt, a Loyola Law School professor who specializes in election law, called the Trump lawsuits dangerous.
“It is a sideshow, but it’s a harmful sideshow," Professor Levitt said. “It’s a toxic sideshow. The continuing baseless, evidence-free claims of alternative facts are actually having an effect on a substantial number of Americans. They are creating the conditions for elections not to work in the future.”
Not a single court has found merit in the core legal claims, but that did not stop Mr. Trump's team from firing off nearly two dozen legal challenges to Mr. Biden’s victory in Pennsylvania, including an early morning suit on Election Day filed by a once-imprisoned lawyer.
The president's lawyers fought the three-day grace period for mail-in ballots to arrive. They complained they weren't being let in to observe the vote count. They said Democratic counties unfairly let voters fix mistakes on their ballot envelopes. Everywhere they turned, they said, they sniffed fraud.
“I felt insidious fraud going on,” Philadelphia poll watcher Lisette Tarragano said when Mr. Giuliani called her to the microphone at the landscaping company.
In fact, a Republican runs the city's election board, and has said his office got death threats as Mr. Trump’s rants about the election intensified. No judges ever found any evidence of election fraud in Pennsylvania or any other state where the campaign sued – not in Michigan, Wisconsin, Arizona, Nevada, or Georgia.
Instead, Trump lawyers found themselves backpedaling when pressed in court for admissible evidence, or dropping out when they were accused of helping derail the democratic process.
“I am asking you as a member of the bar of this court, are people representing the Donald J. Trump for president [campaign] … in that room?” U.S. District Judge Paul Diamond asked at an after-hours hearing on Nov. 5, when Republicans asked him to stop the vote count in Philadelphia over their alleged banishment.
“There’s a nonzero number of people in the room,” lawyer Jerome Marcus replied.
The count continued in Philadelphia. The Trump losses kept coming. By Friday, Nov. 6, when a state appeals court rejected a Republican complaint over provisional ballots and a Philadelphia judge refused to throw out 8,300 mail-in ballots they challenged, Mr. Biden was up by about 27,000 votes.
Nationally, the race had not yet been called. But it was becoming clear that a Biden win in Pennsylvania, with its 20 electoral votes, was imminent.
When it came, Mr. Trump quickly pivoted to litigation. It did not go well.
A U.S. appeals court found Pennsylvania's three-day extension for mail-in ballots laudatory, given the disruption and mail delays cause by the pandemic. Judges in Michigan and Arizona, finding no evidence of fraud, refused to block the certification of county vote tallies. Law firms representing the campaign started to come under fire and withdrew.
That left Mr. Giuliani, who had not argued a case in court for three decades, in charge of the effort to overturn the election.
“You can say a lot at a driveway [news conference]. ... When you go to court, you can't,” said lawyer Mark Aronchick, who represented election officials in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and elsewhere in several of the Pennsylvania suits. “I don’t really pay attention to the chatter until I see a legal brief.”
On Tuesday, Mr. Giuliani stepped into the courtroom. He was a late addition to the docket after election lawyers from Porter Wright Morris & Arthur had bowed out over the previous weekend. He had an entourage in tow, a show of force that had everything but a compelling legal argument.
Mr. Giuliani asked Judge Brann to hold up the certification of the state’s 6.8 million ballots over two Republican voters whose mail-in ballots were tossed over technical errors.
“I sat dumbfounded listening,” said Mr. Aronchick, a seasoned trial lawyer.
“We were ready to argue the one count. Instead, he treated us to an even more expanded version of his Total Landscaping press conference,” Mr. Aronchick said. “It didn’t bear any relationship to the actual case.”
Mr. Giuliani, admired by some for his tough talk as Manhattan’s top prosecutor and his leadership as New York City’s mayor during the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, struggled to answer even basic legal questions.
But he waxed on about a supposed conspiracy to rig the state election.
“The best description of this situation is widespread, nationwide voter fraud,” Mr. Giuliani argued. Under questioning, though, he acknowledged their complaint no longer included a fraud claim.
And then, just as it had at Four Seasons, reality came crashing down on him, when news broke in the courtroom that the Pennsylvania Supreme Court had rejected the campaign's appeal over observer access in Philadelphia. It was one of the campaign's last remaining claims.
Even the dissent was crushing.
“The notion that presumptively valid ballots cast by the Pennsylvania electorate would be disregarded based on isolated procedural irregularities that have been redressed ... is misguided,” Chief Justice Thomas G. Saylor wrote for the minority in the 5-2 decision.
Judge Brann, who sits in Williamsport, let the federal court hearing drag on past the dinner hour, and gave both sides time to file additional motions. The campaign filings were replete with typos, spelling mistakes and even an errant reference to a “Second Amendment Complaint” instead of a second amended complaint.
The campaign took the opportunity to answer one of the more puzzling questions that its election challenge raised: It only wanted the presidential election results set aside, not votes on the same ballots for other offices. The briefs were filed by Mr. Giuliani and co-counsel Marc Scaringi, a local conservative talk radio host who, before he was hired, had questioned the point of the Trump litigation, saying “it will not reverse this election.”
Mr. Aronchick balked at the campaign's core premise that local election workers – perhaps working for the Mafia, as Giuliani suggested – had plotted to spoil Trump's win.
“You’re going to suggest part of them are in a conspiracy? How does that work?” Mr. Aronchick asked. “Who? Where? When? How?”
Judge Brann, in his ruling, said he expected the campaign to present formidable evidence of rampant corruption as it sought to nullify millions of votes. Instead, he said, the campaign presented “strained legal arguments without merit and speculative accusations.”
The 3rd Circuit, based in Philadelphia, may have already tipped its hand. In its Nov. 13 ruling, the appeals court called it "indisputable in our democratic process: that the lawfully cast vote of every citizen must count.”
Mr. Biden's lead in the state has expanded to more than 80,000 votes.
Get stories that
empower and uplift daily. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads.
“Our system depends on the possibility that you might lose a fair contest. If that possibility doesn't exist, you don't have a democracy,” said Professor Levitt, of Loyola. “There are countries that run like that. It just doesn't describe America.”
This story was reported by The Associated Press.


csmonitor--2020-11-23--Monday Sunrise Briefing: Courts and clock challenge Trump effort

Neither the courts nor the calendar seem to support President Donald Trump ’ s bid to overturn the Nov. 3 election results .
The Trump campaign and its allies have now lost or withdrawn more than 30 lawsuits .
On Saturday , in a scathing ruling , U.S. District Judge Matthew Brann - a Republican and a Federalist Society member - concluded that Trump 's team offered only “ speculative accusations , '' not proof of rampant corruption in Pennsylvania .
Another Republican , former N.J. Gov .
Chris Christie called Trump ’ s legal team “ a national embarrassment… @ @ @ @ @ @ @ courtroom but when they go inside the courtroom ... `` the evidence has not been presented . ''
The Trump campaign said it would appeal the judge ’ s decision .
But the deadline for Pennsylvania ’ s 67 counties to certify the voting results is ( today ) Monday .
Another swing state , Michigan , is also expected to certify Joe Biden ’ s victory Monday .
In Georgia , an official machine recount begins this week , after the manual re-tally was completed Friday .
Universal access to treatments ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ prosperous nations ended a summit Sunday with a call for equitable access to COVID-19 treatments for all nations and debt-relief for struggling economies .
The G-20 summit , including 19 nations and the European Union , is intended to foster a collaborative approach to problem solving .
After the online summit , Germany announced more funding for COVAX , an international initiative to distribute COVID-19 vaccines worldwide .
The U.S. declined to join the effort .
The G-20 agreed to suspend debt payments for 46 of the world 's poorest nations until mid-2021 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spending on health care and social support programs .
Gender equity , Part II .
Germany ’ s ruling coalition parties agreed to introduce a new law this week requiring a quota for women in senior positions in the top companies .
Germany company boards with more than three members must include at least one woman under the bill , the Guardian reports .
In 2015 , Germany passed a law requiring firms to publish targets for female participation in management .
But that transparency hasn ’ t moved the needle .
Women @ @ @ @ @ @ @ management in firms listed on Germany ’ s blue-chip DAX stock market index .
By comparison , the proportion of women in C-suite leadership roles is 24.5 % in the UK , 28.6 % in the US , 22.2 % in France and 24.9 % in Sweden , according to a survey by the Swedish-German AllBright Foundation .
Democracy watch .
Michigan is scheduled to certify presidential election results .
Today is also the deadline for Pennsylvania counties to certify tally results , and send them to the secretary of state .
French @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sarkozy goes on trial accused of corruption in a phone-tapping and influence-peddling scandal during his 2007-2012 presidency .
More democracy watching .
Minnesota , Nevada , and North Carolina are scheduled to certify their election results .
Leadership choices .
President-elect Joe Biden is expected to announce several key Cabinet positions .
Multiple news outlets reported Sunday evening that Mr. Biden is expected to nominate Antony Blinken as secretary of state and Linda Thomas-Greenfield as his nominee for ambassador to the United Nations .
Thanksgiving pardon .
Continuing a tradition dating back to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump is expected to pardon a turkey at the White House .
Best musicmakers .
The 2021 Grammy nominees are announced .
Armenia-Azerbaijan peace pact .
The Kalbajar district bordering Armenia is due to be handed over to Azerbaijan according to a recent Russia-brokered cease-fire agreement between the two countries .
A day of gratitude .
Americans celebrate thanksgiving , an annual holiday of giving gratitude for one ’ s blessings .
It ’ s modeled after a 1621 harvest feast shared by the Pilgrims ( English colonists ) in Plymouth , Massachusetts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ didn ’ t become a national holiday until President Abraham Lincoln made a proclamation in 1863 .
Black Beauty , remade .
The latest movie adaptation of the 1877 novel by Anna Sewell debuts .
It stars Mackenzie Foy , Kate Winslet , Claire Forlani , Iain Glen , and Fern Deacon .
The film is scheduled to be released on Disney+ .
The U.S. Nov. 3 election introduced us to a new champion of democracy .
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger put loyalty to the law and loyalty to American voters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Not an easy choice .
Mr. Raffensperger , a Republican , is in charge of managing the elections in his state , where Joe Biden won by more than 12,000 votes .
But the margin of victory was close enough that the state conducted a manual audit .
But Mr. Raffensperger ’ s taking heat for the results .
He was publicly criticized by President Trump .
The two Republican candidates running for Georgia U.S. Senate seats have called for his resignation .
Mr. Raffensperger and his wife have received death threats .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ South Carolina Sen. Lindsay Graham , chairman of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee .
Mr. Raffensperger told the Washington Post that Senator Graham appeared to suggest that he find a way to toss legally cast ballots .
Mr. Graham later told reporters that the call was merely seeking information about signature matching rules in Georgia .
On the same day , a federal lawsuit was filed in Georgia challenging the way county election officials check signatures .
Coincidence ?
“ They say that as pressure builds it reveals your character .
It doesn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mr. Raffensperger told NPR .
“ So , some people aren ’ t behaving too well seeing what the results are.
” As a conservative , Mr. Raffensperger admits disappointment with the election results .
He also understands that the democratic process must be trustworthy .
His job is “ about integrity .
I think that integrity still matters .
People reaching out to me appreciate that I ’ m standing on the principle of one person , one vote .
Integrity matters.
” Start your week with a recent story that inspired @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Daily Edition , watch for our story on what a scaled-down Thanksgiving dinner might look like .
Hint : Mini pumpkin pies .
Finally , check out the Monitor ’ s selected stories from Friday 's subscription-only Daily Edition : • For Afghans , US troops ‘ home by Christmas ’ is gift to the Taliban • First Thanksgiving : How a Native woman is setting the record straight You have unlimited access to all our pandemic coverage .
If you value our credibly hopeful and nonpartisan approach , please consider subscribing .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ on holiday .
See you again on Monday , Dec. 14 .
Please give us your feedback via the link below .
Thank you !

Neither the courts nor the calendar seem to support President Donald Trump’s bid to overturn the Nov. 3 election results. The Trump campaign and its allies have now lost or withdrawn more than 30 lawsuits. On Saturday, in a scathing ruling, U.S. District Judge Matthew Brann - a Republican and a Federalist Society member - concluded that Trump's team offered only “speculative accusations," not proof of rampant corruption in Pennsylvania. Another Republican, former N.J. Gov. Chris Christie called Trump’s legal team “a national embarrassment…. They allege fraud outside of the courtroom but when they go inside the courtroom ... "the evidence has not been presented." The Trump campaign said it would appeal the judge’s decision. But the deadline for Pennsylvania’s 67 counties to certify the voting results is (today) Monday. Another swing state, Michigan, is also expected to certify Joe Biden’s victory Monday. In Georgia, an official machine recount begins this week, after the manual re-tally was completed Friday.
Universal access to treatments? Leaders of the world’s most prosperous nations ended a summit Sunday with a call for equitable access to COVID-19 treatments for all nations and debt-relief for struggling economies. The G-20 summit, including 19 nations and the European Union, is intended to foster a collaborative approach to problem solving. After the online summit, Germany announced more funding for COVAX, an international initiative to distribute COVID-19 vaccines worldwide. The U.S. declined to join the effort. The G-20 agreed to suspend debt payments for 46 of the world's poorest nations until mid-2021 to allow those countries to focus their spending on health care and social support programs.
Gender equity, Part II. Germany’s ruling coalition parties agreed to introduce a new law this week requiring a quota for women in senior positions in the top companies. Germany company boards with more than three members must include at least one woman under the bill, the Guardian reports. In 2015, Germany passed a law requiring firms to publish targets for female participation in management. But that transparency hasn’t moved the needle. Women make up only 12.8% of top management in firms listed on Germany’s blue-chip DAX stock market index. By comparison, the proportion of women in C-suite leadership roles is 24.5% in the UK, 28.6% in the US, 22.2% in France and 24.9% in Sweden, according to a survey by the Swedish-German AllBright Foundation.
REUTERS/Charles Platiau View caption Hide caption Too soon? The Christmas lights were turned on Sunday evening, Nov. 22., along the Champs Elysees in Paris, marking the official start of France's holiday season.
Why We Wrote This Good morning! Welcome to your Monday, Nov. 23, 2020, sunrise briefing. Here are three news events from this past weekend (while you may have been playing disc golf, making lasagna gifts, and enjoying an offline life). Also, what to look for in the news this week.
Look Ahead
Monday, Nov. 23
Democracy watch. Michigan is scheduled to certify presidential election results. Today is also the deadline for Pennsylvania counties to certify tally results, and send them to the secretary of state.
French corruption trial. Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy goes on trial accused of corruption in a phone-tapping and influence-peddling scandal during his 2007-2012 presidency.
Tuesday, Nov. 24
More democracy watching. Minnesota, Nevada, and North Carolina are scheduled to certify their election results.
Leadership choices. President-elect Joe Biden is expected to announce several key Cabinet positions. Multiple news outlets reported Sunday evening that Mr. Biden is expected to nominate Antony Blinken as secretary of state and Linda Thomas-Greenfield as his nominee for ambassador to the United Nations.
Thanksgiving pardon. Continuing a tradition dating back to President George H. W. Bush, President Trump is expected to pardon a turkey at the White House.
Best musicmakers. The 2021 Grammy nominees are announced.
Wednesday, Nov. 25.
Armenia-Azerbaijan peace pact. The Kalbajar district bordering Armenia is due to be handed over to Azerbaijan according to a recent Russia-brokered cease-fire agreement between the two countries.
Thursday, Nov. 26.
A day of gratitude. Americans celebrate thanksgiving, an annual holiday of giving gratitude for one’s blessings. It’s modeled after a 1621 harvest feast shared by the Pilgrims (English colonists) in Plymouth, Massachusetts and the Wampanoag people. But it didn’t become a national holiday until President Abraham Lincoln made a proclamation in 1863.
Friday, Nov. 27
Black Beauty, remade. The latest movie adaptation of the 1877 novel by Anna Sewell debuts. It stars Mackenzie Foy, Kate Winslet, Claire Forlani, Iain Glen, and Fern Deacon. The film is scheduled to be released on Disney+.
Integrity Watch
AP Photo/Brynn Anderson View caption Hide caption Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger certified, after a manual recount, that Joe Biden won the state's presidential election on Friday, Nov. 20, 2020, in Atlanta.
The U.S. Nov. 3 election introduced us to a new champion of democracy.
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger put loyalty to the law and loyalty to American voters above loyalty to party and president. Not an easy choice.
Mr. Raffensperger, a Republican, is in charge of managing the elections in his state, where Joe Biden won by more than 12,000 votes. But the margin of victory was close enough that the state conducted a manual audit.
But Mr. Raffensperger’s taking heat for the results. He was publicly criticized by President Trump. The two Republican candidates running for Georgia U.S. Senate seats have called for his resignation. Mr. Raffensperger and his wife have received death threats. And there was a phone call from South Carolina Sen. Lindsay Graham, chairman of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee.
Mr. Raffensperger told the Washington Post that Senator Graham appeared to suggest that he find a way to toss legally cast ballots. Mr. Graham later told reporters that the call was merely seeking information about signature matching rules in Georgia. On the same day, a federal lawsuit was filed in Georgia challenging the way county election officials check signatures. Coincidence?
“They say that as pressure builds it reveals your character. It doesn’t change your character,” Mr. Raffensperger told NPR. “So, some people aren’t behaving too well seeing what the results are.”
As a conservative, Mr. Raffensperger admits disappointment with the election results. He also understands that the democratic process must be trustworthy. His job is “about integrity. I think that integrity still matters. People reaching out to me appreciate that I’m standing on the principle of one person, one vote. Integrity matters.”
Hidden gem
Start your week with a recent story that inspired Monitor readers:
Every stitch tells a story: a Black quilter confronts injustice
Sneak preview
In tonight’s Daily Edition, watch for our story on what a scaled-down Thanksgiving dinner might look like. Hint: Mini pumpkin pies.
Get stories that
empower and uplift daily. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads.
Finally, check out the Monitor’s selected stories from Friday's subscription-only Daily Edition:
You have unlimited access to all our pandemic coverage. If you value our credibly hopeful and nonpartisan approach, please consider subscribing.
Your Monday Sunrise Briefing editor is going on holiday. See you again on Monday, Dec. 14. Please give us your feedback via the link below. Thank you!


csmonitor--2020-11-23--Trump wants states to overturn results. Michigan was the first test.

“ [ Trump and his campaign ] are pretty quickly running out of cards to play , ” says Keith Whittington , a professor of politics at Princeton University .
If Mr. Biden is certified the winner in Michigan and Pennsylvania by Dec. 8 , Mr. Trump would not be able to win even if Arizona , Nevada , and Wisconsin , all of which have been called for Mr. Biden , were decided in the president ’ s favor .
Meanwhile , Pennsylvania Republicans have sued to block certification of election results , which the state ’ s counties @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democratic Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar ’ s certification .
Joe Biden won the state by a margin of 154,188 votes , according to approved tallies in Michigan ’ s 83 counties , which were certified by the state Board of Canvassers today .
President Trump reportedly called Republican election officials last week , and hosted the GOP leaders of Michigan ’ s state Legislature in Washington in what legal scholars describe as an unprecedented effort by an incumbent president to influence the electoral process .
After largely striking out in its lawsuits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mail-in voting this year , the Trump campaign is now focusing on trying to delay or block certification of results in key battleground states , beginning with Michigan .
The Trump campaign has turned its focus on trying to delay or block certification of results in key battleground states , after largely striking out in its lawsuits alleging election irregularities amid a spike in mail-in voting this year .
The first deadline came today in Michigan , where the bipartisan State Board of Canvassers certified election results after a week of partisan tension @ @ @ @ @ @ @ White House .
Joe Biden won the state by a margin of 154,188 votes .
Republicans in the state , including Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel , had urged a 14-day delay , citing irregularities based in substantial part on an affidavit that a judge had determined was not credible .
Norman Shinkle , one of two Republicans on the four-member Board of Canvassers and a Trump supporter who sang the national anthem at one of the president ’ s rallies last month , had indicated in advance he might vote to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s outreach to Michigan election officials and lawmakers raised concerns of improper pressure and put a spotlight on what would normally be an obscure , routine meeting .
This weekend he tweeted , `` Hopefully the Courts and/or Legislatures will have ... the COURAGE to do what has to be done to maintain the integrity of our Elections , ” a reference to the role state legislatures could theoretically play in overturning their state ’ s results .
Legal scholars describe Mr. Trump ’ s actions as an unprecedented effort by an incumbent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In two other disputed elections – the election of 1800 , when Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr tied , and 1876 , when Samuel Tilden won the popular vote but Congress intervened and declared Rutherford B. Hayes the winner amid widespread intimidation of African American voters in the South – the incumbent at the time ( John Adams and Ulysses S. Grant , respectively ) did not intervene on behalf of one side .
“ To my knowledge , there is no historical precedent for the current moment , ” says Edward Foley @ @ @ @ @ @ @ State University , who laid out a 2020 disputed election scenario in a Loyola University Chicago Law Journal article last winter , in which he envisioned President Trump attempting to press a Republican-controlled Congress to decide the election in his favor , similar to the Hayes-Tilden election .
The margins of Mr. Biden ’ s victory are so significant that Professor Foley now thinks it ’ s highly unlikely such a scenario will take place , but he admits Mr. Trump has gotten more “ running room ” than he thought would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ m still surprised at how semi-successful , if you will , he is in making this sort of seem like Hayes-Tilden when it ’ s not as close , ” he says .
More than 32,000 people logged into Monday ’ s livestream of the Michigan state canvassing board , and hundreds of people submitted a request ahead of time to speak .
Among them were numerous election clerks imploring the board to certify the results .
They said they and their staffs had worked long hours for months to hold a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ To be in this position is definitely putting our democracy to the test , ” says Tammy Patrick , who worked for 11 years in the elections department of Arizona ’ s Maricopa County and now serves as senior adviser to the elections team at the Democracy Fund in Washington , D.C. “ We knew that it would be tested in a global pandemic , but most people expected the test would be in voter turnout and participation – not whether their validly cast votes would be considered legitimate.
” After several hours @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Board of Canvassers voted 3-0 to certify the election , with Mr. Shinkle abstaining .
Meanwhile , Pennsylvania Republicans have sued to block certification of their election results , which the state ’ s counties were required to provide today , followed by Democratic Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar ’ s certification in the coming days .
The plaintiffs argued that the state legislature ’ s move to dramatically expand absentee voting contravened the state constitution and resulted in illegal votes .
If such votes could not be tossed out prior to certification @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legislature should select Pennsylvania ’ s electors – a scenario Mr. Trump has been talking about since September , which could potentially circumvent the popular will .
With a more than 80,000-vote margin of victory for Mr. Biden in Pennsylvania , such a scenario is seen as unlikely to succeed .
If Mr. Biden is certified the winner in Michigan and Pennsylvania by Dec. 8 and the Electoral College electors reflect the popular vote in their respective states , Mr. Trump would not be able to win even if Arizona , Nevada , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been called for Mr. Biden , were decided in the president ’ s favor .
“ [ Trump and his campaign ] are pretty quickly running out of cards to play , ” says Keith Whittington , a professor of politics at Princeton University .
Their litigation “ has been so fruitless , and thrown out of court so easily , it really tears away any fig leaf for further delaying the process.
” The push to delay certification in Michigan revolved largely around Wayne County , which includes the predominantly Black city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ James , an African American combat veteran who lost to Democratic Sen. Gary Peters by some 93,000 votes , alleged that about 70 % of Detroit ’ s absentee counting boards were out of balance – meaning the number of votes counted didn ’ t match the number of ballots cast .
The filing says this affected “ roughly 400 votes out of nearly 250,000 cast ” and cited an affidavit from an IT contractor that a judge determined was “ not credible.
” The Voter Protection Program said only 28 % of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – about half the rate seen in 2016 – and said the total number of votes affected was about 450 out of 872,469 – or about .05 percent of Wayne County ’ s total vote .
In a marathon meeting last week , the Republicans on Wayne County ’ s board of canvassers first voted not to certify the results , but then relented when , after being berated during a public comment session as racist , a Democratic member of the board offered support for an audit in exchange for them voting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the following day signed affidavits seeking to restore their “ no ” votes , saying their trust had been breached .
( This is not possible under Michigan state law . )
President Trump reportedly called at least one of the Republican members of the Wayne County board of canvassers after last week ’ s meeting – Monica Palmer , who said she and her family had received threats and described the president ’ s call as expressing concern for her security .
On Friday , Mr. Trump hosted the GOP leaders of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In a Nov. 21 letter , Ms. McDaniel , the RNC chairwoman , and Michigan state GOP chairwoman Laura Cox had requested a 14-day delay for an audit , arguing that step would allow `` all Michiganders to have confidence in the results . ''
Michigan state officials and legal experts say state law requires the Board of Canvassers to certify before an audit can take place .
They note that the board serves in a “ ministerial ” capacity , meaning it is required by law to certify the election according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and has no investigative powers .
An 1887 Michigan court ruling held that the board was not a judicial or quasi judicial body and did not have any means or right to “ inquire beyond the returns of the local election boards.
” The wild card in Michigan ’ s state Board of Canvassers meeting today was Republican member Aaron Van Langevelde , an attorney who works for the GOP caucus in the statehouse .
House Speaker Lee Chatfield rattled many Democrats when he told Fox News after coming back from the White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ delayed certification , it could set off a series of events that could end with GOP legislators appointing a rival slate of electors instead of those who would honor the vote .
With Mr. Shinkle having weighed in against certification , all eyes were on Mr. Van Langevelde .
Early in the meeting , he asked Christopher Thomas , a senior adviser to the Detroit elections staff who is widely respected , to confirm that the board is not a court and does not wield judicial power .
Mr. Thomas confirmed that characterization @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no standing to decide legal or constitutional questions .
Some speculated that the young GOP member was seeking cover for certifying the result amid the unusual political pressure .
“ I can not remember another example of any election where there was ... partisan strong-arming of officials in the certification process , ” says Ms. Patrick , who worked as a federal compliance officer for Arizona ’ s Maricopa County Elections Department .
Between now and Dec. 1 , three additional battleground states must certify their results : Arizona , Nevada , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dec. 8 “ safe harbor ” deadline for certifying their results , that could potentially jeopardize their slate of electors .
But Ms. Patrick says she doesn ’ t think Mr. Trump ’ s pressure campaign will work , in part because every election official has taken an oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States .
“ It ’ s important for readers to know that the vast majority of individuals who swear that oath believe in it and will strongly defend it , ” she says .
“ Anybody that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that oath is a real problem .
I think that is at the heart of what will be an issue for our country moving forward.
” On Jan. 6 , Vice President Mike Pence , in his capacity as president of the Senate , will receive each elector ’ s vote for president .
If GOP-run state legislatures were to submit a rival slate , it would fall to Congress to determine which one to accept .
Rick Esenberg , a constitutional law scholar and founder of the The Wisconsin Institute for Law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ law firm , says he doesn ’ t see any basis for Republican legislators to make such a move .
Speaking of Wisconsin legislators , he says , “ They ’ re not going to vote to disenfranchise the entire state .
And even if they did vote to do that , the [ Democratic ] governor isn ’ t going to go along with that.
” He says the current legal challenges and political maneuvers are “ a side show ” and will be over soon , brushing off concerns that this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ The American republic is made of sterner stuff , ” he says .

“[Trump and his campaign] are pretty quickly running out of cards to play,” says Keith Whittington, a professor of politics at Princeton University.
If Mr. Biden is certified the winner in Michigan and Pennsylvania by Dec. 8, Mr. Trump would not be able to win even if Arizona, Nevada, and Wisconsin, all of which have been called for Mr. Biden, were decided in the president’s favor.
Meanwhile, Pennsylvania Republicans have sued to block certification of election results, which the state’s counties are required to provide today followed by Democratic Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar’s certification.
A once-routine process has taken on heightened significance as the Trump campaign pursues a last-ditch effort to overturn the election by blocking certification of results in key states.
Joe Biden won the state by a margin of 154,188 votes, according to approved tallies in Michigan’s 83 counties, which were certified by the state Board of Canvassers today. President Trump reportedly called Republican election officials last week, and hosted the GOP leaders of Michigan’s state Legislature in Washington in what legal scholars describe as an unprecedented effort by an incumbent president to influence the electoral process.
After largely striking out in its lawsuits alleging election irregularities amid a spike in mail-in voting this year, the Trump campaign is now focusing on trying to delay or block certification of results in key battleground states, beginning with Michigan.
The Trump campaign has turned its focus on trying to delay or block certification of results in key battleground states, after largely striking out in its lawsuits alleging election irregularities amid a spike in mail-in voting this year.
The first deadline came today in Michigan, where the bipartisan State Board of Canvassers certified election results after a week of partisan tension and state lawmakers’ trip to the White House. Joe Biden won the state by a margin of 154,188 votes.
Republicans in the state, including Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, had urged a 14-day delay, citing irregularities based in substantial part on an affidavit that a judge had determined was not credible.
Why We Wrote This A once-routine process has taken on heightened significance as the Trump campaign pursues a last-ditch effort to overturn the election by blocking certification of results in key states.
Norman Shinkle, one of two Republicans on the four-member Board of Canvassers and a Trump supporter who sang the national anthem at one of the president’s rallies last month, had indicated in advance he might vote to delay certification.
President Donald Trump’s outreach to Michigan election officials and lawmakers raised concerns of improper pressure and put a spotlight on what would normally be an obscure, routine meeting. This weekend he tweeted, "Hopefully the Courts and/or Legislatures will have ... the COURAGE to do what has to be done to maintain the integrity of our Elections,” a reference to the role state legislatures could theoretically play in overturning their state’s results.
Legal scholars describe Mr. Trump’s actions as an unprecedented effort by an incumbent president to influence the electoral process. In two other disputed elections – the election of 1800, when Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr tied, and 1876, when Samuel Tilden won the popular vote but Congress intervened and declared Rutherford B. Hayes the winner amid widespread intimidation of African American voters in the South – the incumbent at the time (John Adams and Ulysses S. Grant, respectively) did not intervene on behalf of one side.
“To my knowledge, there is no historical precedent for the current moment,” says Edward Foley, a constitutional law professor at Ohio State University, who laid out a 2020 disputed election scenario in a Loyola University Chicago Law Journal article last winter, in which he envisioned President Trump attempting to press a Republican-controlled Congress to decide the election in his favor, similar to the Hayes-Tilden election.
The margins of Mr. Biden’s victory are so significant that Professor Foley now thinks it’s highly unlikely such a scenario will take place, but he admits Mr. Trump has gotten more “running room” than he thought would be possible with such numbers. “I’m still surprised at how semi-successful, if you will, he is in making this sort of seem like Hayes-Tilden when it’s not as close,” he says.
More than 32,000 people logged into Monday’s livestream of the Michigan state canvassing board, and hundreds of people submitted a request ahead of time to speak. Among them were numerous election clerks imploring the board to certify the results. They said they and their staffs had worked long hours for months to hold a successful election amid a pandemic.
“To be in this position is definitely putting our democracy to the test,” says Tammy Patrick, who worked for 11 years in the elections department of Arizona’s Maricopa County and now serves as senior adviser to the elections team at the Democracy Fund in Washington, D.C. “We knew that it would be tested in a global pandemic, but most people expected the test would be in voter turnout and participation – not whether their validly cast votes would be considered legitimate.”
After several hours of discussion, the four-member Michigan State Board of Canvassers voted 3-0 to certify the election, with Mr. Shinkle abstaining. Meanwhile, Pennsylvania Republicans have sued to block certification of their election results, which the state’s counties were required to provide today, followed by Democratic Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar’s certification in the coming days.
The plaintiffs argued that the state legislature’s move to dramatically expand absentee voting contravened the state constitution and resulted in illegal votes. If such votes could not be tossed out prior to certification, they recommended that the GOP-run state legislature should select Pennsylvania’s electors – a scenario Mr. Trump has been talking about since September, which could potentially circumvent the popular will.
With a more than 80,000-vote margin of victory for Mr. Biden in Pennsylvania, such a scenario is seen as unlikely to succeed.
If Mr. Biden is certified the winner in Michigan and Pennsylvania by Dec. 8 and the Electoral College electors reflect the popular vote in their respective states, Mr. Trump would not be able to win even if Arizona, Nevada, and Wisconsin, all of which have been called for Mr. Biden, were decided in the president’s favor.
“[Trump and his campaign] are pretty quickly running out of cards to play,” says Keith Whittington, a professor of politics at Princeton University. Their litigation “has been so fruitless, and thrown out of court so easily, it really tears away any fig leaf for further delaying the process.”
All eyes on Wayne County
The push to delay certification in Michigan revolved largely around Wayne County, which includes the predominantly Black city of Detroit.
Robin Buckson/Detroit News/AP View caption Hide caption Wayne County Board of Canvassers, from left, Republican member William Hartmann, Republican chairperson Monica Palmer, Democratic vice chair Jonathan Kinloch, and Democratic member Allen Wilson discuss election results during a board meeting in Detroit on Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2020. The two Republicans said they wanted to rescind their votes to certify their county's results, but state officials said the certification of the Detroit-area vote will stand.
Republican Senate candidate John James, an African American combat veteran who lost to Democratic Sen. Gary Peters by some 93,000 votes, alleged that about 70% of Detroit’s absentee counting boards were out of balance – meaning the number of votes counted didn’t match the number of ballots cast. The filing says this affected “roughly 400 votes out of nearly 250,000 cast” and cited an affidavit from an IT contractor that a judge determined was “not credible.”
The Voter Protection Program said only 28% of Detroit’s total precincts were unbalanced – about half the rate seen in 2016 – and said the total number of votes affected was about 450 out of 872,469 – or about .05 percent of Wayne County’s total vote.
In a marathon meeting last week, the Republicans on Wayne County’s board of canvassers first voted not to certify the results, but then relented when, after being berated during a public comment session as racist, a Democratic member of the board offered support for an audit in exchange for them voting to certify. They agreed, but the following day signed affidavits seeking to restore their “no” votes, saying their trust had been breached. (This is not possible under Michigan state law.)
President Trump reportedly called at least one of the Republican members of the Wayne County board of canvassers after last week’s meeting – Monica Palmer, who said she and her family had received threats and described the president’s call as expressing concern for her security. On Friday, Mr. Trump hosted the GOP leaders of Michigan’s state legislature in Washington.
In a Nov. 21 letter, Ms. McDaniel, the RNC chairwoman, and Michigan state GOP chairwoman Laura Cox had requested a 14-day delay for an audit, arguing that step would allow "all Michiganders to have confidence in the results."
Michigan state officials and legal experts say state law requires the Board of Canvassers to certify before an audit can take place. They note that the board serves in a “ministerial” capacity, meaning it is required by law to certify the election according to the votes certified by counties, and has no investigative powers. An 1887 Michigan court ruling held that the board was not a judicial or quasi judicial body and did not have any means or right to “inquire beyond the returns of the local election boards.”
The wild card in Michigan’s state Board of Canvassers meeting today was Republican member Aaron Van Langevelde, an attorney who works for the GOP caucus in the statehouse. House Speaker Lee Chatfield rattled many Democrats when he told Fox News after coming back from the White House this weekend that if the board delayed certification, it could set off a series of events that could end with GOP legislators appointing a rival slate of electors instead of those who would honor the vote. With Mr. Shinkle having weighed in against certification, all eyes were on Mr. Van Langevelde.
Early in the meeting, he asked Christopher Thomas, a senior adviser to the Detroit elections staff who is widely respected, to confirm that the board is not a court and does not wield judicial power. Mr. Thomas confirmed that characterization, stating unequivocally that the board had no standing to decide legal or constitutional questions. Some speculated that the young GOP member was seeking cover for certifying the result amid the unusual political pressure.
“I cannot remember another example of any election where there was ... partisan strong-arming of officials in the certification process,” says Ms. Patrick, who worked as a federal compliance officer for Arizona’s Maricopa County Elections Department.
Between now and Dec. 1, three additional battleground states must certify their results: Arizona, Nevada, and Wisconsin. If any state misses the Dec. 8 “safe harbor” deadline for certifying their results, that could potentially jeopardize their slate of electors.
Election officials take oath seriously
But Ms. Patrick says she doesn’t think Mr. Trump’s pressure campaign will work, in part because every election official has taken an oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States.
“It’s important for readers to know that the vast majority of individuals who swear that oath believe in it and will strongly defend it,” she says. “Anybody that puts party or personality before country or that oath is a real problem. I think that is at the heart of what will be an issue for our country moving forward.”
On Jan. 6, Vice President Mike Pence, in his capacity as president of the Senate, will receive each elector’s vote for president. If GOP-run state legislatures were to submit a rival slate, it would fall to Congress to determine which one to accept.
Rick Esenberg, a constitutional law scholar and founder of the The Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty, a conservative public interest law firm, says he doesn’t see any basis for Republican legislators to make such a move. Speaking of Wisconsin legislators, he says, “They’re not going to vote to disenfranchise the entire state. And even if they did vote to do that, the [Democratic] governor isn’t going to go along with that.”
Get stories that
empower and uplift daily. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads.
He says the current legal challenges and political maneuvers are “a side show” and will be over soon, brushing off concerns that this could inflict long-lasting damage to the country.
“The American republic is made of sterner stuff,” he says.


csmonitor--2020-11-23--When conscience takes the court

When conscience takes the court

Something shifted in American professional sports this August .
It had been building for years – decades , really .
The message had always been the same : Leave your opinions outside the stadium .
You are here to play a game , not protest .
But after a Black man , Jacob Blake , was shot in the back by police officers in Kenosha , Wisconsin , the sports world erupted .
Across the United States and Canada , games were postponed in every major professional league – the National Basketball Association , the Women ’ s National Basketball @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the National Hockey League , among others .
But what happened ?
As Phil Taylor explores in this week ’ s cover story , 2020 was certainly not the advent of racial tension or activism in sport .
What , then , led to this moment when , in the most consequential way possible ( for sports , at least ) , racial activism was not only tolerated but allowed to supplant the sport itself ?
What shifted , wrote ESPN senior writer Howard Bryant , was the facade that Black players had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fiction that the lived experience of African American athletes could be put aside like a gym bag .
Sports leagues had talked about supporting racial justice ; now was a test .
“ The result is a group of predominantly Black men and women who have decided to tie the rhetoric into a primary demand : They will be allowed to be admired for their wondrous athletic gifts , but accompanying those gifts is their humanity , ” Mr. Bryant wrote .
“ As a job , yes , the players provide entertainment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the bargain .
The accumulation of what is happening to Black people in this country is real , coming at a real cost .
The pain is real .
The responsibility is real.
” Sports leagues are essentially corporations .
Ultimately , they do what is best for the bottom line , so it can be naive to assume too much altruism in any act .
The fact is , a major portion of the NBA ’ s fan base is Black .
Supporting the wildcat strike – in the heat of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there was also undeniably something more than crass fiscal calculations at work .
Polls show that white Americans – mostly those leaning liberal – are rejecting the notion that the plight of Black people is self-made .
There is evidence that , gradually , white Americans are at least beginning to acknowledge the role of systemic racism and the responsibility to do something about it .
In that way , the events of August were notable in that they represented something so difficult for America at the moment – a conversation , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ players and its overwhelmingly white leadership , held for the nation to see and other leagues to follow .
The United States has never undertaken an honest , comprehensive effort at racial reconciliation .
The conversation has happened sporadically , and only when forced by activism .
Sports has rarely been willing to even entertain this conversation .
It took Black athletes reaching their breaking point to bring that change .
As Mr. Bryant wrote , they “ changed the deal ” : “ For a public that expects performance while being indifferent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inside the jerseys , they will be seen in full dimension , or , sometimes , not at all .
”

Something shifted in American professional sports this August.
It had been building for years – decades, really. The message had always been the same: Leave your opinions outside the stadium. You are here to play a game, not protest.
But after a Black man, Jacob Blake, was shot in the back by police officers in Kenosha, Wisconsin, the sports world erupted. Across the United States and Canada, games were postponed in every major professional league – the National Basketball Association, the Women’s National Basketball Association, Major League Baseball, and the National Hockey League, among others.
But what happened? As Phil Taylor explores in this week’s cover story, 2020 was certainly not the advent of racial tension or activism in sport. What, then, led to this moment when, in the most consequential way possible (for sports, at least), racial activism was not only tolerated but allowed to supplant the sport itself?
What shifted, wrote ESPN senior writer Howard Bryant, was the facade that Black players had always been required to construct – the fiction that the lived experience of African American athletes could be put aside like a gym bag. Sports leagues had talked about supporting racial justice; now was a test.
“The result is a group of predominantly Black men and women who have decided to tie the rhetoric into a primary demand: They will be allowed to be admired for their wondrous athletic gifts, but accompanying those gifts is their humanity,” Mr. Bryant wrote. “As a job, yes, the players provide entertainment. As people, no. This is the bargain. The accumulation of what is happening to Black people in this country is real, coming at a real cost. The pain is real. The responsibility is real.”
Sports leagues are essentially corporations. Ultimately, they do what is best for the bottom line, so it can be naive to assume too much altruism in any act. The fact is, a major portion of the NBA’s fan base is Black. Supporting the wildcat strike – in the heat of the moment – made sense.
Yet there was also undeniably something more than crass fiscal calculations at work. Polls show that white Americans – mostly those leaning liberal – are rejecting the notion that the plight of Black people is self-made. There is evidence that, gradually, white Americans are at least beginning to acknowledge the role of systemic racism and the responsibility to do something about it.
Get stories that
empower and uplift daily. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads.
In that way, the events of August were notable in that they represented something so difficult for America at the moment – a conversation, in this case between a majority-Black league of players and its overwhelmingly white leadership, held for the nation to see and other leagues to follow. The United States has never undertaken an honest, comprehensive effort at racial reconciliation. The conversation has happened sporadically, and only when forced by activism. Sports has rarely been willing to even entertain this conversation.
It took Black athletes reaching their breaking point to bring that change. As Mr. Bryant wrote, they “changed the deal”: “For a public that expects performance while being indifferent or hostile to the bodies that live inside the jerseys, they will be seen in full dimension, or, sometimes, not at all.”