alternet--2020-10-07--The Justice Department unleashes prosecutors to potentially intervene in the election

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The Department of Justice has weakened its long-standing prohibition against interfering in elections , according to two department officials .
Avoiding election interference is the overarching principle of DOJ policy on voting-related crimes .
In place since at least 1980 , the policy generally bars prosecutors not only from making any announcement about ongoing investigations close to an election but also from taking public steps — such as an arrest or a raid — before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could tip the balance of a race .
But according to an email sent Friday by an official in the Public Integrity Section in Washington , now if a U.S. attorney 's office suspects election fraud that involves postal workers or military employees , federal investigators will be allowed to take public investigative steps before the polls close , even if those actions risk affecting the outcome of the election .
The email announced “ an exception to the general non-interference with elections policy . ''
The new exemption , the email stated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the integrity of any component of the federal government is implicated by election offenses within the scope of the policy including but not limited to misconduct by federal officials or employees administering an aspect of the voting process through the United States Postal Service , the Department of Defense or any other federal department or agency . ''
Specifically citing postal workers and military employees is noteworthy , former DOJ officials said .
But the exception is written so broadly that it could cover other types of investigations as well , they said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out , in different ways , by President Donald Trump and his campaign for being involved in voter fraud .
Trump has repeatedly attempted to delegitimize ballots sent through the postal service , just as the country experiences increased voting by mail spurred by the coronavirus pandemic .
He has also raised the specter that the ballots of military members , among whom he enjoys broad support , might be suppressed .
The DOJ and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment .
Experts who reviewed the revision said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to help the DOJ bolster Trump 's campaign .
“ It 's unusual that they 're carving out this exception , '' said Vanita Gupta , the former head of the DOJ Civil Rights Division under President Barack Obama .
“ It may be creating a predicate for the Justice Department to make inflated announcements about mail-in vote fraud and the like in the run-up to the election . ''
In a break from long-standing practice last month , a U.S. attorney in Pennsylvania publicly announced that the DOJ was investigating whether local @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ballots .
Attorney General William Barr personally briefed Trump on the case before it was publicly announced , The Washington Post reported .
Trump later cited it as an example to support his claims of widespread mail-in voter fraud , a false assertion Barr has has helped amplify .
It 's not clear where the federal probe stands , but Pennsylvania 's top elections official said early indications point to an error , not fraud .
The new policy carveout , Gupta said , could be designed to both justify the widely criticized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more such moves in the coming weeks .
Justin Levitt , a former deputy assistant attorney general in the DOJ 's civil rights division , also expressed concern that the department could be encouraging prosecutors to make more public announcements about incomplete investigations , as they did in the Pennsylvania case .
“ It alarms me that the DOJ would want to authorize more of the same in and around the election , '' he said .
“ It 's incredibly painful for me to say , but given what we 've seen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ announcements right now . ''
The Friday email was sent to a group of dozens of prosecutors around the country known as district election officers .
They monitor election procedures and take complaints on Election Day from the public about alleged crimes and serve as the federal points of contact for local election officials .
For decades , the work of federal prosecutors has been guided by a strict policy of non-interference in elections .
A 281-page document titled “ Federal Prosecution of Election Offenses '' is the handbook for district election officers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , warns against launching public investigations , without approval granted for extraordinary cases , into alleged fraud before an election is over .
Such a step , the handbook says , “ runs the obvious risk of chilling legitimate voting and campaign activities .
It also runs the significant risk of interjecting the investigation itself as an issue , both in the campaign and in the adjudication of any ensuing election contest . ''
One current DOJ official told ProPublica that prosecutors have historically been warned not to allow themselves to be dragged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what they drill into us : the policy of non-interference and never , ever , ever announce an investigation , '' the official said .

ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox.
The Department of Justice has weakened its long-standing prohibition against interfering in elections, according to two department officials.
Avoiding election interference is the overarching principle of DOJ policy on voting-related crimes. In place since at least 1980, the policy generally bars prosecutors not only from making any announcement about ongoing investigations close to an election but also from taking public steps — such as an arrest or a raid — before a vote is finalized because the publicity could tip the balance of a race.
But according to an email sent Friday by an official in the Public Integrity Section in Washington, now if a U.S. attorney's office suspects election fraud that involves postal workers or military employees, federal investigators will be allowed to take public investigative steps before the polls close, even if those actions risk affecting the outcome of the election.
The email announced “an exception to the general non-interference with elections policy." The new exemption, the email stated, applied to instances in which “the integrity of any component of the federal government is implicated by election offenses within the scope of the policy including but not limited to misconduct by federal officials or employees administering an aspect of the voting process through the United States Postal Service, the Department of Defense or any other federal department or agency."
Specifically citing postal workers and military employees is noteworthy, former DOJ officials said. But the exception is written so broadly that it could cover other types of investigations as well, they said.
Both groups have been falsely singled out, in different ways, by President Donald Trump and his campaign for being involved in voter fraud. Trump has repeatedly attempted to delegitimize ballots sent through the postal service, just as the country experiences increased voting by mail spurred by the coronavirus pandemic. He has also raised the specter that the ballots of military members, among whom he enjoys broad support, might be suppressed.
The DOJ and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Experts who reviewed the revision said they were concerned it could be exploited to help the DOJ bolster Trump's campaign.
“It's unusual that they're carving out this exception," said Vanita Gupta, the former head of the DOJ Civil Rights Division under President Barack Obama. “It may be creating a predicate for the Justice Department to make inflated announcements about mail-in vote fraud and the like in the run-up to the election."
In a break from long-standing practice last month, a U.S. attorney in Pennsylvania publicly announced that the DOJ was investigating whether local elections officials illegally discarded nine mail-in military ballots. Attorney General William Barr personally briefed Trump on the case before it was publicly announced, The Washington Post reported. Trump later cited it as an example to support his claims of widespread mail-in voter fraud, a false assertion Barr has has helped amplify. It's not clear where the federal probe stands, but Pennsylvania's top elections official said early indications point to an error, not fraud.
The new policy carveout, Gupta said, could be designed to both justify the widely criticized Pennsylvania announcement and open the door for more such moves in the coming weeks.
Justin Levitt, a former deputy assistant attorney general in the DOJ's civil rights division, also expressed concern that the department could be encouraging prosecutors to make more public announcements about incomplete investigations, as they did in the Pennsylvania case.
“It alarms me that the DOJ would want to authorize more of the same in and around the election," he said. “It's incredibly painful for me to say, but given what we've seen recently, Americans shouldn't trust DOJ announcements right now."
The Friday email was sent to a group of dozens of prosecutors around the country known as district election officers. They monitor election procedures and take complaints on Election Day from the public about alleged crimes and serve as the federal points of contact for local election officials.
For decades, the work of federal prosecutors has been guided by a strict policy of non-interference in elections.
A 281-page document titled “Federal Prosecution of Election Offenses" is the handbook for district election officers. The latest edition, from 2017, warns against launching public investigations, without approval granted for extraordinary cases, into alleged fraud before an election is over.
Such a step, the handbook says, “runs the obvious risk of chilling legitimate voting and campaign activities. It also runs the significant risk of interjecting the investigation itself as an issue, both in the campaign and in the adjudication of any ensuing election contest."
One current DOJ official told ProPublica that prosecutors have historically been warned not to allow themselves to be dragged into candidate disputes. “That's what they drill into us: the policy of non-interference and never, ever, ever announce an investigation," the official said.


alternet--2020-10-09--Top Trump donor and former RNC finance chair charged in foreign lobbying scheme

At top donor to Donald Trump became the third National Republican Committee finance chair since 2017 to run into legal trouble .
Federal prosecutors charged Elliott Broidy Thursday with an elaborate money-making scheme to pocket millions by illegally lobbying the U.S. government on behalf of a wide array of foreign entities , according to TPM .
Washington , D.C. prosecutors charged that Broidy had used his direct access to Trump `` to orchestrate back-channel , unregistered campaigns to lobby the Administration and DOJ . ''
The disclosure by federal prosecutors suggests Broidy is preparing to plead guilty to the charges @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effort to get the Justice Department to drop an investigation into a Malaysian scheme to bilk billions from a state-run fund named 1Malaysia Development Bhd.
, or 1MDB .
TPM reports that Trump also `` pushed the Trump administration to extradite an exiled Chinese billionaire living in Manhattan who had become bothersome to Beijing . ''
Frankly , Broidy had an array of questionable endeavors in the works when federal authorities raided his offices last year .
In 2018 , Broidy had resigned his post as an Republican National Convention ( RNC ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was making payments in a $ 1.6 million hush-money deal with a former Playboy model .
In 2017 , the RNC rolled out four auspicious members of its finance committee under Trump 's leadership : Steve Wynn , Michael Cohen , Louis DeJoy , and Broidy .
Wynn , a wealthy hotelier , resigned his RNC finance post in early 2018 after being accused of sexual misconduct .
He became the subject of multiple lawsuits , some of which settled while others were dismissed .
The Washington Post reports that Wynn has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Cohen , of course , pleaded guilty to multiple criminal counts and served prison time .
He also played a role in securing the $ 1.6 million hush-money deal for Broidy .
And DeJoy—now the embattled U.S. postmaster general—while not facing immediate legal trouble , is under investigation by Congress for potentially violating campaign finance laws .
Only the best people .

At top donor to Donald Trump became the third National Republican Committee finance chair since 2017 to run into legal trouble.
Federal prosecutors charged Elliott Broidy Thursday with an elaborate money-making scheme to pocket millions by illegally lobbying the U.S. government on behalf of a wide array of foreign entities, according to TPM. Washington, D.C. prosecutors charged that Broidy had used his direct access to Trump "to orchestrate back-channel, unregistered campaigns to lobby the Administration and DOJ." The disclosure by federal prosecutors suggests Broidy is preparing to plead guilty to the charges soon.
Broidy's lobbying included an effort to get the Justice Department to drop an investigation into a Malaysian scheme to bilk billions from a state-run fund named 1Malaysia Development Bhd., or 1MDB. TPM reports that Trump also "pushed the Trump administration to extradite an exiled Chinese billionaire living in Manhattan who had become bothersome to Beijing."
Frankly, Broidy had an array of questionable endeavors in the works when federal authorities raided his offices last year. In 2018, Broidy had resigned his post as an Republican National Convention (RNC) deputy finance chair after it was revealed he was making payments in a $1.6 million hush-money deal with a former Playboy model.
In 2017, the RNC rolled out four auspicious members of its finance committee under Trump's leadership: Steve Wynn, Michael Cohen, Louis DeJoy, and Broidy.
Wynn, a wealthy hotelier, resigned his RNC finance post in early 2018 after being accused of sexual misconduct. He became the subject of multiple lawsuits, some of which settled while others were dismissed. The Washington Post reports that Wynn has cooperated with investigators in Broidy's case. Cohen, of course, pleaded guilty to multiple criminal counts and served prison time. He also played a role in securing the $1.6 million hush-money deal for Broidy. And DeJoy—now the embattled U.S. postmaster general—while not facing immediate legal trouble, is under investigation by Congress for potentially violating campaign finance laws.
Only the best people.


alternet--2020-10-08--Europe leads record single-day worldwide COVID infection surge

The World Health Organization reported a record one-day increase in global coronavirus infections on Thursday , with 338,779 new cases registered in the past 24 hours .
According to Reuters , the record single-day surge is largely driven by 96,996 new cases in Europe , which is now reporting more new cases than the United States , India , and Brazil—the world 's three most infected countries .
India reported 78,524 new Covid-19 cases , followed by Brazil with 41,906 new infections , and the United States , with 38,904 new cases .
Covid-19 cases rose in 54 countries , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and several European nations including France and Britain , which recorded record numbers of coronavirus infections .
`` We are seeing a definite and sustained increase in cases and admissions to hospital , '' Dr. Yvonne Doyle , medical director for Public Health England , told Reuters .
`` The trend is clear , and it is very concerning . ''
The WHO reported Thursday that the worldwide Covid-19 death toll rose by 5,514 to 1.05 million , with a global total of just over 36 million cases since the beginning of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leads the world in total Covid-19 cases—over 7.8 million people , or 2.38 % of the population , have been infected , including President Donald Trump—and deaths , with over 217,000 fatalities .
Across the U.S. , 39 states reported increases in infections on Wednesday , with six states—Montana , Nebraska , North Dakota , South Dakota , Wisconsin , and Wyoming—registering record Covid-19 hospitalizations .
`` We 're in a crisis right now and need to immediately change our behavior to save lives , '' said Wisconsin Gov .
Tony Evers , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the state to limit occupancy to 25 % of capacity .
`` There 's no other way to put it , we are overwhelmed . ''

The World Health Organization reported a record one-day increase in global coronavirus infections on Thursday, with 338,779 new cases registered in the past 24 hours.
According toReuters, the record single-day surge is largely driven by 96,996 new cases in Europe, which is now reporting more new cases than the United States, India, and Brazil—the world's three most infected countries. India reported 78,524 new Covid-19 cases, followed by Brazil with 41,906 new infections, and the United States, with 38,904 new cases.
Covid-19 cases rose in 54 countries, with surges occurring in Argentina, Canada, and several European nations including France and Britain, which recorded record numbers of coronavirus infections.
"We are seeing a definite and sustained increase in cases and admissions to hospital," Dr. Yvonne Doyle, medical director for Public Health England, told Reuters. "The trend is clear, and it is very concerning."
The WHO reported Thursday that the worldwide Covid-19 death toll rose by 5,514 to 1.05 million, with a global total of just over 36 million cases since the beginning of the pandemic.
The United States still leads the world in total Covid-19 cases—over 7.8 million people, or 2.38% of the population, have been infected, including President Donald Trump—and deaths, with over 217,000 fatalities. Across the U.S., 39 states reported increases in infections on Wednesday, with six states—Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Wyoming—registering record Covid-19 hospitalizations.
"We're in a crisis right now and need to immediately change our behavior to save lives," said Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, who on Tuesday ordered bars and restaurants in the state to limit occupancy to 25% of capacity. "There's no other way to put it, we are overwhelmed."


alternet--2020-10-08--Mike Pence went down in a blizzard of lies when pressed on the Trump coronavirus response

Vice President Mike Pence repeatedly made false claims about the Trump administration 's coronavirus response as he dodged , interrupted and obfuscated through the vice presidential debate on Wednesday .
Though the lone vice presidential debate was far more civil than the mind-melting presidential debate last week , it was not much different in substance .
Moderator Susan Page , the Washington bureau chief for USA Today , asked Pence and Democratic nominee Kamala Harris about a range of important issues but completely failed to press the candidates to actually respond to her questions .
That allowed Pence to repeatedly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ answer about Trump 's health , racial justice and even abortion .
Pence also refused to say what he would do if Trump rejected a peaceful transition of power , instead echoing the president 's false claims about virtually non-existent voter fraud .
The two candidates were divided by plexiglass barriers after President Donald Trump and numerous top aides tested positive for the coronavirus following a possible `` super spreader '' White House event where Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett was formally announced .
Pence 's unusually red eyes prompted speculation about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' and he was instantly turned into a meme when a fly sat on his head for a full two minutes during one of the segments .
Harris also dodged questions throughout the night as she was repeatedly interrupted by Pence .
CBS News found that Pence interrupted Harris twice as much as she interrupted him .
Despite avoiding questions about Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden 's health and whether the ticket supports expanding the Supreme Court , fact-checkers concluded that Harris was far more honest than her Republican opponent , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Trump administration 's coronavirus response .
Pence heads the chair of the White House Coronavirus Task Force .
Harris called the response to the pandemic the `` greatest failure of any presidential administration , '' repeatedly pointing out the mounting death toll in the U.S. Pence responded by bizarrely claiming that the Obama-Biden response to the H1N1 swine flu in 2009 was a bigger `` failure , '' because that virus infected 60 million people .
But the swine flu was far less dangerous than the coronavirus , which has killed more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ By comparison , fewer than 13,000 Americans died from the swine flu .
Because it was less deadly , it did not require a lockdown , which allowed the virus to spread wider than the coronavirus has thus far .
The regular flu typically infects more than 35 million people each year and kills far more people than swine flu did in 2009 .
Pence also falsely claimed that Trump `` suspended all travel from China , '' which he did not , and that Biden called the executive order restricting some travel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he did not .
And he falsely claimed that Trump did not dismantle an Obama-era National Security Council pandemic preparedness team .
Pence also exaggerated the speed at which a vaccine would become available and made misleading claims about the economic recovery while praising Trump for the $ 4 trillion in coronavirus relief approved by Congress .
One day earlier , Trump announced that he would end negotiations to provide additional relief for Americans despite dire warnings from Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell .
Pence also falsely claimed that the apparent White House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' even though some parts took place inside the White House .
Pence later falsely claimed that `` President Trump and I have a plan to improve health care and to protect pre-existing conditions for all Americans , '' even though the administration has sought to strike down pre-existing condition protections under Obamacare in the courts and has released Pence claimed that Trump would `` continue listen to the science '' on climate change , even though the president has called climate change a Chinese hoax and has worked to undo regulations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ falsely claimed that the U.S. has reduced CO2 emissions more than the countries in the Paris Accord , even though most European countries have seen declines twice as large .
He additionally falsely claimed that Biden wants to `` ban fracking , '' which Biden and Harris have repeatedly denied .
Pence also echoed Trump 's baseless claims that mail voting would `` create massive opportunity for voter fraud . ''
Harris made a few false and misleading claims as well , claiming that Biden would repeal Trump 's tax cuts on `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for preserving some of the tax cuts and any repeal would require an act of Congress .
She also claimed that the manufacturing sector was still in a recession , even though it appears to have ebbed .
With a far calmer demeanor than his running mate , Pence `` took a number of flimsy claims out of the Trump playbook , although he often delivered them more deftly , '' Washington Post 's fact-checkers noted .
`` I think the whopper of the night was Vice President Pence 's claim that they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fact-checker Daniel Dale said .
`` I mean , it 's vague , but this was on the subject of the pandemic .
.
.
It 's not a specific policy claim or something , but that , to me , was egregious . ''
Harris used her time to push back on Pence 's claims and argue that Biden did not support fracking nor the Green New Deal .
`` Harris used the debate to pursue two goals : to reassure voters that she and Mr. Biden are not as liberal as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she embraced during the Democratic primaries , and to carry out a persistent set of attacks against the Trump administration , '' The New York Times reported .
A poll by CNN found that 59 % of voters believed Harris won the debate , while 38 % thought Pence was the victor .
There was a stark gender divide : About 69 % of women said Harris won the debate compared to 48 % of men .
During a CNN panel following the debate , political analyst Gloria Borger pointed out that Pence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , `` Mr. Vice President , I 'm speaking . ''
`` And then he would sort of plow ahead , '' Borger said .
`` And I think that women watching that .
.
.
are going to say , 'Wait a minute , he 's — ' '' Before Borger could finish her thought , former Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum interrupted her .
`` Do n't make the claim he interrupted her repeatedly , because he did n't interrupt her repeatedly , '' he said .

Vice President Mike Pence repeatedly made false claims about the Trump administration's coronavirus response as he dodged, interrupted and obfuscated through the vice presidential debate on Wednesday.
Though the lone vice presidential debate was far more civil than the mind-melting presidential debate last week, it was not much different in substance. Moderator Susan Page, the Washington bureau chief for USA Today, asked Pence and Democratic nominee Kamala Harris about a range of important issues but completely failed to press the candidates to actually respond to her questions. That allowed Pence to repeatedly dodge questions he did not want to answer about Trump's health, racial justice and even abortion.
Pence also refused to say what he would do if Trump rejected a peaceful transition of power, instead echoing the president's false claims about virtually non-existent voter fraud.
The two candidates were divided by plexiglass barriers after President Donald Trump and numerous top aides tested positive for the coronavirus following a possible "super spreader" White House event where Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett was formally announced. Pence's unusually red eyes prompted speculation about whether he had "COVID pink eye," and he was instantly turned into a meme when a fly sat on his head for a full two minutes during one of the segments.
Harris also dodged questions throughout the night as she was repeatedly interrupted by Pence. CBS News found that Pence interrupted Harris twice as much as she interrupted him. Despite avoiding questions about Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden's health and whether the ticket supports expanding the Supreme Court, fact-checkers concluded that Harris was far more honest than her Republican opponent, who repeatedly made false and misleading claims about the Trump administration's coronavirus response. Pence heads the chair of the White House Coronavirus Task Force.
Harris called the response to the pandemic the "greatest failure of any presidential administration," repeatedly pointing out the mounting death toll in the U.S. Pence responded by bizarrely claiming that the Obama-Biden response to the H1N1 swine flu in 2009 was a bigger "failure," because that virus infected 60 million people.
But the swine flu was far less dangerous than the coronavirus, which has killed more than 211,000 people in the US. By comparison, fewer than 13,000 Americans died from the swine flu. Because it was less deadly, it did not require a lockdown, which allowed the virus to spread wider than the coronavirus has thus far. The regular flu typically infects more than 35 million people each year and kills far more people than swine flu did in 2009.
Pence also falsely claimed that Trump "suspended all travel from China," which he did not, and that Biden called the executive order restricting some travel from China "xenophobic," which he did not. And he falsely claimed that Trump did not dismantle an Obama-era National Security Council pandemic preparedness team.
Pence also exaggerated the speed at which a vaccine would become available and made misleading claims about the economic recovery while praising Trump for the $4 trillion in coronavirus relief approved by Congress. One day earlier, Trump announced that he would end negotiations to provide additional relief for Americans despite dire warnings from Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell.
Pence also falsely claimed that the apparent White House suprerspreader event was an "outdoor event," even though some parts took place inside the White House.
Pence later falsely claimed that "President Trump and I have a plan to improve health care and to protect pre-existing conditions for all Americans," even though the administration has sought to strike down pre-existing condition protections under Obamacare in the courts and has released
Pence claimed that Trump would "continue listen to the science" on climate change, even though the president has called climate change a Chinese hoax and has worked to undo regulations aimed at cutting greenhouse gases. He falsely claimed that the U.S. has reduced CO2 emissions more than the countries in the Paris Accord, even though most European countries have seen declines twice as large. He additionally falsely claimed that Biden wants to "ban fracking," which Biden and Harris have repeatedly denied.
Pence also echoed Trump's baseless claims that mail voting would "create massive opportunity for voter fraud."
Harris made a few false and misleading claims as well, claiming that Biden would repeal Trump's tax cuts on "day one." His plan calls for preserving some of the tax cuts and any repeal would require an act of Congress. She also claimed that the manufacturing sector was still in a recession, even though it appears to have ebbed.
With a far calmer demeanor than his running mate, Pence "took a number of flimsy claims out of the Trump playbook, although he often delivered them more deftly," Washington Post's fact-checkers noted.
"I think the whopper of the night was Vice President Pence's claim that they always tell the truth," CNN fact-checker Daniel Dale said. "I mean, it's vague, but this was on the subject of the pandemic . . . It's not a specific policy claim or something, but that, to me, was egregious."
Harris used her time to push back on Pence's claims and argue that Biden did not support fracking nor the Green New Deal.
"Harris used the debate to pursue two goals: to reassure voters that she and Mr. Biden are not as liberal as Republicans claim, including by disavowing policies she embraced during the Democratic primaries, and to carry out a persistent set of attacks against the Trump administration," The New York Times reported.
A poll by CNN found that 59% of voters believed Harris won the debate, while 38% thought Pence was the victor. There was a stark gender divide: About 69% of women said Harris won the debate compared to 48% of men.
During a CNN panel following the debate, political analyst Gloria Borger pointed out that Pence repeatedly interrupted Harris. She kept saying, "Mr. Vice President, I'm speaking."
"And then he would sort of plow ahead," Borger said. "And I think that women watching that . . . are going to say, 'Wait a minute, he's —'"
Before Borger could finish her thought, former Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum interrupted her.
"Don't make the claim he interrupted her repeatedly, because he didn't interrupt her repeatedly," he said.
"Mr. Santorum," Borger replied. "I'm speaking."


alternet--2020-10-08--This is why we should just cancel the remaining 2020 debates

Wednesday night 's debate between Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Kamala Harris — the first and only vice presidential debate of this campaign — actually changed my mind about the 2020 election .
After last week 's disastrous joke of a debate between former vice president Joe Biden and President Trump , I somehow remained onboard with holding the remaining debates as scheduled , if for no other reason than to allow Americans a sense of normalcy and order in what has otherwise been a chaotic and upending year .
Yeah , no .
`` Normal '' is what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Thursday morning that he would not participate in next week 's town-hall debate with Biden , after the debate commission announced plans to hold it remotely , may actually be a blessing .
( If the president can be counted on not to change his mind , which of course he can not . )
In the event , both `` debates '' to this point have been pathetic .
No one actually answers questions , and the moderators have shown no will to actually moderate .
More specifically , the matchup @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for its historical first — with the first Black woman and first Asian-American on such a debate stage , embodied in the same person — but perhaps even more so because it should never have occurred .
As , Pence 's `` very presence [ was ] an affront to the rest of the country is supposed to be following . ''
The vice president 's did n't help buttress CDC Director Robert Redfeld 's absurd claim that Pence could n't be considered a `` close contact '' of President Trump , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after his debate with Biden last week , giving Pence the all-clear to appear on the debate stage in Salt Lake City .
Top brass at the Pentagon are quarantining after at least two high-ranking military officers tested positive for the coronavirus in the past week .
More people in Trump 's orbit have tested positive in that time period than in all of Taiwan .
Still , second lady Karen Pence insisted on appearing inside the debate hall and the vice president posed for pictures in definitively close contact with former Wisconsin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ without a mask .
Even though debate moderator Susan Page , USA Today 's Washington bureau chief , opened on the topic of the coronavirus , the question was pointed first at Harris .
When the question of whether the White House was being remotely honest about Trump 's medical condition was posed to Pence , Page allowed him to filibuster and what-about his way out of an answer .
Like the trained politician he is , Pence was able to adeptly weave most of his non-answers back to his push to confirm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Supreme Court .
As a recent poll showed a 15-point margin in favor of confirming Barrett , the hard push seems to be working with voters , perhaps the only real bright spot for Republicans in recent political news .
Of course Pence lied — profusely .
As with his boss , the vice president 's penchant for untruths is a given .
But Page , a frequent panelist on Fox News ' `` Special Report With Bret Baier , '' somehow did an even worse job at attempting to hold the candidates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wallace did last week .
She brought up foreign policy , only to ignore Afghanistan days after a sobering new report about children of U.S. service members replacing their parents on the battlefield .
Page brought up the possible or likely reversal of Roe v. Wade in a manner that allowed Pence to evade the answer , on the same day it was reported that the specialty drug cocktail Trump received as part of his COVID-19 regimen includes an antibody treatment first tested using cells derived from an abortion procedure , exactly the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to shut down on the federal level .
The issue of immigration was ignored and LGBTQ rights were never mentioned — the second time for a vice presidential debate featuring Pence , who as governor of Indiana signed anti-trans legislation into law .
For her part , Harris evaded the question of whether a potential Biden administration would `` pack '' the Supreme Court ( that is , expand it ) — and that provided the most promising moment for progressives of the whole night .
Even as she was obviously trying to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like tax hikes and fracking — Pence correctly observed that she opposed the latter during her own presidential campaign — Harris avoided the trap of unequivocally backing away from expanding the high court in response to Republicans ' likely confirmation of Barrett .
That question is a purely political ploy , staged by people who all gave straightforward answers on filling an election-year opening , and then unanimously broke their promises .
After all , Republicans still have n't explained how they plan to provide Americans with health insurance if they succeed in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ How many times , exactly , as Trump promised a `` great plan '' ? )
The pseudo-issue of `` court-packing '' is simply a demand that Democrats give up their leverage .
Harris correctly turned the question around to Mitch McConnell 's brutal remaking of the federal courts by stuffing them with underqualified right-wing white men .
Otherwise this debate was worse than useless .
Harris was supposed to prosecute the case against Trump , but could n't get a straight answer out of Pence .
It was noteworthy that Pence was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The pair of running mates agreed on too much for my comfort , perhaps fueled by Pence 's unctuous politeness .
It reminded me how inhibited by their donors Democrats remain .
Too often , Harris sold an upcoming Biden administration as Republican-lite .
On tax hikes , Harris reminded us that the Biden plan raises the rate to $ 400,000 from $ 250,000 under Obama .
On fracking , Harris , who formerly supported the Green New Deal legislation authored by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , D-N.Y. , and Sen. Ed Markey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the inadequacies of Biden 's climate plan .
While this is a function of Electoral College politics , the notion that you have to defend the environmentally devastating process of fracking to win Pennsylvania is n't backed by the most recent polling , or even by the general trend line .
An August of Pennsylvanians found that a majority of voters now opposes fracking , and more recent in the Keystone State appear to show .
If Trump 's intransigence means the remaining debates are scrubbed , that will stand as one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ least that means no more people will be infected by the reckless president and his entourage .

Wednesday night's debate between Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Kamala Harris — the first and only vice presidential debate of this campaign — actually changed my mind about the 2020 election.
After last week's disastrous joke of a debate between former vice president Joe Biden and President Trump, I somehow remained onboard with holding the remaining debates as scheduled, if for no other reason than to allow Americans a sense of normalcy and order in what has otherwise been a chaotic and upending year.
Yeah, no. "Normal" is what landed us here. Trump's announcement on Thursday morning that he would not participate in next week's town-hall debate with Biden, after the debate commission announced plans to hold it remotely, may actually be a blessing. (If the president can be counted on not to change his mind, which of course he cannot.)
In the event, both "debates" to this point have been pathetic. No one actually answers questions, and the moderators have shown no will to actually moderate. More specifically, the matchup between Harris and Pence will be remembered for its historical first — with the first Black woman and first Asian-American on such a debate stage, embodied in the same person — but perhaps even more so because it should never have occurred.
As PressWatch and Salon columnist Dan Froomkin wrote ahead of Wednesday's debate , Pence's "very presence [was] an affront to public health guidance the rest of the country is supposed to be following." The vice president's reddened left eye didn't help buttress CDC Director Robert Redfeld's absurd claim that Pence couldn't be considered a "close contact" of President Trump, who confirmed he had tested positive for COVID-19 after his debate with Biden last week, giving Pence the all-clear to appear on the debate stage in Salt Lake City.
Top brass at the Pentagon are quarantining after at least two high-ranking military officers tested positive for the coronavirus in the past week. More people in Trump's orbit have tested positive in that time period than in all of Taiwan . Still, second lady Karen Pence insisted on appearing inside the debate hall maskless, and the vice president posed for pictures in definitively close contact with former Wisconsin governor Scott Walker — of course, without a mask.
Even though debate moderator Susan Page, USA Today's Washington bureau chief, opened on the topic of the coronavirus, the question was pointed first at Harris. When the question of whether the White House was being remotely honest about Trump's medical condition was posed to Pence, Page allowed him to filibuster and what-about his way out of an answer. Like the trained politician he is, Pence was able to adeptly weave most of his non-answers back to his push to confirm right-wing jurist Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. As a recent poll showed a 15-point margin in favor of confirming Barrett, the hard push seems to be working with voters, perhaps the only real bright spot for Republicans in recent political news.
Of course Pence lied — profusely. As with his boss, the vice president's penchant for untruths is a given. But Page, a frequent panelist on Fox News' "Special Report With Bret Baier," somehow did an even worse job at attempting to hold the candidates to account than Fox News' Chris Wallace did last week. She brought up foreign policy, only to ignore Afghanistan days after a sobering new report about children of U.S. service members replacing their parents on the battlefield.
Page brought up the possible or likely reversal of Roe v. Wade in a manner that allowed Pence to evade the answer, on the same day it was reported that the specialty drug cocktail Trump received as part of his COVID-19 regimen includes an antibody treatment first tested using cells derived from an abortion procedure, exactly the sort of stem-cell science Pence has attempted to shut down on the federal level. The issue of immigration was ignored and LGBTQ rights were never mentioned — the second time for a vice presidential debate featuring Pence, who as governor of Indiana signed anti-trans legislation into law.
For her part, Harris evaded the question of whether a potential Biden administration would "pack" the Supreme Court (that is, expand it) — and that provided the most promising moment for progressives of the whole night.
Even as she was obviously trying to walk a Biden-esque middle road on issues like tax hikes and fracking — Pence correctly observed that she opposed the latter during her own presidential campaign — Harris avoided the trap of unequivocally backing away from expanding the high court in response to Republicans' likely confirmation of Barrett. That question is a purely political ploy, staged by people who all gave straightforward answers on filling an election-year opening, and then unanimously broke their promises. After all, Republicans still haven't explained how they plan to provide Americans with health insurance if they succeed in repealing the Affordable Care Act. (How many times, exactly, as Trump promised a "great plan"?) The pseudo-issue of "court-packing" is simply a demand that Democrats give up their leverage. Harris correctly turned the question around to Mitch McConnell's brutal remaking of the federal courts by stuffing them with underqualified right-wing white men.
Otherwise this debate was worse than useless.
Harris was supposed to prosecute the case against Trump, but couldn't get a straight answer out of Pence. It was noteworthy that Pence was the only one who brought up impeachment.
The pair of running mates agreed on too much for my comfort, perhaps fueled by Pence's unctuous politeness. It reminded me how inhibited by their donors Democrats remain. Too often, Harris sold an upcoming Biden administration as Republican-lite.
On tax hikes, Harris reminded us that the Biden plan raises the rate to $400,000 from $250,000 under Obama. On fracking, Harris, who formerly supported the Green New Deal legislation authored by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., was left to brag about the inadequacies of Biden's climate plan. While this is a function of Electoral College politics, the notion that you have to defend the environmentally devastating process of fracking to win Pennsylvania isn't backed by the most recent polling, or even by the general trend line. An August CBS/YouGov poll of Pennsylvanians found that a majority of voters now opposes fracking, and more recent polls in the Keystone State appear to show that opposition is growing .
If Trump's intransigence means the remaining debates are scrubbed, that will stand as one of his few positive accomplishments. At least that means no more people will be infected by the reckless president and his entourage.


alternet--2020-10-08--Pence cancels planned trip for mysterious reasons

Vice President Mike Pence has just canceled a scheduled trip with Second Lady Karen Pence to visit their home state @ @ @ @ @ were slated to travel to Indiana to cast their ballots in the presidential election .
@ @ @ @ @ no explanation , '' the press pool notes , as to why the trip will @ @ @ @ @ , but says the trip has been `` postponed . ''
No new date has @ @ @ @ @ 's sick , '' Pence spokesperson Devin O'Malley says , according to New York magazine @ @ @ @ @ There 's no positive tests .
The VP is planning on travelling on Saturday and @ @ @ @ @ more information on the vice president 's schedule next week soon . ''
The Vice @ @ @ @ @ a `` Make America Great Again '' rally , one day after being accused of @ @ @ @ @ night 's debate by a CNN medical analyst .

Vice President Mike Pence has just canceled a scheduled trip with Second Lady Karen Pence to visit their home state of Indiana.
The Pences were slated to travel to Indiana to cast their ballots in the presidential election. The White House offered "no explanation," the press pool notes, as to why the trip will not take place as scheduled, but says the trip has been "postponed." No new date has been announced.
"Nobody's sick," Pence spokesperson Devin O'Malley says, according to New York magazine's Olivia Nuzzi. "There's no positive tests. The VP is planning on travelling on Saturday and Monday. We'll have more information on the vice president's schedule next week soon."
The Vice President this evening will hold a "Make America Great Again" rally, one day after being accused of having pink eye at Wednesday night's debate by a CNN medical analyst.


alternet--2020-10-08--'A shameless stunt': Critics are horrified at Trump's mad dash to use government funds to save his c

'A shameless stunt': Critics are horrified at Trump's mad dash to use government funds to save his campaign

If President Donald Trump loses to former Vice President Joe Biden in this year 's presidential election , two of the main reasons are likely to be his response to his COVID-19 pandemic and his health care policy — specifically , Trump 's push to eliminate the Affordable Care Act and its protections for people with preexisting conditions .
One desperate move that Trump is making in the hope of saving his campaign is promising senior citizens drug discount cards , and Politico 's Dan Diamond is reporting that Trump wants them to be available before November 3 .
Caught @ @ @ @ @ @ @ promise to deliver drug-discount cards to seniors , health officials are scrambling to get the nearly $ 8 billion plan done by Election Day , according to five officials and draft documents obtained by Politico .
The taxpayer-funded plan , which was only announced two weeks ago and is being justified inside the White House and the Health Department as a test of the Medicare program , is being driven by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Seema Verma and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows , the officials said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , `` would resemble credit cards '' and `` would need to be used at pharmacies '' — and they `` would be paid for by tapping Medicare 's trust fund . ''
Politico has obtained a copy of a draft proposal for the plan that has been circulated in the White House , and according to the proposal , `` The goal is to begin the test by distributing cards starting in October 2020 . ''
Trump 's idea for drug discount cards for seniors comes at a time when many polls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And Rep. Frank Pallone , the Democrat who chairs the House Energy and Commerce Committee , is n't the least bit impressed by the proposal .
Pallone told Politico , `` It 's a shameless stunt that steals billions from Medicare in order to fund a legally dubious scheme that 's clearly intended to benefit President Trump 's campaign right before Election Day . ''
An official for the Department of Health and Human Services , quoted anonymously , told Politico , `` It 's turning into this last-minute , thrown-together thing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Politico said , `` This is a solution in search of a problem and a bald play for votes in the form of money in pockets . ''
Stacie Dusetzina , a professor at Vanderbilt University who has studied Medicare 's drug program , went over the draft proposal — and Dusetzina told Politico , `` There are a lot of things that seem problematic .
It 's an incredibly large amount of money to be spending , ( and ) it 's not really solving any systemic problem . ''
Twitter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's article and Trump 's drug card proposal .
Juliette Cubanski , deputy director of the Program on Medicare Policy , tweeted , `` A lot of people with Medicare might appreciate receiving a $ 200 drug discount card , but this does n't do anything to address the persistent problem of rising drug prices .
And for those taking expensive drugs who struggle to pay their monthly copays , $ 200 wo n't go very far . ''
Twitter user @ ColorFiend wrote , `` Trump is bribing seniors to vote for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ director of Writer Unboxed ) , posted , `` Too bad he kneecapped usps , huh ? ''
— a reference to problems in the United States Postal Service that have occurred under Trump 's postmaster general , Louis DeJoy .
And another Twitter user , Gordon G. Forbes , wrote , `` Any voter that can be bought for $ 200 is a cheap date , or an easy mark .
But Trump knows his base . ''

If President Donald Trump loses to former Vice President Joe Biden in this year's presidential election, two of the main reasons are likely to be his response to his COVID-19 pandemic and his health care policy — specifically, Trump's push to eliminate the Affordable Care Act and its protections for people with preexisting conditions. One desperate move that Trump is making in the hope of saving his campaign is promising senior citizens drug discount cards, and Politico's Dan Diamond is reporting that Trump wants them to be available before November 3.
Diamond reports:
Caught by surprise by President Donald Trump's promise to deliver drug-discount cards to seniors, health officials are scrambling to get the nearly $8 billion plan done by Election Day, according to five officials and draft documents obtained by Politico. The taxpayer-funded plan, which was only announced two weeks ago and is being justified inside the White House and the Health Department as a test of the Medicare program, is being driven by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Seema Verma and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, the officials said.
The $200 cards, Diamond notes, "would resemble credit cards" and "would need to be used at pharmacies" — and they "would be paid for by tapping Medicare's trust fund."
Politico has obtained a copy of a draft proposal for the plan that has been circulated in the White House, and according to the proposal, "The goal is to begin the test by distributing cards starting in October 2020."
Trump's idea for drug discount cards for seniors comes at a time when many polls are showing his support among seniors falling. And Rep. Frank Pallone, the Democrat who chairs the House Energy and Commerce Committee, isn't the least bit impressed by the proposal. Pallone told Politico, "It's a shameless stunt that steals billions from Medicare in order to fund a legally dubious scheme that's clearly intended to benefit President Trump's campaign right before Election Day."
An official for the Department of Health and Human Services, quoted anonymously, told Politico, "It's turning into this last-minute, thrown-together thing." And another HHS official interviewed by Politico said, "This is a solution in search of a problem and a bald play for votes in the form of money in pockets."
Stacie Dusetzina, a professor at Vanderbilt University who has studied Medicare's drug program, went over the draft proposal — and Dusetzina told Politico, "There are a lot of things that seem problematic. It's an incredibly large amount of money to be spending, (and) it's not really solving any systemic problem."
Twitter has had plenty of reactions to Diamond's article and Trump's drug card proposal. Juliette Cubanski, deputy director of the Program on Medicare Policy, tweeted, "A lot of people with Medicare might appreciate receiving a $200 drug discount card, but this doesn't do anything to address the persistent problem of rising drug prices. And for those taking expensive drugs who struggle to pay their monthly copays, $200 won't go very far."
Twitter user @ColorFiend wrote, "Trump is bribing seniors to vote for him, while Therese Walsh (editorial director of Writer Unboxed), posted, "Too bad he kneecapped usps, huh?" — a reference to problems in the United States Postal Service that have occurred under Trump's postmaster general, Louis DeJoy. And another Twitter user, Gordon G. Forbes, wrote, "Any voter that can be bought for $200 is a cheap date, or an easy mark. But Trump knows his base."


alternet--2020-10-08--White House continues the world's most obvious cover-up

My goodness , the White House really , really does n't want the public to know when Donald Trump last tested negative for COVID-19 .
Reporters once again tried to pin down an official—in this case White House Director of Strategic Communications Alyssa Farah—on this question , and once again got an impressive display of dodging and evading in response .
`` I ca n't reveal that at this time , '' Farah answered to a direct question about the date of Trump 's last negative .
`` Doctors would like to keep it private . ''
[ Here pause @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Robertson reports that Farah 's responses to follow-ups included `` My understanding is that it 's his private medical history '' and `` I 'm happy to raise that to the doctors , but my understanding is that we 're not making it public . ''
This is n't about the doctors .
This is about Trump having something to hide—quite possibly that Trump knew he was positive , or at least that he had been exposed , before the debate .
Presidents traditionally give out more health information than average people because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public interest to know whether the leader of the country is healthy , and because part of what you trade for power is the responsibility to be transparent .
But Trump is extremely afraid to have information about his health become public even though , in this case , we know his diagnosis .
It 's not like reporters are digging around to find out whether he has syphilis and if so , where he contracted it .
They just want to know 1 ) a reliable timeline for the disease he has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a little bit more about how much the White House had previously been lying to the public about how often Trump was being tested for the coronavirus .
And , okay , whether Trump knowingly debated and campaigned while infectious .
That too .
Trump 's doctor is being evasive , but it 's not that the doctor has some deep medical reason for wishing to keep the date of Trump 's last negative test a secret .
It 's that Trump , who made doctors sign nondisclosure agreements during his very weird @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , is hiding something and his doctor is following Trump 's wishes .
It 's one of the most obvious cover-ups in history , but the White House is sticking with it .

My goodness, the White House really, really doesn't want the public to know when Donald Trump last tested negative for COVID-19. Reporters once again tried to pin down an official—in this case White House Director of Strategic Communications Alyssa Farah—on this question, and once again got an impressive display of dodging and evading in response.
"I can't reveal that at this time," Farah answered to a direct question about the date of Trump's last negative. "Doctors would like to keep it private." [Here pause to scoff.]
Pool reporter Noah Robertson reports that Farah's responses to follow-ups included "My understanding is that it's his private medical history" and "I'm happy to raise that to the doctors, but my understanding is that we're not making it public."
This isn't about the doctors. This is about Trump having something to hide—quite possibly that Trump knew he was positive, or at least that he had been exposed, before the debate. Presidents traditionally give out more health information than average people because they understand that it's in the public interest to know whether the leader of the country is healthy, and because part of what you trade for power is the responsibility to be transparent.
But Trump is extremely afraid to have information about his health become public even though, in this case, we know his diagnosis. It's not like reporters are digging around to find out whether he has syphilis and if so, where he contracted it. They just want to know 1) a reliable timeline for the disease he has publicly talked about having and 2) a little bit more about how much the White House had previously been lying to the public about how often Trump was being tested for the coronavirus. And, okay, whether Trump knowingly debated and campaigned while infectious. That too.
Trump's doctor is being evasive, but it's not that the doctor has some deep medical reason for wishing to keep the date of Trump's last negative test a secret. It's that Trump, who made doctors sign nondisclosure agreements during his very weird trip to Walter Reed in November 2019, is hiding something and his doctor is following Trump's wishes. It's one of the most obvious cover-ups in history, but the White House is sticking with it.


alternet--2020-10-08--'Trump has abandoned them': 1.3 million unemployment claims loom after the president shot down stimu

'Trump has abandoned them': 1.3 million unemployment claims loom after the president shot down stimulus

Just two days after President Donald Trump abruptly blew up bipartisan coronavirus relief talks , the Labor Department reported Thursday that around 1.3 million additional Americans filed for unemployment benefits last week as the U.S. economy continues to falter without the kind of stimulus that experts say is necessary to stem the crisis and relieve widespread hunger , housing insecurity , and joblessness .
`` Terribly high numbers of jobless claims point to a slowing recovery , with over 25 million collecting benefits , '' tweeted Rep. Don Beyer ( D-Va. ) .
`` Trump has abandoned them . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ end coronavirus negotiations via Twitter a day after he departed Walter Reed National Military Medical Center imperiled the prospect that any additional stimulus checks , unemployment benefits , state and local aid , and rental assistance will be approved ahead of next month 's presidential election .
In keeping with his erratic behavior since leaving Walter Reed—where he received a powerful cocktail of medications for his coronavirus infection—Trump suggested Thursday morning that relief talks are back on and floated a narrow package that includes relief for the airline industry and another round of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawmakers pushing for a much broader relief bill .
The president did not mention unemployment relief for tens of millions of out-of-work Americans .
`` I shut down talks two days ago because they were n't working out .
Now they 're starting to work out , '' Trump said in an appearance on Fox Business .
`` We 're talking about airlines , and we 're talking about a bigger deal than airlines . ''
But its unclear whether Trump 's suggestion that stimulus talks have resumed with a more limited scope @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-Calif. ) dismissed the idea of moving any stand-alone relief bills .
`` There is not going to be any stand-alone bill unless there is a bigger bill and it can be part of that , or it could be in addition to it , '' Pelosi told reporters Thursday .
Last week , the House passed a $ 2.2 trillion compromise relief package without the support of a single Republican , and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ( R-Ky. ) has refused to allow a vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's dizzying swings between supporting and opposing an additional stimulus bill , the House Speaker also raised questions about the president 's mental and physical condition and vaguely announced that she will be discussing the 25th Amendment on Capitol Hill on Friday .
`` The president is , shall we say , in an altered state right now , '' Pelosi said in an appearance on Bloomberg TV following her press briefing .
`` I do n't know how to answer for that behavior . ''
With Trump throwing relief negotiations into chaos @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be reached before Election Day , a staggering numbe r of people across the U.S. continue to face dire economic circumstances without any additional assistance from the federal government .
According to the Census Bureau 's Household Pulse Survey , nearly 78 million U.S. adults are struggling to afford basic expenses such as food and rent .
`` As Trump and his Senate allies prioritize advancing their radical judicial agenda over the ongoing economic and public health crises , millions of Americans remain jobless , families are battling food insecurity , and tens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their doors for good , '' said Kyle Herrig , president of watchdog group Accountable.US , referring to the GOP 's unpopular decision to prioritize the confirmation of right-wing Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court .
`` There should be no greater priority for lawmakers than addressing the worsening pandemic and its unprecedented impact on the economy , '' Herrig continued .
`` But it 's clear that Trump and his allies ' ruthless pursuit of power on the high court comes above all else and at any cost . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Heidi Shierholz of the Economic Policy Institute wrote that it is `` terrible economics '' to cut off the stimulus talks as mass layoffs continue at an unprecedented rate .
`` The extra $ 600 in weekly [ unemployment insurance ] benefits was supporting a huge amount of spending by people who , without it , have to make drastic cuts , '' Shierholz noted .
`` Cutting off talks also means no additional housing and nutrition assistance , no Covid-related health and safety measures for workers , no aid to the Postal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no additional support for virus testing , tracing , and isolation measures , or virus treatment and support for hospitals and other health providers . ''
`` All of these things would have helped our economy and the people in it recover from the Covid crisis , '' added Shierholz .
`` Cutting it off is unthinkable at a time like this . ''

Just two days after President Donald Trump abruptly blew up bipartisan coronavirus relief talks, the Labor Department reported Thursday that around 1.3 million additional Americans filed for unemployment benefits last week as the U.S. economy continues to falter without the kind of stimulus that experts say is necessary to stem the crisis and relieve widespread hunger, housing insecurity, and joblessness.
"Terribly high numbers of jobless claims point to a slowing recovery, with over 25 million collecting benefits," tweeted Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.). "Trump has abandoned them."
The president's sudden decision Tuesday to end coronavirus negotiations via Twitter a day after he departed Walter Reed National Military Medical Center imperiled the prospect that any additional stimulus checks, unemployment benefits, state and local aid, and rental assistance will be approved ahead of next month's presidential election.
In keeping with his erratic behavior since leaving Walter Reed—where he received a powerful cocktail of medications for his coronavirus infection—Trump suggested Thursday morning that relief talks are back on and floated a narrow package that includes relief for the airline industry and another round of stimulus checks, a non-starter for Democratic lawmakers pushing for a much broader relief bill.
The president did not mention unemployment relief for tens of millions of out-of-work Americans.
"I shut down talks two days ago because they weren't working out. Now they're starting to work out," Trump said in an appearance on Fox Business. "We're talking about airlines, and we're talking about a bigger deal than airlines."
But its unclear whether Trump's suggestion that stimulus talks have resumed with a more limited scope will amount to anything substantive, particularly after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) dismissed the idea of moving any stand-alone relief bills.
"There is not going to be any stand-alone bill unless there is a bigger bill and it can be part of that, or it could be in addition to it," Pelosi told reporters Thursday. Last week, the House passed a $2.2 trillion compromise relief package without the support of a single Republican, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has refused to allow a vote on the measure.
Pointing to Trump's dizzying swings between supporting and opposing an additional stimulus bill, the House Speaker also raised questions about the president's mental and physical condition and vaguely announced that she will be discussing the 25th Amendment on Capitol Hill on Friday.
"The president is, shall we say, in an altered state right now," Pelosi said in an appearance on Bloomberg TV following her press briefing. "I don't know how to answer for that behavior."
With Trump throwing relief negotiations into chaos and sowing doubt that a deal can be reached before Election Day, a staggering numbe r of people across the U.S. continue to face dire economic circumstances without any additional assistance from the federal government. According to the Census Bureau's Household Pulse Survey, nearly 78 million U.S. adults are struggling to afford basic expenses such as food and rent.
"As Trump and his Senate allies prioritize advancing their radical judicial agenda over the ongoing economic and public health crises, millions of Americans remain jobless, families are battling food insecurity, and tens of thousands of small businesses are shutting their doors for good," said Kyle Herrig, president of watchdog group Accountable.US, referring to the GOP's unpopular decision to prioritize the confirmation of right-wing Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court.
"There should be no greater priority for lawmakers than addressing the worsening pandemic and its unprecedented impact on the economy," Herrig continued. "But it's clear that Trump and his allies' ruthless pursuit of power on the high court comes above all else and at any cost."
In a blog post on Thursday, Heidi Shierholz of the Economic Policy Institute wrote that it is "terrible economics" to cut off the stimulus talks as mass layoffs continue at an unprecedented rate.
"The extra $600 in weekly [unemployment insurance] benefits was supporting a huge amount of spending by people who, without it, have to make drastic cuts," Shierholz noted. "Cutting off talks also means no additional housing and nutrition assistance, no Covid-related health and safety measures for workers, no aid to the Postal Service during this critical time, and no additional support for virus testing, tracing, and isolation measures, or virus treatment and support for hospitals and other health providers."
"All of these things would have helped our economy and the people in it recover from the Covid crisis," added Shierholz. "Cutting it off is unthinkable at a time like this."


alternet--2020-10-08--How Trump and Amy Coney Barrett could wreak damage for generations of American workers

As a union griever , Jason Haynes fought constant battles against employers ever ready to cheat workers out of overtime pay and other hard-earned benefits .
He 's also seen firsthand how greedy corporations and their Republican cronies relentlessly erode labor protections at the state and national levels , making it increasingly difficult not only for Americans to organize but for union members to exercise long-held rights .
Now , Haynes fears the addition of anti-worker Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the right-wing-dominated Supreme Court will help the rich tighten their stranglehold on working people .
Donald Trump nominated Barrett @ @ @ @ @ @ @ court against ordinary Americans .
Her confirmation would give the court 's right-wingers a 6-3 majority .
And because she refuses to adhere to precedent , Barrett could provide a crucial vote on cases potentially overturning organizing rights , rolling back labor protections and dealing other setbacks to workers .
`` Having her on there is definitely not going to do any favors for labor , that 's for sure , '' observed Haynes , a member of United Steelworkers ( USW ) Local 6787 who works at ArcelorMittal 's Burns Harbor , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are imperative to giving us a seat at the table , '' he noted .
`` If we 're not sitting at the table , we 're on the menu .
Our rights are the only leverage we have . ''
With Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and his GOP minions determined to ram through her confirmation , Barrett appears to have a lock on the vacancy created by Ruth Bader Ginsburg 's death .
But while the 48-year-old Barrett may take Ginsburg 's seat , she 'll never fill her shoes .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ interests of women and workers , even as Barrett used her power to tear them down .
As a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit since 2017 , Barrett has consistently favored corporations over the workers and twisted laws to the breaking point in support of her opinions .
Citing a law that exempts over-the-road truckers from overtime for safety reasons , for example , Barrett ruled against workers who sued a transportation company that refused to pay them for extra hours they logged .
Even though the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yard duty , in which they used tractors to pull trailers short distances between warehouses , Barrett ruled they qualified as truckers engaged in interstate commerce .
And that left them ineligible for overtime no matter how many hours their bosses required them to work .
Overtime may not mean much to a highly paid federal judge .
But Haynes , who represented USW members in overtime disputes when he served as a griever at union shops in New York , said extra pay for extra work is not only fair but a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` It 's the difference between making your rent or not , '' he explained .
`` It 's the difference between a spouse getting a second job or not .
It 's the difference between putting your children in a safer daycare or not . ''
As if denying overtime on such flimsy grounds were n't bad enough , Barrett used exactly the opposite argument in ruling against Grubhub delivery drivers who were fighting to secure labor rights for themselves and other gig workers .
The drivers claimed Grubhub misclassified them as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pay them minimum wages and other benefits .
Grubhub wanted to resolve the disputes through arbitration proceedings with individual drivers .
But the drivers , noting federal law exempts many transportation workers from arbitration , filed a class-action lawsuit instead .
A victory not only would have delivered justice to the drivers but helped other gig workers finally win labor rights , decent pay and fair working conditions .
But Barrett threw out the suit as Grubhub demanded , ruling the drivers had to accept arbitration .
Delivering meals just short distances , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transportation workers with the right to file a lawsuit .
`` I believe this lady is going to try to destroy our unions , '' warned Dottie Kotansky , a retired member of USW Local 8567 in Hazleton , Pennsylvania , noting Barrett will fit right in with the right-wing Supreme Court majority that 's already delivered many partisan decisions benefiting corporations at the expense of workers .
Kotansky , a member of the Steelworkers Organization of Active Retirees ( SOAR ) who has encouraged fast-food employees to unionize , worries that Barrett @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other poorly paid Americans who need union protections now more than ever .
But she also fears Barrett 's addition to the court will embolden the ever-stronger conservative faction to issue more rulings `` just like Janus '' aimed at decimating unions that already exist .
In the 2018 Janus v. AFSCME decision , the right-wing majority overturned four decades of precedent when it ruled that public-sector workers do n't have to pay dues or even smaller `` fair-share '' fees to the unions legally bound to represent them .
By encouraging workers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ starve unions of funds and kill them .
Although the justices ultimately failed to inflict the damage they desired , the ruling dealt labor an ominous turn .
`` We 're constantly under attack , '' Haynes pointed out .
`` Any time we have to give up something , it 's nearly impossible to get it back . ''
Most justices respect the rulings made by their predecessors and seldom vote to reverse them .
But Barrett has no reservations about overturning previous decisions and upending the law .
That potentially puts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rights—even the most fundamental protections provided in the landmark 1935 National Labor Relations Act—at risk .
Haynes worries that the voices of ordinary Americans will be drowned out as the court adopts an increasingly corporate-friendly agenda .
Because of Barrett 's relative youth , he said , she could wreak damage for generations .
`` My grandchildren might suffer from the decisions she makes , '' Haynes said.Tom Conway is the international president of the United Steelworkers Union ( USW ) .
This article was produced by the Independent Media Institute .

As a union griever, Jason Haynes fought constant battles against employers ever ready to cheat workers out of overtime pay and other hard-earned benefits.
He's also seen firsthand how greedy corporations and their Republican cronies relentlessly erode labor protections at the state and national levels, making it increasingly difficult not only for Americans to organize but for union members to exercise long-held rights.
Now, Haynes fears the addition of anti-worker Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the right-wing-dominated Supreme Court will help the rich tighten their stranglehold on working people.
Donald Trump nominated Barrett to weaponize the nation's most important court against ordinary Americans. Her confirmation would give the court's right-wingers a 6-3 majority. And because she refuses to adhere to precedent, Barrett could provide a crucial vote on cases potentially overturning organizing rights, rolling back labor protections and dealing other setbacks to workers.
"Having her on there is definitely not going to do any favors for labor, that's for sure," observed Haynes, a member of United Steelworkers (USW) Local 6787 who works at ArcelorMittal's Burns Harbor, Indiana, site.
"Labor rights are imperative to giving us a seat at the table," he noted. "If we're not sitting at the table, we're on the menu. Our rights are the only leverage we have."
With Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and his GOP minions determined to ram through her confirmation, Barrett appears to have a lock on the vacancy created by Ruth Bader Ginsburg's death.
But while the 48-year-old Barrett may take Ginsburg's seat, she'll never fill her shoes. Ginsburg devoted her career to advancing the interests of women and workers, even as Barrett used her power to tear them down.
As a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit since 2017, Barrett has consistently favored corporations over the workers and twisted laws to the breaking point in support of her opinions.
Citing a law that exempts over-the-road truckers from overtime for safety reasons, for example, Barrett ruled against workers who sued a transportation company that refused to pay them for extra hours they logged. Even though the Wisconsin company exclusively assigned the workers to yard duty, in which they used tractors to pull trailers short distances between warehouses, Barrett ruled they qualified as truckers engaged in interstate commerce. And that left them ineligible for overtime no matter how many hours their bosses required them to work.
Overtime may not mean much to a highly paid federal judge. But Haynes, who represented USW members in overtime disputes when he served as a griever at union shops in New York, said extra pay for extra work is not only fair but a game-changer for many struggling American families.
"It's the difference between making your rent or not," he explained. "It's the difference between a spouse getting a second job or not. It's the difference between putting your children in a safer daycare or not."
As if denying overtime on such flimsy grounds weren't bad enough, Barrett used exactly the opposite argument in ruling against Grubhub delivery drivers who were fighting to secure labor rights for themselves and other gig workers.
The drivers claimed Grubhub misclassified them as contractors—when they were really employees—and refused to pay them minimum wages and other benefits. Grubhub wanted to resolve the disputes through arbitration proceedings with individual drivers. But the drivers, noting federal law exempts many transportation workers from arbitration, filed a class-action lawsuit instead.
A victory not only would have delivered justice to the drivers but helped other gig workers finally win labor rights, decent pay and fair working conditions. But Barrett threw out the suit as Grubhub demanded, ruling the drivers had to accept arbitration. Delivering meals just short distances, she ruled, failed to make them transportation workers with the right to file a lawsuit.
"I believe this lady is going to try to destroy our unions," warned Dottie Kotansky, a retired member of USW Local 8567 in Hazleton, Pennsylvania, noting Barrett will fit right in with the right-wing Supreme Court majority that's already delivered many partisan decisions benefiting corporations at the expense of workers.
Kotansky, a member of the Steelworkers Organization of Active Retirees (SOAR) who has encouraged fast-food employees to unionize, worries that Barrett will continue to suppress gig workers and other poorly paid Americans who need union protections now more than ever.
But she also fears Barrett's addition to the court will embolden the ever-stronger conservative faction to issue more rulings "just like Janus" aimed at decimating unions that already exist.
In the 2018 Janus v. AFSCME decision, the right-wing majority overturned four decades of precedent when it ruled that public-sector workers don't have to pay dues or even smaller "fair-share" fees to the unions legally bound to represent them.
By encouraging workers to freeload, the justices hoped to starve unions of funds and kill them. Although the justices ultimately failed to inflict the damage they desired, the ruling dealt labor an ominous turn.
"We're constantly under attack," Haynes pointed out. "Any time we have to give up something, it's nearly impossible to get it back."
Barrett poses extra danger because she's a wild card.
Most justices respect the rulings made by their predecessors and seldom vote to reverse them. But Barrett has no reservations about overturning previous decisions and upending the law. That potentially puts the nation's entire body of labor rights—even the most fundamental protections provided in the landmark 1935 National Labor Relations Act—at risk.
Haynes worries that the voices of ordinary Americans will be drowned out as the court adopts an increasingly corporate-friendly agenda. Because of Barrett's relative youth, he said, she could wreak damage for generations.
"My grandchildren might suffer from the decisions she makes," Haynes said.Tom Conway is the international president of the United Steelworkers Union (USW).
This article was produced by the Independent Media Institute.


alternet--2020-10-08--Report reveals Trump's COVID treatment may have derived from an abortion

President Donald Trump and others in his administration have expressed their opposition to the use of fetal tissue in medical research .
But Antonio Regalado , in an article published by MIT Technology Review this week , argues that one of the treatments Trump received after being infected with COVID-19 was tested using a cell line that came from fetal tissues .
Regalado explains : `` This week , President Donald Trump extolled the cutting-edge coronavirus treatments he received as 'miracles coming down from God . '
If that 's true , then God employs cell lines derived from human @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump received last week was developed with the use of a cell line originally derived from abortion tissue , according to Regeneron Pharmaceuticals , the company that developed the experimental drug . ''
Regalado notes that Trump 's administration `` has taken an increasingly firm line against medical research using fetal tissue from abortions , '' pointing out that in 2019 , it `` moved… .
to curtail the ability of the National Institutes of Health to fund such research . ''
Abortion opponents applauded that decision , including Marjorie Dannenfelser , president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dannenfelser , in an official statement , said , `` This is a major pro-life victory , and we thank President Trump for taking decisive action .
It is outrageous and disgusting that we have been complicit , through our taxpayer dollars , in the experimentation using baby body parts . ''
However , Regalado argues that when Trump `` faced a deadly encounter with COVID-19 , his administration raised no objections over the fact that the new drugs also relied on fetal cells , and anti-abortion campaigners were silent too .
Most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Many types of medical and vaccine research employ supplies of cells originally acquired from abortion tissue .
It would have taken an expert to realize that was the case with Trump 's treatment . ''
Trump , Regalado observes , `` received an emergency cocktail of anti-coronavirus antibodies made by Regeneron… .
According to Regeneron , laboratory tests used to assess the potency of its antibodies employed a standardized supply of cells called HEK 293T , whose origin was kidney tissue from an abortion in the Netherlands in the 1970s . ''
Journalist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ piece in an article for the conservative National Review , quoting Regalado and saying that there is `` some dispute '' about the origin of 293T .
Ponnuru , a senior editor at the National Review , writes , `` Professor Frank Graham , who established the cell line , recently wrote that the cells may have had their origin in a spontaneous miscarriage .
If , however , the conventional account of their origin is the correct one , the question becomes whether someone who recognizes abortion to be a grave injustice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was developed in a way that involved that injustice . ''
Ponnuru , citing articles in Public Discourse — one by Christopher O. Tollefsen and one by the Rev .
Nicanor Pier Giorgio Austriaco — writes that under `` certain conditions… ... the treatment does not encourage additional abortions and occurs for a virtuous reason , such as , in this case , saving multiple lives .
There need not be any hypocrisy . ''
Alexandria Bowie , a Regeneron spokesperson , told MIT Technology Review , `` It 's how you want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cell lines available today are not considered fetal tissue — and we did not otherwise use fetal tissue . ''

President Donald Trump and others in his administration have expressed their opposition to the use of fetal tissue in medical research. But Antonio Regalado, in an article published by MIT Technology Review this week, argues that one of the treatments Trump received after being infected with COVID-19 was tested using a cell line that came from fetal tissues.
Regalado explains: "This week, President Donald Trump extolled the cutting-edge coronavirus treatments he received as 'miracles coming down from God.' If that's true, then God employs cell lines derived from human fetal tissue. The emergency antibody that Trump received last week was developed with the use of a cell line originally derived from abortion tissue, according to Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, the company that developed the experimental drug."
Regalado notes that Trump's administration "has taken an increasingly firm line against medical research using fetal tissue from abortions," pointing out that in 2019, it "moved…. to curtail the ability of the National Institutes of Health to fund such research." Abortion opponents applauded that decision, including Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the Susan B. Anthony List.
Dannenfelser, in an official statement, said, "This is a major pro-life victory, and we thank President Trump for taking decisive action. It is outrageous and disgusting that we have been complicit, through our taxpayer dollars, in the experimentation using baby body parts."
However, Regalado argues that when Trump "faced a deadly encounter with COVID-19, his administration raised no objections over the fact that the new drugs also relied on fetal cells, and anti-abortion campaigners were silent too. Most likely, their hypocrisy was unwitting. Many types of medical and vaccine research employ supplies of cells originally acquired from abortion tissue. It would have taken an expert to realize that was the case with Trump's treatment."
Trump, Regalado observes, "received an emergency cocktail of anti-coronavirus antibodies made by Regeneron…. According to Regeneron, laboratory tests used to assess the potency of its antibodies employed a standardized supply of cells called HEK 293T, whose origin was kidney tissue from an abortion in the Netherlands in the 1970s."
Journalist Ramesh Ponnuru responded to Regalado's MIT piece in an article for the conservative National Review, quoting Regalado and saying that there is "some dispute" about the origin of 293T.
Ponnuru, a senior editor at the National Review, writes, "Professor Frank Graham, who established the cell line, recently wrote that the cells may have had their origin in a spontaneous miscarriage. If, however, the conventional account of their origin is the correct one, the question becomes whether someone who recognizes abortion to be a grave injustice may licitly use a medical treatment that was developed in a way that involved that injustice."
Ponnuru, citing articles in Public Discourse — one by Christopher O. Tollefsen and one by the Rev. Nicanor Pier Giorgio Austriaco — writes that under "certain conditions…... the treatment does not encourage additional abortions and occurs for a virtuous reason, such as, in this case, saving multiple lives. There need not be any hypocrisy."
Alexandria Bowie, a Regeneron spokesperson, told MIT Technology Review, "It's how you want to parse it, but the 293T cell lines available today are not considered fetal tissue — and we did not otherwise use fetal tissue."


alternet--2020-10-08--Trump praised armed Michigan protesters — then militia members reportedly plotted the governor's kid

Trump praised armed Michigan protesters — then militia members reportedly plotted the governor's kidnapping

Heavily armed militia members and other protesters gathered at the Michigan State Capitol in May 2020 demanding that the mask mandate be ended and the coronavirus quarantine be halted .
It was during that protest that Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer ( D ) said that she would not negotiate with terrorists .
Meanwhile , President Donald Trump was tweeting `` LIBERATE MICHIGAN '' and praising them as `` very good people '' who were simply `` angry . ''
According to the court documents it was directly after that the militia members began building a larger group to help with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the violent overthrow of the state capitol .
`` On June 6 , 2020 , CROFT , FOX and approximately 13 other people from several states gathered in Dublin , Ohio .
CHS-1 was present at this meeting .
The group talked about creating a society that followed the U.S. Bill of Rights and where they could be self-sufficient .
They discussed different ways of achieving this goal from peaceful endeavors to violent actions .
At one point , several members talked about state governments they believed were violating the U.S. Constitution , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gretchen Whitmer , '' said the court documents .
It was in that month that the group began to build their plot and coordinate with other militias .
It 's unknown if the president or Attorney General Bill Barr were briefed on the plot or the FBI investigation .
Neither have commented on the arrests .
Six of the men were taken into custody after a raid in suburban Detroit Thursday morning .
They were Adam Fox , Barry Croft , Kaleb Franks , Daniel Harris , Brandon Caserta and 24-year-old Ty Garbin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a militia known as Wolverine Watchmen were also arrested .
They are : Paul Bellar , 21 , Shawn Fix , 38 , Eric Molitor , 36 , Michael Null , 38 , William Null , 38 , Pete Musico , 42 , and Joseph Morrison , 42 , cited the DailyMail .

Heavily armed militia members and other protesters gathered at the Michigan State Capitol in May 2020 demanding that the mask mandate be ended and the coronavirus quarantine be halted. It was during that protest that Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) said that she would not negotiate with terrorists.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump was tweeting "LIBERATE MICHIGAN" and praising them as "very good people" who were simply "angry."
According to the court documents it was directly after that the militia members began building a larger group to help with a plot against the Michigan governor and the violent overthrow of the state capitol.
"On June 6, 2020, CROFT, FOX and approximately 13 other people from several states gathered in Dublin, Ohio. CHS-1 was present at this meeting. The group talked about creating a society that followed the U.S. Bill of Rights and where they could be self-sufficient. They discussed different ways of achieving this goal from peaceful endeavors to violent actions. At one point, several members talked about state governments they believed were violating the U.S. Constitution, including the government of Michigan and Governor Gretchen Whitmer," said the court documents.
It was in that month that the group began to build their plot and coordinate with other militias.
It's unknown if the president or Attorney General Bill Barr were briefed on the plot or the FBI investigation. Neither have commented on the arrests.
Six of the men were taken into custody after a raid in suburban Detroit Thursday morning. They were Adam Fox, Barry Croft, Kaleb Franks, Daniel Harris, Brandon Caserta and 24-year-old Ty Garbin.
An additional seven men affiliated with a militia known as Wolverine Watchmen were also arrested. They are: Paul Bellar, 21, Shawn Fix, 38, Eric Molitor, 36, Michael Null, 38, William Null, 38, Pete Musico, 42, and Joseph Morrison, 42, cited the DailyMail.


alternet--2020-10-08--Mitch McConnell just admitted he's avoided the White House for months for safety reasons

With President Donald Trump and many of his Republican allies in the White House having been infected with COVID-19 , many of his critics are warning that setting foot inside 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue could be a health threat .
But one need n't be a Trump critic to feel that way .
None other than Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has , in essence , admitted that he has n't been inside the White House in two months because of the lack of social distancing precautions .
`` I have n't actually been to the White House since August the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Because my impression was that their approach to how to handle this is different from mine and what I suggested that we do in the Senate , which is to wear a mask and practice social distancing . ''
The remarks came at an event in Kentucky , streamed on Facebook .
It was a striking admission , given that President Donald Trump has faced withering criticism for his failure to handle the pandemic in the United States , which has now killed more than 210,000 people .
Critics have argued that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House , affecting many top officials including the president himself and which may have centered around the ceremony celebrating the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court .
Other prominent Republicans who have recently tested positive for COVID-19 , in addition to Trump , include long-time adviser Kellyanne Conway , White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany , Senior Adviser Stephen Miller , Bill Stepien ( Trump 's campaign director ) , Republican National Committee Chair Ronna Romney McDaniel and former New Jersey Gov .
Chris Christie , among others .

With President Donald Trump and many of his Republican allies in the White House having been infected with COVID-19, many of his critics are warning that setting foot inside 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue could be a health threat. But one needn't be a Trump critic to feel that way. None other than Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has, in essence, admitted that he hasn't been inside the White House in two months because of the lack of social distancing precautions.
"I haven't actually been to the White House since August the 6th," McConnell said. "Because my impression was that their approach to how to handle this is different from mine and what I suggested that we do in the Senate, which is to wear a mask and practice social distancing."
The remarks came at an event in Kentucky, streamed on Facebook.
It was a striking admission, given that President Donald Trump has faced withering criticism for his failure to handle the pandemic in the United States, which has now killed more than 210,000 people. Critics have argued that the recent outbreak of cases at the White House, affecting many top officials including the president himself and which may have centered around the ceremony celebrating the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court.
Other prominent Republicans who have recently tested positive for COVID-19, in addition to Trump, include long-time adviser Kellyanne Conway, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany, Senior Adviser Stephen Miller, Bill Stepien (Trump's campaign director), Republican National Committee Chair Ronna Romney McDaniel and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, among others.