alternet--2020-10-05--Coal miners turn their backs on Trump over failed promises: ‘I don’t care to listen to him anymore’

In a deep dive by the New York Times into how coal miners have fared under Donald Trump , the president was blistered for making promises he did n't keep as the industry continues to collapse and miner unemployment soars .
During his 2016 campaign , the president made revitalizing the coal industry a large part of his populist appeal in the all-important Rust Belt , even though coal has been displaced by natural gas in recent years with Foreign Policy reporting , `` Natural gas is today the biggest single source of fuel for America 's power plants .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( `` Trump digs coal '' ) while claiming , `` We 're going to put our miners back to work . ''
As the Times notes , the president opened the doors to coal industry insiders to join his administration , reporting , `` Despite Mr. Trump stocking his administration with coal-industry executives and lobbyists , taking big donations from the industry , rolling back environmental regulations and intervening directly in cases like the Arizona power plant and mine , coal 's decline has only accelerated in recent years . ''
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workers who voted for Trump .
Reporting that the Kayenta coal mine in Arizona and the Navajo Generating Station have gone offline during Trump 's tenure , Alvin Long , 61 , who spent nearly three decades working at the mine , claimed the president did n't come through on his promises .
`` We really thought we had a chance to keep it going , when we voted for Trump .
But I do n't care to listen to him anymore .
All of his promises went down the drain , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been voting for Republicans — including Trump — since the seventies , but no more .
According to Peter Shulman , a historian at Case Western Reserve University , the president never had a chance at being successful , and that he was just looking for votes in the short-term .
`` Trump 's pledges to coal miners were rhetorical appeals to hard-working , blue-collar Americans like when Nixon put on a hard hat after a meeting with labor union leaders back in 1970 , '' he explained .
`` But there was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would have changed this situation with coal . ''
According to Marie Justice , the former president of the United Mine Workers of America union local in Arizona , Trump betrayed them with false promises .
`` We were lied to , '' she explained .
`` Every time we turned around they kept telling us coal miners they would save our jobs .
That is what we heard from Trump .
But the mines keep closing . ''
The Times report goes on to note that mine closings in Arizona , among @ @ @ @ @ @ @ haunt the president in a tight election .
`` Arizona is now an electoral battleground for Mr. Trump .
But the economic trauma from coal 's rapid collapse extends to Kentucky and other coal-mining states .
After the shutdown of coal-fueled power producers like the Paradise Fossil Plant in western Kentucky , the Genesis Mine in Centertown , Ky. , laid off its 250 workers in late February . ''
You can read more here .

In a deep dive by the New York Times into how coal miners have fared under Donald Trump, the president was blistered for making promises he didn't keep as the industry continues to collapse and miner unemployment soars.
During his 2016 campaign, the president made revitalizing the coal industry a large part of his populist appeal in the all-important Rust Belt, even though coal has been displaced by natural gas in recent years with Foreign Policy reporting, "Natural gas is today the biggest single source of fuel for America's power plants."
Nonetheless, the president pushed coal ("Trump digs coal") while claiming, "We're going to put our miners back to work."
As the Times notes, the president opened the doors to coal industry insiders to join his administration, reporting, "Despite Mr. Trump stocking his administration with coal-industry executives and lobbyists, taking big donations from the industry, rolling back environmental regulations and intervening directly in cases like the Arizona power plant and mine, coal's decline has only accelerated in recent years."
That failure has not gone unnoticed by the workers who voted for Trump.
Reporting that the Kayenta coal mine in Arizona and the Navajo Generating Station have gone offline during Trump's tenure, Alvin Long, 61, who spent nearly three decades working at the mine, claimed the president didn't come through on his promises.
"We really thought we had a chance to keep it going, when we voted for Trump. But I don't care to listen to him anymore. All of his promises went down the drain," he remarked before adding that he has been voting for Republicans — including Trump — since the seventies, but no more.
According to Peter Shulman, a historian at Case Western Reserve University, the president never had a chance at being successful, and that he was just looking for votes in the short-term.
"Trump's pledges to coal miners were rhetorical appeals to hard-working, blue-collar Americans like when Nixon put on a hard hat after a meeting with labor union leaders back in 1970," he explained. "But there was no policy Trump could have implemented that would have changed this situation with coal."
According to Marie Justice, the former president of the United Mine Workers of America union local in Arizona, Trump betrayed them with false promises.
"We were lied to," she explained. "Every time we turned around they kept telling us coal miners they would save our jobs. That is what we heard from Trump. But the mines keep closing."
The Times report goes on to note that mine closings in Arizona, among other states, will come back to haunt the president in a tight election.
"Arizona is now an electoral battleground for Mr. Trump. But the economic trauma from coal's rapid collapse extends to Kentucky and other coal-mining states. After the shutdown of coal-fueled power producers like the Paradise Fossil Plant in western Kentucky, the Genesis Mine in Centertown, Ky., laid off its 250 workers in late February."
You can read more here.


alternet--2020-10-05--Donald Trump Jr. thinks his father is ‘acting crazy’ and is desperate to rein him in: report

President Donald Trump 's hospital joyride and his manic Monday-morning tweets are n't just being panned by political pundits — @ @ @ @ @ out some in the president 's own family .
According to Vanity Fair 's Gabriel @ @ @ @ @ eldest son has been alarmed by his behavior over the past couple of days , @ @ @ @ @ desperate to project strength while being hospitalized at Walter Reed Memorial Hospital .
`` Don @ @ @ @ @ to stage an intervention , but Jared and Ivanka keep telling Trump how great he @ @ @ @ @ source tells Sherman .
`` Don said , ' I 'm not going to be @ @ @ @ @ him he 's acting crazy . '
'' However , even Jared and Ivanka reportedly @ @ @ @ @ the president 's Monday morning all-caps tweet storms — which included messages such as `` @ @ @ @ @ '' — went way over the edge .
`` They 're all worried , '' @ @ @ @ @ They 've tried to get him to stop tweeting . ''

President Donald Trump's hospital joyride and his manic Monday-morning tweets aren't just being panned by political pundits — they're also reportedly freaking out some in the president's own family.
According to Vanity Fair's Gabriel Sherman, the president's eldest son has been alarmed by his behavior over the past couple of days, in which he's been desperate to project strength while being hospitalized at Walter Reed Memorial Hospital.
"Don Jr. has said he wants to stage an intervention, but Jared and Ivanka keep telling Trump how great he's doing," one source tells Sherman. "Don said, 'I'm not going to be the only one to tell him he's acting crazy.'"
However, even Jared and Ivanka reportedly agreed with Donald Jr. that the president's Monday morning all-caps tweet storms — which included messages such as "SPACE FORCE. VOTE!" — went way over the edge.
"They're all worried," said one source. "They've tried to get him to stop tweeting."


alternet--2020-10-05--Press sec 'recklessly endangered lives' with mask-less press briefing before testing positive for CO

Press sec 'recklessly endangered lives' with mask-less press briefing before testing positive for COVID-19

Less than 24 hours after briefing reporters on President Donald Trump 's condition without wearing a face mask , White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany announced Monday that she has tested positive for Covid-19 , the 12th member of Trump 's inner circle to contract the virus in recent days .
In a statement , McEnany—who has repeatedly refused to wear a mask during her frequent press briefings—claimed she had no knowledge that Trump aide Hope Hicks had tested positive for coronavirus when she briefed reporters Thursday without any form of face covering .
`` After testing negative consistently , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tested positive for Covid-19 on Monday morning while experiencing no symptoms , '' said McEnany .
`` No reporters , producers , or members of the press are listed as close contacts by the White House Medical Unit .
As an essential worker , I have worked diligently to provide needed information to the American people at this time .
With my recent positive test , I will begin the quarantine process and will continue working on behalf of the American people remotely . ''
Following McEnany 's announcement of her diagnosis , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ note of the press secretary 's persistent refusal to wear a mask in briefings with reporters wearings face coverings to protect themselves and others .
`` Kayleigh McEnany has repeatedly spoken to reporters without a mask on , '' tweeted New York magazine 's Washington correspondent Olivia Nuzzi .
`` She has recklessly endangered lives . ''
As CNN reported , McEnany `` last briefed reporters in the briefing room on Thursday morning , hours before news of the President 's diagnosis .
On Friday , she appeared on Fox News and removed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the White House driveway .
She spoke with reporters again on Sunday night , and did not wear a mask . ''
Epidemiologist Eric Feigl-Ding , a senior fellow at the Federation of American Scientists , said that given the timeline of her test results , McEnany was likely infected in the middle of last week .
`` Respect science , '' Feigl-Ding tweeted .
`` Beware pride and arrogance before the fall . ''

Less than 24 hours after briefing reporters on President Donald Trump's condition without wearing a face mask, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany announced Monday that she has tested positive for Covid-19, the 12th member of Trump's inner circle to contract the virus in recent days.
In a statement, McEnany—who has repeatedly refused to wear a mask during her frequent press briefings—claimed she had no knowledge that Trump aide Hope Hicks had tested positive for coronavirus when she briefed reporters Thursday without any form of face covering.
"After testing negative consistently, including every day since Thursday, I tested positive for Covid-19 on Monday morning while experiencing no symptoms," said McEnany. "No reporters, producers, or members of the press are listed as close contacts by the White House Medical Unit. As an essential worker, I have worked diligently to provide needed information to the American people at this time. With my recent positive test, I will begin the quarantine process and will continue working on behalf of the American people remotely."
Following McEnany's announcement of her diagnosis, reporters who cover the White House made note of the press secretary's persistent refusal to wear a mask in briefings with reporters wearings face coverings to protect themselves and others.
"Kayleigh McEnany has repeatedly spoken to reporters without a mask on," tweetedNew York magazine's Washington correspondent Olivia Nuzzi. "She has recklessly endangered lives."
As CNN reported, McEnany "last briefed reporters in the briefing room on Thursday morning, hours before news of the President's diagnosis. On Friday, she appeared on Fox News and removed her mask to speak with reporters on the White House driveway. She spoke with reporters again on Sunday night, and did not wear a mask."
Epidemiologist Eric Feigl-Ding, a senior fellow at the Federation of American Scientists, said that given the timeline of her test results, McEnany was likely infected in the middle of last week.
"Respect science," Feigl-Ding tweeted. "Beware pride and arrogance before the fall."


alternet--2020-10-05--‘Simply reckless’: Medical experts slam Trump for endangering Secret Service agents with a ‘publicit

‘Simply reckless’: Medical experts slam Trump for endangering Secret Service agents with a ‘publicity stunt’

Although President Donald Trump — who is hospitalized at Walter Reed Military Medical Center in Bethesda , Maryland after testing positive for the COVID-19 coronavirus — is supposed to be isolated as much as possible , that did n't stop him from going for a photo-op on Sunday , October 4 .
That day , Trump was seen going for a ride in a black Chevy Suburban , where he waved at supporters outside of Walter Reed .
And both Secret Service agents and doctors , the Washington Post reports , are `` aghast '' by Trump 's irresponsible photo-op @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agents , according to Post reporters Josh Dawsey , Carol D. Leonnig and Hannah Knowles , are complaining that Trump `` endangered those inside his SUV for a publicity stunt . ''
`` As the backlash grew , '' the Post journalists explain , `` multiple aides who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe internal deliberations also called Trump 's evening outing an unnecessary risk — but said it was not surprising .
Trump had said he was bored in the hospital , advisers said .
He wanted to show strength @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grimmer assessment of his health than doctors , according to campaign and White House officials . ''
One Secret Service agent told the Post , `` He 's not even pretending to care now . ''
And another complained , `` Where are the adults ? ''
Dr. James P. Phillips , who teaches at George Washington University and is associated with Walter Reed , tweeted , `` Every single person in the vehicle during that completely unnecessary Presidential 'drive-by ' just now has to be quarantined for 14 days .
They might @ @ @ @ @ @ @ For political theater .
Commanded by Trump to put their lives at risk for theater .
This is insanity . ''
Dr. Jonathan Reiner , who also teaches at George Washington , tweeted , `` By taking a joy ride outside Walter Reed , the president is placing his Secret Service detail at grave risk . ''
CNN 's Kevin Liptak is also reporting that Secret Service agents and medical professionals are appalled by Trump 's irresponsibility .
A Secret Service agent , interviewed on condition of anonymity , told CNN , `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ frustration with how we 're treated when it comes to decisions on this illness goes back before this , though .
We 're not disposable . ''
Another Secret Service agent told CNN , `` It was simply reckless . ''
Dr. Leana Wen , an ER physician who is often featured on CNN as a medical analyst , tweeted that if Trump were her patient `` in unstable condition + contagious illness , & he suddenly left the hospital to go for a car ride that endangers himself & others : I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ perform a psychiatric evaluation to examine his decision-making capacity . ''

Although President Donald Trump — who is hospitalized at Walter Reed Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland after testing positive for the COVID-19 coronavirus — is supposed to be isolated as much as possible, that didn't stop him from going for a photo-op on Sunday, October 4. That day, Trump was seen going for a ride in a black Chevy Suburban, where he waved at supporters outside of Walter Reed. And both Secret Service agents and doctors, the Washington Post reports, are "aghast" by Trump's irresponsible photo-op.
Those medical professionals and Secret Service agents, according to Post reporters Josh Dawsey, Carol D. Leonnig and Hannah Knowles, are complaining that Trump "endangered those inside his SUV for a publicity stunt."
"As the backlash grew," the Post journalists explain, "multiple aides who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe internal deliberations also called Trump's evening outing an unnecessary risk — but said it was not surprising. Trump had said he was bored in the hospital, advisers said. He wanted to show strength after his chief of staff offered a grimmer assessment of his health than doctors, according to campaign and White House officials."
One Secret Service agent told the Post, "He's not even pretending to care now." And another complained, "Where are the adults?"
Dr. James P. Phillips, who teaches at George Washington University and is associated with Walter Reed, tweeted, "Every single person in the vehicle during that completely unnecessary Presidential 'drive-by' just now has to be quarantined for 14 days. They might get sick. They may die. For political theater. Commanded by Trump to put their lives at risk for theater. This is insanity."
Dr. Jonathan Reiner, who also teaches at George Washington, tweeted, "By taking a joy ride outside Walter Reed, the president is placing his Secret Service detail at grave risk."
CNN's Kevin Liptak is also reporting that Secret Service agents and medical professionals are appalled by Trump's irresponsibility.
A Secret Service agent, interviewed on condition of anonymity, told CNN, "That should never have happened…. The frustration with how we're treated when it comes to decisions on this illness goes back before this, though. We're not disposable."
Another Secret Service agent told CNN, "It was simply reckless."
Dr. Leana Wen, an ER physician who is often featured on CNN as a medical analyst, tweeted that if Trump were her patient "in unstable condition + contagious illness, & he suddenly left the hospital to go for a car ride that endangers himself & others: I'd call security to restrain him then perform a psychiatric evaluation to examine his decision-making capacity."


alternet--2020-10-05--Voting Rights Roundup: Texas GOP launches attack on Dems and voters of color by limiting mail voting

● Texas : On Thursday , Republican Gov .
Greg Abbott issued an executive order that prohibited Texas ' 254 counties from setting up more than one location for voters to drop off their absentee mail ballots regardless of population size , sparking a firestorm of condemnation and drawing a federal lawsuit from voting rights advocates seeking to block the move for discriminating against voters of color .
With the Trump administration attempting to sabotage postal delivery and causing delays that risk ballots not arriving on time , in-person dropoff locations are a key alternative for ensuring mail ballots count @ @ @ @ @ @ @ veiled attack on voting access for the state 's rapidly growing Black , Latino , and Asian American populations and the Democrats they support , since those groups are largely concentrated in just a handful of massively populated counties .
Harris County ( home to Houston ) alone has nearly 5 million residents and would have only one location in a jurisdiction roughly the size of Delaware , and together with several other counties with populations over 1 million containing cities such as Dallas , Austin , and San Antonio , they hold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrats and voters of color .
By contrast , well over one hundred of the state 's smallest counties have electorates that are overwhelmingly white and therefore strongly Republican , leading to vast partisan and racial disparities in the number of dropoff locations per capita—though this order will require GOP voters in sprawling rural counties to also travel larger distances to drop off their mail ballots if they vote that way .
However , because Democrats may be much likelier to vote by mail thanks to Trump 's demagoguery discouraging Republicans from doing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more difficulty than Republicans with casting their ballots thanks to this order .
Texas has been ground zero for voter suppression in 2020 just as it finally becomes a key battleground state for the first time in decades , and Democrats have a critical chance to flip the state House this fall and block Republicans from passing the most important congressional gerrymander of any state after the 2020 census .
Republicans have so far successfully fought back lawsuits and preserved a requirement that voters under age 65 have a non-COVID excuse to vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are much whiter and therefore more conservative than the electorate overall .
Houston and Harris County have been the focus of much of the GOP 's efforts to restrict voting , and a state appeals court has rejected a separate GOP challenge to a plan by officials there to send absentee ballot applications to all registered voters .
However , the county remains barred from mailing out ballots due to an earlier preliminary ruling by the Texas Supreme Court .
A final ruling from the high court is expected soon .
Relatedly , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asking the all-Republican state Supreme Court to limit in-person voting in Harris County by shortening the start of early voting from Oct. 13 to Oct. 19 , even though Abbott himself had added the additional six days of early voting statewide , and they want to bar the county from accepting mail ballots in-person before Election Day instead of throughout the early voting period as is currently allowed .
These same activists are also challenging Abbott 's early voting order in a case that was filed last month and is pending before the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A federal district court has refused to issue a preliminary injunction that would have blocked a state law that Republican officials and the conservative-dominated state Supreme Court had used to disqualify all of the signatures that redistricting reformers had submitted for a ballot initiative to create an independent redistricting commission .
The federal court dismissed the case with prejudice , prompting proponents to give up on winning a 2020 ballot measure battle .
Although the measure remains on the ballot , its votes wo n't be valid .
While redistricting reformers vowed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election , this ruling means Republicans will get to gerrymander the state after 2020 for the first time since Reconstruction ( if not ever ) .
Even worse , it 's a potentially fatal setback for the reform movement going forward because of a measure Republicans have themselves referred to November 's ballot to effectively make it impossible to attempt future ballot initiatives without supermajority support that includes many white conservative voters .
The GOP 's November ballot measure would amend Arkansas ' constitution to require supporters meet the signature threshold in 45 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 15 .
However , because Democrats , Black voters , and a majority of the state 's population overall are heavily concentrated in a minority of counties , this requires initiative proponents to obtain signatures in heavily white and therefore conservative counties , making it harder for progressives but not conservatives to put initiatives on the ballot .
● Arizona : The Supreme Court has agreed to take up Republicans ' appeal of a 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that had determined Republicans had intentionally discriminated against Native American , Latino , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ counting votes cast in the wrong precinct but in the right county , as well as limitations on who can turn in another person 's absentee mail ballot on their behalf .
These two consolidated cases have potentially enormous and dire implications for the future of the Voting Rights Act , which we will further detail in a future Roundup .
● Michigan : A federal district court has ruled partially in favor of Democrats by temporarily blocking a lone-in-the-nation law prohibiting the use of paid transportation to the polls such as ride-hailing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ court refused to block another limitation preventing most third-parties from collecting voters ' completed absentee ballots and delivering them to officials on those voters ' behalf .
● North Carolina : A GOP-majority panel of state Court of Appeals judges has ruled 2-1 along party lines to overturn a lower court ruling and uphold two constitutional amendments that Republicans had placed on the ballot in 2018 , which were approved by voters , rejecting the NAACP 's argument that the GOP legislature had lacked the authority to amend the state constitution because they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been struck down and redrawn .
The NAACP is appealing to the state Supreme Court , which has a 6-1 Democratic majority , to overturn the two amendments , which required voter ID and capped the maximum income tax rate .
Regardless , the voter ID requirement was already not in effect for 2020 due to separate federal and state litigation that temporarily blocked the implementing statute itself while those cases proceed on the merits .
● Texas : The conservative-dominated 5th Circuit Court of Appeals has stayed a recent lower court ruling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ repeal of the straight-ticket voting option for November , dealing a blow to voting access for Black and Latino voters , who are disproportionately likely to use the option , since the lack of the option means it will take much longer to fill out Texas ' unusually long ballot and thus exacerbate voting lines .
● Wisconsin : A federal district court has said it wo n't rule before the election on whether to curtail the GOP 's limitation on the use of college IDs for satisfying the voter ID law , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to resolve the issue without disrupting the election process .
● Post Office : Three separate federal lower courts have issued rulings in recent weeks blocking the Trump administration from implementing changes to the U.S .
Postal Service unilaterally in a manner that undermined service speed and reliability across the country over the summer .
The courts ordered the post office to cease implementing changes such as limits on delivery trips and the removal of mailboxes and sorting machines .
Additionally , one court ordered that election mail be prioritized and overtime requests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Election Day .
Trump 's postmaster general , major GOP donor Louis DeJoy , had ordered changes intended to sabotage the post office 's ability to handle a historic surge in mail voting as a way to disenfranchise mail voters , who are largely Democratic thanks to Democratic concerns about the pandemic and Trump 's demagoguery discouraging GOP voters from following suit at a similar rate .
TIME reported that one of those changes was the post office 's failure to update 1.8 million address changes , meaning thousands of voters may not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It 's unclear , though , whether these court rulings will eliminate the service delays that began appearing after DeJoy 's appointment earlier this year .
Consequently , voters should strongly consider wearing a mask to go vote early in-person if they deem it safe enough , but if they plan to vote by mail , they should return their ballot by mail no later than two weeks before Election Day .
Better yet , voters should return their mail ballots in-person at a drop box , polling place , or their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ law to avoid mail delivery delays entirely .
● Florida : Former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg and his allives have fundraised $ 16 million to pay off the fines of nearly 32,000 Black and Latino voters with felony convictions in response to Florida Republicans passing a modern-day poll tax by requiring people with felony convictions to pay off court fines and fees before regaining their voting rights , even though the state ca n't even tell countless affected individuals how much money they owe .
The plaintiffs ' expert witness estimated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people barred from voting were Black , meaning this group likely leans decidedly Democratic compared to those who do n't owe court costs .
The ultra-wealthy Bloomberg has committed $ 100 million to helping Joe Biden win Florida , and his effort is intended to blunt the racial and partisan discrimination behind the GOP 's poll tax by only focusing on Black and Latino voters , since they 're much likelier to lean Democratic than whites .
In response , Republican state Attorney General Ashley Moody asked federal law enforcement to investigate Bloomberg @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , making this whole ordeal further harken back to the ugliness of the Jim Crow era , when law enforcement was routinely wielded as a cudgel against Black voting advocates .
● North Carolina : Civil rights groups have filed a lawsuit in federal court seeking to block a state law making it a serious crime for people with felony convictions that render them disenfranchised to impermissibly vote before their rights are restored , even if it 's unintentional , a move that comes after a state court recently struck down a law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and fees for certain people to be able to regain their voting rights .
● 2020 Census : Late on Friday , the Justice Department announced it would go all the way to the Supreme Court if needed to overturn a flurry of recent lower court orders blocking the Trump administration 's attempt to cut short the census ' in-person counting operations .
Earlier in the week , both the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals and a district court had ordered the census to continue counting up through its originally planned Oct. 31 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ end of September , leading to the Census Bureau making an announcement that it would comply on Friday shortly before the DOJ vowed to appeal .
● Alabama : A federal judge in Alabama has blocked the state 's witness and photo ID requirements for mail-in voting this year for voters at higher risk from COVID-19 .
Republicans say they will appeal .
● Alaska : Republican election officials , who previously sent absentee ballot applications to all voters 65 and older , have agreed to email voters who did n't receive applications @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on how to vote by mail .
Separately , the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals said it would not have time to resolve a challenge to the state 's decision to favor seniors before the election , which a lower court previously rejected .
● Arkansas : Voting rights advocates have filed a suit in federal court challenging the state 's lack of signature cure options for mail voters .
● Arizona : A federal judge has rejected a lawsuit asking that ballots from the Navajo Nation be counted if they are received @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are postmarked by that date .
Separately , voting rights group have filed a federal lawsuit seeking to extend Arizona 's voter registration deadline from Oct. 5 to Oct. 27 ● Delaware : A state judge has ruled against a Republican lawsuit seeking to block Delaware 's decision to conduct the November elections largely by mail .
● Georgia : Two Trump-appointed judges on the 11th Circuit Court of appeals have reversed a ruling over the dissent of the panel 's lone Democratic appointee to reinstate a requirement that mail ballots be received @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , overturning the lower court 's decision that had allowed ballots to count if postmarked by Election Day and received within a few days afterward .
In a separate case , a federal district court judge has ruled that Georgia election officials must maintain paper backups of voter registration data at every polling site in order to prevent the sort of problems that plagued the state 's June primary , when many electronic data systems failed and caused long lines in predominantly Black neighborhoods .
Republicans asked the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ too .
● Illinois : A federal judge has rejected a Republican lawsuit seeking to block the state 's expansion of mail voting for the November general election .
● Indiana : A federal court has ordered Indiana to accept mail ballots postmarked by Election Day and received by Nov. 13 .
Republicans are reportedly expected to appeal .
Separately , voting rights advocates say they will appeal a lower federal court ruling that rejected their request that all Indiana voters be allowed to request absentee ballots without an excuse instead of only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Finally , a federal judge has struck down a state law that allowed only county election boards the ability to seek longer voting hours in the event of problems at polling places .
Now individual voters will have the power to seek redress in the courts over such issues .
● Iowa : Iowa 's conservative-dominated Supreme Court has sided with the Trump campaign against Democrats and let stand decisions that invalidated tens of thousands of absentee mail ballot request forms that voters had already submitted in populous Linn and Woodbury Counties @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of such applications from heavily Democratic Johnson County .
The courts found that these applications , which local officials had sent with partially pre-filled information , violated state law and had to be re-sent to voters blank .
Relatedly , a lower state court has ruled against Democrats and Latino voter advocates by refusing to block the GOP 's underlying law that makes it more difficult for election officials to administer absentee mail voting by prohibiting them from using the state 's voter database to fill in missing information such as PIN for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials must waste their limited time by having to contact potentially tens of thousands of such voters or more , risking some voters not getting mail ballots in time if at all .
Meanwhile , voting rights advocates have filed a lawsuit in state court challenging the GOP 's restriction that only allows county election boards to set up ballot collection drop boxes on site at their offices .
Plaintiffs want election officials to be able to establish drop boxes anywhere they see fit .
● Louisiana : A federal judge has ordered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mail voting it established before the state 's summer primaries for the November general election , which allowed those at greater risk for COVID-19 to request absentee ballots instead of only elderly voters and those with limited other excuses .
Republican Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin says he will not appeal .
● Maine : Maine 's state Supreme Court , which is heavily composed of Democratic appointees , has rejected the GOP 's request to suspend its late-September decision approving the use of instant-runoff voting for the presidency this November , meaning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ history to use it for the Electoral College .
● Michigan : A state court judge has ruled that Michigan must count mail ballots postmarked by Election Day and received within two weeks .
The judge also blocked a law limiting the class of persons who can assist a voter in returning mail ballots ; voters can now ask anyone to return their ballots .
Republicans are appealing the extension of the mail ballot return deadline , and they 've also filed a separate suit in federal court challenging the ruling .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in state court challenging the ballot return assistance ruling .
● Minnesota : Republican state Rep. Eric Lucero has filed a federal lawsuit challenging the state 's decision to count ballots postmarked by Election Day and received a week later .
● Mississippi : The conservative-heavy Mississippi Supreme Court has ruled that those at higher risk of contracting COVID-19 may not request absentee ballots .
Separately , leaders in the state 's Republican-run legislature say they will not take action to permit no-excuse absentee voting .
Mississippi is one of just five states @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to request an absentee ballot for the November general election , and all five states exempt elderly voters from the requirement , a demographic that typically leans GOP .
● Missouri : Voting rights advocates have filed a suit in federal court challenging a ban on returning mail ballots in person .
They also want voters to be given the chance to cure any problems with mail ballots after they 're cast .
Separately , a state court judge has dismissed a lawsuit challenging the Missouri GOP 's requirement that voters have their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the age of 65 .
Two other lawsuits challenging the law are still pending .
● Montana : The Montana Supreme Court , which lacks a reliable liberal or conservative majority , has blocked a law prohibiting third parties from collecting and returning mail ballots from voters .
However , the justices overturned a lower court ruling that allowed ballots to count if postmarked by Election Day and received within a few days afterward , and another that would have given voters the opportunity to cure any problems with their ballots , ruling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election to make such changes without potentially confusing voters and creating administrative problems .
Separately , a federal court has rejected a Republican challenge to an order by Democratic Gov .
Steve Bullock allowing local election officials to conduct the November election by mail .
Counties that are home to 94 % of Montana 's population have chosen this option .
Republicans are appealing .
● Nevada : A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit brought by the Trump campaign challenging Nevada Democrats ' decision to hold the November election largely by mail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of local Republicans have filed a lawsuit in state court challenging New Jersey Democrats ' decision to hold the November election largely by mail .
● New York : New York City 's Board of Elections had to recently send out a hefty 100,000 replacement mail ballots after the vendor it used to supply ballot materials misprinted the envelopes sent to voters for them to place their ballots in .
Numerous voters reported receiving envelopes with the wrong name and return address .
While it was unclear how many erroneous envelopes were actually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extended beyond Brooklyn , the board went ahead with sending replacement ballots and envelopes to the up to 100,000 voters who may have been affected .
For voters who receive two ballots , only the second one should be sent in , and if a voter has already sent in the first ballot , only the second one would count if both are mailed .
The replacement ballots also have a red mark that will be noted by the machines used to process them , and officials said they would try to contact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them of the problem The New York City board has been plagued by problems hurting voting access for years , and while Democrats have passed numerous reforms after gaining control of the state Senate in 2018 , the long-troubled board ( and its counterparts elsewhere in the state ) is one area where they have yet to make major progress .
Critics have long derided the system whereby the two major political party organizations select election board members as rife with corruption and patronage instead of encouraging apolitical professionalism .
Meanwhile , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from voting rights advocates that New York 's voter registration deadline be shortened from 25 days before Election Day to just 10 days .
● North Carolina : A state court has approved a settlement allowing officials to count ballots postmarked by Election Day and received by Nov. 12 , leading GOP legislators to announce they would appeal .
The agreement also makes it easier for voters to cure problems with their ballots and expands the availability of ballot return drop boxes .
Separately , a federal court has blocked the Democratic-controlled state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election officials should count mail ballots received without a witness signature .
● Ohio : A panel of judges on the state Court of Appeals has ruled that Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose is allowed but not required to let counties set up more than one location for voters to drop off their absentee mail ballots this fall , reversing a recent lower court decision that had ordered LaRose to allow more than one location in each county .
LaRose had claimed that state law prevented him from allowing more than one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blasted him for misinterpreting the law to suppress votes , since more populous counties are disproportionately Democratic compared to smaller ones .
LaRose now faces a decision of whether to prove Democrats right by refusing to allow additional locations or work with the counties to set up extra drop boxes , though separate federal litigation remains ongoing that had been on hold until the state appeals court ruled .
The federal court in that case had recently ordered LaRose to work with heavily Democratic Cuyahoga County , home to Cleveland , to set @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a state appeals court has rejected a request from Democrats in another lawsuit that Ohio officials allow voters to request absentee ballots online .
Separately , the Republican-run legislative panel has voted down a proposal from LaRose to have the state pre-pay postage for mail ballots .
● Oklahoma : A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit brought by Democrats challenging Oklahoma 's GOP-backed requirement that mail voters have their ballots notarized or include a photocopy of their ID .
● Oregon : Oregon election officials have issued advice on how to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wildfires that have ravaged the states .
Most importantly , voters have until Oct. 13 to designate a temporary address at which they will be sent a mail ballot .
● Pennsylvania : The Pennsylvania Supreme Court , which has a Democratic majority , has ruled that election officials must count ballots postmarked by Election Day and received by the Friday after .
In addition , the court ruled that local officials may set up ballot return drop boxes and also affirmed a ban on poll-watchers working in counties other than those they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are appealing .
The court also ruled that so-called `` naked '' mail ballots would n't count , leading election officials are warning that up to 100,000 voters could be disenfranchised without adequate voter outreach .
Such ballots are mail ballots contained only inside the outer envelope that contains the return address information , but the court 's ruling requires that all mail ballots be inserted into a second `` privacy envelope '' that goes inside the larger return-address envelope .
During the primary , such `` naked ballots '' were counted , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Consequently , Democrats launched TV ads in Philadelphia to warn voters about how to avoid the problem there , and three women running for state and county legislative offices in the Pittsburgh area used photos of themselves `` naked '' ( the photos were censored with graphics of ballot materials ) in a public service announcement that went viral on social media to raise awareness about the problem .
Separately , Democratic Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar has informed election officials that they may not reject mail ballots solely based on alleged signature @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rights advocates .
● South Carolina : The 4th Circuit Court of Appeals , sitting en banc , has blocked South Carolina from requiring that absentee ballots be signed by a sitness .
Republicans have asked the Supreme Court for an emergency stay of the ruling .
Separately , Republican Gov .
Henry McMaster has signed a bill allowing all voters to request an absentee ballot for the November election , much as the state did for its primaries earlier this year .
● Wisconsin : A three-judge panel of the 7th Circuit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ court ruling ordering Wisconsin election officials to count mail ballots so long as they are postmarked by Election Day and received by Nov. 9 .
Republicans are seeking an en banc review by the full 7th Circuit .
Additionally , Republicans and the 7th Circuit judges separately made requests asking the state Supreme Court to clarify a July ruling that limited the ability of Republican lawmakers to intervene in litigation , which the state court on Friday agreed to do .
The 7th Circuit had relied on the state court 's prior ruling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Separately , voters in the heavily Democratic state capital of Madison have filed a lawsuit asking a state court judge to affirm the validity of a recent event where city officials received more than 10,000 mail ballots in public parks across the city .
Officials plan to hold similar events again , but Republicans have threatened litigation of their own to block them .
● Vermont : A federal court has dismissed a Republican lawsuit challenging Vermont 's plan to conduct the November election largely by mail .

LEADING OFF
●Texas: On Thursday, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott issued an executive order that prohibited Texas' 254 counties from setting up more than one location for voters to drop off their absentee mail ballots regardless of population size, sparking a firestorm of condemnation and drawing a federal lawsuit from voting rights advocates seeking to block the move for discriminating against voters of color. With the Trump administration attempting to sabotage postal delivery and causing delays that risk ballots not arriving on time, in-person dropoff locations are a key alternative for ensuring mail ballots count.
Abbott's move is a thinly veiled attack on voting access for the state's rapidly growing Black, Latino, and Asian American populations and the Democrats they support, since those groups are largely concentrated in just a handful of massively populated counties. Harris County (home to Houston) alone has nearly 5 million residents and would have only one location in a jurisdiction roughly the size of Delaware, and together with several other counties with populations over 1 million containing cities such as Dallas, Austin, and San Antonio, they hold a disproportionate share of the state's Democrats and voters of color.
By contrast, well over one hundred of the state's smallest counties have electorates that are overwhelmingly white and therefore strongly Republican, leading to vast partisan and racial disparities in the number of dropoff locations per capita—though this order will require GOP voters in sprawling rural counties to also travel larger distances to drop off their mail ballots if they vote that way. However, because Democrats may be much likelier to vote by mail thanks to Trump's demagoguery discouraging Republicans from doing so, Democrats will likely face much more difficulty than Republicans with casting their ballots thanks to this order.
Texas has been ground zero for voter suppression in 2020 just as it finally becomes a key battleground state for the first time in decades, and Democrats have a critical chance to flip the state House this fall and block Republicans from passing the most important congressional gerrymander of any state after the 2020 census. Republicans have so far successfully fought back lawsuits and preserved a requirement that voters under age 65 have a non-COVID excuse to vote by mail—elderly voters, of course, are much whiter and therefore more conservative than the electorate overall.
Houston and Harris County have been the focus of much of the GOP's efforts to restrict voting, and a state appeals court has rejected a separate GOP challenge to a plan by officials there to send absentee ballot applications to all registered voters. However, the county remains barred from mailing out ballots due to an earlier preliminary ruling by the Texas Supreme Court. A final ruling from the high court is expected soon.
Relatedly, Republican activists have filed an additional lawsuit asking the all-Republican state Supreme Court to limit in-person voting in Harris County by shortening the start of early voting from Oct. 13 to Oct. 19, even though Abbott himself had added the additional six days of early voting statewide, and they want to bar the county from accepting mail ballots in-person before Election Day instead of throughout the early voting period as is currently allowed. These same activists are also challenging Abbott's early voting order in a case that was filed last month and is pending before the state high court.
REDISTRICTING
●Arkansas: A federal district court has refused to issue a preliminary injunction that would have blocked a state law that Republican officials and the conservative-dominated state Supreme Court had used to disqualify all of the signatures that redistricting reformers had submitted for a ballot initiative to create an independent redistricting commission. The federal court dismissed the case with prejudice, prompting proponents to give up on winning a 2020 ballot measure battle. Although the measure remains on the ballot, its votes won't be valid.
While redistricting reformers vowed to pursue another ballot initiative in a future election, this ruling means Republicans will get to gerrymander the state after 2020 for the first time since Reconstruction (if not ever). Even worse, it's a potentially fatal setback for the reform movement going forward because of a measure Republicans have themselves referred to November's ballot to effectively make it impossible to attempt future ballot initiatives without supermajority support that includes many white conservative voters.
The GOP's November ballot measure would amend Arkansas' constitution to require supporters meet the signature threshold in 45 of 75 counties instead of the current 15. However, because Democrats, Black voters, and a majority of the state's population overall are heavily concentrated in a minority of counties, this requires initiative proponents to obtain signatures in heavily white and therefore conservative counties, making it harder for progressives but not conservatives to put initiatives on the ballot.
VOTER SUPPRESSION
●Arizona: The Supreme Court has agreed to take up Republicans' appeal of a 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that had determined Republicans had intentionally discriminated against Native American, Latino, and Black voters by enacting restrictions on counting votes cast in the wrong precinct but in the right county, as well as limitations on who can turn in another person's absentee mail ballot on their behalf. These two consolidated cases have potentially enormous and dire implications for the future of the Voting Rights Act, which we will further detail in a future Roundup.
●Michigan: A federal district court has ruled partially in favor of Democrats by temporarily blocking a lone-in-the-nation law prohibiting the use of paid transportation to the polls such as ride-hailing services and hired drivers, but the court refused to block another limitation preventing most third-parties from collecting voters' completed absentee ballots and delivering them to officials on those voters' behalf.
●North Carolina: A GOP-majority panel of state Court of Appeals judges has ruled 2-1 along party lines to overturn a lower court ruling and uphold two constitutional amendments that Republicans had placed on the ballot in 2018, which were approved by voters, rejecting the NAACP's argument that the GOP legislature had lacked the authority to amend the state constitution because they had relied on unconstitutional gerrymanders that had been struck down and redrawn. The NAACP is appealing to the state Supreme Court, which has a 6-1 Democratic majority, to overturn the two amendments, which required voter ID and capped the maximum income tax rate.
Regardless, the voter ID requirement was already not in effect for 2020 due to separate federal and state litigation that temporarily blocked the implementing statute itself while those cases proceed on the merits.
●Texas: The conservative-dominated 5th Circuit Court of Appeals has stayed a recent lower court ruling that would have blocked the GOP's repeal of the straight-ticket voting option for November, dealing a blow to voting access for Black and Latino voters, who are disproportionately likely to use the option, since the lack of the option means it will take much longer to fill out Texas' unusually long ballot and thus exacerbate voting lines.
●Wisconsin: A federal district court has said it won't rule before the election on whether to curtail the GOP's limitation on the use of college IDs for satisfying the voter ID law, saying there is too little time left to resolve the issue without disrupting the election process.
●Post Office: Three separate federal lower courts have issued rulings in recent weeks blocking the Trump administration from implementing changes to the U.S. Postal Service unilaterally in a manner that undermined service speed and reliability across the country over the summer. The courts ordered the post office to cease implementing changes such as limits on delivery trips and the removal of mailboxes and sorting machines. Additionally, one court ordered that election mail be prioritized and overtime requests be pre-approved for the two weeks surrounding Election Day.
Trump's postmaster general, major GOP donor Louis DeJoy, had ordered changes intended to sabotage the post office's ability to handle a historic surge in mail voting as a way to disenfranchise mail voters, who are largely Democratic thanks to Democratic concerns about the pandemic and Trump's demagoguery discouraging GOP voters from following suit at a similar rate. TIME reported that one of those changes was the post office's failure to update 1.8 million address changes, meaning thousands of voters may not receive their ballots at the correct address.
It's unclear, though, whether these court rulings will eliminate the service delays that began appearing after DeJoy's appointment earlier this year. Consequently, voters should strongly consider wearing a mask to go vote early in-person if they deem it safe enough, but if they plan to vote by mail, they should return their ballot by mail no later than two weeks before Election Day. Better yet, voters should return their mail ballots in-person at a drop box, polling place, or their local elections office where allowed by state law to avoid mail delivery delays entirely.
FELONY DISENFRANCHISEMENT
●Florida: Former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg and his allives have fundraised $16 million to pay off the fines of nearly 32,000 Black and Latino voters with felony convictions in response to Florida Republicans passing a modern-day poll tax by requiring people with felony convictions to pay off court fines and fees before regaining their voting rights, even though the state can't even tell countless affected individuals how much money they owe. The plaintiffs' expert witness estimated that roughly 43% of the 775,000 people barred from voting were Black, meaning this group likely leans decidedly Democratic compared to those who don't owe court costs.
The ultra-wealthy Bloomberg has committed $100 million to helping Joe Biden win Florida, and his effort is intended to blunt the racial and partisan discrimination behind the GOP's poll tax by only focusing on Black and Latino voters, since they're much likelier to lean Democratic than whites. In response, Republican state Attorney General Ashley Moody asked federal law enforcement to investigate Bloomberg's group for potential election law violations, making this whole ordeal further harken back to the ugliness of the Jim Crow era, when law enforcement was routinely wielded as a cudgel against Black voting advocates.
●North Carolina: Civil rights groups have filed a lawsuit in federal court seeking to block a state law making it a serious crime for people with felony convictions that render them disenfranchised to impermissibly vote before their rights are restored, even if it's unintentional, a move that comes after a state court recently struck down a law that required the payment of court fines and fees for certain people to be able to regain their voting rights.
2020 CENSUS
●2020 Census: Late on Friday, the Justice Department announced it would go all the way to the Supreme Court if needed to overturn a flurry of recent lower court orders blocking the Trump administration's attempt to cut short the census' in-person counting operations. Earlier in the week, both the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals and a district court had ordered the census to continue counting up through its originally planned Oct. 31 deadline instead of ending operations at the end of September, leading to the Census Bureau making an announcement that it would comply on Friday shortly before the DOJ vowed to appeal.
ELECTION CHANGES
●Alabama: A federal judge in Alabama has blocked the state's witness and photo ID requirements for mail-in voting this year for voters at higher risk from COVID-19. Republicans say they will appeal.
●Alaska: Republican election officials, who previously sent absentee ballot applications to all voters 65 and older, have agreed to email voters who didn't receive applications as part of this mailing with instructions on how to vote by mail. Separately, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals said it would not have time to resolve a challenge to the state's decision to favor seniors before the election, which a lower court previously rejected.
●Arkansas: Voting rights advocates have filed a suit in federal court challenging the state's lack of signature cure options for mail voters.
●Arizona: A federal judge has rejected a lawsuit asking that ballots from the Navajo Nation be counted if they are received after Election Day so long as they are postmarked by that date. Separately, voting rights group have filed a federal lawsuit seeking to extend Arizona's voter registration deadline from Oct. 5 to Oct. 27
●Delaware: A state judge has ruled against a Republican lawsuit seeking to block Delaware's decision to conduct the November elections largely by mail.
●Georgia: Two Trump-appointed judges on the 11th Circuit Court of appeals have reversed a ruling over the dissent of the panel's lone Democratic appointee to reinstate a requirement that mail ballots be received by officials no later than Election Day, overturning the lower court's decision that had allowed ballots to count if postmarked by Election Day and received within a few days afterward.
In a separate case, a federal district court judge has ruled that Georgia election officials must maintain paper backups of voter registration data at every polling site in order to prevent the sort of problems that plagued the state's June primary, when many electronic data systems failed and caused long lines in predominantly Black neighborhoods. Republicans asked the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals to overturn that ruling on Friday, too.
●Illinois: A federal judge has rejected a Republican lawsuit seeking to block the state's expansion of mail voting for the November general election.
●Indiana: A federal court has ordered Indiana to accept mail ballots postmarked by Election Day and received by Nov. 13. Republicans are reportedly expected to appeal. Separately, voting rights advocates say they will appeal a lower federal court ruling that rejected their request that all Indiana voters be allowed to request absentee ballots without an excuse instead of only elderly voters, who typically favor Republicans.
Finally, a federal judge has struck down a state law that allowed only county election boards the ability to seek longer voting hours in the event of problems at polling places. Now individual voters will have the power to seek redress in the courts over such issues.
●Iowa: Iowa's conservative-dominated Supreme Court has sided with the Trump campaign against Democrats and let stand decisions that invalidated tens of thousands of absentee mail ballot request forms that voters had already submitted in populous Linn and Woodbury Counties, while a lower court tossed thousands of such applications from heavily Democratic Johnson County. The courts found that these applications, which local officials had sent with partially pre-filled information, violated state law and had to be re-sent to voters blank.
Relatedly, a lower state court has ruled against Democrats and Latino voter advocates by refusing to block the GOP's underlying law that makes it more difficult for election officials to administer absentee mail voting by prohibiting them from using the state's voter database to fill in missing information such as PIN for a voter's ID. Instead, officials must waste their limited time by having to contact potentially tens of thousands of such voters or more, risking some voters not getting mail ballots in time if at all.
Meanwhile, voting rights advocates have filed a lawsuit in state court challenging the GOP's restriction that only allows county election boards to set up ballot collection drop boxes on site at their offices. Plaintiffs want election officials to be able to establish drop boxes anywhere they see fit.
●Louisiana: A federal judge has ordered Louisiana to reinstate the limited expansions to mail voting it established before the state's summer primaries for the November general election, which allowed those at greater risk for COVID-19 to request absentee ballots instead of only elderly voters and those with limited other excuses. Republican Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin says he will not appeal.
●Maine: Maine's state Supreme Court, which is heavily composed of Democratic appointees, has rejected the GOP's request to suspend its late-September decision approving the use of instant-runoff voting for the presidency this November, meaning Maine will be the first state in history to use it for the Electoral College.
●Michigan: A state court judge has ruled that Michigan must count mail ballots postmarked by Election Day and received within two weeks. The judge also blocked a law limiting the class of persons who can assist a voter in returning mail ballots; voters can now ask anyone to return their ballots.
Republicans are appealing the extension of the mail ballot return deadline, and they've also filed a separate suit in federal court challenging the ruling. In addition, they've filed a suit in state court challenging the ballot return assistance ruling.
●Minnesota: Republican state Rep. Eric Lucero has filed a federal lawsuit challenging the state's decision to count ballots postmarked by Election Day and received a week later.
●Mississippi: The conservative-heavy Mississippi Supreme Court has ruled that those at higher risk of contracting COVID-19 may not request absentee ballots. Separately, leaders in the state's Republican-run legislature say they will not take action to permit no-excuse absentee voting. Mississippi is one of just five states where voters need to present an excuse to request an absentee ballot for the November general election, and all five states exempt elderly voters from the requirement, a demographic that typically leans GOP.
●Missouri: Voting rights advocates have filed a suit in federal court challenging a ban on returning mail ballots in person. They also want voters to be given the chance to cure any problems with mail ballots after they're cast. Separately, a state court judge has dismissed a lawsuit challenging the Missouri GOP's requirement that voters have their mail ballots notarized if they are under the age of 65. Two other lawsuits challenging the law are still pending.
●Montana: The Montana Supreme Court, which lacks a reliable liberal or conservative majority, has blocked a law prohibiting third parties from collecting and returning mail ballots from voters. However, the justices overturned a lower court ruling that allowed ballots to count if postmarked by Election Day and received within a few days afterward, and another that would have given voters the opportunity to cure any problems with their ballots, ruling that it was too close to the election to make such changes without potentially confusing voters and creating administrative problems.
Separately, a federal court has rejected a Republican challenge to an order by Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock allowing local election officials to conduct the November election by mail. Counties that are home to 94% of Montana's population have chosen this option. Republicans are appealing.
●Nevada: A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit brought by the Trump campaign challenging Nevada Democrats' decision to hold the November election largely by mail.
●New Jersey: A group of local Republicans have filed a lawsuit in state court challenging New Jersey Democrats' decision to hold the November election largely by mail.
●New York: New York City's Board of Elections had to recently send out a hefty 100,000 replacement mail ballots after the vendor it used to supply ballot materials misprinted the envelopes sent to voters for them to place their ballots in. Numerous voters reported receiving envelopes with the wrong name and return address. While it was unclear how many erroneous envelopes were actually sent to voters or whether the problem extended beyond Brooklyn, the board went ahead with sending replacement ballots and envelopes to the up to 100,000 voters who may have been affected.
For voters who receive two ballots, only the second one should be sent in, and if a voter has already sent in the first ballot, only the second one would count if both are mailed. The replacement ballots also have a red mark that will be noted by the machines used to process them, and officials said they would try to contact voters by phone and email to alert them of the problem
The New York City board has been plagued by problems hurting voting access for years, and while Democrats have passed numerous reforms after gaining control of the state Senate in 2018, the long-troubled board (and its counterparts elsewhere in the state) is one area where they have yet to make major progress. Critics have long derided the system whereby the two major political party organizations select election board members as rife with corruption and patronage instead of encouraging apolitical professionalism.
Meanwhile, a state court judge has rejected a request from voting rights advocates that New York's voter registration deadline be shortened from 25 days before Election Day to just 10 days.
●North Carolina: A state court has approved a settlement allowing officials to count ballots postmarked by Election Day and received by Nov. 12, leading GOP legislators to announce they would appeal. The agreement also makes it easier for voters to cure problems with their ballots and expands the availability of ballot return drop boxes. Separately, a federal court has blocked the Democratic-controlled state Board of Elections from issuing instructions saying election officials should count mail ballots received without a witness signature.
●Ohio: A panel of judges on the state Court of Appeals has ruled that Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose is allowed but not required to let counties set up more than one location for voters to drop off their absentee mail ballots this fall, reversing a recent lower court decision that had ordered LaRose to allow more than one location in each county. LaRose had claimed that state law prevented him from allowing more than one site per county, but Democrats have blasted him for misinterpreting the law to suppress votes, since more populous counties are disproportionately Democratic compared to smaller ones.
LaRose now faces a decision of whether to prove Democrats right by refusing to allow additional locations or work with the counties to set up extra drop boxes, though separate federal litigation remains ongoing that had been on hold until the state appeals court ruled. The federal court in that case had recently ordered LaRose to work with heavily Democratic Cuyahoga County, home to Cleveland, to set up additional ballot return locations.
Meanwhile, a state appeals court has rejected a request from Democrats in another lawsuit that Ohio officials allow voters to request absentee ballots online. Separately, the Republican-run legislative panel has voted down a proposal from LaRose to have the state pre-pay postage for mail ballots.
●Oklahoma: A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit brought by Democrats challenging Oklahoma's GOP-backed requirement that mail voters have their ballots notarized or include a photocopy of their ID.
●Oregon: Oregon election officials have issued advice on how to vote for those displaced by the recent wildfires that have ravaged the states. Most importantly, voters have until Oct. 13 to designate a temporary address at which they will be sent a mail ballot.
●Pennsylvania: The Pennsylvania Supreme Court, which has a Democratic majority, has ruled that election officials must count ballots postmarked by Election Day and received by the Friday after. In addition, the court ruled that local officials may set up ballot return drop boxes and also affirmed a ban on poll-watchers working in counties other than those they are registered to vote in. Republicans are appealing.
The court also ruled that so-called "naked" mail ballots wouldn't count, leading election officials are warning that up to 100,000 voters could be disenfranchised without adequate voter outreach. Such ballots are mail ballots contained only inside the outer envelope that contains the return address information, but the court's ruling requires that all mail ballots be inserted into a second "privacy envelope" that goes inside the larger return-address envelope. During the primary, such "naked ballots" were counted, risking further voter confusion this fall.
Consequently, Democrats launched TV ads in Philadelphia to warn voters about how to avoid the problem there, and three women running for state and county legislative offices in the Pittsburgh area used photos of themselves "naked" (the photos were censored with graphics of ballot materials) in a public service announcement that went viral on social media to raise awareness about the problem.
Separately, Democratic Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar has informed election officials that they may not reject mail ballots solely based on alleged signature mismatches, settling a suit with voting rights advocates.
●South Carolina: The 4th Circuit Court of Appeals, sitting en banc, has blocked South Carolina from requiring that absentee ballots be signed by a sitness. Republicans have asked the Supreme Court for an emergency stay of the ruling.
Separately, Republican Gov. Henry McMaster has signed a bill allowing all voters to request an absentee ballot for the November election, much as the state did for its primaries earlier this year.
●Wisconsin: A three-judge panel of the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld a lower court ruling ordering Wisconsin election officials to count mail ballots so long as they are postmarked by Election Day and received by Nov. 9. Republicans are seeking an en banc review by the full 7th Circuit.
Additionally, Republicans and the 7th Circuit judges separately made requests asking the state Supreme Court to clarify a July ruling that limited the ability of Republican lawmakers to intervene in litigation, which the state court on Friday agreed to do. The 7th Circuit had relied on the state court's prior ruling in rejecting the GOP's challenge.
Separately, voters in the heavily Democratic state capital of Madison have filed a lawsuit asking a state court judge to affirm the validity of a recent event where city officials received more than 10,000 mail ballots in public parks across the city. Officials plan to hold similar events again, but Republicans have threatened litigation of their own to block them.
●Vermont: A federal court has dismissed a Republican lawsuit challenging Vermont's plan to conduct the November election largely by mail.


alternet--2020-10-05--Kayleigh McEnany tests positive for COVID-19

The White House announced that press secretary Kayleigh McEnany has tested positive for the coronavirus .
According to a New @ @ @ @ @ McEnany came into the office despite exposure to the virus over the weekend .
The @ @ @ @ @ `` fine '' because she is tested daily .
For that reason , she could @ @ @ @ @ guidelines to quarantine for 14 days after exposure .
`` After testing negative consistently , @ @ @ @ @ , I tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday morning while experiencing no symptoms .
No @ @ @ @ @ of the press are listed as close contacts by the White House Medical Unit , @ @ @ @ @ statement .
She adds to a growing list of people who 've had contact with @ @ @ @ @ past week who are now COVID-positive .
McEnany also has a newborn at home who @ @ @ @ @ for the virus .

The White House announced that press secretary Kayleigh McEnany has tested positive for the coronavirus.
According to a New York Times report Sunday, McEnany came into the office despite exposure to the virus over the weekend. The White House said she was "fine" because she is tested daily. For that reason, she could ignore the Coronavirus Task Force guidelines to quarantine for 14 days after exposure.
"After testing negative consistently, including every day since Thursday, I tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday morning while experiencing no symptoms. No reporters, producers or members of the press are listed as close contacts by the White House Medical Unit," she claimed in a statement.
She adds to a growing list of people who've had contact with the White House over the past week who are now COVID-positive.
McEnany also has a newborn at home who is now likely at risk for the virus.


alternet--2020-10-05--'What would McConnell do?' Schumer urged to play hardball to delay Barrett confirmation

Arguing Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell would do precisely the same if the roles were flipped , progressives are urging Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to use the temporary numbers advantage his caucus could have due to the coronavirus outbreak among the chamber 's Republicans to delay hearings on President Donald Trump 's right-wing Supreme Court nominee until after next month 's election .
With six GOP senators forced into quarantine after testing positive for Covid-19 or coming into contact with someone who did , McConnell said in a statement that he will request unanimous consent Monday afternoon for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would push the chamber 's scheduled legislative business back to October 19 .
Progressives , including advocacy group Demand Progress and The Daily Poster 's David Sirota , are calling on Senate Democrats to reject McConnell 's consent request and force a floor vote on any effort to adjourn the chamber—a vote Democrats could win if the caucus shows up and remains united—unless it delays the final vote on Amy Coney Barrett 's confirmation until after the November 3 election .
Demand Progress executive director David Segal noted in a series of tweets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the majority on the Senate floor tomorrow .
Sen. Schumer should make sure it 's his team , move to adjourn until after the election . ''
`` Dems have 47-45 advantage to draw on ( assuming Collins + Murkowski do n't feel need to help out Mitch ) , '' Segal wrote , referring to the two Republican senators who have voiced opposition to voting on Barrett 's confirmation before the presidential election .
`` Advantage Dems—will they act like it ? ''
Segal acknowledged the difficulty Schumer could have encouraging members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , D.C. for a vote amid the coronavirus outbreak on Capitol Hill .
`` But showing up in PPE and fighting to block the SCOTUS nomination could save untold lives , '' said Segal .
`` Countless doctors , nurses , custodians , etc .
have put themselves at much greater risk for months . ''
Sirota , a former speechwriter for Sen. Bernie Sanders ( I-Vt. ) , advocated the same approach late Sunday , tweeting : `` With any tactical question right now , the easiest answer to 'what should Senate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 'what would McConnell do if the roles were reversed ? '
'' In his newsletter , Sirota noted that `` if Democrats are able to vote down McConnell 's adjournment resolution , they could use their leverage to demand an adjournment resolution that defers the Supreme Court confirmation hearings and moves forward a pandemic relief package . ''
`` If Democrats deny McConnell unanimous consent , vulnerable GOP senators in key battleground states may have to leave the campaign trail , because Republicans would potentially need every vote they have , '' Sirota @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of their caucus to the senate floor , they may be able to vote down an adjournment resolution on a roll call vote . ''
In his statement on Sunday , McConnell reaffirmed his intention to allow Senate Judiciary Committee hearings on Barrett to begin on October 12 even as the coronavirus spreads through Congress and the White House .
`` The Senate 's floor schedule will not interrupt the thorough , fair , and historically supported confirmation process previously laid out by Chairman Graham , '' said the Majority Leader .
While @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will heed progressives ' demands to play procedural hardball , the Minority Leader on Sunday voiced opposition to McConnell 's plan for a two-week Senate recess that would allow Barrett 's Judiciary Committee hearings to start as scheduled and vowed to use `` every tool in the toolbox '' to delay the right-wing nominee 's confirmation .
`` As we continue to learn of additional colleagues testing positive for Covid-19 , it is increasingly clear that rushing Amy Coney Barrett 's hearing forward in the midst of a Covid outbreak in the White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ process into a reckless and dangerous one , '' Schumer said during a press conference .
`` At the same time , there has been bipartisan agreement that remote hearings for lifetime appointments to higher federal courts is absolutely insufficient . ''
`` Judge Barrett 's confirmation would lead to the end of the Affordable Care Act , during a pandemic , while tens of thousands of Americans are being diagnosed with Covid-19 each day , '' Schumer added .
`` As the virus continues to run rampant—and the seven million Americans who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ condition—rushing a nominee onto the court who will rip insurance away from 20 million Americans when they need it most , while simultaneously stripping pre-existing condition protections for 130 million citizens , only adds insult to injury . ''

Arguing Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell would do precisely the same if the roles were flipped, progressives are urging Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to use the temporary numbers advantage his caucus could have due to the coronavirus outbreak among the chamber's Republicans to delay hearings on President Donald Trump's right-wing Supreme Court nominee until after next month's election.
With six GOP senators forced into quarantine after testing positive for Covid-19 or coming into contact with someone who did, McConnell said in a statement that he will request unanimous consent Monday afternoon for a two-week Senate recess, a move that would push the chamber's scheduled legislative business back to October 19.
Progressives, including advocacy group Demand Progress and The Daily Poster's David Sirota, are calling on Senate Democrats to reject McConnell's consent request and force a floor vote on any effort to adjourn the chamber—a vote Democrats could win if the caucus shows up and remains united—unless it delays the final vote on Amy Coney Barrett's confirmation until after the November 3 election.
Demand Progress executive director David Segal noted in a series of tweets Sunday that "one side will have the majority on the Senate floor tomorrow. Sen. Schumer should make sure it's his team, move to adjourn until after the election."
"Dems have 47-45 advantage to draw on (assuming Collins + Murkowski don't feel need to help out Mitch)," Segal wrote, referring to the two Republican senators who have voiced opposition to voting on Barrett's confirmation before the presidential election. "Advantage Dems—will they act like it?"
Segal acknowledged the difficulty Schumer could have encouraging members of his caucus to return to Washington, D.C. for a vote amid the coronavirus outbreak on Capitol Hill.
"But showing up in PPE and fighting to block the SCOTUS nomination could save untold lives," said Segal. "Countless doctors, nurses, custodians, etc. have put themselves at much greater risk for months."
Sirota, a former speechwriter for Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), advocated the same approach late Sunday, tweeting: "With any tactical question right now, the easiest answer to 'what should Senate Democrats do?' is to ask 'what would McConnell do if the roles were reversed?'"
In his newsletter, Sirota noted that "if Democrats are able to vote down McConnell's adjournment resolution, they could use their leverage to demand an adjournment resolution that defers the Supreme Court confirmation hearings and moves forward a pandemic relief package."
"If Democrats deny McConnell unanimous consent, vulnerable GOP senators in key battleground states may have to leave the campaign trail, because Republicans would potentially need every vote they have," Sirota added. "If Democrats gather enough of their caucus to the senate floor, they may be able to vote down an adjournment resolution on a roll call vote."
In his statement on Sunday, McConnell reaffirmed his intention to allow Senate Judiciary Committee hearings on Barrett to begin on October 12 even as the coronavirus spreads through Congress and the White House. "The Senate's floor schedule will not interrupt the thorough, fair, and historically supported confirmation process previously laid out by Chairman Graham," said the Majority Leader.
While it remains to be seen whether Schumer will heed progressives' demands to play procedural hardball, the Minority Leader on Sunday voiced opposition to McConnell's plan for a two-week Senate recess that would allow Barrett's Judiciary Committee hearings to start as scheduled and vowed to use "every tool in the toolbox" to delay the right-wing nominee's confirmation.
"As we continue to learn of additional colleagues testing positive for Covid-19, it is increasingly clear that rushing Amy Coney Barrett's hearing forward in the midst of a Covid outbreak in the White House and Senate would turn an illegitimate process into a reckless and dangerous one," Schumer said during a press conference. "At the same time, there has been bipartisan agreement that remote hearings for lifetime appointments to higher federal courts is absolutely insufficient."
"Judge Barrett's confirmation would lead to the end of the Affordable Care Act, during a pandemic, while tens of thousands of Americans are being diagnosed with Covid-19 each day," Schumer added. "As the virus continues to run rampant—and the seven million Americans who survived the disease have a lifetime pre-existing condition—rushing a nominee onto the court who will rip insurance away from 20 million Americans when they need it most, while simultaneously stripping pre-existing condition protections for 130 million citizens, only adds insult to injury."


alternet--2020-10-05--Clarence Thomas pens scathing attack suggesting Supreme Court should overturn same-sex marriage

Obergefell v. Hodges was the landmark 2015 ruling in which the U.S. Supreme Court , in a 5-4 decision , legalized same-sex marriage in all 50 states .
Two of the dissenters in that ruling were Justice Clarence Thomas and Justice Samuel Alito — and now , Thomas and Alito are calling for that decision to be overturned .
This comes at a time when there is a very real possibility that Justice Amy Coney Barrett , a far-right social conservative nominated by President Donald Trump , will be replacing the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg .
In a petition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was an attack on religious freedom , saying , `` The Court has created a problem that only it can fix .
Until then , Obergefell will continue to have 'ruinous consequences for religious liberty . '
'' Half a decade ago , the majority in Obergefell v. Hodges came from both the left and the right .
Justice Anthony Kennedy , nominated by President Ronald Reagan in 1987 , sided with Ginsburg in that decision .
Kennedy was fiscally conservative , yet his libertarian streak showed itself when he agreed with Ginsburg @ @ @ @ @ @ @ same-sex marriage and abortion .
But the makeup of the Supreme Court has changed a lot since Obergefell .
The late Justice Antonin Scalia , one of the dissenters in Obergefell , died in 2016 and was replaced by Justice Neal Gorsuch — another social conservative — in 2017 .
Replacing Scalia with Gorsuch was n't a game-changer for the High Court , but when Kennedy announced his retirement in 2018 and was replaced by the more socially conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh , that was a game-changer .
And now , with Barrett @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Court is facing the possibility of an even greater game-changer — one in which Obergefell could be in danger along with Roe v. Wade , Griswold v. Connecticut , Lawrence v. Texas and many other right-to-privacy decisions .

Obergefell v. Hodges was the landmark 2015 ruling in which the U.S. Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision, legalized same-sex marriage in all 50 states. Two of the dissenters in that ruling were Justice Clarence Thomas and Justice Samuel Alito — and now, Thomas and Alito are calling for that decision to be overturned. This comes at a time when there is a very real possibility that Justice Amy Coney Barrett, a far-right social conservative nominated by President Donald Trump, will be replacing the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
In a petition, Thomas and Alito argue that Obergefell was an attack on religious freedom, saying, "The Court has created a problem that only it can fix. Until then, Obergefell will continue to have 'ruinous consequences for religious liberty.'"
Half a decade ago, the majority in Obergefell v. Hodges came from both the left and the right. Justice Anthony Kennedy, nominated by President Ronald Reagan in 1987, sided with Ginsburg in that decision. Kennedy was fiscally conservative, yet his libertarian streak showed itself when he agreed with Ginsburg on social issues like gay rights, same-sex marriage and abortion.
But the makeup of the Supreme Court has changed a lot since Obergefell. The late Justice Antonin Scalia, one of the dissenters in Obergefell, died in 2016 and was replaced by Justice Neal Gorsuch — another social conservative — in 2017. Replacing Scalia with Gorsuch wasn't a game-changer for the High Court, but when Kennedy announced his retirement in 2018 and was replaced by the more socially conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh, that was a game-changer. And now, with Barrett likely to replace Ginsburg, the Supreme Court is facing the possibility of an even greater game-changer — one in which Obergefell could be in danger along with Roe v. Wade, Griswold v. Connecticut, Lawrence v. Texas and many other right-to-privacy decisions.


alternet--2020-10-05--Mike Pence is a reminder that destructive leaders are symptoms of an anti-democratic status quo

If President Trump dies from the coronavirus that has killed more than 200,000 Americans largely due to his deliberate negligence , the man replacing him will be no less dangerous .
While Mike Pence has eluded tough media scrutiny -- in part because he exhibits such a low-key style in contrast to Trump -- the pair has been a good fit for an administration that exemplifies the partnership of religious fundamentalism and corporate power .
The vice president , a former Indiana talk-show host who went on to become a six-term congressman and then governor , has described himself as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a Republican , in that order . ''
But he remains at cross-purposes with the biblical admonition ( Matthew 6:24 ) that `` you can not serve both God and money . ''
Whether Pence has truly served God is a subjective matter , but his massive service to money—big money—is incontrovertible .
Pence ranks high as a Christian soldier marching in lockstep with Trump on all major policy issues , a process that routinely puts business interests ahead of human lives .
Whatever his personal piety might be , the results @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have further consolidated a de facto coalition of those seeking ever-lower taxes on wealth and corporations ; denial of LGBTQ rights ; a ban on abortion and severe restrictions on other reproductive rights ; voter suppression and barriers to voting by people of color ; obstruction of healthcare for low-income people ; and on and on .
Pence embodies the political alliance of very conservative evangelical forces with anti-regulatory forces of corporatism .
In the arenas of elections and governance , that coalition is the present-day Republican Party , dedicated to imposing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ democratic reforms and serving the rich at the expense of everyone else .
`` As vice president , Mike Pence is doing everything in his power to control people 's bodies , '' the Planned Parenthood Action Fund declares .
Meanwhile , those who are inclined toward racism or outright believers in white supremacy are bolstered .
And Wall Street has never had a better friend in Washington .
Pence 's most consequential role during 44 months as vice president has been as chair of the White House Coronavirus Task Force .
Since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump 's willing executioner , standing by and blowing smoke while Trump obfuscated and lied as the death toll kept mounting .
`` The truth is that we 've made great progress over the past four months , '' Pence proclaimed in a mid-June statement , `` and it 's a testament to the leadership of President Trump . ''
Pence charged that `` the media has taken to sounding the alarm bells over a 'second wave ' of coronavirus infections '' —but `` such panic is overblown . ''
To underscore his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the virus , the vice president concluded with a blame-the-messenger flourish : `` The truth is , whatever the media says , our whole-of-America approach has been a success .
We 've slowed the spread , we 've cared for the most vulnerable , we 've saved lives , and we 've created a solid foundation for whatever challenges we may face in the future .
That 's a cause for celebration , not the media 's fear mongering . ''
Pence 's June 16 statement made its way into the Wall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whistling past Covid graveyards .
`` It was so clearly wrong back then and has turned out to be so clearly wrong since that I hope there 's some part of him that 's embarrassed , '' Ashish Jha , the head of the Harvard Global Health Institute , said in late summer .
`` I had already been seeing data for a good week that things were really heading in the wrong direction . ''
The Washington Post editorial board immediately responded with a denunciation under the headline `` Mike Pence Is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ No one with any discernment would associate Trump with religiosity because he held up a Bible at a photo op .
But the other half of the ticket is a very different matter .
Days after the November 2016 election , Jeremy Scahill wrote that Trump is `` a Trojan horse for a cabal of vicious zealots who have long craved an extremist Christian theocracy , and Pence is one of its most prized warriors . ''
Scahill quoted an author of books on far-right fundamentalism , Jeff Sharlet , who said that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they 're speaking not of something separate from God , but they 're speaking of what , in Mike Pence 's circles , would be called biblical capitalism , the idea that this economic system is God-ordained . ''
What does all this mean for progressives ?
The case of Mike Pence should be an ongoing urgent reminder that—as toxic and truly evil as Donald Trump is—the current president is a product and poisonous symptom of an inherently unjust and anti-democratic status quo .
Instead of focusing our rage on the persona of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that corporate domination provides an endless supply of destructive leaders .
While they come and go , the system of corporate power remains—and we must replace that system with genuine democracy .

If President Trump dies from the coronavirus that has killed more than 200,000 Americans largely due to his deliberate negligence, the man replacing him will be no less dangerous. While Mike Pence has eluded tough media scrutiny -- in part because he exhibits such a low-key style in contrast to Trump -- the pair has been a good fit for an administration that exemplifies the partnership of religious fundamentalism and corporate power.
The vice president, a former Indiana talk-show host who went on to become a six-term congressman and then governor, has described himself as "a Christian, a conservative, and a Republican, in that order." But he remains at cross-purposes with the biblical admonition (Matthew 6:24) that "you cannot serve both God and money." Whether Pence has truly served God is a subjective matter, but his massive service to money—big money—is incontrovertible.
Pence ranks high as a Christian soldier marching in lockstep with Trump on all major policy issues, a process that routinely puts business interests ahead of human lives. Whatever his personal piety might be, the results of Pence's fidelity to right-wing agendas have further consolidated a de facto coalition of those seeking ever-lower taxes on wealth and corporations; denial of LGBTQ rights; a ban on abortion and severe restrictions on other reproductive rights; votersuppression and barriers to voting by people of color; obstruction of healthcare for low-income people; and on and on.
Pence embodies the political alliance of very conservative evangelical forces with anti-regulatory forces of corporatism. In the arenas of elections and governance, that coalition is the present-day Republican Party, dedicated to imposing the edicts of religious dogma, rolling back democratic reforms and serving the rich at the expense of everyone else.
"As vice president, Mike Pence is doing everything in his power to control people's bodies," the Planned Parenthood Action Fund declares. Meanwhile, those who are inclined toward racism or outright believers in white supremacy are bolstered. And Wall Street has never had a better friend in Washington.
Pence's most consequential role during 44 months as vice president has been as chair of the White House Coronavirus Task Force. Since late February, he has functioned—in effect—as Trump's willing executioner, standing by and blowing smoke while Trump obfuscated and lied as the death toll kept mounting.
"The truth is that we've made great progress over the past four months," Pence proclaimed in a mid-June statement, "and it's a testament to the leadership of President Trump." Pence charged that "the media has taken to sounding the alarm bells over a 'second wave' of coronavirus infections"—but "such panic is overblown."
To underscore his full devotion to Lord Trump's downplaying of the virus, the vice president concluded with a blame-the-messenger flourish: "The truth is, whatever the media says, our whole-of-America approach has been a success. We've slowed the spread, we've cared for the most vulnerable, we've saved lives, and we've created a solid foundation for whatever challenges we may face in the future. That's a cause for celebration, not the media's fear mongering."
Pence's June 16 statement made its way into the Wall Street Journal as a prominent op-ed piece whistling past Covid graveyards. "It was so clearly wrong back then and has turned out to be so clearly wrong since that I hope there's some part of him that's embarrassed," Ashish Jha, the head of the Harvard Global Health Institute, said in late summer. "I had already been seeing data for a good week that things were really heading in the wrong direction." The Washington Post editorial board immediately responded with a denunciation under the headline "Mike Pence Is a Case Study in Irresponsibility."
No one with any discernment would associate Trump with religiosity because he held up a Bible at a photo op. But the other half of the ticket is a very different matter. Days after the November 2016 election, Jeremy Scahill wrote that Trump is "a Trojan horse for a cabal of vicious zealots who have long craved an extremist Christian theocracy, and Pence is one of its most prized warriors."
Scahill quoted an author of books on far-right fundamentalism, Jeff Sharlet, who said that "when they speak of business, they're speaking not of something separate from God, but they're speaking of what, in Mike Pence's circles, would be called biblical capitalism, the idea that this economic system is God-ordained."
What does all this mean for progressives? The case of Mike Pence should be an ongoing urgent reminder that—as toxic and truly evil as Donald Trump is—the current president is a product and poisonous symptom of an inherently unjust and anti-democratic status quo.
Instead of focusing our rage on the persona of one destructive leader, we should remember that corporate domination provides an endless supply of destructive leaders. While they come and go, the system of corporate power remains—and we must replace that system with genuine democracy.