alternet--2020-10-07--News outlet removes reporter from the White House press pool over safety concerns

Earlier this week , Michael D. Shear — a New York Times White House correspondent who has tested positive for COVID-19 — told Axios , `` My wife has now tested positive for COVID .
The collateral damage is going to be pretty significant , I think . ''
And the danger that journalists who cover the White House are facing is also evident in a decision that BuzzFeed News has made : it has removed reporter Kadia Goba from the White House press pool , citing safety concerns .
BuzzFeed 's decision follows the recent hospitalization of President Donald @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A long list of well-known Republicans and Trump allies have also tested positive for the novel coronavirus , from White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany to Republican National Committee Chair Ronna Romney McDaniel to Trump 's campaign manager , Bill Stepien , to Gov .
Chris Christie .
The New York Times ' Katie Robertson reports that Matt Mittenthal , a BuzzFeed spokesman , `` confirmed that the company , on Tuesday , had withdrawn the correspondent , Kadia Goba , from her Wednesday shift out of concern for her safety .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ further guidance from the White House Correspondents ' Association . ''
Goba clearly fears that entering the White House at this point would put her at risk for being infected with COVID-19 , which according to Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore , has killed more than 1 million people worldwide .
Goba told the Times , `` Anyone that knows me understands I 'd rather be at the White House working today , but at the same time , there are obvious concerns about working indoors during an outbreak .
I do n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rest of the election because I 'm sick . ''
Robertson notes that after BuzzFeed announced that Goba was being removed from the White House Press pool , an e-mail circulated in the press pool asking if someone would like to fill in for her .
But other reporters who work in Washington , D.C. are worried as well .
In response to that e-mail , the Dallas Morning News ' Washington bureau chief , Todd J. Gillman , wrote , `` We are in uncharted territory .
No one wants anyone to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want the pool system to collapse . ''
Politico ended up sending journalist Meridith McGraw to cover the White House in place of BuzzFeed 's Goba .
Robertson points out that in addition to Shear , at least two other journalists who cover the White House have reported testing positive for COVID-19 .
In an official statement released on Wednesday , the White House Correspondents ' Association reported that dozens of tests for COVID-19 have been conducted on its members since late last week — when Trump tweeted that he had tested positive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in the statement , said , `` It would be foolish of us to assume that the situation at the White House or on the campaign trail will improve dramatically over the coming four weeks .
That means that we as a press corps — and each of us individually — must be clear-eyed about the potential risks of COVID exposure on the job , taking every precaution we can to fulfill our coverage obligations while being prepared for situations with which we may not be comfortable . ''

Earlier this week, Michael D. Shear — a New York Times White House correspondent who has tested positive for COVID-19 — told Axios, "My wife has now tested positive for COVID. The collateral damage is going to be pretty significant, I think." And the danger that journalists who cover the White House are facing is also evident in a decision that BuzzFeed News has made: it has removed reporter Kadia Goba from the White House press pool, citing safety concerns.
BuzzFeed's decision follows the recent hospitalization of President Donald Trump after testing positive for COVID-19. A long list of well-known Republicans and Trump allies have also tested positive for the novel coronavirus, from White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany to Republican National Committee Chair Ronna Romney McDaniel to Trump's campaign manager, Bill Stepien, to Gov. Chris Christie.
The New York Times' Katie Robertson reports that Matt Mittenthal, a BuzzFeed spokesman, "confirmed that the company, on Tuesday, had withdrawn the correspondent, Kadia Goba, from her Wednesday shift out of concern for her safety. The spokesman added that BuzzFeed News was awaiting further guidance from the White House Correspondents' Association."
Goba clearly fears that entering the White House at this point would put her at risk for being infected with COVID-19, which according to Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, has killed more than 1 million people worldwide.
Goba told the Times, "Anyone that knows me understands I'd rather be at the White House working today, but at the same time, there are obvious concerns about working indoors during an outbreak. I don't want to be knocked out for the rest of the election because I'm sick."
Robertson notes that after BuzzFeed announced that Goba was being removed from the White House Press pool, an e-mail circulated in the press pool asking if someone would like to fill in for her. But other reporters who work in Washington, D.C. are worried as well.
In response to that e-mail, the Dallas Morning News' Washington bureau chief, Todd J. Gillman, wrote, "We are in uncharted territory. No one wants anyone to take unwarranted risk. Nor do we want the pool system to collapse."
Politico ended up sending journalist Meridith McGraw to cover the White House in place of BuzzFeed's Goba.
Robertson points out that in addition to Shear, at least two other journalists who cover the White House have reported testing positive for COVID-19.
In an official statement released on Wednesday, the White House Correspondents' Association reported that dozens of tests for COVID-19 have been conducted on its members since late last week — when Trump tweeted that he had tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
The WHCA, in the statement, said, "It would be foolish of us to assume that the situation at the White House or on the campaign trail will improve dramatically over the coming four weeks. That means that we as a press corps — and each of us individually — must be clear-eyed about the potential risks of COVID exposure on the job, taking every precaution we can to fulfill our coverage obligations while being prepared for situations with which we may not be comfortable."


alternet--2020-10-07--Here’s the big mistake people keep making about 2020 election forecasts

With the 2020 presidential election already in progress and its conclusion mere weeks away , the polls are starting to look exceptionally good for former Vice President Joe Biden .
A new slate of polls from Quinnipiac University — which does , admittedly , tend to find more favorable numbers for the Democrat — reported Biden with a stunning lead in key swing states , most notably finding him up 11 points in Florida .
Even if off by a significant margin — say , 6 points — it would point to a resounding victory for Biden .
And recent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ toward the Democrat , with Biden up 9.4 points in the most recent RealClearPolitics average .
FiveThirtyEight now shows Biden with an 84 percent chance of winning .
We should n't read too much into any particular poll or snapshot in time , but all the figures point to a strong showing by Biden on Nov. 3 .
But that raises a significant question for many , especially those with the bruises of 2016 : could all the polls be wrong ?
They could indeed .
Systematic polling errors happen for a variety @ @ @ @ @ @ @ FiveThirtyEight 's forecasting model is useful .
It incorporates uncertainty about the polls into its assessment of the race .
That 's why , as FiveThirtyEight founder Nate Silver pointed out on Wednesday , one of the biggest criticisms of his forecast is so mistaken .
He pointed , in particular , to this quote from Chris Kofinis in a recent Vanity Fair interview : I 'm always skeptical of the polls because of how each pollster will model the electorate .
Polling is as much an art as a science ; unfortunately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ others ignore the science .
Look at the FiveThirtyEight website—they basically look at all the polling out there , and then they come up with a probability model of who is going to win based on that polling .
But that model is based on one huge assumption : that the polling is n't wrong .
But if the polling is wrong , then the subsequent model is wrong .
I 'm skeptical that the polls are right because the electorate is more divided and dysfunctional than ever before in history .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about probabilistic models .
The 538 model does n't assume that polls are right .
It does exactly the opposite : **it tells you the chance that the polls will be wrong** , '' he said .
`` Donald Trump is getting absolutely , completely crushed in the polls right now .
They point toward the biggest landslide since 1984 .
Despite that , he has about a 17 % chance of winning , which is n't bad .
Why ?
The polls might be wrong ! ''
Indeed , while Silver has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by predicting a Hillary Clinton victory , his model actually gave Trump a higher chance of winning — around 30 percent — than many other models .
And events with a 30 percent chance of happening happen all the time , which is why you might take an umbrella when there 's a 30 percent chance of rain .
Silver 's model correctly noted that if the polls of key swing states in the Midwest were wrong — as they turned out to be — they could likely all be wrong in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the polling error was just enough to give Trump a slim victory .
There 's a related confusion that some critics of the models and the polls fall into .
They assume that , because the state polls were wrong in a certain direction in 2016 , they 're likely to make the same mistake again .
But pollsters are well aware of their mistakes in 2016 , and they have worked hard to fix them .
It 's possible they 'll make the same mistakes again , or similar mistakes that end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But it may be at least as likely that they 'll overcorrect and end up underestimating Biden 's chances .
We ca n't assume one way or they other .
And most individuals should n't assume they know more about what pollsters are doing wrong this cycle than the pollsters themselves , whose literal job it is to worry about these sorts of things .

With the 2020 presidential election already in progress and its conclusion mere weeks away, the polls are starting to look exceptionally good for former Vice President Joe Biden.
A new slate of polls from Quinnipiac University — which does, admittedly, tend to find more favorable numbers for the Democrat — reported Biden with a stunning lead in key swing states, most notably finding him up 11 points in Florida. Even if off by a significant margin — say, 6 points — it would point to a resounding victory for Biden. And recent national polls have shown a major shift toward the Democrat, with Biden up 9.4 points in the most recent RealClearPolitics average. FiveThirtyEight now shows Biden with an 84 percent chance of winning.
We shouldn't read too much into any particular poll or snapshot in time, but all the figures point to a strong showing by Biden on Nov. 3. But that raises a significant question for many, especially those with the bruises of 2016: could all the polls be wrong?
They could indeed. Systematic polling errors happen for a variety of factors. But that's why FiveThirtyEight's forecasting model is useful. It incorporates uncertainty about the polls into its assessment of the race.
That's why, as FiveThirtyEight founder Nate Silver pointed out on Wednesday, one of the biggest criticisms of his forecast is so mistaken. He pointed, in particular, to this quote from Chris Kofinis in a recent Vanity Fair interview:
I'm always skeptical of the polls because of how each pollster will model the electorate. Polling is as much an art as a science; unfortunately some artists are really bad, and others ignore the science. Look at the FiveThirtyEight website—they basically look at all the polling out there, and then they come up with a probability model of who is going to win based on that polling. But that model is based on one huge assumption: that the polling isn't wrong. But if the polling is wrong, then the subsequent model is wrong. I'm skeptical that the polls are right because the electorate is more divided and dysfunctional than ever before in history.
Silver responded on Twitter.
"This is one of the dumbest misconceptions about probabilistic models. The 538 model doesn't assume that polls are right. It does exactly the opposite: **it tells you the chance that the polls will be wrong**," he said. "Donald Trump is getting absolutely, completely crushed in the polls right now. They point toward the biggest landslide since 1984. Despite that, he has about a 17% chance of winning, which isn't bad. Why? The polls might be wrong!"
Indeed, while Silver has been criticized for supposedly getting 2016 wrong by predicting a Hillary Clinton victory, his model actually gave Trump a higher chance of winning — around 30 percent — than many other models. And events with a 30 percent chance of happening happen all the time, which is why you might take an umbrella when there's a 30 percent chance of rain. Silver's model correctly noted that if the polls of key swing states in the Midwest were wrong — as they turned out to be — they could likely all be wrong in the same direction. They were, and the polling error was just enough to give Trump a slim victory.
There's a related confusion that some critics of the models and the polls fall into. They assume that, because the state polls were wrong in a certain direction in 2016, they're likely to make the same mistake again. But pollsters are well aware of their mistakes in 2016, and they have worked hard to fix them. It's possible they'll make the same mistakes again, or similar mistakes that end up creating errors in the same direction. But it may be at least as likely that they'll overcorrect and end up underestimating Biden's chances. We can't assume one way or they other. And most individuals shouldn't assume they know more about what pollsters are doing wrong this cycle than the pollsters themselves, whose literal job it is to worry about these sorts of things.


alternet--2020-10-07--Blistering report to warn of the 'grave danger' posed by Bill Barr and his attempts to get Trump re-

Blistering report to warn of the 'grave danger' posed by Bill Barr and his attempts to get Trump re-elected

Critics of President Donald Trump have been arguing that one of the main reasons to vote him out of office in November is removing William Barr from his position as U.S. attorney general .
And the Trump loyalist 's opponents , according to Washington Post reporter James Hohmann , will have some more material to work with : a forthcoming 277-page report from the Center for Ethics and the Rule of Law at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington .
Due out next week , the Center/CREW report , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' of Barr — and it 's also quite comprehensive .
The report , according to Hohmann , `` focuses on nine areas , including the misleading summary Barr initially offered of Special Counsel Bob Mueller 's conclusions ; the Justice Department 's handling of the whistleblower complaint related to President Trump 's infamous call with Ukraine 's president ; his intervention in politically sensitive prosecutions , such as the cases of former Trump advisers Roger Stone and Michael Flynn ; the deployment of federal agents and troops against protestors , including the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ firing or reassignment of U.S. attorneys , especially in the Southern District of New York ; his role in trying to block the publication of material unflattering to the president , such as former National Security Adviser John Bolton 's memoir ; the politicization of several offices within the department , in particular the Office of Legal Counsel ; and his resistance to congressional oversight , including subpoenas . ''
According to Hohmann , the authors of the report warn that Barr 's actions could have a chilling effect on gathering information about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election .
The authors write , `` There is a grave danger to the intelligence community from politicized DOJ investigations , intimidation and potential prosecutions .
The use of a criminal investigation is ill-suited to examining the process of foreign intelligence analysis , poses unnecessary risks to intelligence sources and methods , intimidates and alienates foreign intelligence analysts , and chills the analytic process in a way likely to undermine the candor essential to producing the best intelligence information for national policymakers . ''
They continue , `` The cumulative effects are likely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ personnel and neutralize the concept of 'speaking truth to power ' that is essential to the effective use of intelligence in national policy decisions .
All of this weakens prospective U.S. intelligence capabilities to the advantage of Russia and other adversaries in competition with the interests and goals of the United States . ''
Hohmann notes that the three chairs of the bipartisan working group that spent several months preparing the report are : ( 1 ) Claire Finkelstein , a University of Pennsylvania law professor , ( 2 ) University of Minnesota @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 3 ) CREW Executive Director Noah Bookbinder .
Defenders of Trump and Barr will probably try to paint the report as the work of Democratic Party ideologues , but in fact , Painter served as chief White House ethics lawyer under President George W. Bush .
The working group , according to Hohmann , reached the `` reluctant conclusion '' that Barr is `` using the powers '' of the U.S. Department of Justice to help Trump get reelected .
Others in the working group range from Elizabeth Rindskopf Parker , former general @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the National Security Agency , to Stuart Gerson , who ran the DOJ 's civil division under Bush .

Critics of President Donald Trump have been arguing that one of the main reasons to vote him out of office in November is removing William Barr from his position as U.S. attorney general. And the Trump loyalist's opponents, according to Washington Post reporter James Hohmann, will have some more material to work with: a forthcoming 277-page report from the Center for Ethics and the Rule of Law at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.
Due out next week, the Center/CREW report, Hohmann stresses, is "sharply critical" of Barr — and it's also quite comprehensive.
The report, according to Hohmann, "focuses on nine areas, including the misleading summary Barr initially offered of Special Counsel Bob Mueller's conclusions; the Justice Department's handling of the whistleblower complaint related to President Trump's infamous call with Ukraine's president; his intervention in politically sensitive prosecutions, such as the cases of former Trump advisers Roger Stone and Michael Flynn; the deployment of federal agents and troops against protestors, including the order to clear Lafayette Square; the firing or reassignment of U.S. attorneys, especially in the Southern District of New York; his role in trying to block the publication of material unflattering to the president, such as former National Security Adviser John Bolton's memoir; the politicization of several offices within the department, in particular the Office of Legal Counsel; and his resistance to congressional oversight, including subpoenas."
According to Hohmann, the authors of the report warn that Barr's actions could have a chilling effect on gathering information about possible foreign interference in this year's election.
The authors write, "There is a grave danger to the intelligence community from politicized DOJ investigations, intimidation and potential prosecutions. The use of a criminal investigation is ill-suited to examining the process of foreign intelligence analysis, poses unnecessary risks to intelligence sources and methods, intimidates and alienates foreign intelligence analysts, and chills the analytic process in a way likely to undermine the candor essential to producing the best intelligence information for national policymakers."
They continue, "The cumulative effects are likely to increase the attrition of talented intelligence personnel and neutralize the concept of 'speaking truth to power' that is essential to the effective use of intelligence in national policy decisions. All of this weakens prospective U.S. intelligence capabilities to the advantage of Russia and other adversaries in competition with the interests and goals of the United States."
Hohmann notes that the three chairs of the bipartisan working group that spent several months preparing the report are: (1) Claire Finkelstein, a University of Pennsylvania law professor, (2) University of Minnesota law professor Richard Painter, and (3) CREW Executive Director Noah Bookbinder. Defenders of Trump and Barr will probably try to paint the report as the work of Democratic Party ideologues, but in fact, Painter served as chief White House ethics lawyer under President George W. Bush.
The working group, according to Hohmann, reached the "reluctant conclusion" that Barr is "using the powers" of the U.S. Department of Justice to help Trump get reelected.
Others in the working group range from Elizabeth Rindskopf Parker, former general counsel of the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency, to Stuart Gerson, who ran the DOJ's civil division under Bush.


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

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

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


alternet--2020-10-07--Donald Trump Jr. baselessly accuses Pelosi of having 'substance issues' during bizarre Fox interview

Donald Trump Jr. claimed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-Calif. ) has `` substance issues '' as he fired back at her for her latest criticism of his father , President Donald Trump .
During an appearance on Fox News , Trump Jr. was asked to weigh in on Pelosi 's criticism of the president 's decision to abruptly and unilaterally end negotiations for the next stimulus bill .
More specifically , the president 's son was asked about his reaction to Pelosi raising concerns about whether or not Trump is mentally capable of making such critical decisions since he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and steroids due to complications of coronavirus .
According to Trump Jr. , Pelosi has `` her own substance issues '' although he offered no specific details about the allegation .
He continued by echoing more baseless claims repeatedly perpetuated by his father .
`` Nancy has her own substance issues according to the press and according to the media , '' Trump Jr. said .
`` I wo n't get into that .
It 's obviously nonsense .
The reality is this : Nancy Pelosi was trying to stack literally , probably @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bailout Democrat cities , to push for cashless bail , to get illegal immigrants stimulus checks as part of that package while the American taxpayer gets to foot the bill for her radical agenda . ''
Don Jr. sounds off on declassified Russia docs : 'We knew all along' Trump Jr. 's remarks about came less than one day after Pelosi reacted to Trump shutting down stimulus negotiations .
During an appearance on ABC 's `` The View '' Wednesday morning , Pelosi reiterated her concerns .
`` I said yesterday to my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who say that the steroids had an impact on people 's thinking , I do n't know , but there are those health care providers who say that , '' Pelosi said .
`` Also , if you have the coronavirus , it has an impact , as well .
So the combination is something that should be viewed . ''
She also expressed concern about Trump 's `` erratic behavior . ''
Pelosi added , `` I think it 's true to form .
I think that the president has always had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very , very dangerous , because he knows the danger of the virus , but he 's in denial , as he was right from the start .
Denial , delay , distortion . ''
Her remarks came amid the president 's ongoing tweet storm on Tuesday , contradicting himself more than once .
On Wednesday , Trump tweeted and retweeted more than 50 times just between the hours of 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. , according to The New York Times .
In addition to Pelosi , the president lodged attacks on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden , Democratic vice-presidential nominee Sen. Kamala Harris ( D-CA ) , former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton , former President Barack Obama and his wife , Michelle Obama , Sen. Bernie Sanders ( I-VT ) and the journalist Lester Holt .

Donald Trump Jr. claimed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has "substance issues" as he fired back at her for her latest criticism of his father, President Donald Trump.
During an appearance on Fox News, Trump Jr. was asked to weigh in on Pelosi's criticism of the president's decision to abruptly and unilaterally end negotiations for the next stimulus bill. More specifically, the president's son was asked about his reaction to Pelosi raising concerns about whether or not Trump is mentally capable of making such critical decisions since he is said to be on antiviral medications and steroids due to complications of coronavirus.
According to Trump Jr., Pelosi has "her own substance issues" although he offered no specific details about the allegation. He continued by echoing more baseless claims repeatedly perpetuated by his father.
"Nancy has her own substance issues according to the press and according to the media," Trump Jr. said. "I won't get into that. It's obviously nonsense. The reality is this: Nancy Pelosi was trying to stack literally, probably a trillion dollars of excess nonsense to bailout Democrat cities, to push for cashless bail, to get illegal immigrants stimulus checks as part of that package while the American taxpayer gets to foot the bill for her radical agenda."
Don Jr. sounds off on declassified Russia docs: 'We knew all along' www.youtube.com
Trump Jr.'s remarks about came less than one day after Pelosi reacted to Trump shutting down stimulus negotiations. During an appearance on ABC's "The View" Wednesday morning, Pelosi reiterated her concerns.
"I said yesterday to my colleagues, I said there are those who say that the steroids had an impact on people's thinking, I don't know, but there are those health care providers who say that," Pelosi said. "Also, if you have the coronavirus, it has an impact, as well. So the combination is something that should be viewed."
She also expressed concern about Trump's "erratic behavior."
Pelosi added, "I think it's true to form. I think that the president has always had erratic behavior. Right now it's very, very dangerous, because he knows the danger of the virus, but he's in denial, as he was right from the start. Denial, delay, distortion."
Speaker Nancy Pelosi: Trump Made “terrible mistake" Calling Stop to Stimulus Talks | The View www.youtube.com
Her remarks came amid the president's ongoing tweet storm on Tuesday, contradicting himself more than once. On Wednesday, Trump tweeted and retweeted more than 50 times just between the hours of 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., according to The New York Times.
In addition to Pelosi, the president lodged attacks on a number of Democratic leaders and lawmakers including Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, Democratic vice-presidential nominee Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA), former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle Obama, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and the journalist Lester Holt.


alternet--2020-10-07--Susan Collins lashes out at Dem challenger as she fights the toughest battle of her political career

Sen. Susan Collins of Maine has gone from being one of the most popular Republicans in New England to fighting for her political survival .
In the past , Collins was reelected in double-digit landslides ; in 2020 , she is in danger of being voted out of office .
And the Maine Republican discussed her frustrations during an interview with Politico .
Recent polls have shown Collins ' Democratic challenger , Maine House Speaker Sara Gideon , with single-digit leads over Collins .
A poll by the Bangor Daily News showed the race to be very close , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But other recent polls have found Gideon ahead by 4 % ( Colby College ) or 5 % ( Boston Globe/Suffolk University and New York Times/Siena ) .
Collins ' political problems can be summarized in three words : President Donald Trump .
Gideon and many other Democrats have argued that Collins is too supportive of Trump 's far-right agenda , and countless Democrats are still furious with Collins for voting to confirm Justice Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court in 2018 .
Collins , during her interview with Politico , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or do anything to try to win .
This race is built on a foundation of falsehoods — and trying to convince the people of Maine that somehow , I am no longer the same person . ''
The Maine senator slammed Gideon during the interview for `` defaming my reputation and attacking my integrity '' and pointed out that Gideon is from Rhode Island , not Maine .
Collins told Politico , `` I grew up in Caribou , I 've lived in Bangor for 26 years .
My family 's been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been in Maine for about 15 years and lives in Freeport .
That 's a big difference in our knowledge of the state . ''
Democrats all over the United States have been donating to Gideon 's campaign in the hope that Collins will be voted out of the U.S. Senate .
As far away as California and Washington State , Democrats have n't forgiven Collins for the Kavanaugh vote — or for voting `` not guilty '' on two articles of impeachment during Trump 's impeachment trial in the Senate .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ receiving from outside of Maine .
`` It 's very frustrating because it 's backed by so much money , '' Collins told Politico .
`` And it 's been going on for two years now : non-stop negative ads .
That eventually it pulls you down . ''
Collins , who did not vote for Trump in 2016 , has not endorsed anyone in the 2020 presidential race .
And when Politico asked her about that race , she would not say whether she plans to vote for Trump or former Vice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presidential preference , I do not believe , is an important factor in this race , '' Collins told Politico .
`` I 'm not saying that the left is not trying to tie me to Donald Trump… .
They clearly are… .
( But ) my independence is the same as it 's always been . ''
However , Maeve Coyle , a Gideon spokesperson , vehemently disagrees that Collins has maintained her `` independence . ''
Coyle told Politico , `` Sen. Collins ' votes for 181 of Trump 's far-right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ giveaway that put Mainers ' health care in jeopardy — and her continued refusal to stand up to Mitch McConnell and Donald Trump show just how much she 's changed after 24 years in Washington .
Her desperate , misleading attacks on Sara make clear that she 's willing to do anything to stay there . ''

Sen. Susan Collins of Maine has gone from being one of the most popular Republicans in New England to fighting for her political survival. In the past, Collins was reelected in double-digit landslides; in 2020, she is in danger of being voted out of office. And the Maine Republican discussed her frustrations during an interview with Politico.
Recent polls have shown Collins' Democratic challenger, Maine House Speaker Sara Gideon, with single-digit leads over Collins. A poll by the Bangor Daily News showed the race to be very close, with Gideon ahead by only 1%. But other recent polls have found Gideon ahead by 4% (Colby College) or 5% (Boston Globe/Suffolk University and New York Times/Siena).
Collins' political problems can be summarized in three words: President Donald Trump. Gideon and many other Democrats have argued that Collins is too supportive of Trump's far-right agenda, and countless Democrats are still furious with Collins for voting to confirm Justice Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court in 2018.
Collins, during her interview with Politico, said of Gideon, "She will say or do anything to try to win. This race is built on a foundation of falsehoods — and trying to convince the people of Maine that somehow, I am no longer the same person."
The Maine senator slammed Gideon during the interview for "defaming my reputation and attacking my integrity" and pointed out that Gideon is from Rhode Island, not Maine.
Collins told Politico, "I grew up in Caribou, I've lived in Bangor for 26 years. My family's been in Maine for generations. She's been in Maine for about 15 years and lives in Freeport. That's a big difference in our knowledge of the state."
Democrats all over the United States have been donating to Gideon's campaign in the hope that Collins will be voted out of the U.S. Senate. As far away as California and Washington State, Democrats haven't forgiven Collins for the Kavanaugh vote — or for voting "not guilty" on two articles of impeachment during Trump's impeachment trial in the Senate. And Collins noted how much support Gideon is receiving from outside of Maine.
"It's very frustrating because it's backed by so much money," Collins told Politico. "And it's been going on for two years now: non-stop negative ads. That eventually it pulls you down."
Collins, who did not vote for Trump in 2016, has not endorsed anyone in the 2020 presidential race. And when Politico asked her about that race, she would not say whether she plans to vote for Trump or former Vice President Joe Biden.
"My personal presidential preference, I do not believe, is an important factor in this race," Collins told Politico. "I'm not saying that the left is not trying to tie me to Donald Trump…. They clearly are…. (But) my independence is the same as it's always been."
However, Maeve Coyle, a Gideon spokesperson, vehemently disagrees that Collins has maintained her "independence." Coyle told Politico, "Sen. Collins' votes for 181 of Trump's far-right judicial nominees, for the corporate tax giveaway that put Mainers' health care in jeopardy — and her continued refusal to stand up to Mitch McConnell and Donald Trump show just how much she's changed after 24 years in Washington. Her desperate, misleading attacks on Sara make clear that she's willing to do anything to stay there."


alternet--2020-10-07--‘There’s something wrong’: Pelosi discusses Trump’s ‘medicated’ state on The View

President Donald Trump has raised concerns about his medicated state during his coronavirus treatment , but House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has been concerned about his drug use for much longer .
The president returned to the White House after three days at Walter Reed Medical Center , and Pelosi told `` The View '' host Whoopi Goldberg she 's not going anywhere near Trump to discuss the pandemic relief bill he killed via tweet .
`` I would n't go anywhere near the White House , '' Pelosi said .
`` It 's one of the most dangerous places in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the assault that it makes on truth as well as health . ''
Trump has shown possible side effects from the dexamethasone he 's taking for his COVID-19 infection , which has spread through many of his staffers and some Republican senators , but Pelosi said he seemed drugged the last time she saw him in person early this year .
`` Last time I had an interaction with the president was the State of the Union address , and then after that , I said to my staff , I said , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there 's something wrong with how he came on and presented , ' '' Pelosi said .
Pelosi said so at the time , and said Trump had also seemed to be sedated during the 2019 congressional address , but she said the president — who accused Joe Biden of taking drugs before their debate — did n't seem to be thinking clearly this week .
`` I said yesterday to my colleagues , I said , there are those who say that a steroid has an impact on people 's thinking , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't know , but there are those health care providers who say that .
Also , if you have the coronavirus , it has an impact as well . ''

President Donald Trump has raised concerns about his medicated state during his coronavirus treatment, but House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has been concerned about his drug use for much longer.
The president returned to the White House after three days at Walter Reed Medical Center, and Pelosi told "The View" host Whoopi Goldberg she's not going anywhere near Trump to discuss the pandemic relief bill he killed via tweet.
"I wouldn't go anywhere near the White House," Pelosi said. "It's one of the most dangerous places in the country, both in terms of the assault that it makes on truth as well as health."
Trump has shown possible side effects from the dexamethasone he's taking for his COVID-19 infection, which has spread through many of his staffers and some Republican senators, but Pelosi said he seemed drugged the last time she saw him in person early this year.
"Last time I had an interaction with the president was the State of the Union address, and then after that, I said to my staff, I said, 'I think he was medicated, there's something wrong with how he came on and presented,'" Pelosi said.
Pelosi said so at the time, and said Trump had also seemed to be sedated during the 2019 congressional address, but she said the president — who accused Joe Biden of taking drugs before their debate — didn't seem to be thinking clearly this week.
"I said yesterday to my colleagues, I said, there are those who say that a steroid has an impact on people's thinking," she said. "I don't know, but there are those health care providers who say that. Also, if you have the coronavirus, it has an impact as well."


alternet--2020-10-07--Some Republican strategists say it’s time to abandon Trump in order to keep the Senate in GOP hands:

Some Republican strategists say it’s time to abandon Trump in order to keep the Senate in GOP hands: report

Many Republicans are afraid to say one word against President Donald Trump publicly — regardless of what they might be saying about him in private .
But a common fear among Republicans is that if Trump loses to former Vice President Joe Biden in November , the fallout will include the GOP losing its majority in the U.S. Senate .
And according to Daily Beast reporters Sam Stein and Lachlan Markay , some Republican strategists are now privately saying that the GOP needs to abandon Trump and accept the possibility of a Biden presidency if that 's what it takes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an article published this week , Stein and Markay explain , `` Increasingly convinced that President Donald Trump 's election chances are grim , top Republican donors , lobbyists , and operatives are directing their attention to the Senate in hopes of keeping a majority in the chamber and , with it , a check on a future President Joe Biden .
Top GOP money men said that efforts to shift resources to Republicans running for the Senate have been happening for weeks , as Trump 's chances have not improved — indeed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republican ) Party 's candidates have been dramatically outraised . ''
Some of the polls released in early October do not look good for Trump , including polls that show him losing to Biden by 16 % ( CNN ) , 14 % ( NBC News/Wall Street Journal ) , 10 % ( Survey USA and CNBC/Change Research ) or 9 % ( The Economist/YouGov ) .
Moreover , a Monmouth University poll on Pennsylvania found Trump trailing Biden by 11 % in that key swing state .
Tom Davis , former head @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told the Beast that he recently sent Minnesota Rep. Tom Emmer , who now chairs the NRCC , a memo laying out a case for divided government .
Davis told the Beast , `` This is the time you have to make tough decisions .
You have to let voters know there is a price if you sweep Democrats into office… .
There are a lot of people who voted Republican for years 'til Trump .
They have n't changed their philosophies .
So , they 're still getable .
You have to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you can displace Trump , but you still need a Republican Senate to hold Biden in check . '
'' Of course , many Republican strategists would be terrified at the prospect of going on Fox News and saying that it 's time to throw Trump under the bus in order to keep the Senate in GOP hands .
But anonymous sources like the ones quoted in the Beast 's article offer some insights into what Republicans are actually saying behind closed doors .
And a GOP operative told the Beast that Senate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moving into… .
talking points '' that whatever happens in the presidential race , it is important for Republicans to hold the Senate .
Stein and Markay report , `` A major GOP donor based in the Midwest said that donors were increasingly focused on the Senate contests — at the expense of the presidential — because they have come to view Trump 's campaign as an irrational entity in which to invest . ''
And privately , the Beast journalist notes , Republicans are making `` divided government '' arguments — in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ loses to Biden and Democrats hold the House , a GOP-controlled Senate could limit a Biden administration 's ability to get things done .
The Lincoln Project , an anti-Trump conservative group , has been stressing that because Trump has been so toxic for the GOP and the conservative movement , a blue tsunami is necessary for a reset — and that includes Democrats retaking the Senate .
But Rory Cooper , a GOP operative and Never Trump conservative , is making a `` divided government '' argument .
Cooper 's message to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doomed , but it is n't too late to save the Senate .
Cooper told the Beast , `` Why should the ( Republican ) Party put more effort into winning the race than the president himself ?
President Trump is , by all evidence , doing more harm than good to his reelection chances .
Three out of four voters do n't approve of his response to COVID , meaning this includes his own supporters — and yet , he triples down on what they do n't like .
He has n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republicans need to work to hold the Senate and sell a check on a Biden agenda . ''

Many Republicans are afraid to say one word against President Donald Trump publicly — regardless of what they might be saying about him in private. But a common fear among Republicans is that if Trump loses to former Vice President Joe Biden in November, the fallout will include the GOP losing its majority in the U.S. Senate. And according to Daily Beast reporters Sam Stein and Lachlan Markay, some Republican strategists are now privately saying that the GOP needs to abandon Trump and accept the possibility of a Biden presidency if that's what it takes to keep their Senate majority.
In an article published this week, Stein and Markay explain, "Increasingly convinced that President Donald Trump's election chances are grim, top Republican donors, lobbyists, and operatives are directing their attention to the Senate in hopes of keeping a majority in the chamber and, with it, a check on a future President Joe Biden. Top GOP money men said that efforts to shift resources to Republicans running for the Senate have been happening for weeks, as Trump's chances have not improved — indeed, worsened — and as the (Republican) Party's candidates have been dramatically outraised."
Some of the polls released in early October do not look good for Trump, including polls that show him losing to Biden by 16% (CNN), 14% (NBC News/Wall Street Journal), 10% (Survey USA and CNBC/Change Research) or 9% (The Economist/YouGov). Moreover, a Monmouth University poll on Pennsylvania found Trump trailing Biden by 11% in that key swing state.
Tom Davis, former head of the National Republican Congressional Committee, told the Beast that he recently sent Minnesota Rep. Tom Emmer, who now chairs the NRCC, a memo laying out a case for divided government.
Davis told the Beast, "This is the time you have to make tough decisions. You have to let voters know there is a price if you sweep Democrats into office…. There are a lot of people who voted Republican for years 'til Trump. They haven't changed their philosophies. So, they're still getable. You have to make the argument that, 'Look, you can displace Trump, but you still need a Republican Senate to hold Biden in check.'"
Of course, many Republican strategists would be terrified at the prospect of going on Fox News and saying that it's time to throw Trump under the bus in order to keep the Senate in GOP hands. But anonymous sources like the ones quoted in the Beast's article offer some insights into what Republicans are actually saying behind closed doors. And a GOP operative told the Beast that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is "already moving into…. talking points" that whatever happens in the presidential race, it is important for Republicans to hold the Senate.
Stein and Markay report, "A major GOP donor based in the Midwest said that donors were increasingly focused on the Senate contests — at the expense of the presidential — because they have come to view Trump's campaign as an irrational entity in which to invest." And privately, the Beast journalist notes, Republicans are making "divided government" arguments — in other words, arguing that if Trump loses to Biden and Democrats hold the House, a GOP-controlled Senate could limit a Biden administration's ability to get things done.
The Lincoln Project, an anti-Trump conservative group, has been stressing that because Trump has been so toxic for the GOP and the conservative movement, a blue tsunami is necessary for a reset — and that includes Democrats retaking the Senate. But Rory Cooper, a GOP operative and Never Trump conservative, is making a "divided government" argument.
Cooper's message to fellow Republicans: Trump's campaign is doomed, but it isn't too late to save the Senate.
Cooper told the Beast, "Why should the (Republican) Party put more effort into winning the race than the president himself? President Trump is, by all evidence, doing more harm than good to his reelection chances. Three out of four voters don't approve of his response to COVID, meaning this includes his own supporters — and yet, he triples down on what they don't like. He hasn't led a credible poll since February. Republicans need to work to hold the Senate and sell a check on a Biden agenda."


alternet--2020-10-07--Researcher who tracks racist far-right groups fears the possibility of a ‘post-democratic society in

Researcher who tracks racist far-right groups fears the possibility of a ‘post-democratic society in America’

During the Trump era , researcher Emily Gorcenski has been carefully tracking far-right extremist groups — including the Proud Boys .
Gorcenski discussed her findings in an interview with The Guardian , and they are incredibly disturbing .
The Guardian 's Sam Levin explains , `` Using court files and other public records , the anti-fascist researcher has catalogued hundreds of criminal cases , connected the dots of dangerous neo-Nazi networks , and revealed links that journalists and authorities have missed .
These days , it can be difficult to keep up .
Far-right violence has escalated dramatically under Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's domestic terrorism warnings and encouraged vigilante violence against leftists . ''
Here 's the ironic part .
Fearing for her safety , Gorcenski has left the United States and relocated to Berlin , Germany — a city that was overtaken by fascists during the 1930s .
But in 2020 , ironically , Gorcenski feels safer in Germany than she does in the United States .
During the interview , Gorcenski discussed , among many other things , Trump 's endorsement of the Proud Boys .
The researcher told The Guardian , `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nationalism from the highest reaches of the government .
What this says is the president does not care about the idea of an equitable legal foundation for our country .
And these groups see this as tacit permission to not only keep doing what they 're doing , but to ramp it up . ''
Gorcenski went on to discuss her tracking of far-right white nationalists and white supremacists during the Trump era , explaining , `` I started a spreadsheet… .
I pull court records , and now , every weekend , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases .
At this point , I have a six-month backlog of information to add .
And I 've given up with some protests , because I ca n't keep up with every case of some fucking white supremacist who drives his car into a crowd or beats up a Black Lives Matter protester . ''
Gorcenski described the type of inroads that white supremacists and white nationalists have been making in the Trump era and noted , `` The police are deeply infiltrated by white supremacists .
The FBI knows it .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ both a participatory way and by permitting this to happen . ''
The researcher urged anti-racist protesters to keep protesting but take as many precautions as possible .
`` Protest is inherently a dangerous activity , and it is getting more and more dangerous , '' Gorcenski warns .
`` So , my advice to people protesting is to spend a lot of time doing very active and intentional planning around safety and contingency plans : who looks after your pets if you 're arrested , or worse ?
Who takes care of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scenario if you have to leave town ?
It 's a lot of work .
But we need to start looking at a post-democratic society in America and what that is going to look like .
And your priority needs to be your safety and security . ''

During the Trump era, researcher Emily Gorcenski has been carefully tracking far-right extremist groups — including the Proud Boys. Gorcenski discussed her findings in an interview with The Guardian, and they are incredibly disturbing.
The Guardian's Sam Levin explains, "Using court files and other public records, the anti-fascist researcher has catalogued hundreds of criminal cases, connected the dots of dangerous neo-Nazi networks, and revealed links that journalists and authorities have missed. These days, it can be difficult to keep up. Far-right violence has escalated dramatically under Trump, who has ignored his own government's domestic terrorism warnings and encouraged vigilante violence against leftists."
Here's the ironic part. Fearing for her safety, Gorcenski has left the United States and relocated to Berlin, Germany — a city that was overtaken by fascists during the 1930s. But in 2020, ironically, Gorcenski feels safer in Germany than she does in the United States.
During the interview, Gorcenski discussed, among many other things, Trump's endorsement of the Proud Boys. The researcher told The Guardian, "This is explicit approval of violent white nationalism from the highest reaches of the government. What this says is the president does not care about the idea of an equitable legal foundation for our country. And these groups see this as tacit permission to not only keep doing what they're doing, but to ramp it up."
Gorcenski went on to discuss her tracking of far-right white nationalists and white supremacists during the Trump era, explaining, "I started a spreadsheet…. I pull court records, and now, every weekend, I sit down and go through these cases. At this point, I have a six-month backlog of information to add. And I've given up with some protests, because I can't keep up with every case of some fucking white supremacist who drives his car into a crowd or beats up a Black Lives Matter protester."
Gorcenski described the type of inroads that white supremacists and white nationalists have been making in the Trump era and noted, "The police are deeply infiltrated by white supremacists. The FBI knows it. Police are part of this problem in both a participatory way and by permitting this to happen."
The researcher urged anti-racist protesters to keep protesting but take as many precautions as possible.
"Protest is inherently a dangerous activity, and it is getting more and more dangerous," Gorcenski warns. "So, my advice to people protesting is to spend a lot of time doing very active and intentional planning around safety and contingency plans: who looks after your pets if you're arrested, or worse? Who takes care of your kids? What is your fallback scenario if you have to leave town? It's a lot of work. But we need to start looking at a post-democratic society in America and what that is going to look like. And your priority needs to be your safety and security."


alternet--2020-10-07--Iowa is a fierce Senate and presidential battleground — but Democrats have the edge

Oh man , it 's been a week of brutal polling for sickly president Donald Trump and Republicans down the ballot , and this new Iowa poll , conducted by Civiqs for Daily Kos after Trump was hospitalized , is no different .
For context , remember that Trump won Iowa 51-42 in 2016 .
The race is tight and can go either way , which is nothing but bad news for Trump , whose entire map is collapsing before his very eyes .
As we saw in battleground polling last Thursday , before the wheels really fell off the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the list of states Biden is poised to flip—Michigan , Wisconsin , Nebraska 's Omaha-based electoral vote , Pennsylvania , Florida , Arizona , North Carolina , Maine 's rural electoral vote , and Georgia are all running ahead of Iowa .
In fact , if that order predicts the final outcome of the race , Biden will already have 351 electoral votes by the time Iowa gets tallied .
The state 's six electoral votes mean little in the big picture .
But politics is n't always about the big picture , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ features a critical Senate race , while all four House races are in play ( Democrats currently hold three ) .
That is the mark of a race that has n't budged since June , virtually preserved in amber .
And for our purposes , that is okay .
Ernst was n't supposed to be vulnerable this cycle .
With Republicans dominating white , rural , low-education states , and Trump having won the state easily by nine points in 2016 , Iowa was supposed to be completely off the map .
Instead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ picture-perfect campaign , holding that small but steady lead throughout the bulk of the year .
If you wonder why Greenfield outpaces Biden slightly , it 's because of independent voters .
And this is why it 's important for Biden to do well even in places he does n't need to win—because the better he does , the easier it is for down-ballot candidates to cross their own finish lines .
If you 're wondering how this poll compares to the rest of the public polling , The Economist 's modeled polling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % , or a 0.8 % advantage .
A +1 Biden lead is well within the polling mainstream .
In the Senate race , the polling aggregate per Daily Kos Elections is Greenfield 47-43 , or +4 .
Greenfield at +3 in this poll is , once again , within the polling mainstream .
This is a must-win Senate race .
These numbers suggest that while it 's still a dogfight , and will be until the bitter end , I 'd rather be the Democratic Party than whatever mess of a disaster @ @ @ @ @ @

Oh man, it's been a week of brutal polling for sickly president Donald Trump and Republicans down the ballot, and this new Iowa poll, conducted by Civiqs for Daily Kos after Trump was hospitalized, is no different.
For context, remember that Trump won Iowa 51-42 in 2016.
PRESIDENT 9/2020 7/2020 DONALD TRUMP (R-INC) 47 46 JOE BIDEN (D) 48 46
The race is tight and can go either way, which is nothing but bad news for Trump, whose entire map is collapsing before his very eyes. As we saw in battleground polling last Thursday, before the wheels really fell off the Trump cart, Iowa is well down the list of states Biden is poised to flip—Michigan, Wisconsin, Nebraska's Omaha-based electoral vote, Pennsylvania, Florida, Arizona, North Carolina, Maine's rural electoral vote, and Georgia are all running ahead of Iowa.
In fact, if that order predicts the final outcome of the race, Biden will already have 351 electoral votes by the time Iowa gets tallied. The state's six electoral votes mean little in the big picture.
But politics isn't always about the big picture, as liberals have finally learned. Iowa features a critical Senate race, while all four House races are in play (Democrats currently hold three).
SENATE 9/2020 7/2020 JONI ERNST (R-INC) 46 45 THERESA GREENFIELD (D) 49 48
That is the mark of a race that hasn't budged since June, virtually preserved in amber. And for our purposes, that is okay. Ernst wasn't supposed to be vulnerable this cycle. With Republicans dominating white, rural, low-education states, and Trump having won the state easily by nine points in 2016, Iowa was supposed to be completely off the map. Instead, Democrat Theresa Greenfield has run a picture-perfect campaign, holding that small but steady lead throughout the bulk of the year.
If you wonder why Greenfield outpaces Biden slightly, it's because of independent voters. And this is why it's important for Biden to do well even in places he doesn't need to win—because the better he does, the easier it is for down-ballot candidates to cross their own finish lines.
If you're wondering how this poll compares to the rest of the public polling, The Economist's modeled polling aggregate has Trump winning 50.4 to 49.6%, or a 0.8% advantage. A +1 Biden lead is well within the polling mainstream. In the Senate race, the polling aggregate per Daily Kos Elections is Greenfield 47-43, or +4. Greenfield at +3 in this poll is, once again, within the polling mainstream.
This is a must-win Senate race. These numbers suggest that while it's still a dogfight, and will be until the bitter end, I'd rather be the Democratic Party than whatever mess of a disaster is left of the GOP.


alternet--2020-10-07--GOP senator caught disregarding mask policy on flight chairs committee overseeing airline safety

The chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce , Science , and Transportation is at the center of scrutiny as a result of his failure to adhere to the rules his own committee enforces .
Over the weekend , Twitter user Matt Harringer tweeted a photo of Sen. Roger Wicker ( R-MS. ) with his mask down while onboard a flight .
The photo captures Wicker with his mask down below his chin as he looked at his cell phone .
Amid all that occurred over the weekend — including President Donald Trump 's positive COVID-19 test results and his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in addition to several White House staffers and multiple Republican senators also testing positive for the virus — Harringer shared the photo as he demanded that Wicker make his test results public since he could have possibly exposed passengers on that flight to coronavirus .
He tweeted , `` I 've seen enough Republican senators test positive to tweet this photo .
@ SenatorWicker — because you refused to wear a mask on our @ Delta flight last night , please let your fellow passengers know your status once you 've been tested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Harrington was interviewed by the Sun-Sentinel regarding the flight .
He recounted his time on the flight as he noted that Wicker was maskless for nearly 90 % of the flight as he criticized Wicker 's cavalier attitude regarding the virus .
`` It 's incredibly upsetting to see people like the senator act like this is no big deal , '' Harringer said .
`` I do n't know if he 's lost anybody he loved , but when you lose somebody you love , you get upset about people not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ began circulating on Twitter , Delta also reached out to Harringer saying , `` Nothing is more important than the health and safety of our people and our customers .
We take our mask policy seriously and are investigating this incident . ''
Despite Harringer and other passengers ' concerns , a representative from Wicker 's office released a statement in his defense as insisting the senator had not attended any of the recent White House events .
`` Senator Wicker lowered his face mask to eat a snack and forgot to put @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reminded by a flight attendant , he put the mask back up , '' Wicker 's office said .
`` He did not attend any recent events at the White House and has not been in contact with any of the individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19 in recent days . ''

The chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation is at the center of scrutiny as a result of his failure to adhere to the rules his own committee enforces.
Over the weekend, Twitter user Matt Harringer tweeted a photo of Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS.) with his mask down while onboard a flight. The photo captures Wicker with his mask down below his chin as he looked at his cell phone.
Amid all that occurred over the weekend — including President Donald Trump's positive COVID-19 test results and his hospitalization at Walter Reed Medical Center, in addition to several White House staffers and multiple Republican senators also testing positive for the virus — Harringer shared the photo as he demanded that Wicker make his test results public since he could have possibly exposed passengers on that flight to coronavirus.
He tweeted, "I've seen enough Republican senators test positive to tweet this photo. @SenatorWicker — because you refused to wear a mask on our @Delta flight last night, please let your fellow passengers know your status once you've been tested."
Following the viral Twitter post, Harrington was interviewed by the Sun-Sentinel regarding the flight. He recounted his time on the flight as he noted that Wicker was maskless for nearly 90% of the flight as he criticized Wicker's cavalier attitude regarding the virus.
"It's incredibly upsetting to see people like the senator act like this is no big deal," Harringer said. "I don't know if he's lost anybody he loved, but when you lose somebody you love, you get upset about people not wearing masks."
As the photo began circulating on Twitter, Delta also reached out to Harringer saying, "Nothing is more important than the health and safety of our people and our customers. We take our mask policy seriously and are investigating this incident."
Despite Harringer and other passengers' concerns, a representative from Wicker's office released a statement in his defense as insisting the senator had not attended any of the recent White House events.
"Senator Wicker lowered his face mask to eat a snack and forgot to put it back up. When he was reminded by a flight attendant, he put the mask back up," Wicker's office said. "He did not attend any recent events at the White House and has not been in contact with any of the individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19 in recent days."


alternet--2020-10-07--The White House is telling two stories about how often Trump gets tested

President Donald Trump has not been tested daily for the coronavirus , the New York Times reported Tuesday , which raises questions about whether the White House lied about the issue recently in on-the-record emails with reporters .
Citing `` two people familiar with the practices , '' The Times reported that `` the president himself was not tested every day . ''
However , Salon had asked senior press staff in an Oct. 2 email whether the White House had stopped testing people close to Trump daily in recent weeks , or whether the president had skipped or lapsed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House deputy spokesperson Judd P. Deere responded , `` No . ''
In other recent emails , administration officials told Salon that Trump was tested `` regularly , '' but would not specify .
Deere did not reply when asked to confirm his denial for this article .
It is still not clear when the president , who was hospitalized with the virus over the weekend , last tested negative .
The critical piece of information , which both the White House and the president 's physician , Dr. Sean Conley , have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump had been infected before the first presidential debate last Tuesday , or ahead of a fundraiser he attended Thursday at his Bedminster , N.J. , golf club .
Citing an individual familiar with the matter , The Wall Street Journal on Monday reported that Trump and the first lady had tested negative on a rapid test ahead of the Bedminster trip on Thursday morning .
But when Salon asked for confirmation , the White House could not affirm the claim .
Trump first announced his positive test in an early Friday morning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ memo around the same time in which Conley says he had `` received confirmation '' that the president and first lady had tested positive for the virus .
However , CBS News later reported that Trump had received a positive rapid-test result earlier that day , which he declined to mention during an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity .
Instead , the president discussed the recent positive diagnosis of top aide Hope Hicks .
`` I just heard about this , '' Trump told Hannity , even though Hicks had tested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reportedly prompted Trump to take a rapid test upon his return from Bedminster , which came back positive and triggered a second PCR test to confirm the results .
The White House has created the public impression that the president is tested daily .
In late July , press secretary Kayleigh McEnany told reporters that Trump was being tested `` multiple times a day . ''
Though Trump disputed the claim later that day , he said , `` I do take probably on average a test every two days , three days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told reporters at the White House that he and his inner circle would be tested daily .
The announcement came hours after one of Trump 's personal valets tested positive for COVID-19 .
A spokesperson for the Cleveland Clinic , which hosted Tuesday 's presidential debate , told Salon that the Trump campaign told it `` on the honor system '' that the president had tested negative ahead of arrival , but the White House has yet to confirm .
The Trump family did not wear masks in the auditorium , and they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The debate came on the heels of a heavily-attended Rose Garden celebration for Trump 's nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the Supreme Court , after which several attendees tested positive for the virus — including several who helped prepare Trump for the debate .
The White House denies that the nomination festivities were a superspreader event .
Since mid-August , the White House has used a new rapid test from Abbott , which claims 97 % accuracy based on screening individuals within seven @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump first tested positive on Thursday , Dr. Michael Osterholm , the director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota , told Kaiser Health News that the president 's infection `` likely happened five or more days ago . ''
`` If so , then he was widely infectious as early as Tuesday '' — the day of the debate — Osterholm said .
The White House kept Hicks ' diagnosis so mum that even campaign manager Bill Stepien and adviser Chris Christie , who helped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quarters over the course of several days , did not find out until news reports .
Both tested positive , and Christie , who like Trump is obese , announced that he checked in to a hospital on Friday `` out of an abundance of caution . ''
Trump 's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani , 76 , was also in the prep rooms , and told Salon on Tuesday morning that he had so far not tested positive .
Giuliani , who coughed noticeably during a Fox News appearance Monday , added that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 `` has become consumed by hate and it 's eating away at them .
The Left , the Democrats have let it get out of control . ''
`` No symptoms of any kind , '' Giuliani said .
He did not reply to follow-up questions through Wednesday .

President Donald Trump has not been tested daily for the coronavirus, the New York Times reported Tuesday, which raises questions about whether the White House lied about the issue recently in on-the-record emails with reporters.
Citing "two people familiar with the practices," The Times reported that "the president himself was not tested every day."
However, Salon had asked senior press staff in an Oct. 2 email whether the White House had stopped testing people close to Trump daily in recent weeks, or whether the president had skipped or lapsed in his daily test routine. White House deputy spokesperson Judd P. Deere responded, "No."
In other recent emails, administration officials told Salon that Trump was tested "regularly," but would not specify. Deere did not reply when asked to confirm his denial for this article.
It is still not clear when the president, who was hospitalized with the virus over the weekend, last tested negative. The critical piece of information, which both the White House and the president's physician, Dr. Sean Conley, have declined to provide, would indicate whether Trump had been infected before the first presidential debate last Tuesday, or ahead of a fundraiser he attended Thursday at his Bedminster, N.J., golf club.
Citing an individual familiar with the matter, The Wall Street Journal on Monday reported that Trump and the first lady had tested negative on a rapid test ahead of the Bedminster trip on Thursday morning. But when Salon asked for confirmation, the White House could not affirm the claim.
Trump first announced his positive test in an early Friday morning tweet. The White House released a memo around the same time in which Conley says he had "received confirmation" that the president and first lady had tested positive for the virus.
However, CBS News later reported that Trump had received a positive rapid-test result earlier that day, which he declined to mention during an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity. Instead, the president discussed the recent positive diagnosis of top aide Hope Hicks.
"I just heard about this," Trump told Hannity, even though Hicks had tested positive that morning. The news had reportedly prompted Trump to take a rapid test upon his return from Bedminster, which came back positive and triggered a second PCR test to confirm the results.
The White House has created the public impression that the president is tested daily. In late July, press secretary Kayleigh McEnany told reporters that Trump was being tested "multiple times a day." Though Trump disputed the claim later that day, he said, "I do take probably on average a test every two days, three days."
In early May, Trump told reporters at the White House that he and his inner circle would be tested daily. The announcement came hours after one of Trump's personal valets tested positive for COVID-19.
A spokesperson for the Cleveland Clinic, which hosted Tuesday's presidential debate, told Salon that the Trump campaign told it "on the honor system" that the president had tested negative ahead of arrival, but the White House has yet to confirm. The Trump family did not wear masks in the auditorium, and they brushed off a debate staffer when reminded.
The debate came on the heels of a heavily-attended Rose Garden celebration for Trump's nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the Supreme Court, after which several attendees tested positive for the virus — including several who helped prepare Trump for the debate.
The White House denies that the nomination festivities were a superspreader event.
Since mid-August, the White House has used a new rapid test from Abbott, which claims 97% accuracy based on screening individuals within seven days of first symptoms. Given that Trump first tested positive on Thursday, Dr. Michael Osterholm, the director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, told Kaiser Health News that the president's infection "likely happened five or more days ago."
"If so, then he was widely infectious as early as Tuesday" — the day of the debate — Osterholm said.
The White House kept Hicks' diagnosis so mum that even campaign manager Bill Stepien and adviser Chris Christie, who helped prep Trump for the debate in close quarters over the course of several days, did not find out until news reports. Both tested positive, and Christie, who like Trump is obese, announced that he checked in to a hospital on Friday "out of an abundance of caution."
Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani, 76, was also in the prep rooms, and told Salon on Tuesday morning that he had so far not tested positive. Giuliani, who coughed noticeably during a Fox News appearance Monday, added that anyone who wondered if he might have COVID-19 "has become consumed by hate and it's eating away at them. The Left, the Democrats have let it get out of control."
"No symptoms of any kind," Giuliani said. He did not reply to follow-up questions through Wednesday.


alternet--2020-10-07--Widespread shock as ‘completely inadequate’ VP debate stage is revealed: ‘Is this some kind of a jok

Widespread shock as ‘completely inadequate’ VP debate stage is revealed: ‘Is this some kind of a joke?’

On Wednesday , ahead of the vice presidential debate between Mike Pence and Kamala Harris , NBC reporter Amanda Golden @ @ @ @ @ debate stage , complete with the infection control features the candidates and debate commission agreed @ @ @ @ @ the candidates , moderator , and audience — including the plexiglass barriers that Pence 's @ @ @ @ @ But commenters on social media immediately noticed the setup looked wrong .
The seats still @ @ @ @ @ other , making no use of space that could have been used for further social @ @ @ @ @ barriers were small and only separated the candidates , leaving the side facing the moderator @ @ @ @ @ demanded to know why the candidates were even sharing a stage at all , and @ @ @ @ @ Debates could put them in separate studios , or have them call in remotely .

On Wednesday, ahead of the vice presidential debate between Mike Pence and Kamala Harris, NBC reporter Amanda Golden posted a picture of the debate stage, complete with the infection control features the candidates and debate commission agreed to for the safety of the candidates, moderator, and audience — including the plexiglass barriers that Pence's team had objected to.
But commenters on social media immediately noticed the setup looked wrong. The seats still looked unnecessarily close to each other, making no use of space that could have been used for further social distancing, and the plexiglass barriers were small and only separated the candidates, leaving the side facing the moderator table completely exposed. Many demanded to know why the candidates were even sharing a stage at all, and why the Commission on Presidential Debates could put them in separate studios, or have them call in remotely.


alternet--2020-10-07--Trump's special COVID-19 treatment pushes the boundaries of fairness — and ethics experts are concer

Trump's special COVID-19 treatment pushes the boundaries of fairness — and ethics experts are concerned

Ethicists are raising questions about the boundaries of fairness regarding President Donald Trump 's coronavirus treatment and lack of transparency compared to that of the American public .
Since being hospitalized at Walter Redd Medical Center over the weekend , Trump has touted the exclusive drugs he has received while proclaiming that he has defeated COVID .
However , the American public remains in the dark regarding factual details about the president 's health .
Many ethicists have raised questions about the president 's treatment , according to AP News .
Initially , it was reported that Trump was administered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID cases— along with the antibody cocktail , Regeneron , and the steroid dexamethasone .
However , there is no way to measure the effectiveness of these drugs used in conjunction with each other .
Ethicists have weighed in with their concerns about the president 's care .
George Annas , who serves as the head of the Center for Law and Health Ethics at Boston University .
`` He deserves special treatment by virtue of his office , '' Annas said .
`` The question is whether it 's good treatment .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ about Trump 's public optics and how it impacts public safety and healthcare .
From White House physician Dr. Sean Conley 's refusal to offer factual information about the president 's condition and treatment to Trump 's continued attempts to downplay the severity of the coronavirus while touting unproven drugs , the American public has only been given an obscure view of the coronavirus through a limited scope .
He added , `` The public is getting mixed messages about his condition and that 's a problem . ''
Alison Bateman-House , an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) Langone Health , also raised concerns about the ethical boundaries Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. may have crossed .
It has been reported that the pharmaceutical giant 's spokeswoman Alexandra Bowie has indicated that less than 10 approval requests have been granted for use of the drug .
She also reportedly reached out to Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden 's campaign `` to make them aware of the compassionate use mechanism , should they need to apply '' in the event he contracts the virus .
However , `` There was no promise of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
According to Bateman-House , that action pushes boundaries when it comes to the promotion of an unapproved product .
`` That crosses lines of appearing to promote a potentially unapproved product '' in violation of Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) rules , she said .
Rather than directing people to enroll in studies , it suggests `` just call us up and we 'll cut the line for you , '' she said .
Dr. Steven Joffe , the chief of medical ethics at the University of Pennsylvania , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ illness was , indeed , an emergency situation .
`` It 's not clear to me that this was an emergency situation , '' Joffe said .
He went on to express concern about the flaws in the United States ' health care system as he criticized the president receiving treatment unavailable to the American public .
`` I think there is something wrong with the privileged , the president , getting special treatment that 's not available to the rest of us , '' he said .
`` There 's so much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with so many people not even having access to the basics , '' as he noted that the favoritism shown to Trump is `` a symptom of a much larger problem . ''
While Trump continues to downplay the virus based on his own experience , more than 7.7 million Americans have been infected with coronavirus and 216,044 have died from the virus .

Ethicists are raising questions about the boundaries of fairness regarding President Donald Trump's coronavirus treatment and lack of transparency compared to that of the American public.
Since being hospitalized at Walter Redd Medical Center over the weekend, Trump has touted the exclusive drugs he has received while proclaiming that he has defeated COVID. However, the American public remains in the dark regarding factual details about the president's health. Many ethicists have raised questions about the president's treatment, according to AP News.
Initially, it was reported that Trump was administered Remdesivir—an antiviral drug commonly used for severe COVID cases— along with the antibody cocktail, Regeneron, and the steroid dexamethasone. However, there is no way to measure the effectiveness of these drugs used in conjunction with each other.
Ethicists have weighed in with their concerns about the president's care. George Annas, who serves as the head of the Center for Law and Health Ethics at Boston University.
"He deserves special treatment by virtue of his office," Annas said. "The question is whether it's good treatment."
Annas went on to express concern about Trump's public optics and how it impacts public safety and healthcare. From White House physician Dr. Sean Conley's refusal to offer factual information about the president's condition and treatment to Trump's continued attempts to downplay the severity of the coronavirus while touting unproven drugs, the American public has only been given an obscure view of the coronavirus through a limited scope.
He added, "The public is getting mixed messages about his condition and that's a problem."
Alison Bateman-House, an ethicist for New York University (NYU) Langone Health, also raised concerns about the ethical boundaries Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. may have crossed.
It has been reported that the pharmaceutical giant's spokeswoman Alexandra Bowie has indicated that less than 10 approval requests have been granted for use of the drug. She also reportedly reached out to Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden's campaign "to make them aware of the compassionate use mechanism, should they need to apply" in the event he contracts the virus. However, "There was no promise of access to the medicine," she said.
According to Bateman-House, that action pushes boundaries when it comes to the promotion of an unapproved product.
"That crosses lines of appearing to promote a potentially unapproved product" in violation of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rules, she said. Rather than directing people to enroll in studies, it suggests "just call us up and we'll cut the line for you," she said.
Dr. Steven Joffe, the chief of medical ethics at the University of Pennsylvania, even questioned whether or not Trump's illness was, indeed, an emergency situation.
"It's not clear to me that this was an emergency situation," Joffe said.
He went on to express concern about the flaws in the United States' health care system as he criticized the president receiving treatment unavailable to the American public.
"I think there is something wrong with the privileged, the president, getting special treatment that's not available to the rest of us," he said. "There's so much injustice in our health care system, with so many people not even having access to the basics," as he noted that the favoritism shown to Trump is "a symptom of a much larger problem."
While Trump continues to downplay the virus based on his own experience, more than 7.7 million Americans have been infected with coronavirus and 216,044 have died from the virus.


alternet--2020-10-07--The White House can’t keep its story straight on whether COVID-positive Trump visited the Oval Offic

The White House can’t keep its story straight on whether COVID-positive Trump visited the Oval Office on Tuesday

After spending much of 2020 publicly downplaying the severity of the coronavirus pandemic , President Donald Trump was hospitalized after testing positive for COVID-19 — and now that he is back in the White House , Trump is still downplaying it .
There has been much discussion of exactly where Trump has been inside the White House since his return , and his allies have n't been able to get their stories straight on whether or not the president was in the Oval Office on Tuesday , October 6 .
CNN reporter Kaitlin Collins , on Wednesday morning , October @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` conflicting statements from White House officials on whether President Trump was in the Oval Office yesterday . ''
Collins noted that White House Chief of Mark Meadows `` says Larry Kudlow misspoke when he said Trump was and that Trump worked from the residence yesterday , not the Oval . ''
NBC News ' Peter Alexander , that morning , tweeted , `` After Mark Meadows told reporters , moments ago , that Trump *wanted* to go to the Oval Office yesterday , Larry Kudlow reveals to CNBC : 'The president actually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with extra precautions . '
But Alexander followed up that tweet with an update , posting , `` Mark Meadows tells me Larry Kudlow misspoke .
President Trump , he says , did NOT go to the Oval Office yesterday .
The president is hardly the only person in Trumpworld who has been affected by COVID-19 in recent days .
The long list of Republicans and Trump allies who have tested positive for the novel coronavirus since last week ranges from long-time adviser Kellyanne Conway to former New Jersey Gov .
Chris Christie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stepien , to Republican National Committee Chair Ronna Romney McDaniel .

After spending much of 2020 publicly downplaying the severity of the coronavirus pandemic, President Donald Trump was hospitalized after testing positive for COVID-19 — and now that he is back in the White House, Trump is still downplaying it. There has been much discussion of exactly where Trump has been inside the White House since his return, and his allies haven't been able to get their stories straight on whether or not the president was in the Oval Office on Tuesday, October 6.
CNN reporter Kaitlin Collins, on Wednesday morning, October 7, tweeted that there have been "conflicting statements from White House officials on whether President Trump was in the Oval Office yesterday." Collins noted that White House Chief of Mark Meadows "says Larry Kudlow misspoke when he said Trump was and that Trump worked from the residence yesterday, not the Oval."
NBC News' Peter Alexander, that morning, tweeted, "After Mark Meadows told reporters, moments ago, that Trump *wanted* to go to the Oval Office yesterday, Larry Kudlow reveals to CNBC: 'The president actually showed up in the Oval Office yesterday with extra precautions.' But Alexander followed up that tweet with an update, posting, "Mark Meadows tells me Larry Kudlow misspoke. President Trump, he says, did NOT go to the Oval Office yesterday.
The president is hardly the only person in Trumpworld who has been affected by COVID-19 in recent days. The long list of Republicans and Trump allies who have tested positive for the novel coronavirus since last week ranges from long-time adviser Kellyanne Conway to former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie to Trump's campaign manager, Bill Stepien, to Republican National Committee Chair Ronna Romney McDaniel.