truthout--2020-11-06--Unemployment Falls to 6.9 Percent — But Don’t Expect Improvements to Last

The labor market continued to rebound from the spring shutdown , adding 638,000 jobs .
The unemployment rate fell another percentage point to 6.9 percent .
This still leaves the number of jobs 6.6 percent below the February level .
The jobs gains were broadly based across sectors .
Construction added 84,000 jobs , which is consistent with other data showing a boom in residential construction .
Employment in construction is now down by just 3.8 percent from its pre-pandemic level .
Manufacturing also had a strong month , adding 38,000 jobs , leaving employment in the sector 4.8 percent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ striking since these two sectors usually are the most hard-hit in a recession .
By contrast , they are faring relatively well in this pandemic recession .
Other sectors adding large numbers of jobs include retail , which added 103,700 jobs , restaurants which added 192,200 jobs , and the temporary help sector , which added 108,700 jobs .
Health care added 58,300 jobs , as people are returning to doctors and dentists for routine checkups and care .
State and local governments continue to be hard hit , with both losing 65,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in these sectors are virtually certain given the large budget shortfalls most governments are facing , unless additional support comes from Washington .
The coal industry also lost jobs , with a decline of 1,100 jobs to 43,200 .
This is the lowest level ever recorded , with the exception of the shutdown month of April .
The picture in the household survey was mostly positive .
In addition to the 1.0 percentage point drop in the unemployment rate , there was also a modest 0.3 percentage point rise in the labor force @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prior month .
This is encouraging since people often give up looking for work and drop out of the labor force after long periods of unemployment .
Long-term unemployment ( more than 26 weeks ) rose 1,151,000 in October to 3,556,000 .
If we don ’ t see stronger job growth soon , many of these workers are likely to see lasting harm to their labor market prospects .
There were few notable differences in the patterns in unemployment rates across demographic groups .
The drop for men over 20 was 0.7 percentage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the drop was 1.2 percentage points to 6.5 percent .
Unemployment for Blacks fell 1.3 percentage points to 10.8 percent .
The unemployment rate for Hispanics fell by 1.5 percentage points to 8.8 percent .
For Asian Americans the drop was 1.3 percentage points to 7.6 percent .
The unemployment rate for Asian Americans is typically somewhat lower than for whites .
The higher rates in the pandemic recession likely reflects troubles faced by many restaurants and other small businesses owned by Asian Americans .
Over the course of the recession , there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ job holders , with the number now standing at 17.8 percent below the year-ago level .
This is consistent with a sharp fall-off in the number of people voluntarily working part-time , which now stands 12.4 percent below its February level .
Among prime age workers ( ages 25 to 34 ) , the biggest hit has been to women , who have seen a 5.4 percentage point drop in their employment rate since February .
The drop for men in this age group has been a bit less at 5.1 percentage points @ @ @ @ @ @ @ survey was a rise in the share of unemployment due to voluntary quits to 7.0 percent .
This is still well below what we would see in a healthy labor market , but it does indicate workers ’ increased confidence in their labor market prospects .
It was difficult to make much sense of the wage data in prior months , since compositional changes were dwarfing the impact of wage growth for workers in the same job .
However , the annualized rate of hourly wage growth over the last three months ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been 2.0 percent .
This is more than a full percentage point slower than its pre-pandemic level , which is not surprising given the weakness in the labor market .
On the whole , this is a surprisingly positive report .
It appears that the resurgence of the pandemic did not have a major impact in slowing job growth .
However , with infection numbers hitting new records almost daily , that seems unlikely to be the case much longer .

With COVID-19 numbers hitting new records almost daily, the future is anything but certain when it comes to employment.
The labor market continued to rebound from the spring shutdown, adding 638,000 jobs. The unemployment rate fell another percentage point to 6.9 percent. This still leaves the number of jobs 6.6 percent below the February level.
The jobs gains were broadly based across sectors. Construction added 84,000 jobs, which is consistent with other data showing a boom in residential construction. Employment in construction is now down by just 3.8 percent from its pre-pandemic level. Manufacturing also had a strong month, adding 38,000 jobs, leaving employment in the sector 4.8 percent below the pre-pandemic level.
This is striking since these two sectors usually are the most hard-hit in a recession. By contrast, they are faring relatively well in this pandemic recession.
Other sectors adding large numbers of jobs include retail, which added 103,700 jobs, restaurants which added 192,200 jobs, and the temporary help sector, which added 108,700 jobs. Health care added 58,300 jobs, as people are returning to doctors and dentists for routine checkups and care.
State and local governments continue to be hard hit, with both losing 65,000 jobs in October. Further job loss in these sectors are virtually certain given the large budget shortfalls most governments are facing, unless additional support comes from Washington. The coal industry also lost jobs, with a decline of 1,100 jobs to 43,200. This is the lowest level ever recorded, with the exception of the shutdown month of April.
The picture in the household survey was mostly positive. In addition to the 1.0 percentage point drop in the unemployment rate, there was also a modest 0.3 percentage point rise in the labor force participation rate, reversing a drop the prior month.
This is encouraging since people often give up looking for work and drop out of the labor force after long periods of unemployment. Long-term unemployment (more than 26 weeks) rose 1,151,000 in October to 3,556,000. If we don’t see stronger job growth soon, many of these workers are likely to see lasting harm to their labor market prospects.
There were few notable differences in the patterns in unemployment rates across demographic groups. The drop for men over 20 was 0.7 percentage points to 6.7 percent, for women the drop was 1.2 percentage points to 6.5 percent. Unemployment for Blacks fell 1.3 percentage points to 10.8 percent. The unemployment rate for Hispanics fell by 1.5 percentage points to 8.8 percent.
For Asian Americans the drop was 1.3 percentage points to 7.6 percent. The unemployment rate for Asian Americans is typically somewhat lower than for whites. The higher rates in the pandemic recession likely reflects troubles faced by many restaurants and other small businesses owned by Asian Americans.
Over the course of the recession, there has been a sharp drop in multiple job holders, with the number now standing at 17.8 percent below the year-ago level. This is consistent with a sharp fall-off in the number of people voluntarily working part-time, which now stands 12.4 percent below its February level.
Among prime age workers (ages 25 to 34), the biggest hit has been to women, who have seen a 5.4 percentage point drop in their employment rate since February. The drop for men in this age group has been a bit less at 5.1 percentage points.
One promising item in the household survey was a rise in the share of unemployment due to voluntary quits to 7.0 percent. This is still well below what we would see in a healthy labor market, but it does indicate workers’ increased confidence in their labor market prospects.
It was difficult to make much sense of the wage data in prior months, since compositional changes were dwarfing the impact of wage growth for workers in the same job. However, the annualized rate of hourly wage growth over the last three months (looking at just July and October) has been 2.0 percent. This is more than a full percentage point slower than its pre-pandemic level, which is not surprising given the weakness in the labor market.
On the whole, this is a surprisingly positive report. It appears that the resurgence of the pandemic did not have a major impact in slowing job growth. However, with infection numbers hitting new records almost daily, that seems unlikely to be the case much longer.


truthout--2020-11-06--Trump Legal Adviser Admits Campaign Hopes for Supreme Court Intervention

With the Trump campaign frantically attempting to challenge vote-counting procedures in several battleground states where the president ’ s early leads have evaporated , a prominent conservative attorney and co-chair of Lawyers for Trump openly admitted in a television interview Thursday that the campaign ’ s ultimate hope is for newly confirmed Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett to “ come through ” and decide the election .
Harmeet Dhillon , a legal adviser to the Trump campaign , said in an appearance on Fox Business that “ we ’ re waiting for the United States Supreme Court — of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — to step in and do something.
” “ And hopefully Amy Coney Barrett will come through and pick it up , ” added Dhillon , who parroted the president ’ s baseless claims of suspicious activity by election officials in Pennsylvania and elsewhere .
“ There ’ s no guarantee of that… so we have to fight this on the ground and make sure that we challenge in every place , and we are.
” Dhillon ’ s remarks were viewed as a frank admission by a Trump campaign surrogate that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through the democratic process narrowing rapidly , is desperately counting on the high court — and , in particular , a justice he and the Republican Senate installed just over a week before Election Day — to intervene and secure his reelection .
Trump himself said as much in the early hours of Wednesday morning , declaring , “ We want the law to be used in the proper manner .
So we ’ ll be going to the U.S. Supreme Court.
” “ The GOP is telling the nation , on cable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Supreme Court majority in order to steal elections , ” tweeted Rep.-elect Mondaire Jones ( D-N.Y. ) .
“ Believe them.
” Brian Fallon , executive director of advocacy group Demand Justice , said Dhillon ’ s comments represented further evidence that “ Republicans consider the Supreme Court their insurance policy for when they lose elections.
” The problem for the Trump campaign ’ s stated last-ditch strategy of relying on the Supreme Court , as Buzzfeed ’ s Zoe Tillman explained Thursday , is that “ the lawsuits filed by the campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kind of election-defining legal questions the court would be likely to take up ; plus , it wasn ’ t clear if the one case already pending before the court would be relevant to who wins.
” “ Pennsylvania Republicans are challenging a state Supreme Court order that extended the deadline for election officials to accept absentee ballots , from Election Day to Nov. 6 , ” Tillman noted .
“ Trump ’ s campaign filed a request this week to join the case at the U.S. Supreme Court to back the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case would only become another Bush v. Gore… if the election comes down to Pennsylvania ’ s 20 electoral votes , and if the number of ballots that arrived between Nov. 3 and Nov. 6 are large enough to affect the final tally.
” Other legal challenges the Trump campaign has brought thus far have been laughably weak , coming nowhere close to substantiating the president ’ s claim of a sprawling Democratic conspiracy to deny him the election through mass ballot fraud .
The Washington Post summarized the outcomes of a pair @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Day in Georgia and Michigan : In Georgia , a local judge in Chatham County , home of Savannah , denied the Trump campaign ’ s effort to disqualify ballots that a Republican poll watcher claimed may have arrived after the 7 pm deadline on Election Day .
In court , the poll watcher offered no evidence that the ballots had arrived late , and county election officials testified that they had arrived on time .
And in Michigan , a Court of Claims judge said she would deny the campaign ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ counting of votes in the state .
She noted that the request made little sense , given that the counting has essentially been finished in the state , with former vice president Joe Biden ahead by about 150,000 votes .
He has been declared the winner of the state by national news organizations .
Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson ’ s office described Trump ’ s request as an “ attempt to unring a bell.
” On Thursday , a federal judge in Pennsylvania — where the president holds an increasingly slim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump campaign lawsuit alleging that Philadelphia officials are not allowing Republican election observers sufficient access during the ballot tabulation process .
Judge Paul Diamond of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania , a George W. Bush appointee , made little effort to hide his annoyance with the Trump campaign ’ s flimsy complaint throughout a hearing on the suit Thursday .
When Diamond pressed a Trump campaign lawyer on whether Republican observers are currently present at the counting site , the attorney responded : “ There ’ s a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Asked once more to provide a clear answer , the Trump campaign attorney said , “ Yes .
”

A legal adviser to the Trump campaign said it’s waiting on the Supreme Court to “step in and do something.”
With the Trump campaign frantically attempting to challenge vote-counting procedures in several battleground states where the president’s early leads have evaporated, a prominent conservative attorney and co-chair of Lawyers for Trump openly admitted in a television interview Thursday that the campaign’s ultimate hope is for newly confirmed Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett to “come through” and decide the election.
Harmeet Dhillon, a legal adviser to the Trump campaign, said in an appearance on Fox Business that “we’re waiting for the United States Supreme Court — of which the president has nominated three justices — to step in and do something.”
“And hopefully Amy Coney Barrett will come through and pick it up,” added Dhillon, who parroted the president’s baseless claims of suspicious activity by election officials in Pennsylvania and elsewhere. “There’s no guarantee of that… so we have to fight this on the ground and make sure that we challenge in every place, and we are.”
Watch:
Dhillon’s remarks were viewed as a frank admission by a Trump campaign surrogate that the incumbent, with his path to victory through the democratic process narrowing rapidly, is desperately counting on the high court — and, in particular, a justice he and the Republican Senate installed just over a week before Election Day — to intervene and secure his reelection.
Trump himself said as much in the early hours of Wednesday morning, declaring, “We want the law to be used in the proper manner. So we’ll be going to the U.S. Supreme Court.”
“The GOP is telling the nation, on cable television, that it installed its 6-3 Supreme Court majority in order to steal elections,” tweeted Rep.-elect Mondaire Jones (D-N.Y.). “Believe them.”
Brian Fallon, executive director of advocacy group Demand Justice, said Dhillon’s comments represented further evidence that “Republicans consider the Supreme Court their insurance policy for when they lose elections.”
The problem for the Trump campaign’s stated last-ditch strategy of relying on the Supreme Court, as Buzzfeed’s Zoe Tillman explained Thursday, is that “the lawsuits filed by the campaign so far don’t present the kind of election-defining legal questions the court would be likely to take up; plus, it wasn’t clear if the one case already pending before the court would be relevant to who wins.”
“Pennsylvania Republicans are challenging a state Supreme Court order that extended the deadline for election officials to accept absentee ballots, from Election Day to Nov. 6,” Tillman noted. “Trump’s campaign filed a request this week to join the case at the U.S. Supreme Court to back the state GOP’s position. But that case would only become another Bush v. Gore… if the election comes down to Pennsylvania’s 20 electoral votes, and if the number of ballots that arrived between Nov. 3 and Nov. 6 are large enough to affect the final tally.”
Other legal challenges the Trump campaign has brought thus far have been laughably weak, coming nowhere close to substantiating the president’s claim of a sprawling Democratic conspiracy to deny him the election through mass ballot fraud.
The Washington Post summarized the outcomes of a pair of suits the campaign filed after Election Day in Georgia and Michigan:
In Georgia, a local judge in Chatham County, home of Savannah, denied the Trump campaign’s effort to disqualify ballots that a Republican poll watcher claimed may have arrived after the 7 pm deadline on Election Day. In court, the poll watcher offered no evidence that the ballots had arrived late, and county election officials testified that they had arrived on time. And in Michigan, a Court of Claims judge said she would deny the campaign’s request for an emergency halt to the counting of votes in the state. She noted that the request made little sense, given that the counting has essentially been finished in the state, with former vice president Joe Biden ahead by about 150,000 votes. He has been declared the winner of the state by national news organizations. Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson’s office described Trump’s request as an “attempt to unring a bell.”
On Thursday, a federal judge in Pennsylvania — where the president holds an increasingly slim lead as counting continues — dismissed a Trump campaign lawsuit alleging that Philadelphia officials are not allowing Republican election observers sufficient access during the ballot tabulation process.
Judge Paul Diamond of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, a George W. Bush appointee, made little effort to hide his annoyance with the Trump campaign’s flimsy complaint throughout a hearing on the suit Thursday.
When Diamond pressed a Trump campaign lawyer on whether Republican observers are currently present at the counting site, the attorney responded: “There’s a non-zero number of people in the room.” Asked once more to provide a clear answer, the Trump campaign attorney said, “Yes.”
“I’m sorry,” Diamond responded, “then what’s your problem?”
Tired of reading the same old news from the same old sources? So are we! That’s why we’re on a mission to shake things up and bring you the stories and perspectives that often go untold in mainstream media. But being a radically, unapologetically independent news site isn’t easy (or cheap), and we rely on reader support to keep the lights on.
If you like what you’re reading, please consider making a tax-deductible donation today. We’re not asking for a handout, we’re asking for an investment: Invest in a nonprofit news site that’s not afraid to ruffle a few feathers, not afraid to stand up for what’s right, and not afraid to tell it like it is.
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truthout--2020-11-06--Biden Pulls Ahead of Trump in Georgia and Pennsylvania

Former Vice President Joe Biden , the Democratic Party ’ s nominee for president in the 2020 election against President Donald Trump , has overtaken the incumbent in Georgia and Pennsylvania , two states that are crucial for Trump to have any chance to win .
Georgia was the first state to see the candidates swap places early on Friday morning .
As vote totals throughout the week were updated , due to a high volume of absentee ballots that had been cast , Biden began to close Trump ’ s lead to just a few thousand votes late Thursday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
After the results from Clayton County came in — a county that portions of which are within the state ’ s Fifth Congressional District , which was held by the late Rep. John Lewis until his death this past summer — Biden took over the lead .
Though the former vice president now leads in Georgia , Trump ’ s legal team is likely to contest a Biden victory in the state , which would grant him 16 Electoral College votes .
State law allows for a recount if the difference between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ percent .
Biden also closed the gap with Trump in Pennsylvania , and took a narrow lead in the Keystone State on Friday morning , according to updated vote count totals .
This shift occurred after several Democratic-leaning areas reported their ballots later than usual due to the influx of absentee ballots , which were utilized primarily by Democratic voters because of the coronavirus pandemic .
Biden ’ s lead in Pennsylvania would be an enormous victory if he continues to hold or grow his lead there .
The state ’ s 20 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ candidate over the 270 threshold needed to win the presidency .
Beyond Georgia and Pennsylvania , Biden is also in the lead in two other states that are also still counting ballots .
As of 9:15 am Eastern Time , Biden led in Nevada by a very slim margin of about 0.9 percent of the vote , while he also led Trump in Arizona by about 1.6 percent .
Assuming Biden is able to win Pennsylvania , Georgia , Arizona and Nevada , his Electoral College vote total would be at or near @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 232 ( assuming the president wins North Carolina and a still-contested congressional district in Maine ) .
Before vote totals shifted to Biden ’ s favor on Friday , Trump on the previous night lambasted the continued counting of votes in those four states , holding a press briefing deriding the process and wrongly arguing that updated totals were fraudulent .
“ If you count the legal votes , I easily win .
If you count the illegal votes , they can try to steal the election from us , ” Trump said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the votes included in the totals that the president was complaining about were “ illegal votes , ” and Trump offered zero proof to back up his claims .
The votes he had depicted as being illegitimate were legally cast prior to Election Day but were counted at a slower pace than usual due to the historically high rate of absentee ballot requests in this year ’ s race .

Former Vice President Joe Biden, the Democratic Party’s nominee for president in the 2020 election against President Donald Trump, has overtaken the incumbent in Georgia and Pennsylvania, two states that are crucial for Trump to have any chance to win.
Georgia was the first state to see the candidates swap places early on Friday morning. As vote totals throughout the week were updated, due to a high volume of absentee ballots that had been cast, Biden began to close Trump’s lead to just a few thousand votes late Thursday night.
That shift continued into Friday. After the results from Clayton County came in — a county that portions of which are within the state’s Fifth Congressional District, which was held by the late Rep. John Lewis until his death this past summer — Biden took over the lead.
Though the former vice president now leads in Georgia, Trump’s legal team is likely to contest a Biden victory in the state, which would grant him 16 Electoral College votes. State law allows for a recount if the difference between candidates is less than one-half of 1 percent.
Biden also closed the gap with Trump in Pennsylvania, and took a narrow lead in the Keystone State on Friday morning, according to updated vote count totals. This shift occurred after several Democratic-leaning areas reported their ballots later than usual due to the influx of absentee ballots, which were utilized primarily by Democratic voters because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Biden’s lead in Pennsylvania would be an enormous victory if he continues to hold or grow his lead there. The state’s 20 Electoral College votes would put the Democratic candidate over the 270 threshold needed to win the presidency.
Beyond Georgia and Pennsylvania, Biden is also in the lead in two other states that are also still counting ballots. As of 9:15 am Eastern Time, Biden led in Nevada by a very slim margin of about 0.9 percent of the vote, while he also led Trump in Arizona by about 1.6 percent.
Assuming Biden is able to win Pennsylvania, Georgia, Arizona and Nevada, his Electoral College vote total would be at or near 306 votes, versus Trump’s 232 (assuming the president wins North Carolina and a still-contested congressional district in Maine).
Before vote totals shifted to Biden’s favor on Friday, Trump on the previous night lambasted the continued counting of votes in those four states, holding a press briefing deriding the process and wrongly arguing that updated totals were fraudulent.
“If you count the legal votes, I easily win. If you count the illegal votes, they can try to steal the election from us,” Trump said on Thursday.
In actuality, none of the votes included in the totals that the president was complaining about were “illegal votes,” and Trump offered zero proof to back up his claims. The votes he had depicted as being illegitimate were legally cast prior to Election Day but were counted at a slower pace than usual due to the historically high rate of absentee ballot requests in this year’s race.
Tired of reading the same old news from the same old sources? So are we! That’s why we’re on a mission to shake things up and bring you the stories and perspectives that often go untold in mainstream media. But being a radically, unapologetically independent news site isn’t easy (or cheap), and we rely on reader support to keep the lights on.
If you like what you’re reading, please consider making a tax-deductible donation today. We’re not asking for a handout, we’re asking for an investment: Invest in a nonprofit news site that’s not afraid to ruffle a few feathers, not afraid to stand up for what’s right, and not afraid to tell it like it is.
Copyright © Truthout. May not be reprinted without permission.


truthout--2020-11-06--Georgia’s Blue Shift Follows Years of Community Organizing

We go to Atlanta for an update , after Joe Biden pulled ahead of Donald Trump for the first time in Georgia .
The 2020 presidential election could hinge on this extraordinarily tight race .
Many credit the state ’ s blue shift to community organizers on the ground , including Stacey Abrams , who lost a hotly contested race for governor of Georgia in 2018 amid claims of widespread voter suppression and has since led a massive effort to get out the vote through her organizations Fair Fight and Fair Count .
Both Senate races in Georgia also appear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the state could determine if the GOP holds onto its Senate majority .
“ There has been a wide investment that has been deeply driven by community to expand the electorate , ” says Anoa Changa , a freelance journalist based in Atlanta who focuses on electoral justice and voting rights .
This is a rush transcript .
Copy may not be in its final form .
AMY GOODMAN : This is Democracy Now !
, democracynow.org .
I ’ m Amy Goodman , with Juan González , as we go to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ahead of Donald Trump for the first time in an extraordinarily tight race for Georgia ’ s 16 electoral votes .
With more than 98 % reporting , Biden leads by more than 900 votes .
Election officials estimate between 5,000 to 10,000 votes remain to be counted .
On Thursday , Georgia ’ s voting system implementation manager , Gabriel Sterling , said a presidential recount is , quote , “ more than likely.
” He responded to a reporter ’ s question about election fairness and allegations of a , quote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Well , I think if anybody ’ s going to try to rig a system , they might have seen something a little bit less close than this .
That ’ s one .
Two , we have , in this process , 159 dedicated elections directors and their staff who are working to get this right .
They are working diligently every single day .
We have the — we know how many requests came in for absentee ballots .
We know how many ballots were received .
So , that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could suddenly show up with 100,000 extra ballots somewhere .
In this state , in particular , we take security very seriously .
… We ’ re going to have a recount for president , more than likely .
And people will see those outcomes stay essentially the same .
AMY GOODMAN : Many are crediting Georgia ’ s blue shift to community organizers on the ground , including Stacey Abrams , who lost a hotly contested race for governor of Georgia in 2018 and claims of widespread voter suppression .
She has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Georgia with her organization , Fair Fight .
Well , for more , we go to Atlanta , where we ’ re joined by Anoa Changa .
She ’ s a freelance journalist based in Atlanta covering electoral justice and voting rights .
Georgia is turning everything on its head , Anoa .
You have Trump alleging fraud , saying where he was ahead and now behind is all Democrat-run states .
Georgia is run by a Republican governor , Republican secretary of state .
There ’ s a whole Republican infrastructure there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blue .
You also have the two Senate races that could well go to a runoff , and they could determine the balance of the Senate .
Talk about the significance of what ’ s happening in Georgia right now , Anoa .
ANOA CHANGA : Amy , thank you so much for making some time for us to talk about what ’ s happening in Georgia and the ridiculous claims coming from the current president of the United States about fraud , which have been debunked time and time again .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Brian Kemp and Brad Raffensperger are actually Republicans and have been in control of the state of Georgia for the last 10 years , with Brian Kemp previously serving also as secretary of state , and notably in 2018 being — overseeing his own election to the governorship , right ?
So , what we ’ re seeing right now is the continuation of work , as you pointed out , with Stacey Abrams and Fair Fight post-2018 , but also also organizations like the New Georgia Project , founded in 2013 and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who serves as the current CEO .
You also have Black Voters Matter , the Georgia People ’ s Agenda .
You have so many amazing organizations — Asian Americans Advancing Justice .
There has been a wide investment that has been deeply driven by community to expand the electorate and also recognizes the coalition of Black , Latinx , AAPI and other voters , progressive voters , young voters , is what was going to shift Georgia to a state that actually respected all people , regardless of their citizenship status @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and actually bring about opportunity to change .
We are still a state that has not had Medicaid expansion , among other things .
And so , what we ’ re seeing right now is a culmination of several years , if not more , of the work of many Georgians to reset the state back from where it has been under the control of centrist , moderate , white Dem leadership that lost the state back in 2010 .
JUAN GONZÁLEZ : And , Anoa , while the focus has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senate races , the U.S. Senate races , there have been quite a few changes in down-ballot races .
Could you talk about what ’ s happening in some of the sheriff races , as well ?
ANOA CHANGA : Yeah .
I mean , right here in the metro Atlanta area , we just saw two candidates for sheriff in Cobb County and Gwinnett County , again , a part of the long-term work that ’ s being pushed , that flipped two sheriffs that do not support participation in 287 ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new sheriffs coming in who are willing to withdraw support from the 287 ( g ) program .
If folks are not familiar with that , that is a cooperation agreement between law enforcement and ICE .
And that has been a major victory , among some other issues around detention and racial profiling that Latinx organizers , AAPI , Black organizers , like folks , have been working on around the state .
We also saw Deborah Gonzalez , who is a candidate for DA , go into a runoff .
Deborah @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for her race to even happen , as it was canceled previously to allow the appointed position to — the appointed person to remain in that position .
So , Deborah Gonzalez is now moving forward in Athens County .
That ’ s the Western District DA race .
We also saw Jackie Johnson , the corrupt DA who conspired to keep the murderers of Ahmaud Arbery out of jail — we saw Jackie Johnson lose her race , as well .
So we ’ re seeing a lot happening .
We ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House district races , as well .
I mean , there ’ s just been a lot happening across state .
A couple of county commissioner seats have been picked up .
It ’ s just been a lot .
And again , that ’ s a testament to the grassroots organizing that has been happening , some of it in line with the Democratic Party , and some of it has been — most of it has been outside of traditional party politics , the traditional candidates .
AMY GOODMAN : And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
I mean , if you have both Senate races go to a runoff in January , the whole country — and possibly a call for a recount , if it ’ s really razor thin between Joe Biden and President Trump — the entire country will be turning to Georgia , to say the least .
ANOA CHANGA : Yeah .
I mean , what we have known here in Georgia , what we have seen , because trusting in the work of local organizers and then also just looking at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of , like , who the new voters are , who were the existing voters that have not been touched — people have been doing organizing work in Southwest Georgia , down in Dodge County , despite hurricanes and other incidents .
So folks know that these Senate seats are not just important to Georgia in terms of being able to flip them , but also in terms of the balance of power , in terms of the whole nation and the Senate .
But with that is coming a mandate from Georgians @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the South , as a whole — because it ’ s not just about Georgia .
It ’ s about the whole South .
We ’ ve seen amazing victories across the South .
And that is attributed to deep organizing that has happened across the region , that tends to be Black- , Indigenous- , POC-led , right ?
And so , we know that we need a fundamental reimagining of how we engage in politics in this country , as well as how we examine and talk about different states , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voters and the work that rural organizers are doing , or we ’ re talking about , quote-unquote , “ red versus blue ” state .
It ’ s amazing to wake up this morning to the work and to see proof of concept for everyone else to understand what we know to be true here in Georgia .
when we look at Mississippi and Mississippi voters overturning a remnant of Jim Crow that had its own version of basically an Electoral College , that basically prevented Black — anyone Black or of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see , in Alamance County , North Carolina , which recently made news for the attack on voters , just elected its first Latino to the state House .
We have seen , like , amazing efforts across the board .
Florida flipped to — or , Florida supported a $ 15 minimum wage .
So , the work is there .
The investment just needs to happen .
And it can ’ t just be aligned with whether or not people are going to build up or be the backbone of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grounded in the people ’ s interests and what is for the greater good , and really putting democracy back in the center of all of our focus , and not worrying about paying attention to bothsidesism and so-called objectivity .
AMY GOODMAN : Anoa Changa , I want to thank you very much for being with us , freelance journalist based in Atlanta , Georgia , covering electoral justice and voting rights .
And this just in : We have these reports that are coming in from Pennsylvania .
Joe Biden has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by more than 5,000 votes — again , has flipped Pennsylvania by more than 5,000 votes .
There are still tens of thousands of votes to be counted .

We go to Atlanta for an update, after Joe Biden pulled ahead of Donald Trump for the first time in Georgia. The 2020 presidential election could hinge on this extraordinarily tight race. Many credit the state’s blue shift to community organizers on the ground, including Stacey Abrams, who lost a hotly contested race for governor of Georgia in 2018 amid claims of widespread voter suppression and has since led a massive effort to get out the vote through her organizations Fair Fight and Fair Count. Both Senate races in Georgia also appear to be headed to runoff elections, and the state could determine if the GOP holds onto its Senate majority. “There has been a wide investment that has been deeply driven by community to expand the electorate,” says Anoa Changa, a freelance journalist based in Atlanta who focuses on electoral justice and voting rights.
TRANSCRIPT
This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now!, democracynow.org. I’m Amy Goodman, with Juan González, as we go to Georgia, where Joe Biden has pulled ahead of Donald Trump for the first time in an extraordinarily tight race for Georgia’s 16 electoral votes. With more than 98% reporting, Biden leads by more than 900 votes. Election officials estimate between 5,000 to 10,000 votes remain to be counted. On Thursday, Georgia’s voting system implementation manager, Gabriel Sterling, said a presidential recount is, quote, “more than likely.” He responded to a reporter’s question about election fairness and allegations of a, quote, “rigged system.”
GABRIEL STERLING: Well, I think if anybody’s going to try to rig a system, they might have seen something a little bit less close than this. That’s one. Two, we have, in this process, 159 dedicated elections directors and their staff who are working to get this right. They are working diligently every single day. We have the — we know how many requests came in for absentee ballots. We know how many ballots were received. So, that is an outward bound, so nobody could suddenly show up with 100,000 extra ballots somewhere. In this state, in particular, we take security very seriously. … We’re going to have a recount for president, more than likely. And people will see those outcomes stay essentially the same.
AMY GOODMAN: Many are crediting Georgia’s blue shift to community organizers on the ground, including Stacey Abrams, who lost a hotly contested race for governor of Georgia in 2018 and claims of widespread voter suppression. She has since been getting out the vote in Georgia with her organization, Fair Fight.
Well, for more, we go to Atlanta, where we’re joined by Anoa Changa. She’s a freelance journalist based in Atlanta covering electoral justice and voting rights.
Georgia is turning everything on its head, Anoa. You have Trump alleging fraud, saying where he was ahead and now behind is all Democrat-run states. Georgia is run by a Republican governor, Republican secretary of state. There’s a whole Republican infrastructure there. And it’s now flipped blue. You also have the two Senate races that could well go to a runoff, and they could determine the balance of the Senate. Talk about the significance of what’s happening in Georgia right now, Anoa.
ANOA CHANGA: Amy, thank you so much for making some time for us to talk about what’s happening in Georgia and the ridiculous claims coming from the current president of the United States about fraud, which have been debunked time and time again. And as you just astutely pointed out, Brian Kemp and Brad Raffensperger are actually Republicans and have been in control of the state of Georgia for the last 10 years, with Brian Kemp previously serving also as secretary of state, and notably in 2018 being — overseeing his own election to the governorship, right?
So, what we’re seeing right now is the continuation of work, as you pointed out, with Stacey Abrams and Fair Fight post-2018, but also also organizations like the New Georgia Project, founded in 2013 and 2014 by Stacey Abrams and Nse Ufot, who serves as the current CEO. You also have Black Voters Matter, the Georgia People’s Agenda. You have so many amazing organizations — Asian Americans Advancing Justice. There has been a wide investment that has been deeply driven by community to expand the electorate and also recognizes the coalition of Black, Latinx, AAPI and other voters, progressive voters, young voters, is what was going to shift Georgia to a state that actually respected all people, regardless of their citizenship status, regardless of their income, etc., and actually bring about opportunity to change. We are still a state that has not had Medicaid expansion, among other things. And so, what we’re seeing right now is a culmination of several years, if not more, of the work of many Georgians to reset the state back from where it has been under the control of centrist, moderate, white Dem leadership that lost the state back in 2010.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And, Anoa, while the focus has been on the presidential race and also those Senate races, the U.S. Senate races, there have been quite a few changes in down-ballot races. Could you talk about what’s happening in some of the sheriff races, as well?
ANOA CHANGA: Yeah. I mean, right here in the metro Atlanta area, we just saw two candidates for sheriff in Cobb County and Gwinnett County, again, a part of the long-term work that’s being pushed, that flipped two sheriffs that do not support participation in 287(g). So, you have new sheriffs coming in who are willing to withdraw support from the 287(g) program. If folks are not familiar with that, that is a cooperation agreement between law enforcement and ICE. And that has been a major victory, among some other issues around detention and racial profiling that Latinx organizers, AAPI, Black organizers, like folks, have been working on around the state.
We also saw Deborah Gonzalez, who is a candidate for DA, go into a runoff. Deborah had to sue the state multiple times for her race to even happen, as it was canceled previously to allow the appointed position to — the appointed person to remain in that position. So, Deborah Gonzalez is now moving forward in Athens County. That’s the Western District DA race.
We also saw Jackie Johnson, the corrupt DA who conspired to keep the murderers of Ahmaud Arbery out of jail — we saw Jackie Johnson lose her race, as well.
So we’re seeing a lot happening. We’ve seen several shifts in folks flipping House district races, as well. I mean, there’s just been a lot happening across state. A couple of county commissioner seats have been picked up. It’s just been a lot. And again, that’s a testament to the grassroots organizing that has been happening, some of it in line with the Democratic Party, and some of it has been — most of it has been outside of traditional party politics, the traditional candidates.
AMY GOODMAN: And these two Senate races, the significance? I mean, if you have both Senate races go to a runoff in January, the whole country — and possibly a call for a recount, if it’s really razor thin between Joe Biden and President Trump — the entire country will be turning to Georgia, to say the least.
ANOA CHANGA: Yeah. I mean, what we have known here in Georgia, what we have seen, because trusting in the work of local organizers and then also just looking at the numbers on the map, in terms of, like, who the new voters are, who were the existing voters that have not been touched — people have been doing organizing work in Southwest Georgia, down in Dodge County, despite hurricanes and other incidents. So folks know that these Senate seats are not just important to Georgia in terms of being able to flip them, but also in terms of the balance of power, in terms of the whole nation and the Senate.
But with that is coming a mandate from Georgians, in terms of making sure that the South, as a whole — because it’s not just about Georgia. It’s about the whole South. We’ve seen amazing victories across the South. And that is attributed to deep organizing that has happened across the region, that tends to be Black-, Indigenous-, POC-led, right? And so, we know that we need a fundamental reimagining of how we engage in politics in this country, as well as how we examine and talk about different states, whether we’re talking about rural voters and the work that rural organizers are doing, or we’re talking about, quote-unquote, “red versus blue” state.
It’s amazing to wake up this morning to the work and to see proof of concept for everyone else to understand what we know to be true here in Georgia. when we look at Mississippi and Mississippi voters overturning a remnant of Jim Crow that had its own version of basically an Electoral College, that basically prevented Black — anyone Black or of color to ever win statewide. We see, in Alamance County, North Carolina, which recently made news for the attack on voters, just elected its first Latino to the state House. We have seen, like, amazing efforts across the board. Florida flipped to — or, Florida supported a $15 minimum wage.
So, the work is there. The investment just needs to happen. And it can’t just be aligned with whether or not people are going to build up or be the backbone of the Democratic Party. It has to be grounded in the people’s interests and what is for the greater good, and really putting democracy back in the center of all of our focus, and not worrying about paying attention to bothsidesism and so-called objectivity.
AMY GOODMAN: Anoa Changa, I want to thank you very much for being with us, freelance journalist based in Atlanta, Georgia, covering electoral justice and voting rights.
And this just in: We have these reports that are coming in from Pennsylvania. Joe Biden has just taken a narrow lead in Pennsylvania by more than 5,000 votes — again, has flipped Pennsylvania by more than 5,000 votes. There are still tens of thousands of votes to be counted.
Tired of reading the same old news from the same old sources? So are we! That’s why we’re on a mission to shake things up and bring you the stories and perspectives that often go untold in mainstream media. But being a radically, unapologetically independent news site isn’t easy (or cheap), and we rely on reader support to keep the lights on.
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truthout--2020-11-06--Former Trump Adviser Steve Bannon Suggests Beheading of Fauci and FBI Chief

In the middle of a tense election battle in which fears of right-wing militia violence are already running high , former Trump adviser Steve Bannon took the incendiary rhetoric to a dangerous new level Thursday by suggesting that Dr. Anthony Fauci and FBI Director Christopher Wray should be beheaded as a “ warning to federal bureaucrats.
” During an episode of Bannon ’ s online show “ War Room : Pandemic ” that was shared widely on social media , the far-right provocateur said Trump should fire both Fauci and Wray if he secures a second term in the White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to go a step farther but I realize the president is a kind-hearted man and a good man , ” said Bannon , who is out on bail after being arrested in August for his role in a fraud and money laundering scheme .
“ I ’ d actually like to go back to the old times of Tudor England , I ’ d put the heads on pikes , right , I ’ d put them at the two corners of the White House as a warning to federal bureaucrats .
You @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re gone — time to stop playing games.
” Jack Maxey , Bannon ’ s co-host , followed the former Trump adviser ’ s comments by noting that “ just yesterday , there was the anniversary of the hanging of two Tories in Philadelphia , these were Quaker businessmen who had cohabitated , if you will , with the British while they were occupying Philadelphia.
” “ That ’ s how you won the revolution , ” Bannon responded .
“ No one wants to talk about it .
The revolution wasn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , right ?
It was a civil war .
It was a civil war.
” “ Former top White House aide is advocating for the murder of two government officials for being disloyal to Donald Trump , ” HuffPost White House correspondent S.V .
Dáte tweeted in response to Bannon ’ s remarks .
The video of Bannon ’ s comments was live on Facebook for at least 10 hours and had racked up nearly 200,000 views before it was finally removed on Thursday .
YouTube also removed the video Thursday night for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” and Twitter permanently banned Bannon ’ s “ War Room ” account .
As The Guardian reported Thursday , “ There has been mounting concern over the risk of violence following this week ’ s U.S. elections , amid highly inflammatory rhetoric from Trump and his allies , who have falsely said Democrats are trying to ‘ steal the election . '
” “ Philadelphia police arrested two men who were allegedly involved in a plot to attack the Pennsylvania Convention Center on Thursday night .
Police were tipped off , possibly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the men , ” The Guardian noted .
“ The moves against Bannon came hours after Facebook banned ‘ Stop the Steal , ’ a group involved in organizing protests this weekend throughout the U.S. against the presidential vote count .
One post , shared by the Center for Countering Digital Hate , declared : ‘ Neither side is going to concede .
Time to clean the guns , time to hit the streets . '
”

Bannon is out on bail after being arrested in August for his role in a fraud and money laundering scheme.
In the middle of a tense election battle in which fears of right-wing militia violence are already running high, former Trump adviser Steve Bannon took the incendiary rhetoric to a dangerous new level Thursday by suggesting that Dr. Anthony Fauci and FBI Director Christopher Wray should be beheaded as a “warning to federal bureaucrats.”
During an episode of Bannon’s online show “War Room: Pandemic” that was shared widely on social media, the far-right provocateur said Trump should fire both Fauci and Wray if he secures a second term in the White House.
“Now I actually want to go a step farther but I realize the president is a kind-hearted man and a good man,” said Bannon, who is out on bail after being arrested in August for his role in a fraud and money laundering scheme. “I’d actually like to go back to the old times of Tudor England, I’d put the heads on pikes, right, I’d put them at the two corners of the White House as a warning to federal bureaucrats. You either get with the program or you’re gone — time to stop playing games.”
Jack Maxey, Bannon’s co-host, followed the former Trump adviser’s comments by noting that “just yesterday, there was the anniversary of the hanging of two Tories in Philadelphia, these were Quaker businessmen who had cohabitated, if you will, with the British while they were occupying Philadelphia.”
“That’s how you won the revolution,” Bannon responded. “No one wants to talk about it. The revolution wasn’t some sort of garden party, right? It was a civil war. It was a civil war.”
Watch:
“Former top White House aide is advocating for the murder of two government officials for being disloyal to Donald Trump,” HuffPost White House correspondent S.V. Dáte tweeted in response to Bannon’s remarks.
The video of Bannon’s comments was live on Facebook for at least 10 hours and had racked up nearly 200,000 views before it was finally removed on Thursday. YouTube also removed the video Thursday night for violating its policy against “inciting violence” and Twitter permanently banned Bannon’s “War Room” account.
As The Guardian reported Thursday, “There has been mounting concern over the risk of violence following this week’s U.S. elections, amid highly inflammatory rhetoric from Trump and his allies, who have falsely said Democrats are trying to ‘steal the election.'”
“Philadelphia police arrested two men who were allegedly involved in a plot to attack the Pennsylvania Convention Center on Thursday night. Police were tipped off, possibly from a concerned family member of one of the men,” The Guardian noted. “The moves against Bannon came hours after Facebook banned ‘Stop the Steal,’ a group involved in organizing protests this weekend throughout the U.S. against the presidential vote count. One post, shared by the Center for Countering Digital Hate, declared: ‘Neither side is going to concede. Time to clean the guns, time to hit the streets.'”
Tired of reading the same old news from the same old sources? So are we! That’s why we’re on a mission to shake things up and bring you the stories and perspectives that often go untold in mainstream media. But being a radically, unapologetically independent news site isn’t easy (or cheap), and we rely on reader support to keep the lights on.
If you like what you’re reading, please consider making a tax-deductible donation today. We’re not asking for a handout, we’re asking for an investment: Invest in a nonprofit news site that’s not afraid to ruffle a few feathers, not afraid to stand up for what’s right, and not afraid to tell it like it is.
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truthout--2020-11-06--Don’t Underestimate Trump’s Danger — Even on the Cusp of Defeat

It ain ’ t over , not quite , but the finish line for the 2020 presidential election is a few short strides away , and matters are looking grim for The Donald .
As of this morning , the count in the state of Georgia has flipped in favor of former Vice President Joe Biden , an astonishing feat of history .
It ’ s a sliver of proof that the South , a huge brick in the GOP ’ s mighty red state wall , may be changing right along with everything else , thanks to the strength @ @ @ @ @ @ @ efforts of Stacey Abrams ’ s Fair Fight and other groups confronting racist voter suppression ) .
Trump pulled a mini-surge in Arizona over the last couple of days , but it appears to be falling short of knocking Biden out of the lead in that state .
Biden also maintains a narrow lead in Nevada , while Trump holds a small lead in North Carolina .
Pennsylvania , however , is the ballgame .
Before the Democrat-heavy mail-in vote was counted , Trump led in the Keystone State by as much as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on and those mailed votes were tabulated , that mighty lead melted to almost nothing .
And at 8:52 am this morning , CNN reported that Pennsylvania had flipped to Biden by a count of more than 5,000 votes .
That margin continues to grow by the hour , and at this point , it is only a matter of time .
The Electoral College ( EC ) count stands at 253 for Biden and 214 for Trump .
Pennsylvania ’ s 20 EC votes are more than enough to push Biden over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Nevada adding gravy to the potatoes .
We ’ re all still going to be here for a while .
Trump has made it clear that he will not concede no matter the outcome — though it ’ s important to keep in mind there is no constitutional requirement for a concession to take place .
He has insisted on peddling a stolen-election conspiracy theory too wild even for Twitter to stomach .
“ I easily WIN the Presidency of the United States with LEGAL VOTES CAST , ” Trump shriek-tweeted at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not allowed , in any way , shape , or form , to do their job and therefore , votes accepted during this period must be determined to be ILLEGAL VOTES .
U.S. Supreme Court should decide !
” Moments later , Twitter labeled the tweet as “ misleading.
” Behind the sweaty walls of Trump ’ s campaign headquarters , all is chaos .
“ Senior White House and Trump campaign officials are complaining bitterly about poor internal communication , blaming colleagues , pondering what jobs they might try to get next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new enemy : Fox News , ” reports Axios .
Recall : The Trump campaign is pissed at Fox for calling Arizona perhaps a shade too early , as if that call is the reason for the math behind all those mailed-in votes in Pennsylvania and Georgia .
As for the legal recourse Trump is seeking in several states , well : “ Some advisers are also skeptical that the campaign ’ s lawsuits will do anything to change the vote count , ” reports USA Today .
“ Skeptical ” is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the wing , and anyone with a stitch of legal sense knows it .
Ben Ginsburg , maybe the top GOP election lawyer , is the Darth Vader of politics in the courtroom .
He was at the center of the Bush campaign ’ s ruthlessly successful 2000 Florida fight , represents the campaign PACs of the most powerful Republicans in Congress , and was until recently a partner at the powerhouse Washington , D.C. , law firm Jones Day .
“ It ’ s difficult to see the long-term winning strategy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Axios regarding Trump ’ s legal strategy .
“ To mix metaphors , it looks like throwing the kitchen sink at the wall and see what sticks.
” The “ illegal ” mailed-in votes arguments are belied by what went down in Ohio .
All the other states counted the in-person votes first , making it seem as if Trump had this massive lead because more Democrats than Republicans voted by mail this time .
In Ohio , they did the opposite and counted the mailed-in votes first .
You may recall seeing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 300,000 votes on Tuesday ; it was positively surreal .
Soon enough , however , they got to the in-person votes , reality returned to the Buckeye State , and Trump won Ohio handily as expected .
No one in the Biden camp complained , because they bothered to understand how the process was going to work this year .
It ain ’ t over , and the shouting/tantrum portion of this exercise will likely continue long after January 20 , 2021 , comes and goes .
But math is math , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legal team comprised of Rudy Giuliani , Corey Lewandowski and the last three people Trump hasn ’ t fired yet have the horses to get it done in a courtroom .
Ginsburg and the other legal heavies like James Baker are sitting this one out .
“ What will Trump do now ?
” is the last , and most pressing question of the hour .
Will he signal to his followers that the time for violence has come ?
Will they make that decision by themselves ?
On the other hand , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shout Trump down if he refuses to accept the inevitable ?
Will Trump ’ s last act in office be the final obliteration of the Republican Party ?
Trump has been flipping lit matches at an open cask of gunpowder for years now .
The next one could drop in at any moment , which is why Joe Biden suddenly has a whole crowd of new , heavily armed friends in black suits with wires in their ears .
Yeah , no , not over yet .
Not with this guy .

“What will Trump do now?” is the last, and most pressing question of the hour.
It ain’t over, not quite, but the finish line for the 2020 presidential election is a few short strides away, and matters are looking grim for The Donald.
As of this morning, the count in the state of Georgia has flipped in favor of former Vice President Joe Biden, an astonishing feat of history. It’s a sliver of proof that the South, a huge brick in the GOP’s mighty red state wall, may be changing right along with everything else, thanks to the strength of grassroots organizing (and particularly the efforts of Stacey Abrams’s Fair Fight and other groups confronting racist voter suppression).
Trump pulled a mini-surge in Arizona over the last couple of days, but it appears to be falling short of knocking Biden out of the lead in that state. Biden also maintains a narrow lead in Nevada, while Trump holds a small lead in North Carolina.
Pennsylvania, however, is the ballgame. Before the Democrat-heavy mail-in vote was counted, Trump led in the Keystone State by as much as 700,000 votes. As the week wore on and those mailed votes were tabulated, that mighty lead melted to almost nothing. And at 8:52 am this morning, CNN reported that Pennsylvania had flipped to Biden by a count of more than 5,000 votes. That margin continues to grow by the hour, and at this point, it is only a matter of time.
The Electoral College (EC) count stands at 253 for Biden and 214 for Trump. Pennsylvania’s 20 EC votes are more than enough to push Biden over the top, with Georgia, Arizona and Nevada adding gravy to the potatoes.
We’re all still going to be here for a while. Trump has made it clear that he will not concede no matter the outcome — though it’s important to keep in mind there is no constitutional requirement for a concession to take place. He has insisted on peddling a stolen-election conspiracy theory too wild even for Twitter to stomach.
“I easily WIN the Presidency of the United States with LEGAL VOTES CAST,” Trump shriek-tweeted at 2:22 am. “The OBSERVERS were not allowed, in any way, shape, or form, to do their job and therefore, votes accepted during this period must be determined to be ILLEGAL VOTES. U.S. Supreme Court should decide!” Moments later, Twitter labeled the tweet as “misleading.”
Behind the sweaty walls of Trump’s campaign headquarters, all is chaos. “Senior White House and Trump campaign officials are complaining bitterly about poor internal communication, blaming colleagues, pondering what jobs they might try to get next year, and lashing out at their new enemy: Fox News,” reports Axios.
Recall: The Trump campaign is pissed at Fox for calling Arizona perhaps a shade too early, as if that call is the reason for the math behind all those mailed-in votes in Pennsylvania and Georgia. As for the legal recourse Trump is seeking in several states, well: “Some advisers are also skeptical that the campaign’s lawsuits will do anything to change the vote count,” reports USA Today.
Trump has been flipping lit matches into a cask of gunpowder for months now. One of them could catch fire any moment now.
“Skeptical” is a kind euphemism. These lawsuits are garbage on the wing, and anyone with a stitch of legal sense knows it. Ben Ginsburg, maybe the top GOP election lawyer, is the Darth Vader of politics in the courtroom. He was at the center of the Bush campaign’s ruthlessly successful 2000 Florida fight, represents the campaign PACs of the most powerful Republicans in Congress, and was until recently a partner at the powerhouse Washington, D.C., law firm Jones Day.
“It’s difficult to see the long-term winning strategy behind these lawsuits,” Ginsburg told Axios regarding Trump’s legal strategy. “To mix metaphors, it looks like throwing the kitchen sink at the wall and see what sticks.”
Ouch.
The “illegal” mailed-in votes arguments are belied by what went down in Ohio. All the other states counted the in-person votes first, making it seem as if Trump had this massive lead because more Democrats than Republicans voted by mail this time. In Ohio, they did the opposite and counted the mailed-in votes first. You may recall seeing Biden ahead in Ohio by more than 300,000 votes on Tuesday; it was positively surreal.
Soon enough, however, they got to the in-person votes, reality returned to the Buckeye State, and Trump won Ohio handily as expected. No one in the Biden camp complained, because they bothered to understand how the process was going to work this year.
It ain’t over, and the shouting/tantrum portion of this exercise will likely continue long after January 20, 2021, comes and goes. But math is math, and it seems farfetched to believe a Trump legal team comprised of Rudy Giuliani, Corey Lewandowski and the last three people Trump hasn’t fired yet have the horses to get it done in a courtroom. Ginsburg and the other legal heavies like James Baker are sitting this one out.
“What will Trump do now?” is the last, and most pressing question of the hour. Will he signal to his followers that the time for violence has come? Will they make that decision by themselves? On the other hand, will any Republicans finally stand up and shout Trump down if he refuses to accept the inevitable? Will Trump’s last act in office be the final obliteration of the Republican Party?
Trump has been flipping lit matches at an open cask of gunpowder for years now. The next one could drop in at any moment, which is why Joe Biden suddenly has a whole crowd of new, heavily armed friends in black suits with wires in their ears.
Yeah, no, not over yet. Not with this guy.
Tired of reading the same old news from the same old sources? So are we! That’s why we’re on a mission to shake things up and bring you the stories and perspectives that often go untold in mainstream media. But being a radically, unapologetically independent news site isn’t easy (or cheap), and we rely on reader support to keep the lights on.
If you like what you’re reading, please consider making a tax-deductible donation today. We’re not asking for a handout, we’re asking for an investment: Invest in a nonprofit news site that’s not afraid to ruffle a few feathers, not afraid to stand up for what’s right, and not afraid to tell it like it is.
Copyright © Truthout. May not be reprinted without permission.


truthout--2020-11-06--Florida’s Stunning Minimum Wage Win Shows Momentum Extends Beyond Blue States

In a stunning win Tuesday night , labor activists in Florida managed to pass Amendment 2 , raising the state minimum wage up to $ 15 per hour by 2026 .
From 2026 onward , it will be inflation indexed , so that its value won ’ t corrode over time .
Needing 60 percent support to become law , the amendment , supported by labor unions and by a political committee called Florida for a Fair Wage , notched up 60.8 percent .
Currently , the state minimum is a mere $ 8.56 , and advocates of the increase @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 8.56 and $ 15 donations to the amendment ’ s campaign — believe that somewhere in the region of 2.5 million individuals will see their incomes rise as a result of the new law , and 1.3 million families will actually be lifted out of poverty .
In passing this amendment , Florida joined a slew of other states that have seen victories by living wage movements in recent years such as Fight for $ 15 , which began life with a series of campaigns to increase wages for fast-food workers around the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states with a $ 15 minimum wage are liberal stalwarts such as California and New York .
Florida is different ; its governor , Ron DeSantis , is a Trump wannabe , and its legislature is controlled by the GOP .
Amendment 2 ’ s passage plays into a fascinating trend in the Sunshine State ’ s politics .
Florida ’ s voters have , in recent years , shown themselves to be far more progressive when it comes to supporting individual policies than politicians , being receptive to strong messages from grassroots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fight for $ 15 ’ s coalition-building in Florida : the group began actively campaigning for a living wage back in 2016 , and spent much of the past four years forming coalitions with racial justice groups , immigrants ’ rights advocates and labor unions ; holding meetings and rallies ; building up a social media presence ; and reaching out to voters not just in liberal strongholds but across the politically diverse state .
It is , however , one thing to win an Amendment fight and another thing to ensure that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In 2018 , voters in Florida overwhelmingly backed Amendment 4 , restoring the vote to upward of a million people with felony convictions who had completed their sentences .
In a state with some of the harshest anti-voting laws in the country for residents with felony records , a vote restoration on this scale had the potential to be a political earthquake .
Republicans — who had suffered a huge scare during that same 2018 election , when progressive Democratic candidate Andrew Gillum came within a percentage point of winning the governor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this many low-income Floridians , many of them people of color , posed a threat to their power .
They swiftly moved , through a combination of state legislation and court actions , to limit that threat .
Legislators codified the idea that to fully complete their prison sentences , people had to have paid off all of their court-related costs , fees and fines — even though in most instances those were considered to be civil rather than criminal penalties .
After a year and a half of legal wrangling and court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were reaching out to large numbers of people with felony convictions up and down the state — in mid-September , a federal appeals court panel , in a 6-4 ruling , upheld the restrictions on voting .
It was a devastating loss for voting rights advocates .
On Tuesday night , Florida ’ s electorate — its ranks added to by only 67,000 re-enfranchised voters , rather than the many hundreds of thousands hoped for by Amendment 4 ’ s proponents — continued its recent tradition of voting for conservative politicians .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hundred thousand votes .
But , at the same time , many of those same Floridians walked across the political aisle when it came to voting on the minimum wage .
This is a similar dynamic to that seen in states like Oklahoma , Utah and Idaho , where deeply conservative electorates have voted , in recent elections , to embrace a key provision of the Affordable Care Act and expanded Medicaid access .
In Missouri , voters have backed higher wage rates , campaign finance reform and medical marijuana legalization .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ medical marijuana .
It ’ s a paradox that political strategists will , surely , be grappling with over the coming years .
Why do voters who align with Democrats on many key policies continue to align with Republicans when it comes to who they want in the governor ’ s mansion , state legislatures , the U.S. Congress and the White House ?
And , for Democrats , the follow-up question surely is : What can and should be done by the party to convince voters to support politicians who won ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they vote for via the Initiative and Amendment process ?
Governor DeSantis stumped hard on the campaign trail against Amendment 2 , denouncing the wage increase as a growth killer and threat to jobs .
The leadership of the state Republican Party and the top GOP figures in the state legislature also came out swinging against the proposal .
It ’ s a pretty fair bet their efforts to undermine the intent of the amendment will , over the coming months , kick into gear , much as they did in 2018 when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to register to vote .
Passing the measure was a good start .
Now comes the fight to actually ensure its implementation .

In a stunning win Tuesday night, labor activists in Florida managed to pass Amendment 2, raising the state minimum wage up to $15 per hour by 2026. From 2026 onward, it will be inflation indexed, so that its value won’t corrode over time.
Needing 60 percent support to become law, the amendment, supported by labor unions and by a political committee called Florida for a Fair Wage, notched up 60.8 percent.
Currently, the state minimum is a mere $8.56, and advocates of the increase — many of whom sent in $8.56 and $15 donations to the amendment’s campaign — believe that somewhere in the region of 2.5 million individuals will see their incomes rise as a result of the new law, and 1.3 million families will actually be lifted out of poverty.
In passing this amendment, Florida joined a slew of other states that have seen victories by living wage movements in recent years such as Fight for $15, which began life with a series of campaigns to increase wages for fast-food workers around the country. But, the other seven states with a $15 minimum wage are liberal stalwarts such as California and New York. Florida is different; its governor, Ron DeSantis, is a Trump wannabe, and its legislature is controlled by the GOP.
Amendment 2’s passage plays into a fascinating trend in the Sunshine State’s politics. Florida’s voters have, in recent years, shown themselves to be far more progressive when it comes to supporting individual policies than politicians, being receptive to strong messages from grassroots activist organizations. Witness the effectiveness of Fight for $15’s coalition-building in Florida: the group began actively campaigning for a living wage back in 2016, and spent much of the past four years forming coalitions with racial justice groups, immigrants’ rights advocates and labor unions; holding meetings and rallies; building up a social media presence; and reaching out to voters not just in liberal strongholds but across the politically diverse state.
It is, however, one thing to win an Amendment fight and another thing to ensure that its intent is followed through on afterwards. In 2018, voters in Florida overwhelmingly backed Amendment 4, restoring the vote to upward of a million people with felony convictions who had completed their sentences. In a state with some of the harshest anti-voting laws in the country for residents with felony records, a vote restoration on this scale had the potential to be a political earthquake.
Currently, the state minimum is a mere $8.56, and advocates of the increase believe that somewhere in the region of 2.5 million individuals and 1.3 million families will actually be lifted out of poverty.
Republicans — who had suffered a huge scare during that same 2018 election, when progressive Democratic candidate Andrew Gillum came within a percentage point of winning the governor’s race — recognized that re-enfranchising this many low-income Floridians, many of them people of color, posed a threat to their power. They swiftly moved, through a combination of state legislation and court actions, to limit that threat.
Legislators codified the idea that to fully complete their prison sentences, people had to have paid off all of their court-related costs, fees and fines — even though in most instances those were considered to be civil rather than criminal penalties. After a year and a half of legal wrangling and court battles — during which voter registration drives were reaching out to large numbers of people with felony convictions up and down the state — in mid-September, a federal appeals court panel, in a 6-4 ruling, upheld the restrictions on voting. It was a devastating loss for voting rights advocates.
On Tuesday night, Florida’s electorate — its ranks added to by only 67,000 re-enfranchised voters, rather than the many hundreds of thousands hoped for by Amendment 4’s proponents — continued its recent tradition of voting for conservative politicians. The state went to Trump by a few hundred thousand votes. But, at the same time, many of those same Floridians walked across the political aisle when it came to voting on the minimum wage.
Passing the measure was a good start. Now comes the fight to actually ensure its implementation.
This is a similar dynamic to that seen in states like Oklahoma, Utah and Idaho, where deeply conservative electorates have voted, in recent elections, to embrace a key provision of the Affordable Care Act and expanded Medicaid access. In Missouri, voters have backed higher wage rates, campaign finance reform and medical marijuana legalization. In Mississippi, voters on Tuesday supported legalizing medical marijuana.
It’s a paradox that political strategists will, surely, be grappling with over the coming years. Why do voters who align with Democrats on many key policies continue to align with Republicans when it comes to who they want in the governor’s mansion, state legislatures, the U.S. Congress and the White House? And, for Democrats, the follow-up question surely is: What can and should be done by the party to convince voters to support politicians who won’t work to undermine the progressive policies they vote for via the Initiative and Amendment process?
Governor DeSantis stumped hard on the campaign trail against Amendment 2, denouncing the wage increase as a growth killer and threat to jobs. The leadership of the state Republican Party and the top GOP figures in the state legislature also came out swinging against the proposal. It’s a pretty fair bet their efforts to undermine the intent of the amendment will, over the coming months, kick into gear, much as they did in 2018 when people with felony convictions began lining up to register to vote. Passing the measure was a good start. Now comes the fight to actually ensure its implementation.
Tired of reading the same old news from the same old sources? So are we! That’s why we’re on a mission to shake things up and bring you the stories and perspectives that often go untold in mainstream media. But being a radically, unapologetically independent news site isn’t easy (or cheap), and we rely on reader support to keep the lights on.
If you like what you’re reading, please consider making a tax-deductible donation today. We’re not asking for a handout, we’re asking for an investment: Invest in a nonprofit news site that’s not afraid to ruffle a few feathers, not afraid to stand up for what’s right, and not afraid to tell it like it is.
Copyright © Truthout. May not be reprinted without permission.


truthout--2020-11-07--COVID Needs Are Urgent, But Many Cities Are Prioritizing Police Funding Instead

We are in the midst of a global pandemic that has produced a massive economic crisis , in which millions are struggling to meet their basic needs .
Meanwhile , in many mid-sized cities – including Houston , San Diego and Pittsburgh — police funding continues unabated , even as funding for crucial programs is cut .
Chicago is another prime example .
In this city , tens of thousands of people are facing severe hardship , unemployment and housing insecurity , and winter is coming .
The City of Chicago has a budget deficit of more than a billion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pushing full speed ahead on building former Mayor Emanuel ’ s proposed police academy : a 30-plus-acre walled compound for expanded police training located in a historically divested , majority Black neighborhood on the west side of Chicago .
Plans for the cop academy are proceeding with no comprehensive budget , timeline or transparency , and are doing so in the face of massive city-wide support for divesting from policing , not expanding it .
Many Chicagoans have embraced the call to defund the police , with months of sustained protests as uprisings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the scale of these protests was unprecedented , with actions happening across the city .
Tens of thousands of people were in the streets for weeks after the police murders of George Floyd , Breonna Taylor and Tony McDade .
A coalition geared toward defunding the Chicago Police Department ( # DefundCPD ) has emerged and grown .
Lightfoot ’ s own budget survey last month revealed that 87 percent of Chicagoans favor diverting funds away from policing and into community services .
After months of protests and no real police reform @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an additional $ 20,250,010 for the cop academy , despite the fact that not a single brick has been laid yet .
On September 10 , the Lightfoot administration asked the Public Building Commission ( PBC ) to approve an additional $ 20 million for “ Phase 2 ” of the cop academy , and on October 1 they approved another $ 250,000 for a “ Formulation Request ” for Phase 1A of the cop academy .
Scant details are available on the PBC website as to why this money is needed , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who will receive these funds , or where the funds are coming from .
At the October 7 city council meeting , Mayor Lightfoot also introduced an ordinance to allow the city to purchase a lot from the Chicago Transit Authority for $ 10 in order to build two restaurants , Peach ’ s and Culver ’ s , on the site of the proposed cop academy .
While not as costly , it ’ s a concerning move that shows her determination to move forward with a vision that is directly counter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ move to include the restaurants took place years after initial planning and just weeks before the final city council vote on the cop academy in 2019 , likely to make the project more enticing to aldermen in light of the massive disinvestment facing the neighborhood slated to receive the cop academy .
Yet , there is no evidence that the creation of these two restaurants on the cop academy campus will bring anywhere near the number of new jobs , services and programs West Siders or other Chicagoans have demanded for years , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than a 100 million now earmarked for the cop academy .
It is meant to make the spending on the police more palatable when a growing consensus of Chicagoans want less money spent on the department .
The cop academy was an ill-conceived project from the start , with no clear budget or plans for how it would be financed , not to mention the ways Black communities and young people were shut out from the decision-making process .
When Rahm Emanuel announced the proposed cop academy in July of 2017 , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dollars .
Ten million would be spent to purchase the land for the site , and $ 85 million on the design/build contract .
How would he pay for it ?
Emanuel himself never said .
Why ?
Because they had no real budget for the cop academy or comprehensive plans for how to pay for it .
Through a years-long Freedom of Information Act lawsuit , the # NoCopAcademy campaign , a massive youth-directed effort to stop the cop academy and fund Black youth and communities instead , found that Emanuel ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ project to “ just be vague ” about where the funds would come from .
So what ’ s up with the additional $ 20,250,010 Lightfoot is pushing ?
Before construction has begun ?
Budget season is upon us , and Chicago ’ s communities are struggling harder than ever .
Pouring tens of millions of dollars toward this project is irresponsible , and takes away desperately needed funds that could help ensure Black , working class and immigrant communities in Chicago can literally survive the long-term recession we are facing .
As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , just like # NoCopAcademy before it , this city has money and could build lasting safety for its residents by investing in affordable housing units , jobs for young people , or comprehensive substance abuse treatment .
There is more public support than ever for the reality that we can ’ t continue to police our way through every crisis .
Will Mayor Lightfoot and the city ’ s aldermen listen to their constituents , abandon the cop academy before hemorrhaging hundreds of millions into an ill-conceived , unnecessary and ultimately harmful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the Emanuel tradition and press on full steam ahead , no budget , no problem , leaving Chicago ’ s struggling communities to foot the bill ?
The question is similar to those being asked around the country , as movements are forcing cities accustomed to spending much of their budgets on policing to reconsider these priorities .
In Austin , Texas , community organizers succeeded in cutting their police budget by one-third , and rerouting those funds directly to community services .
In Oakland , California , activists won a $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a new non-police emergency responder model .
But in many bigger cities , the cuts happening , if at all , are merely cosmetic .
Los Angeles cut its police budget by $ 150 million , but Orange County is moving forward on construction of a new mental health jail , revealing a lack of investment for actually divesting from carceral systems .
And in New York City , the majority of supposed cuts to the police budget were actually a transfer of the school-based policing program from NYPD to the Department of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for it .
The facts on the ground are the biggest indicators of material change .
Building more jails and police academies during a national reckoning with the crisis of racist policing reveals a sad clinging to the past on the part of elected officials .
At the same time , this moment is in no small way historic , as so many elected officials are forced to respond to the movement to defund the police .
Even these cosmetic changes are indications of the power of the grassroots .
But cities will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public safety with comprehensive , non-cosmetic reallocations of resources if we all engage in bold , dramatic action in the months and years to come .

We are in the midst of a global pandemic that has produced a massive economic crisis, in which millions are struggling to meet their basic needs. Meanwhile, in many mid-sized cities – including Houston, San Diego and Pittsburgh — police funding continues unabated, even as funding for crucial programs is cut.
Chicago is another prime example. In this city, tens of thousands of people are facing severe hardship, unemployment and housing insecurity, and winter is coming. The City of Chicago has a budget deficit of more than a billion dollars, yet Mayor Lori Lightfoot is pushing full speed ahead on building former Mayor Emanuel’s proposed police academy: a 30-plus-acre walled compound for expanded police training located in a historically divested, majority Black neighborhood on the west side of Chicago.
Plans for the cop academy are proceeding with no comprehensive budget, timeline or transparency, and are doing so in the face of massive city-wide support for divesting from policing, not expanding it. Many Chicagoans have embraced the call to defund the police, with months of sustained protests as uprisings have swept the country. In Chicago, the scale of these protests was unprecedented, with actions happening across the city. Tens of thousands of people were in the streets for weeks after the police murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Tony McDade. A coalition geared toward defunding the Chicago Police Department (#DefundCPD) has emerged and grown. Lightfoot’s own budget survey last month revealed that 87 percent of Chicagoans favor diverting funds away from policing and into community services.
After months of protests and no real police reform, Lightfoot recently made moves to allocate an additional $20,250,010 for the cop academy, despite the fact that not a single brick has been laid yet.
On September 10, the Lightfoot administration asked the Public Building Commission (PBC) to approve an additional $20 million for “Phase 2” of the cop academy, and on October 1 they approved another $250,000 for a “Formulation Request” for Phase 1A of the cop academy. Scant details are available on the PBC website as to why this money is needed, what it will be used for, who will receive these funds, or where the funds are coming from.
At the October 7 city council meeting, Mayor Lightfoot also introduced an ordinance to allow the city to purchase a lot from the Chicago Transit Authority for $10 in order to build two restaurants, Peach’s and Culver’s, on the site of the proposed cop academy. While not as costly, it’s a concerning move that shows her determination to move forward with a vision that is directly counter to calls to defund police. The move to include the restaurants took place years after initial planning and just weeks before the final city council vote on the cop academy in 2019, likely to make the project more enticing to aldermen in light of the massive disinvestment facing the neighborhood slated to receive the cop academy. Yet, there is no evidence that the creation of these two restaurants on the cop academy campus will bring anywhere near the number of new jobs, services and programs West Siders or other Chicagoans have demanded for years, and could be funded with the more than a 100 million now earmarked for the cop academy. It is meant to make the spending on the police more palatable when a growing consensus of Chicagoans want less money spent on the department.
Building more jails and police academies during a national reckoning with the crisis of racist policing reveals a sad clinging to the past on the part of elected officials.
The cop academy was an ill-conceived project from the start, with no clear budget or plans for how it would be financed, not to mention the ways Black communities and young people were shut out from the decision-making process. When Rahm Emanuel announced the proposed cop academy in July of 2017, he promised it would cost $95 million dollars. Ten million would be spent to purchase the land for the site, and $85 million on the design/build contract.
How would he pay for it? Emanuel himself never said. Why? Because they had no real budget for the cop academy or comprehensive plans for how to pay for it.
Through a years-long Freedom of Information Act lawsuit, the #NoCopAcademy campaign, a massive youth-directed effort to stop the cop academy and fund Black youth and communities instead, found that Emanuel’s office instructed those working on the project to “just be vague” about where the funds would come from.
So what’s up with the additional $20,250,010 Lightfoot is pushing? Before construction has begun?
Budget season is upon us, and Chicago’s communities are struggling harder than ever. Pouring tens of millions of dollars toward this project is irresponsible, and takes away desperately needed funds that could help ensure Black, working class and immigrant communities in Chicago can literally survive the long-term recession we are facing. As the #DefundCPD campaign is making clear, just like #NoCopAcademy before it, this city has money and could build lasting safety for its residents by investing in affordable housing units, jobs for young people, or comprehensive substance abuse treatment. There is more public support than ever for the reality that we can’t continue to police our way through every crisis.
Will Mayor Lightfoot and the city’s aldermen listen to their constituents, abandon the cop academy before hemorrhaging hundreds of millions into an ill-conceived, unnecessary and ultimately harmful project? Or will they stay true to the Emanuel tradition and press on full steam ahead, no budget, no problem, leaving Chicago’s struggling communities to foot the bill?
Cities will only choose to embrace new approaches to public safety with comprehensive, non-cosmetic reallocations of resources if we all engage in bold, dramatic action.
The question is similar to those being asked around the country, as movements are forcing cities accustomed to spending much of their budgets on policing to reconsider these priorities. In Austin, Texas, community organizers succeeded in cutting their police budget by one-third, and rerouting those funds directly to community services. In Oakland, California, activists won a $14 million dollar cut, along with a new non-police emergency responder model.
But in many bigger cities, the cuts happening, if at all, are merely cosmetic. Los Angeles cut its police budget by $150 million, but Orange County is moving forward on construction of a new mental health jail, revealing a lack of investment for actually divesting from carceral systems. And in New York City, the majority of supposed cuts to the police budget were actually a transfer of the school-based policing program from NYPD to the Department of Education, which had already been paying for it.
The facts on the ground are the biggest indicators of material change. Building more jails and police academies during a national reckoning with the crisis of racist policing reveals a sad clinging to the past on the part of elected officials.
At the same time, this moment is in no small way historic, as so many elected officials are forced to respond to the movement to defund the police. Even these cosmetic changes are indications of the power of the grassroots. But cities will only choose to embrace new approaches to public safety with comprehensive, non-cosmetic reallocations of resources if we all engage in bold, dramatic action in the months and years to come.
Tired of reading the same old news from the same old sources? So are we! That’s why we’re on a mission to shake things up and bring you the stories and perspectives that often go untold in mainstream media. But being a radically, unapologetically independent news site isn’t easy (or cheap), and we rely on reader support to keep the lights on.
If you like what you’re reading, please consider making a tax-deductible donation today. We’re not asking for a handout, we’re asking for an investment: Invest in a nonprofit news site that’s not afraid to ruffle a few feathers, not afraid to stand up for what’s right, and not afraid to tell it like it is.
Copyright © Truthout. May not be reprinted without permission.


truthout--2020-11-07--This Election Proved That Medicare for All Is a Winning Demand

Highlighting an interesting — and to many , instructive — electoral trend that others have spotted in the days since 2020 voting ended earlier this week , Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Saturday — just as jubilation spread nationwide among Democrats and progressives upon news that Joe Biden will be the next U.S. President — pointed out that every single congressional member this year who ran for reelection while supporting Medicare for All won ( or was on their way to winning ) their respective race .
As Common Dreams reported Friday , while corporate-friendly Democrats have continued to go to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lavishes billions of dollars each year on insurance companies , for-profit hospitals , and pharmaceutical giants , a new poll this week — put out by Fox News no less — shows that 72 % of all U.S. voters would prefer a “ government-run healthcare plan.
” And the poll is far from an outlier , with numerous surveys in recent years showing this trend .
“ Polls consistently show a majority of the U.S. electorate [ is ] considerably to the left of both party leaderships… on issue after issue — the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ] Medicare for All , ” said Jacobin ’ s Luke Savage in response that poll .
Despite what “ corporate front groups and lazy pundits always say , ” tweeted journalist Andrew Perez , “ people absolutely do not like their private health insurance.
” When it comes to the 2020 election — even though Biden himself ran against Medicare for All — the following illustration , which includes Democratic incumbents and challengers , made the connection very clear when it came to races in the U.S. House of Representatives this cycle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pointing out for years , the United States electorate remains very supportive of universal programs and other progressive policy ideas that their elected representatives—both Democrats and Republicans — have refused to embrace .
With an increasing focus on the need for radical and far-reaching changes to the world ’ s economic and energy systems in order to address the existential crisis of the climate emergency , voters across the political spectrum have showed — in poll after poll after poll — their support for such action to be taken .
And as Ocasio-Cortez @ @ @ @ @ @ @ All on Saturday : “ We ’ re running numbers on [ the Green New Deal ] ” next .

Just about every congressional member this year who ran for reelection while supporting universal health care won.
Highlighting an interesting — and to many, instructive — electoral trend that others have spotted in the days since 2020 voting ended earlier this week, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Saturday — just as jubilation spread nationwide among Democrats and progressives upon news that Joe Biden will be the next U.S. President — pointed out that every single congressional member this year who ran for reelection while supporting Medicare for All won (or was on their way to winning) their respective race.
Every single swing-seat House Democrat who endorsed #MedicareForAll won re-election or is on track to win re-election. Every.👏🏽 Single.👏🏽 One.👏🏽 — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) November 7, 2020
As Common Dreams reported Friday, while corporate-friendly Democrats have continued to go to bat for the for-profit healthcare system that lavishes billions of dollars each year on insurance companies, for-profit hospitals, and pharmaceutical giants, a new poll this week — put out by Fox News no less — shows that 72% of all U.S. voters would prefer a “government-run healthcare plan.” And the poll is far from an outlier, with numerous surveys in recent years showing this trend.
“Polls consistently show a majority of the U.S. electorate [is] considerably to the left of both party leaderships… on issue after issue — the environment, electoral reform, [and] Medicare for All,” said Jacobin’s Luke Savage in response that poll.
Despite what “corporate front groups and lazy pundits always say,” tweeted journalist Andrew Perez, “people absolutely do not like their private health insurance.”
When it comes to the 2020 election — even though Biden himself ran against Medicare for All — the following illustration, which includes Democratic incumbents and challengers, made the connection very clear when it came to races in the U.S. House of Representatives this cycle:
Support progressive policies like Medicare for All and win elections. Campaign against progressive policies like Medicare for All and lose elections. pic.twitter.com/DZ7mUeE6Po — Ryan Knight 🌹 (@ProudSocialist) November 7, 2020
As astute political observers have been pointing out for years, the United States electorate remains very supportive of universal programs and other progressive policy ideas that their elected representatives—both Democrats and Republicans — have refused to embrace.
With an increasing focus on the need for radical and far-reaching changes to the world’s economic and energy systems in order to address the existential crisis of the climate emergency, voters across the political spectrum have showed — in poll after poll after poll — their support for such action to be taken.
And as Ocasio-Cortez added to her tweet about Medicare for All on Saturday: “We’re running numbers on [the Green New Deal]” next.
Tired of reading the same old news from the same old sources? So are we! That’s why we’re on a mission to shake things up and bring you the stories and perspectives that often go untold in mainstream media. But being a radically, unapologetically independent news site isn’t easy (or cheap), and we rely on reader support to keep the lights on.
If you like what you’re reading, please consider making a tax-deductible donation today. We’re not asking for a handout, we’re asking for an investment: Invest in a nonprofit news site that’s not afraid to ruffle a few feathers, not afraid to stand up for what’s right, and not afraid to tell it like it is.
This piece was reprinted by Truthout with permission or license. It may not be reproduced in any form without permission or license from the source.