truthout--2020-12-06--Will Biden Remember the Promise He Made to Asylum Seekers Trump Sent to Mexico?

Though President Trump has not yet officially conceded , the U.S. election is finally over , and Joe Biden will become the 46th president .
On the campaign trail , Biden has pledged to make immigration a top priority .
He has already announced that Antony Blinken , former deputy director of state during the Obama administration , is his choice for Secretary of State , and Alejandro Mayorkas as his pick to head the Department of Homeland Security .
Biden says he is committed to reversing the unprecedented cruelty of the Trump administration ’ s policies .
He promised @ @ @ @ @ @ @ processing of asylum cases and a road map to citizenship for the 11 million people living in the country without legal status .
The president-elect has even acknowledged regret over immigration policies under the Obama administration , calling them a “ big mistake.
” Now , however , as Biden fills his cabinet with the same people who presided over the 2 million deportations carried out during the Obama administration , many are worried that he will forget his promises to create just and humane immigration policies .
My organization , the American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with civil society groups to provide humanitarian relief and track human rights violations along the U.S. southern border .
And we are anxiously waiting to see if the Biden administration will fulfill its promise to repeal the Migrant Protection Protocols ( MPP ) , better known as the “ Remain in Mexico ” policy .
The MPP , which the Trump administration instituted last January , forces tens of thousands of Central Americans and other refugees seeking asylum in the U.S. to wait in Mexico until their claims are processed .
Today , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Piedras Negras , Tijuana , Mexicali , Ciudad Juárez , Reynosa , Matamoros , Monterrey and elsewhere — many left vulnerable with limited humanitarian support for months or years for the legal proceedings to unfold .
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic , the U.S. government has indefinitely postponed all immigration court hearings , effectively stranding asylum seekers in Mexico .
Before the pandemic began , I was in Mexico visiting with people from one of the migrant caravans traveling from Central America to seek refuge in the U.S .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and wonder if they are still waiting .
I remember talking to Maria , who had left Guatemala after she had lost one of her four children to gang violence and was terrified that she couldn ’ t earn enough money to protect her surviving children .
When a migrant caravan came through her town , she realized it was her best chance to safely travel to the United States and seek asylum .
However , Maria spent months in Mexico waiting for her application to be processed by the U.S. government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , among countless others subjected to violent , unsafe conditions while they wait in limbo for their proceedings .
In less than four years , Trump ’ s administration has effectively dismantled the U.S. immigration system and upended our asylum processes .
He separated more than 2,800 children from their parents under a cruel , zero-tolerance deportation policy .
In addition to MPP , he has barred people who entered the U.S. between ports of entry and dismantled benefits like work permits and timely employment authorizations for asylum seekers .
He has also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agreement with Central American countries requiring migrants to seek asylum in the first country they come to , regardless of whether the country has the infrastructure in place to provide humanitarian support and safety to asylum seekers .
The agreements in essence shuts down our longstanding asylum process in the U.S. As the region lining the southern border reels from massive budget deficits due to cuts from President Trump , severe weather driven by climate change and the continued spread of COVID-19 , we need humane and responsible intervention from President-elect Biden the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Biden administration has a big job ahead of it .
Biden must , as quickly as possible , roll back the MPP and all the devastating changes to asylum and immigration policies instituted under President Trump .
But simply returning to Obama-era immigration policies is unacceptable .
In addition to deporting more than 2 million people , the Obama administration increased the use of family detention , oversaw large increases in the budgets of Immigration and Customs Enforcement as well as Customs and Border Protection , and detained around 400,000 people a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United States to reaffirm our commitment to U.S. and international legal mechanisms to protect the vulnerable from persecution .
But we also need a new normal .
We need policies that respect human rights and dignity , are responsive to the needs of our communities , and are accountable and transparent .
We need to dismantle the U.S. ’ s detention and deportation machine , and instead build systems that welcome migrants .
We need to reckon with the historical debt that we owe to the peoples of Latin America for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policies .
The trauma caused by Trump-era policies will last decades .
But if the Biden administration acts with courage and conviction , we can become a country that believes in the sanctity of human rights .

We need the president to reaffirm our commitment to U.S. and international legal mechanisms to protect the vulnerable.
Though President Trump has not yet officially conceded, the U.S. election is finally over, and Joe Biden will become the 46th president. On the campaign trail, Biden has pledged to make immigration a top priority. He has already announced that Antony Blinken, former deputy director of state during the Obama administration, is his choice for Secretary of State, and Alejandro Mayorkas as his pick to head the Department of Homeland Security.
Biden says he is committed to reversing the unprecedented cruelty of the Trump administration’s policies. He promised higher admissions caps for refugees. speedier processing of asylum cases and a road map to citizenship for the 11 million people living in the country without legal status. The president-elect has even acknowledged regret over immigration policies under the Obama administration, calling them a “big mistake.” Now, however, as Biden fills his cabinet with the same people who presided over the 2 million deportations carried out during the Obama administration, many are worried that he will forget his promises to create just and humane immigration policies.
My organization, the American Friends Service Committee, has been working with civil society groups to provide humanitarian relief and track human rights violations along the U.S. southern border. And we are anxiously waiting to see if the Biden administration will fulfill its promise to repeal the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), better known as the “Remain in Mexico” policy.
The MPP, which the Trump administration instituted last January, forces tens of thousands of Central Americans and other refugees seeking asylum in the U.S. to wait in Mexico until their claims are processed. Today, thousands continue to wait — in Nogales, Piedras Negras, Tijuana, Mexicali, Ciudad Juárez, Reynosa, Matamoros, Monterrey and elsewhere — many left vulnerable with limited humanitarian support for months or years for the legal proceedings to unfold. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. government has indefinitely postponed all immigration court hearings, effectively stranding asylum seekers in Mexico.
Before the pandemic began, I was in Mexico visiting with people from one of the migrant caravans traveling from Central America to seek refuge in the U.S. I think often of the women I met, and wonder if they are still waiting. I remember talking to Maria, who had left Guatemala after she had lost one of her four children to gang violence and was terrified that she couldn’t earn enough money to protect her surviving children. When a migrant caravan came through her town, she realized it was her best chance to safely travel to the United States and seek asylum. However, Maria spent months in Mexico waiting for her application to be processed by the U.S. government. She may still be there today, among countless others subjected to violent, unsafe conditions while they wait in limbo for their proceedings.
In less than four years, Trump’s administration has effectively dismantled the U.S. immigration system and upended our asylum processes. He separated more than 2,800 children from their parents under a cruel, zero-tolerance deportation policy. In addition to MPP, he has barred people who entered the U.S. between ports of entry and dismantled benefits like work permits and timely employment authorizations for asylum seekers. He has also passed a “safe third country” agreement with Central American countries requiring migrants to seek asylum in the first country they come to, regardless of whether the country has the infrastructure in place to provide humanitarian support and safety to asylum seekers. The agreements in essence shuts down our longstanding asylum process in the U.S.
As the region lining the southern border reels from massive budget deficits due to cuts from President Trump, severe weather driven by climate change and the continued spread of COVID-19, we need humane and responsible intervention from President-elect Biden the moment he is sworn into office.
Simply returning to Obama-era immigration policies is unacceptable.
The Biden administration has a big job ahead of it. Biden must, as quickly as possible, roll back the MPP and all the devastating changes to asylum and immigration policies instituted under President Trump.
But simply returning to Obama-era immigration policies is unacceptable. In addition to deporting more than 2 million people, the Obama administration increased the use of family detention, oversaw large increases in the budgets of Immigration and Customs Enforcement as well as Customs and Border Protection, and detained around 400,000 people a year.
We need the president of the United States to reaffirm our commitment to U.S. and international legal mechanisms to protect the vulnerable from persecution. But we also need a new normal.
We need policies that respect human rights and dignity, are responsive to the needs of our communities, and are accountable and transparent. We need to dismantle the U.S.’s detention and deportation machine, and instead build systems that welcome migrants. We need to reckon with the historical debt that we owe to the peoples of Latin America for the suffering they have experienced due to U.S. policies.
The trauma caused by Trump-era policies will last decades. But if the Biden administration acts with courage and conviction, we can become a country that believes in the sanctity of human rights.
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--2020-12-06--Federal Workers Are Forced to Invest in Fossil Fuels. A New Bill Would End That.

A growing number of progressive candidates are running in U.S. elections — and winning — on platforms that address the climate crisis and support a Green New Deal .
The appeal of campaigning on those issues reflects how the majority of voters in the United States are concerned about air , water and soil pollution in their communities .
But lawmakers and staffers with high hopes for passing rigorous climate legislation are finding themselves tied to public pensions that include assets in companies like ExxonMobil , because the federal government doesn ’ t offer fossil-fuel-free retirement options to its employees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economy off of fossil fuels and holds the industry accountable for its outsized contributions to the climate crisis will likely erode the industry ’ s profitability .
And while that ’ s exactly what many progressives are aiming to do , under the existing system , those same efforts could compromise retirement savings for 5.5 million federal workers .
“ Forcing federal employees to invest their savings in the fossil fuel industry threatens both the future of our planet and the bottom line for these workers saving for retirement , ” Kelly Martin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Beyond Dirty Fuels campaign , said in a statement .
In November , Rep. Emanuel Cleaver ( D-Missouri ) and Rep. Rashida Tlaib ( D-Michigan ) introduced legislation that could change that .
Known as the Restructuring Environmentally Sound Pensions in Order to Negate Disaster Act of 2020 ( RESPOND Act ) , the bill would , for the first time , require the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Federal Reserve to issue an annual report analyzing how climate change poses a risk to $ 565 billion in federal employee retirement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pipelines , for instance , and fossil fuel companies are held liable for related accidents in court .
The bill goes hand-in-hand with another proposed measure — the RISE Act , originally introduced by Sen. Jeff Merkley ( D-Oregon ) in 2018 — that would allow federal employees to choose a fossil-fuel-free pension plan .
Pension divestment is already underway in many places .
In 2015 , Norway announced it would partially divest its pension funds from coal , which head of Greenpeace Norway , Truls Gulowsen , referred to as “ the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” according to The Guardian .
And evidence that divestment is a financially responsible move is mounting .
A 2019 report by Corporate Knights shows state workers in California and Colorado lost a combined $ 19 billion in retirement funds over 10 years by remaining invested in fossil fuel assets .
For California public school teachers , losses amounted to over $ 5,000 per person .
And New York State pensions lost $ 850 million in fossil fuel stocks in 2020 alone , according to 350.org .
When asked how worried federal employees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investments pose to their pensions , Representative Cleaver told Truthout that no rigorous studies have been conducted on climate-related risks to the federal pension system — which is exactly what the RESPOND Act aims to set in motion .
“ Given that New York ’ s fund is less than half the size of the federal one , it is reasonable to expect losses to be even more significant for retirement funds at the federal level , ” Cleaver said .
The current pension fund for federal employees , offered through what ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ TSP ) , doesn ’ t disclose all of its investments .
But it does share the top 10 largest holdings , which in its “ I-Fund ” include British Petroleum PLC ( BP ) and Total SA , a French-owned oil and gas company .
According to TSP data , I-Fund rates of return were negative in 2018 , and for five months of 2020 .
Its “ C-Fund ” includes holdings in JPMorgan Chase , the top funder of coal , oil and gas operations .
In 2019 , E & @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was included in that fund ’ s most valuable stocks .
Exxon is no longer listed , which could be because the company ’ s stocks have plummeted more than 50 percent since 2018 .
In response to the introduction of the Senate version of the bill , in 2018 , public policy director of the American Federation of Government Employees ( AFGE ) , Jacqueline Simon , told E & E News she didn ’ t think union members should be troubled by having fossil fuel investments .
“ Somebody can have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ EPA and enforce clean air and clean water standards or be a climate scientist or anything like that and have some of their retirement money invested in Exxon and not feel morally compromised , ” she said .
AFGE , which represents 700,000 federal and Washington , D.C. , government workers , declined to comment on the newly proposed legislation .
Federal workers who spoke to E & E anonymously said there is a growing concern among staffers about the climate crisis ’ s impact on personal finances and future plans .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ retirement account , guess what ?
I ’ m working for another five years , ” one Senate aide said .
“ That ’ s not just pennies .
That ’ s a big deal.
” Steven Feit is an attorney for the Climate & Energy Program at the Center for International Environmental Law , which has endorsed the RESPOND and RISE Acts .
He told Truthout the proposed legislation is the latest in what he calls the “ sprawling and diverse ” divestment movement .
“ This is being driven in large @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re seeing the energy sector do extremely poorly in comparison with the rest of the market , ” he said .
He added that passing the bill would be a milestone , not only because it would lead to protections for longtime federal workers , but also because it could spur a cascade of other large-scale pension divestment efforts , akin to the university divestment movement that began on college campuses in 2010 .
By 2019 , 1,110 institutions had divested $ 11 trillion from fossil fuel companies , according to a report @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wave of divestment as the “ fastest growing social movement in history.
” Activists have since expanded pressure elsewhere .
“ The movement has set its sights on other parts of the finance industry including insurance , asset management , banks and even central banks , ” the head of 350 ’ s Global Finance Campaigns department , Brett Fleishman , told Truthout .
Public pensions — city , state and federal — are a logical next step , especially given that some of the original college divestment organizers are now serving in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ State Sen. Chloe Maxmin , Fleishman pointed out .
He said passing the RESPOND Act would signal to the world that the U.S. is serious about returning to the Paris Agreement and addressing the climate crisis .
The climate justice activist group Zero Hour has been the only youth-led group to immediately endorse the proposed legislation .
Zanagee Artis , Zero Hour co-founder and policy director , told Truthout that the group decided to support the bill on behalf of the millions of federal workers who make the government tick , like secretaries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unknowingly be investing their retirement money in “ a system that is bound to fail.
” “ There are so many issues we have to address related to climate change , ” Artis said , noting that planning for retirement hadn ’ t much crossed his mind until considering the proposal .
“ This goes for many different areas of our daily lives that no one is thinking about .
”

A growing number of progressive candidates are running in U.S. elections — and winning — on platforms that address the climate crisis and support a Green New Deal. The appeal of campaigning on those issues reflects how the majority of voters in the United States are concerned about air, water and soil pollution in their communities.
But lawmakers and staffers with high hopes for passing rigorous climate legislation are finding themselves tied to public pensions that include assets in companies like ExxonMobil, because the federal government doesn’t offer fossil-fuel-free retirement options to its employees. Passing climate legislation that weans the economy off of fossil fuels and holds the industry accountable for its outsized contributions to the climate crisis will likely erode the industry’s profitability. And while that’s exactly what many progressives are aiming to do, under the existing system, those same efforts could compromise retirement savings for 5.5 million federal workers.
“Forcing federal employees to invest their savings in the fossil fuel industry threatens both the future of our planet and the bottom line for these workers saving for retirement,” Kelly Martin, director of the Sierra Club’s Beyond Dirty Fuels campaign, said in a statement.
In November, Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Missouri) and Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Michigan) introduced legislation that could change that. Known as the Restructuring Environmentally Sound Pensions in Order to Negate Disaster Act of 2020 (RESPOND Act), the bill would, for the first time, require the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Federal Reserve to issue an annual report analyzing how climate change poses a risk to $565 billion in federal employee retirement funds, as sea-level rise threatens coastal pipelines, for instance, and fossil fuel companies are held liable for related accidents in court. The bill goes hand-in-hand with another proposed measure — the RISE Act, originally introduced by Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon) in 2018 — that would allow federal employees to choose a fossil-fuel-free pension plan.
Pension divestment is already underway in many places. In 2015, Norway announced it would partially divest its pension funds from coal, which head of Greenpeace Norway, Truls Gulowsen, referred to as “the biggest divestment from coal in history,” according to The Guardian. And evidence that divestment is a financially responsible move is mounting. A 2019 report by Corporate Knights shows state workers in California and Colorado lost a combined $19 billion in retirement funds over 10 years by remaining invested in fossil fuel assets. For California public school teachers, losses amounted to over $5,000 per person. And New York State pensions lost $850 million in fossil fuel stocks in 2020 alone, according to 350.org.
When asked how worried federal employees should be about the risk fossil fuel investments pose to their pensions, Representative Cleaver told Truthout that no rigorous studies have been conducted on climate-related risks to the federal pension system — which is exactly what the RESPOND Act aims to set in motion. “Given that New York’s fund is less than half the size of the federal one, it is reasonable to expect losses to be even more significant for retirement funds at the federal level,” Cleaver said.
“Forcing federal employees to invest their savings in the fossil fuel industry threatens both the future of our planet and the bottom line for these workers saving for retirement.”
The current pension fund for federal employees, offered through what’s called the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), doesn’t disclose all of its investments. But it does share the top 10 largest holdings, which in its “I-Fund” include British Petroleum PLC (BP) and Total SA, a French-owned oil and gas company. According to TSP data, I-Fund rates of return were negative in 2018, and for five months of 2020. Its “C-Fund” includes holdings in JPMorgan Chase, the top funder of coal, oil and gas operations. In 2019, E&E News reported that Exxon Mobil Corp. was included in that fund’s most valuable stocks. Exxon is no longer listed, which could be because the company’s stocks have plummeted more than 50 percent since 2018.
In response to the introduction of the Senate version of the bill, in 2018, public policy director of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), Jacqueline Simon, told E&E News she didn’t think union members should be troubled by having fossil fuel investments. “Somebody can have a very ethical life and work at EPA and enforce clean air and clean water standards or be a climate scientist or anything like that and have some of their retirement money invested in Exxon and not feel morally compromised,” she said. AFGE, which represents 700,000 federal and Washington, D.C., government workers, declined to comment on the newly proposed legislation.
Federal workers who spoke to E&E anonymously said there is a growing concern among staffers about the climate crisis’s impact on personal finances and future plans. “If I lose 10 percent of my retirement account, guess what? I’m working for another five years,” one Senate aide said. “That’s not just pennies. That’s a big deal.”
Steven Feit is an attorney for the Climate & Energy Program at the Center for International Environmental Law, which has endorsed the RESPOND and RISE Acts. He told Truthout the proposed legislation is the latest in what he calls the “sprawling and diverse” divestment movement.
“This is being driven in large part by the fact that we’re seeing the energy sector do extremely poorly in comparison with the rest of the market,” he said. He added that passing the bill would be a milestone, not only because it would lead to protections for longtime federal workers, but also because it could spur a cascade of other large-scale pension divestment efforts, akin to the university divestment movement that began on college campuses in 2010. By 2019, 1,110 institutions had divested $11 trillion from fossil fuel companies, according to a report by 350.org, which referred to the wave of divestment as the “fastest growing social movement in history.”
Activists have since expanded pressure elsewhere. “The movement has set its sights on other parts of the finance industry including insurance, asset management, banks and even central banks,” the head of 350’s Global Finance Campaigns department, Brett Fleishman, told Truthout. Public pensions — city, state and federal — are a logical next step, especially given that some of the original college divestment organizers are now serving in public office, like newly elected Maine State Sen. Chloe Maxmin, Fleishman pointed out. He said passing the RESPOND Act would signal to the world that the U.S. is serious about returning to the Paris Agreement and addressing the climate crisis.
By 2019, 1,110 institutions had divested $11 trillion from fossil fuel companies.
The climate justice activist group Zero Hour has been the only youth-led group to immediately endorse the proposed legislation. Zanagee Artis, Zero Hour co-founder and policy director, told Truthout that the group decided to support the bill on behalf of the millions of federal workers who make the government tick, like secretaries and staffers, who may unwillingly or unknowingly be investing their retirement money in “a system that is bound to fail.”
“There are so many issues we have to address related to climate change,” Artis said, noting that planning for retirement hadn’t much crossed his mind until considering the proposal. “This goes for many different areas of our daily lives that no one is thinking about.”
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--2020-12-07--Giuliani’s COVID Diagnosis Forces Arizona Legislature to Close for the Week

Both chambers of the Arizona state legislature have suspended their work for the week due to several Republican lawmakers having had prolonged exposure to President Donald Trump ’ s personal lawyer , Rudy Giuliani , who has recently tested positive for coronavirus .
Giuliani ’ s diagnosis was announced via tweet by Trump himself , who wrote over the weekend , using a racist term to refer to the virus , that the former New York City mayor had contracted COVID-19 .
Because it ’ s unclear when he contracted it , it ’ s possible that Giuliani , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over the past several days , may have spread the virus to others .
Last week , Giuliani spent hours testifying before a number of Arizona Republican legislators in an event that was billed as a legislative “ hearing , ” but which , in reality , was not officially sanctioned by the Arizona legislature but was organized by Republicans at a hotel in Phoenix .
A number of individuals spoke at the event , alleging without proof that the election results in Arizona , resulting in President-elect Joe Biden ’ s victory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ No evidence of fraud has been found in Arizona .
Days after the election , Republican State Attorney General Mark Brnovich stated that there were “ no facts that would lead anyone to believe that the election results will change ” despite the ( entirely unverified ) claims of fraud made by Trump and his allies .
Biden legitimately won the state by a margin of more than 10,000 votes , according to the latest numbers from The Cook Political Report .
Nevertheless , Giuliani was present for 10 hours at the event @ @ @ @ @ @ @ false claims of fraud , along with others who alleged as much .
It ’ s possible that while in attendance , Giuliani may have already had coronavirus .
It ’ s also possible he may have contracted the virus while at the proceedings .
If Giuliani did have COVID-19 at that time , there ’ s a good possibility the virus was spread to others , as many in attendance were not wearing masks .
At one point during the ordeal , Giuliani , while questioning an individual who was less than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that person to remove their mask before proceeding .
Nine Republican state lawmakers attended the event .
Two Republican members of Congress — Representatives Paul Gosar and Andy Biggs — also took part in the proceedings .
Now the Arizona legislature has canceled its remaining work for the week over concerns that those in attendance very likely have been exposed to coronavirus .
Arizona state Sen. Martín Quezada , a Democrat , harshly criticized his colleagues for their negligence , which may have caused harm to other members of the legislature and to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ This is the epitome of # COVID19 irresponsibility by members of the # AZLeg @ AZHouseGOP and @ AZSenateGOP , ” Quezada said , tagging the Republican accounts for both statehouses .
“ You owe it to the very people who work in the Capitol buildings to be better than this.
” The hearings held by Giuliani and Arizona Republicans did not adhere to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) guidelines on how to prevent the spread of the virus in public places .
The CDC recommends , for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in public as a means to protect both the wearer and those around them from possibly contracting COVID-19 .
While not 100 percent effective , there is ample evidence demonstrating that mask-wearing is a good way to help prevent the spread of coronavirus .
The CDC itself cites several studies on its website that “ have confirmed the benefit of universal masking in community level analyses.
” Other studies have found that jurisdictions that implemented mandates in the early days of the pandemic in the U.S. saw a dramatic slowing down of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

Both chambers of the Arizona state legislature have suspended their work for the week due to several Republican lawmakers having had prolonged exposure to President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, who has recently tested positive for coronavirus.
Giuliani’s diagnosis was announced via tweet by Trump himself, who wrote over the weekend, using a racist term to refer to the virus, that the former New York City mayor had contracted COVID-19.
Because it’s unclear when he contracted it, it’s possible that Giuliani, who has made a number of public appearances over the past several days, may have spread the virus to others.
Last week, Giuliani spent hours testifying before a number of Arizona Republican legislators in an event that was billed as a legislative “hearing,” but which, in reality, was not officially sanctioned by the Arizona legislature but was organized by Republicans at a hotel in Phoenix. A number of individuals spoke at the event, alleging without proof that the election results in Arizona, resulting in President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in the state, were fraudulent.
No evidence of fraud has been found in Arizona. Days after the election, Republican State Attorney General Mark Brnovich stated that there were “no facts that would lead anyone to believe that the election results will change” despite the (entirely unverified) claims of fraud made by Trump and his allies.
Biden legitimately won the state by a margin of more than 10,000 votes, according to the latest numbers from The Cook Political Report.
Nevertheless, Giuliani was present for 10 hours at the event that took place last week making myriad false claims of fraud, along with others who alleged as much. It’s possible that while in attendance, Giuliani may have already had coronavirus. It’s also possible he may have contracted the virus while at the proceedings.
If Giuliani did have COVID-19 at that time, there’s a good possibility the virus was spread to others, as many in attendance were not wearing masks. At one point during the ordeal, Giuliani, while questioning an individual who was less than six feet away from him, told that person to remove their mask before proceeding.
Nine Republican state lawmakers attended the event. Two Republican members of Congress — Representatives Paul Gosar and Andy Biggs — also took part in the proceedings. Now the Arizona legislature has canceled its remaining work for the week over concerns that those in attendance very likely have been exposed to coronavirus.
Arizona state Sen. Martín Quezada, a Democrat, harshly criticized his colleagues for their negligence, which may have caused harm to other members of the legislature and to the employees at the state Capitol.
“This is the epitome of #COVID19 irresponsibility by members of the #AZLeg @AZHouseGOP and @AZSenateGOP,” Quezada said, tagging the Republican accounts for both statehouses. “You owe it to the very people who work in the Capitol buildings to be better than this.”
The hearings held by Giuliani and Arizona Republicans did not adhere to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines on how to prevent the spread of the virus in public places. The CDC recommends, for example, that individuals wear masks when in public as a means to protect both the wearer and those around them from possibly contracting COVID-19.
While not 100 percent effective, there is ample evidence demonstrating that mask-wearing is a good way to help prevent the spread of coronavirus. The CDC itself cites several studies on its website that “have confirmed the benefit of universal masking in community level analyses.” Other studies have found that jurisdictions that implemented mandates in the early days of the pandemic in the U.S. saw a dramatic slowing down of the virus’s spread after doing so.
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--2020-12-07--Georgia’s 2nd Recount Officially Confirms Trump Lost State by Over 12,000 Votes

Officials in Georgia announced that they plan to certify the state ’ s election results once again , reaffirming that President-elect Joe Biden won the state in this year ’ s presidential race , following a second recount that confirmed his victory over President Donald Trump .
“ We have now counted legally cast ballots three times , and the results remain unchanged , ” Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger , speaking during a press conference at the state Capitol , said on Monday .
A second recount was requested by the Trump campaign last month after a previous hand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Georgia law allows another recount to happen after a hand recount if the margin between two candidates is less than 0.5 percent .
The latest recount confirmed that Biden defeated Trump by 12,670 votes , out of around 5 million cast in the state overall , or a margin of about 0.25 percent .
Trump has asserted , without proof of any kind , that fraud resulted in Biden ’ s win in Georgia and several other states .
Raffensperger , himself a Republican , addressed those claims , saying they were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are people that are convinced the election was fraught with problems , but the evidence , the actual evidence , the facts tell us a different story , ” he said .
Among the unfounded claims that Trump has made is the suggestion that an audit of voter signatures would prove that ineligible voters participated in this year ’ s race , causing him to lose .
Several fact-checking sites have already demonstrated , however , that signatures of voters have been checked , twice in fact , and that a new audit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ requires ballots and signatures to be separated after checks are made to ensure the right to a secret ballot .
Nevertheless , Trump called for Gov .
Brain Kemp on Saturday to convene a special session of the state legislature to address his errant claims of fraud .
On Sunday , four state lawmakers also called for a special session , demanding that the state legislature be allowed to overturn the will of the electorate and to appoint electors to the Electoral College themselves .
Article II of the U.S. Constitution allows for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ picked .
“ Each state shall appoint , in such manner as the Legislature thereof may direct , a number of electors , equal to the whole number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress , ” the Constitution reads .
While state lawmakers maintain that the provision allows them to choose electors , Georgia lawmakers determined in the 1960s that representatives to the Electoral College would be chosen in accordance with a statewide vote .
State law further dictates that changes to that process can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal elections was changed as well .
On top of that , even if legislators asserted the right to challenge the outcome of the race and to pick electors themselves ( supposing the governor went along with it ) , such a move would likely be challenged in the courts , as it would be a retroactive change following the original election .
Those points were highlighted by the governor himself after the request for a special session came about .
Kemp , along with Lt. Gov .
Geoff Duncan , announced in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would not call for a legislative session to overturn the election results .
“ While we understand four members of the Georgia Senate are requesting the convening of a special session of the General Assembly , doing this in order to select a separate slate of presidential electors is not an option that is allowed under state or federal law , ” their statement said .

The second recount found that Biden won Georgia by a margin of more than 12,000 votes over Trump.
Officials in Georgia announced that they plan to certify the state’s election results once again, reaffirming that President-elect Joe Biden won the state in this year’s presidential race, following a second recount that confirmed his victory over President Donald Trump.
“We have now counted legally cast ballots three times, and the results remain unchanged,” Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, speaking during a press conference at the state Capitol, said on Monday.
A second recount was requested by the Trump campaign last month after a previous hand recount found a slim win for Biden. Georgia law allows another recount to happen after a hand recount if the margin between two candidates is less than 0.5 percent.
The latest recount confirmed that Biden defeated Trump by 12,670 votes, out of around 5 million cast in the state overall, or a margin of about 0.25 percent.
Trump has asserted, without proof of any kind, that fraud resulted in Biden’s win in Georgia and several other states. Raffensperger, himself a Republican, addressed those claims, saying they were without merit.
“I know there are people that are convinced the election was fraught with problems, but the evidence, the actual evidence, the facts tell us a different story,” he said.
Among the unfounded claims that Trump has made is the suggestion that an audit of voter signatures would prove that ineligible voters participated in this year’s race, causing him to lose. Several fact-checking sites have already demonstrated, however, that signatures of voters have been checked, twice in fact, and that a new audit would be impossible, as state law requires ballots and signatures to be separated after checks are made to ensure the right to a secret ballot.
Nevertheless, Trump called for Gov. Brain Kemp on Saturday to convene a special session of the state legislature to address his errant claims of fraud. On Sunday, four state lawmakers also called for a special session, demanding that the state legislature be allowed to overturn the will of the electorate and to appoint electors to the Electoral College themselves.
Article II of the U.S. Constitution allows for state legislatures to decide how electors are picked. “Each state shall appoint, in such manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a number of electors, equal to the whole number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress,” the Constitution reads.
While state lawmakers maintain that the provision allows them to choose electors, Georgia lawmakers determined in the 1960s that representatives to the Electoral College would be chosen in accordance with a statewide vote. State law further dictates that changes to that process cannot occur unless the date for the federal elections was changed as well.
On top of that, even if legislators asserted the right to challenge the outcome of the race and to pick electors themselves (supposing the governor went along with it), such a move would likely be challenged in the courts, as it would be a retroactive change following the original election.
Those points were highlighted by the governor himself after the request for a special session came about. Kemp, along with Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, announced in a joint statement this week that they would not call for a legislative session to overturn the election results.
“While we understand four members of the Georgia Senate are requesting the convening of a special session of the General Assembly, doing this in order to select a separate slate of presidential electors is not an option that is allowed under state or federal law,” their statement said.
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truthout--2020-12-07--Group Sues Georgia for Purging 200,000 Voters Ahead of 2020 Election

On the voter registration deadline for Georgians who want to vote in two Senate runoff elections on January 5 , we speak with Cliff Albright , co-founder and executive director of Black Voters Matter , about why the state is “ ground zero ” for Republican voter suppression efforts .
Black Voters Matter has filed a federal lawsuit alleging Georgia ’ s current secretary of state improperly removed nearly 200,000 voters from the rolls .
Those voters “ were purged illegally ” ahead of the 2020 election and almost certainly affected the results , says Albright .
“ At the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ … should not have even been close.
” We ’ re also joined by Emory University professor Carol Anderson , who argues President Trump ’ s attacks on the legitimacy of the presidential election reflect the entire party ’ s attitude toward voting .
“ He ’ s not an aberration , ” she says .
“ He is the culmination of decades of the Republicans hollering voting fraud , of creating the theater of voter fraud as a means to justify massive voter suppression .
This is a rush transcript .
Copy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
AMY GOODMAN : This is Democracy Now !
, democracynow.org , The Quarantine Report .
That , “ Root and Crown ” by Young Jesus .
I ’ m Amy Goodman , as we continue to discuss what took place in Georgia this weekend , ahead of the January 5th runoff senatorial elections .
Sunday ’ s debates for Georgia ’ s Senate candidates fell on the eve of the registration deadline today for Georgians who want to vote in the special runoff election on January 5th .
Yes , that deadline @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This comes after Georgia Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger repeated his demand that President Trump stop promoting conspiracy theories about a stolen election , saying Trump ’ s rhetoric is fueling violent threats against election officials .
AMY GOODMAN : But that ’ s exactly what President Trump did this weekend in Georgia , continued to deny that Biden had won the elections , continued to attack the Republican leadership of Georgia , which in the past he had always supported .
He even made a call to the Republican Governor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rally , demanding that he have the Legislature choose Trump-allied electors for the Electoral College to overturn the will of the people .
Georgia voted , for the first time in years , narrowly , for the Democrat , for Joe Biden .
For more , we are joined by three guests , and we ’ re going to begin with Atlanta organizer Cliff Albright , co-founder and executive director of Black Voters Matter .
We thank you so much for being with us , Cliff .
Interestingly , you are suing — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of organizations , are suing the secretary of state of Georgia .
Explain why .
CLIFF ALBRIGHT : Yeah , thank you for having me , Amy .
Back in 2019 , and really in each year , Georgia has done a series of voter purges .
And in 2019 , what we discovered is that there were 200,000 who were purged , allegedly because they had moved , who had in fact not moved .
Their addresses had not changed .
The problem is that the secretary of state used an illegal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the addresses to send out the notifications that they use to verify whether or not folks had moved .
Then they got — when they didn ’ t get a response , they used that as a rationale to purge people .
What we argued is that there was really only one vendor , there was only one official way to check those addresses , and if they had done so , then they would have seen that those folks had not moved , that 200,000 had not moved , and so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , when we sent out postcards to notify these voters that they had been purged and that they need to check their registration status , out of 100,000 that we sent out , we only got back a couple of hundred , which means that the vast majority of those addresses that we sent them to , using the official vendor , actually made it to the people that it was supposed to make it to .
So that ’ s the basis of our lawsuit .
At the end of the day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gone into a recount , two , three different recounts .
It should not have even been close .
And that ’ s one of the main things that we want folks to recognize about Georgia elections , is that without the suppression that ’ s been taking place , under previous Secretary of State Kemp , as well as the current secretary of state — we don ’ t want him to be viewed as a profile in courage .
He ’ s still been a large-scale voter suppression advocate .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And so , without that form of intimidation , this would not have even been a close election .
AMY GOODMAN : Explain that further .
How is he intimidating voting rights organizations ?
CLIFF ALBRIGHT : Yeah , just as an example , I mean , just in this past week , even as he and his staff have been saying things like , you know , “ Somebody ’ s going to get hurt , ” they ’ ve also announced that they ’ re investigating four organizations that do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the New Georgia Project , which has been a constant target of the Secretary of State ’ s Office .
So , you know , what we have to recognize is , it ’ s nice for you to say , “ Hey , Mr. President , somebody ’ s going to get hurt .
There ’ s going to be violence , ” but the fact of the matter is , when you lead this kind of propaganda that there ’ s voter fraud taking place — right ?
— whether @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s mouth or whether it ’ s coming out of Loeffler ’ s mouth on the debate stage , when you push that narrative that you ’ ve got these organizations out there that are doing these nefarious activities , that are using — that are bringing people into the state and having people vote illegally , when you do that kind of soft narrative or soft incites of violence , it has the same impact of what Trump is saying .
And that ’ s been going on in the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Raffensperger has his hands dirty with it .
AMY GOODMAN : I wanted to go to Saturday ’ s rally that Trump held in Georgia , much of his speech focusing on the November presidential election results .
He repeated his baseless claims of widespread voter fraud in the election and called for sweeping barriers to voting access in the future .
AMY GOODMAN : Can you respond to this , Cliff Albright ?
And talk about the effect this is having in Georgia .
And who has to register by today ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ example , who voted in November , they are registered , so they don ’ t have to register .
But what do people have to do ?
And when can they start voting for the January 5th senatorial runoffs ?
CLIFF ALBRIGHT : Yeah , so there ’ s a couple of ways for me to respond to Trump ’ s comments .
I mean , on the one hand , you know , the simplest answer is , obviously , he ’ s making things up .
These are all untrue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , you know , hatemongering .
This is all the things that we know it is , right ?
The other way that I answer that question , though , honestly , Amy , is that I say , “ You know what ?
If he wants to come to Georgia , come on .
If he wants to do his little hate rallies , go on and do them.
” Because what he ’ s doing , in part , is , for all those voters who were celebrating the fact that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and we turned and we flipped Georgia , but that may have been thinking , “ OK , I did my job in November .
You know , I don ’ t really have to get as involved in this runoff election ” — if there are folks that were out there thinking about that , Black voters , in particular , guess what : He is reminding us of just how important this runoff election is .
Keep in mind that he — between he and Pence , I think they came @ @ @ @ @ @ @ times leading up to the general election , and that didn ’ t work out too well for them .
So , if he wants to come and do his little KKK rallies , that ’ s fine with me .
The other answer , though , to this is , in terms of the voter registration deadline , is that , yes , today is the deadline .
We ’ re encouraging everybody to register .
We ’ re encouraging folks who are already registered to get 10 other people to register @ @ @ @ @ @ @ role to play in being an organizer and reaching out to folks to get them registered .
You know , there ’ s 23,000 , I think it is , 18-year-olds — I mean , people turning 18 between November 3rd and January 5th .
We ’ ve been doing outreach targeted to them , you know , formerly incarcerated folks that have the right to vote .
Anybody who is not yet registered , today is the deadline .
We ’ re encouraging everybody to go .
And we ’ re encouraging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That ’ s the other piece of this .
We want people to be newly registered , but even if you ’ re already registered , check your registration status , so that we can make sure that there ’ s no funny business going on and that you ’ re registered , that you know what your accurate and correct polling place is .
And we ’ re doing all these things across the state .
We ’ ve got partners , community-based partners , in 50 counties throughout the state of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the midsize cities , Southwest Georgia , all across the state — where , on a daily basis , we ’ ve got partners going out reminding people about the voter registration deadlines and that not only can they be voting by mail right now , but that starting next Monday , December 14th , early vote starts in Georgia .
AMY GOODMAN : Professor Carol Anderson , your most recent book , One Person , No Vote : How Voter Suppression Is Destroying Our Democracy .
Can you talk about what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ written that book ?
Do you hold out more hope ?
And can you talk about the effect of the president of the United States continually alleging voter fraud , continually saying , as he did in Valdosta on Saturday night , again saying that he actually won the election ?
CAROL ANDERSON : Yes , this is — I think of Trump as the — he ’ s not an aberration ; he ’ s the culmination .
He is the culmination of decades of the Republicans hollering voting fraud , of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a means to justify massive voter suppression , as a means to justify voter ID , where the states ’ legislatures are identifying IDs that African Americans don ’ t have and making those those the access point to the ballot box , in terms of shutting down polling stations , in terms of creating the image , the imagery , again — you heard him talking about all of these noncitizens voting .
“ Do you speak English ?
” Well , the Voting Rights Act has language in there that deals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ citizens and that states are to be responsive to that population by printing the ballots in that language , as well as having poll workers and election folks there who can help in that language .
And so , what you hear in this kind of — CAROL ANDERSON : — xenophobic thing is to undermine American democracy .
That ’ s what this is .
AMY GOODMAN : Carol Anderson , I want to thank you so much for being with us , professor at Emory University , author of One Person @ @ @ @ @ @ @ co-founder of Black Voters Matter ; and I want to thank Democratic state Representative Bee Nguyen of Georgia .

On the voter registration deadline for Georgians who want to vote in two Senate runoff elections on January 5, we speak with Cliff Albright, co-founder and executive director of Black Voters Matter, about why the state is “ground zero” for Republican voter suppression efforts. Black Voters Matter has filed a federal lawsuit alleging Georgia’s current secretary of state improperly removed nearly 200,000 voters from the rolls. Those voters “were purged illegally” ahead of the 2020 election and almost certainly affected the results, says Albright. “At the end of the day, this election … should not have even been close.” We’re also joined by Emory University professor Carol Anderson, who argues President Trump’s attacks on the legitimacy of the presidential election reflect the entire party’s attitude toward voting. “He’s not an aberration,” she says. “He is the culmination of decades of the Republicans hollering voting fraud, of creating the theater of voter fraud as a means to justify massive voter suppression.
TRANSCRIPT
This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now!, democracynow.org, The Quarantine Report. That, “Root and Crown” by Young Jesus. I’m Amy Goodman, as we continue to discuss what took place in Georgia this weekend, ahead of the January 5th runoff senatorial elections. Sunday’s debates for Georgia’s Senate candidates fell on the eve of the registration deadline today for Georgians who want to vote in the special runoff election on January 5th. Yes, that deadline is today, Monday, December 7th.
This comes after Georgia Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger repeated his demand that President Trump stop promoting conspiracy theories about a stolen election, saying Trump’s rhetoric is fueling violent threats against election officials.
AMY GOODMAN: But that’s exactly what President Trump did this weekend in Georgia, continued to deny that Biden had won the elections, continued to attack the Republican leadership of Georgia, which in the past he had always supported. He even made a call to the Republican Governor Brian Kemp before he came to the rally, demanding that he have the Legislature choose Trump-allied electors for the Electoral College to overturn the will of the people. Georgia voted, for the first time in years, narrowly, for the Democrat, for Joe Biden.
For more, we are joined by three guests, and we’re going to begin with Atlanta organizer Cliff Albright, co-founder and executive director of Black Voters Matter.
We thank you so much for being with us, Cliff. Interestingly, you are suing — your organization, along with a number of organizations, are suing the secretary of state of Georgia. Explain why.
CLIFF ALBRIGHT: Yeah, thank you for having me, Amy.
Back in 2019, and really in each year, Georgia has done a series of voter purges. And in 2019, what we discovered is that there were 200,000 who were purged, allegedly because they had moved, who had in fact not moved. Their addresses had not changed.
The problem is that the secretary of state used an illegal vendor. They used a nonofficial source for the addresses to send out the notifications that they use to verify whether or not folks had moved. Then they got — when they didn’t get a response, they used that as a rationale to purge people.
What we argued is that there was really only one vendor, there was only one official way to check those addresses, and if they had done so, then they would have seen that those folks had not moved, that 200,000 had not moved, and so they were purged illegally. In fact, when we sent out postcards to notify these voters that they had been purged and that they need to check their registration status, out of 100,000 that we sent out, we only got back a couple of hundred, which means that the vast majority of those addresses that we sent them to, using the official vendor, actually made it to the people that it was supposed to make it to. So that’s the basis of our lawsuit.
At the end of the day, you know, this election has gone into a recount, two, three different recounts. It should not have even been close. And that’s one of the main things that we want folks to recognize about Georgia elections, is that without the suppression that’s been taking place, under previous Secretary of State Kemp, as well as the current secretary of state — we don’t want him to be viewed as a profile in courage. He’s still been a large-scale voter suppression advocate. He’s still intimidating voting rights organizations. And so, without that form of intimidation, this would not have even been a close election.
AMY GOODMAN: Explain that further. How is he intimidating voting rights organizations?
CLIFF ALBRIGHT: Yeah, just as an example, I mean, just in this past week, even as he and his staff have been saying things like, you know, “Somebody’s going to get hurt,” they’ve also announced that they’re investigating four organizations that do voter registration, including our dear friends at the New Georgia Project, which has been a constant target of the Secretary of State’s Office. So, you know, what we have to recognize is, it’s nice for you to say, “Hey, Mr. President, somebody’s going to get hurt. There’s going to be violence,” but the fact of the matter is, when you lead this kind of propaganda that there’s voter fraud taking place — right? — whether it’s coming out of Raffensperger’s mouth or whether it’s coming out of Loeffler’s mouth on the debate stage, when you push that narrative that you’ve got these organizations out there that are doing these nefarious activities, that are using — that are bringing people into the state and having people vote illegally, when you do that kind of soft narrative or soft incites of violence, it has the same impact of what Trump is saying. And that’s been going on in the state for far too long, and Secretary Raffensperger has his hands dirty with it.
AMY GOODMAN: I wanted to go to Saturday’s rally that Trump held in Georgia, much of his speech focusing on the November presidential election results. He repeated his baseless claims of widespread voter fraud in the election and called for sweeping barriers to voting access in the future.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: We need to pass landmark election reform, including voter ID. Is that so bad? Residency verification, like we live in the country, we live in the state. Citizenship confirmation. They want to say, “Oh, he doesn’t have to be a citizen.” You’ve got to see what’s voting. These, they’re not citizens. “Are you a citizen?” “No, I’m not citizen.” “Do you speak English?” “No, no. No English. Speak no English.”
AMY GOODMAN: Can you respond to this, Cliff Albright? And talk about the effect this is having in Georgia. And who has to register by today? Of course, regular voters, for example, who voted in November, they are registered, so they don’t have to register. But what do people have to do? And when can they start voting for the January 5th senatorial runoffs?
CLIFF ALBRIGHT: Yeah, so there’s a couple of ways for me to respond to Trump’s comments. I mean, on the one hand, you know, the simplest answer is, obviously, he’s making things up. These are all untrue. This is disinformation. This is, you know, hatemongering. This is all the things that we know it is, right?
The other way that I answer that question, though, honestly, Amy, is that I say, “You know what? If he wants to come to Georgia, come on. If he wants to do his little hate rallies, go on and do them.” Because what he’s doing, in part, is, for all those voters who were celebrating the fact that we beat him — right? — and we turned and we flipped Georgia, but that may have been thinking, “OK, I did my job in November. You know, I don’t really have to get as involved in this runoff election” — if there are folks that were out there thinking about that, Black voters, in particular, guess what: He is reminding us of just how important this runoff election is. Keep in mind that he — between he and Pence, I think they came to Georgia at least three or four times leading up to the general election, and that didn’t work out too well for them. So, if he wants to come and do his little KKK rallies, that’s fine with me.
The other answer, though, to this is, in terms of the voter registration deadline, is that, yes, today is the deadline. We’re encouraging everybody to register. We’re encouraging folks who are already registered to get 10 other people to register, because everybody’s got a role to play in being an organizer and reaching out to folks to get them registered. You know, there’s 23,000, I think it is, 18-year-olds — I mean, people turning 18 between November 3rd and January 5th. We’ve been doing outreach targeted to them, you know, formerly incarcerated folks that have the right to vote. Anybody who is not yet registered, today is the deadline. We’re encouraging everybody to go.
And we’re encouraging everybody to check their registration status. That’s the other piece of this. We want people to be newly registered, but even if you’re already registered, check your registration status, so that we can make sure that there’s no funny business going on and that you’re registered, that you know what your accurate and correct polling place is.
And we’re doing all these things across the state. We’ve got partners, community-based partners, in 50 counties throughout the state of Georgia — Middle Georgia, Metro Atlanta, the midsize cities, Southwest Georgia, all across the state — where, on a daily basis, we’ve got partners going out reminding people about the voter registration deadlines and that not only can they be voting by mail right now, but that starting next Monday, December 14th, early vote starts in Georgia.
AMY GOODMAN: Professor Carol Anderson, your most recent book, One Person, No Vote: How Voter Suppression Is Destroying Our Democracy. Can you talk about what’s happened since you’ve written that book? Do you hold out more hope? And can you talk about the effect of the president of the United States continually alleging voter fraud, continually saying, as he did in Valdosta on Saturday night, again saying that he actually won the election?
CAROL ANDERSON: Yes, this is — I think of Trump as the — he’s not an aberration; he’s the culmination. He is the culmination of decades of the Republicans hollering voting fraud, of creating the theater of voter fraud as a means to justify massive voter suppression, as a means to justify voter ID, where the states’ legislatures are identifying IDs that African Americans don’t have and making those those the access point to the ballot box, in terms of shutting down polling stations, in terms of creating the image, the imagery, again — you heard him talking about all of these noncitizens voting. “Do you speak English?” Well, the Voting Rights Act has language in there that deals with communities that have sizable non-English-speaking American citizens and that states are to be responsive to that population by printing the ballots in that language, as well as having poll workers and election folks there who can help in that language. And so, what you hear in this kind of —
AMY GOODMAN: We have 10 seconds.
CAROL ANDERSON: — xenophobic thing is to undermine American democracy. That’s what this is.
AMY GOODMAN: Carol Anderson, I want to thank you so much for being with us, professor at Emory University, author of One Person, No Vote; Cliff Albright, co-founder of Black Voters Matter; and I want to thank Democratic state Representative Bee Nguyen of Georgia.


truthout--2020-12-07--Sick Leave. Housing Aid. Unemployment. Congress Has Our Lives in Its Hands.

If you have not yet realized that we are upon one of the most consequential political weeks of 2020 , you are more than forgiven .
It ’ s not like things have been quiet around here .
Just this weekend , Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani came down with a case of COVID-19 so muscular that it shut down the Arizona state legislature from thousands of miles away .
Rudy , you see , just spent two maskless days there trolling the halls for electoral mischief .
Apparently , he may have left behind more than his card .
For @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the latest of the at least 40 people within Trump ’ s inner circle who have become infected with the virus .
For his part , Donald Trump spent his weekend in Georgia delivering an endless tirade of personal gripes , hollow boasts and creaky old conspiracies in an effort to “ help ” the Republicans win the twin-bill Senate runoff in January .
Trump ’ s own ceaseless blather about rigged elections has birthed a boycott-the-vote movement among his base that has endangered the GOP candidates , a galactic irony that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mentioned those two GOP candidates , Senators Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue , a handful of times , but spent the vast bulk of his remarks nailing himself to a whole forest of crosses .
“ We ’ re all victims , ” he puled more than 90 minutes into his rant .
“ Everybody here , all these thousands of people here tonight , they ’ re all victims , every one of you.
” That right there — the grievance , the sense of shared victimhood — is the lightning in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It is the juice that energized his campaign , as well as his sacking and plunder of the Republican Party .
Four years later , he still tries to wield it , and the crack and sizzle of it still inspires total devotion from his most loyal followers .
Beyond his base , however , the noise of Trump ’ s complaining diminishes , like the sound of someone grousing over a toothache in a slowly descending elevator .
Meanwhile , the calamity of COVID edges closer to claiming 300,000 lives as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the other .
While Trump spent the weekend sputtering empty rage at his maskless idolators in Georgia , hospitals across the country passed the breaking point of new admissions , and the wobbly underpinnings of our shabby health care system have begun to groan and snap .
Medical professionals are also passing the breaking point , all too aware that the worst of this latest spike is still yet to come .
It is into this bleak context that the towering garbage fire known as the United States Congress comes into play @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worse “ hero ” to rush to the rescue of a dying country , but if Congress doesn ’ t get a few major things done on Capitol Hill in the next run of days , the lowering darkness could well become a permanent midnight for tens of millions .
On the dock : A bill to keep the government up and running , due on Friday , and a new relief bill to help millions stay afloat financially and not lose their homes .
Instead of prioritizing these life-saving bills , Congress @ @ @ @ @ @ @ budget , which is now in peril because Trump wants military bases named after Confederate traitors and slavers to retain their names , and because he wants to use the bill to attack his “ enemies ” in Big Tech .
To this end , he has threatened to veto the defense bill .
Given the low priorities of the average Congressperson , they may prioritize fixing the war money over helping people and keeping the lights on .
The desperately needed COVID relief bill remains stuck in Mitch McConnell ’ s teeth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrats passed it in the springtime .
A smaller compromise bill has been placed on the table by a bipartisan clutch of lawmakers , and all the players are making optimistic noises about it .
Yet as Bernie Sanders has noted , the proposed “ targeted ” bill falls far short of what is needed to actually address the crisis .
Also of concern : If they pass this smaller , not fully effective bill , it is likely McConnell and his newly reborn Republican “ deficit hawks ” will balk at spending @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bill is their strategic “ out ” to avoid a larger bill down the line , and hypocrisy can take a number .
The damage to come from an insufficient bill will land on Joe Biden ’ s desk , which I wager is most of the GOP ’ s motivation here .
Furthermore , McConnell continues to insist that a corporate liability shield be included in any relief legislation .
This slippery piece of work has thus far proven to be a dealbreaker for Democrats , and for good reason : The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the spread of COVID in the Midwest , due entirely to their utter lack of regard for worker safety and worker ’ s rights .
McConnell wants to give them a free pass so they can dodge the consequences of squeezing literal meat out of sick and defenseless employees .
Finally , the curtain comes down ( again ) on Friday if a bill to fund the government does not pass .
Congress is kicking around a number of options , including a one-week stopgap or a three-month continuing resolution .
The latter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when , it is thought , the mayhem volume will have diminished .
In the last weeks of the worst year , the worst people are tasked to do mortally important work for a country on the rack .
Capitalism will win , of course ; the question is how much more we the people will lose .

Capitalism will win, of course; the question is how much more we the people will lose.
Part of the Series Despair and Disparity: The Uneven Burdens of COVID-19
If you have not yet realized that we are upon one of the most consequential political weeks of 2020, you are more than forgiven. It’s not like things have been quiet around here.
Just this weekend, Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani came down with a case of COVID-19 so muscular that it shut down the Arizona state legislature from thousands of miles away. Rudy, you see, just spent two maskless days there trolling the halls for electoral mischief. Apparently, he may have left behind more than his card. For those playing along at home, Giuliani is the latest of the at least 40 people within Trump’s inner circle who have become infected with the virus.
For his part, Donald Trump spent his weekend in Georgia delivering an endless tirade of personal gripes, hollow boasts and creaky old conspiracies in an effort to “help” the Republicans win the twin-bill Senate runoff in January. Trump’s own ceaseless blather about rigged elections has birthed a boycott-the-vote movement among his base that has endangered the GOP candidates, a galactic irony that puts the Senate in play.
Trump mentioned those two GOP candidates, Senators Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue, a handful of times, but spent the vast bulk of his remarks nailing himself to a whole forest of crosses. “We’re all victims,” he puled more than 90 minutes into his rant. “Everybody here, all these thousands of people here tonight, they’re all victims, every one of you.”
That right there — the grievance, the sense of shared victimhood — is the lightning in a bottle Trump captured four years ago. It is the juice that energized his campaign, as well as his sacking and plunder of the Republican Party. Four years later, he still tries to wield it, and the crack and sizzle of it still inspires total devotion from his most loyal followers. Beyond his base, however, the noise of Trump’s complaining diminishes, like the sound of someone grousing over a toothache in a slowly descending elevator.
Meanwhile, the calamity of COVID edges closer to claiming 300,000 lives as the pandemic rages unchecked from one coast to the other. While Trump spent the weekend sputtering empty rage at his maskless idolators in Georgia, hospitals across the country passed the breaking point of new admissions, and the wobbly underpinnings of our shabby health care system have begun to groan and snap. Medical professionals are also passing the breaking point, all too aware that the worst of this latest spike is still yet to come.
It is into this bleak context that the towering garbage fire known as the United States Congress comes into play. One could not possibly imagine a worse “hero” to rush to the rescue of a dying country, but if Congress doesn’t get a few major things done on Capitol Hill in the next run of days, the lowering darkness could well become a permanent midnight for tens of millions.
In the last weeks of the worst year, the worst people are tasked to do mortally important work for a country on the rack.
On the dock: A bill to keep the government up and running, due on Friday, and a new relief bill to help millions stay afloat financially and not lose their homes.
Instead of prioritizing these life-saving bills, Congress may agonize without success over the defense budget, which is now in peril because Trump wants military bases named after Confederate traitors and slavers to retain their names, and because he wants to use the bill to attack his “enemies” in Big Tech. To this end, he has threatened to veto the defense bill. Given the low priorities of the average Congressperson, they may prioritize fixing the war money over helping people and keeping the lights on.
The desperately needed COVID relief bill remains stuck in Mitch McConnell’s teeth, where it has resided since House Democrats passed it in the springtime. A smaller compromise bill has been placed on the table by a bipartisan clutch of lawmakers, and all the players are making optimistic noises about it.
Yet as Bernie Sanders has noted, the proposed “targeted” bill falls far short of what is needed to actually address the crisis. Also of concern: If they pass this smaller, not fully effective bill, it is likely McConnell and his newly reborn Republican “deficit hawks” will balk at spending any more money afterward. Passing this bill is their strategic “out” to avoid a larger bill down the line, and hypocrisy can take a number. The damage to come from an insufficient bill will land on Joe Biden’s desk, which I wager is most of the GOP’s motivation here.
Furthermore, McConnell continues to insist that a corporate liability shield be included in any relief legislation. This slippery piece of work has thus far proven to be a dealbreaker for Democrats, and for good reason: The meat-packing industry specifically has contributed vastly to the spread of COVID in the Midwest, due entirely to their utter lack of regard for worker safety and worker’s rights. McConnell wants to give them a free pass so they can dodge the consequences of squeezing literal meat out of sick and defenseless employees.
Finally, the curtain comes down (again) on Friday if a bill to fund the government does not pass. Congress is kicking around a number of options, including a one-week stopgap or a three-month continuing resolution. The latter would punt the can beyond Inauguration Day when, it is thought, the mayhem volume will have diminished.
In the last weeks of the worst year, the worst people are tasked to do mortally important work for a country on the rack. Capitalism will win, of course; the question is how much more we the people will lose.
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