truthout--2020-11-02--Opponents of Trump’s Border Wall Are Getting Out the Vote in Texas

As Trump administration officials tout progress on the 400 miles of border wall state agencies have rammed through California , Arizona , New Mexico and Texas , opponents of the wall are protesting and getting out the vote in borderland states .
The Biden campaign has shifted gears to include a three-stop visit to Texas by Kamala Harris , who in a 30-minute speech in McAllen on Friday linked the decades-long fight for civil rights to issues of human rights violations at the border .
“ When this administration has orphaned 545 children because of a policy that has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the border , everything is at stake , ” she told the socially distanced crowd.
” As The Houston Chronicle reports , it ’ s been decades since Democratic candidates spent time in Texas borderland counties .
The campaign was initially hesitant to spend resources there — in a state it didn ’ t expect to need to win — according to Slate .
But Texas , which is second only to California in the number of electoral votes up for grabs , has become a more active battleground in the final days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Friday , October 30 , Texas residents had cast more than 9 million ballots , surpassing the total 8.9 million votes cast in that state in 2016 .
Analysts say a tight race could lead to success for Democrats for the first time since Jimmy Carter was elected in 1976 .
For voters living in border counties , the wall that the Trump administration has brought to their backyards and blasted through sacred land is squarely on the ballot .
The wall threatens beloved community gathering spaces , has trapped and killed endangered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and diverted hundreds of thousands of gallons of water per day to mix 797,000 cubic yards of concrete — a process that constitutes a major source of global carbon dioxide emissions .
In spite of continued legal challenges related to the Trump administration ’ s transfer of 2.4 billion in military spending to finance the wall , in recent weeks , the Department of Defense has strung explosives and detonated parts of Guadalupe Canyon in Arizona .
It ’ s an area that Wildlands Network ’ s Borderlands Program Coordinator Myles Traphagen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ zero for biodiversity in North America.
” The Trump administration is also in the midst of ongoing efforts to seize private land in Texas , as well as nature preserves like the Salineño Wildlife Refuge .
A group of community organizations in Laredo , Texas , known as the # NoBorderWallCoalition , has been canvassing in border counties where construction of the wall has not yet begun , to educate residents living near the Rio Grande about how it would impact their neighborhoods and where each of the presidential candidates stands on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Juan Manuel Ruíz , an organizer with the coalition , has been canvassing in neighborhoods he says tend to be overlooked in political contests , like Canta Ranas , Azteca and Santa Rita .
The thousands of flyers Ruíz and other volunteers have distributed to residents include maps displaying how much land will be cleared to build the wall and a list of impacted places , including numerous city parks and green spaces .
The flyers do not explicitly urge residents to vote for one candidate or the other .
But they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There will not be another foot of wall constructed in my administration , ” Biden said in August .
“ End .
Stop .
Done .
Over.
” Ruíz , who lives a half-block from the Rio Grande , in a neighborhood called Santa Rita , told Truthout the wall would be built within the city ’ s flood plain , separating residents from the river .
In addition to concerns over how militarized zones around the walls could lead to human rights violations on the heels of decades of racist U.S. immigration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worried the wall would block waterways like the Chacon and Zacate creeks , which fill with water during major storms , letting out into the Rio Grande .
With a barrier trapping water from flowing through its path into the river , water and debris could get stuck at the wall , serving as a dam and inundating parts of the city that already face severe flooding during major rainstorms , which are getting more severe due to the climate crisis .
As Scientific American reports , flooding has gotten worse at nearly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fences the agency has built over the past 15 years , in part because projects are often exempt from in-depth environmental impact analysis .
While activists deem the wall an overt symbol of racism and xenophobia , Ruíz says that many residents the # NoBorderWallCoalition has reached through canvassing efforts were not aware of how the project would impact the community .
“ A lot of people have this conception that it ’ s just going to be the wall , ” he said .
“ But in fact , it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a 200-foot enforcement zone that surrounds it , ” he says , pointing to the vegetation and structures that the government would clear to build and operate on .
“ The Rio Grande serves as a corridor for migratory birds , and if we clear away the habitat , they ’ ll have no place to go , ” Ruíz says .
With arguments like these , canvassers are cultivating opposition to the wall among communities concerned about environmental and quality-of-life impacts that had previously not been mobilized solely on the basis of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the wall .
According to a report by the Center for Biological Diversity , the border wall threatens 2,134,792 acres of critical habitat and 93 endangered or candidate species , including Mexican gray wolves and Quino checkerspot butterflies .
For species such as the cactus ferruginous pygmy owl , which tends to fly low , the wall will isolate birds in Mexico from populations in the U.S. , preventing breeding and heightening the possibility of extinction .
Nadja Lopez has also been canvassing in Laredo , educating residents on the dozens of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ managed to waive that would impact residents of Webb and Zapata counties , including the Clean Water Act , the Clean Air Act and the Solid Waste Disposal Act .
Lopez told Truthout she ’ s most worried about how clearing the land could lead to erosion and impact the water quality of the Rio Grande — Laredo ’ s source of drinking water .
Lopez is also upset about the number of city parks the border wall would eliminate from public use , including all of Los Tres Laredos park , 10 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the riverbend on the southwest side of the city .
She says the park is a community stronghold .
“ We ’ ve had birthday parties … and carne asadas , and people go fishing there or just walk and hang out , ” she says .
The park sits right up against the Rio Grande , close enough that you can see people on the Mexican side of the river having their picnics , Lopez says .
“ That would be completely walled off from us , ” she says .
Like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Texas , Webb County , where Laredo is located , voted overwhelmingly for Democrats in 2016 .
Seventy-four percent of the vote went to Hillary Clinton .
But the region also has a history of low voter turnout .
Lopez says while she has friends and family who have flipped from supporting Trump in 2016 to voting for Biden in this election , she also knows plenty of community members who have flipped in favor of Trump .
As is the case in battlegrounds such as Florida and Pennsylvania , the Latinx vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Texas .
According to a New York Times/Siena College poll , 57 percent of voters listed as “ Hispanic ” support Biden , while 34 percent support Trump , which The New York Times reports is “ somewhat beneath ” estimates of Clinton ’ s support from that demographic in 2016 .
President Trump maintains an overall lead in the state of 47 to 43 percent .
But the state is in the midst of a demographic shift — Texas is growing at a rate of 1,000 people per day — and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A total of 187,545 people arrived between July 2017 and July 2018 .
A September poll by the University of Houston found that 9 out of 10 Latino voters were “ certain ” they ’ d vote , though many of the state ’ s newest international migrants are from Asia .
Lopez and Ruíz say talking about the border wall with residents seems to activate potential voters , especially those who were not aware of plans for the wall to go up in their community .
“ The level of information that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ different , ” Ruiz said .
“ So we wanted to bridge that gap.
” On October 19 , the Supreme Court decided it would review a suit questioning the legality of the Trump administration ’ s transfer of $ 2.5 billion in military funding for the U.S.-Mexico border wall , which newly appointed Justice Amy Coney Barrett will weigh in on .
Back in July , the Sierra Club sought a temporary injunction to stop construction as the case moved through the courts , but the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 to reject @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the addition of Barrett to the bench is unlikely to sway the Court ’ s decision in favor of opponents of the wall .
If Biden is elected , on the other hand , he has said that he would cease all construction on the border wall , pursuing instead a “ high-tech ” virtual wall — a plan not without its own serious faults .
Biden could also squash the suits the Trump administration has brought , in which he would be listed as plaintiff .
Regardless of the outcome of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that ’ s sprung up around Laredo will continue to organize actions like a recent 2000-mile long “ Rock the Border Stop the Wall ” concert promoting voter turnout , and the bright yellow “ Defund the Wall ” street mural activists painted outside of the U.S. District Court in Laredo .
“ If that wall goes up , we ’ ll be here whether we or the river takes it down , ” Ruíz said .

As Trump administration officials tout progress on the 400 miles of border wall state agencies have rammed through California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas, opponents of the wall are protesting and getting out the vote in borderland states.
The Biden campaign has shifted gears to include a three-stop visit to Texas by Kamala Harris, who in a 30-minute speech in McAllen on Friday linked the decades-long fight for civil rights to issues of human rights violations at the border. “When this administration has orphaned 545 children because of a policy that has been about separating children from their parents at the border, everything is at stake,” she told the socially distanced crowd.” As The Houston Chronicle reports, it’s been decades since Democratic candidates spent time in Texas borderland counties. The campaign was initially hesitant to spend resources there — in a state it didn’t expect to need to win — according to Slate. But Texas, which is second only to California in the number of electoral votes up for grabs, has become a more active battleground in the final days of the election season.
As of Friday, October 30, Texas residents had cast more than 9 million ballots, surpassing the total 8.9 million votes cast in that state in 2016. Analysts say a tight race could lead to success for Democrats for the first time since Jimmy Carter was elected in 1976.
For voters living in border counties, the wall that the Trump administration has brought to their backyards and blasted through sacred land is squarely on the ballot. The wall threatens beloved community gathering spaces, has trapped and killed endangered species heading for the Rio Grande River, and diverted hundreds of thousands of gallons of water per day to mix 797,000 cubic yards of concrete — a process that constitutes a major source of global carbon dioxide emissions.
In spite of continued legal challenges related to the Trump administration’s transfer of 2.4 billion in military spending to finance the wall, in recent weeks, the Department of Defense has strung explosives and detonated parts of Guadalupe Canyon in Arizona. It’s an area that Wildlands Network’s Borderlands Program Coordinator Myles Traphagen, told Border Report is “ground zero for biodiversity in North America.” The Trump administration is also in the midst of ongoing efforts to seize private land in Texas, as well as nature preserves like the Salineño Wildlife Refuge.
A group of community organizations in Laredo, Texas, known as the #NoBorderWallCoalition, has been canvassing in border counties where construction of the wall has not yet begun, to educate residents living near the Rio Grande about how it would impact their neighborhoods and where each of the presidential candidates stands on the undertaking.
For the last three weekends, Juan Manuel Ruíz, an organizer with the coalition, has been canvassing in neighborhoods he says tend to be overlooked in political contests, like Canta Ranas, Azteca and Santa Rita. The thousands of flyers Ruíz and other volunteers have distributed to residents include maps displaying how much land will be cleared to build the wall and a list of impacted places, including numerous city parks and green spaces. The flyers do not explicitly urge residents to vote for one candidate or the other. But they do prominently quote Joe Biden: “There will not be another foot of wall constructed in my administration,” Biden said in August. “End. Stop. Done. Over.”
Ruíz, who lives a half-block from the Rio Grande, in a neighborhood called Santa Rita, told Truthout the wall would be built within the city’s flood plain, separating residents from the river. In addition to concerns over how militarized zones around the walls could lead to human rights violations on the heels of decades of racist U.S. immigration policy and policing, activists are also worried the wall would block waterways like the Chacon and Zacate creeks, which fill with water during major storms, letting out into the Rio Grande. With a barrier trapping water from flowing through its path into the river, water and debris could get stuck at the wall, serving as a dam and inundating parts of the city that already face severe flooding during major rainstorms, which are getting more severe due to the climate crisis. As Scientific American reports, flooding has gotten worse at nearly all of the Customs and Border Protection fences the agency has built over the past 15 years, in part because projects are often exempt from in-depth environmental impact analysis.
While activists deem the wall an overt symbol of racism and xenophobia, Ruíz says that many residents the #NoBorderWallCoalition has reached through canvassing efforts were not aware of how the project would impact the community. “A lot of people have this conception that it’s just going to be the wall,” he said. “But in fact, it’s a 30-foot wall in the middle of a 200-foot enforcement zone that surrounds it,” he says, pointing to the vegetation and structures that the government would clear to build and operate on. “The Rio Grande serves as a corridor for migratory birds, and if we clear away the habitat, they’ll have no place to go,” Ruíz says.
With arguments like these, canvassers are cultivating opposition to the wall among communities concerned about environmental and quality-of-life impacts that had previously not been mobilized solely on the basis of opposition to the anti-immigrant symbolism and implications of the wall.
According to a report by the Center for Biological Diversity, the border wall threatens 2,134,792 acres of critical habitat and 93 endangered or candidate species, including Mexican gray wolves and Quino checkerspot butterflies. For species such as the cactus ferruginous pygmy owl, which tends to fly low, the wall will isolate birds in Mexico from populations in the U.S., preventing breeding and heightening the possibility of extinction.
Nadja Lopez has also been canvassing in Laredo, educating residents on the dozens of laws the Department of Homeland security has managed to waive that would impact residents of Webb and Zapata counties, including the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act and the Solid Waste Disposal Act. Lopez told Truthout she’s most worried about how clearing the land could lead to erosion and impact the water quality of the Rio Grande — Laredo’s source of drinking water.
Lopez is also upset about the number of city parks the border wall would eliminate from public use, including all of Los Tres Laredos park, 10 square miles of green space that lines the riverbend on the southwest side of the city. She says the park is a community stronghold. “We’ve had birthday parties … and carne asadas, and people go fishing there or just walk and hang out,” she says. The park sits right up against the Rio Grande, close enough that you can see people on the Mexican side of the river having their picnics, Lopez says. “That would be completely walled off from us,” she says.
Like many of the border counties in South Texas, Webb County, where Laredo is located, voted overwhelmingly for Democrats in 2016. Seventy-four percent of the vote went to Hillary Clinton. But the region also has a history of low voter turnout. Lopez says while she has friends and family who have flipped from supporting Trump in 2016 to voting for Biden in this election, she also knows plenty of community members who have flipped in favor of Trump.
As is the case in battlegrounds such as Florida and Pennsylvania, the Latinx vote has the potential to tip the scales in Texas. According to a New York Times/Siena College poll, 57 percent of voters listed as “Hispanic” support Biden, while 34 percent support Trump, which The New York Times reports is “somewhat beneath” estimates of Clinton’s support from that demographic in 2016. President Trump maintains an overall lead in the state of 47 to 43 percent.
But the state is in the midst of a demographic shift — Texas is growing at a rate of 1,000 people per day — and it remains a political wild card. A total of 187,545 people arrived between July 2017 and July 2018. A September poll by the University of Houston found that 9 out of 10 Latino voters were “certain” they’d vote, though many of the state’s newest international migrants are from Asia.
Lopez and Ruíz say talking about the border wall with residents seems to activate potential voters, especially those who were not aware of plans for the wall to go up in their community. “The level of information that is being handed to different communities is different,” Ruiz said. “So we wanted to bridge that gap.”
On October 19, the Supreme Court decided it would review a suit questioning the legality of the Trump administration’s transfer of $2.5 billion in military funding for the U.S.-Mexico border wall, which newly appointed Justice Amy Coney Barrett will weigh in on. Back in July, the Sierra Club sought a temporary injunction to stop construction as the case moved through the courts, but the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 to reject the injunction. As Atmos reports, the addition of Barrett to the bench is unlikely to sway the Court’s decision in favor of opponents of the wall. If Biden is elected, on the other hand, he has said that he would cease all construction on the border wall, pursuing instead a “high-tech” virtual wall — a plan not without its own serious faults. Biden could also squash the suits the Trump administration has brought, in which he would be listed as plaintiff.
Regardless of the outcome of the election, Ruíz hopes the activist alliance that’s sprung up around Laredo will continue to organize actions like a recent 2000-mile long “Rock the Border Stop the Wall” concert promoting voter turnout, and the bright yellow “Defund the Wall” street mural activists painted outside of the U.S. District Court in Laredo. “If that wall goes up, we’ll be here whether we or the river takes it down,” Ruíz said.
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--2020-11-02--Politicians Should Stop Assuming Immigration Is the Only “Latino Issue”

We ’ ve heard countless experts argue that Latinos “ will decide the 2020 election , ” but can either Donald Trump or Joe Biden win big with Latinx voters ?
There are 32 million Latinos eligible to vote in the November elections — the second-largest ethno-racial voting bloc in the country .
The “ sleeping giant ” is awake , but it ’ s not what political strategists thought it would be .
In the 2016 presidential election , 28 percent of Latinx voters supported Trump despite his campaign full of racist and anti-immigration rhetoric .
A recent poll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in four Latinx voters plan to vote for Trump this year .
Even after calling Mexicans “ rapists ” and separating and misplacing 545 migrant children from their parents , the president still garners support from some Latinx voters , showing how complex and misleading the concept of the “ Latino vote ” truly is .
The idea of a “ Latino voter ” promotes the myth of a homogenous culture among Latinos , when in reality , it ’ s far from it .
Because of this , politicians should stop describing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ furthering a narrative that politically and culturally accepts Latinos as a unified front to one that encompasses the complexities within the label .
Instead , Latinx culture should be recognized as heterogeneous — multicultural and racially diverse , with a wide variety of political interests .
Latinx support for Republican candidates is not new .
There ’ s a long history of Latinx political allegiance to the Republican Party , but it ’ s assumed that Latinos vote for the Democratic Party because of the anti-immigrant sentiment that ’ s often promoted by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a different story .
The 2004 presidential election saw 40 percent of Latinx voters support the reelection of George W. Bush .
In 2008 , 31 percent of Latinx voters supported John McCain over Barack Obama .
Latinx voters have historically supported both parties , thus candidates spend millions of dollars and strategize tirelessly to win their support .
Courting the “ Latino vote ” is complicated , but many campaigns simplify it by mentioning their intents to address the decades-long issues surrounding immigration .
Without a doubt , it ’ s about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immigration issues — where support for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals ( DACA ) recipients becomes support for comprehensive immigration reform that includes a pathway to citizenship for 11 million undocumented immigrants .
However , not all Latinos have a connection to the immigrant experience .
A majority of Latinos in the United States are U.S. citizens , despite Latinos being represented as the sole face of immigration debates .
Politicians should recognize that Latinos are not one-issue voters and they have an important stake in the economy , education and health care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ income inequality in the United States .
In 2017 , the median income of Latinx households was $ 50,486 , compared to non-Latinx white households earning a median income of $ 68,145 .
However , certain Latinos earn more than others .
Latinos of South American origin have a higher median household income than Latinos from Central America and the Caribbean .
For example , there ’ s a $ 27,000 difference between the median household income of Argentines and Hondurans living in the U.S .
Furthermore , while a record number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continues to be largely insurmountable and Latinos continue to be formally educated at lower rates than non-Latinos .
When it comes to health care and the economy , Latinx voices are more important than ever .
The age-adjusted mortality rate among COVID-19 patients is higher among Latinos than other groups .
In economic terms , the growth of Latinx-owned small businesses is significantly outpacing that of the overall U.S. average .
However , that growth has been severely impacted , as a recent survey shows that 65 percent of Latinx small business owners @ @ @ @ @ @ @ operate their business past six months , if current conditions don ’ t significantly shift .
The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected Latinx communities and this must be of top priority for presidential candidates and politicians in Congress .
Unfortunately , there ’ s limited Latinx representation in Congress .
Latinos are 18 percent of the United States population , but their congressional representation is severely lacking .
While a record number of Latinos are running for office , Congress would need an additional 14 senators and 40 representatives who identify as Latino/a/x @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is even more significant considering the U.S. Census projects that 27 percent of the country ’ s population will be Latinx by 2060 .
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848 — which ceded parts of the modern-day Southwest to the United States from Mexico after the Mexican-American War — and decades of Latin American migration have created diverse generations of Latinos with different relationships to their Latin American roots .
In the United States , there are some Latinos who escaped oppressive dictatorships ; some sought to leave countries with widespread poverty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ never left the United States and don ’ t speak any language besides English ; some who benefit from white privilege ; and some who are Black and experience intensified racial injustice .
What unifies such diverse groups of people ?
The 1960s were a decade of significant civil rights struggle and progress in the United States .
Alongside the Black civil rights movement , many Mexicans , Cubans and Puerto Ricans sought political representation and the advancement of their respective causes .
The U.S. government , alongside media organizations and activist groups @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Latin American and Spanish-speaking roots .
By the 1980s , there was a designated checkbox for “ Hispanic or Latino ” self-identification in the decennial census , a celebratory month — National Hispanic Heritage Month — to commemorate the contributions of Latinos in the United States , an array of established advocacy groups promoting the advancement of Latinos , and the first Spanish-language television network , Univision .
The creation of a pan-ethnic “ Hispanic or Latino ” identity also extended to politics , promoting the idea of a “ Latino vote.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not a “ one shoe fits all ” approach to Latinx voters .
Earning the support of Latinx voters is not only about appearing on Univision for a lengthy interview ( which , to date , neither 2020 candidate has done ) , murmuring a phrase in Spanish while debating opponents in Miami , referring to yourself as “ Elena ” in front of Latinx culinary workers or pandering to Cuban voters while deporting undocumented Mexican immigrants during National Hispanic Heritage Month .
It ’ s about recognizing that the approach used to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Florida is not the same as the tactics used toward Salvadoran voters in California .
It ’ s about addressing and delivering on the issues all Latinx communities face without being reductive .
Without a doubt , the year 2020 has been full of surprises .
Who knows if this is the year “ Latinos decide the election results ” ?
— as many optimistic writers predict every four years .
One thing is clear , though : Town halls and debates are essential to the democratic process , but when diverse Latinx @ @ @ @ @ @ @ does a disservice to the millions of unique Latinx voters who feel alienated from the system .

A majority of Latinos are citizens with an important stake in the economy and they are decidedly not one-issue voters.
We’ve heard countless experts argue that Latinos “will decide the 2020 election,” but can either Donald Trump or Joe Biden win big with Latinx voters?
There are 32 million Latinos eligible to vote in the November elections — the second-largest ethno-racial voting bloc in the country. The “sleeping giant” is awake, but it’s not what political strategists thought it would be. In the 2016 presidential election, 28 percent of Latinx voters supported Trump despite his campaign full of racist and anti-immigration rhetoric. A recent poll by NALEO Education Fund finds that one in four Latinx voters plan to vote for Trump this year. Even after calling Mexicans “rapists” and separating and misplacing 545 migrant children from their parents, the president still garners support from some Latinx voters, showing how complex and misleading the concept of the “Latino vote” truly is.
The idea of a “Latino voter” promotes the myth of a homogenous culture among Latinos, when in reality, it’s far from it. Because of this, politicians should stop describing a singular “Latino community,” furthering a narrative that politically and culturally accepts Latinos as a unified front to one that encompasses the complexities within the label. Instead, Latinx culture should be recognized as heterogeneous — multicultural and racially diverse, with a wide variety of political interests.
Latinx support for Republican candidates is not new. There’s a long history of Latinx political allegiance to the Republican Party, but it’s assumed that Latinos vote for the Democratic Party because of the anti-immigrant sentiment that’s often promoted by the right. Recent presidential elections tell a different story. The 2004 presidential election saw 40 percent of Latinx voters support the reelection of George W. Bush. In 2008, 31 percent of Latinx voters supported John McCain over Barack Obama. Latinx voters have historically supported both parties, thus candidates spend millions of dollars and strategize tirelessly to win their support.
Courting the “Latino vote” is complicated, but many campaigns simplify it by mentioning their intents to address the decades-long issues surrounding immigration. Without a doubt, it’s about time a president delivers comprehensive solutions to immigration issues — where support for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients becomes support for comprehensive immigration reform that includes a pathway to citizenship for 11 million undocumented immigrants. However, not all Latinos have a connection to the immigrant experience.
A majority of Latinos in the United States are U.S. citizens, despite Latinos being represented as the sole face of immigration debates. Politicians should recognize that Latinos are not one-issue voters and they have an important stake in the economy, education and health care, as well.
Latinx culture should be recognized as heterogeneous — multicultural and racially diverse, with a wide variety of political interests.
Latinos experience significant income inequality in the United States. In 2017, the median income of Latinx households was $50,486, compared to non-Latinx white households earning a median income of $68,145. However, certain Latinos earn more than others. Latinos of South American origin have a higher median household income than Latinos from Central America and the Caribbean. For example, there’s a $27,000 difference between the median household income of Argentines and Hondurans living in the U.S. Furthermore, while a record number of Latinos are attending college, student debt continues to be largely insurmountable and Latinos continue to be formally educated at lower rates than non-Latinos.
When it comes to health care and the economy, Latinx voices are more important than ever. The age-adjusted mortality rate among COVID-19 patients is higher among Latinos than other groups. In economic terms, the growth of Latinx-owned small businesses is significantly outpacing that of the overall U.S. average. However, that growth has been severely impacted, as a recent survey shows that 65 percent of Latinx small business owners say they will not be able to operate their business past six months, if current conditions don’t significantly shift.
The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected Latinx communities and this must be of top priority for presidential candidates and politicians in Congress. Unfortunately, there’s limited Latinx representation in Congress.
Latinos are 18 percent of the United States population, but their congressional representation is severely lacking. While a record number of Latinos are running for office, Congress would need an additional 14 senators and 40 representatives who identify as Latino/a/x to align with current demographics. This is even more significant considering the U.S. Census projects that 27 percent of the country’s population will be Latinx by 2060.
Congress would need an additional 14 senators and 40 representatives who identify as Latino/a/x to align with current demographics.
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848 — which ceded parts of the modern-day Southwest to the United States from Mexico after the Mexican-American War — and decades of Latin American migration have created diverse generations of Latinos with different relationships to their Latin American roots. In the United States, there are some Latinos who escaped oppressive dictatorships; some sought to leave countries with widespread poverty and gang violence; some who have never left the United States and don’t speak any language besides English; some who benefit from white privilege; and some who are Black and experience intensified racial injustice. What unifies such diverse groups of people?
The 1960s were a decade of significant civil rights struggle and progress in the United States. Alongside the Black civil rights movement, many Mexicans, Cubans and Puerto Ricans sought political representation and the advancement of their respective causes. The U.S. government, alongside media organizations and activist groups, looked to organize these communities with Latin American and Spanish-speaking roots. By the 1980s, there was a designated checkbox for “Hispanic or Latino” self-identification in the decennial census, a celebratory month — National Hispanic Heritage Month — to commemorate the contributions of Latinos in the United States, an array of established advocacy groups promoting the advancement of Latinos, and the first Spanish-language television network, Univision. The creation of a pan-ethnic “Hispanic or Latino” identity also extended to politics, promoting the idea of a “Latino vote.”
Presidential candidates must know there’s not a “one shoe fits all” approach to Latinx voters. Earning the support of Latinx voters is not only about appearing on Univision for a lengthy interview (which, to date, neither 2020 candidate has done), murmuring a phrase in Spanish while debating opponents in Miami, referring to yourself as “Elena” in front of Latinx culinary workers or pandering to Cuban voters while deporting undocumented Mexican immigrants during National Hispanic Heritage Month. It’s about recognizing that the approach used to garner support from upper-middle-class Venezuelan Americans in Florida is not the same as the tactics used toward Salvadoran voters in California. It’s about addressing and delivering on the issues all Latinx communities face without being reductive.
Without a doubt, the year 2020 has been full of surprises. Who knows if this is the year “Latinos decide the election results”? — as many optimistic writers predict every four years. One thing is clear, though: Town halls and debates are essential to the democratic process, but when diverse Latinx voices and perspectives are missing, it does a disservice to the millions of unique Latinx voters who feel alienated from the system.
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--2020-11-04--Election Day Mayhem Began Two Years Ago With Massive Voter Purges

You didn ’ t hear this in the cable TV chatter : In the two years leading up to this election , Georgia ’ s GOP secretary of state quietly wiped away the voter registrations of 198,351 voters — based on false information .
Call it “ The Great Purge ” — overwhelmingly wiping away the voting rights of young voters and voters of color .
In other words , voters who might be more likely to vote blue .
I ’ m not guessing the number of wrongly purged voters .
I directed a team of experts that identified @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the ACLU of Georgia , titled , “ Georgia Voter Roll Purge Errors.
” ( Rather than read this technical report , you can just watch the movie , The Purged : The Vanished Voters of Trump ’ s America , a 14-minute flick hosted by Leonardo DiCaprio . )
Our expert team , working with Black Voters Matter , a 501 ( c ) 4 group dedicated to expanding Black voter engagement , discovered the same game had been played with the voter rolls of Michigan , North Carolina and threatened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no coincidence that these are the states with “ surprisingly ” lower totals than expected for Joe Biden .
Here ’ s how the purge game got started .
Two years ago , the Supreme Court ’ s right-wing five authorized a new method of “ cleaning ” voter rolls .
The Court agreed with GOP voting officials , beginning with Ohio and Georgia , to purge voter rolls of those who “ moved.
” The idea sounds fair in theory : If you don ’ t live in Atlanta , you shouldn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do so is a felony crime .
But in practice , reality does not line up with officials ’ claims .
At an Atlanta poll , I met Christine Jordan , a 94–year–old who had just been tossed out of the poll .
Records said she ’ d moved , but I went to her home where she showed me photos of her cousin , Martin Luther King , Jr. , having dinner with her in that home half a century ago .
In Wisconsin , I met Sequanna Taylor , accused of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a Milwaukee County Supervisor !
But Jordan , Taylor , and the hundreds of purged voters we filmed and called almost all had one thing in common : They were guilty of voting while Black , or voting while Latinx , Asian American or a student .
Though Michigan has now been called for Biden , we saw the same game there .
The rolls were “ cleansed ” of 313,000 voters , many victims of an older purge scheme called “ Interstate Crosscheck.
” For Democracy Now !
, I confronted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spokesman with his secret purge sheet showing that the state had removed thousands of voters with names like Garcia and Brown on grounds they were registered in other states .
The GOP purge operation claimed that Michael Kelly Brown of Georgia is the same voter as Michael Wayne Brown of Michigan .
Yet , most of the Michael Browns and José Garcias lost their votes .
Biden has taken Wisconsin .
And that ’ s thanks to new Lt. Gov .
Mandela Barnes , who made this ugly vote suppression tactic an issue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Purge in that state .
Michigan ?
Despite warnings from the Black Voters Matter Fund and others , the new Democratic leadership of the state simply looked at its shoes and whistled .
The purged remained purged , putting Michigan into the potential steal zone .
President Trump has said he ’ s going to court because , “ We want all voting to stop.
” We think he meant “ stop the count.
” This is an attempt to prevent counting mail-in ballots in Pennsylvania , which were postmarked by Election Day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve been warning about the dangers of going postal for 12 years .
No , the problem is not , as Trump bleats , “ fraudulent ” ballots mailed in from Venezuela .
Rather , according to a study by MIT , as many as 22 percent of absentee ballots are never counted .
It ’ s absurdly easy to lose your mail-in ballot to postage due ( 100,000 tossed in 2016 ) , scotch tape on the envelope , a “ naked ” ballot ( you must cover one envelope with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ signature , or simply , late because of a post office delay .
The Coronavirus sent the number of mail-in ballots through the roof , heavily tilting Democratic , as Trump voters appear to be unconcerned about getting infected .
And now , the nightmare has lawyers .
Given that Wisconsin , a smaller state , had 80,000 ballots coming in after Election Day in the midterms , we can expect well more than that arriving after Election Day in Pennsylvania —enough to possibly determine the presidency .
How will it all shake @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I don ’ t have a crystal ball .
But this much is clear : Jim Crow is stalking this election .
Joe Biden , in the first debate said , “ He [ Trump ] can not stop you [ the voters ] from being able to determine the outcome of this election.
” Yes , Joe , it won ’ t be up to Trump to stop the count .
According to Article II of the Constitution , that ’ s up to Pennsylvania ’ s legislature and the interpretation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Barrett .

Part of the Series Voting Wrongs
You didn’t hear this in the cable TV chatter: In the two years leading up to this election, Georgia’s GOP secretary of state quietly wiped away the voter registrations of 198,351 voters — based on false information.
Call it “The Great Purge” — overwhelmingly wiping away the voting rights of young voters and voters of color. In other words, voters who might be more likely to vote blue.
I’m not guessing the number of wrongly purged voters. I directed a team of experts that identified each victim voter for a report issued by the ACLU of Georgia, titled, “Georgia Voter Roll Purge Errors.” (Rather than read this technical report, you can just watch the movie, The Purged: The Vanished Voters of Trump’s America, a 14-minute flick hosted by Leonardo DiCaprio.) Our expert team, working with Black Voters Matter, a 501(c)4 group dedicated to expanding Black voter engagement, discovered the same game had been played with the voter rolls of Michigan and North Carolina and threatened voters in Wisconsin.
It’s no coincidence that these are the states with “surprisingly” lower totals than expected for Joe Biden.
The Purge Game
Here’s how the purge game got started. Two years ago, the Supreme Court’s right-wing five authorized a new method of “cleaning” voter rolls. The Court agreed with GOP voting officials, beginning with Ohio and Georgia, to purge voter rolls of those who “moved.”
The idea sounds fair in theory: If you don’t live in Atlanta, you shouldn’t vote there, and to do so is a felony crime. But in practice, reality does not line up with officials’ claims. At an Atlanta poll, I met Christine Jordan, a 94–year–old who had just been tossed out of the poll. Records said she’d moved, but I went to her home where she showed me photos of her cousin, Martin Luther King, Jr., having dinner with her in that home half a century ago.
In Wisconsin, I met Sequanna Taylor, accused of moving from Milwaukee. Unlikely: Taylor is a Milwaukee County Supervisor! But Jordan, Taylor, and the hundreds of purged voters we filmed and called almost all had one thing in common: They were guilty of voting while Black, or voting while Latinx, Asian American or a student.
Though Michigan has now been called for Biden, we saw the same game there. The rolls were “cleansed” of 313,000 voters, many victims of an older purge scheme called “Interstate Crosscheck.” For Democracy Now!, I confronted the Republican secretary of state’s spokesman with his secret purge sheet showing that the state had removed thousands of voters with names like Garcia and Brown on grounds that they were registered in other states.
The GOP purge operation claimed that Michael Kelly Brown of Georgia is the same voter as Michael Wayne Brown of Michigan. Yet, most of the Michael Browns and José Garcias lost their votes.
Biden has taken Wisconsin. And that’s thanks to new Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, who made this ugly vote suppression tactic an issue — and so far, has blocked The Purge in that state.
Michigan? Despite warnings from the Black Voters Matter Fund and others, the new Democratic leadership of the state simply looked at its shoes and whistled. The purged remained purged, putting Michigan into the potential steal zone.
Mail- I n Mayhem
President Trump has said he’s going to court because, “We want all voting to stop.”
We think he meant “stop the count.” This is an attempt to prevent counting mail-in ballots in Pennsylvania, which were postmarked by Election Day but received during this week.
I’ve been warning about the dangers of going postal for 12 years. No, the problem is not, as Trump bleats, “fraudulent” ballots mailed in from Venezuela. Rather, according to a study by MIT, as many as 22 percent of absentee ballots are never counted. It’s absurdly easy to lose your mail-in ballot to postage due (100,000 tossed in 2016), scotch tape on the envelope, a “naked” ballot (you must cover one envelope with another) or a challenge to your signature, or simply, late, because of a post office delay. The coronavirus sent the number of mail-in ballots through the roof, heavily tilting Democratic, as Trump voters appear to be unconcerned about getting infected.
And now, the nightmare has lawyers. Given that Wisconsin, a smaller state, had 80,000 ballots coming in after Election Day in the midterms, we can expect well more than that arriving after Election Day in Pennsylvania —enough to possibly determine the presidency.
How will it all shake out? I don’t know, I don’t have a crystal ball. But this much is clear: Jim Crow is stalking this election.
Joe Biden, in the first debate said, “He [Trump] cannot stop you [the voters] from being able to determine the outcome of this election.”
Yes, Joe, it won’t be up to Trump to stop the count. According to Article II of the Constitution, that’s up to Pennsylvania’s legislature and the interpretation of Article II by Justice Amy Coney Barrett.
Good night and good luck.
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--2020-11-04--DeJoy Will Have to Testify in Court After USPS’s Failed Mail-In Ballot “Sweep”

A federal judge in Washington , D.C. , said on Wednesday that the United States Postal Service ’ s ( USPS ) Postmaster General Louis DeJoy must testify in court or be deposed to account for a failure to “ sweep ” facilities for ballots , as the judge ordered on Tuesday .
“ In no uncertain terms , I ’ m not pleased about this 11th-hour development last night , ” Judge Emmet Sullivan said , scolding USPS ’ s lawyers .
“ You can tell your clients that — and someone might have a price to pay.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Sullivan said , started “ at the top of the food chain ” — meaning DeJoy .
The lawyers representing the USPS admitted that the agency did not follow Sullivan ’ s orders from election day , saying that “ this was not operationally possible to implement in the limited time available.
” Sullivan ordered on Tuesday morning that the sweep be conducted at multiple key locations across the country by 3 p.m , but had instructed managers to speed ballots in swing states on Sunday .
According to postal officials , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election day sweep .
During the hearing , the attorney for the plaintiff , the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People , received an election protection hotline report that there may be a box of 3,000 ballots in Greensboro , North Carolina , sitting at a processing facility .
It is possible that these ballots were not postmarked on time .
The USPS has said that they will investigate those ballots .
There were reports of an undelivered 300,000 ballots on Tuesday , but , because the USPS was delivering ballots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ each one at processing facilities , these claims were debunked .
At the hearing Wednesday , Sullivan also ordered an additional sweep in Texas in particular , as the deadline for mail-in ballot delivery was 5 p.m. Wednesday .
It ’ s unclear now how many ballots were not delivered because of the extensive delays in service that began earlier this year under DeJoy .
However , as The Hill legal reporter John Kruzel writes on Twitter , “ Bottom line : As election law experts have said , every election sees some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arrive late , but it is safe to assume the problem has been exacerbated by USPS delays .
”

The USPS did not fully comply with the federal judge’s order to sweep its facilities yesterday for any stray ballots.
A federal judge in Washington, D.C., said on Wednesday that the United States Postal Service’s (USPS) Postmaster General Louis DeJoy must testify in court or be deposed to account for a failure to “sweep” facilities for ballots, as the judge ordered on Tuesday.
“In no uncertain terms, I’m not pleased about this 11th-hour development last night,” Judge Emmet Sullivan said, scolding USPS’s lawyers. “You can tell your clients that — and someone might have a price to pay.” The failure to follow the sweep order, Sullivan said, started “at the top of the food chain” — meaning DeJoy.
The lawyers representing the USPS admitted that the agency did not follow Sullivan’s orders from election day, saying that “this was not operationally possible to implement in the limited time available.” Sullivan ordered on Tuesday morning that the sweep be conducted at multiple key locations across the country by 3 p.m, but had instructed managers to speed ballots in swing states on Sunday.
According to postal officials, workers only found 13 ballots in the election day sweep. During the hearing, the attorney for the plaintiff, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, received an election protection hotline report that there may be a box of 3,000 ballots in Greensboro, North Carolina, sitting at a processing facility. It is possible that these ballots were not postmarked on time. The USPS has said that they will investigate those ballots.
There were reports of an undelivered 300,000 ballots on Tuesday, but, because the USPS was delivering ballots directly to election officials and not scanning each one at processing facilities, these claims were debunked.
At the hearing Wednesday, Sullivan also ordered an additional sweep in Texas in particular, as the deadline for mail-in ballot delivery was 5 p.m. Wednesday.
It’s unclear now how many ballots were not delivered because of the extensive delays in service that began earlier this year under DeJoy. However, as The Hill legal reporter John Kruzel writes on Twitter, “Bottom line: As election law experts have said, every election sees some portion of voters disenfranchised because their ballots arrive late, but it is safe to assume the problem has been exacerbated by USPS delays.”
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--2020-11-04--Trump Campaign Is Suing to Stop Michigan and Pennsylvania From Counting Votes

President Donald Trump ’ s campaign manager announced that the Republican candidate for president would be suing the state of Michigan to stop counting votes from the presidential election that took place on Tuesday .
Bill Stepien , the head of Trump ’ s campaign , demanded that members of the president ’ s campaign team be allowed to observe the tabulation process of votes that were being counted .
The votes are being counted later than usual due to the large number of absentee ballots .
“ We have filed suit today in the Michigan Court of Claims to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ granted , ” Stepien said in a statement .
“ We also demand to review those ballots which were opened and counted while we did not have meaningful access .
President Trump is committed to ensuring that all legal votes are counted in Michigan and everywhere else.
” The state is seen as essential for Trump if he is to win reelection , but currently , his challenger , Democratic candidate for president Joe Biden , is in the lead .
With 95 percent of all votes in the state counted , Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ percent , or around 45,000 votes .
The president had been ahead of Biden late into Tuesday evening , but that lead disappeared as votes from heavily Democratic areas , such as Wayne County ( which includes Detroit ) started to get counted .
More legal action was announced by the Trump campaign later on Wednesday afternoon .
According to CNN correspondent Abby D. Phillip , the campaign was also seeking to stop votes from being counted in Pennsylvania where Trump currently holds the lead.. “ Trump campaign just announced that they are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ second state : now Pennsylvania , ” Phillip tweeted out .
While the Trump campaign has signaled it wants vote counting to stop in Michigan and Pennsylvania , it has said it will demand a recount of votes in neighboring Wisconsin , which had been called for Biden earlier in the day .
The former vice president is reportedly ahead of Trump in the Badger State by a margin that is greater than 20,000 votes .
As Trump ’ s campaign manager is making strategic moves in states Trump has either already lost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lose , the president himself has been busy on social media , making a number of disreputable claims regarding vote counting in those states .
One tweet that Trump issued out resulted in Twitter placing a disclaimer , noting that the content within it was “ disputed and might be misleading about an election or other civic process.
” “ They are working hard to make up 500,000 vote advantage in Pennsylvania disappear — ASAP .
Likewise , Michigan and others !
” Trump said in that tweet .
Pennsylvania is another state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but a number of votes from Democratic areas that have yet to be counted may flip the state to Biden .
“ They are finding Biden votes all over the place — in Pennsylvania , Wisconsin , and Michigan .
So bad for our Country !
” Trump said in a different tweet .
In fact , Trump ’ s comments are false — votes aren ’ t being “ found ” in any of those places .
Rather , ballots that had been submitted in a timely manner are finally being counted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be included in the final vote total .

The president is currently behind Joe Biden on vote totals within the Great Lakes State.
President Donald Trump’s campaign manager announced that the Republican candidate for president would be suing the state of Michigan to stop counting votes from the presidential election that took place on Tuesday.
Bill Stepien, the head of Trump’s campaign, demanded that members of the president’s campaign team be allowed to observe the tabulation process of votes that were being counted. The votes are being counted later than usual due to the large number of absentee ballots.
“We have filed suit today in the Michigan Court of Claims to halt counting until meaningful access has been granted,” Stepien said in a statement. “We also demand to review those ballots which were opened and counted while we did not have meaningful access. President Trump is committed to ensuring that all legal votes are counted in Michigan and everywhere else.”
The state is seen as essential for Trump if he is to win reelection, but currently, his challenger, Democratic candidate for president Joe Biden, is in the lead. With 95 percent of all votes in the state counted, Biden is ahead of Trump by about 0.9 percent, or around 45,000 votes.
The president had been ahead of Biden late into Tuesday evening, but that lead disappeared as votes from heavily Democratic areas, such as Wayne County (which includes Detroit) started to get counted.
More legal action was announced by the Trump campaign later on Wednesday afternoon. According to CNN correspondent Abby D. Phillip, the campaign was also seeking to stop votes from being counted in Pennsylvania where Trump currently holds the lead..
“Trump campaign just announced that they are seeking to stop ballot COUNTING in a second state: now Pennsylvania,” Phillip tweeted out.
While the Trump campaign has signaled it wants vote counting to stop in Michigan and Pennsylvania, it has said it will demand a recount of votes in neighboring Wisconsin, which had been called for Biden earlier in the day. The former vice president is reportedly ahead of Trump in the Badger State by a margin that is greater than 20,000 votes.
As Trump’s campaign manager is making strategic moves in states Trump has either already lost or which appear as though he may lose, the president himself has been busy on social media, making a number of disreputable claims regarding vote counting in those states.
One tweet that Trump issued out resulted in Twitter placing a disclaimer, noting that the content within it was “disputed and might be misleading about an election or other civic process.”
“They are working hard to make up 500,000 vote advantage in Pennsylvania disappear — ASAP. Likewise, Michigan and others!” Trump said in that tweet. Pennsylvania is another state where Trump currently has a lead, but a number of votes from Democratic areas that have yet to be counted may flip the state to Biden.
“They are finding Biden votes all over the place — in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan. So bad for our Country!” Trump said in a different tweet.
In fact, Trump’s comments are false — votes aren’t being “found” in any of those places. Rather, ballots that had been submitted in a timely manner are finally being counted, as they are legally meant to be included in the final vote total.
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--2020-11-04--Trump Officially Leaves Paris Agreement After Years of Environmental Wreckage

On the day after a consequential presidential election , the U.S. has officially pulled out of the Paris climate agreement .
Despite being the world ’ s second-largest emitter of carbon dioxide , the U.S. is now the only country in the world that has left the accord .
Negotiated in 2015 , the primary aim of the Paris agreement is to keep global warming under 2 degrees Celsius .
Each country has emissions reductions goals , and richer countries pledged $ 100 billion a year to help poorer countries do things like invest in clean energy and adapt to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Climate denier President Donald Trump has made a big show of pulling out of the agreement , promising throughout his presidential run in 2016 that he would withdraw the U.S. from the accord or try to “ renegotiate ” it .
And he promised to pull out again in 2017 , when he falsely equated environmental regulations with killing jobs .
Finally , last year , his administration officially filed notice that the U.S. would be backing out of the accord , and it was made official on Wednesday .
While the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ symbolic than anything , it still has political implications .
If Trump wins the election , the U.S. will stay this course .
For the next four years , the country will sit back while the rest of the world comes to agreements on the degrees to which each country is responsible for emissions reductions and the mechanisms with which the world will keep global warming at “ safe ” levels .
The U.S. will not be bound by these agreements and will not have a say in how they are negotiated .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ facets of climate change denial that have marked the Trump presidency , raises potential diplomacy issues as other countries come to distrust the U.S. ’ s flip-flopping on its global promises .
On the other hand , Joe Biden has promised to re-enter the Paris agreement on “ day one , ” though if that comes to pass , the U.S. will have to play catch-up for the years lost due to Trump sending bad actors to the yearly global climate talks .
And , crucially , the U.S. will have to establish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ countries like China have only stepped up their emissions promises in recent years .
The agreement is often viewed as a boon to the climate movement in the U.S .
However , what ’ s more important is how Biden , should he win the presidency , will carry out his climate promises regardless of the U.S. ’ s participation in the accord , since many climate advocates argue that the accord doesn ’ t do enough .
Two degrees of warming is still enough to do catastrophic damage ; and as Earther @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ there is no safe global warming.
” Since the accord is nonbinding — meaning that there is no means for compelling countries to meet their targets — the agreement itself has very little teeth , apart from peer pressure .
If elected , Biden will have his work cut out for him , as the American public and the world will look to his administration to take a leading role in what will be extremely crucial years for the climate .
Biden has come a long way on climate since he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Paris will be square zero .

The agreement is largely symbolic of how the U.S. will act — or not — on climate in the next four years.
On the day after a consequential presidential election, the U.S. has officially pulled out of the Paris climate agreement. Despite being the world’s second-largest emitter of carbon dioxide, the U.S. is now the only country in the world that has left the accord.
Negotiated in 2015, the primary aim of the Paris agreement is to keep global warming under 2 degrees Celsius. Each country has emissions reductions goals, and richer countries pledged $100 billion a year to help poorer countries do things like invest in clean energy and adapt to climate impacts such as sea-level rise.
Climate denier President Donald Trump has made a big show of pulling out of the agreement, promising throughout his presidential run in 2016 that he would withdraw the U.S. from the accord or try to “renegotiate” it. And he promised to pull out again in 2017, when he falsely equated environmental regulations with killing jobs. Finally, last year, his administration officially filed notice that the U.S. would be backing out of the accord, and it was made official on Wednesday.
While the U.S. pulling out of the agreement is more symbolic than anything, it still has political implications.
If Trump wins the election, the U.S. will stay this course. For the next four years, the country will sit back while the rest of the world comes to agreements on the degrees to which each country is responsible for emissions reductions and the mechanisms with which the world will keep global warming at “safe” levels. The U.S. will not be bound by these agreements and will not have a say in how they are negotiated.
The withdrawal, along with the many facets of climate change denial that have marked the Trump presidency, raises potential diplomacy issues as other countries come to distrust the U.S.’s flip-flopping on its global promises.
On the other hand, Joe Biden has promised to re-enter the Paris agreement on “day one,” though if that comes to pass, the U.S. will have to play catch-up for the years lost due to Trump sending bad actors to the yearly global climate talks. And, crucially, the U.S. will have to establish itself as competitive again, as other countries like China have only stepped up their emissions promises in recent years.
The agreement is often viewed as a boon to the climate movement in the U.S. However, what’s more important is how Biden, should he win the presidency, will carry out his climate promises regardless of the U.S.’s participation in the accord, since many climate advocates argue that the accord doesn’t do enough. Two degrees of warming is still enough to do catastrophic damage; and as Earther’s Brian Kahn has pointed out, “there is no safe global warming.” Since the accord is nonbinding — meaning that there is no means for compelling countries to meet their targets — the agreement itself has very little teeth, apart from peer pressure.
If elected, Biden will have his work cut out for him, as the American public and the world will look to his administration to take a leading role in what will be extremely crucial years for the climate. Biden has come a long way on climate since he became the Democratic presidential nominee and rejoining Paris will be square zero.
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--2020-11-04--Trump Campaign Demands Recount, Even Though He Was Against Recounts in 2016

The race between President Donald Trump and Democratic candidate for president Joe Biden remains too close to make any definitive calls for either to be the clear victor quite yet , but if trends in a number of key areas keep holding true , it appears that Biden may defeat the incumbent president .
The former vice president is presently leading the vote count in Arizona , Michigan and Nevada .
Wisconsin was also called for Biden on Wednesday afternoon , by a margin of just over 20,000 votes between him and Trump .
And in Pennsylvania , although Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of observers have noted that the state could also flip as more votes are counted throughout the week .
“ If the [ Pennsylvania Secretary of State ] page is accurate , then there are enough absentee votes left for Biden to win Pennsylvania , ” the New York Times ’ s Nate Cohn suggested in a tweet .
Trump wrongly claimed early on Wednesday morning that he was the clear winner of the race , making the pronouncement even as several states had still not been called in his favor .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ counting in those states would be a “ major fraud in our nation , ” and suggested he might try to get those votes discounted in the courts .
“ We ’ ll be going to the U.S. Supreme Court .
We want all voting to stop , ” Trump said at 2:21 a.m. on Wednesday , wrongly implying that continued ballot counts were new votes coming in after polling places had closed .
“ We don ’ t want them to find any ballots at four o ’ clock in the morning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Before the ballot tabulations had commenced on Tuesday , Trump had also demanded that a winner be announced on Election Day itself — a requirement that does not exist in any state in the country .
If vote counting continues and Trump indeed loses the election , he is entitled in a number of states to demand a recount of the ballots .
However , doing so would go against the numerous statements he has made both before and after Election Day .
It would also go against his attitude toward recounts in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ago when he ran against Hillary Clinton .
In 2016 , Trump won the three “ blue wall ” states of Michigan , Pennsylvania and Wisconsin by very slim margins .
At the end of November , recounts in each of those states were initiated by Green Party candidate Jill Stein , which the campaign of Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton also joined .
Trump blasted the recounts as being unnecessary and detrimental to the country .
“ Hillary Clinton conceded the election when she called me just prior to the victory speech and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will change , ” Trump said at the time .
Trump also derided the costs that would be associated with the recounts .
“ So much time and money will be spent — same result !
Sad , ” he said at the time .
In spite of these prior comments deriding the idea of a recount in principle , it appears that Trump ’ s campaign will likely call for recounts this time , with campaign manager Bill Stepien saying on Wednesday that Wisconsin is , in his view , within “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Stepien confirmed that the campaign would be making an official request for a recount , citing “ reports of irregularities in several Wisconsin counties which raise serious doubts about the validity of the results.
” Such irregularities , however , have not been widely reported , and in fact , just the opposite was observed at the polls on Tuesday , as the Associated Press reported no signs of problems at the polls .
A recount in Wisconsin requires a 1 percent or less vote difference between candidates , and is paid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ difference is greater than 0.25 percent .
Currently , Biden leads Trump in Wisconsin by around 0.6 percent , per the New York Times ’ s reporting on the race .
A move to request a recount , in Wisconsin or elsewhere , risks making the president look hypocritical on the issue , both due to his insistence that the election be decided quickly and because of what he said in 2016 about recounts specifically .
But Trump is not unaccustomed to behaving hypocritically when it comes to election rules , frequently changing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rules benefit his campaign the most .
In 2012 , for example , when it appeared that then-President Barack Obama would defeat Republican candidate for president Mitt Romney in the Electoral College , with popular vote totals showing Obama behind his opponent at the time , Trump tweeted out his criticism of the voting mechanism ( Obama would go on to win the popular vote , too ) .
“ The electoral college is a disaster for a democracy , ” Trump said .
Yet , when he himself won the presidency in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an Electoral College victory against Clinton , Trump became an ardent proponent of it .
Indeed , for several months afterwards , he continued to brag about the victory , even at inopportune times , such as a Boy Scout jamboree in the summer of 2017 .
“ Do you remember that incredible night with the maps ?
” Trump said at that event .

Trump’s hypocrisy is evident as he changes his mind to favor the election rules that benefit him most at the moment.
The race between President Donald Trump and Democratic candidate for president Joe Biden remains too close to make any definitive calls for either to be the clear victor quite yet, but if trends in a number of key areas keep holding true, it appears that Biden may defeat the incumbent president.
The former vice president is presently leading the vote count in Arizona, Michigan and Nevada. Wisconsin was also called for Biden on Wednesday afternoon, by a margin of just over 20,000 votes between him and Trump. And in Pennsylvania, although Trump is currently in the lead, a number of observers have noted that the state could also flip as more votes are counted throughout the week.
“If the [Pennsylvania Secretary of State] page is accurate, then there are enough absentee votes left for Biden to win Pennsylvania,” the New York Times’s Nate Cohn suggested in a tweet.
Trump wrongly claimed early on Wednesday morning that he was the clear winner of the race, making the pronouncement even as several states had still not been called in his favor. He also baselessly said that continued vote counting in those states would be a “major fraud in our nation,” and suggested he might try to get those votes discounted in the courts.
“We’ll be going to the U.S. Supreme Court. We want all voting to stop,” Trump said at 2:21 a.m. on Wednesday, wrongly implying that continued ballot counts were new votes coming in after polling places had closed. “We don’t want them to find any ballots at four o’clock in the morning and add them to the list.”
Before the ballot tabulations had commenced on Tuesday, Trump had also demanded that a winner be announced on Election Day itself — a requirement that does not exist in any state in the country.
If vote counting continues and Trump indeed loses the election, he is entitled in a number of states to demand a recount of the ballots. However, doing so would go against the numerous statements he has made both before and after Election Day.
It would also go against his attitude toward recounts in general, which he expressed four years ago when he ran against Hillary Clinton.
In 2016, Trump won the three “blue wall” states of Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin by very slim margins. At the end of November, recounts in each of those states were initiated by Green Party candidate Jill Stein, which the campaign of Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton also joined.
Trump blasted the recounts as being unnecessary and detrimental to the country.
“Hillary Clinton conceded the election when she called me just prior to the victory speech and after the results were in. Nothing will change,” Trump said at the time.
Trump also derided the costs that would be associated with the recounts.
“So much time and money will be spent — same result! Sad,” he said at the time.
In spite of these prior comments deriding the idea of a recount in principle, it appears that Trump’s campaign will likely call for recounts this time, with campaign manager Bill Stepien saying on Wednesday that Wisconsin is, in his view, within “recount territory.”
Later in the day, Stepien confirmed that the campaign would be making an official request for a recount, citing “reports of irregularities in several Wisconsin counties which raise serious doubts about the validity of the results.” Such irregularities, however, have not been widely reported, and in fact, just the opposite was observed at the polls on Tuesday, as the Associated Press reported no signs of problems at the polls.
A recount in Wisconsin requires a 1 percent or less vote difference between candidates, and is paid for by the candidates themselves if the difference is greater than 0.25 percent. Currently, Biden leads Trump in Wisconsin by around 0.6 percent, per the New York Times’s reporting on the race.
A move to request a recount, in Wisconsin or elsewhere, risks making the president look hypocritical on the issue, both due to his insistence that the election be decided quickly and because of what he said in 2016 about recounts specifically. But Trump is not unaccustomed to behaving hypocritically when it comes to election rules, frequently changing his opinions on them depending on which rules benefit his campaign the most.
In 2012, for example, when it appeared that then-President Barack Obama would defeat Republican candidate for president Mitt Romney in the Electoral College, with popular vote totals showing Obama behind his opponent at the time, Trump tweeted out his criticism of the voting mechanism (Obama would go on to win the popular vote, too).
“The electoral college is a disaster for a democracy,” Trump said.
Yet, when he himself won the presidency in 2016 without the popular vote but with an Electoral College victory against Clinton, Trump became an ardent proponent of it. Indeed, for several months afterwards, he continued to brag about the victory, even at inopportune times, such as a Boy Scout jamboree in the summer of 2017.
“Do you remember that incredible night with the maps?” Trump said at that event.
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