truthout--2020-10-29--Kayleigh McEnany’s New Shadow Role With Trump Campaign Riles Ethics Watchdogs

President Donald Trump ’ s White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany appears to have supplemented her government work with a new role as a senior adviser to the president ’ s re-election campaign .
McEnany , who left her job as Trump campaign spokesperson to join the administration , was introduced in a Tuesday segment on Fox Business as “ Trump 2020 senior adviser and White House press secretary.
” During a second appearance on the same day , Fox Business Network host Stuart Varney said the press secretary was “ serving now as adviser for the Trump campaign ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of both the White House and the Trump campaign logo behind her .
A Trump campaign spokesperson told Salon that the campaign had instructed the cable news shows not to refer to McEnany with her White House title in advance .
The new shadow role , which the Daily Beast first reported on Tuesday , triggered criticism among government ethics watchdogs , who pinned it as a continuation of the history of the intercourse between Trump ’ s government administration and his ostensibly separate political arm .
“ People will probably be surprised @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Commission [ FEC ] and the Hatch Act allow White House employees to campaign for federal candidates as long as they do it on their own time and don ’ t use any White House resources , ” Brett Kappel , a top government ethics expert and attorney at Harmon Curran , told Salon in reference to the federal rule that bars government employees from politicking on the clock .
However , Kappel added that the nature of McEnany ’ s duties at the White House — including on-demand rapid-response to urgent news @ @ @ @ @ @ @ difficult to draw the line .
“ Given that working in the White House is a 24/7 proposition , ” he said , “ it is hard to see how it would be possible to maintain the separation required by the Hatch Act.
” Jordan Libowitz , spokesperson for Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington ( CREW ) , echoed Kappel ’ s point .
“ People like Kayleigh McEnany can volunteer for the campaign , but obviously can not appear for the campaign in their official government capacity or using their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Since she ’ s essentially providing the same role for each , it raises questions about what efforts she is taking to prevent government resources from being used for her campaign activity.
” “ Ultimately , I think we need a little more information about what ’ s going on here , ” he added .
“ But I ’ ve never seen something like this before.
” A Trump campaign spokesperson confirmed to Salon that McEnany “ appears in her personal capacity on a volunteer basis , ” and she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” unrelated to her White House role .
But on Varney ’ s show , McEnany discussed official administration policy , including offering insight to elements that “ we ’ re providing ” in the ongoing negotiations for a new coronavirus relief bill .
“ The chances are slim when you have someone like Nancy Pelosi as speaker of the House , ” she said .
“ If we ’ re providing stimulus relief for the American people , it should be just that — for American people , for United States citizens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ left.
” The White House has caught relentless flak from ethics advocates for repeated violations of the Hatch Act , most recently for hosting the extravagant Republican National Convention in August , in which numerous administration officials stumped for the president , who himself accepted the party ’ s nomination from the White House lawn .
Former senior White House adviser Kellyanne Conway had been accused of violating the rule 50 times on Twitter alone — before 2019 — a pattern so brazen that the Office of Special Counsel recommended her removal .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ bask in the controversy stirred by Hatch-related controversies , declined to act .
While the White House waived McEnany ’ s ethics pledge ahead of her Republican National Committee appearance , Kedric Payne , the general counsel and senior ethics director at the Campaign Legal Center , told Salon that her role as former campaign spokesperson complicated that rationale — and smacked of desperation .
“ White House officials are generally permitted to volunteer for the campaign , but McEnany ’ s ethics pledge was intended to bar her from working with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Payne said .
“ The overlooked legal rationale the White House gave for waiving the pledge is that it doesn ’ t matter that this raises ethics questions , because her services are desperately needed .
Ethics does not appear to be the priority this close to an election.
” In July , Salon reported that the campaign had continued to pay McEnany for two paycheck cycles after she went to work for the White House .
McEnany and the campaign insisted that the funds had been restored and properly accounted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s joint review of the campaign ’ s filings with campaign finance experts .
“ The campaign overpaid me , and I immediately paid them back , ” McEnany said , claiming that “ every penny has been paid back in the overlap.
” Neither McEnany nor the campaign provided documentation that the campaign had received the money .
“ Campaign funds are meant for bona fide campaign expenditures , ” Ciarra Torres-Spelliscy , campaign finance law expert at Stetson University and former fellow at Brennan Center for Justice , told Salon at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exceptions .
For instance , 18 U.S.C .
§ 209 — “ Salary of Government officials and employees payable only by United States ” — prohibits officials and employees of the U.S. government from being paid “ by someone other than the United States for doing their official Government duties , ” but it includes a carveout for “ special government employees ” and “ employees serving without compensation.
” Such examples include former Ambassador Kurt Volker , who served the administration as an unpaid “ special envoy ” to Ukraine while keeping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the lobbying firm BGR .
McEnany ’ s dual roles reverse that arrangement : serving the administration in a paid capacity while volunteering outside of it .
Weeks after Salon published its July 27 report , a refund from McEnany dated mid-July appeared in the Trump campaign ’ s financial statements filed with Federal Election Commission at the end of that month .
Salon asked the campaign to explain the 10-week lag between McEnany ’ s alleged repayment and the campaign ’ s documentation but received no response .
Two campaign finance experts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the filing itself , the entry might have been backdated , but allowed that a set of unusual but still-unknown circumstances could explain it .
The campaign has still not provided documentation to Salon .
You can watch McEnany ’ s appearance on Fox Business below via YouTube :

The White House has caught flak from ethics advocates for relentless violations of the Hatch Act.
President Donald Trump’s White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany appears to have supplemented her government work with a new role as a senior adviser to the president’s re-election campaign.
McEnany, who left her job as Trump campaign spokesperson to join the administration, was introduced in a Tuesday segment on Fox Business as “Trump 2020 senior adviser and White House press secretary.” During a second appearance on the same day, Fox Business Network host Stuart Varney said the press secretary was “serving now as adviser for the Trump campaign” as he introduced her with an image of both the White House and the Trump campaign logo behind her.
A Trump campaign spokesperson told Salon that the campaign had instructed the cable news shows not to refer to McEnany with her White House title in advance.
The new shadow role, which the Daily Beast first reported on Tuesday, triggered criticism among government ethics watchdogs, who pinned it as a continuation of the history of the intercourse between Trump’s government administration and his ostensibly separate political arm.
“People will probably be surprised to learn that both the Federal Election Commission [FEC] and the Hatch Act allow White House employees to campaign for federal candidates as long as they do it on their own time and don’t use any White House resources,” Brett Kappel, a top government ethics expert and attorney at Harmon Curran, told Salon in reference to the federal rule that bars government employees from politicking on the clock.
However, Kappel added that the nature of McEnany’s duties at the White House — including on-demand rapid-response to urgent news and regular media interviews — made it difficult to draw the line.
“Given that working in the White House is a 24/7 proposition,” he said, “it is hard to see how it would be possible to maintain the separation required by the Hatch Act.”
Jordan Libowitz, spokesperson for Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), echoed Kappel’s point.
“People like Kayleigh McEnany can volunteer for the campaign, but obviously cannot appear for the campaign in their official government capacity or using their government authority,” Libowitz told Salon. “Since she’s essentially providing the same role for each, it raises questions about what efforts she is taking to prevent government resources from being used for her campaign activity.”
“Ultimately, I think we need a little more information about what’s going on here,” he added. “But I’ve never seen something like this before.”
A Trump campaign spokesperson confirmed to Salon that McEnany “appears in her personal capacity on a volunteer basis,” and she speaks only “as a private citizen” unrelated to her White House role.
But on Varney’s show, McEnany discussed official administration policy, including offering insight to elements that “we’re providing” in the ongoing negotiations for a new coronavirus relief bill.
“The chances are slim when you have someone like Nancy Pelosi as speaker of the House,” she said. “If we’re providing stimulus relief for the American people, it should be just that — for American people, for United States citizens — not a wish-list from the liberal left.”
The White House has caught relentless flak from ethics advocates for repeated violations of the Hatch Act, most recently for hosting the extravagant Republican National Convention in August, in which numerous administration officials stumped for the president, who himself accepted the party’s nomination from the White House lawn.
Former senior White House adviser Kellyanne Conway had been accused of violating the rule 50 times on Twitter alone — before 2019 — a pattern so brazen that the Office of Special Counsel recommended her removal. The White House, which appears to bask in the controversy stirred by Hatch-related controversies, declined to act.
While the White House waived McEnany’s ethics pledge ahead of her Republican National Committee appearance, Kedric Payne, the general counsel and senior ethics director at the Campaign Legal Center, told Salon that her role as former campaign spokesperson complicated that rationale — and smacked of desperation.
“White House officials are generally permitted to volunteer for the campaign, but McEnany’s ethics pledge was intended to bar her from working with the campaign because it is her former employer,” Payne said. “The overlooked legal rationale the White House gave for waiving the pledge is that it doesn’t matter that this raises ethics questions, because her services are desperately needed. Ethics does not appear to be the priority this close to an election.”
In July, Salon reported that the campaign had continued to pay McEnany for two paycheck cycles after she went to work for the White House. McEnany and the campaign insisted that the funds had been restored and properly accounted for, in spite of Salon’s joint review of the campaign’s filings with campaign finance experts.
“The campaign overpaid me, and I immediately paid them back,” McEnany said, claiming that “every penny has been paid back in the overlap.” Neither McEnany nor the campaign provided documentation that the campaign had received the money.
“Campaign funds are meant for bona fide campaign expenditures,” Ciarra Torres-Spelliscy, campaign finance law expert at Stetson University and former fellow at Brennan Center for Justice, told Salon at the time.
But Torres-Spelliscy pointed out exceptions. For instance, 18 U.S.C. § 209 — “Salary of Government officials and employees payable only by United States” — prohibits officials and employees of the U.S. government from being paid “by someone other than the United States for doing their official Government duties,” but it includes a carveout for “special government employees” and “employees serving without compensation.”
Such examples include former Ambassador Kurt Volker, who served the administration as an unpaid “special envoy” to Ukraine while keeping his full salary as an executive at the lobbying firm BGR. McEnany’s dual roles reverse that arrangement: serving the administration in a paid capacity while volunteering outside of it.
Weeks after Salon published its July 27 report, a refund from McEnany dated mid-July appeared in the Trump campaign’s financial statements filed with Federal Election Commission at the end of that month. Salon asked the campaign to explain the 10-week lag between McEnany’s alleged repayment and the campaign’s documentation but received no response.
Two campaign finance experts told Salon that given data included with the filing itself, the entry might have been backdated, but allowed that a set of unusual but still-unknown circumstances could explain it.
The campaign has still not provided documentation to Salon.
You can watch McEnany’s appearance on Fox Business below via YouTube:
Tired of reading the same old news from the same old sources? So are we! That’s why we’re on a mission to shake things up and bring you the stories and perspectives that often go untold in mainstream media. But being a radically, unapologetically independent news site isn’t easy (or cheap), and we rely on reader support to keep the lights on.
If you like what you’re reading, please consider making a tax-deductible donation today. We’re not asking for a handout, we’re asking for an investment: Invest in a nonprofit news site that’s not afraid to ruffle a few feathers, not afraid to stand up for what’s right, and not afraid to tell it like it is.
This piece was reprinted by Truthout with permission or license. It may not be reproduced in any form without permission or license from the source.


truthout--2020-10-29--Trump Openly Voices Hope That Courts Will Intervene in Ballot Count

President Donald Trump on Wednesday once again openly voiced hope that U.S. courts — now packed with his right-wing judges — will intervene and stop states from counting legally submitted ballots after November 3 , remarks that came just before the U.S. Supreme Court suggested it could invalidate late-arriving Pennsylvania votes after Election Day .
“ Hopefully the few states remaining that want to take a lot of time after November 3rd to count ballots , that won ’ t be allowed by the various courts because as you know we ’ re in courts on that , ” Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vegas .
Trump went on to tout as a “ big victory ” the Supreme Court ’ s ruling earlier this week barring Wisconsin from extending its absentee ballot deadline past November 3 at 8:00 pm local time .
“ The president is essentially saying he will litigate to try and stop the count of absentee ballots ( the count of which is never completed on Election Day ) , ” tweeted Sherrilyn Ifill , president and director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund .
According to one estimate , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cast in the 2016 election were counted after Election Day .
“ Also , when is he imagining that military mail-in votes will be counted ?
” asked Ifill .
“ He is trying to make this sound normal .
It ’ s not.
” “ He ’ s saying it out loud : he wants courts to block legally cast ballots from being counted , ” said Brian Klaas , a Washington Post contributor and associate professor of global politics University College London .
“ This is so dangerously authoritarian.
” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Supreme Court late Wednesday permitted North Carolina and Pennsylvania to extend their arrival deadlines for mail-in ballots , blocking Republican efforts to require strict Election Day deadlines .
But , as Common Dreams reported , the high court left open the possibility of invalidating late-arriving Pennsylvania ballots shortly after the election .
Conservative Justice Samuel Alito , joined by Justices Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch , said he only “ reluctantly ” denied the Pennsylvania GOP ’ s push for the rejection of ballots that arrive after Election Day and said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ again after November 3 .
“ The Supreme Court may throw out ballots that arrive after Election Day — even though they are valid under current law , ” warned Slate ’ s Mark Joseph Stern .
“ DO NOT MAIL YOUR BALLOT .
Drop it off or vote in person .
Don ’ t leave your vote in the hands of the Supreme Court .
”

President Donald Trump on Wednesday once again openly voiced hope that U.S. courts — now packed with his right-wing judges — will intervene and stop states from counting legally submitted ballots after November 3, remarks that came just before the U.S. Supreme Court suggested it could invalidate late-arriving Pennsylvania votes after Election Day.
“Hopefully the few states remaining that want to take a lot of time after November 3rd to count ballots, that won’t be allowed by the various courts because as you know we’re in courts on that,” Trump said during a press conference in Las Vegas.
Trump went on to tout as a “big victory” the Supreme Court’s ruling earlier this week barring Wisconsin from extending its absentee ballot deadline past November 3 at 8:00 pm local time.
“The president is essentially saying he will litigate to try and stop the count of absentee ballots (the count of which is never completed on Election Day),” tweeted Sherrilyn Ifill, president and director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund. According to one estimate, “about 10 percent of all votes” cast in the 2016 election were counted after Election Day.
“Also, when is he imagining that military mail-in votes will be counted?” asked Ifill. “He is trying to make this sound normal. It’s not.”
Watch:
Trump: “Hopefully the few states remaining that want to take a lot of time after November 3rd to count ballots, that won’t be allowed by the various courts.” pic.twitter.com/ckryTBuX0j — The Recount (@therecount) October 28, 2020
“He’s saying it out loud: he wants courts to block legally cast ballots from being counted,” said Brian Klaas, a Washington Post contributor and associate professor of global politics University College London. “This is so dangerously authoritarian.”
The president’s comments came shortly before the Supreme Court late Wednesday permitted North Carolina and Pennsylvania to extend their arrival deadlines for mail-in ballots, blocking Republican efforts to require strict Election Day deadlines.
But, as Common Dreams reported, the high court left open the possibility of invalidating late-arriving Pennsylvania ballots shortly after the election. Conservative Justice Samuel Alito, joined by Justices Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch, said he only “reluctantly” denied the Pennsylvania GOP’s push for the rejection of ballots that arrive after Election Day and said the high court could take up the case again after November 3.
“The Supreme Court may throw out ballots that arrive after Election Day — even though they are valid under current law,” warned Slate’s Mark Joseph Stern. “DO NOT MAIL YOUR BALLOT. Drop it off or vote in person. Don’t leave your vote in the hands of the Supreme Court.”
Tired of reading the same old news from the same old sources? So are we! That’s why we’re on a mission to shake things up and bring you the stories and perspectives that often go untold in mainstream media. But being a radically, unapologetically independent news site isn’t easy (or cheap), and we rely on reader support to keep the lights on.
If you like what you’re reading, please consider making a tax-deductible donation today. We’re not asking for a handout, we’re asking for an investment: Invest in a nonprofit news site that’s not afraid to ruffle a few feathers, not afraid to stand up for what’s right, and not afraid to tell it like it is.
This piece was reprinted by Truthout with permission or license. It may not be reproduced in any form without permission or license from the source.


truthout--2020-10-29--Trump Admin to Give $1.4 Billion to Try to Revive the Nuclear Power Industry

The nuclear power industry may be getting a new lease on life , thanks to a $ 1.4 billion taxpayer subsidy from the Trump administration .
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission ( NRC ) in August approved the design of a new kind of nuclear power reactor invented by NuScale Power , a startup company with offices in Corvallis and Portland , Oregon .
The new design is called a “ small modular reactor ” ( SMR ) .
The approval of the SMR design does not mean construction can begin ; nevertheless , it is a significant step toward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up to 1,682 small ( 60-megawatt ) reactors across the U.S. and beyond starting in 2023 , essentially reviving the moribund nuclear power industry .
Successful deployment of 1,682 60-megawatt SMRs in the U.S. would more than double domestic nuclear power capacity , which currently stands at about 98,000 megawatts .
Globally , nuclear power is in decline ; in 1996 , it produced 17.5 percent of global electricity , but today only 10 percent .
In the U.S. , only one new nuclear plant has started operating since 1996 .
The only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ major delays and cost overruns .
So , how could NuScale change all that ?
Compared to typical old-style nuclear power plants , the approved NuScale pressurized-water SMR is modest in size , measuring 65 feet high and nine feet in diameter , producing 50 megawatts of electricity .
It is “ modular , ” meaning it can be built in a factory and shipped to its final destination .
According to Science magazine , each of NuScale ’ s SMRs holds one-eighth as much radioactive fuel as an old-style 1,000-megawatt nuclear plant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ apply for approval of a revised design in 2022 , increasing the power of each SMR to 60 megawatts .
The NuScale reactor has been developed almost entirely by governments .
The original design was invented in 1999 at a public university , Oregon State , in Corvallis .
NuScale Power was incorporated in 2007 to privatize and commercialize the public invention .
In 2011 , NuScale was purchased by Fluor Corporation .
In 2013 , the U.S. Department of Energy gave NuScale $ 226 million to refine its SMR plans , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In October 2020 , the Trump administration announced it was giving NuScale an eye-popping $ 1.4 billion to build the first 12 SMRs , which would be clustered together on federal property at the Idaho National Laboratory ( INL ) near Idaho Falls .
Construction on federal property reduces the likelihood of citizen protests , which might otherwise erupt .
NuScale ’ s INL energy would be purchased by the U.S. Department of Energy and by municipal governments in Utah , Idaho , Nevada , New Mexico and California participating in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) .
UAMPS is a political subdivision of the state of Utah .
The federal government has been aggressively promoting nuclear power since 1953 when President Eisenhower gave his “ Atoms for Peace ” speech to the United Nations General Assembly , saying , “ the United States pledges … its determination to help solve the fearful atomic dilemma — to devote its entire heart and mind to find the way by which the miraculous inventiveness of man shall not be dedicated to his death , but consecrated to his life.
” In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feeling remorseful for killing an estimated 225,000 civilians when atomic bombs incinerated the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945 .
Since 1953 , aiming to show that splitting the atom was a boon to humankind and not a horrible mistake , the U.S. has invested about $ 200 billion to promote nuclear-generated electricity .
As the Union of Concerned Scientists has said , the Department of Energy “ has traditionally been an unapologetic nuclear power cheerleader.
” Despite these massive subsidies , nuclear power today still suffers from three major @ @ @ @ @ @ @ radioactive waste .
After 63 years of commercial nuclear power operation in the U.S. , no one has yet solved the problem of radioactive waste , which is accumulating at numerous locations around the country .
The project to bury high-level waste at Yucca Mountain in Nevada has been abandoned , at least for now .
The most recent plan is to bury high-level waste in a salt mine near Carlsbad , New Mexico , at the existing Waste Isolation Pilot Plant ( WIPP ) .
However , the WIPP site has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 1999 , intended to sequester radioactive waste for 10,000 years ; however , after just 15 years of operation , deadly plutonium waste escaped , traveling 2,150 feet through the underground ventilation system to the surface , contaminating 17 workers and releasing plutonium into the desert air near Carlsbad .
If it is true that each of NuScale ’ s 60-megawatt SMRs would contain one-eighth as much radioactive fuel as a 1,000-megawatt power plant , then SMRs would create more radioactive waste per unit of electricity than traditional nuclear power plants , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ larger and more urgent .
According to SMR proponents , NuScale ’ s approved reactor design would be “ inherently safe ” — so safe that the traditional 10-mile safety zone around each reactor could be eliminated , reducing siting costs .
Furthermore , the heavy outer containment vessel now standard on nuclear plants , needed to contain deadly radioactivity in case of a catastrophic accident , will be reduced substantially for SMRs , further reducing costs , proponents say .
However , several important technical organizations dispute the claim that NuScale SMRs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ electricity at a price competitive with renewables , such as solar , wind and hydro power .
Safety costs money , they say , and there ’ s no way around that equation .
The Union of Concerned Scientists ( UCS ) and Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility ( OPSR ) have both issued reports and statements critical of SMRs in general and of the NuScale SMR in particular .
The Institute for Energy and Environmental Research and Physicians for Social Responsibility issued an early study of SMRs in 2010 that posed technical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the OPSR study of NuScale ’ s UAMPS project , M.V .
Ramana , director of the Liu Institute for Global Issues at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver , Canada , said , “ I am sorry to say what lies ahead is risky and expensive if these [ UAMPS ] municipalities do not avail themselves of the off ramps and exit this project.
” The OPSR study presents a detailed indictment of NuScale ’ s claims of low-cost energy production and safety .
The study points out that cost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ project doubled from $ 3 billion in 2015 to $ 6.1 billion in 2020 .
It predicts further cost increases , based on the history of other first-time nuclear designs .
Now that the price of renewable power ( solar , wind and hydro ) is cheaper than coal , cheaper than traditional nuclear , and continually dropping , SMR vendors will feel continuous pressure to cut costs to compete against ever-cheaper renewables .
For example , the first cluster of 12 NuScale reactors built in Idaho will be run by the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — a cost-cutting measure with clear safety implications .
If something goes awry , operators of the UAMPS cluster will have great complexity to assess and react to .
The more parts a machine has , the more can go wrong .
“ The main problem with NuScale ’ s approach is that it violates the fundamental safety philosophy of ‘ defense-in-depth , ’ ” said Edwin S. Lyman , director of Nuclear Power Safety for UCS .
“ Nuclear reactors should have multiple independent layers of safety in case that something happens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Lyman said .
Now a surprising new study has thrown a monkey wrench into all plans to expand nuclear power , including NuScale ’ s .
The main selling point of nuclear power today has been its claim of low carbon emissions , but the new study , from researchers in the U.K. and Germany , raises serious doubts about that claim .
The study examined the experience of 123 countries between 1990 and 2014 and concluded that countries adopting renewable energy have reduced their carbon emissions far more effectively than countries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ study found that renewables and nuclear don ’ t mix well : A commitment to nuclear curtails the future development of renewables , and a commitment to renewables curtails the future of nuclear .
If countries want to lower emissions as substantially , rapidly and cost-effectively as possible , they should prioritize support for renewables , rather than nuclear power , the study show .
“ Countries planning large-scale investments in new nuclear power are risking suppression of greater climate benefits from alternative renewable energy investments , ” said Benjamin Sovacool , main @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new study holds up under further scrutiny , it could pound the final nail into the coffin of nuclear power .

The nuclear power industry may be getting a new lease on life, thanks to a $1.4 billion taxpayer subsidy from the Trump administration.
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in August approved the design of a new kind of nuclear power reactor invented by NuScale Power, a startup company with offices in Corvallis and Portland, Oregon.
The new design is called a “small modular reactor” (SMR). The approval of the SMR design does not mean construction can begin; nevertheless, it is a significant step toward NuScale’s goal: to deploy up to 1,682 small (60-megawatt) reactors across the U.S. and beyond starting in 2023, essentially reviving the moribund nuclear power industry.
Successful deployment of 1,682 60-megawatt SMRs in the U.S. would more than double domestic nuclear power capacity, which currently stands at about 98,000 megawatts. Globally, nuclear power is in decline; in 1996, it produced 17.5 percent of global electricity, but today only 10 percent. In the U.S., only one new nuclear plant has started operating since 1996. The only nuclear plant currently under construction has suffered major delays and cost overruns.
So, how could NuScale change all that? Compared to typical old-style nuclear power plants, the approved NuScale pressurized-water SMR is modest in size, measuring 65 feet high and nine feet in diameter, producing 50 megawatts of electricity. It is “modular,” meaning it can be built in a factory and shipped to its final destination. According to Science magazine, each of NuScale’s SMRs holds one-eighth as much radioactive fuel as an old-style 1,000-megawatt nuclear plant. The NRC is expecting NuScale to apply for approval of a revised design in 2022, increasing the power of each SMR to 60 megawatts.
The NuScale reactor has been developed almost entirely by governments. The original design was invented in 1999 at a public university, Oregon State, in Corvallis. NuScale Power was incorporated in 2007 to privatize and commercialize the public invention. In 2011, NuScale was purchased by Fluor Corporation. In 2013, the U.S. Department of Energy gave NuScale $226 million to refine its SMR plans, and in 2018, another $40 million.
In October 2020, the Trump administration announced it was giving NuScale an eye-popping $1.4 billion to build the first 12 SMRs, which would be clustered together on federal property at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) near Idaho Falls. Construction on federal property reduces the likelihood of citizen protests, which might otherwise erupt.
The federal government has been aggressively promoting nuclear power since 1953.
NuScale’s INL energy would be purchased by the U.S. Department of Energy and by municipal governments in Utah, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico and California participating in the Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems (UAMPS). UAMPS is a political subdivision of the state of Utah.
The federal government has been aggressively promoting nuclear power since 1953 when President Eisenhower gave his “Atoms for Peace” speech to the United Nations General Assembly, saying, “the United States pledges … its determination to help solve the fearful atomic dilemma — to devote its entire heart and mind to find the way by which the miraculous inventiveness of man shall not be dedicated to his death, but consecrated to his life.” In 1953, many in the U.S. were feeling remorseful for killing an estimated 225,000 civilians when atomic bombs incinerated the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945. Since 1953, aiming to show that splitting the atom was a boon to humankind and not a horrible mistake, the U.S. has invested about $200 billion to promote nuclear-generated electricity. As the Union of Concerned Scientists has said, the Department of Energy “has traditionally been an unapologetic nuclear power cheerleader.”
Radioactive Waste Isn’t Going Away
Despite these massive subsidies, nuclear power today still suffers from three major problems: cost, safety and long-lived radioactive waste.
After 63 years of commercial nuclear power operation in the U.S., no one has yet solved the problem of radioactive waste, which is accumulating at numerous locations around the country. The project to bury high-level waste at Yucca Mountain in Nevada has been abandoned, at least for now. The most recent plan is to bury high-level waste in a salt mine near Carlsbad, New Mexico, at the existing Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). However, the WIPP site has been beset by serious problems. WIPP opened in 1999, intended to sequester radioactive waste for 10,000 years; however, after just 15 years of operation, deadly plutonium waste escaped, traveling 2,150 feet through the underground ventilation system to the surface, contaminating 17 workers and releasing plutonium into the desert air near Carlsbad.
If it is true that each of NuScale’s 60-megawatt SMRs would contain one-eighth as much radioactive fuel as a 1,000-megawatt power plant, then SMRs would create more radioactive waste per unit of electricity than traditional nuclear power plants, thus making the unsolved waste problem even larger and more urgent.
Can a Nuclear Reactor Be “Safe”?
According to SMR proponents, NuScale’s approved reactor design would be “inherently safe” — so safe that the traditional 10-mile safety zone around each reactor could be eliminated, reducing siting costs. Furthermore, the heavy outer containment vessel now standard on nuclear plants, needed to contain deadly radioactivity in case of a catastrophic accident, will be reduced substantially for SMRs, further reducing costs, proponents say.
After 63 years of commercial nuclear power operation in the U.S., no one has yet solved the problem of radioactive waste.
However, several important technical organizations dispute the claim that NuScale SMRs can be operated safely and still provide electricity at a price competitive with renewables, such as solar, wind and hydro power. Safety costs money, they say, and there’s no way around that equation. The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) and Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility (OPSR) have both issued reports and statements critical of SMRs in general and of the NuScale SMR in particular. The Institute for Energy and Environmental Research and Physicians for Social Responsibility issued an early study of SMRs in 2010 that posed technical questions still not answered.
The author of the OPSR study of NuScale’s UAMPS project, M.V. Ramana, director of the Liu Institute for Global Issues at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, said, “I am sorry to say what lies ahead is risky and expensive if these [UAMPS] municipalities do not avail themselves of the off ramps and exit this project.”
The OPSR study presents a detailed indictment of NuScale’s claims of low-cost energy production and safety. The study points out that cost estimates of the NuScale’s UAMPS project doubled from $3 billion in 2015 to $6.1 billion in 2020. It predicts further cost increases, based on the history of other first-time nuclear designs.
Now that the price of renewable power (solar, wind and hydro) is cheaper than coal, cheaper than traditional nuclear, and continually dropping, SMR vendors will feel continuous pressure to cut costs to compete against ever-cheaper renewables. For example, the first cluster of 12 NuScale reactors built in Idaho will be run by the same number of operators now managing three-reactor clusters — a cost-cutting measure with clear safety implications. If something goes awry, operators of the UAMPS cluster will have great complexity to assess and react to. The more parts a machine has, the more can go wrong.
“The main problem with NuScale’s approach is that it violates the fundamental safety philosophy of ‘defense-in-depth,’” said Edwin S. Lyman, director of Nuclear Power Safety for UCS. “Nuclear reactors should have multiple independent layers of safety in case that something happens that was not expected to happen,” Lyman said.
Nuclear Isn’t the Solution to Carbon Emissions
Now a surprising new study has thrown a monkey wrench into all plans to expand nuclear power, including NuScale’s. The main selling point of nuclear power today has been its claim of low carbon emissions, but the new study, from researchers in the U.K. and Germany, raises serious doubts about that claim.
Countries adopting renewable energy have reduced their carbon emissions far more effectively than countries choosing nuclear power.
The study examined the experience of 123 countries between 1990 and 2014 and concluded that countries adopting renewable energy have reduced their carbon emissions far more effectively than countries choosing nuclear power.
Furthermore, the study found that renewables and nuclear don’t mix well: A commitment to nuclear curtails the future development of renewables, and a commitment to renewables curtails the future of nuclear.
If countries want to lower emissions as substantially, rapidly and cost-effectively as possible, they should prioritize support for renewables, rather than nuclear power, the study show s . “Countries planning large-scale investments in new nuclear power are risking suppression of greater climate benefits from alternative renewable energy investments,” said Benjamin Sovacool, main author of the study.
If this new study holds up under further scrutiny, it could pound the final nail into the coffin of nuclear power.
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--2020-10-29--Disinformation Can Function as Voter Suppression. Organizers Are Fighting Back.

Disinformation can not be ignored or hoped away , it must be consistently disrupted .
Earlier this week , participatory media organizations MediaJustice and the Disinfo Defense League launched a week of action to put good information and tools directly into people ’ s hands ahead of Election Day .
Led by Black and Brown organizations , DisruptDisinfo offers a mixture of trainings , webinars , and other resources .
ReFrame and PEN America developed a disinformation toolkit for organizers and advocates as a part of this effort .
“ We wanted to make sure that there was a place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ learn about the different ways that misinformation and disinformation impact our communities , and how they could fight back , ” said Erin Shields , national field director for MediaJustice .
“ The election serves as a flashpoint , but obviously disinformation impacts our communities across a whole range of issues.
” MediaJustice views disinformation as a part of the larger work at the intersection of race and technology .
Given the entrenched white supremacy underlying decision making and experiences across multiple sectors , the increased reliance on technology in sharing and processing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Getting social media platforms to recognize the impact of disinformation and the role they play in spreading it is a part of MediaJustice ’ s larger platform accountability work .
“ Platforms have a real responsibility to not have their platforms be used to spread mass disinformation , whether that ’ s about health , climate justice or about the election , ” Shields said .
Shields explained that disinformation and the ways in which social media platforms have prioritized profit over stabilizing information have put Black and other communities of color at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Over Party When Democracy Is at Stake Administering elections is challenging work even under the best of circumstances .
But with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and targeted disinformation , state election officials have had to contend with political actors at the highest levels — including the president — weaponizing this moment .
In his official capacity and as a candidate for reelection , Donald Trump weaponizes disinformation by sowing seeds of confusion and uncertainty around mail-in voting , instigating concerns about election outcomes .
“ We have faced these relentless and ridiculous attacks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spewing all kinds of nonsense and lies about our vote-by-mail law in Pennsylvania , ” said Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro .
As the state ’ s top lawyer , Shapiro has spent time in court this cycle defending Pennsylvania ’ s vote-by-mail system from lawsuits brought by the president in his capacity as a candidate for reelection .
Shapiro recently warned the Trump campaign about filming voters dropping off ballots at a drop box , indicating that it could be considered a form of voter intimidation .
The videotaping effort was a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ongoing practice of attacking vote-by-mail and making unfounded claims about fraud .
Fear mongering about voter fraud , a practice which is virtually nonexistent , has been used to push through restrictive policies that limit people ’ s ability to vote .
It has also been used to justify lawsuits and attacks in states like Pennsylvania .
But the increased politicization of election administration combined with rampant disinformation has made some voters leery of an otherwise safe process .
Shapiro pointed to the case of Luzerne County , Pennsylvania , where an administrative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an investigation into the handling of several overseas ballots .
The politicization of the incident was almost immediate .
“ [ The ] president and his enablers went to work to try and create a narrative [ about ] fraud , ” said Shapiro .
“ [ But ] the facts didn ’ t bear that out .
And it created hysteria at a time where we need calm.
” Both the president and U.S. Attorney David J .
Freed , a Trump appointee , commented on the incident without disclosing the full @ @ @ @ @ @ @ release had to be updated because of incorrect information .
A review found the incident was more likely a result of confusion , and not nefarious intent as was alleged .
Shapiro is not the first state official who has had to tackle the president ’ s antics head on .
Back in May , Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson took Trump to task , disputing claims she was enabling large-scale voter fraud in her state through vote-by-mail .
Benson pointed out that her efforts were no different than her colleagues in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Virginia .
All four states have Republican secretaries of state .
Despite these attempts to undermine voter trust in election results and confidence in election administration , early voting updates show record-breaking voter turnout across demographic groups .
But recognizing that disinformation networks target Black communities and other communities of color is important to understanding how to engage people with the right tools and information .
While it is just one of several roadblocks to free and fair elections , disinformation is particularly insidious in the way it can be spread easily by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 2016 election , conversations around disinformation primarily focused on foreign entities , often ignoring the growing domestic disinformation landscape .
Disrupting disinformation is a crucial element in combating the rise of fascism , according to organizers .
“ Disinformation , and the destabilization of how [ one ] can know what is true , is a piece of what we see as the ascension of things like fascism , authoritarianism and right-wing movements in our country and also globally , ” said Shields .
This is a common theme among democracy defenders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Truthout podcast “ Movement Memos ” illustrates .
Part of undermining democratic process and destabilization has shown up in the targeting of communities of color .
As a tool of voter suppression and intimidation , disinformation can dissuade people otherwise eligible from exercising their right to vote .
The DisruptDisinfo week of action is empowering voters and nonvoters alike to understand how to source information and protect communities from provocateurs , according to organizers .
Shields pointed out the need to distinguish between genuine community conversation about issues and fake accounts created to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hyper-focused on making sure that our communities are protected from people who don ’ t actually want us to tackle these questions and prefer for us to be in conflict with one another , and divided so that they can continue to march forward with their organizing that will actually harm our communities , both physically and online , ” said Shields .
For the Democracy Initiative , a coalition including voting rights and labor organizations , disinformation is one of 10 roadblocks to accessing the ballot .
Others include late arrival of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ballot and other signature issues , and voter suppression .
Part of combating disinformation and removing the roadblocks is sharing the work done by member organizations across the country to expand access to democracy .
Similar to the tales of ancient hero quests , recounting the victories and successes of groups engaged in democracy building can help others feel like their participation actually matters .
Fighting Disinformation on Election Night and Beyond “ When you hear issues or conversations about fake news about vote-by-mail [ and ] fraud , make no mistake , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ song [ that ] has been sung before , orchestrated by those folks who are powerful and with privilege , ” said Corey Wiggins , executive director of the Mississippi State Conference NAACP , during an early October press conference held by the Democracy Initiative .
“ At the end of the day , it is a philosophy that is baked in ensuring that we create less access to the ballot.
” During the Democracy Initiative press conference , Nse Ufot , the New Georgia Project ’ s CEO , stressed the need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ throughout the election cycle but especially on election night .
“ A part of our voter education work is to make sure that young people and first-time voters know that we may not have election results on the night of November 3 , ” said Ufot .
“ We need to soberly and with full transparency make sure that we use our platforms to be able to protect the process but also to protect each other.
” Ufot stressed the need for platforms and outlets to uplift the truth of the moment .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ engagement of Black , Brown and young voters are critical to fundamentally changing the current political landscape for the better .
“ The voter suppression attempts that we see are targeted at those communities , because they inherently have the ability to fundamentally change what ’ s possible in the rest of the country , ” Ufot said .

Disinformation cannot be ignored or hoped away, it must be consistently disrupted. Earlier this week, participatory media organizations MediaJustice and the Disinfo Defense League launched a week of action to put good information and tools directly into people’s hands ahead of Election Day. Led by Black and Brown organizations, DisruptDisinfo offers a mixture of trainings, webinars, and other resources. ReFrame and PEN America developed a disinformation toolkit for organizers and advocates as a part of this effort.
“We wanted to make sure that there was a place where people could come [to] learn about the different ways that misinformation and disinformation impact our communities, and how they could fight back,” said Erin Shields, national field director for MediaJustice. “The election serves as a flashpoint, but obviously disinformation impacts our communities across a whole range of issues.”
MediaJustice views disinformation as a part of the larger work at the intersection of race and technology. Given the entrenched white supremacy underlying decision making and experiences across multiple sectors, the increased reliance on technology in sharing and processing information requires a racial justice lens. Getting social media platforms to recognize the impact of disinformation and the role they play in spreading it is a part of MediaJustice’s larger platform accountability work.
“Platforms have a real responsibility to not have their platforms be used to spread mass disinformation, whether that’s about health, climate justice or about the election,” Shields said. Shields explained that disinformation and the ways in which social media platforms have prioritized profit over stabilizing information have put Black and other communities of color at risk.
State Officials Must Put Process Over Party When Democracy Is at Stake
Administering elections is challenging work even under the best of circumstances. But with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and targeted disinformation, state election officials have had to contend with political actors at the highest levels — including the president — weaponizing this moment.
In his official capacity and as a candidate for reelection, Donald Trump weaponizes disinformation by sowing seeds of confusion and uncertainty around mail-in voting, instigating concerns about election outcomes.
“We have faced these relentless and ridiculous attacks from the president of the United States spewing all kinds of nonsense and lies about our vote-by-mail law in Pennsylvania,” said Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro. As the state’s top lawyer, Shapiro has spent time in court this cycle defending Pennsylvania’s vote-by-mail system from lawsuits brought by the president in his capacity as a candidate for reelection. Shapiro recently warned the Trump campaign about filming voters dropping off ballots at a drop box, indicating that it could be considered a form of voter intimidation. The videotaping effort was a part of the Trump campaign’s ongoing practice of attacking vote-by-mail and making unfounded claims about fraud.
Fear mongering about voter fraud, a practice which is virtually nonexistent, has been used to push through restrictive policies that limit people’s ability to vote. It has also been used to justify lawsuits and attacks in states like Pennsylvania. But the increased politicization of election administration combined with rampant disinformation has made some voters leery of an otherwise safe process.
Shapiro pointed to the case of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, where an administrative error from a seasonal election worker triggered an investigation into the handling of several overseas ballots. The politicization of the incident was almost immediate. “[The] president and his enablers went to work to try and create a narrative [about] fraud,” said Shapiro. “[But] the facts didn’t bear that out. And it created hysteria at a time where we need calm.” Both the president and U.S. Attorney David J. Freed, a Trump appointee, commented on the incident without disclosing the full facts. Freed’s initial press release had to be updated because of incorrect information. A review found the incident was more likely a result of confusion, and not nefarious intent as was alleged.
Shapiro is not the first state official who has had to tackle the president’s antics head on. Back in May, Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson took Trump to task, disputing claims she was enabling large-scale voter fraud in her state through vote-by-mail. Benson pointed out that her efforts were no different than her colleagues in Iowa, Georgia, Nebraska and West Virginia. All four states have Republican secretaries of state.
Disrupting disinformation is a crucial element in combating the rise of fascism.
Despite these attempts to undermine voter trust in election results and confidence in election administration, early voting updates show record-breaking voter turnout across demographic groups. But recognizing that disinformation networks target Black communities and other communities of color is important to understanding how to engage people with the right tools and information.
Removing Roadblocks, Combating Election Disinformation and Protecting Democracy
While it is just one of several roadblocks to free and fair elections, disinformation is particularly insidious in the way it can be spread easily by trusted sources. In the aftermath of the 2016 election, conversations around disinformation primarily focused on foreign entities, often ignoring the growing domestic disinformation landscape.
Disrupting disinformation is a crucial element in combating the rise of fascism, according to organizers. “Disinformation, and the destabilization of how [one] can know what is true, is a piece of what we see as the ascension of things like fascism, authoritarianism and right-wing movements in our country and also globally,” said Shields. This is a common theme among democracy defenders, as a recent episode of the Truthout podcast “Movement Memos” illustrates.
Part of undermining democratic process and destabilization has shown up in the targeting of communities of color. As a tool of voter suppression and intimidation, disinformation can dissuade people otherwise eligible from exercising their right to vote. The DisruptDisinfo week of action is empowering voters and nonvoters alike to understand how to source information and protect communities from provocateurs, according to organizers. Shields pointed out the need to distinguish between genuine community conversation about issues and fake accounts created to drive chaos. “We’re hyper-focused on making sure that our communities are protected from people who don’t actually want us to tackle these questions and prefer for us to be in conflict with one another, and divided so that they can continue to march forward with their organizing that will actually harm our communities, both physically and online,” said Shields.
As a tool of voter suppression and intimidation, disinformation can dissuade people otherwise eligible from exercising their right to vote.
For the Democracy Initiative, a coalition including voting rights and labor organizations, disinformation is one of 10 roadblocks to accessing the ballot. Others include late arrival of mail-in ballots, failure to sign a ballot and other signature issues, and voter suppression.
Part of combating disinformation and removing the roadblocks is sharing the work done by member organizations across the country to expand access to democracy. Similar to the tales of ancient hero quests, recounting the victories and successes of groups engaged in democracy building can help others feel like their participation actually matters.
Fighting Disinformation on Election Night and Beyond
“When you hear issues or conversations about fake news about vote-by-mail [and] fraud, make no mistake, what you’re hearing is a song [that] has been sung before, orchestrated by those folks who are powerful and with privilege,” said Corey Wiggins, executive director of the Mississippi State Conference NAACP, during an early October press conference held by the Democracy Initiative. “At the end of the day, it is a philosophy that is baked in ensuring that we create less access to the ballot.”
During the Democracy Initiative press conference, Nse Ufot, the New Georgia Project’s CEO, stressed the need for media partners to share good information throughout the election cycle but especially on election night. “A part of our voter education work is to make sure that young people and first-time voters know that we may not have election results on the night of November 3,” said Ufot. “We need to soberly and with full transparency make sure that we use our platforms to be able to protect the process but also to protect each other.”
Ufot stressed the need for platforms and outlets to uplift the truth of the moment. Notably, the demographic shifts and political engagement of Black, Brown and young voters are critical to fundamentally changing the current political landscape for the better. “The voter suppression attempts that we see are targeted at those communities, because they inherently have the ability to fundamentally change what’s possible in the rest of the country,” Ufot 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--2020-10-30--Early Voting in Texas Has Already Surpassed the State’s Vote Total from 2016

Turnout for the presidential race in Texas is already greater this year than it was four years ago , with 9 million residents voting early or with mail-in absentee ballots as of Friday morning .
In 2016 , just 8.96 million votes were cast in the presidential race .
With four days left before November 3 , and just one more day of early voting allowed in the Lone Star State , turnout is likely to be even higher , as a number of Texans are expected to vote in-person on Election Day .
According to reporting from CNN , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for 53 percent of all registered voters in the state .
The turnout rate exceeds what was seen in Texas in 2016 , when 51.1 percent took part in that year ’ s race .
Most of the early voting in Texas has been in-person , because the state has restrictions on who can vote using mail-in absentee ballots .
Only those who are sick or disabled , imprisoned but not disenfranchised , over the age of 65 , or outside of their home county during the voting period can take part in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Cook Political Report has placed Texas within the “ tossup ” category of states in the presidential race — a dramatic development for a state rarely seen as competitive .
Polling data indicates the state ’ s final results will likely be close , with an aggregate of polls from RealClearPolitics showing that President Donald Trump is leading Democratic candidate Joe Biden by just 2.3 percent .
That number is within the margin of error for all five polls currently being considered on the website .
The most recent poll in Texas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , has Trump ’ s lead down to just 1 percent , well-within the margin of error of 4.2 points in that poll and thus a statistical tie .
Trump won Texas and its 38 Electoral College votes in 2016 against Democratic candidate for president Hillary Clinton by around 9 points .
Early voting is up across the rest of the country , in large part due to fears about voting in person en masse during the coronavirus pandemic .
As of Friday , 84.6 million early votes have been recorded in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still remaining .
( For comparison , 58 million Americans voted early in 2016 . )
The current early ballot count is equal to 61 percent of the total vote that was observed four years ago .
The increases in early voting and absentee ballots could mean that results of the election won ’ t be known until days after November 3 , as the influx of counting ballots all at once may mean delays in tabulating the final vote count .

Turnout for the presidential race in Texas is already greater this year than it was four years ago, with 9 million residents voting early or with mail-in absentee ballots as of Friday morning.
In 2016, just 8.96 million votes were cast in the presidential race. With four days left before November 3, and just one more day of early voting allowed in the Lone Star State, turnout is likely to be even higher, as a number of Texans are expected to vote in-person on Election Day.
According to reporting from CNN, turnout from early voting so far accounts for 53 percent of all registered voters in the state. The turnout rate exceeds what was seen in Texas in 2016, when 51.1 percent took part in that year’s race.
Most of the early voting in Texas has been in-person, because the state has restrictions on who can vote using mail-in absentee ballots. Only those who are sick or disabled, imprisoned but not disenfranchised, over the age of 65, or outside of their home county during the voting period can take part in the absentee vote, per state law.
Cook Political Report has placed Texas within the “tossup” category of states in the presidential race — a dramatic development for a state rarely seen as competitive. Polling data indicates the state’s final results will likely be close, with an aggregate of polls from RealClearPolitics showing that President Donald Trump is leading Democratic candidate Joe Biden by just 2.3 percent.
That number is within the margin of error for all five polls currently being considered on the website. The most recent poll in Texas listed at RealClearPolitics, from UMass Lowell, has Trump’s lead down to just 1 percent, well-within the margin of error of 4.2 points in that poll and thus a statistical tie.
Trump won Texas and its 38 Electoral College votes in 2016 against Democratic candidate for president Hillary Clinton by around 9 points.
Early voting is up across the rest of the country, in large part due to fears about voting in person en masse during the coronavirus pandemic. As of Friday, 84.6 million early votes have been recorded in the U.S., with 36 million mail-in ballots still remaining. (For comparison, 58 million Americans voted early in 2016.) The current early ballot count is equal to 61 percent of the total vote that was observed four years ago.
The increases in early voting and absentee ballots could mean that results of the election won’t be known until days after November 3, as the influx of counting ballots all at once may mean delays in tabulating the final vote count.
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--2020-10-30--Georgia Might Go Blue

Georgia Might Go Blue

As the 2020 campaign enters its final days , we go to Georgia , where two Senate seats are up for grabs and both Republican incumbents face stiff opposition .
Joe Biden is also spending significant time in the state , which no Democratic presidential candidate has won since 1992 .
“ Georgia is truly in play , ” says Emory University professor Carol Anderson .
“ We have had grassroots organizing and mobilizing , registering folks to vote , working through getting through all of the voter suppression barriers to bring people out to the polls in unprecedented numbers.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Person , No Vote : How Voter Suppression Is Destroying Our Democracy .
This is a rush transcript .
Copy may not be in its final form .
AMY GOODMAN : A record-shattering 82 million people have already voted by mail or in person in the 2020 election .
President Trump and Joe Biden and hundreds of other candidates across the nation are entering the last weekend of campaigning before voting ends on Tuesday .
In addition to the presidency , Democrats are hoping to win back control of the Senate , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Georgia , where both Republican senators are on the ballot and face stiff opposition .
On Thursday , Georgia Republican Senator David Perdue withdrew from the final debate , which was scheduled for this Sunday , against Democratic challenger Jon Ossoff , who called him a crook during a debate Wednesday night .
AMY GOODMAN : In January , Senator Perdue bought $ 65,000 in stock in a company that made personal protective equipment , on the same day he received a private Senate briefing about the COVID-19 pandemic .
During Wednesday ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Perdue for running an anti-Semitic ad against him .
AMY GOODMAN : Instead of attending the final debate on Sunday , Senator David Perdue plans to speak at a rally with President Trump , who ’ s in a close race with Joe Biden in Georgia — a state no Democrat has won since 1992 .
Meanwhile , Georgia voters will also be casting ballots in a special election for Georgia ’ s other Senate seat , which was held by Republican Senator Johnny Isakson , who retired last year .
Twenty candidates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrats and six Republicans .
The front-runners are incumbent Republican Senator Kelly Loeffler , the millionaire Republican donor who was appointed earlier this year to temporarily fill the seat ; Republican Doug Collins ; and Democrat Reverend Raphael Warnock , the senior pastor of the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta , the former church of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr .
In Georgia , Senate races go to runoffs if no candidate receives more than 50 % of the vote .
It ’ s possible both Georgia races could go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the deciding factor in who controls the Senate .
To talk about all the races in Georgia and more , we go to Atlanta to speak with Emory professor Carol Anderson , author of many books , including One Person , No Vote : How Voter Suppression Is Destroying Our Democracy .
You have Joe Biden , in the last days of this race , very unusual for a Democrat since no Democratic presidential candidate won there since 1992 , going to Warm Springs , Georgia , to give one of his final @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and then these two highly contentious senatorial races .
Can you talk about the significance of this , Professor Anderson ?
CAROL ANDERSON : I think that what it ’ s really showing is how Georgia is truly in play .
And it ’ s in play because we ’ ve had not only massive demographic changes here in Georgia , but we have had grassroots organizing and mobilizing , registering folks to vote , working through getting through all of the voter suppression barriers to , in fact , bring people out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And to have two really viable candidates running for Senate and then to have Biden going to Warm Springs , Georgia , which was the retreat for FDR , President Franklin Delano Roosevelt , begins to give a sense that Georgia is more than in play .
AMY GOODMAN : I mean , that ’ s fascinating that he went to Warm Springs , Georgia , where President FDR would go to convalesce from polio — in this period , in 2020 , in the midst of this pandemic , that the former @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Springs to speak .
CAROL ANDERSON : Yes , and I think that part of what it is , too , is that just the way the U.S. was in significant trouble during the Great Depression and President Herbert Hoover was unable to work out of his ideological box , that this was going to require government intervention to help the American people , and FDR didn ’ t have that box .
He had the New Deal .
And I think that that is also what is being signified here , is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a massive pandemic , where we have had 9 million cases in the U.S. , where we have had over 225,000 deaths , businesses shutting down , schools not really being able to open safely .
And it ’ s going to take massive government intervention , on the New Deal level , to get us where we need to be .
AMY GOODMAN : I want to go to Republican Senator David Perdue — we just heard Ossoff , his opponent , speaking — who appeared to mock Democratic vice-presidential nominee Kamala @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Georgia , repeatedly mispronouncing her name as Kamala .
And then Jon Ossoff tweeted , in response , quote , “ Senator Perdue never would have done this to a male colleague .
Or a white colleague .
And everyone knows it.
” This is Senator Perdue .
AMY GOODMAN : Her name is Senator Kamala Harris , and she ’ s the Democratic vice-presidential candidate .
I wanted to ask you , Professor Anderson , about the effect and the impact of Stacey Abrams and her organization Fair Fight , what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Georgia or Florida or anywhere in this country , talking about people ’ s right to vote , something you have spent a great deal of time examining .
CAROL ANDERSON : Yes .
And so , one of the key things is that , you know , Stacey Abrams ran for governor here and was — her opponent was Brian Kemp , who was the secretary of state , who did not recuse himself but engaged in massive voter suppression efforts to “ win ” that election .
Stacey Abrams @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when you hear her nonconcession speech , you know that you ’ re looking at a warrior , a woman who understands that in order to get this democracy back on track , it ’ s not just about an elected office .
It is about doing the heavy lifting of democracy .
And that is what Fair Fight for Action is .
It is massive grassroots organizing , registering folks to vote , and understanding it ’ s not just in Georgia , but it is in all of these states where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That kind of organizing , that kind of mobilizing and that kind of litigation has been absolutely instrumental in getting people out to vote and working with other organizations and in making very visible what had been so invisible , which is the evisceration of so many American citizens ’ right to vote , the willingness to create what I call civic death .
Stacey Abrams has been just amazing in terms of the work that she and her organization have been doing .
AMY GOODMAN : And can you talk about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ place a few months ago ?
CAROL ANDERSON : Yes .
So , in the primary , we had — our primary was scheduled for April , but because of the pandemic that has been allowed to just run rampant here in Georgia , is that it got moved to June .
What that meant then was that it was supposed to give the election officials time to prepare .
What in fact happened was that we had these massive , massive lines .
They ’ ve done a recent study , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 90 % or more white for registered voters , their wait time was six minutes ; for precincts that were over 90 % or more minority , the average wait time was 51 minutes — six minutes to almost an hour .
That ’ s not by accident .
And the work of making clear — what that did was it invoked a kind of sense of we have got to do what we must do in order to vote these folks out , the people who don ’ t believe in democracy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believe in voting rights .
We have got to mobilize to vote them out .
And this is why you see the massive early voting turnout happening here in Georgia and , frankly , around the nation .
AMY GOODMAN : So , can you talk about the other senatorial race , where so many people are running at once , this special election to fill Isakson ’ s seat , that currently the appointed senator , Loeffler , has ?
And she ’ s running , as well .
And among those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Reverend Raphael Warnock .
We saw him preside over the funeral of Congressman John Lewis , the voting rights warrior .
Kelly Loeffler , the white woman supporter of President Trump , co-owner of the WNBA ’ s franchise for Atlanta Dream , talk about her tenure and what this race means .
CAROL ANDERSON : And this race is also highly contentious and really in play .
Part of what you have happening here is that when Senator Isakson resigned , retired , he — there was an opening .
Doug Collins @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dog in the House impeachment hearings , he thought that he was going to get the appointment from Governor Kemp .
Instead , Kemp chose Kelly Loeffler .
So she is an appointed senator .
She is not elected .
And so she is running for election .
But Doug Collins believed that that was his seat , and so he ’ s still in the election .
And he is right-wing , and so Kelly Loeffler is now trying to run to the right of the right wing .
And so , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the WNBA .
This is why you see her blasting Black Lives Matter .
This is why you see her conjuring up images of massive Black violence , with the mob that was supposedly there at the Wendy ’ s when the police killed Rayshard Brooks .
All of that is her running a kind of George Wallace campaign to go to the right of Doug Collins .
Then you have Reverend Raphael Warnock .
And in Warnock , you ’ re seeing a vision that is about all of us .
You @ @ @ @ @ @ @ does it mean when we ’ re in the middle of a pandemic and the Republicans have allowed hospitals to close in the rural counties .
What does that mean in terms of being so pro-life that we ’ re willing to have the kinds of deaths , over 7,000 deaths that have happened here in the pandemic , and more than 360-some cases of the coronavirus ?
And so , you ’ re getting a vision of the we versus a vision of “ I heard that there was going to — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be really bad , and so , like Perdue , I ’ m going to do some stock buys and some stock sales so that I can do my kind of — I can get mine .
I can make my profit.
” That kind of leadership is the kind of leadership that is really juxtaposed to the kind of vision and compassion and the centering humanity , and that we are not expendable , that we ’ re hearing from Reverend Raphael Warnock .
AMY GOODMAN : I wanted to ask about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Burr to resign , as well as Georgia Republican Senator Kelly Loeffler facing new calls — this was months ago — over revelations her husband invested heavily in a medical supply company ahead of the stock market ’ s coronavirus crash .
Loeffler ’ s latest financial disclosures show that her husband , who is chair of the New York Stock Exchange , bought more than $ 200,000 worth of shares of DuPont in late February and early March , when Loeffler had access to privileged briefings about the threat of the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so , you see what happened with that report , those calls for resignation , those calls for investigation , is that she was cleared by the Senate , but Burr has been under it .
And because Burr was in fact the chair of one of the key committees investigating the role of foreign influence and the role of foreign attacks on our election system , and because he was chairing that committee , co-chairing that committee , he was left out there without Republican protection for his wrongdoing , whereas Kelly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what she did , for what she and her husband did .
AMY GOODMAN : Professor Anderson , finally , what do you expect to see in these coming days ?
I mean , the amount of early voter turnout has been massive all over the country .
And what are you most concerned about ?
CAROL ANDERSON : I am heartened by that massive voter turnout .
What we see here are the American people fighting for democracy , even when their institutions are not .
What I ’ m concerned about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have created confusion in the system about when ballots have to be in , when they can be counted .
And so , I am encouraging everybody , if this is your last day to early vote , please do so .
The turnout lines and the confusion will be strong and long on Election Day , and so we need to mitigate that as much as possible .
And that ’ s what I think is happening with this early voting .
AMY GOODMAN : Carol Anderson , thanks so much for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ University , author of White Rage : The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide ; her most recent book , One Person , No Vote : How Voter Suppression Is Destroying Our Democracy .
When we come back , we ’ ll be joined by Indigenous investigative journalist Jenni Monet on the Native vote and how it could determine Senate races .
Stay with us .
AMY GOODMAN : “ Someday ” by The Strokes .
The Strokes ’ lead singer , Julian Casablancas , has just launched a new interview series with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conversation with him .
His series is called S.O.S .
— Earth Is a Mess .
We ’ ll link that interview at democracynow.org .
The Strokes will be appearing on Saturday Night Live this weekend .

As the 2020 campaign enters its final days, we go to Georgia, where two Senate seats are up for grabs and both Republican incumbents face stiff opposition. Joe Biden is also spending significant time in the state, which no Democratic presidential candidate has won since 1992. “Georgia is truly in play,” says Emory University professor Carol Anderson. “We have had grassroots organizing and mobilizing, registering folks to vote, working through getting through all of the voter suppression barriers to bring people out to the polls in unprecedented numbers.” Anderson is the author of One Person, No Vote: How Voter Suppression Is Destroying Our Democracy.
This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: A record-shattering 82 million people have already voted by mail or in person in the 2020 election. President Trump and Joe Biden and hundreds of other candidates across the nation are entering the last weekend of campaigning before voting ends on Tuesday. In addition to the presidency, Democrats are hoping to win back control of the Senate, and perhaps no state is as important as Georgia, where both Republican senators are on the ballot and face stiff opposition. On Thursday, Georgia Republican Senator David Perdue withdrew from the final debate, which was scheduled for this Sunday, against Democratic challenger Jon Ossoff, who called him a crook during a debate Wednesday night.
JON OSSOFF: Well, perhaps Senator Perdue would have been able to respond properly to the COVID-19 pandemic if you hadn’t been fending off multiple federal investigations for insider trading. It’s not just that you’re a crook, Senator. It’s that you’re attacking the health of the people that you represent. You did say COVID-19 was no deadlier than the flu. You did say there would be no significant uptick in cases. All the while, you were looking after your own assets and your own portfolio.
AMY GOODMAN: In January, Senator Perdue bought $65,000 in stock in a company that made personal protective equipment, on the same day he received a private Senate briefing about the COVID-19 pandemic. During Wednesday’s debate, Jon Ossoff also denounced Perdue for running an anti-Semitic ad against him.
JON OSSOFF: You’ve continued to demean yourself throughout this campaign with your conduct. First, you were lengthening my nose in attack ads to remind everybody that I’m Jewish. Then, when that didn’t work, you started calling me some kind of Islamic terrorist. And then, when that didn’t work, you started calling me a Chinese communist. It’s ridiculous. And you shouldn’t do everything that your handlers in Washington tell you to, because you’ll lose your soul along the way, Senator.
AMY GOODMAN: Instead of attending the final debate on Sunday, Senator David Perdue plans to speak at a rally with President Trump, who’s in a close race with Joe Biden in Georgia — a state no Democrat has won since 1992.
Meanwhile, Georgia voters will also be casting ballots in a special election for Georgia’s other Senate seat, which was held by Republican Senator Johnny Isakson, who retired last year. Twenty candidates are on the ballot, including eight Democrats and six Republicans. The front-runners are incumbent Republican Senator Kelly Loeffler, the millionaire Republican donor who was appointed earlier this year to temporarily fill the seat; Republican Doug Collins; and Democrat Reverend Raphael Warnock, the senior pastor of the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, the former church of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
In Georgia, Senate races go to runoffs if no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote. It’s possible both Georgia races could go to runoffs in January and could be the deciding factor in who controls the Senate.
To talk about all the races in Georgia and more, we go to Atlanta to speak with Emory professor Carol Anderson, author of many books, including One Person, No Vote: How Voter Suppression Is Destroying Our Democracy.
You have Joe Biden, in the last days of this race, very unusual for a Democrat since no Democratic presidential candidate won there since 1992, going to Warm Springs, Georgia, to give one of his final speeches there of the election campaign, and then these two highly contentious senatorial races. Can you talk about the significance of this, Professor Anderson?
CAROL ANDERSON: I think that what it’s really showing is how Georgia is truly in play. And it’s in play because we’ve had not only massive demographic changes here in Georgia, but we have had grassroots organizing and mobilizing, registering folks to vote, working through getting through all of the voter suppression barriers to, in fact, bring people out to the polls in unprecedented numbers. And to have two really viable candidates running for Senate and then to have Biden going to Warm Springs, Georgia, which was the retreat for FDR, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, begins to give a sense that Georgia is more than in play.
AMY GOODMAN: I mean, that’s fascinating that he went to Warm Springs, Georgia, where President FDR would go to convalesce from polio — in this period, in 2020, in the midst of this pandemic, that the former Vice President Joe Biden would choose Warm Springs to speak.
CAROL ANDERSON: Yes, and I think that part of what it is, too, is that just the way the U.S. was in significant trouble during the Great Depression and President Herbert Hoover was unable to work out of his ideological box, that this was going to require government intervention to help the American people, and FDR didn’t have that box. He had the New Deal. And I think that that is also what is being signified here, is that we are in the middle of a massive pandemic, where we have had 9 million cases in the U.S., where we have had over 225,000 deaths, businesses shutting down, schools not really being able to open safely. And it’s going to take massive government intervention, on the New Deal level, to get us where we need to be.
AMY GOODMAN: I want to go to Republican Senator David Perdue — we just heard Ossoff, his opponent, speaking — who appeared to mock Democratic vice-presidential nominee Kamala Harris at a rally for Donald Trump in Georgia, repeatedly mispronouncing her name as Kamala. And then Jon Ossoff tweeted, in response, quote, “Senator Perdue never would have done this to a male colleague. Or a white colleague. And everyone knows it.” This is Senator Perdue.
SEN. DAVID PERDUE: These aren’t activists; these are constitutionalists. They’re out there to protect you and me. But the most insidious thing that Chuck Schumer and Joe Biden are trying to perpetrate, and Bernie and Elizabeth and Kamala, or Kamala, Kamala, Kamalamalamala — I don’t know. Whatever.
AMY GOODMAN: Her name is Senator Kamala Harris, and she’s the Democratic vice-presidential candidate. I wanted to ask you, Professor Anderson, about the effect and the impact of Stacey Abrams and her organization Fair Fight, what it has meant, because whether it’s Georgia or Florida or anywhere in this country, talking about people’s right to vote, something you have spent a great deal of time examining.
CAROL ANDERSON: Yes. And so, one of the key things is that, you know, Stacey Abrams ran for governor here and was — her opponent was Brian Kemp, who was the secretary of state, who did not recuse himself but engaged in massive voter suppression efforts to “win” that election. Stacey Abrams did not concede. I mean, when you hear her nonconcession speech, you know that you’re looking at a warrior, a woman who understands that in order to get this democracy back on track, it’s not just about an elected office. It is about doing the heavy lifting of democracy.
And that is what Fair Fight for Action is. It is massive grassroots organizing, registering folks to vote, and understanding it’s not just in Georgia, but it is in all of these states where we have this massive voter suppression. That kind of organizing, that kind of mobilizing and that kind of litigation has been absolutely instrumental in getting people out to vote and working with other organizations and in making very visible what had been so invisible, which is the evisceration of so many American citizens’ right to vote, the willingness to create what I call civic death. Stacey Abrams has been just amazing in terms of the work that she and her organization have been doing.
AMY GOODMAN: And can you talk about the meltdown in the primary that just took place a few months ago?
CAROL ANDERSON: Yes. So, in the primary, we had — our primary was scheduled for April, but because of the pandemic that has been allowed to just run rampant here in Georgia, is that it got moved to June. What that meant then was that it was supposed to give the election officials time to prepare. What in fact happened was that we had these massive, massive lines. They’ve done a recent study, and they found that in precincts that were 90% or more white for registered voters, their wait time was six minutes; for precincts that were over 90% or more minority, the average wait time was 51 minutes — six minutes to almost an hour. That’s not by accident.
And the work of making clear — what that did was it invoked a kind of sense of we have got to do what we must do in order to vote these folks out, the people who don’t believe in democracy, the people who don’t believe in voting rights. We have got to mobilize to vote them out. And this is why you see the massive early voting turnout happening here in Georgia and, frankly, around the nation.
AMY GOODMAN: So, can you talk about the other senatorial race, where so many people are running at once, this special election to fill Isakson’s seat, that currently the appointed senator, Loeffler, has? And she’s running, as well. And among those she’s running against is the Reverend Raphael Warnock. We saw him preside over the funeral of Congressman John Lewis, the voting rights warrior. Kelly Loeffler, the white woman supporter of President Trump, co-owner of the WNBA’s franchise for Atlanta Dream, talk about her tenure and what this race means.
CAROL ANDERSON: And this race is also highly contentious and really in play. Part of what you have happening here is that when Senator Isakson resigned, retired, he — there was an opening. Doug Collins, who was Trump’s attack dog in the House impeachment hearings, he thought that he was going to get the appointment from Governor Kemp. Instead, Kemp chose Kelly Loeffler. So she is an appointed senator. She is not elected. And so she is running for election.
But Doug Collins believed that that was his seat, and so he’s still in the election. And he is right-wing, and so Kelly Loeffler is now trying to run to the right of the right wing. And so, this is why you see her blasting the WNBA. This is why you see her blasting Black Lives Matter. This is why you see her conjuring up images of massive Black violence, with the mob that was supposedly there at the Wendy’s when the police killed Rayshard Brooks. All of that is her running a kind of George Wallace campaign to go to the right of Doug Collins.
Then you have Reverend Raphael Warnock. And in Warnock, you’re seeing a vision that is about all of us. You’re seeing a vision about what does it mean when we’re in the middle of a pandemic and the Republicans have allowed hospitals to close in the rural counties. What does that mean in terms of being so pro-life that we’re willing to have the kinds of deaths, over 7,000 deaths that have happened here in the pandemic, and more than 360-some cases of the coronavirus? And so, you’re getting a vision of the we versus a vision of “I heard that there was going to — that this COVID-19 thing was going to be really bad, and so, like Perdue, I’m going to do some stock buys and some stock sales so that I can do my kind of — I can get mine. I can make my profit.” That kind of leadership is the kind of leadership that is really juxtaposed to the kind of vision and compassion and the centering humanity, and that we are not expendable, that we’re hearing from Reverend Raphael Warnock.
AMY GOODMAN: I wanted to ask about that report, calls growing for Richard Burr to resign, as well as Georgia Republican Senator Kelly Loeffler facing new calls — this was months ago — over revelations her husband invested heavily in a medical supply company ahead of the stock market’s coronavirus crash. Loeffler’s latest financial disclosures show that her husband, who is chair of the New York Stock Exchange, bought more than $200,000 worth of shares of DuPont in late February and early March, when Loeffler had access to privileged briefings about the threat of the coronavirus.
CAROL ANDERSON: Yes. And so, you see what happened with that report, those calls for resignation, those calls for investigation, is that she was cleared by the Senate, but Burr has been under it. And because Burr was in fact the chair of one of the key committees investigating the role of foreign influence and the role of foreign attacks on our election system, and because he was chairing that committee, co-chairing that committee, he was left out there without Republican protection for his wrongdoing, whereas Kelly Loeffler was protected by the Republicans for what she did, for what she and her husband did.
AMY GOODMAN: Professor Anderson, finally, what do you expect to see in these coming days? I mean, the amount of early voter turnout has been massive all over the country. And what are you most concerned about?
CAROL ANDERSON: I am heartened by that massive voter turnout. What we see here are the American people fighting for democracy, even when their institutions are not. What I’m concerned about are the series of court decisions that have created confusion in the system about when ballots have to be in, when they can be counted. And so, I am encouraging everybody, if this is your last day to early vote, please do so. The turnout lines and the confusion will be strong and long on Election Day, and so we need to mitigate that as much as possible. And that’s what I think is happening with this early voting.
AMY GOODMAN: Carol Anderson, thanks so much for being with us, professor at Emory University, author of White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide; her most recent book, One Person, No Vote: How Voter Suppression Is Destroying Our Democracy.
When we come back, we’ll be joined by Indigenous investigative journalist Jenni Monet on the Native vote and how it could determine Senate races. Stay with us.
[break]
AMY GOODMAN: “Someday” by The Strokes. The Strokes’ lead singer, Julian Casablancas, has just launched a new interview series with Rolling Stone. I do the first conversation with him. His series is called S.O.S. — Earth Is a Mess. We’ll link that interview at democracynow.org. The Strokes will be appearing on Saturday Night Live this weekend.