truthout--2020-11-23--Drugmakers Will Profit Off COVID Vaccines Generated by Taxpayer-Funded Research

With the world pinning its hopes on a successful coronavirus vaccine to curb the pandemic , corporate watchdogs say much of the research and development of the medicines rely on public funding .
“ The investment in these vaccines , as for most drugs , has really been underwritten by the taxpayer , by the government , ” says Robert Weissman , president of Public Citizen .
AMY GOODMAN : This is Democracy Now !
The Quarantine Report .
I ’ m Amy Goodman .
As the coronavirus pandemic intensifies , a third major drug company has injected good news @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That ’ s AstraZeneca .
It says late-stage trials show its COVID-19 vaccine developed by Oxford University is [ 70 % ] effective .
Last week , drug giants Pfizer and Moderna reported their vaccines are almost 95 % effective .
The new vaccine manufactured by Oxford-AstraZeneca could be easier to distribute than the others because it does not have to be stored at ultra-freezing temperatures .
It could also be cheaper because AstraZeneca has pledged not to make a profit on it during the pandemic , and agreed to price doses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Associated Press reports Pfizer ’ s vaccine costs about $ 20 a dose , while Moderna ’ s is $ 15 to $ 25 , based on the companies ’ agreements to supply their vaccines to the U.S. government .
As many as 14 billion vaccine doses would be required to immunize everyone worldwide .
Corporate watchdog Public Citizen says the vaccines belong to the people , as Pfizer and Moderna ’ s vaccines relied heavily on discoveries from research funded by taxpayers , who actually paid twice , when the Trump administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ billion to secure doses in advance .
For more , we ’ re joined by Public Citizen ’ s president , Rob Weissman .
Rob , welcome back to Democracy Now !
Explain what it means to say that these vaccines should belong to the world , not be the property of a private corporation .
ROBERT WEISSMAN : Well , it turns out that the investment in these vaccines , as for most drugs , has really been underwritten by the taxpayer , by the government .
In the case of Pfizer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the government to finish their vaccine , but they ’ re relying heavily on a publicly funded invention as the core of what they ’ re trying to do .
In the case of the Moderna vaccine , which really should be viewed as the National Institutes of Health-Moderna vaccine , the government actually owns a portion of the vaccine , we believe .
It funded 100 % of the development at Moderna .
And as you said , they ’ ve also now — the government has pledged a billion-and-a-half dollars @ @ @ @ @ @ @ co-invented and 100 % paid for .
So , these are vaccines that the government has an investment interest in , an ownership interest in , in the case of Moderna , and therefore , when we think about how it ’ s going to be procured and distributed and , most importantly , produced and supplied in the U.S. , but around the world , the government has just got to say , “ We ’ re going to exercise our powers.
” I will say , though , even if the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccine , even if the inventions weren ’ t product of public investment over many years , in light of the pandemic , we should still say we can not tolerate patent monopolies conferring on corporations the power to control who can make the vaccine and how it ’ s going to be supplied .
What we should do in the United States and around the world is say , “ This is technology that the world needs , and we ’ re going to share it as widely as we possibly can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as much vaccine as we need as quickly as possible , to get not just the United States , but the entire world , out of the pandemic quickly.
” AMY GOODMAN : So , now , this is really critical about how — you know , there ’ s a difference between vaccines and vaccinations , moving into this issue of who gets vaccinated .
You have the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines .
Both are double shots .
AMY GOODMAN : And the Pfizer vaccine has to be kept at 100 degrees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t have to be kept quite as cold , but the Pfizer vaccine would require whole new refrigeration .
Even states in the United States say they don ’ t have the ability to keep it that cold , let alone countries in the developing world .
ROBERT WEISSMAN : Yeah , that ’ s right .
There are going to be some technical problems with getting it distributed .
But I have to say , if the world cares , man , you solve the technical problems .
The real hard limit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not going to be enough supply , because these companies can not make enough fast enough .
And if they try to license it to other partners , as they are doing , it ’ s still going to be too slow .
They ’ re going to spend too much time debating the details of it , and the licensees are not going to be able to make enough of it .
So , what does that mean ?
Well , it means that people in the developing world are going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , even five years , to get the vaccine , that hopefully will be fully distributed in the United States within the course of the next nine months or so .
We already have 170 million people in the developing world who have fallen into deep poverty , under $ 3.50 a day , since the pandemic started .
So you ’ re going to see these poorer countries crushed by an ongoing pandemic , when it ’ s been solved in the rich countries .
And , of course , you ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of lives lost that could be saved if the vaccine was distributed immediately .
So , what ’ s the solution ?
Well , we actually need more supply .
And we could get more supply if the U.S. government said , “ We ’ re going to share this technology .
Every manufacturer that has capacity , the ability to make a quality product , we ’ re going to show you how to do this , and encourage you to do it as much as you can , as fast as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. government , we ’ re going to help build some more facilities to make more , because the world can ’ t wait.
” AMY GOODMAN : So , talk about what this would mean for all of these vaccines .
Again , you have AstraZeneca .
You have — and then the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine would cost more .
Johnson & Johnson is going to be talking about theirs coming out .
And also , what does it mean not charging during the pandemic , but then charging ?
What @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have a situation in the world where it is guaranteed everyone who wants a vaccine gets a vaccine ?
ROBERT WEISSMAN : Well , what we should say — the United States is the leading power on this , both as the most powerful country in the world and also as the home to two of these companies that have developed these early vaccines .
We should say we ’ re going to share the technology .
We ’ re going to share the intellectual property rights , the patents and other intellectual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We ’ re going to actually show people , show companies how to make this vaccine , and do it through the World Health Organization , which has a facility set up to do this , do it directly with companies .
We ’ re going to produce as much as we quickly can .
Pay something to Pfizer and Moderna that we determine to be fair based on their contributions to the research and the cost , but don ’ t let them exert monopoly control .
And if we do that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quickly and get everybody the vaccine as quickly as possible .
AMY GOODMAN : Rob , can you talk about the Serum Institute in India that can mass-produce vaccines ?
Will they be able to get access to the know-how to manufacture these vaccines ?
ROBERT WEISSMAN : Well , where we are right now is the authority is vested in the companies , so it ’ s going to depend on what kind of deals the companies cut .
The companies actually are licensing around the world , but it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s no transparency , so we ’ re not really likely to know what the terms are of those license deals , how much information and know-how they ’ re transferring over , whether they ’ re permitting a company like the large Indian manufacturers to sell outside of India , around the world .
Do they limit the countries they can get into ?
And then , as you ’ re alluding to , what these companies are saying , “ Well , we ’ ll do it at what we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nonprofit , but what we call a nonprofit price — for a while , like during the pandemic .
But if there ’ s an ongoing need for this vaccine — and we don ’ t know , this may require ongoing shots — well , we ’ re not committing to that nonprofit price over the long term.
” So , they ’ re worried about not just year one .
They ’ re worried about what ’ s happening in year four and five .
And they ’ re trying to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ profits for many years to come .
We just can ’ t tolerate that .
Pay them what we think is fair .
Share the technology .
Get everybody vaccinated .
Because the alternative is what we ’ re about to venture into , which is a global vaccine apartheid , where people in rich countries get access to this vaccine , the countries collectively are able to get out of the pandemic , but people in poorer countries are going to be living with it for years and years , with huge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well-being of their economies .
And it ’ s just an absolutely intolerable situation .
AMY GOODMAN : Rob , speaking about rich and poor , since President Trump signed the CARES Act nearly eight months ago , benefits have expired as the pandemic intensifies , but Senate Republicans and the White House have refused to advance multiple relief measures passed by the Democrat-controlled House .
On Friday , Congressmember Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez took to the House floor to call out Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for sending the Senate home for Thanksgiving without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ GOODMAN : AOC is wearing all black .
Public Citizen recently tweeted in all capital letters , ” WHY IS THE SENATE ON VACATION WHILE AMERICANS ARE DYING WITH NO RELIEF ?
” We have 10 seconds , Rob Weissman .
ROBERT WEISSMAN : It ’ s unconscionable .
We ’ ve got rising hunger , rising homelessness , tens of millions of people out of work .
The Senate has refused to act on the bill that passed the House in May , and people are going to suffer as a result @ @ @ @ @ @ @ done quickly , but this is all resting at the feet of Mitch McConnell and Donald Trump .
AMY GOODMAN : We have to leave it there , Rob Weissman , president of Public Citizen .
I ’ m Amy Goodman .
Thanks so much for joining us .

With the world pinning its hopes on a successful coronavirus vaccine to curb the pandemic, corporate watchdogs say much of the research and development of the medicines rely on public funding. “The investment in these vaccines, as for most drugs, has really been underwritten by the taxpayer, by the government,” says Robert Weissman, president of Public Citizen.
AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now! The Quarantine Report. I’m Amy Goodman.
As the coronavirus pandemic intensifies, a third major drug company has injected good news into the race for a potential vaccine. That’s AstraZeneca. It says late-stage trials show its COVID-19 vaccine developed by Oxford University is [70%] effective. Last week, drug giants Pfizer and Moderna reported their vaccines are almost 95% effective. The new vaccine manufactured by Oxford-AstraZeneca could be easier to distribute than the others because it does not have to be stored at ultra-freezing temperatures. It could also be cheaper because AstraZeneca has pledged not to make a profit on it during the pandemic, and agreed to price doses at about $2.50 each. The Associated Press reports Pfizer’s vaccine costs about $20 a dose, while Moderna’s is $15 to $25, based on the companies’ agreements to supply their vaccines to the U.S. government. As many as 14 billion vaccine doses would be required to immunize everyone worldwide.
Corporate watchdog Public Citizen says the vaccines belong to the people, as Pfizer and Moderna’s vaccines relied heavily on discoveries from research funded by taxpayers, who actually paid twice, when the Trump administration also gave Moderna an additional $1.5 billion to secure doses in advance.
For more, we’re joined by Public Citizen’s president, Rob Weissman.
Rob, welcome back to Democracy Now! Explain what it means to say that these vaccines should belong to the world, not be the property of a private corporation.
ROBERT WEISSMAN: Well, it turns out that the investment in these vaccines, as for most drugs, has really been underwritten by the taxpayer, by the government. In the case of Pfizer, they did not take direct money from the government to finish their vaccine, but they’re relying heavily on a publicly funded invention as the core of what they’re trying to do. In the case of the Moderna vaccine, which really should be viewed as the National Institutes of Health-Moderna vaccine, the government actually owns a portion of the vaccine, we believe. It funded 100% of the development at Moderna. And as you said, they’ve also now — the government has pledged a billion-and-a-half dollars to purchase the vaccine, that we co-invented and 100% paid for. So, these are vaccines that the government has an investment interest in, an ownership interest in, in the case of Moderna, and therefore, when we think about how it’s going to be procured and distributed and, most importantly, produced and supplied in the U.S., but around the world, the government has just got to say, “We’re going to exercise our powers.”
I will say, though, even if the government hadn’t paid for the vaccine, even if the inventions weren’t product of public investment over many years, in light of the pandemic, we should still say we cannot tolerate patent monopolies conferring on corporations the power to control who can make the vaccine and how it’s going to be supplied. What we should do in the United States and around the world is say, “This is technology that the world needs, and we’re going to share it as widely as we possibly can, to make sure we can produce as much vaccine as we need as quickly as possible, to get not just the United States, but the entire world, out of the pandemic quickly.”
AMY GOODMAN: So, now, this is really critical about how — you know, there’s a difference between vaccines and vaccinations, moving into this issue of who gets vaccinated. You have the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines. Both are double shots.
ROBERT WEISSMAN: Right.
AMY GOODMAN: And the Pfizer vaccine has to be kept at 100 degrees Fahrenheit below zero. Moderna doesn’t have to be kept quite as cold, but the Pfizer vaccine would require whole new refrigeration. Even states in the United States say they don’t have the ability to keep it that cold, let alone countries in the developing world.
ROBERT WEISSMAN: Yeah, that’s right. There are going to be some technical problems with getting it distributed. But I have to say, if the world cares, man, you solve the technical problems. The real hard limit we face now is there’s not going to be enough supply, because these companies cannot make enough fast enough. And if they try to license it to other partners, as they are doing, it’s still going to be too slow. They’re going to spend too much time debating the details of it, and the licensees are not going to be able to make enough of it.
So, what does that mean? Well, it means that people in the developing world are going to wait longer, maybe three, four, even five years, to get the vaccine, that hopefully will be fully distributed in the United States within the course of the next nine months or so. We already have 170 million people in the developing world who have fallen into deep poverty, under $3.50 a day, since the pandemic started. So you’re going to see these poorer countries crushed by an ongoing pandemic, when it’s been solved in the rich countries. And, of course, you’re going to have hundreds of thousands of lives lost that could be saved if the vaccine was distributed immediately.
So, what’s the solution? Well, we actually need more supply. And we could get more supply if the U.S. government said, “We’re going to share this technology. Every manufacturer that has capacity, the ability to make a quality product, we’re going to show you how to do this, and encourage you to do it as much as you can, as fast as we can. And we, the U.S. government, we’re going to help build some more facilities to make more, because the world can’t wait.”
AMY GOODMAN: So, talk about what this would mean for all of these vaccines. Again, you have AstraZeneca. You have — and then the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine would cost more. Johnson & Johnson is going to be talking about theirs coming out. And also, what does it mean not charging during the pandemic, but then charging? What could be set up, where you have a situation in the world where it is guaranteed everyone who wants a vaccine gets a vaccine?
ROBERT WEISSMAN: Well, what we should say — the United States is the leading power on this, both as the most powerful country in the world and also as the home to two of these companies that have developed these early vaccines. We should say we’re going to share the technology. We’re going to share the intellectual property rights, the patents and other intellectual property rights, and the know-how. We’re going to actually show people, show companies how to make this vaccine, and do it through the World Health Organization, which has a facility set up to do this, do it directly with companies. We’re going to produce as much as we quickly can. Pay something to Pfizer and Moderna that we determine to be fair based on their contributions to the research and the cost, but don’t let them exert monopoly control. And if we do that, we could scale up globally really quickly and get everybody the vaccine as quickly as possible.
AMY GOODMAN: Rob, can you talk about the Serum Institute in India that can mass-produce vaccines? Will they be able to get access to the know-how to manufacture these vaccines?
ROBERT WEISSMAN: Well, where we are right now is the authority is vested in the companies, so it’s going to depend on what kind of deals the companies cut. The companies actually are licensing around the world, but it’s too slow a process. And there’s no transparency, so we’re not really likely to know what the terms are of those license deals, how much information and know-how they’re transferring over, whether they’re permitting a company like the large Indian manufacturers to sell outside of India, around the world. Do they limit the countries they can get into?
And then, as you’re alluding to, what these companies are saying, “Well, we’ll do it at what we call a nonprofit price — not really nonprofit, but what we call a nonprofit price — for a while, like during the pandemic. But if there’s an ongoing need for this vaccine — and we don’t know, this may require ongoing shots — well, we’re not committing to that nonprofit price over the long term.” So, they’re worried about not just year one. They’re worried about what’s happening in year four and five. And they’re trying to control the technology so they can make profits for many years to come.
We just can’t tolerate that. Pay them what we think is fair. Share the technology. Get everybody vaccinated. Because the alternative is what we’re about to venture into, which is a global vaccine apartheid, where people in rich countries get access to this vaccine, the countries collectively are able to get out of the pandemic, but people in poorer countries are going to be living with it for years and years, with huge consequences both for their health and the well-being of their economies. And it’s just an absolutely intolerable situation.
AMY GOODMAN: Rob, speaking about rich and poor, since President Trump signed the CARES Act nearly eight months ago, benefits have expired as the pandemic intensifies, but Senate Republicans and the White House have refused to advance multiple relief measures passed by the Democrat-controlled House. On Friday, Congressmember Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez took to the House floor to call out Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for sending the Senate home for Thanksgiving without finalizing a coronavirus relief bill.
REP. ALEXANDRIA OCASIO–CORTEZ: Our country is going hungry on the week before Thanksgiving, and the Senate broke. I don’t care what party you are, it is an abandonment of our responsibilities as elected officials who are charged with acting in the public trust.
AMY GOODMAN: AOC is wearing all black. Public Citizen recently tweeted in all capital letters, ”WHY IS THE SENATE ON VACATION WHILE AMERICANS ARE DYING WITH NO RELIEF?” We have 10 seconds, Rob Weissman.
ROBERT WEISSMAN: It’s unconscionable. We’ve got rising hunger, rising homelessness, tens of millions of people out of work. The Senate has refused to act on the bill that passed the House in May, and people are going to suffer as a result. Hopefully we can get a deal done quickly, but this is all resting at the feet of Mitch McConnell and Donald Trump.
AMY GOODMAN: We have to leave it there, Rob Weissman, president of Public Citizen. I’m Amy Goodman. Thanks so much for joining us.


truthout--2020-11-23--All Eyes on Pennsylvania, Michigan and Arizona — Will They Certify?

Here we are , on the Monday before a somber Thanksgiving holiday , waiting for the word .
The election boards in three states — Michigan , Pennsylvania , and Arizona — are set to certify Joe Biden ’ s victory over Donald Trump in the 2020 election , except maybe not , because Trump and his dwindling cadre of allies are attempting to stage a broad-daylight coup d ’ état… or are they ?
Trump ’ s decision to lean into obscure , low-lever state election officials and demand they unilaterally overthrow the will of the people is unprecedented @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unseemly , gross , and harrowingly damaging to democracy , the effort — at least in Michigan — appears to be thus far comprehensively unsuccessful .
The two Republican board members in Michigan are using “ we need to investigate the election more ” as their fig leaf for doing what Trump wants them to do .
The state ’ s law , however , turns that demand into a warped circle : There can be no audit or investigation until the election is certified by the board , so these two Republicans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ refusing to provide .
“ If the board showed no signs of acting to certify , someone would almost certainly sue in the Michigan Court of Appeals , seeking an order requiring the board to do so , ” reports The Detroit Free Press .
“ Such an order could then be appealed to the Michigan Supreme Court .
Once court proceedings are concluded , preferably before the Dec. 8 ‘ safe harbor ’ date by which Congress is required to accept Michigan ’ s electoral votes , Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ electors ahead of the Dec. 14 convening of the Electoral College.
” Similar firewalls in Pennsylvania and Arizona stand before Trump ’ s efforts to thwart the mandate of the people , not to mention the “ quiet resistance ” of local officials who do not like the integrity of their election efforts dragged through the mud .
Georgia — one of the other late states on Election Day — has already certified Biden ’ s victory .
Trump ’ s dozens of legal efforts in various courtrooms have fared about as well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ come calling .
For his own part , Trump is already laying the groundwork for a 2024 presidential run , unmistakable evidence that even he knows the deal has gone down .
Trump is also conspicuously losing friends , albeit slowly .
A trickle of Republican officeholders have come forward to say it ’ s time for this to end .
This morning , a clutch of prominent Republican foreign policy “ experts ” went public with their demand that Trump allow the transition process to begin .
Stephen Schwarzman , the highly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ companion , backed off his earlier support for Trump ’ s post-election shenanigans and stated flatly that Biden won , and it ’ s time to move on .
It has been widely suggested that the Republicans who are allowing this farce to continue are not cowards , but conniving : They need to appease Trump ’ s base if they want to win the two upcoming Georgia runoff elections and maintain majority control of the Senate .
Here ’ s the funny part , though : More than 100 corporate chief executives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and let the transition begin… and if he does not , there may very well be no money for the GOP in those Georgia races .
That is known as “ getting your leash yanked.
” One wonders if Trump will heed the “ money talks ” imperative of that ultimatum , if he cares a fig for the fate of his Senate colleagues , who have carried an ocean of water for him and now face a political apocalypse in payment for their fealty .
The Republican Party in Georgia is in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump , and depressed GOP voter turnout for the runoffs could be the inevitable result .
So for the luvva crumbcake , if there is no chance of any of this working straightforwardly in his electoral favor , why is Trump doing this ?
He seeks to smash the election system that dared to deny him victory .
He is sabotaging as much government as he can reach — which , morosely , is quite a damn bit — to subsume Biden ’ s presidency before it begins .
This is the Brobdingnagian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shaggy head , and it did not disappoint .
Oh , and there ’ s the cash , of course : The longer Trump holds out and refuses to concede , the longer he can keep fleecing his followers for donations he can use to pay down his campaign debt .
Campaign finance law says a defeated candidate can keep the money they raised during a failed campaign , so long as that money is used in another campaign .
To that end , expect that “ Trump 2024 ” announcement any day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grift , all the way out the door .
Watch this space .
The Michigan board is expected to convene for a vote at 1:00 p.m. Eastern time .
I will update on this and the other states in play as the information comes in .

Update 4:45 p.m. 11/23/20: Aaron Van Langevelde, one of two Republicans on the Michigan canvassing board, voted with Democrats late this afternoon to certify Joe Biden’s victory in that state. “The law basically says we have a legal duty to canvass the returns,” said Van Langevelde. “There is nothing in the law that gives me the authority to request an audit.” Norman Shinkle, the other Republican on the board, abstained.
Update 11:15 a.m. 11/24/20: Gov. Tom Wolf has announced that the Pennsylvania secretary of state certified the results of its presidential election, confirming that Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump.
Update 1:00 p.m. 11/24/20: The Associated Press reports that the Nevada Supreme Court has certified Joe Biden’s win in Nevada, making his victory in the state official.
Here we are, on the Monday before a somber Thanksgiving holiday, waiting for the word. The election boards in three states — Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Arizona — are set to certify Joe Biden’s victory over Donald Trump in the 2020 election, except maybe not, because Trump and his dwindling cadre of allies are attempting to stage a broad-daylight coup d’ état… or are they?
Trump’s decision to lean into obscure, low-lever state election officials and demand they unilaterally overthrow the will of the people is unprecedented in our national history. Beyond being unseemly, gross, and harrowingly damaging to democracy, the effort — at least in Michigan — appears to be thus far comprehensively unsuccessful.
The two Republican board members in Michigan are using “we need to investigate the election more” as their fig leaf for doing what Trump wants them to do. The state’s law, however, turns that demand into a warped circle: There can be no audit or investigation until the election is certified by the board, so these two Republicans are asking for something they themselves are refusing to provide.
“If the board showed no signs of acting to certify, someone would almost certainly sue in the Michigan Court of Appeals, seeking an order requiring the board to do so,” reports The Detroit Free Press. “Such an order could then be appealed to the Michigan Supreme Court. Once court proceedings are concluded, preferably before the Dec. 8 ‘safe harbor’ date by which Congress is required to accept Michigan’s electoral votes, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer would certify the state’s 16 presidential electors ahead of the Dec. 14 convening of the Electoral College.”
Similar firewalls in Pennsylvania and Arizona stand before Trump’s efforts to thwart the mandate of the people, not to mention the “quiet resistance” of local officials who do not like the integrity of their election efforts dragged through the mud. Georgia — one of the other late states on Election Day — has already certified Biden’s victory.
Trump’s dozens of legal efforts in various courtrooms have fared about as well as honeybees do when the murder hornets come calling. For his own part, Trump is already laying the groundwork for a 2024 presidential run, unmistakable evidence that even he knows the deal has gone down.
Trump is also conspicuously losing friends, albeit slowly. A trickle of Republican officeholders have come forward to say it’s time for this to end. This morning, a clutch of prominent Republican foreign policy “experts” went public with their demand that Trump allow the transition process to begin. Stephen Schwarzman, the highly influential CEO of Blackstone and boon Trump companion, backed off his earlier support for Trump’s post-election shenanigans and stated flatly that Biden won, and it’s time to move on.
It has been widely suggested that the Republicans who are allowing this farce to continue are not cowards, but conniving: They need to appease Trump’s base if they want to win the two upcoming Georgia runoff elections and maintain majority control of the Senate.
Here’s the funny part, though: More than 100 corporate chief executives have demanded that Trump acknowledge his loss and let the transition begin… and if he does not, there may very well be no money for the GOP in those Georgia races.
Trump seeks to smash the election system that dared to deny him victory.
That is known as “getting your leash yanked.” One wonders if Trump will heed the “money talks” imperative of that ultimatum, if he cares a fig for the fate of his Senate colleagues, who have carried an ocean of water for him and now face a political apocalypse in payment for their fealty. The Republican Party in Georgia is in open civil war with itself today over Trump, and depressed GOP voter turnout for the runoffs could be the inevitable result.
So for the luvva crumbcake, if there is no chance of any of this working straightforwardly in his electoral favor, why is Trump doing this? He seeks to smash the election system that dared to deny him victory. He is sabotaging as much government as he can reach — which, morosely, is quite a damn bit — to subsume Biden’s presidency before it begins. This is the Brobdingnagian petulance we all feared would rear its shaggy head, and it did not disappoint.
Oh, and there’s the cash, of course: The longer Trump holds out and refuses to concede, the longer he can keep fleecing his followers for donations he can use to pay down his campaign debt. Campaign finance law says a defeated candidate can keep the money they raised during a failed campaign, so long as that money is used in another campaign.
To that end, expect that “Trump 2024” announcement any day now. Grifter’s gonna grift, all the way out the door.
Watch this space. The Michigan board is expected to convene for a vote at 1:00 p.m. Eastern time. I will update on this and the other states in play as the information comes in.
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truthout--2020-11-23--Indigenous Activists Are Occupying the Hamptons Until Thanksgiving

Between the Atlantic Ocean and the Peconic Bay of Long Island , there is an isthmus known as Canoe Place .
Thousands of years ago , the land was where the native Shinnecock tribe carried their canoes during travel .
Today , the territory is surrounded by the glitzy luxury housing of the Hamptons .
It is also the site of Sovereignty Camp 2020 , where Indigenous Shinnecock activists have been demanding justice for their people since the beginning of November .
The occupation is being led by the Warriors of the Sunrise , a group made up mostly of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their community as “ the Grandmothers.
” The Grandmothers ’ primary demand : an end to the legal battle that the state of New York has waged against the Shinnecock Nation for more than a year .
The lawsuit began in May 2019 , when the Shinnecock Nation erected a 61-foot monument on Sunrise Highway , the only expressway into the Hamptons .
The monument , which is topped with the seal of the Shinnecock Nation , serves two purposes : first , it is a tribute to Shinnecock resilience and a reminder @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tribal land .
Beneath the seal is an electronic billboard , where companies can pay to advertise to the wealthy clientele of the Hamptons — a way for the tribe to generate desperately-needed revenue .
This quickly resulted in an uproar from public officials and wealthy vacationers , who objected to it on grounds that it was an “ eyesore ” that could “ potentially distract motorists.
” Soon after , the state of New York filed a temporary restraining order against the project , despite the fact that it was located on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The second monument that the tribe had planned was never built .
Now , as the Shinnecock community struggles to feed and house their people during a global pandemic , they are being forced to pay thousands in legal defense fees .
The youngest among the Warriors of the Sunrise is Tela Troge , a 33-year-old attorney who helped envision the monument and defend it in court .
Troge , who grew up in Shinnecock territory , has known the Grandmothers since she was a baby .
“ People may not be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when it ’ s a grandmother yelling at you about the way it is , you stop and you listen , ” she said .
For the past few weeks , she has been helping run Sovereignty Camp 2020 , where more than 30 activists plan to camp until Thanksgiving .
Troge describes the camp as “ a place where anyone can share a story and know there ’ s going to be somebody to listen.
” There , the warriors have staged protests , established Shinnecock history classes , and compiled a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Grandmothers sit around the fire and recount details of the Indigenous occupation of Alcatraz and the American Indian Movement of the 1960s .
So far , the movement has garnered inter-tribal support , a steady stream of visitors and thousands of dollars in donations .
“ We ’ ve gotten messages from people around the world who have grievances with billionaires living on stolen land , ” Troge said .
“ A lot of the donations are labeled ‘ back rent.
’ ” I spoke with Troge about the occupation , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ solidarity with Indigenous people this Thanksgiving .
Loretta Graceffo : How did the occupation come together ?
Tela Troge : The occupation has been envisioned by Margo Thunderbird — one of the grandmothers — for at least 45 years .
But the monument is what made it possible for us to gather here .
It really strengthened us and unified us .
The first time it was lit up , my entire tribe came out .
I ’ m 33 years old , and it was the first time I ’ ve ever @ @ @ @ @ @ @ able to come together .
Since then , we ’ ve built the alliances we needed to have a meaningful occupation .
It feels like the stars aligned to make this possible .
We ’ ve been saying all of these things for hundreds of years , and no one ’ s listened to us .
But we ’ re going to have people hear us this time .
One of the reasons this lawsuit is so devastating is because the monument is more than just a tribute to your people — it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tribe to generate revenue .
How has the lawsuit affected economic development in your community ?
The monument has two visual screens that we have advertising on .
When we were starting to build , we had contracts with all of these internationally well-known companies .
But we lost every single one of those contracts because the town came in with the assertion that it wasn ’ t our land .
People really turned against us .
Our neighbors turned against us , and the advertisers turned against us .
There was a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they saw your ad up on the sign , they would boycott you .
We ’ ve really been struggling to put up the second sign that we planned .
No bank wants to finance you when your project is under litigation .
It ’ s insane , and this isn ’ t the first time that New York state or the town of Southampton has done this .
It ’ s just been this history of 400 years of flat-out economic oppression .
How has the economic oppression of the Shinnecock people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is surrounded by the town of Southampton .
Our neighbors are some of the wealthiest people in the world .
They ’ re celebrities and millionaires with these gigantic summer estates .
And meanwhile , our people are literally living in campers , or 200-year-old houses with no roofs .
Or they ’ re living in tents — if they ’ re lucky enough to even have a tent .
The housing conditions are absolutely horrific , but if you drive a minute down the road , you ’ ll see the biggest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your life .
It ’ s absolutely sickening and disgusting .
We have about 1,200 Shinnecock people who are living on our territory .
Since we only have 800 acres of land , we ’ re running out of room .
We ’ re on a peninsula that ’ s extraordinarily vulnerable to flooding and storms , so not many of the acres are even livable .
We don ’ t have addresses , so we can ’ t get bank accounts .
And because of that , we ’ re unable to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allow us to build new homes , or improve the structures of the ones we have .
The rest of the world depends on mortgages for that kind of thing .
But we just don ’ t have any access to that capital at all , and we can ’ t generate our own through economic development .
You ’ re also the COVID-19 director for your nation .
What has been the impact of the pandemic on your community ?
I ’ ve had families come to me with absolutely heartbreaking struggles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but things are even worse now .
There ’ s a lot of food insecurity .
Even with the food bank , so much of the food is high sodium , and a lot of people are affected by diabetes and can ’ t even eat that .
And a lot of young families lack access to baby supplies like diapers and formula .
Homelessness is also a huge concern .
A lot of homeless people in the territory were using the church for shelter , but with COVID-19 , that became @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many families have three or four generations of family living in one home , there ’ s not really any way to quarantine and protect the more vulnerable elders of the family .
So it ’ s a huge challenge we ’ re facing as we ’ re going into winter .
Another thing you ’ re fighting for is trust land , a land status that grants Native tribes a certain level of sovereignty and protection .
Why has trust land been historically denied to your tribe ?
Our tribe ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Southampton , and the state of New York .
We ’ ve never had a federal relationship with the United States , because we had a relationship with the colonists before the United States was even formed .
We ’ re in a similar situation to the Mashpee Wampanoag , the tribe most people know from their engagement with the Pilgrims .
In 1934 , as part of the New Deal , there was the Indian Reorganization Act .
Washington sent out an agent to our community to explore the possibility of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The agent they sent ended up writing back to Washington saying that he felt our features were more African than Indian , and because of that , we ’ ve always been overlooked by the United States .
We ’ ve never been provided with any type of assistance from colonial oppressors .
This was all based on racial policy at the time .
Back then , Long Island was a hotspot for eugenics .
The super wealthy people out here were engaging with all kinds or research about racial tyranny at Cold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t far from our territory .
There ’ s a really horrible history of racial prejudice there .
What are some of your other demands ?
New York state is one of four states in the country that has no laws to protect unmarked Native graves .
Shinnecock Hills is one of our most sacred burial sites .
It was stolen from us , and developers have been digging up our ancestors to build houses , pools and tennis courts .
They do it right in front of us .
I can ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ watch them taking our skulls out of the earth so that they can build a house — and then fighting with us when we tell them it ’ s the wrong thing to do .
It ’ s the worst thing you could ever see in your life .
Another thing we ’ re fighting for is our sovereign right to hunt and fish .
This was one of the basic agreements we had with early colonial governments , but they ’ ve never been honored .
It ’ s even worse during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the point where we need to hunt and fish to support our people , but we ’ re under attack for trying to exercise that right .
For many Indigenous people , Thanksgiving is a National Day of Mourning to reflect on settler colonization and genocide .
As the holiday approaches , what are some ways that non-Natives can stand in solidarity with Indigenous folks ?
I want people to know the true , raw history of early America , and the true history of Thanksgiving .
It ’ s not people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taught this , but I want people to know who the Mashpee Wampanoag are .
I don ’ t want to have to say , “ Oh , they ’ re the Thanksgiving tribe.
” There ’ s a lot of other ways people can stand in solidarity with us , too .
They can come down to Sovereignty Camp , or they can make a donation on GoFundMe or PayPal .
But what we really need is for people to call the governor of New York , or the attorney general , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
If you ’ re going to do one thing to honor and recognize Native people during this time , that ’ s an action you can take .
As one of the architects of the monument , you ’ ve been a part of this movement from the beginning .
What has been the most fulfilling part ?
Having everyone come together has been really beautiful .
And standing on the edge of the water on my ancestral land , knowing that I ’ m looking at the same thing that my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I just can ’ t describe how incredible that is .
I love where I ’ m from , and I ’ ll do anything to protect it .

Between the Atlantic Ocean and the Peconic Bay of Long Island, there is an isthmus known as Canoe Place. Thousands of years ago, the land was where the native Shinnecock tribe carried their canoes during travel. Today, the territory is surrounded by the glitzy luxury housing of the Hamptons. It is also the site of Sovereignty Camp 2020, where Indigenous Shinnecock activists have been demanding justice for their people since the beginning of November.
The occupation is being led by the Warriors of the Sunrise, a group made up mostly of Shinnecock elders who are affectionately known by their community as “the Grandmothers.” The Grandmothers’ primary demand: an end to the legal battle that the state of New York has waged against the Shinnecock Nation for more than a year.
The lawsuit began in May 2019, when the Shinnecock Nation erected a 61-foot monument on Sunrise Highway, the only expressway into the Hamptons. The monument, which is topped with the seal of the Shinnecock Nation, serves two purposes: first, it is a tribute to Shinnecock resilience and a reminder to passersby that they are driving on tribal land. Beneath the seal is an electronic billboard, where companies can pay to advertise to the wealthy clientele of the Hamptons — a way for the tribe to generate desperately-needed revenue. This quickly resulted in an uproar from public officials and wealthy vacationers, who objected to it on grounds that it was an “eyesore” that could “potentially distract motorists.”
WNV / Matt Ballard
Soon after, the state of New York filed a temporary restraining order against the project, despite the fact that it was located on land that rightfully belonged to the Shinnecock. The second monument that the tribe had planned was never built. Now, as the Shinnecock community struggles to feed and house their people during a global pandemic, they are being forced to pay thousands in legal defense fees.
The youngest among the Warriors of the Sunrise is Tela Troge, a 33-year-old attorney who helped envision the monument and defend it in court. Troge, who grew up in Shinnecock territory, has known the Grandmothers since she was a baby. “People may not be ready to hear the truth, but when it’s a grandmother yelling at you about the way it is, you stop and you listen,” she said.
For the past few weeks, she has been helping run Sovereignty Camp 2020, where more than 30 activists plan to camp until Thanksgiving. Troge describes the camp as “a place where anyone can share a story and know there’s going to be somebody to listen.” There, the warriors have staged protests, established Shinnecock history classes, and compiled a library of Native authors. At night, the Grandmothers sit around the fire and recount details of the Indigenous occupation of Alcatraz and the American Indian Movement of the 1960s.
So far, the movement has garnered inter-tribal support, a steady stream of visitors and thousands of dollars in donations. “We’ve gotten messages from people around the world who have grievances with billionaires living on stolen land,” Troge said. “A lot of the donations are labeled ‘back rent.’”
I spoke with Troge about the occupation, Shinnecock history and how to stand in solidarity with Indigenous people this Thanksgiving.
Loretta Graceffo: How did the occupation come together?
Tela Troge: The occupation has been envisioned by Margo Thunderbird — one of the grandmothers — for at least 45 years. But the monument is what made it possible for us to gather here. It really strengthened us and unified us. The first time it was lit up, my entire tribe came out. I’m 33 years old, and it was the first time I’ve ever seen everyone in my tribe happy and able to come together.
WNV / Matt Ballard
Since then, we’ve built the alliances we needed to have a meaningful occupation. It feels like the stars aligned to make this possible. We’ve been saying all of these things for hundreds of years, and no one’s listened to us. But we’re going to have people hear us this time.
One of the reasons this lawsuit is so devastating is because the monument is more than just a tribute to your people — it’s also an opportunity for your tribe to generate revenue. How has the lawsuit affected economic development in your community?
The monument has two visual screens that we have advertising on. When we were starting to build, we had contracts with all of these internationally well-known companies. But we lost every single one of those contracts because the town came in with the assertion that it wasn’t our land.
People really turned against us. Our neighbors turned against us, and the advertisers turned against us. There was a group of local residents who, if they saw your ad up on the sign, they would boycott you. We’ve really been struggling to put up the second sign that we planned. No bank wants to finance you when your project is under litigation.
It’s insane, and this isn’t the first time that New York state or the town of Southampton has done this. It’s just been this history of 400 years of flat-out economic oppression.
How has the economic oppression of the Shinnecock people manifested over the years?
Our territory is surrounded by the town of Southampton. Our neighbors are some of the wealthiest people in the world. They’re celebrities and millionaires with these gigantic summer estates. And meanwhile, our people are literally living in campers, or 200-year-old houses with no roofs. Or they’re living in tents — if they’re lucky enough to even have a tent. The housing conditions are absolutely horrific, but if you drive a minute down the road, you’ll see the biggest house you’ve ever seen in your life. It’s absolutely sickening and disgusting.
We have about 1,200 Shinnecock people who are living on our territory. Since we only have 800 acres of land, we’re running out of room. We’re on a peninsula that’s extraordinarily vulnerable to flooding and storms, so not many of the acres are even livable.
We don’t have addresses, so we can’t get bank accounts. And because of that, we’re unable to obtain any type of financing that would allow us to build new homes, or improve the structures of the ones we have. The rest of the world depends on mortgages for that kind of thing. But we just don’t have any access to that capital at all, and we can’t generate our own through economic development.
You’re also the COVID-19 director for your nation. What has been the impact of the pandemic on your community?
I’ve had families come to me with absolutely heartbreaking struggles. Things were bad before the pandemic, but things are even worse now. There’s a lot of food insecurity. Even with the food bank, so much of the food is high sodium, and a lot of people are affected by diabetes and can’t even eat that. And a lot of young families lack access to baby supplies like diapers and formula.
Homelessness is also a huge concern. A lot of homeless people in the territory were using the church for shelter, but with COVID-19, that became a safety issue. And since so many families have three or four generations of family living in one home, there’s not really any way to quarantine and protect the more vulnerable elders of the family. So it’s a huge challenge we’re facing as we’re going into winter.
Another thing you’re fighting for is trust land, a land status that grants Native tribes a certain level of sovereignty and protection. Why has trust land been historically denied to your tribe?
Our tribe’s relationship has always been with the town of Southampton, and the state of New York. We’ve never had a federal relationship with the United States, because we had a relationship with the colonists before the United States was even formed. We’re in a similar situation to the Mashpee Wampanoag, the tribe most people know from their engagement with the Pilgrims.
WNV / Matt Ballard
In 1934, as part of the New Deal, there was the Indian Reorganization Act. Washington sent out an agent to our community to explore the possibility of starting a federal relationship with us. The agent they sent ended up writing back to Washington saying that he felt our features were more African than Indian, and because of that, we’ve always been overlooked by the United States. We’ve never been provided with any type of assistance from colonial oppressors.
This was all based on racial policy at the time. Back then, Long Island was a hotspot for eugenics. The super wealthy people out here were engaging with all kinds or research about racial tyranny at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, which isn’t far from our territory. There’s a really horrible history of racial prejudice there.
What are some of your other demands?
New York state is one of four states in the country that has no laws to protect unmarked Native graves. Shinnecock Hills is one of our most sacred burial sites. It was stolen from us, and developers have been digging up our ancestors to build houses, pools and tennis courts. They do it right in front of us. I can’t describe how horrible it is to watch them taking our skulls out of the earth so that they can build a house — and then fighting with us when we tell them it’s the wrong thing to do. It’s the worst thing you could ever see in your life.
Another thing we’re fighting for is our sovereign right to hunt and fish. This was one of the basic agreements we had with early colonial governments, but they’ve never been honored. It’s even worse during the pandemic, because we’re at the point where we need to hunt and fish to support our people, but we’re under attack for trying to exercise that right.
For many Indigenous people, Thanksgiving is a National Day of Mourning to reflect on settler colonization and genocide. As the holiday approaches, what are some ways that non-Natives can stand in solidarity with Indigenous folks?
I want people to know the true, raw history of early America, and the true history of Thanksgiving. It’s not people’s fault that they were never taught this, but I want people to know who the Mashpee Wampanoag are. I don’t want to have to say, “Oh, they’re the Thanksgiving tribe.”
There’s a lot of other ways people can stand in solidarity with us, too. They can come down to Sovereignty Camp, or they can make a donation on GoFundMe or PayPal. But what we really need is for people to call the governor of New York, or the attorney general, and ask them to drop the lawsuit. If you’re going to do one thing to honor and recognize Native people during this time, that’s an action you can take.
As one of the architects of the monument, you’ve been a part of this movement from the beginning. What has been the most fulfilling part?
Having everyone come together has been really beautiful. And standing on the edge of the water on my ancestral land, knowing that I’m looking at the same thing that my ancestors looked at 10,000 years ago — I just can’t describe how incredible that is. I love where I’m from, and I’ll do anything to protect it.
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--2020-11-23--Trump’s Wisconsin Recount Observers Are Breaking Rules, Making Absurd Challenges

Elections officials in Wisconsin are expressing frustration over observers aligned with President Donald Trump during the recount process that began this past weekend , citing questionable challenges , obstruction and violation of social distancing rules set in place for the process .
Breaking these rules is “ unacceptable , ” Milwaukee County Clerk George Christenson said to The Associated Press , adding that it was clear to him that many of the Trump observers there “ clearly don ’ t know what they are doing.
” The recount is taking place in two of Wisconsin ’ s most populated counties @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of voter fraud .
The campaign paid around $ 3 million last week to recount ballots in Dane and Milwaukee counties , which were both won by President-elect Joe Biden .
Trump observers have been seen doubling up at tables set up for the recount , in violation of social distancing rules allowing for only one observer at a time .
Some observers who initially claimed to be independent or nonpartisan observers admitted later to the media that they were there to help the president .
One Trump observer , according to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out for leaning too far over a line used to enforce social distancing .
“ I know you don ’ t want us to see the ballots .
You think we ’ ll find something , ” the observer said .
In some cases , law enforcement physically removed Trump observers from the premises , including one participant who shoved someone at the Milwaukee County recount center for moving their jacket from a chair , and another person who refused to wear a mask on the premises .
Some of Trump ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every vote brought before them , which threatens to delay the process of recounting millions of ballots by the December 1 deadline , per state law .
One observer , for example , was challenging every ballot that was folded — something that is unavoidable for every absentee ballot cast in the state , whether by mail or in person , as they need to be placed inside an envelope before being counted .
A lawyer representing Trump in Wisconsin ’ s recount , Jim Troupis , a former Dane County judge , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ large numbers of absentee ballots for dubious reasons .
He has demanded , for example , that every absentee ballot that was cast in-person be tossed out in both counties — a move that would actually invalidate his and his wife ’ s own votes .
Troupis acknowledged the dilemma .
“ I ’ m sure I ’ m on that list , ” he said while fielding questions about his effort to disqualify votes .
Lawyers working on behalf of President-elect Joe Biden objected to Troupis ’ s demands , noting that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ making such arguments .
“ This is not a litigation prep session , this is a recount , ” Biden lawyer Diane Welsh said during a hearing at the Dane County recount site .
The recount in Wisconsin has a very slim chance of changing the outcome .
Recounts in past years in the state have only shifted by a few hundred votes , at most , when ballots across the entire state were recounted .
Trump is currently behind by more than 20,000 votes .
The president is continuing to challenge the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including in Georgia , where a completed recount last week affirmed Biden ’ s win in the state by a margin of more than 12,000 votes .
Despite that outcome , Trump is requesting a second recount in Georgia , which will require the state ’ s 5 million ballots to be counted for a third time in this year ’ s race .

Elections officials in Wisconsin are expressing frustration over observers aligned with President Donald Trump during the recount process that began this past weekend, citing questionable challenges, obstruction and violation of social distancing rules set in place for the process.
Breaking these rules is “unacceptable,” Milwaukee County Clerk George Christenson said to The Associated Press, adding that it was clear to him that many of the Trump observers there “clearly don’t know what they are doing.”
The recount is taking place in two of Wisconsin’s most populated counties after the Trump campaign made unfounded claims of voter fraud. The campaign paid around $3 million last week to recount ballots in Dane and Milwaukee counties, which were both won by President-elect Joe Biden.
Trump observers have been seen doubling up at tables set up for the recount, in violation of social distancing rules allowing for only one observer at a time. Some observers who initially claimed to be independent or nonpartisan observers admitted later to the media that they were there to help the president.
One Trump observer, according to the AP, lashed out after being called out for leaning too far over a line used to enforce social distancing.
“I know you don’t want us to see the ballots. You think we’ll find something,” the observer said.
In some cases, law enforcement physically removed Trump observers from the premises, including one participant who shoved someone at the Milwaukee County recount center for moving their jacket from a chair, and another person who refused to wear a mask on the premises.
Some of Trump’s people at the recount facilities were challenging every vote brought before them, which threatens to delay the process of recounting millions of ballots by the December 1 deadline, per state law.
One observer, for example, was challenging every ballot that was folded — something that is unavoidable for every absentee ballot cast in the state, whether by mail or in person, as they need to be placed inside an envelope before being counted.
A lawyer representing Trump in Wisconsin’s recount, Jim Troupis, a former Dane County judge, is also arguing in favor of discounting large numbers of absentee ballots for dubious reasons. He has demanded, for example, that every absentee ballot that was cast in-person be tossed out in both counties — a move that would actually invalidate his and his wife’s own votes.
Troupis acknowledged the dilemma. “I’m sure I’m on that list,” he said while fielding questions about his effort to disqualify votes.
Lawyers working on behalf of President-elect Joe Biden objected to Troupis’s demands, noting that this was not the forum to be making such arguments.
“This is not a litigation prep session, this is a recount,” Biden lawyer Diane Welsh said during a hearing at the Dane County recount site.
The recount in Wisconsin has a very slim chance of changing the outcome. Recounts in past years in the state have only shifted by a few hundred votes, at most, when ballots across the entire state were recounted. Trump is currently behind by more than 20,000 votes.
The president is continuing to challenge the outcome of the election in other states, including in Georgia, where a completed recount last week affirmed Biden’s win in the state by a margin of more than 12,000 votes. Despite that outcome, Trump is requesting a second recount in Georgia, which will require the state’s 5 million ballots to be counted for a third time in this year’s race.
Tired of reading the same old news from the same old sources? So are we! That’s why we’re on a mission to shake things up and bring you the stories and perspectives that often go untold in mainstream media. But being a radically, unapologetically independent news site isn’t easy (or cheap), and we rely on reader support to keep the lights on.
If you like what you’re reading, please consider making a tax-deductible donation today. We’re not asking for a handout, we’re asking for an investment: Invest in a nonprofit news site that’s not afraid to ruffle a few feathers, not afraid to stand up for what’s right, and not afraid to tell it like it is.
Copyright © Truthout. May not be reprinted without permission.


truthout--2020-11-23--Biden’s Victory Does Not Guarantee a Progressive Agenda. We Must Fight for It.

Joe Biden ’ s victory over Donald Trump is monumental .
After four years of nonstop cruelty against workers , the poor , people of color , women , LBGTQ folks , immigrants , Muslims , the environment , the climate , and the foreign victims of Trump ’ s bombs , we can breathe a sigh of relief .
But no sooner did Biden win the election , then centrists in the Democratic Party began blaming the left for the loss of seats in the House of Representatives and the failure to decisively regain control of the Senate .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ role in delivering the presidency to Biden and several congressional races to Democrats as well as turning Georgia and Arizona blue .
Now progressives must hold Biden ’ s feet to the fire and demand that he govern for the 99 percent and not the 1 percent .
Biden ’ s cabinet selections so far are a mixed bag .
His choice for United Nations ambassador has been praised by progressives .
But Biden chose a secretary of state who is a strong supporter of U.S. militarism .
In a three-hour conference call @ @ @ @ @ @ @ centrists lambasted their progressive colleagues for embracing socialism , Medicare for All , and supporting calls to defund the police .
Rep. Abigail Spanberger ( D-Virginia ) , a former CIA officer , reportedly declared , “ We have to commit to not saying the words ‘ defund the police ’ ever again .
We need to not ever use the words ‘ socialist ’ or ‘ socialism ’ ever again .
It does matter , and we have lost good members because of that.
” Likewise , House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pharmaceutical industry in the past decade than any other member of Congress , reportedly said if “ we are going to run on Medicare for All , defund the police , socialized medicine , we ’ re not going to win.
” The protests against white supremacy led by Black Lives Matter activists and demands to defund the police , however , brought Black Americans to the polls in cities that were critical to Biden ’ s victory .
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ( D-New York ) told CNN ’ s Jake Tapper @ @ @ @ @ @ @ candidate who campaigned on socialism or defunding the police , but “ these were largely slogans or demands from activist groups that we saw in the largest uprising in American history around police brutality.
” Ocasio-Cortez said she offered her help to “ every single swing state Democrat ” and all but five refused her assistance .
The five who accepted her offer were victorious or are on a path to victory .
And every one who rejected her help is losing .
Moreover , every single Democrat who supported Medicare for All @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Representatives Ilhan Omar ( D-Minnesota ) and Rashida Tlaib ( D-Michigan ) were instrumental in delivering Minnesota and Michigan , respectively , for Biden .
Candidates endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America won 26 out of the 30 races they entered .
“ It turns out that supporting universal health care during a pandemic and enacting major investments in renewable energy as we face the existential threat to our planet from climate change is not just good public policy .
It also is good politics , ” Bernie Sanders wrote on November @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as president-elect , Biden attributed his victory to “ the broadest and most diverse coalition in history.
” Indeed , “ youth turnout was through the roof , and we ’ re probably looking at , when all the ballots are tallied , the highest youth vote turnout ever , ” said NextGen America ’ s executive director , Ben Wessel .
Young people of color supported Biden overwhelmingly and their votes were decisive in many races , according to an analysis by the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the left were not keen on Biden because he supported the Iraq war , played a key role in the 1994 crime bill that led to mass incarceration , and refused to oppose fracking and back universal health care .
They didn ’ t enthusiastically back Biden but rather voted against Trump ’ s escalating fascism .
Biden Must Be Pushed to Embrace Progressive Policies Trump could not have been defeated but for the activism of progressives and grassroots organizing , Norman Solomon wrote at Common Dreams .
“ Now , on vital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ militarism , the prison-industrial complex , corporate power and so much more—it ’ s time to engage with the battle that must happen inside the Democratic Party.
” Solomon advocates “ a combative approach toward corporate Democrats.
” In a November 10 memo to the Democratic Party , New Deal Strategies , Justice Democrats , Sunrise Movement , and Data for Progress wrote , “ Scapegoating progressives and Black activists for their demands and messaging is not the lesson to be learned here .
It was their organizing efforts , energy and calls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drove up voter turnout.
” The four progressive organizations warned that abandoning “ our core progressive base agenda ” will lead to the loss of the House majority in the 2022 midterm elections and the Democratic Party will not gain ground in the Senate .
“ We can not let Republican narratives drive our party away from Democrats ’ core base of support : young people , Black , Brown , working class , and social movements who are the present and future of the party.
” They urged linking racial and economic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ message framing racism as a divide-and-conquer class weapon ” polled effectively before the election .
The memo also advocated investment in mobilizing the base , including organized labor and allied progressive organizations , and driving an economic message that resonates with all working people .
A recent New York Times poll found that 3 in 5 respondents support Medicare for All , 2 in 3 favor a wealth tax , and even more support free college tuition .
National exit polls revealed that 53 percent of Americans want a national health care option @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their insurance from a single government plan.
” Sixty-six percent of voters think climate change is a serious problem and 52 percent consider climate change a “ severe threat ” that must be an “ immediate priority ” for Congress and the president .
And a study in late September by the Guardian and Vice Media Group demonstrated that 8 out of 10 Democrats and 41 percent of Republicans supported the Green New Deal .
Exit polls also showed that 57 percent of voters support Black Lives Matter .
Seventy-one percent said that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ important issues or the most important issue we face today .
Fifty-three percent believe that Black people are treated unfairly by the criminal legal system .
The groups recalled in their November 10 memo how controversial the statement “ Black Lives Matter ” was in 2014 and the way Democrats resisted too close an association with Colin Kaepernick and Black athletes who kneeled during the national anthem .
But after the public lynching of George Floyd , a majority of Americans said they supported Black Lives Matter .
Indeed , the organizations wrote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Black Lives Matter movement have turned their power in the streets into votes and have helped secure Biden ’ s victory in key cities.
” Black Lives Matter activists told The New York Times on November 10 that they sent a letter to Biden seeking a role in the transition process but had not received a response .
If Democrats are to retake leadership of the Senate , both Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff must win their runoff elections in Georgia .
It was the monumental organizing by Stacey Abrams and other progressives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote Democratic .
Now there is a tremendous mobilization effort underway to elect the two Democrats on January 5 .
But even if Democrats are unable to reclaim control of the Senate , Biden can use executive orders to undo some of Trump ’ s worst actions and take other bold steps to move the country in a progressive direction .
Biden has already committed that he will reinstate DACA , reenter the Paris Climate Accord , end the Muslim Ban and rejoin the World Health Organization .
As Elizabeth Warren argued in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Post , Biden should take the offensive on Day One and cancel billions of dollars in student loan debt , lower drug prices for key pharmaceuticals , issue enforceable OSHA health and safety standards for the COVID-19 pandemic to protect essential workers , raise the minimum wage to $ 15 an hour for all federal contractors , declare the climate crisis a national emergency to marshal resources to fight that battle , establish a Racial and Ethnic Disparities Task Force to collect data and address racial disparities in funding for the pandemic , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ must also revoke Trump ’ s unconscionable asylum policies and support progressive immigration reform .
It is essential that Biden not capitulate to Mitch McConnell ’ s right-wing agenda and take independent action to implement a progressive program .
Biden can use the Vacancies Act and the Presidential Adjournment Clause of the Constitution to make appointments that don ’ t require Senate approval .
The warning signs of a hawkish Biden administration are all too evident .
“ An eye-popping array of corporate consultants , war profiteers , and national security hawks have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agency review teams that will set the agenda for his administration , ” Kevin Gosztola wrote at The Grayzone .
“ A substantial percentage of them worked in the United States government when Barack Obama was president.
” Biden Must End the Wars and Punishing Sanctions The antiwar movement , which helped end the Vietnam War , prevented large-scale U.S. imperial wars until George W. Bush invaded Iraq in 2003 .
Unfortunately , Barack Obama and Trump both bought into Bush ’ s “ war on terror ” and continued his illegal and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and mounted drone and bombing attacks in multiple countries .
Biden ’ s choice for secretary of state is worrisome as the nation ’ s chief diplomat should favor diplomacy over militarism .
Tony Blinken was Obama ’ s deputy national security adviser .
He was instrumental in formulating Biden ’ s support for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq .
Blinken recently said that Biden “ would not tie military assistance to Israel to any political decisions that it makes , period , full stop.
” But Biden ’ s selection for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thomas-Greenfield , who was Obama ’ s assistant secretary of state for African Affairs , looks more promising .
Michèle Flournoy , Obama ’ s top policy official in the Pentagon , is a prospective Biden pick for secretary of defense .
She advocated a preemptive strike on Iraq in 2002 , and helped lead the escalation of the Afghan war and the illegal humanitarian and political disasters in Syria and Libya during the Obama administration .
Susan Rice , Obama ’ s national security adviser , will likely be appointed to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iraq without a Security Council resolution in 2002 and engineered Obama ’ s disastrous policy of regime change in Libya .
In 2014 , she defended Israel ’ s illegal slaughter in Gaza .
Biden has already promised to end U.S. support for the tragic war in Yemen .
He should also restore humanitarian aid to Yemen and urge Saudi Arabia to negotiate an end to that conflict .
It is essential that we pressure Biden to end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan with the immediate withdrawal of all U.S. forces .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s escalation of the war in Syria and urge all parties to engage in diplomacy .
We must also push Biden to end U.S. military aid to regimes that commit gross violations of human rights , as required by the Leahy laws .
And he must comply with the Arms Export Control Act , which forbids the export of weapons that are not solely used for legitimate self-defense .
These regimes include Saudi Arabia , United Arab Emirates , Egypt and Israel .
Although Biden has pledged his undying loyalty to Israel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Palestinian lands and egregious human rights violations , he should be pressured to restore financial assistance to the Palestinians and reimburse them for the aid Trump withheld during his regime .
Biden must end the illegal punishing sanctions ( unilateral coercive measures ) against Iran , North Korea , Venezuela , Nicaragua , Syria and Cuba .
He should restore Obama ’ s steps toward normalization of relations between the U.S. and Cuba , and support South Korea ’ s diplomatic efforts for a “ permanent peace regime ” in Korea .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iran nuclear deal and end the saber-rattling against that country .
He should halt the arms race — both conventional and nuclear — with Russia and China , renew the new START treaty with Russia , and rejoin the nuclear treaties from which Trump has withdrawn .
And Biden must urge the Senate to ratify the new UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons .
Biden should also end U.S. sanctions and threats against the International Criminal Court and cooperate with its investigations .
Finally , Biden must reduce the enormous U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enables the commission of U.S. imperial wars that kill innocent people , create massive refugee crises and make us less safe .
This is a tall order and Biden will only respond to overwhelming popular pressure to pursue a progressive agenda .
As history has demonstrated , the executive and congressional branches submit most effectively to mass organizing efforts .
“ The New Deal of the 1930s owed less to Democratic politicians than to workers ’ disruption of their workplaces , ” Kevin Young wrote at Truthout .
It was those struggles that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1935 and unemployment insurance .
Likewise , the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was the result of the massive civil rights movement .
We have our work cut out for us .
Let us begin .

Progressives must demand that Biden govern for the 99 percent and not the 1 percent.
Part of the Series Human Rights and Global Wrongs
Joe Biden’s victory over Donald Trump is monumental. After four years of nonstop cruelty against workers, the poor, people of color, women, LBGTQ folks, immigrants, Muslims, the environment, the climate, and the foreign victims of Trump’s bombs, we can breathe a sigh of relief.
But no sooner did Biden win the election, then centrists in the Democratic Party began blaming the left for the loss of seats in the House of Representatives and the failure to decisively regain control of the Senate.
In fact, progressives played a pivotal role in delivering the presidency to Biden and several congressional races to Democrats as well as turning Georgia and Arizona blue. Now progressives must hold Biden’s feet to the fire and demand that he govern for the 99 percent and not the 1 percent.
Biden’s cabinet selections so far are a mixed bag. His choice for United Nations ambassador has been praised by progressives. But Biden chose a secretary of state who is a strong supporter of U.S. militarism.
Progressives Were Key to Biden’s Victory
In a three-hour conference call among House Democrats on November 5, centrists lambasted their progressive colleagues for embracing socialism, Medicare for All, and supporting calls to defund the police. Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-Virginia), a former CIA officer, reportedly declared, “We have to commit to not saying the words ‘defund the police’ ever again. We need to not ever use the words ‘socialist’ or ‘socialism’ ever again. It does matter, and we have lost good members because of that.”
Likewise, House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, who has taken more money from the pharmaceutical industry in the past decade than any other member of Congress, reportedly said if “we are going to run on Medicare for All, defund the police, socialized medicine, we’re not going to win.”
The protests against white supremacy led by Black Lives Matter activists and demands to defund the police, however, brought Black Americans to the polls in cities that were critical to Biden’s victory.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York) told CNN’s Jake Tapper she wasn’t aware of any candidate who campaigned on socialism or defunding the police, but “these were largely slogans or demands from activist groups that we saw in the largest uprising in American history around police brutality.”
Ocasio-Cortez said she offered her help to “every single swing state Democrat” and all but five refused her assistance. The five who accepted her offer were victorious or are on a path to victory. And every one who rejected her help is losing.
Moreover, every single Democrat who supported Medicare for All won reelection, Ocasio-Cortez noted. Progressive Representatives Ilhan Omar (D-Minnesota) and Rashida Tlaib (D-Michigan) were instrumental in delivering Minnesota and Michigan, respectively, for Biden. Candidates endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America won 26 out of the 30 races they entered.
“It turns out that supporting universal health care during a pandemic and enacting major investments in renewable energy as we face the existential threat to our planet from climate change is not just good public policy. It also is good politics,” Bernie Sanders wrote on November 11.
When he addressed the country as president-elect, Biden attributed his victory to “the broadest and most diverse coalition in history.” Indeed, “youth turnout was through the roof, and we’re probably looking at, when all the ballots are tallied, the highest youth vote turnout ever,” said NextGen America’s executive director, Ben Wessel. Young people of color supported Biden overwhelmingly and their votes were decisive in many races, according to an analysis by the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement at Tufts University.
Ocasio-Cortez said she offered her help to “every single swing state Democrat” and all but five refused her assistance … every one who rejected her help is losing.
Many on the left were not keen on Biden because he supported the Iraq war, played a key role in the 1994 crime bill that led to mass incarceration, and refused to oppose fracking and back universal health care. They didn’t enthusiastically back Biden but rather voted against Trump’s escalating fascism.
Biden Must Be Pushed to Embrace Progressive Policies
Trump could not have been defeated but for the activism of progressives and grassroots organizing, Norman Solomon wrote at Common Dreams. “Now, on vital issues—climate, healthcare, income inequality, militarism, the prison-industrial complex, corporate power and so much more—it’s time to engage with the battle that must happen inside the Democratic Party.” Solomon advocates “a combative approach toward corporate Democrats.”
In a November 10 memo to the Democratic Party, New Deal Strategies, Justice Democrats, Sunrise Movement, and Data for Progress wrote, “Scapegoating progressives and Black activists for their demands and messaging is not the lesson to be learned here. It was their organizing efforts, energy and calls for change needed in their communities that drove up voter turnout.”
The four progressive organizations warned that abandoning “our core progressive base agenda” will lead to the loss of the House majority in the 2022 midterm elections and the Democratic Party will not gain ground in the Senate. “We cannot let Republican narratives drive our party away from Democrats’ core base of support: young people, Black, Brown, working class, and social movements who are the present and future of the party.”
They urged linking racial and economic justice, noting that a “progressive message framing racism as a divide-and-conquer class weapon” polled effectively before the election. The memo also advocated investment in mobilizing the base, including organized labor and allied progressive organizations, and driving an economic message that resonates with all working people.
A recent New York Times poll found that 3 in 5 respondents support Medicare for All, 2 in 3 favor a wealth tax, and even more support free college tuition. National exit polls revealed that 53 percent of Americans want a national health care option “in which all Americans would get their insurance from a single government plan.” Sixty-six percent of voters think climate change is a serious problem and 52 percent consider climate change a “severe threat” that must be an “immediate priority” for Congress and the president. And a study in late September by the Guardian and Vice Media Group demonstrated that 8 out of 10 Democrats and 41 percent of Republicans supported the Green New Deal.
Exit polls also showed that 57 percent of voters support Black Lives Matter. Seventy-one percent said that racism is either one of the most important issues or the most important issue we face today. Fifty-three percent believe that Black people are treated unfairly by the criminal legal system.
The groups recalled in their November 10 memo how controversial the statement “Black Lives Matter” was in 2014 and the way Democrats resisted too close an association with Colin Kaepernick and Black athletes who kneeled during the national anthem. But after the public lynching of George Floyd, a majority of Americans said they supported Black Lives Matter. Indeed, the organizations wrote, “the Black youth leading the Black Lives Matter movement have turned their power in the streets into votes and have helped secure Biden’s victory in key cities.”
Black Lives Matter activists told The New York Times on November 10 that they sent a letter to Biden seeking a role in the transition process but had not received a response.
Biden’s Administration Must Adopt Popular, Not Corporate, Policies
If Democrats are to retake leadership of the Senate, both Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff must win their runoff elections in Georgia. It was the monumental organizing by Stacey Abrams and other progressives over a decade that caused Georgia to vote Democratic. Now there is a tremendous mobilization effort underway to elect the two Democrats on January 5.
But even if Democrats are unable to reclaim control of the Senate, Biden can use executive orders to undo some of Trump’s worst actions and take other bold steps to move the country in a progressive direction.
Biden has already committed that he will reinstate DACA, reenter the Paris Climate Accord, end the Muslim Ban and rejoin the World Health Organization. As Elizabeth Warren argued in a November 11 op-ed in the Washington Post, Biden should take the offensive on Day One and cancel billions of dollars in student loan debt, lower drug prices for key pharmaceuticals, issue enforceable OSHA health and safety standards for the COVID-19 pandemic to protect essential workers, raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour for all federal contractors, declare the climate crisis a national emergency to marshal resources to fight that battle, establish a Racial and Ethnic Disparities Task Force to collect data and address racial disparities in funding for the pandemic, and prioritize enforceable anti-monopoly policies. Biden must also revoke Trump’s unconscionable asylum policies and support progressive immigration reform.
It is essential that Biden not capitulate to Mitch McConnell’s right-wing agenda and take independent action to implement a progressive program. Biden can use the Vacancies Act and the Presidential Adjournment Clause of the Constitution to make appointments that don’t require Senate approval.
The warning signs of a hawkish Biden administration are all too evident. “An eye-popping array of corporate consultants, war profiteers, and national security hawks have been appointed by President-elect Joe Biden to agency review teams that will set the agenda for his administration,” Kevin Gosztola wrote at The Grayzone. “A substantial percentage of them worked in the United States government when Barack Obama was president.”
Biden Must End the Wars and Punishing Sanctions
The antiwar movement, which helped end the Vietnam War, prevented large-scale U.S. imperial wars until George W. Bush invaded Iraq in 2003. Unfortunately, Barack Obama and Trump both bought into Bush’s “war on terror” and continued his illegal and deadly wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and mounted drone and bombing attacks in multiple countries.
Every single Democrat who supported Medicare for All won reelection.
Biden’s choice for secretary of state is worrisome as the nation’s chief diplomat should favor diplomacy over militarism. Tony Blinken was Obama’s deputy national security adviser. He was instrumental in formulating Biden’s support for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Blinken recently said that Biden “would not tie military assistance to Israel to any political decisions that it makes, period, full stop.”
But Biden’s selection for ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, who was Obama’s assistant secretary of state for African Affairs, looks more promising.
Michèle Flournoy, Obama’s top policy official in the Pentagon, is a prospective Biden pick for secretary of defense. She advocated a preemptive strike on Iraq in 2002, and helped lead the escalation of the Afghan war and the illegal humanitarian and political disasters in Syria and Libya during the Obama administration.
Susan Rice, Obama’s national security adviser, will likely be appointed to a cabinet position. Rice argued for attacking Iraq without a Security Council resolution in 2002 and engineered Obama’s disastrous policy of regime change in Libya. In 2014, she defended Israel’s illegal slaughter in Gaza.
Biden has already promised to end U.S. support for the tragic war in Yemen. He should also restore humanitarian aid to Yemen and urge Saudi Arabia to negotiate an end to that conflict. It is essential that we pressure Biden to end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan with the immediate withdrawal of all U.S. forces. In addition, Biden must reverse Trump’s escalation of the war in Syria and urge all parties to engage in diplomacy.
We must also push Biden to end U.S. military aid to regimes that commit gross violations of human rights, as required by the Leahy Law. And he must comply with the Arms Export Control Act, which forbids the export of weapons that are not solely used for legitimate self-defense. These regimes include Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Israel. Although Biden has pledged his undying loyalty to Israel, in spite of its illegal occupation of Palestinian lands and egregious human rights violations, he should be pressured to restore financial assistance to the Palestinians and reimburse them for the aid Trump withheld during his regime.
Biden must end the illegal punishing sanctions (unilateral coercive measures) against Iran, North Korea, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Syria and Cuba. He should restore Obama’s steps toward normalization of relations between the U.S. and Cuba, and support South Korea’s diplomatic efforts for a “permanent peace regime” in Korea.
In addition, Biden must rejoin the Iran nuclear deal and end the saber-rattling against that country. He should halt the arms race — both conventional and nuclear — with Russia and China, renew the new START treaty with Russia, and rejoin the nuclear treaties from which Trump has withdrawn. And Biden must urge the Senate to consent to ratification of the new UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.
Biden should also end U.S. sanctions and threats against the International Criminal Court and cooperate with its investigations.
Finally, Biden must reduce the enormous U.S. military budget which enriches defense contractors and enables the commission of U.S. imperial wars that kill innocent people, create massive refugee crises and make us less safe.
This is a tall order and Biden will only respond to overwhelming popular pressure to pursue a progressive agenda. As history has demonstrated, the executive and congressional branches submit most effectively to mass organizing efforts. “The New Deal of the 1930s owed less to Democratic politicians than to workers’ disruption of their workplaces,” Kevin Young wrote at Truthout. It was those struggles that gave us the Social Security Act of 1935 and unemployment insurance. Likewise, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was the result of the massive civil rights movement.
We have our work cut out for us. Let us begin.
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