talkingpointsmemo--2020-09-24--Dismay Over Breonna Taylor Spills Into America’s Streets

LOUISVILLE , Ky. ( AP ) — Anger , frustration and sadness over the decision not to charge Kentucky police officers for Breonna Taylor ’ s death poured into America ’ s streets as protesters lashed out at a criminal justice system they say is stacked against Black people .
Violence seized the demonstrations in her hometown of Louisville as gunfire rang out and wounded two police officers .
Activists , celebrities and everyday Americans have been calling for charges since Taylor , an emergency medical worker , was shot multiple times by white officers after one of them was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a narcotics investigation in March .
The officers had a no-knock warrant but the investigation showed they announced themselves before entering , said state Attorney General Daniel Cameron , a Republican and the state ’ s first Black top prosecutor .
A grand jury returned three charges of wanton endangerment Wednesday against fired Officer Brett Hankison over shooting into a home next to Taylor ’ s with people inside .
Hundreds of demonstrators chanted Taylor ’ s name and marched in cities including New York , Washington , D.C. , Philadelphia , Las @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gathered in downtown Chicago ’ s Millennium Park , chanting demands for justice as drivers on Michigan Avenue honked their horns .
Police in Atlanta unleashed chemical agents and made arrests after some protesters tried to climb on a SWAT vehicle .
In Minnesota and Wisconsin , marchers peacefully blocked highway traffic .
In Louisville , police said they arrested 127 people after what began as peaceful protests .
Officers declared an unlawful assembly after they said fires were set in garbage cans and several vehicles were damaged .
A police statement also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stores .
Interim Police Chief Robert Schroeder also said a suspect was detained in the shooting of two officers , who are expected to recover from their wounds .
Jail records later confirmed that Larynzo D. Johnson , 26 , was charged with two counts of assault on a police officer and multiple charges of wanton endangerment of police officers .
Taylor ’ s case has exposed the wide gulf between public opinion on justice for those who kill Black Americans and the laws under which those officers are charged , which regularly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in steep criminal accusations .
Carmen Jones has protested in downtown Louisville every day for nearly three months .
She said she feels despair after the grand jury ’ s decision and doesn ’ t know what ’ s coming .
“ We ’ re tired of being hashtags .
We ’ re tired of paying for history in our blood and our bodies and being told to respond to this violence and aggression with peace , ” she said .
“ We did it the Martin way for the entire summer , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s time to do things the Malcolm way.
” Jones said she still hopes their demonstrations will lead to systemwide change in the U.S. , but the decision in Taylor ’ s case makes her feel like her life doesn ’ t matter in America .
“ I don ’ t think I ’ ll sleep the same ever again , cause it would happen to any of us , ” she said .
“ The system does not care about Black people .
The system chews Black people up and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Floyd , a Black man killed by police in Minneapolis in May , Taylor ’ s name became a rallying cry during nationwide protests that called attention to entrenched racism and demanded police reform .
Her image is painted on streets , emblazoned on protest signs and silk-screened on T-shirts worn by celebrities .
The FBI is still investigating potential violations of federal law in connection with the raid at Taylor ’ s home on March 13 .
After the announcement , Ben Crump , a lawyer for Taylor ’ s family , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offensive.
” Protesters shouting , “ No justice , no peace !
” took to the streets , while others sat quietly and wept .
Morgan Julianna Lee , a high school student in Charlotte , North Carolina , watched the announcement at home .
“ It ’ s almost like a slap in the face , ” the 15-year-old said by phone .
“ If I , as a Black woman , ever need justice , I will never get it.
” Authorities themselves expressed dismay .
At a news conference , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ Criminal law is not meant to respond to every sorrow and grief.
” “ But my heart breaks for the loss of Miss Taylor .
… My mother , if something was to happen to me , would find it very hard , ” he added , choking up .
However , Cameron said the officers acted in self-defense after Taylor ’ s boyfriend fired at them .
Kenneth Walker told police he heard knocking but didn ’ t know who was coming in and fired in self-defense .
The warrant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not live there , and no drugs were found inside .
The city has since banned such warrants .
“ According to Kentucky law , the use of force by ( Officers Jonathan ) Mattingly and ( Myles ) Cosgrove was justified to protect themselves , ” Cameron said .
“ This justification bars us from pursuing criminal charges in Miss Breonna Taylor ’ s death.
” President Donald Trump read a statement from Cameron , saying “ justice is not often easy.
” He later tweeted that he was “ praying for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and his running mate , Kamala Harris , called for policing reform .
Biden says that while a federal investigation continues , “ we do not need to wait for the final judgment of that investigation to do more to deliver justice for Breonna.
” He said the country should start by addressing excessive force , banning chokeholds and overhauling no-knock warrants .
“ We must never stop speaking Breonna ’ s name as we work to reform our justice system , including overhauling no-knock warrants , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was fired on June 23 .
The three wanton endangerment charges he faces each carry a sentence of up to five years .
A termination letter said he had violated procedures by showing “ extreme indifference to the value of human life ” when he “ wantonly and blindly ” fired his weapon .
CNN reported that his attorney , David Leightty , declined to comment .
Last week , the city settled a lawsuit against the three officers brought by Taylor ’ s mother , Tamika Palmer , agreeing to pay her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Lovan reported from Frankfort , Kentucky .
Associated Press writers Claire Galofaro , Bruce Schreiner and Rebecca Reynolds Yonker in Louisville , Kentucky , Kevin Freking in Washington , Aaron Morrison in New York and Haleluya Hadero in Lancaster , Pennsylvania , contributed .
Hudsbeth Blackburn is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative .
Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues .

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Anger, frustration and sadness over the decision not to charge Kentucky police officers for Breonna Taylor’s death poured into America’s streets as protesters lashed out at a criminal justice system they say is stacked against Black people. Violence seized the demonstrations in her hometown of Louisville as gunfire rang out and wounded two police officers.
Activists, celebrities and everyday Americans have been calling for charges since Taylor, an emergency medical worker, was shot multiple times by white officers after one of them was shot while bursting into her home during a narcotics investigation in March. The officers had a no-knock warrant but the investigation showed they announced themselves before entering, said state Attorney General Daniel Cameron, a Republican and the state’s first Black top prosecutor.
A grand jury returned three charges of wanton endangerment Wednesday against fired Officer Brett Hankison over shooting into a home next to Taylor’s with people inside.
Hundreds of demonstrators chanted Taylor’s name and marched in cities including New York, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Las Vegas and Portland, Oregon. People gathered in downtown Chicago’s Millennium Park, chanting demands for justice as drivers on Michigan Avenue honked their horns. Police in Atlanta unleashed chemical agents and made arrests after some protesters tried to climb on a SWAT vehicle. In Minnesota and Wisconsin, marchers peacefully blocked highway traffic.
In Louisville, police said they arrested 127 people after what began as peaceful protests. Officers declared an unlawful assembly after they said fires were set in garbage cans and several vehicles were damaged. A police statement also described the “looting” of several stores.
Interim Police Chief Robert Schroeder also said a suspect was detained in the shooting of two officers, who are expected to recover from their wounds. Jail records later confirmed that Larynzo D. Johnson, 26, was charged with two counts of assault on a police officer and multiple charges of wanton endangerment of police officers.
Taylor’s case has exposed the wide gulf between public opinion on justice for those who kill Black Americans and the laws under which those officers are charged, which regularly favor police and do not often result in steep criminal accusations.
Carmen Jones has protested in downtown Louisville every day for nearly three months. She said she feels despair after the grand jury’s decision and doesn’t know what’s coming.
“We’re tired of being hashtags. We’re tired of paying for history in our blood and our bodies and being told to respond to this violence and aggression with peace,” she said. “We did it the Martin way for the entire summer, and it got us nowhere. Maybe it’s time to do things the Malcolm way.”
Jones said she still hopes their demonstrations will lead to systemwide change in the U.S., but the decision in Taylor’s case makes her feel like her life doesn’t matter in America.
“I don’t think I’ll sleep the same ever again, cause it would happen to any of us,” she said. “The system does not care about Black people. The system chews Black people up and spits us out.”
Along with George Floyd, a Black man killed by police in Minneapolis in May, Taylor’s name became a rallying cry during nationwide protests that called attention to entrenched racism and demanded police reform. Her image is painted on streets, emblazoned on protest signs and silk-screened on T-shirts worn by celebrities.
The FBI is still investigating potential violations of federal law in connection with the raid at Taylor’s home on March 13.
After the announcement, Ben Crump, a lawyer for Taylor’s family, denounced the decision as “outrageous and offensive.” Protesters shouting, “No justice, no peace!” took to the streets, while others sat quietly and wept.
Morgan Julianna Lee, a high school student in Charlotte, North Carolina, watched the announcement at home.
“It’s almost like a slap in the face,” the 15-year-old said by phone. “If I, as a Black woman, ever need justice, I will never get it.”
Authorities themselves expressed dismay. At a news conference, Cameron, the attorney general, said, “Criminal law is not meant to respond to every sorrow and grief.”
“But my heart breaks for the loss of Miss Taylor. … My mother, if something was to happen to me, would find it very hard,” he added, choking up.
However, Cameron said the officers acted in self-defense after Taylor’s boyfriend fired at them. Kenneth Walker told police he heard knocking but didn’t know who was coming in and fired in self-defense.
The warrant was connected to a suspect who did not live there, and no drugs were found inside. The city has since banned such warrants.
“According to Kentucky law, the use of force by (Officers Jonathan) Mattingly and (Myles) Cosgrove was justified to protect themselves,” Cameron said. “This justification bars us from pursuing criminal charges in Miss Breonna Taylor’s death.”
President Donald Trump read a statement from Cameron, saying “justice is not often easy.” He later tweeted that he was “praying for the two police officers that were shot.”
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and his running mate, Kamala Harris, called for policing reform.
Biden says that while a federal investigation continues, “we do not need to wait for the final judgment of that investigation to do more to deliver justice for Breonna.” He said the country should start by addressing excessive force, banning chokeholds and overhauling no-knock warrants.
“We must never stop speaking Breonna’s name as we work to reform our justice system, including overhauling no-knock warrants,” Harris said on Twitter.
Hankison was fired on June 23. The three wanton endangerment charges he faces each carry a sentence of up to five years. A termination letter said he had violated procedures by showing “extreme indifference to the value of human life” when he “wantonly and blindly” fired his weapon.
CNN reported that his attorney, David Leightty, declined to comment.
Last week, the city settled a lawsuit against the three officers brought by Taylor’s mother, Tamika Palmer, agreeing to pay her $12 million and enact police reforms.
___
Lovan reported from Frankfort, Kentucky. Associated Press writers Claire Galofaro, Bruce Schreiner and Rebecca Reynolds Yonker in Louisville, Kentucky, Kevin Freking in Washington, Aaron Morrison in New York and Haleluya Hadero in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, contributed.
___
Hudsbeth Blackburn is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-09-24--Report: Trump’s Pet Probe Investigating The Clinton Foundation For Some Reason

The probe that U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut John Durham is leading into the FBI ’ s Russia investigation — at Attorney General Bill Barr ’ s behest — has taken a sharp left turn to include , for some reason , the Clinton Foundation , according to the New York Times .
Durham , the Times reports , is looking into how federal agents handled accusations of corruption lodged against the charitable foundation , which has become a frequent target for right wingers .
Since his investigation is ostensibly into the origins of the FBI ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Trump campaign , the detour into the dirty laundry of one of Trump ’ s political enemies seems pretty far outside the scope .
Some former officials reportedly declined to talk to Durham ’ s team about the foundation , finding the offshoot of the investigation highly unusual .
Interest in the Clinton Foundation is nothing new , though movement in the investigation has frequently petered out until new infusions of partisan accusations — a book written by a senior Breitbart editor in 2016 or a request from Republicans to appoint a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back to the fore .
Durham ’ s probe has been wielded as a political cudgel by Trump and Barr for months .
Trump has publicly pinned Barr ’ s legacy to Durham finding evidence of FBI wrongdoing in the investigation and publishing it before the November election .
“ Bill Barr can go down as the greatest attorney general in the history of our country , or he can go down as an average guy , ” he said last month , about the probe ’ s findings .
“ We ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Durham “ have all the answers , ” he added .
“ It goes all to Obama , and it goes right to Biden.
” Barr , in classic form , has played right along , teasing the release of some findings before the election and decrying the FBI ’ s investigation as “ one of the greatest travesties in American history .
”

The probe that U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut John Durham is leading into the FBI’s Russia investigation — at Attorney General Bill Barr’s behest — has taken a sharp left turn to include, for some reason, the Clinton Foundation, according to the New York Times.
Durham, the Times reports, is looking into how federal agents handled accusations of corruption lodged against the charitable foundation, which has become a frequent target for right wingers. Since his investigation is ostensibly into the origins of the FBI’s investigation of Russia’s infiltration of the Trump campaign, the detour into the dirty laundry of one of Trump’s political enemies seems pretty far outside the scope.
Some former officials reportedly declined to talk to Durham’s team about the foundation, finding the offshoot of the investigation highly unusual.
Interest in the Clinton Foundation is nothing new, though movement in the investigation has frequently petered out until new infusions of partisan accusations — a book written by a senior Breitbart editor in 2016 or a request from Republicans to appoint a special counsel in 2017 — bring it back to the fore.
Durham’s probe has been wielded as a political cudgel by Trump and Barr for months. Trump has publicly pinned Barr’s legacy to Durham finding evidence of FBI wrongdoing in the investigation and publishing it before the November election.
“Bill Barr can go down as the greatest attorney general in the history of our country, or he can go down as an average guy,” he said last month, about the probe’s findings. “We’ll see what happens.”
Barr and Durham “have all the answers,” he added. “It goes all to Obama, and it goes right to Biden.”
Barr, in classic form, has played right along, teasing the release of some findings before the election and decrying the FBI’s investigation as “one of the greatest travesties in American history.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-09-24--WATCH: Trump Pays Respects To Ginsburg Amid Chants Of ‘Vote Him Out’

President Trump got an earful as he arrived at the Supreme Court Thursday to pay respects for the late Justice @ @ @ @ @ crowd gathered outside loudly booed and chanted “ vote him out !
” as Trump @ @ @ @ @ in front of him .
Appearing alongside first lady Melania Trump , the President wore @ @ @ @ @ in front of Ginsburg ’ s casket , as well as a crowd that appeared @ @ @ @ @ he vowed to replace her before the November presidential election — a controversial move that @ @ @ @ @ reported “ fervent ” dying wish that she “ not be replaced until a new @ @ @ @ @ ’ s paying of respects to Ginsburg also comes on the heels of Senate Majority @ @ @ @ @ ) appearing to gain enough votes earlier this week to proceed with a floor vote @ @ @ @ @ seat .

President Trump got an earful as he arrived at the Supreme Court Thursday to pay respects for the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. A crowd gathered outside loudly booed and chanted “vote him out!” as Trump stood with his arms folded in front of him.
Appearing alongside first lady Melania Trump, the President wore a mask as he stood in front of Ginsburg’s casket, as well as a crowd that appeared upset with his appearance as he vowed to replace her before the November presidential election — a controversial move that goes against Ginsburg’s reported “fervent” dying wish that she “not be replaced until a new president is installed.”
Trump’s paying of respects to Ginsburg also comes on the heels of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) appearing to gain enough votes earlier this week to proceed with a floor vote to fill Ginsburg’s seat.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-09-24--Before Limiting Ballot Drop Boxes to One Per County, Top Ohio Election Officials Secretly Consulted

Before Limiting Ballot Drop Boxes to One Per County, Top Ohio Election Officials Secretly Consulted Promoter of Debunked Voting Fraud Fears

This story first appeared at ProPublica .
ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom .
Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox .
On July 15 , a civil rights group formed by Black union workers called on the Ohio secretary of state to make voting amid the pandemic easier and safer .
It advocated placing multiple secure ballot drop boxes in counties across the state .
When a deputy to Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose received the A. Philip Randolph Institute ’ s press release , he responded quickly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Instead , according to records obtained by ProPublica , the deputy contacted the Heritage Foundation ’ s Hans von Spakovsky , a leading advocate for the discredited argument that American elections are tainted by widespread voting fraud .
“ I just left a voicemail at your office , but wanted to follow up via email as well , ” wrote Grant Shaffer , the deputy assistant secretary of state .
“ If you have a few minutes , I ’ d love to discuss the attached press release.
” That was the second @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office that day .
Earlier , he had RSVP ’ d to an Aug. 4 virtual briefing hosted by the conservative activist .
Secretaries of state are responsible for overseeing elections , and during the pandemic von Spakovsky has organized at least two remote , off-the-record strategy sessions exclusively for Republican secretaries and their staffs to discuss voting security amid what will be one of the most contested and unusual elections in generations , ProPublica reported last week .
“ I ’ ll be happy to attend this briefing , ” Shaffer wrote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The Secretary can attend for part of the time , and our scheduler will be following up with you shortly on that topic .
Is there anything we can help out with or be prepared to present ?
” It is not known what Shaffer and von Spakovsky specifically said over the phone about the drop box request , or if the call took place .
But on Aug. 12 , a week after the virtual briefing , and a month after Shaffer sought von Spakovksy ’ s counsel , LaRose issued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s 88 counties from installing more than one drop box within its borders .
The secretary ’ s office , meanwhile , never responded to the A. Philip Randolph Institute , according to the group ’ s lawyer , David Carey , a senior staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio .
He said he was “ baffled ” that LaRose ’ s deputy would reach out to von Spakovsky and not his client .
“ If the secretary is turning the voting systems in Ohio into a partisan endeavor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grave concern , ” he said .
LaRose ’ s office declined to comment , citing pending litigation about the decision .
Von Spakovsky and Heritage did not respond to requests for comment .
While he hasn ’ t publicly opined on secure ballot boxes , von Spakovsky has repeatedlyargued that everyone besides the elderly and those with health risks should not vote absentee in any form and only vote at their polling place .
Secretaries of state have wide latitude to act in ways that can make it easier or harder to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials , they are expected to carry out policies that aren ’ t more harmful to one party than the other .
In keeping with the national trend , a record number of Ohio ’ s nearly 8 million registered voters are expected to cast absentee ballots in November to avoid spreading the coronavirus at the polls .
Placing a ballot in a secure drop box would give voters an alternative to both voting in person and to mailing in a ballot , especially for those worried about the tumult within the U.S @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrats are more likely to vote remotely than Republicans , and any actions limiting voting by mail could suppress turnout and hurt the party ’ s chances of taking the White House .
Ohio is a crucial battleground state , and Cuyahoga County alone accounts for nearly a million voters spread across more than 1,200 square miles and includes the Democratic stronghold of Cleveland .
Despite the behind-the-scenes communication with von Spakovsky , the secretary appeared publicly open to the idea of adding more drop boxes , asking the state attorney general in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ohio law allows for “ one or more additional secure receptacles ” per county .
But on Aug. 11 , before the attorney general weighed in , LaRose withdrew his request and the following day issued his one-box-per-county directive .
Two weeks later , Ohio Democrats sued LaRose in state court in Columbus .
In a 31-page ruling issued on Sept. 15 , Judge Richard Frye found that prohibiting county election officials from adding extra drop boxes in their districts “ was unreasonable and unlawful.
” “ Treating voters differently without regard to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ size of their county is arbitrary , ” he wrote .
Frye ’ s ruling has been stayed pending an appeal by LaRose , who is arguing the court exceeded its authority when it struck down his one-box-per-county directive .
The A. Philip Randolph Institute and other voting rights groups filed a separate lawsuit over the constitutionality of LaRose ’ s directive late last month in federal court .
The Trump campaign has intervened in that case , which is ongoing and is part of a larger effort it is carrying out over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawsuits across the country .
The Ohio attorney general declined to provide a comment for this story , also citing litigation , and denied a ProPublica records request asking for the guidance the office was preparing for LaRose on the grounds that it was subject to “ attorney-client privilege and/or work-product doctrines.
” Von Spakovsky , whose arguments that voting fraud is widespread have been largely debunked , began hosting secret , Republican-only meetings for state election administrators after Trump was elected , records obtained by ProPublica show .
At the Aug. 4 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Security official was falsely introduced to attendees as their “ liaison to the election community.
” Shaffer and another official from the Ohio secretary of state ’ s office also attended a von Spakovsky meeting in 2019 , where the then-head of the Department of Justice ’ s Civil Rights Division appeared on a panel with the conservative lawyer , an action the former division chief under President Barack Obama called “ unprecedented.
” Republicans consider von Spakovsky the leading expert on voter fraud , but his work is not peer reviewed and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his testimony on the topic was “ premised on several misleading and unsupported examples ” and included “ false assertions.
” Do you have access to information that should be public about efforts by outside groups seeking to influence how election officials will administer the vote on Nov. 3 ?
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This story first appeared at ProPublica. ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox.
On July 15, a civil rights group formed by Black union workers called on the Ohio secretary of state to make voting amid the pandemic easier and safer. It advocated placing multiple secure ballot drop boxes in counties across the state.
When a deputy to Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose received the A. Philip Randolph Institute’s press release, he responded quickly — but not to the group. Instead, according to records obtained by ProPublica, the deputy contacted the Heritage Foundation’s Hans von Spakovsky, a leading advocate for the discredited argument that American elections are tainted by widespread voting fraud.
“I just left a voicemail at your office, but wanted to follow up via email as well,” wrote Grant Shaffer, the deputy assistant secretary of state. “If you have a few minutes, I’d love to discuss the attached press release.”
That was the second email Shaffer sent von Spakovsky’s office that day. Earlier, he had RSVP’d to an Aug. 4 virtual briefing hosted by the conservative activist. Secretaries of state are responsible for overseeing elections, and during the pandemic von Spakovsky has organized at least two remote, off-the-record strategy sessions exclusively for Republican secretaries and their staffs to discuss voting security amid what will be one of the most contested and unusual elections in generations, ProPublica reported last week.
“I’ll be happy to attend this briefing,” Shaffer wrote to von Spakovsky’s assistant. “The Secretary can attend for part of the time, and our scheduler will be following up with you shortly on that topic. Is there anything we can help out with or be prepared to present?”
It is not known what Shaffer and von Spakovsky specifically said over the phone about the drop box request, or if the call took place. But on Aug. 12, a week after the virtual briefing, and a month after Shaffer sought von Spakovksy’s counsel, LaRose issued a directive prohibiting each of Ohio’s 88 counties from installing more than one drop box within its borders.
The secretary’s office, meanwhile, never responded to the A. Philip Randolph Institute, according to the group’s lawyer, David Carey, a senior staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio. He said he was “baffled” that LaRose’s deputy would reach out to von Spakovsky and not his client. “If the secretary is turning the voting systems in Ohio into a partisan endeavor, that is a matter of extremely grave concern,” he said.
LaRose’s office declined to comment, citing pending litigation about the decision. Von Spakovsky and Heritage did not respond to requests for comment.
While he hasn’t publicly opined on secure ballot boxes, von Spakovsky has repeatedlyargued that everyone besides the elderly and those with health risks should not vote absentee in any form and only vote at their polling place.
Secretaries of state have wide latitude to act in ways that can make it easier or harder to vote. While most are partisan elected officials, they are expected to carry out policies that aren’t more harmful to one party than the other.
In keeping with the national trend, a record number of Ohio’s nearly 8 million registered voters are expected to cast absentee ballots in November to avoid spreading the coronavirus at the polls. Placing a ballot in a secure drop box would give voters an alternative to both voting in person and to mailing in a ballot, especially for those worried about the tumult within the U.S. Postal Service.
Evidence suggests that Democrats are more likely to vote remotely than Republicans, and any actions limiting voting by mail could suppress turnout and hurt the party’s chances of taking the White House. Ohio is a crucial battleground state, and Cuyahoga County alone accounts for nearly a million voters spread across more than 1,200 square miles and includes the Democratic stronghold of Cleveland.
Despite the behind-the-scenes communication with von Spakovsky, the secretary appeared publicly open to the idea of adding more drop boxes, asking the state attorney general in late July for legal guidance on whether Ohio law allows for “one or more additional secure receptacles” per county.
But on Aug. 11, before the attorney general weighed in, LaRose withdrew his request and the following day issued his one-box-per-county directive.
Two weeks later, Ohio Democrats sued LaRose in state court in Columbus. In a 31-page ruling issued on Sept. 15, Judge Richard Frye found that prohibiting county election officials from adding extra drop boxes in their districts “was unreasonable and unlawful.”
“Treating voters differently without regard to obvious factors like the population and geographic size of their county is arbitrary,” he wrote.
Frye’s ruling has been stayed pending an appeal by LaRose, who is arguing the court exceeded its authority when it struck down his one-box-per-county directive. The A. Philip Randolph Institute and other voting rights groups filed a separate lawsuit over the constitutionality of LaRose’s directive late last month in federal court. The Trump campaign has intervened in that case, which is ongoing and is part of a larger effort it is carrying out over voter rules in at least a dozen lawsuits across the country.
The Ohio attorney general declined to provide a comment for this story, also citing litigation, and denied a ProPublica records request asking for the guidance the office was preparing for LaRose on the grounds that it was subject to “attorney-client privilege and/or work-product doctrines.”
Von Spakovsky, whose arguments that voting fraud is widespread have been largely debunked, began hosting secret, Republican-only meetings for state election administrators after Trump was elected, records obtained by ProPublica show. At the Aug. 4 virtual meeting, a Department of Homeland Security official was falsely introduced to attendees as their “liaison to the election community.”
Shaffer and another official from the Ohio secretary of state’s office also attended a von Spakovsky meeting in 2019, where the then-head of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division appeared on a panel with the conservative lawyer, an action the former division chief under President Barack Obama called “unprecedented.”
Republicans consider von Spakovsky the leading expert on voter fraud, but his work is not peer reviewed and two years ago a judge found that his testimony on the topic was “premised on several misleading and unsupported examples” and included “false assertions.”
Do you have access to information that should be public about efforts by outside groups seeking to influence how election officials will administer the vote on Nov. 3? Email Mike Spies at [email protected] or Jake Pearson at [email protected]. Here’s how to send tips and documents to ProPublica securely.
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talkingpointsmemo--2020-09-25--Trump Claims Opponents Are Conspiring In ‘Political Hit’ To Delay COVID Vaccine

In an ongoing effort to politicize the development of a COVID-19 vaccine , President Donald Trump claimed Thursday that unnamed officials had plotted a “ political hit ” and were conspiring to slow vaccine development to hinder his reelection bid .
“ They are trying to do a little bit of a political hit .
‘ Let ’ s delay the vaccine just a little bit.
’ Did you notice that ?
” Trump told supporters at a rally in Jacksonville , Florida .
The comments are a kind of vague conspiracy against unnamed detractors , that appears to implicate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which they have no purview — or to suggest that officials in an agency committed to science is overrun by a political agenda to take down the President .
It wouldn ’ t be the first time he ’ s made such a suggestion .
The comments extend an effort by Trump to undermine science amid a pressure campaign to deliver a vaccine victory before the election following an ongoing attack on the Food and Drug Administration , which he suggested last month was part of a “ deep state ” conspiracy to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a vaccine makes an early debut , leading infectious diseases expert Dr. Anthony Fauci on Thursday said that a “ large proportion ” of the U.S. population will not be vaccinated against the novel coronavirus this year .
His comments during a Facebook Live event , pushed back on President Trump ’ s repeated rosy claims about a timeline about a safe and effective vaccine release and wide distribution .
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Dr. Robert Redfield has also testified to Congress that it is unlikely that a vaccine will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ summer .
In testimony last week , Redfield said that any vaccine finalized this year will be in “ very limited supply and will have to be prioritized ” for particularly vulnerable groups .
Trump contradicted Redfield ’ s estimate for the widespread release of a vaccine , saying that it would happen before the end of the year .
Trump has also said that “ every American ” will have access to a vaccine by April .
On Wednesday , Trump made similar accusations of a “ political move ” being made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported efforts to issue stricter guidelines for evaluating a coronavirus vaccine , suggesting that stricter guidelines needed to first be “ approved by the White House.
” “ I think that was a political move more than anything else , ” Trump said .

In an ongoing effort to politicize the development of a COVID-19 vaccine, President Donald Trump claimed Thursday that unnamed officials had plotted a “political hit” and were conspiring to slow vaccine development to hinder his reelection bid.
“They are trying to do a little bit of a political hit. ‘Let’s delay the vaccine just a little bit.’ Did you notice that?” Trump told supporters at a rally in Jacksonville, Florida.
The comments are a kind of vague conspiracy about unnamed detractors, that appears to suggest officials in his own government are meddling in a process over which they have no purview — or to suggest that an agency committed to science is overrun by officials with a political agenda to take down the President.
It wouldn’t be the first time he’s made such a suggestion.
The comments extend an effort by Trump to undermine science amid a pressure campaign to deliver a vaccine victory before the election following an ongoing attack on the Food and Drug Administration, which he suggested last month was part of a “deep state” conspiracy to undermine his re-election chances.
Even if a vaccine makes an early debut, leading infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci on Thursday said that a “large proportion” of the U.S. population will not be vaccinated against the novel coronavirus this year.
His comments during a Facebook Live event pushed back on President Trump’s repeated rosy claims about a timeline about a safe and effective vaccine release and wide distribution.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Robert Redfield has also testified to Congress that it is unlikely that a vaccine will be widely available before next spring or summer. In testimony last week, Redfield said that any vaccine finalized this year will be in “very limited supply and will have to be prioritized” for particularly vulnerable groups.
Trump contradicted Redfield’s estimate for the widespread release of a vaccine, saying that it would happen before the end of the year. Trump has also said that “every American” will have access to a vaccine by April.
On Wednesday, Trump made similar accusations of a “political move” being made by health experts at the FDA following reported efforts to issue stricter guidelines for evaluating a coronavirus vaccine, suggesting that stricter guidelines needed to first be “approved by the White House.”
“I think that was a political move more than anything else,” Trump said.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-09-25--WH Plans Potential Transition Even As Trump Doubles Down On Possible Refusal To Accept Defeat

The White House ’ s prep work for a potential transition should Democratic candidate Joe Biden emerge victorious in the November elections is reportedly underway , despite President Donald Trump refusing to commit to a peaceful transition of power .
Politico reported on Thursday that Trump aide Chris Liddell has been quietly working on a blueprint with a career official over the past several months and filed two transition reports by their deadlines in May and August .
White House attorney Pat Cipollone is also reportedly assisting Liddell .
Additionally , the Department of Justice has reportedly agreed to pre-process @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House spokesperson Judd Deere confirmed to TPM that Trump is aware of Liddell ’ s operations .
In the meantime , Trump has been signaling that he will not accept the results of the elections on November 3 if he loses , citing the false claim that mail-in voting will cause election fraud that would rig the election against him .
“ Well , we ’ re going to have to see what happens , ” Trump said on Wednesday when asked if he ’ d accept a potential defeat .
“ Get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ll have a very peaceful — there won ’ t be a transfer , frankly .
There will be a continuation .
The ballots are out of control.
” The President dug his heel in on Thursday , saying the election needs to be “ honest ” and that he ’ s “ not sure ” it can be .
“ We have to be very careful with the ballots…the ballots , that ’ s a whole big scam , ” Trump falsely claimed .
This post has been updated to include Deere @ @ @ @ @ @

The White House’s prep work for a potential transition should Democratic candidate Joe Biden emerge victorious in the November elections is reportedly underway, despite President Donald Trump refusing to commit to a peaceful transition of power.
Politico reported on Thursday that Trump aide Chris Liddell has been quietly working on a blueprint with a career official over the past several months and filed two transition reports by their deadlines in May and August. White House attorney Pat Cipollone is also reportedly assisting Liddell.
Additionally, the Department of Justice has reportedly agreed to pre-process security clearances for Biden officials.
White House spokesperson Judd Deere confirmed to TPM that Trump is aware of Liddell’s operations.
In the meantime, Trump has been signaling that he will not accept the results of the elections on November 3 if he loses, citing the false claim that mail-in voting will cause election fraud that would rig the election against him.
“Well, we’re going to have to see what happens,” Trump said on Wednesday when asked if he’d accept a potential defeat. “Get rid of the ballots and you’ll have a very peaceful — there won’t be a transfer, frankly. There will be a continuation. The ballots are out of control.”
The President dug his heel in on Thursday, saying the election needs to be “honest” and that he’s “not sure” it can be.
“We have to be very careful with the ballots…the ballots, that’s a whole big scam,” Trump falsely claimed.
This post has been updated to include Deere’s confirmation to TPM.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-09-25--How The Right Branded A Mock Election Exercise As A Dry Run For A Lefty Coup

On the Sept. 3 episode of his show , The National Pulse , right-wing broadcaster Raheem Kassam acknowledged that he might be irritating his audience with his repeated references to a series of tabletop election simulations that happened in June .
“ Transition Integrity Project : I know people are going to get bored of me saying that term between now and the election , ” he said .
“ But this is everything right here , and it ’ s everything because they ’ ve given their playbook away.
” Kassam was right about one thing : Conservative news @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the Transition Integrity Project , or TIP .
In reality , TIP was basically Dungeons and Dragons for stressed out Beltway types : A series of election “ war games ” in which several bigshot politicos and media figures — including former Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta and former RNC chair Michael Steele — volunteered to game out what could happen in the event of various contested election scenarios .
Instead of wizards and rogues , they played major presidential candidates , legislators , the media , the public and so on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they were worried that the President would refuse to concede a failed campaign and instead cast any loss as fraudulent and invalid — as he has , in fact , since done repeatedly .
But Kassam , an early adopter of the conspiracy theory that TIP represented a coup attempt , had begun telling his readers and viewers in early August that TIP was yet another “ globalist front ” full of A-list bogeymen .
And rank-and-file right-wingers have responded to the conspiracy hype , threatening participants in the project and preparing their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attempt .
In the extended universe of the emerging conspiracy theory , George Soros was represented because TIP co-founder Rosa Brooks , a law professor and former Pentagon official , used to serve as a board member at Soros ’ Open Society Foundations .
TIP ’ s other co-founder , Nils Gilman , is a vice president at the Berggruen Institute , and the organization ’ s focus on China makes it a target for the fever swamp .
There were plenty of Bush and Obama administration staffers involved in the project as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Deep State credentials .
As Alex Jones ’ site InfoWars — another early adopter of the conspiracy theory — asserted on Aug. 3 , TIP was an effort “ to formulate how to overthrow Donald Trump if he ’ s reelected.
” Now , Trump ’ s recently indicted former campaign chairman , Steve Bannon , has picked up the thread as well , going so far as to launch a speaking tour promoting Democrats ’ plan to steal the election .
It ’ s an odd feeling , as several TIP @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part of the story .
After all , the President has spent months calling mail-in ballots fraudulent and refusing to commit to a peaceful transfer of power in the event he loses his bid for reelection .
In a recent video meant to recruit an “ army ” of poll watchers , Donald Trump Jr. lied about the pervasiveness of voter fraud and then told viewers , “ We need you to help us watch them.
” Now , Trump ’ s allies have turned their ire on participants in a project , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of threats to the November election .
“ The attack on the game is part of the attempt to delegitimize the election itself , ” said Bill Kristol , the conservative writer and editor who played Trump in the TIP simulations .
“ If you ’ re going to try to corrupt the election , you need your allies to attack everyone who warns about corrupting the election.
” “ It ’ s pretty meta , isn ’ t it ?
” observed Trey Grayson , a Republican who participated in the project @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of state .
Doubly so : In one of the TIP simulations , spelled out in the group ’ s 22-page white paper , Trump goaded Biden into ever more provocative actions in order to create “ a broader narrative of the Democrats attempting to orchestrate an illegal coup.
” “ I think it was to be expected , and I fault myself for not expecting it earlier , that someone like [ Steve ] Bannon would re-enter the fray and become Trump ’ s frontman on developing any kind of story that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that ’ s funded , for example , by George Soros or any of the usual bugbears , ” said Lawrence Wilkerson , a retired Army colonel and Colin Powell ’ s former chief of staff , who was also involved in the project .
“ I don ’ t put anything past Bannon.
” ‘ The First Rule Of The Coming Coup ’ The purported coup plot , as described by right-wing media , was a curious one .
First of all , it had broken what pro-Trump commentator Dan Bonigo called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coup ” : “ Don ’ t talk about the coming coup !
” Participants in TIP have spoken freely to dozens of reporters about it .
Some participants were journalists themselves , and provided early accounts of the proceedings in The Atlantic , the Financial Times and elsewhere .
As early as July , accounts of the play-by-play appeared in the New York Times and Boston Globe .
Eventually , Brooks wrote about the experience in the Washington Post .
While some results of TIP ’ s experiment were legitimately alarming — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Trump ” invoked the Insurrection Act — others were outlandish .
Does anyone really believe , for instance , that Joe Biden , having lost the Electoral College this November , will encourage western states to secede and form a new political entity , “ Cascadia , ” unless Republicans agree to grant statehood to Puerto Rico and D.C , divide California up five ways , abolish the Electoral College and institute a retirement age of 70 at the Supreme Court ?
But right-wingers seized on such scenarios .
The fringe attention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ caught the attention of Michael Anton , a nuke-obsessed former Trump National Security Council staffer who won fame in 2016 with an initially-anonymous essay comparing Democrats to 9/11 hijackers .
After appearing on Kassam ’ s show on Sept. 4 , Anton published his own take on the TIP simulations .
Citing Machiavelli , Anton said TIP participants were talking about their coup attempt in a clever bit of reverse psychology .
“ So why are the Democrats — publicly — talking about the conspiracy ?
Because they know that , for it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like a conspiracy , ” he wrote .
“ They need to plant the idea in the public mind , now , that their unlawful and illegitimate removal of President Trump from office will somehow be his fault.
” Word has spread : Bannon , who hosts his own internet show with Kassam , has picked up the “ coup ” plot with gusto this month .
While he initially teased his cohost about the number of bogeymen he ’ d squeezed into one story — “ You ’ ve got multiple tinfoil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ less than a week later , Bannon said in an interview that the situation “ couldn ’ t be any more serious.
” “ They intend to really have a coup and keep President Trump from taking the oath of office for a second term , ” he warned .
Last Thursday , Bannon appeared on Tucker Carlson ’ s show and said Democrats would try to “ steal the election.
” After Nov. 3 , he added , “ is when the real war starts.
” This week , he launched a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Plot To Steal 2020 , ” and highlighted the TIP simulations in an interview with the fringe TV network One America News .
Some have taken things even further .
An article shared on the website of the Oath Keepers , the armed group whose leader recently declared the beginning of a civil war , asserted : “ The Left apparently has no intentions of allowing a peaceful solution and is determined to destroy our Republic at all costs.
” And a few participants in the exercise told TPM they ’ d @ @ @ @ @ @ @ involvement .
“ That was actually my hint that it had gone viral on the extremist websites , was that I suddenly started receiving a lot of nasty emails from anonymous strangers , ” one participant , who asked to remain nameless , recalled .
“ They ’ re profane , they ’ re obscene , they call me every name in the book , ” Wilkerson said .
“ On occasion , they say ‘ my husband ’ s a Marine sniper ’ or something like that.
” “ I usually just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interest in national security .
’ ”

On the Sept. 3 episode of his show, The National Pulse, right-wing broadcaster Raheem Kassam acknowledged that he might be irritating his audience with his repeated references to a series of tabletop election simulations that happened in June.
“Transition Integrity Project: I know people are going to get bored of me saying that term between now and the election,” he said. “But this is everything right here, and it’s everything because they’ve given their playbook away.”
Kassam was right about one thing: Conservative news consumers have been absolutely bombarded with content about the Transition Integrity Project, or TIP.
In reality, TIP was basically Dungeons and Dragons for stressed out Beltway types: A series of election “war games” in which several bigshot politicos and media figures — including former Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta and former RNC chair Michael Steele — volunteered to game out what could happen in the event of various contested election scenarios. Instead of wizards and rogues, they played major presidential candidates, legislators, the media, the public and so on.
Why? Among other things, they were worried that the President would refuse to concede a failed campaign and instead cast any loss as fraudulent and invalid — as he has, in fact, since done repeatedly.
But Kassam, an early adopter of the conspiracy theory that TIP represented a coup attempt, had begun telling his readers and viewers in early August that TIP was yet another “globalist front” full of A-list bogeymen. And rank-and-file right-wingers have responded to the conspiracy hype, threatening participants in the project and preparing their own responses to an imaginary Democratic coup attempt.
In the extended universe of the emerging conspiracy theory, George Soros was represented because TIP co-founder Rosa Brooks, a law professor and former Pentagon official, used to serve as a board member at Soros’ Open Society Foundations. TIP’s other co-founder, Nils Gilman, is a vice president at the Berggruen Institute, and the organization’s focus on China makes it a target for the fever swamp. There were plenty of Bush and Obama administration staffers involved in the project as well, rounding out the group’s Deep State credentials.
As Alex Jones’ site InfoWars — another early adopter of the conspiracy theory — asserted on Aug. 3, TIP was an effort “to formulate how to overthrow Donald Trump if he’s reelected.” Now, Trump’s recently indicted former campaign chairman, Steve Bannon, has picked up the thread as well, going so far as to launch a speaking tour promoting Democrats’ plan to steal the election.
Their Own Tabletop Simulation
It’s an odd feeling, as several TIP participants described to TPM, to become part of the story.
After all, the President has spent months calling mail-in ballots fraudulent and refusing to commit to a peaceful transfer of power in the event he loses his bid for reelection. In a recent video meant to recruit an “army” of poll watchers, Donald Trump Jr. lied about the pervasiveness of voter fraud and then told viewers, “We need you to help us watch them.” Now, Trump’s allies have turned their ire on participants in a project, which was aimed at highlighting these sorts of threats to the November election.
“The attack on the game is part of the attempt to delegitimize the election itself,” said Bill Kristol, the conservative writer and editor who played Trump in the TIP simulations. “If you’re going to try to corrupt the election, you need your allies to attack everyone who warns about corrupting the election.”
“It’s pretty meta, isn’t it?” observed Trey Grayson, a Republican who participated in the project, and Kentucky’s former secretary of state.
Doubly so: In one of the TIP simulations, spelled out in the group’s 22-page white paper, Trump goaded Biden into ever more provocative actions in order to create “a broader narrative of the Democrats attempting to orchestrate an illegal coup.”
“I think it was to be expected, and I fault myself for not expecting it earlier, that someone like [Steve] Bannon would re-enter the fray and become Trump’s frontman on developing any kind of story that he could around the opposition, particularly that’s funded, for example, by George Soros or any of the usual bugbears,” said Lawrence Wilkerson, a retired Army colonel and Colin Powell’s former chief of staff, who was also involved in the project. “I don’t put anything past Bannon.”
‘The First Rule Of The Coming Coup’
The purported coup plot, as described by right-wing media, was a curious one. First of all, it had broken what pro-Trump commentator Dan Bonigo called “the first rule of the coming coup”: “Don’t talk about the coming coup!”
Participants in TIP have spoken freely to dozens of reporters about it. Some participants were journalists themselves, and provided early accounts of the proceedings in The Atlantic, the Financial Times and elsewhere. As early as July, accounts of the play-by-play appeared in the New York Times and Boston Globe. Eventually, Brooks wrote about the experience in the Washington Post.
While some results of TIP’s experiment were legitimately alarming — in one scenario, for example, “Trump” invoked the Insurrection Act — others were outlandish.
Does anyone really believe, for instance, that Joe Biden, having lost the Electoral College this November, will encourage western states to secede and form a new political entity, “Cascadia,” unless Republicans agree to grant statehood to Puerto Rico and D.C, divide California up five ways, abolish the Electoral College and institute a retirement age of 70 at the Supreme Court?
But right-wingers seized on such scenarios. The fringe attention started revving up in earnest after it caught the attention of Michael Anton, a nuke-obsessed former Trump National Security Council staffer who won fame in 2016 with an initially-anonymous essay comparing Democrats to 9/11 hijackers.
After appearing on Kassam’s show on Sept. 4, Anton published his own take on the TIP simulations. Citing Machiavelli, Anton said TIP participants were talking about their coup attempt in a clever bit of reverse psychology.
“So why are the Democrats — publicly — talking about the conspiracy? Because they know that, for it to succeed, it must not look like a conspiracy,” he wrote. “They need to plant the idea in the public mind, now, that their unlawful and illegitimate removal of President Trump from office will somehow be his fault.”
‘The Plot To Steal 2020’
Word has spread: Bannon, who hosts his own internet show with Kassam, has picked up the “coup” plot with gusto this month.
While he initially teased his cohost about the number of bogeymen he’d squeezed into one story — “You’ve got multiple tinfoil hats on,” he said — less than a week later, Bannon said in an interview that the situation “couldn’t be any more serious.”
“They intend to really have a coup and keep President Trump from taking the oath of office for a second term,” he warned.
Last Thursday, Bannon appeared on Tucker Carlson’s show and said Democrats would try to “steal the election.” After Nov. 3, he added, “is when the real war starts.”
This week, he launched a speaking tour he’s calling “The Plot To Steal 2020,” and highlighted the TIP simulations in an interview with the fringe TV network One America News.
Some have taken things even further. An article shared on the website of the Oath Keepers, the armed group whose leader recently declared the beginning of a civil war, asserted: “The Left apparently has no intentions of allowing a peaceful solution and is determined to destroy our Republic at all costs.”
And a few participants in the exercise told TPM they’d received threats after news emerged of their involvement.
“That was actually my hint that it had gone viral on the extremist websites, was that I suddenly started receiving a lot of nasty emails from anonymous strangers,” one participant, who asked to remain nameless, recalled.
“They’re profane, they’re obscene, they call me every name in the book,” Wilkerson said. “On occasion, they say ‘my husband’s a Marine sniper’ or something like that.”
“I usually just say, ‘Thank you for your interest in national security.’”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-09-25--Reports: Trump Intends To Nominate Amy Coney Barrett To Supreme Court

President Trump reportedly intends to nominate Amy Coney Barrett to fill the seat of the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg , who died a week ago at age 87 .
CNN and CBS News reported Friday evening that Trump will tap Barrett for the high court .
The President is expected to make a formal announcement Saturday afternoon at the White House , and the Republican-controlled Senate is expected to move swiftly on Trump ’ s nomination .
If confirmed , Trump will have successfully placed three judges on the Supreme Court , likely cementing a conservative majority @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appeared to be the frontrunner all week , after she met with Trump at the White House on Monday .
McConnell also reportedly favored Barrett , who currently serves on the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals .
Trump nominated Barrett , 48 , to that post in 2017 .
She was also previously on Trump ’ s list of potential Supreme Court nominees .
Barrett ’ s confirmation could have major implications for Americans ’ health care .
The Supreme Court is expected to hear a case challenging the Affordable Care Act just @ @ @ @ @ @

President Trump reportedly intends to nominate Amy Coney Barrett to fill the seat of the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died a week ago at age 87.
CNN and CBS News reported Friday evening that Trump will tap Barrett for the high court. The President is expected to make a formal announcement Saturday afternoon at the White House, and the Republican-controlled Senate is expected to move swiftly on Trump’s nomination. If confirmed, Trump will have successfully placed three judges on the Supreme Court, likely cementing a conservative majority for decades to come.
Barrett had appeared to be the frontrunner all week, after she met with Trump at the White House on Monday. McConnell also reportedly favored Barrett, who currently serves on the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals. Trump nominated Barrett, 48, to that post in 2017. She was also previously on Trump’s list of potential Supreme Court nominees.
Barrett’s confirmation could have major implications for Americans’ health care. The Supreme Court is expected to hear a case challenging the Affordable Care Act just a week after Election Day.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-09-25--Trump Campaign Official Deletes Tweet That Ignited Firestorm Over Ballot Snafu

After igniting a firestorm of MAGA indignation , a Trump campaign aide has deleted a tweet claiming Democrats were “ trying to steal the election.
” The tweet from the campaign ’ s deputy director of communications , Matt Wolking , had gone viral Thursday .
Wolking had seized on the emerging news that nine military ballots had been mishandled in Luzerne County , Pennsylvania .
Politico reporter Tim Alberta posted a screenshot of the viral tweet before Wolking deleted it : In an erroneous press release , the U.S. Attorney ’ s office of the Middle District of Pennsylvania @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cast for President Donald Trump .
It corrected that number down to seven in a subsequent post , later noting that two ballots had been resealed in their envelopes .
The public comments from the federal prosecutor were strikingly inappropriate , according to former DOJ officials , coming in a politically charged matter so close to the election .
Announcing for whom the ballots had been cast was particularly inappropriate , they said , since it wasn ’ t relevant to the mishandling .
Though Wolking took down his incorrect tweet , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ballots represented “ voter suppression ” and amplified the tweets of others amid the MAGA-world meltdown .
An official from Luzerne County detailed how the mistake occurred in a Friday press release , saying that a temporary seasonal contractor “ incorrectly discarded ” the Uniformed Military and Overseas Voters Act ( UMOVA ) ballots into the trash .
The county elections director discovered the mistake and alerted her superiors ; the contractor was dismissed .
The FBI and county DA sifted through three days of garbage , the time the contractor worked on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the ballots .
The county plans to contact the voters to make sure their votes are processed .
Trump kicked off the rightwing outrage earlier on Thursday , calling the discarded ballots a “ horror show ” on Fox News ’ Brian Kilmeade radio show .
He had reportedly been personally briefed on the situation by Attorney General Bill Barr earlier in the day .

After igniting a firestorm of MAGA indignation, a Trump campaign aide has deleted a tweet claiming Democrats were “trying to steal the election.”
The tweet from the campaign’s deputy director of communications, Matt Wolking, had gone viral Thursday. Wolking had seized on the emerging news that nine military ballots had been mishandled in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania.
Politico reporter Tim Alberta posted a screenshot of the viral tweet before Wolking deleted it:
In an erroneous press release, the U.S. Attorney’s office of the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that all nine discarded ballots were cast for President Donald Trump. It corrected that number down to seven in a subsequent post, later noting that two ballots had been resealed in their envelopes.
The public comments from the federal prosecutor were strikingly inappropriate, according to former DOJ officials, coming in a politically charged matter so close to the election. Announcing for whom the ballots had been cast was particularly inappropriate, they said, since it wasn’t relevant to the mishandling.
Though Wolking took down his incorrect tweet, he claimed in another that the nine mishandled ballots represented “voter suppression” and amplified the tweets of others amid the MAGA-world meltdown.
CNN reporter downplays and dismisses voter suppression targeting U.S. service members https://t.co/b0V2ugFAb4 — Matt Wolking (Text TRUMP to 88022) (@MattWolking) September 24, 2020
An official from Luzerne County detailed how the mistake occurred in a Friday press release, saying that a temporary seasonal contractor “incorrectly discarded” the Uniformed Military and Overseas Voters Act (UMOVA) ballots into the trash. The county elections director discovered the mistake and alerted her superiors; the contractor was dismissed.
The FBI and county DA sifted through three days of garbage, the time the contractor worked on site, and the FBI took possession of the ballots. The county plans to contact the voters to make sure their votes are processed.
Trump kicked off the rightwing outrage earlier on Thursday, calling the discarded ballots a “horror show” on Fox News’ Brian Kilmeade radio show. He had reportedly been personally briefed on the situation by Attorney General Bill Barr earlier in the day.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-09-25--ICYMI: Your TPM Weekend News Roundup

ICYMI: Your TPM Weekend News Roundup

• Hours after we published this news roundup last Friday , news broke of the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg .
On Friday , she became the first woman to lie in state at the U.S. Capitol .
Americans visited to pay their respects .
( Her longtime personal trainer honored the late judge with push-ups .
Ginsburg ’ s fitness regiment was famous despite her diminutive stature . )
• Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ( R-KY ) quickly locked in enough votes to confirm President Trump ’ s yet-to-be-announced nominee to the high court .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ R-SC ) told Fox News this week that Republicans will move on the nomination before the November election .
• Trump paid his respects to Ginsburg Thursday at the Supreme Court , where he was met with loud chants of “ vote him out !
” • Trump has vowed to nominate a woman to fill Ginsburg ’ s seat , and he is expected to announce his pick Saturday afternoon .
• Trump set off yet another wave of election fears on Wednesday evening when he refused to commit to a peaceful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Joe Biden in November .
• “ Well , we ’ re going to have to see what happens , ” Trump told reporters during a briefing at the White House .
• Quite a few Republicans pushed back on Trump ’ s comments , albeit not by name .
• The White House insisted Trump will accept the results of the November election — but only if it is “ free and fair.
” • However , the White House is making plans for Trump ’ s potential transition should he lose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ editor David Kurtz said Thursday : Buckle up , the election news is getting wild with less than 40 days to go .
• This week we ’ ve been reporting on a bizarre story out of Luzerne County , Pennsylvania .
The U.S. Attorney ’ s office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania issued a press release Thursday saying it was investigating “ potential issues ” regarding military ballots in the Pennsylvania county .
The announcement of the ongoing investigation , along with the selective release of information about it , raised @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Tierney Sneed reported .
• The story got more confusing after U.S. Attorney David Freed sent a letter to a local election official .
The letter seemed to acknowledge that the issue stemmed from a mistake , rather than a criminal conspiracy , but it left hanging the notion that there was some malicious intent .
• On Friday , ABC News reported that Attorney General Bill Barr briefed Trump on the matter , which set off the chain reaction of events that led to the initial bizarre press release .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ David Pedri explained the situation , saying a temporary seasonal contractor had “ incorrectly discarded ” the Uniformed Military and Overseas Voters Act ( UMOVA ) ballots into the trash .
Is this feature useful ?
Let us know .

The California State Bar is arguing that recent criminal charges against John Eastman in Fulton County, Georgia should not prevent…


talkingpointsmemo--2020-09-25--New Trump ‘Plan’ Equates KKK And ‘Antifa’

What do the Ku Klux Klan and “ antifa ” have in common ?
“ Nothing , ” you might think .
One group has terrorized Black Americans for generations and the other is not really a group at all , just a term for “ anti-fascist.
” Both will be officially designated “ terrorist organizations , ” according to a Republican Party press release on President Donald Trump ’ s “ Platinum Plan for Black Americans.
” What does designating antifa a terrorist organization have to do with the Black community ?
It ’ s difficult to say .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a speech Trump delivered in Atlanta on Friday , outlined a six-point plan to help African-Americans , including “ Designating the KKK and ANTIFA as terrorist organizations.
” Trump has said he ’ ll designate antifa a terrorist group before , earlier this year .
But the United States only really has a list of foreign terrorist organizations , not domestic ones .
And besides , antifa is not really an “ organization ” so much as many local , loose-knit groups subscribing to a particular ideology .
But , don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , right ?
The Klan for antifa .
We ’ ll call it even .
Some prominent GOP voices celebrated the odd coupling on Twitter Friday .
“ @ JoeBiden and @ BarackObama could have done this-but they did nothing , ” said Sen. Kelly Loeffler ( R-GA ) .
Loeffler recently called another group , Black Lives Matter , “ very divisive ” and “ anti-Semitic ” and said it “ seeks to destroy American principles.
” Marjorie Taylor Greene , a QAnon supporter and likely future congresswoman , referred to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ run organizations.
” “ Great job Mr. President !
” she wrote .
“ Left wing extremist organizations are a threat to society !
” The rest of the Platinum Plan includes a list of action items without any explanation of how Trump will achieve them .
The plan underlined Trump ’ s attempts to win over more Black voters than he did in 2016 , when he performed in single digits among African American voters .
Trump benefitted that year from lower turnout among Black voters than in the previous two presidential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Trump ’ s meeting with a group of Black leaders before his 2017 inauguration .
In it , he conceded that low turnout helped .
“ Many Blacks didn ’ t go out to vote for Hillary ‘ cause they liked me , ” he said , as reported by Politico .
“ That was almost as good as getting the vote , you know , and it was great .
”

What do the Ku Klux Klan and “antifa” have in common?
“Nothing,” you might think. One group has terrorized Black Americans for generations and the other is not really a group at all, just a term for “anti-fascist.”
Well, you’d be wrong.
Both will be officially designated “terrorist organizations,” according to a Republican Party press release on President Donald Trump’s “Platinum Plan for Black Americans.”
What does designating antifa a terrorist organization have to do with the Black community? It’s difficult to say. But the press release, which previewed a speech Trump delivered in Atlanta on Friday, outlined a six-point plan to help African-Americans, including “Designating the KKK and ANTIFA as terrorist organizations.”
Trump has said he’ll designate antifa a terrorist group before, earlier this year. But the United States only really has a list of foreign terrorist organizations, not domestic ones. And besides, antifa is not really an “organization” so much as many local, loose-knit groups subscribing to a particular ideology.
But, don’t worry about that: Tit for tat, right? The Klan for antifa. We’ll call it even.
Some prominent GOP voices celebrated the odd coupling on Twitter Friday.
“@JoeBiden and @BarackObama could have done this-but they did nothing,” said Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-GA). Loeffler recently called another group, Black Lives Matter, “very divisive” and “anti-Semitic” and said it “seeks to destroy American principles.”
President @realDonaldTrump correctly designated the KKK and ANTIFA as domestic terrorist organizations.@JoeBiden and @BarackObama could have done this-but they did nothing. These two radical organizations need to be permanently stamped out!https://t.co/gCDX1UI4kM — Kelly Loeffler (@KLoeffler) September 25, 2020
Marjorie Taylor Greene, a QAnon supporter and likely future congresswoman, referred to the KKK and antifa as “two DEMOCRAT run organizations.”
“Great job Mr. President!” she wrote. “Left wing extremist organizations are a threat to society!”
President @realDonaldTrump just announced that he will be designating two DEMOCRAT run organizations, the KKK and ANTIFA, as domestic terrorist organizations! Great job Mr. President! Left wing extremist organizations are a threat to society! — Marjorie Taylor Greene For Congress?? (@mtgreenee) September 25, 2020
The rest of the Platinum Plan includes a list of action items without any explanation of how Trump will achieve them. The plan underlined Trump’s attempts to win over more Black voters than he did in 2016, when he performed in single digits among African American voters.
Trump benefitted that year from lower turnout among Black voters than in the previous two presidential elections. Last month, audio leaked of Trump’s meeting with a group of Black leaders before his 2017 inauguration. In it, he conceded that low turnout helped.
“Many Blacks didn’t go out to vote for Hillary ‘cause they liked me,” he said, as reported by Politico. “That was almost as good as getting the vote, you know, and it was great.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-09-25--County Explains Ballot Mistake That Sparked DOJ And MAGA Freakouts

An official in Luzerne County , Pennsylvania explained Friday how nine military ballots ended up in a dumpster , a situation that sparked a Trump-world freakout and widely-criticized press release from the U.S. Attorney ’ s Office .
In a press release , Luzerne County Manager C. David Pedri said that a temporary seasonal contractor had “ incorrectly discarded ” the Uniformed Military and Overseas Voters Act ( UMOVA ) ballots into the trash .
After Luzerne County Elections Director Shelby Watchilla discovered the ballots , she ran it up her chain of command .
The contractor , hired to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ removed from service ” and asked not to return .
The FBI , Luzerne County District Attorney ’ s office and Pennsylvania state police secured and sorted through three days worth of garbage , the duration that the contractor had been on site .
According to the release , the FBI currently has the discarded ballots , though the county will attempt to contact the voters so their votes can be processed .
UMOVA ballots are required to be sent out at least 45 days before the election , and Luzerne County sent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ special allowance for military voters explains how the ballots could have been mailed out and returned while many counties in Pennsylvania have yet to mail out their ballots to the general public .
The press release emphasizes that the Luzerne County employees did not know for which candidate the mishandled ballots were cast until the U.S. Attorney ’ s Office disclosed it in a bizarre press release on Thursday .
“ While the actions of this individual has cast a concern , the above statement shows that the system of checks and balances @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” the county press release said .
“ An error was made , a public servant discovered it and reported it to law enforcement at the local , State and Federal level who took over to ensure the integrity of the system in place.
” The release gives a significantly more detailed picture of events that the public information released by the U.S. Attorney ’ s Office , whose revelation that most of the ballots were cast for President Donald Trump led to a MAGA meltdown .
Experts pilloried the statement for its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is still ongoing .
In a subsequent letter , U.S. Attorney David Freed referenced mistaken improper opening of ballots , but still called the situation “ troubling , ” casting a sinister pall over what county officials seem to believe was a mistake .
A Friday ABC News report revealed that Attorney General Bill Barr was responsible for getting the situation on Trump ’ s radar , who spoke about it during a radio interview .
Hours later , the U.S. Attorney ’ s Office ’ s first press release was published .

An official in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania explained Friday how nine military ballots ended up in a dumpster, a situation that sparked a Trump-world freakout and widely-criticized press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
In a press release, Luzerne County Manager C. David Pedri said that a temporary seasonal contractor had “incorrectly discarded” the Uniformed Military and Overseas Voters Act (UMOVA) ballots into the trash. After Luzerne County Elections Director Shelby Watchilla discovered the ballots, she ran it up her chain of command. The contractor, hired to help sort the mail, was “removed from service” and asked not to return.
The FBI, Luzerne County District Attorney’s office and Pennsylvania state police secured and sorted through three days worth of garbage, the duration that the contractor had been on site. According to the release, the FBI currently has the discarded ballots, though the county will attempt to contact the voters so their votes can be processed.
UMOVA ballots are required to be sent out at least 45 days before the election, and Luzerne County sent theirs out on Aug. 25. That special allowance for military voters explains how the ballots could have been mailed out and returned while many counties in Pennsylvania have yet to mail out their ballots to the general public.
The press release emphasizes that the Luzerne County employees did not know for which candidate the mishandled ballots were cast until the U.S. Attorney’s Office disclosed it in a bizarre press release on Thursday.
“While the actions of this individual has cast a concern, the above statement shows that the system of checks and balances set forth in Pennsylvania elections works,” the county press release said. “An error was made, a public servant discovered it and reported it to law enforcement at the local, State and Federal level who took over to ensure the integrity of the system in place.”
The release gives a significantly more detailed picture of events that the public information released by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, whose revelation that most of the ballots were cast for President Donald Trump led to a MAGA meltdown. Experts pilloried the statement for its release of selective information as the investigation is still ongoing.
In a subsequent letter, U.S. Attorney David Freed referenced mistaken improper opening of ballots, but still called the situation “troubling,” casting a sinister pall over what county officials seem to believe was a mistake.
A Friday ABC News report revealed that Attorney General Bill Barr was responsible for getting the situation on Trump’s radar, who spoke about it during a radio interview. Hours later, the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s first press release was published.
Read the press release here: