talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-17--Georgia Campaigns Try To Game Out What The Trump Effect Will Be On The Runoffs

With a win for President-Elect Joe Biden in the rearview and a double-header Senate runoff ahead , the Georgia campaigns are trying to predict what role President Donald Trump ’ s absence from the ticket will play in Republican turnout for the January races .
“ Do Republicans come out and vote if Trump is not on the ticket ?
” a campaign official for the Jon Ossoff campaign mused to TPM .
“ I don ’ t think they turned out aggressively in 2018 , and we saw what happened there.
” While 2018 was considered a blue wave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disappointments in the Peach State — namely Stacey Abrams ’ loss to Gov .
Brian Kemp ( R ) .
Abrams and others have since accused Kemp of using his position as secretary of state to deliberately suppress votes to ensure his victory .
For the incumbent Republican senators , gaming out how Trump ’ s absence from the ticket will play involves some verbal contortions , as both Sens .
David Perdue ( R-GA ) and Kelly Loeffler ( R-GA ) are still pretending that there ’ s some doubt as to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ senators have called for the resignation of Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger , a Republican , for general “ lack of transparency ” and “ mismanagement ” in his election administration .
They ’ ve come up with no specific issues , and the move seems to be an attempt to amplify their solidarity with Trump and his supporters more than a full-throated attempt to get Raffensperger fired .
In a private call , the details of which were obtained by the Washington Post , Perdue tried to thread the needle of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ahead to the dynamics of the race .
“ What we ’ re going to have to do is make sure we get all the votes out from the general and get them back out , ” Perdue said of Republican voters .
“ That ’ s always a hard thing to do in a presidential year , particularly this year , given that President Trump , it looks like now , may not be able to hold out.
” Perdue added , though , that there is an “ anti-Trump ” contingent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suburbs who were turned off by Trump but who may come home to roost if there are blander Republican candidates on the ballot .
That Trump ’ s brand didn ’ t ultimately play as well in Georgia as in other southern states may be a silver lining for the incumbent Republicans .
While President-Elect Joe Biden took home the big prize there , down-ballot Democrats didn ’ t fare so well .
Republicans fended off a Democratic attempt to flip the Georgia House , and picked off the House Minority Leader in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ control of both chambers , Republicans will control the redrawing of congressional and legislative districts .
In addition , neither Ossoff nor Rev .
Raphael Warnock matched Biden ’ s vote totals .
Sheila Levy , secretary of the Dekalb County Democrats , noticed the trend when she was serving on voter review panels for the presidential elections : a check mark for Biden , then a reversion back to Republican candidates further down the ballot .
“ We ’ re not gon na have same slant that we had because people decided @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cancer out of the White House and to restore some type of order there , but then they continued to vote for down-ballot Republicans because they do believe in the Republican cause , ” she told TPM .
While Trump certainly won ’ t be on the ballot for the January runoffs , it ’ s less clear if he ’ ll travel to the state himself to campaign .
The White House has remained mum on the subject , and , per the Associated Press , the Georgia senators have not directly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mike Pence is scheduled to join a two-rally bus tour for Perdue and Loeffler in Canton and Gainesville , Georgia on Friday .
“ I have no idea what he plans on doing — he ’ s a selfish person , ” the Ossoff campaign official said .
“ With that being said , it ’ s important to note that Joe Biden won the state and folks here rejected Donald Trump ’ s agenda.
” This post has been updated .

With a win for President-Elect Joe Biden in the rearview and a double-header Senate runoff ahead, the Georgia campaigns are trying to predict what role President Donald Trump’s absence from the ticket will play in Republican turnout for the January races.
“Do Republicans come out and vote if Trump is not on the ticket?” a campaign official for the Jon Ossoff campaign mused to TPM. “I don’t think they turned out aggressively in 2018, and we saw what happened there.”
While 2018 was considered a blue wave year for Democrats, there were some disappointments in the Peach State — namely Stacey Abrams’ loss to Gov. Brian Kemp (R). Abrams and others have since accused Kemp of using his position as secretary of state to deliberately suppress votes to ensure his victory.
For the incumbent Republican senators, gaming out how Trump’s absence from the ticket will play involves some verbal contortions, as both Sens. David Perdue (R-GA) and Kelly Loeffler (R-GA) are still pretending that there’s some doubt as to who won the presidential election. Both senators have called for the resignation of Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a Republican, for general “lack of transparency” and “mismanagement” in his election administration. They’ve come up with no specific issues, and the move seems to be an attempt to amplify their solidarity with Trump and his supporters more than a full-throated attempt to get Raffensperger fired.
In a private call, the details of which were obtained by the Washington Post, Perdue tried to thread the needle of supporting Trump’s delusion while looking ahead to the dynamics of the race.
“What we’re going to have to do is make sure we get all the votes out from the general and get them back out,” Perdue said of Republican voters. “That’s always a hard thing to do in a presidential year, particularly this year, given that President Trump, it looks like now, may not be able to hold out.”
Perdue added, though, that there is an “anti-Trump” contingent in Georgia, Republican voters in the suburbs who were turned off by Trump but who may come home to roost if there are blander Republican candidates on the ballot.
That Trump’s brand didn’t ultimately play as well in Georgia as in other southern states may be a silver lining for the incumbent Republicans. While President-Elect Joe Biden took home the big prize there, down-ballot Democrats didn’t fare so well.
Republicans fended off a Democratic attempt to flip the Georgia House, and picked off the House Minority Leader in an embarrassing loss for liberals. With control of both chambers, Republicans will control the redrawing of congressional and legislative districts. In addition, neither Ossoff nor Rev. Raphael Warnock matched Biden’s vote totals.
Sheila Levy, secretary of the Dekalb County Democrats, noticed the trend when she was serving on voter review panels for the presidential elections: a check mark for Biden, then a reversion back to Republican candidates further down the ballot.
“We’re not gonna have same slant that we had because people decided to vote for Biden to get the cancer out of the White House and to restore some type of order there, but then they continued to vote for down-ballot Republicans because they do believe in the Republican cause,” she told TPM.
While Trump certainly won’t be on the ballot for the January runoffs, it’s less clear if he’ll travel to the state himself to campaign.
The White House has remained mum on the subject, and, per the Associated Press, the Georgia senators have not directly asked Trump to come. Vice President Mike Pence is scheduled to join a two-rally bus tour for Perdue and Loeffler in Canton and Gainesville, Georgia on Friday.
“I have no idea what he plans on doing — he’s a selfish person,” the Ossoff campaign official said. “With that being said, it’s important to note that Joe Biden won the state and folks here rejected Donald Trump’s agenda.”
This post has been updated.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-17--Biden Taps Campaign Staffers For WH Counsel And Other Senior Positions

President-elect Joe Biden on Tuesday announced that several alumni of his presidential campaign will take on senior positions as soon as he enters the White House in January .
Last week , Biden appointed longtime adviser and veteran Democratic operative Ron Klain as his chief of staff .
On Tuesday , Biden hired a slew of familiar faces from the campaign trail to surround him in the White House .
Among Biden ’ s announced hires on Tuesday is Dana Remus , who served as the Biden campaign ’ s general counsel .
Remus also previously clerked for Supreme Court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ counsel to the Obama Foundation and the Obamas ’ personal office .
Jen O ’ Malley Dillon , whose hiring was reported on Monday , will serve as Biden ’ s deputy chief of staff .
O ’ Malley Dillon took over as Biden ’ s campaign manager after working on then-Democratic presidential candidate Beto O ’ Rourke ’ s campaign .
O ’ Malley Dillon , who turned Biden ’ s campaign into a competitive fundraising machine , is the second woman to spearhead a successful presidential campaign after Trump 2016 campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who served as the chief strategist for Biden ’ s campaign and took the lead in crafting the then-Democratic presidential candidate ’ s speeches , will be a senior adviser to Biden .
Steve Ricchetti , who worked as Biden ’ s campaign chairman and is an alum of both former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton ’ s White Houses , will be a counselor to the president .
Julie Chavez Rodriguez comes on board as the director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs after serving as a Biden deputy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden campaign after serving as a top aide to Vice President-elect Kamala Harris ’ presidential campaign during the primary .
She is also an alum of the Obama administration , where she served as a special assistant to the president and senior deputy director of public engagement .
Rep. Cedric Richmond ( D-LA ) — who chaired the Congressional Black Caucus and has a very close relationship with House Minority Whip Steve Scalise ( R-LA ) , whom he served with in Washington and Baton Rouge — will step down from his House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Biden and the director of the White House Office of Public Engagement .
Biden ’ s appointment of his campaign alums to join him at the White House comes amid his efforts to begin his transition despite President Trump ’ s refusal to concede .
Biden ’ s transition process has already hit major snags as General Services Administration chief Emily Murphy , a Trump-appointee , has yet to sign a letter of “ ascertainment ” that would allow the President-elect ’ s transition team to contact federal agencies or access the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

President-elect Joe Biden on Tuesday announced that several alumni of his presidential campaign will take on senior positions as soon as he enters the White House in January.
Last week, Biden appointed longtime adviser and veteran Democratic operative Ron Klain as his chief of staff.
On Tuesday, Biden hired a slew of familiar faces from the campaign trail to surround him in the White House.
Our White House senior staff is composed of individuals who demonstrate the President-elect's commitment to building an administration that looks like America, has expertise in governing, and will be ready deliver results for working families on Day One.https://t.co/MXnMExXAFp pic.twitter.com/DaWmRI8PRk — Biden-Harris Presidential Transition (@Transition46) November 17, 2020
Among Biden’s announced hires on Tuesday is Dana Remus, who served as the Biden campaign’s general counsel. Remus also previously clerked for Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito and served as general counsel to the Obama Foundation and the Obamas’ personal office.
Jen O’Malley Dillon, whose hiring was reported on Monday, will serve as Biden’s deputy chief of staff. O’Malley Dillon took over as Biden’s campaign manager after working on then-Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke’s campaign. O’Malley Dillon, who turned Biden’s campaign into a competitive fundraising machine, is the second woman to spearhead a successful presidential campaign after Trump 2016 campaign manager Kellyanne Conway.
Mike Donilon, who served as the chief strategist for Biden’s campaign and took the lead in crafting the then-Democratic presidential candidate’s speeches, will be a senior adviser to Biden.
Steve Ricchetti, who worked as Biden’s campaign chairman and is an alum of both former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton’s White Houses, will be a counselor to the president.
Julie Chavez Rodriguez comes on board as the director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs after serving as a Biden deputy campaign manager. Chavez Rodriguez joined the Biden campaign after serving as a top aide to Vice President-elect Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign during the primary. She is also an alum of the Obama administration, where she served as a special assistant to the president and senior deputy director of public engagement.
Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-LA) — who chaired the Congressional Black Caucus and has a very close relationship with House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA), whom he served with in Washington and Baton Rouge — will step down from his House seat to serve as a senior adviser to Biden and the director of the White House Office of Public Engagement.
Biden’s appointment of his campaign alums to join him at the White House comes amid his efforts to begin his transition despite President Trump’s refusal to concede. Biden’s transition process has already hit major snags as General Services Administration chief Emily Murphy, a Trump-appointee, has yet to sign a letter of “ascertainment” that would allow the President-elect’s transition team to contact federal agencies or access the millions of dollars set aside for it.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-17--Whistleblower Urges Trump To Coordinate With Biden On COVID: ‘Lives Are At Stake Here’

Rick Bright , a former top scientist at the Health and Human Services ( HHS ) Department who sounded the alarm on the Trump administration ’ s politicization of COVID-19 treatment and who now serves as one of President-elect Joe Biden ’ s experts on the pandemic , called on the administration to stop disrupting the transition process on Tuesday .
During an appearance on “ Good Morning America , ” Bright emphasized the urgency of the Trump administration sharing its data and resources on distributing the COVID-19 vaccine with the Biden transition team .
“ Lives are at stake @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If we miss this opportunity to coordinate now , we could experience hiccups or delays that really we don ’ t need to see.
” “ Americans deserve a smooth transition so we can make sure to save their lives from this pandemic , ” he added .
In May , Bright blew the whistle after he was demoted from his post as director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority ( BARDA ) , alleging that the demotion was retaliation for rejecting hydroxychloroquine , Trump ’ s miracle drug , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in October after being “ sidelined from doing any further work ” on the pandemic , per his attorneys , and joined Biden ’ s COVID-19 advisory board shortly after the Democrat won the election .

Rick Bright, a former top scientist at the Health and Human Services (HHS) Department who sounded the alarm on the Trump administration’s politicization of COVID-19 treatment and who now serves as one of President-elect Joe Biden’s experts on the pandemic, called on the administration to stop disrupting the transition process on Tuesday.
During an appearance on “Good Morning America,” Bright emphasized the urgency of the Trump administration sharing its data and resources on distributing the COVID-19 vaccine with the Biden transition team.
“Lives are at stake here,” Bright said. “If we miss this opportunity to coordinate now, we could experience hiccups or delays that really we don’t need to see.”
“Americans deserve a smooth transition so we can make sure to save their lives from this pandemic,” he added.
In May, Bright blew the whistle after he was demoted from his post as director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), alleging that the demotion was retaliation for rejecting hydroxychloroquine, Trump’s miracle drug, as treatment for the virus.
Bright resigned in October after being “sidelined from doing any further work” on the pandemic, per his attorneys, and joined Biden’s COVID-19 advisory board shortly after the Democrat won the election.
Watch Bright below:


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-18--Michigan’s Largest County Reverses Course, Certifies Election Results

The board of canvassers in Michigan ’ s Wayne County , which includes Detroit , suddenly backtracked on Tuesday night @ @ @ @ @ the county ’ s election results after initially reaching a deadlock .
Earlier in the @ @ @ @ @ made up of two Republicans and two Democrats reached a stalemate on the vote when @ @ @ @ @ , thereby blocking the hundreds of thousands of votes that helped propel President-elect Joe Biden @ @ @ @ @ canvassers backpedaled after coming under fire for invalidating the votes of Detroit , which is @ @ @ @ @ Americans .
Trump campaign attorney Jenna Ellis griped about the certification on Fox News , @ @ @ @ @ been pressured by “ mob rule.
” President Donald Trump , who has launched a @ @ @ @ @ votes for Biden , had cheered the board ’ s initial vote via Twitter .
@ @ @ @ @ refused to certify the election results !
” he tweeted .
“ Having courage is @ @ @ @ @ USA stands proud !
”

The board of canvassers in Michigan’s Wayne County, which includes Detroit, suddenly backtracked on Tuesday night and voted unanimously to certify the county’s election results after initially reaching a deadlock.
Earlier in the evening, the bipartisan board made up of two Republicans and two Democrats reached a stalemate on the vote when the Republicans voted against certification, thereby blocking the hundreds of thousands of votes that helped propel President-elect Joe Biden to victory.
The GOP canvassers backpedaled after coming under fire for invalidating the votes of Detroit, which is largely made up of Black Americans.
A furious President Donald Trump, who has launched a full-on war on swing state votes for Biden and had cheered the board’s initial vote on Tuesday night, claimed via Twitter on Wednesday that the Republicans had been “threatened, screamed at and viciously harassed, and were FORCED to change their vote.”
Trump campaign attorney Jenna Ellis also griped about the certification on Fox News, asserting that the board had been pressured by “mob rule.”
This post has been updated to include Trump’s reaction.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-19--‘My Blood Is Boiling’: Ex-GOP Governor Torches Trump For Stonewalling Biden’s Transition

Former Ohio Gov .
John Kasich ( R ) took aim at President Trump on Wednesday for stonewalling President-elect Joe Biden ’ s transition as the country passed the grim milestone of 250,000 COVID-19 fatalities .
General Services Administration chief Emily Murphy , a Trump appointee who has the sole authority to green light Biden ’ s formal transition , has yet to sign an “ ascertainment , ” which would allow Biden ’ s transition team to contact federal agencies or access the millions of dollars set aside for it .
Although Biden ’ s COVID-19 advisory board has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the President-elect ’ s inauguration in January , the transition team can not access data from the Trump administration regarding COVID-19 , vaccine distribution plans as well as intelligence briefings until it gets the green light from the GSA chief .
During an interview on CNN Wednesday evening , Kasich blasted Trump for having gone AWOL amid surging COVID-19 cases nationwide , which the former Ohio governor characterized as “ a cult of personality.
” “ And whenever you have a cult of personality , sometimes the damage is not able to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ After rebuking Trump for his repeated downplaying of the COVID-19 pandemic , Kasich then blasted the sitting president who refuses to concede for delaying Biden ’ s formal transition process .
“ But now the inability or the unwillingness of his orders to share this information with Biden so they can think about distribution , they can think about stockpiles , they can think about all the things that must surround the distribution of a vaccine — thank God it ’ s just around the corner is what we understand — but this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in his own administration and unfortunately it ’ s taken over a lot of members of the Republican party , ” Kasich said .
Kasich — who appeared during the Democratic National Convention in August in support of Biden ’ s presidential bid — added that he doesn ’ t know what Trump administration officials and Republicans who are loyal to the sitting president are “ afraid of.
” “ It ’ s sort of like if you get a little baby alligator in your house and you just don ’ t pay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and bigger and the next thing you know you ’ re out of the house and the alligator ’ s running it , ” Kasich said .
“ That ’ s what it seems like as to what ’ s going on now because the Republicans have been afraid of him , continue to be afraid of him for a variety of reasons.
” Kasich suggested that some Republicans may be “ selfish ” because they ’ re worried about the Georgia Senate runoff election in January , which will determine the balance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ governor quickly pivoted back to torching Trump for standing in the way of Biden ’ s formal transition process by calling the sitting president ’ s stonewalling “ disgraceful ” and that his “ blood is boiling ” from it .
“ If I was there , I ’ d be shouting for the rooftops .
And I don ’ t know why we ’ re not hearing it , ” Kasich said .
“ This is — you know , every one of these people are going to have to look in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kids are going to say , ‘ what did you do in the middle of this when you had that man running the country ? '
” Earlier Wednesday , Biden warned that without the Trump administration ’ s assistance in providing COVID-19 data to his team soon , the President-elect ’ s incoming administration will be “ behind by weeks or months ” on its distribution of vaccines .

Former Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) took aim at President Trump on Wednesday for stonewalling President-elect Joe Biden’s transition as the country passed the grim milestone of 250,000 COVID-19 fatalities.
General Services Administration chief Emily Murphy, a Trump appointee who has the sole authority to green light Biden’s formal transition, has yet to sign an “ascertainment,” which would allow Biden’s transition team to contact federal agencies or access the millions of dollars set aside for it.
Although Biden’s COVID-19 advisory board has contacted states and the medical community prior to the President-elect’s inauguration in January, the transition team cannot access data from the Trump administration regarding COVID-19, vaccine distribution plans as well as intelligence briefings until it gets the green light from the GSA chief.
During an interview on CNN Wednesday evening, Kasich blasted Trump for having gone AWOL amid surging COVID-19 cases nationwide, which the former Ohio governor characterized as “a cult of personality.”
“And whenever you have a cult of personality, sometimes the damage is not able to be calculated,” Kasich said.
After rebuking Trump for his repeated downplaying of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kasich then blasted the sitting president who refuses to concede for delaying Biden’s formal transition process.
“But now the inability or the unwillingness of his orders to share this information with Biden so they can think about distribution, they can think about stockpiles, they can think about all the things that must surround the distribution of a vaccine — thank God it’s just around the corner is what we understand — but this cult of personality has taken over people in his own administration and unfortunately it’s taken over a lot of members of the Republican party,” Kasich said.
Kasich — who appeared during the Democratic National Convention in August in support of Biden’s presidential bid — added that he doesn’t know what Trump administration officials and Republicans who are loyal to the sitting president are “afraid of.”
“It’s sort of like if you get a little baby alligator in your house and you just don’t pay attention to it, it gets bigger and bigger and the next thing you know you’re out of the house and the alligator’s running it,” Kasich said. “That’s what it seems like as to what’s going on now because the Republicans have been afraid of him, continue to be afraid of him for a variety of reasons.”
Kasich suggested that some Republicans may be “selfish” because they’re worried about the Georgia Senate runoff election in January, which will determine the balance of the Senate.
The former Ohio governor quickly pivoted back to torching Trump for standing in the way of Biden’s formal transition process by calling the sitting president’s stonewalling “disgraceful” and that his “blood is boiling” from it.
“If I was there, I’d be shouting for the rooftops. And I don’t know why we’re not hearing it,” Kasich said. “This is — you know, every one of these people are going to have to look in the mirror someday, and maybe their kids are going to say, ‘what did you do in the middle of this when you had that man running the country?'”
Earlier Wednesday, Biden warned that without the Trump administration’s assistance in providing COVID-19 data to his team soon, the President-elect’s incoming administration will be “behind by weeks or months” on its distribution of vaccines.
Watch Kasich’s remarks below:


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-18--Biden: Trump Stalling Transition Will Put COVID Vaccine ‘Behind By Weeks Or Months’

President-elect Joe Biden rebuked President Trump on Wednesday for standing in the way of his formal transition , especially because the sitting president ’ s refusal to concede will put the distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine during the Biden administration “ behind by weeks or months.
” During a roundtable with workers on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic on Wednesday , Biden particularly expressed his dismay over General Services Administration chief Emily Murphy ’ s refusal to sign an “ ascertainment , ” which would allow Biden ’ s transition team to contact federal agencies or access the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , despite his legitimate election victory and amid surging COVID-19 cases .
Biden warned that the delay of his formal transition prevents his transition team from contacting current administration officials or begin its plans to address the COVID-19 crisis that has killed more than 249,000 Americans thus far .
“ I am optimistic , but we should be further along , ” Biden said , citing a law which says the GSA can begin the formal transition process by recognizing the apparent winner .
Biden said that his team has been unable to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as the depth of the stockpiles .
“ We know there ’ s not much at all , ” Biden said .
“ We get to the point where we have a sense of when these vaccines comes out , how they ’ ll be distributed , who will be first in line , what the plan is.
” Biden concluded that without the Trump administration ’ s assistance in providing COVID-19 data to his team soon , the President-elect ’ s incoming administration will be “ behind by weeks or months ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ So , I just want to tell you that that ’ s the only slow down right now that we have , ” Biden said .
Biden ’ s latest remarks double down on recent warnings by members of his team about how the Trump administration ’ s stonewalling is already impacting the Biden administration ’ s COVID-19 vaccine distribution efforts amid surging cases nationwide .
Incoming White House chief of staff Ron Klain stressed the urgency for Biden ’ s transition team to get the ascertainment from Trump ’ s GSA chief @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to address the COVID-19 pandemic , during an interview on “ Meet the Press ” Sunday .
“ What we really want to see this week is the General Services Administration issue that ascertainment , so we can start to do the kinds of things you and I talked about a few minutes ago , ” Klain told “ Meet the Press ” on Sunday .
“ Meet with these vaccine officials , kind of get the intelligence briefings for the president-elect , the vice president-elect .
That ’ s really the measure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week , I think.
” Biden transition COVID-19 advisory board member Dr. Atul Gawande told ABC News on Sunday that a smooth transition for the President-elect ’ s team is “ important ” and that “ they ’ re ready to go.
” “ It is in the nation ’ s interest that the Transition Team get the threat assessments that the team knows about , understand the vaccine distribution plans , need to know where the stockpiles are , what the status is of masks and gloves , ” Gawande told ABC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s a lot of information that needs to be transmitted .
It can ’ t wait until the last minute .
”

President-elect Joe Biden rebuked President Trump on Wednesday for standing in the way of his formal transition, especially because the sitting president’s refusal to concede will put the distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine during the Biden administration “behind by weeks or months.”
During a roundtable with workers on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic on Wednesday, Biden particularly expressed his dismay over General Services Administration chief Emily Murphy’s refusal to sign an “ascertainment,” which would allow Biden’s transition team to contact federal agencies or access the millions of dollars set aside for it, despite his legitimate election victory and amid surging COVID-19 cases.
Biden warned that the delay of his formal transition prevents his transition team from contacting current administration officials or begin its plans to address the COVID-19 crisis that has killed more than 249,000 Americans thus far.
“I am optimistic, but we should be further along,” Biden said, citing a law which says the GSA can begin the formal transition process by recognizing the apparent winner.
Biden said that his team has been unable to access data from the Trump administration such as the depth of the stockpiles.
“We know there’s not much at all,” Biden said. “We get to the point where we have a sense of when these vaccines comes out, how they’ll be distributed, who will be first in line, what the plan is.”
Biden concluded that without the Trump administration’s assistance in providing COVID-19 data to his team soon, the President-elect’s incoming administration will be “behind by weeks or months” on its distribution of vaccines.
“So, I just want to tell you that that’s the only slow down right now that we have,” Biden said.
Biden’s latest remarks double down on recent warnings by members of his team about how the Trump administration’s stonewalling is already impacting the Biden administration’s COVID-19 vaccine distribution efforts amid surging cases nationwide.
Incoming White House chief of staff Ron Klain stressed the urgency for Biden’s transition team to get the ascertainment from Trump’s GSA chief so that it can begin its plans to address the COVID-19 pandemic, during an interview on “Meet the Press” Sunday.
“What we really want to see this week is the General Services Administration issue that ascertainment, so we can start to do the kinds of things you and I talked about a few minutes ago,” Klain told “Meet the Press” on Sunday. “Meet with these vaccine officials, kind of get the intelligence briefings for the president-elect, the vice president-elect. That’s really the measure of how this is moving forward this week, I think.”
Biden transition COVID-19 advisory board member Dr. Atul Gawande told ABC News on Sunday that a smooth transition for the President-elect’s team is “important” and that “they’re ready to go.”
“It is in the nation’s interest that the Transition Team get the threat assessments that the team knows about, understand the vaccine distribution plans, need to know where the stockpiles are, what the status is of masks and gloves,” Gawande told ABC News on Sunday. “There’s a lot of information that needs to be transmitted. It can’t wait until the last minute.”
Watch Biden’s remarks below:


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-18--COVID Testing Czar Warns Country Is In ‘Absolutely Dangerous Situation’

Adm. Brett Giroir , assistant secretary of health who leads the government ’ s COVID testing efforts , sounded the alarm on Wednesday that the country is in an “ absolutely dangerous situation ” as COVID-19 cases continue surging ahead of the holiday season .
During an interview on MSNBC on Wednesday , Giroir said that both COVID-19 hospitalizations and fatalities being up by 25 % week over week means that the country is “ not going in the right direction.
” Giroir stressed that the country is at an “ absolutely critical , dangerous point ” as he urged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reduce the spread of COVID-19 because it ’ s “ the only way we get out of this ” until there ’ s a vaccine for the pandemic that has killed more than 249,000 Americans thus far .
“ Right now , we are in an absolutely dangerous situation that we have to take with the utmost seriousness , ” Giroir said .
“ This is not crying wolf .
This is the worst rate of rise in cases that we ’ ve seen in the pandemic in the United States and right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flattening.
” Giroir reiterated that the public needs to be “ incredibly concerned.
” “ We all have to be incredibly concerned .
We all have to be diligent , ” Giroir said .
“ We have to make clear choices , to wear our masks , to physically distance , and try to make a better choice every single day about where you ’ re going to gather , how you ’ re going to gather , and how you ’ re going to protect the vulnerable.
” Giroir ’ s remarks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Moderna announcing that their COVID-19 vaccines could be more than 90 % effective , which the COVID testing czar said is “ very positive ” news .
But he made clear that neither vaccine in development will resolve the ongoing crisis of surging cases nationwide .
According to the COVID Tracking Project , 1,100 Americans on average are dying of COVID-19 daily .

Adm. Brett Giroir, assistant secretary of health who leads the government’s COVID testing efforts, sounded the alarm on Wednesday that the country is in an “absolutely dangerous situation” as COVID-19 cases continue surging ahead of the holiday season.
During an interview on MSNBC on Wednesday, Giroir said that both COVID-19 hospitalizations and fatalities being up by 25% week over week means that the country is “not going in the right direction.”
Giroir stressed that the country is at an “absolutely critical, dangerous point” as he urged the public to wear a mask to reduce the spread of COVID-19 because it’s “the only way we get out of this” until there’s a vaccine for the pandemic that has killed more than 249,000 Americans thus far.
“Right now, we are in an absolutely dangerous situation that we have to take with the utmost seriousness,” Giroir said. “This is not crying wolf. This is the worst rate of rise in cases that we’ve seen in the pandemic in the United States and right now there’s no sign of flattening.”
Giroir reiterated that the public needs to be “incredibly concerned.”
“We all have to be incredibly concerned. We all have to be diligent,” Giroir said. “We have to make clear choices, to wear our masks, to physically distance, and try to make a better choice every single day about where you’re going to gather, how you’re going to gather, and how you’re going to protect the vulnerable.”
Giroir’s remarks comes on the heels of both Pfizer and Moderna announcing that their COVID-19 vaccines could be more than 90% effective, which the COVID testing czar said is “very positive” news. But he made clear that neither vaccine in development will resolve the ongoing crisis of surging cases nationwide.
According to the COVID Tracking Project, 1,100 Americans on average are dying of COVID-19 daily.
Watch Giroir’s remarks below:


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-18--Graham Shrugs Off Potential Ethics Probe Amid GA Debacle: ‘I’m Just Going To Keep Being Me’

Sen. Lindsey Graham ( R-SC ) on Wednesday claimed he isn ’ t sweating the possibility of an ethics investigation after Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said that the South Carolina Republican has been pressuring him to find ways to toss legally cast ballots .
When asked by CNN in the Capitol on Wednesday whether he ’ s concerned about facing any ethics investigation , Graham — who has continued egging on President Trump ’ s baseless claims of widespread voter fraud as he wages legal battles contesting the legitimacy of the election process — replied “ no , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accused of everything , I ’ m just going to keep being me , ” Graham told CNN .
“ I called up the secretary of state to find out how you verify a signature and what database you use because I think it ’ s important that if we ’ re going to vote by mail , we get it right.
” Graham also told CNN on Wednesday that seeking investigations into states that Trump won is “ not in question ” so it isn ’ t an issue for him .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ where there ’ s a contest , ” Graham told CNN .
“ I ’ m not looking at states that he lost .
I ’ m looking at states where there ’ s a challenge.
” Graham , however , defended his previous remarks that he ’ s looked into the voting practices of Georgia , Arizona and Nevada in an effort to see if there can be any changes made to verify ballots sent by mail , according to CNN .
On Monday , Raffensperger — a Republican who has publicly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bogus claims of widespread voter fraud in the election — told the Washington Post that Graham asked if political bias was behind election workers accepting ballots with mismatched signatures .
Additionally , Raffensperger claimed that Graham inquired whether entire batches of legal ballots could be tossed from counties with high levels of signature mismatch .
In response to Raffensperger ’ s interview with the Post recalling Graham ’ s inquiries — which the Georgia secretary of state said he was “ stunned ” by — Graham told reporters on Capitol Hill later Monday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hear how Raffensperger characterized the conversation .
Graham also called Raffensperger ’ s claim that he was attempting to get ballots tossed “ ridiculous.
” “ I was trying to find out how the signature stuff worked , ” Graham said on Monday .
“ It was good , he did a good job explaining to me how to verify signatures.
” Following Graham ’ s remarks on Monday to reporters , Lin Wood , a pro-Trump Atlanta lawyer , filed a lawsuit challenging how signatures are checked , which Raffensperger vowed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how people voted .

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) on Wednesday claimed he isn’t sweating the possibility of an ethics investigation after Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said that the South Carolina Republican has been pressuring him to find ways to toss legally cast ballots.
When asked by CNN in the Capitol on Wednesday whether he’s concerned about facing any ethics investigation, Graham — who has continued egging on President Trump’s baseless claims of widespread voter fraud as he wages legal battles contesting the legitimacy of the election process — replied “no, not at all.”
“I get accused of everything, I’m just going to keep being me,” Graham told CNN. “I called up the secretary of state to find out how you verify a signature and what database you use because I think it’s important that if we’re going to vote by mail, we get it right.”
Graham also told CNN on Wednesday that seeking investigations into states that Trump won is “not in question” so it isn’t an issue for him.
“We’re looking at states where there’s a contest,” Graham told CNN. “I’m not looking at states that he lost. I’m looking at states where there’s a challenge.”
Graham, however, defended his previous remarks that he’s looked into the voting practices of Georgia, Arizona and Nevada in an effort to see if there can be any changes made to verify ballots sent by mail, according to CNN.
On Monday, Raffensperger — a Republican who has publicly debunked President Trump and his allies’ bogus claims of widespread voter fraud in the election — told the Washington Post that Graham asked if political bias was behind election workers accepting ballots with mismatched signatures. Additionally, Raffensperger claimed that Graham inquired whether entire batches of legal ballots could be tossed from counties with high levels of signature mismatch.
In response to Raffensperger’s interview with the Post recalling Graham’s inquiries — which the Georgia secretary of state said he was “stunned” by — Graham told reporters on Capitol Hill later Monday that he was “surprised” to hear how Raffensperger characterized the conversation. Graham also called Raffensperger’s claim that he was attempting to get ballots tossed “ridiculous.”
“I was trying to find out how the signature stuff worked,” Graham said on Monday. “It was good, he did a good job explaining to me how to verify signatures.”
Following Graham’s remarks on Monday to reporters, Lin Wood, a pro-Trump Atlanta lawyer, filed a lawsuit challenging how signatures are checked, which Raffensperger vowed to challenge because the move could potentially reveal how people voted.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-18--Report: Biden May Select First Black Woman To Become Press Secretary

President-elect Joe Biden has begun filling positions for his administration , and after making history by selecting the first woman who became the vice president-elect , he may be on the brink of another first — tapping the first Black woman to be named White House press secretary , NBC News reported on Wednesday .
Multiple officials stressed to the network that a final decision has not yet been made but that Karine Jean-Pierre , a former Obama official who served as senior adviser to Biden and became chief of staff to Vice President-elect Kamala Harris when she was named @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , has emerged ahead of the pack as a strong candidate for the position .
Biden campaign senior adviser Symone Sanders , who worked on Sen. Bernie Sanders ’ ( I-VT ) 2016 presidential campaign , has also been discussed for the top communications role and has made her own interests in filling the seat clear .
Both Jean-Pierre and Sanders also share backgrounds in political commentary on major news networks .
Jean-Pierre has appeared as an MSNBC political analyst and Sanders was a political commentator on CNN .
The potential hires would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Biden White House , including chief of staff Ron Klain and his deputy , former Biden campaign manager Jen O ’ Malley Dillon .

President-elect Joe Biden has begun filling positions for his administration, and after making history by selecting the first woman who became the vice president-elect, he may be on the brink of another first — tapping the first Black woman to be named White House press secretary, NBC News reported on Wednesday.
Multiple officials stressed to the network that a final decision has not yet been made but that Karine Jean-Pierre, a former Obama official who served as senior adviser to Biden and became chief of staff to Vice President-elect Kamala Harris when she was named Biden’s running mate in August, has emerged ahead of the pack as a strong candidate for the position.
Biden campaign senior adviser Symone Sanders, who worked on Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (I-VT) 2016 presidential campaign, has also been discussed for the top communications role and has made her own interests in filling the seat clear.
Both Jean-Pierre and Sanders also share backgrounds in political commentary on major news networks. Jean-Pierre has appeared as an MSNBC political analyst and Sanders was a political commentator on CNN.
The potential hires would follow earlier announcements for key staffing in the Biden White House, including chief of staff Ron Klain and his deputy, former Biden campaign manager Jen O’Malley Dillon.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-18--GOP Sen After Trump Fires DHS Official: ‘I Don’t Even Know What’s Normal Anymore’

Sen. John Cornyn ( R-TX ) — who ’ s dutifully condoned President Donald Trump ’ s corrupt antics like the rest of the GOP for the past four years — is baffled by the chaos that ’ s emerged for some inexplicable reason in recent weeks .
After President Donald Trump fired Chris Krebs , the top cybersecurity official at the Department of Homeland Security ( DHS ) , the GOP senator gently rebuked Trump on Wednesday , then puzzled over the tumultuous state of affairs .
“ It ’ s the President ’ s prerogative , but I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and chaos , ” Cornyn told reporters , per Politico .
“ And I ’ m sure I ’ m not the only one that would like some return to a little bit more of a…I don ’ t even know what ’ s normal anymore.
” “ We ’ ll call it the next normal , ” he added .
“ It ’ s not the new normal , it ’ s the next normal.
” Like his GOP colleagues , Cornyn has allowed Trump to get away with virtually everything his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that led to the President ’ s impeachment and his disastrous handling of the COVID-19 pandemic .
However , the Texas Republican has recently begun to inch away from Trump : About two weeks before the elections , which Trump was predicted to lose at the time , Cornyn said he ’ s “ privately ” disagreed with the President in the past and likened their relationship to a bad marriage .
Hmmm .

Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) — who’s dutifully condoned President Donald Trump’s corrupt antics like the rest of the GOP for the past four years — is baffled by the chaos that’s emerged for some inexplicable reason in recent weeks.
After President Donald Trump fired Chris Krebs, the top cybersecurity official at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the GOP senator gently rebuked Trump on Wednesday, then puzzled over the tumultuous state of affairs.
“It’s the President’s prerogative, but I think it just adds to the confusion and chaos,” Cornyn told reporters, per Politico. “And I’m sure I’m not the only one that would like some return to a little bit more of a…I don’t even know what’s normal anymore.”
“We’ll call it the next normal,” he added. “It’s not the new normal, it’s the next normal.”
Like his GOP colleagues, Cornyn has allowed Trump to get away with virtually everything his entire presidency, including the Ukraine scandal that led to the President’s impeachment and his disastrous handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, the Texas Republican has recently begun to inch away from Trump: About two weeks before the elections, which Trump was predicted to lose at the time, Cornyn said he’s “privately” disagreed with the President in the past and likened their relationship to a bad marriage. Hmmm.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-18--New York City Closes Public Schools As COVID-19 Cases Spike

NEW YORK ( AP ) — New York City is shuttering schools to try to stop the renewed spread of the coronavirus , Mayor Bill de Blasio said Wednesday in a painful about-face for one of the first big U.S. school systems to bring students back to classrooms this fall .
The nation ’ s largest public school system will halt in-person learning Thursday , the mayor and schools chancellor said .
The city had said since summer that school buildings would close if 3 % of all the coronavirus tests performed citywide over a seven-day period came back positive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ las week , de Blasio advised parents to prepare for a possible shutdown within days .
The mayor said the rate has now passed that mark .
The city ’ s more than 1 million public school students will now be taught entirely online , as most already are .
As of the end of October , only about 25 % of students had gone to class in school this fall , far fewer than officials had expected .
In-person school resumed Sept. 21 for pre-kindergarteners and some special education students .
Elementary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Oct. 1 .
At the time , the seven-day positive test average rate was under 2 % .
Even as the school system stayed open , more than 1,000 classrooms went through temporary closures after students or staffers tested positive , and officials began instituting local shutdowns in neighborhoods where coronavirus cases were rising rapidly .
New York City ’ s school system , like others across the nation , halted in-person learning in mid-March as the virus spiked .
While many big U.S. school districts later decided to start the fall term @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for opening schoolhouse doors .
The Democrat argued that students needed services they got in school and that many parents were counting on it in order to get back to work .
To keep students spread out , the city offered in-person learning only part-time , with youngsters logging on from home the rest of the time .
The reopening date , originally set for Sept. 10 , was postponed twice as teachers , principals and some parents said safety precautions and staffing were inadequate , with the teachers ’ union at one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agreed to changes , including hiring thousands more teachers and testing 10 % to 20 % of all students and staffers per month for the virus .
When high schools finally opened their doors , de Blasio hailed it as “ an absolutely amazing moment ” in the city ’ s recovery .
“ This is an example of what makes New York City great , ” he said at the time .
“ We did something that other cities around this country could only dream of because we have fought back this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ”

NEW YORK (AP) — New York City is shuttering schools to try to stop the renewed spread of the coronavirus, Mayor Bill de Blasio said Wednesday in a painful about-face for one of the first big U.S. school systems to bring students back to classrooms this fall.
The nation’s largest public school system will halt in-person learning Thursday, the mayor and schools chancellor said.
The city had said since summer that school buildings would close if 3% of all the coronavirus tests performed citywide over a seven-day period came back positive. As the rate neared that point las week, de Blasio advised parents to prepare for a possible shutdown within days.
The mayor said the rate has now passed that mark.
The city’s more than 1 million public school students will now be taught entirely online, as most already are. As of the end of October, only about 25% of students had gone to class in school this fall, far fewer than officials had expected.
In-person school resumed Sept. 21 for pre-kindergarteners and some special education students. Elementary schools opened Sept. 29 and high schools Oct. 1.
At the time, the seven-day positive test average rate was under 2%.
Even as the school system stayed open, more than 1,000 classrooms went through temporary closures after students or staffers tested positive, and officials began instituting local shutdowns in neighborhoods where coronavirus cases were rising rapidly.
New York City’s school system, like others across the nation, halted in-person learning in mid-March as the virus spiked.
While many big U.S. school districts later decided to start the fall term with online learning, de Blasio pushed for opening schoolhouse doors. The Democrat argued that students needed services they got in school and that many parents were counting on it in order to get back to work.
To keep students spread out, the city offered in-person learning only part-time, with youngsters logging on from home the rest of the time.
The reopening date, originally set for Sept. 10, was postponed twice as teachers, principals and some parents said safety precautions and staffing were inadequate, with the teachers’ union at one point threatening to strike.
The city agreed to changes, including hiring thousands more teachers and testing 10% to 20% of all students and staffers per month for the virus.
When high schools finally opened their doors, de Blasio hailed it as “an absolutely amazing moment” in the city’s recovery.
“This is an example of what makes New York City great,” he said at the time. “We did something that other cities around this country could only dream of because we have fought back this pandemic so well for so long.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-18--Mulvaney Jabs At Giuliani’s Legal Chops: ‘Not Using The Most Well-Noted Election Lawyers’

Former acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney , a Trump ally , who now serves as U.S. Special Envoy to Northern Ireland , expressed concern on Wednesday about Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani ’ s last minute bid to fill the shoes of a trained election lawyer amid Trump ’ s flimsy effort in court to advance false claims of election fraud in Pennsylvania .
“ I ’ m still a little concerned about the use of Rudy Giuliani , ” Mulvaney told Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo during an interview on Wednesday morning .
“ It strikes me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the history of the country and they ’ re not using the most well-noted election lawyers.
” The Trump campaign was forced to reassess its legal staffing after failing to hang onto several other attorneys .
The President was initially represented in the case by lawyers from the prominent Porter Wright Morris & Arthur , but the firm backed out last week over internal concerns that representing Trump in the lawsuit could undercut the integrity of the electoral process .
Mulvaney ’ s casting doubt on Giuliani ’ s legal credentials comes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ York City mayor dusted off his briefcase and made his first appearance in federal court since the early 1990s on Tuesday , pushing an unsupported argument to affirm President Trump ’ s false declarations of widespread election fraud across a battleground state that was won by President-elect Joe Biden more than a week ago .
On Tuesday , Giuliani opened his argument with the sweeping claim that the Trump campaign was alleging “ widespread nationwide voter fraud.
” A claim that he later withdrew under questioning when he admitted that the lawsuit did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ matter of law and that “ this is not a fraud case.
” “ There are folks who do this all the time .
This is a specialty , ” Mulvaney said , taking jabs at Giuliani ’ s legal chops .
“ This is not a television program — this is the real thing.
” Mulvaney said he was “ struck ” by things Giuliani said on Tuesday without elaborating , adding of Trump ’ s effort to stop the certification of the vote in the Keystone State : “ I wish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more effectively.
” Mulvaney ’ s unspecified critique of Giuliani could have been about any number of snafus , including Giuliani ’ s apparent inability to recall basic legal terminology — but also may have referred to a clear slip-up by the Trump lawyer who falsely denied in the days leading up to Tuesday ’ s hearings that some of the claims had been deleted .
To the Trump attorney ’ s embarrassment , he was forced to acknowledge in court on Tuesday that they had been removed , adding that a third @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to restore the earlier allegations .

Former acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, a Trump ally, who now serves as U.S. Special Envoy to Northern Ireland, expressed concern on Wednesday about Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani’s last minute bid to fill the shoes of a trained election lawyer amid Trump’s flimsy effort in court to advance false claims of election fraud in Pennsylvania.
“I’m still a little concerned about the use of Rudy Giuliani,” Mulvaney told Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo during an interview on Wednesday morning. “It strikes me that this is the most important lawsuit in the history of the country and they’re not using the most well-noted election lawyers.”
The Trump campaign was forced to reassess its legal staffing after failing to hang onto several other attorneys. The President was initially represented in the case by lawyers from the prominent Porter Wright Morris & Arthur, but the firm backed out last week over internal concerns that representing Trump in the lawsuit could undercut the integrity of the electoral process.
Mulvaney’s casting doubt on Giuliani’s legal credentials comes just a day after the former New York City mayor dusted off his briefcase and made his first appearance in federal court since the early 1990s on Tuesday, pushing an unsupported argument to affirm President Trump’s false declarations of widespread election fraud across a battleground state that was won by President-elect Joe Biden more than a week ago.
On Tuesday, Giuliani opened his argument with the sweeping claim that the Trump campaign was alleging “widespread nationwide voter fraud.”
A claim that he later withdrew under questioning when he admitted that the lawsuit did not in fact allege fraud as a matter of law and that “this is not a fraud case.”
“There are folks who do this all the time. This is a specialty,” Mulvaney said, taking jabs at Giuliani’s legal chops. “This is not a television program — this is the real thing.”
Mulvaney said he was “struck” by things Giuliani said on Tuesday without elaborating, adding of Trump’s effort to stop the certification of the vote in the Keystone State: “I wish that it was being prosecuted a little more effectively.”
Mulvaney’s unspecified critique of Giuliani could have been about any number of snafus, including Giuliani’s apparent inability to recall basic legal terminology — but also may have referred to a clear slip-up by the Trump lawyer who falsely denied in the days leading up to Tuesday’s hearings that some of the claims had been deleted.
To the Trump attorney’s embarrassment, he was forced to acknowledge in court on Tuesday that they had been removed, adding that a third version of the lawsuit would be filed to restore the earlier allegations.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-18--Trump Camp Seeks Recounts In WI Counties With Largest Black Populations

The Trump campaign is seeking recounts in Wisconsin ’ s Milwaukee and Dane counties , which are home to the first and second largest Black populations in the state .
The campaign announced the partial recount request shortly after the Wisconsin Election Commission indicated that it had received a $ 3 million wire transfer from the campaign .
A recount of the entire state would have cost the cash-strapped campaign $ 7.9 million .
In the state ’ s initial tally , Biden leads Trump in Wisconsin by more than 20,000 votes .
The campaign said it would be filing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wednesday .
Under Wisconsin law , any race where the margin is 1 percent or below is eligible for a recount petition , but only in contests where the margin is .25 percent or less will taxpayers foot the bill for the recount .
Milwaukee , where more than 460,000 total ballots were cast , gave Biden the lead over Trump in the state in the early hours of the Wednesday after the election , as the ballots were being tallied .
The state ’ s shift blue as ballots continued to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ several conspiracy theories that have been pushed by Trump and his allies , even as their lawsuits alleging election improprieties have gotten nowhere .
In the press release announcing the recount requests , the campaign made several baseless claims that the counties ’ election officials “ illegally altered absentee ballots , illegally issued absentee ballots , and illegal advice given by government officials allowing Wisconsin ’ s Voter ID laws to be circumvented.
” “ These two counties were selected because they are the locations of the worst irregularities , ” the release @ @ @ @ @ @ @ largest in the state and also among its most racially diverse .
Milwaukee ’ s 240,000-plus African American residents make up two-thirds of the state ’ s total African American population .
Dane County also has a sizable minority community and is home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison .
Altogether , the unofficial tallies of Milwaukee and Dane counties provided 577,408 votes for Biden and 213,133 for Trump , according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel .
The claims that the campaign is making about the election administration in those two counties are very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal lawsuit that was brought to exclude their counts from Wisconsin ’ s presidential results .
The lawsuit was spearheaded by a conservative group known for making false claims about voter fraud .
The challengers in the lawsuit , a group of individual voters , sought to have the lawsuit dismissed earlier this week , just before a hearing in the case was to occur .

The Trump campaign is seeking recounts in Wisconsin’s Milwaukee and Dane counties, which are home to the first and second largest Black populations in the state.
The campaign announced the partial recount request shortly after the Wisconsin Election Commission indicated that it had received a $3 million wire transfer from the campaign. A recount of the entire state would have cost the cash-strapped campaign $7.9 million.
In the state’s initial tally, Biden leads Trump in Wisconsin by more than 20,000 votes.
The campaign said it would be filing a formal petition for the recounts later Wednesday. Under Wisconsin law, any race where the margin is 1 percent or below is eligible for a recount petition, but only in contests where the margin is .25 percent or less will taxpayers foot the bill for the recount.
Milwaukee, where more than 460,000 total ballots were cast, gave Biden the lead over Trump in the state in the early hours of the Wednesday after the election, as the ballots were being tallied.
The state’s shift blue as ballots continued to be tallied has since been the subject of several conspiracy theories that have been pushed by Trump and his allies, even as their lawsuits alleging election improprieties have gotten nowhere.
In the press release announcing the recount requests, the campaign made several baseless claims that the counties’ election officials “illegally altered absentee ballots, illegally issued absentee ballots, and illegal advice given by government officials allowing Wisconsin’s Voter ID laws to be circumvented.”
“These two counties were selected because they are the locations of the worst irregularities,” the release said.
The counties are the two largest in the state and also among its most racially diverse.
Milwaukee’s 240,000-plus African American residents make up two-thirds of the state’s total African American population. Dane County also has a sizable minority community and is home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
Altogether, the unofficial tallies of Milwaukee and Dane counties provided 577,408 votes for Biden and 213,133 for Trump, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
The claims that the campaign is making about the election administration in those two counties are very similar to what was alleged in a federal lawsuit that was brought to exclude their counts from Wisconsin’s presidential results. The lawsuit was spearheaded by a conservative group known for making false claims about voter fraud. The challengers in the lawsuit, a group of individual voters, sought to have the lawsuit dismissed earlier this week, just before a hearing in the case was to occur.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-18--4 New Takeaways From The Falwell Imbroglio

TPM published an exclusive account on Tuesday of Jerry and Becki Falwells ’ relationship with Giancarlo Granda , their real estate business partner who says he carried on sexual liaisons with the couple over an eight-year period .
Earlier revelations about Granda ’ s involvement with the Falwells — in which he said he would have sex with Becki as Jerry watched — contributed to Jerry Falwell Jr. ’ s downfall from his position as president of Liberty University .
Jerry denies his involvement in the liaisons in no uncertain terms , and accuses Granda of trying to extort him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interview with the Falwells about the relationship , but the Falwells broke off contact after Jerry sued Liberty .
It ’ s a long and twisted story that brought Granda and the Falwells from a 2012 encounter at a Miami pool to their present recriminations .
Here are key takeaways .
1 .
The Sex Continued After They Were Found Out .
Granda claims that he had sex with Becki in August 2018 .
But by that point , the fact — and weirdness — of Granda ’ s relationship with the Falwells @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Aram Roston had broken the initial story in May of that year , revealing that the Falwells had “ offered ” Granda a share in a Miami Beach property worth millions within a year of meeting the then-21-year-old part-time student .
Back in 2018 , the rest was left to speculation .
But as Granda himself now says , the speed with which he became a business partner with the Falwells was a giveaway .
“ That ’ s why the cover story never worked , ” Granda told TPM .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Roston and other reporters had started to publish stories on the relationship , Granda engaged in another liaison with them while visiting the Falwells ’ Virginia estate in August 2018 .
He says that they were all “ addicted ” to the risky behavior .
Jerry disputes this in a lawsuit filed against Liberty University last month , saying that the sexual relationship was only between Becki and Granda and that it only lasted from 2012 to 2014 .
2 .
Granda Says Michael Cohen Was Among The First To Notice Something Was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , very early on , noticed that something was funny about Granda ’ s relationship with the first family of evangelical Christianity , Granda says .
It was Michael Cohen , who Granda encountered while on a September 2012 visit to Liberty University .
While on a tour of campus with Cohen and Donald Trump , Granda remembers Cohen gesturing towards Granda , and asking a Falwell associate , “ Who ’ s that guy ?
” “ He ’ s a business partner of the Falwells , ” the associate replied .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ key role as a fixer for Jerry Jr. , helping him get rid of risque photos of Becki in 2015 .
Months later , Falwell endorsed Trump in the 2016 Republican primary , granting the future president a base of support in the GOP that few expected him to have .
Granda remembers little of Cohen ’ s involvement in the episode , though he does recall Becki telling him that Cohen was going to “ take care ” of opponents in a lawsuit over their investment .
3 .
The Falwells Have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Life .
If you find yourself in the Falwells ’ inner circle , Granda claims , you ’ ll be introduced to a world of fine liquor , expensive travel , and lavish celebrations .
Becki ’ s preferred drink is vodka and Baileys , per Granda , while Jerry prefers tequila or rum — either Casamigos , the George Clooney tequila brand , or Bacardi Oakheart , no longer in production .
Needless to say , the Falwells ’ indulged their lavish ways while Jerry was running a university which banned dancing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between the sexes .
But , Granda says , there was always an exception for the Falwells , as they traveled to Miami or Greece , or as they threw booze-filled , expensive wedding celebrations for their children .
4 .
Granda Says Jerry Was More Deeply Involved .
Jerry Jr. , son of the preacher man himself , was more involved in the sexual liaisons than has previously been reported , Granda says .
Namely , according to Granda , Jerry would have sex with his wife after Granda and Becki finished @ @ @ @ @ @ @ material from a January 2019 Facetime video in which Becki Falwell is nude and Jerry follows , watching as Becki carries on a conversation with Granda .
Jerry strenuously denies this , and has done so in a lawsuit filed against Liberty University last month .
There , he accused Granda of lying about Jerry ’ s role as part of an extortionate threat , and says that while Becki had an affair with Granda that went from 2012 to 2014 , Jerry was never involved .

TPM published an exclusive account on Tuesday of Jerry and Becki Falwells’ relationship with Giancarlo Granda, their real estate business partner who says he carried on sexual liaisons with the couple over an eight-year period.
Earlier revelations about Granda’s involvement with the Falwells — in which he said he would have sex with Becki as Jerry watched — contributed to Jerry Falwell Jr.’s downfall from his position as president of Liberty University.
Jerry denies his involvement in the liaisons in no uncertain terms, and accuses Granda of trying to extort him. TPM attempted to secure an on-the-record interview with the Falwells about the relationship, but the Falwells broke off contact after Jerry sued Liberty.
It’s a long and twisted story that brought Granda and the Falwells from a 2012 encounter at a Miami pool to their present recriminations. Here are key takeaways.
1. The Sex Continued After They Were Found Out.
Granda claims that he had sex with Becki in August 2018.
But by that point, the fact — and weirdness — of Granda’s relationship with the Falwells was already public knowledge. Buzzfeed’s Aram Roston had broken the initial story in May of that year, revealing that the Falwells had “offered” Granda a share in a Miami Beach property worth millions within a year of meeting the then-21-year-old part-time student.
Back in 2018, the rest was left to speculation. But as Granda himself now says, the speed with which he became a business partner with the Falwells was a giveaway.
“That’s why the cover story never worked,” Granda told TPM. “C’mon.”
But even after Roston and other reporters had started to publish stories on the relationship, Granda engaged in another liaison with them while visiting the Falwells’ Virginia estate in August 2018. He says that they were all “addicted” to the risky behavior.
Jerry disputes this in a lawsuit filed against Liberty University last month, saying that the sexual relationship was only between Becki and Granda and that it only lasted from 2012 to 2014.
2. Granda Says Michael Cohen Was Among The First To Notice Something Was Going On.
At least one person, very early on, noticed that something was funny about Granda’s relationship with the first family of evangelical Christianity, Granda says.
It was Michael Cohen, who Granda encountered while on a September 2012 visit to Liberty University.
While on a tour of campus with Cohen and Donald Trump, Granda remembers Cohen gesturing towards Granda, and asking a Falwell associate, “Who’s that guy?”
“He’s a business partner of the Falwells,” the associate replied.
“Huh,” Cohen nodded.
Cohen would go on to play a key role as a fixer for Jerry Jr., helping him get rid of risque photos of Becki in 2015. Months later, Falwell endorsed Trump in the 2016 Republican primary, granting the future president a base of support in the GOP that few expected him to have.
Granda remembers little of Cohen’s involvement in the episode, though he does recall Becki telling him that Cohen was going to “take care” of opponents in a lawsuit over their investment.
3. The Falwells Have A Taste For The Finer Things In Life.
If you find yourself in the Falwells’ inner circle, Granda claims, you’ll be introduced to a world of fine liquor, expensive travel, and lavish celebrations.
Becki’s preferred drink is vodka and Baileys, per Granda, while Jerry prefers tequila or rum — either Casamigos, the George Clooney tequila brand, or Bacardi Oakheart, no longer in production.
Needless to say, the Falwells’ indulged their lavish ways while Jerry was running a university which banned dancing, alcohol consumption, and private mingling between the sexes.
But, Granda says, there was always an exception for the Falwells, as they traveled to Miami or Greece, or as they threw booze-filled, expensive wedding celebrations for their children.
4. Granda Says Jerry Was More Deeply Involved.
Jerry Jr., son of the preacher man himself, was more involved in the sexual liaisons than has previously been reported, Granda says.
Namely, according to Granda, Jerry would have sex with his wife after Granda and Becki finished having sex.
Granda also showed TPM material from a January 2019 Facetime video in which Becki Falwell is nude and Jerry follows, watching as Becki carries on a conversation with Granda.
Jerry strenuously denies this, and has done so in a lawsuit filed against Liberty University last month. There, he accused Granda of lying about Jerry’s role as part of an extortionate threat, and says that while Becki had an affair with Granda that went from 2012 to 2014, Jerry was never involved.
Read the article here.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-19--U.S. Surpasses A Quarter-Million COVID Deaths

At least 250,000 people have died after contracting coronavirus — and that number continues to climb without relenting as infections surge across the country .
White House coronavirus task force doctors predicted earlier this week that the tally of coronavirus-related deaths could reach up to 2,000 daily or more by Christmas as fresh infections began to soar at the beginning of November — reaching 11.5 million total cases across the country to date since the pandemic began .
The quarter-million milestone of COVID-19 deaths in the United States , has now exceeded early death toll predictions by infectious-disease expert Dr. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus might kill up to 240,000 people in the United States .
At that time the virus was limited to certain swaths of the country — but it now has strong footing and has multiplied infections in all 50 states .
As the nation continues to exceed that early grim projection , seemingly simple measure to combat the spread of the virus continue to be caught up in the political fray where a red and blue divide appears to overwhelm common sense science .
More than 172,000 new COVID-19 cases were reported across @ @ @ @ @ @ @ daily total since the pandemic began .
The potential of a COVID-19 vaccine shows promise into 2021 , with several candidates popping up in recent weeks , but as the Trump administration continues to refuse cooperation with the incoming Biden presidency , some experts are wary about delays in the distribution of an eventual vaccine .

At least 250,000 people have died after contracting coronavirus — and that number continues to climb without relenting as infections surge across the country.
White House coronavirus task force doctors predicted earlier this week that the tally of coronavirus-related deaths could reach up to 2,000 daily or more by Christmas as fresh infections began to soar at the beginning of November — reaching 11.5 million total cases across the country to date since the pandemic began.
The quarter-million milestone of COVID-19 deaths in the United States, has now exceeded early death toll predictions by infectious-disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci who in March suggested the virus might kill up to 240,000 people in the United States. At that time the virus was limited to certain swaths of the country — but it now has strong footing and has multiplied infections in all 50 states.
As the nation continues to exceed that early grim projection, seemingly simple measure to combat the spread of the virus continue to be caught up in the political fray where a red and blue divide appears to overwhelm common sense science.
More than 172,000 new COVID-19 cases were reported across the country on Wednesday — the second-highest daily total since the pandemic began.
The potential of a COVID-19 vaccine shows promise into 2021, with several candidates popping up in recent weeks, but as the Trump administration continues to refuse cooperation with the incoming Biden presidency, some experts are wary about delays in the distribution of an eventual vaccine.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-19--Biden Team Conflicted Over Whether To Keep Birx On COVID-19 Response Panel

President-elect Joe Biden ’ s transition team is reportedly unsure whether or not to retain Dr. Deborah Birx , one @ @ @ @ @ s prominent COVID-19 experts , on their own pandemic advisory board .
Per Politico , @ @ @ @ @ about Birx ’ s role in President Donald Trump ’ s poor handling of the @ @ @ @ @ been criticized for standing by the President even as he ’ s peddled lie after @ @ @ @ @ including the blatantly false claim that injecting oneself with disinfectant is a cure for COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ Birx has clashed with Trump on the seriousness of the virus , prompting the President @ @ @ @ @ pathetic.
” A Biden transition official told Politico that the President-elect ’ s team plans @ @ @ @ @ cleaning ” with regards to the COVID-19 advisers Trump had appointed .
Dr. Anthony Fauci @ @ @ @ @ the President ’ s artificially optimistic spin on the pandemic , is reportedly the only @ @ @ @ @ for sure .

President-elect Joe Biden’s transition team is reportedly unsure whether or not to retain Dr. Deborah Birx, one of the Trump administration’s prominent COVID-19 experts, on their own pandemic advisory board.
Per Politico, some transition officials are concerned about Birx’s role in President Donald Trump’s poor handling of the pandemic. The doctor has been criticized for standing by the President even as he’s peddled lie after lie about the virus, including the blatantly false claim that injecting oneself with disinfectant is a cure for COVID-19.
For her part, Birx has clashed with Trump on the seriousness of the virus, prompting the President to attack her as “pathetic.”
A Biden transition official told Politico that the President-elect’s team plans to do some “house cleaning” with regards to the COVID-19 advisers Trump had appointed.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, who has publicly contradicted the President’s artificially optimistic spin on the pandemic, is reportedly the only one whom Biden will keep for sure.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-20--Trump Continues To Falsely Downplay COVID After US Death Toll Reaches 250k

In the middle of pretending he didn ’ t lose the election , President Donald Trump resumed his attempts to put a rosy spin on his disastrous response to the COVID-19 pandemic , which has now killed more than a quarter of a million Americans , on Friday morning .
Trump retweeted a chart from a Twitter account named “ Hydroxychloroquine News ” showing that the U.S. had a smaller “ case fatality rate ” on October 9 than six other countries .
“ I have seen the claim that the United States has a higher fatality rate from Covid-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appears to be entirely false and perhaps politically motivated , ” the account , named after the antimalarial drug Trump falsely touted as a miracle cure for COVID-19 , tweeted .
However , the U.S. indisputably has the highest COVID-19 death toll in the world , and even the description of the chart Trump retweeted notes that its data is a “ poor measure of the mortality risk of the disease.
” Trump also tweeted that “ [ t ] here will be no lockdowns other than those done by certain Democrat governors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s refusal to take a firm hand with the pandemic .
As part of his refusal to recognize his electoral defeat , Trump has blocked President-elect Joe Biden ’ s transition team from accessing the government ’ s material on COVID-19 , including plans for distributing the vaccine .

In the middle of pretending he didn’t lose the election, President Donald Trump resumed his attempts to put a rosy spin on his disastrous response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has now killed more than a quarter of a million Americans, on Friday morning.
Trump retweeted a chart from a Twitter account named “Hydroxychloroquine News” showing that the U.S. had a smaller “case fatality rate” on October 9 than six other countries.
“I have seen the claim that the United States has a higher fatality rate from Covid-19 than other wealthy nations. This claim appears to be entirely false and perhaps politically motivated,” the account, named after the antimalarial drug Trump falsely touted as a miracle cure for COVID-19, tweeted.
However, the U.S. indisputably has the highest COVID-19 death toll in the world, and even the description of the chart Trump retweeted notes that its data is a “poor measure of the mortality risk of the disease.”
Trump also tweeted that “[t]here will be no lockdowns other than those done by certain Democrat governors!” indicating yet again the President’s refusal to take a firm hand with the pandemic.
As part of his refusal to recognize his electoral defeat, Trump has blocked President-elect Joe Biden’s transition team from accessing the government’s material on COVID-19, including plans for distributing the vaccine.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-20--‘We Can Wait No Longer’: House Dems Demand Briefing On Trump Appointee’s Refusal To Begin Transition

House Democrats on Thursday demanded that the Trump appointee at the helm of delaying President-elect Joe Biden ’ s access to resources needed for the presidential transition process brief lawmakers and possibly testify in public .
“ President-elect Biden has now collected more votes than any other candidate for President in history , and he defeated President Trump by a margin of nearly six million votes , ” Reps. Carolyn Maloney ( NY ) and Nita Lowey ( NY ) , chairs of the House Oversight and Reform and Appropriations wrote in a letter to the head of the General @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that it was time for the administrator to acknowledge Biden ’ s win and grant the letter of “ ascertainment ” necessary so that resources necessary for a formal transition can be relinquished .
“ We have been extremely patient , but we can wait no longer , ” the lawmakers said in the four-page letter calling on the Trump appointee to fulfill her legal duty to recognize the election ’ s winner .
“ As GSA administrator , it is your responsibility to follow the law and assure the safety and well-being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — not to submit to political pressure to violate the law and risk the consequences , ” they said .
The committee chairs requested that Murphy appear no later than Nov. 23 for a House briefing .
Questioning from the House , they said , would determine whether Murphy and two of her deputies would be called to testify in person on Capitol Hill .
Two subcommittee chairs , Reps.Gerald Connolly ( VA ) and Mike Quigley ( IL ) , also signed the letter .
Murphy ’ s unsubstantiated decision not to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Donald Trump continues to refuse accepting his own electoral defeat — launching a legal crusade in long-shot court cases to cast doubt over the integrity of the vote in key battleground states won by his opponent .
A recount of the vote in Georgia on Thursday reaffirmed Biden ’ s apparent victory in the traditionally red state .
Although Biden ’ s transition team has found ways to circumvent the stumbling blocks of Trump ’ s tantrum amid his relegation to a single term , the lawmakers noted that Murphy ’ s failure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” as the nation scrambles to respond to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis .
“ Your actions in blocking transition activities required under the law are having grave effects , including undermining the orderly transfer of power , impairing the incoming administration ’ s ability to respond to the coronavirus pandemic , hampering its ability to address our nation ’ s dire economic crisis , and endangering our national security , ” the Democrats wrote .
The letter follows one similar in tone sent by Senate Democrats who have also requested a briefing from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ let the transition move forward .

House Democrats on Thursday demanded that the Trump appointee at the helm of delaying President-elect Joe Biden’s access to resources needed for the presidential transition process brief lawmakers and possibly testify in public.
“President-elect Biden has now collected more votes than any other candidate for President in history, and he defeated President Trump by a margin of nearly six million votes,” Reps. Carolyn Maloney (NY) and Nita Lowey (NY), chairs of the House Oversight and Reform and Appropriations wrote in a letter to the head of the General Services Administration, Emily Murphy, declaring that it was time for the administrator to acknowledge Biden’s win and provide the letter of “ascertainment” required for formal transition resources to be relinquished.
“We have been extremely patient, but we can wait no longer,” the lawmakers said in the four-page letter calling on the Trump appointee to fulfill her legal duty to recognize the election’s winner.
“As GSA administrator, it is your responsibility to follow the law and assure the safety and well-being of the United States and its people — not to submit to political pressure to violate the law and risk the consequences,” they said.
The committee chairs requested that Murphy appear no later than Nov. 23 for a House briefing. Questioning from the House, they said, would determine whether Murphy and two of her deputies would be called to testify in person on Capitol Hill. Two subcommittee chairs, Reps.Gerald Connolly (VA) and Mike Quigley (IL), also signed the letter.
Murphy’s unsubstantiated decision not to recognize the President-elect, comes as President Donald Trump continues to refuse accepting his own electoral defeat — launching a legal crusade in long-shot court cases to cast doubt over the integrity of the vote in key battleground states won by his opponent. A recount of the vote in Georgia on Thursday reaffirmed Biden’s apparent victory in the traditionally red state.
Although Biden’s transition team has found ways to circumvent the stumbling blocks of Trump’s tantrum amid his relegation to a single term, the lawmakers noted that Murphy’s failure to act is yielding “grave effects” as the nation scrambles to respond to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.
“Your actions in blocking transition activities required under the law are having grave effects, including undermining the orderly transfer of power, impairing the incoming administration’s ability to respond to the coronavirus pandemic, hampering its ability to address our nation’s dire economic crisis, and endangering our national security,” the Democrats wrote.
The letter follows one similar in tone sent by Senate Democrats who have also requested a briefing from Murphy and have called on her to let the transition move forward.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-20--Georgia Vote Recount Cements Biden Victory

A manual recount of Georgia ’ s election results confirmed on Thursday night President-elect Joe Biden ’ s stunning victory in the Peach State .
Biden defeated President Donald Trump by a margin of 12,284 votes , the recount showed .
“ Georgia ’ s historic first statewide audit reaffirmed that the state ’ s new secure paper ballot voting system accurately counted and reported results , ” Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said in a statement .
“ This is a credit to the hard work of our county and local elections officials who moved quickly to undertake @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a short period of time.
” Under Georgia law , Trump may request a recount after the votes have been certified due to the margin being less than 0.5 percent .
The deadline for Raffensperger to certify the results is Friday .
Jenna Ellis , one of the Trump campaign ’ s legal advisors , said in a statement that the campaign will “ continue to demand ” an “ honest recount , ” parroting Trumpland ’ s baseless accusation that the election was mired in fraud .
“ This so-called hand recount @ @ @ @ @ @ @ simply recounted all of the illegal ballots that had been included in the total , ” Ellis said without providing evidence .

President Donald Trump’s campaign is having a fit after a manual recount of Georgia’s election results confirmed on Thursday night President-elect Joe Biden’s stunning victory in the Peach State.
Jenna Ellis, one of the campaign’s legal advisors, said in a statement that they will “continue to demand” an “honest recount,” parroting Trumpland’s baseless accusation that the election was mired in fraud.
“This so-called hand recount went exactly as we expected because Georgia simply recounted all of the illegal ballots that had been included in the total,” Ellis said without providing evidence.
Biden defeated President Donald Trump by a margin of 12,284 votes, the recount showed.
“Georgia’s historic first statewide audit reaffirmed that the state’s new secure paper ballot voting system accurately counted and reported results,” Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said in a statement. “This is a credit to the hard work of our county and local elections officials who moved quickly to undertake and complete such a momentous task in a short period of time.”
Under Georgia law, Trump may request a recount after the votes have been certified due to the margin being less than 0.5 percent. The deadline for Raffensperger to certify the results is Friday.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-20--‘We Are Sounding The Alarm’: CA Gov Issues One-Month Curfew Amid Rising COVID-19 Rates

California Gov .
Gavin Newsom ( D ) on Thursday issued a one-month curfew in response to rapidly rising COVID-19 cases in the state .
Newsom ’ s “ limited stay at home ” order applies to more than 94 percent of Californians who live in the 41 counties that the state has included in its most restrictive tier , which have recorded significant increases of COVID-19 cases .
In his statement announcing the order , Newsom acknowledged that California reported nearly 200,000 cases last week — a record high in a single day since March — and that COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first week of November .
“ The virus is spreading at a pace we haven ’ t seen since the start of this pandemic and the next several days and weeks will be critical to stop the surge .
We are sounding the alarm , ” Newsom said .
“ It is crucial that we act to decrease transmission and slow hospitalizations before the death count surges .
We ’ ve done it before and we must do it again.
” In explaining the rationale behind the new order , Newsom alluded to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by inebriation .
“ Activities conducted during 10 PM to 5 AM are often non-essential and more likely related to social activities and gatherings that have a higher likelihood of leading to reduced inhibition and reduced likelihood for adherence to safety measures like wearing a face covering and maintaining physical distance , ” Newsom said .
In addition to the limited stay-at-home order , California has also implemented a travel advisory recommending that residents avoid nonessential out-of-state travel and to quarantine for 14 days after arriving from another state or country .
Masks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leave their homes .
Newsom ’ s order comes on the heels of the backlash he is facing after attending a 12-person birthday party for a top aide and lobbyist at the ritzy dining institution French Laundry in Napa Valley , which executives from the California Medical Association also attended , as the state became the second to record 1 million COVID-19 infections .

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) on Thursday issued a one-month curfew in response to rapidly rising COVID-19 cases in the state.
Due to the rise in #COVID19 cases, CA is issuing a limited Stay at Home Order. Non-essential work and gatherings must stop from 10pm-5am in counties in the purple tier. This will take effect at 10pm on Saturday and remain for 1 month. Together–we can flatten the curve again. — Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) November 19, 2020
Newsom’s “limited stay at home” order applies to more than 94 percent of Californians who live in the 41 counties that the state has included in its most restrictive tier, which have recorded significant increases of COVID-19 cases.
In his statement announcing the order, Newsom acknowledged that California reported nearly 200,000 cases last week — a record high in a single day since March — and that COVID-19 cases surged by 50% in the first week of November.
“The virus is spreading at a pace we haven’t seen since the start of this pandemic and the next several days and weeks will be critical to stop the surge. We are sounding the alarm,” Newsom said. “It is crucial that we act to decrease transmission and slow hospitalizations before the death count surges. We’ve done it before and we must do it again.”
In explaining the rationale behind the new order, Newsom alluded to late night activities that are often fueled by inebriation.
“Activities conducted during 10 PM to 5 AM are often non-essential and more likely related to social activities and gatherings that have a higher likelihood of leading to reduced inhibition and reduced likelihood for adherence to safety measures like wearing a face covering and maintaining physical distance,” Newsom said.
In addition to the limited stay-at-home order, California has also implemented a travel advisory recommending that residents avoid nonessential out-of-state travel and to quarantine for 14 days after arriving from another state or country. Masks must be worn by individuals whenever they leave their homes.
Newsom’s order comes on the heels of the backlash he is facing after attending a 12-person birthday party for a top aide and lobbyist at the ritzy dining institution French Laundry in Napa Valley, which executives from the California Medical Association also attended, as the state became the second to record 1 million COVID-19 infections.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-19--Key Dem: Census Bureau Refusing To Brief House On New Hiccup In Count

The Census Bureau is refusing to brief the House committee with oversight over the 2020 census on the hiccups that that have arisen in the final phases of the survey , according to a Thursday letter Oversight Committee Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney ( D-NY ) sent Census Director Steve Dillingham .
Earlier Thursday , TPM broke the story that the Census Bureau has identified “ anomalies ” in the survey ’ s apportionment data — a routine issue that comes up in every census — and the Bureau is expecting that fixing the issues will add another 20 days or so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ However , that delay would mean the President Trump would no longer be in office , and thus would not be able to implement a plan to exclude undocumented immigrants from the count used for congressional apportionment .
Maloney ’ s letter pointed to a statement Dillingham himself put out confirming the anomalies .
The statement was mum on the anticipated delays in the timeline for producing the data , however .
“ Unfortunately , the Committee was not informed about these anomalies before they became public , ” Maloney said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cancelled several weekly staff briefings on the status of the 2020 Census over the past month .
In addition , when Committee staff requested a briefing earlier today about these new developments , they were refused.
” Maloney is asking the Census Bureau to turnover by next Tuesday a series of request documents , including “ All documents , including memoranda and slide presentations , prepared or used in connection with briefings for you , Secretary Ross , or other Trump Administration officials regarding data processing anomalies , data accuracy , or potential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on November 18 or 19 , 2020 .
”

The Census Bureau is refusing to brief the House committee with oversight over the 2020 census on the hiccups that that have arisen in the final phases of the survey, according to a Thursday letter Oversight Committee Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) sent Census Director Steve Dillingham.
Earlier Thursday, TPM broke the story that the Census Bureau has identified “anomalies” in the survey’s apportionment data — a routine issue that comes up in every census — and the Bureau is expecting that fixing the issues will add another 20 days or so to the release schedule of it.
However, that delay would mean the President Trump would no longer be in office, and thus would not be able to implement a plan to exclude undocumented immigrants from the count used for congressional apportionment.
Maloney’s letter pointed to a statement Dillingham himself put out confirming the anomalies. The statement was mum on the anticipated delays in the timeline for producing the data, however.
“Unfortunately, the Committee was not informed about these anomalies before they
became public,” Maloney said. “To the contrary, the Census Bureau cancelled several weekly staff briefings on the status of the 2020 Census over the past month. In addition, when Committee staff requested a briefing earlier today about these new developments, they were refused.”
Maloney is asking the Census Bureau to turnover by next Tuesday a series of request documents, including “All documents, including memoranda and slide presentations, prepared or used in connection with briefings for you, Secretary Ross, or other Trump Administration officials regarding data processing anomalies, data accuracy, or potential delays, including in particular any briefings on November 18 or 19, 2020.”
Read the letter below: