talkingpointsmemo--2020-09-03--Judges Push DOJ On Why They Shouldn’t Tackle Trump’s Anti-Immigrant Census Policy Now

A lawyer for the Trump administration provoked palpable frustration Thursday from at least one of the three judges in New York who are considering a challenge to President Trump ’ s new anti-immigrant census policy .
“ I wonder why we have to wait , ” the judge , U.S .
Circuit Judge Richard Wesley , said at the hearing , clearly skeptical of Justice Department arguments that the case wasn ’ t ripe for resolution now .
The policy , unveiled by Trump in July while the decennial survey was well under way , seeks to exclude undocumented immigrants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decide how many House seats each state gets , in the process known as congressional apportionment .
It has major consequences for how political power is doled out in the country , and would shift representation away from diverse , immigrant-rich parts of the country , in favor of whiter , more Republican-leaning regions .
A key question before the judges on Thursday is whether they should now decide whether the policy — which , in this case , is being challenged by a coalition of states and by immigrant rights groups — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wait until January , after the apportionment numbers are produced .
Justice Department attorney Sopan Joshi leaned into the idea that it ’ s still unclear whether the Commerce Department , which oversees the census , would definitely implement the policy , since the President ’ s July order instructed the Department to exclude those immigrants to the extent that it is “ feasible.
” “ It sounds definite to me , ” Wesley said , clearly not buying that argument .
Wesley suggested that the administration was depending on an argument that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ball , ” as Joshi couldn ’ t tell him when the Commerce Department would provide more information on whether the policy would be feasible .
“ The uncertainty can ’ t be self-induced , ” the judge said .
The new policy is widely believed to be a violation of the Constitution — which demands an “ actual enumeration ” of “ whole number of persons ” for congressional apportionment — as well as of certain statutes Congress has passed backing a total population approach to apportionment The New York case challenges @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also arguing that the administration is running afoul of administrative law in how the policy is being implemented .
While some of the arguments Thursday dealt with these merits questions , the bulk of hearing was focused on so-called threshold issues : i.e.
, whether the challengers are suffering the kinds of harm from the policy that make it appropriate for the court to address it , and whether now is the appropriate time for the court to do so .
In addition to the tough questions the Justice Department faced about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration also ran into serious headwinds for its claims about the challengers lacking standing .
The immigrant rights groups say that the policy is forcing them to divert resources towards getting census participation out of immigrants who are now reluctant to fill out the survey , due to the message , via the the policy , that such participation is futile .
U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman — the only Democratic appointee on Thursday ’ s panel , and the judge who also presided over the lawsuit challenging Trump ’ s addition of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suggested that both he and the Supreme Court had already rejected the arguments the administration is making now for why that theory of harm shouldn ’ t count .
U.S .
Circuit Judge Peter Hall , the panel ’ s third judge , asked fewer questions than the other two .
But he cornered the Justice Department with a question about whether challengers would have standing if they showed that there was at least one immigrant who had decided not to participate in the census based on the policy and who would participate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blocked by the court .
“ It would have to be non-speculative , ” Joshi said , unwilling to answer the question directly .
Turning to the merits , Furman asked Joshi to identify any previous examples of when either the executive branch , legislative branch or judicial branch had taken the position that the new policy is lawful .
Furman then rattled off several instances when the Justice Department , in both court cases and in legal guidance it issued , had argued that it wasn ’ t .
The judges had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as well , as they appeared to grapple with the Trump argument that it was too soon to resolve the case .
“ What keeps us from waiting , from a prudential standpoint , waiting until the Secretary of Commerce comes up [ with the number of undocumented immigrants ] ?
” Wesley asked Judith Vale , an attorney in the New York Attorney General ’ s office , which is leading the state-based coalition challenging the policy .
But many of these questions seemed aimed at figuring out exactly how the court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to rule in the challengers ’ favor .
For instance , Furman asked ACLU attorney Dale Ho , who ’ s representing the immigrant rights groups , whether the court needed to resolve both the constitutional and statutory claims , or could it just block the policy based on the census law , in keeping with a principle known as “ constitutional avoidance.
” Noting the likelihood of an appeal and the urgency for a final resolution , Ho said the “ better course ” would be for the court to resolve both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with apportionment , it was taken up immediately by a three judge panel , rather than heard first by a single trial judge .
The panel ’ s decision , if appealed , would then go directly to the Supreme Court .
Furman ended the hour and a half long hearing with a promise that the panel would issue a decision “ as soon as we can .
”

A lawyer for the Trump administration provoked palpable frustration Thursday from at least one of the three judges in New York who are considering a challenge to President Trump’s new anti-immigrant census policy.
“I wonder why we have to wait,” the judge, U.S. Circuit Judge Richard Wesley, said at the hearing, clearly skeptical of Justice Department arguments that the case wasn’t ripe for resolution now.
The policy, unveiled by Trump in July while the decennial survey was well under way, seeks to exclude undocumented immigrants from the count that is used to decide how many House seats each state gets, in the process known as congressional apportionment. It has major consequences for how political power is doled out in the country, and would shift representation away from diverse, immigrant-rich parts of the country, in favor of whiter, more Republican-leaning regions.
A key question before the judges on Thursday is whether they should now decide whether the policy — which, in this case, is being challenged by a coalition of states and by immigrant rights groups — is legal, or whether they should wait until January, after the apportionment numbers are produced.
Justice Department attorney Sopan Joshi leaned into the idea that it’s still unclear whether the Commerce Department, which oversees the census, would definitely implement the policy, since the President’s July order instructed the Department to exclude those immigrants to the extent that it is “feasible.”
“It sounds definite to me,” Wesley said, clearly not buying that argument.
Wesley suggested that the administration was depending on an argument that made it “easy to hide the ball,” as Joshi couldn’t tell him when the Commerce Department would provide more information on whether the policy would be feasible.
“The uncertainty can’t be self-induced,” the judge said.
The new policy is widely believed to be a violation of the Constitution — which demands an “actual enumeration” of “whole number of persons” for congressional apportionment — as well as of certain statutes Congress has passed backing a total population approach to apportionment
The New York case challenges the policy on both grounds, while also arguing that the administration is running afoul of administrative law in how the policy is being implemented.
While some of the arguments Thursday dealt with these merits questions, the bulk of hearing was focused on so-called threshold issues: i.e., whether the challengers are suffering the kinds of harm from the policy that make it appropriate for the court to address it, and whether now is the appropriate time for the court to do so.
In addition to the tough questions the Justice Department faced about the case supposedly not being ripe, the administration also ran into serious headwinds for its claims about the challengers lacking standing.
The immigrant rights groups say that the policy is forcing them to divert resources towards getting census participation out of immigrants who are now reluctant to fill out the survey, due to the message, via the the policy, that such participation is futile.
U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman — the only Democratic appointee on Thursday’s panel, and the judge who also presided over the lawsuit challenging Trump’s addition of a citizenship question to the census — suggested that both he and the Supreme Court had already rejected the arguments the administration is making now for why that theory of harm shouldn’t count.
U.S. Circuit Judge Peter Hall, the panel’s third judge, asked fewer questions than the other two. But he cornered the Justice Department with a question about whether challengers would have standing if they showed that there was at least one immigrant who had decided not to participate in the census based on the policy and who would participate after all, if the policy was blocked by the court.
“It would have to be non-speculative,” Joshi said, unwilling to answer the question directly.
Turning to the merits, Furman asked Joshi to identify any previous examples of when either the executive branch, legislative branch or judicial branch had taken the position that the new policy is lawful. Furman then rattled off several instances when the Justice Department, in both court cases and in legal guidance it issued, had argued that it wasn’t.
The judges had tough questions for the challengers’ lawyers as well, as they appeared to grapple with the Trump argument that it was too soon to resolve the case.
“What keeps us from waiting, from a prudential standpoint, waiting until the Secretary of Commerce comes up [with the number of undocumented immigrants]?” Wesley asked Judith Vale, an attorney in the New York Attorney General’s office, which is leading the state-based coalition challenging the policy.
But many of these questions seemed aimed at figuring out exactly how the court should rule, if it was going to rule in the challengers’ favor. For instance, Furman asked ACLU attorney Dale Ho, who’s representing the immigrant rights groups, whether the court needed to resolve both the constitutional and statutory claims, or could it just block the policy based on the census law, in keeping with a principle known as “constitutional avoidance.”
Noting the likelihood of an appeal and the urgency for a final resolution, Ho said the “better course” would be for the court to resolve both claims now.
Because the case deals with apportionment, it was taken up immediately by a three judge panel, rather than heard first by a single trial judge. The panel’s decision, if appealed, would then go directly to the Supreme Court.
Furman ended the hour and a half long hearing with a promise that the panel would issue a decision “as soon as we can.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-09-03--WH Trolls Pelosi On Salon Appointment Despite Trump’s Disastrous COVID Response

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany kicked off her briefing on Thursday by playing on loop a video of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-CA ) at a salon earlier this week in San Francisco , where the Democratic leader flouted COVID-19 restrictions in the city .
But the White House doesn ’ t have a leg to stand on when it comes to policing anyone else ’ s behavior amid the coronavirus pandemic .
From President Trump repeatedly insisting the virus will simply “ disappear ” to hosting a largely unmasked audience at the White House during last week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the development of a vaccine , the Trump administration has delivered a disastrous response to a deadly virus that has killed more than 180,000 Americans .
McEnany ’ s briefing on Thursday began with security footage playing on loop showing Pelosi not wearing a mask while walking through a salon in San Francisco with wet hair .
On Tuesday night , Fox News first reported on the security footage of Pelosi .
The owner of the salon , Erica Kious , told Fox News that she felt that it was “ a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flout COVID-19 rules , given how salons in San Francisco had been shuttered since March and were allowed to reopen on Sept. 1 for outdoor hairstyling services only .
The next day , President Trump bashed Pelosi over her tresses tempest in Wednesday morning tweets .
Later Wednesday , Pelosi refused to apologize for flouting the city ’ s COVID-19 restrictions , saying that she complied with a salon employee ’ s interpretation of the city ’ s new COVID-19 regulations and that she was “ set up.
” On Thursday , McEnany @ @ @ @ @ @ @ businesses to stay shut down but only reopen for her convenience ” and called for the House speaker to apologize to the hair salon ’ s owner who ’ s been receiving death threats .
The White House ’ s attack against Pelosi for flouting COVID-19 restrictions comes a week after Trump and administration officials repeatedly failed to practice social distancing and mask-wearing during the RNC , which culminated with the President delivering his acceptance speech to an audience of about 1,500 people in front of the White House .

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany kicked off her briefing on Thursday by playing on loop a video of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) at a salon earlier this week in San Francisco, where the Democratic leader flouted COVID-19 restrictions in the city.
But the White House doesn’t have a leg to stand on when it comes to policing anyone else’s behavior amid the coronavirus pandemic. From President Trump repeatedly insisting the virus will simply “disappear” to hosting a largely unmasked audience at the White House during last week’s RNC to applying political pressure on the development of a vaccine, the Trump administration has delivered a disastrous response to a deadly virus that has killed more than 180,000 Americans.
McEnany’s briefing on Thursday began with security footage playing on loop showing Pelosi not wearing a mask while walking through a salon in San Francisco with wet hair. On Tuesday night, Fox News first reported on the security footage of Pelosi. The owner of the salon, Erica Kious, told Fox News that she felt that it was “a slap in the face” seeing Pelosi flout COVID-19 rules, given how salons in San Francisco had been shuttered since March and were allowed to reopen on Sept. 1 for outdoor hairstyling services only.
The next day, President Trump bashed Pelosi over her tresses tempest in Wednesday morning tweets. Later Wednesday, Pelosi refused to apologize for flouting the city’s COVID-19 restrictions, saying that she complied with a salon employee’s interpretation of the city’s new COVID-19 regulations and that she was “set up.”
On Thursday, McEnany slammed Pelosi for supposedly wanting “small businesses to stay shut down but only reopen for her convenience” and called for the House speaker to apologize to the hair salon’s owner who’s been receiving death threats.
The White House’s attack against Pelosi for flouting COVID-19 restrictions comes a week after Trump and administration officials repeatedly failed to practice social distancing and mask-wearing during the RNC, which culminated with the President delivering his acceptance speech to an audience of about 1,500 people in front of the White House.
Watch McEnany’s remarks below:


talkingpointsmemo--2020-09-03--Dem Mayors Slam Trump’s Defunding Gambit: Our Cities Are Not Your ‘Political Pawns’

The Democratic mayors of Washington , D.C. , Seattle , New York City and Portland hit back at President Donald Trump on Thursday in response to his effort to eliminate federal funding for their cities .
Mayors Muriel Bowser of D.C. , Jenny Durkan of Seattle , Bill de Blasio of NYC , and Ted Wheeler of Portland released a joint statement declaring that their cities “ are not President Trump ’ s political pawns.
” “ We are confronting unprecedented challenges—fighting back a pandemic and economic devastation without another stimulus , ” they said .
“ Now , instead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we are faced with new attacks that are unlawful , unconstitutional and will be undoubtedly defeated in court .
President Trump needs to wake up to the reality facing our cities—and our entire country—and realize he is not above the law.
” On Wednesday evening , Trump ordered federal agencies to review funding for the four cities , which he claimed in his memo “ recently have decided to pursue reckless policies that allow crime and lawlessness to multiply.
” “ My Administration will do everything in its power to prevent weak mayors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while they let anarchists harm people , burn buildings , and ruin lives and businesses , ” the President tweeted .
The order is an escalation of Trump ’ s smear campaign against the mayors amid unrest over police shootings of several Black Americans , most recently Jacob Blake in Kenosha , Wisconsin , who has been left paralyzed after white police officer Rusten Sheskey shot him in the back seven times .
New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo ( D ) roasted Trump during a press call on Wednesday night , saying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grata in New York City.
” “ Forget bodyguards , he better have an army if he thinks he ’ s going to walk down the streets in New York , ” the governor told reporters .
Cuomo also pointed out that Trump ’ s order likely won ’ t go anywhere from a legal standpoint .
“ He thinks he ’ s a king but he ’ s not , he ’ s a president , ” he said .
“ And there is a Constitution and there are laws–nothing that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appropriated by law .
”

The Democratic mayors of Washington, D.C., Seattle, New York City and Portland hit back at President Donald Trump on Thursday in response to his effort to eliminate federal funding for their cities.
Mayors Muriel Bowser of D.C., Jenny Durkan of Seattle, Bill de Blasio of NYC, and Ted Wheeler of Portland released a joint statement declaring that their cities “are not President Trump’s political pawns.”
“We are confronting unprecedented challenges—fighting back a pandemic and economic devastation without another stimulus,” they said. “Now, instead of leadership from the White House, we are faced with new attacks that are unlawful, unconstitutional and will be undoubtedly defeated in court. President Trump needs to wake up to the reality facing our cities—and our entire country—and realize he is not above the law.”
On Wednesday evening, Trump ordered federal agencies to review funding for the four cities, which he claimed in his memo “recently have decided to pursue reckless policies that allow crime and lawlessness to multiply.”
“My Administration will do everything in its power to prevent weak mayors and lawless cities from taking Federal dollars while they let anarchists harm people, burn buildings, and ruin lives and businesses,” the President tweeted.
The order is an escalation of Trump’s smear campaign against the mayors amid unrest over police shootings of several Black Americans, most recently Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin, who has been left paralyzed after white police officer Rusten Sheskey shot him in the back seven times.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) roasted Trump during a press call on Wednesday night, saying that the President is “persona non grata in New York City.”
“Forget bodyguards, he better have an army if he thinks he’s going to walk down the streets in New York,” the governor told reporters.
Cuomo also pointed out that Trump’s order likely won’t go anywhere from a legal standpoint.
“He thinks he’s a king but he’s not, he’s a president,” he said. “And there is a Constitution and there are laws–nothing that he knows anything about–but the federal budget is appropriated by law.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-09-03--WH Defends Trump’s Call For Supporters To Try To Vote Twice. NC Says Not So Fast.

The White House appeared to support a statement made by President Donald Trump on Wednesday urging his supporters to vote twice — a move that would be illegal .
“ The president is not suggesting anyone do anything unlawful , ” White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany insisted in a Fox News interview early Thursday , even as the President repeatedly said at an event in North Carolina on Wednesday that voters should send in an absentee ballot early “ and then go and vote.
” Executive director for the state ’ s board of elections , Karen Bell , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voters not to follow calls to try to submit a second vote .
“ It is illegal to vote twice in an election , ” Bell said .
“ Attempting to vote twice in an election or soliciting someone to do so also is a violation of North Carolina law.
” McEnany tried , as she often does , to recast Trump ’ s clear call for voters to commit an illegal act that is a felony in some states , including North Carolina , by instead suggesting that the President ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that their vote was “ tabulated.
” “ If it is not , then vote , ” McEnany said .
She also said that voters should send in absentee ballots and then go to the polls to check poll books , which record a vote has been counted .
“ He wants verification , ” McEnany said in defense of Trump ’ s statement .
“ Democrats want a whole new fraudulent system of mail-in voting , never tried before in American history , and what Democrats are saying to you , is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ verify.
” Bell also highlighted there are “ numerous checks ” that have been put in place to prevent double-voting and advised against McEnany ’ s claim that voters needed to check in person that their vote had been tabulated .
“ The State Board office strongly discourages people from showing up at the polls on Election Day to check whether their absentee ballot was counted , Bell wrote .
“ That is not necessary , and it would lead to longer lines and the possibility of spreading COVID-19 .
”

The White House appeared to support a statement made by President Donald Trump on Wednesday urging his supporters to vote twice — a move that would be illegal.
“The president is not suggesting anyone do anything unlawful,” White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany insisted in a Fox News interview early Thursday, even as the President repeatedly said at an event in North Carolina on Wednesday that voters should send in an absentee ballot early “and then go and vote.”
Executive director for the state’s board of elections, Karen Bell, quickly issued a statement on Thursday warning voters not to follow calls to try to submit a second vote.
“It is illegal to vote twice in an election,” Bell said. “Attempting to vote twice in an election or soliciting someone to do so also is a violation of North Carolina law.”
McEnany tried, as she often does, to recast Trump’s clear call for voters to commit an illegal act that is a felony in some states, including North Carolina, by instead suggesting that the President’s true message was for voters to ensure that their vote was “tabulated.”
“If it is not, then vote,” McEnany said. She also said that voters should send in absentee ballots and then go to the polls to check poll books, which record a vote has been counted.
“He wants verification,” McEnany said in defense of Trump’s statement. “Democrats want a whole new fraudulent system of mail-in voting, never tried before in American history, and what Democrats are saying to you, is trust us, but don’t verify.”
Bell also highlighted there are “numerous checks” that have been put in place to prevent double-voting and advised against McEnany’s claim that voters needed to check in person that their vote had been tabulated.
“The State Board office strongly discourages people from showing up at the polls on Election Day to check whether their absentee ballot was counted, Bell wrote. “That is not necessary, and it would lead to longer lines and the possibility of spreading COVID-19.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-09-03--House Oversight Calls For Probe Into Potential Hatch Act Violations At RNC

The House Oversight Committee on Thursday demanded that the Office of Special Counsel investigate reports of “ multiple , repeated violations ” of the Hatch Act by the Trump administration during the Republican National Convention last week .
Oversight Chair Rep. Carolyn Maloney ( D-NY ) , along with Reps. Stephen Lynch ( D-MA ) , Gerald Connolly ( D-VA ) and Stacey Plaskett ( D-VI ) , wrote that due to Trump administration officials repeatedly using “ their official positions and the White House itself to bolster President Trump ’ s reelection campaign , ” the committee is “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ senior administration officials are “ actively undermining compliance with—and respect for—the law.
” The House Oversight demands a response to the letter by Sept. 17 .
However , any investigation is unlikely to wrap up before the November election .
And the damage of using the trappings of the federal government for Trump ’ s own political ends has already been done .
The House Oversight letter cites several incidents during the RNC that they view as violations of the Hatch Act , which include a pardon and naturalization ceremony staged at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of State Mike Pompeo delivering remarks in Jerusalem while on official travel abroad .
The Hatch Act prohibits executive government officials from participating in political activity while on duty , but exempts the President and Vice President .
Last week , Rep. Joaquin Castro ( D-TX ) , the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee , sent a letter to Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun calling for a probe into Pompeo ’ s speech .
Castro wrote that “ it is highly unusual , and likely unprecedented , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speak at a partisan convention for either of the political parties.
” Castro wrote that Pompeo ’ s speech during the RNC may have been illegal , citing the Hatch Act and a December memo from the State Department ’ s Office of the Legal Adviser that says “ Senate-confirmed Presidential appointees may not even attend a political party convention or convention-related event.
” The Trump administration has dismissed concerns of Hatch Act violations during the RNC .
A White House official told TPM last week in a statement that “ there was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the White House publicized the content of the event on a public website this afternoon and the campaign decided to use the publicly available content for campaign purposes.
” Last week , White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows scoffed at the notion that the administration had violated the Hatch Act during the RNC in an interview with Politico by arguing that “ nobody outside of the Beltway really cares.
” On Sunday , Acting DHS secretary Chad Wolf denied knowing that the Trump administration ’ s naturalization ceremony would later air as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concerns that the RNC event was one of several incidents that violated the Hatch Act .

The House Oversight Committee on Thursday demanded that the Office of Special Counsel investigate reports of “multiple, repeated violations” of the Hatch Act by the Trump administration during the Republican National Convention last week.
Oversight Chair Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), along with Reps. Stephen Lynch (D-MA), Gerald Connolly (D-VA) and Stacey Plaskett (D-VI), wrote that due to Trump administration officials repeatedly using “their official positions and the White House itself to bolster President Trump’s reelection campaign,” the committee is “alarmed” that President Trump and several senior administration officials are “actively undermining compliance with—and respect for—the law.”
The House Oversight demands a response to the letter by Sept. 17. However, any investigation is unlikely to wrap up before the November election. And the damage of using the trappings of the federal government for Trump’s own political ends has already been done.
The House Oversight letter cites several incidents during the RNC that they view as violations of the Hatch Act, which include a pardon and naturalization ceremony staged at the White House, as well as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo delivering remarks in Jerusalem while on official travel abroad.
The Hatch Act prohibits executive government officials from participating in political activity while on duty, but exempts the President and Vice President.
Last week, Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX), the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee, sent a letter to Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun calling for a probe into Pompeo’s speech. Castro wrote that “it is highly unusual, and likely unprecedented, for a sitting Secretary of State to speak at a partisan convention for either of the political parties.”
Castro wrote that Pompeo’s speech during the RNC may have been illegal, citing the Hatch Act and a December memo from the State Department’s Office of the Legal Adviser that says “Senate-confirmed Presidential appointees may not even attend a political party convention or convention-related event.”
The Trump administration has dismissed concerns of Hatch Act violations during the RNC.
A White House official told TPM last week in a statement that “there was no violation of law” because “the White House publicized the content of the event on a public website this afternoon and the campaign decided to use the publicly available content for campaign purposes.”
Last week, White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows scoffed at the notion that the administration had violated the Hatch Act during the RNC in an interview with Politico by arguing that “nobody outside of the Beltway really cares.”
On Sunday, Acting DHS secretary Chad Wolf denied knowing that the Trump administration’s naturalization ceremony would later air as part of the Republican National Convention amid concerns that the RNC event was one of several incidents that violated the Hatch Act.
Read the letter below:


talkingpointsmemo--2020-09-03--Trump Admin: The COVID Vaccine Will Be Ready By January, But Also By The Election

With the parade of dates for when the Trump administration anticipates seeing a COVID-19 vaccine ( October 2020 , November 2020 , or by the end of this year , or by January 2021 , or later in 2021 ) , you can be forgiven for experiencing some confusion .
It may help to take a look at the hard numbers , and at the projections that officials with Operation Warp Speed have put forth on what a timeline for the vaccine may be .
Of the three vaccines currently in phase III trials , Moderna started earliest , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2020 , according to the company .
So let ’ s use that date as our starting point .
Operation Warp Speed , the Trump administration ’ s effort to speed up vaccine development , aims to compress the normal timeframe to create and test a vaccine , which normally takes an average of 73 months .
According to a presentation from the Department of Defense , which I ’ ve attached below , Operation Warp Speed has squeezed that timeline down to 14 months , partly through increased funding and partly by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ itself and verifying the production procedures for the vaccine occur simultaneously , instead of one after the other .
So , where does 14 months leave us ?
Based on the earliest start date — Moderna ’ s January 2020 effort — that puts the earliest date for a vaccine in March 2021 .
If you recall , Dr. Fauci ’ s initial assessment in March 2020 was that a vaccine was one to one and a half years away at that point .
What ’ s odd about the above slide , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conflicts with the stated mission , on the same slide : to “ deliver 300 million doses of safe and effective vaccine by 1 January 2021.
” To achieve that mission according to the stated timeline , development would have had to have begun in November 2019 — when the first case was confirmed , after the virus made the zoonotic leap from bat to man .
It ’ s not hard to find the same incoherence elsewhere .
Take this video that House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy released on Wednesday .
For @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accurately states that Operation Warp Speed wants the following result : “ a process that typically takes 8–10 years is now likely to take 12–18 months.
” But , even then , the most optimistic timeline would leave a vaccine approved in January 2021 .
All that , though , falls short of what President Trump wants .
“ Sooner than the end of the year , could be much sooner , ” he told Geraldo Rivera last month , adding that he would like to see a vaccine “ right around ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Director Dr. Robert Redfield put it in a letter to the states last week , they should make sure that all their vaccine distribution facilities are “ fully operational by November 1 , 2020 .
”

With the parade of dates for when the Trump administration anticipates seeing a COVID-19 vaccine (October 2020, November 2020, or by the end of this year, or by January 2021, or later in 2021), you can be forgiven for experiencing some confusion.
It may help to take a look at the hard numbers, and at the projections that officials with Operation Warp Speed have put forth on what a timeline for the vaccine may be.
First, the hard numbers.
Of the three vaccines currently in phase III trials, Moderna started earliest, with development of its vaccine beginning in mid-January 2020, according to the company. So let’s use that date as our starting point.
Operation Warp Speed, the Trump administration’s effort to speed up vaccine development, aims to compress the normal timeframe to create and test a vaccine, which normally takes an average of 73 months.
According to a presentation from the Department of Defense, which I’ve attached below, Operation Warp Speed has squeezed that timeline down to 14 months, partly through increased funding and partly by having certain steps like testing the vaccine itself and verifying the production procedures for the vaccine occur simultaneously, instead of one after the other.
So, where does 14 months leave us? Based on the earliest start date — Moderna’s January 2020 effort — that puts the earliest date for a vaccine in March 2021. If you recall, Dr. Fauci’s initial assessment in March 2020 was that a vaccine was one to one and a half years away at that point.
What’s odd about the above slide, however, is that the 14-month timeline conflicts with the stated mission, on the same slide: to “deliver 300 million doses of safe and effective vaccine by 1 January 2021.”
To achieve that mission according to the stated timeline, development would have had to have begun in November 2019 — when the first case was confirmed, after the virus made the zoonotic leap from bat to man.
It’s not hard to find the same incoherence elsewhere. Take this video that House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy released on Wednesday.
For all its many faults, the ad accurately states that Operation Warp Speed wants the following result: “a process that typically takes 8–10 years is now likely to take 12–18 months.”
But, even then, the most optimistic timeline would leave a vaccine approved in January 2021.
All that, though, falls short of what President Trump wants.
“Sooner than the end of the year, could be much sooner,” he told Geraldo Rivera last month, adding that he would like to see a vaccine “right around” Election Day.
Or, as CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield put it in a letter to the states last week, they should make sure that all their vaccine distribution facilities are “fully operational by November 1, 2020.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-09-04--Unemployment Rate Fell To 8.4 Percent, 1.4 Million Jobs Added In August

Estella Flores , right , and Maria Mora , left , are reflected in a window as they look for @ @ @ @ @ closed California State Employment Development Department on May 14 , 2020 in Canoga Park , @ @ @ @ @ Estella Flores , right , and Maria Mora , left , are reflected in a @ @ @ @ @ information in front of the closed California State Employment Development Department on May 14 , @ @ @ @ @ CA .
( Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images )

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. unemployment rate fell sharply in August to 8.4% from 10.2% even as hiring slowed, with employers adding the fewest jobs since the pandemic began.
Employers added 1.4 million jobs, the Labor Department said, down from 1.7 million in July. The U.S. economy has recovered about half the 22 million jobs lost to the pandemic.
Friday’s report added to evidence that nearly six months after the coronavirus paralyzed the country, the economy is mounting only a fitful recovery. From small businesses to hotels, restaurants, airlines and entertainment venues, a wide spectrum of companies are struggling to survive the loss of customers with confirmed viral cases still high.
After an epic collapse in the spring, when the economy shrank at a roughly 30% annual rate, growth has been rebounding as states have reopened at least parts of their economies. Yet the recovery remains far from complete.
Many economists think significant hiring may be hard to sustain because employers are operating under a cloud of uncertainty about the virus. Daily confirmed case counts have fallen from 70,000 in June to about 40,000. The decline has leveled off in the past week and the viral caseload remains higher than it was in May and June.
As a result activities like restaurant dining and air travel are still far below pre-pandemic levels. Most economists say a meaningful economic recovery will likely be impossible until the coronavirus is brought under control, most likely from the widespread use of a vaccine.
Friday’s jobs data was the second-to-last employment report — for most voters, the most visible barometer of the economy — before Election Day, Nov. 3. President Donald Trump faces the daunting task of seeking re-election in the worst economic downturn since the 1930s. Yet voters in surveys have generally given him higher marks on the economy than they have on other aspects of his presidency.
The jobs report coincides with growing signs that more companies are making permanent job cuts rather than temporary furloughs. That trend could keep the unemployment rate persistently high. It is typically harder for an unemployed worker to find a new job at a new company or in a new industry than to return to a previous employer.
Casino and hotel operator MGM Resorts, slammed by declines in travel and tourism, said last week that it’s eliminating 18,000 jobs. Coca Cola, which derives half its sales from stadiums, theaters and other venues that have been largely shut down, is offering buyouts to 4,000 employees. Salesforce said it is cutting 1,000 jobs. Bed, Bath & Beyond will shed 2,800.
A Federal Reserve report this week based on anecdotal reports from businesses found “rising instances of furloughed workers being laid off permanently as demand remained soft.”
Roughly 29 million Americans are receiving state unemployment aid, although their total benefits, on average, have shrunk by more than half since the expiration of a $600-a-week federal supplement more than a month ago. The Trump administration has set up a program that will provide some of the unemployed with $300 a week.
But new rules and requirements will make many of the unemployed ineligible. Only people who receive at least $100 a week in state unemployment aid will qualify for the $300 federal supplement — a requirement that could exclude at least 850,000 Americans.
The ongoing job losses and economic slump have left a rising share of Americans out of work for longer periods. From June to July, the number of people who were unemployed for 15 weeks or longer tripled to more than 6 million.
One consequence is that rising stress and anxiety are evident at therapists’ offices and mental health hotlines around the country. Calls from March through July to the U.S. government-funded Disaster Distress Helpline, which offers counseling and emotional support, surged 335% from the same period last year.
And half of U.S. adults reported at least some signs of depression, such as hopelessness, feelings of failure or an inability to derive pleasure from daily activities, in a survey published Wednesday in the medical journal JAMA Network Open. That amounted to twice the rate from a survey two years ago.
“Not many days go by where I don’t have a couple where one partner or both are not working or furloughed,” said Todd Creager, a therapist in Southern California who treats mostly middle- to upper-middle-class adults.
What’s more, the economy appears to be operating on two tracks, resulting in an uneven and unequal recovery. Manufacturers are enjoying a solid rebound in demand for cars, appliances and electronics, with factory orders nearly back to pre-pandemic levels.
Home sales are also booming. So are home prices. Sales of existing homes surged by the most on record in July and are now nearly 9% higher than a year ago.
In addition, wealthier and well-educated workers have been far less likely to lose jobs to the pandemic than lower-income and minority workers have, in part because of a greater ability to work from home.
The coronavirus has also reshaped much of the consumption of affluent households: While spending less on restaurants and at shops and movie theaters, they are buying new homes to gain more space or renovating their houses to serve as workplaces as well as homes.
___
Associated Press Writer Lindsey Tanner contributed to this report from Chicago.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-09-04--Trump Doubles Down On Call To Supporters To Illegally Vote Twice

President Donald Trump on Thursday reinforced a call to his supporters urging them to vote twice in the upcoming elections after elections officials in North Carolina dissuaded voters from making a move suggested by the President on Wednesday that is illegal across the country and constitutes a felony in some states .
“ These mail-in ballots are a disgrace and they know it .
Sign your mail-in ballot , OK ?
You sign it and send it in and then you have to follow it .
And if on Election Day or early voting , that is not tabulated and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump told a crowd in Latrobe , Pennsylvania .
“ And if for some reason after that — it shouldn ’ t take that long — they ’ re not going to be able to tabulate it because you would have voted.
” The advice was an expansion on an attack on the electoral process from just a day before when comments he made about testing the elections system by attempting to vote twice caused an elections board official in North Carolina to issue a statement on Thursday telling voters it is illegal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an absentee ballot .
The President has repeatedly made attempts to sow doubt about the legitimacy of the elections and has consistently made efforts to suppress voters ’ access to the ballot box by going after mail-in voting .
His remarks to voters in North Carolina and Pennsylvania appear to be attempts to portray himself as something of an advocate , painting Democrats as bad actors trying to steal votes from his supporters in what he has repeatedly described as a “ fraudulent ” election .
“ They are not going to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have voted .
But you have to make sure your vote counts , ” Trump continued on Thursday .
“ Because the only way they are going to be able to beat us is by doing that kind of stuff.
” The comments reiterated those made in a damage control effort by White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany on Thursday when she attacked Democrats and suggested that Trump directing his supporters the day before to vote twice was not advising people “ do anything unlawful.
” Defending the move , McEnany said that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ensure their vote had been “ tabulated.
” Following McEnany ’ s lead , White House chief of staff Mark Meadows also backed the President , saying in Pennsylvania that Trump was only suggesting that voters cast a ballot in-person if the mail ballot was not recorded .
But executive director of the North Carolina Board of Elections , Karen Bell , said Thursday that appearing at the polls after casting a mail-in ballot is “ not necessary ” and likely to cause further delays on Election Day .
“ The State Board @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the polls on Election Day to check whether their absentee ballot was counted , ” Bell wrote in a statement .
“ That is not necessary , and it would lead to longer lines and the possibility of spreading COVID-19.
” Trump ’ s remarks in both states mark a fresh assault on the electoral process as he continues efforts to sow doubt about the validity of the results in an election that is just two months away .

President Donald Trump on Thursday reiterated a call to his supporters, urging Pennsylvania voters to cast their ballot twice in the upcoming elections after making a similar suggestion in North Carolina a day earlier.
“These mail-in ballots are a disgrace and they know it. Sign your mail-in ballot, OK? You sign it and send it in and then you have to follow it. And if on Election Day or early voting, that is not tabulated and counted, you go vote,” Trump told a crowd in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. “And if for some reason after that — it shouldn’t take that long — they’re not going to be able to tabulate it because you would have voted.”
The advice — which promotes an illegal act that is a felony in some states — was an expansion on an attack on the electoral process from just a day before when Trump suggested at an event in North Carolina that voters test the elections system by attempting to vote twice. Those remarks compelled an elections board official in North Carolina to issue a statement on Thursday alerting voters that it is illegal to cast a second vote after submitting an absentee ballot.
His remarks to voters in North Carolina and Pennsylvania appear to be attempts to portray himself as something of an advocate in a cause against shifty Democrats who he suggests are trying to steal votes from his supporters in what he has repeatedly described as a “fraudulent” election.
But the President has repeatedly sought to sow doubt about the legitimacy of the elections and has consistently made efforts to suppress voters’ access to the ballot box by going after mail-in voting.
“They are not going to be able to tabulate it because you will have voted. But you have to make sure your vote counts,” Trump continued on Thursday. “Because the only way they are going to be able to beat us is by doing that kind of stuff.”
Trump’s comments in Pennsylvania reiterated those made in a damage control mission by White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany during a Fox News interview on Thursday. McEnany attacked Democrats and suggested that Trump was not advising people “do anything unlawful.”
Following McEnany’s lead, White House chief of staff Mark Meadows also backed the President, saying Thursday that Trump was only suggesting that voters cast a ballot in-person if the mail ballot had not been tabulated.
But executive director of the North Carolina State Board of Elections, Karen Brinson Bell explained in a statement earlier on Thursday that appearing at the polls after casting a mail-in ballot is “not necessary” and likely to cause further delays on Election Day.
“The State Board office strongly discourages people from showing up at the polls on Election Day to check whether their absentee ballot was counted,” Bell wrote. “That is not necessary, and it would lead to longer lines and the possibility of spreading COVID-19.”
Trump’s remarks in both states mark a fresh assault on the electoral process as he continues efforts to sow doubt about the validity of the results in an election that is just two months away.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-09-04--Federal Task Force Kills Portland Shooting Suspect While Attempting Arrest

LACEY , Wash. ( AP ) — A man suspected of fatally shooting a supporter of a right-wing group in Portland , Oregon , last week after a caravan of Donald Trump backers rode through downtown was killed Thursday as investigators moved in to arrest him , the U.S .
Marshals Service said Friday .
The man , Michael Forest Reinoehl , 48 , was killed as a federal task force attempted to apprehend him near Lacey , Washington , about 120 miles ( 193 kilometers ) north of Portland .
Reinoehl was the prime suspect in the killing of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who was shot in the chest Saturday night , a senior Justice Department official told The Associated Press .
Federal agents from the FBI and the U.S .
Marshals Service had located Reinoehl on Thursday after a warrant was issued for his arrest .
During the encounter , Reinoehl was shot by a law enforcement officer who was working on the federal task force , the official said .
The official could not discuss the matter publicly and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity .
The official said Reinoehl had pulled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S .
Marshals Service statement said “ initial reports indicate the suspect produced a firearm , threatening the lives of law enforcement officers.
” The U.S .
Marshals Service fugitive task forces , comprised of deputy marshals , other federal agents and local law enforcement officers from a variety of agencies , are responsible for apprehending violent felons and other wanted suspects .
Thurston County Sheriff ’ s Lt. Ray Brady said four members of the fugitive task force fired their weapons , including two Pierce County Sheriff ’ s deputies , an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an officer from the Washington State Department of Corrections .
Brady said investigators haven ’ t yet determined how many rounds were fired .
The suspect was alone at the time of the shooting , Brady said , with no children or other people present .
Brady said he doesn ’ t think the suspect lived at the address where he was shot , and it ’ s not clear what brought him to Lacey .
“ We don ’ t know that specifically yet , ” Brady said .
“ I do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Reinoehl had described himself in a social media post as “ 100 % ANTIFA.
” A regular presence at anti-racism demonstrations in Portland , he suggested the tactics of counter-protesters amounted to “ warfare , ” and had been shot at one protest and cited for having a gun at another .
Police cited Reinoehl on July 5 on allegations of possessing a loaded gun in a public place , resisting arrest and interfering with police .
On July 26 , Reinoehl was shot near his elbow after he got involved in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a group of young people of color .
The man who was carrying that gun , Aaron Scott Collins , told The Oregonian/OregonLive that he and a friend had just left a bar when they saw the group harassing an older Black man .
His friend began filming them with a phone , and the group confronted them , calling them Nazis , he said .
Reinoehl later that day spoke to an AP videographer .
His arm was wrapped in a bloody bandage ; he said he was on his way to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it .
He said he didn ’ t know what had started the altercation between Collins and the group , but that several people had decided to intervene when they saw Collins fighting with minors .
“ As soon as the adults jumped in , he pulled out a gun , ” Reinoehl said .
“ I jumped in there and pulled the gun away from people ’ s heads , avoided being shot in the stomach and I got shot in the arm.
” Reinoehl also was wanted on a warrant out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where court records show he skipped a hearing related to a June case in which he has been charged with driving under the influence of controlled substances , reckless driving , reckless endangerment and unlawful possession of a firearm .
Police said he drove on an interstate at up to 111 mph ( 179 kph ) , with his daughter in the car , while racing his 17-year-old son , who was in a different vehicle .
Protests have erupted daily in the Pacific Northwest city since the police killing of George Floyd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Portland nearing the 100-day mark , Oregon Gov .
Kate Brown and other Democratic leaders on Thursday called for an end to violence , even as federal agents were continuing to arrest protesters who allegedly assaulted law enforcement officers .
“ The violence must stop , ” Brown wrote .
“ There is no place for white supremacy or vigilantism in Oregon .
All who perpetrate violent crimes must be held equally accountable.
” The statement does not single out the small minority of left-wing protesters who have been setting fires , vandalizing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But Brown ’ s spokesman , Charles Boyle , said it “ is a collective call to action for an end to violence in Portland and affirms that those who commit violent acts must be held accountable.
” Brown ’ s condemnation of violence was also signed by almost two-dozen state and local politicians , a host of organizations including the local NAACP chapter , and the city ’ s professional sports teams : the Trailblazers NBA team , the Timbers soccer team and the Thorns women ’ s soccer squad .
Protesters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ building that ’ s a frequent site of protests in Portland .
Police said demonstrators threw objects at officers and vehicles at the Penumbra Kelly building .
A vehicle drove through the protest , “ narrowly missing people in the group , ” a police statement said .
The driver was later stopped and cited ; police additionally arrested two protesters .
Support vehicles that police said were used to block traffic were cited and one was towed .
Portland Police Chief Chuck Lovell also has denounced protesters who broke windows and set @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the upscale apartment building where Mayor Ted Wheeler lives .
Protesters are angry that Wheeler has not stopped officers from using batons and tear gas against Black Lives Matter protesters .
Wheeler now reportedly plans to move out of the building .
As of a week ago , 74 people were facing federal charges for crimes allegedly committed during demonstrations in Portland since at least May 29 , U.S. Attorney Billy Williams said .
Associated Press writers Gene Johnson in Seattle , Gillian Flaccus in Portland , Oregon , Rebecca Boone in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Salem , Oregon , contributed to this report .

LACEY, Wash. (AP) — A man suspected of fatally shooting a supporter of a right-wing group in Portland, Oregon, last week after a caravan of Donald Trump backers rode through downtown was killed Thursday as investigators moved in to arrest him, the U.S. Marshals Service said Friday.
The man, Michael Forest Reinoehl, 48, was killed as a federal task force attempted to apprehend him near Lacey, Washington, about 120 miles (193 kilometers) north of Portland. Reinoehl was the prime suspect in the killing of 39-year-old Aaron “Jay” Danielson, who was shot in the chest Saturday night, a senior Justice Department official told The Associated Press.
Federal agents from the FBI and the U.S. Marshals Service had located Reinoehl on Thursday after a warrant was issued for his arrest. During the encounter, Reinoehl was shot by a law enforcement officer who was working on the federal task force, the official said. The official could not discuss the matter publicly and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.
The official said Reinoehl had pulled a gun during the encounter. A U.S. Marshals Service statement said “initial reports indicate the suspect produced a firearm, threatening the lives of law enforcement officers.”
The U.S. Marshals Service fugitive task forces, comprised of deputy marshals, other federal agents and local law enforcement officers from a variety of agencies, are responsible for apprehending violent felons and other wanted suspects.
Thurston County Sheriff’s Lt. Ray Brady said four members of the fugitive task force fired their weapons, including two Pierce County Sheriff’s deputies, an officer from the Lakewood Police Department and an officer from the Washington State Department of Corrections.
Brady said investigators haven’t yet determined how many rounds were fired.
The suspect was alone at the time of the shooting, Brady said, with no children or other people present.
Brady said he doesn’t think the suspect lived at the address where he was shot, and it’s not clear what brought him to Lacey.
“We don’t know that specifically yet,” Brady said. “I do not believe that was his residence.”
Reinoehl had described himself in a social media post as “100% ANTIFA.” A regular presence at anti-racism demonstrations in Portland, he suggested the tactics of counter-protesters amounted to “warfare,” and had been shot at one protest and cited for having a gun at another.
Police cited Reinoehl on July 5 on allegations of possessing a loaded gun in a public place, resisting arrest and interfering with police.
On July 26, Reinoehl was shot near his elbow after he got involved in a scuffle between an armed white man and a group of young people of color. The man who was carrying that gun, Aaron Scott Collins, told The Oregonian/OregonLive that he and a friend had just left a bar when they saw the group harassing an older Black man. His friend began filming them with a phone, and the group confronted them, calling them Nazis, he said.
Reinoehl later that day spoke to an AP videographer. His arm was wrapped in a bloody bandage; he said he was on his way to meet protest medics so they could change it.
He said he didn’t know what had started the altercation between Collins and the group, but that several people had decided to intervene when they saw Collins fighting with minors.
“As soon as the adults jumped in, he pulled out a gun,” Reinoehl said. “I jumped in there and pulled the gun away from people’s heads, avoided being shot in the stomach and I got shot in the arm.”
Reinoehl also was wanted on a warrant out of Baker County in Eastern Oregon, where court records show he skipped a hearing related to a June case in which he has been charged with driving under the influence of controlled substances, reckless driving, reckless endangerment and unlawful possession of a firearm.
Police said he drove on an interstate at up to 111 mph (179 kph), with his daughter in the car, while racing his 17-year-old son, who was in a different vehicle.
Protests have erupted daily in the Pacific Northwest city since the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
With unruly demonstrations in Portland nearing the 100-day mark, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown and other Democratic leaders on Thursday called for an end to violence, even as federal agents were continuing to arrest protesters who allegedly assaulted law enforcement officers.
“The violence must stop,” Brown wrote. “There is no place for white supremacy or vigilantism in Oregon. All who perpetrate violent crimes must be held equally accountable.”
The statement does not single out the small minority of left-wing protesters who have been setting fires, vandalizing buildings and throwing objects at police. But Brown’s spokesman, Charles Boyle, said it “is a collective call to action for an end to violence in Portland and affirms that those who commit violent acts must be held accountable.”
Brown’s condemnation of violence was also signed by almost two-dozen state and local politicians, a host of organizations including the local NAACP chapter, and the city’s professional sports teams: the Trailblazers NBA team, the Timbers soccer team and the Thorns women’s soccer squad.
Protesters returned Thursday night to a law enforcement building that’s a frequent site of protests in Portland. Police said demonstrators threw objects at officers and vehicles at the Penumbra Kelly building. A vehicle drove through the protest, “narrowly missing people in the group,” a police statement said. The driver was later stopped and cited; police additionally arrested two protesters. Support vehicles that police said were used to block traffic were cited and one was towed.
Portland Police Chief Chuck Lovell also has denounced protesters who broke windows and set a fire this week to a business in the upscale apartment building where Mayor Ted Wheeler lives. Protesters are angry that Wheeler has not stopped officers from using batons and tear gas against Black Lives Matter protesters. Wheeler now reportedly plans to move out of the building.
As of a week ago, 74 people were facing federal charges for crimes allegedly committed during demonstrations in Portland since at least May 29, U.S. Attorney Billy Williams said.
___
Associated Press writers Gene Johnson in Seattle, Gillian Flaccus in Portland, Oregon, Rebecca Boone in Boise, Idaho, and Andrew Selsky in Salem, Oregon, contributed to this report.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-09-04--Trump Scrambles To Deny Trashing John McCain And Fallen Soldiers

President Donald Trump on Thursday night denied in a series of tweets reports that he had mocked the late Sen. John McCain ( R-AZ ) and fallen soldiers behind closed doors .
In response to the Atlantic ’ s report that he had complained about about lowering flags in honor of the senator ’ s death in 2018 , Trump conceded that he was “ never a big fan ” of McCain but insisted that he had the flags lowered “ without hesitation or complaint.
” The President also denied calling McCain a “ fucking loser ” and deriding the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Belleau Wood as “ suckers.
” “ Also , I never called John a loser and swear on whatever , or whoever , I was asked to swear on , that I never called our great fallen soldiers anything other than HEROES , ” Trump tweeted .
“ This is more made up Fake News given by disgusting & jealous failures in a disgraceful attempt to influence the 2020 Election !
” Whether or not he denies the veracity of the Atlantic ’ s report , Trump did publicly call McCain a “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presidential race against Barack Obama in 2008 .
Earlier on Thursday , the Atlantic reported that Trump had grown angry at the sight of the lowered flags and asked aides “ What the fuck are we doing that for ?
Guy was a fucking loser.
” The Atlantic also reported that the President refused to visit the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery in France in 2018 because he was worried the rain would ruin his hair .
“ Why should I go to that cemetery ?
It ’ s filled with losers , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s remarks to the Associated Press shortly after the Atlantic published its report .

President Donald Trump on Thursday night denied in a series of tweets reports that he had mocked the late Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) and fallen soldiers behind closed doors.
In response to the Atlantic’s report that he had complained about lowering flags in honor of the senator’s death in 2018, Trump conceded that he was “never a big fan” of McCain but insisted that he had the flags lowered “without hesitation or complaint.”
The President also denied calling McCain a “fucking loser” and deriding the marines who died in the Battle of Belleau Wood as “suckers.”
“Also, I never called John a loser and swear on whatever, or whoever, I was asked to swear on, that I never called our great fallen soldiers anything other than HEROES,” Trump tweeted. “This is more made up Fake News given by disgusting & jealous failures in a disgraceful attempt to influence the 2020 Election!”
White House spokesperson Alyssa Farah said the report “has no basis in fact.”
“This report is false,” she said in a statement. “President Trump holds the military in the highest regard.”
“It’s sad the depths that people will go to during a lead-up to a presidential campaign to try to smear somebody,” White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows said, per the Associated Press.
Whether or not he denies the veracity of the Atlantic’s report, Trump did publicly call McCain a “loser” in 2015 for losing the presidential race against Barack Obama in 2008.
Earlier on Thursday, the Atlantic reported that Trump had grown angry at the sight of the lowered flags for McCain at the time of his death and asked aides “What the fuck are we doing that for? Guy was a fucking loser.”
The Atlantic also reported that the President refused to visit the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery in France in 2018 because he was worried the rain would ruin his hair.
“Why should I go to that cemetery? It’s filled with losers,” he reportedly said.
Senior defense officials confirmed Trump’s remarks to the Associated Press shortly after the Atlantic published its report.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-09-04--In First Interview Since FBI Firing, Strzok Frets About Trump-Russia Unknowns

In his first interview since being fired from the FBI , former counterintelligence agent Peter Strzok articulated his fears that a combination of political influence and limited investigatory scope has obscured details of President Donald Trump ’ s Russian ties that may never come to light .
“ When the special counsel ’ s office was set up , I told both Director Mueller and the senior folks in his team that , while I understood that they weren ’ t mandated to conduct a counterintelligence investigation , someone at the FBI had to do it , ” he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Friday .
“ At the time I left the team , we hadn ’ t solved this problem of who and how to conduct all of the counterintelligence work , ” he added .
“ My worry is that it wasn ’ t ever effectively done.
” Strzok briefly served on Special Counsel Robert Mueller ’ s team , but was removed and ultimately fired after the Department of Justice released texts in which he was critical of the President , making him a target for accusations from the right that he was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since reveled in referring to Strzok as a “ lover ” due to his extramarital affair that was revealed in the texts .
Strzok doesn ’ t blame the Special Counsel for failing to plumb the depths of Trump ’ s likely years-long entanglements in Russia .
He said that the investigation Mueller was carrying out was quite narrow and meant to center on violations of criminal law , not on intelligence activity .
“ A counterintelligence investigation looks beyond whether laws have been broken , to how people can be pressured , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the immediate thing that leaps out are his financial entanglements.
” That part of the investigation , Strzok fears , has “ died on the vine.
” He attributes the lack of appetite to pursue those leads within the FBI as a direct result of Attorney General Bill Barr ’ s insistence that that agency began the investigation into Russia ’ s infiltration of the Trump campaign improperly .
Barr has called the FBI probe “ one of the greatest travesties in American history ” and frequently teased the findings of John @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its origins .
He said of the Durham investigation last month that “ we are trying to get some things accomplished before the election.
” Later in the interview , Strzok , who also led the team that investigated Hillary Clinton ’ s use of a private email server while serving as Secretary of State , expressed the frustration felt by his team as they were forced to work the case in part due to the fixation of Republican lawmakers .
“ There was absolutely , I think , a sense of frustration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , that we had this magnificent team , yet we were , at the end of the day , conducting a glorified email-mishandling case , ” he said .
And he painted a wholly different kind of frustration when he was working on the Trump-Russia investigation and was told by the Obama administration to keep the work quiet with an entirely opposite goal in mind : to avoid influencing the 2016 election .
He recounted then-FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe telling the team to get as much information as possible , but to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is an inherent tension between those goals , ” Strzok said .
“ So when deciding how aggressively we were investigating , who to put on the team , what always won , if there was a conflict , was : Keep it quiet .
We don ’ t want this investigation getting out .
And of course , that was frustrating .
”

In his first interview since being fired from the FBI, former counterintelligence agent Peter Strzok articulated his fears that a combination of political influence and limited investigatory scope has obscured details of President Donald Trump’s Russian ties that may never come to light.
“When the special counsel’s office was set up, I told both Director Mueller and the senior folks in his team that, while I understood that they weren’t mandated to conduct a counterintelligence investigation, someone at the FBI had to do it,” he said in an interview in The Atlantic published Friday.
“At the time I left the team, we hadn’t solved this problem of who and how to conduct all of the counterintelligence work,” he added. “My worry is that it wasn’t ever effectively done.”
Strzok briefly served on Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s team, but was removed and ultimately fired after the Department of Justice released texts in which he was critical of the President, making him a target for accusations from the right that he was actively working against Trump. Trump has since reveled in referring to Strzok as a “lover” due to his extramarital affair that was revealed in the texts.
Strzok doesn’t blame the Special Counsel for failing to plumb the depths of Trump’s likely years-long entanglements in Russia. He said that the investigation Mueller was carrying out was quite narrow and meant to center on violations of criminal law, not on intelligence activity.
“A counterintelligence investigation looks beyond whether laws have been broken, to how people can be pressured,” he explained. “With Trump, the immediate thing that leaps out are his financial entanglements.”
That part of the investigation, Strzok fears, has “died on the vine.”
He attributes the lack of appetite to pursue those leads within the FBI as a direct result of Attorney General Bill Barr’s insistence that that agency began the investigation into Russia’s infiltration of the Trump campaign improperly.
Barr has called the FBI probe “one of the greatest travesties in American history” and frequently teased the findings of John Durham, a prosecutor who is investigating its origins. He said of the Durham investigation last month that “we are trying to get some things accomplished before the election.”
Later in the interview, Strzok, who also led the team that investigated Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server while serving as Secretary of State, expressed the frustration felt by his team as they were forced to work the case in part due to the fixation of Republican lawmakers.
“There was absolutely, I think, a sense of frustration, as I write in the book, that we had this magnificent team, yet we were, at the end of the day, conducting a glorified email-mishandling case,” he said.
And he painted a wholly different kind of frustration when he was working on the Trump-Russia investigation and was told by the Obama administration to keep the work quiet with an entirely opposite goal in mind: to avoid influencing the 2016 election.
He recounted then-FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe telling the team to get as much information as possible, but to do it quietly.
“But there is an inherent tension between those goals,” Strzok said. “So when deciding how aggressively we were investigating, who to put on the team, what always won, if there was a conflict, was: Keep it quiet. We don’t want this investigation getting out. And of course, that was frustrating.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-09-04--Biden Says Trump ‘Just Doesn’t Care’ About Americans’ Economic Hardships Amid COVID

Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden on Friday accused President Donald Trump of being apathetic toward the economic hardships millions of Americans are suffering due to the COVID-19 pandemic .
“ Donald Trump ’ s malpractice during this pandemic has made being a working American a life or death work , ” Biden declared in his speech on the flailing economy .
The former vice president ripped Trump ’ s aggressive push for the country to reopen without providing health guidance or economic protections for workers .
Biden also noted that although unemployment rate dropped in August , “ the economic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people of every race and background that aren ’ t getting the relief they need.
” “ The painful truth is we just have a president that just doesn ’ t see it .
He doesn ’ t feel it .
He doesn ’ t understand , ” Biden said .
“ He just doesn ’ t care.
” “ He thinks that if the stock market is up , then everything ’ s fine .
If his wealthy friends and donors are doing well , then everything is doing well , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the speech , Biden briefly mentioned his “ Build Back Better ” plan and said that he ’ d be “ laying out the sharp contrast ” between his plan and Trump ’ s “ non-plans ” over the next three weeks .
“ I ’ ll be asking the American people three basic questions : Who can handle the pandemic ?
Who can keep their promises ?
And who cares about , and will fight for , working families ?
” Biden said .
The Democrat ’ s speech came several @ @ @ @ @ @ @ monthly jobs report that showed unemployment had dropped from 10.2 percent to 8.4 percent in August , but also that job growth had slowed from the previous month .
Watch him speak below below :

Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden on Friday accused President Donald Trump of being apathetic toward the economic hardships millions of Americans are suffering due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Donald Trump’s malpractice during this pandemic has made being a working American a life or death work,” Biden declared in his speech on the flailing economy.
The former vice president ripped Trump’s aggressive push for the country to reopen without providing health guidance or economic protections for workers.
Biden also noted that although unemployment rate dropped in August, “the economic pain remains unrelenting for millions of working people of every race and background that aren’t getting the relief they need.”
“The painful truth is we just have a president that just doesn’t see it. He doesn’t feel it. He doesn’t understand,” Biden said. “He just doesn’t care.”
“He thinks that if the stock market is up, then everything’s fine. If his wealthy friends and donors are doing well, then everything is doing well,” the candidate continued.
Near the end of the speech, Biden briefly mentioned his “Build Back Better” plan and said that he’d be “laying out the sharp contrast” between his plan and Trump’s “non-plans” over the next three weeks.
“I’ll be asking the American people three basic questions: Who can handle the pandemic? Who can keep their promises? And who cares about, and will fight for, working families?” Biden said.
The Democrat’s speech came several hours after the Labor Department released a monthly jobs report that showed unemployment had dropped from 10.2 percent to 8.4 percent in August, but also that job growth had slowed from the previous month.
Watch him speak below below:


talkingpointsmemo--2020-09-04--Trump-Endorsed QAnon Candidate Shows Off Gun, Encourages ‘Offense’ Against ‘The Squad’

GOP House candidate and QAnon supporter Marjorie Taylor Greene ( GA ) on Friday defended a threatening photo she posted to Facebook a day before that shows her with a gun and suggested she wanted to “ go on the offense ” seemingly against three Democratic congresswomen .
“ Nothing scares the radical left more than a free thinking , gun-toting , conservative woman , ” Greene wrote in a tweet Friday .
The widely-criticized and now-removed photo had featured the congressional hopeful wielding an AR-15 in a doctored picture standing beside Democratic “ Squad ” members Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez @ @ @ @ @ @ @ MI ) and Rep. Ilhan Omar ( MN ) .
Captioned above the photo Greene had reportedly written that America needed “ strong conservative Christians ” to “ go on the offense against these socialists who want to rip our country apart.
” Earlier on Friday , Omar said the GOP candidate ’ s photo was “ incitement ” and demanded Facebook remove what she said was “ violent provocation.
” “ Posting a photo with an assault rifle next to the faces of three women of color is not advertising .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” There are already death threats in response to this post .
Facebook should remove this violent provocation.
” In a series of tweets following the incident , Greene dialed up her attack , saying she would raffle off the weapon to supporters who donated to her campaign .
Greene ’ s campaign told Forbes that anyone who took issue with the graphic is “ paranoid and ridiculous.
” The FBI has labeled QAnon as a potential domestic terrorist threat .
Greene is among a cohort of supporters that Trump has repeatedly praised @ @ @ @ @ @ @ GOP primary win last month , calling her “ a future Republican star.
” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-CA ) taking the apparent call-to-arms as a provocation , separately called on Republicans on Twitter to “ immediately condemn this dangerous threat of violence against Democratic Congresswomen .
”

GOP House candidate and QAnon supporter Marjorie Taylor Greene (GA) on Friday defended a threatening photo she posted to Facebook a day before that shows her with a gun and suggested she wanted to “go on the offense” seemingly against three Democratic congresswomen.
“Nothing scares the radical left more than a free thinking, gun-toting, conservative woman,” Greene wrote in a tweet Friday.
The widely-criticized and now-removed photo had featured the congressional hopeful wielding an AR-15 in a doctored picture standing beside Democratic “Squad” members Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez (NY), Rashida Tlaib (MI) and Rep. Ilhan Omar (MN).
“Hate American leftists,” Greene wrote.
Captioned above the photo Greene had reportedly written that America needed “strong conservative Christians” to “go on the offense against these socialists who want to rip our country apart.”
Hate America leftists want to take this country down … Politicians have failed this country. I’m tired of seeing… Posted by Marjorie Taylor Greene for Congress on Thursday, September 3, 2020
Earlier on Friday, Omar said the GOP candidate’s photo was “incitement” and demanded Facebook remove what she said was “violent provocation.”
“Posting a photo with an assault rifle next to the faces of three women of color is not advertising. It’s incitement,” Omar tweeted.”There are already death threats in response to this post. Facebook should remove this violent provocation.”
In a series of tweets following the incident, Greene dialed up her attack, saying she would raffle off the weapon to supporters who donated to her campaign.
Greene’s campaign told Forbes that anyone who took issue with the graphic is “paranoid and ridiculous.”
The FBI has labeled QAnon as a potential domestic terrorist threat. Greene is among a cohort of supporters that Trump has repeatedly praised. The President congratulated Greene on her GOP primary win last month, calling her “a future Republican star.”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) taking the apparent call-to-arms as a provocation, separately called on Republicans on Twitter to “immediately condemn this dangerous threat of violence against Democratic Congresswomen.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-09-04--Biden Slams Trump’s Obsession With Conspiracy Theories: ‘What In God’s Name Are We Doing?’

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden on Friday afternoon swiped at President Donald Trump ’ s penchant for outlandish conspiracy theories , including his embrace of the infamous QAnon conspiracy theory .
During a Q & A with the press , Biden described the QAnon conspiracy theory , which alleges that Trump is on a secret mission to take down a satanic cabal of pedophiles powered by the global elite , as “ totally bizarre.
” The presidential hopeful also jabbed at Trump ’ s evidence-free claim that there was a plane “ almost completely loaded with thugs ” wearing “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to disrupt the Republican National Convention ( RNC ) last week .
“ Anybody found that plane ?
” Biden asked .
“ What in God ’ s name are we doing ?
Look at how it makes us look around the world .
It ’ s mortifying .
It ’ s embarrassing .
And it ’ s dangerous.
” “ If the President doesn ’ t know better , which he has to know better , then my Lord , we ’ re in much more trouble than I ever thought @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden on Friday afternoon swiped at President Donald Trump’s penchant for outlandish conspiracy theories, including his embrace of the infamous QAnon conspiracy theory.
During a Q&A with the press, Biden described the QAnon conspiracy theory, which alleges that Trump is on a secret mission to take down a satanic cabal of pedophiles powered by the global elite, as “totally bizarre.”
The presidential hopeful also jabbed at Trump’s evidence-free claim that there was a plane “almost completely loaded with thugs” wearing “black uniforms with gear” that was going to disrupt the Republican National Convention (RNC) last week.
“Anybody found that plane?” Biden asked. “What in God’s name are we doing? Look at how it makes us look around the world. It’s mortifying. It’s embarrassing. And it’s dangerous.”
“If the President doesn’t know better, which he has to know better, then my Lord, we’re in much more trouble than I ever thought we were,” he added.
Watch Biden below:


talkingpointsmemo--2020-09-04--‘Disgusting!’: A Fiery Biden Tears Into Trump Over ‘Losers’ Remarks About Troops, McCain

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said Friday that he has never been “ as disappointed ” in his nearly half-century career in politics as he was when he learned of President Donald Trump ’ s remarks about troops .
Biden condemned President Trump over his reported comments about fallen American soldiers in the opening remarks of a speech he delivered at an event in Wilmington , Delaware that centered on his economic platform .
He called Trump ’ s alleged comments about troops “ disgusting ” and suggested Trump apologize to families who have lost loved ones overseas .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the military .
“ Let me be real clear , when my son was an Assistant U.S. Attorney and he volunteered to go to Kosovo while the war was going on as a civilian , he wasn ’ t a sucker .
When my son volunteered and joined the United States military as the attorney general and went to Iraq for a year , won the bronze star and other commendations , he wasn ’ t a sucker , ” he said .
“ The servicemen and women he served with , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , were not losers .
If these statements are true , the President should humbly apologize to every Gold Star mother and father and every Blue Star family that he ’ s denigrated and insulted .
Who the heck does he think he is ?
” Biden chastised Trump for criticizing the “ backbone of America ” when asked after his speech about what he made of an article published in The Atlantic , that cited disparaging comments made by President Trump about American troops .
The Atlantic reported that Trump in 2018 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fucking loser ” and derided fallen marines who were killed in the Battle of Belleau Wood as “ suckers.
” “ These folks are the backbone of America , ” Biden said .
“ They ’ re the heart , the soul , the grit .
That ’ s what patriotism is about .
I ’ ve probably — I ’ ve just never been as disappointed in my whole career with a leader that I ’ ve worked with , President or otherwise , ” Biden said that if the article is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ based on comments the President has made — “ it is absolutely damnable .
It is a disgrace .
”

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said Friday that he has never been “as disappointed” in his nearly half-century career in politics as he was when he learned of President Donald Trump’s remarks about troops.
Biden condemned President Trump over his reported comments about fallen American soldiers in the opening remarks of a speech he delivered at an event in Wilmington, Delaware that centered on his economic platform. He called Trump’s alleged comments about troops “disgusting” and suggested Trump apologize to families who have lost loved ones overseas. He also invoked his son’s service in the military.
“Let me be real clear, when my son was an Assistant U.S. Attorney and he volunteered to go to Kosovo while the war was going on as a civilian, he wasn’t a sucker. When my son volunteered and joined the United States military as the attorney general and went to Iraq for a year, won the bronze star and other commendations, he wasn’t a sucker,” he said. “The servicemen and women he served with, particularly those who did not come home, were not losers. If these statements are true, the President should humbly apologize to every Gold Star mother and father and every Blue Star family that he’s denigrated and insulted. Who the heck does he think he is?”
Biden: Trump's remarks about military members are "disgusting." "Who the heck does he think he is?" pic.twitter.com/MnRugmYJd1 — TPM Livewire (@TPMLiveWire) September 4, 2020
Biden chastised Trump for criticizing the “backbone of America” when asked after his speech about what he made of an article published in The Atlantic, that cited disparaging comments made by President Trump about American troops. The Atlantic reported that Trump in 2018 called late Senator John McCain a “fucking loser” and derided fallen marines who were killed in the Battle of Belleau Wood as “suckers.”
“These folks are the backbone of America,” Biden said. “They’re the heart, the soul, the grit. That’s what patriotism is about. I’ve probably — I’ve just never been as disappointed in my whole career with a leader that I’ve worked with, President or otherwise,” Biden said that if the article is true — as it appears to be based on comments the President has made — “it is absolutely damnable. It is a disgrace.”