buzzfeed--2020-11-21--One In Three Americans Didn't Vote. Should We Force Them To Next Time?

Advocates for compulsory voting in the US are looking for a state to be an electoral guinea pig .
They said forcing everyone to vote would fix a lot of problems .
The 2020 election ( finally ) ended this month , with voters handing Joe Biden the presidency and breaking a huge record in the process : the highest turnout in a US election since 1908 .
Over 22 million more Americans voted in 2020 than in 2016 , following massive get-out-the-vote campaigns by both sides , expanded early and absentee voting due to the coronavirus pandemic , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that served as a political awakening for many voters .
That historic turnout ?
Still just about two-thirds of eligible voters .
Voter turnout has never been America ’ s strong suit .
The US , which talks a big game about the democratic process , typically manages to have just over half of its eligible voters participating in presidential elections .
In midterm elections and local races , turnout tends to be even lower .
As Americans reflect on the 2020 election , many are now considering ways to reform the voting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exist ?
Should Election Day be a federal holiday ?
What can we do to stamp out voter suppression that accounts , in part , for low participation rates ?
But fewer Americans are asking a question that has already been answered by more than 20 countries around the world , including Australia , Belgium , and Brazil : What if we were required to turn up at the polls ?
A group of more than 20 election scholars and voting rights advocates have this year been urging Americans to think about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ group , led by the Brookings Institution and Harvard University ’ s Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation , put out a report in July making the case for what they more palatably refer to as “ universal civic duty voting.
” Their hope is that as more Americans consider ways the voting system may more accurately reflect the country ’ s makeup , compulsory voting — and all the reforms that would likely come with it — may start to look attractive .
“ Compulsory voting says that every person ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s perspective matters , and that everyone has a right to representation in a representative form of government , ” said Janai S. Nelson , the associate director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and a coauthor of the report .
Advocates for compulsory voting know they have a long way to go before it could ever become a national reality , but they ’ re hoping it could be tried out on a smaller scale first .
Now that the election is over , they ’ re speaking with local elected officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ groups to see who might be willing to be the country ’ s compulsory voting guinea pig .
They ’ re also planning to pen a model bill to show how it could work in practice nationwide .
“ The hope is not that the United States of America tomorrow morning is going to adopt this , ” said E.J .
Dionne , a Georgetown University professor of government , Washington Post columnist , and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution , “ but we do hope that cities , counties , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and perhaps adopt it experimentally , the way , say , Maine has adopted instant runoffs.
” Most advocates for compulsory voting tend to look to Australia , where voting has been mandatory since 1924 .
Because every Australian over 18 must participate , the voting process is made quite easy ; voter registration can be completed online , Election Day is on a Saturday , and voters can vote at whatever polling site in their state or territory they choose .
Not to mention , voting is a pretty fun community experience @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Australians will purchase a celebratory sausage wrapped in bread , affectionately known as a “ democracy sausage , ” or a baked good from a nearby vendor who is usually fundraising for a local school .
Australia ’ s system ( democracy sausages included , one would hope ) may be a strong model for what compulsory voting could look like in the US , according to former Connecticut secretary of state Miles Rapoport , now a senior practice fellow at the Ash Center and another coauthor of the report .
“ No @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a piece of totalitarian coercion , ” he said .
“ It is simply part of the culture.
” But Australia and the US are different countries , of course .
Many Americans have a deeply felt historic and cultural attachment to concepts of freedom and liberty that shape their view of government .
Would they ever get on board with the government forcing them to show up to the polls ?
Advocates say it becomes easier to imagine compulsory voting in the US when you consider the many things the government already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jury duty , pay taxes , and educate their children .
“ We ’ re required as a matter of civic duty to serve on juries , and the reason for that is that we want the jury pool to reflect the population as a whole , ” said Rapoport .
“ I think the exact same logic applies to voting — we should want everyone to vote so the decisions made in the voting booth genuinely reflect the population as a whole .
When you have turnouts of 50 % or 60 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ getting the consent of all the governed.
” Experts say perhaps the greatest benefit in making voting mandatory is how it would likely force lawmakers to remove many barriers to participation that lead to widespread voter suppression .
Such measures took many forms in the leadup to the 2020 election : More than 21,000 polling places were closed nationwide , Texas shuttered all but one mail-in ballot drop-off site per county , Georgia purged its voter rolls , and more than 5 million people were barred from voting due to a felony conviction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he could to sow fear and confusion around voting , provoking distrust in mail-in voting and urging his supporters to “ watch ” polling places — prompting some of them to show up with guns , intimidating voters .
All these actions disproportionately make voting harder for younger voters and people of color and overrepresent older Americans in the political process .
During the 2014 midterm elections , 67-year-old voters had more than six times the voting influence of 18-year-olds , Anthony Fowler , a public policy professor at the University of Chicago @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ These disparities may partly explain why elected officials in the United States are , on average , older and wealthier than the populations they represent and why the policies they support often fail to reflect the preferences of their constituents , ” Fowler wrote .
Making voting mandatory would put the onus on the government to make voting as accessible as possible , said Nelson with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund .
“ I think it trains our focus on any state apparatus that impedes the ability of particular groups to vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everyone is compelled to turn out , you ’ d see a barrier that ’ s impeding certain groups from complying with a mandate , and others don ’ t have that same obstacle.
” Though compulsory voting has yet to become a widely discussed public issue , it did get one big vote of confidence in 2015 : when then-president Barack Obama said it would be “ transformative if everybody voted.
” `` The people who tend not to vote are young .
They 're lower income .
They 're skewed more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Obama said at a town hall event in Cleveland .
`` There 's a reason why some folks try to keep them away from the polls . ''
During this year ’ s election , there were huge efforts by politicians and celebrities to promote the importance of voting .
Both Trump and Biden described the election as the most important vote in US history , creating a sense of urgency around heading to the polls .
But there were other factors unique to 2020 that contributed to the huge turnout @ @ @ @ @ @ @ University professor .
“ We had an enormous increase in turnout this year , ” Dionne said .
“ Now , some of that was that people on all sides of politics understood how high the stakes were in this election , but I believe another reason is that we made it easier for people to vote due to the pandemic .
The number of people who were able to cast mail ballots was exponentially larger than we ’ ve ever had.
” Advocates argue solidifying voting as a part of American culture @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that help get more people into the voting booth , such as expanding absentee voting , increasing the number of polling sites , establishing automatic voter registration , and making Election Day a federal holiday .
But it could also help people become more informed voters , said Rapoport , the former Connecticut secretary of state .
“ If you ’ re a principal of a high school or a superintendent , and every 18-year-old was required to vote , would that make you more likely to do civic education as part of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” said Rapoport .
“ If you ’ re an employer , and every one of your employees was required to vote , would that make you likely to give them time off to participate ?
I think it would.
” This hints at one of the most common objections to compulsory voting : the rather crass assumption that nonvoters are uneducated and ill-informed on politics , and therefore are better off not voting .
Nelson of the NAACP unequivocally rejected that argument , calling it “ fully disingenuous.
” “ If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who aren ’ t educated , their focus should be on education and not the right to vote , ” said Nelson .
In Australia , voter turnout has been well over 90 % since voting was made mandatory , according to the Australian Electoral Commission .
Eligible voters who do not vote are subject to a $ 20 fine , which can be waived if a “ valid and sufficient ” excuse is provided .
In some of the other countries where voting is compulsory , including Costa Rica and Greece , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , leading to lower turnout .
US compulsory voting advocates mostly want to follow Australia ’ s lead and levy a minimal penalty at most for those who don ’ t show up to vote — a very low fee or small community service commitment , which could also be waived for legitimate excuses .
But some are instead advocating for incentives instead of penalties , such as voters being entered into a lottery .
“ Our first and foremost concern is not to burden African American voters any more than they have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ present day .
So we have taken great pains to consider the idea of compulsory voting ... in ways that will not replicate the racial disparities that we fight so hard against , ” said Nelson .
“ Knowing about the overcriminalization of communities of color , will this provide another penalty or another area of prosecution that will be placed upon these communities ?
That is something we are against and have thought about very carefully.
” Opponents of compulsory voting in the US argue requiring it would constitute compelled speech , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advocates contend that no one would , in fact , be forced to place a vote .
They would simply be required to turn up at their polling place on Election Day .
This measure would also allow people who do not vote for religious reasons , such as Jehovah ’ s Witnesses , to comply with their faith .
“ People use the term compulsory voting because it ’ s a simple term , but under these systems , no one is actually obligated to vote for anyone , ” said Dionne @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You can cast a blank ballot .
You can draw Mickey Mouse on your ballot .
You do whatever you choose to do.
” Experts also believe that compulsory voting would improve the quality of campaigns , so that candidates and parties could focus entirely on spreading the word about what policies they stand for — not just galvanizing their base to show up to the polls in the first place .
“ Campaigns now , as you saw in 2020 , are frantic races for one party or one candidate to turn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the worst-case scenario , to depress the turnout of the other team , ” said Rapoport .
“ If everyone is required to vote , then everyone is listening .
Campaigns will not need to spend anywhere near the amount of time or money turning out the vote , but they will have to spend time and money convincing everybody that the ideas on which they ’ re running are the better ideas.
” Some assume compulsory voting would disproportionately benefit the left by getting younger , low-income , and more racially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jason Brennan , a public policy professor at Georgetown , said research does not indicate that making voting mandatory would significantly change the results of any given election , the way abolishing the Electoral College in favor of the popular vote would in all likelihood give Democrats an advantage .
“ Surprisingly , nonvoters are fairly evenly split in their behavior , so it might not really help one party over the other that much , ” Brennan said .
Brennan is not in favor of compulsory voting , as he does not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if implemented .
“ People promise all sorts of benefits from compulsory voting — they say it will bring the country together , it will increase moderation and decrease polarization , usually they say it ’ ll help their party win more seats , ” Brennan said .
“ I think if we have strong evidence that it did some of that , I think it would be worth talking about whether we should talk about it , but the evidence isn ’ t really there.
” But , for Rapoport , Dionne @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the goal of compulsory voting is not to impact who wins — it ’ s to ensure the most possible people can have their voices heard .
“ The point is not to change outcomes .
To the contrary , we ’ re not proposing this because we think it will help one party or another , ” he said .
“ I think the point is in the democratic impulse itself — that this will encourage the fullest participation , and whether that changes the outcome or not is not central to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did see in 2020 is that higher turnout does not necessarily favor one party , ” said Dionne .
“ More Democratic voters came out , and more Republican voters came out , and we think that ’ s a good thing .
”

The 2020 election (finally) ended this month, with voters handing Joe Biden the presidency and breaking a huge record in the process: the highest turnout in a US election since 1908.
Over 22 million more Americans voted in 2020 than in 2016, following massive get-out-the-vote campaigns by both sides, expanded early and absentee voting due to the coronavirus pandemic, a nonstop news cycle, and a year that served as a political awakening for many voters.
That historic turnout? Still just about two-thirds of eligible voters.
Voter turnout has never been America’s strong suit. The US, which talks a big game about the democratic process, typically manages to have just over half of its eligible voters participating in presidential elections. In midterm elections and local races, turnout tends to be even lower.
As Americans reflect on the 2020 election, many are now considering ways to reform the voting process: Should the Electoral College still exist? Should Election Day be a federal holiday? What can we do to stamp out voter suppression that accounts, in part, for low participation rates?
But fewer Americans are asking a question that has already been answered by more than 20 countries around the world, including Australia, Belgium, and Brazil: What if we were required to turn up at the polls?
A group of more than 20 election scholars and voting rights advocates have this year been urging Americans to think about the benefits of adopting compulsory voting. The group, led by the Brookings Institution and Harvard University’s Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, put out a report in July making the case for what they more palatably refer to as “universal civic duty voting.” Their hope is that as more Americans consider ways the voting system may more accurately reflect the country’s makeup, compulsory voting — and all the reforms that would likely come with it — may start to look attractive.
“Compulsory voting says that every person’s vote matters, every person’s perspective matters, and that everyone has a right to representation in a representative form of government,” said Janai S. Nelson, the associate director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and a coauthor of the report.
Advocates for compulsory voting know they have a long way to go before it could ever become a national reality, but they’re hoping it could be tried out on a smaller scale first. Now that the election is over, they’re speaking with local elected officials, state legislatures, and civil rights groups to see who might be willing to be the country’s compulsory voting guinea pig. They’re also planning to pen a model bill to show how it could work in practice nationwide.
“The hope is not that the United States of America tomorrow morning is going to adopt this,” said E.J. Dionne, a Georgetown University professor of government, Washington Post columnist, and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, “but we do hope that cities, counties, states would take a look at this and perhaps adopt it experimentally, the way, say, Maine has adopted instant runoffs.”


buzzfeed--2020-11-22--People Are Revealing The Tips, Tricks, And Habits They Turn To When They're Feeling Overwhelmed

`` I build these fantasies in my head over time — generally based on a book , TV show , @ @ @ @ @ into lately — and then when I 'm feeling anxious , I add details to @ @ @ @ @ it started when I was a teenager and was into American Idol .
I created @ @ @ @ @ sort of me but better looking , with a really good voice , and with @ @ @ @ @ .
Over time , I would imagine different parts of the journey : where did @ @ @ @ @ I wear , what song did I sing , what did each judge say to @ @ @ @ @ I get tired of one of these storylines that I 've built out for myself @ @ @ @ @ to a new one .
Maybe next time I 'll get 'discovered ' by a @ @ @ @ @ in the lead of one of my favorite movies . ''

10.
Use the 5-4-3-2-1 technique . First, focus on five things you can see around you, then four things you can feel. Next, name three things you can hear, and notice two things you can smell. Finally, focus on one thing you can taste (or think about a taste you enjoy).


buzzfeed--2020-11-22--This Woman's Explainer On Why The 8-Hour Workday Is Tragically Outdated Is Going Viral

Emily explains , `` Ford established the eight-hour workday in the early 1900s .
He established eight hours work , @ @ @ @ @ hours sleep , and then start that over again .
We went wrong in two @ @ @ @ @ that Ford worked in manufacturing , which means someone standing somewhere for eight hours doing @ @ @ @ @ yield a certain amount of productivity .
We have rolled over this eight-hour framework into @ @ @ @ @ not make sense .
There are so many industries that are project-based where you do @ @ @ @ @ and by just having someone keep themselves busy for eight hours , you 're losing @ @ @ @ @

Emily explains, "Ford established the eight-hour workday in the early 1900s. He established eight hours work, eight hours rest, eight hours sleep, and then start that over again. We went wrong in two places. The first is that Ford worked in manufacturing, which means someone standing somewhere for eight hours doing approximately the same task does yield a certain amount of productivity. We have rolled over this eight-hour framework into industries where it just does not make sense. There are so many industries that are project-based where you don't need eight hours, and by just having someone keep themselves busy for eight hours, you're losing so much productivity."


buzzfeed--2020-11-22--A Judge Demolished The Trump Campaign’s Effort To Undo Biden’s Win In Pennsylvania And Push Fraud Co

A Judge Demolished The Trump Campaign’s Effort To Undo Biden’s Win In Pennsylvania And Push Fraud Conspiracies

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Saturday night faced one of his biggest legal setbacks to date in a three-week period defined by repeat court losses , with a federal judge rejecting his effort to stop Pennsylvania from certifying President-elect Joe Biden as the state ’ s winner .
The Pennsylvania ruling was the latest failed attempt by Trump and his supporters to translate baseless theories of widespread voter fraud into winning legal arguments and pursue an overarching legal strategy that could actually change the results of the election .
Trump has yet to meaningfully change vote tallies in any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to court so far .
US District Judge Matthew Brann , who sits in Williamsport , Pennsylvania , painstakingly picked apart the Trump campaign ’ s lawsuit in his 37-page opinion .
He found the campaign ’ s arguments unclear and hard to thread together , at one point comparing them to “ Frankenstein ’ s monster.
” He wrote that the campaign failed to clear the critical first hurdle of having standing to bring the case at all , and that even if they had done so , they ’ d @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unconstitutionally violated voting rights .
Brann wrote that in asking the court to undo millions of legally cast votes , he would expect a plaintiff to “ come formidably armed with compelling legal arguments and factual proof of rampant corruption.
” However , he continued , “ that has not happened.
” “ [ T ] his Court has been presented with strained legal arguments without merit and speculative accusations , unpled in the operative complaint and unsupported by evidence , ” Brann wrote .
“ In the United States of America , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a single voter , let alone all the voters of its sixth most populated state .
Our people , laws , and institutions demand more.
” Rudy Giuliani and Jenna Ellis , two lawyers leading the Trump campaign ’ s post-election legal efforts , attempted to spin the loss as a win , saying in a statement that it would help them move more quickly towards getting the US Supreme Court involved .
Trump has longed pushed the idea that the Supreme Court will decide the election , but there ’ s no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a case like the one he ’ s pursuing in Pennsylvania — unlike in 2000 , when the court stepped in because the election hinged on one state , Florida , where a specific number of ballots were at issue , Trump would have to flip multiple states to reverse Biden ’ s victory .
Giuliani and Ellis said the campaign would file for an emergency appeal in the US Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit , and then petition the Supreme Court if they lost again .
They also tried to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that he was nominated by former president Barack Obama , but Republican Sen. Pat Toomey released a statement after the ruling that described Brann as a “ longtime conservative Republican ” ; Brann was a compromise nominee by the Obama administration .
Trump , his lawyers , and his Republican supporters have pushed false claims that the election was tainted by widespread and pervasive fraud because many states expanded mail-in voting during the coronavirus pandemic .
However , as Giuliani was forced to admit at a hearing last week before Brann , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Pennsylvania didn ’ t feature a specific claim for fraud .
Instead , the campaign shoehorned fraud theories into claims that Pennsylvania election officials unconstitutionally gave counties a choice in deciding whether to let voters “ cure ” defective absentee ballots .
The campaign ’ s co-plaintiffs were two Pennsylvania voters whose ballots were cancelled — one didn ’ t put his ballot in a special secrecy envelope , and the other didn ’ t know the reason .
They each lived in counties that decided to not give voters a chance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cancelling them , and they argued that it was unfair that Pennsylvanians in other counties , like Philadelphia , had a way to save their votes .
In the original version of the complaint , the campaign also lodged claims that its poll watchers were unconstitutionally denied access to watch ballot counting , but the campaign filed an amended lawsuit that cut those counts after an appeals court decision in another case undercut their legal theory .
Giuliani , who only formally entered an appearance in the case last week after two sets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to file a third version of the complaint that revived arguments that had been cut , but Brann declined to let him do that .
Brann noted that despite only being filed two weeks ago , the case already had a “ tortured procedural history.
” The version of the lawsuit that the judge ruled on in Saturday ’ s opinion featured two counts , down from seven in the original complaint — one alleging that the fact that some counties allowed voters to “ cure ” deficient absentee ballots and other counties @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rights under the US Constitution , and one alleging that Pennsylvania election officials ran afoul of the state legislature ’ s authority to run elections under the Constitution ’ s Electors and Elections Clauses .
As Brann noted in Saturday ’ s opinion , the campaign conceded that a recent decision in a different case before the 3rd Circuit made clear that only the state legislature could sue under the Electors and Election Clauses , so the campaign no longer had standing ; the campaign said they would leave it in the complaint @ @ @ @ @ @ @ left the equal protection claim .
Brann described the Trump campaign ’ s construction of this claim as being “ like Frankenstein ’ s Monster , ” explaining that the campaign had “ haphazardly stitched together ” different legal theories to try to avoid legal precedent that would undermine it .
The sweeping argument that it was unconstitutional for Pennsylvania to let counties decide if they wanted to offer a “ notice and cure ” process was barred by the 3rd Circuit ’ s recent decision in another election-related case .
On the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the campaign had also tried to squeeze in a narrower claim that the two voters serving as individual plaintiffs had standing because they were harmed by the county-by-county approach because their votes were , in fact , cancelled .
Brann wrote that the campaign had essentially made two separate equal protection claims , not one — but even analyzing the lawsuit that way still couldn ’ t save it , he concluded , because none of the plaintiffs had standing .
Brann wrote that the problem for the two individual plaintiffs was that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who they named as the defendant , wasn ’ t responsible for their votes being cancelled .
The relief they were asking for from the court — to stop Pennsylvania from certifying the results statewide — also wouldn ’ t change their situation , the judge wrote .
“ Prohibiting certification of the election results would not reinstate the Individual Plaintiffs ’ right to vote , ” Brann wrote .
“ It would simply deny more than 6.8 million people their right to vote.
” The Trump campaign ’ s argument for why @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was “ particularly nebulous , ” Brann wrote , explaining that the lawyers hadn ’ t clearly stated what the campaign ’ s injury was , so he had to do his own analysis of each of the cases cited by the campaign to “ piece together ” the theory .
The judge found that the campaign ’ s interests were different from those of voters — knocking down their argument for what ’ s known as “ associational standing ” — and that they weren ’ t claiming that an ineligible candidate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their argument for what ’ s known as “ competitive standing.
” Brann found that the campaign ’ s equal protection argument would fail even if they had standing to sue .
In looking at whether Pennsylvania had placed a burden on individuals ’ right to vote , the judge wrote that the fact that some counties decided to give voters a chance to save their ballots expanded the right to vote — and that did not burden the voting rights of Pennsylvanians who weren ’ t given that same choice by their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the campaign failed to back up its theory that state election officials somehow specially arranged for Democratic-leaning counties to adopt a “ notice and cure ” process for absentee ballots .
He also found that the campaign failed to support its theory that poll watchers representing Trump were treated differently from observers representing Biden .
Claims that Trump poll observers were denied access to watch ballots being counted in cities and states that Biden won have been a cornerstone of his post-election efforts to undermine Biden ’ s win .
But the campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in courts across the country with that theory .
Even if Trump ’ s campaign or the individual voters could prove their case , the judge rejected the idea that the court should then toss out every vote in Pennsylvania .
“ Plaintiffs seek to remedy the denial of their votes by invalidating the votes of millions of others .
Rather than requesting that their votes be counted , they seek to discredit scores of other votes , but only for one race , ” Brann wrote .
“ This is simply not @ @ @ @ @ @

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Saturday night faced one of his biggest legal setbacks to date in a three-week period defined by repeat court losses, with a federal judge rejecting his effort to stop Pennsylvania from certifying President-elect Joe Biden as the state’s winner.
The Pennsylvania ruling was the latest failed attempt by Trump and his supporters to translate baseless theories of widespread voter fraud into winning legal arguments and pursue an overarching legal strategy that could actually change the results of the election. Trump has yet to meaningfully change vote tallies in any of the states that Biden won by going to court so far.
US District Judge Matthew Brann, who sits in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, painstakingly picked apart the Trump campaign’s lawsuit in his 37-page opinion. He found the campaign’s arguments unclear and hard to thread together, at one point comparing them to “Frankenstein’s Monster.” He wrote that the campaign failed to clear the critical first hurdle of having standing to bring the case at all, and that even if it had done so, it had failed to prove that Pennsylvania election officials unconstitutionally violated voting rights.
Brann wrote that in asking the court to undo millions of legally cast votes, he would expect a plaintiff to “come formidably armed with compelling legal arguments and factual proof of rampant corruption.” However, he continued, “that has not happened.”
“[T]his Court has been presented with strained legal arguments without merit and speculative accusations, unpled in the operative complaint and unsupported by evidence,” Brann wrote. “In the United States of America, this cannot justify the disenfranchisement of a single voter, let alone all the voters of its sixth most populated state. Our people, laws, and institutions demand more.”
Rudy Giuliani and Jenna Ellis, two lawyers leading the Trump campaign’s postelection legal efforts, attempted to spin the loss as a win, saying in a statement that it would help them move more quickly toward getting the US Supreme Court involved. Trump has longed pushed the idea that the Supreme Court will decide the election, but there’s no guarantee the justices would agree to take a case like the one he’s pursuing in Pennsylvania — unlike in 2000, when the court stepped in because the election hinged on one state, Florida, where a specific number of ballots were at issue, Trump would have to flip multiple states to reverse Biden’s victory.
Giuliani and Ellis said the campaign would file for an emergency appeal in the US Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit, and then petition the Supreme Court if it lost again. It also tried to undermine Brann’s credibility by noting that he was nominated by former president Barack Obama, but Republican Sen. Pat Toomey released a statement after the ruling that described Brann as a “longtime conservative Republican”; Brann was a compromise nominee by the Obama administration.
Trump, his lawyers, and his Republican supporters have pushed false claims that the election was tainted by widespread and pervasive fraud because many states expanded mail-in voting during the coronavirus pandemic. However, as Giuliani was forced to admit at a hearing last week before Brann, the campaign’s lawsuit in federal court in Pennsylvania didn’t feature a specific claim for fraud.
Instead, the campaign shoehorned fraud theories into claims that Pennsylvania election officials unconstitutionally gave counties a choice in deciding whether to let voters “cure” defective absentee ballots. The campaign’s coplaintiffs were two Pennsylvania voters whose ballots were canceled — one didn’t put his ballot in a special secrecy envelope, and the other didn’t know the reason. They each lived in counties that decided to not give voters a chance to “cure” ballot deficiencies before canceling them, and they argued that it was unfair that Pennsylvanians in other counties, like Philadelphia, had a way to save their votes.
In the original version of the complaint, the campaign also lodged claims that its poll watchers were unconstitutionally denied access to watch ballot counting, but the campaign filed an amended lawsuit that cut those counts after an appeals court decision in another case undercut their legal theory.
Giuliani, who only formally entered an appearance in the case last week after two sets of lawyers had dropped out, attempted to file a third version of the complaint that revived arguments that had been cut, but Brann declined to let him do that. Brann noted that despite only being filed two weeks ago, the case already had a “tortured procedural history.”
The version of the lawsuit that the judge ruled on in Saturday’s opinion featured two counts, down from seven in the original complaint — one alleging that the fact that some counties allowed voters to “cure” deficient absentee ballots and other counties did not violated voters’ equal protection rights under the US Constitution, and one alleging that Pennsylvania election officials ran afoul of the state legislature’s authority to run elections under the Constitution’s Electors and Elections Clauses.
As Brann noted in Saturday’s opinion, the campaign conceded that a recent decision in a different case before the 3rd Circuit made clear that only the state legislature could sue under the Electors and Election Clauses, so the campaign no longer had standing; the campaign said it would leave it in the complaint to appeal that issue later.
That left the equal protection claim. Brann described the Trump campaign’s construction of this claim as being “like Frankenstein’s Monster,” explaining that the campaign had “haphazardly stitched together” different legal theories to try to avoid legal precedent that would undermine it. The sweeping argument that it was unconstitutional for Pennsylvania to let counties decide if they wanted to offer a “notice and cure” process was barred by the 3rd Circuit’s recent decision in another election-related case.
On the other hand, the judge wrote, the campaign had also tried to squeeze in a narrower claim that the two voters serving as individual plaintiffs had standing because they were harmed by the county-by-county approach because their votes were, in fact, canceled. Brann wrote that the campaign had essentially made two separate equal protection claims, not one — but even analyzing the lawsuit that way still couldn’t save it, he concluded, because none of the plaintiffs had standing.
Brann wrote that the problem for the two individual plaintiffs was that Pennsylvania Secretary of State Kathleen Boockvar, who they named as the defendant, wasn’t responsible for their votes being canceled. The relief they were asking for from the court — to stop Pennsylvania from certifying the results statewide — also wouldn’t change their situation, the judge wrote.
“Prohibiting certification of the election results would not reinstate the Individual Plaintiffs’ right to vote,” Brann wrote. “It would simply deny more than 6.8 million people their right to vote.”
The Trump campaign’s argument for why it had standing to bring the case was “particularly nebulous,” Brann wrote, explaining that the lawyers hadn’t clearly stated what the campaign’s injury was, so he had to do his own analysis of each of the cases cited by the campaign to “piece together” the theory. The judge found that the campaign’s interests were different from those of voters — knocking down their argument for what’s known as “associational standing” — and that it wasn't claiming that an ineligible candidate was on the ballot — knocking down their argument for what’s known as “competitive standing.”
Brann found that the campaign’s equal protection argument would fail even if it had standing to sue. In looking at whether Pennsylvania had placed a burden on individuals’ right to vote, the judge wrote that the fact that some counties decided to give voters a chance to save their ballots expanded the right to vote — and that did not burden the voting rights of Pennsylvanians who weren’t given that same choice by their county election officials.
The judge found the campaign failed to back up its theory that state election officials somehow specially arranged for Democratic-leaning counties to adopt a “notice and cure” process for absentee ballots. He also found that the campaign failed to support its theory that poll watchers representing Trump were treated differently from observers representing Biden.
Claims that Trump poll observers were denied access to watch ballots being counted in cities and states that Biden won have been a cornerstone of his post-election efforts to undermine Biden’s win. But the campaign has failed to make any real headway in courts across the country with that theory.
Even if Trump’s campaign or the individual voters could prove their case, the judge rejected the idea that the court should then toss out every vote in Pennsylvania.
“Plaintiffs seek to remedy the denial of their votes by invalidating the votes of millions of others. Rather than requesting that their votes be counted, they seek to discredit scores of other votes, but only for one race,” Brann wrote. “This is simply not how the Constitution works.”


buzzfeed--2020-11-22--The US Just Passed 12 Million Total COVID Cases As People Start To Travel For Thanksgiving

On Friday , as people began crowding in airports to travel for the holiday , the US set a daily incidence record with 195,542 new coronavirus cases .
Americans are beginning their treks home for the Thanksgiving holiday this weekend , doing so in the face of uncertainty from political leadership and a surge in coronavirus case numbers , which have consistently reached new heights in November .
On Friday , the United States set a daily incidence record for the country of 195,542 confirmed new cases of the novel coronavirus , according to data compiled by researchers at Johns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the record set only the previous day before when the nation totaled just under 188,000 new cases .
Those numbers come as Americans hop on planes or pile in cars and make their way to see loved ones after months of on-again , off-again social distancing , changing local and state regulations , and weak guidance from federal authorities .
On Thursday — when the US recorded a new daily incidence record that was then broken the next day — the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a “ strong ” warning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ celebrate Thanksgiving was to do so only with the people they live with .
“ Gatherings with family and friends who do not live with you can increase the chances of getting or spreading COVID-19 or the flu , ” the CDC cautioned , while noting that more than 1 million COVID-19 cases were reported in the US in the previous seven days .
Still , that guidance came only a week before the Thanksgiving holiday , a known popular travel period every year , and after experts had been warning for months @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when those who choose to congregate would likely do so inside .
“ We know we ’ re going to get cases after Thanksgiving , ” Amesh Adalja , infectious diseases physician and senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security , previously told BuzzFeed News .
“ It ’ s just a question of trying to keep them as minimal as possible.
” It does not appear the country will be able to keep it minimal .
The US surpassed 12 million total confirmed cases on Saturday after recently exceeding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will likely increase as one projection suggests another 200,000 people will die by the beginning of March .
On Thursday , the White House Coronavirus Task Force held a press briefing — its first public appearance in months — at which Vice President Mike Pence tried to offer reassurances about the anticipated vaccines .
`` We 've continued to be on the same mission we 've been on throughout the course of this year and that is to save American lives , '' Pence said without endorsing the CDC 's recommendation for Americans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Angela Rasmussen , a virologist at the Center for Infection and Immunity at the Columbia University School of Public Health , said that even though messaging from the CDC was “ a little late , ” the agency had been hamstrung by the Trump administration .
“ It would have been helpful if we could have been preparing people for months , ” she told BuzzFeed News .
“ But to a certain degree , we did not imagine back in March that this response would be so horrible that we would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the end of the year.
” It ’ s too early to tell how the CDC ’ s recommendation , which came long after many people had made holiday plans and booked travel , will affect people looking to gather around Thanksgiving meals with their families .
Early images and video from airports around the country suggest that many will take the risk .
“ It ’ s really very concerning because it ’ s not just what people are doing at the airport , ” said Rasmussen .
“ It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the airport , which is presumably to go to have in-person meals with their families.
” She said she plans on holding a virtual Thanksgiving with family members she doesn ’ t live with , calling it an investment in the future .
In video at Phoenix ’ s Sky Harbor International airport shared by local reporter Max Gorden , large crowds of mostly masked people had already started to form as people waited to fly off to different parts of the country .
Arizona reported 4,471 new coronavirus cases on Friday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It ’ s fast approaching the state ’ s daily incidence record of 4,877 set in July .

Americans are beginning their treks home for the Thanksgiving holiday this weekend, doing so in the face of uncertainty from political leadership and a surge in coronavirus case numbers, which have consistently reached new heights in November.
On Friday, the United States set a daily incidence record for the country of 195,542 confirmed new cases of the novel coronavirus, according to data compiled by researchers at Johns Hopkins University. That new high shattered the record set only the previous day before when the nation totaled just under 188,000 new cases.
Those numbers come as Americans hop on planes or pile in cars and make their way to see loved ones after months of on-again, off-again social distancing, changing local and state regulations, and weak guidance from federal authorities. On Thursday — when the US recorded a new daily incidence record that was then broken the next day — the CDC issued a “strong” warning telling people that the safest way to celebrate Thanksgiving was to do so only with the people they live with.
“Gatherings with family and friends who do not live with you can increase the chances of getting or spreading COVID-19 or the flu,” the CDC cautioned, while noting that more than 1 million COVID-19 cases were reported in the US in the previous seven days.
Still, that guidance came only a week before the Thanksgiving holiday, a known popular travel period every year, and after experts had been warning for months of a possible surge during winter, when those who choose to congregate would likely do so inside.


buzzfeed--2020-11-22--16 Photos Of Rudy Giuliani In A Hot Room

David Mack is a deputy director of breaking news for BuzzFeed News and is based in New York .
Got @ @ @ @ @ it here .

16 Photos Of Rudy Giuliani In A Hot Room
At a press conference Thursday, Rudy Giuliani was feeling the heat to come up with evidence to support Trump's baseless and unhinged election conspiracies. And we mean that literally. He was quite literally feeling the heat.


buzzfeed--2020-11-22--This Viral Video Of A Guy Showing What The Inside Of A Cacao Pod Looks Like Is Making Me Uneasy

So , why do we all have this vision of a fresh cocoa bean being brown in our heads ?
@ @ @ @ @ we 've seen the beansthe fermentation process — where they turn brown — and are @ @ @ @ @ chocolate .

So, why do we all have this vision of a fresh cocoa bean being brown in our heads? Well, that's because we've seen the beansthe fermentation process — where they turn brown — and are ready to be made into chocolate.


buzzfeed--2020-11-22--One In Three Americans Didn't Vote. Should We Force Them To Next Time?

Advocates for compulsory voting in the US are looking for a state to be an electoral guinea pig .
They said forcing everyone to vote would fix a lot of problems .
The 2020 election ( finally ) ended this month , with voters handing Joe Biden the presidency and breaking a huge record in the process : the highest turnout in a US election since 1908 .
Over 22 million more Americans voted in 2020 than in 2016 , following massive get-out-the-vote campaigns by both sides , expanded early and absentee voting due to the coronavirus pandemic , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that served as a political awakening for many voters .
That historic turnout ?
Still just about two-thirds of eligible voters .
Voter turnout has never been America ’ s strong suit .
The US , which talks a big game about the democratic process , typically manages to have just over half of its eligible voters participating in presidential elections .
In midterm elections and local races , turnout tends to be even lower .
As Americans reflect on the 2020 election , many are now considering ways to reform the voting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exist ?
Should Election Day be a federal holiday ?
What can we do to stamp out voter suppression that accounts , in part , for low participation rates ?
But fewer Americans are asking a question that has already been answered by more than 20 countries around the world , including Australia , Belgium , and Brazil : What if we were required to turn up at the polls ?
A group of more than 20 election scholars and voting rights advocates have this year been urging Americans to think about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ group , led by the Brookings Institution and Harvard University ’ s Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation , put out a report in July making the case for what they more palatably refer to as “ universal civic duty voting.
” Their hope is that as more Americans consider ways the voting system may more accurately reflect the country ’ s makeup , compulsory voting — and all the reforms that would likely come with it — may start to look attractive .
“ Compulsory voting says that every person ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s perspective matters , and that everyone has a right to representation in a representative form of government , ” said Janai S. Nelson , the associate director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and a coauthor of the report .
Advocates for compulsory voting know they have a long way to go before it could ever become a national reality , but they ’ re hoping it could be tried out on a smaller scale first .
Now that the election is over , they ’ re speaking with local elected officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ groups to see who might be willing to be the country ’ s compulsory voting guinea pig .
They ’ re also planning to pen a model bill to show how it could work in practice nationwide .
“ The hope is not that the United States of America tomorrow morning is going to adopt this , ” said E.J .
Dionne , a Georgetown University professor of government , Washington Post columnist , and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution , “ but we do hope that cities , counties , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and perhaps adopt it experimentally , the way , say , Maine has adopted instant runoffs.
” Most advocates for compulsory voting tend to look to Australia , where voting has been mandatory since 1924 .
Because every Australian over 18 must participate , the voting process is made quite easy ; voter registration can be completed online , Election Day is on a Saturday , and voters can vote at whatever polling site in their state or territory they choose .
Not to mention , voting is a pretty fun community experience @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Australians will purchase a celebratory sausage wrapped in bread , affectionately known as a “ democracy sausage , ” or a baked good from a nearby vendor who is usually fundraising for a local school .
Australia ’ s system ( democracy sausages included , one would hope ) may be a strong model for what compulsory voting could look like in the US , according to former Connecticut secretary of state Miles Rapoport , now a senior practice fellow at the Ash Center and another coauthor of the report .
“ No @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a piece of totalitarian coercion , ” he said .
“ It is simply part of the culture.
” But Australia and the US are different countries , of course .
Many Americans have a deeply felt historic and cultural attachment to concepts of freedom and liberty that shape their view of government .
Would they ever get on board with the government forcing them to show up to the polls ?
Advocates say it becomes easier to imagine compulsory voting in the US when you consider the many things the government already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jury duty , pay taxes , and educate their children .
“ We ’ re required as a matter of civic duty to serve on juries , and the reason for that is that we want the jury pool to reflect the population as a whole , ” said Rapoport .
“ I think the exact same logic applies to voting — we should want everyone to vote so the decisions made in the voting booth genuinely reflect the population as a whole .
When you have turnouts of 50 % or 60 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ getting the consent of all the governed.
” Experts say perhaps the greatest benefit in making voting mandatory is how it would likely force lawmakers to remove many barriers to participation that lead to widespread voter suppression .
Such measures took many forms in the leadup to the 2020 election : More than 21,000 polling places were closed nationwide , Texas shuttered all but one mail-in ballot drop-off site per county , Georgia purged its voter rolls , and more than 5 million people were barred from voting due to a felony conviction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he could to sow fear and confusion around voting , provoking distrust in mail-in voting and urging his supporters to “ watch ” polling places — prompting some of them to show up with guns , intimidating voters .
All these actions disproportionately make voting harder for younger voters and people of color and overrepresent older Americans in the political process .
During the 2014 midterm elections , 67-year-old voters had more than six times the voting influence of 18-year-olds , Anthony Fowler , a public policy professor at the University of Chicago @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ These disparities may partly explain why elected officials in the United States are , on average , older and wealthier than the populations they represent and why the policies they support often fail to reflect the preferences of their constituents , ” Fowler wrote .
Making voting mandatory would put the onus on the government to make voting as accessible as possible , said Nelson with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund .
“ I think it trains our focus on any state apparatus that impedes the ability of particular groups to vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everyone is compelled to turn out , you ’ d see a barrier that ’ s impeding certain groups from complying with a mandate , and others don ’ t have that same obstacle.
” Though compulsory voting has yet to become a widely discussed public issue , it did get one big vote of confidence in 2015 : when then-president Barack Obama said it would be “ transformative if everybody voted.
” `` The people who tend not to vote are young .
They 're lower income .
They 're skewed more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Obama said at a town hall event in Cleveland .
`` There 's a reason why some folks try to keep them away from the polls . ''
During this year ’ s election , there were huge efforts by politicians and celebrities to promote the importance of voting .
Both Trump and Biden described the election as the most important vote in US history , creating a sense of urgency around heading to the polls .
But there were other factors unique to 2020 that contributed to the huge turnout @ @ @ @ @ @ @ University professor .
“ We had an enormous increase in turnout this year , ” Dionne said .
“ Now , some of that was that people on all sides of politics understood how high the stakes were in this election , but I believe another reason is that we made it easier for people to vote due to the pandemic .
The number of people who were able to cast mail ballots was exponentially larger than we ’ ve ever had.
” Advocates argue solidifying voting as a part of American culture @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that help get more people into the voting booth , such as expanding absentee voting , increasing the number of polling sites , establishing automatic voter registration , and making Election Day a federal holiday .
But it could also help people become more informed voters , said Rapoport , the former Connecticut secretary of state .
“ If you ’ re a principal of a high school or a superintendent , and every 18-year-old was required to vote , would that make you more likely to do civic education as part of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” said Rapoport .
“ If you ’ re an employer , and every one of your employees was required to vote , would that make you likely to give them time off to participate ?
I think it would.
” This hints at one of the most common objections to compulsory voting : the rather crass assumption that nonvoters are uneducated and ill-informed on politics , and therefore are better off not voting .
Nelson of the NAACP LDF unequivocally rejected that argument , calling it “ fully disingenuous.
” “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voting who aren ’ t educated , their focus should be on education and not the right to vote , ” said Nelson .
In Australia , voter turnout has been well over 90 % since voting was made mandatory , according to the Australian Electoral Commission .
Eligible voters who do not vote are subject to a $ 20 fine , which can be waived if a “ valid and sufficient ” excuse is provided .
In some of the other countries where voting is compulsory , including Costa Rica and Greece @ @ @ @ @ @ @ however , leading to lower turnout .
US compulsory voting advocates mostly want to follow Australia ’ s lead and levy a minimal penalty at most for those who don ’ t show up to vote — a very low fee or small community service commitment , which could also be waived for legitimate excuses .
But some are instead advocating for incentives instead of penalties , such as voters being entered into a lottery .
“ Our first and foremost concern is not to burden African American voters any more than they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the present day .
So we have taken great pains to consider the idea of compulsory voting ... in ways that will not replicate the racial disparities that we fight so hard against , ” said Nelson .
“ Knowing about the overcriminalization of communities of color , will this provide another penalty or another area of prosecution that will be placed upon these communities ?
That is something we are against and have thought about very carefully.
” Opponents of compulsory voting in the US argue requiring it would constitute compelled speech @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But advocates contend that no one would , in fact , be forced to place a vote .
They would simply be required to turn up at their polling place on Election Day .
This measure would also allow people who do not vote for religious reasons , such as Jehovah ’ s Witnesses , to comply with their faith .
“ People use the term compulsory voting because it ’ s a simple term , but under these systems , no one is actually obligated to vote for anyone , ” said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ You can cast a blank ballot .
You can draw Mickey Mouse on your ballot .
You do whatever you choose to do.
” Experts also believe that compulsory voting would improve the quality of campaigns , so that candidates and parties could focus entirely on spreading the word about what policies they stand for — not just galvanizing their base to show up to the polls in the first place .
“ Campaigns now , as you saw in 2020 , are frantic races for one party or one candidate to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and in the worst-case scenario , to depress the turnout of the other team , ” said Rapoport .
“ If everyone is required to vote , then everyone is listening .
Campaigns will not need to spend anywhere near the amount of time or money turning out the vote , but they will have to spend time and money convincing everybody that the ideas on which they ’ re running are the better ideas.
” Some assume compulsory voting would disproportionately benefit the left by getting younger , low-income , and more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But Jason Brennan , a public policy professor at Georgetown , said research does not indicate that making voting mandatory would significantly change the results of any given election , the way abolishing the Electoral College in favor of the popular vote would in all likelihood give Democrats an advantage .
“ Surprisingly , nonvoters are fairly evenly split in their behavior , so it might not really help one party over the other that much , ” Brennan said .
Brennan is not in favor of compulsory voting , as he does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ benefits if implemented .
“ People promise all sorts of benefits from compulsory voting — they say it will bring the country together , it will increase moderation and decrease polarization , usually they say it ’ ll help their party win more seats , ” Brennan said .
“ I think if we have strong evidence that it did some of that , I think it would be worth talking about whether we should talk about it , but the evidence isn ’ t really there.
” But , for Rapoport , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the goal of compulsory voting is not to impact who wins — it ’ s to ensure the most possible people can have their voices heard .
“ The point is not to change outcomes .
To the contrary , we ’ re not proposing this because we think it will help one party or another , ” he said .
“ I think the point is in the democratic impulse itself — that this will encourage the fullest participation , and whether that changes the outcome or not is not central @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we did see in 2020 is that higher turnout does not necessarily favor one party , ” said Dionne .
“ More Democratic voters came out , and more Republican voters came out , and we think that ’ s a good thing .
”


buzzfeed--2020-11-22--After Meeting With Trump, Michigan’s Republican Leaders Said They Don't See A Reason Why Biden Isn't

After Meeting With Trump, Michigan’s Republican Leaders Said They Don't See A Reason Why Biden Isn't The Winner

The two Republican leaders of Michigan ’ s state legislature said Friday night that after a closely watched meeting with President Donald Trump , they “ have not yet been made aware of any information that would change the outcome of the election in Michigan , ” a state won by President-elect Joe Biden that has been at the center of Trump ’ s attempt to overturn the election .
The two leaders , Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey and House Speaker Lee Chatfield , said in a statement that they would “ follow the law and follow the normal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The candidates who win the most votes win elections and Michigan ’ s electoral votes , ” the statement said .
The statement focused not on the election but on the raging coronavirus pandemic , a subject about which Trump has shown little interest even as cases and deaths spike dangerously across the country .
While Trump ’ s almost singular focus has been on his own electoral defeat , the Michigan Republicans said they had used the meeting to personally deliver a letter asking for federal assistance with the outbreak .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Saturday morning , adding that it is `` true '' but he `` will show massive and unprecedented fraud , '' something he and his legal team have failed to do .
Soon afterwards , Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel and Michigan party chair Laura Cox published a letter to the Michigan Board of State Canvassers demanding an `` audit '' of the votes in Wayne County before they certify the election results .
Trump lost Michigan by the largest margin of any major swing state — some 150,000 votes .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moving quickly to certify their results , cementing Biden ’ s victory , Trump had zeroed in on the state in his effort to undermine the election .
He had appeared to hope to convince the state ’ s Republican legislature to overthrow the will of Michigan voters and appoint pro-Trump electors to the Electoral College — a subversion of democracy with virtually no precedent in American history .
But the legislators ’ statement appears to put that already remote possibility to rest .
Trump ’ s efforts to prove voter fraud in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the campaign dropped its case in Michigan on Thursday .
On Friday afternoon , as speculation about the purpose of the meeting with Trump grew , Republican Michigan state Sen. Ed McBroom told BuzzFeed News that he expected the legislative leaders to “ follow the law ” and that they had committed to “ ascribing the electoral votes to the winner of the popular vote.
” McBroom said that he didn ’ t understand why rumors about the state legislators ’ motives behind the meeting with the president were spreading and that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of State Canvassers , which will meet on Monday , to certify the election results .
“ If they feel it ’ s appropriate to certify , that doesn ’ t necessarily mean that a recount might not occur or that other legal proceedings might not occur , ” McBroom told BuzzFeed News .
He added that he believed that any recount effort in the presidential election would “ probably be pretty fruitless.
” “ The margins are much bigger than any vote count change that a recount would bring about unless the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ substantial problems that weren ’ t already noticed by the boards of canvassers , which seems unlikely , ” McBroom said .
Trump ’ s focus on Michigan began with a partisan battle in Wayne County , which voted heavily for Biden , over whether the county ’ s results should be certified .
The two Republicans on the four-person Board of Canvassers initially refused to certify , citing false allegations of fraud and impropriety in the majority-Black city of Detroit .
They eventually agreed to certify the results .
But after Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to rescind their vote .
The effort is not likely to be successful , but they provided Trump with another opening in an attempt to muddy the waters of Biden ’ s decisive victory in the state .
Even if Trump were able to somehow stall or reverse Michigan ’ s votes , it would not be enough to overturn the election : Biden won 306 electoral votes ; Trump won 232 .

The two Republican leaders of Michigan’s state legislature said Friday night that after a closely watched meeting with President Donald Trump, they “have not yet been made aware of any information that would change the outcome of the election in Michigan,” a state won by President-elect Joe Biden that has been at the center of Trump’s attempt to overturn the election.
The two leaders, Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey and House Speaker Lee Chatfield, said in a statement that they would “follow the law and follow the normal process regarding Michigan’s electors.”
“The candidates who win the most votes win elections and Michigan’s electoral votes,” the statement said.
The statement focused not on the election but on the raging coronavirus pandemic, a subject about which Trump has shown little interest even as cases and deaths spike dangerously across the country. While Trump’s almost singular focus has been on his own electoral defeat, the Michigan Republicans said they had used the meeting to personally deliver a letter asking for federal assistance with the outbreak.
Trump retweeted the leaders' statement on Saturday morning, adding that it is "true" but he "will show massive and unprecedented fraud," something he and his legal team have failed to do. Soon afterwards, Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel and Michigan party chair Laura Cox published a letter to the Michigan Board of State Canvassers demanding an "audit" of the votes in Wayne County before they certify the election results.
Trump lost Michigan by the largest margin of any major swing state — some 150,000 votes. But with other states, like Georgia, moving quickly to certify their results, cementing Biden’s victory, Trump had zeroed in on the state in his effort to undermine the election. He had appeared to hope to convince the state’s Republican legislature to overthrow the will of Michigan voters and appoint pro-Trump electors to the Electoral College — a subversion of democracy with virtually no precedent in American history.
But the legislators’ statement appears to put that already remote possibility to rest. Trump’s efforts to prove voter fraud in court have almost all failed, and the campaign dropped its case in Michigan on Thursday.
On Friday afternoon, as speculation about the purpose of the meeting with Trump grew, Republican Michigan state Sen. Ed McBroom told BuzzFeed News that he expected the legislative leaders to “follow the law” and that they had committed to “ascribing the electoral votes to the winner of the popular vote.”
McBroom said that he didn’t understand why rumors about the state legislators’ motives behind the meeting with the president were spreading and that he trusted the judgment of the Michigan Board of State Canvassers, which will meet on Monday, to certify the election results.
“If they feel it’s appropriate to certify, that doesn’t necessarily mean that a recount might not occur or that other legal proceedings might not occur,” McBroom told BuzzFeed News.
He added that he believed that any recount effort in the presidential election would “probably be pretty fruitless.”
“The margins are much bigger than any vote count change that a recount would bring about unless the recount were to find some sort of substantial problems that weren’t already noticed by the boards of canvassers, which seems unlikely,” McBroom said.
Trump’s focus on Michigan began with a partisan battle in Wayne County, which voted heavily for Biden, over whether the county’s results should be certified. The two Republicans on the four-person Board of Canvassers initially refused to certify, citing false allegations of fraud and impropriety in the majority-Black city of Detroit.
They eventually agreed to certify the results. But after Trump personally called them, both officials attempted to rescind their vote. The effort is not likely to be successful, but they provided Trump with another opening in an attempt to muddy the waters of Biden’s decisive victory in the state.
Even if Trump were able to somehow stall or reverse Michigan’s votes, it would not be enough to overturn the election: Biden won 306 electoral votes; Trump won 232.


buzzfeed--2020-11-23--This Woman's Explainer On Why The 8-Hour Workday Is Tragically Outdated Is Going Viral


buzzfeed--2020-11-23--Oxford's Coronavirus Vaccine Is 70% Effective, Early Data Shows. It's The Third Vaccine To Clear A C

Oxford's Coronavirus Vaccine Is 70% Effective, Early Data Shows. It's The Third Vaccine To Clear A Crucial Hurdle.

The journalists at BuzzFeed News are proud to bring you trustworthy and relevant reporting about the coronavirus .
To help keep this news free , become a member and sign up for our newsletter , Incoming .
A COVID-19 vaccine developed by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca has shown `` positive high-level results '' in early data from clinical trials , researchers announced Monday .
It is the third vaccine to clear that crucial hurdle , alongside ones made by Pfizer and Moderna .
The vaccine has been 70 % effective on average so far , researchers said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ promising surprise : The vaccine was 90 % effective for volunteers who were given a half-dose of the vaccine followed by a full dose — a much higher success rate than those who were given two full doses , which was 62 % effective .
The early analysis was based on 131 COVID-19 cases among trial participants who either received the vaccine or a placebo injection .
The underlying data have not yet been peer-reviewed or released to the public .
The trials , which took place in the UK and Brazil , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effective in preventing hospitalizations or severe cases of the coronavirus .
“ These findings show that we have an effective vaccine that will save many lives , '' professor Andrew Pollard , chief investigator of the Oxford vaccine trial , said in a press release .
Unlike the Pfizer and Moderna trials , which only tested people who reported symptoms , the AstraZeneca data also showed that asymptomatic infections were reduced in the group of patients who received a vaccine , suggesting that it can help limit transmission .
The AstraZeneca trial in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provided more information about who developed infections .
Earlier this month , Pfizer and Moderna announced that trials for their vaccines both suggest that they are more than 90 % effective .
The Food and Drug Administration requires a vaccine to be at least 50 % effective before authorizing its use .
The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is cheaper than the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines and may also be easier to store and transport .
AstraZeneca is requesting an `` Emergency Use Listing '' from the World Health Organization to make the vaccine quickly available @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it would begin discussions with the FDA this week about whether to formally submit for review in the US .
Researchers had to pause the vaccine 's effectiveness study twice , a development which is not unusual in clinical trials .
In July , a patient developed multiple sclerosis , and in September another patient developed a neurological illness called transverse myelitis .
The vaccine was not found to have caused either illness , and the trials resumed , leading to today 's preliminary results .
In its data release , the drug @ @ @ @ @ @ @ events related to the vaccine have been confirmed . ''

A COVID-19 vaccine developed by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca has shown "positive high-level results" in early data from clinical trials, researchers announced Monday. It is the third vaccine to report promising interim results, after Pfizer and Moderna.
The vaccine has been 70% effective on average so far, researchers said. But the early data came with a confusing caveat: The vaccine was 90% effective for volunteers who were given a half-dose of the vaccine followed by a full dose — a much higher success rate than those who were given two full doses, which was 62% effective.
That half dose was only given to participants because of a mistake in the British arm of the trial, Reuters reported. As a result, only a little over 2,700 people received the half-dose shot, out of the 23,000 people in the trial results reported Monday, a very small subset to base results on. Then, on Tuesday, Operation Warp Speed head Moncef Slaoui said the age of participants in the half-dose group was capped at 55, casting further doubts on the results. Scientists have since criticized AstraZeneca for both its trial design and how it disclosed its data, which have not yet been peer reviewed or released in full.
The early analysis was based on 131 COVID-19 cases among trial participants who either received the vaccine or a placebo injection.
The company said that the trials, which took place in the UK and Brazil, also showed that the vaccine was highly effective in preventing hospitalizations or severe cases of the coronavirus. “These findings show that we have an effective vaccine that will save many lives," professor Andrew Pollard, chief investigator of the Oxford vaccine trial, said in a press release.
Unlike the Pfizer and Moderna trials, which only tested people who reported symptoms, the AstraZeneca data also showed that asymptomatic infections were reduced in the group of patients who received a vaccine, suggesting that it can help limit transmission. The AstraZeneca trial in the UK swabbed patients weekly, which provided more information about who developed infections.
Earlier this month, Pfizer and Moderna announced that trials for their vaccines both suggest that they are more than 90% effective. The Food and Drug Administration requires a vaccine to be at least 50% effective before authorizing its use.
The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is cheaper than the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines and may also be easier to store and transport.
AstraZeneca is requesting an "Emergency Use Listing" from the World Health Organization to make the vaccine quickly available in low-income countries. The company said it would begin discussions with the FDA this week about whether to formally submit for review in the US, but scientists have questioned whether the US health agency would accept their questionable results.
Researchers had to pause the vaccine's effectiveness study twice, a development which is not unusual in clinical trials. In July, a patient developed multiple sclerosis, and in September another patient developed a neurological illness called transverse myelitis. The vaccine was not found to have caused either illness, and the trials resumed, leading to today's preliminary results.
In its data release, the drug company said that "no serious safety events related to the vaccine have been confirmed."
In response to the company's announcement on Monday, Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told STAT that, "If it’s 70%, then we’ve got a dilemma."
“Because what are you going to do with the 70% when you’ve got two [vaccines] that are 95%? Who are you going to give a vaccine like that to?”


buzzfeed--2020-11-23--Did You Know You Can Have Sex Without Penetration? Yes, Here's 11 Ways

2020 is hard .
So let yourself get hard and hold each other .
If it leads to something else @ @ @ @ @ , even better .

BuzzFeed Bring Me
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buzzfeed--2020-11-24--The Transition To Joe Biden’s Presidency Is Now Formally Underway

After stalling for weeks as President Donald Trump sought to cast doubt on the result of the election , the General Services Administration notified Joe Biden and his staff on Monday that they can begin receiving federal resources as part of the transition process — a formal recognition from the US government that Biden is the president-elect .
Shortly afterward , Trump announced he had directed his staff to also cooperate with Biden ’ s team , although he still refused to concede the election and vowed to continue to fight the results .
`` This final [ GSA ] @ @ @ @ @ @ @ formally begin the transition process with federal agencies , '' said Yohannes Abraham , Biden-Harris Transition executive director .
`` In the days ahead , transition officials will begin meeting with federal officials to discuss the pandemic response , have a full accounting of our national security interests , and gain complete understanding of the Trump administration ’ s efforts to hollow out government agencies . ''
The once low-profile government agency , headed by Trump appointee Emily Murphy , drew intense scrutiny in recent weeks for its reluctance to formally recognize Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to him so he can prepare to enter the White House .
Trump insisted in a series of tweets that Murphy ’ s move was his idea while vowing to continue his losing fight against the election results .
“ Nevertheless , in the best interest of our Country , I am recommending that Emily and her team do what needs to be done with regard to initial protocols , and have told my team to do the same , '' he added .
Biden ’ s team had complained the delay meant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had been locked out of official government data on COVID-19 , impacting his ability to deal with the coronavirus pandemic when he enters the Oval Office on Jan. 20 , 2021 .
BuzzFeed News has journalists around the US bringing you trustworthy stories on the 2020 elections .
To help keep this news free , become a member .
In a letter to Biden , which was first reported by CNN on Monday evening , Murphy said she had only now made the federal resources available “ because of recent developments involving legal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ”

After stalling for weeks as President Donald Trump sought to cast doubt on the result of the election, the General Services Administration notified Joe Biden and his staff on Monday that they can begin receiving federal resources as part of the transition process — a formal recognition from the US government that Biden is the president-elect.
Shortly afterward, Trump announced he had directed his staff to also cooperate with Biden’s team, although he still refused to concede the election and vowed to continue to fight the results.
"This final [GSA] decision is a definitive administrative action to formally begin the transition process with federal agencies," said Yohannes Abraham, Biden-Harris Transition executive director. "In the days ahead, transition officials will begin meeting with federal officials to discuss the pandemic response, have a full accounting of our national security interests, and gain complete understanding of the Trump administration’s efforts to hollow out government agencies."
The once low-profile government agency, headed by Trump appointee Emily Murphy, drew intense scrutiny in recent weeks for its reluctance to formally recognize Biden as the winner and make resources available to him so he can prepare to enter the White House.
Trump insisted in a series of tweets that Murphy’s move was his idea while vowing to continue his losing fight against the election results.
“Nevertheless, in the best interest of our Country, I am recommending that Emily and her team do what needs to be done with regard to initial protocols, and have told my team to do the same," he added.
Biden’s team had complained the delay meant, among other things, that they had been locked out of official government data on COVID-19, impacting his ability to deal with the coronavirus pandemic when he enters the Oval Office on Jan. 20, 2021.
BuzzFeed News has journalists around the US bringing you trustworthy stories on the 2020 elections. To help keep this news free, become a member.
In a letter to Biden, which was first reported by CNN on Monday evening, Murphy said she had only now made the federal resources available “because of recent developments involving legal challenges and certifications of election results.”


buzzfeed--2020-11-23--Michigan's Board Of Canvassers Certified Biden's Win In A Big Loss For Trump's Desperate Bid To Over

Michigan's Board Of Canvassers Certified Biden's Win In A Big Loss For Trump's Desperate Bid To Overturn The Election

The Michigan Board of State Canvassers voted to certify the results of the general election with a 3–0 with one abstention , closing out President Donald Trump and the Republican Party ’ s desperate effort to delay the certification in a state that was won by President-elect Joe Biden .
The certification of the results allows the state to select electors who will vote in the Electoral College when it convenes on Dec. 14 .
Trump lost Michigan by nearly 150,000 votes to Biden but has worked to cast doubt on the results with a barrage of disproven conspiracy theories @ @ @ @ @ @ @ theories have riled up his base and pushed Republican officials to question the results of the election .
Before the certification of the results on Monday , Norman D. Shinkle , one of the Republican members of the Board of State Canvassers , told the Washington Post he was hesitant to certify the vote and wanted an audit of the votes , citing conspiracy theories that have been floated in the weeks since Nov. 3 .
Throughout the first three and a half hours of the meeting , Shinkle frequently questioned speakers about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state ’ s elections history , and the number of Republicans who were hired to work at polling locations in Wayne County .
He was ultimately the only board member to not vote for certification .
The certification of election results by the Board of State Canvassers is traditionally a procedural vote after tallying the results of Michigan counties .
But the Trump campaign ’ s fight to delay the results of the election has complicated the process .
All of the counties in Michigan , including Wayne County , have voted to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the county level .
On Monday , during the meeting of the Board of Canvassers to vote on the certification , both Jonathan Brater , the Michigan director of elections , and Heather Meingast , the state assistant attorney general , told the board that according to state election law , an audit of the results couldn ’ t occur until the results of the election had been certified .
And they said that an audit of those results would not change the certification .
Michigan has been at the center of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ delay certification in states he lost and to cast doubt on the electoral process .
Trump lawyers and affiliated groups have filed lawsuits in multiple states that have alleged widespread voter fraud and election irregularities , focusing on many of the majority-Black counties that propelled Biden ’ s win .
The Trump campaign has withdrawn many of the suits they ’ ve filed , and others have failed or not gained traction in the courts .
The Trump campaign ’ s effort to delay the certification in Michigan has focused on Wayne County @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 80 % of residents are Black .
On Saturday , Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel and Michigan Republican Party chair Laura Cox wrote to the Michigan Board of State Canvassers urging its four members to delay the certification of the election results for 14 days and to issue a full audit of Wayne County ’ s general election results .
The letter from McDaniel and Cox came after Wayne County ’ s Board of Canvassers were briefly deadlocked last week on whether to certify the county ’ s election results .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Board of Canvassers initially refused to certify the results of the election citing conspiracy theories about voter fraud in Detroit and at one point suggested certifying the majority of the county ’ s results with the exception of Detroit .
The Republican members eventually voted to certify the results but attempted to rescind their votes in signed affidavits after receiving personal calls from Trump .
During a section of the meeting , Monica Palmer , the Republican chair of the Wayne County Board of Canvassers , told Shinkle that she did not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s election results couldn ’ t occur if the Board of State Canvassers didn ’ t certify the results and that she would not have voted to certify the results if she had known that during the time .
The Trump campaign has floated the idea of convincing members of the state board to vote against certifying election results in an attempt to allow the Republican-led state legislature to appoint Trump-aligned electors to the Electoral College .
Trump invited the Republican leaders of the Michigan state legislature to a meeting at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Majority Leader Mike Shirkey and House Speaker Lee Chatfield released a statement directly afterward affirming that they would “ follow the law and follow the normal process regarding Michigan ’ s electors ” and suggesting they were more concerned about the coronavirus pandemic .
Trump retweeted the leader ’ s statement on Saturday morning saying that it was “ true , ” but that his campaign would show “ massive and unprecedented fraud ” in the state , something the leaders had said they ’ d seen no proof of .
In statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ certified the election , Jenna Ellis , a Trump campaign legal advisor , said that certification of the election results was just a `` procedural step '' and that the campaign planned to `` continue combatting election fraud . ''
There have been no substantiated claims of widespread voter fraud during the election .
Two other swing states Biden won , Pennsylvania and Nevada , are expected to certify Trump ’ s loss as early as Monday .

The Michigan Board of State Canvassers voted to certify the results of the general election with a 3–0 with one abstention, closing out President Donald Trump and the Republican Party’s desperate effort to delay the certification in a state that was won by President-elect Joe Biden.
The certification of the results allows the state to select electors who will vote in the Electoral College when it convenes on Dec. 14.
Trump lost Michigan by nearly 150,000 votes to Biden but has worked to cast doubt on the results with a barrage of disproven conspiracy theories about widespread voter fraud. Those unfounded theories have riled up his base and pushed Republican officials to question the results of the election. Before the certification of the results on Monday, Norman D. Shinkle, one of the Republican members of the Board of State Canvassers, told the Washington Post he was hesitant to certify the vote and wanted an audit of the votes, citing conspiracy theories that have been floated in the weeks since Nov. 3. Throughout the first three and a half hours of the meeting, Shinkle frequently questioned speakers about the circumstances of the vote-counting, the state’s elections history, and the number of Republicans who were hired to work at polling locations in Wayne County. He was ultimately the only board member to not vote for certification.
The certification of election results by the Board of State Canvassers is traditionally a procedural vote after tallying the results of Michigan counties. But the Trump campaign’s fight to delay the results of the election has complicated the process. All of the counties in Michigan, including Wayne County, have voted to certify the results of the election at the county level.
On Monday, during the meeting of the Board of Canvassers to vote on the certification, both Jonathan Brater, the Michigan director of elections, and Heather Meingast, the state assistant attorney general, told the board that according to state election law, an audit of the results couldn’t occur until the results of the election had been certified. And they said that an audit of those results would not change the certification.
Michigan has been at the center of the Trump campaign’s national effort to delay certification in states he lost and to cast doubt on the electoral process. Trump lawyers and affiliated groups have filed lawsuits in multiple states that have alleged widespread voter fraud and election irregularities, focusing on many of the majority-Black counties that propelled Biden’s win. The Trump campaign has withdrawn many of the suits they’ve filed, and others have failed or not gained traction in the courts.
The Trump campaign’s effort to delay the certification in Michigan has focused on Wayne County, which contains Detroit, where nearly 80% of residents are Black. On Saturday, Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel and Michigan Republican Party chair Laura Cox wrote to the Michigan Board of State Canvassers urging its four members to delay the certification of the election results for 14 days and to issue a full audit of Wayne County’s general election results.
The letter from McDaniel and Cox came after Wayne County’s Board of Canvassers were briefly deadlocked last week on whether to certify the county’s election results. The two Republican members of the county’s Board of Canvassers initially refused to certify the results of the election citing conspiracy theories about voter fraud in Detroit and at one point suggested certifying the majority of the county’s results with the exception of Detroit.
The Republican members eventually voted to certify the results but attempted to rescind their votes in signed affidavits after receiving personal calls from Trump.
During a section of the meeting, Monica Palmer, the Republican chair of the Wayne County Board of Canvassers, told Shinkle that she did not realize that an audit of the county’s election results couldn’t occur if the Board of State Canvassers didn’t certify the results and that she would not have voted to certify the results if she had known that during the time.
The Trump campaign has floated the idea of convincing members of the state board to vote against certifying election results in an attempt to allow the Republican-led state legislature to appoint Trump-aligned electors to the Electoral College. Trump invited the Republican leaders of the Michigan state legislature to a meeting at the White House on Friday, but Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey and House Speaker Lee Chatfield released a statement directly afterward affirming that they would “follow the law and follow the normal process regarding Michigan’s electors” and suggesting they were more concerned about the coronavirus pandemic.
Trump retweeted the leader’s statement on Saturday morning saying that it was “true,” but that his campaign would show “massive and unprecedented fraud” in the state, something the leaders had said they’d seen no proof of.
In statement released after the Michigan Board of Canvassers certified the election, Jenna Ellis, a Trump campaign legal advisor, said that certification of the election results was just a "procedural step" and that the campaign planned to "continue combatting election fraud." There have been no substantiated claims of widespread voter fraud during the election.
Two other swing states Biden won, Pennsylvania and Nevada, are expected to certify Trump’s loss as early as Monday.