vox--2020-12-14--The Covid-19 vaccine’s 2 big challenges

The Covid-19 vaccine’s 2 big challenges

America has , finally , authorized a Covid-19 vaccine for the general public .
Priority groups — health care workers and people in nursing homes — are now starting to get a vaccine .
And if things go right , most of the country could be vaccinated by the end of next summer .
But that ’ s the caveat : if things go right .
The development and authorization of a vaccine don ’ t mean that the US is guaranteed to get people inoculated quickly , or even that the country is on a certain path to conquer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , that the country still faces two major challenges in its vaccination efforts .
First , the US has to manufacture and distribute a vaccine to more than 300 million people .
As Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security senior scholar Crystal Watson told me , “ This is going to be the largest mass vaccination campaign that the US has ever attempted.
” It ’ s an effort so big , some experts have compared it to a New Deal .
The logistical challenge isn ’ t just to produce all the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also shipping and storing them around the US at cold temperatures , and then administering them to people .
If each person needs two doses ( as is true for the vaccine authorized so far , although one-shot vaccines are in development ) , the difficulties are doubled .
But even if the US is able to pull off a feat of logistics , a second challenge looms : People will need to be persuaded to get a vaccine .
That this will happen is not guaranteed .
Polls suggest as many as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Covid-19 vaccine .
Those hesitant people will need their concerns addressed , including worries about whether the quick development process sacrificed safety , what common side effects are expected , and what rare side effects may pop up .
Doctors and public health officials will also have to communicate why it ’ s important for people to get a vaccine even if they don ’ t feel Covid-19 is a threat to them .
Experts caution that how the US deals with both these challenges could determine if Covid-19 remains a widespread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It ’ s what will decide whether we get back to normal , and how many lives are saved — or unnecessarily lost — along the way .
On the first challenge , the US has done considerable work .
Under Operation Warp Speed , the federal government has helped expedite research into the vaccines and committed to purchasing hundreds of millions of vaccine doses .
Federal , state , and local governments now have plans , or are working on plans , for how to widely distribute a vaccine in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ second challenge , experts say , the US is falling behind .
When I asked if the country is prepared on the public opinion side for widespread Covid-19 vaccination , Texas State University medical anthropologist Emily Brunson told me , “ No , we ’ re not.
” So far , no real federal education and awareness campaign is underway .
“ It would have been ideal to begin months ago , ” Brunson said .
The good news is that the US is now talking about these problems at all .
Several @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could take years to develop — and instead , some people are getting vaccinated in the same year that the Covid-19 pandemic took off .
We can see a finish line much earlier than even some optimists were expecting .
The objective now is making sure we get through that finish line as quickly and safely as possible .
The first big challenge : Manufacturing and distributing a vaccine Getting a vaccine out to more than 300 million Americans within months will be like nothing the US has done before .
It will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doses and enough factories to produce them .
Those doses will then need to be purchased and shipped to all 50 states .
The states will then need to distribute the vaccines to different localities , which will have to distribute them at the local level based on need — all while keeping the vaccines safely stored at the right temperature .
Health care and communication systems will need to be set up to prioritize people for the first shots and ensure everyone gets a second dose , which the current vaccines require @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will have to happen thousands to millions of times throughout the country in a matter of months .
Kendall Hoyt , a vaccine and biosecurity expert at Dartmouth , put this simply : “ We need a lot of forward planning.
” The White House , along with federal agencies like the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) , will need to coordinate and provide guidance for those efforts .
The task will also require a lot of resources — money — from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are cash-strapped from dealing with the ongoing economic downturn brought on by the pandemic .
It ’ s not clear that the federal government is doing enough yet : Some officials say states need $ 8.4 billion to do this work ; so far , they ’ ve gotten $ 340 million .
Transportation and storage could be particularly tricky for the current vaccines , which will require very cold temperatures to maintain their efficacy .
That might require hospitals , pharmacies , and other storage facilities to buy new refrigerators and freezers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they have as quickly as possible , before they go bad .
Particularly for more rural and smaller institutions , this could prove not just logistically difficult but very expensive — and they may only be able to do this with some sort of government support .
Another looming challenge is getting people to get their second dose of a vaccine .
It ’ s well established in the medical literature that people are bad at follow-up appointments — with half of patients or more missing second doses for a similar hepatitis B @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a potentially lifesaving vaccine in the middle of a pandemic , local and health care agencies will need to be ready to aggressively follow up with people to get them to go back for a second dose .
Just as crucially , government and health care agencies will have to ensure those second doses actually are available to people .
Without proper planning , supply could run out as people need to go back for their second doses .
These challenges could be especially magnified in historically underserved areas .
One of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus testing across the country is it can be much harder to get a test in low-income , minority areas .
These also , however , are frequently the places hit hardest by Covid-19 .
Addressing these kinds of disparities — making vaccines available in neighborhoods where it might be harder for public health officials to reach people , or for people to get to the places the vaccines are distributed — will be a major challenge .
Different levels of government should also prepare for likely supply chain problems .
These , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as testing collapsed in much of the country due to a shortage of vials , swabs , reagents , and other materials .
The same thing could play out with vaccines , whether it ’ s the materials for doses , syringes , dry ice , storage equipment , or another thing entirely .
The better prepared different places are , the quicker such problems can be fixed — and the less of a burden they could be on the whole supply chain .
“ That is the kind of thing we should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ There ’ s going to be a crush in demand .
We ’ ve never had so much demand for needles , syringes , glass vials , and some key raw materials.
” The good news is there has been a lot of work done in this area .
The federal government had plans in place to distribute the vaccine within 24 hours of authorization .
Many states have already developed plans , and some are even running drills .
The question is whether this is all enough .
Before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in place for how to handle a pandemic , and officials and experts ran simulations to further prepare .
But many of those plans and simulations were based on faulty assumptions — for instance , that the US would easily scale up testing nationally in response to a big outbreak .
Infectious disease epidemiologist Saskia Popescu previously told me that in pandemic preparedness simulations she took part in before Covid-19 , testing didn ’ t even come up as a possible problem .
“ We always assumed we would have widespread testing capabilities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That assumption was disastrously wrong .
The CDC initially botched its Covid-19 tests , causing delays in how quickly the process got started .
Then , a lack of federal leadership led to preventable supply chain issues , a dearth of coordination across the country that left states fighting for limited supplies , and a failure to follow up on completed tests with adequate contact tracing programs .
Months later , America ’ s testing and tracing capacities are still nowhere near where experts would like them to be .
Those kinds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a vaccine .
The second big challenge : Persuading the public to take a vaccine It ’ s not enough to make and distribute vaccines .
“ You can have a vaccine that … is fairly effective , ” Brunson said .
“ But if no one takes them , that doesn ’ t matter.
” The biggest question of all is cost : If a vaccine is too expensive , people simply can ’ t and won ’ t get it .
The federal government has laid out plans to try to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but it ’ s possible some people , particularly the uninsured or underinsured , could fall through the cracks .
Even if a vaccine is free for everyone , though , there are still other problems .
Polls show a considerable number of Americans — as many as half , based on a previous study by Gallup — may be reluctant or refuse to get the vaccine .
That already seems to be changing as preliminary studies suggest the vaccines are very effective : A Pew Research Center survey found 60 percent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccine in November , up from 51 percent in September .
But that ’ s still a lot of Americans who are at least skeptical .
Experts caution that this skepticism should not be treated as conspiracy theorizing or typical anti-vaxxer sentiments .
There are more understandable reasons for some of the current vaccine skepticism — from the fact it ’ s a vaccine for a new virus to the incredibly quick process behind the vaccines to the massive amount of political polarization that ’ s overtaken all things Covid-19 .
So simply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccine isn ’ t going to work .
The public will need to be persuaded — convinced that , as the clinical trials have demonstrated so far , the vaccines are safe and effective .
That will require transparency , acknowledging not just the benefits of the vaccine but also the possible side effects .
With the Covid-19 vaccines , some people can expect to get ill in the hours after a dose — nothing life-threatening or dangerous , but symptoms like fatigue , headaches , chills , and muscle pain have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experts said , for officials and health care workers to communicate the symptoms are normal , temporary , a sign that the vaccine is actually working , and worth the benefits of avoiding a much more dangerous illness .
There are also more specific concerns for certain demographics that will need answers .
Young people may feel like they don ’ t need the vaccine because they ’ re at lower risk for Covid-19 , but it should be clearly explained to them that young , seemingly healthy people have gotten sick too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus is its effects can be so unexpected .
People of color , especially Black Americans , distrust a health care system that frequently discriminates against them and used them for experiments in the past without their consent ; those concerns should be taken seriously , while noting a vaccine has been vetted in clinical trials and will save lives .
Then there ’ s the political divide to overcome .
Based on public opinion surveys , Democrats appear more likely to get a vaccine than their Republican counterparts .
It will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Donald Trump and former President George W. Bush ( who has already said he ’ ll get vaccinated publicly ) to persuade people that a vaccine is truly safe and effective .
The public also has to be prepared for the unknown .
There ’ s a chance , however small , that the vaccine could produce a rare side effect — people need to be told why that might be an acceptable risk if it ’ s truly rare , given the massive damage Covid-19 is inflicting on society as a whole @ @ @ @ @ @ @ completely unrelated to the vaccine after they get vaccinated — that ’ s natural as hundreds of millions of people get vaccinated — and some may incorrectly link such issues to the vaccine ; officials will need to be ready for that , too .
“ In the normal course , people will get sick and die from a variety of things , many of which will now be attributed to the vaccine , ” Hoyt said .
“ There needs to be a lot of forward communication about the baseline incidence of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rush to judgment .
We can expect that people still will , but we need to develop a game plan to respond to that.
” At the same time , it ’ s important to not make people too confident .
There are still questions we don ’ t know the answers to .
Do Covid-19 vaccines actually stop transmission , meaning people can stop masking and distancing relatively quickly , or does it only stop people from getting sick , which will require precautions for longer ?
Are vaccines ’ effects long-lasting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ refresh their immunity ?
People need to be told these are major unknowns that should influence post-vaccine lifestyle changes , at least in the short term .
The government could do many things to push people to get a vaccine .
It could ensure a vaccine is free .
It could do a large , national public education campaign .
It could even pay people to take a vaccine , or try to mandate vaccination ( though that would raise legal and ethical questions that could further polarize the issue ) .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ free , there hasn ’ t been much movement in these areas .
“ There ’ s been no promotional campaign at all , ” Michael Osterholm , director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy , told me .
Right now , America can finally see an end to its Covid-19 outbreak .
The first task is social distancing and masking to make sure more people make it to the point where they can get vaccinated .
But then we need to make sure people actually can and want to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s not clear that the country is up to those challenges .
“ If we do [ vaccination ] right , it can be positive and have long-term implications for public health generally , ” Brunson said .
“ But the opposite is also true : If this is done badly , you run the risk of undermining public trust in your entire public health system .
”

America has, finally, authorized a Covid-19 vaccine for the general public. Priority groups — health care workers and people in nursing homes — are now starting to get a vaccine. And if things go right, most of the country could be vaccinated by the end of next summer.
But that’s the caveat: if things go right. The development and authorization of a vaccine don’t mean that the US is guaranteed to get people inoculated quickly, or even that the country is on a certain path to conquer the coronavirus.
Experts caution, instead, that the country still faces two major challenges in its vaccination efforts.
First, the US has to manufacture and distribute a vaccine to more than 300 million people. As Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security senior scholar Crystal Watson told me, “This is going to be the largest mass vaccination campaign that the US has ever attempted.” It’s an effort so big, some experts have compared it to a New Deal. The logistical challenge isn’t just to produce all the vaccine doses required, it’s also shipping and storing them around the US at cold temperatures, and then administering them to people. If each person needs two doses (as is true for the vaccine authorized so far, although one-shot vaccines are in development), the difficulties are doubled.
But even if the US is able to pull off a feat of logistics, a second challenge looms: People will need to be persuaded to get a vaccine. That this will happen is not guaranteed. Polls suggest as many as half of Americans are resistant to getting a Covid-19 vaccine. Those hesitant people will need their concerns addressed, including worries about whether the quick development process sacrificed safety, what common side effects are expected, and what rare side effects may pop up. Doctors and public health officials will also have to communicate why it’s important for people to get a vaccine even if they don’t feel Covid-19 is a threat to them.
Experts caution that how the US deals with both these challenges could determine if Covid-19 remains a widespread problem by late 2021 or even 2022. It’s what will decide whether we get back to normal, and how many lives are saved — or unnecessarily lost — along the way.
On the first challenge, the US has done considerable work. Under Operation Warp Speed, the federal government has helped expedite research into the vaccines and committed to purchasing hundreds of millions of vaccine doses. Federal, state, and local governments now have plans, or are working on plans, for how to widely distribute a vaccine in the next several months.
But on the second challenge, experts say, the US is falling behind. When I asked if the country is prepared on the public opinion side for widespread Covid-19 vaccination, Texas State University medical anthropologist Emily Brunson told me, “No, we’re not.” So far, no real federal education and awareness campaign is underway. “It would have been ideal to begin months ago,” Brunson said.
The good news is that the US is now talking about these problems at all. Several months ago, experts warned a vaccine could take years to develop — and instead, some people are getting vaccinated in the same year that the Covid-19 pandemic took off. We can see a finish line much earlier than even some optimists were expecting.
The objective now is making sure we get through that finish line as quickly and safely as possible.
The first big challenge: Manufacturing and distributing a vaccine
Getting a vaccine out to more than 300 million Americans within months will be like nothing the US has done before. It will require enough raw materials to manufacture the doses and enough factories to produce them. Those doses will then need to be purchased and shipped to all 50 states. The states will then need to distribute the vaccines to different localities, which will have to distribute them at the local level based on need — all while keeping the vaccines safely stored at the right temperature. Health care and communication systems will need to be set up to prioritize people for the first shots and ensure everyone gets a second dose, which the current vaccines require, weeks later.
All of this will have to happen thousands to millions of times throughout the country in a matter of months.
Kendall Hoyt, a vaccine and biosecurity expert at Dartmouth, put this simply: “We need a lot of forward planning.” The White House, along with federal agencies like the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), will need to coordinate and provide guidance for those efforts.
The task will also require a lot of resources — money — from the federal government. Local and state governments are cash-strapped from dealing with the ongoing economic downturn brought on by the pandemic. It’s not clear that the federal government is doing enough yet: Some officials say states need $8.4 billion to do this work; so far, they’ve gotten $340 million.
Transportation and storage could be particularly tricky for the current vaccines, which will require very cold temperatures to maintain their efficacy. That might require hospitals, pharmacies, and other storage facilities to buy new refrigerators and freezers, or prepare to administer the doses they have as quickly as possible, before they go bad. Particularly for more rural and smaller institutions, this could prove not just logistically difficult but very expensive — and they may only be able to do this with some sort of government support.
Another looming challenge is getting people to get their second dose of a vaccine. It’s well established in the medical literature that people are bad at follow-up appointments — with half of patients or more missing second doses for a similar hepatitis B vaccine regimen. While that might differ with a potentially lifesaving vaccine in the middle of a pandemic, local and health care agencies will need to be ready to aggressively follow up with people to get them to go back for a second dose.
Just as crucially, government and health care agencies will have to ensure those second doses actually are available to people. Without proper planning, supply could run out as people need to go back for their second doses.
These challenges could be especially magnified in historically underserved areas. One of the problems that has come up with coronavirus testing across the country is it can be much harder to get a test in low-income, minority areas. These also, however, are frequently the places hit hardest by Covid-19. Addressing these kinds of disparities — making vaccines available in neighborhoods where it might be harder for public health officials to reach people, or for people to get to the places the vaccines are distributed — will be a major challenge.
Different levels of government should also prepare for likely supply chain problems. These, too, popped up with testing, as testing collapsed in much of the country due to a shortage of vials, swabs, reagents, and other materials. The same thing could play out with vaccines, whether it’s the materials for doses, syringes, dry ice, storage equipment, or another thing entirely. The better prepared different places are, the quicker such problems can be fixed — and the less of a burden they could be on the whole supply chain.
“That is the kind of thing we should expect more and more,” Hoyt said. “There’s going to be a crush in demand. We’ve never had so much demand for needles, syringes, glass vials, and some key raw materials.”
The good news is there has been a lot of work done in this area. The federal government had plans in place to distribute the vaccine within 24 hours of authorization. Many states have already developed plans, and some are even running drills.
The question is whether this is all enough. Before the coronavirus, the US had plans in place for how to handle a pandemic, and officials and experts ran simulations to further prepare. But many of those plans and simulations were based on faulty assumptions — for instance, that the US would easily scale up testing nationally in response to a big outbreak. Infectious disease epidemiologist Saskia Popescu previously told me that in pandemic preparedness simulations she took part in before Covid-19, testing didn’t even come up as a possible problem. “We always assumed we would have widespread testing capabilities,” she said in the spring.
That assumption was disastrously wrong. The CDC initially botched its Covid-19 tests, causing delays in how quickly the process got started. Then, a lack of federal leadership led to preventable supply chain issues, a dearth of coordination across the country that left states fighting for limited supplies, and a failure to follow up on completed tests with adequate contact tracing programs. Months later, America’s testing and tracing capacities are still nowhere near where experts would like them to be.
Those kinds of problems could play out again with a vaccine.
The second big challenge: Persuading the public to take a vaccine
It’s not enough to make and distribute vaccines. “You can have a vaccine that … is fairly effective,” Brunson said. “But if no one takes them, that doesn’t matter.”
The biggest question of all is cost: If a vaccine is too expensive, people simply can’t and won’t get it. The federal government has laid out plans to try to ensure a vaccine is free for everyone, but it’s possible some people, particularly the uninsured or underinsured, could fall through the cracks.
Even if a vaccine is free for everyone, though, there are still other problems.
Polls show a considerable number of Americans — as many as half, based on a previous study by Gallup — may be reluctant or refuse to get the vaccine. That already seems to be changing as preliminary studies suggest the vaccines are very effective: A Pew Research Center survey found 60 percent of Americans said they would get a vaccine in November, up from 51 percent in September. But that’s still a lot of Americans who are at least skeptical.
Experts caution that this skepticism should not be treated as conspiracy theorizing or typical anti-vaxxer sentiments. There are more understandable reasons for some of the current vaccine skepticism — from the fact it’s a vaccine for a new virus to the incredibly quick process behind the vaccines to the massive amount of political polarization that’s overtaken all things Covid-19.
So simply trying to shame people into getting a vaccine isn’t going to work. The public will need to be persuaded — convinced that, as the clinical trials have demonstrated so far, the vaccines are safe and effective.
That will require transparency, acknowledging not just the benefits of the vaccine but also the possible side effects. With the Covid-19 vaccines, some people can expect to get ill in the hours after a dose — nothing life-threatening or dangerous, but symptoms like fatigue, headaches, chills, and muscle pain have been reported. It’s important, experts said, for officials and health care workers to communicate the symptoms are normal, temporary, a sign that the vaccine is actually working, and worth the benefits of avoiding a much more dangerous illness.
There are also more specific concerns for certain demographics that will need answers. Young people may feel like they don’t need the vaccine because they’re at lower risk for Covid-19, but it should be clearly explained to them that young, seemingly healthy people have gotten sick too — one of the worst things about the coronavirus is its effects can be so unexpected. People of color, especially Black Americans, distrust a health care system that frequently discriminates against them and used them for experiments in the past without their consent; those concerns should be taken seriously, while noting a vaccine has been vetted in clinical trials and will save lives.
Then there’s the political divide to overcome. Based on public opinion surveys, Democrats appear more likely to get a vaccine than their Republican counterparts. It will be on Republican leaders, like President Donald Trump and former President George W. Bush (who has already said he’ll get vaccinated publicly) to persuade people that a vaccine is truly safe and effective.
The public also has to be prepared for the unknown. There’s a chance, however small, that the vaccine could produce a rare side effect — people need to be told why that might be an acceptable risk if it’s truly rare, given the massive damage Covid-19 is inflicting on society as a whole. People will also experience health issues completely unrelated to the vaccine after they get vaccinated — that’s natural as hundreds of millions of people get vaccinated — and some may incorrectly link such issues to the vaccine; officials will need to be ready for that, too.
“In the normal course, people will get sick and die from a variety of things, many of which will now be attributed to the vaccine,” Hoyt said. “There needs to be a lot of forward communication about the baseline incidence of various ailments so people don’t rush to judgment. We can expect that people still will, but we need to develop a game plan to respond to that.”
At the same time, it’s important to not make people too confident. There are still questions we don’t know the answers to. Do Covid-19 vaccines actually stop transmission, meaning people can stop masking and distancing relatively quickly, or does it only stop people from getting sick, which will require precautions for longer? Are vaccines’ effects long-lasting, or will people need boosters to refresh their immunity? People need to be told these are major unknowns that should influence post-vaccine lifestyle changes, at least in the short term.
The government could do many things to push people to get a vaccine. It could ensure a vaccine is free. It could do a large, national public education campaign. It could even pay people to take a vaccine, or try to mandate vaccination (though that would raise legal and ethical questions that could further polarize the issue).
But besides federal plans to make Covid-19 vaccines free, there hasn’t been much movement in these areas. “There’s been no promotional campaign at all,” Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, told me.
Right now, America can finally see an end to its Covid-19 outbreak. The first task is social distancing and masking to make sure more people make it to the point where they can get vaccinated. But then we need to make sure people actually can and want to get a Covid-19 vaccine.
It’s not clear that the country is up to those challenges.
“If we do [vaccination] right, it can be positive and have long-term implications for public health generally,” Brunson said. “But the opposite is also true: If this is done badly, you run the risk of undermining public trust in your entire public health system.”


vox--2020-12-14--Biden’s post-Electoral College speech was a stinging rebuke of Trump

Over the past six weeks since Election Day , President-elect Joe Biden carried about his business while largely ignoring the circus surrounding President Donald Trump ’ s incessant lies about election fraud and refusal to concede .
That changed a bit on Monday .
Speaking hours after the Electoral College officially voted to confirm his victory over Trump , Biden declared victory .
He also criticized the president , whom he portrayed as on the wrong side of the struggle for democracy , for refusing to acknowledge the reality of his defeat .
“ In this battle for the soul @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden said .
“ We the people voted .
Faith in our institutions held .
The integrity of our elections remains intact .
And so now it is time to turn the page .
To unite .
To heal.
” Biden noted that he won the same number of electoral votes as Trump did following the 2016 election — 306 , though Trump ultimately received only 304 electoral votes because of two faithless electors — and said , “ At the time , President Trump called his Electoral College tally a landslide .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ represented a clear victory then , and I respectfully suggest they do so now.
” At another point , Biden took an indirect shot at Trump , saying “ the flame of democracy was lit in this nation a long time ago .
And we now know that nothing — not even a pandemic , or an abuse of power — can extinguish that flame.
” Biden addressed the flood of failed lawsuits the Trump campaign has filed since the election and the Supreme Court ’ s refusal last week to take up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overturned his victory .
He also praised state and local officials on both sides of the aisle for overseeing a fair election while refusing to be “ bullied ” by Trump .
“ In America , when questions are raised about the legitimacy of elections , those questions are resolved through the legal processes .
And that ’ s precisely what happened here , ” he said .
“ All the counts were confirmed ... none of this has stopped baseless claims.
” Later , Biden noted that “ respecting the will of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our democracy , ” adding that when Trump won four years ago , “ it was my responsibility to announce the tally of the Electoral College votes to the joint session of Congress ...
I did my job.
” Although a majority of House Republicans indicated in writing last week that they supported the aforementioned case that could have overturned the election results , Biden extended an olive branch , saying , “ I ’ m convinced we can work together for the good of the nation on many subjects .
That is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to our Constitution , to our history.
” He also thanked the Senate Republicans who have already acknowledged his victory .
Biden , who sounded noticeably hoarse throughout , closed by noting that the joy of his win “ is tempered by the pain so many of us are feeling today .
Our nation [ today ] passed a grim milestone : 300,000 deaths due to this Covid virus .
My heart goes out to each of you during this dark winter of the pandemic.
” While the president-elect wants to turn the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continues to toss around lies about it being stolen from him .
Stephen Miller , who serves as both a White House official and campaign adviser , indicated where things might be heading during a Fox & Friends appearance earlier Monday when he said that “ an alternate slate of electors in the contested states is going to vote [ for Trump ] and we are going to send those results to Congress.
” But that ’ s just political theater .
The fact of the matter is that Biden is president-elect .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ was denied no course of action he wanted to take ” in challenging the results .
As Biden emphasized on Monday , there is no escaping the reality that Biden ’ s victory was the product of a free and fair election , whether Trump wants to acknowledge it or not .

Over the past six weeks since Election Day, President-elect Joe Biden carried about his business while largely ignoring the circus surrounding President Donald Trump’s incessant lies about election fraud and refusal to concede. That changed a bit on Monday.
Speaking hours after the Electoral College officially voted to confirm his victory over Trump, Biden declared victory. He also criticized the president, whom he portrayed as on the wrong side of the struggle for democracy, for refusing to acknowledge the reality of his defeat.
“In this battle for the soul of America, democracy prevailed,” Biden said. “We the people voted. Faith in our institutions held. The integrity of our elections remains intact. And so now it is time to turn the page. To unite. To heal.”
Biden noted that he won the same number of electoral votes as Trump did following the 2016 election — 306, though Trump ultimately received only 304 electoral votes because of two faithless electors — and said, “At the time, President Trump called his Electoral College tally a landslide. By his own standards, these numbers represented a clear victory then, and I respectfully suggest they do so now.”
Biden: "306 electoral votes is the same number that Trump & Pence received when they won in 2016. At the time, Trump called his electoral college tally a landslide. By his own standards, these numbers represented a clear victory then & I respectfully suggest they do so now" pic.twitter.com/StyOFRJoxn — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) December 15, 2020
At another point, Biden took an indirect shot at Trump, saying “the flame of democracy was lit in this nation a long time ago. And we now know that nothing — not even a pandemic, or an abuse of power — can extinguish that flame.”
Biden addressed the flood of failed lawsuits the Trump campaign has filed since the election and the Supreme Court’s refusal last week to take up a flimsy case that could’ve overturned his victory. He also praised state and local officials on both sides of the aisle for overseeing a fair election while refusing to be “bullied” by Trump.
“In America, when questions are raised about the legitimacy of elections, those questions are resolved through the legal processes. And that’s precisely what happened here,” he said. “All the counts were confirmed ... none of this has stopped baseless claims.”
Later, Biden noted that “respecting the will of the people is at the heart of our democracy,” adding that when Trump won four years ago, “it was my responsibility to announce the tally of the Electoral College votes to the joint session of Congress ... I did my job.”
Biden: "4 years ago, when I was VP, it was my responsibility to announce the tally of the Electoral College votes to the joint session of Congress ... I did my job ... now it's time to turn the page as we've done throughout our history." pic.twitter.com/eCHWQMWxPo — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) December 15, 2020
Although a majority of House Republicans indicated in writing last week that they supported the aforementioned case that could have overturned the election results, Biden extended an olive branch, saying, “I’m convinced we can work together for the good of the nation on many subjects. That is the duty owed to the people, to our Constitution, to our history.” He also thanked the Senate Republicans who have already acknowledged his victory.
Biden, who sounded noticeably hoarse throughout, closed by noting that the joy of his win “is tempered by the pain so many of us are feeling today. Our nation [today] passed a grim milestone: 300,000 deaths due to this Covid virus. My heart goes out to each of you during this dark winter of the pandemic.”
Biden winds down his speech: "We have always set the example to the world for a peaceful transition of power. I know the task before us won't be easy. It is tempered by the pain so many of us are feeling today. Our nation passed a grim milestone. 300,000 deaths due to this virus" pic.twitter.com/hSDGAK6Pkg — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) December 15, 2020
While the president-elect wants to turn the page from the election, the president continues to toss around lies about it being stolen from him. Stephen Miller, who serves as both a White House official and campaign adviser, indicated where things might be heading during a Fox & Friends appearance earlier Monday when he said that “an alternate slate of electors in the contested states is going to vote [for Trump] and we are going to send those results to Congress.”
But that’s just political theater. The fact of the matter is that Biden is president-elect. And as he noted, “Trump was denied no course of action he wanted to take” in challenging the results. As Biden emphasized on Monday, there is no escaping the reality that Biden’s victory was the product of a free and fair election, whether Trump wants to acknowledge it or not.


vox--2020-12-14--Alternate electors: The latest far-fetched Trump plan to overturn the election, explained

President-elect Joe Biden ’ s win was confirmed yet again Monday , as the 538 members of the Electoral College cast their votes across every state and the District of Columbia — a fact that has led more conservatives to urge President Trump to concede .
There was little drama expected in how the day ’ s tallying would go ; in the end , no elector went against their state ’ s popular vote .
States and districts accounting for 306 electoral votes have certified wins for Joe Biden — which means Democrats , chosen by state parties , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Meanwhile , states and districts with 232 electoral votes certified wins for President Trump and appointed Trump-supporting electors .
Yet the president seems to have other ideas .
White House senior adviser Stephen Miller said on Fox Monday that Trump ’ s team planned to support an “ alternate ” set of electors in key states Biden won , which Trump is continuing to baselessly dispute .
“ As we speak , today , an alternate slate of electors in the contested states is going to vote and we ’ re going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Miller said .
“ This will ensure that all of our legal remedies remain open.
” And Trump ’ s chosen electors did indeed meet in states including Georgia , Pennsylvania , Wisconsin , Nevada , and Michigan to cast their votes for Trump — though some involved tried to downplay the significance of this move , calling it merely a legal formality .
In fact , it ’ s a legally frivolous and baseless action .
The legitimate and legally recognized electors in states Biden won have had their appointments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accordance with the vote totals in each state .
The president ’ s “ alternate ” electors were acting with no legal authority whatsoever , apparently because Trump doesn ’ t want to acknowledge the election is over and that he ’ s lost .
The move is a preview of further shenanigans when Congress meets to count the electoral votes on January 6 — the final constitutional step before the winner is inaugurated .
There , Trump allies plan to file challenges to the results in states Biden won .
Yet those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the House .
So overall , any “ alternate slate of electors ” should mainly be understood as a stunt , to deceive Trump ’ s voters into thinking he still has a chance and keep the grift ( and massive fundraising ) that accompanies that deception going for another few weeks .
Any alternate electors would have no legal authority Both before and after the 2020 election , nightmare scenarios were floated that focused on the possibility that multiple slates of electors could be sent from a state to Congress .
For @ @ @ @ @ @ @ won with a Republican-controlled legislature , the governor could send a slate of pro-Biden electors , but the legislature could ( dubiously try to ) send a slate of pro-Trump electors .
But that didn ’ t pan out .
Despite Trump ’ s efforts to pressure GOP leaders in key states like Pennsylvania , Michigan , and Georgia , Biden ’ s wins were certified on schedule — and no state legislature tried to appoint Trump electors instead .
According to Miller , though , Trump ’ s team is trying to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s chosen electors in states Biden won meet on their own authority and cast their electoral votes for Trump , despite having no actual authority to do so .
These electors would effectively just be some people , not the certified electors for states .
Efforts to do this took place in swing states like Georgia , Pennsylvania , Michigan , and Wisconsin .
One would-be Trump elector in Georgia hyped the effort as “ taking decisive action.
” But another downplayed the effort to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution ’ s Greg Bluestein , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , checking legal boxes , if something should come of the lawsuits.
” The Trump campaign ’ s Pennsylvania chair also argued in a statement that “ this was in no way an effort to contest the will of the Pennsylvania voters , ” and that their elector-naming was merely “ conditional ” and meant to “ preserve any legal claims that may be presented going forward.
” ( They pointed toward Hawaii ’ s close presidential election in 1960 as a precedent , though it has little relevance for the current situation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ways this alternate slate of electors could end up becoming the real electors .
First , he said , the courts could send their votes to Congress , “ if we win these cases.
” This seems quite unlikely , as Trump and his allies ’ efforts to overturn the results of states in the courts have been uniformly rejected so far , at both the state court and US Supreme Court levels .
Second , Miller said , “ the state legislatures in Georgia , Wisconsin , Pennsylvania , can do the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trying to pressure GOP-controlled state legislatures to somehow reject the electors that will , after today , already have been approved in their states , and replace them with the president ’ s .
Legislature leaders in these states have refused to do this thus far , often claiming they have no such authority to do so under state law .
Third , Miller said they plan to “ send those results up to Congress , ” and that “ Congress has that opportunity as well to do the right thing.
” This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ll explore why that is below .
This sets up more stunts for when Congress counts the electoral votes in January On January 6 , 2021 , a joint session of the newly elected Congress will convene to count the votes cast by the Electoral College .
This congressional count is the final formal step in making the presidential election results official before the inauguration itself .
The 12th Amendment to the Constitution says that Congress — led by Vice President Mike Pence , in his role as president of the Senate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the certificates ” of electoral votes sent by states , and “ the votes shall then be counted.
” Eventually , Congress became an arena for resolving disputes over the presidential election ’ s outcome — particularly in the infamously disputed election of 1876 .
Subsequently , Congress passed the Electoral Count Act to try to shift more responsibility for settling results to the states , but it also set up a procedure by which members of Congress could challenge results in particular states .
Under this process , if at least one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the results in any state , each chamber will hold a vote on the matter .
For the objection to succeed , both the House and the Senate must vote in favor of it .
Otherwise , it fails .
( And since Democrats will control the new House , any objection to Biden ’ s win will surely fail in that chamber .
Failure in the Senate is also a strong possibility , since several Republican senators have acknowledged that Biden won . )
The nightmare scenarios for a post-election dispute — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ned Foley , a law professor at Ohio State University — often focused on how Congress might settle things if they got two slates of electors from a contested state , one certified by the governor and one by the state legislature .
Which elector slate would be the “ default ” one ?
Would Pence end up making the final call ?
If he did so , and Congress was divided , who could stop him ?
There are various messy possibilities as to how this could play out .
But that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s unfolding .
For the 2020 election , every governor has certified a result , and no state legislature has disputed that result .
So maybe the Trump campaign will try to “ send ” their own results up to Congress somehow , as Miller claimed .
But under the Electoral Count Act ( which deals with the scenario where “ more than one return or paper purporting to be a return from a State shall have been received ” ) , it ’ s difficult to see how the alternate results could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to unilaterally declare they won ’ t follow this provision of the Electoral Count Act because they believe it to be unconstitutional , or something .
The person who will truly be in an awkward position on January 6 is Vice President Pence .
He ’ s of course not the first veep to preside over the tense election of the opposing party ’ s candidate — Vice President Biden did it for Trump in 2016 , and Vice President Al Gore did it for his own opponent in 2000 .
But both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then .
If Trump hasn ’ t yet conceded , he and his allies will likely try to pressure Pence to somehow interfere with the congressional counting process , even though Pence ’ s role is widely understood as mostly ceremonial .

President-elect Joe Biden’s win was confirmed yet again Monday, as the 538 members of the Electoral College cast their votes across every state and the District of Columbia — a fact that has led more conservatives to urge President Trump to concede.
There was little drama expected in how the day’s tallying would go; in the end, no elector went against their state’s popular vote.
States and districts accounting for 306 electoral votes have certified wins for Joe Biden — which means Democrats, chosen by state parties, were named the electors for those states. Meanwhile, states and districts with 232 electoral votes certified wins for President Trump and appointed Trump-supporting electors.
Yet the president seems to have other ideas. White House senior adviser Stephen Miller said on Fox Monday that Trump’s team planned to support an “alternate” set of electors in key states Biden won, which Trump is continuing to baselessly dispute.
“As we speak, today, an alternate slate of electors in the contested states is going to vote and we’re going to send those results up to Congress,” Miller said. “This will ensure that all of our legal remedies remain open.”
And Trump’s chosen electors did indeed meet in states including Georgia, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Nevada, and Michigan to cast their votes for Trump — though some involved tried to downplay the significance of this move, calling it merely a legal formality.
In fact, it’s a legally frivolous and baseless action. The legitimate and legally recognized electors in states Biden won have had their appointments certified by each state governor, in accordance with the vote totals in each state. The president’s “alternate” electors were acting with no legal authority whatsoever, apparently because Trump doesn’t want to acknowledge the election is over and that he’s lost.
The move is a preview of further shenanigans when Congress meets to count the electoral votes on January 6 — the final constitutional step before the winner is inaugurated. There, Trump allies plan to file challenges to the results in states Biden won. Yet those challenges will fail because Democrats will control the House.
So overall, any “alternate slate of electors” should mainly be understood as a stunt, to deceive Trump’s voters into thinking he still has a chance and keep the grift (and massive fundraising) that accompanies that deception going for another few weeks.
Any alternate electors would have no legal authority
Both before and after the 2020 election, nightmare scenarios were floated that focused on the possibility that multiple slates of electors could be sent from a state to Congress. For instance, in a swing state Biden won with a Republican-controlled legislature, the governor could send a slate of pro-Biden electors, but the legislature could (dubiously try to) send a slate of pro-Trump electors.
But that didn’t pan out. Despite Trump’s efforts to pressure GOP leaders in key states like Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Georgia, Biden’s wins were certified on schedule — and no state legislature tried to appoint Trump electors instead.
According to Miller, though, Trump’s team is trying to ignore this impediment by having Trump’s chosen electors in states Biden won meet on their own authority and cast their electoral votes for Trump, despite having no actual authority to do so. These electors would effectively just be some people, not the certified electors for states.
Efforts to do this took place in swing states like Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin. One would-be Trump elector in Georgia hyped the effort as “taking decisive action.” But another downplayed the effort to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Greg Bluestein, saying that the idea was “basically, checking legal boxes, if something should come of the lawsuits.”
The Trump campaign’s Pennsylvania chair also argued in a statement that “this was in no way an effort to contest the will of the Pennsylvania voters,” and that their elector-naming was merely “conditional” and meant to “preserve any legal claims that may be presented going forward.” (They pointed toward Hawaii’s close presidential election in 1960 as a precedent, though it has little relevance for the current situation.)
Miller optimistically suggested three main ways this alternate slate of electors could end up becoming the real electors.
First, he said, the courts could send their votes to Congress, “if we win these cases.” This seems quite unlikely, as Trump and his allies’ efforts to overturn the results of states in the courts have been uniformly rejected so far, at both the state court and US Supreme Court levels.
Second, Miller said, “the state legislatures in Georgia, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, can do the same,” suggesting Trump will keep trying to pressure GOP-controlled state legislatures to somehow reject the electors that will, after today, already have been approved in their states, and replace them with the president’s. Legislature leaders in these states have refused to do this thus far, often claiming they have no such authority to do so under state law.
Third, Miller said they plan to “send those results up to Congress,” and that “Congress has that opportunity as well to do the right thing.” This effort is also doomed, and we’ll explore why that is below.
This sets up more stunts for when Congress counts the electoral votes in January
On January 6, 2021, a joint session of the newly elected Congress will convene to count the votes cast by the Electoral College. This congressional count is the final formal step in making the presidential election results official before the inauguration itself.
The 12th Amendment to the Constitution says that Congress — led by Vice President Mike Pence, in his role as president of the Senate — is supposed to “open all the certificates” of electoral votes sent by states, and “the votes shall then be counted.”
Eventually, Congress became an arena for resolving disputes over the presidential election’s outcome — particularly in the infamously disputed election of 1876. Subsequently, Congress passed the Electoral Count Act to try to shift more responsibility for settling results to the states, but it also set up a procedure by which members of Congress could challenge results in particular states.
Under this process, if at least one House member and one senator object to the results in any state, each chamber will hold a vote on the matter. For the objection to succeed, both the House and the Senate must vote in favor of it. Otherwise, it fails. (And since Democrats will control the new House, any objection to Biden’s win will surely fail in that chamber. Failure in the Senate is also a strong possibility, since several Republican senators have acknowledged that Biden won.)
The nightmare scenarios for a post-election dispute — like this one written last year by Ned Foley, a law professor at Ohio State University — often focused on how Congress might settle things if they got two slates of electors from a contested state, one certified by the governor and one by the state legislature. Which elector slate would be the “default” one? Would Pence end up making the final call? If he did so, and Congress was divided, who could stop him? There are various messy possibilities as to how this could play out.
But that’s not the situation that’s unfolding. For the 2020 election, every governor has certified a result, and no state legislature has disputed that result.
So maybe the Trump campaign will try to “send” their own results up to Congress somehow, as Miller claimed. But under the Electoral Count Act (which deals with the scenario where “more than one return or paper purporting to be a return from a State shall have been received”), it’s difficult to see how the alternate results could possibly be counted, unless Republicans decide to unilaterally declare they won’t follow this provision of the Electoral Count Act because they believe it to be unconstitutional, or something.
The person who will truly be in an awkward position on January 6 is Vice President Pence. He’s of course not the first veep to preside over the tense election of the opposing party’s candidate — Vice President Biden did it for Trump in 2016, and Vice President Al Gore did it for his own opponent in 2000.
But both Hillary Clinton and Gore had conceded by then. If Trump hasn’t yet conceded, he and his allies will likely try to pressure Pence to somehow interfere with the congressional counting process, even though Pence’s role is widely understood as mostly ceremonial.


vox--2020-12-14--Attorney General Bill Barr contradicted Trump on voter fraud. Now he’s resigning.

Attorney General Bill Barr is resigning , President Donald Trump announced on Twitter Monday evening .
His last day will be December 23 .
Barr has been one of Trump ’ s most loyal allies , most notably for his outspoken criticism of the 2016 Russia investigation and for going as far as launching an investigation into the origins of that probe .
But Barr ’ s relationship with the president had become strained in recent weeks over the attorney general ’ s refusal to back Trump ’ s claims of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election .
Barr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month that there was no evidence of “ fraud on a scale that could have effected a different outcome in the election.
” Barr had reportedly told associates in recent weeks that he was considering stepping down from his post before Inauguration Day .
Whether this was fully Barr ’ s decision is not totally clear , given that the attorney general had clearly fallen out of favor with the president .
Last week , Trump retweeted a post that called for Barr to be fired .
Trump also added his own commentary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ On Monday , before the news of Barr ’ s departure had been announced , a reporter asked White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany about the friction between Barr and Trump .
“ Yeah , you know there ’ s a clear frustration , ” she responded .
“ I ’ ll leave it at that.
” Trump , in announcing Barr ’ s resignation Monday evening , said in a tweet : “ Our relationship has been a very good one , he has done an outstanding job !
” Trump added @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be leaving just before Christmas to spend the holidays with his family ... Deputy Attorney General Jeff Rosen , an outstanding person , will become Acting Attorney General .
Highly respected Richard Donoghue will be taking over the duties of Deputy Attorney General .
Thank you to all !
” Trump ’ s tweet included Barr ’ s resignation letter — and it ’ s really quite something , as far as resignation letters go .
In it , Barr praises the president effusively , saying that he is “ greatly honored @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your Administration and the American people once again as Attorney General.
” “ I am proud to have played a role in the many successes and unprecedented achievements you have delivered for the American people , ” Barr writes .
He continues : Your record is all the more historic because you accomplished it in the face of relentless , implacable resistance .
Your 2016 victory speech in which you reached out to your opponents and called for working together for the benefit of the American people was immediately met by a partisan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , no matter how abusive and deceitful , was out of bounds .
The nadir of this campaign was the effort to cripple , if not oust , your Administration with frenzied and baseless accusations of collusion with Russia .
This is a truly remarkable statement , given that Barr was tasked with overseeing the conclusion of special counsel Robert Mueller ’ s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election .
Barr has made no secret of his distaste for the Russia probe , and he made controversial moves that critics say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ misleadingly framing Mueller ’ s findings in an early summary to questionable interventions in the cases of former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn and Trump associate Roger Stone , both of whom were charged in the special counsel ’ s investigation .
( Trump later commuted Stone ’ s sentence , and he recently pardoned Flynn . )
Barr also tapped a US federal prosecutor , John Durham , to launch an inquiry into the origins of the 2016 Russia investigation .
Barr has since named Durham as special counsel , thereby allowing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden presidency .
Barr helped Trump advance his agenda in other ways , too , including on immigration and on punishing protesters and cities for disorder during this summer ’ s protests .
But all of that might not have been enough to keep Barr in Trump ’ s good graces once Barr decided not to back Trump ’ s disproven claims that the election was stolen from him .
Instead , Barr is the latest official departing or forced out with just weeks left in Trump ’ s presidency .

Attorney General Bill Barr is resigning, President Donald Trump announced on Twitter Monday evening. His last day will be December 23.
Barr has been one of Trump’s most loyal allies, most notably for his outspoken criticism of the 2016 Russia investigation and for going as far as launching an investigation into the origins of that probe.
But Barr’s relationship with the president had become strained in recent weeks over the attorney general’s refusal to back Trump’s claims of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election. Barr, contradicting Trump, said earlier this month that there was no evidence of “fraud on a scale that could have effected a different outcome in the election.” Barr had reportedly told associates in recent weeks that he was considering stepping down from his post before Inauguration Day.
Whether this was fully Barr’s decision is not totally clear, given that the attorney general had clearly fallen out of favor with the president. Last week, Trump retweeted a post that called for Barr to be fired. Trump also added his own commentary: “A big disappointment!”
On Monday, before the news of Barr’s departure had been announced, a reporter asked White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany about the friction between Barr and Trump. “Yeah, you know there’s a clear frustration,” she responded. “I’ll leave it at that.”
Trump, in announcing Barr’s resignation Monday evening, said in a tweet: “Our relationship has been a very good one, he has done an outstanding job!”
Trump added: “As per letter, Bill will be leaving just before Christmas to spend the holidays with his family... Deputy Attorney General Jeff Rosen, an outstanding person, will become Acting Attorney General. Highly respected Richard Donoghue will be taking over the duties of Deputy Attorney General. Thank you to all!”
...Deputy Attorney General Jeff Rosen, an outstanding person, will become Acting Attorney General. Highly respected Richard Donoghue will be taking over the duties of Deputy Attorney General. Thank you to all! pic.twitter.com/V5sqOJT9PM — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 14, 2020
Trump’s tweet included Barr’s resignation letter — and it’s really quite something, as far as resignation letters go.
In it, Barr praises the president effusively, saying that he is “greatly honored that you called on me to serve your Administration and the American people once again as Attorney General.”
“I am proud to have played a role in the many successes and unprecedented achievements you have delivered for the American people,” Barr writes. He continues:
Your record is all the more historic because you accomplished it in the face of relentless, implacable resistance. Your 2016 victory speech in which you reached out to your opponents and called for working together for the benefit of the American people was immediately met by a partisan onslaught against you in which no tactic, no matter how abusive and deceitful, was out of bounds. The nadir of this campaign was the effort to cripple, if not oust, your Administration with frenzied and baseless accusations of collusion with Russia.
This is a truly remarkable statement, given that Barr was tasked with overseeing the conclusion of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.
Barr has made no secret of his distaste for the Russia probe, and he made controversial moves that critics say undercut Mueller’s work, from misleadingly framing Mueller’s findings in an early summary to questionable interventions in the cases of former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn and Trump associate Roger Stone, both of whom were charged in the special counsel’s investigation. (Trump later commuted Stone’s sentence, and he recently pardoned Flynn.)
Barr also tapped a US federal prosecutor, John Durham, to launch an inquiry into the origins of the 2016 Russia investigation. Barr has since named Durham as special counsel, thereby allowing Durham to continue his work under a Biden presidency.
Barr helped Trump advance his agenda in other ways, too, including on immigration and on punishing protesters and cities for disorder during this summer’s protests.
But all of that might not have been enough to keep Barr in Trump’s good graces once Barr decided not to back Trump’s disproven claims that the election was stolen from him. Instead, Barr is the latest official departing or forced out with just weeks left in Trump’s presidency.


vox--2020-12-14--Why Trump just sanctioned NATO ally Turkey

The United States is finally punishing Turkey for purchasing a Russian missile defense system , a long-anticipated move that is likely to increase tensions with a NATO ally .
On Monday , the Trump administration imposed sanctions on Turkey for its purchase of the Russian-made S-400 surface-to-air missile defense system .
The administration ordered the penalties under a section of the Countering America ’ s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act ( CAATSA ) , which gives the president the power to sanction people or entities that do business with Russia ’ s intelligence or defense sectors .
The sanctions specifically target @ @ @ @ @ @ @ known as the Presidency of Defense Industries ( SSB ) , and its senior officials .
“ Despite our warnings , Turkey moved ahead with its purchase and testing of the S-400 system from Russia , ” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement Monday .
“ Today ’ s sanctions on Turkey ’ s SSB demonstrates the U.S. will fully implement # CAATSA .
We will not tolerate significant transactions with Russia ’ s defense sector.
” But these sanctions are kind of overdue .
Turkey acquired the defense system @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Trump administration not to do so because they do not want a NATO ally relying on Russian systems .
US officials also said Turkey ’ s use of the S-400 jeopardized America ’ s F-35 fighter jet program , over fears the Russian system ’ s radars could collect intelligence on the F-35s .
In response , the US removed Turkey from its F-35 fighter jet program , which barred the country from getting the jets and restricted any Turkish personnel from working with the planes .
Still , bipartisan members of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Turkey , including sanctions .
Turkey ’ s decision to purchase the Russian system further strained relations between Washington and Ankara .
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has consolidated power in recent years , becoming more explicitly authoritarian and cracking down on dissent , including by jailing journalists and others he perceives as his political enemies .
Erdoğan was angered by the US ’ s decision to ally with the Kurds in the fight against ISIS in Syria , as Erdoğan associates them with the Kurdistan Workers ’ Party , a terrorist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Turkey .
He has also bristled at the US ’ s refusal to extradite a US-based cleric whom Erdoğan blames for a 2016 coup attempt .
Beyond Turkey ’ s flirtation with Russia , Turkey has also tried to exert its regional influence in places like Syria and Libya and the eastern Mediterranean Sea , where its gas exploration efforts have increased tensions with Greece and other NATO allies in the European Union , too .
( The EU is also considering sanctions against Turkey . )
But despite issuing lots of admonitions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ move forward with the CAATSA sanctions .
Some attributed Trump ’ s refusal to do so to his personal affinity for Erdoğan .
Then in October , Turkey tested the S-400 system in defiance of US warnings , making it much harder for the US to ignore .
And this month , Congress , in its annual defense authorization bill , included mandatory sanctions against Turkey for its Russian defense shopping spree .
Though Trump has threatened to veto the bill for lots of reasons , the administration ’ s move to sanction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attempt to get ahead of that requirement .
Either way , the imposition of sanctions on Turkey is only going to deepen the divide between the two NATO allies .
Turkey ’ s economy was struggling badly before the coronavirus , and the financial penalties could add to that pain .
Erdoğan condemned the sanctions .
“ We expect support from our NATO ally , the United States , in our fight against terrorist organizations ... not sanctions , ” he said , according to CNN Türk .
But the Trump administration ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be President-elect Joe Biden ’ s problem .
Biden has previously called Erdoğan an “ autocrat ” and expressed concern about Turkey ’ s growing closeness with Russia .
And in October , Biden called on the Trump administration to pressure Turkey over its provocations in the eastern Mediterranean .
Biden and other allies face a difficult dilemma .
Turkey is a strategic NATO partner , and the US and EU want to put pressure on Erdoğan to try to stop his misbehavior and bring him back into the fold .
But too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Moscow even closer together .
As Biden seeks to rebuild American partnerships , the relationship with Turkey may be one of the trickiest .

The United States is finally punishing Turkey for purchasing a Russian missile defense system, a long-anticipated move that is likely to increase tensions with a NATO ally.
On Monday, the Trump administration imposed sanctions on Turkey for its purchase of the Russian-made S-400 surface-to-air missile defense system. The administration ordered the penalties under a section of the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), which gives the president the power to sanction people or entities that do business with Russia’s intelligence or defense sectors. The sanctions specifically target Turkey’s defense procurement agency, known as the Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB), and its senior officials.
“Despite our warnings, Turkey moved ahead with its purchase and testing of the S-400 system from Russia,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement Monday. “Today’s sanctions on Turkey’s SSB demonstrates the U.S. will fully implement #CAATSA. We will not tolerate significant transactions with Russia’s defense sector.”
But these sanctions are kind of overdue. Turkey acquired the defense system last year, after repeated warnings by the Trump administration not to do so because they do not want a NATO ally relying on Russian systems. US officials also said Turkey’s use of the S-400 jeopardized America’s F-35 fighter jet program, over fears the Russian system’s radars could collect intelligence on the F-35s.
In response, the US removed Turkey from its F-35 fighter jet program, which barred the country from getting the jets and restricted any Turkish personnel from working with the planes. Still, bipartisan members of Congress continued to push for harsher punishment of Turkey, including sanctions.
Turkey’s decision to purchase the Russian system further strained relations between Washington and Ankara. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has consolidated power in recent years, becoming more explicitly authoritarian and cracking down on dissent, including by jailing journalists and others he perceives as his political enemies.
Erdoğan was angered by the US’s decision to ally with the Kurds in the fight against ISIS in Syria, as Erdoğan associates them with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, a terrorist group that’s waged attacks in Turkey. He has also bristled at the US’s refusal to extradite a US-based cleric whom Erdoğan blames for a 2016 coup attempt.
Beyond Turkey’s flirtation with Russia, Turkey has also tried to exert its regional influence in places like Syria and Libya and the eastern Mediterranean Sea, where its gas exploration efforts have increased tensions with Greece and other NATO allies in the European Union, too. (The EU is also considering sanctions against Turkey.)
But despite issuing lots of admonitions, the Trump administration didn’t move forward with the CAATSA sanctions. Some attributed Trump’s refusal to do so to his personal affinity for Erdoğan.
Then in October, Turkey tested the S-400 system in defiance of US warnings, making it much harder for the US to ignore.
And this month, Congress, in its annual defense authorization bill, included mandatory sanctions against Turkey for its Russian defense shopping spree. Though Trump has threatened to veto the bill for lots of reasons, the administration’s move to sanction Turkey on Monday may have been an attempt to get ahead of that requirement.
Either way, the imposition of sanctions on Turkey is only going to deepen the divide between the two NATO allies. Turkey’s economy was struggling badly before the coronavirus, and the financial penalties could add to that pain.
Erdoğan condemned the sanctions. “We expect support from our NATO ally, the United States, in our fight against terrorist organizations ... not sanctions,” he said, according to CNN Türk.
But the Trump administration’s decision today is really going to be President-elect Joe Biden’s problem. Biden has previously called Erdoğan an “autocrat” and expressed concern about Turkey’s growing closeness with Russia. And in October, Biden called on the Trump administration to pressure Turkey over its provocations in the eastern Mediterranean.
Biden and other allies face a difficult dilemma. Turkey is a strategic NATO partner, and the US and EU want to put pressure on Erdoğan to try to stop his misbehavior and bring him back into the fold. But too much pressure may backfire, pushing Ankara and Moscow even closer together.
As Biden seeks to rebuild American partnerships, the relationship with Turkey may be one of the trickiest.


vox--2020-12-14--Despite “credible threat of violence,” Michigan’s Electoral College vote went smoothly

Michigan ’ s presidential electors convened on Monday at the state capitol in Lansing and officially cast 16 votes for Joe Biden amid concerns of violence — and in a superheated climate created by President Donald Trump ’ s willingness to stoke resentment as he continues to refuse to concede an election he clearly lost .
The vote , which took place just before 3 pm Eastern time , happened in a Senate chamber that was closed to the public on Monday due to a “ credible threat of violence.
” Police stationed at the building prevented Trump supporters from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote took place .
There was good reason for the extra precautions .
Just hours before the vote took place , a Republican state legislator , Gary Eisen , went on a local radio show and suggested he was at least aware of a violent plot to disrupt the proceedings .
“ There ’ s going to be violence .
There ’ s going to be protests .
And they asked me if I was going to assist today .
... And how could I not ?
” said Eisen , in comments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him from his committee assignments .
Eisen ’ s remarks were extreme , but they reflect the mood among Trump followers who have bought the lies he and his campaign have been pushing about the election being stolen from him .
And this anger wasn ’ t just on display in Michigan — in Arizona , for instance , Biden electors met on Monday at an undisclosed location for security reasons .
Thankfully , plots to disrupt the Electoral College votes with violence or otherwise have not come to fruition .
But Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of tarnishing what has traditionally been a peaceful national ceremony to officially end a presidential election .
Trump is openly encouraging unrest for no good reason Monday ’ s Electoral College meetings came hours after Trump posted a Twitter thread claiming falsely that if swing states like Michigan and Arizona went ahead with the Electoral College votes , they ’ d be committing “ a severely punishable crime.
” Trump concluded his thread by exclaiming , “ VOTES CAN NOT BE CERTIFIED .
THIS ELECTION IS UNDER PROTEST !
” Of course , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by law , must allow their electors to vote — the crime would be to stop them from doing so .
And the Trump campaign and its lawyers have failed to bring forth any evidence of significant fraud ( because no such evidence exists ) that would call the election into question , prompting even judges nominated by Trump to rule against his efforts to overturn the election results .
But that lack of evidence doesn ’ t seem to bother Trump ’ s ardent supporters , some of whom came to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s enemies during pro-Trump events that took place over the weekend in Washington , DC .
Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes , for instance , argued that now was the time to take up arms to secure a second term for Trump in order to avoid a “ much more bloody war ” later .
Street clashes that took place following those pro-Trump rallies culminated in four people being stabbed .
But instead of trying to turn down the temperature , Trump on Sunday morning not only continued sounding off about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the election ” but went as far as to suggest , absurdly , that Republicans who have supported him through thick and thin were in on it .
The potential consequences of this sort of incendiary rhetoric from the president have already been seen by Michigan state officials .
In October , armed right-wing militia members were arrested for allegedly plotting to kidnap a frequent target of Trump ’ s abuse , Michigan Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer .
One of the men posted a video of himself wearing a Trump hat on social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up .
Predictably , however , Trump responded to those arrests not by toning down the rhetoric , but by attacking Whitmer more during the numerous visits he made to Michigan in the campaign ’ s final weeks .
Those efforts weren ’ t enough to prevent Biden from carrying Michigan by more than 150,000 votes .
Despite his decisive loss , Trump in recent days has repeatedly called for Republican officials and judges to have the “ WISDOM & COURAGE ” to help him “ OVERTURN ” Biden ’ s win .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ convince these officials to stop the Electoral College vote in key states , but they appear to have been more than enough to further radicalize a segment of his supporters , including those who made threats against electors and those willing to join Trump in his doomed fight .
On Monday , for instance , Stephen Miller — who both works in the White House and advises the Trump campaign — told Fox & Friends that “ an alternate slate of electors in the contested states is going to vote and we are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Like Trump ’ s other efforts to overturn his loss , the “ alternate electors ” gambit is destined to fail — they have no legal standing and can ’ t actually cast any votes .
But efforts of this sort are succeeding in undermining confidence in Biden ’ s victory , which a recent Quinnipiac poll indicated only 60 percent of registered voters view as legitimate .

Michigan’s presidential electors convened on Monday at the state capitol in Lansing and officially cast 16 votes for Joe Biden amid concerns of violence — and in a superheated climate created by President Donald Trump’s willingness to stoke resentment as he continues to refuse to concede an election he clearly lost.
Biden has officially won Michigan pic.twitter.com/IcKWxbbjIm — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) December 14, 2020
The vote, which took place just before 3 pm Eastern time, happened in a Senate chamber that was closed to the public on Monday due to a “credible threat of violence.” Police stationed at the building prevented Trump supporters from entering the area where the Electoral College vote took place.
“The Electors are already here, they’ve been checked in.” Michigan State Police are blocking access to the Capitol, preventing the GOP Electors from getting inside #Michigan #ElectoralCollege #ElectoralCollegeVote pic.twitter.com/GzTK5gGCJ1 — Brendan Gutenschwager (@BGOnTheScene) December 14, 2020
There was good reason for the extra precautions. Just hours before the vote took place, a Republican state legislator, Gary Eisen, went on a local radio show and suggested he was at least aware of a violent plot to disrupt the proceedings.
“There’s going to be violence. There’s going to be protests. And they asked me if I was going to assist today. ... And how could I not?” said Eisen, in comments that promptly caused Republican leaders to remove him from his committee assignments.
Eisen’s remarks were extreme, but they reflect the mood among Trump followers who have bought the lies he and his campaign have been pushing about the election being stolen from him. And this anger wasn’t just on display in Michigan — in Arizona, for instance, Biden electors met on Monday at an undisclosed location for security reasons.
Arizona's electors meet in a safe, undisclosed location to cast the state’s 11 votes for Biden.
AZ Sec. of State Hobbs: “… it is patently un-American and unacceptable that today’s event should be anything less than an honored tradition …” pic.twitter.com/O9bXQRySFF — The Recount (@therecount) December 14, 2020
Thankfully, plots to disrupt the Electoral College votes with violence or otherwise have not come to fruition. But Trump did everything in his power in hopes of tarnishing what has traditionally been a peaceful national ceremony to officially end a presidential election.
Trump is openly encouraging unrest for no good reason
Monday’s Electoral College meetings came hours after Trump posted a Twitter thread claiming falsely that if swing states like Michigan and Arizona went ahead with the Electoral College votes, they’d be committing “a severely punishable crime.”
Trump concluded his thread by exclaiming, “VOTES CANNOT BE CERTIFIED. THIS ELECTION IS UNDER PROTEST!”
Swing States that have found massive VOTER FRAUD, which is all of them, CANNOT LEGALLY CERTIFY these votes as complete & correct without committing a severely punishable crime. Everybody knows that dead people, below age people, illegal immigrants, fake signatures, prisoners,.... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 13, 2020
Of course, Monday is the day that states, by law, must allow their electors to vote — the crime would be to stop them from doing so. And the Trump campaign and its lawyers have failed to bring forth any evidence of significant fraud (because no such evidence exists) that would call the election into question, prompting even judges nominated by Trump to rule against his efforts to overturn the election results.
But that lack of evidence doesn’t seem to bother Trump’s ardent supporters, some of whom came to the brink of openly calling for violence against Trump’s enemies during pro-Trump events that took place over the weekend in Washington, DC. Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes, for instance, argued that now was the time to take up arms to secure a second term for Trump in order to avoid a “much more bloody war” later.
"You can be called up as the militia to support & defend the Constitution... if he does not do it now while he's commander in chief, we're gonna have to do it ourselves later in a much more desperate, much more bloody war. Let's get it on now while he's still commander in chief" pic.twitter.com/9jwFuJAere — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) December 12, 2020
Street clashes that took place following those pro-Trump rallies culminated in four people being stabbed. But instead of trying to turn down the temperature, Trump on Sunday morning not only continued sounding off about a purported Democratic plot to “steal the election” but went as far as to suggest, absurdly, that Republicans who have supported him through thick and thin were in on it.
The RINOS that run the state voting apparatus have caused us this problem of allowing the Democrats to so blatantly cheat in their attempt to steal the election, which we won overwhelmingly. How dare they allow this massive and ridiculous Mail-In Voting to occur... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 13, 2020
The potential consequences of this sort of incendiary rhetoric from the president have already been seen by Michigan state officials. In October, armed right-wing militia members were arrested for allegedly plotting to kidnap a frequent target of Trump’s abuse, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. One of the men posted a video of himself wearing a Trump hat on social media shortly before the plot was broken up.
Predictably, however, Trump responded to those arrests not by toning down the rhetoric, but by attacking Whitmer more during the numerous visits he made to Michigan in the campaign’s final weeks.
Trump says "lock them all up" as his fans direct "lock her up!" chants toward Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who was the victim of a kidnapping/assassination plot recently hatched by Trump supporters pic.twitter.com/8a41Ca07FX — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 17, 2020
Those efforts weren’t enough to prevent Biden from carrying Michigan by more than 150,000 votes.
Despite his decisive loss, Trump in recent days has repeatedly called for Republican officials and judges to have the “WISDOM & COURAGE” to help him “OVERTURN” Biden’s win. Those efforts weren’t enough to convince these officials to stop the Electoral College vote in key states, but they appear to have been more than enough to further radicalize a segment of his supporters, including those who made threats against electors and those willing to join Trump in his doomed fight.
On Monday, for instance, Stephen Miller — who both works in the White House and advises the Trump campaign — told Fox & Friends that “an alternate slate of electors in the contested states is going to vote and we are going to send those results to Congress.”
Stephen Miller on Fox & Friends says "an alternative" group of electors is also voting today:
"As we speak, an alternate slate of electors in the contested states is going to vote and we are going to send those results to Congress."pic.twitter.com/5kIkfsbOFw — Travis Akers (@travisakers) December 14, 2020
Like Trump’s other efforts to overturn his loss, the “alternate electors” gambit is destined to fail — they have no legal standing and can’t actually cast any votes. But efforts of this sort are succeeding in undermining confidence in Biden’s victory, which a recent Quinnipiac poll indicated only 60 percent of registered voters view as legitimate.


vox--2020-12-14--How hackers, probably Russian, infiltrated the federal government

Hackers reportedly linked to the Russian government managed to hack into multiple US government agencies in what could be the largest hack of government systems since the Obama administration — or perhaps ever .
Malware inserted into third-party software may have given hackers access to various government systems for months .
Security agencies are currently assessing exactly which departments were breached and what information was accessed .
So far , the Commerce Department has confirmed it was hacked , and the Treasury Department is another reported victim .
We don ’ t have a lot of other details yet , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know .
According to anonymous officials , the hackers are reportedly a Russian group called Cozy Bear , also known as APT29 .
It was also behind the hack of the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton campaign staffers during her 2016 campaign , as well as the 2014 hack of the White House and State Department ’ s unclassified networks .
Cozy Bear is also believed to be behind recent attacks on various organizations developing Covid-19 vaccines .
The group is linked to Russian intelligence , although Russia has denied any involvement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Malicious activities in the information space contradicts the principles of the Russian foreign policy , national interests and our understanding of interstate relations , ” the Russian Embassy said in a statement .
“ Russia does not conduct offensive operations in the cyber domain.
” The US government has not officially stated which group or country it believes is behind the hack .
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency ( CISA ) issued an emergency directive on Sunday to federal civilian agencies to disconnect Orion products from their networks immediately .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ March through a network monitoring software called Orion Platform , which is made by a Texas company called SolarWinds .
SolarWinds says it has more than 300,000 customers around the world , including the American military , the Pentagon , the Department of Justice , the State Department , the Commerce and Treasury Departments , and more than 400 Fortune 500 companies ( the webpage with this listing was showing an error message by Monday afternoon ) .
It ’ s not known which of those clients used Orion Platform .
SolarWinds believes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to the Washington Post .
The hackers were somehow able to insert malware into software updates which , once installed , gave hackers access to those systems .
FireEye , a cybersecurity company that was also a victim of the SolarWinds hack , has named this malware “ SUNBURST ” .
( Microsoft has named it “ Solorigate.
” ) FireEye revealed last week that it was attacked “ by a nation with top-tier offensive capabilities.
” SolarWinds has now released software updates that fix the vulnerability and apologized “ for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has confirmed a breach of one of its agencies but has not specified which one was hit .
Citing anonymous sources , Reuters reported on Sunday that the National Telecommunications and Information Administration was the affected agency , and that hackers have had access to staff emails for months .
The Treasury Department is also believed to have been affected , but has yet to publicly acknowledge this .
The government has been sparing with its public statements so far , only saying that its security agencies are investigating .
“ The NSC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the intelligence community , and affected departments and agencies to coordinate a swift and effective whole-of-government recovery and response to the recent compromise , ” National Security Council spokesperson John Ullyot said in a statement .
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All Open Sourced content is editorially independent and produced by our journalists .

Federal security agencies have finally confirmed that the massive hack of government and private computer systems that was uncovered in mid-December was likely Russian in origin. A statement from a joint task force issued January 5 was one of the first from an administration that has been reluctant to share many details about the hack thus far, possibly because President Trump refuses to acknowledge that Russia was its most likely perpetrator. The Department of Justice has now revealed that its email accounts were breached as well.
The hackers reportedly managed to break into multiple US government agencies in what could be the largest hack of government systems since the Obama administration — or perhaps ever. The intrusion went undetected until December, when a cybersecurity company that makes hacking tools discovered that its own systems were breached. This means malware inserted into third-party software may have given hackers access to various government systems for months.
The FBI, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), and the National Security Agency (NSA) are working together to investigate the breach. On January 5, the joint task force released a statement confirming that they believe the hackers were Russian and that, despite efforts to stop the intrusions, the attacks are still “ongoing.”
“This work indicates that an Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) actor, likely Russian in origin, is responsible for most or all of the recently discovered, ongoing cyber compromises of both government and non-governmental networks,” the statement said. “At this time, we believe this was, and continues to be, an intelligence gathering effort. We are taking all necessary steps to understand the full scope of this campaign and respond accordingly.”
The statement said the task force has found “fewer than 10” government agencies that were compromised so far, but it didn’t specify which ones. The Commerce, Energy, and Justice Departments have confirmed that they were hacked. The Treasury and State Departments, Department of Homeland Security, parts of the Pentagon, and the National Institutes of Health are reported to have been affected, too.
But the Trump administration, which has said little about the attack, has been reluctant to assign blame for it on Russia. The president even tweeted that it may have come from China and that it was under control. According to this new statement, however, it didn’t come from China, and it is certainly not under control.
What we know about Russia’s involvement — despite President Trump’s tweets suggesting otherwise
According to anonymous officials, the hackers are a Russian group called Cozy Bear, also known as APT29, that was also behind the hack of the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton campaign staffers during her 2016 campaign, as well as the 2014 hack of the White House and State Department’s unclassified networks. Cozy Bear is also believed to be behind recent attacks on various organizations developing Covid-19 vaccines. The group is linked to Russian intelligence, although Russia has denied any involvement — a position it maintains now.
“Malicious activities in the information space contradicts the principles of the Russian foreign policy, national interests and our understanding of interstate relations,” the Russian Embassy said in a statement in December. “Russia does not conduct offensive operations in the cyber domain.”
The Trump administration was initially hesitant to say much about the hack officially, or assign blame to a specific country. A day after CISA publicly acknowledged the hack, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Breitbart Radio News that Russia may have been behind it, but that it may also have been China or North Korea.
Senators from both parties had more to say at the time. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) called it “virtually a declaration of war by Russia on the United States,” while Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) said the classified information he received about “Russia’s cyberattack” left him feeling “deeply alarmed, in fact downright scared.” Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) compared the attack to “Russian bombers ... repeatedly flying undetected over our entire country.” He criticized America’s “glaringly inadequate” cybersecurity defenses, as well as the president’s “inexcusable silence and inaction” in response to it.
Following those statements, Pompeo told another conservative radio talk show that the Russians were “pretty clearly” behind the hack.
President Donald Trump, however, seemed to have received different information than everyone else. In his first comments about the hack, nearly a week after it was first reported, Trump tweeted that it had been exaggerated in the press and was “under control,” adding that China “may” be behind it, and that the hack may have affected voting machines in the election, which he still falsely insists that he won. (There is no evidence that voting machines were affected by the hack or compromised in any other way.)
But Trump’s own former Department of Homeland Security adviser, Thomas Bossert, said in a New York Times op-ed in December that the “magnitude of this ongoing attack is hard to overstate” and that it would take years to understand how pervasive and damaging it was.
How a weak link in a supply chain gave hackers access to the most secure systems
The hacks are believed to have begun last March through network monitoring software called Orion Platform, which is made by a Texas company called SolarWinds. The hackers were somehow able to insert malware into Orion Platform software updates which, once installed, gave hackers access to those systems. This is called a supply chain attack.
SolarWinds says it has more than 300,000 customers around the world, including the American military, the Pentagon, the Department of Justice, the State Department, the Commerce Department, the Treasury Department, and more than 400 Fortune 500 companies. But not all of those clients used the Orion Platform. SolarWinds believes fewer than 18,000 customers were potentially affected, according to the Washington Post, with the New York Times saying that as many as 250 government and business networks were accessed. The Wall Street Journal identified two dozen companies, including Cisco, Intel, and Deloitte, that fell victim to the hack.
SolarWinds has now released software updates that fix the vulnerability and apologized “for any inconvenience caused.”
SolarWinds does not appear to be the only attack vector. After previous denials, Microsoft confirmed on New Year’s Eve that its Office 365 software was also targeted by “a very sophisticated nation-state actor,” through its software resellers, but the company didn’t believe hackers were able to do much more than view source code.
FireEye, a cybersecurity company that was also a victim of the SolarWinds hack, has named this malware “SUNBURST.” (Microsoft has named it “Solorigate.”) FireEye was reportedly the first to discover the hack — not, apparently, the government agencies charged with protecting the nation’s cybersecurity infrastructure.
The Commerce Department was among the first to confirm a breach of one of its agencies but has not specified which one was hit. Citing anonymous sources, Reuters reported that the National Telecommunications and Information Administration was the affected agency, and that hackers have had access to staff emails for months. The Department of Energy has also said it found malware in its business networks, but it had not affected the “mission essential national security functions.” Nearly a month after the initial reports of the hack, the Justice Department confirmed that about 3 percent of its Microsoft Office 365 email accounts were “potentially accessed,” but did not believe that any of its classified systems were breached.
The departments of Treasury, State, Agriculture, and Homeland Security, as well as the National Institutes of Health, are also believed to have been affected, but they have not officially confirmed whether this is the case. How extensive the hacks were or which systems were affected in those departments have also not been made public.
In contrast to the current president, President-elect Joe Biden was quick to respond to the news of the hack and forceful in his comments.
“My administration will make cybersecurity a top priority at every level of government — and we will make dealing with this breach a top priority from the moment we take office,” Biden said in a statement. “We need to disrupt and deter our adversaries from undertaking significant cyber attacks in the first place. We will do that by, among other things, imposing substantial costs on those responsible for such malicious attacks, including in coordination with our allies and partners. Our adversaries should know that, as President, I will not stand idly by in the face of cyber assaults on our nation.”
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