vox--2020-11-27--On the rebellious joy of a long, long movie dance scene

A bead of sweat , shot close up and glistening , slowly meanders down a gilded wall .
The music playing in the background is equally unhurried .
It ’ s lovers rock , reggae with a romantic pulse , and the room is full of young people who ’ ve come to dance all night .
And they ’ re in a movie : Steve McQueen ’ s Lovers Rock , which debuts November 27 on Amazon Prime , the second of five installments in McQueen ’ s masterful anthology series about West Indian communities in London .
Lovers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feels like it lasts all night , in a good way .
Time slows down in a movie like this .
While it ’ s ostensibly a story about a young woman named Martha ( Amarah-Jae St. Aubyn ) , who meets Franklyn ( Micheal Ward ) at a house party in the early 1980s , it ’ s more of an experience than a film , more immersive than narrative .
Most of what ’ s subversive about Lovers Rock never makes it to the foreground , but the title shows McQueen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s young dancers and prowlers and lovers are at a house , not a club , because the all-white nightclubs of the era aren ’ t friendly to them .
The musical genre from which the movie draws its name emerged in the 1970s as a departure from other reggae , in that it foregrounded women ’ s desire , women ’ s experience , women ’ s passion .
It bucked the patriarchal attitudes that often undergirded the music scene , and in centering romance , it became subtly political .
Artists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have worked within the structures and styles of lovers rock .
Lovers Rock translates these attitudes and themes into vibes , letting Martha escape a strict religious family and cut loose for a while .
It ’ s not a world free of care ; at one point , Martha intervenes when she discovers a man trying to assault a young woman he lured out of the party .
She argues with Franklyn ; she has a tiff with her best friend , Patty ( Shaniqua Okwok ) .
It is not paradise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an oasis .
The greatest scene comes midway through , when the DJ puts on Janet Kay ’ s hit 1979 single “ Silly Games , ” one of the most famous lovers rock songs .
Lovers Rock is set a few years after the song hit its peak , and the whole crowd knows it word for word .
The song is five minutes long and plays in its entirety , Kay ’ s voice climbing slowly up the scale till she hits a high note at the end .
McQueen lets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ groove and grind ; it looks like they ’ re dancing in slow motion .
And when the song is over , the crowd starts to sing it again , from the beginning , a cappella , still dancing .
The whole scene lasts 10 minutes , and it ’ s only one of several long sequences in Lovers Rock .
It dares the stolid movie-watcher , perched on their couch , to let go of the fourth wall and get up and dance .
That ’ s the power of a movie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it down , or to run it at the same speed as our own time , daring us to sync up .
There ’ s something a bit flustering about watching a film like that .
We are so used to leaning on the barrier , the fiction that we set up between ourselves and whatever ’ s happening on screen — sitting back and quietly judging it , munching on popcorn .
But something about an extended dance scene coaxes us out of that bubble .
Jonathan Demme — one of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is celebrated in particular for his concert films — harnessed that power and let it rip in the third act of 2008 ’ s Rachel Getting Married , a movie about a young woman named Kym ( played by Anne Hathaway ) having a breakdown at her sister ’ s wedding .
Her sister Rachel ( Rosemarie Dewitt ) is marrying record producer Sidney , who is played by TV on the Radio frontman Tunde Adebimpe .
Their wedding is full of musicians , and music breaks out after the ceremony , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ musicians to improvise the music on set , following their mood rather than a preset composition , and the result is vibrant and irresistible .
The dancing comes near the end of a movie full of bitterness and family strife , so its joy is shaded and colored by all the sorrow — and that might be what makes it so meaningful .
Everything is hard , and people often hurt each other , and hurt themselves .
But there is something we have always done , as a species , to fight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ characters invite us to join in both their pain and their elation .
Whenever this sort of extended dance scene shows up in a film — with diegetic music that sets the characters swaying and asks us to listen to the full song with them — the result is intoxicating .
In 2020 , such scenes have popped up quite a bit , whether it ’ s Kate Lyn Sheil in She Dies Tomorrow as despondent Amy , listening to a requiem over and over as she gets wasted in her house , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ across Europe in the short , brilliant Strasbourg 1518 .
The upcoming film Another Round , starring Mads Mikkelsen , features several exhilarating dancing sequences where middle-aged men sway and jump and swirl , losing themselves and their pain and their adult bitterness in the music .
In the third episode of Damien Chazelle ’ s Netflix series The Eddy , which debuted back in May , a Parisian funeral crammed with jazz musicians turns from somber to electrifying ; the episode stretches from storytelling to full-out memorial celebration .
In all of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cinema — which cuts and moves from scene to scene , cramming days and weeks and years into a few hours — expands to match the pace of our own off-screen time .
And it can be unnerving .
If making a movie lets the director manipulate time and reality , it also allows them to suddenly make us feel our place in time .
And there ’ s no better way to do that than through a long , languid stretch of music and dance that we can hang out in ourselves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the best movies of 2020 , and by the end of the film , you ’ ll be surprised that only 70 minutes have passed ; somehow , it ’ s felt like much more , but in the very best way .
This year has bent us all toward isolation and bitterness , toward an unending monotony somehow mixed with a daily parade of horrors .
There have been far fewer opportunities to lose ourselves in music , to sweat and breathe alongside other bodies , and know that we are alive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deeply into the images and rhythms and pace of a film that knows one big truth : All of eternity , the joy and the pain , can be compressed — a glittering bead of sweat and bliss — into one perfect dance party .
Lovers Rock , the second of five installments in Steve McQueen ’ s Small Axe anthology , premieres on Amazon Prime on November 27 .

A bead of sweat, shot close up and glistening, slowly meanders down a gilded wall. The music playing in the background is equally unhurried. It’s lovers rock, reggae with a romantic pulse, and the room is full of young people who’ve come to dance all night. And they’re in a movie: Steve McQueen’s Lovers Rock, which debuts November 27 on Amazon Prime, the second of five installments in McQueen’s masterful anthology series about West Indian communities in London.
Lovers Rock lasts 70 minutes, but it feels like it lasts all night, in a good way. Time slows down in a movie like this. While it’s ostensibly a story about a young woman named Martha (Amarah-Jae St. Aubyn), who meets Franklyn (Micheal Ward) at a house party in the early 1980s, it’s more of an experience than a film, more immersive than narrative.
Most of what’s subversive about Lovers Rock never makes it to the foreground, but the title shows McQueen’s hand. The film’s young dancers and prowlers and lovers are at a house, not a club, because the all-white nightclubs of the era aren’t friendly to them. The musical genre from which the movie draws its name emerged in the 1970s as a departure from other reggae, in that it foregrounded women’s desire, women’s experience, women’s passion. It bucked the patriarchal attitudes that often undergirded the music scene, and in centering romance, it became subtly political. Artists from Lauryn Hill to Drake to Rihanna have worked within the structures and styles of lovers rock.
Lovers Rock translates these attitudes and themes into vibes, letting Martha escape a strict religious family and cut loose for a while. It’s not a world free of care; at one point, Martha intervenes when she discovers a man trying to assault a young woman he lured out of the party. She argues with Franklyn; she has a tiff with her best friend, Patty (Shaniqua Okwok). It is not paradise in this house.
But it is an oasis. The greatest scene comes midway through, when the DJ puts on Janet Kay’s hit 1979 single “Silly Games,” one of the most famous lovers rock songs. Lovers Rock is set a few years after the song hit its peak, and the whole crowd knows it word for word. The song is five minutes long and plays in its entirety, Kay’s voice climbing slowly up the scale till she hits a high note at the end. McQueen lets the whole thing roll. The dancers groove and grind; it looks like they’re dancing in slow motion. And when the song is over, the crowd starts to sing it again, from the beginning, a cappella, still dancing.
The whole scene lasts 10 minutes, and it’s only one of several long sequences in Lovers Rock. It dares the stolid movie-watcher, perched on their couch, to let go of the fourth wall and get up and dance.
That’s the power of a movie: to speed up time or slow it down, or to run it at the same speed as our own time, daring us to sync up. There’s something a bit flustering about watching a film like that. We are so used to leaning on the barrier, the fiction that we set up between ourselves and whatever’s happening on screen — sitting back and quietly judging it, munching on popcorn.
But something about an extended dance scene coaxes us out of that bubble. Jonathan Demme — one of the greatest directors of all time, who is celebrated in particular for his concert films — harnessed that power and let it rip in the third act of 2008’s Rachel Getting Married, a movie about a young woman named Kym (played by Anne Hathaway) having a breakdown at her sister’s wedding. Her sister Rachel (Rosemarie Dewitt) is marrying record producer Sidney, who is played by TV on the Radio frontman Tunde Adebimpe. Their wedding is full of musicians, and music breaks out after the ceremony, and everyone starts dancing. Demme asked the musicians to improvise the music on set, following their mood rather than a preset composition, and the result is vibrant and irresistible.
The dancing comes near the end of a movie full of bitterness and family strife, so its joy is shaded and colored by all the sorrow — and that might be what makes it so meaningful. Everything is hard, and people often hurt each other, and hurt themselves. But there is something we have always done, as a species, to fight back. And on screen, the characters invite us to join in both their pain and their elation.
Whenever this sort of extended dance scene shows up in a film — with diegetic music that sets the characters swaying and asks us to listen to the full song with them — the result is intoxicating. In 2020, such scenes have popped up quite a bit, whether it’s Kate Lyn Sheil in She Dies Tomorrow as despondent Amy, listening to a requiem over and over as she gets wasted in her house, or isolated dancers losing their minds alone across Europe in the short, brilliant Strasbourg 1518. The upcoming film Another Round, starring Mads Mikkelsen, features several exhilarating dancing sequences where middle-aged men sway and jump and swirl, losing themselves and their pain and their adult bitterness in the music. In the third episode of Damien Chazelle’s Netflix series The Eddy, which debuted back in May, a Parisian funeral crammed with jazz musicians turns from somber to electrifying; the episode stretches from storytelling to full-out memorial celebration.
In all of these cases, the normal rhythm of cinema — which cuts and moves from scene to scene, cramming days and weeks and years into a few hours — expands to match the pace of our own off-screen time. And it can be unnerving. If making a movie lets the director manipulate time and reality, it also allows them to suddenly make us feel our place in time. And there’s no better way to do that than through a long, languid stretch of music and dance that we can hang out in ourselves.
Lovers Rock is easily one of the best movies of 2020, and by the end of the film, you’ll be surprised that only 70 minutes have passed; somehow, it’s felt like much more, but in the very best way. This year has bent us all toward isolation and bitterness, toward an unending monotony somehow mixed with a daily parade of horrors. There have been far fewer opportunities to lose ourselves in music, to sweat and breathe alongside other bodies, and know that we are alive.
So sometimes it helps to sink deeply into the images and rhythms and pace of a film that knows one big truth: All of eternity, the joy and the pain, can be compressed — a glittering bead of sweat and bliss — into one perfect dance party.
Lovers Rock, the second of five installments in Steve McQueen’s Small Axe anthology, premieres on Amazon Prime on November 27.


vox--2020-11-28--Ethiopia says it’s captured the capital of its rebellious Tigray region

Ethiopian armed forces are “ fully in control ” of the city of Mekele after a Saturday offensive against the Tigray People ’ s Liberation Front ( TPLF ) , according to a statement by the country ’ s prime minister , Abiy Ahmed Ali .
The assault on the city marks the latest clash in a conflict between Ethiopia ’ s federal government and the TPLF , an Ethiopian political party , that began earlier this month when the TPLF launched what it called a preemptive strike against a federal military facility in Tigray , a region in northern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ party hoped “ to loot ” the base , and responded to the attack with a full military offensive that is now pushing the country toward a massive humanitarian crisis .
Mekele , with a population of about half a million people , is the capital of Tigray , which is governed by the TPLF .
The group dominated national politics in Ethiopia until Abiy became prime minister in 2018 and ushered in a series of reforms — including the dismissal of TPLF officials accused of corruption .
Last Sunday , Abiy delivered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ TPLF leaders “ within the next 72 hours , recognizing that you are at a point of no return.
” That deadline expired unmet , and Abiy responded with Saturday ’ s offensive .
According to the Washington Post , “ a communications shutdown and bans on media access across most of Tigray has made verifying the government ’ s claims nearly impossible , ” and relatively little is known so far about how the battle for Mekele was waged .
One major question is to what degree civilians were protected from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contested .
TPLF leader Debretsion Gebremichael has said that the city , including civilian areas , was under “ heavy bombardment ” Saturday before its capture by federal troops , and humanitarian groups have reportedly confirmed to news service Agence France-Presse that artillery was used .
These reports led US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Tibor Nagy to tweet that “ fighting and shelling in the Mekele area are a very grave concern ” on Saturday morning .
But a spokesman for Abiy contested the claim , telling the Guardian that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not have a mission to bombard its own city and people.
” In a statement posted to Twitter , Abiy also claimed that Ethiopian National Defense Forces had “ [ undertaken ] the operation with precision and due care for citizens ensuring civilians are not targeted.
” “ The people of the Tigray Region have provided utmost support and cooperation to the Ethiopian National Defense Force in all corners , ” he said .
Humanitarian groups have said they have not been allowed the necessary access to verify Abiy ’ s claims — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be established throughout Tigray on Thursday .
The United Nations has warned that 6 million people in Tigray could soon be without sufficient food and water .
Abiy ’ s role in the crisis is especially remarkable given he won the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize after making a surprising peace with neighboring Eritrea .
He has proved unable to defuse growing tensions with the TPLF , however — and now this new conflict has spilled into Eritrea too , with the TPLF launching a missile attack on the Eritrean capital of Asmara @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told the Associated Press that Asmara was a “ legitimate military target ” because Eritrea sent troops into Ethiopia ’ s Tigray region — but it ’ s unclear if it actually did .
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo condemned the attack in stark terms last week .
“ We are deeply concerned by this blatant attempt by the TPLF to cause regional instability by expanding its conflict with Ethiopian authorities to neighboring countries , ” Pompeo said in a statement .
“ We also continue to denounce the TPLF ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dar and Gondar airports in Ethiopia.
” It is clear , however , that tens of thousands of refugees have been forced to flee the fighting in Tigray — and that even before Saturday ’ s offensive , violence between the TPLF and Ethiopian federal forces was causing widespread humanitarian disaster .
The conflict is creating a “ full scale ” humanitarian crisis in the region The UN High Commissioner for Refugees ( UNHCR ) warned early last week that the flow of refugees out of Ethiopia was “ rapidly overwhelming the humanitarian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ neighboring Sudan , and the agency said in a November 17 statement that as many as 4,000 people were crossing the border per day .
As of Saturday , according to Al Jazeera , about 43,000 refugees had already crossed into Sudan , and more than a million have been displaced by the fighting .
There have also been widespread reports of atrocities as the conflict continues .
According to the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission , Tigrayan security forces retreating from Ethiopian federal troops massacred at least 600 civilians from other ethnic groups @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says the eventual death toll could be even higher .
On the other side of the conflict , refugees in Sudan told the Washington Post of a “ genocide against Tigray people.
” “ They ’ re killing people madly , ” one refugee said .
“ We saw a lot of dead people on the way .
We didn ’ t bring any food or clothes — we just escaped to save our lives and our children ’ s lives.
” According to the UNHCR , as many as 100,000 Eritrean refugees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be displaced yet again by this conflict , further worsening the crisis .
And getting aid and services to these refugees has reportedly been all but made impossible by the fighting .
“ The humanitarian situation as result of this crisis is growing rapidly , ” UN spokesperson Babar Baloch said last week .
“ UNHCR reiterates its call for peace and urge all parties to respect the safety and security for all civilians in Tigray.
” Last week , Abiy promised to “ reintegrate our fellow Ethiopians fleeing to neighboring countries ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accomplished is not yet clear .
On Saturday , however , he said the federal government planned to immediately move into a restorative phase : “ Our focus now will be on rebuilding the region and providing humanitarian assistance while Federal Police apprehend the TPLF clique .
”

Ethiopian armed forces are “fully in control” of the city of Mekele after a Saturday offensive against the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), according to a statement by the country’s prime minister, Abiy Ahmed Ali.
The assault on the city marks the latest clash in a conflict between Ethiopia’s federal government and the TPLF, an Ethiopian political party, that began earlier this month when the TPLF launched what it called a preemptive strike against a federal military facility in Tigray, a region in northern Ethiopia. The federal government claimed the party hoped “to loot” the base, and responded to the attack with a full military offensive that is now pushing the country toward a massive humanitarian crisis.
Mekele, with a population of about half a million people, is the capital of Tigray, which is governed by the TPLF. The group dominated national politics in Ethiopia until Abiy became prime minister in 2018 and ushered in a series of reforms — including the dismissal of TPLF officials accused of corruption.
Last Sunday, Abiy delivered an ultimatum demanding the peaceful surrender of TPLF leaders “within the next 72 hours, recognizing that you are at a point of no return.” That deadline expired unmet, and Abiy responded with Saturday’s offensive.
According to the Washington Post, “a communications shutdown and bans on media access across most of Tigray has made verifying the government’s claims nearly impossible,” and relatively little is known so far about how the battle for Mekele was waged.
One major question is to what degree civilians were protected from the fighting — and details on this are contested. TPLF leader Debretsion Gebremichael has said that the city, including civilian areas, was under “heavy bombardment” Saturday before its capture by federal troops, and humanitarian groups have reportedly confirmed to news service Agence France-Presse that artillery was used.
These reports led US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Tibor Nagy to tweet that “fighting and shelling in the Mekele area are a very grave concern” on Saturday morning.
Fighting and shelling in the Mekele area are a very grave concern. We urge an immediate end to conflict and restoration of peace in Tigray. Civilians must be protected and humanitarian access provided to aid those in need. — Tibor Nagy (@AsstSecStateAF) November 28, 2020
But a spokesman for Abiy contested the claim, telling the Guardian that “the Ethiopian National Defence Forces do not have a mission to bombard its own city and people.”
In a statement posted to Twitter, Abiy also claimed that Ethiopian National Defense Forces had “[undertaken] the operation with precision and due care for citizens ensuring civilians are not targeted.”
“The people of the Tigray Region have provided utmost support and cooperation to the Ethiopian National Defense Force in all corners,” he said.
Humanitarian groups have said they have not been allowed the necessary access to verify Abiy’s claims — although the federal government ordered aid routes to be established throughout Tigray on Thursday. The United Nations has warned that 6 million people in Tigray could soon be without sufficient food and water.
Abiy’s role in the crisis is especially remarkable given he won the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize after making a surprising peace with neighboring Eritrea. He has proved unable to defuse growing tensions with the TPLF, however — and now this new conflict has spilled into Eritrea too, with the TPLF launching a missile attack on the Eritrean capital of Asmara on November 14.
TPLF leader Debretsion told the Associated Press that Asmara was a “legitimate military target” because Eritrea sent troops into Ethiopia’s Tigray region — but it’s unclear if it actually did. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo condemned the attack in stark terms last week.
“We are deeply concerned by this blatant attempt by the TPLF to cause regional instability by expanding its conflict with Ethiopian authorities to neighboring countries,” Pompeo said in a statement. “We also continue to denounce the TPLF’s November 13 missile attacks on the Bahir Dar and Gondar airports in Ethiopia.”
It is clear, however, that tens of thousands of refugees have been forced to flee the fighting in Tigray — and that even before Saturday’s offensive, violence between the TPLF and Ethiopian federal forces was causing widespread humanitarian disaster.
The conflict is creating a “full scale” humanitarian crisis in the region
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) warned early last week that the flow of refugees out of Ethiopia was “rapidly overwhelming the humanitarian response capacity on the ground” in neighboring Sudan, and the agency said in a November 17 statement that as many as 4,000 people were crossing the border per day.
As of Saturday, according to Al Jazeera, about 43,000 refugees had already crossed into Sudan, and more than a million have been displaced by the fighting.
There have also been widespread reports of atrocities as the conflict continues. According to the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission, Tigrayan security forces retreating from Ethiopian federal troops massacred at least 600 civilians from other ethnic groups in early November, and the EHRC says the eventual death toll could be even higher.
On the other side of the conflict, refugees in Sudan told the Washington Post of a “genocide against Tigray people.”
“They’re killing people madly,” one refugee said. “We saw a lot of dead people on the way. We didn’t bring any food or clothes — we just escaped to save our lives and our children’s lives.”
According to the UNHCR, as many as 100,000 Eritrean refugees living in the Tigray region could also be displaced yet again by this conflict, further worsening the crisis. And getting aid and services to these refugees has reportedly been all but made impossible by the fighting.
“The humanitarian situation as result of this crisis is growing rapidly,” UN spokesperson Babar Baloch said last week. “UNHCR reiterates its call for peace and urge all parties to respect the safety and security for all civilians in Tigray.”
Last week, Abiy promised to “reintegrate our fellow Ethiopians fleeing to neighboring countries” — though exactly how this will be accomplished is not yet clear. On Saturday, however, he said the federal government planned to immediately move into a restorative phase: “Our focus now will be on rebuilding the region and providing humanitarian assistance while Federal Police apprehend the TPLF clique.”


vox--2020-11-28--Federal appeals court rejects a Trump election lawsuit: “Calling an election unfair does not make it

Federal appeals court rejects a Trump election lawsuit: “Calling an election unfair does not make it so”

President Donald Trump continued to misleadingly cast doubt on the results of the 2020 presidential election — which was won three weeks ago by President-elect Joe Biden — in the early hours of Saturday morning .
But with lawsuit after lawsuit failing in courts , and the federal election certification deadline approaching , Trump is quickly running out of road to attempt overturning the election .
The president ’ s latest legal defeat came Friday when a three-member appeals court rejected a Trump campaign suit against Pennsylvania election officials that alleged the state engaged in “ unconstitutional discrimination ” against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decision that found the president ’ s lawsuit had “ no merit.
” Specifically , the suit asked two things of the Third Circuit Court of Appeals : to reverse a lower court decision blocking Trump ’ s legal team from amending its complaint to include claims that poll watchers were barred from observing the vote counting process , and to issue an injunction “ to prevent the certified vote totals from taking effect.
” ( Pennsylvania certified its election results on Tuesday . )
The court granted neither .
In its decision @ @ @ @ @ @ @ team ’ s lack of evidence of its claims , and rebuked the lawyers for making “ vague and conclusory ” allegations , and for requesting a remedy “ grossly disproportionate to the procedural challenges raised.
” “ The Campaign never alleges that any ballot was fraudulent or cast by an illegal voter , ” Judge Stephanos Bibas , who was nominated to the court by Trump in 2017 , wrote for the court .
“ It never alleges that any defendant treated the Trump campaign or its votes worse than it treated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Calling something discrimination does not make it so.
” “ Charges of unfairness are serious , ” Bibas wrote .
“ But calling an election unfair does not make it so .
Charges require specific allegations and then proof .
We have neither here.
” Previously , Trump ’ s Pennsylvania lawsuit was dismissed in federal district court in a similar , equally scorching decision by Judge Matthew Brann , who wrote that “ this Court has been presented with strained legal arguments without merit and speculative accusations , unpled in the operative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a tweet after the decision was published , Trump campaign legal adviser Jenna Ellis , who in 2016 referred to Trump as an “ unethical , corrupt , lying , criminal , dirtbag , ” decried the “ activist judicial machinery in Pennsylvania.
” However , there ’ s no guarantee that the Supreme Court will accept the case if the Trump campaign follows through on an appeal , experts say , and even less that the Court would rule in its favor .
“ Yes , the Trump campaign can now ‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with what ?
” wrote University of Texas law professor Steve Vladeck on Twitter .
“ The Court is never going to take up this dumpster-fire of a lawsuit .
And , as today ’ s unanimous Third Circuit opinion written by a Trump appointee makes clear , there ’ s no remote basis for an injunction pending appeal.
” The Trump campaign faces equally slim chances of success elsewhere .
Though it is determined to pursue lawsuits in other swing states , Trump ’ s legal team has fared poorly thus far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in court stands at 1-38 , according to Democratic voting rights lawyer Marc Elias , who writes the campaign is “ on a solid pace to lose 50 before the Electors meet in December.
” Even before the Electoral College meets on December 14 , there is a rapidly approaching federal deadline for state certification of election results on December 8 .
According to the New York Times , “ if states resolve all disputes and certify their results ” by that deadline , “ the results should be insulated from further legal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mr. Biden will send Biden delegates to the Electoral College.
” That certification will essentially make the president ’ s legal challenges moot .
And the meeting of the Electoral College the subsequent week will slam the door even more firmly in the face of Trump ’ s inane voter fraud claims .
Biden won 74 more electoral votes than Trump — 36 more than the bare minimum needed to win the presidency .
It is possible , although very unlikely , that some electors in states won by Biden choose to cast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Times points out , “ rogue electors have been few and far between , and have never altered the outcome.
” Though the Trump campaign has failed time and time again to provide any evidence of voter fraud in court , that hasn ’ t stopped the president and his lawyers from lying outrageously about the legitimacy of the election .
Of late , their falsehoods have included a wide range of nonsense conspiracy theories , ranging from ballots for Biden being “ created out of thin air ” to former Venezuelan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ machines before his death in 2013 .
And even in the exceedingly rare occasions since Election Day where Trump has come close to acknowledging the reality of his loss , he ’ s married that acknowledgement with yet more false , baseless fraud claims .
“ [ Biden ] won because the Election was Rigged , ” Trump tweeted earlier this month .
He took a similar line in public remarks Thursday , when asked by reporters if he intended to leave the White House when Biden took office .
“ Certainly , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But I think that there will be a lot of things happening between now and the 20th of January , ” Trump said , according to a transcript provided by the White House .
“ Massive fraud has been found .
We ’ re like a third-world country.
” For all of Trump ’ s hedging , Biden ’ s margin is only growing .
On Friday , a recount requested and paid for by the Trump campaign in two Wisconsin counties saw the former vice president pick up 132 new votes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ national popular vote margin now stands at well over 6 million votes .
And on Monday , the General Services Administration — the government agency in charge of “ ascertaining ” a presidential win to make government resources available to a transition team — authorized the Biden transition to begin .
Trump didn ’ t let that pass unheeded either : “ [ GSA administrator ] Emily Murphy has done a great job , but the GSA does not determine who the next President of the United States will be , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s right , if only technically .
“ Voters , not lawyers , choose the President , ” Bibas wrote in his decision rejecting the Trump campaign appeal .
“ Ballots , not briefs , decide elections.
” And those voters have decided — regardless of what Trump claims — that Biden will be the next president of the United States .

President Donald Trump continued to misleadingly cast doubt on the results of the 2020 presidential election — which was won three weeks ago by President-elect Joe Biden — in the early hours of Saturday morning. But with lawsuit after lawsuit failing in courts, and the federal election certification deadline approaching, Trump is quickly running out of road to attempt overturning the election.
The president’s latest legal defeat came Friday when a three-member appeals court rejected a Trump campaign suit against Pennsylvania election officials that alleged the state engaged in “unconstitutional discrimination” against Trump voters in a scathing, unanimous decision that found the president’s lawsuit had “no merit.”
Specifically, the suit asked two things of the Third Circuit Court of Appeals: to reverse a lower court decision blocking Trump’s legal team from amending its complaint to include claims that poll watchers were barred from observing the vote counting process, and to issue an injunction “to prevent the certified vote totals from taking effect.” (Pennsylvania certified its election results on Tuesday.) The court granted neither.
In its decision, the court highlighted the Trump legal team’s lack of evidence of its claims, and rebuked the lawyers for making “vague and conclusory” allegations, and for requesting a remedy “grossly disproportionate to the procedural challenges raised.”
“The Campaign never alleges that any ballot was fraudulent or cast by an illegal voter,” Judge Stephanos Bibas, who was nominated to the court by Trump in 2017, wrote for the court. “It never alleges that any defendant treated the Trump campaign or its votes worse than it treated the Biden campaign or its votes. Calling something discrimination does not make it so.”
Dear lord, Bibas, the body stopped moving 10 minutes ago! pic.twitter.com/AMjdB6mqSv — Chris Geidner (@chrisgeidner) November 27, 2020
“Charges of unfairness are serious,” Bibas wrote. “But calling an election unfair does not make it so. Charges require specific allegations and then proof. We have neither here.”
Previously, Trump’s Pennsylvania lawsuit was dismissed in federal district court in a similar, equally scorching decision by Judge Matthew Brann, who wrote that “this Court has been presented with strained legal arguments without merit and speculative accusations, unpled in the operative complaint and unsupported by evidence.”
In a tweet after the decision was published, Trump campaign legal adviser Jenna Ellis, who in 2016 referred to Trump as an “unethical, corrupt, lying, criminal, dirtbag,” decried the “activist judicial machinery in Pennsylvania.”
“On to SCOTUS,” Ellis wrote Friday.
.@RudyGiuliani and me on Third Circuit’s opinion:
The activist judicial machinery in Pennsylvania continues to cover up the allegations of massive fraud.
We are very thankful to have had the opportunity to present proof and the facts to the PA state legislature.
On to SCOTUS! — Jenna Ellis (@JennaEllisEsq) November 27, 2020
However, there’s no guarantee that the Supreme Court will accept the case if the Trump campaign follows through on an appeal, experts say, and even less that the Court would rule in its favor.
“Yes, the Trump campaign can now ‘go to #SCOTUS,’ but with what?” wrote University of Texas law professor Steve Vladeck on Twitter. “The Court is never going to take up this dumpster-fire of a lawsuit. And, as today’s unanimous Third Circuit opinion written by a Trump appointee makes clear, there’s no remote basis for an injunction pending appeal.”
The Trump campaign faces equally slim chances of success elsewhere. Though it is determined to pursue lawsuits in other swing states, Trump’s legal team has fared poorly thus far: In total, its post-election record in court stands at 1-38, according to Democratic voting rights lawyer Marc Elias, who writes the campaign is “on a solid pace to lose 50 before the Electors meet in December.”
Even before the Electoral College meets on December 14, there is a rapidly approaching federal deadline for state certification of election results on December 8. According to the New York Times, “if states resolve all disputes and certify their results” by that deadline, “the results should be insulated from further legal challenges, ensuring that states won by Mr. Biden will send Biden delegates to the Electoral College.”
That certification will essentially make the president’s legal challenges moot. And the meeting of the Electoral College the subsequent week will slam the door even more firmly in the face of Trump’s inane voter fraud claims. Biden won 74 more electoral votes than Trump — 36 more than the bare minimum needed to win the presidency. It is possible, although very unlikely, that some electors in states won by Biden choose to cast their votes for Trump — but as the Times points out, “rogue electors have been few and far between, and have never altered the outcome.”
Trump keeps spreading lies about nonexistent voter fraud
Though the Trump campaign has failed time and time again to provide any evidence of voter fraud in court, that hasn’t stopped the president and his lawyers from lying outrageously about the legitimacy of the election. Of late, their falsehoods have included a wide range of nonsense conspiracy theories, ranging from ballots for Biden being “created out of thin air” to former Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez helping to rig election machines before his death in 2013.
And even in the exceedingly rare occasions since Election Day where Trump has come close to acknowledging the reality of his loss, he’s married that acknowledgement with yet more false, baseless fraud claims.
“[Biden] won because the Election was Rigged,” Trump tweeted earlier this month.
He took a similar line in public remarks Thursday, when asked by reporters if he intended to leave the White House when Biden took office.
“Certainly, I will. And you know that. But I think that there will be a lot of things happening between now and the 20th of January,” Trump said, according to a transcript provided by the White House. “Massive fraud has been found. We’re like a third-world country.”
For all of Trump’s hedging, Biden’s margin is only growing. On Friday, a recount requested and paid for by the Trump campaign in two Wisconsin counties saw the former vice president pick up 132 new votes. All told, Biden’s national popular vote margin now stands at well over 6 million votes.
And on Monday, the General Services Administration — the government agency in charge of “ascertaining” a presidential win to make government resources available to a transition team — authorized the Biden transition to begin.
Trump didn’t let that pass unheeded either: “[GSA administrator] Emily Murphy has done a great job, but the GSA does not determine who the next President of the United States will be,” he tweeted Tuesday.
On that, he’s right, if only technically. “Voters, not lawyers, choose the President,” Bibas wrote in his decision rejecting the Trump campaign appeal. “Ballots, not briefs, decide elections.” And those voters have decided — regardless of what Trump claims — that Biden will be the next president of the United States.


vox--2020-11-28--The assassination of a top Iranian nuclear scientist, briefly explained

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani pledged retaliation for the killing of Iran ’ s top nuclear scientist in remarks Saturday , promising a response “ to the martyrdom of our scientist at the proper time.
” The scientist , Mohsen Fakhrizadeh , was killed near Tehran on Friday , authorities said , just weeks after an international monitoring agency confirmed that the country had taken new steps in its nuclear development , moving even further past limits on nuclear research imposed by a now discarded 2015 nuclear deal .
According to Iran ’ s Defense Ministry , Fakhrizadeh was ambushed by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 40 miles away from Tehran , and died after being taken to a hospital .
No country or group has claimed responsibility for Fakhrizadeh ’ s death , but in a statement on Twitter , Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif described the killing as “ an act of state terror.
” In his televised address Saturday , Rouhani accused Israel of being behind the attacks .
Experts say Rouhani ’ s accusation is likely not wrong .
According to the New York Times , at least one American official , as well as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Israel was responsible for Fakhrizadeh ’ s death .
Such an attack would seem to be within Israel ’ s abilities .
Earlier this month , the New York Times reported that Israeli assassins in Tehran — Iran ’ s capital — killed a top al-Qaeda leader living there on behalf of the US .
And Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described Fakhrizadeh as a figure of interest and import in a 2018 speech .
Israeli officials , however , have largely refused to comment on whether the country played any role @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hanegbi told Israel ’ s Meet the Press on Saturday that he has “ no clue ” who is behind the attack .
Whoever is responsible for Fakhrizadeh ’ s death — the latest loss in a long-running US-led campaign of “ maximum pressure ” on Iran under President Donald Trump — Iranian military leaders like Iranian Gen. Mohammad Bagheri see his killing as a “ huge blow to the Iranian defense establishment , ” as Axios reported Friday .
And it ’ s also just the latest in a series of setbacks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including a summer fraught with mysterious explosions at testing and research sites , for which experts believe Israel is likely responsible .
Among other targets , Iran ’ s underground chief nuclear facility in Natanz was rocked by an explosion in early July .
A missile facility in Khojir , near Tehran , was also the site of a major explosion in June .
As Dalia Dassa Kaye , the director of the Center for Middle East Public Policy at the RAND Corporation , told Vox ’ s Alex Ward in July , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a context ” to this summer ’ s explosions “ that would suggest a motive on the Israeli side to target the Iranians.
” Israel has long been anxious about the prospect of Iran acquiring nuclear weapons , concern that may have intensified on Wednesday last week , when the International Atomic Energy Agency — a UN agency charged with monitoring Iran ’ s compliance with the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action , better known as the Iran nuclear deal — reported that Iran had taken yet another stride toward potentially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Iran is using a type of advanced centrifuge prohibited by the deal to enrich uranium at Natanz , the same facility that suffered an explosion in July this year .
In 2018 , Trump moved to tear up the nuclear deal and reimpose US sanctions on Iran .
Subsequently , Iran has also abandoned portions of the deal , arguing that because the US exited the agreement that it was no longer valid .
In January the country indicated that it was enriching uranium at a higher level than before it entered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comes at a delicate time for US-Iran relations Despite Iran ’ s promise to retaliate , it ’ s unclear what happens next as tensions in the region remain high .
While Iran ’ s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei promised “ definitive punishment of the perpetrators and those who ordered it , ” it is not clear what form that might take .
Following the US assassination of Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps leader Gen. Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad , Iran retaliated with an airstrike on US military bases this past January .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iran had indicated as recently as September that it plans to retaliate further for Soleimani ’ s killing .
But that doesn ’ t mean Iran will choose to act now — particularly as it deals with the Middle East ’ s worst coronavirus outbreak — which as of last week had caused more than 37,000 officially confirmed deaths .
And as Iran has also laid blame for Fakhrizadeh ’ s death on the US , according to the Times , there ’ s the incoming US presidential administration to consider .
President-elect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to President Barack Obama when the Iran nuclear deal was negotiated , will take office in January 2021 — and has said he hopes to reenter the deal as president .
Iran hasn ’ t ruled out the possibility .
In early November Zarif , the country ’ s foreign minister , told CBS News that “ We can find a way to reengage , obviously .
But reengagement does not mean renegotiation .
It means the US coming back to the negotiating table.
” Whether that reengagement is still an option is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with nearly two months left in office , Trump represents something of a wild card when it comes to the US-Iran relationship .
Earlier this month , he reportedly asked advisers about options for a strike against Iran ’ s nuclear facilities at Natanz , though officials now believe such an attack is “ off the table , ” according to the New York Times .
Neighboring Iraq also remains a possible flashpoint .
Last week , rockets believed to have been fired by an Iran-linked militia group “ landed in the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Green Zone , ” according to the Washington Post .
No embassy personnel were harmed in the attack , and — for now — the US remains on track to further draw down its troop presence in Iraq in coming months .
In a statement reported by Al Jazeera Saturday , a spokesperson for UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for caution .
“ We have noted the reports that an Iranian nuclear scientist has been assassinated near Tehran today , ” UN spokesperson Farhan Haq said .
“ We urge restraint and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lead to an escalation of tensions in the region .
”

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani pledged retaliation for the killing of Iran’s top nuclear scientist in remarks Saturday, promising a response “to the martyrdom of our scientist at the proper time.”
The scientist, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, was killed near Tehran on Friday, authorities said, just weeks after an international monitoring agency confirmed that the country had taken new steps in its nuclear development, moving even further past limits on nuclear research imposed by a now discarded 2015 nuclear deal.
According to Iran’s Defense Ministry, Fakhrizadeh was ambushed by gunmen while traveling to a town about 40 miles away from Tehran, and died after being taken to a hospital.
No country or group has claimed responsibility for Fakhrizadeh’s death, but in a statement on Twitter, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif described the killing as “an act of state terror.” In his televised address Saturday, Rouhani accused Israel of being behind the attacks.
Terrorists murdered an eminent Iranian scientist today. This cowardice—with serious indications of Israeli role—shows desperate warmongering of perpetrators
Iran calls on int'l community—and especially EU—to end their shameful double standards & condemn this act of state terror. — Javad Zarif (@JZarif) November 27, 2020
Experts say Rouhani’s accusation is likely not wrong. According to the New York Times, at least one American official, as well as two other intelligence officials, have indicated that Israel was responsible for Fakhrizadeh’s death.
Such an attack would seem to be within Israel’s abilities. Earlier this month, the New York Times reported that Israeli assassins in Tehran — Iran’s capital — killed a top al-Qaeda leader living there on behalf of the US. And Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described Fakhrizadeh as a figure of interest and import in a 2018 speech. Israeli officials, however, have largely refused to comment on whether the country played any role in the killing. Cabinet minister Tzachi Hanegbi told Israel’s Meet the Press on Saturday that he has “no clue” who is behind the attack.
Whoever is responsible for Fakhrizadeh’s death — the latest loss in a long-running US-led campaign of “maximum pressure” on Iran under President Donald Trump — Iranian military leaders like Iranian Gen. Mohammad Bagheri see his killing as a “huge blow to the Iranian defense establishment,” as Axios reported Friday.
And it’s also just the latest in a series of setbacks for Iran’s nuclear program, including a summer fraught with mysterious explosions at testing and research sites, for which experts believe Israel is likely responsible.
Among other targets, Iran’s underground chief nuclear facility in Natanz was rocked by an explosion in early July. A missile facility in Khojir, near Tehran, was also the site of a major explosion in June.
New images show the scale of the destruction from the explosion at Iran's Natanz nuclear facility on July 2. There may be further damage to the facility's underground elements, which aren't visible from above.
Image: @Maxar pic.twitter.com/ZN7V25nCoE — Raf Sanchez (@rafsanchez) July 8, 2020
As Dalia Dassa Kaye, the director of the Center for Middle East Public Policy at the RAND Corporation, told Vox’s Alex Ward in July, “there is a pattern of escalation and a context” to this summer’s explosions “that would suggest a motive on the Israeli side to target the Iranians.”
Israel has long been anxious about the prospect of Iran acquiring nuclear weapons, concern that may have intensified on Wednesday last week, when the International Atomic Energy Agency — a UN agency charged with monitoring Iran’s compliance with the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, better known as the Iran nuclear deal — reported that Iran had taken yet another stride toward potentially producing nuclear weapons.
The report says that Iran is using a type of advanced centrifuge prohibited by the deal to enrich uranium at Natanz, the same facility that suffered an explosion in July this year.
In 2018, Trump moved to tear up the nuclear deal and reimpose US sanctions on Iran. Subsequently, Iran has also abandoned portions of the deal, arguing that because the US exited the agreement that it was no longer valid. In January the country indicated that it was enriching uranium at a higher level than before it entered the deal.
Fakhrizadeh’s death comes at a delicate time for US-Iran relations
Despite Iran’s promise to retaliate, it’s unclear what happens next as tensions in the region remain high. While Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei promised “definitive punishment of the perpetrators and those who ordered it,” it is not clear what form that might take.
Following the US assassination of Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps leader Gen. Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad, Iran retaliated with an airstrike on US military bases this past January.
Even before Fakhrizadeh’s death, Iran had indicated as recently as September that it plans to retaliate further for Soleimani’s killing. But that doesn’t mean Iran will choose to act now — particularly as it deals with the Middle East’s worst coronavirus outbreak — which as of last week had caused more than 37,000 officially confirmed deaths.
And as Iran has also laid blame for Fakhrizadeh’s death on the US, according to the Times, there’s the incoming US presidential administration to consider. President-elect Joe Biden, who was vice president to President Barack Obama when the Iran nuclear deal was negotiated, will take office in January 2021 — and has said he hopes to reenter the deal as president.
Iran hasn’t ruled out the possibility. In early November Zarif, the country’s foreign minister, told CBS News that “We can find a way to reengage, obviously. But reengagement does not mean renegotiation. It means the US coming back to the negotiating table.”
Whether that reengagement is still an option is no longer clear, however, and with nearly two months left in office, Trump represents something of a wild card when it comes to the US-Iran relationship. Earlier this month, he reportedly asked advisers about options for a strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities at Natanz, though officials now believe such an attack is “off the table,” according to the New York Times.
Neighboring Iraq also remains a possible flashpoint. Last week, rockets believed to have been fired by an Iran-linked militia group “landed in the U.S. Embassy complex within Baghdad’s fortified Green Zone,” according to the Washington Post. No embassy personnel were harmed in the attack, and — for now — the US remains on track to further draw down its troop presence in Iraq in coming months.
In a statement reported by Al Jazeera Saturday, a spokesperson for UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for caution.
“We have noted the reports that an Iranian nuclear scientist has been assassinated near Tehran today,” UN spokesperson Farhan Haq said. “We urge restraint and the need to avoid any actions that could lead to an escalation of tensions in the region.”


vox--2020-11-29--The US was already setting Covid-19 records. Experts say Thanksgiving could have made things worse.

The United States ’ leading infectious disease expert , Dr. Anthony Fauci , warned in a Sunday Meet the Press interview that another surge of Covid-19 cases “ super-imposed on that surge that we ’ re already in ” might be coming , in large part due to the Thanksgiving holiday .
Public health experts have been warning Americans of the risk of congregating for the holiday as the US experiences its worst Covid-19 surge yet — Dr. Jonathan Reiner told CNN Tuesday that Thanksgiving could become “ the mother of all superspreader events.
” Despite these warnings , Transportation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that more than 1 million Americans traveled by plane last Wednesday alone , the highest number since the pandemic began , and many more likely drove to spend Thanksgiving with family .
Already , the US is setting grim new case records — the surge Fauci referred to — and given it takes an average of five to six days for an infected person to display symptoms , new cases due to Thanksgiving infections should begin appearing late this week .
But , as Vox ’ s German Lopez explained earlier this month @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the full impact of Thanksgiving celebrations is understood : On Friday , the US reported an all-time high of 205,460 new Covid-19 cases in a single day , according to data from the New York Times .
Friday was also the first day ever that the US saw more than 200,000 cases , less than a month after it crossed the 100,000 daily case mark for the first time on November 4 .
On average , the country has reported more than 162,000 cases a day for the last week .
Despite these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Chuck Todd , “ I don ’ t want to frighten people , except to say it is not too late at all to do something about this.
” Basic public health practices , Fauci said — mask wearing , distancing , and avoiding large gatherings — remain crucial to mitigating the spread of the coronavirus .
President Donald Trump , who himself became infected in early October , has largely ceded the field when it comes to combating the spread of the virus .
Trump has repeatedly downplayed the virus and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as they did before the pandemic , even as Covid-19 ravages the country and Trump ’ s own White House and presidential campaign .
Since Election Day , White House chief of staff Mark Meadows , Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson , and presidential son Donald Trump Jr. have all tested positive for Covid-19 , as well as at least 10 others in the president ’ s orbit , according to a New York Times tally .
A number of promising vaccines are on the way The extent of Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be a fixation on taking credit for recent good news on the vaccine front .
“ Another Vaccine just announced .
This time by Moderna , 95 % effective , ” Trump tweeted on November 16 .
“ For those great ‘ historians ’ , please remember that these great discoveries , which will end the China Plague , all took place on my watch !
” Separately , Trump told Fox News host Maria Bartiromo in a Sunday interview — his first since losing the election — that “ I came up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think we ’ d have for five years , ” an entirely untrue claim .
In short , according to Vox ’ s Dylan Scott , as the pandemic is “ entering its most dangerous period to date , the country ’ s current leadership — which we are stuck with until January 20 — does not appear to have any plans to do anything about it.
” Trump ’ s credit-grabbing aside , however , vaccines from AstraZeneca , Moderna , and Pfizer — all of which have recently reported positive findings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ degree of hope , albeit still distant .
According to White House testing czar Adm. Brett Giroir in a Sunday interview with CNN ’ s Dana Bash , the US “ should have enough vaccine by the end of the year to immunize 20 million Americans and we have to immunize for impact .
But the American people have to do the right things until we get that vaccine widely distributed.
” There are still hurdles left to clear in the vaccine race .
As Vox ’ s Umair Irfan explains , clinical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the vaccines still need to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration , though Moderna and Pfizer both hope to receive emergency use authorizations , or EUAs , allowing their vaccines to be used without full approval .
Even with a EUA , however , there are still logistics questions .
Irfan explains : Once a vaccine gets approved , a global supply chain , from the glass vials that hold the vaccine to the syringes used to inject them , needs to spool up to make huge quantities of the vaccine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that vaccines remain intact and under strict temperature controls from the factory to the hospitals and clinics where they will be used .
The process of manufacturing , distributing , and administering a vaccine could take months .
It ’ s also important to remember that a vaccine is not enough on its own to end the pandemic .
Measures like social distancing , good hygiene , and wearing face masks will remain essential to control the spread of Covid-19 until a vaccine is widely available .
Public acceptance will also be a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have to overcome a rising wave of vaccine hesitancy .
All of that is in the future , though — and US Covid-19 hospitalizations are still rising in the present .
As of Saturday , more than 91,000 people were hospitalized with Covid-19 — the most ever — and hospitals in some parts of the country are at capacity .
In Wisconsin , increasingly overwhelmed health care workers at the University of Wisconsin published an open letter to residents of the state : “ Without immediate change , ” they wrote , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ treat all of those with the virus and those with other illnesses or injuries .
Soon you or someone you love may need us , but we won ’ t be able to provide the life-saving care you need , whether for COVID-19 , cancer , heart disease or other urgent conditions .
As health care providers , we are terrified of that becoming reality.
” As far back as May this year — distant history , in pandemic terms — Dr. Rick Bright , who previously led a US vaccine research agency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s coronavirus task force , warned that “ without better planning , 2020 could be the darkest winter in modern history.
” Now , that dark winter looks to have arrived .

The United States’ leading infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, warned in a Sunday Meet the Press interview that another surge of Covid-19 cases “superimposed on that surge that we’re already in” might be coming, in large part due to the Thanksgiving holiday.
Public health experts have been warning Americans of the risk of congregating for the holiday as the US experiences its worst Covid-19 surge yet; Dr. Jonathan Reiner told CNN Tuesday that Thanksgiving could become “the mother of all superspreader events.” Despite these warnings, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) figures suggest that more than 1 million Americans traveled by plane last Wednesday alone, the highest number since the pandemic began, and many more likely drove to spend Thanksgiving with family.
Already, the US is setting grim new case records — the surge Fauci referred to — and given it takes an average of five to six days for an infected person to display symptoms, new cases due to Thanksgiving infections could begin appearing late this week.
But, as Vox’s German Lopez explained earlier this month, it may be several weeks before the full impact of Thanksgiving celebrations is understood:
With the coronavirus, it takes some time — days, maybe weeks — for someone to go from getting infected to actually getting tested. Then it can take days or weeks for that person to end up at a hospital with serious symptoms. Deaths can take even longer, if treatment fails. All this data is like light from another galaxy that takes time to travel to our eyes: It’s reflective of infections that happened weeks ago, not today or yesterday.
On Friday, the US reported an all-time high of 205,460 new Covid-19 cases in a single day, according to data from the New York Times. Friday was also the first day ever that the US saw more than 200,000 cases, less than a month after it crossed the 100,000 daily case mark for the first time on November 4. On average, the country has reported more than 162,000 cases a day for the last week.
Despite these grim numbers, Fauci told NBC’s Chuck Todd, “I don’t want to frighten people, except to say it is not too late at all to do something about this.” Basic public health practices, Fauci said — mask-wearing, distancing, and avoiding large gatherings — remain crucial to mitigating the spread of the coronavirus.
WATCH: Dr. Anthony Fauci tells @chucktodd that "it is not too late" to stop the spread of Covid.
Dr. Fauci: "We might see a surge super-imposed on that surge that we're already in." pic.twitter.com/mwJnpqpKaX — Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) November 29, 2020
President Donald Trump, who himself became infected in early October, has largely ceded the field when it comes to combating the spread of the virus. Trump has repeatedly downplayed the virus and encouraged people to interact with one another as they did before the pandemic, even as Covid-19 ravages the country and Trump’s own White House and presidential campaign.
Since Election Day, White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson, and presidential son Donald Trump Jr. have all tested positive for Covid-19, as well as at least 10 others in the president’s orbit, according to a New York Times tally.
A number of promising vaccines are on the way
The extent of Trump’s engagement with the issue appears to be a fixation on taking credit for recent good news on the vaccine front.
“Another Vaccine just announced. This time by Moderna, 95% effective,” Trump tweeted on November 16. “For those great ‘historians’, please remember that these great discoveries, which will end the China Plague, all took place on my watch!”
Another Vaccine just announced. This time by Moderna, 95% effective. For those great “historians”, please remember that these great discoveries, which will end the China Plague, all took place on my watch! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 16, 2020
Separately, Trump told Fox News host Maria Bartiromo in a Sunday interview — his first since losing the election — that “I came up with vaccines that people didn’t think we’d have for five years,” an entirely untrue claim.
In short, according to Vox’s Dylan Scott, as the pandemic is “entering its most dangerous period to date, the country’s current leadership — which we are stuck with until January 20 — does not appear to have any plans to do anything about it.”
Trump’s credit-grabbing aside, however, vaccines from AstraZeneca, Moderna, and Pfizer — all of which have recently reported positive findings from clinical trials — do present a degree of hope, albeit still distant.
According to White House testing czar Adm. Brett Giroir in a Sunday interview with CNN’s Dana Bash, the US “should have enough vaccine by the end of the year to immunize 20 million Americans, and we have to immunize for impact. But the American people have to do the right things until we get that vaccine widely distributed.”
There are still hurdles left to clear in the vaccine race. As Vox’s Umair Irfan explains, clinical trials still need to conclude, and the vaccines still need to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration, though Moderna and Pfizer both hope to receive emergency use authorizations, or EUAs, allowing their vaccines to be used without full approval.
Even with an EUA, however, there are still logistics questions. Irfan explains:
Once a vaccine gets approved, a global supply chain, from the glass vials that hold the vaccine to the syringes used to inject them, needs to spool up to make huge quantities of the vaccine. Manufacturers will also have to ensure that vaccines remain intact and under strict temperature controls from the factory to the hospitals and clinics where they will be used. The process of manufacturing, distributing, and administering a vaccine could take months. .... It’s also important to remember that a vaccine is not enough on its own to end the pandemic. Measures like social distancing, good hygiene, and wearing face masks will remain essential to control the spread of Covid-19 until a vaccine is widely available. Public acceptance will also be a major issue, and health officials will have to overcome a rising wave of vaccine hesitancy.
All of that is in the future, though — and US Covid-19 hospitalizations are still rising in the present. As of Saturday, more than 91,000 people were hospitalized with Covid-19 — the most ever — and hospitals in some parts of the country are at capacity.
In Wisconsin, increasingly overwhelmed health care workers at the University of Wisconsin published an open letter to residents of the state: “Without immediate change,” they wrote, “our hospitals will be too full to treat all of those with the virus and those with other illnesses or injuries. Soon you or someone you love may need us, but we won’t be able to provide the life-saving care you need, whether for COVID-19, cancer, heart disease or other urgent conditions. As health care providers, we are terrified of that becoming reality.”
As far back as May this year — distant history, in pandemic terms — Dr. Rick Bright, who previously led a US vaccine research agency and now serves on President-elect Joe Biden’s coronavirus task force, warned that “without better planning, 2020 could be the darkest winter in modern history.”
Now, that dark winter looks to have arrived.


vox--2020-11-29--Trump’s first interview since losing reelection was a smorgasbord of disinformation

President Donald Trump made his first television appearance since losing reelection on Sunday in an interview with Maria Bartiromo on Fox News ’ Sunday Morning Futures .
Over the course of 45 rambling minutes , Trump , mired in election denialism , used the platform to promulgate a slew of thoroughly disproven lies , disinformation , and conspiracy theories about nonexistent election fraud , aided and abetted by Bartiromo .
Specifically , Trump trotted out his usual false claims about rigged voting machines , mail-in voting , and shared overly optimistic takes on his many , many election lawsuits .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of random topics , including Iran and Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996 .
“ I was called by the biggest people saying congratulations , political people , congratulations , sir .
You just won the election .
It was 10 o ’ clock and you looked at the numbers and I ’ m sure you felt that way , ” Trump falsely told Bartiromo early in the segment when asked about his election fraud claims .
“ This election was over and then they did [ ballot dumps ] @ @ @ @ @ @ @ massive dumps in Michigan , in Pennsylvania , and all over.
” In reality , those “ dumps ” were just mail-in votes being counted — something Trump had been told ahead of the election would add more votes to President-elect Joe Biden ’ s vote total than to his , in part because he spent the weeks leading up to the election telling his supporters not to vote by mail .
Trump also launched a confused and false attack on the upcoming Georgia Senate runoffs .
Set for January 5 , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ US Senate — if Democrats win both , Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will be able to provide the tie-breaking vote ; however , if Republicans win even one , they will maintain a slim majority in the chamber .
“ You ’ re using the same garbage machinery , Dominion , and [ voting rights advocate Stacey Abrams is ] going around , she ’ s going around screaming she ’ s got 800 or 850,000 ballots .
What kind of an election is it ?
” Trump said .
It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the integrity of the Georgia elections — he lost the state in the presidential election , the first time a Republican has done so since George H.W .
Bush in 1992 — and as Vox ’ s Aaron Rupar has explained , those attacks are engendering “ remarkably half-baked ” efforts by some Republican operatives to encourage GOP voters to sit out the runoffs .
Trump has repeatedly questioned the competency of Georgia ’ s election officials , casting doubt on their ability to conduct future contests — and has maintained , despite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voting machines and software made by Dominion Voting Systems changed votes cast for him in order to help Biden .
He has been so successful pushing this particular conspiracy theory that Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel was forced to spend part of her trip to the state trying to convince Republican voters that they could trust the process and vote for the GOP Senate nominees in January .
Trump , who spent the last three days golfing at one of his properties and only this Thursday answered a question from the press @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , also told Bartiromo that he would “ use 125 percent of my energy ” to prove voter fraud ( which , again , has been shown not to exist to any meaningful degree ) and overturn the results of the election .
Trump ’ s fusillade of inane lies , of course , has become more or less par for the course these days , but on Sunday , he wasn ’ t screaming his conspiracies into the void of Twitter : instead , he had Bartiromo and a national audience .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to push back on the president ’ s assault on the most basic underpinnings of American democracy .
In response to one Trump lie , for example — the president claiming falsely that “ there ’ s no way Joe Biden got 80 million votes ... there ’ s no way it happened .
This election was a fraud and it was a rigged election ” — Bartiromo didn ’ t press for evidence supporting his claim , or call out the lie in real time .
Instead , she said that “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not allow America ’ s election to be corrupted , ” then moved onto a new topic and offered up some conspiracy theories of her own .
Bartiromo ’ s acquiescence to Trump ’ s disinformation peddling is especially striking on the heels of the president ’ s repeated attacks on Fox News for not being sufficiently pro-Trump .
“ @ FoxNews daytime is virtually unwatchable , especially during the weekends , ” Trump tweeted Saturday .
“ Watch @ OANN , @ newsmax , or almost anything else.
” Whatever the president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ though , the reality bears repeating : Joe Biden won well over 80 million votes , beating out Trump by more than 6 million , and the election was neither a fraud nor rigged .
That all happened , no matter what the president says , and Biden will take office in January 2021 .
Unfortunately , Trump ’ s voter fraud rhetoric has taken deep root in the Republican Party .
A raft of recent polls — including one conducted by Vox and Data for Progress on November 16 — show that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fraud in the 2020 presidential election ( there wasn ’ t ) .
In the case of the Vox/Data for Progress poll , fully 75 percent of likely GOP voters agreed that “ there was voter fraud during the election that helped former Vice President Joe Biden.
” Trump ’ s lies aren ’ t going to stop Joe Biden from taking office For all of the president ’ s frantic protestations , he ’ s quickly running out of time to dispute the election results .
States — including Pennsylvania — are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the federal certification deadline is approaching on December 8 .
After that , the Electoral College will meet on December 14 , and Biden will be formally elected the next president .
In both Wisconsin and Georgia — swing states won by Biden — recounts have confirmed the former vice president ’ s victory .
Lawsuits intended to overturn the will of the people in states like Pennsylvania have also been slapped down in courts , with even Trump-nominated judges rejecting his lawyers ’ arguments .
One such judge , Stephanos Bibas , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the Third Circuit Court of Appeals that “ the Campaign can not win this lawsuit .
It conceded that it is not alleging election fraud .
It has already raised and lost most of these state-law issues , and it can not relitigate them here.
” Separately , in Sunday ’ s interview , Trump told Bartiromo that Pennsylvania Republican Rep. Mike Kelly had “ a great case ” to invalidate mail-in ballots in the state “ because the legislature didn ’ t make the decision on this stuff.
” Not only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prejudice by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court Saturday , however , but the president misstated the facts of the case to Bartiromo — the state legislature passed vote-by-mail into law in 2019 .
A trip to the US Supreme Court will also likely prove futile for the president , experts say , if any Trump campaign lawsuit makes it that far in the first place .
After Trump campaign senior legal adviser Jenna Ellis pledged to appeal the campaign ’ s Third Circuit loss to the Supreme Court in a tweet Friday , University @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out that “ any appeal is [ dead on arrival ] , ” even with a new 6-3 conservative majority on the court .
The transition to a Biden administration has also officially begun : General Services Administration chief Emily Murphy ascertained the election results Monday after public outcry over the delay , and federal funding has been made available to the Biden-Harris transition team .
So as damaging as Trump ’ s tweets and Sunday interview might be to confidence in American democracy , there ’ s no reason to believe they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden on January 20 , 2021 .

President Donald Trump made his first television appearance since losing reelection on Sunday in an interview with Maria Bartiromo on Fox News’s Sunday Morning Futures.
Over the course of 45 rambling minutes, Trump, mired in election denialism, used the platform to promulgate a slew of thoroughly disproven lies, disinformation, and conspiracy theories about nonexistent election fraud, aided and abetted by Bartiromo.
Specifically, Trump trotted out his usual false claims about rigged voting machines and mail-in voting and shared overly optimistic takes on his many, many election lawsuits. He also held forth on a handful of random topics, including Iran and Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996.
“I was called by the biggest people saying congratulations, political people, congratulations, sir. You just won the election. It was 10 o’clock and you looked at the numbers and I’m sure you felt that way,” Trump falsely told Bartiromo early in the segment when asked about his election fraud claims. “This election was over and then they did [ballot dumps], they call them dumps, big massive dumps in Michigan, in Pennsylvania, and all over.”
Trump whines to Maria Bartiromo about the “massive dumps” he says cost him the election pic.twitter.com/oX2RPPOwbi — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) November 29, 2020
In reality, those “dumps” were just mail-in votes being counted — something Trump had been told ahead of the election would add more votes to President-elect Joe Biden’s vote total than to his, in part because he spent the weeks leading up to the election telling his supporters not to vote by mail.
Trump also launched a confused and false attack on the upcoming Georgia Senate runoffs. Set for January 5, the two runoffs will decide control of the US Senate — if Democrats win both, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will be able to provide the tie-breaking vote; however, if Republicans win even one, they will maintain a slim majority in the chamber.
“You’re using the same garbage machinery, Dominion, and [voting rights advocate Stacey Abrams is] going around, she’s going around screaming she’s got 800 or 850,000 ballots. What kind of an election is it?” Trump said.
It’s not the first time Trump has attacked the integrity of the Georgia elections — he lost the state in the presidential election, the first time a Republican has done so since George H.W. Bush in 1992 — and as Vox’s Aaron Rupar has explained, those attacks are engendering “remarkably half-baked” efforts by some Republican operatives to encourage GOP voters to sit out the runoffs.
Trump has repeatedly questioned the competency of Georgia’s election officials, casting doubt on their ability to conduct future contests — and has maintained, despite all evidence to the contrary, that voting machines and software made by Dominion Voting Systems changed votes cast for him in order to help Biden. He has been so successful pushing this particular conspiracy theory that Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel was forced to spend part of her trip to the state trying to convince Republican voters that they could trust the process and vote for the GOP Senate nominees in January.
Trump, who spent the past three days golfing at one of his properties and only this Thursday answered a question from the press for the first time since Election Day, also told Bartiromo that he would “use 125 percent of my energy” to prove voter fraud (which, again, has been shown not to exist to any meaningful degree) and overturn the results of the election.
Trump’s fusillade of inane lies, of course, has become more or less par for the course these days, but on Sunday, he wasn’t screaming his conspiracies into the void of Twitter: instead, he had Bartiromo and a national audience.
And Bartiromo didn’t exactly attempt to push back on the president’s assault on the most basic underpinnings of American democracy.
In response to one Trump lie, for example — the president claiming falsely that “there’s no way Joe Biden got 80 million votes ... there’s no way it happened. This election was a fraud and it was a rigged election” — Bartiromo didn’t press for evidence supporting his claim or call out the lie in real time. Instead, she said that “this is disgusting, and we cannot allow America’s election to be corrupted,” then moved onto a new topic and offered up some conspiracy theories of her own.
Maria Bartiromo is basically a North Korean news anchor now pic.twitter.com/iDLwJOM1gk — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) November 29, 2020
Bartiromo’s acquiescence to Trump’s disinformation peddling is especially striking on the heels of the president’s repeated attacks on Fox News for not being sufficiently pro-Trump.
“@FoxNews daytime is virtually unwatchable, especially during the weekends,” Trump tweeted Saturday. “Watch @OANN, @newsmax, or almost anything else.”
Whatever the president’s mercurial opinion of Fox, though, the reality bears repeating: Joe Biden won well over 80 million votes, beating out Trump by more than 6 million, and the election was neither a fraud nor rigged. That all happened, no matter what the president says, and Biden will take office in January 2021.
Unfortunately, Trump’s voter fraud rhetoric has taken deep root in the Republican Party. Recent polls — including one conducted by Vox and Data for Progress on November 16 — show that majorities of Republican voters believe there was fraud in the 2020 presidential election (there wasn’t).
In the case of the Vox/Data for Progress poll, fully 75 percent of likely GOP voters agreed that “there was voter fraud during the election that helped former Vice President Joe Biden.”
Trump’s lies aren’t going to stop Joe Biden from taking office
For all of the president’s frantic protestations, he’s quickly running out of time to dispute the election results. States — including Pennsylvania — are beginning to certify their results, and the federal certification deadline is approaching on December 8. After that, the Electoral College will meet on December 14, and Biden will be formally elected as the next president.
In both Wisconsin and Georgia — swing states won by Biden — recounts have confirmed the former vice president’s victory. Lawsuits intended to overturn the will of the people in states like Pennsylvania have been slapped down in courts, with even Trump-nominated judges rejecting his lawyers’ arguments.
One such judge, Stephanos Bibas, wrote in a Friday decision handed down by the Third Circuit Court of Appeals that “the Campaign cannot win this lawsuit. It conceded that it is not alleging election fraud. It has already raised and lost most of these state-law issues, and it cannot relitigate them here.”
Separately, in Sunday’s interview, Trump told Bartiromo that Pennsylvania Republican Rep. Mike Kelly had “a great case” to invalidate mail-in ballots in the state “because the legislature didn’t make the decision on this stuff.” Not only was Kelly’s case dismissed with prejudice by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court Saturday, but the president misstated the facts of the case to Bartiromo — the state legislature passed vote-by-mail into law in 2019.
A trip to the US Supreme Court will also likely prove futile for the president, experts say, if any Trump campaign lawsuit makes it that far in the first place. After Trump campaign senior legal adviser Jenna Ellis pledged to appeal the campaign’s Third Circuit loss to the Supreme Court in a tweet Friday, University of Texas law professor Steve Vladeck pointed out that “any appeal is [dead on arrival],” even with a new 6-3 conservative majority on the Court.
"The activist judicial machinery" = three Republican-appointed judges in a *unanimous* opinion written by a *Trump appointee* that literally concludes that "the Campaign cannot win this lawsuit."
Even at *this* #SCOTUS, any appeal is DOA. For the good of the country, just stop. https://t.co/Zr5VPdqWqx — Steve Vladeck (@steve_vladeck) November 27, 2020
The transition to a Biden administration has also officially begun: General Services Administration chief Emily Murphy ascertained the election results Monday after public outcry over the delay, and federal funding has been made available to the Biden-Harris transition team. So as damaging as Trump’s tweets and Sunday interview might be to confidence in American democracy, there’s no reason to believe they will lead to anything but President Joe Biden on January 20, 2021.


vox--2020-11-29--The Pennsylvania Supreme Court just dismissed a GOP bid to overturn the election

President Donald Trump ’ s terrible week in court continued Saturday with yet another adverse ruling from a Pennsylvania court .
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled unanimously that a suit brought by Rep. Mike Kelly and other Republicans challenging the state ’ s mail-in voting law — passed in October 2019 — was filed too long after the law was passed , and because of that , rejected a requested review of the law .
“ The want of due diligence demonstrated in this matter is unmistakable , ” the court wrote in an unsigned per curiam opinion .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mail-in voting statutory provisions more than one year after the enactment of Act 77.
” The court also overturned a lower court injunction blocking Pennsylvania from moving ahead with certifying its election .
The suit was dismissed with prejudice , putting a permanent end to that avenue of challenge .
As Democratic voting-rights lawyer Marc Elias pointed out on Twitter , the lawsuit , had it succeeded , would have had an additional , likely unintended effect : It would also have blocked certification of Kelly ’ s own election results in Pennsylvania @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its presidential election results on Tuesday , sealing President-elect Joe Biden ’ s win in the crucial swing state .
But a judge instituted a temporary injunction on the certification that same day — one the secretary of state planned to challenge in the state Supreme Court .
With Saturday ’ s ruling , that certification is cleared to proceed .
Biden beat Trump by more than 80,000 votes in the final tally to claim Pennsylvania ’ s 20 electoral votes .
Kelly was joined in the suit by onetime Pennsylvania congressional candidate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including a state House candidate who claimed just 5.5 percent of the vote in her last race .
The plaintiffs alleged that the state ’ s mail-in voting law was flat-out unconstitutional , and proposed two possible remedies : either the invalidation of all mail ballots cast in the election or allowing the Republican-controlled Pennsylvania general assembly to select a slate of presidential electors , rather than Pennsylvania voters .
Either remedy would have disenfranchised voters on a scale unprecedented in the modern era , while handing the state to Trump — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the court .
“ It is beyond cavil that Petitioners failed to act with due diligence in presenting the instant claim , ” the court wrote .
“ Equally clear is the substantial prejudice arising from Petitioners ’ failure to institute promptly a facial challenge to the mail-in voting statutory scheme , as such inaction would result in the disenfranchisement of millions of Pennsylvania voters.
” The Trump campaign can ’ t stop losing in court As Pennsylvania Lieutenant Gov .
John Fetterman pointed out in a tweet after the state Supreme @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s ruling is by no means the only recent loss by the Trump campaign and GOP members looking to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election .
In Pennsylvania alone last week , the Trump campaign lost twice in quick succession in federal court .
Most recently , a Trump-nominated judge on the Third Circuit Court of Appeals , Stephanos Bibas , wrote in a scathing decision that the president ’ s lawsuit challenging Pennsylvania election results had “ no merit.
” “ Free , fair elections are the lifeblood of our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 21-page unanimous decision .
“ Charges of unfairness are serious .
But calling an election unfair does not make it so .
Charges require specific allegations and then proof .
We have neither here.
” In total , the president ’ s flailing legal strategy has resulted in a 1-39 record before various state and federal courts around the country , according to Elias .
No evidence of voter fraud or other irregularities has surfaced anywhere , despite false claims by Trump and his allies otherwise , and a federal election certification deadline @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That , however , hasn ’ t put a damper on the president ’ s nonsensical arguments about election fraud .
“ The number of ballots that our Campaign is challenging in the Pennsylvania case is FAR LARGER than the 81,000 vote margin .
It ’ s not even close .
Fraud and illegality ARE a big part of the case , ” Trump wrote on Twitter Saturday , though there is no evidence of any fraud or illegality and Pennsylvania has already certified its election results .
Even as Republican court challenges @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to overturn the election results — and the democratic process — are fading fast .
In particular , one fringe theory promulgated by Trump holds that Republican-controlled state legislatures , like the one in Pennsylvania , can appoint their own slate of Trump electors , regardless of how the state voted .
Trump tweeted as much last week , writing that “ hopefully the Courts and/or Legislatures will have the COURAGE to do what has to be done , ” and Republicans hoped the Pennsylvania Supreme Court would pave the way for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s not , however , a feasible scheme .
Beyond the fact that the court rejected the idea , the theory isn ’ t backed by anything “ even remotely close to a relevant majority ” of state lawmakers , and even if it were , it would certainly face a veto from Pennsylvania ’ s Democratic governor and a swift series of legal challenges .
That the US Supreme Court might somehow overturn the election results — a strategy alluded to by Trump senior legal adviser Jenna Ellis in a Friday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Circuit loss — is also vanishingly unlikely to succeed .
According to University of Texas law professor Steve Vladeck , “ the Trump campaign has the right to ask # SCOTUS to review this decision , and it has the right to ask the Court for an injunction pending appeal .
But as Judge Bibas ’ s opinion makes clear , try as they might , this lawsuit has no chance of succeeding.
” Ultimately , the Trump campaign never had evidence for its claims of fraud , as a number of judges @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And its other efforts have failed , or are actively in the process of failing , as states move forward with certifying their election results .
The president may keep tweeting otherwise — but starting at noon on January 20 , 2021 , he won ’ t be the president any longer .
Biden will be .

President Donald Trump’s terrible week in court continued Saturday with yet another adverse ruling from a Pennsylvania court.
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled unanimously that a suit brought by Rep. Mike Kelly and other Republicans challenging the state’s mail-in voting law — passed in October 2019 — was filed too long after the law was passed, and because of that, rejected a requested review of the law.
“The want of due diligence demonstrated in this matter is unmistakable,” the court wrote in an unsigned per curiam opinion. “Petitioners filed this facial challenge to the mail-in voting statutory provisions more than one year after the enactment of Act 77.”
The lawsuit was filed by several Republicans including Rep. Mike Kelly and congressional candidate Sean Parnell. The justices pointed out that allowing the petition to move forward would result in the disenfranchisement of millions of PA voters. Here’s the full order pic.twitter.com/zpn46G7CgT — Aaron Martin (@WPXIAaronMartin) November 28, 2020
The court also overturned a lower court injunction blocking Pennsylvania from moving ahead with certifying its election. The suit was dismissed with prejudice, putting a permanent end to that avenue of challenge.
As Democratic voting-rights lawyer Marc Elias pointed out on Twitter, the lawsuit, had it succeeded, would have had an additional, likely unintended effect: It would also have blocked certification of Kelly’s own election results in Pennsylvania’s 16th District.
Pennsylvania certified its presidential election results on Tuesday, sealing President-elect Joe Biden’s win in the crucial swing state. But a judge instituted a temporary injunction on the certification that same day — one the secretary of state planned to challenge in the state Supreme Court. With Saturday’s ruling, that certification is cleared to proceed. Biden beat Trump by more than 80,000 votes in the final tally to claim Pennsylvania’s 20 electoral votes.
Kelly was joined in the suit by onetime Pennsylvania congressional candidate Sean Parnell and six other state residents, including a state House candidate who claimed just 5.5 percent of the vote in her last race. The plaintiffs alleged that the state’s mail-in voting law was flat-out unconstitutional, and proposed two possible remedies: either the invalidation of all mail ballots cast in the election or allowing the Republican-controlled Pennsylvania general assembly to select a slate of presidential electors, rather than Pennsylvania voters.
Either remedy would have disenfranchised voters on a scale unprecedented in the modern era, while handing the state to Trump — and both were rejected out of hand by the court.
“It is beyond cavil that Petitioners failed to act with due diligence in presenting the instant claim,” the court wrote. “Equally clear is the substantial prejudice arising from Petitioners’ failure to institute promptly a facial challenge to the mail-in voting statutory scheme, as such inaction would result in the disenfranchisement of millions of Pennsylvania voters.”
The Trump campaign can’t stop losing in court
As Pennsylvania Lieutenant Gov. John Fetterman pointed out in a tweet after the state Supreme Court decision was published, Saturday’s ruling is by no means the only recent loss by the Trump campaign and GOP members looking to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.
If the President’s campaign doesn’t stop losing, the Cleveland Browns are gonna sue for trademark infringement. https://t.co/vmKT9Hsiyv — John Fetterman (@JohnFetterman) November 28, 2020
In Pennsylvania alone last week, the Trump campaign lost twice in quick succession in federal court. Most recently, a Trump-nominated judge on the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, Stephanos Bibas, wrote in a scathing decision that the president’s lawsuit challenging Pennsylvania election results had “no merit.”
“Free, fair elections are the lifeblood of our democracy,” Bibas wrote in the 21-page unanimous decision. “Charges of unfairness are serious. But calling an election unfair does not make it so. Charges require specific allegations and then proof. We have neither here.”
In total, the president’s flailing legal strategy has resulted in a 1-39 record before various state and federal courts around the country, according to Elias. No evidence of voter fraud or other irregularities has surfaced anywhere, despite false claims by Trump and his allies otherwise, and a federal election certification deadline on December 8 is closing in.
That, however, hasn’t put a damper on the president’s nonsensical arguments about election fraud.
“The number of ballots that our Campaign is challenging in the Pennsylvania case is FAR LARGER than the 81,000 vote margin. It’s not even close. Fraud and illegality ARE a big part of the case,” Trump wrote on Twitter Saturday, though there is no evidence of any fraud or illegality and Pennsylvania has already certified its election results.
The number of ballots that our Campaign is challenging in the Pennsylvania case is FAR LARGER than the 81,000 vote margin. It’s not even close. Fraud and illegality ARE a big part of the case. Documents being completed. We will appeal! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 28, 2020
Even as Republican court challenges fail, other potential avenues for Trump to overturn the election results — and the democratic process — are fading fast.
In particular, one fringe theory promulgated by Trump holds that Republican-controlled state legislatures, like the one in Pennsylvania, can appoint their own slate of Trump electors, regardless of how the state voted. Trump tweeted as much last week, writing that “hopefully the Courts and/or Legislatures will have the COURAGE to do what has to be done,” and Republicans hoped the Pennsylvania Supreme Court would pave the way for the legislature to get involved there.
It’s not, however, a feasible scheme. Beyond the fact that the court rejected the idea, the theory isn’t backed by anything “even remotely close to a relevant majority” of state lawmakers, and even if it were, it would certainly face a veto from Pennsylvania’s Democratic governor and a swift series of legal challenges.
That the US Supreme Court might somehow overturn the election results — a strategy alluded to by Trump senior legal adviser Jenna Ellis in a Friday tweet after the campaign’s Third Circuit loss — is also vanishingly unlikely to succeed. According to University of Texas law professor Steve Vladeck, “the Trump campaign has the right to ask #SCOTUS to review this decision, and it has the right to ask the Court for an injunction pending appeal. But as Judge Bibas’s opinion makes clear, try as they might, this lawsuit has no chance of succeeding.”
The Trump campaign has the right to ask #SCOTUS to review this decision, and it has the right to ask the Court for an injunction pending appeal. But as Judge Bibas's opinion makes clear, try as they might, this lawsuit has no chance of succeeding. — Steve Vladeck (@steve_vladeck) November 27, 2020
Ultimately, the Trump campaign never had evidence for its claims of fraud, as a number of judges and justices have now pointed out. And its other efforts have failed, or are actively in the process of failing, as states move forward with certifying their election results. The president may keep tweeting otherwise — but starting at noon on January 20, 2021, he won’t be the president any longer. Biden will be.