msnbc--2020-11-04--Trump always wanted the 2020 election to be about him, not the country. He got his wish.

Progressive policies , the pandemic , the police — the 2020 election at one point or another was supposed to be about a dozen different things in the last 12 months .
But in the end , it was what it always was going to be : A referendum on President Donald Trump .
It couldn ’ t have been anything else , because he would n't let it be .
“ This isn ’ t about – yeah , it is about me , I guess , when you think about it , ” Trump told voters in Kenosha @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 24 hours before the polls opened .
He ’ d spent the rest of the day much as he had the week before — barreling into swing states to tell his fans not about his legislative victories , or the judges he 'd placed on the bench , like vulnerable Republicans down-ticket would want .
Nothing so unimportant .
No , he was there how poorly he ’ d been treated since the day he announced his candidacy in 2015 .
It was a vibe that he carried with him into his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ favorite Fox News show , “ Fox and Friends , ” where even the hosts ' most ingratiating methods couldn ’ t do enough to assuage his bruised feelings .
This has been his shtick for months , even as advisors and journalists and pollsters have pointed out the flaws in his methods .
But Trump bet big that with his return to the top of the ticket , his voters would turn out in enough numbers to keep him in the White House .
As day turned to night and the results @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our first real look at whether his hold over large swathes of the U.S. population would be as high as they were in 2016 .
The race remained — as we 've been warned would be the case for weeks now — too close to call as Tuesday ebbed .
And Trump has been performing extremely well in the day-of vote — again as we 've been warned would happen for weeks — and over performing in some areas .
So , without a decisive victory on either side , the question still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ really is a referendum on Trump , what does it mean if the American people give him their seal of approval — and what will he do with that injection of pure , uncut validation straight to his already aggrandized sense of self ?
In his 2016 acceptance of the Republican nomination , Trump said of all the problems the U.S. faced , “ I alone can fix it.
” The next four years have shown that through scandal and disaster and impeachment , he has kept the focus on himself , on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Trump the president .
His tweets , his whims , his moodiness .
How he ’ s reacted to Congress .
How the press reacted to him .
Those trivialities have been center stage in this consolidation of the nation into one man .
Trump ’ s niece , psychiatrist Mary L. Trump , wrote in her tell-all book released in July that it ’ s clear that Trump is a narcissist , one who ’ s been handed everything but remains in constant need of outsized approval .
“ Nothing is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ This is far beyond garden-variety narcissism ; Donald is not simply weak , his ego is a fragile thing that must be bolstered every moment because he knows deep down that he is nothing of what he claims to be.
” That ’ s the exact opposite of the sort of personality that the modern presidency was designed around .
It ’ s meant even in the worst of his moods , when he had hit seeming political rock bottom when became just the third president to be impeached , he has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him for longer than he could bear .
It ’ s meant taking every perceived slight against him as grounds for a tirade , firing , arrest , or prosecution .
It ’ s meant four years of the world waiting with bated breath to see what would come out of his mouth next as he delighted in the attention .
As improbable as it sounds now , for a minute there , there might have been a world where we ’ d be talking about something , anything , beyond what Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Day approached .
The Democratic candidates in the primaries , all nearly two dozen of them , lined up their best ideas for the country moving forward .
Sens .
Bernie Sanders , attempting to harness the movement he ’ d built four years ago in pursuit of a revolution , and Elizabeth Warren , making the case for an aggressive progressivism , battled it out for the love of the party ’ s left-wing .
A tier below , Mayor Pete Buttigieg and former Housing Secretary Julián Castro , Sens .
Amy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at each other , all trying to stake their claim on what they saw as their portion of the party .
Once they ’ d locked that in , then they could turn their attention to the general election , they and their campaigns believed .
And then there was former Vice President Joe Biden .
A relic of Democrats ’ past , it was his third time running for president .
Biden ’ s pitch to the electorate was clear : He presented the best chance to beat Donald Trump .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ victory in South Carolina , a moment that he and his campaign had bet heavily on , and the state ’ s Black voters , ever pragmatic , helped him win the state .
The delegates piled up as Biden rolled on through the primaries as his competitors dropped out .
In the end , he and Sanders , the last standing opponent , opted for party unity rather than a contested convention .
Early on in campaigning nobody , except Trump himself it seemed , believed it would be the 78-year-old man @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had gone as far as attempting to bribe Ukraine ’ s president to handicap Biden , an act that got him impeached .
But Biden pulled it off .
The general election was set in a showdown between two extremely different men ( despite their similar ages . )
Then in March , the pandemic hit , upending the race , and the country .
Trump quickly determined that this was an opportunity to get back into the spotlight .
His daily press briefings quickly morphed from a way to present updates to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the massive rallies he could no longer hold .
On a particularly bad day , when he suggested potentially injecting bleach into Covid patients , put an end to that practice .
This summer ’ s protests against systemic racism and police brutality gave Trump a new issue to focus on , similar to his 2016 campaign .
His paternalistic message to voters : The world is dangerous ; but I can keep you safe .
He ’ s held up the endorsements of law enforcement unions .
He ’ s basked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ caring little about their beliefs or alleged crimes so long as it ’ s him they back .
As the pandemic has raged on , Biden adapted to a world with the virus , to his political benefit .
For all of Trump ’ s mocking of his “ basement strategy , ” it ’ s worked .
The Biden campaign has been more than happy to let this election become a referendum on the Trump presidency , given the president ’ s unprecedentedly low approval numbers for an incumbent heading into an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other hand , hasn ’ t changed , even after contracting the virus himself .
He went right back to drawing crowds as large as possible , his campaign duping local officials when necessary and literally abandoning his supporters as he flew off in Air Force One .
Former President Barack Obama , the antagonist who has lived in Trump ’ s head rent-free since 2013 , mocked him about his seeming jealousy of the virus ’ s press coverage in the final stretch .
In Trump ’ s debates against Biden , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ divided the two candidates were never going to be as prominent as the gulf between their characters .
In the second and final debate , Biden leaned into that gap .
“ You know who I am .
You know who he is .
You know his character .
You know my character , ” he said , looking straight into the camera .
It ’ s a distinction that Trump never bothered to correct .
And so , we arrived at Monday night , just as the east coast rolled over into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lucky I have agreed to be your president , '' Trump told the crowd in Grand Rapids , Michigan .
It ’ s a line he ’ s trotted out several times in the closing months of the campaign .
Just as it ’ s always been , with the president using the language of the abuser , convincing his captive that it ’ s fortunate that he ’ d ever deigned to look at someone so inconsequential .
Be grateful I ’ m here to love you , he whispers .
Because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is not looked upon .
It was impossible for this race to come down to anything but Trump ’ s need for approval , the same thing that first compelled him finally actually run for president , especially after Obama ’ s mocking 2011 White House Correspondents Dinner speech .
Trump is a shell composed of greed and ego , the latter compelling his political bid , the former his need to stay atop his perch lest he face the consequences of decades of misdeeds .
And yet there 's still a chance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Trump is unfit to lead , he gains a new term and even fewer constraints on his authoritarian tendencies .
The votes are still being tabulated , but it looks as of in the wee hours of Wednesday morning like the race is coming down to Wisconsin , North Carolina , and Pennsylvania , all of which are states where the Trump campaign is trying to halt late-arriving ballots from being counted .
No matter what happens next , the country has spoken in its referendum of Donald Trump .
Whatever happens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months , and potentially four years — will revolve around what he does with their message .

Progressive policies, the pandemic, the police — the 2020 election at one point or another was supposed to be about a dozen different things in the last 12 months. But in the end, it was what it always was going to be: A referendum on President Donald Trump. It couldn’t have been anything else, because he wouldn't let it be.
“This isn’t about – yeah, it is about me, I guess, when you think about it,” Trump told voters in Kenosha, Wisconsin on Monday night, less than 24 hours before the polls opened. He’d spent the rest of the day much as he had the week before — barreling into swing states to tell his fans not about his legislative victories, or the judges he'd placed on the bench, like vulnerable Republicans down-ticket would want. Nothing so unimportant. No, he was there how poorly he’d been treated since the day he announced his candidacy in 2015.
It was a vibe that he carried with him into his early Election Day morning appearance on his favorite Fox News show, “Fox and Friends,” where even the hosts' most ingratiating methods couldn’t do enough to assuage his bruised feelings.
we've reached the part of the interview where they just let him ramble about whatever (in this case, crowd size) for however long he wants pic.twitter.com/UVcmxJ3Ed6 — Bobby Lewis (@revrrlewis) November 3, 2020
This has been his shtick for months, even as advisors and journalists and pollsters have pointed out the flaws in his methods. But Trump bet big that with his return to the top of the ticket, his voters would turn out in enough numbers to keep him in the White House. As day turned to night and the results began to be tabulated, we got our first real look at whether his hold over large swathes of the U.S. population would be as high as they were in 2016. The race remained — as we've been warned would be the case for weeks now — too close to call as Tuesday ebbed. And Trump has been performing extremely well in the day-of vote — again as we've been warned would happen for weeks — and over performing in some areas.
So, without a decisive victory on either side, the question still hangs over the country: If this really is a referendum on Trump, what does it mean if the American people give him their seal of approval — and what will he do with that injection of pure, uncut validation straight to his already aggrandized sense of self?
In his 2016 acceptance of the Republican nomination, Trump said of all the problems the U.S. faced, “I alone can fix it.” The next four years have shown that through scandal and disaster and impeachment, he has kept the focus on himself, on Trump the man, to the detriment of Trump the president. His tweets, his whims, his moodiness. How he’s reacted to Congress. How the press reacted to him. Those trivialities have been center stage in this consolidation of the nation into one man.
Trump’s niece, psychiatrist Mary L. Trump, wrote in her tell-all book released in July that it’s clear that Trump is a narcissist, one who’s been handed everything but remains in constant need of outsized approval. “Nothing is ever enough,” she wrote. “This is far beyond garden-variety narcissism; Donald is not simply weak, his ego is a fragile thing that must be bolstered every moment because he knows deep down that he is nothing of what he claims to be.”
That’s the exact opposite of the sort of personality that the modern presidency was designed around. It’s meant even in the worst of his moods, when he had hit seeming political rock bottom when became just the third president to be impeached, he has refused to let the spotlight off of him for longer than he could bear. It’s meant taking every perceived slight against him as grounds for a tirade, firing, arrest, or prosecution. It’s meant four years of the world waiting with bated breath to see what would come out of his mouth next as he delighted in the attention.
As improbable as it sounds now, for a minute there, there might have been a world where we’d be talking about something, anything, beyond what Trump is like as a person as Election Day approached. The Democratic candidates in the primaries, all nearly two dozen of them, lined up their best ideas for the country moving forward. Sens. Bernie Sanders, attempting to harness the movement he’d built four years ago in pursuit of a revolution, and Elizabeth Warren, making the case for an aggressive progressivism, battled it out for the love of the party’s left-wing.
A tier below, Mayor Pete Buttigieg and former Housing Secretary Julián Castro, Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Cory Booker, hammered away at each other, all trying to stake their claim on what they saw as their portion of the party. Once they’d locked that in, then they could turn their attention to the general election, they and their campaigns believed.
And then there was former Vice President Joe Biden. A relic of Democrats’ past, it was his third time running for president. Biden’s pitch to the electorate was clear: He presented the best chance to beat Donald Trump. It was a theory that he rode to victory in South Carolina, a moment that he and his campaign had bet heavily on, and the state’s Black voters, ever pragmatic, helped him win the state. The delegates piled up as Biden rolled on through the primaries as his competitors dropped out. In the end, he and Sanders, the last standing opponent, opted for party unity rather than a contested convention.
It was impossible for this race to come down to anything but Trump’s need for approval, the same thing that first compelled him to run for president
Early on in campaigning nobody, except Trump himself it seemed, believed it would be the 78-year-old man from Scranton on the ticket. Trump had gone as far as attempting to bribe Ukraine’s president to handicap Biden, an act that got him impeached. But Biden pulled it off. The general election was set in a showdown between two extremely different men (despite their similar ages.)
Then in March, the pandemic hit, upending the race, and the country. Trump quickly determined that this was an opportunity to get back into the spotlight. His daily press briefings quickly morphed from a way to present updates to a scared populace, then a substitute for the massive rallies he could no longer hold. On a particularly bad day, when he suggested potentially injecting bleach into Covid patients, put an end to that practice.
This summer’s protests against systemic racism and police brutality gave Trump a new issue to focus on, similar to his 2016 campaign. His paternalistic message to voters: The world is dangerous; but I can keep you safe. He’s held up the endorsements of law enforcement unions. He’s basked in the support of the far-right, caring little about their beliefs or alleged crimes so long as it’s him they back.
As the pandemic has raged on, Biden adapted to a world with the virus, to his political benefit. For all of Trump’s mocking of his “basement strategy,” it’s worked. The Biden campaign has been more than happy to let this election become a referendum on the Trump presidency, given the president’s unprecedentedly low approval numbers for an incumbent heading into an election year.
Trump, on the other hand, hasn’t changed, even after contracting the virus himself. He went right back to drawing crowds as large as possible, his campaign duping local officials when necessary and literally abandoning his supporters as he flew off in Air Force One. Former President Barack Obama, the antagonist who has lived in Trump’s head rent-free since 2013, mocked him about his seeming jealousy of the virus’s press coverage in the final stretch.
In Trump’s debates against Biden, it was clear that the issues that divided the two candidates were never going to be as prominent as the gulf between their characters. In the second and final debate, Biden leaned into that gap. “You know who I am. You know who he is. You know his character. You know my character,” he said, looking straight into the camera. It’s a distinction that Trump never bothered to correct.
Just as it’s always been, with the president using the language of the abuser, convincing his captive that it’s fortunate that he’d ever deigned to look at someone so inconsequential.
And so, we arrived at Monday night, just as the east coast rolled over into Election Day. "You are so lucky I have agreed to be your president," Trump told the crowd in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It’s a line he’s trotted out several times in the closing months of the campaign. Just as it’s always been, with the president using the language of the abuser, convincing his captive that it’s fortunate that he’d ever deigned to look at someone so inconsequential. Be grateful I’m here to love you, he whispers. Because he knows he is nothing if he is not looked upon.
"You are so lucky I have agreed to be your president," Trump says in the wee hours of Election Day. "Go out and vote for Trump." pic.twitter.com/VXXgHT2ytb — Brandon Wall (@Walldo) November 3, 2020
It was impossible for this race to come down to anything but Trump’s need for approval, the same thing that first compelled him finally actually run for president, especially after Obama’s mocking 2011 White House Correspondents Dinner speech. Trump is a shell composed of greed and ego, the latter compelling his political bid, the former his need to stay atop his perch lest he face the consequences of decades of misdeeds. And yet there's still a chance that after four years of overwhelming evidence that Trump is unfit to lead, he gains a new term and even fewer constraints on his authoritarian tendencies.
The votes are still being tabulated, but it looks as of in the wee hours of Wednesday morning like the race is coming down to Wisconsin, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania, all of which are states where the Trump campaign is trying to halt late-arriving ballots from being counted.
No matter what happens next, the country has spoken in its referendum of Donald Trump. Whatever happens next — in the next weeks, months, and potentially four years — will revolve around what he does with their message.


msnbc--2020-11-03--Why Latino voters are falling for Trump's fear mongering

This year , like most election years , Florida is a crucial state in the national vote .
President Donald Trump knows this , and for the past two years has flooded media outlets and the Facebook feeds of Latino Floridians with the horrors of socialism and communism .
He seems to have persuaded some voters that a political system is the reason they fled their native countries .
It is not .
As Latinos with roots in Latin America , it ’ s time we level with each other for the primary reason we actually fled our failed states @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Cuba ’ s communism , Venezuela ’ s socialism , Colombia ’ s democracy or Chile ’ s dictatorship , these propped-up government regimes peddled ideologies that masked the true culprit that ravages these countries even today .
Because that true culprit is the widespread corruption , from the top of the highest office down to the cable guy .
It was , and is , the insecurity and fear of retribution caused by voicing government dissent .
I was born in Colombia .
I have first-hand , real-world experience of what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my family fled one .
In the Colombia where I was born , if you ran a small business like my husband does today , unless you were in favor with the ruling party or greasing the palm of someone in power , your small business would be out of business .
Corruption was so universal from the top in Bogotá down to state and local governments across the country that it served as an additional tax on the people , one that few could afford to pay .
Tired of a corrupt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and afraid to speak freely about what they believed , my family left Colombia .
It was the first step in my journey where I started translating and navigating the American culture for my immigrant family from a young age .
When I was 16 , my mother and I were sitting on the cement step to our backyard with the sun streaming down .
She asked me what I wanted to do with my life .
I said , “ I like government.
” My mother stopped her gardening and stared straight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we left behind , ” she said evenly .
“ Government is not for the people .
It ’ s too dangerous for you.
” Watching Trump support unlawful strong-arm tactics in Portland this summer as people shoved protestors into unmarked vans was more reminiscent of Latin American governments fearful of transparency of injustice than the right to peacefully protest , which is protected in America .
Trump ’ s America has all the trappings of what millions of us fled : censoring reporters , firing civil servants as a price of dissent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like his trumped-up wall to his cronies , exacting unimaginable torture by sterilizing migrant women seeking a shot at a better life , and deporting 545 children ’ s parents and leaving those children abandoned .
Once Trump realized that the majority of Covid-19 casualties were Black and brown , it appeared he ceased his daily briefings .
Since the Covid-19 pandemic began , half of all Latinos have been laid off or had our hours reduced , yet just 18 percent of Latino-owned businesses received Paycheck Protection Program loans to help save @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Twenty percent of Latino workers , including American citizens , were shut out from relief in the CARES Act .
Another report on essential workers showed that many were not being protected by basic health and safety measures and that some had died of Covid-19 as a result .
In peddling division and racism , this president telegraphs his true intentions , going so far as to create a denaturalization task force in his Department of Justice under Attorney General William Barr .
As a naturalized citizen , this offends me and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who chose the United States as their country .
All the policies Trump claims he ’ s advanced instead send our community back decades .
Latinos lead in small business creation , and Trump touts the payroll tax to seduce us into thinking we ’ re getting a tax break .
In reality , that same tax funds Social Security and Medicare , programs that are supplemental income later in life for many , but that are very real and critical retirement and healthcare plans for people like my mother .
This election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me because my family fled a failed democracy underwritten by corruption .
Don ’ t be hoodwinked .
If re-elected , Trump will continue acting in his own self-interest , including continuing to damage our institutions and exploit our resources for himself , his family , and his friends .
America is the ultimate democratic example because we can speak freely , assemble safely , and our institutions aren ’ t ravaged by the cancer that is corruption .
But for the last four years , Trump has stress-tested our press , our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ judicial system our very own American identity — and if elected , the next four will see much worse .
Today is the last day to vote in our country .
Most voters are already decided , and an unprecedented number have already cast their ballots .
But the effort to sway the Latino vote under false claims of thwarting political evils isn ’ t new , and we ’ re likely to see the pattern continue , whether with Trump or another candidate .
This is still a moment to acknowledge what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As citizens , we must protect our nation against what so many millions fled , and it starts with taking a look at the disparity between what Trump has promised , and what he has wrought .

This year, like most election years, Florida is a crucial state in the national vote. President Donald Trump knows this, and for the past two years has flooded media outlets and the Facebook feeds of Latino Floridians with the horrors of socialism and communism. He seems to have persuaded some voters that a political system is the reason they fled their native countries. It is not. As Latinos with roots in Latin America, it’s time we level with each other for the primary reason we actually fled our failed states.
Trump seems to have persuaded some voters that a political system is the reason they fled their native countries. It is not.
Whether it was under the guise of Cuba’s communism, Venezuela’s socialism, Colombia’s democracy or Chile’s dictatorship, these propped-up government regimes peddled ideologies that masked the true culprit that ravages these countries even today. Because that true culprit is the widespread corruption, from the top of the highest office down to the cable guy. It was, and is, the insecurity and fear of retribution caused by voicing government dissent.
I was born in Colombia. I have first-hand, real-world experience of what a near-failed state looks like, because my family fled one. In the Colombia where I was born, if you ran a small business like my husband does today, unless you were in favor with the ruling party or greasing the palm of someone in power, your small business would be out of business. Corruption was so universal from the top in Bogotá down to state and local governments across the country that it served as an additional tax on the people, one that few could afford to pay.
Tired of a corrupt, broken system they knew would fail and afraid to speak freely about what they believed, my family left Colombia. It was the first step in my journey where I started translating and navigating the American culture for my immigrant family from a young age.
Trump’s America has all the trappings of what millions of us fled.
When I was 16, my mother and I were sitting on the cement step to our backyard with the sun streaming down. She asked me what I wanted to do with my life. I said, “I like government.” My mother stopped her gardening and stared straight into my eyes: “Remember what we left behind,” she said evenly. “Government is not for the people. It’s too dangerous for you.”
Watching Trump support unlawful strong-arm tactics in Portland this summer as people shoved protestors into unmarked vans was more reminiscent of Latin American governments fearful of transparency of injustice than the right to peacefully protest, which is protected in America. Trump’s America has all the trappings of what millions of us fled: censoring reporters, firing civil servants as a price of dissent, forking over big fat government contracts like his trumped-up wall to his cronies, exacting unimaginable torture by sterilizing migrant women seeking a shot at a better life, and deporting 545 children’s parents and leaving those children abandoned.
Once Trump realized that the majority of Covid-19 casualties were Black and brown, it appeared he ceased his daily briefings. Since the Covid-19 pandemic began, half of all Latinos have been laid off or had our hours reduced, yet just 18 percent of Latino-owned businesses received Paycheck Protection Program loans to help save many of those lost hours and jobs. Twenty percent of Latino workers, including American citizens, were shut out from relief in the CARES Act. Another report on essential workers showed that many were not being protected by basic health and safety measures and that some had died of Covid-19 as a result.
In peddling division and racism, this president telegraphs his true intentions, going so far as to create a denaturalization task force in his Department of Justice under Attorney General William Barr. As a naturalized citizen, this offends me and it should also offend the one-in-10 voters who chose the United States as their country.
All the policies Trump claims he’s advanced instead send our community back decades. Latinos lead in small business creation, and Trump touts the payroll tax to seduce us into thinking we’re getting a tax break. In reality, that same tax funds Social Security and Medicare, programs that are supplemental income later in life for many, but that are very real and critical retirement and healthcare plans for people like my mother.
Since the Covid-19 pandemic began, half of all Latinos have been laid off or had our hours reduced, yet just 18 percent of Latino-owned businesses received Paycheck Protection Program loans.
This election is so personal and so important to me because my family fled a failed democracy underwritten by corruption. Don’t be hoodwinked. If re-elected, Trump will continue acting in his own self-interest, including continuing to damage our institutions and exploit our resources for himself, his family, and his friends. America is the ultimate democratic example because we can speak freely, assemble safely, and our institutions aren’t ravaged by the cancer that is corruption. But for the last four years, Trump has stress-tested our press, our institutions, our law enforcement, our judicial system our very own American identity — and if elected, the next four will see much worse.
Today is the last day to vote in our country. Most voters are already decided, and an unprecedented number have already cast their ballots. But the effort to sway the Latino vote under false claims of thwarting political evils isn’t new, and we’re likely to see the pattern continue, whether with Trump or another candidate. This is still a moment to acknowledge what’s really happening in this country. As citizens, we must protect our nation against what so many millions fled, and it starts with taking a look at the disparity between what Trump has promised, and what he has wrought.


msnbc--2020-11-06--WHO downplays coronavirus mink mutation risk after Denmark orders massive cull

The World Health Organization on Friday played down fears of a mutated coronavirus strain in minks after Denmark ordered millions of the animals be killed .
The international public health body said it was monitoring the mutation , which was a `` concern , '' but that it was too early to tell if it posed any risk to humans or would undo the impact of a potential vaccine .
`` These types of things happen , this is a global pandemic and many millions of people have been infected , many millions of animals have been exposed , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ryan , during a virtual press conference from Geneva .
`` Right now , the evidence that we have does n't suggest that this variant is in any way different in the way it behaves ... it is still the same virus . ''
On Thursday , Denmark announced strict new lockdown measures in its northern counties , home to most mink farms , after authorities discovered the mutated strain in the region .
The government said on Wednesday it would cull all minks — up to 17 million — to prevent human @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health authorities said could be more resistant to future vaccines .
Ryan said mammal species like mink were `` very good hosts '' but that health officials were still a `` long , long way away '' from any determination on the mutation 's impact on a vaccine .
Download the NBC News app for breaking news and politics The WHO also said it was looking at biosecurity in other countries that farm mink to `` prevent spillover events , '' said Maria van Kerkhove , the WHO 's technical lead for Covid-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ farm animals and livestock was generally low .
`` Mutations are normal , '' van Kerkhove said .
`` These types of changes in the virus are something we 've been tracking since the beginning . ''
Denmark 's State Serum Institute ( SSI ) , the authority dealing with infectious diseases , said the strain of the mutated coronavirus that prompted the mink cull , had been found in 12 people and on five mink farms so far .
In a report published on Wednesday , the SSI said laboratory tests showed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so-called spike protein , which invades and infects healthy cells .
That poses a risk to future Covid-19 vaccines , which are based on disabling the spike protein , it said .
In the United States , nearly 10,000 minks at nine fur farms in Utah died of Covid-19 , state veterinarian Dean Taylor told NBC News last month .
The deaths forced the affected farms to quarantine as the outbreaks were investigated .
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report .

Denmark on Friday defended its decision to kill millions of minks even after the World Health Organization played down fears of a mutated coronavirus strain, whose discovery precipitated the move.
"All remaining mink will now be culled including non-infected and otherwise healthy mink," Denmark's Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod said in a press conference.
"We would rather go a step too far than take a step too little to combat Covid-19," he said, adding that the Scandinavian country had not overreacted nor taken the decision lightly.
As of Thursday, 216 mink farms in the country were infected with coronavirus and all remaining minks would be culled in line with animal welfare guidelines in the coming weeks, Danish health officials said. Denmark has a total of around 300 mink farms, according to officials.
A mink is seen at Hans Henrik Jeppesen's farm near Soroe, Denmark, after the government decided to cull the entire population to stem a coronavirus mutation. Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen / Reuters
Earlier, the WHO said it was monitoring the mutation, which was a "concern," but that it was too early to tell if it posed any risk to humans or would undo the impact of a potential vaccine.
"This is a global pandemic and many millions of people have been infected, many millions of animals have been exposed," Dr. Mike Ryan, executive director of the WHO Health Emergencies Program, said during a virtual press conference from Geneva.
"Right now, the evidence that we have doesn't suggest that this variant is in any way different in the way it behaves ... it is still the same virus."
On Thursday, Denmark announced strict new lockdown measures in its northern counties, home to most mink farms, after authorities discovered the mutated strain in the region.
The government said it would cull all minks — up to 17 million — to prevent human contagion with the mutated coronavirus, which health authorities said could be more resistant to future vaccines.
Tyra Krause, a senior public health specialist at Denmark's State Serum Institute, the authority that identified the mutated strain, said although more research was needed, early lab results found "this variant showed less sensitivity" to antibodies, which could make a potential vaccine "less effective."
Krause also predicted "an increase in the coming weeks" in the number of infected patients with the mutated strain, which currently stands at 12 people, she said.
In a report published Wednesday, the institute said tests showed the new strain had mutations on its so-called spike protein, which invades and infects healthy cells. That poses a risk to future Covid-19 vaccines, which are based on disabling the spike protein, it said.
Download the NBC News app for breaking news and politics
The WHO's Ryan said although mammal species like mink were "very good hosts," health officials were still a "long, long way away" from any determination on the mutation's impact on a vaccine.
The global public health body would also be looking at biosecurity in other countries that farm mink to "prevent spillover events," Maria van Kerkhove, the WHO's technical lead for Covid-19, said on Friday, adding that the risk from other farm animals and livestock was generally low.
"Mutations are normal," van Kerkhove said. "These types of changes in the virus are something we've been tracking since the beginning."
In the United States, nearly 10,000 minks at nine fur farms in Utah died of Covid-19, state veterinarian Dean Taylor told NBC News last month.
The deaths forced the affected farms to quarantine as the outbreaks were investigated.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.


msnbc--2020-11-06--Why haven't we called Pennsylvania? Kornacki breaks it down.

New : Biden wins more votes for POTUS than anyone in history

Why haven't we called Pennsylvania? Kornacki breaks it down.
Steve Kornacki explains the “complexities” in Pennsylvania's vote counting, and what it would take for NBC to make a call.Nov. 6, 2020


msnbc--2020-11-07--Supreme Court rejects GOP request to halt mail-in ballot count in Pennsylvania

Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito late Friday granted part of a request from Pennsylvania's state Republicans, who wanted an order regarding mail ballots that came in during the extended deadline. He ordered county election officials to comply with a previous directive issued by the secretary of state to keep mail ballots separate that arrived after election day but before Friday at 5 p.m. But he did not order the state to stop counting them.Nov. 7, 2020


msnbc--2020-11-06--Latest Nevada vote count shows Biden doubling state lead

Top Appropriations Dem on GOP default threat: 'They have to govern. They are in the majority' 04:48


msnbc--2020-11-06--GOP asks Supreme Court to block late ballots in Pennsylvania

Full Sen. Alexander: 'When it’s over, it’s over. And it should be over Monday’ 32:32


msnbc--2020-11-06--Trump campaign in statement says 'election is not over'

Meacham: Pence probably saved the republic, but I don't always want to count on one person to do it 08:18


msnbc--2020-11-06--NBC News projects Mark Kelly will win Arizona Senate special election

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msnbc--2020-11-06--GOP split over Trump's false 'rigged' election claims

Fmr. Rep. Donna Edwards and Kevin Madden join Andrea Mitchell to discuss Republican Senators like Susan Collins, Mitt Romney, and Mitch McConnell breaking with Trump's false claims of a "rigged" election, while other GOP lawmakers like Kevin McCarthy have taken the same line as the president. They also discuss the takeaways of the election for Democrats on the hill as they look likely to lose seats in the House and potentially come up short in the Senate.Nov. 6, 2020


msnbc--2020-11-06--'There will be a recount': Georgia secretary of state gives update on election results

'There will be a recount': Georgia secretary of state gives update on election results
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger told reporters "there will be a recount" as votes continue to be tallied in his state for the 2020 presidential election and promises an "open and transparent" process.Nov. 6, 2020


msnbc--2020-11-06--Georgia secretary of state assures election process will be 'open and transparent'

Georgia secretary of state assures election process will be 'open and transparent'
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger assured that the vote counting process in his state will continue to be "open and transparent" in the 2020 presidential election.Nov. 6, 2020


msnbc--2020-11-06--Updated Maricopa vote count shows why Trump may not catch Biden in Arizona

Updated Maricopa vote count shows why Trump may not catch Biden in Arizona
The latest vote count from Maricopa County continues to show a tight race in Arizona, but NBC News correspondent Steve Kornacki breaks down why President Donald Trump may not be able to catch Democratic Joe Biden.Nov. 6, 2020


msnbc--2020-11-07--Steve Schmidt: ‘At this hour it’s clear, these races should be called’

Founder of the Lincoln Project Steve Schmidt says there is no path for Donald Trump to win reelection and the longer the decision takes, the more Trump can use the confusion to do more damage to our democracyNov. 7, 2020


msnbc--2020-11-06--Fmr. CIA director is worried Trump will fuel the anger of his base and encourage them to take matter

Fmr. CIA director is worried Trump will fuel the anger of his base and encourage them to take matters into their own hands
John Brennan, former director of the CIA, is fearful of what Trump will do with his remaining time in the White House, and worries he will enlist the help of his allies to maintain powerNov. 6, 2020


msnbc--2020-11-06--Jason Johnson: If Donald Trump was winning he ‘would be doing donuts on the White House lawn’

Jason Johnson: If Donald Trump was winning he ‘would be doing donuts on the White House lawn’
Contributor at ‘The Grio’ Jason Johnson speaks to Biden’s restraint in declaring victory, and says the former vice president has a mandate to represent those who voted for himNov. 6, 2020


msnbc--2020-11-06--Fmr. Secy. of Defense Panetta: 'It is the final scoreboard that determines who the winner is'

Fmr. Secy. of Defense Panetta: 'It is the final scoreboard that determines who the winner is'
Former Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta joins Andrea Mitchell to discuss voting which he says is "the most important pillar of democracy." Panetta adds "This is a tribute to the fact that the American people still have tremendous trust in their ability to determine who will lead this country in the future.”Nov. 6, 2020


msnbc--2020-11-07--Biden says path to victory is clear, appeals for national unity

Rep.-elect Nikema Williams : Georgia will turn blue 'in the legacy of Congressman John Lewis '

Joe Biden addressed the nation late Friday as vote counting in key battleground states showed him in striking distance of winning the election. Biden addressed the sluggish economy, the Covid-19 pandemic, and called for national unity reaching out to those who voted for Donald Trump.Nov. 7, 2020


msnbc--2020-11-07--Trump needs to close Biden's lead in Pennsylvania. Mail ballots are getting in the way.

Trump needs to close Biden's lead in Pennsylvania. Mail ballots are getting in the way.
MSNBC political correspondent Steve Kornacki shows what votes remain outstanding in Pennsylvania and what each campaign hopes to see, with Biden steadily building his lead as new results are reported by the state.Nov. 7, 2020


msnbc--2020-11-07--Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows tests positive for Covid-19

Meacham: Pence probably saved the republic, but I don't always want to count on one person to do it


msnbc--2020-11-07--NBC News Decision Desk explains caution calling remaining states


msnbc--2020-11-07--WSJ: Trump aides warn ‘no legal effort’ can help him catch up to Biden

WSJ: Trump aides warn ‘no legal effort’ can help him catch up to Biden
The Wall Street Journal’s Rebecca Ballhaus tells Chris Hayes that members of Trump’s inner circle have told him to prepare for a loss.Nov. 7, 2020


msnbc--2020-11-07--Vin Gupta explains what you can do now to protect against Covid-19

Vin Gupta explains what you can do now to protect against Covid-19
What kind of mask is best? What should you avoid during the holidays? Dr. Vin Gupta lays out what you need to know right not to protect yourself against the coronavirus.Nov. 7, 2020


msnbc--2020-11-07--WAPO: A Trump concession speech is unlikely if he loses

WAPO: A Trump concession speech is unlikely if he loses
Ashley Parker of The Washington Post shares what her sources are learning about the sour mood inside the Trump White House as the president stares down a potential election loss to Joe Biden.Nov. 7, 2020


msnbc--2020-11-07--O'Donnell: Trump will 'try to sabotage' transition if Biden wins

MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell gives his take on what we could expect to see from Trump if he is indeed defeated by Joe Biden during a potential transition phase between administrations.Nov. 7, 2020


msnbc--2020-11-07--Katyal: Trump has a perfect record of losing election lawsuits so far

Neal Katyal, former acting U.S. solicitor general, remarks on the lawsuits Donald Trump's campaign has brought against various election processes, and explains the role the Supreme Court played earlier today, essentially affirming what Pennsylvania election officials were already doing.Nov. 7, 2020


msnbc--2020-11-07--Breaking: Trump trailing in Electoral College and facing legal brick wall

Pres. Trump ended the week trailing in the Electoral College and the bulk of the remaining states to be called – as of Friday night – with new attention on his long-shot lawsuits in several states. MSNBC’s Chief Legal Correspondent Ari Melber reports on why some of Trump’s cases have been tossed, and others face an uphill battle. The Pennsylvania Secretary of State also released new voter data undercutting one of Trump’s last legal hopes in the crucial state, which Melber explains by likening the Secretary’s message to Jay-Z’s iconic song “Takeover”: “We don’t believe you, you need more people.”Nov. 7, 2020


msnbc--2020-11-07--What it means that America remains a very divided nation


msnbc--2020-11-07--Imagine if Trump losing the popular vote actually mattered

As Americans once again look to the Electoral College to resolve another close presidential contest , it ’ s worth remembering that a half-century ago , the nation nearly did away with the system entirely .
Over the course of the 1960s , a movement to reform and , ultimately , get rid of the Electoral College steadily gained momentum .
In 1966 , Sen. Birch Bayh , an Indiana Democrat , introduced an amendment calling for the direct election of the president by the popular vote .
While others had called for small changes to the Electoral College before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for instance , or allotting a state ’ s electoral votes on a more proportional basis — Bayh called for scrapping the antiquated system entirely .
“ Mere procedural changes in the present system would be like shifting around the parts of a creaky and dangerous automobile engine , making it no less creaky and no less dangerous .
What we may need is a new engine , ” he suggested , “ because we are in a new age.
” Arguably , we 're still living through that crisis today .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ College in this current election , as we watch former Vice President Joe Biden and President Donald Trump tediously battle it out for electoral votes county by county .
In two of the previous five presidential elections , the winner of the popular vote was denied the presidency due to the Electoral College .
And for a brief period this week , it seemed likely that it might happen once again in 2020 .
In these instances , the margin between the popular-vote winner and the winner of the Electoral College has only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ won the popular vote by a half million votes ; in 2016 , Hillary Clinton won it by nearly 3 million votes .
As of Thursday evening , Joe Biden had racked up roughly a 4 million vote lead , with more votes yet to be counted , but not even that margin was enough to guarantee a win .
( As some noted before the election , Biden could have won the popular vote by 5 or 6 percentage points and still had a real chance at losing the race . )
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ better than any one like it , receiving bipartisan support from presidents and legislators alike and even passing in the House by wide margins .
But of course , the reform movement failed and the Electoral College lived on .
But the history of this effort serves as a powerful reminder that it wouldn ’ t be unthinkable to replace this engine , especially as it ’ s only gotten creakier and more dangerous over the years .
The spark for the 1960s movement came out of a series of landmark Supreme Court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ democratic elections should be based on the principle of “ one person , one vote.
” These cases , which Chief Justice Earl Warren later declared were the most important of his entire tenure on the court — more important than Brown v. Board of Education , even — involved “ malapportionment ” in state-level elections .
In the early 20th century , several states instituted new measures for counting votes in state elections , measures that exaggerated the political influence of older rural areas at the expense of newer urban ones .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ schemes , but the most notorious systems sprang up in the Jim Crow South .
As these states became more urbanized in the mid-20th century , the imbalances became impossible to ignore .
In Tennessee ’ s system , a single vote cast in a rural county had the same weight as 19 votes from Hamilton County .
Under Georgia ’ s program , meanwhile , a lone ballot in the state ’ s smallest county counted as much as 99 votes sent from Atlanta ’ s Fulton County .
The Supreme Court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” cases , but the egregiousness of the imbalance — and the ramifications it had in southern and national politics — convinced the Warren court to wade in at last , articulating the “ one person , one vote ” principle and implementing it across the South and the nation .
Pointedly , the justices argued that geographic distinctions could not justify political inequalities .
Warren explained in one decision , “ The basic principle of representative government remains , and must remain , unchanged — the weight of a citizen 's vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where he lives.
” Heavily populated cities didn ’ t deserve to be penalized , and sparsely populated rural regions didn ’ t deserve to be rewarded .
“ Legislators represent people , ” the chief justice noted , “ not trees or acres.
” The logic of the court ’ s rulings at the state level applied to nationwide presidential contests , of course , but the Electoral College ’ s place in the Constitution meant a change could only come through a constitutional amendment .
That ’ s where Bayh came @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a track record with constitutional amendments , successfully shepherding the 25th Amendment on presidential succession through Congress and through ratification by the states .
The new proposal proved popular , too .
In 1967 , for instance , the Gallup Poll reported that 65 percent of Americans favored replacing the Electoral College with a new system in which the president was directly elected by the popular vote .
The very next presidential election underscored the need for change .
Alabama Gov .
George Wallace , running an independent third-party campaign , made a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ votes across the South .
Wallace ’ s performance nearly denied Richard Nixon the votes needed to win in the Electoral College , a development that would have sent the election to the House of Representatives and sent the nation into chaos .
America had narrowly avoided a “ brush with catastrophe , ” Bayh argued .
Americans overwhelmingly agreed , with Gallup reporting that support for electing presidents by popular vote had jumped to 80 percent .
Bayh ’ s amendment quickly snapped up supporters from both parties , with nearly half @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In September 1969 , the change passed the House by an overwhelming margin of 339 to 70 , with votes in favor drawn nearly equally from Democrats and Republicans alike .
As the proposal headed to the Senate , Nixon announced his support as well .
Bayh tried to keep the crusade alive , though he never succeeded .
But his warnings remain with us .
“ It is essential , ” he wrote in 1969 , “ that action be taken before we experience an actual crisis that could shake the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this rate , we ’ re on a course for an election soon in which one candidate wins the popular vote by a staggering margin — 8 , 9 or perhaps 10 million votes — but is denied the presidency due to the archaic mechanisms of the Electoral College .
If that happens , the engine will explode , and perhaps our democracy will , too .

As Americans once again look to the Electoral College to resolve another close presidential contest, it’s worth remembering that a half-century ago, the nation nearly did away with the system entirely.
Over the course of the 1960s, a movement to reform and, ultimately, get rid of the Electoral College steadily gained momentum.
“Mere procedural changes in the present system would be like shifting around the parts of a creaky and dangerous automobile engine."
In 1966, Sen. Birch Bayh, an Indiana Democrat, introduced an amendment calling for the direct election of the president by the popular vote. While others had called for small changes to the Electoral College before — removing the middlemen of electors, for instance, or allotting a state’s electoral votes on a more proportional basis — Bayh called for scrapping the antiquated system entirely.
“Mere procedural changes in the present system would be like shifting around the parts of a creaky and dangerous automobile engine, making it no less creaky and no less dangerous. What we may need is a new engine,” he suggested, “because we are in a new age.”
Arguably, we're still living through that crisis today. We've felt the restrictions of the Electoral College in this current election, as we watch former Vice President Joe Biden and President Donald Trump tediously battle it out for electoral votes county by county. In two of the previous five presidential elections, the winner of the popular vote was denied the presidency due to the Electoral College. And for a brief period this week, it seemed likely that it might happen once again in 2020.
In these instances, the margin between the popular-vote winner and the winner of the Electoral College has only grown. In 2000, Al Gore won the popular vote by a half million votes; in 2016, Hillary Clinton won it by nearly 3 million votes. As of Thursday evening, Joe Biden had racked up roughly a 4 million vote lead, with more votes yet to be counted, but not even that margin was enough to guarantee a win. (As some noted before the election, Biden could have won the popular vote by 5 or 6 percentage points and still had a real chance at losing the race.)
Biden could have won the popular vote by 5 or 6 percentage points and still had a real chance at losing the race.
Bayh’s proposed constitutional amendment fared better than any one like it, receiving bipartisan support from presidents and legislators alike and even passing in the House by wide margins. But of course, the reform movement failed and the Electoral College lived on. But the history of this effort serves as a powerful reminder that it wouldn’t be unthinkable to replace this engine, especially as it’s only gotten creakier and more dangerous over the years.
The spark for the 1960s movement came out of a series of landmark Supreme Court cases that together established the precedent that democratic elections should be based on the principle of “one person, one vote.” These cases, which Chief Justice Earl Warren later declared were the most important of his entire tenure on the court — more important than Brown v. Board of Education, even — involved “malapportionment” in state-level elections.
In the early 20th century, several states instituted new measures for counting votes in state elections, measures that exaggerated the political influence of older rural areas at the expense of newer urban ones. States from California to Vermont enacted these schemes, but the most notorious systems sprang up in the Jim Crow South.
As these states became more urbanized in the mid-20th century, the imbalances became impossible to ignore. In Tennessee’s system, a single vote cast in a rural county had the same weight as 19 votes from Hamilton County. Under Georgia’s program, meanwhile, a lone ballot in the state’s smallest county counted as much as 99 votes sent from Atlanta’s Fulton County.
The Supreme Court had long shied away from “political” cases, but the egregiousness of the imbalance — and the ramifications it had in southern and national politics — convinced the Warren court to wade in at last, articulating the “one person, one vote” principle and implementing it across the South and the nation.
Pointedly, the justices argued that geographic distinctions could not justify political inequalities. Warren explained in one decision, “The basic principle of representative government remains, and must remain, unchanged — the weight of a citizen's vote cannot be made to depend on where he lives.” Heavily populated cities didn’t deserve to be penalized, and sparsely populated rural regions didn’t deserve to be rewarded. “Legislators represent people,” the chief justice noted, “not trees or acres.”
“Legislators represent people,” the chief justice noted, “not trees or acres.”
The logic of the court’s rulings at the state level applied to nationwide presidential contests, of course, but the Electoral College’s place in the Constitution meant a change could only come through a constitutional amendment. That’s where Bayh came in.
In 1966, Bayh had a track record with constitutional amendments, successfully shepherding the 25th Amendment on presidential succession through Congress and through ratification by the states. The new proposal proved popular, too. In 1967, for instance, the Gallup Poll reported that 65 percent of Americans favored replacing the Electoral College with a new system in which the president was directly elected by the popular vote.
The very next presidential election underscored the need for change. Alabama Gov. George Wallace, running an independent third-party campaign, made a surprisingly strong showing, winning 45 electoral votes across the South. Wallace’s performance nearly denied Richard Nixon the votes needed to win in the Electoral College, a development that would have sent the election to the House of Representatives and sent the nation into chaos. America had narrowly avoided a “brush with catastrophe,” Bayh argued. Americans overwhelmingly agreed, with Gallup reporting that support for electing presidents by popular vote had jumped to 80 percent.
Bayh’s amendment quickly snapped up supporters from both parties, with nearly half the Senate signing on as formal sponsors. In September 1969, the change passed the House by an overwhelming margin of 339 to 70, with votes in favor drawn nearly equally from Democrats and Republicans alike. As the proposal headed to the Senate, Nixon announced his support as well.
But like many changes, the constitutional amendment was throttled in the Senate. Republican Strom Thurmond of South Carolina led a bipartisan coalition of southern conservatives against the measure. Convinced that the system’s inequalities were necessary to preserve their power, they vowed to defend it at all costs, with repeated procedural delays and filibusters. Ultimately, they kept the Senate from voting on the amendment and thus kept the Electoral College in place.
Bayh tried to keep the crusade alive, though he never succeeded. But his warnings remain with us. “It is essential,” he wrote in 1969, “that action be taken before we experience an actual crisis that could shake the very foundations of our democracy.”
At this rate, we’re on a course for an election soon in which one candidate wins the popular vote by a staggering margin — 8, 9 or perhaps 10 million votes — but is denied the presidency due to the archaic mechanisms of the Electoral College. If that happens, the engine will explode, and perhaps our democracy will, too.


msnbc--2020-11-08--Biden: ‘This is the time to heal in America’

'All things all at once ' : Maddow on Biden inheriting 'personally scary ' times

President-elect Joe Biden addresses the nation in a speech in Wilmington, Delaware, and vows to work as hard for those who didn’t vote for him as those who did.Nov. 8, 2020


msnbc--2020-11-08--Harris: ‘The road ahead will not be easy, but America is ready’

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msnbc--2020-11-07--Joe Biden is president-elect, NBC News projects

Meacham: Pence probably saved the republic, but I don't always want to count on one person to do it 08:18


msnbc--2020-11-07--Biden's win means we get to do this whole thing again in four years. Thank goodness.

The America that we know — this sprawling , beautiful , hideous mess of a country — is likely not what the founders had in mind .
The men who gathered in Philadelphia in 1776 , who represented a small number of their fellow elites clustered in a collection of colonies hugging the Atlantic , wouldn ’ t recognize the United States as it stands today .
On Saturday morning , millions woke up to the news that former Vice President Joe Biden had built up enough of a projected lead in Pennsylvania to decide the election in his favor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after 11:00 a.m. ; CNN and other outlets followed soon after .
With President-Elect Biden 's defeat of President Donald Trump , it ’ s worth reflecting on what we almost lost — and what needs to be rebuilt , or built for the first time .
The U.S. won ’ t heal automatically from the last four years , nor will it be easy going forward — but now there ’ s at least a chance that we come out on the other side a better , stronger people .
The country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Philadelphia — first in 1776 with the world ’ s most revered press release ; then in 1787 , with the drafting of the Constitution — has strained and groaned and nearly collapsed more than once .
The system that they built was , by design , exclusionary , carefully crafted and edified in the lurid compromises meant to buy the compliance of the slave-holding states .
It ’ s a system full of contradictions , enshrined in a document that has been the justification for thousands upon thousands of injustices .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by little those rough edges began to be smoothed away , until they no longer bit as harshly at the hands of the people who have clung to the idea of America despite its mistreatment of them .
That ’ s what has made the last four years seem so cruel to so many : the deliberate , unending , mind-numbing pace at which the Trump administration has hammered away at what little protections the system has come to provide .
Trump and his legions have wielded their supremacy as a cudgel , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a land for you — you who are different , you who are darker , you who will break this utopia which we have built for ourselves .
It ’ s taken the form of a longing to a return to America at its palest .
Their determined blows — echoing like gunshots , wearing away at the foundations , each new crack deepening a fissure that had been there long before any of us were born — have kept us up at night .
Each order , each measured strike at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abrasions into the country , rending our flesh and encouraging new suffering overlain on old scars and callouses .
At times the Trump administration couldn ’ t hide its delight at the new blood welling up in the hands of a people who refused to loosen their grip on their hard-won freedoms .
It feels fitting that in the end we were all watching Pennsylvania and Georgia , two of the original 13 colonies , to set the deadline on the Trump era .
The histories of both states reflect all the horror @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and endured .
Pennsylvania is Biden ’ s first home , bastion of Quaker ideals and notions of freedom .
The state has remained a patchwork of identities .
In the east , its principle city stood centuries ago as a symbol of the urban future that America would someday inherit .
The west holds the scars of the nation ’ s industrial growth and collapse .
Its rural expanses are home to conservative communities of a people who are afraid and feel abandoned as the country has shifted beneath their feet , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , proud and genteel , at the time of the nation ’ s birth a stalwart advocate for and eager participant in America ’ s original sin , a killing ground .
The already rich soil of the state was fed for over a century with the blood of enslaved Black people .
It ’ s a state whose need for subjugation of a people it deemed subhuman brought down avenging fire from the North , only for it to be welcomed back into the fold all too soon , the unfinished work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that lingers in the nation ’ s collective memory makes it all the more fitting that its redemption will be once again channeled and harnessed and willed into existence through the labors of Black Americans .
Standing at the White House press room ’ s podium on Thursday night , Trump did what he does best : he lied .
Looking tired and sounding hoarse , he tried as ever to take his own pains and force them upon all of us in his trademark abusive need for projection , drawing the poison @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it upon an unwilling victim .
As he ’ s promised to for months , he said the election was rigged against him , and claimed without evidence that his many enemies had conspired against him once more to try to deny him a victory .
On Saturday morning , less than an hour before Biden won Pennsylvania , he tweeted out `` I WON THE ELECTION , BIG TIME '' to his millions of Twitter followers .
He immediately afterwards went golfing .
Trump 's Thursday night address was a bridge too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but not nearly enough — Republicans .
Perhaps it was his attacks on the election , perhaps his willingness to tear down the country behind him if he was forced to admit defeat .
We now have to see whether Saturday 's decision is enough to fully break with their receding champion .
The ballot counts in Pennsylvania and in Georgia have been a testament to the faith in our country displayed by the beleaguered , fatigued poll workers .
For four days , they have been grinding through the night to ensure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be heard , no matter who they chose as their next leader .
In the midst of a pandemic , with the weight of the future on their shoulders , they kept their pace , offering up their tallies in batches of hundreds or thousands , as we all waited , transfixed , with each new count .
It ’ s been a reminder that for all the pain and suffering that this country has endured , we also still hold the keys to our own salvation : the idea that we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ represents us , who we place in the public trust to do well for us , protect our families , and lead us to a more perfect union .
There will be no sudden transformation in January 2021 .
We will still be reeling from Covid-19 and systemic racism and crushing poverty and all the other ills that have converged upon us .
Trumpism will live on , even if the man at its core is no longer in the White House .
Now , in the present , the Trump campaign has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Monday , and whatever terrors the last gasps of this administration may still bring await us .
The most important part is that we will get to do this all over again in four years , as much as that sounds like a threat now , when our collective psyche is on the brink of total exhausted collapse .
In four years , we ’ ll get to cast our ballots again , something that wasn ’ t a guarantee if President-Elect Biden hadn ’ t prevailed .
It ’ s that guarantee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legacy of this election — the spark of hope that comes with the knowledge that we still have time to try again , to make this country actually live up to its promise .

The America that we know — this sprawling, beautiful, hideous mess of a country — is likely not what the founders had in mind. The men who gathered in Philadelphia in 1776, who represented a small number of their fellow elites clustered in a collection of colonies hugging the Atlantic, wouldn’t recognize the United States as it stands today.
The U.S. won’t heal automatically from the last four years, nor will it be easy going forward — but now there’s at least a chance that we come out on the other side a better, stronger, more united people.
On Saturday morning, millions woke up to the news that former Vice President Joe Biden had built up enough of a projected lead in Pennsylvania to decide the election in his favor. NBC News made the call soon after 11:00 a.m.; CNN and other outlets followed soon after. With President-Elect Biden's defeat of President Donald Trump, it’s worth reflecting on what we almost lost — and what needs to be rebuilt, or built for the first time. The U.S. won’t heal automatically from the last four years, nor will it be easy going forward — but now there’s at least a chance that we come out on the other side a better, stronger people.
The country that was twice brought into existence in Philadelphia — first in 1776 with the world’s most revered press release; then in 1787, with the drafting of the Constitution — has strained and groaned and nearly collapsed more than once. The system that they built was, by design, exclusionary, carefully crafted and edified in the lurid compromises meant to buy the compliance of the slave-holding states.
It’s a system full of contradictions, enshrined in a document that has been the justification for thousands upon thousands of injustices. But as the country has grown, little by little those rough edges began to be smoothed away, until they no longer bit as harshly at the hands of the people who have clung to the idea of America despite its mistreatment of them.
That’s what has made the last four years seem so cruel to so many: the deliberate, unending, mind-numbing pace at which the Trump administration has hammered away at what little protections the system has come to provide. Trump and his legions have wielded their supremacy as a cudgel, with their insistence that this is not a land for you — you who are different, you who are darker, you who will break this utopia which we have built for ourselves. It’s taken the form of a longing to a return to America at its palest.
Their determined blows — echoing like gunshots, wearing away at the foundations, each new crack deepening a fissure that had been there long before any of us were born — have kept us up at night. Each order, each measured strike at the humanity of The Other has chiseled new abrasions into the country, rending our flesh and encouraging new suffering overlain on old scars and callouses. At times the Trump administration couldn’t hide its delight at the new blood welling up in the hands of a people who refused to loosen their grip on their hard-won freedoms.
At times the Trump administration couldn’t hide its delight at the new blood welling up in the hands of a people who refused to loosen their grip on their hard-won freedoms.
It feels fitting that in the end we were all watching Pennsylvania and Georgia, two of the original 13 colonies, to set the deadline on the Trump era. The histories of both states reflect all the horror and hope that the country has entailed and endured.
Pennsylvania is Biden’s first home, bastion of Quaker ideals and notions of freedom. The state has remained a patchwork of identities. In the east, its principle city stood centuries ago as a symbol of the urban future that America would someday inherit. The west holds the scars of the nation’s industrial growth and collapse. Its rural expanses are home to conservative communities of a people who are afraid and feel abandoned as the country has shifted beneath their feet, both economically and culturally.
And Georgia, proud and genteel, at the time of the nation’s birth a stalwart advocate for and eager participant in America’s original sin, a killing ground. The already rich soil of the state was fed for over a century with the blood of enslaved Black people. It’s a state whose need for subjugation of a people it deemed subhuman brought down avenging fire from the North, only for it to be welcomed back into the fold all too soon, the unfinished work of Reconstruction quickly unraveled. The brutality that lingers in the nation’s collective memory makes it all the more fitting that its redemption will be once again channeled and harnessed and willed into existence through the labors of Black Americans.
Standing at the White House press room’s podium on Thursday night, Trump did what he does best: he lied. Looking tired and sounding hoarse, he tried as ever to take his own pains and force them upon all of us in his trademark abusive need for projection, drawing the poison from his own system only to foist it upon an unwilling victim.
As he’s promised to for months, he said the election was rigged against him, and claimed without evidence that his many enemies had conspired against him once more to try to deny him a victory. On Saturday morning, less than an hour before Biden won Pennsylvania, he tweeted out "I WON THE ELECTION, BIG TIME" to his millions of Twitter followers. He immediately afterwards went golfing.
Trump's Thursday night address was a bridge too far, finally, for some — but not nearly enough — Republicans. Perhaps it was his attacks on the election, perhaps his willingness to tear down the country behind him if he was forced to admit defeat. We now have to see whether Saturday's decision is enough to fully break with their receding champion.
The most important part is that we will get to do this all over again in four years, as much as that sounds like a threat now, when our collective psyche is on the brink of total exhausted collapse.
The ballot counts in Pennsylvania and in Georgia have been a testament to the faith in our country displayed by the beleaguered, fatigued poll workers. For four days, they have been grinding through the night to ensure that every voice transcribed on a ballot would be heard, no matter who they chose as their next leader. In the midst of a pandemic, with the weight of the future on their shoulders, they kept their pace, offering up their tallies in batches of hundreds or thousands, as we all waited, transfixed, with each new count. It’s been a reminder that for all the pain and suffering that this country has endured, we also still hold the keys to our own salvation: the idea that we have an unalienable right to choose who represents us, who we place in the public trust to do well for us, protect our families, and lead us to a more perfect union.
There will be no sudden transformation in January 2021. We will still be reeling from Covid-19 and systemic racism and crushing poverty and all the other ills that have converged upon us. Trumpism will live on, even if the man at its core is no longer in the White House. Now, in the present, the Trump campaign has promised to take unspecified legal action on Monday, and whatever terrors the last gasps of this administration may still bring await us.
The most important part is that we will get to do this all over again in four years, as much as that sounds like a threat now, when our collective psyche is on the brink of total exhausted collapse. In four years, we’ll get to cast our ballots again, something that wasn’t a guarantee if President-Elect Biden hadn’t prevailed. It’s that guarantee of a future that is the greatest legacy of this election — the spark of hope that comes with the knowledge that we still have time to try again, to make this country actually live up to its promise.


msnbc--2020-11-07--Celebrations erupt outside the White House as Joe Biden declared president


msnbc--2020-11-07--Memoli: Incredible jubilation from Biden team


msnbc--2020-11-07--Joe Biden campaign manager the unsung hero of 2020 election

Rachel Maddow and Lawrence O'Donnell discuss the unswayable focus of Joe Biden's campaign manager, Jen O'Malley Dillon, who kept herself out of the media spotlight and delivered exactly what Biden would need in an campaign manager.Nov. 7, 2020


msnbc--2020-11-07--Harris makes history as first female, Black, South Asian American VP

Kamala Harris will make history as the first female, first Black and first Asian American to be U.S. vice president-elect.Nov. 7, 2020


msnbc--2020-11-07--'A scrappy win for a scrappy kid from Scranton': Pennsylvania celebrates Joe Biden

NBC's Chris Jansing reports from Harrisburg, Penn. where Biden supporters are celebrating as he is projected to become president-elect, describing the victory as "a scrappy win for a scrappy kid from Scranton."Nov. 7, 2020


msnbc--2020-11-07--Susan Rice: ‘I am full of joy’

Susan Rice: ‘I am full of joy’

Former U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice reacts to the news of the projected win of Joe Biden and Sen. Kamala Harris and shares why she thinks they are the right leaders for this moment.Nov. 7, 2020


msnbc--2020-11-08--Biden’s sister says President-elect Biden is an ‘optimist,’ ready for job ahead

Biden’s sister says President-elect Biden is an ‘optimist,’ ready for job ahead
NBC News’ Mike Memoli says those close to President-elect Joe Biden say he’s ready for the job and proud of the history Vice President-elect Kamala Harris is making.Nov. 8, 2020


msnbc--2020-11-07--'It is such a relief': Mary Trump reacts as Biden projected to be president-elect

'It is such a relief': Mary Trump reacts as Biden projected to be president-elect
Mary Trump, niece to President Trump, said "it is such a relief" as Joe Biden is projected to be the president-elect.Nov. 7, 2020


msnbc--2020-11-07--Kornacki explains how Joe Biden won Pennsylvania


msnbc--2020-11-07--Maddow: Wisdom, charisma, character, 'raw ability' make Harris well suited for V.P. role

Rachel Maddow talks with Lawrence O'Donnell about the historic nature of Kamala Harris becoming Vice President of the United States, and why President-elect Joe Biden made a sound choice in her as his running mate.Nov. 7, 2020


msnbc--2020-11-07--Maddow: Biden has deep Democratic bench to build cabinet, transition

Rachel Maddow and Lawrence O'Donnell discuss the possibility that Susan Rice could be the next secretary of state in the Biden administration, and how Donald Trump's single term means there is more Democratic talent still available from the Obama administration that could be brought back into public service.Nov. 7, 2020


msnbc--2020-11-07--'Small, and pitiful, and irrelevant': Maddow underwhelmed by Trump election pushback

Rachel Maddow describes her expectations about the fight Donald Trump and his supporters would put up to legitimize the election and how her fears were not borne out as Trump's effort "feels laughable" as the race has been called for Joe Biden.Nov. 7, 2020


msnbc--2020-11-07--Steve Schmidt: ‘The American people have fired’ Trump


msnbc--2020-11-07--Meacham: Biden's win the ‘beginning of the end of an era of perpetual partisan warfare’

On Joe Biden becoming the 46th president, presidential historian Jon Meacham says "It may well be that this was the beginning of the end of an era of perpetual partisan warfare … Joe Biden's character is such that it may well be that man and moment were made for each other."Nov. 7, 2020


msnbc--2020-11-07--Maddow: Methodical vote count can give Americans confidence in the process

Rachel Maddow remarks on the public impatience for the presidential race to be called and the stalwart public servants who stayed focused on the task of counting without influence from the outside.Nov. 7, 2020


msnbc--2020-11-07--We almost killed the Electoral College once. Let's finish the job.

As Americans once again look to the Electoral College to resolve another close presidential contest , it ’ s worth remembering that a half-century ago , the nation nearly did away with the system entirely .
Over the course of the 1960s , a movement to reform and , ultimately , get rid of the Electoral College steadily gained momentum .
In 1966 , Sen. Birch Bayh , an Indiana Democrat , introduced an amendment calling for the direct election of the president by the popular vote .
While others had called for small changes to the Electoral College before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for instance , or allotting a state ’ s electoral votes on a more proportional basis — Bayh called for scrapping the antiquated system entirely .
“ Mere procedural changes in the present system would be like shifting around the parts of a creaky and dangerous automobile engine , making it no less creaky and no less dangerous .
What we may need is a new engine , ” he suggested , “ because we are in a new age.
” Arguably , we 're still living through that crisis today .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ College in this current election , as we watch former Vice President Joe Biden and President Donald Trump tediously battle it out for electoral votes county by county .
In two of the previous five presidential elections , the winner of the popular vote was denied the presidency due to the Electoral College .
And for a brief period this week , it seemed likely that it might happen once again in 2020 .
In these instances , the margin between the popular-vote winner and the winner of the Electoral College has only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ won the popular vote by a half million votes ; in 2016 , Hillary Clinton won it by nearly 3 million votes .
As of Thursday evening , Joe Biden had racked up roughly a 4 million vote lead , with more votes yet to be counted , but not even that margin was enough to guarantee a win .
( As some noted before the election , Biden could have won the popular vote by 5 or 6 percentage points and still had a real chance at losing the race . )
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ better than any one like it , receiving bipartisan support from presidents and legislators alike and even passing in the House by wide margins .
But of course , the reform movement failed and the Electoral College lived on .
But the history of this effort serves as a powerful reminder that it wouldn ’ t be unthinkable to replace this engine , especially as it ’ s only gotten creakier and more dangerous over the years .
The spark for the 1960s movement came out of a series of landmark Supreme Court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ democratic elections should be based on the principle of “ one person , one vote.
” These cases , which Chief Justice Earl Warren later declared were the most important of his entire tenure on the court — more important than Brown v. Board of Education , even — involved “ malapportionment ” in state-level elections .
In the early 20th century , several states instituted new measures for counting votes in state elections , measures that exaggerated the political influence of older rural areas at the expense of newer urban ones .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ schemes , but the most notorious systems sprang up in the Jim Crow South .
As these states became more urbanized in the mid-20th century , the imbalances became impossible to ignore .
In Tennessee ’ s system , a single vote cast in a rural county had the same weight as 19 votes from Hamilton County .
Under Georgia ’ s program , meanwhile , a lone ballot in the state ’ s smallest county counted as much as 99 votes sent from Atlanta ’ s Fulton County .
The Supreme Court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” cases , but the egregiousness of the imbalance — and the ramifications it had in southern and national politics — convinced the Warren court to wade in at last , articulating the “ one person , one vote ” principle and implementing it across the South and the nation .
Pointedly , the justices argued that geographic distinctions could not justify political inequalities .
Warren explained in one decision , “ The basic principle of representative government remains , and must remain , unchanged — the weight of a citizen 's vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where he lives.
” Heavily populated cities didn ’ t deserve to be penalized , and sparsely populated rural regions didn ’ t deserve to be rewarded .
“ Legislators represent people , ” the chief justice noted , “ not trees or acres.
” The logic of the court ’ s rulings at the state level applied to nationwide presidential contests , of course , but the Electoral College ’ s place in the Constitution meant a change could only come through a constitutional amendment .
That ’ s where Bayh came @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a track record with constitutional amendments , successfully shepherding the 25th Amendment on presidential succession through Congress and through ratification by the states .
The new proposal proved popular , too .
In 1967 , for instance , the Gallup Poll reported that 65 percent of Americans favored replacing the Electoral College with a new system in which the president was directly elected by the popular vote .
The very next presidential election underscored the need for change .
Alabama Gov .
George Wallace , running an independent third-party campaign , made a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ votes across the South .
Wallace ’ s performance nearly denied Richard Nixon the votes needed to win in the Electoral College , a development that would have sent the election to the House of Representatives and sent the nation into chaos .
America had narrowly avoided a “ brush with catastrophe , ” Bayh argued .
Americans overwhelmingly agreed , with Gallup reporting that support for electing presidents by popular vote had jumped to 80 percent .
Bayh ’ s amendment quickly snapped up supporters from both parties , with nearly half @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In September 1969 , the change passed the House by an overwhelming margin of 339 to 70 , with votes in favor drawn nearly equally from Democrats and Republicans alike .
As the proposal headed to the Senate , Nixon announced his support as well .
But like many changes , the constitutional amendment was throttled in the Senate .
Republican Strom Thurmond of South Carolina led a bipartisan coalition of southern conservatives against the measure .
Convinced that the system ’ s inequalities were necessary to preserve their power , they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with repeated procedural delays and filibusters .
Ultimately , they kept the Senate from voting on the amendment and thus kept the Electoral College in place .
Bayh tried to keep the crusade alive , though he never succeeded .
But his warnings remain with us .
“ It is essential , ” he wrote in 1969 , “ that action be taken before we experience an actual crisis that could shake the very foundations of our democracy.
” At this rate , we ’ re on a course for an election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ popular vote by a staggering margin — 8 , 9 or perhaps 10 million votes — but is denied the presidency due to the archaic mechanisms of the Electoral College .
If that happens , the engine will explode , and perhaps our democracy will , too .


msnbc--2020-11-08--Clyburn, who gave critical endorsement, reacts to Biden win

Does democracy grow back like the limb of a starfish ?

Rep. James Clyburn, who delivered a shot to the arm of the Biden campaign in February, joins to react to Joe Biden's win against Donald Trump.Nov. 8, 2020


msnbc--2020-11-08--Kamala Harris takes her place in history as vice president-elect

Errin Haines, editor-at-large for The 19th, reacts to the historic candidacy and win of Kamala Harris who is poised to reach the highest office ever obtained by a woman in America.Nov. 8, 2020


msnbc--2020-11-08--Jon Meacham: Biden win is a reminder of America's possibility

Pulitzer Prize-winning presidential biographer Jon Meacham - who assisted President-Elect Joe Biden with speech writing - explains what he believes the transition from a Trump White House to a Biden White House will mean for America.Nov. 8, 2020


msnbc--2020-11-08--Presidential historian warns ‘maybe Trump will never concede’

Rep Ilhan Omar : 'My life is an example of what can happen when people are willing to give you @ @ @

Donald Trump might never concede according to reports, despite every other president in recent history conceding gracefully, presidential historian Michael Beschloss warns.Nov. 8, 2020


msnbc--2020-11-08--Engel: World reacted to Biden win like U.S. overthrew a dictator

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msnbc--2020-11-08--Crowds gather for second day at Black Lives Matter Plaza after Biden victory projected

Crowds gathered at Black Lives Matter Plaza in Washington, D.C., for a second day to celebrate the Biden-Harris victory projected. NBC News’ Amanda Golden spoke with a group of women who said they came out to celebrate history.Nov. 8, 2020


msnbc--2020-11-08--Missouri's first Black Congresswoman: “I’ve slept in my car… I don’t want that for anyone else.”

Democratic Congresswoman-Elect Cori Bush is a nurse, a single mom and an activist. She is now headed to D.C. as Missouri’s first Black, female member of Congress. For her, wage inequality is personal; she has had to skip meals so her children could eat. She says, “Being poor is so expensive… We have to do better.”Nov. 8, 2020


msnbc--2020-11-08--Rep Ilhan Omar: 'My life is an example of what can happen when people are willing to give you a chan

Rep Ilhan Omar: 'My life is an example of what can happen when people are willing to give you a chance'
After being overwhelmingly re-elected to Congress, Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota is looking ahead to “a process to heal the divides in our country.” She recalls her own journey: “I was uprooted from my home country at the age of 8 because of violence and divisions, because of what happens when people don’t see each other as neighbors, as friends, and as family and turn on one another.”Nov. 8, 2020


msnbc--2020-11-08--Nikole Hannah-Jones: 'Black people believed in our founding ideals even when our founders did not'

Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times reporter Nikole Hannah-Jones discusses the role of Black voters in the 2020 election and how there is still more work to be done. She says, “I think it’s OK to take a moment and feel some joy about what just happened, but then the fight continues.”Nov. 8, 2020


msnbc--2020-11-08--Does democracy grow back like the limb of a starfish?

Does democracy grow back like the limb of a starfish?
Michael Steele, fmr. RNC Chairman who endorsed Joe Biden for president, reacts to the Biden's win and victory speech to the nation.Nov. 8, 2020


msnbc--2020-11-08--Biden campaign: Constitution doesn't require Trump to concede

Biden-Harris Senior Adviser Symone Sanders joins to discuss whether there has been any communications between the Biden Camp and the Trump White House about the upcoming transition.Nov. 8, 2020


msnbc--2020-11-08--Democratic Strategist on Kamala Harris’ historic win: ‘As I think about all the little girls…I just

Democratic Strategist on Kamala Harris’ historic win: ‘As I think about all the little girls…I just imagine an opportunity to dream.’
MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle is joined by Errin Haines, Editor-at-large of the 19th, NBC Senior Politics Editor Beth Fouhy, and Democratic Strategist Aisha Mills, to discuss the historic nature of electing Kamala Harris as Vice President and what it means for women and girls around the country.Nov. 8, 2020