Barack Obama delivered a powerful message calling for voters to protect American democracy during the third night of the Democratic national convention. The former president argued that Donald Trump’s potential re-election posed an existential threat to the country’s democratic values and institutions, and he implored voters to 'embrace your own responsibility as citizens'
Continue reading...Category Archives: US elections 2020
Obama’s stark message: America must save itself from Trump | Analysis
Analysis: The former president issued an unprecedented attack on his successor as he urged voters to rescue their democracy
Just four years ago, amid balloons, confetti, dry ice smoke and giant TV screens, Donald Trump struck an authoritarian tone as he accepted the nomination at the Republican national convention before a frenzied crowd. It prompted warnings of the impending death of democracy, and the end of America’s gloriously chequered 244-year journey. But no one really believed it.
However, Barack Obama is now clearly taking the fall of Rome theory seriously. No former US president has criticised his successor at a party convention as he did on Wednesday night, and none has warned that his successor “will tear our democracy down if that’s what it takes to win”.
Continue reading...Kamala Harris accepts vice-presidential nomination on historic night
Democratic nominee urges voters to reject Donald Trump and says: ‘We can do better and deserve so much more’
Kamala Harris, a California senator and daughter of immigrants who has broken racial barriers at every step of her political career, made US history on Wednesday night as she became the first Black woman and first Asian American to formally accept a major party’s vice-presidential nomination.
In the most consequential speech of her career to date, Harris urged voters to reject the divisive and destructive leadership of Donald Trump, calling him a president who “turns our tragedies into political weapons”.
Continue reading...Barack Obama condemns Trump in powerful Democratic convention speech – video
The former president spoke at the Democratic national convention and cast Donald Trump as someone who will 'tear our democracy down if that's what it takes to win' and urges Americans to get out and vote in November
Continue reading...Democratic national convention day three: Barack Obama & Kamala Harris lead speeches – watch in full
Democrats stage the third night of their online convention after formally nominating Joe Biden as the presidential candidate for November’s election. The main speakers on Wednesday include Barack Obama, Kamala Harris, Hillary Clinton and Nancy Pelosi
Continue reading...Hillary Clinton to say at DNC: ‘Vote like our lives and livelihoods are on the line’ – live
- 2016 presidential nominee does not mince words about former rival
- Pelosi: postmaster general Louis DeJoys will not reverse USPS changes
- Obama expected to denounce Trump’s ‘cynical moves’ on mail-in voting
- Democrats formally nominate Biden for president
- Ocasio-Cortez accuses NBC of spreading misinformation after speech
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Islamophobe claims RNC chairwoman called her ‘rock star,’ ‘change agent’ for the party
This is Lois Beckett, taking over our politics live blog from our West Coast office.
Anti-Muslim extremist Laura Loomer claims RNC chairwoman called her to congratulate her on her Republican primary win in Florida and to tell her she was a "political rock star" and a "change agent for the Republican Party." The RNC did not offer comment.https://t.co/ONpC9mfOKz
That’s it from me for now. I will be back tonight to cover the third night of the Democratic convention.
Here’s where the day stands so far:
Continue reading...Emotional stories and a virtual roll call backing Biden: day two at the DNC – video highlights
Democrats formally nominated Joe Biden for president during an emotional second night of their party’s virtual convention, warning that Donald Trump was an 'existential threat' to America who had failed to get a grip on the coronavirus pandemic. Here are the key moments from the evening
- Jill Biden closes second night as Joe formally secures nomination – as it happened
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Virtual roll call and emotional stories: key takeaways from the DNC’s second night
Democrats nominated Biden with a vibrant roll call that showed every US region as Ady Barkan called for better healthcare
Democrats formally nominated former vice-president Joe Biden for the presidency on Tuesday, the second night of their virtual convention.
Here are some of the key takeaways from the night:
Continue reading...Democrats formally nominate Joe Biden for president
Second night of Democratic convention saw 17 rising stars in party deliver the keynote and an elevator operator nominate Biden
Democrats formally nominated Joe Biden for president during an emotional second night of their party’s virtual convention, warning that Donald Trump was an “existential threat” to America who had failed to get a grip on the coronavirus pandemic.
The official nomination elevates a historic ticket that includes his vice-presidential running mate Kamala Harris, the first Black woman to be nominated for national office by a major party.
Continue reading...Activist Ady Barkan delivers powerful speech on protecting US healthcare – video
Prominent activist Ady Barkan called on voters to act in the forthcoming presidential election to safeguard the future of the US healthcare system.
'Even during this terrible crisis, Donald Trump and Republican politicians are trying to take away millions of people's health insurance,' Barkan said on the second night of the Democratic national convention
Continue reading...Michelle Obama, Bernie Sanders and anti-Trump Republicans: day one at the DNC – video highlights
At the first day of a Democratic national convention unlike any other in history, Michelle Obama urged voters to head to the polls 'like their lives depend on it'. She was joined by many other speakers attacking Donald Trump's presidency. Speaking online because of coronavirus restrictions, the former first lady's words were echoed by Vermont senator Bernie Sanders, who likened Trump to tyrannical Roman emperor Nero. The first day of the convention was hosted by actor Eva Longoria and featured contributions by George Floyd's family, voters and politicians from across the country and even a former Republican governor
- Michelle Obama’s rebuke and anti-Trump Republicans: key takeaways from the DNC
- A pandemic DNC: telethon, commercial, and awkward family Zoom call in one
Democratic national convention: Michelle Obama and Bernie Sanders among speakers – watch in full
Democrats kick off a four-day virtual convention with a display of party unity for Joe Biden and the broad coalition aiming to defeat Republican Donald Trump in November.
Biden's top primary rival, Bernie Sanders, and the former first lady Michelle Obama will headline a parade of speakers appearing from around the US to make a virtual case for a Biden presidency, organizers said
Continue reading...‘It is what it is’: Michelle Obama picks Trump apart in gripping DNC speech
The former first lady sharply contrasted Joe Biden’s competency and character with that of the president
Michelle Obama eviscerated Donald Trump during her keynote speech at the opening night of the virtual Democratic convention, accusing him of being the “wrong president for our country” and “clearly in over his head”.
In her most political address and her most pointed criticism of Trump to date, the former first lady called on Americans to “vote for Joe Biden like our lives depend on it” in the November election.
Continue reading...US politics: virtual Democratic convention to start amid coronavirus crisis – live updates
- Pelosi recalls House early to fight postal service election ‘sabotage’
- Sanders says Trump’s attacks on mail-in voting a ‘crisis for democracy’
- Virtual Democratic convention to kick off with emphasis on unity
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Republican senator Lindsey Graham’s Democratic rival in South Carolina’s senate race has now out-raised the incumbent for two consecutive quarters.
Former South Carolina Democratic party chairman Jaime Harrison faces an uphill battle in the Republican stronghold state. The fundraising figures, however, coupled with the racial equity protests and pandemic this year has led Cook Political Report to forecast the race from “likely” to “lean” Republican.
Eva Longoria, Tracee Ellis Ross, Kerry Washington and Julia Louis-Dreyfus will help emcee the Democratic National Convention (DNC), the convention committee announced today.
Each of the celebrities are anchoring one night of the convention. Each night has a theme.
The time has finally come! ...Join me live at the 2020 Democratic National Convention to welcome Joe Biden and Kamala Harris!
Watch it Live: https://t.co/GIf7neWRVo#DemConvention pic.twitter.com/Tddyl7Nlzo
Louis DeJoy: is Trump’s new post office chief trying to rig the election?
Since taking office in June, DeJoy has executed sweeping changes at the struggling USPS, leading to delays in mail delivery – and fears mail-in ballots won’t arrive on time
About a month ago, a United States Postal Service (USPS) mail carrier named Mark arrived at his post office in central Pennsylvania and got some shocking news from his station manager. Mark and his coworkers were told they would have to depart the office for deliveries a few hours earlier each day, even if that meant leaving behind much of the day’s mail.
In the weeks that followed, higher-ups at the station instructed carriers to abandon hundreds of pieces of mail in order to depart a mere 10 or 20 minutes earlier. As the days went on, the excess mail started to pile up, and now Mark estimates there are thousands of undelivered letters and packages sitting in his station.
Continue reading...Sanders: Trump’s effort to hinder mail-in voting ‘a crisis for US democracy’ – live
- Sanders says Trump has made ‘deliberate effort’ to hinder mail-in voting
- Democrats say US postmaster general must testify at ‘urgent hearing’
- Pelosi accuses Trump of ‘openly working to destroy the post office’
- USPS changes causing mail delays, mail workers say
- How the pandemic has split the US economy in two
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At least 23 members of an Oklahoma State University sorority have tested positive for Covid-19, the school said in a statement on Saturday.
The outbreak happened at the off-campus house of the Pi Beta Phi sorority and was detected by rapid-antigen testing done at an off-campus clinic, according to the university.
The coronavirus doesn’t appear to have devastated America’s homeless population to the extent public health officials and advocates for the homeless initially feared.
Johns Hopkins reported 1,029 new deaths on Saturday from the virus in the US. According to the university’s tally, 169,489 people in the US have died from Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic with identified cases exceeding 5 million.
“I am shocked, I guess I can say, because it’s a very vulnerable population. I don’t know what we’re going to see in an aftermath,” said Dr. Deborah Borne, who oversees health policy for Covid-19 homeless response at San Francisco’s public health department. “That’s why it’s called a novel virus, because we don’t know.”
More than 200 of an estimated 8,000 homeless people in San Francisco have tested positive for the virus, and half came from an outbreak at a homeless shelter in April. One homeless person is among the city’s 69 deaths.
Continue reading...End of an era: has coronavirus killed the political convention for good?
With Democrats and Republicans holding no in-person conventions this year, some have called to ditch them completely – but others say they’re a vital political tool
There won’t be any huge balloon drops at the Democratic or Republican party conventions this year. Presidential candidates will not get the chance to accept their nominations in front of massive, cheering crowds. Political reporters and strategists will not descend on a carefully selected American city to kick off the final stretch of the 2020 presidential election.
And some in Washington say those changes may be for the best.
Continue reading...Newsweek apologizes for op-ed that questioned Kamala Harris’ citizenship
Magazine’s opinion editor and editor-in-chief ended note by saying op-ed would remain on the site
Newsweek has apologized for an op-ed that questioned the California senator Kamala Harris’ American citizenship and her eligibility to be Joe Biden’s running mate, a false and racist conspiracy theory which Donald Trump has not dismissed.
“This op-ed is being used by some as a tool to perpetuate racism and xenophobia. We apologize,” read Newsweek’s editor’s note on Friday, which replaced the magazine’s earlier detailed defense of the op-ed.
Continue reading...Why Germany would be especially happy to see the back of Trump | John Kampfner
The competence embodied in Merkel provokes loathing from the US president
Donald Trump has declared war on Germany. In a manner of speaking. Europe’s most important country, potentially America’s most valuable partner, has in the mind of the president become an adversary. Of all Trump’s many foreign policy disasters, this is perhaps his most significant.
In late July, it was announced that retired army colonel Douglas Macgregor, a decorated combat veteran, would become the next ambassador to Berlin. Macgregor is a regular contributor to Trump’s favourite channel of information, Fox News. He has variously suggested that the US border guard should shoot people if they tried to enter illegally from Mexico; described eastern Ukrainians as “Russians”; defended Serbia’s actions against a “Muslim drug mafia” in Kosovo; and criticised Germany for giving “millions of unwanted Muslim invaders” welfare benefits rather than providing more funding for its armed services.
Continue reading...US postal service warning renews fears millions of votes could be uncounted
Postal service warns Pennsylvania seven-day turnaround for mail-in ballots may not be possible, amid mounting election concern
There are growing fears over the handling of November’s US presidential election after the postal service warned that the rules in a key battleground state could result in millions of votes left uncounted.
Related: Trump faces surprise call from Republican congressman to pardon Edward Snowden – live
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