Category Archives: Donald Trump

Biden says deal close on new coronavirus relief bill as he hails latest pick for diverse cabinet – live

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That’s all for me today. My colleague Maanvi Singh in Oakland will be keeping you updated for the rest of the day. Here’s a rundown of the day’s biggest stories so far:

The availability of intensive care unit beds in the San Francisco Bay Area fell below 15% on Tuesday, the threshold that triggers a regional stay-at-home order.

Much of the Bay Area had preemptively enacted the stay-at-home order earlier in the month, but three counties did not. They will now have to enact the stricter rules by midnight Thursday.

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Trump’s Twitter account was hacked, Dutch ministry confirms

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Public prosecutor states Victor Gevers did access US president’s site but as ethical hacker faces no charges

Dutch prosecutors have confirmed that Donald Trump’s Twitter account was hacked in October despite denials from Washington and the company, but said the “ethical hacker” would not face charges.

The hacker, named as Victor Gevers, broke into Trump’s account @realDonaldTrump on 16 October by guessing the US president’s password, Dutch media reports said.

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Kayleigh McEnany refuses to follow McConnell admitting Trump election defeat – video

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Kayleigh McEnany has described Monday's electoral college vote confirming Joe Biden as the nation's next president as just 'one step in the constitutional process'. The White House press secretary's assessment is the latest example of White House officials declining to accept Biden's victory, even after Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday broke his silence on the winner of the presidency, saying: 'The electoral college has spoken.'

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Biden campaigns for Georgia Senate Democrats following electoral college victory

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Biden supports Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, who face Republican senators in January runoff elections

Joe Biden was in Georgia on Tuesday campaigning for the Democrats in crucial Senate runoff elections, a day after addressing the American public for the first time as its official president-elect.

Related: Biden should get Covid vaccine soon as possible for ‘security reasons’, Fauci says

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More Biden cabinet picks emerge as McConnell acknowledges victory – as it happened

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That’s all from me. Thanks for sticking with us.

Can the Radical Left “steal” an election you haven’t conceded?

This seems notable… A Trump fundraising email that implicitly concedes that he may not serve two continuous terms pic.twitter.com/WX9T01EjHo

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Barr couldn’t pass Trump’s loyalty test: shredding the US constitution | David Smith’s sketch

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The attorney general, who acted as Trump’s enforcer with apparent relish, ultimately wouldn’t help him steal an election

If Dick Cheney gained notoriety as George W Bush’s “Darth Vader”, William Barr, the US attorney general, appeared a worthy successor as Donald Trump’s Lord of the Sith.

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Covid-19 vaccine: first US doses given to frontline workers – live

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The US has for the first time formally blamed Iran for the presumed death of Robert Levinson, a former FBI agent who went missing more than a decade ago.

As world affairs editor Julian Borger reported for the Guardian in March, when Levinson’s family said they believed he was dead:

Levinson disappeared 13 years ago on Iran’s Kish island. The US initially claimed he was there on his own initiative, but in 2013 the Associated Press revealed he had been sent on a mission there by CIA analysts who had no authority to run espionage operations. Levinson was a specialist on Russian organised crime and had not had much previous involvement in Iran.

Tehran denied knowledge of Levinson’s whereabouts until November last year, when it acknowledged that there was an ongoing case involving him before its revolutionary court.

Related: Iran says it will comply with nuclear deal if Biden lifts all sanctions

Here’s where the day stands so far:

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Everything you need to know about the electoral college vote

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The constitution demands that electors formally cast votes for president – but what is the electoral college?

Yes, Joe Biden has won and all US states have certified their election results. But the constitution demands that the electoral college formally cast its vote for president. The constitution requires “electors” to cast those votes – 538 such electors make up the electoral college.

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Electoral college vote may be knockout blow to Trump’s ploy to subvert election

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Formality to cement outcome of election takes on real political significance as Trump continues efforts to undermine results

Donald Trump on Monday could suffer a withering blow to his increasingly hopeless effort to overturn the results of the US presidential election when 538 members of the electoral college will cast their ballots and formally send Joe Biden to the White House.

Under the arcane formula which America has followed since the first election in 1789, Monday’s electoral college vote will mark the official moment when Biden becomes the 46th president-in-waiting. Electors, including political celebrities such as both Bill and Hillary Clinton, will gather in state capitols across the country to cement the outcome of this momentous race.

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Far-right Trump supporters clash with counter-protesters in Washington – video

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Far-right groups, including Proud Boys, clashed with counter-protesters after a largely peaceful march against US president-elect Joe Biden’s election victory on Saturday.

Donald Trump made three passes over the cheering protesters in the Marine One helicopter on his way to the New York annual Army-Navy football game before the violence began.

Trump supporters are alleging widespread voter fraud during the 3 November election without evidence.

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Violence flares in Washington as far-right Trump supporters clash with counter-protesters

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Four people reportedly stabbed and 23 arrested in the aftermath of a march to denounce Joe Biden’s election victory

Violence has broken out in the streets of Washington DC after far-right groups clashed with counter-protesters in the aftermath of a march by conservatives protesting against US president-elect Joe Biden’s election victory.

The trouble flared as darkness fell and crowds began to disperse in the wake of a largely peaceful demonstration on Saturday by Trump supporters who allege without evidence that the 3 November election was tainted by fraud.

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After the fact: the five ways Trump has tried to attack democracy post-election

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Republicans in 2020 have established what may be a new template for subverting the vote that could haunt elections for years

The decisive rejection by the US supreme court of an attempt by one state, Texas, to throw out election results in four other states might prevent the recurrence of such an effort in future presidential elections.

But the Texas lawsuit was not the only unprecedented attack to be leveled on US democracy during the November presidential election, and other such efforts could escalate in, or echo through, future elections for an unknown time to come.

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First US Covid vaccinations expected next week as FDA emergency approval appears close – live

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Dr Anthony Fauci has issued what journalists like to call a “reality check” ahead of a vaccine potentially being rolled out next week.

“If we have a smooth vaccination program where everybody steps to the plate quickly, we could get back to some form of normality, reasonably quickly.

The term #trumpconceded is now trending on Twitter, after the president’s earlier tweet about “the Biden Administration”:

Now that the Biden Administration will be a scandal plagued mess for years to come, it is much easier for the Supreme Court of the United States to follow the Constitution and do what everybody knows has to be done. They must show great Courage & Wisdom. Save the USA!!!

He only won in the eyes of the FAKE NEWS MEDIA. I concede NOTHING! We have a long way to go. This was a RIGGED ELECTION!

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Pfizer/BioNTech Covid vaccine approved by panel clearing way for FDA authorization for emergency use – live updates

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The Trump administration, which had arranged five federal executions before the president leaves office, plans to kill Brandon Bernard – a 40-year-old man that activists say was wrongfully convicted.

Berard was 18 at the time of the crime he as been convicted fo occured.

The planned killing of #BrandonBernard tonight is a national disgrace. https://t.co/vA6bbG9h0R

Related: Justice department plans to execute five inmates before Biden's inauguration

Matthew Cantor reports:

Each election season as campaigns ramp up get-out-the-vote efforts, socially awkward Americans face a dilemma: is it possible to help salvage democracy without having to cold-call anyone?

Related: Letter-writers look to get out the vote in Georgia – with a personal touch

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Hunter Biden says US attorney’s office is investigating his ‘tax affairs’

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President-elect’s son, who has been targeted by Trump for unproven corruption charges, said he handled his affairs ‘legally and appropriately’

President-elect Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, said on Wednesday that the US attorney’s office in Delaware had opened an investigation into his “tax affairs”.

Hunter Biden, who has long been a target of Donald Trump and his allies, said he had learned about the federal investigation on Tuesday from his lawyer, who was informed of the matter by the US attorney’s office earlier that day.

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Biden introduces vaccine pledge as US Covid cases soar past 15 million – live

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Donald Trump mocked Germany over its climbing coronavirus death rate, even though the US death toll remains significantly higher than Germany’s.

Trump said in a new tweet, “Germany has consistently been used by my obnoxious critics as the country that we should follow on the way to handle the China Virus. So much for that argument. I love Germany - Vaccines on the way!!!”

Germany has consistently been used by my obnoxious critics as the country that we should follow on the way to handle the China Virus. So much for that argument. I love Germany - Vaccines on the way!!! https://t.co/hEeKIqDMQn

This is Joan Greve in Washington, taking over for Martin Belam.

Here’s what the blog is keeping an eye on today: Joe Biden will formally introduce his nominee to lead the defense department, Lloyd Austin, at an event in Wilmington, Delaware.

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Trump’s ‘Warp Speed’ vaccine summit zooms into alternative reality | David Smith’s sketch

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Sketch: The president’s attempt at a victory lap offered a stark contrast to Joe Biden’s sombre yet ambitious event

The US government’s drive for a coronavirus vaccine was named “Operation Warp Speed” by Peter Marks, an official at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and longtime Star Trek fan.

A staple of Star Trek storylines is alternative realities: someone slipping through a wormhole into a parallel universe where history took a radically different turn. Cable news viewers went through the wormhole at 2pm on Tuesday: two captains, two crews, two languages (one English, the other Klingon).

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Texas sues four states over election results in effort to help Donald Trump

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Long-shot lawsuit against Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin is latest legal effort intended to reverse Biden’s victory

The state of Texas, aiming to help Donald Trump upend the results of the US election, decisively won by Joe Biden, said on Tuesday it has filed a lawsuit against the states of Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin at the US supreme court, calling changes they made to election procedures amid the coronavirus pandemic unlawful.

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Trump election fraud claims are hurting our state, says Georgia official – video

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Brad Raffensperger, Georgia's secretary of state, warned that Donald Trump's repeated claims the election had been stolen were causing damage, after two separate recounts confirmed Joe Biden had won the state. 'We have now counted legally-cast ballots three times, and the results remain unchanged,' Raffensperger said. 'Disinformation regarding election administration should be rejected. Integrity matters. Truth matters.'

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