California politician Buffy Wicks was forced to bring her newbown baby on the state assembly floor after she was denied a proxy vote. Wicks, who gave birth to a daughter in late July via C-section, had requested to vote by proxy two weeks prior and cited Covid-19 concerns. After her request was denied by the assembly speaker, Anthony Rendon, footage of Wicks nursing her child while speaking about a bill was shared widely online by prominent political figures including Hillary Clinton
Continue reading...Category Archives: US Politics
Trump suggests people vote twice to test mail-in system, which would be illegal – video
US president Donald Trump told voters in North Carolina they should vote twice, once by mail and once in person, even though doing so would be illegal. Trump was asked whether he has confidence in the mail-in voting system before suggesting voters break the law as he cast further confusion over the process ahead of November's election. 'Let them send it [their mail-in ballot] in and let them go vote, and if their system’s as good as they say it is, then obviously they won’t be able to vote,' he said.'So that’s the way it is. And that’s what they should do'
Continue reading...Nancy Pelosi says she was ‘set up’ in hair salon mask dispute – video
House speaker Nancy Pelosi says she was 'set up' after she was photographed in a San Francisco hair salon without a face covering, breaking the city's coronavirus prevention rules. 'I take responsibility for trusting the word of a neighbourhood salon that I have been to over the years many times,' she said. 'I don't wear a mask when I'm washing my hair. Do you wear a mask when you're washing your hair?' Security camera footage of Pelosi in the salon was obtained by Fox News, sparking outcry over the incident which was pounced on by Donald Trump
Continue reading...Washington imposes new restrictions on Chinese diplomats in US
Chinese embassy in US says move, which limits meetings and university visits without approval, contradicts ‘openness and freedom’
The US has put new restrictions on Chinese diplomats in America, barring senior envoys from visiting universities or meeting local government officials without approval, in the latest escalation in tensions between the two countries.
Announcing the latest measures, the state department said it was responding to “significant barriers” on its own diplomats based in China.
Continue reading...‘Get off Twitter’: Joe Biden urges Trump to focus on safely reopening schools
Democratic candidate sought to put virus at heart of the campaign as rivals gave duelling speeches on Wednesday
Joe Biden attempted to regain the narrative in the US presidential election on Wednesday, telling Donald Trump to “get off Twitter” and focus on safely reopening schools during the coronavirus pandemic.
Related: Covid cases could surge in battleground midwest during Labor Day holiday
Continue reading...Joe Biden tells Trump to ‘get off Twitter’ and focus on reopening schools – video
Joe Biden has described school closures as a ‘national emergency’ as he sought to put the coronavirus pandemic back at the heart of the US election campaign, after two weeks of Trump seeking to capitalise on sporadic scenes of violence in cities to push a ‘law and order’ theme
Continue reading...Trump is trying to pin Kenosha on Biden – but he created the chaos and violence | Richard Wolffe
Make no mistake: this is Trump’s America, where protesters are shot by vigilantes as police look on
Donald Trump took a trip to a place called Biden’s America on Tuesday. It is a strange land where the president of the United States is a helpless guest, a doomed corner of his own country that is somehow ruled by a former vice president.
It is a topsy-turvy place, this Biden’s America. Occasionally, the president can regain his magical ruling powers by summoning assorted minions in uniforms and incanting a spell with his thumbs to tweet the words LAW AND ORDER.
Continue reading...First Thing: Trump denies police racism is ‘systemic’ on Kenosha visit
US president blamed police discrimination on ‘bad apples’. Plus, US refuses to join coronavirus vaccine cooperation over WHO stance
Good morning. Trump blamed discriminatory policing on “bad apples”, and denied it was “systemic”, as he visited Kenosha, Wisconsin. Kenosha has been the site of daily anti-racism protests since police shot and paralysed Jacob Blake, an African American man, as he was getting into his vehicle with his three children inside.
Continue reading...Most Democrats fear Trump could reject election defeat, poll shows
As many as 75% of Biden voters worry that if Trump loses election he will refuse to concede defeat, triggering a constitutional crisis
Three in four supporters of Democratic challenger Joe Biden are worried about the prospect of Donald Trump rejecting the US presidential election result if it goes against him, an Opinium Research poll for the Guardian shows.
The survey underlined fears that the president will not accept the outcome of November’s race, triggering a constitutional crisis. Last week two congressional Democrats wrote to the Pentagon seeking assurance that the military would ensure an orderly transfer of power.
Continue reading...Trump told Sarah Sanders to ‘take one for the team’ after Kim Jong-un wink
- Ex-press secretary describes boorish remarks in new memoir
- ‘Kim Jong-un hit on you,’ Trump said, after gesture at summit
Donald Trump told Sarah Sanders she would have to “go to North Korea and take one for the team”, after Kim Jong-un winked at the then White House press secretary during a summit in Singapore in June 2018.
Related: Trump denies 'series of mini-strokes' after book reports mystery hospital visit
Continue reading...Melania Trump reportedly used private email while in the White House
Former senior advisor claims she corresponded multiple times a day with the first lady on state business via private channels
Melania Trump used private email and messaging while in the White House, according to a former senior advisor and estranged friend.
Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, speaking to the Washington Post, claims she corresponded multiple times a day with the First Lady via private channels.
Continue reading...Russian agency created fake leftwing news outlet with fictional editors, Facebook says
Internet Research Agency also hired real, unwitting freelance reporters in operation Facebook has removed
The Russian agency that interfered in the 2016 US election created a fake leftwing news publication, staffed it with fake editors with AI-generated photos and hired real freelance reporters as part of a fresh influence operation detected and removed by Facebook, the company said on Tuesday.
The latest operation by the Internet Research Agency (IRA) was still in its early stages when it was detected thanks to a tip from the FBI, according to Facebook’s head of security policy, Nathaniel Gleicher. The network had 13 accounts and two pages, with about 14,000 total followers.
Continue reading...What’s behind Trump’s ‘law and order’ strategy and will it work?
What does Trump mean by claiming he’s the ‘law and order’ president and is this a new argument from him?
“I am your president of law and order,” Donald Trump declared in June, as federal agents violently cleared peaceful protesters from a park near the White House. Lately, Trump has simply tweeted “law and order” in all caps. But what is his strategy here – and will it work?
Related: Trump compares police shootings to golfing and defends teenager who shot protesters
Continue reading...Trump compares police shootings to golfing and defends teenager who shot protesters
- ‘They choke. Just like in a golf tournament. They miss a 3ft putt’
- Trump makes baseless claim ‘dark shadows’ control Biden
Before his visit to Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Tuesday, Donald Trump defended a teenager who shot two anti-racism protesters dead in the city last week. The president also compared the actions of a white Kenosha police officer who fired seven shots at a black man, hitting him four times in the back to a golfer choking on a putt.
Related: Jacob Blake: father refuses to ‘play politics with my son’s life’ amid furor over Trump visit
Continue reading...Trump fails to denounce an accused killer – which comes as little surprise
Analysis: For the president, loyalty is paramount – those on his team will not be chastened, even for alleged murder
Donald Trump has the blind devotion of a rabid sports fan. His team can do no wrong. The opposition are liars and cheats.
So maybe no one was surprised on Monday when he appeared to defend an accused murderer.
Continue reading...Trump escalates war of words with Biden over civil rights protests – live
- The president says Biden lied that demonstrators have been peaceful
- Portland police declare protest unlawful after fatal shooting
- Democrats push to register voters in attempt to rip Texas from Trump
- Activist tells top Republican to apologise over doctored video
- Sign up for our First Thing newsletter
Joe Biden has responded to Trump’s refusal to condemn Kyle Rittenhouse:
In a statement, he said:
Tonight, the President declined to rebuke violence. He wouldn’t even repudiate one of his supporters who is charged with murder because of his attacks on others. He is too weak, too scared of the hatred he has stirred to put an end to it.
So once again, I urge the President to join me in saying that while peaceful protest is a right — a necessity — violence is wrong, period. No matter who does it, no matter what political affiliation they have. Period.
If Donald Trump can’t say that, then he is unfit to be President, and his preference for more violence — not less — is clear.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is seeking a communications firm to “defeat despair and inspire hope,” bidding out a $250m contract, Politico reports.
Ahead of the elections, with 180,000 Americans dead from coronavirus, HHS wants a firm to help “deliver important public health and economic information the administration can defeat despair, inspire hope and achieve national recovery.”
Several weeks ago, the department sent out to a number of communications firms a “performance work statement,” which lays out what work will be expected of the winning firm. The document says that the vast majority of the money will be spent from now until January.
The document also lists the goals of the contract: “defeat despair and inspire hope, sharing best practices for businesses to operate in the new normal and instill confidence to return to work and restart the economy,” build a “coalition of spokespeople” around the country, provide important public health, therapeutic and vaccine information as the country reopens and give Americans information on the phases of reopening.
Continue reading...‘Rest in peace Jay’: sympathy for the far right foretells Trump’s election strategy
The president has shown a lifelong penchant for inflaming racist hatreds and fears – expect much more of this before November
Six months into the coronavirus pandemic, Donald Trump tweeted a rare statement of condolences, as the confirmed death toll in the US climbed past 183,000.
Related: Biden to accuse Trump of stoking violence in US after Portland clashes
Continue reading...‘It’s a coin toss here’: will swing voters in this Wisconsin county stick by Trump?
In Forest county, Wisconsin – which backed Obama before Trump – voters voice doubts about both major candidates
Joe Biden has blown his chance to win over Kristen, to be found selling home-baked cakes and pies at a farmer’s market in Forest county, northern Wisconsin.
The 46-year-old was once a fan of Barack Obama, voting for him twice before switching her allegiance to Donald Trump four years ago. Kristen, who doesn’t want her last name used, was minded to back Trump again in November but was holding off to see who Biden chose as his vice-presidential running mate.
Continue reading...‘Two visions of the US’: Trump and Biden offer contrasts on race, Covid and economy
The Democratic and Republican national conventions offered two radically different diagnoses of the problems confronting America
One version told of a president who is callous and cruel. “My dad was a healthy 65-year-old,” said Kristin Urquiza, whose father voted for Donald Trump in 2016 and died from Covid-19 in June. “His only pre-existing condition was trusting Donald Trump – and for that he paid with his life.”
The other spoke of a president blessed with compassion. Kayleigh McEnany recalled taking a phone call as she recovered from a preventative mastectomy. “It was President Trump, calling to check on me,” she said. “I was blown away. Here was the leader of the free world caring about me.”
Continue reading...Michael Moore warns that Donald Trump is on course to repeat 2016 win
Film-maker says enthusiasm for president in swing states is ‘off the charts’ and urges everyone to commit to getting 100 people to vote
The documentary film-maker Michael Moore has warned that Donald Trump appears to have such momentum in some battleground states that liberals risk a repeat of 2016 when so many wrote off Trump only to see him grab the White House.
“Sorry to have to provide the reality check again,” he said.
Continue reading...