Saturday, September 5, 2020

@12:10, , 9/5/20


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1

Race for Coronavirus Vaccine Pits Spy Against Spy

Julian E. Barnes and Michael Venutolo-Mantovani at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 18 minutes ago
The intelligence wars over vaccine research have intensified as China and Russia expand their efforts to steal American work at both research institutes and companies.
 
Trump should win no victories according to the Chinese and the Russians.
 

The Trump Docket: The Fights Fueling Trump’s Big Legal Bills

Eric Lipton at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 18 minutes ago
Donor money is helping pay for a dizzying array of litigation filed by the president or against him.
 
Trump does not stay out of court.
 

Ex-F.B.I. Agent in Russia Inquiry Says Trump Is a National Security Threat

Adam Goldman at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 5 hours ago
Peter Strzok, who was fired for sending anti-Trump texts, played a central role in both the Hillary Clinton email and Trump-Russia investigations.
 
Trump acts as an enemy of the national government.
 

Top Biden Advisers Preview Fall Election Strategy

Katie Glueck at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 5 hours ago
In a wide-ranging briefing less than two months before Election Day, Joe Biden’s team said that he and Kamala Harris would be ramping up in-person activities and travel.
 
Democratic party campaigning will be traditional.
 

Open Thread

Ian Welsh at Ian Welsh - 6 hours ago
Feel free to use the comments to discuss topics unrelated to recent posts.
 
Sooner is better.  As soon as you can is best.
 

How Trump Draws on Campaign Funds to Pay Legal Bills

Eric Lipton at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 6 hours ago
As he has done with other aspects of the presidency, Donald J. Trump has redefined the practice in ways that have unsettled even some Republicans.
 
Entities contribute to a special fund.
 

Flat Polls. Weak Ratings. Do Political Conventions Have a Future?

Adam Nagourney and Michael M. Grynbaum at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 6 hours ago
Ratings were down and polls barely budged. Did the August conventions offer a road map for saving a flailing political institution?
 
The states must change their rules to weaken the party system to make the 
conventions important.
There must be an end to pandemics to make them celebrations.
 

The Latest Polls, the Great Non-Tightening: This Week in the 2020 Race

Astead W. Herndon and Annie Karni at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 6 hours ago
A wave of data this week suggested that the race was largely holding steady after the parties’ conventions. Will the uproar over President Trump’s reported remarks on the military shake things up?
 
The conventions seem to have been nonevents.
 

Trump Moves to Cancel Contracts for Government Sensitivity Training

Maggie Haberman at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 12 hours ago
A memo sent to agency heads on Friday called efforts that often focus on promoting awareness of racism “divisive” and “un-American propaganda.”
 
Trump's racism is showing.
 
10 

Pharma Companies Plan Joint Pledge on Vaccine Safety

Katie Thomas, Noah Weiland and Sharon LaFraniere at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 14 hours ago
The statement is meant to reassure the public that the companies will not seek a premature approval of vaccines under pressure from the Trump administration.
 
Momentary hope is not worth the cost of disappointment. 
 
11 

Justice Dept. Charges 2 With Trying to Support Hamas

Katie Benner at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 14 hours ago
The men, both American citizens, were taken into custody on Thursday evening in Minneapolis. They say they are members of a far-right group called the Boogaloo Bois.
 
Talk is usually not a crime.
 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conspiracy
 
The problem will go to court.
 
12 

John Kelly, at Center of Report on Trump Disparaging U.S. Soldiers, Keeps Silent

Annie Karni at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 15 hours ago
The former chief of staff’s public reticence has frustrated groups that are hoping that he will publicly endorse Joseph R. Biden Jr., the Democratic presidential nominee.
 
Bargaining with Trump may be continuing.
 
13 

Job Growth Slackens, Signaling Vulnerability of Recovery

Ben Casselman at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 17 hours ago
Unemployment fell to 8.4% in August, but the gain of 1.4 million jobs was the weakest in months. The end of federal aid programs is casting a shadow.
 
These statistics are a trailing indicator.
 
14 

Why Facebook’s Blocking of New Political Ads May Fall Short

Davey Alba and Sheera Frenkel at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 21 hours ago
There are still many ways that voter misinformation can spread on the social network, even as it moves to cut off new political ads on Oct. 27.
 
Window dressing is a favorite corporate gesture.
 
15 

Biden Condemns Report That Trump Called Fallen Soldiers ‘Losers’

Thomas Kaplan and Katie Glueck at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 21 hours ago
Responding to a report that President Trump had called soldiers killed in combat “losers,” Joe Biden used his outrage to draw a contrast with his opponent over leadership and decency.
 
https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2020-election-forecast/
 
Biden may have found his voice.
 
16 

After Report That Trump Disparaged War Dead, Democrats See Chance to Win Over Military Voters

Jennifer Steinhauer at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 21 hours ago
Liberal groups had already ramped up efforts to win over veterans and military families in swing states, where even a small shift could prove decisive.
 
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2020/09/trump-americans-who-died-at-war-are-losers-and-suckers/615997/
 
Reports that Biden is polling better than Trump have been circulating for days.
 
https://www.militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2020/08/31/as-trumps-popularity-slips-in-latest-military-times-poll-more-troops-say-theyll-vote-for-biden/ 
 
17 

Trump Says He Will Reverse Pentagon Plan to Close Stars and Stripes Newspaper

Helene Cooper at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 21 hours ago
The reversal on Stars and Stripes came as President Trump was in full defensive mode over reports that he had disparaged military personnel.
 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stars_and_Stripes_(newspaper)
 
Trump does not control it. 
 
18 

Overlooked No More: Before Kamala Harris, There Was Charlotta Bass

Jessica Bennett at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 21 hours ago
She was the first Black woman to run for vice president, in 1952. She was also a pioneering journalist.
 
History is large.  It embraces multitudes.
 
19 

Jake Auchincloss Wins Massachusetts Primary for Joe Kennedy’s House Seat

Astead W. Herndon at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 1 day ago
Mr. Auchincloss, a city councilor, won the highly fragmented House race with just 23 percent of the vote, as nine candidates split the electorate.
 
The Massachusetts Democratic organization has accepted Jake Auchincloss. 
 
20 

R.I.P. David Graeber

Ian Welsh at Ian Welsh - 1 day ago
So, David Graber’s dead. Author of “Debt” and “Bullshit Jobs.” An anthropologist, anarchist and fierce activist. The link to his obituary is to the Guardian because it amuses me: he stopped writing for them after they helped smear Corbyn for anti-semitism (a charge Graeber fiercely refuted). Somehow they don’t mention that in the obituary. Debt […]

Facts exist independent of those who first notice them.
Academics exist to rescue facts.

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9/4/20

1

Jake Auchincloss Wins Massachusetts Primary for Joe Kennedy’s House Seat

Astead W. Herndon at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 3 hours ago
Mr. Auchincloss, a city councilor, won the highly fragmented House race with just 23 percent of the vote, as nine candidates split the electorate.
 
The Massachusetts Democratic organization has accepted Jake Auchincloss. 
 
 

R.I.P. David Graeber

Ian Welsh at Ian Welsh - 4 hours ago
So, David Graber’s dead. Author of “Debt” and “Bullshit Jobs.” An anthropologist, anarchist and fierce activist. The link to his obituary is to the Guardian because it amuses me: he stopped writing for them after they helped smear Corbyn for anti-semitism (a charge Graeber fiercely refuted). Somehow they don’t mention that in the obituary. Debt […]
 
Facts exist independent of those who first notice them.
Academics exist to rescue facts.
 

Which Candidate Do Voters Trust to Handle the Unrest?

Giovanni Russonello at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 5 hours ago
President Trump and Joe Biden have taken starkly divergent approaches to protests and outbreaks of violence in American cities. Gauging whose messaging is more effective has proved challenging for pollsters.
 
https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2020-election-forecast/
 
Trump is not gaining.
 

‘Voting Is My Healing’: Inside a Push to Turn Out 100,000 Crime Survivors

Maggie Astor at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 7 hours ago
For all that narratives about crime shape American politics, survivors are rarely at the center of the conversation, if they are heard at all. A campaign called #HealTheVote is trying to change that.
 
Ask those most involved.
 

TikTok Bid Highlights Oracle’s Public Embrace of Trump

David McCabe at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 7 hours ago
The tech giant stands out in Silicon Valley for its close ties to the administration, which must bless any deal for the social media app.
 
China has not agreed to the sale of  TikTok.
 
It is not a done deal.
 

Trump Denies Calling Fallen Soldiers ‘Losers’ and ‘Suckers’

Peter Baker and Maggie Haberman at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 11 hours ago
The report, in The Atlantic, could be problematic for the president because he is counting on strong support among the military for his re-election bid.
 
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2020/09/trump-americans-who-died-at-war-are-losers-and-suckers/615997/
 
There has been no withdrawal of the article.
 

As Others Condemn Putin Critic’s Poisoning, Trump Just Wants to ‘Get Along’

Michael Crowley and Maggie Haberman at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 13 hours ago
At a rally on Thursday, President Trump did not mention the dissident Aleksei A. Navalny, or warnings that Moscow is trying to interfere with the election. When news reports mention Russia, he said, “I just turn it off.”
 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Novichok_agent
 
Poisons are banned in war by international treaty.  
 

Netanyahu Privately Condoned U.S. Plan to Sell Arms to U.A.E., Officials Say

Mark Mazzetti, Edward Wong and Michael LaForgia at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 16 hours ago
The package being pushed by the Trump White House — which could shift the military balance in the Middle East — includes an electronic warfare plane, the EA-18G Growler.
 
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel has displayed confidence in
Israeli ability to win any confrontation with Palestinian supporters.  
 

How Trump is Sowing Distrust

Maggie Haberman and Katie Rogers at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 16 hours ago
From business competition in New York to President Barack Obama’s birthplace to mail-in voting, President Trump’s goal has been to undermine the opposition and leave people uncertain about what to believe.
 
The tactic has backfired.
 
10  

Biden, in Kenosha, Makes Case for Healing and Unity, Not Division

Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs and Katie Glueck at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 18 hours ago
Two days after President Trump traveled to Wisconsin to focus attention on violence and disorder, Joe Biden sought to strike a drastically different tone, repudiating the president’s divisive approach to matters of racial injustice.
 
Biden will try to fix problems rather than suppress them.
 
11 

Buffy Wicks Voted on the Floor With a Newborn in Her Arms

Jennifer Medina at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 18 hours ago
The California state assemblywoman brought her month-old baby to the chamber — and instantly became an image of moms who do it all.
 
Moms who do it all "stand on the shoulders of giants" gender unspecified.
 
12 

Voting Twice? Trump Creates a New Headache for Election Officials

Stephanie Saul and Nick Corasaniti at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 18 hours ago
They say he is sowing confusion about systems that already have robust checks against fraud.
 
Trump if successful will be an accessory before the fact.
 
If he looses presidential immunity he should be prosecuted.
 
13 

Barr Ignores Lawyers’ Calls to Go Slow on Google Antitrust Case

Katie Benner and Cecilia Kang at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 22 hours ago
The attorney general is said to have set a deadline over the objections of career lawyers who say they need more time to build the case.
 
Barr is a loyal agent of Trump.
 
14 

Unemployment Claims Show Layoffs Continue to Batter Economy

Patricia Cohen and Gillian Friedman at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 22 hours ago
Progress in restoring lost jobs has become more challenging. “It’s pretty bad at this stage in the crisis,” one economist said.
 
Covid-19 continues to be a problem.
 
15 

Allies and Former U.S. Officials Fear Trump Could Seek NATO Exit in a Second Term

Michael Crowley at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 1 day ago
President Trump is said to have spoken privately for years about withdrawing from the alliance, a move that critics say would be a major victory for Russia.
 
Trump is not wise.
 
16 

Trump’s Tactic: Sowing Distrust in Whatever Gets in His Way

Maggie Haberman and Katie Rogers at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 1 day ago
From business competition in New York to President Barack Obama’s birthplace to mail-in voting, President Trump’s goal has been to undermine the opposition and leave people uncertain about what to believe.
 
https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2020-election-forecast/
 
This tactic is failing.
 
17 

How Trump Is Using Westchester to Stir Up Suburban Fears

Ed Shanahan at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 1 day ago
In an appeal to racism among white voters, the president says that Democrats tried to ruin Westchester County, N.Y., through fair housing policies.
 
It might work on some of his base.
 
https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2020-election-forecast/
 
18 

Facebook Moves to Stop Election Misinformation

Mike Isaac at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 1 day ago
The social network said it would block new political ads in late October, among other measures, to reduce misinformation and interference.
 
Window dressing.
 
19 

What All the New Polls Mean for Biden

Giovanni Russonello at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 1 day ago
The race still has a clear leader, but could be tightening: This is your morning tip sheet.
 
https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2020-election-forecast/
 
20 

N.R.A.’s Former No. 2 Joshua Powell Calls for Gun Control

Danny Hakim and Maggie Haberman at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 1 day ago
A new book from a controversial former executive accuses the National Rifle Association of “appealing to the paranoia and darkest side of our members.”
 
Every little bit helps.
 
Action may follow a Democratic victory. 
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