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Monday, November 30, 2020

Not Wanted

Yahoo News: Ivanka Trump ‘Not Wanted’ posters appear across New York City by Graeme Massie

Monster

 Washington Post: Trump is an ego monster. Republicans, don’t let him consume you. Opinion by Eugene Robinson

Arizona And Wisconsin

 Guardian UK: Arizona and Wisconsin certify Joe Biden's win as Trump continues to challenge results

Arizona

 Washington Post: Arizona certifies Biden’s win; president-elect names inauguration planning committee By Felicia Sonmez and John Wagner

Alternate Reality

NY Times: For Trump, Past Is Prologue He has always tried to weave a reality different from what is actually true. By Charles M. Blow

Drain Dry

  Salon's Amanda Marcotte writes, "But as is usually the case with right-wing politics in the 21st century, a lot of this is about money. Trump’s voting base is a sea of suckers. He and the various grifters who make up most of the right-wing media are eager to drain those suckers dry. Stoking anger over the lost election and feeding people’s fantasies about stealing it is, by all appearances, a cash bonanza."

Signs In NYC


 

Disgraceful

 The National Review: Trump’s Disgraceful Endgame By The Editors

Almost nothing that the Trump team has alleged has withstood the slightest scrutiny. In particular, it’s hard to find much that is remotely true in the president’s Twitter feed these days. It is full of already-debunked claims and crackpot conspiracy theories about Dominion voting systems.

The Dolchstosslegende

 NY Times: 1918 Germany Has a Warning for America -  Donald Trump’s “Stop the Steal” campaign recalls one of the most disastrous political lies of the 20th century. By Jochen Bittner

Its core claim was that Imperial Germany never lost World War I. Defeat, its proponents said, was declared but not warranted. It was a conspiracy, a con, a capitulation — a grave betrayal that forever stained the nation. That the claim was palpably false didn’t matter. Among a sizable number of Germans, it stirred resentment, humiliation and anger. And the one figure who knew best how to exploit their frustration was Adolf Hitler.

Arizona

 Axios: Arizona certifies Biden's win by Fadel Allassan

The Onion - Pantene Unveils New Color Shine Shampoo That Makes Hair So Radiant It Shall Blind Anyone Who Gazes Upon It

 The Onion: Pantene Unveils New Color Shine Shampoo That Makes Hair So Radiant It Shall Blind Anyone Who Gazes Upon It

Biden

 Politico: Biden unveils diverse economic team as challenges to economy grow - The president-elect intends to name Cecilia Rouse, Neera Tanden and Wally Adeyemo to senior roles in his administration. By MEGAN CASSELLA, BEN WHITE and TYLER PAGER

Have An Excellent Monday

lace artwork by Agnes Herczeg 



 

Eddie Murphy Does Mike Tyson, Tracy Morgan, Michael Jackson, Sammy Davis Impressions

MSNBC - Robert Reich - Going Back To Where We Were Before Trump Would Be A Mistake

MSNBC - Political Panel Discusses Trump's Last Days in Office, 'He Lost The Election, It Is Time To Move On'

Way

 The Palmer Report: “NO WAY WE LOST THIS ELECTION” – Donald Trump goes completely over the edge by Bill Palmer

Resist

 Guardian UK: Five factors that helped US democracy resist Trump's election onslaught - Trump’s trashing of norms has been harmful but decentralization, turnout, transparency, the courts and the media played a key role by Tom McCarthy

No central authority oversees US elections. National elections are broken down by 50 states and the District of Columbia. Elections within each state are run in turn by counties and by precincts within counties. People vote locally, in thousands of jurisdictions; ballots are tallied locally; and the results are reported locally, and then added up in the public eye. The sheer number of people involved defies both coordination and conspiracy.

Updates

 Guardian UK: Biden set to announce economics team as US braces for post-holiday Covid surge – live updates - President-elect will receive presidential daily briefing, while recovering from fractured foot sustained over weekend by Martin Belam

Inside

 Washington Post: Inside a hospital as the coronavirus surges: Where will all the patients go? An open bed is “a gift” at a Wisconsin hospital where patients can’t believe other people still don’t take covid-19 seriously By Lenny Bernstein

Confirms

 NY Times: Wisconsin recount confirms Biden’s win over Trump, cementing the president’s failure to change the election results By Rosalind S. Helderman and Amy Gardner

In the end, Biden’s lead over Trump in the state grew by 87 votes.

Under Wisconsin law, Trump was required to foot the bill — meaning his campaign paid $3 million, only to see Biden widen his margin.

Rearview

NY Times: When Can We Stop Thinking About Trump Every Minute? The future looks quite different with the president in the rearview mirror. By Gail Collins and Bret Stephens - Ms. Collins and Mr. Stephens are opinion columnists. They converse every week.

And it has gone on for five long years, ever since he came down that blasted escalator. I sometimes fear the Trump administration has reduced us, emotionally and intellectually, to a single thought, played like a Gregorian chant on an endless loop: Just. Make. It. Stop.

COVID Updates

 NY Times: Covid-19 Live Updates: Officials Fear Thanksgiving Travelers Could Drive Virus Surge - Federal officials have urged Americans returning from Thanksgiving travel to cut down on unnecessary activity, and cautioned that they should assume they are carrying the virus.

The Market On Monday

  Good morning. At 6:10 a.m. ET DOW futures are -159. The market is poised to open significantly lower.

CNN: What are companies responsible for? Swiss voters are about to weigh in By Julia Horowitz

Maybe Not

 NY Times: Trump Looms Large Now, but Maybe Not Forever - One-term presidents generally don’t leave big footprints. And the last four years may be seen as a reaction to the game-changing presidency of Barack Obama. By Steve Inskeep - Mr. Inskeep, co-host of NPR’s Morning Edition, is the author of “Imperfect Union: How Jessie and John Fremont Mapped the West, Invented Celebrity, and Helped Cause the Civil War.”

Friday, November 27, 2020

Weekend!

  Have an excellent weekend and see you bright and early Monday morning. Please stay safe.

work by Daniel Garber 1861-1946



Library

  Somebody has put together some wicked good satire.

D J Trump Library 

LOL

NCRM: Donald Trump Just Spent $3 Million to Win Joe Biden 132 More Votes

Octopus Intelligence Experiment Takes An Unexpected Turn

In Court

 NPR: 'Voters, Not Lawyers, Choose The President': Trump Team Dealt Another Blow In Court by Matthew S. Schwartz

One In One Thousand

Washington Post: In nine states, more than 1 in 1,000 people have now died with the coronavirus - By Marisa Iati and Hannah Knowles

Applying

NY Times: The Exquisite Angst of Applying to College in a Deeply Anxious Year - The pandemic has changed everything about the stressful admissions process, adding even more strain on students. By Anemona Hartocollis

Here We Go

 NY Times: Iran’s Top Nuclear Scientist Killed in Attack, State Media Say Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was killed in an ambush in northern Iran, Iranian state media reported. Intelligence officials said Israel was behind the attack.

W.H.O.

 NY Times: Trump Gave W.H.O. a List of Demands. Hours Later, He Walked Away. When President Trump quit the health organization, he left a list of seven demands on the table. Here they are. Selam Gebrekidan By Matt Apuzzo, Noah Weiland and Selam Gebrekidan

Relief Programs Set To Expire

 Axios: Cold December as safety nets expire by Courtenay Brown

Voters

 Politico: ‘Voters, not lawyers, choose the president’: Appeals court shoots down Trump suit in Pennsylvania - A Trump-appointed judge wrote a 21-page opinion rejecting the campaign’s appeal of a district court ruling that similarly shredded the suit. By KYLE CHENEY

The Onion - Staff Slowly Introducing Biden To Oval-Shaped Rooms For Smoother Transition To White House

 The Onion: Staff Slowly Introducing Biden To Oval-Shaped Rooms For Smoother Transition To White House

Rejected Yet Again

 Washington Post: Federal appeals court rejects Trump request to block certification of Pennsylvania’s election results By Jon Swaine

'Don’t Talk To Me That Way, I’m The President Of The United States'

  He literally said that, while he was seated at this tiny desk.


 

Have An Excellent Friday

work by Henri Charles Manguin 1874 - 1949




 

MSNBC - Trump Fixates On Bogus Election Claims, Leaves Americans Struggling Without Covid Relief

MSNBC - CIA Director - I’m ‘Aghast At What I Have Seen Happen Here In Washington'

Tiny Desk

 The Palmer Report: Donald Trump’s tiny desk debacle is even uglier than you think by Bill Palmer

Toxic

Guardian UK:  The toxic polarisation of our politics can be reversed, but it will take humility by Martin Kettle - Joe Biden’s approach is likely to include listening and cooperation. Politicians – and citizens – should emulate it

If?

 Guardian UK: Donald Trump says he will leave White House if electoral college votes for Joe Biden - President’s comments are the closest he has come to admitting defeat in election and set stage for college vote on 14 December by Martin Farrer

Majority

 Washington Post: What a conservative majority on the court really means Opinion by Steven V. Mazie

Recapping

 Washington Post: A Thanksgiving marked by surging covid-19 cases and questions about a leading vaccine candidate By Tim Craig and Carolyn Y. Johnson

Rotting

 NY Times: The Rotting of the Republican Mind When one party becomes detached from reality. By David Brooks

Under Trump, the Republican identity is defined not by a set of policy beliefs but by a paranoid mind-set. He and his media allies simply ignore the rules of the epistemic regime and have set up a rival trolling regime. The internet is an ideal medium for untested information to get around traditional gatekeepers, but it is an accelerant of the paranoia, not its source. Distrust and precarity, caused by economic, cultural and spiritual threat, are the source.

Why

 NY Times: Why Did So Many Americans Vote for Trump? To the dismay of Democrats, the president’s strategy of ignoring the pandemic mostly worked for Republicans. By Will Wilkinson

Mr. Trump has a knack for leveraging the animosities of polarized partisanship to cleave his supporters from sources of credible information and inflame them with vilifying lies. This time, it wasn’t enough to save his bacon, which suggests that polarization hasn’t completely wrecked our democracy’s capacity for self-correction: Sweeping a medium-size city’s worth of dead Americans under the rug turned out to be too tall an order.

The Market On Friday

  Good morning. At 6:30 a.m. ET DOW futures are +58. The market is poised to open moderately higher. Checking the data, my understanding is that the markets will be closing early today. 

Thursday, November 26, 2020

No Fair


 

Loser

 NY Times: ‘Loser’: How a Lifelong Fear Bookended Trump’s Presidency - The president’s inability to concede the election is the latest reality-denying moment in a career preoccupied with an epithet. By Dan Barry

“The first thing he calls someone who has wronged him is a loser,” said Jack O’Donnell, who ran an Atlantic City casino for Mr. Trump in the 1980s. “That’s his main attack word. The worst thing in his world would be to be a loser. To avoid being called a loser, he will do or say anything.”

Baseless

 Washington Post: Trump’s baseless election fraud claims in Georgia turn Senate runoffs into a ‘high-wire act’ for Republicans By Cleve R. Wootson Jr. and Amy Gardner

Ya Think...

 MSN: Trump's inner circle is telling him that Giuliani and the rest of his legal team are making him look like an idiot, report says

For Your Amusement

 The Hill: Donor sues pro-Trump group over failure to prove voter fraud: 'Empty promises' By Jordan Williams

Surging

Washington Post: Coronavirus cases are skyrocketing again in cities - Rural areas have been hardest hit this fall, but cities are now seeing dramatic increases in cases By Brittany Shammas, Mark Guarino and Jacqueline Dupree

Europe

 Axios: European countries extend lockdowns by Shawna Chen

Boycott

 Politico: Trump’s conspiracies have MAGA world talking Georgia boycott - It's hard to tell if the online chatter reflects wider voter sentiment, but some Republicans have expressed concern. By TINA NGUYEN and JAMES ARKIN

The Onion - Man Getting High And Eating Taco Bell Thousands Of Miles Away From Family Having Best Thanksgiving Of Life

The Onion: Man Getting High And Eating Taco Bell Thousands Of Miles Away From Family Having Best Thanksgiving Of Life

Seth Meyers - Trump Rambles On Speakerphone During Fake GOP Voter Fraud Hearing

Clean

 Get Pocket: 45 One-Minute Cleaning Tasks You Should Do Right Away Quick habits that will keep your home cleaner, forever.

Parade

Macy's Thanksgiving Parade 1966 from Buzz Aldrin 



Have An Excellent Thanksgiving

photography by Christopher Anderson





 

Celebrities Impersonating Other Celebrities

MSNBC - Steve Schmidt - ‘We’ve Entered The Corrupt Pardon Phase Of The Trump Coup’

Brian Williams - Pennsylvania Lt. Governor To Trump Lawyer Giuliani - Where's The Voter Fraud?

Joe

 The Palmer Report: This just got even better for Joe Biden by Bill Palmer

He'll Try

Guardian UK: After Flynn pardon, could Trump do the same for himself? Analysis: renewed US speculation raises number of legal and practical questions by Peter Beaumont

Pranked

 Guardian UK: President pranked as comedians snap up Trump 2024 domain - Jason Selvig and Davram Stiefler buy DonaldJTrump2024.com - Trump yet to formally concede despite losing to Joe Biden by Martin Pengelly

A banner on the DonaldJTrump2024.com website read: “Click here to donate to a PAC that has nothing to do with my legal defence team!”

Setback

 Washington Post: GOP effort to invalidate more than 2.5 million votes in Pennsylvania dealt another setback By Elise Viebeck and Josh Dawsey

Disbelief

Washington Post: As Americans prepare to gather for Thanksgiving, the world watches with dread and disbelief By Siobhán O'Grady and Adam Taylor

'Let Ourselves Be Touched By Others’ Pain'

 NY Times: Pope Francis: A Crisis Reveals What Is in Our Hearts - To come out of this pandemic better than we went in, we must let ourselves be touched by others’ pain. By Pope Francis - Pope Francis is the head of the Catholic Church and the bishop of Rome.

If we are to come out of this crisis less selfish than when we went in, we have to let ourselves be touched by others’ pain. There’s a line in Friedrich Hölderlin’s “Hyperion” that speaks to me, about how the danger that threatens in a crisis is never total; there’s always a way out: “Where the danger is, also grows the saving power.” That’s the genius in the human story: There’s always a way to escape destruction. Where humankind has to act is precisely there, in the threat itself; that’s where the door opens.

What A Real President Sounds Like

NY Times: Biden Urges Unity: ‘We’re at War With the Virus, Not With One Another’ - In an emotional address, he pleaded with Americans to “hang on” and cited the death of his son to say that he understood the loss in the nation. By Annie Karni

Wednesday, November 25, 2020

The Insane Biology Of The Octopus

Three Simple Ways To Time Travel

Carbon

The Atlantic: The Weekly Planet: A Start-Up’s Unusual Plan to Suck Carbon Out of the Sky - An online-payments company may fund more carbon removal than anyone else. by Robinson Meyer

Mingyur Rinpoche - Uncovering The Buddha Within

Craig Melvin - Former Texas Nurse Shares Experiences Of Working On The Front Line

MSNBC - Trump Advisers Pushed For Transition To Begin As GOP Calls For It Grew

Not Pretty

 Washington Post: Michigan Republicans just showed us the future, and it’s not pretty Opinion by Greg Sargent

Disgraceful

 NY Times: Trump Pardons Michael Flynn, Ending Case His Justice Dept. Sought to Shut Down - The president’s former national security adviser twice pleaded guilty to lying to investigators about his conversations with Russia’s ambassador. By Charlie Savage

Joe Nails It

News And Guts: Joe Biden Delivers Empathetic, Inspirational Thanksgiving Message

Kids And COVID

 NY Times: Quarantine May Negatively Affect Kids’ Immune Systems - Keeping children masked and separated is necessary. It could also undermine their bodies’ ability to learn how to fight pathogens. By Donna L. Farber and Thomas Connors - Dr. Farber is a professor of immunology and surgery at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, where Dr. Connors is an assistant professor of pediatrics.

LOL

 Axios: Trump cancels Pennsylvania trip for GOP hearing on voter fraud claims by Alayna Treene, Rebecca Falconer

The cancellation comes after Giuliani was exposed to a second person who tested positive for the coronavirus. It's unclear if that's the reason the trip was cancelled.

To The Bitter End

 Politico: Trump carries on a fight everyone else is abandoning - The campaign has gone quiet — no briefings about legal fights, few tweets, a dwindling crew. But Trump is still clinging to the White House. By MERIDITH MCGRAW

The Onion - Mom Explains New Wildly Ill-Informed Measures To Keep Family Safe During Thanksgiving

 The Onion: Mom Explains New Wildly Ill-Informed Measures To Keep Family Safe During Thanksgiving

History

 Get Pocket: The Surprisingly Strange History of Thanksgiving (and Other Turkey Day Trivia) - Dig into this collection of fascinating Thanksgiving reads while you’re waiting for dinner to cook.

Fell Apart

 Slate via MSN: How Trump’s Strategy for Outpacing the Law Finally Fell Apart by Dahlia Lithwick

Next

 Persuasion: The Future of the Republican Party Part One: Trump ripped through the GOP. Here's what comes next.

Briefings

 Huffington Post: Biden’s Daily Intel Briefings Remind Us That Trump Hardly Bothered With Them - Biden will be the first person to read the President’s Daily Brief in months — a stark example of how Trump viewed his presidential duties. By Sanjana Karanth

Say So

 Bloomberg: Trump Lost. Republican Leaders Need to Say So. If the president won’t concede, Republicans will have to lead. By Michael R. Bloomberg

New Gig

 Vice: 'Dr.' Seb Gorka Has a New Job and It's Sad - “First of all, let me say I have never before endorsed a pain reliever ...” by Alex Lubben

But now he's got a new gig: hawking fish oil pills in a TV ad, according to Mediaite. He used to suffer from back pain, he says, but now he’s been miraculously cured, thanks to Relief Factor.

Water Vapor

 Earth Observatory NASA: Water Vapor

Water vapor is also the most important greenhouse gas in the atmosphere. Heat radiated from Earth's surface is absorbed by water vapor molecules in the lower atmosphere. The water vapor molecules, in turn, radiate heat in all directions. Some of the heat returns to the Earth's surface. Thus, water vapor is a second source of warmth (in addition to sunlight) at the Earth's surface.

Proposal

  I propose we have a 'National Shun Trump Month'. Let's make this happen, how about January 2021. We don't mention his name, don't listen to a word he says, don't read a word about him, shun him on social media, etc.

Have An Excellent Wednesday

work by Eric Bowman



 

Rachel Maddow - Biden Transition Event Disorienting For Its Competence, Normalcy

Morning Joe - GSA Head Will Go Down As One The 'Great Obstructors' Of Our Time

Chris Hayes - America Nearly Failed The Trump Stress Test For Democracy

A Pleasant Thought

 The Palmer Report: Republicans in disarray by Bill Palmer

Bernie Gets Real

 Guardian UK: How do we avoid future authoritarians? Winning back the working class is key by Bernie Sanders - A segment of working-class people in our country still believes Donald Trump defends their interests. We must win them over

Biden To Address Nation

 Guardian UK: Biden to address nation as Covid deaths rise sharply before Thanksgiving – live updates -  Biden will speak in Wilmington as US records highest daily Covid deaths since May and 172,935 new cases - President-elect says ‘this is not a third Obama term’ in first interview - Biden’s cabinet picks: what we’ve learned from his choices so far by Martin Belam

Georgia Senate

Washington Post:  In Georgia Senate runoffs, the focus — and the fire — is on Raphael Warnock By Cleve R. Wootson Jr.

Transition

 Washington Post: After long, bitter delay, Biden transition kicks into gear By Matt Viser

Following Monday night’s long-postponed decision by a key administration official to approve the transition, Biden aides held at least 20 meetings with Trump officials and were in active discussions with every federal agency, as well as the White House, preparing for the daunting task of taking over a crumbling economy and overseeing the distribution of a coronavirus vaccine.

Yes

 NY Times: Should Trump Be Prosecuted? Being president should mean you are more accountable, not less, to the rule of law. By Andrew Weissmann - Mr. Weissmann was a senior prosecutor in the Mueller investigation.

We amassed ample evidence to support a charge that Mr. Trump obstructed justice. That view is widely shared. Shortly after our report was issued, hundreds of former prosecutors concluded that the evidence supported such a charge.

COVID Cases And Deaths Surge

 NY Times: A U.S. Record: Two Million New Virus Cases in Two Weeks By Lauren Leatherby - Nov. 25, 2020 -  For the first time since the coronavirus outbreak hit the United States, the country has added more than one million cases in each of the past two consecutive weeks. Covid deaths, which lag reported cases by weeks, are also at a level not seen since the spring.

The Market On Thursday

  Good morning. At 6:15 a.m. ET DOW futures are -70. the market is poised to open significantly lower.

CNN: Global stocks press pause after Wall Street extends its huge rally By Sherisse Pham and Hanna Ziady

Tuesday, November 24, 2020

Ari Melber - Trump Insider On How He 'Attacked Democracy' And Lost

Free

 NY Times: Tackling ‘Period Poverty,’ Scotland Is 1st Nation to Make Sanitary Products Free - The Scottish Parliament voted unanimously to pass a measure that makes free period products available to anyone who needs them, the first country to do so.

No Right

 Washington Post: You don’t have a ‘right’ to a lawyer when you’re trying to steal an election - Lawyers owe a duty not only to their client but to their country. By Luppe B. Luppen

Blue

 NY Times: Why Stacey Abrams Is Confident Georgia Will Stay Blue -  Democrats agree that Ms. Abrams’ political vision helped deliver Georgia to Joe Biden. In an interview with The New York Times, she lays out why 2020 was the year it came together. By Astead W. Herndon

Record

 NY Times: Stocks head for a record as the transition to a Biden administration begins.

The Team

 Politico: Joe Biden’s Team of Careerists - Ivy League credentials and long Washington experience set the tone for his administration. By JOHN F. HARRIS

Pennsylvania Certifies Biden's Victory

 Axios: Pennsylvania certifies Biden's victory by Fadel Allassan

The Onion - CDC Shuts Down Thanksgiving Travel By Carrying Out Simultaneous Attacks On All Of Nation’s Airports, Train Stations

 The Onion: CDC Shuts Down Thanksgiving Travel By Carrying Out Simultaneous Attacks On All Of Nation’s Airports, Train Stations

Advice

 Boston Globe: What if Trump won’t leave the White House? A hostage negotiator, an animal-control officer, and a toddler whisperer have advice - Give him a five-minute warning, use food as a lure, remind him he has something to live for. By Beth Teitell

Have An Excellent Tuesday

work by Frederick Judd Waugh 1861 - 1940


 

MSNBC - Jon Meacham Explains The Way America Can Move On From Trump

Lawrence O'Donnell - Emily Murphy Lied About The Transition For 15 Days

Rachel Maddow - 'Racist Dog Whistle' Underpins Trump Attack On Election Results

Brian Williams - 'Wounded' Trump Caves On Biden Transition As Allies Abandon Him

Progress At Last

 The Palmer Report: Here we go – this is what progress looks like by Bill Palmer

Still Holding

 Guardian UK: Trump has tested the limits of the US constitution – but it's still holding by Simon Jenkins

Updates

 Guardian UK: Biden to formally introduce cabinet picks as transition finally begins – live updates - GSA declares Biden apparent winner, clearing way for the formal transition - Trump continues to contest election as ‘corrupt’ and ‘fake’ - Biden picks first women and first Latino for key cabinet roles - Former Fed chair Yellen set to become first female treasury secretary

COVID Surges

 Washington Post: More than 85,700 coronavirus patients hospitalized nationwide, shattering records yet again By Antonia Noori Farzan, Jennifer Hassan and Rick Noack

Transition

 Washington Post: Trump relents on transition as Republicans join mounting calls for him to acknowledge Biden’s win By Josh Dawsey, Tom Hamburger, Amy Gardner and Philip Rucker

The Despicable, Disgraceful, Disgusting, Toxic, And Obnoxious Trump Presidency

 NY Times: What Donald Trump Liked About Being President - He preferred the parts of the job that combined pomp, splendor and a world amenable to his decisions. In other words, he always seemed to genuinely enjoy pardoning turkeys. By Matt Flegenheimer and Maggie Haberman

Three F-ing Weeks

  How long does it take Donald Trump, a stable genius, to be able to tell the difference between a number and a larger number?

Three weeks.

Formal

 NY Times: Trump Administration Approves Start of Formal Transition to Biden - A key official designated President-elect Joe Biden as the apparent winner after Michigan certified his victory there and President Trump lost another court decision in Pennsylvania. By Michael D. Shear, Maggie Haberman, Nick Corasaniti and Jim Rutenberg

The Market On Tuesday

  Good morning. At 6:30 a.m. ET DOW futures are +334. Wall Street like most of America is obviously appreciative that Joe Biden will be sworn in on January 20th 2021, now that the formal transition of power has begun despite Trump's obnoxious unwillingness to concede.

CNN: Corporate America is ready for a Biden presidency By Paul R. La Monica

Monday, November 23, 2020

Transition

  NY Times - "In conversations earlier in the day with top aides — including Mark Meadows, the White House chief of staff; Pat A. Cipollone, the White House counsel; and Jay Sekulow, the president’s personal lawyer — Mr. Trump was told that the transition needed to begin. He did not need to say the word “concede,” they told him, according to multiple people briefed on the discussions. But they emphasized that in the United States, transitions are hugely important." Source

Explain


 

We're There

Washington Post: GSA ready to begin transition; Biden to name first female heads of national intelligence, treasury

Today's The Day - It's Over For Trump


 

GSA Emily Finally Gives It Up

 CNN: First on CNN: GSA tells Biden that transition can formally begin By Kristen Holmes and Jeremy Herb

West Virginia Republican Senator Shelley Moore Capito

 CNN: Another GOP senator says it's time to begin transition process to Biden administration By Paul LeBlanc

Business Leaders

 Washington Post: 164 business leaders urge Trump to begin presidential transition for the sake of the country “Withholding resources and vital information from an incoming administration puts the public and economic health and security of America at risk" the letter says. By Hannah Denham

Michigan To Biden

Washington Post: Michigan board votes to certify the state’s election results, dealing Trump another blow By Tom Hamburger, Beth Reinhard and Kayla Ruble

Misinformation ‘Superspreaders’

 NY Times: How Misinformation ‘Superspreaders’ Seed False Election Theories Researchers have found that a small group of social media accounts are responsible for the spread of a disproportionate amount of the false posts about voter fraud. By Sheera Frenkel

The baseless election fraud claims have been used by the president and his supporters to challenge the vote in a number of states. Reports that malfunctioning voting machines, intentionally miscounted mail-in votes and other irregularities affecting the vote were investigated by election officials and journalists who found no evidence of widespread voter fraud.

Michigan Certifies Its Election Results, Making Biden’s Win Official And Rebuffing Trump.

 NY Times: Biden Transition Live Updates: Michigan Certifies Election Results, Making Biden’s Win There Official - President-elect Joe Biden is expected to announce his choices for key roles in his cabinet and administration. Some would make history, including the first women to serve as Treasury secretary and director of national intelligence and the first Latino to serve as secretary of homeland security. Michigan certifies its election results, making Biden’s win official and rebuffing Trump.

Finally

 Mother Jones: Will Trump’s Accusers Finally Get Their Day in Court? He soon will be unable to hide from the women suing him for defamation. by Madison Pauly

Demand

 Yahoo News: Republican former national security officials urge party to demand Trump concession By Tim Reid

More than 100 former Republican national security officials demanded on Monday that party leaders denounce President Donald Trump's refusal to concede the presidential election, calling it a dangerous and anti-democratic assault on U.S. institutions.

Why Indeed

 The Bulwark: Why Won't Republicans Take the Next Step? If what Donald Trump is doing now is dangerous and irresponsible then . . . by Jonathan V. Last

That’s all I’m looking for. Just one Trump defender—literally just one—to stand up and say, “Yeah, I was wrong. This guy is dangerous in ways I didn’t fully understand. I’m glad Joe Biden won. America dodged a bullet by not reelecting this man.”

Cabinet

 NY Times: Biden Will Nominate First Woman to Lead Intelligence, First Latino to Run Homeland Security - John Kerry, the former secretary of state, will be climate czar, according to the Biden transition team. By Michael Crowley

Biden's Cabinet

 Axios: Biden transition names first Cabinet nominees by Zachary Basu

Special presidential envoy on climate: John Kerry

LOL

Politico: Trump threatens to wreak havoc on GOP from beyond the White House - His attacks on Republican governors since his loss offer a sample of what's in store. By ALEX ISENSTADT

The Onion - Nation Can’t Believe They Spent So Long Overlooking Obvious Solution Of mRNA Instructions For Spike Protein Encapsulated In Lipid Nanoparticle

 The Onion: Nation Can’t Believe They Spent So Long Overlooking Obvious Solution Of mRNA Instructions For Spike Protein Encapsulated In Lipid Nanoparticle

Mob

 Washington Post: Republicans created an anti-democratic mob Opinion by Jennifer Rubin

Have An Excellent Monday

 work by Amedeo Bocchi 1883 - 1976






Mostly Simpering Cowards


 

MSNBC - Judge Dismisses Trump's Pennsylvania Election Lawsuit

MSNBC - Ali Velshi On President Trump’s Real Legacy

Nothing New

The Palmer Report:  Donald Trump goes completely off the rails by Bill Palmer

Blinken

 Guardian UK: Antony Blinken: Biden's secretary of state nominee is sharp break with Trump era -  A born internationalist, Blinken will seek to soothe the frayed nerves of western allies

Powell - Too Crazy For Trump!

Guardian UK: Trump campaign cuts ties with attorney Sidney Powell after bizarre election fraud claims - Powell has made a raft of incorrect claims, including that Georgia’s voting software was created at the behest of late Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez

Remember

 Washington Post: Our democracy is holding. Americans will remember who defended it — and who didn’t. Opinion by Editorial Board

Sulking Petulant Jackass

Washington Post: A noisy president goes (relatively) quiet in wake of election defeat - The Debrief: An occasional series offering a reporter’s insights By Josh Dawsey
In the 19 days since the election, 12 have included no events on the president’s schedule. He has appeared at public events four times and has played golf at his own Virginia course six times. He has taken no questions from reporters.

Farce President

 NY Times: Trump’s Legal Farce Is Having Tragic Results - There is nothing funny about the Republican Party’s multipronged attack on voting rights. By Richard L. Hasen -  Mr. Hasen is the author of “Election Meltdown: Dirty Tricks, Distrust and the Threat to American Democracy.”

Biden's Cabinet

 NY Times: Biden Chooses Antony Blinken, Defender of Global Alliances, as Secretary of State - The president-elect is also expected to name Jake Sullivan, another close aide of his, as national security adviser, and Linda Thomas-Greenfield, a 35-year Foreign Service veteran, as his ambassador to the U.N. By Lara Jakes, Michael Crowley and David E. Sanger

The Market On Monday

  Good morning. At 6:55 a.m. ET DOW futures are +171. The market is poised to open significantly higher.

CNN: Guitar Center is filing for bankruptcy By Alexis Benveniste

The Lincoln Project - 'Remove Republic From Republican'

Friday, November 20, 2020

Weekend!

  Have an excellent weekend and see you bright and early Monday morning.

The Lincoln Project - 'Michigan'

Twin Defeats

 Washington Post: Trump suffers twin defeats in his effort to overturn Biden’s victory in key states By Amy Gardner, Tom Hamburger and Michelle Ye Hee Lee

Risk

 USA Today: Trump history and behavior suggest destructive mental processes that put America at risk - Trump is not just a childish man having a tantrum or a selfish man who can't accept defeat. His actions are dangerous to America's health and security. by Dr. Kenneth Paul Rosenberg and Norman Ornstein

And, There's This


 

No Change

 Washington Post: After White House meeting, Michigan lawmakers say they are not aware of info that would change election result By Amy Gardner and Tom Hamburger

Attack

 AP News: Who needs Russia? Loudest attacks on US vote are from Trump By ERIC TUCKER and DAVID KLEPPER

Junior

ABC News: Donald Trump Jr. tests positive for COVID-19 Trump Jr. is the second of the president's children to test positive. By John Santucci

Stephen Colbert - Rudy's Elite Strike Force Continues To Fail Spectacularly On Behalf Of Their Client, The President

Six


 

Pack Up And Get Out

 Washington Post: Mr. President, it’s time to pack Opinion by Gary Abernathy

Pay Off

 Washington Post: Why Joe Biden’s low-key approach may pay off Opinion by Jennifer Rubin

Trump's Failure

NY Times: Why Trump Will Fail in Michigan - His only success will be in ruining what should be the celebration of a successful election under highly challenging circumstances. By Richard H. Pildes - Mr. Pildes is an author of the casebook “The Law of Democracy: Legal Structure of the Political Process.”

Michigan’s governor also has legal powers she could invoke, though whether she would choose to do so would involve complex political judgments. Under the state’s Constitution, she has the power — the Constitution, actually, calls it a duty — to remove or suspend from office a canvassing board member for “gross neglect of duty,” “corrupt conduct” or “for any other misfeasance or malfeasance” in carrying out their duties. Failing to certify on the facts in Michigan would easily meet this standard.

Transition Updates

 NY Times: Transition Live Updates: Georgia Certifies Biden’s Victory, An Early Milestone Toward Finalizing Election Results - The results were certified hours after a premature announcement that the process was complete. President-elect Joe Biden announced more staff appointments and is meeting with Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senator Chuck Schumer today. RIGHT NOW Biden’s transition team renews calls for G.S.A. head to authorize the transition process to begin.

Another Crack In Trump's Fake Wall

 National Review: Lamar Alexander Calls on Trump Admin. to Give Biden Presidential Briefings by Mairead McArdle

Transition Updates

 NY Times: Transition Live Updates: Georgia Certifies Its Results, An Early Milestone Toward Finalizing Biden’s National Victory - “Numbers don’t lie,” said Georgia’s top elections official, a Republican who oversaw the state’s recount. President-elect Joe Biden announced more staff appointments and will meet with Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senator Chuck Schumer today. Lamar Alexander, a Republican senator, urged President Trump to stop blocking the transition. On Transgender Day of Remembrance, Biden pledges protections against discrimination and violence.

Another GOP Senator Has COVID

 Axios: Sen. Rick Scott tests positive for COVID-19 by Ursula Perano

Certified

 Politico: Georgia certifies Biden’s victory Biden won the state by more than 12,000 votes out of nearly 5 million cast. By ZACH MONTELLARO

The Onion - ‘Your Honor, I’m Ready To Present,’ Says Giuliani Pulling Rotted Melon, Stray Cat Out Of Old Burlap Sack

 The Onion: ‘Your Honor, I’m Ready To Present,’ Says Giuliani Pulling Rotted Melon, Stray Cat Out Of Old Burlap Sack

Advice

 Get Pocket: Ray Bradbury’s Greatest Writing Advice “I’ve had a sign over my typewriter for over 25 years now: Don’t think!”

Indeed


 

Simply Stated

 CNN: Trump is the true perpetrator of election fraud Opinion by Joshua A. Douglas

Meanwhile

  Here's one of the bigger reasons why Trump is attempting a coup.

 Yahoo: NY probes Trump consulting payments that reduced his taxes by MICHAEL R. SISAK and DAVID B. CARUSO

Have An Excellent Friday

work by Etienne Dinet 1861 - 1929


 

Chris Hayes - Governor Whitmer On Michigan GOP Joining Trump Attempt To Steal Election

Ari Melber - Trump’s Dead End Explained By Former RNC Chair In 'Daily Show' Reunion

Brian Williams - Trump Lawyer Giuliani Lies And Sweats Through Chaotic Presser

Impact

 The Palmer Report: President-elect Joe Biden is already making an impact on COVID by Bill Palmer

California

 Guardian UK: 'The war on drugs failed': California lawmaker will push to decriminalize psychedelics -  Effort by state senator Scott Wiener comes as voters across the US have opted to reform the nation’s drug laws by Vivian Ho

Georgia

Guardian UK:  Joe Biden confirmed as Georgia winner after recount -  President-elect wins Georgia’s 16 electoral college votes - Biden first Democrat to win there since Bill Clinton in 1996 by Martin Pengelly in New York and Maanvi Singh in San Francisco

Meanwhile

 Washington Post: Biden brushes aside Trump attempts to overturn the election, confident his victory will stand By Michael Scherer and Matt Viser

Literal

 Washington Post: Rudy Giuliani’s post-election meltdown starts to become literal By Dan Zak and Josh Dawsey

“That press conference was the most dangerous 1hr 45 minutes of television in American history,” typed Krebs, who vouched for the integrity of the election and was subsequently fired by Trump this week. “And possibly the craziest.”

Unparalleled

 NY Times: Trump’s Attempts to Overturn the Election Are Unparalleled in U.S. History - The president’s push to prevent states from certifying electors and get legislators to override voters’ will eclipses even the bitter 1876 election as an audacious use of brute political force. By David E. Sanger

Mitt

NY Times: Mitt Romney admonishes Trump’s attempts to overturn his election defeat.

The Market On Friday

  Good morning. At 6:30 a.m. ET DOW futures are -60. The market is posed to open considerably lower.

CNN: Joyy rejects short-seller fraud claim that sent its shares plunging By Sherisse Pham

Thursday, November 19, 2020

Seth Meyers - Rudy Giuliani's Insane Press Conference - Trump Tries To Steal Michigan

Reaffirming

 NY Times: Georgia completes its full recount, reaffirming Biden’s victory.

Plausible

 CNN: Trump told ally he's trying to get back at Democrats for questioning legitimacy of his own election By Dana Bash and Gloria Borger

Biden Wins Georgia Again

 CNN: Georgia confirms Biden victory and finds no widespread fraud after statewide audit By Jason Morris, Maeve Reston and Marshall Cohen

Dumbest

 National Review: ‘The Dumbest Coup’ By Kevin D. Williamson

Thrown Out

 Law and Crime: Arizona Judge Throws Out Republican Party Attempt to Delay Certification of Vote in Maricopa County by Matt Naham

Halt

 NY Times: Judge Halts ‘Public Health’ Expulsions of Children at the Border - A federal judge ruled Wednesday that a public health emergency decree did not give the Trump administration authority to expel unaccompanied children before they could request asylum. By Zolan Kanno-Youngs

Disarray

 Washington Post: Disarray and defeats mark post-election period as Trump struggles to govern and fails to change vote results By Toluse Olorunnipa

Arizona

NPR: AP Explains Calling Arizona For Biden Early, Before It Got Very Close

No Fraud

  "From the today's Bucks County, PA court opinion -- Another instance of Trump's lawyers agreeing that there was no fraud."


 

Rudy At His Press Conference Today


 

Where's The Law?

Washington Post: Wayne County Republican who asked to ‘rescind’ her vote certifying election results says Trump called her By Tom Hamburger, Kayla Ruble and Tim Elfrink

Lobbying

 Politico: Biden mounts lobbying blitz to crack GOP resistance to his transition - He's avoiding open warfare with Trump while highlighting the risks of delaying the transition. By NATASHA KORECKI and CHRISTOPHER CADELAGO

No Travel

Axios: CDC advises Americans not to travel for Thanksgiving by Marisa Fernandez

The Onion - Governors Call On Gretchen Whitmer To Shut Down Their States So Residents Won’t Get Mad At Them

 The Onion: Governors Call On Gretchen Whitmer To Shut Down Their States So Residents Won’t Get Mad At Them

Escalation

 NY Times: Confrontations in swing states escalate as Trump continues to attack election process.

In courtrooms, statehouses and election-board meetings across the country, the president is increasingly using the weight of his office to deliver his message to lower-level election workers, hoping they buckle. It has not worked.

Business

 NY Times: Top business groups call on the Trump administration to start a formal transition.

Have An Excellent Thursday

  Seth Meyers - 'Rudy Giuliani and Lindsey Graham Lead Trump’s Coup Attempt'



Brian Williams - Stewing Over Biden Win, Trump MIA As U.S. Covid Deaths Top 250,000

MSNBC - Weissmann - Citizen Trump Should Be Prosecuted For Obstructing Special Counsel Mueller

Brian Williams - Officials Follow Trump's Lead Dodging All Reporter Questions

Biden

The Palmer Report:  Joe Biden just nailed it by Bill Palmer

Denial

 Guardian UK: Kristi Noem rigidly follows Trump strategy of denial as Covid ravages South Dakota - Republican governor clings to the president despite his defeat and claims ‘we’re doing really good’ with state’s positivity rate at 60% by Ed Pilkington

250,000

  Back in March, this was an unthinkable number. 

Guardian UK: US passes 250,000 deaths from coronavirus - Bleak landmark comes as more than 11m have been infected - Biden Covid adviser warns of further hardship over winter

Mess, More Like Farce

Washington Post: Rudy Giuliani is a mess By Robin Givhan

Giuliani argued that a vast swathe of perfectly reasonable, good-hearted Americans masterminded a huge scheme that cheated Trump out of reelection. Giuliani couldn’t offer any evidence that this awful plot existed, but nevertheless he was sure it did and it just so happened to be centered in places like Philadelphia, Milwaukee and Detroit, which have substantial populations of Black and brown people.

Last Ditch

 Washington Post: As defeats pile up, Trump tries to delay vote count in last-ditch attempt to cast doubt on Biden victory By Amy Gardner, Robert Costa, Rosalind S. Helderman and Michelle Ye Hee Lee

New York And COVID

 NY Times: As the Virus Surges, How Much Longer Can N.Y. Avoid a Full Shutdown? The state is banking on a variety of less disruptive mandates, even as public health experts and other officials warn that such measures may not be enough. By Jesse McKinley and Luis Ferré-Sadurní

All told, 12 counties around the state are seeing significant outbreaks, from Brooklyn to Buffalo.

Of Course

 NY Times: States That Imposed Few Restrictions Now Have the Worst Outbreaks By Lauren Leatherby and Rich Harris

Coronavirus cases are rising in almost every U.S. state. But the surge is worst now in places where leaders neglected to keep up forceful virus containment efforts or failed to implement basic measures like mask mandates in the first place, according to a New York Times analysis of data from the University of Oxford.

The Market On Thursday

  Good morning. At 6:15 a.m. ET DOW futures are -106. The market is poised to open significantly lower.

CNN: Electric bus startup Arrival rides latest craze to Wall Street By Charles Riley

Wednesday, November 18, 2020

No Evidence

 Law and Crime: Trump Campaign Attorneys Admit ‘There Is No Evidence’ of ‘Any Fraud’ in Connection with Challenged Ballots in Bucks County, Pa. by Jerry Lambe

Failure

 Washington Post: The first big test of Trump’s attempt to steal the electoral college was a failure - Local Republicans dipped their toe into it and, amid widespread backlash, pulled back By Amber Phillips

GOP Disgrace

 NY Times: Republicans face an outcry after refusing to certify Detroit vote: ‘You could see the racism.’

COVID Updates

 NY Times: Covid-19 Live Updates: N.Y.C. Public Schools Will Close Thursday as Virus Spreads - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has deleted a disputed document it posted this summer to support President Trump’s hard push to reopen school buildings this fall. Lacking federal guidance, states are racing to impose a patchwork of restrictions to slow new infections. The Mayo Clinic is strained by hundreds of virus infections among its medical staff.

Electoral College Must Go


 

Good News

 NY Times: Trump Plan to Sell Arctic Oil Leases Will Face Challenges - If lease sales happen in the final days of the Trump administration, they may face disputes in court or could be reversed by the Biden administration. By Henry Fountain and John Schwartz

Pelosi

Axios: Nancy Pelosi re-elected as House Democratic leader by Alayna Treene

The Onion - Covid Denier Struggling To Protest State’s Incoherent, Constantly Changing Coronavirus Policies

 The Onion: Covid Denier Struggling To Protest State’s Incoherent, Constantly Changing Coronavirus Policies

Biden

 Politico: Biden builds team for Senate confirmation battles The president-elect has tapped a group of veteran Democrats to act as "sherpas" for his Cabinet nominees. By ALEX THOMPSON

Imagine