| 2 more GOP governors push Trump to start the formal presidential transition process with Biden Posted: 15 Nov 2020 02:18 PM PST  Govs. Mike DeWine of Ohio and Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas both said that a proper transition needs to be in place for the president-elect.
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| Muslim activist says American Airlines wrongfully singled her out after she was arrested Posted: 14 Nov 2020 12:07 PM PST  Amani Al-Khatahtbeh reportedly got into a dispute with a white man which later led to the airline contacting the policeA Muslim woman who was arrested on an American Airlines plane on Saturday before its departure from New Jersey said that she was wrongfully singled out following a dispute with a white man traveling in first class.Amani Al-Khatahtbeh, an activist and blogger, described alleged details about the dispute in a Twitter thread about an hour before her apparent arrest, saying it began at a Transportation Security Administration checkpoint in Newark Liberty international airport."I had the craziest experience in TSA this morning. An entitled white man behind me insisted on cutting me in line because I was 'still taking my shoes off'," Al-Khatahtbeh tweeted at 9.18am, before her Charlotte, North Carolina-bound flight. "When I said he could wait like everyone else, he started going off about how he's 'pre check' and 'first class'."At 10.07, she tweeted: "Guys he made a complaint about me and @AmericanAir is attempting to remove me from the flight." She then posted a 15-minute video to Facebook from the airplane in which a police officer eventually tells her she is under arrest."Literally they called the cops on me," she said in the video. "This man in first class made a complaint about me because he cut me in line at TSA and now they literally have police coming to escort me off this flight right now, for no reason, literally taking this man's word over mine."He made me feel uncomfortable, this man sitting in first class. I'm a veiled Muslim woman on this flight and they're taking his word for it."She claimed that she was being removed while the man wasn't.Authorities confirmed that an incident had taken place and officials said she had since been released.The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said: "This morning, the port authority police department received a request from American Airlines personnel at Newark Liberty international airport, who indicated the airline had directed a passenger to deplane from a flight, and that police assistance was needed. Police responded, and briefly took the individual into custody; she has been released. The port authority's independent inspector general has begun an investigation."The port authority said she was charged with delay of transportation and trespass.American Airlines said: "We are aware of an incident that took place during boarding of flight 2029 at Newark Liberty international airport. We are concerned by these allegations and our team is working to understand what occurred."The airline said that the flight did take off, delayed by about an hour. The airline said she was not on the flight. It is unclear whether the man was taken off the plane.TSA said the incident "is not a TSA matter"."No complaint was made by any passengers at the checkpoint. If there was a customer service issue on board the aircraft, that is an airline matter. In situations such as this, TSA has no involvement after a passenger clears the checkpoint and boards a flight," the agency said."The man was directed to the TSA PreCheck® lane. The woman was directed to the non-TSA PreCheck lane, so they went in different directions to be screened."An officer told both passengers to tone down the volume of the conversation," TSA also said.The Council on American-Islamic Relations released a statement on the incident, with Nihad Awad, the Cair national executive director, saying: "The airline must immediately explain why it singled out Amani by contacting the police and ejecting her from a flight based on the word of a man who had allegedly harassed her.""Law enforcement must immediately release Amani from custody and conduct a full and transparent investigation into what happened," said Selaedin Maksut, Cair-New Jersey executive director, in a statement. "Any investigation must look into the conduct of the unidentified man who allegedly sparked this disturbing incident."
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| AOC asks if it’s ‘too socialist’ to want more stimulus relief for Americans Posted: 14 Nov 2020 08:55 AM PST  Meanwhile, lawmakers in Washington remain at a standstill on additional stimulus spending to prop up workers and the economy, and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) of New York isn't happy about it. The Democratic representative took to Twitter to plead that Americans are in need of another stimulus check, rent forgiveness and mortgage relief, among other requests, to address the ongoing health crisis and offset an unstable economic environment.
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| Gordon Brown: Scotland needs to 'heal' from coronavirus before any second independence referendum Posted: 15 Nov 2020 08:07 AM PST  Scotland needs to "heal" the devastation wrought by coronavirus before another independence referendum is staged, Gordon Brown has said after the SNP's Westminster leader said it must be held in 2021. The former Prime Minister argued this was "not the right time at all" as Scotland is in the middle of a pandemic and a deep recession, which could have a long-lasting economic impact. Amid intense controversy over whether Boris Johnson will allow Nicola Sturgeon to have another vote, Mr Brown argued the real question was whether one "should" happen at the current time. His intervention came after Ian Blackford, the SNP's Westminster leader, said his party "must" plan for a second independence referendum in 2021. Mr Blackford predicted another separation vote would happen next year, despite Boris Johnson's refusal to hand over the necessary powers, and apologised to nationalists for it not happening in 2020. But Douglas Ross, the Scottish Tory leader, said it "beggars belief" that the SNP Commons leader was arguing that "as lives and livelihoods continue to be lost, Scotland needs yet more division, chaos and uncertainty."
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| Lawyers for 1st woman to face federal execution in decades have Covid, seek delay Posted: 14 Nov 2020 09:52 AM PST  Her lawyers say in a lawsuit that they are ill because Attorney General Bill Barr "recklessly scheduled Mrs. Montgomery's execution in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic."
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| Shepherd Bushiri: Preacher flees South Africa ahead of fraud trial Posted: 15 Nov 2020 10:01 AM PST  The self-styled prophet says he skipped bail and left South Africa because he had received death threats.
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| Covid: Dr Fauci urges Americans to keep the faith but warns 200,000 more could die in next four months alone Posted: 15 Nov 2020 08:18 AM PST  On Friday, the US experienced a record 177,000 new daily cases, the fourth straight day it set an all-time record
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| Letters to the Editor: The message from Prop. 15's failure? Leave Prop. 13 alone Posted: 15 Nov 2020 03:00 AM PST  The business community wants tax loopholes that violate the intent of Prop. 13 to be closed, but not in the way Prop. 15 would have done.
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| How the Armenian Genocide’s Legacy Explains a Conflict on Pause Posted: 14 Nov 2020 03:30 AM PST  For Armenians around the world, the recent one-sided peace deal to end the conflict involving the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh must be seen through the lens of history. And that history is stitched together by widespread persecution and mass suffering over hundreds of years. It is a history that includes the first genocide of the 20th century, when more than 1.5 million Armenians were systematically exterminated by the Ottoman Turks, an event Turkey still denies to this day. Framing today's conflict over land gravely misses the point.Armenians see these latest acts of aggression by Turkey vis-à-vis Azerbaijan as a continuation of genocide and a threat to their very existence. In some ways, history is repeating itself. Regardless, these events further underscore why recognition of the Armenian genocide and the war over Nagorno-Karabakh are not mutually exclusive.To fully understand why this decades-old conflict suddenly reignited, one must examine the rise of authoritarianism in Turkey under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. During his rule, Erdogan has sought to increase Turkey's regional influence and on many occasions has glowingly talked about resurrecting the Ottoman Empire, all while styling himself as a modern-day sultan.During the Trump administration, Erdogan has tried to stretch that influence from the Aegean Sea to the South Caucasus. It is one of the reasons that Turkey has been a staunch supporter of Azerbaijan in the latter nation's efforts to retake Nagorno-Karabakh. With the two nations bound by strong cultural, ethnic, and historic ties, Turkey has vowed to help Azerbaijan on the battlefield or at the negotiating table. However, Erdogan's belligerent and hostile behavior has only reminded Armenians of their terrible past.Since the conflict erupted last month, Turkey has armed and sent Syrian mercenaries, including Islamic terrorists, into the region to help Azerbaijan fight Armenians where there have been confirmed reports of war crimes and atrocities. We've seen this before. A hundred years ago, Ottoman Turks enlisted the help of Kurds, who participated in massacres of Armenians and played a vital role in the Armenian genocide. It is as if Erdogan has turned to the Ottoman Empire's playbook.There's no denying Turkey's role in fueling the fire in Nagorno-Karabakh through its reckless actions and rhetoric. But Ankara's ongoing campaign to deny the Armenian genocide has also helped it there. Denial has helped establish a level of insouciance from countries such as the United States, Great Britain, and Israel, thereby allowing Turkey to continue to act with impunity. Thus it can, for example, provide Azerbaijan with drones that are indiscriminately killing innocent civilians and destroying cultural centers and churches that have stood since long before Azerbaijan became a country.For far too long, the West has turned a blind eye to Turkey's egregious behavior. There is a reason that more journalists sit in Turkish prisons than anywhere else in the world, and that Ankara regularly tops the annual lists of human-rights violations. Turkey's considerable success in refusing to acknowledge its historical role in the Armenian genocide makes Ankara today believe that it can do what it wants without consequences. It is why Erdogan felt compelled to challenge the United States to impose sanctions on his country for its involvement over Nagorno-Karabakh and launched a personal attack on French president Emmanuel Macron.These recent actions by Erdogan did not happen overnight. Ankara has been trying to shape U.S. foreign policy for years concerning Turkey and the Armenian genocide. As part of an effort to sow doubt about the veracity of the Armenian genocide, Turkey has embarked on a years-long campaign to block any U.S. legislation that formally acknowledges it. For the most part, Turkey has successfully used the cover of NATO and realpolitik to convince lawmakers that recognizing the Armenian genocide is not in the political interests of the United States. When Congress finally passed a nonbinding resolution last year that formally affirmed recognition, Ankara officially responded by calling the bill political theater. There were even multiple reports that President Trump tried to thwart the resolution on the Senate floor to appease Erdogan.It should not surprise us, then, when we see Turkey's wanton disrespect for the rule of law and aggressive behavior in its actions in Nagorno-Karabakh. In many ways, we have allowed it to happen, and have even encouraged it. We have only ourselves to blame.It is often said that those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it. It is also often said that denial is the last stage of genocide. That is why recognition of the Armenian genocide goes hand in hand with a real resolution of the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenians know all too well what happens when this type of aggression goes unchecked. Until Turkey comes to terms with its past, we can expect Ankara to continue its quixotic quest to revive the Ottoman Empire.
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| Ga. Democratic Senate hopeful Jon Ossoff holds drive-in rallies 'to set the right example' Posted: 15 Nov 2020 09:27 AM PST 
Democrat Jon Ossoff held an outdoor drive-in rally in an Augusta, Ga., parking lot Friday with more than 200 people, nearly all of whom were wearing masks and amply socially distanced. In an exclusive interview with Yahoo News, Ossoff spoke about the contrast of the Republican Senate candidates and their packed indoor rallies that put everyone in attendance at risk of COVID-19.
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| Election updates: Obama says he doesn't take Trump seriously; Giuliani claims to have proof he 'can't disclose yet' Posted: 15 Nov 2020 03:51 PM PST  Giuliani's new fraud claims sound like more of the same; Obama says he doesn't take Trump seriously; Biden may campaign in Ga. – election updates.
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| Cuomo threatens Trump with legal action over vaccine distribution plan Posted: 15 Nov 2020 11:14 AM PST  NEW YORK — Gov. Andrew Cuomo repeated his threat to sue the Trump administration as he invoked Martin Luther King, Jr. during Sunday remarks about the COVID outbreak at historic Riverside Church in Manhattan. "The Rev. Dr. King, who spoke in this magnificent church, said of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health is the most shocking and the most inhumane because it often results in ...
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| 'You want a Prime Minister's spouse who's interested rather than doesn't care' Posted: 14 Nov 2020 10:43 AM PST  As a former Tory communications director and ministerial aide, Carrie Symonds has both strong views on her party, together with the powerful network that comes from a decade working at the heart of the Conservatives. This weekend, a series of toxic claims and counterclaims about the role of the Prime Minister's fiancee in the departure of two of Boris Johnson's most senior aides have raised questions about the influence that Ms Symonds's views (and friends) have on the workings of No 10 Downing Street. Just days ago, Dominic Cummings (see below), Mr Johnson's chief aide, and Lee Cain, his communications director, were ousted from No 10 after the Prime Minister heard claims that he and Ms Symonds had been the subject of hostile briefings. Their departure came after a major row over the appointment of Allegra Stratton, a longstanding acquaintance of Ms Symonds, as the Prime Minister's new chief spokesman, despite the firm advice of Mr Cain. Ms Symonds went on to insist that Mr Johnson should not appoint Mr Cain as chief of staff, with sources claiming that she was supported by figures such as Munira Mirza, the head of the Prime Minister's policy unit. Ms Mirza has told friends that the claims about her involvement are untrue. This weekend, senior sources said that Ms Symonds's influence on Mr Johnson's work as Prime Minister had appeared to grow steadily since the Prime Minister's hospitalisation with Covid-19 in April. However, a senior insider claimed that Ms Symonds appeared "determined" to play a significant role in the workings of the Government, "and that's the heart of the problem." The source said she clearly had strong views about "wholesale change at No 10", adding that the former Tory communications director is perceived as "wanting to run the Government by WhatsApp from the flat." Another source said Ms Symonds used the No 11 flat "as a sort of private office". The flat above No 11 Downing Street that Ms Symonds shares with Mr Johnson and their baby Wilfred has become the centre of intrigue for No 10 staff who have, since last summer, observed a steady stream of familiar faces paying social visits to the Prime Minister's fiancee, while the official cogs of government turn downstairs.
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| Appeals court rules against El Paso's shutdown order amid Covid surge Posted: 13 Nov 2020 08:07 PM PST  There can only be "one captain of the ship," judge says in ruling in favor of the state.
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| Philadelphia city council apologizes for approving the police bombing of one of its Black neighborhood's killing 11 people, including 5 children Posted: 14 Nov 2020 08:08 AM PST  On May 13, 1985, police dropped an explosive device on the compound of the Black militant group, MOVE, which sparked a fire that burned down 61 homes.
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| A Florida man says he was 'trying to toughen' up an 8-year-old by bringing him along on a crime spree Posted: 15 Nov 2020 11:14 AM PST  Ernest McKnight III, 36, told authorities that he "was trying to toughen him up" when asked why the child was with him.
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| In pictures: Diwali celebrations around the world Posted: 14 Nov 2020 10:04 AM PST  The festival of light is celebrated with candles and fireworks by Hindus, Sikhs and Jains worldwide.
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| "The Reagans" shows how the Gipper paved the way for political actors pretending they aren't racist Posted: 15 Nov 2020 12:30 PM PST  Showtime's series about the Reagans' rise to power covers well-known ground but falls prey to the stardom narrative
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| The Dakotas are ‘as bad as it gets anywhere in the world’ for Covid-19 as governor finally mandates masks Posted: 14 Nov 2020 01:37 PM PST  The states had largely dodged big outbreaks during the spring and summer
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| Ex-Obama official suggests Biden should pack as much as he can into executive orders Posted: 14 Nov 2020 10:20 AM PST  Former President Barack Obama's chiefs of staff want President-elect Joe Biden to embrace his executive authority once he's in office, NPR reports.Denis McDonough who served in the role during Obama's second term told NPR that President Trump "has demonstrated ... an enormous amount of leeway for the president to institute executive action on things like immigration and energy and climate policy" and "there's no reason" the president-elect "should not use the authority that's available to him."Meanwhile, Obama's first chief of staff, Rahm Emmanuel, argued Biden, despite his fondness for working across the aisle in Congress, should fit as much of his agenda as he can into his executive orders because "the fewer things you have to clog up the legislative pipeline with allows you to concentrate your political capital in that legislative front."Should Biden heed this advice, which seems likely at least when it comes to certain issues, it would dash the already tenuous hopes of those who want the president-elect to initiate a scaling back of the office. Read more at NPR.More stories from theweek.com 7 scathingly funny cartoons about Trump's refusal to concede Trump is reportedly 'very aware' he lost the election but is putting up a fight as 'theater' Texas senator suggests it's too soon to declare Biden the winner because Puerto Rico is still counting votes
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| Sen.-elect Tommy Tuberville botches history facts, including three branches of government Posted: 13 Nov 2020 10:09 PM PST  Tommy Tuberville botched several basic historical facts in an interview, such as misidentifying the three branches of government.
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| Erdogan calls for Cyprus to be permanently split in two at controversial picnic in no-man's land Posted: 15 Nov 2020 08:15 AM PST  Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Sunday he favours a permanent division of Cyprus into two states. The comments were made during a visit to the breakaway Turkish-held north of the island, decried as a "provocation" by the internationally-recognised Greek-speaking south. It marks a further setback to hopes for an eventual reunification of the Mediterranean island which is split between EU member the Republic of Cyprus, which controls the island's southern two thirds, and the north occupied by Turkey since 1974. "There are two peoples and two separate states in Cyprus," said Mr Erdogan. "There must be talks for a solution on the basis of two separate states." During his visit, Turkish jets left vapour trails in the sky in the shape of the star and crescent of the Turkish flag - mirroring a huge flag painted decades ago on a rocky mountainside in the north. Mr Erdogan's visit to the Turkish-held statelet recognised only by Ankara comes amid heightened tensions on the island and in the Eastern Mediterranean and was condemned as a "provocation without precedent" by the Republic of Cyprus.
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| In Wyoming, a Covid surge, a struggling energy economy and thriving haven for the rich Posted: 15 Nov 2020 03:00 AM PST  As the state becomes the superrich's go-to, residents are out of work and dealing with a massive spike in case numbers.
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| Tucker Carlson apologized on-air for making a false accusation of voter fraud in Georgia Posted: 14 Nov 2020 02:24 PM PST  The Fox News host alleged that a dead man in Georgia voted in the election, when in reality it was the man's 96-year-old widow who had voted legally.
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| California governor went to party, violated own coronavirus rules Posted: 15 Nov 2020 09:37 AM PST 
For months, California Gov. Gavin Newsom has pleaded with residents to resist socializing with friends and relatives. Turns out, he's the one who couldn't resist.
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| Storm Vamco hits Vietnam as Philippines rescues survivors Posted: 15 Nov 2020 05:28 AM PST  High winds uprooted trees and blew roofs off buildings as the powerful storm battered Vietnam.
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| Bulgaria says to block EU accession talks with North Macedonia Posted: 15 Nov 2020 10:22 AM PST |
| New indictment in Tim Norman’s murder-for-hire plot Posted: 14 Nov 2020 01:20 PM PST  According to the Riverfront Times, a fourth person has been indicted in the murder-for-hire case against Timothy Norman of the Sweetie Pie's restaurant in St. Louis. In August, Norman was arrested and given federal charges for his involvement in the 2016 shooting death of his 21-year-old nephew Andre Montgomery.
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| A secretive Republican group called Amish PAC ended the election cycle with money in its pocket Posted: 15 Nov 2020 09:05 AM PST  The PAC is funded in large part by three major GOP donors whose connections to the Amish community are not apparent
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| Biden's chief of staff pick expects him to campaign in Georgia ahead of Senate runoffs Posted: 15 Nov 2020 10:49 AM PST  Democrats in Georgia have said they'd prefer for President-elect Joe Biden to focus on the White House transition and send surrogates like former President Barack Obama to actively campaign for Democratic Senate candidates John Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, both of whom are gearing up for January runoffs against Republican incumbents that will seal the fate of the upper chamber. One of Ossoff's advisers, for instance, told Politico earlier this week that the best thing Biden can do is avoid getting into a fight with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), whom he may have to work closely with in the future should the GOP hold the Senate, and "restore faith in the presidency" while "the worst thing to happen is if it gets partisan in D.C. again."But Ron Klain, Biden's pick to be White House chief of staff, told NBC's Chuck Todd during Sunday's edition of Meet the Press that the president-elect will likely travel to Georgia to campaign for Ossoff and Warnock ahead of the vote.> Klain also said Biden would likely travel to Georgia to campaign for Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock ahead of the Jan. 5 run-offs.> > -- Tyler Pager (@tylerpager) November 15, 2020Ossoff, for his part, had nothing but praise for Biden and said he thinks there's a whole lot of enthusiasm for the president-elect in Georgia that will feed into the Senate race, so perhaps he's on a different page than his aforementioned adviser. > Georgia Democratic senatorial candidate Jon Ossoff tells @martharaddatz there's "massive enthusiasm" for Joe Biden in Georgia amid Senate runoffs.> > "We're excited to be part of it. We recognize that these races in Georgia have national implications." https://t.co/RzvHrua3iC pic.twitter.com/mP80PMFtSo> > -- This Week (@ThisWeekABC) November 15, 2020More stories from theweek.com 7 scathingly funny cartoons about Trump's refusal to concede Trump is reportedly 'very aware' he lost the election but is putting up a fight as 'theater' Texas senator suggests it's too soon to declare Biden the winner because Puerto Rico is still counting votes
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| Fears that the 'Garden of England' could be littered with bags of excrement left by 7,000 truckers caught in Brexit border gridlock Posted: 14 Nov 2020 01:48 AM PST  The government said it would install roadside toilets in Kent for truck drivers whose journeys could be delayed for up to two days.
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| ‘An environmental injustice’: Residents sue after town injects chemical used to treat spas in drinking water Posted: 15 Nov 2020 09:29 AM PST  Attorneys say local residents 'suffered at the hands of the city, the state and the manufacturer' of a chemical used to treat pools and spas
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| Walmart reinstates lapsed COVID-19 precautions as US cases surge Posted: 15 Nov 2020 01:19 PM PST  "We're going to see an unprecedented surge of cases following Thanksgiving this year, and if people don't learn from Thanksgiving, we're going to see it after Christmas as well."
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| Germans should brace for 4-5 months of severe COVID-19 measures, minister says Posted: 15 Nov 2020 01:52 AM PST  Germans should brace for another 4-5 months of severe measures to halt the rise in coronavirus infections and should not expect the current rules to be eased quickly, Economy Minister Peter Altmaier told weekly Bild am Sonntag. Germany has imposed a set of measures dubbed a "lockdown light" to rein in the second wave of the pandemic that the country is seeing in common with much of the rest of Europe. Data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Sunday that the number of confirmed cases in Germany increased by 16,947 to 790,503.
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| Rebekah Mercer is funding Parler, the social-media app touted by Republican politicians and pundits that conservatives are flocking to Posted: 14 Nov 2020 11:41 PM PST  Mercer, who has funded conservative causes, said she and Parler CEO John Matze founded the platform "to provide a neutral platform for free speech."
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| Column: Biden's foreign policy won't be Obama 2.0, and that might be a good thing Posted: 15 Nov 2020 05:00 AM PST  President-elect Joe Biden and his aides have staked out positions that chart a markedly different course from that of the Obama team they worked on four years ago.
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| Tropical Storm Iota, 30th storm of historic season, could strengthen into major hurricane Posted: 14 Nov 2020 03:36 PM PST |
| How Joe Biden's presidency could affect the U.S.'s relationship with China Posted: 14 Nov 2020 03:58 PM PST  China congratulated Joe Biden for winning the 2020 election on Friday, seemingly signaling an acceptance of the results. But tensions between the two countries continue to rise. Ramy Inocencio has more.
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| Trump's refusal to concede is just the latest gambit to please Republican donors Posted: 14 Nov 2020 10:00 PM PST  Millions who should be ranged against the American oligarchy are distracted and divided – just as their leaders want * Biden reaches across the aisle – is he walking into a trap?Leave it to Trump and his Republican allies to spend more energy fighting non-existent voter fraud than containing a virus that has killed 244,000 Americans and counting.The cost of this misplaced attention is incalculable. While Covid-19 surges to record levels, there's still no national strategy for equipment, stay-at-home orders, mask mandates or disaster relief.The other cost is found in the millions of Trump voters who are being led to believe the election was stolen and who will be a hostile force for years to come – making it harder to do much of anything the nation needs, including actions to contain the virus.Trump is continuing this charade because it pulls money into his newly formed political action committee and allows him to assume the mantle of presumed presidential candidate for 2024, whether he intends to run or merely keep himself the center of attention.Leading Republicans like the Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, are going along with it because donors are refilling GOP coffers.> The president-elect aspires to find a moderate middle ground. This will be difficult because there's no middleThe biggest beneficiaries are the party's biggest patrons – the billionaire class, including the heads of the nation's largest corporations and financial institutions, private-equity partnerships and hedge funds – whom a deeply divided nation serves by giving them unfettered access to the economy's gains.Their heist started four decades ago. According to a recent Rand study, if America's distribution of income had remained the same as it was in the three decades following the second world war, the bottom 90% would now be $47tn richer.A low-income American earning $35,000 this year would be earning $61,000. A college-educated worker now earning $72,000 would be earning $120,000. Overall, the grotesque surge in inequality that began 40 years ago is costing the median American worker $42,000 per year.The upward redistribution of $47tn wasn't due to natural forces. It was contrived. As wealth accumulated at the top, so did political power to siphon off even more wealth and shaft everyone else.Monopolies expanded because antitrust laws were neutered. Labor unions shriveled because corporations were allowed to bust unions. Wall Street was permitted to gamble with other people's money and was bailed out when its bets soured even as millions lost their homes and savings. Taxes on the top were cut, tax loopholes widened.When Covid-19 hit, big tech cornered the market, the rich traded on inside information and the Treasury and the Fed bailed out big corporations but let small businesses go under. Since March, billionaire wealth has soared while most of America has become poorer.How could the oligarchy get away with this in a democracy where the bottom 90% have the votes? Because the bottom 90% are bitterly divided.Long before Trump, the GOP suggested to white working-class voters that their real enemies were Black people, Latinos, immigrants, "coastal elites", bureaucrats and "socialists". Trump rode their anger and frustration into the White House with more explicit and incendiary messages. He's still at it with his bonkers claim of a stolen election.The oligarchy surely appreciates the Trump-GOP tax cuts, regulatory rollbacks and the most business-friendly supreme court since the early 1930s. But the Trump-GOP's biggest gift has been an electorate more fiercely split than ever.Into this melee comes Joe Biden, who speaks of being "president of all Americans" and collaborating with the Republican party. But the GOP doesn't want to collaborate. When Biden holds out an olive branch, McConnell and other Republican leaders will respond just as they did to Barack Obama – with more warfare, because that maintains their power and keeps the big money rolling in.The president-elect aspires to find a moderate middle ground. This will be difficult because there's no middle. The real divide is no longer left versus right but the bottom 90% versus the oligarchy.Biden and the Democrats will better serve the nation by becoming the party of the bottom 90% – of the poor and the working middle class, of black and white and brown, and of all those who would be $47tn richer today had the oligarchy not taken over America.This would require that Democrats abandon the fiction of political centrism and establish a countervailing force to the oligarchy – and, not incidentally, sever their own links to it.They'd have to show white working-class voters how badly racism and xenophobia have hurt them as well as people of color. And change the Democratic narrative from kumbaya to economic and social justice.Easy to say, hugely difficult to accomplish. But if today's bizarre standoff in Washington is seen for what it really is, there's no alternative. * Robert Reich, a former US secretary of labor, is professor of public policy at the University of California at Berkeley and the author of Saving Capitalism: For the Many, Not the Few and The Common Good. His new book, The System: Who Rigged It, How We Fix It, is out now. He is a columnist for Guardian US
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| 70% of Asian Americans support affirmative action. Here's why misconceptions persist. Posted: 14 Nov 2020 02:10 PM PST  With the Harvard affirmative action case a step closer to the Supreme Court, Asian American activists say much of their work involves dispelling myths about affirmative action's impacts.
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| The man who made flying affordable to millions of Indians Posted: 13 Nov 2020 07:48 PM PST  A new biopic pays tribute to Capt GR Gopinath who launched India's first budget airline.
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| Video shows 'USPS whistleblower' was not alone when swearing to affidavit alleging mail-in ballot fraud Posted: 15 Nov 2020 02:38 PM PST  A video obtained by Business Insider shows that at least two other men were present when Richard Hopkins made his affidavit.
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| Biden must keep his word to end Trump’s nightmare policies toward Haiti and its people | Editorial Posted: 15 Nov 2020 03:00 AM PST |
| Huge India oil well fire extinguished after five months Posted: 15 Nov 2020 06:10 AM PST  A massive oil well fire that raged for more than five months in northeast India has finally been extinguished, officials said Sunday.
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| 'We may not succeed', says UK's chief Brexit trade negotiator Posted: 15 Nov 2020 09:08 AM PST  The UK's chief negotiator has warned "we may not succeed" in securing a Brexit trade deal as he made a surprise arrival in Brussels for renewed talks. Lord Frost signalled that he would not be deviating from Boris Johnson's "red lines" amid speculation that the departure of Dominic Cummings from No 10 could herald concessions. He said there had been "some progress in a positive direction" but admitted there were still "significant" differences between the UK and EU on fishing and the level playing field. His tone was echoed by Simon Coveney, the Irish Foreign Minister, who said a deal was "very doable" but also "very difficult" and could be scuppered by deadlock over fishing, with the EU demanding 50 per cent of the catch in British waters and the UK sticking at 20 per cent. Mr Coveney also repeated the EU's warning that it would not ratify any deal unless clauses in the Internal Market Bill overriding the Brexit divorce terms were dropped, although he also suggested that issue will "disappear" if there is a wider trade deal.
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