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Celerity
Celerity's Journal
Celerity's Journal
November 15, 2020
https://www.teenvogue.com/story/white-women-support-trump
After voting early in Chicago this year, I grabbed one of the many “I voted!” stickers fanned out in rows on the table next to the ballot-processing machine. As I exited my polling place, I tucked the sticker between the pages of the book I’d brought to read while I waited in line to vote, thinking I’d wait to peel and wear it a few days later, on Election Day. That day, I sat at my desk, scouring the internet for images of people finding moments of joy at the polls. I’ll admit I was allowing myself to feel cautiously optimistic. Then, hours before the polls closed, early exit polling started being released. We’d known all along it could take days, even weeks, for a winner in the 2020 presidential election to be announced, but these early returns — even if they’re not always totally reliable — began to tell a story about the electorate.
One statistic registered like a block of lead in my gut: Exit polls conducted by Edison Research found that while a reported 57% of women overall voted for Joe Biden this year, 55% of white women voted for Trump — representing at least a two-point increase for this demographic since 2016. I’ve always loved to collect my “I voted!” sticker following any election, presidential or otherwise. I’ve never taken my constitutional right to vote for granted, and as a white woman, there’s an inherent privilege in doing so. Depressingly enough, this is a privilege an apparent majority of white women seem to have wielded like a weapon for the second election in a row. The stickers that the City of Chicago passed out this year were themed around the 100-year anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which was passed in 1920 and prohibits the government from denying citizens the right to vote on the basis of sex.
But as most of us know by now, it was really only white women who benefited from the 19th Amendment’s passage and protections. In 2016, when given the choice between a woman whose record includes stints as first lady, U.S. senator, and U.S. Secretary of State, versus a man who was accused of sexual misconduct by more than 20 different women prior to the 2016 election, a plurality of white women opted instead for the latter — a reality TV star turned a one-term, impeached president who is the embodiment of white patriarchy, a system in which white women have always been protected at the cost of everyone else. If internalized sexism was to blame for white women’s choice in 2016, how to explain 2020, an election in which voters had the choice between two demographically identical old white men?
As a voting bloc, white women seemingly doubled down in their support of Trump, opting to align themselves against science, reproductive rights, diplomacy, and economic solvency in support of the spoils they (we?) reap as secondary benefactors of white privilege. We know that white women tend to vote along policy versus demographic lines, so is it safe to assume that white women don’t care about the rising death toll caused by this pandemic? That the legions of women out of work and the ensuing wage gap and widening achievement gap are not of concern for them? The states that turned blue for Biden in the days following November 3 were carried by the work of women of color who turned out voters in urban areas. The fanfare surrounding Biden’s win has highlighted the support he generated amongst “an unlikely alliance of women, people of color, old and young voters, and a sliver of disaffected Republicans,” as the New York Times put it — but it is categorically false to claim this was a victory won by all women.
snip
White Women's Support for Trump Remains High in 2020 Election
White women have to answer for backing the Republican nominee yet again.https://www.teenvogue.com/story/white-women-support-trump
After voting early in Chicago this year, I grabbed one of the many “I voted!” stickers fanned out in rows on the table next to the ballot-processing machine. As I exited my polling place, I tucked the sticker between the pages of the book I’d brought to read while I waited in line to vote, thinking I’d wait to peel and wear it a few days later, on Election Day. That day, I sat at my desk, scouring the internet for images of people finding moments of joy at the polls. I’ll admit I was allowing myself to feel cautiously optimistic. Then, hours before the polls closed, early exit polling started being released. We’d known all along it could take days, even weeks, for a winner in the 2020 presidential election to be announced, but these early returns — even if they’re not always totally reliable — began to tell a story about the electorate.
One statistic registered like a block of lead in my gut: Exit polls conducted by Edison Research found that while a reported 57% of women overall voted for Joe Biden this year, 55% of white women voted for Trump — representing at least a two-point increase for this demographic since 2016. I’ve always loved to collect my “I voted!” sticker following any election, presidential or otherwise. I’ve never taken my constitutional right to vote for granted, and as a white woman, there’s an inherent privilege in doing so. Depressingly enough, this is a privilege an apparent majority of white women seem to have wielded like a weapon for the second election in a row. The stickers that the City of Chicago passed out this year were themed around the 100-year anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which was passed in 1920 and prohibits the government from denying citizens the right to vote on the basis of sex.
But as most of us know by now, it was really only white women who benefited from the 19th Amendment’s passage and protections. In 2016, when given the choice between a woman whose record includes stints as first lady, U.S. senator, and U.S. Secretary of State, versus a man who was accused of sexual misconduct by more than 20 different women prior to the 2016 election, a plurality of white women opted instead for the latter — a reality TV star turned a one-term, impeached president who is the embodiment of white patriarchy, a system in which white women have always been protected at the cost of everyone else. If internalized sexism was to blame for white women’s choice in 2016, how to explain 2020, an election in which voters had the choice between two demographically identical old white men?
As a voting bloc, white women seemingly doubled down in their support of Trump, opting to align themselves against science, reproductive rights, diplomacy, and economic solvency in support of the spoils they (we?) reap as secondary benefactors of white privilege. We know that white women tend to vote along policy versus demographic lines, so is it safe to assume that white women don’t care about the rising death toll caused by this pandemic? That the legions of women out of work and the ensuing wage gap and widening achievement gap are not of concern for them? The states that turned blue for Biden in the days following November 3 were carried by the work of women of color who turned out voters in urban areas. The fanfare surrounding Biden’s win has highlighted the support he generated amongst “an unlikely alliance of women, people of color, old and young voters, and a sliver of disaffected Republicans,” as the New York Times put it — but it is categorically false to claim this was a victory won by all women.
snip
November 15, 2020
Label:
Apollo ?– AMB LP 3922
Format:
2 × Vinyl, LP, Album
Country:
Belgium
Released:
Nov 1992
Genre:
Electronic
Style:
Techno, IDM, Electro, Experimental, Ambient
Tracklist
Xtal 4:51
Tha 9:01
Pulsewidth 3:47
Ageispolis 5:21
I 1:13
Green Calx 6:02
Heliosphan 4:51
We Are The Music Makers 7:42
Schottkey 7th Path 5:07
Ptolemy 7:12
Hedphelym 6:02
Delphium 5:36
Actium 7:35
APHEX TWIN
Selected Ambient Works 85-92
9.4
by David M. Pecoraro
FEBRUARY 19 2002
Stop me if this gets sappy. And it might.
https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/223-selected-ambient-works-85-92/
Because Selected Ambient Works 85-92—recently reissued by PIAS America—was the very first electronic music I ever bought, and certainly the first I ever heard over and over again. Long ago, before I was old enough to drive, I would sit in a small, cluttered bedroom in my parents’ suburban ranch house, absorbed for hours by the sounds contained on this disc. The creeping basslines, the constantly mutating drum patterns, the synth tones which moved with all the grace and fluidity of a professional dancer, the strange noises that I’d be unable to identify even if I tried. Back then, Aphex Twin was making music like nothing I’d ever heard before. What’s become apparent since is that I probably wasn’t the only one affected. After last year's disappointing Drukqs, it’s easy to forget that, back in the Warp Records heyday, Richard D. James was to this new breed of ambient and electronic music what Babe Ruth was to baseball. Sure, there were upstarts; µ-Ziq, Squarepusher, and Autechre were all on the scene by the time this collection hit shelves. But James was still the poster boy, the presumed ringmaster, single-handedly defining a style of music in the minds of many. Now, as a new wave of mostly twentysomethings step to the forefront of IDM, redefining electronic music for the third time in a decade, it becomes more and more obvious just how far reaching James’ influence was.
There’s nothing new about this re-release, aside from improved availability and decreased cost. But then, improving on this package would be near impossible. Sure, the music on Selected Ambient Works 85-92 may sound a bit dated (as does, to be fair, most electronic music more than a few years old), but there’s no denying it was the defining statement of Warp’s early years, and the foundation for the careers of bands like Boards of Canada and Plaid. The songs here are not ambient in the same way as those on this disc’s sequel. Technically, most fall into Brian Eno’s broad definition of the style—it can be appreciated in small segments just as much as in its entirety. The music develops slowly, unafraid to linger on a particularly effective sound for as long as necessary—the creeping keyboard loop of “Schottkey 7th Path,” for example, is continually modified throughout the course of the song, but never once eliminated from the mix—but James would never be content as a mere follower in anyone’s footsteps. His work here serves a model for what would come to be known as traditional IDM. A simpler version of the style we’ve grown accustomed to, certainly, but IDM nonetheless.
James’ early work is heavily indebted to early dance music, filled with beats so eminently danceable as to confuse those who only know him from the spastic drum patterns that came later. There’s little of that here, though. Selected Ambient Works 85-92 is, rather, an album stretching back to the days before software allowed for heavy sampling or glitch technology. Drum machines serve as its backbone and synthesized bass and keyboard sounds provide the meat. Most of the songs follow a relatively basic formula as well. One element—say, a synth melody—is introduced and repeated, and as new elements are added with each go round, the song gradually builds to a dense, multi-layered swirl. This Ravel-esque approach flavors much of James’ older material, and yet, despite the simplicity of his equipment and approach, the songs here are both interesting and varied, ranging from the dancefloor-friendly beats of “Pulsewidth” to the industrial clanks and whirs of “Green Calx.” Indeed, these early works do a fine job of showcasing James’ ability to transform even the most seemingly mundane patterns into something unique and interesting. “Hedphelym,” for instance, is built around a relentless headache-throb cliché of a house beat. But James surrounds the pulsation with an ethereal feedback that bleeds all over the track, leaving the percussion awash in a murky solution of synth tones, pairing dance music with ambience in ways the Orb never dreamed possible.
Slightly more structured (and equally enjoyable) is “We are the Music Makers,” a track which follows a drumbeat and a bassline past a pair of intertwined synth loops and a repeated Willy Wonka vocal sample as simple keyboard melodies pour down from overhead. But the aforementioned “Green Calx” is the closest Selected Ambient Works 85-92 comes to the spastic trickery of which James would become such a pioneer. It matches pitchshifted tones and drum machines with a burbling bassline, assorted machine-gun synth interjections, the slightly effected tones of various pistons, motors, and machines, and even the occasional cartoon spring noise. Moments like these serve to foreshadow both James’ later work, as well as the infinitely more complex twists and turns that IDM would make in the years that would follow. They say next to no one heard the Velvet Underground’s first album when it was released, but everyone who did went on to start a band. Listening to Selected Ambient Works 85-92, one can’t help but imagine the seeds being planted in the imaginations of the lucky few who were there when it all began. Nestled in these simple, undeniably danceable tracks are the roots of contemporary IDM. And despite its somewhat primitive origins, the final product remains among the most interesting ever created with a keyboard and a computer.
Aphex Twin - Selected Ambient Works 85-92
Label:
Apollo ?– AMB LP 3922
Format:
2 × Vinyl, LP, Album
Country:
Belgium
Released:
Nov 1992
Genre:
Electronic
Style:
Techno, IDM, Electro, Experimental, Ambient
Tracklist
Xtal 4:51
Tha 9:01
Pulsewidth 3:47
Ageispolis 5:21
I 1:13
Green Calx 6:02
Heliosphan 4:51
We Are The Music Makers 7:42
Schottkey 7th Path 5:07
Ptolemy 7:12
Hedphelym 6:02
Delphium 5:36
Actium 7:35
APHEX TWIN
Selected Ambient Works 85-92
9.4
by David M. Pecoraro
FEBRUARY 19 2002
Stop me if this gets sappy. And it might.
https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/223-selected-ambient-works-85-92/
Because Selected Ambient Works 85-92—recently reissued by PIAS America—was the very first electronic music I ever bought, and certainly the first I ever heard over and over again. Long ago, before I was old enough to drive, I would sit in a small, cluttered bedroom in my parents’ suburban ranch house, absorbed for hours by the sounds contained on this disc. The creeping basslines, the constantly mutating drum patterns, the synth tones which moved with all the grace and fluidity of a professional dancer, the strange noises that I’d be unable to identify even if I tried. Back then, Aphex Twin was making music like nothing I’d ever heard before. What’s become apparent since is that I probably wasn’t the only one affected. After last year's disappointing Drukqs, it’s easy to forget that, back in the Warp Records heyday, Richard D. James was to this new breed of ambient and electronic music what Babe Ruth was to baseball. Sure, there were upstarts; µ-Ziq, Squarepusher, and Autechre were all on the scene by the time this collection hit shelves. But James was still the poster boy, the presumed ringmaster, single-handedly defining a style of music in the minds of many. Now, as a new wave of mostly twentysomethings step to the forefront of IDM, redefining electronic music for the third time in a decade, it becomes more and more obvious just how far reaching James’ influence was.
There’s nothing new about this re-release, aside from improved availability and decreased cost. But then, improving on this package would be near impossible. Sure, the music on Selected Ambient Works 85-92 may sound a bit dated (as does, to be fair, most electronic music more than a few years old), but there’s no denying it was the defining statement of Warp’s early years, and the foundation for the careers of bands like Boards of Canada and Plaid. The songs here are not ambient in the same way as those on this disc’s sequel. Technically, most fall into Brian Eno’s broad definition of the style—it can be appreciated in small segments just as much as in its entirety. The music develops slowly, unafraid to linger on a particularly effective sound for as long as necessary—the creeping keyboard loop of “Schottkey 7th Path,” for example, is continually modified throughout the course of the song, but never once eliminated from the mix—but James would never be content as a mere follower in anyone’s footsteps. His work here serves a model for what would come to be known as traditional IDM. A simpler version of the style we’ve grown accustomed to, certainly, but IDM nonetheless.
James’ early work is heavily indebted to early dance music, filled with beats so eminently danceable as to confuse those who only know him from the spastic drum patterns that came later. There’s little of that here, though. Selected Ambient Works 85-92 is, rather, an album stretching back to the days before software allowed for heavy sampling or glitch technology. Drum machines serve as its backbone and synthesized bass and keyboard sounds provide the meat. Most of the songs follow a relatively basic formula as well. One element—say, a synth melody—is introduced and repeated, and as new elements are added with each go round, the song gradually builds to a dense, multi-layered swirl. This Ravel-esque approach flavors much of James’ older material, and yet, despite the simplicity of his equipment and approach, the songs here are both interesting and varied, ranging from the dancefloor-friendly beats of “Pulsewidth” to the industrial clanks and whirs of “Green Calx.” Indeed, these early works do a fine job of showcasing James’ ability to transform even the most seemingly mundane patterns into something unique and interesting. “Hedphelym,” for instance, is built around a relentless headache-throb cliché of a house beat. But James surrounds the pulsation with an ethereal feedback that bleeds all over the track, leaving the percussion awash in a murky solution of synth tones, pairing dance music with ambience in ways the Orb never dreamed possible.
Slightly more structured (and equally enjoyable) is “We are the Music Makers,” a track which follows a drumbeat and a bassline past a pair of intertwined synth loops and a repeated Willy Wonka vocal sample as simple keyboard melodies pour down from overhead. But the aforementioned “Green Calx” is the closest Selected Ambient Works 85-92 comes to the spastic trickery of which James would become such a pioneer. It matches pitchshifted tones and drum machines with a burbling bassline, assorted machine-gun synth interjections, the slightly effected tones of various pistons, motors, and machines, and even the occasional cartoon spring noise. Moments like these serve to foreshadow both James’ later work, as well as the infinitely more complex twists and turns that IDM would make in the years that would follow. They say next to no one heard the Velvet Underground’s first album when it was released, but everyone who did went on to start a band. Listening to Selected Ambient Works 85-92, one can’t help but imagine the seeds being planted in the imaginations of the lucky few who were there when it all began. Nestled in these simple, undeniably danceable tracks are the roots of contemporary IDM. And despite its somewhat primitive origins, the final product remains among the most interesting ever created with a keyboard and a computer.
November 15, 2020
Election results, 2020: State legislative chambers that changed party control
https://ballotpedia.org/State_legislative_elections,_2020
Updated November 13, 2020
Eighty-six of 99 state legislative chambers across 44 states held general elections on November 3, 2020. As of November 13, partisan control flipped in two chambers—Republicans gained majorities in the New Hampshire House of Representatives and the New Hampshire State Senate. Majority control of the Alaska House of Representatives remained undecided.
Heading into the 2020 elections, Republicans had majorities in 59 chambers and Democrats had majorities in 39 chambers. In the Alaska House, there was a power-sharing agreement between the parties as part of a coalition.
The National Conference of State Legislatures' Tim Storey and Wendy Underhill wrote, "With just two chamber flips so far, it looks like 2020 will see the least party control changes on Election Day since at least 1944 when only four chambers changed hands. In the 1926 and 1928 elections, only one chamber changed hands."
As a result of the 2020 elections, Republicans have so far gained trifectas—single-party control of the governorship and both state legislative chambers—in two states: New Hampshire and Montana. In New Hampshire, Gov. Chris Sununu (R) won re-election. In Montana, Republicans maintained majorities in both legislative chambers and Greg Gianforte (R) won the gubernatorial race.
snip
Detailed Statehouse breakdown We had 0 flips, lost both NH chambers, may lose the now split AK House
We also BARELY held the MN House (atm around 560 to 570 total votes spread over 4 districts (6A (only a 40 vote margin for the Dem atm), 33B , 38B, and 39B) are all that is keeping the Rethugs from flipping it back (we flipped it in 2018) as well.
The nation is so partisan now. IF the Rethugs take the Alaska House (it is a nightmare to explain, lol, with power sharing Repugs propping up a split coalition with multiple indies as well), then the ONLY State with divided chambers is Minnesota, and 600 votes (atm, there will be multiple recounts) or so the wrong way and the Rethugs would have grabbed that too and then there would be NO states with divided statehouses. New Hampshire and Montana (they won the Governorship) gave the Rethugs their 22nd and 23rd Trifectas (control of Governor, and both Houses), Alaska would be the 24th. We have only 15 Trifectas. Only 11 or 12 (depending on the AK House) States have divided state government. Of those, 7 are divided only because Democratic governors won in Red (and 2 purples, PA and WI) states. Walz in MN would be all that stood in Minnesota's way if the Rethugs had flipped the House back there.
We are so losing the battle at the lower levels of government, and it has upward negative blowback at the federal level as well. We need a far bigger, more sophisticated state-centric level national apparatus to start to claw these statehouses back and to stop the rot of Rethug systemic control they achieve via voter suppression, election fraud, gerrymandering (both statehouse and US House), etc.
This is all likely going to fuck us when the post-2020 Census redistricting goes down, as the Rethugs can gerrymander away again, both at statehouse and US House levels, and may help cost us control of the US House in 2022 or beyond.
The nation is so partisan now. IF the Rethugs take the Alaska House (it is a nightmare to explain, lol, with power sharing Repugs propping up a split coalition with multiple indies as well), then the ONLY State with divided chambers is Minnesota, and 600 votes (atm, there will be multiple recounts) or so the wrong way and the Rethugs would have grabbed that too and then there would be NO states with divided statehouses. New Hampshire and Montana (they won the Governorship) gave the Rethugs their 22nd and 23rd Trifectas (control of Governor, and both Houses), Alaska would be the 24th. We have only 15 Trifectas. Only 11 or 12 (depending on the AK House) States have divided state government. Of those, 7 are divided only because Democratic governors won in Red (and 2 purples, PA and WI) states. Walz in MN would be all that stood in Minnesota's way if the Rethugs had flipped the House back there.
We are so losing the battle at the lower levels of government, and it has upward negative blowback at the federal level as well. We need a far bigger, more sophisticated state-centric level national apparatus to start to claw these statehouses back and to stop the rot of Rethug systemic control they achieve via voter suppression, election fraud, gerrymandering (both statehouse and US House), etc.
This is all likely going to fuck us when the post-2020 Census redistricting goes down, as the Rethugs can gerrymander away again, both at statehouse and US House levels, and may help cost us control of the US House in 2022 or beyond.
Election results, 2020: State legislative chambers that changed party control
https://ballotpedia.org/State_legislative_elections,_2020
Updated November 13, 2020
Eighty-six of 99 state legislative chambers across 44 states held general elections on November 3, 2020. As of November 13, partisan control flipped in two chambers—Republicans gained majorities in the New Hampshire House of Representatives and the New Hampshire State Senate. Majority control of the Alaska House of Representatives remained undecided.
Heading into the 2020 elections, Republicans had majorities in 59 chambers and Democrats had majorities in 39 chambers. In the Alaska House, there was a power-sharing agreement between the parties as part of a coalition.
The National Conference of State Legislatures' Tim Storey and Wendy Underhill wrote, "With just two chamber flips so far, it looks like 2020 will see the least party control changes on Election Day since at least 1944 when only four chambers changed hands. In the 1926 and 1928 elections, only one chamber changed hands."
As a result of the 2020 elections, Republicans have so far gained trifectas—single-party control of the governorship and both state legislative chambers—in two states: New Hampshire and Montana. In New Hampshire, Gov. Chris Sununu (R) won re-election. In Montana, Republicans maintained majorities in both legislative chambers and Greg Gianforte (R) won the gubernatorial race.
snip
November 15, 2020
The US crossed the 250,000 COVID-19 death barrier on Friday the 13th, now at 251,256 deaths
Subtracting out the sub 80K population micro states of San Marino (Belgium will soon pass it as the number one nation in terms of deaths per million) and Andorra, the US is now 9th in terms of deaths per million. Many of the the South American nations are absolutely exploding across the board as well.
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/
November 12, 2020
Democratic candidate Rita Hart is planning to file a recount request in the race for Iowa's 2nd Congressional District, where she trails Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks by only 48 votes. Hart's campaign manager noted Thursday that there have been errors in tabulation and data-entry identified in two counties in the past week.
"Multiple consequential errors have materialized in this race that have serious implications for the district's future representation. Given the errors found in Jasper and Lucas counties at the eleventh hour, we are moving forward today with requests for a complete recount of each precinct in the Second Congressional District to make sure all results have been reported accurately. Anything less will perpetuate doubt around this election," Zach Meunier said in a statement.
Iowa's secretary of state had already ordered an audit and recount in Lucas County on Tuesday, after one precinct reported test data and not the actual vote count. A similar order was issued in Jasper County, after a data error resulted in votes being given incorrectly to Miller-Meeks. The recount will be handled by county auditors and is expected to begin next week.
The race between Hart and Miller-Meeks is the closest House race in the country. CBS has not called the race, though Miller-Meeks claimed victory on Tuesday after counties conducted their canvassing on Tuesday.
snip
Rita Hart
Mariannette Miller-Meeks
Iowa Democratic House candidate to request recount -- she's trailing by 48 votes
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/rita-hart-election-results-iowa-trails-48-votes-request-recount/Democratic candidate Rita Hart is planning to file a recount request in the race for Iowa's 2nd Congressional District, where she trails Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks by only 48 votes. Hart's campaign manager noted Thursday that there have been errors in tabulation and data-entry identified in two counties in the past week.
"Multiple consequential errors have materialized in this race that have serious implications for the district's future representation. Given the errors found in Jasper and Lucas counties at the eleventh hour, we are moving forward today with requests for a complete recount of each precinct in the Second Congressional District to make sure all results have been reported accurately. Anything less will perpetuate doubt around this election," Zach Meunier said in a statement.
Iowa's secretary of state had already ordered an audit and recount in Lucas County on Tuesday, after one precinct reported test data and not the actual vote count. A similar order was issued in Jasper County, after a data error resulted in votes being given incorrectly to Miller-Meeks. The recount will be handled by county auditors and is expected to begin next week.
The race between Hart and Miller-Meeks is the closest House race in the country. CBS has not called the race, though Miller-Meeks claimed victory on Tuesday after counties conducted their canvassing on Tuesday.
snip
Rita Hart
Mariannette Miller-Meeks
November 11, 2020
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/10/nyregion/brian-maiorana-threat-fbi-schumer.html
On Sunday, as votes were still being tallied in one of the most hotly contested elections in United States history, Brian Maiorana took to social media with a dark and violent message, prosecutors say.
Citing the anti-government novel “The Turner Diaries,” in which Jews and nonwhites are exterminated, Mr. Maiorana wrote that he wanted to “blow up” an F.B.I. building and made an anti-Semitic reference to “the Jew Senator from Jew York,” a veiled threat apparently directed at Senator Chuck Schumer, the Democratic leader.
In an early morning raid Tuesday, the authorities arrested Mr. Maiorana, 54, at his house on Staten Island. Later in the day, he was charged in court with making threatening interstate communications. Tuesday evening, he was brought before a magistrate judge in Brooklyn federal court who ordered that he be detained pending a bail hearing.
Prosecutors said that starting in September, Mr. Maiorana had used a social media platform to post multiple threats to kill protesters, politicians and law enforcement officers. The prosecutors did not specify which online platform Mr. Maiorana used. His Facebook page is topped with the hashtag #All Lives Matter and makes clear that he supports President Trump, but it shows no sign of violent messages.
snip
Man Arrested Over Threat to Schumer and Vow to 'Blow Up' F.B.I.
Federal prosecutors said the Staten Island man cited the reactionary anti-government novel “The Turner Diaries.”https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/10/nyregion/brian-maiorana-threat-fbi-schumer.html
On Sunday, as votes were still being tallied in one of the most hotly contested elections in United States history, Brian Maiorana took to social media with a dark and violent message, prosecutors say.
Citing the anti-government novel “The Turner Diaries,” in which Jews and nonwhites are exterminated, Mr. Maiorana wrote that he wanted to “blow up” an F.B.I. building and made an anti-Semitic reference to “the Jew Senator from Jew York,” a veiled threat apparently directed at Senator Chuck Schumer, the Democratic leader.
In an early morning raid Tuesday, the authorities arrested Mr. Maiorana, 54, at his house on Staten Island. Later in the day, he was charged in court with making threatening interstate communications. Tuesday evening, he was brought before a magistrate judge in Brooklyn federal court who ordered that he be detained pending a bail hearing.
Prosecutors said that starting in September, Mr. Maiorana had used a social media platform to post multiple threats to kill protesters, politicians and law enforcement officers. The prosecutors did not specify which online platform Mr. Maiorana used. His Facebook page is topped with the hashtag #All Lives Matter and makes clear that he supports President Trump, but it shows no sign of violent messages.
snip
November 11, 2020
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/11/10/biden-cabinet-house-democrats-435800
Congressional Democrats spent months openly jockeying for a potential Biden Cabinet spot. Then came the Election Day train wreck. Democrats’ disappointing down-ballot finish — failing to take the Senate majority outright and losing critical seats in the House — has put a serious damper on the prospect of their own members being plucked from Congress to join President-elect Joe Biden’s administration.
There are still more than a half-dozen Hill Democrats being floated as Biden appointees or advisers, including Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware and Reps. Karen Bass of California and Cedric Richmond of Louisiana. But plenty more Democrats — many in seats the party can’t afford to lose — are effectively off the short list, with one lawmaker making a play for the Cabinet describing their current Hill tenure as a “disqualifying factor.”
"The Biden administration has to be a lot more sensitive of where you come from if you’re looking at members of Congress,” Rep. Gerry Connolly of Virginia said in an interview. “We cannot afford to put any seats in jeopardy.” In the Senate, Democrats privately acknowledge that liberals Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) no longer stand a chance of confirmation as long as Mitch McConnell remains majority leader. And even if Democrats flip a pair of Senate seats in Georgia early next year to take a 50-50 majority, opposition from centrist Democrats could stifle liberal appointees anyway.
Not to mention, while much of the Cabinet is typically filled out by December, Biden signaled Tuesday he is moving fast — saying he will name a “couple” of Cabinet nominees before Thanksgiving even as President Donald Trump refuses to concede. And in the House, Democrats say they’re unwilling to risk a competitive special election next year that could further diminish its thin majority, putting an end to speculation around swing-district Democrats such as Rep. Katie Porter in Orange County, who has been revered by the left.
snip
Hill Dems eyeing Cabinet posts see their hopes shrink
Democrats, disappointed by last week’s election results in the House and Senate, now see fewer chances to join a Biden administration.https://www.politico.com/news/2020/11/10/biden-cabinet-house-democrats-435800
Congressional Democrats spent months openly jockeying for a potential Biden Cabinet spot. Then came the Election Day train wreck. Democrats’ disappointing down-ballot finish — failing to take the Senate majority outright and losing critical seats in the House — has put a serious damper on the prospect of their own members being plucked from Congress to join President-elect Joe Biden’s administration.
There are still more than a half-dozen Hill Democrats being floated as Biden appointees or advisers, including Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware and Reps. Karen Bass of California and Cedric Richmond of Louisiana. But plenty more Democrats — many in seats the party can’t afford to lose — are effectively off the short list, with one lawmaker making a play for the Cabinet describing their current Hill tenure as a “disqualifying factor.”
"The Biden administration has to be a lot more sensitive of where you come from if you’re looking at members of Congress,” Rep. Gerry Connolly of Virginia said in an interview. “We cannot afford to put any seats in jeopardy.” In the Senate, Democrats privately acknowledge that liberals Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) no longer stand a chance of confirmation as long as Mitch McConnell remains majority leader. And even if Democrats flip a pair of Senate seats in Georgia early next year to take a 50-50 majority, opposition from centrist Democrats could stifle liberal appointees anyway.
Not to mention, while much of the Cabinet is typically filled out by December, Biden signaled Tuesday he is moving fast — saying he will name a “couple” of Cabinet nominees before Thanksgiving even as President Donald Trump refuses to concede. And in the House, Democrats say they’re unwilling to risk a competitive special election next year that could further diminish its thin majority, putting an end to speculation around swing-district Democrats such as Rep. Katie Porter in Orange County, who has been revered by the left.
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November 10, 2020
Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia have signed an agreement to end military conflict over the disputed enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan called the deal "incredibly painful both for me and both for our people". It follows six weeks of fighting between Azerbaijan and ethnic Armenians. The region is internationally recognised as Azerbaijani but has been run by ethnic Armenians since 1994.
A Russian-brokered truce was signed at the end of the war in the early 1990s but there was no peace deal. Although both sides took steps to reduce tensions last year, fighting erupted at the end of September and several attempts to end the conflict failed. The new ceasefire agreement prompted anger in Armenia, as protesters stormed the parliament, beating up the speaker and reportedly looting the prime minister's office.
What has been agreed?
The peace deal, which was signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenia's prime minister, took effect on Tuesday from 01:00 local time (21:00 GMT Monday). Under the deal, Azerbaijan will hold on to areas of Nagorno-Karabakh that it has taken during the conflict. Armenia has also agreed to withdraw from several other adjacent areas over the next few weeks. The BBC's Orla Guerin in Baku says that, overall, the deal should be read as a victory for Azerbaijan and a defeat for Armenia.
During a televised online address, President Putin said that Russian peacekeepers would be deployed to patrol the front line. Russia's defence ministry confirmed that 1,960 personnel would be involved and reports said planes had left an airbase at Ulyanovsk on Tuesday carrying peacekeepers and armoured personnel carriers to Karabakh. Part of their role will be to guard the "Lachin corridor", which links the Karabakh capital, Stepanakert, to Armenia. Turkey will also take part in the peacekeeping process, according to Azerbaijan's president, who joined President Putin during the address.
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Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia sign Nagorno-Karabakh peace deal
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-54882564Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia have signed an agreement to end military conflict over the disputed enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan called the deal "incredibly painful both for me and both for our people". It follows six weeks of fighting between Azerbaijan and ethnic Armenians. The region is internationally recognised as Azerbaijani but has been run by ethnic Armenians since 1994.
A Russian-brokered truce was signed at the end of the war in the early 1990s but there was no peace deal. Although both sides took steps to reduce tensions last year, fighting erupted at the end of September and several attempts to end the conflict failed. The new ceasefire agreement prompted anger in Armenia, as protesters stormed the parliament, beating up the speaker and reportedly looting the prime minister's office.
What has been agreed?
The peace deal, which was signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenia's prime minister, took effect on Tuesday from 01:00 local time (21:00 GMT Monday). Under the deal, Azerbaijan will hold on to areas of Nagorno-Karabakh that it has taken during the conflict. Armenia has also agreed to withdraw from several other adjacent areas over the next few weeks. The BBC's Orla Guerin in Baku says that, overall, the deal should be read as a victory for Azerbaijan and a defeat for Armenia.
During a televised online address, President Putin said that Russian peacekeepers would be deployed to patrol the front line. Russia's defence ministry confirmed that 1,960 personnel would be involved and reports said planes had left an airbase at Ulyanovsk on Tuesday carrying peacekeepers and armoured personnel carriers to Karabakh. Part of their role will be to guard the "Lachin corridor", which links the Karabakh capital, Stepanakert, to Armenia. Turkey will also take part in the peacekeeping process, according to Azerbaijan's president, who joined President Putin during the address.
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