Anthony Weiner Cancels Speech to Spend Time With His Wife

How Flood of Democratic Money in Wake of RBG Death Is Changing Senate Map

By Ben Jacobs

Around $100 million has come in for Democratic Senate candidates since RBG’s death, which could be pivotal in states like Alaska.

Most Popular

8:44 a.m.

“When you’re a star, they let you do it”

“When you have the Senate, when you have the votes, you can sort of do what you want as long as you have it,” says Trump, defending moving ahead with SCOTUS nomination 44 days until the election after GOP wouldn’t move ahead with Garland eight months before an election

—@mkraju

6:00 a.m.

first person

When Coronavirus Came to Sing Sing

By John J. Lennon

“We faced our worst fear: dying in prison.”

12:59 a.m.

vision 2020

Virginia Trump Supporters Help Trump in His Push to Make It Harder to Vote

By Matt Stieb

After Trump encouraged crowds to be “poll watchers,” a group of Virginia supporters protested early voting and may have engaged in voter intimidation.

Where GOP Senators Stand on Filling Ginsburg’s Seat Before the Election

By Matt Stieb

Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins are, for now, the only GOP senators to state their intention not to vote on a nominee prior to the election.

RBG’s Death: Latest Updates on Reaction, Political Aftermath

ruth bader ginsburg

By Chas Danner

The enormous political ramifications are continuing to play out.

Trump Wants $5 Billion From TikTok Deal to Go to ‘Patriotic Education’

tiktok

By Matt Stieb

Trump gave his “blessing” for Oracle to buy TikTok’s U.S. operations, though he demanded a financial package for his proposed education initiative.

9/20/2020

Federal judge blocks Trump’s WeChat ban

A federal judge has temporarily blocked President Donald Trump’s executive order banning WeChat downloads in the United States. In issuing the preliminary injunction, Judge Laurel Beeler wrote that the plaintiffs — a group of US-based WeChat users who stand to be affected by Trump’s ban — had shown “serious questions” in their claim that the executive order threatens the users’ First Amendment rights.

“The plaintiffs’ evidence reflects that WeChat is effectively the only means of communication for many in the community, not only because China bans other apps, but also because Chinese speakers with limited English proficiency have no options other than WeChat,” Beeler wrote.

Nor does the order escape First Amendment scrutiny under an easier standard known as intermediate scrutiny, the judge said, because the ban on WeChat does not provide enough evidence that it is narrowly tailored to resolve the US government’s national security concerns with respect to the app.

“And, as the plaintiffs point out,” Beeler wrote, “there are obvious alternatives to a complete ban, such as barring WeChat from government devices, as Australia has done, or taking other steps to address data security.”

Judge temporarily blocks US WeChat ban

—CNN

9/20/2020

It won’t be the last time this happens, or the worst instance

A group of Trump supporters waving campaign flags disrupted the second day of early voting in Fairfax, Va., on Saturday, chanting “four more years” as voters entered a polling location and, at one point, forming a line that voters had to walk around outside the site.

County election officials eventually were forced to open up a larger portion of the Fairfax County Government Center to allow voters to wait inside away from the Trump enthusiasts.

Election officials said that the group stayed about 100 feet from the entrance to the building and, contrary to posts on social media, were not directly blocking access to the building. But they acknowledged that some voters and polling staff members felt intimidated by what some saw as protesters.

Trump Supporters Disrupt Early Voting in Virginia

—The New York Times

Ginsburg’s Example Shows Us How to Save Our Democracy

By Barbara McQuade

No matter the obstacle, RBG’s steadfast optimism and commitment to principle saw her through. We can and must follow her lead.

9/19/2020

Trump endorses the Oracle-TikTok deal

President Trump said he has agreed in concept to a deal under which Chinese-owned video-sharing app TikTok will partner with Oracle and Walmart to become a U.S.-based company, capping negotiations that have stirred debate over national security and the future of the internet.

“I have given the deal my blessing, if they get it done that’s OK too, if they don’t that’s fine too,” Mr. Trump told reporters at the White House on Saturday.

Under the terms of the deal, Walmart and Oracle would share a 20% stake in a new U.S.-based entity that will operate TikTok, with Oracle likely getting a somewhat larger piece between those two, according to a person familiar with the deal. The person said that under the deal, U.S. companies and investors would have a 53% ownership—satisfying U.S. demands for the new company to be under American control. Chinese investors would have a 36% stake, with other investors largely from Europe having 11%, this person said.

The president said the agreement will result in the creation of 25,000 jobs, mostly in Texas, adding that the new company will still be called TikTok and “will have nothing to do with China.”

Trump Signs Off on Deal Allowing TikTok to Continue U.S. Operations

—The Wall Street Journal

9/19/2020

abortion

We Could Lose Roe v. Wade Next Year. What Now?

By Bridget Read

Don’t stockpile Plan B. Do donate to abortion funds. And start organizing immediately.

9/19/2020

the body politic

It Shouldn’t Have Come Down to Her

By Rebecca Traister

Some will try to blame Ruth Bader Ginsburg for not stepping down sooner. They are missing the point.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg: A Life Remembered in Pictures

By Intelligencer Staff

A look back at key moments in the Supreme Court justice’s pioneering career, and her ascent to icon status in American culture.

Why Mitch McConnell Will Try to Fill RBG’s Court Seat

ruth bader ginsburg

By Jonathan Chait and Benjamin Hart

After RBG’s death, the Senate majority leader will do everything he can to push the balance of the court to the right. Odds are in his favor.

Will Trump Rush to Replace RBG on the Supreme Court?

supreme court

By Ed Kilgore

It’s obvious the GOP will view RBG’s sad demise as a windfall. But odds remain high that her replacement will be made by the next president

How the Battle to Fill RBG’s SCOTUS Seat Could Spark a Constitutional Crisis

scotus

By Ben Jacobs

It turns out that the United States didn’t need to wait until Election Day to undergo a political meltdown.

Here’s Who Trump Might Nominate to Replace RBG on the Supreme Court

ruth bader ginsburg

By Sarah Jones

The judges and politicians on Trump’s Supreme Court shortlist hold extremely conservative views on voting rights, abortion, and even contraception.

I learned, while writing about her, that her precision disguised her warmth.

remembrance

The Glorious RBG

By Irin Carmon

Biden’s Campaign Has a New, Populist Theme. Will It Work?

the national interest

By Jonathan Chait

Out: the soul of America. In: Scranton versus Park Avenue.

The 2020 Hurricane Season Is Officially Out of Names

extreme weather

By Chas Danner

The record-breaking hurricane season has forced meteorologists to use the Greek alphabet to name storms for only the second time in history.

9/18/2020

Based on what, exactly?

TRUMP: “We expect to have enough vaccines for every American by April.”

—@ryanstruyk

New, Highly Credible Polls Offer Bad News For Trump

poll position

By Ed Kilgore

Trump is not doing well in states he really needs to win (like Arizona), and his troubles are dragging down Republican Senate candidates.

9/18/2020

The CDC’s credibility has taken a major hit

NEW YORK (AP) – U.S. health officials on Friday dropped a controversial piece of coronavirus guidance and said anyone who has been in close contact with an infected person should get tested.@CDCgov

—@carlquintanilla

A White House Aide Just Warned Us That Donald Trump Is a Sociopath

the national interest

By Jonathan Chait

“Flat-out disregard for human life.” Sounds dangerous.

How Democrats’ Reliance on Mail-In Voting Could Help Trump

vote by mail

By Eric Levitz

Even if the Postal Service does a perfect job this November.

9/18/2020

Another good poll for Biden shows a mostly familiar picture

NPR/PBS/Marist national poll

LIKELY VOTERS

Biden/Harris 52%
Trump/Pence 43%

**

Men: Trump+4
Women: Biden+20

White no college: Trump+30
White college+: Biden+35

Independents: Biden+21

Suburban: Biden+14

White evangelicals: Trump+46

65 or older: Biden+4

—@sahilkapur