By Robert A. Vella
Today’s headline news stories cover President Trump’s voter suppression efforts (plus links to help you make sure your vote is counted in the November election), some coronavirus pandemic updates, disinformation campaigns by Trump and his allies (including the news magazine Newsweek) intended to deceive the American people, and more stories for this Saturday.
Voter suppression
Postal Service Warns [46] States of Delays to Mail-In Ballots
Vote by mail: Faulty election mailers create confusion
Arizona secretary of state accuses Trump of trying to ‘sabotage’ postal service
House Democrat files criminal referral accusing Trump of subverting election
Postal Service inspector general investigates changes at post offices
Romney breaks with Trump’s criticism of mail-in voting
Donald Trump campaign’s poll-watching plans spark fears of voter suppression
What Matters: How to make sure your 2020 mail-in vote is counted
How To Vote In The 2020 Election – A state-by-state guide to voting in the age of COVID-19
Coronavirus pandemic
Romney slams Trump administration over U.S. coronavirus death toll — ‘There’s no way to spin that’
CDC backtracks guidance on three-month window of [COVID-19] immunity
Disinformation campaigns
From: Mueller deputy Weissmann criticizes DOJ for bringing case against ex-FBI lawyer [Kevin Clinesmith]
“Question for [U.S. Attorney General William Barr]: how are [former national security adviser Michael Flynn’s] confessed lies to the FBI (repeated to the VP) not a crime, but Clinesmith changing an email (the full version of which he also sent to DOJ) is?” Weissmann tweeted, referencing the Justice Department’s controversial move to withdraw its case against Flynn, who had already pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI.
GOP senator [Ron Johnson] draws fire from all sides on Biden, Obama-era probes
It Took Newsweek Three Days and a Staff Revolt to Apologize for Kamala Harris Birtherism Op-Ed
More headlines
[3-judge panel for] Federal [appeals] court strikes down California’s ban on high-capacity magazines
U.S. judge dismisses NRA lawsuit challenging gun shop closures in New York state
The Secular Jurist 
Will mail voting lead to election fraud?
It seems that the answer is YES — it will lead to blatant fraud by Trump and his appointed people.
I’m inclined to suspect that it is too blatant to be successful.
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Me too, Neil; but, it is concerning.
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“Pentagon launches task force to study UFO sightings”
~ First the formation of a Space Force…now this. Intriguing development. More distraction from our disastrous pandemic response?
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I’m not sure. The Defense Department’s interest in UFOs precedes the Trump administration.
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I sure as heck hope they don’t shoot down the Mother Ship when it returns to Earth for me…which I’m hoping is damn soon. 🙂
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Please, take me with you – lol! 😀
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for sure
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LOL. Since I’m not sure whether they are friend or foe, I’ll let you board first 🙂
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Let’s hope they come get trump and company
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That would be great!
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LOL. In that case, Mary, I would definitely not be joining that flight 🙂
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Trump’s “poll watchers” amounts to naught more than voter intimidation, in my book, and must surely be illegal???
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Yes, it sure is voter intimidation. From my understanding, it is legal as long as “poll watchers” don’t overtly threaten voters, interfere with their voting, or commit any other crimes.
A few weeks ago, I suggested on TOKYOSAND’s blog that we get more serious about countering Trump’s fascist assault on democracy. For example: If they can have poll watchers, then so can we. Although none of my suggestions advocated for anything illegal or violent, it fell on deaf ears. I asked: isn’t saving democracy worth it? For some, apparently, it isn’t worth it; and that, Jill, is what worries me the most.
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That troubles me, too, Robert. I suspect that white middle and upper class Americans take what’s left of our democracy for granted.
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They do, but apathy towards democracy isn’t just limited to those demographic groups. Young people, in particular, have a very poor appreciation of democracy and especially for the authoritarian consequences of democracy’s demise.
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For many, though, just their presence may feel like a threat. I share your concern about saving our democracy, my friend. Listening to friends and family, the general consensus seems to be “Oh well, it will all work out … it always does”. These are NOT normal times, and no, I don’t think it will simply “all work out” without concerted effort on our parts. I wonder if that is what German citizens were saying in 1933, that it would somehow magically just “work out”? I, too, am worried, Robert … very much so.
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Yes, the German example is analogous. Our blogger friend Padre Steve has written extensively and eloquently on the subject. Also, I suggest your friends and family read Sinclair Lewis’ 1935 fictional novel It Can’t Happen Here. Hopefully, it might enlighten them.
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Interesting you should mention Sinclair Lewis’ book, for I re-read it last year, and even wrote a post about it in January 2019. Hmmm … perhaps I should re-dux that post sometime soon. And yes, Padre Steve has done some excellent posts on this, a few of which I’ve re-blogged … he is indeed a wise and educated man.
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