Teaser Settings body
I am the FIRST!!!
regular 4 post ff
infinite scroll 4 pff
Sep. 22, 2020 09:32PM EST
FBI: Foreign actors likely to sow disinformation about delays in election results
The FBI and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency released a public service announcement on Tuesday warning that mail-in ballots "could leave officials with incomplete results on election night," and that foreign actors are likely to spread disinformation about the delays.
The bottom line: The agencies called on the public to "critically evaluate the sources of the information they consume and to seek out reliable and verified information from trusted sources," including state and local election officials.
The big picture: The agencies expect foreign malign actors to disseminate false reports of "voter suppression, cyberattacks targeting election infrastructure, voter or ballot fraud, and other problems intended to convince the public of the elections’ illegitimacy."
- In addition, the perpetrators "could create new websites, change existing websites, and create or share corresponding social media content to spread false information in an attempt to discredit the electoral process and undermine confidence in U.S. democratic institutions."
Between the lines: The alert echoes the warning of FBI Director Chris Wray, who last week told Congress he fears a "steady drumbeat of misinformation and sort of amplification of smaller cyber intrusions" could sow distrust in the results of the election.
- President Trump has been among the most high-profile figures to stoke fears of election-night fraud, warning in an interview with "Axios on HBO" that "lots of things can happen" with voting by mail if the presidential race isn't decided on election night.
- Election experts say there's a good chance that the presidential race won't be decided on election night because of the large volume of mail-in voting, but this does not mean that widespread fraud or an inaccurate count are anticipated.
Go deeper: The lines are blurring between foreign and domestic disinformation
Keep reading...Show less
Oct. 02, 2020 09:30AM EST
Conservatives invoke JFK to defend ACB
The Judicial Crisis Network is enlisting John F. Kennedy's voice in a new ad defending Supreme Court Nominee Amy Coney Barrett against concerns that her Catholic faith will guide her judicial decisions.
Details: The ad relies on then-Senator Kennedy's famous speech on religious tolerance ahead of his election as the nation's first Catholic president.
- "Today I may be the victim," Kennedy told the Greater Houston Ministerial Association in September 1960. "But tomorrow it may be you."
Reality check: While most Supreme Court justices have been Protestant over the course of U.S. history, Catholics currently comprise a majority of the nation's high court.
The big picture: "JFK" is the latest ad in a $10 million blitz by the conservative group as they brace for contentious confirmation hearings starting Oct. 12, just three weeks before election day.
- Reserving time in Colorado, Iowa and West Virginia, JCN is hoping to sway senators from those states to support Barrett and secure her confirmation.
- Organizations on both sides of the aisle are spending millions to try to influence lawmakers in the fight to fill Ruth Bader Ginsburg'sseat and energize socially-driven voters ahead of November.
The backdrop: The Trump campaign and conservative groups have been sensitive to speculation by Democrats about how Barrett's own faith could impact rulings.
- Democrats fear going too hard on Barrett in her confirmation hearings could backfire but that's also because she's a woman.
- They plan to give Democratic vice presidential nominee Sen. Kamala Harris a spotlight to shine attention on Barrett's history on health care and labor rights.
Keep reading...Show less
Dec. 15, 2020 06:07PM EST
FDA grants emergency authorization to first over-the-counter, at-home COVID antigen test
The Food and Drug Administration granted emergency authorization Tuesday to Ellume's over-the-counter antigen COVID-19 test for fully at-home use.
Why it matters: Once available, a person in theory would be able to buy the test in a drug store, swab their nose, and run the test for results in about 20 minutes.
- The company anticipates selling the test at about $30 or less. Ellume's goal is to produce 3 million tests by January and to deliver 20 million tests by the first of half of next year.
The big picture: Currently, home kits that test for the novel coronavirus either still need a prescription or require swabs be shipped to a lab, which could take days for results.
How it works: The rapid test can be used by symptomatic and asymptomatic users ages 2 years and above. This type of test detects fragments of proteins of the SARS-CoV-2 virus from a nasal swab sample.
- A clinical study demonstrated overall sensitivity of 95% and specificity of 97%, according to Ellume.
Yes, but: Like all other antigen tests, "a small percentage of positive and negative results from this test may be false," the FDA notes.
- "Patients without symptoms, positive results should be treated as presumptively positive until confirmed by another test as soon as possible."
Keep reading...Show less
Jan. 06, 2021 11:00AM EST
Your guide to Congress' certification of Biden's win
There's no doubt about the outcome — Congress will ratify Joe Biden's election win and he'll be sworn in on Jan. 20 — but that won't stop today's political theater that may drag late into the night.
- Here's our guide to watching the certification debate, with input from legislative aides, historians, election experts and Axios' Ursula Perano.
Details: The House of Representatives and Senate will meet in joint session in the House chamber at 1 p.m. ET to officially count and certify the 538 electoral votes ratified in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
- Expect objections (in alphabetical order) from members in both chambers to results from Arizona, Georgia and Pennsylvania. There may be other objections raised, but to be debated they must be raised in both chambers.
- Republican Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas, Kelly Loeffler of Georgia and Josh Hawley of Missouri will be among the objectors to watch.
- Nothing's stopping President Trump from live-tweeting the proceedings — and he has summoned his supporters to the nation's capital for protests.
Why it matters: The debate won't change the election results. There are more than enough Republican senators and members of the House who have indicated they will recognize the certified votes from the states to ensure a majority vote to reject the objections.
- But it will shake many Americans' confidence in their democracy and delegitimize Biden's legitimacy in the eyes of voters aligned with Trump. It will also draw battle lines for the 2024 GOP presidential primary.
- It also could test the potential for future alliances between Biden and embattled Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, per Axios' Margaret Talev — if McConnell determines Democrats can help him manage this breakaway flank of his own party.
How it works: Vice President Mike Pence will serve as presiding officer. If he decides to delegate the job, which is not expected, it would fall to Sen. Chuck Grassley as the Senate President Pro Tempore.
Trump has been pressuring Pence to overturn the election results, but that is not within Pence's ceremonial powers.
- Pages will bring in ceremonial mahogany boxes full of the votes from the states, which are placed at the front of the chamber. Pence will then present the certificates of the electoral votes in alphabetical order.
- He'll hand each envelope to one of four tellers — who will be the ranking and minority members on the Senate Rules and House Administration Committees. They'll open the envelopes and read the vote totals.
- Pence will start with Alabama and end with Wyoming, stating that the certificate from each state “seems to be regular in form and authentic.”
- He has the power to recognize any lawmaker who objects.
- Any member may rise and object. If it is in writing and signed by both a member of the House and a member of the Senate, then the Senate leaves the House chamber and marches back across to the Senate chamber for debate.
- Each chamber separately debates each objection, with a two-hour limit, and holds a vote on the challenge. Then the Senate rejoins the House and the results of the votes are announced.
- Following the vote, they will move on to the next state and begin the process again.
- Once all votes have been recorded and counted, Pence will announce whether Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris have received the required majority votes. If so, the announcement will be deemed "a sufficient declaration."
Timing: The process is expected to continue late into Wednesday evening, and could spill into Thursday depending on how long lawmakers want to draw out the objection process.
Go deeper: Read the Congressional Research Service guide to counting the votes
Keep reading...Show less



