Ruth Bader Ginsburg
‘She was what America should be’: mourners bid farewell to Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Justice’s casket sits on supreme court steps in Washington as mourners pay respects – and raise fears for future More
Ginsburg will lie in repose for two days at the court
Cindy McCain endorsing Biden because ‘he’s the better man’
Biden team prepared for all possibilities
US essential workers burned out amid pandemic
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Ruth Bader Ginsburg lies in repose at US Supreme Court – watch live
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10.35am EDT10:35
Fauci and Redfield testify before Senate committee
9.57am EDT09:57
John Roberts speaks about Ginsburg’s legacy
9.45am EDT09:45
Ginsburg’s casket arrives at supreme court
9.27am EDT09:27
Trump to visit Ginsburg’s casket at supreme court tomorrow
8.44am EDT08:44
Police in Iowa charge four people over death of man whose body was found burning in ditch – conclude it was not racially motivated
8.20am EDT08:20
Trump urges FDA to move quickly on Covid vaccines while praising new Johnson & Johnson clinical trials
7.20am EDT07:20
Statistical model at the Economist gives Democrats a 67% chance of flipping the Senate in November
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11.14am EDT11:14
In case you missed it: Trump will hold a press conference at 6 pm ET today, on the “economy, job gains and vaccine development,” the president announced in a tweet this morning.
Donald J. Trump
(@realDonaldTrump)
White House News Conference today at 6:00 P.M. Economy, Job gains and Vaccine development are all doing GREAT!
September 23, 2020
The presser comes one day after reports emerged that the Food and Drug Administration is planning to release strict guidelines on an emergency use authorization of a coronavirus vaccine, which would make it very unlikely a vaccine would be approved before election day.
Trump has previously said a vaccine will be available in “weeks,” but the CDC director, Robert Redfield, told the Senate last week that a vaccine would not be widely available to the American public until mid to late 2021.
10.59am EDT10:59
Lauren Aratani
Four top health officials are testifying in front of a Senate committee on the federal government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Dr Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert and director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, are among the experts that are testifying today.
Perhaps alluding to comments Redfield made last week where he said a mask may be more effective than a vaccine, Fauci said: “We feel strongly that if we have a combination of adherence to public health measures, together with the vaccine that will be distributed, we may be able to turn the pandemic around.” He said that a prediction of a vaccine is “of course no guarantee”.
In his opening statement, Redfield highlighted the shifting nature of infection in the country, saying that 26% of infections are in young adults ages 18 to 25. “It’s important that these young adults understand they are major contributors to the spread of covid-19 in our country at this time,” he said, emphasizing the importance of following public health guidelines.
Director of the Food and Drug Administration Stephen Hahn and assistant health secretary Brett Giroir are also testifying today.
10.48am EDT10:48
Dr Anthony Fauci, the government’s top infectious disease expert, reiterated that he is “cautiously optimistic” that the country will be able to get a safe and effective coronavirus vaccine.
ABC News
(@ABC)
Dr. Anthony Fauci “cautiously optimistic” about vaccine progress.”As these trials go on, we predict that sometime by the end of this year—let’s say November or December—we will know whether or not these are safe and effective.” https://t.co/CgurRa0bnn pic.twitter.com/0SlaaJfZsn
September 23, 2020
“As these trials go on, we predict that sometime by the end of this year—let’s say November or December—we will know whether or not these are safe and effective,” Fauci said of the current vaccine candidates.
The Food and Drug Administration is expected to soon release strict guidelines on the emergency authorization of a coronavirus vaccine that would make it very unlikely for a vaccine to be approved before election day, on November 3.
10.35am EDT10:35
Fauci and Redfield testify before Senate committee
Members of the White House coronavirus task force are now testifying before the Senate health, education, labor and pensions committee.
Among those testifying are Dr Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and Dr Robert Redfield, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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Anthony Fauci and Robert Redfield testify to Senate on coronavirus response – watch live
Fauci opened his remarks by noting his concerns about so-called “long haulers,” those who have experienced long-term effects after contracting coronavirus, such as fatigue and muscle aches.
Updated
at 10.39am EDT
10.28am EDT10:28
Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s casket is now in place at the top of the supreme court steps, where it will be on public viewing for the next two days.
Mitchell Miller
(@mmillerwtop)
Justice Ginsburg’s flag-draped casket is now in place under the Supreme Court portico. pic.twitter.com/JoO70ScOwA
September 23, 2020
Hundreds of people came out to greet Ginsburg’s casket as it arrived at the supreme court this morning, and thousands will likely visit today and tomorrow to pay their respects to the late justice.
Trump will be among the mourners. According to a White House statement released this morning, the president plans to pay his respects tomorrow.
10.09am EDT10:09
One longtime supreme court reporter, Pete Williams of NBC News, became choked up on air as he watched Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s coffin arrive at the supreme court this morning.
TODAY
(@TODAYshow)
Longtime Supreme Court correspondent @PeteWilliamsNBC gets choked up as the casket of Ruth Bader Ginsburg arrives. pic.twitter.com/zodG6znHjX
September 23, 2020
Williams noted Ginsburg sat on the bench for 27 years, but her career with the supreme court truly started 49 years ago, when she argued her first case before the court. In the case, Ginsburg argued gender discrimination was unconstitutional.
9.57am EDT09:57
John Roberts speaks about Ginsburg’s legacy
Supreme court Chief Justice John Roberts is now speaking at the memorial service for his late colleague, Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Roberts expressed his condolences to Ginsburg’s family and said the late justice’s life represented “one of the many versions of the American dream.”
ABC News
(@ABC)
Chief Justice John Roberts: “I offer our heartfelt condolences on the loss of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. That loss is widely shared but we know that it falls most heavily on the family. Justice Ginsburg’s life was one of the many versions of the American dream.” https://t.co/NnighCEWGt pic.twitter.com/icSF2zJ7wh
September 23, 2020
Roberts noted that Ginsburg grew up in Brooklyn with her mother, who was a bookkeeper. Roberts said Ginsburg often told this joke: “What’s the difference between a bookkeeper in Brooklyn and a supreme court justice? One generation.”
Roberts added, “It has been said that Ruth wanted to be an opera virtuoso, but became a rock star instead.”
Roberts said Ginsburg brought the country “closer to equal justice under law” and became “a star on the bench.”
Updated
at 10.02am EDT
9.45am EDT09:45
Ginsburg’s casket arrives at supreme court
The casket of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has arrived at the supreme court, where she will lie in repose today and tomorrow. More
US elections 2020
Duke and Duchess of Sussex call on voters to ‘reject hate speech and misinformation’ in video More
FBI
Intelligence bureau encouraged Americans to be patient and ensure they are getting information from trusted sources More
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1:09
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have urged Americans to ‘reject hate speech, misinformation and online negativity’ and register to vote in the 2020 US election.
In a Time 100 video message, Meghan Markle said: ‘When we vote, our values are put into action and our voices are heard.’
‘Your voice is a reminder that you matter,’ she added. ‘Because you do. And you deserve to be heard.’
The clip has sparked criticism for potentially breaching royal protocol demanding political impartiality
Harry and Meghan criticised after video urging Americans to vote
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Prince Harry
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex
US elections 2020 More
Cindy McCain
McCain on Wednesday said: ‘Joe Biden represents the kind of values and integrity and courage we want in a president’ More
US elections 2020
McCain was motivated in part by Trump’s recent comments on the military, where he called war heroes ‘losers’ and ‘suckers’ More
Weeks after after Florida’s governor, Ron DeSantis, won a court victory to keep felons from voting until they have paid off fines, restitution and court fees, the billionaire and former candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination Mike Bloomberg has stepped in to help them pay off the debts.Bloomberg is part of an effort that raised more than $20m to help felons who have completed sentences vote in the presidential election. That’s in addition to the $100m he has pledged to help Joe Biden win Florida, a crucial state with 29 electoral college votes that Donald Trump hopes will keep him in the White House.A federal appellate court ruled on 11 September that in addition to serving their sentences, Florida felons must pay all fines, restitution and legal fees before they can regain the vote. The case could have broad implications for the November elections.Under Amendment 4, which Florida voters passed overwhelmingly in 2018, felons who have completed their sentences would have voting rights restored. Republican lawmakers then moved to define what it means to complete a sentence.Before the measure passed, Florida was one of four states that permanently banned all people convicted of felonies for life. The ban, rooted in the Jim Crow south, affected an estimated 1.4 million people, including more than one in five eligible Black voters.In addition to time served, lawmakers directed that all legal financial obligations, including unpaid fines and restitution, would also have to be settled. Civil rights groups challenged the law in 2019, saying it amounted to requiring a tax on voting.During a federal trial earlier this year, Florida officials testified that it was extremely difficult to tell people exactly how much money they owe. There is no centralized database for people with felonies to look up how much money is owed and record-keeping can be spotty, especially for crimes that go back decades.In a searing May ruling, US district judge Robert Hinkle said Florida had to allow people to vote if they could not afford to pay outstanding financial obligations. He also ordered the state to come up with a formal way of telling people how much they owe. But the appeals court this month reversed Hinkle’s ruling, even saying Florida had no obligation to tell people how much they owe.With Bloomberg’s help, the Florida Rights Restitution Council (FRRC) is trying to make it easier to pay off fines and fees. The group had raised about $5m before Bloomberg made calls to raise almost $17m more, according to Bloomberg advisers.The FRRC said other donors include John Legend, LeBron James, Michael Jordan, MTV, Comedy Central, VH1, Ben & Jerry’s, Levi Strauss, the Miami Dolphins, the Orlando Magic, the Miami Heat and Steven Spielberg.The money is targeted for felons who registered to vote while the law was in question and who owe $1,500 or less. That accounts for about 31,100 people, Bloomberg advisers say. In a state that decided the 2000 presidential election by 537 votes, that could be critical in a year when polls show Trump and Joe Biden in a dead heat.There are about 774,000 people with felony convictions who cannot vote because they owe money, according to an estimate by an expert for the American Civil Liberties Union, which challenged the law.Even with an influx of money, it will be an uphill battle to get people registered ahead of Florida’s 5 October voter registration deadline for the 2020 election. There is still widespread confusion about the law in the state and it can be difficult for people to figure out how much they owe.Organizers say they are not targeting people registered with a particular political party.“To hell with politics, to hell with any other implications or insinuations, at the end of the day it’s about real people, real lives, American citizens who want to be a part of this,” said Desmond Meade, the group’s executive director. “People with felony convictions have had their voices silenced for so long.” More
