Postmaster general concedes changes causing mail delays
Bannon dismisses fraud charges as ‘political hit job’
Firefighters stretched thin as California blazes grow rapidly
1,042 new Covid-19 deaths and 46,029 new cases in US yesterday
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USPS chief says he won’t restore mail-sorting machines ahead of election – video
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5.01pm EDT17:01
Today so far
2.31pm EDT14:31
Bannon dismisses fraud charges as a ‘political hit job’
2.12pm EDT14:12
Golden State Killer sentenced to life in prison
1.38pm EDT13:38
Republican governor of Vermont says he will not vote for Trump
1.20pm EDT13:20
Today so far
1.05pm EDT13:05
Trump predicts election winner won’t be known for ‘months’
12.37pm EDT12:37
Barr is ‘vehemently opposed’ to Snowden pardon
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5.16pm EDT17:16
Why didn’t Democrats talk more about the Supreme Court at the DNC?
This is Lois Beckett, picking up our live politics coverage from our California office.
“None of the proposals discussed [at the Democratic National Convention] this week, even if signed into law by a President Biden, will stay on the books for very long given our current Supreme Court. And yet we heard so little on the issue.”
That’s Brian Fallon, the executive director of Demand Justice, a progressive advocacy group focused on the court system, talking to NBC News about the Democratic Party’s striking lack of rhetoric this past week about what they might do about Trump’s victory in securing what could likely be a long-term conservative majority on the Supreme Court.
More from other progressive advocates about this issue in the piece.
Sahil Kapur
(@sahilkapur)
NEW: Progressives seethe as Democrats largely ignore Supreme Court at conventionThe party adopted a plank calling for “structural court reforms.” But almost none of the speakers mentioned the enormous stakes for SCOTUS at the 4-day event.https://t.co/9UP4nh82sA
August 21, 2020
5.01pm EDT17:01
Today so far
That’s it from me this week. My west coast colleague, Lois Beckett, will take over the blog for the next few hours.
Here’s where the day stands so far:
Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said he does not intend to restore mail sorting machines that have been removed from some USPS locations. Testifying before the Senate homeland security and governmental affairs committee, DeJoy argued the machines that had been removed were “not needed.” However, DeJoy acknowledged that some of the operational changes he has implemented have caused delays in mail delivery.
A federal judge denied Trump’s request for a stay of the subpoena for his tax returns. The president’s lawyers now reportedly intend to go to the 2nd circuit court of appeals to try to get a stay of the subpoena issued by Manhattan district attorney Cy Vance. The federal judge’s decision comes a month after the supreme court ruled that the president was not exempt from grand jury requests.
Steve Bannon dismissed the federal charges against him as a “political hit job.” The former Trump adviser, who was arrested yesterday for allegedly using money from his anti-immigrant group We Build the Wall for personal expenses, said on his podcast today, “I’m not going to back down. This is a political hit job. … I’m going to continue to fight.”
Attorney general William Barr said he was “vehemently opposed” to a pardon of whistleblower Edward Snowden. Trump floated the idea of a pardon for Snowden last week, saying, “It seems to be a split decision that many people think that he should be somehow treated differently … and I’m going to take a very good look at it.”
The Golden State Killer was sentenced to life in prison without parole. Judge Michael Bowman said Joseph James DeAngelo “deserves no mercy” after pleading guilty to 13 murder charges and 13 kidnapping-related charges.
Lois will have more coming up, so stay tuned.
4.38pm EDT16:38
A couple dozen House members are demanding an investigation into the deaths of thousands of mail-order chicks, as cost-cutting measures cause delays in mail deliveries.
Chellie Pingree
(@chelliepingree)
For 100+ years, agriculture businesses have relied on @USPS, but recent mail disruptions have taken a huge toll on them. In Maine, thousands of mail-order chicks have died in transit—a tragic & unprecedented occurrence. I’m urging @USPS & @USDA to investigate now. My ✉️ ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/9Brlf1xhDB
August 21, 2020
Democratic Congresswoman Chellie Pingree of Maine sent a letter to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue and Postmaster General Louis DeJoy demanding an investigation into reports of the issue.
“USPS is the only carrier that will deliver chicks from hatcheries to local, independent poultry producers and has been an essential and reliable partner for rural America since it first began providing this service over 100 years ago,” Pingree said in the letter.
“We are deeply concerned that the recent issues with live chick deliveries may have been significantly exacerbated by recent changes to USPS service that have led to mail delays and staffing challenges.”
During a Senate hearing today, DeJoy acknowledged that the operational changes he has recently implemented have caused delays in mail delivery.
4.14pm EDT16:14
The justice department announced the arrest of a former Army Green Beret for allegedly conspiring with Russian operatives to provide US defense information.
The US attorney for the eastern district of Virginia said in a statement that Peter Rafael Dzibinski Debbins, 45, repeatedly visited Russia and met with Russian intelligence officials between December 1996 and January 2011. Debbins even allegedly received a code name from Russian intelligence agents.
U.S. Attorney EDVA
(@EDVAnews)
Former Army Green Beret charged in Russian espionage conspiracy. @TheJusticeDept @FBIWFO https://t.co/VW6YzS29bW
August 21, 2020
“Our military is tasked with the awesome responsibility of protecting our nation from its adversaries, and its service members make incredible sacrifices in service of that duty,” said US attorney G Zachary Terwilliger.
“When service members collude to provide classified information to our foreign adversaries, they betray the oaths they swore to their country and their fellow service members. As this indictment reflects, we will be steadfast and dogged in holding such individuals accountable.”
3.52pm EDT15:52
Fact-check: was Trump actually as unaware as he claims about the anti-immigrant group We Build the Wall?
The president’s former senior adviser, Steve Bannon, was arrested yesterday on fraud charges stemming from allegations he used some of the group’s money on personal expenses.
When asked about Bannon’s arrest, Trump said, “I know nothing about the project other than I didn’t like when I read about it. I didn’t like it.”
But one Republican involved in the project previously said he had spoken to Trump about the group multiple times.
CNN has the details:
Trump ally Kris Kobach said in an interview last year that he had spoken with the President three times about the private border wall project that is currently at the center of a federal fraud investigation, and that Trump was ‘enthusiastic’ about the project and it carried his blessing.
Speaking on an episode of the ‘We Build The Wall’ show in May 2019, Kobach, both the general counsel and a board member for the project, said he periodically spoke to the President to give him updates on progress of the project. …
‘I’ve spoken to the President about this project on three occasions now,’ Kobach said. ‘And he said — the first time I told him about it — he said, ‘well, you tell the guys at We Build The Wall, that they have my blessing.’ And he used those exact words.’
3.35pm EDT15:35
Documents obtained by NBC News contradict Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s comments this morning about restricting postal workers’ overtime.
Many postal workers have told news outlets that their overtime hours have recently been cut, contributing to delays in mail delivery.
But DeJoy told the Senate homeland security and governmental affairs committee this morning, “We’ve never eliminated overtime … It has not been curtailed by me or the leadership team.”
But the documents obtained by NBC indicate DeJoy’s cost-cutting measures included prohibiting extra or late mail trips to ensure that carriers “return on time.”
Geoff Bennett
(@GeoffRBennett)
Louis DeJoy told Sen. @GaryPeters today that he has not cut postal workers’ overtime. But this internal #USPS talking points document I obtained show how his policy changes have the same effect: prohibiting “extra”or “late” trips and mandating that carriers “return on time.” pic.twitter.com/fVreXlqZSZ
August 21, 2020
3.19pm EDT15:19
George W Bush endorsed Republican Senator Susan Collins’ reelection bid, marking the former Republican president’s first endorsement of the 2020 election season.
“She’s honest period. She’s forthright period. She brings dignity into a world that has gotten really ugly,” Bush said after meeting with Collins in her home state of Maine, according to the AP.
Democrats have targeted Collins’ seat, attacking the senator over her support for Brett Kavanaugh’s supreme court nomination and Trump’s tax cuts.
Collins is currently locked in a heated race with Sara Gideon, the Democratic speaker of the Maine House.
2.52pm EDT14:52
Trump’s legal team intends to once again fight a subpoena of his financial records at the 2nd circuit appeals court, according to an NPR reporter.
Carrie Johnson
(@johnson_carrie)
Source tells me Trump’s lawyers once again are seeking relief at the 2nd circuit appeals court. If they lose there, imagine this: Trump asking the Supreme Court to intervene next week, in the middle of the Republican National Convention. https://t.co/fPlRgh8zE7
August 21, 2020
If the appeals court rejects the president’s request for a stay of the Manhattan district attorney’s subpoena, Trump’s lawyers may then take their case to the supreme court, which could overlap with next week’s Republican National Convention.
However, the supreme court sent the case back to the lower courts last month, when the justices ruled 7-2 that the president was not exempt from grand jury requests, so it seems somewhat unlikely the high court would intervene at this stage.
2.31pm EDT14:31
Bannon dismisses fraud charges as a ‘political hit job’
Steve Bannon dismissed the federal charges against him as a “political hit job,” a day after he was arrested on a yacht off the coast of Connecticut.
The former Trump adviser was released on bail yesterday after pleading not guilty to fraud charges, stemming from allegations that he used money from his anti-immigrant group We Build the Wall on personal expenses.
[embedded content]
“I’m not going to back down. This is a political hit job,” Bannon said today on his podcast War Room.
“I’m in this for the long haul,” Bannon added. “I’m in this for the fight. I’m going to continue to fight.”
After the charges were announced yesterday, Trump attempted to distance himself from his former adviser, saying he knew “nothing about the project.”
“I haven’t been dealing with him for a long period of time,” the president said.
Updated
at 4.53pm EDT
2.12pm EDT14:12
Golden State Killer sentenced to life in prison
Joseph James DeAngelo, better known as the Golden State Killer, has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, four decades after he terrorized the suburbs of Sacramento and stalked neighborhoods in southern California, breaking into homes to rape and torture women and girls, and killing couples and young women in their beds.
His crimes left a trail of destruction that has haunted survivors and their families. The sentencing – which took place in Sacramento on Friday, on the 40th anniversary of two of the murders – follows three days of testimony from dozens of women and men who survived DeAngelo’s crimes, as well as family members of those who did not.
Judge Michael Bowman said he was “moved by all their courage, their grace, their strength.”
“All qualities you lack,” he said, addressing DeAngelo. “Are you capable of comprehending the pain and anguish you’ve caused?”
The defendant “deserves no mercy”, Bowman said before the sentencing, which was met with applause.
1.56pm EDT13:56
Trump will travel to the swing state of North Carolina on Monday, the president’s daughter and senior adviser, Ivanka Trump, confirmed in a tweet.
Ivanka Trump
(@IvankaTrump)
Look forward to joining @realDonaldTrump and @SecretarySonny in North Carolina on Monday for a Farmers to Families Food Box Program event.+70 million boxes delivered and going strong! 👩🌾👨🌾 https://t.co/uRXrJfEeKS
August 21, 2020
The North State Journal reports:
According to a White House official, President Trump will visit Mills River, located in Henderson County, to visit a Farmers to Families Food Box program site and deliver remarks on the administration’s support for American farmers and families through the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program.
The Republican National Convention was originally supposed to take place in Charlotte, North Carolina, next week, but the convention will now be mostly virtual due to the pandemic.
According to Politico, the president will also visit the site of the convention, where a few hundred delegates are still convening to formally nominate Trump, on Monday.
1.38pm EDT13:38
Republican governor of Vermont says he will not vote for Trump
Phil Scott, the Republican governor of Vermont, said he would not be voting for Trump in November’s presidential election.
“I have not decided, at this point, whether to cast a vote for former Vice President Biden, but it’s something that I would consider,” Scott said.
Ryan Struyk
(@ryanstruyk)
“I won’t be voting for President Trump,” says Republican Gov. Phil Scott of Vermont. “I have not decided, at this point, whether to cast a vote for former Vice President Biden, but it’s something that I would consider.”
August 21, 2020
Scott has previously said he did not vote for Trump in 2016, and amid the Senate impeachment trial earlier this year, the Republican governor said Trump “should not be in office.”
Scott’s announcement may have something to do with the fact that he is facing reelection this year in his liberal-leaning state.
1.20pm EDT13:20
Today so far
Here’s where the day stands so far:
Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said he does not intend to restore mail sorting machines that have been removed from some USPS locations. Testifying before the Senate homeland security and governmental affairs committee, DeJoy argued the machines that had been removed were “not needed.” However, DeJoy acknowledged that some of the operational changes he has implemented have caused delays in mail delivery.
A federal judge denied Trump’s request for a stay of the subpoena for his tax returns. The president now has six days to convince an appeals court to grant a stay of the subpoena issued by Manhattan district attorney Cy Vance. The judge’s decision comes a month after the supreme court ruled that the president was not exempt from such grand jury requests.
Attorney general William Barr said he was “vehemently opposed” to a pardon of whistleblower Edward Snowden. Trump floated the idea of a pardon for Snowden last week, saying, “It seems to be a split decision that many people think that he should be somehow treated differently … and I’m going to take a very good look at it.”
The blog will have more coming up, so stay tuned.
1.05pm EDT13:05
Trump predicts election winner won’t be known for ‘months’
Addressing the 2020 Council for National Policy Meeting, Trump predicted that the nation will not know the winner of the presidential election for weeks or even months after Nov. 3.
“You’ll never have an election count on Nov. 3,” the president said. “In my opinion, you wouldn’t be able to know the results of this election maybe weeks, months. Maybe never. I don’t think you’ll know two weeks later. I don’t think you’ll know four weeks later.”
A number of election officials have warned that the much higher number of mail-in ballots this year, due to the coronavirus pandemic, could cause a delay in the reporting of results.
The president also once again attacked mail-in voting, accusing states that are automatically sending ballots to registered voters of causing a “very serious problem for our great democracy.”
Just to reiterate: despite the president’s allegations, voter fraud is very rare, and mail-in voting has been a staple of US election systems for decades.
12.49pm EDT12:49
Trump is currently speaking at the 2020 Council for National Policy Meeting, and he offered some thoughts on his Democratic opponent, Joe Biden.
The president opened his remarks by claiming Biden never mentioned China “in any way, shape or form” during his nomination acceptance speech last night.
In reality, the Democratic nominee did mention China, saying, “We’ll make the medical supplies and protective equipment our country needs. And we’ll make them here in America. So we will never again be at the mercy of China and other foreign countries in order to protect our own people.”
Trump also compared Biden to the 2016 Democratic nominee, Hillary Clinton. “Clinton’s much smarter, but not a likable person. Joe is not nearly as smart, but he’s more likable,” Trump said.
“Maybe I’d rather have the smarter person. Who cares about personality, right?”
12.37pm EDT12:37
Barr is ‘vehemently opposed’ to Snowden pardon
Attorney general William Barr said he is “vehemently opposed” to a pardon of whistleblower Edward Snowden, even though Trump floated the idea last week.
“He was a traitor and the information he provided our adversaries greatly hurt the safety of the American people,” Barr told the AP.
Snowden was charged under the Espionage Act in 2013 for disclosing classified information about US surveillance programs.
“He was peddling it around like a commercial merchant,” Barr said. “We can’t tolerate that.”
But on Saturday, Trump said he would “look at” the issue. “There are many, many people — it seems to be a split decision that many people think that he should be somehow treated differently, and other people think he did very bad things,” Trump said. “And I’m going to take a very good look at it.”
Snowden has been living in Russia since he leaked the information in order to avoid US prosecution.
Updated
at 12.37pm EDT
12.13pm EDT12:13
Judge denies Trump request for a stay of subpoena for tax returns
A federal judge has denied Trump’s request for a stay of the Manhattan district attorney’s subpoena for his financial records, including his tax returns.
The president now has six days to convince an appeals court to grant the stay, but he is quickly running out of options to avoid giving Manhattan DA Cy Vance the requested records.
Andrea Bernstein
(@AndreaWNYC)
BREAKING: Federal judge denies Trump’s request for a stay of Manhattan D.A.’s subpoena for Trump taxes. pic.twitter.com/vp7HS5VaCW
August 21, 2020
US district judge Victor Marrero rejected Trump’s challenge to the subpoena yesterday, after the supreme court ruled last month that the president was not exempt from such grand jury requests.
The president’s legal team has argued the subpoena should be dismissed because they say it is political motivated, but Vance has insisted he needs the records for a “complex financial investigation” of the Trump Organization.
Updated
at 12.16pm EDT More
