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Networks call Georgia for Biden as security officials say vote was ‘secure’

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Arizona's GOP AG says people voted Republican, but not for Trump

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As Donald Trump continues to refuse conceding the 2020 presidential race to Joe Biden, the president-elect was said to have spoken with Senate Republicans who have begun to admit he should at least receive intelligence briefings that have so far been denied. 

On Friday afternoon most networks called Georgia for Mr Biden and North Carolina for Mr Trump bringing their respective electoral college vote totals to 306 to 232.

US federal and state cybersecurity officials, meanwhile, have delivered a direct rebuke to Donald Trump, who continues to allege irregularities and widespread fraud without evidence. 

Chris Krebs, director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, said the 3 November vote was “the most secure in history" in a report published Thursday, and added that Americans should trust the result. His agency had not find any evidence of ballots being lost, deleted or altered, he said. 

‘Back to work’: Stacey Abrams said she took ‘17 minutes’ to celebrate Trump defeat and is now focused on Senate

With all eyes on Georgia’s runoff elections for two US Senate seats, Stacey Abrams – who has led a robust voter registration and engagement campaign in the state, following a decades-long effort among Black organisers throughout the south against voter suppression and disenfranchisement – is directing her energies to overturning Mitch McConnell’s Republican-dominated body of Congress.

The state is poised to elect a Democratic presidential candidate for the first time since 1992. Ms Abrams has been credited with helping register more than 800,000 new voters in the state, writes Alex Woodward.

‘Back to work’: Stacey Abrams is already focused on Senate elections in Georgia

With defeat of ‘orange menace of putrescence,’ voting rights advocate says elections in January critical to prevent Mitch McConnell ‘blocking and denying the needs of Americans’

Jon Sharman10 November 2020 15:46

Erdogan congratulates Biden on victory

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey’s president, has congratulated Joe Biden on his election victory and spoken of his desire for a closer relationship with the US.

Just yesterday, a spokesperson for Mr Erdogan’s AK Party said that “Turkey will congratulate the winner of the US election after the result of the vote is finalised”.

Jon Sharman10 November 2020 15:49

Trump falsely claims Fox News ‘tampered with election’ as feud with Murdoch-owned network escalates

Donald Trump has falsely accused Fox News of "tampering" with the US election, as his feud with the Rupert Murdoch-owned network escalates and his attempts to hang onto the White House become increasingly desperate, writes Matt Mathers.

Mr Trump said Fox's pre-election projections "were so inaccurate" that they constituted "election interference", before lashing out at other polling organisations and news outlets he claimed were "so far off" election results.

Jon Sharman10 November 2020 16:05

Bill Barr has intervened to try and save Trump from democracy. There will be consequences

The iconic image of America’s justice system is a blindfolded woman holding a scale with the inscription: Justice is Blind.  

Under the Trump Administration, with Attorney General Bill Barr leading the way, the new Justice Department’s motto has become robbing Justice blind, writes former White House press secretary Joe Lockhart.

Bill Barr has intervened to try and save Trump from a democratic election | Joe Lockhart

It won’t affect the election result, but the attorney general has provided justification for the 70 million Americans who voted for Trump to believe the Biden presidency is illegitimate

Jon Sharman10 November 2020 16:25

Officials fear Donald Trump could reveal US secrets, posing national security dilemma

As president, Donald Trump selectively revealed highly classified information to attack his adversaries, gain political advantage and to impress or intimidate foreign governments, in some cases jeopardizing US intelligence capabilities.  

As an ex-president, there's every reason to worry he will do the same, thus posing a unique national security dilemma for the Biden administration, current and former officials and analysts said.

All presidents exit the office with valuable national secrets in their heads, including the procedures for launching nuclear weapons, intelligence-gathering capabilities - including assets deep inside foreign governments - and the development of new and advanced weapon systems.

Fears Trump could reveal US secrets posing national security dilemma

No new president has ever had to fear his predecessor might expose the nation's secrets, according to current and former officials

Jon Sharman10 November 2020 16:44

Trump removes scientist who led sweeping climate change report and other officials

The climate scientist leading the federal government’s program that produces sweeping reports on the climate crisis has been removed from his post by the Trump administration, writes Louise Boyle.

Dr Michael Kuperberg, executive director of the US Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) for the past five years, was returned to his prior role at the Energy Department last week, the Washington Post reported.

Trump removes top scientist who leads sweeping report on climate change in US

Dr Michael Kuperberg was executive director of the US Global Change Research Program for the past five years

Jon Sharman10 November 2020 17:03

New: President-elect Joe Biden speaks with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson

The two reportedly spoke today for about 20-25 minutes. 

Story to come…

Chris Riotta10 November 2020 17:10

Trump tweets ‘WE WILL WIN’ despite no legal victories or evidence in fraud battle

In which the president continues lying about his election results.

Trump tweets ‘WE WILL WIN’ despite no legal victories or evidence in fraud battle

President continues lying on social media about election results

Chris Riotta10 November 2020 17:30

Ivanka Trump goes quiet on voter fraud claims as Donald Jr makes baseless conspiracies his brand

The first family has been seemingly divided over President Donald Trump’s refusal to concede in the 2020 US elections to President-elect Joe Biden.
His son, Donald Trump Jr, has leaned into his father’s lies and anti-Democratic conspiracy theories about the electoral process, as reports say his daughter, Ivanka Trump, has urged him to concede — while apparently considering her own political future.
Ms Trump, who quickly displayed her own political ambitions following her father’s 2016 election despite not having any government experience, has mostly stayed silent on the administration’s baseless allegations of mass voter fraud.
She posted a single tweet about the issue after Election Day, as her father began ramping up his false claims surrounding mail-in voting and ballot counting, writing three days later: “Every legally cast vote should be counted. Every illegally cast vote should not.”
“This should not be controversial,” she added. “This is not a partisan statement — free and fair elections are the foundation of our democracy.”
Chris Riotta10 November 2020 17:50

More: Ivanka Trump goes silent on family’s conspiracy theories

As the first daughter seemingly avoids the issue of her father’s lies, her brothers are leaning into the baseless conspiracies surrounding the 2020 presidential election.

My latest:

Ivanka Trump goes quiet on voter fraud claims as Donald Jr makes baseless conspiracies his brand

As the first daughter seemingly avoids the issue of her father’s lies, her brothers are leaning into the baseless conspiracies surrounding the 2020 presidential election

Chris Riotta10 November 2020 18:10

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