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Friday, November 6, 2020

The AM Rundown: Trump Makes Accusations Of Election Theft

BIDEN EDGES CLOSE TO 270 ELECTORAL VOTES: After another day of counting mail-in ballots in the key states of Pennsylvania, Georgia, Arizona and Nevada, former Vice President Joe Biden edged close to the 270 electoral votes he needs to win the presidency with the slow erosion of President Trump's lead in Pennsylvania and Georgia as the mail-in votes were counted. Biden moved very close to taking over the lead in both states, and with Pennsylvania's electoral votes, he would go over 270. Biden maintained a tight lead in Nevada with more votes to be counted that looked to be favorable to him, but in Arizona, which Fox News and AP called for Biden on Election Night, Trump continued to whittle down Biden's lead as mail-in votes were counted. It had gotten down to a small margin as of late last night, and Trump looked to possibly be able to draw very close or take over the lead.


 

But as the votes continued to be counted, Trump took to the podium at the White House briefing room yesterday evening, and in extraordinary remarks, made accusations, without evidence, of voter fraud and false accusations of election theft. Trump declared, "This is a case when they are trying to steal an election, they are trying to rig an election." Then overnight at around 2:30 a.m., Trump took to Twitter and claimed, without basis, that he wins the election with, quote, "legal votes cast," and stated, "U.S. Supreme Court should decide!" Earlier in the day before Trump spoke, Biden had also made brief remarks. He said, in part, "I ask everyone to stay calm. The process is working. It is the will of the voters. No one, not anyone else who chooses the president of the United States of America." 



Trump's campaign continued to file legal claims against the vote counting in several states yesterday, but judges in Georgia and Michigan quickly dismissed lawsuits filed there. Bob Bauer, an attorney for Biden's campaign, called the suits "meritless," and said their goal is to, quote, "create an opportunity for them to message falsely about what’s taking place in the electoral process."






➤U.S. REPORTS MORE THAN 121,000 CORONAVIRUS INFECTIONS, NEW RECORD FOR SECOND DAY: There were 121,000 coronavirus cases reported in the U.S. on Thursday, setting a new daily record and going over 100,000 cases, both for a second day in a row amid a nationwide surge of the virus. Hospitalizations have been rising for several weeks, and experts warn an increase in deaths will follow, with a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention forecast yesterday projecting 31,000 people could die in just the next two weeks. So far, more than 234,900 people have died in the U.S. since the start of the pandemic. 




➤ETA KILLS AT LEAST 57 IN CENTRAL AMERICA: The remnants of Hurricane Eta had moved back over the Caribbean Sea by late Thursday after it had slowly moved over Central America since making landfall in Nicaragua as a Category 4 storm on Tuesday afternoon, dropping torrential rain and leaving at least 57 people dead. Panama, Guatemala, Honduras and Panama were, along with Nicaragua, among the countries dealing with flooding and mudslides. Forecasters said Eta is expected to become a tropical storm again and move toward Cuba and South Florida. It could drop a lot of rain in South Florida even if it doesn't make landfall there.

➤JUDGE REJECTS REQUEST TO MOVE GEORGE FLOYD OFFICERS' TRIAL: A Minnesota judge yesterday rejected defense requests to move the trial of the four former Minneapolis police officers charged in the death of George Floyd out of the city. The defense attorneys had argued the pretrial publicity made it impossible for their clients to get a fair trial in Minneapolis. But Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill said the widespread coverage of Floyd's death means a change of venue wouldn't make a difference. Cahill also rejected requests for the men to be tried separately. Additionally, the judge ruled that the trial can be televised and streamed live. Derek Chauvin, the former officer who kneeled on Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes, is charged with unintentional second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. The three other former officers, Thomas Lane, J. Kueng and Tou Thao, are charged with aiding and abetting both counts.


🏈PACKERS DOWN 49ERS 34-17: The Green Bay Packers downed the San Francisco 49ers 34-17 last night in California, getting the win over a 49ers team that was missing key players due to injuries and several being on the reserve/Covid-19 list. They included San Francisco quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, out with an ankle injury and tight end George Kittle with a foot injury, both suffered in their Seattle game last weekend, receiver Kendrick Bourne out after testing positive for the coronavirus, and three teammates sidelined for being "high risk" contacts of him. Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers was 25 of 31 for 305 yards last night with four touchdowns.



🏀PLAYERS APPROVE PLAN TO START NBA SEASON ON DECEMBER 22ND: The National Basketball Players Association voted Thursday in favor of starting the new NBA season on December 22nd, the date the league had wanted to begin a shortened 72-game season. The vote was conducted by the players union's board, which has a player rep from each team. The last season, which was suspended for months because of the coronavirus pandemic, just ended on October 11th when the L.A. Lakers won the NBA championship.

➤REPORT: RAIDERS FINED $500K, LOSE DRAFT PICK DUE TO CORONAVIRUS VIOLATIONS: The NFL's Las Vegas Raiders have been fined $500,000 and stripped of a sixth-round pick in the 2021 draft for, quote, "brazen and repeated violations" of the Covid-19 protocols, ESPN reported yesterday. Head coach Jon Gruden was also fined an additional $150,000. The Raiders are the first team to lose a draft pick for coronavirus violations. The NFL began investigating after offensive tackle Trent Brown tested positive in late October. The Raiders had previously been fined $250,000 and Gruden $100,000 for him not wearing his mask properly during their Week 2 game, and the team was fined another $50,000 for letting a non-credentialed employee into the locker room. Further, 10 players, including quarterback Derek Carr, were fined for appearing at a charity event in October where they mixed with others and didn't wear masks.

🏈CALIFORNIA-WASHINGTON GAME CANCELED DUE TO POSITIVE CORONAVIRUS TEST: Saturday's football game between California and Washington, which was supposed to be one of the games on opening day of the Pac-12's shortened 2020 season, was canceled yesterday (November 5th) after a California player tested positive for the coronavirus. The Pac-12 said California doesn’t have the minimum number of scholarship players available for the game because of the positive test and the need for other players to self-isolate. The game will be declared a no-contest.

➤FORMER RAYS FIRST-ROUND DRAFT PICK CONVICTED OF KILLING THREE: Former Tampa Bay Rays first-round draft pick Brandon Martin was convicted yesterday of three counts of murder for using a baseball bat to kill his father, uncle and a bystander in September 2015. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty and the sentencing phase of the 27-year-old's trial will begin Monday. Two days before the incident, Martin was admitted to a mental health emergency treatment facility in California for an evaluation after he made threats against his father. After he was released, he went right to his father's home and killed him, his uncle and a security system technician who was there for an installation consultation. Martin was taken with the 38th pick in the first round of the 2011 MLB Draft by the Rays. He played three seasons in the organization before being released in early 2015.
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