[aggregation-styles] The Economist Subscription In early 2009, faced with an economic crisis and a host of jobs to fill, Barack Obama, the newly inaugurated president, went hunting for talent. For the role of the Treasury department’s top diplomat he chose a capable economist named Lael Brainard, who had also worked...
Was Biden Confused Over President’s Name in Widely Shared Video?
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden stumbled over a name when he was interviewed during the virtual “I Will Vote” concert, and social media has lit up with claims that he confused President Donald Trump with a previous occupant of the Oval Office. Yes, Biden did say “George,” which some social...
Slated for Deception? Beware of All Those Glossy Mailers Telling You How to Vote
Amid the torrent of laminated campaign ads churning through the postal system this season, the slate mailer stands out as a perennial — and many say unseemly — California political tradition that dates back to at least the 1950s. Though new restrictions may be on the way. You’ve seen these before: A...
Early Vote Total Exceeds 2016; GOP Chips at Dems’ Advantage
With eight days before Election Day, more people already have cast ballots in this year's presidential election than voted early or absentee in the 2016 race as the start of in-person early voting in big states led to a surge in turnout in recent days. The opening of early voting locations...
Biden Calls for ‘Transition’ From Oil, GOP Sees Opening
Democrat Joe Biden's remark that he would “transition” away from oil in the U.S. in favor of renewable energy drew quick attention Thursday night from President Donald Trump, who saw it as a boon to his election chances in key states. “I would transition away from the oil industry, yes,"...
Trump, Biden Frame Closing Appeals for Sprint to Election
WASHINGTON — Their final debate behind them, President Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden are packaging their divergent personal styles and policy prescriptions into closing messages for the final sprint to Election Day. The coronavirus was a central topic for both candidates on Friday as Trump headed to Florida and...
Trump, Biden Lawyer Up, Brace for White House Legal Battle
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump's and Democratic rival Joe Biden's campaigns are assembling armies of powerful lawyers for the possibility that the race for the White House is decided not at the ballot box but in court. They have been engaging in a lawyer's version of tabletop war games, churning...
Replacing Cash Bail: Fairer Justice or Robopocalypse?
California is either about to right decades of inequality between rich and poor defendants by eliminating cash bail, or it’s about to turn over its justice system to robots. The question of what to do about the system that decides whether people should be free while awaiting trial will be...
US Officials Link Iran to Emails Meant to Intimidate Voters
WASHINGTON — U.S. officials have accused Iran of being behind a flurry of threatening but fake emails sent to Democratic voters in multiple battleground states in a late-stage efforts to sway public opinion and interfere in the presidential election. Purportedly from far-right, pro-Trump groups like the Proud Boys, the fake...
Will Voting in a Non-Battleground State Make a Difference?
There are still plenty of other races where your vote makes a difference. In fact, voters in almost every state will have a chance to influence both national and local decisions through down-ballot races. Voters in two-thirds of the states will be a electing a U.S. senator. Each one of...