Via LLRX – Why there’s so much legal uncertainty about resolving a disputed presidential election – As stated in this article by Richard Pildes, Professor of Constitutional Law, New York University – the Constitution does not create rules or an institutional structure for resolving a modern, disputed presidential election. It provides a fail-safe mechanism for only one situation, which has not happened since 1824: If no candidate gets the necessary majority of votes in the Electoral College, then the House picks the president from the top three Electoral College candidates. But that’s not the path the most disputed presidential elections have taken since 1824. Nor is it the likely path if this year brings us to that dark place.
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Daily Archives: November 1, 2020
You have rights when you go to vote – and many people are there to help if there’s trouble at the polls
Via LLRX – You have rights when you go to vote – and many people are there to help if there’s trouble at the polls – Despite all the challenges to this year’s election – long lines, calls for voter intimidation, baseless claims of fraud – voting is a fundamental civil right. As a political scientist… Continue Reading
The New York Times Election Distractor
This distraction, brought to you (no paywall) by The New York Times, has visuals and audio focused on calming and interesting subject matter that has nothing to do with Election 2020. You may want to bookmark this one! Via Lifehacker: “How to use the ‘Election Distractor’: It opens on close-up, alternating shots of white grapes… Continue Reading
Internal Documents Reveal COVID-19 Hospitalization Data The Government Keeps Hidden
NPR: “As coronavirus cases rise swiftly around the country, surpassing both the spring and summer surges, health officials brace for a coming wave of hospitalizations and deaths. Knowing which hospitals in which communities are reaching capacity could be key to an effective response to the growing crisis. That information is gathered by the federal government… Continue Reading
Masks really work – we will show you how
The New York Times – “The public health debate on masks is settled, said Joseph G. Allen, director of the Healthy Buildings program at Harvard. When you wear a mask, “You protect yourself, you protect others, you prevent yourself from touching your face,” he said. And you signal that wearing a mask is the right… Continue Reading
After the Voting Ends: The Steps to Complete an Election
National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) – An election isn’t over when the polls close. It’s over when election administrators complete their postelection activities and the election results are certified. As with everything else related to elections, state law governs these postelection processes—and there are 51 models. (The states plus Washington, D.C.). This webpage reviews… Continue Reading
A room, a bar and a classroom: how the coronavirus is spread through the air
El Pais [graphics and explanation]: “The risk of contagion is highest in indoor spaces but can be reduced by applying all available measures to combat infection via aerosols. Here is an overview of the likelihood of infection in three everyday scenarios, based on the safety measures used and the length of exposure..” Continue Reading
How Likely Is It that Courts Will Select the US President?
How Likely Is It that Courts Will Select the US President? The Probability of Narrow, Reversible Election Results in the Electoral College versus a National Popular Vote, Michael Geruso, Dean Spears. October 2020. University of Texas at Austin. “Extremely narrow election outcomes—such as could be reversed by rejecting a few thousand ballots—are likely to trigger… Continue Reading
Congressional Oversight Commission Publishes Sixth Report
“The members of the bipartisan Congressional Oversight Commission have published their sixth report. It is available for review here. The Congressional Oversight Commission is a five-person panel that was established by the CARES Act. The Commission is focused specifically on the economic stabilization efforts of the Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve. The members of… Continue Reading
Amid a pandemic and QAnon conspiracies, this librarian is focused on facts
The New York Times – “…Before the pandemic, waylaying bad research was my job. I worked as a reference librarian, which meant that on any given day I might help someone uncover what business their ancestor was in, the story behind the name of a neighborhood park or the relationship between two historical figures. Researchers… Continue Reading
Announcing National Philharmonic 2020/2021 Season
Bringing You the Music Streaming Concerts from the Strathmore Stage (in Maryland – link includes directions on how to stream) – “National Philharmonic’s 2020-2021 concert season, conducted by Maestro Piotr Gajewski, will be streamed from the stage of The Music Center at Strathmore to a device of your choice at no charge. Programs feature a… Continue Reading
The Effects of Large Group Meetings on the Spread of COVID-19: The Case of Trump Rallies
The New York Times – “A group of Stanford University economists estimates that there have been at least 30,000 coronavirus infections and 700 deaths as a result of 18 campaign rallies President Trump held between June and September…” Bernheim, B. Douglas and buchmann, Nina and Freitas-Groff, Zach and Otero, Sebastián, The Effects of Large Group… Continue Reading
