Wednesday, November 18, 2020

Michigan's Wayne County certifies election results in reversal of earlier decision

 https://www.foxnews.com/politics/michigan-wayne-county-certifies-election-results-in-reversal-of-earlier-decision

 Election officials in Michigan’s largest county voted to certify election results on Tuesday night, ending a short-lived deadlock that could have delayed the state from confirming a victory for President-elect Joe Biden.

Lindsey Graham just crossed another line in defending Trump

 https://edition.cnn.com/2020/11/17/politics/lindsey-graham-2020-election-georgia-trump/index.html?iid=ob_lockedrail_topeditorial

 Graham, even as he was defending his call to Raffensperger, revealed to reporters that he had also reached out to election officials in two other states where the vote count between Trump and President-elect Joe Biden was quite close -- and where the President has insisted, with zero proof, that there were shenanigans involved in the ballot counting.

Trump fires director of Homeland Security agency who had rejected President's election conspiracy theories

 https://edition.cnn.com/2020/11/17/politics/chris-krebs-fired-by-trump/index.html

 Trump announced on Twitter he was firing Chris Krebs, the director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and directly tied it to Krebs' statement that said there "is no evidence that any voting system deleted or lost votes, changed votes, or was in any way compromised."

Tuesday, November 17, 2020

Malbim’s Novel Interpretation of Shir Ha-Shirim

 https://www.etzion.org.il/en/shiur-07-malbim%E2%80%99s-novel-interpretation-shir-ha-shirim

 Malbim begins with two starting assumptions. First, not only is Shlomo the author of the book, but the events described in Shir Ha-Shirim are intended as a metaphor for his own life experiences. Second, the phrase “Shir Ha-Shirim” should be understood not as “the greatest of songs” (as numerous midrashim and Rashi maintain), but as “the song comprised of numerous songs” (following Radak and others). It is for this reason that Malbim entitles his commentary “Shirei Ha-Nefesh,” the “Songs of the Soul,” not “Shir Ha-Nefesh,” the “Song of the Soul.” Accordingly, Malbim sees Shir Ha-Shirim as a self-revealing description of Shlomo’s religious struggle, conveyed through the drama of a compelling love story.

Georgia official says Graham asked him about tossing ballots

 https://apnews.com/article/georgia-official-graham-tossing-ballots-281416294b5c54c6535f8ffaab4322a2

  Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said Monday that U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham asked him whether he had the power to reject certain absentee ballots, a question he interpreted as a suggestion to toss out legally cast votes.

Raffensperger made the comments to The Washington Post, saying he’s faced rising pressure from fellow Republicans who want to see Democrat Joe Biden’s narrow lead in the state reversed. Nearly 5 million votes were cast in the presidential election in Georgia, and Biden was leading President Donald Trump by about 14,000 votes.

Trump Is ‘Single Largest Driver’ Of Covid-19 Misinformation, Cornell Study Finds

 https://www.forbes.com/sites/tommybeer/2020/10/01/trump-is-single-largest-driver-of-covid-19-misinformation-cornell-study-finds/?sh=629017a86d70

 Misinformation about the coronavirus is a pressing threat to public health, and according to researchers at Cornell University who analyzed over 38 million articles about the pandemic published in English-language media around the world, “the president of the United States was the single largest driver of misinformation around Covid,” as mentions of Donald Trump “comprised 37.9% of the overall misinformation conversation.”

SE Cupp on disinformation: I am scared

As Lawyers Flee, Trump's Floundering Legal Quest Falls To Familiar Hands

'Dunces': Trump Losing And Admitting Defeat In 2020 Cases As Giuliani Implodes

Rudy Giuliani's conspiracy theories could be dangerous to democracy, experts say

 https://edition.cnn.com/2020/11/17/politics/rudy-giuliani-national-security-democracy/index.html

In the two weeks since Election Day, Giuliani has become a super-spreader of election disinformation. His eyebrow-raising claims -- from Republican observers being barred from vote counts, to mysterious batches of ballots appearing in the middle of the night, to an election technology company using Venezuelan software to swing results -- have been steadily debunked in courtrooms and by federal officials who have declared there is zero evidence of widespread irregularities. 

But experts say Giuliani's avalanche of falsehoods -- along with the President's -- could still have a long-lasting impact, sowing distrust in America's electoral system that will be difficult to unwind. That would play into the agenda of US adversaries, a half-dozen national security and elections officials told CNN. 

Donald J. Trump: The Greatest President in History of All Time | The Daily Social Distancing Show

I'm Smart

Biden: More people may die if Trump doesn't coordinate transition

 http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/291398

 President-elect Joe Biden on Monday warned that President Donald Trump's unwillingness to accept the outcome of the 2020 election could hamper his incoming administration's ability to rapidly distribute a coronavirus vaccine.

Trump aims to undermine Biden's legitimacy even as legal challenges fizzle

 https://edition.cnn.com/2020/11/16/politics/trump-election-challenge-biden-legitimacy/index.html

 

Dan Eberhart, an Arizona-based energy executive and a Republican donor, said he's been invited to the Trump campaign's daily surrogate calls, during which campaign officials seek to explain the recount and legal strategy and "keep hope alive." But he listens in only every other day or so.
Trump's reluctance to concede, Eberhart said, was becoming tiresome. "I'm kind of over it," he said. "I view the Trump world as a melting ice cube at the moment."