Report: War-triggered gas boom threatens world climate goal
The planning and buildup of liquified and other natural gas would add 2 billion tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (1.9 billion metric tons) a year to the air by 2030, according to a report released Thursday by Climate Action Tracker at international climate talks in Egypt.
Gore announces fossil fuel emissions inventory at UN summit
A detailed inventory of the top known sources of greenhouse gas emitters launched by former U_S_ Vice President Al Gore at the U_N_ climate summit in Egypt on Wednesday found that the top 14 individual polluters are all gas and oil fields and their associated facilities, despite their emissions being โsignificantly underreported.โ.
Jan. 6 takeaways: โHeatedโ Trump, Penceโs near miss with mob
In its third public hearing, the House panel investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection has focused on former President Donald Trumpโs pressure on his vice president to delay or reject the certification of President Joe Bidenโs victory.
Harris still struggling to define herself one year in VP job
Vice President Kamala Harris is capping off a controversial first year in office, creating history as the first woman and first Black and Indian American person in her position while fending off criticism and complaints over her focus and agenda.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/NBWGRJS6IZHDPCIPTD2I3S7OR4.jpg)
The Latest: Mayors ask Biden for consult on climate migrants
The mayors of a dozen major U.S. cities, including Los Angeles, New York City and San Diego, are asking President Joe Biden to consult them as the administration studies how to identify and resettle people displaced by drought, rising seas and other effects of climate change.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/WV6GGTAO6VDRNLF72EUAUKQ6BY.jpg)
Birds as revelations: Atwood writes foreword for Gibson book
This cover image released by Doubleday shows The Bedside Book of Birds: An Avian Miscellany, an illustrated compilation of folktales, poems, fiction and nonfiction by Graeme Gibson. โThe Bedside Book of Birds: An Avian Miscellany," an illustrated compilation of folktales, poems, fiction and nonfiction that Gibson had assembled on his own, was originally published in 2005. Nothing could be more magnificent.โโThe Bedside Book of Birdsโ is divided into nine sections โ โhabitats,โ Gibson called them โ that center on such themes as birds as omens, as revelations, avengers and mysteries. The Cold War had ended, the Berlin Wall had come down in 1989 and people were saying things like โthe end of history.โ That was wrong, wrong, wrong,โ Atwood said. They're very smart, and they have very long memories.โIn his book, Gibson also describes an unexpected bond with a parrot named Harold Wilson.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/SNHHE4XUARB5FAUWKQSEPYX5HM.jpg)
Path from Clinton to Biden takes U-turn on debt, trade, more
Biden is taking the opposite approach of the Clinton administration to help the economy. White House aides are comparing the scope of Biden's policy ambitions to Franklin Delano Roosevelt's after the Great Depression. Biden was probably the best about this.โAdCelinda Lake conducted polling for both the Clinton and Biden campaigns. The Biden administration is now challenging China, which never embraced the values of democracy as trade advocates once believed it would. But he sees the Biden administration as pursuing new policies to help workers.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/MAJJDETUBNAI3BG4UVWEKUOZPM.jpg)
Vice presidents' policy projects come with political risks
That's likely to be the case for Vice President Kamala Harris, who this week was named the new point person on immigration. This is definitely not a ceremonial task,โ said Nina Rees, a former deputy assistant for domestic policy to Vice President Dick Cheney. Harris' team has clarified that the vice president does not own all of immigration policy. Kamarck's argument bucks the traditional wisdom, which says if a vice president does well on thorny issues, more credit goes to the president and, if not, it gives the president some political cover. The matter of who gets praise, or blame, is even trickier when it's clear the vice president has White House aspirations.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/KOBBVGV4WVD6XPEPQAG5WLSE7I.jpg)
Biden taps VP Harris to lead response to border challenges
President Joe Biden speaks with Vice President Kamala Harris about the southern border during a meeting in the State Dining Room of the White House, Wednesday, March 24, 2021, in Washington. In delegating the matter to Harris, Biden is seeking to replicate a dynamic that played out when he served as President Barack Obama's vice president. As the first Black woman elected vice president, Harris arrived on the job as a trailblazer. The Biden administration has in recent weeks moved to open more than 10,000 new beds across the Southwest in convention centers and former oilfield camps. The White House faced criticism for limiting media access to Wednesdayโs tour, keeping it to just one TV crew.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/I6VGMU2BG5HVFAGZ64LB6KFOXM.jpg)
Former Florida chief justice Gerald Kogan dies at 87
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. โ Former Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice Gerald Kogan, a champion of opening public access to legal proceedings, has died, a court spokesman said Friday. He was chief justice of the court from 1996 to 1998, after which he went into private legal practice. In 1997, Kogan ordered broadcasts of all Florida Supreme Court oral arguments over cable and satellite TV and via livestream. โJustice Kogan was a well-respected member of the Florida legal community," firm CEO Chris Poole said Friday in a statement. In 1980, he was named a circuit judge in Miami and then, a few years later, a justice on the Florida Supreme Court.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/ZXNVDQDGGFCSZLLPSHBLTLENTI.jpg)
For Senate rules arbiter, minimum wage is latest minefield
It may not be definitive โ majority Democrats might try overriding an opinion they don't like. The House plans to vote Friday on its version of the relief bill, which includes the minimum wage increase. She listens to all the evidence,โ Sanders, the independent Vermont senator and chief sponsor of the minimum wage proposal, said in a recent interview. AdIf MacDonough decides the minimum wage hike should remain in the bill, it would likely survive because GOP opponents would need an unachievable 60 votes to remove it. But they might choose the rarely utilized, hardball tactic of having the presiding officer, presumably Harris, ignore her and announce that the minimum wage language meets the test to stay in the overall legislation.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/L5N4L6GYNRGAPIGEXVXJBA6AQA.jpg)
Fauci wins $1 million Israeli prize for โdefending scienceโ
Fauci won a $1 million award from the Israeli Dan David Foundation for courageously defending science during the coronavirus pandemic. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)TEL AVIV โ Dr. Anthony Fauci has won the $1 million Dan David Prize for โdefending scienceโ and advocating for vaccines now being administered worldwide to fight the coronavirus pandemic. The Israel-based Dan David Foundation on Monday named President Joe Biden's chief medical adviser as the winner of one of three prizes. AdBiden's election, Fauci said, was โliberating.โThe Dan David Prize, established in 2000, gives $1 million awards in three categories each year for contributions addressing the past, present and future. Fauci won the prize for achievement in the โpresent,โ in the field of public health, the foundation said.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/5L45DCUL2ZHIPAE62Z3FY5XGCA.jpg)
Blair House guest quarters a temporary home for VP Harris
In this Jan. 25, 2021 photo, Secret Service vehicles parked outside of Blair House in Washington. Blair House, the official government guest house, is serving as a temporary home for Vice President Kamala Harris. AdSo Harris moved into Blair House, where President Harry Truman lived from 1948-1952 during major renovations to the White House. The original Blair House was built in 1824 by Joseph Lovell, the Army surgeon general, and later sold to journalist Francis Preston Blair. The Blair family sold the house to the U.S. government in the early 1940s, and it was turned into the president's official guest house.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/I5AQLJS7IFGPHFFR4YWOEYTEVM.jpg)
EXPLAINER: How Congress will count Electoral College votes
(Samuel Corum/Pool via AP)WASHINGTON โ Wednesday's congressional joint session to count electoral votes could drag late into the night as some Republicans plan to challenge Democrat Joe Biden's victory in at least six states. Under federal law, Congress must meet Jan. 6 to open sealed certificates from each state that contain a record of their electoral votes. The Constitution requires Congress to meet and count the electoral votes. The presiding officer opens and presents the certificates of the electoral votes in alphabetical order of the states. If they do not both agree, the original electoral votes are counted with no changes.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/KFSFW5O2NNGO7O7LHEUOQRGGLE.jpg)
Pro-Trump mob storms US Capitol in bid to overturn election
Some Republican lawmakers were in the midst of raising objections to the results on his behalf when the proceedings were abruptly halted by the mob. Together, the protests and the GOP election objections amounted to an almost unthinkable challenge to American democracy and exposed the depths of the divisions that have coursed through the country during Trumpโs four years in office. Before dawn Thursday, lawmakers completed their work, confirming Biden won the presidential election. In the aftermath, several Republicans announced they would drop their objections to the election, including Sen. Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga., who lost her bid for reelection Tuesday. Some House lawmakers tweeted they were sheltering in place in their offices.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/X5WCDRHZ4JFBHD53SMJNPX5JEI.jpg)
EXPLAINER: How will voting objections play out in Congress?
Lisa Mascaro, congressional correspondent for The Associated Press, has been covering Congress since 2010 and is waist-deep in the current, extraordinary saga. So the challenge thatโs being mounted comes from about a dozen Republican senators โ I think weโre up to 13 now โ and as many as 100 House Republicans. Laws have been enacted to govern this process โ and a joint session of Congress is sort of the final confirmation. The states confirm the results and the states determine the electors and then send that tally up to Washington. A number of House Republicans will challenge that.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/SJDH6UUH25ECJKYAQFMAWN3F5Q.jpg)
EXPLAINER: How Congress will count Electoral College votes
Under federal law, Congress must meet Jan. 6 to open sealed certificates from each state that contain a record of their electoral votes. The Constitution requires Congress to meet and count the electoral votes. The presiding officer opens and presents the certificates of the electoral votes in alphabetical order of the states. The appointed "tellers" from the House and Senate, members of both parties, then read each certificate out loud and record and count the votes. If they do not both agree, the original electoral votes are counted with no changes.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/IHUDCU2MXNEMTLY4A65LYPGIBA.jpg)
Washington braces for intense opening to a pivotal year
It begins on Tuesday with two runoff elections in Georgia that will decide control of the Senate. Biden's ability to easily set up his Cabinet and enact a legislative agenda hinges on Democrats capturing both seats. The focus shifts to Washington on Wednesday, where Congress is set to certify Biden's victory in the Electoral College. โAnyone who thought that Trump would cede control of the Republican Party post-an election loss is just dead wrong. Raffensberger rebuffed Trump's request and Biden's victory in Georgia โ and other states that propelled him to victory โ is not in doubt.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/IHDL2OYOB5EKXMJ6MFVHQSJ3EY.jpg)
EXPLAINER: How Congress will count Electoral College votes
Under federal law, Congress must meet Jan. 6 to open sealed certificates from each state that contain a record of their electoral votes. The Constitution requires Congress to meet and count the electoral votes. The presiding officer opens and presents the certificates of the electoral votes in alphabetical order of the states. At the end, the presiding officer announces who has won the majority votes for both president and vice president. If they do not both agree, the original electoral votes are counted with no changes.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/CAEJTRG5KJDCRPX3ZAD7NUFOB4.jpg)
EXPLAINER: How Congress will count Electoral College votes
(AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)WASHINGTON โ The congressional joint session to count electoral votes is generally a routine, ceremonious affair. Under federal law, Congress must meet Jan. 6 to open sealed certificates from each state that contain a record of their electoral votes. The Constitution requires Congress to meet and count the electoral votes. The presiding officer opens and presents the certificates of the electoral votes in alphabetical order of the states. The tellers record and count the votes, The presiding officer announces who has won the majority votes for both president and vice president.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/555OIUCDOFGV7NNH2G27V5GJOI.jpg)
EXPLAINER: How Congress will count Electoral College votes
(AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)WASHINGTON โ The congressional joint session to count electoral votes is generally a routine, ceremonious affair. Under federal law, Congress must meet Jan. 6 to open sealed certificates from each state that contain a record of their electoral votes. The Constitution requires Congress to meet and count the electoral votes. The presiding officer opens and presents the certificates of the electoral votes in alphabetical order of the states. The tellers record and count the votes, The presiding officer announces who has won the majority votes for both president and vice president.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/RX4ZDKLHKNB3JFVRQB2EVH2LXU.jpg)
EXPLAINER: How Congress will count Electoral College votes
(AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)WASHINGTON โ The congressional joint session to count electoral votes is generally a routine, ceremonious affair. Under federal law, Congress must meet Jan. 6 to open sealed certificates from each state that contain a record of their electoral votes. The Constitution requires Congress to meet and count the electoral votes. The presiding officer opens and presents the certificates of the electoral votes in alphabetical order of the states. The tellers then record and count the votes, and the presiding officer announces who has won the majority votes for both president and vice president.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/VNZAIAQHEVDLFBZKLWG57YOXEY.jpg)
Under attack from Trump, institutions bend but don't break
(AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)WASHINGTON โ For weeks, President Donald Trump has put America's democratic institutions under unprecedented strain as he fights to hold power despite losing his bid for reelection. On Monday, the Electoral College did its part, formally confirming President-elect Joe Biden's victory over Trump. Anything less than certification of Biden's victory would amount to an unprecedented undermining of a free and fair American election. After both governors certified the Democratโs victory, Trump cast them as traitors to his cause. Shortly after Biden's Electoral College victory was confirmed, Trump announced that Barr was departing the administration before Christmas.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/62L4GUOQYBGHVIVRZFFGVR6XJU.jpg)
Safe harbor law locks Congress into accepting Bidenโs win
The safe harbor deadline is six days earlier. Judge Stephen Simanek, appointed to hear the case, has acknowledged that the case would push the state outside the electoral vote safe harbor. The safe harbor provision played a prominent role in the Bush v. Gore case after the 2000 presidential election. The Supreme Court shut down Floridaโs state-court-ordered recount because the safe harbor deadline was approaching. When Florida's electoral votes, decisive in Bush's victory, reached Congress, several Black House members protested, but no senators joined in.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/4CM5RZWF4ZGBZOQYACFS332H3Q.jpg)
VP-elect Harris picks Tina Flournoy to be her chief of staff
FILE- In this May 31, 2008 file photo, Tina Flournoy, then Democratic National Committee Rules and Bylaws committee member, during a hearing in Washington. Vice President-elect Kamala Harris has named veteran Democratic strategist Tina Flournoy as her chief of staff. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)SACRAMENTO, Calif. โ Vice President-elect Kamala Harris has named Tina Flournoy, a veteran Democratic strategist and aide to the Clintons, as her chief of staff, the transition team announced Thursday. Flournoy has served as chief of staff for former President Bill Clinton since 2013. โTina Flournoy is incredibly smart, strong, and skillful, with deeply rooted values.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/JRWR7YXP2ZHTTKYY763OITEFVI.jpg)
The Latest: Biden: Trump inaugural presence important to US
WASHINGTON โ The Latest on President-elect Joe Biden (all times local):9:55 p.m.President-elect Joe Biden says it is important that President Donald Trump attend his inauguration only in the sense that it would demonstrate the nationโs commitment to a peaceful transfer of power between political rivals. ___8:45 p.m.Members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus have made a fresh push for President-elect Joe Biden to nominate New Mexico Gov. But $207.5 million came in after Election Day as Trump repeatedly โ and falsely โ claimed President-elect Joe Biden won due to voter fraud. Gina Raimondo has knocked down talk that she is in the running for President-elect Joe Bidenโs secretary of health and human services. ___12:25 p.m.President-elect Joe Biden has tapped former Obama administration senior economic adviser Brian Deese to be director of the National Economic Council.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/ZU5CIDF4FJGZ5P73ZKEHJ3AAJU.jpg)
Alexander preaches consensus in farewell to fractious Senate
Alexander left the GOP's leadership track during the Obama years to focus on his committee work. As chairman of the HELP panel, Alexander shepherded a 2015 rewrite of elementary and high school education that swept through the Senate with near-universal support. โLamar listened to me when I told him we should write a bill together, rather than amending the Republican bill he had begun working on,โ Murray said. Alexander offered a defense of the chamber's traditions, especially the filibuster that forces consensus โ or, increasingly, gridlock โ upon the Senate. Alexander will be replaced by Nashville businessman Bill Hagerty, a Republican backed by President Donald Trump.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/XJZFSR63MNBSNJJ2ZH5UOHI3JQ.jpg)
Analysis: Biden prioritizes experience with Cabinet picks
President-elect Joe Bidens first wave of Cabinet picks and choices for his White House staff have prized staying power over star power, with a premium placed on government experience and proficiency as he looks to rebuild a depleted and demoralized federal bureaucracy. President-elect Joe Biden has prized staying power over star power when making his first wave of Cabinet picks and choices for White House staff, with a premium placed on government experience and proficiency as he looks to rebuild a depleted and demoralized federal bureaucracy. โCollectively, this team has secured some of the most defining national security and diplomatic achievements in recent memory โ made possible through decades of experience working with our partners,โ Biden said Tuesday as he unveiled his national security team. His choice for national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, was the deputy to that post under President Barack Obama. ___EDITOR'S NOTE โ Jonathan Lemire has covered the White House and national politics for The Associated Press since 2013.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/PCRWX5JGL5BQFFUWVMVKU7PDKY.jpg)
NY's Cuomo to receive International Emmy for virus briefings
Andrew Cuomo is set to soon receive an International Emmy award for his once-daily televised briefings on the coronavirus pandemic that killed tens of thousands of New Yorkers this spring. International Academy President & CEO Bruce L. Paisner said Cuomo is being honored with the academy's Founders Award for using his briefings to inform and calm the public. "The governorโs 111 daily briefings worked so well because he effectively created television shows, with characters, plot lines, and stories of success and failure,โ he said. And at least 6,600 residents have died in nursing homes, according to state data, which doesn't state how many nursing home residents died in hospitals. Still, the state's daily average of COVID-19 cases over the past seven days has more than doubled in two weeks as cases surge nationwide.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/IIICTZYRMZBNPP6KXDCTNSQ52E.jpg)
The Latest: WH disputes concerns about getting vaccine out
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany holds a coronavirus playbook speaks during a briefing at the White House in Washington, Friday, Nov. 20, 2020. McEnany suggested that the team for President-elect Joe Biden can use the coronavirus playbook. McEnany ticked through the administrationโs timeline for getting an approved vaccine to the public, and held up a copy of the plan. Democrat Joe Biden was declared the winner of the election on Nov. 7, but President Donald Trump has refused to concede. Upton says he has not been in contact with the lawmakers from his state who are meeting later with Trump at the White House.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/W3IP6FZBGRE3RJ72BFLIQFPOLI.jpg)
Murphy's choice: Fed official has say on transition launch
โI told her, โIโm looking at you and I can tell you want to do the right thing,โโ recalled Barram, who declined to reveal any details of what Murphy told him. But Murphy has yet to certify Biden as the winner, stalling the launch of the official transition process. Trump administration officials also say they will not give Biden the classified presidential daily briefing on intelligence matters until the GSA makes the ascertainment official. It doesnโt appear to be the case.โBarram, the Bush-Gore-era GSA administrator, said he felt sympathy for Murphy. But they could make it easier if five or 10 of them come out and say: โBidenโs won.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/KGA3323LQBFUBJEW6KYNJGQOSM.jpg)
Trump putting democracy to the test after his loss to Biden
All of this an effort to discredit the outcome and, in the process, put democracy itself on trial. Trump is using not just his sway over the party but also the levers of government to keep Biden at bay at least for a while longer. In 2016, Trump won Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania by a combined 77,000 votes; Democrat Hillary Clinton called him on election night and publicly conceded the next day. Her advantage in the popular vote of nearly 3 million has animated the grievances of her supporters to this day, but the Electoral College arithmetic was inexorable and not to be challenged. Obama then welcomed Trump to the White House in a display to the world of the rituals of an American democratic transition.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/NGLGHX6MKFH3RNZLQBQDC2P6FQ.jpg)
Wall Street shrugs, stocks rise even as Trump won't concede
NEW YORK โ A huge fear for Wall Street coming into this month was a contested U.S. presidential election, one that could drag the market through more painful uncertainty. And yet the S&P 500 has shot up more than 9% this month and closed Friday at a record high. While Trump has leveled unsubstantiated claims of widespread voter fraud, professional investors don't see the president's tweets and legal actions ultimately changing the results. So even though Trump is contesting this election, this is not the contested election that investors feared. โThe worst case wasnโt President Trump wouldnโt concede to the result,โ said Brian Jacobsen, multi-asset strategist at Wells Fargo Asset Management in Wisconsin.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/W55LYTV6QFDILCG4HVV3HYJ3KI.jpg)
Biden chooses longtime adviser Ron Klain as chief of staff
Joe Biden has chosen his longtime adviser Ron Klain to reprise his role as his chief of staff, installing an aide with decades of experience across. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)WASHINGTON โ President-elect Joe Biden has chosen his longtime adviser Ron Klain to reprise his role as his chief of staff, installing an aide with decades of experience in the top role in his White House. Klain served as the coordinator to the Ebola response during the 2014 outbreak. Klain served as chief of staff for Biden during Barack Obamaโs first term, was chief of staff to Vice President Al Gore in the mid-1990s and was a key adviser on the Biden campaign, guiding Bidenโs debate preparations and coronavirus response. The choice of Klain underscores the effort the incoming Biden administration will place on the coronavirus response from Day One.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/457E6MI4PRANNLYWZ4ON3U572E.jpg)
Biden moves forward without help from Trump's intel team
As he contests this year's election results, Trump has not authorized President-elect Joe Biden to lay eyes on the brief. National security and intelligence experts hope Trump changes his mind, citing the need for an incoming president to be fully prepared to confront any national security issues on Day One. That's the type of information that might be in the PDB, a daily summary of high-level, classified information and analysis on national security issues that's been offered to presidents since 1946. It is coordinated and delivered by the Office of the National Intelligence Director with input from the CIA and other agencies. Biden is missing out on all counts: More than a week into his transition, Biden doesn't have access to the PDB, the agencies or government resources to help him get ready to take charge.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/4NP7OS5B4FEMRFBRIIJJHKJXDM.jpg)
Biden chooses longtime adviser Ron Klain as chief of staff
WASHINGTON โ President-elect Joe Biden has chosen his longtime adviser Ron Klain to reprise his role as his chief of staff, installing an aide with decades of experience in the top role in his White House. In a statement Wednesday night, Biden suggested he chose Klain for the position because his longtime experience in Washington had prepared him for such challenges. Klain served as chief of staff for Biden during Barack Obamaโs first term, was chief of staff to Vice President Al Gore in the mid-1990s and was a key adviser on the Biden campaign, guiding Bidenโs debate preparations and coronavirus response. The choice of Klain underscores the effort the incoming Biden administration will place on the coronavirus response from day one. But progressives see Klain as open to working with them on top priorities like climate change and health care.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/TJKPF2XSG5DRJC2YHSUIOAICVQ.jpg)
Republican senators push for Biden to receive intelligence
The Senate Republicans advocated for Biden to receive the classified national security information even as they refused to acknowledge that the Democrat has won the presidential election, citing Trump's baseless claims of fraudulent votes. โAt this point at least, I think he should absolutely be getting intelligence briefings," Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley said of Biden. While only a handful of Republicans have called Biden the president-elect, most were comfortable Thursday challenging the Trump administration on withholding intelligence information, which could constitute a national security risk when Biden assumes office. Intelligence agencies have given generalized intelligence briefings โ minus information on covert operations and sources and methods โ for presidential nominees since 1952. Biden, a former vice president, has decades of experience in foreign affairs and national security.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/I2HUZCYM3JB2HEW5FGMFAFAE3Y.jpg)
EXPLAINER: Why do the media call races in US elections?
The Associated Press and the major TV networks have long played a major role in announcing the victor in elections based on their own data. There is no national elections commission to tell the world who wins on election day, unlike in many other countries. A FRAGMENTED PROCESSThe expectation of same-day election results is a modern one, as is the notion of one single Election Day. So the vacuum remained between individual statesโ results and the countryโs collective decision. Major U.S. television networks follow roughly the same process, using either AP's vote count or another vote count to call races.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/6DQJ6SGXDRGDZMZHGW5MPH3K2Y.jpg)
Biden vows to 'get right to work' despite Trump resistance
โ Vowing โto get right to work,โ President-elect Joe Biden shrugged off President Donald Trump's fierce refusal to accept the election outcome as โinconsequential,โ even as Democrats elsewhere warned that the Republican president's actions were dangerous. But just 71 days before he will be inaugurated, Trump and his allies seemed determined to make Biden's transition as difficult as possible. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, among six world leaders overall, congratulated Biden on his election. Meanwhile, Biden tried to stay focused on health care in the midst of the worst health crisis in more than a century. The closed-door meeting marked the first time a Biden transition official has addressed the Democrats' Senate caucus since last week's election.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/HYT2QHOMM5CMRNIF2ENQYVOYP4.jpg)
GOP lets Trump fight election for weeks despite Biden's win
The delay has the potential to upend civic norms, impede Bidenโs transition to the White House and sow doubt in the nationโs civic and election systems. Trump would need to produce ample evidence of impropriety to undo Bidenโs lead, which appears unlikely. During a closed-door lunch, Vice President Mike Pence told Senate Republicans about the legal strategy. Trump and his GOP allies havenโt offered evidence of election fraud, and their legal challenges have largely been rejected by the courts. McConnell noted the potential turmoil during the transition in praising ousted Defense Secretary Mark Esper, whom Trump fired on Monday.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/YHMXDYLREJACDKLMQ7T2K5WDPM.jpg)
Trump election challenge not same as 2000 Florida recount
The case wound up in the U.S. Supreme Court, which halted the recount and handed the presidency to Bush. "The most important difference in my mind is that Florida in 2000 was much closer than any of the states in 2020," said Aubrey Jewett, a University of Central Florida political science professor who has written about the 2000 recount. โOnly about 2000 votes separated Bush from Gore in the initial results out of more than 6 million cast. โThere is no intermediate step between a final Supreme Court decision and violent revolution. โIn 2000, Florida was the only state that was contested and neither candidate had 270 (electoral votes) without Florida," Jewett said.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/FQ2QE6CIQRH7PFGJJXQPW2ZAHA.jpg)
Candidate concessions have been colorful, funny โ or absent
FILE - In this Nov. 4, 1992, file photo, President George H.W. Bill Clinton won the 1992 president election. Most concessions are gracious โ less about the loser and more about closure for the country. โJust moments ago I spoke with George W. Bush and congratulated him on becoming the 43rd president of the United States. President John Adams was glum, too.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/N53YZZNBFJE5JI4HKCKFRF3JCU.jpg)
Will this be 2000 all over again? Hereโs how Bush-Gore race unfolded
If President Donald Trump follows through on ambitions to have the Supreme Court ultimately decide who wins the presidential election, it would be a case of deja vu, 20 years later. In one of the closest elections in U.S. history, George W. Bush beat Al Gore in the 2000 race for the White House, earning 271 electoral votes to 266 for Gore. Earlier that night at around 8, news networks declared that Gore had won the state and its 25 electoral votes. Courts end up deciding itAfter various recounts and lawsuits, the Florida Supreme Court ultimately ordered a recount of votes in all 67 of Floridaโs counties. Bush appealed the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court, which conducted two votes among itself, according to History.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/AQ7JGYIFLFCQFGOY5BWA3KMAOY.jpg)
After waiting game, media moves swiftly to call Biden winner
Because votes are counted state by state, verdicts by the media outlets' decision desks serve as the unofficial finish line for the presidential race. The closeness of the race in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Arizona, Nevada and North Carolina proved another challenge. โWe just have to be certain before we call a winner in the presidential election,โ said Sally Buzbee, executive editor and senior vice president of the AP. Heading into Saturday, CNN, CBS, NBC and ABC โ which coordinate their vote counts and exit polls โ had Biden at 253 electoral votes. All know that calling a presidential election wrong is a career-wrecker.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/OYDBJB3SCZHTXI2WFVFDKV2AP4.jpg)
How to build a government: Transition challenges await Biden
โThe Biden team is the most experienced, most prepared, most focused transition team ever, commensurate with the challenges that Biden will faceโ Jan. 20, said David Marchick, director of the Center for Presidential Transition at the nonpartisan Partnership for Public Service. Ted Kaufman, who briefly was appointed senator after Biden became vice president in 2008, is directing the transition. Also heavily involved in transition are the top architects of Bidenโs presidential campaign, including senior advisor Anita Dunn. That could open the door for some former Republican officeholders who endorsed Bidenโs campaign to be tapped for key slots. Before Biden can get that far, though, there are bigger questions about the overall tone of the transition.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/NO6MX43PENA7HMB5GT3N74KFWY.jpg)
Be prepared: Biden transition team at work amid limbo
โ Joe Biden's transition team isn't waiting for a verdict in the presidential race before getting to work. He also worked on Barack Obamaโs transition team in 2008, and helped write legislation formalizing the presidential transition process. Clay Johnson, who headed Bush's transition team, said Bidenโs advisers โcanโt wait to be sure that the president-elect really is the president-elect. โAnd they should have started doing that last Tuesday night.โBiden's campaign has refused to comment on the transition process. The transition process formally starts once the General Service Administration determines the winner based on all available facts.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/FQR73FVX2JBLNDWDPR5JIQ56EQ.jpg)
Evangelicals stick with Trump, see upside even if he loses
The conservative evangelical Christians who helped send Trump to the White House four years ago stuck by him again in 2020. But even if Trump doesnt get a second term, some conservative Christians see reasons to celebrate in this years election results. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)WASHINGTON โ The conservative evangelical Christians who helped send Donald Trump to the White House four years ago stuck by him in 2020. But even if Trump doesnโt get a second term, some conservative Christians see reasons to celebrate in this yearโs election results. White evangelical voters made up 23% of the vote nationwide and overwhelmingly favored Trump this fall, with about 8 in 10 backing him, according to AP VoteCast.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/5RBFY7U6YRCHBNWWNB7J6PVMXM.jpg)
Presidential election exposes America's 'perilous' divides
Biden voters overwhelming say they want the federal government to prioritize limiting the spread of the virus, even if that means further damage to the economy. About half of Trump voters also called the economy and jobs the top issue facing the nation, while only 1 in 10 Biden voters named it most important. On race and justice issues, Biden voters almost universally said racism is a serious problem in U.S. society and in policing. But only a slim majority of Trump voters, who are overwhelming white, called racism a serious problem. Results in high-turnout counties underscore that trend: Republican-leaning places became more Republican and Democratic areas more Democratic.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/N2BGQFM6URHLPCYBP46TQL4K24.jpg)
Analysis: Trump's vote diatribe both shocking, unsurprising
And he had demanded in advance that the results be known on Election Day, which is never a given. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell waited until Friday morning to tweet that โEvery legal vote should be counted. All sides must get to observe the process.โWhether that dynamic will continue if fuller election results deliver the presidency to Biden is another key unanswered question. If the vote count goes against him, does he really want to be remembered as the president who burned down the building on his way out the door? ___EDITORโS NOTE -- Nancy Benac is White House news editor and has covered government and politics for The Associated Press for four decades.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/KR6OO7TH3NEPFD7RIX7R3N54GI.jpg)
Presidential election exposes America's 'perilous' divides
Biden voters overwhelming say they want the federal government to prioritize limiting the spread of the virus, even if that means further damage to the economy. About half of Trump voters also called the economy and jobs the top issue facing the nation, while only 1 in 10 Biden voters named it most important. On race and justice issues, Biden voters almost universally said racism is a serious problem in U.S. society and in policing. But only a slim majority of Trump voters, who are overwhelming white, called racism a serious problem. Results in high-turnout counties underscore that trend: Republican-leaning places became more Republican and Democratic areas more Democratic.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/OKLS2V6ULNFSRBYYQ7LK4SXRUM.jpg)
With counting winding down, Trump team pushes legal fights
A family visits the Supreme Court in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2020. Scott Applewhite)WASHINGTON โ Judges in Georgia and Michigan quickly dismissed Trump campaign lawsuits Thursday, undercutting a campaign legal strategy to attack the integrity of the voting process in states where the result could mean President Donald Trumpโs defeat. โBut we think thereโll be a lot of litigation because we can't have an election stolen like this,โ Trump said. Campaign officials said earlier they were considering similar challenges in a dozen other counties around the state. Trump campaign spokesman Jason Miller said additional legal action was expected and would be focused on giving campaign officials access to where ballots were being counted.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/2WY2IDKTHNH4NDXXOX7IKWN4YU.jpg)
There's no winner in the presidential race. That's OK
WASHINGTON โ America woke up Wednesday morning without a winner of the presidential election. There are also roughly 20 states that allow ballots received after Election Day to be counted if they were postmarked by the day of the election. Some states, including Florida, began counting absentee ballots days before Election Day โ and had definitive results within hours of the polls closing. And they will prevail.โVote tabulations routinely continue beyond Election Day, and states largely set the rules for when the count has to end. ___Eds: Story has been updated to correct that 2000 Supreme Court decision came more than a month after Election Day, not more than two months
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/C4QPRCZ6GNHRZFRFWZCRP6JDZM.jpg)
Biden narrowly wins Wisconsin; Trump to call for a recount
(AP Photo/Stephen Groves)MADISON, Wis. โ Democrat Joe Biden narrowly won battleground state Wisconsin on Wednesday, edging out President Donald Trump in a state that was crucial to the incumbentโs victory four years ago. The last presidential recount, done in 2016, cost Green Party candidate Jill Stein $3.5 million. In the recount of the 2016 presidential race, the state elections commission ordered on Nov. 29 that the recount begin on Dec. 1. In the Wisconsin recount, Democrat Hillary Clinton gained 713 votes while Trump picked up 844, widening his lead by 131 votes. There were several reasons why some ballots were counted or not during the 2016 recount, said Scott McDonnel, the Dane County clerk, on Wednesday.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/Q5BSUO5VO5DXHPPOSNCYPBHJAA.jpg)
EXPLAINER: On Election Day, patience a necessary virtue
Nevertheless, counting votes accurately for an entire nation, in an election whose jurisdiction is divided up state by state, can be a cumbersome process. Here, Julie Pace, Washington bureau chief for The Associated Press, explains why patience is pivotal. EXPECTATIONS AND REALITYโOne of the biggest things that I would encourage people to do today is to have patience,โ says Pace, a longtime political and White House correspondent. "Thereโs no expectation that we would definitely call the race for the presidency on election night. The amount of votes cast in advance, paired with rules in some states that those votes can't be counted until Election Day, are part of what make 2020 different.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/5KWZJLWRTFESBFURLZAEL2FCLI.jpg)
Spotlight to shine on Florida, but will it be brighter than 2000 election?
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. โ The state of Florida always gains the attention of voters during an election cycle. But the national attention has perhaps never been higher for the Sunshine State during an election than in the year 2000. The mere mention of the 2000 election unsettles people in Palm Beach County. But George W. Bush became president after the Supreme Court decided, 5-4, to halt further Florida recounts, more than a month after Election Day. But as we learned in 2000, Election Day isnโt the end.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/OYB7GRPYWVA4NOS3O54H2QGFXI.jpg)
Behind the curtain: How News4Jax reports election results, calls states
News4Jax also collects race results from counties in our Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia viewing area and the secretary of state offices of both states. In 2016, the AP declared at 2:29 a.m. the morning after the election that Trump had won Wisconsin and, thus, the presidency. โI think the responsibility of the news organizations goes beyond transparency,โ said Mark Lukasiewicz, former producer of NBCโs election night coverage and now dean of Hofstra Universityโs School of Communication. The AP's vote calls were 99.8% accurate in 2016, flawless in calling presidential and congressional elections in each state. The APโs tradition of counting votes on election night dates back to the Pony Express.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/ZJZOUMWVQNGUZGDWRQDAWUWWXM.jpg)
Democrats, GOP brace for legal action in Florida election
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. โ Democrats and Republicans in Florida have engaged legions of lawyers ready to rush to court at any sign of voter suppression, fraud or other political shenanigans in this yearโs election. So far, the lawsuits have been few, but Florida is well-known for its legal battles in past elections. More than 4.2 million votes had been cast by mail statewide, according to the Florida Secretary of State's office. As yet, there has not been widespread litigation in Florida related to the election. Florida Republicans, for example, have trained attorneys and volunteers in advance of the election.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/72XAOYF6IRBEJITOTQUWGAL42M.jpg)
Show your work: AP plans to explain vote calling to public
The AP plans to write stories explaining how its experts make decisions or why, in tight contests, they are holding back. โThe general public has a more intense desire to understand it at a nitty-gritty level,โ Buzbee said. The closer a race is, the more AP's decision desk relies on actual votes rather than VoteCast. The AP's sprawling election night operation also compiles the vote from across the United States, as it has since 1848. The AP's vote calls were 99.8% accurate in 2016, flawless in calling presidential and congressional elections in each state.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/VOFZHEMBIRG7NGKXICVJ3NLOPY.jpg)
Florida, butt of election jokes, believes system is ready
State leaders eliminated computer punchcard ballots, implemented statewide recount laws and made it easy to cast and process ballots before Election Day. Though there are other scenarios that make elections officials nervous, the computer punch-card ballots that fueled 2000's chaos are buried in history's landfill. Casting valid ballots and processing them is now easier, even before Election Day, and the Legislature has enacted clearer laws governing recounts. If the statewide margin then is within a half-percentage point โ likely about 55,000 votes โ a machine recount would occur. These voters are notified and have until two days after the election to prove their identity, but many wonโt respond.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/PSRIKE2HENFTRFHMBH6JMG3DIQ.jpg)
Ahead of the election, a landslide of documentaries
This combination photo shows poster art for political documentaries, from left, "All In: The Fight for Democracy," "Boys State," "537 Votes," "Slay the Dragon," and "The Fight." The election has unleashed an avalanche of documentaries like no season before it. In a presidential election of enormous stakes, filmmakers have rushed to finish their films before Election Day. (Amazon, from left, Apple TV Plus, HBO Max, Magnolia Pictures, Magnolia Pictures via AP)NEW YORK โ The election has unleashed an avalanche of documentaries like no season before it. In a presidential election of enormous stakes, filmmakers have rushed to finish their films before Election Day, to try to inform, sway and entertain the electorate.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/F6MH2HGGUVCRDDPBXEBLRUBK2M.jpg)
5 times in which a U.S. president was elected, but lost the popular vote
Since the Electoral College was established as the means of electing a president, it hasnโt been often when a president won the election without winning the popular vote. Despite the fact that Jackson had more electoral votes and won the popular vote, the House voted Adams as President. Cleveland ended up winning the popular vote by more than 90,000 votes, but Harrison won the electoral vote, 233-168. That gave Bush a 271-266 win in the electoral vote, even though Gore won the popular vote by roughly 500,000 more votes. But the electoral vote was a completely different matter, with Trump earning 304 votes to Clintonโs 227.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/FSOLZZJZKJAZ5A6524LQ4LWTAE.jpg)
'We don't speculate': How AP counts votes and calls races
On election night, state-based analysts and editors in Washington at AP's Decision Desk also use that vote count to โcall races," or declare the winners. HOW AP GATHERS THE VOTESShortly before polls close, roughly 4,000 stringers โ temporary freelancers โ arrive at county election offices. As officials begin to release results, these stringers phoning in the raw vote totals to AP colleagues around the country. These include asking whether there are problems in the stringer's county and challenging the details if the results seem suspect. PRECINCT REPORTING CAN BE TRICKY BUSINESSWhen tabulating results, AP publishes the percentage of precincts reporting alongside the vote count.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/EFW3EFVVUZEN3PXAKWB5QAMZRE.jpg)
Road to 270: Trump's best path to victory hinges on FL, PA
โIt is theoretically possible but practically difficult.โWhile Trump has multiple roads to victory, his most likely route hinges on winning two crucial battleground states: Florida and Pennsylvania. And Trump voters are more enthusiastic about their candidate than Democrats are about Biden. Fox News polls released Wednesday show Biden with a clear advantage in Michigan and a slight one in Wisconsin. In Pennsylvania, recent polls show Biden ahead but vary on the size of his lead. Trump campaign aides stress that number is five times Trumpโs 2016 vote margin.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/76E4GR5O3FCABPH6NSOMUHJZKU.jpg)
Why the winners still might not be known long after Election Day is over
But that fiasco could be nothing compared to this yearโs election -- and not just regarding who is elected president. There will be more mail-in ballots submitted than ever. The United States Postal Service is struggling with financial issues, which could delay the mailing of ballots throughout the country, according to CNBC. In August, the USPS sent letters to 46 states and Washington, D.C. warning that some main-in ballots might not arrive in time to be counted by Election Day, according to the Washington Post. Mail-in ballots take longer to count.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/UJA6YU6MMBD27PYQ7ICD3OPYAY.jpg)
Q&A: Adam McKay on the lessons of the 2000 recount
FILE - Director Adam McKay appears during a photo call for the film "Vice" at the 2019 Berlinale Film Festival in Berlin, Germany on Feb. 11, 2019. Itโs also a lively film that resurrects 2000 not just via hanging chads but by following the cultural atmosphere. Alongside interviews with backroom players like Roger Stone, โSNLโ sketches make frequent cameos โ including some McKay wrote. McKAY: The movie weโre making right now is about a comet thatโs going to hit Earth. McKAY: I think itโs the strangest thing Iโve ever experienced in my life.