Over the counting of mailin ballots continues. The Supreme Court is allowing pennsylvania and North Carolina for now to count ballots received after election day, but the high court could still hear the pennsylvania case after the election and it could decide who wins the presidey. Nc we will speak to mother jones ari berman. Then we look at big techs role in the election as Senate Republicans accuse social Media Companies of favoring democrats. But is that true . If anything,e see many sorts of Technology Platforms throughout the past four years supporting the trump agenda and a conservative agenda. Millions plunged into pandemic poverty, the senate has adjourned before passing another stimulus bill. We will look at the spike in hunger across United States. These families are basically living like on a ticking time bomb when this starts up again, how theyre going to pay their rent. Amy all that and more, coming up. Welcome to democracy now , democracynow. Org, the quarantine report. Im amy goodman. The United States recorded more than 80,000 new Coronavirus Infections wednesday and over 1000 new deaths as the White House Coronavirus task force warned in an internal report of unrelenting Broad Community spread in the midwest, upper midwest, and west. Every state in the union is either Holding Steady or seeing an increase in new cases, with the u. S. Headed for a third surge that is set to rival two previous peaks. On the campaign trail, President Trump continues to rally his supporters at packed Campaign Events where few people wear masks. On wednesday, trp umtraveled to arizona where he mocked a statewide mask mandate ordered by californias governor gavin newsom. Pres. Trump in california you have a special mask. You cannot under any circumstances take it out. You have to eat through them. Amy trumps remarks came as a new study by Vanderbilt University researchers found coronavirus hospitalizations rose dramatically in places without a local mask mandate compared to places where a large majority of people wore face coverings in public. On wednesday, top Infectious Disease scientist dr. Anthony fauci made his strongest comments yet in favor of a nationwide mask mandate. Theses put aside extraordinary excuses for not doing it wh were dealing with the situation that is not trivial. We have 225,000 deaths, the modeling tells us were going to get 100,000 more into the winter. That is just something that is unacceptable. Amy meanwhile, new audio has emerged of President Trumps soninlaw and Senior AdviserJared Kushner bragging about trumps decision to ignore the advice of his Top Public Health officials early in the pandemic. Kushner was speaking with Journalist Bob Woodward on april 18. It was almost like trump getting the country back from the doctors in the sense that what he now did was he is going to on the up. Amy last week, in the journal nature medicine found universal mask wearing across the u. S. Could save nearly 130,000 lives by the end of next february. The university of wisconsin has canceled saturdays Football Game at the university of nebraska after six players and six staffers, including head coach paul chryst, tested positive for coronavirus. The teams outbreak came as wisconsin set a recordhigh coronavirus test Positivity Rate of more than 27 , with hospitalizations more than doubling over the last month. Meanwhile, Major League Baseball sharply criticized Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner on wednesday after he returned to the field just hours after testing positive for coronavirus. Turner was pulled from game six of the world series tuesday during the 8th inning, but then returned to celebrate after the dodgers clinched the series taking a turn hoisting the world series trophy overhead and even removing his face mask to pose for photos with teammates. In a statement, Major League Baseball promised an investigation, adding while a desire to celebrate is understandable, turners decision to leave isolation and enter the field was wrong and put everyone he came in contact with at risk. French president Emmanuel Macron has ordered a nationwide lockdown for the second time since the pandemic began after france registered more than 30,000 coronavirus cases wednesday for the third day in a row. Back in the spring, you will be able to leave your house only to work, for medical appointment, to provide assistance to a relative, or to get some air near the house. This means the return of the permission ship. Amy germany said it will close restaurants, bars, gyms and theaters for a month, but will keep schools and daycares open, after a massive second wave of infections pushed daily case counts and hospitalizations to record highs. Iran repted a record death toll for a second straight day wednesday, with fresh warnings that the nations Healthcare System already strained by u. S. Sanctions could collapse. In latin america, mexico has passed 900,000 confirmed coronavirus cases and over 90,000 deaths, while argentina continues to set records for infections with 1 out of every 44 people confirmed to have acquired the virus. The u. S. Supreme court has ruled the states of pennsylvania and North Carolina can accept absentee ballots received after november 3. At least, for now. In the pennsylvania case, the justices refused to take up a plea from republicans to overturn a ruling by the pennsylvania Supreme Court to count ballots received up until three days after the election if they are postmarked by november 3. But the justices could still consider the republican challenge again after the election if the state turns out to be pivotal to the election. In the North Carolina case, the justices let stand a Lower Court Ruling allowing the states board of elections to extend the deadline for counting ballots to nine days after election day. Newly confirmed Justice Amy Coney barrett did not take part in either case. The International Crisis group, which monitors conflict around the world, is warning of possible violence in the United States during voting or during the vote counting process. The group cited growing political polarization, the rise of armed groups, and the higherthanusual chances of a contested election outcome. But the International Crisis group says the most important risk factor is the president himself. In an report, the group writes that President Trumps toxic rhetoric and willingness to court conflict to advance his personal interests have no precedent in modern u. S. History. In nebraska, hundreds of Trump Supporters were left stranded in the freezing cold for hours at an airfield in omaha tuesday night following a rally by President Trump. At least seven people were taken to the hospital. 168yearold man one 68yearold man was found shivering with possible hypothermia and altered mental status according to an account on the omaha police scanner. The rally was held three miles from the closest parking lot and the Trump Campaign didnt have enough buses to transport everyone in a timely manner. Former Homeland Security official miles taylor has revealed he was the Trump Administration insider who first critiqued the president in 2018 in the New York Times under the pen name anonymous. The times described anonymous as a senior official in the Trump Administration prompting speculation that the article may have been written by a member of trumps cabinet. At the time, taylor was an advisor to then Homeland Security director kirstjen nielsen. In august, taylor endorsed joe biden for president. Virginia Governor Ralph Northam has signed a bill banning the police use of noknock warrants, joining florida and oregon as the third state to bar unannounced rates by police. Virginia house bill 5099 was nicknamed breonnas law after breonna taylor, the 26yearold black woman shot to death in her own home last march by louisville, kentucky, Police Officers serving a noknock warrant. In philadelphia, federal agents arrested prominent civil rights activist Anthony Smith at his home wednesday over unspecified charges related to protests against Police Brutality that erupted in may. Smiths lawyers are questioning the timing of the arrest, which came as protests erupted against continued against the Police Killing of Walter Wallace jr. , a 27yearold black man who was shot and killed by two philadelphia officers during a Mental Health crisis. Philadelphias mayor ordered a curfew overnight following incidents of arson and looting on the sidelines of mostlypeaceful protests on monday and tuesday. Meanwhile, philadelphias Police Department says it has launched an investigation into officers who were filmed smashing the windows of an suv during protests early tuesday morning, then beating the driver and removing a small child from the back seat. On the gulf coast, at least two people were killed wednesday after hurricane zeta made ndfall sth of neorleans a tegory 2torm. Ze moved ridly inld, leing morehan 7 custers witht powebetween uisiana and the carolina was t fifth ned stormo makeandfall louisia this ye,hetronge hurrica since 99 to hithe u. S. His and t 27thr, named stm of 20s fleddenteclimate lantic hricaneeason. Thtrump adnistrati has strippedrotectio against loing and adbuildg in the tongasnation forest alaskaone of t Worlds Largest tempate rainrests. E 9. 3 miion acreorest is ho to prtine oldrowth ees and vulnerle speci including cific saon, wolv and bear this mth the nural resrces defense uncil nod the tongass stores more carbon per acre than almost any other forest on the planet, which makes preserving it a matter of real urgency in the fight against climate change. The International Red cross is warning fighting between azerbaijan and armenia in the nagornokarabakh region risks spiraling out of control as civilian casualties mount. On wednesday, armenia accused azerbaijan of bombing a Maternity Hospital in stepanakert. Meanwhile, azerbaijan claims 21 people died after Armenian Forces shelled the town of barda. In colombia, riot Police Used Tear Gas and truncheons wednesday to force more than 600 indigenous families from their homes on privatelyowned land in the southern amazonas region. The area is one of colombias poorest, and residents say poverty drove them to occupy the property two months ago in a desperate bid for survival. Toif the police are going evict me, then kill me first. But i tell you i am not going. I am not going. Amy back in the United States, immigration and Customs Enforcement has agreed to pay 100,000 in damages to settle a lawsuit for targeting members of the vermontbased group migrant justice. Under the agreement, ice will also stop deportation proceedings against three members of migrant justice. Ice tried to terrorize us by going after our leaders. They tried to divide us by going after our organization. They tried to silence us. With this settlement, we are saying we will not be silenced. Amy to see our interviews with migrant justice, you can go to democracynow. Org. And in news from the art world, the Baltimore Museum of art has called off plans to sell three paintings, including an andy warhol, to raise money to buy more art by women and artists of color. The museum was hoping to raise 65 million from the auction and sale, but the move set off a fierce debate within baltimore and the art community. And those are some of the headlines. This is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the quarantine report. Im amy goodman in new york, joined by my cohost nermeen shaikh. Nermeen hi, amy. Welcome to all of our listeners and viewers from around the country and around the world. Amy a record shattering 76 Million People have already voted in person or by mail in the 2020 election. At the battle over the counting of mailin ballots continues. On wednesday, the Supreme Court to do related cases, ruling that swing states pennsylvania and North Carolina can accept absentee ballots in the days following election day well, at least for now. In the pennsylvania case, the justices refused to take up a plea from republicans to overturn a ruling by the pennsylvania Supreme Court to count ballots received up until three days after the election if they are postmarked by november 3. But the justices could still consider the republican challenge again after the election. All ballots received after november 3 will be segregated from other ballots. In the North Carolina case, the justices let stand a Lower Court Ruling allowing the states board of elections to extend the deadline for counting ballots to nine days after election day. Justice amy coney barrett, who was just sworn in this week, did not take part in either case. The rulings follow the Supreme Courts monday 53 decision that mailin ballots in wisconsin can be counted only if they are received by election day. Justice Brett Kavanaugh joined the conservative majority, writing a concring opinion that alarmed Voting Rights advocates after he claimed that counting ballots received after election day could create suspicions of impropriety because they could potentially flip the results of an election. In a rare move, kavanaugh changed a line in his opinion wednesday after facing criticism for falsely saying the state of vermont had not changed its voting rules due to the pandemic. He issued a revised opinion changing the phrase ordinary election rules to ordinarily deadline rules. Jim conde wrote condos in an interview on cnn. Policymakers should conder extending these deadlines given the massive volume of absentee ballots we are going to get. Some have done that, most have not. Most states do require absentee ballots to be received by Election Night to be treated as valid boats. Val boats. Amy for more on the significance of the Supreme Court rulings and how early voting is playing out across the country, we are joined now by ari berman, Senior Writer at mother jones and author of give us the ballot the modern struggle for Voting Rights in amica. His latest piece is headlined Brett Kavanaugh lays out a plan to help trump steal the election. Welcome back to democracy now explain Supreme Court decisions that just took place yesterday and in the last few days. Good to be back. There are a flurry of decisions from the Supreme Court and it is very unusual for the Supreme Court to be hearing cases about voting roles in which tens of millions of people are already voting in the election day is only a week away. So there were three major rulings. In wisconsin, the Supreme Court said ballots must be received by election day, but in pennsylvania and North Carolina, essentially said the opposite, which is that in pennsylvania, ballots postmarked by election day could be received three days after. In ninth carolina, postmarked up to nine days after. But these are only premier new disciplinary victories. Saidal alito basically this event republicans should try to challenge this after the election, we might those out. Basically saying, can we will throw those out that are going to be disproportionally cast by democrats, legal under pennsylvania law and so my message to voters in the states and other states is drop your ballot off. It is too late to mail it in and a state like wis