Amy Coney Barrett hearings continue as Trump heads to Pennsylvania rally – US politics live

12.24pm BST

Jill Filipovic’s verdict on yesterday’s opening to the Amy Coney Barrett hearing is in:

The hearing itself was practically a caricature of how conservative men approach accomplished women. There’s no question that Barrett is well-regarded among her Notre Dame colleagues and that the conservative lawyers and judges she has clerked for and worked with say she is a sharp legal mind. Yet every Republican given a chance to speak mentioned Barrett’s status as a mother, and typically emphasized that she has seven children, many of them still school-aged. Her maternal capacity, as much as her professional accomplishments, was invoked as evidence of her leadership abilities and her status as a role model to young girls.

There’s nothing wrong with recognizing that Barrett is a mom, or welcoming her children into the room. It’s not unusual for the judiciary committee to mention a nominee’s parental status. What is unusual, though, is to have every member of one party bring it up, often more than once, and even emphasize it as a qualification for the bench. Multiple Republican senators noted, for example, that Barrett would be the first female justice with school-aged children – something it’s hard to imagine being said about a man. Do we know who the first male supreme court justice with school-age children was? Would that even register?

12.19pm BST

It seems incredible that we are so close to November’s election and there are still states in the process of settling how the vote is to be conducted. It’s a consequence of some authorities attempting to make it easier for people to vote during an ongoing pandemic, with others seemingly determined to oppose any rule changes at every step of the way.

Yesterday the Alaska Supreme Court confirmed a lower-court decision that for the election the state’s usual requirement for a witness signature on absentee ballots will be waived. James Brooks reports for the Anchorage Daily News that:

State law ordinarily requires absentee voters to sign their ballots and get the signature of a witness who is at least 18 years old, but the witness requirement will not be enforced this year, though ballots’ written instructions will still say that a second signature is required.

More than 111,000 Alaska voters have requested absentee ballots, tens of thousands have already been mailed to voters and 10,915 have already been voted and returned, according to statistics published by the Division of Elections.

Absolutely infuriating. This is California. The Campaign will be notifying Law Enforcement and will be taking immediate legal action… cc. @GavinNewsom https://t.co/7KdoBvrDbS

Continue reading…Barrett supreme court hearing sets stage for partisan clashHearing kicks off with hypocrisy and healthcareTrump holds packed Florida rally as he struggles in pollsBiden sets out economic message in Ohio campaign tripSign up for Fight to Vote – our weekly US election newsletter 12.24pm BSTJill Filipovic’s verdict on yesterday’s opening to the Amy Coney Barrett hearing is in:The hearing itself was practically a caricature of how conservative men approach accomplished women. There’s no question that Barrett is well-regarded among her Notre Dame colleagues and that the conservative lawyers and judges she has clerked for and worked with say she is a sharp legal mind. Yet every Republican given a chance to speak mentioned Barrett’s status as a mother, and typically emphasized that she has seven children, many of them still school-aged. Her maternal capacity, as much as her professional accomplishments, was invoked as evidence of her leadership abilities and her status as a role model to young girls.There’s nothing wrong with recognizing that Barrett is a mom, or welcoming her children into the room. It’s not unusual for the judiciary committee to mention a nominee’s parental status. What is unusual, though, is to have every member of one party bring it up, often more than once, and even emphasize it as a qualification for the bench. Multiple Republican senators noted, for example, that Barrett would be the first female justice with school-aged children – something it’s hard to imagine being said about a man. Do we know who the first male supreme court justice with school-age children was? Would that even register? 12.19pm BSTIt seems incredible that we are so close to November’s election and there are still states in the process of settling how the vote is to be conducted. It’s a consequence of some authorities attempting to make it easier for people to vote during an ongoing pandemic, with others seemingly determined to oppose any rule changes at every step of the way.Yesterday the Alaska Supreme Court confirmed a lower-court decision that for the election the state’s usual requirement for a witness signature on absentee ballots will be waived. James Brooks reports for the Anchorage Daily News that:State law ordinarily requires absentee voters to sign their ballots and get the signature of a witness who is at least 18 years old, but the witness requirement will not be enforced this year, though ballots’ written instructions will still say that a second signature is required.More than 111,000 Alaska voters have requested absentee ballots, tens of thousands have already been mailed to voters and 10,915 have already been voted and returned, according to statistics published by the Division of Elections.Absolutely infuriating. This is California. The Campaign will be notifying Law Enforcement and will be taking immediate legal action… cc. @GavinNewsom https://t.co/7KdoBvrDbS Related: Does mail-in voting lead to fraud – and does it help Democrats? The facts Continue reading…