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u.s. news Diabierna 20 november 2020

President Trump invites Michigan GOP leaders to White House

DETROIT (AP) — President Donald Trump American people deserve better — than to be In a statement, the pair reported being the target of
summoned Michigan's Republican legislative forced to accept an outcome achieved through threats, which they reported to law enforcement.
leaders to the White House for a meeting Fri- intimidation, deception and threats of violence,”
day amid a longshot GOP push to overturn they said in a statement Wednesday night. “Wayne Trump “was checking to make sure I was safe af-
the certification of Democrat Joe Biden's vic- County voters need to have full confidence in this ter seeing/hearing about the threats and doxxing,”
tory in the battleground state. process." Palmer said in a text message to the Detroit Free
Press, referring to the practice of publicly disclos-
Two people familiar with the matter told The As- State officials said the certification of the Detroit- ing someone's personal information.
sociated Press that Trump invited Senate Major- area vote will stand. Michigan's chief election of-
ity Leader Mike Shirkey and House Speaker Lee ficer said a post-election audit will be performed, Biden crushed Trump in Wayne County by a more
Chatfield. They agreed to go, according to a state though not to check “mythical allegations” of fraud. than 2-1 margin on his way to winning Michigan
official aware of the leaders’ plans. The two offi- by 153,000 votes, according to unofficial results.
cials spoke on the condition of anonymity because “There is no legal mechanism for them to re- His victory reversed Trump’s 2016 gains in the
they were discussing private conversations. scind their vote. Their job is done, and the next industrial Midwest and put the Democrat on the
step in the process is for the Board of State Can- path to achieving the 270 Electoral College votes
It was not immediately clear what the meeting vassers to meet and certify,” said Tracy Wimmer, a needed to win the White House.
would be about. Neither Shirkey nor Chatfield spokeswoman for the Michigan secretary of state.
commented. The Legislature would be called to The four-member state board, which is expected The county canvassers later voted again and certi-
select electors if Trump succeeds in convincing the to meet Monday, is split with two Democrats and fied the results, 4-0. Then, on Wednesday, Palmer
state’s board of canvassers not to certify Biden’s two Republicans — the same makeup as the Wayne and Hartmann signed affidavits saying they believe
153,000-vote victory in the state. County board. the vote should not be certified.
Jonathan Kinloch, a Democratic canvasser, said he
Both Shirkey and Chatfield have indicated they President Donald Trump's campaign believes the heard passion — not threats — during the stormy
will not try to overturn Biden’s win. latest about-face by Palmer and Hartmann is legiti- Tuesday night meeting when the audience on
“Michigan law does not include a provision for the mate. It withdrew a federal lawsuit challenging the Zoom was allowed to speak after the 2-2 tie and
Legislature to directly select electors or to award Detroit-area results, attaching affidavits from the before the unanimous vote.
electors to anyone other than the person who re- pair.
ceived the most votes,” Shirkey’s spokeswoman “I heard people basically being very assertive in
said last week. Palmer and Hartmann initially voted against certi- demonstrating their outrage, but it happens all the
fication Tuesday, leaving the county Board of Can- time,” Kinloch said. “This was a very important
Also Thursday, state officials said Michigan's larg- vassers deadlocked at 2-2 along party lines. Palmer meeting to the city, the county, and it impacted a
est county cannot revoke its certification of elec- complained that certain Detroit precincts were out lot of folks.”
tion results after two Republicans who approved of balance, meaning that absentee ballot books did
Joe Biden's local landslide wanted to revert to their not match the number of ballots cast. Benson, a Democrat, said a post-election audit
initial stance of refusing to bless the vote tally. “This is not an indication that any votes were im- will be conducted in Wayne County and any other
properly cast or counted,” Secretary of State Joc- community with “significant clerical errors.” “Au-
The GOP effort to change position represented elyn Benson said. dits are neither designed to address nor performed
another complication in what is typically a routine in response to false or mythical allegations of ‘ir-
task. Monica Palmer and William Hartmann, the The GOP move drew an immediate rebuke from regularities’ that have no basis in fact,” she said.
two Republican canvassers in Wayne County, said the public and injected partisan politics into the
they only voted to certify the results after “hours of business of an unsung panel that is supposed to There has been no evidence of widespread voting
sustained pressure" and after getting promises that confirm the will of the voters. A person familiar fraud in Michigan or any other state. Federal and
their concerns about the election would be inves- with the matter told The Associated Press that state officials from both parties have declared the
tigated. Trump reached out to Palmer and Hartmann on 2020 election safe and secure. But Trump and his
Tuesday evening after the revised vote to express allies have spent two weeks raising false claims of
“We deserve better — but more importantly, the gratitude for their support. fraud and refusing to concede to Biden.

Southwest, United Airlines see weak demand over holidays, 1Q

(AP) — United Airlines mand will be remain weak continues to see the virus leisure travelers will have March 2019 after two crashes
warned Thursday that in the first quarter. hurting travel. even less reason to fly. killed 346 people.
bookings have slowed “I'm not real optimistic that
and cancellations have The number of people fly- In the past week, “there has the first quarter is going to American Airlines plans to be
increased as the number ing in the United States is been a deceleration in system improve much from the cur- the first U.S. carrier to begin
of coronavirus infections down about 65% from a year bookings and an uptick in rent levels of demand,” said using the Max, with once-
spikes across the country. ago, and airlines were hoping cancellations as a result of the Southwest CEO Gary Kelly. a-day flights between New
Southwest Airlines has that the upcoming holidays recent spike in COVID-19 “It will be winter time, and York and Miami scheduled
also seen more cancel- would mean an increase in cases,” United said in a regu- we've already seen seasonally to start Dec. 29. United ex-
lations, and the carrier's leisure travel. latory filing. the uptick in the cases, and pects to resume Max flights
CEO said that travel de- United said however that it that's concerning.” in the first quarter, followed
Chicago-based United ex- by Southwest.
pects to operate no more than Kelly made the comments to
45% of its normal schedule reporters as he and other ex- All three airlines say Max
in the fourth quarter. and it ecutives detailed Southwest's flights will be identified
continues to forecast a 67% plans to bring the Boeing 737 when customers book flights.
decline in revenue compared Max back into the schedule, “We will call it out very clear-
with last year's fourth quar- possibly in April. ly, it's a 737 Max 8. There
ter. is no hiding the ball,” said
On Wednesday, the Federal Southwest President Tom
Southwest officials said Aviation Administration ap- Nealon.
bookings are rising for the proved an order ending the
holidays but so are cancella- grounding of the plane once The airlines say they will let
tions — they didn't provide airlines update flight-control customers change flights if
numbers for either. software and give pilots more they want to avoid flying on
training. All Max jets around a Max.
When the holidays are over, the world were grounded in