Lasers Can “Hack” Self-Driving LiDAR Sensors, Creating False “Blind Spots”, New Study Reveals
In what is likely going to be another thorn in the side of Elon Musk, Tesla and Autopilot, it was revealed in a report last week that many self-driving features in vehicles can be “messed with” using lasers.
A brand new study that was put together and uploaded in late October, called “You Can’t See Me: Physical Removal Attacks on LiDAR-based Autonomous Vehicles Driving Frameworks” made the revelation, which was also reported on by Cosmos Magazine.
Researchers in the U.S. and Japan found that vehicles could be tricked into not seeing pedestrians (or other objects in their way) using lasers. These cars, which use LiDAR to sense objects around them, send out laser lights and then use the reflection back to judge how far away objects are.
The study revealed that a perfectly timed laser shone back into a LiDAR system can create “a blind spot large enough to hide an object like a pedestrian,” according to Cosmos.
The study’s abstract says: “While existing attacks on LiDAR-based autonomous driving architectures focus on lowering the confidence score of AV object detection models to induce obstacle misdetection, our research discovers how to leverage laser-based spoofing techniques to selectively remove the LiDAR point cloud data of genuine obstacles at the sensor level before being used as input to the AV perception. The ablation of this critical LiDAR information causes autonomous driving obstacle detectors to fail to identify and locate obstacles and, consequently, induces AVs to make dangerous automatic driving decisions”
University of Florida cyber security researcher professor Sara Rampazzi commented: “We mimic the LIDAR reflections with our laser to make the sensor discount other reflections that are coming in from genuine obstacles.”
“The LIDAR is still receiving genuine data from the obstacle, but the data are automatically discarded because our fake reflections are the only one perceived by the sensor,” she continued.
Any laser used in this manner would not only have to be perfectly timed, but would have to move with the vehicle, the report says.
University of Michigan computer scientist Yulong Cao, co-author of the report, said: “Revealing this liability allows us to build a more reliable system. In our paper, we demonstrate that previous defence strategies aren’t enough, and we propose modifications that should address this weakness.”
The research will be presented at the 2023 USENIX Security Symposium, the report says.
Members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) District 19 narrowly approved the ratification of a labor agreement that has been nearly three years in the making.
Fifty-two percent voted in favor of accepting the agreement, IAM said Saturday. About 59% of IAM’s membership voted. Overall membership totals about 4,900 workers, who serve as locomotive machinists, roadway mechanists and facility maintenance personnel for the railroads.
The union, which spoke to FreightWaves this week about the contract negotiation process, said it was “confident that this is the best deal for our members” while acknowledging that the contract didn’t have universal appeal.
“Our union recognizes that the agreement wasn’t accepted overwhelmingly, so our team will continue conversing with our members at our rail yards across the nation,” the union said in a statement Saturday. “This agreement is the first step in addressing some of the issues in our industry.”
IAM also said leadership “worked night and day to communicate the agreement’s benefits and what would happen if it was rejected.”
“Our fight was able to shine a light on the work-life balance issues as well as the lack of proper paid sick leave. Our union will continue to amplify the deficiencies in the carriers’ sick leave and attendance policies,” IAM said.
The National Carriers Conference Committee (NCCC), the group representing the freight railroads, said it was pleased with IAM’s voting results.
“The IAM agreement, like the agreements with six other rail unions that have already ratified, implements the recommendations of Presidential Emergency Board (PEB) No. 250, including the largest wage package in nearly five decades, maintains rail employees’ platinum-level health benefits, and adds an additional day of paid time off for IAM-represented workers,” NCCC said.
“The successful result announced today follows an initial unsuccessful ratification attempt by the IAM last month. The ratified agreement is consistent with the framework recommended by the PEB,” NCCC continued, noting that this latest agreement followed one that was rejected by IAM’s membership in September. Representatives for IAM and the railroads went back to the negotiating table after that to com up with this latest iteration.
According to IAM, the revised ratified agreement will include a cap in healthcare costs and addresses issues related to single-room occupancy and travel expenses and per diem.
The agreement also includes plans to conduct a joint study with the railroads on overtime and overtime policies, as well as a “me-too” clause in which IAM would receive the same provisions should there be another agreement that appears to improve upon IAM’s agreement.
A new labor agreement for each of the 12 unions has been in the works since January 2020, but negotiations between the unions and the railroads failed to progress. In July, President Joe Biden appointed three independent experts to serve on the PEB, which conducted hearings and received testimony from stakeholders about how the unions and railroads could resolve the impasse. PEB issued its recommendations, which were meant to serve as a jumping-off point for a new contract.
So far, seven unions have ratified their agreements, while another three still need to vote on whether to ratify their tentative agreements, according to NCCC. Two of the three include the two biggest unions representing train conductors and engineers, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) and the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers-Transportation Division (SMART-TD).
Two other unions, the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way-Employes Division (BMWED) and the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen, recently voted to reject their tentative agreements, and so both are back at the bargaining table with the railroads.
BMWED could initiate a work stoppage as early as Nov. 19, but that would be before BLET and SMART-TD would have completed voting on their tentative agreements, NCCC said.
Gun Owners of America secured a historic victory in the battle for gun rights on Monday when New York Judge Glenn Suddaby issued a preliminary injunction suspending many parts of New York’s Concealed Carry Improvement Act (CCIA).
This victory follows Gun Owners of America & Gun Owners Foundation securing a temporary restraining order against the aforementioned CCIA in October, which a federal appeals court then blocked.
Happy Election Day Eve, Gov. Hochul. One loss today and hopefully another tomorrow!
This ruling enjoins many of the worst provisions of New York’s ignorantly titled “Concealed Carry Improvement Act” such as the “good moral character” clause which allowed licensing officials to not only infringe on applicants Second Amendment rights, but also their First and Fourth Amendment rights by demanding they disclose social media accounts and personal relationships.
Judge Suddaby also struck down many of the so-called “sensitive location” gun bans including all places of worship, buses, public parks, and many more.
The entire ‘restricted locations’ applying to private property was enjoined, as well.. This law made it so that ALL private property was considered a gun-free zone. To allow concealed carry permit holders to exercise their rights, a private property owner would have been required to prominently display a sign that guns are welcome, the complete opposite of the rest of the country. This was government overreach on private property and was rightfully struck down.
GOA’s attorneys of record, Rob Olson and Stephen Stamboulieh, took on an army of anti-gun lawyers to defeat New York in an uphill court battle spanning the past few months.
This decision also has national repercussions. New York has been a testing ground for ways to get around the NYSRPA v. Bruen Supreme Court decision since the High Court handed it down in late June. States like New Jersey have passed similar restrictions and have closely watched GOA’s legal challenge to New York’s Concealed Carry Improvement Act. Some states and localities are even waiting to pass such legislation pending the outcome of GOA’s challenge.
This victory sends a clear message to those anti-gun states that the courts will overturn unjust laws that infringe on the constitutional rights of American citizens.
Erich Pratt, GOA’s Senior Vice President, had this to say:
“Just like we warned politicians after the Bruen decision, fall in line, or we will force you to. We are excited to see Kathy Hochul finally served a plate of humble pie, and we are fully prepared to continue the fight should she again attempt to disarm the citizens of her state at a time when her party’s policies are only escalating the danger that everyday citizens face.”
We’ll hold the line for you in Washington. We are No Compromise. Join the Fight Now.
* * *
[ZH: While Gun Owners of America rolled back most ‘sensitive place’ restrictions where people are barred from carrying concealed firearms, there are separate lawsuits concerning Times Square and subways, which weren’t included in this decision.]
Financial Service: To avoid going into debt this holiday season, consumers are being smarter about budgeting in advance and are more likely to favor a BNPL approach to cover holiday expenses over opening a new credit card. Though shoppers are feeling inflation’s pinch, spending levels will look similar to last year.
Retail and E-Commerce: Consumers will be looking for the best deals and making compromises so they can keep their holiday spending in check. While that may have previously been good for Black Friday retailers, less than half of shoppers plan to to take advantage of the sale event.
Travel and Hospitality: Travelers will need to make tradeoffs to combat cost concerns. Americans are looking forward to holiday travel after two years of scaled-back celebrations, but cost has replaced COVID as an influential factor. To avoid overspending, travelers plan to shorten trips, bunk with relatives and leverage points and rewards to cover costs.
Food and Beverage: Purchasing holiday groceries will be a stressor for some, but most feel excited about celebrations. Despite inflation, most consumers plan on sticking to a consistent foods and drinks budget. Hosts from different generations approach their holiday celebrations differently, an important factor for brands to consider.
Stressed Over Groceries
Looking for Deals
As a result of inflation, 82% of shoppers say they intend to look for more deals and discounts, while 72% plan to look for less expensive alternatives.
Millennials, the generation most worried about their finances this holiday season, are most likely to seek these lower-cost tradeoffs.
56 Percent Plan to Give Gift Cards
Gift cards are practical. But cash is even more practical.
Regarding gift cards, I wonder “why bother?”
You give a gift card and get a gift card. Why not just stop the exchange and say Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays or whatever greeting you prefer?
OK , if its a targeted gift card to a sporting goods specialty store the money goes to an designated idea. But what if the recipient would rather have something else?
Things like Harry & David fruit baskets, Omaha Steaks, and numerous cheese shops are ridiculously expensive for what you get.
My suggestion, other than gifts for your kids: Just stop. And tell your kids you don’t want anything other than to see them more often if that is indeed the case.
Buy Now Pay Later
BNPL vs Credit Card
I don’t understand this pairing at all. What does difference does a new credit card vs an old one make?
OK. For those who carry a balance, the initial purchase on a new card does not have interest for a month.
But if you are carrying a balance month after month, you are already spending too much.
Will You Spend Less or More?
Holiday Spending Plans vs 2021
How much do you expect to spend?
If you routinely carry a credit card balance, then look in the mirror and admit that you are a sucker.
Instead of giving or getting presents pay down your debt.
BNPL is a trap. You pay in installments, but with few exceptions you will be paying built-in credit fees that may be even worse than credit card fees.
Stressed over holiday groceries? Then make lasagna or stuffed shells or something you don’t normally cook to make it special. Jumbo shells stuffed with ricotta cheese and pepperoni bits would probably look special, be very inexpensive, tasty, and provide as many leftovers as you want.
Slice and cook the pepperoni first and drain the grease. You can put some pepperoni inside each shell or cover the tops of the shells with pepperoni and a layer of mozzarella cheese.
Want another food suggestion? Try Rock Cornish hens stuffed with rice instead of a big turkey.
If you are stressed over groceries, then you have to be stressed over everything else as well.
My number one stress-reducing recommendation is simple: Just stop the gifts except for the kids, and then don’t splurge.
Other than the kids, only buy what you can afford and would have purchased anyway. Then wrap it up if you want, and give it to yourself tagged from whomever. Then you get exactly what you want, no exchanges necessary.
For many, exchanging gifts is a stressful waste of time, energy, and money. So stop!
But if you can afford to exchange and it makes you happy, then go ahead. Be happy.
Citadel’s Ken Griffin Touts Florida As “Great Environment And Streets Are Safe And Clean”
Before we dive into the latest comments of Citadel’s billionaire founder, Ken Griffin, praising Florida for all its beauty after he moved his firm from the hellhole of Chicago. We want to remind readers about the events that led to Griffin’s decision.
In May, Griffin was becoming increasingly frustrated with the eruption in violent crime across Chicago and Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s inability to solve those issues.
At the time, he said, “We’re getting to the point that if things don’t change, we’re gone. Things aren’t changing.”
By June, Griffin sent a letter to Citadel employees that he had moved to Florida and that his market-making business, Citadel Securities, would also migrate to Miami. He noted in the letter that he views Florida as a better corporate environment, and though he didn’t specifically cite crime as a factor, company officials said it was a consideration.
Later that month, Bloomberg reported the new headquarters of Citadel would be at 1201 Brickell Bay Drive. The secret deal to obtain the property closed in April and was shielded from the public by a limited liability company with a Chicago mailing address.
In mid-August, CNBC noted Griffin had already spent a billion dollars on Florida real estate. This includes the plot of land for the new headquarters building and a massive estate in Palm Beach.
On Monday, Griffin, now Florida’s richest man, spoke with Francis Suarez, Miami’s Republican mayor, who said the real reason he moved his market-making operation and residence to South Florida wasn’t because of taxes but the positive atmosphere, according to Bloomberg.
“It’s gonna get me thrown out of here, but taxes weren’t part of our decision to come to Florida.
“When you’ve got great schools, a great environment and your streets are safe and clean, that’s when you’ve got a place you want to live in and call home.
“There’s something very special about the government in Florida and their focus on delivering traditional values for the community,” he told Suarez in a conversation.
Griffin is one of the most high-profile individuals to pack up his bags and head to a conservative-friendly state after living in a progressive-run city that had social justice reforms backfire and spark even more violent crime.
The billionaire isn’t alone. Tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of everyday Americans have made the same decision to flee imploding liberal-run cities in the last few years because of high taxes and socio-economic collapses. Many have fled to more prosperous and safer conservative-run cities.
The world’s energy needs will only grow, and it would be “foolish” to think that rising demand can be met with renewables alone, Oman’s Energy Minister Salim Al-Aufi told CNBC on Tuesday.
Oman’s energy minister tells CNBC’s @_hadleygamble it would be “foolish” to assume that the world’s growing energy needs can be met with renewables. pic.twitter.com/BL0TUcWhFz
Energy needs to be affordable and this is the first pillar of energy supply when the energy transition is concerned, the minister said.
Oman’s official also defended, again, the OPEC+ decision to reduce the headline target oil production by 2 million barrels per day (bpd) as of this month, saying that the group is proactive in trying to balance the market.
Al-Aufi also said that he wasn’t surprised by the U.S. blowback after the OPEC+ decision was announced.
“It was expected,” he told CNBC.
Referring to the energy transition and renewables, Oman, like many Middle Eastern oil and gas producers, believes that all forms of energy will be needed to meet the world’s growing energy demand in the coming years and decades.
Back in September, Saudi Aramco’s chief executive Amin Nasser said that years of underinvestment, a lack of a backup plan, and alternatives not ready to step up and replace conventional energy are the real causes of this state of energy insecurity today.
The world and policymakers need a more credible energy transition plan, which has to recognize that “supplies of ample and affordable conventional energy are still required over the long-term,” Nasser said in a speech at the Schlumberger Digital Forum 2022 in Switzerland. Aramco’s CEO reiterated the long-held view of Saudi Arabia that the world will need oil and gas for the foreseeable future and will need more investment in the industry just to keep supply steady amid declining output from maturing wells, and even more investment to boost production capacity to meet the world’s energy needs.
China Cancels Top EU Official’s High-Profile Video Address For Ukraine War Comments
European Council president Charles Michel was set to deliver an address at the opening day of the China International Import Expo (CIIE) hosted in Shanghai on Friday, but Chinese authorities have pulled the pre-recorded video address in a very brazen act of censorship of a top official and diplomat, Reuters reports.
“As requested by the Chinese authorities, we had indeed provided a pre-recorded message which was ultimately not shown. We have addressed this through the normal diplomatic channels,” a statement from EC President Michel’s office confirmed.
The high-profile speech was likely canceled by Chinese authorities as it was expected to criticize Russia’s war in Ukraine while also provocatively urging the European Union to reduce trade dependency on China.
What’s more is that he was expected to call on Beijing to pressure Moscow to halt the ongoing attack on Ukraine, and heap criticism of the Russia-China “no-limits” partnership declared just before the war’s start in February.
According to statements from diplomatic sources cited in Reuters, the rebuke of Russia was going to be scathing, at an event where President Xi Jinping is to speak as well:
Mr Michel’s speech included strong criticism of Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine. “In Europe, we want balance in our trade relations… to avoid over-dependencies,” his speech said, reported Reuters citing the diplomats familiar with what he was to say.
“This is also true of our trade relations with China.”
“China has a role in using its influence to stop Russia’s brutal war… through your so-called ‘no-limits’ partnership with Russia,” Mr Michel was to say, referring to a pact announced by Mr Xi and Mr Putin in Beijing before the war began.
“You, China, can help put an end to this.”
Xi and Michel are expected to meet in person next week at the G-20 summit in Bali. Biden will also meet with Xi – a moment that will drive headlines, likely overshadowing everything else.
#Chinese authorities behind a major trade expo in Shanghai pull an address by the #EU chief #CharlesMichel that was set to criticize Russia’s “illegal war” in Ukraine and call for reduced trade dependency on China, diplomats say.https://t.co/qb3TIFz2lQ
But a Sunday report in the South China Morning Post noted that “Beijing has yet to officially confirm either Xi’s attendance at the summit or a meeting with Biden, who will be in Bali from November 13 to 16.”
If it happens, it will be the first face-to-face meeting with Xi since Biden took office in 2021. According to the US side, via US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby, “There’s an awful lot of issues for us to talk to China about. Some issues are fairly contentious and some should be collaborative.” The US confirmed ongoing intense discussions and planning with the Chinese side for the meeting.
Election Night Results: Early Signals To Watch For As Polls Close Across America
As results hit tonight (likely beginning around 6pmET), we will be updating this post…
Watch live:
Well, you’ve done your patriotic duty to uphold democracy across the union and now all that is left is to sit back and watch the completely error-free results of the Midterm elections quickly roll in as the billions of dollars spent on people and machines to enhance voting integrity and accuracy are shown as being well spent.
Of course, that’s all ridiculous as the mainstream media and Democrat apparatchiks have already set the narrative that ‘we, the people’ should not expect the results tonight (like Brazil managed?) or in fact any time soon.
I’d like to note once again that Brazil — with a population of similar size to the US (especially with mandatory voting and a voting age of 16) — counted all votes nationwide in every race within 3 hours after the polls closed. Every race was decided that night. https://t.co/8phpLUQA6j
Around 44 million people had cast their ballots early for the midterm elections as of November 7. Of those, roughly 20 million people voted in person nationwide, while more than 24 million returned their ballot by mail. This is around a 13 percent increase from 2018, when the last midterms were held. Then, a total of 39 million ballots were counted, according to the U.S. Elections Project.
Analysts claim that this could be interpreted as a good sign for Democrats, as in past years the party’s followers have been more likely to vote ahead. While even with these figures it is unclear what the midterm results will be, it does show that there is an increase in political engagement in several states. As The Washington Post notes, 2.5 million people had voted in person early on Friday in Georgia this year when early voting ended, far surpassing the 1.9 million who cast their ballot early in 2018.
It is worth noting that in some states, for example in Vermont and Hawaii, early voting was much higher than in the last midterms because these states changed the law to make it easier to vote early by mail. In 2018, Hawaii moved to all mail-in, which explains the state’s high figures. Vermont in 2021 changed its law to mail out ballots to all active voters without the need to request.
The U.S. Elections Project was last updated on 7 November, with states showing the latest available data.
Remember this chart…
As a reminder, in 2020, 42 states and Washington, D.C., had reported enough results for news organizations to project winners in the presidential race by about 3:00 a.m. Eastern.
But eight states took longer. Six of them — all but Alaska and Michigan — have competitive Senate races this year that could determine the balance of power in Congress.
Of course, before we get to what to watch for tonight, we can’t let the elephant in the room go.
So, don’t hold your breath for any real final answers tonight. However, while there are a handful of key races to watch, we note that Axios details seven bellwethers which will help navigate the results as they drip-drip-drip in tonight to see whether Republicans are gaining a foothold in parts of the country that have long eluded them, for example, and the types of Democrats who can win even when the odds would seem to be stacked against them.
1. The best early bellwether: Rep. Abigail Spanberger’s (D-Va.) race against Republican Yesli Vega, in the exurbs outside Washington, D.C., will offer a clear early signal of the national political mood.
A pragmatic Democrat with a national security background, Spanberger has condemned her party’s left wing early and often On Saturday, she was endorsed by vocal Trump critic Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.).
Vega reflects the under-the-radar diversity of the GOP’s recruiting class — a Latina candidate who serves as a county supervisor and has a law enforcement background.
Polls close in Virginia early (7 p.m. ET) and the state typically counts ballots quickly. Spanberger’s early victory in 2018 foreshadowed the Democratic wave that year. If Republicans return the favor in 2022, it would be a sign of a wave in the opposite direction.
2. The most important county: Miami-Dade, Florida.
Republicans are confident that Gov. Ron DeSantis and Sen. Marco Rubio will comfortably win their re-elections, but the bigger dynamic to follow is their margin of victory in the state’s most populous, majority-Hispanic county.
Miami-Dade County hasn’t voted for a Republican for president since 1988 and hasn’t backed a GOP governor since 2002 (Jeb Bush). Rubio hasn’t won an outright majority in his home county for his Senate races, either.
But both have a chance to win in Miami-Dade — result that would signal a GOP landslide and provide rocket fuel for a potential DeSantis presidential campaign.
3. The Democrat best-positioned to survive a red wave: Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), who is still running neck-and-neck against Republican state Sen. Tom Barrett.
Even as many Democratic colleagues in bluer territory look awfully vulnerable, Slotkin is holding her own in one of the most expensive House battlegrounds.
If Slotkin runs against the tide, she’ll credit Liz Cheney’s endorsement for pushing some suburban swing voters her way. But if Barrett defeats the two-term lawmaker, he’ll be reflective of the new MAGA-aligned Republican majority.
4. The upset to watch: The New York governor’s race.
It’s hard to imagine deep-blue New York electing a Republican governor — especially one who has been closely aligned with former President Trump.
But Gov. Kathy Hochul’s tone-deaf reaction to voters concerned about crime is giving Republican Lee Zeldin a fighting chance.
5. Rare Democratic bright spot: Kansas.
Kansas was one of the first signs of a backlash to aggressive abortion restrictions in the wake of the Supreme Court’s ruling this past summer.
Even as Democrats are struggling in some deep-blue states, Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly is running competitively against Republican state Attorney General Derek Schmidt, according to strategists from both parties.
Rep. Sharice Davids (D-Kansas), representing a suburban Kansas City district that Republicans drew to their favor in redistricting, is also in a strong position. A NYT/Siena poll this week showed Davids leading Republican Amanda Adkins by 15 points in a Biden +5 district.
6. The races that will settle the Mitch McConnell-Rick Scott feud: Arizona and New Hampshire.
The cash-flush, McConnell-aligned Senate Leadership Fund decided not to spend in Arizona and pulled out of the New Hampshire race in October. The super PAC’s reason: It was more important to spend in the races that will decide the Senate majority, rather than gambling on candidates who may be general-election liabilities.
Scott’s allies, meanwhile, view McConnell as overly cautious and worry Republicans will miss an opportunity to take advantage of the GOP wave in two swing states, even with flawed nominees.
If Blake Masters and Don Bolduc win without much establishment help, they’ll likely be thorns in McConnell’s side if he becomes majority leader.
Republicans are growing bullish that they’ll make significant inroads in Hispanic-heavy parts of the country, where concerns about crime and the economy are creating a wedge against their traditional Democratic affiliation.
“Everyone is seeing that the Hispanic districts have been two, three, four clicks to the right compared to their historical performance,” said one GOP official tracking House races. “They’re coming in red hot Republican.”
Key areas to watch for as a sign of the Hispanic shift right: Nevada, the Rio Grande Valley in Texas (where Republicans are hoping to sweep three majority-Hispanic districts), and Colorado’s 8th district, a newly created seat outside Denver.
Tactically, they need a loss so big that Uncle Joe has no choice but to announce very quickly that he will not be running in 2024.
They need a wide open primary that will help them find the next generation of CENTRIST Democrats.
What they do not need, under any circumstances, is for Biden to limp along until late fall 2023 and then bow to reality, creating a giant mess that will only help those Democrats with super-high name recognition.
A close loss will not force that reckoning. But a bad one will (I hope). And a saner Democratic Party will be good for everyone.
America could be stumbling drunk pretty fast tonight just based on Rule #1 of the Official 2022 Midterm Election Drinking Game: drink at every mention of democracy itself. We’ve been told for months that’s what’s at stake, and it’s a safe bet you’ll be told it again tonight at least enough times to drain a bottle or two.
But what fun would a drinking game with one rulebe? Especially at the end (we hope!) of a political season as infuriating as this one, we deserve to kick it a little. The quantity of terror-mongering this year has been unprecedented. Issues all but vanished. In their place the public was subjected to an endless parade of horror tales about democracy’s end, “attacks” on ballot integrity, intimidation, disenfranchisement, foreign influence, “election denial,” and three bears of the new Homeland Security Goldilocks tale: misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation.
All of which makes the prospect of watching returns tonight grimmer than usual, but we’re here to help, with drinking game rules for tonight’s broadcasts. I’m going to be watching MSNBC, purely for comedy value, but you can substitute any broadcast from Fox to CNN fairly easily. I’m on kid duty tonight and unfortunately won’t be on hand for the whole night. However, I plan on trying Substack’s new chat feature, opening a beer and a chat with subscribers at 8 p.m. You’ll need the Substack App to take part. I’ll also be joining Katie Halper on her show at around 10 p.m (click here to join).
No matter where you watch, coverage tonight should be packed with lunatic hyperbole, with warnings either about a blood-soaked New American Reich or a vast election-theft conspiracy, depending on which party succeeds. Of course the most likely end is the Beastie Boys No Sleep Till Brooklyn scenario, i.e. we don’t make it to an answer no matter how late we stay up, with panic continuing for weeks and people on all sides feeling more anxious and hating one another more as time progresses.
To which our answer is, Drink! But have fun doing it, at least tonight, perhaps according to these rules:
Drink EVERY TIME:
Anyone, from a candidate to a TV anchor, mentions that “democracy is on the ballot.” Double-shot for use of the phrase democracy itself, e,g, “democracy itself is on the ballot.”
You’re told this is the most important election of our lifetime, or the most critical moment of our lives, etc. You may drink an additional shot if you’re certain today is not any of those things.
Steve Kornacki draws a frenzied geometric shape around Pennsylvania.
John Fetterman’s shorts are visible in a video report.
Nate Silver reminds you he doesn’t do predictions, but rather publishes percentage-chance forecasts.
Liz Cheneyis mentioned (i.e. as if mattering).
Elon Muskis blamed for something. Double-shot if the bad thing is “in the name of” or “under the guise of” free speech.
Anyone mentions “over a hundred election deniers on the ballot.” Also drink for permutations on the theme, e.g. “60% of Americans will have an election-denier on the ballot,” or “Over half of GOP candidates are election-deniers,” “election-denier JD Vance wants to ban books,” etc.
Anyone mentions the “specter of violence” or “conditions ripe for violence,”or reports votes are being counted “amid threats of violence.” Do an exclamation shot at the end of the night if no violence is ultimately observed.
A politician or a pundit warns that everything might come down to the “wild card” in Georgia, and with suspicious gleefulness reminds you we might all be waiting until December 6th to find out who’ll control the Senate. Call it the “No Sleep Till Georgia”rule.
SPECIAL MSNBC “DECISION 2022” ELECTION NIGHT RULES:
Tune in at 8 p.m. Guess which of Rachel Maddow, Nicolle Wallace, Joy Reid, Chris Hayes, Alex Wagner, Lawrence O’Donnell, Ari Melber, Stephanie Ruhle or the aforementioned Kornacki will be first to blame any Republican victory on disobedient or insufficiently centrist Democrats and/or third party “spoilers.” Drink the first time this happens anyway, and drink a double if you guess correctly.
Guess which contributor will be the first to make a cringe sports-related joke aboutHerschel Walker. Drink the first time this happens, and drink a double if you guess correctly or the person botches the terminology (e.g. “For once, Herschel Walker can’t pile the move”).
Guess which contributor will be first to convey warnings from the Department of Homeland Security, FBI, US Capitol Police, or National Counterterrorism Center about threats, misinformation, or the impending end of civilization. Drink the first time this happens, and drink a double if you guess correctly or the contributor happens also to be a former government official.
Guess which contributor will be the first to invoke Nazis, fascists, or white supremacy, or suggests without irony that tonight might be the last time we ever have elections. Drink the first time this happens, drink a double if you guess correctly.
OPTIONAL: Keep a running count of how many times the word “Trump” is mentioned on the broadcast versus all mentions of all other issues (health care, education, the economy/inflation, etc.). If at the end of the night you have a “hot deck,” i.e. the number is +4 for Trump, you may drink that many times. If the deck is cold, drink coffee. Or whatever.
DRINK ONLY THE FIRST TIME YOU HEAR:
“Red wave.”
“Red mirage.”
Russians/Putin want you to vote Republican (e.g. “a Republican majority in the Senate and the House of Representatives could help the Russian war effort”).
Remember, rules can be combined. Here’s a double-shot, for instance:
This is exactly what Putin wants. If we’d had Republicans like this in the 1980s, we would have lost the Cold War. pic.twitter.com/vPYmYuj6ME
As always, do not politics and drive. Hydrate before sleeping, hug your loved ones, and don’t wig out too much, no matter what the result. The sun will still come up tomorrow.
DeSantis Halts Biden Election Monitors In Florida Polling Locations
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) has refused to allow federal election monitors from the Justice Department into polling locations.
In a statement earlier this week, the DOJ said it was sending officials to 64 jurisdictions throughout the country – most of which would be in red or purple states.
Included in the list was Broward County, Miami-Dade County, and Palm Beach County.
Brad McVay, General Counsel at the Florida Department of State, responded…
“(T)he Florida Department of State received copies of your letters to Miami-Dade and Broward Counties in which you seem to indicate that the Department of Justice will send monitors inside polling places in these counties,” reads a letter to the DOJ from McVay.
“We also understand you sent a similar letter to Palm Beach County.”
“But Department of Justice monitors are not permitted inside a polling place under Florida law,” McVay continues.
“Section 102.031(3)(a) of the Florida Statutes lists the people who ‘may enter any polling room or polling place.’ Department of Justice personnel are not included on the list. Even if they could qualify as ‘law enforcement’ under section 102.031(3)(a)6. of the Florida Statutes, absent some evidence concerning the need for federal intrusion, or some federal statute that preempts Florida law, the presence of federal law enforcement inside polling places would be counterproductive and could potentially undermine confidence in the election.”
In short, pound sand.
As the Daily Wire notes, McVay’s letter noted that the Biden administration’s communications with counties in Florida “do not detail the need for federal election monitors.
“None of the counties are currently subject to any election-related federal consent decrees,” the letter continues. “None of the counties have been accused of violating the rights of language or racial minorities or of the elderly or disabled.”
“Your letters simply provide a non-exhaustive list of federal elections statutes as the basis for this action without pointing to any specific statutory authorization,” McVay concludes. “When asked for specific authorization during our phone call this evening, you did not provide any. Accordingly, the Florida Department of State invokes its authority under section 101.58(2) of the Florida Statutes to send its own monitors to the three targeted jurisdictions. These monitors will ensure that there is no interference with the voting process.”
