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2020 US Election: Odds Correctly Predicted Biden win, but the result reveals an alarming divide between Red and Blue America

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has been declared president-elect, but president Donald Trump is refusing to concede defeat.

The Manc The Manc - 20th November 2020

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has been declared the president-elect, but incumbent president Donald Trump is refusing to concede defeat, alleging “widespread voter fraud” fuelled by Democrats in a conspiracy to “steal” the election is behind the result of the presidential race. Instead, he’s filing lawsuits left and right, pressuring officials to back his baseless claims and using the power of government to block the transition of power from commencing.

What many political scientists and media observers deem to be a perilous attempt to overrule the will of the people and undermine democracy, the Trump administration sees otherwise: as a noble and justified fight for the rights of all American citizens to a free and fair democratic election process.

White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnamy declared in a press conference Monday, while aligning the Trump administration’s fight against the results of the 2020 US Elections with championing the rights of all Americans “who want to have faith and confidence” in the electoral process, “This election is not over – far from it.” 

In the immediate aftermath of election day, as Biden began steadily gaining significant ground on Trump in key states and moving ever closer to the requisite 270 electoral college votes needed to win the election, the White House responded with an all-caps statement that claimed “illegal votes” were being counted to steal the election from the Trump administration. 

“IF YOU COUNT THE LEGAL VOTES, I EASILY WIN THE ELECTION! IF YOU COUNT THE ILLEGAL AND LATE VOTES, THEY CAN STEAL THE ELECTION FROM US!” said the White House statement.

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Although there’s scant evidence of any vote tampering, the Trump administration has issued a flurry of litigation Michigan, Wisconsin. Pennsylvania, Georgia, Arizona and Nevada to back up the unsubstantiated allegations.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) issued his support of Trump’s legal challenges in the wake of his defeat to president-elect Joe Biden, declaring Monday that Trump is “100 percent within his right” to pursue recounts and litigation. 

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US attorney general William Barr has authorised federal prosecutors to probe the “substantial allegations” of voting irregularities in the presidential election across the U.S. to determine one way or another if they do in fact exist, before the 2020 presidential election is officially certified.

Biden, when pressed for his thoughts on the Trump administrations stalling tactics on Monday, said “”I just think it’s an embarrassment, quite frankly.” Adding tactfully that “I think it will not help the President’s legacy.”

According to SBR, president-elect Biden, who was the favourite to win the 2020 US Elections according to the odds and numerous respected polls, is on course to acquiring 306 electoral college votes and over 5 million votes more than Trump in the popular vote. The latter of which is being projected at 80 million votes approximately – by far the most votes of any presidential hopeful in American political history. 

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However, Trump too is on course to amassing a historic number of votes – the second-most votes in American political history at above 72 million by recent count. By these numbers, Trump has not only already surpassed the number of votes that won him the 2016 election, but he’s also surpassed the number of votes that won Hillary Clinton the popular vote count in that election.

Therefore, while Biden’s victory may have been correctly predicted, the sheer record number of votes that both candidates received in the 2020 US elections is the big reveal – one that nobody predicted. In fact, quite the opposite was expected: from a humiliating defeat that would serve as a repudiation of Trump and his brand of politics to an unambiguous referendum on the Trump administration for its perceived failings, in particular this year in the wake of the global coronavirus pandemic. 

If presidential elections are revealing occasions that convey the will of the people, then the 2020 US Elections revealed a nation that is, at the very least, of two minds. So, while America-wide consensus has Biden the winner of the 2020 US Elections – his margin of victory is that great, meaning any challenge by Trump or vote recount would be a moot point – his victory earns him a deeply divided country that will put his campaign slogan “to heal the soul of America” well and truly to the test.

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Three Manchester motorways named in UK’s top 10 ‘most challenging’

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant Motorway

Three motorways in and around Manchester have been named the ‘most challenging’ in the UK.

As part of MoneySuperMarket’s new Great British Motorway Report, new research has found that one in three UK motorists find motorway driving ‘stressful’ – despite more than 70 billion miles being travelled on Britain’s motorways each year. 

From delays and congestion to high traffic levels, there are a number of factors that can contribute to driver stress levels. 

But are some motorways more challenging for drivers than others? According to the data, yes. And three of the top 10 worst motorways in the UK are in and around Greater Manchester.

To find out which are the most challenging, MoneySuperMarket analysed everything from collision rates and roadworks, to lane closures and driver feedback in order to reveal the top 10.

Manchester is home to three of the UK’s top 10 most challenging motorways – the M602, M62, and M60, the latter of which took the top spot on the list.

Woman driving a car
Three Manchester motorways have been named in the UK’s top 10 ‘most challenging’ / Credit: pxfuel

Encircling Greater Manchester and linking many of the region’s motorways, the M60 recorded the lowest overall score in the index.

Despite handling significant volumes of traffic, the M60 experienced some of the highest average delays, at 15.58 seconds per vehicle per mile, and alongside this, it saw 34 collisions in the past year alone. But despite these challenges, the M60 remains an essential route for regional connectivity, and often cannot be bypassed.

“If you’re feeling anxious, allow extra time for your journey so you don’t feel pressured to rush or make last-minute decisions,” commented Alicia Hempsted at MoneySuperMarket.

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“Plan your route in advance, including where you’ll stop for breaks, as regular rest stops can help you stay alert and reduce stress on longer trips, and if you’re travelling alone, consider sharing your route with someone you trust if it helps you feel more comfortable.”

Featured Image – Mike Birdy (via Pexels)


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Chinatown restaurant pleads for help after dine-and-dash customer leaves staff member in A&E

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Chinatown restaurant pleads for help after dine-and-dash customer leaves staff member in A&E

A brilliant restaurant in Manchester’s Chinatown has shared CCTV and a heartfelt appeal after one of its staff members was left in A&E.

Noodle Alley shared that one of its young staff members chased after a group of dine-and-dash customers who’d left without paying for their meal.

The restaurant then said that she was ‘assaulted’ at some point in the chase and ended up in A&E.

In their statement, Noodle Alley said that the staff member ‘had treated them kindly and never expected that kindness to come back to her like this’.

They wrote: “What has this world come to? A violent man sent our staff to A&E over an unpaid meal.”

The CCTV shows a group of three young men, all carrying Selfridges shopping bags, entering the restaurant.

They sit and enjoy a meal, before two of them slip out of the restaurant. The third man then exits but is chased by a Noodle Alley staff member.

It’s at this point – out of the range of the restaurant’s CCTV – that they said she was assaulted ‘after going beyond her duty to try and recover what had been taken’.

The family business said that she has been ’emotionally affected’ by the incident.

The police are involved and the restaurant has appealed for anyone who can help with their investigation to get in touch.

It’s also the second time they’ve appealed about a dine-and-dash customer in the last few months, but this incident went ‘far beyond’ previous incidents.

In their full statement, Noodle Alley said: “We’re a small family business, and lately it feels like small businesses are being targeted again and again.

“But this time, it went far beyond anything we have experienced before.

“One of our young staff members — a girl simply doing her job — was assaulted after going beyond her duty to try to recover what had been taken from our restaurant. She ended up in A&E.

“What hurts us most is seeing how emotionally affected she has been by what happened. She told us she had treated them kindly and never expected that kindness to come back to her like this.

“We work hard to look after our staff and our customers, and nobody should have to go through this simply for doing their job.

“We have reported the incident to the police.

“If anyone recognises these individuals or has any information that could help the police with their investigation, please contact us or the police directly.

“We’re sharing this because we believe our staff deserve to feel safe at work.”

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Featured image: The Manc Group

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