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NEWSOM... from Page 1 are working hard to help you keep a roof over your head, and there are new resources and protections available to you right now,” the governor wrote. The governor said an “eviction or foreclosure” has always been a devastating incident. More so, with the COVID-19 pandemic still raging, losing a home to stay safe and warm is even more tragic. “While the COVID-19 pandemic has affected all of us, it has not affected all of us equally. The impacts of COVID on lives and livelihoods have had disproportionate impacts on our diverse communities. Census data from July 2020 showed that, of all California renters who had fallen behind on rent, three-quarters were Latino or Black,” Newsom noted. So here’s how tenants can avail of the rent relief law, says Newsom: “If your landlord gives you a notice to “pay or quit” – saying you have a certain amount of time to pay the rent you owe, or you have to move out – but you can’t pay the full amount because you were affected by COVID, you can fill out a document and give it to your landlord.” “It is called the Tenant Distress Form, and you can find it on our new HousingIsKey.ca.gov website. It is available in English, Chinese, Korean, Spanish, Tagalog and Vietnamese.” “Sign it and don’t delay. You must give your landlord this document within 15 days after you receive the “pay or quit” notice to be protected from eviction.” “You still owe the past rent, but if you cannot pay full rent because of COVID, you can’t get evicted for any rental debt that accrued between March and August of this year.” “And so long as you further pay at least 25 percent of the rent due between September of this year and January of next year, then you cannot be evicted for unpaid rent for that period, either.” “While this bill will give tenants some room to breathe, it is not permanent.” “As of now, the protection for evictions lasts only until February 1, 2021.”
WESTERN... from Page 1 “This virus transcends our borders and we are grateful to partner with our neighboring states though our Scientific Safety Review Workgroup for a healthy and safe path forward for all our communities.” The Governors of Washington, Oregon and Nevada will identify public health experts to join California’s workgroup to guide the review of any vaccine approved by the FDA. While there is no proven vaccine for COVID-19 yet, these top health experts will review any vaccine that receives federal approval and verify its safety before California, Washington, Oregon and Nevada will make the vaccine available to the public. “We believe in science, public health and safety. That is why I am pleased that Washington is joining California and other western states in this effort,” said Washington Governor Jay Inslee. “Any COVID vaccine must be guided by the expertise of scientists and medical professionals and that’s just what this workgroup will do. The Western States Pact will continue working together to ensure the best health outcomes for everyone in our states.” “The vaccines currently in development, once approved, are what Americans have been waiting for to protect their families, their children, and their loved ones in long-
term care facilities,” said Oregon Governor Kate Brown. “The independent review conducted by this panel of doctors, scientists, and health experts will ensure that a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine is available to everyone, especially communities that have been disproportionately impacted by this disease.” "Once again, I am thrilled to work with other states in the Western States Pact to ensure we take care of all our residents by bringing together the best and brightest scientific minds across states borders. We know we are stronger together," said Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak. "When the time comes, Nevadans will be able to feel confident in the safety of the vaccine knowing that an independent review by experts across the West gave it their seal of approval." This is not the first time Western States have collaborated in response to COVID-19. In April, California, Oregon, Washington, Colorado and Nevada joined in a Western States Pact which shared a vision for fighting COVID-19 and reopening their economies. Western State leaders in May urged congressional leaders to approve $1 trillion in COVID-19 relief for states and local governments and are partnering to pilot a project testing new exposure notification technology pioneered by Google and Apple.
Feature
Saturday-Friday | October 31 - November 6, 2020
US polls: What's at stake for PH? MANILA – The presidential race in the United States between President Donald Trump and former vice president Joseph Biden is moving into its final stretch. With the polls less than a week away, political pundits weigh in on its possible outcome and what is at stake for the Philippines. The country needs to pay attention to two major issues the US would continue to carry beyond November 3 -- human rights and China. Rommel Banlaoi, president of the Philippine Association for Chinese Studies (PACS), said a Trump re-election would bring a continuation to the US-China rivalry, which could pressure the Philippines to take sides. "If Trump is re-elected, (the US) would reaffirm its hawkish, mercantilist, and isolationist positions. The worsening US-China rivalry will be a harder major foreign policy challenge for the Philippines because we will be put in a taking side dilemma," he said in the recent virtual Pandesal Forum. Biden, on the other hand, could reverse the Trump administration's "damaging" action that resulted in the heated US-China trade war. While his view of Beijing is "inconsistent" and "ambiguous", Biden has sought to promote interstate cooperation, open trade, and multilateralism, an approach that could de-escalate current tensions with China should he win the White House, Banlaoi said. "I think if Biden wins there would be more flexibility and reason compared with Trump because we know the position of the liberals are more accommodating and willing to engage in talks with China, so there would be more rules for settling of political differences," he said. The Democratic Party's emphasis on human rights and the rule of law could, however, could generate "political pressure" on the Duterte administration, whose campaign against illegal drugs had been criticized by several US lawmakers and
President Donald Trump and former vice president Joseph Biden (Anadolu photo)
then-US president Barack Obama, a Democrat. "Biden is very strong on human rights. But if they want to put pressure, they lack time already because Duterte's presidency will expire in 2022," Banlaoi said. In a position paper dated October 25, the Integrated Development Studies Institute (IDSI) also posited that the upcoming US election "takes on increasing significance" as the Philippines needs a benign regional geopolitical environment to recover from the pandemic. "A Trump victory will pose problems for the country as the Philippines will be under increasing pressure to take sides in the rivalry between the two giants. The country might not be able to navigate the neutral path based on the best interests of the country, which allows it to tap the opportunities that both sides offer," IDSI research fellow Henry Chan wrote. "In the case of a Biden term, chances of a more subdued belligerence or confrontation will allow the Philippines to focus on economic recovery," he added. 'Big impact' Whoever wins the 2020 US polls, political analyst Ramon Casiple said Washington is likely to focus on the Asia Pacific, including the Philippines, which would be the
"center of exposure" in the international arena. Casiple, also the executive director of the Institute for Political and Electoral Reform, thinks the US government would take great interest in the upcoming 2022 Philippine elections, given the country's strategic location in the region. "It's the US interest that would be at stake here, so don't expect that the US will be passive with regard to our electoral process. In fact, I am already anticipating that it will be an issue not only with the embassy but definitely the whole political elite in the US,” he said. “There is already recognition that our part of the world will be something that both China and the US will be handling or addressing as a relatively important area of contention in the coming year,” he added. Casiple said the Philippines must be ready to handle the "new world" that is coming, which means it has to be alert on its feet in dealing with "coming relations" rather than rely solely on its old ties. "We have to be prepared, particularly starting after the US elections, the US will try to come back and try to implement a new series of policies based on its own interest and the situation that has newly arrived in this particular area of the world," he said. (PNA)
AS U.S... from Page 2 workers due to the impacts of COVID-19, scuffles between voters, and intimidation tactics. But it’s too early to see what might lead to litigation. “The key for reporters,” he said, “is to not focus on isolated instances but to look for systemic issues.” Once the polls have closed, he continued, news organizations should take care not to focus on the percentage of precincts reporting results. Because every state has its own way of counting votes, for instance, some will include absentee votes on a precinct-by-precinct basis, whereas others will dedicate a precinct just to those so-called “mail-in” ballots. Also, some states will count early-arriving ballots as they come in, while others will wait until Election Day itself, or just before then, so getting numbers that accurately ref lect results will be a confusing process. “Every state and locality is different,” he said,
so “initial results are not necessarily predictive.” “Do NOT declare winners!” Persily urged the news writers in attendance. “Contextualize results. When you’re reporting on votes coming in, contrast those numbers with the number of expected voters.” To do that, he recommended knowing how many votes are expected in any given locality before reporting on its preliminary results. Also, he said, it’s important to note where the votes are coming from, and how they’re being cast — for instance, if absentee ballots have been attributed to their location of origin. Most importantly, he said, compare results, particularly in the presidential election, to the results from 2016, to see if there’s been a rising tide for either party at either the state or county levels. Arizona and Florida have already begun count-
ing absentee ballots, he pointed out, and Florida expects to have those tallies ready for dissemination when the polls close on the evening of Election Day. But in states including Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Michigan, votes received in advance may not yet be counted on the evening of Nov. 3, and may take days to fully report. He warned against premature acceptance of results based on phenomena such as a “Red Mirage,” based on Election Day turnout at the polls that lean Republican, a “Blue Wave” of heavily Democratic-leaning absentee votes, or a “Blue Mirage” the earliest tabulations of those “mail-in” votes in the states that report them while Election Day votes are still being counted. Persily cautioned about what sources to trust for election information, and to beware of early claims of victory, and of foreign or domestic claims of fraud such as destroyed votes or
official malfeasance in the counting process. For reliable, authoritative sources and information on litigation and on the procedures of the different states, he recommended healthypolls. stanford.edu and healthyelections.org. Temper expectations of when results will be available, particularly if the election is anywhere near as close as 2016’s, he said. “I tend to think it’s closer than people presume.” Asked what states might be important to watch, he said that a Biden victory in Florida or Trump ascendancy in Maine or New Hampshire could be predictive. It’s inevitable that pundits will make their predictions, he said, but “exit polls on Election Night are notoriously inaccurate. “We’re going to have to wait. What makes an election official is certification by the chief election officer in the state,” he said, and that can take weeks.
