The Trump official who hasn't "ascertained" Biden won the election is looking for a new job

[View in browser]( [Mother Jones Daily Newsletter]( November 16, 2020 President-elect Joe Biden still hasn't been recognized as the election winner by the General Services Administration because the administrator, Emily Murphy, has not "[ascertained](" that he won the election. Biden did win. The race was called over a week ago. But until Murphy and the GSA certify the win—as Walter M. Shaub Jr. [writes]( in the New York Review of Books—Biden is held back from receiving "$6.3 million dollars to the team, which is funded by public and private money; a loan of expanded federal office space and equipment; access to government agencies that will begin sharing information and records about ongoing activities, plans and vulnerabilities; national security briefings for the president; and other support." That could, you'd think, be helpful for a president walking into office as he deals with a massive economic crisis and a deadly pandemic. Even the most callous partisan should realize that. But Murphy has not budged. What makes her lack of action even scummier is that, as ABC News reported, [Murphy seems to have personally ascertained]( that the Trump administration is indeed coming to an end: Emily Murphy, head of the GSA, recently sent that message to an associate inquiring about employment opportunities in 2021, a move that some in Washington interpreted as at least tacitly acknowledging that the current administration soon will be gone. Got it? When it helps Republicans, Biden won. But when it helps Biden—and the country—get ready to do the job, let Trump keep ranting. Congressional Democrats are none too pleased: Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., a senior member of the House Oversight Committee, insisted that Murphy reaching out privately about future employment opportunities "exposes the hypocrisy" of the Trump administration's position. "Here's somebody who refuses to sign the letter of transition but is self-dealing at the same time," he told ABC News. "That's a de facto recognition that there's an incoming administration, and it's not called Trump—it's called Biden." President-elect Biden will be sworn in as the 46th president of the United States in 65 days. —Ben Dreyfuss [Prescott College](www.prescott.edu) [Top Story] [Top Story]( [This Guy Is Unhappy With His Health Care Plan, So He Wants SCOTUS to Destroy Obamacare]( This case is all about standing. BY STEPHANIE MENCIMER [Trending] [Election workers are putting their lives on the line in Georgia's recount]( BY KARA VOGHT [The squad doubled its ranks. Now what?]( BY KARA VOGHT [Trump's refusal to start the transition process is crippling America's coronavirus response]( BY KARA VOGHT [Thanksgiving is less than 2 weeks away, and the entire continental US is trending poorly on COVID-19]( BY JACKIE FLYNN MOGENSEN [Prescott College](www.prescott.edu) [Health & Environment] [Special Feature]( [Here's What a Republican Senate Really Means for the Climate]( Green infrastructure is likely under Biden but don't count on climate requirements for businesses. BY WILL PEISCHEL [Fiercely Independent] Support from readers allows Mother Jones to do journalism that doesn't just follow the pack. [Donate]( [Recharge] SOME GOOD NEWS, FOR ONCE [The Pandemic Has Shuttered Dance Studios, But the Stage Keeps Expanding]( There are many dancers for whom dance is their profession and near-singular concentration, who train for hours every day to become world-class athletes, classical artists, or iconoclasts in renowned companies. But there are many more for whom dance is a private and personal form of expression, who will never desire the fame or attain the status of a New York City Ballet prima ballerina, but who find in dance an integral and special part of their lives. They dance for self-exploration and cultivation of local community. And they have unique insight into the cloistered world of professional dance, owing to their access to it. I’m a dancer of the second kind, and though I’ve practiced jazz, modern, and many other styles, ballet makes my heart sing. Before the pandemic, I’d finish my day’s work at Mother Jones, change into my leotard, tights, and warmups, and hurriedly bike to the studio, arriving just in time for the first plié. I did this three or four times a week, staying for up to three hours each day. Dance was my all-in-one workout, church, therapy, art, and craft—in a different order each time. My last class was March 13, two days after the pandemic was declared, at Alonzo King’s [Lines Ballet Dance Center]( in San Francisco. I’m sure many dancers remember their last pre-quarantine class vividly, set in memory by the void that followed. The Bay Area was quick to implement shelter-in-place and strict health protocols, and many studios closed, but they got creative: They tirelessly supported and received support from dancers by offering virtual classes for the first time, made recordings free to stream, held online events—whatever to stay afloat. Eight months later, studios that could survive financially are still adapting. Wherever you live, I guarantee your local studios and companies have found creative solutions. Until recently, I lived in a tiny one-room apartment with no space to dance, let alone do anything requiring a more-than-2-foot radius. I supported dance studios by buying passes for future classes and found workarounds to compensate for the abrupt drop of my spiritual center. Many groups have pivoted to digital offerings—[Alvin Ailey]( posts prerecorded performances—and for others, the stage itself has moved. It’s no longer confined to a theater, the locations are limitless, and everyone gets the best seat in the house. Top companies are transcending traditional restraints, as in [this San Francisco Ballet performance]( filmed at outdoor locations with more than 150 tracks recorded remotely by 60-plus musicians. Or in [these five works]( by the New York City Ballet filmed throughout the city. One of them, Water Rite, turns the inside of the Hearst Plaza fountain into a stage. Or in [this Paris Opera Ballet offering]( with a breathtaking view of the city. If you’re new to ballet or prefer classical story ballets over contemporary works, [the full-length recording]( of the Kirov Ballet’s Swan Lake is magical. It’s a 1990 production, but it doesn’t age (or it ages well) and the caliber of Russian companies is exquisite. Giselle, Don Quixote, and Romeo and Juliet are all online too. And if you love ballet through the music, my [top pick]( is the Mariinsky Orchestra’s version of Swan Lake under the direction of Valery Gergiev—jump to track 13, “Song of the Swans,” or listen to the masterpiece in its entirety. Beyond ballet, the range of contemporary and hip-hop offerings is expansive. A good place to start is [Galen Hooks](, who effortlessly combines contemporary and lyrical theater with hip-hop to create a style of her own. Both [Kida the Great]( and [Robert Green]( are phenomenal (you’ll recognize them from So You Think You Can Dance), and Zoi Tatopoulos’ [choreography]( is unclassifiable. When the pandemic is over, and lockdowns are loosened, I hope (and plan) to continue watching, listening, and supporting dance in each new way. —Cathy Asmus is Mother Jones’ membership initiatives manager. Share your dance stories with her at recharge@motherjones.com. Did you enjoy this newsletter? Help us out by [forwarding]( it to a friend or sharing it on [Facebook]( and [Twitter](. [Mother Jones]( [Donate]( [Subscribe]( This message was sent to {EMAIL}. To change the messages you receive from us, you can [edit your email preferences]( or [unsubscribe from all mailings.]( For advertising opportunities see our online [media kit.]( Were you forwarded this email? [Sign up for Mother Jones' newsletters today.]( [www.MotherJones.com]( PO Box 8539, Big Sandy, TX 75755