thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-09--4 'Long COVID' Survivors Describe What It’s Like To Have Symptoms Months Later

Illustration: Rebecca Zisser/HuffPost; Photo: Getty
There have now been more than 7.5 million cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. since the first known cases emerged earlier this year. But not even nine months later, some of the first victims have yet to fully recover from what is now known as long or long-haul COVID.
A report released in July found that about 35% of people surveyed after being treated for the coronavirus at 14 U.S. hospitals had not fully recovered within two to three weeks of testing positive for the virus, which is the typical timeline given for recovery.
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Studies elsewhere in the world have reported similar findings, with one conducted in China finding that 70% of people recovering from COVID-19 continued to have abnormal lung scans ― an indication that the lungs remain damaged and trying to heal ― three months after they left a hospital for treatment.
Other organs like the heart and brain have also been found to be at an increased risk of damage from COVID-19, which can lead to long-term health problems, according to the Mayo Clinic.
“You start to feel kind of lonely, like, is it just me? Am I going crazy?” COVID long-hauler Laura Long, 32, told HuffPost of the first few months of her illness, which began when long COVID was not known to exist.
Fortunately for her and many others, long COVID survivors have been able to find each other on social media and share their symptoms and recovery times, giving one another hope and companionship during an otherwise extremely dark time.
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Here are some of their personal stories.
David Lat, 45, New York
David Lat was hospitalized in March in New York City. He spent six days on a ventilator. David Lat
It’s been seven months since Lat was hospitalized in New York City for the virus. His lungs remain damaged. Doctors don’t know if they’ll fully recover.
In roughly one week’s time, what started as fatigue, fever and body aches led to a 17-day hospital stay for Lat, a former lawyer turned legal writer. He spent six of those days on a ventilator.
“When I first got home from the hospital, I could barely walk; I had to use a wheelchair if I wanted to go around the block,” he said. “I feel much better now, but for about three months, I had a terrible cough ― it would keep me up at night and make my whole upper body hurt ― and shortness of breath.”
The cough and shortness of breath lasted for about three months, he said. It’s now been seven months since he was hospitalized, but he has yet to fully recover.
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Before COVID-19, Lat said he was physically active and could run for miles without issue. Though he had asthma as a child, he can’t remember the last time he had an asthma attack. Today, post-COVID, Lat has been advised to use a daily “maintenance” inhaler and to be careful while physically exerting himself.
“I still have some scarring on my lungs, and I can’t exercise like I used to. Before COVID, I could run for miles. Earlier [in September], I finally got to the point where I could run one mile without stopping,” he said.
Lat said his pulmonologist considers him lucky.
“He’s seen COVID patients who are much worse off, including some who need lung transplants. My lungs have improved a lot since my hospitalization in March, but it’s not clear whether they will continue to get better or if this is how they’ll be for the rest of my life,” he said.
He has also faced mental health consequences from the virus, including depression and anxiety.
“I worried that I would never get better,” he said. “I feel much better today, but I still worry that I could get worse again. COVID is a new disease, and there’s so much we don’t know about it.”
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Like others, he has detailed his journey on social media in hopes that it will educate others about this longer, monthslong recovery that many are facing.
Stephanie Joyner, 52, Maryland
Stephanie Joyner hiking the Appalachian Trail in New York two weeks before becoming infected with the coronavirus. It shows "who I used to be," she said. Stephanie Joyner
Joyner, a high school teacher, went from healthy and athletic to fearing she was on her deathbed. Six months after contracting the virus, she’s just trying to maintain.
As a high school science teacher with a degree in biology, Joyner was well aware of how viruses spread and how to avoid catching them. So before her school went on lockdown due to the pandemic in March, she said, she spent the last 10 minutes of every class focusing on viruses with her students.
“I was just doing my best so they understood that taking these measures is a good thing,” she said of recommended safety precautions such as social distancing and wearing a mask.
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The fact that she was aware of these precautions and carefully followed them herself was an extra blow when she fell ill in early April.
For Joyner, COVID-19 started with an extreme headache that lasted for several days. Then the “telltale symptoms” of the virus started, she said.
These included a dry cough, fever, and loss of taste and smell. Over the next several weeks, she had joint pain, skin bruising without injury, fever, fatigue, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, insomnia, night sweats, perpetual thirst, brain fog, heart palpitations, and pain in her lymph nodes.
“They were so swollen, it felt like they were going to explode,” she said.
Left: Joyner during the third week of her illness. Right: During the seventh week of illness. She had lost 12 pounds by that point, she said. Stephanie Joyner
The virus also affected her menstrual cycle, she said. “I bled for two weeks straight and it was the kind of blood you have after having a baby,” she said, attributing this heavy flow to ruptured capillaries.
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Joyner and her doctor counted 23 symptoms happening simultaneously at one point. Because tests for COVID-19 weren’t available from her doctor’s office at the time, she was clinically diagnosed as having the virus.
She credited friends and family for checking in on her remotely and making sure she was alive.
“I had weeks of that, where I was afraid I wasn’t going to wake up,” she said, her voice breaking.
She likened the virus’ complications to post-viral syndromes for other illnesses, such as Lyme disease, tuberculosis and Ebola.
“It’s well-documented,” she said. “So why nobody thought we would experience this, it just blows my mind.”
Joyner has joined several online survivor groups. Most of the members, she said, are in their 20s, 30s and 40s, with the older people facing higher morbidity from the virus.
In these groups, the members listen to one another and exchange advice, news developments, support and guidance as they wait for the science ― and in some cases, government officials ― to catch up.
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“I had weeks of that, where I was afraid I wasn’t going to wake up.” - Stephanie Joyner, 52
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Four months after her recovery started, Joyner says she continues to have flare-ups but that they’re far less common than they were and require far less time to recover.
She lost 50% of her lung capacity at the start of her illness but has since regained 10%. Her resting heart rate remains higher than usual, rarely going below 80, which she called an improvement. She also remains sensitive to particularly warm or cold temperatures and cannot go outside without wearing a brimmed hat and sunglasses due to photosensitivity issues with her eyes.
There have also been lasting mental health effects, particularly anxiety and fear that she could contract the virus again while in her weakened state.
“I rarely go out,” she said. “I am so scared of getting sick again, and that’s just not me. I’ve never been the person to worry like, ‘What if?’”
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“I was so careful, and I got sick,” she said. “I feel like it’s going to get me again.”
She also feels anger and disbelief about the situation her country is in and how it’s responding, particularly when it comes to mask-wearing and the limited time some survivors have before they have to go back to work.
“They don’t give a damn if we live or die. All they care about is their bottom line,” she said. “Here in the U.S., we’ve normalized mass death, which is just mind-boggling.”
Laura Long, 32, Nevada
Left: Laura Long with her husband, Justin Long, just a few days before getting sick in March. Right: On April 16, after losing 15 pounds. Laura Long
Long, a mother of two young boys, continues to have heart palpitations and fatigue eight months since contracting the coronavirus.
Long considered herself to be “in perfect health” when she contracted the virus sometime early this year. It’s been about eight months since then, and she’s still trying to get her life back.
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“Chills, very tired, it felt like it took effort for my body to just lie on my bed,” she said of her initial symptoms, which began on March 14. This was after both of her children and their classmates came down with a strange cough that lasted for weeks.
Long received a 10-day prescription of prednisone in hopes that the steroid would snuff out her symptoms early. Instead, she says, she got worse.
“I got very nauseous, I couldn’t talk, I would dry heave if I talked too much. I started to get hallucinations,” she said. “It wasn’t like I was seeing anyone from my past that was dead, it just felt like it was any typical sci-fi movie where a bug invades you, and I felt like the virus was inside me and talking to me like, ‘I’m in here. I’m in charge.’”
“I got very nauseous, I couldn’t talk, I would dry heave if I talked too much. I started to get hallucinations.” - Laura Long, 32
In addition to the hallucinations, Long’s heart rate, which she measured with her Apple smartwatch, was unpredictable. She’d be lying in bed and record it suddenly go from 60 beats per minute to 100. Her doctor clinically diagnosed her with the virus since she wasn’t able to get tested.
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“That was the first time in my life where I thought I was going to die,” she said.
The mental anguish was perhaps the hardest, Long said.
“No one knew anything. You couldn’t get a test,” she said. “Being on a ventilator sounded super scary, and then you hear people protest because they can’t get a haircut.”
Around the fourth week, she said, she finally began to “feel human again” and was able to leave her self-quarantine.
Some positive news, today I felt well enough to do one of those cheesy lockdown family projects pic.twitter.com/wdlDX0ElUK — Laura Long (@Ellemarie_318) April 9, 2020
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Long’s physical stamina has improved and she’s able to push herself a bit more physically, but she describes everything as “a cycle” in which all the symptoms come back, only for shorter periods of time.
Doctors have not found anything wrong with Long, and an annual physical in July determined that her heart and lungs are healthier than they were a year prior.
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Her youngest son, 3, has had a reoccurring rash that first appeared when he had his cough. Her oldest, 8, has complained of having heart palpitations while doing sedentary activities.
Long also continues to have heart palpitations and exhaustion. On top of this, she has anxiety. She fears she could contract the virus again.
“It did all this to me and I was in the best shape of my life. Imagine if I got it again, what would happen in my condition,” she said.
6 months of #LongCovid today. I’m going to best try to outline my entire experience for those who have found my profile mid-journey. This will probably be a ridiculously long thread, but if there’s one good thing to come of this experience, I hope I help at least one person. 1/ — Laura Long (@Ellemarie_318) September 11, 2020
Long hopes that publicly sharing her experience helps others.
“There are people who still say that COVID is a hoax and ‘long COVID’ is a hoax and it’s a conspiracy to keep us all afraid,” she said.
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“You feel a little bit hopeless,” she said of how that makes her feel. “If people are going to deny that the problem exists, then you’re more steps away from a solution.”
Jillian Reed, 48, Connecticut
Nearly seven months after contracting the virus, Reed, a mother of two, remains on bed rest and unable to work. Doctors have not been able to determine what’s wrong.
Reed was preparing to have brain surgery at a Pennsylvania hospital to deal with hemifacial spasms when she suspects she contracted the coronavirus. If her doctor hadn’t postponed the surgery due to concerns about the virus’ spread, she has doubts that she’d be alive today.
“We were very cautious and careful because we knew the risks,” she said of her and her husband’s efforts to social distance ahead of her surgery. The one thing no one was doing, however, was wearing masks. That’s because health officials at the time were telling people without coronavirus symptoms not to. Experts now acknowledge that the virus can go airborne.
“I was in five different locations of this hospital and there was no mask mandate. That was March 19,” she said — the exact date the president had told journalist Bob Woodward that he knew the virus could spread through the air.
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Roughly four days after her surgery was canceled, Reed said she started coughing and experiencing shortness of breath. Thus began the “eight weeks of the elephant sitting on my chest,” she said.
“I couldn’t talk. The cough would not stop. I couldn’t sleep. I have a CPAP machine from before that I think saved me,” she said, describing the air pressure device used for sleep apnea.
In addition to going to the emergency room twice when she was unable to breathe, Reed said she has suffered fainting spells, low blood pressure, inflammation, painful headaches and brain fog that has left her unable to work. Like other COVID-19 survivors, she’s also experienced hallucinations, depression and anxiety.
“Jesus and I have had several discussions where I tell him, we’re at the binary decision point now, either he brings me up to heaven and I start hanging out with him or he starts healing me. Because I can’t take the pain anymore,” she said, her voice breaking. “And there were a lot of nights where I was just too afraid to sleep because I was certain that I was not going to wake up.”
She credited her husband and youngest daughter, who is home taking a gap year, for not just supporting and comforting her but literally keeping her alive.
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“They’ve been my rock,” she said.
“Just seeing people without their masks, it’s just like, oh my God, you have no idea.” - Jillian Reed, 48
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It’s been nearly seven months since Reed contracted the virus, but not much appears to have changed. She is on bed rest and unable to work. At no point, she said, has she not experienced a fever, coughing, or neurological issues. She’s had multiple tests and scans but said that her doctors have not been able to determine what’s wrong.
“Everything comes out normal. They can’t seem to pinpoint it,” she said.
Her bloodwork is the one thing that is far from normal, she said, but doctors have been at a loss to know why. She’s had to take blood thinners, is now on thyroid medication, and also extra vitamin D due to low levels, she said.
She’s also taking medical marijuana and CBD, which she called “a lifesaver” in helping minimize her pain and inflammation.
Like other survivors, she’s also been dealing with heavy emotional issues, including anger and anxiety over those who don’t wear masks.
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“Just seeing people without their masks, it’s just like, oh my God, you have no idea,” she said. “I definitely think I’ll have [post traumatic stress disorder] for a while because of that. It’s going to be hard to get back to going out into the public.”
She called the online support groups for fellow COVID long-haulers a tremendous help. Other survivors have made her feel less alone, even in physical isolation.
Perhaps the one positive out of all of this is that Reed hasn’t had to go back and have brain surgery. Her neurologist said that inflammation related to the coronavirus had probably moved a blood vessel off of a nerve and stopped the hemifacial spasms she’d been experiencing.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-09--‘And THAT’S That!’ On The Commander In Chief’s COVID Clusterf**k

HuffPost US This week on `` And THAT 'S That ! ''
we chat with career and dating coach Charreah K. Jackson .
It ’ s mask-on , mask-off at the White House .
The news surrounding COVID-19 in President Donald Trump ’ s circle shows no signs of slowing down .
On this week ’ s episode of “ And THAT ’ S That , ” we discuss the latest updates on the superspreader-in-chief spreading germs in the Oval Office and the historic vice presidential debate featuring Sen. Kamala Harris , who let everyone know she ’ s not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fly ” guy VP Mike Pence .
But with no love lost on politics , the president is not the only one trying to get chose in 2020 .
Cuffing season is early this year as folks are trying to find pandemic partners to make it through the second wave together .
We welcomed this week ’ s guest , career and dating coach Charreah K. Jackson .
Charreah K. Jackson onstage during the `` Claws '' Atlanta advanced screening at The Gathering Spot on June 5 , 2019 , in Atlanta .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Boss Bride : The Powerful Woman ’ s Playbook for Love & Success , ” and talks to us about what might go down in the DMs when looking for a cuffing season boo , safe sex in a pandemic , and how social distancing mixes with social networking for likes and love .
We also get into the death of Jonathan Price , how Ananda Lewis reminded us that it ’ s Breast Cancer Awareness Month , and even though there ’ s still no new music from Ri-Ri , she manages @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fenty fashion show .
“ And THAT ’ S That !
” is produced and edited by Izzy Best , Nick Offenberg and Sara Patterson .
If you have a question or a comment about the show or a suggestion for an episode , email us at andthatsthat @ huffpost.com .

This week on "And THAT'S That!" we chat with career and dating coach Charreah K. Jackson. HuffPost US
It’s mask-on, mask-off at the White House. The news surrounding COVID-19 in President Donald Trump’s circle shows no signs of slowing down.
On this week’s episode of “And THAT’S That,” we discuss the latest updates on the superspreader-in-chief spreading germs in the Oval Office and the historic vice presidential debate featuring Sen. Kamala Harris, who let everyone know she’s not here for the lectures from that “fly” guy VP Mike Pence.
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But with no love lost on politics, the president is not the only one trying to get chose in 2020.
Cuffing season is early this year as folks are trying to find pandemic partners to make it through the second wave together. We welcomed this week’s guest, career and dating coach Charreah K. Jackson.
Charreah K. Jackson onstage during the "Claws" Atlanta advanced screening at The Gathering Spot on June 5, 2019, in Atlanta. Paras Griffin via Getty Images
Jackson is the bestselling author of “Boss Bride: The Powerful Woman’s Playbook for Love & Success,” and talks to us about what might go down in the DMs when looking for a cuffing season boo, safe sex in a pandemic, and how social distancing mixes with social networking for likes and love.
We also get into the death of Jonathan Price, how Ananda Lewis reminded us that it’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and even though there’s still no new music from Ri-Ri, she manages to deliver fire and controversy at her Fenty fashion show.
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Listen to “And THAT’S That!” below.
Subscribe to “And THAT’s That!” on your favorite podcast platform:


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-09--Amid Pandemic, Sharply Increased U.S. Detention Times Put Migrants At Risk

Amid a global health emergency , immigrants are being held in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement ( ICE ) detention for longer than any period in at least a decade , according to ICE data on monthly averages analyzed by Reuters .
More than 6,400 detainees have contracted COVID-19 in ICE detention centers around the country , and eight have died .
Reuters spoke to 20 detainees from Africa and Latin America who said they had been held in ICE detention for more than six months .
Each described cramped and sometimes unsanitary conditions , which made social distancing virtually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other diseases difficult .
At the same time , the ICE data show , the average amount of time immigrants spent in U.S. detention almost tripled to three months this September compared to September 2016 , before President Donald Trump took office .
Detainees in September 2020 were being held nearly double the amount of time as in September 2019 .
ICE officials did not dispute Reuters findings on increased periods of detention .
The agency said the pandemic has hindered swift deportation of detainees because some countries have closed their borders or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ICE also said the health crisis has delayed U.S. immigration court proceedings and asylum screenings .
About a third of detainees have committed civil immigration violations , such as overstaying a visa .
These people are stuck in detention the longest - more than five months on average in September , according to the ICE data .
The rest of those detained have been charged with crimes but not yet convicted .
In August 2019 , she was again before a judge after missing a probation appointment in June , according to court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ having been raped and falsely imprisoned that month , something she said kept her from attending to her own criminal case .
She was released by the court but was detained by ICE that same day and has been at the Adelanto detention center near Los Angeles ever since , fighting deportation to a country she last lived in as a baby .
“ I ’ m so remorseful for what happened , ” she said of her drunk driving offense .
More than 100 Adelanto detainees have tested positive for COVID-19 since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
At least 16 detainees have been hospitalized for COVID-related symptoms since then but most have since recovered and returned to the center , ICE said .
The agency said it provides masks to staff and detainees at Adelanto , regularly disinfects common areas and is staggering meals and recreation times .
“ They use the same microwave we use , we touch the same stuff , they eat at the same tables , ” said Ramirez , who has lived in the United States since she was 5 and is fighting deportation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” More than 2,600 detainees are asylum seekers who have passed their first screening and are awaiting resolution of their court cases , ICE data showed .
The Trump administration says many asylum claims are fraudulent and has tried to narrow who is eligible and keep more detained pending court proceedings .
Perez said he left Cuba after being arrested and assaulted by police because he declined to participate in pro-government activities .
Representing himself in U.S. immigration court , he lost his asylum case in January in part because of a Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for asylum first in countries through which they traveled .
That rule has since been blocked in federal court .

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Oct 9 (Reuters) - The 31-year-old Cuban rancher arrived at the U.S.-Mexico border after crossing through nearly a dozen countries to seek political asylum in the United States.
More than a year later, Yudanys Perez remains locked up. As he presses his legal case, he’s been shuttled among six immigration detention centers and denied parole seven times.
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In May, medical records show, he tested positive for the coronavirus. For more than a month, he suffered fever, shakes and diarrhea in a dormitory with dozens of other sick detainees, he said during a telephone interview from the Winn Correctional Center in rural Louisiana.
“Especially since the coronavirus pandemic began, I worry every day about my survival,” he said in a declaration earlier this year in an ongoing federal lawsuit brought on behalf of hundreds of detained asylum seekers.
Amid a global health emergency, immigrants are being held in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention for longer than any period in at least a decade, according to ICE data on monthly averages analyzed by Reuters. More than 6,400 detainees have contracted COVID-19 in ICE detention centers around the country, and eight have died.
Reuters spoke to 20 detainees from Africa and Latin America who said they had been held in ICE detention for more than six months. Each described cramped and sometimes unsanitary conditions, which made social distancing virtually impossible and control of COVID-19 infections and other diseases difficult.
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The agency has also continued to transfer detainees among centers during the pandemic, seeding or exacerbating outbreaks in some cases.
Detention centers now house fewer than half as many people as before the pandemic - less than 20,000 as of early October - in part because emergency health measures established in March have allowed authorities to expel nearly 150,000 migrants at the border.
At the same time, the ICE data show, the average amount of time immigrants spent in U.S. detention almost tripled to three months this September compared to September 2016, before President Donald Trump took office. Detainees in September 2020 were being held nearly double the amount of time as in September 2019.
ICE officials did not dispute Reuters findings on increased periods of detention. The agency said the pandemic has hindered swift deportation of detainees because some countries have closed their borders or been unwilling to consistently accept returnees. ICE also said the health crisis has delayed U.S. immigration court proceedings and asylum screenings.
ICE spokeswoman Danielle Bennett said the agency is “committed to adhering to U.S. Centers for Disease Control guidance on detention levels and minimizing the spread of the virus.”
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Determinations about who is released are made on a case-by-case basis “as a matter of discretion or as a matter of controlling law or court decisions,” Bennett said.
‘Very Scary’
The agency could make greater use of its wide discretion by releasing more detainees on parole, bond or their own recognizance, several immigration attorneys, former ICE officials and public health experts familiar with ICE detention practices said.
Some of these sources said migrants may be kept longer because of the way the detention system is funded.
Congress looks at the prior year’s average detention numbers to decide how much to allocate to ICE and its parent agency, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in the future.
“This creates an incentive for DHS to limit discretionary detainee releases and slow down asylum processes, to keep its detained population as high as possible,” said Kevin Landy, a former ICE detention official.
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In response, ICE said that 2020 was an exceptional year due to the pandemic and Congress would likely take this into account when setting next year’s funding levels.
Overall, about half the people currently in detention have been convicted of crimes in the United States and often come into custody after they have finished serving U.S. jail or prison sentences, ICE data show.
In 2019, the most common convictions were for drunk driving, followed by drug offenses, criminal immigration violations - such as illegally crossing the border multiple times - and traffic offenses, like driving without a license.
About a third of detainees have committed civil immigration violations, such as overstaying a visa. These people are stuck in detention the longest - more than five months on average in September, according to the ICE data. The rest of those detained have been charged with crimes but not yet convicted.
Reuters spoke to a wide range of detainees - men and women from Burkina Faso, Mali, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Cuba and Venezuela, as well as Mexico and Central America.
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Sandra Cervantes, 26, whose parents brought her from Mexico when she was 6 months old, lost her Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) protection after being convicted of drunk driving causing injury. The Los Angeles resident said she was given five years of probation.
In August 2019, she was again before a judge after missing a probation appointment in June, according to court records. Police records show she reported having been raped and falsely imprisoned that month, something she said kept her from attending to her own criminal case.
She was released by the court but was detained by ICE that same day and has been at the Adelanto detention center near Los Angeles ever since, fighting deportation to a country she last lived in as a baby. “I’m so remorseful for what happened,” she said of her drunk driving offense.
ICE said Cervantes was a “convicted criminal alien, who has been ordered removed by an immigration judge.”
More than 100 Adelanto detainees have tested positive for COVID-19 since early September, according to ICE data. At least 16 detainees have been hospitalized for COVID-related symptoms since then but most have since recovered and returned to the center, ICE said. The agency said it provides masks to staff and detainees at Adelanto, regularly disinfects common areas and is staggering meals and recreation times.
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But Cervantes worries about contracting the coronavirus in her dorm, where she bunks with nine other women. “It’s kind of dirty in here, and we’re close to each other,” she said.
A former dorm mate said she had the same concerns. Uninfected detainees move through the same common areas as those in quarantine, said Silvia Ramirez, 37, a Mexican national who told Reuters she was detained after she finished a jail sentence for a third DUI.
“They use the same microwave we use, we touch the same stuff, they eat at the same tables,” said Ramirez, who has lived in the United States since she was 5 and is fighting deportation. “It’s very scary.”
Ramirez, who has high blood pressure - potentially putting her at higher risk for severe COVID-19 - was released last Friday following an order by a federal judge in a lawsuit brought on behalf of Adelanto detainees. She had been there six months.
Growing Restless
More than 2,600 detainees are asylum seekers who have passed their first screening and are awaiting resolution of their court cases, ICE data showed. The Trump administration says many asylum claims are fraudulent and has tried to narrow who is eligible and keep more detained pending court proceedings.
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Perez said he left Cuba after being arrested and assaulted by police because he declined to participate in pro-government activities. Representing himself in U.S. immigration court, he lost his asylum case in January in part because of a Trump administration rule that required migrants to apply for asylum first in countries through which they traveled. That rule has since been blocked in federal court.
His appeal was dismissed for being late, and he was ordered deported, the documents show. But Cuba has not accepted any deportation flights since late February, ICE said.
Unable to leave detention and unwilling to return to his home country - even if it were possible - Perez is seeking to reopen his asylum case.
In the meantime, his fellow detainees at Winn, the Louisiana center, have been growing restless, he said.
On Sept. 19, he said, a group of men in another dorm lit their bedding on fire. ICE confirmed there was a “small” fire that was quickly put out after four detainees microwaved a sheet.
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“They were protesting because of how long they have been here,” Perez said.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-09--Sophie, Countess Of Wessex, Self-Isolating After COVID-19 Contact

LONDON ( Reuters ) - Sophie , Britain ’ s Countess of Wessex the wife of Queen Elizabeth ’ s @ @ @ @ @ is self-isolating at home after coming into contact with someone who has since tested positive @ @ @ @ @ said on Friday .
The royal , 55 , has no symptoms but is following @ @ @ @ @ spokesman said .
She has not been in contact with any other member of the @ @ @ @ @ he added .
Prince Edward and Sophie , Countess of Wessex smile during a visit @ @ @ @ @ 's community engagement and education programs in action on Oct. 1 .
In March , @ @ @ @ @ son , heir-to-the-throne Prince Charles , tested positive for the virus and spent seven days @ @ @ @ @ said he was lucky to have only suffered “ relatively mild symptoms ” and was @ @ @ @ @ Sophie , a former public relations executive , married Edward in 1999 and they have @ @ @

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LONDON (Reuters) - Sophie, Britain’s Countess of Wessex the wife of Queen Elizabeth’s youngest son Prince Edward, is self-isolating at home after coming into contact with someone who has since tested positive for COVID-19, Buckingham Palace said on Friday.
The royal, 55, has no symptoms but is following government guidelines, a palace spokesman said.
She has not been in contact with any other member of the wider royal family since, he added.
Prince Edward and Sophie, Countess of Wessex smile during a visit to see Vauxhall City Farm's community engagement and education programs in action on Oct. 1. POOL New / Reuters
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In March, the queen’s eldest son, heir-to-the-throne Prince Charles, tested positive for the virus and spent seven days in self-isolation.
He later said he was lucky to have only suffered “relatively mild symptoms” and was now in good health.
Sophie, a former public relations executive, married Edward in 1999 and they have two children.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-09--Pelosi Unveils 25th Amendment Bill To Clarify How To Remove Presidents From Office

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-Calif. ) on Friday announced legislation that would create an independent commission to help determine how and when to remove presidents from office “ to ensure stability and continuity of government ” in the event they are not fit to continue serving .
“ This is not about President Trump .
He will face the judgment of the voters .
But he shows the need for us to create a process for future presidents , ” she said at a press conference on Friday .
“ A president ’ s fitness must be determined by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jamie Raskin ( D-Md . )
, who introduced a previous version of the legislation in 2017 , the bill would establish a bipartisan Commission on Presidential Capacity to Discharge the Powers and Duties of Office that could weigh in in the event of a presidential crisis .
The 16-member group would consist of doctors and other medical experts , as well as former executive branch officials , such as former presidents , vice presidents and Cabinet members .
Half of the members would be appointed by Republican leaders and half would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Friday .
Under the 25th Amendment , which was ratified after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy , Congress has the power to set up an independent body that would help determine if and when the president is “ unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office , ” and thus the vice president must take over temporarily .
It ’ s “ a safety valve option , ” Raskin said .
The proposed commission would help lay out the details of that process and assess the president ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president and Congress .
“ The Constitution is designed to give us the tools that we need to deal with the many crises of human affairs that can affect the continuity of democratic self-government , ” Raskin said .
“ We are in the middle of a momentous election , and as the speaker said , the people will decide that .
But when we get through this , the problem that we ’ re talking about today is something serious that we have to face.
” The bill is unlikely to advance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ keep questions about Trump ’ s health and fitness for office in sharp focus .
It will also probably inflame Trump even more .
After Pelosi teased the legislation during a press conference Thursday , the president retweeted posts criticizing the legislation , some of which included users suggesting Pelosi was trying to stage a “ coup.
” He also referred to the speaker as “ Crazy Nancy ” and suggested she “ should be under observation.
” Trump , who is currently recovering from COVID-19 , has faced multiple questions about his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he ’ s taken to combat the coronavirus .
Pelosi noted that on Friday : “ Clearly , he is under medication .
Any of us who is under medication of that seriousness is in an altered state.
” Trump ’ s doctors past and present have also provided conflicting information about his health , generating more questions than answers .
Over the last week , they have refused to say when he last tested negative for the virus .
Dozens of other people in Trump ’ s orbit , from GOP lawmakers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House and on his reelection campaign , have also tested positive .
Many top lawmakers are also in the age range where they are more likely to face serious complications if they are infected with the virus .

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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Friday announced legislation that would create an independent commission to help determine how and when to remove presidents from office “to ensure stability and continuity of government” in the event they are not fit to continue serving.
“This is not about President Trump. He will face the judgment of the voters. But he shows the need for us to create a process for future presidents,” she said at a press conference on Friday. “A president’s fitness must be determined by science and facts.”
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Co-sponsored by Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), who introduced a previous version of the legislation in 2017, the bill would establish a bipartisan Commission on Presidential Capacity to Discharge the Powers and Duties of Office that could weigh in in the event of a presidential crisis.
The 16-member group would consist of doctors and other medical experts, as well as former executive branch officials, such as former presidents, vice presidents and Cabinet members. Half of the members would be appointed by Republican leaders and half would be appointed by Democratic leaders, Raskin said Friday.
Under the 25th Amendment, which was ratified after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, Congress has the power to set up an independent body that would help determine if and when the president is “unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office,” and thus the vice president must take over temporarily. It’s “a safety valve option,” Raskin said. The proposed commission would help lay out the details of that process and assess the president’s fitness, in consultation with the vice president and Congress.
“The Constitution is designed to give us the tools that we need to deal with the many crises of human affairs that can affect the continuity of democratic self-government,” Raskin said. “We are in the middle of a momentous election, and as the speaker said, the people will decide that. But when we get through this, the problem that we’re talking about today is something serious that we have to face.”
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The bill is unlikely to advance before the election, but it should keep questions about Trump’s health and fitness for office in sharp focus.
It will also probably inflame Trump even more. After Pelosi teased the legislation during a press conference Thursday, the president retweeted posts criticizing the legislation, some of which included users suggesting Pelosi was trying to stage a “coup.” He also referred to the speaker as “Crazy Nancy” and suggested she “should be under observation.”
Trump, who is currently recovering from COVID-19, has faced multiple questions about his mental fitness for office given the drugs he’s taken to combat the coronavirus. Pelosi noted that on Friday: “Clearly, he is under medication. Any of us who is under medication of that seriousness is in an altered state.”
Trump’s doctors past and present have also provided conflicting information about his health, generating more questions than answers. Over the last week, they have refused to say when he last tested negative for the virus.
Dozens of other people in Trump’s orbit, from GOP lawmakers to officials and staff at the White House and on his reelection campaign, have also tested positive. Many top lawmakers are also in the age range where they are more likely to face serious complications if they are infected with the virus.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-09--Man In Militia Plot To Kidnap Michigan Governor Shared Stage With Extremist Sheriff

Fox17 William Null , charged in a militia plot to kidnap Democratic Michigan Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer , appears onstage alongside Barry County Sheriff Dar Leaf at an anti-lockdown rally on May 18 , 2020 , in Grand Rapids , Michigan .
One of the men charged this week in a militia plot to kidnap the Democratic governor of Michigan shared the stage earlier this year with an extremist sheriff at an anti-lockdown rally , highlighting the often cozy relationship across America between law enforcement and violent right-wing paramilitary groups .
William Null , 38 , was among seven men @ @ @ @ @ @ @ charges of material support for terrorist acts and possessing firearms in the commission of a felony .
Prosecutors allege Null is a member of a far-right militia group called the “ Wolverine Watchmen ” that had teamed up with another militia contingent in a plot to , among other things , kidnap Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer and put her on trial for “ treason.
” Six other men in the plot were also arrested Thursday on federal kidnapping charges .
After the arrests , Fox17 reported that the Null was among the armed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rapids , Michigan , against Whitman ’ s lockdown measures to slow the spread of the deadly coronavirus .
In a shocking interview with Fox 17 on Thursday , Leaf said he had no regrets for having appeared at the rally with the recently arrested militiaman .
He added that he knew Null — as well as his identical twin , Michael , who was also arrested in the terror plot — and called the brothers “ nice ” and “ respectful.
” He also appeared to defend the Nulls ’ motive for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there ’ s a legal argument to be made that Whitmer should be arrested for imposing coronavirus restrictions .
What Leaf did not address in his Fox 17 interview , however , is his membership in the right-wing extremist “ constitutional sheriffs ” movement — a close ally of America ’ s armed militias — that has gained a concerning momentum during the era of President Donald Trump .
The CSPOA is the flagship organization of the constitutional sheriff ’ s movement , which maintains that sheriffs are the ultimate law-enforcement authority in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the federal or state government .
Constitutional sheriffs are part of the broader antigovernment “ patriot ” movement in the U.S. , which is animated by a multitude of conspiracy theories about immigrants , Muslims , Jews , gun control measures , and a coming “ New World Order.
” The CSPOA also has a close working relationship with armed far-right paramilitary groups .
Among those who attended the 2019 CSPOA conference with Leaf was Stewart Rhodes , leader of the national militia organization the Oath Keepers .
Leaf did not immediately respond @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his affiliation with CSPOA on Friday .
According to Political Research Associates , the sheriff was also the signee of a 2014 CSPOA resolution .
In 2013 , a far-right patriot group listed Leaf as an ally .
“ One of the things that has been concerning [ about ] constitutional sheriffs more broadly , is that they have been normalizing a relationship between elected officials and self-proclaimed militias , ” Cloee Cooper , a research analyst at Political Research Associates , told HuffPost .
One of the goals of these sheriffs , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ groups and turn them into “ sheriff ’ s posses ” who can be enlisted to patrol their respective city ’ s streets .
The danger of law enforcement lending credibility to such groups has come into clear focus over the last four years , as militias have been implicated in violent plots targeting Muslims , leftist and anti-racist protesters , and most recently , the governor of Michigan .

William Null, charged in a militia plot to kidnap Democratic Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, appears onstage alongside Barry County Sheriff Dar Leaf at an anti-lockdown rally on May 18, 2020, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Fox17
One of the men charged this week in a militia plot to kidnap the Democratic governor of Michigan shared the stage earlier this year with an extremist sheriff at an anti-lockdown rally, highlighting the often cozy relationship across America between law enforcement and violent right-wing paramilitary groups.
William Null, 38, was among seven men arrested this week in Michigan on state charges of material support for terrorist acts and possessing firearms in the commission of a felony. Prosecutors allege Null is a member of a far-right militia group called the “Wolverine Watchmen” that had teamed up with another militia contingent in a plot to, among other things, kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and put her on trial for “treason.” Six other men in the plot were also arrested Thursday on federal kidnapping charges.
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After the arrests, Fox17 reported that the Null was among the armed attendees of a May rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, against Whitman’s lockdown measures to slow the spread of the deadly coronavirus.
Fox17 showed footage of Null appearing onstage at the rally, carrying a long gun and standing alongside Barry County Sheriff Dar Leaf as the sheriff lashed out at Whitmer in a speech to the crowd.
In a shocking interview with Fox 17 on Thursday, Leaf said he had no regrets for having appeared at the rally with the recently arrested militiaman. He added that he knew Null — as well as his identical twin, Michael, who was also arrested in the terror plot — and called the brothers “nice” and “respectful.” He also appeared to defend the Nulls’ motive for the alleged kidnapping plot, arguing that there’s a legal argument to be made that Whitmer should be arrested for imposing coronavirus restrictions.
What Leaf did not address in his Fox 17 interview, however, is his membership in the right-wing extremist “constitutional sheriffs” movement — a close ally of America’s armed militias — that has gained a concerning momentum during the era of President Donald Trump.
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Leaf, according to a database created by the social justice think tank Political Research Associates, attended the 2019 conference of the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association.
The CSPOA is the flagship organization of the constitutional sheriff’s movement, which maintains that sheriffs are the ultimate law-enforcement authority in their respective counties, outranking officials from the federal or state government. Constitutional sheriffs are part of the broader antigovernment “patriot” movement in the U.S., which is animated by a multitude of conspiracy theories about immigrants, Muslims, Jews, gun control measures, and a coming “New World Order.”
The CSPOA also has a close working relationship with armed far-right paramilitary groups. Among those who attended the 2019 CSPOA conference with Leaf was Stewart Rhodes, leader of the national militia organization the Oath Keepers.
Leaf did not immediately respond to a HuffPost request for comment on his affiliation with CSPOA on Friday. According to Political Research Associates, the sheriff was also the signee of a 2014 CSPOA resolution. In 2013, a far-right patriot group listed Leaf as an ally.
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“One of the things that has been concerning [about] constitutional sheriffs more broadly, is that they have been normalizing a relationship between elected officials and self-proclaimed militias,” Cloee Cooper, a research analyst at Political Research Associates, told HuffPost.
Last month, Cooper published a map showing 401 documented “constitutional sheriffs” across the U.S. since 2013, 161 of whom are currently in office.
One of the goals of these sheriffs, Cooper said, is to legitimize militia groups and turn them into “sheriff’s posses” who can be enlisted to patrol their respective city’s streets.
The danger of law enforcement lending credibility to such groups has come into clear focus over the last four years, as militias have been implicated in violent plots targeting Muslims, leftist and anti-racist protesters, and most recently, the governor of Michigan.
Such groups have also enjoyed the endorsement and encouragement of the Trump administration, which shares militia groups’ bigoted and conspiratorial views about Muslims and immigrants.
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Constitutional sheriffs have been a regular fixture of anti-lockdown protests across the U.S, like the one the Null twins attended with Leaf in Grand Rapids.
Organizers of that event — titled “American Patriot Rally-Sheriffs speak out” — encouraged attendees to show up armed. A promotional video for the event included photoshopped images of Whitmer against a backdrop of former communist leaders, comparing her coronavirus restrictions to Stalinism.
The organizers of that rally were also behind an April 30 anti-lockdown protest in Lansing, Michigan, where armed protesters entered the state capitol building, disrupting a legislative session.
Directly above me, men with rifles yelling at us. Some of my colleagues who own bullet proof vests are wearing them. I have never appreciated our Sergeants-at-Arms more than today. #mileg pic.twitter.com/voOZpPYWOs — Senator Dayna Polehanki (@SenPolehanki) April 30, 2020
Among those spotted in the Capitol were the Null brothers, prosecutors announced on Thursday. They can be seen in a photo posted to Twitter that day by Democratic state Sen. Dana Lynn Polehanki.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-09--Republicans Scramble To Defend Mitch McConnell’s Senate Majority

As President Donald Trump ’ s reelection position continues to deteriorate amid his mishandling of the coronavirus pandemic , the GOP is watching Democrats seize the lead in Senate races they once hoped to win and turn states previously seen as safe for Republicans into heavily contested battlegrounds .
Democratic chances of winning the Senate and seizing complete control of the federal government are higher than at any point this election cycle .
Democrats have long been confident of victory over incumbent Republicans in Arizona and Colorado , and national strategists in both parties now agree Maine GOP Sen. Susan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Democratic state House Speaker Sara Gideon .
Republicans also have been increasingly nervous about the standing of North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis , though a sex scandal involving his Democratic opponent has allowed Tillis to go on offense in what had been a stable race .
Republican hopes of retaining their majority now rest on sweeping four races in a trio of states that both parties agree are toss-ups ― Montana , Iowa and Georgia ― and also somehow snatching victory from the jaws of defeat in one of the four states @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same time , television ad buys from both parties over the past two weeks make clear the solidly Republican states of Alaska , Kansas and South Carolina are now places for Democrats to pad their majority in the event of a blue wave election .
Democratic super PACs have booked $ 15 million in advertising in the three states , while Republicans have reserved $ 20 million .
“ The political environment is as tough as I ’ ve ever seen it , we have Republican-held seats under siege , and Democrat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” said Steven Law , the group ’ s president .
“ Thanks to our record-breaking fundraising , we are keeping the fight to defend our Senate majority competitive.
” Republicans had hoped the vacancy on the Supreme Court created by the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg last month would fire up the party ’ s base .
But so far , the most direct impacts have been harmful to the party .
Maine ’ s Senate race had already begun to tilt toward Gideon , and anything reminding voters of Collins ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to hurt her further .
“ They ’ ve been trying to frame her as wishy-washy , and she ’ s just been helping them .
It just looks like she ’ s waffling again , ” said Toby McGrath , a former top aide to independent Maine Sen. Angus King .
“ For the past few weeks , I ’ ve thought this has become Sara Gideon ’ s race to lose.
” Harrison had raised nearly $ 30 million through the first six months of the year , and strategists say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ third quarter .
That financial power has enabled Harrison to run an unprecedented number of ads , enhancing his own image as a moderate who grew out of poverty and damaging Graham as an untrustworthy flip-flopper .
“ The US Senate race in North Carolina has been dramatically and permanently altered , not by sex , but by the hypocritical lack of judgment and truthfulness now fully on display by Cal Cunningham , ” Tillis consultant Brad Todd wrote in a memo released Thursday .
“ This unfolding episode destroys the foundation of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he can not be trusted at any level.
” So far , however , there is no evidence in public polling that the scandal has significantly shifted what has long been a sleepy race in a politically polarized state .
A Democratic group tracking the campaign said its surveys show high voter awareness of the scandal , but almost zero impact .
Republicans are hopeful new developments , like the Army Reserve announcing an investigation into Cunningham , will keep the story alive .

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Republicans are rushing to save GOP control of the U.S. Senate, spending $20 million in deeply conservative states that have become unexpected battlegrounds as a surge of small-dollar donations gives Democrats the upper hand in states likely to make or break the Senate majority.
As President Donald Trump’s reelection position continues to deteriorate amid his mishandling of the coronavirus pandemic, the GOP is watching Democrats seize the lead in Senate races they once hoped to win and turn states previously seen as safe for Republicans into heavily contested battlegrounds. Democratic chances of winning the Senate and seizing complete control of the federal government are higher than at any point this election cycle.
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“The trend line is bad for these guys,” said J.B. Poersch, the president of Senate Majority PAC, the major super PAC backing Democratic Senate candidates. “In my world, there haven’t been a lot of down polls in the past few weeks.”
Democrats have long been confident of victory over incumbent Republicans in Arizona and Colorado, and national strategists in both parties now agree Maine GOP Sen. Susan Collins is unlikely to survive a challenge from Democratic state House Speaker Sara Gideon. Republicans also have been increasingly nervous about the standing of North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis, though a sex scandal involving his Democratic opponent has allowed Tillis to go on offense in what had been a stable race.
The GOP holds a 53-47 Senate majority, and the high likelihood Republicans will oust Alabama Democratic Sen. Doug Jones on Election Day next month means Democrats need to defeat at least four incumbent Republicans to wrest control of the Senate from Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).
Republican hopes of retaining their majority now rest on sweeping four races in a trio of states that both parties agree are toss-ups ― Montana, Iowa and Georgia ― and also somehow snatching victory from the jaws of defeat in one of the four states that now lean toward Democrats.
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At the same time, television ad buys from both parties over the past two weeks make clear the solidly Republican states of Alaska, Kansas and South Carolina are now places for Democrats to pad their majority in the event of a blue wave election. Democratic super PACs have booked $15 million in advertising in the three states, while Republicans have reserved $20 million.
A top GOP operative charged with keeping control of the Senate acknowledged the difficult political environment, and said large donations from major Republican donors were keeping races competitive. Senate Leadership Fund, a super PAC controlled by allies of McConnell, has $126 million in the bank.
“The political environment is as tough as I’ve ever seen it, we have Republican-held seats under siege, and Democrat candidates have a huge financial edge,” said Steven Law, the group’s president. “Thanks to our record-breaking fundraising, we are keeping the fight to defend our Senate majority competitive.”
Trump Judges Sink Collins
Republicans had hoped the vacancy on the Supreme Court created by the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg last month would fire up the party’s base. But so far, the most direct impacts have been harmful to the party. Maine’s Senate race had already begun to tilt toward Gideon, and anything reminding voters of Collins’ votes for past Trump judges was destined to hurt her further.
Gideon almost immediately went up with ads attacking Collins for judgeship votes and linking her to McConnell. “After approving 181 judges nominated by Trump, Susan Collins’ record is clear,” a male narrator says in one of the ads. “She’s not for you anymore.”
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At the same time, Collins needed to clarify her own position on when and whether she would support voting on a Supreme Court nominee, which only reinforced Democrats’ portrayal of her as more calculating than concerned.
“They’ve been trying to frame her as wishy-washy, and she’s just been helping them. It just looks like she’s waffling again,” said Toby McGrath, a former top aide to independent Maine Sen. Angus King. “For the past few weeks, I’ve thought this has become Sara Gideon’s race to lose.”
Collins has amped up her attacks on Gideon, questioning her credentials as a Mainer. But public polling indicates little damage has been done and a plurality of Maine voters still have a positive view of the Democrat.
Republicans initially hoped the Supreme Court vacancy and the subsequent nomination of Amy Coney Barrett, while endangering Collins, would engage conservative voters in other states and provide a boost to incumbents, including Montana Sen. Steve Daines and Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst. But there’s been zero indication of a boost for GOP candidates, even in red states.
“We’re not seeing partisanship saving them in Montana or Iowa yet,” Poersch said.
Liberal Cash Floods Conservative States
Meanwhile, Democratic Senate candidates across the country are raising unheard of sums in the wake of Ginsburg’s death. Three Democratic candidates ― Colorado’s John Hickenlooper, North Carolina’s Cal Cunningham and Iowa’s Theresa Greenfield ― all have announced raising more than $20 million in the third quarter, shattering records.
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In Alaska, independent candidate Al Gross, who has the backing of national Democrats, raised $9 million ― more than the $7.2 million the United States spent to buy Alaska in the 19th century. Gross is challenging GOP Sen. Dan Sullivan.
Small-dollar Democratic donors have had the biggest impact in South Carolina, where Democrats’ loathing of GOP Sen. Lindsay Graham has made the race competitive. Graham, who over the course of the past four years has evolved from moderate dealmaker to Trump acolyte, is facing a stiff challenge from Democrat Jaime Harrison.
Harrison had raised nearly $30 million through the first six months of the year, and strategists say he may match that sum in the third quarter. That financial power has enabled Harrison to run an unprecedented number of ads, enhancing his own image as a moderate who grew out of poverty and damaging Graham as an untrustworthy flip-flopper.
Nu Wexler, a former executive director of the South Carolina Democratic Party, said Harrison was taking advantage of distrust in the incumbent, enabling him to win over a larger share of white voters than the typical Democrat in the state.
“There’s some moderate Republicans in South Carolina who don’t trust MAGA Lindsey,” Wexler said. “And there’s some conservative Republicans who don’t trust Gang of 8 Lindsey.”
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Beyond South Carolina, Senate Leadership Fund has also announced multimillion-dollar ad buys in Alaska and Kansas. In all three states, the super PAC is hoping its millions ― provided mostly by large donors, including casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, private equity CEO Stephen A. Schwarzman and banking heir Timothy Mellon ― can offset Democratic candidates’ financial advantage.
The problem? Candidates are guaranteed lower television advertising rates than super PACs under federal law, so most Democratic dollars are going further than Republican ones.
A Sudden Carolina Scandal
Republicans’ brightest spot at the moment is in North Carolina, where a sex scandal has rocked Cunningham’s campaign in the past week. Leaked sexual text messages between Cunningham and a woman who is not his wife prompted the Democratic challenger to admit an affair.
Before the revelation, Republicans were becoming less confident in Tillis’ ability to defeat Cunningham, a military lawyer and former state senator. But they are now arguing the affair undercuts Cunningham’s character-focused message and cripples his appeal to crossover voters. Senate Leadership Fund began airing an ad about the scandal earlier this week.
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“The US Senate race in North Carolina has been dramatically and permanently altered, not by sex, but by the hypocritical lack of judgment and truthfulness now fully on display by Cal Cunningham,” Tillis consultant Brad Todd wrote in a memo released Thursday. “This unfolding episode destroys the foundation of Cunningham’s campaign by demonstrating that he cannot be trusted at any level.”
So far, however, there is no evidence in public polling that the scandal has significantly shifted what has long been a sleepy race in a politically polarized state. A Democratic group tracking the campaign said its surveys show high voter awareness of the scandal, but almost zero impact. Republicans are hopeful new developments, like the Army Reserve announcing an investigation into Cunningham, will keep the story alive.
Republicans do have a back-up plan, however. Senate Leadership Fund has also invested $10 million in boosting John James, a businessman and veteran challenging Democratic Sen. Gary Peters in Michigan. While most polling shows James trailing, GOP internal polls have him outperforming Trump ― especially with independent voters. Republicans hope a James upset can allow them to block Democratic control if the election turns out closer than expected.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) talks to reporters on Capitol Hill on Sept. 30. Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images
We want to know what you’re hearing on the ground from the candidates. If you get any interesting ― or suspicious! ― campaign mailers, robocalls or hear anything else you think we should know about, email us at scoops@huffpost.com.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-09--Trump And Biden's Debate Next Week Is Canceled

The decision comes a week after President Donald Trump tested positive for COVID-19 , which he appears to still be battling .
The debate commission said Thursday that in light of the president ’ s health , it would hold a virtual debate between him and Democratic nominee Joe Biden on Oct. 15 instead of carrying on with an in-person one in Miami , but Trump rejected the plan .
Biden ’ s camp said it would not put new dates on the calendar , citing how close the Nov. 3 election is .
Both candidates have now scheduled other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the debates commission no choice but to cancel next week ’ s event .
“ It is now apparent there will be no debate on October 15 , and the CPD will turn its attention to preparations for the final presidential debate scheduled for October 22 , ” the group said .
Trump , who spent three nights hospitalized with the coronavirus , has been coy about the status of his condition .
In a Fox News interview Thursday night , he dodged questions about whether he was still testing positive for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ d seen his doctor and would be tested Friday .
The presidential debate scheduled for Oct. 22 in Nashville is now the only one remaining on the calendar .
Trump , who ’ s trailing Biden in all national polls and in several swing states , now loses out on one of his biggest opportunities to draw in voters .
His campaign did not immediately respond to requests for comment .
Biden ’ s campaign accused Trump of trying to avoid a town hall-style event , which next week ’ s debate was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s shameful that Donald Trump ducked the only debate in which the voters get to ask the questions ― but it ’ s no surprise , ” Biden spokesperson Andrew Bates said in a statement .
“ Everyone knows that Donald Trump likes to bully reporters , but obviously he doesn ’ t have the guts to answer for his record to voters at the same time as Vice President Biden .
”

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The Commission on Presidential Debates has canceled the presidential debate scheduled for next Thursday, it confirmed Friday.
The decision comes a week after President Donald Trump tested positive for COVID-19, which he appears to still be battling.
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The debate commission said Thursday that in light of the president’s health, it would hold a virtual debate between him and Democratic nominee Joe Biden on Oct. 15 instead of carrying on with an in-person one in Miami, but Trump rejected the plan. Biden’s camp said it would not put new dates on the calendar, citing how close the Nov. 3 election is.
Both candidates have now scheduled other events for that day, which left the debates commission no choice but to cancel next week’s event.
“It is now apparent there will be no debate on October 15, and the CPD will turn its attention to preparations for the final presidential debate scheduled for October 22,” the group said.
CNN and The Wall Street Journal were the first to report the news Friday.
Trump, who spent three nights hospitalized with the coronavirus, has been coy about the status of his condition. In a Fox News interview Thursday night, he dodged questions about whether he was still testing positive for the virus and would only say he’d seen his doctor and would be tested Friday.
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The debate commission did not immediately return HuffPost’s request for comment.
The presidential debate scheduled for Oct. 22 in Nashville is now the only one remaining on the calendar. Trump, who’s trailing Biden in all national polls and in several swing states, now loses out on one of his biggest opportunities to draw in voters. His campaign did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Biden’s campaign accused Trump of trying to avoid a town hall-style event, which next week’s debate was scheduled to be.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-09--Education Dept Puts Anti-LGBTQ Activist At Head Of Diversity And Inclusion Council

In early 2020 , leaders of the Department of Education ’ s Office for Civil Rights announced that they would be taking control of and reorganizing the agency ’ s employee-led Diversity and Inclusion and Employee Engagement Advisory councils .
The two committees were combined into one and , in August , senior counsel Sarah Perry , a new hire with a long history of anti-transgender activism , was appointed as a co-chair , HuffPost has learned .
Multiple employees at the Office for Civil Rights ( OCR ) , the department ’ s agency dedicated to enforcing civil rights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told HuffPost that appointing someone who has actively worked against LGBTQ people to help lead diversity and inclusion efforts is ironic and disheartening .
“ By ignoring underlying conditions , the demands of transgender supremacy marginalize our unique kids , especially those with autism and mental health diagnoses , ” said Perry , who is an attorney .
“ They deflect much-needed resources away from the pandemic of autism .
They substitute pseudo-science for science .
And they leave our children questioning who they truly are.
” Under Education Secretary Betsy Devos , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pull funding from schools if transgender students were allowed to participate on sports teams that aligned with their gender identity .
And now , a new appointee who is vocally anti-trans is heading up a Diversity and Inclusion council in the department .
In September , the office told Connecticut school districts it would withhold millions of dollars in grant money designed to facilitate school desegregation unless the districts withdrew from the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference , which allows transgender athletes to compete on teams that match their gender identity , The New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Education previously said it believes such a policy violates Title IX , the law that prohibits sex discrimination in federally funded programs , by potentially giving transgender students a competitive advantage .
( Recent court decisions , on the other hand , have largely interpreted trans-exclusionary policies as sex discrimination , though these rulings have not dealt specifically with the issue of athletes . )
Civil rights groups have decried the decision as blatantly prejudiced .
“ This is really a wealth of good news from OCR , ” she said on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brought up of providing a separate transgender league for these individuals and yet that hasn ’ t proved sufficient to quell the debate on this .
It should be as simple as Title IX protecting biological girls , period.
” At the Family Research Council , Perry was dedicated to opposing the Common Core State Standards , a set of math and English education standards used in most states .
On the organization ’ s podcast , she interviewed and praised figures like right-wing provocateur James O ’ Keefe , whose group Project @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proof of Rep. Ilhan Omar ( D-Minn. ) committing election fraud .
She has also criticized children ’ s shows like “ The Babysitters Club ” for incorporating transgender characters .
In early 2020 , the OCR , under former leader Ken Marcus , disbanded the employee-led Diversity and Inclusion and Employee Engagement Advisory councils .
Leaders then combined the two councils and picked political appointees as new chairs , in addition to the agency ’ s principal deputy assistant secretary , who serves as a permanent chair of the group .
Participation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all employees , but now is limited to representatives typically approved by regional management .
While the decision to overhaul the committees was presented as one designed to make them more comprehensive and strategic , some employees viewed it as a backlash against the councils , which had recently pushed back against new practices .
The committees are used to promote diversity and provide feedback to management , but , according to three current and former employees , the idea that the headquarters-controlled committee could now carry out such tasks is farcical .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ like a decision to disconnect from making OCR a better and more diverse place ” and further disempower workers .
Another employee who said they are unhappy and concerned about the changes noted there are others who seem relatively satisfied and seem to like Perry .
In a 2019 survey of OCR staff administered by the Office of Personnel Management and obtained by HuffPost , 60 % of respondents said they didn ’ t think their organization ’ s leaders maintained high levels of integrity .
( A Department of Education official noted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ took the voluntary survey , only half of respondents answered this specific question , and the term “ leader ” wasn ’ t defined and could be interpreted as representing a number of different roles . )
In September , the Department of Education put forth internal guidance designed to root out any diversity training that might discuss the concept of white privilege or suggest that “ virtually all White people contribute to racism or benefit from racism , ” Politico first reported .
The guidance is consistent with a administration-wide directive on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like book clubs could face scrutiny .
The new guidance may prove particularly awkward for employees at the Office for Civil Rights , as they regularly recommend that school districts under investigation for race-related issues implement implicit bias training .
OCR staff may now have to recommend training to schools that they themselves would not be allowed to take .

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In early 2020, leaders of the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights announced that they would be taking control of and reorganizing the agency’s employee-led Diversity and Inclusion and Employee Engagement Advisory councils. The two committees were combined into one and, in August, senior counsel Sarah Perry, a new hire with a long history of anti-transgender activism, was appointed as a co-chair, HuffPost has learned.
Multiple employees at the Office for Civil Rights (OCR), the department’s agency dedicated to enforcing civil rights laws in K-12 schools and universities, told HuffPost that appointing someone who has actively worked against LGBTQ people to help lead diversity and inclusion efforts is ironic and disheartening.
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Perry previously worked at the Family Research Council, a Christian fundamentalist organization that preaches against the rights of the LGBTQ community, where she often spoke publicly about her opposition to transgender people.
At news conference outside the Supreme Court in October 2019, Perry told an audience that children with autism often falsely believe they’re transgender, a baseless assertion.
“By ignoring underlying conditions, the demands of transgender supremacy marginalize our unique kids, especially those with autism and mental health diagnoses,” said Perry, who is an attorney. “They deflect much-needed resources away from the pandemic of autism. They substitute pseudo-science for science. And they leave our children questioning who they truly are.”
Under Education Secretary Betsy Devos, the Department of Education has threatened to pull funding from schools if transgender students were allowed to participate on sports teams that aligned with their gender identity. And now, a new appointee who is vocally anti-trans is heading up a Diversity and Inclusion council in the department. Kevin Lamarque / Reuters
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Perry’s appointment to the council came a month before the OCR made its latest move discouraging schools from allowing transgender athletes to compete on the team that corresponds with their gender identity.
In September, the office told Connecticut school districts it would withhold millions of dollars in grant money designed to facilitate school desegregation unless the districts withdrew from the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference, which allows transgender athletes to compete on teams that match their gender identity, The New York Times reported.
The Department of Education previously said it believes such a policy violates Title IX, the law that prohibits sex discrimination in federally funded programs, by potentially giving transgender students a competitive advantage. (Recent court decisions, on the other hand, have largely interpreted trans-exclusionary policies as sex discrimination, though these rulings have not dealt specifically with the issue of athletes.) Civil rights groups have decried the decision as blatantly prejudiced.
In January, HuffPost first reported that a department whistleblower, attorney Dwayne Bensing, had been pushed out of his job after exposing that leaders had violated protocol when working on the Connecticut case.
Perry, who was still working at the Family Research Council, praised the department’s handling of the case multiple times.
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“This is really a wealth of good news from OCR,” she said on a podcast. “The notion has been brought up of providing a separate transgender league for these individuals and yet that hasn’t proved sufficient to quell the debate on this. It should be as simple as Title IX protecting biological girls, period.”
At the Family Research Council, Perry was dedicated to opposing the Common Core State Standards, a set of math and English education standards used in most states. On the organization’s podcast, she interviewed and praised figures like right-wing provocateur James O’ Keefe, whose group Project Veritas most recently falsely claimed to have proof of Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) committing election fraud. She has also criticized children’s shows like “The Babysitters Club” for incorporating transgender characters.
In early 2020, the OCR, under former leader Ken Marcus, disbanded the employee-led Diversity and Inclusion and Employee Engagement Advisory councils. Leaders then combined the two councils and picked political appointees as new chairs, in addition to the agency’s principal deputy assistant secretary, who serves as a permanent chair of the group.
Angela Morabito, a spokeswoman for the Department of Education, said that “diversity and inclusion remains a top priority for OCR’s leadership which is why the diversity and inclusion council is led by two senior leaders.”
Alongside Perry, Don Salo — who, Morabito told HuffPost, received the 2016 Secretary of the Army Award for Diversity and Inclusion — is also a co-chair.
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Participation in the committees was previously open to all employees, but now is limited to representatives typically approved by regional management. While the decision to overhaul the committees was presented as one designed to make them more comprehensive and strategic, some employees viewed it as a backlash against the councils, which had recently pushed back against new practices.
The committees are used to promote diversity and provide feedback to management, but, according to three current and former employees, the idea that the headquarters-controlled committee could now carry out such tasks is farcical. One told HuffPost that it “seems like a decision to disconnect from making OCR a better and more diverse place” and further disempower workers. Another employee who said they are unhappy and concerned about the changes noted there are others who seem relatively satisfied and seem to like Perry.
In a 2019 survey of OCR staff administered by the Office of Personnel Management and obtained by HuffPost, 60% of respondents said they didn’t think their organization’s leaders maintained high levels of integrity. (A Department of Education official noted that only 65% of OCR staff took the voluntary survey, only half of respondents answered this specific question, and the term “leader” wasn’t defined and could be interpreted as representing a number of different roles.)
In September, the Department of Education put forth internal guidance designed to root out any diversity training that might discuss the concept of white privilege or suggest that “virtually all White people contribute to racism or benefit from racism,” Politico first reported. The guidance is consistent with a administration-wide directive on the issue and means that employee activities like book clubs could face scrutiny.
The new guidance may prove particularly awkward for employees at the Office for Civil Rights, as they regularly recommend that school districts under investigation for race-related issues implement implicit bias training. OCR staff may now have to recommend training to schools that they themselves would not be allowed to take.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-09--Nearly 50,000 Voters In Ohio County Received Wrong Ballots

COLUMBUS , Ohio ( AP ) — Nearly 50,000 voters received incorrect absentee ballots in the county that is home to Ohio ’ s capital , elections officials said Friday as they promised corrected ballots would be mailed within 72 hours .
With about 240,000 ballots mailed , that meant one in five voters received a wrong ballot .
The error happened Saturday afternoon when someone changed a setting on a machine that places absentee ballots into mailing envelopes , Franklin County elections officials said Thursday .
Some ballots had an incorrect congressional race , while others had the correct @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a different precinct .
The Franklin County Elections Board said 49,669 voters received incorrect ballots out of 237,498 that were mailed .
The process to print , stuff the replacement ballots in envelopes and mail them was underway Friday , the Franklin County Elections Board announced .
The board also said it will mail postcards to all affected voters detailing the situation and highlighting voters ’ options moving forward .
Those options include voting in-person at the board ’ s offices on the city ’ s north side .
The elections board said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only one voter can cast a ballot , including rejecting any replacement ballots if someone went ahead and voted in person .
The news of the incorrect ballots brought renewed focus on an election seeing an unprecedented number of absentee ballot requests , spurred by the coronavirus pandemic and concerns about in-person voting .
On Tuesday , Ohio ’ s elections chief announced that Ohio ’ s 88 elections boards had a record number of absentee ballot applications .
Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose said 2,154,235 applications had been received — more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the same time four years ago .

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Nearly 50,000 voters received incorrect absentee ballots in the county that is home to Ohio’s capital, elections officials said Friday as they promised corrected ballots would be mailed within 72 hours.
With about 240,000 ballots mailed, that meant one in five voters received a wrong ballot. The error happened Saturday afternoon when someone changed a setting on a machine that places absentee ballots into mailing envelopes, Franklin County elections officials said Thursday.
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Some ballots had an incorrect congressional race, while others had the correct information but were sent to voters in a different precinct. The Franklin County Elections Board said 49,669 voters received incorrect ballots out of 237,498 that were mailed.
The process to print, stuff the replacement ballots in envelopes and mail them was underway Friday, the Franklin County Elections Board announced.
The board also said it will mail postcards to all affected voters detailing the situation and highlighting voters’ options moving forward. Those options include voting in-person at the board’s offices on the city’s north side.
The elections board said multiple checks are in place to ensure only one voter can cast a ballot, including rejecting any replacement ballots if someone went ahead and voted in person.
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The news of the incorrect ballots brought renewed focus on an election seeing an unprecedented number of absentee ballot requests, spurred by the coronavirus pandemic and concerns about in-person voting.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-09--Congressman Says Harry And Meghan Should Lose Royal Titles For Election 'Interference'

The duke also spoke about voting and asked people to reject “ online negativity.
” “ This election I am not going to be able to vote in the U.S .
But many of you may not know that I haven ’ t been able to vote in the U.K. my entire life , ” Harry said .
“ As we approach this November , it ’ s vital that we reject hate speech , misinformation and online negativity.
” While British royals can vote , the queen must remain politically neutral .
A reporter for the Daily Mail later @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comments in a news briefing with Trump .
“ Prince Harry and Meghan Markle chimed in on the U.S. election and essentially encouraged people to vote for Joe Biden , ” reporter Nikki Schwab said .
“ I wanted to get your reaction to that.
” “ I ’ m not a fan of hers , ” Trump says of the former “ Suits ” actor .
He adding that “ she probably has heard that , ” likely referring to similar comments he ’ s made before .
“ But I wish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cause he ’ s going to need it .
”

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Rep. Jason Smith (R-Mo.) is calling on Queen Elizabeth and the British government to rescind Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s titles, weeks after the couple encouraged people to vote in a video for the Time 100.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex did not name a political party or candidate in the clip, and yet Smith said they were “using foreign titles to campaign against President Trump and interfere with our election.” Smith neglected to mention that Markle is a U.S. citizen.
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“Today, I asked the British Government to put a stop to it,” Smith wrote on Twitter Friday, directing people to a letter he’d written to Karen Pierce, the U.K. ambassador to the United States.
Prince Harry and Megan Markle are using foreign titles to campaign against President Trump and interfere with our election. Today, I asked the British Government to put a stop to it.
See my full letter below⬇ pic.twitter.com/64BdQjYBnG — Rep. Jason Smith (@RepJasonSmith) October 9, 2020
Smith referenced the British royal family’s tendency toward neutrality in politics and wrote that he was concerned by the Sussexes’ “recent comments regarding the United States Presidential Election, especially given international conversations surrounding foreign interference in our elections and the Duke’s status as a guest of the United States.”
Smith brought up the pair’s Time 100 video appearance in which the couple urged people to vote and to “reject hate speech, misinformation and online negativity.” He specifically referenced Meghan’s comments:
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The Duchess of Sussex, whose political opinions are thinly disguised and widely reported, went so far as to label the 2020 election the, “most important election of our lifetime.” These actions represent a serious breach of domestic interference by one of our closest allies.
Smith also added that their titles “prevent the Duke and Duchess from separating comments made in a personal capacity from their official position within the British royal family.”
Therefore, by allowing the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to retain their titles, and these political comments to continue, the British Government is effectively condoning interference in the 2020 United States Presidential Election from officials at the highest level of British establishment.
The letter ends by asks Pierce to convey concerns to Queen Elizabeth and “Her Majesty’s Government.”
A spokesman for Smith told HuffPost that he had not yet heard back from Pierce, though “numerous members of Congress have reached out to Congressman Smith following the release of the letter to offer their support and express their own concern with the actions of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.”
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Kathy Ellis, who is running for Congress in Missouri’s 8th District against Smith, called Smith’s comments “unacceptable” Friday on Twitter.
“In the last hour, we’ve received calls from people all across the country who are deeply concerned about @JasonSmithMO’s comments re: Meghan Markle, and his singling out of her specifically, as a woman of color,” she said.
In a separate comment to HuffPost, Ellis added that Smith’s “letter today demanding Meghan Markle ― a US Citizen ― not use her platform to remind citizens to vote is a stark reminder, once again, of how out of touch Smith is.”
“While his constituents suffer, he spends his time on partisan talking points and nonsense ventures,” she said.
Buckingham Palace and the U.K. Embassy in Washington did not return HuffPost’s requests for comment.
In the Time video Meghan and Harry appeared in last month on National Voter Registration Day, the duchess emphasized how close Americans were to Election Day and how important the upcoming election is.
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“Every four years, we are told the same thing ― that ‘This is the most important election of our lifetime.’ But this one is,” she said. “When we vote, our values are put into action and our voices are heard.”
“Your voice is a reminder that you matter,” the duchess added. “Because you do ― and you deserve to be heard.”
“It’s time to not only reflect, but act.” This #NationalVoterRegistrationDay, join #Time100 alumni Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, in taking action for the future. pic.twitter.com/JerXHxiZK3 — ABC (@ABCNetwork) September 23, 2020
The duke also spoke about voting and asked people to reject “online negativity.” “This election I am not going to be able to vote in the U.S. But many of you may not know that I haven’t been able to vote in the U.K. my entire life,” Harry said. “As we approach this November, it’s vital that we reject hate speech, misinformation and online negativity.” While British royals can vote, the queen must remain politically neutral. A reporter for the Daily Mail later brought up Harry and Meghan’s comments in a news briefing with Trump. “Prince Harry and Meghan Markle chimed in on the U.S. election and essentially encouraged people to vote for Joe Biden,” reporter Nikki Schwab said. “I wanted to get your reaction to that.” “I’m not a fan of hers,” Trump says of the former “Suits” actor. He adding that “she probably has heard that,” likely referring to similar comments he’s made before. “But I wish a lot of luck to Harry ― cause he’s going to need it.”
"I wish a lot of luck to Harry, 'cause he's gonna need it" -- Trump disses Meghan Markle pic.twitter.com/iaJ00T9STw — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 23, 2020