thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-21--Apple Closes All 53 California Stores And A Dozen More Elsewhere As COVID-19 Surges

Apple is temporarily closing all 53 of its stores in California and at least a dozen others elsewhere in the nation as COVID-19 cases continue to climb .
The shutdowns will occur just days before Christmas , one of the highest-volume shopping times of the year .
“ Due to current COVID-19 conditions in some of the communities we serve , we are temporarily closing stores in these areas , ” Apple said in a statement obtained by Bloomberg Saturday .
“ We take this step with an abundance of caution as we closely monitor the situation and we look @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back as soon as possible.
” A message from Apple on the websites of its California stores warned customers that the outlets were “ temporarily closing soon.
” But they will remain open for pickup of existing online orders , scheduled in-store Genius support and for previously reserved one-on-one shopping sessions until Tuesday .
California has become the COVID-19 hotspot of the nation in recent weeks with 1.8 million cases and more than 22,000 deaths .
Average daily cases are numbering more than 40,000 .
Apple is also closing stores in Tennessee , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and New Mexico , USA Today reported .
In addition , it has shut down outlets in Mexico , Brazil and London , where stringent coronavirus restrictions have been put in place as cases of a dangerous new variant of COVID-19 surge .

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Apple is temporarily closing all 53 of its stores in California and at least a dozen others elsewhere in the nation as COVID-19 cases continue to climb.
The shutdowns will occur just days before Christmas, one of the highest-volume shopping times of the year.
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“Due to current COVID-19 conditions in some of the communities we serve, we are temporarily closing stores in these areas,” Apple said in a statement obtained by Bloomberg Saturday. “We take this step with an abundance of caution as we closely monitor the situation and we look forward to having our teams and customers back as soon as possible.”
A message from Apple on the websites of its California stores warned customers that the outlets were “temporarily closing soon.” But they will remain open for pickup of existing online orders, scheduled in-store Genius support and for previously reserved one-on-one shopping sessions until Tuesday.
California has become the COVID-19 hotspot of the nation in recent weeks with 1.8 million cases and more than 22,000 deaths. Average daily cases are numbering more than 40,000.
Apple is also closing stores in Tennessee, Utah, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Alaska and New Mexico, USA Today reported. In addition, it has shut down outlets in Mexico, Brazil and London, where stringent coronavirus restrictions have been put in place as cases of a dangerous new variant of COVID-19 surge.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-21--GOP Battled To Nail Tax Break For 3-Martini Lunches In Stimulus Package: Report

“ Republicans are nickel-and-diming benefits for jobless workers , while at the same time pushing for tax breaks for three-martini @ @ @ @ @ s unconscionable , ” Sen. Ron Wyden ( D-Ore. ) , the ranking Democrat on @ @ @ @ @ told the Post .
Executives since the 1980s have been able to deduct 50 % @ @ @ @ @ their federal taxes .
The provision in the stimulus package would hike that to 100 @ @ @ @ @ aspect of the deal triggering critics .
Another was the $ 600 payout to working @ @ @ @ @ that Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross once wore a pair of custom-made slippers worth $ 600 @ @ @ @ @ Walter Shaub , former head of U.S. Office of Government Ethics , lashed the “ @ @ @ @ @ as “ what you give Americans if you just don ’ t care about Americans.
@ @ @ @ @ the hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars in farm subsidies reaped by Sen. Chuck Grassley @ @ @ @ @ family .
Shaub also pointed out the cost of Ross ’ footwear .

“Republicans are nickel-and-diming benefits for jobless workers, while at the same time pushing for tax breaks for three-martini power lunches. It’s unconscionable,” Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), the ranking Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, told the Post.
Executives since the 1980s have been able to deduct 50% of often extravagant lunches from their federal taxes. The provision in the stimulus package would hike that to 100%.
It was one aspect of the deal triggering critics. Another was the $600 payout to working Americans. Critics pointed out that Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross once wore a pair of custom-made slippers worth $600 to the Capitol.
Attorney Walter Shaub, former head of U.S. Office of Government Ethics, lashed the “stinking” $600 checks as “what you give Americans if you just don’t care about Americans.” He compared it to the hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars in farm subsidies reaped by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and his family.
Shaub also pointed out the cost of Ross’ footwear.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-21--Trump Campaign Files New Petition With Supreme Court To Overturn Pa. Election Results

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — Undeterred by dismissals and admonitions from judges , President Donald Trump ’ s campaign continued with its unprecedented efforts to overturn the results of the Nov 3. election Sunday , saying it had filed a new petition with the Supreme Court .
The petition seeks to reverse a trio of Pennsylvania Supreme Court cases having to do with mail-in ballots and asks the court to reject voters ’ will and allow the Pennsylvania General Assembly to pick its own slate of electors .
While the prospect of the highest court in the land throwing out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on unfounded charges of voter fraud is extraordinary unlikely , it wouldn ’ t change the outcome .
President-elect Joe Biden would still be the winner even without Pennsylvania because of his wide margin of victory in the Electoral College .
“ The petition seeks all appropriate remedies , including vacating the appointment of electors committed to Joseph Biden and allowing the Pennsylvania General Assembly to select their replacements , ” Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani said in a statement .
He is asking the court to move swiftly so it can rule before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the vote of the Electoral College , which decisively confirmed Biden ’ s win with 306 electoral votes to Trump ’ s 232 .
But the justices are not scheduled to meet again , even privately , until Jan 8 , two days after Congress counts votes .
Trump ’ s campaign and his allies have now filed roughly 50 lawsuits alleging widespread voting fraud .
Almost all have been dismissed or dropped because there is no evidence to support their allegations .
Trump has lost before judges of both political parties , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of his strongest rebukes have come from conservative Republicans .
The Supreme Court has also refused to take up two cases — decisions that Trump has scorned .
The new case is at least the fourth involving Pennsylvania that Trump ’ s campaign or Republican allies have taken to the Supreme Court in a bid to overturn Biden ’ s victory in the state or at least reverse court decisions involving mail-in balloting .
Many more cases were filed in state and federal courts .
Roughly 10,000 mail-in ballots that arrived after polls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remain in limbo , awaiting the highest court ’ s decision on whether they should be counted .
In November , the state ’ s highest court upheld a Philadelphia judge ’ s ruling that state law only required election officials to allow partisan observers to be able to see mail-in ballots being processed , not stand close enough to election workers to see the writing on individual envelopes .
It also ruled that more than 8,300 mail-in ballots in Philadelphia that had been challenged by the Trump campaign because of minor technical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s failure to write their name , address or date on the outer ballot envelope — should be counted .
In October , the court ruled unanimously that counties are prohibited from rejecting mail-in ballots simply because a voter ’ s signature does not resemble the signature on the person ’ s voter registration form .
The Pennsylvania Republican Party has a pending petition on the state ’ s mail-in-ballot deadline in which the party specifically says in its appeal that it recognizes the issue will not affect the outcome of the 2020 @ @

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Undeterred by dismissals and admonitions from judges, President Donald Trump’s campaign continued with its unprecedented efforts to overturn the results of the Nov 3. election Sunday, saying it had filed a new petition with the Supreme Court.
The petition seeks to reverse a trio of Pennsylvania Supreme Court cases having to do with mail-in ballots and asks the court to reject voters’ will and allow the Pennsylvania General Assembly to pick its own slate of electors.
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While the prospect of the highest court in the land throwing out the results of a democratic election based on unfounded charges of voter fraud is extraordinary unlikely, it wouldn’t change the outcome. President-elect Joe Biden would still be the winner even without Pennsylvania because of his wide margin of victory in the Electoral College.
“The petition seeks all appropriate remedies, including vacating the appointment of electors committed to Joseph Biden and allowing the Pennsylvania General Assembly to select their replacements,” Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani said in a statement.
He is asking the court to move swiftly so it can rule before Congress meets on Jan. 6 to tally the vote of the Electoral College, which decisively confirmed Biden’s win with 306 electoral votes to Trump’s 232. But the justices are not scheduled to meet again, even privately, until Jan 8, two days after Congress counts votes.
Pennsylvania last month certified Biden as the winner of the state’s 20 Electoral College votes after three weeks of vote counting and a string of failed legal challenges.
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Trump’s campaign and his allies have now filed roughly 50 lawsuits alleging widespread voting fraud. Almost all have been dismissed or dropped because there is no evidence to support their allegations.
Trump has lost before judges of both political parties, including some he appointed. And some of his strongest rebukes have come from conservative Republicans. The Supreme Court has also refused to take up two cases — decisions that Trump has scorned.
The new case is at least the fourth involving Pennsylvania that Trump’s campaign or Republican allies have taken to the Supreme Court in a bid to overturn Biden’s victory in the state or at least reverse court decisions involving mail-in balloting. Many more cases were filed in state and federal courts. Roughly 10,000 mail-in ballots that arrived after polls closed but before a state court-ordered deadline remain in limbo, awaiting the highest court’s decision on whether they should be counted.
The Trump campaign’s filing Sunday appears to target three decisions of Pennsylvania’s Democratic-majority state Supreme Court.
In November, the state’s highest court upheld a Philadelphia judge’s ruling that state law only required election officials to allow partisan observers to be able to see mail-in ballots being processed, not stand close enough to election workers to see the writing on individual envelopes.
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It also ruled that more than 8,300 mail-in ballots in Philadelphia that had been challenged by the Trump campaign because of minor technical errors — such as a voter’s failure to write their name, address or date on the outer ballot envelope — should be counted. In October, the court ruled unanimously that counties are prohibited from rejecting mail-in ballots simply because a voter’s signature does not resemble the signature on the person’s voter registration form.
The Pennsylvania Republican Party has a pending petition on the state’s mail-in-ballot deadline in which the party specifically says in its appeal that it recognizes the issue will not affect the outcome of the 2020 election.
___


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-21--Chris Wallace Defends Jill Biden's 'Dr.' Title, Calls Out His Fox News Colleagues

Fox News anchor Chris Wallace on Sunday defended incoming first lady Jill Biden for using the title “ Dr. , ” and swiped at conservatives ― including his colleagues ― for finding fault with it .
“ There has been some criticism recently from conservatives , including some conservatives on Fox News , about the fact that first lady-to-be Jill Biden goes by the title doctor , ” Wallace said in an interview with incoming White House press secretary Jen Psaki on “ Fox News Sunday.
” “ What is the Bidens ’ reaction to that , especially given the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years — I think of Dr. Henry Kissinger , the Rev .
Dr. Martin Luther King — have gone by the title doctor , even though they ’ re not medical doctors and nobody seems to have made a fuss about that ?
” Chris Wallace takes a not-so-veiled shot at his Fox colleagues who have whined about Jill Biden using `` Dr. , '' noting that other prominent figures like Henry Kissinger and MLK used the title `` even though they are not medical doctors and nobody seems to have made a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Justin Baragona ( @ justinbaragona ) December 20 , 2020 Earlier this month , a widely panned Wall Street Journal op-ed called for Jill Biden to drop the honorific , even though she has earned a doctorate of education from the University of Delaware .
“ Any chance you might drop the ‘ Dr. ’ before your name ?
‘ Dr .
Jill Biden ’ sounds and feels fraudulent , not to say a touch comic , ” wrote Joseph Epstein .
Since that time , right-wingers have piled on , including Fox @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden ’ s doctoral dissertation “ our national shame ” and accused her of being “ borderline illiterate.
” Psaki told Wallace she found it perplexing that the focus was on Biden ’ s well-earned title when the country was facing health and economic crises due to the COVID-19 pandemic .
“ It ’ s a really silly , sexist and absurd conversation that ’ s happening a bit in society and I appreciate you asking me about it , ” she said .

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Fox News anchor Chris Wallace on Sunday defended incoming first lady Jill Biden for using the title “Dr.,” and swiped at conservatives ― including his colleagues ― for finding fault with it.
“There has been some criticism recently from conservatives, including some conservatives on Fox News, about the fact that first lady-to-be Jill Biden goes by the title doctor,” Wallace said in an interview with incoming White House press secretary Jen Psaki on “Fox News Sunday.” “What is the Bidens’ reaction to that, especially given the fact that so many people over the years — I think of Dr. Henry Kissinger, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King — have gone by the title doctor, even though they’re not medical doctors and nobody seems to have made a fuss about that?”
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Chris Wallace takes a not-so-veiled shot at his Fox colleagues who have whined about Jill Biden using "Dr.," noting that other prominent figures like Henry Kissinger and MLK used the title "even though they are not medical doctors and nobody seems to have made a fuss about that". pic.twitter.com/ElIy4PAHKA — Justin Baragona (@justinbaragona) December 20, 2020
Earlier this month, a widely panned Wall Street Journal op-ed called for Jill Biden to drop the honorific, even though she has earned a doctorate of education from the University of Delaware.
“Any chance you might drop the ‘Dr.’ before your name? ‘Dr. Jill Biden’ sounds and feels fraudulent, not to say a touch comic,” wrote Joseph Epstein.
Since that time, right-wingers have piled on, including Fox News’ Tucker Carlson, who called Biden’s doctoral dissertation “our national shame” and accused her of being “borderline illiterate.”
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Psaki told Wallace she found it perplexing that the focus was on Biden’s well-earned title when the country was facing health and economic crises due to the COVID-19 pandemic.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-21--Pastors: Kelly Loeffler's Smear Of Rev. Raphael Warnock Is Broad Assault On The Black Church

A stinging open letter signed by a coalition of African-American pastors in Georgia blasted Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler ’ s attacks on rival Rev .
Raphael Warnock as a broader assault on the faith traditions of Black congregations .
Loeffler has attempted to tarnish the Democratic pastor ’ s reputation by repeatedly calling him a radical , a socialist and a “ radical liberal.
” The letter , signed by more than 100 religious leaders , presented Warnock ’ s support for social justice as an integral element of his faith .
When Loeffler attacks that , she attacks Warnock @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Black congregations who believe in the same religious values , it stated .
“ We see your attacks against Warnock as a broader attack against the Black Church and faith traditions for which we stand , ” the letter charged .
the open letter demanded that Loeffler stop her “ false attacks ” on Warnock ’ s social justice theological and faith traditions , “ which visualizes a just and ardent world where love , fairness and equal justice under the law for marginalized people of all races is not only accepted as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Dr. Martin Luther King , but also a central message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ , ” according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution .
The letter also attacked Loeffler ’ s support of President Donald Trump ’ s baseless claim of election fraud in Georgia and his attempt to overturn the presidential election results .
“ What can be more radical , more seditious than supporting 59 attempts to overthrow the will of the people by tossing Black votes ?
” the letter asked .
Warnock , the senior pastor of Ebenezer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ link between his social values and his religion in a tweet on Sunday : My faith is the foundation upon which I have built my life .
It guides my service to my community and my country .
@ KLoeffler 's attacks on our faith are not just disappointing — they are hurtful to Black churches across Georgia .
https : //t.co/95KlttxG0s — Reverend Raphael Warnock ( @ ReverendWarnock ) December 20 , 2020 No one attacked the Black church .
We simply exposed your record in your own words .
Instead of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ questions about what you ’ ve said and who you ’ ve associated yourself with .
If you can ’ t — you shouldn ’ t be running for U.S. Senate .
https : //t.co/j06y2mwlCm — Kelly Loeffler ( @ KLoeffler ) December 20 , 2020 Earlier this month , Jewish activist organization Bend the Arc retweeted a photo of Loeffler posing with Chester Doles , a former KKK leader who served time in prison for almost beating a Black man to death .
Loeffler ’ s campaign claimed she had no idea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a history of posing with white supremacists and other extremists .
Last week , she and Georgia Sen. David Perdue said they adamantly opposed changing the name of the Atlanta Braves baseball team .
The name , they said , “ honors our nation ’ s Native American heritage.
” Pressed on her controversial statements in a debate against Warnock earlier this month , Loeffler insisted : “ There is not a racist bone in my body.
” She and Purdue face runoff elections on Jan. 5 against their Democratic rivals that will @ @ @ @ @ @ @

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A stinging open letter signed by a coalition of African-American pastors in Georgia blasted Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler’s attacks on rival Rev. Raphael Warnock as a broader assault on the faith traditions of Black congregations.
Loeffler has attempted to tarnish the Democratic pastor’s reputation by repeatedly calling him a radical, a socialist and a “radical liberal.”
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The letter, signed by more than 100 religious leaders, presented Warnock’s support for social justice as an integral element of his faith. When Loeffler attacks that, she attacks Warnock’s religion and the faith of Black congregations who believe in the same religious values, it stated.
“We see your attacks against Warnock as a broader attack against the Black Church and faith traditions for which we stand,” the letter charged.
The letter demanded that Loeffler stop her “false attacks” on Warnock’s social justice theological and faith traditions, “which visualizes a just and ardent world where love, fairness and equal justice under the law for marginalized people of all races is not only accepted as an authentic prophetic message in the tradition of Dr. Martin Luther King, but also a central message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ,” according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The letter also attacked Loeffler’s support of President Donald Trump’s baseless claim of election fraud in Georgia and his attempt to overturn the presidential election results.
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“What can be more radical, more seditious than supporting 59 attempts to overthrow the will of the people by tossing Black votes?” the letter asked.
Warnock, the senior pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, emphasized the link between his social values and his religion in a tweet on Sunday:
My faith is the foundation upon which I have built my life. It guides my service to my community and my country. @KLoeffler's attacks on our faith are not just disappointing — they are hurtful to Black churches across Georgia. https://t.co/95KlttxG0s — Reverend Raphael Warnock (@ReverendWarnock) December 20, 2020
Loeffler hit back at Warnock on Twitter and referred to the religious leaders’ open letter:
No one attacked the Black church. We simply exposed your record in your own words.
Instead of playing the victim, start answering simple questions about what you’ve said and who you’ve associated yourself with.
If you can’t — you shouldn’t be running for U.S. Senate. https://t.co/j06y2mwlCm — Kelly Loeffler (@KLoeffler) December 20, 2020
Earlier this month, Jewish activist organization Bend the Arc retweeted a photo of Loeffler posing with Chester Doles, a former KKK leader who served time in prison for almost beating a Black man to death. Loeffler’s campaign claimed she had no idea who Doles was. But Loeffler has a history of posing with white supremacists and other extremists.
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Last week, she and Georgia Sen. David Perdue said they adamantly opposed changing the name of the Atlanta Braves baseball team. The name, they said, “honors our nation’s Native American heritage.”
Loeffler, who paints herself as a Second Amendment supporter, has also said that Black protesters who legally carried guns during a demonstration were practicing “mob rule.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-21--Could Seaweed Help Save Us From Climate Catastrophe?

UCSD Seaweed can be used for biofuels , fertilizer , biodegradable packaging , pharmaceuticals and food -- “ and the list goes on , ” says University of California , San Diego , marine biology Professor Jennifer Smith .
Traditionally , people have hand-collected or foraged for naturally growing seaweed .
This can be time-consuming and labor-intensive , but it remains a popular form of collection .
Smith points out , however , that not only is this method of gathering seaweed not scalable , it can lead to overharvesting .
“ Most large-scale commercial production of seaweed takes place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are ‘ seeded ’ onto suspended lines that are anchored to the bottom of the sea floor , ” she said .
It can also be cultivated on land , in tanks of seawater .
This approach is especially useful for species that are sensitive to environmental fluctuations , or for those too delicate for open-ocean farms .
Some people are skeptical that enough seaweed can be produced to significantly reduce climate change .
With roughly 1 billion cows in the world , Kareiva questions whether a sufficient amount of Asparagopsis can be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ If we ’ re going to claim this is going to be world-changing as a supplement , and small-scale experiments show this is really a possibility , then what would the production need to be ?
Where are we going to get enough seaweed ?
”

When Albert Straus started running the family dairy farm in the 1990s, he converted it to organic, turning it into the first certified organic dairy farm west of the Mississippi River. He aims for Straus Dairy Farm and Creamery in Marshall, California, to be carbon neutral by the end of next year. To limit the farm’s other greenhouse gas emissions, he uses an anaerobic digester to capture the methane from manure and convert it to energy. Next, he hopes to tackle another main source of methane: his cows’ burps.
“Cows are essential to reversing climate change,” Straus said.
The global livestock sector accounts for 14.5% of man-made greenhouse gases, more than all of the world’s automobiles, the United Nations has reported. Of that, nearly 40% is methane gas produced by digestion in cattle. The rumen, the first of four parts of a cow’s stomach, contains bacteria that ferment the high-fiber grass, hay and grains they eat. During this process, a combination of gases forms methane, which the animals emit mostly by burping and exhaling, but also in their flatulence and manure.
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Perhaps the most promising solution for reducing bovines’ release of this powerful planet-warming gas? Feeding cows seaweed.
The red seaweed species formally known as Asparagopsis taxiformis is a “complete game changer,” according to Ermias Kebreab, associate dean for global engagement in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at the University of California, Davis. In July, preliminary results from the latest study that Kebreab co-authored on the algae found that it reduces intestinal methane production in beef steers by more than 80% when added to their feed. Other research found reductions of up to 98%, without adverse effects on the cows’ weight or the quality of beef produced.
“A couple of years ago, I would never have believed it,” said Kebreab, who serves as a scientific adviser for Blue Ocean Barns, which is commercializing a red algae feed supplement. “I’ve never seen anything like this.”
Seaweeds are being investigated for a number of climate-saving uses, from reducing methane emissions in livestock to replacing plastic in packaging. A. Martin UW Photography via Getty Images
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Red seaweed’s powerful ability to slash methane emissions from cattle has garnered extensive attention, prompting scientists across the globe to work on ways to scale up its production.
Proponents of seaweeds have lots of other plans, too.
“They can be used for biofuels, and seaweed biomass can be used to make fertilizer to make crops on land more productive,” said Jennifer Smith, a University of California, San Diego, marine biology professor in the Scripps Institution of Oceanography who also advises Blue Ocean Barns. “Seaweeds can be used to make plastics that are biodegradable, and that are a lot less harmful than the plastics that we currently use that stick around on the planet for hundreds of thousands of years.”
Seaweeds produce compounds that have been investigated for use in antibiotics, cancer drugs and anti-inflammatories. Seaweed is a nutritious, sustainable vegetarian food (if more Westerners would come around to eating it). Growing it can even clean up polluted waters. “And the list goes on,” Smith said.
Seaweeds and seaweed-based products have the potential to usher in enormous environmental benefits. By removing carbon dioxide from the ocean, seaweeds decrease harmful ocean acidification resulting from man-made carbon emissions. In fact, the brown seaweed kelp is estimated to absorb five times more carbon than land-based plants. Seaweeds also remove excess phosphorus and nitrogen that collects in waterways as a result of fertilizer runoff, a condition called eutrophication that can cause toxic algal blooms and wildlife dead zones.
And unlike conventional agriculture, seaweed farming doesn’t require fresh water, fertilizer or external inputs, so there’s no need to clear land to cultivate it. The sustainability of seaweed is why researchers and entrepreneurs are investigating ways to scale up its production for a variety of goods — including food, fuel, pharmaceuticals and packaging — that can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and replace some of the plastic products that pollute oceans.
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In Ermias Kebreab's research, red seaweed is pulverized, mixed with molasses and added to cattle feed to test how the supplement can reduce methane emissions from dairy cows. Gregory Urquiaga/UC Davis
Two years ago, Kebreab led the world’s first study to test red seaweed on live cattle. (Previous research on Asparagopsis mostly happened in lab settings or on other ruminant animals.) He hoped to help California dairy farmers lower the methane produced by their nearly 2 million cows, after lawmakers passed regulations in 2016 to reduce the state’s greenhouse gas emissions to 40% below 1990 levels by 2030.
“We are trying to find solutions, because farmers need to reduce emissions,” Kebreab said. “And we hope that in the next two or three years, we will have not just one but two or three different solutions that could be available to farmers.”
Blue Ocean Barns’ red seaweed supplement stops hydrogen from binding to carbon atoms during digestion, which produces methane. It makes up less than 0.3% of the cattle’s feed. With headquarters in Redwood City, California, and production operations mostly in Hawaii, the company plans to make the red seaweed it farms commercially available by the end of 2021, CEO Joan Salwen said.
“It’s now gotten past where a lot of additives have failed,” Salwen said. Some potential supplements worked in the lab, but not in the field. For instance, coriander and turmeric can reduce animal methane emissions, but it turns out cows don’t like curry spices. The microbes in animals’ stomachs adapted to other supplements, such as the antibiotic monensin, making them less effective. “The farmers who do know about what [Asparagopsis] can do are really excited.”
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Albert Straus wants to prove the potential of red seaweed on his dairy farm. Straus Dairy Farm and Creamery
Straus recently received a U.S. Department of Agriculture National Organic Program waiver to use Blue Ocean’s additive for a six-week experiment on his farm. “My hope is to be the first commercial trial in the United States for this red seaweed,” Straus said. “We already add vitamins and minerals to the rations for the cows. This could be part of that expense. It shouldn’t be a financial burden on farms. I think it’s a minor change that can be really beneficial.”
He expects his seaweed trial to begin in the next few months.
Food and Drug Administration approval to use an Asparagopsis additive in livestock feed could take up to three years, Kebreab estimates. Since Australia and the European Union don’t face the same regulatory hurdles, he anticipates they will lead the way in bringing Asparagopsis to scale. Efforts are already underway.
In Australia, red seaweed technology developer CH4 Global is partnering with the Narungga Nation Aboriginal Corporation to commercially produce red seaweed, an undertaking designed to create employment, training and leadership opportunities for Indigenous peoples in the fight against climate change.
Australia’s national science research agency is working to mass-produce red seaweed via a startup called FutureFeed, and expects its products to be commercially available to the Australian beef industry in 2021 (and to the U.S. market in 2022).
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An estimated 35,000 tons of dried seaweed must be produced to reach just 30% of the Australian market annually, which is why FutureFeed is working to develop a global seaweed supply chain, an effort that could boost economies worldwide.
Traditionally, people have hand-collected or foraged for naturally growing seaweed. This can be time-consuming and labor-intensive, but it remains a popular form of collection. Smith points out, however, that not only is this method of gathering seaweed not scalable, it can lead to overharvesting. “Most large-scale commercial production of seaweed takes place in Asia in ocean-based farms where seaweeds are ‘seeded’ onto suspended lines that are anchored to the bottom of the sea floor,” she said. It can also be cultivated on land, in tanks of seawater. This approach is especially useful for species that are sensitive to environmental fluctuations, or for those too delicate for open-ocean farms.
Eight Asian nations produce about 99% of the world’s seaweed, but Europe could ramp up local production of seaweed in its nutrient-dense waters — from 300,000 tons at present to 8 million tons in the next decade, according to a recent report from the Seaweed for Europe Coalition, which includes seaweed businesses, academics and scientists. By 2030, the seaweed sector in Europe could grow to a $9 billion industry and create 115,000 jobs, particularly in low-income coastal areas, according to the report.
“If aquaculture is developed the right way, it can be a huge win for conservation and a huge win for providing sustainable food for future generations.” - Robert Jones, the Nature Conservancy
It identified seaweed-based animal feed, food for human consumption and biostimulants — biologically derived substances that boost crop productivity without causing the groundwater contamination and marine life destruction that chemical fertilizers do — as the areas likely to see the most growth.
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Maria Damanaki, Seaweed for Europe co-chair and former European commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, calls the use of thin layers of seaweed in food packaging a particularly cutting-edge breakthrough. The Indonesian startup Evoware, founded in 2016, is a pioneer of this innovation. In 2017, it received the New Plastics Economy’s $1 million Circular Design Challenge award for replacing the conventional plastic packets and sachets that contain food products, like flavoring for instant noodles, with edible and dissolvable seaweed-based material.
Public awareness about seaweed’s sustainability may be growing, but getting more Westerners to eat the aquatic vegetables will require changing perceptions about them. Damanaki said that people question whether algae will taste good, even though seaweeds are staples of many Asian cuisines and have a wide range of health benefits.
“[Seaweeds] are one of the world’s biggest superfoods in terms of their ability to produce vitamins, minerals, protein and fiber,” Smith said. With respect to minerals like sodium, potassium and iron, “they’re 10 times more nutritious than any leafy green vegetable we can grow.”
Seaweed salad, seaweed soup and seaweed crisps are just some of the algae-based menu items found in restaurants and supermarkets across the world. The sea vegetables are also found in poke bowls and sushi. Many people reluctant to try seaweeds may already be eating them without knowing it, since food companies use seaweed as an additive, for example replacing animal-based products in gelatin.
In addition to the challenges of cultivating consumer confidence and building infrastructure and investment in a nascent industry, Damanaki worries that strict licensing requirements to farm seaweed will hold back development. “We want [politicians] to understand how it is different from the other aquaculture projects, which are sometimes very controversial because people think they’re a burden to the environment,” she said. “Seaweed production is restorative to the environment.”
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That is, when it’s done right.
Seaweed aquaculture can improve human well-being and the health of oceans, said Robert Jones, the Nature Conservancy’s global lead for aquaculture, but he stressed how important it is that commercialization unfolds with care.
Invasive algae can overrun marine ecosystems. Algefoto via Getty Images
“If aquaculture is developed the right way, it can be a huge win for conservation and a huge win for providing sustainable food for future generations,” Jones said — particularly in how it can reduce the climate impact of meat production.
“If it’s not, we will continue to be plagued by some of the historical challenges associated with the aquaculture sector,” he added, including changes in the nutrient balance of water that can affect wild fish, disease spread in seaweed farms, and the proliferation of invasive species and habitat degradation. “The stakes are high.”
In countries such as Indonesia, China and the Philippines, the seaweed industry grew exponentially without many licensing or regulatory systems in place, according to Jones, who said that lack of oversight has sometimes resulted in natural seagrass beds being replaced by seaweed farms. Many of these concerns can be mitigated with guidelines that limit where seaweeds can be grown for commercial purposes (which needn’t add onerous regulatory burdens).
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Aquaculture may be booming along Asian shores, but the U.S. is far from competitive in the industry, due in large part to complicated licensing processes. About a fifth of U.S. seafood production comes from aquafarms on the West, East and Gulf Coasts and Hawaii, which mostly produce shellfish and salmon. Off the Southern California coast, where the anti-methanogenic seaweed Asparagopsis grows, marine experts would like to see more commercial aquafarms open.
“Aquaculture should be given even more of a fair shake in California, because it’s an incredible coastal state,” said Peter Kareiva, president and CEO of the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, California. Given the state’s tight regulations, Kareiva thinks it could take years to launch and develop an aquaculture business there.
Humboldt State University in Arcata, California, is partnering on a pilot project to develop the state’s first commercial, open-water seaweed farm in Humboldt Bay. Called HSU-ProvidenSea, the half-acre farm is a collaboration between Rafael Cuevas Uribe, an associate professor in Humboldt State’s Department of Fisheries Biology, and Karen Gray, California reef manager at GreenWave, a nonprofit that specializes in regenerative aquaculture. The farm will grow Palmaria mollis, or dulse, a native red seaweed that is widely known for having a bacon flavor when fried and can be used in soups, breads, salads and other foods. Researchers have also studied its potential to fight obesity in animals.
Uribe and Gray planned to produce dulse to be used as a soil additive on a local farm, but they have received inquiries from people interested in buying the seaweed to develop new products ― for example, extracting a protein from the algae that could be incorporated into the Impossible Burger.
Getting the operation up and running has been difficult. “Existing policy and regulations in California make it challenging for a new small-scale farmer to start up operations and run a profitable business,” Gray and Uribe said in an email. “It’s a huge barrier to entry.” They noted that the regulatory process varies from state to state and is more straightforward on the East Coast and in Alaska.
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Joan Salwen (left) and Smith look at seaweed specimens. Blue Ocean Barns
At its production facilities in Hawaii, Blue Ocean Barns cultivates seaweed in tanks on land. Although some argue that growing seaweed in the ocean works better and saves more money, land-based seaweed farms circumvent many of the problems that can occur in open waters.
“We’re producing seaweed in a way that scales up economically and protects ocean ecosystems while promoting really high-quality plants,” Salwen said. Growing seaweed in a carefully controlled environment can improve the algae’s growth rate and quality while minimizing threats — such as plastic pollution, mammal entanglement risks, and nutrient imbalances — to the marine habitat.
Some people are skeptical that enough seaweed can be produced to significantly reduce climate change. With roughly 1 billion cows in the world, Kareiva questions whether a sufficient amount of Asparagopsis can be cultivated to lower cattle methane emissions: “If we’re going to claim this is going to be world-changing as a supplement, and small-scale experiments show this is really a possibility, then what would the production need to be? Where are we going to get enough seaweed?”
Salwen said Blue Ocean’s land-based seaweed cultivation technology could feed nearly a million head of cattle in the United States. FutureFeed CEO Andrew Gatenby has said scaling up to commercial levels is the biggest challenge. The Australian startup is working with potential suppliers around the world, and Gatenby emphasized that Asparagopsis can be grown in tropical or temperate climates, as far north as San Francisco and the Mediterranean Sea.
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Although commercialization of Asparagopsis and other seaweeds is still a work in progress, Jones expressed optimism about these aquatic plants. “What excites me is the potential to see seaweed aquaculture as a solution to many of the challenges affecting our ocean and the communities that rely upon it,” he said.
Not only does it offer alternatives to conventional methods of production that yield climate-damaging emissions, but it combats coastal pollution, supports fish, and creates jobs in coastal communities where there might be few options, he added. “There is so much to like about this.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-21--Bloomberg Reporter Who Covered Martin Shkreli Left Job And Husband For Him

Former Bloomberg News reporter Christie Smythe says she “ fell down the rabbit hole ” in ditching her job and husband for Martin Shkreli , the reviled “ pharma bro ” who ’ s serving seven years in prison for hedge-fund fraud .
Smythe covered Shkreli ’ s arrest in December 2015 and told Elle in an interview published online Sunday that they began dating after he was behind bars in 2018 .
“ I fell down the rabbit hole , ” she said .
“ I ’ m happy here .
I feel like I have purpose.
” Shkreli @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when his company jacked up the price of an AIDS drug from $ 13.50 per pill to $ 750 .
Smythe explained how she was charmed by a “ master manipulator.
” Prison visits became more intimate ― they exchanged “ I love you ’ s , ” though the two have “ never slept together , ” the magazine noted .
Smythe even froze her eggs , though she expects a relationship with him will be “ messy and difficult.
” Christie Smythe wrote of her relationship with Martin Shkreli : “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with her life ( which does not affect you ) that you in no way approve of .
But that ’ s OK. ” A happily-ever-after is looking increasingly bleak .
Shkreli hasn ’ t spoken to her since he discovered her article was in the works , and they haven ’ t seen each other since the coronavirus pandemic began , Elle wrote .
( Shkreli was denied a prison timeout in May after he requested a three-month release to research a COVID-19 treatment . )
A terse statement from him wishing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t exactly scream of romance , either .
But Smythe , who has sold the movie rights to her Shkreli book proposal , remained optimistic in a tweet Sunday aimed at critics after the article posted .
“ A woman can choose to do something with her life ( which does not affect you ) that you in no way approve of , ” she wrote .
“ But that ’ s OK. ” I realize it 's hard for many people to accept that 1 .
Martin is not a psychopath , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do something with her life ( which does not affect you ) that you in no way approve of .
But that 's OK. — Christie Smythe ( @ ChristieSmythe ) December 21 , 2020

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Former Bloomberg News reporter Christie Smythe says she “fell down the rabbit hole” in ditching her job and husband for Martin Shkreli, the reviled “pharma bro” who’s serving seven years in prison for hedge-fund fraud.
Smythe covered Shkreli’s arrest in December 2015 and told Elle in an interview published online Sunday that they began dating after he was behind bars in 2018.
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“I fell down the rabbit hole,” she said. “I’m happy here. I feel like I have purpose.”
Shkreli’s infamy exploded in September 2015 when his company jacked up the price of an AIDS drug from $13.50 per pill to $750.
Smythe explained how she was charmed by a “master manipulator.” Prison visits became more intimate ― they exchanged “I love you’s,” though the two have “never slept together,” the magazine noted. Smythe even froze her eggs, though she expects a relationship with him will be “messy and difficult.”
Christie Smythe wrote of her relationship with Martin Shkreli: “A woman can choose to do something with her life (which does not affect you) that you in no way approve of. But that’s OK.” Twitter/Getty
A happily-ever-after is looking increasingly bleak. Shkreli hasn’t spoken to her since he discovered her article was in the works, and they haven’t seen each other since the coronavirus pandemic began, Elle wrote. (Shkreli was denied a prison timeout in May after he requested a three-month release to research a COVID-19 treatment.) A terse statement from him wishing Smythe luck in future endeavors didn’t exactly scream of romance, either.
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But Smythe, who has sold the movie rights to her Shkreli book proposal, remained optimistic in a tweet Sunday aimed at critics after the article posted.
“A woman can choose to do something with her life (which does not affect you) that you in no way approve of,” she wrote. “But that’s OK.”
I realize it's hard for many people to accept that 1. Martin is not a psychopath, and 2. a woman can choose to do something with her life (which does not affect you) that you in no way approve of. But that's OK. — Christie Smythe (@ChristieSmythe) December 21, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-21--Kilauea Volcano Erupts On Hawaii's Big Island

HONOLULU , Hawaii ( AP ) — The Kilauea volcano on Hawaii ’ s Big Island has erupted , the U.S. Geological Survey said .
The eruption began late Sunday within the Halema ’ uma ’ u crater .
The volcano is located within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park .
View from the western rim of Kīlauea Caldera .
Lava is erupting from a fissure in the NW wall of Halemaʻumaʻu crater and cascading into the deepest part of the crater , which had been occupied by a water lake ( now replaced with a growing lava lake ) .
pic.twitter.com/VKIFA1Npr0 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ December 21 , 2020 A magnitude 4.4 earthquake hit about an hour after the volcano began erupting .
The USGS said it received more than 500 reports of people who felt the earthquake but significant damage to buildings or structures was not expected .
Photographer Ken Boyer ( @ kenboyerphoto ) broadcasting live on Facebook from Kīlauea overlook , answering questions from viewers around the world .
Earlier scenes captured explosions as the water lake in the crater vaporized .
# kilauea # volcano # hawaii pic.twitter.com/zXInpCdiMM — Ryan Kawailani Ozawa ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advisory was issued by the National Weather Service in Honolulu , warning of fallen ash from the volcano .
Excessive exposure to ash is an eye and respiratory irritant , it said .
Kilauea erupted in 2018 , destroying more than 700 homes and spewing enough lava to fill 320,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools .
An area more than half the size of Manhattan was buried in up to 80 feet ( 24 meters ) of now-hardened lava .
The lava flowed over the course of four months .
Important conversations are happening now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Today !

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HONOLULU, Hawaii (AP) — The Kilauea volcano on Hawaii’s Big Island erupted and shot a steam cloud into the atmosphere that lasted about an hour, an official with the National Weather Service said early Monday.
The eruption began late Sunday within the within Halema’uma’u crater, the U.S. Geological Survey said. The volcano is located within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
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Tom Birchard, a senior forecaster with the National Weather Service in Hawaii, said a new lava flow interacted with a pool of water inside the crater and that led to a short-lived but a fairly vigorous eruption.
All the water evaporated out of the lake and a steam cloud shot up about 30,000 feet (9 kilometers) into the atmosphere, Birchard said.
View from the western rim of Kīlauea Caldera. Lava is erupting from a fissure in the NW wall of Halemaʻumaʻu crater and cascading into the deepest part of the crater, which had been occupied by a water lake (now replaced with a growing lava lake). pic.twitter.com/VKIFA1Npr0 — USGS Volcanoes🌋 (@USGSVolcanoes) December 21, 2020
An advisory was issued by the National Weather Service in Honolulu, warning of fallen ash from the volcano. Excessive exposure to ash is an eye and respiratory irritant, it said. The agency later said the eruption was easing and a “low-level steam cloud” was lingering in the area.
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By 1 a.m., USGS officials told Hawaii News Now that there were reported lava fountains shooting about 165 feet (50 meters) into the sky.
David Phillips, a Hawaiian Volcano Observatory spokesman, said the agency was monitoring the situation.
“We will send out further notifications on Kilauea and other Hawaiian volcanoes as we observe changes,” he said.
A magnitude 4.4 earthquake hit about an hour after the volcano began erupting.
The USGS said it received more than 500 reports of people who felt the earthquake but significant damage to buildings or structures was not expected.
Kilauea erupted in 2018, destroying more than 700 homes and spewing enough lava to fill 320,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools. An area more than half the size of Manhattan was buried in up to 80 feet (24 meters) of now-hardened lava. The lava flowed over the course of four months.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-21--John Mulaney Checks Into Rehab For Alcohol And Cocaine Addiction

Comedian John Mulaney has checked into a rehab center for 60 days for cocaine and alcohol abuse .
Page Six is reporting that Mulaney , who has struggled with sobriety for years , checked into a Pennsylvania rehab facility this past weekend .
People , which confirmed the story , said the 38-year-old Mulaney first drank when he was 13 .
“ I wasn ’ t a good athlete , ” he told Esquire in 2019 .
“ So maybe it was some young male thing of ‘ This is the physical feat I can do .
Three Vicodin and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ standing , ’ ” he said .
“ Who ’ s the athlete now ?
” Mulaney first became sober when he was 23 after a bender that he told Esquire was like “ fading in and out of a movie.
” He added , “ And I thought to myself , ‘ I don ’ t like this guy anymore .
I ’ m not rooting for him.
’ ” Need help with substance use disorder or mental health issues ?
In the U.S. , call 800-662-HELP ( 4357 ) for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happening now .
Add your voice !
Join HuffPost Today !

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Comedian John Mulaney has checked into a rehab center for 60 days for cocaine and alcohol abuse.
Page Six is reporting that Mulaney, who has struggled with sobriety for years, checked into a Pennsylvania rehab facility this past weekend.
People, which confirmed the story, said the 38-year-old Mulaney first drank when he was 13.
“I wasn’t a good athlete,” he told Esquire in 2019. “So maybe it was some young male thing of ‘This is the physical feat I can do. Three Vicodin and a tequila and I’m still standing,’” he said. “Who’s the athlete now?”
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Mulaney first became sober when he was 23 after a bender that he told Esquire was like “fading in and out of a movie.”
He added, “And I thought to myself, ‘I don’t like this guy anymore. I’m not rooting for him.’”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-21--Illinois Woman Who Bought Flags From Kohl's Also Sent Used COVID-19 Test

CHICAGO ( AP ) — An Illinois woman who ordered flags for her grandmother ’ s garden got a surprise when the package arrived — someone ’ s apparent COVID-19 test specimen .
Andrea Ellis was wrapping Christmas gifts at her aunt ’ s house in East Moline , in northwestern Illinois , when she opened a padded envelope containing the flags she ordered weeks ago from the department store chain Kohl ’ s , according to The Quad City Times .
“ I pulled out the flags and I told my aunt , ‘ Look how cute these are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I pulled out the packing slip and then noticed something deeper inside the envelope and pulled that out .
It was a biohazard bag containing someone ’ s COVID-19 test specimen.
” Ellis , who didn ’ t immediately reply to a Monday phone message from The Associated Press , called the police , who referred the issue to the county health department , according to East Moline police Chief Jeff Ramsey .
Janet Hill , the chief operating officer at the Rock Island County Health Department , told the AP that she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weekend and that it appeared to contain a used nasal swab and identifying information of a person from Virginia .
She said she was figuring out what to do next , including contacting health officials in Virginia and trying to determine if the specimen was still viable .
“ I ’ ve never heard of anything like this , ” Hill said .
“ I want this person to know that the test has not been done yet.
” Wisconsin-based Kohl ’ s issued a statement Monday apologizing for “ this very unusual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ package was sent from an “ outside direct ship vendor ” and not directly from the retail chain .
The company said it launched its own investigation , but it declined to give further details , including the name of the vendor .

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CHICAGO (AP) — An Illinois woman who ordered flags for her grandmother’s garden got a surprise when the package arrived — someone’s apparent COVID-19 test specimen.
Andrea Ellis was wrapping Christmas gifts at her aunt’s house in East Moline, in northwestern Illinois, when she opened a padded envelope containing the flags she ordered weeks ago from the department store chain Kohl’s, according to The Quad City Times.
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“I pulled out the flags and I told my aunt, ‘Look how cute these are,’” she said. “I pulled out the packing slip and then noticed something deeper inside the envelope and pulled that out. It was a biohazard bag containing someone’s COVID-19 test specimen.”
Ellis, who didn’t immediately reply to a Monday phone message from The Associated Press, called the police, who referred the issue to the county health department, according to East Moline police Chief Jeff Ramsey.
Janet Hill, the chief operating officer at the Rock Island County Health Department, told the AP that she picked up the biohazard bag over the weekend and that it appeared to contain a used nasal swab and identifying information of a person from Virginia. She said she was figuring out what to do next, including contacting health officials in Virginia and trying to determine if the specimen was still viable.
“I’ve never heard of anything like this,” Hill said. “I want this person to know that the test has not been done yet.”
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Wisconsin-based Kohl’s issued a statement Monday apologizing for “this very unusual and inexplicable experience” and saying the package was sent from an “outside direct ship vendor” and not directly from the retail chain.
The company said it launched its own investigation, but it declined to give further details, including the name of the vendor.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-21--California Hospitals Discuss Rationing Care As COVID-19 Cases Surge

LOS ANGELES ( AP ) — California ’ s overwhelmed hospitals are setting up makeshift extra beds for coronavirus patients , and a handful of facilities in hard-hit Los Angeles County are drawing up emergency plans in case they have to limit how many people receive live-saving care .
The number of people hospitalized across California with confirmed COVID-19 infections is more than double the state ’ s previous peak , reached in July , and a state model forecasts the total could hit 75,000 patients by mid-January .
Plans for rationing care are not in place yet , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the worst is yet to come , ” said Los Angeles County ’ s health services director , Dr. Christina Ghaly .
While shipments of the vaccine are rolling out to many health care workers and nursing homes across the country , it could be months before the shots are available to the general public .
Until then , four hospitals run by Los Angeles County are weighing what to do if they can not treat everyone because of a shortage of beds or staffers .
A document recently circulated among doctors at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trying to save every life , their goal could shift to saving as many patients as possible — meaning those less likely to survive would not get the same kind of care .
“ Some compromise of standard of care is unavoidable ; it is not that an entity , system or locale chooses to limit resources , it is that the resources are clearly not available to provide care in a regular manner , ” said the document obtained by the Los Angeles Times .
Overall , the state ’ s ICU @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Some hospitals have canceled non-essential elective surgeries , such as hip replacements , that might take up beds that could soon be needed for COVID-19 patients .
Nurses say the crush of cases means they have less time to spend with patients , many of whom are sicker than they have ever been .
“ The more patients we have , the more there ’ s a risk of making a mistake , especially if we ’ re rushing , ” said Wendy Macedo .
a nurse at UCLA Health Santa Monica @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re trying to avoid that , but we ’ re only human.
” California was experiencing “ some of the darkest days of our COVID-19 surge , ” Gov .
Gavin Newsom said , but there was some light Sunday as a group of scientists and experts endorsed a vaccine developed by Moderna .
The step clears the way for the drug to be distributed throughout California and other Western states that reviewed it separately from the Food and Drug Administration .
A homeless person sleeps outside the Los Angeles County + USC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Wednesday .
Hospitals across the state are filling up so fast that officials are rolling out mobile field facilities and scrambling to hire more doctors and nurses .
CVS and rival Walgreens started providing shots last week at some long-term care locations in Connecticut and Ohio , and both companies said they would expand their programs in 12 states starting this week .
Those states include Florida , Kentucky , Maine , Maryland , Nevada , New Hampshire , New York , Oklahoma , Oregon and Vermont , CVS Health said Monday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to each site to give residents and staff their initial shot and then a booster .
It expects to complete the program in about three months .
New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo has asked airlines flying into his state from the United Kingdom to make all passengers take a coronavirus test before they get on board .
At least one airline , British Airways , has agreed , the Democrat said .
Cuomo wants the U.S. government to temporarily halt flights from the U.K. because of the emergence of a new strain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tennessee Gov .
Bill Lee on Sunday announced new social gathering restrictions while still refusing to implement a mask mandate despite pleas from front-line health care workers .
Tennessee , one of a dozen states without a mask mandate , is experiencing the highest new cases per capita in the country .

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — California’s overwhelmed hospitals are setting up makeshift extra beds for coronavirus patients, and a handful of facilities in hard-hit Los Angeles County are drawing up emergency plans in case they have to limit how many people receive live-saving care.
The number of people hospitalized across California with confirmed COVID-19 infections is more than double the state’s previous peak, reached in July, and a state model forecasts the total could hit 75,000 patients by mid-January.
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Plans for rationing care are not in place yet, but they need to be established because “the worst is yet to come,” said Los Angeles County’s health services director, Dr. Christina Ghaly.
Medical workers remove a stretcher from an ambulance near medical tents outside the emergency room at UCI Medical Center, in Irvine, Calif., on Thursday. ASSOCIATED PRESS
While shipments of the vaccine are rolling out to many health care workers and nursing homes across the country, it could be months before the shots are available to the general public. Until then, four hospitals run by Los Angeles County are weighing what to do if they cannot treat everyone because of a shortage of beds or staffers.
A document recently circulated among doctors at the four hospitals proposed that instead of trying to save every life, their goal could shift to saving as many patients as possible — meaning those less likely to survive would not get the same kind of care.
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“Some compromise of standard of care is unavoidable; it is not that an entity, system or locale chooses to limit resources, it is that the resources are clearly not available to provide care in a regular manner,” said the document obtained by the Los Angeles Times.
Many hospitals in California already have implemented emergency procedures to stretch staff and space.
A medical worker passes a medical tent outside the emergency room at UCI Medical Center in Irvine, Calif. on Thursday. California is desperately searching for nurses, doctors and other medical staff to meet demands. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Corona Regional Medical Center southeast of Los Angeles has converted an old emergency room to handle nearly double the usual number of ICU patients. It’s also using two disaster tents to triage ER patients.
Overall, the state’s ICU capacity was just 2.1% on Sunday. Some hospitals have canceled non-essential elective surgeries, such as hip replacements, that might take up beds that could soon be needed for COVID-19 patients.
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Nurses say the crush of cases means they have less time to spend with patients, many of whom are sicker than they have ever been.
“The more patients we have, the more there’s a risk of making a mistake, especially if we’re rushing,” said Wendy Macedo. a nurse at UCLA Health Santa Monica Medical Center. ”Obviously we’re trying to avoid that, but we’re only human.”
California was experiencing “some of the darkest days of our COVID-19 surge,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said, but there was some light Sunday as a group of scientists and experts endorsed a vaccine developed by Moderna. The step clears the way for the drug to be distributed throughout California and other Western states that reviewed it separately from the Food and Drug Administration.
A homeless person sleeps outside the Los Angeles County + USC Medical Center hospital entrance in Los Angeles on Wednesday. Hospitals across the state are filling up so fast that officials are rolling out mobile field facilities and scrambling to hire more doctors and nurses. ASSOCIATED PRESS
CVS and rival Walgreens started providing shots last week at some long-term care locations in Connecticut and Ohio, and both companies said they would expand their programs in 12 states starting this week. Those states include Florida, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon and Vermont, CVS Health said Monday.
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CVS plans to make three visits to each site to give residents and staff their initial shot and then a booster. It expects to complete the program in about three months.
But with vaccinations in limited supply until spring or summer, political leaders are calling on people to stay at home and wear masks.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has asked airlines flying into his state from the United Kingdom to make all passengers take a coronavirus test before they get on board. At least one airline, British Airways, has agreed, the Democrat said.
Cuomo wants the U.S. government to temporarily halt flights from the U.K. because of the emergence of a new strain of the virus in that country.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee on Sunday announced new social gathering restrictions while still refusing to implement a mask mandate despite pleas from front-line health care workers. Tennessee, one of a dozen states without a mask mandate, is experiencing the highest new cases per capita in the country.
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Instead of a mask mandate, the Republican signed an executive order limiting public gatherings to 10 people. However, places of worship, weddings and funerals are exempt.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-21--Thai Rescue Worker Uses CPR To Save Baby Elephant Hit By Motorcycle

BANGKOK , Dec 21 ( Reuters ) - Thailand ’ s Mana Srivate has performed dozens of resuscitation attempts in his 26 years as a rescue worker , but never before on an elephant .
Mana was called into action while off duty on a road trip late on Sunday , successfully reviving a baby elephant struck by a motorcycle while crossing a road with a group of wild pachyderms in the eastern province of Chanthaburi .
In a video that went viral on social media in Thailand on Monday , Mana is seen giving two-handed compressions to a small @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a few meters away treat a dazed and injured motorcycle rider on the floor .
Both the rider and elephant were recovering and neither had serious injuries .
“ It ’ s my instinct to save lives , but I was worried the whole time because I can hear the mother and other elephants calling for the baby , ” Mana told Reuters by phone .
“ I assumed where an elephant heart would be located based on human theory and a video clip I saw online , ” he said .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and was taken to another location for treatment , before being returned to the scene of the accident in the hope of being reunited with its mother .
The elephants soon returned when the mother heard her baby calling out , Mana said .
Despite having dealt with dozens of road traffic accidents involving humans , Mana said the elephant was the only victim he had managed to revive while performing Cardiopulmonary resuscitation ( CPR ) .

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BANGKOK, Dec 21 (Reuters) - Thailand’s Mana Srivate has performed dozens of resuscitation attempts in his 26 years as a rescue worker, but never before on an elephant.
Mana was called into action while off duty on a road trip late on Sunday, successfully reviving a baby elephant struck by a motorcycle while crossing a road with a group of wild pachyderms in the eastern province of Chanthaburi.
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In a video that went viral on social media in Thailand on Monday, Mana is seen giving two-handed compressions to a small elephant lying on its side as colleagues a few meters away treat a dazed and injured motorcycle rider on the floor.
Both the rider and elephant were recovering and neither had serious injuries.
“It’s my instinct to save lives, but I was worried the whole time because I can hear the mother and other elephants calling for the baby,” Mana told Reuters by phone.
“I assumed where an elephant heart would be located based on human theory and a video clip I saw online,” he said.
“When the baby elephant starting to move, I almost cried.”
The elephant stood up after about 10 minutes and was taken to another location for treatment, before being returned to the scene of the accident in the hope of being reunited with its mother.
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The elephants soon returned when the mother heard her baby calling out, Mana said.
Despite having dealt with dozens of road traffic accidents involving humans, Mana said the elephant was the only victim he had managed to revive while performing Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-21--What To Know About Allergic Reactions To The COVID-19 Vaccine

The arrival of coronavirus vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna has offered a much-needed dose of optimism in an otherwise grueling pandemic .
But many people have questions after reports of some instances of allergic reactions to the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine , which was granted emergency authorization use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration earlier this month .
The FDA is investigating the cases of allergic reactions , and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said that anyone who had a severe reaction ( which is defined as needing the medication epinephrine or treatment in a hospital ) should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccine .
The percentage of people who have actually experienced an allergic reaction to the Pfizer vaccine is low .
This is concerning , yes .
However , when you compare the number of these cases to the total number of people vaccinated so far ― roughly at least 128,000 , or even more when you count the people who participated in the trials ― the percentage of people experiencing this issue is pretty small .
It ’ s not clear if Moderna ’ s vaccine will cause the same issue .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guarantee that no one will experience a reaction if they get the Moderna vaccine ― which was also just granted emergency authorization use by the FDA ― rather than the Pfizer vaccine .
Peter Marks , director of the FDA ’ s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research , said in a recent press conference that a chemical used in both vaccines , called polyethylene glycol , could be what ’ s causing the reactions , Reuters reported .
Griffin said experts will know more once a greater number of people are vaccinated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is advising that the Moderna vaccine should not be given to people with a known history of severe allergic reactions to any components of the immunization .
Most vaccines cause allergic reactions in some people .
If you ’ ve experienced an allergic reaction to a vaccine in the past , talk to your doctor before you get a COVID vaccine .
We still have a long way to go before a COVID-19 vaccine is available to most people , so this won ’ t really even be an issue for quite some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ turn to get the shots , talk to your doctor about your specific case , including your known allergies and any history you might have of vaccine reactions .
“ If you have had a serious reaction to prior vaccines , you might not be able to receive the vaccine , or at a minimum might need to discuss the reaction with your provider and determine if it ’ s still reasonable to get it , ” Patel said .

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The arrival of coronavirus vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna has offered a much-needed dose of optimism in an otherwise grueling pandemic. But many people have questions after reports of some instances of allergic reactions to the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, which was granted emergency authorization use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration earlier this month.
Some people who were administered the vaccine reportedly experienced anaphylaxis or a less severe allergic reaction, which was not seen in the vaccine trials.
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The FDA is investigating the cases of allergic reactions, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said that anyone who had a severe reaction (which is defined as needing the medication epinephrine or treatment in a hospital) should not get the second dose of the vaccine.
So, does this mean we be super concerned? Here’s everything you need to know right now about the vaccine and any allergic reactions that may come up:
The percentage of people who have actually experienced an allergic reaction to the Pfizer vaccine is low.
The FDA is looking into about five cases of allergic reactions reported in people who received the first dose of Pfizer’s COVID vaccine. The cases occurred in several parts of the country.
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This is concerning, yes. However, when you compare the number of these cases to the total number of people vaccinated so far ― roughly at least 128,000, or even more when you count the people who participated in the trials ― the percentage of people experiencing this issue is pretty small.
“With large numbers of people being vaccinated, reports of allergic reactions are very rare and have been easily treated with resolution,” Daniel Griffin, chief of infectious disease at ProHEALTH Care and national process expert for Optum Vaccine Administration, told HuffPost.
Most people, including those with specific allergies, shouldn’t be too stressed out about the vaccine right now, Griffin said.
“Only people with a severe reaction to a prior vaccination should be concerned, and we recommend they discuss this with a doctor prior to vaccination,” he said. “People with other allergies, such as to food, pollen or even antibiotics, need not worry.”
It’s not clear if Moderna’s vaccine will cause the same issue.
Kavita Patel, HuffPost medical contributor and a practicing internal medicine physician in Washington, D.C., said in a recent HuffPost Q&A that Moderna’s data from the vaccine trials submitted to the FDA showed no severe allergic reactions.
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That said, this isn’t a guarantee that no one will experience a reaction if they get the Moderna vaccine ― which was also just granted emergency authorization use by the FDA ― rather than the Pfizer vaccine. Peter Marks, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said in a recent press conference that a chemical used in both vaccines, called polyethylene glycol, could be what’s causing the reactions, Reuters reported.
Griffin said experts will know more once a greater number of people are vaccinated. As of now, the FDA is advising that the Moderna vaccine should not be given to people with a known history of severe allergic reactions to any components of the immunization.
Most vaccines cause allergic reactions in some people.
Allergic reactions like this aren’t unique to the COVID-19 vaccines. Overall, this news shouldn’t cause extreme vaccine hesitancy or alarm for the general public.
“Most vaccines cause allergic reactions in a few people, so there is nothing new with the COVID vaccines,” Griffin said. “These reactions appear rare, and may be even less common with the COVID vaccines than other vaccines.”
If you’ve experienced an allergic reaction to a vaccine in the past, talk to your doctor before you get a COVID vaccine.
We still have a long way to go before a COVID-19 vaccine is available to most people, so this won’t really even be an issue for quite some time. When it’s your turn to get the shots, talk to your doctor about your specific case, including your known allergies and any history you might have of vaccine reactions.
“If you have had a serious reaction to prior vaccines, you might not be able to receive the vaccine, or at a minimum might need to discuss the reaction with your provider and determine if it’s still reasonable to get it,” Patel said.
Griffin said some patients with a history of vaccine reactions “may be advised to take an antihistamine such as Benadryl 30 minutes prior to vaccination.” Your physician may also monitor you for an additional 30 minutes after you get your dose, to make sure you’re OK.
And remember, there are other ways to protect yourself from COVID-19 in the meantime: Wear a mask, wash your hands and keep your distance from people who aren’t in your household. We’ll likely have to continue these measures for some time anyway, even with an available vaccine.
Experts are still learning about COVID-19. The information in this story is what was known or available as of publication, but guidance can change as scientists discover more about the virus. Please check the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the most up-to-date recommendations.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-21--Newsmax And Pro-Trump Media Walk Back Voting Conspiracies After Legal Threat

In a nearly two-minute statement that is being read on all Newsmax shows , the channel is essentially walking back its own groundless claims that electronic voting system companies Smartmatic and Dominion were involved in some kind of nefarious attempt to steal the election .
“ There are several facts our viewers and readers should be aware , ” host John Tabacco said on Monday , before debunking a long list of conspiratorial claims .
“ Neither Dominion nor Smartmatic has any relationship with George Soros .
Smartmatic is a U.S. company and not owned by the Venezuelan government , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ entity .
Smartmatic states it has no operations in Venezuela , ” he continued .
Newsmax ’ s attempt to “ clarify ” its misinformation , which has the tone of a rote legal statement , was delivered after Smartmatic issued a series of legal threats to far-right media outlets last week demanding retractions and suggesting it could pursue defamation lawsuits .
Thus far , Fox Business , Fox News and Newsmax have aired segments that appear intended to defend themselves against such legal action .
On Friday , top-rated Fox Business host @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election security expert Eddie Perez debunking various claims related to Smartmatic and Dominion .
Fox News host Jeanine Pirro ’ s show aired the same clip on Saturday , featuring Perez stating he has seen no evidence of any election fraud related to Smartmatic .
After the clips aired , Perez told CNN that in preliminary talks with Fox he had no idea that he would be asked about Smartmatic or that his interview would serve as a fact check for the network .
Perez also called Fox News ’ coverage of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The clarifications on Newsmax and Fox are an abrupt turnaround after weeks of promoting conspiracies related to the integrity of the election as far-right media sought to suggest the election was never decided and that Trump could still win .
To preserve this delusion , many outlets grasped for convoluted conspiracy theories to present the falsehood that there was widespread election fraud ― often with the help of Trump advisers as guests .
Rudy Giuliani , Trump ’ s personal lawyer , appeared on multiple Fox shows to air conspiracies about Dominion and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the election , Trump and his allies in far-right media were also priming audiences for their claims of election fraud related to voting machines .
In late October , “ Fox & Friends ” host Brian Kilmeade falsely suggested that viewers should be concerned over “ voting machines that George Soros owns.
” These falsehoods around voting systems especially gained traction among the pro-Trump QAnon conspiracy movement , which latched onto the misinformation as proof of Trump ’ s victory .
Smartmatic had previously condemned Trump and the far-right media ’ s promotion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with chief executive Antonio Mugica claiming that the falsehoods had undermined faith in electronic voting internationally and hurt the company financially .
Last week , Smartmatic ’ s general counsel issued a 20-page letter to Fox News and other outlets demanding that they retract their statements regarding the company .
One outlet that reportedly received a letter from Smartmatic but has not issued a public retraction or clarification yet is One America News Network , a far-right and sycophantically pro-Trump network that has aired similar reports to those on Newsmax and Fox News @ @ @ @ @ @

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Newsmax, a far-right news network that routinely peddles baseless conspiracy theories that favor Donald Trump, over the weekend began airing a lengthy clarification of its coverage about voter fraud in the presidential election.
In a nearly two-minute statement that is being read on all Newsmax shows, the channel is essentially walking back its own groundless claims that electronic voting system companies Smartmatic and Dominion were involved in some kind of nefarious attempt to steal the election.
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“There are several facts our viewers and readers should be aware,” host John Tabacco said on Monday, before debunking a long list of conspiratorial claims.
“Neither Dominion nor Smartmatic has any relationship with George Soros. Smartmatic is a U.S. company and not owned by the Venezuelan government, Hugo Chavez or any foreign official or entity. Smartmatic states it has no operations in Venezuela,” he continued.
Newsmax’s attempt to “clarify” its misinformation, which has the tone of a rote legal statement, was delivered after Smartmatic issued a series of legal threats to far-right media outlets last week demanding retractions and suggesting it could pursue defamation lawsuits. Thus far, Fox Business, Fox News and Newsmax have aired segments that appear intended to defend themselves against such legal action.
On Friday, top-rated Fox Business host Lou Dobbs ran a pretaped segment with election security expert Eddie Perez debunking various claims related to Smartmatic and Dominion. Fox News host Jeanine Pirro’s show aired the same clip on Saturday, featuring Perez stating he has seen no evidence of any election fraud related to Smartmatic.
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After the clips aired, Perez told CNN that in preliminary talks with Fox he had no idea that he would be asked about Smartmatic or that his interview would serve as a fact check for the network. Perez also called Fox News’ coverage of the election “not based in fact.”
The clarifications on Newsmax and Fox are an abrupt turnaround after weeks of promoting conspiracies related to the integrity of the election as far-right media sought to suggest the election was never decided and that Trump could still win. To preserve this delusion, many outlets grasped for convoluted conspiracy theories to present the falsehood that there was widespread election fraud ― often with the help of Trump advisers as guests. Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s personal lawyer, appeared on multiple Fox shows to air conspiracies about Dominion and Smartmatic following the vote.
Even before the election, Trump and his allies in far-right media were also priming audiences for their claims of election fraud related to voting machines. In late October, “Fox & Friends” host Brian Kilmeade falsely suggested that viewers should be concerned over “voting machines that George Soros owns.” These falsehoods around voting systems especially gained traction among the pro-Trump QAnon conspiracy movement, which latched onto the misinformation as proof of Trump’s victory.
Smartmatic had previously condemned Trump and the far-right media’s promotion of conspiracy theories about the company, with chief executive Antonio Mugica claiming that the falsehoods had undermined faith in electronic voting internationally and hurt the company financially. Last week, Smartmatic’s general counsel issued a 20-page letter to Fox News and other outlets demanding that they retract their statements regarding the company.
One outlet that reportedly received a letter from Smartmatic but has not issued a public retraction or clarification yet is One America News Network, a far-right and sycophantically pro-Trump network that has aired similar reports to those on Newsmax and Fox News featuring conspiracies about electronic voting.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-21--Trump Officials Tried To ‘Cripple’ The CDC’s COVID-19 Response, House Panel Says

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — Trump administration political appointees tried to block or change more than a dozen government reports that detailed scientific findings about the spread of the coronavirus , a House panel investigating the alleged interference said Monday .
Rep. James Clyburn , D-S.C. , said his coronavirus subcommittee investigators have found evidence of a “ political pressure campaign ” to “ bully ” professionals at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in what may have been an attempt to “ cripple the nation ’ s coronavirus response in a misguided effort to achieve herd immunity.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — rejected by most public health experts — that society can be best protected by allowing younger people to get infected and develop natural immunity until vaccines are widely available .
In a statement , HHS responded that there was no political interference , adding : “ While the administration is focused on vaccination shots , the subcommittee is focused on cheap shots to create headlines and mislead the American people.
” The committee ’ s topline findings were detailed in a 20-page letter to Azar and Redfield that centered on the actions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at HHS .
New York political operative and Trump loyalist Michael Caputo was installed as the department ’ s top spokesman during a period of high tension between White House officials and Azar .
Caputo brought health researcher Paul Alexander with him as an adviser .
Both men have since left the agency .
But for months , the letter alleges , they waged a campaign to block or change articles on the COVID-19 pandemic in a CDC publication called the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report , or MMWR , which is closely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — Sought to block or change more than a dozen MMWR articles , sometimes succeeding in getting changes to draft language and at other times delaying publication as internal arguments raged .
— Intensely challenged articles that detailed scientific findings on the spread of COVID-19 among children .
This came during a time when President Donald Trump was adamantly urging a return to in-person schooling in the fall .
Those included reports about outbreaks in summer camps , data on hospitalization rates among children , and findings about a dangerous condition called “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ children who get sick from the coronavirus .
― Attacked a draft MMWR article showing a jump in prescriptions for hydroxychloroquine , an anti-malaria drug that Trump embraced early on as a “ game changer ” only to ultimately learn it could do more harm than good .
HHS even went so far as to draft an op-ed rebutting the CDC article , although it was never published .
The op-ed accused the MMWR authors of trying to grab headlines , calling them a “ disgrace to public service.
” While some HHS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s criticism by making changes in wording or headlines of MMWR articles , at least one confronted the pressure tactics .
Bill Hall , a senior career spokesman , wrote to Caputo and Alexander to explain that the CDC ’ s publication was akin to a peer-reviewed scientific journal and that HHS historically had respected its independence .
The HHS public affairs office that Caputo once headed “ is not a science or medical program office , ” wrote Hall .
“ As a matter of longstanding policy , we do not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that arena needs to remain an independent process.
” Clyburn explained he took the step of issuing subpoenas in part because his investigation has turned up evidence suggesting attempts to destroy records .
A congressional demand for materials raises the legal stakes for anyone attempting to destroy or conceal materials .
Dr. Charlotte Kent , CDC ’ s chief of scientific publications , previously told committee investigators she was ordered to delete an email from Alexander attacking an MMWR article on coronavirus transmission among children .
Kent said she believed the order had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to her through another official .
Redfield responded at the time that he had told CDC staffers to ignore Alexander ’ s email , and that he is fully committed to maintaining the independence of the MMWR health reports .

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Trump administration political appointees tried to block or change more than a dozen government reports that detailed scientific findings about the spread of the coronavirus, a House panel investigating the alleged interference said Monday.
Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., said his coronavirus subcommittee investigators have found evidence of a “political pressure campaign” to “bully” professionals at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in what may have been an attempt to “cripple the nation’s coronavirus response in a misguided effort to achieve herd immunity.”
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Herd immunity is shorthand for a theory — rejected by most public health experts — that society can be best protected by allowing younger people to get infected and develop natural immunity until vaccines are widely available.
Accusing Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar and CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield of stonewalling his investigation, Clyburn issued subpoenas to compel them to turn over reams of documents and emails by Dec. 30.
In a statement, HHS responded that there was no political interference, adding: “While the administration is focused on vaccination shots, the subcommittee is focused on cheap shots to create headlines and mislead the American people.”
The committee’s topline findings were detailed in a 20-page letter to Azar and Redfield that centered on the actions of two political appointees earlier this year at HHS. New York political operative and Trump loyalist Michael Caputo was installed as the department’s top spokesman during a period of high tension between White House officials and Azar. Caputo brought health researcher Paul Alexander with him as an adviser. Both men have since left the agency.
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But for months, the letter alleges, they waged a campaign to block or change articles on the COVID-19 pandemic in a CDC publication called the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, or MMWR, which is closely followed by the public health community.
President Donald Trump passes Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, during a briefing about the coronavirus in this April 22 file photo. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File) ASSOCIATED PRESS
With Alexander firing off internal emails, investigators said the campaign:
— Sought to block or change more than a dozen MMWR articles, sometimes succeeding in getting changes to draft language and at other times delaying publication as internal arguments raged.
— Intensely challenged articles that detailed scientific findings on the spread of COVID-19 among children. This came during a time when President Donald Trump was adamantly urging a return to in-person schooling in the fall. Those included reports about outbreaks in summer camps, data on hospitalization rates among children, and findings about a dangerous condition called “multi-inflammatory syndrome,” which afflicts some children who get sick from the coronavirus.
― Attacked a draft MMWR article showing a jump in prescriptions for hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malaria drug that Trump embraced early on as a “game changer” only to ultimately learn it could do more harm than good. HHS even went so far as to draft an op-ed rebutting the CDC article, although it was never published. The op-ed accused the MMWR authors of trying to grab headlines, calling them a “disgrace to public service.”
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While some HHS career officials apparently tried to defuse Alexander’s criticism by making changes in wording or headlines of MMWR articles, at least one confronted the pressure tactics.
Bill Hall, a senior career spokesman, wrote to Caputo and Alexander to explain that the CDC’s publication was akin to a peer-reviewed scientific journal and that HHS historically had respected its independence. The HHS public affairs office that Caputo once headed “is not a science or medical program office,” wrote Hall. “As a matter of longstanding policy, we do not engage in clearing scientific articles, as that arena needs to remain an independent process.”
The HHS statement said Alexander’s emails “absolutely did not shape department policy or strategy.”
Clyburn explained he took the step of issuing subpoenas in part because his investigation has turned up evidence suggesting attempts to destroy records. A congressional demand for materials raises the legal stakes for anyone attempting to destroy or conceal materials.
Dr. Charlotte Kent, CDC’s chief of scientific publications, previously told committee investigators she was ordered to delete an email from Alexander attacking an MMWR article on coronavirus transmission among children. Kent said she believed the order had come from Redfield. It was transmitted to her through another official.
Redfield responded at the time that he had told CDC staffers to ignore Alexander’s email, and that he is fully committed to maintaining the independence of the MMWR health reports.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-21--Charlie Kirk's Attempt To Own Twitter Libs Ends In Humiliating Math Lesson

Big media and coastal elites want you to believe that just one single company , Apple , has a market @ @ @ @ @ firms in the Russell index .
True patriots however know that it 's impossible for @ @ @ @ @ stuff than other things !
https : //t.co/f9r64xiHur

Big media and coastal elites want you to believe that just one single company, Apple, has a market capitalization greater than all 2,000 firms in the Russell index. True patriots however know that it's impossible for some things to contain more stuff than other things! https://t.co/f9r64xiHur


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-21--Pat Robertson Tells Trump: 'You've Had Your Day And It's Time To Move On'

Pat Robertson has a unexpected message for President Donald Trump : He should forget about overturning the election .
On “ The 700 Club ” Monday , the evangelical leader and former Republican presidential candidate discussed Trump ’ s slim and unrealistic chances of nullifying President-elect Joe Biden ’ s win and suggested the president face reality .
Robertson praised Trump ’ s ability to raise money and draw crowds but also said the president “ lives in an alternate reality , ” adding , “ He doesn ’ t lie ― to him , that ’ s the truth.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ very erratic , ” which makes dealing with him “ a mixed bag ” before suggesting the president ’ s day is done .
“ I think it will be well to say , ’ You ’ ve had your day and it ’ s time to move on , ’ ” he said .
While Robertson conceded Biden was going to be the next president , he didn ’ t sound confident that the president-elect would be in office long : “ I also think we ’ ll be seeing a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the inauguration of President Biden.
” Televangelist Pat Robertson declares that Biden will be president and that Trump `` lives in an alternate reality , '' `` is very erratic , '' and should not run again in 2024 : `` You 've had your day and it 's time to move on . ''
pic.twitter.com/2WYCZOSNTO — Right Wing Watch ( @ RightWingWatch ) December 21 , 2020 The fact that a top evangelical leader actually suggested Trump should move on didn ’ t go unnoticed on Twitter .
OMG- it finally happened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but Pat Robertson & I are in COMPLETE AGREEMENT .
In other news : # HellFreezesOver ( film at 11 ) https : //t.co/2qusJS6EzW pic.twitter.com/HwVEpKOHoS — Mark Hamill ( @ HamillHimself ) December 21 , 2020 Did ... did Scarlet Witch zap us all into some kind of House of M alternate reality where the worst people become sane and reasonable ?
https : //t.co/IvOH3m8Ws2 — Alisha Grauso 🎄 ( @ AlishaGrauso ) December 21 , 2020 I really want to see a debate between Robertson and The My Pillow Guy about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — Charlie Sykes ( @ SykesCharlie ) December 21 , 2020

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Pat Robertson has a unexpected message for President Donald Trump: He should forget about overturning the election.
On “The 700 Club” Monday, the evangelical leader and former Republican presidential candidate discussed Trump’s slim and unrealistic chances of nullifying President-elect Joe Biden’s win and suggested the president face reality.
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Robertson praised Trump’s ability to raise money and draw crowds but also said the president “lives in an alternate reality,” adding, “He doesn’t lie ― to him, that’s the truth.”
Robertson then conceded that Trump is “very erratic,” which makes dealing with him “a mixed bag” before suggesting the president’s day is done.
“I think it will be well to say, ’You’ve had your day and it’s time to move on,’” he said.
While Robertson conceded Biden was going to be the next president, he didn’t sound confident that the president-elect would be in office long: “I also think we’ll be seeing a President Kamala Harris not too long after the inauguration of President Biden.”
You can watch Robertson’s complete comments here:
Televangelist Pat Robertson declares that Biden will be president and that Trump "lives in an alternate reality," "is very erratic," and should not run again in 2024: "You've had your day and it's time to move on." pic.twitter.com/2WYCZOSNTO — Right Wing Watch (@RightWingWatch) December 21, 2020
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The fact that a top evangelical leader actually suggested Trump should move on didn’t go unnoticed on Twitter.
OMG- it finally happened! I never dreamed it was possible, but Pat Robertson & I are in COMPLETE AGREEMENT. In other news: #HellFreezesOver (film at 11) https://t.co/2qusJS6EzW pic.twitter.com/HwVEpKOHoS — Mark Hamill (@HamillHimself) December 21, 2020
This was not on my 2020 bingo card. https://t.co/u6qtuixVdK — Steve's OKC Central (@stevelackmeyer) December 21, 2020
Pat Robertson just proved that evolution exists, even in people who don't believe in evolution. https://t.co/5vtiFHKz6R — John Fugelsang (@JohnFugelsang) December 21, 2020
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When you've lost the guy who thought 9/11 was God's punishment for sexual liberalism..... https://t.co/yvtaClAw8x — Jeet Heer (@HeerJeet) December 21, 2020
Did...did Scarlet Witch zap us all into some kind of House of M alternate reality where the worst people become sane and reasonable? https://t.co/IvOH3m8Ws2 — Alisha Grauso 🎄 (@AlishaGrauso) December 21, 2020