thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-16--Virginia Enacts First-Of-Its-Kind Regulation To Protect Workers From Coronavirus

Virginia leaders approved a new set of rules Wednesday that employers throughout the state must follow to protect workers during the pandemic ― a step Democratic Gov .
Ralph Northam said he was taking because the federal government has done so little to keep workplaces safe from the coronavirus .
The Virginia regulation requires that employers follow social-distancing guidelines and provide masks to workers who deal with customers .
In workplaces where it isn ’ t possible to spread out , employers will have to provide hand sanitizer or access to sinks , and regularly clean work surfaces .
Employers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a coworker has tested positive for COVID-19 .
Anyone believed to have the virus must stay off the job for at least 10 days , or until they ’ ve tested negative two times .
And workplaces in higher-risk fields must develop infectious-disease response plans if they haven ’ t already .
Many of the requirements sound like the commonsense recommendations coming from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the Occupational Safety and Health Administration , but with one major difference : Employers are legally bound to follow them , subject @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advocates have been calling on OSHA , which is part of the Department of Labor , to enact emergency regulations to protect workers during the pandemic .
So far it has refused to put any new rules on the books , and appears reluctant to wield the powers it already has .
A Labor Department spokesperson confirmed to HuffPost on Wednesday that so far it has issued only one safety citation against an employer related to coronavirus .
The new regulations recognize that the coronavirus poses a unique threat to workers that existing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Since the pandemic began , workers around the country have complained about a lack of personal protective equipment , lax social distancing on worksites , and poor communication from employers about new infections among colleagues .
Debbie Berkowitz , a former OSHA official now with the National Employment Law Project , said that a dozen other states have also adopted workplace safety protections specific to the coronavirus , mostly through executive orders by governors .
What sets Virginia apart is how comprehensive the rules are , and how occupational safety inspectors will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all industries .
“ On the whole , it will offer Virginia workers an enormous amount of protection , ” said Berkowitz , whose group pushed for the regulations .
“ What ’ s important is a worker can file a complaint and [ an inspector ] will go out and have a standard that employers have to meet , rather than just vague guidelines.
” Federal OSHA oversees workplace safety in the private sector in most states .
But Virginia is one of 21 states , along with Puerto Rico , that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overseen by state officials .
Only those states would be able to develop the sort of broad , legally enforceable workplace rules that Virginia has , Berkowitz said .
The new Virginia rules will be in effect for at least six months , but can be made permanent through state law .
They rank different worksites by the risk level workers face ― from low to very high ― with the requirements varying accordingly .
Health care facilities would be considered high or very high risk , while poultry plants and retail stores @ @ @ @ @ @ @ safety advocates in Virginia first appealed to state leaders back in March , raising the alarm about poultry processing plants where workers toiled shoulder-to-shoulder and had trouble getting tested for COVID-19 .
Poultry and meatpacking plants soon saw some of the worst coronavirus outbreaks in the country .
In May , Northam ordered the state ’ s health board and labor department to develop the pandemic-specific rules for employers .
The Virginia-based Legal Aid Justice Center , which works on civil rights and immigration issues , helped petition the state , holding car @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , an attorney with the group , said immigrant workers in poultry plants and on farms were crucial to the effort .
“ Workers courageously came to the forefront and said , ‘ Look , OSHA is not protecting us , the state has to step in , ’ ” said Yarashes .
“ Virginia has historically been very much lagging in terms of worker protections .
… Virginia being on the forefront here , we ’ re really commending them .
”

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Virginia leaders approved a new set of rules Wednesday that employers throughout the state must follow to protect workers during the pandemic ― a step Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam said he was taking because the federal government has done so little to keep workplaces safe from the coronavirus.
The Virginia regulation requires that employers follow social-distancing guidelines and provide masks to workers who deal with customers. In workplaces where it isn’t possible to spread out, employers will have to provide hand sanitizer or access to sinks, and regularly clean work surfaces.
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Employers must notify workers within 24 hours when a coworker has tested positive for COVID-19. Anyone believed to have the virus must stay off the job for at least 10 days, or until they’ve tested negative two times. And workplaces in higher-risk fields must develop infectious-disease response plans if they haven’t already.
Many of the requirements sound like the commonsense recommendations coming from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, but with one major difference: Employers are legally bound to follow them, subject to inspections and fines.
Workplace safety advocates have been calling on OSHA, which is part of the Department of Labor, to enact emergency regulations to protect workers during the pandemic. So far it has refused to put any new rules on the books, and appears reluctant to wield the powers it already has. A Labor Department spokesperson confirmed to HuffPost on Wednesday that so far it has issued only one safety citation against an employer related to coronavirus.
Northam said in a statement that the Virginia rules were being implemented “in the face of federal inaction.”
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“Workers should not have to sacrifice their health and safety to earn a living, especially during an ongoing global pandemic,” he said.
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam directed state officials to develop the new, enforceable workplace rules. Zach Gibson via Getty Images
The new regulations recognize that the coronavirus poses a unique threat to workers that existing laws don’t adequately address. Since the pandemic began, workers around the country have complained about a lack of personal protective equipment, lax social distancing on worksites, and poor communication from employers about new infections among colleagues.
Debbie Berkowitz, a former OSHA official now with the National Employment Law Project, said that a dozen other states have also adopted workplace safety protections specific to the coronavirus, mostly through executive orders by governors. What sets Virginia apart is how comprehensive the rules are, and how occupational safety inspectors will be able to follow up on complaints in all industries.
“On the whole, it will offer Virginia workers an enormous amount of protection,” said Berkowitz, whose group pushed for the regulations. “What’s important is a worker can file a complaint and [an inspector] will go out and have a standard that employers have to meet, rather than just vague guidelines.”
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Federal OSHA oversees workplace safety in the private sector in most states. But Virginia is one of 21 states, along with Puerto Rico, that have their own OSHA-approved safety plans, overseen by state officials. Only those states would be able to develop the sort of broad, legally enforceable workplace rules that Virginia has, Berkowitz said.
The new Virginia rules will be in effect for at least six months, but can be made permanent through state law. They rank different worksites by the risk level workers face ― from low to very high ― with the requirements varying accordingly. Health care facilities would be considered high or very high risk, while poultry plants and retail stores would be considered medium risk.
Workplace safety advocates in Virginia first appealed to state leaders back in March, raising the alarm about poultry processing plants where workers toiled shoulder-to-shoulder and had trouble getting tested for COVID-19. Poultry and meatpacking plants soon saw some of the worst coronavirus outbreaks in the country. In May, Northam ordered the state’s health board and labor department to develop the pandemic-specific rules for employers.
The Virginia-based Legal Aid Justice Center, which works on civil rights and immigration issues, helped petition the state, holding car rallies to build support. Jason Yarashes, an attorney with the group, said immigrant workers in poultry plants and on farms were crucial to the effort.
“Workers courageously came to the forefront and said, ‘Look, OSHA is not protecting us, the state has to step in,’” said Yarashes. “Virginia has historically been very much lagging in terms of worker protections. … Virginia being on the forefront here, we’re really commending them.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-16--Chuck Woolery Changes Stance On COVID-19 'Lies' After Son Tests Positive

Chuck Woolery had a change of heart this week about COVID-19 after his own son tested positive for the coronavirus .
On Sunday , the former game show host claimed all the news about the coronavirus were “ lies ” simply meant to keep the economy from recovering before November .
The tweet was retweeted more than 36,000 times , including one time by President Donald Trump .
CBS reporter Catherine Herridge asked the president why he would promote something that suggested his own medical officials were lying .
“ I didn ’ t make a comment , ” Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I reposted a tweet that a lot of people feel .
But all I am doing is making a comment .
I ’ m just putting somebody ’ s voice out there .
There are many voices .
There are many people that think we shouldn ’ t do this kind of testing , because all we do , it ’ s a trap.
” By Monday afternoon , Woolery reversed his opinion about the threat of the virus after his own son tested positive for the disease .
Woolery has since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provided any medical updates on his son , according to Snopes .

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Chuck Woolery had a change of heart this week about COVID-19 after his own son tested positive for the coronavirus.
On Sunday, the former game show host claimed all the news about the coronavirus were “lies” simply meant to keep the economy from recovering before November.
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Twitter
The tweet was retweeted more than 36,000 times, including one time by President Donald Trump.
CBS reporter Catherine Herridge asked the president why he would promote something that suggested his own medical officials were lying.
“I didn’t make a comment,” Trump responded, according to The Hill. “I reposted a tweet that a lot of people feel. But all I am doing is making a comment. I’m just putting somebody’s voice out there. There are many voices. There are many people that think we shouldn’t do this kind of testing, because all we do, it’s a trap.”
By Monday afternoon, Woolery reversed his opinion about the threat of the virus after his own son tested positive for the disease.
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Twitter
Woolery has since deleted his Twitter account and has not provided any medical updates on his son, according to Snopes.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-16--Supreme Court Leaves In Place Voting Restrictions On Former Felons In Florida

WASHINGTON ( Reuters ) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday dealt a setback to convicted felons in Florida who hope to cast votes in the Nov. 3 presidential election , leaving in place a lower court ’ s order that placed their voting rights in limbo .
The justices declined to set aside an order by the Atlanta-based 11th U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals that effectively halted the voter registration of former felons in Florida who can not afford to pay fines or fees mandated by state law .
Liberal Justices Sonia Sotomayor , Ruth Bader Ginsburg and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The case involves a constitutional challenge by a group of low-income Floridians who had been convicted of felonies to a state law requiring such felons to pay any court costs , fines , fees and restitution to victims before their right to vote could be restored .
“ This court ’ s order prevents thousands of otherwise eligible voters from participating in Florida ’ s primary election simply because they are poor , ” Sotomayor wrote in dissent , adding that the court ’ s decision “ continues a trend of condoning disfranchisement.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Add your voice !
Join HuffPost Today !

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) — The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday rebuffed a bid by voting rights advocates to block a Republican-backed Florida law mandating that people with past felony convictions pay court fines and fees before being able to register to vote.
The conservative-majority high court left in place a July 1 decision by the Atlanta-based 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to put on hold a judge’s earlier ruling declaring the law an “unconstitutional pay-to-vote system” imposed on citizens who genuinely cannot pay — or even know if anything is owed.
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U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle’s ruling had cleared the way for potentially hundreds of thousands of Floridians to register to vote in the key election battleground state ahead of the Nov. 3 election in which President Donald Trump is seeking a second term in office.
Liberal Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Elena Kagan dissented from Thursday’s decision. Sotomayor wrote in dissent that the Supreme Court’s action prevents thousands of otherwise eligible voters from casting ballots “simply because they are poor,” adding that the decision “continues a trend of condoning disfranchisement.”
The law was signed last year by Republican Governor Ron DeSantis, a Trump ally. Voting rights advocates and Democrats have accused Republicans in a number of states of passing laws aimed at suppressing the voting ability of groups who tend to support Democratic candidates.
The 11th Circuit decision effectively halted the voter registration of former felons who cannot afford to pay the fines and fees as required under the law to have their voting rights restored.
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A group of Floridians and voting rights organizations sued DeSantis, arguing the law amounted to an illegal poll tax in violation of the U.S. Constitution’s guarantee of equal protection under the law.
Opponents argued the law goes against the wishes of Florida voters who approved an amendment to the state’s constitution in 2018 to grant voting rights to felons who served their time and were not convicted of murder or sex crimes.
The 11th Circuit put a temporary hold on Hinkle’s decision while it considered an appeal by DeSantis. That action put the rights of these former felons in limbo for months, well past deadlines to register to vote in the presidential election.
Florida Democratic Party Chair Terrie Rizzo said in a statement after the Supreme Court’s action, “Florida Republicans have a shamefully transparent electoral strategy: voter suppression.”
(Reporting by Jan Wolfe; Additional reporting by Andrew Chung; Editing by Will Dunham)


thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-16--Mary Trump Burns Cousin Ivanka: 'She Doesn't Do Anything'

Although Ivanka Trump has claimed she wants to be a moderating force on her dad , President Donald Trump , her cousin Mary Trump isn ’ t impressed with the first daughter ’ s job performance .
“ She doesn ’ t do anything .
She spouts bromides on social media , but either she tries to have an impact and fails , or just isn ’ t interested in having an impact , ” Mary Trump told the Washington Post .
“ I can ’ t think of one thing she ’ s done to show that she ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mary Trump said instead that Ivanka and her husband , Jared Kushner ― both of whom have White House posts as senior advisers to the president ― are his “ enablers.
” She gave the same label to his various chiefs of staffs and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ( R-Ky. ) , who she said is “ perfectly willing to put up with all sorts of egregious behavior [ from the president ] to get his own agenda through.
” Mary Trump has been giving media interview to tout ner new book @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , How My Family Created The World ’ s Most Dangerous Man , ” exposes Trump family secrets depicts the president in an extremely unfavorable light .
Still , she doesn ’ t think it will have much of an effect on her uncle or his hard-core supporters .
“ I ’ d seen enough in the last few years to know that no one thing is going to make a bit of difference , ” she said .
“ This is going to be — using the expression loosely — death by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ maybe in this case it ’ s going to take a million lashes , so it ’ s more about adding to the record of egregious things that have happened and for which there has been no accountability .
”

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“She doesn’t do anything. She spouts bromides on social media, but either she tries to have an impact and fails, or just isn’t interested in having an impact,” Mary Trump told the Washington Post. “I can’t think of one thing she’s done to show that she’s moderate or a moderating influence.”
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Mary Trump said instead that Ivanka and her husband, Jared Kushner ― both of whom have White House posts as senior advisers to the president ― are his “enablers.”
She gave the same label to his various chiefs of staffs and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who she said is “perfectly willing to put up with all sorts of egregious behavior [from the president] to get his own agenda through.”
Mary Trump has been giving media interview to tout ner new book, “Too Much and Never Enough, How My Family Created The World’s Most Dangerous Man,” exposes Trump family secrets depicts the president in an extremely unfavorable light. Still, she doesn’t think it will have much of an effect on her uncle or his hard-core supporters.
“I’d seen enough in the last few years to know that no one thing is going to make a bit of difference,” she said. “This is going to be — using the expression loosely — death by a thousand lashes, right, and maybe in this case it’s going to take a million lashes, so it’s more about adding to the record of egregious things that have happened and for which there has been no accountability.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-16--Florida Governor Sued For Not Having Sign Language Interpreter At COVID-19 Briefings

Florida Gov .
Ron DeSantis ( R ) is violating federal law by not having an American Sign Language interpreter present during his coronavirus news briefings , alleges a lawsuit filed this week on behalf of four deaf and hard of hearing Floridians .
The lawsuit , filed Monday by Disability Rights Florida and the National Association of the Deaf , calls for a federal judge to order DeSantis to immediately begin providing simultaneous ASL interpretation during TV broadcasts of his news briefings .
DeSantis ’ failure to do so defies the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people who are deaf or hard of hearing access to critical information about the pandemic , according to the lawsuit .
“ Disability Rights Florida has contacted the governor ’ s office multiple times on behalf of the over 800,000 residents who are deaf or hard of hearing requesting he use an ASL interpreter , but have received no response from him or his administration , ” Ann Siegel , DRF ’ s director of advocacy , education and outreach and lead attorney on the case , said in a statement .
Florida @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus hotspots in the country in recent weeks .
There have been more than 300,000 confirmed cases and at least 4,500 coronavirus-linked deaths , reported The New York Times .
Three of the four plaintiffs work for organizations that serve people with disabilities and must communicate information about COVID-19 to people who are deaf , blind or have other disabilities , according to a press release issued by DRF .
Federal law requires television broadcasts to include closed captioning , but Siegel said this lawsuit highlights why closed captions are not an adequate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Closed captions are often produced in real-time by automated speech generation systems that repeatedly misspell words , omit words , scroll too fast to read and comprehend , and are ineffective for ASL-fluent viewers whose first language is either ASL or a foreign language , ” she said in her statement .
A federal judge ruled in May that New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo ( D ) must provide “ in-frame ASL interpretation ” during his TV briefings following a lawsuit filed by several deaf New Yorkers and the group Disability Rights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Americans identify as deaf , and about 17 million report having “ serious difficulty hearing , ” according to a 2014 Census survey of Americans with disabilities .

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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) is violating federal law by not having an American Sign Language interpreter present during his coronavirus news briefings, alleges a lawsuit filed this week on behalf of four deaf and hard of hearing Floridians.
The lawsuit, filed Monday by Disability Rights Florida and the National Association of the Deaf, calls for a federal judge to order DeSantis to immediately begin providing simultaneous ASL interpretation during TV broadcasts of his news briefings.
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DeSantis’ failure to do so defies the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and denies people who are deaf or hard of hearing access to critical information about the pandemic, according to the lawsuit.
“Disability Rights Florida has contacted the governor’s office multiple times on behalf of the over 800,000 residents who are deaf or hard of hearing requesting he use an ASL interpreter, but have received no response from him or his administration,” Ann Siegel, DRF’s director of advocacy, education and outreach and lead attorney on the case, said in a statement.
Florida has quickly become one of the major coronavirus hotspots in the country in recent weeks. There have been more than 300,000 confirmed cases and at least 4,500 coronavirus-linked deaths, reported The New York Times.
Three of the four plaintiffs work for organizations that serve people with disabilities and must communicate information about COVID-19 to people who are deaf, blind or have other disabilities, according to a press release issued by DRF.
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Federal law requires television broadcasts to include closed captioning, but Siegel said this lawsuit highlights why closed captions are not an adequate substitute for simultaneous ASL interpretation.
“Closed captions are often produced in real-time by automated speech generation systems that repeatedly misspell words, omit words, scroll too fast to read and comprehend, and are ineffective for ASL-fluent viewers whose first language is either ASL or a foreign language,” she said in her statement.
DeSantis’ office did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment.
A federal judge ruled in May that New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) must provide “in-frame ASL interpretation” during his TV briefings following a lawsuit filed by several deaf New Yorkers and the group Disability Rights New York.
More than 3.4 million Americans identify as deaf, and about 17 million report having “serious difficulty hearing,” according to a 2014 Census survey of Americans with disabilities.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-16--The Twitter Hack Has Dangerous Implications For The 2020 Election

The Twitter accounts of some of the world ’ s most powerful companies , politicians and billionaires began posting bizarre messages on Wednesday afternoon , promising that if followers sent $ 1,000 in bitcoin to an anonymous cryptocurrency address , they would get back double the amount .
It was almost immediately clear that these accounts had been hacked , but the messages still led to chaos .
As more prominent accounts tweeted the scam ― including Democratic presumptive nominee Joe Biden , Apple and Bill Gates ― Twitter partially shut down its services and is now investigating what led @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Although the motivation behind the hack appeared to be amassing Bitcoin , it has intensified concerns among cybersecurity experts and disinformation researchers about how social media manipulation could be used during the U.S. presidential election .
If hackers can dupe at least some people to send cash into the void , what would happen if they instead posted authentic-looking tweets about purported direct messages , voting sites and contested elections ?
The hack has the potential to create a wide range of disinformation , including falsified documents claiming to be from compromised @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that a similar breach happens again in the future .
If Twitter isn ’ t secure , nefarious actors could hack accounts people use for information — like news outlets or official government agencies — and instead sow confusion and spread falsehoods about the voting process itself , experts said .
“ The biggest concern for me isn ’ t necessarily that an account like [ President Donald ] Trump ’ s would be hacked , it ’ s if people could gain access to really legitimate , non-partisan sources of information and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” said Nina Jankowicz , a disinformation fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and author of “ How To Lose The Information War.
” Although Trump being hacked would have obvious national security implications , his fake tweets would be immediately scrutinized and could be debunked rather quickly .
A widespread hack of state election officials or local government accounts , however , could create chaos in the reporting of election results that would cast doubt on the outcomes and lead to delays .
Bad actors could also use a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , targeting key districts on election day with disinformation about polling locations , required documentation or closing times .
False information about COVID-19 outbreaks at polling stations could create panic and deter voters .
There is also already an epidemic of online misinformation regarding mail-in voting , with far-right activists promoting a conspiracy that Democrats will use the process to commit voter fraud .
A hack that promoted false political narratives could further divisions and undercut the voting process .
“ If this happened late October or the first few days of November @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mail-in ballots , disinformation actors could easily manipulate trust in the system and disenfranchise millions of voters , ” said Diara J. Townes , an investigative researcher at First Draft , an organization that monitors online misinformation .
Even if Twitter and other platforms manage to deter any attempted cyber attacks or coordinated disinformation campaigns around the election , Wednesday ’ s hack alone could have insidious and destabilizing effects on the campaigns .
The hack compromised the accounts of numerous powerful and highly politicized figures , and researchers worry that there may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be leaked documents or messages from the hack .
“ The uncertainty around who did this , how it happened and what the objectives of it potentially were could lead to significant disinformation campaigns , ” said Chloe Colliver , head of the digital research unit at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue think tank .
A more likely scenario than the president ’ s Twitter account being taken over may be Trump himself retweeting false information about Biden , or anti-vaccine activists spreading conspiracies about Gates , that claim to be leaked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been talk on the online message board 4chan from various disinformation actors discussing the hack , according to Colliver .
Twitter , which has faced continuous scrutiny over misinformation and election influence campaigns , issued a statement saying that it was working to determine what information that hackers may have been able to obtain from affected accounts and any other malicious activity they might have carried out while they had access .
The company stated that they believe the hack was a “ coordinated social engineering attack ” which targeted some of its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tools .
The platform has vowed to fix any lapses in its security ahead of the election .
Transparency around the hack and what was accessed is important to stopping disinformation from emanating , but Twitter itself is also a highly politicized company that right-wing politicians and far-right activists have dubiously claimed has an anti-conservative bias .
The lapse in security already has the potential to make users second-guess the information they may receive even from trusted accounts , while opening the door for partisan conspiracies and attacks .

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The Twitter accounts of some of the world’s most powerful companies, politicians and billionaires began posting bizarre messages on Wednesday afternoon, promising that if followers sent $1,000 in bitcoin to an anonymous cryptocurrency address, they would get back double the amount.
It was almost immediately clear that these accounts had been hacked, but the messages still led to chaos. As more prominent accounts tweeted the scam ― including Democratic presumptive nominee Joe Biden, Apple and Bill Gates ― Twitter partially shut down its services and is now investigating what led to its biggest security breach in years.
Advertisement
Although the motivation behind the hack appeared to be amassing Bitcoin, it has intensified concerns among cybersecurity experts and disinformation researchers about how social media manipulation could be used during the U.S. presidential election. If hackers can dupe at least some people to send cash into the void, what would happen if they instead posted authentic-looking tweets about purported direct messages, voting sites and contested elections?
The hack has the potential to create a wide range of disinformation, including falsified documents claiming to be from compromised accounts. There is also the possibility that a similar breach happens again in the future. If Twitter isn’t secure, nefarious actors could hack accounts people use for information — like news outlets or official government agencies — and instead sow confusion and spread falsehoods about the voting process itself, experts said.
“The biggest concern for me isn’t necessarily that an account like [President Donald] Trump’s would be hacked, it’s if people could gain access to really legitimate, non-partisan sources of information and post misleading information on those accounts,” said Nina Jankowicz, a disinformation fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and author of “How To Lose The Information War.”
Although Trump being hacked would have obvious national security implications, his fake tweets would be immediately scrutinized and could be debunked rather quickly. A widespread hack of state election officials or local government accounts, however, could create chaos in the reporting of election results that would cast doubt on the outcomes and lead to delays.
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Bad actors could also use a hack to suppress voting, researchers say, targeting key districts on election day with disinformation about polling locations, required documentation or closing times. False information about COVID-19 outbreaks at polling stations could create panic and deter voters. There is also already an epidemic of online misinformation regarding mail-in voting, with far-right activists promoting a conspiracy that Democrats will use the process to commit voter fraud. A hack that promoted false political narratives could further divisions and undercut the voting process.
“If this happened late October or the first few days of November, and instead of Bitcoin it was mail-in ballots, disinformation actors could easily manipulate trust in the system and disenfranchise millions of voters,” said Diara J. Townes, an investigative researcher at First Draft, an organization that monitors online misinformation.
“It would be a question of how many people still believe voting by mail is safe, rather than how much bitcoin did the scammers get.”
A screenshot of one of the tweets sent by hackers on Wednesday. HuffPost has put a strike over the image to make clear that it is inauthentic. Twitter
A Gift For Bad Actors And Conspiracists
Even if Twitter and other platforms manage to deter any attempted cyber attacks or coordinated disinformation campaigns around the election, Wednesday’s hack alone could have insidious and destabilizing effects on the campaigns. The hack compromised the accounts of numerous powerful and highly politicized figures, and researchers worry that there may be a wave of disinformation that purports to be leaked documents or messages from the hack.
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“The uncertainty around who did this, how it happened and what the objectives of it potentially were could lead to significant disinformation campaigns,” said Chloe Colliver, head of the digital research unit at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue think tank.
“It opens the door to a number of malicious actors spreading disinformation about supposedly leaked data, direct messages and different elements of material that it will be difficult for people to know whether it’s real or false,” Colliver continued.
A more likely scenario than the president’s Twitter account being taken over may be Trump himself retweeting false information about Biden, or anti-vaccine activists spreading conspiracies about Gates, that claim to be leaked from the hack. There has already been talk on the online message board 4chan from various disinformation actors discussing the hack, according to Colliver.
Twitter, which has faced continuous scrutiny over misinformation and election influence campaigns, issued a statement saying that it was working to determine what information that hackers may have been able to obtain from affected accounts and any other malicious activity they might have carried out while they had access. The company stated that they believe the hack was a “coordinated social engineering attack” which targeted some of its employees who had special access to internal tools. The platform has vowed to fix any lapses in its security ahead of the election.
Transparency around the hack and what was accessed is important to stopping disinformation from emanating, but Twitter itself is also a highly politicized company that right-wing politicians and far-right activists have dubiously claimed has an anti-conservative bias. The lapse in security already has the potential to make users second-guess the information they may receive even from trusted accounts, while opening the door for partisan conspiracies and attacks.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-16--GOP Official Mocked For Voter Fraud Tweet In Response To Elizabeth Warren's Dog Joke

It ’ s been a challenging week for the director of the GOP ’ s rapid response team : He keeps tweeting things that make Democrats look good .
But Guest ’ s attempt to tar the former vice president backfired when people pointed out that the image showed Biden behaving like a loving father― something few people have seen President Donald Trump do .
On Thursday , Guest tried to find another Democratic politician he could “ own ” and set his sights on Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren , who recently joked to a Biden strategist that her dog @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in November .
Where most people might see a light-hearted comment , Guest apparently saw a potential bounty of red meat he could feed Republicans : “ Elizabeth Warren endorses voter fraud , says her dog will be voting Democrat , ” he tweeted , adding that “ Voter fraud is not a joking matter.
” Elizabeth Warren endorses voter fraud , says her dog will be voting Democrat .
`` Bailey is definitely going to vote in November and he 's voting Democrat all the way .
Bailey for Biden . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
pic.twitter.com/QNqhXgfpUK — Steve Guest ( @ SteveGuest ) July 16 , 2020 But based on the Twitter reactions , it looks like Guest , not Warren , is the one getting dogged by criticism .
From the guy who brought you the devastating message of `` Joe Biden is a loving father who raised his children on his own after his wife died , '' we get `` Elizabeth Warren makes jokes about her dog , who was beloved on the campaign trail . ''
https : //t.co/tiubX0uDgm — Jacob Rubashkin ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I thought the strategy was to trigger the libs , not to act like you 're triggered every time the libs take a breath .
https : //t.co/ZqxDOrTCcB — Amanda Marcotte ( @ AmandaMarcotte ) July 16 , 2020 The @ GOP rapid response director comes out against equal rights for Canine-Americans .
@ realDonaldTrump is the first president in a century to not own a dog .
Draw your own conclusions , folks .
https : //t.co/mivtSGPB2O — Andrew Feinberg ( @ AndrewFeinberg ) July 16 , 2020 right , jokes are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your administration to slow down Covid testing to make the numbers look better https : //t.co/Zgh62eKOsE — Sam Adams ( @ SamuelAAdams ) July 16 , 2020 Given that two of Guest ’ s attack tweets went horribly wrong this week , some people wondered if there might be something else at play .
Given this and his `` cute photo of Biden with his sons '' debacle of a tweet , it seems possible that Steve Guest is actually a Democratic plant designed to make Republicans look compassionless and humorless .
https @ @ @ @ @ @ @ JamesSurowiecki ) July 16 , 2020

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It’s been a challenging week for the director of the GOP’s rapid response team: He keeps tweeting things that make Democrats look good.
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But Guest’s attempt to tar the former vice president backfired when people pointed out that the image showed Biden behaving like a loving father― something few people have seen President Donald Trump do.
On Thursday, Guest tried to find another Democratic politician he could “own” and set his sights on Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who recently joked to a Biden strategist that her dog Bailey will be “voting Democrat” in November.
Where most people might see a light-hearted comment, Guest apparently saw a potential bounty of red meat he could feed Republicans:
“Elizabeth Warren endorses voter fraud, says her dog will be voting Democrat,” he tweeted, adding that “Voter fraud is not a joking matter.”
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Elizabeth Warren endorses voter fraud, says her dog will be voting Democrat.
"Bailey is definitely going to vote in November and he's voting Democrat all the way. Bailey for Biden."
Voter fraud is not a joking matter. pic.twitter.com/QNqhXgfpUK — Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) July 16, 2020
But based on the Twitter reactions, it looks like Guest, not Warren, is the one getting dogged by criticism.
From the guy who brought you the devastating message of "Joe Biden is a loving father who raised his children on his own after his wife died," we get "Elizabeth Warren makes jokes about her dog, who was beloved on the campaign trail." https://t.co/tiubX0uDgm — Jacob Rubashkin (@JacobRubashkin) July 16, 2020
I thought the strategy was to trigger the libs, not to act like you're triggered every time the libs take a breath. https://t.co/ZqxDOrTCcB — Amanda Marcotte (@AmandaMarcotte) July 16, 2020
GOP rapid response guy reminding us that Trump hates dogs and dog-owners https://t.co/hedAFsWqAB — David Frum (@davidfrum) July 16, 2020
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The @GOP rapid response director comes out against equal rights for Canine-Americans. @realDonaldTrump is the first president in a century to not own a dog.
Draw your own conclusions, folks. https://t.co/mivtSGPB2O — Andrew Feinberg (@AndrewFeinberg) July 16, 2020
right, jokes are when you say you told officials in your administration to slow down Covid testing to make the numbers look better https://t.co/Zgh62eKOsE — Sam Adams (@SamuelAAdams) July 16, 2020
Given that two of Guest’s attack tweets went horribly wrong this week, some people wondered if there might be something else at play.
Given this and his "cute photo of Biden with his sons" debacle of a tweet, it seems possible that Steve Guest is actually a Democratic plant designed to make Republicans look compassionless and humorless. https://t.co/IHBPoh2ndP — James Surowiecki (@JamesSurowiecki) July 16, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-16--Mary Trump Says ‘Virulently Racist' President Used Racial, Anti-Semitic Slurs

Maddow : “ I have to press you on it a little bit if just to ask if the president @ @ @ @ @ was an exception to that in your family or if you ever heard him express @ @ @ @ @ , or the N-word or other racist slurs or other sentiments like that , did @ @ @ @ @ , too ?
” Mary Trump : “ Oh , yeah , yeah , of @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t think that should surprise anybody given how virulently racist he is today.
@ @ @ @ @ you heard the president use the N-word ?
”

Maddow: “I have to press you on it a little bit if just to ask if the president, if your uncle, was an exception to that in your family or if you ever heard him express, either use anti-Semitic slurs, or the N-word or other racist slurs or other sentiments like that, did you hear it from him, too?”
Mary Trump: “Oh, yeah, yeah, of course I did. I don’t think that should surprise anybody given how virulently racist he is today.”
Maddow: “Have you heard the president use the N-word?”
Mary Trump: “Yeah.”
Maddow: “And anti-Semitic slurs specifically?”
Mary Trump: “Yes.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-16--Progressives Push Biden To Include New Israel-Palestine Language In Democratic Platform

In a new statement , advocates say the Democratic platform should use the word “ occupation ” for the first time in reference to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict .
Campaigners argue that approach would be in keeping with Democrats ’ commitment to social justice , growing sensitivity to Palestinians ’ concerns and increasing skepticism of hardline Israeli policies encouraged by President Donald Trump .
“ Condemning the Israeli occupation by name should be the bare minimum for any leader of the Democratic Party , ” the coalition wrote .
“ We urge the [ Democratic National Committee ] Platform Committee to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ situation on the ground — a necessary precursor to taking meaningful action that can hold the Israeli government accountable for ongoing violations of human rights and international law.
” The message comes after the Democratic National Committee ’ s platform drafting committee voted to advance the language for the platform on Wednesday .
It has not yet been made public .
But a draft platform viewed by HuffPost does not mention “ occupation.
” A report in Jewish Insider also suggested the term was not used .
“ For years , those opposed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Palestinians have controlled the terms of the debate , ” the Thursday statement continues , saying Democrats must show solidarity with the Palestinians just as they challenge racism in the U.S. Nearly 200 Democratic delegates from across the county will approve the platform in a vote on July 27 .
Progressives hope to win a tweak through an amendment or negotiations before that final decision , likely with support from delegates pledged to Sen. Bernie Sanders ( I-Vt. ) , who made reforming U.S. policy in the Middle East a top issue during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ During Wednesday ’ s meeting of the drafting panel , Sanders adviser Josh Orton hinted that he plans an amendment to be considered by the party ’ s full platform committee .
J Street , an influential Jewish group that promotes a two-state solution for Israelis and Palestinians , also promised to continue pushing for a reference to the occupation of land that would be integral to a future Palestinian state , saying it was “ very concerned ” about the draft language in a statement on Wednesday .
Earlier this year , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on national security and more than 200 Jewish leaders signed a petition from the organization that asked Democrats to be more explicit about their views on Israel-Palestine in the 2020 platform .
( One of the former officials , Avril Haines , is now a key adviser to Biden . )
Promoting an even-handed approach would create a contrast with Trump , who has taken unprecedented actions to favor Israel without asking it to make any concessions to the Palestinians .
Those decisions , such as reversing decades of American policy on Israeli @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the contested city of Jerusalem as Israel ’ s capital , have damaged hopes that the U.S. can cut a deal between the two sides .
And Trump ’ s support has encouraged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to announce plans to annex parts of the West Bank , a dramatic unilateral move that would make future talks much harder .
But he does not appear to believe criticism of the occupation belongs in the Democratic platform .
The Biden campaign did not respond to HuffPost ’ s requests for comment .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Trump could exploit ( as he has tried to do over Israel by saying Democrats are abandoning the country ) or angering important backers ― and in his own decades of working on foreign policy , has attempted to ensure he does not appear overly critical of Israel , frequently noting Palestinians ’ missteps .
Still , his aides have broadly accepted a need to update Democrats ’ message on Israel-Palestine.The platform language approved Wednesday includes the platform ’ s strongest-ever reference to Palestinian rights and first condemnation of Israel ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well as opposition to Netanyahu ’ s annexation plan .
More conservative factions in the Democratic coalition , including other advocacy outfits and powerful pro-Israel donors , have warned the former vice president and his advisers against the term and going into detail on the contentious issue in the platform , however .
“ Vague slogans are not a policy , ” Rachel Rosen of Democratic Majority for Israel , a group that opposed Sanders in the primary and has defended supporters of conventional U.S. policy on Israel against criticism from the left @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Israelis and Palestinians have legitimate claims and they must negotiate a solution .
Our platform can ’ t draw the boundaries .
”

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Progressive activists are making a last-ditch effort to convince the Democratic Party and its presumptive presidential nominee Joe Biden to denounce Israel’s occupation of the West Bank, disputed territory where the U.S. ally administers military law over millions of Palestinians.
In a new statement, advocates say the Democratic platform should use the word “occupation” for the first time in reference to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Campaigners argue that approach would be in keeping with Democrats’ commitment to social justice, growing sensitivity to Palestinians’ concerns and increasing skepticism of hardline Israeli policies encouraged by President Donald Trump.
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Win Without War, IfNotNow, Justice Democrats, Demand Progress and eight other organizations signed a joint message exclusively shared with HuffPost on Thursday.
“Condemning the Israeli occupation by name should be the bare minimum for any leader of the Democratic Party,” the coalition wrote. “We urge the [Democratic National Committee] Platform Committee to have the courage to correctly name the situation on the ground — a necessary precursor to taking meaningful action that can hold the Israeli government accountable for ongoing violations of human rights and international law.”
The message comes after the Democratic National Committee’s platform drafting committee voted to advance the language for the platform on Wednesday. It has not yet been made public. But a draft platform viewed by HuffPost does not mention “occupation.” A report in Jewish Insider also suggested the term was not used.
Liberals working on Israel-Palestine policy say acknowledging the occupation is crucial to highlighting the restrictive conditions under which most Palestinians live and recognizing that Washington’s traditional approach of overwhelming support for Israel will not produce a just peace.
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“For years, those opposed to self-determination and basic human rights for Palestinians have controlled the terms of the debate,” the Thursday statement continues, saying Democrats must show solidarity with the Palestinians just as they challenge racism in the U.S.
Nearly 200 Democratic delegates from across the county will approve the platform in a vote on July 27. Progressives hope to win a tweak through an amendment or negotiations before that final decision, likely with support from delegates pledged to Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who made reforming U.S. policy in the Middle East a top issue during his run for the Democratic nomination. During Wednesday’s meeting of the drafting panel, Sanders adviser Josh Orton hinted that he plans an amendment to be considered by the party’s full platform committee.
The draft platform will be presented to that committee in the coming weeks and the final language will be approved by delegates during the voting period in August, a DNC spokesperson told HuffPost via email.
J Street, an influential Jewish group that promotes a two-state solution for Israelis and Palestinians, also promised to continue pushing for a reference to the occupation of land that would be integral to a future Palestinian state, saying it was “very concerned” about the draft language in a statement on Wednesday. Earlier this year, more than 30 former U.S. officials working on national security and more than 200 Jewish leaders signed a petition from the organization that asked Democrats to be more explicit about their views on Israel-Palestine in the 2020 platform. (One of the former officials, Avril Haines, is now a key adviser to Biden.)
Promoting an even-handed approach would create a contrast with Trump, who has taken unprecedented actions to favor Israel without asking it to make any concessions to the Palestinians. Those decisions, such as reversing decades of American policy on Israeli settlements in the West Bank and recognizing the contested city of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, have damaged hopes that the U.S. can cut a deal between the two sides. And Trump’s support has encouraged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to announce plans to annex parts of the West Bank, a dramatic unilateral move that would make future talks much harder.
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Biden called the occupation “a real problem, a significant problem” on the campaign trail last year. Diplomats from the U.S. and other countries and nonpartisan analysts regularly use the word, as did former President Barack Obama.
But he does not appear to believe criticism of the occupation belongs in the Democratic platform. The Biden campaign did not respond to HuffPost’s requests for comment.
The former vice president is wary of controversies that Trump could exploit (as he has tried to do over Israel by saying Democrats are abandoning the country) or angering important backers ― and in his own decades of working on foreign policy, has attempted to ensure he does not appear overly critical of Israel, frequently noting Palestinians’ missteps.
Still, his aides have broadly accepted a need to update Democrats’ message on Israel-Palestine.The platform language approved Wednesday includes the platform’s strongest-ever reference to Palestinian rights and first condemnation of Israel’s settlements in the West Bank, as well as opposition to Netanyahu’s annexation plan.
More conservative factions in the Democratic coalition, including other advocacy outfits and powerful pro-Israel donors, have warned the former vice president and his advisers against the term and going into detail on the contentious issue in the platform, however.
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“Vague slogans are not a policy,” Rachel Rosen of Democratic Majority for Israel, a group that opposed Sanders in the primary and has defended supporters of conventional U.S. policy on Israel against criticism from the left, told HuffPost in an email. “Israelis and Palestinians have legitimate claims and they must negotiate a solution. Our platform can’t draw the boundaries.”
Some opponents of Israel, including terror groups, consider even the country’s territory outside the West Bank occupied, she wrote. “For them, ‘ending the occupation’ means destroying Israel. Democrats oppose the destruction of Israel.”
With Democrats often reiterating support for Israel, including in the draft platform, left-leaning activists say it’s important to show the party upholds universal standards and acknowledges the hurdles to Israeli-Palestinian peace.
“The reported strides the platform makes towards progressive domestic and foreign policy more broadly are heartening. To leave out the fundamental reality that Palestinians face, however, is out of touch,” the Thursday statement continued.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-16--Trump Will Keep Tweeting Despite Massive Twitter Hack, White House Says

President Donald Trump will remain on Twitter , White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said Thursday , a day after a massive hacking attack hit the platform , compromising the accounts of several prominent figures and companies .
Former President Barack Obama and former Vice President Joe Biden , the presumptive Democratic nominee for president , were among the targets of the hack .
The accounts of Tesla ’ s Elon Musk , Microsoft ’ s Bill Gates and Amazon ’ s Jeff Bezos were also affected ; as were the accounts of Kanye West , Michael Bloomberg , Warren @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The accounts posted messages asking followers to send money in bitcoin to anonymous cryptocurrency addresses .
The messages promised senders that their money would be doubled and returned .
Twitter later said the hack appeared to have been a “ coordinated social engineering attack by people who successfully targeted some of our employees with access to internal systems and tools.
” The FBI said on Thursday that it was investigating the attack .
The large-scale hack has heightened concerns among cybersecurity experts about how easily social media platforms like Twitter can be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ purposes during elections , including the presidential vote in November .
The @ Twitter hack should scare every American who wants to see a free and fair election in November .
— Michael McFaul ( @ McFaul ) July 16 , 2020 The spread of disinformation in the lead up to the 2020 election puts our democracy at risk .
After yesterday ’ s hack , @ Twitter and other social media companies must step up their games , secure their platforms , and remove all false and inauthentic content .
https : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ maziehirono ) July 16 , 2020 The recent twitter hack only reemphasizes how vulnerable our cyber security is .
Reminder : this election cycle digital accounts will almost certainly be used to spread misinformation and jeopardize our democracy .
Stay vigilant .
— Antonio Arellano Sánchez ( @ AntonioArellano ) July 16 , 2020 Despite these concerns , the White House said Trump ― whose account did not appear to have been compromised in Wednesday ’ s attack ― would continue to use Twitter .
McEnany told reporters that Dan Scavino , director @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , had been in “ constant contact ” with Twitter as the attack was unfolding to ensure that Trump ’ s account wasn ’ t affected .

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President Donald Trump will remain on Twitter, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said Thursday, a day after a massive hacking attack hit the platform, compromising the accounts of several prominent figures and companies.
Former President Barack Obama and former Vice President Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee for president, were among the targets of the hack. The accounts of Tesla’s Elon Musk, Microsoft’s Bill Gates and Amazon’s Jeff Bezos were also affected; as were the accounts of Kanye West, Michael Bloomberg, Warren Buffett, Apple, Uber and others.
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The accounts posted messages asking followers to send money in bitcoin to anonymous cryptocurrency addresses. The messages promised senders that their money would be doubled and returned.
Twitter later said the hack appeared to have been a “coordinated social engineering attack by people who successfully targeted some of our employees with access to internal systems and tools.”
The FBI said on Thursday that it was investigating the attack.
The large-scale hack has heightened concerns among cybersecurity experts about how easily social media platforms like Twitter can be manipulated ― and potentially used for nefarious purposes during elections, including the presidential vote in November.
The @Twitter hack should scare every American who wants to see a free and fair election in November. — Michael McFaul (@McFaul) July 16, 2020
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The spread of disinformation in the lead up to the 2020 election puts our democracy at risk.
After yesterday’s hack, @Twitter and other social media companies must step up their games, secure their platforms, and remove all false and inauthentic content. https://t.co/G7QfTvRf92 — Senator Mazie Hirono (@maziehirono) July 16, 2020
The recent twitter hack only reemphasizes how vulnerable our cyber security is.
Reminder: this election cycle digital accounts will almost certainly be used to spread misinformation and jeopardize our democracy. Stay vigilant. — Antonio Arellano Sánchez (@AntonioArellano) July 16, 2020
Despite these concerns, the White House said Trump ― whose account did not appear to have been compromised in Wednesday’s attack ― would continue to use Twitter.
McEnany told reporters that Dan Scavino, director of social media at the White House, had been in “constant contact” with Twitter as the attack was unfolding to ensure that Trump’s account wasn’t affected.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-16--The Anti-Racism Protests Haven't Stopped

It ’ s been 50 days since people took to the streets after the police killing of George Floyd — and the nationwide protests haven ’ t let up since .
After demonstrators in Minneapolis called out the unjust killing of Floyd , a Black man , at the hands of a white police officer , protests quickly spread to cities and towns across the country and even the world .
And now , over seven weeks later , while the unrest has quieted in some places , people continue to show up day after day in the name of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Louisville , Kentucky , for instance , residents have marched daily for weeks to demand justice for Breonna Taylor , a Black woman shot dead by police in her home in March .
While one of the officers involved was fired — over three months after her killing and after weeks of protest — none of the three have been charged .
In Portland , Oregon , people have been protesting nonstop for nearly two months , with police — including federal law enforcement sent in two weeks ago by President Donald Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ demonstrators .
And demonstrations against racism and police violence are planned into the days to come in San Francisco , Philadelphia and beyond .
“ Many of us recognize this moment as one to push even harder for transformation , ” Kailee Scales , managing director of Black Lives Matter Global Network , told HuffPost ’ s Alanna Vagianos in late June of the then month-long , nonstop protests .
“ We know there are many new people finally listening to what we have been saying all along and now , it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transformed.
” A unity march has stepped off from Cadman Plaza , led by a diverse group of faith leaders , along with law enforcement and citizens .
Their message is to come together to stop the violence in the city , and listen to one another @ CBSNewYork pic.twitter.com/BJJusEMcsN — Natalie Duddridge ( @ NatDuddridgeTV ) July 15 , 2020 This crowd is at least 100 strong with lots of protesters banging on pots and pans with wooden spoons to make plenty of noise .
A convoy of cars is following behind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and over again .
pic.twitter.com/b3r7z8ai8f — EdEdd & Eddy ( @ edace2936 ) July 16 , 2020

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It’s been 50 days since people took to the streets after the police killing of George Floyd — and the nationwide protests haven’t let up since.
After demonstrators in Minneapolis called out the unjust killing of Floyd, a Black man, at the hands of a white police officer, protests quickly spread to cities and towns across the country and even the world. And now, over seven weeks later, while the unrest has quieted in some places, people continue to show up day after day in the name of anti-racism and ending police brutality.
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In Louisville, Kentucky, for instance, residents have marched daily for weeks to demand justice for Breonna Taylor, a Black woman shot dead by police in her home in March. While one of the officers involved was fired — over three months after her killing and after weeks of protest — none of the three have been charged.
In Portland, Oregon, people have been protesting nonstop for nearly two months, with police — including federal law enforcement sent in two weeks ago by President Donald Trump — at times cracking down violently on demonstrators.
And demonstrations against racism and police violence are planned into the days to come in San Francisco, Philadelphia and beyond.
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“Many of us recognize this moment as one to push even harder for transformation,” Kailee Scales, managing director of Black Lives Matter Global Network, told HuffPost’s Alanna Vagianos in late June of the then month-long, nonstop protests. “We know there are many new people finally listening to what we have been saying all along and now, it’s time for solutions until we are transformed.”
A unity march has stepped off from Cadman Plaza, led by a diverse group of faith leaders, along with law enforcement and citizens. Their message is to come together to stop the violence in the city, and listen to one another @CBSNewYork pic.twitter.com/BJJusEMcsN — Natalie Duddridge (@NatDuddridgeTV) July 15, 2020
Hundreds protest in support of Priscilla Slater, who died in June while in police custody in the Detroit suburb of Harper Woods https://t.co/m35LUbRde7 — Niraj Warikoo (@nwarikoo) July 16, 2020
This crowd is at least 100 strong with lots of protesters banging on pots and pans with wooden spoons to make plenty of noise. A convoy of cars is following behind the march, honking their horns over and over again. pic.twitter.com/b3r7z8ai8f — EdEdd&Eddy (@edace2936) July 16, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-16--Closest Ever Images Of The Sun Reveal Corona 'Campfires'

NASA and the European Space Agency released the closest ever images of the sun , revealing a glimpse at “ campfires ” exploding on the surface of the solar system ’ s star .
The images were taken by the Solar Orbiter , a spacecraft operated by NASA and ESA that successfully launched in February from Cape Canaveral , Florida , despite less-than-ideal work-from-home conditions and a skeleton crew necessitated by COVID-19 .
The craft ’ s mission is “ studying the sun up close , taking high-resolution images of the sun ’ s poles for the first time and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the ESA website .
Holly Gilbert , a scientist at NASA ’ s Goddard Space Flight Center , called the pictures “ unprecedented ” visuals that will “ help scientists piece together the sun ’ s atmospheric layers ” and develop a stronger understanding of space weather , according to a news release Thursday .
# SolarOrbiter has made its first close pass by the Sun , studying our star and space with a comprehensive suite of instruments — and the data is already revealing previously unseen details .
This is # @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NASA Sun & Space ( @ NASASun ) July 16 , 2020 Particularly notable in the images were several small explosions on the sun ’ s surface .
David Berghmans , an astrophysicist who worked on the Solar Orbiter project at the Royal Observatory of Belgium in Brussels , described them as “ campfires.
” Scientists speculate that they are nanoflares , mini-explosions on the surface that are thought to play a role in heating the sun ’ s outer atmosphere , or corona , to much higher temperatures than the surface itself @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speculated to be nanoflares , or mini-explosions along the sun 's surface .
A close examination of the photographs also revealed so-called zodiacal light , or light from the sun that is reflected off interplanetary space dust .
This light could only be captured by the orbiter ’ s solar and heliospheric imager , an instrument that reduced “ the sun ’ s light to one trillionth of its original brightness ” to make the zodiacal light visible , NASA reported .
Zodiacal light ( on the right , moving towards the center @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Solar Orbiter 's solar and heliospheric imager .
Mercury is the bright dot on the left .
The Solar Orbiter captured the images from within 48 million miles of the sun .
It is designed to travel as close to the sun as 26 million miles , which is within the orbit of Mercury .
The craft is expected to continue delivering highly detailed images for the next seven years .

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NASA and the European Space Agency released the closest ever images of the sun, revealing a glimpse at “campfires” exploding on the surface of the solar system’s star.
The images were taken by the Solar Orbiter, a spacecraft operated by NASA and ESA that successfully launched in February from Cape Canaveral, Florida, despite less-than-ideal work-from-home conditions and a skeleton crew necessitated by COVID-19.
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The craft’s mission is “studying the sun up close, taking high-resolution images of the sun’s poles for the first time and understanding the sun-Earth connection,” according to the ESA website.
Holly Gilbert, a scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, called the pictures “unprecedented” visuals that will “help scientists piece together the sun’s atmospheric layers” and develop a stronger understanding of space weather, according to a news release Thursday.
#SolarOrbiter has made its first close pass by the Sun, studying our star and space with a comprehensive suite of instruments — and the data is already revealing previously unseen details. This is #TheSunUpClose. https://t.co/rVMjz45DoY pic.twitter.com/YLKBXRNQZb — NASA Sun & Space (@NASASun) July 16, 2020
Particularly notable in the images were several small explosions on the sun’s surface. David Berghmans, an astrophysicist who worked on the Solar Orbiter project at the Royal Observatory of Belgium in Brussels, described them as “campfires.”
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Scientists speculate that they are nanoflares, mini-explosions on the surface that are thought to play a role in heating the sun’s outer atmosphere, or corona, to much higher temperatures than the surface itself.
The so-called "campfires" are speculated to be nanoflares, or mini-explosions along the sun's surface. Solar Orbiter/EUI Team (ESA & NASA)
A close examination of the photographs also revealed so-called zodiacal light, or light from the sun that is reflected off interplanetary space dust.
This light could only be captured by the orbiter’s solar and heliospheric imager, an instrument that reduced “the sun’s light to one trillionth of its original brightness” to make the zodiacal light visible, NASA reported.
Zodiacal light (on the right, moving towards the center of the image) as captured by the Solar Orbiter's solar and heliospheric imager. Mercury is the bright dot on the left. Solar Orbiter/SoloHI team (ESA & NASA)
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-16--15 Female Employees Allege Repeated Sex Harassment By Top NFL Team Staff: Report

Fifteen women who worked for the Washington , D.C. , NFL team have accused former top staff members of sexual harassment and verbal abuse over a 13-year period , The Washington Post reported Thursday .
After the Post questioned the football club about the allegations , three top front-office employees of owner Daniel Snyder ’ s crew left the team , according to the Post .
They included Larry Michael , the club ’ s longtime play-by-play radio announcer , and the NFL team ’ s director of pro personnel , Alex Santos .
Michael , who resigned Wednesday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ colleagues in sexual and demeaning terms , and was heard doing so about an intern over a microphone that he hadn ’ t realized was live , according to the Post .
Santos was accused of sexual harassment by employees and reporters , including Rhiannon Walker , a reporter for The Athletic .
She reported to club management that Santos had pinched her , commented on her “ ass ” and repeatedly asked out on dates , Walker told the Post .
A former marketing coordinator for the club from 2014 to 2015 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ miserable experience of my life.
” Beyond sexual , demeaning comments and unwanted overtures , female sales employees complained they were repeatedly pressured to wear revealing clothing to close sales deals , according to the Post .
Dennis Greene , the former president of business operations , told female sales staff to wear low-cut blouses and tight skirts and to flirt with stadium suite holders , employees told the newspaper .
Greene was forced out in 2018 over a scandal that he had sold access to team cheerleaders as part of premium suite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ declined to comment .
All but one of the women in the Post exposé requested anonymity because they feared litigation over nondisclosure agreements they had signed as a condition of their work with the team .
Team management refused to release them from those agreements when asked to do so by the Post , the newspaper reported .
Snyder , who has owned the team since 1999 , refused repeated requests for an interview to respond to the allegations , the Post reported .
But the team said in a statement that it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conduct a thorough independent review of this entire matter and help the team set new employee standards for the future , ” the paper reported .
The team “ takes issues of employee conduct seriously .
… While we do not speak to specific employee situations publicly , when new allegations of conduct are brought forward that are contrary to these policies , we address them promptly , ” the statement added .

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Fifteen women who worked for the Washington, D.C., NFL team have accused former top staff members of sexual harassment and verbal abuse over a 13-year period, The Washington Post reported Thursday.
After the Post questioned the football club about the allegations, three top front-office employees of owner Daniel Snyder’s crew left the team, according to the Post. They included Larry Michael, the club’s longtime play-by-play radio announcer, and the NFL team’s director of pro personnel, Alex Santos.
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Michael, who resigned Wednesday, was accused of frequently commenting on female colleagues in sexual and demeaning terms, and was heard doing so about an intern over a microphone that he hadn’t realized was live, according to the Post.
Santos was accused of sexual harassment by employees and reporters, including Rhiannon Walker, a reporter for The Athletic. She reported to club management that Santos had pinched her, commented on her “ass” and repeatedly asked out on dates, Walker told the Post.
Exclusive: Fifteen women who worked for Redskins allege sexual harassment by former scouts and members of owner Daniel Snyder’s inner circle https://t.co/MwMTOFupF9 — The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) July 16, 2020
A former marketing coordinator for the club from 2014 to 2015 called her time there the “most miserable experience of my life.”
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Beyond sexual, demeaning comments and unwanted overtures, female sales employees complained they were repeatedly pressured to wear revealing clothing to close sales deals, according to the Post.
Dennis Greene, the former president of business operations, told female sales staff to wear low-cut blouses and tight skirts and to flirt with stadium suite holders, employees told the newspaper. Greene was forced out in 2018 over a scandal that he had sold access to team cheerleaders as part of premium suite packages, the Post reported. Greene declined to comment.
All but one of the women in the Post exposé requested anonymity because they feared litigation over nondisclosure agreements they had signed as a condition of their work with the team. Team management refused to release them from those agreements when asked to do so by the Post, the newspaper reported.
Snyder, who has owned the team since 1999, refused repeated requests for an interview to respond to the allegations, the Post reported.
But the team said in a statement that it had hired a law firm “to conduct a thorough independent review of this entire matter and help the team set new employee standards for the future,” the paper reported.
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The team “takes issues of employee conduct seriously. … While we do not speak to specific employee situations publicly, when new allegations of conduct are brought forward that are contrary to these policies, we address them promptly,” the statement added.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-17--How The Coronavirus Has Affected What We Buy At The Grocery Store

Take the grocery store .
Doorstep delivery and online shopping , already popular before COVID-19 , have become part and parcel of a business model that once relied almost exclusively on brick-and-mortar stores .
Moreover , the pandemic appears to have affected not just where and how we buy food , but what we ’ re actually eating .
Two simultaneous trends in our consuming habits are becoming clear .
Many Americans are buying products they believe will boost their immune systems , in the hopes of fending off disease .
At the same time , rising levels of anxiety @ @ @ @ @ @ @ solace in the things they eat , resulting in an uptick in sales of comfort food .
This raises the question : Will the coronavirus change the roster of products that we ’ re used to seeing at the supermarket ?
“ The strong trends [ we noticed pre-pandemic ] are actually staying , but for different reasons , ” said Frances Zelazny , chief marketing officer of advanced analytics platform Signals Analytics .
“ Before COVID , [ vegan products ] were on the rise and the driver for that trend was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lifestyle and fitness , animal welfare and sustainability.
” But as the coronavirus swept the world , consumption of these products became more and more about people trying to fortify their immune systems .
“ Anything that can be associated with immunity is gaining strength and momentum , even if it ’ s more expensive , ” Zelazny said .
Mary Torrecilla , owner of Whoopsie Daisy , an upscale convenience store in Mokelumne Hill , California , has noticed a renewed devotion to health among her shoppers .
“ People are definitely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than they used to , ” she said .
Now carrying nature bars and other dried goods in addition to the candy and confections she already sold , Torrecilla said she ’ s had to radically change her “ normal buying routine ” since the virus hit , to cater to rising demands for healthier fare .
Some once-unfashionable categories of food have also gained popularity , if in very specific ways .
The frozen food aisle , usually considered a less desirable option , has become a focus of grocery shopping in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been panic-buying frozen foods because they last longer and won ’ t necessitate weekly shopping trips .
The frozen vegetable aisle in particular has undergone a sort of resurgence : Being able to buy and store healthy foods , including greens , suddenly seems like a luxury .
Janine Williams , the owner of Platte Street Mercantile , a grab-and-go convenience store in Denver , has shifted her business model in response to changing shopping habits .
“ We stopped carrying single-service lunch-type items and pivoted to grocery items ” at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , noting that frozen goods , eggs and bakery items have been big hits with her customers .
Meat substitutes have also been enjoying a renaissance of sorts .
Tempe and seitan , for example , are becoming increasingly popular , according to data gathered by Zelazny ’ s team .
Beef ― for which demand was already waning , due to research that associates it with high levels of cholesterol and obesity ― has been selling less since March .
There ’ s a flip side , however .
As people around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and general uncertainty , many are seeking out comfort foods , which have seen a steady increase in sales in recent months .
According to a Bloomberg report , March brought a 48 % increase in popcorn sales , a 47 % increase in pretzel sales and a 30 % increase in sales of potato chips .
Although healthier foods have been gaining traction at Torrecilla ’ s store in California , she ’ s also noticed an increased interest in candy , the ultimate comfort food .
“ A lot of people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which they used to wait for Christmas or the holidays to buy , ” she said .
“ They are not spending money elsewhere , so it ’ s kind of a little vacation for them.
” The pandemic isn ’ t the first major event to shape American eating habits , of course .
In the past , recessions , the movement of women from the home to the workplace and even changes in commuting trends have all affected the way we eat .
“ Pizza [ sales ] went through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through the roof now , ” said Zelazny , citing the food ’ s relatively low price and the wide availability of home delivery as causes for the uptick in both cases .
If the past is any indication , the marketplace seems ripe for new types of products .
When discussing the future , Zelazny uses the health and beauty industry as an example .
“ We ’ re all using hand sanitizer and moisturizers like crazy , and there is no product that does both things at once , ” she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you create a new category.
” That logic can be applied to the food and beverage arena .
As people focus on immunity and vitamin C , it seems like tea is the only drink that is able to satisfy all current demands .
According to Zelazny , though , that could change : “ I have no doubt that there will be a new beverage category that is not tea but is made to fulfill immunity [ requests ] .
” The nature of weekday lunches could also shift .
Most people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or indulging in grab-and-go meals around town ― but what happens when you ’ re staying home full-time and cooking every meal ?
One possibility , according to Zelazny , is that companies could start offering prepared salads that can be stored in the fridge for easy assembly throughout the week .

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As the major effects of the coronavirus pandemic make themselves apparent ― the ubiquity of masks and hand sanitizer, restaurants serving at half capacity ― other, more subtle changes are still just coming into focus.
Take the grocery store. Doorstep delivery and online shopping, already popular before COVID-19, have become part and parcel of a business model that once relied almost exclusively on brick-and-mortar stores. Moreover, the pandemic appears to have affected not just where and how we buy food, but what we’re actually eating.
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Two simultaneous trends in our consuming habits are becoming clear. Many Americans are buying products they believe will boost their immune systems, in the hopes of fending off disease. At the same time, rising levels of anxiety and stress have pushed some to seek solace in the things they eat, resulting in an uptick in sales of comfort food. This raises the question: Will the coronavirus change the roster of products that we’re used to seeing at the supermarket?
“Anything that can be associated with immunity is gaining strength and momentum, even if it’s more expensive.” - Frances Zelazny, chief marketing officer, Signals Analytics
“The strong trends [we noticed pre-pandemic] are actually staying, but for different reasons,” said Frances Zelazny, chief marketing officer of advanced analytics platform Signals Analytics. “Before COVID, [vegan products] were on the rise and the driver for that trend was a split between well-being, concerns about lifestyle and fitness, animal welfare and sustainability.”
But as the coronavirus swept the world, consumption of these products became more and more about people trying to fortify their immune systems. “Anything that can be associated with immunity is gaining strength and momentum, even if it’s more expensive,” Zelazny said.
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Mary Torrecilla, owner of Whoopsie Daisy, an upscale convenience store in Mokelumne Hill, California, has noticed a renewed devotion to health among her shoppers. “People are definitely lingering over the health food section longer than they used to,” she said. Now carrying nature bars and other dried goods in addition to the candy and confections she already sold, Torrecilla said she’s had to radically change her “normal buying routine” since the virus hit, to cater to rising demands for healthier fare.
Some once-unfashionable categories of food have also gained popularity, if in very specific ways. The frozen food aisle, usually considered a less desirable option, has become a focus of grocery shopping in pandemic times. Generally speaking, people have been panic-buying frozen foods because they last longer and won’t necessitate weekly shopping trips. The frozen vegetable aisle in particular has undergone a sort of resurgence: Being able to buy and store healthy foods, including greens, suddenly seems like a luxury.
adisa via Getty Images Grocery stores have been stocking up on frozen vegetables as demand surges during the pandemic.
Janine Williams, the owner of Platte Street Mercantile, a grab-and-go convenience store in Denver, has shifted her business model in response to changing shopping habits. “We stopped carrying single-service lunch-type items and pivoted to grocery items” at the beginning of the pandemic, she said, noting that frozen goods, eggs and bakery items have been big hits with her customers.
Meat substitutes have also been enjoying a renaissance of sorts. Tempe and seitan, for example, are becoming increasingly popular, according to data gathered by Zelazny’s team. Beef ― for which demand was already waning, due to research that associates it with high levels of cholesterol and obesity ― has been selling less since March.
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Beverages are experiencing a similar effect. “[Drinks] that have to do with boosting immunity, that have vitamin C, that boast claims around ‘all-natural’ or reducing allergy effects, are on the rise,” Zelazny said.
There’s a flip side, however. As people around the world struggle with unemployment, isolation and general uncertainty, many are seeking out comfort foods, which have seen a steady increase in sales in recent months. According to a Bloomberg report, March brought a 48% increase in popcorn sales, a 47% increase in pretzel sales and a 30% increase in sales of potato chips.
“There’s a lot of uncertainty and in those kinds of times, people tend to retreat to what’s known to them and what’s comforting to them,” Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Jennifer Bartashus told the New York Post. “People are retreating back into comfort habits.”
According to IRI, a Chicago-based market research firm, sales of fresh and packaged bakery items jumped 37% in mid-March as compared to the same time last year.
agrobacter via Getty Images Sales of pizza are high right now, thanks to its relatively low price and the wide availability of home delivery.
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Although healthier foods have been gaining traction at Torrecilla’s store in California, she’s also noticed an increased interest in candy, the ultimate comfort food. “A lot of people are indulging in the more expensive candy, which they used to wait for Christmas or the holidays to buy,” she said. “They are not spending money elsewhere, so it’s kind of a little vacation for them.”
The pandemic isn’t the first major event to shape American eating habits, of course. In the past, recessions, the movement of women from the home to the workplace and even changes in commuting trends have all affected the way we eat.
“Pizza [sales] went through the roof in 2008 and are going through the roof now,” said Zelazny, citing the food’s relatively low price and the wide availability of home delivery as causes for the uptick in both cases.
If the past is any indication, the marketplace seems ripe for new types of products. When discussing the future, Zelazny uses the health and beauty industry as an example. “We’re all using hand sanitizer and moisturizers like crazy, and there is no product that does both things at once,” she said. “That’s how you create a new category.”
That logic can be applied to the food and beverage arena. As people focus on immunity and vitamin C, it seems like tea is the only drink that is able to satisfy all current demands. According to Zelazny, though, that could change: “I have no doubt that there will be a new beverage category that is not tea but is made to fulfill immunity [requests].”
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The nature of weekday lunches could also shift. Most people are used to taking leftovers to work or indulging in grab-and-go meals around town ― but what happens when you’re staying home full-time and cooking every meal? One possibility, according to Zelazny, is that companies could start offering prepared salads that can be stored in the fridge for easy assembly throughout the week.