thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-07--Once Again, Georgia Certifies Election Results Confirming Biden's Win

ATLANTA ( AP ) — Georgia ’ s top elections official on Monday recertified the state ’ s election results after a recount requested by President Donald Trump confirmed once again that Democrat Joe Biden won the state , and the governor then recertified the state ’ s 16 presidential electors .
“ We have now counted legally cast ballots three times , and the results remain unchanged , ” Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said during a news conference at the state Capitol before the results were recertified .
Georgia law allows a losing candidate to request a recount @ @ @ @ @ @ @ within 0.5 % .
Trump requested the recount after the results certified by Raffensperger showed that Biden led by a margin of 12,670 votes , or 0.25 % of the roughly 5 million ballots cast .
During the recount , which was done using scanners that read and tally the votes , there were discrepancies in vote totals in some counties .
Since the results of a recount become the official results , those counties had to recertify their results .
Once that was done the secretary of state recertified the statewide results @ @ @ @ @ @ @ release .
Kemp then recertified the state ’ s slate of 16 presidential electors — all prominent Democrats — as required by state law , spokesman Cody Hall said .
The recertification of results comes before the federal “ safe harbor ” deadline on Tuesday — electors named by that date in accordance with state law can not be disregarded by Congress .
The recount was the third tally of votes in the presidential race in the state .
After the initial count following Election Day , Raffensperger selected the presidential race for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The tight margin meant the audit required the roughly 5 million votes in that contest to be recounted by hand , he said .
That count also affirmed Biden ’ s victory .
The total number of votes in the recount results certified Monday and posted on the secretary of state ’ s website was 766 fewer than the number certified when the ballots were first tallied after the election .
Biden ’ s lead dropped from 12,670 to 11,779 .
That appears to be largely due to a discrepancy in Fulton County @ @ @ @ @ @ @ county that includes most of Atlanta .
Fulton County ’ s recount results showed 880 fewer votes than the results certified after election night , with an overwhelming majority of those votes coming from Biden ’ s total in the county .
Gabriel Sterling , who oversaw the implementation of the state ’ s new voting system , called the discrepancy in the county “ a little worrisome ” but said it ’ s a big county that ’ s had managerial issues .
He also noted the difference isn ’ t enough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election .
Also Monday , a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit filed on behalf of would-be Republican presidential electors by former Trump lawyer Sidney Powell .
The suit alleged widespread fraud and sought to decertify the results of the presidential race in Georgia , among other things .
In the lawsuit , “ the plaintiffs essentially ask the court for perhaps the most extraordinary relief ever sought in any federal court in connection with an election .
They want this court to substitute its judgment for that of 2 and a half million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and this I am unwilling to do , ” U.S. District Judge Timothy Batten as he dismissed the suit following a hearing .
Separately , an election challenge filed Friday by Trump , his campaign and Georgia Republican Party Chairman David Shafer was rejected by the Fulton County Superior Court because the paperwork was improperly completed and it lacked the appropriate filing fees .
Even as lawsuits filed by Trump and his allies have been rejected around the country , the president has continued to make repeated baseless claims of widespread fraud .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Raffensperger and Kemp , both fellow Republicans .
Raffensperger , meanwhile , has been steadfast in his defense of the integrity of the election in the state and Kemp has said he has no power to intervene in elections .
“ I know there are people that are convinced the election was fraught with problems , but the evidence , the actual evidence , the facts tell us a different story , ” Raffensperger said during the news conference Monday .

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ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia’s top elections official on Monday recertified the state’s election results after a recount requested by President Donald Trump confirmed once again that Democrat Joe Biden won the state, and the governor then recertified the state’s 16 presidential electors.
“We have now counted legally cast ballots three times, and the results remain unchanged,” Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said during a news conference at the state Capitol before the results were recertified.
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Georgia law allows a losing candidate to request a recount if the margin between the candidates is within 0.5%. Trump requested the recount after the results certified by Raffensperger showed that Biden led by a margin of 12,670 votes, or 0.25% of the roughly 5 million ballots cast.
During the recount, which was done using scanners that read and tally the votes, there were discrepancies in vote totals in some counties. Since the results of a recount become the official results, those counties had to recertify their results. Once that was done the secretary of state recertified the statewide results, his office said in a news release.
Kemp then recertified the state’s slate of 16 presidential electors — all prominent Democrats — as required by state law, spokesman Cody Hall said. The recertification of results comes before the federal “safe harbor” deadline on Tuesday — electors named by that date in accordance with state law cannot be disregarded by Congress.
The recount was the third tally of votes in the presidential race in the state. After the initial count following Election Day, Raffensperger selected the presidential race for an audit required by state law. The tight margin meant the audit required the roughly 5 million votes in that contest to be recounted by hand, he said. That count also affirmed Biden’s victory.
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The total number of votes in the recount results certified Monday and posted on the secretary of state’s website was 766 fewer than the number certified when the ballots were first tallied after the election. Biden’s lead dropped from 12,670 to 11,779. That appears to be largely due to a discrepancy in Fulton County, the state’s most populous county that includes most of Atlanta.
Fulton County’s recount results showed 880 fewer votes than the results certified after election night, with an overwhelming majority of those votes coming from Biden’s total in the county. Gabriel Sterling, who oversaw the implementation of the state’s new voting system, called the discrepancy in the county “a little worrisome” but said it’s a big county that’s had managerial issues. He also noted the difference isn’t enough to change the overall outcome of the election.
Also Monday, a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit filed on behalf of would-be Republican presidential electors by former Trump lawyer Sidney Powell. The suit alleged widespread fraud and sought to decertify the results of the presidential race in Georgia, among other things.
In the lawsuit, “the plaintiffs essentially ask the court for perhaps the most extraordinary relief ever sought in any federal court in connection with an election. They want this court to substitute its judgment for that of 2 and a half million Georgia voters who voted for Joe Biden and this I am unwilling to do,” U.S. District Judge Timothy Batten as he dismissed the suit following a hearing.
Separately, an election challenge filed Friday by Trump, his campaign and Georgia Republican Party Chairman David Shafer was rejected by the Fulton County Superior Court because the paperwork was improperly completed and it lacked the appropriate filing fees.
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Even as lawsuits filed by Trump and his allies have been rejected around the country, the president has continued to make repeated baseless claims of widespread fraud. In Georgia, he has rained criticism on Raffensperger and Kemp, both fellow Republicans. Raffensperger, meanwhile, has been steadfast in his defense of the integrity of the election in the state and Kemp has said he has no power to intervene in elections.
“I know there are people that are convinced the election was fraught with problems, but the evidence, the actual evidence, the facts tell us a different story,” Raffensperger said during the news conference Monday.
Hours before coming to Georgia for a rally Saturday night, Trump called Kemp and asked him to call a special legislative session. The governor declined.
In a tweet Sunday, Trump criticized Kemp and Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan for inaction and again called for a special session.
After four Republican state lawmakers on Sunday also requested a special session, Kemp and Duncan put out a statement saying that convening a special session to select a different slate of presidential electors would not be allowed under state or federal law.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-07--Trump Administration Fully Restores DACA Protections After Court Ruling

SAN DIEGO ( AP ) — The Trump administration said Monday that it fully restored the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program that shields hundreds of thousands of young people from deportation , complying with a federal judge ’ s order .
The Department of Homeland Security posted on its website that it is accepting new applications , petitions for two-year renewals and requests for permission to temporarily leave the U.S .
The department said it “ may seek relief from the order , ” signaling that its concession to the court order may be short-lived if its legal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a major victory for young people who have been unable to apply since Trump ended DACA in September 2017 .
His administration has long argued that DACA is unconstitutional .
After the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in June that Trump violated federal law in how he ended the program , Chad Wolf , the acting Homeland Security secretary , said the administration would study its options and , until then , wouldn ’ t accept new applications and would grant renewals for one year instead two .
DACA shields about 650,000 people from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ permits .
Monday ’ s announcement came hours before a deadline set by District Judge Nicholas Garaufis in the Eastern District of New York for the administration to post public notice that it would accept applications under terms before Trump ended DACA in 2017 .
The judge ruled Friday that Wolf was unlawfully serving in his position .
DACA was started in 2012 during the Obama administration .
It allows certain immigrants who were brought to the country illegally as children to work and be exempt from deportation , though it does not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Joe Biden has pledged to reinstate DACA when he takes office in January but permanent legal status and a path to citizenship would require congressional approval .
DACA recipients and their supporters greeted the news with a mix of elation and awareness that their futures are precarious , even with Biden ’ s support .
Maria Garcia , 18 , an aerospace engineering student at Arizona State University , said she will apply for the program as soon as she can .
She and her parents and two brothers arrived in Phoenix in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now 23 , is already a DACA recipient and has a job .
Her younger brother , now 16 , is in high school and plans to eventually seek DACA protection as well .
“ There are a lot of other students who are undocumented who don ’ t qualify for DACA .
They have to find a permanent solution , ” she said .
Michelle Celleri , an attorney at advocacy group Alliance San Diego , was preparing an application for a client who was putting the final touches on her petition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Her feeling is , ‘ I ’ ll do anything .
I ’ m sick of being in the dark and I want to move forward , ’ ” Celleri said .
Celleiri said she is advising clients to submit applications before Dec. 22 , when there is a key hearing in Texas in a lawsuit by several states challenging DACA ’ s legality .
“ There ’ s just way too much happening right now , ” she said .
“ I don ’ t want people caught in the crossfire @ @

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SAN DIEGO (AP) — The Trump administration said Monday that it fully restored the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program that shields hundreds of thousands of young people from deportation, complying with a federal judge’s order.
The Department of Homeland Security posted on its website that it is accepting new applications, petitions for two-year renewals and requests for permission to temporarily leave the U.S.
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The department said it “may seek relief from the order,” signaling that its concession to the court order may be short-lived if its legal efforts succeed.
The announcement is still a major victory for young people who have been unable to apply since Trump ended DACA in September 2017. His administration has long argued that DACA is unconstitutional.
After the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in June that Trump violated federal law in how he ended the program, Chad Wolf, the acting Homeland Security secretary, said the administration would study its options and, until then, wouldn’t accept new applications and would grant renewals for one year instead two. DACA shields about 650,000 people from deportation and makes them eligible for work permits.
Monday’s announcement came hours before a deadline set by District Judge Nicholas Garaufis in the Eastern District of New York for the administration to post public notice that it would accept applications under terms before Trump ended DACA in 2017. The judge ruled Friday that Wolf was unlawfully serving in his position.
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DACA was started in 2012 during the Obama administration. It allows certain immigrants who were brought to the country illegally as children to work and be exempt from deportation, though it does not confer legal status on recipients.
President-elect Joe Biden has pledged to reinstate DACA when he takes office in January but permanent legal status and a path to citizenship would require congressional approval.
DACA recipients and their supporters greeted the news with a mix of elation and awareness that their futures are precarious, even with Biden’s support.
Maria Garcia, 18, an aerospace engineering student at Arizona State University, said she will apply for the program as soon as she can. She and her parents and two brothers arrived in Phoenix in 2006 Mexico. Her older brother, now 23, is already a DACA recipient and has a job. Her younger brother, now 16, is in high school and plans to eventually seek DACA protection as well.
Garcia said the court’s decision last week “was wonderful news.”
“There are a lot of other students who are undocumented who don’t qualify for DACA. They have to find a permanent solution,” she said.
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Michelle Celleri, an attorney at advocacy group Alliance San Diego, was preparing an application for a client who was putting the final touches on her petition when Trump canceled DACA in 2017.
“Her feeling is, ‘I’ll do anything. I’m sick of being in the dark and I want to move forward,’” Celleri said.
Celleiri said she is advising clients to submit applications before Dec. 22, when there is a key hearing in Texas in a lawsuit by several states challenging DACA’s legality.
“There’s just way too much happening right now,” she said. “I don’t want people caught in the crossfire.”
___
Associated Press writer Anita Snow in Phoenix contributed to this report. Merchant reported from Houston.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-08--A Useful COVID-19 Relief Benefit You’ve Never Heard Of Is About To Expire

Throughout the pandemic , public health experts , economists and paid leave advocates have pushed for the government to simply @ @ @ @ @ until COVID-19 is under control , particularly in sectors where employees are in close contact @ @ @ @ @ paid leave program has been doing that , despite many obstacles .
Yet , the @ @ @ @ @ expire at the end of December , leaving the more than 87 million workers potentially @ @ @ @ @ and their employers ― in the lurch , and possibly posing a further health risk @ @ @ @ @ This This Keeps Women In The Workforce Szuter already laid off more than 20 people @ @ @ @ @ decline in business .
His remaining employees work fewer hours , for less pay .
@ @ @ @ @ , to say the least .
Staff who used to tend bar or wait tables @ @ @ @ @ now driving vans to deliver beer around the state .
Revenue is down by 40 @ @ @ @ @

This fall, like many small-business owners around the country, Bob Szuter, had a coronavirus problem. One of the employees at the restaurant and brewing company he owns in Columbus, Ohio, tested positive for COVID-19.
Normally, one sick worker is not a big deal. Szuter, who co-founded Wolf’s Ridge Brewing with his father seven years ago, gives everyone paid time off every year. But this is a pandemic. That one worker had come into contact with nine other employees. Altogether, that was more than 20% of his staff.
“Normally, if someone had to take two weeks off to deal with something, we would’ve taken care of them,” he told HuffPost. “But we’ve been stretched so thin, it’s hard to do that at this point.”
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The owners of Wolf's Ridge Brewing in Columbus, Ohio, were able to pay employees to stay at home when they were potentially exposed to COVID-19 thanks to a program included in the second stimulus package Congress passed in March. Courtney Hergesheimer
And yet, Szuter was able to pay all 10 employees to stay home. All thanks to a little-known paid leave program established by Congress as part of the second stimulus package passed in March.
Under the program, employees can take two weeks of sick leave, fully paid up to a maximum amount, or up to 12 weeks off, including 10 weeks paid at two-thirds of their salary, to care for kids who aren’t able to go to school. Business owners are fully reimbursed for the expense via a tax credit.
“It’s one of the provisions that had actually made it easier for us to deal with the pandemic,” Szuter said. He’s used the benefit to give 15 workers paid sick time during the crisis, he said.
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Throughout the pandemic, public health experts, economists and paid leave advocates have pushed for the government to simply pay workers to stay home until COVID-19 is under control, particularly in sectors where employees are in close contact with the public. This paid leave program has been doing that, despite many obstacles. Yet, the whole program is set to expire at the end of December, leaving the more than 87 million workers potentially covered by the provision ― and their employers ― in the lurch, and possibly posing a further health risk.
“It’s expiring at the worst possible time,” Szuter said. Infection rates are high in the county where his business operates. Finding anyone who wants to work in a restaurant during the pandemic is hard enough, but the ability to pay folks who have to stay home to quarantine was an appealing benefit.
“Throughout the pandemic, public health experts, economists and paid leave advocates have pushed for the government to simply pay workers to stay home until COVID-19 is under control. ... This paid leave program has been doing that.”
And there’s little sign lawmakers will extend the program, which was passed as part of the second COVID-19 relief bill, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act.
There is no provision for paid leave in the $908 billion coronavirus relief package currently gaining bipartisan traction in Congress. Instead, it includes money for more unemployment benefits, for vaccine distribution, for state and local governments, and for loans to small businesses.
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Small-Business Owners Actually Like This
The paid leave program hasn’t been well-advertised, but it’s well-liked by the small-business owners who have managed to find out about it, said Sarah Crozier, the communications director at Main Street Alliance, a progressive group that represents about 30,000 businesses throughout the country.
“Across our membership, we’ve only heard rave reviews,” she said. “Extend and expand it is the rallying cry.”
She compared the leave provisions to the $525 billion small-business loan program, the Paycheck Protection Program, established as part of the other stimulus package passed in March. Many small-business owners weren’t able to access the loans, she said, or were confused by the program’s restrictions. Recently released data reveals that much of the money went to already deep-pocketed business owners who were less in need of help
By comparison, the paid leave provision has been much simpler to figure out, small-business owners told HuffPost, particularly for those who use payroll software, which has made it simple to do the back-end work.
It’s also cheaper. In the spring, the Congressional Budget Office estimated it would cost $105 billion. Though the number of businesses that report using the program might increase as more companies file taxes after the end of the year, it’s already clear that far fewer workers tapped the program than expected, said Chantel Boyens, a principal policy associate at the Urban Institute.
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“We’re looking at a cost that’s a fifth of what you’d expect if you were going off the initial estimate,” she said.
Primarily, that’s because millions of workers just lost their jobs, she said. Instead of getting paid to take time off from work, they got unemployment checks.
It’s also because the Department of Labor, run by Eugene Scalia, did little to get the word out about the benefit.
Crozier said it should be a no-brainer to extend the program in any new stimulus package. Advocates of paid leave also want Congress to include more employers in the provision. This spring, Republicans and big-business lobbyists succeeded in narrowing the leave to cover only companies with 500 or fewer employees.
Still, about 65 million private sector workers and 22 million public sector employees are eligible for the sick leave, according to an estimate from the National Partnership for Women & Families.
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Republican senators are pushing instead for some kind of “immunity shield” for companies to protect them from getting sued over coronavirus-related issues (like, say, not letting employees stay home if they’re sick).
A robust sick leave policy would go a long way to prevent employers from getting sued in the first place. Workers who could tap paid time off would be more likely to stay home when they’re sick ― or when they’ve been exposed to COVID-19.
“To push for immunity and not push for leave is just hypocritical,” Crozier said.
President-elect Joe Biden’s plan to combat the coronavirus does include an expansion of the provisions, but it’s not at all clear if he can get those passed in Congress.
Tom Frieden, the former head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, joined several other public health experts urging Congress to extend the benefits in a letter sent Monday.
“Paid sick leave can reduce the spread of COVID-19 in workplaces and communities by removing the barrier to employees staying home if they might have the virus. Even one infection can set off an outbreak,” reads the letter.
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This Keeps Women In The Workforce
Molly Moon Neitzel started her ice cream business, Molly Moon’s, in Seattle just a few months before the last recession in 2008. That was fine, she said. Better than fine, actually. Ice cream is typically a recession-proof business. People who are broke will still treat themselves to a cone.
This current economic downturn is “totally different,” she said.
Fewer folks are willing to risk their health for a scoop of Molly’s bestselling Yeti flavor (sweet cream ice cream with granola, chocolate chunks and a caramel ribbon). Business across her nine scoop shops is down 40% compared with last year.
Caitlyn Faircloth, a worker with Molly Moon's Homemade Ice Cream, hands out free ice cream in 2014. Business across the company's nine scoop shops is down 40% in 2020. ASSOCIATED PRESS
“I did feel like it was an existential crisis, as to whether my company would survive,” she said, adding that now she’s on stronger footing.
Neitzel said about a dozen workers have used the leave program, but it’s particularly helped three single mothers who work in her shop and are using the leave intermittently while they keep working. They’ve been able to be home with their children, who are doing virtual school, and still get paid.
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“If it expires, what are we going to tell them?” she asked.
She said the leave program has probably saved her business about $12,000. It may not be as valuable as the $734,000 Paycheck Protection Program loan she got, but it’s definitely life-changing for those women.
Neitzel provides workers with unusually good benefits, including starting hourly pay of $18, health and dental insurance, and all the free ice cream they can eat. She said she will do what it takes to keep those women on her payroll if the benefit expires.
“I really think this should be coming from the government, though,” she said.
The paid leave program is particularly crucial for parents during the pandemic, particularly mothers who are supporting their children in virtual school and trying to work. Already, a huge number of women have left the workforce ― particularly low-income workers and women of color who cannot work remotely.
Lisa Hemmerle, a 48-year-old mother in Andover, Massachusetts, who works for a nearby city government, has been using the paid leave benefits intermittently in order to stay home with her 6-year-old son while he’s doing remote school.
Her husband, who also works in a municipal government role, is also taking the leave.
They basically switch off. She stays home a few days a week with their son, and then he stays home a few days. Hemmerle isn’t sure how they’ll manage when the leave expires.
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“I have so much anxiety,” she said. “I have refused to think about it.” She’s hoping Congress will extend the program.
The owner of Big Dipper ice cream in Missoula, Montana, has used the coronavirus leave program to pay for 15 workers to quarantine. Courtesy Charlie Beaton
Call it the ice cream hookup: Charlie Beaton, who owns Montana’s Big Dipper Ice Cream chain, only found out about the COVID-19 paid leave after talking to Neitzel, who owns the scoop shop in Seattle. They’ve known each other for years.
“A lot of people were in the dark,” Beaton said.
The pandemic has been frustrating for a lot of reasons, Beaton said. Quarantines have been one of them. It’s difficult to not only pay the people who miss work, but to also pay people to work in their place. He’s used the COVID-19 leave program to pay for 15 workers to quarantine ― out of 60 employees.
Beaton said another business in the area was forced to close after a number of employees quarantined. “We’re a well-established business. We’re gonna make it. There are some businesses that probably haven’t taken advantage of this that should,” he said.
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In addition to failing to publicize the program, the Labor Department also made it easy for employers with fewer than 50 workers to opt out of participating. And it wrote a very broad exemption for health care workers that included folks like janitors in hospitals.
Boyens from the Urban Institute said more businesses might start using the leave program if it is extended and pointed out it provides a good bang for the buck.
“Paid leave is a great deal right now,” she said. The measure is also good for public health, she added.
One study estimates that the paid leave benefits prevented thousands of COVID-19 cases.
“It’s an opportunity to do something for the economy and the pandemic and it comes with a lower price tag,” Boyens said.
Wolf's Ridge Brewing has had to adapt to the pandemic like so many other small businesses. Jenny Hauck
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The program also is particularly beneficial to the struggling restaurant industry, Szuter, the brewpub owner in Ohio, told HuffPost.
Restaurant workers are in a terrible bind right now: If they come to work, they’re getting less money than usual. And they’re facing all the health risks of working in a pandemic. Szuter’s employees are also still dealing with customers who refuse to wear masks, he said.
Szuter already laid off more than 20 people to deal with the pandemic-related decline in business. His remaining employees work fewer hours, for less pay. And the work is different, to say the least. Staff who used to tend bar or wait tables, for example, are now driving vans to deliver beer around the state. Revenue is down by 40% for the year.
“It’s hard to find people interested in what we’re doing and willing to deal with the bullshit,” he said. Without this benefit, he added, he might not be able to pay folks who need to quarantine. “That’s going to make it really hard.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-08--Banksy Is Not Behind Those Mysterious Metal Monoliths

Those mysterious metal monoliths that have been popping up worldwide ?
Well , Banksy is not behind them .
“ Nope , ” a representative for the famed British street artist told HuffPost Tuesday in a one-word response to speculation of his involvement .
Ever since the first structure of its kind was spotted deep in a Utah desert last month , people online have been guessing whether the reclusive artist had a role .
If you ’ re on a flight and you see a guy trying to stuff a stainless steel monolith in the overhead bin you just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ joeprogrammer ( @ joeprogrammer ) December 3 , 2020 My theory on the mysterious desert monolith is that it ’ s Banksy , not like a Banksy art piece but like Banksy IS the monolith — matt burdick ( @ matt_and_stuff ) November 29 , 2020 Am I the only one who saw the first monolith and just assumed it was Banksy — Sophie | BLM ( @ sheffner38 ) December 4 , 2020 The term “ Planksy ” even gained traction on social media as people suggested Banksy had something to do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Romania , Las Vegas , the Netherlands , atop Pine Mountain in California and on a beach on the Isle of Wight , off the south coast of England .
With Banksy ’ s representative ruling out his involvement , it ’ s still unclear who is behind the monoliths .
The Most Famous Artist , a Santa Fe-based art collective founded by Matty Mo , appears to have claimed credit for the Utah monolith , reported Mashable .
That shiny metal monolith , discovered in November during a helicopter survey of wild @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It has since disappeared , with only a pile of rocks and small piece of metal left behind .
It was in position as far back as 2015 , according to internet sleuths .
Mo did not immediately respond to HuffPost ’ s request for comment .
Designer Tom Dunford has claimed credit for the Isle of Wight monolith ― telling the BBC he “ did it purely for fun.
” A group led by artist-fabricator Wade McKenzie , meanwhile , has taken responsibility for the California piece , The New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inspired by the discovery of the Utah monolith .

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Those mysterious metal monoliths that have been popping up worldwide?
Well, Banksy is not behind them.
“Nope,” a representative for the famed British street artist told HuffPost Tuesday in a one-word response to speculation of his involvement.
Ever since the first structure of its kind was spotted deep in a Utah desert last month, people online have been guessing whether the reclusive artist had a role.
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honestly, I could see Bansky having something to do with the monolith — Sebastian (@sebifashon) December 2, 2020
If you’re on a flight and you see a guy trying to stuff a stainless steel monolith in the overhead bin you just found Banksy. https://t.co/ev4gszd91Q — joeprogrammer (@joeprogrammer) December 3, 2020
My theory on the mysterious desert monolith is that it’s Banksy, not like a Banksy art piece but like Banksy IS the monolith — matt burdick (@matt_and_stuff) November 29, 2020
Am I the only one who saw the first monolith and just assumed it was Banksy — Sophie | BLM (@sheffner38) December 4, 2020
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The term “Planksy” even gained traction on social media as people suggested Banksy had something to do with similar-looking installations that have appeared in Romania, Las Vegas, the Netherlands, atop Pine Mountain in California and on a beach on the Isle of Wight, off the south coast of England.
Another art installation by Planksy. — Mac Na hEireann64🍀 (@heireann64) December 7, 2020
Banksy Planksy ? — Random Dan (@DanFromUranus) December 1, 2020
With Banksy’s representative ruling out his involvement, it’s still unclear who is behind the monoliths.
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The Most Famous Artist, a Santa Fe-based art collective founded by Matty Mo, appears to have claimed credit for the Utah monolith, reported Mashable. That shiny metal monolith, discovered in November during a helicopter survey of wild sheep, prompted speculation of alien placement. It has since disappeared, with only a pile of rocks and small piece of metal left behind.
It was in position as far back as 2015, according to internet sleuths. Mo did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment.
Designer Tom Dunford has claimed credit for the Isle of Wight monolith ― telling the BBC he “did it purely for fun.”
A group led by artist-fabricator Wade McKenzie, meanwhile, has taken responsibility for the California piece, The New York Times reported. McKenzie said he was inspired by the discovery of the Utah monolith.
The monoliths in Romania, the Netherlands and Las Vegas as well as two newly reported in Germany and Spain remain unclaimed.
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So, global artistic collaboration, copycats, marketing stunt or little green men?


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-08--Stephen Colbert: This Is The Closest We'll Get To A Melania Trump Concession

Stephen Colbert thinks first lady Melania Trump just came close to conceding the 2020 election on behalf of her defeated @ @ @ @ @ .
On Monday ’ s broadcast of “ The Late Show , ” host Colbert @ @ @ @ @ the new White House tennis pavilion as the country is being ravaged by the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ the first lady ’ s statement : “ It is my hope that this private @ @ @ @ @ a place of leisure and gathering for future first families.
” The comedian thought it @ @ @ @ @ we ’ re going to get to a concession.
” “ She ’ s admitting @ @ @ @ @ families , and gatherings , ” Colbert excitedly added .

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Stephen Colbert thinks first lady Melania Trump just came close to conceding the 2020 election on behalf of her defeated husband, President Donald Trump.
On Monday’s broadcast of “The Late Show,” host Colbert riffed on the unveiling of the new White House tennis pavilion as the country is being ravaged by the coronavirus pandemic.
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Colbert focused on the first lady’s statement: “It is my hope that this private space will function as both a place of leisure and gathering for future first families.”
The comedian thought it’s “the closest we’re going to get to a concession.”
“She’s admitting there will be future first families, and gatherings,” Colbert excitedly added.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-08--'B.A.P.S.' Star Natalie Desselle Reid Dead At 53

LOS ANGELES ( AP ) — Natalie Desselle Reid , who starred alongside Halle Berry in the 1997 film “ B.A.P.S.
” and on the sitcom “ Eve , ” has died .
She was 53 .
Reid ’ s death on Monday was confirmed by Je ’ Caryous Johnson , the CEO of Je ’ Caryous Entertainment , which was planning a stage adaption of “ B.A.P.S.
” A rep for the actor ’ s family said she died after a battle with colon cancer .
In the film “ B.A.P.S , ” Reid and Berry played the roles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ diner who decide to fly to Los Angeles for a music video audition .
The tandem ended up living a luxury lifestyle as “ Black American Princesses ” while caring for an elderly Beverly Hills millionaire .
Johnson said Reid was looking forward to bringing her role as Mickey in the film back to life .
He said everyone fell in love with Reid ’ s “ undeniably witty , always giving and caring and hilariously show-stopping personality ” during rehearsals earlier this year .
“ The world has truly lost one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Johnson said in a statement , noting the dedicated approach Reid took to her acting .
“ There will never be another woman like her who so effortlessly lit up the screen , as well as any room she walked into.
” Berry said on Twitter that she was “ in total shock .
... completely heartbroken.
” Reid starred as Eve ’ s friend Janie Egins over a three-season span on the UPN sitcom “ Eve.
” The actor also appeared in Tyler Perry ’ s “ Madea ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gray ’ s “ Set It Off ” and Def Jam ’ s “ How to Be a Player.
” Eve paid tribute to Reid on her social media saying “ thank you for your light and spirit .
”

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Natalie Desselle Reid, who starred alongside Halle Berry in the 1997 film “B.A.P.S.” and on the sitcom “Eve,” has died. She was 53.
Reid’s death on Monday was confirmed by Je’Caryous Johnson, the CEO of Je’Caryous Entertainment, which was planning a stage adaption of “B.A.P.S.”
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A rep for the actor’s family said she died after a battle with colon cancer.
In the film “B.A.P.S,” Reid and Berry played the roles of two waitresses at a Georgia food diner who decide to fly to Los Angeles for a music video audition. The tandem ended up living a luxury lifestyle as “Black American Princesses” while caring for an elderly Beverly Hills millionaire.
Johnson said Reid was looking forward to bringing her role as Mickey in the film back to life. He said everyone fell in love with Reid’s “undeniably witty, always giving and caring and hilariously show-stopping personality” during rehearsals earlier this year.
“The world has truly lost one of its most angelic souls here on Earth,” Johnson said in a statement, noting the dedicated approach Reid took to her acting. “There will never be another woman like her who so effortlessly lit up the screen, as well as any room she walked into.”
Berry said on Twitter that she was “in total shock. ... completely heartbroken.”
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Reid starred as Eve’s friend Janie Egins over a three-season span on the UPN sitcom “Eve.” The actor also appeared in Tyler Perry’s “Madea’s Big Happy Family,” F. Gary Gray’s “Set It Off” and Def Jam’s “How to Be a Player.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-08--Jimmy Kimmel Goes For The Jugular After Rudy Giuliani Tests Positive For Coronavirus

Jimmy Kimmel didn ’ t miss a beat Monday night while discussing Rudy Giuliani ’ s new diagnosis of COVID-19 .
“ The Jimmy Kimmel Live !
” host lashed Donald Trump ’ s legal mastermind more viciously than ever , saying “ Count Flatula ” was resting in the hospital and “ feasting on the blood of newborns in the maternity ward.
” “ How could this happen ?
” Kimmel asked .
“ He was being so careful !
” The Arizona state legislature has been shut down since Giuliani ’ s visit last week when unmasked Republicans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has morphed from “ America ’ s mayor to America ’ s sprayer , ” Kimmel said .
For those who want to avoid catching COVID-19 , the program came up with a variation of “ Elf on a Shelf ” called “ Fauci on a Couchi.
” Infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci , portrayed as an elfin figure in a blue suit , instructs kids to wear a mask , wash their hands and cover their mouths when they sneeze .
Results were not pretty for the kids who spewed disinformation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the video above .

“The Jimmy Kimmel Live!” host lashed Donald Trump’s legal mastermind more viciously than ever, saying “Count Flatula” was resting in the hospital and “feasting on the blood of newborns in the maternity ward.”
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“How could this happen?” Kimmel asked. “He was being so careful!”
The Arizona state legislature has been shut down since Giuliani’s visit last week when unmasked Republicans posed for photos with him. Giuliani has morphed from “America’s mayor to America’s sprayer,” Kimmel said.
Screen Shot/Jimmy Kimmel Live!
For those who want to avoid catching COVID-19, the program came up with a variation of “Elf on a Shelf” called “Fauci on a Couchi.” Infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci, portrayed as an elfin figure in a blue suit, instructs kids to wear a mask, wash their hands and cover their mouths when they sneeze.
Results were not pretty for the kids who spewed disinformation about the pandemic.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-07--Chuck Yeager, Ace Pilot And First To Fly Faster Than Speed Of Sound, Dead At 97

Chuck Yeager , the first human to fly faster than the speed of sound and an ace pilot who fought in World War II , died Monday night .
He was 97 .
“ It is w/ profound sorrow , I must tell you that my life love General Chuck Yeager passed just before 9pm ET , ” Yeager ’ s wife , Victoria , announced on Twitter .
“ An incredible life well lived , America ’ s greatest Pilot , & a legacy of strength , adventure , & patriotism will be remembered forever.
” Yeager , born @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a private in the U.S. Army Air Forces , enlisting at age 18 in 1941 .
He was selected for pilot training a year later and sent overseas to fly for the Air Force in 1943 during the final years of World War II .
Those years were eventful : Yeager was shot down over occupied France in 1944 but evaded German soldiers until he was ultimately flown back to England , where his superiors attempted to ship him home .
He refused to go , appealing to Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ skies .
Retired Air Force Brig .
Gen. Charles Yeager talks to the media following a reenactment flight commemorating his breaking of the sound barrier 65 years earlier on Oct. 14 , 2012 , at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada .
After the end of the war , Yeager made history after he was selected to fly the new X-1 rocket plane faster than 662 miles per hour , the speed of sound at altitude .
The aircraft , designed with a streamlined fuselage reminiscent of a bullet , was nicknamed the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s first wife , Glennis , who died in 1990 .
Oct 14 , 1947 : B-2 dropped me in a stall.I ignited all 4 engines .
I radioed : There 's something wrong w/ this MACHmeter , it 's gone off the scales .
It only went to MACH 1 : do n't think they had much confidence in us : - ) They heard the boom on the ground .
We had broken the soundbarrier — Chuck Yeager ( @ GenChuckYeager ) October 14 , 2020 “ The X-1 began racing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the P-80 far behind , ” Yeager wrote in Popular Mechanics in 2016 about the experience .
“ We were really hauling !
I was excited and pleased … The speed was allowed to increase to approximately .95 to .96 Mach number .
The airplane was allowed to continue to accelerate until an indication of .965 on the cockpit Machmeter was obtained .
At this indication , the meter momentarily stopped and then jumped up to 1.06 , and the hesitation was assumed to be caused by the effect of shock waves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had flown at supersonic speeds for 18 seconds , ” he continued .
“ There was no buffet , no jolt , no shock .
Above all , no brick wall to smash into .
I was alive.
” In 1953 , Yeager flew the X-1A aircraft far faster : 1,650 miles per hour , or two and a half times the speed of sound .
Yeager was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 1973 and retired from the military in 1975 at the rank of brigadier general .
Yeager @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , however , and he broke the sound barrier once again in 2002 at the age of 79 , saying it would be the last time he would do so .

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Chuck Yeager, the first human to fly faster than the speed of sound and an ace pilot who fought in World War II, died Monday night. He was 97.
“It is w/ profound sorrow, I must tell you that my life love General Chuck Yeager passed just before 9pm ET,” Yeager’s wife, Victoria, announced on Twitter. “An incredible life well lived, America’s greatest Pilot, & a legacy of strength, adventure, & patriotism will be remembered forever.”
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Fr @VictoriaYeage11 It is w/ profound sorrow, I must tell you that my life love General Chuck Yeager passed just before 9pm ET. An incredible life well lived, America’s greatest Pilot, & a legacy of strength, adventure, & patriotism will be remembered forever. — Chuck Yeager (@GenChuckYeager) December 8, 2020
“The department grieves the loss of @genchuckyeager, pilot, patriot, and great American. His lifetime of courage and service inspired millions, including me,” A/SD Chris Miller pic.twitter.com/tGDmcPfEsi — Department of Defense 🇺🇸 (@DeptofDefense) December 8, 2020
Yeager, born in 1923, began his career as a private in the U.S. Army Air Forces, enlisting at age 18 in 1941. He was selected for pilot training a year later and sent overseas to fly for the Air Force in 1943 during the final years of World War II.
Those years were eventful: Yeager was shot down over occupied France in 1944 but evaded German soldiers until he was ultimately flown back to England, where his superiors attempted to ship him home. He refused to go, appealing to Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, who allowed him to return to the skies.
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He ultimately became a flying ace, shooting down 13 German aircraft.
Retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Charles Yeager talks to the media following a reenactment flight commemorating his breaking of the sound barrier 65 years earlier on Oct. 14, 2012, at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada. AP Photo/Isaac Brekken
“The first time I saw a jet, I shot it down,” Yeager told Larry King for his 2004 book, “Remember Me When I’m Gone.”
After the end of the war, Yeager made history after he was selected to fly the new X-1 rocket plane faster than 662 miles per hour, the speed of sound at altitude. The aircraft, designed with a streamlined fuselage reminiscent of a bullet, was nicknamed the “Glamorous Glennis” after Yeager’s first wife, Glennis, who died in 1990.
Oct 14, 1947: B-2 dropped me in a stall.I ignited all 4 engines. I radioed: There's something wrong w/ this MACHmeter, it's gone off the scales. It only went to MACH 1:don't think they had much confidence in us :-) They heard the boom on the ground. We had broken the soundbarrier — Chuck Yeager (@GenChuckYeager) October 14, 2020
“The X-1 began racing toward the heavens, leaving the B-29 and the P-80 far behind,” Yeager wrote in Popular Mechanics in 2016 about the experience. “We were really hauling! I was excited and pleased … The speed was allowed to increase to approximately .95 to .96 Mach number. The airplane was allowed to continue to accelerate until an indication of .965 on the cockpit Machmeter was obtained. At this indication, the meter momentarily stopped and then jumped up to 1.06, and the hesitation was assumed to be caused by the effect of shock waves on the static source.”
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“I had flown at supersonic speeds for 18 seconds,” he continued. “There was no buffet, no jolt, no shock. Above all, no brick wall to smash into. I was alive.”
The plane is still on display at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.
In 1953, Yeager flew the X-1A aircraft far faster: 1,650 miles per hour, or two and a half times the speed of sound. Yeager was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 1973 and retired from the military in 1975 at the rank of brigadier general.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-07--Seth Meyers Airs Staggering Supercut Of Kelly Loeffler's 'Radical Liberal' Jibes

If Sen. Kelly Loeffler ( R-Ga. ) made one thing clear during her Sunday night Senate runoff debate , it @ @ @ @ @ to cast her opponent as a “ radical liberal.
” According to a supercut on @ @ @ @ @ Meyers ” Monday night , she dropped the phrase at least 13 times during the @ @ @ @ @ off against her Democratic opponent , the Rev .
Raphael Warnock , ahead of next @ @ @ @ @ which will determine the balance of power in the U.S. Senate .
Her incessant use @ @ @ @ @ ” attack against the Georgia reverend ― sometimes twice in the same sentence ― even @ @ @ @ @ the debate .
“ She just malfunctioned and just kept repeating the words over and @ @ @ @ @ droid , ” Meyers said .
“ It ’ s like when a four-year-old learns @ @ @ @ @ at the zoo and can ’ t stop repeating it , ” he added .

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If Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) made one thing clear during her Sunday night Senate runoff debate, it’s that she wants to cast her opponent as a “radical liberal.”
According to a supercut on “Late Night with Seth Meyers” Monday night, she dropped the phrase at least 13 times during the hour-long affair.
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Loeffler faced off against her Democratic opponent, the Rev. Raphael Warnock, ahead of next month’s vote, which will determine the balance of power in the U.S. Senate. Her incessant use of the “radical liberal” attack against the Georgia reverend ― sometimes twice in the same sentence ― even inspired a drinking game during the debate.
“She just malfunctioned and just kept repeating the words over and over like a tipped-over protocol droid,” Meyers said.
“It’s like when a four-year-old learns one new piece of trivia at the zoo and can’t stop repeating it,” he added.
Watch the roast below.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-08--What Are Your COVID-19 Vaccine Questions? Ask Our Experts

Our experts will be responding to questions here at 1:30 p.m .
ET on Dec. 17 .
( If you ’ re using a HuffPost mobile app , click on the quote icon at the bottom of your screen to see the comments . )
As we enter the 10th month of the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S. and COVID-19 cases continue to surge , we ’ ve finally received some positive news : Scientists have created vaccines to fight the virus , and they may soon be distributed across the country .
What questions do you have about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the pandemic ?
Are you wondering when will they be available , or how will they be distributed ?
What groups will get the vaccine first ?
Are there any side effects ?
Exactly how effective will they be ?
Will life return to normal as more people are vaccinated ?
Leave your questions in the comments here , and HuffPost medical contributor Dr. Kavita Patel and senior wellness editor Lindsay Holmes will respond to as many as they can .
Check back on Dec. 17 between 1:30 and 3 p.m .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ you ’ re using a HuffPost mobile app , click on the quote icon at the bottom of your screen to see the comments . )
Note : Please avoid sharing personally identifiable health information about yourself or others in this thread , as these comments are public .
And please be aware that any general advice provided here is no substitute for consulting your doctor or health care professional .
Dr. Kavita Patel is a practicing internal medicine physician in D.C. and senior scholar at the Brookings Institution working on health policy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New Enterprise Associates , one of the world ’ s largest venture capital funds .
She has worked on disaster preparedness , first in Los Angeles County , then in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina , in the White House on swine flu and now on COVID-19 .
Lindsay Holmes is the senior wellness editor at HuffPost , where she oversees the health content for HuffPost Life and writes about mental health .
She was selected for a National Press Foundation mental health fellowship in 2016 and has participated in multiple panels on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ media .
She graduated with a degree in journalism from the University of Central Florida and lives in New York .

Thank you for joining our Q&A with our health experts on December 17. You can view their responses here. If you did not get to leave a question or your question wasn’t answered, you can email coronavirus.questions@huffpost.com. Our reporters may answer them in a future story.
As we enter the 10th month of the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S. and COVID-19 cases continue to surge, we’ve finally received some positive news: One vaccine has been granted emergency authorization use by the Food and Drug Administration, people have started to receive the first doses and other vaccine candidates are showing promise.
What questions do you have about the vaccine as we enter this next phase of the pandemic? Are you wondering when will they be available, or how will they be distributed? What groups will get the vaccine first? Are there any side effects? Exactly how effective will they be? Will life return to normal as more people are vaccinated?
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Leave your questions in the comments here, and HuffPost medical contributor Dr. Kavita Patel and senior wellness editor Lindsay Holmes will respond to as many as they can. Check back on Dec. 17 between 1:30 and 3 p.m. ET for their answers. (If you’re using a HuffPost mobile app, click on the quote icon at the bottom of your screen to see the comments.)
Note: Please avoid sharing personally identifiable health information about yourself or others in this thread, as these comments are public. And please be aware that any general advice provided here is no substitute for consulting your doctor or health care professional.
HuffPost


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-08--Bill Nye Explains Why Masks Keep Viruses In Those Pesky 'Droplets Of Spit And Snot' At Bay

Bill Nye explained the science behind face masks in a TikTok video posted on Friday , stressing that their effectiveness in stopping the spread of the coronavirus “ is not that hard to understand.
” Nye shared two maps of the United States — one that showed where mask-wearing was prevalent and one that showed COVID-19 surges .
“ I hope you can see , the fewer the masks , the more the sick , ” Nye said .
Nye also targeted those who thought that the virus would still pass through the fibers of a mask .
“ Viruses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and the fibers [ of a mask ] are a tangle .
So when the droplet gets into the fibers of a mask , it gets trapped .
This is not that hard to understand , everybody .
That ’ s why we have rules about wearing a mask.
” Nye — whose words are backed up by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ’ s advice on face coverings — compared mask rules to only driving on one side of the road to avoid colliding with oncoming traffic , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This is not the first pro-mask TikTok video Nye has made .
Earlier in the pandemic , Nye argued that masks were not only necessary for protecting one ’ s own self , but needed to “ protect me from you and the particles from your respiratory system from getting into my respiratory system.
” In a June interview with Quartz , Nye also speculated that washable masks would outlast the coronavirus pandemic and become a regularity for most people , “ like other articles of clothing .
”

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Bill Nye explained the science behind face masks in a TikTok video posted on Friday, stressing that their effectiveness in stopping the spread of the coronavirus “is not that hard to understand.”
Nye shared two maps of the United States — one that showed where mask-wearing was prevalent and one that showed COVID-19 surges.
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“I hope you can see, the fewer the masks, the more the sick,” Nye said.
Nye also targeted those who thought that the virus would still pass through the fibers of a mask.
“Viruses travel in droplets of spit and snot, and the fibers [of a mask] are a tangle. So when the droplet gets into the fibers of a mask, it gets trapped. This is not that hard to understand, everybody. That’s why we have rules about wearing a mask.”
Nye — whose words are backed up by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s advice on face coverings — compared mask rules to only driving on one side of the road to avoid colliding with oncoming traffic, and urged his viewers to think similarly.
This is not the first pro-mask TikTok video Nye has made. Earlier in the pandemic, Nye argued that masks were not only necessary for protecting one’s own self, but needed to “protect me from you and the particles from your respiratory system from getting into my respiratory system.”
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-08--Studies Suggest AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine Safe And Effective

New results on a possible COVID-19 vaccine from Oxford University and AstraZeneca suggest it is safe and about 70 % effective , but questions remain about how well it may help protect those over 55 — a key concern for a vaccine that health officials hope to rely on around the world because of its low cost , availability and ease of use .
Still , experts say the vaccine seems likely to be approved , despite some confusion in the results and lower levels of protection than what some other vaccine candidates have shown .
“ What we can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s a bit more complicated than what we ’ ve seen so far , ” said Dr .
Buddy Creech , a Vanderbilt University researcher helping to test two other vaccines .
“ If this had been the first report out , the field would have still been excited to have a vaccine.
” Researchers claim the vaccine protected against disease in 62 % of those given two full doses and in 90 % of those initially given the half dose .
However , independent experts have said the second group was too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the possible value of that approach and that more testing is needed .
The half-dose group also didn ’ t include anyone over 55 , and among others in the study , only about 12 % were in that age group .
Older people also were enrolled later , so there hasn ’ t been enough time to see whether they develop infections at a lower rate than those not given the vaccine .
It ’ s unclear if the results will be enough to lead regulators in the United Kingdom and elsewhere @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We have no safety concerns about the vaccine , ” with no hospitalizations or severe disease among those who received it , and results from all study locations consistently showing benefit , said one study leader , Oxford ’ s Andrew Pollard .
“ The only way we get the pandemic behind us is if we get doses of vaccine out there , ” he said .
AstraZeneca ’ s Mene Pangalos called the results “ very compelling ” and said they “ clearly show we have an effective vaccine ” that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I really believe this vaccine will have a big impact on the pandemic , ” he said .
There were three serious side effects — a neurological problem in one person given the vaccine , anemia in one from the placebo group and severe fever in a participant whose receipt of vaccine or comparison shots is not yet known .
All have recovered .
The results come the same day that Britain started giving another vaccine , from Pfizer and Germany ’ s BioNTech .
That vaccine and another developed by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Inc. seem about 95 % effective in results announced so far .
They work differently than AstraZeneca ’ s , which was developed by Oxford .
Hopes are high for the AstraZeneca vaccine because it can be shipped and stored at normal refrigerator temperatures unlike the others that require freezing until a few hours before they ’ re given .
In June , AstraZeneca said it could produce about 2 billion doses of the vaccine every year , with about half of that contracted to India ’ s Serum Institute for use in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ signed licensing deals for the vaccine to be produced in countries including Brazil , South Africa and China .
COVAX , the global initiative led by the World Health Organization and vaccines alliance Gavi aimed at distributing COVID-19 vaccines to poorer countries , has signed an agreement to obtain about 400 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine .

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New results on a possible COVID-19 vaccine from Oxford University and AstraZeneca suggest it is safe and about 70% effective, but questions remain about how well it may help protect those over 55 — a key concern for a vaccine that health officials hope to rely on around the world because of its low cost, availability and ease of use.
Still, experts say the vaccine seems likely to be approved, despite some confusion in the results and lower levels of protection than what some other vaccine candidates have shown.
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“What we can see looks reasonable, but it’s a bit more complicated than what we’ve seen so far,” said Dr. Buddy Creech, a Vanderbilt University researcher helping to test two other vaccines. “If this had been the first report out, the field would have still been excited to have a vaccine.”
The medical journal Lancet on Tuesday published partial results from tests of the vaccine in the United Kingdom, Brazil and South Africa — safety results on 23,745 participants and protection levels on 11,636.
They’re hard to interpret because a mistake led some participants to get a half dose followed by a full one rather than two full doses as intended.
Researchers claim the vaccine protected against disease in 62% of those given two full doses and in 90% of those initially given the half dose. However, independent experts have said the second group was too small — 2,741 people — to judge the possible value of that approach and that more testing is needed.
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The half-dose group also didn’t include anyone over 55, and among others in the study, only about 12% were in that age group. Older people also were enrolled later, so there hasn’t been enough time to see whether they develop infections at a lower rate than those not given the vaccine.
It’s unclear if the results will be enough to lead regulators in the United Kingdom and elsewhere to approve its use right away.
“We have no safety concerns about the vaccine,” with no hospitalizations or severe disease among those who received it, and results from all study locations consistently showing benefit, said one study leader, Oxford’s Andrew Pollard.
“The only way we get the pandemic behind us is if we get doses of vaccine out there,” he said.
AstraZeneca’s Mene Pangalos called the results “very compelling” and said they “clearly show we have an effective vaccine” that meets criteria for approval around the world. “I really believe this vaccine will have a big impact on the pandemic,” he said.
In the study, 10 people were hospitalized for COVID-19, none of whom received the vaccine. Two were considered severe cases, and one person died.
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There were three serious side effects — a neurological problem in one person given the vaccine, anemia in one from the placebo group and severe fever in a participant whose receipt of vaccine or comparison shots is not yet known. All have recovered.
The results come the same day that Britain started giving another vaccine, from Pfizer and Germany’s BioNTech. That vaccine and another developed by U.S. government scientists and made by Moderna Inc. seem about 95% effective in results announced so far. They work differently than AstraZeneca’s, which was developed by Oxford.
“Personally I’d be happy with any of these in my arm,” Pollard said.
Hopes are high for the AstraZeneca vaccine because it can be shipped and stored at normal refrigerator temperatures unlike the others that require freezing until a few hours before they’re given.
That’s “very impractical” in developing countries, said Dr. Gillies O’Bryan-Tear of Britain’s Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine.
In June, AstraZeneca said it could produce about 2 billion doses of the vaccine every year, with about half of that contracted to India’s Serum Institute for use in the developing world. AstraZeneca has also signed licensing deals for the vaccine to be produced in countries including Brazil, South Africa and China. COVAX, the global initiative led by the World Health Organization and vaccines alliance Gavi aimed at distributing COVID-19 vaccines to poorer countries, has signed an agreement to obtain about 400 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-08--Getting Through... With Mominatu

Getting Through... With Mominatu

Well , for some background , I ’ m Liberian and Senegalese .
I went to school in America for broadcast journalism and a minor in fashion business .
And then I was like , “ Mmm , this ain ’ t it for me.
” I decided I wanted to start traveling the world .
I moved to Puerto Rico from Chicago with my best friend .
I just followed my intuition and have been blessed along the way .
I was doing marketing in Puerto Rico , and then I got signed to a major modeling agency .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , so I did that .
Then from Puerto Rico , I was like , “ All right , I ’ ve made it here .
I ’ ve done billboards here .
I ’ ve done commercial campaigns .
Maybe I ’ ll go to New York and see what that ’ s about.
” This was after watching this movie , “ Begin Again.
” I was like , “ These motherfuckers are on the rooftops and shit , following their dreams !
” I ’ m like , “ What @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
I want to go to New York.
” [ Laughs ] So I went to New York , and I got signed with this management team and started modeling there .
But throughout it all , for the past 11 years , I was always practicing yoga .
I got a yoga teacher training certification when I was 18 .
I always had the intention of deepening my own practice because it was something that I needed .
I never called it anxiety because I ’ m African and “ we don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” right ?
[ Laughs ] That ’ s a white people thing , right ?
But I never , ever felt good .
There was always this underlying trauma .
I always needed yoga , and I always needed meditation or working out to find an equilibrium .
And whenever I fell out of my practice , I found that I was not OK .
It has always been a medicine for me , and I ’ m sure maybe it would have been better for me had I found , like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the holistic approach [ that ] has worked for me and has allowed me to not only heal myself , but to use this practice to heal others .
And that ’ s what brought me to Africa this year .
I have decided to come back to Senegal , which is where my mom is from , and to bring yoga from a Black woman to the Senegalese people .
I ’ ve been here for nine months now .
I ’ ve been teaching the community classes for about five months @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senegalese people are loving it .
They wanted it .
They wanted it !
I had a class on the beach just the other day .
Let me tell you : My first-ever class , I was scared shitless .
I had my friends — who are social media influencers and they ’ re very powerful people — and they came , they ’ re like , “ Bitch , if you don ’ t teach this mothafuckin ’ class ... ” [ Laughs ] And they ’ re like , “ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ class and we ’ re going to put you on the stories .
Teach a class.
” And so I ’ m there and my class was full , and it was all Black women .
It was all Senegalese women , Senegalese diaspora , Africans .
And when one of the girls left the beach , a guy came up to her .
He ’ s like , “ You know , I have never , ever , ever seen Black people doing this .
It ’ s always the white girls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was so powerful for me .
And now , fast forward , all my classes are Black .
I mean , of course I have Lebanese clients and my private clients , but my group classes are African .
They are Senegalese .
And even African men are taking my classes .
These men are coming in and stretching , and they ’ re not here for the fine girls .
[ Laughs ] They ’ re here to find their peace .
I wake up in the morning at like 5 a.m. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Are you familiar with those Ayurvedic tongue scrapers , to get out all of the bacteria ?
And then I do oil pulling with coconut oil for 20 minutes .
I just walk around the house .
It changes everything .
Everything .
And then once I ’ m done with the oil pulling , I love herbs , so I ’ ll do an herbal tea to warm up .
And then I do this specific massage called Abhyanga , and that ’ s an Ayurvedic self-massage .
I love Ayurvedic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on those philosophies .
But the idea , basically , is pouring love into yourself .
You take hot oil and you rub — it ’ s almost like lymphatic drainage .
You rub the oil going down in strokes and then circling around the joints to [ do ] lymphatic drainage , but also as a self-love ritual .
As you massage yourself , taking the time to really moisturize is an act of love .
It ’ s like cleaning your temple .
So I do that .
And then I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my first client that day .
But those are things that , truly , no bullshit , I ’ m not the same person if I don ’ t start my day with those things .
And then , of course , meditation .
So for me , I like to say that yoga and meditation is very selfish , right ?
It allows you to deal with your own shit , but it doesn ’ t really show you how to deal with the world around you .
So meditation allowed me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And in that awareness , I could say , “ All right , so what am I going to do about not feeling good right now ?
” ... We got a pandemic .
We got to stay in the house .
We can ’ t go anywhere .
All right .
That ’ s that .
Now you got Black Lives Matter , the racism .
All right .
Then what ?
It ’ s just like , you ’ re constantly just — [ takes three pronounced gasps ] — taking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re like , “ I .
Can ’ t .
Breathe .
Anymore.
” You know ?
The worst thing ?
[ Laughs ] I ’ ll be deadass .
I was messing around with this one dude who was just devil dick .
We ’ re all quarantining .
We had a curfew here , so you couldn ’ t leave the house past 7 p.m. You couldn ’ t be on the streets .
In Senegal , they were beating people [ for breaking curfew ] .
So , you know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Just that loneliness of having to be home all the time , you ’ re sort of blind .
There was this heartbreak from having this nigga over all the time and realizing that I was just his nice little house to chill at , you know what I mean ?
So that , for me , was the worst thing that happened — but also the best thing that happened , because it propelled me to focus on my yoga and go into super-drive for work .
But the quarantine bae @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Laughs ] Launching my business and being able to ground in a space .
I think corona has been a blessing because I ’ m always on the move , and that ’ s something that I learned in my meditation — that when shit got difficult , I booked a flight .
I was like , “ You know what , let me just go to Bali for a little bit.
” You know what I mean ?
“ Let me like find my zen.
” But it was like , what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if you can ’ t find zen within the space you ’ re at , you don ’ t really have zen .
You ’ re just escaping .
Because home is within you .
You take you everywhere .
So if at any point you get a little uncomfortable , you ’ re jumping and running — you ’ ve got nothing concrete .
But I think the first step is acknowledging where you are and not faking it , because you ’ re living in your own prison because you have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re showing everyone this nice and pretty version of you when , inside , you ’ re crying and dying and no one can see your pain .
So the only way that someone can help you or that you can get out of your situation is by one , acknowledging where you are , and two , understanding that you don ’ t do this life alone , so ask for help .
And after asking for help , saying , “ All right , so what are some tools that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I need to be ?
” It can be professional help or could even just be a friend .
But I think the biggest thing with people suffering right now is that it seems like it ’ s a collective thing , [ yet ] no one wants to place their burden on someone else .
When in reality , through us being able to discuss suffering , we ’ re able to be like , “ Oh , it ’ s you , too ?
Oh , OK. ” And that collectiveness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intentional sigh ] — that collective sigh is enough .
So I think that ’ s what I would recommend : finding a community .
Yeah .
I think that dovetails with this other idea I ’ ve been thinking a lot about over the past several months , which is that it feels like the world is ending in a lot of ways , but not in a bad way .
It feels like a lot of institutions , systems , structures that have oppressed us are crumbling or have the potential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the possibility for imagination and imagining a new world .
I ’ m curious to know what world , what portals are you imagining , what are you manifesting for the rest of the year and the years to come ?
I ’ d like to see more authenticity .
More people just standing [ up against injustice ] , but I also just want the whole fucking thing to deconstruct .
I would like to see everything flipped upside down .
I just want the whole cup to be poured over .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ into itself in a way that is not what we want to see necessarily , but what it is .
And I think that it ’ s going to get so much more ugly before it gets good , but that ’ s how we build .
That ’ s how we grow .
Suffering can be ugly , but it isn ’ t necessarily bad .
I ’ m sure when you were in school and you were like , “ I ’ m not trying to do this motherfuckin ’ journalism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ !
” [ Laughs ] You know what I mean ?
It was suffering for you at that time .
But maybe you look back on that now and it ’ s like , “ Wow , I ’ m so thankful for that because that ’ s what made me who I am .
These situations , this trauma , this whatever put me into the space that I needed to be.
” So I think it ’ s just shifting the narrative and shifting our perception .

At just 26 years old, Mominatu has lived many lives. She’s traveled the world — Puerto Rico, Portugal, India, Tanzania and Ecuador — and through it all, she has cultivated a deep yoga practice that has allowed her to stay grounded no matter where she is. This year, the model-turned-yoga instructor embarked on her biggest adventure yet: moving to Dakar, Senegal, to open her first yoga studio.
Of course, she couldn’t have anticipated the emergence of COVID-19, but rather than throw a complete wrench in her business venture, the past several months have created opportunities for Mominatu to learn how to adapt and grow. Nine months after moving to Dakar, she’s birthed a beautiful community of mostly Black women, teaching virtual and socially distanced yoga classes to local clients who are discovering a new way of finding peace amid mayhem.
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In this interview for “Getting Through,” Mominatu discusses finding community, the key to mastering meditation and, after years of jet-setting, what she’s learned about the power of being still.
OK, first: How are you, really?
I think we’ve all been quietly going through it. As a Black woman in a patriarchal world, you’re always quietly going through it — on top of a pandemic, on top of racism, on top of the world sliding, falling apart. On top of people not honoring Black bodies. It’s like everyone is walking around with this weight on their backs. And any single person who is saying they are “OK” and that “everything is fine” has either not tapped into themselves — spiritually, emotionally or mentally — or are too privileged to acknowledge anything because it doesn’t affect them.
On your Instagram, you’ve talked a lot about how yoga has helped center you during the hardest times. Right now you are in your studio in Dakar, getting ready to lead your first yoga class for the day. How did you find your way to Senegal, and how did you find your way to starting this yoga practice?
Well, for some background, I’m Liberian and Senegalese. I went to school in America for broadcast journalism and a minor in fashion business. And then I was like, “Mmm, this ain’t it for me.” I decided I wanted to start traveling the world. I moved to Puerto Rico from Chicago with my best friend. I just followed my intuition and have been blessed along the way. I was doing marketing in Puerto Rico, and then I got signed to a major modeling agency. It was always my dream to model, so I did that. Then from Puerto Rico, I was like, “All right, I’ve made it here. I’ve done billboards here. I’ve done commercial campaigns. Maybe I’ll go to New York and see what that’s about.” This was after watching this movie, “Begin Again.” I was like, “These motherfuckers are on the rooftops and shit, following their dreams!” I’m like, “What am I doing sitting in Puerto Rico? I want to go to New York.” [Laughs] So I went to New York, and I got signed with this management team and started modeling there. But throughout it all, for the past 11 years, I was always practicing yoga. I got a yoga teacher training certification when I was 18.
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I always had the intention of deepening my own practice because it was something that I needed. I never called it anxiety because I’m African and “we don’t have depression and anxiety,” right? [Laughs] That’s a white people thing, right? But I never, ever felt good. There was always this underlying trauma. I always needed yoga, and I always needed meditation or working out to find an equilibrium. And whenever I fell out of my practice, I found that I was not OK. It has always been a medicine for me, and I’m sure maybe it would have been better for me had I found, like, actual medicine, but that was the holistic approach [that] has worked for me and has allowed me to not only heal myself, but to use this practice to heal others. And that’s what brought me to Africa this year. I have decided to come back to Senegal, which is where my mom is from, and to bring yoga from a Black woman to the Senegalese people.
And how has that experience been for you? What has the response been from the people who take your classes?
I’ve been here for nine months now. I’ve been teaching the community classes for about five months, and people are loving it. Senegalese people are loving it. They wanted it. They wanted it! I had a class on the beach just the other day. Let me tell you: My first-ever class, I was scared shitless. I had my friends — who are social media influencers and they’re very powerful people — and they came, they’re like, “Bitch, if you don’t teach this mothafuckin’ class...” [Laughs] And they’re like, “We’re just gonna sit in class and we’re going to put you on the stories. Teach a class.” And so I’m there and my class was full, and it was all Black women. It was all Senegalese women, Senegalese diaspora, Africans.
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And when one of the girls left the beach, a guy came up to her. He’s like, “You know, I have never, ever, ever seen Black people doing this. It’s always the white girls that come from America.” And that was so powerful for me. And now, fast forward, all my classes are Black. I mean, of course I have Lebanese clients and my private clients, but my group classes are African. They are Senegalese. And even African men are taking my classes. These men are coming in and stretching, and they’re not here for the fine girls. [Laughs] They’re here to find their peace.
What are your self-care rituals? Not just yoga, but other things that you do to stay grounded and centered?
I wake up in the morning at like 5 a.m., and I use a tongue scraper. Are you familiar with those Ayurvedic tongue scrapers, to get out all of the bacteria? And then I do oil pulling with coconut oil for 20 minutes. I just walk around the house. It changes everything. Everything. And then once I’m done with the oil pulling, I love herbs, so I’ll do an herbal tea to warm up. And then I do this specific massage called Abhyanga, and that’s an Ayurvedic self-massage. I love Ayurvedic science, and I treat my body on those philosophies. But the idea, basically, is pouring love into yourself. You take hot oil and you rub — it’s almost like lymphatic drainage. You rub the oil going down in strokes and then circling around the joints to [do] lymphatic drainage, but also as a self-love ritual. As you massage yourself, taking the time to really moisturize is an act of love. It’s like cleaning your temple. So I do that. And then I will go to the gym or train my first client that day. But those are things that, truly, no bullshit, I’m not the same person if I don’t start my day with those things. And then, of course, meditation.
How has yoga, meditation and all these practices changed your outlook on your life, and specifically during this time, how have they aided you in dealing with the chaos of 2020?
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So for me, I like to say that yoga and meditation is very selfish, right? It allows you to deal with your own shit, but it doesn’t really show you how to deal with the world around you. So meditation allowed me to realize I wasn’t OK. And in that awareness, I could say, “All right, so what am I going to do about not feeling good right now?” ... We got a pandemic. We got to stay in the house. We can’t go anywhere. All right. That’s that. Now you got Black Lives Matter, the racism. All right. Then what? It’s just like, you’re constantly just — [takes three pronounced gasps] — taking in all these gulps until you’re like, “I. Can’t. Breathe. Anymore.” You know?
So I think having the awareness of what was going on allowed me to feel it. I know that sounds really weird, but I think the knowing and the grieving and being able to know what I was crying about [helped a lot], whereas a lot of my friends were just like, “I don’t know why I’m so upset.” It’s like, “Babes, open your eyes.”
You can’t solve a problem if you can’t name it.
Exactly. And that’s what meditation did for me. It allows me the space to have stillness, to understand what’s going on and how I respond and react to that. And to find a little bit of peace under pressure.
What was the worst thing that happened this year, so far?
The worst thing? [Laughs] I’ll be deadass. I was messing around with this one dude who was just devil dick. We’re all quarantining. We had a curfew here, so you couldn’t leave the house past 7 p.m. You couldn’t be on the streets. In Senegal, they were beating people [for breaking curfew]. So, you know, you had your little quarantine bae. Just that loneliness of having to be home all the time, you’re sort of blind. There was this heartbreak from having this nigga over all the time and realizing that I was just his nice little house to chill at, you know what I mean? So that, for me, was the worst thing that happened — but also the best thing that happened, because it propelled me to focus on my yoga and go into super-drive for work. But the quarantine bae situation, I got played. [Laughs]
And then on the flip side, what would you say is the best thing that’s happened this year so far?
Launching my business and being able to ground in a space. I think corona has been a blessing because I’m always on the move, and that’s something that I learned in my meditation — that when shit got difficult, I booked a flight. I was like, “You know what, let me just go to Bali for a little bit.” You know what I mean? “Let me like find my zen.” But it was like, what the fuck is that? Like, if you can’t find zen within the space you’re at, you don’t really have zen. You’re just escaping. Because home is within you. You take you everywhere. So if at any point you get a little uncomfortable, you’re jumping and running — you’ve got nothing concrete.
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What would be your advice to anyone who’s struggling? And when I say struggling, I mean, struggling to cope with everything that’s coming their way, struggling with their mental health, struggling to be happy and content in this really chaotic time.
I would say, don’t fake it. Acknowledge where you’re at and don’t let anyone tell you how you’re supposed to feel. But most importantly, community and finding people to just talk to and listen. It could be a therapist or it could be someone that’s one step ahead of you. Someone that genuinely wants to listen. ’Cause oftentimes, people — especially yoga instructors — say, “Well, do some meditation, do some yoga, eat some good food.” Like, “Bitch, it’s serotonin. It’s not kale.” Sometimes, it really does require Lexapro, you know what I mean? There are other tools.
But I think the first step is acknowledging where you are and not faking it, because you’re living in your own prison because you have no integrity to your soul. You’re showing everyone this nice and pretty version of you when, inside, you’re crying and dying and no one can see your pain. So the only way that someone can help you or that you can get out of your situation is by one, acknowledging where you are, and two, understanding that you don’t do this life alone, so ask for help. And after asking for help, saying, “All right, so what are some tools that I can take to get to where I need to be?” It can be professional help or could even just be a friend. But I think the biggest thing with people suffering right now is that it seems like it’s a collective thing, [yet] no one wants to place their burden on someone else. When in reality, through us being able to discuss suffering, we’re able to be like, “Oh, it’s you, too? Oh, OK.” And that collectiveness, that — [takes deep, intentional sigh] — that collective sigh is enough. So I think that’s what I would recommend: finding a community.
Yeah. I think that dovetails with this other idea I’ve been thinking a lot about over the past several months, which is that it feels like the world is ending in a lot of ways, but not in a bad way. It feels like a lot of institutions, systems, structures that have oppressed us are crumbling or have the potential to crumble. And that is inviting the possibility for imagination and imagining a new world. I’m curious to know what world, what portals are you imagining, what are you manifesting for the rest of the year and the years to come?
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Radical self-thought. In a way, I’m very, very thankful for Donald Trump because he showed us we weren’t bullshitting. We weren’t lying. Racism was real.
I’d like to see more authenticity. More people just standing [up against injustice], but I also just want the whole fucking thing to deconstruct. I would like to see everything flipped upside down. I just want the whole cup to be poured over. I want to see the world tap into itself in a way that is not what we want to see necessarily, but what it is. And I think that it’s going to get so much more ugly before it gets good, but that’s how we build. That’s how we grow.
It’s necessary, yeah.
Suffering can be ugly, but it isn’t necessarily bad. I’m sure when you were in school and you were like, “I’m not trying to do this motherfuckin’ journalism class. This is hell on Earth!” [Laughs] You know what I mean? It was suffering for you at that time. But maybe you look back on that now and it’s like, “Wow, I’m so thankful for that because that’s what made me who I am. These situations, this trauma, this whatever put me into the space that I needed to be.” So I think it’s just shifting the narrative and shifting our perception.
Finally, what are the books, movies and music that have fed you, that have centered you during this time?
Wow. That’s a beautiful question. I love that. “Purple Hibiscus” was a treat in lockdown. I listened to a lot of Ethiopian jazz, so Dexter Story, the “Bahir” album. Florence and the Machine, her latest album. A lot of Osho — I love Osho. I know he’s so controversial, but I love Osho’s books. I love his talks.
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This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
More recommendations from Mominatu
Books: “The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle” by Haruki Murakami, “The Picture of Dorian Gray” by Oscar Wilde, “A Course in Miracles” by Helen Schucman
Movies: “Ponyo,” “Tableau Ferraille,” “Touki Bouki”
TV shows: ″Ethos”, The Crown Season 4, “The Queen’s Gambit”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-08--Vaccine Czar 'Literally' Doesn't Know About Trump's Planned Executive Order On Vaccines

The head of the Trump administration ’ s COVID-19 vaccine development project on Tuesday said he “ literally ” doesn ’ t know anything about President Donald Trump ’ s planned executive order to prioritize vaccinations for Americans .
White House officials announced the order , which they said reaffirms Trump ’ s “ commitment to America first , ” on Monday shortly after The New York Times reported that the Trump administration passed on Pfizer ’ s offer to sell the U.S. additional vaccine doses in mid-2021 .
It wasn ’ t immediately clear how the order will actually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It does not appear to expand the U.S. supply of doses , the Times reported .
Dr. Moncef Slaoui ― the chief science adviser to Operation Warp Speed , the Trump administration ’ s vaccine project ― told ABC ’ s “ Good Morning America ” that the U.S. will still be able to deliver vaccines to its entire population by mid-2021 .
When asked to explain the executive order , which will reportedly attempt to limit other countries from getting the vaccine until all Americans get it , Slaoui said he was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said his team ’ s work is “ rolling ” and that there are plans in place .
“ We feel that we can deliver the vaccines as needed , so I don ’ t know exactly what this order is about , ” he added .
It ’ s unclear why the White House wouldn ’ t loop in Slaoui ― the official in charge of vaccine development and distribution ― on the planned executive order regarding vaccines .
Trump is expected to sign the order Tuesday during a vaccine summit at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ― two major drug manufacturers likely to get emergency authorizations for their COVID-19 vaccines in the coming weeks ― declined invitations to attend the event , StatNews reported Monday .
White House officials said later Monday that they deemed the companies ’ presence “ not appropriate ” since the Food and Drug Administration official charged with deciding which vaccines are granted emergency-use authorization will be in attendance .
“ There was a change of direction in light of the fact we would have the regulator participating in the event , ” a White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reporters , according to CNN .
Slaoui said Tuesday that the U.S. is “ still on track ” to deliver vaccine doses to all Americans by mid-2021 as promised , citing initial doses from Pfizer as well as additional doses of other likely vaccines produced by Moderna , Johnson & Johnson and Astra Zeneca .
“ We are comfortable we will be getting vaccines to the people who need them as soon as possible , ” he said , adding that his team “ will work with Pfizer to try and increase capacity @ @ @ @ @ @ @

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The head of the Trump administration’s COVID-19 vaccine development project on Tuesday said he “literally” doesn’t know anything about President Donald Trump’s planned executive order to prioritize vaccinations for Americans.
White House officials announced the order, which they said reaffirms Trump’s “commitment to America first,” on Monday shortly after The New York Times reported that the Trump administration passed on Pfizer’s offer to sell the U.S. additional vaccine doses in mid-2021.
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It wasn’t immediately clear how the order will actually change the U.S. vaccine distribution plan. It does not appear to expand the U.S. supply of doses, the Times reported.
Dr. Moncef Slaoui ― the chief science adviser to Operation Warp Speed, the Trump administration’s vaccine project ― told ABC’s “Good Morning America” that the U.S. will still be able to deliver vaccines to its entire population by mid-2021.
When asked to explain the executive order, which will reportedly attempt to limit other countries from getting the vaccine until all Americans get it, Slaoui said he was in the dark about it.
“Frankly, I don’t know,” Slaoui said. “And frankly, I’m staying out of this. I can’t comment. I literally don’t know.”
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“You don’t know?” host George Stephanopoulos asked. “You’re the chief science adviser for Operation Warp Speed.”
Slaoui said his team’s work is “rolling” and that there are plans in place.
“We feel that we can deliver the vaccines as needed, so I don’t know exactly what this order is about,” he added.
BREAKING: Pressed by @GStephanopoulos to explain Pres. Trump's executive order prioritizing Americans’ access to COVID-19 vaccines before the United States helps other countries, "Operation Warp Speed" Chief Science Adviser Dr. Moncef Slaoui says, "Frankly I don't know." pic.twitter.com/Wk7ElJKDaw — Good Morning America (@GMA) December 8, 2020
It’s unclear why the White House wouldn’t loop in Slaoui ― the official in charge of vaccine development and distribution ― on the planned executive order regarding vaccines.
The White House did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment.
Trump is expected to sign the order Tuesday during a vaccine summit at the White House. Pfizer and Moderna ― two major drug manufacturers likely to get emergency authorizations for their COVID-19 vaccines in the coming weeks ― declined invitations to attend the event, StatNews reported Monday.
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White House officials said later Monday that they deemed the companies’ presence “not appropriate” since the Food and Drug Administration official charged with deciding which vaccines are granted emergency-use authorization will be in attendance.
“There was a change of direction in light of the fact we would have the regulator participating in the event,” a White House official said during a call with reporters, according to CNN.
Slaoui said Tuesday that the U.S. is “still on track” to deliver vaccine doses to all Americans by mid-2021 as promised, citing initial doses from Pfizer as well as additional doses of other likely vaccines produced by Moderna, Johnson & Johnson and Astra Zeneca.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-08--Supreme Court Rejects GOP Bid To Reverse Joe Biden’s Pennsylvania Win

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — The Supreme Court has rejected Republicans ’ last-gasp bid to reverse Pennsylvania ’ s certification @ @ @ @ @ s victory in the electoral battleground .
The court without comment Tuesday refused to call @ @ @ @ @ process in Pennsylvania .
Gov .
Tom Wolf already has certified Biden ’ s victory @ @ @ @ @ 20 electors are to meet on Dec. 14 to cast their votes for Biden .
@ @ @ @ @ , so even if Pennsylvania ’ s results had been in doubt , he still @ @ @ @ @ 270 electoral votes needed to become president .

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WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has rejected Republicans’ last-gasp bid to reverse Pennsylvania’s certification of President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in the electoral battleground.
The court without comment Tuesday refused to call into question the the certification process in Pennsylvania. Gov. Tom Wolf already has certified Biden’s victory and the state’s 20 electors are to meet on Dec. 14 to cast their votes for Biden.
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