thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-12--Lawyers For Mentally Ill Woman Set To Be Executed By U.S. Contract Coronavirus

Two lawyers for Lisa Montgomery , the only woman on federal death row , have contracted the coronavirus after repeat visits to see her .
Montgomery is the first woman set to be executed by the federal government in almost 70 years .
She suffers from severe mental illness and is a victim of childhood abuse and sex trafficking .
A lawsuit filed on Thursday requests a stay of execution until Montgomery ’ s attorneys are able to fully participate in the clemency process .
Her lawyers are virtually bedridden , according to court documents , and are experiencing debilitating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from “ headaches , chills , sweats , gastrointestinal distress , inability to focus , and impaired thinking and judgment , ” says the lawsuit , which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia by Cornell Law School ’ s International Human Rights Clinic .
The Trump administration resumed executions in federal death penalty cases this summer , after a 17-year hiatus .
So far , seven people on federal death row have been executed .
On Oct. 16 , the Department of Justice announced that Montgomery would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s attorneys , Assistant Federal Public Defenders Kelley Henry and Amy Harwell , were given just 30 days to prepare a clemency application for her .
Both attorneys traveled to visit Montgomery in prison in Carswell , Texas , three days after her execution was set .
Harwell visited Montgomery again on Oct. 26 , and then both lead attorneys saw her on Nov. 2 .
They tested positive for coronavirus the following week .
They are currently quarantined .
According to the lawsuit , they are not able to enter their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Montgomery ’ s case , or travel to meet with their client and to speak to witnesses .
“ Mrs .
Montgomery ’ s mental health — and the extent to which she is able to grasp what is happening to her — lies at the core of her efforts to obtain a reprieve and a commutation of her sentence to life imprisonment , ” the lawsuit reads .
“ For this reason , among others , it is vital that counsel be able to meet with Mrs. Montgomery in person to evaluate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vital since , as a result of the pandemic , the mental health experts who have evaluated Mrs. Montgomery in the past are unable to travel to the prison.
” A coalition of over a thousand prosecutors , anti-violence advocates and mental health experts sent letters to President Donald Trump on Wednesday , asking him to commute her sentence to life in prison without possibility of parole .
President-elect Joe Biden has pledged to end the federal death penalty .
In an interview , Sandra Babcock , faculty director of the Cornell Center @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was outrageous that the Department of Justice is continuing to execute people on death row in the current environment .
The American Civil Liberties Union released findings earlier this year that suggested that federal executions may have resulted in a spike in coronavirus cases .
“ [ Montgomery ’ s attorneys ’ ] illness is directly traceable to the government ’ s irresponsible decision to schedule this execution in the middle of a pandemic , ” Babcock said .
“ It is really just beyond the pale .
”

Lisa Montgomery, a federal prison inmate scheduled for execution on Dec. 8, in an undated photograph. Handout/Reuters
Two lawyers for Lisa Montgomery, the only woman on federal death row, have contracted the coronavirus after repeat visits to see her.
Montgomery is the first woman set to be executed by the federal government in almost 70 years. She suffers from severe mental illness and is a victim of childhood abuse and sex trafficking.
Advertisement
A lawsuit filed on Thursday requests a stay of execution until Montgomery’s attorneys are able to fully participate in the clemency process. Her lawyers are virtually bedridden, according to court documents, and are experiencing debilitating fatigue.
Montgomery’s clemency application is due on Nov. 15.
Both her attorneys are suffering from “headaches, chills, sweats, gastrointestinal distress, inability to focus, and impaired thinking and judgment,” says the lawsuit, which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia by Cornell Law School’s International Human Rights Clinic.
The Trump administration resumed executions in federal death penalty cases this summer, after a 17-year hiatus. So far, seven people on federal death row have been executed.
On Oct. 16, the Department of Justice announced that Montgomery would be executed on Dec. 8. Montgomery’s attorneys, Assistant Federal Public Defenders Kelley Henry and Amy Harwell, were given just 30 days to prepare a clemency application for her.
Advertisement
Both attorneys traveled to visit Montgomery in prison in Carswell, Texas, three days after her execution was set. Harwell visited Montgomery again on Oct. 26, and then both lead attorneys saw her on Nov. 2. They tested positive for coronavirus the following week.
Each trip involved two plane fights, hotel stays and exposure to dozens of people, including prison staff.
They are currently quarantined. According to the lawsuit, they are not able to enter their offices to access their paper files in Montgomery’s case, or travel to meet with their client and to speak to witnesses.
“Mrs. Montgomery’s mental health — and the extent to which she is able to grasp what is happening to her — lies at the core of her efforts to obtain a reprieve and a commutation of her sentence to life imprisonment,” the lawsuit reads. “For this reason, among others, it is vital that counsel be able to meet with Mrs. Montgomery in person to evaluate her mental status. This is particularly vital since, as a result of the pandemic, the mental health experts who have evaluated Mrs. Montgomery in the past are unable to travel to the prison.”
A coalition of over a thousand prosecutors, anti-violence advocates and mental health experts sent letters to President Donald Trump on Wednesday, asking him to commute her sentence to life in prison without possibility of parole. President-elect Joe Biden has pledged to end the federal death penalty.
Advertisement
In an interview, Sandra Babcock, faculty director of the Cornell Center on the Death Penalty Worldwide, said it was outrageous that the Department of Justice is continuing to execute people on death row in the current environment. The American Civil Liberties Union released findings earlier this year that suggested that federal executions may have resulted in a spike in coronavirus cases.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-12--Police Stumped By Theft Of Rare Tree In Wisconsin Capital

MADISON , Wis. ( AP ) — Police are stumped by the theft of a rare pine tree from the University of Wisconsin Arboretum .
The 25-foot Algonquin Pillar Swiss Mountain pine was sawed down sometime between Nov. 5 and Nov. 9 , University of Wisconsin-Madison police said Thursday .
The stolen tree was about 30 yards from a street that runs through the arboretum , which is a popular spot for walkers , joggers , bicyclists and nature lovers .
The tree was planted in 1988 , and a twin tree next to it was left unharmed .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( not pictured ) has yet to be found .
However , a company white fir located nearby that was planted in 1981 had a 12-foot section cut from its top , police said .
That was left behind .
Arboretum staff estimated the cost of the stolen and damaged trees to be at least $ 13,000 , police said .
Police said they are hoping for help from the public in identifying the thieves , given the size of the tree and the manpower it would take to remove it .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ witnessed a large tree being transported from this area — or noticed a large tree that ’ s now part of someone ’ s holiday display .
”

LOADING ERROR LOADING
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Police are stumped by the theft of a rare pine tree from the University of Wisconsin Arboretum.
The 25-foot Algonquin Pillar Swiss Mountain pine was sawed down sometime between Nov. 5 and Nov. 9, University of Wisconsin-Madison police said Thursday.
Advertisement
The stolen tree was about 30 yards from a street that runs through the arboretum, which is a popular spot for walkers, joggers, bicyclists and nature lovers.
The tree was planted in 1988, and a twin tree next to it was left unharmed.
The missing 25-foot Algonquin Pillar Swiss Mountain pine (not pictured) has yet to be found. David McNew via Getty Images
However, a company white fir located nearby that was planted in 1981 had a 12-foot section cut from its top, police said. That was left behind.
Arboretum staff estimated the cost of the stolen and damaged trees to be at least $13,000, police said.
Advertisement
Police said they are hoping for help from the public in identifying the thieves, given the size of the tree and the manpower it would take to remove it.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-12--NYC Woman Gets Ill Swan To Clinic Via Foot, Car And Subway

She ended up rescuing a swan with lead poisoning , taking it to a wildlife clinic by foot , car and subway with the help of both friends and strangers .
Cordova-Rojas is trained in identifying and rescuing wildlife , the New York Times reported , having worked at the Wild Bird Fund clinic in Manhattan for five years .
She got to the Queens wildlife refuge on Nov. 5 and spotted a swan alone in the grass on the side of the water .
She approached it and saw it was unable to walk or fly .
She wrapped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is named Bae , in her jacket and carried it a mile to the refuge entrance , the newspaper reported .
Calls to various animal rescue services and the ranger stations yielded no immediate assistance .
Then a couple with a car agreed to drive the swan and Cordova-Rojas to a nearby subway station .
( The couple persuaded yet another friend with a car to help get Cardova-Rojas , her bike and the swan to a subway station . )
An employee of Wild Bird Fund met them at the Nostrand station @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the organization ’ s clinic on the Upper West Side .
Photos show the swan nestled in an orange jacket on a seat in a train car .
Cordova-Rojas told the Associated Press the swan was being treated for lead poisoning and with antifungals and antibacterial medications .
She has made a friend of another swan at the clinic and is gaining strength and mobility .
It could take three weeks or up to two months before Bae returns to the refuge , Cordova-Rojas said .
“ I think it just shows the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ always think that we are rude and heartless , but we are just busy and have places to go , so we move fast , '' Cordova-Rojas said .
“ Even though we live in a concrete jungle , we are surrounded by nature and wildlife if you just take a second to look around .
The wildlife are just as much New Yorkers as we are , and it is our duty to keep each other safe . ''
The mute swan , which has an orange bill and holds its neck @ @ @ @ @ @ @ native to North America .
It has multiplied in New York , the upper Midwest and along the Atlantic coast since it was imported in the 1800s to adorn parks and opulent estates .
Citing threats to native wildlife , plants and unwary humans , six states now have swan-removal policies that range from egg-shaking to shooting or gassing adult birds .
New York had its own anti-swan proposals that brought a deluge of protest , but Democratic Gov .
Andrew Cuomo eventually signed a bill in 2016 .
It allowed for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can ’ t be captured and relocated to facilities .
Downstate , it emphasized population control by damaging eggs .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
NEW YORK (AP) — Ariel Cordova-Rojas went to New York's Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge last week to celebrate her 30th birthday.
She ended up rescuing a swan with lead poisoning, taking it to a wildlife clinic by foot, car and subway with the help of both friends and strangers.
Advertisement
Cordova-Rojas is trained in identifying and rescuing wildlife, the New York Times reported, having worked at the Wild Bird Fund clinic in Manhattan for five years.
She got to the Queens wildlife refuge on Nov. 5 and spotted a swan alone in the grass on the side of the water.
She approached it and saw it was unable to walk or fly. She wrapped the 17-pound bird, which she says is named Bae, in her jacket and carried it a mile to the refuge entrance, the newspaper reported.
Calls to various animal rescue services and the ranger stations yielded no immediate assistance. Then a couple with a car agreed to drive the swan and Cordova-Rojas to a nearby subway station. (The couple persuaded yet another friend with a car to help get Cardova-Rojas, her bike and the swan to a subway station.) An employee of Wild Bird Fund met them at the Nostrand station in Brooklyn and helped them get to the organization’s clinic on the Upper West Side. Photos show the swan nestled in an orange jacket on a seat in a train car.
Advertisement
Cordova-Rojas told the Associated Press the swan was being treated for lead poisoning and with antifungals and antibacterial medications. She has made a friend of another swan at the clinic and is gaining strength and mobility.
It could take three weeks or up to two months before Bae returns to the refuge, Cordova-Rojas said.
The tale of the swan's rescue saga inspired an outpouring of affection.
“I think it just shows the immense compassion of New Yorkers. People always think that we are rude and heartless, but we are just busy and have places to go, so we move fast," Cordova-Rojas said. “Even though we live in a concrete jungle, we are surrounded by nature and wildlife if you just take a second to look around. The wildlife are just as much New Yorkers as we are, and it is our duty to keep each other safe."
The mute swan, which has an orange bill and holds its neck in a graceful S-curve, isn't native to North America. It has multiplied in New York, the upper Midwest and along the Atlantic coast since it was imported in the 1800s to adorn parks and opulent estates. Citing threats to native wildlife, plants and unwary humans, six states now have swan-removal policies that range from egg-shaking to shooting or gassing adult birds.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-12--Appeals Court Clears Harvard Of Racial Bias In Admissions

Two judges on the 1st U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston rejected claims from an anti-affirmative action group that accuses the Ivy League university of imposing a “ racial penalty ” on Asian Americans .
The decision delivers a blow to the group , Students for Fair Admissions , and moves the case a step closer to a possible review by the U.S. Supreme Court .
Some legal scholars believe the court will take up the case , and both sides have been preparing for that outcome .
“ This lawsuit is now on track to go up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will ask the justices to end these unfair and unconstitutional race-based admissions policies at Harvard and all colleges and universities , ” Blum said in a written statement .
The case revived a national debate about race ’ s role in college admissions .
In multiple decisions spanning decades , the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that colleges can consider race as a limited factor in order to promote campus diversity .
But the practice faces mounting challenges in the courts , including three suits from Students from Fair Admissions .
“ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s limited use of race in its admissions process in order to achieve diversity in the period in question is consistent with the requirements of Supreme Court precedent .
There was no error , ” the judges wrote .
The group ’ s 2014 lawsuit alleges that Harvard ’ s admissions officers use a subjective “ personal rating ” to discriminate against Asian Americans who apply to the school .
Using six years of admissions data , the group found that Asian American applicants had the best academic records but received the lowest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ group ’ s analysis found that Harvard accepted Asian Americans at lower rates than any other racial group , while giving preference to Black and Hispanic students with lower grades .
The lawsuit also alleged that Harvard works to keep a consistent racial breakdown among new students , which the organization says amounts to illegal “ racial balancing.
” Harvard denies any discrimination and says it considers applicants ’ race only in the narrow way approved by the U.S. Supreme Court .
In close calls between students , some underrepresented students may get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , school officials say , but students ’ race is never counted against them .
After a three-week trial that cast new light on Harvard ’ s secretive selection process , a federal judge ruled that other factors could explain why Asian Americans are admitted at lower rates than other students .
In her 2019 ruling , District Judge Allison D. Burroughs said Harvard ’ s admissions process is “ not perfect ” but concluded that there was “ no evidence of any racial animus whatsoever.
” A three-judge panel of the appeals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of the judges , Juan Torruella , died in October before the case was decided .
The ruling notes that Torruella heard oral arguments but did not participate in issuing the decision .
The U.S. Justice Department lawsuit filed briefs supporting the lawsuit , arguing that Harvard goes too far in using race to select students .
The Trump administration has also challenged the use of race at other elite schools including Yale University .
Along with the Harvard case , the Virginia-based Students for Fair Admissions is also suing to rid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Carolina in Chapel Hill and at the University of Texas at Austin .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
BOSTON (AP) — A federal appeals court on Thursday upheld a ruling clearing Harvard University of discrimination against Asian American applicants.
Two judges on the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston rejected claims from an anti-affirmative action group that accuses the Ivy League university of imposing a “racial penalty” on Asian Americans.
Advertisement
The decision delivers a blow to the group, Students for Fair Admissions, and moves the case a step closer to a possible review by the U.S. Supreme Court. Some legal scholars believe the court will take up the case, and both sides have been preparing for that outcome.
Edward Blum, president of Students for Fair Admissions, said he was disappointed but that “our hope is not lost.”
“This lawsuit is now on track to go up to the U.S. Supreme Court where we will ask the justices to end these unfair and unconstitutional race-based admissions policies at Harvard and all colleges and universities,” Blum said in a written statement.
The case revived a national debate about race’s role in college admissions. In multiple decisions spanning decades, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that colleges can consider race as a limited factor in order to promote campus diversity. But the practice faces mounting challenges in the courts, including three suits from Students from Fair Admissions.
Advertisement
In the latest decision, the judges concluded that Harvard’s admissions process passes legal muster and meets requirements previously created by the Supreme Court.
“The issue before us is whether Harvard’s limited use of race in its admissions process in order to achieve diversity in the period in question is consistent with the requirements of Supreme Court precedent. There was no error,” the judges wrote.
The group’s 2014 lawsuit alleges that Harvard’s admissions officers use a subjective “personal rating” to discriminate against Asian Americans who apply to the school. Using six years of admissions data, the group found that Asian American applicants had the best academic records but received the lowest scores on the personal rating.
The group’s analysis found that Harvard accepted Asian Americans at lower rates than any other racial group, while giving preference to Black and Hispanic students with lower grades. The lawsuit also alleged that Harvard works to keep a consistent racial breakdown among new students, which the organization says amounts to illegal “racial balancing.”
Harvard denies any discrimination and says it considers applicants’ race only in the narrow way approved by the U.S. Supreme Court. In close calls between students, some underrepresented students may get a “tip” in their favor, school officials say, but students’ race is never counted against them.
Advertisement
After a three-week trial that cast new light on Harvard’s secretive selection process, a federal judge ruled that other factors could explain why Asian Americans are admitted at lower rates than other students. In her 2019 ruling, District Judge Allison D. Burroughs said Harvard’s admissions process is “not perfect” but concluded that there was “no evidence of any racial animus whatsoever.”
A three-judge panel of the appeals court heard arguments in September, but one of the judges, Juan Torruella, died in October before the case was decided. The ruling notes that Torruella heard oral arguments but did not participate in issuing the decision.
The U.S. Justice Department lawsuit filed briefs supporting the lawsuit, arguing that Harvard goes too far in using race to select students. The Trump administration has also challenged the use of race at other elite schools including Yale University.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-12--Trump Stews Over Election Loss, Remains Silent As Coronavirus Surges

Trump , fresh off his reelection loss to President-elect Joe Biden , remains angry that an announcement about progress in developing a vaccine for the disease came after Election Day .
And aides say the president has shown little interest in the growing crisis even as new confirmed cases are skyrocketing and hospital intensive care units in parts of the country are nearing capacity .
Scroll down or click here for the latest updates from HuffPost ’ s election live blog .
Public health experts worry that Trump ’ s refusal to take aggressive action on the pandemic or to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ final two months of his presidency will only worsen the effects of the virus and hinder the nation ’ s ability to swiftly distribute a vaccine next year .
But Trump , who does not take part in the task force meetings , remains preoccupied with last week ’ s election results .
He has yet to weigh in on the recent spike in virus cases that has state and local officials scrambling and hospitals concerned about their ability to treat those stricken .
With more than 100,000 new confirmed U.S. cases reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump has been more focused on tracking the rollout of a vaccine , which won ’ t be widely available for months .
He has fumed that Pfizer intentionally withheld an announcement about progress on its vaccine trial until after Election Day , according to a White House official who was not authorized to publicly comment and spoke on condition of anonymity .
Pfizer said it did not purposely withhold trial results .
Although the president has consistently played down the pandemic , which has killed more than 240,000 Americans and infected more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , public health experts expressed worry about Trump ’ s silence on the troubling spike in cases , as well as his refusal to begin coordination on virus issues with Biden ’ s transition team .
“ It ’ s a big problem , ” said Dr. Abraar Karan , a global health specialist at Brigham and Women ’ s Hospital and Harvard Medical School .
“ The transition is not going to happen until January , and we are in a complete crisis right now .
We already know where this is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good enough to say we ’ re going to wait until the next president to address this.
” White House chief of staff Mark Meadows tested positive last week after attending an election night party at the White House .
Others at the party also have tested positive , including White House political director Brian Jack , former White House aide Healy Baumgardner and Trump campaign advisers David Bossie and Corey Lewandowski .
Lewandowski said Thursday that he believes he contracted the virus in Philadelphia while assisting the president ’ s election challenge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials around the country are scrambling in the midst of mounting caseloads .
While Trump stays silent , they are urging their residents to step up mask wearing and social distancing , as they brace for what many epidemiologists worry is the beginning of a tumultuous period .
In New York , Gov .
Andrew Cuomo has issued an order starting Friday for bars , restaurants and gyms to be closed by 10 p.m. , and has set a cap of 10 people for private gatherings .
In Illinois , public health officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work from home when possible and urged residents to stay at home as much as possible and skip nonessential travel .
In the closing days of the campaign , Trump sought to reassure Americans that the country was “ rounding the corner ” on the virus , and he wrongly predicted that Democrats ’ focus on the disease would go away right after the election .
The president pushed a sunny public tone even after he tested positive for the virus in early October and was hospitalized for three days after contracting the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and teenage son , Barron , also contracted the virus .
Biden , for his part , largely framed the election as a referendum on Trump ’ s handling of the pandemic .
He has made addressing the virus his top priority as he moves forward with his transition .
He spoke by phone Thursday with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer about the intensifying pandemic and prospects for passage of a COVID-19 relief bill in the lame duck session of Congress .
Incoming White House chief of staff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ COVID coordinator ” who will lead the administration ’ s pandemic response .
Klain , speaking on MSNBC Thursday night , said the individual will have “ direct access ” to the president and will brief him daily on the pandemic .
A team of people underneath the coordinator will supervise vaccine distribution , address supply chain disruptions and improve access to testing .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has publicly disengaged from the battle against the coronavirus at a moment when the disease is tearing across the United States at an alarming pace.
Trump, fresh off his reelection loss to President-elect Joe Biden, remains angry that an announcement about progress in developing a vaccine for the disease came after Election Day. And aides say the president has shown little interest in the growing crisis even as new confirmed cases are skyrocketing and hospital intensive care units in parts of the country are nearing capacity.
Scroll down or click here for the latest updates from HuffPost’s election live blog.
Advertisement
Public health experts worry that Trump’s refusal to take aggressive action on the pandemic or to coordinate with the Biden team during the final two months of his presidency will only worsen the effects of the virus and hinder the nation’s ability to swiftly distribute a vaccine next year.
The White House coronavirus task force held its first post-election meeting Monday. Officials discussed the rising case numbers and the promise of a vaccine in development by Pfizer, and they recognized the service of Navy Rear Adm. John Polowczyk, a member of the task force who retired Monday.
But Trump, who does not take part in the task force meetings, remains preoccupied with last week’s election results. He has yet to weigh in on the recent spike in virus cases that has state and local officials scrambling and hospitals concerned about their ability to treat those stricken.
With more than 100,000 new confirmed U.S. cases reported daily for more than a week, Trump has been more focused on tracking the rollout of a vaccine, which won’t be widely available for months. He has fumed that Pfizer intentionally withheld an announcement about progress on its vaccine trial until after Election Day, according to a White House official who was not authorized to publicly comment and spoke on condition of anonymity. Pfizer said it did not purposely withhold trial results.
Advertisement
Although the president has consistently played down the pandemic, which has killed more than 240,000 Americans and infected more than 10 million people in the U.S., public health experts expressed worry about Trump’s silence on the troubling spike in cases, as well as his refusal to begin coordination on virus issues with Biden’s transition team.
“It’s a big problem,” said Dr. Abraar Karan, a global health specialist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. “The transition is not going to happen until January, and we are in a complete crisis right now. We already know where this is headed. ... It’s not good enough to say we’re going to wait until the next president to address this.”
The president’s silence comes as numerous White House and campaign officials have tested positive for the virus in recent days.
White House chief of staff Mark Meadows tested positive last week after attending an election night party at the White House. Others at the party also have tested positive, including White House political director Brian Jack, former White House aide Healy Baumgardner and Trump campaign advisers David Bossie and Corey Lewandowski. Lewandowski said Thursday that he believes he contracted the virus in Philadelphia while assisting the president’s election challenge there.
Meanwhile, state and local officials around the country are scrambling in the midst of mounting caseloads. While Trump stays silent, they are urging their residents to step up mask wearing and social distancing, as they brace for what many epidemiologists worry is the beginning of a tumultuous period.
Advertisement
In New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo has issued an order starting Friday for bars, restaurants and gyms to be closed by 10 p.m., and has set a cap of 10 people for private gatherings. In Illinois, public health officials asked employers to allow their personnel to work from home when possible and urged residents to stay at home as much as possible and skip nonessential travel.
In Iowa, Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds, who resisted coronavirus restrictions, announced earlier this week that masks will now be required at indoor events of more than 25 people, and she banned outside events of 100 or more people unless all attendees wear masks.
Trump hasn’t answered questions since before Election Day. That hasn’t slowed his Twitter habit, but he’s used it almost exclusively in recent days to rage over the election results and spread unsubstantiated allegations of voter fraud.
By late Thursday afternoon, Trump had tweeted or retweeted more than three dozen times that day. Just one was related to the virus — a retweet of a posting by Sen. David Perdue about Georgia receiving 2,000 vials of a new antibody treatment.
White House officials declined to comment Thursday on when Trump last engaged with members of the coronavirus task force but insisted he remains focused on the pandemic
Advertisement
“The president is regularly briefed about the coronavirus,” said White House spokesperson Sarah Matthews. “The relevant information is brought to him on the big decisions, and then he moves forward in the way that’s best for our country.”
The White House announced Thursday evening that Trump would get an update Friday on Operation Warp Speed, the multi-agency effort to get a vaccine to market as speedily and safely as possible.
In the closing days of the campaign, Trump sought to reassure Americans that the country was “rounding the corner” on the virus, and he wrongly predicted that Democrats’ focus on the disease would go away right after the election. The president pushed a sunny public tone even after he tested positive for the virus in early October and was hospitalized for three days after contracting the virus. His wife, Melania, and teenage son, Barron, also contracted the virus.
Biden, for his part, largely framed the election as a referendum on Trump’s handling of the pandemic. He has made addressing the virus his top priority as he moves forward with his transition. He spoke by phone Thursday with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer about the intensifying pandemic and prospects for passage of a COVID-19 relief bill in the lame duck session of Congress.
Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris met virtually with his new coronavirus advisers this week, and Biden delivered remarks warning Americans that ’’the challenge before us right now is still immense and growing.”
Advertisement
“We could save tens of thousands of lives if everyone would just wear a mask for the next few months. Not Democratic or Republican lives, American lives,” Biden said in a speech this week. “Please, I implore you, wear a mask.”
Incoming White House chief of staff Ron Klain said Biden will appoint a “COVID coordinator” who will lead the administration’s pandemic response. Klain, speaking on MSNBC Thursday night, said the individual will have “direct access” to the president and will brief him daily on the pandemic. A team of people underneath the coordinator will supervise vaccine distribution, address supply chain disruptions and improve access to testing.
Lawrence Gostin, a public health expert at Georgetown University’s law school, said Biden will only be able to “scratch the surface” of tackling a pandemic that could be a “raging forest fire” by the time he takes office on Jan. 20.
He added that even the good news on Pfizer’s development of a vaccine that showed 90% efficacy in early trial results could be diminished if Trump doesn’t begin coordination efforts with Biden’s team on how to roll out the vaccine. Some public health experts believe the task of persuading Americans to take the vaccine and widely distributing it could be as complicated as the vaccine’s development.
“I fear the next three months ahead could be the worst we’ve faced during the pandemic,” Gostin said. “America is like a ship at storm, and the captain has decided to go play golf.”
Advertisement
___


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-12--Rand Paul's Shockingly Bad Advice To Recovered COVID-19 Patients Fires Up Twitter

The senator urged all those who have recovered from the coronavirus to throw out their masks and go out and enjoy public spaces because they are now “ immune ” to it .
This is not true ; there have been confirmed cases of reinfection both in the U.S. and abroad .
“ We have 11 million people in our country who have already had COVID .
We should tell them to celebrate .
We should tell them to throw away their masks , go to restaurants , and live again , because these people are now immune , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said that reinfection is possible and that all people should wear masks in public spaces , regardless of whether they have had COVID-19 or not .
Rand Paul : We have 11 million people in our country who have already had COVID .
We should tell them to celebrate .
We should tell them to throw away their masks , go to restaurants , and live again because these people are now immune ( they are not immune ) pic.twitter.com/Un2CQ1b5Tg — Acyn Torabi ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Paul also tried to cast the nation ’ s leading infectious disease expert , Dr. Anthony Fauci , as melodramatic for urging the public to stay vigilant , even as virus cases soar to record-breaking highs and hospitalization rates surge .
“ Dr .
Fauci doesn ’ t want to admit to any of that , ” Paul said of his false immunity claim .
“ Dr .
Fauci is like ‘ Oh , woe is me.
’ ” Despite Fauci being a member of his White House coronavirus task force , President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expert for differing with him on how to handle the virus .
Paul criticized the doctor on Thursday as politicized and biased .
Fauci has never publicly endorsed any political candidate in his more than four decades of public service .
“ He believes that submission and lockdowns are fine , he ’ s not too worried about individual liberties , ” Paul said .
Fauci called Paul out at a Senate hearing in September for making inaccurate and unscientific claims about the coronavirus and herd immunity .
Rand Paul is telling people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they are immune .
THAT IS A LIE .
He should have his medical license revoked , and he should be censured by the Senate .
And call his neighbor .
— BrooklynDad_Defiant !
( @ mmpadellan ) November 13 , 2020

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) offered dangerously incorrect COVID-19 advice on Fox News Thursday night that set off an outcry on social media.
The senator urged all those who have recovered from the coronavirus to throw out their masks and go out and enjoy public spaces because they are now “immune” to it. This is not true; there have been confirmed cases of reinfection both in the U.S. and abroad.
Advertisement
“We have 11 million people in our country who have already had COVID. We should tell them to celebrate. We should tell them to throw away their masks, go to restaurants, and live again, because these people are now immune,” he told Fox News host Martha MacCallum.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said that reinfection is possible and that all people should wear masks in public spaces, regardless of whether they have had COVID-19 or not.
Rand Paul: We have 11 million people in our country who have already had COVID. We should tell them to celebrate. We should tell them to throw away their masks, go to restaurants, and live again because these people are now immune(they are not immune) pic.twitter.com/Un2CQ1b5Tg — Acyn Torabi (@Acyn) November 13, 2020
Paul also tried to cast the nation’s leading infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, as melodramatic for urging the public to stay vigilant, even as virus cases soar to record-breaking highs and hospitalization rates surge.
Advertisement
“Dr. Fauci doesn’t want to admit to any of that,” Paul said of his false immunity claim. “Dr. Fauci is like ‘Oh, woe is me.’”
Despite Fauci being a member of his White House coronavirus task force, President Donald Trump has attacked the public health expert for differing with him on how to handle the virus.
Paul criticized the doctor on Thursday as politicized and biased. Fauci has never publicly endorsed any political candidate in his more than four decades of public service.
“He believes that submission and lockdowns are fine, he’s not too worried about individual liberties,” Paul said.
Fauci called Paul out at a Senate hearing in September for making inaccurate and unscientific claims about the coronavirus and herd immunity.
Advertisement
The senator’s name was trending on Twitter Thursday night after his appearance.
I’m sorry but Rand Paul must be the worst fucking doctor. https://t.co/f0VoFHBbhD — Molly Jong-Fast🏡 (@MollyJongFast) November 13, 2020
Wanna see a crazy person?
Here’s Rand Paul telling people to go party who’ve already had COVID.
Irresponsible and negligent. Every day I’m ashamed he represents Kentucky.
He stalled anti-lynching legislation recently.
Not working for anyone I know...pic.twitter.com/fKF48R9ERK — Rex Chapman🏇🏼 (@RexChapman) November 13, 2020
Rand Paul is telling people that if they already had COVID-19, they are immune. THAT IS A LIE.
He should have his medical license revoked, and he should be censured by the Senate. And call his neighbor. — BrooklynDad_Defiant! (@mmpadellan) November 13, 2020
Rand Paul is the last doctor I would want to take care of me. Give me Dr. Scholl's, Dr. Pepper, Dr. Strange, anybody but him. https://t.co/tKo0IJ2Bt6 — Adam Best (@adamcbest) November 13, 2020
Advertisement
To be clear, Rand Paul is talking about Dr. Fauci here, not Donald Trump pic.twitter.com/zd9FTPbvu2 — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) November 13, 2020
As a doctor, Rand Paul is the personification of malpractice. https://t.co/2gA69yxrCP — John Lewis’ Backpack Darryl Wharton-Rigby (@whartonrigby) November 13, 2020
He's technically an ophthalmologist ... but not exactly a board certified one. in Kentucky...? More on that: https://t.co/fDX6umBs8H https://t.co/QHKtFt18oi — Joy WE VOTED!! WEAR A MASK!! Reid 😷) (@JoyAnnReid) November 13, 2020
That time Dr. Fauci shutdown US Senator Rand Paul: pic.twitter.com/i0WWxXWcmb — MuslimMarine (@mansoortshams) November 13, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-12--Samuel Alito Goes Full Political Commentator In Federalist Society Speech

The justice , whose job is to not appear partisan , delivered the keynote speech at this year ’ s Federalist Society convention .
The Federalist Society is the conservative legal organization that has chosen and helped confirm all three of President Donald Trump ’ s Supreme Court nominees ― Neil Gorsuch , Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett ― and nearly all of his 53 appeals court judges .
In his speech , Alito ripped governors for issuing “ sweeping restrictions ” in response to COVID-19 , which is surging in nearly every state in the union .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ severe , extensive and prolonged as those experienced for most of 2020 , ” Alito said , mentioning the lack of live events , in-person religious services and court trials .
The justice said that the pandemic “ has highlighted disturbing trends that were already present before the virus struck.
” Alito ’ s politicization of scientific fact is alarming as the United States enters a dark winter of soaring coronavirus cases and hospitalizations ― and comes after Coney Barrett said during her Senate confirmation hearing that the climate crisis , another scientific @ @ @ @ @ @ @ matter of public debate ” and “ politically controversial.
” In addition to his anti-science tirade , Alito condemned the landmark same-sex marriage decision Obergefell v. Hodges , saying it has led to censorship of people who believe is “ a union of one man and one woman.
” He suggested it meant that freedom of speech is “ falling out of favor in some circles.
” “ You can ’ t say that marriage is a union between one man and one woman .
Until very recently , that ’ s what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Now it ’ s considered bigotry , ” Alito said .
“ That this would happen after our decision in Obergefell should not have come as a surprise , ” he added .
“ Yes , the opinion of the court included words meant to calm the fears of those who cling to traditional views of marriage .
But I could see , and so did the other justices in dissent , where the decision would lead.
” The decision has , in fact , led Americans across the country to be able @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the law , just like their straight counterparts .
And contrary to Alito ’ s remarks , people can still freely express opposition to same-sex marriage , just as their critics can freely call them “ bigots .
”

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito gave alarmingly political remarks on Thursday, criticizing many states’ science-based COVID-19 restrictions and condemning the high court’s decision to legalize same-sex marriage.
The justice, whose job is to not appear partisan, delivered the keynote speech at this year’s Federalist Society convention. The Federalist Society is the conservative legal organization that has chosen and helped confirm all three of President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominees ― Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett ― and nearly all of his 53 appeals court judges.
Advertisement
In his speech, Alito ripped governors for issuing “sweeping restrictions” in response to COVID-19, which is surging in nearly every state in the union.
“We have never before seen restrictions as severe, extensive and prolonged as those experienced for most of 2020,” Alito said, mentioning the lack of live events, in-person religious services and court trials.
The justice said that the pandemic “has highlighted disturbing trends that were already present before the virus struck.”
Alito’s politicization of scientific fact is alarming as the United States enters a dark winter of soaring coronavirus cases and hospitalizations ― and comes after Coney Barrett said during her Senate confirmation hearing that the climate crisis, another scientific fact, was “a very contentious matter of public debate” and “politically controversial.”
Advertisement
In addition to his anti-science tirade, Alito condemned the landmark same-sex marriage decision Obergefell v. Hodges, saying it has led to censorship of people who believe is “a union of one man and one woman.” He suggested it meant that freedom of speech is “falling out of favor in some circles.”
Here is Justice Alito complaining that the Supreme Court’s same-sex marriage decision has crushed the free speech of anti-LGBTQ advocates. pic.twitter.com/0eH9QsxMTU — Mark Joseph Stern (@mjs_DC) November 13, 2020
“You can’t say that marriage is a union between one man and one woman. Until very recently, that’s what the vast majority of Americans thought. Now it’s considered bigotry,” Alito said.
“That this would happen after our decision in Obergefell should not have come as a surprise,” he added. “Yes, the opinion of the court included words meant to calm the fears of those who cling to traditional views of marriage. But I could see, and so did the other justices in dissent, where the decision would lead.”
The decision has, in fact, led Americans across the country to be able to finally marry who they love under the law, just like their straight counterparts. And contrary to Alito’s remarks, people can still freely express opposition to same-sex marriage, just as their critics can freely call them “bigots.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-13--Meghan McCain Uses Trump's Trolling Against Him After He Loses Arizona

“ The View ” co-host Meghan McCain trolled President Donald Trump after the networks called her home state of Arizona for President-elect Joe Biden on Thursday night .
And she did it by sharing a meme with a twist on an insult Trump famously hurled at her father , the late Sen. John McCain ( R-Ariz. ) , who was the 2008 Republican presidential nominee : In light of tonight ’ s news ... .
*sorry I had to , the meme is too funny .
pic.twitter.com/lo6xHqCbk0 — Meghan McCain ( @ MeghanMcCain ) November 13 , 2020 McCain was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was shot down and held as a prisoner of war for five years ― and was repeatedly tortured during that time .
But Trump in 2015 belittled his service .
“ He ’ s not a war hero , ” Trump , who claimed bone spurs to escape military service , said at the time .
“ He ’ s a war hero because he was captured .
I like people who weren ’ t captured.
” Trump repeatedly attacked McCain throughout his presidency , even after the senator ’ s death @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump won Arizona in 2016 , Biden made a play for the state this year , securing the endorsement of McCain ’ s widow Cindy McCain .
Thursday night ’ s election call makes Biden the first Democrat to win Arizona since President Bill Clinton in 1996 .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
“The View” co-host Meghan McCain trolled President Donald Trump after the networks called her home state of Arizona for President-elect Joe Biden on Thursday night.
And she did it by sharing a meme with a twist on an insult Trump famously hurled at her father, the late Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who was the 2008 Republican presidential nominee:
Advertisement
In light of tonight’s news....
*sorry I had to, the meme is too funny. pic.twitter.com/lo6xHqCbk0 — Meghan McCain (@MeghanMcCain) November 13, 2020
McCain was a Navy aviator in Vietnam, where he was shot down and held as a prisoner of war for five years ― and was repeatedly tortured during that time.
But Trump in 2015 belittled his service.
“He’s not a war hero,” Trump, who claimed bone spurs to escape military service, said at the time. “He’s a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren’t captured.”
Trump repeatedly attacked McCain throughout his presidency, even after the senator’s death in 2018 from brain cancer.
Advertisement
While Trump won Arizona in 2016, Biden made a play for the state this year, securing the endorsement of McCain’s widow Cindy McCain.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-12--Mary Trump Has A Surprise Prediction For Her Uncle's Post-White House Plans

But at least one person who knows him well is deeply skeptical .
Mary Trump , the president ’ s niece , told CNN ’ s Chris Cuomo that Trump ’ s talk of running again is just to feed his ego ― but he won ’ t actually do it for one simple reason .
“ He will never put himself in a position where he can lose like this again , ” she said .
In addition , she said , Trump would have to play a secondary role over the coming four years , something he ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also speculated that some combination of age , health and the law could catch up with him over the next four years : Will President Trump run again in 2024 ?
`` No '' says his niece , Mary Trump .
`` He will never put himself in a position where he can lose like this again .
`` https : //t.co/euTPxlqAx3 pic.twitter.com/fuEfrQblyw — Cuomo Prime Time ( @ CuomoPrimeTime ) November 13 , 2020 At least one commentator has reached the same conclusion .
Paul Waldman wrote in The Washington Post that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ll run .
But he won ’ t actually do it .
“ He can keep telling everyone that he really won the 2020 election and it was stolen from him by fraud ( and he will , ad nauseam ) , but the prospect of yet another loss would be too frightening , ” he wrote .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
But at least one person who knows him well is deeply skeptical.
Mary Trump, the president’s niece, told CNN’s Chris Cuomo that Trump’s talk of running again is just to feed his ego ― but he won’t actually do it for one simple reason.
Advertisement
“He will never put himself in a position where he can lose like this again,” she said.
In addition, she said, Trump would have to play a secondary role over the coming four years, something he’s not prone to doing.
She also speculated that some combination of age, health and the law could catch up with him over the next four years:
Will President Trump run again in 2024?
"No" says his niece, Mary Trump. "He will never put himself in a position where he can lose like this again."https://t.co/euTPxlqAx3 pic.twitter.com/fuEfrQblyw — Cuomo Prime Time (@CuomoPrimeTime) November 13, 2020
At least one commentator has reached the same conclusion.
Paul Waldman wrote in The Washington Post that Trump will likely keep saying he’ll run.
But he won’t actually do it.
“He can keep telling everyone that he really won the 2020 election and it was stolen from him by fraud (and he will, ad nauseam), but the prospect of yet another loss would be too frightening,” he wrote.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-13--Anderson Cooper: Kayleigh McEnany Just Took Us ‘Completely Through The Looking Glass’

CNN ’ s Anderson Cooper on Thursday ripped White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany for “ taking us completely through @ @ @ @ @ a galaxy far , far away ” with her response to a simple question on @ @ @ @ @ asked on “ Fox & Friends ” earlier in the day if President Donald Trump @ @ @ @ @ acknowledge defeat in the 2020 election ― had considered allowing President-elect Joe Biden access to @ @ @ @ @ said she hadn ’ t talked with Trump about the issue and suggested it would @ @ @ @ @ for the White House .
“ That would be a question for the White House @ @ @ @ @ spokesperson ?
” exclaimed Cooper .
“ That is next-level stuff .
”

LOADING ERROR LOADING
CNN’s Anderson Cooper on Thursday ripped White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany for “taking us completely through the looking glass and to a galaxy far, far away” with her response to a simple question on Fox News.
McEnany was asked on “Fox & Friends” earlier in the day if President Donald Trump ― who has refused to acknowledge defeat in the 2020 election ― had considered allowing President-elect Joe Biden access to daily classified briefings.
Advertisement
McEnany said she hadn’t talked with Trump about the issue and suggested it would be more of a question for the White House.
Cooper was stunned by McEnany’s response.
“That would be a question for the White House, says the White House spokesperson?” exclaimed Cooper. “That is next-level stuff.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-13--‘Selfish Monster' GOP City Council Member Vows To Defy COVID-19 Rules At Thanksgiving

A Republican member of New York City Council sparked anger on Twitter Thursday when he brazenly boasted that he would ignore coronavirus safety rules to host a large family gathering at Thanksgiving .
Joe Borelli , who represents the COVID-19 hotspot of Staten Island , promised to flout a rule announced Wednesday by New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo ( D ) that limits gatherings in private homes to 10 people .
“ I ’ ll be having more than 10 ppl at my house on Thanksgiving .
My address is public record .
Some family will come from ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Borelli wrote .
“ Kids will see their grandparents , cousins will play in the yard , sis in law will bring strawberry rhubarb pie , & a turkey will be overcooked , ” he added .
I 'll be having more than 10 ppl at my house on Thanksgiving .
My address is public record .
Some family will come from ( gasp ! )
New Jersey .
Kids will see their grandparents , cousins will play in the yard , sis in law will bring strawberry rhubarb pie , & a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Borelli ( @ JoeBorelliNYC ) November 11 , 2020 Borelli ’ s defiant tweet came as the U.S. hit an all-time high for hospitalizations of people infected with the virus .
The virus is raging toward what health officials predict will be a catastrophic phase .
Upwards of 240,000 Americans have already died and more than 8 million have been sickened .
“ Honestly , don ’ t know what to say , ” responded MSNBC ’ s Chris Hayes .
“ We ’ re all human beings with people we love that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the entire Republican Party has basically taken the side of the virus and are actively trying to spread it.
” C'mon man .
This is highly irresponsible .
You may have some legit gripes about the how but the universal message of everyone doing their part should be shared .
Even if this was a private family decision publicizing it is not helpful in any way — Jumaane Williams ( @ JumaaneWilliams ) November 12 , 2020 Honestly , do n't know what to say .
We 're all human beings with people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But increasingly the entire Republican Party has basically taken the side of the virus and are actively trying to spread it .
https : //t.co/eFvpm9vzHU — Chris Hayes ( @ chrislhayes ) November 12 , 2020 Three of my preschoolers have tested positive .
I dropped birthday cake at another one of my students ' homes- she lost her dad to COVID in April .
It 's one thing to act with reckless abandon ; it 's another thing to flaunt that behavior in your grieving city 's face .
Do better @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( @ JessieLosch ) November 12 , 2020 You go tough guy .
You stare that demon hoax down and have your party .
Let us know how it all works out .
Lets hope its worth the possible cost .
— Al Prior ( @ AlrantAl ) November 12 , 2020 Some of us love our family members and want to protect them and keep them healthy so they will be around for future Thanksgivings .
Others of us are just out for the short term gratification .
— Rocky Mountain Views @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2020 Will everyone be isolating for a week beforehand ?
Will they be getting rapid tests on Tuesday to ensure negative results ?
If so , sounds safe .
Enjoy !
Or are you just doing a bit here to own the governor while encouraging your constituents to engage in bad public health behavior ?
— Second Ave. Sagas ( @ 2AvSagas ) November 11 , 2020 And as the ventilator tube was slid down his throat ; his tearful family saying goodbye on FaceTime ; he thought to himself '' Now THIS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ # Winning https : //t.co/tnGtIbJUcX — John Fugelsang ( @ JohnFugelsang ) November 12 , 2020 33,000 are dead in this city from Covid .
And here 's a politician who rejects the minimal protection of keeping a holiday party small to avoid another outbreak @ JoeBorelliNYC , you 're heartless -- a selfish monster .
But enjoy your stuffing .
https : //t.co/hOiFPOgcAp — Darinstrauss ( @ Darinstrauss ) November 12 , 2020 My almost-90-year-old dad is in the hospital and I ca n't be with him , ca n't hold his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ... pie !
— Claire Dederer ( @ ClaireDederer ) November 13 , 2020

LOADING ERROR LOADING
A Republican member of New York City Council sparked anger on Twitter Thursday when he brazenly boasted that he would ignore coronavirus safety rules to host a large family gathering at Thanksgiving.
Joe Borelli, who represents the COVID-19 hotspot of Staten Island, promised to flout a rule announced Wednesday by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) that limits gatherings in private homes to 10 people.
Advertisement
“I’ll be having more than 10 ppl at my house on Thanksgiving. My address is public record. Some family will come from (gasp!) New Jersey,” Borelli wrote.
“Kids will see their grandparents, cousins will play in the yard, sis in law will bring strawberry rhubarb pie, & a turkey will be overcooked,” he added.
I'll be having more than 10 ppl at my house on Thanksgiving. My address is public record. Some family will come from (gasp!) New Jersey.
Kids will see their grandparents, cousins will play in the yard, sis in law will bring strawberry rhubarb pie, & a turkey will be overcooked. — Joe Borelli (@JoeBorelliNYC) November 11, 2020
Borelli’s defiant tweet came as the U.S. hit an all-time high for hospitalizations of people infected with the virus. The virus is raging toward what health officials predict will be a catastrophic phase. Upwards of 240,000 Americans have already died and more than 8 million have been sickened.
Advertisement
Critics called Borelli “highly irresponsible” and a “selfish monster.”
“Honestly, don’t know what to say,” responded MSNBC’s Chris Hayes. “We’re all human beings with people we love that we want to see. But increasingly the entire Republican Party has basically taken the side of the virus and are actively trying to spread it.”
C'mon man. This is highly irresponsible. You may have some legit gripes about the how but the universal message of everyone doing their part should be shared.
Even if this was a private family decision publicizing it is not helpful in any way — Jumaane Williams (@JumaaneWilliams) November 12, 2020
Honestly, don't know what to say. We're all human beings with people we love that we want to see. But increasingly the entire Republican Party has basically taken the side of the virus and are actively trying to spread it. https://t.co/eFvpm9vzHU — Chris Hayes (@chrislhayes) November 12, 2020
Three of my preschoolers have tested positive. I dropped birthday cake at another one of my students' homes- she lost her dad to COVID in April. It's one thing to act with reckless abandon; it's another thing to flaunt that behavior in your grieving city's face. Do better. — Jessie defund MY butt Losch🗽🇺🇾 (@JessieLosch) November 12, 2020
You go tough guy.
You stare that demon hoax down and have your party.
Let us know how it all works out.
Lets hope its worth the possible cost. — Al Prior (@AlrantAl) November 12, 2020
Advertisement
Promoting your own ignorance & selfishness on a social media platform is such a MAGA thing to do. — Andrew Goss 👊USAF👊 (@Goss30Goss) November 13, 2020
Some of us love our family members and want to protect them and keep them healthy so they will be around for future Thanksgivings.
Others of us are just out for the short term gratification. — Rocky Mountain Views (@RockyMountViews) November 12, 2020
Superspreading to own the libs. — CJ Wojo 정 (@Tellythecairn) November 11, 2020
Will everyone be isolating for a week beforehand? Will they be getting rapid tests on Tuesday to ensure negative results? If so, sounds safe. Enjoy!
Or are you just doing a bit here to own the governor while encouraging your constituents to engage in bad public health behavior? — Second Ave. Sagas (@2AvSagas) November 11, 2020
And as the ventilator tube
was slid down his throat;
his tearful family
saying goodbye on FaceTime;
he thought to himself
"Now THIS
will really own the libs."#Winning https://t.co/tnGtIbJUcX — John Fugelsang (@JohnFugelsang) November 12, 2020
Advertisement
33,000 are dead in this city from Covid. And here's a politician who rejects the minimal protection of keeping a holiday party small to avoid another outbreak @JoeBorelliNYC, you're heartless -- a selfish monster. But enjoy your stuffing. https://t.co/hOiFPOgcAp — Darinstrauss (@Darinstrauss) November 12, 2020
What's the opposite of virtue-signalling? https://t.co/AyCT7U8pVb — MB Fawcett (@maxfawcett) November 13, 2020
My almost-90-year-old dad is in the hospital and I can't be with him, can't hold his hand because of COVID protocols. But ... pie! — Claire Dederer (@ClaireDederer) November 13, 2020
Meanwhile, we're setting this up today at my hospital. pic.twitter.com/6KtstXQCeJ — TraumaEnvyRN (@alflannery) November 12, 2020
pour one out for everyone who's going to willfully risk their life on overcooked turkey https://t.co/v0L3AI9WML — A. Z. (Zoë) Madonna (@knitandlisten) November 12, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-13--CNN's Dr. Gupta Spells Out 'Humanitarian Disaster' Of COVID-19 Surge

CNN ’ s chief medical correspondent , Dr. Sanjay Gupta described the surge of the coronavirus in the United States as a “ humanitarian disaster.
” “ Those are not words I use lightly , ” Gupta tweeted Thursday .
“ But when there ’ s more than 60,000 people in the hospital and we could lose more than 2,000 lives a day by Jan , there ’ s no other way to describe this.
” Gupta , during an appearance on CNN ’ s “ New Day , ” said the astonishing rise in daily COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ship through the sea that we have to stop somehow.
” Some rural areas with low numbers of intensive care beds are “ running out of options , ” Gupta noted , and teams from Doctors Without Borders , the international humanitarian organization famed for assisting in conflict and disaster zones , were now coming into America .
Gupta acknowledged “ nobody wants to hear ” about a possible new lockdown to curb the spread of the contagion , but said “ at some point it ’ s no longer our decision ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can ’ t receive new patients .
His comments echoed those of Michael Osterholm , the director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota and member of President-elect Joe Biden ’ s coronavirus advisory team , who this week warned America was “ about to enter COVID hell.
” “ The next three to four months are going to be , by far , the darkest of the pandemic , ” Osterholm said Monday .
“ I don ’ t think America quite gets this yet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worse .
This is not to scare people out of their wits .
This is to scare people into their wits to understand that because we still have control .
We can basically limit the contacts we have with people that will dramatically impact our ability of getting this disease.
” On March 9th , I called this a pandemic .
Today , I called this pandemic a humanitarian disaster .
Those are not words I use lightly , but when there ’ s more than 60,000 people in the hospital and we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day by Jan , there ’ s no other way to describe this .
pic.twitter.com/KmWDFFnJhU — Dr. Sanjay Gupta ( @ drsanjaygupta ) November 12 , 2020

LOADING ERROR LOADING
CNN’s chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta described the surge of the coronavirus in the United States as a “humanitarian disaster.”
“Those are not words I use lightly,” Gupta tweeted Thursday. “But when there’s more than 60,000 people in the hospital and we could lose more than 2,000 lives a day by Jan, there’s no other way to describe this.”
Advertisement
Gupta, during an appearance on CNN’s “New Day,” said the astonishing rise in daily COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations nationwide “is like a really fast-moving ship through the sea that we have to stop somehow.”
Some rural areas with low numbers of intensive care beds are “running out of options,” Gupta noted, and teams from Doctors Without Borders, the international humanitarian organization famed for assisting in conflict and disaster zones, were now coming into America.
Gupta acknowledged “nobody wants to hear” about a possible new lockdown to curb the spread of the contagion, but said “at some point it’s no longer our decision” if health care services are overwhelmed and can’t receive new patients.
His comments echoed those of Michael Osterholm, the director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota and member of President-elect Joe Biden’s coronavirus advisory team, who this week warned America was “about to enter COVID hell.”
Advertisement
“The next three to four months are going to be, by far, the darkest of the pandemic,” Osterholm said Monday. “I don’t think America quite gets this yet. This is going to get much worse. This is not to scare people out of their wits. This is to scare people into their wits to understand that because we still have control. We can basically limit the contacts we have with people that will dramatically impact our ability of getting this disease.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-13--Republican Congressman Helped Organize Ugly Far-Right Protest Against Election Result

When Kim Powell , a reporter for the local CBS affiliate , arrived at the protest just before 8 p.m. , protesters targeted her immediately .
One Trump supporter yelling “ fake news ” approached Powell from behind in an effort to get on camera .
Powell ’ s security guard blocked him .
The protester then threatened to find where Powell and her cameraman live .
He returned to the crowd and began pointing out the reporter to other people , according to Powell .
Soon , five men began circling her and her cameraman , glaring at them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their safety .
Gosar had more than a little to do with that .
The congressman has two Twitter accounts ― one for his work as a federal official and a second , personal account .
He used his personal Twitter to baselessly assert that “ some shady things ” were happening in Arizona .
He also used Twitter to coordinate Wednesday ’ s protest with Cernovich , a longtime dirty trickster who works with numerous far-right extremists .
The original plan was to rally outside the Arizona State Capitol building , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the elections center .
This wasn ’ t just a grassroots swelling of citizens .
These people had pre-manufactured signs .
They all showed up based on a social media notice to come to Maricopa County and protest .
Tom Ryan , attorney in Chandler , Arizona , who specializes in election law

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Three days before Joe Biden was officially projected to win the presidency, a group of at least 150 Donald Trump supporters ― some of them armed militia members ― assembled in the parking lot outside the Maricopa County Recorder’s Office, convinced the fix was in.
Nevermind that Fox News had called Arizona for Biden. Leaders of the AZ Patriots militia raged about Sharpiegate, a debunked conspiracy theory spread by Trump’s adult sons. Far-right activist Mike Cernovich barreled in from his home in Southern California to lead the crowd in a “Stop the Steal” chant and to lend his massive Twitter platform to the effort to delegitimize U.S. democracy.
Advertisement
But among the crowd peppered with extremists — some of whom may have violated local laws and intimidated election officials who continued to count ballots — was a member of Congress known for peddling disinformation and bigotry. Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz) played a key role in amplifying the rally only days after he easily won reelection in Arizona’s neighboring 4th Congressional District.
“We’re fighting to the bitter end,” Gosar told the crowd, speaking through a megaphone. “This is our Alamo.”
Earlier in the evening, AZ Patriots members had barged into the elections center, looking for nonexistent evidence of fraud. Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office deputies politely escorted them out. Years of falsehoods from Trump and his right-wing propagandists had conditioned protesters to believe disinformation about a rigged election. And to hate the media.
Predictably, they soon turned their wrath on local television reporters there to cover the results, shouting profanities and “fake news” at them.
Advertisement
When Kim Powell, a reporter for the local CBS affiliate, arrived at the protest just before 8 p.m., protesters targeted her immediately. One Trump supporter yelling “fake news” approached Powell from behind in an effort to get on camera. Powell’s security guard blocked him. The protester then threatened to find where Powell and her cameraman live. He returned to the crowd and began pointing out the reporter to other people, according to Powell. Soon, five men began circling her and her cameraman, glaring at them. The journalists left, fearing for their safety.
“It almost felt like we were being circled by hyenas,” Powell told HuffPost. Her cameraman recorded footage of the initial harassment and filed a police report.
Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) told Trump supporters "This is our Alamo” as besieged election workers counted ballots in Maricopa County. Jim Urquhart / Reuters
The protesters were so rowdy that election workers needed a police escort back to their cars at the end of the night. If the crowd caused those workers to feel threatened or intimidated, it would violate an Arizona law that prohibits interfering with election officers on duty, according to Tom Ryan, an attorney in nearby Chandler, Arizona, who specializes in election law.
“That’s a class 5 felony,” Ryan said. “That’s punishable with prison. That’s a serious felony.” The militia members who entered the election center may have committed that crime and, according to the attorney, “should have been arrested immediately.”
Advertisement
The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office did not respond to a request for more information by the time of publication.
Ryan says the protest was clearly orchestrated. “This wasn’t just a grassroots swelling of citizens,” he said. “These people had pre-manufactured signs. They all showed up based on a social media notice to come to Maricopa County and protest.”
Gosar had more than a little to do with that. The congressman has two Twitter accounts ― one for his work as a federal official and a second, personal account. He used his personal Twitter to baselessly assert that “some shady things” were happening in Arizona. He also used Twitter to coordinate Wednesday’s protest with Cernovich, a longtime dirty trickster who works with numerous far-right extremists. The original plan was to rally outside the Arizona State Capitol building, but the organizers soon shifted the location to the elections center.
For years, law enforcement and social media executives have allowed Cernovich, who did not respond to HuffPost’s request for comment, to spread disinformation that has real-world, sometimes dangerous, effects. In 2016, he and neo-Nazi collaborator Jack Posobiec, who is now a One America News correspondent, orchestrated Pizzagate, which almost got diners in a Washington, D.C., pizza restaurant killed. Since then, Gosar has interacted with Cernovich on Twitter many times, frequently praising the Kremlin-amplified propagandist.
“This wasn’t just a grassroots swelling of citizens. These people had pre-manufactured signs. They all showed up based on a social media notice to come to Maricopa County and protest.” - Tom Ryan, attorney in Chandler, Arizona, who specializes in election law
Advertisement
On Wednesday night, Gosar stood in the middle of the mostly maskless crowd, chanting, “Where are the votes? Where are the votes?” The votes, of course, were being duly and carefully counted inside the elections center.
The Republican congressman did not respond to HuffPost’s requests for comment via phone, email and direct messages to his personal Twitter account. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) did not respond to requests to comment on Gosar’s connections to extremists and his participation in a protest to delegitimize the election results.
Lies About An ‘Illegitimate’ Election
On Thursday afternoon around 3 p.m. local time, Powell was getting ready to put on a bulletproof vest and head back to the elections center to cover a second “Stop the Steal” rally organized by Gosar and Cernovich. Before she could leave, however, her station director pulled her aside. Death threats had been phoned in to the station targeting one of her colleagues, who’d also covered the rally on Wednesday night.
The timing was curious. At 1:32 p.m., Gosar had taken to his personal Twitter account to savage local reporters after they complained about the harassment and threats at the protest the night before. The Republican congressman mocked the reporters and called one of them an “enemy of the people,” an authoritarian term Trump has popularized to demonize the press and encourage harassment of journalists.
Gosar also used Twitter to single out Powell’s colleague who’d been at the rally the night before, accusing her of “making shit up.”
Advertisement
Cernovich, who has a long history of slandering and harassing journalists and trying to get them fired, joined in on Twitter, questioning whether Powell had been threatened and asking the reporter Gosar had singled out to give him the police report. Afterward, a caller to the station threatened to lynch the same reporter.
On Twitter, Gosar went on to baselessly claim that whoever had threatened Powell the night before must have been an “antifa plant.” Cernovich tried to distance himself from the armed men who had turned up at the rally, baselessly accusing them of being undercover federal agents.
But there was no divorcing either Gosar or Cernovich from the extremism of their protest against democracy. And they were working in concert with other far-right organizers who collaborate regularly with neo-fascists and white nationalists.
"Don't tell me what I mean you white racist bitch," Ali Akbar told a Twitter user who accurately criticized his use of the platform on Nov. 6, 2020, to organize anti-democratic protests in an effort to overturn the election results. Instagram/TheAliAlexander
Advertisement
The “Stop the Steal” phrase originated with former Trump adviser and convicted felon Roger Stone and other far-right extremists in 2016 as an effort to invalidate Democratic votes, particularly those of minority voters. Alexander claimed to have organized similar “Stop the Steal” subversion in 2018 in Florida, bragging that he’d been behind Trumpist Republicans Rick Scott and Pam Bondi’s baseless allegations of mishandled ballots and “rampant” voter fraud in the 2018 midterm election.
As Scott’s lead in his gubernatorial race that year dwindled, he tried to impound voting machines. Other Florida Republicans such as Sen. Marco Rubio and Rep. Matt Gaetz, who also pals around with far-right extremists, cast doubt on mail-in ballots. Some of the ballots had arrived late after apparently being delayed in processing at a sorting facility where a pro-Trump terrorist’s mail bombs targeting Democratic politicians were found.
All of it, really, was a trial run for 2020.
Alexander, meanwhile, appears to have started organizing his current “Stop the Steal” campaign in September, an indication that he and his Steve Bannon-connected network of influence operatives have been preparing for months to delegitimize the 2020 election and the democratic process if it didn’t redound to Trump’s benefit.
On Thursday, Gosar tweeted from his personal account about the election being “stolen by fraud.” In making his case, he retweeted Michael Coudrey, a criminal fraudster and Alexander accomplice with ties to white nationalists and neo-Nazis, who was also promoting “Stop the steal” protests. Coudrey and Richard Grenell, Trump’s authoritarian former acting director of national intelligence, were in a private Twitter group with at least one operative who has taken Kremlin money.
Gosar and Cernovich returned on Thursday night to the Maricopa County Recorder’s Office, which was by then shielded with fences to protect the election officials inside. An even bigger crowd had assembled with even more extremists. Men with long rifles. A few anti-government boogaloo boys. A man holding a tiki torch and wearing a Metal Mulisha T-shirt ― a clothing brand with Nazi symbolism.
Advertisement
Shortly after 8 p.m., a far-right superstar who helped terrorize the parents of murdered children arrived. Wingnut pro-Trump conspiracy theorist Alex Jones was greeted as a celebrity, and he made a violent speech about crushing “leftist scum,” the banks, the media, the system and George Soros. On Twitter, Alexander took credit for getting Jones on a jet to Phoenix.
By this point, Trump had gone on national television to give a lie-filled speech about the election, falsely claiming that he was being robbed by unseen forces and attacking the democratic process from his bully pulpit. Sycophantic Republican officials like Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) backed him up on Fox News. But none were willing to put in work on the ground with extremists. None but Gosar.
After making a violent speech outside the elections center on Thursday night, far-right radio host Alex Jones returned the next night, Nov. 6, 2020, to rile up the crowd again. AP Photo/Dario Lopez-MIlls
On Friday, Cernovich returned to California. Gosar kept going. “Any claim Biden has won is illegitimate,” the congressman tweeted. “We cannot accept the theft of the presidency.” He promoted another rally. Again, it turned ugly as Trump supporters misled by Republicans in positions of influence menaced reporters for doing their jobs.
But such is the legacy Trump and a Republican Party that has devolved into authoritarianism have left America. No matter how much healing Biden tries to do, the country will be grappling with a radicalized and hate-fueled political right for years to come.
Advertisement
On Saturday, Biden was declared the winner of the election. Gosar refused to accept the results. He just kept promoting “Stop the Steal” rallies around the country. He is protesting democracy right now.
A History Of Extremism
Given Gosar’s history, his actions last week weren’t surprising. The Republican congressman has carved out his own extremist path. In 2017, he falsely claimed that Soros was a Nazi collaborator and blamed the deadly white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, on the political left. In 2019, he praised far-right Hungarian leader Viktor Orban, who has gutted democracy in his country and now rules by fiat. In July of this year, Gosar was photographed with members of the hyper-violent neo-fascist Proud Boys gang and the Oath Keepers, a far-right anti-government militia.
But another episode raised even more eyebrows. In 2018, Gosar was caught on video at an extremist dinner in London with Steve Bannon. The Arizona congressman was in town to rally on behalf of Tommy Robinson, a violent English far-right anti-Muslim criminal fraudster. At the rally, Gosar vilified Muslims as “disgusting and depraved.” At the posh dinner with Bannon later that night ― which Gosar appears to have tried to conceal on paperwork he submitted to Congress ― he met with several European ultranationalist leaders, including racists and Islamophobes who have ties to white nationalists and violent extremists.
Also present was Raheem Kassam, a notorious British propagandist and former Breitbart London editor now living in the United States and deeply engaged in political subversion with Bannon. Kassam was one of the principal bad actors who disseminated smears about Hunter Biden last month, and he is now trying to cast doubt on Biden’s victory. At the 2018 extremist dinner in London, Kassam urged Gosar to say grace. The retired dentist obeyed.
“Father, we are gathered around this table as friends and comrades,” Gosar said.
Later in the meal, Filip Dewinter, a Flemish parliamentarian and one of the leaders of the far-right Vlaams Belang party, which has ties to Flemish Nazi collaborators, asked for help from the United States. Dewinter, who spoke in 2016 at a conference for white nationalist group American Renaissance and used “white genocide” rhetoric popular amont white supremacists, acknowledged that his movement couldn’t expect open sympathy from Trump but hoped “at least to have some congressman and some senators.”
Advertisement
He looked at Gosar, who smiled and nodded.
Bannon then asked the assembled far-right comrades for a list of things they wanted the United States to do to support “populist nationalism” in Europe. “You know we do actually control the government,” he told the foreign extremists.
Last week, they lost control of it ― the executive branch, at least. But the extremists won’t go without causing a scene in Phoenix and other cities. And Gosar and Cernovich could face legal jeopardy for their actions in Maricopa County last week, according to Ryan, the Arizona attorney.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-13--Incoming Chief Of Staff Ron Klain Says Biden Has ‘Very Busy First Day Planned’

Ron Klain , Joe Biden ’ s incoming chief of staff , said the president-elect would sign a slate of executive orders on “ day one , ” including moves to rejoin the Paris Climate Accord , protect “ Dreamers ” and reverse the Trump administration ’ s efforts to hamstring the Affordable Care Act .
“ We have a very , very busy first day planned , ” Klain told MSNBC ’ s Lawrence O ’ Donnell on Thursday .
“ It will be a stack : Protecting the Dreamers starting on day one , rejoining the Paris accords @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one , … reversing some of the environmental rollbacks that we ’ ve seen from President Trump , and fixing some of the flaws in the Affordable Care Act that the Trump administration has imposed.
” The comments underscore reports this week that Biden is planning a flurry of actions after he is sworn into office on Jan. 20 .
Klain said those moves would extend to Biden ’ s efforts to confront the COVID-19 pandemic , as well as send immigration reform legislation to Congress , also on his first day in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ longtime Democratic operative , was named chief of staff this week , Biden ’ s first major personnel decision .
He is a longtime adviser to the president-elect and served as former President Barack Obama ’ s “ Ebola czar ” as part of a long career in the public and private sector .
“ Ron has been invaluable to me over the many years that we have worked together , including as we rescued the American economy from one of the worst downturns in our history in 2009 and later overcame a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Biden said in a statement this week .
The Trump administration has so far refused to begin the official transition between presidencies and Trump himself has not conceded the election .
Biden ’ s team is waiting for the head of the General Services Administration to “ ascertain ” that the president-elect , in fact , won the election , a process that traditionally begins shortly after a candidate is declared the victor .
But the Trump appointee in charge of that process has refused to sign off , effectively withholding millions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the security clearances that Biden and his team need .
Klain said Thursday that Biden had begun speaking with top Republicans this week , although he declined to name names .
The party has remained mostly steadfast behind Trump , even as the president has spread lies about the electoral process in an effort to undercut the vote that denied a second term .
“ We ’ re doing our jobs , the transition is moving ahead , ” Klain said on MSNBC when asked if Biden had been inhibited in his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ As time passes , the need to get the full access we are entitled to … it grows each day .
”

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Ron Klain, Joe Biden’s incoming chief of staff, said the president-elect would sign a slate of executive orders on “day one,” including moves to rejoin the Paris Climate Accord, protect “Dreamers” and reverse the Trump administration’s efforts to hamstring the Affordable Care Act.
“We have a very, very busy first day planned,” Klain told MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell on Thursday. “It will be a stack: Protecting the Dreamers starting on day one, rejoining the Paris accords for climate change, starting on day one, … reversing some of the environmental rollbacks that we’ve seen from President Trump, and fixing some of the flaws in the Affordable Care Act that the Trump administration has imposed.”
Advertisement
.@RonaldKlain joins @Lawrence for his first interview as Joe Biden’s Chief of Staff to discuss progress in the presidential transition process and why it’s “encouraging” to see GOP push for Biden to receive intelligence briefs. https://t.co/K6KC1ilz5v pic.twitter.com/Pj04zGjMYc — The Last Word (@TheLastWord) November 13, 2020
The comments underscore reports this week that Biden is planning a flurry of actions after he is sworn into office on Jan. 20. Klain said those moves would extend to Biden’s efforts to confront the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as send immigration reform legislation to Congress, also on his first day in the White House.
Klain, a longtime Democratic operative, was named chief of staff this week, Biden’s first major personnel decision. He is a longtime adviser to the president-elect and served as former President Barack Obama’s “Ebola czar” as part of a long career in the public and private sector.
“Ron has been invaluable to me over the many years that we have worked together, including as we rescued the American economy from one of the worst downturns in our history in 2009 and later overcame a daunting public health emergency in 2014,” Biden said in a statement this week.
Advertisement
The Trump administration has so far refused to begin the official transition between presidencies and Trump himself has not conceded the election. Biden’s team is waiting for the head of the General Services Administration to “ascertain” that the president-elect, in fact, won the election, a process that traditionally begins shortly after a candidate is declared the victor.
But the Trump appointee in charge of that process has refused to sign off, effectively withholding millions of dollars in funds, office space and the security clearances that Biden and his team need.
Klain said Thursday that Biden had begun speaking with top Republicans this week, although he declined to name names. The party has remained mostly steadfast behind Trump, even as the president has spread lies about the electoral process in an effort to undercut the vote that denied a second term.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-13--Giddy Congressional Freshman Share First Day Photos: 'It's Really Happening'

Rep.-elect Nancy Mace ( R-S.C. ) told The Washington Post she teared up when her flight touched down in Washington @ @ @ @ @ t get emotional very often , but 42 years to see where I ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ come so far , ” she said .
“ I ’ m just this girl @ @ @ @ @ Carolina , and I had a dream .
I set some goals in life and @ @ @ @ @ .
.
That ’ s what this has been a culmination of .
It ’ @ @ @ @ @ mask was made by her sister , she said .

Rep.-elect Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) told The Washington Post she teared up when her flight touched down in Washington.
“I don’t get emotional very often, but 42 years to see where I’ve come — I’ve come so far,” she said. “I’m just this girl from Goose Creek, South Carolina, and I had a dream. I set some goals in life and I achieved them. . . . That’s what this has been a culmination of. It’s very humbling.”
Her mask was made by her sister, she said.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-13--The Rift In The House Democratic Caucus

The Rift In The House Democratic Caucus

On a now-infamous conference call two days after the election , moderate Democrats blasted their progressive colleagues for pushing slogans like “ defund the police ” and ideas like fracking bans .
Rep. Abigail Spanberger ( D-Va. ) , who won a tight race , said the No .
1 issue that voters brought up to her was the “ defund the police ” policy , and she said if Democrats really meant redirecting funds toward other community programs , they should say that .
This year , progressives Kara Eastman and Dana Balter ran in swing districts of Nebraska @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In Eastman ’ s case , Joe Biden won her district , but she lost by nearly 5 points to Republican Don Bacon .
In Balter ’ s case , she lost to vulnerable Republican incumbent John Katko , in a district that the Cook Political Report rates as D+3 , though the official margin in the race could be close once all the absentee ballots are counted .
This strategist said the actual problem for the Democratic Party is that its brand has been damaged in a lot of areas where Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we ’ re just going to continue making ourselves feel better that the majority of Americans are with us , well , too fucking bad , ” this strategist said .
“ We have an Electoral College system .
We have a U.S. Senate .
That ’ s how it works in the Constitution .
”

LOADING ERROR LOADING
WASHINGTON ― After worse-than-expected election results, House Democrats are searching for someone to blame ― and progressives and moderates seem certain that the other one is the culprit.
When all the ballots are counted, House Democrats will have lost between six and 14 seats, with current projections giving Democrats a 226-209 majority. Although that’s certainly not the worst-case scenario for Democrats, it’s also not what they were expecting.
Advertisement
Scroll down or click here for the latest updates from HuffPost’s election live blog.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and outside pollsters all thought the party would add to its House majority. So it was quite the unwelcome surprise when Democratic lawmakers started losing on election night. And it wasn’t just that members lost. Across the board, most Democrats ended in a closer contest than anticipated.
On a now-infamous conference call two days after the election, moderate Democrats blasted their progressive colleagues for pushing slogans like “defund the police” and ideas like fracking bans. Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.), who won a tight race, said the No. 1 issue that voters brought up to her was the “defund the police” policy, and she said if Democrats really meant redirecting funds toward other community programs, they should say that.
“And we need to not ever use the word ‘socialist’ or ‘socialism’ ever again,” Spanberger said, according to a recording of the private Democratic caucus call. “Because while people think it doesn’t matter, it does matter. And we lost good members because of that.”
She added that if Democrats were classifying this election as a success, “we are going to get fucking torn apart in 2022.”
Advertisement
Rep. Conor Lamb (D-Pa.), another moderate who had an unexpected scare on Election Day, told HuffPost that Republican attacks on Democrats who want to ban fracking particularly resonated in his district, saying those calls from some in the caucus make Democrats “seem unserious.”
He added that Democrats need to focus on delivering actual results for people, whether it be through lower prescription drug costs or higher wages, and not just on messaging with “the most Twitter-friendly proposal.”
“I don’t think we will beat Trump and the people like him on style. I think we have to beat them on substance,” Lamb said.
“To be real, it sounds like you are saying stop pushing for what Black folks want.” - Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.)
Progressives, meanwhile, had their own issues with moderates.
Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) said she felt like moderates were asking her to be quiet. “To be real, it sounds like you are saying stop pushing for what Black folks want,” Tlaib said, according to a New York Times account of the conference call.
Advertisement
Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), leader of the Progressive Caucus, also took issue with the doom and gloom of some moderates, saying that the election was still a “huge win” for Democrats and that they were able to turn out large numbers of Black, brown and young people.
“Don’t be so quick to blame the members who have been responsible for energizing these groups, who will ultimately save the day in the race for the White House,” Jayapal said on the Nov. 5 call.
That was a perspective other progressives echoed repeatedly ― on and off the conference call.
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) told HuffPost this week that “if it weren’t for Black Lives Matter and the George Floyd protests and the activism, Trump would be on his way to a second term.” And he took issue with some moderates trying to erase slogans like “defund the police.”
“You can’t benefit from that activism and that turnout, and then expect to script the language of activism,” Khanna said.
Tlaib told HuffPost on Thursday that her constituents have waited a long time for change and that it would be offensive to the people fighting for that change to dictate how they express their ideas. “Our goal shouldn’t be turning our backs on our base to appeal to conservatives,” she said.
Advertisement
“Maybe I need to put an ‘R’ next to my name for me to really be heard in my own caucus,” Tlaib added.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) has been a vocal critic of the way many moderates ran their campaigns. She’s been a Twitter pundit all week, noting that “almost all” of the Democrats who lost had “awful execution on digital. DURING A PANDEMIC.”
She also criticized the lack of door-knocking, which many Democrats abandoned because of the coronavirus, and said it was a myth that Democrats couldn’t win in tough districts by running on progressive platforms.
“We have tried their way repeatedly and lose every single time. Don’t get offended that we don’t want to try it again.” - A Democratic strategist
The reality, however, as many Democratic strategists pointed out, is that Democrats have tried running unabashedly liberal candidates in swing districts. It almost never works.
Advertisement
Perhaps the most famous example is Zephyr Teachout.
Teachout ran in 2016 with money, name recognition and an audaciously progressive platform. She lost to Republican John Faso by more than 8 percentage points in an upstate New York district, which then flipped in 2018 to a more moderate Democrat, Rep. Antonio Delgado.
This year, progressives Kara Eastman and Dana Balter ran in swing districts of Nebraska and upstate New York, respectively. In Eastman’s case, Joe Biden won her district, but she lost by nearly 5 points to Republican Don Bacon. In Balter’s case, she lost to vulnerable Republican incumbent John Katko, in a district that the Cook Political Report rates as D+3, though the official margin in the race could be close once all the absentee ballots are counted.
“This isn’t some theoretical or hypothetical debate to be waged on Twitter,” a Democratic strategist told HuffPost. “We have tried their way repeatedly and lose every single time. Don’t get offended that we don’t want to try it again.”
This strategist said the actual problem for the Democratic Party is that its brand has been damaged in a lot of areas where Democrats need to win. “And if we’re just going to continue making ourselves feel better that the majority of Americans are with us, well, too fucking bad,” this strategist said. “We have an Electoral College system. We have a U.S. Senate. That’s how it works in the Constitution.”
“The left is so consumed with convincing people they’re right, they forget to show people they can win,” the strategist added. “And the key to convincing people you’re right is to start winning.”
Advertisement
Another Democratic strategist, Monica Klein, expressed nearly the same thought, telling HuffPost that the fact that progressive policies poll well, and yet that candidates with those positions often fall short, points to a significant challenge for the progressive movement.
“We can sit around and just be pleased that our facts are better than yours. But we also need to translate that into wins across the country,” she said.
Klein, who is a founder of the progressive group Seneca Strategies, said one of the issues liberals have is fighting the right battles at the wrong time. “There’s a campaign strategy to win, there’s governing, and there’s movements in the streets. And we often conflate all three of them,” she said.
“Aligning yourself with AOC is a good way to become a Twitter celebrity. But it’s a bad way to stay a member of Congress.” - A moderate Democratic lawmaker
Democratic lawmakers granted anonymity to discuss the quarrel between progressives and moderates were clear that the tension between the two sides wasn’t likely to resolve itself anytime soon.
Advertisement
One moderate member took particular issue with Ocasio-Cortez offering campaign advice.
“There’s a reason AOC was noting how few members actually asked her for help,” this Democrat said. “And the reason is she would do more harm than good in most districts.”
“Aligning yourself with AOC is a good way to become a Twitter celebrity,” the lawmaker added. “But it’s a bad way to stay a member of Congress.”
Another swing-district Democrat said the standoff between moderates and progressives could be a real problem in the upcoming Congress, as the margin between Democrats and Republicans will be so tight that small coalitions could stymie legislation from passing the House. “If we don’t figure this out now, it’s going to tear us apart,” the member said.
“I would never tell anybody to sit down and shut up.” - Rep. Conor Lamb (D-Pa.)
Lacking in much of the conversation of how Democrats “figure this out” has been a discussion of changing their leadership. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) and Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) are all expected to retain their positions for now, despite the Democratic losses and nearly two decades at the top of the caucus.
Advertisement
Pelosi told Democrats on the conference call last week that they did not win every battle. “But we did win the war,” she said.
However, with a slim and volatile majority, Pelosi could be fighting factions from both ends of her caucus as they try to fashion legislation that can get through a likely GOP-controlled Senate and onto then-President Biden’s desk.
One element in her favor is that, for as much rancor as there is in the Democratic Caucus right now, there’s agreement on a host of issues.
For one, progressives and moderates both stressed to HuffPost that they have shared goals. The lawmakers all want to help people, all want to elect as many Democrats as possible, and all would like to work together to deliver results.
For another, both factions seemed to recognize some legitimacy in the other side’s complaints.
Progressive Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) told HuffPost that Spanberger ― “even in her caustic, fresh remarks” ― is offering a valid perspective. “But so is AOC and her reminder that a whole bunch of communities of color and progressives turned out and were part of our victory,” he said.
Advertisement
Lamb also felt that liberals had legitimate concerns about ignoring the Democratic base and wanted to be clear that he had great respect for his progressive colleagues.
“I would never tell anybody to sit down and shut up,” he said.
And Tlaib was passionate that Democrats could win through a combination of increased voter contact and an agenda that makes government about people.
“We are equally elected,” Tlaib said. “People want government to really, truly care about them. That is how we come together.”
Daniel Marans contributed to this report.