thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-28--Video Shows Woman Falsely Accuse Black Teen Of Stealing Her Phone

Harrold and his son , who are both Black , were staying at Arlo Hotel in SoHo on Saturday when he filmed the unidentified woman repeatedly lunging at them in the lobby while trying to get the child ’ s iPhone .
“ Take the case off , that ’ s mine , ” the frantic woman is heard saying from behind a man who identifies himself as a manager at the boutique hotel .
“ Literally , get it back , please .
Get it back.
” Harrold , who played the trumpet in the Grammy-award-winning soundtrack to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Miles Davis biopic , informs the manager that his son does not have to show the woman his phone because he didn ’ t do anything wrong .
Harrold , in comments to The New York Times , said his phone ’ s video cut off as the woman tackled his son and tried to search his pockets .
The woman was then physically separated from him .
Keyon Harrold 's video shows an unidentified woman physically trying to take his son 's cellphone away from him inside a New York hotel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stealing it from her .
The woman apparently misplaced her phone , and it was returned to her by an Uber driver .
“ I am furious !
!
!
We see this crap happening all the time , but it hits different when it hits home !
!
!
” Harrold wrote on Instagram Saturday while sharing the video .
In his interview with the Times , he questioned whether he and his son may have been the victims of racial profiling , though he said he did not know the race @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was guilty , ” Harrold said of his son .
“ The management didn ’ t even question her as to why she would even think he had the phone.
” The incident has been likened to other recent incidents of racism , including a white woman calling police on a Black bird watcher in Central Park back in May after he asked her to leash her dog , as the park ’ s rules require .
That woman then falsely accused the man of trying to assault her .
Harrold said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ apologies from the hotel or the woman at the time of the confrontation , who he was told had checked out of the hotel several days earlier .
Hotel officials on Sunday issued a public apology to Harrold and his son on social media for what they said was “ baseless accusation , prejudice , and assault against an innocent guest.
” “ In investigating the incident further , we ’ ve learned that the manager on duty promptly called the police regarding the woman ’ s conduct and that hotel security intervened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more could have been done to deescalate the dispute , ” the statement read .
“ The only reason we decided to go public and post on social media was because the hotel which had a security guard on duty let this young lady leave while waiting for the police to respond after she assaulted my son several times which is not seen on this video because my sons father dropped the phone to protect our son !
” Rodriguez ’ s post read .

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Prominent jazz musician Keyon Harrold says a woman physically assaulted him and his 14-year-old son inside a Manhattan hotel over the weekend after the woman falsely and baselessly accused the teenager of stealing her cellphone, raising racial profiling concerns.
Harrold and his son, who are both Black, were staying at Arlo Hotel in SoHo on Saturday when he filmed the unidentified woman repeatedly lunging at them in the lobby while trying to get the child’s iPhone.
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Minutes after the filmed encounter, Harrold said the woman’s actual phone was returned to her by an Uber driver.
“Take the case off, that’s mine,” the frantic woman is heard saying from behind a man who identifies himself as a manager at the boutique hotel. “Literally, get it back, please. Get it back.”
Harrold, who played the trumpet in the Grammy-award-winning soundtrack to the 2015 film “Miles Ahead,” a Miles Davis biopic, informs the manager that his son does not have to show the woman his phone because he didn’t do anything wrong.
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“You don’t have to explain nothing to her,” Harrold tells his son.
When they try to walk away, the woman follows and appears to physically rush at them, sparking an altercation.
“No, I’m not letting him walk away with my phone,” the woman is heard yelling as she trails the father and son down a hallway.
Harrold, in comments to The New York Times, said his phone’s video cut off as the woman tackled his son and tried to search his pockets. The woman was then physically separated from him.
Keyon Harrold's video shows an unidentified woman physically trying to take his son's cellphone away from him inside a New York hotel as she falsely accused the teenager of stealing it from her. The woman apparently misplaced her phone, and it was returned to her by an Uber driver. Instagram/Keyon Harrold
“I am furious!!! We see this crap happening all the time, but it hits different when it hits home!!!” Harrold wrote on Instagram Saturday while sharing the video.
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In his interview with the Times, he questioned whether he and his son may have been the victims of racial profiling, though he said he did not know the race of the woman.
“They assumed he was guilty,” Harrold said of his son. “The management didn’t even question her as to why she would even think he had the phone.”
The incident has been likened to other recent incidents of racism, including a white woman calling police on a Black bird watcher in Central Park back in May after he asked her to leash her dog, as the park’s rules require. That woman then falsely accused the man of trying to assault her.
Harrold said he and his son did not receive apologies from the hotel or the woman at the time of the confrontation, who he was told had checked out of the hotel several days earlier.
Hotel officials on Sunday issued a public apology to Harrold and his son on social media for what they said was “baseless accusation, prejudice, and assault against an innocent guest.”
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Harrold performed the trumpet in the Grammy-winning soundtrack for the film "Miles Ahead." Earl Gibson III via Getty Images
“In investigating the incident further, we’ve learned that the manager on duty promptly called the police regarding the woman’s conduct and that hotel security intervened to prevent further violence; still, more could have been done to deescalate the dispute,” the statement read.
The teen’s mother, fellow musician Katty Rodriguez, dismissed the hotel’s apology on Sunday and claimed that it tried to sweep an extremely traumatic incident for her son under a rug.
“The only reason we decided to go public and post on social media was because the hotel which had a security guard on duty let this young lady leave while waiting for the police to respond after she assaulted my son several times which is not seen on this video because my sons father dropped the phone to protect our son!” Rodriguez’s post read.
In an earlier post, Rodriguez expressed gratitude to Harrold and other Black fathers.
“The most painful feeling today as a parent was to feel helpless in protecting my child against racial hatred,” she wrote.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-28--The 29 Most Hilarious Tweets About The Royals This Year

Imagine walking into work on Monday , your boss is like “ you need to train the new guy ” @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s Prince Harry You need to be so patient w him bc he @ @ @ @ @ he doesn ’ t even know excel

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This has been a year full of chaos for everyone ― even the royals.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle kicked off 2020 by announcing their decision to step back as working royals, signaling there would be a lot of changes ahead. And this was well before anyone saw the coronavirus pandemic on the horizon.
But amidst a year of turbulence, turmoil and sadness, Twitter users still managed to make us laugh.
We rounded up some of the best tweets about royals that struck our funny bone and ― in some cases ― were finger-licking funny.
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helping prince harry find a new job by endorsing him for microsoft word on linkedin — broti gupta (@BrotiGupta) January 9, 2020
First time I’ve ever seen someone quit their family, saying it’s to spend more time with their jobs. https://t.co/iFBZokRXhX — Eric Nelson (@literaryeric) January 8, 2020
real question, is Prince Harry gonna do standup? — Laurie Kilmartin (@anylaurie16) January 8, 2020
prince harry energy is a new quality we looking for in men. — tahirah hairston (@tahairyy) January 18, 2020
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gonna be extra disingenuous when i tell my therapist for the hundredth time that creating boundaries with my family is “hard" when a couple of royals just did it in an instagram post — Scaachi (@Scaachi) January 8, 2020
SAY WHERE’S PRINCE HARRY AGAIN I DARE YOU pic.twitter.com/wRTxqT0BuH — Quinn Sutherland (@ReelQuinn) January 9, 2020
Here’s the actual note Meghan left on the Queen’s desk. pic.twitter.com/m58NibXhQE — Karyne Levy (@karynelevy) January 8, 2020
A year from now Prince Harry really gone have Meghan get a babysitter so she can be in the audience at his Improv 101 class show — Brittani Nichols (@BisHilarious) January 10, 2020
Meghan Markle holding a Deal or No Deal suitcase but inside it says “I will dismantle the monarchy” pic.twitter.com/LqCVpgjFD7 — Erin Auld Lang Ryane (@morninggloria) January 8, 2020
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Imagine walking into work on Monday, your boss is like “you need to train the new guy” & you look over & it’s Prince Harry
You need to be so patient w him bc he has no employable skills; he doesn’t even know excel — Pigeon Fancier (@isabelzawtun) January 10, 2020
proud of meghan markle for yoko ono-ing the royal family — ziwe (@ziwe) January 8, 2020
a sitcom where Meghan teaches Harry how to do workforce things such as using Turbotax & meal prepping & filling out a W-1, please — Delia Cai (@delia_cai) January 8, 2020
The best reactions to Prince William staring at a KFC:
William whispered quietly to himself;
“Oh, I just can’t wait to be wing” pic.twitter.com/oKlQPiV3YJ — KFC UK & Ireland (@KFC_UKI) October 20, 2020
I’m sad I didn’t call him His Royal Thighness in the main tweet tbh — KFC UK & Ireland (@KFC_UKI) October 20, 2020
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Find you someone that looks at you the way Prince William looks at KFC. #HisRoyalThighness pic.twitter.com/FawFPWaK8b — Nicki Mayo (@nickimayonews) October 22, 2020
This would be my type of luck! Hungover, no makeup, scaring children as I looked terrible. Have my first KFC in a 6 months. Attempt to shove a whole burger in my mouth and Prince William or Catherine appeared waving through the glass 😂https://t.co/MZx89CGIAa — According2Taz (@superscuba83) October 21, 2020
The best reactions to “The Crown”:
My grandma used to get so mad about prince Charles her top lip would curl up in anger at the mention of him lol — Ashley C. Ford (@iSmashFizzle) November 15, 2020
prince charles invented ghosting and for that we can never forgive him — katie jo (@katiejoyofosho) November 18, 2020
When did you realize you were hitting The Crown a little too hard, for me it was when I resolved to start collecting Princess Margaret-esque cigarette holders but for joints — andi zeisler (@andizeisler) December 13, 2020
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we already had the peoples princess but im ready to be the people’s big loud bitch — Sophia Benoit (@1followernodad) December 3, 2020
I do have a sincere question. Why are all of our moms constantly talking about Diana? One time my mon CALLED me while I was in college, sighed, and started the conversation with “she was the people’s Princess” — broti gupta (@BrotiGupta) November 26, 2020
Well, Princess Margaret tried. She really tried to stop the wedding. Mm. — Morgan Jerkins (@MorganJerkins) November 15, 2020
The Crown season 22: the royals open an Arby’s in suburban Nashville and try to give this whole American thing a go — Mark Berman (@markberman) January 8, 2020
I hope Meghan Markle plays herself on the next season of The Crown. — Abbi Crutchfield (@curlycomedy) November 21, 2020
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And just the best random royals tweets this year, period:
the royal family should have a blooper reel!!!!!!! i'd kill for an america's funniest home video compilation of the queen tripping over a cord & prince charles getting hit in the balls. — broti gupta (@BrotiGupta) December 5, 2020
No one asks this of the Royals in interviews, so you’ll never get an answer, but I wonder what Buckingham Palace SMELLS like. — Abbi Crutchfield (@curlycomedy) January 9, 2020
Does this mean that when the queen dies we can put Meghan Markle on our money instead of Charles — Anne Thériault (@anne_theriault) January 13, 2020
Desperate to know what on earth queen elizabeth is carrying around in those little purses — katie jo (@katiejoyofosho) November 18, 2020
here i am meeting kate middleton mere hours after cutting my own bangs pic.twitter.com/dSjdpgVCEi — Anne T. Donahue (@annetdonahue) February 12, 2020
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-28--German Pilot Makes Syringe In The Sky To Mark COVID-19 Vaccine Campaign

FlightTradar24.com via Reuters A flightradar24.com handout photo received on December 27 , 2020 shows the flight track for a D-ENIG plane that traced a syringe on the maps in Germany to celebrate the arrival of a COVID-19 vaccine .
The flight between Friedrichshafen and Ulm took place on December 23 , 2020 .
FRANKFURT ( Reuters ) - German pilot Samy Kramer has traced a giant syringe in the sky , flying 200 kilometers to remind people about the start of the COVID-19 vaccination campaign in Europe .
The 20-year-old pilot mapped out the route he would need to take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the skies near Lake Constance in southern Germany .
The syringe-shaped route showed up on internet site flightradar24 .
“ There are still relatively many people opposing the vaccination and my action may be a reminder for them to think about the topic , to get things moving ” , Kramer told Reuters TV on Sunday , adding that his flight should not be understood as a direct call to be inoculated .
“ Perhaps it was also a bit of a sign of joy , because the aviation industry has been hit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kramer said .
Germany officially kicked off its COVID-19 vaccination campaign on Sunday .
The federal government is planning to distribute more than 1.3 million vaccine doses to local health authorities by the end of this year and about 700,000 per week from January .

A flightradar24.com handout photo received on December 27, 2020 shows the flight track for a D-ENIG plane that traced a syringe on the maps in Germany to celebrate the arrival of a COVID-19 vaccine. The flight between Friedrichshafen and Ulm took place on December 23, 2020. FlightTradar24.com via Reuters
FRANKFURT (Reuters) - German pilot Samy Kramer has traced a giant syringe in the sky, flying 200 kilometers to remind people about the start of the COVID-19 vaccination campaign in Europe.
The 20-year-old pilot mapped out the route he would need to take on a GPS device before taking to the skies near Lake Constance in southern Germany. The syringe-shaped route showed up on internet site flightradar24.
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“There are still relatively many people opposing the vaccination and my action may be a reminder for them to think about the topic, to get things moving”, Kramer told Reuters TV on Sunday, adding that his flight should not be understood as a direct call to be inoculated.
“Perhaps it was also a bit of a sign of joy, because the aviation industry has been hit pretty hard by the pandemic”, Kramer said.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-28--Sculpture Honoring Breonna Taylor Smashed In Oakland

A ceramic bust of Breonna Taylor that was installed in downtown Oakland , California , earlier this month was smashed on Saturday .
The sculpture to honor Taylor , the Black 26-year-old health care worker whom Kentucky police killed in March and who became the subject of Black Lives Matter demonstrations nationwide , was apparently struck with something that caused chunks of it to break off .
“ Looks like they hit it with a baseball bat along the back , ” Leo Carson , the artist who sculpted the bust , told local CBS affiliate KPIX-TV .
He said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on all those fighting against racism and police brutality .
“ I don ’ t think you attack a sculpture like that by accident , ” Carson said .
“ I think that it was an act of racism and an act of aggression and intimidation.
” It was not immediately clear who wrecked the sculpture .
Oakland police are “ aware of the incident , ” the department told Bay Area public media outlet KQED .
A police report has been filed and the department is investigating the matter .
The bust @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Say Her Name , Breonna Taylor ” and is located in Latham Square near Oakland City Hall , where thousands of anti-racism activists protested over the summer in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis .
Carson said he plans to rebuild the sculpture and hopes to recast it using bronze to make it sturdier .
A Bay Area attorney has offered to pay for the sculpture ’ s reconstruction , KPIX-TV reported .

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A ceramic bust of Breonna Taylor that was installed in downtown Oakland, California, earlier this month was smashed on Saturday.
The sculpture to honor Taylor, the Black 26-year-old health care worker whom Kentucky police killed in March and who became the subject of Black Lives Matter demonstrations nationwide, was apparently struck with something that caused chunks of it to break off.
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“Looks like they hit it with a baseball bat along the back,” Leo Carson, the artist who sculpted the bust, told local CBS affiliate KPIX-TV. He said he believes the vandalism was an attack on all those fighting against racism and police brutality.
“I don’t think you attack a sculpture like that by accident,” Carson said. “I think that it was an act of racism and an act of aggression and intimidation.”
Disappointing to see the #BreonnaTaylor statue in downtown Oakland vandalized. It was installed just 2 weeks ago. @oaklandpoliceca are aware & are investigating. pic.twitter.com/0rNPiPLTSI — Dion Lim (@DionLimTV) December 27, 2020
It was not immediately clear who wrecked the sculpture. Oakland police are “aware of the incident,” the department told Bay Area public media outlet KQED. A police report has been filed and the department is investigating the matter.
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The bust sits on a pedestal with the phrase “Say Her Name, Breonna Taylor” and is located in Latham Square near Oakland City Hall, where thousands of anti-racism activists protested over the summer in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-29--The Most Common Issues People Brought Up In Therapy In 2020

An increase in depression , anxiety and stress as a result of the coronavirus pandemic The pressure to achieve personal goals during this time Stein said that a lot of anxiety stems from the fear of the unknown , and he has seen many patients struggle with this in 2020 .
The pandemic itself is an enormous source of uncertainty ― we don ’ t know when life will go back to normal and we don ’ t know what that will look like .
We often avoid uncertainty by trying to gain control or find answers , which often @ @ @ @ @ @ @ loved ones , online research and doomscrolling .
We also catastrophize or try to anticipate the outcome of the things we are uncertain about , which often ends up creating more worry since the answer doesn ’ t materialize right away .
She noted that as her clients are hurting , they are still living through a public health crisis , which limits necessary coping mechanisms .
Many people weren ’ t able to go out and heal through protest out of fear of the virus ’ s spread and also weren ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ co-workers in the way they ’ re used to .
“ Is this a time where you cull out some gently used clothes or toys to donate ?
Or volunteer at the food bank ?
” Gurwitch said .
“ When we ’ re not doing well after disasters or horrific events , if we find a way to help others who have also been impacted , we actually do better.
” We likely will be dealing with the mental health effects of 2020 for some time to come .
The emotional aftermath @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Speaking to a therapist can help sort through the trauma , grief and other issues that may arise .
We all deserve to find some peace and calm ― especially now .

Drazen Zigic via Getty Images Mental health professionals addressed a range of unique concerns this year.
For many people, 2020 has been the most difficult year in recent history. The coronavirus pandemic continues to rage on while taking away loved ones, disrupting daily life and causing increased worry.
Mental health professionals addressed a range of concerns from patients who experienced challenges and setbacks throughout this year. And while the current public health crisis was a conversation topic in many sessions, other general worries and concerns continued to appear as well.
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Robin Gurwitch, a psychologist at Duke University Medical Center, said that the reasons people go to therapy have not changed this year ― instead they’re magnified as a result of the coronavirus pandemic and the stress that comes with it.
Below, experts from across the country share what was brought up most in therapy this year, along with suggestions for how to deal with some of the most common struggles.
An increase in depression, anxiety and stress as a result of the coronavirus pandemic
“If you had asked me before the pandemic started, ‘If you could impose something on people that would create more depression, more anxiety and more stress, what would you do?’ I’d say, well, make everybody stuck at home ― so that’s what is happening here,” said Michael Stein, a psychologist in Denver and president of Anxiety Solutions.
Stein emphasized that there are both direct and indirect impacts of COVID-19 on his patients. But, overall, the pandemic is creating more anxiety and challenges for many of his clients who lost go-to coping mechanisms as a result of the necessary safety restrictions that are in place throughout most of the country.
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For example, people who used to go to the gym to blow off steam may not be able to do so, or those who visited with friends to ease their depression can’t safely do that.
The pandemic has almost forced us into inactivity ― both physically and emotionally ― which can cause mental health issues, Stein noted.
Rawpixel via Getty Images
The pressure to achieve personal goals during this time
Morgan McCain, a psychologist in Texas and the owner of McCain Psychological Services, said that a number of her patients put pressure on themselves to achieve unnecessary goals.
She added that performative productivity on social media ― especially in the beginning of the pandemic ― made people believe that they should be using any free time to pour into self-improvement hobbies like fitness, baking or learning a new language.
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“I think that was an unfair expectation for people to set for themselves because we forget that this pandemic is stressful,” she said.
As a whole, people have additional things to manage as we go through this pandemic ― reduced work hours, child care changes and more ― but many of us have continued to put pressure on ourselves to come out richer, more rested or with new business ideas, McCain said.
Additionally, while we may have high expectations for ourselves, many of us also simultaneously struggled to meet basic needs this year, she said.
“We have this idea that we’re supposed to be operating at a 10 when our lives demand us to really focus on our basic needs,” McCain said, adding that “if your basic needs aren’t met — things like your safety, physiological needs ― it’s really hard to focus on those higher-level needs.”
In other words, how can we be expected to personally excel while we are worried about staying healthy during a global health crisis?
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Instead of pushing ourselves to become a better baker by the time we’re vaccinated, McCain suggested practicing self-compassion while redefining our expectations.
“Can we reset those expectations to match what our environment is demanding right now so we don’t feel as critical or like somehow we failed when things are just different?” McCain said.
The fear of uncertainty
Stein said that a lot of anxiety stems from the fear of the unknown, and he has seen many patients struggle with this in 2020. The pandemic itself is an enormous source of uncertainty ― we don’t know when life will go back to normal and we don’t know what that will look like.
To combat the fear of the unknown, which is an inevitable worry at this point, Stein recommended getting comfortable with uncertainty.
“It’s all about tolerating uncertainty and having a friendlier relationship with it,” he said. “The thing that maintains anxiety is short-term avoidance ― anything you do to avoid anxiety in the short-term keeps anxiety going in the long run.”
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We often avoid uncertainty by trying to gain control or find answers, which often comes in the form of reassurance from loved ones, online research and doomscrolling. We also catastrophize or try to anticipate the outcome of the things we are uncertain about, which often ends up creating more worry since the answer doesn’t materialize right away.
“It’s all about cutting off any reassurance-seeking process, whether it’s external or in your own head, and coming back to what you’re doing right in front of you,” he said.
In other words, we need to focus on what we can control in the moment. We can do this by trying a mindfulness exercise, writing down a list of things we do have control over or making a plan for the day to help ease some anxiety around uncertainty.
Mark Edward Atkinson via Getty Images
Police brutality and racism against Black people
McCain said she experienced her busiest month as a clinician in June when the country was responding to systemic racism.
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“Some of the biggest themes I’ve noticed this year involve this response to racism, particularly violence against Black bodies around police brutality,” she said.
Many of her clients were reeling from the accumulative pain of the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd and what that represented in our society, she noted.
“That potential for racial trauma was very present, folks were really hurting,” McCain said.
She noted that as her clients are hurting, they are still living through a public health crisis, which limits necessary coping mechanisms. Many people weren’t able to go out and heal through protest out of fear of the virus’s spread and also weren’t able to grieve with family or co-workers in the way they’re used to.
“One of the best tools to cope when we’re experiencing these kinds of things is community,” she said. “How do I get community if I have to be 6 feet apart from everyone and at home?”
Financial concerns
Many people are struggling with paychecks, rent and more. Stein noted that financial worries have been a source of anxiety for many of his patients throughout this year.
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“People have lost jobs, people have much more up-in-the-air money situations,” he said.
Additionally, even those who are not out of work or working reduced hours still have concerns around their financial stability as layoffs have become the norm in many industries.
Feelings of disappointment
In Gurwitch’s work with children and teenagers this year, she found that feelings of disappointment as a result of social changes and canceled plans are prevalent. We’re unable to celebrate events and gather in the ways we enjoy, which is a tough reality to face.
“People are more disappointed and more angry,” she said. And while patients understand why there are limitations, it still does not feel fair that they don’t get to see friends and family members.
To help fight feelings of disappointment during a disappointing year, Gurwitch recommended looking for ways to help others who have also been impacted by this pandemic.
“Is this a time where you cull out some gently used clothes or toys to donate? Or volunteer at the food bank?” Gurwitch said. “When we’re not doing well after disasters or horrific events, if we find a way to help others who have also been impacted, we actually do better.”
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-29--Novavax COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate Starts Final-Stage Trial In U.S.

“ If you want to have enough vaccine to vaccinate all the people in the U.S. who you ’ d like to vaccinate — up to 85 % or more of the population — you ’ re going to need more than two companies , ” Dr. Anthony Fauci , the top U.S. infectious disease expert , told The Associated Press on Monday .
The coronavirus is blamed for about 1.8 million deaths worldwide , including more than 330,000 in the U.S .
This has been the deadliest month of the outbreak in the U.S. yet , with about 65,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the COVID Tracking Project .
The nation has repeatedly recorded more than 3,000 dead per day over the past few weeks .
There is no real-time tracking of how quickly people are getting the first of the two required doses .
As of Monday , the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had reports of more than 2.1 million vaccinations out of 11.4 million doses shipped — but the agency knows that count is outdated .
It can take days for reports from vaccine providers to trickle in and get added to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agency aims to vaccinate 100 people in a drive-thru clinic for emergency medical workers that Barta hopes could become a model for larger attempts at mass vaccination .
Nurses will wheel vaccine to cars lined up in a county-owned snowplow garage .
Once the drivers get their shots , they will wait in parking spaces to be sure they don ’ t have an allergic reaction before heading home .
Yet another worry hanging over the vaccine scramble : Will shots block a new variant of the coronavirus that emerged in Britain and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that data from Britain indicates the vaccines still will protect against the virus but that National Institutes of Health researchers will be “ looking at it very intensively ” to be sure .
The U.S. based its emergency rollout of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and a similar one made by Moderna and the NIH on studies suggesting they are both roughly 95 % effective .
Europe over the weekend began its first vaccinations with the Pfizer shot , and on Jan. 6 will decide whether to add Moderna ’ s .
Novavax already has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Britain and 4,000 in South Africa .
The newest and largest study , funded by the U.S. government , will recruit volunteers at more than 115 sites in the U.S. and Mexico and target high-risk older adults along with volunteers from Black and Hispanic communities , which have been hit hard by the virus .

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A huge U.S. study of another COVID-19 vaccine candidate got underway Monday as states continue to roll out scarce supplies of the first shots to a nation anxiously awaiting relief from the catastrophic outbreak.
Public health experts say more options in addition to the two vaccines now being dispensed — one made by Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech, the other by Moderna — are critical to amassing enough shots for the country and the world.
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The candidate made by Novavax Inc. is the fifth to reach final-stage testing in the United States. Some 30,000 volunteers are needed to prove if the shot — a different kind than its Pfizer and Moderna competitors — really works and is safe.
“If you want to have enough vaccine to vaccinate all the people in the U.S. who you’d like to vaccinate — up to 85% or more of the population — you’re going to need more than two companies,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious disease expert, told The Associated Press on Monday.
The coronavirus is blamed for about 1.8 million deaths worldwide, including more than 330,000 in the U.S. This has been the deadliest month of the outbreak in the U.S. yet, with about 65,000 deaths in December so far, according to the COVID Tracking Project. The nation has repeatedly recorded more than 3,000 dead per day over the past few weeks.
And the U.S. could be facing a terrible winter: Despite warnings to stay home and avoid others over Christmastime, nearly 1.3 million people went through the nation’s airports on Sunday, the highest one-day total since the crisis took hold in the U.S. nine months ago.
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The Trump administration’s Operation Warp Speed expects to have shipped 20 million doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines to states by the beginning of January, fewer than originally estimated to the frustration of states and health officials trying to schedule the shots.
There is no real-time tracking of how quickly people are getting the first of the two required doses. As of Monday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had reports of more than 2.1 million vaccinations out of 11.4 million doses shipped — but the agency knows that count is outdated. It can take days for reports from vaccine providers to trickle in and get added to the site.
“Just because a vaccine arrives doesn’t mean we can put an on-the-spot clinic up and running,” said Jenny Barta, a public health official in Carlton County, Minnesota.
But Tuesday, her agency aims to vaccinate 100 people in a drive-thru clinic for emergency medical workers that Barta hopes could become a model for larger attempts at mass vaccination. Nurses will wheel vaccine to cars lined up in a county-owned snowplow garage. Once the drivers get their shots, they will wait in parking spaces to be sure they don’t have an allergic reaction before heading home.
“Vaccinating one individual at a time is how we’re going to work our way out of this pandemic,” she said.
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Yet another worry hanging over the vaccine scramble: Will shots block a new variant of the coronavirus that emerged in Britain and might spread more easily? Fauci said that data from Britain indicates the vaccines still will protect against the virus but that National Institutes of Health researchers will be “looking at it very intensively” to be sure.
A look at the frontrunners in the global vaccine race:
GENETIC CODE VACCINES
The U.S. based its emergency rollout of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and a similar one made by Moderna and the NIH on studies suggesting they are both roughly 95% effective. Europe over the weekend began its first vaccinations with the Pfizer shot, and on Jan. 6 will decide whether to add Moderna’s.
These shots are made with a brand-new technology that injects a piece of genetic code for the spike protein that coats the coronavirus. That messenger RNA, or mRNA, induces the body to produce some harmless spike protein, enough to prime the immune system to react if it later encounters the real virus.
Both vaccines must be kept frozen, the Pfizer shot at ultra-low temperatures that complicate its delivery to poor or rural areas.
Additional companies are working toward their own mRNA candidates, including Germany’s CureVac, which has begun a large study in Europe.
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PROTEIN VACCINES
The Novavax candidate is made differently, using what Fauci called a “more tried and true” technology that needs only ordinary refrigeration. The Maryland company grows harmless copies of the coronavirus spike protein in the laboratory and mixes in an immune-boosting chemical.
Novavax already has enrolled 15,000 people in a late-stage study in Britain and 4,000 in South Africa. The newest and largest study, funded by the U.S. government, will recruit volunteers at more than 115 sites in the U.S. and Mexico and target high-risk older adults along with volunteers from Black and Hispanic communities, which have been hit hard by the virus.
“We’ve got to protect our community and our people,” said the Rev. Peter Johnson, 75, a prominent civil rights activist in Dallas who was among the first volunteers.
Two-thirds of participants will receive vaccine and the rest dummy shots, a twist from earlier vaccine studies that gave half their volunteers a placebo. That should help researchers recruit people who wonder whether it’s better to take part in a study or wait their turn for an existing shot, said Dr. Gregory Glenn, research chief at Novavax.
For many people, that would be a long wait: The Pfizer and Moderna shots are slated first for health care workers and nursing home residents, followed by people 75 and older and essential workers.
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“If you wanted to hedge your bets, for most people who aren’t in those very high-risk groups, the shortest route to getting the vaccine would be to sign up for a trial,” said NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins.
TROJAN HORSE VACCINES
The next big vaccine news may come from Johnson & Johnson, which is aiming for a one-dose COVID-19 vaccine.
Made in yet another way, it uses a harmless virus – a cold virus called an adenovirus ― to carry the spike gene into the body. In mid-December, J&J finished enrolling about 45,000 volunteers in a final-stage study in the U.S. and a half-dozen other countries. Fauci expects early results sometime next month.
In Britain, regulators also are considering clearing a similar vaccine made by AstraZeneca and Oxford University.
Tests of the shots in Britain, South Africa and Brazil suggested they are safe and partially protective — about 70%. But questions remain about how well the vaccine works in people over 55 and how to interpret results from a small number of people given a different set of doses.
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A U.S. study of the AstraZeneca shots is still recruiting volunteers; Fauci said researchers hope it will provide a more clear answer.
Companies in China and Russia also are producing adenovirus-based vaccines and began administering them before the results of final testing came in. Argentina is expected to soon use the Russian vaccine.
“KILLED” VACCINES
Spike-focused vaccines aren’t the only option. Making vaccines by growing a disease-causing virus and then killing it is a still older approach that gives the body a sneak peek at the germ itself rather than just that single spike protein.
China has three such “inactivated” COVID-19 vaccines in final testing in several countries and has allowed emergency use in some people ahead of results. An Indian company is testing its own inactivated candidate.
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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science. The AP is solely responsible for all content.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-29--Proud Boys' Hotel Hangout Shutting Down On Jan. 6 'Wild Protest' Day

The Washington , D.C. , hotel and bar where the white nationalist Proud Boys hang out when they ’ re in town for protests has announced it will be closed Jan. 6 , the day Congress is scheduled to certify the Electoral College vote for President-elect Joe Biden .
It ’ s also the day of a planned “ Wild Protest ” in Washington to rail against Donald Trump ’ s reelection loss .
The president is urging his followers to turn out that day in his desperate , last-ditch effort to stay in the White House .
A number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , near the Hotel Harrington in clashes Dec. 12 between the Proud Boys and counterprotesters at the last demonstration in support of Trump .
The Proud Boys are known to stay at the hotel and congregate in Harry ’ s , the hotel bar .
The 106-year-old hotel , the city ’ s oldest , issued a statement Sunday saying it will be closed Jan. 4 , 5 and 6 for the “ safety of visitors and employees.
” It added : “ We join with all of our guests , visitors , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ desire for everyone ’ s health and safety .
We greatly appreciate the trust our guests have placed in Hotel Harrington over the years and we wish to continue to earn that trust .
While we can not control what happens outside the hotel , we are taking additional steps to protect the safety of our visitors , guests and employees.
” The growing Proud Boys ’ presence is “ unnerving ” other guests and staff , many of them Black and Hispanic , according to The Washington Post .
The hotel has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the last few months for violating regulations on social distancing in the bar , according to the Post .
Fringe chat forums and other online posts indicate far-right demonstrators are “ workshopping ways to smuggle guns ” into the District of Columbia , the newspaper reported .
Carrying weapons without a permit is prohibited in the District of Columbia , and guns are banned at all protests .
Trump , meanwhile , is rallying his supporters to take to the streets Jan. 6 .
“ Be there , ” the president tweeted earlier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” His tweet , which also claimed , without evidence , that the election was fraudulent , was marked by Twitter as “ disputed.
” Peter Navarro releases 36-page report alleging election fraud 'more than sufficient ' to swing victory to Trump https : //t.co/D8KrMHnFdK .
A great report by Peter .
Statistically impossible to have lost the 2020 Election .
Big protest in D.C. on January 6th .
Be there , will be wild !
— Donald J. Trump ( @ realDonaldTrump ) December 19 , 2020

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The Washington, D.C., hotel and bar where the white nationalist Proud Boys hang out when they’re in town for protests has announced it will be closed Jan. 6, the day Congress is scheduled to certify the Electoral College vote for President-elect Joe Biden.
It’s also the day of a planned “Wild Protest” in Washington to rail against Donald Trump’s reelection loss. The president is urging his followers to turn out that day in his desperate, last-ditch effort to stay in the White House.
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A number of people were stabbed, four critically, near the Hotel Harrington in clashes Dec. 12 between the Proud Boys and counterprotesters at the last demonstration in support of Trump. The Proud Boys are known to stay at the hotel and congregate in Harry’s, the hotel bar.
The 106-year-old hotel, the city’s oldest, issued a statement Sunday saying it will be closed Jan. 4, 5 and 6 for the “safety of visitors and employees.”
It added: “We join with all of our guests, visitors, staff and neighbors in our concern and desire for everyone’s health and safety. We greatly appreciate the trust our guests have placed in Hotel Harrington over the years and we wish to continue to earn that trust. While we cannot control what happens outside the hotel, we are taking additional steps to protect the safety of our visitors, guests and employees.”
DC's Hotel Harrington, a popular spot for Proud Boys, says it'll be closed on Jan 6 — the same day as a last-ditch MAGA rally to stop Congress from counting electoral votes. Angry Trump supporters who lost room reservations are fuming on The Donald. pic.twitter.com/Q2rEMlVsjY — Will Sommer (@willsommer) December 29, 2020
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The growing Proud Boys’ presence is “unnerving” other guests and staff, many of them Black and Hispanic, according to The Washington Post. The hotel has been cited at least three times in the last few months for violating regulations on social distancing in the bar, according to the Post.
Fringe chat forums and other online posts indicate far-right demonstrators are “workshopping ways to smuggle guns” into the District of Columbia, the newspaper reported. Carrying weapons without a permit is prohibited in the District of Columbia, and guns are banned at all protests.
Trump, meanwhile, is rallying his supporters to take to the streets Jan. 6. “Be there,” the president tweeted earlier this month. “Will be wild.”
His tweet, which also claimed, without evidence, that the election was fraudulent, was marked by Twitter as “disputed.”
Peter Navarro releases 36-page report alleging election fraud 'more than sufficient' to swing victory to Trump https://t.co/D8KrMHnFdK. A great report by Peter. Statistically impossible to have lost the 2020 Election. Big protest in D.C. on January 6th. Be there, will be wild! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 19, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-28--Ted Cruz Got $35 Million For Billionaire Fracking Donors In Last COVID-19 Aid: Report

As President Donald Trump complains about “ pork ” in the current COVID-19 relief package , The Wall Street Journal reports that the last time around , Sen. Ted Cruz ( R-Texas ) helped manipulate the aid program to get $ 35 million for Texas billionaire fracking brothers who are major Cruz contributors .
Dan and Farris Wilks collected the windfall even though their businesses were busy buying stakes in six other fracking companies , according to corporate records , the Journal reported .
The Wilks brothers lobbied Cruz when it appeared that gas and oil operations would be cut @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mainstreet Lending Program in the last COVID-19 economic stimulus package last spring , according to the newspaper .
Cruz in turn helped convince the Trump administration and the Federal Reserve to change the rules for pandemic loans to include the operations , the Journal reported .
The government quickly changed the rules , and the Wilks brothers obtained the hefty $ 35 million loan for ProFac Holdings LLC , a supplier of pumping equipment and services , according to records .
The nonprofit BailoutWatch , which tracks coronavirus pandemic aid to businesses , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ massive payback to a major campaign contributor .
“ ProFrac ’ s loan is blatant misappropriation of taxpayer dollars , ” Chris Kuveke , an analyst for the organization , told the Journal .
The senator ’ s biggest contributors cashed in with one of the program ’ s largest loans to the fossil fuel industry , Kuveke noted .
“ It ’ s hard not to connect the dots , ” he added .
The Wilks brothers donated $ 15 million to the super PAC Keeping the Promise , which backed Cruz @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made them the biggest financial backers of his career in politics , according to the Journal .
The Wilks did not return requests from the Journal to comment .
Cruz ’ s office claimed his work for the Wilks and other fossil fuel industries protected 300,000 jobs amid the COVID-19 pandemic but apparently provided no documentation for the claim .
The president has complained about “ pork ” in the COVID-19 stimulus package he signed Sunday night , which is providing a modest one-time $ 600 relief payment to Americans who meet income @ @

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As President Donald Trump complains about “pork” in the current COVID-19 relief package, The Wall Street Journal reports that the last time around, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) helped manipulate the aid program to get $35 million for Texas billionaire fracking brothers who are major Cruz contributors.
Dan and Farris Wilks collected the windfall even though their businesses were busy buying stakes in six other fracking companies, according to corporate records, the Journal reported.
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The Wilks brothers lobbied Cruz when it appeared that gas and oil operations would be cut out of the government-backed loans of the Mainstreet Lending Program in the last COVID-19 economic stimulus package last spring, according to the newspaper.
Cruz in turn helped convince the Trump administration and the Federal Reserve to change the rules for pandemic loans to include the operations, the Journal reported. The government quickly changed the rules, and the Wilks brothers obtained the hefty $35 million loan for ProFac Holdings LLC, a supplier of pumping equipment and services, according to records.
The nonprofit BailoutWatch, which tracks coronavirus pandemic aid to businesses, blasted Cruz’s efforts as a massive payback to a major campaign contributor.
“ProFrac’s loan is blatant misappropriation of taxpayer dollars,” Chris Kuveke, an analyst for the organization, told the Journal. The senator’s biggest contributors cashed in with one of the program’s largest loans to the fossil fuel industry, Kuveke noted. “It’s hard not to connect the dots,” he added.
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The Wilks brothers donated $15 million to the super PAC Keeping the Promise, which backed Cruz’s 2016 presidential campaign. That made them the biggest financial backers of his career in politics, according to the Journal.
The Wilks did not return requests from the Journal to comment. Cruz’s office claimed his work for the Wilks and other fossil fuel industries protected 300,000 jobs amid the COVID-19 pandemic but apparently provided no documentation for the claim.
The president has complained about “pork” in the COVID-19 stimulus package he signed Sunday night, which is providing a modest one-time $600 relief payment to Americans who meet income requirements.
Increase payments to the people, get rid of the “pork”. https://t.co/jq82qFIyUs — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 27, 2020
The entire Wall Street Journal article is available here.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-29--Bernie Sanders To Delay Senate Vote In Push For $2,000 Stimulus Checks

Sen. Bernie Sanders ( I-Vt. ) said Monday that he will delay a Senate vote to override President Donald Trump ’ s veto of a defense spending bill until a vote to increase COVID-19 relief payments to $ 2,000 is brought to the floor .
“ [ Mitch ] McConnell and the Senate want to expedite the override vote and I understand that , ” Sanders told Politico .
“ But I ’ m not going to allow that to happen unless there is a vote , no matter how long that takes , on the $ 2,000 direct payment.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Monday to more than triple stimulus payments outlined in the most recent coronavirus relief package , from $ 600 to $ 2,000 for every eligible American .
The bill passed 275-134 in the lower chamber , with 231 Democrats and 44 Republicans voting yes .
Democrats have rallied around Trump ’ s last-minute support for heftier payments and have called on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ( R-Ky. ) to support them as well .
But McConnell hasn ’ t commented on whether he ’ ll move forward with the bill .
Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ package , stunned Republicans last week when he urged lawmakers increase the stimulus payments to $ 2,000 ― an amount some Democrats had been pushing for all along .
“ The House passed a $ 2,000 direct payment for working people , ” Sanders tweeted Monday .
“ Now it ’ s the Senate ’ s turn .
If McConnell doesn ’ t agree to an up or down vote to provide the working people of our country a $ 2,000 direct payment , Congress will not be going home for New Year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do our job.
” Trump last week vetoed the National Defense Authorization Act , an annual defense policy bill that has bipartisan support .
Among his list of demands , Trump has called on lawmakers to strip the proposed legislation of language that allows for the renaming of military bases that honor Confederate leaders .
The House voted Monday to override the president ’ s veto .
The Senate is expected to do the same , setting up Congress ’ first veto override of Trump ’ s presidency .
Sanders ’ plan to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but not unlawful , reported Politico .
He can ’ t obstruct the vote indefinitely , but he can delay it until New Year ’ s Day .
Keeping the Senate in session through the end of the year would throw a wrench in Republicans ’ plans — including those of Sens .
David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler of Georgia , who are likely eager to return to their home state to campaign ahead of their highly anticipated runoff election on Jan. 5 .
It ’ s unclear whether enough Senate Republicans would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 2,000 payments .
At least 12 Republicans would have to vote in favor of the legislation .
Trump on Tuesday signaled a rare moment of support for Sanders , tweeting that Congress should “ give the people $ 2000 , not $ 600 ” in response to a report of the Vermont senator ’ s plan to filibuster the NDAA vote .

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Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said Monday that he will delay a Senate vote to override President Donald Trump’s veto of a defense spending bill until a vote to increase COVID-19 relief payments to $2,000 is brought to the floor.
“[Mitch] McConnell and the Senate want to expedite the override vote and I understand that,” Sanders told Politico. “But I’m not going to allow that to happen unless there is a vote, no matter how long that takes, on the $2,000 direct payment.”
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The House passed legislation earlier on Monday to more than triple stimulus payments outlined in the most recent coronavirus relief package, from $600 to $2,000 for every eligible American. The bill passed 275-134 in the lower chamber, with 231 Democrats and 44 Republicans voting yes.
Democrats have rallied around Trump’s last-minute support for heftier payments and have called on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to support them as well. But McConnell hasn’t commented on whether he’ll move forward with the bill.
Trump, whose administration helped negotiate the relief package, stunned Republicans last week when he urged lawmakers to increase the stimulus payments to $2,000 ― an amount some Democrats had been pushing for all along.
“The House passed a $2,000 direct payment for working people,” Sanders tweeted Monday. “Now it’s the Senate’s turn. If McConnell doesn’t agree to an up or down vote to provide the working people of our country a $2,000 direct payment, Congress will not be going home for New Year’s Eve. Let’s do our job.”
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Trump last week vetoed the National Defense Authorization Act, an annual defense policy bill that has bipartisan support. Among his list of demands, Trump has called on lawmakers to strip the proposed legislation of language that allows for the renaming of military bases that honor Confederate leaders.
The House voted Monday to override the president’s veto. The Senate is expected to do the same, setting up Congress’ first veto override of Trump’s presidency.
Sanders’ plan to filibuster the veto override vote is unusual but not unlawful, reported Politico. He can’t obstruct the vote indefinitely, but he can delay it until New Year’s Day.
Keeping the Senate in session through the end of the year would throw a wrench in Republicans’ plans — including those of Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler of Georgia, who are likely eager to return to their home state to campaign ahead of their highly anticipated runoff election on Jan. 5.
It’s unclear whether enough Senate Republicans would join Democratic caucus members to pass the $2,000 payments. At least 12 Republicans would have to vote in favor of the legislation.
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Trump on Tuesday signaled a rare moment of support for Sanders, tweeting that Congress should “give the people $2000, not $600” in response to a report of the Vermont senator’s plan to filibuster the NDAA vote.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-29--President-Elect Joe Biden Warns Of Obstruction

During a speech , President-elect Joe Biden alleged that President Donald Trump ’ s administration is blocking key information regarding @ @ @

President-Elect Joe Biden Warns Of Obstruction
During a speech, President-elect Joe Biden alleged that President Donald Trump’s administration is blocking key information regarding national security.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-29--New COVID-19 Variant From U.K. Confirmed In U.S. For First Time

The first confirmed case of the new , more transmissible COVID-19 variant first discovered in the U.K. has been discovered in the United States .
Colorado Gov .
Jared Polis ( D ) said Tuesday that a state laboratory confirmed the variant known as B.1.1.7 in a male in his 20s , who is currently in isolation in Elbert County .
State authorities say the man had no travel history , and so far , no close contacts have been identified .
The mutant COVID-19 variant has already been detected in at least 18 other countries , including the United @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t currently operating a direct flight to the United Kingdom , the Colorado Sun notes , though direct flights to some other countries , including Canada , are available .
“ There is a lot we don ’ t know about this new COVID-19 variant , but scientists in the United Kingdom are warning the world that it is significantly more contagious , ” Polis said in a statement .
“ The health and safety of Coloradans is our top priority and we will closely monitor this case , as well as all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the U.K. warned last week that B.1.1.7 is around 56 % more contagious than the initial strain of the coronavirus that first emerged late last year in China .
So far , however , the mutations do not appear to make it more deadly .
Recently approved COVID-19 vaccines produced by Pfizer and Moderna are expected to be effective against the new strain .

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The first confirmed case of the new, more transmissible COVID-19 variant first discovered in the U.K. has been discovered in the United States.
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) said Tuesday that a state laboratory confirmed the variant known as B.1.1.7 in a male in his 20s, who is currently in isolation in Elbert County.
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State authorities say the man had no travel history, and so far, no close contacts have been identified.
The mutant COVID-19 variant has already been detected in at least 18 other countries, including the United Kingdom.
Denver International Airport isn’t currently operating a direct flight to the United Kingdom, the Colorado Sun notes, though direct flights to some other countries, including Canada, are available.
A couple in Ontario, Canada, tested positive for B.1.1.7 earlier this week.
“There is a lot we don’t know about this new COVID-19 variant, but scientists in the United Kingdom are warning the world that it is significantly more contagious,” Polis said in a statement. “The health and safety of Coloradans is our top priority and we will closely monitor this case, as well as all COVID-19 indicators, very closely.”
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Researchers in the U.K. warned last week that B.1.1.7 is around 56% more contagious than the initial strain of the coronavirus that first emerged late last year in China. So far, however, the mutations do not appear to make it more deadly.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-29--Biden Slams Trump For Slow COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout

President-elect Joe Biden on Tuesday called out Donald Trump ’ s administration for bungling the COVID-19 vaccine rollout and laid out his own plans for quickly immunizing as many Americans as possible .
“ As I long feared and warned , the effort to distribute and administer the vaccine is not progressing as it should , ” he said , adding that if the current pace continues , “ it ’ s going to take years , not months , to vaccinate the American people.
” The pace of vaccinations has been much slower than promised , despite the Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Warp Speed.
” Only about 1 million of the 9 million doses distributed so far have reportedly been administered , officials leading the rollout said Tuesday .
Biden said he ’ s searching for ways to increase the speed of immunization and wants to that ensure 100 million shots will have been administered by the end of the first 100 days .
It was also reported earlier this month that Trump ’ s administration repeatedly declined offers from Pfizer , the producer of one of the two Food and Drug Administration-approved coronavirus vaccines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Now , the U.S. could be waiting until June or July for those vaccines while Pfizer fulfills its contracts with other countries .
“ I ’ m going to move heaven and earth to get us going in the right direction , ” the president-elect said , noting he will be invoking the Defense Production Act to speed up vaccine production .
Trump has been largely silent on the pandemic since losing his reelection bid to Biden last month , instead expending all his energy on propping up his baseless claims of voter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drop their support of his crusade to overturn the election .
Meanwhile , the U.S. is suffering through the worst stage of the pandemic yet .
Case counts , hospitalizations and deaths all remain high , though slightly lower than they were two weeks ago .
There ’ s a good chance those numbers will skyrocket again following Christmas and New Year ’ s celebrations held despite warnings from officials , according to Dr. Anthony Fauci .
“ I share the concern of President-elect Biden that as we get into the next few @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Fauci , the country ’ s leading infectious disease specialist , said Sunday .
Biden pleaded with Americans to heed warnings about the need for safety measures and called on Trump to change course and encourage them , too .
“ Look , my ability to change the direction this pandemic starts in three weeks , with thousands dying every day between now and then , ” he said .
“ If we just step up together , wear masks , socially distance , wash our hands , avoid large indoor gatherings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ easy to ask .
But I ’ m asking you to make a sacrifice .
You ’ re already making tremendous sacrifices every single day .
”

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President-elect Joe Biden on Tuesday called out Donald Trump’s administration for bungling the COVID-19 vaccine rollout and laid out his own plans for quickly immunizing as many Americans as possible.
“The Trump administration’s plan to distribute the vaccine is falling behind ― far behind,” Biden said from Wilmington, Delaware.
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“As I long feared and warned, the effort to distribute and administer the vaccine is not progressing as it should,” he said, adding that if the current pace continues, “it’s going to take years, not months, to vaccinate the American people.”
The pace of vaccinations has been much slower than promised, despite the Trump administration naming its vaccine effort “Operation Warp Speed.” Only about 1 million of the 9 million doses distributed so far have reportedly been administered, officials leading the rollout said Tuesday.
Biden said he’s searching for ways to increase the speed of immunization and wants to that ensure 100 million shots will have been administered by the end of the first 100 days.
It was also reported earlier this month that Trump’s administration repeatedly declined offers from Pfizer, the producer of one of the two Food and Drug Administration-approved coronavirus vaccines, for millions of additional doses. Now, the U.S. could be waiting until June or July for those vaccines while Pfizer fulfills its contracts with other countries.
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“I’m going to move heaven and earth to get us going in the right direction,” the president-elect said, noting he will be invoking the Defense Production Act to speed up vaccine production.
Trump has been largely silent on the pandemic since losing his reelection bid to Biden last month, instead expending all his energy on propping up his baseless claims of voter fraud, even as his Republican allies drop their support of his crusade to overturn the election.
Meanwhile, the U.S. is suffering through the worst stage of the pandemic yet. Case counts, hospitalizations and deaths all remain high, though slightly lower than they were two weeks ago. There’s a good chance those numbers will skyrocket again following Christmas and New Year’s celebrations held despite warnings from officials, according to Dr. Anthony Fauci.
“I share the concern of President-elect Biden that as we get into the next few weeks it might actually get worse,” Fauci, the country’s leading infectious disease specialist, said Sunday.
Biden pleaded with Americans to heed warnings about the need for safety measures and called on Trump to change course and encourage them, too.
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“Look, my ability to change the direction this pandemic starts in three weeks, with thousands dying every day between now and then,” he said. “If we just step up together, wear masks, socially distance, wash our hands, avoid large indoor gatherings ― I know all these are not easy to ask. But I’m asking you to make a sacrifice. You’re already making tremendous sacrifices every single day.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-29--Russian COVID-19 Deaths Likely 3 Times Higher Than Previously Reported

MOSCOW ( AP ) — Russia ’ s updated statistics on coronavirus-linked deaths show that well over 100,000 people with COVID-19 had died in the pandemic by December , a number much higher than previously reported by government officials .
The data released Monday by Russia ’ s state statistics agency , Rosstat , brought the agency ’ s count of people with COVID-19 who died between April and November to 116,030 .
That included cases where the virus was not the main cause of death and where the virus was suspected but not confirmed .
The data also showed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ causes in the first 11 months of this year grew by 229,700 , or nearly 14 % , compared to the same period in 2019 .
Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova told a government meeting Monday that the increase reported between January and November by Rosstat for the most part is related to the coronavirus .
“ I would like to note that over 81 % of the increase in mortality in this period is related to COVID and the consequences of being infected with COVID , ” Golikova said .
Both Rosstat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assessment are much higher than the 55,827 deaths that have been reported by the Russian government ’ s coronavirus task force , including deaths that occurred in December .
The task force ’ s relatively low death count , which is reflected in the numbers released by the World Health Organization , raised questions among experts at home and abroad several months ago , as Russia ’ s tally of confirmed coronavirus cases became one of the world ’ s largest .
The Kremlin credited effective response measures for Russia ’ s low @ @ @ @ @ @ @ media alleged back then that Russian authorities might have falsified the numbers for political purposes to play down the scale of the outbreak — accusations the authorities have bristled at .
Russian officials ascribe the differences between the numbers reported by the task force and Rosstat to different counting methods , saying the task force only includes deaths where COVID-19 was the main cause .
Officials also said the task force uses data collected from medical facilities , while Rosstat takes its numbers from civil registry offices where the process of registering a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ force reports COVID-19 deaths on a daily basis , Rosstat releases updated statistics every month and analyzes the data retroactively , which allows a fuller picture .
The agency counted 70,921 deaths where COVID-19 was the main cause between April and November , while the task force reported only 40,464 deaths by Dec. 1 .
Experts told The Associated Press that other factors , such as a tendency among officials to embellish statistics , Russia ’ s vast geography and the shorter life expectancy of its population , could also have contributed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been swept by a rapid resurgence of infections since September , with numbers of confirmed COVID-19 infections and deaths significantly exceeding those reported in the spring .
Authorities have resisted imposing a second nationwide lockdown or a widespread closure of businesses , saying the health system is largely coping with the influx of patients .
But medical workers in different parts of Russia interviewed by the AP in recent months paint a bleak picture of overwhelmed hospitals , ambulances inundated with calls and patients having to wait hours , if not days , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suggest the Kremlin is betting on vaccinations against the virus to reverse the course of the outbreak and help avoid unpopular lockdown restrictions that delivered a serious blow to the weakening economy .

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MOSCOW (AP) — Russia’s updated statistics on coronavirus-linked deaths show that well over 100,000 people with COVID-19 had died in the pandemic by December, a number much higher than previously reported by government officials.
The data released Monday by Russia’s state statistics agency, Rosstat, brought the agency’s count of people with COVID-19 who died between April and November to 116,030. That included cases where the virus was not the main cause of death and where the virus was suspected but not confirmed.
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The data also showed that the number of deaths from all causes in the first 11 months of this year grew by 229,700, or nearly 14%, compared to the same period in 2019.
Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova told a government meeting Monday that the increase reported between January and November by Rosstat for the most part is related to the coronavirus.
“I would like to note that over 81% of the increase in mortality in this period is related to COVID and the consequences of being infected with COVID,” Golikova said.
Golikova’s comment suggests that some 186,000 deaths may be linked to the coronavirus.
Both Rosstat’s count and Golikova’s assessment are much higher than the 55,827 deaths that have been reported by the Russian government’s coronavirus task force, including deaths that occurred in December.
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The task force’s relatively low death count, which is reflected in the numbers released by the World Health Organization, raised questions among experts at home and abroad several months ago, as Russia’s tally of confirmed coronavirus cases became one of the world’s largest.
The Kremlin credited effective response measures for Russia’s low COVID-19 mortality. But critics and Western media alleged back then that Russian authorities might have falsified the numbers for political purposes to play down the scale of the outbreak — accusations the authorities have bristled at.
Russian officials ascribe the differences between the numbers reported by the task force and Rosstat to different counting methods, saying the task force only includes deaths where COVID-19 was the main cause.
Officials also said the task force uses data collected from medical facilities, while Rosstat takes its numbers from civil registry offices where the process of registering a death is finalized.
While the task force reports COVID-19 deaths on a daily basis, Rosstat releases updated statistics every month and analyzes the data retroactively, which allows a fuller picture. The agency counted 70,921 deaths where COVID-19 was the main cause between April and November, while the task force reported only 40,464 deaths by Dec. 1.
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Experts told The Associated Press that other factors, such as a tendency among officials to embellish statistics, Russia’s vast geography and the shorter life expectancy of its population, could also have contributed to the low official count.
Russia has been swept by a rapid resurgence of infections since September, with numbers of confirmed COVID-19 infections and deaths significantly exceeding those reported in the spring.
Authorities have resisted imposing a second nationwide lockdown or a widespread closure of businesses, saying the health system is largely coping with the influx of patients.
But medical workers in different parts of Russia interviewed by the AP in recent months paint a bleak picture of overwhelmed hospitals, ambulances inundated with calls and patients having to wait hours, if not days, to get medical help.
Some analysts suggest the Kremlin is betting on vaccinations against the virus to reverse the course of the outbreak and help avoid unpopular lockdown restrictions that delivered a serious blow to the weakening economy.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-29--New US Dietary Guidelines Say No Candy, Cake For Kids Under 2

Parents now have an extra reason to say no to candy , cake and ice cream for young children .
The first U.S. government dietary guidelines for infants and toddlers , released Tuesday , recommend feeding only breast milk for at least six months and no added sugar for children under age 2 .
“ It ’ s never too early to start , ” said Barbara Schneeman , a nutritionist at University of California , Davis .
“ You have to make every bite count in those early years.
” The guidelines stop short of two key recommendations from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said in July that everyone should limit their added sugar intake to less than 6 % of calories and men should limit alcohol to one drink per day .
Instead , the guidelines stick with previous advice : limit added sugar to less than 10 % of calories per day after age 2 .
And men should limit alcohol to no more than two drinks per day , twice as much as advised for women .
“ I don ’ t think we ’ re finished with alcohol , ” said Schneeman , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the guidelines .
“ There ’ s more we need to learn.
” The dietary guidelines are issued every five years by the Agriculture Department and the Department of Health and Human Services .
The government uses them to set standards for school lunches and other programs .
Some highlights : Babies should have only breast milk at least until they reach 6 months , the guidelines say .
If breast milk isn ’ t available , they should get iron-fortified infant formula during the first year .
Babies should get supplemental @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Babies can start eating other food at about 6 months and should be introduced to potential allergenic foods along with other foods .
“ Introducing peanut-containing foods in the first year reduces the risk that an infant will develop a food allergy to peanuts , ” the guidelines say .
There ’ s more advice than in prior guidelines for pregnant and breastfeeding women .
To promote healthy brain development in their babies , these women should eat 8 to 12 ounces of seafood per week .
They should be sure to choose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , sardines and tilapia — with lower levels of mercury , which can harm children ’ s nervous systems .
Pregnant women should not drink alcohol , according to the guidelines , and breastfeeding women should be cautious .
Caffeine in modest amounts appears safe and women can discuss that with their doctors .
Most Americans fall short of following the best advice on nutrition , contributing to obesity , heart disease and diabetes .
Much of the new advice sounds familiar : Load your plate with fruits and vegetables , and cut @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sodium .
The biggest sources of added sugars in the typical U.S. diet are soda and other sugar-sweetened beverages , desserts , snacks , candy and sweetened coffee and tea .
These food contribute very little nutrition , so the guidelines advise limits .

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Parents now have an extra reason to say no to candy, cake and ice cream for young children. The first U.S. government dietary guidelines for infants and toddlers, released Tuesday, recommend feeding only breast milk for at least six months and no added sugar for children under age 2.
“It’s never too early to start,” said Barbara Schneeman, a nutritionist at University of California, Davis. “You have to make every bite count in those early years.”
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The guidelines stop short of two key recommendations from scientists advising the government. Those advisers said in July that everyone should limit their added sugar intake to less than 6% of calories and men should limit alcohol to one drink per day.
Instead, the guidelines stick with previous advice: limit added sugar to less than 10% of calories per day after age 2. And men should limit alcohol to no more than two drinks per day, twice as much as advised for women.
“I don’t think we’re finished with alcohol,” said Schneeman, who chaired a committee advising the government on the guidelines. “There’s more we need to learn.”
The dietary guidelines are issued every five years by the Agriculture Department and the Department of Health and Human Services. The government uses them to set standards for school lunches and other programs. Some highlights:
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INFANTS, TODDLERS AND MOMS
Babies should have only breast milk at least until they reach 6 months, the guidelines say. If breast milk isn’t available, they should get iron-fortified infant formula during the first year. Babies should get supplemental vitamin D beginning soon after birth.
Babies can start eating other food at about 6 months and should be introduced to potential allergenic foods along with other foods.
“Introducing peanut-containing foods in the first year reduces the risk that an infant will develop a food allergy to peanuts,” the guidelines say.
There’s more advice than in prior guidelines for pregnant and breastfeeding women. To promote healthy brain development in their babies, these women should eat 8 to 12 ounces of seafood per week. They should be sure to choose fish — such as cod, salmon, sardines and tilapia — with lower levels of mercury, which can harm children’s nervous systems.
Pregnant women should not drink alcohol, according to the guidelines, and breastfeeding women should be cautious. Caffeine in modest amounts appears safe and women can discuss that with their doctors.
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WHAT’S ON YOUR PLATE?
Most Americans fall short of following the best advice on nutrition, contributing to obesity, heart disease and diabetes. Much of the new advice sounds familiar: Load your plate with fruits and vegetables, and cut back on sweets, saturated fats and sodium.
The guidelines suggest making small changes that add up: Substitute plain shredded wheat for frosted cereal. Choose low-sodium canned black beans. Drink sparkling water instead of soda.
There’s an app to help people follow the guidelines available through the government’s My Plate website.
READ LABELS
The biggest sources of added sugars in the typical U.S. diet are soda and other sugar-sweetened beverages, desserts, snacks, candy and sweetened coffee and tea. These food contribute very little nutrition, so the guidelines advise limits.
There’s information on added sugar on the “Nutrition Facts” label on packaged foods. Information on saturated fats and sodium is on the label too.
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Associated Press writer Marion Renault in Rochester, Minnesota, contributed.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-29--California Hospitals Brace For 'Surge On Top Of A Surge' As COVID-19 Cases Rise

LOS ANGELES ( AP ) — California extended its strict stay-at-home orders Tuesday in areas where intensive care units are running out of beds , coming after Gov .
Gavin Newsom warned residents to brace for the effect of a “ surge on top of a surge ” of coronavirus cases from holiday travel .
The state ’ s top health official , Dr. Mark Ghaly , said that Southern California and the agricultural San Joaquin Valley still have what is considered no ICU capacity and that the state ’ s restrictions would continue longer there .
Newsom said Monday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some places , the state was destined to move into a “ new phase ” that it ’ s been preparing for as it sets up hospital beds in arenas , schools and tents , though it is struggling to staff them .
“ As we move into this new phase , where we brace , where we prepare ourselves for what is inevitable now ... based on the travel we have just seen in the last week and the expectation of more of the same through the rest of the holiday season @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surge , arguably , on top of , again , another surge , ” Newsom said .
California reported more than 31,000 new cases Tuesday and 242 deaths , but the numbers are likely to climb this week as labs and counties catch up their reporting from the holiday week .
FILE - In this Dec. 17 , 2020 , file photo , medical workers remove a stretcher from an ambulance near medical tents outside the emergency room at UCI Medical Center , in Irvine , Calif. Medical staffing is stretched increasingly thin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for patients amid an explosion of coronavirus cases that threatens to overwhelm the state 's emergency care system .
( AP Photo/Ashley Landis , File ) State officials also notified hospitals that the situation is so dire they should prepare for the possibility that they will have to resort to “ crisis care ” guidelines established earlier in the pandemic , which allow for rationing treatment .
The surge of infections is due in large part to Thanksgiving travel and celebrations , which happened despite warnings from health officials not to gather because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was already seeing explosive growth in cases .
The state has several makeshift hospitals that are taking patients , but more health care workers are needed to staff them , the Democratic governor said .
It has deployed more than 1,000 people to 116 hospitals and other facilities through a volunteer corps or the National Guard .
On the upside , Newsom said California finally expects to receive more of the traveling health care workers it had requested in anticipation of the shortage .
The Department of Public Health is sending an emergency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ better distribute patients among hospitals .
Some hospitals are well above capacity and others are below , Newsom said .
Over the weekend , most Los Angeles County hospitals reached a crisis point where they had to divert ambulances because they didn ’ t have beds available .
Dr. Barbara Ferrer , the county ’ s public health director , said the “ situation may only get worse as we begin 2021.
” Los Angeles County , which accounts for a quarter of California ’ s nearly 40 million residents , has about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 24,000 deaths .
The county is approaching a milestone of 10,000 deaths .
Anyone who has traveled out of Los Angeles County is required to quarantine for 10 days when they return , the health department announced in a news release Monday .
Although there are indications more people are heeding stay-at-home orders that apply to all of the state but the northernmost rural counties , there was a bump in air travel in Los Angeles similar to Thanksgiving , with a high of 43,000 passengers on Dec. 23 — the highest figure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spokesman Heath Montgomery said .

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — California extended its strict stay-at-home orders Tuesday in areas where intensive care units are running out of beds, coming after Gov. Gavin Newsom warned residents to brace for the effect of a “surge on top of a surge” of coronavirus cases from holiday travel.
The state’s top health official, Dr. Mark Ghaly, said that Southern California and the agricultural San Joaquin Valley still have what is considered no ICU capacity and that the state’s restrictions would continue longer there.
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Newsom said Monday that even with hospital admissions plateauing in some places, the state was destined to move into a “new phase” that it’s been preparing for as it sets up hospital beds in arenas, schools and tents, though it is struggling to staff them.
“As we move into this new phase, where we brace, where we prepare ourselves for what is inevitable now ... based on the travel we have just seen in the last week and the expectation of more of the same through the rest of the holiday season of a surge on top of a surge, arguably, on top of, again, another surge,” Newsom said.
California reported more than 31,000 new cases Tuesday and 242 deaths, but the numbers are likely to climb this week as labs and counties catch up their reporting from the holiday week.
FILE - In this Dec. 17, 2020, file photo, medical workers remove a stretcher from an ambulance near medical tents outside the emergency room at UCI Medical Center, in Irvine, Calif. Medical staffing is stretched increasingly thin as California hospitals scramble to find beds for patients amid an explosion of coronavirus cases that threatens to overwhelm the state's emergency care system. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis, File) ASSOCIATED PRESS
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State officials also notified hospitals that the situation is so dire they should prepare for the possibility that they will have to resort to “crisis care” guidelines established earlier in the pandemic, which allow for rationing treatment.
The surge of infections is due in large part to Thanksgiving travel and celebrations, which happened despite warnings from health officials not to gather because the nation’s most populated state was already seeing explosive growth in cases.
It’s created the greatest challenge for California’s health system since the pandemic began, with case counts, hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19 regularly breaking records.
Models used for planning show hospitalizations more than doubling in the next month from about 20,000 to more than 50,000.
The state has several makeshift hospitals that are taking patients, but more health care workers are needed to staff them, the Democratic governor said. It has deployed more than 1,000 people to 116 hospitals and other facilities through a volunteer corps or the National Guard. On the upside, Newsom said California finally expects to receive more of the traveling health care workers it had requested in anticipation of the shortage.
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The Department of Public Health is sending an emergency medical team to Los Angeles to help better distribute patients among hospitals. Some hospitals are well above capacity and others are below, Newsom said.
Over the weekend, most Los Angeles County hospitals reached a crisis point where they had to divert ambulances because they didn’t have beds available. Dr. Barbara Ferrer, the county’s public health director, said the “situation may only get worse as we begin 2021.”
Los Angeles County, which accounts for a quarter of California’s nearly 40 million residents, has about 40% of the state’s 24,000 deaths. The county is approaching a milestone of 10,000 deaths. Anyone who has traveled out of Los Angeles County is required to quarantine for 10 days when they return, the health department announced in a news release Monday.
Although there are indications more people are heeding stay-at-home orders that apply to all of the state but the northernmost rural counties, there was a bump in air travel in Los Angeles similar to Thanksgiving, with a high of 43,000 passengers on Dec. 23 — the highest figure since the start of the pandemic, spokesman Heath Montgomery said.
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Associated Press writers Janie Har in San Francisco, Don Thompson in Sacramento and Christopher Weber, Stefanie Dazio and John Antczak in Los Angeles contributed.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-29--Federal Prosecutor Who Helped Fuel Trump's Bogus Voter Fraud Narrative To Resign

U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania David J .
Freed , who was appointed by Trump in 2017 , said Tuesday that he will resign his office at midnight on Jan. 1 , just 19 days before Joe Biden is sworn into office as the 46th president of the United States .
Back in late September , Freed ’ s office released a statement offering up details of a preliminary investigation into nine discarded mail-in ballots in Luzerne County .
The Justice Department typically keeps mum about ongoing investigations , particularly probes in their initial stages that could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an intense presidential campaign .
But Freed ’ s statement actually specified that seven of the temporarily discarded military ballots were cast for Trump , and the president and the White House quickly pointed to the investigation as evidence that the election was being rigged against Trump .
Pennsylvania ’ s top elections official later said the election worker who initially tossed the military ballots — and was fired as a result — had made a mistake .
But the voter fraud narrative quickly gained steam , and was seized upon as evidence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Freed ’ s unusual conduct came under intense scrutiny from Justice Department veterans who noted it was “ wildly improper ” for a federal prosecutor to be making public declarations about investigations that could be used as a political cudgel and help undermine confidence in the electoral process .
HuffPost asked a spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney on Tuesday whether Freed believed that Trump lost the election , whether Freed believed that Trump lost the state of Pennsylvania , whether Freed had any regrets about his statement on the mail-in ballots , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mass voter fraud conspiracy theories , and whether Freed ’ s announcement of his impending resignation amounted to a concession that Trump lost the 2020 election and that his mass voter fraud claims are bogus .
Freed declined to comment .
Freed has remained mum on election fraud claims since Trump lost the presidential election to Biden in early November .
Formerly a regular Twitter user , his only post-election tweet came on Veterans Day .
Like many top Republicans , he remained silent on Trump ’ s increasingly unhinged claims about mass @ @ @ @ @ @ @ too bizarre even for notorious “ birther ” dentist-lawyer Orly Taitz .
Former Attorney General William Barr , who himself resigned last week , shot down Trump ’ s mass voter fraud claims in an interview with The Associated Press nearly a month after Trump ’ s defeat .
Even after being swiftly brushed aside at the Supreme Court , Trump is now pushing for extreme action to overturn the will of the American people , and has called on his supporters to gather in Washington , D.C. , on Jan. 6 when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to count the certificates of electoral votes .
In addition to thanking Trump , Freed ’ s statement on his resignation also thanked Sen. Pat Toomey ( R-Pa. ) , who supported Freed ’ s nomination .
Toomey has said there ’ s no evidence of Trump ’ s mass voter fraud claims , and called it “ completely unacceptable ” for Trump to pressure state lawmakers to overturn the results of the election .
Toomey plans to serve out the remaining two years of his term but won ’ t be running @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more room to speak honestly about the outgoing president without fear of alienating Trump supporters who actually believe the president ’ s mass voter fraud conspiracy theories .
Justin Levitt , a former Justice Department official and professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles , said that Freed ’ s press release was “ unforgivable , ” but said in an email that it was a “ good sign that the flurry of negative publicity seems to have dissuaded further abuses , ” noting Freed ’ s silence in the past three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ got a black mark for running the only U.S. Attorney ’ s Office in the country ( I believe ) to have publicly indulged the President ’ s urge to promote half-baked investigations in the interest of stirring up the notion of controversy , ” Levitt said .
“ But I ’ m thankful for the fact that it was just one bad act , rather than the first of a string .
”

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A top federal prosecutor who issued a bizarre statement during the 2020 campaign that helped fuel President Donald Trump’s baseless claims of mass voter fraud has announced his impending resignation.
U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania David J. Freed, who was appointed by Trump in 2017, said Tuesday that he will resign his office at midnight on Jan. 1, just 19 days before Joe Biden is sworn into office as the 46th president of the United States.
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Back in late September, Freed’s office released a statement offering up details of a preliminary investigation into nine discarded mail-in ballots in Luzerne County. The Justice Department typically keeps mum about ongoing investigations, particularly probes in their initial stages that could easily be politicized in the heat of an intense presidential campaign. But Freed’s statement actually specified that seven of the temporarily discarded military ballots were cast for Trump, and the president and the White House quickly pointed to the investigation as evidence that the election was being rigged against Trump.
Pennsylvania’s top elections official later said the election worker who initially tossed the military ballots — and was fired as a result — had made a mistake. But the voter fraud narrative quickly gained steam, and was seized upon as evidence of a massive criminal conspiracy against Trump.
U.S. Attorney David Freed helped fuel President Donald Trump's bogus claims of mass voter fraud in Pennsylvania. .gov
Freed’s unusual conduct came under intense scrutiny from Justice Department veterans who noted it was “wildly improper” for a federal prosecutor to be making public declarations about investigations that could be used as a political cudgel and help undermine confidence in the electoral process.
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HuffPost asked a spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney on Tuesday whether Freed believed that Trump lost the election, whether Freed believed that Trump lost the state of Pennsylvania, whether Freed had any regrets about his statement on the mail-in ballots, whether Freed believes his statement helped fuel mass voter fraud conspiracy theories, and whether Freed’s announcement of his impending resignation amounted to a concession that Trump lost the 2020 election and that his mass voter fraud claims are bogus. Freed declined to comment.
Freed has remained mum on election fraud claims since Trump lost the presidential election to Biden in early November. Formerly a regular Twitter user, his only post-election tweet came on Veterans Day. Like many top Republicans, he remained silent on Trump’s increasingly unhinged claims about mass voter fraud, some of which were too bizarre even for notorious “birther” dentist-lawyer Orly Taitz.
Former Attorney General William Barr, who himself resigned last week, shot down Trump’s mass voter fraud claims in an interview with The Associated Press nearly a month after Trump’s defeat.
Even after being swiftly brushed aside at the Supreme Court, Trump is now pushing for extreme action to overturn the will of the American people, and has called on his supporters to gather in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6 when a joint session of Congress will meet to count the certificates of electoral votes.
In addition to thanking Trump, Freed’s statement on his resignation also thanked Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), who supported Freed’s nomination. Toomey has said there’s no evidence of Trump’s mass voter fraud claims, and called it “completely unacceptable” for Trump to pressure state lawmakers to overturn the results of the election. Toomey plans to serve out the remaining two years of his term but won’t be running for reelection in 2022, giving him more room to speak honestly about the outgoing president without fear of alienating Trump supporters who actually believe the president’s mass voter fraud conspiracy theories.
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Justin Levitt, a former Justice Department official and professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, said that Freed’s press release was “unforgivable,” but said in an email that it was a “good sign that the flurry of negative publicity seems to have dissuaded further abuses,” noting Freed’s silence in the past three months.