thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-26--Bette Midler Says She Was 'Wrong' For Mocking Melania Trump's Accent

Bette Midler is apologizing for making fun of Melania Trump as the first lady spoke at the Republican National Convention — but not entirely .
“ Well , all hell has broken loose because I said Melania ‘ still can ’ t speak English ’ last night , ” Midler tweeted Wednesday .
“ I was wrong to make fun of her accent .
America is made up [ of ] people who speak with all kinds of accents , and they are all welcomed always.
” Well , all hell has broken loose because I said Melania “ still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ night .
I was wrong to make fun of her accent .
America is made up people who speak with all kinds of accents , and they are all welcomed always .
— bettemidler ( @ BetteMidler ) August 26 , 2020 Midler ’ s apology comes after the Grammy-winning singer tweeted a series of xenophobic and sexist jokes aimed at the first lady as she delivered her speech Tuesday night .
In one tweet , “ The First Wives Club ” star , 74 , viciously slammed Trump ’ s accent .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ born in Slovenia , which was then Yugoslavia .
Her first language is Slovenian .
Trump moved to New York in the 1990s to work as a fashion model .
In 2001 she scored a so-called Einstein visa for “ individuals of extraordinary ability ” and in 2005 married President Donald Trump .
becoming his third wife .
She became a U.S. citizen in 2006 , and sponsored her parents , Viktor and Amalija Knavs , who became citizens in 2018 .
Despite Melania Trump ’ s citizenship , Midler still hurled another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tuesday night — and didn ’ t apologize for it .
# beBest is back !
A UGE bore !
She can speak several words in a few languages .
Get that illegal alien off the stage !
— bettemidler ( @ BetteMidler ) August 26 , 2020 The “ Beaches ” star didn ’ t stop there , either .
Referring to the president , she also tweeted : Returning her fire to the first lady , she posted : Anodyne , anodyne , nothing but simple minded pablum .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very lucky.
” I completely agree !
You are one lucky Slovenian !
And after all that surgery , you hit a kind of horrible jackpot , chained to an colossal idiot .
— bettemidler ( @ BetteMidler ) August 26 , 2020 Many Twitter users called out the “ From a Distance ” singer for her problematic tweets .
This *really* is n't the route I 'd take to critiquing a person .
There are plenty of better reasons to take issue with her .
— Stacey Kay 💖💜💙 # BLACKLIVESMATTER 🦼 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2020 It 's kind of astonishing how unabashedly racist and misogynistic you are willing to be .
Quite a performance .
— Sarah Ruth Ashcraft ( @ SaRaAshcraft ) August 26 , 2020 This is why I do n't want to be a Democrat anymore .
Liberals are openly racist , cruel , and completely incapable of understanding what needs to be done to change this country .
As a leftist , I want nothing to do with liberals .
— beth , uprising enthusiast ( @ bourgeoisalien ) August 26 , 2020 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first began receiving criticism for her tweets .
The backlash spurred by Midler ’ s Melania Trump tweets contrasted with the response she received on Monday , after bashing both Donald Trump Jr. and his girlfriend , Kimberly Guilfoyle , an adviser to the president ’ s reelection campaign , for their speeches at the convention that night .

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Bette Midler is apologizing for making fun of Melania Trump as the first lady spoke at the Republican National Convention — but not entirely.
“Well, all hell has broken loose because I said Melania ‘still can’t speak English’ last night,” Midler tweeted Wednesday. “I was wrong to make fun of her accent. America is made up [of] people who speak with all kinds of accents, and they are all welcomed always.”
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Well, all hell has broken loose because I said Melania “still can’t speak English” last night. I was wrong to make fun of her accent. America is made up people who speak with all kinds of accents, and they are all welcomed always. — bettemidler (@BetteMidler) August 26, 2020
Midler’s apology comes after the Grammy-winning singer tweeted a series of xenophobic and sexist jokes aimed at the first lady as she delivered her speech Tuesday night. In one tweet, “The First Wives Club” star, 74, viciously slammed Trump’s accent.
“Oh, God. She still can’t speak English,” Midler wrote.
Oh, God. She still can’t speak English. — bettemidler (@BetteMidler) August 26, 2020
The first lady, 50, was born in Slovenia, which was then Yugoslavia. Her first language is Slovenian. Trump moved to New York in the 1990s to work as a fashion model. In 2001 she scored a so-called Einstein visa for “individuals of extraordinary ability” and in 2005 married President Donald Trump. becoming his third wife. She became a U.S. citizen in 2006, and sponsored her parents, Viktor and Amalija Knavs, who became citizens in 2018.
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Despite Melania Trump’s citizenship, Midler still hurled another xenophobic attack at the first lady on Tuesday night — and didn’t apologize for it.
Calling her a “bore,” Midler tweeted. “Get that illegal alien off the stage!”
#beBest is back! A UGE bore! She can speak several words in a few languages. Get that illegal alien off the stage! — bettemidler (@BetteMidler) August 26, 2020
The “Beaches” star didn’t stop there, either. Referring to the president, she also tweeted:
I’m surprised Trump wants to destroy the #PostOffice. He got all his wives from it. — bettemidler (@BetteMidler) August 26, 2020
Returning her fire to the first lady, she posted:
Anodyne, anodyne, nothing but simple minded pablum. “I have to remind myself that I am very lucky.” I completely agree! You are one lucky Slovenian! And after all that surgery, you hit a kind of horrible jackpot, chained to an colossal idiot. — bettemidler (@BetteMidler) August 26, 2020
Many Twitter users called out the “From a Distance” singer for her problematic tweets.
I’m a Democrat and this is xenophobic. — K. Rosef (@kayrosef) August 26, 2020
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This *really* isn't the route I'd take to critiquing a person. There are plenty of better reasons to take issue with her. — Stacey Kay 💖💜💙 #BLACKLIVESMATTER 🦼 (@heystaceykay) August 26, 2020
It's kind of astonishing how unabashedly racist and misogynistic you are willing to be. Quite a performance. — Sarah Ruth Ashcraft (@SaRaAshcraft) August 26, 2020
This is why I don't want to be a Democrat anymore. Liberals are openly racist, cruel, and completely incapable of understanding what needs to be done to change this country.
As a leftist, I want nothing to do with liberals. — beth, uprising enthusiast (@bourgeoisalien) August 26, 2020
Midler did not initially apologize when she first began receiving criticism for her tweets.
Why not? Just giving them a taste of their own immigrant bashing medicine. I guess they’re not keen. https://t.co/yAuMjgxqiH — bettemidler (@BetteMidler) August 26, 2020
The backlash spurred by Midler’s Melania Trump tweets contrasted with the response she received on Monday, after bashing both Donald Trump Jr. and his girlfriend, Kimberly Guilfoyle, an adviser to the president’s reelection campaign, for their speeches at the convention that night.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-27--Hurricane Laura Hit The Oil And Gas Industry When It’s Down. But Don’t Expect A Reckoning.

Hurricane Laura struck the Gulf Coast on Thursday morning , barreling into the country ’ s largest cluster of offshore drilling rigs , refineries and export facilities as one of the most powerful storms to ever make landfall in the U.S .
In theory , it could have forced a turning point for the oil and gas industry .
The coronavirus pandemic sent demand for fuel plummeting to historic lows , triggering unprecedented financial losses for oil companies already drowning in debt .
At the same time , the Category 4 storm offered yet another sign of the warming caused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a heat wave thawing the Arctic , floods deluging Bangladesh and China , and wildfires scorching the American West .
Yet analysts predicted oil and gas companies would make a steady recovery .
Halting production in the Gulf will do little to reduce the supply of oil , gas and refined products because industry stored vast amounts of the stuff when demand plunged in March .
During past hurricanes , companies spilled oil and chemicals with impunity , so fines and environmental citations look unlikely .
And even if the damage proves too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Alaska and the Pacific Coast could replace the capacity on the Gulf .
Production fell by over a million barrels per day .
In response , the industry increased investment in what was then a nascent drilling technology called hydraulic fracturing .
Fracking , as it became known , transformed the U.S. into one of the world ’ s top exporters of oil and natural gas as friendly state and federal policies and virtually limitless Wall Street financing allowed companies to tap thousands of wells across West Texas , Appalachia and North Dakota @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because prices spiked and you suddenly had enough incentive for these companies that had been experimenting with fracking to take it big time , ” said Clark Williams-Derry , an analyst at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis .
“ I don ’ t expect anything like that this time because offshore is a much smaller part of the U.S. oil picture , ” Williams-Derry said .
“ It ’ s less of a big deal in terms of supply.
” “ The natural gas and oil industry is closely monitoring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ safeguard employees and neighboring communities as well as minimize risk to critical infrastructure , including evacuating offshore production platforms and idling onshore facilities , ” said Suzanne Lemieux , the emergency response manager at the American Petroleum Institute , the industry ’ s biggest lobby .
If there are spills , though , it ’ s unlikely companies will be held to account for them .
Oil and gas firms have historically avoided punishment for oil and gas spills during storms .
Under a 1990 law passed in response to that disaster , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assess the damage with state and federal agencies and pay to restore the affected ecosystems .
Yet not one of the 140 parties responsible for the spills in 2005 faced a fine or environmental citation , according to an investigation published last December by ProPublica and the two New Orleans newspapers The Advocate and The Times-Picayune .
“ These companies say it ’ s an act of God or a force of nature whenever there ’ s a storm and they release thousands or millions of gallons , ” said Anne Rolfes , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an environmental nonprofit .
“ They should win an Oscar for the role of victim in the time of storms.
” Meanwhile , the industry is digging in .
Some of the largest infrastructure expansions on the Gulf Coast over the past decade have been facilities to process and ship liquefied natural gas .
Just last summer , gas giant Cheniere Energy announced plans to spend $ 3 billion on building a sixth unit on its LNG terminal in Cameron Parish , a district located directly in Laura ’ s path .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ took over a proposed LNG terminal on Lake Charles , where some of the worst flooding from the storm is taking place .
In July , a Texas energy company raised more money to build a planned LNG plant nearby .
Serious damage from Laura or any of the other powerful storms slated to form in the Atlantic this year could propel new terminals along the West Coast , Dialynas said .
Already , California gas investor Sempra Energy is moving ahead with a new LNG export facility on Mexico ’ s west @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in southwest Alaska and Oregon .

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Hurricane Laura struck the Gulf Coast on Thursday morning, barreling into the country’s largest cluster of offshore drilling rigs, refineries and export facilities as one of the most powerful storms to ever make landfall in the U.S.
In theory, it could have forced a turning point for the oil and gas industry. The coronavirus pandemic sent demand for fuel plummeting to historic lows, triggering unprecedented financial losses for oil companies already drowning in debt. At the same time, the Category 4 storm offered yet another sign of the warming caused by fossil fuel emissions on top of a heat wave thawing the Arctic, floods deluging Bangladesh and China, and wildfires scorching the American West.
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Yet analysts predicted oil and gas companies would make a steady recovery. Halting production in the Gulf will do little to reduce the supply of oil, gas and refined products because industry stored vast amounts of the stuff when demand plunged in March. During past hurricanes, companies spilled oil and chemicals with impunity, so fines and environmental citations look unlikely. And even if the damage proves too catastrophic to repair, proposed projects in Alaska and the Pacific Coast could replace the capacity on the Gulf.
“The industry ultimately will have to reckon with its environmental impact and risks to infrastructure,” said Anastacia Dialynas, an oil analyst at the energy research firm BloombergNEF.
“But, this time around,” she said, COVID-19, an oversupply on the market and a friendly administration in the White House is “probably delaying the reckoning.”
Echoes Of 2005
Fifteen years ago, back-to-back storms in the Gulf wreaked havoc on the U.S. oil and gas industry. Hurricanes Katrina and Rita smashed five offshore drilling rigs, destroyed 109 oil platforms, and damaged more than 400 pipelines.
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Old oil tanks are seen in an area affected by Hurricane Katrina on the Mississippi River delta. Carlos Barria / reuters
Production fell by over a million barrels per day. In response, the industry increased investment in what was then a nascent drilling technology called hydraulic fracturing. Fracking, as it became known, transformed the U.S. into one of the world’s top exporters of oil and natural gas as friendly state and federal policies and virtually limitless Wall Street financing allowed companies to tap thousands of wells across West Texas, Appalachia and North Dakota.
“Katrina triggered the fracking revolution because prices spiked and you suddenly had enough incentive for these companies that had been experimenting with fracking to take it big time,” said Clark Williams-Derry, an analyst at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis.
Today, fracking dominates U.S. production, meaning far less of the industry is affected by a storm in the Gulf.
“I don’t expect anything like that this time because offshore is a much smaller part of the U.S. oil picture,” Williams-Derry said. “It’s less of a big deal in terms of supply.”
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Evading Blame
It was difficult to assess the extent of damage Thursday afternoon, even as the storm weakened over land. Louisiana State Police confirmed a chlorine fire at BioLab Inc., a spa and pool chemical manufacturer located near oil refineries.
“The natural gas and oil industry is closely monitoring Hurricane Laura and taking necessary precautions to safeguard employees and neighboring communities as well as minimize risk to critical infrastructure, including evacuating offshore production platforms and idling onshore facilities,” said Suzanne Lemieux, the emergency response manager at the American Petroleum Institute, the industry’s biggest lobby.
If there are spills, though, it’s unlikely companies will be held to account for them. Oil and gas firms have historically avoided punishment for oil and gas spills during storms.
The two big storms in 2005 triggered a combined 540 spills, spewing close to 11 million gallons of crude into Louisiana waters, roughly the same amount as the Exxon-Valdez tanker dumped when it ran aground in Alaska in 1989.
Under a 1990 law passed in response to that disaster, companies that spill oil are required to assess the damage with state and federal agencies and pay to restore the affected ecosystems. Yet not one of the 140 parties responsible for the spills in 2005 faced a fine or environmental citation, according to an investigation published last December by ProPublica and the two New Orleans newspapers The Advocate and The Times-Picayune.
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An oil and gas plant is seen across the Bayou Contraband as the water starts to rise before the arrival of Hurricane Laura in Lake Charles, Louisiana. ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS via Getty Images
“These companies say it’s an act of God or a force of nature whenever there’s a storm and they release thousands or millions of gallons,” said Anne Rolfes, director of the Louisiana Bucket Brigade, an environmental nonprofit. “They should win an Oscar for the role of victim in the time of storms.”
Other Horizons
Meanwhile, the industry is digging in. Some of the largest infrastructure expansions on the Gulf Coast over the past decade have been facilities to process and ship liquefied natural gas. Just last summer, gas giant Cheniere Energy announced plans to spend $3 billion on building a sixth unit on its LNG terminal in Cameron Parish, a district located directly in Laura’s path. In May, a New York-based investment group took over a proposed LNG terminal on Lake Charles, where some of the worst flooding from the storm is taking place. In July, a Texas energy company raised more money to build a planned LNG plant nearby.
Serious damage from Laura or any of the other powerful storms slated to form in the Atlantic this year could propel new terminals along the West Coast, Dialynas said. Already, California gas investor Sempra Energy is moving ahead with a new LNG export facility on Mexico’s west coast. Similar projects have been proposed in southwest Alaska and Oregon.
“The U.S. was attractive for a developing LNG market because we’re seen as a diversification away from the traditional suppliers, like Qatar,” Dialynas said. “Now you may see projects in other parts of the U.S. become attractive.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-27--Weather Channel Reporter Has Frightening Near-Miss With Hurricane Debris

The Weather Channel , which has been warning about the danger of Hurricane Laura , just gave a scary live demonstration .
Early Thursday , Weather Channel meteorologist Stephanie Abrams had a frightening run-in with hurricane debris while covering the storm in Lake Charles , Louisiana .
A clip of the near miss was posted on Twitter , which you can see below : Close call with some debris on @ StephanieAbrams live shot on the @ weatherchannel .
She ’ s ok and is in a sturdy structure .
# HurricaneLaura pic.twitter.com/qhOYElvva3 — Collin Gross ( @ CollinGrossWx ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ viewers she was fine , saying , “ Everyone is 100 % OK here.
” The National Hurricane Center warned of an “ unsurvivable ” storm surge on Wednesday ahead of Laura making landfall as a Category 4 hurricane .
The hurricane delivered winds of 150 mph , powerful storm surges and devastating damage .
Abrams described the feeling of the rain as like being hit in the face with pebbles and was almost taken off her feet in another clip : LIVE in Lake Charles , LA , @ StephanieAbrams highlights the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first eye wall , but the second as well .
The worst of # Laura is yet to come , and we 'll be with you through it all .
pic.twitter.com/BbYKbczD8o — The Weather Channel ( @ weatherchannel ) August 27 , 2020 Meteorologist Jim Cantore can also be seen wearing heavy protective gear : Still , disturbing clips were in steady supply : # Laura so strong !
!
Pieces of the hotel are coming apart .
Look at the glass coming down from above .
We ’ re in the # @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ JordanSteele ) August 27 , 2020 Pieces of the hotel are coming apart as the # eyewall of # laura moves right overhead .
@ weatherchannel pic.twitter.com/YN1bapiaWw — Jordan Steele ( @ JordanSteele ) August 27 , 2020 Important conversations are happening now .
Add your voice !
Join HuffPost Today !

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The Weather Channel, which has been warning about the danger of Hurricane Laura, just gave a scary live demonstration.
Early Thursday, Weather Channel meteorologist Stephanie Abrams had a frightening run-in with hurricane debris while covering the storm in Lake Charles, Louisiana. A clip of the near miss was posted on Twitter, which you can see below:
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Close call with some debris on @StephanieAbrams live shot on the @weatherchannel. She’s ok and is in a sturdy structure. #HurricaneLaura pic.twitter.com/qhOYElvva3 — Collin Gross (@CollinGrossWx) August 27, 2020
Abrams later assured viewers she was fine, saying, “Everyone is 100% OK here.”
The National Hurricane Center warned of an “unsurvivable” storm surge on Wednesday ahead of Laura making landfall as a Category 4 hurricane. The hurricane delivered winds of 150 mph, powerful storm surges and devastating damage.
Abrams described the feeling of the rain as like being hit in the face with pebbles and was almost taken off her feet in another clip:
LIVE in Lake Charles, LA, @StephanieAbrams highlights the severity of going through not only the first eye wall, but the second as well.
The worst of #Laura is yet to come, and we'll be with you through it all. pic.twitter.com/BbYKbczD8o — The Weather Channel (@weatherchannel) August 27, 2020
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Meteorologist Jim Cantore can also be seen wearing heavy protective gear:
Still, disturbing clips were in steady supply:
#Laura so strong!! Pieces of the hotel are coming apart. Look at the glass coming down from above. We’re in the #eyewall now pic.twitter.com/9S4fbnvCS3 — Jordan Steele (@JordanSteele) August 27, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-27--Hurricane Laura Tears Down Confederate Statue That Officials Voted Not To Remove

Protesters had asked officials to take down the statue , called The South ’ s Defenders Monument , but local officials voted 10-4 earlier this month to leave it where it stands outside the Calcasieu Parish Courthouse in Lake Charles .
Hurricane Laura apparently had other ideas .
The Category 4 storm left carnage in its wake after making landfall early Thursday morning as one of the strongest storms ever to hit the state , with sustained winds of 150 mph .
When the worst had passed , the monument lay toppled on the grass , surrounded by debris .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ recognize Confederate soldiers in the area and other Southern towns , the American Press in Lake Charles reported .
Lake Charles Mayor Nic Hunter and other community members had called for its removal , noting its painful symbolism of slavery and oppression .
Opponents argued it was historically important and honored relatives lost in the war .
Ultimately , the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury , the local government , voted for the statue to remain where it stood .
“ Of the total responses , 878 were against relocating the monument and 67 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Calcasieu Parish Administrator Bryan Beam told The Associated Press at the time .
Earlier this month , parish officials voted to keep this statue , called The South ’ s Defenders Monument , in its place .
Hurricane Laura had other ideas .
His son , Andrew Beam , told CNN on Thursday that his father found the toppled statue that morning when he stepped outside his office building after weathering the Hurricane ’ s eyewall there .
“ It ’ s gotten a lot of controversy lately because the Police Jury here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reasons , ” Andrew Beam said .
Confederate monuments and symbols have been removed or toppled in other cities as protesters call for the country to reckon with its racist past in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis and many other recent slayings of Black men and women .
“ In the year 2020 , a courthouse lawn is not the place for this monument , ” Hunter , the mayor , wrote in a Facebook post calling for the statue to be relocated in June .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nation ’ s bloodiest conflicts , leaving death and destruction on so many fronts .
For some , acknowledging those who fought and died is a very personal and altruistic matter .
Likewise , for many citizens , the statue represents a painful chapter in our history , and its existence on a public square acts as a daily reminder about a bygone , unjust era and a lingering racism .

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The fate of a Confederate statue in Louisiana has been decided by nature.
Protesters had asked officials to take down the statue, called The South’s Defenders Monument, but local officials voted 10-4 earlier this month to leave it where it stands outside the Calcasieu Parish Courthouse in Lake Charles.
Hurricane Laura apparently had other ideas. The Category 4 storm left carnage in its wake after making landfall early Thursday morning as one of the strongest storms ever to hit the state, with sustained winds of 150 mph.
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When the worst had passed, the monument lay toppled on the grass, surrounded by debris.
The statue was dedicated in 1915 to recognize Confederate soldiers in the area and other Southern towns, the American Press in Lake Charles reported.
Lake Charles Mayor Nic Hunter and other community members had called for its removal, noting its painful symbolism of slavery and oppression. Opponents argued it was historically important and honored relatives lost in the war.
Ultimately, the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury, the local government, voted for the statue to remain where it stood.
“Of the total responses, 878 were against relocating the monument and 67 were for relocating the monument,” Calcasieu Parish Administrator Bryan Beam told The Associated Press at the time.
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Earlier this month, parish officials voted to keep this statue, called The South’s Defenders Monument, in its place. Hurricane Laura had other ideas. Melinda Deslatte/ASSOCIATED PRESS
His son, Andrew Beam, told CNN on Thursday that his father found the toppled statue that morning when he stepped outside his office building after weathering the Hurricane’s eyewall there.
“It’s gotten a lot of controversy lately because the Police Jury here voted not to remove it for historical reasons,” Andrew Beam said.
Confederate monuments and symbols have been removed or toppled in other cities as protesters call for the country to reckon with its racist past in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis and many other recent slayings of Black men and women.
“In the year 2020, a courthouse lawn is not the place for this monument,” Hunter, the mayor, wrote in a Facebook post calling for the statue to be relocated in June.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-27--NC State University's 'Unrelenting' Spread Of COVID-19 Forces Students To Leave Dorms

Undergraduate students at North Carolina State University were told to leave their campus housing by Sept. 6 due to the swift spread of COVID-19 within dormitories , the school chancellor announced .
“ We hoped and strived to keep residence halls open and safe to best serve our students , ” Chancellor Randy Woodson said Wednesday .
“ However , the rapid spread and increasing rate of positive cases have made our current situation untenable.
” A select number can apply for waivers to remain on-campus , Woodson clarified in a news conference to local media , listing international students @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experiencing a financial burden or poor internet access , and students with family members at risk for COVID-19 .
Graduate students were also permitted to stay , Woodson said , citing their need to carry out research on campus .
Students who leave campus will receive a prorated refund for the unused portion of their housing and dining costs .
This has been a very difficult week for NC State .
The spread of the virus has been unrelenting .
“ This has been a very difficult week for NC State .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Woodson said at the news conference .
The announcement comes about two weeks after classes began on Aug. 10 and just two days after the school was forced to shift to virtual classes on Monday .
About 7,400 students were living on campus at the start of the semester , with the number dropping to 6,200 after the switch to online courses .
NC State University has employed an aggressive testing and tracing program , and , according to the school ’ s website , 325 positive cases of COVID-19 emerged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 26 .
Twenty-four coronavirus clusters ― defined as five or more cases occurring in close proximity ― have been reported since the start of the fall semester , with six clusters traced to dormitories , 10 to Greek fraternity or sorority houses , and eight to off-campus apartments .
During the switch to online classes , Woodson cited large parties at Greek houses and “ behavior outside of our community standards and the governor ’ s mandates ” as the likely reason for the rise in COVID-19 numbers .
The University of North @ @ @ @ @ @ @ setbacks with its reopening .
The student newspaper , The Daily Tar Heel , publishing a harsh critique of the school ’ s leadership , saying it had created a “ clusterfuck ” by pushing on-campus learning before clumsily transitioning to online courses .

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Undergraduate students at North Carolina State University were told to leave their campus housing by Sept. 6 due to the swift spread of COVID-19 within dormitories, the school chancellor announced.
“We hoped and strived to keep residence halls open and safe to best serve our students,” Chancellor Randy Woodson said Wednesday. “However, the rapid spread and increasing rate of positive cases have made our current situation untenable.”
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A select number can apply for waivers to remain on-campus, Woodson clarified in a news conference to local media, listing international students who cannot return home, those experiencing a financial burden or poor internet access, and students with family members at risk for COVID-19. Graduate students were also permitted to stay, Woodson said, citing their need to carry out research on campus.
Students who leave campus will receive a prorated refund for the unused portion of their housing and dining costs.
“This has been a very difficult week for NC State. The spread of the virus has been unrelenting.” - Chancellor Randy Woodson
“This has been a very difficult week for NC State. The spread of the virus has been unrelenting,” Woodson said at the news conference.
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The announcement comes about two weeks after classes began on Aug. 10 and just two days after the school was forced to shift to virtual classes on Monday. About 7,400 students were living on campus at the start of the semester, with the number dropping to 6,200 after the switch to online courses.
NC State University has employed an aggressive testing and tracing program, and, according to the school’s website, 325 positive cases of COVID-19 emerged in the week from Aug. 20 to 26.
Twenty-four coronavirus clusters ― defined as five or more cases occurring in close proximity ― have been reported since the start of the fall semester, with six clusters traced to dormitories, 10 to Greek fraternity or sorority houses, and eight to off-campus apartments.
During the switch to online classes, Woodson cited large parties at Greek houses and “behavior outside of our community standards and the governor’s mandates” as the likely reason for the rise in COVID-19 numbers.
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has faced similar setbacks with its reopening. The student newspaper, The Daily Tar Heel, publishing a harsh critique of the school’s leadership, saying it had created a “clusterfuck” by pushing on-campus learning before clumsily transitioning to online courses.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-27--Trevor Noah: I Know Why Kenosha Police Treated White Suspect Better Than Jacob Blake

Trevor Noah is confident that he knows why police treated Jacob Blake and Kyle Rittenhouse so differently — and it ’ s pretty black and white .
On Wednesday , the host of “ The Daily Show ” tackled the two cases of violence occurring this week in Kenosha , Wisconsin ; one involving 29-year-old Blake , who is Black , the other the 17-year-old Rittenhouse , who is white .
A Kenosha police officer shot Blake seven times in the back on Sunday for unclear reasons , leaving him paralyzed .
Rittenhouse has been charged with homicide after the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whom were killed , at an anti-racism protest Tuesday night in Kenosha sparked by Blake ’ s shooting .
And although police at the scene of the crime appeared to see the rifle-toting Rittenhouse after the shootings at the protests , he wasn ’ t arrested until the next day .
He was unharmed by police .
“ Why is it that the police decide that some threats must be extinguished immediately , while other threats get the privilege of being defused ?
” Noah wondered on his show .
“ I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I feel like we know the answer.
” “ The answer is that the gun doesn ’ t matter as much as who is holding the gun .
Because to some people , Black skin is the most threatening weapon of all.
” Hundreds of people gathered in Kenosha for anti-racism demonstrations after video was published online of the shooting of Blake as police investigated a domestic abuse report .
Fires set during nighttime protests damaged or destroyed some businesses and other structures , including Kenosha ’ s Department of Corrections building .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Antioch , Illinois , and traveled about 20 miles to Kenosha with a semi-automatic rifle in tow .
The teen joined up with a group of vigilantes seeking to “ protect ” public property from protesters — including the three who were shot .
“ No one drives into a city with guns because they ‘ love ’ someone else ’ s business that much , ” Noah said on his show .
“ No one has ever thought , ‘ Oh , it ’ s my solemn duty to pick up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ They do it because they ’ re hoping to shoot someone.
” Noah also said that though what happened in Kenosha was “ tragic , ” the two different scenarios were “ illuminating.
” “ Because … it really made me wonder why some people get shot seven times in the back while other people are treated like human beings and reasoned with and taken into custody with no bullets in their bodies .
”

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Trevor Noah is confident that he knows why police treated Jacob Blake and Kyle Rittenhouse so differently — and it’s pretty black and white.
On Wednesday, the host of “The Daily Show” tackled the two cases of violence occurring this week in Kenosha, Wisconsin; one involving 29-year-old Blake, who is Black, the other the 17-year-old Rittenhouse, who is white.
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A Kenosha police officer shot Blake seven times in the back on Sunday for unclear reasons, leaving him paralyzed. Rittenhouse has been charged with homicide after the shootings of three people, two of whom were killed, at an anti-racism protest Tuesday night in Kenosha sparked by Blake’s shooting. And although police at the scene of the crime appeared to see the rifle-toting Rittenhouse after the shootings at the protests, he wasn’t arrested until the next day. He was unharmed by police.
“Why is it that the police decide that some threats must be extinguished immediately, while other threats get the privilege of being defused?” Noah wondered on his show. “I’m asking these as questions, but I feel like we know the answer.”
He continued:
“The answer is that the gun doesn’t matter as much as who is holding the gun. Because to some people, Black skin is the most threatening weapon of all.”
Why do the police decide that some threats must be extinguished, while other threats get defused? We know the answer. pic.twitter.com/3GpyT8zEhf — The Daily Show (@TheDailyShow) August 27, 2020
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Hundreds of people gathered in Kenosha for anti-racism demonstrations after video was published online of the shooting of Blake as police investigated a domestic abuse report. Fires set during nighttime protests damaged or destroyed some businesses and other structures, including Kenosha’s Department of Corrections building.
On Tuesday, Rittenhouse left his hometown of Antioch, Illinois, and traveled about 20 miles to Kenosha with a semi-automatic rifle in tow.
The teen joined up with a group of vigilantes seeking to “protect” public property from protesters — including the three who were shot.
“No one drives into a city with guns because they ‘love’ someone else’s business that much,” Noah said on his show. “No one has ever thought, ‘Oh, it’s my solemn duty to pick up a rifle and protect that TJ Maxx.’ They do it because they’re hoping to shoot someone.”
Noah also said that though what happened in Kenosha was “tragic,” the two different scenarios were “illuminating.”
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“Because … it really made me wonder why some people get shot seven times in the back while other people are treated like human beings and reasoned with and taken into custody with no bullets in their bodies.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-27--Kenosha Sheriff: Night When 2 Protesters Were Killed 'Wasn't Too Bad'

Two people protesting police brutality were killed and another was injured in Kenosha , Wisconsin , this week during a confrontation with armed vigilantes ― something the city ’ s sheriff said Thursday was not peaceful but “ wasn ’ t too bad.
” “ Last night was very peaceful , ” Kenosha Sheriff David Beth said at a news conference .
“ Tuesday night , not quite so peaceful , but it wasn ’ t too bad.
” It was the only time he mentioned the protesters ’ deaths during the event .
Protests have sprung up around the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Kenosha shot Jacob Blake , a Black man , in the back seven times .
Blake ’ s family says he has been paralyzed from the waist down .
Kenosha responded to protests in the city by putting a curfew into place .
On Wednesday , Kenosha Police Chief Daniel Miskinis blamed the deaths on protesters being out after curfew .
However , shooting suspect Kyle Rittenhouse , 17 , was also out after curfew .
Rittenhouse was arrested Wednesday in his hometown of Antioch , Illinois , and charged with first-degree @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after curfew became engaged in some type of disturbance , and persons were shot .
Everybody involved was out after the curfew , ” Miskinis said at a press conference .
“ Had persons not been in violation of that , perhaps the situation would not have happened.
” Beth ’ s statement about Tuesday not being “ too bad ” came as video emerged of comments he made in 2018 following the arrest of a group of shoplifters .
“ I ’ m to the point where I think society has to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some people that aren ’ t worth saving , ” Beth said at the time .
“ We need to build warehouses to put these people into it and lock them away for the rest of their lives.
” “ Let ’ s put them in jail , ” he added .
“ Let ’ s stop them from , truly , at least some of these males , going out and getting 10 other women pregnant and having small children .
Let ’ s put them away .
At some point , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I don ’ t care what race , I don ’ t care how old they are .
If there ’ s a threshold that they cross .
These people have to be warehoused , no recreational time in jails .
We put them away for the rest of their lives so the rest of us can be better.
” Kenosha sheriff rant in 2018 about Black people who shoplifted : “ Maybe what we ’ ve got to do is build warehouses ... and when they have perished in these buildings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ else .
We have to get rid of these people.
” pic.twitter.com/Q9VveRi6Lc — Shannon Watts ( @ shannonrwatts ) August 27 , 2020

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Two people protesting police brutality were killed and another was injured in Kenosha, Wisconsin, this week during a confrontation with armed vigilantes ― something the city’s sheriff said Thursday was not peaceful but “wasn’t too bad.”
“Last night was very peaceful,” Kenosha Sheriff David Beth said at a news conference. “Tuesday night, not quite so peaceful, but it wasn’t too bad.”
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It was the only time he mentioned the protesters’ deaths during the event.
Protests have sprung up around the country this week after a police officer in Kenosha shot Jacob Blake, a Black man, in the back seven times. Blake’s family says he has been paralyzed from the waist down.
Kenosha responded to protests in the city by putting a curfew into place. On Wednesday, Kenosha Police Chief Daniel Miskinis blamed the deaths on protesters being out after curfew. However, shooting suspect Kyle Rittenhouse, 17, was also out after curfew. Rittenhouse was arrested Wednesday in his hometown of Antioch, Illinois, and charged with first-degree murder.
“Persons who were out after curfew became engaged in some type of disturbance, and persons were shot. Everybody involved was out after the curfew,” Miskinis said at a press conference. “Had persons not been in violation of that, perhaps the situation would not have happened.”
Beth’s statement about Tuesday not being “too bad” came as video emerged of comments he made in 2018 following the arrest of a group of shoplifters.
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“I’m to the point where I think society has to come to a threshold where there are some people that aren’t worth saving,” Beth said at the time. “We need to build warehouses to put these people into it and lock them away for the rest of their lives.”
“Let’s put them in jail,” he added. “Let’s stop them from, truly, at least some of these males, going out and getting 10 other women pregnant and having small children. Let’s put them away. At some point, we have to stop being politically correct. I don’t care what race, I don’t care how old they are. If there’s a threshold that they cross. These people have to be warehoused, no recreational time in jails. We put them away for the rest of their lives so the rest of us can be better.”
Kenosha sheriff rant in 2018 about Black people who shoplifted: “Maybe what we’ve got to do is build warehouses ... and when they have perished in these buildings, we can turn them into something else. We have to get rid of these people.”
pic.twitter.com/Q9VveRi6Lc — Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) August 27, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-27--4 Dead As Hurricane Laura Carves Destructive Path Through Louisiana

LAKE CHARLES , La .
( AP ) — One of the strongest hurricanes ever to strike the U.S. , Laura barreled across Louisiana on Thursday , shearing off roofs , killing a least four people and maintaining ferocious strength while carving a destructive path hundreds of miles inland .
A full assessment of the damage wrought by the Category 4 system was likely to take days .
But initial reports offered hope that Laura , despite leaving entire neighborhoods in ruins and more than 875,000 people without power , was not the annihilating menace that forecasters had feared .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ not sustain and suffer the absolute , catastrophic damage that we thought was likely , ” Louisiana Gov .
John Bel Edwards said .
“ But we we have sustained a tremendous amount of damage , ” he said .
The hurricane ’ s top wind speed of 150 mph ( 241 kph ) put it among the strongest systems on record in the U.S. Not until 11 hours after landfall did Laura finally weaken into a tropical storm as it plowed north and thrashed Arkansas .
The storm came ashore in low-lying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ industrial and casino city of 80,000 people .
On Broad Street , many buildings had partially collapsed , and those didn ’ t were missing chunks .
Windows were blown out , awnings ripped away and trees split in half in eerily misshapen ways .
Police spotted a floating casino that came unmoored and hit a bridge .
At the local airport , planes were overturned , some on top of each other .
“ It looks like 1,000 tornadoes went through here .
It ’ s just destruction everywhere , ” said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ storm with three family members in Moss Bluff , near Lake Charles .
He described Laura passing over his house with the roar of a jet engine around 2 a.m. Not long after daybreak gave the first glimpse of the destruction , a massive plume of smoke visible for miles began rising from a chemical plant .
Police said the leak was at a facility run by Biolab , which manufactures chemicals used in household cleaners such as Comet bleach scrub and chlorine powder for pools .
Nearby residents were told to close @ @ @ @ @ @ @ air conditioners .
State and federal aircraft headed into the skies over the coast to look for signs of any other industrial damage .
The fatalities included a 14-year-old girl and a 68-year-old man died when trees fell on their homes in Louisiana , authorities said .
No deaths had been confirmed in Texas , which Republican Gov .
Greg Abbott said would amount to “ a miracle.
” President Donald Trump said he would visit the Gulf Coast this weekend to tour the damage .
More than 580,000 coastal residents were ordered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic began and many did , filling hotels and sleeping in cars .
Although not everyone fled from the coast , officials credited those who did leave for minimizing the loss of life .
Forecasters had warned that the storm surge of 15 to 20 feet would be “ unsurvivable ” and could push 40 miles inland .
Edwards said the storm surge wound up being measured in the range of 9 feet to 12 feet — still bad , but far from the worst forecast .
He was hopeful that damaged homes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ priority , Edwards said , was search and rescue , followed by efforts to find hotel or motel rooms for those their homes .
Officials in Texas and Louisiana have both sought to avoid traditional mass shelters for evacuees over fears of spreading COVID-19 , and Edwards was concerned that the storm would inhibit coronavirus testing at a time when schools and universities are reopening .
Bucky Millet , 78 , of Lake Arthur , Louisiana , considered evacuating but decided to ride out the storm with family due to concerns about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blew the cover off the bed of his pickup and made him think the roof on his house was next .
The force of Laura ’ s winds blew out every window of the living room in the Lake Charles house where Bethany Agosto rode out the storm with her sister and two others .
They sought safety in a closet when the hurricane was at its worst .
“ It was like a jigsaw puzzle in this closet .
We were on top of each other , just holding each other and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hit the U.S. after killing nearly two dozen people on the island of Hispaniola , including 20 in Haiti and three in the Dominican Republic , where it knocked out power and caused intense flooding .
It was the seventh named storm to strike the U.S. this year , setting a new record for U.S. landfalls by the end of August .
The old record was six in 1886 and 1916 , according to Colorado State University hurricane researcher Phil Klotzbach .

LAKE CHARLES, La. (AP) — One of the strongest hurricanes ever to strike the U.S., Laura barreled across Louisiana on Thursday, shearing off roofs and killing at least six people while carving a destructive path hundreds of miles inland.
A full assessment of the damage wrought by the Category 4 system was likely to take days, and the threat of additional damage loomed as new tornado warnings were issued after dark in Arkansas and Mississippi even as the storm weakened into a depression.
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But despite a trail of demolished buildings, entire neighborhoods left in ruins and almost 900,000 homes and businesses without power, a sense of relief prevailed that Laura was not the annihilating menace forecasters had feared.
“It is clear that we did not sustain and suffer the absolute, catastrophic damage that we thought was likely,” Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said. “But we have sustained a tremendous amount of damage.”
He called Laura the most powerful hurricane to strike Louisiana, meaning it surpassed even Katrina, which was a Category 3 storm when it hit in 2005. The storm toppled trees and damaged structures as far north as central Arkansas.
An airplane hanger was destroyed on Thursday after Hurricane Laura blew through the area near Lake Charles, La. AP Photo/David J. Phillip
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Laura’s top wind speed of 150 mph (241 kph) put it among the strongest systems on record in the U.S. Not until 11 hours after landfall did Laura finally lose hurricane status as it plowed north and thrashed Arkansas, and even by Thursday evening, it remained a tropical storm with winds of 40 mph (65 kph).
The storm crashed ashore in low-lying Louisiana and clobbered Lake Charles, an industrial and casino city of 80,000 people. On Broad Street, many buildings had partially collapsed. Windows were blown out, awnings ripped away and trees split in eerily misshapen ways. Police spotted a floating casino that came unmoored and hit a bridge. At the local airport, planes were overturned, some on top of each other. Part of a transmission tower toppled into the emptied-out studios of KPLC-TV, whose staff evacuated hours before landfall to broadcast from other locations.
In front of the courthouse was a Confederate statue that local officials had voted to keep in place just days earlier. After Laura, it was toppled.
“It looks like 1,000 tornadoes went through here. It’s just destruction everywhere,” said Brett Geymann, who rode out the storm with three family members in Moss Bluff, near Lake Charles. He described Laura passing over his house with the roar of a jet engine around 2 a.m.
“There are houses that are totally gone. They were there yesterday, but now gone,” he said.
The Category 4 storm left hundreds of thousands without power. ASSOCIATED PRESS
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Chevellce Dunn considered herself among the fortunate after a night spent huddling on a sofa with her son, daughter and four nieces and nephews as winds rocked their home in Orange, Texas. Left without power in sweltering heat, she didn’t know when electricity might be restored.
“It ain’t going to be easy. As long as my kids are fine, I’m fine,” Dunn said.
President Donald Trump planned to visit the Gulf Coast this weekend to tour the damage.
More than 580,000 coastal residents evacuated under the shadow of a coronavirus pandemic and calls for masks and social distancing to combat its spread. It was the largest evacuation order since the pandemic began and many people followed it, filling hotels and sleeping in cars. Although not everyone fled from the coast, officials credited those who did leave for minimizing the loss of life.
Forecasters had warned that the storm surge of 15 to 20 feet would be “unsurvivable” and could push 40 miles inland. Edwards said the storm surge wound up in the range of 9 feet to 12 feet — still bad, but far from the worst forecast. He was hopeful damaged homes could quickly be made habitable.
The priority, Edwards said, was search and rescue, followed by efforts to find hotel or motel rooms for those unable to stay in their homes. Officials in Texas and Louisiana have both sought to avoid traditional mass shelters for evacuees over fears of spreading COVID-19, and Edwards was concerned that the storm would inhibit coronavirus testing as schools and universities are reopening.
Benjamin Luna helps recover items from the children's wing of the First Pentecostal Church that was destroyed by Hurricane Laura on Thursday. AP Photo/Eric Gay
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Bucky Millet, 78, of Lake Arthur, Louisiana, considered evacuating but decided to ride out the storm with family due to concerns about the coronavirus. He said a small tornado blew the cover off the bed of his pickup and made him think the roof on his house was next.
“You’d hear a crack and a boom and everything shaking,” he said.
The force of Laura’s winds blew out every window of the living room in the Lake Charles house where Bethany Agosto survived the storm with her sister and two others. They fled to a closet when the hurricane was at its worst.
“It was like a jigsaw puzzle in this closet. We were on top of each other, just holding each other and crying,” Agosto said.
The storm was so powerful that it could regain strength after turning east and reaching the Atlantic Ocean, potentially threatening the densely populated Northeast.
Buildings and homes in Cameron, Louisiana were flooded in the aftermath of Hurricane Laura on Thursday. AP Photo/David J. Phillip
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Laura hit the U.S. after killing nearly two dozen people on the island of Hispaniola, including 20 in Haiti and three in the Dominican Republic, where it knocked out power and caused intense flooding.
It was the seventh named storm to strike the U.S. this year, setting a new record for U.S. landfalls by the end of August. The old record was six in 1886 and 1916, according to Colorado State University hurricane researcher Phil Klotzbach.
Laura was tied with five other storms for fifth most powerful U.S. hurricane, behind the 1935’s Labor Day storm, 1969’s Camille, 1992’s Andrew and 2004’s Charley, Klotzbach said.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-27--Joe Ruby, Co-Creator Of 'Scooby-Doo,' Dies At 87

Animation writer Joe Ruby , who co-created “ Scooby-Doo ” with longtime partner Ken Spears , has died at the age of 87 .
Ruby died of natural causes Wednesday in Westlake Village , California , but he never stopped being creative , his grandson Benjamin Ruby told Variety .
“ He never stopped writing and creating , even as he aged , ” Benjamin Ruby said .
Joe Ruby started out in animation working at Walt Disney Studios , but he really came into his own in the late 1950s when he moved over to Hanna-Barbera Studios , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he met Spears .
In 1969 , they created “ Scooby-Doo , Where Are You ?
” the first series of many for the popular dog detective and his human teammates , Shaggy , Daphne , Velma and Fred .
In the process , Ruby also had a hand in creating other Saturday morning superstars such as “ Dynomutt ” and “ Jabberjaw , ” according to The Wrap .
Ruby and Spears went off on their own in 1977 and created a variety of series for Ruby-Spears Productions including “ Mister T @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” “ Thundarr the Barbarian , ” “ Fangface ” and “ The Plastic Man Comedy-Adventure Hour.
” In the late ’ 80s and ’ 90s , Ruby was an executive producer on animated versions of live-action shows and movies such as “ Punky Brewster , ” the “ Rambo ” series and “ Police Academy : The Animated Series.
” Although Ruby was proud of the legacy associated with Scooby-Doo , he admitted to the fan site ScoobyAddicts.com he had never actually tried one of the “ Scooby snacks ” craved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they were just going to be a super delicious doggy snack , ” he said .
Ruby is survived by Carole , his wife of 63 years , as well as four children and 10 grandchildren .

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Animation writer Joe Ruby, who co-created “Scooby-Doo” with longtime partner Ken Spears, has died at the age of 87.
Ruby died of natural causes Wednesday in Westlake Village, California, but he never stopped being creative, his grandson Benjamin Ruby told Variety.
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“He never stopped writing and creating, even as he aged,” Benjamin Ruby said.
Joe Ruby started out in animation working at Walt Disney Studios, but he really came into his own in the late 1950s when he moved over to Hanna-Barbera Studios, according to ComicBook.com.
That’s where he met Spears. In 1969, they created “Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?” the first series of many for the popular dog detective and his human teammates, Shaggy, Daphne, Velma and Fred.
In the process, Ruby also had a hand in creating other Saturday morning superstars such as “Dynomutt” and “Jabberjaw,” according to The Wrap.
Ruby and Spears went off on their own in 1977 and created a variety of series for Ruby-Spears Productions including “Mister T,” “Alvin and the Chipmunks,” “Thundarr the Barbarian,” “Fangface” and “The Plastic Man Comedy-Adventure Hour.”
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In the late ’80s and ’90s, Ruby was an executive producer on animated versions of live-action shows and movies such as “Punky Brewster,” the “Rambo” series and “Police Academy: The Animated Series.”
Although Ruby was proud of the legacy associated with Scooby-Doo, he admitted to the fan site ScoobyAddicts.com he had never actually tried one of the “Scooby snacks” craved by the character.
“We imagined they were just going to be a super delicious doggy snack,” he said.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-27--Facebook Deliberately Ignored Militia Groups As They Plotted Kenosha Violence

Facebook deliberately took no action against a group on its platform as the group ’ s members plotted an armed takeover of Kenosha , Wisconsin , and encouraged each other to “ shoot to kill.
” Rittenhouse was among hundreds of people to respond to a call to arms on Facebook where , earlier Tuesday morning , a “ Kenosha Guard ” page asked members to “ take up arms and defend out [ sic ] City tonight from the evil thugs ” who are “ Nondoubt [ sic ] ... currently planning on the next part of the City @ @ @ @ @ @ @ event page called “ Armed Citizens to Protect our Lives and Property ” saw more than 300 people RSVP and 2,300 others interested in attending .
“ [ L ] aw enforcement is outnumbered and our Mayor has failed , ” the event description read .
“ Take up arms and lets defend our CITY !
Meet at civic center at 8PM.
” But the social media platform had the opportunity to remove the page before the shooting .
Two separate Facebook users told The Verge they ’ d reported the page for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both instances , Facebook moderators determined the pages didn ’ t violate policies and took no action .
Facebook puts the responsibility on victims to anticipate violence against them , search for it and take extraordinary measures to have it removed .
One user told the tech website she reported a specific comment about putting nails in the tires of protesters ’ cars , noting the thread was full of people discussing what weapons to bring .
Another reported the event itself .
In both cases , the users were told the content @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Facebook ’ s inaction in this instance is a result of a broader failure at the company .
An independent civil rights audit commissioned by Facebook warned in July that the platform is being “ weaponized ” by outside actors and that its decision-making process is “ too reactive and piecemeal.
” Kenosha is far from an isolated incident .
In 2019 , a different militia group in Texas used Facebook to organize an armed event at a gathering of Muslims in Houston , plotting violence as they had the year prior before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We had to be lucky enough to find the event page , alert Facebook of its presence , watch the media cover it , escalate the matter to senior officials and then still wait 28 hours before they took it down , ” Madihha Ahussain , Muslim Advocates ’ special counsel for anti-Muslim bigotry , said in an emailed statement .
“ That event , that group and that call to arms should never have been on Facebook to begin with , but the company puts the responsibility on victims to anticipate violence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take extraordinary measures to have it removed , ” Ahussain said .
In May , a study by the Tech Transparency Project warned that hate groups are “ thriving ” on Facebook despite the company ’ s assurances that extremists aren ’ t allowed on the platform .
Facebook and Instagram finally cracked down on QAnon earlier this month after years of allowing the far-right , increasingly violent conspiracy theory movement to flourish on the platforms ― and therefore also in the real world .

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Facebook deliberately took no action against a group on its platform as the group’s members plotted an armed takeover of Kenosha, Wisconsin, and encouraged each other to “shoot to kill.”
Two people were shot and killed in the resulting violence Tuesday and another was wounded.
On Wednesday, police arrested 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse in his hometown of Antioch, Illinois ― 20 miles from Kenosha ― and charged him with first-degree murder.
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Rittenhouse was among hundreds of people to respond to a call to arms on Facebook where, earlier Tuesday morning, a “Kenosha Guard” page asked members to “take up arms and defend out [sic] City tonight from the evil thugs” who are “Nondoubt [sic] ... currently planning on the next part of the City to burn tonight!”
An associated event page called “Armed Citizens to Protect our Lives and Property” saw more than 300 people RSVP and 2,300 others interested in attending. “[L]aw enforcement is outnumbered and our Mayor has failed,” the event description read. “Take up arms and lets defend our CITY! Meet at civic center at 8PM.”
The invite was also picked up and distributed by the far-right conspiracy website InfoWars.
After the double homicide, Facebook decided the Kenosha Guard page and the event violated community standards and removed them.
But the social media platform had the opportunity to remove the page before the shooting. Two separate Facebook users told The Verge they’d reported the page for inciting violence before the event; in both instances, Facebook moderators determined the pages didn’t violate policies and took no action.
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“Facebook puts the responsibility on victims to anticipate violence against them, search for it and take extraordinary measures to have it removed.”
One user told the tech website she reported a specific comment about putting nails in the tires of protesters’ cars, noting the thread was full of people discussing what weapons to bring. Another reported the event itself. In both cases, the users were told the content didn’t violate Facebook policies.
Facebook did not respond to a request for comment from HuffPost.
Facebook’s inaction in this instance is a result of a broader failure at the company. An independent civil rights audit commissioned by Facebook warned in July that the platform is being “weaponized” by outside actors and that its decision-making process is “too reactive and piecemeal.”
Kenosha is far from an isolated incident. In 2019, a different militia group in Texas used Facebook to organize an armed event at a gathering of Muslims in Houston, plotting violence as they had the year prior before they were outnumbered by counterprotesters.
Facebook reluctantly took the page down after the civil rights organization Muslim Advocates repeatedly highlighted the danger.
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“We had to be lucky enough to find the event page, alert Facebook of its presence, watch the media cover it, escalate the matter to senior officials and then still wait 28 hours before they took it down,” Madihha Ahussain, Muslim Advocates’ special counsel for anti-Muslim bigotry, said in an emailed statement.
“That event, that group and that call to arms should never have been on Facebook to begin with, but the company puts the responsibility on victims to anticipate violence against them, search for it and take extraordinary measures to have it removed,” Ahussain said.
In May, a study by the Tech Transparency Project warned that hate groups are “thriving” on Facebook despite the company’s assurances that extremists aren’t allowed on the platform.
Facebook and Instagram finally cracked down on QAnon earlier this month after years of allowing the far-right, increasingly violent conspiracy theory movement to flourish on the platforms ― and therefore also in the real world.
Facebook also recently stepped up efforts to scrub far-right “boogaloo” groups from the platform, with mixed results.
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A HuffPost investigation in 2018 found Instagram, in particular, has long been quietly and aggressively expanding QAnon’s reach by algorithmically amplifying its content.
“What happened in Kenosha was preventable but Facebook chose to look the other way yet again,” Ahussain said.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-27--Boot-Hatted Satirist Launches Mock Bid For Massachusetts Senate

BOSTON ( AP ) — Vermin Supreme , the perennial presidential candidate who wears a boot on his head and promises every American a free pony , is mounting a write-in campaign for the U.S. Senate in Massachusetts .
In a video posted Monday on YouTube , the performance artist proclaims himself a Libertarian alternative to U.S. Sen. Edward Markey and U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy III , the Democrats battling it out in next Tuesday ’ s primary .
Two Republicans , Kevin O ’ Connor and Shiva Ayyadurai , are also running .
Democrats are seen as having a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ congressional delegation is Democratic .
Supreme , who has listed a Rockport , Massachusetts , address on campaign documents in the past , told NBC10 Boston his candidacy is “ a lark.
” He said he decided to jump into the race after learning that some disaffected voters were writing his name on mail-in and absentee ballots .
“ I ’ m the only candidate who has released their dental records , ” he says in the video , holding up an X-ray of his teeth .
“ None of my opponents have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ soft on plaque ?
They may be.
” Supreme has been a satirical candidate since at least 2004 , usually confining his campaigns to New Hampshire ’ s first-in-the-nation presidential primaries .
His political stunts are legendary : He once threw glitter at a rival during a debate .
In his latest video , he says his signature boot hat “ has allowed me to interact with media from across the flat Earth.
” “ Together we will ride our ponies into a zombie-powered future , ” he says .
This story has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home state is listed as Massachusetts , not New Hampshire .

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BOSTON (AP) — Vermin Supreme, the perennial presidential candidate who wears a boot on his head and promises every American a free pony, is mounting a write-in campaign for the U.S. Senate in Massachusetts.
In a video posted Monday on YouTube, the performance artist proclaims himself a Libertarian alternative to U.S. Sen. Edward Markey and U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy III, the Democrats battling it out in next Tuesday’s primary. Two Republicans, Kevin O’Connor and Shiva Ayyadurai, are also running.
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Democrats are seen as having a distinct edge in Massachusetts, whose entire congressional delegation is Democratic.
Supreme, who has listed a Rockport, Massachusetts, address on campaign documents in the past, told NBC10 Boston his candidacy is “a lark.”
He said he decided to jump into the race after learning that some disaffected voters were writing his name on mail-in and absentee ballots.
“I’m the only candidate who has released their dental records,” he says in the video, holding up an X-ray of his teeth. “None of my opponents have released their dental records. Are they soft on plaque? They may be.”
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Supreme has been a satirical candidate since at least 2004, usually confining his campaigns to New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation presidential primaries. His political stunts are legendary: He once threw glitter at a rival during a debate.
In his latest video, he says his signature boot hat “has allowed me to interact with media from across the flat Earth.”
“Together we will ride our ponies into a zombie-powered future,” he says.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-27--California Fire Officials Ask Residents Not To Battle Blazes Themselves

REDWOOD CITY , Calif. ( AP ) — With California firefighters strapped for resources , residents have organized to put out flames themselves in a large swath of land burning south of San Francisco , defending their homes despite orders to evacuate and pleas by officials to get out of danger .
They are going in despite California ’ s firefighting agency repeatedly warning people that it ’ s not safe and actually illegal to go into evacuated areas , and they can hinder official efforts to stop the flames .
The former head of the California Department of Forestry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a cluster of wildfires around the city of Santa Cruz is larger and more organized than he recalls in previous blazes .
“ People are frustrated with the lack of resources available .
People are always going to try to sneak back in , but it sounds like this is growing to a new level , ” said Ken Pimlott , who retired as director of the Cal Fire in 2018 .
“ I haven ’ t seen people re-engage to this scale , particularly with the level of organization.
” The group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 125 square miles ( 324 square kilometers ) and destroyed more than 500 buildings .
While those fires are 20 % contained , firefighters have been pushed to the breaking point since lightning ignited more than 500 blazes in one night last week , most of them in the central and northern parts of the state .
In Boulder Creek , a community at the base of the Santa Cruz Mountains near a state park filled with towering redwoods , some people call the group of residents fighting the flames the “ Boulder @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which includes former volunteer firefighters , have been protecting homes and extinguishing blazes behind fire lines for over a week , at times using nothing but dirt and garden hoses .
About 10 miles ( 16 kilometers ) north of Santa Cruz , crews of civilians stayed back to protect homes in the tiny community of Bonny Doon that they believed firefighters were too strapped to protect , patrolling neighborhoods through the night in shifts .
Brothers Robert and Jesse Katz even brought in their own firetruck , fighting alongside official crews @ @ @ @ @ @ @ returned to the area multiple times since she was ordered to evacuate early last week .
She says she helps defend the community from fires and resupplies neighbors with water , generators , gasoline , shovels and chicken feed .
“ We got a gas-operated pump , like the kind you operate to drain a pool , ” said Jansen , who has no professional firefighting experience .
“ One end goes into a well or pool , and we used that to put out spot fires.
” Jansen said she ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including a relative and neighbor who have been firefighters .
At one home , she sprayed a garden hose while a team of neighbors used a tractor to clear trees and create a fire barrier .
Cal Fire Deputy Director Daniel Berlant said he ’ s not heard of residents organizing to the extent civilian groups are now in the Santa Cruz Mountains .
But he said it ’ s always problematic for residents to stay or reenter evacuation zones , and sometimes they need to be rescued by official crews .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they were not able to regularly check on , ” he said , noting that while fire officials were generally responsive , they can only do so much .
Schalaman also defended his own home and neighbors ’ properties using a hose and a few buckets of water from a nearby hot tub , at one point extinguishing a spot fire on a hillside near a house that had flared up .
“ It was not entirely a smart thing to do , honestly , ” Schalaman said .
“ But I was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ few buckets on it .
It was sheer luck that there was water at that house.
” Cal Fire officials could not say what effect civilians have had on halting fires and destruction .
Evacuated areas around Santa Cruz have faced problems with looting , and authorities say that while they ’ re focusing on stopping looters , not amateur firefighters , some people have been arrested for entering evacuation zones .
The Santa Cruz County Sheriff ’ s Office has arrested five people so far on suspicion of burglary and urges people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to prevent looting , spokeswoman Ashley Keehn said .
Six others have been arrested for entering a closed disaster area , but Keehn couldn ’ t specify how many were residents fighting fires or resupplying those that were .
Kevin , a resident who only wanted his first name used because he feared retaliation , said his crew of residents patrols in teams around the clock , and “ so far we have not lost any homes .
”

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REDWOOD CITY, Calif. (AP) — With California firefighters strapped for resources, residents have organized to put out flames themselves in a large swath of land burning south of San Francisco, defending their homes despite orders to evacuate and pleas by officials to get out of danger.
They are going in despite California’s firefighting agency repeatedly warning people that it’s not safe and actually illegal to go into evacuated areas, and they can hinder official efforts to stop the flames. The former head of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said the effort near a cluster of wildfires around the city of Santa Cruz is larger and more organized than he recalls in previous blazes.
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“People are frustrated with the lack of resources available. People are always going to try to sneak back in, but it sounds like this is growing to a new level,” said Ken Pimlott, who retired as director of the Cal Fire in 2018. “I haven’t seen people re-engage to this scale, particularly with the level of organization.”
The group of wildfires near Santa Cruz has burned 125 square miles (324 square kilometers) and destroyed more than 500 buildings. While those fires are 20% contained, firefighters have been pushed to the breaking point since lightning ignited more than 500 blazes in one night last week, most of them in the central and northern parts of the state.
In Boulder Creek, a community at the base of the Santa Cruz Mountains near a state park filled with towering redwoods, some people call the group of residents fighting the flames the “Boulder Creek Boys.” They say the group, which includes former volunteer firefighters, have been protecting homes and extinguishing blazes behind fire lines for over a week, at times using nothing but dirt and garden hoses.
About 10 miles (16 kilometers) north of Santa Cruz, crews of civilians stayed back to protect homes in the tiny community of Bonny Doon that they believed firefighters were too strapped to protect, patrolling neighborhoods through the night in shifts. Brothers Robert and Jesse Katz even brought in their own firetruck, fighting alongside official crews.
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Jaimi Jansen, 38, has returned to the area multiple times since she was ordered to evacuate early last week. She says she helps defend the community from fires and resupplies neighbors with water, generators, gasoline, shovels and chicken feed.
“We got a gas-operated pump, like the kind you operate to drain a pool,” said Jansen, who has no professional firefighting experience. “One end goes into a well or pool, and we used that to put out spot fires.”
Jansen said she’s resourceful and has learned from others, including a relative and neighbor who have been firefighters. At one home, she sprayed a garden hose while a team of neighbors used a tractor to clear trees and create a fire barrier.
Cal Fire Deputy Director Daniel Berlant said he’s not heard of residents organizing to the extent civilian groups are now in the Santa Cruz Mountains. But he said it’s always problematic for residents to stay or reenter evacuation zones, and sometimes they need to be rescued by official crews.
“Our firefighters have equipment, communication and decades of experience, which allow us to battle dangerous fires,” Berlant said. “We absolutely stress that everyone needs to evacuate early. These efforts, while well-intentioned, absolutely slow us down.”
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He said it can also cause problems for firefighters when civilians compete for roads and water pressure.
Gregg Schalaman, 58, of Boulder Creek, did not initially evacuate, instead driving around his neighborhood looking for spot fires, then alerting Cal Fire crews or calling 911.
“I was able to point out locations they were not able to regularly check on,” he said, noting that while fire officials were generally responsive, they can only do so much.
Schalaman also defended his own home and neighbors’ properties using a hose and a few buckets of water from a nearby hot tub, at one point extinguishing a spot fire on a hillside near a house that had flared up.
“It was not entirely a smart thing to do, honestly,” Schalaman said. “But I was there and thought I could throw a few buckets on it. It was sheer luck that there was water at that house.”
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Cal Fire officials could not say what effect civilians have had on halting fires and destruction. Evacuated areas around Santa Cruz have faced problems with looting, and authorities say that while they’re focusing on stopping looters, not amateur firefighters, some people have been arrested for entering evacuation zones.
The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office has arrested five people so far on suspicion of burglary and urges people to stay away from the evacuation zone to prevent looting, spokeswoman Ashley Keehn said. Six others have been arrested for entering a closed disaster area, but Keehn couldn’t specify how many were residents fighting fires or resupplying those that were.
Kevin, a resident who only wanted his first name used because he feared retaliation, said his crew of residents patrols in teams around the clock, and “so far we have not lost any homes.”
“I can confidently say that if we weren’t here, we would have. We have put out multiple fires that could have gotten out of control,” Kevin said.
____


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-27--NBA Players Decide To Resume Season

NBA Players Decide To Resume Season

LAKE BUENA VISTA , Fla. ( AP ) — A person with knowledge of the situation says NBA players decided Thursday that they want to continue the season , coming to that consensus one day after three postseason games were postponed in a protest of racial injustice .
It was not clear yet when the season would resume , according to the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because neither the league nor the National Basketball Players Association had announced anything publicly .
The NBA ’ s board of governors were meeting separately Thursday to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ games on Thursday ’ s schedule , and the league did not immediately say if they would be pushed back .
But with the players exiting their meeting around noon , and the first game of the tripleheader scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. Eastern , it seemed most unlikely that the day ’ s slate would not be disrupted .
One potential remedy for the schedule , the person said , was to play the three games that were postponed Wednesday on Friday , and the three games scheduled for Thursday on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decided .
Starting with the Milwaukee Bucks , who refused to take the court for their game Wednesday against the Orlando Magic , players from six teams made the extraordinary decisions to protest the shooting by police in Kenosha , Wisconsin on Sunday of Jacob Blake , a Black man , apparently in the back while three of his children looked on .
NBA players didn ’ t come to Disney solely for a restart to their season .
They also wanted social reform , as did other sports leagues — many of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wednesday by calling off games .
Some NFL teams did the same Thursday , choosing not to practice .
It followed a similar pattern as what happened in March : The NBA was the first league to shut down because of the coronavirus pandemic , and other sports followed then as well .
“ The biggest thing that we all understand is if we ’ re not playing , what are we doing ?
What are we doing to show and to help what ’ s going on outside this bubble ?
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shortly before the Bucks were scheduled to tip off their game against the Magic .
While players and teams from baseball , the WNBA and MLS sat out their competitions Wednesday night , NBA players and coaches met for nearly three hours in a Disney hotel to determine next steps , including whether the season should continue .
They did not come to a consensus , a person with knowledge of the meeting told AP on condition of anonymity because details weren ’ t revealed publicly .
The Western & Southern Open won @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. Tennis Association , along with the ATP and WTA Tours , announcing play would be paused after two-time Grand Slam women ’ s champion Naomi Osaka had already said she wouldn ’ t play her semifinal match .
“ I don ’ t expect anything drastic to happen with me not playing , but if I can get a conversation started in a majority white sport I consider that a step in the right direction , ” Osaka tweeted .
“ Watching the continued genocide of Black people at the hand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sick to my stomach.
” Before coming to Disney , many NBA players wrestled for weeks about whether it was even right to play , fearing that a return to games would take attention off the deaths of , among others , Breonna Taylor and George Floyd in recent months .
They ultimately decided coming to the bubble and playing televised games would give them the largest platform , though now at least some are wondering if that ’ s still true .

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LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — A person with knowledge of the situation says NBA players decided Thursday that they want to continue the season, coming to that consensus one day after three postseason games were postponed in a protest of racial injustice.
It was not clear yet when the season would resume, according to the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because neither the league nor the National Basketball Players Association had announced anything publicly.
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The NBA’s board of governors were meeting separately Thursday to decide next steps. There were three games on Thursday’s schedule, and the league did not immediately say if they would be pushed back. But with the players exiting their meeting around noon, and the first game of the tripleheader scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. Eastern, it seemed most unlikely that the day’s slate would not be disrupted.
One potential remedy for the schedule, the person said, was to play the three games that were postponed Wednesday on Friday, and the three games scheduled for Thursday on Saturday, though that had not been decided.
Starting with the Milwaukee Bucks, who refused to take the court for their game Wednesday against the Orlando Magic, players from six teams made the extraordinary decisions to protest the shooting by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin on Sunday of Jacob Blake, a Black man, apparently in the back while three of his children looked on.
Kenosha is about 40 miles south of Milwaukee.
NBA players didn’t come to Disney solely for a restart to their season. They also wanted social reform, as did other sports leagues — many of which followed the NBA’s lead Wednesday by calling off games. Some NFL teams did the same Thursday, choosing not to practice.
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It followed a similar pattern as what happened in March: The NBA was the first league to shut down because of the coronavirus pandemic, and other sports followed then as well.
“The biggest thing that we all understand is if we’re not playing, what are we doing? What are we doing to show and to help what’s going on outside this bubble?” Boston Celtics forward Grant Williams said, shortly before the Bucks were scheduled to tip off their game against the Magic.
Instead, the Bucks players remained in the locker room, finally emerging hours later to read a statement demanding action from lawmakers and encouraging voting by citizens.
They changed the narrative across the entire sports landscape, putting the focus squarely on social justice reform in protest of the shooting of Blake.
While players and teams from baseball, the WNBA and MLS sat out their competitions Wednesday night, NBA players and coaches met for nearly three hours in a Disney hotel to determine next steps, including whether the season should continue. They did not come to a consensus, a person with knowledge of the meeting told AP on condition of anonymity because details weren’t revealed publicly.
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More talks took place in the early hours of Thursday, followed by the player meeting that morning to decide to continue the season.
The Western & Southern Open won’t be played Thursday, with the U.S. Tennis Association, along with the ATP and WTA Tours, announcing play would be paused after two-time Grand Slam women’s champion Naomi Osaka had already said she wouldn’t play her semifinal match.
“I don’t expect anything drastic to happen with me not playing, but if I can get a conversation started in a majority white sport I consider that a step in the right direction,” Osaka tweeted. “Watching the continued genocide of Black people at the hand of the police is honestly making me sick to my stomach.”
Before coming to Disney, many NBA players wrestled for weeks about whether it was even right to play, fearing that a return to games would take attention off the deaths of, among others, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd in recent months.
They ultimately decided coming to the bubble and playing televised games would give them the largest platform, though now at least some are wondering if that’s still true.
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It appears now they will find out if that’s the case.
___


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-27--More Than 1 Million Americans Applied For Jobless Benefits

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — Just over 1 million Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week , a sign that the coronavirus outbreak continues to threaten jobs even as the housing market , auto sales and other segments of the economy rebound from a springtime collapse .
The Labor Department reported Thursday that the number of people seeking jobless aid last week dropped by 98,000 from 1.1 million the week before .
The number of initial claims has exceeded 1 million most weeks since late March .
Before the coronavirus pandemic , they never topped 700,000 in a week .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ jobless benefits ― up from 1.7 million a year ago ― a sign that many American families are depending on unemployment checks to keep them afloat .
Until July 31 , the unemployed were receiving an extra $ 600 a week in federal money on top of regular state unemployment benefits , part of an extraordinary lifeline extended to help them through the crisis .
The loss of that money is putting the squeeze on many families .
“ My income is basically cut in half , ’ ’ said Taylor Love , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Austin , Texas .
“ Paying our mortgage is going to be a struggle .
We ’ re going to have to dip into what little savings we have.
’ ’ After passing a massive financial rescue package in March , congressional Republicans and Democrats have been unable to agree on more aid .
President Donald Trump signed an executive order Aug. 8 offering a stripped-down version of the expanded unemployment benefits .
At least 39 states have accepted or said that they would apply for federal grants that let them increase weekly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

WASHINGTON (AP) — Just over 1 million Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week, a sign that the coronavirus outbreak continues to threaten jobs even as the housing market, auto sales and other segments of the economy rebound from a springtime collapse.
The Labor Department reported Thursday that the number of people seeking jobless aid last week dropped by 98,000 from 1.1 million the week before. The number of initial claims has exceeded 1 million most weeks since late March. Before the coronavirus pandemic, they never topped 700,000 in a week.
More than 14.5 million are collecting traditional jobless benefits ― up from 1.7 million a year ago ― a sign that many American families are depending on unemployment checks to keep them afloat.
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Until July 31, the unemployed were receiving an extra $600 a week in federal money on top of regular state unemployment benefits, part of an extraordinary lifeline extended to help them through the crisis. The loss of that money is putting the squeeze on many families.
“My income is basically cut in half,’’ said Taylor Love, 34, an unemployed massage therapist in Austin, Texas. “Paying our mortgage is going to be a struggle. We’re going to have to dip into what little savings we have.’’
After passing a massive financial rescue package in March, congressional Republicans and Democrats have been unable to agree on more aid. President Donald Trump signed an executive order Aug. 8 offering a stripped-down version of the expanded unemployment benefits. At least 39 states have accepted or said that they would apply for federal grants that let them increase weekly benefits by $300 or $400.
___


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-27--Stephen Colbert Refuses To Watch RNC, Makes Heartfelt Plea For Americans To Dump Trump

Stephen Colbert made an unusual confession on Wednesday night : He didn ’ t watch any of that evening ’ s proceedings at the Republican National Convention for President Donald Trump ’ s reelection campaign .
“ Full disclosure : I didn ’ t want much of the convention tonight , ” he said .
“ And fullest disclosure : I did not watch any of it.
” “ Right now in America , we ’ re facing a global pandemic that has killed 180,000 Americans , heavily armed Rambo wannabes are murdering people in our streets , the strongest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Coast is making landfall as I speak and the RNC ’ s message is : ‘ Who ’ s up for four more years ?
’ ” Colbert said he didn ’ t do his job , but he feels great about it .
“ Why should we pay attention to what they ’ re saying if none of what they ’ re saying tonight is about what ’ s happening in America right now ?
” he asked .
“ Why should we watch their reality show if it doesn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lit into the president ’ s lies , scandals and legal problems , including repeated Hatch Act violations of using government agencies and properties for his reelection effort .
“ People outside the Beltway should care about every law the president is breaking and I think they actually do , ” Colbert said .
“ It ’ s just that it ’ s hard to keep track at this point .
You ’ re drinking from a firehose of scandal.
” Colbert even aired a fake ad for a product to prevent people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lies : America , if you catch yourself getting too numb to all the scandals within the administration , A Late Show has a prescription for you .
# LateShowLIVE pic.twitter.com/J5lG4cHnbP — A Late Show ( @ colbertlateshow ) August 27 , 2020 Colbert tore into the RNC for highlighting people like the St. Louis gun couple , who he called “ Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Gun , ” while Americans ― especially people of color ― were under assault by police and the “ fantasy militia league.
” He ripped Kenosha , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the victims of the violence in that city for being out past curfew .
He also praised the NBA ’ s Milwaukee Bucks for refusing to play ― a move other teams soon followed ― to protest the violence against Black Americans .
Ultimately , all the NBA games were postponed .
In response , Colbert shared this emotional video of L.A. Clippers coach Doc Rivers : “ That is why voting in November is so important , ” Colbert said .
“ Because Donald Trump does not care if you live or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as long as he wins .
Until we , the people , change this administration , we ’ ll continue to get more leadership from the NBA than the RNC .
”

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Stephen Colbert made an unusual confession on Wednesday night: He didn’t watch any of that evening’s proceedings at the Republican National Convention for President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign.
“Full disclosure: I didn’t want much of the convention tonight,” he said. “And fullest disclosure: I did not watch any of it.”
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He explained:
“Right now in America, we’re facing a global pandemic that has killed 180,000 Americans, heavily armed Rambo wannabes are murdering people in our streets, the strongest hurricane in the history of the Gulf Coast is making landfall as I speak and the RNC’s message is: ‘Who’s up for four more years?’”
Colbert said he didn’t do his job, but he feels great about it.
“Why should we pay attention to what they’re saying if none of what they’re saying tonight is about what’s happening in America right now?” he asked. “Why should we watch their reality show if it doesn’t reflect our reality?”
Colbert then lit into the president’s lies, scandals and legal problems, including repeated Hatch Act violations of using government agencies and properties for his reelection effort.
“People outside the Beltway should care about every law the president is breaking and I think they actually do,” Colbert said. “It’s just that it’s hard to keep track at this point. You’re drinking from a firehose of scandal.”
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Colbert even aired a fake ad for a product to prevent people from getting too numb to all the lies:
America, if you catch yourself getting too numb to all the scandals within the administration, A Late Show has a prescription for you. #LateShowLIVE pic.twitter.com/J5lG4cHnbP — A Late Show (@colbertlateshow) August 27, 2020
Colbert tore into the RNC for highlighting people like the St. Louis gun couple, who he called “Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Gun,” while Americans ― especially people of color ― were under assault by police and the “fantasy militia league.”
He ripped Kenosha, Wisconsin Police Chief Daniel Miskinis for blaming the victims of the violence in that city for being out past curfew.
“Justifying murder because it’s past curfew has a name,” Colbert said. “It’s called ’The Purge.’”
He also praised the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks for refusing to play ― a move other teams soon followed ― to protest the violence against Black Americans. Ultimately, all the NBA games were postponed. In response, Colbert shared this emotional video of L.A. Clippers coach Doc Rivers:
“We keep loving this country and this country doesn’t love us back.”
Doc Rivers got emotional while talking about Jacob Blake being shot by police and social injustice. pic.twitter.com/qQI2Ld2DGI — ESPN (@espn) August 26, 2020
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“That is why voting in November is so important,” Colbert said. “Because Donald Trump does not care if you live or die of COVID, or racism, as long as he wins. Until we, the people, change this administration, we’ll continue to get more leadership from the NBA than the RNC.”