thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-18--Brian Wilson Wants 'Absolutely Nothing To Do' With Trump's Beach Boys Stunt

Beach Boys co-founders Brian Wilson and Al Jardine want fans to know they ’ re not part of a fundraising effort for President Donald Trump featuring the current incarnation of the band .
“ We have absolutely nothing to do with the Trump benefit today in Newport Beach .
Zero , ” a spokesperson for the duo told Variety .
“ We didn ’ t even know about it and were very surprised to read about it in the Los Angeles Times.
” The Beach Boys performed Sunday at a Trump fundraiser in Newport Beach , California , with tickets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Times reported .
However , that ’ s the current touring version of the group led by Mike Love ― the band ’ s other surviving co-founder , who is often at loggerheads with his old bandmates and is a Trump supporter .
Earlier this year , Wilson and Jardine slammed Love ’ s version of the band for performing at a trophy-hunting convention , and said they supported a petition opposed to the activity .
The Beach Boys were founded in 1961 by Wilson , Jardine , Love and Wilson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Carl ( who died in 1983 and 1998 , respectively ) .
The five co-founders were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988 .
The touring band has had a range of lineup changes , but for much of the modern era , Love has fronted a licensed touring version of The Beach Boys .
Wilson ― the mastermind behind the group ’ s iconic sound and its biggest hits ― has toured under his own name , with Jardine in his band in recent years .
However , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wilson , Love and Jardine toured in 2012 .

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Beach Boys co-founders Brian Wilson and Al Jardine want fans to know they’re not part of a fundraising effort for President Donald Trump featuring the current incarnation of the band.
“We have absolutely nothing to do with the Trump benefit today in Newport Beach. Zero,” a spokesperson for the duo told Variety. “We didn’t even know about it and were very surprised to read about it in the Los Angeles Times.”
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The Beach Boys performed Sunday at a Trump fundraiser in Newport Beach, California, with tickets costing up to $150,000 per couple, the Times reported.
However, that’s the current touring version of the group led by Mike Love ― the band’s other surviving co-founder, who is often at loggerheads with his old bandmates and is a Trump supporter.
Earlier this year, Wilson and Jardine slammed Love’s version of the band for performing at a trophy-hunting convention, and said they supported a petition opposed to the activity.
The Beach Boys were founded in 1961 by Wilson, Jardine, Love and Wilson’s two brothers, Dennis and Carl (who died in 1983 and 1998, respectively).
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The five co-founders were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988.
The touring band has had a range of lineup changes, but for much of the modern era, Love has fronted a licensed touring version of The Beach Boys. Wilson ― the mastermind behind the group’s iconic sound and its biggest hits ― has toured under his own name, with Jardine in his band in recent years.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-19--Fox News Host Asks Trump Official If It's A Good Idea To Call Disease Experts 'Idiots'

Fox News host Martha MacCallum questioned Trump campaign press secretary Hogan Gidley on Monday about his boss ’ decision to call his own top public health advisers idiots as COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations continue to mount around the country .
Earlier on Monday , President Donald Trump complained on a call with campaign staffers that Americans are “ tired of ” COVID-19 and of hearing the nation ’ s top infectious disease expert , Dr. Anthony Fauci , “ and these idiots , all these idiots who got it wrong.
” Trump called Fauci , who is a member of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a “ disaster ” as he sought to pass the buck on his poor handling of the health crisis ahead of the Nov. 3 election .
“ The president went after Dr. Fauci today , talking about ‘ the idiots ’ who worked on the task force and all of that , saying that people have COVID fatigue , they ’ re tired of hearing about it , ” MacCallum said , playing a video of Trump ’ s Democratic opponent Joe Biden slamming Trump for pretending the country is turning a corner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ getting worse .
“ We are seeing an uptick in hospitalizations in 39 states across the country .
What do you say to that ?
” MacCallum asked .
Gidley celebrated the “ good news ” that case mortality rates are low , attacked Biden and claimed Trump has listened to Fauci on everything except his decision to ban travelers from China .
MacCallum interrupted : “ Do you think it ’ s a good idea for him to call him an idiot at this point ?
” She pointed out that voters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospitalizations are spiking may be feeling nervous .
“ So they thought they were out of the woods , but now they ’ re seeing what we saw here [ in New York and New Jersey ] .
Not in the numbers , I should point out … but the hospitalization rates are increasing around those people as they get ready to vote , ” MacCallum said .
Gidley said Fauci “ isn ’ t the only doctor out there ” and that there ’ s “ competing science on various things.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be opened back up , saying , “ we know that we can do things safely if we wear masks , if we socially distance , if we use hand sanitizer and all the guidelines that the CDC talks about.
” Trump , who was recently infected with COVID-19 along with dozens of people in his orbit , has been holding campaign rallies for thousands of attendees around the country with no social distancing and few masks , despite pleas from local officials .

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Fox News host Martha MacCallum questioned Trump campaign press secretary Hogan Gidley on Monday about his boss’ decision to call his own top public health advisers idiots as COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations continue to mount around the country.
Earlier on Monday, President Donald Trump complained on a call with campaign staffers that Americans are “tired of” COVID-19 and of hearing the nation’s top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, “and these idiots, all these idiots who got it wrong.”
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Trump called Fauci, who is a member of the White House coronavirus task force, a “disaster” as he sought to pass the buck on his poor handling of the health crisis ahead of the Nov. 3 election.
“The president went after Dr. Fauci today, talking about ‘the idiots’ who worked on the task force and all of that, saying that people have COVID fatigue, they’re tired of hearing about it,” MacCallum said, playing a video of Trump’s Democratic opponent Joe Biden slamming Trump for pretending the country is turning a corner when things are, in fact, getting worse.
“We are seeing an uptick in hospitalizations in 39 states across the country. What do you say to that?” MacCallum asked.
Gidley celebrated the “good news” that case mortality rates are low, attacked Biden and claimed Trump has listened to Fauci on everything except his decision to ban travelers from China.
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MacCallum interrupted: “Do you think it’s a good idea for him to call him an idiot at this point?”
She pointed out that voters in swing states in the Midwest where hospitalizations are spiking may be feeling nervous. “So they thought they were out of the woods, but now they’re seeing what we saw here [in New York and New Jersey]. Not in the numbers, I should point out … but the hospitalization rates are increasing around those people as they get ready to vote,” MacCallum said.
Gidley said Fauci “isn’t the only doctor out there” and that there’s “competing science on various things.” He then called for the country to be opened back up, saying, “we know that we can do things safely if we wear masks, if we socially distance, if we use hand sanitizer and all the guidelines that the CDC talks about.”
Trump, who was recently infected with COVID-19 along with dozens of people in his orbit, has been holding campaign rallies for thousands of attendees around the country with no social distancing and few masks, despite pleas from local officials.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-19--Tucson Mayor Calls Out Trump Over $80,000 Rally Debt Before New Superspreader Event

The mayor of Tucson , Arizona , fired off a letter to President Donald Trump pointing out that his campaign still owes her city $ 80,000 for his last rally four years ago — even as he heads to his next potential superspreader event there on Monday .
Democrat Regina Romero — the first Latina to become mayor of one of the largest 50 cities in the nation — also urged Trump to adhere to Tucson ’ s mask mandate and follow social distance requirements to help stem the spread of COVID-19 .
Few masks and packed crowds are the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We do not want a superspreader event in our city , ” Romero told MSNBC ’ s Ali Velshi in a Sunday interview , which can be seen above .
“ Tucsonans have worked too hard to bring down COVID-19 numbers.
” Romero ’ s letter , sent Friday , called on Trump to “ ensure that our local ordinances are respected and followed during your event.
” It would be “ deeply unfortunate if one gathering jeopardizes all of the progress we have made thus far ” in limiting the spread of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As elected officials , we have both the distinct opportunity and the responsibility to set an example for our constituents , especially when it comes to protecting public health , ” she said .
There ’ s also the not-so-little matter of the $ 80,000 the Trump campaign still owes the city from a 2016 rally , Romero noted .
In addition , the estimated cost of “ public safety response services ” for Monday ’ s rally is $ 50,000 , she wrote .
Trump ’ s rally is “ not an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign visit , ” and shouldn ’ t use taxpayers ’ money , Romero told Velshi on Sunday .
“ We ’ re asking him to pay his bills.
” Trump ’ s campaign owes 14 cities across the nation some $ 1.82 million in unpaid bills for MAGA rallies stretching back to 2016 , according to a report earlier this year from the nonprofit news operation Center for Public Integrity and NBC .
Local officials have complained that the Trump campaign ’ s unpaid bills are an especially difficult burden now as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ battling COVID-19 as well as aiding residents suffering financial hardships due to the pandemic .
Though Trump won Arizona in the last election , his Democratic opponent Joe Biden currently has an edge in the polls .
Arizona Sen. Martha McSally ( R ) is in a tough race against her Democratic rival , former astronaut Mark Kelly .
Romero told Velshi : “ Latinos in Arizona will not forget ” that the last time around , Trump “ declared his candidacy by insulting Mexican Americans , by insulting immigrants and Latinos .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that he called us rapists and murderers ... We ’ re not going to forget that he had children in cages 45 minutes away from us , ” she said .
“ We ’ re very excited to vote this time around .
”

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The mayor of Tucson, Arizona, fired off a letter to President Donald Trump pointing out that his campaign still owes her city $80,000 for his last rally four years ago — even as he heads to his next potential superspreader event there on Monday.
Democrat Regina Romero — the first Latina to become mayor of one of the largest 50 cities in the nation — also urged Trump to adhere to Tucson’s mask mandate and follow social distance requirements to help stem the spread of COVID-19. Few masks and packed crowds are the hallmarks of a Trump rally.
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“We do not want a superspreader event in our city,” Romero told MSNBC’s Ali Velshi in a Sunday interview, which can be seen above. “Tucsonans have worked too hard to bring down COVID-19 numbers.”
Romero’s letter, sent Friday, called on Trump to “ensure that our local ordinances are respected and followed during your event.” It would be “deeply unfortunate if one gathering jeopardizes all of the progress we have made thus far” in limiting the spread of the disease, she added.
“As elected officials, we have both the distinct opportunity and the responsibility to set an example for our constituents, especially when it comes to protecting public health,” she said.
There’s also the not-so-little matter of the $80,000 the Trump campaign still owes the city from a 2016 rally, Romero noted. In addition, the estimated cost of “public safety response services” for Monday’s rally is $50,000, she wrote.
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I sent the below letter to President Trump to remind him of the local ordinances in place to protect public health ahead of his #Tucson visit. pic.twitter.com/xkfpQg4l1d — Regina Romero (@TucsonRomero) October 16, 2020
Trump’s rally is “not an official visit; it’s a campaign visit,” and shouldn’t use taxpayers’ money, Romero told Velshi on Sunday. “We’re asking him to pay his bills.”
Trump’s campaign owes 14 cities across the nation some $1.82 million in unpaid bills for MAGA rallies stretching back to 2016, according to a report earlier this year from the nonprofit news operation Center for Public Integrity and NBC.
Local officials have complained that the Trump campaign’s unpaid bills are an especially difficult burden now as they grapple with the extra cost of battling COVID-19 as well as aiding residents suffering financial hardships due to the pandemic.
Though Trump won Arizona in the last election, his Democratic opponent Joe Biden currently has an edge in the polls. Arizona Sen. Martha McSally (R) is in a tough race against her Democratic rival, former astronaut Mark Kelly.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-19--Trump Blames 'Fauci And These Idiots' For His Own Coronavirus Ineptitude

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden called out the president ’ s attacks as misplaced and counterproductive .
He urged Trump @ @ @ @ @ national strategy to confront the virus .
“ Coronavirus infections are spiking across the country @ @ @ @ @ to attack Dr. Fauci again today ... instead of laying out a plan to beat @ @ @ @ @ advice about how we can save lives and get our economy moving again , ” @ @ @ @ @ a statement Monday afternoon .
“ The American people have never backed down from a @ @ @ @ @ continued , “ but they need a leader to show the way and all President @ @ @ @ @ and wallow in self-pity.
” Trump ’ s comments represent a doubling down on a @ @ @ @ @ Blame the experts .

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden called out the president’s attacks as misplaced and counterproductive. He urged Trump to instead formulate a cohesive national strategy to confront the virus.
“Coronavirus infections are spiking across the country, but President Trump decided to attack Dr. Fauci again today ... instead of laying out a plan to beat this virus or heeding their advice about how we can save lives and get our economy moving again,” the Biden campaign said in a statement Monday afternoon.
“The American people have never backed down from a challenge,” the statement continued, “but they need a leader to show the way and all President Trump has done is cower and wallow in self-pity.”
Trump’s comments represent a doubling down on a new presidential pandemic strategy: Blame the experts.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-19--Republicans Are Suddenly Trying To Distance Themselves From Donald Trump

After four years of looking the other way and pretending not to read his tweets , a growing number of Republican senators are suddenly attempting to distance themselves from Donald Trump and rewrite history about their support for a president who , at least according to public polls , is likely headed for a big loss in next month ’ s election .
The epiphany some GOP senators are having just two weeks before Election Day may have less to do with their convictions and more about positioning themselves politically for a post-Trump world if the polls prove right and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sasse ( R-Neb . )
, an advocate of public decency who voted against Trump ’ s impeachment , offered the loudest critique of the president during a phone call with constituents last week .
He said Trump has mishandled the coronavirus pandemic , curries favor with dictators , mistreats women , flirts with white supremacists and mocks evangelicals behind their backs .
The on-again , off-again Trump critic who has been discussed as a potential 2024 presidential candidate , warned of a “ bloodbath ” that could cost Republicans the Senate next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s why I ’ ve never been on the Trump train.
” Sasse isn ’ t the only Republican who fears losing a Senate majority under a blowout Biden win .
Vulnerable GOP incumbents have started speaking about that possibility in recent weeks and playing up their bipartisan credentials .
“ The best check on a Biden presidency is for Republicans to have a majority in the Senate , ” Sen. Thom Tillis ( R-N.C. ) said earlier this month in an interview with Politico .
Sen. Ben Sasse ( R-Neb ) speaks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nominee Amy Coney Barrett .
Sasse has been criticizing President Donald Trump recently , and told his constituents in a telephone town hall meeting that the president has “ flirted with white supremacists ” and “ kisses dictators ' butts.
” Sen. John Cornyn ( R-Texas ) , who is also facing a tough reelection battle , told a Texas newspaper last week that he privately disagreed with Trump on issues such as spending , trade and his proposed wall along the U.S.-Mexico border .
Yet Cornyn has been a steadfast supporter of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , voting twice in favor of repurposing funding for military construction projects to build the border wall .
Speaking with the editorial board of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram , Cornyn compared his relationship with Trump to a troubled marriage : “ Maybe like a lot of women who get married and think they ’ re going to change their spouse , and that doesn ’ t usually work out very well.
” Even the notoriously reticent Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ( R-Ky. ) has distanced himself from Trump in recent weeks .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ health steps like mask-wearing , which Trump mocks , and criticized the White House over its lax coronavirus protocols .
More recently , McConnell has resisted Trump ’ s calls for a larger stimulus package in negotiations between top administration officials and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-Calif. ) .
The Senate this week will vote on a slimmed-down $ 500 billion package that is seen as a face-saving move for vulnerable GOP senators , far short of what Trump and Democrats have been discussing .
Trump responded to his GOP critics over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ returned to his “ stupid and obnoxious ways ” and had been “ nice ” to him before winning renomination to his Senate seat in May .
“ We have some stupid people , ” Trump said of the GOP .
“ It ’ s been this way for decades .
I don ’ t know what the hell is in the blood .
...
They ’ re just a bunch of wimps.
” We want to know what you ’ re hearing on the ground from the candidates .
If you get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign mailers , robocalls or hear anything else you think we should know about , email us at scoops @ huffpost.com .

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After four years of looking the other way and pretending not to read his tweets, a growing number of Republican senators are suddenly attempting to distance themselves from Donald Trump and rewrite history about their support for a president who, at least according to public polls, is likely headed for a big loss in next month’s election.
The epiphany some GOP senators are having just two weeks before Election Day may have less to do with their convictions and more about positioning themselves politically for a post-Trump world if the polls prove right and Joe Biden becomes president.
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Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.), an advocate of public decency who voted against Trump’s impeachment, offered the loudest critique of the president during a phone call with constituents last week. He said Trump has mishandled the coronavirus pandemic, curries favor with dictators, mistreats women, flirts with white supremacists and mocks evangelicals behind their backs.
The on-again, off-again Trump critic who has been discussed as a potential 2024 presidential candidate, warned of a “bloodbath” that could cost Republicans the Senate next year, adding, “that’s why I’ve never been on the Trump train.”
Sasse isn’t the only Republican who fears losing a Senate majority under a blowout Biden win. Vulnerable GOP incumbents have started speaking about that possibility in recent weeks and playing up their bipartisan credentials.
“The best check on a Biden presidency is for Republicans to have a majority in the Senate,” Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) said earlier this month in an interview with Politico.
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Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb) speaks during the confirmation hearing for Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett. Sasse has been criticizing President Donald Trump recently, and told his constituents in a telephone town hall meeting that the president has “flirted with white supremacists” and “kisses dictators' butts.” Hilary Swift/The New York Times via AP, Pool, File
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), who is also facing a tough reelection battle, told a Texas newspaper last week that he privately disagreed with Trump on issues such as spending, trade and his proposed wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. Yet Cornyn has been a steadfast supporter of Trump and his agenda in the Senate, voting twice in favor of repurposing funding for military construction projects to build the border wall.
Speaking with the editorial board of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Cornyn compared his relationship with Trump to a troubled marriage: “Maybe like a lot of women who get married and think they’re going to change their spouse, and that doesn’t usually work out very well.”
Even the notoriously reticent Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has distanced himself from Trump in recent weeks. He stressed the importance of basic public health steps like mask-wearing, which Trump mocks, and criticized the White House over its lax coronavirus protocols.
More recently, McConnell has resisted Trump’s calls for a larger stimulus package in negotiations between top administration officials and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). The Senate this week will vote on a slimmed-down $500 billion package that is seen as a face-saving move for vulnerable GOP senators, far short of what Trump and Democrats have been discussing.
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Trump responded to his GOP critics over the weekend, saying that Sasse has returned to his “stupid and obnoxious ways” and had been “nice” to him before winning renomination to his Senate seat in May.
At a rally in Nevada on Sunday, Trump said Republicans have to learn “to stick together.”
“We have some stupid people,” Trump said of the GOP. “It’s been this way for decades. I don’t know what the hell is in the blood. ... They’re just a bunch of wimps.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-19--Biden Has 1-Word Response To Trump's Insult That He'll 'Listen To The Scientists'

Former Vice President Joe Biden on Monday shot back at President Donald Trump ’ s scornful take on how he ’ d approach the COVID-19 pandemic if elected president .
Trump focused on the coronavirus ― which has killed more than 219,000 Americans ― as he tore into Biden at a campaign rally in Carson City , Nevada , on Sunday .
In a blistering speech , the president said his Democratic opponent would “ surrender your future to the virus.
” “ He ’ s going to lock down , ” Trump told a crowd of about 5,000 supporters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ He ’ s going to want us to lock down .
He ’ ll listen to the scientists.
” “ If I listened totally to the scientists , we would right now have a country that would be in a massive depression , instead of , we ’ re like a rocket ship , ” the president added .
“ Take a look at the numbers.
” Coronavirus infections have surged by almost 17 % across the country , with numbers increasing in 38 states and Washington , D.C. To date , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ count and death toll of any country in the world .
The president , who tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this month , has repeatedly dismissed and disputed science throughout the duration of the pandemic .
He has also mocked others , including Biden , for following the advice of public health experts by wearing face masks and practicing social distancing .
“ Donald Trump tanked the strong economy he inherited from the Obama-Biden administration by continually discounting and attacking warnings from the scientific and medical experts working around the clock to save @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement to Axios .
“ Now new coronavirus cases are surging and layoffs are rising .
”

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Former Vice President Joe Biden on Monday shot back at President Donald Trump’s scornful take on how he’d approach the COVID-19 pandemic if elected president.
Trump focused on the coronavirus ― which has killed more than 219,000 Americans ― as he tore into Biden at a campaign rally in Carson City, Nevada, on Sunday. In a blistering speech, the president said his Democratic opponent would “surrender your future to the virus.”
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“He’s going to lock down,” Trump told a crowd of about 5,000 supporters, most of whom were unmasked. “He’s going to want us to lock down. He’ll listen to the scientists.”
“If I listened totally to the scientists, we would right now have a country that would be in a massive depression, instead of, we’re like a rocket ship,” the president added. “Take a look at the numbers.”
Biden needed just one word to react to the jab: “Yes.”
Coronavirus infections have surged by almost 17% across the country, with numbers increasing in 38 states and Washington, D.C. To date, the U.S. has the highest COVID-19 case count and death toll of any country in the world.
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The president, who tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this month, has repeatedly dismissed and disputed science throughout the duration of the pandemic. He has also mocked others, including Biden, for following the advice of public health experts by wearing face masks and practicing social distancing.
Biden campaign spokesperson Andrew Bates responded to Trump’s comments on Sunday.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-19--Videos From Right-Wing Site That Preaches 'The Left Ruins Everything' Assigned In Ohio School

Illustration : Damon Dahlen/HuffPost ; Photos : Getty Candace Owens , Ben Shapiro and Charlie Kirk are some of the personalities who host PragerU videos .
The assignment came at the same time that the website has tried to gain further influence in K-12 classrooms .
Earlier this month , the organization launched a program directly aimed at parents and educators , complete with study guides with sections such as “ Conservatives Are the Real Environmentalists ” and “ The Ferguson Lie , ” based on a HuffPost review of the materials .
Administrators first tried what they deemed a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ views from the other side of the political spectrum to the student , Cutway said .
But after HuffPost reached out to the school about the assignment , it decided to remove the materials from the syllabus , Todd Cramer , superintendent of Maumee City Schools , told HuffPost .
“ We constantly hear from educators and teachers who use our videos in the classroom , ” Strazzeri said .
He declined to disclose how many public school teachers specifically joined the new program .
“ Ideally , every school in America would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a regular basis to help educate the next generation.
” PragerU started the PREP program in response to COVID-19-related school shutdowns , which “ forced us to take a closer look at what is being taught and not taught across the country , ” said Adrienne Johnson , PragerU ’ s chief of staff and lead of the PREP platform , in a video interview with conservative news channel One America News Network .
“ America is not being fairly portrayed .
Many schools are implementing anti-racist Black Lives Matter curriculum and The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Donald Trump targeted The 1619 Project , an initiative of The New York Times Magazine , which elevates the importance of the first year enslaved Africans arrived in America and reexamines American history with that year in mind .
Schools around the country are teaching a curriculum based on the project , which won a Pulitzer Prize last year .
Lewis was immediately alarmed when she started her extra credit assignment last week .
The assignment asked her to watch PragerU videos and then answer questions about how the videos challenged her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the assignment to tack on a few extra points to her grade after taking a test on which she suspected she performed poorly , but after seeing the videos , the teen didn ’ t think she could complete the homework .
Cutway , Lewis ’ mother , was similarly shocked when her daughter showed her the assignment .
She immediately fired off an email to the school ’ s principal asking who approved the assignment and whether or not students had been given any context for PragerU ’ s point of view @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for her daughter , whom she sees as politically savvy enough to recognize that the site ’ s videos were one-sided .
But she worried about other students , who may be learning about some of these issues for the first time and assume the videos are presenting facts rather than opinions .
She immediately pulled her daughter from the class .
“ When I talked to the principal and vice principal , they acted like this was just another assignment , ” said Cutway , who works as a juvenile parole officer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ‘ I think at this time we need to end this call , gentlemen.
’ … I don ’ t know what you have allowed to bring into your public school.
” Since Cutway ’ s conversation with the school administrators , district leaders appeared to have had a change of heart and said they removed the assignment from the syllabus , though they stopped short of condemning the overall use of such materials .
“ We believe that students deserve a balanced presentation of content , ” district Superintendent Cramer said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of PragerU materials .
“ We support our educators in using a variety of instructional tools and materials .
We expect our educators to exercise good judgment and trust our students , parents and community to engage our staff in conversations about our instructional methods and the materials being used if they feel the need to do so .
”

An Ohio public school has been giving students extra credit for watching videos from PragerU, a right-wing website that produces clips of talking heads such as Candace Owens and Ben Shapiro discussing conservative viewpoints, HuffPost has learned.
The PragerU videos — with titles such as “Build the Wall,” “Why the Right Was Right” and “The Left Ruins Everything” — were assigned to a 10th-grade history class at Maumee High School, along with a series of questions about the videos’ “most important messages.”
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The assignment came at the same time that the website has tried to gain further influence in K-12 classrooms. Earlier this month, the organization launched a program directly aimed at parents and educators, complete with study guides with sections such as “Conservatives Are the Real Environmentalists” and “The Ferguson Lie,” based on a HuffPost review of the materials.
Andrea Cutway, the mother of 16-year-old student Avery Lewis, brought the assignment to the attention of Maumee City Schools administrators and immediately pulled her daughter out of the class. Maumee is about 10 miles southwest of Toledo.
Administrators first tried what they deemed a compromise by allowing the student to include videos that reflected views from the other side of the political spectrum, Cutway said. This was her daughter’s suggestion — not the school’s — Cutway noted. Other students were still instructed to complete the work using the original videos, Cutway said.
But after HuffPost reached out to the school about the assignment, it decided to remove the materials from the syllabus, Todd Cramer, superintendent of Maumee City Schools, told HuffPost.
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Other PragerU videos on its website dissect issues in five-minute clips and have titles such as “There Is No Gender Wage Gap,” “How to Steal an Election: Mail-In Ballots,” and “Is Islam a Religion of Peace?”
The teacher’s class website shows that she also assigned the videos last year.
The homework assignment appeared unrelated to PragerU’s latest venture, called PragerU Educators and Parents, or PREP, which launched several weeks ago. The inception of such a program suggested that these types of assignments may become more prevalent in schools.
Already, “2,000 parents and educators have already signed up for PREP,” Craig Strazzeri, chief marketing officer of PragerU, said in an email to HuffPost.
“We constantly hear from educators and teachers who use our videos in the classroom,” Strazzeri said. He declined to disclose how many public school teachers specifically joined the new program. “Ideally, every school in America would show PragerU videos in the classroom on a regular basis to help educate the next generation.”
PragerU started the PREP program in response to COVID-19-related school shutdowns, which “forced us to take a closer look at what is being taught and not taught across the country,” said Adrienne Johnson, PragerU’s chief of staff and lead of the PREP platform, in a video interview with conservative news channel One America News Network. “America is not being fairly portrayed. Many schools are implementing anti-racist Black Lives Matter curriculum and The 1619 Project.”
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In recent weeks, President Donald Trump targeted The 1619 Project, an initiative of The New York Times Magazine, which elevates the importance of the first year enslaved Africans arrived in America and reexamines American history with that year in mind. Schools around the country are teaching a curriculum based on the project, which won a Pulitzer Prize last year.
Lewis was immediately alarmed when she started her extra credit assignment last week. The assignment asked her to watch PragerU videos and then answer questions about how the videos challenged her beliefs. She had hoped to use the assignment to tack on a few extra points to her grade after taking a test on which she suspected she performed poorly, but after seeing the videos, the teen didn’t think she could complete the homework.
Cutway, Lewis’ mother, was similarly shocked when her daughter showed her the assignment. She immediately fired off an email to the school’s principal asking who approved the assignment and whether or not students had been given any context for PragerU’s point of view.
“It’s ALT RIGHT propaganda,” Cutway said in the email to the school principal, which she provided to HuffPost. “If you Google PragerU and spend a few minutes scrolling, you will see that this site is controversial at best.”
Avery Lewis (left) was assigned PragerU videos for extra credit at school. Her mom, Andrea Cutway (right), immediately complained. Photo courtesy of Andrea Cutway
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Cutway’s concern was less for her daughter, whom she sees as politically savvy enough to recognize that the site’s videos were one-sided. But she worried about other students, who may be learning about some of these issues for the first time and assume the videos are presenting facts rather than opinions. She immediately pulled her daughter from the class.
Lewis met with school administrators soon after to discuss the issue. Together, they came up with a solution ― that the student could also include viewpoints from the opposite side, Cutway said.
For Cutway, though, this ignored the larger issue ― that PragerU videos be assigned at all and that school administrators did not see a problem. She had a phone meeting with the administrators, which she found similarly disconcerting.
“When I talked to the principal and vice principal, they acted like this was just another assignment,” said Cutway, who works as a juvenile parole officer for the state. “I said, ‘I think at this time we need to end this call, gentlemen.’ … I don’t know what you have allowed to bring into your public school.”
“This really is some scary stuff,” Cutway said of PragerU. “I do feel like they have found a way to get into the public school system.”
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The teacher who assigned the videos did not respond to a request for comment.
Since Cutway’s conversation with the school administrators, district leaders appeared to have had a change of heart and said they removed the assignment from the syllabus, though they stopped short of condemning the overall use of such materials.
“We believe that students deserve a balanced presentation of content,” district Superintendent Cramer said when asked if the school condoned use of PragerU materials. “We support our educators in using a variety of instructional tools and materials. We expect our educators to exercise good judgment and trust our students, parents and community to engage our staff in conversations about our instructional methods and the materials being used if they feel the need to do so.”
The incident, he said, “has also led to internal conversations focused on ensuring we are presenting content through a variety of balanced materials.”
Cutway was especially concerned for how the school assignment could have made immigrant students or LGBTQ people feel, she said.
PragerU is no stranger to controversy. In 2017, the organization sued YouTube after the site flagged some of its videos as “inappropriate,” alleging that such a move amounted to censorship and violated the First Amendment. A federal court ruled that a private firm such as YouTube wasn’t bound by the First Amendment in this case.
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The PREP program study guide quizzes students with true-false questions such as “nearly all the major 19th- and 20th- century breakthroughs in health care were made by Western Europeans and North Americans.” (The study guide says the answer is true.) Another true-false question asks students to evaluate the following statement: “Big Tech with its control of search algorithms, its shadowbanning, and deboosting supports political correctness and the resulting limitations of freedom.”
In the OANN interview, Johnson said the program has signed up “so many” educators.
“Seeing what they’re saying when they join the discussion forum, these are people who value children, value children’s education, and they are just heartbroken by what they see happening in schools and the leftist indoctrination. This is a place where they can come and fight against that,” she said.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-19--Presidential Debate Commission Adopts New Rules To Mute Microphones

President Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden will have their microphones cut off in Thursday ’ s debate while their @ @ @ @ @ answer to each of the debate topics .
The 90-minute debate is divided into six @ @ @ @ @ candidate granted two minutes to deliver uninterrupted remarks before proceeding to an open debate .
@ @ @ @ @ the debate will not feature a mute button , but interruptions by either candidate will @ @ @ @ @ the second and final debate Thursday .
The nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates announced the @ @ @ @ @ weeks after a chaotic opening faceoff between the two presidential contenders that featured frequent interruptions @ @ @ @ @ The commission has faced pressure from the Trump campaign to avoid changing the rules , @ @ @ @ @ was hoping for a more ordered debate .
In a statement , the commission said @ @ @ @ @ it is appropriate to adopt measures intended to promote adherence to agreed upon rules and @ @ @ @ @ those rules .
”

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President Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden will have their microphones cut off in Thursday’s debate while their rival delivers their opening two-minute answer to each of the debate topics.
The 90-minute debate is divided into six 15-minute segments, with each candidate granted two minutes to deliver uninterrupted remarks before proceeding to an open debate. The open discussion portion of the debate will not feature a mute button, but interruptions by either candidate will count toward their time in the second and final debate Thursday.
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The nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates announced the rule changes Monday, three weeks after a chaotic opening faceoff between the two presidential contenders that featured frequent interruptions — most by Trump.
The commission has faced pressure from the Trump campaign to avoid changing the rules, while Biden’s team was hoping for a more ordered debate. In a statement, the commission said it “had determined that it is appropriate to adopt measures intended to promote adherence to agreed upon rules and inappropriate to make changes to those rules.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-19--DOJ Charges Russian Military In Hacks On Ukraine, French Elections, U.S. Companies

The U.S. Department of Justice announced charges against Russian military intelligence officials on Monday , alleging that they ’ ve been involved in the most disruptive series of computer attacks ever attributed to a single group .
“ No country has weaponized its cyber capabilities as maliciously and irresponsibly as Russia , wantonly causing unprecedented collateral damage to pursue small tactical advantages and to satisfy fits of spite , ” John Demers , the Justice Department ’ s top national security official , said in a press conference .
The charges involve alleged attacks on Ukrainian electrical power grids and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaigns connected to the 2018 Winter Olympics and the 2017 French elections .
The charges do not include allegations of attempts to interfere in the 2020 U.S. presidential election .
President Donald Trump has downplayed the threat that Russia poses to the United States , because Russian President Vladimir Putin backs Trump ’ s re-election .
Putin has been supportive of Trump , and the CIA believes he is likely directing efforts to aid Trump ’ s 2020 campaign .
U.S. intelligence officials have said that Russia is using a variety of measures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s campaign .
The Russian military intelligence unit allegedly involved in the hacks that Demers described Monday is the same group behind the Russian attack on the 2016 election ― which favored Trump .
One of the members of the newly indicted group was previously indicted by Robert Mueller ’ s special counsel team .
A Justice Department official told reporters that bringing the cases is important even if the defendants are unlikely to be extradited from Russia .
There should be no safe haven abroad for criminals who attack Americans , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want suspects to be looking over their shoulders and keeping in mind consequences when they participate in Russian military intelligence activities .

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The U.S. Department of Justice announced charges against Russian military intelligence officials on Monday, alleging that they’ve been involved in the most disruptive series of computer attacks ever attributed to a single group.
“No country has weaponized its cyber capabilities as maliciously and irresponsibly as Russia, wantonly causing unprecedented collateral damage to pursue small tactical advantages and to satisfy fits of spite,” John Demers, the Justice Department’s top national security official, said in a press conference.
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The charges involve alleged attacks on Ukrainian electrical power grids and American businesses, as well as hacking campaigns connected to the 2018 Winter Olympics and the 2017 French elections. The charges do not include allegations of attempts to interfere in the 2020 U.S. presidential election.
President Donald Trump has downplayed the threat that Russia poses to the United States, because Russian President Vladimir Putin backs Trump’s re-election. Putin has been supportive of Trump, and the CIA believes he is likely directing efforts to aid Trump’s 2020 campaign. U.S. intelligence officials have said that Russia is using a variety of measures to attack Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s campaign.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin talk during the APEC Summit in Danang, Vietnam, Nov. 11, 2017. Jorge Silva / Reuters
The Russian military intelligence unit allegedly involved in the hacks that Demers described Monday is the same group behind the Russian attack on the 2016 election ― which favored Trump. One of the members of the newly indicted group was previously indicted by Robert Mueller’s special counsel team.
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A Justice Department official told reporters that bringing the cases is important even if the defendants are unlikely to be extradited from Russia. There should be no safe haven abroad for criminals who attack Americans, the official said, and U.S. officials want suspects to be looking over their shoulders and keeping in mind consequences when they participate in Russian military intelligence activities.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-19--Supreme Court Tie Blocks GOP Effort To Limit Mail-In Voting In Pennsylvania

The U.S. Supreme Court delivered a blow to Republicans on Monday with a split vote that effectively allows Pennsylvania to keep its extended mail-in voting period .
The justices ’ 4-4 tie leaves in place a lower court ruling that will let state officials count ballots received after Election Day unless there ’ s evidence they were sent after the deadline .
Election officials have three days to count those votes , the Pennsylvania Supreme Court determined last month .
Republicans asked the U.S. Supreme Court to block the lower court ’ s decision , arguing that it would “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the electoral system as a whole.
” Monday ’ s split vote is expected to have sweeping effects in the swing state at a time when thousands more people are expected to vote by mail due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic .
The court ’ s four most conservative justices , two of whom were appointed by President Donald Trump , would have taken up the case , the Supreme Court said in its announcement .
The court is down one vote due to the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ replace her with Trump ’ s newest appointee , Judge Amy Coney Barrett .
An “ Anti-Democracy Scorecard ” released last week by Take Back The Court , a group in favor of expanding the U.S. Supreme Court , found that Republican-appointed judges and justices in 2020 have repeatedly ruled in favor of making it harder for Americans to vote .
Take Back the Court found that in election-related cases , Republican appointees interpreted the law in a way that curtailed voting access 80 % of the time , versus 37 % of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s development comes just over two weeks before the presidential election , which polling suggests will be an uphill battle for Trump in his effort to fend off Democratic nominee Joe Biden , who ’ s polling well in swing states and even in some Republican strongholds .
The president has spent much of his campaign trying to discredit mail-in voting as fraudulent , though there is no evidence to back up his claims .

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The U.S. Supreme Court delivered a blow to Republicans on Monday with a split vote that effectively allows Pennsylvania to keep its extended mail-in voting period.
The justices’ 4-4 tie leaves in place a lower court ruling that will let state officials count ballots received after Election Day unless there’s evidence they were sent after the deadline. Election officials have three days to count those votes, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court determined last month.
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Supreme Court splits 4-4, leaves Pennsylvania Supreme Court decision in place allowing more time for mail-in voting. Thomas, Alito, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh would have granted GOP request to block the Pennsylvania court’s ruling. pic.twitter.com/MFiQ9EKzSG — SCOTUSblog (@SCOTUSblog) October 19, 2020
Republicans asked the U.S. Supreme Court to block the lower court’s decision, arguing that it would “destroy the American public’s confidence in the electoral system as a whole.”
Monday’s split vote is expected to have sweeping effects in the swing state at a time when thousands more people are expected to vote by mail due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The court’s four most conservative justices, two of whom were appointed by President Donald Trump, would have taken up the case, the Supreme Court said in its announcement. The court is down one vote due to the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg last month, though Republicans are rushing to replace her with Trump’s newest appointee, Judge Amy Coney Barrett.
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An “Anti-Democracy Scorecard” released last week by Take Back The Court, a group in favor of expanding the U.S. Supreme Court, found that Republican-appointed judges and justices in 2020 have repeatedly ruled in favor of making it harder for Americans to vote. Take Back the Court found that in election-related cases, Republican appointees interpreted the law in a way that curtailed voting access 80% of the time, versus 37% of the time with Democratic appointees.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-19--GOP Pundit Says Trump Campaign Is Just ‘Playing All The Hits From 2016’

During a segment on MSNBC Monday , conservative commentator and “ Never Trumper ” Charlie Sykes compared President Donald Trump ’ s current campaign tactics to a late-in-life Elvis Presley attempting to sing his greatest hits from the prime of his career .
It started after host Andrea Mitchell noted how strange it was to hear the president still attacking 2016 Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton even though she is not his opponent .
“ It ’ s inexplicable to me that he ’ s still campaigning against Hillary Clinton , ” Mitchell told Sykes after Trump chanted “ lock them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Clinton and his current rival Joe Biden — at a recent rally .
Sykes explained that Trump is like a late-era Elvis going through the motions .
“ He ’ s playing his greatest hits , ” Sykes said .
“ He ’ s playing all the hits from 2016 .
The problem is that this time around he ’ s fat Elvis .
It feels derivative because 2016 is a different time .
Nobody cares about Hillary ’ s emails anymore.
” Sykes noted how “ disturbing ” it is that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ to imprison ― indict and imprison ― his political opponents.
” He added , “ But this is again a guy who seems to have lost the narrative here.
” “ Four years ago , a lot of Americans wanted to burn it all down , ” Sykes said .
“ This year , a lot of Americans just want to keep their jobs , want to stay alive and want a return to normalcy .
So I do think that you see the gap between the things that worked in 2016 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2020 , which is why the winds are against him this year.
” You can see the complete exchange below .

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During a segment on MSNBC Monday, conservative commentator and “Never Trumper” Charlie Sykes compared President Donald Trump’s current campaign tactics to a late-in-life Elvis Presley attempting to sing his greatest hits from the prime of his career.
It started after host Andrea Mitchell noted how strange it was to hear the president still attacking 2016 Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton even though she is not his opponent.
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“It’s inexplicable to me that he’s still campaigning against Hillary Clinton,” Mitchell told Sykes after Trump chanted “lock them up” — in reference to both Clinton and his current rival Joe Biden — at a recent rally.
Sykes explained that Trump is like a late-era Elvis going through the motions.
“He’s playing his greatest hits,” Sykes said. “He’s playing all the hits from 2016. The problem is that this time around he’s fat Elvis. It feels derivative because 2016 is a different time. Nobody cares about Hillary’s emails anymore.”
Sykes noted how “disturbing” it is that the president’s big catch phrase is “to imprison ― indict and imprison ― his political opponents.”
He added, “But this is again a guy who seems to have lost the narrative here.”
Sykes predicted Trump’s inability to read the room could hurt his reelection chances.
“Four years ago, a lot of Americans wanted to burn it all down,” Sykes said. “This year, a lot of Americans just want to keep their jobs, want to stay alive and want a return to normalcy. So I do think that you see the gap between the things that worked in 2016 and the mood of the country in 2020, which is why the winds are against him this year.”
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-19--Court Rules To Make Ghislaine Maxwell's Deposition In 2015 Case Public

Ghislaine Maxwell , a longtime associate of Jeffrey Epstein , lost her battle to keep deposition materials from a 2015 defamation case against her from being made public .
In a ruling from the 2nd U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals in New York , the judges upheld a lower court ’ s ruling that “ the deposition materials are judicial documents to which the presumption of public access attaches ” and found that the court “ did not abuse its discretion in rejecting Maxwell ’ s meritless arguments that her interests superseded the presumption of access.
” In the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Giuffre accused Maxwell of recruiting her at age 15 , helping Epstein traffic her to others — including , allegedly , Britain ’ s Prince Andrew and attorney Alan Dershowitz — and engaging in the sexual abuse of underage girls herself .
Other damning documents from the court case were unsealed in July .
There is no timetable yet for when materials from the deposition , which Maxwell gave in 2016 , will be released .
Maxwell , 58 , was arrested and charged in July with several federal crimes , including sex @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as well as perjury .
She pleaded not guilty and is being held in a Brooklyn jail , pending trial .
Maxwell ’ s attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment .
Epstein , a registered sex offender , was found dead in 2019 in a New York City jail , where he was awaiting trial on charges of sex trafficking dozens of minors .
His death came hours after a separate set of documents from this case were made public .

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Ghislaine Maxwell, a longtime associate of Jeffrey Epstein, lost her battle to keep deposition materials from a 2015 defamation case against her from being made public.
In a ruling from the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York, the judges upheld a lower court’s ruling that “the deposition materials are judicial documents to which the presumption of public access attaches” and found that the court “did not abuse its discretion in rejecting Maxwell’s meritless arguments that her interests superseded the presumption of access.”
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In the since-settled 2015 defamation suit, Virginia Roberts Giuffre accused Maxwell of recruiting her at age 15, helping Epstein traffic her to others — including, allegedly, Britain’s Prince Andrew and attorney Alan Dershowitz — and engaging in the sexual abuse of underage girls herself.
Other damning documents from the court case were unsealed in July.
There is no timetable yet for when materials from the deposition, which Maxwell gave in 2016, will be released.
Maxwell, 58, was arrested and charged in July with several federal crimes, including sex trafficking and the enticement of minors, as well as perjury. She pleaded not guilty and is being held in a Brooklyn jail, pending trial.
Maxwell’s attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Epstein, a registered sex offender, was found dead in 2019 in a New York City jail, where he was awaiting trial on charges of sex trafficking dozens of minors. His death came hours after a separate set of documents from this case were made public.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-19--CNN's Brianna Keilar Shreds Trump's 'I Know Nothing' Defense With Damning Videos

Brianna Keilar dismantled what she called President Donald Trump ’ s “ I know nothing ” defense on Monday ― and she had receipts .
The CNN host slammed the president for feigning ignorance about certain topics he doesn ’ t want to talk about .
For example , he recently told NBC News town hall host Savannah Guthrie “ I know nothing ” about QAnon , the conspiracy theory movement he ’ s spoken about and amplified that the FBI has deemed a domestic terror threat .
During the town hall , Trump refused to condemn QAnon , defended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had no idea what it was .
QAnon followers believe that Trump is taking down a satanic pedophile cult run by Democrats and liberal Hollywood elites .
“ It ’ s hard to believe for many reasons , ” Keilar said of Trump ’ s claim of ignorance .
“ First , the FBI has labeled the group a threat .
Second , Trump endorsed a QAnon supporter running for Congress and it got a whole heck of a lot of attention on cable news , which the president consumes like air .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ asked about it multiple times at this point.
” She said Trump ’ s answer mirrored one he gave after the first presidential debate last month , when he was widely panned for declining to condemn white supremacists and telling the Proud Boys , a violent fascist hate group that supports him , to “ stand back and stand by.
” Backtracking the following day , Trump told reporters , “ I don ’ t know who they are , ” before finally denouncing the Proud Boys the next day after bipartisan backlash @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russian bounties on US troops to fraudulent fundraising for his border wall , President Trump has a habit claiming “ I know nothing , ” when often he verifiably does .
The list is long and we # RollTheTape : https : //t.co/3CO5tqkW7x — Brianna Keilar ( @ brikeilarcnn ) October 19 , 2020 “ On white supremacy , Trump has used both the ‘ hardly know ’ em ’ and ‘ don ’ t know anything ’ defenses , ” Keilar said .
She pointed to Trump ’ s comments about former @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Duke endorsed him in 2016 .
When CNN ’ s Jake Tapper pressed Trump to disavow the KKK leader ’ s endorsement , Trump pretended not to know anything about Duke , the KKK or white supremacists .
In November 1991 , Trump said in an interview that Duke ’ s run for Louisiana governor showed that there ’ s “ a lot of hostility in this country.
” And in February 2000 , Trump brought up Duke in another interview , calling him “ a racist , a bigot , a problem.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of other major issues Trump has claimed to know nothing about .
“ Now , we all remember a time when it was good for a president to be informed .
Claiming ignorance all the time about all the things wasn ’ t presidential , certainly wasn ’ t smart , ” she said .
“ And it wasn ’ t believable .
I guess that at least , hasn ’ t changed .
”

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Brianna Keilar dismantled what she called President Donald Trump’s “I know nothing” defense on Monday ― and she had receipts.
The CNN host slammed the president for feigning ignorance about certain topics he doesn’t want to talk about. For example, he recently told NBC News town hall host Savannah Guthrie “I know nothing” about QAnon, the conspiracy theory movement he’s spoken about and amplified that the FBI has deemed a domestic terror threat.
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During the town hall, Trump refused to condemn QAnon, defended it, and then repeatedly asserted he had no idea what it was. QAnon followers believe that Trump is taking down a satanic pedophile cult run by Democrats and liberal Hollywood elites.
“It’s hard to believe for many reasons,” Keilar said of Trump’s claim of ignorance. “First, the FBI has labeled the group a threat. Second, Trump endorsed a QAnon supporter running for Congress and it got a whole heck of a lot of attention on cable news, which the president consumes like air. And third, he’s been asked about it multiple times at this point.”
She said Trump’s answer mirrored one he gave after the first presidential debate last month, when he was widely panned for declining to condemn white supremacists and telling the Proud Boys, a violent fascist hate group that supports him, to “stand back and stand by.”
Backtracking the following day, Trump told reporters, “I don’t know who they are,” before finally denouncing the Proud Boys the next day after bipartisan backlash.
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From QAnon to white supremacists, Russian bounties on US troops to fraudulent fundraising for his border wall, President Trump has a habit claiming “I know nothing,” when often he verifiably does. The list is long and we #RollTheTape: https://t.co/3CO5tqkW7x — Brianna Keilar (@brikeilarcnn) October 19, 2020
“On white supremacy, Trump has used both the ‘hardly know ’em’ and ‘don’t know anything’ defenses,” Keilar said.
She pointed to Trump’s comments about former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke after Duke endorsed him in 2016. When CNN’s Jake Tapper pressed Trump to disavow the KKK leader’s endorsement, Trump pretended not to know anything about Duke, the KKK or white supremacists.
But video footage says otherwise.
In November 1991, Trump said in an interview that Duke’s run for Louisiana governor showed that there’s “a lot of hostility in this country.” And in February 2000, Trump brought up Duke in another interview, calling him “a racist, a bigot, a problem.”
Keilar rattled off a long list of other major issues Trump has claimed to know nothing about.
“Now, we all remember a time when it was good for a president to be informed. Claiming ignorance all the time about all the things wasn’t presidential, certainly wasn’t smart,” she said. “And it wasn’t believable. I guess that at least, hasn’t changed.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-19--Supreme Court Will Take Up Case Against Trump's 'Remain In Mexico' Asylum Policy

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — The Supreme Court is agreeing to review a Trump administration policy that makes asylum-seekers wait in Mexico for U.S. court hearings .
As is typical , the court did not comment Monday in announcing it would hear the case .
Because the court ’ s calendar is already full through the end of the year , the justices will not hear the case until 2021 .
If Joe Biden were to win the presidential election and rescind the policy , the case would become largely moot .
Trump ’ s “ Migrant Protection Protocols ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Mexico , ” was introduced in January 2019 .
It became a key pillar of the administration ’ s response to an unprecedented surge of asylum-seeking families at the border , drawing criticism for having people wait in highly dangerous Mexican cities .
Lower courts found that the policy is probably illegal .
But earlier this year the Supreme Court stepped in to allow the policy to remain in effect while a lawsuit challenging it plays out in the courts .
More than 60,000 asylum-seekers were returned to Mexico under the policy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ February that there were 25,000 people still waiting in Mexico for hearings in U.S. court .
Those hearings were suspended because of the coronavirus pandemic .

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WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is agreeing to review a Trump administration policy that makes asylum-seekers wait in Mexico for U.S. court hearings.
As is typical, the court did not comment Monday in announcing it would hear the case. Because the court’s calendar is already full through the end of the year, the justices will not hear the case until 2021. If Joe Biden were to win the presidential election and rescind the policy, the case would become largely moot.
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Trump’s “Migrant Protection Protocols” policy, known informally as “Remain in Mexico,” was introduced in January 2019. It became a key pillar of the administration’s response to an unprecedented surge of asylum-seeking families at the border, drawing criticism for having people wait in highly dangerous Mexican cities.
Lower courts found that the policy is probably illegal. But earlier this year the Supreme Court stepped in to allow the policy to remain in effect while a lawsuit challenging it plays out in the courts.
More than 60,000 asylum-seekers were returned to Mexico under the policy. The Justice Department estimated in late February that there were 25,000 people still waiting in Mexico for hearings in U.S. court. Those hearings were suspended because of the coronavirus pandemic.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-19--Poll: Voters Find This Election Cycle Stressful And Weird

Three-quarters of voters trying to keep up with political news say they find it at least somewhat stressful to do so , a new HuffPost/YouGov poll finds .
Only 30 % of voters trying to stay abreast of politics this year call it very stressful .
But that ’ s up considerably from 2018 , when about half of voters trying to follow the news found it somewhat stressful and just 15 % found it very stressful .
There are some demographic and political differences : Democratic voters are 20 percentage points likelier than Republican voters to find it at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10 points likelier than men .
By contrast , there ’ s little difference between voters under age 45 and voters over that age .
Most voters , meanwhile , say they don ’ t find keeping up particularly difficult .
Among voters who try to keep up with the news , 71 % say it ’ s been somewhat or very easy for them to do so this year , with just 27 % saying it ’ s not very or not at all easy .
In a separate question , 53 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any problem keeping up with political news , while 38 % say they feel political news is changing so quickly that they can ’ t keep up .
( In 2018 , 83 % said they found it easy to keep up with the news , and only about a quarter said the news was changing too quickly . )
Here , there is an age difference : 49 % of voters under 45 say they feel the political news is changing too quickly to keep up , while just a third of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are also more likely than Republicans to see the pace of news as overwhelming .
These results come , as they did two years ago , with a few caveats .
For one , the results don ’ t include voters who have opted out of following politics altogether .
For another , respondents may think it ’ s socially desirable to claim that they ’ re effortlessly well-informed .
Asked for their relative impressions of this year ’ s election , voters give 2020 a number of ― largely dubious ― superlatives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s election is more focused on the issues than past elections were .
But 54 % say it ’ s more interesting than past elections they remember .
Six in 10 say it ’ s more divisive than past elections , and two-thirds say it ’ s weirder than previous election cycles .
That still pales in comparison with 2016 , when 84 % of voters called that year ’ s election weirder than usual .

mphillips007 via Getty Images
Three-quarters of voters trying to keep up with political news say they find it at least somewhat stressful to do so, a new HuffPost/YouGov poll finds.
Only 30% of voters trying to stay abreast of politics this year call it very stressful. But that’s up considerably from 2018, when about half of voters trying to follow the news found it somewhat stressful and just 15% found it very stressful.
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There are some demographic and political differences: Democratic voters are 20 percentage points likelier than Republican voters to find it at least somewhat stressful, and women are 10 points likelier than men. By contrast, there’s little difference between voters under age 45 and voters over that age.
Most voters, meanwhile, say they don’t find keeping up particularly difficult. Among voters who try to keep up with the news, 71% say it’s been somewhat or very easy for them to do so this year, with just 27% saying it’s not very or not at all easy. In a separate question, 53% say they don’t have any problem keeping up with political news, while 38% say they feel political news is changing so quickly that they can’t keep up. (In 2018, 83% said they found it easy to keep up with the news, and only about a quarter said the news was changing too quickly.)
Here, there is an age difference: 49% of voters under 45 say they feel the political news is changing too quickly to keep up, while just a third of older voters say the same. Democrats are also more likely than Republicans to see the pace of news as overwhelming.
These results come, as they did two years ago, with a few caveats. For one, the results don’t include voters who have opted out of following politics altogether. For another, respondents may think it’s socially desirable to claim that they’re effortlessly well-informed.
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Asked for their relative impressions of this year’s election, voters give 2020 a number of ― largely dubious ― superlatives. Just 22% think this year’s election is more focused on the issues than past elections were. But 54% say it’s more interesting than past elections they remember. Six in 10 say it’s more divisive than past elections, and two-thirds say it’s weirder than previous election cycles. That still pales in comparison with 2016, when 84% of voters called that year’s election weirder than usual.
Use the widget below to further explore the results of the HuffPost/YouGov survey, using the menu at the top to select survey questions and the buttons at the bottom to filter the data by subgroups:
The HuffPost/YouGov poll consisted of 1,000 completed interviews conducted Oct. 7-11 among U.S. registered voters, using a sample selected from YouGov’s opt-in online panel to match the demographics and other characteristics of the population.
HuffPost has teamed up with YouGov to conduct daily opinion polls. You can learn more about this project and take part in YouGov’s nationally representative opinion polling. More details on the polls’ methodology are available here.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-19--Beekeepers Determined To Avoid Getting Stung By Pandemic Shutdowns

IOLA , Wis. ( AP ) — They wrote it right into their business plan -– an expectation that , each year , at least half the stock on which their livelihood depends would die .
Building a business around bees is not for the faint-hearted .
“ You have to be a little crazy , ” says James Cook , who , with wife Samantha Jones , started beekeeping eight years ago .
They knew well the challenges their bees face –- parasites and the impact of pesticides among them .
Even so , they were hopeful .
2020 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off on their own , after working several years for another beekeeper .
They and their bees spent the past winter in California ’ s massive almond orchards , full of white blossoms that turn into nuts , thanks to the many beekeepers who travel extensively with their hives to pollinate many of the nation ’ s crops .
“ Do we stay ?
Do we go ?
” they asked each other .
By that time , they had packed up their tent and trucked their hives from California ’ s San @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state ’ s foothills , where the bees could “ detox ” from the agricultural work .
There , they raised “ nucs ” — hive starter-kits , of sorts , with new queens — which they sell to other beekeepers to replace bees that inevitably die over the course of a season .
This work and the almond pollination each represent about a third of their business .
But they didn ’ t want to get stuck in California ’ s pandemic shutdown .
The other third of their business was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where they own a farmhouse and spend the summer honey season .
Deemed essential agricultural workers in a line of work that ’ s generally quite solitary , they decided to wait it out .
Then they and the bees trekked back to Iola , Wisconsin .
There , marshaling their 750 bee colonies , they would set out to create their brand , Bird and the Bees Honey .
The bird in the title is Kat , their free-ranging parrot who often rides in the cab of their truck and who also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exhausted and in debt , having taken on loans to get the business up and running – but also excited .
Jones , 38 , noted how much of the honey available in grocery stores is blended and cooked .
“ It would lose all those fine , delicate flavors that honey has , ” she says .
“ And I thought that people deserved good honey.
” Unlike other agricultural crops , honey also can be stored indefinitely .
That ’ s fortunate since the pandemic has left them fewer outlets for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ limited and restaurants and breweries have cut back , as well .
“ I think beekeeping sort of taught me ( that ) inside of this space of sheer chaos and uncertainty and fear and danger , in a lot of ways , you kind of need to look for the optimism and the beauty that you can find , ” he says .
“ Because otherwise , it ’ s really hard to wake up in the morning .
”

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IOLA, Wis. (AP) — They wrote it right into their business plan -– an expectation that, each year, at least half the stock on which their livelihood depends would die.
Building a business around bees is not for the faint-hearted. “You have to be a little crazy,” says James Cook, who, with wife Samantha Jones, started beekeeping eight years ago. They knew well the challenges their bees face –- parasites and the impact of pesticides among them.
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Even so, they were hopeful. 2020 was to be their year to go off on their own, after working several years for another beekeeper. They and their bees spent the past winter in California’s massive almond orchards, full of white blossoms that turn into nuts, thanks to the many beekeepers who travel extensively with their hives to pollinate many of the nation’s crops.
Then the coronavirus hit and, for a moment, Cook and Jones panicked.
“Do we stay? Do we go?” they asked each other. By that time, they had packed up their tent and trucked their hives from California’s San Joaquin Valley to another temporary home in the state’s foothills, where the bees could “detox” from the agricultural work.
There, they raised “nucs” — hive starter-kits, of sorts, with new queens — which they sell to other beekeepers to replace bees that inevitably die over the course of a season. This work and the almond pollination each represent about a third of their business.
But they didn’t want to get stuck in California’s pandemic shutdown. The other third of their business was in their permanent base of Wisconsin, where they own a farmhouse and spend the summer honey season.
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Deemed essential agricultural workers in a line of work that’s generally quite solitary, they decided to wait it out. Then they and the bees trekked back to Iola, Wisconsin. There, marshaling their 750 bee colonies, they would set out to create their brand, Bird and the Bees Honey.
The bird in the title is Kat, their free-ranging parrot who often rides in the cab of their truck and who also happens to like honey.
This summer, Cook and Jones and their small crew worked day and night to build an extraction and bottling facility out of old semi trailers.
They were exhausted and in debt, having taken on loans to get the business up and running – but also excited.
Jones, 38, noted how much of the honey available in grocery stores is blended and cooked. “It would lose all those fine, delicate flavors that honey has,” she says. “And I thought that people deserved good honey.”
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Unlike other agricultural crops, honey also can be stored indefinitely. That’s fortunate since the pandemic has left them fewer outlets for sales; farmers’ markets have been limited and restaurants and breweries have cut back, as well.
Cook, 35, says the experience of starting a business in these challenging times will make them more resilient.
“I think beekeeping sort of taught me (that) inside of this space of sheer chaos and uncertainty and fear and danger, in a lot of ways, you kind of need to look for the optimism and the beauty that you can find,” he says. “Because otherwise, it’s really hard to wake up in the morning.”
___


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-19--John Oliver Now Has A Sewage Plant Named After Him

DANBURY , Conn. ( AP ) — Comedian John Oliver made a secret trip to Connecticut last week to help cut the ribbon on a sign naming a sewage treatment plant in his honor .
Danbury ’ s City Council voted earlier this month to rename the sewage plant “ The John Oliver Memorial Sewer Plant , ” following a tongue-in-cheek battle that began with an expletive-filled rant against the city on HBO ’ s “ Last Week Tonight with John Oliver ” in August .
Mayor Mark Boughton responded to the attack by posting a video of himself at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to name it after Oliver “ because it ’ s full of crap just like you , John.
” Oliver offered to donate $ 55,000 to local charities if Danbury actually followed through with the idea .
Oliver shared a video of the ribbon-cutting on his show Sunday .
During the ceremony , he wore a homemade protective suit , which appeared to be made from a white plastic trash bag , with rubber gloves and and a see-through plastic helmet .
“ This place takes the worst that humanity can produce @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we can live with , ” Oliver said .
“ And now more than ever , there ’ s something inspirational in that , because at the end of this awful , awful year , what could be more important than evidence that , if we want to , we can come together , overcome our differences and sort our s—- out.
” Boughton said Oliver ’ s promised donations have helped spur local fundraising efforts for area food banks that could end up collecting hundreds of thousands of dollars to feed needy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kept private as a public health precaution .

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DANBURY, Conn. (AP) — Comedian John Oliver made a secret trip to Connecticut last week to help cut the ribbon on a sign naming a sewage treatment plant in his honor.
Danbury’s City Council voted earlier this month to rename the sewage plant “The John Oliver Memorial Sewer Plant,” following a tongue-in-cheek battle that began with an expletive-filled rant against the city on HBO’s “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” in August.
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Mayor Mark Boughton responded to the attack by posting a video of himself at the sewage plant saying the city was going to name it after Oliver “because it’s full of crap just like you, John.”
Oliver offered to donate $55,000 to local charities if Danbury actually followed through with the idea.
Oliver shared a video of the ribbon-cutting on his show Sunday. During the ceremony, he wore a homemade protective suit, which appeared to be made from a white plastic trash bag, with rubber gloves and and a see-through plastic helmet.
“This place takes the worst that humanity can produce, and transforms it into something that we can live with,” Oliver said. “And now more than ever, there’s something inspirational in that, because at the end of this awful, awful year, what could be more important than evidence that, if we want to, we can come together, overcome our differences and sort our s—- out.”
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Boughton said Oliver’s promised donations have helped spur local fundraising efforts for area food banks that could end up collecting hundreds of thousands of dollars to feed needy families.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-19--The New Yorker Suspends Jeffrey Toobin For Exposing Himself During Zoom Call

The New Yorker has suspended staff writer Jeffrey Toobin after he reportedly exposed himself during a Zoom meeting last week .
According to a story first posted by Vice , Toobin ’ s transgression occurred during a virtual conference between New Yorker staff and local radio station WNYC .
He added , “ I apologize to my wife , family , friends and co-workers.
” The reporter , who is also CNN ’ s chief legal analyst , said the entire incident was accidental .
“ I believed I was not visible on Zoom .
I thought no one on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I thought I had muted the Zoom video , ” he told Vice .
HuffPost reached out to Toobin for comment , but he did not immediately respond .
A spokesperson for The New Yorker confirmed that Toobin has been suspended “ while we investigate the matter.
” In addition , Toobin is stepping away from his CNN gig , according to a statement given to the Associated Press .
“ Jeff Toobin has asked for some time off while he deals with a personal issue , which we have granted , ” @ @ @ @ @

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The New Yorker has suspended staff writer Jeffrey Toobin after he reportedly exposed himself during a Zoom meeting last week.
According to a story first posted by Vice, Toobin’s transgression occurred during a virtual conference between New Yorker staff and local radio station WNYC.
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In a statement to Vice, Toobin called the incident “an embarrassingly stupid mistake.”
He added, “I apologize to my wife, family, friends and co-workers.”
The reporter, who is also CNN’s chief legal analyst, said the entire incident was accidental. “I believed I was not visible on Zoom. I thought no one on the Zoom call could see me. I thought I had muted the Zoom video,” he told Vice.
HuffPost reached out to Toobin for comment, but he did not immediately respond.
A spokesperson for The New Yorker confirmed that Toobin has been suspended “while we investigate the matter.”
In addition, Toobin is stepping away from his CNN gig, according to a statement given to the Associated Press.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-19--Supreme Court To Hear Case Over Border Wall Funding

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — The Supreme Court agreed Monday to hear the Trump administration ’ s appeal of a lower court ruling that it improperly diverted money to build portions of the border wall with Mexico .
The high court has previously allowed construction to continue , even after a federal appeals court ruled in June that the administration had illegally sidestepped Congress in transferring the Defense Department funds .
The case will not be argued before the winter and it ’ s unclear how the outcome of the presidential election would affect the case , if Democrat Joe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s also not clear whether the administration has spent all of the $ 2.5 billion it moved to the wall project .
Dissenting from a July order that allowed construction to continue , Justice Stephen Breyer wrote that the court ’ s action “ I fear , may operate , in effect , as a final judgment.
” The case has its origins in the 35-day partial government shutdown that started in December of 2018 .
Trump ended the shutdown after Congress gave him approximately $ 1.4 billion in border wall funding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the $ 5.7 billion he was seeking .
Trump then declared a national emergency to take cash from other government accounts to use to construct sections of the wall .
At the time , the money Trump identified included $ 2.5 billion in Defense Department money , $ 3.6 billion from military construction funds and $ 600 million from the Treasury Department ’ s asset forfeiture fund .
The case before the Supreme Court involved just the $ 2.5 billion in Defense Department funds .
The American Civil Liberties Union sued the Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Southern Border Communities Coalition .
California led a similar lawsuit on behalf of several states .

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WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court agreed Monday to hear the Trump administration’s appeal of a lower court ruling that it improperly diverted money to build portions of the border wall with Mexico.
The high court has previously allowed construction to continue, even after a federal appeals court ruled in June that the administration had illegally sidestepped Congress in transferring the Defense Department funds.
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The case will not be argued before the winter and it’s unclear how the outcome of the presidential election would affect the case, if Democrat Joe Biden wins the White House.
It’s also not clear whether the administration has spent all of the $2.5 billion it moved to the wall project. Dissenting from a July order that allowed construction to continue, Justice Stephen Breyer wrote that the court’s action “I fear, may operate, in effect, as a final judgment.”
The case has its origins in the 35-day partial government shutdown that started in December of 2018. Trump ended the shutdown after Congress gave him approximately $1.4 billion in border wall funding, but that was far less than the $5.7 billion he was seeking. Trump then declared a national emergency to take cash from other government accounts to use to construct sections of the wall.
At the time, the money Trump identified included $2.5 billion in Defense Department money, $3.6 billion from military construction funds and $600 million from the Treasury Department’s asset forfeiture fund.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-20--8 Tricks Sleep Experts Use When 2020 Anxiety Keeps Them Awake

First , recognize that interrupted sleep is a normal response to 2020 .
Make your bedroom a location for sleep only ― not a place where you work , exercise or check news .
Wake up at the same time each day and only crawl into bed at night when you ’ re ready to go to sleep .
Move your body a little bit each day in a way that feels good ( bonus points if you do this outside ) .
Exposing your body to as much sunlight as possible is also important , Wu said .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the day preps your brain for sleep when it gets dark .
In the shorter , colder days of fall and winter , it can be more difficult to get sunlight , but even a short walk when the sun is out or sitting in the backyard can be helpful .
And if sunlight is really scant , Truong suggested trying light box therapy in the morning to ensure your internal body clock stays healthy .
Keep to a routine of regular meals .
Figure out the difference between your body being sleepy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of bed if you start to have anxious thoughts .
Engage in mindless activities , like folding clothes or doing dishes , before you go to sleep .

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The urge to check (and recheck) the never-ending stream of news is stronger than usual these days and our brains are constantly running overtime. Anxiety and stress dredged up by the election, racial injustice and the coronavirus pandemic can lead to poor sleep ― especially for those with diagnosed or suspected mental health issues.
“We’re both too connected to the outside world and constantly knowing what’s happening, but also feeling really isolated from the parts of the outside world we actually need to help with our stress, like friends and family, and have less pleasurable activities during the day to help us relax and experience joy. And this affects our sleep,” said Jade Wu, a licensed clinical psychologist and sleep researcher in Durham, North Carolina.
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All these changes in routine and normalcy undermine our nightly zzz’s, according to Wu. Between the upending of our daily routines and the constant fretting about the future, many of us are in a stress-sleep cycle that’s hard to break.
And that can have damaging consequences: The physical effects of poor sleep are far-reaching, from a weakened immune response to cardiovascular problems. While asleep, our brain completes functions that it only can at rest ― making room to absorb new information and skills, building creative capacity, and solidifying beneficial memories. Plus, being deprived of sleep can exacerbate anxiety and make it trickier to regulate our emotions during waking hours, further adding to the stress we may already carry from this particularly hellish year.
So, how can we reclaim our sleep when our minds are in chronic overdrive? We asked sleep experts to share their personal strategies for getting some shut-eye this year.
First, recognize that interrupted sleep is a normal response to 2020.
Sarah Silverman, a sleep psychologist in Tampa, Florida, said it helps to remember that waking up during the night is a normal response to stress. So it makes sense that many of us are probably sleeping less than usual.
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Acknowledge that this is the problem, Silverman said, instead of immediately getting frustrated. Reminding herself that this is a common problem right now eases her anxiety a bit so it doesn’t add to the stress already waking her up.
Make your bedroom a location for sleep only ― not a place where you work, exercise or check news.
People are spending a lot more time either in the bedroom or someplace near it. We’re using our sleep space as a home office, gym or gathering area ― and that can have unintended effects on our brains.
Even if you aren’t bringing your laptop into bed, it can be very stimulating to have your desk in the bedroom, because your desk is where you work, socialize and scarf down a quick lunch, said Kimberly Truong, the founder of California-based Earlybird Health and a board-certified sleep physician.
“We might also be having important financial conversations with our spouses in bed, because our kids are doing online school in the next room,” Wu added, or we might be doomscrolling in bed more frequently.
What your mind once considered a resting place now becomes associated with negative news and wakeful activities such as being productive, creative and hardworking. If you can, try to do other activities outside your bedroom and keep your bedroom designated for rest.
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Flashpop via Getty Images
Wake up at the same time each day and only crawl into bed at night when you’re ready to go to sleep.
Silverman, Truong and Wu all wake up at the same time each morning to set their bodies up to be sleepy at night. On some days you may take longer to feel sleepy, Wu said, but this is normal, particularly if you didn’t do much activity during the day.
“I always keep in the back of my mind that eventually my sleep system is going to kick in and allow me to sleep,” said Silverman.
Instead of tossing and turning because you aren’t ready to sleep at your usual 10 p.m. bedtime, she recommended climbing into bed only when you feel like your body is really ready to fall asleep.
Move your body a little bit each day in a way that feels good (bonus points if you do this outside).
During the day, Silverman, Wu and Truong said they prepare for sleep by spending time in the sunlight and being physically active.
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“We release endorphins when we exercise and this boosts our mood, which helps us become more able to weather the stressors we encounter, and that makes us better able to sleep,” Wu said, noting that moving your body also builds up your sleep drive, as your brain will want to rest after an active day.
Exposing your body to as much sunlight as possible is also important, Wu said. The amount of light exposure you get during the day preps your brain for sleep when it gets dark. In the shorter, colder days of fall and winter, it can be more difficult to get sunlight, but even a short walk when the sun is out or sitting in the backyard can be helpful. And if sunlight is really scant, Truong suggested trying light box therapy in the morning to ensure your internal body clock stays healthy.
Keep to a routine of regular meals.
Truong noted that having three to four meals at set times during the day can help with getting proper rest.
This is mostly because eating regular meals keeps our circadian rhythm synchronized to the passage of the day. Your brain knows when it’s morning, afternoon and night based on what meals you’re eating. When meal patterns become haphazard, it can lessen the distinction between day (or wakeful hours) and night (or sleeping hours).
visualspace via Getty Images
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Figure out the difference between your body being sleepy and your body being tired.
“The causes of sleepiness look very different from the causes of feeling tired,” Silverman said. For instance, your body might feel tired during the day due to mental fatigue from the barrage of negative information. But according to Silverman, this does not necessarily translate into being able to fall asleep. And trying to sleep could backfire.
“If you try to force yourself to sleep when you’re tired but not sleepy, you’ll end up fighting against your own body and getting more stressed out,” Wu said.
Learning to differentiate between tiredness and sleepiness helps you give your body what it needs. “When you’re tired, you feel exhausted or depleted, and the cure for that is rest,” Wu said. This could be taking a shower, going for a walk, doing breathing exercises or enjoying a TV show or book.
“When you’re sleepy, your eyes are rolling and hard to keep open, your head is nodding, you can’t concentrate, and the cure for that is to sleep,” Wu said.
If it is already nighttime, then start your nighttime sleep. If you’re incredibly sleepy during the day, Wu is a believer in taking a 30-minute catnap, as long as you don’t start using these naps to catch up on lost nighttime sleep. “If you’re having a lot of frequent nighttime trouble, I would cut out the naps,” she said.
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Get out of bed if you start to have anxious thoughts.
“As we carry on with our day, there’s a lot on our plates and we’re always on the go. It’s not usually until nighttime [that] things quiet down and you’re left with yourself and your thoughts,” Truong noted. “Having very stimulating thoughts or high anxiety thoughts leads to a stress response, such as increased heart rate and sweaty palms, that makes it difficult for one to fall asleep.”
If you’re lying in bed when this happens, it’s easy for the bed to become associated with anxiety and stress. To break this pattern, Silverman said, “It’s better to physically get out of bed and ideally go to another room to have this thought process take place somewhere else.”
Truong suggested journaling to capture the anxious thoughts you’ve had throughout the day before you carry them with you into the bedroom. For 30 to 40 minutes after dinner, she free-writes, jotting down any thoughts that come to mind without any judgment.
Dejan_Dundjerski via Getty Images
Engage in mindless activities, like folding clothes or doing dishes, before you go to sleep.
Experiment with cutting out scrolling through messages and news feeds at night, Wu said ― especially if you’ve noticed you feel tense and start worrying when your head hits the pillow.
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Having a consistent evening routine of enjoyable but mindless activities in the couple of hours before bedtime can support sleep.
Wu likes to prepare her baby’s clothes and bottles for the next day. “Doing something rote that requires me to use my hands, such as folding clothes or preparing baby bottles, is almost mesmerizing and meditative for me,” she said.
She also finds that she falls asleep within 20 minutes of starting to listen to an audiobook that she has already heard before or that isn’t otherwise difficult to put down.
Meditation and relaxation techniques are another sleep aid. Truong suggested doing gentle stretches or body scanning, which involves mentally checking in with your body from head to toe, one area at a time, while breathing in and out.
Visualization meditation, which has a number of variations, can also help. You might visualize yourself in a place that evokes feelings of joy or peace while engaging in deep breathing or picture an image that assists you in letting go of anxious thoughts. Truong gave an example of picturing each anxious thought, one at a time, falling on a leaf floating down a river, and the river taking it away.