thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-14--Feds Cite Pot Possession To Charge Anarchist Bassist Who Posed With Fake Molotov Cocktail

Amid the Trump administration ’ s aggressive campaign against antifa , federal authorities in Tennessee have leveled charges against the bassist of an anarchist rock band after he posted Facebook images of himself holding a fake Molotov cocktail during a photoshoot back in May .
Justin Coffman , a 29-year-old from Jacksonville , is facing a federal charge of being a drug user in possession of firearms after a police raid on his home in June turned up two guns and Coffman allegedly admitted to smoking one or two grams of marijuana per day .
The Justice Department has used @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supremacists and neo-Nazis whose conduct didn ’ t constitute an obvious violation of any other federal statutes .
That federal charge is relatively rare : One federal judge declared it “ unusual , ” and a federal public defender said he never saw federal prosecutors move forward on it during his entire 30-year career .
Coffman was also indicted by a Madison County grand jury and is facing several state charges : “ possession of a hoax device , ” which is a felony , and six misdemeanor charges for possession of marijuana @ @ @ @ @ @ @ press release , which describes the mock Molotov cocktail as a “ glass bottle containing a liquid substance , ” makes clear it lacked the critical component : an accelerant .
The investigation began because Coffman “ was posting photographs to his Facebook page and another page titled ‘ The Gunpowder Plot ’ that depicted him holding a Molotov cocktail near Jackson City Court building , ” according to a federal affidavit by Jackson Police Department Officer Ashley Robertson , who is also a task force officer with the federal Bureau of Alcohol @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Coffman “ was also seen at two protests against police violence in the day leading up to the investigation , ” the affidavit states .
The Gunpowder Plot is Coffman ’ s band .
Its Facebook page reads , “ Punk rock that makes government buildings crumble from beneath.
” A video features members in Guy Fawkes masks , and the page is generally supportive of anarchists and pokes fun at conspiracy theories about antifa .
One meme using a popular “ Distracted Boyfriend ” format features a man ( “ conservatives ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stuff about Antifa ” while ignoring “ tangible proof of violent white supremacists.
” Posts by the band , and by Coffman , are critical of both President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden .
Attorney General William Barr and Justice Department leaders have encouraged federal prosecutors to take an aggressive posture toward defendants arrested at protests in the months since George Floyd ’ s death .
In dozens of cases , federal prosecutors have leaned on rarely used federal statutes that were rushed through in 1968 , when political and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Justice Department touted the unusual charge against Coffman in a national press release on Wednesday .
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant , a Trump nominee , said in a statement that drug users in possession of firearms were always a threat , “ but especially so when multiple weapons are recovered during a potentially volatile situation , such as civil unrest.
” But it ’ s not clear the images that set off the investigation were taken during a “ potentially volatile situation ” or amid civil unrest .
The caption @ @ @ @ @ @ @ posted on May 28 , days after the death of George Floyd ― says that the poster “ Was saving these pictures but now seems like a good time.
” The Facebook caption also included the quote “ You will bathe in the flames born from your hatred.
” Later , the post was edited to read : “ Edit : Whoever called the feds over this mom ’ s a hoe.
” “ I don ’ t know who needs to hear this but we ’ re a band , not a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s page posted on May 29 , days before the raid .
“ Stop calling and wasting them people ’ s time.
” There ’ s no indication that Coffman ( or anyone ) used a real Molotov cocktail to burn the police vehicle featured in the photos .
And speech that merely encourages unlawful acts generally ― as a federal appeals court recently confirmed ― is protected by the First Amendment .
It ’ s unclear precisely why the feds and local authorities took so long to charge Coffman .
The federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Sept. 10 but wasn ’ t unsealed until after the local charges were announced .
“ If this happens you can be jailed for saying you ’ re ANTI-FASCIST and held without due fucking process !
!
!
You know what country had a law like that ?
NAZI FUCKING GERMANY !
!
!
!
If you ’ re for this you don ’ t deserve to call yourself an American , ” he wrote .
“ FIGHT ME !
!
!
!
!
” In a GoFundMe posted on June 17 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that raided his home on June 2 pointed rifles at his face and dragged him down the stairs , “ ripping my favorite joggers.
” He said the raid caused more than $ 1,000 in damages , which got him evicted .

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Amid the Trump administration’s aggressive campaign against antifa, federal authorities in Tennessee have leveled charges against the bassist of an anarchist rock band after he posted Facebook images of himself holding a fake Molotov cocktail during a photoshoot back in May.
Justin Coffman, a 29-year-old from Jackson, is facing a federal charge of being a drug user in possession of firearms after a police raid on his home in June turned up two guns and Coffman allegedly admitted to smoking one or two grams of marijuana per day.
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The Justice Department has used the same charge to go after white supremacists and neo-Nazis whose conduct didn’t constitute an obvious violation of any other federal statutes. That federal charge is relatively rare: One federal judge declared it “unusual,” and a federal public defender said he never saw federal prosecutors move forward on it during his entire 30-year career.
Coffman was also indicted by a Madison County grand jury and is facing several state charges: “possession of a hoax device,” which is a felony, and six misdemeanor charges for possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia. DOJ’s press release, which describes the mock Molotov cocktail as a “glass bottle containing a liquid substance,” makes clear it lacked the critical component: an accelerant.
The investigation began because Coffman “was posting photographs to his Facebook page and another page titled ‘The Gunpowder Plot’ that depicted him holding a Molotov cocktail near Jackson City Court building,” according to a federal affidavit by Jackson Police Department Officer Ashley Robertson, who is also a task force officer with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Coffman “was also seen at two protests against police violence in the day leading up to the investigation,” the affidavit states.
The Gunpowder Plot is Coffman’s band. Its Facebook page reads, “Punk rock that makes government buildings crumble from beneath.” A video features members in Guy Fawkes masks, and the page is generally supportive of anarchists and pokes fun at conspiracy theories about antifa. One meme using a popular “Distracted Boyfriend” format features a man (“conservatives”) lustfully staring at “made up stuff about Antifa” while ignoring “tangible proof of violent white supremacists.” Posts by the band, and by Coffman, are critical of both President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden.
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Attorney General William Barr and Justice Department leaders have encouraged federal prosecutors to take an aggressive posture toward defendants arrested at protests in the months since George Floyd’s death. In dozens of cases, federal prosecutors have leaned on rarely used federal statutes that were rushed through in 1968, when political and racial unrest was also sweeping the nation.
The Justice Department touted the unusual charge against Coffman in a national press release on Wednesday. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant, a Trump nominee, said in a statement that drug users in possession of firearms were always a threat, “but especially so when multiple weapons are recovered during a potentially volatile situation, such as civil unrest.”
But it’s not clear the images that set off the investigation were taken during a “potentially volatile situation” or amid civil unrest. The caption for the three images of Coffman ― posted on May 28, days after the death of George Floyd ― says that the poster “Was saving these pictures but now seems like a good time.”
The Facebook caption also included the quote “You will bathe in the flames born from your hatred.” Later, the post was edited to read: “Edit: Whoever called the feds over this mom’s a hoe.”
“I don’t know who needs to hear this but we’re a band, not a terrorist organization,” the band’s page posted on May 29, days before the raid. “Stop calling and wasting them people’s time.”
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Images posted on The Gunpowder Plot's Facebook page led to a federal charge against the band's bassist. The Gunpowder Plot / Facebook
There’s no indication that Coffman (or anyone) used a real Molotov cocktail to burn the police vehicle featured in the photos. And speech that merely encourages unlawful acts generally ― as a federal appeals court recently confirmed ― is protected by the First Amendment.
It’s unclear precisely why the feds and local authorities took so long to charge Coffman. The federal complaint against him was filed under seal on Sept. 10 but wasn’t unsealed until after the local charges were announced.
The day before the raid on his home, Coffman posted on Facebook about Trump’s claim that he was declaring antifa a terrorist organization.
“If this happens you can be jailed for saying you’re ANTI-FASCIST and held without due fucking process!!! You know what country had a law like that? NAZI FUCKING GERMANY!!!! If you’re for this you don’t deserve to call yourself an American,” he wrote. “FIGHT ME!!!!!”
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About a week after the raid, The Gunpowder Plot’s Facebook page declared that the incident gave the band “some street cred.”
In a GoFundMe posted on June 17, Coffman wrote that the SWAT team that raided his home on June 2 pointed rifles at his face and dragged him down the stairs, “ripping my favorite joggers.” He said the raid caused more than $1,000 in damages, which got him evicted.
“All of this happened after I talked to police concerning people calling the cops on me over Facebook posts,” Coffman wrote. The GoFundMe raised $65 of its $2,000 goal.
Read the entire federal affidavit below.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-14--Massachusetts Coastal Town Orders Locals To Stop Calling 911 About Giant Fish

The local government of Wareham , a town in southern Massachusetts ’ Plymouth County , has asked locals to please stop calling the police about a big , blobby fish that has been spotted minding its own business in coastal waters .
The fish — a whopper of a creature that has attracted dozens of emergency calls since Monday from locals mistaking it for a shark or a seal , according to The Cape Code Times — is an ocean sunfish .
Formally known by the genus name Mola , the ocean sunfish ( Mola mola ) can grow to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in at more than a stunning 4,400 pounds .
An enormous sunfish in San Diego , California , with a diver nearby for scale .
Sightings of the monstrously sized swimmer began popping up in Wareham ’ s Broad Cove , with enough locals calling 911 to eventually warrant personnel from the Warham Department of Natural Resources to take a look .
Their verdict , as reported on Facebook : “ The sunfish is doing normal sunfish activities .
It ’ s swimming .
It is not stranded or suffering .
The sunfish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ THE POLICE DEPARTMENT ABOUT THIS SUNFISH !
!
” Ocean sunfish are no strangers to New England , and in September , one was freed after it managed to wedge itself along a pier at the Scusset Beach State Reservation at Cape Cod Canal in Massachusetts , with footage capturing only a brief glimpse of the fish ’ s fin on the New England Coastal Wildlife Alliance ’ s Facebook page .
Carol Carson , president of the New England Coastal Wildlife Alliance , told The Cape Cod Times that sunfish sightings happen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are generally gentle giants — except for their tendency to spit at people when bothered .
In July , researchers in Australia and New Zealand managed to identify the rarely seen larval form of the ocean sunfish — a surprisingly teeny tot despite its goliath adult form .

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The local government of Wareham, a town in southern Massachusetts’ Plymouth County, has asked locals to please stop calling the police about a big, blobby fish that has been spotted minding its own business in coastal waters.
The fish — a whopper of a creature that has attracted dozens of emergency calls since Monday from locals mistaking it for a shark or a seal, according to The Cape Code Times — is an ocean sunfish.
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Formally known by the genus name Mola, the ocean sunfish (Mola mola) can grow to nearly 10 feet in length, weighing in at more than a stunning 4,400 pounds.
An enormous sunfish in San Diego, California, with a diver nearby for scale. Barcroft Media via Getty Images
Sightings of the monstrously sized swimmer began popping up in Wareham’s Broad Cove, with enough locals calling 911 to eventually warrant personnel from the Warham Department of Natural Resources to take a look.
Their verdict, as reported on Facebook: “The sunfish is doing normal sunfish activities. It’s swimming. It is not stranded or suffering. The sunfish is FINE. ... PLEASE STOP CALLING THE POLICE DEPARTMENT ABOUT THIS SUNFISH!!”
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Ocean sunfish are no strangers to New England, and in September, one was freed after it managed to wedge itself along a pier at the Scusset Beach State Reservation at Cape Cod Canal in Massachusetts, with footage capturing only a brief glimpse of the fish’s fin on the New England Coastal Wildlife Alliance’s Facebook page.
Carol Carson, president of the New England Coastal Wildlife Alliance, told The Cape Cod Times that sunfish sightings happen every fall and that the big swimmers are generally gentle giants — except for their tendency to spit at people when bothered.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-15--Wildfire Smoke Has Exposed Millions To Hazardous Pollution Levels: AP Analysis

SANTA CRUZ , Calif. ( AP ) — Wildfires churning out dense plumes of smoke as they scorch huge swaths of the U.S. West Coast have exposed millions of people to hazardous pollution levels , causing emergency room visits to spike and potentially thousands of deaths among the elderly and infirm , according to an Associated Press analysis of pollution data and interviews with physicians , health authorities and researchers .
“ It ’ s been brutal for me , ” said Barb Trout , a 64-year-old retiree living south of Portland in the Willamette Valley .
She was twice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ following severe asthmatic reactions , something that had never happened to her before .
Trout had sheltered inside as soon as smoke rolled into the valley just after Labor Day but within days had an asthma attack that left her gasping for air and landed her in the ER .
Two weeks later , when smoke from fires in California drifted into the valley , she had an even more violent reaction that Trout described as a near-death experience .
“ It hit me quick and hard __ more so than the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even breathing , ” she recalled .
After getting stabilized with drugs , Trout was sent home but the specter of a third attack now haunts her .
She and her husband installed an alarm system so she can press a panic button when in distress to call for help .
In nearby Salem , Trout ’ s pulmonologist Martin Johnson said people with existing respiratory issues started showing up at his hospital or calling his office almost immediately after the smoke arrived , many struggling to breathe .
Salem is in Marion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pollution at hazardous levels during a short period , some of the worst conditions seen the West over the past two decades , according to AP ’ s analysis .
Most of Johnson ’ s patients are expected to recover but he said some could have permanent loss of lung function .
Then there are the “ hidden ” victims who Johnson suspects died from heart attacks or other problems triggered by the poor air quality but whose cause of death will be chalked up to something else .
Based on prior studies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people exposed to recent fires , researchers at Stanford University estimated that as many as 3,000 people over 65 in California alone died prematurely after being exposed to smoke during a six-week period beginning Aug. 1 .
Hundreds more deaths could have occurred in Washington over several weeks of poor air caused by the fires , according to University of Washington researchers .
Wildfires are a regular occurrence in Western states but they ’ ve grown more intense and dangerous as a changing climate dries out forests thick with trees and underbrush from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the smoke from these fires dangerous are particles too small for the naked eye to see that can be breathed in and cause respiratory problems .
Fires across the West emitted more than a million tons of the particles in 2012 , 2015 and 2017 , and almost as much in 2018 — the year a blaze in Paradise , California killed 85 people and burned 14,000 houses , generating a thick plume that blanketed portions of Northern California for weeks .
Figures for 2017 and 2018 are preliminary .
A confluence of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this year : first , fierce winds up and down the coast whipped fires into a fury , followed in Oregon by a weather inversion that trapped smoke close to the ground and made it inescapable for days .
Hundreds of miles to the south in San Francisco , smoke turned day into night , casting an eerie orange pall over a city where even before the pandemic facemasks had become common at times to protect against smoke .

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SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (AP) — Wildfires churning out dense plumes of smoke as they scorch huge swaths of the U.S. West Coast have exposed millions of people to hazardous pollution levels, causing emergency room visits to spike and potentially thousands of deaths among the elderly and infirm, according to an Associated Press analysis of pollution data and interviews with physicians, health authorities and researchers.
Smoke at concentrations that topped the government’s charts for health risks and lasted at least a day enshrouded counties inhabited by more than 8 million people across five states in recent weeks, AP’s analysis shows.
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Major cities in Oregon, which has been especially hard hit, last month suffered the highest pollution levels they’ve ever recorded when powerful winds supercharged fires that had been burning in remote areas and sent them hurtling to the edge of densely populated Portland.
Medical complications began arising while communities were still enveloped in smoke, including hundreds of additional emergency room visits daily in Oregon, according to state health officials.
“It’s been brutal for me,” said Barb Trout, a 64-year-old retiree living south of Portland in the Willamette Valley. She was twice taken to the emergency room by ambulance following severe asthmatic reactions, something that had never happened to her before.
Trout had sheltered inside as soon as smoke rolled into the valley just after Labor Day but within days had an asthma attack that left her gasping for air and landed her in the ER. Two weeks later, when smoke from fires in California drifted into the valley, she had an even more violent reaction that Trout described as a near-death experience.
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Barbara Trout, who has an asthma disorder, holds a vial of inhalation solution of Ipratropium Bromide and Albuterol Sulfate, prescribed medication at her home in Keizer, Ore., on Oct. 14, 2020. AP Photo/Andrew Selsky
“It hit me quick and hard __ more so than the first one. I wasn’t hardly even breathing,” she recalled. After getting stabilized with drugs, Trout was sent home but the specter of a third attack now haunts her. She and her husband installed an alarm system so she can press a panic button when in distress to call for help.
“It’s put a whole new level on my life,″ she said. “I’m trying not to live in fear, but I’ve got to be really really cautious.”
In nearby Salem, Trout’s pulmonologist Martin Johnson said people with existing respiratory issues started showing up at his hospital or calling his office almost immediately after the smoke arrived, many struggling to breathe. Salem is in Marion county, which experienced eight days of pollution at hazardous levels during a short period, some of the worst conditions seen the West over the past two decades, according to AP’s analysis.
Most of Johnson’s patients are expected to recover but he said some could have permanent loss of lung function. Then there are the “hidden” victims who Johnson suspects died from heart attacks or other problems triggered by the poor air quality but whose cause of death will be chalked up to something else.
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“Many won’t show up at the hospital or they’ll die at home or they’ll show up at hospice for other reasons, such as pneumonia or other complications,” Johnson said.
Based on prior studies of pollution-related deaths and the number of people exposed to recent fires, researchers at Stanford University estimated that as many as 3,000 people over 65 in California alone died prematurely after being exposed to smoke during a six-week period beginning Aug. 1. Hundreds more deaths could have occurred in Washington over several weeks of poor air caused by the fires, according to University of Washington researchers.
The findings for both states have not been published in peer-reviewed journals. No such estimate was available for Oregon.
Wildfires are a regular occurrence in Western states but they’ve grown more intense and dangerous as a changing climate dries out forests thick with trees and underbrush from decades of fire suppression. What makes the smoke from these fires dangerous are particles too small for the naked eye to see that can be breathed in and cause respiratory problems.
On any given day, western fires can produce 10 times more particles than are produced by all other pollution sources including vehicle emissions and industrial facilities, said Shawn Urbanski, a U.S. Forest Service smoke scientist.
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Fires across the West emitted more than a million tons of the particles in 2012, 2015 and 2017, and almost as much in 2018 — the year a blaze in Paradise, California killed 85 people and burned 14,000 houses, generating a thick plume that blanketed portions of Northern California for weeks. Figures for 2017 and 2018 are preliminary.
A firefighter passes flames while battling the Glass Fire in a Calistoga, Calif., vineyard on Oct. 1, 2020. AP Photo/Noah Berger
A confluence of meteorological events made the smoke especially bad this year: first, fierce winds up and down the coast whipped fires into a fury, followed in Oregon by a weather inversion that trapped smoke close to the ground and made it inescapable for days. Hundreds of miles to the south in San Francisco, smoke turned day into night, casting an eerie orange pall over a city where even before the pandemic facemasks had become common at times to protect against smoke.
AP’s analysis of smoke exposure was based on U.S. Environmental Protection Agency data compiled from hundreds of air quality monitoring stations. Census data was used to determine the numbers of people living in affected areas of Oregon, Washington, California, Idaho and Montana.
At least 38 million people live in counties subjected to pollution considered unhealthy for the general population for five days, according to AP’s analysis. That included more than 25 million people in California, 7.2 million in Washington, 3.5 million in Oregon, 1 million in Idaho and 299,000 people in Montana.
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The state totals for the number of people exposed to unhealthy air on a given day were derived from counties where at least one monitoring site registered unhealthy air.
Scientists studying long-term health problems have found correlations between smoke exposure and decreased lung function, weakened immune systems and higher rates of flu. That includes studies from northwestern Montana communities blanketed with smoke for weeks in 2017.
“Particulate matter enters your lungs, it gets way down deep, it irrigates the lining and it possibly enters your bloodstream,” said University of Montana professor Erin Landguth. “We’re seeing the effects.”
The coronavirus raises a compounding set of worries: An emerging body of research connects increased air pollution with greater rates of infection and severity of symptoms, said Gabriela Goldfarb, manager of environmental health for the Oregon Health Authority.
Climate experts say residents of the West Coast and Northern Rockies should brace for more frequent major smoke events, as warming temperatures and drought fuel bigger, more intense fires.
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Their message is that climate change isn’t going to bring worse conditions: they are already here. The scale of this year’s fires is pushing the envelope” of wildfire severity modeled out to 2050, said Harvard university climate researcher Loretta Mickley
“The bad years will increase. The smoke will increase,” said Jeffrey Pierce an atmospheric scientist at Colorado State University. “It’s not unreasonable that we could be getting a 2020-type year every other year.”
___
Brown reported from Billings, Montana.
___


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-15--Christian Group Hits Trump: ‘The Days Of Using Our Faith For Your Benefit Are Over’

A new bipartisan Christian super PAC is taking on President Donald Trump with a new ad that accuses him of hypocrisy when it comes to matters of faith .
“ Mr .
President , the days of using our faith for your benefit are over , ” the ad from Not Our Faith warns .
“ We know you need the support of Christians like us to win this election .
But you can ’ t have it.
” The spot also accuses Trump of “ using Christianity for his own purposes , ” and shows footage of his Bible-toting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Episcopal Church , across from the White House , after having peaceful protesters teargassed to clear the area for him .
Not Our Faith ’ s advisory council includes Michael Wear , a faith adviser to former President Barack Obama ’ s 2012 reelection campaign , and Autumn Vandehei , who was an aide to former Rep. Tom Delay ( R-Texas ) , The Associated Press reported .
The group is launching a six-figure TV and digital ad campaign targeting Christians , especially evangelical and Catholic voters .
“ Trump eked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evangelicals and , important to note , a really strong showing among Catholics .
We ’ re going after all of it , ” Wear told AP .
“ We think Christian support is on the table in this election.
” Indeed , last week more than 1,600 Christian leaders signed a letter endorsing former Vice President Joe Biden .
And this week , a Pew poll found that Trump is bleeding support among Christian voters , including the evangelicals who were essential to his 2016 victory .
“ Christians don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the new ad states .
“ The truth is that Trump needs Christians to save his flailing campaign.
” In a USA Today op-ed , Wear took issue with Trump ’ s bold claims about faith ― and in particular spoke out against Eric Trump , one of the president ’ s sons , for proclaiming that Trump had “ literally saved ” Christianity .
“ For Christians , of course , the position of Savior is already filled , ” Wear wrote .
“ And Jesus is one person Trump can ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ad from Not Our Faith below :

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A new bipartisan Christian super PAC is taking on President Donald Trump with a new ad that accuses him of hypocrisy when it comes to matters of faith.
“Mr. President, the days of using our faith for your benefit are over,” the ad from Not Our Faith warns. “We know you need the support of Christians like us to win this election. But you can’t have it.”
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The spot also accuses Trump of “using Christianity for his own purposes,” and shows footage of his Bible-toting photo op in front of St. John’s Episcopal Church, across from the White House, after having peaceful protesters teargassed to clear the area for him.
Not Our Faith’s advisory council includes Michael Wear, a faith adviser to former President Barack Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign, and Autumn Vandehei, who was an aide to former Rep. Tom Delay (R-Texas), The Associated Press reported. The group is launching a six-figure TV and digital ad campaign targeting Christians, especially evangelical and Catholic voters.
“Trump eked out 2016 with unprecedented support from white evangelicals and, important to note, a really strong showing among Catholics. We’re going after all of it,” Wear told AP. “We think Christian support is on the table in this election.”
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“Christians don’t need Trump to save them,” the new ad states. “The truth is that Trump needs Christians to save his flailing campaign.”
In a USA Today op-ed, Wear took issue with Trump’s bold claims about faith ― and in particular spoke out against Eric Trump, one of the president’s sons, for proclaiming that Trump had “literally saved” Christianity.
“For Christians, of course, the position of Savior is already filled,” Wear wrote. “And Jesus is one person Trump can’t fire or bully.”
See the ad from Not Our Faith below:


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-15--Joe Biden Gives Donald Trump's 'Super-Spreader' Rallies The Horror Movie Remix They Deserve

Democratic nominee Joe Biden ’ s campaign roasted President Donald Trump for holding crowded campaign rallies during the coronavirus pandemic in a new short video it shared on Twitter Wednesday .
The 22-second clip — set to horror movie-style music — features footage of Trump telling the estimated 7,000 people who attended his rally in Sanford , Florida , on Monday that he felt “ so powerful ” following his recovery from COVID-19 and that he ’ d like to “ kiss everyone ” in the audience .
The Sanford rally was the president ’ s first since his three-day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has killed nearly 217,000 Americans .
Attendees were packed shoulder to shoulder and many did not wear face masks , flouting government advice aimed at curbing the spread of the virus .
Trump declared without evidence that he was now likely immune .
The White House claimed hours earlier that Trump was free of infection .
At the same rally , Florida Gov .
Ron DeSantis ( R ) was filmed high-fiving attendees with his bare hand , then rubbing his nose .
Trump has held multiple other campaign events since , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Eric Trump ― all with similar disregard for health precautions .

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Democratic nominee Joe Biden’s campaign roasted President Donald Trump for holding crowded campaign rallies during the coronavirus pandemic in a new short video it shared on Twitter Wednesday.
The 22-second clip — set to horror movie-style music — features footage of Trump telling the estimated 7,000 people who attended his rally in Sanford, Florida, on Monday that he felt “so powerful” following his recovery from COVID-19 and that he’d like to “kiss everyone” in the audience.
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It ends with this advice:
“Wear a mask. Social distance. Stay away from the president.”
Check out the video here:
There's only one way to end this horror: Vote.https://t.co/eoxT07uII9 pic.twitter.com/3RTLmdyzMa — Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) October 14, 2020
The Sanford rally was the president’s first since his three-day hospitalization this month for the disease that has killed nearly 217,000 Americans.
Attendees were packed shoulder to shoulder and many did not wear face masks, flouting government advice aimed at curbing the spread of the virus.
Trump declared without evidence that he was now likely immune. The White House claimed hours earlier that Trump was free of infection.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-15--Kamala Harris Cracks Up When Asked 1 Question About Her Debate With Mike Pence

Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris told MSNBC ’ s Rachel Maddow on Wednesday that she was aware of the infamous fly that landed on Vice President Mike Pence ’ s head during their debate last week .
Pence didn ’ t notice the fly , which was so comfortable that it perched there for about two minutes , earning national media attention and viral internet stardom .
“ We could see it at home , ” Maddow noted .
“ Could you see it sitting next to him ?
” Due to coronavirus precautions , Harris and Pence were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dividers between them .
But the California senator still saw the fly , nodding with a smile in reply to Maddow .
She just didn ’ t want to talk about it .
“ I think that it ’ s important that we kind of find a way , all of us , to move on , ” she said with a laugh .
“ And kind of fly away from this subject onto something else.
” Rachel Maddow : We could see [ the fly on Mike Pence 's head ] at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to him ?
Sen. Kamala Harris : ... pic.twitter.com/Iu0LwOGPfL — Maddow Blog ( @ MaddowBlog ) October 15 , 2020

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Yes, she noticed it.
Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris told MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow on Wednesday that she was aware of the infamous fly that landed on Vice President Mike Pence’s head during their debate last week.
Pence didn’t notice the fly, which was so comfortable that it perched there for about two minutes, earning national media attention and viral internet stardom.
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“We could see it at home,” Maddow noted. “Could you see it sitting next to him?”
Due to coronavirus precautions, Harris and Pence were seated 12 feet apart and with plexiglass dividers between them.
But the California senator still saw the fly, nodding with a smile in reply to Maddow.
She just didn’t want to talk about it.
“I think that it’s important that we kind of find a way, all of us, to move on,” she said with a laugh. “And kind of fly away from this subject onto something else.”
Rachel Maddow: We could see [the fly on Mike Pence's head] at home. Could you see it next to him?
Sen. Kamala Harris: ... pic.twitter.com/Iu0LwOGPfL — Maddow Blog (@MaddowBlog) October 15, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-15--Ex-Bush Aide Spells Out Why U.S. Won't Survive 2nd Term Of Donald Trump

David Frum spelled out the devastating impact he believes a second term for President Donald Trump could have on the United States in his latest column for The Atlantic .
Frum , who served as a speechwriter in the administration of President George W. Bush , warned in the op-ed titled “ Last Exit From Autocracy , ” published Wednesday , that “ the most important ballot question ” in the 2020 election was “ will Trump get away with his corruption.
” And “ if the answer is yes , ” he wrote , then “ be ready for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now a staff writer at The Atlantic , noted that “ through the Trump years , institutions have failed again and again to check corruption , abuse of power , and even pro-Trump violence.
” He listed just some of the damage the president has caused , citing his eschewing of ethics guidelines to welcoming Russian assistance in his election campaign .
Frum also swiped at Trump ’ s enablers in the Republican Party , charging the GOP with thinking of “ biased rules as necessary , proper , and just — and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rules as a direct attack on their survival .
”

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David Frum spelled out the devastating impact he believes a second term for President Donald Trump could have on the United States in his latest column for The Atlantic.
Frum, who served as a speechwriter in the administration of President George W. Bush, warned in the op-ed titled “Last Exit From Autocracy,” published Wednesday, that “the most important ballot question” in the 2020 election was “will Trump get away with his corruption.”
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And “if the answer is yes,” he wrote, then “be ready for more. Much more.”
Frum, now a staff writer at The Atlantic, noted that “through the Trump years, institutions have failed again and again to check corruption, abuse of power, and even pro-Trump violence.”
He listed just some of the damage the president has caused, citing his eschewing of ethics guidelines to welcoming Russian assistance in his election campaign.
Frum also swiped at Trump’s enablers in the Republican Party, charging the GOP with thinking of “biased rules as necessary, proper, and just — and to view any effort to correct those rules as a direct attack on their survival.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-14--Joe Biden Shatters Campaign Fundraising Records, Nets $383 Million In September

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said Wednesday that his campaign raised $ 383 million in September , a mammoth sum that shattered fundraising records he set just a month earlier .
“ To every person who chipped in a few dollars last month — thank you , ” Biden wrote on Twitter , sharing a call he had with one of his grassroots supporters .
“ Because of your support , we raised an astounding $ 383 million .
I ’ m incredibly humbled.
” To every person who chipped in a few dollars last month — thank you .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ an astounding $ 383 million .
I 'm incredibly humbled .
There 's still more work to be done , but I wanted to share the good news with Trimicka , one of our grassroots supporters .
pic.twitter.com/f9hIPT6PTW — Joe Biden ( @ JoeBiden ) October 15 , 2020 The September figure beat the previous record Biden ’ s campaign and affiliated committees set in August , a haul of $ 364 million .
The previous record for a single month of fundraising during a presidential campaign had been then-Sen. Barack Obama ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2008 .
The Biden camp also said he had broken an all-time record for contributions in a one-hour time frame after the first presidential debate last month , netting $ 3.8 million in just 60 minutes .
Our success has been driven by our grassroots supporters .
$ 203 million came from online donors .
We had 1.1 million new donors last month — bringing the total to 5.5 million donors throughout this campaign .
And as a result , we have $ 432 million in the bank .
( 2/ ? )
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) October 15 , 2020 Jen O ’ Malley Dillon , Biden ’ s campaign manager , noted on Twitter the former vice president ’ s bid to unseat President Donald Trump now has $ 432 million in the bank with just under three weeks left until the Nov. 3 election .
Trump ’ s campaign has not yet released his fundraising figures for September , but they must file campaign finance reports by Tuesday .
The president raised $ 210 million in August and had $ 156.9 million cash on hand at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Open Secrets .
But those figures are a far cry from the nine-figure cash advantage over Biden the president had earlier this year .
The New York Times reported last month that Trump ’ s reelection effort was under a cash crunch with less than two months to go amid lavish spending that burned through hundreds of millions of dollars .
Biden has been outraising the president for the last few months , particularly since his selection of Sen. Kamala Harris ( D-Calif. ) as his running mate .
We want to know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ground from the candidates .
If you get any interesting ― or suspicious !
― campaign mailers , robocalls or hear anything else you think we should know about , email us at scoops @ huffpost.com .

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Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said Wednesday that his campaign raised $383 million in September, a mammoth sum that shattered fundraising records he set just a month earlier.
“To every person who chipped in a few dollars last month — thank you,” Biden wrote on Twitter, sharing a call he had with one of his grassroots supporters. “Because of your support, we raised an astounding $383 million. I’m incredibly humbled.”
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To every person who chipped in a few dollars last month — thank you. Because of your support, we raised an astounding $383 million. I'm incredibly humbled.
There's still more work to be done, but I wanted to share the good news with Trimicka, one of our grassroots supporters. pic.twitter.com/f9hIPT6PTW — Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) October 15, 2020
The September figure beat the previous record Biden’s campaign and affiliated committees set in August, a haul of $364 million. The previous record for a single month of fundraising during a presidential campaign had been then-Sen. Barack Obama’s $193 million take in September 2008.
The Biden camp also said he had broken an all-time record for contributions in a one-hour time frame after the first presidential debate last month, netting $3.8 million in just 60 minutes.
Our success has been driven by our grassroots supporters. $203 million came from online donors. We had 1.1 million new donors last month — bringing the total to 5.5 million donors throughout this campaign. And as a result, we have $432 million in the bank. (2/?) — Jen O'Malley Dillon (@jomalleydillon) October 15, 2020
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Jen O’Malley Dillon, Biden’s campaign manager, noted on Twitter the former vice president’s bid to unseat President Donald Trump now has $432 million in the bank with just under three weeks left until the Nov. 3 election.
Trump’s campaign has not yet released his fundraising figures for September, but they must file campaign finance reports by Tuesday. The president raised $210 million in August and had $156.9 million cash on hand at the time of reporting, according to Open Secrets.
But those figures are a far cry from the nine-figure cash advantage over Biden the president had earlier this year. The New York Times reported last month that Trump’s reelection effort was under a cash crunch with less than two months to go amid lavish spending that burned through hundreds of millions of dollars.
Biden has been outraising the president for the last few months, particularly since his selection of Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) as his running mate.
We want to know what you’re hearing on the ground from the candidates. If you get any interesting ― or suspicious! ― campaign mailers, robocalls or hear anything else you think we should know about, email us at scoops@huffpost.com.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-14--Alaska Mayor Resigns After Nude Photos And Death Threat Scandal

Ethan Berkowitz , the top elected Democrat in Alaska , submitted his resignation to the Anchorage Assembly on Tuesday night , just days after he vehemently denied allegations by YourAlaskaLink anchor Maria Athens that he had posted nude photos of himself on an underage website .
The mayor ’ s resignation followed Berkowitz ’ s jaw-dropping admission Monday that he was involved in an inappropriate sexting — he called it “ messaging ” — relationship with Athens , the anchor of a combined Fox/ABC station in Anchorage .
She says their relationship started in 2016 , and declined to say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I apologize to the people of Anchorage for a major lapse in judgment I made several years ago when I had a consensual , inappropriate messaging relationship with reporter Maria Athens .
I ’ m embarrassed and ashamed for the hurt I ’ ve caused my family and our community .
I take responsibility for my actions , ” Berkowitz added .
The five days that roiled Alaska ’ s largest city began Friday morning , when Athens allegedly placed a profanity- and racist-laden phone call to Berkowitz .
The voicemail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by The Alaska Landmine online blog , started with the caller announcing herself as Athens and rattling off her various network affiliations .
The caller claimed to have learned from sources that Berkowitz had been posting nude photos on an underage website , and that she planned to report this on that evening ’ s news .
The caller threatened to kill Berkowitz , who is Jewish , and his wife , in a diatribe laced with racist insults .
Later Friday , Athens taped a tease for the story and posted it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ denial from the mayor ’ s office : “ The slanderous allegations from Your Alaska Link reporter Maria Athens are categorically false and appear to be the product of someone who is hostile and unwell.
” Athens and the station ’ s manager , who is described as her boyfriend in the documents , got into an argument while driving in Anchorage .
He made her get out of the car and told her she was barred from returning to the station .
Athens nevertheless went back to the television studio and attacked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hit an officer trying to arrest her and was placed in full restraints after she tried to kick out the back window of the police cruiser with her high heels .
“ When he slided into my texts , he was so smooth with his little witty slogans and pictures , ” Athens told the newspaper .
She has not returned messages left by The Associated Press .
Athens , a graduate of Seton Hall University in New Jersey , said she was feeling isolated in Alaska .
“ He gave me attention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to say whether the texting relationship ever became physical .
She also declined to elaborate on her assertion that Berkowitz was involved in illegal activities , saying it was based on what sources told her .
She did not say who the sources were .
According to the city charter , Felix Rivera , chairman of the Anchorage Assembly , will serve as acting mayor until a special election is held if the assembly doesn ’ t choose to reorganize .
If Rivera does become mayor , he will hold a trio of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ openly gay mayor , the first Latino and at age 31 , the youngest .
The next youngest would be James Delaney Sr. , who was either 32 or 33 when he was elected in 1929 .

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ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A stunning tale of inappropriate behavior between a politician and a television anchor, death threats and nude photos culminated in a joint police and FBI investigation, the arrest of the journalist and the resignation of the mayor of Anchorage.
Ethan Berkowitz, the top elected Democrat in Alaska, submitted his resignation to the Anchorage Assembly on Tuesday night, just days after he vehemently denied allegations by YourAlaskaLink anchor Maria Athens that he had posted nude photos of himself on an underage website.
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The mayor’s resignation followed Berkowitz’s jaw-dropping admission Monday that he was involved in an inappropriate sexting — he called it “messaging” — relationship with Athens, the anchor of a combined Fox/ABC station in Anchorage. She says their relationship started in 2016, and declined to say whether it ever became sexual in nature.
“My resignation results from unacceptable personal conduct that has compromised my ability to perform my duties with the focus and trust that is required,” Berkowitz wrote.
“I apologize to the people of Anchorage for a major lapse in judgment I made several years ago when I had a consensual, inappropriate messaging relationship with reporter Maria Athens. I’m embarrassed and ashamed for the hurt I’ve caused my family and our community. I take responsibility for my actions,” Berkowitz added.
The five days that roiled Alaska’s largest city began Friday morning, when Athens allegedly placed a profanity- and racist-laden phone call to Berkowitz. The voicemail, a copy of which was obtained by The Alaska Landmine online blog, started with the caller announcing herself as Athens and rattling off her various network affiliations.
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The caller claimed to have learned from sources that Berkowitz had been posting nude photos on an underage website, and that she planned to report this on that evening’s news. The caller threatened to kill Berkowitz, who is Jewish, and his wife, in a diatribe laced with racist insults.
“You either turn yourself in, kill yourself or do what you need to do,” the voicemail says.
“I can’t believe I am such a good person and thought I loved you,” the caller continued. “I don’t even hate you. I will pray for your Zionist f――-g ass. … And I’m putting this on the news tonight. Bye. Have a great Friday!”
The caller also predicted she would win an Emmy for her reporting.
Later Friday, Athens taped a tease for the story and posted it to her Facebook page, prompting this denial from the mayor’s office: “The slanderous allegations from Your Alaska Link reporter Maria Athens are categorically false and appear to be the product of someone who is hostile and unwell.”
The same afternoon, Athens then posted what she claims to be a photo of Berkowitz’s nude backside as proof of her allegations.
Here is what happened later that day, according to the district attorney’s charging documents:
Athens and the station’s manager, who is described as her boyfriend in the documents, got into an argument while driving in Anchorage. He made her get out of the car and told her she was barred from returning to the station.
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Athens nevertheless went back to the television studio and attacked him. When police arrived, she hit an officer trying to arrest her and was placed in full restraints after she tried to kick out the back window of the police cruiser with her high heels.
Athens was charged with assault, criminal mischief and disorderly conduct, and released after posting bail.
Anchorage police and the FBI investigated the allegations and the death threat, but an FBI statement released Tuesday said it found “no immediate evidence to support a violation of federal law; however, the FBI Anchorage Field Office continues to monitor the situation.”
Athens told the Anchorage Daily News she and Berkowitz began communicating in 2016 on the messaging platform WhatsApp.
“When he slided into my texts, he was so smooth with his little witty slogans and pictures,” Athens told the newspaper. She has not returned messages left by The Associated Press.
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Athens, a graduate of Seton Hall University in New Jersey, said she was feeling isolated in Alaska. “He gave me attention when I was lonely.” She declined to say whether the texting relationship ever became physical.
Athens said she deleted the messages from her phone, which she said is now in the hands of law enforcement.
She also declined to elaborate on her assertion that Berkowitz was involved in illegal activities, saying it was based on what sources told her. She did not say who the sources were.
Messages left with Berkowitz through his office and with station management were not returned to the AP. Berkowitz’s resignation is effective Oct. 23.
According to the city charter, Felix Rivera, chairman of the Anchorage Assembly, will serve as acting mayor until a special election is held if the assembly doesn’t choose to reorganize. If Rivera does become mayor, he will hold a trio of distinctions: the city’s first openly gay mayor, the first Latino and at age 31, the youngest. The next youngest would be James Delaney Sr., who was either 32 or 33 when he was elected in 1929.
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Berkowitz was elected to his second three-year term as mayor in 2018. The officially non-partisan position is limited to two terms.
Berkowitz, a native of San Francisco, is also a lawyer and Anchorage businessman. He served as a Democrat in the Alaska House of Representative from 1997 to 2006, serving the last two years as minority leader.
___


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-14--Police Visited Wolverine Watchmen Training Site Over Domestic Disturbances, Stolen Chicken Coop

Jackson County Sheriff ’ s Office via AP/Google Streetview Joseph Morrison ( left ) and Pete Musico lived at a house in Munith , Michigan , that is alleged to have been a training site for a militia group called Wolverine Watchmen .
The house in Munith , Michigan , is now a focal point in an alleged plot by 13 men that included kidnapping the Democratic governor .
Two of the men charged , Joseph Morrison , 26 , aka “ Boogaloo Bunyan , ” and his father-in-law , Pete Musico , 42 , both lived at the Munith @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for “ field training exercises.
” Law enforcement authorities had been monitoring the Wolverine Watchmen since March .
In the most disturbing incident , which took place during the FBI investigation , a man called 911 on Aug. 11 to report that while out fishing , he heard a couple at the house yelling at each other .
The caller reported seeing a woman come outside and repeatedly bash a car with a wooden board .
“ They were screaming , saying bad words to each other , and she said , ‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anything in front of my kid , ’ ” the caller said .
“ My concern is the baby.
” Within two hours , the dispute appeared to escalate , and the feud prompted a neighbor to make a second emergency call .
At the time of that call , several people had gathered outside the house while a woman screamed at them and threatened to shoot herself .
The Wolverine Watchmen , which was organized on Facebook and communicated through an encrypted messaging platform , was first brought to the FBI ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Wolverine Watchmen “ were attempting to obtain the addresses of local law-enforcement officers , ” according to an FBI affidavit .
Six of the defendants associated with the group now face federal kidnapping charges , while Morrison , Musico and four others face state terrorism charges .
On June 28 , according to the FBI , several of the federal defendants and an FBI informant attended a “ tactical training exercise ” at the Munith property .
Several of the men who are now federal defendants returned Aug. 9 for another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of State Police detective sergeant wrote that Morrison and Musico , by providing their residence for tactical training , “ conspired with one another and others and in fact provided material support and resources in the furtherance of terrorist acts.
” Bond for Morrison and Musico was set at $ 10 million each .
Soon after the group came onto the FBI ’ s radar , a member of the organization became an FBI informant over concerns about the Wolverine Watchmen ’ s “ plans to target and kill police officers , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of alleged animosity toward law enforcement , sometimes residents of the house ― including Musico ’ s wife , Crystal , and daughter Jada , who is married to Morrison ― felt the need to call the police themselves .
On April 12 , 2019 , Morrison , who owns the house , called to report that his chicken coop had been stolen .
And last May 25 , Jada Morrison called emergency dispatchers to report that four youths had thrown trash into a nearby river .
The police response to that call @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was tied to the Wolverine Watchmen and of the ongoing FBI investigation .
Before responding to the call , authorities alerted responding officers that at least two cars should be dispatched because the residents “ self-recognize as being part of the Wolverine Watch Group ” and “ train weekly on Tactical Urban Assaults.
” When police visited the house , authorities warned , members of the group would contact the others to prepare them .
The group had trained to “ flank ” responding police officers , records say .
All of them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was monitoring their social media because they had insinuated threats to the governor , emergency dispatch records say .
And police had observed Morrison carrying an AR-15 at a rally this year in Lansing .
Police had a brush with Joseph and Jada Morrison at a traffic stop days before the Aug. 11 domestic disturbance calls .
A police officer ran the tags for Morrison ’ s Ford F-250 on Aug. 6 and found it lacked insurance , then pulled the truck over .
The officer briefly confiscated Morrison ’ s 9mm pistol @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case , but returned it after finding that Morrison had a clean criminal record and was not illegally concealing the weapon .
State authorities took custody of all the animals , some of which were in poor health and appeared to lack food and water .
Animal Control turned the squirrels over to a wildlife rehabilitation center , sent the poultry to farms and retained a ferret in poor health .
An unidentified relative of Musico and Morrison took the other animals .
Sattler said a welfare check was planned to make sure @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Over the last two years, Michigan law enforcement repeatedly visited the training house for the Wolverine Watchmen, an anti-government, anti-law enforcement group whose members allegedly conspired to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, according to law enforcement records obtained by HuffPost.
The house in Munith, Michigan, is now a focal point in an alleged plot by 13 men that included kidnapping the Democratic governor. Two of the men charged, Joseph Morrison, 26, aka “Boogaloo Bunyan,” and his father-in-law, Pete Musico, 42, both lived at the Munith house, which authorities say was used for “field training exercises.” Law enforcement authorities had been monitoring the Wolverine Watchmen since March.
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But before the last week’s FBI raid, local cops were called to the house multiple times, by its occupants and by outsiders, for issues ranging from domestic disturbances to a stolen chicken coop.
In the most disturbing incident, which took place during the FBI investigation, a man called 911 on Aug. 11 to report that while out fishing, he heard a couple at the house yelling at each other. The caller reported seeing a woman come outside and repeatedly bash a car with a wooden board.
“I hear them all the time. Make sure your officers know they do have weapons.” - 911 caller
“We hear a baby screaming,” the caller said, “and then she was whopping the car with a 4x4 or a 2x4, hitting the guy’s car, and the baby screaming, kicking doors.”
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The caller did not know why the two were fighting, though he speculated it had to do with the baby crying inside the house.
“They were screaming, saying bad words to each other, and she said, ‘You’re not going to do anything in front of my kid,’” the caller said. “My concern is the baby.”
Within two hours, the dispute appeared to escalate, and the feud prompted a neighbor to make a second emergency call. At the time of that call, several people had gathered outside the house while a woman screamed at them and threatened to shoot herself.
“There’s constant domestics going back and forth ― I really think someone needs to check on them,” the neighbor told 911.
The caller said the neighbors were “known to shoot AR15s.”
“I hear them all the time,” the caller said. “Make sure your officers know they do have weapons.”
It’s unclear what legal action was taken against anyone at the house: Police resolved the call as a welfare check. Several of HuffPost’s requests for public records related to these incidents remain pending.
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A Michigan militia group stands in front of the governor's office April 30 after protesters occupied the state Capitol in Lansing during a vote to approve the extension of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's stay-at-home order to deal with the rise of coronavirus infections. Seth Herald / Reuters
The Wolverine Watchmen, which was organized on Facebook and communicated through an encrypted messaging platform, was first brought to the FBI’s attention in March, when members of the Wolverine Watchmen “were attempting to obtain the addresses of local law-enforcement officers,” according to an FBI affidavit. Six of the defendants associated with the group now face federal kidnapping charges, while Morrison, Musico and four others face state terrorism charges.
On June 28, according to the FBI, several of the federal defendants and an FBI informant attended a “tactical training exercise” at the Munith property. Several of the men who are now federal defendants returned Aug. 9 for another tactical training session.
A Michigan Department of State Police detective sergeant wrote that Morrison and Musico, by providing their residence for tactical training, “conspired with one another and others and in fact provided material support and resources in the furtherance of terrorist acts.” Bond for Morrison and Musico was set at $10 million each.
Soon after the group came onto the FBI’s radar, a member of the organization became an FBI informant over concerns about the Wolverine Watchmen’s “plans to target and kill police officers,” according to the FBI.
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In spite of alleged animosity toward law enforcement, sometimes residents of the house ― including Musico’s wife, Crystal, and daughter Jada, who is married to Morrison ― felt the need to call the police themselves. On April 12, 2019, Morrison, who owns the house, called to report that his chicken coop had been stolen. And last May 25, Jada Morrison called emergency dispatchers to report that four youths had thrown trash into a nearby river.
HuffPost attempted to reach Jada Morrison by telephone without success.
The police response to that call indicates that police were aware the house was tied to the Wolverine Watchmen and of the ongoing FBI investigation. Before responding to the call, authorities alerted responding officers that at least two cars should be dispatched because the residents “self-recognize as being part of the Wolverine Watch Group” and “train weekly on Tactical Urban Assaults.”
“Typically 9-12 subjects train at the compound weekly,” the report says. “They own approximately 2 acres. They allegedly have C4 in their residence. It is been rumored their entrances may be booby-trapped as well.”
The home in rural Munith, Michigan, where members of the Wolverine Watchmen trained weekly, according to law enforcement. Google Maps
When police visited the house, authorities warned, members of the group would contact the others to prepare them. The group had trained to “flank” responding police officers, records say. All of them regularly openly carried firearms. The FBI was monitoring their social media because they had insinuated threats to the governor, emergency dispatch records say. And police had observed Morrison carrying an AR-15 at a rally this year in Lansing.
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Local law enforcement also knew that Musico had a felony conviction and had changed his name from Phillip Westenberger. Michigan State Police records show a 1995 felony conviction for forgery, though dispatch records describe two nonviolent felonies on his record.
Police had a brush with Joseph and Jada Morrison at a traffic stop days before the Aug. 11 domestic disturbance calls. A police officer ran the tags for Morrison’s Ford F-250 on Aug. 6 and found it lacked insurance, then pulled the truck over. The officer briefly confiscated Morrison’s 9mm pistol, which was unloaded and in a case, but returned it after finding that Morrison had a clean criminal record and was not illegally concealing the weapon.
When the FBI and state police raided the house last week, they found two dogs, two adult squirrels, two ferrets, a rabbit, an iguana, two roosters, four hens and four ducks, according to Jackson County Animal Services Director Lydia Sattler.
“It was an odd assortment of animals,” Sattler told HuffPost. “The list kept getting longer.”
State authorities took custody of all the animals, some of which were in poor health and appeared to lack food and water. Animal Control turned the squirrels over to a wildlife rehabilitation center, sent the poultry to farms and retained a ferret in poor health. An unidentified relative of Musico and Morrison took the other animals. Sattler said a welfare check was planned to make sure the animals were being cared for.
Information on anything else confiscated from the property was not made available.
After the Oct. 7 raid, the 911 dispatcher once again began receiving calls about the house.
“I have media out at my house,” Jada Morrison said on an Oct. 9 call to 911. “I’ve asked them to stay off my property. And I have this guy harassing my mom asking where the terrorists are and all this. I just need a car out there.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-15--Donald Trump Throwing Face Masks Into Rally Crowd Becomes A Mocking Meme

A “ Photoshop Battle ” has broken out on Reddit over a picture of President Donald Trump throwing face masks @ @ @ @ @ ’ s campaign rally in Sanford , Florida .
The image taken by Associated Press @ @ @ @ @ tossing masks into Monday ’ s crowd .
Trump shuns masks for himself and mocks @ @ @ @ @ even though the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says they are key to slowing @ @ @ @ @ Several Redditors reimagined the photo to make it seem as if Trump was hurling coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ Just hours before the rally , Trump claimed he was noncontagious .
He was hospitalized @ @ @ @ @ week for COVID-19 treatment .
Others on Reddit inserted Vice President Mike Pence ( and @ @ @ @ @ Democratic nominee Joe Biden into the images .
One referenced Trump ’ s bonkers suggestion @ @ @ @ @ a treatment for COVID-19 .
Another recalled Trump ’ s throwing of paper towels at @ @ @ @ @ of Hurricane Maria in 2017 :

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A “Photoshop Battle” has broken out on Reddit over a picture of President Donald Trump throwing face masks at supporters attending this week’s campaign rally in Sanford, Florida.
The image taken by Associated Press photographer Evan Vucci shows Trump tossing masks into Monday’s crowd. Trump shuns masks for himself and mocks others for wearing them, even though the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says they are key to slowing the spread of COVID-19.
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Several Redditors reimagined the photo to make it seem as if Trump was hurling coronavirus particles at his fans. Just hours before the rally, Trump claimed he was noncontagious. He was hospitalized for three days the previous week for COVID-19 treatment.
Others on Reddit inserted Vice President Mike Pence (and his debate fly) and Democratic nominee Joe Biden into the images.
One referenced Trump’s bonkers suggestion that injecting disinfectant could be a treatment for COVID-19. Another recalled Trump’s throwing of paper towels at Puerto Ricans in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in 2017:
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-14--Trump's White Christian Support Has Slipped, Poll Indicates

Overall , Trump is still the favored pick for president among white Christian voters , with majorities of white evangelicals , white Catholics and white non-evangelical Protestants telling Pew they were leaning toward voting for him .
But since white Christians are a key part of the electorate ― making up about 44 % of registered voters ― the smallest dip in support in a few crucial swing states could spell trouble for Trump .
The dip was particularly noticeable among white Catholics , according to data published Tuesday .
In late July and early August , Trump held a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nominee , former Vice President Joe Biden , who is Catholic ( 59 % to 40 % ) .
That lead shrank to just 8 points in Pew ’ s latest poll , which was conducted among 10,543 registered voters nationwide from Sept. 30 through Oct. 5 .
The president ’ s most reliable supporters ― white evangelical Protestants ― are still firmly in his camp , with 78 % saying they intended to vote for Trump next month .
But even in this group , a few percentage points had been shaved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % said they would vote for Trump .
President Donald Trump at a campaign rally Tuesday in Johnstown , Pennsylvania .
About 78 % of white evangelicals told Pew they were leaning toward voting for the president 's reelection .
There is a significant overlap between white Christian voters and the Republican Party .
Studies have shown that all three white Christian groupings have grown more likely to identify as Republican in recent years .
In the fall survey , Pew researchers found that the slight dip in white Christians ’ support didn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jump in support for Biden .
Researchers found that race strongly correlated with voting preferences during the 2016 presidential election .
These preferences persisted when Christian voters were separated out into religious groups , with majorities of white evangelicals , white Catholics and white non-evangelicals voting for Trump , and majorities of Black Protestants and Latino Catholics casting their ballots for the Democratic rival , former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton .
Racial divisions in voting preferences within Christian groups appear to be holding steady in 2020 .
Within the group surveyed during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 90 % of Black Protestants and 67 % of Latino Catholics said Biden was their preferred candidate .
Over the past four years , white Christians , particularly evangelicals , have stood apart from other American religious groups because of how strongly they have supported Trump and his policies .
They ’ ve supported his heavily Muslim-targeted travel bans , his plans to expand the wall along the U.S.-Mexico border and his handling of the coronavirus pandemic ― often at much higher rates than other American religious groupings .
Pew ’ s poll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the campaign .
Trump announced that he had tested positive for COVID-19 on Oct. 2 , about halfway through the data collection period .
With the Trump administration and the GOP-controlled Senate moving quickly to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg with a conservative Supreme Court justice ― a key priority for many white conservative Christians ― there ’ s still time for shifts within this religious demographic .

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Overall, Trump is still the favored pick for president among white Christian voters, with majorities of white evangelicals, white Catholics and white non-evangelical Protestants telling Pew they were leaning toward voting for him. But since white Christians are a key part of the electorate ― making up about 44% of registered voters ― the smallest dip in support in a few crucial swing states could spell trouble for Trump.
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The dip was particularly noticeable among white Catholics, according to data published Tuesday. In late July and early August, Trump held a 19 percentage point lead on the Democratic nominee, former Vice President Joe Biden, who is Catholic (59% to 40%). That lead shrank to just 8 points in Pew’s latest poll, which was conducted among 10,543 registered voters nationwide from Sept. 30 through Oct. 5.
White non-evangelical Protestants’ support for Trump dropped from 59% over the summer to 53% this fall.
The president’s most reliable supporters ― white evangelical Protestants ― are still firmly in his camp, with 78% saying they intended to vote for Trump next month. But even in this group, a few percentage points had been shaved off since the summer, when 83% said they would vote for Trump.
President Donald Trump at a campaign rally Tuesday in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. About 78% of white evangelicals told Pew they were leaning toward voting for the president's reelection. Evan Vucci/Associated Press
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There is a significant overlap between white Christian voters and the Republican Party. Studies have shown that all three white Christian groupings have grown more likely to identify as Republican in recent years. In the fall survey, Pew researchers found that the slight dip in white Christians’ support didn’t correspond to a statistically significant jump in support for Biden.
Researchers found that race strongly correlated with voting preferences during the 2016 presidential election. These preferences persisted when Christian voters were separated out into religious groups, with majorities of white evangelicals, white Catholics and white non-evangelicals voting for Trump, and majorities of Black Protestants and Latino Catholics casting their ballots for the Democratic rival, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Racial divisions in voting preferences within Christian groups appear to be holding steady in 2020. Within the group surveyed during Pew’s fall poll, about 90% of Black Protestants and 67% of Latino Catholics said Biden was their preferred candidate.
Over the past four years, white Christians, particularly evangelicals, have stood apart from other American religious groups because of how strongly they have supported Trump and his policies. They’ve supported his heavily Muslim-targeted travel bans, his plans to expand the wall along the U.S.-Mexico border and his handling of the coronavirus pandemic ― often at much higher rates than other American religious groupings.
Pew’s poll was conducted during a tumultuous time in the campaign. Trump announced that he had tested positive for COVID-19 on Oct. 2, about halfway through the data collection period. With the Trump administration and the GOP-controlled Senate moving quickly to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg with a conservative Supreme Court justice ― a key priority for many white conservative Christians ― there’s still time for shifts within this religious demographic.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-15--Obama: 'Basic Competence' Can Save Lives

Former President Barack Obama made a final appeal to voters on behalf of his former running mate , Joe Biden , during an episode of the popular podcast Pod Save America on Wednesday : Competent leaders save lives .
Obama spoke with co-hosts Tommy Vietor and Jon Favreau during the episode , saying that while all Americans may not have been pleased with his stint in the White House , his administration worked through challenging moments in history by installing effective leaders in positions of power .
“ One thing we know is that just basic competence can end up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the podcast .
“ You might not have been happy with everything I did , all my policy choices .
I didn ’ t eliminate poverty in America .
But when we had a pandemic or the threat of pandemic , we had competent people in place who would deal with it.
” Obama is preparing to hit the road in support of Biden for the final weeks of the election , holding events ( socially distanced ) in battleground states and encouraging Americans to vote early .
The New York Times notes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former president ’ s efforts to bolster then-candidate Hillary Clinton ’ s bid in 2016 and fall in line with Obama ’ s larger role in the final months of the election as a direct critic of President Donald Trump ’ s tenure in the White House .
The former president had largely refrained from direct criticisms of Trump for years , but has been far more outspoken as the nation struggled with the COVID-19 pandemic .
Trump , for his part , has spent his first term in office systemically undoing many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ initiatives , including withdrawing the United States from the Paris Climate Accords and the Iran nuclear deal .
In recent weeks he ’ s urged the Department of Justice to open politically charged investigations into Obama-era officials , including an investigation that fizzled out this week with no evidence of wrongdoing .
In the podcast , Obama said he believed Biden , if elected , would have to “ rebuild a State Department where some of the best people have been driven out systematically because they weren ’ t willing to tow Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the last four years , it ’ s not as if Trump has been all that active internationally , ” Obama said .
“ I mean , the truth is he doesn ’ t have the patience and the focus to really substantially change a lot of U.S. foreign policy .
What he ’ s done is he ’ s systematically tried to decimate our entire foreign policy infrastructure.
” The former president also spoke about the spread of misinformation on social media , saying that while Trump is a “ symptom ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ news , he didn ’ t create it .
“ When you look at insane conspiracy theories like QAnon seeping into the mainstream of the Republican Party , what that tells you is that there are no more guardrails within that media ecosystem , ” Obama said .
“ And I think one of the biggest challenges , all of us said this is not just a progressives versus , you know , right-wing issue .
”

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Former President Barack Obama made a final appeal to voters on behalf of his former running mate, Joe Biden, during an episode of the popular podcast Pod Save America on Wednesday: Competent leaders save lives.
Obama spoke with co-hosts Tommy Vietor and Jon Favreau during the episode, saying that while all Americans may not have been pleased with his stint in the White House, his administration worked through challenging moments in history by installing effective leaders in positions of power.
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“One thing we know is that just basic competence can end up saving lives,” Obama said on the podcast. “You might not have been happy with everything I did, all my policy choices. I didn’t eliminate poverty in America. But when we had a pandemic or the threat of pandemic, we had competent people in place who would deal with it.”
Obama is preparing to hit the road in support of Biden for the final weeks of the election, holding events (socially distanced) in battleground states and encouraging Americans to vote early. The New York Times notes the appearances are meant to mimic the former president’s efforts to bolster then-candidate Hillary Clinton’s bid in 2016 and fall in line with Obama’s larger role in the final months of the election as a direct critic of President Donald Trump’s tenure in the White House.
.@TVietor08: Is it weird for you when Donald Trump tweets that you should be indicted? @BarackObama: pic.twitter.com/zlGu6iipEJ — Pod Save America (@PodSaveAmerica) October 15, 2020
The former president had largely refrained from direct criticisms of Trump for years, but has been far more outspoken as the nation struggled with the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Trump, for his part, has spent his first term in office systemically undoing many of the Obama administration’s landmark initiatives, including withdrawing the United States from the Paris Climate Accords and the Iran nuclear deal. In recent weeks he’s urged the Department of Justice to open politically charged investigations into Obama-era officials, including an investigation that fizzled out this week with no evidence of wrongdoing.
In the podcast, Obama said he believed Biden, if elected, would have to “rebuild a State Department where some of the best people have been driven out systematically because they weren’t willing to tow Trump’s ideological agenda.”
“Over the last four years, it’s not as if Trump has been all that active internationally,” Obama said. “I mean, the truth is he doesn’t have the patience and the focus to really substantially change a lot of U.S. foreign policy. What he’s done is he’s systematically tried to decimate our entire foreign policy infrastructure.”
The former president also spoke about the spread of misinformation on social media, saying that while Trump is a “symptom” and an “accelerant” of fake news, he didn’t create it.
“When you look at insane conspiracy theories like QAnon seeping into the mainstream of the Republican Party, what that tells you is that there are no more guardrails within that media ecosystem,” Obama said. “And I think one of the biggest challenges, all of us said this is not just a progressives versus, you know, right-wing issue.”
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-15--Amy Coney Barrett’s Climate Dodge Isn’t Just Unscientific. It’s At Odds With Most Americans.

On Tuesday , President Donald Trump ’ s Supreme Court nominee told the Senate Judiciary Committee she was “ not a scientist ” and therefore did “ not have firm views ” on the shifts in weather patterns , record-breaking temperatures and melting polar ice that even the most ardent defenders of the fossil fuel industry acknowledge .
On Wednesday , she doubled down , saying that the very issue of climate change was “ a very contentious matter of public debate ” and “ politically controversial.
” As far back as 1827 , scientists understood that adding carbon dioxide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would prevent the sun ’ s heat from escaping back into space .
By the 1970s , in-house researchers at Royal Dutch Shell , Exxon Mobil Corp. and other oil giants confirmed that such warming was taking place and warned executives about it .
Instead of reducing emissions , the industry hired some of the same campaigners that tobacco companies employed to seed doubt over the link between cigarettes and cancer to work on redirecting the political debate over how to address emissions into an argument over whether to do so at all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ already experiencing some of the worst of it .
But the United States is badly suffering .
Wildfires in California consumed an unprecedented 4 million acres in just the past few weeks .
The hyperactive hurricane season in the Atlantic this year broke several records , inundating Gulf states amid a pandemic .
Nineteen of the 20 warmest years in history occurred since 2001 , and federal scientists on Wednesday declared last month the hottest September since recordkeeping began 141 years ago .
If confirmed , Barrett would be the fifth of nine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who lost the popular vote .
Yet her apparent views on climate science may be the most jarring example of how her lifetime appointment represents minority rule .
Seventy-two percent of Americans recognize the climate is changing , and 58 % understand humans are the primary cause , according to national survey data by the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication .
Gallup pegged the latter number even higher , last year finding that 66 % of Americans “ believe global warming is caused by human activities.
” The Pew Research Center last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adults think the federal government is doing too little to reduce the effects of climate change .
Seventy percent of likely voters polled by the think tank Data for Progress late last month agreed with the 2007 Supreme Court decision that found carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases qualify as pollutants that the Environmental Protection Agency should regulate under the Clean Air Act .
Most Republicans , 65 % , agreed with the decision , which has forced the Trump administration to preserve some rules on planet-heating pollution .
A 2011 paper in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that “ the influence of public opinion on Supreme Court decisions is real ” and “ substantively important.
” The Supreme Court ’ s landmark rulings to desegregate schools and legalize same-sex marriage “ were inconceivable until enormous changes in the surrounding social and political context had first occurred , ” Harvard Law School professor Michael Klarman wrote in 2015 .
The conservative-leaning bench already proved itself willing to strike down even modest regulations to curb greenhouse gases on technicalities .
In 2016 , the court ordered the Obama administration to temporarily halt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from power plants , handing a victory to Republican-led states that argued the regulation exceeded the federal government ’ s legal mandate .
Barrett ’ s unstated beliefs could face an early test .
Less than two weeks before her confirmation hearings began , the Supreme Court agreed to hear an appeal by oil giants over lawsuits by cities seeking to hold the companies liable for climate damages .
The firms , including BP and Royal Dutch Shell , want to move the suits from state to federal courts , where the industry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s father , a Catholic deacon and former attorney , Mike Coney , said on his church ’ s website that “ most of my legal career was spent as an attorney with Shell.
” As the investigative newsletter The Daily Poster reported , Barrett included the Anglo-Dutch oil behemoth seven times in the recusal list that guides her work as a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit , which she submitted to the Senate in her questionnaire .
The list works as part of the court ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ identify potential conflicts for the judges , ” she wrote .
“ Recusal itself is a legal issue , ” Barrett said during Tuesday ’ s confirmation hearing .
“ Justice Ginsburg , in explaining the way recusal works , said that it ’ s always up to the individual justice , but it always involves consultation with the colleagues ― with the other eight justices .
So that ’ s not a question that I could answer in the abstract.
” The U.S. Chamber of Commerce ― the big business lobby which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ members of Congress and environmentalists dubbed it the “ Chamber of Carbon ” ― filed an amicus brief backing the oil companies ’ appeal before the Supreme Court in April .
The group swiftly endorsed Barrett ’ s nomination last month and began lobbying lawmakers to confirm her to the bench .

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Twice this week, Amy Coney Barrett refused to acknowledge the scientific reality that the climate is changing.
On Tuesday, President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee told the Senate Judiciary Committee she was “not a scientist” and therefore did “not have firm views” on the shifts in weather patterns, record-breaking temperatures and melting polar ice that even the most ardent defenders of the fossil fuel industry acknowledge. On Wednesday, she doubled down, saying that the very issue of climate change was “a very contentious matter of public debate” and “politically controversial.”
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It isn’t, at least not for the vast majority of Americans or scientists going back nearly two centuries.
As far back as 1827, scientists understood that adding carbon dioxide to the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels would prevent the sun’s heat from escaping back into space. By the 1970s, in-house researchers at Royal Dutch Shell, Exxon Mobil Corp. and other oil giants confirmed that such warming was taking place and warned executives about it. Instead of reducing emissions, the industry hired some of the same campaigners that tobacco companies employed to seed doubt over the link between cigarettes and cancer to work on redirecting the political debate over how to address emissions into an argument over whether to do so at all.
Since then, carbon dioxide has surged past levels ever experienced in human history. The effects scientists long warned of ― hotter temperatures, more extreme weather, rising seas ― arrived, often sooner and with more intensity than models had predicted.
Confused on climate science? Jonathan Ernst-Pool/Getty Images
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Countries closer to the equator are already experiencing some of the worst of it. But the United States is badly suffering. Wildfires in California consumed an unprecedented 4 million acres in just the past few weeks. The hyperactive hurricane season in the Atlantic this year broke several records, inundating Gulf states amid a pandemic. Nineteen of the 20 warmest years in history occurred since 2001, and federal scientists on Wednesday declared last month the hottest September since recordkeeping began 141 years ago.
Even Trump, who has long mocked climate science as a hoax, and the administration officials overseeing the rollback of rules to curb planet-heating gases, admit the climate is changing.
If confirmed, Barrett would be the fifth of nine Supreme Court justices nominated by a president who lost the popular vote. Yet her apparent views on climate science may be the most jarring example of how her lifetime appointment represents minority rule.
Seventy-two percent of Americans recognize the climate is changing, and 58% understand humans are the primary cause, according to national survey data by the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. Gallup pegged the latter number even higher, last year finding that 66% of Americans “believe global warming is caused by human activities.” The Pew Research Center last year found that 67% of U.S. adults think the federal government is doing too little to reduce the effects of climate change.
Seventy percent of likely voters polled by the think tank Data for Progress late last month agreed with the 2007 Supreme Court decision that found carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases qualify as pollutants that the Environmental Protection Agency should regulate under the Clean Air Act. Most Republicans, 65%, agreed with the decision, which has forced the Trump administration to preserve some rules on planet-heating pollution.
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Should the Republican-controlled Senate confirm Barrett, that public understanding of reality could weigh on her rulings.
“Nineteen of the 20 warmest years in history occurred since 2001, and federal scientists on Wednesday declared last month the hottest September since records began 141 years ago.”
A 2011 paper in the American Journal of Political Science concluded that “the influence of public opinion on Supreme Court decisions is real” and “substantively important.” The Supreme Court’s landmark rulings to desegregate schools and legalize same-sex marriage “were inconceivable until enormous changes in the surrounding social and political context had first occurred,” Harvard Law School professor Michael Klarman wrote in 2015.
The conservative-leaning bench already proved itself willing to strike down even modest regulations to curb greenhouse gases on technicalities. In 2016, the court ordered the Obama administration to temporarily halt implementation of a rule to limit emissions from power plants, handing a victory to Republican-led states that argued the regulation exceeded the federal government’s legal mandate.
Barrett’s unstated beliefs could face an early test. Less than two weeks before her confirmation hearings began, the Supreme Court agreed to hear an appeal by oil giants over lawsuits by cities seeking to hold the companies liable for climate damages. The firms, including BP and Royal Dutch Shell, want to move the suits from state to federal courts, where the industry expects more favorable rulings.
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Barrett’s father, a Catholic deacon and former attorney, Mike Coney, said on his church’s website that “most of my legal career was spent as an attorney with Shell.” As the investigative newsletter The Daily Poster reported, Barrett included the Anglo-Dutch oil behemoth seven times in the recusal list that guides her work as a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit, which she submitted to the Senate in her questionnaire. The list works as part of the court’s “automatic recusal system to help identify potential conflicts for the judges,” she wrote.
“Recusal itself is a legal issue,” Barrett said during Tuesday’s confirmation hearing. “Justice Ginsburg, in explaining the way recusal works, said that it’s always up to the individual justice, but it always involves consultation with the colleagues ― with the other eight justices. So that’s not a question that I could answer in the abstract.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-15--Rudy Giuliani Uses Mocking Asian Accent In Hot Mic 'Ah So' Moment

A hot mic moment accidentally posted by his own team showed Donald Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani talking in a mocking Asian accent while repeatedly bowing , The Daily Beast reported Wednesday .
( See the clip below . )
The former New York City mayor had just wrapped up his “ Common Sense ” podcast interview with former White House press secretary Sean Spicer when he began teasing someone off-camera he calls Jayne Zirkle , whose Twitter account says she is a “ Trump Supporter.
” As the camera still rolled in the now-private YouTube footage ( but captured by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ admonishes Zirkle for being upset about something and tells her , “ You ’ re gon na be the most famous model in China.
” He then puts on a fake Asian accent .
“ Ah , get me Jayne Zirkle , get me Jayne Zirkle , ” he says .
The Trump surrogate continued his racist affectation while pretending to defer to Zirkle in a dinner order .
“ Jayne Zirkle pick ’ em , ” he said .
He then bows repeatedly while uttering Zirkle ’ s name with an “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ WATCH : An animated Giuliani starts affecting a stereotypical Chinese accent while telling an assistant who appears to be Jayne Zirkle that she ’ s “ going to be the most famous model in China.
” Read more : https : //t.co/YBjwSwalvI pic.twitter.com/tNpwoO51pb — The Daily Beast ( @ thedailybeast ) October 15 , 2020 The racist Giuliani misstep adds to his parade of gaffes , including his recent statement that people don ’ t die of the coronavirus anymore , interview meltdowns and embarrassing butt dial calls to a reporter .

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A hot mic moment accidentally posted by his own team showed Donald Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani talking in a mocking Asian accent while repeatedly bowing, The Daily Beast reported Wednesday. (See the clip below.)
The former New York City mayor had just wrapped up his “Common Sense” podcast interview with former White House press secretary Sean Spicer when he began teasing someone off-camera he calls Jayne Zirkle, whose Twitter account says she is a “Trump Supporter.”
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As the camera still rolled in the now-private YouTube footage (but captured by The Daily Beast), Giuliani playfully admonishes Zirkle for being upset about something and tells her, “You’re gonna be the most famous model in China.”
He then puts on a fake Asian accent. “Ah, get me Jayne Zirkle, get me Jayne Zirkle,” he says. The Trump surrogate continued his racist affectation while pretending to defer to Zirkle in a dinner order. “Jayne Zirkle pick ’em,” he said. He then bows repeatedly while uttering Zirkle’s name with an “ah so” over and over.
WATCH: An animated Giuliani starts affecting a stereotypical Chinese accent while telling an assistant who appears to be Jayne Zirkle that she’s “going to be the most famous model in China.”
Read more: https://t.co/YBjwSwalvI pic.twitter.com/tNpwoO51pb — The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) October 15, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-15--Chris Hayes Points Out The Big Online Problem Facing Donald Trump And His Campaign

Chris Hayes on Wednesday highlighted what he thinks is “ one of the big problems ” for President Donald Trump @ @ @ @ @ .
The host of MSNBC ’ s “ All In ” pointed out how the @ @ @ @ @ appeared to have “ forgotten how to communicate with anyone who isn ’ t extremely @ @ @ @ @ term “ extremely online ” as those people who “ spend too much time on @ @ @ @ @ other social media.
” And he explained how the president ’ s Twitter activity ― @ @ @ @ @ to attacking Democratic nominee Joe Biden with doctored images ― was not appealing to the @ @ @ @ @ It looks like they have forgotten to talk to normies , ” Hayes said of @ @ @ @ @ adding : “ Joe Biden is running a hell of a normie campaign .
”

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Chris Hayes on Wednesday highlighted what he thinks is “one of the big problems” for President Donald Trump and his 2020 reelection campaign.
The host of MSNBC’s “All In” pointed out how the president and his campaign team appeared to have “forgotten how to communicate with anyone who isn’t extremely online.”
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Hayes defined the term “extremely online” as those people who “spend too much time on the internet and Twitter and other social media.” And he explained how the president’s Twitter activity ― from promoting outrageous conspiracy theories to attacking Democratic nominee Joe Biden with doctored images ― was not appealing to the voters he needs.
“It looks like they have forgotten to talk to normies,” Hayes said of Trump and his campaign, adding: “Joe Biden is running a hell of a normie campaign.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-15--Anthony Fauci Urges Americans To Reconsider Thanksgiving Gatherings Amid Pandemic

Dr. Anthony Fauci on Wednesday revealed that his family ’ s Thanksgiving “ is going to look very different this year ” and said Americans “ may have to bite the bullet ” and rethink holiday gatherings as the coronavirus pandemic continues raging .
Fauci , the nation ’ s leading infectious disease expert , told “ CBS Evening News ” anchor Norah O ’ Donnell that his children , who live in three different states , would not be visiting him over the holidays “ because of their concern for me and my age.
” Fauci , the director @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Infectious Diseases , is 79 and therefore at high risk of severe symptoms if he contracts COVID-19 .
Fauci said the possible spread of the coronavirus at family gatherings would be a serious holiday concern .
With the arrival of cooler weather , infections are again rising in many states that had shown monthslong declines .
“ That is unfortunately a risk , when you have people coming from out of town , gathering together in an indoor setting , ” Fauci said .
“ You don ’ t know what the status @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because that ’ s such a sacred part of American tradition ― the family gathering around Thanksgiving .
But that is a risk.
” Dr. Anthony Fauci tells @ NorahODonnell that Pres .
Trump 's rally in Iowa on Wednesday night , amid a spike in COVID-19 cases there , is “ risky.
” Dr. Fauci also warns of what he sees as another danger : family gatherings .
WATCH the full interview here : https : //t.co/BSWQBQXMxh pic.twitter.com/PDc0elr0g1 — CBS Evening News ( @ CBSEveningNews ) October 14 , 2020 Asked how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said that with “ the fluid and dynamic nature of what ’ s going on right now in the spread and the uptick of infections , I think people should be very careful and prudent about social gatherings , particularly when members of the family might be at a risk because of their age or their underlying condition.
” “ You may have to bite the bullet and sacrifice that social gathering , unless you ’ re pretty certain that the people that you ’ re dealing with are not infected , ” @ @ @

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Dr. Anthony Fauci on Wednesday revealed that his family’s Thanksgiving “is going to look very different this year” and said Americans “may have to bite the bullet” and rethink holiday gatherings as the coronavirus pandemic continues raging.
Fauci, the nation’s leading infectious disease expert, told “CBS Evening News” anchor Norah O’Donnell that his children, who live in three different states, would not be visiting him over the holidays “because of their concern for me and my age.” Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, is 79 and therefore at high risk of severe symptoms if he contracts COVID-19.
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Fauci said the possible spread of the coronavirus at family gatherings would be a serious holiday concern. With the arrival of cooler weather, infections are again rising in many states that had shown monthslong declines.
“That is unfortunately a risk, when you have people coming from out of town, gathering together in an indoor setting,” Fauci said. “You don’t know what the status of it is. It is unfortunate because that’s such a sacred part of American tradition ― the family gathering around Thanksgiving. But that is a risk.”
Dr. Anthony Fauci tells @NorahODonnell that Pres. Trump's rally in Iowa on Wednesday night, amid a spike in COVID-19 cases there, is “risky.”
Dr. Fauci also warns of what he sees as another danger: family gatherings.
WATCH the full interview here: https://t.co/BSWQBQXMxh pic.twitter.com/PDc0elr0g1 — CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) October 14, 2020
Asked how people should approach the holidays, Fauci said that with “the fluid and dynamic nature of what’s going on right now in the spread and the uptick of infections, I think people should be very careful and prudent about social gatherings, particularly when members of the family might be at a risk because of their age or their underlying condition.”
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