thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-30--Moderna To Ask U.S., European Regulators To Allow Use Of COVID-19 Vaccine

Moderna Inc. said it would ask U.S. and European regulators Monday to allow emergency use of its COVID-19 vaccine as new study results confirm the shots offer strong protection — ramping up the race to begin limited vaccinations as the coronavirus rampage worsens .
Multiple vaccine candidates must succeed for the world to stamp out the pandemic , which has been on the upswing in the U.S. and Europe .
U.S. hospitals have been stretched to the limit as the nation has seen more than 160,000 new cases per day and more than 1,400 daily deaths .
Since first emerging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus has killed more than 1.4 million people worldwide .
Moderna is just behind Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech in seeking to begin vaccinations in the U.S. in December .
Across the Atlantic , British regulators also are assessing the Pfizer shot and another from AstraZeneca .
Moderna created its shots with the U.S. National Institutes of Health and already had a hint they were working , but said it got the final needed results over the weekend that suggest the vaccine is more than 94 % effective .
Of 196 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. study , 185 were trial participants who received the placebo and 11 who got the real vaccine .
The only people who got severely ill — 30 participants , including one who died — had received dummy shots , said Dr. Tal Zaks , the Cambridge , Massachusetts , company ’ s chief medical officer .
When he learned the results , “ I allowed myself to cry for the first time , ” Zaks told The Associated Press .
“ We have already , just in the trial , have already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then multiplied to the people who can get this vaccine.
” Moderna said the shots ’ effectiveness and a good safety record so far — with only temporary , flu-like side effects — mean they meet requirements set by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for emergency use before the final-stage testing is complete .
The European Medicines Agency , Europe ’ s version of FDA , has signaled it also is open to faster , emergency clearance .
WHAT COMES NEXT This week , a different panel of U.S. experts , established @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Prevention , will meet to decide how initial supplies will be given out .
They ’ re expected to reserve scarce first doses for health care workers and , if the shots work well enough in the frail elderly , for residents of long-term care facilities .
As more vaccine gradually becomes available in coming months , other essential workers and people at highest risk from the coronavirus would get in line .
But enough for the general population isn ’ t expected until at least spring .
Both Moderna ’ s and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same technology , using a piece of genetic code for the “ spike ” protein that studs the virus .
That messenger RNA , or mRNA , instructs the body to make some harmless spike protein , training immune cells to recognize it if the real virus eventually comes along .
That vaccine appears 62 % effective when tested as originally intended , with recipients given two full doses .
But because of a manufacturing error , a small number of volunteers got a lower first dose — and AstraZeneca said in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be 90 % effective .
A larger U.S. study of the AstraZeneca candidate still is underway that should eventually give the FDA a better picture of how well it works .
The FDA has said any COVID-19 vaccine would have to be at least 50 % effective .
STILL IN THE PIPELINE

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Moderna Inc. said it would ask U.S. and European regulators Monday to allow emergency use of its COVID-19 vaccine as new study results confirm the shots offer strong protection — ramping up the race to begin limited vaccinations as the coronavirus rampage worsens.
Multiple vaccine candidates must succeed for the world to stamp out the pandemic, which has been on the upswing in the U.S. and Europe. U.S. hospitals have been stretched to the limit as the nation has seen more than 160,000 new cases per day and more than 1,400 daily deaths. Since first emerging nearly a year ago in China, the virus has killed more than 1.4 million people worldwide.
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Moderna is just behind Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech in seeking to begin vaccinations in the U.S. in December. Across the Atlantic, British regulators also are assessing the Pfizer shot and another from AstraZeneca.
Moderna created its shots with the U.S. National Institutes of Health and already had a hint they were working, but said it got the final needed results over the weekend that suggest the vaccine is more than 94% effective.
Of 196 COVID-19 cases so far in its huge U.S. study, 185 were trial participants who received the placebo and 11 who got the real vaccine. The only people who got severely ill — 30 participants, including one who died — had received dummy shots, said Dr. Tal Zaks, the Cambridge, Massachusetts, company’s chief medical officer.
When he learned the results, “I allowed myself to cry for the first time,” Zaks told The Associated Press. “We have already, just in the trial, have already saved lives. Just imagine the impact then multiplied to the people who can get this vaccine.”
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Moderna said the shots’ effectiveness and a good safety record so far — with only temporary, flu-like side effects — mean they meet requirements set by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for emergency use before the final-stage testing is complete. The European Medicines Agency, Europe’s version of FDA, has signaled it also is open to faster, emergency clearance.
WHAT COMES NEXT
The FDA has pledged that before it decides to roll out any COVID-19 vaccines, its scientific advisers will publicly debate whether there’s enough evidence behind each candidate.
First up on Dec. 10, Pfizer and BioNTech will present data suggesting their vaccine candidate is 95% effective. Moderna said its turn at this “science court” is expected exactly a week later, on Dec. 17.
RATIONING INITIAL DOSES
If the FDA allows emergency use, Moderna expects to have 20 million doses ready for the U.S. by year’s end. Recipients will need two doses, so that’s enough for 10 million people.
Pfizer expects to have 50 million doses globally in December. Half of them — or enough for 12.5 million people — are earmarked for the U.S.
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This week, a different panel of U.S. experts, established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, will meet to decide how initial supplies will be given out. They’re expected to reserve scarce first doses for health care workers and, if the shots work well enough in the frail elderly, for residents of long-term care facilities. As more vaccine gradually becomes available in coming months, other essential workers and people at highest risk from the coronavirus would get in line. But enough for the general population isn’t expected until at least spring.
Outside the U.S., Zaks said significant supplies from Moderna would be available later, “in the first quarter” of next year.
“Obviously we are doing everything in our power to increase the capacity and accelerate the timelines,” he said.
Both Moderna’s and Pfizer’s vaccines are made with the same technology, using a piece of genetic code for the “spike” protein that studs the virus. That messenger RNA, or mRNA, instructs the body to make some harmless spike protein, training immune cells to recognize it if the real virus eventually comes along.
ASTRAZENECA CONFUSION
AstraZeneca last week announced confusing early results of its vaccine candidate from research in Britain and Brazil.
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That vaccine appears 62% effective when tested as originally intended, with recipients given two full doses. But because of a manufacturing error, a small number of volunteers got a lower first dose — and AstraZeneca said in that group, the vaccine appeared to be 90% effective.
Experts say it’s unclear why the lower-dose approach would work better and that it may just be a statistical quirk.
A larger U.S. study of the AstraZeneca candidate still is underway that should eventually give the FDA a better picture of how well it works. The FDA has said any COVID-19 vaccine would have to be at least 50% effective.
Meanwhile Britain’s government will have to decide whether its U.K. data is sufficient for an early rollout there.
STILL IN THE PIPELINE
Johnson & Johnson also is in final-stage testing in the U.S. and several other countries to see if its vaccine candidate could work with just one dose.
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Both the J&J and AstraZeneca vaccines work by using harmless cold viruses to carry the spike protein gene into the body and prime the immune system.
The different technologies have ramifications for how easily different vaccines could be distributed globally. The AstraZeneca shots won’t require freezer storage like the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.
Candidates made with still other technologies are in late-stage testing, too. Another U.S. company, Novavax Inc., announced Monday that it has finished enrolling 15,000 people in a late-stage study in Britain and plans to begin recruiting even more volunteers for final testing in the U.S. and Mexico “in the coming weeks.”
Vaccines made by three Chinese companies and a Russian candidate also are being tested in thousands of people in countries around the world.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-30--Trump's Rallies Didn't Pay Off For Him At The Polls, According To Data

President Donald Trump ’ s largely maskless campaign rallies may have boosted the spread of COVID-19 , but they didn ’ t serve Trump well at the polls , according to a ballot analysis by NBC News .
In an overwhelming number of cases , Trump came up short of his 2016 victory margins in the counties where he held rallies in the two weeks before the election , NBC reported .
In a significant number of cases , he either increased his negative margins or lost the counties to rival Joe Biden that he won the last time around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ final two weeks before the election in states from Arizona to Nebraska to Pennsylvania , NBC noted .
Trump won larger victory margins than he did in 2016 in just five of the counties .
In the rest , his negative margins grew and his positive margins shrunk , so much so that some counties flipped blue .
NBC cautioned that Trump may have done even worse in some cases without the rallies .
But the findings present a clear warning against gauging national , or even state , popularity based on rally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who would vote for a candidate in any case .
The rallies also represent a minuscule fraction of the vote .
Trump and his sons Eric and Donald Trump Jr. have repeatedly expressed astonishment that Trump lost the election , given the president ’ s campaign schedule and the enthusiasm of people attending his rallies .
Eric Trump is perplexed that anyone could believe the results , according to a tweet he posted Saturday .
People responding informed him that rallies are not necessarily a reliable barometer of voter support and that votes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Yes Eric .
In fact , most of us agreed months ago that we did n't need to attend one stupid rally to vote for Biden .
Our coalition of voters were DEMs , Republicans , IND , 1st time voters , and those who sat out the last election .
And your dad was the shittiest candidate EVER .
— BrooklynDad_Defiant !
( @ mmpadellan ) November 28 , 2020 What the rallies did accomplish was to increase COVID-19 infections , according to research from Stanford University .
The research conservatively @ @ @ @ @ @ @ least 700 deaths — and counting .
Some 30,000 people became sick with the virus because of the rallies and may face lifelong health problems .
Communities that hosted Trump ’ s events “ paid a high price in terms of disease and death , ” the researchers concluded in a working paper .
Few of those attending Trump ’ s packed rallies wore masks and clearly did not observe social distancing guidelines .
In a number of cases , Trump angrily ignored COVID-19 regulations and pleas from local officials not to hold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Joe Biden ’ s far lower campaign profile was an attempt to limit exposure to help stem the spread of COVID-19 .

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President Donald Trump’s largely maskless campaign rallies may have boosted the spread of COVID-19, but they didn’t serve Trump well at the polls, according to a ballot analysis by NBC News.
In an overwhelming number of cases, Trump came up short of his 2016 victory margins in the counties where he held rallies in the two weeks before the election, NBC reported. In a significant number of cases, he either increased his negative margins or lost the counties to rival Joe Biden that he won the last time around.
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Trump held 30 campaign rallies the final two weeks before the election in states from Arizona to Nebraska to Pennsylvania, NBC noted. Trump won larger victory margins than he did in 2016 in just five of the counties. In the rest, his negative margins grew and his positive margins shrunk, so much so that some counties flipped blue.
NBC cautioned that Trump may have done even worse in some cases without the rallies.
But the findings present a clear warning against gauging national, or even state, popularity based on rally turnouts, which tend to draw those who would vote for a candidate in any case. The rallies also represent a minuscule fraction of the vote.
Trump and his sons Eric and Donald Trump Jr. have repeatedly expressed astonishment that Trump lost the election, given the president’s campaign schedule and the enthusiasm of people attending his rallies.
Eric Trump is perplexed that anyone could believe the results, according to a tweet he posted Saturday. People responding informed him that rallies are not necessarily a reliable barometer of voter support and that votes and rally attendance are not the same.
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Does anyone believe that Biden got 15 million more votes than Obama in 2012? This from a candidate who would go days/weeks while hardly campaigning. — Eric Trump (@EricTrump) November 28, 2020
Yes Eric. In fact, most of us agreed months ago that we didn't need to attend one stupid rally to vote for Biden. Our coalition of voters were DEMs, Republicans, IND, 1st time voters, and those who sat out the last election.
And your dad was the shittiest candidate EVER. — BrooklynDad_Defiant! (@mmpadellan) November 28, 2020
We showed up at the ballots not the rallies — Irishrygirl (@irishrygirl) November 28, 2020
What the rallies did accomplish was to increase COVID-19 infections, according to research from Stanford University. The research conservatively tied Trump’s rallies to at least 700 deaths — and counting. Some 30,000 people became sick with the virus because of the rallies and may face lifelong health problems. Communities that hosted Trump’s events “paid a high price in terms of disease and death,” the researchers concluded in a working paper.
Few of those attending Trump’s packed rallies wore masks and clearly did not observe social distancing guidelines. In a number of cases, Trump angrily ignored COVID-19 regulations and pleas from local officials not to hold the dangerous rallies as COVID-19 cases surged.
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Joe Biden’s far lower campaign profile was an attempt to limit exposure to help stem the spread of COVID-19.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-30--Pa. State Senator Doug Mastriano Leaves Meeting With Trump After Testing Positive For COVID-19

Republican state Sen. Doug Mastriano had gone to the White House last Wednesday with like-minded Republican state lawmakers shortly after a four-hour-plus public meeting that Mastriano helped host in Gettysburg — maskless — to discuss efforts to overturn President-elect Joe Biden ’ s victory in the state .
Trump told Mastriano that White House medical personnel would take care of him , his son and his son ’ s friend , who were also there for the Oval Office meeting and tested positive .
The meeting continued after Mastriano and the others left , the person said .
Positive coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the nation ’ s top infectious disease expert said Sunday that the U.S. may see “ surge upon surge ” in the coming weeks .
The number of new COVID-19 cases reported in the United States topped 200,000 for the first time Friday .
Everyone who will be in close proximity to the president must take a rapid test .
Trump was himself hospitalized in October after he contracted the virus .
Dozens of White House staffers and others close to the president have also tested positive , including the first lady @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sons .
All participants in Wednesday ’ s meeting took COVID-19 tests , but the positive results were not announced until they were in the West Wing of the White House , the person said .
“ The president instantly called the White House doctor in and he took them back to , I guess , the medical place , ” the person said .
The meeting with Trump was to strategize about efforts regarding the election , the person said .
Mastriano sought the meeting of the Pennsylvania Senate Republican Policy Committee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rudy Giuliani , a second Trump lawyer , several witnesses and a crowd of onlookers .
Only a few of them were masked .
The committee let Giuliani and others , for several hours , air their beliefs that there had been problems with how the Pennsylvania vote was conducted and counted .
All claims were baseless ; no evidence was presented to support any of the allegations they made .
Trump even participated , calling from the White House while one of his lawyers held a phone up to a microphone .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ fraud he ’ s been tweeting about for weeks .
Those beliefs have persisted despite Trump losing repeatedly in state and federal courts , including a Philadelphia-based federal appeals court ’ s decision Friday that said the Trump campaign ’ s “ claims have no merit , ” and a state Supreme Court decision Saturday that threw out a legal challenge to the election and effort to stop certification of its results .
“ I ’ ve received some conflicting information that I ’ m trying to resolve , ” Argall said in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my understanding a Senate statement later today will help us all to understand this better.
” The person with knowledge of the White House visit said several people rode in a large van from Gettysburg , where the policy committee met in a hotel , to the White House .
Mastriano , his son and his son ’ s friend drove in another vehicle .
It ’ s not clear why Mastriano ’ s son and his friend accompanied the state senator to the meeting , which the person said was also attended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chief of staff , Mark Meadows , who tested positive in early November .
He has led rallies where he advocated to reopen businesses despite the risk of infection and he has repeatedly and sharply denounced Wolf ’ s orders .
Mastriano also spoke to a few thousand Trump supporters who gathered outside the Capitol on Nov. 7 , hours after Democrat Joe Biden ’ s national win became evident .

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A Pennsylvania state senator abruptly left a West Wing meeting with President Donald Trump after being informed he had tested positive for the coronavirus, a person with direct knowledge of the meeting told The Associated Press.
Republican state Sen. Doug Mastriano had gone to the White House last Wednesday with like-minded Republican state lawmakers shortly after a four-hour-plus public meeting that Mastriano helped host in Gettysburg — maskless — to discuss efforts to overturn President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in the state.
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Trump told Mastriano that White House medical personnel would take care of him, his son and his son’s friend, who were also there for the Oval Office meeting and tested positive. The meeting continued after Mastriano and the others left, the person said.
The person spoke to the AP on Sunday on the condition of anonymity to discuss the private session because the matter is politically sensitive.
Positive coronavirus cases are surging across the United States and the nation’s top infectious disease expert said Sunday that the U.S. may see “surge upon surge” in the coming weeks. The number of new COVID-19 cases reported in the United States topped 200,000 for the first time Friday.
Everyone who will be in close proximity to the president must take a rapid test. Trump was himself hospitalized in October after he contracted the virus. Dozens of White House staffers and others close to the president have also tested positive, including the first lady and two of the president’s sons.
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All participants in Wednesday’s meeting took COVID-19 tests, but the positive results were not announced until they were in the West Wing of the White House, the person said.
Doug Mastriano speaking at a protest in April 2020. Rachel Wisniewski / Reuters
“The president instantly called the White House doctor in and he took them back to, I guess, the medical place,” the person said. The meeting with Trump was to strategize about efforts regarding the election, the person said.
After Mastriano and the others left, the discussion with Trump continued for about a half-hour. Mastriano did not return to the meeting.
Mastriano sought the meeting of the Pennsylvania Senate Republican Policy Committee earlier Wednesday that drew Trump personal attorney Rudy Giuliani, a second Trump lawyer, several witnesses and a crowd of onlookers. Only a few of them were masked.
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The committee let Giuliani and others, for several hours, air their beliefs that there had been problems with how the Pennsylvania vote was conducted and counted. All claims were baseless; no evidence was presented to support any of the allegations they made.
Trump even participated, calling from the White House while one of his lawyers held a phone up to a microphone. He reiterated the same unfounded claims of fraud he’s been tweeting about for weeks.
Those beliefs have persisted despite Trump losing repeatedly in state and federal courts, including a Philadelphia-based federal appeals court’s decision Friday that said the Trump campaign’s “claims have no merit,” and a state Supreme Court decision Saturday that threw out a legal challenge to the election and effort to stop certification of its results.
Mastriano, a conservative from a rural district in central Pennsylvania and outspoken Trump supporter, did not return several messages left Sunday seeking comment.
Republican state Sen. Dave Argall, who chairs the policy committee, declined Sunday in a text message to discuss Mastriano’s medical condition and the White House visit.
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“I’ve received some conflicting information that I’m trying to resolve,” Argall said in the text. “It’s my understanding a Senate statement later today will help us all to understand this better.”
Argall said he would not talk publicly about the matter “until I know more.”
Senate Republican spokeswoman Kate Flessner declined comment, describing it as a personnel matter.
The person with knowledge of the White House visit said several people rode in a large van from Gettysburg, where the policy committee met in a hotel, to the White House. Mastriano, his son and his son’s friend drove in another vehicle.
It’s not clear why Mastriano’s son and his friend accompanied the state senator to the meeting, which the person said was also attended by Trump and the president’s chief of staff, Mark Meadows, who tested positive in early November.
Mastriano has aggressively opposed policies under the administration of Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus and keep people safe.
He has led rallies where he advocated to reopen businesses despite the risk of infection and he has repeatedly and sharply denounced Wolf’s orders. Mastriano also spoke to a few thousand Trump supporters who gathered outside the Capitol on Nov. 7, hours after Democrat Joe Biden’s national win became evident.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-29--Biden Expected To Name Senior Members Of Economic Team

WASHINGTON ( Reuters ) - President-elect Joe Biden is expected to name former Obama administration adviser Neera Tanden as director of the White House budget office , and economist Cecilia Rouse as chair of the Council of Economic Advisers as soon as Monday , according to a person familiar with the process .
Biden is also expected to pick Wally Adeyemo , who was senior international economic adviser under President Barack Obama , to serve as Janet Yellen ’ s top deputy at the Treasury Department .
Economists Jared Bernstein and Heather Boushey are expected to be named as members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the person said .
Biden ’ s economic picks have been the subject of a tug-of-war between Democratic centrists , who mainly want a return to expertise and competence , and progressives , who want dramatic steps to fulfill a key Democratic campaign promise to make U.S. capitalism fairer for all .
The nominations of Tanden , Rouse and Adeyemo require Senate confirmation .
But this time , the economic blow dealt by the coronavirus pandemic has laid bare dramatic wealth and racial disparities that progressives want Biden ’ s team to tackle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him to shun corporate lobbyists and prioritize diverse picks .
The economic selections so far represent “ broad diversity , deep expertise , long Washington experience , ” said Matt Bennett , co-founder of centrist Democratic political consultancy Third Way , and “ a return to competence and sanity.
” They are “ not deeply ideological , ” he said .
The appointment of Tanden , who heads the Center for American Progress left-leaning think tank , is likely to draw some criticism from the left .
Tanden , who was a healthcare @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adviser to Democrat Hillary Clinton , sparred with the progressive camp over the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination .
Rouse , a labor economist at Princeton University whose research has focused on the economics of education and tackling wealth inequality , is well-liked by progressives .
She previously served as a member of Obama ’ s Council of Economic Advisers .
Rouse has criticized the Trump administration ’ s economic response to the pandemic , noting in an April Princeton University podcast that small-business aid had fallen short .
She also spoke in favor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their employers , and expressed concern about the impact the pandemic would have on worsening income disparity .
Adeyemo was a senior White House national security adviser for international economics during the Obama administration , as well as a top aide to former Treasury Secretary Jack Lew .
He is currently president of the Obama Foundation .
He was tasked here with calculating and explaining how many jobs Obama ’ s hard-fought recovery act saved in 2009 , and was widely expected to have a similarly prominent role in a Biden administration .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ how inequality can hinder economic growth .
The chief executive and co-founder of the Washington Center for Equitable Growth , a progressive economic think tank , Boushey has been working with the Biden team as an unofficial economic adviser .
Nearly 14 million Americans are receiving unemployment benefits that expire on Dec. 26 , and the coronavirus ’ continued surge means there is no telling when they might be able to go back to work .
Biden ’ s economic agenda is likely to focus on getting the country past the coronavirus crisis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issue .
A lot will depend on passage of a pandemic relief package and the distribution of a vaccine that is expected in early 2021 .
After that will follow what Bernstein described before the election as the “ more permanent lasting agenda ” of investments in clean energy and broadening healthcare coverage .

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WILMINGTON (AP) — President-elect Joe Biden on Monday announced his senior economic team, including his plans to nominate the first woman to head the Treasury Department as well as a slew of liberal economists and policy specialists who established their credentials during the previous two Democratic administrations.
In a statement, Biden said he would nominate Janet Yellen, the former Federal Reserve chair, to lead the Treasury Department, and former Clinton and Obama adviser Neera Tanden to serve as director of the Office of Management and Budget. He also named Wally Adeyemo, a former Obama administration official and the first CEO of the former president’s nonprofit foundation, as his nominee for Deputy Treasury Secretary, He also unveiled his White House economic team, consisting of economists Cecilia Rouse, Jared Bernstein and Heather Boushey.
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Biden, who has placed a premium on diversity in his selection of Cabinet nominees and key advisers, is looking to notch at least a few firsts with his economic team selections. Yellen would be the first woman to lead the Treasury Department and Adeyemo the first Black deputy secretary. Tanden would be the first woman of color to lead OMB and Rouse the first woman of color to chair the Council of Economic Advisers.
“As we get to work to control the virus, this is the team that will deliver immediate economic relief for the American people during this economic crisis and help us build our economy back better than ever,” Biden said in a statement.
Yellen became Federal Reserve chair in 2014 when the economy was still recovering from the devastating Great Recession. In the late 1990s, she was President Bill Clinton’s top economic adviser during the Asian financial crisis. Under Biden she would lead the Treasury Department with the economy in the grip of a surging pandemic.
If confirmed, Yellen would become the first woman to lead the Treasury Department in its nearly 232-year history. She would inherit an economy with still-high unemployment, escalating threats to small businesses and signs that consumers are retrenching as the pandemic restricts or discourages spending.
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Tanden is the president and CEO of the liberal think tank Center for American Progress. She was the director of domestic policy for the Obama-Biden presidential campaign, but she first made her mark in the Clinton orbit.
Tanden served as policy director for Hillary Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign. Before that, she served as legislative director in Clinton’s Senate office and deputy campaign manager and issues director for Clinton’s 2000 Senate campaign. She also served as a senior policy adviser in the Bill Clinton administration.
If confirmed, she would be the first woman of color and the first South Asian woman to lead the OMB, the agency that oversees the federal budget.
But Senate Republicans are signaling they’ll oppose confirmation. Late Sunday a spokesman for GOP Sen. John Cornyn of Texas tweeted that Tanden “stands zero chance of being confirmed.” And Josh Holmes, a political adviser to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, tweeted that confirmation was likely doomed. Republicans hold the edge in the current Senate, although next year’s majority won’t be decided until Jan. 5 runoffs in two races involving GOP incumbents in Georgia.
Rouse is a labor economist and head of Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs. She served on the CEA from 2009 to 2011, and served on the NEC from 1998 to 1999 in the Clinton administration.
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Notably, she organized a letter earlier this year signed by more than 100 economists calling for more government action to mitigate the fallout for Americans caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
Rouse, who is Black, would be the first woman of color to chair the CEA.
Biden is also expected to name Heather Boushey, the president and CEO of the Washington Center for Equitable Growth, and Jared Bernstein, who served as an economic adviser to Biden during the Obama administration, to serve on the council. Both Boushey and Bernstein advised Biden during the presidential campaign.
___


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-29--Trump Team Would Get Its 'Clock Cleaned' At Supreme Court, Scoffs Pennsylvania's Lt. Gov.

Pennsylvania Lt. Gov .
John Fetterman laughed off the “ losing ” legal challenges by President Donald Trump and his campaign and warned that they would get their “ clock cleaned ” if they get a case to the U.S. Supreme Court .
The Trump campaign and supporters lost two key Pennsylvania cases in a week this month .
U.S. District Court Judge Matthew W. Brann blasted a suit to block votes “ without merit ” — or evidence of any fraud .
In another ruling Saturday , the Pennsylvania Supreme Court unanimously tossed a lawsuit by Rep. John Kelly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the legitimacy of mail-in ballots .
Asked on CNN late Saturday if he was worried about an appeal to the top court , Fetterman smiled and responded : “ I hope they do .
They ’ re gon na get their clock cleaned there the way they did here in Pennsylvania.
” Fetterman said that when it comes time to produce any evidence to back up the campaign ’ s baseless accusations of fraud , “ they talk about how they have a sworn affidavit from someone who heard a cousin ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ something on Facebook ... which of course gets shredded in every courtroom that they ’ re dumb enough to step into.
” Joe Biden ’ s “ going to be the next president of the United States , ” Fetterman declared .
“ These lies that are only meant to destroy and damage the American franchise have been rejected time and time again.
” The wrangling is continuing , he said , because Republicans have to deal with a vengeful president and are under pressure to “ pander to the snake-handling , lunatic @ @ @ @ @ @

Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman laughed off the “losing” legal challenges by President Donald Trump and his campaign and warned that they would get their “clock cleaned” if they get a case to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Fetterman, a Democrat, disdainfully referred to the team’s baseless claims of election fraud as “snake handling.”
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Asked on CNN late Saturday if he was worried about an appeal to the top court, Fetterman smiled and responded: “I hope they do. They’re gonna get their clock cleaned there the way they did here in Pennsylvania.”
Fetterman said that when it comes time to produce any evidence to back up the campaign’s baseless accusations of fraud, “they talk about how they have a sworn affidavit from someone who heard a cousin’s girlfriend at work [who] read something on Facebook ... which of course gets shredded in every courtroom that they’re dumb enough to step into.”
Joe Biden’s “going to be the next president of the United States,” Fetterman declared. “These lies that are only meant to destroy and damage the American franchise have been rejected time and time again.”
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The wrangling is continuing, he said, because Republicans have to deal with a vengeful president and are under pressure to “pander to the snake-handling, lunatic fringe of the party.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-30--Fired Official Chris Krebs: Americans Should Have '100% Confidence' In Election Results

Chris Krebs , the former top cybersecurity official who was fired by President Donald Trump earlier this month , said ongoing claims from the White House undercutting the results of the 2020 election were “ dangerous ” and “ nonsense ” while maintaining Americans should have “ 100 % confidence in their vote.
” The former official made the comments on Sunday ’ s edition of “ 60 Minutes , ” saying he had full confidence in the security of the election after spending years working to defend votes from foreign interference .
The president appointed Krebs , a lifelong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ago .
“ Look … we can go on and on with all the farcical claims alleging interference in the 2020 election , but the proof is in the ballots , ” Krebs said Sunday .
“ The recounts are consistent with the initial count , and to me , that ’ s further evidence , that ’ s confirmation that the systems used in the 2020 election performed as expected , and the American people should have 100 % confidence in their vote.
” “ We can go on and on with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 2020 election , but the proof is in the ballots .
The recounts are consistent with the initial count , ” says Krebs .
“ The American people should have 100 % confidence in their vote.
” https : //t.co/SBqu3FlK6S pic.twitter.com/5ZMHcnLGYa — 60 Minutes ( @ 60Minutes ) November 30 , 2020 President-elect Joe Biden has been declared the winner of the election by media outlets and the results of the contest will be certified in mid-December before his inauguration on Jan. 20 .
Trump has so far refused to concede the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , legal or otherwise , have succeeded in changing the outcome in any state .
Trump fired Krebs earlier this month after the agency he headed , the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency ( CISA ) , said publicly it found no evidence of votes being deleted , lost or compromised in any way , despite the president ’ s ongoing ( and false ) claims to the contrary .
“ The recent statement by Chris Krebs on the security of the 2020 Election was highly inaccurate , in that there were massive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Twitter , before announcing Krebs had been “ terminated.
” The president continued his attacks against Krebs as the interview with “ 60 Minutes ” aired on Sunday , saying the program “ never asked ” the White House for comment about “ their ridiculous , one side story on election security.
” Krebs said despite Trump ’ s claims of widespread fraud , election officials worked for years to ensure the security of the election , pointing to figures that show 95 % of ballots cast in 2020 were paper ballots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any discrepancies or challenges .
“ Paper ballots give you the ability to audit , to go back and check the tape and make sure that you got the count right .
And that ’ s really one of the keys to success for a secure 2020 election , ” Krebs said Sunday .
He pointed to a hand recount of ballots in Georgia , saying the results there were verified and showed no signs of tampering .
“ That tells you that there was no manipulation of the vote on the machine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ And so that pretty thoroughly , in my opinion , debunks some of these sensational claims out there — that I ’ ve called nonsense and a hoax , that there is some hacking of these election vendors and their software and their systems across the country .
It ’ s just― it ’ s nonsense.
” Asked about his firing , Krebs said that he wasn ’ t “ necessarily surprised , ” but it wasn ’ t how he wanted to go out and he was upset he didn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ team .

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Chris Krebs, the former top cybersecurity official who was fired by President Donald Trump earlier this month, said ongoing claims from the White House undercutting the results of the 2020 election were “dangerous” and “nonsense” while maintaining Americans should have “100% confidence in their vote.”
The former official made the comments on Sunday’s edition of “60 Minutes,” saying he had full confidence in the security of the election after spending years working to defend votes from foreign interference. The president appointed Krebs, a lifelong Republican, to his role two years ago.
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“Look … we can go on and on with all the farcical claims alleging interference in the 2020 election, but the proof is in the ballots,” Krebs said Sunday. “The recounts are consistent with the initial count, and to me, that’s further evidence, that’s confirmation that the systems used in the 2020 election performed as expected, and the American people should have 100% confidence in their vote.”
“We can go on and on with all the farcical claims alleging interference in the 2020 election, but the proof is in the ballots. The recounts are consistent with the initial count,” says Krebs. “The American people should have 100% confidence in their vote.” https://t.co/SBqu3FlK6S pic.twitter.com/5ZMHcnLGYa — 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) November 30, 2020
President-elect Joe Biden has been declared the winner of the election by media outlets and the results of the contest will be certified in mid-December before his inauguration on Jan. 20. Trump has so far refused to concede the race even though none of his challenges, legal or otherwise, have succeeded in changing the outcome in any state.
Trump fired Krebs earlier this month after the agency he headed, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), said publicly it found no evidence of votes being deleted, lost or compromised in any way, despite the president’s ongoing (and false) claims to the contrary.
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“The recent statement by Chris Krebs on the security of the 2020 Election was highly inaccurate, in that there were massive improprieties and fraud,” Trump wrote on Twitter, before announcing Krebs had been “terminated.”
The president continued his attacks against Krebs as the interview with “60 Minutes” aired on Sunday, saying the program “never asked” the White House for comment about “their ridiculous, one side story on election security.”
He also continued to air unfounded and debunked claims about fraud related to voting machines and mail-in ballots (the missive was promptly marked as disputed by Twitter).
Krebs said despite Trump’s claims of widespread fraud, election officials worked for years to ensure the security of the election, pointing to figures that show 95% of ballots cast in 2020 were paper ballots and therefore easily auditable should there be any discrepancies or challenges.
Paper ballots were CISA’s number one priority for the 2020 election: “Paper ballots give you the ability to…go back… and make sure that you got the count right,” says Chris Krebs. “95% of the ballots cast in the 2020 election had a paper record.” https://t.co/K5JX9epSTR pic.twitter.com/00hwGesjP0 — 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) November 30, 2020
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“Paper ballots give you the ability to audit, to go back and check the tape and make sure that you got the count right. And that’s really one of the keys to success for a secure 2020 election,” Krebs said Sunday. He pointed to a hand recount of ballots in Georgia, saying the results there were verified and showed no signs of tampering.
“That tells you that there was no manipulation of the vote on the machine count side,” he added. “And so that pretty thoroughly, in my opinion, debunks some of these sensational claims out there — that I’ve called nonsense and a hoax, that there is some hacking of these election vendors and their software and their systems across the country. It’s just― it’s nonsense.”
Asked about his firing, Krebs said that he wasn’t “necessarily surprised,” but it wasn’t how he wanted to go out and he was upset he didn’t get to say goodbye to his team.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-30--Joe Biden Scheduled To Get First Intelligence Briefing Monday

President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris are scheduled to have their first daily presidential intelligence briefing Monday after a nearly four-week delay triggered by Donald Trump ’ s challenges to the election results .
Ever since Richard Nixon won the 1968 election , presidents-elect have been quickly included in the Daily Presidential Brief , often the day after the election — until now , reported Bloomberg .
The process was held up in part this time because of lengthier vote counts due to the large number of mail-in ballots amid the COVID-19 pandemic .
But the delay grew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after lawsuit to hold up result certifications and demanded recounts .
Biden is familiar with the briefing process .
He received the Daily Presidential Brief for eight years as Barack Obama ’ s vice president .
But Bloomberg points out that the materials he ’ ll see have been simplified for Trump .
Instead of presenting dense briefing reports , intelligence officials have modified the information for Trump to keep it short , with bullet points and interesting graphics , according to several news accounts and people who have participated in the briefings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : “ I like bullets or I like as little as possible .
I don ’ t need , you know , 200-page reports on something that can be handled on a page.
” Regardless of the presentation , Trump rarely reads the President ’ s Daily Brief — nor does he typically bother to attend intelligence briefings .
Biden announced last week that the briefings were back on track after General Services Administration head Emily Murphy finally officially ascertained Biden ’ s victory .
Now GSA can release millions of dollars in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ access to government officials and essential information and briefings .
As part of the administration transition , intelligence officials have set up a secure room in Biden ’ s hometown of Wilmington for the briefings , according to Bloomberg .
It was not immediately clear where Harris would be briefed .

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After the briefing Biden, plans to meet with his advisers, Reuters reported.
Ever since Richard Nixon won the 1968 election, presidents-elect have been quickly included in the Daily Presidential Brief, often the day after the election — until now, reported Bloomberg.
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The process was held up in part this time because of lengthier vote counts due to the large number of mail-in ballots amid the COVID-19 pandemic. But the delay grew as Trump and his campaign filed lawsuit after lawsuit to hold up result certifications and demanded recounts.
Critics complained that Trump’s delaying tactics to slow the transition to a Biden administration threatened national security.
Biden is familiar with the briefing process. He received the Daily Presidential Brief for eight years as Barack Obama’s vice president.
But Bloomberg points out that the materials he’ll see have been simplified for Trump. Instead of presenting dense briefing reports, intelligence officials have modified the information for Trump to keep it short, with bullet points and interesting graphics, according to several news accounts and people who have participated in the briefings.
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Trump told Axios in an interview: “I like bullets or I like as little as possible. I don’t need, you know, 200-page reports on something that can be handled on a page.”
Regardless of the presentation, Trump rarely reads the President’s Daily Brief — nor does he typically bother to attend intelligence briefings.
Biden announced last week that the briefings were back on track after General Services Administration head Emily Murphy finally officially ascertained Biden’s victory. Now GSA can release millions of dollars in transition funds, as well as provide access to government officials and essential information and briefings.
As part of the administration transition, intelligence officials have set up a secure room in Biden’s hometown of Wilmington for the briefings, according to Bloomberg.
It was not immediately clear where Harris would be briefed.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-30--'Stop The Stupid': GOP Lawmaker Pleads With Trump To Drop Election Lies

A Republican House member from Michigan launched his own hashtag trend Sunday , pleading with President Donald Trump to “ stop the stupid ” and drop his bogus attempts to overturn the election .
“ Oh my God , ” Rep. Paul Mitchell ( R-Mich. ) tweeted about Trump ’ s latest false allegations , similar to the ones he ’ s been repeating without evidence since he lost to President-elect Joe Biden .
“ Please for the sake of our Nation please drop these argument without evidence of factual basis , ” Mitchell wrote .
Oh my God .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of our Nation please drop these arguments without evidence or factual basis .
# stopthestupid https : //t.co/IMMImXrckV — Rep. Paul Mitchell ( @ RepPaulMitchell ) November 30 , 2020 Mitchell was responding to Trump ’ s Sunday evening tweet : “ We have some big things happening in our various litigations on the Election hoax , ” Trump wrote , adding : “ Everybody knows it was Rigged.
” Mitchell earlier this month urged Trump acknowledge his loss and “ deal with it ” — for the “ good of the nation.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ tweets about the election , Twitter marked his new claim as “ disputed.
” Trump and his campaign have lost dozens of lawsuits challenging election results .
A perturbed federal judge in Philadelphia — appointed by the president — last week slapped down one of the suits as “ without merit ” or evidence .
Many responding to Mitchell on Twitter praised his comment to Trump .
He also got a shout-out from attorney George Conway , the never-Trump husband of former White House counselor Kellyanne Conway .
so critical to have a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the nation .
Please lead the way toward civil discourse , compromise , statesmanship and collaborative government for this great country .
— Nicholas Morrissey MD FACS ( @ realMorrisseyMD ) November 30 , 2020 He is your guy .
Unless you get your whole team to disavow him and his ridiculous behavior , you remain complicit .
— azpublic 😷 # MaskUpAZ 👊🏽👊🏻👊🏿 # DemCastAZ ( @ azpublic1 ) November 30 , 2020 Thank you , Congressman .
We need more people on your side speaking out against this blatant insanity and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we can survive as a democracy .
— TrumpsTaxes ( @ TrumpsTaxes ) November 30 , 2020 Yeah I ’ m not thanking anyone who has done the BARE MINIMUM of the right thing , the damage is done .
— claire ⁷| blm ( @ chuudivision ) November 30 , 2020

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A Republican House member from Michigan launched his own hashtag trend Sunday, pleading with President Donald Trump to “stop the stupid” and drop his bogus attempts to overturn the election.
“Oh my God,” Rep. Paul Mitchell (R-Mich.) tweeted about Trump’s latest false allegations, similar to the ones he’s been repeating without evidence since he lost to President-elect Joe Biden.
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“Please for the sake of our Nation please drop these argument without evidence of factual basis,” Mitchell wrote.
Oh my God. .@realDonaldTrump Please for the sake of our Nation please drop these arguments without evidence or factual basis. #stopthestupid https://t.co/IMMImXrckV — Rep. Paul Mitchell (@RepPaulMitchell) November 30, 2020
Mitchell was responding to Trump’s Sunday evening tweet: “We have some big things happening in our various litigations on the Election hoax,” Trump wrote, adding: “Everybody knows it was Rigged.”
Mitchell earlier this month urged Trump acknowledge his loss and “deal with it” — for the “good of the nation.”
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As with nearly everything Trump now tweets about the election, Twitter marked his new claim as “disputed.”
Trump and his campaign have lost dozens of lawsuits challenging election results. A perturbed federal judge in Philadelphia — appointed by the president — last week slapped down one of the suits as “without merit” or evidence.
Many responding to Mitchell on Twitter praised his comment to Trump. He also got a shout-out from attorney George Conway, the never-Trump husband of former White House counselor Kellyanne Conway.
But others considered the criticism too-little, too-late.
Love this hashtag from a Republican member of Congress. #stopthestupid, indeed. https://t.co/Y3RRRdXzWZ — George Conway (@gtconway3d) November 30, 2020
so critical to have a rational Republican party for the health of the nation. Please lead the way toward civil discourse, compromise, statesmanship and collaborative government for this great country. — Nicholas Morrissey MD FACS (@realMorrisseyMD) November 30, 2020
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He is your guy. Unless you get your whole team to disavow him and his ridiculous behavior, you remain complicit. — azpublic 😷 #MaskUpAZ 👊🏽👊🏻👊🏿 #DemCastAZ (@azpublic1) November 30, 2020
Thank you, Congressman.
We need more people on your side speaking out against this blatant insanity and stupidity.
It's the only way we can survive as a democracy. — TrumpsTaxes (@TrumpsTaxes) November 30, 2020
Yeah I’m not thanking anyone who has done the BARE MINIMUM of the right thing, the damage is done. — claire ⁷| blm (@chuudivision) November 30, 2020
A Republican member of Congress has told Trump to #stopthestupid!
Who am I to argue? — Brian O'Sullivan (@osullivanauthor) November 30, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-30--Here's Your 2020 Christmas Playlist With The Best New Holiday Tunes

Sick of the same old Christmas songs , over and over and over again ?
This holiday season is already shaping up to be a banner year for original tunes , from big names and indie artists alike .
Dolly Parton took time from helping fund the effort to create a coronavirus vaccine to craft her first new Christmas album since 1990 .
The dozen tracks on “ A Holly Dolly Christmas ” are evenly split between covers of tunes such as “ All I Want for Christmas Is You ” ( performed with “ Tonight Show ” host Jimmy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Cuddle Up , Cozy Down Christmas , ” a duet with Michael Bublé : Leslie Odom Jr. ― who originated the Aaron Burr role in the Broadway sensation “ Hamilton , ” dropped his second holiday effort in four years with “ The Christmas Album.
” “ Of all that I ’ ve done and created post-Hamilton , I hear about the Christmas album almost more than anything else , ” he wrote .
The disc is heavy in classics such as “ Silent Night , ” but also features a duet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Hallelujah ” : A number of indie artists have also released coronavirus-tinged holiday tracks , and the Christmas A Go Go website has collections of them here , here and here .
Christmas A Go Go also spotted this track from New Ron , a virtually unknown pop-rock duo consisting of Kevin Harvey and Zac Lavender : Lil Nas X puts his own spin on a futuristic Santa in the wild video for his new track , “ Holiday , ” which jumped into the Billboard Top 40 right after its release @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It ’ s Christmas All Over , ” with the title referring to a cover of the Tom Petty holiday classic , “ Christmas All Over Again.
” The disc also features a pair of new tracks , “ You Ain ’ t Getting Nothin ’ ” and “ This Is Christmas ” : Reggae-dance hall artist Shaggy released his own holiday effort , “ Christmas In The Islands , ” putting a Caribbean spin on classics such as “ I ’ ll Be Home For Christmas ” and “ Have Yourself A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Sara are as awesome as ever with their LGBTQ-friendly tune “ Make You Mine This Season , ” done for the “ Happiest Season ” soundtrack : Taylor Mac released a disc based on the annual “ Holiday Sauce ” extravaganza , featuring originals , covers and some unique mashups , such as this mix of The Velvet Underground ’ s “ All Tomorrow ’ s Parties ” with “ Little Drummer Boy ” : Meghan Trainor brings Earth , Wind & Fire in for a celebration in “ Holidays , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A Very Trainor Christmas ” : And from the “ if only this were real ” category , Chris Stapleton did a mock ad for a quarantine-themed holiday record for Jimmy Kimmel :

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Sick of the same old Christmas songs, over and over and over again?
This holiday season is already shaping up to be a banner year for original tunes, from big names and indie artists alike.
Dolly Parton took time from helping fund the effort to create a coronavirus vaccine to craft her first new Christmas album since 1990.
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The dozen tracks on “A Holly Dolly Christmas” are evenly split between covers of tunes such as “All I Want for Christmas Is You” (performed with “Tonight Show” host Jimmy Fallon) and Parton originals such as “Cuddle Up, Cozy Down Christmas,” a duet with Michael Bublé:
Leslie Odom Jr. ― who originated the Aaron Burr role in the Broadway sensation “Hamilton,” dropped his second holiday effort in four years with “The Christmas Album.”
He said on Twitter that 2016′s “Simply Christmas” quickly became a fan favorite.
“Of all that I’ve done and created post-Hamilton, I hear about the Christmas album almost more than anything else,” he wrote.
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His new record is mostly covers, but includes a handful of originals including “Snow”:
Norway’s Bendik Braenne teamed up with Emilie Nicolas, also of Norway, for the wistful Christmas tune “White Highway”:
Carrie Underwood released the first Christmas album of her career, “My Gift.”
The disc is heavy in classics such as “Silent Night,” but also features a duet with John Legend for the original track “Hallelujah”:
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Legend released his own holiday album, “A Legendary Christmas,” last year.
British pop star Robbie Williams put together a defiant holiday tune “Can’t Stop Christmas” that pretty much sums up a year of coronavirus shutdowns and quarantines.
“If you’re wondering what I’d like,” he sings, “socks and sanitizer will do fine.”
The track is a new addition to the re-release of Williams’ 2019 holiday album, “The Christmas Present.”
A number of indie artists have also released coronavirus-tinged holiday tracks, and the Christmas A Go Go website has collections of them here, here and here.
Christmas A Go Go also spotted this track from New Ron, a virtually unknown pop-rock duo consisting of Kevin Harvey and Zac Lavender:
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Lil Nas X puts his own spin on a futuristic Santa in the wild video for his new track, “Holiday,” which jumped into the Billboard Top 40 right after its release:
The Goo Goo Dolls released “It’s Christmas All Over,” with the title referring to a cover of the Tom Petty holiday classic, “Christmas All Over Again.”
The disc also features a pair of new tracks, “You Ain’t Getting Nothin’” and “This Is Christmas”:
Advertisement
Reggae-dance hall artist Shaggy released his own holiday effort, “Christmas In The Islands,” putting a Caribbean spin on classics such as “I’ll Be Home For Christmas” and “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas.”
The record also features a host of rousing originals, including “Holiday In Jamaica” with Ne-Yo and Ding Dong:
British indie artist Willie J. Healey’s “Merry Christmas” has a generic title, but an almost dreamlike quality in this track spotted by Christmas Underground:
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Canadian duo Tegan and Sara are as awesome as ever with their LGBTQ-friendly tune “Make You Mine This Season,” done for the “Happiest Season” soundtrack:
Taylor Mac released a disc based on the annual “Holiday Sauce” extravaganza, featuring originals, covers and some unique mashups, such as this mix of The Velvet Underground’s “All Tomorrow’s Parties” with “Little Drummer Boy”:
Meghan Trainor brings Earth, Wind & Fire in for a celebration in “Holidays,” one of six original tracks on “A Very Trainor Christmas”:
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The record also contains an assortment of standards, including Trainor’s take on “Holly Jolly Christmas.”
Keedron Bryant achieved national recognition over the summer at the age of 12 with his protest anthem “I Just Wanna Live.”
Now 13, he’s released Christmas EP “The Best Time Of Year,” which includes the optimistic original forward-looking tune “This Year”:
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Kurt Russell returns as Santa in the Netflix film “The Christmas Chronicles 2.”
The first flick featured a show-stopping prison number with Russell’s Santa backed by Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul for a take on “Santa Claus Is Back In Town.”
The sequel contains an original tune, “The Spirit of Christmas,” penned by Steven Van Zandt and performed by Russell and Darlene Love:
Houston’s Micah Edwards laments the end of the holidays in his retro-flavored R&B track “December 26”:
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-29--First Cat? Bidens Reportedly Bringing A Feline To The White House

The first family might include a cat for the first time in more than a decade when President-elect Joe Biden takes office .
Biden and his wife Jill said they will bring a cat into the White House along with their German shepherds Champ and Major , Jill Pauley of “ CBS Sunday Morning ” revealed in a clip tweeted on Friday .
Jill Biden has hinted that a kitty was in the cards before .
In an interview with Fox 5 in Washington , D.C. , earlier this month , she said she would “ love to get a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and breed are not yet known .
Socks the cat peers over the podium in the White House briefing room in Washington during the Clinton presidency in 1994 .
Biden fractured several bones in his foot on Saturday while playing with Major , his office said Sunday .
The Bidens ’ dog duo and cat will reinstitute the tradition of presidents keeping pets in the White House .
President Donald Trump was the first president in years not to have any .
Bo and Sunny walk on the tarmac by their handlers to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of President Barack Obama and his family in August , 2016 .
President George W. Bush ’ s family had three dogs and a cat : two Scottish terriers , Barney and Miss Beazley ; an English springer spaniel named Spot Fetcher ; and a black cat named India “ Willie ” Bush .
And before that , when Bill Clinton was in office , he shared the White House with a famous black and white cat named Socks , a stray who jumped into Chelsea Clinton ’ s arms in Arkansas .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Labrador , Buddy .
While the two apparently did not get along at all , they became the subject of a 1998 children ’ s book by then-First Lady Hillary Clinton titled “ Dear Socks , Dear Buddy : Kids ’ Letters to the First Pets .
”

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The first family might include a cat for the first time in more than a decade when President-elect Joe Biden takes office.
Biden and his wife Jill said they will bring a cat into the White House along with their German shepherds Champ and Major, Jane Pauley of “CBS Sunday Morning” revealed in a clip tweeted on Friday.
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Jill Biden has hinted that a kitty was in the cards before. In an interview with Fox 5 in Washington, D.C., earlier this month, she said she would “love to get a cat.”
“I love having animals around the house,” she said.
The cat’s name and breed are not yet known.
Socks the cat peers over the podium in the White House briefing room in Washington during the Clinton presidency in 1994. ASSOCIATED PRESS / Marcy Nighswander
Biden fractured several bones in his foot on Saturday while playing with Major, his office said Sunday.
The Bidens’ dog duo and cat will reinstitute the tradition of presidents keeping pets in the White House. President Donald Trump was the first president in years not to have any.
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Before Trump, Bo and Sunny Obama ― two Portuguese water dogs ― inhabited the residence.
Bo and Sunny walk on the tarmac with their handlers to board Air Force One before the arrival of President Barack Obama and his family in August 2016. ASSOCIATED PRESS
President George W. Bush’s family had three dogs and a cat: two Scottish terriers, Barney and Miss Beazley; an English springer spaniel named Spot Fetcher; and a black cat named India “Willie” Bush.
And before that, when Bill Clinton was in office, he shared the White House with a famous black and white cat named Socks, a stray who jumped into daughter Chelsea Clinton’s arms in Arkansas. Socks was later joined by a chocolate Labrador, Buddy. While the two apparently did not get along at all, they became the subject of a 1998 children’s book by then-first lady Hillary Clinton titled “Dear Socks, Dear Buddy: Kids’ Letters to the First Pets.”
Let’s hope Major, Champ and the newest COTUS have better luck making friends.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-30--Oregon Nurse Put On Leave After Flouting COVID-19 Safety Measures On TikTok

A nurse in Salem , Oregon , has been placed on administrative leave after posting a “ Grinch ” -themed TikTok video in which she poked fun at those taking COVID-19 safety protocols seriously .
The clip showed the nurse , identified by BuzzFeed and other media outlets as Ashley Grames of Salem Health , wearing scrubs and a stethoscope as she mouthed dialogue from the 2000 live-action version of “ How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
” “ When my coworkers find out I still travel , don ’ t wear a mask when I ’ m out and let @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the caption read .
Posted on TikTok last Friday , the original clip has since been deleted .
Amanda Butcher , a nurse at a different facility , incorporated the footage into a critical “ duet ” reaction video that remained online as of Monday afternoon .
After the original video went viral Saturday , Salem Health officials responded to the controversy with a statement condemning their employee ’ s “ cavalier disregard for the seriousness of this pandemic and her indifference towards physical distancing and masking outside of work.
” “ This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and has been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation , ” the statement continued .
“ We also want to assure you that this one careless statement does not reflect the position of Salem Health or the hardworking and dedicated caregivers who work here.
” The statement , posted to Salem Health ’ s Facebook page , had drawn more than 1,000 comments ― many of them negative ― as of Monday .
“ Fire her and take away any of her licenses , ” one person wrote .
“ She doesn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if all she ’ s going to do is endanger some of the most immunocompromised people.
” Added another , “ She owes every patient and family of her patients , a lengthy apology and explanation of her callous/reckless disregard of their health .
How she is still being paid is beyond me.
” “ I just know that I ’ m keeping my family and my residents safe , ” she said .
“ I want her residents to be safe , too.
” Salem is located in Oregon ’ s Marion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Portland .
On Monday , Johns Hopkins University reported that Oregon had a COVID-19 testing positivity rate of 7.11 % , with more than 74,119 confirmed cases since the start of the pandemic .

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A nurse in Salem, Oregon, has been placed on administrative leave after posting a “Grinch”-themed TikTok video in which she poked fun at those taking COVID-19 safety protocols seriously.
The clip showed the nurse, identified by BuzzFeed and other media outlets as Ashley Grames of Salem Health, wearing scrubs and a stethoscope as she mouthed dialogue from the 2000 live-action version of “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.”
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“When my coworkers find out I still travel, don’t wear a mask when I’m out and let my kids have play dates,” the caption read.
Posted on TikTok last Friday, the original clip has since been deleted. Amanda Butcher, a nurse at a different facility, incorporated the footage into a critical “duet” reaction video that remained online as of Monday afternoon.
“Imagine being an oncology nurse during a pandemic and bragging about not taking precautions,” Butcher wrote.
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After the original video went viral Saturday, Salem Health officials responded to the controversy with a statement condemning their employee’s “cavalier disregard for the seriousness of this pandemic and her indifference towards physical distancing and masking outside of work.”
“This individual does not speak for Salem Health and has been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation,” the statement continued. “We also want to assure you that this one careless statement does not reflect the position of Salem Health or the hardworking and dedicated caregivers who work here.”
The statement, posted to Salem Health’s Facebook page, had drawn more than 1,000 comments ― many of them negative ― as of Monday.
“Fire her and take away any of her licenses,” one person wrote. “She doesn’t deserve to be a nurse if all she’s going to do is endanger some of the most immunocompromised people.”
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Added another, “She owes every patient and family of her patients, a lengthy apology and explanation of her callous/reckless disregard of their health. How she is still being paid is beyond me.”
Speaking to local news outlet KGW, Butcher echoed those sentiments.
“I just know that I’m keeping my family and my residents safe,” she said. “I want her residents to be safe, too.”
Salem is located in Oregon’s Marion County, about 50 miles south of Portland. On Monday, Johns Hopkins University reported that Oregon had a COVID-19 testing positivity rate of 7.11%, with more than 74,119 confirmed cases since the start of the pandemic.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-30--Oregon Man Fatally Shot Black Teen After Confrontation Over Music Volume, Police Say

Police said Robert Paul Keegan , who is white , had approached the 19-year-old around 4:30 a.m. as he sat in his car outside the Stratford Inn in Ashland , Oregon .
Keegan began arguing with the teen about the volume of the music he was playing inside his car .
Keegan then pulled a gun from his coat and fired a single shot into the teen ’ s chest , killing him , police said .
After arriving at the scene , first responders attempted to render aid to the victim but he was “ beyond help , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement .
Police have not released the name of the slain teen , but friends and local activists have identified him as Aidan Ellison .
Keegan and Ellison did not know each other , police said .
Ellison had moved into the hotel after losing his job due to the Almeda fire in September , local ABC affiliate KDRV-TV reported .
The wildfire burned down the Burger King where he had reportedly worked .
Keegan , who had been staying at the hotel with this 3-year-old son after being displaced by the wildfire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ charges of second-degree murder , first-degree manslaughter , unlawful possession of a firearm and reckless endangering , according to court records .
He is being held in Jackson County Jail without bail .
His next court appearance has been scheduled for Feb. 21 , 2021 .
Friends of Ellison described him as “ kind ” and someone who “ just loved to laugh and have fun , ” KDRV-TV reported .
“ He ’ s just a good kid , ” Sara Jones , Ellison ’ s friend , told the station .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of him and it was just taken from him because some guy had a problem with a loud noise.
” But some community members and activists have said the shooting was racially motivated and compared it to the 2012 murder of Jordan Davis in Jacksonville , Florida .
Davis , a 17-year-old high school student , was gunned down at a gas station by Michael David Dunn , a 45-year-old white man .
Dunn had opened fire at the vehicle Davis was riding in along with three other teenage boys , killing Davis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ murder , three counts of attempted second-degree murder and one count of firing into a vehicle .
He was sentenced to life in prison without parole .
“ It ’ s not a coincidence that a white man , according to police , chose to take the life of a young black man for the offense of playing his music , ” Ashland Mayor-elect Julie Akins said in a statement Saturday .
“ Aidan by all accounts was merely being , living his life , ” she continued .
“ Now his life @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yet another reminder of how deadly white privilege is.
” “ It is completely immaterial what led up to it , ” O ’ Meara said .
“ Yes , there was an argument over music , no , this did not happen because of loud music , it happened because the suspect chose to bring a gun with him and chose to use it , 100 % on him , not the poor young man that was murdered .
”

A 47-year-old man in Oregon has been charged with murder in the Nov. 23 shooting death of a Black teenager in a hotel parking lot.
Police said Robert Paul Keegan, who is white, had approached the 19-year-old around 4:30 a.m. as he sat in his car outside the Stratford Inn in Ashland, Oregon. Keegan began arguing with the teen about the volume of the music he was playing inside his car.
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Keegan then pulled a gun from his coat and fired a single shot into the teen’s chest, killing him, police said. After arriving at the scene, first responders attempted to render aid to the victim but he was “beyond help,” the Ashland Police Department said in a statement.
Police have not released the name of the slain teen, but friends and local activists have identified him as Aidan Ellison. Keegan and Ellison did not know each other, police said.
Ellison had moved into the hotel after losing his job due to the Almeda fire in September, local ABC affiliate KDRV-TV reported. The wildfire burned down the Burger King where he had reportedly worked.
Keegan, who had been staying at the hotel with this 3-year-old son after being displaced by the wildfire, pleaded not guilty on Friday to charges of second-degree murder, first-degree manslaughter, unlawful possession of a firearm and reckless endangering, according to court records.
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He is being held in Jackson County Jail without bail. His next court appearance has been scheduled for Feb. 21, 2021.
Keegan’s son has been turned over to a grandparent, police said.
Friends of Ellison described him as “kind” and someone who “just loved to laugh and have fun,” KDRV-TV reported.
“He’s just a good kid,” Sara Jones, Ellison’s friend, told the station. “He had his whole life ahead of him and it was just taken from him because some guy had a problem with a loud noise.”
But some community members and activists have said the shooting was racially motivated and compared it to the 2012 murder of Jordan Davis in Jacksonville, Florida. Davis, a 17-year-old high school student, was gunned down at a gas station by Michael David Dunn, a 45-year-old white man.
Dunn had opened fire at the vehicle Davis was riding in along with three other teenage boys, killing Davis. Dunn was ultimately convicted of first-degree murder, three counts of attempted second-degree murder and one count of firing into a vehicle. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole.
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Ellison’s death marked the first homicide in Ashland this year, officials said.
“It’s not a coincidence that a white man, according to police, chose to take the life of a young black man for the offense of playing his music,” Ashland Mayor-elect Julie Akins said in a statement Saturday.
“Aidan by all accounts was merely being, living his life,” she continued. “Now his life is gone. And with it comes yet another reminder of how deadly white privilege is.”
In a statement released on Thanksgiving, Ashland Police Chief Tighe O’Meara said the “horrendous murder” was “100%” a result of the suspect’s actions.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-30--Ice-T: 'No Masker' Father-In-Law Is Now A 'Believer' After COVID-19 Horror

Actor Ice-T used his “ no masker ” father-in-law on Sunday as a cautionary tale while the coronavirus pandemic surges unchecked into the holiday season .
The “ Law & Order : SVU ” star tweeted the ordeal of Steve Austin ― the father of his wife , Coco Austin ― who contracted COVID-19 , spent 40 days in the ICU and nearly died .
In an undated photo he shared of Austin appearing to take oxygen , Ice-T wrote that his father-in-law “ was a serious ‘ No Masker ’ ” until “ COVID hit him.
” “ Pneumonia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ close to death.. Now he ’ s on Oxygen indefinitely , ” the actor tweeted .
“ Ohhh he ’ s a Believer now.
” My father-in-law ‘ Coco ’ s dad ’ was a serious ‘ No Masker ’ COVID hit him .
Pneumonia in both lungs.. 40 days in ICU close to death.. Now he ’ s on Oxygen indefinitely .
Ohhh he ’ s a Believer now.. # COVIDisNotAGame pic.twitter.com/fPEifkJCge — ICE T ( @ FINALLEVEL ) November 29 , 2020 Austin came down with coronavirus symptoms on Father ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ progressed .
In July , Ice-T provided an update of his father-in-law ’ s condition on “ The Tonight Show ” and tweeted that Austin was finally able to go home from the hospital but was “ on Oxygen indefinitely ” because of lung damage .
UPDATE : Coco ’ s dad is finally outta the hospital and home after his fight with Covid ...
He ’ s on Oxygen indefinitely because of lung damage though .
Thanks for all the love and good wishes.. ‘ Pic from when he was healthy and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pic.twitter.com/thgxaIw9NA — ICE T ( @ FINALLEVEL ) July 25 , 2020 Ice-T said then that he was publicizing Austin ’ s ordeal on social media because there were still people who thought the pandemic was a hoax ( as did Austin , according to his daughter ) .
The actor said he knew eight people who had died from COVID-19 .
“ I don ’ t need more proof than that to know I don ’ t want to play with it , ” he said , according to the Los Angeles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ commented he ’ d “ probably rock a mask and keep my distance for the rest of my life.
” Somebody in my comments said I sound scared..
YES I ’ m scared of YOUR contaminated breath !
I ’ ll probably rock a mask and keep my distance for the rest of my life ... — ICE T ( @ FINALLEVEL ) July 15 , 2020

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Actor Ice-T used his “no masker” father-in-law on Sunday as a cautionary tale while the coronavirus pandemic surges unchecked into the holiday season.
The “Law & Order: SVU” star tweeted the ordeal of Steve Austin ― the father of his wife, Coco Austin ― who contracted COVID-19, spent 40 days in the ICU and nearly died.
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In an undated photo he shared of Austin appearing to take oxygen, Ice-T wrote that his father-in-law “was a serious ‘No Masker’” until “COVID hit him.”
“Pneumonia in both lungs.. 40 days in ICU close to death.. Now he’s on Oxygen indefinitely,” the actor tweeted. “Ohhh he’s a Believer now.”
My father-in-law ‘Coco’s dad’ was a serious ‘No Masker’ COVID hit him. Pneumonia in both lungs.. 40 days in ICU close to death.. Now he’s on Oxygen indefinitely. Ohhh he’s a Believer now.. #COVIDisNotAGame pic.twitter.com/fPEifkJCge — ICE T (@FINALLEVEL) November 29, 2020
Austin came down with coronavirus symptoms on Father’s Day, and the disease quickly progressed. In July, Ice-T provided an update of his father-in-law’s condition on “The Tonight Show” and tweeted that Austin was finally able to go home from the hospital but was “on Oxygen indefinitely” because of lung damage.
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UPDATE: Coco’s dad is finally outta the hospital and home after his fight with Covid... He’s on Oxygen indefinitely because of lung damage though. Thanks for all the love and good wishes.. ‘Pic from when he was healthy and on tour with us..’ #COVID pic.twitter.com/thgxaIw9NA — ICE T (@FINALLEVEL) July 25, 2020
Ice-T said then that he was publicizing Austin’s ordeal on social media because there were still people who thought the pandemic was a hoax (as did Austin, according to his daughter). The actor said he knew eight people who had died from COVID-19.
“I don’t need more proof than that to know I don’t want to play with it,” he said, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The Grammy-winning rapper had previously commented he’d “probably rock a mask and keep my distance for the rest of my life.”
Somebody in my comments said I sound scared.. YES I’m scared of YOUR contaminated breath! I’ll probably rock a mask and keep my distance for the rest of my life... — ICE T (@FINALLEVEL) July 15, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-30--Denver Mayor Apologizes For Thanksgiving Travel After Urging People To Stay Home

“ It was unwise , it was hypocritical , it was a mistake that I deeply regret and deeply apologize for , ” Hancock told Denver ’ s 9News over the weekend , four days after he flew to visit family in Mississippi for Thanksgiving .
Roughly 30 minutes before his flight took off from Denver International Airport on Wednesday , Hancock ’ s Twitter account urged followers to “ avoid travel ” and instead attend virtual Thanksgiving gatherings in a bid to “ pass the potatoes , not COVID.
” Pass the potatoes , not COVID .
🏘Stay home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if you 're sick .
💻Host virtual gatherings instead of in-person dinners .
❌Avoid travel , if you can .
🍲Order your holiday meal from a local eatery .
🎁Shop online with a small business for # BlackFriday .
pic.twitter.com/acQpWs2Ism — Michael B. Hancock 😷 ( @ MayorHancock ) November 25 , 2020 “ As the holidays approach , we all long to be with our families in person , but with the continued rise in cases , I ’ m urging you to refrain from travel this Thanksgiving holiday , ” Hancock @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the week prior .
“ For my family that means cancelling our traditional gathering of our extended family.
” Hancock has been doing the mea culpa rounds ever since his flight landed , although he has rebuffed calls to resign .
“ I fully acknowledge that I have urged everyone to stay home and avoid unnecessary travel , ” he said Wednesday in a statement .
“ I have shared how my family cancelled our plans for our traditional multi-household Thanksgiving celebration .
What I did not share , but should have , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been in Mississippi , where my daughter recently took a job .
As the holiday approached , I decided it would be safer for me to travel to see them than to have two family members travel back to Denver.
” “ I made my decision as a husband and father , and for those who are angry and disappointed , I humbly ask you to forgive decisions that are borne of my heart and not my head , ” he said in the statement .
The apologies continued Saturday after he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now in self-quarantine for 14 days .

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Denver Mayor Michael Hancock is an unwise and deeply regretful hypocrite.
Those are his words, not ours.
“It was unwise, it was hypocritical, it was a mistake that I deeply regret and deeply apologize for,” Hancock told Denver’s 9News over the weekend, four days after he flew to visit family in Mississippi for Thanksgiving.
Roughly 30 minutes before his flight took off from Denver International Airport on Wednesday, Hancock’s Twitter account urged followers to “avoid travel” and instead attend virtual Thanksgiving gatherings in a bid to “pass the potatoes, not COVID.”
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Pass the potatoes, not COVID.
🏘Stay home as much as you can, especially if you're sick.
💻Host virtual gatherings instead of in-person dinners.
❌Avoid travel, if you can.
🍲Order your holiday meal from a local eatery.
🎁Shop online with a small business for #BlackFriday. pic.twitter.com/acQpWs2Ism — Michael B. Hancock 😷 (@MayorHancock) November 25, 2020
The tweet was the final word in a message he’d spent weeks evangelizing.
“As the holidays approach, we all long to be with our families in person, but with the continued rise in cases, I’m urging you to refrain from travel this Thanksgiving holiday,” Hancock wrote in an email to city employees the week prior. “For my family that means cancelling our traditional gathering of our extended family.”
Hancock has been doing the mea culpa rounds ever since his flight landed, although he has rebuffed calls to resign.
“I fully acknowledge that I have urged everyone to stay home and avoid unnecessary travel,” he said Wednesday in a statement. “I have shared how my family cancelled our plans for our traditional multi-household Thanksgiving celebration. What I did not share, but should have, is that my wife and my daughter have been in Mississippi, where my daughter recently took a job. As the holiday approached, I decided it would be safer for me to travel to see them than to have two family members travel back to Denver.”
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Hancock went on to apologize and ask for forgiveness.
“I made my decision as a husband and father, and for those who are angry and disappointed, I humbly ask you to forgive decisions that are borne of my heart and not my head,” he said in the statement.
The apologies continued Saturday after he returned to Denver, where he is now in self-quarantine for 14 days.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-30--Sunday Was Busiest Day For U.S. Air Travel Since March, Fueling COVID-19 Surge Fears

“ There almost certainly is going to be an uptick because of what ’ s happened with the travel , @ @ @ @ @ s “ This Week.
” “ We may see a surge upon a surge .
@ @ @ @ @ to frighten people , but that ’ s just the reality.
” The true effect @ @ @ @ @ ’ t begin showing up in data until the second week of December .
That @ @ @ @ @ often delays in tracing and reporting the virus ’ s spread , and it can @ @ @ @ @ appear , for people to get tested and for them to receive results .
As @ @ @ @ @ 3,338 TSA employees have tested positive for COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic .
@ @ @ @ @ as a result of the virus , the TSA reported .

“There almost certainly is going to be an uptick because of what’s happened with the travel,” Fauci told ABC’s “This Week.” “We may see a surge upon a surge. We don’t want to frighten people, but that’s just the reality.”
The true effect of Thanksgiving travel likely won’t begin showing up in data until the second week of December. That’s because there are often delays in tracing and reporting the virus’s spread, and it can take time for symptoms to appear, for people to get tested and for them to receive results.
As of Monday, at least 3,338 TSA employees have tested positive for COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic. At least 10 have died as a result of the virus, the TSA reported.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-30--Authorities Bust Illegal New York City Party With Nearly 400 People Inside

As COVID-19 cases continue to rise across the country , authorities in New York City said they found nearly 400 people partying in a midtown Manhattan building early Saturday morning .
The event was at least the third party bust in the city within a week .
Four people who organized the illegal event were charged with violating the state ’ s emergency order that prohibits mass gatherings amid the pandemic .
There were also charges related to an arrest warrant and for operating without a liquor license , the NYC Sheriff ’ s Department said .
A photo shared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Twitter shows dozens of liquor bottles at the scene .
Just two days earlier , another illegal bottle club of more than 76 people in Corona , Queens , was broken up by sheriff ’ s deputies .
The event was also operating without a liquor license , leading to five organizers being charged with various offenses , authorities said .
The weekend before that , authorities said they broke up an 80-person sex club in Astoria , Queens , and a 120-person party in midtown Manhattan .
Those events also were taking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in New York City ― once the nation ’ s coronavirus hotspot ― have been rising since October .
The increase follows cases largely trending downward beginning in late April .
Over the last four weeks , the city has reported a weekly average of 8,260 new cases and 555 hospitalizations .
Confirmed deaths of people with a positive virus test are roughly double what they were back in September but have begun trending downward in recent weeks .
Health officials have warned that cases are likely to surge over the next several @ @ @ @ @ @ @ temperatures bringing more people inside where the virus is more likely to spread .

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As COVID-19 cases continue to rise across the country, authorities in New York City said they found nearly 400 people partying in a midtown Manhattan building early Saturday morning. The event was at least the third party bust in the city within a week.
Four people who organized the illegal event were charged with violating the state’s emergency order that prohibits mass gatherings amid the pandemic. There were also charges related to an arrest warrant and for operating without a liquor license, the NYC Sheriff’s Department said.
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A photo shared by the sheriff’s department on Twitter shows dozens of liquor bottles at the scene.
11/28/20 @ 0245 HRS: Deputy Sheriffs shut down illegal bottle club @ 202 West 36th St, NY: 393+ people, violation of emergency orders, no liquor license, warehousing liquor, 4 organizers charged with offenses for penal, health, alcohol beverage control laws & arrest warrant. pic.twitter.com/5zXIwuRkrG — NYC SHERIFF (@NYCSHERIFF) November 28, 2020
Mass parties have become a common issue for the city’s law enforcement.
Just two days earlier, another illegal bottle club of more than 76 people in Corona, Queens, was broken up by sheriff’s deputies. The event was also operating without a liquor license, leading to five organizers being charged with various offenses, authorities said.
11/26/20 @ 0115 HRS: Deputy Sheriffs shut down illegal bottle club @ 40-15 Junction Blvd, Queens (Yellow Zone) access via rear alley: 76+ people, violation of emergency orders, barricaded egress, no liquor license, unconscious patron outside, 5 organizers charged with offenses. pic.twitter.com/qIJPwLkggQ — NYC SHERIFF (@NYCSHERIFF) November 27, 2020
The weekend before that, authorities said they broke up an 80-person sex club in Astoria, Queens, and a 120-person party in midtown Manhattan. Those events also were taking place without liquor licenses.
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COVID-19 cases in New York City ― once the nation’s coronavirus hotspot ― have been rising since October. The increase follows cases largely trending downward beginning in late April.
Over the last four weeks, the city has reported a weekly average of 8,260 new cases and 555 hospitalizations. Confirmed deaths of people with a positive virus test are roughly double what they were back in September but have begun trending downward in recent weeks.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-30--Melania Trump Attempts To Show She Cares About Christmas With 2020 Decor

Melania Trump put her headline-making disdain for seasonal adornments aside to unveil the 2020 White House Christmas decorations this week .
In photos and a short video posted to her social media platforms early Monday , the first lady took viewers on a virtual tour showcasing this year ’ s display , which boasts an “ America the Beautiful ” theme .
“ Over the past four years I have had the honor to travel to some of our nation ’ s most beautiful landmarks and meet some of the most compassionate and patriotic American citizens , ” she said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coast to coast , the bond that all [ Americans ] share is an appreciation for our traditions , values , and history , which were the inspiration behind the decorations this year.
” Eagle-eyed viewers will note some timely references amid the twinkling lights and glittering ornaments .
Decorations in the White House Library , for example , celebrate the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment , which granted women the right to vote .
A miniature Christmas village in another room includes a snow-covered hospital , an apparent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 pandemic .
The 2020 Christmas decorations will be Melania ’ s final act as first lady before she and her husband , President Donald Trump , leave the White House in January .
The unveiling comes weeks after Melania was heard complaining about having to decorate the White House for Christmas in a secretly recorded conversation by a former friend and aide , Stephanie Winston Wolkoff .
“ I ’ m working like a , my ass off at Christmas stuff , ” she said in the audio , taped in 2018 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a fuck about Christmas stuff and decoration ?
But I need to do it , right ?
” The first lady ’ s stylistic choices , too , have stoked controversy .
Her 2017 foray into yuletide decor featured a hallway of stark white branches that reminded some of “ The Chronicles of Narnia ” and , more disturbingly , “ The Shining.
” The following year , her 2018 forest of crimson trees was compared to “ The Handmaid ’ s Tale , ” Hulu ’ s dystopian drama about a society @ @ @ @

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Melania Trump put her headline-making disdain for seasonal adornments aside to unveil the 2020 White House Christmas decorations this week.
In photos and a short video posted to her social media platforms early Monday, the first lady took viewers on a virtual tour showcasing this year’s display, which boasts an “America the Beautiful” theme.
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“Over the past four years I have had the honor to travel to some of our nation’s most beautiful landmarks and meet some of the most compassionate and patriotic American citizens,” she said in a press release. “From coast to coast, the bond that all [Americans] share is an appreciation for our traditions, values, and history, which were the inspiration behind the decorations this year.”
Eagle-eyed viewers will note some timely references amid the twinkling lights and glittering ornaments. Decorations in the White House Library, for example, celebrate the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote. A miniature Christmas village in another room includes a snow-covered hospital, an apparent nod to health care workers amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Catch a short video of the White House decorations below.
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The 2020 Christmas decorations will be Melania’s final act as first lady before she and her husband, President Donald Trump, leave the White House in January.
The unveiling comes weeks after Melania was heard complaining about having to decorate the White House for Christmas in a secretly recorded conversation by a former friend and aide, Stephanie Winston Wolkoff.
“I’m working like a, my ass off at Christmas stuff,” she said in the audio, taped in 2018. “You know, who gives a fuck about Christmas stuff and decoration? But I need to do it, right?”
The first lady’s stylistic choices, too, have stoked controversy. Her 2017 foray into yuletide decor featured a hallway of stark white branches that reminded some of “The Chronicles of Narnia” and, more disturbingly, “The Shining.”
The following year, her 2018 forest of crimson trees was compared to “The Handmaid’s Tale,” Hulu’s dystopian drama about a society that subjugates women.