thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-15--We Need A National Day Of Mourning For COVID-19 Victims

“ They go to the hospital , you can ’ t see them , you can ’ t be around them , and all of a sudden it happens , and then the families are left struggling to have closure , ” he said .
“ You got ta mourn.
” “ It ’ s not just the death toll .
There ’ s the loss of a way of life , of American identity and what it means to be a cohesive country that comes together to protect its citizens , ” Wade said .
“ There ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with some wearing a mask and some who aren ’ t. ” The legislation , which specifically calls out the disproportionate infection rates and deaths among communities of color , is sitting in the House Oversight Committee .
Payne , whose best friend lost his mother to COVID-19 , plans to ask other lawmakers to support the resolution once the more immediate concern of passing another economic stimulus package has been resolved .
Activists have been calling for such a day for months .
In May , several progressive groups , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the National Domestic Workers Alliance , organized a “ day of mourning ” protest by dumping body bags outside the White House to call out the mounting death toll , which had then reached nearly 100,000 .
Similarly , Jim Bunn , the co-creator of World AIDS Day , said that at this stage , a simple day of remembrance would not be “ enough.
” When he helped found the HIV/AIDS awareness day in 1987 , the public health challenge at the time was overcoming the stigma around the disease .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ main challenges he sees is convincing everyone to get vaccinated .
“ Let ’ s use it to perhaps bring more purpose to the day — and to the suffering those families are experiencing — so that it ’ s leveraged in order for there to be fewer families who have suffered these losses , ” Bunn said of the need to get a large majority of people to take the vaccine to significantly slow the spread of the virus .
“ We need to get needles in arms.
” Amy DeGurian , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the University of Pittsburgh ’ s school of social work , noted how a national day of mourning would be important given how “ so much of the grief that has occurred has been isolated.
” As traditional funerals are replaced with Zoom memorials or drive-thru services , “ we have not been able to tend to others in their time of need , ” she said .
Since the coronavirus pandemic is ongoing , organizers would have to think of a meaningful way to mark this day while staying safe and distanced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country could light a candle in their window or outside their home , or a banner of each of the names of the dead could scroll at the same time on national television .
What ’ s key is for people to not feel alone in their grief .
“ You are more likely to have complicated grief when you grieve alone , more likely to have prolonged grief when you don ’ t have support , more likely to have lingering issues when you don ’ t have intervention , ” DeGurian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Whether a national day of mourning for coronavirus carries significance in the future depends largely on how many people are still affected .
Memorial Day , for instance , was a solemn day for decades , as many Americans who fought in World War II were still alive .
Today , most people mark it as a day off to barbecue or rent a beach house , as Appelbaum put it .

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We need a national day of mourning for the coronavirus.
As the first vaccinations began in the U.S. on Monday, bringing with them a ray of hope, the nation hit a grim milestone: more than 300,000 people dead from the virus so far.
“We’ve been struggling,” said Douglas Yankton, chairman of the Spirit Lake Tribe in North Dakota. Native Americans have been disproportionately infected, hospitalized and killed by the virus. Yankton lost four family members — an uncle and three cousins — in the span of a week.
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“It’s a burden not only on the families but on the community when we keep having to bury our people,” he said.
Scott Davis, a member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, who lost two cousins and a friend to COVID-19, said that there’s been “no closure” as coronavirus protocols have prevented people from visiting hospitalized loved ones or gathering for funerals.
“They go to the hospital, you can’t see them, you can’t be around them, and all of a sudden it happens, and then the families are left struggling to have closure,” he said. “You gotta mourn.”
With an average now of 2,400 people dying each day of the coronavirus, Black and Latinx people have also been disproportionately affected — not only by the deaths but also by the economic fallout from the pandemic, including high rates of joblessness.
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Grief coach Breeshia Wade said that a national day of observance for the coronavirus losses would be important for “accountability and acknowledging the massive failure in how this played out.”
“It’s not just the death toll. There’s the loss of a way of life, of American identity and what it means to be a cohesive country that comes together to protect its citizens,” Wade said. “There’s a loss of trust with our neighbors, with some wearing a mask and some who aren’t.”
“We need something to bring us together to honor what has been lost if we’re going to have any hope of healing,” she added.
Amy Sommers, of Seattle, prays while attending the "Mourning Into Unity" vigil on Oct. 19 near the White House. Washington's Church of the Epiphany hosted a national candlelight vigil where hundreds of feet of purple fabric symbolizing mourning during COVID-19 was unfurled. Jacquelyn Martin/ASSOCIATED PRESS
National days of observance are typically enacted by Congress, after which the president issues a proclamation on that day each year and local governments may also hold dedicated ceremonies or events. Existing ones include Veterans Day and Hispanic Heritage Month.
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Rep. Donald Payne Jr. (D-N.J.) introduced a resolution in the House last month calling for a day of mourning for coronavirus victims in January, to provide “a national opportunity to grieve.”
The legislation, which specifically calls out the disproportionate infection rates and deaths among communities of color, is sitting in the House Oversight Committee. Payne, whose best friend lost his mother to COVID-19, plans to ask other lawmakers to support the resolution once the more immediate concern of passing another economic stimulus package has been resolved.
“Every elected official in Washington has lost a constituent to the virus,” Payne said, noting that he’s hopeful he can get it passed. “I would hope it could be handled in a bipartisan manner.”
Activists have been calling for such a day for months. In May, several progressive groups, including the Center for American Progress, Indivisible and the National Domestic Workers Alliance, organized a “day of mourning” protest by dumping body bags outside the White House to call out the mounting death toll, which had then reached nearly 100,000.
NDWA’s Black Organizing Director Aimée-Josiane Twagirumukiza said that any acknowledgment of the death toll should also come with a commitment to “use this pain, this grief to create something better.”
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Twagirumukiza specifically urged more relief funding from Congress, particularly for essential workers, including child care and home care providers, who have “kept the country going in a time like this.”
Similarly, Jim Bunn, the co-creator of World AIDS Day, said that at this stage, a simple day of remembrance would not be “enough.” When he helped found the HIV/AIDS awareness day in 1987, the public health challenge at the time was overcoming the stigma around the disease. With this virus, one of the main challenges he sees is convincing everyone to get vaccinated.
“Let’s use it to perhaps bring more purpose to the day — and to the suffering those families are experiencing — so that it’s leveraged in order for there to be fewer families who have suffered these losses,” Bunn said of the need to get a large majority of people to take the vaccine to significantly slow the spread of the virus. “We need to get needles in arms.”
“You are more likely to have complicated grief when you grieve alone, more likely to have prolonged grief when you don’t have support ... . We need each other.”” - Amy DeGurian, grief expert
Amy DeGurian, a grief expert and faculty lecturer at the University of Pittsburgh’s school of social work, noted how a national day of mourning would be important given how “so much of the grief that has occurred has been isolated.” As traditional funerals are replaced with Zoom memorials or drive-thru services, “we have not been able to tend to others in their time of need,” she said.
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Since the coronavirus pandemic is ongoing, organizers would have to think of a meaningful way to mark this day while staying safe and distanced. DeGurian suggested that everyone across the country could light a candle in their window or outside their home, or a banner of each of the names of the dead could scroll at the same time on national television. What’s key is for people to not feel alone in their grief.
“You are more likely to have complicated grief when you grieve alone, more likely to have prolonged grief when you don’t have support, more likely to have lingering issues when you don’t have intervention,” DeGurian said. “We need each other.”
Historian Diana Appelbaum, who wrote recently on the politics behind the creation of American holidays, noted that there are currently dozens of days of observance, most of which the vast majority of Americans pay zero attention to — such as Aviation Day or Safe Boating Week.
Whether a national day of mourning for coronavirus carries significance in the future depends largely on how many people are still affected. Memorial Day, for instance, was a solemn day for decades, as many Americans who fought in World War II were still alive. Today, most people mark it as a day off to barbecue or rent a beach house, as Appelbaum put it.
“When this [pandemic] started and people said, ‘That horrible flu epidemic of 1918,’ was it even on your radar? Was it in your high school history book?” Appelbaum said, referring to the deadly Spanish influenza outbreak that began in 1918. “That’s what this will be — unless it marks the start of a series of such pandemics.”
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The latter scenario is certainly possible. Last month, Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, warned that, when it comes to the pandemic, “there will be a next time.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-15--How Long It Takes For The Coronavirus Vaccine To Work

Even when you get the vaccine , it ’ ll take some time for your body to build an immune response that ’ ll keep you safe and protected .
Because of that delay and other unknowns related to the vaccine , doctors are asking people not to let their guard down even after getting vaccinated .
What happens in your body when you get the coronavirus vaccine ?
How long does that process take ?
Most of the coronavirus vaccines are given in two doses — typically administered three to four weeks apart — to increase antibody levels and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ typically takes about 28 days and is complete soon after you get the second shot , according to Ogbuagu , who is involved with a Pfizer vaccine trial .
So you should be fully protected from COVID-19 within about a month .
“ When you get a vaccine , usually there is a lag time between when you get the vaccine and when you are protected against the virus .
It ’ s just the time it takes for your immune system to respond to a new antigen [ foreign substance ] and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ point where it can ramp that up when it sees a new infection , ” Ogbuagu said .
The time it takes to get protection varies .
The Moderna and Pfizer vaccines are thought to be 95 % effective .
That ’ s impressive and way more effective than experts predicted , but it also means 5 % of people who receive these vaccines won ’ t become immune .
That may seem like a small number , but in a population as big as ours , that ’ s still a significant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you receive the second dose also affects how long it ’ ll take for you to become protected .
Again , vaccine researchers recommend getting it about three to four weeks after the first dose , depending on which vaccine you get .
If you skip a dose , you won ’ t be fully protected and could still be at risk for contracting COVID-19 .
On the flip side , some people may wind up being pretty protected after just one dose , Ogbuagu said .
But regardless , everyone should definitely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Keep taking COVID precautions after getting vaccinated .
The truth of the matter is that when we get vaccinated , we ’ re still going to need to play it safe .
While most people will achieve some level of immunity between two weeks to a month after being vaccinated , a small percentage won ’ t .
Depending on your overall health , it also could take your body a little longer to build up a line of defense against the coronavirus .
Researchers are still figuring out how the body uses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ system to fend off COVID-19 , and they don ’ t yet have all the answers .
According to Ogbuagu , we really need to achieve herd immunity — the point at which transmission is reduced because most people have immunity — before it ’ s really , truly safe enough to return to normal life .

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Coronavirus vaccines are finally being administered to people across the country, and with them comes a dose of hope for curbing the pandemic.
Even when you get the vaccine, it’ll take some time for your body to build an immune response that’ll keep you safe and protected. Because of that delay and other unknowns related to the vaccine, doctors are asking people not to let their guard down even after getting vaccinated.
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In other words, it’ll take time for the vaccine to kick in, and we should still plan to play it safe after getting the immunizations.
What happens in your body when you get the coronavirus vaccine?
Two of the vaccines, Pfizer and Moderna, use a type of technology called messenger RNA (mRNA). Each jab in the arm essentially includes instructions that teach your body how to fight and destabilize the coronavirus if it comes into contact with it. The one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine uses an adenovirus ― the type of virus that causes the common cold ― to teach your body the same thing. Neither of the shots actually cause you to get COVID-19.
“The hope is that when individuals get exposed to the real virus that they can already have pre-formed antibodies to avoid the infection or at least mitigate its severity,” said Onyema Ogbuagu, an infectious disease doctor at Yale Medicine.
It takes time for your body to read those instructions and build up a defense system that can effectively knock out the virus. This process doesn’t happen overnight, so you technically won’t be safe immediately after getting vaccinated.
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How long does that process take?
The vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer are two-dose vaccines, meaning you’ll need a second booster shot a few weeks after the first to bring your protection up to a reliable level. If you’re getting Pfizer, you’ll get your shot around 21 days after your first one. Moderna’s second dose is typically scheduled 28 days after the first. You’re considered fully vaccinated about two weeks after you’ve had your second dose. (More on that in a minute.)
“While most people will achieve some level of immunity between two weeks to a month after being vaccinated, a small percentage won’t.”
With a one-dose vaccine, like Johnson & Johnson, it’ll still take your body some time to crack the code and build enough immunity against COVID-19. You’re considered fully vaccinated about two weeks after you get that shot as well.
“When you get a vaccine, usually there is a lag time between when you get the vaccine and when you are protected against the virus. It’s just the time it takes for your immune system to respond to a new antigen [foreign substance] and develop a memory of it to the point where it can ramp that up when it sees a new infection,” Ogbuagu said.
Why are you not protected right away?
The duration and nature of this process can vary depending on the individual.
For starters, not everybody is going to respond to the vaccine. Though most of the vaccines seem to be highly effective, a small but substantial percentage of people won’t respond to them.
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The Moderna and Pfizer vaccines are more than 90% effective after receiving both doses. That’s impressive and way more effective than experts predicted early in the pandemic ― but it also means a small group of people who receive these vaccines won’t become immune. And in a population as big as ours, that’s still a significant number of people.
“That still means hundreds of thousands, depending on what [population] scale you’re looking at, could receive the vaccine and not be protected,” Ogbuagu said.
If and when you receive the second dose also affects how long it’ll take for you to become protected. Again, vaccine researchers recommend getting it about three to four weeks after the first dose, depending on which vaccine you get.
If you skip a dose, you won’t be fully protected and could still be at risk for contracting COVID-19. Research on the mRNA vaccines does show that people may wind up being pretty protected after just one dose. But regardless, everyone should definitely get both shots in order to be fully vaccinated.
Furthermore, different factors influence how quickly a person’s immune system responds to a vaccine.
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Age is a big one, said Otto Yang, a professor of medicine in the division of infectious diseases and of microbiology, immunology and molecular genetics at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.
“The very young and very old have trouble making immune responses in general; not that it takes more time, they just cant reach the same [antibody] levels,” Yang said.
Immune-compromising health conditions — like HIV or end-stage renal disease — can also impact how quickly and effectively a person’s body builds immunity after receiving a vaccine, Ogbuagu noted.
VioletaStoimenova via Getty Images It takes about a month on average to be protected from the coronavirus, starting from the day you get the first dose. However, that process can vary from person to person depending on a number of factors.
Keep taking COVID precautions after getting vaccinated.
The truth of the matter is that when we get vaccinated, we’re still going to need to play it safe. While most people will achieve some level of immunity between two weeks to a month after being vaccinated, a small percentage won’t. Depending on your overall health, it also could take your body a little longer to build up a line of defense against the coronavirus.
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Researchers are still figuring out how the body uses antibodies and other tools in the immune system to fend off COVID-19, and they don’t yet have all the answers. According to Ogbuagu, we really need to achieve herd immunity — the point at which transmission is reduced because most people have immunity — before it’s really, truly safe enough to return to normal life.
“For this virus, we probably need at least 70% of people to be immune, so that means we’re going to need to achieve a fairly high vaccination rate,” Yang said.
So while there’s a solid chance you’ll be protected once you’re fully vaccinated, we should all still plan to practice COVID-prevention measures ― wearing a mask, avoiding crowded spaces and washing our hands ― until cases begin to dramatically drop.
This article has been updated with new data on the vaccines.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-15--Kayleigh McEnany Gets Damning Reality Check After Blasting Joe Biden's Speech

Biden called out President Donald Trump ’ s futile efforts to overturn the 2020 election in a fiery address after @ @ @ @ @ would become the next president .
“ We all wish that our fellow Americans in @ @ @ @ @ such courage and commitment to free and fair elections , but it is my sincere @ @ @ @ @ anyone subjected to the kind of threats and abuse we saw from the selection , @ @ @ @ @ It ’ s simply unconscionable .
”

Biden called out President Donald Trump’s futile efforts to overturn the 2020 election in a fiery address after the Electoral College confirmed he would become the next president.
“We all wish that our fellow Americans in these positions will always show such courage and commitment to free and fair elections, but it is my sincere hope we never again see anyone subjected to the kind of threats and abuse we saw from the selection,” said Biden. “It’s simply unconscionable.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-15--Barack Obama Trolls Donald Trump With Birther Joke

Former President Barack Obama poked fun at President Donald Trump ’ s false and racist birther attacks on him in a preview of an interview that will air in full on Tuesday ’ s episode of “ The Daily Show.
” In the teaser clip released online Monday , host Trevor Noah asked Obama if he ’ d “ be more careful going forward about who you roast.
” “ You roasted Donald Trump , he ran for president , you roasted Kanye West , he ran for president , ” said Noah .
“ So , I don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but you have an ability to inspire people to run for the highest office in the land with some of the jokes you tell about them.
” “ I should roast people I admire more .
I ’ ll start roasting you man .
Who knows ?
” Obama responded to the South Africa-born comedian .
Then came the trolling of Trump : “ Although you weren ’ t born here , so .
But , look , I was able to get away with it apparently .
Who knows ?
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and chuckle .
Check out the preview clip here :

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Former President Barack Obama poked fun at President Donald Trump’s false and racist birther attacks on him in a preview of an interview that will air in full on Tuesday’s episode of “The Daily Show.”
In the teaser clip released online Monday, host Trevor Noah asked Obama if he’d “be more careful going forward about who you roast.”
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“You roasted Donald Trump, he ran for president, you roasted Kanye West, he ran for president,” said Noah. “So, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but you have an ability to inspire people to run for the highest office in the land with some of the jokes you tell about them.”
“I should roast people I admire more. I’ll start roasting you man. Who knows?” Obama responded to the South Africa-born comedian.
Then came the trolling of Trump:
“Although you weren’t born here, so. But, look, I was able to get away with it apparently. Who knows?” said Obama, with a wry smile and chuckle.
Check out the preview clip here:


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-15--Election Lawyer Calls On Trump Supporters To Stock Up On 'Second Amendment Supplies'

The fringe right-wing lawyer who filed the court challenge to Donald Trump ’ s election loss in Georgia has called on the president ’ s supporters to stock up on “ Second Amendment supplies ” — presumably firearms and ammunition — to prepare for what he apparently envisions as an apocalyptic future .
“ Make sure you have PLENTY of water , food , flashlights & batteries , candles , radio , 2nd Amendment supplies , & a plan to meet with leaders of your communities , ” he urged .
He included a photo of Trump with the caption @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president.
” Better to be safe than sorry .
Make sure you have PLENTY of water , food , flashlights & batteries , candles , radio , 2nd Amendment supplies , & a plan to meet with leaders of your communities .
Remember we only have 1 President at a time .
Our leader is @ realDonaldTrump , not Biden .
pic.twitter.com/Z8cuPw1Md6 — Lin Wood ( @ LLinWood ) December 14 , 2020 A reporter for the right-wing Newsmax site piped up in a tweet that when “ Lin Wood tells people to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called on Trump to declare martial law in a bid to wrest the White House from the electorate .
The lawyer ’ s theory is that Americans working with Venezuela , China , Serbia , Canada , Venezuela , Cuba , the CIA , billionaire philanthropist George Soros , the Clinton Foundation , and state and local officials from both parties rigged the presidential election .
Wood has filed several lawsuits challenging Joe Biden ’ s win , including one in his home state of Georgia , which was touted by Trump before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a great job in Georgia .
Their recount is a scam , means nothing .
Must see fraudulent signatures which is prohibited by stupidly signed & unconstitutional consent decree .
@ BrianKempGA https : //t.co/UtEp3FN22S — Donald J. Trump ( @ realDonaldTrump ) November 15 , 2020 Wood said at a press conference earlier this month that Trump called to tell the attorney “ he knows he won this election.
” The president said , ‘ Lin , I didn ’ t lose it .
I won it , ’ ” Wood recounted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Oval Office at White House on March 11 , 2020 at President ’ s request .
I have not published photo earlier but thought today was good day to so do for context after leftist & Gannett attack article .
Official White House Photo by Joyce N. Boghosian .
pic.twitter.com/UxrNHPl5ek — Lin Wood ( @ LLinWood ) September 6 , 2020 Several Twitter followers mocked Wood ’ s call to stock up for an armageddon , with one checking on vodka stores and another urging people to get marshmallows for s ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arms .
One wondered when the FBI would show up at Wood ’ s door to question him about instigating violence , okay so food , water , flashlights and batteries , ammo , candles , radio , better add tanks of gas to horde .
and i think i ’ ll get started on building a mote too 🤔 pic.twitter.com/pASooQbRI3 — Megan ( @ megatron3120 ) December 14 , 2020

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The fringe right-wing lawyer who filed the court challenge to Donald Trump’s election loss in Georgia has called on the president’s supporters to stock up on “Second Amendment supplies” — presumably firearms and ammunition — to prepare for what he apparently envisions as an apocalyptic future.
“Our leader is Donald Trump, not Biden,” attorney Lin Wood tweeted Sunday.
“Make sure you have PLENTY of water, food, flashlights & batteries, candles, radio, 2nd Amendment supplies, & a plan to meet with leaders of your communities,” he urged. He included a photo of Trump with the caption: “I’m still your president.”
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Better to be safe than sorry.
Make sure you have PLENTY of water, food, flashlights & batteries, candles, radio, 2nd Amendment supplies, & a plan to meet with leaders of your communities.
Remember we only have 1 President at a time. Our leader is @realDonaldTrump, not Biden. pic.twitter.com/Z8cuPw1Md6 — Lin Wood (@LLinWood) December 14, 2020
A reporter for the right-wing Newsmax site piped up in a tweet that when “Lin Wood tells people to prep, I listen.”
Wood has called on Trump to declare martial law in a bid to wrest the White House from the electorate. The lawyer’s theory is that Americans working with Venezuela, China, Serbia, Canada, Venezuela, Cuba, the CIA, billionaire philanthropist George Soros, the Clinton Foundation, and state and local officials from both parties rigged the presidential election.
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Wood has filed several lawsuits challenging Joe Biden’s win, including one in his home state of Georgia, which was touted by Trump before it went down to defeat.
Doing a great job in Georgia. Their recount is a scam, means nothing. Must see fraudulent signatures which is prohibited by stupidly signed & unconstitutional consent decree. @BrianKempGA https://t.co/UtEp3FN22S — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 15, 2020
Wood said at a press conference earlier this month that Trump called to tell the attorney “he knows he won this election.” The president said, ‘Lin, I didn’t lose it. I won it,’” Wood recounted.
Donald Trump lost by 7 Million votes. pic.twitter.com/v3xXHM8W9H — The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) December 3, 2020
I met with @realDonaldTrump in the Oval Office at White House on March 11, 2020 at President’s request. I have not published photo earlier but thought today was good day to so do for context after leftist & Gannett attack article. Official White House Photo by Joyce N. Boghosian. pic.twitter.com/UxrNHPl5ek — Lin Wood (@LLinWood) September 6, 2020
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Several Twitter followers mocked Wood’s call to stock up for an armageddon, with one checking on vodka stores and another urging people to get marshmallows for s’mores.
Others heard a call to arms. One wondered when the FBI would show up at Wood’s door to question him about instigating violence,
lets doooo this. Patriots were born for this moment. — shane (@cashcowCOB) December 14, 2020
okay so food, water, flashlights and batteries, ammo, candles, radio, better add tanks of gas to horde. and i think i’ll get started on building a mote too 🤔 pic.twitter.com/pASooQbRI3 — Megan (@megatron3120) December 14, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-15--Fox News’ Geraldo Rivera Tells Donald Trump In No Uncertain Terms: ‘Understand It Is Over’

Fox News ’ Geraldo Rivera maybe shouldn ’ t expect another call from President Donald Trump anytime soon .
Last week , the conservative commentator revealed that Trump hadn ’ t taken his last two calls because he ’ d acknowledged that President-elect Joe Biden had won the 2020 election .
After the Electoral College confirmed Monday that Biden would succeed Trump in the White House , Rivera sent a message to the outgoing president during an appearance on Fox News .
“ It is over .
I want the president , my friend , the current president , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over , ” said Rivera , a longtime ally of Trump .
“ The Electoral College has voted .
The longer we drag this out , the more we damage the fabric of our democracy.
” In footage shared online by The Daily Beast , the pundit also said Monday that Trump ’ s refusal to concede and his repeated challenges of the vote would damage his legacy .
The president should instead “ be taking a victory lap right now celebrating the vaccine that he almost single-handedly forced the scientific community to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” said Rivera , ignoring the fact that his friend repeatedly downplayed the threat of the pandemic that ’ s now killed more than 300,000 people in the United States .

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Fox News’ Geraldo Rivera maybe shouldn’t expect another call from President Donald Trump anytime soon.
Last week, the conservative commentator revealed that Trump hadn’t taken his last two calls because he’d acknowledged that President-elect Joe Biden had won the 2020 election.
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After the Electoral College confirmed Monday that Biden would succeed Trump in the White House, Rivera sent a message to the outgoing president during an appearance on Fox News.
“It is over. I want the president, my friend, the current president, the 45th president, to understand it is over,” said Rivera, a longtime ally of Trump. “The Electoral College has voted. The longer we drag this out, the more we damage the fabric of our democracy.”
In footage shared online by The Daily Beast, the pundit also said Monday that Trump’s refusal to concede and his repeated challenges of the vote would damage his legacy.
The president should instead “be taking a victory lap right now celebrating the vaccine that he almost single-handedly forced the scientific community to get ready to save millions of lives,” said Rivera, ignoring the fact that his friend repeatedly downplayed the threat of the pandemic that’s now killed more than 300,000 people in the United States.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-15--George Conway: Donald Trump’s Refusal To Concede Says 3 Things About Him

George Conway , the anti-Trump attorney and husband of former White House counselor Kellyanne Conway , went after the outgoing president on Monday over his continued refusal to acknowledge defeat in the 2020 election .
Earlier in the day , Joe Biden secured enough Electoral College votes to officially succeed Donald Trump as the next president .
On CNN , anchor Anderson Cooper asked Conway what Trump ’ s silence on the news said to America .
It said “ three things about the president ” — that Trump is “ delusional , ” that he ’ s malevolent , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scam on the American people , Conway said .
“ If he can ’ t have the presidency , he doesn ’ t want anyone else to have the presidency undamaged , and he ’ s seeking to undermine the next administration , ” he continued .
Conway highlighted how the Trump campaign filed a new lawsuit in New Mexico on Monday that challenged the election results .
“ It makes absolutely no sense to bring this lawsuit , ” said the attorney , a founding member of the Lincoln Project , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ era .
“ New Mexico has only five electoral votes and he ’ s down by 74 .
He lost New Mexico by 100,000 votes , 11 % .
And today , the electors of New Mexico and 49 other states cast their votes .
No court is going to give relief at this point .
The lawsuit is just a joke .
It ’ s crazy.
” Cooper pointed out that “ continuing the frivolous lawsuits ” gave Trump cover to “ the grift ” of receiving donations from supporters who believe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far , Trump has reportedly raised more than $ 200 million to fight the election results and , because of the nature of the PAC to which they have been donating , usual strict political spending rules do not apply .
Trump “ needs to convince himself and his supporters for his own psychological needs that he actually won the election , ” Conway concluded .
“ That ’ s where you get back to the point where he ’ s delusional and he can ’ t see the truth from his own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lot about the President and less about the country , ” George Conway says on Pres .
Trump ’ s refusal to accept the election results .
“ It says three things about the President , ” Conway says : that he ’ s delusional , running a scam on the American people and is malevolent .
pic.twitter.com/z5PKGUVCiy — Anderson Cooper 360° ( @ AC360 ) December 15 , 2020

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George Conway, the anti-Trump attorney and husband of former White House counselor Kellyanne Conway, went after the outgoing president on Monday over his continued refusal to acknowledge defeat in the 2020 election.
Earlier in the day, Joe Biden secured enough Electoral College votes to officially succeed Donald Trump as the next president. On CNN, anchor Anderson Cooper asked Conway what Trump’s silence on the news said to America.
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It said “three things about the president” — that Trump is “delusional,” that he’s malevolent, and that he’s running a scam on the American people, Conway said.
“If he can’t have the presidency, he doesn’t want anyone else to have the presidency undamaged, and he’s seeking to undermine the next administration,” he continued.
Conway highlighted how the Trump campaign filed a new lawsuit in New Mexico on Monday that challenged the election results.
“It makes absolutely no sense to bring this lawsuit,” said the attorney, a founding member of the Lincoln Project, the group of Republicans disaffected by the Trump era. “New Mexico has only five electoral votes and he’s down by 74. He lost New Mexico by 100,000 votes, 11%. And today, the electors of New Mexico and 49 other states cast their votes. No court is going to give relief at this point. The lawsuit is just a joke. It’s crazy.”
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Cooper pointed out that “continuing the frivolous lawsuits” gave Trump cover to “the grift” of receiving donations from supporters who believe in his baseless conspiracy theories. So far, Trump has reportedly raised more than $200 million to fight the election results and, because of the nature of the PAC to which they have been donating, usual strict political spending rules do not apply.
Trump “needs to convince himself and his supporters for his own psychological needs that he actually won the election,” Conway concluded. “That’s where you get back to the point where he’s delusional and he can’t see the truth from his own lies and fantasies.”
Check out the interview here:


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-14--Gov. Larry Hogan To Republicans Denying Election Results: 'This Is Embarrassing Us'

Maryland Gov .
Larry Hogan on Monday said fellow Republicans who continue to deny the reality of President Donald Trump ’ s election loss are an embarrassment to their party .
Speaking to CNN ’ s Jake Tapper after President-elect Joe Biden officially secured the electoral votes required to become president , Hogan admonished party members , including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ( R-Ky. ) , for their ongoing refusal to accept the results .
“ It ’ s just getting ridiculous at this point , ” Hogan said .
“ This election is over .
The president had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evidence of widespread voter fraud .
We haven ’ t seen any .
“ All the court cases are done ― the Supreme Court refused to hear the case because there wasn ’ t any factual evidence ― and now , the states all across America , the Electoral College has voted.
” The election truly is over , and we need to move forward together as a nation .
Watch my full interview with @ CNN : pic.twitter.com/qnSrOBrMiI — Governor Larry Hogan ( @ GovLarryHogan ) December 15 , 2020 Biden crossed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Monday , solidifying his win in the Nov. 3 election .
He received 306 electoral votes to Trump ’ s 232 .
Hogan , a frequent critic of Trump , was one of the first Republican officials to acknowledge Biden ’ s win .
He said last month that his fellow Republicans were afraid to criticize the president for fear of retribution .
“ I understand at the beginning maybe some people had some concerns about some of the allegations , but now we are several steps down the road , ” Hogan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of runway .
We just have to acknowledge : This is embarrassing us .
It ’ s an affront to our democratic process , and it ’ s diminishing the presidency .
“ It ’ s bad for our party , bad for the country and it weakens our position in the world.
” Trump still refuses to concede the Nov. 3 election and has not backed down from his baseless accusations about a massive conspiracy to rig the voting against him .
Despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary , many elected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A number have encouraged and amplified Trump ’ s lies , while others have stayed silent or refused to say who won .

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Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan on Monday said fellow Republicans who continue to deny the reality of President Donald Trump’s election loss are an embarrassment to their party.
Speaking to CNN’s Jake Tapper after President-elect Joe Biden officially secured the electoral votes required to become president, Hogan admonished party members, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), for their ongoing refusal to accept the results.
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“It’s just getting ridiculous at this point,” Hogan said. “This election is over. The president had every opportunity to provide some kind of evidence of widespread voter fraud. We haven’t seen any.
“All the court cases are done ― the Supreme Court refused to hear the case because there wasn’t any factual evidence ― and now, the states all across America, the Electoral College has voted.”
The election truly is over, and we need to move forward together as a nation. Watch my full interview with @CNN: pic.twitter.com/qnSrOBrMiI — Governor Larry Hogan (@GovLarryHogan) December 15, 2020
Biden crossed the Electoral College’s 270-vote threshold Monday, solidifying his win in the Nov. 3 election. He received 306 electoral votes to Trump’s 232.
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Hogan, a frequent critic of Trump, was one of the first Republican officials to acknowledge Biden’s win. He said last month that his fellow Republicans were afraid to criticize the president for fear of retribution.
“I understand at the beginning maybe some people had some concerns about some of the allegations, but now we are several steps down the road,” Hogan said Monday. “They’re out of runway. We just have to acknowledge: This is embarrassing us. It’s an affront to our democratic process, and it’s diminishing the presidency.
“It’s bad for our party, bad for the country and it weakens our position in the world.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-14--Michigan GOP Strips Lawmaker Of Committee Posts After He Hints At Electoral Vote Violence

The Republican-led Michigan House of Representatives quickly stripped a lawmaker of his committee posts after he indicated there could be violence during Monday ’ s Electoral College vote .
But it ’ s apparently only for the remainder of this term , which ends Dec. 31 .
Republican state Rep. Gary Eisen said in a radio interview Monday morning on WPHM-AM in Port Huron that he was going to participate later that day in an apparently disruptive mystery event involving the Electoral College vote and that he couldn ’ t rule out violence .
Eisen refused to reveal details of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be “ all over the news.
” Asked if he could assure that there would be “ no violence , ” Eisen answered , “ No.
” Most of the state Capitol and legislative buildings were closed Monday because of “ credible threats of violence.
” Republican House Speaker Lee Chatfield blasted Eisen ’ s comments as he announced that Eisen was being stripped of his posts .
“ We have been consistent in our position on issues of violence and intimidation in politics — it is never appropriate and never acceptable , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ That is true of threats or suggestions of violence against ... Republicans , Democrats , and members of the Electoral College.
” As “ elected officials [ we ] must be clear that violence has no place in our democratic process , ” Chatfield added .
“ Because of that , Rep. Eisen has been removed from his committee assignments for the rest of the term.
” Threats of violence , or a refusal to denounce it , will not be tolerated in the Michigan House .
Last week , a Democrat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a Republican has been too .
We will not condone this behavior .
In a Republic , we settle our differences on Election Day .
pic.twitter.com/W1dnxJpaLz — Lee Chatfield ( @ LeeChatfield ) December 14 , 2020 Eisen later said that he regretted “ the confusion over my comments , ” adding : “ I want to assure everyone that those of us who are supporting an alternative slate of electors intend to do so peacefully and legally.
” He opted , however , not to attend the mysterious event , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ turned out , the “ event ” appeared to be a number of people posing as “ alternative ” electors and attempting to gain entry to the Capitol .
They were stopped by guards , who explained that the electors were already inside .

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The Republican-led Michigan House of Representatives quickly stripped a lawmaker of his committee posts after he indicated there could be violence during Monday’s Electoral College vote.
But it’s apparently only for the remainder of this term, which ends Dec. 31.
Republican state Rep. Gary Eisen said in a radio interview Monday morning on WPHM-AM in Port Huron that he was going to participate later that day in an apparently disruptive mystery event involving the Electoral College vote and that he couldn’t rule out violence.
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Eisen refused to reveal details of the event but promised that it would be “all over the news.”
It “sounds dangerous, Gary,” said the interviewer. Eisen responded, “It is.”
Asked if he could assure that there would be “no violence,” Eisen answered, “No.”
Most of the state Capitol and legislative buildings were closed Monday because of “credible threats of violence.”
Republican House Speaker Lee Chatfield blasted Eisen’s comments as he announced that Eisen was being stripped of his posts.
“We have been consistent in our position on issues of violence and intimidation in politics — it is never appropriate and never acceptable,” Chatfield said in a statement. “That is true of threats or suggestions of violence against ... Republicans, Democrats, and members of the Electoral College.”
As “elected officials [we] must be clear that violence has no place in our democratic process,” Chatfield added. “Because of that, Rep. Eisen has been removed from his committee assignments for the rest of the term.”
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Threats of violence, or a refusal to denounce it, will not be tolerated in the Michigan House. Last week, a Democrat was removed from her committees. Today, a Republican has been too. We will not condone this behavior. In a Republic, we settle our differences on Election Day. pic.twitter.com/W1dnxJpaLz — Lee Chatfield (@LeeChatfield) December 14, 2020
Eisen later said that he regretted “the confusion over my comments,” adding: “I want to assure everyone that those of us who are supporting an alternative slate of electors intend to do so peacefully and legally.” He opted, however, not to attend the mysterious event, the Detroit Free Press reported.
As it turned out, the “event” appeared to be a number of people posing as “alternative” electors and attempting to gain entry to the Capitol. They were stopped by guards, who explained that the electors were already inside.
The legitimate electors inside the Capitol confirmed the choice of the state’s voters, casting 16 electoral votes for President-elect Joe Biden.
Electors stand a cheer as Michigan Democratic Party Chair @LavoraBarnes announces 16 votes (all of them) have been cast for President-Elect Joe Biden. #ElectoralCollege #mileg @WKARnews pic.twitter.com/GkBR2krgfh — Abigail Censky (@AbigailCensky) December 14, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-15--Kelly Loeffler, David Perdue 'Adamantly Oppose' Changing Atlanta Braves' Name

Georgia ’ s Republican senators , Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue , issued a joint statement Monday saying they were “ adamantly opposed ” to changing the name of the Atlanta Braves baseball team , which has been described as racist by Native Americans and allies .
The statement was issued a day after Loeffler became embroiled in controversy for posing with a former leader of the Ku Klux Klan in a photograph .
Loeffler and Perdue said the name of the baseball franchise “ honors our nation ’ s Native American heritage ” : The senators , both facing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ determine which party controls the Senate , issued the statement as the Cleveland Indians baseball team reportedly was preparing to change its name .
The Braves told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in July that the team was standing by the name .
Still , team officials said they were discussing the controversial “ tomahawk chop ” chant that fans repeat at the start of games and as a rallying cry .
Far from honoring Native Americans , such names , mascots and chants demean them , indigenous leaders say .
St. Louis Cardinals pitcher @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cherokee Nation , complained last year after a game against the Braves that the team ’ s “ tomahawk chop ” chant depicts Native Americans as “ caveman-type people.
” “ They are a lot more than that , ” Helsley told The St. Louis Post-Dispatch .
Appropriating Native American names for something unconnected to their culture “ devalues us and how we ’ re perceived in that way , or used as mascots , ” he said .
In July , Washington ’ s National Football League team announced it would no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ derogatory and racist name that has drawn intense criticism from fans and Native American activists .
The franchise is currently known as the Washington Football Team .
Last weekend , the Jewish activist organization Bend the Arc retweeted a photo of Loeffler posing with Chester Doles , a former KKK leader who served time in prison for almost beating a Black man to death .
Loeffler ’ s campaign claimed she had no idea who Doles was .
But in September , Doles was ejected from a campaign rally featuring Loeffler and Rep.-elect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Journal-Constitution reported .
Loeffler said then that she was unaware of any controversy linked to Doles .
ALERT : Kelly Loeffler just posed for a photo with Chester Doles , a former KKK leader who runs the white supremacist American Patriots USA .
In 1993 , Doles nearly beat a Black man to death .
In 2017 , he marched in Charlottesville .
This is who @ KLoeffler is proudly appealing to .
pic.twitter.com/4YZcvL05rf — Bend the Arc : Jewish Action ( @ jewishaction ) December 13 , 2020

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Georgia’s Republican senators, Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue, issued a joint statement Monday saying they were “adamantly opposed” to changing the name of the Atlanta Braves baseball team, which has been described as racist by Native Americans and allies.
The statement was issued a day after Loeffler became embroiled in controversy for posing with a former leader of the Ku Klux Klan in a photograph.
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Loeffler and Perdue said the name of the baseball franchise “honors our nation’s Native American heritage”:
The senators, both facing runoff elections on Jan. 6 that will determine which party controls the Senate, issued the statement as the Cleveland Indians baseball team reportedly was preparing to change its name.
The Braves told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in July that the team was standing by the name. Still, team officials said they were discussing the controversial “tomahawk chop” chant that fans repeat at the start of games and as a rallying cry.
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Far from honoring Native Americans, such names, mascots and chants demean them, indigenous leaders say.
St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Ryan Helsley, a member of the Cherokee Nation, complained last year after a game against the Braves that the team’s “tomahawk chop” chant depicts Native Americans as “caveman-type people.”
“They are a lot more than that,” Helsley told The St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Appropriating Native American names for something unconnected to their culture “devalues us and how we’re perceived in that way, or used as mascots,” he said.
In July, Washington’s National Football League team announced it would no longer be called the Redskins, a derogatory and racist name that has drawn intense criticism from fans and Native American activists. The franchise is currently known as the Washington Football Team.
Last weekend, the Jewish activist organization Bend the Arc retweeted a photo of Loeffler posing with Chester Doles, a former KKK leader who served time in prison for almost beating a Black man to death. Loeffler’s campaign claimed she had no idea who Doles was.
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But in September, Doles was ejected from a campaign rally featuring Loeffler and Rep.-elect Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), the Journal-Constitution reported. Loeffler said then that she was unaware of any controversy linked to Doles.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-15--Toledo Zoo Discovers Tasmanian Devils Glow

“ It was pretty shocking when we saw it .
We went into it not expecting much and it was @ @ @ @ @ told ABC .
In October , a study published in the journal Mammalia reported that @ @ @ @ @ light .
The authors noted that the phenomenon had been observed in fish , reptiles @ @ @ @ @ of opossum and squirrel , but not in monotremes ― mammals that lay eggs .
@ @ @ @ @ scientists have also found it to occur in bilbies and wombats .

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A conservation technician at an Ohio zoo has discovered that Tasmanian devils glow under ultraviolet light.
The Toledo Zoo posted the finding on its Facebook page earlier this month, just weeks after the phenomenon was found to occur in several other mammals native to Australia.
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“Biofluorescence refers to the phenomenon by which a living organism absorbs light and reemits it as a different color,” the zoo wrote on Facebook. “In the case of the Tasmanian devil, the skin around their snout, eyes, and inner ear absorbs ultraviolet light ... and reemits it as blue, visible light.”
Jacob Schoen, the technician with Toledo Zoo Conservation who made the discovery, told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. that this was believed to be the first time the phenomenon had been documented in the marsupial.
“When platypuses were recently found to be biofluorescence, it got us pretty excited to try and discover this in other animals, especially in Australian mammals,” Schoen said.
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Schoen said he and his team were surprised when they observed the phenomenon on their first go.
Tasmanian devils are an endangered carnivorous marsupial native to Australia. Researchers in Ohio recently learned they glow under ultraviolet light. sacco via Getty Images
University of Kansas biologist Leo Smith, an expert in biofluorescence, told NPR it was not clear what purpose the trait served in mammals.
“It’s not something that you can necessarily come up with a really good explanation for why it might be there or what could be the advantage. Like a lot of things just evolve and they’re not good or bad, they’re just whatever,” Smith said.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-15--San Francisco's Iconic Cliff House Restaurant To Close

SAN FRANCISCO ( AP ) — San Francisco ’ s iconic Cliff House restaurant that has served tourists and locals for more than a century from atop a hill overlooking the Pacific Ocean is closing its doors at the end of the year .
Dan and Mary Hountalas , the restaurant ’ s proprietors since 1973 , said in a post Sunday on the restaurant ’ s website they are closing Dec. 31 because of losses brought on by the pandemic and a dispute over renewing their long-term operating contract with the National Park Service .
Built in 1863 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Francisco institution and a top tourist attraction .
It has gone through several transformations .
The first modest , wood-frame structure was destroyed in a fire in 1894 .
It was rebuilt and fashioned after a French chateau that survived the 1906 San Francisco earthquake but burned down the following year .
The third and present Cliff House , neoclassic in design , was built in 1909 .
The National Park Service bought the property in 1977 , four years after the Hountalas began leasing it .
Their last long-term contract with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the restaurant had been operating since then under short-term contracts , the couple said .
The Hountalas said the National Park Service should have selected an operator on a long-term basis “ to ensure the continued operation of this national treasure.
” “ This is certainly not the way to thank us , a local small business owned and operated by native San Franciscans , for taking care of this San Francisco treasure this past year at a significant financial loss , ” they said .
The couple said 180 employees will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to show their support by sending an email to the Golden Gate National Recreation Area ’ s superintendent .
The Cliff House first closed in March due to the pandemic .
It reopened in June to offer takeout service but closed again after 10 weeks because of “ unbearable losses.
” Golden Gate National Recreation Area ’ s spokesman Julian Espinoza said in a statement the National Park Service had hoped to continue working with Peanut Wagon , Inc. , which operates the Cliff House restaurant and Lookout Café , housed in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ honored the proprietors ’ request to let the existing concession contract expire on Dec. 31 , 2020 .
“ We too are disappointed about this temporary suspension of services , however we remain committed to providing an exceptional experience for residents and visitors to the Bay Area and look forward to welcoming the public back in the future , ” he said .
Espinoza didn ’ t say whether a restaurant will continue to be housed at the Cliff House building .
He said he had no further information to provide Monday .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the property , said in a letter obtained by the San Francisco Chronicle that it ’ s reevaluating “ the feasibility of anyone operating ” the scenic waterfront space as a restaurant in the near future due to the state of the food industry .
“ The COVID-19 pandemic has unexpectedly and vastly changed the food and beverage market in the San Francisco area and throughout the country , ” read the letter from Linda D. Walker , acting regional director of the National Park Service .
“ As a result , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ uses of the Concession Facilities and the feasibility of anyone operating it as a restaurant in the near future , whether under a concession contract or a lease .
”

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SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — San Francisco’s iconic Cliff House restaurant that has served tourists and locals for more than a century from atop a hill overlooking the Pacific Ocean is closing its doors at the end of the year.
Dan and Mary Hountalas, the restaurant’s proprietors since 1973, said in a post Sunday on the restaurant’s website they are closing Dec. 31 because of losses brought on by the pandemic and a dispute over renewing their long-term operating contract with the National Park Service.
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Built in 1863, the seaside restaurant has been a San Francisco institution and a top tourist attraction. It has gone through several transformations.
The first modest, wood-frame structure was destroyed in a fire in 1894. It was rebuilt and fashioned after a French chateau that survived the 1906 San Francisco earthquake but burned down the following year. The third and present Cliff House, neoclassic in design, was built in 1909.
Underwood Archives via Getty Images The Cliff House at the very western end of San Francisco as it sat perched overlooking the Pacific Ocean in the late 1890s.
The National Park Service bought the property in 1977, four years after the Hountalas began leasing it. Their last long-term contract with the Park Service expired in June 2018, and the restaurant had been operating since then under short-term contracts, the couple said.
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The Hountalas said the National Park Service should have selected an operator on a long-term basis “to ensure the continued operation of this national treasure.”
“This is certainly not the way to thank us, a local small business owned and operated by native San Franciscans, for taking care of this San Francisco treasure this past year at a significant financial loss,” they said.
The couple said 180 employees will lose their jobs and they encouraged customers to show their support by sending an email to the Golden Gate National Recreation Area’s superintendent.
The Cliff House first closed in March due to the pandemic. It reopened in June to offer takeout service but closed again after 10 weeks because of “unbearable losses.”
San Francisco Chronicle/Hearst Newspapers via Getty Images via Getty Images The dining room at Sutro's restaurant at the Cliff House, in San Francisco on March 4, 2009.
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“It costs tens of thousands of dollars every month to maintain and guard the massive Cliff House building,” the couple wrote.
Golden Gate National Recreation Area’s spokesman Julian Espinoza said in a statement the National Park Service had hoped to continue working with Peanut Wagon, Inc., which operates the Cliff House restaurant and Lookout Café, housed in the same building, but that they have honored the proprietors’ request to let the existing concession contract expire on Dec. 31, 2020.
“We too are disappointed about this temporary suspension of services, however we remain committed to providing an exceptional experience for residents and visitors to the Bay Area and look forward to welcoming the public back in the future,” he said.
Espinoza didn’t say whether a restaurant will continue to be housed at the Cliff House building. He said he had no further information to provide Monday.
Justin Sullivan via Getty Images A view of the Cliff House restaurant on October 10, 2013 in San Francisco. Due to the government shutdown, the iconic 150 year-old Cliff House restaurant, a concessionaire of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, has been forced to close its doors until the government shutdown ends.
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The National Park Service, which owns the property, said in a letter obtained by the San Francisco Chronicle that it’s reevaluating “the feasibility of anyone operating” the scenic waterfront space as a restaurant in the near future due to the state of the food industry.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has unexpectedly and vastly changed the food and beverage market in the San Francisco area and throughout the country,” read the letter from Linda D. Walker, acting regional director of the National Park Service.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-15--How Progressives Failed A Key Test In The Heartland

Kara Eastman for Congress/Getty Images Progressives had high hopes that Democrat Kara Eastman ( left ) would unseat Republican Rep. @ @ @ @ @ , Nebraska-area House seat , but she fell short .

Progressives had high hopes that Democrat Kara Eastman (left) would unseat Republican Rep. Don Bacon in an Omaha, Nebraska-area House seat, but she fell short. Kara Eastman for Congress/Getty Images
Kara Eastman was supposed to win this year. The polling looked good, she had come so close to winning the Omaha congressional seat in 2018, and this time, the national party was all in for her. Progressive activists were eager to show that their ideas could win outside heavily blue areas. And Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District, which includes metropolitan Omaha and a more rural area around a military base, was as good a place as any.
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Eastman’s loss was a blow to Democrats hoping to expand their majority in the House. But it was an especially painful loss for the party’s progressive wing, which wanted to show it could do more than just oust incumbent Democrats in ultra-liberal seats. It wanted to demonstrate the viability of its preferred policies in the swing seats and states that determine control of Congress. The left touted Eastman’s race as a marquee opportunity to show that progressive policies designed to excite the party base are assets, rather than liabilities.
The party tried to do things differently than it had in 2018. After Eastman defeated former Rep. Brad Ashford (D) in the 2018 primary, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee was late to endorse her and provided her relatively modest financial support. Bacon’s campaign heavily outspent Eastman until the final weeks. Eastman’s supporters believed an extra push from the party establishment would have pushed her over the finish line.
This cycle, the DCCC tried to correct its mistake, endorsing Eastman from the moment she won her primary and spending $3.5 million to try to elect her with more modest support from progressive groups.
Many of the forces that sank Eastman were out of her control. She received nearly 34,000 more votes than she had in 2018, but a surge in Republican turnout limited the impact of those gains. Ashford, the man Eastman defeated in the 2018 primary, worked against her. Eastman also defeated Ashford’s wife, Ann, in the 2020 primary, and Ashford endorsed Bacon, providing the GOP congressman with a valuable talking point. And plenty of Republicans who voted for Biden out of their disdain for Trump probably would not have elected a Democrat to Congress regardless of their positions or background.
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“I personally don’t think it would have mattered who was running in my seat.” - Kara Eastman, Democratic congressional candidate
“Republicans just came out like crazy and voted for Biden and Bacon,” Eastman told HuffPost in an interview. “I personally don’t think it would have mattered who was running in my seat. I think the Democrat would have lost.”
But Eastman’s race also offers some lessons for progressives eager to win seats like hers in the future. Republicans succeeded in casting Eastman as a radical left-wing figure partly because of her support for Medicare for All, her positive comments about Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and her affiliation with grassroots groups and causes associated with the movement to “defund the police.”
What’s more, the progressive groups that had once been the foundation of Eastman’s support did little to offset the damage inflicted by Bacon and his allies, spreading small amounts of money between multiple TV ads in contravention of traditional campaign strategy.
“By the 2020 election cycle, she already had a definition and they spent several million dollars reinforcing that definition and making it even worse,” said Paul Landow, a political science professor at the University of Nebraska, Omaha, who previously served as a top aide to a Democratic mayor of Omaha and a Democratic member of Congress from Nebraska. “When there’s that kind of money floating around, you’ve got a pretty good chance of making it happen. And they did.”
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Republicans used Eastman's positions and comments to tie her to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), polarizing figures in a moderate district. Joe Raedle/Getty Images
The Creation Of ‘Comrade’ Kara
It’s not hard to see what progressives saw in Eastman. As a social worker and the founder of the lead safety nonprofit Omaha Healthy Kids Alliance, Eastman boasts deep community roots in the district’s biggest population center. And she spoke movingly about how her mother’s struggle paying medical bills associated with cancer informed her commitment to providing health care as a right to all Americans.
Although she did not vote for Sanders in the 2016 presidential primary, she told Politico she was a “big Bernie Sanders fan” and shared that her daughter had canvassed for him. Eastman’s platform reflected her affinity for the Vermont senator. In that first congressional run, in particular, Eastman ran as an unabashed proponent of a Medicare for All, single-payer health care system, a $15 minimum wage and free tuition at public colleges. And unlike the national party, Eastman’s campaign embraced the activist left’s belief that turning out infrequent, liberal-leaning voters made catering to moderate Republicans unnecessary.
Since Eastman nearly unseated Bacon with little help from the national party during her first run, the plan seems to have worked. But in fact, the circumstances of the 2018 midterm elections were uniquely favorable for the left and did not necessarily provide a roadmap to victory in elections where the electorate would be less lopsided toward highly educated Democrats.
“2018 was a Democratic wave year,” said David Shor, a data scientist who consults for Democratic candidates and campaigns.
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“In midterms, voters are much more educated. There are fewer working-class voters,” he added. “That creates a more fertile ground for highly ideological candidates.”
Instead of serving as a template for an even stronger performance during a presidential election year, Eastman’s freewheeling remarks during the 2018 campaign provided fodder for Republican attacks in what would turn out to be a more favorable environment for the GOP in 2020.
“It was a referendum at the federal level on Trump and we couldn’t make the case that Bacon was a madman.” - Crystal Rhoades, Nebraska Public Service Commission
The National Republican Congressional Committee, which is House Republicans’ campaign arm, used these comments to characterize Eastman, whom they nicknamed “Comrade Kara,” as a socialist in the Sanders mold, rather than a Biden-style Democrat of the kind suburbanites and military families could stomach. One NRCC spot that aired more than 300 times beginning in early October featured a clip of Eastman telling a left-wing host in 2018, “Full disclosure: I love Bernie Sanders,” according to Kantar Media/CMAG. (All references to TV ads in this story rely on data from Kantar Media/CMAG.)
Republicans also dishonestly pulled a clip of Eastman mocking how Republicans say of her, “I’m a radical socialist.” One TV ad from the GOP super PAC Defending Main Street that aired more than 100 times replayed the clip of her without clarifying that she reiterated it to laugh at how preposterous the characterization was.
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“What this really came down to was that Don Bacon is a moderate, commonsense Republican who is in line with the district, and Kara Eastman is a socialist who is far to the left of the district,” said NRCC spokesperson Bob Salera.
Another advantage for Republicans this election cycle was that Biden, who was expected to perform well in Omaha’s highly educated, Republican-leaning suburbs, was on record condemning Medicare for All in the strongest of terms.
The NRCC funded at least two TV ads using Biden’s words condemning Medicare for All to attack Eastman. The ads, which aired more than 600 times beginning in September, quoted Biden lamenting that Medicare for All would cost “$30 trillion” and would mean “Washington dictating to you, ‘You cannot keep the plan you have.’” Another NRCC spot that aired more than 300 times in October contrasted Eastman’s support for a Green New Deal with Biden’s opposition to it, deeming Eastman “too extreme for Joe Biden.”
“If you just look at how Biden performed versus Kara, Kara did not fit the district,” said Nebraska Democratic Party Chairwoman Jane Kleeb.
Eastman knocks on a voter’s door in Omaha in July 2018. Eastman and the state Democratic Party stopped canvassing this cycle after March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Joseph Tanfani / Reuters
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Struggling To Push Back
Eastman and Democrats hammered Bacon, in turn, for his vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act. As a freshman lawmaker in March 2017, Bacon said prior to voting for the repeal bill that would have allowed states to opt out of federal protections for people with preexisting conditions that he was changing his vote from “‘yes’ to ‘hell, yes.’” The phrase came up again and again in Democratic ads, albeit without the video evidence that gave Republican attacks against Eastman extra punch.
Campaigns and outside groups generally try to concentrate as much money as possible in individual ads to maximize the likelihood that voters will see a particular message. And the DCCC highlights the themes it wants those outside groups to amplify on an opposition research page ― or “red box” ― designed to circumvent campaign finance rules against coordinating with outside groups. In its red box on Eastman’s race, the DCCC said “voters in Omaha should see” that Bacon voted “hell yes” to repealing the ACA and for defunding Planned Parenthood.
Some of Eastman’s progressive allies, such as the Congressional Progressive Caucus PAC, amplified the red box message with six-figure digital ad buys.
But other groups spread their resources thinly over a greater number of ads with differing themes ― a tactical mistake, according to several veteran campaign operatives.
Justice Democrats’ pro-Eastman blitz ― funded jointly with MoveOn, the Sunrise Movement and the Working Families Party ― spent $60,000 on a TV ad hitting Bacon for voting against funding to clean up drinking water. The spot aired just 34 times, though it echoed themes in an ad funded by the End Citizens United PAC that aired more than 125 times.
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The progressive coalition spent another $167,000 on a TV ad that aired nearly 130 times emphasizing Bacon’s ACA repeal vote. A separate TV ad funded by the Progressive Change Campaign Committee and Rebellion PAC’s super PAC focusing on Bacon’s resistance to COVID-19 relief ― and a secondary mention of Bacon’s ACA repeal vote ― aired just 36 times. (The super PAC spent a total of $200,000 on Eastman’s behalf, including on cable TV ads not counted by Kantar Media/CMAG.)
Asked why Justice Democrats had decided to do a smaller ad buy about clean water, a Justice Democrats spokesperson said, “We had interest from the Working Families Party and other partners on that message.” The spokesperson noted that the ad expanded on the spot run by End Citizens United.
Justice Democrats did not join forces with the PCCC on a single, unified ad campaign because they were already in the process of producing their own ads when the groups approached one another about cooperating, according to the Justice Democrats spokesperson. The PCCC declined to comment for this story.
Landow, the veteran Nebraska Democrat and politics expert, blames the national party as well as progressive groups for a “bungled response” that failed to adequately shape the narrative.
“It was too little, too late and didn’t come close to hitting the nail on the head,” he said.
“We know that if you’re running a campaign and you’re trying to explain things to people, then you’re losing.” - Kara Eastman, Democratic congressional candidate
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For his part, Bacon simply lied about the implications of his vote, co-opting the “hell yes” phrase as a description for his commitment to protecting people with preexisting conditions. He likely benefited from a national environment where Democratic attacks on the ACA repeal vote did not resonate as strongly as they had in 2018.
Bacon, who is a retired general, also took pains to cast himself as the more moderate and bipartisan candidate in the race. For example, he funded an ad that featured a Black woman who said Bacon was the first Republican she was voting for.
“It was a referendum at the federal level on Trump and we couldn’t make the case that Bacon was a madman,” Crystal Rhoades, who sits on the Nebraska Public Service Commission and is a former chair of the Douglas County Democratic Party, told HuffPost. “We didn’t do enough to tie them together.”
Eastman tried her own version of bipartisan jiujitsu with a TV spot that featured the endorsement of Republican state Sen. John McCollister.
But she never settled on a clear response to attacks on her support for Medicare for All. She defended the policy on the merits during an October debate with Bacon. Yet in a campaign ad, she sought to skirt the issue by highlighting Biden’s endorsement of her bid and their shared commitment to lowering prescription drug prices and “expanding health care for all families.”
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“We know that if you’re running a campaign and you’re trying to explain things to people, then you’re losing,” Eastman said.
In ads and on the stump, Eastman ran as a crusader against corruption who refused corporate PAC money so voters could be confident that she would “put families first, not special interests.”
“I see people talking about, ‘Well, you just have to run on a strong economic message,’” Eastman said. “We did run on a strong economic message.”
Whether elevating validators like McCollister or promoting her plans to reduce prescription drug prices, Eastman found herself frustrated by her inability to cut through the narrative perpetuated by Republicans on the airwaves. She told HuffPost that she had greater success dispelling misconceptions in one-on-one conversations with voters.
But Eastman’s campaign paused its door-knocking program in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic and resumed literature drops in September in lieu of face-to-face conversations. The DCCC’s opposition to canvassing also prompted the state party to shelve its plans to canvass with heavy health precautions, according to Kleeb.
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“I don’t think they ever came out and said, ‘If candidates door-knock, you will lose funding.’ But they said, ‘They cannot door-knock,’” she said. “That hurt Democrats everywhere.”
Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine, a longtime Democrat, switched to the Republican Party after Nebraska Democrats said he "perpetuated white supremacy." Don Kleine for Douglas County Attorney/Facebook
The Don Kleine Debacle
In congressional races, Republicans ran 216 advertisements on broadcast television attacking Democrats for being anti-police and pro-riots. Out of that total, 157 ads that aired 103,000 times specifically blasted Democrats for their association with the slogan “defund the police.”
Republicans ran at least three such TV spots that aired more than 900 times against Eastman. One Bacon campaign spot featured two Omaha policewomen warning that Eastman would throw cops under the bus “for her radical friends in New York” as an image of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) appeared on-screen. Another Bacon ad tying Eastman to riots in Portland, Oregon; Kenosha, Wisconsin; and Omaha featured Tony Conner, the Black president of Omaha’s police union, declaring that Bacon would stand against “radicals who want to defund the police.”
Unlike some Democrats who faced down policing-related attacks by marshaling law enforcement officers of their own to affirm their pro-police credentials in TV ads, Eastman and her allies did not use TV ads to rebut claims that she was beholden to radical, anti-police forces.
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But in public appearances, Eastman made clear that she does not support “defunding” the police. And unlike with some of Eastman’s other missteps, Republicans did not have footage of her saying anything that could be construed that way.
What they had instead was Eastman’s reaction to white bar owner Jake Gardner’s killing of James Scurlock, a young Black man, in downtown Omaha on May 30. Omaha, like other areas of the country, was swept up in a wave of protests against police brutality over the summer, some of which spilled into vandalism and looting. Scurlock was allegedly part of a group of people who broke the glass of Gardner’s bar and got into a fight with Gardner’s aging father. Video appeared to show him engaged in a physical scuffle with Gardner and his father, who were trying to guard their store, when Gardner shot him to death with his handgun.
The following morning, Eastman denounced the killing on Twitter as a “cold-blooded murder.”
“They saw us standing up to someone who was disparaging an African-American man who was shot by a racist bar owner.” - Jane Kleeb, chairwoman of the Nebraska Democratic Party
But Don Kleine, a Democrat serving as Douglas County’s prosecutor since 2006, announced two days after the killing that after a review of grainy video of the incident, he was declining to press charges against Gardner. Scurlock had pinned Gardner to the ground and held his head in a headlock, according to Kleine. In his press conference announcing the decision, Kleine also blasted Eastman without naming her, arguing that her characterization of the killing was “reckless” and “dangerous to our community.” Republicans would end up using those comments in attack ads against Eastman.
The progression of the judicial process brought new headaches for Eastman. Scurlock’s family, Omaha’s Black community and progressive Nebraskans were outraged by Kleine’s initial decision not to prosecute, which they condemned as a rush to judgment. A neighboring bar owner said that Gardner and his father had “instigated” the fight with racists comments, including the elder Gardner’s use of the “n-word.”
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Under pressure, Kleine reversed his decision, convening a grand jury and appointing a special counsel to determine whether to bring charges. The grand jury indicted Gardner in September, for manslaughter, “terroristic threats” and other charges. Shortly before he was to turn himself in, he died by suicide in Oregon.
The indictment and the suicide sparked another round of recriminations in Omaha as Kleine held a press conference to dispute characterizations of Gardner as a Trump-loving vigilante who provoked an altercation with Scurlock, instead claiming that Scurlock was the one involved in “terrorizing” other people.
Kleine’s remarks angered Scurlock’s family and many Democrats. The Nebraska Democratic Party responded by passing a harshly worded resolution stating that Kleine’s handling of the Scurlock case “perpetuated white supremacy.”
The move pushed Kleine to leave the Democratic Party and register as a Republican. Top Republicans in the state held a rally welcoming him to the Republican Party in early October with early voting underway. At the event, Kleine revealed that he had already cast his ballot for Trump, crediting Trump for being a “law-and-order guy.”
Many Nebraska Democrats fault Kleeb for passing a resolution that effectively drove a ranking elected official out of the party and heightening the apparent gulf between the state’s old guard of moderate and conservative Democrats and progressives like Eastman.
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“That should have never happened,” said Ben Gray, the only Black member of the Omaha city council.
Kleeb, however, insists the resolution helped all Democrats on the ballot by showing people of color, young people and progressives that the party had their back.
“They saw us standing up to someone who was disparaging an African-American man who was shot by a racist bar owner,” she said.
Gray sees the Scurlock killing as a complicated one. He believes that Gardner should not have been taking the defense of his own stores into his hands and put himself in a situation where he would be confronting looters, but that once Gardner was accosted, he shot Scurlock in an effort to defend himself.
As a supporter of Eastman’s, Gray wishes that the Democratic congressional candidate had reserved judgment before calling the killing a “cold-blooded murder.”
“If I had my choice and I had been running the campaign, I wouldn’t have had her say anything,” Gray said. “I never say anything about an event until I know all the facts about an event.”
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Yet despite her loss, Eastman has no regrets about her stand on behalf of Scurlock.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-15--Late Night Hosts Cheer The Latest In A Long Line Of Defeats For Donald Trump

The Electoral College confirmed Joe Biden ’ s 2020 election win on Monday and the comedians of late night TV @ @ @ @ @ latest defeat for President Donald Trump .
“ The Late Late Show ” host James @ @ @ @ @ ’ s tweets about the COVID-19 vaccine back on him , suggesting Trump ’ s @ @ @ @ @ election now was to go limp like a toddler and flail around on the floor @ @ @ @ @ Joe Biden has won the election so many times he ’ s our 46th president @ @ @ @ @ joked “ The Late Show ” host Stephen Colbert , referencing Trump ’ s many @ @ @ @ @ to strong-arm local officials .
“ The Daily Show ” host Trevor Noah warned of @ @ @ @ @ s next move to steal the election : “ The Tonight Show ” host Jimmy @ @ @ @ @ vote was exciting for people who ’ d missed the “ previous 75 times ” @ @ @ @

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The Electoral College confirmed Joe Biden’s 2020 election win on Monday and the comedians of late night TV had a blast mocking the latest defeat for President Donald Trump.
“The Late Late Show” host James Corden turned one of Trump’s tweets about the COVID-19 vaccine back on him, suggesting Trump’s only option to overturn the election now was to go limp like a toddler and flail around on the floor.
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“At this point Joe Biden has won the election so many times he’s our 46th president through 51st president,” joked “The Late Show” host Stephen Colbert, referencing Trump’s many failed legal challenges and attempts to strong-arm local officials.
“The Daily Show” host Trevor Noah warned of what might be Trump’s next move to steal the election:
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“The Tonight Show” host Jimmy Fallon said the Electoral College vote was exciting for people who’d missed the “previous 75 times” Trump had lost:


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-15--Ghislaine Maxwell Seeks Bail With $28.5 Million And Armed Guards

NEW YORK ( AP ) — Lawyers for the former girlfriend of Jeffrey Epstein are urging a judge to free her to await trial under a $ 28.5 million bail package that would include armed guards to ensure she remains safe and doesn ’ t flee a New York City residence .
They were supported by numerous letters from family and friends who insisted that Maxwell sought seclusion in a New Hampshire home in December 2019 after receiving death threats and worrying that the public and media would find her at a home where she lived with her husband .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 1 million toward the bail package and to provide armed security for Maxwell if she is released on bail said Maxwell retreated into a back room of her residence when the FBI approached on July 2 because it was thought reporters had found her .
The lawyers said Maxwell and her spouse , with whom she has been living for most of the past four years , were offering a bail package partially consisting of a $ 22.5 million personal recognizance bond secured by $ 8 million in property and $ 500,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all of Maxwell and her husband ’ s assets , including three homes .
The husband was not identified in court papers , but a financial report among exhibits said the couple was married in 2016 and that Maxwell had put the majority of the $ 20.2 million in assets she had in 2015 into a trust controlled by her spouse .
It said the assets , $ 16 million of which was in cash or equities , were worth $ 22.5 million on Oct. 31 .
The financial report also noted that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transfers totaling more than $ 20 million from 2007 to 2011 , describing them as transfers from Epstein ’ s accounts to Maxwell ’ s accounts and vice versa .
The financial report noted that Maxwell during those years acted as an officer of various corporate entities related to aircraft and air travel associated with Epstein and there were substantial transfers involving those corporate entities .
The identities of seven other close friends and family members who the lawyers said were willing to pledge about $ 5 million of their own assets toward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The lawyers said bail would include electronic monitoring .
“ Ms .
Maxwell vehemently maintains her innocence and is committed to defending herself , ” the lawyers wrote .
“ She wants nothing more than to remain in this country to fight the allegations against her , which are based on the uncorroborated testimony of a handful of witnesses about events that took place over 25 years ago.
” To support the bail request , the lawyers included a letter from Maxwell ’ s spouse .
They said the letter tells how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ family and drop out of public view , not because she was eluding law enforcement , but because of “ the intense media frenzy and threats following the arrest and death of Jeffrey Epstein.
” In one letter attached to the bail request as an exhibit , an individual wrote : “ Her love for ... her husband was a principal reason that she stayed close by as possible while fighting for her innocence.
” “ I can attest that when she moved , it was always and only due to fear of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vigilantes ’ — the fear was palpable , ” the unidentified individual wrote .
“ The only reason that she was forced to find quiet places to be in all this time , is due to the howling ‘ mobs ’ screaming for her ‘ scalp ’ on Twitter and other social media outlets.
” The individual added : “ She has never hid from the authorities and is frustrated that she never had the opportunity to talk to them personally to counteract all the lies pouring out in the media .
”

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NEW YORK (AP) — Lawyers for the former girlfriend of Jeffrey Epstein are urging a judge to free her to await trial under a $28.5 million bail package that would include armed guards to ensure she remains safe and doesn’t flee a New York City residence.
The bail arguments on behalf of Ghislaine Maxwell, first filed under seal last Tuesday, were publicly released late Monday with redactions in Manhattan federal court that were approved by Judge Alison J. Nathan.
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They were supported by numerous letters from family and friends who insisted that Maxwell sought seclusion in a New Hampshire home in December 2019 after receiving death threats and worrying that the public and media would find her at a home where she lived with her husband.
A security specialist who offered to pledge $1 million toward the bail package and to provide armed security for Maxwell if she is released on bail said Maxwell retreated into a back room of her residence when the FBI approached on July 2 because it was thought reporters had found her.
Maxwell, 58, is scheduled to face a July trial on charges that she recruited three teenage girls for Epstein to abuse in the mid-1990s.
Her first attempt at bail shortly after her July arrest was rejected.
The lawyers said Maxwell and her spouse, with whom she has been living for most of the past four years, were offering a bail package partially consisting of a $22.5 million personal recognizance bond secured by $8 million in property and $500,000 in cash. They said it represents all of Maxwell and her husband’s assets, including three homes.
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The husband was not identified in court papers, but a financial report among exhibits said the couple was married in 2016 and that Maxwell had put the majority of the $20.2 million in assets she had in 2015 into a trust controlled by her spouse. It said the assets, $16 million of which was in cash or equities, were worth $22.5 million on Oct. 31.
The financial report also noted that prosecutors in their initial bail submission cited transfers totaling more than $20 million from 2007 to 2011, describing them as transfers from Epstein’s accounts to Maxwell’s accounts and vice versa.
The financial report noted that Maxwell during those years acted as an officer of various corporate entities related to aircraft and air travel associated with Epstein and there were substantial transfers involving those corporate entities.
The identities of seven other close friends and family members who the lawyers said were willing to pledge about $5 million of their own assets toward the bail package were also not revealed. The lawyers said bail would include electronic monitoring.
“Ms. Maxwell vehemently maintains her innocence and is committed to defending herself,” the lawyers wrote. “She wants nothing more than to remain in this country to fight the allegations against her, which are based on the uncorroborated testimony of a handful of witnesses about events that took place over 25 years ago.”
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To support the bail request, the lawyers included a letter from Maxwell’s spouse. They said the letter tells how Ms. Maxwell was forced to leave her family and drop out of public view, not because she was eluding law enforcement, but because of “the intense media frenzy and threats following the arrest and death of Jeffrey Epstein.”
In one letter attached to the bail request as an exhibit, an individual wrote: “Her love for ... her husband was a principal reason that she stayed close by as possible while fighting for her innocence.”
“I can attest that when she moved, it was always and only due to fear of being discovered by the press or ‘vigilantes’ — the fear was palpable,” the unidentified individual wrote. “The only reason that she was forced to find quiet places to be in all this time, is due to the howling ‘mobs’ screaming for her ‘scalp’ on Twitter and other social media outlets.”
The individual added: “She has never hid from the authorities and is frustrated that she never had the opportunity to talk to them personally to counteract all the lies pouring out in the media.”
Epstein killed himself in a federal Manhattan lockup in August 2019 as he awaited trial on sex trafficking charges. He was 66.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-15--Fake Melania Trump Names 1 Thing She Wants Before Leaving The White House

Actor Laura Benanti returned to “ The Late Show ” on Monday as the bogus FLOTUS to tease what comes @ @ @ @ @ office .
Benanti , as the fake Melania Trump , talked with host Stephen Colbert @ @ @ @ @ her own R-rated spin on a Christmas song and previewed her reported upcoming memoir — @ @ @ @ @ taken more than a little inspiration from former first lady Michelle Obama .
Sound familiar @ @ @ @ @ wanted to achieve before leaving the White House next month , Benanti , as Trump @ @ @ @ @ me , Stephen ?
” “ No , I heard you , ” she said @ @ @ @ @ White House , I want my husband to pardon me .
I can ’ t @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t want to share a cell with Kayleigh McEnany.
” Check out the @ @ @ @

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Actor Laura Benanti returned to “The Late Show” on Monday as the bogus FLOTUS to tease what comes after President Donald Trump leaves office.
Benanti, as the fake Melania Trump, talked with host Stephen Colbert about the holidays, put her own R-rated spin on a Christmas song and previewed her reported upcoming memoir — inadvertently revealing she’d taken more than a little inspiration from former first lady Michelle Obama. Sound familiar?
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When asked what she wanted to achieve before leaving the White House next month, Benanti, as Trump, responded: “Pardon me, Stephen?”
Colbert repeated the question.
“No, I heard you,” she said. “Before leaving the White House, I want my husband to pardon me. I can’t go to jail. I don’t want to share a cell with Kayleigh McEnany.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-15--California Fines Uber $59 Million For Withholding Data From Sexual Assault Report

California fined Uber $ 59 million on Monday for failing to provide regulators with details about sexual assault and harassment claims linked to its ride-sharing platform .
A judge on the California Public Utilities Commission ( CPUC ) said the massive tech company had failed to respond adequately to questions about sexual misconduct after Uber last year released a detailed report revealing the number of incidents of sexual assault reported by riders and drivers in 2017 and 2018 .
The company had faced years of criticism for failing to do so , but it said in the document that roughly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during those two years , out of more than 2.3 billion rides .
CPUC , which has regulatory authority over transportation companies in California , had called on Uber to turn over detailed information about those incidents .
In the ruling Monday , the agency accused the company of using “ specious legal roadblocks ” in an attempt to “ frustrate the Commission ’ s ability to gather information ” before levying the fine .
The San Francisco Chronicle reported that if Uber fails to provide the information and pay the full $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to halt business in the state .
Uber defended its actions in a statement Monday , saying it wanted to protect users ’ privacy .
The company has 30 days to appeal the decision .
“ The CPUC has been insistent in its demands that we release the full names and contact information of sexual assault survivors without their consent , ” Uber said in a statement provided to Reuters .
“ We opposed this shocking violation of privacy , alongside many victims ’ rights advocates .
”

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California fined Uber $59 million on Monday for failing to provide regulators with details about sexual assault and harassment claims linked to its ride-sharing platform.
A judge on the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) said the massive tech company had failed to respond adequately to questions about sexual misconduct after Uber last year released a detailed report revealing the number of incidents of sexual assault reported by riders and drivers in 2017 and 2018.
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The company had faced years of criticism for failing to do so, but it said in the document that roughly 6,000 cases of sexual assault were reported during those two years, out of more than 2.3 billion rides.
CPUC, which has regulatory authority over transportation companies in California, had called on Uber to turn over detailed information about those incidents. In the ruling Monday, the agency accused the company of using “specious legal roadblocks” in an attempt to “frustrate the Commission’s ability to gather information” before levying the fine.
The San Francisco Chronicle reported that if Uber fails to provide the information and pay the full $59 million, it could be forced to halt business in the state.
Uber defended its actions in a statement Monday, saying it wanted to protect users’ privacy. The company has 30 days to appeal the decision.
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