thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-22--Trump Wants Congress To Increase Stimulus Checks In COVID-19 Relief Bill

WASHINGTON ( Reuters ) -U.S. President Donald Trump threatened on Tuesday not to sign a $ 892-billion coronavirus relief bill that includes desperately needed money for individual Americans , saying it should be amended to increase the amount in the stimulus checks .
The outgoing Republican president ’ s threat , with less than a month left in office , throws into turmoil a bipartisan effort in Congress to provide help for people whose lives have been upended by the pandemic .
“ The bill they are now planning to send back to my desk is much different than anticipated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ posted on Twitter .
“ It really is a disgrace.
” Both the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate passed the legislation on Monday night .
Trump said he wants Congress to increase the amount in the stimulus checks to $ 2,000 for individuals or $ 4,000 for couples , instead of the “ ridiculously low ” $ 600 for individuals currently in the bill .
Trump also complained about money in the legislation for foreign countries , the Smithsonian Institution and fish breeding , among other spending .
“ I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rid of the wasteful and unnecessary items from this legislation , and to send me a suitable bill , or else the next administration will have to deliver a COVID relief package .
And maybe that administration will be me , ” he said .

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump threatened on Tuesday not to sign a $892-billion coronavirus relief bill that includes desperately needed money for individual Americans, saying it should be amended to increase the amount in the stimulus checks.
The outgoing Republican president’s threat, with less than a month left in office, throws into turmoil a bipartisan effort in Congress to provide help for people whose lives have been upended by the pandemic.
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“The bill they are now planning to send back to my desk is much different than anticipated,” Trump said in a video posted on Twitter. “It really is a disgrace.”
Both the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate passed the legislation on Monday night.
Trump said he wants Congress to increase the amount in the stimulus checks to $2,000 for individuals or $4,000 for couples, instead of the “ridiculously low” $600 for individuals currently in the bill.
Trump also complained about money in the legislation for foreign countries, the Smithsonian Institution and fish breeding, among other spending.
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“I’m also asking Congress to immediately get rid of the wasteful and unnecessary items from this legislation, and to send me a suitable bill, or else the next administration will have to deliver a COVID relief package. And maybe that administration will be me,” he said.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-22--The Newest Unemployment Benefit Changes In The COVID-19 Relief Bill

Morton , a pedicurist who works in continuing care and retirement facilities , is one of nearly 12 million people who would be eligible to keep their unemployment benefits , and also receive an extra $ 300 per week , if the president signs the bill into law .
The bill also throws a lifeline to more than 4 million workers who got laid off early in the pandemic and have already received benefits for the maximum number weeks available under state and federal programs .
They will be able to receive jobless pay once again for another 11 weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are disadvantageous to workers .
One is that the benefits will remain only until March 14 , at which point the additional $ 300 disappears and nobody will be able to start a new claim under a federal program .
Workers who already started receiving benefits can continue to do so until the week of April 5 .
Republicans insisted on the gradual phaseout so that fewer people will get cut off at once , making it easier for Congress to ignore the problem when it arises .
It ’ s a signal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to continue the benefits in a few months , despite a murky economic forecast and the ongoing pandemic .
The lawmakers who negotiated the compromise legislation ignored a proposal from Sen. Dick Durbin ( D-Ill. ) to make unemployment benefits partially tax-free .
Jobless workers have had to pay taxes on their benefits since the 1980s , except for a small break thanks to the 2009 Recovery Act .
States are not even required to give unemployment beneficiaries the option of having the taxes withheld from federal benefits , though many states do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bill gives a huge tax cut to businesses that receive Paycheck Protection Program loans .
Reversing previous IRS guidance , Congress now says firms can deduct from their taxable income the cost of payroll and other expenses that are covered by the loans , meaning they will get a tax benefit for expenses that they didn ’ t even have to pay themselves .
The tax windfall had bipartisan support and could amount to more than $ 100 billion .
Congress also undid a requirement that states recoup the full amount of overpaid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — the federal program for gig workers — even if the overpayment was the state ’ s fault .
Some people owed thousands of dollars and had no way to pay .
The bill would create a new $ 100 weekly supplement for people who have substantial freelance earnings but are ineligible for PUA because they also had a small amount of regular payroll earnings that qualified them for a nominal amount of regular unemployment compensation .
Going forward , PUA claimants will have to provide proof of their prior income in order @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which Evermore described as “ a little annoying ” but not so bad considering states won ’ t be allowed to cut people off solely for failing to cough up documents .
And many workers may already be meeting the requirement .
Morton , who is 49 and lives in Chester , Va. said she already handed over tax information reflecting last year ’ s income to the Virginia Employment Commission , so she ’ s not worried about continuing to qualify for PUA benefits .
As an independent contractor , she wouldn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if it hadn ’ t been for the CARES Act , and she has considered herself fortunate to get the benefits .
That ’ s why Morton has continued working .
The only problem is that with the coronavirus surging in Virginia and the rest of the country , she can ’ t really do her job .
Morton said that because of COVID-19 restrictions , she can only enter four of the 15 facilities that regularly hired her for foot care before the pandemic .
People receiving unemployment benefits generally have to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are still unemployed , looking for jobs , or actually working a bit .
Morton said that some weeks she earns too much to receive any jobless pay , but some weeks she gets the full benefit .
She ’ ll be able to count on the benefits until April , but doesn ’ t know if business will pick up after that .
She ’ s scared of catching the virus , but even more scared of having to take some other job and losing her career as a pedicurist for people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which she considers her calling .
“ That ’ s where that security of just having a relationship with God comes in , ” she said .
“ When you ’ ve done all that you can do and there ’ s nothing else you can do , you have to stand on his promises .
”

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Lorna Morton expected the government to stop paying her unemployment benefits next week, but now that Congress has passed another pandemic relief bill, she should be able to receive them through March.
Not knowing whether her benefits would continue, Morton said, “didn’t make me feel confident that I was going to be able to meet my obligations.”
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Morton, a pedicurist who works in continuing care and retirement facilities, is one of nearly 12 million people who would be eligible to keep their unemployment benefits, and also receive an extra $300 per week, if the president signs the bill into law.
The bill also throws a lifeline to more than 4 million workers who got laid off early in the pandemic and have already received benefits for the maximum number weeks available under state and federal programs. They will be able to receive jobless pay once again for another 11 weeks.
The new benefits are part of a $900 billion coronavirus relief bill that Congress passed Monday after months of stalemate. The legislation directs the Internal Revenue Service to send $600 payments to most Americans and provides more than $300 billion for small businesses.
President Donald Trump threatened Tuesday not to sign the bill, however, because he thinks the $600 checks are too small.
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The bill has some provisions that are disadvantageous to workers. One is that the benefits will remain only until March 14, at which point the additional $300 disappears and nobody will be able to start a new claim under a federal program. Workers who already started receiving benefits can continue to do so until the week of April 5.
Republicans insisted on the gradual phaseout so that fewer people will get cut off at once, making it easier for Congress to ignore the problem when it arises. It’s a signal that Republicans will strongly resist Democratic demands to continue the benefits in a few months, despite a murky economic forecast and the ongoing pandemic.
By backing the provision, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) said, Republicans are ”setting the table for economic sabotage.”
The lawmakers who negotiated the compromise legislation ignored a proposal from Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) to make unemployment benefits partially tax-free. Jobless workers have had to pay taxes on their benefits since the 1980s, except for a small break thanks to the 2009 Recovery Act. States are not even required to give unemployment beneficiaries the option of having the taxes withheld from federal benefits, though many states do.
In a glaring imbalance, the bill gives a huge tax cut to businesses that receive Paycheck Protection Program loans. Reversing previous IRS guidance, Congress now says firms can deduct from their taxable income the cost of payroll and other expenses that are covered by the loans, meaning they will get a tax benefit for expenses that they didn’t even have to pay themselves. The tax windfall had bipartisan support and could amount to more than $100 billion.
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“It’s billions for millionaires,” said Steve Rosenthal, a senior fellow at the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center. “The business owners are louder than the unemployed.” The new law has a grab bag of other little unemployment changes. It requires states to make it easy for employers to rat out anyone who refuses an offer of employment, but also to notify workers of their “right to refuse work that poses a risk to the claimant’s health or safety.”
Congress also undid a requirement that states recoup the full amount of overpaid benefits from the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program — the federal program for gig workers — even if the overpayment was the state’s fault. Some people owed thousands of dollars and had no way to pay.
“That was going to be a monumental problem,” Michele Evermore, an unemployment insurance expert with the National Employment Law Project, said in an email.
In a tacit admission that the regular unemployment system fails to help huge numbers of workers, Congress created the PUA program as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act in March, so that workers without traditional payroll jobs wouldn’t be left behind.
The bill would create a new $100 weekly supplement for people who have substantial freelance earnings but are ineligible for PUA because they also had a small amount of regular payroll earnings that qualified them for a nominal amount of regular unemployment compensation.
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Going forward, PUA claimants will have to provide proof of their prior income in order to receive even the minimum benefit, which Evermore described as “a little annoying” but not so bad considering states won’t be allowed to cut people off solely for failing to cough up documents. And many workers may already be meeting the requirement.
Morton, who is 49 and lives in Chester, Va. said she already handed over tax information reflecting last year’s income to the Virginia Employment Commission, so she’s not worried about continuing to qualify for PUA benefits. As an independent contractor, she wouldn’t have qualified for unemployment compensation if it hadn’t been for the CARES Act, and she has considered herself fortunate to get the benefits.
“You can’t rely on unemployment,” Morton said.
That’s why Morton has continued working. The only problem is that with the coronavirus surging in Virginia and the rest of the country, she can’t really do her job. Morton said that because of COVID-19 restrictions, she can only enter four of the 15 facilities that regularly hired her for foot care before the pandemic.
People receiving unemployment benefits generally have to notify the state each week that they are still unemployed, looking for jobs, or actually working a bit. Morton said that some weeks she earns too much to receive any jobless pay, but some weeks she gets the full benefit.
She’ll be able to count on the benefits until April, but doesn’t know if business will pick up after that. She’s scared of catching the virus, but even more scared of having to take some other job and losing her career as a pedicurist for people who have cognitive or physical disabilities, which she considers her calling.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-22--The Most Common Religious Identity For Young Americans Is ‘None,’ Study Suggests

For years , researchers have watched as an increasing number of young American adults chose not to identify with a specific religious tradition .
A new report is offering further insight into the beliefs ― and influence ― of this burgeoning group .
The most common religious identity among Americans ages 18 to 29 is “ none , ” according to a report from the conservative-leaning think tank American Enterprise Institute ( AEI ) .
More than one-third of young adults ( 34 % ) surveyed identified as religiously unaffiliated ― telling researchers they were atheist , agnostic or “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be a generational divide over questions about God , likely influenced by the rise of these young “ nones.
” As a whole , young adults were much more likely to express uncertainty about God .
Only 39 % of young adults said they were absolutely certain God exists , compared with 61 % of seniors 65 and older , according to a HuffPost analysis of the report ’ s data .
Researchers also documented a modest difference between young and older Americans over whether people need God to be good .
Thirty-four @ @ @ @ @ @ @ necessary for a person to believe in God to be moral and have good values , while a higher percentage of seniors , 43 % , said the same .
Daniel Cox , a research fellow in polling and public opinion at AEI , told HuffPost that attitudes on this question on God and morality have shifted markedly over the past few years , driven by the increased social connection Americans have with nonreligious people .
The growth of young “ nones ” is slowly reshaping America ’ s religious landscape .
America @ @ @ @ @ @ @ observant in recent years .
AEI found that , in total , about 26 % of all the adults surveyed were religiously unaffiliated .
The report found a divide between young people and seniors over the idea that the U.S. is currently , and has always been , a Christian nation .
Over a quarter of young adults ( 26 % ) said the U.S. has never been a Christian nation , compared with only 15 % of seniors .
The report , published Dec. 15 , is AEI ’ s latest analysis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ participated in the American National Social Network Survey this summer .
Researchers asked a wide range of questions ― seeking to not only understand respondents ’ religious identities and beliefs but also how their social networks affected those beliefs .
They gathered this data by asking respondents to provide demographic information on up to seven people with whom they “ discussed important matters and concerns.
” These seven people were considered to be part of the respondent ’ s core social network .
The researchers found that Americans are now more likely to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” About 42 % said they had a close social connection with someone who was religiously unaffiliated ― a significant increase from 2004 , when only 18 % of the public said the same .
Religious respondents who counted a “ none ” within their inner social circles were less certain about the existence of God than those who didn ’ t associate with “ nones.
” This was particularly apparent among Catholics .
About 65 % of Catholics who aren ’ t closely connected to “ nones ” say they are absolutely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Only 36 % of Catholics who had at least one religiously unaffiliated close friend said the same .
Religious people who had at least one “ none ” in their immediate social circle were also more likely to say that people don ’ t need to believe in God to be moral and have good values .
Previous studies from AEI and other groups have indicated that people who attended worship services regularly are also more likely to be sociable , politically engaged and involved in community groups .
But religious respondents didn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the unaffiliated .
In fact , the researchers reported that the social network size of religiously unaffiliated Americans and white evangelical Protestants ― two groups that typically take polar opposite positions on political and social issues ― was “ nearly indistinguishable .
”

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For years, researchers have watched as an increasing number of young American adults chose not to identify with a specific religious tradition. A new report is offering further insight into the beliefs ― and influence ― of this burgeoning group.
The most common religious identity among Americans ages 18 to 29 is “none,” according to a report from the conservative-leaning think tank American Enterprise Institute (AEI). More than one-third of young adults (34%) surveyed identified as religiously unaffiliated ― telling researchers they were atheist, agnostic or “nothing in particular.”
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There seems to be a generational divide over questions about God, likely influenced by the rise of these young “nones.” As a whole, young adults were much more likely to express uncertainty about God. Only 39% of young adults said they were absolutely certain God exists, compared with 61% of seniors 65 and older, according to an analysis of the data AEI pulled for HuffPost.
Researchers also documented a modest difference between young and older Americans over whether people need God to be good. Thirty-four percent of young adults said it was necessary for a person to believe in God to be moral and have good values, while a higher percentage of seniors, 43%, said the same.
Daniel Cox, a research fellow in polling and public opinion at AEI, told HuffPost that attitudes on this question on God and morality have shifted markedly over the past few years, driven by the increased social connection Americans have with nonreligious people.
“In fact, young people are more likely to know an atheist than an evangelical Christian,” Cox said.
The growth of young “nones” is slowly reshaping America’s religious landscape. America has become less Christian and less religiously observant in recent years. AEI found that, in total, about 26% of all the adults surveyed were religiously unaffiliated.
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The report found a divide between young people and seniors over the idea that the U.S. is currently, and has always been, a Christian nation. Over a quarter of young adults (26%) said the U.S. has never been a Christian nation, compared with only 15% of seniors.
Only 39% of young adults said they were absolutely certain God exists, compared with 61% of respondents 65 and older, according to the American Enterprise Institute. Worawat Dechatiwong via Getty Images
The report, published Dec. 15, is AEI’s latest analysis of data collected from 4,067 adults who participated in the American National Social Network Survey this summer. Researchers asked a wide range of questions ― seeking to not only understand respondents’ religious identities and beliefs but also how their social networks affected those beliefs. They gathered this data by asking respondents to provide demographic information on up to seven people with whom they “discussed important matters and concerns.” These seven people were considered to be part of the respondent’s core social network.
The researchers found that Americans are now more likely to have close friends who are “nones.” About 42% said they had a close social connection with someone who was religiously unaffiliated ― a significant increase from 2004, when only 18% of the public said the same.
Religious respondents who counted a “none” within their inner social circles were less certain about the existence of God than those who didn’t associate with “nones.” This was particularly apparent among Catholics. About 65% of Catholics who aren’t closely connected to “nones” say they are absolutely certain about their belief in God. Only 36% of Catholics who had at least one religiously unaffiliated close friend said the same. Religious people who had at least one “none” in their immediate social circle were also more likely to say that people don’t need to believe in God to be moral and have good values.
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The growth of young “nones” is slowly reshaping America’s religious landscape. Nattakorn Maneerat via Getty Images
Previous studies from AEI and other groups have indicated that people who attended worship services regularly are also more likely to be sociable, politically engaged and involved in community groups. But religious respondents didn’t have larger social networks than the unaffiliated. In fact, the researchers reported that the social network size of religiously unaffiliated Americans and white evangelical Protestants ― two groups that typically take polar opposite positions on political and social issues ― was “nearly indistinguishable.”
Cox said the vast majority of unaffiliated Americans have a social tie who is also unaffiliated.
“This is fairly extraordinary since there are few institutional structures to help nonreligious people to develop connections,” he said.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-22--Employers Will No Longer Be Required To Give Paid Leave To Workers With COVID-19

Congress is letting the coronavirus paid leave guarantee expire at the end of the month without an extension .
The $ 900 billion relief package Congress passed late Monday does extend tax credits for employers offering paid leave until March .
That means the federal government will pay for paid sick leave for another three months , but businesses are no longer required to offer it .
In March , Congress guaranteed workers up to two weeks of fully paid sick leave if they contract COVID-19 .
The program also mandates two weeks of paid leave for those caring for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks of emergency child care leave if schools or child care facilities are shut down , paid out at two-thirds of a worker ’ s regular salary .
Employers were given a refundable tax credit to cover the costs of paying out paid sick leave .
Democrats , hoping to extend the mandate for paid leave into the new year as COVID-19 cases continue to rise across the country , found an ally in Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin , who had negotiated the existing policy with Pelosi in March .
But Senate Majority @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said to be the biggest obstacle , as Buzzfeed News first reported , alongside Sen. Lamar Alexander ( R-Tenn. ) , the retiring chair of Senate Health , Education , Labor and Pensions Committee and a close confidant of McConnell ’ s .
Two sources confirmed to HuffPost that McConnell was the primary legislator who blocked the extension , with assistance from Alexander .
Their offices did not respond to requests for comment .
Mnuchin told Pelosi that Republicans felt renewing the mandate would put the policy on a path to permanency , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to one senior Democratic aide who spoke on the condition of anonymity to relay the private conversations .
Republicans were generally reluctant toward any “ new mandates on business , ” another Democratic aide said .
Alexander ’ s opposition to the mandate is slightly more nuanced ; in a statement to Buzzfeed , Alexander said requiring paid leave has put undue financial burden on state and local governments that are not eligible for reimbursement from the federal government but are still required to guarantee leave .
This is a snag in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ funding for state and local governments , but Republicans were vehemently opposed to that in negotiations as well .
Republican opposition to comprehensive paid leave isn ’ t so isolated , however .
GOP senators have been on the record criticizing the paid leave mandate since its passage in March , calling it too burdensome on small businesses that would have to wait too long to receive their tax credits .
“ Although mandating that all employers must pay for sick leave might sound good , we need to consider the unintended consequences @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Johnson ( R-Wis. ) said in a statement in March .
“ I fear that rather than offering a workable solution , the House bill will exacerbate the problem by forcing small businesses to pay wages they can not afford and ‘ helping ’ them go further into debt.
” “ Businesses can use these tax credits to provide paid sick days to their workers , and I hope they do—but it ’ s not nearly enough , ” said Sen. Patty Murray ( D-Wash. ) , the top Democrat on the HELP @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fighting for the provision once President-elect Joe Biden comes into office .
“ This crisis has made it clearer than ever why paid leave for every worker is so important to families , communities , and our economy as a whole.
” As it currently stands , the coronavirus paid leave mandate already leaves out a lot of workers ; the mandate excludes companies with more than 500 employees , cutting out millions of front-line workers , like those at big grocery store chains .
Now , the program is getting even weaker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into until March .
“ I worry that working people with employers who are unwilling to provide paid leave won ’ t be able to quarantine or care for their children when they need to .
This approach puts all power in employers ’ hands , ” Vicki Shabo , a senior fellow at New America and expert in paid leave , tweeted this week .
“ The reason it falls short : the Senate majority leader favored partisan politics and corporate meal deductions over working people ’ s lives and livelihood , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Family Values @ Work , a grassroots group that advocates for paid leave , said in a statement about the relief package .
“ Relying on the voluntary action of employers has left the U.S. as an outlier in the world and contributed to the disastrous spread of this pandemic .
”

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Starting Jan. 1, employers will no longer have to give workers with COVID-19, or those taking care of someone with the virus, two weeks of paid leave.
Congress is letting the coronavirus paid leave guarantee expire at the end of the month without an extension. The $900 billion relief package Congress passed late Monday does extend tax credits for employers offering paid leave until March. That means the federal government will pay for paid sick leave for another three months, but businesses are no longer required to offer it.
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In March, Congress guaranteed workers up to two weeks of fully paid sick leave if they contract COVID-19. The program also mandates two weeks of paid leave for those caring for someone required to quarantine, and 10 weeks of emergency child care leave if schools or child care facilities are shut down, paid out at two-thirds of a worker’s regular salary. Employers were given a refundable tax credit to cover the costs of paying out paid sick leave.
Democrats, hoping to extend the mandate for paid leave into the new year as COVID-19 cases continue to rise across the country, found an ally in Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, who had negotiated the existing policy with Pelosi in March. But Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) was said to be the biggest obstacle, as Buzzfeed News first reported, alongside Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), the retiring chair of Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and a close confidant of McConnell’s. Two sources confirmed to HuffPost that McConnell was the primary legislator who blocked the extension, with assistance from Alexander. Their offices did not respond to requests for comment.
Mnuchin told Pelosi that Republicans felt renewing the mandate would put the policy on a path to permanency, which they wanted to block, according to one senior Democratic aide who spoke on the condition of anonymity to relay the private conversations. Republicans were generally reluctant toward any “new mandates on business,” another Democratic aide said.
Alexander’s opposition to the mandate is slightly more nuanced; in a statement to Buzzfeed, Alexander said requiring paid leave has put undue financial burden on state and local governments that are not eligible for reimbursement from the federal government but are still required to guarantee leave. This is a snag in the program that could be solved with more funding for state and local governments, but Republicans were vehemently opposed to that in negotiations as well.
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Republican opposition to comprehensive paid leave isn’t so isolated, however. GOP senators have been on the record criticizing the paid leave mandate since its passage in March, calling it too burdensome on small businesses that would have to wait too long to receive their tax credits.
“Although mandating that all employers must pay for sick leave might sound good, we need to consider the unintended consequences of this legislation,” Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) said in a statement in March. “I fear that rather than offering a workable solution, the House bill will exacerbate the problem by forcing small businesses to pay wages they cannot afford and ‘helping’ them go further into debt.”
Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) said she would continue to fight for paid sick leave after President-elect Joe Biden comes into office. Caroline Brehman via Getty Images
Ultimately, Democrats conceded on the issue.
“Businesses can use these tax credits to provide paid sick days to their workers, and I hope they do—but it’s not nearly enough,” said Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), the top Democrat on the HELP committee, adding that she would be fighting for the provision once President-elect Joe Biden comes into office. “This crisis has made it clearer than ever why paid leave for every worker is so important to families, communities, and our economy as a whole.”
As it currently stands, the coronavirus paid leave mandate already leaves out a lot of workers; the mandate excludes companies with more than 500 employees, cutting out millions of front-line workers, like those at big grocery store chains. Now, the program is getting even weaker as a voluntary program employers can opt into until March.
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Health experts are concerned that by making paid leave voluntary, businesses will refuse to offer paid sick leave and put communities at greater risk of spreading COVID-19.
“I worry that working people with employers who are unwilling to provide paid leave won’t be able to quarantine or care for their children when they need to. This approach puts all power in employers’ hands,” Vicki Shabo, a senior fellow at New America and expert in paid leave, tweeted this week.
Mandating paid leave has shown to be an effective public health measure. As HuffPost’s Emily Peck wrote, a recent study found emergency paid leave can be attributed to preventing 400 coronavirus cases per day per state, or 15,000 cases per day in the United States.
Paid leave activists have already spoken out against the omission in the final bill.
“The reason it falls short: the Senate majority leader favored partisan politics and corporate meal deductions over working people’s lives and livelihood,” Wendy Chun-Hoon, executive director of Family Values @ Work, a grassroots group that advocates for paid leave, said in a statement about the relief package. “Relying on the voluntary action of employers has left the U.S. as an outlier in the world and contributed to the disastrous spread of this pandemic.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-22--Sen. Rand Paul Dragged For Heartless Gripes About COVID-19 Relief

Sen. Rand Paul tried to position himself as a deficit hawk on Monday , but many Twitter users thought he came across more like a dodo .
The Kentucky Republican criticized the $ 892 billion coronavirus relief package and accused Congress of handing out “ free money ” that would add to the federal government ’ s national debt , according to the Louisville Courier-Journal .
“ This bill is free money for everyone , ” Paul said during a speech on the Senate floor .
“ And yet , if free money were the answer , if money really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more free money ?
Why not give it out all the time ?
” “ Why stop at $ 600 a person ?
” he continued .
“ Why not $ 1,000 ?
Why not $ 2,000 ?
If we can print up money with impunity , why not do it ?
” Sen. Rand Paul : `` If free money were the answer , if money really grew on trees , why not give more free money ?
Why not give it out all the time ?
Why stop at $ 600 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Why not $ 2,000 ? ''
pic.twitter.com/mBlQ69UQ1H — The Hill ( @ thehill ) December 21 , 2020 Many Twitter users thought Paul ’ s political parsimoniousness was a bit hypocritical since he supported massive tax cuts that also added to the national debt while doing little to boost the economy .
That 's funny .
I did n't hear Sen. Paul worry about the deficit when he voted to give $ 1 trillion in tax breaks to the top 1 % & large corporations .
Yes .
We should provide the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during the pandemic like Canada did & repeal the tax breaks for the rich .
https : //t.co/NXN4Xeb48n — Bernie Sanders ( @ SenSanders ) December 22 , 2020 Rand Paul proudly voted for the 2017 GOP $ 1.7 TRILLION tax cut for billionaires & added $ 1 TRILLION to the annual deficit .
But protecting working Americans w/ $ 600 is what makes him feel `` robbed of his soul . ''
https : //t.co/sMoOhpdHua — Qasim Rashid , Esq .
( @ QasimRashid ) December 22 , 2020 Rand Paul voted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that added $ 1,000,000,000,000 to the deficit .
https : //t.co/cagvOx9uGV — Public Citizen ( @ Public_Citizen ) December 22 , 2020 What a craven hypocrite you are .
You had no problem giving away free money in the form of $ 1,700,000,000,000 trillion in tax breaks to the # ExtremeRich .
Yet , you just ca n't seem to find yourself able to help those most affected by this # covid19 pandemic .
https : //t.co/w2Bhsr0Wga — Scott Huffman ( @ HuffmanForNC ) December 22 , 2020 It ’ s a strange @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lavished on wealthy people is always a just and wise investment , but a pittance grudgingly given to people who actually need it is an intolerable waste .
https : //t.co/NNlLzI5neI — Ron Charles ( @ RonCharles ) December 22 , 2020 Trump himself called for $ 2,000 checks to go out to every American .
https : //t.co/NUHOodKbrs — justin glawe ( @ JustinGlawe ) December 22 , 2020

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Sen. Rand Paul tried to position himself as a deficit hawk on Monday, but many Twitter users thought he came across more like a dodo.
The Kentucky Republican criticized the $892 billion coronavirus relief package and accused Congress of handing out “free money” that would add to the federal government’s national debt, according to the Louisville Courier-Journal.
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“This bill is free money for everyone,” Paul said during a speech on the Senate floor. “And yet, if free money were the answer, if money really grew on trees, why not give more free money? Why not give it out all the time?”
“Why stop at $600 a person?” he continued. “Why not $1,000? Why not $2,000? If we can print up money with impunity, why not do it?”
Sen. Rand Paul: "If free money were the answer, if money really grew on trees, why not give more free money? Why not give it out all the time? Why stop at $600 a person? Why not $1,000? Why not $2,000?" pic.twitter.com/mBlQ69UQ1H — The Hill (@thehill) December 21, 2020
Many Twitter users thought Paul’s political parsimoniousness was a bit hypocritical since he supported massive tax cuts that also added to the national debt while doing little to boost the economy.
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And the mockery commenced.
That's funny. I didn't hear Sen. Paul worry about the deficit when he voted to give $1 trillion in tax breaks to the top 1% & large corporations. Yes. We should provide the working class with $2,000 a month during the pandemic like Canada did & repeal the tax breaks for the rich. https://t.co/NXN4Xeb48n — Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) December 22, 2020
Rand Paul proudly voted for the 2017 GOP $1.7 TRILLION tax cut for billionaires & added $1 TRILLION to the annual deficit.
But protecting working Americans w/$600 is what makes him feel "robbed of his soul." https://t.co/sMoOhpdHua — Qasim Rashid, Esq. (@QasimRashid) December 22, 2020
Rand Paul voted for a tax cut for the rich that added $1,000,000,000,000 to the deficit. https://t.co/cagvOx9uGV — Public Citizen (@Public_Citizen) December 22, 2020
What a craven hypocrite you are. You had no problem giving away free money in the form of $1,700,000,000,000 trillion in tax breaks to the #ExtremeRich. Yet, you just can't seem to find yourself able to help those most affected by this #covid19 pandemic. https://t.co/w2Bhsr0Wga — Scott Huffman (@HuffmanForNC) December 22, 2020
It’s a strange quirk of conservative economic theory that money lavished on wealthy people is always a just and wise investment, but a pittance grudgingly given to people who actually need it is an intolerable waste. https://t.co/NNlLzI5neI — Ron Charles (@RonCharles) December 22, 2020
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Trump himself called for $2,000 checks to go out to every American. https://t.co/NUHOodKbrs — justin glawe (@JustinGlawe) December 22, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-22--Israel's Upcoming Snap Election Means New Challenges For Netanyahu

JERUSALEM ( Reuters ) -Israel will hold a snap election in March after parliament failed on Tuesday to meet a deadline to pass a budget , triggering a ballot presenting new challenges for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu .
Campaigning in Israel ’ s fourth parliamentary election in two years gets underway with Netanyanu facing public anger over his handling of the coronavirus pandemic and while he is engaged in a corruption trial , the first against an Israeli prime minister .
Israel ’ s longest-serving leader will also have to contend with a new rival from the right , Gideon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Likud party who an opinion poll on Israel ’ s Kan public TV on Tuesday showed was drawing even with him .
Netanyahu , who has denied any criminal wrongdoing , and the current defence minister , centrist politician Benny Gantz , established a unity government in May after three inconclusive elections held since April 2019 .
But they have been locked in a dispute over passage of a national budget key to implementing a deal in which Gantz was to have taken over from Netanyahu in November 2021 .
The Speaker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tuesday in a session broadcast on live television , saying a snap election was automatically triggered by its failure to approve a budget .

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JERUSALEM (Reuters) -Israel will hold a snap election in March after parliament failed on Tuesday to meet a deadline to pass a budget, triggering a ballot presenting new challenges for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Campaigning in Israel’s fourth parliamentary election in two years gets underway with Netanyanu facing public anger over his handling of the coronavirus pandemic and while he is engaged in a corruption trial, the first against an Israeli prime minister.
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Israel’s longest-serving leader will also have to contend with a new rival from the right, Gideon Saar, a defector from Netanyahu’s Likud party who an opinion poll on Israel’s Kan public TV on Tuesday showed was drawing even with him.
Netanyahu, who has denied any criminal wrongdoing, and the current defence minister, centrist politician Benny Gantz, established a unity government in May after three inconclusive elections held since April 2019.
But they have been locked in a dispute over passage of a national budget key to implementing a deal in which Gantz was to have taken over from Netanyahu in November 2021.
The Speaker of Parliament declared its dissolution late on Tuesday in a session broadcast on live television, saying a snap election was automatically triggered by its failure to approve a budget.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-22--It Could Take Years For Miguel Cardona To Repeal Betsy DeVos’ Harmful Title IX Policy

If he is confirmed by the Senate after President-elect Joe Biden ’ s inauguration next month , Cardona — whom Biden has tapped for education secretary — will replace Betsy DeVos , one of Donald Trump ’ s few remaining original cabinet members .
Among the many messes Cardona will be left to clean up : DeVos ’ rollback of rights for student sexual assault survivors .
The new Title IX rule completely reshapes how colleges handle sexual misconduct allegations by speeding up investigations , adding protections for the accused , and even allowing schools to skirt responsibility for assaults @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The policy took heavy guidance from men ’ s rights activists ( who believe there ’ s a rampant crisis of false rape allegations against men ) and makes it harder for survivors of sexual violence to report harassment and assault by narrowing the definition of sexual misconduct and limiting who a victim can report to .
“ The purpose of Title IX was to protect people , especially those who historically have been most vulnerable to discrimination on the basis of sex , ” said Maha Ibrahim , a staff attorney @ @ @ @ @ @ @ DeVos administration turned the intent of these rules on its head .
They tried and succeeded in promulgating regulations that suspected those people instead of protecting them.
” DeVos and the Department of Education are facing a handful of lawsuits from activist groups claiming that the rule is discriminatory and goes against Congress ’ original intent for the civil rights law .
Advocates for student survivors are seeing an alarming uptick in defamation suits and cross filings against victims ― common tools used in criminal proceedings .
“ Title IX is not about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ false accusations of sex discrimination , ” Ibrahim said .
“ That would be like saying we created Title VI , the race civil rights law , to protect white people from being accused of racism.
” Title IX is not about overly protecting people from the boogeyman of false accusations of sex discrimination .
That would be like saying we created Title VI , the race civil rights law , to protect white people from being accused of racism .
Given Biden ’ s past policies to combat violence against women and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ college campuses , it ’ s very likely the president-elect will work to repeal and replace DeVos ’ Title IX rule .
However , that process could take anywhere from two months to two years , and undoing the broader damage from DeVos ’ many policy changes could take even longer .
For an immediate stop-gap , advocates believe Biden will likely issue some type of interim guidance in January to clarify confusing clauses included in DeVos ’ rule .
This guidance is often referred to as a “ Dear Colleague ” letter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ list of suggestions rather than rules , does not need to go through a rigorous and time-consuming regulatory process .
The first issue is that DeVos completely changed the Title IX playing field during her time as education secretary , said Sage Carson , manager at the anti-sexual violence organization KnowYourIX .
DeVos , along with the Trump administration , welcomed and promoted the myth that victims — specifically women — lie about sexual violence .
This ideology attracted men ’ s rights activists who eventually “ found so much comfort in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Because of this , advocates say , Cardona should expect a wave of lawsuits from men ’ s rights activists and others who feel their rights will be violated with a new rule .
“ The Biden administration will be undoing a step that was taken by an administration that went rogue , ” Ibrahim said .
“ When you do that , you have people ― like the men ’ s rights groups ― who feel like they really won when DeVos invited them into the house .
The foxes were invited @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s a lot harder to get them out than to keep them out to begin with.
” The second obstacle is the whiplash that students , schools and the public will face when Cardona starts the process to change DeVos ’ Title IX rule .
Prior to the new rule , schools had worked for years to ensure that their sexual misconduct processes were up to standard under Title IX .
Then in August , they had to change those processes completely ( in the first month of the school year and during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And while many universities and students welcome new Title IX guidance , it will simply require re-learning new definitions and processes all over again .
Ibrahim emphasized just how important this transition will be .
“ We ’ ve really seen the DeVos administration veer very far off the road of civil rights , ” she said .
“ The Biden administration is going to have to try to get us back on that road .
”

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Miguel Cardona has his work cut out for him.
In August, DeVos implemented a new policy guideline for Title IX, the federal civil rights law created to ensure gender equity in education. DeVos’ rule veered very far from Title IX’s original intent.
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The new Title IX rule completely reshapes how colleges handle sexual misconduct allegations by speeding up investigations, adding protections for the accused, and even allowing schools to skirt responsibility for assaults entirely if they take place off campus. The policy took heavy guidance from men’s rights activists (who believe there’s a rampant crisis of false rape allegations against men) and makes it harder for survivors of sexual violence to report harassment and assault by narrowing the definition of sexual misconduct and limiting who a victim can report to.
The rule breaks from past consensus and guidance from both Democratic and Republican presidents.
“The purpose of Title IX was to protect people, especially those who historically have been most vulnerable to discrimination on the basis of sex,” said Maha Ibrahim, a staff attorney at Equal Rights Advocates. “The DeVos administration turned the intent of these rules on its head. They tried and succeeded in promulgating regulations that suspected those people instead of protecting them.”
DeVos and the Department of Education are facing a handful of lawsuits from activist groups claiming that the rule is discriminatory and goes against Congress’ original intent for the civil rights law. Advocates for student survivors are seeing an alarming uptick in defamation suits and cross filings against victims ― common tools used in criminal proceedings.
“Title IX is not about overly protecting people from the boogeyman of false accusations of sex discrimination,” Ibrahim said. “That would be like saying we created Title VI, the race civil rights law, to protect white people from being accused of racism.”
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“Title IX is not about overly protecting people from the boogeyman of false accusations of sex discrimination. That would be like saying we created Title VI, the race civil rights law, to protect white people from being accused of racism.” - Maha Ibrahim, Equal Rights Advocates
Given Biden’s past policies to combat violence against women and his work to eradicate sexual assault on college campuses, it’s very likely the president-elect will work to repeal and replace DeVos’ Title IX rule. However, that process could take anywhere from two months to two years, and undoing the broader damage from DeVos’ many policy changes could take even longer.
For an immediate stop-gap, advocates believe Biden will likely issue some type of interim guidance in January to clarify confusing clauses included in DeVos’ rule. This guidance is often referred to as a “Dear Colleague” letter which, because it’s a list of suggestions rather than rules, does not need to go through a rigorous and time-consuming regulatory process.
This is where Cardona’s work begins. There are two main obstacles Cardona and Biden’s administration will face when trying to undo DeVos’ damage.
The first issue is that DeVos completely changed the Title IX playing field during her time as education secretary, said Sage Carson, manager at the anti-sexual violence organization KnowYourIX. DeVos, along with the Trump administration, welcomed and promoted the myth that victims — specifically women — lie about sexual violence. This ideology attracted men’s rights activists who eventually “found so much comfort in the DeVos administration,” Carson said. Because of this, advocates say, Cardona should expect a wave of lawsuits from men’s rights activists and others who feel their rights will be violated with a new rule.
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“The Biden administration will be undoing a step that was taken by an administration that went rogue,” Ibrahim said. “When you do that, you have people ― like the men’s rights groups ― who feel like they really won when DeVos invited them into the house. The foxes were invited into the chicken coop and it’s a lot harder to get them out than to keep them out to begin with.”
The second obstacle is the whiplash that students, schools and the public will face when Cardona starts the process to change DeVos’ Title IX rule. Prior to the new rule, schools had worked for years to ensure that their sexual misconduct processes were up to standard under Title IX. Then in August, they had to change those processes completely (in the first month of the school year and during a pandemic, no less). And while many universities and students welcome new Title IX guidance, it will simply require re-learning new definitions and processes all over again.
Cardona will have to step in to ensure survivors, those accused of sexual assault, and advocacy groups have faith in him and whatever Title IX policy the Biden administration creates.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-22--California Gov. Gavin Newsom Taps Alex Padilla To Fill Open Senate Seat

“ Through his tenacity , integrity , smarts and grit , California is gaining a tested fighter in their corner who will be a fierce ally in D.C. , lifting up our state ’ s values and making sure we secure the critical resources to emerge stronger from this pandemic , ” Newsom said in a statement .
“ He will be a Senator for all Californians.
” Padilla stands to serve in the Senate until 2022 , when he will have the chance to run for election as an incumbent .
Padilla , 47 , rose from a working-class @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Valley to gain a college degree in mechanical engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology .
He has said that he shelved plans for an engineering career , however , after a 1994 ballot initiative denying undocumented immigrants access to some public services inspired him to get involved in politics .
He was first elected to the Los Angeles City Council in 1999 , and became the city ’ s youngest , and first Latino , City Council president in 2001 .
He went on to serve in the state Senate from 2006 to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of state .
As secretary of state , Padilla pushed for passage of a 2015 law that automatically registers people to vote when they obtain a driver ’ s license .
In his announcement , Newsom praised Padilla for presiding over the registration of 22 million voters and successfully managing a massive election during the pandemic .
Padilla promised in an email message to supporters that he would continue fighting for voting rights , immigrant rights and opportunities of the kind that enabled him to advance in life .
“ There ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s so much to achieve ― but I know we can do it together , with our families and our communities by our side , ” he said .
“ That ’ s how I ’ ve made progress since I was a kid , and I know that ’ s how we ’ ll make progress as a state and as a nation.
” His appointment will make history .
But the @ AlexPadilla4CA I know is far more interested in changing history -- especially for the working men and women of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think of no one better to represent the state of California as our next United States Senator .
pic.twitter.com/xiAzpTS42Y — Gavin Newsom ( @ GavinNewsom ) December 22 , 2020 Observers of California politics widely anticipated Padilla ’ s selection .
Padilla , who endorsed Newsom ’ s failed 2010 gubernatorial run , has a long-standing , close relationship with the governor .
And Padilla enjoyed the earliest and most organized outside backing in the form of “ Pick Padilla , ” an initiative launched by the Latino Victory Fund in August .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of California ’ s population ― nearly 40 % of residents ― they have not yet represented the state at the level of a Senate seat or governorship , these activists pointed out .
Padilla also hails from Southern California , which is the state ’ s most populous region and has been underrepresented at the heights of state politics in recent years .
Newsom , both current U.S. senators and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi all hail from the San Francisco Bay Area .
But Padilla ’ s selection comes as a disappointment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Black women ’ s groups and some progressive organizations had called on Newsom to replace Harris , who is the only Black woman in the Senate , with another Black woman , such as Rep. Barbara Lee or Rep. Karen Bass .
LGBTQ groups had hoped Newsom would make history with a selection from the LGBTQ community .
And some of the activist left had come out in favor of Rep. Ro Khanna and former state Senate President Kevin de Léon .
Although Padilla ’ s boosters deliberately avoided characterizing his ideology and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a bare minimum , he is not from the most left-wing corner of the party .
By contrast , he abstained from a 2012 vote on a bill to implement single-payer health care in the state .
And Padilla , who worked for Sen. Dianne Feinstein as a young college graduate , played an important role in her 2018 reelection race against de León .
He not only endorsed Feinstein , but also spoke on her behalf at an event at which she sought the California Democratic Party ’ s endorsement .

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California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) announced on Tuesday that he is appointing California Secretary of State Alex Padilla, a fellow Democrat, to serve out the remainder of Vice President-elect Kamala Harris’ term in the U.S. Senate.
Padilla, the son of Mexican immigrants, is due to become the first Latino to represent the Golden State in the Senate.
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“Through his tenacity, integrity, smarts and grit, California is gaining a tested fighter in their corner who will be a fierce ally in D.C., lifting up our state’s values and making sure we secure the critical resources to emerge stronger from this pandemic,” Newsom said in a statement. “He will be a Senator for all Californians.”
Padilla stands to serve in the Senate until 2022, when he will have the chance to run for election as an incumbent.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, left, has tapped California Secretary of State Alex Padilla, center, to succeed Kamala Harris in the Senate. Carolyn Cole/Getty Images
Padilla, 47, rose from a working-class household in Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley to gain a college degree in mechanical engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He has said that he shelved plans for an engineering career, however, after a 1994 ballot initiative denying undocumented immigrants access to some public services inspired him to get involved in politics.
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He was first elected to the Los Angeles City Council in 1999, and became the city’s youngest, and first Latino, City Council president in 2001. He went on to serve in the state Senate from 2006 to 2014, when he was elected secretary of state.
As secretary of state, Padilla pushed for passage of a 2015 law that automatically registers people to vote when they obtain a driver’s license. In his announcement, Newsom praised Padilla for presiding over the registration of 22 million voters and successfully managing a massive election during the pandemic.
Padilla promised in an email message to supporters that he would continue fighting for voting rights, immigrant rights and opportunities of the kind that enabled him to advance in life.
“There’s so much to do, there’s so much to achieve ― but I know we can do it together, with our families and our communities by our side,” he said. “That’s how I’ve made progress since I was a kid, and I know that’s how we’ll make progress as a state and as a nation.”
His appointment will make history. But the @AlexPadilla4CA I know is far more interested in changing history -- especially for the working men and women of our state and country.
I can think of no one better to represent the state of California as our next United States Senator. pic.twitter.com/xiAzpTS42Y — Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) December 22, 2020
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Observers of California politics widely anticipated Padilla’s selection. Padilla, who endorsed Newsom’s failed 2010 gubernatorial run, has a long-standing, close relationship with the governor. And Padilla enjoyed the earliest and most organized outside backing in the form of “Pick Padilla,” an initiative launched by the Latino Victory Fund in August. While Latinos now make up a plurality of California’s population ― nearly 40% of residents ― they have not yet represented the state at the level of a Senate seat or governorship, these activists pointed out.
Padilla also hails from Southern California, which is the state’s most populous region and has been underrepresented at the heights of state politics in recent years. Newsom, both current U.S. senators and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi all hail from the San Francisco Bay Area.
Some Californians had hoped Newsom would replace Vice President-elect Kamala Harris with a Black woman to ensure that there would still be a Black woman in the Senate. Andrew Harnik/Reuters
But Padilla’s selection comes as a disappointment to other groups in the state. Black women’s groups and some progressive organizations had called on Newsom to replace Harris, who is the only Black woman in the Senate, with another Black woman, such as Rep. Barbara Lee or Rep. Karen Bass. LGBTQ groups had hoped Newsom would make history with a selection from the LGBTQ community. And some of the activist left had come out in favor of Rep. Ro Khanna and former state Senate President Kevin de Léon.
Although Padilla’s boosters deliberately avoided characterizing his ideology and policy views, his record shows that at a bare minimum, he is not from the most left-wing corner of the party.
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One of Padilla’s triumphs in the state Senate was authoring a 2014 bill barring stores from distributing single-use plastic bags.
By contrast, he abstained from a 2012 vote on a bill to implement single-payer health care in the state. And Padilla, who worked for Sen. Dianne Feinstein as a young college graduate, played an important role in her 2018 reelection race against de León. He not only endorsed Feinstein, but also spoke on her behalf at an event at which she sought the California Democratic Party’s endorsement.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-22--Joe Biden Blames Russia For Huge SolarWinds Hack

Multiple assessments , including from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Attorney General William Barr , suggest Russia is responsible , said Biden , who is being regularly briefed on U.S. intelligence , during a press conference in Wilmington , Delaware .
He urged Trump to soon make a similar announcement to hold Moscow accountable .
“ Enough ’ s enough ... we can ’ t let this go unanswered , ” Biden continued , saying as commander in chief he would respond once the U.S. makes a formal declaration of Russian responsibility but declining to describe how he might @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t sit here and say , we ’ re going to strike you with a nuclear weapon , ” Biden told a reporter who asked him to outline possible options .
Officials , private firms and national security analysts are still struggling to understand the full extent of the attack , which is widely known as the SolarWinds hack after the cyber company whose software was targeted .
The hack poses “ a grave risk ” to the U.S. , according to the Department of Homeland Security ’ s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how much data the hackers were able to access once they infiltrated SolarWinds software used by thousands of major American institutions earlier this year .
After penetrating the computer management system , which is called Orion , between March and June , the hackers entered the computer systems of SolarWinds clients who downloaded Orion updates .
The attackers then secretly remained inside those systems for months until private cybersecurity investigators spotted strange activity and tipped off the National Security Agency .
The victims of the campaign ― which reports suggest was carried out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or CozyBear ― include the State , Treasury and Energy departments , as well as corporations like Microsoft and Cisco .
Many of them have had to take large chunks of their networks offline and revelations about other targets continue to trickle out .
Russian officials deny any involvement .
Biden said he was awaiting a full accounting of the damage done by the hack .
Last week , he pledged to “ make dealing with this breach a top priority from the moment we take office.
” For the president-elect to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ already is about the issue .
On the vast majority of national security matters , including steps taken by Trump that could make Biden ’ s foreign policy goals harder to achieve , the incoming Biden team has declined to comment , citing respect for the principle that the U.S. only has one president at a time .
The first key step to address the hack is for officials to understand what Russia has taken and how to prevent it from using that data to cause further harm , said Suzanne Spaulding , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank .
That includes identifying potentially stolen confidential and strategic information , whether about U.S. assets abroad or about critical infrastructure such as electricity grids , and quickly changing vital processes to make them less vulnerable to Russian meddling , she added .
“ They used a vector that had the potential to impact 18,000 customers but from what we ’ ve heard , they didn ’ t actually exploit that access in the vast majority of those cases ... so that means this was fairly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what can we learn from that ?
” Spaulding continued .
Lawmakers like Reps. Adam Schiff ( D-Calif. ) , chairman of the House Intelligence Committee , and Elissa Slotkin ( D-Mich. ) , a former Pentagon official , have said in statements that the hack also shows how urgently the U.S. needs to shore up its cyber defenses .
Bipartisan defense legislation that Trump has yet to sign would make some progress in that direction , for instance by restoring the cyber czar role at the White House .
To deter similar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ efforts to punish or be aggressive with adversaries like the Russians , analysts Benjamin Jensen , Brandon Valeriano and Mark Montgomery , who are all associated with the congressionally appointed Cyberspace Solarium Commission , recently wrote in Lawfare .
They urged the government to engage in more international coordination on cyber regulation , constant public tests of the security of its networks and greater coordination with the private sector .
Other experts , like Ron Ross at the National Institute of Standards and Technology , say the U.S. must reconsider its approach to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be more secure .

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President-elect Joe Biden on Tuesday blamed Russia for carrying out a sprawling ongoing hacking operation against U.S. government agencies and major companies ― echoing most cybersecurity experts and breaking with President Donald Trump, who has suggested China was responsible.
Multiple assessments, including from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Attorney General William Barr, suggest Russia is responsible, said Biden, who is being regularly briefed on U.S. intelligence, during a press conference in Wilmington, Delaware. He urged Trump to soon make a similar announcement to hold Moscow accountable.
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Biden suggested the outgoing president made the country vulnerable to such a crisis, citing Trump’s decision to abolish a White House role responsible for cybersecurity and blasting Trump’s “irrational downplaying of the seriousness of this attack.”
“Enough’s enough ... we can’t let this go unanswered,” Biden continued, saying as commander in chief he would respond once the U.S. makes a formal declaration of Russian responsibility but declining to describe how he might do so. “We don’t sit here and say, we’re going to strike you with a nuclear weapon,” Biden told a reporter who asked him to outline possible options.
Officials, private firms and national security analysts are still struggling to understand the full extent of the attack, which is widely known as the SolarWinds hack after the cyber company whose software was targeted. The hack poses “a grave risk” to the U.S., according to the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
Experts are concerned because of how much data the hackers were able to access once they infiltrated SolarWinds software used by thousands of major American institutions earlier this year. After penetrating the computer management system, which is called Orion, between March and June, the hackers entered the computer systems of SolarWinds clients who downloaded Orion updates. The attackers then secretly remained inside those systems for months until private cybersecurity investigators spotted strange activity and tipped off the National Security Agency.
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The victims of the campaign ― which reports suggest was carried out by the Russian government hacking group APT29 or CozyBear ― include the State, Treasury and Energy departments, as well as corporations like Microsoft and Cisco. Many of them have had to take large chunks of their networks offline and revelations about other targets continue to trickle out. Russian officials deny any involvement.
Biden said he was awaiting a full accounting of the damage done by the hack. Last week, he pledged to “make dealing with this breach a top priority from the moment we take office.”
For the president-elect to be so frank shows how concerned his administration-in-waiting already is about the issue. On the vast majority of national security matters, including steps taken by Trump that could make Biden’s foreign policy goals harder to achieve, the incoming Biden team has declined to comment, citing respect for the principle that the U.S. only has one president at a time.
The first key step to address the hack is for officials to understand what Russia has taken and how to prevent it from using that data to cause further harm, said Suzanne Spaulding, a veteran cybersecurity official now with the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank. That includes identifying potentially stolen confidential and strategic information, whether about U.S. assets abroad or about critical infrastructure such as electricity grids, and quickly changing vital processes to make them less vulnerable to Russian meddling, she added.
Some clues of Moscow’s intentions could become clear quickly because of who the hackers pursued out of SolarWinds’ vast client list, Spaulding said.
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“They used a vector that had the potential to impact 18,000 customers but from what we’ve heard, they didn’t actually exploit that access in the vast majority of those cases ... so that means this was fairly targeted in the actual exploitation and so what can we learn from that?” Spaulding continued.
Lawmakers like Reps. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, and Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), a former Pentagon official, have said in statements that the hack also shows how urgently the U.S. needs to shore up its cyber defenses. Bipartisan defense legislation that Trump has yet to sign would make some progress in that direction, for instance by restoring the cyber czar role at the White House.
To deter similar hacks in the future involves more than efforts to punish or be aggressive with adversaries like the Russians, analysts Benjamin Jensen, Brandon Valeriano and Mark Montgomery, who are all associated with the congressionally appointed Cyberspace Solarium Commission, recently wrote in Lawfare. They urged the government to engage in more international coordination on cyber regulation, constant public tests of the security of its networks and greater coordination with the private sector.
Other experts, like Ron Ross at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, say the U.S. must reconsider its approach to engineering so it can build its systems to be more secure.
The first move, of course, is recognizing the reality and gravity of the situation ― the way Biden has now done in contrast to Trump.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-22--Ex-Trump Adviser Silences MyPillow Guy's Dominion Hogwash On Newsmax

Former Trump adviser Sebastian Gorka basically told MyPillow guy Mike Lindell to give it a rest Monday after Lindell began @ @ @ @ @ machine fraud .
( See the video below . )
Gorka , filling in as @ @ @ @ @ Reports ” on Newsmax , stopped the Trump-supporting bedding boss ’ s diatribe in the @ @ @ @ @ the right-wing network for peddling conspiracy theories that voting machines were rigged to rob Donald @ @ @ @ @ network over the weekend began airing a two-minute clarification in which it essentially repudiated its @ @ @ @ @ Fox Business have similarly walked back their conspiratorial voting machine claims .
When Lindell brought @ @ @ @ @ the voting machine systems baselessly called into question by Trump and allies , Gorka redirected @ @ @ @ @ biggest fraud is the Dominion machines , ” Lindell said .
“ Mike , Mike @ @ @ @ @ want to discuss , ” Gorka cut in , adding that “ we ’ re @ @ @ @ @ the minutia of the details .
”

Former Trump adviser Sebastian Gorka basically told MyPillow guy Mike Lindell to give it a rest Monday after Lindell began to groundlessly prattle about voting machine fraud. (See the video below.)
Gorka, filling in as host on “Greg Kelly Reports” on Newsmax, stopped the Trump-supporting bedding boss’s diatribe in the wake of legal threats against the right-wing network for peddling conspiracy theories that voting machines were rigged to rob Donald Trump of victory.
The network over the weekend began airing a two-minute clarification in which it essentially repudiated its assertions. Fox News and Fox Business have similarly walked back their conspiratorial voting machine claims.
When Lindell brought up Dominion, one of the voting machine systems baselessly called into question by Trump and allies, Gorka redirected the conversation.
“The biggest fraud is the Dominion machines,” Lindell said.
“Mike, Mike. I don’t want to discuss,” Gorka cut in, adding that “we’re not gonna get into the minutia of the details.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-22--Congress Didn’t Include State And Local Aid In Stimulus, And The Most Vulnerable Will Suffer

The bill contains no new aid for state and city governments as they face down yawning deficits and the prospect of having to slash services the public needs more desperately than ever .
Virtually every state has laid off thousands of employees or slashed tens of millions of dollars in crucial services .
Cities large and small are on the brink and clamoring to avoid cuts to services as basic as firefighting .
Democrats have proposed up to $ 1 trillion in state and local aid to stanch the bleeding .
But Republicans , under pressure from Senate Majority Leader @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of state and local aid unless Democrats agreed to sweeping liability protections for businesses .
The two sides tabled the question in order to pass a new package before the end of the year .
Sprawling recessions like this one put states in a uniquely difficult bind .
They can ’ t run up large deficits like the federal government can because all 50 have some form of balanced budget requirement .
They have a limited ability to borrow and rely mainly on tax revenues — which plummet at the exact moment the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are instrumental in delivering unemployment benefits , and funding public health care and food pantries .
The COVID-19 pandemic adds the extra burden of forcing states to take on extraordinary costs like personal protective equipment , contact tracing and new protocols for dealing with the virus .
Experts warn the lack of federal assistance will be disastrous .
State and local governments employ 1 out of every 7 U.S. workers .
During a recession , they are instrumental in funding and distributing food assistance , unemployment benefits , health care and direct aid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into poverty .
In better times , they are essentially “ little stimulus machines , ” in the words of economist Heidi Shierholz , as they run the bulk of the infrastructure the private sector depends on .
“ We just made this mistake .
It would be less utterly infuriating if we hadn ’ t , ” said Shierholz , who is a senior economist and the director of policy at the progressive Economic Policy Institute .
During the Great Recession , she said , “ it ’ s very straightforward and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state and local level , caused by not getting enough federal aid , delayed the recovery by years .
It didn ’ t have to be that way , but we made policy choices that allowed it.
” Nearly every state has responded with massive budget cuts .
What that looks like varies from state to state .
But the pain reliably falls on the most vulnerable .
Washington state has sought cuts to its interpreter services , hospice care and dental care for Medicaid patients .
Kansas has trimmed its education @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Every recession has this devastating push and pull on state and local governments , ” said Richard Auxier , a senior policy associate at the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center .
“ This one is even worse .
The unemployment rates are worse , the economic ramifications are worse .
People are without jobs , or they need Medicaid , TANF ” — a cash benefit for low-income families — “ or some other state and local assistance .
The minute states ’ revenues drop because of an economic downturn is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up.
” Pain from the recession is so widespread that advocates are hopeful for state and local aid in another stimulus round .
Sens .
Bill Cassidy ( R-La . )
and Joe Manchin ( D-W.Va. ) , two members of the bipartisan group that drove the latest stimulus negotiations , both hail from states that missed out on the direct aid for cities contained in the CARES Act , making advocates optimistic that they can convince them of the need for more aid .
The pandemic ’ s unprecedented impact on travel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by way of plummeting oil prices , and New York , with its devastated leisure , service and hospitality industries .
“ Every community I ’ ve spent time with has said , ‘ We need more today , ’ ” said Irma Esparza-Diggs , the senior lobbyist for the National League of Cities .
“ Either they ’ re already gone through their relief funds working to meet the most basic human needs , or they used them providing a lifeline to businesses .
It ’ s not a question of if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s a question of how much , and how much more urgent will the situation get.
” If not , the most painful cuts may be yet to come .
Because COVID-19 first surged in many states when they were ending their fiscal years , cutting jobs a few weeks before the budget turned over wasn ’ t enough to close the chasm .
Now , at the beginning of many states ’ fiscal year , is when cutting a job locks in “ savings.
” Every community I ’ ve spent time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ today . '
Irma Esparza-Diggs , the senior lobbyist for the National League of Cities .
“ It really cuts our program down to the bare bones , ” said Paul Throne , who oversees the state ’ s distribution of WIC , a federal aid program for infants , young children and pregnant or nursing women .
The program has all but suspended outreach and some breastfeeding support efforts .
If other departments continue to be stretched thin , the program could lose even more staff to COVID-19 relief efforts .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
For states and thousands of local governments, Congress’ $900 billion stimulus package is about to pass with a gigantic hole in the middle.
The bill contains no new aid for state and city governments as they face down yawning deficits and the prospect of having to slash services the public needs more desperately than ever. Virtually every state has laid off thousands of employees or slashed tens of millions of dollars in crucial services. Cities large and small are on the brink and clamoring to avoid cuts to services as basic as firefighting.
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Democrats have proposed up to $1 trillion in state and local aid to stanch the bleeding. But Republicans, under pressure from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, opposed a new round of state and local aid unless Democrats agreed to sweeping liability protections for businesses. The two sides tabled the question in order to pass a new package before the end of the year.
Sprawling recessions like this one put states in a uniquely difficult bind. They can’t run up large deficits like the federal government can because all 50 have some form of balanced budget requirement. They have a limited ability to borrow and rely mainly on tax revenues — which plummet at the exact moment the demand for state services spikes. States are instrumental in delivering unemployment benefits, and funding public health care and food pantries. The COVID-19 pandemic adds the extra burden of forcing states to take on extraordinary costs like personal protective equipment, contact tracing and new protocols for dealing with the virus.
A volunteer prepares boxes of food assistance at a food distribution event in Groveland, Florida, on Dec. 9. NurPhoto via Getty Images
Experts warn the lack of federal assistance will be disastrous. State and local governments employ 1 out of every 7 U.S. workers. During a recession, they are instrumental in funding and distributing food assistance, unemployment benefits, health care and direct aid that keep families in crisis from falling into poverty. In better times, they are essentially “little stimulus machines,” in the words of economist Heidi Shierholz, as they run the bulk of the infrastructure the private sector depends on.
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During the Great Recession, Congress’ failure to provide enough aid to struggling states and localities caused the unemployment crisis to drag on an additional four years.
“We just made this mistake. It would be less utterly infuriating if we hadn’t,” said Shierholz, who is a senior economist and the director of policy at the progressive Economic Policy Institute. During the Great Recession, she said, “it’s very straightforward and simple that austerity, severe austerity at the state and local level, caused by not getting enough federal aid, delayed the recovery by years. It didn’t have to be that way, but we made policy choices that allowed it.”
Do you have a story about how COVID-19-related budget cuts are causing suffering in your city or state? Send a tip: molly.redden@huffpost.com
Already, policymakers are repeating those mistakes. The first COVID-19 stimulus bill, the CARES Act, set aside $150 billion for state and local governments, a number that seems huge but was nevertheless far short of covering overall shortfalls.
Nearly every state has responded with massive budget cuts. What that looks like varies from state to state. But the pain reliably falls on the most vulnerable. Washington state has sought cuts to its interpreter services, hospice care and dental care for Medicaid patients. Kansas has trimmed its education budget of some school mental health programs.
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In Wyoming, a fossil fuel state where plunging oil prices have created a $400 million shortfall, the governor concentrated severe cuts on its health department. The $135 million in cuts include eliminating programs for infants and children with developmental disabilities and in-home care to prevent disabled and elderly people from being forced into long-term care facilities.
“We just made this mistake. It would be less utterly infuriating if we hadn’t.” - Economist Heidi Shierholz
And nearly every state and U.S. territory has laid off, furloughed or imposed a hiring freeze on government personnel, every state’s largest expenditure. Nationwide, more than 1 million people who worked in local government have lost their jobs since the start of the pandemic, according to November Labor Department statistics.
For a budget crisis this dire, “you really have to go where the money is, predominantly K-12 education, health care, transportation, higher education, and corrections,” said Brian Sigritz, the director of state fiscal studies for the National Association of State Budget Officers.
“Every recession has this devastating push and pull on state and local governments,” said Richard Auxier, a senior policy associate at the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center. “This one is even worse. The unemployment rates are worse, the economic ramifications are worse. People are without jobs, or they need Medicaid, TANF” — a cash benefit for low-income families — “or some other state and local assistance. The minute states’ revenues drop because of an economic downturn is the minute the demand for their services goes up.”
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Some states have responded with ruthless cuts to the social safety net: In Wyoming, one reason the governor concentrated such severe cuts on the health department was to avoid steep cuts for the state’s prosecutors and law enforcement.
Pain from the recession is so widespread that advocates are hopeful for state and local aid in another stimulus round. Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), two members of the bipartisan group that drove the latest stimulus negotiations, both hail from states that missed out on the direct aid for cities contained in the CARES Act, making advocates optimistic that they can convince them of the need for more aid. The pandemic’s unprecedented impact on travel hit states as varied as Wyoming, by way of plummeting oil prices, and New York, with its devastated leisure, service and hospitality industries.
Many cities are even worse off than states, because they rely on states for a good chunk of their annual budget and because they could not access the CARES Act aid without state approval.
“Every community I’ve spent time with has said, ‘We need more today,’” said Irma Esparza-Diggs, the senior lobbyist for the National League of Cities. “Either they’re already gone through their relief funds working to meet the most basic human needs, or they used them providing a lifeline to businesses. It’s not a question of if they need more stimulus, it’s a question of how much, and how much more urgent will the situation get.”
If not, the most painful cuts may be yet to come. Because COVID-19 first surged in many states when they were ending their fiscal years, cutting jobs a few weeks before the budget turned over wasn’t enough to close the chasm. Now, at the beginning of many states’ fiscal year, is when cutting a job locks in “savings.”
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“Every community I’ve spent time with has said, 'We need more today.'” - Irma Esparza-Diggs, the senior lobbyist for the National League of Cities.
A second round of cuts will invariably cause unpredictable downstream effects. In Washington state, many programs are already hamstrung by the need to reassign as many state workers as possible to the COVID-19 response.
“It really cuts our program down to the bare bones,” said Paul Throne, who oversees the state’s distribution of WIC, a federal aid program for infants, young children and pregnant or nursing women. The program has all but suspended outreach and some breastfeeding support efforts. If other departments continue to be stretched thin, the program could lose even more staff to COVID-19 relief efforts.
It’s one of countless examples of how austerity can make it even more difficult for ordinary people to get federally funded benefits, like food stamps, that are distributed by the states.
When COVID-19 hit, most states saw a huge surge in food stamp applications but didn’t have enough staff to keep up. In Virginia, where the food stamp caseload has grown by more than 30,000 since March, a government hiring freeze has caused intractable delays for new applicants.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-22--South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster Tests Positive For COVID-19

ASSOCIATED PRESS South Carolina Gov .
Henry McMaster takes a moment before responding to a question at a news conference on Wednesday , Dec. 2 , 2020 , in Columbia , S.C. McMaster was announcing his appointment of Robert Woods IV to be the director of the Department of Public Safety .
Woods has been interim director of the agency since February .
( AP Photo/Jeffrey Collins ) COLUMBIA , S.C. ( AP ) — South Carolina Gov .
Henry McMaster has tested positive for the coronavirus and was slated to receive outpatient antibody treatment for “ mild symptoms , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 73 , learned he had tested positive late Monday following a test “ due to coming into close contact with the COVID-19 virus , ” his office said in a release .
McMaster ’ s wife , 73-year-old Peggy McMaster , tested positive last week but remains asymptomatic , officials said .
On the advice of his personal physician , the governor was slated to receive monoclonal antibody treatment Tuesday , which his office called a “ preventative measure for those with mild to moderate symptoms.
” Saying that McMaster was in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the governor was “ experiencing mild symptoms with a cough and slight fatigue.
” The governor was tested last week at the same time as his wife but had a negative result at the time , his office said .
Both McMasters had attended a Christmas event at the White House earlier last week and took a “ precautionary , routine test ” Thursday .
Since that time , Peggy McMaster planned to isolate for 10 days , while the governor ’ s office said he would quarantine for a week while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Follow AP coverage of the pandemic at https : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak .

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster takes a moment before responding to a question at a news conference on Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2020, in Columbia, S.C. McMaster was announcing his appointment of Robert Woods IV to be the director of the Department of Public Safety. Woods has been interim director of the agency since February. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Collins) ASSOCIATED PRESS
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster has tested positive for the coronavirus and was slated to receive outpatient antibody treatment for “mild symptoms,” his office said Tuesday.
McMaster, 73, learned he had tested positive late Monday following a test “due to coming into close contact with the COVID-19 virus,” his office said in a release. McMaster’s wife, 73-year-old Peggy McMaster, tested positive last week but remains asymptomatic, officials said.
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On the advice of his personal physician, the governor was slated to receive monoclonal antibody treatment Tuesday, which his office called a “preventative measure for those with mild to moderate symptoms.” Saying that McMaster was in “good spirits,” his office said the governor was “experiencing mild symptoms with a cough and slight fatigue.”
The governor was tested last week at the same time as his wife but had a negative result at the time, his office said.
Both McMasters had attended a Christmas event at the White House earlier last week and took a “precautionary, routine test” Thursday.
Since that time, Peggy McMaster planned to isolate for 10 days, while the governor’s office said he would quarantine for a week while testing regularly and continuing his official duties.
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Meg Kinnard can be reached at http://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP.
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