thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-24--'We Are Struggling': A Very Stark Christmas For America's Jobless

“ We ’ re not really doing Christmas — I guess you can say it that way , ” said Matthews , who lives in Suwanee , Georgia .
“ We are struggling .
We are tired , and all I have is my faith.
” Like nearly 10 million other Americans , Matthews has been jobless since the viral pandemic ripped through the U.S. economy in March , triggering a devastating recession and widespread unemployment .
Now , many months later , they face a holiday season they hardly could have foreseen a year ago : Too little money @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meals or pay all their bills .
Nearly 8 million people have sunk into poverty since June after having spent $ 1,200 checks that the government gave most Americans in the spring and a $ 600-a-week supplemental jobless benefit expired in July , according to research by Bruce Meyer at the University of Chicago and two other colleagues .
And finding a job is getting even harder : Hiring in November slowed for a fifth straight month , with U.S. employers adding the fewest jobs since April .
Some relief may — potentially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week , Congress approved a $ 900 billion pandemic rescue package that includes a $ 300-a-week unemployment benefit , cash payments of up to $ 600 for most individuals , and a renewal of extended jobless aid programs that are about to expire .
On Tuesday night , though , President Donald Trump injected doubts about that urgently needed federal aid by attacking the rescue package as inadequate and suggesting that he might not sign it into law .
Help , in the meantime , can ’ t come soon enough for Matthews @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , she worries that her account could be closed if she doesn ’ t receive financial aid soon .
Matthews , 41 , has been struggling with her finances since she had to shut down her wedding business in March when ceremonies were canceled and any need for the centerpieces and flower arrangements she made suddenly evaporated .
Matthews was denied unemployment aid by Georgia ’ s labor department .
She doesn ’ t understand why and is appealing the decision .
But the process is so slow that she ’ s waited @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Despite being a registered nurse , Matthews has been unable to land a job .
She can work only late hours because she often needs to help her 6-year-old daughter , who must do virtual learning at home when virus cases spike at her school .
Matthews ’ car was repossessed after she couldn ’ t keep up with payments .
Most of what her husband earns goes to a $ 1,600 mortgage on their home .
That leaves them with about $ 200 a month for groceries , utilities , and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for her daughter ’ s schoolwork .
Charities say they have been overwhelmed with requests for help , a sign many are in deep financial distress .
The United Way expects the number of calls to the 211 hotline it funds to double from last year to 20 million calls , mostly from people needing help paying rent or electricity bills .
Feeding America says many of the people showing up at food banks are first-timers .
Volunteers build bags of dry goods in a parking lot outside of AT & T Stadium @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pantry distribution event in Arlington , Texas , Friday , Nov. 20 , 2020 .
Cars lined the surrounding streets around the home of the Dallas Cowboys and the nearby Texas Rangers Globe Life Field as Thanksgiving holiday food items were distributed to over 5,000 families .
( AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez ) Her children ’ s father lost his job this year .
Molton , who is 28 and lives in San Antonio , Texas , had to temporarily stop working as a delivery driver for DoorDash after falling debris from a truck @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She used part of her rent money to repair it , leaving her behind on bills .
Having noticed on Twitter that social media influencers and celebrities were providing cash to some needy people , Molton created an account and tweeted about her situation .
Someone sent her $ 200 through an app — money that she plans to use for groceries .
Another couple on Twitter asked her to create an Amazon Wishlist and then bought her kids a doll , cars , and other toys for Christmas .
The struggles of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a weak holiday shopping season that will likely drag on the overall economy .
Retail sales fell 1.1 % in November , a month that is typically strong as gift-buying gets underway .
Some economists expect retail sales to decline again this month , particularly as governments impose more business restrictions and rising coronavirus cases keep consumers away from stores and restaurants .
A scaled-back holiday is what Summer Kluytman has been envisioning .
She had to tell her two teenage sons not to expect the kinds of Christmas gifts they ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like the $ 400 Oculus virtual reality headset that was under the tree last year .

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NEW YORK (AP) — Last Christmas, Shanita Matthews cooked up a feast for her family of three: Roast chicken, barbecue spareribs, spinach, macaroni, and cheese.
This year? They’ll stick with tuna fish and crackers, among the few items she can afford at the supermarket.
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“We’re not really doing Christmas — I guess you can say it that way,” said Matthews, who lives in Suwanee, Georgia. “We are struggling. We are tired, and all I have is my faith.”
Like nearly 10 million other Americans, Matthews has been jobless since the viral pandemic ripped through the U.S. economy in March, triggering a devastating recession and widespread unemployment. Now, many months later, they face a holiday season they hardly could have foreseen a year ago: Too little money to buy gifts, cook large festive meals or pay all their bills.
Nearly 8 million people have sunk into poverty since June after having spent $1,200 checks that the government gave most Americans in the spring and a $600-a-week supplemental jobless benefit expired in July, according to research by Bruce Meyer at the University of Chicago and two other colleagues. And finding a job is getting even harder: Hiring in November slowed for a fifth straight month, with U.S. employers adding the fewest jobs since April.
Some relief may — potentially — be on the way. This week, Congress approved a $900 billion pandemic rescue package that includes a $300-a-week unemployment benefit, cash payments of up to $600 for most individuals, and a renewal of extended jobless aid programs that are about to expire. On Tuesday night, though, President Donald Trump injected doubts about that urgently needed federal aid by attacking the rescue package as inadequate and suggesting that he might not sign it into law.
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Help, in the meantime, can’t come soon enough for Matthews. With her bank balance now negative, she worries that her account could be closed if she doesn’t receive financial aid soon.
Matthews, 41, has been struggling with her finances since she had to shut down her wedding business in March when ceremonies were canceled and any need for the centerpieces and flower arrangements she made suddenly evaporated. Matthews was denied unemployment aid by Georgia’s labor department. She doesn’t understand why and is appealing the decision. But the process is so slow that she’s waited months just to get a hearing.
Despite being a registered nurse, Matthews has been unable to land a job. She can work only late hours because she often needs to help her 6-year-old daughter, who must do virtual learning at home when virus cases spike at her school.
Matthews’ car was repossessed after she couldn’t keep up with payments. Most of what her husband earns goes to a $1,600 mortgage on their home. That leaves them with about $200 a month for groceries, utilities, and a $50 internet bill — a necessity for her daughter’s schoolwork.
Matthews hopes that a relative can step in and buy a Christmas gift for her daughter.
“We want to be able to have food, water, heat,” she said. “Those are the things that we care about.”
Charities say they have been overwhelmed with requests for help, a sign many are in deep financial distress. The United Way expects the number of calls to the 211 hotline it funds to double from last year to 20 million calls, mostly from people needing help paying rent or electricity bills. Feeding America says many of the people showing up at food banks are first-timers.
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Volunteers build bags of dry goods in a parking lot outside of AT&T Stadium during a Tarrant Area Food Bank mobile pantry distribution event in Arlington, Texas, Friday, Nov. 20, 2020. Cars lined the surrounding streets around the home of the Dallas Cowboys and the nearby Texas Rangers Globe Life Field as Thanksgiving holiday food items were distributed to over 5,000 families. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez) ASSOCIATED PRESS
Out of desperation, Sheyontay Molton turned to Twitter for help after a series of events left her with no money to buy gifts for her four children.
Her children’s father lost his job this year. Molton, who is 28 and lives in San Antonio, Texas, had to temporarily stop working as a delivery driver for DoorDash after falling debris from a truck severely damaged her car in October. She used part of her rent money to repair it, leaving her behind on bills.
Having noticed on Twitter that social media influencers and celebrities were providing cash to some needy people, Molton created an account and tweeted about her situation. Someone sent her $200 through an app — money that she plans to use for groceries. Another couple on Twitter asked her to create an Amazon Wishlist and then bought her kids a doll, cars, and other toys for Christmas.
Without the donations, Molton had planned to tell her young kids that Santa Claus couldn’t come because he was taking extra coronavirus precautions.
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“Silly, I know,” she said, But “it would have bought me more time.”
The struggles of low-income workers and the unemployed are contributing to a weak holiday shopping season that will likely drag on the overall economy. Retail sales fell 1.1% in November, a month that is typically strong as gift-buying gets underway. Some economists expect retail sales to decline again this month, particularly as governments impose more business restrictions and rising coronavirus cases keep consumers away from stores and restaurants.
A scaled-back holiday is what Summer Kluytman has been envisioning. She had to tell her two teenage sons not to expect the kinds of Christmas gifts they’ve typically received in the past, like the $400 Oculus virtual reality headset that was under the tree last year.
Having lost two art teaching jobs, Kluytman had to go on food stamps to help pay for groceries. The salary of her husband, who works for a cable company, goes toward the rent for their home in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Kluytman is spending $100 on each son this Christmas for hoodies and other clothing, down from the $500 she spent on each last year. She plans to hold movie nights, where they’ll gather in the living room to catch a flick.
“I think that they’re cool with us spending time together as opposed to a bunch of stuff under the tree,” she said. “But it does break my heart a little bit.”
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-24--Epicurious Attempts To Right Cultural Wrongs One Recipe At A Time

“ It came after Black Lives Matter , after a lot of consciousness-raising among the editors and staff , '' said David Tamarkin , the white digital director for Epicurious .
`` It came out of conversations that we had about how we can do better , where are we failing and where have our predecessors failed ?
” Called the Archive Repair Project , the work is also an outgrowth of complaints and controversies at Conde Nast .
But it 's just one effort on a full plate of initiatives , said Sonia Chopra , who 's been executive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about four months , working under the new editor in chief , Dawn Davis .
“ The language that we use to talk about food has evolved so much from , sure , the 1960s but also the 1990s , and I think it is our duty as journalists , as people who work in food media , to make sure that we are reflecting that appropriately , '' Chopra said .
Epicurious and Bon Appetit have been at the center of accusations that also plague others in the food world : undervaluing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , racial and gender discrimination , and more .
Some of those issues led several Bon Appetit employees to leave earlier this year after Editor-in-Chief Adam Rapoport resigned over a 2004 Halloween “ brownface ” photo and amid allegations of racial discrimination .
“ Being such an old site , we ’ re full of a lot of ideas about American cooking that really go through a white lens , '' Tamarkin said .
“ We know that American cooking is Mexican American cooking and Indian American cooking and Nigerian American cooking , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cooking that ’ s really happening in this country every day.
” “ I can ’ t think of any situation where that word would be appropriate , and yet it ’ s all over the site , ” Tamarkin said .
“ That ’ s painful for me and I ’ m sure others.
” Since July , when Tamarkin outlined the project on Epicurious , he and his staff have fixed about 200 recipes and other work .
Some repairs are more complicated than removing a single word , such as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” aisle at the grocery store .
“ We have published recipes with headnotes that fail to properly credit the inspirations for the dish , or degrade the cuisine the dish belongs to .
We have purported to make a recipe ` better ' by making it faster , or swapping in ingredients that were assumed to be more familiar to American palates , or easier to find .
We have inferred ( and in some cases outright labeled ) ingredients and techniques to be ‘ surprising ’ or ` weird . '
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ widely accepted in food writing at the time , and that we now recognize has always been racist , ” Tamarkin wrote .
For Bon Appetit , that 's exactly what happened when an outcry among readers led it to make multiple changes including the headnote and references to Haiti on a pumpkin soup recipe put forth by Chef Marcus Samuelsson , a guest editor .
The magazine referred to it as soup joumou , a beloved Haitian staple that symbolizes the country 's bloody liberation from its French colonizers .
It was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Samuelsson as an homage .
The magazine adapted an entry from one of his cookbooks , “ The Rise : Black Cooks and the Soul of American Food.
” Both Bon Appetit and Samuelsson , who is Black , apologized after calls of erasure and cultural appropriation .
Much of food media is facing race and ethnicity fallout that can be traced to white dominance in the highest echelons of the field .
On the Epicurious repair project , for instance , just 31 % of the people identifying and fixing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We 're committed to building teams that are inclusive and thoughtful , and that means always assessing and reassessing our policies and processes .
As we transition into 2021 with new leadership , we are examining these across the board , from hiring best practices to making sure we are communicating and working collaboratively and holistically across teams and platforms , ” Chopra added .

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NEW YORK (AP) — With a new Black editor in chief and ambitious promises to do better, a little corner of the Conde Nast universe is taking on racial and cultural injustice one recipe at a time.
Since July, the small staff at Epicurious, a resource site for home cooks, has been scouring 55 years' worth of recipes from a variety of Conde Nast magazines in search of objectionable titles, ingredient lists and stories told through a white American lens.
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“It came after Black Lives Matter, after a lot of consciousness-raising among the editors and staff," said David Tamarkin, the white digital director for Epicurious. "It came out of conversations that we had about how we can do better, where are we failing and where have our predecessors failed?”
Called the Archive Repair Project, the work is also an outgrowth of complaints and controversies at Conde Nast. But it's just one effort on a full plate of initiatives, said Sonia Chopra, who's been executive editor of Bon Appetit and Epicurious for about four months, working under the new editor in chief, Dawn Davis.
In all, the 25-year-old site (with a staff of 10) is a repository of a massive 35,000 recipes from Bon Appetit, Gourmet, Self, House & Garden and Epicurious itself. They stretch back to 1965.
“The language that we use to talk about food has evolved so much from, sure, the 1960s but also the 1990s, and I think it is our duty as journalists, as people who work in food media, to make sure that we are reflecting that appropriately," Chopra said.
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Epicurious and Bon Appetit have been at the center of accusations that also plague others in the food world: undervaluing staffers of color, perpetuating structural racism, racial and gender discrimination, and more. Some of those issues led several Bon Appetit employees to leave earlier this year after Editor-in-Chief Adam Rapoport resigned over a 2004 Halloween “brownface” photo and amid allegations of racial discrimination.
While Conde Nast studies pay equity, and has issued apologies and pledges to do such things as expand unconscious-bias education and create inclusion and diversity plans, the Archive Repair Project rolls on.
The bulk of Epicurious site traffic goes to the archive, mostly recipes but also articles and other editorial work, Tamarkin and Chopra said.
“Being such an old site, we’re full of a lot of ideas about American cooking that really go through a white lens," Tamarkin said. “We know that American cooking is Mexican American cooking and Indian American cooking and Nigerian American cooking, that that’s the kind of cooking that’s really happening in this country every day.”
One of the first issues “repaired,” he said, was use of the word “exotic.”
“I can’t think of any situation where that word would be appropriate, and yet it’s all over the site,” Tamarkin said. “That’s painful for me and I’m sure others.”
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Another word requiring removal was a lime reference that included a racial slur directed at Black Africans, particularly in South Africa.
Other terms, such as “authentic" and “ethnic,” are also among repairs.
The work, Chopra said, is “certainly something that I think not just Conde Nast brands but all over food media and media in general are really thinking about.”
Since July, when Tamarkin outlined the project on Epicurious, he and his staff have fixed about 200 recipes and other work. Some repairs are more complicated than removing a single word, such as an entire story about the “ethnic” aisle at the grocery store.
“We have published recipes with headnotes that fail to properly credit the inspirations for the dish, or degrade the cuisine the dish belongs to. We have purported to make a recipe `better' by making it faster, or swapping in ingredients that were assumed to be more familiar to American palates, or easier to find. We have inferred (and in some cases outright labeled) ingredients and techniques to be ‘surprising’ or `weird.' And we have published terminology that was widely accepted in food writing at the time, and that we now recognize has always been racist,” Tamarkin wrote.
He noted: “Certainly there will be times when our edits do not go far enough; some of our repairs will need repairs.”
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For Bon Appetit, that's exactly what happened when an outcry among readers led it to make multiple changes including the headnote and references to Haiti on a pumpkin soup recipe put forth by Chef Marcus Samuelsson, a guest editor. The magazine referred to it as soup joumou, a beloved Haitian staple that symbolizes the country's bloody liberation from its French colonizers.
It was not soup joumou, but was intended by Samuelsson as an homage. The magazine adapted an entry from one of his cookbooks, “The Rise: Black Cooks and the Soul of American Food.” Both Bon Appetit and Samuelsson, who is Black, apologized after calls of erasure and cultural appropriation.
Much of food media is facing race and ethnicity fallout that can be traced to white dominance in the highest echelons of the field. On the Epicurious repair project, for instance, just 31% of the people identifying and fixing the archive are staff of color.
Chopra said broader plans are in motion.
“We're committed to building teams that are inclusive and thoughtful, and that means always assessing and reassessing our policies and processes. As we transition into 2021 with new leadership, we are examining these across the board, from hiring best practices to making sure we are communicating and working collaboratively and holistically across teams and platforms,” Chopra added.
In the meantime, Tamarkin and his crew are slowly pressing on with their archive repairs at Epicurious, where “Asian” is no longer the name of a cold rice noodle salad, and a vadouvan spice blend has lost its mention as “exotic.”
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-24--COVID-19 Patient Beat Hospital Roommate To Death For Praying: Police

An 82-year-old man hospitalized for COVID-19 in California was beaten to death last week by a fellow patient angered by the elderly man ’ s praying in their shared hospital room , authorities said .
Jesse Martinez , 37 , was arrested and charged with elder abuse and murder with a hate crime enhancement in connection to the Dec. 17 killing at Antelope Valley Hospital in Lancaster , the Los Angeles County Sheriff ’ s Office said Wednesday .
Martinez and the victim did not know one another before they were hospitalized in the same room for issues related to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to pray , Martinez allegedly became upset and struck him with an oxygen tank .
The elderly man , who has not been publicly identified , died the following morning from his injuries , authorities said .
Jesse Martinez , 37 , allegedly attacked his 82-year-old roommate with an oxygen tank at Antelope Valley Hospital in Lancaster , pictured , after becoming angry with the man 's praying .
Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris said he was “ shocked and saddened ” by the news .
“ These families were already experiencing a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s senseless , ” Parris said in a statement to the Los Angeles Times .
Martinez was being held on $ 1 million bail as of Thursday , with a court date scheduled for Monday , online records show .
Statewide , California ’ s hospitals have been dangerously strained due to the coronavirus pandemic , with intensive care units across Southern California and the San Joaquin Valley , just to the north , remaining at full capacity as of this week .
Los Angeles County , where the killing took place , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of confirmed COVID-19 cases and related deaths as of Thursday , according to numbers compiled by the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine .
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has implored residents not to travel during the holidays and to wear masks to prevent the virus ’ spread and keep hospitals from being overwhelmed .
“ If you gather for the holidays , our hospitals will be overrun , ” Garcetti said in a public message on Tuesday .
“ If you mix with other households , our doctors won ’ t be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they ’ re coming in with COVID-19 or for a heart attack .
”

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An 82-year-old man hospitalized for COVID-19 in California was beaten to death last week by a fellow patient angered by the elderly man’s praying in their shared hospital room, authorities said.
Jesse Martinez, 37, was arrested and charged with elder abuse and murder with a hate crime enhancement in connection to the Dec. 17 killing at Antelope Valley Hospital in Lancaster, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday.
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Martinez and the victim did not know one another before they were hospitalized in the same room for issues related to the coronavirus. When his roommate started to pray, Martinez allegedly became upset and struck him with an oxygen tank.
The elderly man, who has not been publicly identified, died the following morning from his injuries, authorities said.
Jesse Martinez, 37, allegedly attacked his 82-year-old roommate with an oxygen tank at Antelope Valley Hospital in Lancaster, pictured, after becoming angry with the man's praying. KTLA
Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris said he was “shocked and saddened” by the news.
“These families were already experiencing a hardship and now this — it’s senseless,” Parris said in a statement to the Los Angeles Times.
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Martinez was being held on $1 million bail as of Thursday, with a court date scheduled for Monday, online records show.
Statewide, California’s hospitals have been dangerously strained due to the coronavirus pandemic, with intensive care units across Southern California and the San Joaquin Valley, just to the north, remaining at full capacity as of this week.
Los Angeles County, where the killing took place, had the country’s highest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases and related deaths as of Thursday, according to numbers compiled by the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has implored residents not to travel during the holidays and to wear masks to prevent the virus’ spread and keep hospitals from being overwhelmed.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-25--COVID-19 Stigma Is Becoming The Norm — And That's Extremely Dangerous

People are judged for their choices , whether it ’ s playing it too safe or engaging in social behaviors .
Those associated with COVID-19 are more frequently being hit with a painful stigma : There have been anecdotes about being ghosted by friends after getting sick , hate crimes and racist rhetoric directed toward Asian Americans and some reports about people losing their jobs after contracting the virus .
And even though shaming might at times feel like a productive way to alter someone ’ s behavior , it ’ s actually not .
In fact , shaming usually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brunt of the blame less likely to engage with public health efforts like testing and contact tracing .
In other words : It can lead to dangerous consequences .
Why We Shame Certain Health Issues The first question worth asking here is , why do people shame others for health issues at all ?
Obviously , no one wants to get COVID-19 .
No one wants to give the infection to their grandmother or pass it on to someone who could develop a life-threatening complication and wind up in the intensive care unit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ often with conditions that are misunderstood and feared ( think mental illness and substance use ) .
This viewpoint is common with conditions that people falsely think are preventable ― like obesity , sexually transmitted illnesses , complications from smoking and now COVID-19 .
The thought here is that if a person ’ s actions contributed to them developing the condition , then they are responsible and can be blamed ( and shamed ) .
Of course , this pattern of thinking fails to address all the factors that contributed to the conditions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ professor of sociology and public policy at University of California , Riverside , casting shame and stigma creates an “ us versus them ” mentality , which allows people to find comfort in their own choices and feel distanced and separated from people who behave in a way they disagree with .
As one study put it , “ us versus them ” provides people with a false , misguided sense of security in the idea that “ good things happen to to people who have been good , and bad things happen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ In life and in public health , sometimes there is a stigmatization of behaviors that people want to control .
People try to use stigma to control other people ’ s behavior , ” said Link , who has researched shaming ’ s impact on public health .
According to Julia Marcus , an infectious disease epidemiologist and associate professor in the department of population medicine at Harvard Medical School , shaming ultimately winds up doing way more harm than good , particularly when it comes to slowing disease transmission .
Just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve learned years of research on HIV prevention .
Though HIV and COVID-19 are two distinctly different infections , both are subject to major shaming — with HIV , the stigma falls on sexual pleasure , and with COVID-19 , it ’ s social pleasure .
When these behaviors — both of which are important for our health — are stigmatized , the “ message becomes , ‘ You are a bad person if you do this thing , ’ ” Marcus said .
That stigma then creates a huge barrier to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ past research on HIV , shaming can prevent people from disclosing their behaviors to doctors .
It can also impact their willingness to receive treatment or care .
It makes people less likely to get tested , even if they think they have a disease , and causes them to feel uncomfortable sharing their exposures with close friends and family .
People want to protect themselves from being judged or looked down upon , even with relatives , Link said .
Public health efforts like testing and contact tracing are important tools that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transmission , but if people feel too burdened by shame and stigma to engage with these strategies , our entire public health system can be undercut .
Here ’ s What We Can Do Instead In some cases , this may be a financial need , causing someone to go to work where they are exposed to the coronavirus and unknowingly bring the infection home to their families .
Human beings are also social creatures , and the pandemic restrictions have emphasized our need to interact and connect with loved ones .
Some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the latest data regarding transmission or their risk .

nadia_bormotova via Getty Images Stigmatizing diseases does a major disservice to public health efforts. Here's how that's playing out with COVID-19.
It’s safe to say that shame and stigma have run rampant throughout the coronavirus pandemic.
People are judged for their choices, whether it’s playing it too safe or engaging in social behaviors. Those associated with COVID-19 are more frequently being hit with a painful stigma: There have been anecdotes about being ghosted by friends after getting sick, hate crimes and racist rhetoric directed toward Asian Americans and some reports about people losing their jobs after contracting the virus.
Shaming isn’t unique to COVID-19. We’ve seen this play out before with other epidemics — mainly with HIV ― but also with more common health issues like smoking, substance use and obesity.
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And even though shaming might at times feel like a productive way to alter someone’s behavior, it’s actually not. In fact, shaming usually backfires and makes people who feel the brunt of the blame less likely to engage with public health efforts like testing and contact tracing. In other words: It can lead to dangerous consequences.
Why We Shame Certain Health Issues
The first question worth asking here is, why do people shame others for health issues at all? Obviously, no one wants to get COVID-19. No one wants to give the infection to their grandmother or pass it on to someone who could develop a life-threatening complication and wind up in the intensive care unit.
We see stigma and shaming most often with conditions that are misunderstood and feared (think mental illness and substance use). This viewpoint is common with conditions that people falsely think are preventable ― like obesity, sexually transmitted illnesses, complications from smoking and now COVID-19. The thought here is that if a person’s actions contributed to them developing the condition, then they are responsible and can be blamed (and shamed). Of course, this pattern of thinking fails to address all the factors that contributed to the conditions.
According to Bruce Link, a professor of sociology and public policy at University of California, Riverside, casting shame and stigma creates an “us versus them” mentality, which allows people to find comfort in their own choices and feel distanced and separated from people who behave in a way they disagree with.
Advertisement
As one study put it, “us versus them” provides people with a false, misguided sense of security in the idea that “good things happen to to people who have been good, and bad things happen to people who have been bad.”
“People try to use stigma to control other people’s behavior.” - Bruce Link, professor of sociology and public policy at UC Riverside
Shaming might also give the shamer a sense of control when they otherwise feel like they have no say in the matter (like a pandemic, for instance).
“In life and in public health, sometimes there is a stigmatization of behaviors that people want to control. People try to use stigma to control other people’s behavior,” said Link, who has researched shaming’s impact on public health.
How Shaming Impacts Public Health
According to Julia Marcus, an infectious disease epidemiologist and associate professor in the department of population medicine at Harvard Medical School, shaming ultimately winds up doing way more harm than good, particularly when it comes to slowing disease transmission.
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“Shaming, from a public health perspective, doesn’t generally work as a strategy for changing people’s health behaviors, and actually it can do the opposite,” Marcus said.
Just take a look at the lessons we’ve learned years of research on HIV prevention. Though HIV and COVID-19 are two distinctly different infections, both are subject to major shaming — with HIV, the stigma falls on sexual pleasure, and with COVID-19, it’s social pleasure.
When these behaviors — both of which are important for our health — are stigmatized, the “message becomes, ‘You are a bad person if you do this thing,’” Marcus said. That stigma then creates a huge barrier to productive public health efforts.
According to past research on HIV, shaming can prevent people from disclosing their behaviors to doctors. It can also impact their willingness to receive treatment or care. It makes people less likely to get tested, even if they think they have a disease, and causes them to feel uncomfortable sharing their exposures with close friends and family. People want to protect themselves from being judged or looked down upon, even with relatives, Link said.
“What ends up happening is, rather than engaging with public health, people want to hide from it. Instead of deterring risky behavior, we end up deterring disclosure,” Marcus added.
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“What ends up happening is, rather than engaging with public health, people want to hide from it. Instead of deterring risky behavior, we end up deterring disclosure.” - Julia Marcus, infectious disease epidemiologist
Public health efforts like testing and contact tracing are important tools that help us get a handle on disease transmission, but if people feel too burdened by shame and stigma to engage with these strategies, our entire public health system can be undercut.
Here’s What We Can Do Instead
Rather than shaming a person for their actions, try taking an empathetic approach. Acknowledge that no one sets out to contract or spread COVID-19, and that most often these things happen because people’s needs aren’t being met.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-25--U.S. Will Require Negative COVID-19 Test From U.K. Travelers

ATLANTA ( AP ) — The United States will require airline passengers from Britain to get a negative COVID-19 test before their flight , the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced late Thursday .
The U.S. is the latest country to announce new travel restrictions because of a new variant of the coronavirus that is spreading in Britain and elsewhere .
Airline passengers from the United Kingdom will need to get negative COVID-19 tests within three days of their trip and provide the results to the airline , the CDC said in a statement .
The agency said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into effect on Monday .
“ If a passenger chooses not to take a test , the airline must deny boarding to the passenger , ” the CDC said in its statement .
The agency said because of travel restrictions in place since March , air travel to the U.S. from the U.K. is already down by 90 % .
Britain 's Prime Minister Boris Johnson arrives for a media briefing in Downing Street , London , Thursday , Dec. 24 , 2020 .
Britain and the European Union have struck a provisional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's chaos for cross-border commerce and bring a measure of certainty to businesses after years of Brexit turmoil .
The breakthrough on Thursday came after months of tense and often testy negotiations that whittled differences down to three key issues : fair-competition rules , mechanisms for resolving future disputes and fishing rights .
( Paul Grover/Pool Photo via AP ) Last weekend , Britain ’ s Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the new variant of the coronavirus seemed to spread more easily than earlier ones and was moving rapidly through England .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evidence to suggest it is more lethal or causes more severe illness , ” or that vaccines will be less effective against it .
This week , New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo said three airlines with flights from London to New York — British Airways , Delta , and Virgin Atlantic — had agreed to require passengers to take a COVID-19 test before getting on the plane .
United Airlines on Thursday agreed to do the same for its flights to Newark , New Jersey .
Britain has been under considerable pressure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the virus was made public .
Some 40 countries imposed travel bans on Britain , leaving the island nation increasingly isolated .
France relaxed its coronavirus-related ban on trucks from Britain on Tuesday after a two-day standoff that had stranded thousands of drivers and raised fears of Christmastime food shortages in the U.K .
But the French restrictions were particularly worrisome , given that Britain relies heavily on its cross-Channel commercial links to the continent for food this time of year .

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ATLANTA (AP) — The United States will require airline passengers from Britain to get a negative COVID-19 test before their flight, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced late Thursday.
The U.S. is the latest country to announce new travel restrictions because of a new variant of the coronavirus that is spreading in Britain and elsewhere.
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Airline passengers from the United Kingdom will need to get negative COVID-19 tests within three days of their trip and provide the results to the airline, the CDC said in a statement. The agency said the order will be signed Friday and go into effect on Monday.
“If a passenger chooses not to take a test, the airline must deny boarding to the passenger,” the CDC said in its statement.
The agency said because of travel restrictions in place since March, air travel to the U.S. from the U.K. is already down by 90%.
Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson arrives for a media briefing in Downing Street, London, Thursday, Dec. 24, 2020. Britain and the European Union have struck a provisional free-trade agreement that should avert New Year's chaos for cross-border commerce and bring a measure of certainty to businesses after years of Brexit turmoil. The breakthrough on Thursday came after months of tense and often testy negotiations that whittled differences down to three key issues: fair-competition rules, mechanisms for resolving future disputes and fishing rights. (Paul Grover/Pool Photo via AP) ASSOCIATED PRESS
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Last weekend, Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the new variant of the coronavirus seemed to spread more easily than earlier ones and was moving rapidly through England. But Johnson stressed “there’s no evidence to suggest it is more lethal or causes more severe illness,” or that vaccines will be less effective against it.
This week, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said three airlines with flights from London to New York — British Airways, Delta, and Virgin Atlantic — had agreed to require passengers to take a COVID-19 test before getting on the plane. United Airlines on Thursday agreed to do the same for its flights to Newark, New Jersey.
Britain has been under considerable pressure since the word of the new variant of the virus was made public. Some 40 countries imposed travel bans on Britain, leaving the island nation increasingly isolated.
France relaxed its coronavirus-related ban on trucks from Britain on Tuesday after a two-day standoff that had stranded thousands of drivers and raised fears of Christmastime food shortages in the U.K.
French authorities said delivery drivers could enter by ferry or tunnel provided they showed proof of a negative test for the virus.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-25--Black Doctor Dies Of COVID-19 After Highlighting Racist Treatment

Dr. Susan Moore , 52 , tested positive for COVID-19 late last month and was admitted to IU Health North Hospital in Carmel , Indiana , according to a Facebook post .
Acutely aware of her condition and medical procedures , the physician said had to repeatedly ask for medication , scans and routine checks while admitted at a hospital in Carmel , Indiana .
She noted a white doctor in particular who seemingly dismissed her pain and said she didn ’ t trust the hospital .
“ I put forth and maintain , if I was white , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that , ” she says in a Dec. 4 video , her voice often cracking .
“ This is how Black people get killed , when you send them home , and they don ’ t know how to fight for themselves.
” She was released from the hospital run by Indiana University Health System on Dec. 7 , but was again hospitalized 12 hours later when her temperature spiked and her blood pressure dropped , according to her post .
She was taken to a different hospital , Ascencion St. Vincent in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ better care .
Still , her condition worsened and she was put on a ventilator .
She died Dec. 20 , her 19-year-old son Henry Muhammad told news outlets .
A listed number for Muhammad could not be located Friday .
Messages left by The Associated Press for two family spokespeople weren ’ t immediately returned Friday .
The coronavirus has disproportionately affected Black people , who suffer from higher rates of obesity , diabetes and asthma , making them more susceptible to the virus .
Black Americans are also more vulnerable because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care access and economic opportunity .
Moore grew up in Michigan , where she earned a medical degree at the University of Michigan in 2002 .
She had an active medical license in Indiana at the time of her death , according to MLive.com .
Muhammad told The New York Times that his mother had often frequently experienced inferior medical care .
She had an inflammatory disease called sarcoidosis that attacks the lungs and was often treated for her condition .
“ Nearly every time she went to the hospital she had to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in some way , shape or form , just to get baseline , proper care , ” he told the newspaper .
Dennis Murphy , the president and CEO of Indiana University Health , said Thursday he was saddened by Moore ’ s death .
He said he did not believe the medical team “ failed the technical aspects ” of Moore ’ s care after a preliminary medical quality review but “ may not have shown the level of compassion and respect we strive for in understanding what matters most to patients.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ external review of this case .
We will have a diverse panel of healthcare and diversity experts conduct a thorough medical review of Dr. Moore ’ s concerns to address any potential treatment bias , ” he said in a statement .
In the past year , public health experts nationwide have acknowledged the role racism plays in health care with dozens of cities , counties and states declaring racism a public health threat .
While public health experts have called it a first step , many are skeptical .
Muhammad , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a very caring person , didn ’ t get the chance to say goodbye before she died .
“ I am outraged beyond words ... because if what my mom thinks was true and that it was racism , and they neglected her because of that , nobody should go through that , ” he told ABC News .

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INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — A Black doctor who died battling COVID-19 complained of racist medical care in widely shared social media posts days before her death, prompting an Indiana hospital system to promise a “full external review” into her treatment.
Dr. Susan Moore, 52, tested positive for COVID-19 late last month and was admitted to IU Health North Hospital in Carmel, Indiana, according to a Facebook post. Acutely aware of her condition and medical procedures, the physician said had to repeatedly ask for medication, scans and routine checks while admitted at a hospital in Carmel, Indiana. She noted a white doctor in particular who seemingly dismissed her pain and said she didn’t trust the hospital.
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“I put forth and maintain, if I was white, I wouldn’t have to go through that,” she says in a Dec. 4 video, her voice often cracking. “This is how Black people get killed, when you send them home, and they don’t know how to fight for themselves.”
She was released from the hospital run by Indiana University Health System on Dec. 7, but was again hospitalized 12 hours later when her temperature spiked and her blood pressure dropped, according to her post. She was taken to a different hospital, Ascencion St. Vincent in Carmel, and said she was experiencing better care.
Still, her condition worsened and she was put on a ventilator. She died Dec. 20, her 19-year-old son Henry Muhammad told news outlets. A listed number for Muhammad could not be located Friday. Messages left by The Associated Press for two family spokespeople weren’t immediately returned Friday.
The coronavirus has disproportionately affected Black people, who suffer from higher rates of obesity, diabetes and asthma, making them more susceptible to the virus. Black Americans are also more vulnerable because of systemic racism, inequity in health care access and economic opportunity.
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Many Black Americans also report that medical professionals take their ailments less seriously when they seek treatment.
Moore grew up in Michigan, where she earned a medical degree at the University of Michigan in 2002. She had an active medical license in Indiana at the time of her death, according to MLive.com.
Muhammad told The New York Times that his mother had often frequently experienced inferior medical care. She had an inflammatory disease called sarcoidosis that attacks the lungs and was often treated for her condition.
“Nearly every time she went to the hospital she had to advocate for herself, fight for something in some way, shape or form, just to get baseline, proper care,” he told the newspaper.
Dennis Murphy, the president and CEO of Indiana University Health, said Thursday he was saddened by Moore’s death. He said he did not believe the medical team “failed the technical aspects” of Moore’s care after a preliminary medical quality review but “may not have shown the level of compassion and respect we strive for in understanding what matters most to patients.”
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“I am asking for an external review of this case. We will have a diverse panel of healthcare and diversity experts conduct a thorough medical review of Dr. Moore’s concerns to address any potential treatment bias,” he said in a statement.
In the past year, public health experts nationwide have acknowledged the role racism plays in health care with dozens of cities, counties and states declaring racism a public health threat. While public health experts have called it a first step, many are skeptical.
Muhammad, who said his mother was his best friend and a very caring person, didn’t get the chance to say goodbye before she died.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-25--Judge Delays Execution Of Only Woman On Federal Death Row

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — A federal judge said the Justice Department unlawfully rescheduled the execution of the only woman on federal death row , potentially setting up the Trump administration to schedule the execution after president-elect Joe Biden takes office .
U.S. District Court Judge Randolph Moss also vacated an order from the director of the Bureau of Prisons that had set Lisa Montgomery ’ s execution date for Jan. 12 .
Montgomery had previously been scheduled to be put to death at the Federal Correctional Complex in Terre Haute , Indiana , this month , but Moss delayed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ visiting their client and asked him to extend the amount of time to file a clemency petition .
Moss prohibited the Bureau of Prisons from carrying out Lisa Montgomery ’ s execution before the end of the year and officials rescheduled her execution date for Jan. 12 .
But Moss ruled on Wednesday that the agency was also prohibited from rescheduling the date while a stay was in place .
“ The Court , accordingly , concludes that the Director ’ s order setting a new execution date while the Court ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in accordance with law , ’ ” Moss wrote .
Under the order , the Bureau of Prisons can not reschedule Montgomery ’ s execution until at least Jan. 1 .
Generally , under Justice Department guidelines , a death-row inmate must be notified at least 20 days before the execution .
Because of the judge ’ s order , if the Justice Department chooses to reschedule the date in January , it could mean that the execution would be scheduled after Biden ’ s inauguration on Jan. 20 .
A spokesperson for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president-elect “ opposes the death penalty now and in the future ” and would work as president to end its use in office .
But Biden ’ s representatives have not said whether executions would be paused immediately once Biden takes office .
Montgomery was convicted of killing 23-year-old Bobbie Jo Stinnett in the northwest Missouri town of Skidmore in December 2004 .
He used a rope to strangle Stinnett , who was eight months pregnant , and then a kitchen knife to cut the baby girl from the womb , authorities said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Stinnett ’ s body , took the child with her , and attempted to pass the girl off as her own .
Montgomery ’ s legal team has argued that their client suffers from serious mental illnesses .
“ Given the severity of Mrs. Montgomery ’ s mental illness , the sexual and physical torture she endured throughout her life , and the connection between her trauma and the facts of her crime , we appeal to President Trump to grant her mercy , and commute her sentence to life imprisonment , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Sandra Babcock , said in a statement .
Two other federal inmates are scheduled to be executed in January but have tested positive for coronavirus and their attorneys are also seeking delays to their executions .

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WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge said the Justice Department unlawfully rescheduled the execution of the only woman on federal death row, potentially setting up the Trump administration to schedule the execution after president-elect Joe Biden takes office.
U.S. District Court Judge Randolph Moss also vacated an order from the director of the Bureau of Prisons that had set Lisa Montgomery’s execution date for Jan. 12. Montgomery had previously been scheduled to be put to death at the Federal Correctional Complex in Terre Haute, Indiana, this month, but Moss delayed the execution after her attorneys contracted coronavirus visiting their client and asked him to extend the amount of time to file a clemency petition.
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Moss prohibited the Bureau of Prisons from carrying out Lisa Montgomery’s execution before the end of the year and officials rescheduled her execution date for Jan. 12. But Moss ruled on Wednesday that the agency was also prohibited from rescheduling the date while a stay was in place.
“The Court, accordingly, concludes that the Director’s order setting a new execution date while the Court’s stay was in effect was ‘not in accordance with law,’” Moss wrote.
A spokesperson for the Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Under the order, the Bureau of Prisons cannot reschedule Montgomery’s execution until at least Jan. 1. Generally, under Justice Department guidelines, a death-row inmate must be notified at least 20 days before the execution. Because of the judge’s order, if the Justice Department chooses to reschedule the date in January, it could mean that the execution would be scheduled after Biden’s inauguration on Jan. 20.
A spokesperson for Biden has told The Associated Press the president-elect “opposes the death penalty now and in the future” and would work as president to end its use in office. But Biden’s representatives have not said whether executions would be paused immediately once Biden takes office.
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Montgomery was convicted of killing 23-year-old Bobbie Jo Stinnett in the northwest Missouri town of Skidmore in December 2004. He used a rope to strangle Stinnett, who was eight months pregnant, and then a kitchen knife to cut the baby girl from the womb, authorities said.
Prosecutors said Montgomery removed the baby from Stinnett’s body, took the child with her, and attempted to pass the girl off as her own. Montgomery’s legal team has argued that their client suffers from serious mental illnesses.
“Given the severity of Mrs. Montgomery’s mental illness, the sexual and physical torture she endured throughout her life, and the connection between her trauma and the facts of her crime, we appeal to President Trump to grant her mercy, and commute her sentence to life imprisonment,” one of Montgomery’s lawyers, Sandra Babcock, said in a statement.
Two other federal inmates are scheduled to be executed in January but have tested positive for coronavirus and their attorneys are also seeking delays to their executions.
___


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-25--Trump Golfs In Florida While COVID Relief Swings In The Balance

Trump had no events on his public schedule on the first day of his winter vacation Thursday but traveled to his Palm Beach golf club , where he was spotted by CNN cameras on the links .
Reporters were given no details of his schedule for the day but told that “ As the Holiday season approaches , President Trump will continue to work tirelessly for the American People .
His schedule includes many meetings and calls.
” Trump ’ s departure came as Washington was still reeling over his surprise , eleventh-hour demand that an end-of-year spending bill that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most Americans $ 2,000 COVID relief checks — far more than the $ 600 members of his own party had agreed to .
The idea was swiftly rejected by House Republicans during a rare Christmas Eve session , leaving the proposal in limbo .
The bipartisan compromise had been considered a done deal and had won sweeping approval in the House and Senate this week after the White House assured GOP leaders that Trump supported it .
If Trump refuses to sign the deal , which is attached to a $ 1.4 trillion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a federal government shutdown , in addition to delaying aid checks and halting unemployment benefits and eviction protections in the midst of the direst stretch of the pandemic .
It was an apparent act of antagonism toward congressional Republicans from a president who has been raging over his Nov. 3 loss to President-elect Joe Biden and trying to come up with new , increasingly outrageous schemes to try to overturn the results of a Democratic election .
He has been egged on by allies like his lawyer , former New York mayor Rudy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Florida aboard Air Force One .
Trump ’ s ire has been focused , in part , on Republicans in Congress whom he believes have been insufficiently supportive of his quest to delegitimize Biden ’ s win by lobbing unfounded claims of mass voter fraud before Congress meets to tally the Electoral College votes on Jan. 6 .
In Florida , Trump continued to rail against the results , complaining to members that he had been robbed of the election and voicing frustrations about the year-end spending bill .
“ At a meeting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ why aren ’ t the Republicans up in arms & fighting over the fact that the Democrats stole the rigged presidential election ?
” Trump tweeted after he ’ d returned to his private Mar-a-Lago club .
“ Especially in the Senate , they said , where you helped 8 Senators win their races.
” Trump has provided no credible evidence to support his election claims , which have also been refuted by a long list of officials , from former Attorney General William Barr to Republican governors , judges , and local @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continues to reel as the coronavirus spreads , with record infections and hospitalizations and more than 327,000 now dead .
And millions are now facing the prospect of spending the holidays alone or struggling to make ends meet without adequate income , food , or shelter thanks to the pandemic ’ s economic toll .
To mark the holiday , the president and first lady Melania Trump tweeted out a pre-recorded video message in which they wished Americans a Merry Christmas and thanked first responders and members of the military .
“ As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than years past , ” said Mrs. Trump , who focused on the acts of “ kindness and courage ” the pandemic had inspired .
Meanwhile , Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin have been trying to salvage the year-end legislation to try to prevent a shutdown .
Democrats will recall House lawmakers to Washington for a vote Monday on Trump ’ s $ 2,000 proposal , though it would likely die in the GOP-controlled Senate .
They are also considering a Monday vote on a stop-gap measure to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ keep the government running until Biden is inaugurated on Jan. 20 .
In addition to the relief checks , the COVID bill that passed would establish a temporary $ 300 per week supplemental jobless benefit , provide a new round of subsidies for hard-hit businesses , restaurants and theaters and money for schools , and provide money for health care providers and help with COVID vaccine distribution .

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PALM BEACH (AP) — After tossing a grenade that threatens to blow up a massive COVID relief and government funding bill and force a government shutdown in the midst of a pandemic, President Donald Trump was golfing on Christmas for a second straight day.
Failure to agree on the bill could deny checks to millions of Americans on the
brink.
Trump had no events on his public schedule on the first day of his winter vacation Thursday but traveled to his Palm Beach golf club, where he was spotted by CNN cameras on the links. Reporters were given no details of his schedule for the day but told that “As the Holiday season approaches, President Trump will continue to work tirelessly for the American People. His schedule includes many meetings and calls.”
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President Donald Trump is tossed a golf ball as he golfs at Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Va., Sunday, Dec. 13, 2020. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) ASSOCIATED PRESS
Trump’s departure came as Washington was still reeling over his surprise, eleventh-hour demand that an end-of-year spending bill that congressional leaders spent months negotiating to give most Americans $2,000 COVID relief checks — far more than the $600 members of his own party had agreed to. The idea was swiftly rejected by House Republicans during a rare Christmas Eve session, leaving the proposal in limbo.
The bipartisan compromise had been considered a done deal and had won sweeping approval in the House and Senate this week after the White House assured GOP leaders that Trump supported it. If Trump refuses to sign the deal, which is attached to a $1.4 trillion government funding bill, it will force a federal government shutdown, in addition to delaying aid checks and halting unemployment benefits and eviction protections in the midst of the direst stretch of the pandemic.
It was an apparent act of antagonism toward congressional Republicans from a president who has been raging over his Nov. 3 loss to President-elect Joe Biden and trying to come up with new, increasingly outrageous schemes to try to overturn the results of a Democratic election. He has been egged on by allies like his lawyer, former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, who accompanied the president to Florida aboard Air Force One.
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Trump’s ire has been focused, in part, on Republicans in Congress whom he believes have been insufficiently supportive of his quest to delegitimize Biden’s win by lobbing unfounded claims of mass voter fraud before Congress meets to tally the Electoral College votes on Jan. 6.
At a meeting in Florida today, everyone was asking why aren’t the Republicans up in arms & fighting over the fact that the Democrats stole the rigged presidential election? Especially in the Senate, they said, where you helped 8 Senators win their races. How quickly they forget! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 24, 2020
In Florida, Trump continued to rail against the results, complaining to members that he had been robbed of the election and voicing frustrations about the year-end spending bill.
“At a meeting in Florida today, everyone was asking why aren’t the Republicans up in arms & fighting over the fact that the Democrats stole the rigged presidential election?” Trump tweeted after he’d returned to his private Mar-a-Lago club. “Especially in the Senate, they said, where you helped 8 Senators win their races.”
“I will NEVER FORGET!” he wrote in another,
The statements underscored concerns that Trump is blowing up negotiations to punish lawmakers for what he sees as their insufficient support loyalty.
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Trump has provided no credible evidence to support his election claims, which have also been refuted by a long list of officials, from former Attorney General William Barr to Republican governors, judges, and local election administrators.
Meanwhile, the nation continues to reel as the coronavirus spreads, with record infections and hospitalizations and more than 327,000 now dead. And millions are now facing the prospect of spending the holidays alone or struggling to make ends meet without adequate income, food, or shelter thanks to the pandemic’s economic toll.
To mark the holiday, the president and first lady Melania Trump tweeted out a pre-recorded video message in which they wished Americans a Merry Christmas and thanked first responders and members of the military.
“As you know, this Christmas is different than years past,” said Mrs. Trump, who focused on the acts of “kindness and courage” the pandemic had inspired.
Trump hailed the vaccine doses now being delivered and thanked those responsible for it. “It is a truly a Christmas miracle,” he said.
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Meanwhile, Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin have been trying to salvage the year-end legislation to try to prevent a shutdown. Democrats will recall House lawmakers to Washington for a vote Monday on Trump’s $2,000 proposal, though it would likely die in the GOP-controlled Senate. They are also considering a Monday vote on a stop-gap measure to at least avert a federal shutdown and keep the government running until Biden is inaugurated on Jan. 20.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-25--That Takes The Cake: Gingerbread Monolith Mysteriously Appears In San Francisco

It could have been alien elves .
There was no other immediate explanation for a seven-foot-tall gingerbread monolith that mysteriously popped up in a San Francisco park .
It ’ s not clear how edible the structure was , but witnesses reported the texture and smell of the monolith panels seemed to be the real thing — and it was decorated with frosting .
The monolith appeared early Christmas Day — on a hilltop in Corona Heights Park overlooking the Castro neighborhood .
Its debut was highlighted by a rainbow .
Ananda Sharma , founder of the Gyroscope App , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ went for a run in the park early Friday and soon spotted what he initially thought was a “ big post.
” But as he ran closer , he could smell the gingerbread .
The structure was the latest in a series of monoliths that have appeared — and disappeared — from Utah to Romania .
The San Francisco version appears to be the first made of a Christmas treat .
Informed by KQED News about the new monolith , San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department General Manager Phil Ginsburg responded : “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ director smile.
” Ginsburg said there were no immediate plans to remove the monolith , and it could stay — at least for the time being .
“ Looks like a great spot to get baked , ” Ginsburg quipped in his Best Coast style .
“ We will leave it up until the cookie crumbles.
” He added : “ We all deserve a little bit of magic right now.
” Jeffrey Tumlin , director of Transportation of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency , called the “ expertly-iced ” monolith the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
”

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It could have been alien elves. There was no other immediate explanation for a 7-foot-tall gingerbread monolith that mysteriously appeared in a San Francisco park.
It’s not clear how edible the structure was, but witnesses reported the texture and smell of the monolith panels seemed to be the real thing — and it was decorated with frosting.
Advertisement
The monolith appeared early Christmas Day on a hilltop in Corona Heights Park overlooking the Castro neighborhood.
Resident Ananda Sharma told KQED public radio that he went for a run in the park early Friday and spotted what he initially thought was a “big post” — but as he ran closer, he could smell the gingerbread.
The structure was the latest in a series of monoliths that have appeared — and disappeared — from Utah to Romania. The San Francisco version appears to be the first made of a Christmas treat.
Gingerbread monolith atop Corona Heights in San Francisco this morning. And it was briefly framed by a rainbow to boot 🌈 ✨
Merry Christmas to all!!! ❤🎄💚 pic.twitter.com/9xZHxqo7hh — Lydia Laurenson ❤ 💫 (@lydialaurenson) December 25, 2020
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A mysterious gingerbread monolith appeared at corona heights park. Apparently the aliens are feeling festive. pic.twitter.com/2WsJzsQmDr — Raemond (@RaemondBW) December 25, 2020
Neighbors and city officials appeared to enjoy it.
Informed by KQED News about the new monolith, San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department General Manager Phil Ginsburg responded: “Wow. Even makes a Jewish parks director smile.”
Ginsburg said there were no immediate plans to remove the monolith, and it could stay, at least for the time being.
“Looks like a great spot to get baked,” Ginsburg quipped like a true Californian. “We will leave it up until the cookie crumbles.”
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“We all deserve a little bit of magic right now,” he said.
“I just thought it was hilarious,” said Raemond Bergstrom-Wood, who lives nearby.
Jeffrey Tumlin, director of transportation at the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, called the “expertly-iced” monolith the “perfect act of SF 2020 defiance.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-25--Man Pushes Stranded Deer Like A Sled Across Frozen Reservoir

A Wisconsin man said he “ didn ’ t even think twice ” about rescuing a deer stuck out on a frozen reservoir in Cranmoor this week .
“ She was struggling and I knew she needed help to get off the ice , ” Gil Lencour told WMTV .
At first , Lencour considered tying a leash to the stranded animal and pulling it to safety .
But after his pal John Moss arrived to help , the creature got agitated and kept trying to stand up , Lencour told WMTV .
So he placed his hands on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to push , sliding the animal as if it were a sled until it reached firm footing .
In footage filmed by Moss , a fatigued Lencour asks at one point , “ How much closer have we got ?
” “ You got a ways , ” Moss replied , laughing .
Lencour can be heard quipping “ You ’ re welcome ” as the deer , finally on non-slippery ground , scampers toward the woods .
“ I had a big smile on my face , ” he told the station @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was able to run off on her own , ” he said .
In 2019 , a Canadian man rescued an entire family of deer from a frozen lake .

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A Wisconsin man said he “didn’t even think twice” about rescuing a deer stuck out on a frozen reservoir in Cranmoor this week.
“She was struggling and I knew she needed help to get off the ice,” Gil Lencour told WMTV.
At first, Lencour considered tying a leash to the stranded animal and pulling it to safety. But after his pal John Moss arrived to help, the creature got agitated and kept trying to stand up, Lencour told WMTV. So he placed his hands on the deer to calm it down and began to push, sliding the animal as if it were a sled until it reached firm footing.
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In footage filmed by Moss, a fatigued Lencour asks at one point, “How much closer have we got?” “You got a ways,” Moss replied, laughing.
Lencour can be heard quipping “You’re welcome” as the deer, finally on non-slippery ground, scampers toward the woods.
“I had a big smile on my face,” he told the station. “I was happy that she was able to run off on her own,” he said.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-25--3 Wounded As 'Intentional' RV Explosion Rocks Nashville On Christmas Day

NASHVILLE , Tenn. ( AP ) — A recreational vehicle parked in the deserted streets of downtown Nashville exploded early Christmas morning , causing widespread communications outages that took down police emergency systems and grounded flights at the city ’ s airport .
Authorities said they believe the blast was intentional .
Police were responding to a report of shots fired Friday when they encountered the RV blaring a recorded warning that a bomb would detonate in 15 minutes , Metro Nashville Police Chief John Drake said .
Police evacuated nearby buildings and called in the bomb squad .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a news conference .
Surveillance video published on a Twitter account Friday that appeared to be across the street from the blast captured the warning issuing from the RV , “ ... if you can hear this message , evacuate now , ” seconds before the explosion .
The blast sent black smoke and flames billowing from the heart of downtown Nashville ’ s tourist scene , an area packed with honky-tonks , restaurants and shops .
Buildings shook and windows shattered streets away from the explosion near a building owned by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the company ’ s office tower , a landmark in downtown .
“ We do not know if that was a coincidence , or if that was the intention , ” police spokesman Don Aaron said .
Aaron said earlier that some people were taken to the department ’ s central precinct for questioning but declined to give details .
AT & T said the affected building is the central office of a telephone exchange , with network equipment in it .
The blast interrupted service , but the company declined to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Service for some customers in Nashville and the surrounding areas may be affected by damage to our facilities from the explosion this morning .
We are in contact with law enforcement and working as quickly and safely as possible to restore service , ” AT & T spokesman Jim Greer said in an emailed statement .
The AT & T outages site showed service issues in middle Tennessee and Kentucky , including Bowling Green about 65 miles ( 105 kilometers ) north of Nashville .
Several police agencies reported that their 911 systems @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including Murfreesboro and Knox County , home to Knoxville about 180 miles ( 290 kilometers ) east of Nashville .
BREAKING : This is the RV that exploded on 2nd Ave N this morning .
It arrived on 2nd Ave at 1:22 a.m. Have you seen this vehicle in our area or do you have information about it ?
Please contact us via Crime Stoppers at 615-742-7463 or online via https : //t.co/dVGS7o0m4v .
@ ATFHQ pic.twitter.com/JNx9sDinAH — Metro Nashville PD ( @ MNPDNashville ) December 25 , 2020 Three people were taken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blast , although none were in critical condition , Aaron said .
Cooper said the city was lucky that the number of injuries was limited .
Authorities don ’ t know whether anyone was in the vehicle when it exploded .
Human remains were found in the vicinity , two law enforcement officials told the The Associated Press .
It was unclear how the remains were related to the explosion or whether they might belong to the person believed to be responsible or a victim .
The officials could not discuss an ongoing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on condition of anonymity .
The FBI will be taking the lead in the investigation , agency spokesman Joel Siskovic said .
Federal investigators from the Bureau of Alcohol , Tobacco , Firearms and Explosives were also on the scene .
The FBI is the primary law enforcement agency responsible for investigating federal crimes , such as explosives violations and acts of terrorism .
“ We tried to rationalize it that it was an earthquake or something , but it was obvious it wasn ’ t an earthquake , ” Joseph Fafara said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with his family on Christmas because the state has looser COVID-19 restrictions than Philadelphia .
When he went to look at the damage , police barricades had already been put in place .
At noon , police dogs continued to search cars and buildings in the nearby area .
Buck McCoy , who lives near the area , posted videos on Facebook that show water pouring down the ceiling of his home .
Alarms blare in the background along with cries of people in distress .
A fire is visible in the street @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every single one of them got blown into the next room .
If I had been standing there it would have been horrible , ” he said .
President Donald Trump has been briefed , according to White House spokesperson Judd Deere .
The U.S. Justice Department said Acting Attorney General Jeff Rosen was also briefed and directed all department resources be made available to help with the investigation .

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A recreational vehicle parked in the deserted streets of downtown Nashville exploded early Christmas morning, causing widespread communications outages that took down police emergency systems and grounded flights at the city’s airport. Authorities said they believe the blast was intentional.
Police were responding to a report of shots fired Friday when they encountered the RV blaring a recorded warning that a bomb would detonate in 15 minutes, Metro Nashville Police Chief John Drake said. Police evacuated nearby buildings and called in the bomb squad. The RV exploded shortly afterward, Drake said at a news conference.
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“It looks like a bomb went off on Second Avenue,” Nashville Mayor John Cooper said after touring the site. Cooper issued a state of emergency and a curfew for the area.
Police did not immediately indicate a possible motive or the target.
Surveillance video published on a Twitter account Friday that appeared to be across the street from the blast captured the warning issuing from the RV, “... if you can hear this message, evacuate now,” seconds before the explosion.
The blast sent black smoke and flames billowing from the heart of downtown Nashville’s tourist scene, an area packed with honky-tonks, restaurants and shops. Buildings shook and windows shattered streets away from the explosion near a building owned by AT&T that lies one block from the company’s office tower, a landmark in downtown.
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“We do not know if that was a coincidence, or if that was the intention,” police spokesman Don Aaron said. Aaron said earlier that some people were taken to the department’s central precinct for questioning but declined to give details.
AT&T said the affected building is the central office of a telephone exchange, with network equipment in it. The blast interrupted service, but the company declined to say how widespread outages were.
“Service for some customers in Nashville and the surrounding areas may be affected by damage to our facilities from the explosion this morning. We are in contact with law enforcement and working as quickly and safely as possible to restore service,” AT&T spokesman Jim Greer said in an emailed statement.
The AT&T outages site showed service issues in middle Tennessee and Kentucky, including Bowling Green about 65 miles (105 kilometers) north of Nashville. Several police agencies reported that their 911 systems were down because of the outage, including Murfreesboro and Knox County, home to Knoxville about 180 miles (290 kilometers) east of Nashville.
BREAKING: This is the RV that exploded on 2nd Ave N this morning. It arrived on 2nd Ave at 1:22 a.m. Have you seen this vehicle in our area or do you have information about it? Please contact us via Crime Stoppers at 615-742-7463 or online via https://t.co/dVGS7o0m4v. @ATFHQ pic.twitter.com/JNx9sDinAH — Metro Nashville PD (@MNPDNashville) December 25, 2020
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The Federal Aviation Administration temporarily halted flights out of Nashville International Airport because of telecommunications issues associated with the explosion.
Three people were taken to area hospitals for treatment after the blast, although none were in critical condition, Aaron said. Cooper said the city was lucky that the number of injuries was limited. Authorities don’t know whether anyone was in the vehicle when it exploded.
Human remains were found in the vicinity, two law enforcement officials told the The Associated Press. It was unclear how the remains were related to the explosion or whether they might belong to the person believed to be responsible or a victim. The officials could not discuss an ongoing investigation publicly and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.
The FBI will be taking the lead in the investigation, agency spokesman Joel Siskovic said. Federal investigators from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were also on the scene. The FBI is the primary law enforcement agency responsible for investigating federal crimes, such as explosives violations and acts of terrorism.
A Philadelphia man staying in a nearby hotel said that when he heard the blast, he was knew it wasn’t harmless.
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“We tried to rationalize it that it was an earthquake or something, but it was obvious it wasn’t an earthquake,” Joseph Fafara said. He said he traveled to Tennessee with his family on Christmas because the state has looser COVID-19 restrictions than Philadelphia.
Footage from the scene on 2nd Ave North as multiple agencies continue to work and investigate an explosion from earlier this morning. pic.twitter.com/5g40RhwNNl — Nashville Fire Dept (@NashvilleFD) December 25, 2020
When he went to look at the damage, police barricades had already been put in place. At noon, police dogs continued to search cars and buildings in the nearby area.
Buck McCoy, who lives near the area, posted videos on Facebook that show water pouring down the ceiling of his home. Alarms blare in the background along with cries of people in distress. A fire is visible in the street outside.
McCoy said he heard gunfire 15 minutes before the explosion rocked his building, set cars in the street on fire and blew trees apart.
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“All my windows, every single one of them got blown into the next room. If I had been standing there it would have been horrible,” he said.
“It felt like a bomb. It was that big,” he told The Associated Press.
President Donald Trump has been briefed, according to White House spokesperson Judd Deere. The U.S. Justice Department said Acting Attorney General Jeff Rosen was also briefed and directed all department resources be made available to help with the investigation.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee said on Twitter that the state would provide the resources necessary “to determine what happened and who was responsible.”
The American Red Cross of Tennessee announced that it was working with officials to open a shelter for victims.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-25--Sidney Powell's Key Election Witness Is A Pro-Trump Podcaster Once Sued For Fraud: Report

A secret witness who lawyer Sidney Powell has promised would reveal presidential election fraud turns out to be a pro-Donald Trump podcaster once sued for fraud , The Washington Post reported .
The QAnon-supporting lawyer has filed a series of failed , typo-riddled lawsuits challenging the results of the presidential election .
Powell has claimed in court documents that her witness , a former “ intelligence contractor , ” knows about a foreign conspiracy to attack the election .
Powell said her informant ’ s identity could not be revealed in order to protect her life .
But podcaster Terpsichore @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the Post that she ’ s the informant , served less than a year in the Navy in the 1990s , the Post reported Thursday , and there ’ s no indication she worked in intelligence or as an intelligence contractor .
Her affidavit submitted in Powell ’ s lawsuit is a slight rewording of one of her blog posts written more than a year before the election , according to the Post .
A 2018 civil fraud case against Maras-Lindeman by the North Dakota Attorney General ’ s Office accused her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a Purple Heart recipient , and a Navy intelligence veteran , using several aliases and social security numbers , and exaggerating her resumes in a “ persistent ” effort to “ deceive others , ” the Post reported .
A judge earlier this year ordered Maras-Lindeman to pay $ 25,000 in fines and attorney fees after spending donations solicited for veterans ’ wreaths and homeless shelters on herself .
She denied the accusations and is appealing the ruling to the state Supreme Court .
The news about Powell ’ s witness comes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the lawyer as special counsel to investigate election fraud .
Trump floated the idea last Friday in a heated meeting with top aides , who blasted the idea , according to media reports confirmed by Powell .
The lawyer complained Thursday that aides are now prohibiting her from communicating with the president .
“ I ’ ve been blocked from speaking to or communicating with the president since I left the Oval Office on Friday night , by apparently everyone around him , ” including Chief of Staff Mark Meadows , Powell said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She hasn ’ t spoked with the president since , Powell said .
She claimed Trump offered her a special counsel post on Friday but she hasn ’ t been able to present the paperwork to make it official .
The job has so far “ not come to pass because it seems it was blocked after Friday night , or undone , or I ’ m not sure what you ’ d call it , ” Powell said .
She said she wouldn ’ t be a “ Robert-Mueller-style special counsel , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about me being a special White House counsel.
” Trump apparently hasn ’ t dismissed the idea , according to his tweet Wednesday saying he disagrees with “ anyone that thinks a strong , fast , and fair Special Counsel is not needed IMMEDIATELY ” to investigate election results .
After seeing the massive Voter Fraud in the 2020 Presidential Election , I disagree with anyone that thinks a strong , fast , and fair Special Counsel is not needed , IMMEDIATELY .
This was the most corrupt election in the history of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closely examined !
— Donald J. Trump ( @ realDonaldTrump ) December 23 , 2020 Trump ’ s campaign last month distanced itself from Powell after she passionately promoted a bizarre conspiracy theory that Americans working with Venezuela , China , Serbia , Canada , Venezuela , Cuba , the CIA , billionaire philanthropist George Soros and the Clinton Foundation ( among others ) plotted to rig the presidential election against Trump by tampering with voting machines .
But Trump has kept in touch with her , and invited her to the Friday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ special counsel .
Trump ’ s former national security adviser Michael Flynn , who was recently pardoned by the president after confessing to felonies , accompanied Powell to the meeting and urged the president to declare martial law and remain as president to “ rerun ” the election , the AP reported .
Flynn has denied he called for martial law in the meeting , but he did publicly urge the action in a recent interview .
Here 's Michael Flynn on Newsmax saying that Trump could order `` military capabilities '' to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in each of those states . ''
`` People out there talk about martial law like it 's something that we 've never done .
Martial law has been instituted 64 times . ''
pic.twitter.com/KNmiAGGiPF — Aaron Rupar ( @ atrupar ) December 18 , 2020

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A secret witness who lawyer Sidney Powell has promised would reveal presidential election fraud turns out to be a pro-Trump podcaster who was once sued for fraud, The Washington Post reported.
Powell, a longtime QAnon believer, has filed a series of failed, typo-ridden lawsuits challenging the results of the presidential election. Powell has claimed in court documents that a witness — a former “intelligence contractor” — knows about a foreign conspiracy to attack the election. Powell said her informant’s identity could not be revealed in order to protect her life.
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But podcaster Terpsichore Maras-Lindeman of North Dakota, who confirmed to the Post that she is the informant Powell has referred to, served less than a year in the Navy in the 1990s and there is no indication that she ever worked in intelligence or as an intelligence contractor.
Her affidavit submitted in Powell’s lawsuit is a slight rewording of one of her blog posts written more than a year before the election, according to the Post.
A 2018 civil fraud case against Maras-Lindeman by the North Dakota Attorney General’s Office accused her of falsely claiming to be a physician, a Purple Heart recipient and a Navy intelligence veteran; using several aliases and social security numbers; and exaggerating her resume in a “persistent” effort to “deceive others,” according to the Post. A judge earlier this year ordered Maras-Lindeman to pay $25,000 in fines and attorney fees after she spent donations solicited for veterans’ wreaths and homeless shelters on herself. She denied the accusations and is appealing the ruling to the state Supreme Court.
The news comes after reports that Trump is considering naming Powell as a special counsel to investigate election fraud. (There have been no credible reports of fraud in the 2020 election.) Trump floated the idea early this month in a heated meeting with top aides, who blasted the idea, according to media reports confirmed by Powell.
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Powell complained Thursday that officials close to the president are now prohibiting her from communicating with him.
“I’ve been blocked from speaking to or communicating with the president since I left the Oval Office on Friday night, by apparently everyone around him,” Powell said in an interview. She hasn’t spoken with the president since then.
She claimed Trump offered her a special counsel post but she hasn’t been able to present the paperwork to make it official. The job has so far “not come to pass because it seems it was blocked after Friday night, or undone, or I’m not sure what you’d call it,” Powell said.
She said she wouldn’t be a “Robert-Mueller-style special counsel,” but “there was a discussion about me being a special White House counsel.”
Trump apparently hasn’t dismissed the idea, according to a tweet Wednesday, saying he disagrees with “anyone that thinks a strong, fast, and fair Special Counsel is not needed IMMEDIATELY” to investigate election results.
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After seeing the massive Voter Fraud in the 2020 Presidential Election, I disagree with anyone that thinks a strong, fast, and fair Special Counsel is not needed, IMMEDIATELY. This was the most corrupt election in the history of our Country, and it must be closely examined! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 23, 2020
Trump’s campaign last month distanced itself from Powell after she passionately promoted a bizarre conspiracy theory that Americans working with Venezuela, China, Serbia, Canada, Venezuela, Cuba, the CIA, billionaire philanthropist George Soros and the Clinton Foundation (among others) plotted to rig the presidential election against Trump by tampering with voting machines. But Trump has kept in touch with her, and invited her to the meeting when he discussed naming her as special counsel. Trump’s former national security adviser Michael Flynn, who was recently pardoned by the president after pleading guilty of lying to the FBI, accompanied Powell to the meeting and urged the president to declare martial law and remain as president to “rerun” the election, The Associated Press reported. Flynn has denied he called for martial law in the meeting, but he did publicly urge the action in a recent interview.
Here's Michael Flynn on Newsmax saying that Trump could order "military capabilities" to swing states and "rerun an election in each of those states."
"People out there talk about martial law like it's something that we've never done. Martial law has been instituted 64 times." pic.twitter.com/KNmiAGGiPF — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) December 18, 2020