thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-14--They Didn't Turn In Their Work For Remote School. Their Parents Were Threatened With Court And Fines

They Didn't Turn In Their Work For Remote School. Their Parents Were Threatened With Court And Fines.

Top photo by Tamir Kalifa for HuffPost
Hayden, 12, had been having panic attacks about school even before a letter arrived at his home last month, threatening legal action for his alleged absences from distance learning.
The sixth-grader has been attending online class from his home outside Austin, Texas, since August, and having difficulties adjusting. When his grades dropped, he started having intense bouts of anxiety, working himself up until he cried so hard he could barely catch his breath. He wailed that he hated himself and wished he could do better in school.
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When the letter arrived from Round Rock School District in November, saying that legal charges punishable by fines or court action could be brought against his mother for his absences, Hayden spiraled into a dayslong episode, says his mother Holly Barentine. He started crying even before they finished reading the letter, disclosing fears about worst-case scenarios that he would fail his classes. When he went to stay the night at his dad’s house, the crying continued. His father emailed Barentine, expressing concern for their son’s well-being.
Hayden, a sixth-grader, hadn’t actually been missing online school. However, his school district only counts kids present in some classes if they both show up and submit their homework for the day. Some of Hayden’s homework hadn’t been reaching his teachers due to apparent technological glitches on the school’s online platform, or in some cases because he hadn’t handed it in ― an oversight he didn’t expect to be met with potential legal action.
Around the country, school districts are subject to state truancy laws and regulations. However, as the coronavirus pandemic has turned schools upside down and put most learning online, some of these rules are bumping against new realities involving technology gaps or a lack of parental supervision. Amid a global health crisis, threats like the one Round Rock sent to Barentine strike her as particularly archaic.
Barentine immediately emailed her son’s school upon receiving the letter.
“I have received a truancy notification for my son, who has been having extreme technical issues,” she wrote to administrators. “I have met with his teachers and gone over this, and I think it’s highly inappropriate to be sending out these notices to anyone during a pandemic, when we’re all doing the best we can.”
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In recent years, truancy policies have started shifting away from punitive measures to providing more support for students who are chronically absent. Most states have some sort of truancy laws on the books, but only about half still have policies punishing truancy with potential penal measures, according to the national policy group Education Commission of the States.
Where Barentine lives in Texas, the law changed several years ago so kids would no longer face potential criminal sanctions for truancy, instead putting in place school-level prevention programs. Students who are 12 and older may still get referred to truancy court, and parents found to have contributed to nonattendance can face fines and charges. In other states, like Alabama, parents who contribute to a child’s truancy “may also be sentenced to hard labor for the county for not more than 90 days.”
During a pandemic, when there’s no uniform way of counting attendance, Hedy Chang, director of the advocacy group Attendance Works, has seen districts rethinking some of these rules, with their ability to do so varying on state flexibility.
“Threatening families with court isn’t what allows you to unpack what’s going on or come up with solutions, and I think this was true before the pandemic, and the pandemic, as with many situations, has made it even more clear,” said Chang.
Holly Barentine with her two sons. Hayden is left. Courtesy Holly Barentine
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Round Rock spokesperson Jenny LaCoste-Caputo acknowledged the difficulties of following these policies during remote learning, noting that technological problems can sometimes erroneously show when an assignment was turned in. She said the district is closely following guidance issued by the Texas Education Agency, which says that teachers leading asynchronous classes can use the completion of daily assignments as a measure of attendance. In synchronous classes, it is enough for a student to be present.
The letter Barentine received from her son’s school said that he had 10 unexcused absences and that it may be necessary to proceed with legal action against her and to refer her son to truancy court.
“If you, with criminal negligence, fail to require the child to attend school as required by law, legal charges can be brought against YOU for Parent Contributing to Nonattendance,” says the letter, noting that “conviction of this offense is a Misdemeanor punishable by fines ranging from $100.00 for first offense up to $500.00 for each additional offense.”
After HuffPost contacted the district, LaCoste-Caputo said it would reword the automatically generated truancy letters to be more “solution and intervention-oriented.”
“We do understand that the current wording of the warning letter is in need of updating given our current climate,” LaCoste-Caputo wrote. “This environment presents a very real challenge on all sides, but we also must identify students who are not engaging in school virtually so we can do all we can to support them and bring them back.”
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Barentine is now considering pulling Hayden and his older brother, an eighth-grader, out of school to enroll in a virtual program. She figures it would come with some of the same challenges, but with fewer technology issues and fewer legal threats. She’s still exploring this option ― she emailed the kids’ school for information on the withdrawal process, but they’re first going to finish the semester and then evaluate their options later this month.
Hayden, typically an A or B student, has had difficulty making the transition from elementary school to middle school online. He was never a frequent user of computers, instead playing video games on a handheld device, and has found adjusting to the school’s online learning platform challenging. It sometimes takes him hours to type assignments.
There have been more than a handful of instances, too, when technology simply failed him. Barentine recalls sitting next to him, watching him submit homework via the Schoology learning management platform used by the district, that the teacher never received. (Hayden has started directly emailing some of his assignments to teachers out of frustration.)
Barentine’s older son, more fluent in technology, has had an easier time making the adjustment, though sometimes his completed assignments don’t reach teachers, either.
“There have definitely been issues to work through with the platform but we are happy with the support Schoology has provided,” said LaCoste-Caputo.
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Barentine, a single mother, hasn’t been around as much as she would like to help to coach Hayden through his difficulties. Her job as an escrow officer for a title company requires her to go into the office in person, leaving her two sons to work independently during most of the day. The office is only about 10 minutes away from their home, and she regularly drops in unannounced.
She’s been surprised at how well her children seem to be handling their new independence. They load the dishwasher and take out the trash before she gets home. Her eldest has started occasionally making his own lunch. They seem to be staying focused, even without supervision, she said.
Still, staying on top of her kids’ learning this year feels like a full-time job in itself, more work than previous stints on the school PTA. She’s started checking in every day with all her sons’ teachers. They all individually send weekly updates ― 14 different emails, all containing potentially vital information.
There’s also the issue of her son’s well-being. Hayden has always had anxiety and has been seeing a therapist about it. But in the past his anxiety was rarely focused around school, where he did well. Now he calls his mom in a panic after their internet cuts out and he gets bumped from class, afraid he will get marked absent.
“It’s sad to see your kid passing with flying colors to failing everything,” says Barentine. “He’s already trying his best and not doing well because of everything. Then to hear you might have to fail or get kicked out or go to court.”
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The district has referred 22 truancy cases to court this school year, a number LaCoste-Caputo says is significantly down from the 65 referrals during the fall semester last year. Staff members in the large district with over 50,000 students have been following up with families to ensure they are “true truancy cases” before making these referrals, she said.
“It’s sad to see your kid passing with flying colors to failing everything. He’s already trying his best and not doing well.”
In Chicago, Kishonna Gray decided to pull her children out of public school after receiving a similar letter. Gray, an assistant professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago, had been working remotely, supervising her kids’ learning, when one of them received a truancy notice in October.
There was the time she took her kids, in second and fourth grade, with her to a doctor’s appointment so they wouldn’t be left without supervision. Another time, she took them with her when she went to get her car fixed, an activity that took hours. While Gray’s husband is working remotely, his job is less flexible and he’s usually unable to pull himself away from the computer to watch the kids.
Gray allowed her youngest child to turn his camera off during class, which caused him to be marked as absent at his charter school, she says. Her child prefers to sit on a bouncy ball during class to help him focus, but his teacher told him it was distracting and asked him to stop. Gray gave him permission to turn off his camera to prevent him from distracting others if the ball would help him learn.
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A few weeks later, she received a truancy letter, explaining that her youngest had missed five unexcused days of school. It warned that if the pattern continued, they could be subject to the “chronic truant adjudication hearing procedures.”
“Should your child be found to be a chronic truant and should you, your child, or both, fail to comply with any sanctions imposed by the hearing officer, the Department of Chronic Truant Adjudication may refer the matter to the Office of Cook County State’s Attorney for prosecution,” read the letter.
April Shaw, Namaste Charter School’s executive director, said parents had been told cameras should be on during live instruction. They were encouraged to reach out if they had concerns or needed accommodations, and a number have been granted. The truancy letters, required by Chicago Public Schools, are automatically generated, Shaw wrote in an email.
But Gray had already been having issues with her sons’ school. Remote learning had given her a look into their classrooms, and she didn’t like what she saw.
Her older child’s teacher would rally kids back to class after breaks by sounding a police siren ― a noise Gray, who is Black, found inappropriate, given the context of protests against law enforcement and the optics of a white teacher exercising control in that way over a majority Black and brown classroom.
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Her younger child’s classroom was constantly being divided for activities based on gender, a pattern Gray found frustrating ― he is transgender. (Once she reached out to the school complaining about these issues, they made adjustments, Gray said.)
But at a time where teachers had the opportunity to reimagine the architecture of learning, Gray says she witnessed an emphasis on compliance and authority as opposed to curiosity and ideas. The truancy allegation seemed emblematic of these larger issues.
“I realized this space was going to do more harm to my kids at such an early age because they have the rest of their lives to be disappointed by the world,” Gray says. “At this time I would like them to be connected to advocates and people who support them.”
When Gray received the truancy letter, she sat her kids down and explained the situation to them ― that their mom could get in legal trouble for taking them to the doctors or allowing her youngest to turn off his camera. They didn’t understand. They equated courts and punishment with crimes like murder and stealing ― mommy had only tried to help them. She asked them how they felt about home schooling instead.
Now, Gray spends her day teaching her kids about the tenants of physics through at-home basketball games, and about kinesiology through dance and movement. She gives her kids Mondays off so she can work, while at-home school is in session Tuesday through Friday. As a professor, her classes are asynchronous this semester, making her schedule mostly flexible. A sample home school schedule shared by Gray in mid-October shows her teaching her children about decimals and plants and poetry. When and if she puts her kids back in school, she says she’ll be looking for another one.
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“I measure success by their mental well-being, they’re happier kids,” says Gray, noting that her fourth-grader almost immediately stopped wetting the bed when she took him out of school. She hadn’t known that school had become such a stressor.
“I realized this space was going to do more harm to my kids at such an early age because they have the rest of their lives to be disappointed by the world.”
Shaw takes issue with Gray’s characterizations, noting that the school took steps to address her complaints, and emphasized its commitment to diversity, parent connectivity and a personal approach to learning.
“When the parent reached out with the concern, we immediately responded with ways to support the students,” including options to have the camera off and an alternative schedule, wrote Shaw. “We can confidently say that Namaste’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, along with parent and community communication and support were in place throughout the student’s time at Namaste.”
Gray worries about other students in Chicago Public Schools with fewer resources, who may be getting marked absent because of technological issues, or because their parents are working outside the home all day and aren’t able to supervise.
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Chicago educator Megan Jackson, who teaches special education at a Chicago elementary school that serves predominantly low-income students, has seen these issues play out in her classroom. Many of her families work in retail, restaurants, and essential services and lack reliable child care, making it especially difficult to ensure that their young kids will log on and stay logged on.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Chicago Public Schools CEO Janice Jackson check on students on Oct. 17, 2019 in Chicago. KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI via Getty Images
One of Jackson’s first graders has missed some 20 days of school this fall because of various challenges, she says. His mother works at a chain food store and couldn’t stay home to care for him, so she often left him with relatives, where he had trouble accessing Wi-Fi. Then the student’s school-provided computer broke.
Jackson says she picked up the computer from the student’s home and took it to school to be repaired. While it was being fixed, the mom received a letter from the school marking her son as truant.
She says the district’s attendance policies don’t take into account the realities of parents’ lives and the obstacles to keeping young children engaged online. “They are trying to have an attendance policy like they are in person, but they are not in person,” Jackson says.
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Chicago Public Schools spokesperson James Gherardi told HuffPost the district has told teachers “to exercise discretion, allowing for flexibility in determining attendance in the event of unforeseen circumstances and in adjustment to the remote learning environment,” including scheduling, connecting and logging in.
Kandis, Cooper and Rob Seaver stand for a portrait at their apartment complex in Austin, Texas, on Dec. 8, 2020. Tamir Kalifa for HuffPost
Hayden is not the only student in his district to receive truancy letters during the pandemic because of missed assignments.
An eighth grader named Cooper received one in October, baffling his mother, Kandis Seaver, who is home with him all day and hasn’t been working during the health crisis.
Cooper, like Hayden, has been mostly attending class ― though his mother admits he may have occasionally been tempted by computer games. His absences snowballed, however, over a failure to do homework. Cooper has always struggled with homework, something his mother tried not to interfere with in an effort to let him learn his own lessons.
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He’s also been plagued by technological glitches in which completed assignments have failed to make their way to his teachers. His parents have had trouble sorting out which absences were a result of him not logging on for class and which were for not doing homework.
Cooper’s teachers, some of whom taught him in previous years, say he doesn’t participate like he used to. At one point this semester, he was failing all but one class, and the situation has only barely improved since.
Seaver and her husband have opted to keep Cooper home for safety reasons, even after in-person classes resumed. Now they wonder if they should enroll him in the district’s hybrid option. They wonder if the consequences of remote learning ― the poor grades, the legal threats ― make it worth the tradeoff, even though going back would make her son incredibly anxious over potential exposure to COVID-19.
“Combined with being stuck home all day and never seeing his friends except occasionally on FaceTime, I could imagine how it all feels altogether overwhelming,” says Seaver. “It feels like they made this policy and then we weren’t given any additional resources or anything.”
Local news reports say grades in the district have fallen this semester, as in districts around the country. (Seaver notes her appreciation for a recently rolled out virtual tutoring program.)
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LaCoste-Caputo says Round Rock’s decline in student grades has been in line with peer districts and “most of the issues were not from low grades on assignments but from missing assignments as students were getting accustomed to this brand new and unfamiliar way of learning.”
Barentine worries about how this year will impact her son’s long-term relationship with school and his view of himself as a student.
“It’s hurting his self esteem,” says Barentine, who spoke with her son’s counselor and learned that most other students are struggling with the same issues.
Hayden still feels nervous that the family could be upended with legal consequences for truancy, no matter how hard he tries in school.
“I don’t think he really believes that nothing is going to happen,” says Barentine. “I just tell him that we have to do the best we can, and if you feel like you’re going to have a panic attack, tell the teacher you need a few minutes and give me a call.”
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Caroline Preston contributed reporting.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-14--Here's Why Trump’s Latest Electoral College Ploy Is Doomed To Fail

Even as President-elect Joe Biden ’ s victory was affirmed by the Electoral College on Monday , Republican electors supporting President Donald Trump met in a handful of battleground states won by Biden and tried to appoint themselves as “ alternate electors ” that could keep the president in office .
Would that deny Biden his presidency ?
In a word , no .
The competing slates were just the latest effort by Trump and his allies to use the complex machinery of U.S. presidential elections to sow confusion and doubt about Biden ’ s victory .
Again , no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ won more votes than Trump in 25 states and the District of Columbia , amassing a total of 306 electors .
Those results have been certified , and the governor in each state signed off on a group of electors pledged to vote for the winner .
That ’ s who voted Monday .
The Republican “ electors ” were not designated by any state official and have no legal status yet .
The next step is on Jan. 6 , when both chambers of Congress meet and accept the electors ’ votes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House have already signaled they plan to object to this .
They need to find a Republican senator to potentially force a vote in Congress .
But the existence of that alternative slate doesn ’ t change the facts in Washington — Democrats control the House and aren ’ t going to overturn Biden ’ s election by rejecting his electors .
Trump quite simply doesn ’ t have the votes to change anything .
Even in the GOP-controlled Senate , enough Republican senators have signaled objections to Trump ’ s attempts to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unlikely that the chamber would select his alternate slate of “ electors ” over the Biden ones the battleground states are sending .
If , somehow , the Senate did vote for the rival electors , the deadlock wouldn ’ t necessarily help Trump .
Federal law provides for electors appointed by a state ’ s governor to win any split decisions in Congress .
The governors of all the contested states won by Biden , Democratic and Republican , appointed electors for Biden .
The existence of the rival slates does have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely have to go through the motions of rejecting them , said Edward Foley , a law professor at Ohio State University .
Steven Vladeck , a law professor at the University of Texas , tweeted : “ Don ’ t be distracted by these preposterous mock electoral votes—they don ’ t change how ( asterisk ) anything ( asterisk ) is going to unfold , since congressional Republicans could ’ ve objected ( asterisk ) without ( asterisk ) them .
Either way , without a House majority , all Rs can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1/6—not stop it.
” Yes , actually .
In the 1960 election between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon , Hawaii ’ s Republican governor certified a Republican slate of electors after the initial count had Nixon winning the state by about 100 votes .
But Democratic electors met anyway and insisted that Kennedy would win an ongoing recount .
The Democrats were right , and when it came time for Congress to consider which group of electors to count , it chose the Democratic one .
It was Nixon himself , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vice president , who made the decision .
Pennsylvania ’ s alternate slate of Republican electors even cited the 1960 Hawaii case in a press release Monday , saying they were simply following Hawaii Democrats ’ lead .
“ We took this procedural vote to preserve any legal claims that may be presented going forward , ” said Bernie Comfort , Pennsylvania chair of the Trump campaign .
“ This was in no way an effort to usurp or contest the will of the Pennsylvania voters.
” Still , there ’ s an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hawaii election was actually unclear when the rival slates were appointed .
Biden won Pennsylvania by 80,000 votes , and every court challenge the Trump campaign and its allies filed to contest has failed .
Hawaii ’ s governor ended up sending both slates of electors to Congress .
Pennsylvania ’ s governor is only sending Biden ’ s .
Under federal law , if there ’ s a tie between the two chambers of Congress , the slates sent by governors will be declared the winner .
That ’ s the ultimate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ none were endorsed by governors on Monday .
The other historical example is the election of 1876 , where three states saw both parties submit rival slates of electors as having won their states .
That chaos is what led to the federal law laying out the procedure for Congress to accept or reject rival slates of electors , which is what will lead to any “ alternates ” being rejected .
It ’ s unclear .
Trump and his allies have spent the past several weeks pursuing legal challenges that have virtually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he loses at each step , Trump has succeeded in convincing many Republicans that the election was flawed and that he was robbed of a second term .
He ’ s also raising millions of dollars .
That money will likely keep coming in even if there ’ s no chance of his latest gambit working .

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Even as President-elect Joe Biden’s victory was affirmed by the Electoral College on Monday, Republican electors supporting President Donald Trump met in a handful of battleground states won by Biden and tried to appoint themselves as “alternate electors” that could keep the president in office.
Would that deny Biden his presidency? In a word, no. The competing slates were just the latest effort by Trump and his allies to use the complex machinery of U.S. presidential elections to sow confusion and doubt about Biden’s victory.
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Here’s an explanation of what really happened:
CAN THESE “ALTERNATE ELECTORS” CHANGE THE OUTCOME OF THE ELECTION?
Again, no. Biden won the election. Biden won more votes than Trump in 25 states and the District of Columbia, amassing a total of 306 electors. Those results have been certified, and the governor in each state signed off on a group of electors pledged to vote for the winner. That’s who voted Monday. The Republican “electors” were not designated by any state official and have no legal status yet.
The next step is on Jan. 6, when both chambers of Congress meet and accept the electors’ votes. A handful of Republicans in the House have already signaled they plan to object to this. They need to find a Republican senator to potentially force a vote in Congress.
But the existence of that alternative slate doesn’t change the facts in Washington — Democrats control the House and aren’t going to overturn Biden’s election by rejecting his electors. Trump quite simply doesn’t have the votes to change anything.
Even in the GOP-controlled Senate, enough Republican senators have signaled objections to Trump’s attempts to overturn the election to make it very unlikely that the chamber would select his alternate slate of “electors” over the Biden ones the battleground states are sending.
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If, somehow, the Senate did vote for the rival electors, the deadlock wouldn’t necessarily help Trump. Federal law provides for electors appointed by a state’s governor to win any split decisions in Congress. The governors of all the contested states won by Biden, Democratic and Republican, appointed electors for Biden.
The existence of the rival slates does have a technical impact though — Congress will likely have to go through the motions of rejecting them, said Edward Foley, a law professor at Ohio State University.
“They’re dead on arrival and will be treated as frivolous and hardly worth the time of day,” Foley said.
Steven Vladeck, a law professor at the University of Texas, tweeted: “Don’t be distracted by these preposterous mock electoral votes—they don’t change how (asterisk)anything(asterisk) is going to unfold, since congressional Republicans could’ve objected (asterisk)without(asterisk) them. Either way, without a House majority, all Rs can do is slow the counting down on 1/6—not stop it.”
Vladeck added: “That doesn’t mean they’re not offensive; they are. But they don’t—and aren’t going to—change any of the legal calculus going forward.”
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HAS ANYTHING LIKE THIS EVER HAPPENED BEFORE?
Yes, actually. In the 1960 election between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon, Hawaii’s Republican governor certified a Republican slate of electors after the initial count had Nixon winning the state by about 100 votes. But Democratic electors met anyway and insisted that Kennedy would win an ongoing recount.
The Democrats were right, and when it came time for Congress to consider which group of electors to count, it chose the Democratic one. It was Nixon himself, who was presiding over Congress as the outgoing vice president, who made the decision.
Pennsylvania’s alternate slate of Republican electors even cited the 1960 Hawaii case in a press release Monday, saying they were simply following Hawaii Democrats’ lead. “We took this procedural vote to preserve any legal claims that may be presented going forward,” said Bernie Comfort, Pennsylvania chair of the Trump campaign. “This was in no way an effort to usurp or contest the will of the Pennsylvania voters.”
Still, there’s an obvious difference — the outcome of the Hawaii election was actually unclear when the rival slates were appointed. Biden won Pennsylvania by 80,000 votes, and every court challenge the Trump campaign and its allies filed to contest has failed. Hawaii’s governor ended up sending both slates of electors to Congress. Pennsylvania’s governor is only sending Biden’s.
Under federal law, if there’s a tie between the two chambers of Congress, the slates sent by governors will be declared the winner. That’s the ultimate guarantee the pro-Trump slates will lose because none were endorsed by governors on Monday.
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The other historical example is the election of 1876, where three states saw both parties submit rival slates of electors as having won their states. That chaos is what led to the federal law laying out the procedure for Congress to accept or reject rival slates of electors, which is what will lead to any “alternates” being rejected.
IF IT CAN’T WORK, WHY ARE TRUMP SUPPORTERS DOING THIS?


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-14--Michigan Senate, House Close Offices Due To Threats Ahead Of Electors' Meeting

State officials notified lawmakers and staffers on Sunday that no on-site visitors will be allowed on the premises and that employees will not be permitted to come in for any work resources , reported local outlet MLive .
Demonstrators are expected to gather outside the Capitol on Monday as the state ’ s 16 electors convene inside at 2 p.m. to cast their votes for President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris .
Amber McCann , a spokeswoman for Michigan Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey ( R ) , said in a statement that the decision to close the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anticipated protests ” but because of “ credible threats of violence.
” McCann said the Senate closed based on “ recommendations from law enforcement.
” The Michigan State Police said they are monitoring social media and other communications for possible threats , but denied making any such recommendation to state officials , the Detroit Free Press reported .
Michigan ’ s electors will reportedly receive police escorts during the proceedings .
At least one elector has said she will wear a bulletproof vest as an extra precaution .
Michigan state Rep. Gary Eisen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a local radio station Monday that the state ’ s GOP was organizing some sort of “ hail Mary ” effort to block Democratic electors from casting their votes .
Eisen declined to provide specific details but described the event as “ historic ” and expected it to be “ all over the news later on.
” “ I don ’ t know because what we ’ re doing today is uncharted , ” Eisen told WPHM Radio .
“ It hasn ’ t been done .
...
There ’ s more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right now.
” Michigan House leadership removed Eisen from his committee assignments for the rest of the term in response to his comments , stating that public officials can not “ open the door to violent behavior and refuse to condemn it , ” reported The Associated Press .
A spokesman for the Michigan Republican Party said the group is “ unaware ” of the event Eisen referred to during his radio appearance , reported local news outlet MLive .
With the encouragement of the president , Trump supporters have staged so-called “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country since Nov. 3 , falsely claiming the election was “ rigged ” and demanding the results be overturned .
On Saturday , “ Stop the Steal ” demonstrations were held in several cities across the country , including in Atlanta and St. Paul , Minnesota .
Trump supporters , including members of the far-right extremist group Proud Boys , clashed with counterprotesters in Washington , D.C. , leading to at least four people being stabbed .
At least one person was shot during unrest in Olympia , Washington , that night .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ have called on Trump and his allies to stop peddling misinformation about the election , warning the divisive ― and false ― rhetoric could get someone killed .
In October , the FBI arrested and charged about two dozen people with plotting to kidnap the Democratic governor , Gretchen Whitmer .
Several of the suspects , tied to a far-right militia group , had attended demonstrations at the state Capitol months earlier to protest Whitmer ’ s COVID-19 mitigation measures .

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Michigan’s Senate and House have closed their offices ahead of a meeting of the state’s Electoral College members scheduled for Monday, citing safety and security concerns.
State officials notified lawmakers and staffers on Sunday that no on-site visitors will be allowed on the premises and that employees will not be permitted to come in for any work resources, reported local outlet MLive.
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The Capitol building will also be closed during the Electoral College proceedings, as state officials announced last week.
Demonstrators are expected to gather outside the Capitol on Monday as the state’s 16 electors convene inside at 2 p.m. to cast their votes for President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris.
Amber McCann, a spokeswoman for Michigan Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey (R), said in a statement that the decision to close the buildings was “not made because of anticipated protests” but because of “credible threats of violence.”
The nature of these threats wasn’t immediately clear. Officials declined to release details about the potential danger.
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McCann said the Senate closed based on “recommendations from law enforcement.” The Michigan State Police said they are monitoring social media and other communications for possible threats, but denied making any such recommendation to state officials, the Detroit Free Press reported.
House and Senate leadership made the call to close the facilities after conferring with the police, Gideon D’Assandro, a spokesman for state House Speaker Lee Chatfield (R), told the Free Press.
Michigan’s electors will reportedly receive police escorts during the proceedings. At least one elector has said she will wear a bulletproof vest as an extra precaution.
Michigan state Rep. Gary Eisen (R) suggested during an interview with a local radio station Monday that the state’s GOP was organizing some sort of “hail Mary” effort to block Democratic electors from casting their votes.
Eisen declined to provide specific details but described the event as “historic” and expected it to be “all over the news later on.”
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When asked to confirm the event would be safe, Eisen said he couldn’t.
“I don’t know because what we’re doing today is uncharted,” Eisen told WPHM Radio. “It hasn’t been done. ... There’s more to it than what I can say right now.”
Michigan House leadership removed Eisen from his committee assignments for the rest of the term in response to his comments, stating that public officials cannot “open the door to violent behavior and refuse to condemn it,” reported The Associated Press.
A spokesman for the Michigan Republican Party said the group is “unaware” of the event Eisen referred to during his radio appearance, reported local news outlet MLive.
Biden won Michigan by about 154,000 votes. State election officials certified the results on Nov. 23, despite efforts from President Donald Trump’s campaign to derail the process.
With the encouragement of the president, Trump supporters have staged so-called “Stop the Steal” protests across the country since Nov. 3, falsely claiming the election was “rigged” and demanding the results be overturned.
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On Saturday, “Stop the Steal” demonstrations were held in several cities across the country, including in Atlanta and St. Paul, Minnesota. Trump supporters, including members of the far-right extremist group Proud Boys, clashed with counterprotesters in Washington, D.C., leading to at least four people being stabbed. At least one person was shot during unrest in Olympia, Washington, that night.
Democrats, election officials and some Republicans have called on Trump and his allies to stop peddling misinformation about the election, warning the divisive ― and false ― rhetoric could get someone killed.
Michigan, which Trump won in 2016, has been a hot spot for pro-Trump fervor in recent months.
In October, the FBI arrested and charged about two dozen people with plotting to kidnap the Democratic governor, Gretchen Whitmer. Several of the suspects, tied to a far-right militia group, had attended demonstrations at the state Capitol months earlier to protest Whitmer’s COVID-19 mitigation measures.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-14--Bipartisan Group Unveils 2-Part Coronavirus Relief Plan

The first proposal includes largely noncontroversial items , like money for vaccine distribution , $ 300 billion more for a GOP-favored business loans program , and an extension of federal unemployment assistance — both for an additional 16 weeks and for an additional $ 300 a week for people on unemployment .
The whole bill would cost $ 748 billion , much less than the $ 2.2 trillion legislation that House Democrats passed in October or the $ 3 trillion measure they passed in May .
The liability shield is still far from the language that Senate Majority Leader Mitch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pushed for a four-year ban on all coronavirus lawsuits related to employers bringing their workers back .
But his language was so broad that it also could have affected individual people ’ s ability to sue businesses , hospitals or other organizations that could say their operations were affected by the pandemic .
The compromise language doesn ’ t go quite as far .
It would ban coronavirus-related lawsuits from December 2019 until one year after enactment of the law , or until the end of the public health emergency is declared .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) is the only Democratic member of the group who backed the proposal , reducing the likelihood that it makes it into the final bill .
“ My hope is that our hard work will spur our leadership on both sides of the aisle ... to take our products and use them as the basis for a COVID relief package that is urgently needed by our struggling families , ” Sen. Susan Collins ( R-Maine ) said Monday , stressing that she supports both portions of the plan .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the bipartisan bill as more of a menu , taking up pieces of the plan , leaving some out , and adding to it in places .
She could then attach the pieces of her proposal to a large spending bill that must be law by the end of the week to avert a government shutdown .
She could pass this package in the House , send lawmakers home , and leave it to the Senate to either accept the deal or shut down the government .
That would be the hardball approach @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would just swallow a House-passed bill to keep the government running .
Instead , he could try to pass proposals of his own and blame Democrats and the House for a shutdown .
Pelosi and McConnell haven ’ t come close to an agreement on state and local funding or the liability shield .
That ’ s why it was McConnell ’ s proposal that lawmakers simply leave both of them out .
But Democrats don ’ t think that ’ s a fair trade .
There ’ s bipartisan support for state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shield is largely an invented issue .
Some Democrats have noted that another stimulus may be easier to do once Biden takes office if lawmakers leave themselves a compelling reason to act .
But intentionally holding back on state and local aid now , with the idea that they can get more later , would be a potentially disastrous gambit that would leave states with massive shortfalls for the time being at best , and in perpetuity at worst .
The bipartisan stimulus package does not include another round of direct payments to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before Friday ’ s government funding deadline .
Sens .
Bernie Sanders ( I-Vt. ) and Josh Hawley ( R-Mo . )
have both said Congress shouldn ’ t leave town for the holidays without providing a second wave of $ 1,200 checks to help working families .
The idea has support from the White House but is opposed by many Senate Republicans , ostensibly due to its impact on the deficit , a concern they ’ ve rediscovered as of late .
Any legislation that is going to make it to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the approval of both Pelosi and McConnell .
Both have largely sat out negotiations to this point , letting the bipartisan group come to their own agreement , but it ’ s now incumbent on both of them to finish the deal .

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WASHINGTON ― A bipartisan group of senators finally unveiled their compromise proposal on Monday, offering additional relief to Americans struggling from the coronavirus pandemic. But just days before a key deadline, it remains unclear whether congressional leaders will accept the deal, take parts of it or reject it entirely.
The long-awaited bill is really split into two bills, as the dozen of centrist senators involved in drafting the measure struggled to reach agreement on two issues that have stalled negotiations between party leaders for months.
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The first proposal includes largely noncontroversial items, like money for vaccine distribution, $300 billion more for a GOP-favored business loans program, and an extension of federal unemployment assistance — both for an additional 16 weeks and for an additional $300 a week for people on unemployment. The whole bill would cost $748 billion, much less than the $2.2 trillion legislation that House Democrats passed in October or the $3 trillion measure they passed in May.
The second proposal includes an additional $160 billion for state and local governments ― a key Democratic priority ― but it couples that Democratic win with a major Republican victory: a liability shield for businesses and other organizations that reopen during the pandemic.
The liability shield is still far from the language that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell wanted. The Kentucky Republican has pushed for a four-year ban on all coronavirus lawsuits related to employers bringing their workers back. But his language was so broad that it also could have affected individual people’s ability to sue businesses, hospitals or other organizations that could say their operations were affected by the pandemic.
The compromise language doesn’t go quite as far. It would ban coronavirus-related lawsuits from December 2019 until one year after enactment of the law, or until the end of the public health emergency is declared. However, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) is the only Democratic member of the group who backed the proposal, reducing the likelihood that it makes it into the final bill.
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Senators “couldn’t quite” agree on the liability portion, according to Sen. Angus King (I-Maine), one of the negotiators. And the bipartisan group seemed satisfied to let leaders decide.
It’s an open question which option congressional leaders will take — or whether they’ll take one at all.
“My hope is that our hard work will spur our leadership on both sides of the aisle... to take our products and use them as the basis for a COVID relief package that is urgently needed by our struggling families,” Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) said Monday, stressing that she supports both portions of the plan.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) could decide to use the bipartisan bill as more of a menu, taking up pieces of the plan, leaving some out, and adding to it in places. She could then attach the pieces of her proposal to a large spending bill that must be law by the end of the week to avert a government shutdown. She could pass this package in the House, send lawmakers home, and leave it to the Senate to either accept the deal or shut down the government.
That would be the hardball approach, but it’s unlikely McConnell would just swallow a House-passed bill to keep the government running. Instead, he could try to pass proposals of his own and blame Democrats and the House for a shutdown.
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The most likely path is still for Pelosi and McConnell to hammer out a deal, using the bipartisan deal as a framework.
But if leaders are only going to use the bipartisan bills as a template, then a deal might still prove elusive — even with a government funding deadline on Friday, and holiday jet fumes gathering.
Pelosi and McConnell haven’t come close to an agreement on state and local funding or the liability shield. That’s why it was McConnell’s proposal that lawmakers simply leave both of them out. But Democrats don’t think that’s a fair trade. There’s bipartisan support for state and local aid, and the liability shield is largely an invented issue.
McConnell warned in the spring of a “tidal wave of lawsuits” related to the coronavirus. That never happened.
Now Democrats are facing the prospect of having to leave out a major priority of theirs in a relief bill just because McConnell won’t move off of his original liability shield demands.
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Democratic lawmakers indicated Monday that they aren’t quite ready to give up on state and local aid.
“I very much support state and local,” Pelosi said.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said that aid is “the right thing to do.”
Leaving out the state and local component, however, may be the key to a deal — as well as another potential relief deal in the early days of a Joe Biden administration.
Some Democrats have noted that another stimulus may be easier to do once Biden takes office if lawmakers leave themselves a compelling reason to act. But intentionally holding back on state and local aid now, with the idea that they can get more later, would be a potentially disastrous gambit that would leave states with massive shortfalls for the time being at best, and in perpetuity at worst.
Another issue for leaders to sort out is individual stimulus checks.
The bipartisan stimulus package does not include another round of direct payments to Americans, which could trip up negotiations before Friday’s government funding deadline. Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) have both said Congress shouldn’t leave town for the holidays without providing a second wave of $1,200 checks to help working families. The idea has support from the White House but is opposed by many Senate Republicans, ostensibly due to its impact on the deficit, a concern they’ve rediscovered as of late.
Both Sanders and Hawley could slow the passage of a government funding bill if it does not include direct payments, so not including checks could cause a shutdown and imperil the larger deal.
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At the same time, including checks could be a key to passage and the signature of the president.
For the moment, direct stimulus remains on the sidelines of a deal, but it could be one of the items Pelosi tries to add.
Any legislation that is going to make it to the president’s desk almost certainly needs the approval of both Pelosi and McConnell. Both have largely sat out negotiations to this point, letting the bipartisan group come to their own agreement, but it’s now incumbent on both of them to finish the deal.
McConnell has spent the last few weeks blaming Democrats for their supposed refusal to negotiate — even though, in reality, they’ve cut the overall cost of their demands in half and McConnell has kept up with his insistence on the divisive liability shield.
But on Monday, McConnell said the fate of a deal is in the hands of Congress, and claimed Republicans want a compromise.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-14--Trump Cabinet Member Sonny Perdue Appears To Acknowledge Election Loss

Leah Millis / Reuters Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue was campaigning for his cousin when he acknowledged President Donald Trump ’ s defeat .
ATLANTA — Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue appeared to acknowledge President Donald Trump ’ s election loss on Monday night , pinning the defeat on voters ’ rejection of Trump ’ s “ personality.
” Speaking to roughly 50 attendees at a rally for his cousin , Sen. David Perdue ( R-Ga. ) , the agricultural secretary said Trump ’ s loss came despite a strong economy during the president ’ s tenure .
“ The America we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ past four years , with a dynamic economy – I think it ’ s a shame in November that people looked past all of the accomplishments of Trump ’ s administration and voted against his personality , or maybe the way he communicates , ” said Perdue , a former Georgia governor .
Biden was the first Democrat to win Georgia at the presidential level since Bill Clinton in 1992 .
Strategists in both parties have pointed to Trump ’ s rhetoric , frequent falsehoods and bombastic style as a reason he sped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republican Party .
Winning over those voters in Atlanta ’ s suburbs was a key part of Biden ’ s victory .
Perdue ’ s comments came not long after members of the Electoral College around the country official voted for President-elect Joe Biden , following more than a month of false claims about voter fraud from Trump and conservative media figures , as well as failed lawsuits from Trump ’ s legal team and his GOP allies .
Trump has declined to concede the election .
David Perdue is running against Democrat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elections in the state that will determine control of the U.S. Senate in the next Congress .
The other election pits Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler against the Rev .
Raphael Warnock .
Both elections are set for Jan. 5 , though early voting began on Monday .
Both elections are considered toss-ups .
During his appearance , Secretary Perdue largely echoed the GOP line about the all-or-nothing nature of the runoff elections : “ This runoff election in Georgia is the most important election of our lifetime .
”

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ATLANTA — Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue appeared to acknowledge President Donald Trump’s election loss on Monday night, pinning the defeat on voters’ rejection of Trump’s “personality.”
Speaking to roughly 50 attendees at a rally for his cousin, Sen. David Perdue (R-Ga.), the agricultural secretary said Trump’s loss came despite a strong economy during the president’s tenure.
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“The America we’ve known and enjoyed for the past four years, with a dynamic economy – I think it’s a shame in November that people looked past all of the accomplishments of Trump’s administration and voted against his personality, or maybe the way he communicates,” said Perdue, a former Georgia governor.
Biden was the first Democrat to win Georgia at the presidential level since Bill Clinton in 1992. Strategists in both parties have pointed to Trump’s rhetoric, frequent falsehoods and bombastic style as a reason he sped up college-educated voters’ flight from the Republican Party. Winning over those voters in Atlanta’s suburbs was a key part of Biden’s victory.
Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue was campaigning for his cousin when he acknowledged President Donald Trump’s defeat. Leah Millis / Reuters
Perdue’s comments came not long after members of the Electoral College around the country official voted for President-elect Joe Biden, following more than a month of false claims about voter fraud from Trump and conservative media figures, as well as failed lawsuits from Trump’s legal team and his GOP allies. Trump has declined to concede the election.
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David Perdue is running against Democrat Jon Ossoff in one of two runoff elections in the state that will determine control of the U.S. Senate in the next Congress. The other election pits Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler against the Rev. Raphael Warnock. Both elections are set for Jan. 5, though early voting began on Monday. Both elections are considered toss-ups.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-14--Rep. Paul Mitchell ‘Disaffiliating’ From GOP Because It Can't Admit Trump Lost

Rep. Paul Mitchell , a two-term Republican from Michigan , said Monday that he was severing ties with the GOP over fears that President Donald Trump ’ s allies could soon cause “ long-term harm to our democracy ” as they continue to spread misinformation about the 2020 election .
“ I have stated publicly numerous times that when entering the political arena , a person must be willing to accept winning and losing with grace and maturity , ” wrote Mitchell , who said he voted for Trump in November , in a letter he shared on Twitter .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ unacceptable for political candidates to treat our election system as though we are a third-world nation and incite distrust of something so basic as the sanctity of our vote.
” Mitchell , who was first elected in 2016 , already planned to retire from Congress at the end of this term and his decision is largely ceremonial .
The lawmaker elaborated on his decision later Monday , telling CNN he had grown increasingly frustrated as Trump filed and lost a bevy of court cases seeking to undermine the results of the election .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ line with the White House “ more than 95 % of the time , ” but could no longer do so .
“ As I saw that amicus brief , as well as discussions over the week in the national media , it became clear to me that I could no longer be associated with the Republican Party ” after leadership failed to “ stand up and say that the process , the election is over , ” he told CNN .
NEW : @ RepPaulMitchell is leaving the @ GOP : `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through the national media it became clear to me I could no longer be associated with the Republican Party that the leadership does not stand up and say that the process , the election is over . ''
pic.twitter.com/IIt42ZjOR1 — Andrew Feinberg ( @ AndrewFeinberg ) December 14 , 2020 Trump has so far refused to concede to President-elect Joe Biden , spreading lies about election fraud without any evidence to back them up .
The Electoral College officially voted on Monday to confirm Biden ’ s win last month .
The votes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 6 and Biden will be inaugurated on Jan. 20 ( it ’ s unclear if Trump will attend that ceremony ) .
Mitchell said in his letter that any candidate had the right to request a recount if they have concerns about an election , but noted that Trump and his legal team had failed to provide any evidence “ on a scale large enough to impact the outcome ” of the vote .
“ I believe that raw political considerations , not constitutional or voting integrity concerns , motivate many in party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ steal ’ efforts , which is extremely disappointing to me , ” Mitchell wrote .
“ As elected members of Congress , we take an oath to ‘ support and defend the Constitution of the United States , ’ not to preserve and protect the political interests of any individual , be it the president or anyone else , to the detriment of our cherished nation .
”

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Rep. Paul Mitchell, a two-term Republican from Michigan, said Monday that he was severing ties with the GOP over fears that President Donald Trump’s allies could soon cause “long-term harm to our democracy” as they continue to spread misinformation about the 2020 election.
“I have stated publicly numerous times that when entering the political arena, a person must be willing to accept winning and losing with grace and maturity,” wrote Mitchell, who said he voted for Trump in November, in a letter he shared on Twitter.
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He later added: “It is unacceptable for political candidates to treat our election system as though we are a third-world nation and incite distrust of something so basic as the sanctity of our vote.”
Today I am disaffiliating from the Republican Party.
See my letter below: pic.twitter.com/76IxC4FMvJ — Rep. Paul Mitchell (@RepPaulMitchell) December 14, 2020
Mitchell, who was first elected in 2016, already planned to retire from Congress at the end of this term and his decision is largely ceremonial.
“While admittedly symbolic,” he wrote, “we all know that symbols matter.”
The lawmaker elaborated on his decision later Monday, telling CNN he had grown increasingly frustrated as Trump filed and lost a bevy of court cases seeking to undermine the results of the election. Mitchell noted that he had voted in line with the White House “more than 95% of the time,” but could no longer do so.
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“As I saw that amicus brief, as well as discussions over the week in the national media, it became clear to me that I could no longer be associated with the Republican Party” after leadership failed to “stand up and say that the process, the election is over,” he told CNN.
“I’ve had enough.”
NEW: @RepPaulMitchell is leaving the @GOP: "As I saw that amicus brief and through the national media it became clear to me I could no longer be associated with the Republican Party that the leadership does not stand up and say that the process, the election is over." pic.twitter.com/IIt42ZjOR1 — Andrew Feinberg (@AndrewFeinberg) December 14, 2020
Trump has so far refused to concede to President-elect Joe Biden, spreading lies about election fraud without any evidence to back them up. The Electoral College officially voted on Monday to confirm Biden’s win last month. The votes will be tallied by Congress on Jan. 6 and Biden will be inaugurated on Jan. 20 (it’s unclear if Trump will attend that ceremony).
Mitchell said in his letter that any candidate had the right to request a recount if they have concerns about an election, but noted that Trump and his legal team had failed to provide any evidence “on a scale large enough to impact the outcome” of the vote.
“I believe that raw political considerations, not constitutional or voting integrity concerns, motivate many in party leadership to support the ‘stop the steal’ efforts, which is extremely disappointing to me,” Mitchell wrote. “As elected members of Congress, we take an oath to ‘support and defend the Constitution of the United States,’ not to preserve and protect the political interests of any individual, be it the president or anyone else, to the detriment of our cherished nation.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-14--Early In-Person Voting Begins In Georgia Senate Runoffs

ATLANTA ( AP ) — Early in-person voting began Monday in the runoff elections for Georgia ’ s two U.S. Senate seats , with lines reported to be shorter than in the first days of early voting for the general election last month .
More than half of the record 5 million votes in the Nov. 3 general election were cast during its three-week early voting period .
Early in-person voting could be even more important in the Jan. 5 runoffs because of the short period for voters to request and return ballots by mail .
No one expects turnout @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the general election .
But Bernard Fraga , an Emory University professor who studies voting , said overall turnout could reach 4 million .
President Donald Trump has relentlessly pushed baseless claims of widespread fraud in the general election , in which he lost in the state of Georgia .
In an overnight tweet just hours before early voting began , he continued his attack on Georgia Gov .
Brian Kemp , pushing him to take action or risk harming the chances for Perdue and Loeffler .
“ What a fool Governor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the president tweeted .
“ Could have been so easy , but now we have to do it the hard way .
Demand this clown call a Special Session and open up signature verification , NOW .
Otherwise , could be a bad day for two GREAT Senators on January 5th.
” In contrast to the first day of early voting in October , when more than 125,000 people cast ballots and some people lined up for hours , few long lines were reported Monday .
One question was how many mail-in ballots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ By Friday , 1.2 million mail-in ballots had been requested and 200,000 returned .
In the general election , Democrat Joe Biden won 65 % of the 1.3 million absentee ballots that were returned in Georgia , a record fueled by the coronavirus pandemic .
Fraga said it ’ s possible that mailed ballots will be even more favorable for Democrats in the runoff because of attacks on the integrity of mail-in voting by Trump and many Georgia Republicans .
That means early in-person voting , which Trump narrowly won in November , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Both parties may also drive voters toward the early polls with the Christmas and New Year ’ s holidays looming .
“ I think the absentee ballots are going to be questioned when they count the votes , ” the architect said .
“ I wanted to be here in person so my vote is counted and it ’ s uncontested.
” Melissa McJunkin , 40 , voted in Rome , a solidly Republican area in northwest Georgia , and cast her ballot for Perdue and Loeffler , saying they “ will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think is the right choice.
” She ’ d heard allegations of voter fraud in the general election and was a bit worried about the integrity of the runoff vote .
“ I ’ ve never had a problem before now trusting it , but now I feel like there may be something going on that I don ’ t trust , ” she said .
Gibbs said it ’ s important for people to acknowledge the United States as a Christian nation .
“ I want prayer in school and ‘ God @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Gibbs said , adding that she thinks the Republicans could keep things on “ the right track.
” Tony Christy , 62 , said he was concerned about the balance of power in Washington as he voted in Kennesaw , a conservative-leaning city just northwest of Atlanta , for the two Republicans .
If the Democrats win , there will be 50 senators from each party and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris would be the tie-breaking vote in the chamber .
That would give too much power to the Democrats , Christy said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they have the presidency , but they ’ ll have the House and the Senate , which is not a good balance to have .
”

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ATLANTA (AP) — Early in-person voting began Monday in the runoff elections for Georgia’s two U.S. Senate seats, with lines reported to be shorter than in the first days of early voting for the general election last month.
More than half of the record 5 million votes in the Nov. 3 general election were cast during its three-week early voting period. Early in-person voting could be even more important in the Jan. 5 runoffs because of the short period for voters to request and return ballots by mail.
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The two races in which Democrats Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff try to oust Republican Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue, respectively, will decide which party controls the U.S. Senate.
No one expects turnout to be as high as it was for the general election. But Bernard Fraga, an Emory University professor who studies voting, said overall turnout could reach 4 million.
President Donald Trump has relentlessly pushed baseless claims of widespread fraud in the general election, in which he lost in the state of Georgia. In an overnight tweet just hours before early voting began, he continued his attack on Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, pushing him to take action or risk harming the chances for Perdue and Loeffler.
What a fool Governor @BrianKempGA of Georgia is. Could have been so easy, but now we have to do it the hard way. Demand this clown call a Special Session and open up signature verification, NOW. Otherwise, could be a bad day for two GREAT Senators on January 5th. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 14, 2020
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“What a fool Governor @BrianKempGA of Georgia is,” the president tweeted. “Could have been so easy, but now we have to do it the hard way. Demand this clown call a Special Session and open up signature verification, NOW. Otherwise, could be a bad day for two GREAT Senators on January 5th.”
In contrast to the first day of early voting in October, when more than 125,000 people cast ballots and some people lined up for hours, few long lines were reported Monday.
One question was how many mail-in ballots will be cast in the election. By Friday, 1.2 million mail-in ballots had been requested and 200,000 returned. In the general election, Democrat Joe Biden won 65% of the 1.3 million absentee ballots that were returned in Georgia, a record fueled by the coronavirus pandemic.
Fraga said it’s possible that mailed ballots will be even more favorable for Democrats in the runoff because of attacks on the integrity of mail-in voting by Trump and many Georgia Republicans.
That means early in-person voting, which Trump narrowly won in November, could be even more important for Republicans. Both parties may also drive voters toward the early polls with the Christmas and New Year’s holidays looming.
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Republican attacks on mail-in voting also worry some Democrats. Meghan Shannon, 36, voted in person for Ossoff and Warnock on Monday at State Farm Arena in downtown Atlanta, partly driven by fears that absentee ballots will be overly scrutinized.
“I think the absentee ballots are going to be questioned when they count the votes,” the architect said. “I wanted to be here in person so my vote is counted and it’s uncontested.”
Melissa McJunkin, 40, voted in Rome, a solidly Republican area in northwest Georgia, and cast her ballot for Perdue and Loeffler, saying they “will help make decisions based on what I think is the right choice.” She’d heard allegations of voter fraud in the general election and was a bit worried about the integrity of the runoff vote.
“I’ve never had a problem before now trusting it, but now I feel like there may be something going on that I don’t trust,” she said.
Towanda Jones voted in downtown Atlanta for Ossoff and Warnock and dismissed the fraud allegations, which have been repeatedly denied by election officials.
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“The system is working as it should, and I think our current president is just a sore loser,” she said.
The 54-year-old Black hairstylist said police reform was her main priority.
“I have two grown sons,” Jones said. “The amount of Black lives that have been lost due to police brutality upset me.”
Deborah Harp Gibbs of Lilburn said she voted for Perdue and Loeffler “to keep America great.”
Gibbs said it’s important for people to acknowledge the United States as a Christian nation. “I want prayer in school and ‘God Bless America’ and apple pie,” Gibbs said, adding that she thinks the Republicans could keep things on “the right track.”
Tony Christy, 62, said he was concerned about the balance of power in Washington as he voted in Kennesaw, a conservative-leaning city just northwest of Atlanta, for the two Republicans. If the Democrats win, there will be 50 senators from each party and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris would be the tie-breaking vote in the chamber.
That would give too much power to the Democrats, Christy said, because “then not only will they have the presidency, but they’ll have the House and the Senate, which is not a good balance to have.”
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But Araya Araya of Lilburn said he voted for Warnock in part to give Biden a chance to get things done.
“I didn’t want the Senate to be majority Republican where everything President-elect Biden is preparing to do is going to get blocked,” Araya said.
Each of Georgia’s 159 counties must offer at least one early voting location during business hours, with many in metro Atlanta offering multiple sites, extended hours and weekend voting. Early voting will continue through Dec. 31 in some places.
Preparation for early voting saw squabbles over cuts to the number of early polling places. The Center for New Data, a nonprofit group, counted 42 early polling sites statewide scheduled to close for the runoff. In some cases, polling places were relocated.
___
Associated Press writers Haleluya Hadero and Kate Brumback in Atlanta; Jeff Martin in Kennesaw, Georgia; and Sophia Tulp in Rome, Georgia; contributed.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-14--Biden Rebukes Trump's 'Unconscionable' Attempts To Upend Democracy

Shortly after he officially secured enough Electoral College votes to become the next president of the United States , Joe Biden delivered a fiery speech calling on Americans to move past Donald Trump ’ s monthlong failed crusade to overturn the election results .
“ If anyone didn ’ t know it before , they know now , ” Biden said from Wilmington , Delaware .
“ What beats deep in the hearts of the American people is this : democracy , the right to be heard , to have your vote counted , to choose the leaders of this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confirmed Biden ’ s victory earlier on Monday , pushing him past the 270-vote threshold .
This stage of the election doesn ’ t typically make headlines , since election projections , state certifications , recounts and , in Trump ’ s case , numerous lawsuits have already made the winner clear .
But Trump has still not conceded the race to Biden and is instead plowing forward with baseless accusations that widespread voter fraud cost him reelection .
“ In America , politicians don ’ t take power .
People grant power @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The flame of democracy was lit in this nation a long time ago .
And we now know that nothing — not even a pandemic or an abuse of power — can extinguish that flame.
” “ We all wish that our fellow Americans in these positions will always show such courage and commitment to free and fair elections , but it is my sincere hope we never again see anyone subjected to the kind of threats and abuse we saw from the selection , ” he said .
“ It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ personal attacks and threats against poll workers in this election was “ unprecedented , ” Lawrence Norden , director of the Election Reform Program at the Brennan Center for Justice , told PBS Frontline last month .
Biden also echoed promises he made on the campaign trail to unite the country ’ s divided factions .
“ I will work just as hard for those of you who didn ’ t vote for me as I will for those who did , ” he said .
Biden ’ s electoral vote victory comes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deaths from COVID-19 .
The nationwide surge in new coronavirus cases has maxed out hospital capacity in some areas of the country .
In his final weeks in office , Trump has taken no action to prevent the spread of disease .
He and his surrogates are instead accusing Democratic state leaders of imposing “ draconian restrictions ” on their constituents with public health measures .
Trump has expended most of his energy this past month on fighting the election results with a series of longshot lawsuits , none of which has been @ @

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Shortly after he officially secured enough Electoral College votes to become the next president of the United States, Joe Biden delivered a fiery speech calling on Americans to move past Donald Trump’s monthlong failed crusade to overturn the election results.
“If anyone didn’t know it before, they know now,” Biden said from Wilmington, Delaware. “What beats deep in the hearts of the American people is this: democracy, the right to be heard, to have your vote counted, to choose the leaders of this nation, to govern ourselves.”
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Electors confirmed Biden’s victory earlier on Monday, pushing him past the 270-vote threshold. This stage of the election doesn’t typically make headlines, since election projections, state certifications, recounts and, in Trump’s case, numerous lawsuits have already made the winner clear. But Trump has still not conceded the race to Biden and is instead plowing forward with baseless accusations that widespread voter fraud cost him reelection.
That attitude is the antithesis of American values, Biden said Monday.
“In America, politicians don’t take power. People grant power to them,” he said. “The flame of democracy was lit in this nation a long time ago. And we now know that nothing — not even a pandemic or an abuse of power — can extinguish that flame.”
He also chastised Trump and those fighting his battles for characterizing election officials as agents of fraud.
“We all wish that our fellow Americans in these positions will always show such courage and commitment to free and fair elections, but it is my sincere hope we never again see anyone subjected to the kind of threats and abuse we saw from the selection,” he said. “It’s simply unconscionable.”
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The number of personal attacks and threats against poll workers in this election was “unprecedented,” Lawrence Norden, director of the Election Reform Program at the Brennan Center for Justice, told PBS Frontline last month.
Biden also echoed promises he made on the campaign trail to unite the country’s divided factions. “I will work just as hard for those of you who didn’t vote for me as I will for those who did,” he said.
Biden’s electoral vote victory comes the same day the U.S. surpassed 300,000 deaths from COVID-19. The nationwide surge in new coronavirus cases has maxed out hospital capacity in some areas of the country.
In his final weeks in office, Trump has taken no action to prevent the spread of disease. He and his surrogates are instead accusing Democratic state leaders of imposing “draconian restrictions” on their constituents with public health measures. Trump has expended most of his energy this past month on fighting the election results with a series of longshot lawsuits, none of which has been successful.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-14--‘Grease' Among Latest Films Added To National Film Registry

LOS ANGELES ( AP ) — This year ’ s inductees into the National Film Registry include a record number of female directors and filmmakers of color as well as a new crop of movies ranging from a silent short film thriller , classic musicals and an acclaimed Batman film .
The Library of Congress announced Monday that films including “ The Dark Knight , ” “ Suspense , ” musicals “ Grease ” and “ The Blues Brothers ” along with Sidney Poitier ’ s Oscar-winning performance in “ Lilies of the Field ” are among the 25 movies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ national library said this year ’ s selections include a record nine films directed by women and filmmakers of color .
“ With the inclusion of diverse filmmakers , we are not trying to set records but rather to set the record straight by spotlighting the astonishing contributions women and people of color have made to American cinema , despite facing often-overwhelming hurdles , ” Carla Hayden , the Librarian of Congress , said in a statement .
Hayden and film historian Jacqueline Stewart will discuss the new selections in a television special @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 8 p.m. EST .
The library has selected movies for preservation because of their cultural , historic and artist importance since the registry began in 1988 .
This year ’ s picks bring the total number of films in the registry to 800 .
Music was featured in this year ’ s selection including the film adaptation of Broadway musicals “ Cabin in the Sky ” in 1943 and “ Grease , ” which starred John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John in 1978 .
“ The film is the result of Dan Aykroyd and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rhythm and blues and our mutual love for these great African American artists and the city of Chicago , ” said Landis , who has two projects in the registry including “ Animal House ” and Michael Jackson ’ s “ Thriller.
” The library chose a few more memorable titles such as Kathryn Bigelow ’ s “ The Hurt Locker , ” the animated film “ Shrek ” and “ The Joy Luck Club , ” a movie based on Amy Tan ’ s bestselling book that told the saga of two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2010 documentary “ Freedom Riders , ” also making its way into the registry , told an inspiring story about civil rights activists who fought against racial segregation on buses and trains in the 1960s .
The other films directed by women include Lois Weber ’ s “ Suspense , ” Ida May Park ’ s “ Bread , ” Aloha Wanderwell ’ s “ With Car and Camera Around the World , ” Ida Lupino ’ s “ Outrage , ” Kathleen Collins ’ “ Losing Ground , ” Julie Dash ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s “ The Devil Never Sleeps ” and “ Mauna Kea : Temple Under Siege ” by Joan Lander .
Additional films on the list include “ Kid Auto Races at Venice ” ( 1914 ) , “ The Battle of the Century ” ( 1927 ) , “ The Man with the Golden Arm ” ( 1955 ) , “ A Clockwork Orange ” ( 1971 ) , “ Sweet Sweetback ’ s Baadasssss Song ” ( 1971 ) , “ Wattstax ” ( 1973 ) , “ Buena Vista Social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Ground ” ( 1993-2001 ) .

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — This year’s inductees into the National Film Registry include a record number of female directors and filmmakers of color as well as a new crop of movies ranging from a silent short film thriller, classic musicals and an acclaimed Batman film.
The Library of Congress announced Monday that films including “The Dark Knight,” “Suspense,” musicals “Grease” and “The Blues Brothers” along with Sidney Poitier’s Oscar-winning performance in “Lilies of the Field” are among the 25 movies tapped for preservation this year.
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The national library said this year’s selections include a record nine films directed by women and filmmakers of color.
“With the inclusion of diverse filmmakers, we are not trying to set records but rather to set the record straight by spotlighting the astonishing contributions women and people of color have made to American cinema, despite facing often-overwhelming hurdles,” Carla Hayden, the Librarian of Congress, said in a statement.
Hayden and film historian Jacqueline Stewart will discuss the new selections in a television special on Turner Classic Movies on Tuesday at 8 p.m. EST.
The library has selected movies for preservation because of their cultural, historic and artist importance since the registry began in 1988. This year’s picks bring the total number of films in the registry to 800.
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Music was featured in this year’s selection including the film adaptation of Broadway musicals “Cabin in the Sky” in 1943 and “Grease,” which starred John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John in 1978.
“The Blue Brothers” director John Landis called the film’s selection into the registry a “delightful surprise.”
“The film is the result of Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi’s genuine passion for rhythm and blues and our mutual love for these great African American artists and the city of Chicago,” said Landis, who has two projects in the registry including “Animal House” and Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.”
The library chose a few more memorable titles such as Kathryn Bigelow’s “The Hurt Locker,” the animated film “Shrek” and “The Joy Luck Club,” a movie based on Amy Tan’s bestselling book that told the saga of two generations of Asian American women. The 2010 documentary “Freedom Riders,” also making its way into the registry, told an inspiring story about civil rights activists who fought against racial segregation on buses and trains in the 1960s.
Christopher Nolan’s 2008 Batman film “The Dark Knight” was a blockbuster and the top public vote-getter.
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The other films directed by women include Lois Weber’s “Suspense,” Ida May Park’s “Bread,” Aloha Wanderwell’s “With Car and Camera Around the World,” Ida Lupino’s “Outrage,” Kathleen Collins’ “Losing Ground,” Julie Dash’s “Illusions,” Lourdes Portillo’s “The Devil Never Sleeps” and “Mauna Kea: Temple Under Siege” by Joan Lander.
Additional films on the list include “Kid Auto Races at Venice” (1914), “The Battle of the Century” (1927), “The Man with the Golden Arm” (1955), “A Clockwork Orange” (1971), “Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song” (1971), “Wattstax” (1973), “Buena Vista Social Club” (1999) and “The Ground” (1993-2001).
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-14--Justin Bieber Teams Up With UK Health Workers For Charity Song

LONDON ( AP ) — Justin Bieber has teamed up with a choir of London medical staff to record a special charity Christmas single .
The choir , made up of nurses , doctors and other health care staff working in the British capital ’ s Lewisham and Greenwich public health service , joined the Canadian pop star for a special version of his song “ Holy ” in a bid to top the Christmas chart .
Choir members recorded their vocals at London ’ s famous Abbey Road Studios .
Profits from the collaboration will go to National Health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when it vied with Bieber in 2015 for the Christmas No .
1 song .
Bieber urged his millions of fans on Twitter to support the choir , not him , and it eventually won the top spot on the singles chart .
The star then travelled to London and presented them with their charity award .
“ It ’ s great to be reunited with the Lewisham and Greenwich NHS choir , as we share a fun bit of U.K. chart history together , ” said Bieber , 26 .
“ Especially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ m humbled to team up with them for a charity single that will benefit NHS workers on the frontlines of this pandemic and pay tribute to their unbelievable dedication .
”

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LONDON (AP) — Justin Bieber has teamed up with a choir of London medical staff to record a special charity Christmas single.
The choir, made up of nurses, doctors and other health care staff working in the British capital’s Lewisham and Greenwich public health service, joined the Canadian pop star for a special version of his song “Holy” in a bid to top the Christmas chart.
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Choir members recorded their vocals at London’s famous Abbey Road Studios. Profits from the collaboration will go to National Health Service charities.
The choir gained fame when it vied with Bieber in 2015 for the Christmas No. 1 song. Bieber urged his millions of fans on Twitter to support the choir, not him, and it eventually won the top spot on the singles chart. The star then travelled to London and presented them with their charity award.
“It’s great to be reunited with the Lewisham and Greenwich NHS choir, as we share a fun bit of U.K. chart history together,” said Bieber, 26. “Especially in these difficult times, I’m humbled to team up with them for a charity single that will benefit NHS workers on the frontlines of this pandemic and pay tribute to their unbelievable dedication.”
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Follow AP’s coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-14--First COVID-19 Vaccinations Begin In U.S.

Sandra Lindsay , a critical care nurse at Long Island Jewish Medical Center , was the first person in New York to receive the shot .
“ It didn ’ t feel any different from taking any other vaccine , ” she said .
Footage of her receiving the shot was livestreamed with New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo making remarks .
“ I feel hopeful today .
Relieved .
...
I hope this marks the beginning to the end of a very painful time in our history .
I want to instill public confidence that the vaccine is safe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s light at the end of the tunnel , but we still need to continue to wear our masks , to social distance .
I believe in science .
As a nurse , my practice is guided by science , so I trust science , ” she said .
“ I encourage everyone to take the vaccine.
” Robert Redfield , the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , on Saturday approved the Pfizer vaccine for Americans aged 16 and older as the company began rolling out vaccines from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s OK came a day after the Food and Drug Administration officially approved the vaccine for emergency use .
An initial round of about 3 million shots will be shipped out , with the first doses earmarked for health care workers and nursing home residents , The Associated Press reported .
Trucks were set to deliver the vaccine to 145 distribution centers across the U.S. by Monday , with an additional 425 sites on Tuesday , and 66 remaining sites on Wednesday .
News media around the country showed footage of trucks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Methodist Dallas Medical Center was the first in North Texas to receive the vaccine and planned to start vaccinating staff .
North Carolina Gov .
Roy Cooper tweeted that a “ limited ” supply of doses had arrived in North Carolina .
Boston Medical Center received its doses , among other places .
The vaccine rollout presents an unprecedented challenge in terms of both logistics and public messaging .
The Pfizer vaccine needs to be kept at super-cold temperatures and is packed in dry ice for transport .
Once the vaccine is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it .
Public opinion on the issue is in flux , with some Americans enthusiastic about taking a vaccine , some refusing to do so , and a middle group who seem willing but want more information .
Another vaccine by Moderna , which works in a similar way to the Pfizer vaccine , is set to be discussed for approval by the FDA this week .

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The first people in America began receiving the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine Monday morning.
The unprecedented vaccination effort began as the death toll from the virus neared 300,000, a milestone the U.S. surpassed Monday afternoon.
Sandra Lindsay, a critical care nurse at Long Island Jewish Medical Center, was the first person in New York to receive the shot.
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“It didn’t feel any different from taking any other vaccine,” she said. Footage of her receiving the shot was livestreamed with New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo making remarks.
“I feel hopeful today. Relieved. ... I hope this marks the beginning to the end of a very painful time in our history. I want to instill public confidence that the vaccine is safe,” Lindsay said.
“There’s light at the end of the tunnel, but we still need to continue to wear our masks, to social distance. I believe in science. As a nurse, my practice is guided by science, so I trust science,” she said. “I encourage everyone to take the vaccine.”
HISTORY: A critical care nurse becomes the first New Yorker to receive a dose of the coronavirus vaccine. “ I feel hopeful today... healing is coming” pic.twitter.com/fdRhTVeIr7 — Chris Jansing (@ChrisJansing) December 14, 2020
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“First Vaccine Administered. Congratulations USA! Congratulations WORLD!” President Donald Trump tweeted shortly after Lindsay received the shot.
Robert Redfield, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, on Saturday approved the Pfizer vaccine for Americans aged 16 and older as the company began rolling out vaccines from its distribution facility in Michigan. Redfield’s OK came a day after the Food and Drug Administration officially approved the vaccine for emergency use.
An initial round of about 3 million shots will be shipped out, with the first doses earmarked for health care workers and nursing home residents, The Associated Press reported. Trucks were set to deliver the vaccine to 145 distribution centers across the U.S. by Monday, with an additional 425 sites on Tuesday, and 66 remaining sites on Wednesday.
News media around the country showed footage of trucks delivering the vaccines to distribution points Monday. Methodist Dallas Medical Center was the first in North Texas to receive the vaccine and planned to start vaccinating staff. North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper tweeted that a “limited” supply of doses had arrived in North Carolina. Boston Medical Center received its doses, among other places.
The vaccine rollout presents an unprecedented challenge in terms of both logistics and public messaging. The Pfizer vaccine needs to be kept at super-cold temperatures and is packed in dry ice for transport.
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Once the vaccine is transported correctly, people need to take it. Public opinion on the issue is in flux, with some Americans enthusiastic about taking a vaccine, some refusing to do so, and a middle group who seem willing but want more information.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-15--Fauci: Biden Should Get Vaccinated 'As Soon As We Possibly Can'

President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris should be vaccinated for COVID-19 “ as soon as we possibly can ” for security reasons , Dr. Anthony Fauci , the nation ’ s top infectious disease specialist , said Tuesday .
“ We want him fully protected as he enters the presidency in January .
So that would be my strong recommendation , ” Fauci , who has been asked to remain chief medical adviser during the White House transition , said on “ Good Morning America.
” “ You still want to protect people who are very important to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Dr. Anthony Fauci on Tuesday said he believes that President-elect Joe Biden and his team should be vaccinated for COVID-19 `` as soon as we possibly can . ''
Trump was hospitalized for the coronavirus in early October and therefore likely has antibodies against further infection , but “ we ’ re not sure how long that protection lasts , ” Fauci said .
The White House said last week that senior U.S. officials , including White House aides who work in close proximity to Trump and Pence , would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week .
Trump on Sunday nixed the plans , saying those working in the White House would receive the vaccine “ somewhat later in the program.
” The first vaccinations with the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine were administered to Americans on Monday .
The initial shots are earmarked for health care workers and nursing home residents .

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President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris should be vaccinated for COVID-19 “as soon as we possibly can” for security reasons, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease specialist, said Tuesday.
“We want him fully protected as he enters the presidency in January. So that would be my strong recommendation,” Fauci, who has been asked to remain chief medical adviser during the White House transition, said on “Good Morning America.”
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Fauci also recommended vaccinations for outgoing President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence.
“You still want to protect people who are very important to our country right now,” he said.
Dr. Anthony Fauci on Tuesday said he believes that President-elect Joe Biden and his team should be vaccinated for COVID-19 "as soon as we possibly can." GMA
Trump was hospitalized for the coronavirus in early October and therefore likely has antibodies against further infection, but “we’re not sure how long that protection lasts,” Fauci said.
The White House said last week that senior U.S. officials, including White House aides who work in close proximity to Trump and Pence, would be offered the vaccine as early as this week. Trump on Sunday nixed the plans, saying those working in the White House would receive the vaccine “somewhat later in the program.”
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