thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-11--COVID-19's Looming Eviction Crisis Will Devastate Women

But COVID-19 unemployment and financial relief expired at the end of July , as did the federal government ’ s initial moratorium on evictions .
Walker could no longer pay the rent on the apartment , which also served as a learning space since the five kids were home from school .
She struggled to put food on the table .
She continually had to fight to get the internet and phone back on .
She spent hours on the phone making sure her electricity wasn ’ t turned off because she needed to be able to refrigerate her 15-year-old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her nebulizer for her asthma .
Walker was able to connect with an attorney who helped her get covered by a second federal eviction moratorium , implemented in September by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
That moratorium kicked in a month after the first one , included in the CARES Act , expired .
The CDC moratorium has helped thousands , but it ’ s set to expire on Dec. 31 .
Walker ’ s next court date for her eviction is Jan. 7 .
If no government action is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and her children will be homeless .
Walker and her family are facing a crisis of government inaction .
And women , like Walker , will bear the brunt of the damage .
Eviction moratoriums have saved lives and kept people in their homes during a devastating pandemic .
Now , with those moratoriums set to expire , nearly 40 million people are at risk of being evicted over the coming months , according to an analysis from the Aspen Institute .
Women are both disproportionately likely to be evicted and disproportionately hit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , like Walker , are sole caretakers for their kids .
In poor Black and Latinx neighborhoods , “ eviction is to women what incarceration is to men , ” Princeton sociologist Matthew Desmond wrote in his 2016 book “ Evicted : Poverty and Profit in the American City.
” In fact , sometimes these crises are intertwined : The disproportionate effect of mass incarceration on Black and Latinx men means they are usually not considered viable leaseholders .
Often , this means a wife or girlfriend will put the lease in her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the eviction is filed against her .
“ Women are more likely to be essential workers , but ironically they ’ re the most likely to have lost their jobs in the pandemic .
Then add to that the child-care burden when all of a sudden schools are closed or partially closed , ” said Jessica Katz , executive director of Citizens Housing and Planning Council , a New York City housing policy think tank .
“ You ’ re really putting women ― in every situation , in every single one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impossible bind , ” she continued .
“ And it doesn ’ t feel like anyone ’ s listening.
” SinToria Stringer says she cries herself to sleep some nights because she ’ s so stressed .
The 20-year-old single mom from Toledo , Ohio , is facing the very real possibility that she and her 6-month-old son may be evicted come January .
Stringer was laid off this summer just four weeks after she gave birth to her son .
Her son , who was born 15 weeks early , wasn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He weighed just over 1 pound when he was delivered .
For her part , Walker said she will continue to fight the eviction proceedings against her because she has no other choice ― her children depend on her .
“ All of the things that I ’ ve been through in my life , I did not come this far to fall down , ” she said .
“ I refuse to give up .
I refuse to stay quiet .
”

Above: Nawaal Walker embraces her daughter, Ca’leah Moore, 8, in their home in Durham, North Carolina, on Sunday, Dec. 6, 2020. Credit: Rachel Jessen for HuffPost
In March, Nawaal Walker was on track to finally save up enough money to move into her first house by July. It was going to be a hard-earned 40th birthday present to herself and five of her children who, along with Walker’s son-in-law and two cats, were living in a two-bedroom apartment in Durham, North Carolina.
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Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit, leaving Walker out of work and struggling to keep her apartment, much less move into a bigger place.
Walker, a single mother of seven, was laid off from her job as a counselor at a rehab center that month. She received a stimulus check and unemployment, which just barely covered her rent and some bills through June.
But COVID-19 unemployment and financial relief expired at the end of July, as did the federal government’s initial moratorium on evictions. Walker could no longer pay the rent on the apartment, which also served as a learning space since the five kids were home from school. She struggled to put food on the table. She continually had to fight to get the internet and phone back on. She spent hours on the phone making sure her electricity wasn’t turned off because she needed to be able to refrigerate her 15-year-old daughter’s insulin and plug in her nebulizer for her asthma.
In July, her landlord sent her an eviction notice.
“Everything I’ve done to build myself up has now crumbled back down to the ground,” Walker said. “I feel like nothing right now. I really do.”
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Walker was able to connect with an attorney who helped her get covered by a second federal eviction moratorium, implemented in September by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That moratorium kicked in a month after the first one, included in the CARES Act, expired. The CDC moratorium has helped thousands, but it’s set to expire on Dec. 31. Walker’s next court date for her eviction is Jan. 7. If no government action is taken to extend the moratorium, she and her children will be homeless.
LEFT: Nawaal Walker sits on her bed in her home in Durham, North Carolina. RIGHT: Walker's son, Joey Kinloch, 15, relaxes on the couch where he usually sleeps in their home. Rachel Jessen for HuffPost
Walker and her family are facing a crisis of government inaction. And women, like Walker, will bear the brunt of the damage. Eviction moratoriums have saved lives and kept people in their homes during a devastating pandemic. Now, with those moratoriums set to expire, nearly 40 million people are at risk of being evicted over the coming months, according to an analysis from the Aspen Institute. Women are both disproportionately likely to be evicted and disproportionately hit by the current economic downturn. Many, like Walker, are sole caretakers for their kids.
If a federal moratorium is not reinstated before Dec. 31, those Americans and their families will become homeless almost overnight, forcing many to live in crowded shelters or bunk up with family or friends ― situations that would likely increase the spread of COVID-19 and could have deadly consequences.
As the expiration for the CDC eviction moratorium nears, experts are urging local, state and federal governments to act quickly. “The eviction crisis that we’re facing right now is both predictable and preventable, but preventing it requires action,” said Diane Yentel, president and CEO of the National Low Income Housing Coalition.
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The stress of everything has led Walker to stop eating and sleeping, and the heart monitor she has in her chest due to a heart issue has begun to itch ― possibly, she said, because it was supposed to be replaced three years ago (she doesn’t have insurance).
“The only word I can actually mutter is ‘crushed,’” Walker said when asked how she’s handling everything.
“I’ve struggled my whole life. I’ve worked hard my whole life. I’m a genuine person. I raised my children to be genuine people ― to have faith and love God and themselves and others,” she said. “I can see the beauty in the ugliest of things. But this? This is ridiculous. I’m crushed.”
COVID-19 Is Quickly Becoming A Women’s Eviction Crisis
Women are more likely than men to be evicted, and especially women of color. Eviction has always impacted women of color at higher rates than any other group in part because of the intersections of racism and sexism.
In poor Black and Latinx neighborhoods, “eviction is to women what incarceration is to men,” Princeton sociologist Matthew Desmond wrote in his 2016 book “Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City.” In fact, sometimes these crises are intertwined: The disproportionate effect of mass incarceration on Black and Latinx men means they are usually not considered viable leaseholders. Often, this means a wife or girlfriend will put the lease in her name, and when they are evicted, the eviction is filed against her.
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Nawaal Walker stands at her decorated door in her home in Durham, North Carolina. Walker, a single mother of seven, is facing eviction. Rachel Jessen for HuffPost
Princeton University’s Eviction Lab found in forthcoming research that among renters in 39 states, 341,756 women were evicted annually compared to 294,908 men between 2012 and 2016. That’s a 16% difference. The biggest disparity between genders was for Black renters: Nearly 37% more Black women than Black men were evicted between 2012 and 2016.
Overall, women face higher rates of poverty than men, they earn less due to the gender wage gap, and they experience higher rates of sexual harassment and domestic violence, which can impact finances. And during the COVID-19 pandemic, those disparities are even more pronounced. For example, of the nearly 1,800 eviction cases in one part of southeast Louisiana this year, 89% were families of color and 72% were female-headed households, according to data provided by Southeast Louisiana Legal Services, a free legal aid organization for low-income families.
“Women are more likely to be essential workers, but ironically they’re the most likely to have lost their jobs in the pandemic. Then add to that the child-care burden when all of a sudden schools are closed or partially closed,” said Jessica Katz, executive director of Citizens Housing and Planning Council, a New York City housing policy think tank. “You’re really putting women ― in every situation, in every single one of those categories ― in a really impossible bind,” she continued. “And it doesn’t feel like anyone’s listening.”
At least 865,000 women left the workforce in September ― at least four times more than men, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. A recent report from the National Women’s Law Center shows that a shocking percentage of women of color are behind on rent: Nearly 15% of Asian women, 20% of Latina women and 25% of Black women were unable to pay rent in October.
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This could all get worse when the CDC eviction moratorium expires at the end of December, if officials do nothing. An eviction moratorium that is not extended through the pandemic simply creates “a financial cliff” for renters, Yentel said. When the moratorium expires, back rent is due and renters will most likely still be unable to pay.
Nawaal Walker checks her phone while working her job at a mental health treatment center. Rachel Jessen for HuffPost
“Being put out in the streets in the middle of winter, in the midst of a public health crisis and economic crisis, is a recipe for disaster for women of color,” said Sarah Hassmer, senior counsel for NWLC’s income security team.
SinToria Stringer says she cries herself to sleep some nights because she’s so stressed. The 20-year-old single mom from Toledo, Ohio, is facing the very real possibility that she and her 6-month-old son may be evicted come January. Stringer was laid off this summer just four weeks after she gave birth to her son. Her son, who was born 15 weeks early, wasn’t released from the hospital until October. He weighed just over 1 pound when he was delivered.
“Sometimes I didn’t even want to go see my son in the hospital because I felt like I had failed him. I didn’t want him to feel the pain and the hurt I was feeling,” Stringer said. “So some days I would stay home and try to figure things out so he would actually have a home to come home to.”
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Stringer was able to connect with an attorney who filed a motion to get her eviction notice pushed to next year, under the CDC moratorium. But her court date is set for Jan. 1. If the moratorium does not get extended, Stringer and her son could be out on the streets.
Children Are Another Complication
Lynn Stock is a 57-year-old single mom living in Charlotte, North Carolina, with her 19-year-old daughter. Days before the pandemic caused a wave of shutdowns in March, Stock called city housing to report that there was mold growing in their apartment. Her daughter is allergic to mold so it needed to be fixed immediately, but her landlord was not helping.
Stock’s landlord became angry that she reported him to the city and filed an eviction notice against her. She said six sheriffs officers showed up to escort her and her daughter out of their home in August, after the eviction proceedings finished.
“We took whatever we could, but we could only take a couple of things because we had nowhere to go,” said Stock, who was already in government-subsidized housing and had recently lost her job of four years as a customer service representative due to COVID-19.
LEFT: Nawaal Walker sits with her daughters Ca'rae Moore, 9, and Taqiyya Lewis, 21, while twins Joey and Naima Kinloch, 15, do schoolwork. RIGHT: Nawaal Walker and her daughter, Ca'leah Moore, 8, look on at the family's kitchen table while on a Zoom call for school. Rachel Jessen for HuffPost
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Stock hired an attorney and in just a few days she and her daughter were back in their house, covered by the federal eviction moratorium. She said the experience has had a lasting effect. “This pandemic, and with people losing their jobs, nobody should be evicted right now,” she said. “You’re just putting them out to make it even worse for them. I don’t wish that on nobody.”
Research suggests that the presence of children increases the likelihood of eviction, because kids can be loud or messy, or in Stock’s case, are simply seen as another burden by unsympathetic property owners.
“When landlords start getting complaints or they have to fix things because kids have broken them, they may turn to eviction more quickly in those cases, and that affects a lot of single moms and their children,” said Dr. Peter Hepburn, an assistant professor of sociology at Rutgers University-Newark and a researcher at the Princeton Eviction Lab.
Experts repeatedly emphasized the fact that women are more likely than men to be single parents as a reason women face higher rates of eviction. Children’s well-being impacts parents’ decisions in several ways, including when there are substandard housing conditions. Similar to Stock’s situation, women are more likely to report inadequate living conditions than men are, which can lead to retaliation from landlords.
A ‘Predictable And Preventable’ Crisis
Although there has been some government assistance for Americans facing eviction, it simply hasn’t been enough. There have been multiple eviction moratoriums on the local, state and federal levels since the pandemic hit the U.S., including the moratorium included in the CARES Act and the subsequent CDC moratorium that expires on Dec. 31.
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State and local governments created a patchwork of eviction moratoriums that varied widely in protections, and some expired when the CARES moratorium did. This left a one-month gap in coverage for some Americans facing eviction over the summer ― a time when there was a massive surge in COVID-19 cases across much of the U.S.
Lifting moratoriums during this time literally cost thousands of lives. A study published in the Journal of Urban Health in November analyzed the effects of lifting eviction moratoriums on COVID-19 infection and death rates. The report found that ending moratoriums between March and September led to nearly 434,000 excess coronavirus cases and nearly 11,000 additional deaths across 27 states.
A note from Nawaal Walker's daughter, Ca'leah, hangs on curtains in her home. Rachel Jessen for HuffPost
Housing advocates are calling for more emergency rental assistance, more resources such as expanded unemployment insurance and stimulus checks, and a uniform federal moratorium on rent for the duration of the pandemic. They say it’s critical that Congress enacts a new COVID-19 relief bill that includes housing protections and, simultaneously, that the CDC extends the eviction moratorium that’s in effect now. Advocates are also pushing mayors and governors to create protections on the state and local levels because it’s likely that Congress will not act in time.
“If we don’t see some combination of these actions, we’re facing a very real possibility of tens of millions of people losing their homes in the dead of winter, during a spike in COVID-19,” Yentel said. “The consequences of that would be catastrophic.”
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They’ll also last long after the pandemic and eviction crisis dissipate. “That single eviction filing creates this spiraling down into poverty that can become very difficult for that family to climb out of,” Yentel said.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-11--Biden Transition Team Won’t Commit To Asian American Cabinet Secretary

POOL New / Reuters Hawaii Sen. Mazie Hirono is pushing for President-elect Joe Biden to nominate California ’ s Julie Su for labor secretary .
President-elect Joe Biden ’ s transition team would not commit to nominating an Asian American for a Cabinet secretary position on Friday , shortly after Asian American lawmakers said failing to do so would be “ unacceptable.
” “ We ’ re already on track to have the most diverse cabinet in American history , ” transition spokesperson Jen Psaki said .
“ That is a value that will continue to be important to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ entire team as further decisions are made.
” Yohannes Abraham , the transition team ’ s executive director , noted Biden ’ s plans to nominate Neera Tanden to be director of the Office of Management and Budget and Katherine Tai to be U.S. trade representative .
Both are Asian American .
In a statement earlier Friday , the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus applauded the selections of Tanden and Tai , but said nominating Asian Americans or Pacific Islanders for the higher-profile secretary positions was still necessary .
“ For the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are facing the possibility that there might not be a single AAPI Cabinet Secretary in a presidential administration , ” members of the caucus said in a statement .
“ Let us be clear : that outcome is unacceptable.
” The group pointed out that every president since Bill Clinton in the 1990s has had at least one Asian American Cabinet secretary .
President Barack Obama in particular had three Asian American cabinet members .
“ To not include an AAPI official as a Cabinet Secretary overseeing a federal department would send the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be included , ” the caucus said .
“ We already see the exclusion of AAPIs in critical policy conversations regarding the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on communities of color , immigration and racial justice that often overlook our community due to the harmful ‘ model minority ’ stereotype that paints AAPIs as a monolithic group.
” In a separate letter , Hawaii Sen. Mazie Hirono — one of the Senate ’ s three Asian American members — specifically pushed Biden to nominate California Labor Secretary Julie Su for the same position @ @ @ @ @ @ @ team declined to comment on who is or isn ’ t under consideration for the labor secretary job , though speculation has centered on Su , Boston Mayor Marty Walsh and Michigan Rep. Andy Levin .
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders has also pushed for the job , but Biden has been reluctant to select members of the Senate for key positions so far .
Asian Americans are the nation ’ s fastest-growing racial group , and overwhelmingly supported Biden over incumbent GOP President Donald Trump and were key to his victories in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden ’ s pledge to build the most diverse Cabinet in American history , in addition to pressure from Black , Latinx and Asian American lawmakers , has helped shape the transition process and Biden ’ s picks for top jobs .
Black lawmakers , including South Carolina Rep. James Clyburn , a close Biden ally , pushed for the nominations of retired Gen. Lloyd Austin as secretary of defense and of Rep. Marcia Fudge as head of the Department of Housing and Urban Development .
Of Biden ’ s 14 Cabinet-level nominations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ women and nine have gone to people of color .

Hawaii Sen. Mazie Hirono is pushing for President-elect Joe Biden to nominate California’s Julie Su for labor secretary. POOL New / Reuters
President-elect Joe Biden’s transition team would not commit to nominating an Asian American for a Cabinet secretary position on Friday, shortly after Asian American lawmakers said failing to do so would be “unacceptable.”
When asked about the nomination request during a press conference Friday, two top transition officials reiterated Biden’s pledge to build a historically diverse Cabinet.
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“We’re already on track to have the most diverse cabinet in American history,” transition spokesperson Jen Psaki said. “That is a value that will continue to be important to the president-elect, the vice president-elect and the entire team as further decisions are made.”
Yohannes Abraham, the transition team’s executive director, noted Biden’s plans to nominate Neera Tanden to be director of the Office of Management and Budget and Katherine Tai to be U.S. trade representative. Both are Asian American.
In a statement earlier Friday, the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus applauded the selections of Tanden and Tai, but said nominating Asian Americans or Pacific Islanders for the higher-profile secretary positions was still necessary.
“For the first time in over two decades, we are facing the possibility that there might not be a single AAPI Cabinet Secretary in a presidential administration,” members of the caucus said in a statement. “Let us be clear: that outcome is unacceptable.”
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The group pointed out that every president since Bill Clinton in the 1990s has had at least one Asian American Cabinet secretary. President Barack Obama in particular had three Asian American cabinet members.
“To not include an AAPI official as a Cabinet Secretary overseeing a federal department would send the wrong message that AAPIs do not need to be included,” the caucus said. “We already see the exclusion of AAPIs in critical policy conversations regarding the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on communities of color, immigration and racial justice that often overlook our community due to the harmful ‘model minority’ stereotype that paints AAPIs as a monolithic group.”
In a separate letter, Hawaii Sen. Mazie Hirono — one of the Senate’s three Asian American members — specifically pushed Biden to nominate California Labor Secretary Julie Su for the same position at the federal level.
The transition team declined to comment on who is or isn’t under consideration for the labor secretary job, though speculation has centered on Su, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh and Michigan Rep. Andy Levin. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders has also pushed for the job, but Biden has been reluctant to select members of the Senate for key positions so far.
Asian Americans are the nation’s fastest-growing racial group, and overwhelmingly supported Biden over incumbent GOP President Donald Trump and were key to his victories in the swing states of Nevada and Georgia.
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Biden’s pledge to build the most diverse Cabinet in American history, in addition to pressure from Black, Latinx and Asian American lawmakers, has helped shape the transition process and Biden’s picks for top jobs.
Black lawmakers, including South Carolina Rep. James Clyburn, a close Biden ally, pushed for the nominations of retired Gen. Lloyd Austin as secretary of defense and of Rep. Marcia Fudge as head of the Department of Housing and Urban Development.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-11--Orlando Newspaper Apologizes For Endorsing Rep. Michael Waltz

The Orlando Sentinel ’ s editorial board issued an apology Friday for endorsing Rep. Michael Waltz , one of the @ @ @ @ @ President Donald Trump ’ s baseless crusade to overturn the results of the 2020 election @ @ @ @ @ highly unusual one from a newspaper , comes a day after Waltz joined eight other @ @ @ @ @ Texas lawsuit asking the U.S. Supreme Court to toss election results in four states where @ @ @ @ @ Biden .
We apologize to our readers for endorsing Michael Waltz in the 2020 general @ @ @ @ @ had no idea , had no way of knowing at the time , that Waltz @ @ @ @ @ .
During our endorsement interview with the incumbent congressman , we didn ’ t think @ @ @ @ @ you support an effort to throw out the votes of tens of millions of Americans @ @ @ @ @ to overturn a presidential election and hand it to the person who lost , Donald @ @ @

The Orlando Sentinel’s editorial board issued an apology Friday for endorsing Rep. Michael Waltz, one of the Republican members of Congress supporting President Donald Trump’s baseless crusade to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
The apology, a highly unusual one from a newspaper, comes a day after Waltz joined eight other Florida Republicans in supporting a Texas lawsuit asking the U.S. Supreme Court to toss election results in four states where Trump lost to President-elect Joe Biden.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-11--Twitter Users Snarkily Celebrate Supreme Court's Rejection Of Trump

Friday ’ s news that the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a bid by outgoing President Donald Trump to overturn the election was music to the ears of many Twitter users .
But instead of singing the court ’ s praises , many Twitter users chose to indulge in schadenfreude , the German word that aptly describes the experience of pleasure or joy at the humiliation of another .
Some singled out Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton , the person who attempted to overthrow precedent by having the court overturn the results of four swing states that chose Joe Biden over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ After I carried all that water , will Trump still pardon me ?
” https : //t.co/yzLq85GFUh — Tim O'Brien ( @ TimOBrien ) December 11 , 2020 Others chose to mock Trump ’ s lawyer , Rudy Giuliani , instead .
Others predicted the Court ’ s next step .
Although Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito dissented from the decision , a few people pointed out that none of the three judges that Trump appointed to the court supported his efforts to overturn the will of voters .
You thought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that you nominated , didn ’ t you ?
They don ’ t serve at your pleasure .
Once they ’ re confirmed they ’ re in for life .
Boy do you have egg on your face .
It ’ s OVER .
Pack your grip , you racist , degenerate , son of a Klansman .
pic.twitter.com/9BptipJJXY — Bishop Talbert Swan ( @ TalbertSwan ) December 11 , 2020 The court ’ s decision makes it easier for Biden to take office .
But one Twitter user said things aren ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part of the movie where the villain asks the Supreme Court to change the ending of the movie and they say no .
— Johnny McSeasonal ( @ JohnnyMcNulty ) December 12 , 2020

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Friday’s news that the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a bid by outgoing President Donald Trump to overturn the election was music to the ears of many Twitter users.
But instead of singing the court’s praises, many Twitter users chose to indulge in schadenfreude, the German word that aptly describes the experience of pleasure or joy at the humiliation of another.
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Some singled out Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, the person who attempted to overthrow precedent by having the court overturn the results of four swing states that chose Joe Biden over Trump.
Paxton is now wondering: “After I carried all that water, will Trump still pardon me?” https://t.co/yzLq85GFUh — Tim O'Brien (@TimOBrien) December 11, 2020
Others chose to mock Trump’s lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, instead.
Today's SCOTUS decision is a major setback for star legal genius Rudy Giuliani — Max Burns (@themaxburns) December 11, 2020
Rudy is already appealing to the Galactic Federation Supreme court — Kathy Gori @🏡 (@kathygori) December 11, 2020
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Others predicted the Court’s next step.
Next stop: #SCOTUS ruling that a president can't pardon himself — David Lazarus (@Davidlaz) December 11, 2020
Although Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito dissented from the decision, a few people pointed out that none of the three judges that Trump appointed to the court supported his efforts to overturn the will of voters.
You thought you owned the three #SCOTUS justices that you nominated, didn’t you?
They don’t serve at your pleasure. Once they’re confirmed they’re in for life.
Boy do you have egg on your face.
It’s OVER. Pack your grip, you racist, degenerate, son of a Klansman. pic.twitter.com/9BptipJJXY — Bishop Talbert Swan (@TalbertSwan) December 11, 2020
The court’s decision makes it easier for Biden to take office. But one Twitter user said things aren’t completely over.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-11--Trump Named 'Loser Of The Year' By German News Magazine Der Spiegel

President Donald Trump didn ’ t make Time magazine ’ s choice as Person of the Year this time around — but he was named “ Loser of the Year ” by Germany ’ s respected news magazine Der Spiegel .
Der Spiegel awarded the informal title in an article on Thursday , the same day Time named both President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris its 2020 Person of the Year .
Der Spiegel , which boasts a circulation of some 870,000 readers , bashes Trump for refusing to accept defeat in the presidential election .
He was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but always with one thing — himself , ” write journalists Roland Nelles and Ralf Neukirch in an article headlined “ Der Verlierer des Jahres ” ( The Loser of the Year ) .
“ Nothing is normal under Trump , ” the article adds .
“ He refuses to admit defeat .
Instead , he speaks of massive electoral fraud , although there is no evidence for it .
The whole thing is not surprising .
Trump ’ s presidency ends as it began : Without decency and without dignity.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its utter failure to stand up to Trump and his intentionally divisive politics .
“ The formerly proud party of Abraham Lincoln has degenerated into a collection of spineless yes-men , ” the magazine notes .
Trump is not popular with Germans .
Some 85 % of Germans have no confidence that the president would do the “ right thing ” in world affairs , according to a 2019 survey by the Pew Research Center .
In 2018 , Der Spiegel portrayed Trump as a middle finger flipping off Europe .
It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the resistance ... against America , ” the magazine urged .
“ Trump is only proficient in destruction , ” Der Spiegel noted then .
“ The West as we once knew it no longer exists .
It is impossible to overstate what Trump has dismantled.
” The new cover from Der Spiegel , one of the most respected publications in Germany .
This is how our friends in Europe see Trump ’ s America .
This matters .
When America First actually means America Alone , the United States is significantly weaker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brianklaas ) May 11 , 2018 German-American relations can “ only get better ” with Biden , a top German official told Der Spiegel on Friday .
Biden is “ predictable , reliable and anything but a hothead , ” the article noted .
“ The most important thing is that he ’ s not Trump .
”

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Der Spiegel awarded the informal title in an article on Thursday, the same day Time named both President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris its 2020 Person of the Year.
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Der Spiegel, which boasts a circulation of some 870,000 readers, bashes Trump for refusing to accept defeat in the presidential election. He was “never concerned with the common good, but always with one thing — himself,” write journalists Roland Nelles and Ralf Neukirch in an article headlined “Der Verlierer des Jahres” (The Loser of the Year).
“Nothing is normal under Trump,” the article adds. “He refuses to admit defeat. Instead, he speaks of massive electoral fraud, although there is no evidence for it. The whole thing is not surprising. Trump’s presidency ends as it began: Without decency and without dignity.”
The article also shreds the GOP for its utter failure to stand up to Trump and his intentionally divisive politics. “The formerly proud party of Abraham Lincoln has degenerated into a collection of spineless yes-men,” the magazine notes.
Trump is not popular with Germans. Some 85% of Germans have no confidence that the president would do the “right thing” in world affairs, according to a 2019 survey by the Pew Research Center.
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“Trump is only proficient in destruction,” Der Spiegel noted then. “The West as we once knew it no longer exists. It is impossible to overstate what Trump has dismantled.”
The new cover from Der Spiegel, one of the most respected publications in Germany. This is how our friends in Europe see Trump’s America. This matters. When America First actually means America Alone, the United States is significantly weaker. pic.twitter.com/kRWYvxdQ81 — Brian Klaas (@brianklaas) May 11, 2018
German-American relations can “only get better” with Biden, a top German official told Der Spiegel on Friday. Biden is “predictable, reliable and anything but a hothead,” the article noted. “The most important thing is that he’s not Trump.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-11--Bipartisan COVID-19 Relief Talks Are Hitting A Wall With Time Running Out

Stefani Reynolds via Getty Images Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has all but said he wo n't accept a relief package that does n't protect businesses from coronavirus liability lawsuits .
Republicans want a broad and yearslong clampdown on lawsuits that are even tangentially related to the coronavirus .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ’ s proposal could affect unrelated medical malpractice suits and supersede labor and civil rights laws in some circumstances .
The Kentucky Republican has railed against trial lawyers for decades and all but said he won ’ t accept a compromise .
Democrats have offered a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ four to six months , according to two sources briefed on the negotiations .
That pause would give states time to update their own liability laws , which some have already done .
McConnell has called for preempting all state laws that are less strict than his own proposal , which would make it harder to get a trial and harder to prove negligence .
Democrats also offered an indemnification program , somewhat similar to the 9/11 victim compensation fund , that would help organizations pay legal damages if they ’ re found @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus .
But the two sides don ’ t seem close to an agreement on liability .
And with McConnell urging them to stop trying , Sen. Mitt Romney ( R-Utah ) , one of the main Republicans involved in the talks , suggested Thursday that giving up might be the best option .
Other lawmakers sounded pessimistic on Friday morning .
The suggested compromise would certainly not be the deal that Democrats would choose on their own .
Following the CARES Act in March , House Democrats have already passed two additional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ amounted to $ 3 trillion , including $ 1 trillion for state and local governments , and one in October that offered $ 2.2 trillion , including $ 436 billion in state and local aid .
But those bills are going nowhere in the Senate , and with an extension of unemployment benefits running out , on top of a moratorium on evictions expiring and the unemployment rate potentially rising , Democrats may be inclined to take something over nothing .
For one , since lawmakers are operating under a self-imposed arbitrary spending @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government aid would free up $ 160 billion that could be used for stimulus checks .
The current bipartisan proposal doesn ’ t include checks , and Thune actually noted Friday that there was some discussion of putting that $ 160 billion toward individual stimulus .
For another , not acting on state and local aid and liability now may increase the likelihood that Congress acts again in the initial days of the Biden administration ― though any more pandemic relief is hardly guaranteed .
But state and city governments are already planning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like police officers , and Republican governors may agitate for more help .
“ Don ’ t just think about your state .
Think about what ’ s happening across all 50 states because there is need and it is great , ” she said , noting that tax revenues in Alaska have dropped by 33 % , or $ 1.3 billion .
Again , Democrats and some Republicans may not like the gambit of leaving out the aid now .
When HuffPost asked Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi ( D-Ill. ) about that option @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country is headed into the worst period of the pandemic — both in terms of daily cases and deaths — and said it would be like holding a patient in intensive care for four or five months before actually trying to save the patient .
If lawmakers ultimately decide to drop the two most contentious proposals , it ’ s not clear what McConnell would then want to pass ― the remaining products of the bipartisan negotiation or the versions of those provisions that McConnell himself prefers .
The negotiated framework would preserve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supplemented with an extra $ 300 per week .
McConnell ’ s latest proposal omitted an extra benefit .
We just need a break until this disease , which we didn ’ t cause , is at least under control .
They ’ ve got to get us from here to there .
Raymond Bianchi , who lost his job because of the pandemic

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has all but said he won't accept a relief package that doesn't protect businesses from coronavirus liability lawsuits. Stefani Reynolds via Getty Images
WASHINGTON — With unemployment benefit extensions ending in two weeks, Congress is yet again confronting an uncomfortable reality: There may be no coronavirus compromise in the offing.
The bipartisan group of senators negotiating a roughly $900 billion pandemic relief proposal that generated optimism on Capitol Hill might be running into the same issue that party leaders have faced for months — an inability to compromise on a liability shield for businesses and other organizations.
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Republicans want a broad and yearslong clampdown on lawsuits that are even tangentially related to the coronavirus. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s proposal could affect unrelated medical malpractice suits and supersede labor and civil rights laws in some circumstances. The Kentucky Republican has railed against trial lawyers for decades and all but said he won’t accept a compromise.
Democrats have offered a pause on coronavirus-related personal injury lawsuits for four to six months, according to two sources briefed on the negotiations. That pause would give states time to update their own liability laws, which some have already done. McConnell has called for preempting all state laws that are less strict than his own proposal, which would make it harder to get a trial and harder to prove negligence. Democrats also offered an indemnification program, somewhat similar to the 9/11 victim compensation fund, that would help organizations pay legal damages if they’re found liable for negligently exposing someone to the virus.
But the two sides don’t seem close to an agreement on liability. And with McConnell urging them to stop trying, Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), one of the main Republicans involved in the talks, suggested Thursday that giving up might be the best option. Other lawmakers sounded pessimistic on Friday morning.
“We have an eight-month impasse around liability issues, and it’s proving to be extremely difficult to close it,” Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), one of the moderate senators attempting to negotiate a deal, told reporters on Friday.
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The number two Senate Republican, John Thune (R-S.D.), said the best way forward at this point was to take McConnell’s suggestion: Agree to drop the liability shield language in exchange for eliminating $160 billion in state and local funding from the relief package.
Democrats are extremely resistant to that idea, as state and local funding is one of their top priorities. And it’s not a foregone conclusion that senators won’t reach a deal.
“We’re still working on it. Nothing is coming out,” Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), the lead Democrat negotiating a bipartisan compromise, told HuffPost.
But setting aside the liability shield and the $160 billion might be the only way forward ― and something that some Democrats might be willing, reluctantly, to accept.
When HuffPost asked moderate Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.) about the idea of dropping both the state and local money and the liability shield, he said he wouldn’t call it a “non-starter,” but added that he and most Democrats would probably find that “unacceptable.”
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Still, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) blasted that idea earlier this week, saying that the state and local aid is bipartisan, unlike McConnell’s “extreme corporate liability proposal.”
“He’s sabotaging good-faith, bipartisan negotiations because his partisan ideological effort is not getting a good reception,” Schumer said.
And Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) called McConnell’s idea an appalling effort to undermine bipartisan negotiations. “What does McConnell have against our heroes?” Pelosi asked.
“Don’t just think about your state. Think about what’s happening across all 50 states because there is need and it is great.” - Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska)
The suggested compromise would certainly not be the deal that Democrats would choose on their own. Following the CARES Act in March, House Democrats have already passed two additional relief bills — one in May that amounted to $3 trillion, including $1 trillion for state and local governments, and one in October that offered $2.2 trillion, including $436 billion in state and local aid. But those bills are going nowhere in the Senate, and with an extension of unemployment benefits running out, on top of a moratorium on evictions expiring and the unemployment rate potentially rising, Democrats may be inclined to take something over nothing.
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There also may be some hidden benefits in withholding state and local aid.
For one, since lawmakers are operating under a self-imposed arbitrary spending limit, dropping the state and local government aid would free up $160 billion that could be used for stimulus checks. The current bipartisan proposal doesn’t include checks, and Thune actually noted Friday that there was some discussion of putting that $160 billion toward individual stimulus.
For another, not acting on state and local aid and liability now may increase the likelihood that Congress acts again in the initial days of the Biden administration ― though any more pandemic relief is hardly guaranteed. But state and city governments are already planning major layoffs, including of essential personnel like police officers, and Republican governors may agitate for more help.
As Schumer noted, providing fiscal support to state and local governments already has bipartisan backing. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) pleaded with her GOP colleagues this week to recognize that the pandemic has created legitimate problems for both blue and red states.
“Don’t just think about your state. Think about what’s happening across all 50 states because there is need and it is great,” she said, noting that tax revenues in Alaska have dropped by 33%, or $1.3 billion.
Again, Democrats and some Republicans may not like the gambit of leaving out the aid now. When HuffPost asked Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) about that option this week, he noted that the country is headed into the worst period of the pandemic — both in terms of daily cases and deaths — and said it would be like holding a patient in intensive care for four or five months before actually trying to save the patient.
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If lawmakers ultimately decide to drop the two most contentious proposals, it’s not clear what McConnell would then want to pass ― the remaining products of the bipartisan negotiation or the versions of those provisions that McConnell himself prefers. The negotiated framework would preserve federal unemployment benefits for four months, supplemented with an extra $300 per week. McConnell’s latest proposal omitted an extra benefit.
A spokesman for the Senate majority leader did not respond when HuffPost asked if McConnell would accept the unemployment provisions of the bipartisan framework.
“We just need a break until this disease, which we didn’t cause, is at least under control. They’ve got to get us from here to there.” - Raymond Bianchi, who lost his job because of the pandemic
If Congress can’t strike a deal, then federal unemployment programs for gig workers and the long-term jobless will expire on Dec. 26, halting that income for nearly 12 million workers.
Raymond Bianchi of Oak Park, Illinois, is one of them. He had worked in the trade show industry for 25 years until he lost his job as an executive vice president in March. Trade shows can’t really happen, after all, when there’s an uncontrolled plague.
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Bianchi, 52, said he’s applied for many jobs in other industries that aren’t as dependent on mass gatherings, but he has struggled to compete with candidates who have more relevant experience.
His wife still has her job, he said, but if his income stops at the end of the month, he’ll have to start drawing down savings, and in a matter of months would have to start thinking about selling their house. It’s particularly frustrating with a vaccine nearing approval and a return to normalcy ― and his career ― on the horizon.
The bipartisan deal would give Bianchi another 16 weeks of benefits with an extra $300 per week.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-11--Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot Calls Out Mitch McConnell: 'Stop The Nonsense'

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot minced no words when addressing Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ( R-Ky. ) in a press conference on Wednesday , telling him to “ stop the nonsense ” and pass a coronavirus relief stimulus package .
McConnell and other Republicans in Congress have been at odds with Democrats over the details of a COVID-19 relief bill for months .
The Senate majority leader has refused to endorse a $ 908 billion bipartisan proposal backed by moderates like Sen. Mitt Romney ( R-Utah ) that prioritizes unemployment assistance and funds for state and local governments .
Instead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ narrower plan that includes federal limits on coronavirus-related lawsuits against businesses .
“ I don ’ t get Mitch McConnell , ” Lightfoot told reporters .
“ I never have and probably never will , but it would be an absolute travesty if something happened in Congress and there was not any kind of accommodation for state and local governments who are suffering.
” “ I don ’ t know what goes on in that man ’ s mind that he doesn ’ t get it.
” Lightfoot accused McConnell of turning his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home of Kentucky — and added that the endless deadlock in Congress was only causing greater harm .
“ I know that there ’ s a lot of posturing that goes on in Washington , D.C. , but dear God , stop the nonsense , ” Lightfoot said .
“ Get something done .
We are hurting here in the heartland and all across our country , and we need the federal government to step up and do their job .
”

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Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot minced no words when addressing Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) in a press conference on Wednesday, telling him to “stop the nonsense” and pass a coronavirus relief stimulus package.
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“I don’t get Mitch McConnell,” Lightfoot told reporters. “I never have and probably never will, but it would be an absolute travesty if something happened in Congress and there was not any kind of accommodation for state and local governments who are suffering.”
“I don’t know what goes on in that man’s mind that he doesn’t get it.”
Lightfoot accused McConnell of turning his back on U.S. states — including his home of Kentucky — and added that the endless deadlock in Congress was only causing greater harm.
“I know that there’s a lot of posturing that goes on in Washington, D.C., but dear God, stop the nonsense,” Lightfoot said. “Get something done. We are hurting here in the heartland and all across our country, and we need the federal government to step up and do their job.”
See Lightfoot’s remarks below, courtesy of local media station WGN-TV.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-11--Nancy Pelosi Lauds Supreme Court For Dismissing ‘Sham’ GOP Election Lawsuit

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-Calif. ) said Friday that the Supreme Court had “ rightly dismissed ” a lawsuit brought by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton — and supported by President Donald Trump — that had sought to invalidate election results in four states the president lost in November .
Pelosi lambasted the suit , which the nation ’ s highest court had rejected earlier on Friday , as an “ extreme , unlawful and undemocratic ” attempt to “ overturn the will of millions of American voters.
” The lawsuit had called for the invalidation of votes in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — states President-elect Joe Biden won — because of alleged “ voting irregularities.
” No evidence has emerged to support the conspiracy theory Trump and his allies have promoted that there were significant voting irregularities this election .
“ The 126 Republican Members that signed onto this lawsuit brought dishonor to the House , ” Pelosi said in a statement , referring to the House Republicans who signed an amicus brief expressing their support for the suit .
The group included House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and House Minority Whip Steve Scalise .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ support and defend the Constitution , they chose to subvert the Constitution and undermine public trust in our sacred democratic institutions , ” Pelosi said .
“ The pandemic is raging , with nearly 300,000 having died and tens of millions having lost jobs .
Strong , unified action is needed to crush the virus , and Republicans must once and for all end their election subversion — immediately.
” Meanwhile , the Republican Party of Texas criticized the Supreme Court , saying it had “ decreed that a state can take unconstitutional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” The @ TexasGOP is out with a statement in the wake of the Supreme Court decision , all but calling for secession : “ Perhaps law-abiding states should bond together and form a Union of states that will abide by the constitution.
” pic.twitter.com/4bB3gk88t4 — Adam Kelsey ( @ adamkelsey ) December 12 , 2020 “ This decision will have far reaching ramifications for the future of our constitutional republic , ” Texas GOP Chairman Allen West said in a statement before suggesting that Texas and other “ law-abiding states ” should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” “ Perhaps law-abiding states should bond together and form a Union of states that will abide by the constitution , ” the statement read .

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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Friday that the Supreme Court had “rightly dismissed” a lawsuit brought by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton — and supported by President Donald Trump — that had sought to invalidate election results in four states the president lost in November.
Pelosi lambasted the suit, which the nation’s highest court had rejected earlier on Friday, as an “extreme, unlawful and undemocratic” attempt to “overturn the will of millions of American voters.”
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The lawsuit had called for the invalidation of votes in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Michigan and Wisconsin — states President-elect Joe Biden won — because of alleged “voting irregularities.” No evidence has emerged to support the conspiracy theory Trump and his allies have promoted that there were significant voting irregularities this election.
The U.S. Supreme Court has rightly dismissed out of hand the sham GOP lawsuit to overturn the will of millions of American voters. — Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) December 12, 2020
“The 126 Republican Members that signed onto this lawsuit brought dishonor to the House,” Pelosi said in a statement, referring to the House Republicans who signed an amicus brief expressing their support for the suit. The group included House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and House Minority Whip Steve Scalise.
“Instead of upholding their oath to support and defend the Constitution, they chose to subvert the Constitution and undermine public trust in our sacred democratic institutions,” Pelosi said. “The pandemic is raging, with nearly 300,000 having died and tens of millions having lost jobs. Strong, unified action is needed to crush the virus, and Republicans must once and for all end their election subversion — immediately.”
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Meanwhile, the Republican Party of Texas criticized the Supreme Court, saying it had “decreed that a state can take unconstitutional actions and violate its own election law.”
The @TexasGOP is out with a statement in the wake of the Supreme Court decision, all but calling for secession:
“Perhaps law-abiding states should bond together and form a Union of states that will abide by the constitution.” pic.twitter.com/4bB3gk88t4 — Adam Kelsey (@adamkelsey) December 12, 2020
“This decision will have far reaching ramifications for the future of our constitutional republic,” Texas GOP Chairman Allen West said in a statement before suggesting that Texas and other “law-abiding states” should come together and “form a Union.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-11--Lawmakers Who Backed Texas Lawsuit Should Be Barred From House: NJ Congressman

Rep. Bill Pascrell ( D-N.J. ) has called on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-Calif. ) to bar 126 GOP representatives from the House , arguing that their support for the failed , baseless Texas lawsuit seeking to hijack the presidential election violated the Constitution .
The Texas suit , supported by 17 other state attorneys general , was rejected Friday by the U.S. Supreme Court .
President Donald Trump had attempted to join the self-serving suit , which sought to jettison votes in Georgia , Pennsylvania , Michigan and Wisconsin , whose voters chose President-elect Joe Biden .
Pascrell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ amicus brief supporting the action — including House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy ( R-Calif. ) — of violating the Constitution by seeking to nullify Americans ’ votes and instead choose a “ dictator.
” He cited Section 3 of the 14th Amendment , enacted after the Civil War and designed to keep traitors out of government .
The section prohibits anyone who had gone to war against the union or given aid and comfort to the nation ’ s enemies from running for federal or state office .
The Pennsylvania brief responding to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seditious abuse of the judicial process.
” Pascrell said in a tweet accompanied by a statement on Friday : “ Today I ’ m calling on House leaders to refuse to seat any Members trying to overturn the election and make Donald Trump an unelected dictator.
” The “ text of the 14th Amendment expressly forbids Members of Congress from engaging in rebellion against the United States , ” he tweeted .
“ Trying to overturn a democratic election and install a dictator seems like a pretty clear example of that.
” Section @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after the Civil War to bar from government any traitors who would seek to destroy the Union .
My letter to House leadership today demands that 126 Republicans ( and counting ) are violating the Constitution .
pic.twitter.com/4ti0OU1kpP — Bill Pascrell , Jr. ( @ BillPascrell ) December 11 , 2020 The text of the 14th Amendment expressly forbids Members of Congress from engaging in rebellion against the United States .
Trying to overturn a democratic election and install a dictator seems like a pretty clear example of that .
pic.twitter.com/VMnDfd0sFx — Bill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ December 11 , 2020 Pascrell was quoted in his statement as saying : “ Stated simply , the men and women who would act to tear the United States Government apart can not serve as Members of the Congress.
” Pelosi ’ s office didn ’ t comment on Pascrell ’ s request .
But in a letter to colleagues Friday evening , the California Democrat said Republicans are “ subverting the Constitution by their reckless and fruitless assault on our democracy.
” Trump has refused to concede the election and continues to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dozens of court cases by his campaign and supporters have failed in court .
I SERIOUSLY agree !
Let 's redo THEIR 126 races too !
The next DOJ needs to prosecute # DictatorTrump & # ReThuglican co-conspirators for # Sedition Sedition is defined in 18 USC§2384 as “ two or more persons in any State ” conspiring , by force , to “ delay the execution of any law . ''
— Jonathan Greenberg ( @ JournalistJG ) December 11 , 2020 This seems to be the only remedy that will have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Republicans are so deluded in falsehoods , brimming with such animosity at loss , that they 'd entertain overturning this election .
ENOUGH OF THE GAMES .
Make them pay for this travesty .
Society is dying .
pic.twitter.com/g6YkT8HL0g — 🌐 Agent K ➖🕵♂ 🔎 👁 💬 📡 ⏱ 🎯 ⚖ ➖ 🌊 ( @ gary_kline ) December 11 , 2020 Every Real American should support Bill Pascrell ’ s request to House Leaders to refuse to seat any House Representative trying to overturn the election , in accordance with Section 3 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to end the attempted Coup & destruction of our democracy !
pic.twitter.com/KQdvxtP312 — WHSCI ( @ WHSCI ) December 11 , 2020 There is a logical corollary here : How does Congress seat Republicans who themselves claim by inference that their own elections in the swing states were illegitimate ?
— Peter Vroom 📫🌊 ( @ PeterVroom1 ) December 11 , 2020 A ballot can not be BOTH illegitimate at the top AND legitimate at the bottom .
How do the Repugnicans plan to square that circle ?
— KatrinkaC ( @ katriotic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need to do something .
Im not a lawyer so I cant say how or what they could do but that is blatantly sticking their middle fingers in their constituents faces for their own benefit .
This shit needs to stop .
— Tired In AZ 🌊🌊🌊🌊 # resist ( @ TiredAz ) December 11 , 2020

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Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.) has called on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to bar 126 GOP representatives from the House, arguing that their support for the failed, baseless Texas lawsuit seeking to hijack the presidential election violated the Constitution.
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Pascrell accused the House members who signed an amicus brief supporting the action — including House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) — of violating the Constitution by seeking to nullify Americans’ votes and instead choose a “dictator.” He cited Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, enacted after the Civil War and designed to keep traitors out of government.
The section prohibits anyone who had gone to war against the union or given aid and comfort to the nation’s enemies from running for federal or state office.
The Pennsylvania brief responding to the Texas lawsuit referred to its “seditious abuse of the judicial process.”
Pascrell said in a tweet accompanied by a statement on Friday: “Today I’m calling on House leaders to refuse to seat any Members trying to overturn the election and make Donald Trump an unelected dictator.”
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The “text of the 14th Amendment expressly forbids Members of Congress from engaging in rebellion against the United States,” he tweeted. “Trying to overturn a democratic election and install a dictator seems like a pretty clear example of that.”
Today I’m calling on House leaders to refuse to seat any Members trying to overturn the election and make donald trump an unelected dictator. pic.twitter.com/icTmGKCpuR — Bill Pascrell, Jr. (@BillPascrell) December 11, 2020
Section 3 of the 14th Amendment was written after the Civil War to bar from government any traitors who would seek to destroy the Union.
My letter to House leadership today demands that 126 Republicans (and counting) are violating the Constitution. pic.twitter.com/4ti0OU1kpP — Bill Pascrell, Jr. (@BillPascrell) December 11, 2020
The text of the 14th Amendment expressly forbids Members of Congress from engaging in rebellion against the United States. Trying to overturn a democratic election and install a dictator seems like a pretty clear example of that. pic.twitter.com/VMnDfd0sFx — Bill Pascrell, Jr. (@BillPascrell) December 11, 2020
Pascrell was quoted in his statement as saying: “Stated simply, the men and women who would act to tear the United States Government apart cannot serve as Members of the Congress.”
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Pelosi’s office didn’t comment on Pascrell’s request. But in a letter to colleagues Friday evening, the California Democrat said Republicans are “subverting the Constitution by their reckless and fruitless assault on our democracy.”
Trump has refused to concede the election and continues to repeat baseless claims of election fraud. Dozens of court cases by his campaign and supporters have failed in court.
Pascrell’s call to block lawmakers who backed the latest suit triggered a show of support on Twitter.
I SERIOUSLY agree! Let's redo THEIR 126 races too!
The next DOJ needs to prosecute #DictatorTrump & #ReThuglican co-conspirators for #Sedition
Sedition is defined in 18 USC§2384 as “ two or more persons in any State” conspiring, by force, to “delay the execution of any law." — Jonathan Greenberg (@JournalistJG) December 11, 2020
This seems to be the only remedy that will have any teeth. As of right now, Republicans are so deluded in falsehoods, brimming with such animosity at loss, that they'd entertain overturning this election.
ENOUGH OF THE GAMES. Make them pay for this travesty. Society is dying. pic.twitter.com/g6YkT8HL0g — 🌐 Agent K ➖🕵♂ 🔎 👁 💬 📡 ⏱ 🎯 ⚖ ➖ 🌊 (@gary_kline) December 11, 2020
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Every Real American should support Bill Pascrell’s request to House Leaders to refuse to seat any House Representative trying to overturn the election, in accordance with Section 3 of the 14th Amendment! We need to end the attempted Coup & destruction of our democracy! pic.twitter.com/KQdvxtP312 — WHSCI (@WHSCI) December 11, 2020
There is a logical corollary here: How does Congress seat Republicans who themselves claim by inference that their own elections in the swing states were illegitimate? — Peter Vroom 📫🌊 (@PeterVroom1) December 11, 2020
A ballot cannot be BOTH illegitimate at the top AND legitimate at the bottom. How do the Repugnicans plan to square that circle? — KatrinkaC (@katriotic) December 11, 2020
The dems need to do something. Im not a lawyer so I cant say how or what they could do but that is blatantly sticking their middle fingers in their constituents faces for their own benefit. This shit needs to stop. — Tired In AZ 🌊🌊🌊🌊#resist (@TiredAz) December 11, 2020
It's good to see New Jersey isn't playing.
Respect. — ChicaLoca (@HaschVivian) December 11, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-11--Rapper Lil Wayne Pleads Guilty To Federal Weapons Charge

ST. PETERSBURG , Fla. ( AP ) — Rapper Lil Wayne pleaded guilty Friday to a federal charge that he possessed a weapon despite being a convicted felon following a 2019 search of a private plane in the Miami area .
The rapper , whose real name is Dwayne Michael Carter , entered the plea during a hearing held remotely before U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams .
Williams set a Jan. 28 sentencing date .
The charge carries a maximum prison sentence of 10 years , but it ’ s likely Carter would get far less time than that .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ bail but had to surrender his passport .
Authorities said the 38-year-old rapper acknowledged possessing a .45 caliber , gold-plated handgun and six rounds of ammunition after his luggage was searched upon arriving in Miami on Dec. 23 , 2019 , from California .
A search warrant said Carter told investigators the gun was a Father ’ s Day gift .
The charge stems from a weapons conviction of Carter in New York more than a decade ago , for which he was sentenced to eight months in prison .
Convicted felons are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Carter ’ s lawyer , Howard Srebnick , said he considered a motion to suppress the search of the plane as a violation of the rapper ’ s constitutional rights .
Carter , he said , wanted to accept responsibility .
“ I must say I thought it was a very viable motion .
He has decided not to pursue a motion to suppress , ” Srebnick said .
The Miami U.S. attorney ’ s office also said in the news release that investigators found small amounts of cocaine , ecstasy , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Carter , but he was not charged with any drug crime .
As Lil Wayne , Carter has sold over 120 million records , won five Grammys and numerous other music awards .
He owns a home in Miami Beach and is CEO of his own record label , Young Money Entertainment .

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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Rapper Lil Wayne pleaded guilty Friday to a federal charge that he possessed a weapon despite being a convicted felon following a 2019 search of a private plane in the Miami area.
The rapper, whose real name is Dwayne Michael Carter, entered the plea during a hearing held remotely before U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams.
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“Your honor, I plead guilty to the charge,” Carter told the judge.
Williams set a Jan. 28 sentencing date. The charge carries a maximum prison sentence of 10 years, but it’s likely Carter would get far less time than that. He’s free on $250,000 bail but had to surrender his passport.
Authorities said the 38-year-old rapper acknowledged possessing a .45 caliber, gold-plated handgun and six rounds of ammunition after his luggage was searched upon arriving in Miami on Dec. 23, 2019, from California. A search warrant said Carter told investigators the gun was a Father’s Day gift.
The charge stems from a weapons conviction of Carter in New York more than a decade ago, for which he was sentenced to eight months in prison. Convicted felons are barred under federal law from possessing firearms.
Carter’s lawyer, Howard Srebnick, said he considered a motion to suppress the search of the plane as a violation of the rapper’s constitutional rights. Carter, he said, wanted to accept responsibility.
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“I must say I thought it was a very viable motion. He has decided not to pursue a motion to suppress,” Srebnick said.
The Miami U.S. attorney’s office also said in the news release that investigators found small amounts of cocaine, ecstasy, and oxycodone in a bag belonging to Carter, but he was not charged with any drug crime.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-11--10 Amazing Photos You Missed This Week

10 Amazing Photos You Missed This Week

We ’ re highlighting exceptional photos from around the world for the week just ended .
Check them out below @ @ @ @ @ , 90 , is applauded by staff as she returns to her ward after becoming @ @ @ @ @ U.K. to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at University Hospital , Coventry , England , @ @ @

We’re highlighting exceptional photos from around the world for the week just ended. Check them out below.
Above: Margaret Keenan, 90, is applauded by staff as she returns to her ward after becoming the first patient in the U.K. to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at University Hospital, Coventry, England, on Tuesday.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-11--Codebreakers Solve 51-Year-Old Zodiac Killer Puzzle

A bizarre puzzle thought to have been sent 51 years ago by the infamous Zodiac Killer may have finally been solved by an international team of coding experts .
The three codebreakers believe they have decrypted the 340 cipher ― named for its number of characters ― and the solution may provide clues that lead to the murderer ’ s identity , according to the San Francisco Chronicle .
The Zodiac Killer terrorized Northern California from 1968 to 1970 , shooting or stabbing at least five people to death while sending cryptic letters and notes to police and newspapers signed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was then adopted by police and the media .
The killer mailed the 340 cipher to the Chronicle in November 1969 , a few weeks after a man claiming to be the Zodiac Killer called a local TV talk show .
In the newly decoded message , a person claiming to be the real murderer clarifies that he was not the person who called the talk show , according to SF Gate .
The statements decoded from the cipher include : “ I HOPE YOU ARE HAVING LOTS OF FUN IN TRYING TO @ @ @ @ @ @ @ TV SHOW WHICH BRINGS UP A POINT ABOUT ME I AM NOT AFRAID OF THE GAS CHAMBER BECAUSE IT WILL SEND ME TO PARADICE ALL THE SOONER BECAUSE I NOW HAVE ENOUGH SLAVES TO WORK FOR ME WHERE EVERYONE ELSE HAS NOTHING WHEN THEY REACH PARADICE SO THEY ARE AFRAID OF DEATH I AM NOT AFRAID BECAUSE I KNOW THAT MY NEW LIFE IS LIFE WILL BE AN EASY ONE IN PARADICE DEATH ”

A bizarre puzzle thought to have been sent 51 years ago by the infamous Zodiac Killer may have finally been solved by an international team of coding experts.
The three codebreakers believe they have decrypted the 340 cipher ― named for its number of characters ― and the solution may provide clues that lead to the murderer’s identity, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
The Zodiac Killer terrorized Northern California from 1968 to 1970, shooting or stabbing at least five people to death while sending cryptic letters and notes to police and newspapers signed “Zodiac,” a moniker that was then adopted by police and the media.
The killer mailed the 340 cipher to the Chronicle in November 1969, a few weeks after a man claiming to be the Zodiac Killer called a local TV talk show.
In the newly decoded message, a person claiming to be the real murderer clarifies that he was not the person who called the talk show, according to SF Gate.
The statements decoded from the cipher include:


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-11--FKA Twigs Sues Ex-Boyfriend Shia LaBeouf For Alleged Assault, Battery, Abuse: Report

Mike Blake / Reuters FKA twigs , who has reportedly filed a lawsuit against ex-boyfriend Shia LaBeouf , said she hopes to `` raise awareness on the tactics that abusers use to control you and take away your agency . ''
“ What I went through with Shia was the worst thing I ’ ve ever been through in the whole of my life , ” FKA twigs , whose given name is Tahliah Debrett Barnett , told the Times in an interview .
“ I don ’ t think people would ever think that it would happen to me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the thing .
It can happen to anybody.
” In the lawsuit , Barnett , 32 , recounts LaBeouf , 34 , waking her up in the middle of the night and choking her ; threatening to crash a car they were in unless she stated her love for him ; throwing her against a car while screaming in her face ; knowingly giving her a sexually transmitted disease ; and “ relentless abuse , ” including assault and sexual battery .
“ I ’ d like to be able to raise awareness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ control you and take away your agency , ” Barnett told the Times .
She added that she plans to donate a significant portion of any monetary damages she wins to domestic violence charities .
His abuse could also be more subtle , Barnett said : LaBeouf did not like her to speak to or look at other men , forbade her from wearing clothes to bed and encouraged her to question her relationships with others in her inner circle .
He also kept a loaded firearm by his bed , she said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at night because she was worried he could mistake her for an intruder and shoot her .
`` I have been abusive to myself and everyone around me for years , '' Shia LaBeouf said .
But he said some of the claims in FKA twigs ' lawsuit are false .
“ I ’ m not in any position to tell anyone how my behavior made them feel , ” he said .
“ I have no excuses for my alcoholism or aggression , only rationalizations .
I have been abusive to myself @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I have a history of hurting the people closest to me .
I ’ m ashamed of that history and am sorry to those I hurt .
There is nothing else I can really say.
” However , when presented with the claims in the lawsuit , he also said that “ many of these allegations are not true.
” Another one of LaBeouf ’ s ex-girlfriends , stylist Karolyn Pho , detailed some of her alleged experiences with the actor in the lawsuit filed by Barnett .
On one occasion , she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bed and head-butted her until she bled .
Video in 2015 showed him fighting on the street with his then-girlfriend , actor and model Mia Goth .
As he walked away from the fight , he was recorded saying , “ If I ’ d have stayed there , I would have killed her .
”

FKA twigs, who has reportedly filed a lawsuit against ex-boyfriend Shia LaBeouf, said she hopes to "raise awareness on the tactics that abusers use to control you and take away your agency." Mike Blake / Reuters
Musician FKA twigs reportedly filed a lawsuit Friday against her ex-boyfriend Shia LaBeouf, accusing the actor of assaulting and emotionally abusing her throughout their relationship.
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“What I went through with Shia was the worst thing I’ve ever been through in the whole of my life,” FKA twigs, whose given name is Tahliah Debrett Barnett, told the Times in an interview. “I don’t think people would ever think that it would happen to me. But I think that’s the thing. It can happen to anybody.”
In the lawsuit, Barnett, 32, recounts LaBeouf, 34, waking her up in the middle of the night and choking her; threatening to crash a car they were in unless she stated her love for him; throwing her against a car while screaming in her face; knowingly giving her a sexually transmitted disease; and “relentless abuse,” including assault and sexual battery.
“I’d like to be able to raise awareness on the tactics that abusers use to control you and take away your agency,” Barnett told the Times. She added that she plans to donate a significant portion of any monetary damages she wins to domestic violence charities.
His abuse could also be more subtle, Barnett said: LaBeouf did not like her to speak to or look at other men, forbade her from wearing clothes to bed and encouraged her to question her relationships with others in her inner circle. He also kept a loaded firearm by his bed, she said, which scared her from getting up at night because she was worried he could mistake her for an intruder and shoot her.
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"I have been abusive to myself and everyone around me for years," Shia LaBeouf said. But he said some of the claims in FKA twigs' lawsuit are false. Danny Moloshok / Reuters
LaBeouf, who dated Barnett throughout 2018 and 2019, admitted to being an abusive person in an emailed statement to the Times.
“I’m not in any position to tell anyone how my behavior made them feel,” he said. “I have no excuses for my alcoholism or aggression, only rationalizations. I have been abusive to myself and everyone around me for years. I have a history of hurting the people closest to me. I’m ashamed of that history and am sorry to those I hurt. There is nothing else I can really say.”
However, when presented with the claims in the lawsuit, he also said that “many of these allegations are not true.”
Another one of LaBeouf’s ex-girlfriends, stylist Karolyn Pho, detailed some of her alleged experiences with the actor in the lawsuit filed by Barnett. On one occasion, she claims, LaBeouf pinned her to the bed and head-butted her until she bled.
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LaBeouf’s tumultuous personal life has been reported on for years.
Video in 2015 showed him fighting on the street with his then-girlfriend, actor and model Mia Goth. As he walked away from the fight, he was recorded saying, “If I’d have stayed there, I would have killed her.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-12--Prince William, Kate Middleton And Children Hit The Red Carpet Together For First Time

LONDON ( AP ) — Britain ’ s Prince William and his family attended a Christmas show in London on Friday night , where he paid tribute to medical staff and other frontline workers for their efforts during the pandemic .
William , his wife Kate , and their three children , Prince George , Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis , watched a traditional British pantomime performance at the Palladium organized to thank the city ’ s essential workers and their families .
It was the first time the family of five has appeared together at a “ red carpet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time the family of five has appeared together at a “ red carpet ” event .
William noted the contributions of health service staff , teachers , emergency services workers , and researchers , among others .
“ You have given your absolute all this year , and made remarkable sacrifices , ” he told the audience before the show began .
Earlier in the week , the couple took a three-day train tour of Wales and Scotland to spread Christmas cheer and thank frontline workers there for their hard and dangerous work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ welcome from leaders in those regions , with one Welsh official saying he would rather “ no one was having unnecessary visits ” during the coronavirus pandemic .
The family-of-five watched a traditional British pantomime performance at the Palladium organized to thank the city ’ s essential workers and their families

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LONDON (AP) — Britain’s Prince William and his family attended a Christmas show in London on Friday night, where he paid tribute to medical staff and other frontline workers for their efforts during the pandemic.
William, his wife Kate, and their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, watched a traditional British pantomime performance at the Palladium organized to thank the city’s essential workers and their families.
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It was the first time the family of five has appeared together at a “red carpet” event.
It was the first time the family of five has appeared together at a “red carpet” event. ASSOCIATED PRESS
William noted the contributions of health service staff, teachers, emergency services workers, and researchers, among others.
“You have given your absolute all this year, and made remarkable sacrifices,” he told the audience before the show began.
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Earlier in the week, the couple took a three-day train tour of Wales and Scotland to spread Christmas cheer and thank frontline workers there for their hard and dangerous work. However, they received a frosty welcome from leaders in those regions, with one Welsh official saying he would rather “no one was having unnecessary visits” during the coronavirus pandemic.
Britain has Europe’s deadliest COVID-19 outbreak, with more than 61,000 reported dead.
The family-of-five watched a traditional British pantomime performance at the Palladium organized to thank the city’s essential workers and their families WPA Pool via Getty Images


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-12--The Case For Vaccinating Prisoners Early

Prisons and jails are among the most dangerous places to be in a pandemic .
People housed within them can not socially distance or quarantine .
Mask-wearing is optional in many institutions , which leaves prisoners even more vulnerable to the coronavirus .
Compounding these conditions , prisoners are already far sicker than the general population , making them extra vulnerable to the virus .
So , there ’ s a few reasons .
People in prison and in jails are in congregate environments , which means a place where infection spreads much more easily .
You and I , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we can stay home and stay out of other people ’ s way for the large part .
But when you ’ re in an environment like a jail or prison or ICE facility or even a nursing home , you don ’ t have that ability .
You can ’ t send granny home .
You can ’ t send the person who ’ s been convicted of a serious crime home .
We know that there ’ s a high risk of transmission in [ correctional facilities ] because of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nurses , doctors , custody officers , cooks , etc.
, are going back and forth between their place of work and their community .
Infection spreads more easily , and when it does , because it ’ s not a closed vessel , it will spread into the community .
The humanitarian reason is that people who committed crimes should not be punished twice .
You are sent to prison as punishment , not for punishment .
The sentence that was prescribed was being locked up in a cell .
It was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cell and then let ’ s do what we can to help you die .
That ’ s the humanitarian and legal answer .
Beyond that , the reason why the public should be supportive of vaccinations in the jails and prisons is that infection spreads more easily there and it will spread into the community .
We ’ ve seen that happen in places like Chicago , where we know that because of infections in the jail , there were more infections in the community .
[ Editor ’ s note : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Illinois COVID-19 cases were linked to spread from a Chicago jail . ]
When [ incarcerated people ] get COVID-19 and become very sick , where do they go ?
They ’ re going to go to the community hospital for their intensive care .
You as John Q .
Public want to make sure that there ’ s a hospital bed for you when you get sick .
A good way of doing that is making sure that the high-risk people , like nursing homes and prisons and jails are protected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to keep those beds open .
Another reason is that this is a population with a high percentage of people who are homeless or who have mental illness .
If you want to protect yourself , you ’ re going to want these populations to be coming out of jail and prison protected .
They ’ re going to be the hamburger flipper , they ’ re going to be the person packaging your groceries at the store .
Wouldn ’ t you want them to be protected so that you are protected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the facilities and the staff , which has two components : medical staff and custody staff .
In most of the plans , I think medical staff will be prioritized , as many of them are taking care of COVID-19 patients who are in isolation in prison .
But the custody staff are accompanying the nurses and doctors when they see these patients , so they are working on a daily basis with patients who have COVID-19 , just like our front-line health care workers .
It ’ s important that they be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I don ’ t mean the first in the line but higher than the ordinary person .
Certainly people at higher risk should be prioritized , which means people with comorbidities , including elevated age .
You ’ ve probably seen the age limit of 65 used in some of the national documents .
After age 65 , risks go up .
What most people don ’ t know is that people in jail and in prison are older than their stated age , physiologically older .
[ Editor ’ s note @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more quickly than their counterparts in the community . ]
When you look at the policies and procedures of many jails and prisons around the U.S. , when they define “ older population ” people who need to have more frequent physical exams , and need certain accommodations , they use a lower age , 50 or 55 .
The most valuable way of reducing risk right now in correctional facilities is reducing populations .
Jails across the country have been very good at doing that .
We have some jails here in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jails are down to 50 % , 40 % of their normal operating population .
Prisons , whether you ’ re talking about state or federal prisons , have not gotten nearly that close to reducing the population .
I don ’ t want to empty the jails and prisons ― there are people in there who need to be in there for our safety and they need to be in there for rehabilitation ― but there are some people , who right now given the risks of staying in prison , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public , where the risk-benefit balance is in favor of letting them out .
It has not been done to the extent that it needs to be done in the prisons in our country .

Prisoners in Chicago's Cook County Jail plead for help by posting a sign in window. Jim Vondruska / Reuters
Prisons and jails are among the most dangerous places to be in a pandemic. People housed within them cannot socially distance or quarantine. Mask-wearing is optional in many institutions, which leaves prisoners even more vulnerable to the coronavirus. Compounding these conditions, prisoners are already far sicker than the general population, making them extra vulnerable to the virus.
Since the pandemic began, correctional facilities have been home to some of the biggest outbreaks in the nation. Roughly 250,000 people in prison have been infected with the virus and at least 1,647 have died, according to data collected by The Marshall Project.
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The risks for incarcerated people, who are infected by the virus at a rate more than five times higher than the nation’s overall average, are clear and undeniable. But where should they rank when it comes to vaccine distribution?
As governors work with health officials to devise each state’s distribution plan, they will have to make tough calls about who qualifies to get the vaccine and when, decisions that are doomed to be fraught with political considerations.
An analysis of state draft plans by the Prison Policy Initiative found that while the majority of states considered incarcerated people as a priority group in their vaccination plans, many of them were still prioritizing correctional staff before incarcerated people. Twelve states did not include incarcerated people in any phase of their vaccine allotment plans.
HuffPost spoke with Marc Stern, a physician who formerly served as the top medical officer for the Washington State Department of Corrections, about why prisons have been hotbeds for the virus, and why it makes sense to vaccinate incarcerated populations sooner rather than later.
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Why do you think it is important that states prioritize people who live and work in prisons for the vaccine?
So, there’s a few reasons. People in prison and in jails are in congregate environments, which means a place where infection spreads much more easily. You and I, we’re both probably telecommuting, we can stay home and stay out of other people’s way for the large part. But when you’re in an environment like a jail or prison or ICE facility or even a nursing home, you don’t have that ability. You can’t send granny home. You can’t send the person who’s been convicted of a serious crime home.
These [incarcerated] folks are already at higher risk because they’re older and they have more comorbidities. We have more people with diabetes and hypertension and respiratory diseases per capita in a jail or prison than we do in the community.
We know that there’s a high risk of transmission in [correctional facilities] because of the staff who come in and out. Nurses, doctors, custody officers, cooks, etc., are going back and forth between their place of work and their community. Infection spreads more easily, and when it does, because it’s not a closed vessel, it will spread into the community.
What would you say to those who object to people in prison getting the vaccine before the general public?
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The humanitarian reason is that people who committed crimes should not be punished twice. You are sent to prison as punishment, not for punishment. The sentence that was prescribed was being locked up in a cell. It was not to be locked up in a cell and then let’s do what we can to help you die. That’s the humanitarian and legal answer.
Beyond that, the reason why the public should be supportive of vaccinations in the jails and prisons is that infection spreads more easily there and it will spread into the community. We’ve seen that happen in places like Chicago, where we know that because of infections in the jail, there were more infections in the community. [Editor’s note: One study found that nearly 16% of Illinois COVID-19 cases were linked to spread from a Chicago jail.]
“The sentence that was prescribed was being locked up in a cell. It was not to be locked up in a cell and then let’s do what we can to help you die.”
When [incarcerated people] get COVID-19 and become very sick, where do they go? They’re going to go to the community hospital for their intensive care. You as John Q. Public want to make sure that there’s a hospital bed for you when you get sick. A good way of doing that is making sure that the high-risk people, like nursing homes and prisons and jails are protected ― that’s the best way to keep those beds open.
Another reason is that this is a population with a high percentage of people who are homeless or who have mental illness. If you want to protect yourself, you’re going to want these populations to be coming out of jail and prison protected. They’re going to be the hamburger flipper, they’re going to be the person packaging your groceries at the store. Wouldn’t you want them to be protected so that you are protected?
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There are indications that some states are planning to vaccinate correctional workers before the incarcerated residents. Federal prisons, too, are gearing up to vaccinate staff but not prisoners. What do you think about that?
So there are the residents of the facilities and the staff, which has two components: medical staff and custody staff. In most of the plans, I think medical staff will be prioritized, as many of them are taking care of COVID-19 patients who are in isolation in prison. But the custody staff are accompanying the nurses and doctors when they see these patients, so they are working on a daily basis with patients who have COVID-19, just like our front-line health care workers. It’s important that they be prioritized, and when I say prioritize, I don’t mean the first in the line but higher than the ordinary person.
Certainly people at higher risk should be prioritized, which means people with comorbidities, including elevated age. You’ve probably seen the age limit of 65 used in some of the national documents. After age 65, risks go up. What most people don’t know is that people in jail and in prison are older than their stated age, physiologically older. [Editor’s note: Some studies suggest that prisoners age more quickly than their counterparts in the community.] When you look at the policies and procedures of many jails and prisons around the U.S., when they define “older population” people who need to have more frequent physical exams, and need certain accommodations, they use a lower age, 50 or 55.
If national and state authorities want to use age as a tool for prioritization, they need to be using a lower age limit for people who are in jail and prison than in the community. A 50-year-old in prison is maybe equivalent in risk factor to a 65-year-old in the community.
Anything else you want the public to know?
The most valuable way of reducing risk right now in correctional facilities is reducing populations. Jails across the country have been very good at doing that. We have some jails here in Washington that have simply closed. Other jails are down to 50%, 40% of their normal operating population. Prisons, whether you’re talking about state or federal prisons, have not gotten nearly that close to reducing the population.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-12--Trump Rants About Getting 'Screwed' By Supreme Court In Twitter Meltdown

President Donald Trump finally shared his reaction to the Supreme Court dumping the Texas lawsuit challenging the election — and it wasn ’ t pretty .
He ranted after midnight Friday about getting “ screwed , ” boasting he “ got more votes than any other sitting president in history ” — yet “ purportedly lost ” ( because Joe Biden got 7 million more votes ) .
Trump had “ intervened ” on behalf of the Texas lawsuit seeking to toss all the votes in Georgia , Pennsylvania , Michigan and Wisconsin , which happened to vote for Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other red states ( “ wonderful states , ” the president noted in his tweet ) .
But the court tossed the suit Friday because Texas “ lacked standing ” to challenge votes in other states , it said in a brief , unsigned order .
In “ a flash ” the suit was “ thrown out and gone , without even looking at the many reasons it was brought , ” Trump angrily tweeted .
“ A Rigged Election , fight on !
” he added .
He complained bitterly that no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election fraud on their “ merits ” — even though there is absolutely no evidence of election fraud .
“ It ’ s a “ legal disgrace , an embarrassment to the USA !
!
!
” he tweeted .
He grumbled that the Supreme Court “ really let us down , ” and has “ no wisdom , no courage !
” The president didn ’ t detail how he might “ fight on.
” But Trump ’ s attorney , Rudy Giuliani , the mastermind behind Trump ’ s failed legal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Friday that more suits will be filed .
So , you ’ re the President of the United States , and you just went through an election where you got more votes than any sitting President in history , by far - and purportedly lost .
You can ’ t get “ standing ” before the Supreme Court , so you “ intervene ” with wonderful states ... .. — Donald J. Trump ( @ realDonaldTrump ) December 12 , 2020 ... .that , after careful study and consideration , think you got @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hurt them also .
Many others likewise join the suit but , within a flash , it is thrown out and gone , without even looking at the many reasons it was brought .
A Rigged Election , fight on !
— Donald J. Trump ( @ realDonaldTrump ) December 12 , 2020 “ We ’ ve not gotten any court to judge this ( the vote ) on its merit.
” @ DanPatrick of Texas .
It is a legal disgrace , an embarrassment to the USA !
!
!
— Donald @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 12 , 2020 The Supreme Court decision is widely viewed as a final , devastating blow to Trump ’ s battle to overturn election results .
“ From a legal perspective , the fat lady has sung , ” said Steve Vladeck , a CNN Supreme Court analyst and University of Texas Law professor .
Critics responded to Trump ’ s complaints by telling him to get ready to hit the road .
But a number of supporters ominously called on him to utilize his backers — and even the military — to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the tools !
!
Use them !
!
You are the only one that can and I think 80MM American have your back .
Not to mention the greatest military in the world !
!
— Champion-of-the-Republic-Elect Preacher Trainer !
( @ PreacherTrainer ) December 12 , 2020

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President Donald Trump finally shared his reaction to the Supreme Court dumping the Texas lawsuit challenging the election — and it wasn’t pretty.
He ranted after midnight Friday about getting “screwed,” boasting he “got more votes than any other sitting president in history” — yet “purportedly lost” (because Joe Biden got 7 million more votes).
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Trump had “intervened” on behalf of the Texas lawsuit seeking to toss all the votes in Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, which happened to vote for Biden. The suit was backed by 17 other red states (“wonderful states,” the president noted in his tweet).
But the court tossed the suit Friday because Texas “lacked standing” to challenge votes in other states, it said in a brief, unsigned order.
In “a flash” the suit was “thrown out and gone, without even looking at the many reasons it was brought,” Trump angrily tweeted. “A Rigged Election, fight on!” he added.
He complained bitterly that no court has yet judged his complaints about election fraud on their “merits” — even though there is absolutely no evidence of election fraud. “It’s a “legal disgrace, an embarrassment to the USA!!!” he tweeted.
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He grumbled that the Supreme Court “really let us down,” and has “no wisdom, no courage!”
Twitter marked the tweets about a rigged election “disputed.”
The president didn’t detail how he might “fight on.” But Trump’s attorney, Rudy Giuliani, the mastermind behind Trump’s failed legal assault on election results, told Newsmax Friday that more suits will be filed.
The Supreme Court really let us down. No Wisdom, No Courage! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 12, 2020
So, you’re the President of the United States, and you just went through an election where you got more votes than any sitting President in history, by far - and purportedly lost. You can’t get “standing” before the Supreme Court, so you “intervene” with wonderful states..... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 12, 2020
....that, after careful study and consideration, think you got “screwed”, something which will hurt them also. Many others likewise join the suit but, within a flash, it is thrown out and gone, without even looking at the many reasons it was brought. A Rigged Election, fight on! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 12, 2020
“We’ve not gotten any court to judge this (the vote) on its merit.” @DanPatrick of Texas. It is a legal disgrace, an embarrassment to the USA!!! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 12, 2020
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The Supreme Court really let us down. No Wisdom, No Courage! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 12, 2020
The Supreme Court decision is widely viewed as a final, devastating blow to Trump’s battle to overturn election results. “From a legal perspective, the fat lady has sung,” said Steve Vladeck, a CNN Supreme Court analyst and University of Texas Law professor.
The Electoral College meets Monday to cast ballots reflecting the voters’ choice of President-elect Biden.
Critics responded to Trump’s complaints by telling him to get ready to hit the road. But a number of supporters ominously called on him to utilize his backers — and even the military — to get what he wants.
You have the tools!! Use them!! You are the only one that can and I think 80MM American have your back. Not to mention the greatest military in the world!! — Champion-of-the-Republic-Elect Preacher Trainer! (@PreacherTrainer) December 12, 2020
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"A rigged election, fight on!"
TRANSLATION (basically): "Don't stop giving me your cash!!" — MURRAY🧢🇺🇸 (@murray_nyc) December 12, 2020
Life comes at ya fast. pic.twitter.com/p03p8fBlRs — Luke Barnett (@LukeBarnett) December 12, 2020
This is a Republican service announcement pic.twitter.com/qXcvjKnMxw — BirgitReinprecht 🇨🇦🇩🇪 (@ReinprechtB) December 12, 2020