thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-04--America Is Having A Third Coronavirus Wave. Some Countries Are Having Their First.

This pattern of low cases for months before an autumn explosion has played out in every part of the world .
Jordan ’ s caseloads were in the single digits all year , then rose steadily to 54 per day by Sept. 1 , then 900 per day by Oct. 1 , then up to 3,500 per day by Nov. 1 .
Turkey ’ s caseloads have skyrocketed to the point that the graph line is almost vertical , rising tenfold since mid-November .
The answer has to do with the changing structure of the pandemic and the shifting incentives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As the coronavirus pandemic approaches its first birthday , both factors will have profound implications for the struggle against the pandemic in the United States .
Over the summer , however , the virus generalized .
Essential workers brought the virus home to their families , travelers spread it around the country and churches and other large gatherings became superspreader events .
The virus remained at low levels in the population , but it spread to younger populations and suburban and rural areas — many of which hadn ’ t experienced widespread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ For months , huge regions of Europe and the U.S. didn ’ t see very many COVID deaths or cases , ” Rempala said .
“ People knew they were supposed to be masking and social distancing , but many of them simply chose not to because they didn ’ t know anyone who had tested positive.
” But as summer turned to fall , those activities became exponentially riskier .
The end of the summer meant falling temperatures , students returning to campuses and , in many countries , a huge spike @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been able to weather one of these factors separately , but all of them at once pushed infections past the point of no return .
Trying To Bargain With The Virus The Czech Republic , for example , controlled the virus in the early stages with one of the world ’ s most comprehensive mask mandates .
New daily cases peaked in March at 408 , then stayed under 100 until late June .
Believing they had beaten the virus , government leaders lifted the mask mandate , reopened borders to travelers and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Prague hosted a “ farewell coronavirus ” celebration in June .
We ’ ve moved into the phase of the pandemic where a lot of transmission is driven by what ’ s going on in individual people ’ s homes .
And at the same time , we ’ ve gotten desensitized to how many deaths we ’ re seeing every day .
Brandon Guthrie , epidemiologist at the University of Washington Trying to find the balance between restricting social activities and restarting economic activity is a major reason the virus remains @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials imposed a 14-day quarantine on travelers over the summer but exempted airline employees and executives of stock-market listed companies .
In South Korea , the government moved forward with nationwide student exams this week despite the risks of indoor transmission .
Norway is telling citizens that they can have Christmas gatherings of up to 10 people .
On the optimistic side of the ledger , the current surge appears to be less deadly than it was in the spring .
This is partly due to the expansion of hospital capacity , doctors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ treatments .
Some data indicate that face masks and social distancing have resulted in lower viral loads for infected patients .
All of these factors have significantly reduced fatality rates .
In less-optimistic news , the virus may be becoming harder to control .
The demographics of coronavirus infection are skewing younger .
In Japan , people in their 20s make up the largest share of new infections , a shift that makes asymptomatic spread more likely .
Most countries with rising caseloads don ’ t have enough contact tracing to identify where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ control them .
Plus , the coronavirus is about to intersect with flu season , a complicating factor that could push death rates higher .

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The world is losing the battle against the coronavirus. As of last week, COVID-19 caseloads were rising in 115 countries and falling in just 83. Of the countries with rising caseloads, 26 saw new cases double over the previous week.
But the structure of the pandemic shows striking local differences. While the United States is experiencing its third wave of the virus, some countries are just now having their first. Falling temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere, eased restrictions and an overwhelming sense of fatigue are transforming coronavirus superstars into basket cases.
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The Czech Republic, for example, was reporting just three COVID-19 deaths per day in August. By November, the figure had soared to over 200 deaths per day. Poland had 475 new cases per day in mid-September. Two months later, it was averaging 25,000.
This pattern of low cases for months before an autumn explosion has played out in every part of the world. Jordan’s caseloads were in the single digits all year, then rose steadily to 54 per day by Sept. 1, then 900 per day by Oct. 1, then up to 3,500 per day by Nov. 1. Turkey’s caseloads have skyrocketed to the point that the graph line is almost vertical, rising tenfold since mid-November.
Even in Asia, where strict lockdowns, widespread testing and diligent contact tracing have kept cases impressively low, Japan and South Korea are now both experiencing alarmingly high infection rates.
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So what happened? How did so many countries that managed the first six months of the pandemic so well suddenly drop the ball?
The answer has to do with the changing structure of the pandemic and the shifting incentives for the politicians tasked with managing it. As the coronavirus pandemic approaches its first birthday, both factors will have profound implications for the struggle against the pandemic in the United States.
A Changing Pandemic
Grzegorz Rempala, a mathematical epidemiologist at the Ohio State University, has spent the last three months watching the same pattern play out in Ohio, where he lives, and in Poland, where he grew up. After a long stretch of low caseloads, COVID-19 exploded in both places in the late summer.
The explanation, he said, is the shifting structure of the pandemic. In the spring, infections were clustered among high-risk groups: health care staff, nursing home residents, prisoners and essential workers. The virus hopped from cluster to cluster but remained relatively concentrated in workplaces and urban areas.
Over the summer, however, the virus generalized. Essential workers brought the virus home to their families, travelers spread it around the country and churches and other large gatherings became superspreader events. The virus remained at low levels in the population, but it spread to younger populations and suburban and rural areas — many of which hadn’t experienced widespread infection earlier in the year.
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“For months, huge regions of Europe and the U.S. didn’t see very many COVID deaths or cases,” Rempala said. “People knew they were supposed to be masking and social distancing, but many of them simply chose not to because they didn’t know anyone who had tested positive.”
The Czech Republic kept the coronavirus at bay all year until the early fall, when cases rose exponentially. MICHAL CIZEK via Getty Images
The risk of contracting a virus is intrinsically linked to its prevalence in the population. In both Poland and Ohio, people could gradually expand their social networks and take on riskier activities like meeting indoors and going to restaurants without a significant chance of encountering an infected person.
But as summer turned to fall, those activities became exponentially riskier. The end of the summer meant falling temperatures, students returning to campuses and, in many countries, a huge spike in holiday travel. Populations may have been able to weather one of these factors separately, but all of them at once pushed infections past the point of no return.
“You can’t point to any single factor and say, ‘That’s it,’” said Brandon Guthrie, an epidemiologist at the University of Washington and the director of the COVID-19 Situation Report. “It’s the culmination of a lot of small things, each of which increased the risk of transmission slightly. Then we reached a tipping point.”
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Trying To Bargain With The Virus
Bad political management also played a role, as leaders around the world began to relax restrictions on social and economic activities too quickly.
The Czech Republic, for example, controlled the virus in the early stages with one of the world’s most comprehensive mask mandates. New daily cases peaked in March at 408, then stayed under 100 until late June. Believing they had beaten the virus, government leaders lifted the mask mandate, reopened borders to travelers and legalized gatherings of up to 300 people. Prague hosted a “farewell coronavirus” celebration in June.
Almost immediately, however, cases started ticking upwards. By late August, they had reached 300 per day. By late September, they had passed 2,000 per day. Despite the worsening indicators, Prime Minister Andrej Babis delayed restricting public events, closing businesses and shutting down schools until October. Critics claim he was waiting until after a Senate election to impose the most stringent restrictions.
“There’s a sense of fatigue among politicians and populations alike,” Guthrie said. “A lot of places that reduced transmission by closing businesses and restricting other activities started to relax those restrictions over the summer and early fall. They’re now struggling with the decision of if and how to reimpose restrictions.”
“We’ve moved into the phase of the pandemic where a lot of transmission is driven by what’s going on in individual people’s homes. And at the same time, we’ve gotten desensitized to how many deaths we’re seeing every day.” - Brandon Guthrie, epidemiologist at the University of Washington
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Trying to find the balance between restricting social activities and restarting economic activity is a major reason the virus remains so resilient. In Hong Kong, officials imposed a 14-day quarantine on travelers over the summer but exempted airline employees and executives of stock-market listed companies. In South Korea, the government moved forward with nationwide student exams this week despite the risks of indoor transmission. Norway is telling citizens that they can have Christmas gatherings of up to 10 people.
“Some of the highest risk activities are the ones that people crave and employ a lot of people,” Guthrie said. Lockdown orders and other restrictions have provoked backlash in countries that handled the coronavirus well and poorly alike.
“From a public health perspective, it’s clear that closing bars and restaurants will immediately decrease the spread of the virus,” Rempala said. “But at this point, health officials risk a larger political backlash than they got in the spring.”
South Korea is pressing ahead with nationwide standardized tests despite rising coronavirus cases. KIM HONG-JI via Getty Images
A Hard Road Ahead
The height and duration of COVID-19’s third wave — or, in some countries, the first wave — remains unclear.
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On the optimistic side of the ledger, the current surge appears to be less deadly than it was in the spring. This is partly due to the expansion of hospital capacity, doctors’ growing expertise, and improved pharmaceutical treatments. Some data indicate that face masks and social distancing have resulted in lower viral loads for infected patients. All of these factors have significantly reduced fatality rates.
In less-optimistic news, the virus may be becoming harder to control. The demographics of coronavirus infection are skewing younger. In Japan, people in their 20s make up the largest share of new infections, a shift that makes asymptomatic spread more likely. Most countries with rising caseloads don’t have enough contact tracing to identify where infections are coming from, much less control them. Plus, the coronavirus is about to intersect with flu season, a complicating factor that could push death rates higher.
“We’ve moved into the phase of the pandemic where a lot of transmission is driven by what’s going on in individual people’s homes,” Guthrie said. “And at the same time, we’ve gotten desensitized to how many deaths we’re seeing every day.”
The introduction of a coronavirus vaccine represents yet another layer of complexity. Doses are already arriving at American airports, but it’s not clear how they will be distributed domestically, much less internationally.
“The things we need to do to control the virus aren’t things we have to do forever,” Guthrie said. “We just have to do them until we have large-scale access to the vaccine. That’s the closest thing we have to good news these days.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-03--DOJ Reportedly Probed Associates Of Trump, Kushner In Suspected Pardon Scheme

An investigation into a suspected White House bribery-for-pardon scheme scrutinized the roles of a top fundraiser for President Donald Trump and a lawyer for his son-in-law , Jared Kushner , The New York Times reported Thursday .
Court documents unsealed Tuesday by a federal judge revealed the Justice Department was investigating the matter as recently as August .
No individuals were named in the heavily redacted documents , which indicated parties involved may have secretly lobbied senior White House officials for clemency in exchange for bribes .
The investigation concerned efforts by Abbe Lowell , an attorney for Kushner , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fundraiser , two people familiar with the inquiry told The Times .
Broidy pleaded guilty in October to a charge related to a different effort to lobby the Trump administration .
The Times reported that Sanford Diller , a billionaire real estate developer in San Francisco , asked for their help to secure a pardon for Hugh Baras , a Berkeley psychologist who was sentenced to 30 months in prison for tax evasion and improperly claiming Social Security benefits .
Lowell represented Baras .
Diller died in 2018 , and there is no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scheme continued after that , The Times reported .
Baras was not pardoned and went to prison from June 2017 to August 2019 .
A Justice Department official told The Times that no government officials are “ currently a subject or target of the investigation disclosed in this filing.
” No charges were filed .
The White House did not immediately respond to HuffPost ’ s request for comment .
Trump tweeted Tuesday that the “ Pardon Investigation is Fake News !
” The court filings were made public this week following a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to grant prosecutors access to emails in order to investigate the reported scheme .
She ruled that attorney-client privilege did not protect those communications since they had been copied to a third party .
Under the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 , all lobbying activities must be disclosed to the clerk of the House and the secretary of the Senate .
By failing to report the lobbying activities , participants in the alleged scheme may have violated bribery and lobbying laws .
The news @ @ @ @ @ @ @ making a flurry of pre-emptive pardons before he leaves office on Jan. 20 .
This could involve three of his children ― Donald Trump Jr. , Eric Trump and Ivanka Trump ― along with Ivanka ’ s husband Kushner , and Trump ’ s personal attorney Rudy Giuliani .
Trump has been generous with his pardon power throughout his presidency , having used it to aid a number of his personal friends and allies .
In July , he commuted the sentence of his longtime friend and adviser Roger Stone , who was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last month , he pardoned former national security adviser Michael Flynn , who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his contacts with a Russian official before Trump took office in 2017 .

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Court documents unsealed Tuesday by a federal judge revealed the Justice Department was investigating the matter as recently as August. No individuals were named in the heavily redacted documents, which indicated parties involved may have secretly lobbied senior White House officials for clemency in exchange for bribes.
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The investigation concerned efforts by Abbe Lowell, an attorney for Kushner, and Elliot Broidy, a Trump campaign fundraiser, two people familiar with the inquiry told The Times. Broidy pleaded guilty in October to a charge related to a different effort to lobby the Trump administration.
The Times reported that Sanford Diller, a billionaire real estate developer in San Francisco, asked for their help to secure a pardon for Hugh Baras, a Berkeley psychologist who was sentenced to 30 months in prison for tax evasion and improperly claiming Social Security benefits. Lowell represented Baras.
Under the alleged potential scheme, Diller would make a “substantial political contribution” to an unspecified individual in exchange for clemency.
Diller died in 2018, and there is no evidence that efforts to carry out the scheme continued after that, The Times reported. Baras was not pardoned and went to prison from June 2017 to August 2019.
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A Justice Department official told The Times that no government officials are “currently a subject or target of the investigation disclosed in this filing.” No charges were filed.
The White House did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment. Trump tweeted Tuesday that the “Pardon Investigation is Fake News!”
The court filings were made public this week following a decision from Chief Judge Beryl Howell of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to grant prosecutors access to emails in order to investigate the reported scheme. She ruled that attorney-client privilege did not protect those communications since they had been copied to a third party.
Under the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995, all lobbying activities must be disclosed to the clerk of the House and the secretary of the Senate. By failing to report the lobbying activities, participants in the alleged scheme may have violated bribery and lobbying laws.
The news comes amid reports that Trump has considered making a flurry of pre-emptive pardons before he leaves office on Jan. 20. This could involve three of his children ― Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump and Ivanka Trump ― along with Ivanka’s husband Kushner, and Trump’s personal attorney Rudy Giuliani.
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Trump has been generous with his pardon power throughout his presidency, having used it to aid a number of his personal friends and allies.
In July, he commuted the sentence of his longtime friend and adviser Roger Stone, who was convicted of lying to Congress.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-04--Kamala Harris Reveals Official Moniker For Her Husband, And Her Personal One

Vice President-elect Kamala Harris has revealed how her husband , Doug Emhoff , will be officially addressed once she takes @ @ @ @ @ Jake Tapper asked Harris what Emhoff ’ s official moniker will be during a wide-ranging @ @ @ @ @ and President-elect Joe Biden that aired Thursday .
“ Is he the second gentleman ?
@ @ @ @ @ , who will leave his job at law firm DLA Piper before Biden ’ s @ @ @ @ @ the second dude ?
What should we be calling him ?
” Harris laughed before @ @ @ @ @ I think that the term has evolved into the second gentleman.
” “ The second @ @ @ @ @ like second dude , but I will defer , ” Tapper replied .
Harris said @ @ @ @ @ of his friends are inclined to say that.
” When Tapper asked if Harris could @ @ @ @ @ , Harris responded : “ No , I ’ ll call him honey .
”

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Vice President-elect Kamala Harris has revealed how her husband, Doug Emhoff, will be addressed once she takes office.
CNN’s Jake Tapper asked Harris what Emhoff’s formal moniker will be during a wide-ranging interview with the future veep and President-elect Joe Biden that aired Thursday.
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“Is he the second gentleman?” Tapper asked about Emhoff, who will leave his job at law firm DLA Piper before Biden’s inauguration. “Is he the second dude? What should we be calling him?”
Harris laughed before responding: “Well, I think that the term has evolved into the second gentleman.”
“The second gentleman. OK. I like second dude, but I will defer,” Tapper replied.
Harris said: “I think some of his friends are inclined to say that.”
When Tapper asked if Harris could call him by the title, Harris responded: “No, I’ll call him honey.”
“Second gentleman and “second lady” are the conventional forms of address for the spouse of the vice president.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-04--Rachel Maddow Urges Americans To Do 1 Thing About Trump As COVID-19 Surges

“ Ignore whatever is going on with that circus , ” she urged during a segment Thursday analyzing how the coronavirus is again surging across the United States while outgoing President Donald Trump continues his futile attempts to steal the 2020 election .
“ What the coronavirus task force in the White House is telling public health officials to do right now in the states , it ’ s the equivalent of when the National Hurricane Center starts putting out those warnings in all capital letters telling people they will definitely die unless they evacuate ahead of the oncoming storm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report from the task force that warned those who spent Thanksgiving with others should assume they have contracted COVID-19 .
Maddow highlighted one particular line from the document : “ We are in a very dangerous place due to the current extremely high COVID baseline and limited hospital capacity .
A further Thanksgiving surge will compromise COVID patient care as well as medical care overall.
” On Wednesday , more than 2,800 people died of COVID-19 in the U.S. ― the country ’ s highest daily death toll since the pandemic started .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Americans to date ― and over 100,000 are hospitalized .
`` Ignore the president .
Ignore whatever is going on with that circus , '' Maddow said on Thursday , urging Americans to listen to health officials instead .
# maddow pic.twitter.com/qooAe05iyj — PoliticusUSA ( @ politicususa ) December 4 , 2020

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“Ignore the president,” Rachel Maddow implored Americans on her MSNBC show.
“Ignore whatever is going on with that circus,” she urged during a segment Thursday analyzing how the coronavirus is again surging across the United States while outgoing President Donald Trump continues his futile attempts to steal the 2020 election.
“What the coronavirus task force in the White House is telling public health officials to do right now in the states, it’s the equivalent of when the National Hurricane Center starts putting out those warnings in all capital letters telling people they will definitely die unless they evacuate ahead of the oncoming storm,” Maddow noted, referencing a report from the task force that warned those who spent Thanksgiving with others should assume they have contracted COVID-19.
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Maddow highlighted one particular line from the document:
“We are in a very dangerous place due to the current extremely high COVID baseline and limited hospital capacity. A further Thanksgiving surge will compromise COVID patient care as well as medical care overall.”
On Wednesday, more than 2,800 people died of COVID-19 in the U.S. ― the country’s highest daily death toll since the pandemic started.
The contagion has killed more than 273,000 Americans to date ― and over 100,000 are hospitalized.
"Ignore the president. Ignore whatever is going on with that circus," Maddow said on Thursday, urging Americans to listen to health officials instead. #maddow pic.twitter.com/qooAe05iyj — PoliticusUSA (@politicususa) December 4, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-04--Fired Trump Cybersecurity Official Debunks President’s Election Lies, One By One

“ The Late Show ” host Stephen Colbert on Thursday asked Chris Krebs , the fired former chief of U.S. @ @ @ @ @ Donald Trump ’ s latest round of disinformation about fraud in the 2020 election .
@ @ @ @ @ , Krebs debunked or clarified false claims the president made in a 46-minute rant on @ @ @ @ @ counted in foreign countries to ballots being changed from Trump to President-elect Joe Biden .
@ @ @ @ @ lifelong Republican , last month for publicly contradicting his baseless claims of mass voting irregularities @

“The Late Show” host Stephen Colbert on Thursday asked Chris Krebs , the fired former chief of U.S. cybersecurity, to fact-check President Donald Trump ’s latest round of disinformation about fraud in the 2020 election.
And, one by one, Krebs debunked or clarified false claims the president made in a 46-minute rant on Facebook ― from votes being counted in foreign countries to ballots being changed from Trump to President-elect Joe Biden. Trump ousted Krebs, a lifelong Republican, last month for publicly contradicting his baseless claims of mass voting irregularities.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-04--Fox News' Juan Williams Tests Positive For COVID-19

Juan Williams , the co-host of Fox News ’ “ The Five ” opinion panel show , has tested positive for the coronavirus .
“ I ’ m not great but I ’ m not dying or anything , ” Williams told The Daily Beast on Thursday .
“ I ’ m worried about myself and my family .
My wife doesn ’ t want me to come back to the house right now .
On lots of levels it ’ s concerning.
” Williams is self-isolating in a hotel in Washington while he recovers .
“ The Five ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It will return to its remote nature “ for the foreseeable future , ” a Fox News representative said in a statement to The New York Times .
Williams was on vacation starting Nov. 18 .
He returned to the network ’ s Manhattan studio on Nov. 30 and appeared on set three times this week .
He recorded Wednesday ’ s edition of the show alongside Jesse Watters and Greg Gutfeld .
Thursday ’ s show was filmed remotely .
Viewers were reportedly offered no explanation for the change .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fox News Media has implemented strict company-wide protocols adhering to all CDC and state guidelines , including regular testing of all in-studio on-air personalities , mask mandates and daily health assessments for all employees entering the building , ” the network told Mediaite .

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“I’m not great but I’m not dying or anything,” Williams told The Daily Beast on Thursday. “I’m worried about myself and my family. My wife doesn’t want me to come back to the house right now. On lots of levels it’s concerning.”
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Williams is self-isolating in a hotel in Washington while he recovers.
“The Five” was filmed remotely from March to September. It will return to its remote nature “for the foreseeable future,” a Fox News representative said in a statement to The New York Times.
Williams was on vacation starting Nov. 18. He returned to the network’s Manhattan studio on Nov. 30 and appeared on set three times this week. He recorded Wednesday’s edition of the show alongside Jesse Watters and Greg Gutfeld. Thursday’s show was filmed remotely. Viewers were reportedly offered no explanation for the change.
“Since the start of the pandemic, Fox News Media has implemented strict company-wide protocols adhering to all CDC and state guidelines, including regular testing of all in-studio on-air personalities, mask mandates and daily health assessments for all employees entering the building,” the network told Mediaite.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-04--Wisconsin High Court Declines To Hear Trump Election Lawsuit

MADISON , Wis. ( AP ) — A divided Wisconsin Supreme Court on Thursday refused to hear President Donald Trump ’ s lawsuit attempting to overturn his loss to Democrat Joe Biden in the battleground state , sidestepping a decision on the merits of the claims and instead ruling that the case must first wind its way through lower courts .
In another blow to Trump , two dissenting conservative justices questioned whether disqualifying more than 221,000 ballots as Trump wanted would be the proper remedy to the errors he alleged .
Trump asked the Wisconsin Supreme Court to disqualify @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s two biggest Democratic counties , alleging irregularities in the way absentee ballots were administered .
His lawsuit echoed claims that were earlier rejected by election officials in those counties during a recount that barely affected Biden ’ s winning margin of about 20,700 votes .
“ It was clear from their writings that the court recognizes the seriousness of these issues , and we look forward to taking the next step , ” he said in a statement .
Trump ’ s team made the filing late Thursday evening .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take the case directly , Trump had argued that there wasn ’ t enough time to wage the legal battle by starting with a lower court , given the looming Dec. 14 date when presidential electors cast their votes .
Swing Justice Brian Hagedorn joined three liberal justices in denying the petition without weighing in on Trump ’ s allegations .
Hagedorn said the law was clear that Trump must start his lawsuit in lower courts where factual disputes can be worked out .
“ We do well as a judicial body to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — and maybe especially — in high profile cases , ” Hagedorn wrote .
“ Following this law is not disregarding our duty , as some of my colleagues suggest .
It is following the law.
” Chief Justice Patience Roggensack , in a dissent where she was joined by Justice Annette Ziegler , said she would have taken the case and referred it to lower courts for factual findings , which could then be reported back to the Supreme Court for a ruling .
Conservative Justice Rebecca Bradley wrote that the court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ determining whether elections officials complied with the law and the inaction will undermine the public ’ s confidence in elections .
Allowing the elections commission to make the law governing elections would be a “ death blow to democracy , ” she wrote .
“ While some will either celebrate or decry the court ’ s inaction based upon the impact on their preferred candidate , the importance of this case transcends the results of this particular election , ” she wrote in a dissent joined by Roggensack and Ziegler .
“ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an indelible stain on our most recent election.
” He claimed there were thousands of absentee ballots without a written application on file .
He argued that the electronic log created when a voter requests a ballot online — the way the vast majority are requested — doesn ’ t meet the letter of the law .
He also challenged ballots where election clerks filled in missing address information on the certification envelope where the ballot is inserted — a practice that has long been accepted and that the state elections commission told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ballots where voters declared themselves to be “ indefinitely confined , ” a status that exempts them from having to show photo identification to cast a ballot , and one that was used much more heavily this year due to the pandemic .
The Wisconsin Supreme Court in March ruled that it was up to individual voters to determine their status .
The court late Thursday also declined to hear a lawsuit brought by a Wisconsin resident , Dean Mueller , that argued that ballots placed in drop boxes are illegal and must @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s brief order included a single line noting Roggensack , Ziegler and Bradley all dissented with the denial .

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MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A divided Wisconsin Supreme Court on Thursday refused to hear President Donald Trump’s lawsuit attempting to overturn his loss to Democrat Joe Biden in the battleground state, sidestepping a decision on the merits of the claims and instead ruling that the case must first wind its way through lower courts.
In another blow to Trump, two dissenting conservative justices questioned whether disqualifying more than 221,000 ballots as Trump wanted would be the proper remedy to the errors he alleged.
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The defeat on a 4-3 ruling was the latest in a string of losses for Trump’s post-election lawsuits. Judges in multiple battleground states have rejected his claims of fraud or irregularities.
Trump asked the Wisconsin Supreme Court to disqualify more than 221,000 ballots in the state’s two biggest Democratic counties, alleging irregularities in the way absentee ballots were administered. His lawsuit echoed claims that were earlier rejected by election officials in those counties during a recount that barely affected Biden’s winning margin of about 20,700 votes.
Trump’s attorney Jim Troupis said he would immediately file the case in circuit court and expected to be back before the Supreme Court “very soon.”
“It was clear from their writings that the court recognizes the seriousness of these issues, and we look forward to taking the next step,” he said in a statement. Trump’s team made the filing late Thursday evening.
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In asking the conservative-controlled Wisconsin Supreme Court to take the case directly, Trump had argued that there wasn’t enough time to wage the legal battle by starting with a lower court, given the looming Dec. 14 date when presidential electors cast their votes.
Swing Justice Brian Hagedorn joined three liberal justices in denying the petition without weighing in on Trump’s allegations. Hagedorn said the law was clear that Trump must start his lawsuit in lower courts where factual disputes can be worked out.
“We do well as a judicial body to abide by time-tested judicial norms, even — and maybe especially — in high profile cases,” Hagedorn wrote. “Following this law is not disregarding our duty, as some of my colleagues suggest. It is following the law.”
Trump filed a similar lawsuit in federal court on Wednesday.
Chief Justice Patience Roggensack, in a dissent where she was joined by Justice Annette Ziegler, said she would have taken the case and referred it to lower courts for factual findings, which could then be reported back to the Supreme Court for a ruling.
But she also questioned whether disqualifying ballots was appropriate, saying that “may be out of reach for a number of reasons.”
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Conservative Justice Rebecca Bradley wrote that the court “forsakes its duty” by not determining whether elections officials complied with the law and the inaction will undermine the public’s confidence in elections. Allowing the elections commission to make the law governing elections would be a “death blow to democracy,” she wrote.
“While some will either celebrate or decry the court’s inaction based upon the impact on their preferred candidate, the importance of this case transcends the results of this particular election,” she wrote in a dissent joined by Roggensack and Ziegler. “The majority’s failure to act leaves an indelible stain on our most recent election.”
Democratic Gov. Tony Evers praised the decision.
“I was frankly amazed that it was not unanimous,” Evers said.
Trump’s lawsuit challenged procedures that have been in place for years and never been found to be illegal.
He claimed there were thousands of absentee ballots without a written application on file. He argued that the electronic log created when a voter requests a ballot online — the way the vast majority are requested — doesn’t meet the letter of the law.
He also challenged ballots where election clerks filled in missing address information on the certification envelope where the ballot is inserted — a practice that has long been accepted and that the state elections commission told clerks was OK.
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Trump also challenged absentee ballots where voters declared themselves to be “indefinitely confined,” a status that exempts them from having to show photo identification to cast a ballot, and one that was used much more heavily this year due to the pandemic. The Wisconsin Supreme Court in March ruled that it was up to individual voters to determine their status.
Roggensack, the chief justice, appointed Reserve Judge Stephen Simanek of Racine County to hear the case at the circuit court level. Simanek retired in 2010.
The court late Thursday also declined to hear a lawsuit brought by a Wisconsin resident, Dean Mueller, that argued that ballots placed in drop boxes are illegal and must not be counted. The court’s brief order included a single line noting Roggensack, Ziegler and Bradley all dissented with the denial.
One other lawsuit filed by conservatives is still pending with the court seeking to invalidate ballots. In federal court, there is Trump’s lawsuit and another one with similar claims from Sidney Powell, a conservative attorney who was removed from Trump’s legal team.
Wisconsin this week certified Biden’s victory, setting the stage for a Democratic slate of electors chosen earlier to cast the state’s 10 electoral votes for him.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-04--Biden Says He Hopes Trump Attends Inauguration To Show ‘Chaos’ Is Over

President-elect Joe Biden said Thursday he hoped President Donald Trump would attend his inauguration next month , at the very least to demonstrate to Americans that the country had moved beyond the “ chaos that he ’ s created.
” “ I think it would be important only in one sense … important that we are able to demonstrate the end of this chaos that he ’ s created , ” Biden said in a sweeping interview about his plans for the White House with CNN ’ s Jake Tapper .
“ That there ’ s a peaceful transfer of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hands and moving on.
” “ The protocol of the transfer of power , I think , is important , ” Biden added .
“ But it is totally his decision , and it ’ s of no personal consequence to me.
” Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris sat down with Tapper for their first joint interview since the election last month .
Trump lost that contest by more than 7 million votes and counting , but the president has so far refused to concede and instead has spent weeks undermining the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overturn the loss .
All legal efforts to do so have failed , and the six battleground states he was targeting have since certified their votes declaring Biden the winner .
Trump has so far refused to say if he will attend Biden ’ s inauguration on Jan. 20 , noting last week that he knew the “ answer to that , but I don ’ t want to say it yet.
” While many Republican senators have not publicly acknowledged him as the President-elect , Joe Biden says `` more than several @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to congratulate him : `` I understand the situation they find themselves in . ''
https : //t.co/09EtvTf1GG pic.twitter.com/72ex6eFY8F — CNN ( @ CNN ) December 4 , 2020 Biden said that despite Trump ’ s refusal to concede and broad support throughout the Republican Party for the president , “ more than several ” GOP lawmakers had called to congratulate him privately .
“ I say this tactfully … there have been more than several sitting Republican senators who privately called me to congratulate me , ” Biden said on CNN .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ find themselves in .
And until the election is clearly decided in the minds , where the Electoral College votes , they get put in a very tough decision.
” The president-elect said that despite ongoing refusals to do so publicly , he planned to work with a bipartisan coalition to advance legislation while in office , pointing to legislation surrounding infrastructure and cancer treatment .
“ It ’ s going to be hard .
I ’ m not suggesting it ’ s going to be easy , ” Biden added .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the things that affect the national security and the fundamental economic necessity to keep people employed ... to bring the economy back , there ’ s plenty of room we can work.
” The Democrat also said Thursday he planned to change tack on the country ’ s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and would ask all Americans to wear masks for at least 100 days to rein in the spread of the virus .

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President-elect Joe Biden said Thursday he hoped President Donald Trump would attend his inauguration next month, at the very least to demonstrate to Americans that the country had moved beyond the “chaos that he’s created.”
“I think it would be important only in one sense … important that we are able to demonstrate the end of this chaos that he’s created,” Biden said in a sweeping interview about his plans for the White House with CNN’s Jake Tapper. “That there’s a peaceful transfer of power with both parties there, shaking hands and moving on.”
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“The protocol of the transfer of power, I think, is important,” Biden added. “But it is totally his decision, and it’s of no personal consequence to me.”
Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris sat down with Tapper for their first joint interview since the election last month. Trump lost that contest by more than 7 million votes and counting, but the president has so far refused to concede and instead has spent weeks undermining the results of the race and attempting to overturn the loss. All legal efforts to do so have failed, and the six battleground states he was targeting have since certified their votes declaring Biden the winner.
Trump has so far refused to say if he will attend Biden’s inauguration on Jan. 20, noting last week that he knew the “answer to that, but I don’t want to say it yet.”
While many Republican senators have not publicly acknowledged him as the President-elect, Joe Biden says "more than several" sitting GOP senators have privately called to congratulate him: "I understand the situation they find themselves in." https://t.co/09EtvTf1GG pic.twitter.com/72ex6eFY8F — CNN (@CNN) December 4, 2020
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Biden said that despite Trump’s refusal to concede and broad support throughout the Republican Party for the president, “more than several” GOP lawmakers had called to congratulate him privately.
“I say this tactfully … there have been more than several sitting Republican senators who privately called me to congratulate me,” Biden said on CNN. “And I understand the situation they find themselves in. And until the election is clearly decided in the minds, where the Electoral College votes, they get put in a very tough decision.”
The president-elect said that despite ongoing refusals to do so publicly, he planned to work with a bipartisan coalition to advance legislation while in office, pointing to legislation surrounding infrastructure and cancer treatment.
“It’s going to be hard. I’m not suggesting it’s going to be easy,” Biden added. “But I’m confident that on the things that affect the national security and the fundamental economic necessity to keep people employed... to bring the economy back, there’s plenty of room we can work.”
The Democrat also said Thursday he planned to change tack on the country’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and would ask all Americans to wear masks for at least 100 days to rein in the spread of the virus.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-03--North Carolina's Ban On Cities Passing LGBTQ Rights Ordinances Expires

RALEIGH , N.C. ( AP ) — A 3 1/2-year ban on new local ordinances aimed at protecting LGBT rights in North Carolina expired Tuesday , prompting gay rights groups to urge the passage of such measures now .
Democratic Gov .
Roy Cooper agreed to the moratorium in March 2017 in exchange for GOP lawmakers agreeing to do away with several portions of a “ bathroom bill ” that Republicans had approved a year earlier .
A key disputed section of House Bill 2 directed transgender people to use public bathrooms matching their biological sex instead of the gender @ @ @ @ @ @ @ condemnation and prompted several large corporations and sports teams to relocate events to other states or reconsider expanding in North Carolina .
As the moratorium ended , leaders of Equality North Carolina and the Campaign for Southern Equality on Tuesday urged North Carolina residents to contact leaders of cities and urge them to expand anti-discrimination laws for the LGBT community .
The moratorium had barred new local ordinances related to private employment , hotels and restaurants .
“ We can finally begin writing a new chapter for LGBTQ North Carolinians , one where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ based on who they are or who they love , ” Allison Scott , policy director for the Campaign for Southern Equality , said in a news release .
Beau Mills , executive director of the North Carolina Metro Mayors Coalition , said before the ban ended that he wasn ’ t aware of any city planning to pass new ordinances right away .
“ I am aware that cities , some municipalities , are certainly looking at it , ” Mills told The News & Observer of Raleigh .
Although the legislature @ @ @ @ @ @ @ controlled by Republicans , the party lacks a veto-proof majority and will have limited options to cancel any local ordinances that might be passed .
Cooper was reelected in November .
The GOP has shown little interest in passing statewide protections for the LGBT community .

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RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A 3 1/2-year ban on new local ordinances aimed at protecting LGBT rights in North Carolina expired Tuesday, prompting gay rights groups to urge the passage of such measures now.
Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper agreed to the moratorium in March 2017 in exchange for GOP lawmakers agreeing to do away with several portions of a “bathroom bill” that Republicans had approved a year earlier.
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A key disputed section of House Bill 2 directed transgender people to use public bathrooms matching their biological sex instead of the gender they identify with. It drew national condemnation and prompted several large corporations and sports teams to relocate events to other states or reconsider expanding in North Carolina.
As the moratorium ended, leaders of Equality North Carolina and the Campaign for Southern Equality on Tuesday urged North Carolina residents to contact leaders of cities and urge them to expand anti-discrimination laws for the LGBT community. The moratorium had barred new local ordinances related to private employment, hotels and restaurants.
“We can finally begin writing a new chapter for LGBTQ North Carolinians, one where no one is left vulnerable to discrimination based on who they are or who they love,” Allison Scott, policy director for the Campaign for Southern Equality, said in a news release.
Beau Mills, executive director of the North Carolina Metro Mayors Coalition, said before the ban ended that he wasn’t aware of any city planning to pass new ordinances right away. “I am aware that cities, some municipalities, are certainly looking at it,” Mills told The News & Observer of Raleigh.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-04--Donald Trump Just Can't Stop Losing In Spoof ‘Groundhog Day’-Style Trailer

President Donald Trump just can ’ t stop reliving his 2020 election loss in a spoof movie trailer released by @ @ @ @ @ Trevor Noah.
” The mocking clip ― titled “ Election Day ” ― is based @ @ @ @ @ Groundhog Day , ” in which Bill Murray ’ s weather forecaster character gets trapped @ @ @ @ @ “ Donald Trump built his brand on being a winner , but now he can @ @ @ @ @ ” says the narrator in Noah ’ s Trump-themed video .
The segment “ about @ @ @ @ @ and again and again ” is cut with footage of news reports declaring Trump to @ @ @ @ @ President-elect Joe Biden and , then failing in his flurry of legal attempts to overthrow @ @ @ @ @ the video here :

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President Donald Trump just can’t stop reliving his 2020 election loss in a spoof movie trailer released by “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah.”
The mocking clip ― titled “Election Day” ― is based on the 1993 film “Groundhog Day,” in which Bill Murray’s weather forecaster character gets trapped in a time loop.
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“Donald Trump built his brand on being a winner, but now he can’t stop losing,” says the narrator in Noah’s Trump-themed video.
The segment “about a man who lost again and again and again” is cut with footage of news reports declaring Trump to have lost the election to President-elect Joe Biden and, then failing in his flurry of legal attempts to overthrow the outcome.
Check out the video here:


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-04--Data Shows Americans Couldn't Resist Thanksgiving Travel

SIOUX FALLS , S.D .
( AP ) — Americans couldn ’ t resist the urge to gather for Thanksgiving , driving only slightly less than a year ago and largely ignoring the pleas of public health experts , who begged them to forgo holiday travel to help contain the coronavirus pandemic , data from roadways and airports shows .
The nation ’ s unwillingness to tamp down on travel offered a warning in advance of Christmas and New Year ’ s as virus deaths and hospitalizations hit new highs a week after Thanksgiving .
U.S. deaths from the outbreak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ single-day record set last spring .
Vehicle travel in early November was as much as 20 % lower than a year earlier , but it surged around the holiday and peaked on Thanksgiving Day at only about 5 % less than the pandemic-free period in 2019 , according to StreetLight Data , which provided an analysis to The Associated Press .
“ People were less willing to change their behavior than any other day during the pandemic , ” said Laura Schewel , founder of StreetLight Data .
Airports also saw some of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ though air travel was much lower than last year .
The Transportation Security Administration screened more than 1 million passengers on four separate days during the Thanksgiving travel period .
Since the pandemic gutted travel in March , there has been only one other day when the number of travelers topped 1 million — Oct. 18 .
“ If only a small percentage of those travelers were asymptomatically infected , this can translate into hundreds of thousands of additional infections moving from one community to another , ” Dr. Cindy Friedman , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said this week during a briefing .
Wide swaths of the country saw a sudden influx of people arriving from university campuses in the days leading up to the holiday , according to a data visualization of anonymous cellphone data from a firm called Tectonix .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has urged people to stay home for the holidays , but officials acknowledged that many people would not heed that advice and advised them to get tested before and after trips .
Friedman said that this year ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many families .
Others had no regrets .
Trananda Graves , who runs a travel-planning company in Keller , Texas , took a Thanksgiving road trip with her family to Nashville , Tennessee .
It was a chance for her daughter to connect with relatives as they shared recipes , and Graves said everyone ’ s mood was uplifted .
“ It was just a break to get away from home , ” Graves said .
“ We work at home , we go to school at home.
” She decided to drive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flights were crowded and said her family followed guidance to avoid spreading infections .
But infections , even from small Thanksgiving gatherings , have begun to stream in around the country , adding another burden to health departments that are already overwhelmed .
The county concluded that Thanksgiving gatherings or travel likely caused 40 % of the 22 cases it reported in the last two days .
That means contact tracers have to figure out where people came from or traveled to and contact health officials in those places .
Lehman said it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the contact-tracing process .
Graves said she expects an uptick in the travel-planning business around the holidays .
Several groups have already inquired about going to Las Vegas to celebrate the end of an arduous year .

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SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Americans couldn’t resist the urge to gather for Thanksgiving, driving only slightly less than a year ago and largely ignoring the pleas of public health experts, who begged them to forgo holiday travel to help contain the coronavirus pandemic, data from roadways and airports shows.
The nation’s unwillingness to tamp down on travel offered a warning in advance of Christmas and New Year’s as virus deaths and hospitalizations hit new highs a week after Thanksgiving. U.S. deaths from the outbreak eclipsed 3,100 on Thursday, obliterating the single-day record set last spring.
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Vehicle travel in early November was as much as 20% lower than a year earlier, but it surged around the holiday and peaked on Thanksgiving Day at only about 5% less than the pandemic-free period in 2019, according to StreetLight Data, which provided an analysis to The Associated Press.
“People were less willing to change their behavior than any other day during the pandemic,” said Laura Schewel, founder of StreetLight Data.
Airports also saw some of their busiest days of the pandemic, though air travel was much lower than last year. The Transportation Security Administration screened more than 1 million passengers on four separate days during the Thanksgiving travel period. Since the pandemic gutted travel in March, there has been only one other day when the number of travelers topped 1 million — Oct. 18.
“If only a small percentage of those travelers were asymptomatically infected, this can translate into hundreds of thousands of additional infections moving from one community to another,” Dr. Cindy Friedman, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention official, said this week during a briefing.
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Wide swaths of the country saw a sudden influx of people arriving from university campuses in the days leading up to the holiday, according to a data visualization of anonymous cellphone data from a firm called Tectonix.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has urged people to stay home for the holidays, but officials acknowledged that many people would not heed that advice and advised them to get tested before and after trips. Friedman said that this year’s holidays presented “tough choices” for many families.
The travelers included some elected officials who preached against trips. The mayors of Denver and Austin, Texas, faced fierce backlashes for traveling after telling other people to stay home.
Others had no regrets. Trananda Graves, who runs a travel-planning company in Keller, Texas, took a Thanksgiving road trip with her family to Nashville, Tennessee. It was a chance for her daughter to connect with relatives as they shared recipes, and Graves said everyone’s mood was uplifted.
“It was just a break to get away from home,” Graves said. “We work at home, we go to school at home.”
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She decided to drive to meet extended family after seeing that flights were crowded and said her family followed guidance to avoid spreading infections.
But infections, even from small Thanksgiving gatherings, have begun to stream in around the country, adding another burden to health departments that are already overwhelmed.
“This uptick here is really coming at a time when everyone’s exhausted,” said Don Lehman, a spokesman for the Warren County Public Health Department in upstate New York.
The county concluded that Thanksgiving gatherings or travel likely caused 40% of the 22 cases it reported in the last two days. That means contact tracers have to figure out where people came from or traveled to and contact health officials in those places. Lehman said it adds “a lot of legwork” to the contact-tracing process.
Graves said she expects an uptick in the travel-planning business around the holidays. Several groups have already inquired about going to Las Vegas to celebrate the end of an arduous year.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-04--Colbert Challenges Obama, Bush And Clinton To Take COVID-19 Vaccine On ‘Late Show’

“ If they want to get vaccinated on TV , that ’ s where I work .
Come on guys @ @ @ @ @ who pointed out that Elvis Presley received his polio shot backstage at the “ Ed @ @ @ @ @ .

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thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-04--Anthony Fauci Backtracks After Claiming UK 'Rushed' COVID-19 Vaccine Approval

Dr. Anthony Fauci , the director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , claimed American regulators “ would do a more thorough job ” of assessing the vaccine developed by Pfizer/BioNTech .
He told CBS News that Britain “ kind of ran around the corner of the marathon and joined it in the last mile , ” adding : “ They really rushed through that approval.
” Fauci said : “ The FDA , the United States of America Food and Drug Administration , is the gold standard of regulation .
They are doing it in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ warned that the speed at which the U.K. has approved the Pfizer vaccine could undermine confidence in the shot , telling Sky News : “ When we did a survey here in the U.S. , there was a considerable degree of skepticism and reluctance to get vaccinated and we were concerned that if we did anything that looked like it was cutting corners that would feed into the scepticism.
” But in a later interview with BBC News , Fauci said he did not mean to “ imply any sloppiness , ” adding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in both the scientific community and the regulatory community at the U.K. ” In response to the comments , the MHRA said in a statement : “ We have rigorously assessed the data in the shortest time possible , without compromising the thoroughness of our review .
“ COVID-19 vaccines , including this one , are being developed in a co-ordinated in a way that allows some stages of this process to happen in parallel to condense the time needed , but it does not mean steps and the expected standards of safety @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” It added that a rolling review of the vaccine data started at the beginning of October , and since then the data , and had made good progress on the review before the last submission of data was received .
“ No vaccine would be authorized for supply in the U.K. unless the expected standards of safety , quality and efficacy are met , ” the statement concluded .
Dr. Siddhartha Sankar Datta , WHO regional adviser for vaccine-preventable diseases and immunization in Europe , said : “ The national regulatory authority @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elements of a system before they make the vaccine licensed for use – ( based on ) the safety , efficacy and quality of the vaccine .
“ That is what the U.K. ’ s national regulatory authority has done yesterday with their evaluation .
We have learned about it and we acknowledge it.
” Despite this criticism , a Cabinet minister declared the U.K. is getting a coronavirus vaccine first because it is a “ much better country ” than France , Belgium and the U.S .

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America’s top infectious disease expert has rowed back from a suggestion that the U.K. approved a COVID-19 vaccine too quickly.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, claimed American regulators “would do a more thorough job” of assessing the vaccine developed by Pfizer/BioNTech.
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He told CBS News that Britain “kind of ran around the corner of the marathon and joined it in the last mile,” adding: “They really rushed through that approval.”
Fauci said: “The FDA, the United States of America Food and Drug Administration, is the gold standard of regulation. They are doing it in a careful way, appropriately.”
He warned that the speed at which the U.K. has approved the Pfizer vaccine could undermine confidence in the shot, telling Sky News: “When we did a survey here in the U.S., there was a considerable degree of skepticism and reluctance to get vaccinated and we were concerned that if we did anything that looked like it was cutting corners that would feed into the scepticism.”
But in a later interview with BBC News, Fauci said he did not mean to “imply any sloppiness,” adding: “I do have great faith in both the scientific community and the regulatory community at the U.K.”
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He said there was “no judgement on the way the U.K. did it.”
Fauci told the BBC: “Our process is one that takes more time than it takes in the UK. And that’s just the reality. I did not mean to imply any sloppiness even though it came out that way.”
The comments came as the coronavirus death toll in the U.K. passed the 60,000 mark, jumping to 60,113 on Thursday.
The World Health Organization (WHO) offered a toned-down response to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency’s (MHRA) decision, simply stating the approval had been “acknowledged.”
Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Anthony Fauci. The Washington Post via Getty Images
In response to the comments, the MHRA said in a statement: “We have rigorously assessed the data in the shortest time possible, without compromising the thoroughness of our review.
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“COVID-19 vaccines, including this one, are being developed in a co-ordinated in a way that allows some stages of this process to happen in parallel to condense the time needed, but it does not mean steps and the expected standards of safety, quality and effectiveness have been bypassed.”
It added that a rolling review of the vaccine data started at the beginning of October, and since then the data, and had made good progress on the review before the last submission of data was received.
“Any vaccine must undergo robust clinical trials in line with international standards, with oversight provided by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.
“No vaccine would be authorized for supply in the U.K. unless the expected standards of safety, quality and efficacy are met,” the statement concluded.
Dr. Siddhartha Sankar Datta, WHO regional adviser for vaccine-preventable diseases and immunization in Europe, said: “The national regulatory authority of a country will review the different elements of a system before they make the vaccine licensed for use – (based on) the safety, efficacy and quality of the vaccine.
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“That is what the U.K.’s national regulatory authority has done yesterday with their evaluation. We have learned about it and we acknowledge it.”
Despite this criticism, a Cabinet minister declared the U.K. is getting a coronavirus vaccine first because it is a “much better country” than France, Belgium and the U.S.
Education secretary Gavin Williamson praised the work done by the medical regulator to approve the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine for use.
The first doses of the vaccine are now believed to have arrived in the U.K.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-04--Kimmel Cut The Lies From Trump's 46-Minute Rant And Now It's A Super Quick Watch

President Donald Trump ’ s conspiracy theory-filled rant about the 2020 election on Facebook this week was stripped of all @ @ @ @ @ s episode of “ Jimmy Kimmel Live !
” Host Jimmy Kimmel said he “ @ @ @ @ @ ” from Trump ’ s “ badly edited 46-minute lie-a-tribe , ” during which the @ @ @ @ @ to overturn his defeat to President-elect Joe Biden .
Trump ’ s speech was “ @ @ @ @ @ three fact-checkers died ” while he was making it , cracked the comedian .
Check @ @ @ @ @ bit here :


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-04--It's That Time Of Year: Fox News' 'War On Christmas' Gets A Pandemic Twist

Fox News host Tucker Carlson gave the network ’ s worn-out “ War on Christmas ” rhetoric a pandemic-era twist on Thursday , accusing public health experts of trying to cancel the holiday .
Infectious disease experts and politicians who listen to them have urged Americans to avoid travel , limit large gatherings and heed other safety precautions this holiday season as COVID-19 infections , hospitalizations and deaths soar to record-setting highs .
“ If death is inevitable ... maybe we should pause before we destroyed the living in the name of trying to eliminate it , ” he declared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Politicians understand this threat .
They figured out that Christmas is bigger than they are , and therefore it ’ s a threat to them .
Better cancel it .
In fact , they ’ re trying hard.
” Right-wingers like Tucker Carlson have not only politicized the virus but they ’ ve decided they ’ re on the side of the virus pic.twitter.com/XtQD54tuQb — Aaron Rupar ( @ atrupar ) December 4 , 2020 He aired a clip of Dr. Anthony Fauci , the nation ’ s top infectious disease expert , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ indoor-type congregate settings.
” Carlson accused Fauci of using complicated language , telling his viewers , “ What Fauci is saying here in English is that you need to avoid going to church .
You need to avoid your own family.
” “ Those are the congregate settings he just mentioned ― you need to spend Christmas alone .
It ’ s important .
All the experts agree with that.
” He then attacked an official from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for offering the same message .
The so-called War @ @ @ @ @ @ @ News , President Donald Trump and others on the right have long peddled .
The network has claimed for years that the Christian holiday and its customs are somehow under siege .

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Fox News host Tucker Carlson gave the network’s worn-out “War on Christmas” rhetoric a pandemic-era twist on Thursday, accusing public health experts of trying to cancel the holiday.
Infectious disease experts and politicians who listen to them have urged Americans to avoid travel, limit large gatherings and heed other safety precautions this holiday season as COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations and deaths soar to record-setting highs.
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This, Carlson claims, is an effort to ruin Christmas.
“If death is inevitable ... maybe we should pause before we destroyed the living in the name of trying to eliminate it,” he declared on “Tucker Carlson Tonight.”
“Politicians understand this threat. They figured out that Christmas is bigger than they are, and therefore it’s a threat to them. Better cancel it. In fact, they’re trying hard.”
Right-wingers like Tucker Carlson have not only politicized the virus but they’ve decided they’re on the side of the virus pic.twitter.com/XtQD54tuQb — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) December 4, 2020
He aired a clip of Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, urging people to minimize travel and “indoor-type congregate settings.”
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Carlson accused Fauci of using complicated language, telling his viewers, “What Fauci is saying here in English is that you need to avoid going to church. You need to avoid your own family.”
“Those are the congregate settings he just mentioned ― you need to spend Christmas alone. It’s important. All the experts agree with that.”
He then attacked an official from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for offering the same message.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-04--Associate Pastor Of Church That Defied California COVID-19 Regulations Has Died

Bob Bryant of the Water of Life Community Church in Fontana in Southern California died Monday , just weeks after the evangelical church moved services inside , defying a California regulation that allows only outdoor services .
Bryant , 58 , who was married and had four children , will be honored at a memorial service Monday inside the church , according to its website , again in defiance of health regulations .
Bryant became sick while on vacation last month and did not return to the church after he began experiencing COVID-19 symptoms , a church spokesperson told the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ working “ right up until ” he “ wasn ’ t feeling well , ” then became “ incredibly sick , ” KABC-TV in Los Angles reported .
Bryant , described as a “ larger-than-life ” pastor who has been with the church for 20 years , worked on providing financial assistance to church members in need .
Bryant suffered “ aggressive pneumonia ” and a heart attack , and was placed on a ventilator , according to a Facebook post by his wife , Lori Snider Bryant .
“ It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bryant ’ s death in an interview with KABC .
“ The whole COVID experience is very painful.
” Carroll was one of several church leaders who signed a letter in mid-May vowing to reopen his church regardless of state restrictions designed to help stem the tide of COVID-19 infections .
“ We ’ re not here to be activists , we ’ re not here to be rebels ; we ’ re here to be helpers , ” Carroll said at a news conference at the time .
He complained that “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they ’ d been “ kicked to the curb ” and “ marginalized.
” As COVID-19 cases decreased , the state allowed churches to reopen with capacity caps in late May , but it again ended indoor services in mid-July in the hardest-hit counties .
The Water of Life church ignored the restrictions and reopened for indoor services in early November , requiring masks and social distancing , according to a Facebook post .
State health regulations ban indoor church services in the most restricted counties , where COVID-19 cases are the most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Water of Life is located , is in the most restricted category .
The county received a complaint about indoor services at Water of Life in mid-November and issued a letter Monday calling for the church to comply with regulations , the Times reported .
Bryant ’ s memorial service will be in the church ’ s Worship Center , according to the church website on Friday .
It will also be streamed online .
For those “ joining us in person , social distancing will be practiced and face masks are required @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” the website noted .

The associate pastor of a California megachurch that defied a state order and instead opened for indoor services has died.
Bob Bryant of the Water of Life Community Church in Fontana in Southern California died Monday, just weeks after the evangelical church moved services inside, defying a California regulation that allows only outdoor services.
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Bryant, 58, who was married and had four children, will be honored at a memorial service Monday inside the church, according to its website, again in defiance of health regulations.
Bryant became sick while on vacation last month and did not return to the church after he began experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, a church spokesperson told the Los Angeles Times.
But he continued working “right up until” he “wasn’t feeling well,” then became “incredibly sick,” KABC-TV in Los Angles reported. Bryant, described as a “larger-than-life” pastor who has been with the church for 20 years, worked on providing financial assistance to church members in need.
Bryant suffered “aggressive pneumonia” and a heart attack, and was placed on a ventilator, according to a Facebook post by his wife, Lori Snider Bryant.
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Dan Carroll, senior pastor of the 20,000-member Water of Life church, didn’t address the controversy over the church’s decision to ignore health regulations.
“It’s very painful,” Carroll said of Bryant’s death in an interview with KABC. “The whole COVID experience is very painful.”
Carroll was one of several church leaders who signed a letter in mid-May vowing to reopen his church regardless of state restrictions designed to help stem the tide of COVID-19 infections.
“We’re not here to be activists, we’re not here to be rebels; we’re here to be helpers,” Carroll said at a news conference at the time. He complained that “Californians of faith” felt as if they’d been “kicked to the curb” and “marginalized.”
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A federal judge ruled May 5 that Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) had the right to ban church assemblies during the coronavirus outbreak.
As COVID-19 cases decreased, the state allowed churches to reopen with capacity caps in late May, but it again ended indoor services in mid-July in the hardest-hit counties.
The Water of Life church ignored the restrictions and reopened for indoor services in early November, requiring masks and social distancing, according to a Facebook post.
Screen Shot/Facebook/Water of Life Community Church
State health regulations ban indoor church services in the most restricted counties, where COVID-19 cases are the most rampant. San Bernardino County, where Water of Life is located, is in the most restricted category.
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The county received a complaint about indoor services at Water of Life in mid-November and issued a letter Monday calling for the church to comply with regulations, the Times reported.
Bryant’s memorial service will be in the church’s Worship Center, according to the church website on Friday. It will also be streamed online. For those “joining us in person, social distancing will be practiced and face masks are required at all times while on campus,” the website noted.
All funerals in San Bernardino County, whether church-based or not, are only permitted outdoors, according to the state health order.
San Bernardino has among the highest rates of coronavirus infections among California’s 58 counties. On Friday, it became the 10th county in the nation to exceed 100,000 cases.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-04--Santa Claus Gets Along Swimmingly With Fish At Tokyo Aquarium

TOKYO , Dec 4 ( Reuters ) - Dressed in a Santa Claus costume , a mask and flippers , a diver waved through a curtain of tropical fish in a Tokyo aquarium at socially distanced spectators watching from behind glass .
Continuing a more-than 20-year-old tradition at the Sunshine Aquarium , she held a Christmas wreath aloft as banana fish and a stingray swam by unperturbed , and used a bazooka-shaped feeder to shoot out pellets for them to feast on .
“ To be honest , I thought how can you swim in that outfit ?
“ 42-year-old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and four-year-old son , told Reuters after seeing the show , which will continue until Christmas Day .
For Tokyo resident Ayami Kobayashi , 35 , the entertainment was all the more welcome in a year overshadowed by a pandemic .
“ Seeing the fish made me relax .
I know it ’ s difficult to hold events like these because of the coronavirus situation , but I ’ m grateful they still held the event , ” she said .
Started in 1999 , the Christmas show has taken place almost every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ daily infection rates inch higher across Japan , the aquarium has hosted the event on Fridays , Saturdays and Sundays only , and placed strict limits on visitor numbers .

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TOKYO, Dec 4 (Reuters) - Dressed in a Santa Claus costume, a mask and flippers, a diver waved through a curtain of tropical fish in a Tokyo aquarium at socially distanced spectators watching from behind glass.
Continuing a more-than 20-year-old tradition at the Sunshine Aquarium, she held a Christmas wreath aloft as banana fish and a stingray swam by unperturbed, and used a bazooka-shaped feeder to shoot out pellets for them to feast on.
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“To be honest, I thought how can you swim in that outfit?“ 42-year-old Keiichi Matsumura, visiting with his wife and four-year-old son, told Reuters after seeing the show, which will continue until Christmas Day.
For Tokyo resident Ayami Kobayashi, 35, the entertainment was all the more welcome in a year overshadowed by a pandemic.
“Seeing the fish made me relax. I know it’s difficult to hold events like these because of the coronavirus situation, but I’m grateful they still held the event,” she said.
Started in 1999, the Christmas show has taken place almost every year since.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-04--World War II Vet Beats COVID-19 In Time To Celebrate 104th Birthday

BIRMINGHAM , Ala. ( AP ) — An Alabama man who spent World War II repairing bomb-damaged trains in France recovered from a fight with COVID-19 in time to mark his 104th birthday on Thursday .
Major Wooten was physically drained and a little fuzzy mentally after battling the new coronavirus but appears to be on the mend , said granddaughter Holley Wooten McDonald .
“ I ’ m just thankful that they were able to treat him so quickly and we were able to get him tested , ” said McDonald , adding : “ It ’ s amazing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Madison Hospital shared video of Wooten wearing a face mask and waving while workers sang “ Happy birthday dear Pop Pop ” as he was discharged in a wheelchair decorated with balloons on Tuesday , two days before his actual birthday .
McDonald said her grandfather , who served as a private first class in the Army before going on to a postwar career with U.S. Steel in Birmingham , tested positive for COVID-19 on Nov. 23 after her mother — his daughter — got the illness .
He received an infusion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bamlanivimab but was physically drained the next day and had to be taken to the hospital by ambulance the day before Thanksgiving , she said .
“ I don ’ t know if that medicine just started working ... but within 24 hours he was better , ” she said .
Wooten ’ s blood oxygen levels are good now and his lungs are “ clear as a bell , ” McDonald said .
She said her mother recovered from COVID-19 , and so did a sister who developed the illness and had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In the spring , he was hospitalized with serious heart problems and recovered , McDonald said .
Wooten , a big University of Alabama football fan , received a video phone call from Alabama coach Nick Saban after that scare got attention on the local news , she said .
“ He was on cloud nine after that , ” she said .
For Wooten ’ s birthday , a company erected a yard display that included the Alabama athletics logo , a cake , candles and a patriotic hat .

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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — An Alabama man who spent World War II repairing bomb-damaged trains in France recovered from a fight with COVID-19 in time to mark his 104th birthday on Thursday.
Major Wooten was physically drained and a little fuzzy mentally after battling the new coronavirus but appears to be on the mend, said granddaughter Holley Wooten McDonald.
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“I’m just thankful that they were able to treat him so quickly and we were able to get him tested,” said McDonald, adding: “It’s amazing that a 104 year old survived COVID.”
Madison Hospital shared video of Wooten wearing a face mask and waving while workers sang “Happy birthday dear Pop Pop” as he was discharged in a wheelchair decorated with balloons on Tuesday, two days before his actual birthday.
McDonald said her grandfather, who served as a private first class in the Army before going on to a postwar career with U.S. Steel in Birmingham, tested positive for COVID-19 on Nov. 23 after her mother — his daughter — got the illness.
World War II veteran and COVID-19 survivor Major Wooten holds a celebratory milkshake on his 104th birthday on Thursday, Dec. 3, 2020. Holly Wooten McDonald/AP
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He received an infusion of the newly approved monoclonal antibody therapy bamlanivimab but was physically drained the next day and had to be taken to the hospital by ambulance the day before Thanksgiving, she said.
“I don’t know if that medicine just started working ... but within 24 hours he was better,” she said. Wooten’s blood oxygen levels are good now and his lungs are “clear as a bell,” McDonald said.
She said her mother recovered from COVID-19, and so did a sister who developed the illness and had to spend a week on a ventilator.
The brush with COVID-19 was Wooten’s second major health scare this year.
In the spring, he was hospitalized with serious heart problems and recovered, McDonald said. Wooten, a big University of Alabama football fan, received a video phone call from Alabama coach Nick Saban after that scare got attention on the local news, she said.
“He was on cloud nine after that,” she said. For Wooten’s birthday, a company erected a yard display that included the Alabama athletics logo, a cake, candles and a patriotic hat.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-04--Anthony Fauci Praises Joe Biden's 100-Day Mask Plan

Top infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci said Friday that President-elect Joe Biden ’ s plan for all Americans to commit to 100 days of mask-wearing is a solid response to the coronavirus pandemic , which has entered a dark new chapter in the U.S. Fauci , who has run the National Institutes of Health ’ s infectious diseases agency for decades , said on NBC ’ s “ Today ” show that he doesn ’ t view Biden ’ s plan as putting an artificial time limit on wearing masks , which are one of the proven ways to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Now , it might be that after that , we still are going to need it , ” said Fauci , who also confirmed that he will serve as Biden ’ s chief medical adviser .
“ But he just wants it , everybody for a commitment for 100 days .
And I discussed that with him , and I told him I thought that was a good idea.
” Asking all Americans to make that commitment would be a solid “ uniform ” response , Fauci said .
President Donald Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ national guidelines .
Nine months into the pandemic , when the U.S. has record-high hospitalization rates and a surge in cases from coast to coast , the White House is actively encouraging people to shirk guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and gather in groups for the holidays .
“ If you can loot businesses , burn down buildings , engage in a protest , you can also go to a Christmas party .
You can celebrate the holiday of Christmas , and you can do it responsibly , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ earlier this week .
Trump will move forward with plans to host dozens of indoor holidays parties this month , McEnany said , adding that these gathering would have smaller guest lists than usual , that masks would be “ available , ” and that social distancing would be “ encouraged.
” “ Just 100 days to mask , not forever .
One hundred days .
And I think we ’ ll see a significant reduction , ” the president-elect said .
Trump has repeatedly politicized masks throughout the pandemic .
He has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public , mocked Biden for wearing one , and has rarely worn one himself .

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Top infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci said Friday that President-elect Joe Biden’s plan for all Americans to commit to 100 days of mask-wearing is a solid response to the coronavirus pandemic, which has entered a dark new chapter in the U.S.
Fauci, who has run the National Institutes of Health’s infectious diseases agency for decades, said on NBC’s “Today” show that he doesn’t view Biden’s plan as putting an artificial time limit on wearing masks, which are one of the proven ways to curb the spread of COVID-19.
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“Now, it might be that after that, we still are going to need it,” said Fauci, who also confirmed that he will serve as Biden’s chief medical adviser. “But he just wants it, everybody for a commitment for 100 days. And I discussed that with him, and I told him I thought that was a good idea.”
Asking all Americans to make that commitment would be a solid “uniform” response, Fauci said.
Will you accept President-elect Biden's offer to serve as his chief medical adviser? -@SavannahGuthrie
Absolutely, I said yes right on the spot. -Dr. Anthony Fauci pic.twitter.com/lHr3z1v3vo — TODAY (@TODAYshow) December 4, 2020
President Donald Trump’s administration has refused to issue firm national guidelines. Nine months into the pandemic, when the U.S. has record-high hospitalization rates and a surge in cases from coast to coast, the White House is actively encouraging people to shirk guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and gather in groups for the holidays.
“If you can loot businesses, burn down buildings, engage in a protest, you can also go to a Christmas party. You can celebrate the holiday of Christmas, and you can do it responsibly,” White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said earlier this week.
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Trump will move forward with plans to host dozens of indoor holidays parties this month, McEnany said, adding that these gathering would have smaller guest lists than usual, that masks would be “available,” and that social distancing would be “encouraged.”
Biden announced his 100-day mask proposal Thursday on CNN.
“Just 100 days to mask, not forever. One hundred days. And I think we’ll see a significant reduction,” the president-elect said.
Trump has repeatedly politicized masks throughout the pandemic. He has scoffed at efforts to mandate them in public, mocked Biden for wearing one, and has rarely worn one himself.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-04--U.N. Warns 2021 Is Shaping Up To Be A Humanitarian Catastrophe

NEW YORK , Dec 4 ( Reuters ) - Next year is shaping up to be a humanitarian catastrophe and rich countries must not trample poor countries in a “ stampede for vaccines ” to combat the coronavirus pandemic , top U.N. officials told the 193-member U.N. General Assembly on Friday .
World Food Programme ( WFP ) chief David Beasley and World Health Organization ( WHO ) head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus spoke during a special meeting on COVID-19 , which emerged in China late last year and has so far infected 65 million globally .
The pandemic measures are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its spread , and the economic impact has fueled a 40 % increase in the number of people needing humanitarian help , the United Nations said earlier this week .
It has appealed for $ 35 billion in aid funding .
“ 2021 is literally going to be catastrophic based on what we ’ re seeing at this stage of the game , ” said Beasley , adding that for a dozen countries , famine is “ knocking on the door.
” He said 2021 was likely to be “ the worst humanitarian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ United Nations ” 75 years ago and ” we ’ re not going to be able to fund everything ... so we have to prioritize , as I say , the icebergs in front of the Titanic.
” KALININGRAD , RUSSIA - DECEMBER 4 , 2020 : A nurse prepares to give a serviceman of the Russian Navy 's Baltic Fleet the Russian Sputnik V vaccine during COVID-19 vaccination .
Vitaly Nevar/TASS ( Photo by Vitaly Nevar\TASS via Getty Images ) U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and his top officials have also called for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all and for rich countries to help developing countries combat and recover from the pandemic .
“ We simply can not accept a world in which the poor and marginalized are trampled by the rich and powerful in the stampede for vaccines , ” Tedros told the General Assembly .
“ This is a global crisis and the solutions must be shared equitably as global public goods .
”

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NEW YORK, Dec 4 (Reuters) - Next year is shaping up to be a humanitarian catastrophe and rich countries must not trample poor countries in a “stampede for vaccines” to combat the coronavirus pandemic, top U.N. officials told the 193-member U.N. General Assembly on Friday.
World Food Programme (WFP) chief David Beasley and World Health Organization (WHO) head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus spoke during a special meeting on COVID-19, which emerged in China late last year and has so far infected 65 million globally.
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The pandemic measures are taken by countries to try to stop its spread, and the economic impact has fueled a 40% increase in the number of people needing humanitarian help, the United Nations said earlier this week. It has appealed for $35 billion in aid funding.
“2021 is literally going to be catastrophic based on what we’re seeing at this stage of the game,” said Beasley, adding that for a dozen countries, famine is “knocking on the door.”
He said 2021 was likely to be “the worst humanitarian crisis year since the beginning of the United Nations” 75 years ago and ”we’re not going to be able to fund everything ... so we have to prioritize, as I say, the icebergs in front of the Titanic.”
KALININGRAD, RUSSIA - DECEMBER 4, 2020: A nurse prepares to give a serviceman of the Russian Navy's Baltic Fleet the Russian Sputnik V vaccine during COVID-19 vaccination. Vitaly Nevar/TASS (Photo by Vitaly Nevar\TASS via Getty Images) Vitaly Nevar via Getty Images
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U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and his top officials have also called for COVID-19 vaccines to be made available to all and for rich countries to help developing countries combat and recover from the pandemic.
Tedros appealed for an immediate injection of $4.3 billion into a world vaccine-sharing program.
“We simply cannot accept a world in which the poor and marginalized are trampled by the rich and powerful in the stampede for vaccines,” Tedros told the General Assembly. “This is a global crisis and the solutions must be shared equitably as global public goods.”
___


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-04--Kellyanne Conway: 'It Looks Like Joe Biden And Kamala Harris Will Prevail'

Although many Republicans have insisted that President Donald Trump still has a chance at winning the 2020 election despite ample evidence to the contrary , Kellyanne Conway isn ’ t one of them .
In an interview with 19thNews.org on Friday , the former White House counselor admitted that President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris won the election , while insisting that Trump has the right to continue challenging the election results .
“ The president wants to exhaust all of his legal avenues , as he has made clear many times , ” Conway said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” “ If you look at the vote totals in the Electoral College tally , it looks like Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will prevail , ” Conway said .
“ I assume the electors will certify that and it will be official .
We , as a nation , will move forward , because we always do.
” Elsewhere in the interview , Conway expressed the need for a “ peaceful transfer of democracy ” regardless of which administration will be in power , adding , “ We want the engines of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Zoom call on Wednesday , Georgia Sen. David Perdue also made comments suggesting that Biden will be the next president , according to The Washington Post .
“ We know what this change of command at the top will mean with our foreign relations , ” said Perdue , who will face Jon Ossoff in a Georgia runoff election in January .
“ If we can keep the majority in the Senate , we can at least be a buffer on some of the things that the Biden camp has been talking about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The recording comes just days before Perdue and fellow Georgia Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler are set to appear at a rally with Trump in Valdosta , Georgia , on Saturday .
John Burke , Perdue ’ s campaign spokesperson , told the Post that the senator ’ s comments are a “ non-story , ” insisting that Perdue supports the president “ and his fight for transparency and accuracy in this election .
”

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Although many Republicans have insisted that President Donald Trump still has a chance at winning the 2020 election despite ample evidence to the contrary, Kellyanne Conway isn’t one of them.
In an interview with 19thNews.org on Friday, the former White House counselor admitted that President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris won the election, while insisting that Trump has the right to continue challenging the election results.
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“The president wants to exhaust all of his legal avenues, as he has made clear many times,” Conway said. “Of course, that is his right.”
But she didn’t express much hope in his efforts actually working.
“If you look at the vote totals in the Electoral College tally, it looks like Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will prevail,” Conway said. “I assume the electors will certify that and it will be official. We, as a nation, will move forward, because we always do.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Conway expressed the need for a “peaceful transfer of democracy” regardless of which administration will be in power, adding, “We want the engines of government to keep going.”
You can see Conway’s comments in the video below.
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Conway isn’t the only GOP official willing to acknowledge that Trump lost the election.
In a Zoom call on Wednesday, Georgia Sen. David Perdue also made comments suggesting that Biden will be the next president, according to The Washington Post.
“We know what this change of command at the top will mean with our foreign relations,” said Perdue, who will face Jon Ossoff in a Georgia runoff election in January. “If we can keep the majority in the Senate, we can at least be a buffer on some of the things that the Biden camp has been talking about in terms of their foreign policy.”
The recording comes just days before Perdue and fellow Georgia Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler are set to appear at a rally with Trump in Valdosta, Georgia, on Saturday.
John Burke, Perdue’s campaign spokesperson, told the Post that the senator’s comments are a “non-story,” insisting that Perdue supports the president “and his fight for transparency and accuracy in this election.”