thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-23--1 House, 5 Grocery Store Workers And A Very Long Year

Above: Ralphs employees Mike Kurtz, a meat manager (left); Joseph Salorio, a front-end manager; Raquel Salorio, a front-end manager; and Jack Dawe, a meat manager in the backyard of Joseph’s home in San Diego on Dec. 18. Credit: Ariana Drehsler for HuffPost
As coronavirus cases rose in San Diego this summer, Raquel Salorio took special precautions whenever she came home from her shift at a Ralphs grocery store. She left her shoes outside. She threw her clothes into the wash. She scrubbed her hands and hit the doorknobs with Lysol wipes. But she knew that her vigilance could only go so far.
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After all, there were five grocery workers living in the same house, all coming and going from four Ralphs locations.
Her partner of three years, Mike Kurtz, is a Ralphs meat manager. Her son, Joseph, is a Ralphs front-end manager. Her daughter, Annalisa, is a Ralphs online order manager. And Annalisa’s boyfriend, Jack Dawe, is a Ralphs meat manager.
Earlier in the pandemic, they were collectively working about 250 hours per week at Ralphs, a subsidiary of grocery giant Kroger, serving hundreds of customers per day and then converging on the same living room, exhausted, wondering who might get sick. Their living situation is less strained now: Joseph, Annalisa and Jack recently decamped to a nearby house Joseph bought in late September. They are now two households of grocery workers, clocking in through the busy holiday season as coronavirus cases surge everywhere.
“It was very nerve-wracking, especially at the beginning,” said Kurtz, 47. “You’d come home every day looking at everybody else. ′How do you feel today? You OK?’”
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The country’s more than 2 million grocery workers have carried a unique burden through the pandemic. The job typically does not pay very well, but it isn’t supposed to be dangerous. Workers have found themselves enforcing social-distancing rules and playing the role of mask police ― chores they never signed up to do. The hazardous conditions and huge grocery sales have taken a physical and mental toll. They’ve received a lot of thank-yous but not much in the way of hazard pay.
While no one among the five in the extended Salorio family has gotten the coronavirus, they have worked through fear and exhaustion for nine months, with many more to come. They are now heading into what’s usually the busiest grocery shopping stretch of the year.
“We’re pulling through, little by little,” said Raquel, 55.
Salorio, a front-end manager, closes the doors at the beginning of her 1 a.m. work shift in San Diego on Dec. 21. At right, Salorio leaves Ralphs after working 10½ hours. Ariana Drehsler for HuffPost
Raquel has worked for Ralphs for 36 years. As a front-end manager, she oversees cashiers and customer service representatives and sometimes steps in to do those jobs. Usually she opens the store at 5 a.m., but ahead of the holidays she’s volunteered to fill in for someone else and stock shelves on the overnight shift, heading in at 1 a.m. and getting out around 10 a.m. She’s happy to encounter fewer customers for a while, even if it means more lifting.
“I’m a good worker, and they use me everywhere,” she said. “I like to do my thing and get it done with.”
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One thing people underestimate about grocery work is how physical it is. Not just the bending and lifting, but also the miles of walking on cold, hard floors. Raquel’s legs ache after shifts. She wears good insoles, and Kurtz bought her a massager, but sometimes the pain is so intense that she sits in her car after work and gets tears in her eyes. But she said other essential workers, like hospital nurses and doctors, have it much harder right now.
“When I think about myself and feel bad for myself, I feel even worse for them,” she said. “They must see so much horror every day.”
Kurtz has typically been working 10-hour days, six days a week. Soon, due to the holiday crush, his shifts will stretch to 12 hours and maybe even 14 ― “dark-to-darks” as they call them in the winter months. His longest stretch of continuous workdays this year was 16. The overtime pay is nice, but the schedule leaves little time for family. He has three sons of his own, two of whom have been working at Costco stores during the pandemic.
Raquel Salorio and Mike Kurtz hug in her son Joseph's backyard in San Diego. Ariana Drehsler for HuffPost
Long before they began to date, Raquel and Kurtz first met at a Ralphs store nearly three decades ago. “She probably don’t remember working with me,” Kurtz said. “I was a young man. She’s a couple years older than me. I remember her very well.”
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Kurtz has worked at more than two dozen Ralphs locations over the years, and he eventually managed Raquel’s son, Joseph, who started working for Ralphs in high school. Joseph became a seafood manager when he turned 18. He has been with the company ever since.
Annalisa had worked at Ralphs since high school but didn’t plan to make a career of it. She graduated from cosmetology school in mid-March, just as the White House declared a national emergency due to the pandemic. Salons closed, and millions of service jobs vanished. She ended up staying with Ralphs, picking out items for online orders as many customers shifted to delivery and curbside pickup.
There’s still plenty of people inside the store, though, some of whom seem oblivious to social-distancing protocols. Kurtz and his colleagues have a running joke: “Come to the store. There’s no coronavirus here.” People crowd the meat case. They get in employees’ personal space. Sometimes it seems like families even make an outing of it just to get out of the house, since grocery stores are one of the few socially and legally acceptable indoor places to wander.
“They have nowhere else to go but to a grocery store,” Raquel said.
Customers have gotten much better about wearing masks, but she sometimes still encounters an attitude. On more than one occasion, female customers have apologized to her for the behavior of their husbands, including one who cursed at her when she asked him to pull his mask up so it covered his mouth rather than his chin. “I’ve worked six days for the last six weeks,” she recalled telling the woman. “I don’t need this from your husband.”
Most customers are kind and understanding, but Raquel feels as if she’s lost her usual connection to them. She’s the kind of person who walks into Target on her day off and finds herself greeting everyone she passes as if she were still at Ralphs. But now customers have trouble hearing her through the mask. She smiles by squinting her eyes.
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“It’s kind of sad that that’s what we do now,” she said. “Before, we were programmed to say hi to everybody. Now they don’t want to look at you. On the front end, you barely say hi to anybody. It’s just a different job now.”
Different, and busier than ever. Joseph remembers sitting in a back room the day the national emergency was declared, and soon there were 300 customers swarming the store, with lines stretching deep into the aisles. Tensions ran high in those days, “people fighting over a parking spot, customers freaking out because a guy sneezed.” Most of Joseph’s friends lost their service-industry jobs. At 24, he found himself working 60-hour weeks, feeling responsible for the health and safety of dozens of employees, many of them twice his age.
There are customers who yell because a certain product is out of stock. He tells his colleagues not to focus on them: “They’re just scared, like us.” Instead, he says, “Look at all these other people thanking us.” People bring in pizzas and homemade cookies and masks. Elementary school kids make posters showing their gratitude. Customers ask workers if they can get them a cup of coffee from the in-store Starbucks, or they just hand them a gift card ― the kind of thing that never happened before the pandemic.
“Even a $10 gift card, it can go a long way,” he said.
Kurtz said he sensed that gratitude from customers particularly early in the crisis. But as the pandemic has worn on, it seems as though everyone has recalibrated their expectations.
“I guess I feel like there was a lot of appreciation for a time, but it definitely has worn off,” he said.
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Mike Kurtz, a meat manager at a Ralphs on Carmel Mountain Road in San Diego, waits for an employee to let him in the store at 4 a.m. so he can start his shift. Ariana Drehsler for HuffPost
The work pace, however, has not let up much. Americans are doing nearly all of their eating at home, without office lunch breaks or meals out at restaurants. Although grocery sales have slowed compared with earlier in the pandemic, they remain higher than usual. Profits at the largest grocers were up 40% over 2019 as of last month, according to an analysis from the Brookings Institution.
Workers have received only a small share of that bonanza. Facing public pressure and fears of a worker shortage, a lot of companies instituted hazard pay in the spring. In most cases, it was an extra buck or two an hour, or a bonus, or a combination of both. Kroger gave its workers a temporary $2 raise and a pair of one-time bonuses.
The company called it “hero pay.” Raquel said her store even urged workers to dress up as heroes for a day, with capes and comic-book costumes, an ill-conceived morale booster she found in poor taste. She was relieved it fell on her day off. She still bristles at the idea. “We didn’t ask to be heroes, and we’re not heroes,” she said.
That modest pay increase ended for Kroger workers in May. The daily coronavirus case numbers in the U.S. have risen roughly tenfold since then. With a few exceptions, most other retailers have also scratched their pandemic pay boosts. But Kroger has been stingier than most, relative to the company’s windfall, said Molly Kinder, a Brookings fellow and co-author of the industry analysis.
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Through three financial quarters of this year, Kroger nearly doubled its profits over the previous year, she noted, and the company authorized a $1 billion stock buyback program in September.
“Kroger really stands out. They’re spending more on stock buybacks than they are on any kind of hazard pay,” said Kinder. “These workers get it. They may not have the numbers in front of them, but they know what’s going on. They see that sales are through the roof.”
Kristal Howard, a Kroger spokesperson, said in an email that the company has spent $1.3 billion on employees during the pandemic. But that figure includes money devoted to in-store safety measures, not just hazard pay and bonuses. She also said Kroger has a $15 million fund to help employees struggling financially. ”We continue to listen to our associates and take steps to ensure their safety and well-being.”
Marc Perrone, president of the United Food and Commercial Workers union, which represents workers at Ralphs and other Kroger chains, said the company seems more concerned with its shareholders than its workers. He said some chains have continued their temporary pay increases while Kroger gave its employees $100 gift cards to spend at their own stores.
“They’re definitely behind the rest of the pack. Even the non-union operators are doing more than they’re doing,” Perrone said. “I’m just very disappointed in Kroger.”
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The union says at least 109 grocery workers around the country have died of COVID-19, and estimates that at least 17,000 workers have been infected or exposed to the virus. Joseph recalls two coronavirus cases among workers at his store early in the pandemic.
Mike Kurtz sits in his truck to decompress for a few minutes after working more than 10 hours. Ariana Drehsler for HuffPost
Kurtz wants hazard pay mostly for those who work under him. He has a lot of seniority and a higher wage. The extra $2 an hour would go further for those on the lower end of the scale, especially around the holidays, when everyone needs to buy gifts. “A lot of employees need it to survive,” he said. “They need it to get by and support their own families.”
Joseph said he feels the company has done a good job through the pandemic, especially when it comes to following the evolving local regulations on indoor capacity. Losing hazard pay was a bummer, but he said workers appreciated the Ralphs gift cards. He feels grateful to have a steady job with room to advance and enough income to become a homeowner.
“If I stayed where I’m at, I feel like I could have a comfortable life,” he said.
But his mother believes the job is not as good as it once was. When Raquel started working more than three decades ago, it seemed like an excellent living for not having a college degree. “It was a really good job in the beginning,” she said. “But now everyone has caught up or passed us.” She pays more for medical care and feels like the wages haven’t risen the way they should over the years.
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They haven’t. Wages for grocery workers, like many blue-collar jobs, have barely risen since the late 1980s when adjusted for inflation. Meanwhile, grocery workers are taking home an increasingly smaller share of the pie. Compensation as a share of industry income has been headed downward since 2003, a trend that Labor Department economist Jenny Rudd attributes at least in part to industry consolidation as conglomerates like Kroger scoop up their competitors. (In addition to Ralphs, Kroger also owns Harris Teeter, Fred Meyer and more than a dozen other chains.)
At the same time, fewer grocery workers seem to be getting full-time work. The average hours worked each week dropped from 32 in 2003 to around 28 in 2018, a change Kurtz has watched unfold. “If they had it their way, everyone would be part-time employees and have four-hours shifts,” he said. “Without the union, it would be hard for these stores to get people to work for them.”
Raquel Salorio started working at Ralphs 36 years ago. At the time, it seemed like an excellent living for someone without a college degree. “But now everyone has caught up or passed us,” she said. Ariana Drehsler for HuffPost
Kurtz and Raquel enjoy some better perks than the younger workers, since they were grandfathered in under older union contracts. They earn triple time for working a holiday like Christmas, whereas newer workers like Joseph get double pay. Joseph has volunteered to work a shift on Christmas at his mother’s store so that a front-end manager there can get the day off. He has a mortgage now, and he isn’t mingling with many people anyway.
“A lot of my friends ask me to hang out. I just let them know I’m really exhausted and deal with a lot of people, just in case there’s that chance I have [COVID-19] and I’m asymptomatic,” he explained.
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Raquel usually works on Christmas. This year Kurtz urged her not to ― “very aggressively,” he explained ― and she turned down the extra shift. Kurtz is taking the holiday off as well. They won’t be seeing extended family due to the risks, but Kurtz might bring a prime rib home from the store for dinner.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-23--Do You Have A Winter Health Issue Or COVID-19? Here's How To Tell.

Ah , winter ― a time where we find ourselves constantly asking if we ’ re sick or if it ’ s just a reaction to the weather and all that comes with it .
And during the coronavirus pandemic , those average winter symptoms feel even more alarming .
“ As we go into these winter months , symptoms may be due to different things and lines get blurrier , ” said Stephanie Christenson , a pulmonologist and assistant professor in the division of pulmonary , critical care , allergy and sleep medicine at the University of San Francisco @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seeing surges in COVID-19 all over the country , so there ’ s a greater chance of getting infected .
Being as diligent as possible is so incredibly important.
” To clear up confusion about whether your symptoms should raise a red flag for COVID-19 , we asked experts to share other potential causes of coronavirus-like symptoms .
Here ’ s what to look out for and advice on how to stay safe this winter .
Dry air and freezing temperatures can dry out your airway — which includes the nasal passage and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discomfort , producing a cough , runny nose or nasal congestion .
Wintry air can also compromise the moist protective lining in your airway , added David Serota , an infectious disease physician in Miami .
Dust mites are commonly found in beds or circulating through your home ’ s heating and cooling system .
Humid or damp areas like trash cans , kitchens or bathrooms can harbor mold , as can a fresh Christmas tree and leaves or soil in your garden .
Some places have trees that pollinate in the winter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can continue to experience symptoms , Lee said .
“ Most of the respiratory symptoms — like nasal drainage , cough , potentially sore throat , potentially sinus issues and headaches associated with sinus issues — could be seen in an allergy or COVID-19 , ” Lee said .
If you have an itchy nose or itchy eyes , this is more likely an allergic reaction .
Lee pointed out that sometimes allergy-related sinus issues can decrease your sense of taste or smell , but it ’ s not stark or sudden — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 .
The loss of taste or smell experienced by COVID-19 patients usually feels highly unusual to them .
Christenson ’ s advice ?
If you feel like you have a flu or infection coming on , don ’ t wait around to speculate and get tested as soon as possible .
And remember that a negative test result shouldn ’ t be a sign to end isolation , especially if you still have symptoms .
“ Because the tests are not 100 % sensitive ― meaning false negatives are possible ― if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no other explanation , it is reasonable to isolate and follow the recommendations for return-to-work based on people with diagnosed COVID-19 , ” Serota added .
If you have asthma or COPD , you are probably keenly aware of what your usual cough or other respiratory symptoms are like in winter .
Anything that feels different or any increase in your usual respiratory symptoms should prompt you to isolate and inform your doctor , Christenson said .
“ It could be very difficult for a patient to tell the difference between COVID-19 and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ due to causes other than the SARS-CoV-2 virus , ” she said .
Christenson advised isolating until symptoms are at least improving .
“ Sometimes for asthma or COPD patients , it may take weeks to months to really get all the way back to baseline .
But , it would be best to try to isolate until you are clearly on the mend.
” How can you minimize the effects of these winter-related health issues Christenson stressed the importance of covering your nose and mouth with a mask while outdoors .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with other people and physical distancing would decrease your chances of catching the other viral infections .
Serota also urged getting a flu shot and continuing to wash your hands and practice good health hygiene .

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Ah, winter ― a time where we find ourselves constantly asking if we’re sick or if it’s just a reaction to the weather and all that comes with it. And during the coronavirus pandemic, those average winter symptoms feel even more alarming.
“As we go into these winter months, symptoms may be due to different things and lines get blurrier,” said Stephanie Christenson, a pulmonologist and assistant professor in the division of pulmonary, critical care, allergy and sleep medicine at the University of San Francisco. “But we’re also seeing surges in COVID-19 all over the country, so there’s a greater chance of getting infected. Being as diligent as possible is so incredibly important.”
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To clear up confusion about whether your symptoms should raise a red flag for COVID-19, we asked experts to share other potential causes of coronavirus-like symptoms. Here’s what to look out for and advice on how to stay safe this winter.
Breathing cold, dry air
Dry air and freezing temperatures can dry out your airway — which includes the nasal passage and part of the throat — and cause discomfort, producing a cough, runny nose or nasal congestion. Wintry air can also compromise the moist protective lining in your airway, added David Serota, an infectious disease physician in Miami.
“When these areas dry out, viruses and bacteria are better able to latch on and develop an infection,” Serota said.
Christenson said to monitor a cough, runny nose, sore throat or nasal congestion that may occur after breathing cold air outdoors. If it is solely due to the cold air, these symptoms should resolve after a day or two.
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Indoor and outdoor allergens
As we stay indoors more to escape the cold, we face extended exposure to allergens such as dust mites, mold, pet dander and more, said Gerald Lee, an allergist and immunologist in Atlanta.
Dust mites are commonly found in beds or circulating through your home’s heating and cooling system. Humid or damp areas like trash cans, kitchens or bathrooms can harbor mold, as can a fresh Christmas tree and leaves or soil in your garden. Some places have trees that pollinate in the winter months, so those allergic to pollen can continue to experience symptoms, Lee said.
Even for people who do not have allergies, some are sensitive to wood smoke and fragrances from candles and other indoor perfumes.
“Most of the respiratory symptoms — like nasal drainage, cough, potentially sore throat, potentially sinus issues and headaches associated with sinus issues — could be seen in an allergy or COVID-19,” Lee said. If you have an itchy nose or itchy eyes, this is more likely an allergic reaction.
Lee pointed out that sometimes allergy-related sinus issues can decrease your sense of taste or smell, but it’s not stark or sudden — unlike losing taste or smell due to COVID-19. The loss of taste or smell experienced by COVID-19 patients usually feels highly unusual to them.
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Ultimately, if you’re unsure whether your symptoms are from allergies or a virus, Lee encouraged seeking clarification from a doctor.
Antonio_Diaz via Getty Images There are telltale signs that differentiate winter allergies from COVID-19.
Exposure to other viruses
When people congregate indoors where ventilation is poorer in the winter, they are more likely to experience respiratory infections caused by influenza, rhinoviruses and other coronaviruses that are not COVID-19.
While there are symptoms unique to a COVID-19 infection ― like stark changes in taste and smell, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea ― symptoms of these other viral infections mimic many symptoms of COVID-19, such as a sore throat, cough, fever, fatigue and body aches.
Christenson’s advice? If you feel like you have a flu or infection coming on, don’t wait around to speculate and get tested as soon as possible. And remember that a negative test result shouldn’t be a sign to end isolation, especially if you still have symptoms.
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“Because the tests are not 100% sensitive ― meaning false negatives are possible ― if someone has symptoms consistent with COVID-19 and no other explanation, it is reasonable to isolate and follow the recommendations for return-to-work based on people with diagnosed COVID-19,” Serota added.
Isolating keeps any possible viral infection from spreading further to loved ones and the community, and protects you from worsening your current state.
Flare up of chronic lung conditions
Viruses are the most common trigger of symptoms of asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, among other triggers like wood smoke, strong fragrances or chemical smells, Christenson explained.
If you have asthma or COPD, you are probably keenly aware of what your usual cough or other respiratory symptoms are like in winter. Anything that feels different or any increase in your usual respiratory symptoms should prompt you to isolate and inform your doctor, Christenson said.
“It could be very difficult for a patient to tell the difference between COVID-19 and an exacerbation of their asthma or COPD due to causes other than the SARS-CoV-2 virus,” she said.
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Christenson advised isolating until symptoms are at least improving. “Sometimes for asthma or COPD patients, it may take weeks to months to really get all the way back to baseline. But, it would be best to try to isolate until you are clearly on the mend.”
How can you minimize the effects of these winter-related health issues
There are a few measures you can take to lessen the confusion between COVID-19 and normal winter health woes.
Christenson stressed the importance of covering your nose and mouth with a mask while outdoors. In addition to mask wearing, minimizing contact with other people and physical distancing would decrease your chances of catching the other viral infections. Serota also urged getting a flu shot and continuing to wash your hands and practice good health hygiene.
Christenson encouraged people with asthma or COPD to follow their doctor’s advice on how to manage it: taking inhalers or medications as prescribed, covering your nose and mouth when outdoors, dressing warmly and avoiding symptom triggers.
Take appropriate steps to manage any allergies as well. Place a dust mite cover over your mattress and wash bedding once a week to minimize dust mite exposure. Keep pets away from areas you spend a lot of time in, and consider installing high efficiency furnace filters with a high allergen rating.
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Lee suggested over-the-counter medications like intranasal corticosteroids or second generation oral antihistamines if it’s difficult for you to avoid an allergen. Consult with an allergist to help you determine the best option.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-22--Biden Warns Americans That 'Darkest Days' Of COVID-19 Pandemic Are Still To Come

President-elect Joe Biden warned Americans on Tuesday to steel themselves for the “ darkest days ” of the coronavirus pandemic , which he said are still to come .
“ One thing I promise you about my leadership during this crisis : I ’ m going to tell it to you straight .
I ’ m going to tell you the truth .
And here ’ s the simple truth : Our darkest days in the battle against COVID are ahead of us , not behind us , ” Biden told reporters in Wilmington , Delaware , ahead of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is to spend the holidays apart from loved ones , Biden urged Americans to nonetheless “ care enough for each other ” to stay distanced “ just a little bit longer.
” “ We need to prepare ourselves , to steel our spines , ” he said .
“ As frustrating as it is to hear , it ’ s going to take patience , persistence and determination to beat this virus .
There will be no time to waste in taking the steps we need to turn this crisis around.
” Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about my leadership during this crisis : I 'm going to tell it to you straight .
I 'm going to tell you the truth .
And here is the simple truth : Our darkest days in the battle against Covid are ahead of us , not behind us . ''
pic.twitter.com/h9qHnE2F49 — Aaron Rupar ( @ atrupar ) December 22 , 2020 Biden , who is 78 , received a first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine on Monday .
He said in his remarks that he had “ absolute confidence ” in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ play a pivotal role in battling the pandemic .
But , he cautioned , “ we ’ re in short supply .
Taking the vaccine from a vial into the arm of millions of Americans is one of the biggest operational challenges the United States has ever faced.
” Biden also commended the House and Senate for passing a $ 900 billion pandemic aid package this week .
The legislation , however , is “ far from perfect , ” he said , vowing to push for a more substantial package once he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million people in the U.S. have contracted the coronavirus since the pandemic began .
Of that number , more than 322,000 have died .

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President-elect Joe Biden warned Americans on Tuesday to steel themselves for the “darkest days” of the coronavirus pandemic, which he said are still to come.
“One thing I promise you about my leadership during this crisis: I’m going to tell it to you straight. I’m going to tell you the truth. And here’s the simple truth: Our darkest days in the battle against COVID are ahead of us, not behind us,” Biden told reporters in Wilmington, Delaware, ahead of the Christmas holiday.
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Acknowledging how difficult it is to spend the holidays apart from loved ones, Biden urged Americans to nonetheless “care enough for each other” to stay distanced “just a little bit longer.”
“We need to prepare ourselves, to steel our spines,” he said. “As frustrating as it is to hear, it’s going to take patience, persistence and determination to beat this virus. There will be no time to waste in taking the steps we need to turn this crisis around.”
Biden: "One thing I promise you about my leadership during this crisis: I'm going to tell it to you straight. I'm going to tell you the truth. And here is the simple truth: Our darkest days in the battle against Covid are ahead of us, not behind us." pic.twitter.com/h9qHnE2F49 — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) December 22, 2020
Biden, who is 78, received a first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine on Monday.
He said in his remarks that he had “absolute confidence” in the COVID-19 vaccine and believed it would play a pivotal role in battling the pandemic. But, he cautioned, “we’re in short supply. Taking the vaccine from a vial into the arm of millions of Americans is one of the biggest operational challenges the United States has ever faced.”
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Biden also commended the House and Senate for passing a $900 billion pandemic aid package this week. The legislation, however, is “far from perfect,” he said, vowing to push for a more substantial package once he’s president.
More than 18 million people in the U.S. have contracted the coronavirus since the pandemic began. Of that number, more than 322,000 have died.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-22--Walmart Sued Over Role It Played In Opioid Crisis

The civil complaint being filed Tuesday points to the role Walmart ’ s pharmacies may have played in the crisis by filling opioid prescriptions and by unlawfully distributing controlled substances to the pharmacies during the height of the opioid crisis .
Walmart operates more than 5,000 pharmacies in its stores around the country .
The Justice Department alleges Walmart violated federal law by selling thousands of prescriptions for controlled substances that its pharmacists “ knew were invalid , ” said Jeffrey Clark , the acting assistant attorney general in charge of the Justice Department ’ s civil division .
Federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for controlled substances and report those to the Drug Enforcement Administration , but prosecutors charge the company didn ’ t do that .
Walmart couldn ’ t immediately be reached for comment .
“ Walmart knew that its distribution centers were using an inadequate system for detecting and reporting suspicious orders , ” said Jason Dunn , the U.S. attorney in Colorado .
“ As a result of this inadequate system , for years Walmart reported virtually no suspicious orders at all .
In other words , Walmart ’ s pharmacies ordered opioids @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and unregulated.
” Clark said Walmart “ violated important provisions of the Controlled Substances Act that were meant to prevent such controlled substances , including prescription opioids , from being diverted for misuse and abuse.
” AP reported the news of the lawsuit ahead of the Justice Department ’ s public announcement , citing a person who could not discuss the matter publicly before the announced move .
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity .
The Justice Department ’ s lawsuit comes nearly two months after Walmart filed its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Attorney General William Barr and the Drug Enforcement Administration .
In its lawsuit , Walmart said the Justice Department ’ s investigation — launched in 2016 — had identified hundreds of doctors who wrote problematic prescriptions that Walmart ’ s pharmacists should not have filled .
But the lawsuit charged that nearly 70 % of the doctors still have active registrations with the DEA .
Walmart ’ s lawsuit alleged the government was blaming it for the lack of regulatory and enforcement policies to stem the crisis .
The company is asking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has no basis to seek civil damages ; the suit remains ongoing .
The initial investigation was the subject of a ProPublica story published in March .
ProPublica reported that Joe Brown , then U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Texas office , spent years pursuing a criminal case against Walmart for its opioid prescription practices , only to have it stymied after the retail giant ’ s lawyers appealed to senior officials in the Justice Department .
Two months later , Brown resigned .
He didn ’ t give a reason @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be “ pursuing opportunities in the private and public sectors ” and that “ some of those will become apparent in the coming days.
” Brown went into private practice in the Dallas area .

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WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department is suing Walmart, alleging the company unlawfully dispensed controlled substances through its pharmacies, helping to fuel the opioid crisis in America.
The civil complaint being filed Tuesday points to the role Walmart’s pharmacies may have played in the crisis by filling opioid prescriptions and by unlawfully distributing controlled substances to the pharmacies during the height of the opioid crisis. Walmart operates more than 5,000 pharmacies in its stores around the country.
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The Justice Department alleges Walmart violated federal law by selling thousands of prescriptions for controlled substances that its pharmacists “knew were invalid,” said Jeffrey Clark, the acting assistant attorney general in charge of the Justice Department’s civil division.
Federal law required Walmart to spot suspicious orders for controlled substances and report those to the Drug Enforcement Administration, but prosecutors charge the company didn’t do that. Walmart couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.
“Walmart knew that its distribution centers were using an inadequate system for detecting and reporting suspicious orders,” said Jason Dunn, the U.S. attorney in Colorado. “As a result of this inadequate system, for years Walmart reported virtually no suspicious orders at all. In other words, Walmart’s pharmacies ordered opioids in a way that went essentially unmonitored and unregulated.”
Clark said Walmart “violated important provisions of the Controlled Substances Act that were meant to prevent such controlled substances, including prescription opioids, from being diverted for misuse and abuse.”
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AP reported the news of the lawsuit ahead of the Justice Department’s public announcement, citing a person who could not discuss the matter publicly before the announced move. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.
The Justice Department’s lawsuit comes nearly two months after Walmart filed its own preemptive suit against the Justice Department, Attorney General William Barr and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
In its lawsuit, Walmart said the Justice Department’s investigation — launched in 2016 — had identified hundreds of doctors who wrote problematic prescriptions that Walmart’s pharmacists should not have filled. But the lawsuit charged that nearly 70% of the doctors still have active registrations with the DEA.
Walmart’s lawsuit alleged the government was blaming it for the lack of regulatory and enforcement policies to stem the crisis. The company is asking a federal judge to declare the suit has no basis to seek civil damages; the suit remains ongoing.
The initial investigation was the subject of a ProPublica story published in March. ProPublica reported that Joe Brown, then U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Texas office, spent years pursuing a criminal case against Walmart for its opioid prescription practices, only to have it stymied after the retail giant’s lawyers appealed to senior officials in the Justice Department.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-22--Florida Data Scientist Rebekah Jones Files Suit Over 'Sham' Raid

Rebekah Jones , the Florida data scientist whose Tallahassee home was raided by gun-wielding cops earlier this month , has filed suit against the Florida Department of Law Enforcement over the “ sham ” raid , alleging it was carried out in retaliation for her work as a COVID-19 whistleblower .
The suit , filed Sunday , accuses FDLE of violating Jones ’ First Amendment right to freedom of speech , and unlawful search and seizure .
Jones is also accusing one of the responding officers of battery for his nonconsensual and unnecessarily hands-on contact during the raid .
Officers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and seized her cell phone , computers and other tech hardware she uses to maintain an independent public-facing database tracking COVID-19 infections in Florida .
She ’ s kept the dashboard live since May , when she was fired from her job as a state data scientist after she said she refused a request from her superiors to manipulate numbers in the state ’ s official database .
The information they asked her to post would have overcounted the number of coronavirus tests performed and undercounted the total number of cases as Florida @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has said .
She ’ s also said that she was asked to remove evidence of people testing positive for the virus in January .
FDLE maintains the seized devices are essential evidence in an investigation into an unauthorized message sent to Department of Health employees last month , which encouraged them “ to speak up before another 17,000 people are dead.
” Jones says she didn ’ t send the message and that an IP address implicating her in its transmission was “ spoofed.
” The suit notes that access to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Department of Health had published the email and password “ in at least seven pdf files that were widely available on the internet to anyone who had the address.
” Instead of a legitimate search , the suit alleges the raid was “ a sham to punish ” her for “ protected speech ” and to identify her confidential sources .
“ FDLE , seeking to ingratiate itself to [ Florida ’ s Republican Governor Ron ] DeSantis , sought to silence Plaintiff ’ s online speech by confiscating her computer and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ information by seizing her cell phone , ” the suit reads .
The suit alleges that Jones was a particularly alluring target for such a raid .
Unlike large news outlets like the South Florida Sun-Sentinel , which , like Jones , has also called out falsified and manipulated COVID-19 data , “ it was easier to contrive an excuse to raid the home of a solo publisher like [ Jones ] than to raid the offices of a major newspaper or TV network in search of the identity of those confidential sources @ @

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Rebekah Jones, the Florida data scientist whose Tallahassee home was raided by gun-wielding cops earlier this month, has filed suit against the Florida Department of Law Enforcement over the “sham” raid, alleging it was carried out in retaliation for her work as a COVID-19 whistleblower.
The suit, filed Sunday, accuses FDLE of violating Jones’ First Amendment right to freedom of speech, and unlawful search and seizure. Jones is also accusing one of the responding officers of battery for his nonconsensual and unnecessarily hands-on contact during the raid.
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Officers raided Jones’ house on Dec. 7 and seized her cell phone, computers and other tech hardware she uses to maintain an independent public-facing database tracking COVID-19 infections in Florida.
She’s kept the dashboard live since May, when she was fired from her job as a state data scientist after she said she refused a request from her superiors to manipulate numbers in the state’s official database. The information they asked her to post would have overcounted the number of coronavirus tests performed and undercounted the total number of cases as Florida rushed to reopen its economy, Jones has said. She’s also said that she was asked to remove evidence of people testing positive for the virus in January.
FDLE maintains the seized devices are essential evidence in an investigation into an unauthorized message sent to Department of Health employees last month, which encouraged them “to speak up before another 17,000 people are dead.”
Jones says she didn’t send the message and that an IP address implicating her in its transmission was “spoofed.”
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The suit notes that access to the private alert system was woefully insecure: The Department of Health had published the email and password “in at least seven pdf files that were widely available on the internet to anyone who had the address.”
Instead of a legitimate search, the suit alleges the raid was “a sham to punish” her for “protected speech” and to identify her confidential sources.
“FDLE, seeking to ingratiate itself to [Florida’s Republican Governor Ron] DeSantis, sought to silence Plaintiff’s online speech by confiscating her computer and to discover her confidential sources and other information by seizing her cell phone,” the suit reads.
The suit alleges that Jones was a particularly alluring target for such a raid. Unlike large news outlets like the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, which, like Jones, has also called out falsified and manipulated COVID-19 data, “it was easier to contrive an excuse to raid the home of a solo publisher like [Jones] than to raid the offices of a major newspaper or TV network in search of the identity of those confidential sources.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-22--Willow Smith Reveals How She Copes With 'Extreme Anxiety'

Willow Smith now knows exactly what to do when she ’ s facing down “ extreme anxiety.
” The musician-actor daughter of Hollywood titans Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith spoke candidly about her coping mechanisms on the latest episode of Facebook Watch ’ s “ Red Table Talk , ” alongside her mother and her grandmother , Adrienne Banfield-Norris .
“ I think self-soothing is the single most important thing you can learn how to do in life , ” Willow said in the new episode , released Tuesday .
“ I really do believe that when we get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can be even more tough for us if we ’ re expecting for others to do something about how we ’ re feeling , ” her mom added .
Willow used an example from last week to describe how she used a self-soothing technique to deal with a moment of what she called “ extreme anxiety.
” “ I couldn ’ t talk , I had to just cocoon and just be with myself for a moment , ” she said .
“ And that was so important because it would have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , looking to you , ” Willow continued , looking at her mom .
“ To be like , ‘ No , help me !
’ And then when I was ready ... open the cocoon.
” “ There ’ s shame .
There ’ s guilt .
There ’ s sadness .
There ’ s confusion , ” the “ Whip My Hair ” singer said .
“ And then you don ’ t even want to talk about it because you ’ re like , ‘ I feel crazy .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I don ’ t want them to think I ’ m crazy , so I ’ m just not going to say anything.
’ ” Willow has a history of being candid about subjects that many celebrities avoid .
Back in 2018 , the entertainer spoke about turning to self-harm when she felt like her life was out of control .
“ I feel like I lost my sanity at one point , ” she revealed at the time .
“ It was after that whole ‘ Whip My Hair ’ thing and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and I kind of was in this gray area of : Who am I ?
Do I have a purpose ?
Is there anything I can do besides this ?
” “ I never talk about it because it was such a short , weird point in my life , ” Willow said of the tough childhood years .
“ But you have to pull yourself out of it.
” If you or someone you know needs help , call 1-800-273-8255 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline .
You can also text HOME @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the Crisis Text Line .
Outside of the U.S. , please visit the International Association for Suicide Prevention for a database of resources .

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Willow Smith now knows exactly what to do when she’s facing down “extreme anxiety.”
The musician-actor daughter of Hollywood titans Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith spoke candidly about her coping mechanisms on the latest episode of Facebook Watch’s “Red Table Talk,” alongside her mother and her grandmother, Adrienne Banfield-Norris.
“I think self-soothing is the single most important thing you can learn how to do in life,” Willow said in the new episode, released Tuesday.
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“I really do believe that when we get into those tough spaces that sometimes it can be even more tough for us if we’re expecting for others to do something about how we’re feeling,” her mom added.
Willow used an example from last week to describe how she used a self-soothing technique to deal with a moment of what she called “extreme anxiety.”
Willow Smith attends Rihanna's Savage X Fenty Show Vol. 2 on Oct. 2. Jerritt Clark via Getty Images
“I couldn’t talk, I had to just cocoon and just be with myself for a moment,” she said.
“And that was so important because it would have been more intense if I was, like, looking to you,” Willow continued, looking at her mom. “To be like, ‘No, help me!’ And then when I was ready ... open the cocoon.”
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Willow, 20, also opened up about how an anxious episode feels to her.
“There’s shame. There’s guilt. There’s sadness. There’s confusion,” the “Whip My Hair” singer said. “And then you don’t even want to talk about it because you’re like, ‘I feel crazy. I feel crazy for feeling this way and I don’t want them to think I’m crazy, so I’m just not going to say anything.’”
Willow has a history of being candid about subjects that many celebrities avoid. Back in 2018, the entertainer spoke about turning to self-harm when she felt like her life was out of control.
“I feel like I lost my sanity at one point,” she revealed at the time. “It was after that whole ‘Whip My Hair’ thing and I had just stopped doing singing lessons and I kind of was in this gray area of: Who am I? Do I have a purpose? Is there anything I can do besides this?” “I never talk about it because it was such a short, weird point in my life,” Willow said of the tough childhood years. “But you have to pull yourself out of it.”
If you or someone you know needs help, call 1-800-273-8255 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. You can also text HOME to 741-741 for free, 24-hour support from the Crisis Text Line. Outside of the U.S., please visit the International Association for Suicide Prevention for a database of resources.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-22--Deborah Birx, White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator, Says She Will Retire

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — Dr. Deborah Birx , coordinator of the White House coronavirus response , said Tuesday she plans to retire , but is willing to first help President-elect Joe Biden ’ s team with its coronavirus response as needed .
“ I will be helpful in any role that people think I can be helpful in , and then I will retire , ” Birx told the news outlet .
Birx and White House officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment .
Her comments came just days after The Associated Press reported that she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ holiday weekend even as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was urging Americans to forgo holiday travel .
Birx acknowledged in a statement on Sunday that she went to her Delaware property and was accompanied by family members .
She insisted the purpose of the roughly 50-hour visit was to deal with the winterization of the property before a potential sale — something she says she previously hadn ’ t had time to do because of her busy schedule .
“ I did not go to Delaware for the purpose of celebrating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement , adding that her family shared a meal together while in Delaware .
Birx said that everyone on her Delaware trip belongs to her “ immediate household , ” even as she acknowledged that the people who came live in two different homes The CDC has asked Americans not to travel over the holidays and discourages indoor activity involving members of different households .
“ People who do not currently live in your housing unit , such as college students who are returning home from school for the holidays , should be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it says .
She came to the White House coronavirus task force with a sterling reputation .
A public servant since the Reagan administration , Birx has served as a U.S. Army physician and a globally recognized AIDS researcher .
She was pulled away from her ambassadorial post as the U.S. global AIDS coordinator to help the task force in late February .
Birx , however , has faced criticism from public health experts and Democratic lawmakers for not speaking out forcefully against Trump when he contradicted advice from medical advisers and scientists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She stayed in Trump ’ s good graces far longer than Dr. Anthony Fauci of the National Institutes of Health , who frequently contradicted Trump .
But by late summer Trump had sidelined Birx , too .
She had expressed a desire to maintain a significant position on the White House coronavirus task force when Biden is inaugurated next month , according to a person familiar with the Biden team ’ s personnel deliberations and a Trump administration coronavirus task force official .
Neither was authorized to discuss internal deliberations publicly and both @ @ @ @ @ @

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Dr. Deborah Birx, coordinator of the White House coronavirus response, said Tuesday she plans to retire, but is willing to first help President-elect Joe Biden’s team with its coronavirus response as needed.
Birx, in an interview with the news site Newsy, did not give a specific timetable on her plans.
“I will be helpful in any role that people think I can be helpful in, and then I will retire,” Birx told the news outlet.
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Birx and White House officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Her comments came just days after The Associated Press reported that she traveled out of state for the Thanksgiving holiday weekend even as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was urging Americans to forgo holiday travel.
Birx acknowledged in a statement on Sunday that she went to her Delaware property and was accompanied by family members. She insisted the purpose of the roughly 50-hour visit was to deal with the winterization of the property before a potential sale — something she says she previously hadn’t had time to do because of her busy schedule.
“I did not go to Delaware for the purpose of celebrating Thanksgiving,” Birx said in her statement, adding that her family shared a meal together while in Delaware.
Birx said that everyone on her Delaware trip belongs to her “immediate household,” even as she acknowledged that the people who came live in two different homes
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The CDC has asked Americans not to travel over the holidays and discourages indoor activity involving members of different households. “People who do not currently live in your housing unit, such as college students who are returning home from school for the holidays, should be considered part of different households,” it says.
Birx, 64, told Newsy the scrutiny she has received in her job has been a “bit overwhelming.”
She came to the White House coronavirus task force with a sterling reputation. A public servant since the Reagan administration, Birx has served as a U.S. Army physician and a globally recognized AIDS researcher. She was pulled away from her ambassadorial post as the U.S. global AIDS coordinator to help the task force in late February.
Birx, however, has faced criticism from public health experts and Democratic lawmakers for not speaking out forcefully against Trump when he contradicted advice from medical advisers and scientists about how to fight the virus.
She stayed in Trump’s good graces far longer than Dr. Anthony Fauci of the National Institutes of Health, who frequently contradicted Trump. But by late summer Trump had sidelined Birx, too.
She had expressed a desire to maintain a significant position on the White House coronavirus task force when Biden is inaugurated next month, according to a person familiar with the Biden team’s personnel deliberations and a Trump administration coronavirus task force official. Neither was authorized to discuss internal deliberations publicly and both spoke on condition of anonymity.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-22--COVID-19 Now On All 7 Continents As Antarctica Reports First Cases

The coronavirus has now spread to all seven continents with the first reported cases of COVID-19 in Antarctica .
Chile on Monday confirmed 36 infections at its Gen. Bernardo O ’ Higgins Riquelme research base ― including 26 Chilean army personnel and 10 civilians working for a contracted maintenance company ― according to Chilean broadcaster 24 Horas .
The 36 people were evacuated to Punta Arenas , in southern Chile , and placed under isolation , the base said in a statement .
Three additional COVID-19 cases were discovered among crew members of the Sargento Aldea , a Chilean naval @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nov. 27 and returned to Chile on Dec. 10 .
Gen. Bernardo O ’ Higgins Riquelme is one of 13 research bases that Chile maintains in Antarctica , and is also a permanent base that ’ s active during both the summer and winter .
Antarctica , normally a temporary home to anywhere from 1,000 to 5,000 scientists and research base staff depending on the season , was previously the only continent without reported COVID-19 cases .
The Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs , an international group supporting scientific research in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the coronavirus would be extremely deadly if allowed to spread unchecked in Antarctica ’ s extreme climate .
“ A highly infectious novel virus with significant mortality and morbidity in the extreme and austere environment of Antarctica with limited sophistication of medical care and public health responses is High Risk with potential catastrophic consequences , ” a COMNAP document seen by The Associated Press revealed in September .

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The coronavirus has now spread to all seven continents with the first reported cases of COVID-19 in Antarctica.
Chile on Monday confirmed 36 infections at its Gen. Bernardo O’Higgins Riquelme research base ― including 26 Chilean army personnel and 10 civilians working for a contracted maintenance company ― according to Chilean broadcaster 24 Horas.
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The 36 people were evacuated to Punta Arenas, in southern Chile, and placed under isolation, the base said in a statement.
Three additional COVID-19 cases were discovered among crew members of the Sargento Aldea, a Chilean naval ship that visited the research base on Nov. 27 and returned to Chile on Dec. 10.
Gen. Bernardo O’Higgins Riquelme is one of 13 research bases that Chile maintains in Antarctica, and is also a permanent base that’s active during both the summer and winter.
Antarctica, normally a temporary home to anywhere from 1,000 to 5,000 scientists and research base staff depending on the season, was previously the only continent without reported COVID-19 cases.
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The Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs, an international group supporting scientific research in the world’s southernmost continent, said the coronavirus would be extremely deadly if allowed to spread unchecked in Antarctica’s extreme climate.


America’s Deadliest Year

2020 has been the deadliest year in U.S. history , with deaths expected to surpass 3 million for the first @ @

America’s Deadliest Year
2020 has been the deadliest year in U.S. history, with deaths expected to surpass 3 million for the first time.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-22--Trump Goes On Pardon Spree For Republican Allies, Blackwater Guards

The White House said Tuesday that the president will grant full pardons to 15 individuals and commute part or all of the sentences of five more people .
Among the full pardons are former Trump campaign adviser George Papadopoulos and lawyer Alex van der Zwaan , who both pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI as a result of special counsel Robert Mueller ’ s years-long investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election .
Although Papadopoulos initially cooperated with Mueller following his arrest in the summer of 2017 , he disavowed the plea deal he reached with the special @ @ @ @ @ @ @ published last year , claiming that he was forced into it as part of an effort to take down Trump .
Van der Zwaan was sentenced in April 2018 to 30 days in prison for lying about his communications with Rick Gates , an aide to former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort .
Manafort worked as a lobbyist for pro-Russia politicians in Ukraine .
Manafort was also convicted in the Mueller investigation on a range of charges , including tax and bank fraud , and was released this year to home confinement after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sentenced in March to 11 months in prison after pleading guilty to stealing campaign funds and spending the money on personal expenses , such as his children ’ s private school tuition , his wife ’ s shopping sprees , weekend trips with his mistress and drinking parties in Washington .
After he was caught , Hunter ran for reelection in an effort to convince voters in his district that as a staunch Trump supporter , he was the victim of a political witch hunt by liberal prosecutors .
Stockman was sentenced in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ordered to pay $ 1 million in restitution after a jury found him guilty on 23 counts related to stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars meant for charity and using it to pay for personal expenses and his political campaigns .
The former congressman was known for being aggressively against President Barack Obama , walking out of his State of the Union address in 2014 and selling Obama “ barf bags ” as a campaign fundraiser .
Collins was the first member of Congress to endorse Trump ’ s 2016 presidential bid .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 26 months in prison after using his position as the largest shareholder in the Australian biotech company Innate Immunotherapeutics to illegally give other stockholders an inside tip that a test of the company ’ s main product had failed .
“ If you lie to cover up for the President , you get a pardon .
If you are a corrupt politician who endorsed Trump , you get a pardon .
If you murder civilians while at war , you get a pardon.
” The president also issued pardons for Dustin Heard , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Slatten for their roles in the deadly 2007 shooting of dozens of unarmed Iraqi civilians in Baghdad ’ s Nisour Square .
A jury in 2014 found Slatten guilty of murder and convicted the three other former Blackwater security contractors of voluntary manslaughter and using a machine gun to carry out a violent crime .
“ On appeal , the D.C .
Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that additional evidence should have been presented at Mr. Slatten ’ s trial , ” the White House said in a statement .
“ Further , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years after the incident ― that the lead Iraqi investigator , who prosecutors relied heavily on to verify that there were no insurgent victims and to collect evidence , may have had ties to insurgent groups himself.
” Trump also granted full pardons to two former Border Patrol agents who were convicted of shooting someone crossing the U.S.-Mexico border .
Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean were sentenced in 2006 to prison terms of 11 and 12 years , respectively , for shooting a person smuggling marijuana while trying to cross into Texas .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is in violation of someone ’ s Fourth Amendment rights to shoot them in the back while fleeing if you don ’ t know who they are and/or if you don ’ t know they have a weapon , ” Assistant U.S. Attorney Debra Kanof told the court at the time .
But on his last day in office in 2009 , President George W. Bush commuted Ramos ’ s and Compean ’ s sentences after each served two years in prison .
“ Trump is doling out pardons , not on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the interests of justice , but to reward his friends and political allies , to protect those who lie to cover up for him , to shelter those guilty of killing civilians , and to undermine an investigation that uncovered massive wrongdoing , ” Schiff said .

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Just days before Christmas, President Donald Trump announced that he’s given a wave of pardons to three corrupt former congressmen, two subjects of the special counsel’s Russia investigation and four Blackwater guards convicted in connection with the killings of Iraqi civilians.
The White House said Tuesday that the president will grant full pardons to 15 individuals and commute part or all of the sentences of five more people. Among the full pardons are former Trump campaign adviser George Papadopoulos and lawyer Alex van der Zwaan, who both pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI as a result of special counsel Robert Mueller’s years-long investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.
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Papadopoulos, a 33-year-old energy lawyer, was the first to plead guilty on charges stemming from the Russia investigation in October 2017. The under-qualified foreign policy adviser helped ignite the probe when he drunkenly told an Australian diplomat that Russia possessed compromising information on Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.
Although Papadopoulos initially cooperated with Mueller following his arrest in the summer of 2017, he disavowed the plea deal he reached with the special counsel’s office in a book published last year, claiming that he was forced into it as part of an effort to take down Trump.
Papadopoulos then told Reuters he had directed his lawyers to apply for a pardon from Trump. He served out his prison sentence, which was 14 days at a minimum-security facility, a term that was eventually cut down to 12 days.
President Donald Trump once dismissed George Papadopoulos as a mere "coffee boy." On Tuesday, he granted him clemency. Olivier Douliery/Pool/Getty Images
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Van der Zwaan was sentenced in April 2018 to 30 days in prison for lying about his communications with Rick Gates, an aide to former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort. Manafort worked as a lobbyist for pro-Russia politicians in Ukraine. Manafort was also convicted in the Mueller investigation on a range of charges, including tax and bank fraud, and was released this year to home confinement after coronavirus concerns for prisoners.
Democratic Reps. Adam Schiff (Calif.) and Jerry Nadler (N.Y.), who led the charge in Trump’s impeachment proceedings last year, released statements on Tuesday after news of the pardons.
“President Trump’s latest pardon power abuse shields a slew of corrupt public officials and a campaign associate from the consequences of their criminal conduct,” Nadler said, according to a tweet from the House Judiciary Committee, on which he serves as chairman.
Chairman @RepJerryNadler on Trump’s pardons: President Trump’s latest pardon power abuse shields a slew of corrupt public officials and a campaign associate from the consequences of their criminal conduct. — House Judiciary Dems (@HouseJudiciary) December 23, 2020
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Hunter was sentenced in March to 11 months in prison after pleading guilty to stealing campaign funds and spending the money on personal expenses, such as his children’s private school tuition, his wife’s shopping sprees, weekend trips with his mistress and drinking parties in Washington. After he was caught, Hunter ran for reelection in an effort to convince voters in his district that as a staunch Trump supporter, he was the victim of a political witch hunt by liberal prosecutors.
Stockman was sentenced in 2018 to 10 years in prison and ordered to pay $1 million in restitution after a jury found him guilty on 23 counts related to stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars meant for charity and using it to pay for personal expenses and his political campaigns. The former congressman was known for being aggressively against President Barack Obama, walking out of his State of the Union address in 2014 and selling Obama “barf bags” as a campaign fundraiser.
Collins was the first member of Congress to endorse Trump’s 2016 presidential bid. He was sentenced earlier this year to 26 months in prison after using his position as the largest shareholder in the Australian biotech company Innate Immunotherapeutics to illegally give other stockholders an inside tip that a test of the company’s main product had failed.
“Trump has valued loyalty above all else ― above the rule of law, above our democracy, and certainly above justice,” Schiff, who chairs the House Intelligence Committee, said in his statement.
“If you lie to cover up for the President, you get a pardon. If you are a corrupt politician who endorsed Trump, you get a pardon. If you murder civilians while at war, you get a pardon.”
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The president also issued pardons for Dustin Heard, Evan Liberty, Paul Slough and Nicholas Slatten for their roles in the deadly 2007 shooting of dozens of unarmed Iraqi civilians in Baghdad’s Nisour Square. A jury in 2014 found Slatten guilty of murder and convicted the three other former Blackwater security contractors of voluntary manslaughter and using a machine gun to carry out a violent crime.
“On appeal, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that additional evidence should have been presented at Mr. Slatten’s trial,” the White House said in a statement. “Further, prosecutors recently disclosed ― more than 10 years after the incident ― that the lead Iraqi investigator, who prosecutors relied heavily on to verify that there were no insurgent victims and to collect evidence, may have had ties to insurgent groups himself.”
Trump also granted full pardons to two former Border Patrol agents who were convicted of shooting someone crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean were sentenced in 2006 to prison terms of 11 and 12 years, respectively, for shooting a person smuggling marijuana while trying to cross into Texas.
“The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled it is in violation of someone’s Fourth Amendment rights to shoot them in the back while fleeing if you don’t know who they are and/or if you don’t know they have a weapon,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Debra Kanof told the court at the time. But on his last day in office in 2009, President George W. Bush commuted Ramos’s and Compean’s sentences after each served two years in prison.
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“Trump is doling out pardons, not on the basis of repentance, restitution or the interests of justice, but to reward his friends and political allies, to protect those who lie to cover up for him, to shelter those guilty of killing civilians, and to undermine an investigation that uncovered massive wrongdoing,” Schiff said.
“It goes to show, if you elect a corrupt man as President of the United States, you get corruption ― and lots of it.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-23--New York Republican Club Faces Backlash For 'Covid Conga Line' At Restaurant

According to The New York Times , the Whitestone Republican Club held the party on Dec. 9 at an Italian restaurant called Il Bacco .
Video of the revelry was circulated on social media this week , prompting backlash and condemnation from New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo ( D ) .
“ I saw the video .
COVID conga lines are not smart .
That ’ s my official position , ” Cuomo said at a press briefing on Tuesday .
“ Why you would do an unmasked conga line in the middle of a pandemic ?
” City @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attendees .
She can be seen dancing in the footage along with more than a dozen others .
The line was led by James Martinosky , a former Republican candidate for the New York State Assembly who carried a Trump 2020 flag .
The Whitestone Republican Club characterized the outrage over the mid-pandemic party as “ freaking out ” from the media .
In the second of two statements on Facebook Tuesday , the group claimed it “ abided by all precautions.
” “ But we are not the mask police , nor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Adults have the absolute right to make their own decisions and clearly many chose to interact like normal humans and not paranoid zombies in hazmat suits , ” the statement added .
“ There will be significant fines for this incident and we ’ re looking at both the group that held the event and the establishment that hosted it , ” Mitch Schwartz , a spokesman for the mayor , told the Times .
The restaurant ’ s owner , Joe Oppedisano , and his daughter , manager Tina Maria Oppedisano , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio over the closure of indoor dining during the summer .
Tina Maria Oppedisano insisted they followed COVID-19 guidelines that were in place at the time when indoor dining was permitted at 25 % capacity .
“ That party was absolutely not in violation .
We did exactly as we were told , ” Tina Maria Oppedisano told the Queens Daily Eagle .
“ Every single person that walked into the business was checked in and given a temperature check.
” The event was held days before Cuomo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of COVID-19 , which is surging in the state and around the country .
New Yorkers must also wear face coverings in public and maintain social distancing .
The Whitestone Republican Club bash was just the latest in a string of political events that have snagged headlines for risky pandemic behavior .
In November , Democrats in Brooklyn were slammed for hosting a mostly maskless birthday party at a private Brooklyn residence .
And earlier this month , a young Republicans club hosted its annual gala in person in New Jersey .

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Members of a local Republican party in Queens, New York hit the dance floor at an indoor holiday party earlier this month amid a raging pandemic, viral footage shows.
Participants also failed to wear masks or social distance at the event.
According to The New York Times, the Whitestone Republican Club held the party on Dec. 9 at an Italian restaurant called Il Bacco. Video of the revelry was circulated on social media this week, prompting backlash and condemnation from New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D).
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“I saw the video. COVID conga lines are not smart. That’s my official position,” Cuomo said at a press briefing on Tuesday. “Why you would do an unmasked conga line in the middle of a pandemic?”
the Whitestone Republican Club in NYC apparently held a Christmas party this year without a care in the world about COVID pic.twitter.com/mHzW86d9M7 — Matt Binder (@MattBinder) December 21, 2020
City council candidate Vickie Paladino was among the attendees. She can be seen dancing in the footage along with more than a dozen others. The line was led by James Martinosky, a former Republican candidate for the New York State Assembly who carried a Trump 2020 flag.
The Whitestone Republican Club characterized the outrage over the mid-pandemic party as “freaking out” from the media. In the second of two statements on Facebook Tuesday, the group claimed it “abided by all precautions.”
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“But we are not the mask police, nor are we the social distancing police. Adults have the absolute right to make their own decisions and clearly many chose to interact like normal humans and not paranoid zombies in hazmat suits,” the statement added.
City Hall officials said there will be consequences for putting New Yorkers at risk.
“There will be significant fines for this incident and we’re looking at both the group that held the event and the establishment that hosted it,” Mitch Schwartz, a spokesman for the mayor, told the Times.
The restaurant’s owner, Joe Oppedisano, and his daughter, manager Tina Maria Oppedisano, were part of a group that sued Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio over the closure of indoor dining during the summer. Tina Maria Oppedisano insisted they followed COVID-19 guidelines that were in place at the time when indoor dining was permitted at 25% capacity.
“That party was absolutely not in violation. We did exactly as we were told,” Tina Maria Oppedisano told the Queens Daily Eagle. “Every single person that walked into the business was checked in and given a temperature check.”
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The event was held days before Cuomo shuttered indoor dining to stem the spread of COVID-19, which is surging in the state and around the country. New Yorkers must also wear face coverings in public and maintain social distancing.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-22--Trump Threatens Not To Sign COVID-19 Bill, Wants Bigger Checks

“ I am asking Congress to amend this bill and increase the ridiculously low $ 600 to $ 2,000 , or $ 4,000 for a couple , ” the president said toward the end of a four-minute video he posted on Twitter .
Trump also demanded that a tax break for corporate meal expenses , referred to as the “ triple martini lunch deduction , ” currently in the bill for two years , be made permanent .
It ’ s an awkward position for lawmakers on both sides .
Democrats are positioning themselves with Trump that $ 600 for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and they perhaps are hoping they can increase that total , even if it gives Trump a political win .
For Republicans , the situation is even more uncomfortable .
It was GOP lawmakers , after all , who objected to increasing the size of direct stimulus checks .
And the victory lap that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ( R-Ky. ) and Georgia Senate candidates David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler were taking Tuesday has now been interrupted by a temperamental , lame-duck president who has suddenly decided he doesn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s unclear how this shakes out .
But House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-Calif. ) seemed to play along Tuesday night , tweeting that Democrats were ready to bring a $ 2,000 direct stimulus payment to the floor this week by unanimous consent .
It isn ’ t known yet whether Pelosi intends to bring that to the floor separately , apart from the coronavirus and omnibus spending bill package , or as a perfecting amendment to the already-passed measure .
Some lawmakers , however , didn ’ t seem as entertained by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which just so happened to have come within 30 minutes of him pardoning three congressmen who had been convicted of serious crimes ( two were the first Republicans in Congress to endorse Trump ) , a Trump aide who had repeated contact with Russian agents , four Blackwater guards who were involved in a 2007 shooting of civilians in Iraq , a Dutch lawyer found guilty of lying to the Robert Mueller investigation , and two Border Patrol agents convicted of shooting an unarmed border crosser in 2006 .
As a congressman , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this .
He got the president to oppose an omnibus bill once in 2018 only to have Trump ultimately sign the legislation once White House aides told him he wouldn ’ t be able to go to Mar-a-Lago for the weekend if the government shut down .
Trump ’ s gamble Tuesday night could easily fail .
For one , Congress may just override the veto and make the outgoing president seem even weaker .
For another , he may actually just derail the deal and cost most Americans a $ 600 check @ @ @ @ @ @ @ benefits , and cause a government shutdown .
At the very least , he ’ s stepped on the GOP message that this bill was a huge win for Republicans .
He ’ s undermined McConnell ’ s message that Democrats could have had this deal all along .
And Trump has put Republicans in the weird position of either going back on their earlier votes or overruling him and upsetting their voters — just as Republicans need their voters to turn out in Georgia in order to keep control of the Senate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Either way , the president ’ s erratic behavior threatens a government shutdown .
In fact , the only reason the government isn ’ t closed already is because Congress had the foresight to pass a seven-day continuation Monday night instead of just counting on the coronavirus and omnibus spending bill to get to his desk before Tuesday morning .

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WASHINGTON — After spending months on the sidelines while Congress tried to pass a coronavirus relief bill, President Donald Trump finally inserted himself into the conversation Tuesday night, seemingly with a veto threat, after lawmakers had already reached a deal, passed the bill and left town.
A bill that passed with veto-proof majorities — 359-53 in the House and 92-6 in the Senate — is now in jeopardy of not becoming law.
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“I am asking Congress to amend this bill and increase the ridiculously low $600 to $2,000, or $4,000 for a couple,” the president said toward the end of a four-minute video he posted on Twitter. Trump also demanded that a tax break for corporate meal expenses, referred to as the “triple martini lunch deduction,” currently in the bill for two years, be made permanent.
If Congress doesn’t send a suitable replacement to his desk, the president said, “the next administration will have to deliver a COVID relief package, and maybe that administration will be me.”
Trump didn’t explicitly use the word “veto” in his video message, raising the possibility that he may ultimately sign the legislation.
It’s an awkward position for lawmakers on both sides. Democrats are positioning themselves with Trump that $600 for most Americans isn’t enough money, and they perhaps are hoping they can increase that total, even if it gives Trump a political win.
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For Republicans, the situation is even more uncomfortable. It was GOP lawmakers, after all, who objected to increasing the size of direct stimulus checks. And the victory lap that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Georgia Senate candidates David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler were taking Tuesday has now been interrupted by a temperamental, lame-duck president who has suddenly decided he doesn’t like the final product.
Republican senators have made it very clear they do not see the stimulus checks as a priority.
The lone Republican senator who supports bigger stimulus checks, Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri, found himself partnering with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) to lobby for larger checks.
It’s unclear how this shakes out. But House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) seemed to play along Tuesday night, tweeting that Democrats were ready to bring a $2,000 direct stimulus payment to the floor this week by unanimous consent. It isn’t known yet whether Pelosi intends to bring that to the floor separately, apart from the coronavirus and omnibus spending bill package, or as a perfecting amendment to the already-passed measure.
“Republicans repeatedly refused to say what amount the President wanted for direct checks,” Pelosi tweeted. “At last, the President has agreed to $2,000 — Democrats are ready to bring this to the Floor this week by unanimous consent. Let’s do it!”
Republicans repeatedly refused to say what amount the President wanted for direct checks. At last, the President has agreed to $2,000 — Democrats are ready to bring this to the Floor this week by unanimous consent. Let’s do it! https://t.co/Th4sztrpLV — Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) December 23, 2020
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Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) seemed less interested in playing along with Trump’s antics.
“We spent months trying to secure $2000 checks but Republicans blocked it,” Schumer tweeted Tuesday night. “Trump needs to sign the bill to help people and keep the government open and we’re glad to pass more aid Americans need.”
“Maybe Trump can finally make himself useful and get Republicans not to block it again,” Schumer added.
Democrats seem to prefer Congress just overriding Trump’s veto — or Trump just signing the bill — and then going back to the Capitol to secure more stimulus funding.
But there were some eager lawmakers willing to amend the coronavirus bill. Liberal Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) quickly wrote an amendment to change the $600 stimulus checks to $2,000, and Hawley tweeted that Trump was right and that Congress should add more money.
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Some lawmakers, however, didn’t seem as entertained by Trump’s 10th inning antics, which just so happened to have come within 30 minutes of him pardoning three congressmen who had been convicted of serious crimes (two were the first Republicans in Congress to endorse Trump), a Trump aide who had repeated contact with Russian agents, four Blackwater guards who were involved in a 2007 shooting of civilians in Iraq, a Dutch lawyer found guilty of lying to the Robert Mueller investigation, and two Border Patrol agents convicted of shooting an unarmed border crosser in 2006.
There were rumblings last week that Trump wanted bigger direct payments in the bill. White House aides had to step in and talk him down from demanding up to $2,000 checks, according to a report in The Washington Post.
Trump’s sudden veto threat could very well be a distraction from the president’s pardons — or a gambit from his Machiavellian chief of staff, Mark Meadows, who is known for selling the president on shoot-the-moon tactics that could backfire spectacularly.
As a congressman, Meadows often talked Trump into situations like this. He got the president to oppose an omnibus bill once in 2018 only to have Trump ultimately sign the legislation once White House aides told him he wouldn’t be able to go to Mar-a-Lago for the weekend if the government shut down.
Trump’s gamble Tuesday night could easily fail. For one, Congress may just override the veto and make the outgoing president seem even weaker. For another, he may actually just derail the deal and cost most Americans a $600 check or $300 a week in unemployment benefits, and cause a government shutdown.
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Part of the reason the coronavirus deal is now imperiled is because lawmakers combined it with the year-end spending bill.
Trump spent a good amount of time conflating the coronavirus relief legislation with criticisms of the government funding bill, which served as the legislative vehicle for the stimulus package and a number of other year-end bills.
He tried to mislead voters by suggesting that corporate handouts — many of which were GOP priorities — were part of the coronavirus legislation instead of the spending bill.
Even if Trump’s gambit to amend the COVID-19 package works, his issues are mostly with the omnibus measure, which may be harder to change.
At the very least, he’s stepped on the GOP message that this bill was a huge win for Republicans. He’s undermined McConnell’s message that Democrats could have had this deal all along. And Trump has put Republicans in the weird position of either going back on their earlier votes or overruling him and upsetting their voters — just as Republicans need their voters to turn out in Georgia in order to keep control of the Senate by winning both Jan. 5 runoffs.
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If it weren’t bad enough, Trump later took aim at the Senate’s No. 2 Republican, tweeting that “RINO John Thune, ‘Mitch’s boy’, should just let it play out. South Dakota doesn’t like weakness. He will be primaried in 2022, political career over!!!”
(Trump was seemingly referring to his election coup attempts, which Thune has opposed.)
Either way, the president’s erratic behavior threatens a government shutdown. In fact, the only reason the government isn’t closed already is because Congress had the foresight to pass a seven-day continuation Monday night instead of just counting on the coronavirus and omnibus spending bill to get to his desk before Tuesday morning.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-22--Former Rep. Katie Hill Sues Ex-Husband, Media Outlets Over 'Nonconsensual Porn'

Former Rep. Katie Hill ( D-Calif. ) is suing her ex-husband and the media outlets Daily Mail and RedState , accusing them of “ nonconsensual dissemination and publication of her intimate images.
” In the lawsuit , filed Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court , Hill alleges that her ex-husband , Kenneth Heslep , provided “ sexually graphic ” photos of her to the news outlets , which published them online in multiple articles last year .
Hill ’ s life was “ irreparably altered by the abuse and nonconsensual dissemination and publication of her intimate images , ” the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ nonconsensual porn.
” Once a rising star in the Democratic Party , the congresswoman from California resigned last year less than halfway through her first term after the House opened an ethics investigation following a story on RedState .
The conservative news site accused Hill of having extramarital affairs with a female campaign staffer and a male congressional aide .
The article included a nude photo of Hill .
The Daily Mail later published more sexually graphic photos of Hill and intimate text messages .
At the time , Hill apologized for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign worker but denied romantic involvement with the congressional aide .
( It is against House rules for lawmakers to have sexual relationships with congressional staff , but there are no rules on relationships with campaign staffers . )
Tuesday ’ s lawsuit alleges years of abuse by Hill ’ s ex-husband before they broke up in 2019 , after which he allegedly shared the photos , text messages and “ cruel lies ” with the media outlets .
The suit claims the publication of the explicit photos led Hill to suffer “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suicide and to quit her job as a congresswoman .
In most states , including California , “ revenge porn , ” or sharing sexually explicit photos of a person without their consent , is illegal .
It is also sometimes used as a tactic in abusive relationships to control , blackmail or harm an intimate partner .
Former Rep. Katie Hill 's lawsuit says that “ the First Amendment does not provide a carte blanche right to sexually degrade and expose public officials.
” When Hill won election in 2018 , she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ previously Republican-held district and celebrated as the first openly bisexual congresswoman from California .
While there exist exceptions to revenge porn laws for matters considered newsworthy or of public concern , Hill ’ s lawsuit argues that “ the First Amendment does not provide a carte blanche right to sexually degrade and expose public officials ” and that such exceptions would not apply to the “ nonconsensual dissemination of nude images.
” The suit also details over 15 years of “ physical , sexual , verbal , emotional and psychological ” abuse by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he threatened her with guns , abused her pets , and sexually coerced and choked her .
Earlier this month , a judge issued a temporary restraining order against Heslep , requiring that he stay at least 100 yards away from Hill and her family .
The suit describes Hill ’ s efforts to make all of this public as a “ plea for herself , for survivors of intimate partner violence and media exploitation.
” It says , “ This case pleads that everybody , even publicly elected officials and celebrities , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and redress from our courts when they experience intimate partner violence .
”

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Former Rep. Katie Hill (D-Calif.) is suing her ex-husband and the media outlets Daily Mail and RedState, accusing them of “nonconsensual dissemination and publication of her intimate images.”
In the lawsuit, filed Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court, Hill alleges that her ex-husband, Kenneth Heslep, provided “sexually graphic” photos of her to the news outlets, which published them online in multiple articles last year.
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Hill’s life was “irreparably altered by the abuse and nonconsensual dissemination and publication of her intimate images,” the suit argues, calling the published photos “nonconsensual porn.”
Once a rising star in the Democratic Party, the congresswoman from California resigned last year less than halfway through her first term after the House opened an ethics investigation following a story on RedState. The conservative news site accused Hill of having extramarital affairs with a female campaign staffer and a male congressional aide. The article included a nude photo of Hill. The Daily Mail later published more sexually graphic photos of Hill and intimate text messages.
At the time, Hill apologized for her “inappropriate” relationship with the campaign worker but denied romantic involvement with the congressional aide. (It is against House rules for lawmakers to have sexual relationships with congressional staff, but there are no rules on relationships with campaign staffers.)
Tuesday’s lawsuit alleges years of abuse by Hill’s ex-husband before they broke up in 2019, after which he allegedly shared the photos, text messages and “cruel lies” with the media outlets. The suit claims the publication of the explicit photos led Hill to suffer “extreme emotional distress,” to attempt suicide and to quit her job as a congresswoman.
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In most states, including California, “revenge porn,” or sharing sexually explicit photos of a person without their consent, is illegal. It is also sometimes used as a tactic in abusive relationships to control, blackmail or harm an intimate partner.
HuffPost reached out but did not immediately receive a response from Heslep’s attorneys, Daily Mail or RedState.
Former Rep. Katie Hill's lawsuit says that “the First Amendment does not provide a carte blanche right to sexually degrade and expose public officials.” YouTube/Katie Hill
When Hill won election in 2018, she was hailed for her victory in a previously Republican-held district and celebrated as the first openly bisexual congresswoman from California.
While there exist exceptions to revenge porn laws for matters considered newsworthy or of public concern, Hill’s lawsuit argues that “the First Amendment does not provide a carte blanche right to sexually degrade and expose public officials” and that such exceptions would not apply to the “nonconsensual dissemination of nude images.”
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The suit also details over 15 years of “physical, sexual, verbal, emotional and psychological” abuse by Hill’s ex-husband, alleging that he threatened her with guns, abused her pets, and sexually coerced and choked her.
Earlier this month, a judge issued a temporary restraining order against Heslep, requiring that he stay at least 100 yards away from Hill and her family.
The suit describes Hill’s efforts to make all of this public as a “plea for herself, for survivors of intimate partner violence and media exploitation.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-22--Karl Rove Doesn't Hold Back In Withering Critique Of Sidney Powell, Michael Flynn

Veteran GOP political strategist Karl Rove on Tuesday harshly rebuked Donald Trump ’ s former campaign lawyer Sidney Powell and ex-national security adviser Michael Flynn for whispering absurd ideas in the president ’ s ear about overturning the November election .
Trump has reportedly mulled naming Powell , a conspiracy theorist and QAnon supporter , as a special counsel to investigate imagined electoral fraud , alarming White House aides .
And Flynn , whom he pardoned last month for lying during the Russia investigation , has advised Trump to declare martial law and rerun the election .
Trump has continued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign dropped her from its legal team and sought to distance itself from her and her bizarre theories .
“ Talk about an idiotic idea , ” Rove told Fox News host John Roberts of Flynn ’ s martial law suggestion .
“ There ’ s no ability for any president to invoke the Insurrection Act of 1803 , claiming that the issue has got to do with the hubbub around the election .
No president would have the authority to do that.
” He noted Flynn is not a constitutional lawyer and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good advice to the president about politics , he ’ s at the bottom of the list in my opinion.
” “ Ms .
Powell has peddled theories that have little basis in fact , ” he said .
“ The idea that Hugo Chavez from the grave was somehow involved in stealing this year ’ s election.
” The former Venezuelan president died in 2013 .
He noted that her “ expert witnesses ” during recent election lawsuits turned out to be shams and that “ any idiot with access to Google @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have debunked some of their claims .
“ What she has done to sort of throw mud on the president through her antics is unbelievable , ” Rove said .
“ The president has been so ill-served by this crowd , and she ’ s chief among them.
” In November , Rove , a controversial former adviser to President George W. Bush , said he believed Trump was within his rights to challenge the election results .
However , he said he did not believe it would change the outcome or that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

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Veteran GOP political strategist Karl Rove on Tuesday harshly rebuked Donald Trump’s former campaign lawyer Sidney Powell and ex-national security adviser Michael Flynn for whispering absurd ideas in the president’s ear about overturning the November election.
Trump has reportedly mulled naming Powell, a conspiracy theorist and QAnon supporter, as a special counsel to investigate imagined electoral fraud, alarming White House aides. And Flynn, whom he pardoned last month for lying during the Russia investigation, has advised Trump to declare martial law and rerun the election.
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Trump has continued his relationship with Powell even after his campaign dropped her from its legal team and sought to distance itself from her and her bizarre theories.
“Talk about an idiotic idea,” Rove told Fox News host John Roberts of Flynn’s martial law suggestion. “There’s no ability for any president to invoke the Insurrection Act of 1803, claiming that the issue has got to do with the hubbub around the election. No president would have the authority to do that.”
He noted Flynn is not a constitutional lawyer and, “when it comes to giving good advice to the president about politics, he’s at the bottom of the list in my opinion.”
Damn!
Even Karl Rove is through with the lies. 😳pic.twitter.com/qxPUeP7zAu — Matt Rogers 🗳 (@Politidope) December 22, 2020
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His criticisms of Powell were even stronger.
“Ms. Powell has peddled theories that have little basis in fact,” he said. “The idea that Hugo Chavez from the grave was somehow involved in stealing this year’s election.” The former Venezuelan president died in 2013.
He noted that her “expert witnesses” during recent election lawsuits turned out to be shams and that “any idiot with access to Google and the county election returns” could have debunked some of their claims.
“What she has done to sort of throw mud on the president through her antics is unbelievable,” Rove said. “The president has been so ill-served by this crowd, and she’s chief among them.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-22--CNN Host On Trump Pardons: 'It's A Good Night To Be A Corrupt Republican Congressman'

CNN ’ s John Berman took aim at Donald Trump on Tuesday after the president announced a slew of pardons just weeks before leaving office .
The White House said Trump will grant full pardons to 15 individuals and commute part or all of the sentences of five more people .
Among them are three former GOP congressmen who had committed financial crimes , two subjects of the Russia investigation , four Blackwater guards convicted in connection with the killings of Iraqi civilians , and two former Border Patrol agents who shot an unarmed person crossing the U.S.-Mexico border .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ be a corrupt Republican congressman , or a confessed liar from the Russia probe or a convicted murderer of Iraqi civilians , ” Berman said .
“ With 29 days left in office , the president issued a first big wave of what could be a tsunami of pardons .
This batch includes former Republican lawmakers , two Russia probe figures and four military contractors involved in a massacre of civilians in Iraq.
” CNN senior White House correspondent Pamela Brown said the pardons of former Trump campaign adviser George Papadopoulos and lawyer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whom pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI during special counsel Robert Mueller ’ s investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election , could be seen as a way for the president to return the favor of loyalty by those who did not cooperate with federal investigators .
“ What ’ s also interesting in this list ... are these two former border agents who were sentenced to prison for shooting an unarmed , undocumented immigrant .
They were held as heroes , basically , in right-wing media at the time .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Brown added .
She noted that this was a common theme among the high-profile pardons on the list .
“ We know the president is unorthodox in the way he ’ s gone about pardons , ” she said .
“ He ’ s watched media ― Fox News and other outlets ― to get ideas of who he can pardon along with members of Congress and his own attorney Rudy Giuliani and many others .
”

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CNN’s John Berman took aim at Donald Trump on Tuesday after the president announced a slew of pardons just weeks before leaving office.
The White House said Trump will grant full pardons to 15 individuals and commute part or all of the sentences of five more people. Among them are three former GOP congressmen who had committed financial crimes, two subjects of the Russia investigation, four Blackwater guards convicted in connection with the killings of Iraqi civilians, and two former Border Patrol agents who shot an unarmed person crossing the U.S.-Mexico border.
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“It is a good night to be a corrupt Republican congressman, or a confessed liar from the Russia probe or a convicted murderer of Iraqi civilians,” Berman said. “With 29 days left in office, the president issued a first big wave of what could be a tsunami of pardons. This batch includes former Republican lawmakers, two Russia probe figures and four military contractors involved in a massacre of civilians in Iraq.”
CNN senior White House correspondent Pamela Brown said the pardons of former Trump campaign adviser George Papadopoulos and lawyer Alex van der Zwaan, both of whom pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI during special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election, could be seen as a way for the president to return the favor of loyalty by those who did not cooperate with federal investigators.
“What’s also interesting in this list ... are these two former border agents who were sentenced to prison for shooting an unarmed, undocumented immigrant. They were held as heroes, basically, in right-wing media at the time. They’re also on this list,” Brown added.
She noted that this was a common theme among the high-profile pardons on the list.
“We know the president is unorthodox in the way he’s gone about pardons,” she said. “He’s watched media ― Fox News and other outlets ― to get ideas of who he can pardon along with members of Congress and his own attorney Rudy Giuliani and many others.”
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