thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-25--Trump Lawyer Jenna Ellis Defends Truth Using Fake Teddy Roosevelt Quote

A top legal adviser to President Donald Trump ’ s campaign is attempting to defend truth and honesty ― by using a quote falsely attributed to President Teddy Roosevelt. Jenna Ellis posted a photo on Twitter Tuesday night of the 26th president with this quote : The problem is there is no evidence Roosevelt ever said that , according to Reuters .
A Snopes story from 2016 said the misattributed quote dates back to at least 2004 , and possibly to 1999 .
After she was called out for using a fake quote for a tweet defending truth and honesty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” that term coined by Stephen Colbert to explain things that may not be true , but feel that way .
For people asking , this quotation has been attributed to Roosevelt , but there isn ’ t a specific record of him saying this in a speech .
I posted it because the ifea itself is true , whether or not he said it !
: ) — Jenna Ellis ( @ JennaEllisEsq ) November 25 , 2020 Twitter users pointed out the flaws in her argument .
No-you posted a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ TO HIM with no disclaimer to that effect .
HOW ARE YOU A LAWYER ?
!
— Amee Vanderpool ( @ girlsreallyrule ) November 25 , 2020 10 hours later : `` I meant to do that .
The huge photo and attribution to TR ?
Just felt like it .
Had nothing to do with the quote .
Just like the ifea . ''
https : //t.co/86R1k1R8si — Jennifer M. Wood ( @ j_m_wood ) November 25 , 2020 In the spirit of Ellis ’ post , many Twitter users made up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to her .
`` I 'm an embarrassment to the legal profession . ''
- Jenna Ellis *For people asking , this quotation has been attributed to Jenna but there 's no record of her saying it .
I posted it because the idea itself is true .
https : //t.co/SmWhoMDqE4 — Bradley P. Moss ( @ BradMossEsq ) November 25 , 2020 '' to summarise , your Honour , there is no specific evidence of election fraud but we are suing over it because it feels like it should be true , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : //t.co/GRl8w8ZmBL — Catherine Philp ( @ scribblercat ) November 25 , 2020 One person couldn ’ t help but speculate on the meaning of the word “ ifea.
” One person felt the best way to respond to Ellis ’ fake Roosevelt quote is with a real one .
Here 's an actual Teddy Roosevelt quote : “ To announce that there must be no criticism of the president , or that we are to stand by the president , right or wrong , is not only unpatriotic and servile , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” https : //t.co/nFW9z3mNZh https : //t.co/9vGM0LaeZu — John Kruzel ( @ johnkruzel ) November 25 , 2020

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A top legal adviser to President Donald Trump’s campaign is attempting to defend truth and honesty ― by using a quote falsely attributed to President Teddy Roosevelt.
Jenna Ellis posted a photo on Twitter Tuesday night of the 26th president with this quote:
“To anger a conservative, lie to him. To anger a liberal, tell him the truth.”
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The problem is there is no evidence Roosevelt ever said that, according to Reuters.
A Snopes story from 2016 said the misattributed quote dates back to at least 2004, and possibly to 1999.
After she was called out for using a fake quote for a tweet defending truth and honesty, Ellis defended herself using “truthiness,” that term coined by Stephen Colbert to explain things that may not be true, but feel that way.
For people asking, this quotation has been attributed to Roosevelt, but there isn’t a specific record of him saying this in a speech. I posted it because the ifea itself is true, whether or not he said it! :) — Jenna Ellis (@JennaEllisEsq) November 25, 2020
Twitter users pointed out the flaws in her argument.
This quotation is a lie, so ... I guess it makes you angry? — Kevin M. Kruse (@KevinMKruse) November 25, 2020
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No-you posted a meme with his image attributing the quote TO HIM with no disclaimer to that effect. HOW ARE YOU A LAWYER?! — Amee Vanderpool (@girlsreallyrule) November 25, 2020
Seems like you're angry people told you the truth. — luke oneil (@lukeoneil47) November 25, 2020
So updating this to be more accurate pic.twitter.com/hqK1eY4285 — Don "Big Chooch" Moynihan (@donmoyn) November 25, 2020
10 hours later: "I meant to do that. The huge photo and attribution to TR? Just felt like it. Had nothing to do with the quote. Just like the ifea." https://t.co/86R1k1R8si — Jennifer M. Wood (@j_m_wood) November 25, 2020
In the spirit of Ellis’ post, many Twitter users made up their own quotes and falsely attributed them to her.
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"I'm an embarrassment to the legal profession." - Jenna Ellis
*For people asking, this quotation has been attributed to Jenna but there's no record of her saying it. I posted it because the idea itself is true. https://t.co/SmWhoMDqE4 — Bradley P. Moss (@BradMossEsq) November 25, 2020
"to summarise, your Honour, there is no specific evidence of election fraud but we are suing over it because it feels like it should be true, whether it is or not" https://t.co/GRl8w8ZmBL — Catherine Philp (@scribblercat) November 25, 2020
oh dear. "Jenna Ellis's resume looks hella iffy." - Abraham Lincoln. https://t.co/2fVp4jwkmz — Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) November 25, 2020
One person couldn’t help but speculate on the meaning of the word “ifea.”
"Ifea" must be Swedish for "boldfaced lie" https://t.co/28s8KcYYLl — Jamal Igle aka Hot Take Jones. (@JAMALIGLE) November 25, 2020
One person felt the best way to respond to Ellis’ fake Roosevelt quote is with a real one.
Here's an actual Teddy Roosevelt quote:
“To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or that we are to stand by the president, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.”https://t.co/nFW9z3mNZh https://t.co/9vGM0LaeZu — John Kruzel (@johnkruzel) November 25, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-25--Trump Administration Denies Permit For Alaska’s Pebble Mine

The outgoing Trump administration on Wednesday denied a key permit for Alaska ’ s Pebble Mine , a controversial project that the Obama administration blocked and that President Donald Trump revived early in his term .
In a statement , the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said the planned open-pit copper and gold mine in southwest Alaska would violate Clean Water Act guidelines .
The project is “ contrary to the public interest , ” the Corps said .
The decision , which the agency said “ reflects a regulatory process that is fair , flexible and balanced , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a recent about-face from the Trump administration .
In July , the Army Corps concluded the project at the headwaters of Bristol Bay , the most productive sockeye salmon fishery in the world , would have no “ measurable ” effect on salmon stocks or the watershed .
The following month , the administration delayed the permit , saying the mine would cause “ unavoidable adverse impacts ” to the area ’ s aquatic resources , and gave Pebble Limited Partnership , the company seeking the permit , 90 days to come up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ damage .
That sudden reversal came shortly after Trump ’ s son Donald Trump Jr. , Vice President Mike Pence ’ s former chief of staff Nick Ayers , and other conservative sportsmen spoke out against the mine development .
“ The headwaters of Bristol Bay and the surrounding fishery are too unique and fragile to take any chances with , ” Trump Jr. wrote in an Aug. 4 tweet .
The company ’ s troubles mounted in September when an environmental advocacy group released secret recordings of company executives downplaying Alaska lawmakers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of plans to ultimately expand the mine well beyond the proposed footprint .
Wednesday ’ s announcement is the latest in a 20-year fight over the Canadian company ’ s effort to develop North America ’ s largest gold and copper mine in a pristine swath of the remote Alaskan wilderness .
Pebble Limited Partnership , which is owned by Vancouver mining firm Northern Dynasty Minerals , planned to extract some 1.4 billion tons of gold- and copper-rich material over a 20-year period , valued at as much as $ 500 billion .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 2,200 acres of wetlands and more than 100 miles of streams , according to the final environmental impact study .
In a statement posted to the company ’ s website , Pebble Limited Partnership CEO John Shively said he was “ dismayed ” by the news and would evaluate its options .
“ One of the real tragedies of this decision is the loss of economic opportunities for people living in the area , ” he said , adding it is “ very disconcerting to see political influence in this process at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ native tribes that rely on the thriving salmon fishery , along with their allies in the environmentalist community , have long argued that the risk of environmental disaster outweighs any potential economic benefits from the proposed mine .
“ The Pebble Mine was always the wrong mine in the wrong place , ” Adam Kolton , executive director of the Alaska Wilderness League , said in a statement .
“ The fact that President Trump resurrected and promoted it prior to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers ultimately denying the permit isn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ today is that the world ’ s most productive salmon fisheries are safer and the tribes , fisherman and communities that depend on a healthy Bristol Bay can breathe a sigh of relief .
”

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The outgoing Trump administration on Wednesday denied a key permit for Alaska’s Pebble Mine, a controversial project that the Obama administration blocked and that President Donald Trump revived early in his term.
In a statement, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said the planned open-pit copper and gold mine in southwest Alaska would violate Clean Water Act guidelines. The project is “contrary to the public interest,” the Corps said.
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The decision, which the agency said “reflects a regulatory process that is fair, flexible and balanced,” follows a yearslong review process and completes a recent about-face from the Trump administration.
In July, the Army Corps concluded the project at the headwaters of Bristol Bay, the most productive sockeye salmon fishery in the world, would have no “measurable” effect on salmon stocks or the watershed. The following month, the administration delayed the permit, saying the mine would cause “unavoidable adverse impacts” to the area’s aquatic resources, and gave Pebble Limited Partnership, the company seeking the permit, 90 days to come up with a plan to mitigate the environmental damage.
That sudden reversal came shortly after Trump’s son Donald Trump Jr., Vice President Mike Pence’s former chief of staff Nick Ayers, and other conservative sportsmen spoke out against the mine development.
“The headwaters of Bristol Bay and the surrounding fishery are too unique and fragile to take any chances with,” Trump Jr. wrote in an Aug. 4 tweet.
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The company’s troubles mounted in September when an environmental advocacy group released secret recordings of company executives downplaying Alaska lawmakers’ concerns about the project and boasting of plans to ultimately expand the mine well beyond the proposed footprint.
The undercover recordings ultimately led to the resignation of Pebble Limited Partnership’s chief executive, Tom Collier.
Wednesday’s announcement is the latest in a 20-year fight over the Canadian company’s effort to develop North America’s largest gold and copper mine in a pristine swath of the remote Alaskan wilderness. Pebble Limited Partnership, which is owned by Vancouver mining firm Northern Dynasty Minerals, planned to extract some 1.4 billion tons of gold- and copper-rich material over a 20-year period, valued at as much as $500 billion. The operation would have permanently destroyed more than 2,200 acres of wetlands and more than 100 miles of streams, according to the final environmental impact study.
In a statement posted to the company’s website, Pebble Limited Partnership CEO John Shively said he was “dismayed” by the news and would evaluate its options.
“One of the real tragedies of this decision is the loss of economic opportunities for people living in the area,” he said, adding it is “very disconcerting to see political influence in this process at the eleventh hour.”
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Alaska’s native tribes that rely on the thriving salmon fishery, along with their allies in the environmentalist community, have long argued that the risk of environmental disaster outweighs any potential economic benefits from the proposed mine.
Project opponents were quick to celebrate the news.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-25--Joe Biden Defends His Cabinet Choices: 'This Is Not A Third Obama Term'

In an interview with NBC ’ s Lester Holt on Tuesday evening , President-elect Joe Biden addressed critiques that his administration is relying upon too many figures who previously served under former President Barack Obama .
“ This is not a third Obama term because we face a totally different world than we faced in the Obama-Biden administration , ” Biden said when Holt asked if his upcoming tenure as commander-in-chief would largely be an extension of the 44th president ’ s .
“ President Trump has changed the landscape .
It ’ s become ‘ America First ’ ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ We find ourselves in a position where our alliances are being frayed .
... That ’ s why I ’ ve found people who joined the administration and keep points that represent the spectrum of the American people as well as the spectrum of the Democratic Party.
” Biden ’ s incoming administration includes Obama-era politicians like former Deputy Secretary of State Tony Blinken and Alejandro Mayorkas , who previously served as the deputy secretary of the Department of Homeland Security .
The president-elect has tapped the men for secretary of state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ When Holt asked if he would consider nominating any Republicans who had previously supported Trump , Biden responded that he had no timeline on such an announcement , but would be open to it to help unite the country .
“ The purpose of our administration is once again uniting , ” Biden said .
“ We can ’ t keep this virulent political dialogue going .
It has to end.
” Holt also asked Biden about potentially appointing former Democratic opponents like Sens .
Bernie Sanders ( I-Vt. ) and Elizabeth Warren @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was off the table but that keeping progressive allies in the House and Senate was foremost in his mind .
“ I ’ ve talked to them , ” Biden said .
“ As I ’ ve said , we already have significant representation among progressives in our administration , but there ’ s nothing really off the table .
But one thing is really critical .
Taking someone out of the Senate , taking someone out of the House , particularly a person of consequence , is a really difficult decision that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have a very ambitious , very progressive agenda , and it ’ s going to take really strong leaders in the House and Senate to get it done.
” Biden added that he ’ d spoken with over 20 world leaders who were pleased that “ America was going to reassert its role in the world and be a coalition-builder.
” He championed his appointees ’ experience as evidence that “ America is back.
” Nevertheless , the president-elect ’ s picks have gotten flak from Republicans like Sen. Marco Rubio ( Fla. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Biden ’ s Cabinet was filled with typical career politicians with Ivy League diplomas who would ultimately leave the U.S. reliant on foreign powers such as China .

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In an interview with NBC’s Lester Holt on Tuesday evening, President-elect Joe Biden addressed critiques that his administration is relying upon too many figures who previously served under former President Barack Obama.
“This is not a third Obama term because we face a totally different world than we faced in the Obama-Biden administration,” Biden said when Holt asked if his upcoming tenure as commander-in-chief would largely be an extension of the 44th president’s.
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“President Trump has changed the landscape. It’s become ‘America First’; it’s been ‘America Alone.’ We find ourselves in a position where our alliances are being frayed. ... That’s why I’ve found people who joined the administration and keep points that represent the spectrum of the American people as well as the spectrum of the Democratic Party.”
Biden’s incoming administration includes Obama-era politicians like former Deputy Secretary of State Tony Blinken and Alejandro Mayorkas, who previously served as the deputy secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. The president-elect has tapped the men for secretary of state and homeland security secretary, respectively.
When Holt asked if he would consider nominating any Republicans who had previously supported Trump, Biden responded that he had no timeline on such an announcement, but would be open to it to help unite the country.
“The purpose of our administration is once again uniting,” Biden said. “We can’t keep this virulent political dialogue going. It has to end.”
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Holt also asked Biden about potentially appointing former Democratic opponents like Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.). Biden said nothing was off the table but that keeping progressive allies in the House and Senate was foremost in his mind.
“I’ve talked to them,” Biden said. “As I’ve said, we already have significant representation among progressives in our administration, but there’s nothing really off the table. But one thing is really critical. Taking someone out of the Senate, taking someone out of the House, particularly a person of consequence, is a really difficult decision that would have to be made. I have a very ambitious, very progressive agenda, and it’s going to take really strong leaders in the House and Senate to get it done.”
Biden added that he’d spoken with over 20 world leaders who were pleased that “America was going to reassert its role in the world and be a coalition-builder.” He championed his appointees’ experience as evidence that “America is back.”
Nevertheless, the president-elect’s picks have gotten flak from Republicans like Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.), who tweeted this week that the Biden’s Cabinet was filled with typical career politicians with Ivy League diplomas who would ultimately leave the U.S. reliant on foreign powers such as China.
Watch Joe Biden’s remarks below.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-25--CNN's Brianna Keilar Shreds Marco Rubio For 'Cheap Shot' At Biden's Cabinet Picks

The Florida senator faced criticism for tweeting on Tuesday that Biden ’ s selection of foreign policy advisers all “ went to Ivy League schools , have strong resumes , attend all the right conferences & will be polite & orderly caretakers of America ’ s decline.
” “ I support American greatness and I have no interest in returning to the ‘ normal ’ that left us dependent on China , ” Rubio concluded .
Keilar took issue on many fronts .
First , she pointed out that Rubio is criticizing these professionals for being qualified , educated and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a rejection of experience and expertise that permeated the Republican Party even before President Trump , ” she said .
Rubio didn ’ t mention that Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will be the first U.S. president/vice president duo in 40 years not to have any Ivy League degrees , Keilar added .
Biden graduated from the University of Delaware in 1965 , and Harris graduated from Howard University in 1986 .
Rubio failed to note as well that President Donald Trump has repeatedly boasted about his Ivy League education , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Trump ’ s son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner , whose White House portfolio “ constantly eclipses his expertise , ” attended Harvard .
“ It was revealed that Kushner ’ s attendance followed his father donating $ 2.5 million to the school , ” she noted .
In today ’ s # RollTheTape , @ brikeilarCNN looks at Sen. Marco Rubio “ cynically poking ” at the Ivy League educations of Biden ’ s Cabinet picks .
“ It is a rejection of experience and expertise that permeated the Republican Party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says .
pic.twitter.com/xtXbxhHwe2 — CNN Newsroom ( @ CNNnewsroom ) November 25 , 2020 While acknowledging that Rubio ’ s remarks could be interpreted as an attack on elitism , a valid conversation to have , Keilar said the senator was substituting education in general as the punching bag .
“ Increasingly , Republicans in power have banished their own principles and instead are focused on what ?
Tearing things down .
Like education , expertise , science , facts that will keep Americans safe , ” she said .
“ How can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some members of one party , many members of one party , have said coronavirus is a hoax ?
When they won ’ t acknowledge reality.
” She slammed Rubio for taking a “ cheap shot ” at the incoming administration , “ who are only now receiving the first transition briefings in the last day because President Trump and most Republicans haven ’ t acknowledged that they won the election .
Unless you plan on doing that today , Senator Rubio .
”

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CNN’s Brianna Keilar on Wednesday delivered a withering takedown of Republican Sen. Marco Rubio’s knock on President-elect Joe Biden’s “Ivy League” Cabinet picks.
The Florida senator faced criticism for tweeting on Tuesday that Biden’s selection of foreign policy advisers all “went to Ivy League schools, have strong resumes, attend all the right conferences & will be polite & orderly caretakers of America’s decline.”
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“I support American greatness and I have no interest in returning to the ‘normal’ that left us dependent on China,” Rubio concluded.
Keilar took issue on many fronts. First, she pointed out that Rubio is criticizing these professionals for being qualified, educated and well-connected in their fields.
“It is a rejection of experience and expertise that permeated the Republican Party even before President Trump,” she said.
Rubio didn’t mention that Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will be the first U.S. president/vice president duo in 40 years not to have any Ivy League degrees, Keilar added. Biden graduated from the University of Delaware in 1965, and Harris graduated from Howard University in 1986.
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Rubio failed to note as well that President Donald Trump has repeatedly boasted about his Ivy League education, Keilar said. She also pointed out that Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner, whose White House portfolio “constantly eclipses his expertise,” attended Harvard.
“It was revealed that Kushner’s attendance followed his father donating $2.5 million to the school,” she noted.
In today’s #RollTheTape, @brikeilarCNN looks at Sen. Marco Rubio “cynically poking” at the Ivy League educations of Biden’s Cabinet picks.
“It is a rejection of experience and expertise that permeated the Republican Party even before President Trump,” she says. pic.twitter.com/xtXbxhHwe2 — CNN Newsroom (@CNNnewsroom) November 25, 2020
While acknowledging that Rubio’s remarks could be interpreted as an attack on elitism, a valid conversation to have, Keilar said the senator was substituting education in general as the punching bag.
“Increasingly, Republicans in power have banished their own principles and instead are focused on what? Tearing things down. Like education, expertise, science, facts that will keep Americans safe,” she said. “How can America have a reasoned policy debate when some members of one party, many members of one party, have said coronavirus is a hoax? When they won’t acknowledge reality.”
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-25--The Key Point About Joe Biden's National Security Picks: It's Truly The Biden Show

In announcing most of his national security team this week , President-elect Joe Biden sent a big signal about how he will handle foreign policy differently from his immediate predecessors : This will , for better or worse , be the Biden show .
Unlike either Donald Trump or Barack Obama , Biden will manage America ’ s role in the world with a team that is already deeply committed to his perspective ― which could help him get far more done in a job that already has outsize influence over global affairs .
News about Biden ’ s choices @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when Bloomberg revealed that he would tap Antony Blinken as secretary of state and Axios reported that Linda Thomas-Greenfield would be his ambassador to the United Nations .
Less than 24 hours later , Biden ’ s team confirmed that reporting and unveiled more appointments , notably Jake Sullivan as national security adviser and Avril Haines as director of national intelligence .
Reporters , commentators and foreign policy activists scrambled to highlight various parts of the appointees ’ pasts to predict how they will behave once in office .
Most of the resulting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ picks share a crucial characteristic : years of working with Biden , who has his own complex views on international relations and a track record of both achievements and miscalculations .
The former vice president is a firm believer in U.S. leadership on the world stage , seeing a role for America in tackling a range of global challenges that may seem remote to some stateside , but he is also cautious about dramatic interventions or attempts to force major changes abroad .
Whether the issue is changing American policy to encourage diplomacy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reining in U.S. counterterror operations that have killed thousands of civilians overseas , or reducing international troop deployments , Washington ’ s national security apparatus will soon be guided by the preferences of Biden and people who hew closely to his thinking .
That poses risks like groupthink and a disregard for dissenting views .
But it ’ s also an opportunity , particularly welcome for those who were horrified by how Trump amplified historic problems in U.S. foreign policy like excessive reliance on the military-industrial complex and who want Biden to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outgoing president ’ s initial foreign policy team seemed to hardly understand the system they were taking over , much less share a vision for it .
Halie Soifer , a former State Department official under Presidents Obama and George W. Bush who has also advised Vice President-elect Kamala Harris and senators close to Biden , noted the difference between the team in waiting and Trump ’ s relationship with his first secretary of state , Rex Tillerson .
“ They met for the first time in the interview .
It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two men did not know each other .
... Rex Tillerson probably still doesn ’ t know what Donald Trump ’ s worldview is , ” said Soifer , now the executive director of the Jewish Democratic Council of America .
“ With Biden and Blinken , they ’ re almost family at this point .
They are incredibly close .
And similar things could be said about Jake Sullivan.
” Obama became president after less than four years as a senator , which had been his first position that required work on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advisers fast and had a deep bench of Democratic talent to choose from , but the figures he elevated were primarily associated with others in the party ― like his primary rival Hillary Clinton , who became his first secretary of state , or John Kerry , the Democratic presidential nominee before Obama and his top diplomat in his second term .
As Obama confronted crises abroad , the feeling that there were different , sometimes competing centers of power at the White House , the State Department , the Pentagon and elsewhere @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who best represented the president or who could swing his views was frequently debated both publicly and privately .
Under Trump , who saw diplomacy as a question of how nicely foreigners treated him and was even less familiar with the world of national security experts , the fractures among important agencies working on global affairs became even starker .
Trump ’ s penchant for sudden hires and fires based on a dizzying mix of personal and ideological reasons exacerbated the sense that no one really knew who was in charge or what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ At Foggy Bottom , for instance , Blinken will have a clear mandate .
“ There is no doubt not only that he has the ear of the president but that he has been a part of shaping Biden ’ s worldview and policies .
He just intuitively knows where Biden stands on every issue that matters , ” Soifer said .
John Brennan , a former CIA director , believes that will be the case for chief intelligence official-to-be Haines , who , like Blinken , previously worked with Biden in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trust and confidence of Joe Biden , who will look to Avril to restore integrity and honesty at the helm of the intelligence community , ” Brennan said in a statement .
The joke among Washington national security hands preparing for the new president is that while Trump gave posts to people who were recent college graduates and either looked the part or had the right ideological credentials , “ with Biden , it ’ s like , you have five years ’ experience and a Ph.D. ?
Maybe we can get you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ current official told HuffPost .
By avoiding high-profile political picks for critical foreign policy jobs ― in contrast to Obama and Trump ― Biden has made clear that his administration will prioritize skills and experience in handling global affairs .
That affects what advice he gets on foreign policy , in particular lowering the danger of his counselors pushing plans chiefly for the sake of their own future careers , as figures like Trump ’ s Secretary of State Mike Pompeo seem to have done .
And it boosts the sense that his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Biden ’ s objectives without veering into politicking , not least because many of them are taking over the jobs that have always been their ultimate goals .

Antony Blinken, President-elect Joe Biden's choice for secretary of state, speaks as Biden, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris and their other national security picks listen on Nov. 24. Joshua Roberts/Reuters
In announcing most of his national security team this week, President-elect Joe Biden sent a big signal about how he will handle foreign policy differently from his immediate predecessors: This will, for better or worse, be the Biden show. Unlike either Donald Trump or Barack Obama, Biden will manage America’s role in the world with a team that is already deeply committed to his perspective ― which could help him get far more done in a job that already has outsize influence over global affairs.
News about Biden’s choices began to spread on Sunday night, when Bloomberg revealed that he would tap Antony Blinken as secretary of state and Axios reported that Linda Thomas-Greenfield would be his ambassador to the United Nations. Less than 24 hours later, Biden’s team confirmed that reporting and unveiled more appointments, notably Jake Sullivan as national security adviser and Avril Haines as director of national intelligence. Reporters, commentators and foreign policy activists scrambled to highlight various parts of the appointees’ pasts to predict how they will behave once in office.
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Most of the resulting commentary missed that nearly all of the picks share a crucial characteristic: years of working with Biden, who has his own complex views on international relations and a track record of both achievements and miscalculations. The former vice president is a firm believer in U.S. leadership on the world stage, seeing a role for America in tackling a range of global challenges that may seem remote to some stateside, but he is also cautious about dramatic interventions or attempts to force major changes abroad.
Whether the issue is changing American policy to encourage diplomacy between the Israelis and the Palestinians, reining in U.S. counterterror operations that have killed thousands of civilians overseas, or reducing international troop deployments, Washington’s national security apparatus will soon be guided by the preferences of Biden and people who hew closely to his thinking.
That poses risks like groupthink and a disregard for dissenting views. But it’s also an opportunity, particularly welcome for those who were horrified by how Trump amplified historic problems in U.S. foreign policy like excessive reliance on the military-industrial complex and who want Biden to be creative and interrogate established thinking.
The outgoing president’s initial foreign policy team seemed to hardly understand the system they were taking over, much less share a vision for it. Halie Soifer, a former State Department official under Presidents Obama and George W. Bush who has also advised Vice President-elect Kamala Harris and senators close to Biden, noted the difference between the team in waiting and Trump’s relationship with his first secretary of state, Rex Tillerson.
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“They met for the first time in the interview. It’s just such an incredible contrast: Those two men did not know each other. ... Rex Tillerson probably still doesn’t know what Donald Trump’s worldview is,” said Soifer, now the executive director of the Jewish Democratic Council of America. “With Biden and Blinken, they’re almost family at this point. They are incredibly close. And similar things could be said about Jake Sullivan.”
A Team Of Allies
Obama became president after less than four years as a senator, which had been his first position that required work on foreign policy. He gathered national security advisers fast and had a deep bench of Democratic talent to choose from, but the figures he elevated were primarily associated with others in the party ― like his primary rival Hillary Clinton, who became his first secretary of state, or John Kerry, the Democratic presidential nominee before Obama and his top diplomat in his second term.
As Obama confronted crises abroad, the feeling that there were different, sometimes competing centers of power at the White House, the State Department, the Pentagon and elsewhere never fully abated. The question of who best represented the president or who could swing his views was frequently debated both publicly and privately.
Under Trump, who saw diplomacy as a question of how nicely foreigners treated him and was even less familiar with the world of national security experts, the fractures among important agencies working on global affairs became even starker. Trump’s penchant for sudden hires and fires based on a dizzying mix of personal and ideological reasons exacerbated the sense that no one really knew who was in charge or what the U.S. was trying to do.
President Donald Trump had little familiarity with his first secretary of state, Rex Tillerson (left), before he appointed him. Trump eventually fired him via tweet. Kevin Lamarque/Reuters
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Biden’s Washington will operate very differently.
At Foggy Bottom, for instance, Blinken will have a clear mandate. “There is no doubt not only that he has the ear of the president but that he has been a part of shaping Biden’s worldview and policies. He just intuitively knows where Biden stands on every issue that matters,” Soifer said.
Former officials expect coherence and team spirit to grow even stronger between Biden and his top advisers after having secured such a hard-won election victory.
John Brennan, a former CIA director, believes that will be the case for chief intelligence official-to-be Haines, who, like Blinken, previously worked with Biden in the Senate. “She enjoys the complete trust and confidence of Joe Biden, who will look to Avril to restore integrity and honesty at the helm of the intelligence community,” Brennan said in a statement.
And international observers welcome the sense of predictability and competence that many believe has been missing for four years.
Biden’s named and likely choices “are experienced, well-informed and with views that are close, if not identical, to the views of the president,” former Israeli diplomat Gadi Baltiansky told the newspaper Ha’aretz.
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Not Seeking The Spotlight
In talking about his administration, Trump frequently described people as appropriate for jobs and worth trusting because they were straight out of “central casting.”
The joke among Washington national security hands preparing for the new president is that while Trump gave posts to people who were recent college graduates and either looked the part or had the right ideological credentials, “with Biden, it’s like, you have five years’ experience and a Ph.D.? Maybe we can get you something as a scheduler,” one current official told HuffPost.
By avoiding high-profile political picks for critical foreign policy jobs ― in contrast to Obama and Trump ― Biden has made clear that his administration will prioritize skills and experience in handling global affairs. That affects what advice he gets on foreign policy, in particular lowering the danger of his counselors pushing plans chiefly for the sake of their own future careers, as figures like Trump’s Secretary of State Mike Pompeo seem to have done. And it boosts the sense that his appointees are focusing on the national interest and Biden’s objectives without veering into politicking, not least because many of them are taking over the jobs that have always been their ultimate goals.
Veteran diplomat Thomas-Greenfield, who Biden plans to send to the U.N. to succeed GOP donor Kelly Craft and likely GOP presidential hopeful Nikki Haley, is a prime example of the approach he seems to be taking.
“A lot of people might not even know her. ... Anyone who’s worked at the State Department for the last 35 years would know her,” Soifer said. “She is not political; she’s someone with a wide breadth of diplomatic experience who will be incredibly helpful in rebuilding our relationships.”
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Biden’s approach could be the first step in reversing Trump’s yearslong assault on civil servants, which the defeated president has been ramping up in recent weeks.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-25--Barack Obama Thinks People Are Looking Forward To 1 Particular Thing In The Joe Biden Era

Former President Barack Obama predicted Joe Biden ’ s presidency will provide welcome relief to many Americans from the chaos of the Donald Trump era .
In a socially distanced interview that aired on Tuesday ’ s broadcast of “ The Late Show , ” Obama told host Stephen Colbert he believes people are “ exhausted by just this world wrestling federation constant cage match ” of the Trump administration and now “ just want to feel as if a day passes without it being dominated by something crazy coming out of the White House.
” Under Biden , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ returning to a presidency that is actually paying attention and try to do right by all people and not just some , ” he said .
Obama also slammed the “ shambolic nature ” of Trump ’ s response to the coronavirus pandemic , noting “ it would have been good politics ” to handle the crisis well .
He said the outgoing president “ exceeded ” his fears and explained why he ran for president , even though former first lady Michelle Obama didn ’ t want him to do it .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Colbert in a game of wastepaper basketball .
“ I ’ ve lost my swag on Stephen Colbert , ” joked Obama after his defeat .
Check out the first part of the interview here :

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Former President Barack Obama predicted Joe Biden’s presidency will provide welcome relief to many Americans from the chaos of the Donald Trump era.
In a socially distanced interview that aired on Tuesday’s broadcast of “The Late Show,” Obama told host Stephen Colbert he believes people are “exhausted by just this world wrestling federation constant cage match” of the Trump administration and now “just want to feel as if a day passes without it being dominated by something crazy coming out of the White House.”
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Under Biden, the United States has “the potential of returning to a presidency that is actually paying attention and try to do right by all people and not just some,” he said.
Obama also slammed the “shambolic nature” of Trump’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, noting “it would have been good politics” to handle the crisis well.
He said the outgoing president “exceeded” his fears and explained why he ran for president, even though former first lady Michelle Obama didn’t want him to do it. Then he got “crushed” by Colbert in a game of wastepaper basketball.
“I’ve lost my swag on Stephen Colbert,” joked Obama after his defeat.
Check out the first part of the interview here:
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The second segment here:


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-25--Trump Admin Ignored Internal Concerns When Clipping Bird Protections, Documents Show

In December 2017 , Interior Department lawyer Daniel Jorjani issued a legal opinion legalizing all unintentional deaths of snow geese , bluebirds and other migratory birds .
That includes deaths caused by oil and gas production , power lines and chemical spills .
The move was a gift to polluting industries , protecting them from being prosecuted for incidentally wounding or killing animals , as oil giant BP was over damage from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico .
The Trump administration ’ s interpretation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act , or MBTA , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has forced federal wildlife officials to largely abandon investigating bird fatalities , even in cases where there is evidence that birds were intentionally killed .
The shift has allowed both industry and individuals to kill birds without any fear of consequence , as HuffPost previously reported .
The U.S .
Fish and Wildlife Service , which administers and enforces the MBTA , has since introduced a rule that would permanently codify the 2017 legal guidance .
That is now awaiting approval from the Office of Management and Budget .
A final environmental impact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month , which would allow the administration to finalize the rule before President Donald Trump leaves office .
As documents that the Union of Concerned Scientists ’ Center for Science and Democracy obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request and shared with HuffPost show , at least one agency official expressed concerns about the timeline for enacting the rule earlier this year .
But another official dismissed or erased those concerns from internal planning documents , as tracked editing changes reveal .
At first glance , the findings look like a benign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In reality , they showed an internal struggle over the first serious attempt in a generation to weaken a century-old statute credited with bringing birds like the snowy egret and the sandhill crane back from the brink of extinction .
The effort came as the oil and gas industry has expanded its footprint across the United States and as new research shows North America has lost one in four of its native bird species since 1970 .
Over the past four years , the Trump administration has routinely set arbitrary page limits and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be rigid environmental review processes as it sought to repeal or loosen more than 100 regulations on fossil fuels , chemicals and other polluting industries .
The Fish and Wildlife Service gave particular weight to the potential economic impacts of loosening the century-old law protecting birds .
In one document , listed as a summary of the rule-making and environmental review process timeline , the unnamed author described a situation in which industry provides the most important information agency economists would use to quickly turn around a review as “ the best-case scenario.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the National Audubon Society , told HuffPost that the Trump administration overhaul of the 1918 law has been “ extremely rushed and totally insufficient , ” with minimal time for the public to weigh in .
Audubon is one of several wildlife organizations challenging the policy in court .
The environmental review process “ is being subverted to try to prop up the decision that was already made in 2017 to gut the MBTA , which makes a mockery of the public engagement and scientific review that is required under the law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ entire process is aiming to be finished in less than a year , an extremely rushed timeline which leads to a deeply flawed analysis that fails to inform the agency or the public.
” Brad Bortner , who retired in December 2017 after six years as chief of the U.S .
Fish and Wildlife Service ’ s migratory bird program , shares that view .
In public comments submitted in July , Bortner wrote that the agency ’ s draft environmental review is “ grossly deficient ” and “ serves as a testament @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Based on my opinion and experience , this entire effort has been a waste of time and will result in expensive court costs to one of the smallest programs in FWS , ” Bortner wrote , adding that the agency should suspend the rule-making and “ shred ” Jorjani ’ s legal interpretation of the law .
Making life easier for corporate America has always been a primary goal of the MBTA rollback .
The proposed rule change ensures that “ private industry , which are critical to our nation ’ s economy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fear and uncertainty that the unintentional consequences of their actions will be prosecuted , ” Fish and Wildlife Service Director Aurelia Skipwith said upon announcing the measure earlier this year .
In August , a federal judge in New York struck down Trump ’ s Interior Department ’ s interpretation of the 1918 federal law ― guidance that wildlife officials had been treating as the established policy for two years and that is the foundation of the proposed rule ― stating that it “ runs counter to the purpose of the MBTA @ @ @ @ @ @ @

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In its dash to permanently weaken protections for hundreds of species of migratory birds, the Trump administration dismissed concerns from agency staff about its rushed timeline for completing an assessment of environmental impacts, according to internal documents obtained by HuffPost.
In December 2017, Interior Department lawyer Daniel Jorjani issued a legal opinion legalizing all unintentional deaths of snow geese, bluebirds and other migratory birds. That includes deaths caused by oil and gas production, power lines and chemical spills. The move was a gift to polluting industries, protecting them from being prosecuted for incidentally wounding or killing animals, as oil giant BP was over damage from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
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The Trump administration’s interpretation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, or MBTA, broke from decades of legal precedent and has forced federal wildlife officials to largely abandon investigating bird fatalities, even in cases where there is evidence that birds were intentionally killed. The shift has allowed both industry and individuals to kill birds without any fear of consequence, as HuffPost previously reported.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which administers and enforces the MBTA, has since introduced a rule that would permanently codify the 2017 legal guidance. That is now awaiting approval from the Office of Management and Budget. A final environmental impact statement is expected as soon as this month, which would allow the administration to finalize the rule before President Donald Trump leaves office.
As documents that the Union of Concerned Scientists’ Center for Science and Democracy obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request and shared with HuffPost show, at least one agency official expressed concerns about the timeline for enacting the rule earlier this year. But another official dismissed or erased those concerns from internal planning documents, as tracked editing changes reveal.
The tracked changes, which do not include individuals’ names, eliminated warnings that shortened deadlines would “be difficult to achieve” and swapped in language asserting the agency’s right to “choose to negotiate” timelines “down.”
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At first glance, the findings look like a benign back-and-forth in an office clerical document. In reality, they showed an internal struggle over the first serious attempt in a generation to weaken a century-old statute credited with bringing birds like the snowy egret and the sandhill crane back from the brink of extinction. The effort came as the oil and gas industry has expanded its footprint across the United States and as new research shows North America has lost one in four of its native bird species since 1970.
“Imagine I’m an oil industry executive and 1,000 birds die in my toxic pit of wastewater. ‘No problem!’ says the Trump administration,” said Taryn MacKinney, an investigative researcher at the Union of Concerned Scientists. “It’s an absurdity.”
A heavily oiled bird from the waters of Barataria Bay, Louisiana, in June 2010. The Trump administration in 2017 ended criminal penalties imposed under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act designed to pressure companies into taking measures to prevent unintentional bird deaths. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Over the past four years, the Trump administration has routinely set arbitrary page limits and short deadlines on what are supposed to be rigid environmental review processes as it sought to repeal or loosen more than 100 regulations on fossil fuels, chemicals and other polluting industries.
The Fish and Wildlife Service gave particular weight to the potential economic impacts of loosening the century-old law protecting birds. In one document, listed as a summary of the rule-making and environmental review process timeline, the unnamed author described a situation in which industry provides the most important information agency economists would use to quickly turn around a review as “the best-case scenario.”
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Erik Schneider, a policy analyst at the National Audubon Society, told HuffPost that the Trump administration overhaul of the 1918 law has been “extremely rushed and totally insufficient,” with minimal time for the public to weigh in. Audubon is one of several wildlife organizations challenging the policy in court.
The environmental review process “is being subverted to try to prop up the decision that was already made in 2017 to gut the MBTA, which makes a mockery of the public engagement and scientific review that is required under the law,” he said. “The entire process is aiming to be finished in less than a year, an extremely rushed timeline which leads to a deeply flawed analysis that fails to inform the agency or the public.”
Brad Bortner, who retired in December 2017 after six years as chief of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s migratory bird program, shares that view. In public comments submitted in July, Bortner wrote that the agency’s draft environmental review is “grossly deficient” and “serves as a testament to a politically driven agenda.”
“Based on my opinion and experience, this entire effort has been a waste of time and will result in expensive court costs to one of the smallest programs in FWS,” Bortner wrote, adding that the agency should suspend the rule-making and “shred” Jorjani’s legal interpretation of the law.
A pair of snow geese land among thousands of others on a field at their winter grounds in the Skagit Valley, near Conway, Washington. ASSOCIATED PRESS
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Public backlash to the Trump administration policy has been fierce. Of the nearly 6,500 public comments submitted regarding the proposed rule, more than 98% voiced opposition, according to one internal document.
Neither the Interior Department nor the Fish and Wildlife Service responded to HuffPost’s request for comment on Tuesday.
Making life easier for corporate America has always been a primary goal of the MBTA rollback. The proposed rule change ensures that “private industry, which are critical to our nation’s economy and overall well-being, can operate without the fear and uncertainty that the unintentional consequences of their actions will be prosecuted,” Fish and Wildlife Service Director Aurelia Skipwith said upon announcing the measure earlier this year.
Weakening the law was at the top of the oil industry’s wish list.
While corporate America would benefit from Trump’s proposal, feathered species are expected to suffer, the Trump administration’s data indicates. Fewer private entities are likely to implement best practices to avoid killing birds, leading to increased bird mortality, according to the draft environmental study released in June.
The 11th-hour push to forever weaken the Migratory Bird Treaty Act before Trump leaves office comes as bird species around the country and globe face mounting threats, including climate change and habitat loss. Twenty-nine percent of the North American bird population ― some 3 billion animals ― have disappeared since 1970, a study published late last year found.
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In August, a federal judge in New York struck down Trump’s Interior Department’s interpretation of the 1918 federal law ― guidance that wildlife officials had been treating as the established policy for two years and that is the foundation of the proposed rule ― stating that it “runs counter to the purpose of the MBTA to protect migratory bird populations.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-25--'It's Not That I Don't Want To Work, It's That I Can't'

For 20 years , continuing care and retirement facilities have hired Morton to give pedicures to residents who have cognitive or physical disabilities .
Now , most places have COVID-19 protocols that keep her out , and she ’ s about to lose the unemployment benefits that helped her make it through the summer .
A lot of workers are in a similar position .
More than 175,000 people are being diagnosed with the coronavirus every single day , and any job that involves indoor contact is potentially risky .
Many states are again tightening their social distancing rules , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to throw millions of workers into unemployment .
But Congress is dithering on a bill to reauthorize extended unemployment benefits and a host of other relief programs it created in the spring , when the pandemic wasn ’ t even half as bad as it is now .
Nearly 12 million people will lose benefits next month if Congress does nothing .
Workers involved in elder care have been hard hit by the pandemic , with many deemed nonessential to prevent the spread of the coronavirus to vulnerable senior populations .
The prospects @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrats and President-elect Joe Biden want a comprehensive $ 2 trillion relief package that would extend the benefits , send another round of stimulus checks to most households , bail out the restaurant industry , set up a national virus testing program and throw money to state and local governments .
Talks between House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-Calif. ) and the Trump administration broke down before the election and haven ’ t resumed .
After four years in which they added trillions to the national debt through new spending and tax cuts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now wary of additional spending ― just as a Democratic president is set to take office , and as the economy teeters .
Job growth surged this summer but has been steadily slowing , while new unemployment claims in recent weeks have been rising .
Morton , 49 , is a certified manicurist and pedicurist who works as an independent contractor .
She started receiving Pandemic Unemployment Assistance benefits in May , which were created as part of the Coronavirus Aid , Relief and Economic Security ( CARES ) Act to pay workers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jobs and usually aren ’ t eligible for unemployment .
She said most of the senior care facilities that hire her considered her work cosmetic and nonessential , so the benefits made up for her shrunken income .
When she was finally allowed to return to one facility in September , what she saw was shocking : “ They went six months without having their toenails clipped , ” Morton said .
She ’ s stocked up on face shields and N95 masks , but has only been allowed to return to six @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worked before the pandemic .
She hopes to one day buy a van so that she can make her business into a mobile salon and be less vulnerable to changing COVID-19 rules .
In the meantime , Morton thinks Congress ought to step up and send help before the pandemic puts her too far behind on bills .
She doesn ’ t want to throw her career away .
“ I don ’ t want to go and get a part-time job or another type of job somewhere else , ” she said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for my clients when it ’ s time .
”

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Lorna Morton of Chester, Virginia, takes care of people’s feet. She’s passionate about her job, but she can’t work if a raging pandemic prevents her from entering her clients’ homes.
For 20 years, continuing care and retirement facilities have hired Morton to give pedicures to residents who have cognitive or physical disabilities. Now, most places have COVID-19 protocols that keep her out, and she’s about to lose the unemployment benefits that helped her make it through the summer.
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“It’s not that I don’t want to work, it’s that I can’t,” she said.
A lot of workers are in a similar position. More than 175,000 people are being diagnosed with the coronavirus every single day, and any job that involves indoor contact is potentially risky. Many states are again tightening their social distancing rules, which will likely combine with cold weather to throw millions of workers into unemployment.
But Congress is dithering on a bill to reauthorize extended unemployment benefits and a host of other relief programs it created in the spring, when the pandemic wasn’t even half as bad as it is now. Nearly 12 million people will lose benefits next month if Congress does nothing.
Workers involved in elder care have been hard hit by the pandemic, with many deemed nonessential to prevent the spread of the coronavirus to vulnerable senior populations. ASSOCIATED PRESS
The prospects for another bill are looking grim. Democrats and President-elect Joe Biden want a comprehensive $2 trillion relief package that would extend the benefits, send another round of stimulus checks to most households, bail out the restaurant industry, set up a national virus testing program and throw money to state and local governments. Talks between House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and the Trump administration broke down before the election and haven’t resumed.
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Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), meanwhile, is pushing $500 billion in relief for schools, health care providers and small businesses ― plus a ban on coronavirus-related lawsuits that is a deal breaker for Democrats.
After four years in which they added trillions to the national debt through new spending and tax cuts, McConnell and his Republican colleagues are now wary of additional spending ― just as a Democratic president is set to take office, and as the economy teeters. Job growth surged this summer but has been steadily slowing, while new unemployment claims in recent weeks have been rising.
Morton, 49, is a certified manicurist and pedicurist who works as an independent contractor. She started receiving Pandemic Unemployment Assistance benefits in May, which were created as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act to pay workers who don’t have traditional payroll jobs and usually aren’t eligible for unemployment.
“They went six months without having their toenails clipped.” - Lorna Morton
She said most of the senior care facilities that hire her considered her work cosmetic and nonessential, so the benefits made up for her shrunken income.
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When she was finally allowed to return to one facility in September, what she saw was shocking: “They went six months without having their toenails clipped,” Morton said.
She’s stocked up on face shields and N95 masks, but has only been allowed to return to six of the 15 buildings where she regularly worked before the pandemic. She hopes to one day buy a van so that she can make her business into a mobile salon and be less vulnerable to changing COVID-19 rules.
In the meantime, Morton thinks Congress ought to step up and send help before the pandemic puts her too far behind on bills. She doesn’t want to throw her career away.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-25--Parents Of Seth Rich Settle Lawsuit With Fox News

The parents of Seth Rich , a Democratic National Committee staffer whose unsolved killing became fodder for right-wing conspiracy theories , reached an undisclosed settlement with Fox News on Tuesday .
Mary and Joel Rich sued Fox News in 2018 after the news outlet published an article on its website suggesting , without evidence , that Rich was slain over leaks of DNC emails to WikiLeaks .
The story was fueled by several Fox shows , including Sean Hannity on Fox News and Lou Dobbs on Fox Business .
Rich , 27 , was shot to death in Washington , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have said they suspect was a botched robbery .
There have been no arrests .
Fox News retracted the article seven days later , saying it didn ’ t meet editorial standards .
But the story grew into a baseless conspiracy theory .
The Rich family accused the network of “ extreme and outrageous ” conduct with the coverage .
Mary Rich and her husband , Joel Rich hold a photo of their son in their home in Omaha , Nebraska , on Jan. 11 , 2017 .
“ The settlement with Fox @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to mourn the murder of our beloved Seth , whom we miss every single day , ” the family said in a statement .
“ We are pleased with the settlement of this matter and sincerely hope that the media will take genuine caution in the future.
” The terms were not disclosed .
The lawsuit named Fox News , reporter Malia Zimmerman , and Ed Butowsky , a frequent guest on the network who was involved in the retracted piece .
Fox said Tuesday it was “ pleased with the resolution of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Mrs. Rich to find a small degree of peace and solace moving forward .
”

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The parents of Seth Rich, a Democratic National Committee staffer whose unsolved killing became fodder for right-wing conspiracy theories, reached an undisclosed settlement with Fox News on Tuesday.
Mary and Joel Rich sued Fox News in 2018 after the news outlet published an article on its website suggesting, without evidence, that Rich was slain over leaks of DNC emails to WikiLeaks. The story was fueled by several Fox shows, including Sean Hannity on Fox News and Lou Dobbs on Fox Business.
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Rich, 27, was shot to death in Washington, D.C., in 2016 in what police have said they suspect was a botched robbery. There have been no arrests.
Fox News retracted the article seven days later, saying it didn’t meet editorial standards. But the story grew into a baseless conspiracy theory. The Rich family accused the network of “extreme and outrageous” conduct with the coverage.
Mary Rich and her husband, Joel Rich hold a photo of their son in their home in Omaha, Nebraska, on Jan. 11, 2017. The Washington Post via Getty Images
“The settlement with Fox News closes another chapter in our efforts to mourn the murder of our beloved Seth, whom we miss every single day,” the family said in a statement. “We are pleased with the settlement of this matter and sincerely hope that the media will take genuine caution in the future.”
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The terms were not disclosed. The lawsuit named Fox News, reporter Malia Zimmerman, and Ed Butowsky, a frequent guest on the network who was involved in the retracted piece.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-25--'America Is Back': Biden Pushes Past Trump Era With Nominees

The nominees are all Washington veterans with ties to the Obama administration , a sign of Biden ’ s effort to resume some form of normalcy after the tumult of President Donald Trump ’ s four years in office .
Another sign that Biden will soon be in charge : He scheduled a Thanksgiving address to the nation for Wednesday afternoon , planning to focus his remarks on shared sacrifices during the holiday season and expressing confidence that Americans will get through the pandemic together .
Still , Biden ’ s nominees were a clear departure from Trump , whose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ almost all of them white .
Biden ’ s picks included several women and people of color , some of whom would break barriers if confirmed to their new positions .
Avril Haines , a former deputy director of the CIA , was picked to serve as director of national intelligence , the first woman to hold that post , and former Secretary of State John Kerry will make a curtain call as a special envoy on climate change .
Kerry and Sullivan ’ s position will not require Senate confirmation .
Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that we can not meet these challenges with old thinking and unchanged habits.
” He said he tasked them with reasserting global and moral leadership , a clear swipe at Trump , who has resisted many traditional foreign alliances .
Further drawing a contrast with Trump , Haines said she accepted Biden ’ s nomination knowing that “ you value the perspective of the intelligence community , and that you will do so even when what I have to say may be inconvenient or difficult.
” Biden celebrated the diversity of his picks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thomas-Greenfield .
The eldest of eight children who grew up in segregated Louisiana , she was the first to graduate from high school and college in her family .
The diplomat , in turn , said that with his selections , Biden is achieving much more than a changing of the guard .
The Senate previously confirmed him in December 2013 by a party-line vote to be the deputy secretary of Homeland Security .
The Senate was controlled by Democrats then , and all of the chamber ’ s Republicans voted against his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigation by the inspector general in that department who had been appointed by President Barack Obama .
At the time , the Senate historian ’ s office said it was unprecedented for the Senate to vote on a nominee who was under investigation .
The inspector general , John Roth , found in March 2015 that Mayorkas , as director of the U.S .
Citizenship and Immigration Services , appeared to give special treatment to certain people as part of the visa program that gives residency preference to immigrants who agree to invest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there were signs on Tuesday that the stalled formal transition of power is now underway .
Biden ’ s team now is in contact with all federal agencies , according to a transition official who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe developments that have not been announced .
Muir said the first meeting with Biden ’ s team was held virtually on Tuesday morning and that he expected daily meetings to come — some virtually and some in person .
He said normal accommodations for the Biden team have been made , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ capabilities , and office space inside the Pentagon .

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WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — Declaring “America is back,” President-elect Joe Biden introduced his national security team, his first substantive offering of how he’ll shift from Trump-era “America First” policies by relying on experts from the Democratic establishment to be some of his most important advisers.
“Together, these public servants will restore America globally, its global leadership and its moral leadership,” Biden said Tuesday from a theater in his longtime home of Wilmington, Delaware. “It’s a team that reflects the fact that America is back, ready to lead the world, not retreat from it.”
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The nominees are all Washington veterans with ties to the Obama administration, a sign of Biden’s effort to resume some form of normalcy after the tumult of President Donald Trump’s four years in office. Another sign that Biden will soon be in charge: He scheduled a Thanksgiving address to the nation for Wednesday afternoon, planning to focus his remarks on shared sacrifices during the holiday season and expressing confidence that Americans will get through the pandemic together.
There are risks to choosing experienced hands from the previous Democratic administration. Besides Republican attacks, progressives fret that Biden is tapping some officials who were too cautious and incremental the last time they held power.
Still, Biden’s nominees were a clear departure from Trump, whose Cabinet has largely consisted of men, almost all of them white. Biden’s picks included several women and people of color, some of whom would break barriers if confirmed to their new positions.
On Tuesday they stood behind Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris spaced apart and wearing masks to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, a contrast with Trump and many of his top aides who have largely eschewed facial coverings.
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Antony Blinken, right, pictured on Nov. 24, 2020, has ties to Biden going back some 20 years. CHANDAN KHANNA via Getty Images
The president-elect’s team includes Antony Blinken, a veteran foreign policy hand well-regarded on Capitol Hill whose ties to Biden go back some 20 years, for secretary of state; lawyer Alejandro Mayorkas to be homeland security secretary; veteran diplomat Linda Thomas-Greenfield to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations; and Obama White House alumnus Jake Sullivan as national security adviser.
Avril Haines, a former deputy director of the CIA, was picked to serve as director of national intelligence, the first woman to hold that post, and former Secretary of State John Kerry will make a curtain call as a special envoy on climate change. Kerry and Sullivan’s position will not require Senate confirmation.
With the Senate’s balance of power hinging on two runoff races in Georgia that will be decided in January, some Senate Republicans have already expressed antipathy to Biden’s picks as little more than Obama world retreads.
Sen. Tom Cotton, an Arkansas Republican and potential 2024 presidential candidate, argued that Biden is surrounding himself with people who will go soft on China.
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Sen. Marco Rubio, another potential White House hopeful, who sits on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that will consider Blinken’s nomination, broadly wrote off the early selections.
“Biden’s cabinet picks went to Ivy League schools, have strong resumes, attend all the right conferences & will be polite & orderly caretakers of America’s decline,” Rubio tweeted.
Avril Haines speaks at The Queen Theater, on Nov. 24, 2020, in Wilmington, Del. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Biden said his choices “reflect the idea that we cannot meet these challenges with old thinking and unchanged habits.” He said he tasked them with reasserting global and moral leadership, a clear swipe at Trump, who has resisted many traditional foreign alliances.
The president-elect said he was “struck” by how world leaders have repeatedly told him during congratulatory calls that they look forward to the U.S. “reasserting its historic role as a global leader” under his administration.
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Trump, who has debated recently whether to mount another presidential campaign in 2024, appeared to defend his worldview on Tuesday.
“We shouldn’t go away from that — America First,” he said at the annual turkey pardon, a lighthearted pre-Thanksgiving White House tradition.
While Trump expected total loyalty from his Cabinet and chafed at pushback from advisers, Biden said he expected advisers to tell me “what I need to know, not what I want to know.”
Further drawing a contrast with Trump, Haines said she accepted Biden’s nomination knowing that “you value the perspective of the intelligence community, and that you will do so even when what I have to say may be inconvenient or difficult.”
Haines said she has “never shied away from speaking truth to power” and added “that will be my charge as director of national intelligence.”
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Biden celebrated the diversity of his picks, offering a particularly poignant tribute to Thomas-Greenfield. The eldest of eight children who grew up in segregated Louisiana, she was the first to graduate from high school and college in her family. The diplomat, in turn, said that with his selections, Biden is achieving much more than a changing of the guard.
“My fellow career diplomats and public servants around the world, I want to say to you, ‘America is back, multilateralism is back, diplomacy is back,’” Thomas-Greenfield said.
Lawyer Alejandro Mayorkas is President-elect Biden's Homeland Security Secretary nominee. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Mayorkas, who is Cuban American, also offered a nod to his immigrant upbringing.
“My father and mother brought me to this country to escape communism,” he said. “They cherished our democracy, and were intensely proud to become United States citizens, as was I.”
But Mayorkas might pose the most difficult confirmation challenge from Biden’s early round of nominees.
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The Senate previously confirmed him in December 2013 by a party-line vote to be the deputy secretary of Homeland Security. The Senate was controlled by Democrats then, and all of the chamber’s Republicans voted against his confirmation mainly because he was then under investigation by the inspector general in that department who had been appointed by President Barack Obama. At the time, the Senate historian’s office said it was unprecedented for the Senate to vote on a nominee who was under investigation.
The inspector general, John Roth, found in March 2015 that Mayorkas, as director of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, appeared to give special treatment to certain people as part of the visa program that gives residency preference to immigrants who agree to invest in the U.S. economy.
Meanwhile, there were signs on Tuesday that the stalled formal transition of power is now underway. Biden’s team now is in contact with all federal agencies, according to a transition official who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe developments that have not been announced.
At the Pentagon, Kash Patel, chief of staff to the acting secretary of defense, is heading the department’s transition work. A transition task force has been assembled, led by Tom Muir, head of the Pentagon office that provides administrative and management services to all Defense Department facilities in the Washington area.
Muir said the first meeting with Biden’s team was held virtually on Tuesday morning and that he expected daily meetings to come — some virtually and some in person. He said normal accommodations for the Biden team have been made, including provision of briefing materials, video-teleconferencing capabilities, and office space inside the Pentagon.
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Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar also said his agency is working to get briefing materials to Biden’s aides immediately and pledged a “professional, cooperative and collaborative” transition.
The moves came a day after the head of the General Services Administration wrote the necessary letter of “ascertainment” acknowledging Biden as the apparent winner of the election, triggering the transition process.
Trump, who continues to press a legal challenge to overturn the election results, again on Tuesday refused to concede his election loss.
Trump tweeted that “the GSA does not determine who the next President of the United States will be.”
___
Lee and Madhani reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Robert Burns in Washington contributed to this report.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-25--Trump Lawyer’s Praise Of The President Goes Viral For All The Wrong Reasons

A senior legal adviser to Donald Trump ― who once described the president as an “ idiot ” and a “ bully ” ― drew widespread ridicule for her attempt to depict him as a hero on Tuesday night .
Jenna Ellis , a member of the Trump legal team trying to overturn the 2020 election result ( despite no evidence of the mass voter fraud they claim ) , tweeted a picture of the president leaning on the Oval Office desk alongside the caption : “ WARRIOR.
” Some reminded Ellis of her past slamming of the president .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the Vietnam War draft because of alleged bone spurs in his heels and his insulting of America ’ s war dead as “ suckers ” and “ losers.
” Journalist Mehdi Hasan , meanwhile , noted how Trump in the 1990s called avoiding contracting sexually transmitted infections “ my personal Vietnam.
” Point to the part where you sold your soul pic.twitter.com/TTfFOgHErO — Kim ( @ Kimmer4444 ) November 25 , 2020 From the Oval Office he could literally do anything he wanted , anything in the world , but he chose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — Sarah Cooper ( @ sarahcpr ) November 25 , 2020 'In ... interviews during the 1990s , Trump compared trying to avoid [ STDS ] to `` my personal Vietnam . ''
`` It ’ s pretty dangerous out there , '' he said in 1993 .
`` It ’ s like Vietnam . ''
He added in 1996 : `` I feel like a very great and very brave soldier .
`` 'https : //t.co/gaJKdOEjit https : //t.co/v5FueFw0R7 — Mehdi Hasan ( @ mehdirhasan ) November 25 , 2020 The same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suckers .
https : //t.co/j1iKTHpvNp — Eric Michael Garcia ( @ EricMGarcia ) November 25 , 2020 Save this tweet - it will be even more hilarious when Trump fires Jenna next week — Jonathan Jewel ( @ jonathanjewel ) November 25 , 2020 WARRIOR ?
Donald Trump is much more Benito Mussolini than Dwight D. Eisenhower .
Is Jenna Ellis really a lawyer or is this all just performance art ?
pic.twitter.com/l2gviIk7D0 — Russell Drew ( @ RussOnPolitics ) November 25 , 2020 .
@ JennaEllisEsq let it go .
You can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ OK. You can drop the grift .
The water is warm here .
https : //t.co/VjvThNblNn — Wajahat `` Wears a Mask Because of a Pandemic '' Ali ( @ WajahatAli ) November 25 , 2020 This is what a cult looks like .
https : //t.co/eZ5ShcvLd5 — Josh Jordan ( @ NumbersMuncher ) November 25 , 2020

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A senior legal adviser to Donald Trump ― who once described the president as an “idiot” and a “bully” ― drew widespread ridicule for her attempt to depict him as a hero on Tuesday night.
Jenna Ellis, a member of the Trump legal team trying to overturn the 2020 election result (despite no evidence of the mass voter fraud they claim), tweeted a picture of the president leaning on the Oval Office desk alongside the caption: “WARRIOR.”
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Critics had a field day.
Some reminded Ellis of her past slamming of the president.
Others recalled Trump’s medical exemption from the Vietnam War draft because of alleged bone spurs in his heels and his insulting of America’s war dead as “suckers” and “losers.”
Journalist Mehdi Hasan, meanwhile, noted how Trump in the 1990s called avoiding contracting sexually transmitted infections “my personal Vietnam.”
Point to the part where you sold your soul pic.twitter.com/TTfFOgHErO — Kim (@Kimmer4444) November 25, 2020
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From the Oval Office he could literally do anything he wanted, anything in the world, but he chose to cosplay his character from the apprentice — Sarah Cooper (@sarahcpr) November 25, 2020
'In...interviews during the 1990s, Trump compared trying to avoid [STDS] to "my personal Vietnam." "It’s pretty dangerous out there," he said in 1993. "It’s like Vietnam." He added in 1996: "I feel like a very great and very brave soldier."'https://t.co/gaJKdOEjit https://t.co/v5FueFw0R7 — Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) November 25, 2020
The same president who calls many warriors losers and suckers. https://t.co/j1iKTHpvNp — Eric Michael Garcia (@EricMGarcia) November 25, 2020
Save this tweet - it will be even more hilarious when Trump fires Jenna next week — Jonathan Jewel (@jonathanjewel) November 25, 2020
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WARRIOR?
Donald Trump is much more Benito Mussolini than Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Is Jenna Ellis really a lawyer or is this all just performance art? pic.twitter.com/l2gviIk7D0 — Russell Drew (@RussOnPolitics) November 25, 2020
.@JennaEllisEsq let it go. You can let it go now. It's OK. You can drop the grift. The water is warm here. https://t.co/VjvThNblNn — Wajahat "Wears a Mask Because of a Pandemic" Ali (@WajahatAli) November 25, 2020
This is what a cult looks like. https://t.co/eZ5ShcvLd5 — Josh Jordan (@NumbersMuncher) November 25, 2020
DRAFT DODGER — Mueller, She Wrote Podcast (@MuellerSheWrote) November 25, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-25--Donald Trump’s Thanksgiving Turkey Pardon Gets Gobbled Up In Hilarious ‘Photoshop Battle’

Redditors gobbled up President Donald Trump ’ s pardoning of a turkey in the annual White House Thanksgiving tradition on @ @ @ @ @ Battle ” broke out over one particular image of the outgoing president with his hand @ @ @ @ @ named “ Corn.
” One person superimposed a mask over the turkey ’ s mouth @ @ @ @ @ maskless president , who downplays the risks of COVID-19 and the need for measures to @ @ @ @ @ Outgoing Vice President Mike Pence , Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ( R-Ky. ) , @ @ @ @ @ President-elect Kamala Harris all were featured in the mocking contest .

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thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-24--Four Seasons, Part II? Maddow Finds Something Weird In Next Big Giuliani Event

President Donald Trump ’ s legal team on Tuesday announced a state Senate hearing on election issues in Pennsylvania featuring former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani , who is an attorney for the president .
But MSNBC ’ s Rachel Maddow found the event ― like so much else involving the Trump legal effort ― isn ’ t quite what it appears to be .
“ Oooh !
A legislative hearing in Pennsylvania !
” she said with mock excitement , before turning to the fine print : “ Do you remember when the Trump folks had their big press @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was at the Four Seasons , but it turned out it was actually in the parking lot of the Four Seasons Landscaping company out by the crematorium and the porn store ?
Well , same kinda thing here.
” The hearing , she noted , is not in the state Senate or even in Pennsylvania ’ s capital city of Harrisburg but rather a GOP-only event at the Wyndham Hotel in Gettysburg .
There , she said Republicans will hear a presentation from Giuliani .
“ They ’ re calling this like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the election , ’ ” she said .
“ No , people are going to go eat rolled-up sandwiches on a catering plate while they listen to Rudy Giuliani say the things that he said on Lou Dobbs.
” Maddow said Trump ’ s post-election efforts are just turning into a big grift to make money off his gullible supporters : After Maddow ’ s segment aired , it was reported that Trump would also be attending the event .
The Wyndham Hotel in Gettysburg gets 3.5 stars on Yelp .
Visitors praise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the overpriced breakfast , which many agree is the kind of buffet option often served for free at other chains .

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President Donald Trump’s legal team on Tuesday announced a state Senate hearing on election issues in Pennsylvania featuring former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who is an attorney for the president.
But MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow found the event ― like so much else involving the Trump legal effort ― isn’t quite what it appears to be.
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“Oooh! A legislative hearing in Pennsylvania!” she said with mock excitement, before turning to the fine print:
“Do you remember when the Trump folks had their big press conference in Philadelphia and the president said it was at the Four Seasons, but it turned out it was actually in the parking lot of the Four Seasons Landscaping company out by the crematorium and the porn store? Well, same kinda thing here.”
The hearing, she noted, is not in the state Senate or even in Pennsylvania’s capital city of Harrisburg but rather a GOP-only event at the Wyndham Hotel in Gettysburg.
“Unless perhaps it’s Wyndham Total Landscaping,” she cracked.
There, she said Republicans will hear a presentation from Giuliani.
“They’re calling this like ‘the Pennsylvania Legislature’s investigating the election,’” she said. “No, people are going to go eat rolled-up sandwiches on a catering plate while they listen to Rudy Giuliani say the things that he said on Lou Dobbs.”
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Maddow said Trump’s post-election efforts are just turning into a big grift to make money off his gullible supporters:
After Maddow’s segment aired, it was reported that Trump would also be attending the event.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-24--Biden's Daily Intel Briefings Remind Us That Trump Hardly Bothered With Them

President-elect Joe Biden said Tuesday that he will begin receiving the President ’ s Daily Brief — a return to routine for a country that , for four years , has been run by a president who has refused to listen to intelligence officials .
Biden told reporters that he has been offered a regular intelligence briefing known as the President ’ s Daily Brief .
While he had not received the briefing on Tuesday , he said “ we ’ re going to do it on a regular basis.
” The briefings are a result of General Services Administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s election victory on Monday .
Now GSA can release millions of dollars in transition funds , as well as access to government officials and essential information and briefings .
This week , Biden announced his plan to nominate Avril Haines for the position of director of national intelligence .
Haines , who was the deputy director of the CIA and the deputy national security adviser to President Barack Obama , is the first woman in the nation ’ s history appointed to lead the intelligence community .
“ To our intelligence professionals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under the most austere conditions imaginable — is indispensable , ” Haines said in a speech on Tuesday .
“ It will become even more complex because you will be critical to helping this administration position itself not only against threats such as cyber attacks , terrorism and the proliferation of nuclear , chemical and biological weapons ; but also those challenges that will define the next generation , from climate change , to pandemics and corruption.
” Trump has apparently gone through most of his presidency without reading the President ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how he has viewed his presidential duties .
He almost completely eliminated intelligence briefings from his schedule , rarely gets to the West Wing by noon , and typically spends his morning watching cable news and tweeting .
Trump ’ s interest in receiving any kind of intelligence briefing steadily declined after his first months in office , dropping to near zero as of August , according to a HuffPost review of his daily schedules .
Trump ’ s high of 4.1 briefings per week in March 2017 dropped to 0.7 per week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it became public that he had ignored intelligence reports about Russia offering bounties to the Taliban for each American soldier killed in Afghanistan .
Even as experts grew increasingly alarmed about a pandemic threat this January , Trump remained unconcerned , partaking in zero scheduled intelligence briefings before Jan. 6 and only nine the entire month , according to the HuffPost review .
The President ’ s Daily Brief is based on a package of summaries from around the world prepared early each morning for the president .
Taxpayers spend tens of billions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the intelligence community can provide a daily details report .
The briefings are among the few responsibilities a president can not delegate to others .
Both of Trump ’ s immediate predecessors received daily briefings in the White House .
Republican George W. Bush received his briefings soon after arriving in the Oval Office early each morning .
Democrat Barack Obama would load the daily briefing onto his iPad early each morning and would read it before the in-person session later in the day .

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President-elect Joe Biden said Tuesday that he will begin receiving the President’s Daily Brief — a return to routine for a country that, for four years, has been run by a president who has refused to listen to intelligence officials.
Biden told reporters that he has been offered a regular intelligence briefing known as the President’s Daily Brief. While he had not received the briefing on Tuesday, he said “we’re going to do it on a regular basis.”
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President-elect Joe Biden will be getting presidential daily briefings now.
Office Director of National Intelligence spokesperson: “This afternoon the White House approved ODNI to move forward with providing the PDB as part of the support to the transition.” — Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche) November 24, 2020
The briefings are a result of General Services Administration head Emily Murphy finally ascertaining Biden’s election victory on Monday. Now GSA can release millions of dollars in transition funds, as well as access to government officials and essential information and briefings.
This week, Biden announced his plan to nominate Avril Haines for the position of director of national intelligence. Haines, who was the deputy director of the CIA and the deputy national security adviser to President Barack Obama, is the first woman in the nation’s history appointed to lead the intelligence community.
“To our intelligence professionals, the work you do — oftentimes under the most austere conditions imaginable — is indispensable,” Haines said in a speech on Tuesday. “It will become even more complex because you will be critical to helping this administration position itself not only against threats such as cyber attacks, terrorism and the proliferation of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons; but also those challenges that will define the next generation, from climate change, to pandemics and corruption.”
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Avril Haines, National Intelligence Director Nominee: "To our intelligence professionals, the work you do oftentimes times under the most austere conditions imaginable is just indispensable." pic.twitter.com/FaLvOZJzdZ — The Hill (@thehill) November 24, 2020
Trump has apparently gone through most of his presidency without reading the President’s Daily Brief — a stark example of how he has viewed his presidential duties. He almost completely eliminated intelligence briefings from his schedule, rarely gets to the West Wing by noon, and typically spends his morning watching cable news and tweeting.
Trump’s interest in receiving any kind of intelligence briefing steadily declined after his first months in office, dropping to near zero as of August, according to a HuffPost review of his daily schedules. Trump’s high of 4.1 briefings per week in March 2017 dropped to 0.7 per week starting in July 2020, soon after it became public that he had ignored intelligence reports about Russia offering bounties to the Taliban for each American soldier killed in Afghanistan.
Even as experts grew increasingly alarmed about a pandemic threat this January, Trump remained unconcerned, partaking in zero scheduled intelligence briefings before Jan. 6 and only nine the entire month, according to the HuffPost review.
The President’s Daily Brief is based on a package of summaries from around the world prepared early each morning for the president. Taxpayers spend tens of billions of dollars each year so that officials from the intelligence community can provide a daily details report. The briefings are among the few responsibilities a president cannot delegate to others.
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Both of Trump’s immediate predecessors received daily briefings in the White House. Republican George W. Bush received his briefings soon after arriving in the Oval Office early each morning. Democrat Barack Obama would load the daily briefing onto his iPad early each morning and would read it before the in-person session later in the day.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-24--Trump Reportedly Planning To Pardon Michael Flynn, Start Of Spree

President Donald Trump is planning to pardon Michael Flynn , his former national security adviser who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI , according to several media reports on Tuesday evening .
Both Axios and The New York Times said Trump has privately told aides Flynn will benefit from a series of pardons the president will issue before he leaves office .
The move would continue Trump ’ s trend of helping several notable supporters and associates who have been convicted of crimes during his administration .
( The president also pardoned a turkey named Corn this week , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tradition . )
Flynn has pleaded guilty twice to lying to the FBI as part of its investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election , but his legal team asked to withdraw those pleas earlier this year in an abrupt about-face .
Several months later , the Justice Department suggested the charges against Flynn be dropped in a remarkable move that prompted outrage among Democrats .
But the judge in the case , Emmet Sullivan , said he wasn ’ t ready to do so and asked outside legal experts to weigh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sued in an attempt to force Sullivan to comply with the DOJ ’ s order , but lost the court battle , adding to the complexity of the case .
In September , one of Flynn ’ s lawyers told a judge she had spoken to Trump and asked the president not to pardon him .
It ’ s unclear if that request is still on the table .
The retired general has since become a major figure for Trump supporters angered with the investigations into Trump ’ s presidency , claiming he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has demeaned as the Russia “ hoax.
” Earlier this year , the president commuted the sentence of Roger Stone , a longtime confidant who was convicted on seven charges including lying to Congress , tampering with a witness and obstructing a House investigation .
“ Roger Stone is a victim of the Russia Hoax that the Left and its allies in the media perpetuated for years in an attempt to undermine the Trump Presidency , ” the commutation read .
The Times added Tuesday night that the plans for the pardon are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ final days in office to issue pardons for federal crimes or commutations of sentences .

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President Donald Trump is planning to pardon Michael Flynn, his former national security adviser who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI, according to several media reports on Tuesday evening.
Both Axios and The New York Times said Trump has privately told aides Flynn will benefit from a series of pardons the president will issue before he leaves office. The move would continue Trump’s trend of helping several notable supporters and associates who have been convicted of crimes during his administration. (The president also pardoned a turkey named Corn this week, as part of a White House Thanksgiving tradition.)
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Flynn has pleaded guilty twice to lying to the FBI as part of its investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, but his legal team asked to withdraw those pleas earlier this year in an abrupt about-face. Several months later, the Justice Department suggested the charges against Flynn be dropped in a remarkable move that prompted outrage among Democrats. But the judge in the case, Emmet Sullivan, said he wasn’t ready to do so and asked outside legal experts to weigh in.
Flynn’s legal team sued in an attempt to force Sullivan to comply with the DOJ’s order, but lost the court battle, adding to the complexity of the case. In September, one of Flynn’s lawyers told a judge she had spoken to Trump and asked the president not to pardon him. It’s unclear if that request is still on the table.
The retired general has since become a major figure for Trump supporters angered with the investigations into Trump’s presidency, claiming he was ensnared by what the White House has demeaned as the Russia “hoax.”
Earlier this year, the president commuted the sentence of Roger Stone, a longtime confidant who was convicted on seven charges including lying to Congress, tampering with a witness and obstructing a House investigation.
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“Roger Stone is a victim of the Russia Hoax that the Left and its allies in the media perpetuated for years in an attempt to undermine the Trump Presidency,” the commutation read.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-24--White House Reporter Caught On Mic After Bizarre 1-Minute Trump Briefing

Some White House reporters seemed more baffled than usual on Tuesday after President Donald Trump delivered a minute-long press briefing in which he failed to mention that he had finally agreed to transition power to President-elect Joe Biden .
The surprise briefing was Trump ’ s first in weeks .
But instead of offering his concession , Trump boasted about the Dow Jones hitting the “ sacred number ” of 30,000 ― ignoring his previous claim that a Biden win would prompt a market crash .
He then abruptly departed after 64 seconds , ignoring the torrent of questions from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ loss .
“ Well that was weird as shit , ” one reporter is overheard commenting immediately after Trump ’ s departure .
“ That was one of the stranger ones we ’ ve had , ” someone else noted .
After weeks of attacking the democratic process and launching failed legal challenges to attempt to overturn the election results , Trump agreed on Monday to cooperate with the transition process but said he would never concede .
Key swing states have begun certifying their election results , solidifying Biden ’ s win @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prepares to take office in January .

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Some White House reporters seemed more baffled than usual on Tuesday after President Donald Trump delivered a minute-long press briefing in which he failed to mention that he had finally agreed to transition power to President-elect Joe Biden.
The surprise briefing was Trump’s first in weeks. But instead of offering his concession, Trump boasted about the Dow Jones hitting the “sacred number” of 30,000 ― ignoring his previous claim that a Biden win would prompt a market crash. He then abruptly departed after 64 seconds, ignoring the torrent of questions from reporters about when he might acknowledge his loss.
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“Well that was weird as shit,” one reporter is overheard commenting immediately after Trump’s departure.
“That was one of the stranger ones we’ve had,” someone else noted.
Overheard in the briefing room "Well, that was weird as shit." pic.twitter.com/T2iAKwhWU2 — Charlie Spiering (@charliespiering) November 24, 2020
After weeks of attacking the democratic process and launching failed legal challenges to attempt to overturn the election results, Trump agreed on Monday to cooperate with the transition process but said he would never concede.
Key swing states have begun certifying their election results, solidifying Biden’s win as he announces his Cabinet picks and prepares to take office in January.