thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-08--Progressive Group Targets Alaska, Kansas, South Carolina In New Push

A major progressive super PAC is targeting deep red states with crucial Senate races , a sign that the Democratic Party is pushing further into solidly Republican political territory in the final days of the 2020 campaign .
NextGen America , which focuses on turning out voters under age 35 , is expanding its target list to include Senate races in Alaska and South Carolina , and House elections for Nebraska ’ s 2nd Congressional District and Kansas ’ 2nd and 3rd Congressional districts .
The group , funded almost exclusively by former Democratic presidential candidate Tom Steyer , has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2020 election cycle .
The group is spending $ 200,000 on a digital ad in Alaska boosting independent Senate challenger Al Gross , who has the backing of national Democratic groups , over GOP Sen. Dan Sullivan .
It will aim its volunteer army at the other states to text and call voters , encouraging them to register and vote .
Unlike many other Democratic outside groups , NextGen is typically focused on using progressive messages to turn out progressive voters .
The decision to add deep red states to its target list @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in their ability to turn 2020 into a wave election as President Donald Trump ’ s reelection bid continues to flail .
“ Young people need a Democrat in the White House and a Senate that ’ s willing to fight for the progressive policies we demand , ” Ben Wessel , NextGen America ’ s executive director , said in a statement .
“ Donald Trump and the Republican Party ’ s historic unpopularity with young people is putting new opportunities on the map .
We have a massive squad of volunteers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the White House and Senate .
The momentum is on our side , and we ’ re giving the people what they want.
” Nebraska awards its electoral college votes proportionately , and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is seen as the favorite to seize the 2nd Congressional District ’ s vote , which could prove crucial if the presidential election turns into a nail-biter .
The district is also the focus of a tight race between progressive Democrat Kara Eastman and GOP Rep. Don Bacon .
NextGen sees the Senate race in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House contest between 24-term incumbent GOP Rep. Don Young and independent challenger Alyse Galvin ― as a particularly promising target .
Sullivan won his first Senate term by just over 6,000 votes , and NextGen is targeting just shy of 15,000 voters under the age of 39 there .
The state ’ s automatic voter registration also means NextGen does not have to worry about a barrier that often blocks or discourages young people from voting .
The group ’ s ad in the Alaska Senate race contrasts Gross and Sullivan on health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abortion rights .
“ Al is for conservation , Dan is for corporations , ” a female narrator says in the ad .
The group has already made more than 15 million calls and texts into the 11 states it targeted at the beginning of the election cycle , and has met its voter contact goals in Nevada , Pennsylvania and Virginia .
Tom Steyer , a billionaire Democratic donor and former presidential candidate , is the major funder behind NextGen , which plans to spend $ 45 million turning out voters under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to know what you ’ re hearing on the ground from the candidates .
If you get any interesting ― or suspicious !
― campaign mailers , robocalls or hear anything else you think we should know about , email us at scoops @ huffpost.com .

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A major progressive super PAC is targeting deep red states with crucial Senate races, a sign that the Democratic Party is pushing further into solidly Republican political territory in the final days of the 2020 campaign.
NextGen America, which focuses on turning out voters under age 35, is expanding its target list to include Senate races in Alaska and South Carolina, and House elections for Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District and Kansas’ 2nd and 3rd Congressional districts. The group, funded almost exclusively by former Democratic presidential candidate Tom Steyer, has a $45 million budget for the 2020 election cycle.
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The group is spending $200,000 on a digital ad in Alaska boosting independent Senate challenger Al Gross, who has the backing of national Democratic groups, over GOP Sen. Dan Sullivan. It will aim its volunteer army at the other states to text and call voters, encouraging them to register and vote.
Unlike many other Democratic outside groups, NextGen is typically focused on using progressive messages to turn out progressive voters. The decision to add deep red states to its target list shows how Democrats are gaining more confidence in their ability to turn 2020 into a wave election as President Donald Trump’s reelection bid continues to flail.
“Young people need a Democrat in the White House and a Senate that’s willing to fight for the progressive policies we demand,” Ben Wessel, NextGen America’s executive director, said in a statement. “Donald Trump and the Republican Party’s historic unpopularity with young people is putting new opportunities on the map. We have a massive squad of volunteers eager to contact more voters to flip the White House and Senate. The momentum is on our side, and we’re giving the people what they want.”
South Carolina features a marquee battle between GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham and Democrat Jamie Harrison. In the Kansas Senate race, Democratic state Sen. Barbara Bollier is mounting a competitive challenge to GOP Rep. Roger Marshall.
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Nebraska awards its electoral college votes proportionately, and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is seen as the favorite to seize the 2nd Congressional District’s vote, which could prove crucial if the presidential election turns into a nail-biter. The district is also the focus of a tight race between progressive Democrat Kara Eastman and GOP Rep. Don Bacon.
NextGen sees the Senate race in Alaska ― also home to a hard-fought House contest between 24-term incumbent GOP Rep. Don Young and independent challenger Alyse Galvin ― as a particularly promising target. Sullivan won his first Senate term by just over 6,000 votes, and NextGen is targeting just shy of 15,000 voters under the age of 39 there. The state’s automatic voter registration also means NextGen does not have to worry about a barrier that often blocks or discourages young people from voting.
The group’s ad in the Alaska Senate race contrasts Gross and Sullivan on health care, taxes, the environment and abortion rights. “Al is for conservation, Dan is for corporations,” a female narrator says in the ad.
NextGen is also targeting roughly 30,000 voters in Nebraska, just over 60,000 in Kansas and 213,000 in South Carolina.
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The group has already made more than 15 million calls and texts into the 11 states it targeted at the beginning of the election cycle, and has met its voter contact goals in Nevada, Pennsylvania and Virginia.
Tom Steyer, a billionaire Democratic donor and former presidential candidate, is the major funder behind NextGen, which plans to spend $45 million turning out voters under the age of 35. Sean Rayford via Getty Images


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-08--Tory Lanez Charged In Shooting Of Megan Thee Stallion

Prosecutors said the shooting occurred after Lanez got into an argument with a 24-year-old victim while riding in an SUV @ @ @ @ @ If convicted , he faces a maximum sentence of 22 years and eight months behind @ @ @ @ @ .
The announcement didn ’ t identify Megan Thee Stallion by name , but said @ @ @ @ @ vehicle before Lanez shot at her feet several times , wounding her , according to @ @ @ @ @ .

Prosecutors said the shooting occurred after Lanez got into an argument with a 24-year-old victim while riding in an SUV in the Hollywood Hills.
If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 22 years and eight months behind bars, according to Variety.
The announcement didn’t identify Megan Thee Stallion by name, but said a female victim exited a vehicle before Lanez shot at her feet several times, wounding her, according to the New York Daily News.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-09--Donald Trump Jr. Goes Full 'Super Spreader' At Indoor Campaign Stop

More than 212,000 people in the U.S. dead from the coronavirus and a White House outbreak that infected President Donald Trump apparently taught the Trump boys nothing .
Troubling images emerged Thursday of Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump speaking at campaign rallies for their dad in what appear to be COVID-friendly conditions .
At Donald Trump Jr. ’ s event in Panama City Beach , Florida , supporters filled a small Holiday Inn meeting room , mostly without social distancing and masks , video posted by The Recount shows .
Florida GOP Gov .
Ron DeSantis also appeared .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Sarasota nurse who has worked with coronavirus patients and did bring a mask , was undeterred .
“ COVID doesn ’ t come knocking at your door , ” Stoll told the Tampa Bay Times .
“ So if you feel uncomfortable with it , just stay home.
” Later in the day , Trump Jr. moved outside to stump in Tampa at a towing company parking lot in an event that nevertheless flouted Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines .
“ The coronavirus didn ’ t seem to exist at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Times wrote , adding : “ The scene was reminiscent of the White House Rose Garden ceremony late last month that ’ s now directly linked to a dozen positive coronavirus cases .
Rows of chairs , side by side .
People hugging and taking maskless selfies .
Conversations , leaned in and yelled over speakers blaring R.E.M .
and Michael Jackson.
” Meanwhile , Eric Trump got up close and personal while campaigning for his father in Monroe , North Carolina .

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More than 212,000 people in the U.S. dead from the coronavirus and a White House outbreak that infected President Donald Trump apparently taught the Trump boys nothing.
Troubling images emerged Thursday of Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump speaking at campaign rallies for their dad in what appear to be COVID-friendly conditions.
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Donald Trump Jr. is holding a packed indoor event in Florida. pic.twitter.com/F4PpuML9j6 — The Recount (@therecount) October 8, 2020
At Donald Trump Jr.’s event in Panama City Beach, Florida, supporters filled a small Holiday Inn meeting room, mostly without social distancing and masks, video posted by The Recount shows. Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis also appeared.
Twitter users decried the gathering as a “super spreader” threat.
Later in the day, Trump Jr. moved outside to stump in Tampa at a towing company parking lot in an event that nevertheless flouted Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.
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“The coronavirus didn’t seem to exist at the event,” the Tampa Bay Times wrote, adding: “The scene was reminiscent of the White House Rose Garden ceremony late last month that’s now directly linked to a dozen positive coronavirus cases. Rows of chairs, side by side. People hugging and taking maskless selfies. Conversations, leaned in and yelled over speakers blaring R.E.M. and Michael Jackson.”
Brittany Stoll, a Sarasota nurse who has worked with coronavirus patients and did bring a mask, was undeterred.
“COVID doesn’t come knocking at your door,” Stoll told the Tampa Bay Times. “So if you feel uncomfortable with it, just stay home.”
Here’s video:
Meanwhile, Eric Trump got up close and personal while campaigning for his father in Monroe, North Carolina.
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Thank you Monroe North Carolina!!! We love you!! pic.twitter.com/KnFW2i7WV9 — Eric Trump (@EricTrump) October 9, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-09--Catholic, Orthodox Jewish Groups Sue To Block Coronavirus Restrictions In New York Hot Spots

Agudath Israel of America , an umbrella group for the strictly observant Haredi branch of Orthodox Judaism , and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn are seeking an injunction to block Cuomo from enforcing an executive order issued Tuesday that sets new capacity limits on houses of worship in parts of New York City and its northern suburbs .
Cuomo ’ s order , set to go into effect by Friday , violates the religious freedom of thousands of Orthodox Jews who live in many of the impacted neighborhoods , Agudath Israel of America said in a statement .
Compared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are “ disproportionally ” affected since religious laws prevent them from driving to synagogues outside of hot spots to attend services , the group stated .
“ Unfortunately , the Governor ’ s new executive order makes it impossible for us to practice our religion , and we really had no choice but to seek relief in the courts , ” Werdiger said .
The Diocese of Brooklyn , which spans both Brooklyn and Queens , accused Cuomo of a “ broad-brush response.
” Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio said Catholic churches in his diocese @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and were following social distancing guidelines .
“ The state has completely disregarded the fact that our safety protocols have worked and it is an insult to once again penalize all those who have made the safe return to church work , ” DiMarzio told his diocesan newspaper , The Tablet .
Cuomo has defended the new rules as a temporary measure meant to get the state ’ s infection rate under control .
In 20 zip codes flagged as high priorities , the COVID-19 positivity rate was 5.5 % on Tuesday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ documented in the rest of New York , per The New York Times .
The order targets areas in New York City ’ s Brooklyn and Queens boroughs as well as sections of Orange and Rockland counties and the city of Binghamton .
It creates three color-coded restriction levels : red , orange and yellow .
Houses of worship in red zones are limited to 25 % capacity or a maximum of 10 people , whichever is fewer .
Public and private schools as well as non-essential businesses in the red zones shuttered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
For members of Brooklyn ’ s tight-knit Haredi Orthodox Jewish community , the lawsuit was the culmination of days of tensions with both Cuomo and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio .
Leaders in the community said they were being unfairly and unconstitutionally targeted by the restrictions .
Some said they were being subjected to a double standard and that the city was much more accommodating of Black Lives Matter protests over the summer .
Many members also mistakenly believe that after experiencing a deadly surge in cases this spring , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus , local leaders said .
Misinformation about the virus and about testing has reportedly spread through the community via the messaging platform WhatsApp .
Some community leaders also claimed the government ’ s outreach efforts hadn ’ t been culturally sensitive ― or even issued in the correct language .
As recently as mid-September , there were no Yiddish speakers working as contact tracers for the city , according to The New York Times .
Along with contending with the coronavirus , New York ’ s Orthodox Jewish communities have been dealing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over the past year , some of which have been deadly .
Still , factions of Brooklyn ’ s Haredi community have been flouting the guidelines , reportedly taking their cues from President Donald Trump .
Protests against the restrictions erupted in Brooklyn ’ s Borough Park this week , with hundreds of men gathering close together in the streets without wearing masks .
Social media videos of a Wednesday evening protest showed the crowd turning on an Orthodox Jewish journalist .
He claimed he was called a Nazi , kicked and spat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Eichenstein , a New York State assemblyman who represents Borough Park , said Thursday that the protests didn ’ t reflect the values of his community .
“ I am begging and I am imploring the handful of people within the community to end the violence , ” Eichenstein wrote in a statement .
Eichenstein also pledged that the community ’ s synagogues will remain open .
“ Let ’ s continue to use our voices in demanding what no one can take away from us — our ability to gather in prayer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is fundamental to us as a people and we will never compromise on that .
But we must do this peacefully because that ’ s what makes us who we are .
”

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Roman Catholic and Orthodox Jewish groups filed two federal lawsuits Thursday challenging the restrictions Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-N.Y.) established for COVID-19 hot spots this week.
Agudath Israel of America, an umbrella group for the strictly observant Haredi branch of Orthodox Judaism, and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn are seeking an injunction to block Cuomo from enforcing an executive order issued Tuesday that sets new capacity limits on houses of worship in parts of New York City and its northern suburbs.
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Cuomo’s order, set to go into effect by Friday, violates the religious freedom of thousands of Orthodox Jews who live in many of the impacted neighborhoods, Agudath Israel of America said in a statement. Compared to other religious groups, Orthodox Jews are “disproportionally” affected since religious laws prevent them from driving to synagogues outside of hot spots to attend services, the group stated.
The order was issued just as Orthodox Jewish residents were preparing to celebrate important religious holidays.
Agudath’s leaders agreed that social distancing, masks and other health precautions should be observed, but said it was possible to safely hold gatherings in larger synagogues, the statement read.
Shlomo Werdiger, the chairman of Agudath Israel of America’s board of trustees, said the lawsuit was a “last resort.” He accused Cuomo’s administration of failing to work closely with community leaders before issuing the order.
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“Unfortunately, the Governor’s new executive order makes it impossible for us to practice our religion, and we really had no choice but to seek relief in the courts,” Werdiger said.
Members of the Orthodox Jewish community speak with NYPD officers on a street corner in the Borough Park neighborhood of Brooklyn on Wednesday. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
The Diocese of Brooklyn, which spans both Brooklyn and Queens, accused Cuomo of a “broad-brush response.” Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio said Catholic churches in his diocese had not experienced an uptick in cases and were following social distancing guidelines.
“The state has completely disregarded the fact that our safety protocols have worked and it is an insult to once again penalize all those who have made the safe return to church work,” DiMarzio told his diocesan newspaper, The Tablet.
Cuomo has defended the new rules as a temporary measure meant to get the state’s infection rate under control. In 20 zip codes flagged as high priorities, the COVID-19 positivity rate was 5.5% on Tuesday, compared to the 1.2% positivity rate documented in the rest of New York, per The New York Times.
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“We’ve been sued virtually every day for every action taken,” Rich Azzopardi, a spokesman for the governor, told HuffPost in response to the lawsuits. “We’re concentrating on reducing the virus in these hot spots and saving lives, period.”
The order targets areas in New York City’s Brooklyn and Queens boroughs as well as sections of Orange and Rockland counties and the city of Binghamton. It creates three color-coded restriction levels: red, orange and yellow. Houses of worship in red zones are limited to 25% capacity or a maximum of 10 people, whichever is fewer. Public and private schools as well as non-essential businesses in the red zones shuttered on Thursday, The Associated Press reported.
For members of Brooklyn’s tight-knit Haredi Orthodox Jewish community, the lawsuit was the culmination of days of tensions with both Cuomo and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio. Leaders in the community said they were being unfairly and unconstitutionally targeted by the restrictions. Some said they were being subjected to a double standard and that the city was much more accommodating of Black Lives Matter protests over the summer.
Many members also mistakenly believe that after experiencing a deadly surge in cases this spring, they had achieved herd immunity to the virus, local leaders said. Misinformation about the virus and about testing has reportedly spread through the community via the messaging platform WhatsApp.
Some community leaders also claimed the government’s outreach efforts hadn’t been culturally sensitive ― or even issued in the correct language. As recently as mid-September, there were no Yiddish speakers working as contact tracers for the city, according to The New York Times.
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Along with contending with the coronavirus, New York’s Orthodox Jewish communities have been dealing with an increase in anti-Semitic physical assaults over the past year, some of which have been deadly.
Two women walk with children during the Jewish holiday of Sukkot in the Borough Park neighborhood of New York. AP Photo/Kathy Willens
According to AP, Agudath Israel of America teamed up with a Brooklyn Jewish community council last week to distribute 400,000 masks. On Thursday, the organization’s leaders urged members living in high infection areas to get tested, socially distance, wear masks and avoid large gatherings.
“We are obligated ... to do everything possible to avoid even one occurrence of serious illness,” the Agudath leaders wrote.
Still, factions of Brooklyn’s Haredi community have been flouting the guidelines, reportedly taking their cues from President Donald Trump. Protests against the restrictions erupted in Brooklyn’s Borough Park this week, with hundreds of men gathering close together in the streets without wearing masks. Social media videos of a Wednesday evening protest showed the crowd turning on an Orthodox Jewish journalist. He claimed he was called a Nazi, kicked and spat upon before being chased away.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-08--Trump Says He's Ready For Rallies But Details Slim On Health

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — President Donald Trump insisted Thursday that he is ready to resume campaign rallies and feels “ perfect , ” but the White House has offered little information about his condition one week after his diagnosis with the coronavirus that has killed more than 210,000 Americans .
Trump is trying to shift his focus to the election that ’ s less than four weeks away , with millions of Americans already casting ballots .
But the president has not been seen in public — other than in White House-produced videos — since Monday and his doctors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his release from a military hospital .
“ I ’ m feeling good .
Really good .
I think perfect , ” Trump said during a telephone interview with Fox Business , his first since he was released from a three-day hospital stay Monday .
“ I think I ’ m better to the point where I ’ d love to do a rally tonight , ” Trump said .
He added , “ I don ’ t think I ’ m contagious at all.
” The White House provided no information to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says individuals can discontinue isolation 10 days after the onset of systems , which for Trump was Oct. 1 according to his doctors , suggesting he should not return to the road until Monday .
The White House , meanwhile , continued to decline to share when Trump last tested negative for the virus — which would help pinpoint when he was infected .
Strategic communications director Alyssa Farah said that information was Trump ’ s “ private medical history.
” Trump ’ s campaign and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plans for Trump to resume campaigning , eyeing a visit to Pennsylvania on Monday and Michigan on Tuesday ahead of what was to have been next Thursday ’ s debate .
But the Commission on Presidential Debates announced that event would be held “ virtually ” in order to “ protect the health and safety of all involved.
” Trump swiftly rejected that offer , and his campaign later called on the commission to delay the final two debates by a week to alleviate concerns about an in-person contest .
Over the objections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Oval Office on Thursday , even though a workspace had been set up in the residential section of the White House .
Aides were discussing a potential photo opportunity with the president at the White House either Thursday or Friday but plans had not been finalized , according to two White House officials not authorized to publicly discuss internal deliberations .
Only a few senior aides , medical staff and security personnel have laid eyes on the president since he returned to the White House on Monday afternoon .
Trump also released @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day earlier , directly addressing the nation ’ s seniors — a critical demographic for his campaign that is also at greatest risk of poor outcomes from the virus — saying , “ I want you to get the same care that I got.
” Seemingly sensitive to the fact that his treatment course has been far more comprehensive than the care received by average Americans , he promised to swiftly get the drug approved for broader use — and distribute it for free — even though he does not have the power @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an experimental antibody drug made by Regeneron through a “ compassionate use ” exemption , a recognition of the above-and-beyond standard of care he receives as president .
The safety and effectiveness of the drug have not yet been proven .
And there is no way for the president or his doctors to know that the drug had any effect .
Most people recover from COVID-19 .
Trump speculated that he caught the virus either at the Sept. 26 Rose Garden event announcing his new Supreme Court nominee or at a meeting with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said family members often want to get up close to him and “ kiss ” and “ hug ” him .

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WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump insisted Thursday that he is ready to resume campaign rallies and feels “perfect,” but the White House has offered little information about his condition one week after his diagnosis with the coronavirus that has killed more than 210,000 Americans.
Trump is trying to shift his focus to the election that’s less than four weeks away, with millions of Americans already casting ballots. But the president has not been seen in public — other than in White House-produced videos — since Monday and his doctors have provided few medical details since before his release from a military hospital.
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While Trump said he believes he’s no longer contagious, concerns about infection appeared to scuttle plans for next week’s presidential debate.
“I’m feeling good. Really good. I think perfect,” Trump said during a telephone interview with Fox Business, his first since he was released from a three-day hospital stay Monday. “I think I’m better to the point where I’d love to do a rally tonight,” Trump said. He added, “I don’t think I’m contagious at all.”
The White House provided no information to back up Trump’s claims. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says individuals can discontinue isolation 10 days after the onset of systems, which for Trump was Oct. 1 according to his doctors, suggesting he should not return to the road until Monday.
While reports of reinfection are rare, the CDC recommends that even people who recover from COVID-19 continue to wear a mask, stay distanced and follow other precautions.
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The White House, meanwhile, continued to decline to share when Trump last tested negative for the virus — which would help pinpoint when he was infected. Strategic communications director Alyssa Farah said that information was Trump’s “private medical history.”
Trump’s campaign and the White House were already drawing up plans for Trump to resume campaigning, eyeing a visit to Pennsylvania on Monday and Michigan on Tuesday ahead of what was to have been next Thursday’s debate.
But the Commission on Presidential Debates announced that event would be held “virtually” in order to “protect the health and safety of all involved.” Trump swiftly rejected that offer, and his campaign later called on the commission to delay the final two debates by a week to alleviate concerns about an in-person contest.
Over the objections of some aides, Trump returned to the Oval Office on Thursday, even though a workspace had been set up in the residential section of the White House. Aides were discussing a potential photo opportunity with the president at the White House either Thursday or Friday but plans had not been finalized, according to two White House officials not authorized to publicly discuss internal deliberations. Only a few senior aides, medical staff and security personnel have laid eyes on the president since he returned to the White House on Monday afternoon.
Trump also released a video Thursday morning, filmed a day earlier, directly addressing the nation’s seniors — a critical demographic for his campaign that is also at greatest risk of poor outcomes from the virus — saying, “I want you to get the same care that I got.”
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On Thursday, Trump continued to credit an experimental drug for the seemingly quick pace of his recovery. He called his diagnosis a “blessing in disguise” in the nation’s battle against the pandemic.
Seemingly sensitive to the fact that his treatment course has been far more comprehensive than the care received by average Americans, he promised to swiftly get the drug approved for broader use — and distribute it for free — even though he does not have the power to order that himself.
Trump received an experimental antibody drug made by Regeneron through a “compassionate use” exemption, a recognition of the above-and-beyond standard of care he receives as president. The safety and effectiveness of the drug have not yet been proven. And there is no way for the president or his doctors to know that the drug had any effect. Most people recover from COVID-19.
“I had tremendous luck with this Regeneron,” Trump said during the interview.
Dr. Sean Conley, the White House physician, said in a memo Wednesday that Trump had been symptom-free for over 24 hours, and that his oxygen saturation level and respiratory rate were normal.
Trump speculated that he caught the virus either at the Sept. 26 Rose Garden event announcing his new Supreme Court nominee or at a meeting with military families the following day. He said family members often want to get up close to him and “kiss” and “hug” him.
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“I can’t say ’Back up. Stand 10 feet” away, Trump said.
___


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-08--Trump Campaign Presses For In-Person Debate Amid Questions Over President's Diagnosis

President Donald Trump ’ s campaign said there was no medical reason why the next presidential debate should not be held in person , shortly after the White House physician said Trump should be able to resume “ public engagements ” by Saturday despite the president ’ s infection with the coronavirus .
The statement , released by campaign manager Bill Stepien , was the latest development in an ongoing debate-related tussle between the Trump and Biden camps since the president ’ s COVID-19 diagnosis last week .
The Commission on Presidential Debates had initially said the next debate , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ held virtually in light of Trump ’ s illness , but the president retorted by saying that if that was the case , he would not participate .
Just hours later , the White House physician , Dr. Sean Conley , said Trump should be able to hold public events 10 days after his first positive COVID-19 test .
Stepien then cited the doctor while saying the next debate should go forward in person .
“ There is ... no medical reason why the Commission on Presidential Debates should shift the debate to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or otherwise alter it in any way , ” Stepien said in a statement .
“ The commission must stop protecting Joe Biden from this in-person debate and allow the event to proceed as it was agreed to months ago.
” Frank Fahrenkopf , the chair of the Commission of Presidential Debates , said that despite the Trump campaign ’ s demands , the commission would not reconsider shifting the event to a virtual debate , according to The Associated Press .
The stance means the second debate will likely not go forward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said he will hold his own town hall-style event that day , hosted by ABC News .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ’ s guidance says those who test positive for COVID-19 should isolate for at least 10 days after symptoms first appear ( although it warns that coronavirus patients with severe illness , especially those admitted to a hospital who needed oxygen , may need to isolate for up to 20 days ) .
Trump spent three days in the hospital and was administered supplemental oxygen at the White House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of his health .
Trump has reportedly been itching to get back to the campaign trail , and suggested on Fox News on Friday that he would hold a large rally on Saturday night “ if we have enough time to put it together.
” Once again , he would not say if he ’ d had a recent coronavirus test , but promised he would take one the next day “ because there ’ s no reason to test all the time.
” Saying he did not “ go into it greatly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claimed that they “ found very little infection or virus , if any .
I don ’ t know that they found any.
” “ The test will be tomorrow ... because there 's no reason to test all the time , but they found very little infection or virus , if any .
I do n't know that they found any , I did n't go into it greatly with the doctors , ” Trump tells Hannity , now trying to claim he wasn ’ t infected ?
— Kaitlan Collins ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @

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President Donald Trump’s campaign said there was no medical reason why the next presidential debate should not be held in person, shortly after the White House physician said Trump should be able to resume “public engagements” by Saturday despite the president’s infection with the coronavirus.
The statement, released by campaign manager Bill Stepien, was the latest development in an ongoing debate-related tussle between the Trump and Biden camps since the president’s COVID-19 diagnosis last week. The Commission on Presidential Debates had initially said the next debate, scheduled for Oct. 15, would be held virtually in light of Trump’s illness, but the president retorted by saying that if that was the case, he would not participate.
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Just hours later, the White House physician, Dr. Sean Conley, said Trump should be able to hold public events 10 days after his first positive COVID-19 test. Stepien then cited the doctor while saying the next debate should go forward in person.
“There is ... no medical reason why the Commission on Presidential Debates should shift the debate to a virtual setting, postpone it, or otherwise alter it in any way,” Stepien said in a statement. “The commission must stop protecting Joe Biden from this in-person debate and allow the event to proceed as it was agreed to months ago.”
Stepien said the efforts to hold a virtual debate were an “obvious attempt to shield Biden from another shellacking.”
Conley did not say if Trump had returned a negative coronavirus test.
Frank Fahrenkopf, the chair of the Commission of Presidential Debates, said that despite the Trump campaign’s demands, the commission would not reconsider shifting the event to a virtual debate, according to The Associated Press. The stance means the second debate will likely not go forward, although Democratic challenger Joe Biden has said he will hold his own town hall-style event that day, hosted by ABC News.
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidance says those who test positive for COVID-19 should isolate for at least 10 days after symptoms first appear (although it warns that coronavirus patients with severe illness, especially those admitted to a hospital who needed oxygen, may need to isolate for up to 20 days).
Trump spent three days in the hospital and was administered supplemental oxygen at the White House. Many questions remain about the state of his health.
Trump has reportedly been itching to get back to the campaign trail, and suggested on Fox News on Friday that he would hold a large rally on Saturday night “if we have enough time to put it together.” Once again, he would not say if he’d had a recent coronavirus test, but promised he would take one the next day “because there’s no reason to test all the time.”
Saying he did not “go into it greatly with the doctors,” he nonetheless claimed that they “found very little infection or virus, if any. I don’t know that they found any.”
“The test will be tomorrow...because there's no reason to test all the time, but they found very little infection or virus, if any. I don't know that they found any, I didn't go into it greatly with the doctors,” Trump tells Hannity, now trying to claim he wasn’t infected? — Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) October 9, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-09--Rasping Trump Insists He’s ‘In Great Shape’ As Voice Cracks In Wild Hannity Rant

President Donald Trump was hoarse throughout an extended telephone interview on Fox News with Sean Hannity on Thursday , yet insisted he was feeling great .
At one point , Trump lost his voice while accusing former Vice President Joe Biden of “ choking like a dog ” during their debate last week : The President saying Biden was choking like a dog VS the President losing his voice pic.twitter.com/aETxFT8SPB — Acyn Torabi ( @ Acyn ) October 9 , 2020 He also struggled with his voice while discussing absentee ballots : Although Trump tested positive for COVID-19 on Oct. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his testing and virus levels .
Trump claimed he was in “ great shape ” and talked up his medication .
He also said he wants to hold a campaign rally on Saturday : Sean Hannity actually asks Trump if he 's been tested and if it 's been negative and Trump kinda says he was tested then says hes going to be tested tomorrow and that the doctors said there 's basically no virus pic.twitter.com/DGR2YPgJLO — Andrew Lawrence ( @ ndrew_lawrence ) October 9 , 2020 At another point , Trump claimed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ replace them with new buildings that have “ tiny little windows , ok , little windows , so you can ’ t see out , you can ’ t see the light.
” '' California is gon na have to ration water .
You wan na know why ?
Because they send millions of gallons of water out to sea , out to the Pacific .
Because they want to take care of certain little tiny fish , that are n't doing very well without water . ''
-- Trump pic.twitter.com/g0PrXZRgOq — Aaron @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 2020 Earlier on Thursday , Trump ’ s doctor issued a statement saying the president could resume “ public engagements ” by Saturday .

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President Donald Trump was hoarse throughout an extended telephone interview on Fox News with Sean Hannity on Thursday, yet insisted he was feeling great.
At one point, Trump lost his voice while accusing former Vice President Joe Biden of “choking like a dog” during their debate last week:
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The President saying Biden was choking like a dog VS the President losing his voice pic.twitter.com/aETxFT8SPB — Acyn Torabi (@Acyn) October 9, 2020
He also struggled with his voice while discussing absentee ballots:
Trump is coughing through this Hannity interview. pic.twitter.com/YuBHzZlSCu — Justin Baragona (@justinbaragona) October 9, 2020
Although Trump tested positive for COVID-19 on Oct. 1, he ducked a question about his testing and virus levels. Trump claimed he was in “great shape” and talked up his medication. He also said he wants to hold a campaign rally on Saturday:
Sean Hannity actually asks Trump if he's been tested and if it's been negative and Trump kinda says he was tested then says hes going to be tested tomorrow and that the doctors said there's basically no virus pic.twitter.com/DGR2YPgJLO — Andrew Lawrence (@ndrew_lawrence) October 9, 2020
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At another point, Trump claimed Biden wants to tear down buildings and replace them with new buildings that have “tiny little windows, ok, little windows, so you can’t see out, you can’t see the light.”
"California is gonna have to ration water. You wanna know why? Because they send millions of gallons of water out to sea, out to the Pacific. Because they want to take care of certain little tiny fish, that aren't doing very well without water." -- Trump pic.twitter.com/g0PrXZRgOq — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 9, 2020
Earlier on Thursday, Trump’s doctor issued a statement saying the president could resume “public engagements” by Saturday.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-09--Eric Trump’s Spin On His Dad’s Debate Refusal Has People Scratching Their Heads

Eric Trump on Thursday tried to spin the narrative on his father ’ s refusal to take part in a virtual debate with Democratic rival Joe Biden ― and it backfired .
President Donald Trump ’ s second son called Biden “ a coward ” in one tweet and used the hashtag # BidensACoward in another as he railed against the former vice president for his reluctance to debate in person next week with the president , who was hospitalized last week for three days after testing positive for COVID-19 .
So Biden refuses to debate @ realDonaldTrump face to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a town hall .
What a coward .
https : //t.co/CmQB6u13Iy — Eric Trump ( @ EricTrump ) October 8 , 2020 The Commission on Presidential Debates had announced earlier Thursday that the Oct. 15 town hall-style debate would take place virtually “ in order to protect the health and safety of all involved.
” The president , however , said he would not participate remotely .
Biden agreed to the change in format but now proposes that the debate be postponed .
Twitter users were stumped by the logic of Eric Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the alternative # TrumpIsACoward hashtag in reply : Biden ’ s a coward because Trump refuses to debate him ?
This one is making my head hurt .
I can ’ t handle illogic on that level .
— Nancy Rosenzweig ( @ NanceRoseA2 ) October 8 , 2020 Biden has a son who risked his life in service to the United States of America .
Donald Trump has a son who ... is you .
‘ Nuff said .
— Cathy Q .
Public ( Not *that* Q ) ( @ Lyricathy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hid in a bunker .
Your dad faked bone spurs to avoid Vietnam .
Your dad won ’ t release his taxes .
Who ’ s the coward ?
https : //t.co/Wet8GRdhHg — MrsMagoo ( @ MrsMagoo15 ) October 9 , 2020 Was n't it Donald Trump who pulled out of the debate or did I imagine that ?
... .
https : //t.co/W1AGBpuCId — Aodhán Michael Connolly ( @ MichaelAodhan ) October 8 , 2020 This kid 's so upset that # TrumpIsACoward AND # ChickenTrump are both trending that he 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are but what am I '' defense .
😂 — WernerKlopek ( @ DrWernerKlopek ) October 8 , 2020

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Eric Trump on Thursday tried to spin the narrative on his father’s refusal to take part in a virtual debate with Democratic rival Joe Biden ― and it backfired.
President Donald Trump’s second son called Biden “a coward” in one tweet and used the hashtag #BidensACoward in another as he railed against the former vice president for his reluctance to debate in person next week with the president, who was hospitalized last week for three days after testing positive for COVID-19.
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So Biden refuses to debate @realDonaldTrump face to face but will appear in person for a town hall. What a coward. https://t.co/CmQB6u13Iy — Eric Trump (@EricTrump) October 8, 2020
The Commission on Presidential Debates had announced earlier Thursday that the Oct. 15 town hall-style debate would take place virtually “in order to protect the health and safety of all involved.”
The president, however, said he would not participate remotely. Biden agreed to the change in format but now proposes that the debate be postponed.
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Twitter users were stumped by the logic of Eric Trump’s attack on Biden and suggested the alternative #TrumpIsACoward hashtag in reply:
Biden’s a coward because Trump refuses to debate him? This one is making my head hurt. I can’t handle illogic on that level. — Nancy Rosenzweig (@NanceRoseA2) October 8, 2020
Biden has a son who risked his life in service to the United States of America. Donald Trump has a son who ... is you. ‘Nuff said. — Cathy Q. Public (Not *that* Q) (@Lyricathy) October 9, 2020
Your dad hid in a bunker. Your dad faked bone spurs to avoid Vietnam. Your dad won’t release his taxes.
Who’s the coward? https://t.co/Wet8GRdhHg — MrsMagoo (@MrsMagoo15) October 9, 2020
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Wasn't it Donald Trump who pulled out of the debate or did I imagine that?.... https://t.co/W1AGBpuCId — Aodhán Michael Connolly (@MichaelAodhan) October 8, 2020
Why won't Biden infect himself with COVID-19 like a REAL MAN? — Paul 👻 (@pablo_honey1) October 8, 2020
Weird flex when daddy won't debate but alright. https://t.co/MBcTOercDA — Rich (@WBVRich) October 8, 2020
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Trump is the one who chickened out. https://t.co/dkeEAcc76Z — Reclaim the Fight (@reclaimthefight) October 8, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-09--Immunologist Rips Trump For ‘Probably Most Deadly Piece Of Information I’ve Ever Heard'

President Donald Trump ’ s message to Americans that they should not live in fear of the coronavirus has been condemned by one of his administration ’ s former top immunologists as “ reckless ” and “ deadly.
” Trump , shortly before his return to the White House after three days ’ hospitalization for COVID-19 treatment , tweeted that people should not let the virus dominate their lives .
I will be leaving the great Walter Reed Medical Center today at 6:30 P.M .
Feeling really good !
Don ’ t be afraid of Covid .
Don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have developed , under the Trump Administration , some really great drugs & knowledge .
I feel better than I did 20 years ago !
— Donald J. Trump ( @ realDonaldTrump ) October 5 , 2020 “ This is a deadly pandemic .
This is a deadly virus , ” the scientist reminded anchor Jake Tapper during a lengthy interview .
“ The messaging that President Trump gave to America and the world when he left the hospital about there is no need to be afraid of this virus is probably the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I have ever heard , ” Bright said .
Bright was ousted from his role as the director of the government ’ s vaccine-developing Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority in March after he blew the whistle on the Trump administration ’ s mishandling of the pandemic .
Moved to the National Institutes of Health , where he worked on the national coronavirus testing program , Bright quit earlier this week in protest of the government ’ s ongoing botched response to the crisis that has now killed more than 212,000 people nationwide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ From the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak , the administration ’ s failure to respond with a coordinated strategy only heightened the danger , ” Bright wrote in an op-ed for The Washington Post .
“ Nine months into the pandemic , the United States continues to grapple with failed White House leadership.
” '' The messaging that President Trump gave to Americans and the world when he left the hospital ... is probably the most reckless , deadly piece of information I have ever heard , '' says Rick Bright , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ complaint .
`` This virus is deadly . ''
pic.twitter.com/YolnCLgnaP — The Lead CNN ( @ TheLeadCNN ) October 8 , 2020

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President Donald Trump’s message to Americans that they should not live in fear of the coronavirus has been condemned by one of his administration’s former top immunologists as “reckless” and “deadly.”
Trump, shortly before his return to the White House after three days’ hospitalization for COVID-19 treatment, tweeted that people should not let the virus dominate their lives.
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I will be leaving the great Walter Reed Medical Center today at 6:30 P.M. Feeling really good! Don’t be afraid of Covid. Don’t let it dominate your life. We have developed, under the Trump Administration, some really great drugs & knowledge. I feel better than I did 20 years ago! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 5, 2020
Dr. Rick Bright slammed the president’s messaging on Thursday’s broadcast of CNN’s “The Lead.”
“This is a deadly pandemic. This is a deadly virus,” the scientist reminded anchor Jake Tapper during a lengthy interview.
“The messaging that President Trump gave to America and the world when he left the hospital about there is no need to be afraid of this virus is probably the most reckless and deadly piece of information I have ever heard,” Bright said.
Bright was ousted from his role as the director of the government’s vaccine-developing Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority in March after he blew the whistle on the Trump administration’s mishandling of the pandemic.
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Moved to the National Institutes of Health, where he worked on the national coronavirus testing program, Bright quit earlier this week in protest of the government’s ongoing botched response to the crisis that has now killed more than 212,000 people nationwide and sickened at least 7 million.
“From the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak, the administration’s failure to respond with a coordinated strategy only heightened the danger,” Bright wrote in an op-ed for The Washington Post. “Nine months into the pandemic, the United States continues to grapple with failed White House leadership.”
Check out the full interview here:


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-09--Lincoln Project Taunts Trump By Turning Him Into A Sketchy Infomercial Pitchman

In a video from the White House that some said looked more like a low-budget informercial , President Donald Trump @ @ @ @ @ drug he has taken as part of his coronavirus treatment .
Now , his critics @ @ @ @ @ that video a makeover .
The latest effort from the Lincoln Project ― a group @ @ @ @ @ the president ’ s video look like an old TV spot for a shady product @ @ @ @ @ NOW ” screaming from the bottom of the screen : The Regeneron antibody treatment is @ @ @ @ @ president has taken to treat COVID-19 .
He has also been given the experimental drug @ @ @ @ @ the steroid dexamethasone .
It ’ s not clear which medications the president is currently @ @ @ @ @ night during a telephone interview with Fox News ’ Sean Hannity that he felt “ @ @ @ @ @ voice was raspy throughout .

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In a video from the White House that some said looked more like a low-budget informercial, President Donald Trump this week touted an experimental drug he has taken as part of his coronavirus treatment.
Now, his critics on the right have given that video a makeover.
The latest effort from the Lincoln Project ― a group of never-Trump Republicans ― makes the president’s video look like an old TV spot for a shady product, complete with “CALL NOW” screaming from the bottom of the screen:
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The Regeneron antibody treatment is one of several medications the president has taken to treat COVID-19. He has also been given the experimental drug remdesivir, as well as the steroid dexamethasone.
It’s not clear which medications the president is currently taking.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-09--Mike Pence’s Debate Fly Gets The 'Photoshop Battle' It Deserves

There are plenty of flies on Mike Pence in the “ Photoshop Battle ” that broke out over the insect @ @ @ @ @ vice president ’ s head during his televised debate Wednesday with Democratic rival Kamala Harris @

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thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-09--'High As A Giraffe's Ass': Trump's Rambling Hannity Call Torched On Twitter

President Donald Trump baffled critics as he ranted at length in a bizarre phone interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity Thursday night that touched on everything from his health to alleged efforts by Democrats to build buildings with tiny windows .
Before the call , White House physician Sean Conley ― who has repeatedly provided ambiguous and inconsistent information since Trump was diagnosed with COVID-19 ― said in a memo that Trump would be ready to return to public events this weekend .
Trump announced his positive diagnosis early Oct. 2 and was hospitalized later that day .
Hannity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the president directly ― three times ― if he had tested negative for the virus .
Trump dodged the questions and babbled instead about the drug cocktail he took and how he ’ s in great shape , even though he was heard coughing multiple times during the call .
He said he ’ s ready to hold rallies this weekend .
High as a giraffe 's ass and evasive is no way to do an interview .
Not good when even Hannity is n't convinced .
https : //t.co/GLELrm3fJB — Tommy Vietor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2020 Mark the date , we have reached the point where even Sean Hannity is asking Trump simple questions that the president can ’ t or won ’ t answer https : //t.co/HgMpIsOCJn — Mehdi Hasan ( @ mehdirhasan ) October 9 , 2020 When asked about climate policies proposed by Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and his running mate Sen. Kamala Harris ( D-Calif. ) , Trump claimed his opponents want to tear down buildings and erect new ones with “ tiny little windows , little windows , so you can ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t see the light.
” ( There is no mention of windows in Biden ’ s climate recommendations , according to Politifact . )
`` California is gon na have to ration water .
You wan na know why ?
Because they send millions of gallons of water out to sea , out to the Pacific .
Because they want to take care of certain little tiny fish , that are n't doing very well without water . ''
-- Trump pic.twitter.com/g0PrXZRgOq — Aaron Rupar ( @ atrupar ) October 9 , 2020 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be a “ 9th world country ” ; falsely accused Virginia Gov .
Ralph Northam ( D ) of supporting the execution of babies after birth ; attacked Michigan Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer ( D ) ― the target of a foiled kidnapping and domestic terror plot hatched by a Michigan militia ― for “ complaining ” ; and again refused to commit to a peaceful transfer of power should he lose the election .
Frustrated viewers took to Twitter to vent about the absurd deluge of misinformation : Wow .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the president ’ s usual “ interview with Hannity “ standards .
Every day is a new frontier in crazy .
— Tom Nichols ( @ RadioFreeTom ) October 9 , 2020 Without prodding , Trump goes right after the “ peaceful transition of power “ question and Hannity practically throws himself on top of the telephone to stop him — Tom Nichols ( @ RadioFreeTom ) October 9 , 2020 Trump just called into Hannity and accused the governor of Virginia of executing a baby .
Not of supporting abortion .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
— Radley Balko ( @ radleybalko ) October 9 , 2020 I just heard him say this on Hannity and had to search Twitter to make sure I wasn ’ t hallucinating this batshitness https : //t.co/AF0hFtGUDI — Lydia Belanger ( @ LydiaBelanger ) October 9 , 2020 I love how they put `` Exclusive '' when Trump is on Hannity .
Exclusive other than the hour on Fox Business this morning , and the call it to `` Fox & Friends '' in the morning .
— Amy Siskind ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @

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President Donald Trump baffled critics as he ranted at length in a bizarre phone interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity Thursday night that touched on everything from his health to alleged efforts by Democrats to build buildings with tiny windows.
Before the call, White House physician Sean Conley ― who has repeatedly provided ambiguous and inconsistent information since Trump was diagnosed with COVID-19 ― said in a memo that Trump would be ready to return to public events this weekend. Trump announced his positive diagnosis early Oct. 2 and was hospitalized later that day.
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Hannity, a staunch Trump cheerleader, asked the president directly ― three times ― if he had tested negative for the virus. Trump dodged the questions and babbled instead about the drug cocktail he took and how he’s in great shape, even though he was heard coughing multiple times during the call. He said he’s ready to hold rallies this weekend.
High as a giraffe's ass and evasive is no way to do an interview. Not good when even Hannity isn't convinced. https://t.co/GLELrm3fJB — Tommy Vietor (@TVietor08) October 9, 2020
Mark the date, we have reached the point where even Sean Hannity is asking Trump simple questions that the president can’t or won’t answer https://t.co/HgMpIsOCJn — Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) October 9, 2020
When asked about climate policies proposed by Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and his running mate Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Trump claimed his opponents want to tear down buildings and erect new ones with “tiny little windows, little windows, so you can’t see out, they can’t see the light.” (There is no mention of windows in Biden’s climate recommendations, according to Politifact.)
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"California is gonna have to ration water. You wanna know why? Because they send millions of gallons of water out to sea, out to the Pacific. Because they want to take care of certain little tiny fish, that aren't doing very well without water." -- Trump pic.twitter.com/g0PrXZRgOq — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 9, 2020
He also declared that America under Biden would be a “9th world country”; falsely accused Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) of supporting the execution of babies after birth; attacked Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) ― the target of a foiled kidnapping and domestic terror plot hatched by a Michigan militia ― for “complaining”; and again refused to commit to a peaceful transfer of power should he lose the election.
Frustrated viewers took to Twitter to vent about the absurd deluge of misinformation:
Wow. This interview with Hannity is bonkers even by the president’s usual “interview with Hannity“ standards. Every day is a new frontier in crazy. — Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) October 9, 2020
Without prodding, Trump goes right after the “peaceful transition of power“ question and Hannity practically throws himself on top of the telephone to stop him — Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) October 9, 2020
Like at the end of Oscar speeches, Hannity closing music comes on as Potus still talking — Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) October 9, 2020
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when you're immune to cornavirus pic.twitter.com/A3CAuFenGW — jordan (@JordanUhl) October 9, 2020
Trump just called into Hannity and accused the governor of Virginia of executing a baby. Not of supporting abortion. He accused him of personally executing a baby. — Radley Balko (@radleybalko) October 9, 2020
I just heard him say this on Hannity and had to search Twitter to make sure I wasn’t hallucinating this batshitness https://t.co/AF0hFtGUDI — Lydia Belanger (@LydiaBelanger) October 9, 2020
Trump on hannity hocking up phlegm balls, coughing and accusing Biden/Harris of wanting buildings to have “tiny windows because of the environment”#25thAmendment — Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) October 9, 2020
I love how they put "Exclusive" when Trump is on Hannity. Exclusive other than the hour on Fox Business this morning, and the call it to "Fox & Friends" in the morning. — Amy Siskind (@Amy_Siskind) October 9, 2020
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-09--Acting Officials Gave Trump ‘Flexibility.’ Now They Could Sink His Terrible Policies.

That approach is now backfiring in a big way .
So far this year , three federal judges have separately found that William Perry Pendley , head of the Bureau of Land Management , and Ken Cuccinelli and Chad Wolf , two top officials at the Department of Homeland Security , served in their de facto positions in violation of the Federal Vacancies Reform Act .
The 1998 law sets rules for temporarily filling vacant positions in the executive branch and limits the amount of time officials can serve in an acting role to 210 days .
In March , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appointment as acting director of U.S .
Citizenship and Immigration Services , a U.S. district judge in Washington , D.C. , ruled that Cuccinelli was never eligible for the position and consequently found that two policies he had enacted limiting legal representation for asylum-seekers must be invalidated .
Cuccinelli had also been elevated to acting deputy secretary of homeland security in late 2019 .
The Government Accountability Office found in August that Cuccinelli and Wolf , his boss as acting secretary of homeland security , were illegally serving in those de facto positions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agreed in a Sept. 11 ruling that Wolf was “ likely ” violating the succession law .
The judge temporarily barred the Trump administration from enforcing new employment restrictions on asylum-seekers that Wolf was involved in issuing .
But both men remain in their positions .
Perhaps the biggest blow to the administration came late last month when U.S. District Judge Brian Morris in Montana ousted Pendley , an anti-federal land extremist , as head of the federal land bureau , ruling that he had illegally served as its acting director for 424 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a lawsuit from Montana Gov .
Steve Bullock ( D ) .
Scrap It All , Critics Say “ The Court recognizes that any ‘ function or duty ’ of the BLM Director that has been performed by Pendley would have no force and effect and must be set aside as arbitrary and capricious , ” Morris wrote in his opinion .
The judge gave the Interior Department and Bullock 10 days to file briefs detailing which of Pendley ’ s orders should be invalidated .
Bullock has since asked the court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pendley approved to open large swaths of federally controlled land in Montana to fossil fuel development .
Bullock told The Associated Press that he is only challenging decisions in Montana and would leave it to others to scrutinize Pendley ’ s actions elsewhere .
Environmental and public land advocacy groups were quick to compile their own lists .
In a letter this week to Interior Secretary David Bernhardt , a coalition of 60 conservation organizations detailed dozens of actions , plans and regulations that they say should be nullified .
The list includes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and gas leases and environmental impact statements , as well as the relocation of BLM headquarters from Washington , D.C. , to Grand Junction , Colorado .
“ What a tangled web they have woven , ” said Tracy Stone-Manning , Bullock ’ s former chief of staff and current associate vice president for public lands at the National Wildlife Federation , one of the groups that organized the letter .
“ All they had to do was get someone appointed and confirmed , and they chose to skirt the Constitution and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be consequences.
” Meanwhile , the Trump administration , which had gone to surprising lengths to defend the president ’ s toxic BLM hire , responded to the judge ’ s request by suggesting that Pendley had done nothing of consequence in his role and thus nothing had to be undone .
“ Careful review shows no relevant acts taken by Mr. Pendley — rather than by other Bureau of Land Management officials — much less any within the Director ’ s exclusive authority , ” the Interior Department said in its court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to officially nominate Pendley for the BLM director job this summer ― a nomination that he withdrew less than two months later after it became clear his nominee was unlikely to be confirmed ― Secretary Bernhardt applauded Pendley as “ a leader ” who was “ doing a great job.
” And when the entire Senate Democratic caucus signaled it would vote against the nomination , a White House spokesman came to Pendley ’ s defense , calling him “ a true son of the West ” and an “ accomplished public servant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stewardship ” of BLM headquarters in its move to Colorado .
A former property rights lawyer , Pendley was appointed in July 2019 to a senior policy position at the BLM and quickly elevated to the role of acting director .
He remained in that role via a series of controversial temporary reappointments , even personally crafting and signing a succession order to keep himself at the helm of the bureau indefinitely .
Critics in the conservation community saw Pendley ’ s appointment as a prime example of Trump putting a fox to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been the subject of a constant stream of negative headlines since joining the administration .
As a private attorney , he had sued the federal government numerous times , railed often against environmental “ terrorists ” and “ eco-fascists , ” compared the climate crisis to a “ unicorn ” because “ neither exists , ” and , most notably , argued that the federal lands Trump put him in charge of overseeing should not be held by the government .

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After a frenzy of Cabinet departures during his first two years in office, President Donald Trump embraced a controversial ― and, as courts have found, sometimes illegal ― strategy to shield agency chiefs from the scrutiny of Senate confirmation: delaying formal nominations and putting officials in “acting” roles.
“I’m in no hurry” to nominate replacements, Trump told reporters in January 2019. “I sort of like ‘acting.’ It gives me more flexibility, do you understand that?”
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That approach is now backfiring in a big way. So far this year, three federal judges have separately found that William Perry Pendley, head of the Bureau of Land Management, and Ken Cuccinelli and Chad Wolf, two top officials at the Department of Homeland Security, served in their de facto positions in violation of the Federal Vacancies Reform Act. The 1998 law sets rules for temporarily filling vacant positions in the executive branch and limits the amount of time officials can serve in an acting role to 210 days.
In March, some nine months after Cuccinelli’s appointment as acting director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, a U.S. district judge in Washington, D.C., ruled that Cuccinelli was never eligible for the position and consequently found that two policies he had enacted limiting legal representation for asylum-seekers must be invalidated.
Cuccinelli had also been elevated to acting deputy secretary of homeland security in late 2019. The Government Accountability Office found in August that Cuccinelli and Wolf, his boss as acting secretary of homeland security, were illegally serving in those de facto positions. A U.S. district judge in Maryland agreed in a Sept. 11 ruling that Wolf was “likely” violating the succession law. The judge temporarily barred the Trump administration from enforcing new employment restrictions on asylum-seekers that Wolf was involved in issuing. But both men remain in their positions.
Perhaps the biggest blow to the administration came late last month when U.S. District Judge Brian Morris in Montana ousted Pendley, an anti-federal land extremist, as head of the federal land bureau, ruling that he had illegally served as its acting director for 424 days. That decision came in response to a lawsuit from Montana Gov. Steve Bullock (D).
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Watchdog groups also question the legality of Margaret Everson’s appointment as acting chief of the National Park Service. Both the federal land and national park agencies sit within the Department of the Interior.
In the 1990s, William Perry Pendley published anti-environmental pieces in a fringe magazine produced by conspiracy theorist and convicted fraudster Lyndon LaRouche. AP Photo/Matthew Brown
Scrap It All, Critics Say
Morris’ decision could have much broader implications than simply stripping Pendley of his duties overseeing 245 million acres of public land. It opens the door for legal challenges targeting every Bureau of Land Management decision, policy and order since he was designated acting director in July 2019.
“The Court recognizes that any ‘function or duty’ of the BLM Director that has been performed by Pendley would have no force and effect and must be set aside as arbitrary and capricious,” Morris wrote in his opinion. The judge gave the Interior Department and Bullock 10 days to file briefs detailing which of Pendley’s orders should be invalidated.
Bullock has since asked the court to block three land use plans that Pendley approved to open large swaths of federally controlled land in Montana to fossil fuel development. Bullock told The Associated Press that he is only challenging decisions in Montana and would leave it to others to scrutinize Pendley’s actions elsewhere.
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Environmental and public land advocacy groups were quick to compile their own lists. In a letter this week to Interior Secretary David Bernhardt, a coalition of 60 conservation organizations detailed dozens of actions, plans and regulations that they say should be nullified. The list includes dozens of resource management plans, oil and gas leases and environmental impact statements, as well as the relocation of BLM headquarters from Washington, D.C., to Grand Junction, Colorado.
“What a tangled web they have woven,” said Tracy Stone-Manning, Bullock’s former chief of staff and current associate vice president for public lands at the National Wildlife Federation, one of the groups that organized the letter. “All they had to do was get someone appointed and confirmed, and they chose to skirt the Constitution and the law. And there are going to be consequences.”
Montana Gov. Steve Bullock filed a federal lawsuit in August challenging Pendley's tenure atop the federal Bureau of Land Management. A judge ruled last month that Pendley had illegally served in the acting director position for more than 400 days. William Campbell via Getty Images
Meanwhile, the Trump administration, which had gone to surprising lengths to defend the president’s toxic BLM hire, responded to the judge’s request by suggesting that Pendley had done nothing of consequence in his role and thus nothing had to be undone. “Careful review shows no relevant acts taken by Mr. Pendley — rather than by other Bureau of Land Management officials — much less any within the Director’s exclusive authority,” the Interior Department said in its court brief.
The Interior Department arguing that Pendley was an unimportant official kept on a short leash is an extraordinary departure from its comments over the last year.
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When Trump announced his intent to officially nominate Pendley for the BLM director job this summer ― a nomination that he withdrew less than two months later after it became clear his nominee was unlikely to be confirmed ― Secretary Bernhardt applauded Pendley as “a leader” who was “doing a great job.” And when the entire Senate Democratic caucus signaled it would vote against the nomination, a White House spokesman came to Pendley’s defense, calling him “a true son of the West” and an “accomplished public servant” and applauding “his careful acting stewardship” of BLM headquarters in its move to Colorado.
A former property rights lawyer, Pendley was appointed in July 2019 to a senior policy position at the BLM and quickly elevated to the role of acting director. He remained in that role via a series of controversial temporary reappointments, even personally crafting and signing a succession order to keep himself at the helm of the bureau indefinitely.
Critics in the conservation community saw Pendley’s appointment as a prime example of Trump putting a fox to guard the henhouse, and he has been the subject of a constant stream of negative headlines since joining the administration. As a private attorney, he had sued the federal government numerous times, railed often against environmental “terrorists” and “eco-fascists,” compared the climate crisis to a “unicorn” because “neither exists,” and, most notably, argued that the federal lands Trump put him in charge of overseeing should not be held by the government.
President Donald Trump listens as Interior Secretary David Bernhardt speaks during an event on the environment at the White House in July 2019. AP Photo/Evan Vucci
‘They Can’t Even Shoot Straight’
The backdoor appointment of the self-proclaimed “sagebrush rebel” now threatens to significantly undermine Trump’s federal lands agenda. And the Interior Department trying to distance Pendley from all BLM decision making looks to be a desperate attempt to prevent the courts from unraveling the administration’s pro-industry efforts across BLM lands.
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Carl Tobias, a professor at the University of Richmond School of Law who closely tracks presidential nominations, observed that an administration that fancies itself an upholder of the law has proven time and again that “they can’t even shoot straight.”
“This could be revolutionary in a sense,” Tobias said of Morris’ ruling. “It could roll back a lot of the perverse activity that the government has been engaged in. The stakes are pretty high, and this just may break things loose.”
The fallout could last months or even years. Environmental groups are likely to submit multiple public records requests to determine the extent of Pendley’s involvement in BLM actions, and those documents could ultimately become the foundation of future legal challenges.
The Interior Department has said it will comply with the court order but vowed to appeal. Pendley’s title on the BLM website no longer includes the words “exercising the authority of director” and, as The Hill reported, Bernhardt has taken over leading the bureau.
Even as the administration scrambles to safeguard BLM actions over the last year, it insists nothing will really change. In an interview with Colorado Politics last week, Bernhardt blasted environmental groups as “completely detached from the reality of the legal process.”
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-09--New Study Casts Doubt On The Climate Benefits Of Natural Gas Power Plants

But if the new fleet of gas plants built over the past decade last as long and are used as often as the coal units they replaced , the projected emissions for the U.S. power sector for the lifespan of the stations will decrease by just 12 % , a study published last month in the peer-reviewed journal AGU Advances found .
And when the higher-end estimates of how much methane , a potent heat-trapping gas and the main ingredient in natural gas , leaks during the production and burning cycle every year , even those reductions are effectively eliminated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ has slashed current emissions , but it has extended the runway , and the tradeoffs are negating each other , ” said Steven Davis , an earth systems scientist at the University of California-Irvine , who co-authored the study .
“ What this really shows is that we maybe shouldn ’ t be patting ourselves on the back too much for the retirement of old coal plants , ” he added .
“ They were old , they were ready for retirement , and we ’ ve replaced them with a whole @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are probably going to be with us for decades to come.
” There are only more plants to come .
With roughly 2,000 stations already in service , as many 177 of them are under construction or been announced , according to an analysis USA Today published in September 2019 .
The new study marked one of the first major attempts to measure the cumulative lifetime emissions from the U.S. power sector since the fracking boom shifted the majority of electricity production to natural gas .
The authors compared the Energy Information Administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ usage and the volume of gas units to the Global Energy Monitor ’ s coal plant database .
They assumed new gas plants would last roughly as long as coal units , between 40 and 50 years .
Then they modeled annual methane leakage based on three different scenarios .
A low-end guess pegged the industry ’ s annual leakage of unburned methane at 1 % .
The mid-range estimate used the Environmental Protection Agency ’ s 1.4 % per year .
The high-end estimate , based on mounting research that suggests the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , placed the yearly figure at 3 % .
The U.S. would need to shut down many of its gas plants or dramatically reduce how often it uses them to truly meet the emissions cuts promised under the Paris climate accords , the study found .
“ This really calls into question the bridge theory , ” said Christine Shearer , a scientist at the research outfit Global Energy Monitor and co-author of the study .
“ If the only way to really reduce emissions with all these gas plants we ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , then they didn ’ t reduce the emissions on their own.
” The researchers did not model the potential cumulative emissions of gas plants retrofitted with technology to capture and store carbon emissions .
Such tools , while slowly gaining traction , remain costly , and seem unlikely to become as cheap as wind and solar equipment .
But gas plants equipped to capture carbon could play a role in the future , said Hank Webster , a policy expert at the Acadia Center , a nonprofit think tank that studies clean @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the vast majority of the country ’ s electricity , but gas plants could remain as back-ups , able to come online when renewables can ’ t meet demand .
“ The strategy should be to only keep the most efficient gas plants around and only for the role of intermittency , providing reliability as we continue to march toward renewables , ” said Webster , who was not involved with the study .
“ But we likely won ’ t need all of the gas plants that are around right now .
@

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Burning natural gas produces roughly half the carbon dioxide of coal, which is why policymakers across the political spectrum have long billed it as a “bridge fuel” to a safer climate.
But new research suggests the emissions benefits of gas-fired power plants are not what they seem.
U.S. output of carbon dioxide, the primary gas causing climate change, fell 10% between 2000 to 2018 as the electricity sector’s emissions dropped 23%, largely thanks to coal plants retiring.
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But if the new fleet of gas plants built over the past decade last as long and are used as often as the coal units they replaced, the projected emissions for the U.S. power sector for the lifespan of the stations will decrease by just 12%, a study published last month in the peer-reviewed journal AGU Advances found. And when the higher-end estimates of how much methane, a potent heat-trapping gas and the main ingredient in natural gas, leaks during the production and burning cycle every year, even those reductions are effectively eliminated.
In other words, trading coal plants for gas plants cut annual emissions, but left the cumulative future pollution ― known as “committed emissions” ― virtually unchanged.
AES Corp.'s gas-fired Alamitos Energy Center in Long Beach is one of California's largest power plants. David McNew via Getty Images
The increased reliance on gas plants “has slashed current emissions, but it has extended the runway, and the tradeoffs are negating each other,” said Steven Davis, an earth systems scientist at the University of California-Irvine, who co-authored the study.
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“What this really shows is that we maybe shouldn’t be patting ourselves on the back too much for the retirement of old coal plants,” he added. “They were old, they were ready for retirement, and we’ve replaced them with a whole lot of very modern gas plants that are probably going to be with us for decades to come.”
There are only more plants to come. With roughly 2,000 stations already in service, as many 177 of them are under construction or been announced, according to an analysis USA Today published in September 2019.
President Donald Trump has drastically scaled back federal regulations on power plant emissions and boosted government aid to fossil fuel producers and users. As recently as last week, Democratic challenger Joe Biden called natural gas a necessary “bridge” to a cleaner economy.
The new study marked one of the first major attempts to measure the cumulative lifetime emissions from the U.S. power sector since the fracking boom shifted the majority of electricity production to natural gas.
The authors compared the Energy Information Administration’s data on power plants’ usage and the volume of gas units to the Global Energy Monitor’s coal plant database. They assumed new gas plants would last roughly as long as coal units, between 40 and 50 years.
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Then they modeled annual methane leakage based on three different scenarios. A low-end guess pegged the industry’s annual leakage of unburned methane at 1%. The mid-range estimate used the Environmental Protection Agency’s 1.4% per year. The high-end estimate, based on mounting research that suggests the Environmental Protection Agency is undercounting methane leaks, placed the yearly figure at 3%.
“It has slashed current emissions, but it has extended the runway, and the tradeoffs are negating each other.” - Steven Davis, earth systems scientist at University of California, Irvine
The U.S. would need to shut down many of its gas plants or dramatically reduce how often it uses them to truly meet the emissions cuts promised under the Paris climate accords, the study found.
“This really calls into question the bridge theory,” said Christine Shearer, a scientist at the research outfit Global Energy Monitor and co-author of the study. “If the only way to really reduce emissions with all these gas plants we’ve added is to significantly reduce their usage, then they didn’t reduce the emissions on their own.”
The researchers did not model the potential cumulative emissions of gas plants retrofitted with technology to capture and store carbon emissions. Such tools, while slowly gaining traction, remain costly, and seem unlikely to become as cheap as wind and solar equipment.
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But gas plants equipped to capture carbon could play a role in the future, said Hank Webster, a policy expert at the Acadia Center, a nonprofit think tank that studies clean energy. Solar and wind should produce the vast majority of the country’s electricity, but gas plants could remain as back-ups, able to come online when renewables can’t meet demand.
“The strategy should be to only keep the most efficient gas plants around and only for the role of intermittency, providing reliability as we continue to march toward renewables,” said Webster, who was not involved with the study. “But we likely won’t need all of the gas plants that are around right now.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-09--Jim Parsons Kept Cleanshaven During COVID-19 Fight For 'Morbid' Reason

Actor Jim Parsons said he shaved every day during his weekslong illness with the coronavirus for what he freely admitted was a “ morbid ” reason .
“ The Big Bang Theory ” star told Seth Meyers on Thursday that he wanted to look well groomed if he ended up hospitalized .
“ Partly it was because I felt better when I was cleanshaven and partly ― and this is so morbid ― I thought that if I have to be rushed to the hospital , I want to look like I ’ m trying , ” he explained .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ come to me and to help me.
” “ That ’ s so morbid , ” the actor acknowledged .
“ I don ’ t mean to make a joke about that .
But that was my life , so I think it ’ s free rein for me.
” Parsons and husband Todd Spiewak both contracted the virus in March .
Parsons last month described how he temporarily lost his sense of smell and taste from the illness .
He was sick for around six weeks with the “ mildish case , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ symptoms of a fever and chest pressure .
At least 50 % of his “ pain , ” he added , was from anxiety and fear of the virus .

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Actor Jim Parsons said he shaved every day during his weekslong illness with the coronavirus for what he freely admitted was a “morbid” reason.
“The Big Bang Theory” star told Seth Meyers on Thursday that he wanted to look well groomed if he ended up hospitalized.
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“Partly it was because I felt better when I was cleanshaven and partly ― and this is so morbid ― I thought that if I have to be rushed to the hospital, I want to look like I’m trying,” he explained. “I want to enthuse people to come to me and to help me.”
“That’s so morbid,” the actor acknowledged. “I don’t mean to make a joke about that. But that was my life, so I think it’s free rein for me.”
Parsons and husband Todd Spiewak both contracted the virus in March. Parsons last month described how he temporarily lost his sense of smell and taste from the illness.
He was sick for around six weeks with the “mildish case,” he told Meyers, citing other symptoms of a fever and chest pressure. At least 50% of his “pain,” he added, was from anxiety and fear of the virus.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-09--Federal, State Law Enforcement Prep For Potential Election-Related Unrest

FBI and local officials in several states have been conducting drills , running through worse-case scenarios , setting up command centers to improve coordination on reports of violence and voter intimidation , and issuing public warnings that any crime that threatens the sanctity of a Nov. 3 vote will not be tolerated .
The efforts are broader and more public-facing than in past years as fears grow over the potential for violent clashes in cities across the United States .
Law enforcement officials say they are not responding to any specific threats or information but are preparing for a host @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Tensions are especially high given the increased political polarization and months of mass demonstrations against racial injustice that have seen violence by the left and right .
Gun sales are way up .
Six men were arrested after federal officials said they plotted to kidnap Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer , D-Mich. , at her vacation home .
Experts are concerned that right-wing extremists will be emboldened by Trump ’ s recent refusal to clearly denounce the Proud Boys , a neo-fascist group , and instead tell them to “ stand back and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suggesting without evidence that the election could be rigged .
His call to supporters to “ go into the polls and watch very carefully ” has election officials worried about that unofficial or self-appointed “ monitors ” could chaos and conflict at voting places .
An FBI official said the agency was considering the current climate of the country in its preparations to ensure safety at the polls , as well as working with other agencies to protect the voting system .
The official would not discuss the plans publicly and spoke to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Adding to the alarm is the fact this election will be the first in nearly 40 years in which the Republican National Committee isn ’ t barred from coordinated poll-monitoring activities .
Democrats fear that could open the door to voter intimidation , the reason the courts have largely prohibited Republicans from poll monitoring since the early 1980s .
Squire also said the Proud Boys , a group known for inciting street violence at rallies in the Pacific Northwest and elsewhere , appear to be emboldened by Trump ’ s comments , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ posting on Facebook .
And halfway through 2020 , just over 19 million FBI background checks have been done , more than all of 2012 and each of the years before that .
July hit an all-time high .
Background checks are the key barometer of gun sales , but the FBI ’ s monthly figures also incorporate checks for permits that some states require to carry a firearm .
Each background check also could be for the sale of more than one gun .
But their jobs are especially fraught this year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Attorney General William Barr has repeatedly suggested without evidence that could be widespread mail-in voter fraud , though there is little to back that up .
Justice Department prosecutors from different parts of the agency , including the civil rights and national security divisions , will be on hand to monitor incidents and help coordinate a federal response in the event of violence and threats to election infrastructure or cyberattacks , as well as high-profile incidents at polling places , said the people , who were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Justice Department and Homeland Security Department have sent additional personnel to cities where violence has cropped up during protests .
The National Guard has designated military police units in Arizona and Alabama to serve as rapid reaction forces so they can respond quickly to any potential unrest .
Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner has launched a hotline that rings directly to assistant district attorneys , who will send detectives to investigate reports of voter suppression or intimidation .
He said this week his office will not allow armed groups at the city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about voter intimidation by vigilante groups aiming to “ protect the election.
” Such groups have caused violence at demonstrations .

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal and state law enforcement officials have begun expanded preparations for the possibility of widespread unrest at the polls on Election Day, a response to extraordinarily high tensions among voters and anxieties about safety stoked in part by President Donald Trump.
FBI and local officials in several states have been conducting drills, running through worse-case scenarios, setting up command centers to improve coordination on reports of violence and voter intimidation, and issuing public warnings that any crime that threatens the sanctity of a Nov. 3 vote will not be tolerated.
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The efforts are broader and more public-facing than in past years as fears grow over the potential for violent clashes in cities across the United States. Law enforcement officials say they are not responding to any specific threats or information but are preparing for a host of different scenarios that could play out.
Tensions are especially high given the increased political polarization and months of mass demonstrations against racial injustice that have seen violence by the left and right. Gun sales are way up. Six men were arrested after federal officials said they plotted to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, D-Mich., at her vacation home. Experts are concerned that right-wing extremists will be emboldened by Trump’s recent refusal to clearly denounce the Proud Boys, a neo-fascist group, and instead tell them to “stand back and stand by.”
Trump has spent months suggesting without evidence that the election could be rigged. His call to supporters to “go into the polls and watch very carefully” has election officials worried about that unofficial or self-appointed “monitors” could chaos and conflict at voting places.
An FBI official said the agency was considering the current climate of the country in its preparations to ensure safety at the polls, as well as working with other agencies to protect the voting system. The official would not discuss the plans publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
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Adding to the alarm is the fact this election will be the first in nearly 40 years in which the Republican National Committee isn’t barred from coordinated poll-monitoring activities. Democrats fear that could open the door to voter intimidation, the reason the courts have largely prohibited Republicans from poll monitoring since the early 1980s.
So far, experts who study extremism say they haven’t seen any open discussion online of plans to instigate violence or interfere with voting.
Elon University professor Megan Squire, a computer scientist who studies online extremism, said the far-right extremists she tracks on social media appear to be preparing for trouble — a “prepper mindset” — without citing specifics.
“They’re waiting for something to pop off,” she said. “It’s like a simmering kind of feeling.”
She said the mindset is particularly keen among boogaloo supporters, a loose, anti-government, pro-gun extremist online network. Boogaloo adherents have shown up at protests against COVID-19 lockdown orders and protests over racial injustice, carrying rifles and wearing tactical gear.
In one of the internet forums Squire follows, a boogaloo supporter recently discussed plans to stock up on water, food, gasoline and generators in case “infrastructure goes down and supply lines are cut off.”
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Squire also said the Proud Boys, a group known for inciting street violence at rallies in the Pacific Northwest and elsewhere, appear to be emboldened by Trump’s comments, as do less organized and strident figures posting on Facebook.
The deadly shooting by a heavily armed teenager during a protest in Kenosha, Wisconsin, in August has fueled “pro-vigilantism” attitudes among more mainstream conservatives, Squire said.
And halfway through 2020, just over 19 million FBI background checks have been done, more than all of 2012 and each of the years before that. July hit an all-time high. Background checks are the key barometer of gun sales, but the FBI’s monthly figures also incorporate checks for permits that some states require to carry a firearm. Each background check also could be for the sale of more than one gun.
The Justice Department’s civil rights division is responsible for enforcing federal voting rights laws and tasks U.S. attorney’s offices with appointing special election coordinators to handle voting rights cases. The federal government has for decades sent prosecutors and federal observers to polling places to ensure compliance with federal law.
Local offices from New Mexico to Florida have been prepping, holding tabletop exercises and pouring over potential security threats.
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But their jobs are especially fraught this year in part over concerns of politicization. Attorney General William Barr has repeatedly suggested without evidence that could be widespread mail-in voter fraud, though there is little to back that up.
This year, officials from a number of federal law enforcement agencies will be coordinating on Election Day at the FBI’s Strategic Information and Operations Center, a global command center at FBI headquarters, people familiar with the matter said.
Justice Department prosecutors from different parts of the agency, including the civil rights and national security divisions, will be on hand to monitor incidents and help coordinate a federal response in the event of violence and threats to election infrastructure or cyberattacks, as well as high-profile incidents at polling places, said the people, who were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
The Justice Department and Homeland Security Department have sent additional personnel to cities where violence has cropped up during protests. The National Guard has designated military police units in Arizona and Alabama to serve as rapid reaction forces so they can respond quickly to any potential unrest.
But the first line of response on Election Day will be local law enforcement.
Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner has launched a hotline that rings directly to assistant district attorneys, who will send detectives to investigate reports of voter suppression or intimidation. He said this week his office will not allow armed groups at the city’s polling places amid growing concerns about voter intimidation by vigilante groups aiming to “protect the election.” Such groups have caused violence at demonstrations.
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But Oren Segal, vice president of the Anti-Defamation League’s Center on Extremism, said he has not seen any specific campaigns for groups intending to target polling stations.
“A lot of the chatter that you see is going to be hyperbole, and one of the things we don’t want to do is amplify hyperbole,” he said.
Segal said white supremacists often turn to violence “when they feel like their culture is being taken away,” while militias “tend to get more antsy when they think their guns are being taken away.” Now he sees a possible threat from a loose coalition of vigilantes and other armed extremists who “think that their election is going to be taken away.”
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-09--Mindy Kaling Surprises ‘Late Show’ Viewers With Delightful Baby News

Mindy Kaling had a surprise announcement for viewers of “ The Late Show with Stephen Colbert ” on Thursday night .
The actor revealed that she gave birth to her second child , Spencer , on Sept. 3 after successfully keeping her pregnancy a secret throughout the coronavirus pandemic ― despite at one point getting photographed by the paparazzi .
“ I ’ m telling it for the first time now .
It feels so strange , ” Kaling told host Stephen Colbert .
“ This is news to a lot of people , it ’ s true.
” “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so much heartbreak in the world that it felt strange to go out of my way and shine a light on some giant health information , ” Kaling said .
The “ Late Night ” star also shared how her eldest daughter , Katherine , who is almost 3 years old , has handled having a new sibling .
Kaling , who is publicly single , has not revealed the paternity of either child .
“ My feeling is that until I speak to my daughter [ about her father ] , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anyone else about it , ” she told The New York Times in 2019 .

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Mindy Kaling had a surprise announcement for viewers of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” on Thursday night.
The actor revealed that she gave birth to her second child, Spencer, on Sept. 3 after successfully keeping her pregnancy a secret throughout the coronavirus pandemic ― despite at one point getting photographed by the paparazzi.
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“I’m telling it for the first time now. It feels so strange,” Kaling told host Stephen Colbert. “This is news to a lot of people, it’s true.”
“There was so much going on and so much heartbreak in the world that it felt strange to go out of my way and shine a light on some giant health information,” Kaling said.
The “Late Night” star also shared how her eldest daughter, Katherine, who is almost 3 years old, has handled having a new sibling.
Check out the full interview here:
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Kaling, who is publicly single, has not revealed the paternity of either child.