thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-11--FDA ‘Will Rapidly Work’ To Give Emergency Authorization For Pfizer's COVID-19 Vaccine

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Friday it would work rapidly toward finalizing and issuing an emergency use authorization for Pfizer ’ s COVID-19 vaccine .
A panel of outside advisers to the FDA on Thursday voted overwhelmingly to endorse the emergency use of the vaccine , paving the way for the agency to authorize the shot for a country that has lost more than 285,000 lives to COVID-19 .
The agency has also notified the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Operation Warp Speed so that they can execute their plans for timely vaccine distribution @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Morning America ” on Friday morning , Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said that the vaccine will be approved and FDA officials are just working out some of the details .
The vaccine could be administered in the U.S. as early as Monday , he said .
Azar told ABC that up to 20 million Americans will receive the shot by the end of the month , with up to 50 million getting it by the end of January .
By the end of February , he said , “ we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” In the United Kingdom , distribution of the Pfizer vaccine began on Tuesday , with the elderly and frontline health care workers getting the first dosages .
After two National Health Service workers who received the vaccine experienced allergic reactions , UK health officials advised those with a history of “ significant ” allergies to medicines or food to avoid getting the Pfizer shot .
On Wednesday , Canadian health regulators also approved the vaccine for use .

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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Friday it would work rapidly toward finalizing and issuing an emergency use authorization for Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine.
A panel of outside advisers to the FDA on Thursday voted overwhelmingly to endorse the emergency use of the vaccine, paving the way for the agency to authorize the shot for a country that has lost more than 285,000 lives to COVID-19.
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The agency has also notified the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Operation Warp Speed so that they can execute their plans for timely vaccine distribution.
FDA Commissioner @SteveFDA and @FDACBER Director Dr. Peter Marks issue a statement on yesterday’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee Meeting. https://t.co/8uKTTDTYcx pic.twitter.com/2aufBaMTez — U.S. FDA (@US_FDA) December 11, 2020
On ABC’s “Good Morning America” on Friday morning, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said that the vaccine will be approved and FDA officials are just working out some of the details.
The vaccine could be administered in the U.S. as early as Monday, he said.
Azar told ABC that up to 20 million Americans will receive the shot by the end of the month, with up to 50 million getting it by the end of January. By the end of February, he said, “we could have 100 million vaccinations in arm.”
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In the United Kingdom, distribution of the Pfizer vaccine began on Tuesday, with the elderly and frontline health care workers getting the first dosages.
After two National Health Service workers who received the vaccine experienced allergic reactions, UK health officials advised those with a history of “significant” allergies to medicines or food to avoid getting the Pfizer shot.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-11--Twitter Users Erupt Over Trump's 'Just Want To Stop The World From Killing Itself’ Claim

You are killing us at 3000+ a day and increasing daily .
By Christmas , it will be 4000+ deaths @ @ @ @ @ had months to stop this country from killing itself , but you seem gleeful at @ @ @ @ @ conspiracy that has led to more deaths than many wars combined .
https : //t.co/XETc2MjPdV

You are killing us at 3000+ a day and increasing daily. By Christmas, it will be 4000+ deaths a day. You have had months to stop this country from killing itself, but you seem gleeful at its destruction. You push conspiracy that has led to more deaths than many wars combined. https://t.co/XETc2MjPdV


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-11--Disinfection Of The Trump White House Provides Comic Fodder For Late Night Hosts

The comedians of late night TV ribbed President Donald Trump on Thursday over a report from Politico that the White @ @ @ @ @ ” disinfected before President-elect Joe Biden takes office in a bid to remove all traces @ @ @ @ @ The Tonight Show ” host Jimmy Fallon imagined the horror the cleaners may have after @ @ @ @ @ given how Trump himself and many in his circle have tested positive for COVID-19 in @ @ @ @ @ , the host of “ The Late Late Show , ” cracked a gag about @ @ @ @ @ Melania Trump ’ s beds :

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thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-11--Jimmy Kimmel Torches Ted Cruz With A Stunning Reminder Of His Hypocrisy

Kimmel explained how “ basically Texas and 17 other states that also happen to be Republican-led are trying to get @ @ @ @ @ out the results in Wisconsin , Georgia , Michigan , and Pennsylvania — four states @ @ @ @ @ Jimmy Kimmel Live !
” host described it as “ a last-ditch , embarrassing and @ @ @ @ @ an end-run around democracy.
” He then reminded viewers of Cruz ’ s stunning hypocrisy @ @ @ @ @ , airing footage of the senator in 2016 slamming Trump as a “ pathological liar @ @ @ @ @ t know the difference between truth and lies.
” “ For as much money as @ @ @ @ @ , you ’ d think Ted Cruz would have some idea of how to stick @ @ @ @ @ he doesn ’ t , ” Kimmel quipped .

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Kimmel explained how “basically Texas and 17 other states that also happen to be Republican-led are trying to get the Supreme Court to throw out the results in Wisconsin, Georgia, Michigan, and Pennsylvania — four states Trump lost.”
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The “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” host described it as “a last-ditch, embarrassing and genuinely despicable attempt to make an end-run around democracy.”
He then reminded viewers of Cruz’s stunning hypocrisy when it comes to Trump, airing footage of the senator in 2016 slamming Trump as a “pathological liar” who “doesn’t know the difference between truth and lies.”
“For as much money as he takes from the NRA, you’d think Ted Cruz would have some idea of how to stick to his guns, but he doesn’t,” Kimmel quipped.
Check out Kimmel’s full monologue here:


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-11--Actor Tommy ‘Tiny’ Lister, Who Starred In 'Friday' And 'The Fifth Element,' Dead At 62

LOS ANGELES ( AP ) — Tommy “ Tiny ” Lister , a former professional wrestler who was known for his bullying Deebo character in the “ Friday ” films , has died .
He was 62 .
Lister ’ s manager , Cindy Cowan , said he was found unconscious in his home in Marina Del Rey , California , on Thursday afternoon .
He was pronounced dead at the scene .
Cowan said Lister was diagnosed with COVID-19 earlier this year .
She said the actor overcame the virus , but he became sick about a week ago @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cause of death has not been released , and the coroner ’ s office is investigating .
Tommy “ Tiny ” Lister , a former professional wrestler who was known for his bullying Deebo character in the “ Friday ” films , has died .
He was 62 .
“ He was a gentle giant , ” Cowan said .
“ He had a smile as broad as you could imagine .
He ’ s going to be missed by so many .
We ’ re all devastated.
” Lister started his career @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with broad shoulders at about 275 pounds .
His early roles included HBO football series “ 1st & Ten ” along with movie appearances in “ Beverly Hills Cop II , ” which starred Eddie Murphy , and “ No Holds Barred , ” the 1989 film where his character Zeus challenged Hulk Hogan in a wrestling match .
The actor , who was blind in his right eye since birth , wrestled Hogan in the World Wrestling Federation in an actual match after the “ No Holds Barred ” film release .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the World Championship Wrestling under the name Z-Gangsta .
However , Lister ’ s most notable role came in the 1995 film “ Friday ” and its sequel five years later .
He portrayed the role of Deebo , a felon who was known as the neighborhood bully who terrorized his neighbors with intimidation and fear .
His character was known for his infamous line “ Get knocked out like your father used to.
” “ WWE is saddened to learn that Tom “ Tiny ” Lister , known as Zeus to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” the WWE said in a tweet .
The Compton , California , native was a track and field star who became the 1982 NCAA Division II shotput champion while he attended Cal State University Los Angeles .
He briefly played football with the New Orleans Breakers of the United States Football League .
“ One of the nicest bullies we ’ ve come across .
RIP Deebo , ” the San Francisco 49ers said on Twitter .
Deebo Samuel , a 49ers wide receiver , got his nickname from Lister ’ s @ @

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Tommy “Tiny” Lister, a former professional wrestler who was known for his bullying Deebo character in the “Friday” films, has died. He was 62.
Lister’s manager, Cindy Cowan, said he was found unconscious in his home in Marina Del Rey, California, on Thursday afternoon. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
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Cowan said Lister was diagnosed with COVID-19 earlier this year. She said the actor overcame the virus, but he became sick about a week ago and recently had trouble breathing.
The cause of death has not been released, and the coroner’s office is investigating.
Tommy “Tiny” Lister, a former professional wrestler who was known for his bullying Deebo character in the “Friday” films, has died. He was 62. Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP
“He was a gentle giant,” Cowan said. “He had a smile as broad as you could imagine. He’s going to be missed by so many. We’re all devastated.”
Lister started his career as a pro wrestler, standing 6-foot-5 with broad shoulders at about 275 pounds. His early roles included HBO football series “1st & Ten” along with movie appearances in “Beverly Hills Cop II,” which starred Eddie Murphy, and “No Holds Barred,” the 1989 film where his character Zeus challenged Hulk Hogan in a wrestling match.
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The actor, who was blind in his right eye since birth, wrestled Hogan in the World Wrestling Federation in an actual match after the “No Holds Barred” film release. He also had a short stint in the World Championship Wrestling under the name Z-Gangsta.
However, Lister’s most notable role came in the 1995 film “Friday” and its sequel five years later. He portrayed the role of Deebo, a felon who was known as the neighborhood bully who terrorized his neighbors with intimidation and fear. His character was known for his infamous line “Get knocked out like your father used to.”
Lister also appeared in “The Fifth Element,” “The Dark Knight” and “Austin Powers in Goldmember.”
“WWE is saddened to learn that Tom “Tiny” Lister, known as Zeus to the WWE Universe, passed away today,” the WWE said in a tweet.
The Compton, California, native was a track and field star who became the 1982 NCAA Division II shotput champion while he attended Cal State University Los Angeles. He briefly played football with the New Orleans Breakers of the United States Football League.
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“One of the nicest bullies we’ve come across. RIP Deebo,” the San Francisco 49ers said on Twitter. Deebo Samuel, a 49ers wide receiver, got his nickname from Lister’s character.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-11--Kim Kardashian Shares Some Of Brandon Bernard's Last Words

Kim Kardashian West shared Brandon Bernard ’ s final message to her on Thursday after the 40-year-old was executed despite high-profile opposition and a flurry of last-minute appeals .
“ As he was in the chair his attorney called me and they just had their last call and said this ... Brandon said he loves you and wants to say thank you again , ” Kardashian West wrote in a Twitter thread .
“ Brandon wanted me to tell every single person who worked on his behalf supporting him in any way a huge thank you.
” The reality TV @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been lobbying the Trump administration to commute Bernard ’ s sentence .
In the days leading up to his scheduled execution , she posted extensively about the case to her enormous social media following and urged fans to contact the Justice Department and White House to prevent it .
His main message that he learned in his life was to not hang out with the wrong crowd .
That was so important to him that he shared that with the youth .
It got him caught up and he made poor choices .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) December 11 , 2020 The most important thing to him that he said was a gift to his mom , sister , daughters and family was the validation the public support gave to his family .
His family knew him inside and knew he wasn ’ t his mistake he made as a teenager but he was sad his family felt shame .
— Kim Kardashian West ( @ KimKardashian ) December 11 , 2020 With the public support he felt the shame could go away and it validated him to his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was better then his teenage self .
— Kim Kardashian West ( @ KimKardashian ) December 11 , 2020 The killing went forward even though 5 of 9 surviving jurors who sentenced Bernard to death 20 years ago no longer supported the sentence .
Neither did a former federal prosecutor who had previously defended Bernard ’ s death sentence on appeal .
Bernard was killed by lethal injection at 9:27 p.m. after a last-minute stay of execution was denied by the Supreme Court , with Justices Stephen Breyer , Elena Kagan and Sonia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ man , was sentenced to death in 2000 by a nearly all-white jury for his role in a robbery plan that led to the deaths of Todd and Stacie Bagley in Texas .
Bernard was not present when his friends abducted the Bagleys .
Christopher Vialva , the man who shot the victims in the head , was executed in September .
Bernard and an accomplice , Terry Brown , poured lighter fluid in the car before it was set on fire .
Prosecutors claimed Bernard was the one who lit fire to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ although Brown admitted during testimony at trial that he didn ’ t actually see who lit the fire .
“ Just spoke to Brandon for what will likely be the last time , ” she wrote .
“ Hardest call I ’ ve ever had .
Brandon , selfless as always , was focused on his family and making sure they are ok .
He told me not to cry because our fight isn ’ t over.
” Kardashian West said she also felt for the victims and their families but did not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ things right .
She insisted he was rehabilitated and deeply remorseful for his involvement in the crime , which took place when he was 18 years old .
I stand by what I have always said , I can empathize and feel pain for the victims and their families .
Killing Brandon will not bring them back and I believe in my heart of hearts killing him isn ’ t right .
What Brandon did was wrong , but killing him won ’ t make things right .
— Kim Kardashian West ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @

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Kim Kardashian West shared Brandon Bernard’s final message to her on Thursday after the 40-year-old was executed despite high-profile opposition and a flurry of last-minute appeals.
“As he was in the chair his attorney called me and they just had their last call and said this... Brandon said he loves you and wants to say thank you again,” Kardashian West wrote in a Twitter thread.
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“Brandon wanted me to tell every single person who worked on his behalf supporting him in any way a huge thank you.”
The reality TV star and criminal justice reform advocate had been lobbying the Trump administration to commute Bernard’s sentence. In the days leading up to his scheduled execution, she posted extensively about the case to her enormous social media following and urged fans to contact the Justice Department and White House to prevent it.
His main message that he learned in his life was to not hang out with the wrong crowd. That was so important to him that he shared that with the youth. It got him caught up and he made poor choices. — Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) December 11, 2020
The most important thing to him that he said was a gift to his mom, sister, daughters and family was the validation the public support gave to his family. His family knew him inside and knew he wasn’t his mistake he made as a teenager but he was sad his family felt shame. — Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) December 11, 2020
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With the public support he felt the shame could go away and it validated him to his family that the world also knew he was better then his teenage self. — Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) December 11, 2020
The killing went forward even though 5 of 9 surviving jurors who sentenced Bernard to death 20 years ago no longer supported the sentence. Neither did a former federal prosecutor who had previously defended Bernard’s death sentence on appeal.
Bernard was killed by lethal injection at 9:27 p.m. after a last-minute stay of execution was denied by the Supreme Court, with Justices Stephen Breyer, Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor dissenting.
Bernard, a Black man, was sentenced to death in 2000 by a nearly all-white jury for his role in a robbery plan that led to the deaths of Todd and Stacie Bagley in Texas. Bernard was not present when his friends abducted the Bagleys. Christopher Vialva, the man who shot the victims in the head, was executed in September. Bernard and an accomplice, Terry Brown, poured lighter fluid in the car before it was set on fire.
Prosecutors claimed Bernard was the one who lit fire to the car with the Bagleys inside, although Brown admitted during testimony at trial that he didn’t actually see who lit the fire.
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Kardashian West tweeted earlier on Thursday about her final phone call with Bernard.
“Just spoke to Brandon for what will likely be the last time,” she wrote. “Hardest call I’ve ever had. Brandon, selfless as always, was focused on his family and making sure they are ok. He told me not to cry because our fight isn’t over.”
Kardashian West said she also felt for the victims and their families but did not believe Bernard’s death would make things right. She insisted he was rehabilitated and deeply remorseful for his involvement in the crime, which took place when he was 18 years old.
“My heart breaks for everyone involved, including the victims families and in no way am I diminishing the loss their family has been through,” she tweeted two hours before Bernard’s death.
I stand by what I have always said, I can empathize and feel pain for the victims and their families. Killing Brandon will not bring them back and I believe in my heart of hearts killing him isn’t right. What Brandon did was wrong, but killing him won’t make things right. — Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) December 10, 2020
Bernard is the ninth prisoner to be executed after the Trump administration ended a 17-year pause in federal executions in July.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-11--Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine Gets FDA Approval, Distribution To Begin Immediately

The decision , first reported by The New York Times , marks a historic scientific achievement and suggests an end to the coronavirus pandemic may be in sight , although the timing of a return to normalcy will depend on whether other vaccines in development also come online soon — and how well federal , state and local authorities handle the logistical challenges of reaching a diverse , geographically dispersed population of 330 million people .
Authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration followed a public meeting Thursday by an advisory committee reviewing research on the vaccine ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months of pressure from President Donald Trump ― who , according to a report in The Washington Post , told FDA head Stephen Hahn to resign if the agency didn ’ t approve the vaccine by Friday evening .
In a briefing summary before the advisory board meeting , FDA reviewers described these effects as “ mild to moderate ” and said they didn ’ t lead to long-lasting harm .
“ The known and potential benefits of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine outweigh its known and potential risks for use in individuals 16 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the reviewers concluded .
Seventeen of the advisory committee ’ s 22 members ultimately voted in favor of recommending the vaccine .
The dissenters ( four “ no ” votes and one abstention ) said their only reservation was whether the data on 16- and 17-year-olds was sufficient to authorize vaccine use at those ages .
Like the majority of its advisory committee , the FDA decided that the evidence was strong enough .
Under the ruling , people as young as 16 will be able to get the shots .
The FDA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ process allows for expedited review of new pharmaceutical products in cases of urgent need .
The urgency in this case could not be more clear , with caseloads rising , hospital intensive care units running out of space , and daily deaths now exceeding 3,000 .
The first batches of shots will go to health care workers , as well as staff and residents of long-term care facilities , under instructions that each state has issued based on federal guidelines .
Essential workers will be next and then , as supply ramps up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ become available to the rest of the population .
The rapid development of a usable COVID-19 vaccine less than one year after cases first appeared in the U.S. is especially remarkable given that Pfizer ’ s will be the first mass-produced vaccine to use “ messenger RNA ” or mRNA , a form of genetic material that the body uses to manufacture proteins .
But one intriguing finding is that vaccine recipients developed a strong immune response following the first dose .
Scientists have said the second dose remains important , because the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s not yet clear how long that initial response lasts .
Although mRNA technology had been the subject of research for many years , the speedy translation of that research into a functional , widely produced vaccine would not have been possible without a new , all-out effort from both the private and public sectors ― including funding and coordination from the Trump administration ’ s Operation Warp Speed project as well as investments from foreign governments .
The Next Big Challenge Is Distribution During the initial wave , when supply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , administration of the vaccine will mainly be the job of hospitals ( which will take care of their workers ) and the big pharmacy chains , CVS and Walgreens ( which will take care of long-term care residents and staff ) .
An open question is what happens after that , if , as hoped , mass production dramatically increases the available supply .
States are in charge of formulating and then carrying out these plans and it ’ s not yet clear they ’ ve made enough arrangements ― or have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shots at once or to reach rural and marginalized communities .

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Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine got emergency authorization from federal regulators on Friday, clearing the way for the shipment, distribution and eventual administration of the shots.
The decision, first reported by The New York Times, marks a historic scientific achievement and suggests an end to the coronavirus pandemic may be in sight, although the timing of a return to normalcy will depend on whether other vaccines in development also come online soon — and how well federal, state and local authorities handle the logistical challenges of reaching a diverse, geographically dispersed population of 330 million people.
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Authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration followed a public meeting Thursday by an advisory committee reviewing research on the vaccine’s safety and efficacy. It also followed months of pressure from President Donald Trump ― who, according to a report in The Washington Post, told FDA head Stephen Hahn to resign if the agency didn’t approve the vaccine by Friday evening.
But most experts had expected FDA authorization anyway, purely on the merits, because the results of clinical trials were so overwhelmingly positive.
In tests that Pfizer conducted over the past few months, the vaccine reduced the likelihood of developing symptoms and testing positive for COVID-19 by 95%. The reported side effects included sore arms, headaches, fatigue and fever that lasted a few days.
In a briefing summary before the advisory board meeting, FDA reviewers described these effects as “mild to moderate” and said they didn’t lead to long-lasting harm. “The known and potential benefits of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine outweigh its known and potential risks for use in individuals 16 years of age and older,” the reviewers concluded.
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Seventeen of the advisory committee’s 22 members ultimately voted in favor of recommending the vaccine. The dissenters (four “no” votes and one abstention) said their only reservation was whether the data on 16- and 17-year-olds was sufficient to authorize vaccine use at those ages.
Like the majority of its advisory committee, the FDA decided that the evidence was strong enough. Under the ruling, people as young as 16 will be able to get the shots.
The FDA’s “emergency use authorization” process allows for expedited review of new pharmaceutical products in cases of urgent need. The urgency in this case could not be more clear, with caseloads rising, hospital intensive care units running out of space, and daily deaths now exceeding 3,000.
Officials from Pfizer and the Trump administration have said shipments from factories will begin right away so the first doses can be administered within days.
The first batches of shots will go to health care workers, as well as staff and residents of long-term care facilities, under instructions that each state has issued based on federal guidelines. Essential workers will be next and then, as supply ramps up in the coming months, vaccines will become available to the rest of the population.
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A Scientific Breakthrough In Record Time
The rapid development of a usable COVID-19 vaccine less than one year after cases first appeared in the U.S. is especially remarkable given that Pfizer’s will be the first mass-produced vaccine to use “messenger RNA” or mRNA, a form of genetic material that the body uses to manufacture proteins.
An mRNA vaccine introduces a specially engineered strand that includes coding for part of a pathogen ― in this case, the protein spikes that protrude from the surface of the novel coronavirus.
The immune system learns to recognize the protein so that it can react quickly and quash the full virus upon exposure.
Research has not yet established whether the Pfizer vaccine prevents COVID-19 infection and spread or whether it merely prevents symptoms. The duration of protection isn’t yet clear, either, and won’t be without more study.
But one intriguing finding is that vaccine recipients developed a strong immune response following the first dose. Scientists have said the second dose remains important, because the response was even stronger afterward and because it’s not yet clear how long that initial response lasts.
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Although mRNA technology had been the subject of research for many years, the speedy translation of that research into a functional, widely produced vaccine would not have been possible without a new, all-out effort from both the private and public sectors ― including funding and coordination from the Trump administration’s Operation Warp Speed project as well as investments from foreign governments.
In the case of Pfizer, that money came through its European partner, BioNTech, which got research money from the German government.
The Next Big Challenge Is Distribution
On a conference call this week, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said that the goal remains to reach 20 million Americans by year’s end, 50 million by the end of January and 100 million by the end of March.
And by the summer, Azar said, there should be enough vaccines for all Americans who want it.
Margaret Keenan, 90, is the first patient in Britain to receive the Pfizer/BioNtech COVID-19 vaccine at University Hospital, administered by nurse May Parsons, on Dec. 8, 2020. Jacob King/Pool via REUTERS TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
Those estimates assume the approval and distribution of other COVID-19 vaccines in development, including an mRNA vaccine from Moderna that has shown similar results in its clinical trials. The FDA is set to review Moderna’s vaccine on Dec. 17.
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But even if more vaccines win approval and even if production proceeds smoothly, distributing and then administering the vaccine will present an enormous, unprecedented logistical challenge.
During the initial wave, when supply is limited to the highest priority groups, administration of the vaccine will mainly be the job of hospitals (which will take care of their workers) and the big pharmacy chains, CVS and Walgreens (which will take care of long-term care residents and staff).
An open question is what happens after that, if, as hoped, mass production dramatically increases the available supply. States are in charge of formulating and then carrying out these plans and it’s not yet clear they’ve made enough arrangements ― or have enough resources ― to handle so many shots at once or to reach rural and marginalized communities.
The task is especially difficult because of the two-dose regimen and the need to make sure people get second vaccinations.
There’s still a little bit of time for states to make those plans ― and for Congress to appropriate the money states need. But the longer it takes to get the vaccine to people, the longer it will be before the U.S. returns to something resembling normal.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-11--Snow Leopard At Louisville Zoo Tests Positive For The Coronavirus

Courtesy of the Louisville Zoo NeeCee , a 5-year-old female snow leopard at the Louisville Zoo , tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 , the virus that causes COVID-19 in humans .
Officials at the Louisville Zoo said a snow leopard tested positive for the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 in humans ― and two others may also be infected .
The zoo announced Friday that NeeCee , a 5-year-old female snow leopard , tested positive for the coronavirus , officially designated SARS-CoV-2 .
The zoo is awaiting test results for two other snow leopards ― both male ― but all three cats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to a news release .
“ The three snow leopards began exhibiting minor respiratory symptoms , including an occasional dry cough or wheeze , within the last two weeks .
It is suspected that NeeCee acquired the infection from an asymptomatic staff member , despite precautions by the Zoo.
” All three snow leopards are “ not lethargic , and they don ’ t miss a meal , ” senior staff veterinarian Zoli Gyimesi told the Courier-Journal .
Staffers working with animals are wearing personal protective equipment , undergo temperature checks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ daily , the zoo said .
“ We continue to take these precautions and do everything that we can to keep our guests and animals safe , ” zoo Director John Walczak told the paper .
That included wearing enhanced personal protective equipment such as face shields and disposable coveralls and using disinfecting foot baths .
Zoo officials said the most current information available suggested that the risk of infected animals spreading the virus to humans is low , according to local CBS affiliate WLKY .
The zoo has removed all three animals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other animals get their test results , WDRB reported .
The zoo offered more information in the video below .

NeeCee, a 5-year-old female snow leopard at the Louisville Zoo, tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 in humans. Courtesy of the Louisville Zoo
Officials at the Louisville Zoo said a snow leopard tested positive for the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 in humans ― and two others may also be infected.
The zoo announced Friday that NeeCee, a 5-year-old female snow leopard, tested positive for the coronavirus, officially designated SARS-CoV-2.
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The zoo is awaiting test results for two other snow leopards ― both male ― but all three cats are experiencing only mild symptoms so far, according to a news release.
“The three snow leopards began exhibiting minor respiratory symptoms, including an occasional dry cough or wheeze, within the last two weeks. It is suspected that NeeCee acquired the infection from an asymptomatic staff member, despite precautions by the Zoo.”
All three snow leopards are “not lethargic, and they don’t miss a meal,” senior staff veterinarian Zoli Gyimesi told the Courier-Journal.
Staffers working with animals are wearing personal protective equipment, undergo temperature checks and a answer a series of questions daily, the zoo said.
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“We continue to take these precautions and do everything that we can to keep our guests and animals safe,” zoo Director John Walczak told the paper.
That included wearing enhanced personal protective equipment such as face shields and disposable coveralls and using disinfecting foot baths.
Zoo officials said the most current information available suggested that the risk of infected animals spreading the virus to humans is low, according to local CBS affiliate WLKY.
The zoo has removed all three animals from exhibit until NeeCee recovers and the other animals get their test results, WDRB reported.
The zoo offered more information in the video below.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-11--A Majority Of Americans Struggled In 2020. Here's How To Talk About It.

Mental health issues were the most commonly reported problem , with 34 % of people saying they struggled with it this year .
Twenty-seven percent of respondents said they ’ d gone through job loss or financial hardship .
Twenty-five percent said someone close to them died .
And the same percentage said they , or a loved one , experienced a serious illness or injury .
You can ’ t pretend this away and just say “ Happy holidays !
” Sandberg told HuffPost in an interview this week .
Sandberg has had her own trials with loss .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ died suddenly at the age of 47 .
The experience changed the way she understands grief , something she detailed in her book “ Option B ” in 2017 .
There was one bright spot in the findings : Nearly 7 in 10 Americans feel more resilient now , better equipped to handle hard times because of the challenges of 2020 .
And some comfort , too : More than half of Americans said that relatively small acts of support were meaningful , like a text or a phone call from someone just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re thinking of you .
Though this was the first time OptionB conducted a survey like this , the results line up with similar polling out this month from the Pew Research Center .
More than half of adults in the United States now know someone who either was hospitalized or died from COVID-19 .
The numbers are even more grim for Black Americans : 71 % said they know someone who was hospitalized or died from the coronavirus .
It ’ s not that we needed the survey to tell us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , what do you do ?
And what you do is you show up and you acknowledge : “ Hey , I know this is really hard , ” or “ I know you ’ re missing your mom this year , ” or “ I ’ m thinking of you on the holidays .
I know this must be hard .
How are you ?
” The issue is that when tragedy hits , when people are challenged , people don ’ t know how to talk about it .
I wrote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ book ] ” Option B.
” My husband passed away and no one mentioned it .
Everyone just looked at me like a deer in the headlights .
Everyone is suffering in some way .
Some people have very , very serious economic challenges .
So one of the things you go through is you realize I ’ m not in this alone .
Other people are in this with me .
And I have an opportunity to be there for other people .
[ There is an ] opportunity for collective resilience @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when you study this : Resilience isn ’ t fixed .
It ’ s a muscle , we build it .
We actually build it in each other .
And the opportunity here is that we are going through this together .
I do think for those of us who have been through loss , there are things that you can understand that other people can ’ t .
Before this , if anyone went through something hard , I addressed it one time .
“ I ’ m so sorry you have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do ?
” I never brought it up again because I was afraid I was reminding the other person it happened .
Normally , when someone dies , there ’ s a funeral .
And what does that matter ?
It really matters because you are surrounded by an opportunity to talk .
And so how do you show up when there ’ s no funeral ?
The Zoom funerals are really hard .

It's been one year since the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic. Explore HuffPost's Bent Not Broken project to learn how the coronavirus has disrupted our mental health, and how to manage our well-being moving forward.
There’s no doubt that 2020 was, let’s just say it, terrible. Yet the sheer scope of loss and grief stemming from the pandemic is still somehow shocking.
Eight in 10 Americans said they’ve experienced some kind of hardship this year, according to a survey released this week by OptionB.org. The nonprofit group, founded by Facebook executive Sheryl Sandberg, is dedicated to helping people cope with loss.
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Mental health issues were the most commonly reported problem, with 34% of people saying they struggled with it this year. Twenty-seven percent of respondents said they’d gone through job loss or financial hardship. Twenty-five percent said someone close to them died. And the same percentage said they, or a loved one, experienced a serious illness or injury.
You can’t pretend this away and just say “Happy holidays!” Sandberg told HuffPost in an interview this week. Sandberg has had her own trials with loss. In 2015, her husband David Goldberg died suddenly at the age of 47. The experience changed the way she understands grief, something she detailed in her book “Option B” in 2017.
“This topic is like, really personal for me, like deep personal,” she said.
The OptionB survey was conducted online by Survey Monkey, which polled 2,050 adults in the U.S. during the first week of November, and weighted the results to reflect the demographics of the country.
There was one bright spot in the findings: Nearly 7 in 10 Americans feel more resilient now, better equipped to handle hard times because of the challenges of 2020. And some comfort, too: More than half of Americans said that relatively small acts of support were meaningful, like a text or a phone call from someone just checking in or just to say they’re thinking of you.
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Though this was the first time OptionB conducted a survey like this, the results line up with similar polling out this month from the Pew Research Center. More than half of adults in the United States now know someone who either was hospitalized or died from COVID-19. The numbers are even more grim for Black Americans: 71% said they know someone who was hospitalized or died from the coronavirus.
Sandberg talked to HuffPost about what she’s learned about grief and offered advice on how to support your loved ones this year, even at a time when we can’t be there in-person.
The following conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Everyone’s expecting the holidays to be tough. I didn’t need a survey to tell me that. I know it will be bad. Why do the survey? What service are you hoping to provide?
It’s not that we needed the survey to tell us the data. The whole point is, what do you do? And what you do is you show up and you acknowledge: “Hey, I know this is really hard,” or “I know you’re missing your mom this year,” or “I’m thinking of you on the holidays. I know this must be hard. How are you?”
You don’t pretend it doesn’t exist.
The issue is that when tragedy hits, when people are challenged, people don’t know how to talk about it. I wrote a lot about this with [my book] ”Option B.” My husband passed away and no one mentioned it. Everyone just looked at me like a deer in the headlights.
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Meghan Markle, who I don’t know, just wrote the exact same thing. She miscarried and no one asked her about it.
I think there’s gonna be a lot of people who inadvertently miss an opportunity to do a lot of good.
AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg testifies before the Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on "Foreign Influence Operations and Their Use of Social Media Platforms" on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2018.
We’re a country that’s seen so many people die this year, and we don’t talk about what that means.
Everyone is suffering in some way. Some people have very, very serious economic challenges. So one of the things you go through is you realize I’m not in this alone. Other people are in this with me. And I have an opportunity to be there for other people.
[There is an] opportunity for collective resilience. One of the things you learn when you study this: Resilience isn’t fixed. It’s a muscle, we build it. We actually build it in each other. And the opportunity here is that we are going through this together.
“The issue is that when tragedy hits, when people are challenged, people don’t know how to talk about it.”
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What it’s been like as someone who recently suffered a major loss to live through a year in which you just cannot escape death or grief?
We had a loss in our family. My fiancé’s cousin passed away in April from coronavirus. So we had that. Really early.
We are a family that’s experienced loss. I think we know how long it takes, how many years it takes to recover. How in some ways we never recover.
I do think for those of us who have been through loss, there are things that you can understand that other people can’t. Before this, if anyone went through something hard, I addressed it one time. “I’m so sorry you have cancer. Is there anything I can do?” I never brought it up again because I was afraid I was reminding the other person it happened.
You know, that’s ridiculous. I thought if I said it a week later at the office, I was reminding them they had cancer. It’s literally absurd. The woman isn’t like, “Oh, I forgot I had cancer.”
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The grief and the loss this year has been extra weird because no one can see each other in person. You probably went to a few Zoom funerals. I did. They’re terrible.
Normally, when someone dies, there’s a funeral. And what does that matter? It really matters because you are surrounded by an opportunity to talk. And so how do you show up when there’s no funeral? The Zoom funerals are really hard.
What do you do? And the truth is, and the survey shows this, is that small acts of kindness make a huge difference.
Texting, checking in. Huge difference. I have a friend, a close friend who’s been going through cancer. And so you know, every few weeks, there’s a chemo appointment. I put on my calendar when those appointments are and I just check in. I just text or call the day before and the day it happens.
That’s nice.
It’s a really small thing. This is a friend that’s close enough that I would have gone [to the chemo appointments]. I feel so helpless. What can I do? Well, all I can do is check in. So I’ve checked in. And the person said to me, it made a huge difference.
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For me, it felt like, not enough. I really felt like I was at a loss. It was very hard [Chokes up].
Was there anything about the survey that surprised you?


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-11--It’s Harder For Black And Asian People To Trust The COVID Vaccine. Here’s What Needs To Happen.

In fact , there are no safety concerns about the vaccine .
It has been tested on 43,500 people in @ @ @ @ @ other foods and vaccines , people with a history of severe allergic reactions have been @ @ @ @ @ , but that does not mean it is unsafe for anyone else .
Rather than @ @ @ @ @ the loosening of safety standards , the speed with which Covid vaccines have been developed @ @ @ @ @ money and effort thrown at the problem – the UK government alone has spent £6bn @ @ @ @ @ procure them .
We put five popular vaccine myths to an independent scientist – here @ @ @ @ @ to each of them .

Concerns from Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities about the Covid-19 vaccine have not been addressed by the government, campaigners have said, as structural inequalities and historical medical racism has led to “hesitancy” about the jab.
The UK on Tuesday became the first country in the world to start administering the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, in a seismic shift in the battle against the pandemic.
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But a recent poll by the Mile End Institute at Queen Mary University of London found little more than a third of ethnic minority Londoners (39%) said they were likely to take the jab compared with 70% of white people in the capital. That is despite Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) communities continuing to be disproportionately hospitalised and killed by Covid-19.
HuffPost UK has spoken to doctors, academics and members of the public, and discovered the concern stems from racial inequality in the healthcare system and the history of medical experimentation on Black people.
Professor Sophie Harman, who specialises in the politics of global health at Queen Mary University of London, said the survey’s findings are “unsurprising”.
She said: “Would you trust a government that accepts you’re more likely to die of Covid-19 than your white neighbours and does nothing very much about it? Vaccine hesitancy risks a double tragedy: racial inequality in deaths from Covid-19 and potential racial inequality in vaccine uptake.”
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VictorHuang via Getty Images
Dr Zubaida Haque, a member of the Independent SAGE group of scientists, told HuffPost UK the government had not done enough to make specific efforts to reassure BAME communities about the safety of the vaccine.
“There are so many myths surrounding the vaccination that it’s irresponsible of the government not to set up a dedicated website with frequently asked questions,” she said.
“You can imagine, ethnic minority communities will be very nervous. They need the government to engage with them, respect their concerns, acknowledge they’re reasonable concerns given that the government hasn’t really done anything to address their vulnerabilities.”
“Racism has plagued the healthcare service as well as the history of medical experimentation on Black individuals. Concerns from Black communities regarding the Covid-19 vaccine are not invalid” - Olamide Dada, founder of Melanin Medics
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Campaigners argue many in BAME communities are “nervous” because of a litany of questionable historical and modern day medical treatments, and repeated examples of healthcare benefiting white people disproportionately – with non-white people generally experiencing poorer health outcomes throughout their lives.
In April, two French doctors came under fire for racism after a TV debate in which one suggested trials in Africa to see if a tuberculosis vaccine would prove effective against coronavirus.
The comments received an angry response on social media, including from former footballer Didier Drogba who cautioned Europeans not to “take African people as human guinea pigs”.
Between 1845 and 1849, Dr James Marion Sims – widely regarded as the “father of modern gynaecology” – tortured enslaved Black woman while perfecting his medical surgeries on their bodies with consent or an anaesthetic.
He also invented the modern speculum, Sims’s position for vaginal exams, which he first used on slaves and has gone on to be used widely within healthcare. As such, Sims is viewed favourably by many historians and has several worldwide monuments, despite his brutality.
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During the Tuskegee Study in 1932, Black American men died of syphilis over 40 years in disproportionate numbers due to poor care during a series of unethical medical trials.
More recently, south Asian women have been known to complain about having their pain dismissed by doctors who claim they are suffering from the so-called “Mrs Bibi syndrome”, also known as “Begum syndrome”, HuffPost UK has reported.
Black women are five times more likely to die in childbirth than white women, a disparity the NHS acknowledges and regrets but does not have a target to end.
In a collaboration with Black Ballad this summer, Black women revealed the shocking racism they faced in the UK’s healthcare system during pregnancy and childbirth – including instances where doctors didn’t believe their pain.
What’s more, Black people are severely underrepresented in the UK’s database of Covid-19 vaccine clinical trial volunteers.
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Responding to BAME communities not being included on the vaccine priority list, Jacqui Burnett – a Black woman – said: “Blacks are fed up of being the ones vaccines are tried out on first historically. Our cup is full and running over.”
Someone else echoed this, saying: “I don’t want to be their experiment.”
A Black woman, Vanessa, said: “Give the politicians and top health advisers it first. Wait a year then come back and talk to me.”
Another person of colour expressed fear that they would be used as “lab rats for a vaccine that hasn’t been proven 100% safe now and in the future”.
In fact, there are no safety concerns about the vaccine. It has been tested on 43,500 people in six countries. Like some other foods and vaccines, people with a history of severe allergic reactions have been advised not to receive it, but that does not mean it is unsafe for anyone else.
Rather than the result of shortcuts or the loosening of safety standards, the speed with which Covid vaccines have been developed is due to the phenomenal money and effort thrown at the problem – the UK government alone has spent £6bn in total to develop and procure them. We put five popular vaccine myths to an independent scientist – here’s how she responded to each of them.
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Risk of Covid to BAME people
A Public Health England review published this summer found people from ethnic minorities were more likely to contract and die from Covid-19 and ministers promised to take steps to reduce disparities in these risk and outcomes. This pledge has not been not honoured.
Haque said: “Why have a review which showed that people from BAME backgrounds and those living in more deprived areas are more likely to be hospitalised and die from Covid-19 if you’re not going to address that risk?”
Anti-vaxxers have been responsible for peddling wild conspiracy theories about coronavirus vaccines, including false claims that the jab will modify people’s DNA and result in patients being implanted with a microchip that will be used to control the population. But campaigners have stressed the importance of not confusing vaccine hesitancy for anti-vaccination.
VictorHuang via Getty Images
Haque explained: “There is a difference between the anti-vaxxers and the vaccine hesitant group. It would be a big disservice to BAME communities to suggest that they are the anti-vaxxers because they tend to be irrational, have very different reasons for not taking vaccines and a lot of it isn’t necessarily based on the science so to speak.
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“Vaccine hesitancy isn’t necessarily irrational. It can be very reasonable doubt, anxiety, nervousness about the vaccine. What we really need is for the government to engage with that.”
As recently as Wednesday during a conference on ethnic minority health inequality, equalities minister Kemi Badenoch – a Black woman – dismissed the role of structural racism in medical outcomes for BAME communities.
Pointing to Badenoch’s responsibility in addressing ethnic disproportionality in transmission of the virus, Haque said: “That signals the government’s approach to how seriously they take the virus risk among ethnic minority communities. This isn’t an equalities issue – it’s a public health issue.
“Unless over 60% of the population takes the vaccine we will not get population immunity which means we won’t be coming out of this pandemic. At the moment there’s quite a high rate of vaccine hesitancy.”
Luton-based GP Dr Simisola Alabi described the concerns that some Black people have shared with her about the vaccine. It boils down to one fundamental question: is it safe?
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The jab is the fastest vaccine to go from concept to reality, taking only 10 months to follow the same steps that sometimes take a decade – although scientists have been able to assure the public no corners have been cut.
Dr Simisola Alabi Supplied
“The vaccine is relatively safe but the truth is a lot of the work that is supposed to have been done in developing the vaccine could not be done because of time constraints – such a how it interacts with other medicines, its effects on reproduction,” Alabi told HuffPost UK.
The vaccine was not tested on pregnant women, which is why the NHS says they should wait until after giving birth to take it.
“Black communities are ignored generally, in every scenario, so it’s an uphill task when you’re trying to get good health outcomes as a patient. I take exception to the fact that we haven’t been prioritised on the vaccination list – at least give us a chance to say no.”
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Alabi – clinical director at the multi-practice Titan Primary Care Network – said many Black people she knows have access to disinformation videos about the vaccine that consist of “utter rubbish” but are being shared widely across WhatsApp.
She said: “Given the lack of trust in the government, there is a responsibility on Black people to utilise sound resources available and educate themselves about what is and isn’t safe.”
Minority ethnic healthcare professionals are playing a key role in sharing reliable information about the vaccine on social media. Just last week on Clubhouse, a new invite-only voice-based app, UK Black doctors took it upon themselves to address concerns and misinformation about the vaccine.
The Ubele Initiative, a Black-led social enterprise, has been independently collating information regarding people’s vaccination concerns which it intends to share with the Greater London Authority.
Dominic Lipinski - PA Images via Getty Images
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Melanin Medics is a UK charity that promotes diversity in medicine. Its founder and chief exec Olamide Dada told HuffPost UK: “Given the events of this year, which have revealed the extent to which racism has plagued the healthcare service, as well as the history of medical experimentation on Black individuals, concerns from Black communities regarding the Covid-19 vaccine are not invalid.
“These events have contributed to a great degree of distrust within Black communities, questioning whether the vaccine really is in their best interest. We know that Black people are more at risk of Covid-19 and in light of this, both trust and transparency are needed to ensure that at-risk groups are well protected.
“Whilst years of distrust cannot be rebuilt in a single moment, it is imperative that these concerns are well-addressed in a timely manner in the best interest of Black communities. This is a pivotal step in addressing racial inequality that has manifested itself within the healthcare system.”
Nadhim Zahawi, minister responsible for Covid vaccine deployment, told HuffPost UK: “Vaccines save lives and are the most effective public health intervention since clean water.
“All vaccines go through a robust clinical trial process and are only rolled out to patients once they have met the strict safety, effectiveness and quality standards of the UK’s medicines regulator, the MHRA.
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“The NHS will provide advice and information at every possible opportunity, including working closely with BAME communities, to support those receiving a vaccine and to anyone who has questions about the vaccination process.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-11--Supreme Court Rejects Trump’s Authoritarian Bid To Hijack The Presidency

The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected a bid by outgoing President Donald Trump to usurp a second term in office , an anti-democratic legal campaign that sought to disenfranchise millions of voters across four states he lost in the presidential election that would have sent the union spiraling into chaos .
The Supreme Court rejected the case wholesale .
Two conservative justices — Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas — said they believed the Supreme Court was technically required to allow Texas to file a bill of complaint , but indicated that they would “ not grant other relief , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country into chaos .
More than half of Republicans in the House of Representatives as well as 17 Republican state attorneys general joined in the desperate and unprecedented request to overthrow the will of the American people and give Trump another four years .
Millions of Americans will continue to believe conspiracy theories about mass voter fraud and refuse to believe the demonstrable fact that President-elect Joe Biden beat Trump , who has continued to push misinformation about nonexistent mass voter fraud to the American public .
Paxton ’ s now-rejected complaint @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legislatures , like the courts , in the four states in question changed election laws prior to the election .
The complaint made the controversial argument that only state legislatures may change election laws ( a position with no holding precedent ) and therefore the elections in these states should not count .
The lawsuit made no mention of the fact that Texas Gov .
Greg Abbott , a Republican , and not the state legislature altered election rules unilaterally as well .
Furthermore , the complaint was riddled with falsehoods and unproven @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around a bogus statistical analysis that claimed there was only a “ 1 in 1,000,000,000,000,000 ” chance of Biden winning the four states .
The lawsuit sought to nullify the election results in these four states and allow the Republican-controlled state legislatures to choose the winner .
Trump lost these four states from a low of 0.24 % in Georgia to a high of 2.8 % in Michigan .
This case , just like Trump ’ s other lawsuits , wasn ’ t really meant to succeed .
There is no evidence of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fingered in Paxton ’ s complaint , nor is there any evidence in any other state .
Just as Trump ’ s lawyers denied in court that they were alleging voter fraud , Paxton ’ s complaint contained no specific allegations of voter fraud .
The specific , and false , allegations were reserved for arenas where lawyers could not be sanctioned for lying .
The futility of Paxton ’ s challenge made it more like a political protest rather than an actual legal challenge .
This led Republican Party partisans to pile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like press releases in order to show their support for Trump , and the party base that loves him , by rejecting the results of a democratic election .
In addition to the 17 Republican attorneys general who filed to support the complaint , 126 Republican House members , or 64 % of the party caucus , including Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy ( Calif. ) , joined in .
As did more than three dozen Republican state elected officials in a brief alleging “ cabal and oligarchy.
” Sen. Ted Cruz ( R-Texas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the court took it up .
Conservative activist groups joined with briefs as well .
As did right-wing cranks seeking attention , including disgraced former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore and the imaginary states of New California and New Nevada .
The states targeted for the nullification of their elections forcefully rejected such allegations in their own briefs .
They all noted that prior lawsuits filed by Trump and his allies litigated these matters and state and federal judges found no evidence for the allegations of fraud .
“ Texas ’ s effort @ @ @ @ @ @ @ next President has no basis in law or fact .
The Court should not abide this seditious abuse of the judicial process , and should send a clear and unmistakable signal that such abuse must never be replicated , ” Pennsylvania ’ s brief stated .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected a bid by outgoing President Donald Trump to usurp a second term in office, an anti-democratic legal campaign that sought to disenfranchise millions of voters across four states he lost in the presidential election that would have sent the union spiraling into chaos.
Trump had asked on Wednesday to intervene in a Supreme Court lawsuit brought by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton that sought to invalidate votes cast in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Michigan and Wisconsin.
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The Supreme Court rejected the case wholesale. Two conservative justices — Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas — said they believed the Supreme Court was technically required to allow Texas to file a bill of complaint, but indicated that they would “not grant other relief,” meaning they would not agree to throw the country into chaos.
More than half of Republicans in the House of Representatives as well as 17 Republican state attorneys general joined in the desperate and unprecedented request to overthrow the will of the American people and give Trump another four years.
Millions of Americans will continue to believe conspiracy theories about mass voter fraud and refuse to believe the demonstrable fact that President-elect Joe Biden beat Trump, who has continued to push misinformation about nonexistent mass voter fraud to the American public.
Paxton’s now-rejected complaint alleged that entities other than the state legislatures, like the courts, in the four states in question changed election laws prior to the election. The complaint made the controversial argument that only state legislatures may change election laws (a position with no holding precedent) and therefore the elections in these states should not count. The lawsuit made no mention of the fact that Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, and not the state legislature altered election rules unilaterally as well.
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Furthermore, the complaint was riddled with falsehoods and unproven conspiracy theories of voter fraud that centered around a bogus statistical analysis that claimed there was only a “1 in 1,000,000,000,000,000” chance of Biden winning the four states.
The lawsuit sought to nullify the election results in these four states and allow the Republican-controlled state legislatures to choose the winner. Trump lost these four states from a low of 0.24% in Georgia to a high of 2.8% in Michigan.
After losing more than 50 post-election lawsuits, Trump called Paxton’s complaint “the big one,” and filed a motion to join the suit. But it died like the rest.
This case, just like Trump’s other lawsuits, wasn’t really meant to succeed. There is no evidence of widespread voter fraud in the four states fingered in Paxton’s complaint, nor is there any evidence in any other state. Just as Trump’s lawyers denied in court that they were alleging voter fraud, Paxton’s complaint contained no specific allegations of voter fraud. The specific, and false, allegations were reserved for arenas where lawyers could not be sanctioned for lying.
The futility of Paxton’s challenge made it more like a political protest rather than an actual legal challenge. This led Republican Party partisans to pile onto the complaint with briefs that read like press releases in order to show their support for Trump, and the party base that loves him, by rejecting the results of a democratic election.
Advertisement
In addition to the 17 Republican attorneys general who filed to support the complaint, 126 Republican House members, or 64% of the party caucus, including Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (Calif.), joined in. As did more than three dozen Republican state elected officials in a brief alleging “cabal and oligarchy.” Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) agreed to argue the case if the court took it up. Conservative activist groups joined with briefs as well. As did right-wing cranks seeking attention, including disgraced former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore and the imaginary states of New California and New Nevada.
The states targeted for the nullification of their elections forcefully rejected such allegations in their own briefs. They all noted that prior lawsuits filed by Trump and his allies litigated these matters and state and federal judges found no evidence for the allegations of fraud.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-11--White House Reportedly Pressured FDA Chief To Expedite Vaccine Approval Process

White House chief of staff Mark Meadows reportedly put pressure on Food and Drug Administration head Stephen Hahn to expedite the approval of Pfizer ’ s coronavirus vaccine — or risk losing his job .
Meadows told Hahn on Friday to resign if the vaccine was not authorized by the end of the day , The Washington Post reported , citing people familiar with the conversation .
Axios corroborated the Post ’ s account , saying Meadows suggested to Hahn in a Friday phone call that the FDA commissioner ’ s job may be at stake over the vaccine .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Meadows , telling Axios in a statement that it was “ an untrue representation of the phone call with the Chief of Staff.
” “ The FDA was encouraged to continue working expeditiously on Pfizer-BioNTech ’ s [ Emergency Use Authorization ] request , ” Hahn said of the conversation .
“ FDA is committed to issuing this authorization quickly , as we noted in our statement this morning.
” The FDA said in the statement that it would work “ rapidly toward finalization and issuance of an emergency use authorization ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccine following Thursday ’ s endorsement of the vaccine by an FDA advisory committee .
Earlier on Friday , President Donald Trump lambasted the FDA and Hahn in a tweet about the vaccine , calling the agency a “ big , old , slow turtle.
” While my pushing the money drenched but heavily bureaucratic @ US_FDA saved five years in the approval of NUMEROUS great new vaccines , it is still a big , old , slow turtle .
Get the dam vaccines out NOW , Dr. Hahn @ SteveFDA .
Stop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ !
!
— Donald J. Trump ( @ realDonaldTrump ) December 11 , 2020 According to the Post , Trump ’ s goading has propelled the FDA to speed up its approval process for the coronavirus vaccine .
The agency is now expected to clear the vaccine by the end of Friday , instead of Saturday as had been planned previously , the Post reported .
Experts warned that Trump ’ s efforts to compel the FDA to accelerate the vaccine approval process could only increase public mistrust in the vaccine .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ release of vaccines doesn ’ t help anyone , ” Nahid Bhadelia , associate professor of medicine at Boston University and medical director at the Boston Medical Center Special Pathogens Unit , told HuffPost .
“ If anything , by creating the appearance that he is making FDA release vaccines under political duress , he is only making a segment of the public lose trust in the approval process .
”

LOADING ERROR LOADING
White House chief of staff Mark Meadows reportedly put pressure on Food and Drug Administration head Stephen Hahn to expedite the approval of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine — or risk losing his job.
Meadows told Hahn on Friday to resign if the vaccine was not authorized by the end of the day, The Washington Post reported, citing people familiar with the conversation.
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Axios corroborated the Post’s account, saying Meadows suggested to Hahn in a Friday phone call that the FDA commissioner’s job may be at stake over the vaccine.
Hahn disputed this characterization of his call with Meadows, telling Axios in a statement that it was “an untrue representation of the phone call with the Chief of Staff.”
“The FDA was encouraged to continue working expeditiously on Pfizer-BioNTech’s [Emergency Use Authorization] request,” Hahn said of the conversation. “FDA is committed to issuing this authorization quickly, as we noted in our statement this morning.”
The FDA said in the statement that it would work “rapidly toward finalization and issuance of an emergency use authorization” for the nation’s first coronavirus vaccine following Thursday’s endorsement of the vaccine by an FDA advisory committee.
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FDA Commissioner @SteveFDA and @FDACBER Director Dr. Peter Marks issue a statement on yesterday’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee Meeting. https://t.co/8uKTTDTYcx pic.twitter.com/2aufBaMTez — U.S. FDA (@US_FDA) December 11, 2020
Earlier on Friday, President Donald Trump lambasted the FDA and Hahn in a tweet about the vaccine, calling the agency a “big, old, slow turtle.”
“Get the dam vaccines out NOW, Dr. Hahn,” he wrote. “Stop playing games and start saving lives!!!”
While my pushing the money drenched but heavily bureaucratic @US_FDA saved five years in the approval of NUMEROUS great new vaccines, it is still a big, old, slow turtle. Get the dam vaccines out NOW, Dr. Hahn @SteveFDA. Stop playing games and start saving lives!!! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 11, 2020
According to the Post, Trump’s goading has propelled the FDA to speed up its approval process for the coronavirus vaccine. The agency is now expected to clear the vaccine by the end of Friday, instead of Saturday as had been planned previously, the Post reported.
Experts warned that Trump’s efforts to compel the FDA to accelerate the vaccine approval process could only increase public mistrust in the vaccine.
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“The President creating political theater around the release of vaccines doesn’t help anyone,” Nahid Bhadelia, associate professor of medicine at Boston University and medical director at the Boston Medical Center Special Pathogens Unit, told HuffPost. “If anything, by creating the appearance that he is making FDA release vaccines under political duress, he is only making a segment of the public lose trust in the approval process.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-11--Wisconsin Judge Rules Against Trump Overturning State's Election Results

MADISON , Wis. ( AP ) — A judge in Wisconsin on Friday ruled against President Donald Trump ’ s lawsuit seeking to overturn Democrat Joe Biden ’ s win in the state , another in a string of defeats in the president ’ s extraordinary attempts to undo his loss .
Trump has been urging lower court judges to rule quickly in the cases so he can file appeals before the Electoral College meets on Monday and casts Wisconsin ’ s 10 votes for Biden .
Trump is expected to quickly appeal the ruling to the Wisconsin Supreme Court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there appear to be long .
Biden won Wisconsin by about 20,600 votes , a margin that withstood a Trump-requested recount in the state ’ s two largest counties .
Trump asked in the state lawsuit to disqualify more than 221,000 votes in the Democratic strongholds of Dane and Milwaukee counties .
President Donald Trump ’ s campaign was returning to a Wisconsin court on Friday to argue for the state ’ s election results to be overturned , with the Electoral College vote just three days away and a skeptical federal judge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Trump was pushing to overturn Joe Biden ’ s narrow win in Wisconsin with both a state and federal lawsuit in courts there and as part of a broader lawsuit filed with the U.S. Supreme Court by the Texas attorney general .
Trump ’ s attorneys have pushed for swift resolution given that Biden electors in Wisconsin and across the country are to cast their votes on Monday .
Trump and his allies have suffered a string of defeats in Wisconsin and across the country as they ’ ve put forward lawsuits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fraud and election abuse .
A Trump-appointed federal judge in Wisconsin said Thursday that the president ’ s lawsuit was “ incredible , ” “ bizarre ” and “ very odd , ” and asking to overturn the results would be “ the most remarkable ruling in the history of this court or the federal judiciary.
” Meanwhile , in state court Trump ’ s attorneys were arguing on Friday for the disqualification of more than 221,000 ballots cast in Milwaukee and Dane counties .
Those are Wisconsin ’ s two most heavily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump sought a recount .
He is not challenging any ballots cast in counties he won .
Trump wants to disqualify absentee ballots cast early and in-person , saying there wasn ’ t a proper written request made for the ballots ; absentee ballots cast by people who claimed “ indefinitely confined ” status ; absentee ballots collected by poll workers at Madison parks ; and absentee ballots where clerks filled in missing information on ballot envelopes .
If Trump loses in state court , he can seek an appeal before the conservative-controlled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ refused to hear his case before it went through the lower courts .
A majority of justices have also openly questioned whether disqualifying the ballots as Trump is seeking would be appropriate .
Also on Friday , Republican-controlled committees in the state Legislature were holding an invite-only public hearing to accept testimony about the election .
Republicans asked mainly conservative partisans to speak , including a Milwaukee talk radio host , but not the state ’ s top elections official or the head of elections in the city or county of Milwaukee .

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MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A judge in Wisconsin on Friday ruled against President Donald Trump’s lawsuit seeking to overturn Democrat Joe Biden’s win in the state, another in a string of defeats in the president’s extraordinary attempts to undo his loss.
Reserve Judge Stephen Simanek ruled against Trump following a virtual hearing. Trump’s federal lawsuit remains alive.
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Trump has been urging lower court judges to rule quickly in the cases so he can file appeals before the Electoral College meets on Monday and casts Wisconsin’s 10 votes for Biden. Trump is expected to quickly appeal the ruling to the Wisconsin Supreme Court, even though his chances of success there appear to be long.
Biden won Wisconsin by about 20,600 votes, a margin that withstood a Trump-requested recount in the state’s two largest counties. Trump asked in the state lawsuit to disqualify more than 221,000 votes in the Democratic strongholds of Dane and Milwaukee counties.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.
President Donald Trump’s campaign was returning to a Wisconsin court on Friday to argue for the state’s election results to be overturned, with the Electoral College vote just three days away and a skeptical federal judge nearing a ruling on a similar case.
Trump was pushing to overturn Joe Biden’s narrow win in Wisconsin with both a state and federal lawsuit in courts there and as part of a broader lawsuit filed with the U.S. Supreme Court by the Texas attorney general. Trump’s attorneys have pushed for swift resolution given that Biden electors in Wisconsin and across the country are to cast their votes on Monday.
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Trump and his allies have suffered a string of defeats in Wisconsin and across the country as they’ve put forward lawsuits that rely on unsubstantiated claims of widespread fraud and election abuse. A Trump-appointed federal judge in Wisconsin said Thursday that the president’s lawsuit was “incredible,” “bizarre” and “very odd,” and asking to overturn the results would be “the most remarkable ruling in the history of this court or the federal judiciary.”
U.S. District Judge Brett Ludwig promised to issue his ruling as soon as Friday.
Meanwhile, in state court Trump’s attorneys were arguing on Friday for the disqualification of more than 221,000 ballots cast in Milwaukee and Dane counties. Those are Wisconsin’s two most heavily Democratic counties and the only ones where Trump sought a recount. He is not challenging any ballots cast in counties he won.
Biden won the state by nearly 21,000 votes, a margin of 0.6%.
Trump wants to disqualify absentee ballots cast early and in-person, saying there wasn’t a proper written request made for the ballots; absentee ballots cast by people who claimed “indefinitely confined” status; absentee ballots collected by poll workers at Madison parks; and absentee ballots where clerks filled in missing information on ballot envelopes.
Attorneys for Democratic Gov. Tony Evers and the state’s bipartisan elections commission called Trump’s claims ludicrous, without evidence, filed too late and an attempt to disenfranchise the state’s 3.3 million voters.
If Trump loses in state court, he can seek an appeal before the conservative-controlled Wisconsin Supreme Court. That court previously refused to hear his case before it went through the lower courts. A majority of justices have also openly questioned whether disqualifying the ballots as Trump is seeking would be appropriate.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-11--GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy Signs On To Election Coup Lawsuit

David McNew/Getty Images Like a majority of the House GOP Conference , House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy ( R-Calif. ) , seen here at left , knows who 's boss .
WASHINGTON — Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy ( R-Calif. ) became one of the latest House Republicans Friday to sign on to a lawsuit to invalidate the election results , marking a new low point of depravity for the GOP leader and the Republican conference .
More than half of House Republicans , 126 of 196 , have now signed on to the baseless lawsuit to overthrow President-elect Joe Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And more could still join , in a final act of fealty to Trump and his false claims of election fraud .
The lawsuit is really an amicus brief petition in support of a Texas lawsuit that attempts to invalidate the election results in Pennsylvania , Georgia , Michigan and Wisconsin — disenfranchising millions of voters in those states because Texas said so .
It ’ s a patently absurd lawsuit , almost certain to fail , that suggests a remedy of throwing out election results in other states — itself a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ploy to keep Trump in office .
Most House Republicans know the lawsuit will be quickly dismissed .
Texas lacks standing to sue other states over their voting results , as well as any real claims of voter fraud that would warrant such a remedy .
McCarthy had initially resisted signing on to the petition , which is being led by Republican Study Committee chairman Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana .
Johnson sent an email to every Republican in the House warning them that Trump would be “ anxiously awaiting the final list @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
2 House Republican Steve Scalise , the minority whip from Louisiana , signed , McCarthy apparently made the decision to follow suit , not to be outflanked on his right by one of the only Republicans who could beat McCarthy in a race to be Speaker .
With both men signed on , House Republicans are being led by two men who support overthrowing the will of the people in service to Trump — or lack the courage to stand up to the president or his supporters .

Like a majority of the House GOP Conference, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), seen here at left, knows who's boss. David McNew/Getty Images
WASHINGTON — Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) became one of the latest House Republicans Friday to sign on to a lawsuit to invalidate the election results, marking a new low point of depravity for the GOP leader and the Republican conference.
More than half of House Republicans, 126 of 196, have now signed on to the baseless lawsuit to overthrow President-elect Joe Biden and keep President Donald Trump in office. And more could still join, in a final act of fealty to Trump and his false claims of election fraud.
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The lawsuit is really an amicus brief petition in support of a Texas lawsuit that attempts to invalidate the election results in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Michigan and Wisconsin — disenfranchising millions of voters in those states because Texas said so.
It’s a patently absurd lawsuit, almost certain to fail, that suggests a remedy of throwing out election results in other states — itself a massive swipe at federalism — as a ploy to keep Trump in office.
Most House Republicans know the lawsuit will be quickly dismissed. Texas lacks standing to sue other states over their voting results, as well as any real claims of voter fraud that would warrant such a remedy.
But Republicans are pushing ahead anyway.
McCarthy had initially resisted signing on to the petition, which is being led by Republican Study Committee chairman Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana.
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Johnson sent an email to every Republican in the House warning them that Trump would be “anxiously awaiting the final list” of signatories. And when No. 2 House Republican Steve Scalise, the minority whip from Louisiana, signed, McCarthy apparently made the decision to follow suit, not to be outflanked on his right by one of the only Republicans who could beat McCarthy in a race to be Speaker.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-11--Body Camera Footage Shows Florida Cops' Raid On COVID-19 Data Scientist's Home

The COVID-19 whistleblower and former Florida Department of Health official has accused Gov .
Ron DeSantis ( R ) of dispatching the officers in a bid to chill her criticism of his coronavirus response .
The two videos made public on Thursday show officers milling about outside Jones ’ house for 23 minutes on Monday morning as they attempt to serve the warrant , repeatedly identifying themselves as police and banging on the door .
Once Jones exits the house , at least one officer points a gun at her .
Another restrains her as she repeatedly yells at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her children .
“ That was not smart what you ’ re doing , OK , ” an officer responds , apparently reprimanding her for taking so long to come outside .
“ You need to calm down and get your head right because you ’ re making all the wrong decisions.
” Jones says that “ the last time that you guys came , ” her lawyer told her not to answer the door .
“ What are you looking for ?
” she asks .
“ Are you looking for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if any of the officers who entered the house were wearing body cameras .
The Department of Law Enforcement only provided footage from one officer who remained outside .
Internal security camera footage that Jones released on Monday shows at least two officers with unholstered weapons inside the house , although the video cuts off before any children enter the frame .
1/ There will be no update today .
At 8:30 am this morning , state police came into my house and took all my hardware and tech .
They were serving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ filed a complaint .
They pointed a gun in my face .
They pointed guns at my kids.. pic.twitter.com/DE2QfOmtPU — Rebekah Jones ( @ GeoRebekah ) December 7 , 2020 Officers seized computers , phones and other tech hardware that Jones had in her Tallahassee home , acting on a Department of Health allegation that she ’ d sent an unauthorized message to department employees last month encouraging them to speak out about COVID-19 deaths .
“ It ’ s time to speak up before another 17,000 people are dead , ” read @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people on Nov. 10 .
“ You know this is wrong .
You don ’ t have to be part of this .
Be a hero .
Speak out before it ’ s too late.
” Jones told The New York Times that she had nothing to do with sending those messages , noting that the actual number of deaths in Florida at the time was 17,640 and insisting that she would never have rounded the number down .
The Department of Health ’ s system was also woefully insecure : All of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emergency alert system shared the same username and password .
Jones ’ attorney , Stephen S. Dobson III , told the Times that the login information was also widely shared and written on at least three boards at the department .
“ They took my phone and the computer I use every day to post the case numbers in Florida , and school cases for the entire country , ” Jones tweeted after the raid Monday .
“ They took evidence of corruption at the state level , ” she continued .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ breach .
This was DeSantis .
He sent the gestapo.
” Jones has maintained an independent , public-facing COVID-19 dashboard since May , when she was fired from her job as a data scientist after she ’ s said she refused a request from her superiors to manipulate numbers in the state ’ s official database .
The information they asked her to post would have overcounted the number of coronavirus tests performed and undercounted the total number of cases as Florida rushed to reopen its economy , Jones has said .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asked to remove evidence of people testing positive for the virus in January .
“ This video demonstrates that FDLE agents exercised extreme patience , ” department Commissioner Rick Swearingen said in a statement .
“ Search warrants are one of the most dangerous events a law enforcement officer will engage in and many officers are killed each year during the execution of search warrants .
”

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The Florida Department of Law Enforcement on Thursday released body camera footage showing its raid on Rebekah Jones’ house earlier this week.
The COVID-19 whistleblower and former Florida Department of Health official has accused Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) of dispatching the officers in a bid to chill her criticism of his coronavirus response.
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The two videos made public on Thursday show officers milling about outside Jones’ house for 23 minutes on Monday morning as they attempt to serve the warrant, repeatedly identifying themselves as police and banging on the door.
Once Jones exits the house, at least one officer points a gun at her. Another restrains her as she repeatedly yells at the police to stop pointing a gun at her children.
“He’s pointing a gun up the stairs at my children,” Jones forcefully says at one point.
“That was not smart what you’re doing, OK,” an officer responds, apparently reprimanding her for taking so long to come outside. “You need to calm down and get your head right because you’re making all the wrong decisions.”
Jones says that “the last time that you guys came,” her lawyer told her not to answer the door. “What are you looking for?” she asks. “Are you looking for a person?”
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It’s unclear if any of the officers who entered the house were wearing body cameras. The Department of Law Enforcement only provided footage from one officer who remained outside.
Internal security camera footage that Jones released on Monday shows at least two officers with unholstered weapons inside the house, although the video cuts off before any children enter the frame.
1/
There will be no update today.
At 8:30 am this morning, state police came into my house and took all my hardware and tech.
They were serving a warrant on my computer after DOH filed a complaint.
They pointed a gun in my face. They pointed guns at my kids.. pic.twitter.com/DE2QfOmtPU — Rebekah Jones (@GeoRebekah) December 7, 2020
Officers seized computers, phones and other tech hardware that Jones had in her Tallahassee home, acting on a Department of Health allegation that she’d sent an unauthorized message to department employees last month encouraging them to speak out about COVID-19 deaths.
“It’s time to speak up before another 17,000 people are dead,” read the message, sent to roughly 1,750 people on Nov. 10. “You know this is wrong. You don’t have to be part of this. Be a hero. Speak out before it’s too late.”
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Jones told The New York Times that she had nothing to do with sending those messages, noting that the actual number of deaths in Florida at the time was 17,640 and insisting that she would never have rounded the number down.
The Department of Health’s system was also woefully insecure: All of the accounts with access to the internal emergency alert system shared the same username and password. Jones’ attorney, Stephen S. Dobson III, told the Times that the login information was also widely shared and written on at least three boards at the department.
“They took my phone and the computer I use every day to post the case numbers in Florida, and school cases for the entire country,” Jones tweeted after the raid Monday.
“They took evidence of corruption at the state level,” she continued. “They claimed it was about a security breach. This was DeSantis. He sent the gestapo.”
DeSantis’ office didn’t respond to a request for comment from HuffPost regarding those claims.
Jones has maintained an independent, public-facing COVID-19 dashboard since May, when she was fired from her job as a data scientist after she’s said she refused a request from her superiors to manipulate numbers in the state’s official database. The information they asked her to post would have overcounted the number of coronavirus tests performed and undercounted the total number of cases as Florida rushed to reopen its economy, Jones has said. She’s also said that she was asked to remove evidence of people testing positive for the virus in January.
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In a release Thursday, the Department of Law Enforcement said the video footage exonerates its officers of allegations of wrongdoing during the raid.
“This video demonstrates that FDLE agents exercised extreme patience,” department Commissioner Rick Swearingen said in a statement. “Search warrants are one of the most dangerous events a law enforcement officer will engage in and many officers are killed each year during the execution of search warrants.”