thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-19--Native Americans Are Afraid, Hard-Hit As Coronavirus Spikes In The Great Plains

Since the start of the pandemic , Native Americans — like Black and Latinx residents — have been disproportionately hard hit by the virus .
Native people are 2.8 times more likely to be infected than whites , 5.3 times more likely to be hospitalized and 1.4 times more likely to die , according to an August report from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
Lori Walking Eagle , 53 , who lives on the Rosebud reservation in South Dakota , tested positive for the coronavirus last Wednesday .
After feeling exhausted the previous day , she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and vomiting .
She went straight to the IHS hospital , where a doctor and a nurse — who ’ d both previously had the coronavirus — gave her medication , instructions and sent her home to recover .
But once home , she stopped short outside her door .
“ I have friends my age who are afraid because they respect the virus .
They ’ ll mask up , they follow the rules .
But because we have such a high rate of underlying health conditions , we ’ re more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he had to have a coronary bypass last month at age 51 .
He also lost a family member to the coronavirus last weekend .
Bordeaux pointed to how many tribal reservations are considered “ food deserts , ” with little access to healthful foods .
A 2014 U.S. Department of Agriculture report found that only a quarter of residents in tribal areas lived less than a mile from a supermarket , compared with nearly 60 % of the U.S. population .
What ’ s more , USDA programs for years distributed low-quality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including obesity , diabetes and heart problems .
Studies throughout the ’ 90s found concerns around the high-fat foods , a lack of fresh produce and high levels of sodium and sugar in the food packages delivered to reservations .
The hospital in the Standing Rock reservation is “ outdated , ” with “ limited staff ” and ventilators “ few and far between , ” Davis said .
And now , with cases spiking across the region , hospitals are nearing capacity .
They ’ re seeing patients sent from the reservation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told they can ’ t be taken , so they ’ re sent to Fargo , another three or four hours away .
It ’ s taken a global pandemic to bring to light… a lot of the issues we ’ ve been screaming from the mountaintop for years .
Jamie Azure , tribal chairman for the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians

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The coronavirus is devastating Native American communities as infections are on the rise nationwide.
Since the start of the pandemic, Native Americans — like Black and Latinx residents — have been disproportionately hard hit by the virus. Native people are 2.8 times more likely to be infected than whites, 5.3 times more likely to be hospitalized and 1.4 times more likely to die, according to an August report from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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As COVID-19 cases have shot up in recent weeks, the Indian Health Service federal agency reported a 25% positivity rate among Native Americans in the Great Plains, which includes the Dakotas.
“They’re afraid. Our people, they are afraid,” said Rodney Bordeaux, president of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, the second-largest tribe in South Dakota with more than 33,000 enrolled members. As of Wednesday, the tribe had confirmed more than 200 active cases and over a dozen members dead.
“It’s scary,” he added, noting that they are “losing elders,” and among those still recovering, they’ve seen breathing problems, body aches and confusion.
Tribal leaders noted that Native Americans have disproportionately high rates of preexisting conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease and obesity, which are linked to ongoing inequities, like a lack of access to quality food and health care. These health conditions place the group at higher risk of severe consequences from the coronavirus.
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Lori Walking Eagle, 53, who lives on the Rosebud reservation in South Dakota, tested positive for the coronavirus last Wednesday. After feeling exhausted the previous day, she woke up with a headache, diarrhea and vomiting. She went straight to the IHS hospital, where a doctor and a nurse — who’d both previously had the coronavirus — gave her medication, instructions and sent her home to recover. But once home, she stopped short outside her door.
“I was crying outside. I didn’t want to come in,” said Walking Eagle. She didn’t want to infect her son, his pregnant girlfriend and their two kids, who all live with her.
A week later, she is slowly feeling better but is still plagued with anxiety.
“I hear about the brain fog, that months later people are suffering psychological disorders,” she said. “I’m afraid.”
Lori Walking Eagle recovers from coronavirus at home in South Dakota. Courtesy of Lori Walking Eagle
The Republican governors leading the Dakotas have been criticized for not imposing a mask mandate earlier to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. In North Dakota, Gov. Doug Burgum finally ordered a mask mandate Saturday after months of resistance. In South Dakota, Gov. Kristi Noem continues to refuse to set a mask mandate.
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Hundreds of cases have been linked to a 10-day motorcycle rally in August in Sturgis, South Dakota, where hundreds of thousands of attendees gathered, many of them maskless.
Meanwhile, Native tribes have been far stricter than state governments in setting rules to curb the virus’s spread, including imposing mask mandates, curfews and stay-home orders on their reservations. But tribes are far from isolated from the surrounding non-Indian populations.
Jamie Azure, tribal chairman for the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians — the largest tribe in North Dakota, with more than 30,000 enrolled members — noted that people still need to go off reservation for necessities. Native people make up about 6% of North Dakota’s population.
“Without everybody around us following even close to the same protections, it was inevitable we would be affected, no matter what laws we pass as a sovereign nation,” Azure said.
Scott Davis — a member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and executive director of North Dakota’s Indian Affairs Commission, a state agency — called the coronavirus “very stressful” for tribes and “one of the biggest concerns” they’ve had to face in his over a decade on the job.
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“I have friends my age who are afraid because they respect the virus. They’ll mask up, they follow the rules. But because we have such a high rate of underlying health conditions, we’re more susceptible,” he said, noting he had to have a coronary bypass last month at age 51. He also lost a family member to the coronavirus last weekend.
“They’re afraid. Our people, they are afraid.” - Rodney Bordeaux, president of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe
In its August coronavirus report, the CDC noted that “persisting racial inequity and historical trauma have contributed to disparities in health and socioeconomic factors” between Native and white populations, which have in turn “adversely affected tribal communities.”
Bordeaux pointed to how many tribal reservations are considered “food deserts,” with little access to healthful foods. A 2014 U.S. Department of Agriculture report found that only a quarter of residents in tribal areas lived less than a mile from a supermarket, compared with nearly 60% of the U.S. population. What’s more, USDA programs for years distributed low-quality food to reservations, contributing to issues including obesity, diabetes and heart problems. Studies throughout the ’90s found concerns around the high-fat foods, a lack of fresh produce and high levels of sodium and sugar in the food packages delivered to reservations.
Another contributor to the virus’s spread on reservations is a lack of affordable housing, leading to multiple families or several generations of the same one living in the same home.
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Tribal leaders also noted that the Indian Health Service, which provides health care on many reservations, has long been under-resourced.
“I look at the treaty obligations, the responsibility for IHS, Congress, to make sure Indian Country has adequate health services — we never had that,” Davis said. His mother, who worked at IHS for 30 years, saw firsthand how it was “always understaffed, always underfunded,” he said.
The hospital in the Standing Rock reservation is “outdated,” with “limited staff” and ventilators “few and far between,” Davis said. And now, with cases spiking across the region, hospitals are nearing capacity. They’re seeing patients sent from the reservation to the nearest hospital only to be told they can’t be taken, so they’re sent to Fargo, another three or four hours away.
“That 2½-hour helicopter ride is a matter of life and death in some instances,” Azure said, noting severe cases get airlifted. “We’ve already seen it. It’s hard.”
Bordeaux in South Dakota said the labs they used to send the reservation’s COVID-19 tests to have gotten too busy amid the spike, so now they’re sent to a lab in Utah, taking up to seven days to get results.
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“That’s the kind of health system we have,” Bordeaux said. “You’re infected and you’re not going to find out for seven days — who’d you shake hands with, who’d you hug?”
“It’s taken a global pandemic to bring to light… a lot of the issues we’ve been screaming from the mountaintop for years.” - Jamie Azure, tribal chairman for the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians
It’s not just the virus itself that has tribe members worried. It’s also its ongoing economic fallout.
As tribes have had to close businesses or limit their hours under the curfew, employees have gotten laid off or had their hours and pay cut, Bordeaux said.
Davis noted that casinos at Standing Rock, “the lifeblood of our tribe,” have remained open but with limited access and dwindling clientele.
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Meanwhile, in Turtle Mountain, the tribe decided to close its casinos — but Azure worries about the supplemental unemployment of $600 a month that people have gotten under Congress’s relief bill running out, with no assurance it will be extended.
“We’re worried about the safety and health of our people... but by protecting them we’re putting them in harm’s way, as unemployment is running out and they go off reservation to find work,” Azure said. “When I go home, I don’t sleep, because those are the things I worry about.”
The Trump White House had wanted tribes to get $0 of the $10 billion tribes eventually were allocated in Congress’s coronavirus relief bill last spring. In June, a federal judge had to order the Trump administration to distribute hundreds of millions in relief funds that tribes were owed.
Azure made clear that the next administration, under President-elect Joe Biden, had to “not only listen but hear what we’re saying.”
Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris have said they’ll prioritize racial equity in their administration, including boosting economic support to “Black, brown and Native families.”
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Just this week, Harris tweeted that the pandemic “hit communities of color particularly hard.”
This pandemic has hit communities of color particularly hard. Black Americans, Latinos, and Native Americans are 4x as likely to be hospitalized for COVID-19 as others.@JoeBiden and I are committed to confronting these disparities head-on. — Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) November 18, 2020
“It’s taken a global pandemic to bring to light… a lot of the issues we’ve been screaming from the mountaintop for years,” Azure said, listing issues like “food wastelands,” sovereign rights and the under-resourcing of IHS.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-19--Over 900 Midwest Mayo Clinic Staff Diagnosed With Coronavirus In Last 2 Weeks

More than 900 staff members in the Mayo Clinic Health System in the Midwest have been diagnosed with the coronavirus in just the last two weeks as COVID-19 cases regionally continue to soar , officials said .
The newly diagnosed cases amount to 30 % of the total number of cases among Mayo Clinic workers since the start of the pandemic in March , Ginger Plumbo , a spokesperson for the medical center , told HuffPost on Thursday .
Plumbo emphasized that roughly 93 % of the infections are believed to have occurred from community spread and not from exposure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for greater virus precautions within the community .
“ This impacts our ability to care for patients , ” Plumbo said of the virus ’ s effects on health care staff .
“ We need everyone in the communities we serve to do their part to limit the spread of COVID-19.
” Of the Mayo Clinic ’ s Midwest health care workers , approximately 2.7 % either have work restrictions related to COVID-19 exposure or are entirely unable to work due to a COVID-19 diagnosis , the Mayo Clinic said in a statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Midwest health system , which employs roughly 55,000 staff , has locations in Minnesota , Wisconsin and Iowa ― three states that have been dealing with a significant rise in coronavirus cases in recent weeks .
On Wednesday , Wisconsin reported its highest number of confirmed cases in a single day .
Of those hospitalized for the virus , 19 % are in an intensive care unit , leaving only 9 % of ICU beds available across the state , the Wisconsin Department of Health Services said .
On Thursday , Minnesota @ @ @ @ @ @ @ related to COVID-19 .
These 72 deaths topped the previous record of 67 deaths reported only a day earlier , the Star Tribune reported. Iowa has the third-highest rate of new COVID-19 cases nationally , behind North and South Dakota , On Monday , after months of refusal , the governor ordered that masks must be worn indoors .
Dr. Amy Williams , the executive dean of Mayo Clinic Practice , repeated the need for more community involvement to reduce the rising rates of infection at a media briefing on Tuesday .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are busy , our health care workers are very busy , and we know much more now than we did in the spring about how to care for COVID patients , but we ’ re still seeing a spread in our communities , ” she said .
Her comments came as the Mayo Clinic ’ s major campus in Rochester , Minnesota , reported that all 32 of its medical intensive care beds designated for COVID-19 patients were full .

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More than 900 staff members in the Mayo Clinic Health System in the Midwest have been diagnosed with the coronavirus in just the last two weeks as COVID-19 cases regionally continue to soar, officials said.
The newly diagnosed cases amount to 30% of the total number of cases among Mayo Clinic workers since the start of the pandemic in March, Ginger Plumbo, a spokesperson for the medical center, told HuffPost on Thursday.
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Plumbo emphasized that roughly 93% of the infections are believed to have occurred from community spread and not from exposure in the workplace, highlighting the need for greater virus precautions within the community.
“This impacts our ability to care for patients,” Plumbo said of the virus’s effects on health care staff. “We need everyone in the communities we serve to do their part to limit the spread of COVID-19.”
The Mayo Clinic Health System Luther Campus in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Bing Guan / Reuters
Of the Mayo Clinic’s Midwest health care workers, approximately 2.7% either have work restrictions related to COVID-19 exposure or are entirely unable to work due to a COVID-19 diagnosis, the Mayo Clinic said in a statement on Thursday.
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The Mayo Clinic’s Midwest health system, which employs roughly 55,000 staff, has locations in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa ― three states that have been dealing with a significant rise in coronavirus cases in recent weeks.
On Wednesday, Wisconsin reported its highest number of confirmed cases in a single day. Of those hospitalized for the virus, 19% are in an intensive care unit, leaving only 9% of ICU beds available across the state, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services said.
On Thursday, Minnesota reported a record-setting one-day increase in deaths related to COVID-19. These 72 deaths topped the previous record of 67 deaths reported only a day earlier, the Star Tribune reported.
Iowa has the third-highest rate of new COVID-19 cases nationally, behind North and South Dakota, On Monday, after months of refusal, the governor ordered that masks must be worn indoors.
Dr. Amy Williams, the executive dean of Mayo Clinic Practice, repeated the need for more community involvement to reduce the rising rates of infection at a media briefing on Tuesday.
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“The bottom line is, our hospitals are busy, our health care workers are very busy, and we know much more now than we did in the spring about how to care for COVID patients, but we’re still seeing a spread in our communities,” she said.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-19--Biden Adamantly Says He Will Not Lock Down The Country Again: 'No. National. Shutdown.'

President-elect Joe Biden said Thursday that he would not institute another nationwide lockdown upon assuming office in January , emphasizing that a more targeted approach would be better for fighting COVID-19 while keeping the U.S. economy intact .
Biden made the comments in response to a question from veteran NBC White House correspondent Kristen Welker with reference to an earlier statement he made in an ABC interview in August .
Biden said at the time that he would follow the advice of the scientific community in combating the coronavirus — a clear contrast to the actions of President Donald Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ science .
Biden told ABC ’ s David Muir that he would “ listen to the scientists ” and institute a shutdown if they said it was necessary .
“ The answer was I would follow the science , ” Biden told Welker .
“ I am not going to shut down the economy , period .
I ’ m going to shut down the virus .
...
I ’ ll say it again .
No national shutdown .
No .
National .
Shutdown .
Because every region , every area , every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there ’ s no circumstance which I can see that would require a total national shutdown .
I think that would be counterproductive.
” Biden also outlined examples in which businesses could remain open .
“ In a state ... where the infection rate is not as high , you can have a gymnasium open .
It ’ s another thing to say it can only be open four hours a day with X number of people .
The church I go to , ... they don ’ t allow more than 40 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the church .
Those are rational decisions .
It ’ s not shutting down everything .
It ’ s calibrating based on what the threat is.
” Another national lockdown may not be in the cards , but the president-elect ’ s team last week reportedly began phoning governors and mayors of major cities to encourage them to institute mask mandates that can stop the spread of COVID-19 while still keeping businesses open .

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President-elect Joe Biden said Thursday that he would not institute another nationwide lockdown upon assuming office in January, emphasizing that a more targeted approach would be better for fighting COVID-19 while keeping the U.S. economy intact.
Biden made the comments in response to a question from veteran NBC White House correspondent Kristen Welker with reference to an earlier statement he made in an ABC interview in August.
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Biden said at the time that he would follow the advice of the scientific community in combating the coronavirus — a clear contrast to the actions of President Donald Trump and his administration, which routinely disregarded science. Biden told ABC’s David Muir that he would “listen to the scientists” and institute a shutdown if they said it was necessary.
But Biden on Thursday said his earlier remark was a response to a “hypothetical question.”
“The answer was I would follow the science,” Biden told Welker. “I am not going to shut down the economy, period. I’m going to shut down the virus. ... I’ll say it again. No national shutdown. No. National. Shutdown. Because every region, every area, every community can be different. And so there’s no circumstance which I can see that would require a total national shutdown. I think that would be counterproductive.”
Biden also outlined examples in which businesses could remain open. “In a state ... where the infection rate is not as high, you can have a gymnasium open. It’s another thing to say it can only be open four hours a day with X number of people. The church I go to, ... they don’t allow more than 40% of the people to come into the church. Those are rational decisions. It’s not shutting down everything. It’s calibrating based on what the threat is.”
Another national lockdown may not be in the cards, but the president-elect’s team last week reportedly began phoning governors and mayors of major cities to encourage them to institute mask mandates that can stop the spread of COVID-19 while still keeping businesses open.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-19--Trump Takes Credit For Vaccines, Remains Silent On 250,000 COVID-19 Deaths

The U.S. surpassed 250,000 coronavirus deaths this week and President Donald Trump has remained silent on the matter , with the exception of sending several tweets to take credit for the rapid development of multiple vaccines .
On Wednesday , when Johns Hopkins University recorded the grim milestone , Trump didn ’ t tweet a single thing about the pandemic .
Instead , he focused his energy on pushing baseless claims of widespread voter fraud .
“ Mortality rate is 85 % down !
” Trump tweeted , failing to mention surging infection rates , hospitalizations and deaths across the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials in his own administration , have warned for weeks that the winter will likely see a drastic jump in COVID-19 cases and deaths .
But Trump has seemingly tuned out the nightmarish predictions .
When they ’ ve addressed the pandemic , his tweets in recent days have praised his handling of the virus ― which has been widely panned by many medical experts ― and bashed other countries .
“ Another vaccine just announced , ” Trump tweeted Monday , referring to a vaccine developed by biotechnology company Moderna .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ please remember that these great discoveries , which will end the China Plague , all took place on my count !
” “ European Countries are sadly getting clobbered by the China Virus , ” the president tweeted later that day .
“ The Fake News does not like reporting this !
” As of Thursday , the U.S. continued to lead the world in recorded COVID-19 infections and deaths , with more than 11.5 million reported cases .
The U.S. saw its highest death toll in more than six months on Tuesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ America ’ s disastrous mortality statistics are the direct result of political decisions by the country ’ s leaders .
Singapore , South Korea and Hong Kong , among the most densely populated places in the world , have had vanishingly small outbreaks and are now returning to pre-coronavirus activities .
On Nov. 6 , a few days after Election Day , Trump retweeted conservative commentator Paul Sperry ’ s spurious attack on CNN for ending its coverage of the “ supposed ” coronavirus crisis .
( The network has done no such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has suddenly stopped its ‘ COVID-COVID-COVID !
’ drumbeat , isn ’ t it ?
” Sperry wrote in a tweet that the president subsequently shared with his more than 85 million Twitter followers .
“ Arent we still in the middle of a supposed national health-care emergency , CNN ?
” But , in fact , it ’ s Trump and some of his Republican allies who have retreated from discussing it .
Trump hasn ’ t held a coronavirus news briefing in months .
“ No medical breakthrough of this scope @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rapidly , this quickly , and we ’ re very proud of it , ” Trump said , before thanking military leaders and White House aides for their help .
He did not thank the scientists who ’ ve been working to develop the vaccines or the health care professionals serving on the frontlines of the pandemic .
“ If you had a different administration with different people , what we ’ ve done would have taken , in my opinion , three , four , five years , ” the president added @

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The U.S. surpassed 250,000 coronavirus deaths this week and President Donald Trump has remained silent on the matter, with the exception of sending several tweets to take credit for the rapid development of multiple vaccines.
On Wednesday, when Johns Hopkins University recorded the grim milestone, Trump didn’t tweet a single thing about the pandemic. Instead, he focused his energy on pushing baseless claims of widespread voter fraud.
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Trump continued to spread unsubstantiated conspiracy theories about the election Thursday, with a couple tweets sprinkled in praising “COVID DRUGS” and “VACCINES.”
“Mortality rate is 85% down!” Trump tweeted, failing to mention surging infection rates, hospitalizations and deaths across the country. Public health experts, including officials in his own administration, have warned for weeks that the winter will likely see a drastic jump in COVID-19 cases and deaths.
But Trump has seemingly tuned out the nightmarish predictions. When they’ve addressed the pandemic, his tweets in recent days have praised his handling of the virus ― which has been widely panned by many medical experts ― and bashed other countries.
“Another vaccine just announced,” Trump tweeted Monday, referring to a vaccine developed by biotechnology company Moderna. “For those great ‘historians,’ please remember that these great discoveries, which will end the China Plague, all took place on my count!”
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“European Countries are sadly getting clobbered by the China Virus,” the president tweeted later that day. “The Fake News does not like reporting this!”
As of Thursday, the U.S. continued to lead the world in recorded COVID-19 infections and deaths, with more than 11.5 million reported cases. The U.S. saw its highest death toll in more than six months on Tuesday, with at least 1,700 fatalities.
America’s disastrous mortality statistics are the direct result of political decisions by the country’s leaders. Singapore, South Korea and Hong Kong, among the most densely populated places in the world, have had vanishingly small outbreaks and are now returning to pre-coronavirus activities.
Trump’s allies, including his son Eric Trump, baselessly claimed Democrats and the media would stop focusing on the pandemic after Election Day.
On Nov. 6, a few days after Election Day, Trump retweeted conservative commentator Paul Sperry’s spurious attack on CNN for ending its coverage of the “supposed” coronavirus crisis. (The network has done no such thing.)
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“Funny how CNN has suddenly stopped its ‘COVID-COVID-COVID!’ drumbeat, isn’t it?” Sperry wrote in a tweet that the president subsequently shared with his more than 85 million Twitter followers. “Arent we still in the middle of a supposed national health-care emergency, CNN?”
But, in fact, it’s Trump and some of his Republican allies who have retreated from discussing it. Trump hasn’t held a coronavirus news briefing in months.
Last week, he delivered a speech from the White House Rose Garden touting his administration’s partnership with companies to develop COVID-19 treatments and vaccines.
“No medical breakthrough of this scope and magnitude has ever been achieved this rapidly, this quickly, and we’re very proud of it,” Trump said, before thanking military leaders and White House aides for their help.
He did not thank the scientists who’ve been working to develop the vaccines or the health care professionals serving on the frontlines of the pandemic.
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“If you had a different administration with different people, what we’ve done would have taken, in my opinion, three, four, five years,” the president added.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-19--AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine Data Shows Promise In Elderly

The data , reported in part last month but published in full in The Lancet medical journal on Thursday , suggest that those aged over 70 , who are at higher risk of serious illness and death from COVID-19 , could build robust immunity .
“ The robust antibody and T-cell responses seen in older people in our study are encouraging , ” said Maheshi Ramasamy , a consultant and co-lead investigator at the Oxford Vaccine Group .
The University of Oxford and its partner British pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca said they expect to have the results of late-stage trials by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ means our vaccine will help to protect some of the most vulnerable people in society , but further research will be needed before we can be sure.
” Late-stage , or Phase III , trials are ongoing to confirm the findings , researchers said , and to test whether the vaccine protects against infection with SARS-CoV-2 in a broad range of people , including people with underlying health conditions .
Results of those trials should definitely be known by Christmas , the Oxford Vaccine Group ’ s director , Andrew Pollard , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know whether and how well the vaccine works in preventing COVID-19 disease .
“ We ’ re still waiting to get to the point where we can do the analysis to just work out how well the vaccine can protect people , and we ’ re getting ever closer to that , ” he told journalists .
“ We are optimistic that we ’ ll be able to do that before Christmas , and obviously we ’ ll share that with you as soon as we can at that point.
” The Oxford-AstraZeneca @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 , had been among the front-runners in global efforts to develop shots to protect against infection with the novel coronavirus , or SARS-CoV-2 .
But rival drugmakers Pfizer Inc PFE.N , BioNTech 22UAy.F and Moderna Inc MRNA.O have in the past 10 days edged ahead , releasing data from late-stage COVID-19 vaccine trials that shows more than 90 % efficacy .
“ We ’ re not in a rush .
We and it ’ s not a competition with the other developers , ” Oxford ’ s Pollard said , adding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before it was published in an academic journal .
Oxford University has set a target of 53 infections to start the interim analysis of its late-stage trial results , though “ lots of cases ” in its trial arms in Britain , South Africa and Brazil mean the exact number of infections reported could differ .
Unlike the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna shots , both of which use new technology known as messenger RNA ( mRNA ) , AstraZeneca ’ s is a viral vector vaccine made from a weakened version of a common @ @ @ @ @ @

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LONDON (Reuters) - AstraZeneca and Oxford University’s potential COVID-19 vaccine produced a strong immune response in older adults, data published on Thursday showed, with researchers expecting to release late-stage trial results by Christmas.
The data, reported in part last month but published in full in The Lancet medical journal on Thursday, suggest that those aged over 70, who are at higher risk of serious illness and death from COVID-19, could build robust immunity.
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“The robust antibody and T-cell responses seen in older people in our study are encouraging,” said Maheshi Ramasamy, a consultant and co-lead investigator at the Oxford Vaccine Group.
The University of Oxford and its partner British pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca said they expect to have the results of late-stage trials by Christmas. JUSTIN TALLIS via Getty Images
“We hope that this means our vaccine will help to protect some of the most vulnerable people in society, but further research will be needed before we can be sure.”
Late-stage, or Phase III, trials are ongoing to confirm the findings, researchers said, and to test whether the vaccine protects against infection with SARS-CoV-2 in a broad range of people, including people with underlying health conditions.
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Results of those trials should definitely be known by Christmas, the Oxford Vaccine Group’s director, Andrew Pollard, said, adding it was too early to know whether and how well the vaccine works in preventing COVID-19 disease.
“We’re still waiting to get to the point where we can do the analysis to just work out how well the vaccine can protect people, and we’re getting ever closer to that,” he told journalists.
“We are optimistic that we’ll be able to do that before Christmas, and obviously we’ll share that with you as soon as we can at that point.”
The Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine candidate, called AZD1222 or ChAdOx1 nCoV-19, had been among the front-runners in global vaccine efforts. ASSOCIATED PRESS
The Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine candidate, called AZD1222 or ChAdOx1 nCoV-19, had been among the front-runners in global efforts to develop shots to protect against infection with the novel coronavirus, or SARS-CoV-2.
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But rival drugmakers Pfizer Inc PFE.N, BioNTech 22UAy.F and Moderna Inc MRNA.O have in the past 10 days edged ahead, releasing data from late-stage COVID-19 vaccine trials that shows more than 90% efficacy.
“We’re not in a rush. We and it’s not a competition with the other developers,” Oxford’s Pollard said, adding that AstraZeneca would release headline efficacy data before it was published in an academic journal.
Oxford University has set a target of 53 infections to start the interim analysis of its late-stage trial results, though “lots of cases” in its trial arms in Britain, South Africa and Brazil mean the exact number of infections reported could differ.
Unlike the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna shots, both of which use new technology known as messenger RNA (mRNA), AstraZeneca’s is a viral vector vaccine made from a weakened version of a common cold virus found in chimpanzees.
The Phase II trial reported in The Lancet involved a total of 560 healthy volunteers, with 160 aged 18-55, 160 aged 56-69, and 240 aged 70 or over.
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Volunteers got two doses of the vaccine or a placebo, and no serious side effects related to the AZD1222 vaccine were reported, the researchers said.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-20--People Aren’t Buying Mike Pence’s Latest Comments About COVID-19 Victims

Vice President Mike Pence said Thursday “ not a day has gone by that I haven ’ t thought personally about families that have lost loved ones ” to COVID-19 .
“ I want to assure each of you that you will always be in our hearts and you will remain in our prayers , ” Pence , who leads the White House coronavirus task force , told reporters during a briefing .
“ Not a day has gone by that I haven ’ t thought personally about families that have lost loved ones.
” - @ Mike_Pence pic.twitter.com/36lcna76RH — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 2020 Critics were incensed .
They recalled President Donald Trump ’ s catastrophic mishandling of the pandemic that has allowed the virus to rampage nationwide while sending false messages about measures to curb its spread .
The contagion has killed more than 250,000 Americans and is predicted to cause hundreds of thousands of more deaths by the end of the year .
“ Pants on fire , ” one person hit back at Pence on Twitter .
Added another : “ Damn shame Pence hasn ’ t done one iota about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be to let the virus wash over the country in the hopes that it 'll kill more of his enemies than his friends , I think this could be taken at least two ways .
— John Panzer ( @ jpanzer ) November 19 , 2020 Mike Pence has gotten nothing right in 4 years , and more importantly , has failed America as the Covid task force leader .
— Chris ( a loser and sucker ) ( @ AHappyHourHero ) November 19 , 2020 Under the circumstances this quote is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ MrBlackFrancis ) November 19 , 2020

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Vice President Mike Pence said Thursday “not a day has gone by that I haven’t thought personally about families that have lost loved ones” to COVID-19.
Critics weren’t buying it.
“I want to assure each of you that you will always be in our hearts and you will remain in our prayers,” Pence, who leads the White House coronavirus task force, told reporters during a briefing.
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The Republican National Committee shared a clip of Pence’s comments online:
“Not a day has gone by that I haven’t thought personally about families that have lost loved ones.” -@Mike_Pence pic.twitter.com/36lcna76RH — GOP (@GOP) November 19, 2020
Critics were incensed. They recalled President Donald Trump’s catastrophic mishandling of the pandemic that has allowed the virus to rampage nationwide while sending false messages about measures to curb its spread.
The contagion has killed more than 250,000 Americans and is predicted to cause hundreds of thousands of more deaths by the end of the year.
“Pants on fire,” one person hit back at Pence on Twitter.
Added another: “Damn shame Pence hasn’t done one iota about the pandemic…”
More thoughts & prayers! Thoughts & prayers haven't solved a single social problem, and Americans continue to die. — David Wright - Don't be vapid! VOTE! (@dwright100) November 19, 2020
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Given that his strategy appears to be to let the virus wash over the country in the hopes that it'll kill more of his enemies than his friends, I think this could be taken at least two ways. — John Panzer (@jpanzer) November 19, 2020
Pants on fire. — PlanetNavaho (@ohplanetnavaho) November 19, 2020
Mike Pence has gotten nothing right in 4 years, and more importantly, has failed America as the Covid task force leader. — Chris (a loser and sucker) (@AHappyHourHero) November 19, 2020
For 1.3 seconds, while he was scrolling past the headlines. https://t.co/2rbUQkbmAe — Jenny (@thtredhairdgirl) November 19, 2020
Under the circumstances this quote is entirely moot. — Black Francis (@MrBlackFrancis) November 19, 2020
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Damn shame Pence hasn't done one iota about the pandemic... — Alex Nelson 📎 (@anelson_os) November 20, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-20--Eric Trump’s Warning About Rudy Giuliani Taking Down ‘Dirtbags’ Backfires

Eric Trump faced ridicule on Twitter after he warned of “ dirtbags ” being taken down .
President Donald Trump ’ s second-eldest son tweeted Thursday that Rudy Giuliani ― his father ’ s personal attorney who that day hosted a conspiracy theory-laden press conference in a desperate bid to overturn Trump ’ s election defeat ― “ took down the New York mob.
” “ Hell take down these dirtbags as well ... ” Eric Trump added .
Reminder : @ RudyGiuliani took down the New York mob .
Hell take down these dirtbags as well ... — Eric @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 2020 Twitter users saw the post as a self-own .
They warned Eric Trump to be careful what he wishes for , reminded him how spelling and punctuation matters and mocked Guiliani over that controversial scene in the “ Borat 2 ” movie .
More like drag you down with him @ EricTrump Also , punctuation is important .
— Travis Bone ( @ TheRealTBone ) November 19 , 2020 Reminder : he almost took his pants down too .
pic.twitter.com/Dr00WjeB0M — Kelly ( @ Kelbre_Griff ) November 19 , 2020 The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him to take you ( the dirtbags ) down .
You are the dirtbags .
😂😂😂 — thechocolatetarte ( @ chocolatetarte ) November 19 , 2020 Also took down his pants in Borat — Thom ( @ ohhithom ) November 19 , 2020 Agreed , he is doing a great job of taking down the Trump family .
— Peter Curry ( @ peterlcurry ) November 20 , 2020 I hope so .
P.S .
One of them is your dad .
— Extremely Over the MOON🌙 ( @ cestmoisal ) November 20 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cousin Vinny and had hair dye running down his face , but ... .
You 're right , what a formidable foe he is !
— Suzanne Kilgallen 🇺🇲 ( @ suek81 ) November 20 , 2020 Is Rudy taking Hell down or is Hell taking Rudy down ?
?
😂 — Chipmunk Whisperer ( @ ChipmunkWhispe1 ) November 20 , 2020 Does that mean you and your family too ?
Asking for a friend .
— Melissa Neyrey ( @ neyrey_melissa ) November 20 , 2020 He took down his pants as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ LeesyPeesy ) November 19 , 2020

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Eric Trump faced ridicule on Twitter after he warned of “dirtbags” being taken down.
President Donald Trump’s second-eldest son tweeted Thursday that Rudy Giuliani ― his father’s personal attorney who that day hosted a conspiracy theory-laden press conference in a desperate bid to overturn Trump’s election defeat ― “took down the New York mob.”
“Hell take down these dirtbags as well...” Eric Trump added.
Reminder: @RudyGiuliani took down the New York mob. Hell take down these dirtbags as well... — Eric Trump (@EricTrump) November 19, 2020
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Twitter users saw the post as a self-own.
They warned Eric Trump to be careful what he wishes for, reminded him how spelling and punctuation matters and mocked Giuliani over that controversial scene in the “Borat 2” movie.
More like drag you down with him @EricTrump
Also, punctuation is important. — Travis Bone (@TheRealTBone) November 19, 2020
Reminder: he almost took his pants down too. pic.twitter.com/Dr00WjeB0M — Kelly (@Kelbre_Griff) November 19, 2020
The funniest bit is that you are paying him to take you (the dirtbags) down. You are the dirtbags. 😂😂😂 — thechocolatetarte (@chocolatetarte) November 19, 2020
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Also took down his pants in Borat — Thom (@ohhithom) November 19, 2020
Agreed, he is doing a great job of taking down the Trump family. — Peter Curry (@peterlcurry) November 20, 2020
I hope so. P.S. One of them is your dad. — Extremely Over the MOON🌙 (@cestmoisal) November 20, 2020
Um....he misquoted my cousin Vinny and had hair dye running down his face, but.... You're right, what a formidable foe he is! — Suzanne Kilgallen 🇺🇲 (@suek81) November 20, 2020
Is Rudy taking Hell down or is Hell taking Rudy down??😂 — Chipmunk Whisperer (@ChipmunkWhispe1) November 20, 2020
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Does that mean you and your family too? Asking for a friend. — Melissa Neyrey (@neyrey_melissa) November 20, 2020
He took down his pants as well.... pic.twitter.com/PtMlT9IbdX — Leesy (@LeesyPeesy) November 19, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-19--Republican Senators Push Back Against Trump For Trying To Overturn The Election

Sen. Mitt Romney ( R-Utah ) on Thursday said directly what no other current Republican elected official is willing to say about Donald Trump : that the president is actively seeking to overturn President-elect Joe Biden ’ s historic victory in the 2020 presidential election .
In a statement posted on Twitter , Romney condemned Trump for pressuring local GOP officials in states that Trump clearly lost to appoint pro-Trump electors ― overruling the will of the people ― in a last-ditch effort to tilt the Electoral College in his favor and steal the election .
“ Having failed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fraud or conspiracy before any court of law , the President has now resorted to overt pressure on state and local officials to subvert the will of the people and overturn the election , ” Romney , the 2012 GOP presidential nominee , said in a statement .
It was the sharpest denouncement of Trump ’ s incendiary conduct by an elected GOP official yet , but like so many times before , it came from a frequent Trump critic ― not someone in the Republican leadership .
Trump on Thursday summoned Michigan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ White House for an extraordinary meeting as his campaign ’ s legal team falsely claimed he won in a “ total landslide ” and openly urged state legislatures in states including Michigan , Pennsylvania and Georgia to appoint their own slate of electors .
The election “ in all the swing states should be overturned , and the legislatures should make sure that the electors are selected for Trump , ” Trump campaign attorney Sidney Powell said during an appearance Thursday evening on Fox News .
The so-called Hail Mary option has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as undemocratic and dangerous .
Even if it fails , experts fear that it would falsely propagate the notion among millions of Trump supporters that the election was unfairly conducted and that Biden is an illegitimate president .
Earlier on Thursday , former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani , Trump ’ s personal lawyer , held a bizarre press conference alongside Powell at the Republican National Committee in Washington , where they both spouted conspiracy theories about supposed voter fraud in the Nov. 3 presidential election .
The allegations were too far-fetched even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a steadfast Trump ally , who noted during his program that Powell “ never sent us any evidence ” to support her baseless claims and “ got angry and told us to stop contacting her.
” “ Wild press conferences erode public trust .
So no , obviously Rudy and his buddies should not pressure electors to ignore their certification obligations under the statute .
We are a nation of laws , not tweets , ” Sen. Ben Sasse ( R-Neb . )
said in a statement that did not directly mention Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as Trump ’ s legal team has sought to portray some vast electoral scheme against the president in public , they ’ ve refused to actually allege fraud in court filings “ because there are legal consequences for lying to judges.
” “ They have to be able to show that proof .
I haven ’ t seen proof yet .
There are a lot of allegations out there .
That ’ s why we have the court system , ” Ernst said .
“ That is an offensive comment for those of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our states in a dignified manner .
We believe in honesty .
We believe in the integrity of the election system , ” Ernst added .

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Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) on Thursday said directly what no other current Republican elected official is willing to say about Donald Trump: that the president is actively seeking to overturn President-elect Joe Biden’s historic victory in the 2020 presidential election.
In a statement posted on Twitter, Romney condemned Trump for pressuring local GOP officials in states that Trump clearly lost to appoint pro-Trump electors ― overruling the will of the people ― in a last-ditch effort to tilt the Electoral College in his favor and steal the election.
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“Having failed to make even a plausible case of widespread fraud or conspiracy before any court of law, the President has now resorted to overt pressure on state and local officials to subvert the will of the people and overturn the election,” Romney, the 2012 GOP presidential nominee, said in a statement.
“It is difficult to imagine a worse, more undemocratic action by a sitting American President,” the senator added.
It was the sharpest denouncement of Trump’s incendiary conduct by an elected GOP official yet, but like so many times before, it came from a frequent Trump critic ― not someone in the Republican leadership.
Trump on Thursday summoned Michigan’s Republican legislative leaders to the White House for an extraordinary meeting as his campaign’s legal team falsely claimed he won in a “total landslide” and openly urged state legislatures in states including Michigan, Pennsylvania and Georgia to appoint their own slate of electors.
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The election “in all the swing states should be overturned, and the legislatures should make sure that the electors are selected for Trump,” Trump campaign attorney Sidney Powell said during an appearance Thursday evening on Fox News.
The so-called Hail Mary option has been dismissed by legal experts in both parties as undemocratic and dangerous. Even if it fails, experts fear that it would falsely propagate the notion among millions of Trump supporters that the election was unfairly conducted and that Biden is an illegitimate president.
“Wild press conferences erode public trust.” - Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.)
Earlier on Thursday, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s personal lawyer, held a bizarre press conference alongside Powell at the Republican National Committee in Washington, where they both spouted conspiracy theories about supposed voter fraud in the Nov. 3 presidential election. The allegations were too far-fetched even for Fox News host Tucker Carlson, a steadfast Trump ally, who noted during his program that Powell “never sent us any evidence” to support her baseless claims and “got angry and told us to stop contacting her.”
“Wild press conferences erode public trust. So no, obviously Rudy and his buddies should not pressure electors to ignore their certification obligations under the statute. We are a nation of laws, not tweets,” Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) said in a statement that did not directly mention Trump.
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The Nebraska senator noted that even as Trump’s legal team has sought to portray some vast electoral scheme against the president in public, they’ve refused to actually allege fraud in court filings “because there are legal consequences for lying to judges.”
Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), a member of the Senate GOP leadership who was reelected this month, offered a mild rebuke of Trump’s voter fraud claims in an interview earlier Thursday with conservative radio host Guy Benson.
“They have to be able to show that proof. I haven’t seen proof yet. There are a lot of allegations out there. That’s why we have the court system,” Ernst said.
The Iowa senator did, however, condemn Powell after she falsely insinuated that political candidates of both parties pay off election officials to win, calling the statement “absolutely outrageous.”
“That is an offensive comment for those of us who do stand up and represent our states in a dignified manner. We believe in honesty. We believe in the integrity of the election system,” Ernst added.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-20--New York Daily News Taunts Rudy Giuliani With A Gross New Nickname

The tabloid described the former New York mayor ― now President Donald Trump ’ s personal lawyer ― as “ @ @ @ @ @ wild lie-filled news conference on Thursday in which he baselessly ranted about mass voter fraud @ @ @ @ @ the election .
Oh , and a dark liquid streamed down his face .

The tabloid described the former New York mayor ― now President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer ― as “Oozy Giuliani” following his wild lie-filled news conference on Thursday in which he baselessly ranted about mass voter fraud in a bid to overturn the election. Oh, and a dark liquid streamed down his face.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-20--'No Pardons. No Immunity': Mary Trump Says Her Family Must Pay

“ He ’ s directly responsible for the deaths of thousands of Americans , ” she said .
“ He @ @ @ @ @ his hands , and he needs to be held to account , so I hope @ @ @ @ @ mind come January.
” Mary Trump warned before the Nov. 3 election that her uncle @ @ @ @ @ and would attempt to stop the transfer of power because he is afraid of criminal @ @ @ @ @ .
Asked in September how far she thought her uncle would go , she replied @ @ @ @ @ can possibly imagine.
” Trump and his legal team have filed dozens of suits attempting @ @ @ @ @ multiple states .
He is also leaning on local election officials in an apparent attempt @ @ @ @ @ the vote , and he ’ s invited Republican lawmakers from Michigan to the White @ @ @ @ @ move critics fear could be an attempt to pressure them into nullifying the state ’ @ @ @ @ @ was won by Biden , and appointing their own electors for Trump .

“He’s directly responsible for the deaths of thousands of Americans,” she said. “He’s got blood on his hands, and he needs to be held to account, so I hope President-elect Biden keeps that in mind come January.”
Mary Trump warned before the Nov. 3 election that her uncle would not accept a loss and would attempt to stop the transfer of power because he is afraid of criminal prosecution once he leaves office.
Asked in September how far she thought her uncle would go, she replied, “Farther than you can possibly imagine.”
Trump and his legal team have filed dozens of suits attempting to invalidate the vote in multiple states. He is also leaning on local election officials in an apparent attempt to stop the certification of the vote, and he’s invited Republican lawmakers from Michigan to the White House on Friday ― a move critics fear could be an attempt to pressure them into nullifying the state’s popular vote, which was won by Biden, and appointing their own electors for Trump.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-19--Trump Has Appointed 2 White Nationalists To Government Roles Since Losing The Election

Fox News Darren J. Beattie , who was fired as a White House speechwriter after speaking at a white nationalist conference , announced Wednesday that Trump had appointed him to the Commission for the Preservation of America ’ s Heritage Abroad .
Darren J. Beattie , a former White House speechwriter fired in 2018 after it was revealed he ’ d spoken at a white nationalist conference , announced Wednesday that Trump had appointed him to the Commission for the Preservation of America ’ s Heritage Abroad .
On Nov. 13 , the Trump administration also appointed Jason Richwine — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conservative think tank for writing that Mexican and other Latino immigrants have lower IQs than white people — to a senior position at the National Institute of Standards and Technology ( NIST ) .
“ The U.S. government should not be giving posts to people with ties to white nationalists , end of story , ” Lecia Brooks , chief of staff at the Southern Poverty Law Center , told HuffPost in a statement .
“ Under the leadership of the Trump administration , our government has repeatedly demonstrated a willingness to work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ racist fringe , and they appear willing to do so until the bitter end of the president ’ s term in office.
” But will Beattie and Richwine still have these jobs once Biden is inaugurated in January ?
The answer illuminates the sometimes complicated and confusing process by which transitions between White House administrations occur .
His resignation came after media scrutiny of his past racist writings , most notably his Harvard dissertation , in which he stated that Latinos and Mexican immigrants had lower IQs than whites and that “ the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ generations.
” The U.S. , Richwine argued , should select only high-IQ immigrants in order to prevent “ underclass behavior.
” Despite this history of white nationalism , Hult said , “ Dr .
Richwine can add being deputy undersecretary of commerce for standards and technology to his résumé ” — even if he ’ ll only be in the position for a couple months .
“ These sorts of things not infrequently take place at the end of administrations , ” Hult said .
“ They can be short-term résumé builders for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for others .
Of greater concern for many is when political appointees ‘ burrow in ’ to career service jobs.
” He served as a speechwriter in the Trump administration until 2018 .
He was dismissed after revelations that he ’ d spoken at the 2016 gathering of the H.L .
Mencken Club , an annual conference that routinely attracts prominent white nationalists .
Fuentes is a leading figure in the America First , or Groyper , movement , one of the more recent incarnations of the explicitly racist and anti-Semitic alt-right .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ he has promoted Holocaust denial and called for law enforcement to kill anti-racism protesters .
Fuentes also once explained that the only reason he doesn ’ t call himself a white nationalist is for branding purposes , “ not because I don ’ t see the necessity for white people to have a homeland and for white people to have a country.
” A series of reports in recent years have identified multiple government officials as being linked to the white nationalist movement , including White House senior adviser Stephen Miller , White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ State Department official Matthew Q. Gebert .

Darren J. Beattie, who was fired as a White House speechwriter after speaking at a white nationalist conference, announced Wednesday that Trump had appointed him to the Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad. Fox News
Since losing his reelection bid earlier this month, President Donald Trump has appointed two men with well-documented white nationalist ties to government roles, raising urgent questions about whether they’ll still have jobs under Democratic President-elect Joe Biden.
Darren J. Beattie, a former White House speechwriter fired in 2018 after it was revealed he’d spoken at a white nationalist conference, announced Wednesday that Trump had appointed him to the Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad.
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On Nov. 13, the Trump administration also appointed Jason Richwine — a policy analyst pushed out of a conservative think tank for writing that Mexican and other Latino immigrants have lower IQs than white people — to a senior position at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
“The U.S. government should not be giving posts to people with ties to white nationalists, end of story,” Lecia Brooks, chief of staff at the Southern Poverty Law Center, told HuffPost in a statement. “Under the leadership of the Trump administration, our government has repeatedly demonstrated a willingness to work with or amplify voices from the far-right racist fringe, and they appear willing to do so until the bitter end of the president’s term in office.”
But will Beattie and Richwine still have these jobs once Biden is inaugurated in January? The answer illuminates the sometimes complicated and confusing process by which transitions between White House administrations occur.
Karen Hult, a professor of political science at Virginia Tech and board member of the White House Transition Project, told HuffPost that most political appointees are expected to submit a resignation letter after a new president takes office.
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This is the likely scenario for Richwine, she said.
“Although not all of these resignations are accepted, in this case it seems clear it would be,” Hult said.
Richwine, 38, resigned from the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, in 2013 after co-authoring a widely mocked report about immigrants being a drain on the economy.
His resignation came after media scrutiny of his past racist writings, most notably his Harvard dissertation, in which he stated that Latinos and Mexican immigrants had lower IQs than whites and that “the difference is likely to persist over several generations.” The U.S., Richwine argued, should select only high-IQ immigrants in order to prevent “underclass behavior.”
Richwine also wrote two stories for Alternativeright.com, the website founded by white supremacist figurehead Richard Spencer.
More recently, as noted by Science magazine, Richwine has co-authored reports for the Center for Immigration Studies, which the SPLC deems a white nationalist organization.
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Despite this history of white nationalism, Hult said, “Dr. Richwine can add being deputy undersecretary of commerce for standards and technology to his résumé” — even if he’ll only be in the position for a couple months.
Lame-duck presidents often make appointments to pad the résumés of friends and loyalists.
“These sorts of things not infrequently take place at the end of administrations,” Hult said. “They can be short-term résumé builders for some or longer-term, mostly ceremonial appointments for others. Of greater concern for many is when political appointees ‘burrow in’ to career service jobs.”
This is the concern about Beattie, whose appointment to the Commission for the Preservation of American Heritage Abroad drew sharp criticism from Jewish groups this week.
The commission, whose website isn’t currently working, is devoted in part to preserving Holocaust memorials and other sites associated with the genocide in Europe.
If Beattie’s appointment is finalized, according to a Congressional Research Services description of his new role, he’d serve a three-year term on the commission.
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“Though a President Biden could not remove him, the president or allies might request that he step down,” Hult told HuffPost, but Beattie could refuse to do so.
A spokesman for Biden’s transition team didn’t respond to a HuffPost request for comment on how it might address Beattie’s appointment.
Beattie, who is Jewish, has extremely deep ties to white nationalists and anti-Semites.
He served as a speechwriter in the Trump administration until 2018. He was dismissed after revelations that he’d spoken at the 2016 gathering of the H.L. Mencken Club, an annual conference that routinely attracts prominent white nationalists.
He had appeared on a panel at the conference alongside Peter Brimelow, founder of the white nationalist and anti-immigrant website VDare.
Beattie has since become a frequent booster and ally of Nick Fuentes, a white nationalist who rallied alongside neo-Nazis at 2017’s deadly “Unite the Right” demonstration in Charlottesville, Virginia.
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Nick Fuentes, the leader of the white nationalist America First, or Groypers, movement, in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 4. Zach D Roberts/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Fuentes is a leading figure in the America First, or Groyper, movement, one of the more recent incarnations of the explicitly racist and anti-Semitic alt-right. Fuentes hosts a live-stream show in which he has promoted Holocaust denial and called for law enforcement to kill anti-racism protesters.
“I want to Roman salute my president so bad,” Fuentes once said of Trump, referring to the fascist arm gesture most commonly associated with the Nazis.
Fuentes also once explained that the only reason he doesn’t call himself a white nationalist is for branding purposes, “not because I don’t see the necessity for white people to have a homeland and for white people to have a country.”
Beattie has frequently retweeted Fuentes and promoted his work. Fuentes, in turn, has called Beattie “brilliant” and “honorable.”
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This from the guy who is friendly with the Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes, and who works for the congressman who brought a different Holocaust denier to SOTU ‘18.......https://t.co/AlsSW5tpJ7 https://t.co/JpZf7lv7zO pic.twitter.com/1Wj5FRRQMl — Sophie #DefundNYPD Ellman-Golan (@EgSophie) August 25, 2020
Earlier this year, Beattie issued a white nationalist call to arms on Twitter, writing, “If white people are targeted as a group, they must learn to defend themselves as a group.”
He has also promoted the fascist, misogynistic and anti-Semitic self-help manifesto Bronze Age Mindset.
Beattie did not respond to a HuffPost request for comment on his new role on the commission or about his well-documented white nationalism.
Stosh Cotler, CEO of Bend the Arc: Jewish Action, expressed dismay over Beattie’s appointment.
“Even as we cross the grim milestone of a quarter-million Americans dying from COVID, with Trump’s administration failing to protect Americans or provide desperately needed economic relief, Trump is using his final weeks in office to spread fear and lies and promote white nationalists and neo-fascists like Darren Beattie,” Cotler said.
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Cotler added that the “ties between government, the Republican Party and hate groups have become so commonplace” that Beattie’s appointment was, sadly, not surprising.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-20--Anderson Cooper Sums Up Donald Trump's Post-Election Chaos With 1 Searing Word

The chyron on Anderson Cooper ’ s CNN show Thursday said it all .
“ PATHETIC , ” it read ― a one-word summary of President Donald Trump ’ s petty , unhinged and dangerous attempts to steal the election he lost to President-elect Joe Biden .
The caption appeared before Cooper ’ s analysis of Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani ’ s wild press conference , in which the former New York mayor spewed conspiracy theories about election irregularities as a dark liquid oozed down his face .
“ Can the producers from ‘ Intervention ’ please get in touch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
” Cooper asked of Giuliani , calling him “ a hot mess.
” “ It wasn ’ t a press conference , it was a clown show without any actual meaning or reality , ” Cooper added .
`` He 's just a hot mess ... the man once described as America 's mayor appeared sweating with newly applied black hair dye rolling down his face . ''
On Rudy Giuliani 's press conference , @ andersoncooper is # KeepingThemHonest .
`` Can the producers from 'Intervention ' please get in touch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( @ AC360 ) November 20 , 2020 CNN ’ s Don Lemon was equally disgusted by Giuliani ’ s performance , describing it as “ the most dangerous ” and “ reprehensible thing I ’ ve seen.
” “ ‘ SNL ’ couldn ’ t do this justice .
It is a massive fraud being perpetrated on the American people and our democracy , ” he said .
CNN ’ s Chris Cuomo , meanwhile , suggested Giuliani had become “ a metaphor for the campaign melting into a dark puddle of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sealed Trump 's fate , and that happened today .
And that was Rudy Giuliani .
He became a metaphor for the campaign melting into a dark puddle of deception . ''
- CNN 's @ ChrisCuomo pic.twitter.com/6XZFUS7coJ — Cuomo Prime Time ( @ CuomoPrimeTime ) November 20 , 2020

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The chyron on Anderson Cooper’s CNN show Thursday said it all.
“PATHETIC,” it read ― a one-word summary of President Donald Trump’s petty, unhinged and dangerous attempts to steal the election he lost to President-elect Joe Biden.
The caption appeared before Cooper’s analysis of Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani’s wild press conference, in which the former New York mayor spewed conspiracy theories about election irregularities as a dark liquid oozed down his face.
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“Can the producers from ‘Intervention’ please get in touch with his people and set something up?” Cooper asked of Giuliani, calling him “a hot mess.”
“It wasn’t a press conference, it was a clown show without any actual meaning or reality,” Cooper added.
Check out Cooper’s monologue here:
"He's just a hot mess... the man once described as America's mayor appeared sweating with newly applied black hair dye rolling down his face."
On Rudy Giuliani's press conference, @andersoncooper is #KeepingThemHonest.
"Can the producers from 'Intervention' please get in touch?" pic.twitter.com/9NW06zEgRv — Anderson Cooper 360° (@AC360) November 20, 2020
CNN’s Don Lemon was equally disgusted by Giuliani’s performance, describing it as “the most dangerous” and “reprehensible thing I’ve seen.”
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“‘SNL’ couldn’t do this justice. It is a massive fraud being perpetrated on the American people and our democracy,” he said.
CNN’s Chris Cuomo, meanwhile, suggested Giuliani had become “a metaphor for the campaign melting into a dark puddle of deception.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-19--Fox News Reporter Checks Rudy Giuliani's 'Light On Facts' News Conference

Fox News reporter Kristin Fisher dismissed Rudy Giuliani ’ s wildly dishonest comments to the media about electoral fraud and his efforts to overturn election results , telling viewers that “ so much of what he said was simply not true.
” Giuliani , President Donald Trump ’ s personal attorney , staged a chaotic press conference Thursday in which he and members of the Trump campaign ’ s legal team laid out their case alleging widespread voter fraud in the Nov. 3 election .
The 90-minute briefing was stacked with conspiracy theories and misinformation , and the lawyers did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their claims , many of which have already been debunked or refuted by election officials .
“ That was certainly a colorful news conference from Rudy Giuliani , but it was light on facts .
So much of what he said was simply not true or has already been thrown out in court , ” Fisher told Fox News anchor Dana Perino .
She said Giuliani ’ s claims of a nationwide voter fraud conspiracy were “ really bold and baseless ” and pointed out his failure to provide any hard evidence to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Giuliani continued to claim widespread voter fraud in Philadelphia , even though he has already said in court , and I quote , ‘ This is not a fraud case , ’ ” Fisher said .
“ What he is saying in public — not under oath — is different from what he said in court.
” The Fox News correspondent also pointed out that Giuliani “ kept holding up pages and pages of what he says are sworn affidavits , hundreds of them people claiming voter fraud and irregularities , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them .
He also pushed a narrative that the Trump campaign has “ multiple paths to victory ” but “ never credibly explained a single path , ” she said .
Many Fox News pundits and news personalities have fed and amplified election fraud misinformation and conspiracy theories pushed by Trump and his allies since his loss to Democrat Joe Biden .
However , a handful of the network ’ s news staffers have pushed back and fact-checked those attacks on the democratic process .

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Fox News reporter Kristin Fisher dismissed Rudy Giuliani’s wildly dishonest comments to the media about electoral fraud and his efforts to overturn election results, telling viewers that “so much of what he said was simply not true.”
Giuliani, President Donald Trump’s personal attorney, staged a chaotic press conference Thursday in which he and members of the Trump campaign’s legal team laid out their case alleging widespread voter fraud in the Nov. 3 election. The 90-minute briefing was stacked with conspiracy theories and misinformation, and the lawyers did not offer any proof to back up their claims, many of which have already been debunked or refuted by election officials.
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“That was certainly a colorful news conference from Rudy Giuliani, but it was light on facts. So much of what he said was simply not true or has already been thrown out in court,” Fisher told Fox News anchor Dana Perino.
WATCH: @FoxNews White House reporter calls @RudyGiuliani's press conference "light on facts" and "So much of what he said was not true" pic.twitter.com/uackOenTCi — Jon Nicosia (@NewsPolitics) November 19, 2020
She said Giuliani’s claims of a nationwide voter fraud conspiracy were “really bold and baseless” and pointed out his failure to provide any hard evidence to back it up.
“In Pennsylvania, Giuliani continued to claim widespread voter fraud in Philadelphia, even though he has already said in court, and I quote, ‘This is not a fraud case,’” Fisher said.
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“What he is saying in public — not under oath — is different from what he said in court.”
The Fox News correspondent also pointed out that Giuliani “kept holding up pages and pages of what he says are sworn affidavits, hundreds of them people claiming voter fraud and irregularities,” but he’s refused to show them. He also pushed a narrative that the Trump campaign has “multiple paths to victory” but “never credibly explained a single path,” she said.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-19--Georgia Finishes Presidential Hand Tally, Affirms Joe Biden's Lead

ATLANTA ( AP ) — A top Georgia election official said Thursday that a hand tally of ballots cast in the presidential race has been completed , and that the results affirm Democrat Joe Biden ’ s narrow lead over Republican President Donald Trump .
The hand tally of about 5 million votes stemmed from an audit required by a new state law and wasn ’ t in response to any suspected problems with the state ’ s results or an official recount request .
The state has until Friday to certify results that have been certified and submitted by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to finish the hand count by 11:59 p.m. Wednesday .
Gabriel Sterling , who oversaw the implementation of the state ’ s new voting system , said Thursday evening that the audit was complete and the results would soon be posted on the secretary of state ’ s website .
Once the state certifies the election results , the losing campaign has two business days to request a recount if the margin remains within 0.5 % .
That recount would be done using scanners that read and tally the votes and would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
It was up to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to select the race to be audited , and he said the presidential race made the most sense because of its significance and the tight margin separating the candidates .
Because of that small margin , Raffensperger said a full hand recount was necessary .
Votes that hadn ’ t previously been counted were found in several counties during the audit , which required recertification of the election results in those counties .
In Floyd County , more than 2,500 ballots were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t previously been scanned , and the secretary of state ’ s office had called for the firing of the county ’ s chief elections clerk , Robert Brady .
The county elections board on Thursday voted to issue a written reprimand to Brady and , because it was his second written reprimand within six months , to fire him in accordance with county policy , board member Melanie Conrad said in an email .
Going into the hand tally , Biden led Trump by a margin of about 14,000 votes .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ count will reduce that margin to about 12,800 , Sterling said .
The Associated Press has not declared a winner in Georgia , where Biden led Trump by about 0.3 percentage points .
There is no mandatory recount law in Georgia , but state law provides that option to a trailing candidate if the margin is less than 0.5 percentage points .
It is AP ’ s practice not to call a race that is — or is likely to become — subject to a recount .

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ATLANTA (AP) — A top Georgia election official said Thursday that a hand tally of ballots cast in the presidential race has been completed, and that the results affirm Democrat Joe Biden’s narrow lead over Republican President Donald Trump.
The hand tally of about 5 million votes stemmed from an audit required by a new state law and wasn’t in response to any suspected problems with the state’s results or an official recount request. The state has until Friday to certify results that have been certified and submitted by the counties.
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The counties were supposed to finish the hand count by 11:59 p.m. Wednesday. Gabriel Sterling, who oversaw the implementation of the state’s new voting system, said Thursday evening that the audit was complete and the results would soon be posted on the secretary of state’s website.
Once the state certifies the election results, the losing campaign has two business days to request a recount if the margin remains within 0.5%. That recount would be done using scanners that read and tally the votes and would be paid for by the counties, Sterling said.
It was up to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to select the race to be audited, and he said the presidential race made the most sense because of its significance and the tight margin separating the candidates. Because of that small margin, Raffensperger said a full hand recount was necessary.
Votes that hadn’t previously been counted were found in several counties during the audit, which required recertification of the election results in those counties.
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In Floyd County, more than 2,500 ballots were discovered during the audit that hadn’t previously been scanned, and the secretary of state’s office had called for the firing of the county’s chief elections clerk, Robert Brady. The county elections board on Thursday voted to issue a written reprimand to Brady and, because it was his second written reprimand within six months, to fire him in accordance with county policy, board member Melanie Conrad said in an email.
Several other counties found memory cards with votes that hadn’t been uploaded and counted prior to the audit.
Going into the hand tally, Biden led Trump by a margin of about 14,000 votes. The previously uncounted ballots discovered during the hand count will reduce that margin to about 12,800, Sterling said.
The Associated Press has not declared a winner in Georgia, where Biden led Trump by about 0.3 percentage points. There is no mandatory recount law in Georgia, but state law provides that option to a trailing candidate if the margin is less than 0.5 percentage points. It is AP’s practice not to call a race that is — or is likely to become — subject to a recount.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-19--Republicans Truly Don't Care That Trump Is Undermining Democracy

If you ask GOP lawmakers these days if they ’ re troubled by anything the president is doing to undermine U.S. democracy ― a framing that most of them will reject ― Republicans will tell you Trump is well within his right to challenge the election results .
They will say there is nothing wrong with letting the process play out .
They will pretend Trump ’ s refusal to concede is normal .
They will ignore the harm Trump is doing to the electoral system .
They will actually praise Trump for looking into election fraud .
And they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that they believe Trump can still win .
Trump and congressional Republicans are hoping , by some miracle of judicial intervention , that courts will just toss out thousands of the ballots cast for President-elect Joe Biden ― for whatever reason ― and that Trump will suddenly be declared the victor in a handful of states that he ’ s lost .
Or they ’ re hoping that states won ’ t certify the election results ― in effect , overturning the will of the voters ― and free Electoral College voters to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , that ’ s the narrative many Democrats believe ― that Republicans have to go to the mat for their president , soothe his bruised feelings , and make sure GOP voters are energized to come out and support their candidates in the Georgia Senate run-offs in January .
Rep. Patrick McHenry ( R-N.C. ) remained silent .
Rep. Glenn Grothman ( R-Wis. ) said he hadn ’ t watched the news .
Retiring Rep. Paul Cook ( R-Calif. ) said Trump was just being Trump .
Rep. Mike Gallagher ( R-Wis. ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his office .
And Rep. Billy Long ( R-Mo . )
― a lawmaker so pro-Trump that he carries around fake “ 45-dollar ” bills with Trump ’ s face on them in his outside jacket pocket ― started speaking auctioneer gibberish .
( Long , a former auctioneer himself , has used this maneuver before . )
But not every member is ignoring the question or just committing to the bit .
The truth is actually much scarier .
The truth is that some Republicans honestly believe Trump won the election and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conspiracy .
“ This is his opportunity to use the system that we have in place , and he is welcome to it , ” Rep. Scott Perry ( R-Pa. ) said .
“ Nobody complained on the other side when Al Gore did it for 30-whatever-days.
” And Rep. Jody Arrington ( R-Texas ) said it would be a disservice ― “ whether it ’ s Biden or Trump ” ― to not let the process play out .
“ I would never call a definitive conclusion to something that ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ undermines the rule of law , ” he said .
Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy ( R-Calif. ) has gone before the press multiple times per week since the election and delivered some form of this speech , feigning that he doesn ’ t know who will win the White House , though his acting job could perhaps use some work .
“ If you legitimately think Trump won , fine , fight for that .
But if you don ’ t , you know , this will have implications for your kids and @ @ @ @ @ @

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WASHINGTON ― President Donald Trump refuses to concede, his legal team continues to challenge the legitimacy of the election without any serious proof of wrongdoing, and Republicans in Congress are perfectly fine with it all.
If you ask GOP lawmakers these days if they’re troubled by anything the president is doing to undermine U.S. democracy ― a framing that most of them will reject ― Republicans will tell you Trump is well within his right to challenge the election results. They will say there is nothing wrong with letting the process play out.
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They will pretend Trump’s refusal to concede is normal. They will ignore the harm Trump is doing to the electoral system. They will actually praise Trump for looking into election fraud. And they will tell you, even privately, that they believe Trump can still win.
“I don’t call it undermining,” Rep. Randy Weber (R-Texas) told HuffPost Wednesday night. Weber said Trump just wanted a fair election, one that counts “the proper votes, and not the illegal ones.”
But if you were looking for a clue about what “proper votes” really means, Weber delivered a Freudian slip. What he actually said was “the right” votes, before he stopped himself and said “the proper votes.”
Trump and congressional Republicans are hoping, by some miracle of judicial intervention, that courts will just toss out thousands of the ballots cast for President-elect Joe Biden ― for whatever reason ― and that Trump will suddenly be declared the victor in a handful of states that he’s lost. Or they’re hoping that states won’t certify the election results ― in effect, overturning the will of the voters ― and free Electoral College voters to choose whomever they desire.
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Rep. Justin Amash ― the departing Libertarian from Michigan who left the GOP in 2019 ― said House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s claim that the election is undecided is “absolutely a performance." Tom Williams via Getty Images
The coup is extremely unlikely to work. At almost every turn, Trump’s legal team has its lost court challenges, and states are on their way to officially certifying the results.
But that doesn’t make what Republicans are doing any less harmful to the election process or our democratic institutions. Trump is undermining faith in voting, creating spurious reasons for GOP attempts to disenfranchise minority voters, and he’s casting a cloud of illegitimacy over Biden’s presidency.
However, for Republicans, placating Trump and his voters’ feelings is worth that damage.
At least, that’s the narrative many Democrats believe ― that Republicans have to go to the mat for their president, soothe his bruised feelings, and make sure GOP voters are energized to come out and support their candidates in the Georgia Senate run-offs in January.
There is certainly some of that going on. When HuffPost confronted some Republicans, it was clear they didn’t want to talk.
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Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) remained silent. Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-Wis.) said he hadn’t watched the news. Retiring Rep. Paul Cook (R-Calif.) said Trump was just being Trump. Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.) told HuffPost to get in contact with his office. And Rep. Billy Long (R-Mo.) ― a lawmaker so pro-Trump that he carries around fake “45-dollar” bills with Trump’s face on them in his outside jacket pocket ― started speaking auctioneer gibberish. (Long, a former auctioneer himself, has used this maneuver before.)
But not every member is ignoring the question or just committing to the bit. The truth is actually much scarier. The truth is that some Republicans honestly believe Trump won the election and is the victim of a vast left-wing conspiracy.
When HuffPost gave Republicans the opportunity to discuss their real feelings on background, every Republican said they didn’t need to go on background; this is how they truly felt.
“He has every reason to do what he’s doing,” Rep. Roger Williams (R-Texas) told HuffPost.
“I’m supportive of the president trying to make sure every free and fair and legal and certified ballot is counted, and any that’s, you know, gained by fraudulent or illegal means is cast out,” Rep. Steven Palazzo (R-Miss.) said.
“This is his opportunity to use the system that we have in place, and he is welcome to it,” Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.) said. “Nobody complained on the other side when Al Gore did it for 30-whatever-days.”
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Leaving aside the intense complaints from Republicans when Democratic presidential nominee Al Gore contested an election that was decided by 537 votes in Florida after the Supreme Court ordered election officials to stop counting ballots in 2000, Republicans truly feel that Trump was wronged.
Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) was practically indignant when HuffPost asked if he was troubled by any of the president’s attempts to undermine the election results.
“Don’t talk to me about undermining elections and credibility,” Biggs said. “We haven’t even had a single state certify yet. Come on!”
Some GOP lawmakers are so convinced of fraud, they think Trump still has a legitimate chance of remaining in the White House.
“Whoever’s ultimately deemed the president, I’ll be there for Inauguration,” Rep. Richard Hudson (R-N.C.) said.
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Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.) said Trump wasn’t trying to undermine the election results. “He’s trying to get to the bottom of what are the results!” he said.
And Rep. Jody Arrington (R-Texas) said it would be a disservice ― “whether it’s Biden or Trump” ― to not let the process play out. “I would never call a definitive conclusion to something that’s being contested in the courts because that undermines the rule of law,” he said.
And when we pressed Arrington on whether he was being real, he insisted it wasn’t an act.
“I mean it,” he said. “I mean it.”
“Not every member is ignoring the question or just committing to the bit. The truth is actually much scarier. The truth is that some Republicans honestly believe Trump won the election.”
There are, of course, some Republicans who are delivering a performance.
Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) has gone before the press multiple times per week since the election and delivered some form of this speech, feigning that he doesn’t know who will win the White House, though his acting job could perhaps use some work.
Rep. Justin Amash ― the departing Libertarian from Michigan who left the GOP in 2019 ― said McCarthy’s answers were “absolutely a performance,” but that other Republicans truly do buy it.
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“Some of them accept it as reality, and others are performing,” Amash said. “I think some of these leaders are, you know, total con jobs.”
As for himself, Amash said you’d have to be crazy to actually think Trump had won the election.
“They’d have to believe there’s one of the most massive conspiracies in the history of the world, and that thousands of election workers are in on it,” he said.
But that seems to be the position of many Republicans, even when you challenge them on their dubious claims of voter fraud. They still see a path for Trump to win. Or they don’t see a path, and therefore, don’t see the harm in letting Trump play out the string.
Perhaps the one exception in the House GOP conference has been Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.).
Kinzinger told HuffPost on Thursday that there could be damaging long-term effects to Trump undermining confidence in the electoral system. He said Trump and his Republican colleagues should be “grown-up” about how they talk about voter fraud. And he called on his GOP colleagues who know Trump has lost to stop defending the president’s actions.
“If you legitimately think Trump won, fine, fight for that. But if you don’t, you know, this will have implications for your kids and grandkids,” he said.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-19--Trump Summons Mich. GOP Leaders To Special Meeting At White House

Two people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press that Trump invited Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey and House Speaker Lee Chatfield .
They agreed to go , according to a state official aware of the leaders ’ plans .
The two officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were discussing private conversations .
“ Michigan law does not include a provision for the Legislature to directly select electors or to award electors to anyone other than the person who received the most votes , ” Shirkey ’ s spokeswoman said last week .
The GOP effort @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what is typically a routine task .
Monica Palmer and William Hartmann , the two Republican canvassers in Wayne County , said they only voted to certify the results after “ hours of sustained pressure ” and after getting promises that their concerns about the election would be investigated .
“ We deserve better — but more importantly , the American people deserve better — than to be forced to accept an outcome achieved through intimidation , deception and threats of violence , ” they said in a statement Wednesday night .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confidence in this process.
” “ There is no legal mechanism for them to rescind their vote .
Their job is done , and the next step in the process is for the Board of State Canvassers to meet and certify , ” said Tracy Wimmer , a spokeswoman for the Michigan secretary of state .
Palmer and Hartmann initially voted against certification Tuesday , leaving the county Board of Canvassers deadlocked at 2-2 along party lines .
Palmer complained that certain Detroit precincts were out of balance , meaning that absentee ballot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ballots cast .
FILE - In this May 6 , 2020 , file photo , Michigan Republican Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey , left , and Republican House Speaker Lee Chatfield announce a lawsuit to combat the coronavirus pandemic orders at the Capitol building in Lansing , Mich. President Donald Trump summoned Michigan 's Republican legislative leaders to the White House for a meeting Friday , Nov. 20 , amid a GOP push to overturn the certification of Democrat Joe Biden 's victory in the battleground state .
( AP Photo/David Eggert , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immediate rebuke from the public and injected partisan politics into the business of an unsung panel that is supposed to confirm the will of the voters .
A person familiar with the matter told the AP that Trump reached out to Palmer and Hartmann on Tuesday evening after the revised vote to express gratitude for their support .
Biden crushed Trump in Wayne County by a more than 2-1 margin on his way to winning Michigan by 153,000 votes , according to unofficial results .
His victory reversed Trump ’ s 2016 gains @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrat on the path to achieving the 270 Electoral College votes needed to win the White House .
The county canvassers later voted again and certified the results , 4-0 .
Then , on Wednesday , Palmer and Hartmann signed affidavits saying they believe the vote should not be certified .
Jonathan Kinloch , a Democratic canvasser , said he heard passion — not threats — during the stormy Tuesday night meeting when the audience on Zoom was allowed to speak after the 2-2 tie and before the unanimous vote .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ demonstrating their outrage , but it happens all the time , ” Kinloch said .
“ This was a very important meeting to the city , the county , and it impacted a lot of folks .
”

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DETROIT (AP) — President Donald Trump summoned Michigan’s Republican legislative leaders to the White House for an extraordinary meeting Friday amid a longshot GOP push to subvert the democratic process that handed the battleground state to Democrat Joe Biden.
Two people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press that Trump invited Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey and House Speaker Lee Chatfield. They agreed to go, according to a state official aware of the leaders’ plans. The two officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were discussing private conversations.
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It was not immediately clear what the meeting would be about. Neither Shirkey nor Chatfield commented.
The Legislature would be called to select electors if Trump succeeds in convincing the state’s board of canvassers not to certify Biden’s 153,000-vote victory in the state.
Both Shirkey and Chatfield have indicated they will not try to overturn Biden’s win.
“Michigan law does not include a provision for the Legislature to directly select electors or to award electors to anyone other than the person who received the most votes,” Shirkey’s spokeswoman said last week.
Also Thursday, state officials said Michigan’s largest county cannot revoke its certification of election results after two Republicans who approved Biden’s local landslide wanted to revert to their initial stance of refusing to bless the vote tally.
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The GOP effort to change position represented another complication in what is typically a routine task. Monica Palmer and William Hartmann, the two Republican canvassers in Wayne County, said they only voted to certify the results after “hours of sustained pressure” and after getting promises that their concerns about the election would be investigated.
“We deserve better — but more importantly, the American people deserve better — than to be forced to accept an outcome achieved through intimidation, deception and threats of violence,” they said in a statement Wednesday night. “Wayne County voters need to have full confidence in this process.”
State officials said the certification of the Detroit-area vote will stand. Michigan’s chief election officer said a post-election audit will be performed, though not to check “mythical allegations” of fraud.
“There is no legal mechanism for them to rescind their vote. Their job is done, and the next step in the process is for the Board of State Canvassers to meet and certify,” said Tracy Wimmer, a spokeswoman for the Michigan secretary of state.
The four-member state board, which is expected to meet Monday, is split with two Democrats and two Republicans — the same makeup as the Wayne County board.
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Trump’s campaign says the latest about-face by Palmer and Hartmann is legitimate. It withdrew a federal lawsuit challenging the Detroit-area results, attaching affidavits from the pair.
Palmer and Hartmann initially voted against certification Tuesday, leaving the county Board of Canvassers deadlocked at 2-2 along party lines. Palmer complained that certain Detroit precincts were out of balance, meaning that absentee ballot books did not match the number of ballots cast.
“This is not an indication that any votes were improperly cast or counted,” Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said.
FILE - In this May 6, 2020, file photo, Michigan Republican Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey, left, and Republican House Speaker Lee Chatfield announce a lawsuit to combat the coronavirus pandemic orders at the Capitol building in Lansing, Mich. President Donald Trump summoned Michigan's Republican legislative leaders to the White House for a meeting Friday, Nov. 20, amid a GOP push to overturn the certification of Democrat Joe Biden's victory in the battleground state. (AP Photo/David Eggert, File) ASSOCIATED PRESS
The GOP move drew an immediate rebuke from the public and injected partisan politics into the business of an unsung panel that is supposed to confirm the will of the voters. A person familiar with the matter told the AP that Trump reached out to Palmer and Hartmann on Tuesday evening after the revised vote to express gratitude for their support.
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In a statement, the pair reported being the target of threats, which they said they reported to law enforcement.
Trump “was checking to make sure I was safe after seeing/hearing about the threats and doxxing,” Palmer said in a text message to the Detroit Free Press, referring to the practice of publicly disclosing someone’s personal information.
Biden crushed Trump in Wayne County by a more than 2-1 margin on his way to winning Michigan by 153,000 votes, according to unofficial results. His victory reversed Trump’s 2016 gains in the industrial Midwest and put the Democrat on the path to achieving the 270 Electoral College votes needed to win the White House.
The county canvassers later voted again and certified the results, 4-0. Then, on Wednesday, Palmer and Hartmann signed affidavits saying they believe the vote should not be certified.
Jonathan Kinloch, a Democratic canvasser, said he heard passion — not threats — during the stormy Tuesday night meeting when the audience on Zoom was allowed to speak after the 2-2 tie and before the unanimous vote.
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“I heard people basically being very assertive in demonstrating their outrage, but it happens all the time,” Kinloch said. “This was a very important meeting to the city, the county, and it impacted a lot of folks.”
Benson, a Democrat, said a post-election audit will be conducted in Wayne County and any other community with “significant clerical errors.”
“Audits are neither designed to address nor performed in response to false or mythical allegations of ‘irregularities’ that have no basis in fact,” she said.
There has been no evidence of widespread voting fraud in Michigan or any other state. Federal and state officials from both parties have declared the 2020 election safe and secure. But Trump and his allies have spent two weeks raising false claims of fraud and refusing to concede to Biden.
___
Eggert reported from Lansing and Miller from Washington.