thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-21--GOP Senators Get Stark Reminder Of Their Previous ‘Let The Voters Decide’ Demands

MSNBC ’ s Chris Hayes on Friday reminded Senate Republicans of their calls to “ let the voters decide ” the fate of President Donald Trump when they voted to acquit him of impeachment charges earlier in the year .
Hayes accused the vast majority of Republican senators of now being “ complicit participants ” with their silence on the president ’ s “ feeble attempt to subvert the election.
” He aired a montage of GOP senators — including Lindsey Graham ( S.C ) , Ted Cruz ( Texas ) and Marco Rubio ( Fl . )
— saying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ removing Trump from office at that time because it should be up to the American people to decide in November .
“ OK .
We had one .
We had an election , ” said Hayes .
“ The voters decided .
And so now all those senators should be showing some deference , some respect for the decision.
” “ I mean , they told us this was the thing to do , and we went out and did it , and now what ?
Now what ?
” he asked .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ acquitted Trump because you said the `` decision should be made by the voters ? ''
They 've decided .
# DoYourJob pic.twitter.com/ZLcNr9paDA — All In with Chris Hayes ( @ allinwithchris ) November 21 , 2020

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Hayes accused the vast majority of Republican senators of being “complicit participants” with their silence on the president’s “feeble attempt to subvert the election.”
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He aired a montage of GOP senators — including Lindsey Graham (S.C.), Ted Cruz (Texas) and Marco Rubio (Fla.) — saying in February that they did not support removing Trump from office at that time because it should be up to the American people to decide in November.
“OK. ... We had an election,” said Hayes. “The voters decided. And so now all those senators should be showing some deference, some respect for the decision.”
“I mean, they told us this was the thing to do, and we went out and did it, and now what? Now what?” he asked.
Check out the segment here:
Hey @LindseyGrahamSC, remember when you acquitted Trump because you said the "decision should be made by the voters?" They've decided. #DoYourJob pic.twitter.com/ZLcNr9paDA — All In with Chris Hayes (@allinwithchris) November 21, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-21--Donald Trump Will Lose One Of His Twitter Accounts To Joe Biden On Inauguration Day

President Donald Trump will lose control of the official @ POTUS Twitter account ― which he uses to retweet his conspiracy theories and vitriol ― on Jan. 20 , President-elect Joe Biden ’ s Inauguration Day .
The current content of the feed will be archived and wiped .
The profile will then be passed to the Biden administration , the platform confirmed Friday .
Around a dozen other official government accounts — such as the vice president ’ s @ VP handle and the first lady ’ s @ FLOTUS profile — will also be transferred to the Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Twitter is actively preparing to support the transition of White House institutional Twitter accounts on January 20th , 2021 , ” Twitter spokesperson Nick Pacilio said in a statement to CNN .
The process is being conducted “ in close consultation with the National Archives and Records Administration ” as it was for the transition of power between Barack Obama and Donald Trump following the 2016 election , Pacilio added .
Trump will retain control of his personal @ realDonaldTrump account , which he frequently uses to spew conspiracy theories , share @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But once he is out of office , Trump will lose the protections the platform has afforded him due to his status as a world leader , Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey said this week .
It means Trump may , in theory at least , face suspension or even being banned from the platform for posting the kind of incendiary things he ’ s tweeted in the past , which would have gotten non-presidents kicked off .
Trump has used his personal @ realDonaldTrump handle since the 2020 election to promote baseless allegations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million followers .
The @ POTUS account has 32.8 million followers .
Since October , it has retweeted dozens of posts from Trump ’ s personal account and the official White House ’ s handle , and one single tweet from the outgoing president ’ s daughter and adviser , Ivanka Trump .

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President Donald Trump will lose control of the official @POTUS Twitter account ― which he uses to retweet his conspiracy theories and vitriol ― on Jan. 20, President-elect Joe Biden’s Inauguration Day.
The current content of the feed will be archived and wiped. The profile will then be passed to the Biden administration, the platform confirmed Friday.
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Around a dozen other official government accounts — such as the vice president’s @VP handle and the first lady’s @FLOTUS profile — will also be transferred to the Biden White House, said the company.
“Twitter is actively preparing to support the transition of White House institutional Twitter accounts on January 20th, 2021,” Twitter spokesperson Nick Pacilio said in a statement to CNN.
The process is being conducted “in close consultation with the National Archives and Records Administration” as it was for the transition of power between Barack Obama and Donald Trump following the 2016 election, Pacilio added.
Trump will retain control of his personal @realDonaldTrump account, which he frequently uses to spew conspiracy theories, share inflammatory content and launch vitriolic attacks.
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But once he is out of office, Trump will lose the protections the platform has afforded him due to his status as a world leader, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey said this week.
It means Trump may, in theory at least, face suspension or even being banned from the platform for posting the kind of incendiary things he’s tweeted in the past, which would have gotten non-presidents kicked off.
Trump has used his personal @realDonaldTrump handle since the 2020 election to promote baseless allegations of widespread voter fraud to his 88.9 million followers.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-21--50 Weird Christmas Gifts Almost As Bizarre As The Year 2020

The pandemic has created unique wardrobe problems for remote workers : What do you wear to a Zoom meeting that @ @ @ @ @ professional ?
Thanks to the Work Wonnie , that challenge is solved .
It 's @ @ @ @ @ shirt on top and comfy sweatpants below .
Hopefully , this will be allowed at @ @ @ @ @ .

Work Wonnies
The pandemic has created unique wardrobe problems for remote workers: What do you wear to a Zoom meeting that is comfy but still looks professional? Thanks to the Work Wonnie, that challenge is solved. It's a onesie with a respectable shirt on top and comfy sweatpants below. Hopefully, this will be allowed at offices when we go back.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-21--Jimmy Fallon Spots The Gag-Inducing Rudy Giuliani Moment People May Have Missed

Most eyes may have been on Rudy Giuliani when a dark liquid oozed down his face during his unhinged press @ @ @ @ @ election fraud on Thursday .
But Jimmy Fallon spotted another strange moment “ you might @ @ @ @ @ same briefing from President Donald Trump ’ s attorney that was equally worthy of scrutiny @ @ @ @ @ was standing in the background , blew his nose on a handkerchief and rubbed it @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Oh my God .
Wow .
I think Rudy is trying to single-handedly @ @ @ @ @ joked on Friday ’ s broadcast of “ The Tonight Show.
” “ Seriously , @ @ @ @ @ even COVID-19 immediately put on a mask , ” the late-night host added .
“ @ @ @ @ @ Rudy does on national TV , I don ’ t want to see what he @ @ @ @ @ also poked fun at the president ’ s ongoing refusal to concede the 2020 election @ @ @ @ @ exactly why ” participation trophies exist .

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Most eyes may have been on the dark liquid oozing down Rudy Giuliani’s face during his unhinged press conference alleging baseless claims about election fraud on Thursday.
But Jimmy Fallon pointed out another strange moment “you might have missed” in the same briefing that was equally worthy of scrutiny.
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When Giuliani, President Donald Trump’s attorney, was not speaking, he blew his nose on a handkerchief, turned it snot-side out, and rubbed it around his mouth and forehead.
“Oh my God. Wow. I think Rudy is trying to single-handedly start COVID-20,” Fallon joked on Friday’s broadcast of “The Tonight Show.”
“Seriously, when it saw that clip even COVID-19 immediately put on a mask,” the late-night host added. “If that’s what Rudy does on national TV, I don’t want to see what he does at home.”
Giuliani’s son, Andrew, who works as a special assistant to the president, announced on Friday that he has tested positive for the coronavirus.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-21--Trump Skips Pandemic Session At G-20 Summit, Heads To Golf Club

President Donald Trump participated in the opening session of this year ’ s virtual Group of 20 summit on Saturday but did not attend a side event dedicated to the COVID-19 pandemic .
Trump instead left for the Trump National Golf Club in Sterling , Virginia , while that session was underway , CNN , The New York Times and Mother Jones reported .
The G-20 summit , an annual forum of leaders from 19 countries and the European Union , was initially slated to take place this year in Saudi Arabia but became a virtual event because of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ session Saturday morning , during which he touted the United States economy and military and told world leaders he looked forward to working with them “ for a long time , ” The Guardian reported .
He also tweeted multiple times during the session , alleging voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election .
Trump left the summit not long after he finished speaking , according to Bloomberg News .
Other unnamed leaders also left after delivering their own speeches , Bloomberg reported , citing unnamed officials .
Coming and going from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bloomberg reported , adding that Trump stayed for at least the first hour .
Following the opening session , the summit hosted an event on pandemic preparedness and response , which was largely made up of prerecorded speeches , according to The Guardian .
Trump had already left for the golf club when that session kicked off .
More than 11.7 million Americans have contracted COVID-19 since the pandemic began .
The United States saw 195,000 new reported infections Friday , a record for new cases in a single day .
Health experts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Thanksgiving holiday , and hospitals around the nation braced for onslaughts of new coronavirus patients .
Trump is expected to participate in the second day of the G-20 summit Sunday .

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President Donald Trump participated in the opening session of this year’s virtual Group of 20 summit on Saturday but did not attend a side event dedicated to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Trump instead left for the Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia, while that session was underway, CNN, The New York Times and Mother Jones reported.
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President Donald Trump plays golf at Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia, on Saturday. AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta
The G-20 summit, an annual forum of leaders from 19 countries and the European Union, was initially slated to take place this year in Saudi Arabia but became a virtual event because of the ongoing pandemic.
Trump attended the opening session Saturday morning, during which he touted the United States economy and military and told world leaders he looked forward to working with them “for a long time,” The Guardian reported. He also tweeted multiple times during the session, alleging voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election.
Trump left the summit not long after he finished speaking, according to Bloomberg News. Other unnamed leaders also left after delivering their own speeches, Bloomberg reported, citing unnamed officials. Coming and going from the long G-20 summit is standard practice, Bloomberg reported, adding that Trump stayed for at least the first hour.
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Following the opening session, the summit hosted an event on pandemic preparedness and response, which was largely made up of prerecorded speeches, according to The Guardian. Trump had already left for the golf club when that session kicked off.
The event included remarks from Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and South Korean President Moon Jae-In, among others.
Trump drives a golf cart at Trump National Golf Club on Saturday. AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta
More than 11.7 million Americans have contracted COVID-19 since the pandemic began. The United States saw 195,000 new reported infections Friday, a record for new cases in a single day. Health experts said cases are likely to surge following the Thanksgiving holiday, and hospitals around the nation braced for onslaughts of new coronavirus patients.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-21--Christian Songwriter Is Fed Up With Believers Who Refuse To Wear Masks

A Christian singer-songwriter said she ’ s fed up with fellow believers who act as if wearing masks during the coronavirus pandemic is an assault on their rights .
In an early morning tweet , Nordeman revealed that her aunt had died just eight hours after being diagnosed with COVID-19 on Thursday .
The death happened before Nordeman ’ s mother could reach her aunt ’ s living facility to pray through the window , the singer said .
“ But please tell me more about how wearing a mask is such an assault on your rights , ” she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your big offended feelings that the government is trying to control your life , your faith , your freedom and worship.
” My aunt was diagnosed w/ Covid this morning in her living facility and passed away 8 hours later , before my mom could even get there to pray through the window .
8 hours .
But please tell me more about how wearing a mask is such an assault on your rights .
Tell me about all your — Nichole Nordeman ( @ nicholenordeman ) November 20 , 2020 big offended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ control your life , your faith , your freedom and worship .
I have run out of incredulity and disgust .
Thank you to everyone who is diligent , caring and loving your neighbor by doing everything possible to slow the spread of — Nichole Nordeman ( @ nicholenordeman ) November 20 , 2020 this monster .
Thank you especially to our exhausted , faithful health care workers .
You ’ ve had to learn how to be family members , chaplains , and companions in our stead .
Delivering our loved ones @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and again .
Bless you for this sorrowful gift .
— Nichole Nordeman ( @ nicholenordeman ) November 20 , 2020 Under the leadership of President Donald Trump actions recommended by health officials to combat the spread of COVID-19 ― things like wearing a mask and avoiding large indoor gatherings ― have become deeply politicized issues .
A significant proportion ( 39 % ) of white evangelicals ― Trump ’ s most loyal religious supporters ― say that shutdowns , mask mandates and other steps taken by state and local governments since the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ control people , according to a Public Religion Research Institute survey published in October .
White evangelicals are more likely to say this than any other religious group , PRRI reported .
The contemporary Christian music world Nordeman hails from has deep ties to white evangelical culture .
Many of the artists in this music scene have either stayed silent about whether or not they approved of Trump ’ s actions and policies over the past four years ― or they ’ ve been willing to come right out and boldly support him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from that world to be openly critical of Trump , as Nordeman has been .
Nordeman had a considerable presence in the contemporary Christian music world in the early 2000s , winning multiple Gospel Music Association Dove Awards , the Christian music industry ’ s equivalent to the Grammys .
After taking a hiatus to focus on her personal life , she released her fifth studio album , “ Every Mile Mattered , ” in 2017 .
She ’ s still writing and recording music while also serving as worship arts minister at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Oklahoma .
Most evangelical Christians agree that churches should follow the same rules about social distancing and large gatherings as other organizations or businesses in their local area .
Dozens of Christian leaders — including Dr. Francis Collins , the director of the National Institutes of Health —have called on fellow believers to follow the advice of public health experts during the pandemic .
Still , conservative Christian activists , pastors and legal firms have been leading the charge against coronavirus restrictions on churches ― filing lawsuits against worship restrictions in various states @ @ @ @ @ @ @ One Christian musician , Sean Feucht , has drawn hundreds of often-maskless worshippers to events across the country to protest what he has called “ unprecedented ” attacks on the “ freedom to worship God and obey His Word.
” “ I am weary of fabricated ‘ persecution ’ narratives , ” she tweeted in September , responding to one of Feucht ’ s posts about a protest event in Chicago .
“ Worship doesn ’ t require self orchestrated chaos.
” I ’ m trying to figure out when exactly we were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sense .
Jesus OR science .
Jesus OR data .
Faith OR facts .
Surrender OR safety .
Why must a Christian sacrifice their brain on the altar of belief ?
God created both to live in tandem not tension .
— Nichole Nordeman ( @ nicholenordeman ) October 13 , 2020 Leaders are charged with shepherding their people well , communicating both hope and reality , she wrote in March .
Refusing to submit to experts ’ guidelines “ is not standing your ground against Satan , it ’ s choosing not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ neighbors in your flock .
”

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A Christian singer-songwriter said she’s fed up with fellow believers who act as if wearing masks during the coronavirus pandemic is an assault on their rights.
Nichole Nordeman, an Oklahoma-based musician, was compelled to speak out on Friday after experiencing a family tragedy.
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In an early morning tweet, Nordeman revealed that her aunt had died just eight hours after being diagnosed with COVID-19 on Thursday. The death happened before Nordeman’s mother could reach her aunt’s living facility to pray through the window, the singer said.
“But please tell me more about how wearing a mask is such an assault on your rights,” she wrote. “Tell me about all your big offended feelings that the government is trying to control your life, your faith, your freedom and worship.”
“I have run out of incredulity and disgust,” she said.
My aunt was diagnosed w/ Covid this morning in her living facility and passed away 8 hours later, before my mom could even get there to pray through the window. 8 hours. But please tell me more about how wearing a mask is such an assault on your rights. Tell me about all your — Nichole Nordeman (@nicholenordeman) November 20, 2020
big offended feelings that the government is trying to control your life, your faith, your freedom and worship. I have run out of incredulity and disgust. Thank you to everyone who is diligent, caring and loving your neighbor by doing everything possible to slow the spread of — Nichole Nordeman (@nicholenordeman) November 20, 2020
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this monster. Thank you especially to our exhausted, faithful health care workers. You’ve had to learn how to be family members, chaplains, and companions in our stead. Delivering our loved ones straight into the arms of Jesus time and again . Bless you for this sorrowful gift. — Nichole Nordeman (@nicholenordeman) November 20, 2020
Under the leadership of President Donald Trump actions recommended by health officials to combat the spread of COVID-19 ― things like wearing a mask and avoiding large indoor gatherings ― have become deeply politicized issues.
A significant proportion (39%) of white evangelicals ― Trump’s most loyal religious supporters ― say that shutdowns, mask mandates and other steps taken by state and local governments since the coronavirus pandemic began are unreasonable attempts to control people, according to a Public Religion Research Institute survey published in October. White evangelicals are more likely to say this than any other religious group, PRRI reported.
The contemporary Christian music world Nordeman hails from has deep ties to white evangelical culture. Many of the artists in this music scene have either stayed silent about whether or not they approved of Trump’s actions and policies over the past four years ― or they’ve been willing to come right out and boldly support him. It’s rarer for musicians from that world to be openly critical of Trump, as Nordeman has been.
Nordeman had a considerable presence in the contemporary Christian music world in the early 2000s, winning multiple Gospel Music Association Dove Awards, the Christian music industry’s equivalent to the Grammys. After taking a hiatus to focus on her personal life, she released her fifth studio album, “Every Mile Mattered,” in 2017. She’s still writing and recording music while also serving as worship arts minister at a United Methodist Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
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Nichole Nordeman performs at the 34th Annual Dove Awards in 2003. R. Diamond via Getty Images
Most evangelical Christians agree that churches should follow the same rules about social distancing and large gatherings as other organizations or businesses in their local area. Dozens of Christian leaders — including Dr. Francis Collins, the director of the National Institutes of Health —have called on fellow believers to follow the advice of public health experts during the pandemic.
Nordeman hasn’t been shy about calling out Feucht or other Christians who disregard public officials’ health orders.
“I am weary of fabricated ‘persecution’ narratives,” she tweeted in September, responding to one of Feucht’s posts about a protest event in Chicago. “Worship doesn’t require self orchestrated chaos.”
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I’m trying to figure out when exactly we were expected to choose between Jesus OR common sense. Jesus OR science. Jesus OR data. Faith OR facts. Surrender OR safety. Why must a Christian sacrifice their brain on the altar of belief? God created both to live in tandem not tension. — Nichole Nordeman (@nicholenordeman) October 13, 2020
Leaders are charged with shepherding their people well, communicating both hope and reality, she wrote in March. Refusing to submit to experts’ guidelines “is not standing your ground against Satan, it’s choosing not to love and protect the most vulnerable neighbors in your flock.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-21--Stanford Faculty Condemns 'Objectionable' Colleague Scott Atlas

Stanford University ’ s faculty senate issued a forceful condemnation of its controversial colleague and President Donald Trump ’ s health adviser , Scott Atlas , for spreading disinformation about COVID-19 , saying that his behavior is “ anathema to our values and belief that we should use knowledge for good.
” Atlas , a senior fellow at Stanford ’ s conservative Hoover Institution , has come under increasing criticism for urging people not to wear face masks or socially distance and to resist lockdown restrictions , all of which health experts recommend to stem the spread of COVID-19 and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Americans to “ rise up ” against new COVID-19 restrictions issued by Michigan Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer ( D ) in the wake of a record surge of coronavirus cases in her state .
The call by Atlas came after authorities arrested members of a right-wing paramilitary group on charges of plotting to kidnap Whitmer because of her actions to stop the coronavirus ’ spread and to protect Michiganders ’ health .
The faculty senate passed the resolution with 85 % of its members approving .
The resolution detailed Atlas ’ COVID-19 disinformation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ harmed Stanford ’ s “ reputation and academic standing , ” according to a statement from the university .
“ What Atlas has done is an embarrassment to the university , ” said Dr. David Spiegel of the Stanford School of Medicine .
“ He is using his real affiliation with Hoover to provide credibility in issues he has no professional expertise to discuss in a professional way.
” “ We strongly condemn his behavior , ” the resolution said .
“ It violates the core values of our faculty and the expectations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which states that we all ‘ are responsible for sustaining the high ethical standards of this institution.
’ ” The resolution called on the university to “ forcefully disavow Atlas ’ actions as objectionable on the basis of the university ’ s core values and at odds with our own policies and guidelines concerning COVID-19 and campus life.
” The resolution passed more than two months after some 100 members of Stanford ’ s School of Medicine and other researchers signed an open letter condemning Atlas .
The letter cited the Hippocratic oath @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do no harm ” and attacked Altas ’ harmful “ falsehoods and misrepresentations of science.
” Stanford earlier this week issued a statement saying that Atlas ’ statements concerning COVID-19 did not reflect the position of the university or the Hoover Institution , which supported the use of face masks and social distancing .
But some critics said the statement alone is inadequate and that Stanford should take tougher action against Atlas .
The Hoover Institution brings millions of dollars in donations and grants into Stanford ’ s coffers .
“ I have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases told The Washington Post last month .
He ’ s “ talking about things that I believe he doesn ’ t have any real insight or knowledge or experience in .
He keeps talking about things that ... [ don ’ t ] make any sense .
”

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Stanford University’s faculty senate issued a forceful condemnation of its controversial colleague and President Donald Trump’s health adviser, Scott Atlas, for spreading disinformation about COVID-19, saying that his behavior is “anathema to our values and belief that we should use knowledge for good.”
Atlas, a senior fellow at Stanford’s conservative Hoover Institution, has come under increasing criticism for urging people not to wear face masks or socially distance and to resist lockdown restrictions, all of which health experts recommend to stem the spread of COVID-19 and save lives.
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Atlas last Sunday urged Americans to “rise up” against new COVID-19 restrictions issued by Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) in the wake of a record surge of coronavirus cases in her state. The call by Atlas came after authorities arrested members of a right-wing paramilitary group on charges of plotting to kidnap Whitmer because of her actions to stop the coronavirus’ spread and to protect Michiganders’ health.
The faculty senate passed the resolution with 85% of its members approving. The resolution detailed Atlas’ COVID-19 disinformation that “contradicts medical science” and harmed Stanford’s “reputation and academic standing,” according to a statement from the university.
It also singled out Atlas’ call to “rise up” against Whitmer.
“What Atlas has done is an embarrassment to the university,” said Dr. David Spiegel of the Stanford School of Medicine. “He is using his real affiliation with Hoover to provide credibility in issues he has no professional expertise to discuss in a professional way.”
Atlas is a neuroradiologist with no expertise or significant experience in infectious diseases or pandemics.
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“We strongly condemn his behavior,” the resolution said. “It violates the core values of our faculty and the expectations under the Stanford Code of Conduct, which states that we all ‘are responsible for sustaining the high ethical standards of this institution.’”
The resolution called on the university to “forcefully disavow Atlas’ actions as objectionable on the basis of the university’s core values and at odds with our own policies and guidelines concerning COVID-19 and campus life.”
The resolution passed more than two months after some 100 members of Stanford’s School of Medicine and other researchers signed an open letter condemning Atlas. The letter cited the Hippocratic oath that physicians take to “first, do no harm” and attacked Altas’ harmful “falsehoods and misrepresentations of science.”
Neither Atlas nor Kasowitz immediately responded to HuffPost’s requests for comment.
Stanford earlier this week issued a statement saying that Atlas’ statements concerning COVID-19 did not reflect the position of the university or the Hoover Institution, which supported the use of face masks and social distancing.
Dr. Atlas has expressed views that are inconsistent with the university’s approach in response to the pandemic. Dr. Atlas’s statements reflect his personal views, not those of the Hoover Institution or the university. 3/3 — Stanford University (@Stanford) November 17, 2020
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But some critics said the statement alone is inadequate and that Stanford should take tougher action against Atlas. The Hoover Institution brings millions of dollars in donations and grants into Stanford’s coffers.
The faculty senate stopped short of demanding sanctions against Atlas, including dismissal.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, has attacked Atlas’ recommendations.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-21--COVID-19 Reinfection Unlikely For At Least 6 Months, Study Finds

LONDON , Nov 20 ( Reuters ) - People who ’ ve had COVID-19 are highly unlikely to contract it again for at least six months after their first infection , according to a British study of health care workers on the frontline of fight against the coronavirus pandemic .
The findings should offer some reassurance for the more than 51 million people worldwide who have been infected with the pandemic disease , researchers at the University of Oxford said .
“ This is really good news , because we can be confident that , at least in the short @ @ @ @ @ @ @ won ’ t get it again , ” said David Eyre , a professor at Oxford ’ s Nuffield Department of Population Health , who co-led the study .
Isolated cases of re-infection with COVID-19 , the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus , had raised concerns that immunity might be short-lived and that recovered patients may swiftly fall sick again .
But the results of this study , carried out in a cohort of UK health care workers - who are among those at highest risk of contracting COVID-19 - suggest cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rare .
“ Being infected with COVID-19 does offer protection agains tre-infection for most people for at least six months , ” Eyre said .
“ We found no new symptomatic infections in any of the participants who had tested positive for antibodies.
” The study , part of a major staff testing program , covered a 30-week period between April and November 2020 .
Its results have not peer-reviewed by other scientists but were published before review on the MedRxiv website .
During the study , 89 of 11,052 staff without antibodies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while none of the 1,246staff with antibodies developed a symptomatic infection .
Staff with antibodies were also less likely to test positive for COVID-19 without symptoms , the researchers said , with 76without antibodies testing positive , compared to only three with antibodies .
Those three were all well and did not developCOVID-19 symptoms , they added .
“ We will continue to follow this cohort of staff carefully to see how long protection lasts and whether previous infection affects the severity of infection if people do get infected again , ” Eyre @ @

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LONDON, Nov 20 (Reuters) - People who’ve had COVID-19 are highly unlikely to contract it again for at least six months after their first infection, according to a British study of health care workers on the frontline of fight against the coronavirus pandemic.
The findings should offer some reassurance for the more than 51 million people worldwide who have been infected with the pandemic disease, researchers at the University of Oxford said.
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“This is really good news, because we can be confident that, at least in the short term, most people who get COVID-19 won’t get it again,” said David Eyre, a professor at Oxford’s Nuffield Department of Population Health, who co-led the study.
Isolated cases of re-infection with COVID-19, the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, had raised concerns that immunity might be short-lived and that recovered patients may swiftly fall sick again.
But the results of this study, carried out in a cohort of UK health care workers - who are among those at highest risk of contracting COVID-19 - suggest cases of reinfection are likely to remain extremely rare.
“Being infected with COVID-19 does offer protection agains tre-infection for most people for at least six months,” Eyre said. “We found no new symptomatic infections in any of the participants who had tested positive for antibodies.”
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The study, part of a major staff testing program, covered a 30-week period between April and November 2020. Its results have not peer-reviewed by other scientists but were published before review on the MedRxiv website.
During the study, 89 of 11,052 staff without antibodies developed a new infection with symptoms, while none of the 1,246staff with antibodies developed a symptomatic infection.
Staff with antibodies were also less likely to test positive for COVID-19 without symptoms, the researchers said, with 76without antibodies testing positive, compared to only three with antibodies. Those three were all well and did not developCOVID-19 symptoms, they added.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-21--Judge Brutally Dismisses Rudy Giuliani's Suit To 'Disenfranchise' Pa. Voters

A federal judge dismissed President Donald Trump ’ s campaign ’ s lawsuit to overturn the election in Pennsylvania on Saturday , calling out Rudy Giuliani ’ s attempt to “ disenfranchise almost 7 million voters ” based on zero actual evidence of voter fraud .
U.S. District Court Judge Matthew W. Brann , who heard Giuliani ’ s argument on the case earlier this week , said the court “ has been presented with strained legal arguments without merit and speculative accusations ” that weren ’ t tied to the actual complaint nor supported by evidence .
“ In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can not justify the disenfranchisement of a single voter , let alone all the voters of its sixth-most-populated state .
Our people , laws and institutions demand more , ” Brann wrote .
Rudy Giuliani speaks to the press about various lawsuits related to the 2020 election at the Republican National Committee headquarters on Thursday .
Brann said that it was perfectly legitimate for Pennsylvania counties to offer voters an opportunity to “ cure ” their mail-in ballots .
The Trump campaign had complained that elections officials in Democratic-leaning counties had done a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advising voters when they made a mistake on their mail-in ballots and argued this amounted to an equal protection violation .
Brann said that argument was rubbish .
“ No county was forced to adopt notice-and-cure ; each county made a choice to do so , or not .
Because it is not irrational or arbitrary for a state to allow counties to expand the right to vote if they so choose , Individual Plaintiffs fail to state an equal-protection claim , ” he wrote .
“ Even assuming that they can establish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ denied , which they can not , Plaintiffs seek to remedy the denial of their votes by invalidating the votes of millions of others .
Rather than requesting that their votes be counted , they seek to discredit scores of other votes , but only for one race .
This is simply not how the Constitution works , ” Brann wrote .

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A federal judge dismissed President Donald Trump’s campaign’s lawsuit to overturn the election in Pennsylvania on Saturday, calling out Rudy Giuliani’s attempt to “disenfranchise almost 7 million voters” based on zero actual evidence of voter fraud.
U.S. District Court Judge Matthew W. Brann, who heard Giuliani’s argument on the case earlier this week, said the court “has been presented with strained legal arguments without merit and speculative accusations” that weren’t tied to the actual complaint nor supported by evidence.
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“In the United States of America, this cannot justify the disenfranchisement of a single voter, let alone all the voters of its sixth-most-populated state. Our people, laws and institutions demand more,” Brann wrote.
Rudy Giuliani speaks to the press about various lawsuits related to the 2020 election at the Republican National Committee headquarters on Thursday. Drew Angerer via Getty Images
Giuliani did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment on Saturday evening.
Asked earlier whether he had made a deal with Trump in exchange for a preemptive pardon, Giuliani told a HuffPost reporter, “Get lost.”
Brann said that it was perfectly legitimate for Pennsylvania counties to offer voters an opportunity to “cure” their mail-in ballots. The Trump campaign had complained that elections officials in Democratic-leaning counties had done a better job than officials in Republican-leaning counties advising voters when they made a mistake on their mail-in ballots and argued this amounted to an equal protection violation. Brann said that argument was rubbish.
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“No county was forced to adopt notice-and-cure; each county made a choice to do so, or not. Because it is not irrational or arbitrary for a state to allow counties to expand the right to vote if they so choose, Individual Plaintiffs fail to state an equal-protection claim,” he wrote.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-21--GOP Enabling Trump As His Legal Challenges Are Becoming Limited

As one Trump court case after another falls by the wayside , Trump is doubling down on efforts to disrupt the election outcome .
Rather than accept the reality of the vote , the president is using the weight of his office to try to squash it .
He summoned Michigan state lawmakers to the White House on Friday after personally reaching out to GOP officials ahead of next week ’ s deadline to certify election results .
Others from Pennsylvania may similarly be invited in .
Republicans are standing by as it all unfolds .
What started as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time and space he needed to process his defeat is now spiraling into an unprecedented challenge to the election outcome like nothing since the Civil War .
With their silence , the Republican lawmakers are falling in one step deeper with the president they have spent four years trying to appease .
A few have spoken up .
But mostly the Republicans are enabling Trump as he wages an unsubstantiated attack on the election that threatens to erode civic trust and impede Biden ’ s transition to the White House .
It could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But in one state after another , from Arizona to Georgia , the Trump cases are failing .
Trump forced recounts Friday in two counties in Wisconsin .
More legal action is expected there and cases are pending elsewhere .
Nowhere has evidence been presented of widespread voter fraud on a scale that could alter the outcome .
But there ’ s no guarantee their gamble will work .
Rather than glide toward that outcome , Trump is digging in — moving beyond the GOP argument that it ’ s about counting legal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ broadly trying to overturn results .
Almost none of the top Republican leaders in the House or Senate responded directly Friday when asked by The Associated Press if they believe the states have any reason not to certify their election results .
Only Rep. Liz Cheney , the No .
3 Republican in the House , and the daughter of the former vice president said if Trump is unsatisfied with the outcome of the legal battles , he can appeal .
“ If the president can not prove these claims or demonstrate that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Cheney said in a statement to The AP , “ he should fulfill his oath to preserve , protect and defend the Constitution of the United States by respecting the sanctity of our electoral process.
” It ’ s a strategy they have used throughout the Trump presidency , keeping him close so as not to alienate his supporters — whom they need for their own reelections — and not getting too involved when he strains the nation ’ s civic norms .

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans in Congress are engaged in a risky but calculated bet that once President Donald Trump has exhausted his legal challenges to the election, he will come to grips with his loss to President-elect Joe Biden.
But the opposite is happening.
As one Trump court case after another falls by the wayside, Trump is doubling down on efforts to disrupt the election outcome. Rather than accept the reality of the vote, the president is using the weight of his office to try to squash it. He summoned Michigan state lawmakers to the White House on Friday after personally reaching out to GOP officials ahead of next week’s deadline to certify election results. Others from Pennsylvania may similarly be invited in.
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Republicans are standing by as it all unfolds. What started as a GOP strategy to give the president the time and space he needed to process his defeat is now spiraling into an unprecedented challenge to the election outcome like nothing since the Civil War.
“It’s hit the point where the Republican Party’s letting Trump’s pout go on too long,” said presidential historian Douglas Brinkley, a professor at Rice University in Texas.
With their silence, the Republican lawmakers are falling in one step deeper with the president they have spent four years trying to appease. A few have spoken up. But mostly the Republicans are enabling Trump as he wages an unsubstantiated attack on the election that threatens to erode civic trust and impede Biden’s transition to the White House. It could define careers for years to come.
“It’s making future stars of the Republican Party look tiny and small,” Brinkley said. “All of these senators are going to carry a dark mark on their legacy for coddling Trump after he lost.”
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President Donald Trump listens during an event in the briefing room of the White House in Washington, Friday, Nov. 20, 2020, on prescription drug prices. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) ASSOCIATED PRESS
Republicans started with a simple premise: If Trump had concerns about fraudulent voting, as he widely claimed, go to court and make the case.
It was a way to buy time, give Trump a chance to bring evidence, and perhaps convince some of his most ardent supporters of the outcome. Biden now has won 80 million votes to Trump’s 74 million.
But in one state after another, from Arizona to Georgia, the Trump cases are failing. Trump forced recounts Friday in two counties in Wisconsin. More legal action is expected there and cases are pending elsewhere. Nowhere has evidence been presented of widespread voter fraud on a scale that could alter the outcome.
The Republican lawmakers will soon be forced into a moment of truth with key upcoming deadlines.
States are expected to certify election results by Dec. 6, and Republican lawmakers have been eyeing the Dec. 14 Electoral College deadline as their own offramp from Trump’s presidency.
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That’s when GOP lawmakers believe they can start saying publicly what many of them already suggest in private — that Biden, in fact, won the election.
But there’s no guarantee their gamble will work. Rather than glide toward that outcome, Trump is digging in — moving beyond the GOP argument that it’s about counting legal votes and halting illegal ones to more broadly trying to overturn results.
Trump has talked openly about stacking the Electoral College, where electors are typically determined by the outcome in the states, with his backers.
“I won, by the way,” Trump said Friday at the White House. “We’ll find that out.”
Almost none of the top Republican leaders in the House or Senate responded directly Friday when asked by The Associated Press if they believe the states have any reason not to certify their election results.
Only Rep. Liz Cheney, the No. 3 Republican in the House, and the daughter of the former vice president said if Trump is unsatisfied with the outcome of the legal battles, he can appeal.
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“If the president cannot prove these claims or demonstrate that they would change the election result,” Cheney said in a statement to The AP, “he should fulfill his oath to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States by respecting the sanctity of our electoral process.”
One key lawmaker, Sen. Pat Toomey, from battleground Pennsylvania, “believes that states should certify their results” in accordance with election laws, his spokesman said.
Once the states certify, he said, “these results should be accepted by all parties involved.” In Pennsylvania, the state law “is unambiguous: The winner of the state’s popular vote is awarded the state’s electoral college votes.”
With the Capitol still partly shuttered due to the COVID-19 crisis and emptying out for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, lawmakers are able to deflect many questions about their positions.
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., said Friday he wasn’t really familiar with what Trump was doing inviting the Michigan lawmakers to the White House.
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“I don’t really have concerns with him talking about the situation with elected officials,” Hawley said at the Capitol as he opened the Senate for a perfunctory session.
Asked if Trump could overturn the election, Hawley was noncommittal: “Anything’s possible.”
Republicans are calculating that it’s better not to provoke the president — he may do something more severe — but let time take its course.
It’s a strategy they have used throughout the Trump presidency, keeping him close so as not to alienate his supporters — whom they need for their own reelections — and not getting too involved when he strains the nation’s civic norms.
With the upcoming Senate runoff elections in Georgia to decide which party controls the Senate in January, Republicans are beholden to Trump’s supporters to turn out the vote.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell tried to portray the extraordinary week as ordinary.
“In all the presidential elections we go through this process,” he said. “What we all say about it is irrelevant.”
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McConnell said once the state certifications occur, “if they occur,” the elections will wrap up.
“One of the beauties of the American electoral system is that we have 50 separate ways to conduct them,” he said. “The decisions as to how elections end happen in 50 different places.”
The office of Rep. Kevin McCarthy, the House GOP leader, referred to his comments earlier this week when he said, “the states should finish their work.”
Meanwhile, the state tallies continue to roll in.
Georgia certified its results Friday after a hand recount found that Biden won by a margin of 12,670 votes, the first Democratic presidential candidate to win the state since 1992. Michigan is scheduled to certify its results Monday. Pennsylvania will soon follow.
The electors are set to present their votes on Jan. 6, two weeks before the Jan. 20 inauguration.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-21--NAACP LDF Lawsuit: Trump Violated Voting Rights Act

The NAACP Legal Defense Fund filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of Black Michigan voters against President Donald Trump and his campaign Friday , accusing both of violating the Voting Rights Act .
The lawsuit , filed in U.S. District Court in Washington , argued that Trump is pressuring election officials not to certify votes in Michigan based on false allegations of election fraud in an attempt to suppress votes , particularly those of Black voters .
The fraud allegations have been “ consistently debunked and the campaign ’ s litigation attempts turned away by courts in several states , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund Inc. , said in a statement .
“ The president ’ s use of dog whistles to suggest the illegitimacy of votes cast by Black voters in Detroit , Philadelphia , Milwaukee and Atlanta are an appeal to a dangerous and corrosive racialized narrative of voter fraud , ” she added .
The lawsuit argued that the president ’ s “ tactics repeat the worst abuses in our nation ’ s history , as Black Americans were denied a voice in American democracy for most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republic.
” Defendants are “ openly seeking to disenfranchise Black voters , including voters in Detroit , Michigan , ” the suit alleged .
“ Repeating false claims of voter fraud , which have been thoroughly debunked , Defendants are pressuring state and local officials in Michigan not to count votes from Wayne County , Michigan , ... and thereby disenfranchise hundreds of thousands of voters.
” Neither the White House nor the Trump campaign immediately responded to requests from HuffPost for comment on the lawsuit .
Neither the White House nor the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the suit .
Joe Biden won Michigan by some 140,000 votes and polled particularly well in Detroit , which Trump and his campaign made a key target for their challenges .
The president and his campaign have struggled to come up with any evidence of their claims of ballot fraud anywhere .
They dropped a suit challenging results in Michigan on Thursday .
Trump invited the state ’ s legislative leaders , both Republicans , to the White House for a meeting Friday .
Observers suspected that the president ’ s meeting was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wield their power to sway electoral votes for him against the wishes of Michigan voters .
The legislators left the meeting unconvinced that they should take any action to try to change the election ’ s result .
“ We have not yet been made aware of any information that would change the outcome of the election in Michigan , and as legislative leaders , we will follow the law and follow the normal process regarding Michigan ’ s electors , ” state Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey and Michigan House Speaker Lee @ @ @ @ @ @ @

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The NAACP Legal Defense Fund filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of Black Michigan voters against President Donald Trump and his campaign Friday, accusing both of violating the Voting Rights Act.
The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, argued that Trump is pressuring election officials not to certify votes in Michigan based on false allegations of election fraud in an attempt to suppress votes, particularly those of Black voters.
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The fraud allegations have been “consistently debunked and the campaign’s litigation attempts turned away by courts in several states,” Sherrilyn Ifill, president and director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund Inc., said in a statement.
“The president’s use of dog whistles to suggest the illegitimacy of votes cast by Black voters in Detroit, Philadelphia, Milwaukee and Atlanta are an appeal to a dangerous and corrosive racialized narrative of voter fraud,” she added.
The lawsuit argued that the president’s “tactics repeat the worst abuses in our nation’s history, as Black Americans were denied a voice in American democracy for most of the first two centuries of the Republic.”
Defendants are “openly seeking to disenfranchise Black voters, including voters in Detroit, Michigan,” the suit alleged. “Repeating false claims of voter fraud, which have been thoroughly debunked, Defendants are pressuring state and local officials in Michigan not to count votes from Wayne County, Michigan, ... and thereby disenfranchise hundreds of thousands of voters.”
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The Voting Rights Act of 1965 “protects against efforts to intimidate or coerce officials to disenfranchise Black voters,” Ifill said.
The lawsuit called for Trump or his campaign to halt any efforts to disenfranchise voters.
The NAACP Legal Defense Fund sued on behalf of three Black residents of Detroit and the Michigan Welfare Rights Organization.
Neither the White House nor the Trump campaign immediately responded to requests from HuffPost for comment on the lawsuit.
Neither the White House nor the campaign have yet filed a response to the suit.
Joe Biden won Michigan by some 140,000 votes and polled particularly well in Detroit, which Trump and his campaign made a key target for their challenges.
The president and his campaign have struggled to come up with any evidence of their claims of ballot fraud anywhere. They dropped a suit challenging results in Michigan on Thursday.
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Trump invited the state’s legislative leaders, both Republicans, to the White House for a meeting Friday. Observers suspected that the president’s meeting was a long-shot bid to persuade them to wield their power to sway electoral votes for him against the wishes of Michigan voters.
The legislators left the meeting unconvinced that they should take any action to try to change the election’s result.
“We have not yet been made aware of any information that would change the outcome of the election in Michigan, and as legislative leaders, we will follow the law and follow the normal process regarding Michigan’s electors,” state Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey and Michigan House Speaker Lee Chatfield said in a joint statement.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-21--National, State GOP Leaders Seek Delay In Certification Of Michigan’s Election Results

Echoing President Donald Trump ’ s baseless claims of widespread voter fraud in Michigan , the Republican National Committee and the Michigan Republican Party are attempting to stall the certification of the state ’ s election results .
RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel and Michigan Republican Party Chairwoman Laura Cox asked Michigan ’ s Board of State Canvassers in a letter on Saturday to delay certification of the state ’ s election results for two weeks to “ allow for a full audit and investigation ” into alleged voting “ anomalies and irregularities.
” McDaniel and Cox specifically called for an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which includes Detroit and is home to a significant number of Black voters and Democrats .
Wayne County voted overwhelmingly for President-elect Joe Biden .
There is zero evidence of significant voter fraud in Wayne County ― or anywhere else in Michigan ( or the U.S. as a whole , for that matter ) .
In their letter , McDaniel and Cox provided no proof for their allegations .
JUST IN : @ GOPChairwoman & @ MIGOPChair pen a letter to the Board of State Canvassers asking them not to certify Michigan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s meeting .
Instead , they ask them to adjourn for 14 days & audit Wayne County results first .
pic.twitter.com/5GnLcXxTxs — Emily Lawler ( @ emilyjanelawler ) November 21 , 2020 Michigan ’ s Board of State Canvassers — a four-member board responsible for certifying the state ’ s vote ― is required under state law to finalize the certification of the results by Monday , Nov. 23 .
Two Democrats and two Republicans sit on the board .
But Trump and his allies have been working hard to prevent this from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in an attempt to halt the certification of Michigan ’ s vote .
That lawsuit was dropped on Thursday , but Trump has not given up his efforts to undermine the state ’ s election results .
He invited GOP state legislators from Michigan to the White House on Friday , which , as The New York Times noted , marked an unusual encroachment by a president into state politics .
Palmer and Hartmann had earlier provoked controversy after they refused to certify the county ’ s election results .
But the pair @ @ @ @ @ @ @ face of fierce backlash .
A day after Trump ’ s call , however , Palmer and Hartmann signed affidavits saying they wanted to rescind their certification votes .
Michigan ’ s Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson ( D ) has said , however , that there is “ no legal mechanism ” for Palmer and Hartmann to rescind their votes .
Biden was named the winner of the presidential election two weeks ago .
He won 306 electoral votes to Trump ’ s 232 electoral votes , according to AP .
Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has repeatedly declared himself the victor of the presidential election .

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Echoing President Donald Trump’s baseless claims of widespread voter fraud in Michigan, the Republican National Committee and the Michigan Republican Party are attempting to stall the certification of the state’s election results.
RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel and Michigan Republican Party Chairwoman Laura Cox asked Michigan’s Board of State Canvassers in a letter on Saturday to delay certification of the state’s election results for two weeks to “allow for a full audit and investigation” into alleged voting “anomalies and irregularities.”
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McDaniel and Cox specifically called for an audit of the results in Wayne County, which includes Detroit and is home to a significant number of Black voters and Democrats. Wayne County voted overwhelmingly for President-elect Joe Biden.
There is zero evidence of significant voter fraud in Wayne County ― or anywhere else in Michigan (or the U.S. as a whole, for that matter). In their letter, McDaniel and Cox provided no proof for their allegations.
JUST IN: @GOPChairwoman & @MIGOPChair pen a letter to the Board of State Canvassers asking them not to certify Michigan’s election results at Monday’s meeting. Instead, they ask them to adjourn for 14 days & audit Wayne County results first. pic.twitter.com/5GnLcXxTxs — Emily Lawler (@emilyjanelawler) November 21, 2020
Michigan’s Board of State Canvassers — a four-member board responsible for certifying the state’s vote ― is required under state law to finalize the certification of the results by Monday, Nov. 23. Two Democrats and two Republicans sit on the board.
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But Trump and his allies have been working hard to prevent this from happening, even filing a federal lawsuit in an attempt to halt the certification of Michigan’s vote.
That lawsuit was dropped on Thursday, but Trump has not given up his efforts to undermine the state’s election results. He invited GOP state legislators from Michigan to the White House on Friday, which, as The New York Times noted, marked an unusual encroachment by a president into state politics.
In a similarly intrusive move, Trump reportedly called Monica Palmer and William Hartmann, the two Republican members of Wayne County’s canvassing board, on Tuesday.
Palmer and Hartmann had earlier provoked controversy after they refused to certify the county’s election results. But the pair eventually agreed to certify them in the face of fierce backlash.
A day after Trump’s call, however, Palmer and Hartmann signed affidavits saying they wanted to rescind their certification votes.
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Michigan’s Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson (D) has said, however, that there is “no legal mechanism” for Palmer and Hartmann to rescind their votes.
Biden was named the winner of the presidential election two weeks ago. He won 306 electoral votes to Trump’s 232 electoral votes, according to AP.
In Michigan, Biden currently leads Trump by over 155,000 votes.
Trump has not only refused to concede but has repeatedly declared himself the victor of the presidential election.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-21--Why Can Trump Try To Steal The Election? Blame The Electoral College.

President Donald Trump is trying , and failing , to steal the 2020 presidential election won by Democratic rival Joe Biden by pressuring Republican state and local officials in states Biden won to override the will of the people , block the certification of their state ’ s election results and name Trump the winner .
In 2016 , the Electoral College allowed Trump to win the presidency in spite of losing the popular vote by nearly 3 million votes .
Now Trump is attempting to use the system for a scheme to overturn his loss in the electoral vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the peaceful transfer of power .
The 2020 presidential election is not remotely close in the national popular vote .
Biden leads Trump by nearly 6 million votes , or 3.8 percentage points .
That percentage margin is the same as President Barack Obama ’ s 2012 reelection victory and is expected to grow further as hundreds of thousands of mail-in ballots in New York are counted .
The Constitution requires that the president be elected by a majority vote in the Electoral College , which awards 535 electors to states based @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and three to the District of Columbia .
This means that presidential elections are often fought over just a small handful of swing states where both parties just so happen to be competitive .
That handful of states in 2020 included Arizona , Georgia and Wisconsin , where Biden won by a combined total of less than 50,000 votes .
A reversal in those three states would have created a tie in the Electoral College , sending the election to the House of Representatives , where Trump would have prevailed even as Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
( The House votes by state , and Republicans control the majority of states in the chamber . )
If the election were simply a measure of popular support , it would not matter if Biden prevailed in these states .
And that means that Trump would have no process to disrupt with his farcical claims of election fraud .
He would also have no reason or ability to cajole , threaten or manipulate state and local officials to try to keep himself in office .
Instead , since we do have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his office in pursuit of ending American democratic elections by trying to force his officeholding co-partisans , from county elections board members to governors , to ignore the will of the people .
After two Republican officials in Wayne County , Michigan , initially refused to certify their county ’ s results before later reversing and certifying on Wednesday night , Trump called at least one of them to thank them for their effort .
After his call , the two tried to take back their certification , but it was too late @ @ @ @ @ @ @ top Republicans in the state legislature to the White House to pressure them to hand him the state ’ s 16 electoral votes , even though he lost the state ’ s popular vote by nearly 145,000 .
This would not be legally possible , but it would not be happening at all were it not for the Electoral College .
Members of local or state boards of canvassers can choose not to certify an election .
A state legislature or the governor can then select a slate of electors that could go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president seeking to undermine democracy could also file lawsuits to try to drag out the certification process until the Dec. 8 deadline to submit electors to Congress , as Trump is trying to do .
None of this would be possible if the country elected the president by a national popular vote .
Or at the very least it would be nearly impossible .
States would still need to certify their popular vote result and confirm that it is accurate .
But any attempt to stop the certification would need to occur in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could change the final popular vote margin , not just in a few states that would change the number of electors .
Just four elections have been decided by fewer than 1 million votes in the past 120 years .
In this election , Trump would have had to pressure Republicans in enough states to make up a 6 million ( and growing ) vote deficit to somehow change those numbers , not just overcome a 50,000 vote deficit to tip results in three states .
A large majority of Americans support getting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the arguments in favor of keeping it ― that evade the “ it helps my party win ” argument ― holds water .
Trump ’ s abuse of the Electoral College in pursuit of ending American democracy and installing himself as ruler provides a new reason to ditch it .

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President Donald Trump is trying, and failing, to steal the 2020 presidential election won by Democratic rival Joe Biden by pressuring Republican state and local officials in states Biden won to override the will of the people, block the certification of their state’s election results and name Trump the winner.
This is only possible because of the Electoral College.
In 2016, the Electoral College allowed Trump to win the presidency in spite of losing the popular vote by nearly 3 million votes. Now Trump is attempting to use the system for a scheme to overturn his loss in the electoral vote and attack the bedrock of American democracy, the peaceful transfer of power.
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The 2020 presidential election is not remotely close in the national popular vote. Biden leads Trump by nearly 6 million votes, or 3.8 percentage points. That percentage margin is the same as President Barack Obama’s 2012 reelection victory and is expected to grow further as hundreds of thousands of mail-in ballots in New York are counted.
The Constitution requires that the president be elected by a majority vote in the Electoral College, which awards 535 electors to states based on their number of members of Congress and three to the District of Columbia. This means that presidential elections are often fought over just a small handful of swing states where both parties just so happen to be competitive.
That handful of states in 2020 included Arizona, Georgia and Wisconsin, where Biden won by a combined total of less than 50,000 votes. A reversal in those three states would have created a tie in the Electoral College, sending the election to the House of Representatives, where Trump would have prevailed even as Biden triumphed in the popular vote by millions. (The House votes by state, and Republicans control the majority of states in the chamber.)
If the election were simply a measure of popular support, it would not matter if Biden prevailed in these states. And that means that Trump would have no process to disrupt with his farcical claims of election fraud. He would also have no reason or ability to cajole, threaten or manipulate state and local officials to try to keep himself in office.
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Instead, since we do have the Electoral College, Trump has abused his office in pursuit of ending American democratic elections by trying to force his officeholding co-partisans, from county elections board members to governors, to ignore the will of the people.
Rudy Giuliani, personal attorney for President Donald Trump, held a news conference at the Republican National Committee on Thursday to present a litany of conspiracy theories about the 2020 election. Tom Williams via Getty Images
After two Republican officials in Wayne County, Michigan, initially refused to certify their county’s results before later reversing and certifying on Wednesday night, Trump called at least one of them to thank them for their effort. After his call, the two tried to take back their certification, but it was too late.
Instead, Trump summoned the two top Republicans in the state legislature to the White House to pressure them to hand him the state’s 16 electoral votes, even though he lost the state’s popular vote by nearly 145,000. This would not be legally possible, but it would not be happening at all were it not for the Electoral College.
Trump was also publicly pressuring Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) to refuse to certify his state’s results despite a historic statewide hand recount showed Biden to have won by more than 12,000 votes. But Kemp announced the certification of the state’s 16 electors to Biden on Friday.
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These actions have exposed how the Electoral College creates choke points where a demagogic actor seeking to reject an election outcome can lean on his fellow party members to change the outcome.
Members of local or state boards of canvassers can choose not to certify an election. A state legislature or the governor can then select a slate of electors that could go against the voters’ selection. A president seeking to undermine democracy could also file lawsuits to try to drag out the certification process until the Dec. 8 deadline to submit electors to Congress, as Trump is trying to do.
None of this would be possible if the country elected the president by a national popular vote. Or at the very least it would be nearly impossible.
States would still need to certify their popular vote result and confirm that it is accurate. But any attempt to stop the certification would need to occur in a state or collection of states that could change the final popular vote margin, not just in a few states that would change the number of electors. Just four elections have been decided by fewer than 1 million votes in the past 120 years.
In this election, Trump would have had to pressure Republicans in enough states to make up a 6 million (and growing) vote deficit to somehow change those numbers, not just overcome a 50,000 vote deficit to tip results in three states.
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A large majority of Americans support getting rid of the Electoral College. None of the arguments in favor of keeping it ― that evade the “it helps my party win” argument ― holds water. Trump’s abuse of the Electoral College in pursuit of ending American democracy and installing himself as ruler provides a new reason to ditch it.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-21--Maryland GOP Gov. Larry Hogan Calls Guiliani's Bonkers News Conference A 'Train Wreck'

Republican Maryland Gov .
Larry Hogan called Rudy Giuliani ’ s Thursday news conference a “ train wreck ” and said it only distracted from the real work that must be done as President-elect Joe Biden ’ s team works on the transition from President Donald Trump .
Hogan told MSNBC ’ s Chuck Todd Friday that the news conference by Trump ’ s personal lawyer — during which some kind of dye ran down Giuliani ’ s face — was an embarrassment .
“ I thought it was a train wreck .
...
I thought it was absolutely incredible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the one hand , it ’ s outrageous .
On the other hand , it ’ s really not surprising .
...
But it ’ s all a sideshow.
” Hogan said that “ real progress ” was being made , citing meetings he had with Vice President Mike Pence , the coronavirus task force and members of Biden ’ s incoming administration .
“ When you get away from the sideshows of what ’ s going on , ... people are working together on the important issues in the country , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was a trainwreck , Chuck.
” @ GovLarryHogan tells @ ChuckTodd when asked about Rudy Giuliani ’ s press conference at RNC headquarters .
“ On the one hand it ’ s outrageous , on the other hand it ’ s not surprising .
It ’ s all a sideshow.
” pic.twitter.com/qKz1i4Y24p — MSNBC Public Relations ( @ MSNBCPR ) November 20 , 2020 Hogan is among a host of GOP politicians — which includes Sen. Mitt Romney ( R-Utah ) and Vermont Gov .
Phil Scott — who have either supported Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the election .
Hogan wrote a July editorial in The Washington Post decrying the president ’ s scattershot COVID-19 response and criticizing Trump for calling South Koreans “ terrible people ” in front of his wife , Yumi Hogan , who is of South Korean descent .
Hogan has also called Trump ’ s premature election remarks “ a terrible mistake ” and repeatedly argued that America ’ s system of democracy is more vital than any one election or person .

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Republican Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan called Rudy Giuliani’s Thursday news conference a “train wreck” and said it only distracted from the real work that must be done as President-elect Joe Biden’s team works on the transition from President Donald Trump.
Hogan told MSNBC’s Chuck Todd Friday that the news conference by Trump’s personal lawyer — during which some kind of dye ran down Giuliani’s face — was an embarrassment.
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“I thought it was a train wreck. ... I thought it was absolutely incredible,” Hogan said. “On the one hand, it’s outrageous. On the other hand, it’s really not surprising. ... But it’s all a sideshow.”
Hogan said that “real progress” was being made, citing meetings he had with Vice President Mike Pence, the coronavirus task force and members of Biden’s incoming administration.
“When you get away from the sideshows of what’s going on, ... people are working together on the important issues in the country,” Hogan said.
“I thought it was a trainwreck, Chuck.”
@GovLarryHogan tells @ChuckTodd when asked about Rudy Giuliani’s press conference at RNC headquarters.
“On the one hand it’s outrageous, on the other hand it’s not surprising. It’s all a sideshow.” pic.twitter.com/qKz1i4Y24p — MSNBC Public Relations (@MSNBCPR) November 20, 2020
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Hogan is among a host of GOP politicians — which includes Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) and Vermont Gov. Phil Scott — who have either supported Biden or criticized Trump for trying to undermine the election.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-21--National Review Slams Trump's Refusal To Concede As 'A Bid For Infamy'

The conservative National Review minced no words in a Friday editorial that denounced President Donald Trump ’ s attempts to undermine the Nov. 3 election , calling the president ’ s actions a “ bid for infamy.
” The magazine focused special attention on the Thursday news conference at the Republican National Committee by Trump ’ s personal lawyer , Rudy Guiliani , and lawyer Sidney Powell .
The two claimed a widespread voter fraud conspiracy , based on unproven allegations , which the National Review called “ the most outlandish and irresponsible performance ever by a group of lawyers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” It dismissed the unproven theories of voter fraud and called their “ lawyering worthy of the comments section of Breitbart News.
’ ” “ If there ’ s serious evidence for any of this , Giuliani and co. need to produce it immediately , ” the magazine said .
“ Waving around affidavits at a press conference without allowing anyone to examine them doesn ’ t count .
...
This magazine has always taken voter fraud seriously , and we hope that any that occurred in this election is exposed and prosecuted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recognize that the broad contours of the 2020 presidential vote make sense.
” National Review editors pointed out that “ same-day ballots strongly favoring Republicans were counted first , and early votes strongly favoring Democrats were counted last.
” Politics aside , “ across the country , the basic picture is the same , without any notable anomalies — Trump excelled in rural areas , got wiped out in urban areas but often by slightly smaller margins than in 2016 , and lost soundly in suburban counties , which proved decisive.
” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against the Trump team ’ s “ profoundly undemocratic gambit , ” adding that the president was only making his loss to President-elect Joe Biden worse by putting on such a charade .
The National Review has repeatedly criticized Trump ’ s policies as perversions of conservatism since the president ’ s term began , notably in a February 2016 issue with “ Against Trump ” featured prominently on its cover .
The magazine ’ s latest editorial echoed one by the Washington Examiner , another conservative magazine , which urged the president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and concede .

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The conservative National Review minced no words in a Friday editorial that denounced President Donald Trump’s attempts to undermine the Nov. 3 election, calling the president’s actions a “bid for infamy.”
The magazine focused special attention on the Thursday news conference at the Republican National Committee by Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudy Guiliani, and lawyer Sidney Powell.
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The two claimed a widespread voter fraud conspiracy, based on unproven allegations, which the National Review called “the most outlandish and irresponsible performance ever by a group of lawyers representing a president of the United States.” It dismissed the unproven theories of voter fraud and called their “lawyering worthy of the comments section of Breitbart News.’”
“If there’s serious evidence for any of this, Giuliani and co. need to produce it immediately,” the magazine said. “Waving around affidavits at a press conference without allowing anyone to examine them doesn’t count. ... This magazine has always taken voter fraud seriously, and we hope that any that occurred in this election is exposed and prosecuted. But it’s important to recognize that the broad contours of the 2020 presidential vote make sense.”
National Review editors pointed out that “same-day ballots strongly favoring Republicans were counted first, and early votes strongly favoring Democrats were counted last.” Politics aside, “across the country, the basic picture is the same, without any notable anomalies — Trump excelled in rural areas, got wiped out in urban areas but often by slightly smaller margins than in 2016, and lost soundly in suburban counties, which proved decisive.”
The magazine also urged Republicans to speak out against the Trump team’s “profoundly undemocratic gambit,” adding that the president was only making his loss to President-elect Joe Biden worse by putting on such a charade.
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“He’s turning a narrow election defeat into a bid for infamy,” the magazine said.
The National Review has repeatedly criticized Trump’s policies as perversions of conservatism since the president’s term began, notably in a February 2016 issue with “Against Trump” featured prominently on its cover.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-21--Trump Tries To Leverage Power Of Presidency To Subvert Biden Win

Trump summoned a delegation of the battleground state ’ s Republican leadership , including the Senate majority leader and House speaker , in an apparent extension of his efforts to persuade judges and election officials to set aside Biden ’ s 154,000-vote margin of victory and grant Trump the state ’ s electors .
It came amid mounting criticism that Trump ’ s futile efforts to subvert the results of the 2020 election could do long-lasting damage to democratic traditions .
Trump ’ s efforts extended to other states that Biden carried as well , amounting to an unprecedented attempt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grasp on power , or in failure , to delegitimize his opponent ’ s victory in the eyes of his army of supporters .
Rick Hasen , an election law expert and professor who has been meticulously chronicling the 2020 race , wrote that there would be “ rioting ” in the streets if an effort was made to set aside the vote in Michigan , calling it tantamount to an attempted coup .
“ We should worry because this is profoundly antidemocratic and is delegitimizing the victory of Joe Biden in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrote on his blog .
“ It is profoundly depressing we still have to discuss this .
But it is extremely unlikely to lead to any different result for president.
” In a joint statement after the White House meeting , Michigan Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey and House Speaker Lee Chatfield said allegations of fraud should be investigated but indicated they were unmoved by Trump ’ s claims thus far .
“ We have not yet been made aware of any information that would change the outcome of the election in Michigan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ follow the law and follow the normal process regarding Michigan ’ s electors , just as we have said throughout this election , ” they said .
FILE - In this May 24 , 2019 file photo , Republican House Speaker Lee Chatfield , left , and Republican Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey speak with reporters at the Capitol in Lansing , Mich. Chatfield and Shirkey are headed to the White House on Friday as President Donald Trump made an extraordinary and sure-to-be futile attempt to block Joe Biden 's victory in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 2020 presidential election .
( AP Photo/David Eggert , File ) Trump ’ s roughly hourlong meeting with the Michigan legislators came days after he personally called two local canvassing board officials who had refused to certify the results in Wayne County , Michigan ’ s most populous county and one that overwhelmingly favored Biden .
The two GOP officials eventually agreed to certify the results .
But following Trump ’ s call , they said they had second thoughts .
Some Trump allies have expressed hope that state lawmakers could intervene @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president and his attorneys have pushed baseless allegations of fraud that have been repeatedly rejected in courtrooms across the country .
It was with that in mind that Trump invited the Michigan legislators .
He was also said to be considering extending a similar invitation to lawmakers from Pennsylvania .
Trump ’ s play for Michigan was among a series of last-ditch tactics in battleground states that his team is using to challenge his defeat .
They also have suggested in a legal challenge that Pennsylvania set aside the popular vote there and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ certifying vote tallies .
There have been multiple lawsuits in battleground states that have failed so far to reverse any votes .
Former Bush administration official Christine Todd Whitman called Trump ’ s efforts “ the actions of a third-world dictator .
It is not who we are as Americans , and we do not want the public coming away from this thinking this is the norm .
There is no basis for trying to overturn this.
” The increasingly desperate and erratic moves by Trump and his allies have no reasonable chance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election , in which Biden has now received more votes than any other presidential candidate in history and has clinched the 270 Electoral College votes needed to win .
Some Republicans have embraced Trump ’ s faulty narrative and are helping him spread it .
In Georgia , where a hand audit found Biden had still won , Gov .
Brian Kemp said a court order made it so he had to certify the results .
But he suggested Trump demand a recount and wanted answers to the alleged “ irregularities .
”

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WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump sought to leverage the power of the Oval Office on Friday in an extraordinary attempt to block President-elect Joe Biden’s victory, but his pleas to Michigan lawmakers to overturn the will of their constituents appeared to have left them unswayed.
Trump summoned a delegation of the battleground state’s Republican leadership, including the Senate majority leader and House speaker, in an apparent extension of his efforts to persuade judges and election officials to set aside Biden’s 154,000-vote margin of victory and grant Trump the state’s electors. It came amid mounting criticism that Trump’s futile efforts to subvert the results of the 2020 election could do long-lasting damage to democratic traditions.
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Trump’s efforts extended to other states that Biden carried as well, amounting to an unprecedented attempt by a sitting president to maintain his grasp on power, or in failure, to delegitimize his opponent’s victory in the eyes of his army of supporters.
Rick Hasen, an election law expert and professor who has been meticulously chronicling the 2020 race, wrote that there would be “rioting” in the streets if an effort was made to set aside the vote in Michigan, calling it tantamount to an attempted coup.
“We should worry because this is profoundly antidemocratic and is delegitimizing the victory of Joe Biden in a free and fair election,” Hasen wrote on his blog. “It is profoundly depressing we still have to discuss this. But it is extremely unlikely to lead to any different result for president.”
In a joint statement after the White House meeting, Michigan Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey and House Speaker Lee Chatfield said allegations of fraud should be investigated but indicated they were unmoved by Trump’s claims thus far. “We have not yet been made aware of any information that would change the outcome of the election in Michigan and as legislative leaders, we will follow the law and follow the normal process regarding Michigan’s electors, just as we have said throughout this election,” they said.
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“The candidates who win the most votes win elections and Michigan’s electoral votes,” they added, saying they used the meeting with Trump to press him for more pandemic aid money for their state.
FILE - In this May 24, 2019 file photo, Republican House Speaker Lee Chatfield, left, and Republican Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey speak with reporters at the Capitol in Lansing, Mich. Chatfield and Shirkey are headed to the White House on Friday as President Donald Trump made an extraordinary and sure-to-be futile attempt to block Joe Biden's victory in the battleground state and subvert the results of the 2020 presidential election. (AP Photo/David Eggert, File) ASSOCIATED PRESS
The president on Friday again falsely claimed victory, declaring as an aside during a White House announcement on drug pricing, “I won, by the way, but you know, we’ll find that out.”
Trump’s roughly hourlong meeting with the Michigan legislators came days after he personally called two local canvassing board officials who had refused to certify the results in Wayne County, Michigan’s most populous county and one that overwhelmingly favored Biden. The two GOP officials eventually agreed to certify the results. But following Trump’s call, they said they had second thoughts.
The Board of State Canvassers is to meet Monday to certify the statewide outcome and it was unclear whether Republican members of that panel would similarly balk.
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Some Trump allies have expressed hope that state lawmakers could intervene in selecting Republican electors, as the president and his attorneys have pushed baseless allegations of fraud that have been repeatedly rejected in courtrooms across the country. It was with that in mind that Trump invited the Michigan legislators. He was also said to be considering extending a similar invitation to lawmakers from Pennsylvania.
“The president could be calling Republican legislators and others to the White House to try and squeeze them,” tweeted former Trump national security adviser John Bolton. “Republicans at all levels — state, county, election boards, legislatures — must resist this political pressure.”
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany told reporters that the meeting with Michigan officials was “not an advocacy meeting” and insisted Trump “routinely meets with lawmakers from across the country.” But such meetings are in fact rare, particularly as Trump has maintained a low profile since the election.
As he departed Detroit for Washington on Friday morning, Shirkey was swarmed by activists bearing signs that read “Respect the Vote” and “Protect Democracy.”
Chatfield tweeted before the meeting with Trump: “No matter the party, when you have an opportunity to meet with the President of the United States, of course you take it. I won’t apologize for that.”
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Trump’s effort to set aside the Michigan vote was sure to fail. Experts on Michigan election law said the Board of State Canvassers’ authority was limited in scope.
“Their duties are to receive the canvass and certify the canvass, that’s it,” said John Pirich, a former assistant attorney general who teaches at Michigan State University College of Law. “They have absolutely no power to investigate allegations, theories or any half-brained kind of arguments that are being thrown around.”
The Michigan Legislature would be called on to select electors if Trump succeeded in persuading the board not to certify the results.
Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer could seek a court order forcing board members to certify the election and could remove those who refused, said Steve Liedel, another election attorney.
Trump’s play for Michigan was among a series of last-ditch tactics in battleground states that his team is using to challenge his defeat. They also have suggested in a legal challenge that Pennsylvania set aside the popular vote there and pressured county officials in Arizona to delay certifying vote tallies. There have been multiple lawsuits in battleground states that have failed so far to reverse any votes.
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In two Democratic-leaning counties in Wisconsin that are recounting votes, Trump’s campaign sought to discard tens of thousands of absentee ballots that it alleged should not have been counted.
The objections were twice denied by the three-member Dane County Board of Canvassers on bipartisan votes. Trump was expected to make the same objections in Milwaukee County ahead of a court challenge once the recount concludes.
Former Bush administration official Christine Todd Whitman called Trump’s efforts “the actions of a third-world dictator. It is not who we are as Americans, and we do not want the public coming away from this thinking this is the norm. There is no basis for trying to overturn this.”
The increasingly desperate and erratic moves by Trump and his allies have no reasonable chance of changing the outcome of the 2020 election, in which Biden has now received more votes than any other presidential candidate in history and has clinched the 270 Electoral College votes needed to win.
Some Republicans have embraced Trump’s faulty narrative and are helping him spread it. In Georgia, where a hand audit found Biden had still won, Gov. Brian Kemp said a court order made it so he had to certify the results. But he suggested Trump demand a recount and wanted answers to the alleged “irregularities.”
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In Minnesota, a state Biden won handily, some GOP officials are now raising concerns over “data abnormalities.”
Biden legal adviser Bob Bauer said Trump’s efforts were harmful to democracy.
“It’s an abuse of office,” he said. “It’s an open attempt to intimidate election officials, it’s absolutely appalling. ... It’s also pathetic.”
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-21--Don Trump Jr.'s Boast About 'Cleaning My Guns' In Quarantine Gears Up Twitter Critics

Comments on Twitter blew up Saturday after Donald Trump Jr. posted a perky Instagram video message announcing he ’ s “ got the ’ rona , ” and would be spending his time in quarantine “ cleaning my guns ” and watching Netflix .
The president ’ s son looked a bit tousled and puffy-faced in the Friday message that appeared to be from his home .
But he pointed out that he didn ’ t have the “ red eyes like they claimed I had for apparently using cocaine ” before his Republican National Convention speech .
Though he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ highlighted his awareness of social media chatter regarding his erratic interviews .
The first son said he was completely asymptomatic so far and that his positive test for COIVD-19 earlier this week was a total surprise .
Trump Jr. asked for Netflix recommendations while under quarantine , which he said he ’ s observing out of an “ abundance ” of caution .
Other than watching Netflix , he explained , “ There are only so many guns I can clean before that gets bor [ ing ] .
” Lots of critics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comment , while others were disturbed by the number of guns he may own .
How many guns does Donald Trump Jr own if it ’ s going to take him 10 days to clean them ?
Should we be worried about the size of his armoury ?
https : //t.co/wsk6IajZFx — Mark Ludmon ( @ MarkLudmon ) November 21 , 2020 At first glance , this may seem like an innocuous comment , but it ’ s not .
This is a message .
— Laura Miers ( @ LauraMiers ) November @ @ @

Don Trump Jr. in quarantine: Happy at home, cleaning his guns. Screen Shot/Instagram/Donald Trump Jr.
Comments on Twitter blew up Saturday after Donald Trump Jr. posted a perky Instagram video message announcing he’s “got the ’rona,” and would be spending his time in quarantine “cleaning my guns” and watching Netflix.
The president’s son looked a bit tousled and puffy-faced in the Friday message that appeared to be from his home. But he pointed out that he didn’t have the “red eyes like they claimed I had for apparently using cocaine” before his Republican National Convention speech. Though he blew off the rumors, the comment highlighted his awareness of social media chatter regarding his erratic interviews.
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Trump Jr. said he was completely asymptomatic so far and that his positive test for COIVD-19 earlier this week was a total surprise.
He asked for Netflix recommendations while under quarantine, which he said he’s observing out of an “abundance” of caution. Other than watching Netflix, he explained, “There are only so many guns I can clean before that gets bor[ing].”
Lots of critics laughed at the macho posturing of the comment, while others were disturbed by the number of guns he may own.
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Has anyone softer ever tried harder to look like a badass? https://t.co/uNfIHQcouB — andy lassner (@andylassner) November 21, 2020
Good grief! How many guns does he have if he's isolating for 14 days. — Tilly500 (@Tilly5001) November 21, 2020
How many guns does Donald Trump Jr own if it’s going to take him 10 days to clean them? Should we be worried about the size of his armoury? https://t.co/wsk6IajZFx — Mark Ludmon (@MarkLudmon) November 21, 2020
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At first glance, this may seem like an innocuous comment, but it’s not. This is a message. — Laura Miers (@LauraMiers) November 21, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-21--1 Killed, More Than 100 Displaced By Wildfire In Remote California Community

LOS ANGELES ( AP ) — A week before Thanksgiving , more than 100 residents were displaced Thursday by a wind-whipped wildfire that ravaged a remote mountain community in California and killed one person , authorities said .
The inferno struck with sudden ferocity midday Tuesday during strong winds high in the eastern Sierra Nevada , destroying more than 80 structures , including homes , in the unincorporated town of Walker near the Nevada state line , according to the Mono County Sheriff ’ s Office .
In this photo taken by a drone , residences leveled by the Mountain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Walker community in Mono County , California on Wednesday , Nov. 18 .
By then , grave damage had been done to Walker , a community of widely spaced homes and businesses perched in a valley along a highway and the West Walker River , a six-hour drive north of Los Angeles .
Homes and outbuildings were reduced to charred rubble .
One person was dead , but authorities haven ’ t released details yet .
The same ferocious winds , part of winter-like weather that blew into California and Nevada , also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about 100 miles ( 160 kilometers ) north in Reno , Nevada .
The flames forced more than 1,000 people to evacuate Tuesday — including the mayor — destroyed five houses and damaged 24 .
People began returning home Wednesday .
Though the fire burned a little less than 1 square mile ( about 2 square kilometers ) , the damage there also was swift and then tempered by rain .
The parts of California and Nevada where the wildfires flared are experiencing drought .
Numerous studies have linked bigger wildfires in America @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coal , oil and gas , which has made parts of the U.S. West much drier and more flammable .
In California , firefighters faced extreme fire pushed by strong and erratic winds gusting over 70 mph ( 112 kph ) , Don Shoemaker , a Bureau of Land Management official , said in an online video briefing .
“ Our first priority was life safety and evacuations as well as doing point protection to try to save as many residences as possible , ” he said , describing “ heavy structure loss @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fled Walker and the towns of Coleville and Topaz .
The Carson Valley Inn to the north in Nevada was designated an evacuation point , and about 130 rooms are being used to house people for several days , the company said in an email .
The fire destroyed the home of firefighter Michael McCurry , his wife , Tess , and their four children , according to a GoFundMe page set up to help them .
“ Rushing out the door with their fur babies , and only the clothes on their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home succumb to the inferno while Michael was actively fighting the fire .
They have lost all of their worldly possessions , ” the fundraising page said .

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — A week before Thanksgiving, more than 100 residents were displaced Thursday by a wind-whipped wildfire that ravaged a remote mountain community in California and killed one person, authorities said.
The inferno struck with sudden ferocity midday Tuesday during strong winds high in the eastern Sierra Nevada, destroying more than 80 structures, including homes, in the unincorporated town of Walker near the Nevada state line, according to the Mono County Sheriff’s Office.
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In this photo taken by a drone, residences leveled by the Mountain View Fire line a street in the Walker community in Mono County, California on Wednesday, Nov. 18. AP Photo/Noah Berger
By early Wednesday, rain and snow were falling, reducing the fire to smoldering remnants after it scorched over 32 square miles (84 square kilometers).
By then, grave damage had been done to Walker, a community of widely spaced homes and businesses perched in a valley along a highway and the West Walker River, a six-hour drive north of Los Angeles. Homes and outbuildings were reduced to charred rubble. One person was dead, but authorities haven’t released details yet.
Firefighters spray water on a burning home as the Mountain View Fire tears through the Walker community in Mono County, California., on Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2020. AP Photo/Noah Berge
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The same ferocious winds, part of winter-like weather that blew into California and Nevada, also sent a wildfire roaring through a neighborhood about 100 miles (160 kilometers) north in Reno, Nevada. The flames forced more than 1,000 people to evacuate Tuesday — including the mayor — destroyed five houses and damaged 24. People began returning home Wednesday.
Though the fire burned a little less than 1 square mile (about 2 square kilometers), the damage there also was swift and then tempered by rain.
Reno Fire Chief David Cochran said extremely dry conditions helped fuel the blaze in rugged, hard-to-reach canyons that run between homes in the densely populated neighborhood.
The parts of California and Nevada where the wildfires flared are experiencing drought. Numerous studies have linked bigger wildfires in America to climate change from the burning of coal, oil and gas, which has made parts of the U.S. West much drier and more flammable.
In California, firefighters faced extreme fire pushed by strong and erratic winds gusting over 70 mph (112 kph), Don Shoemaker, a Bureau of Land Management official, said in an online video briefing.
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“Our first priority was life safety and evacuations as well as doing point protection to try to save as many residences as possible,” he said, describing “heavy structure loss” in Walker and nearby.
Residents fled Walker and the towns of Coleville and Topaz. The Carson Valley Inn to the north in Nevada was designated an evacuation point, and about 130 rooms are being used to house people for several days, the company said in an email.
The fire destroyed the home of firefighter Michael McCurry, his wife, Tess, and their four children, according to a GoFundMe page set up to help them.
“Rushing out the door with their fur babies, and only the clothes on their backs Tessa and the kids watched their home succumb to the inferno while Michael was actively fighting the fire. They have lost all of their worldly possessions,” the fundraising page said.
Local chambers of commerce were seeking donations to help those left homeless just a week before Thanksgiving.
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