thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-07--6 Stupid Holiday Food 'Rules' That Are Really Diets In Disguise

There ’ s nothing wrong with taking an “ everything in moderation ” approach at the dinner table , but other “ rules ” we establish for ourselves around the holidays can actually hinder rather than help our overall health .
Think “ I ’ ll work out extra hard so I can ‘ earn ’ my holiday meal , ” or “ I want to eat ‘ clean ’ this holiday , so I ’ ll skip the pie.
” Anyway , if you ’ re stressing about holiday weight gain , you ’ re probably doing so needlessly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ does happen , but generally only to a minor degree .
One study on college-aged adults found that holiday eating only contributed to between half a pound and two pounds of weight gain .
You may not even gain anything at all .
In any case , there should be no moral value assigned to weight loss or weight gain : Demonizing food at the holidays ( or any other time ) can have a negative effect on your mental health .
Skipping a meal or snack before a holiday party to ‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restrictive diet ” written all over it .
You could play the waiting game , but who wants to listen to their stomach grumble all day and get hangry at their relatives for not eating at an earlier hour ?
Plus , waiting until dinner to eat something may end up backfiring , said Cara Harbstreet , a registered dietitian at Street Smart Nutrition in Kansas City , Missouri , and the author of “ Healthy Eating for Life : An Intuitive Eating Workbook.
” “ Your body still needs to be nourished @ @ @ @ @ @ @ skipping meals or snacks can leave you overly hungry or disconnected from hunger and fullness cues when it comes time to actually dig in , ” Harbstreet told HuffPost .
“ Although many people use this approach , remember you ’ re allowed to eat according to your hunger regardless of what holidays gatherings are taking place.
” Working out hard to ‘ earn ’ a holiday meal or treats .
Telling yourself your diet starts in the new year , as a way to give yourself permission to eat holiday foods now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Making ‘ healthy swaps ’ for dishes you love , so you can enjoy them ‘ guilt-free.
’ “ I often encourage clients to consider what ‘ healthy ’ really means to them , ” Meehan said .
“ How can we expand the binary ‘ healthy vs. unhealthy ’ and add in some room for nuance ?
If swapping out ingredients for the ‘ healthy ’ version means less satisfaction , pleasure , connection to memories or your culture ... is that really going to be healthy for you ?
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off .
Again , dieting often trains us to think of eating and exercise as an exchange system : calories in , calories out .
If we know we can ’ t work off the sweets at the table , we might pass and say , “ Ah , I ’ d love to , but there ’ s no way I could work that off with the amount of exercise I ’ ve been doing lately.
” How to actually enjoy the holiday foods you ’ re eating

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It’s the most wonderful time of the year ― unless you’re on a diet and have set impossible standards for eating during the holidays.
There’s nothing wrong with taking an “everything in moderation” approach at the dinner table, but other “rules” we establish for ourselves around the holidays can actually hinder rather than help our overall health. Think “I’ll work out extra hard so I can ‘earn’ my holiday meal,” or “I want to eat ‘clean’ this holiday, so I’ll skip the pie.”
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Anyway, if you’re stressing about holiday weight gain, you’re probably doing so needlessly. Research shows that holiday weight gain does happen, but generally only to a minor degree. One study on college-aged adults found that holiday eating only contributed to between half a pound and two pounds of weight gain. You may not even gain anything at all. In any case, there should be no moral value assigned to weight loss or weight gain: Demonizing food at the holidays (or any other time) can have a negative effect on your mental health.
What are some of the most common rigid diet “rules” that people establish for themselves at the holidays ― even though they’re more harmful than healthy? Below, dietitians and other experts share what food concepts to throw out the window this holiday season.
Skipping a meal or snack before a holiday party to ‘save room.’
This one has “restrictive diet” written all over it. You could play the waiting game, but who wants to listen to their stomach grumble all day and get hangry at their relatives for not eating at an earlier hour? Plus, waiting until dinner to eat something may end up backfiring, said Cara Harbstreet, a registered dietitian at Street Smart Nutrition in Kansas City, Missouri, and the author of “Healthy Eating for Life: An Intuitive Eating Workbook.”
“Your body still needs to be nourished and energized throughout the day, and skipping meals or snacks can leave you overly hungry or disconnected from hunger and fullness cues when it comes time to actually dig in,” Harbstreet told HuffPost. “Although many people use this approach, remember you’re allowed to eat according to your hunger regardless of what holidays gatherings are taking place.”
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Working out hard to ‘earn’ a holiday meal or treats.
The suggestion that we have to “earn or burn” our food is entirely rooted in diet culture, said Kathleen Meehan, a registered dietitian in Los Angeles. Your big plate of food isn’t an award for “good” behavior at the gym ― it’s just a plate of food.
“This rule is often perpetuated in how we talk about movement or exercise, and sometimes it’s even used as a form of motivation for fitness classes,” she said. “This does a lot of harm and it can unintentionally play a part in normalizing eating disorder behaviors.” (With disordered eating, a person is often preoccupied with excessive exercising as a way to “burn off” calories.)
Telling yourself your diet starts in the new year, as a way to give yourself permission to eat holiday foods now.
When you’re fixated on your diet, you may fall prey to now-or-never thinking: “I’ll load up on all my faves now ― green bean casserole and a double serving of stuffing ― and start my diet first thing tomorrow.”
But sometimes, thoughts like this cause people to abandon their natural hunger and fullness cues, said Andrea Wachter, a psychotherapist and author of “Getting Over Overeating for Teens.”
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“Why can’t we eat our favorite foods all year long?” she said. “When we eat the foods that we like, love, and need in amounts that are respectful to our bodies, we have no use for this type of all-or-nothing thinking.”
Wachter said to imagine telling a kid that starting in January, they’ll be restricted to limited, low-calorie foods. That kid would probably load up and binge on cookies and other sweets.
“The reality is, kids need a variety of nutritious, delicious foods along with some yummy treats ― and so do adults,” she said. “Try setting a New Year’s resolution to feed yourself in a non-restrictive and respectful manner and, if needed, seek support for the unresolved issues that lead to dieting in the first place.”
Klaus Vedfelt via Getty Images Give yourself permission to eat what you truly enjoy this holiday season. (Especially since some of these dishes -- stuffing, all manner of pies -- only come around once a year.)
Restricting yourself from drinks with calories.
Many diets have rules against drinking caloric or sugary beverages, and instead encourage us to stick to water, diet drinks, coffee or tea. That may be a sustainable goal during other seasons, but it can exclude you from many of the social activities and fun of the holidays, Harbstreet said.
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“If you want to enjoy a comes-around-once-a-year nostalgic recipe, spiced mocktail, or festive favorite, go right ahead,” she said. “Remember that zero-calorie beverages aren’t inherently better or more satisfying than the drink you’re really craving.”
“This isn’t just about alcohol,” she added, “although that’s certainly an option if you wish to indulge responsibly.”
Making ‘healthy swaps’ for dishes you love, so you can enjoy them ‘guilt-free.’
Give yourself permission to eat what you like this holiday season. (Some of these dishes are only on offer once a year, so why deprive yourself of that deliciousness?)
“I often encourage clients to consider what ‘healthy’ really means to them,” Meehan said. “How can we expand the binary ‘healthy vs. unhealthy’ and add in some room for nuance? If swapping out ingredients for the ‘healthy’ version means less satisfaction, pleasure, connection to memories or your culture... is that really going to be healthy for you?”
Thinking of food as something to burn off.
Again, dieting often trains us to think of eating and exercise as an exchange system: calories in, calories out. If we know we can’t work off the sweets at the table, we might pass and say, “Ah, I’d love to, but there’s no way I could work that off with the amount of exercise I’ve been doing lately.”
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“We internalize that into a belief that we must ‘make up for’ or compensate for what we eat through physical activity,” Harbstreet said.
Instead of refusing a serving of food, tap into your appetite and enjoy what you love with zero guilt. If you’re full and can’t take a slice of cheesecake, recognize that. But if it’s calling your name and you have room, by all means, have some.
“There’s no need to adopt an earn-and-burn mindset around food and eating,” Harbstreet said. “Just enjoy it if you want to, or pass if you don’t.”
How to actually enjoy the holiday foods you’re eating
If your goal is to eat smart this season ― and into the new year ― you may want to give intuitive eating a shot. It’s the idea that no dieting is the very best diet of all.
Instead of falling into the trap of tiresome food “rules,” intuitive eaters listen to their bodies and give themselves permission to eat what they want. They rely on their internal hunger and fullness cues to tell them when, what and how much to eat.
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Given how ineffective diets can be ― 95% of people who lose weight on a diet regain it within five years ― many dietitians and nutritionists are starting to sing the praises of intuitive eating.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-06--Joe Biden Taps Infectious Disease Expert Rochelle Walensky To Lead CDC

President-elect Joe Biden on Monday announced he ’ s picking Dr. Rochelle Walensky , the head of infectious diseases at Massachusetts General Hospital , as his incoming director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
Walensky , also a professor of medicine at Harvard , will replace Dr. Robert Redfield , who was appointed in 2018 and has been one of President Donald Trump ’ s main advisers during the coronavirus pandemic .
Politico and Reuters first reported Walensky ’ s selection on Sunday evening .
The role is sure to be one of the most essential in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nation reels from the threat of COVID-19 .
More than 281,000 people in the United States have died from the virus and the country has shattered records for rates of daily infections , daily fatalities and hospitalizations this month in what officials have declared the worst phase of the pandemic thus far .
Several vaccine candidates have shown promising results and could soon be approved for widespread use , but healthcare leaders have warned the U.S. should prepare for a dark winter .
The CDC has issued more dire public health guidelines in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to adopt “ universal mask use ” indoors anywhere except at home .
Biden has been working quickly to assemble his team of health officials before he assumes office on Jan. 20 .
Earlier this month , the president-elect said he had asked Dr. Anthony Fauci , the nation ’ s top infectious disease expert , to serve as his chief medical adviser as he has done for six previous administrations .
“ I asked him to stay on the exact same role he ’ s had for the past several presidents , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chief medical adviser for me as well , and be part of the COVID team , ” Biden told CNN on Thursday .
Biden on Monday also announced his picks for several other key roles on his health team , including nominating California Attorney General Xavier Becerra to lead the Department of Health and Human Services , and bringing back Vivek Murthy as surgeon general .

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President-elect Joe Biden on Monday announced he’s picking Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the head of infectious diseases at Massachusetts General Hospital, as his incoming director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Walensky, also a professor of medicine at Harvard, will replace Dr. Robert Redfield, who was appointed in 2018 and has been one of President Donald Trump’s main advisers during the coronavirus pandemic. Politico and Reuters first reported Walensky’s selection on Sunday evening.
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The role is sure to be one of the most essential in Biden’s incoming administration as the nation reels from the threat of COVID-19. More than 281,000 people in the United States have died from the virus and the country has shattered records for rates of daily infections, daily fatalities and hospitalizations this month in what officials have declared the worst phase of the pandemic thus far.
Several vaccine candidates have shown promising results and could soon be approved for widespread use, but healthcare leaders have warned the U.S. should prepare for a dark winter. The CDC has issued more dire public health guidelines in recent weeks, including urging all Americans to adopt “universal mask use” indoors anywhere except at home.
Biden has been working quickly to assemble his team of health officials before he assumes office on Jan. 20. Earlier this month, the president-elect said he had asked Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, to serve as his chief medical adviser as he has done for six previous administrations.
Fauci said he agreed “right on the spot.”
“I asked him to stay on the exact same role he’s had for the past several presidents, and I asked him to be a chief medical adviser for me as well, and be part of the COVID team,” Biden told CNN on Thursday.
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Biden on Monday also announced his picks for several other key roles on his health team, including nominating California Attorney General Xavier Becerra to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, and bringing back Vivek Murthy as surgeon general.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-06--Joe Biden Picks California Attorney General Xavier Becerra To Be HHS Secretary

President-elect Joe Biden on Monday announced he ’ s nominating California Attorney General Xavier Becerra to lead the next administration ’ s Department of Health and Human Services , a surprise to many who believed the former Democratic congressman would be chosen to head the Justice Department .
The selection of Becerra — first reported by The New York Times and CNN on Sunday — is a victory for the Congressional Hispanic Caucus , which he used to lead .
If confirmed , Becerra will be the first Latino to hold the position of HHS secretary .
Biden on Monday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ key roles on his health team , including bringing back Vivek Murthy as surgeon general , nominating Dr. Rochelle Walensky to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , and tapping Dr. Anthony Fauci to be his chief medical adviser on COVID-19 .
“ This trusted and accomplished team of leaders will bring the highest level of integrity , scientific rigor , and crisis-management experience to one of the toughest challenges America has ever faced — getting the pandemic under control so that the American people can get back to work , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to their loved ones , ” Biden said in a statement .
“ Everybody ’ s eager to see a Cabinet that reflects America , ” Rep. Vicente Gonzalez ( D-Texas ) said in an interview with HuffPost last week .
“ It would be a huge missed opportunity and disappointment if President Biden failed us in that regard.
” The Congressional Hispanic Caucus called on Biden last week to choose New Mexico Gov .
Michelle Lujan Grisham to lead HHS , saying the former state health secretary and only Latina governor “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through large projects and effectively lead large organizations.
” Sen.-elect Ben Ray Luján ( D-N.M. ) confronted incoming White House chief of staff Ron Klain and other senior Biden officials for their treatment of Lujan Grisham in a call between transition leaders and caucus members on Thursday .
Klain apologized for the leaks from the transition about the New Mexico governor , according to a Democrat with knowledge of the call .
Dozens of caucus members sent a letter to Biden on Wednesday arguing for the president-elect to pick either Becerra or Democratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. attorney general .
Becerra created a name for himself mainly on issues of criminal justice and immigration , which would have made him an unsurprising choice for the Justice Department .
But the California attorney general also has a record on health care , most recently acting as the leading Democratic defender of the Affordable Care Act against the latest lawsuit by Republican attorneys general .
In addition , he has helped lead his party ’ s charge for women ’ s health and defended LGBTQ access to health care by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conscience rule , ” which allowed health providers to refuse treatment to patients for their own moral or religious reasons .
“ I ’ m not sure you could find anyone who has been a stronger defender of the ACA , access to reproductive health care and immigrant rights during the last four years , ” Larry Levitt , executive vice president at the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation , told HuffPost .
As California attorney general , Becerra has also aggressively cracked down on mergers and consolidations in health care as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prices .
In 2018 , he joined an antitrust lawsuit against Sutter Health accusing the company of using its market power to drive up health care costs in Northern California .
He secured a $ 575 million settlement from Sutter at the end of 2019 .
Becerra also sought and supported California legislation that would have given the state ’ s attorney general more power to review mergers involving for-profit health care providers .
That legislation did not pass , but reformers have been hoping to try again next year .
“ Becerra @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and then he was very active as attorney general of California in using the tools of that office to protect people ’ s health care ― and deal with issues of cost , quality and equity , ” Anthony Wright , executive director of California ’ s statewide consumer advocacy group Health Access , told HuffPost .
Should Becerra become secretary of HHS , he will lead a department that continues to be especially critical during a pandemic that ’ s already killed more than 280,000 people in the country ― particularly Black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ terms in Congress , representing part of Los Angeles before becoming California ’ s first Latino attorney general in 2017 .
As a congressman , he was the first Latino to serve on the House Ways and Means Committee and also led the House Democratic Caucus .
He vigorously advocated for the Latinx community and worked to reform the immigration system , a mission he continued as state attorney general .

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President-elect Joe Biden on Monday announced he’s nominating California Attorney General Xavier Becerra to lead the next administration’s Department of Health and Human Services, a surprise to many who believed the former Democratic congressman would be chosen to head the Justice Department.
The selection of Becerra — first reported by The New York Times and CNN on Sunday — is a victory for the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, which he used to lead. If confirmed, Becerra will be the first Latino to hold the position of HHS secretary.
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Biden on Monday also announced his picks for several other key roles on his health team, including bringing back Vivek Murthy as surgeon general, nominating Dr. Rochelle Walensky to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and tapping Dr. Anthony Fauci to be his chief medical adviser on COVID-19.
“This trusted and accomplished team of leaders will bring the highest level of integrity, scientific rigor, and crisis-management experience to one of the toughest challenges America has ever faced — getting the pandemic under control so that the American people can get back to work, back to their lives, and back to their loved ones,” Biden said in a statement.
Latinx lawmakers had been pressing Biden to further diversify his Cabinet and include more Latinx representation. Biden has picked Cuban American lawyer Alejandro Mayorkas to run the Department of Homeland Security.
“Everybody’s eager to see a Cabinet that reflects America,” Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (D-Texas) said in an interview with HuffPost last week. “It would be a huge missed opportunity and disappointment if President Biden failed us in that regard.”
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President-elect Joe Biden has picked Becerra (above) to be his health secretary, putting a defender of the Affordable Care Act in a leading role to oversee his administration’s coronavirus response. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File) ASSOCIATED PRESS
The Congressional Hispanic Caucus called on Biden last week to choose New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham to lead HHS, saying the former state health secretary and only Latina governor “has the vision and drive to see through large projects and effectively lead large organizations.”
But that possibility fizzled Wednesday after a source close to the transition team told reporters that Lujan Grisham was no longer a front-runner for health secretary and had turned down an offer to lead Biden’s Interior Department.
Sen.-elect Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) confronted incoming White House chief of staff Ron Klain and other senior Biden officials for their treatment of Lujan Grisham in a call between transition leaders and caucus members on Thursday. Klain apologized for the leaks from the transition about the New Mexico governor, according to a Democrat with knowledge of the call.
Dozens of caucus members sent a letter to Biden on Wednesday arguing for the president-elect to pick either Becerra or Democratic National Committee chair Tom Perez to be the U.S. attorney general. Becerra created a name for himself mainly on issues of criminal justice and immigration, which would have made him an unsurprising choice for the Justice Department.
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But the California attorney general also has a record on health care, most recently acting as the leading Democratic defender of the Affordable Care Act against the latest lawsuit by Republican attorneys general. In addition, he has helped lead his party’s charge for women’s health and defended LGBTQ access to health care by fighting the Trump administration’s “conscience rule,” which allowed health providers to refuse treatment to patients for their own moral or religious reasons.
“I’m not sure you could find anyone who has been a stronger defender of the ACA, access to reproductive health care and immigrant rights during the last four years,” Larry Levitt, executive vice president at the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, told HuffPost.
As California attorney general, Becerra has also aggressively cracked down on mergers and consolidations in health care as a way to push companies to compete on prices. In 2018, he joined an antitrust lawsuit against Sutter Health accusing the company of using its market power to drive up health care costs in Northern California. He secured a $575 million settlement from Sutter at the end of 2019.
Becerra also sought and supported California legislation that would have given the state’s attorney general more power to review mergers involving for-profit health care providers. That legislation did not pass, but reformers have been hoping to try again next year.
“Becerra was a health care champion in Congress and then he was very active as attorney general of California in using the tools of that office to protect people’s health care ― and deal with issues of cost, quality and equity,” Anthony Wright, executive director of California’s statewide consumer advocacy group Health Access, told HuffPost.
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“It went well beyond just checking the boxes of what he had to do,” Wright added. “He was very aggressive about it.”
Should Becerra become secretary of HHS, he will lead a department that continues to be especially critical during a pandemic that’s already killed more than 280,000 people in the country ― particularly Black and brown people.
Becerra served 12 terms in Congress, representing part of Los Angeles before becoming California’s first Latino attorney general in 2017. As a congressman, he was the first Latino to serve on the House Ways and Means Committee and also led the House Democratic Caucus. He vigorously advocated for the Latinx community and worked to reform the immigration system, a mission he continued as state attorney general.
“He’s not a health policy wonk, but most HHS secretaries aren’t and don’t need to be,” Levitt said. “He’s a seasoned political hand and shown an ability to speak to the public about complex health issues.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-06--Rudy Giuliani Tests Positive For COVID-19

Trump tweeted Sunday that Giuliani , his personal attorney , tested positive for the coronavirus .
He said Giuliani “ has been working tirelessly ” trying to prove that Trump was the real winner of the November presidential election .
( He wasn ’ t . )
.
@ RudyGiuliani , by far the greatest mayor in the history of NYC , and who has been working tirelessly exposing the most corrupt election ( by far ! )
in the history of the USA , has tested positive for the China Virus .
Get better soon Rudy , we will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ J. Trump ( @ realDonaldTrump ) December 6 , 2020 “ Thank you to all my friends and followers for all the prayers and kind wishes , ” he tweeted .
“ I ’ m getting great care and feeling good .
Recovering quickly and keeping up with everything.
” It ’ s unclear why it was Trump who first announced Giuliani ’ s positive test result .
The former New York mayor is 76 , and is therefore considered high-risk .
Giuliani and the Trump campaign legal team have been working since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s solid victory .
They have filed dozens of lawsuits across the country , virtually all of which judges have ruled against for lack of evidence .
Giuliani and fellow campaign attorney Jenna Ellis spent time less than a week ago questioning witnesses who accompanied them to hearings before Michigan state lawmakers .
He most recently appeared before Georgia lawmakers without a mask on Thursday .
The Trump campaign ’ s legal team released a statement after the president ’ s announcement saying that Giuliani “ did not experience any symptoms or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 48 hours after he returned from his trip to Arizona , Michigan and Georgia .
The team also said that under current guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , “ no legislators in any state or members of the press are on the contact tracing list.
” Nevertheless , Arizona ’ s state Legislature will be closed for the next week after at least 15 current or future Republican lawmakers were potentially exposed to COVID-19 through Giuliani , according to KTVK-TV .
The Georgia Senate Republican Caucus also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sunday night due to “ a large group of Senators being exposed ” to COVID-19 through Giuliani at election hearings , according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution .
Michigan Republican Party chairwoman Laura Cox and other staffers who came into contact with Giuliani during his visit to the state GOP headquarters are being tested “ and all appropriate precautions are being taken , ” state party spokesman Tony Zammit told the Detroit News .
Democratic state Rep. Darrin Camilleri , who is part of the Michigan House Oversight Committee that met with the attorney @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and staff who were in the meeting room with Giuliani should have to get a negative COVID-19 test before attending session again .
Andrew Giuliani , who is also Trump ’ s special assistant , said he tested positive on Nov. 20 , a day after attending a crowded news conference at the Republican National Committee headquarters in Washington , where his father and other campaign attorneys did not wear masks .
Rudy Giuliani went viral on Twitter for sweating so much during the news conference that mysterious coloring began oozing down his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on a handkerchief and rubbed the blown-in side around his mouth and forehead .
Giuliani ’ s communications director , Christianné Allen , confirmed that she has been quarantining after testing positive for COVID-19 in November , Salon reported Friday .
Allen told the publication that she first began experiencing symptoms the day after the press conference ― which she attended ― and tested positive on Nov. 28 after two previous tests came up negative .

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Rudy Giuliani tested positive for COVID-19, according to President Donald Trump.
Trump tweeted Sunday that Giuliani, his personal attorney, tested positive for the coronavirus. He said Giuliani “has been working tirelessly” trying to prove that Trump was the real winner of the November presidential election. (He wasn’t.)
.@RudyGiuliani, by far the greatest mayor in the history of NYC, and who has been working tirelessly exposing the most corrupt election (by far!) in the history of the USA, has tested positive for the China Virus. Get better soon Rudy, we will carry on!!! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 6, 2020
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“Get better soon Rudy, we will carry on!!!” the president tweeted, repeating the racist term, “China Virus,” that he’s attempted to make mainstream throughout the pandemic.
Hours later, Giuliani tweeted confirming that he has been infected with the virus.
“Thank you to all my friends and followers for all the prayers and kind wishes,” he tweeted. “I’m getting great care and feeling good. Recovering quickly and keeping up with everything.”
It’s unclear why it was Trump who first announced Giuliani’s positive test result. The former New York mayor is 76, and is therefore considered high-risk.
Giuliani was admitted to Georgetown University Medical Center, according to The New York Times, which cited a person familiar with his condition.
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Giuliani and the Trump campaign legal team have been working since the election to overturn President-elect Joe Biden’s solid victory. They have filed dozens of lawsuits across the country, virtually all of which judges have ruled against for lack of evidence.
Giuliani has traveled across the country to push unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud.
Giuliani and fellow campaign attorney Jenna Ellis spent time less than a week ago questioning witnesses who accompanied them to hearings before Michigan state lawmakers. He most recently appeared before Georgia lawmakers without a mask on Thursday.
The Trump campaign’s legal team released a statement after the president’s announcement saying that Giuliani “did not experience any symptoms or test positive” for COVID-19 until more than 48 hours after he returned from his trip to Arizona, Michigan and Georgia. The team also said that under current guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “no legislators in any state or members of the press are on the contact tracing list.”
Nevertheless, Arizona’s state Legislature will be closed for the next week after at least 15 current or future Republican lawmakers were potentially exposed to COVID-19 through Giuliani, according to KTVK-TV. The Georgia Senate Republican Caucus also announced it was canceling an event on Sunday night due to “a large group of Senators being exposed” to COVID-19 through Giuliani at election hearings, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Michigan Republican Party chairwoman Laura Cox and other staffers who came into contact with Giuliani during his visit to the state GOP headquarters are being tested “and all appropriate precautions are being taken,” state party spokesman Tony Zammit told the Detroit News.
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Democratic state Rep. Darrin Camilleri, who is part of the Michigan House Oversight Committee that met with the attorney, told the newspaper that all lawmakers and staff who were in the meeting room with Giuliani should have to get a negative COVID-19 test before attending session again.
Giuliani’s positive test result comes after his son, Andrew Giuliani, and others linked to the White House became infected with the virus.
Andrew Giuliani, who is also Trump’s special assistant, said he tested positive on Nov. 20, a day after attending a crowded news conference at the Republican National Committee headquarters in Washington, where his father and other campaign attorneys did not wear masks.
Rudy Giuliani went viral on Twitter for sweating so much during the news conference that mysterious coloring began oozing down his sideburns. He also blew his nose on a handkerchief and rubbed the blown-in side around his mouth and forehead.
Giuliani’s communications director, Christianné Allen, confirmed that she has been quarantining after testing positive for COVID-19 in November, Salon reported Friday. Allen told the publication that she first began experiencing symptoms the day after the press conference ― which she attended ― and tested positive on Nov. 28 after two previous tests came up negative.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-06--Armed Michiganders Gather Outside Secretary Of State's Home To Deny Voting Results

Benson , who is Michigan ’ s top election official , released a statement on Sunday speaking out about the incident .
She said that dozens of armed individuals stood outside her home “ shouting obscenities and chanting into bullhorns ” while she was decorating the house for Christmas with her 4-year-old son .
“ The demands made outside my home were unambiguous , loud and threatening .
They targeted me in my role as Michigan ’ s Chief Election Officer , ” Benson said .
“ But the threats of those gathered weren ’ t actually aimed at me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this state .
They were aimed at the voters.
” “ Through threats of violence , intimidation , and bullying , the armed people outside my home and their political allies seek to undermine and silence the will and voices of every voter in this state , no matter who they voted for .
Their goal is to overturn and upend the results of an election that are clear and unequivocal , and that 5.5 million Michigan citizens participated in , ” she continued .
“ But their efforts won ’ t carry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strong .
The will of the people is clear .
And I will stand up every day in my job for all voters , even the votes of the protesters who banded together outside my home.
” Videos on social media show individuals outside Benson ’ s home chanting , “ Stop the steal , ” a phrase coined by Trump ’ s campaign as part of their efforts to undermine an election that gave Biden a solid victory .
Trump and his campaign have filed ― and lost ― dozens of lawsuits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ battleground states that went to Biden like Michigan , Pennsylvania and Georgia .
Judges have repeatedly dismissed the suits , noting there is no evidence supporting Trump ’ s claim that voter fraud cost him the election .
Benson said the protesters ’ actions on Saturday were “ an extension of the noise and clouded efforts to spread false information about the security and accuracy of our elections that we ’ ve all endured ” since the polls closed on Nov. 3 .
“ Through blatantly false press releases , purely political legislative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called ‘ affidavits ’ that fail to allege any clear or cogent evidence of wrongdoing , those unhappy with the results of this election have perpetuated an unprecedented , dangerous , egregious campaign to erode the public ’ s confidence in the results of one of the most secure , accessible and transparent elections in our state ’ s history , ” the secretary of state said .
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel and Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy also released a statement on Sunday evening about the protest in front of Benson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the demonstrators “ shouted baseless conspiracies about the election ” and cited videos uploaded to social media in which at least one person was heard yelling , “ You ’ re murderers.
” “ This mob-like behavior is an affront to basic morality and decency .
In a civil society , there are many ways to peaceably assemble and demonstrate .
Anyone can air legitimate grievances to Secretary Benson ’ s office through civil and democratic means , but terrorizing children and families at their own homes is not activism , ” the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ behaviors masquerading as protest should be called out for what it is and roundly condemned by citizens and public officials alike.
” Michigan Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer , who has faced multiple threats from Trump supporters and the far-right since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic , also voiced support for Benson .
On Twitter , the Democratic governor called the intimidation “ dangerous and unacceptable ” and demanded such threatening behavior stop .
Michigan saw one of the first anti-lockdown protests earlier this year when armed demonstrators stormed the state Capitol building @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outside Benson ’ s home Saturday evening .
At the time , Whitmer ’ s stay-at-home order also prompted angry right-wing Michiganders online to vow violence and “ bloodshed ” in the near future .
Some even threatened to assassinate the governor .
Trump has repeatedly attacked Whitmer for a pandemic response that likely saved thousands of lives , encouraging his supporters to speak out in the face of her science-based safety protocols .
About a dozen Trump fans allegedly plotted to kidnap Whitmer and attack the state capitol in response to those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The governor said in October that the suspects wanted to “ possibly kill ” her and linked the plot to the president ’ s dangerous rhetoric .

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Supporters of President Donald Trump amped up their efforts to intimidate Michigan officials this weekend, gathering with firearms outside Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson’s home on Saturday to protest the battleground state’s election results, which helped Joe Biden win the race.
Benson, who is Michigan’s top election official, released a statement on Sunday speaking out about the incident. She said that dozens of armed individuals stood outside her home “shouting obscenities and chanting into bullhorns” while she was decorating the house for Christmas with her 4-year-old son.
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“The demands made outside my home were unambiguous, loud and threatening. They targeted me in my role as Michigan’s Chief Election Officer,” Benson said. “But the threats of those gathered weren’t actually aimed at me ― or any other elected officials in this state. They were aimed at the voters.”
The individuals gathered outside my home targeted me as Michigan’s Chief Election officer. But their threats were actually aimed at the 5.5million Michigan citizens who voted in this fall’s election, seeking to overturn their will. They will not succeed in doing so. My statement: pic.twitter.com/RSUnPSN4Aa — Jocelyn Benson (@JocelynBenson) December 7, 2020
“Through threats of violence, intimidation, and bullying, the armed people outside my home and their political allies seek to undermine and silence the will and voices of every voter in this state, no matter who they voted for. Their goal is to overturn and upend the results of an election that are clear and unequivocal, and that 5.5 million Michigan citizens participated in,” she continued. “But their efforts won’t carry the day. Because our democracy is strong. The will of the people is clear. And I will stand up every day in my job for all voters, even the votes of the protesters who banded together outside my home.”
Videos on social media show individuals outside Benson’s home chanting, “Stop the steal,” a phrase coined by Trump’s campaign as part of their efforts to undermine an election that gave Biden a solid victory. Trump and his campaign have filed ― and lost ― dozens of lawsuits challenging the voting results, particularly in battleground states that went to Biden like Michigan, Pennsylvania and Georgia. Judges have repeatedly dismissed the suits, noting there is no evidence supporting Trump’s claim that voter fraud cost him the election.
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“Dozens of armed individuals” showed up to Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson’s home last night, shouting “Stop The Steal!” pic.twitter.com/rZhPK5hbsv — philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) December 7, 2020
Benson said the protesters’ actions on Saturday were “an extension of the noise and clouded efforts to spread false information about the security and accuracy of our elections that we’ve all endured” since the polls closed on Nov. 3.
“Through blatantly false press releases, purely political legislative hearings, bogus legal claims and so called ‘affidavits’ that fail to allege any clear or cogent evidence of wrongdoing, those unhappy with the results of this election have perpetuated an unprecedented, dangerous, egregious campaign to erode the public’s confidence in the results of one of the most secure, accessible and transparent elections in our state’s history,” the secretary of state said.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel and Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy also released a statement on Sunday evening about the protest in front of Benson’s home. Their statement said the demonstrators “shouted baseless conspiracies about the election” and cited videos uploaded to social media in which at least one person was heard yelling, “You’re murderers.”
“This mob-like behavior is an affront to basic morality and decency. In a civil society, there are many ways to peaceably assemble and demonstrate. Anyone can air legitimate grievances to Secretary Benson’s office through civil and democratic means, but terrorizing children and families at their own homes is not activism,” the joint statement read. “The disturbing behaviors masquerading as protest should be called out for what it is and roundly condemned by citizens and public officials alike.”
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.@MIAttyGen @dananessel and Wayne County Prosecutor @KymLWorthy issued the following joint statement regarding the protest in front of Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson’s home Saturday night: pic.twitter.com/RTTO5F2JEu — Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel (@MIAttyGen) December 7, 2020
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who has faced multiple threats from Trump supporters and the far-right since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, also voiced support for Benson. On Twitter, the Democratic governor called the intimidation “dangerous and unacceptable” and demanded such threatening behavior stop.
Michigan saw one of the first anti-lockdown protests earlier this year when armed demonstrators stormed the state Capitol building in a tactic not unlike what happened outside Benson’s home Saturday evening. At the time, Whitmer’s stay-at-home order also prompted angry right-wing Michiganders online to vow violence and “bloodshed” in the near future. Some even threatened to assassinate the governor.
Trump has repeatedly attacked Whitmer for a pandemic response that likely saved thousands of lives, encouraging his supporters to speak out in the face of her science-based safety protocols. About a dozen Trump fans allegedly plotted to kidnap Whitmer and attack the state capitol in response to those COVID-19 restrictions, according to law enforcement. The governor said in October that the suspects wanted to “possibly kill” her and linked the plot to the president’s dangerous rhetoric.
More recently, Whitmer implemented new regulations to curb the state’s skyrocketing coronavirus infection rates The move led then-White House medical adviser Scott Atlas to seemingly encourage insurrection by tweeting that Michiganders should “rise up.”
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-06--Sen. Kelly Loeffler Torched For Claiming There's 'Not A Racist Bone In My Body'

“ Well , the life of every African American is important , and there is no place for racism in @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ But there are organizations whose number one goal is to defund the @ @ @ @ @ that that hurts minority communities more than anyone .
And we have to stand with @ @ @ @ @ law enforcement .
And I will always do that.
” In July , Loeffler , @ @ @ @ @ WNBA team , said she was “ adamantly ” against the Black Lives Matter movement @ @ @ @ @ its season to supporting it and other social justice causes .
She claimed it might @ @ @ @ @ earlier , she accused Black protesters with guns in Georgia ― where open carry is @ @ @ @ @ mob rule , ” even though she bills herself as a champion of the Second @ @

“Well, the life of every African American is important, and there is no place for racism in this country,” Loeffler said. “But there are organizations whose number one goal is to defund the police. And we know that that hurts minority communities more than anyone. And we have to stand with our men and women of law enforcement. And I will always do that.”
In July, Loeffler, who co-owns the Atlanta Dream WNBA team, said she was “adamantly” against the Black Lives Matter movement after the basketball league dedicated its season to supporting it and other social justice causes. She claimed it might alienate sports fans. Weeks earlier, she accused Black protesters with guns in Georgia ― where open carry is legal ― of practicing “mob rule,” even though she bills herself as a champion of the Second Amendment.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-07--Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp Rips 'Kraken' Rigged Election Complaints As 'Myth' In Legal Action

Kemp ’ s motion to dismiss a lawsuit challenging election results called the complaints “ outlandish.
” The filing Saturday night in federal court in Atlanta followed attacks by President Donald Trump on Kemp at a Georgia rally for failing to overturn the election results that handed victory to Joe Biden .
The lawsuit ’ s convoluted conspiracy theory seeking to overturn Biden ’ s win involves foreign agents from Iran and China infiltrating voting machines and switching votes from Trump to Biden in Georgia and other swing states .
The strategy was backed by “ communist money ” and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claims .
There ’ s no evidence for any of it .
Republican lawyer Sidney Powell has said she would “ release the Kraken ” with her lawsuit , referring to a mythical sea monster in Scandinavian lore and a well-known line from “ Clash of the Titans.
” “ Their claims would be extraordinary if true , but they are not , ” Kemp ’ s motion to dismiss declared , which also includes Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger .
“ Much like the mythological ‘ Kraken ’ monster after which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claims of election fraud and malfeasance belong more to the Kraken ’ s realm of mythos than they do to reality , ” the court filing noted .
The Trump campaign formerly embraced Powell in its legal fight against votes .
But she was sidelined late last month following a press conference with campaign legal team leader Rudy Giuliani in which she pushed a string of bizarre conspiracy theories .
But on Sunday , Trump was suddenly retweeting messages praising her — shortly after the president revealed that Giuliani had contracted COVID-19 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ punching bag since his failure to cooperate with the president ’ s demands to countermand the election .
Trump has demanded the governor call a special legislative session to overturn the vote and pick electors who will choose Trump to rule another four years .
Kemp has explained that he has no power to do so in a democracy .
Trump then bashed Kemp , angrily telling Fox News last month he was “ ashamed ” he endorsed him.
” He also reportedly called Kemp a “ moron ” and a “ nut @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Raffenberger said Sunday on ABC ’ s “ This Week with George Stephanopoulos ” that to overturn the elections would be “ nullifying the will of the people .
”

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A legal action by Georgia’s Republican Gov. Brian Kemp has blasted the Trump legal team’s election fraud complaints as “myth.”
Kemp’s motion to dismiss a lawsuit challenging election results called the complaints “outlandish.” The filing Saturday night in federal court in Atlanta followed attacks by President Donald Trump on Kemp at a Georgia rally for failing to overturn the election results that handed victory to Joe Biden.
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The lawsuit’s convoluted conspiracy theory seeking to overturn Biden’s win involves foreign agents from Iran and China infiltrating voting machines and switching votes from Trump to Biden in Georgia and other swing states. The strategy was backed by “communist money” and corrupt Democratic election workers, the suit claims. There’s no evidence for any of it.
Republican lawyer Sidney Powell has said she would “release the Kraken” with her lawsuit, referring to a mythical sea monster in Scandinavian lore and a well-known line from “Clash of the Titans.”
“Their claims would be extraordinary if true, but they are not,” Kemp’s motion to dismiss declared, which also includes Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. “Much like the mythological ‘Kraken’ monster after which plaintiffs have named this lawsuit, their claims of election fraud and malfeasance belong more to the Kraken’s realm of mythos than they do to reality,” the court filing noted.
The Trump campaign formerly embraced Powell in its legal fight against votes. But she was sidelined late last month following a press conference with campaign legal team leader Rudy Giuliani in which she pushed a string of bizarre conspiracy theories.
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But on Sunday, Trump was suddenly retweeting messages praising her — shortly after the president revealed that Giuliani had contracted COVID-19.
So much truth to this! https://t.co/HH0LcQ5Wgl — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 6, 2020
Kemp has become Trump’s latest punching bag since his failure to cooperate with the president’s demands to countermand the election.
Trump has demanded the governor call a special legislative session to overturn the vote and pick electors who will choose Trump to rule another four years. Kemp has explained that he has no power to do so in a democracy.
Trump then bashed Kemp, angrily telling Fox News last month he was “ashamed” he endorsed him.” He also reportedly called Kemp a “moron” and a “nut job” in a recent phone call.
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Raffenberger said Sunday on ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” that to overturn the elections would be “nullifying the will of the people.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-07--Jon Ossoff Debates Empty Lectern In Georgia Senate Debate As 'Coward' Stays Away

Democratic challenger Jon Ossoff blasted U.S. Sen David Perdue ( R-Ga. ) for failing to show up at their debate in Atlanta Sunday , calling him a “ coward ” who displayed “ astonishing arrogance.
” Perdue said last month he would not participate , so Ossoff turned their scheduled showdown into a one-man show .
The two are vying for one of the two U.S. Senate seats up for grabs in Georgia ’ s Jan. 5 runoff election .
“ The reason that we are losing thousands of people per day to this virus is because of the arrogance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ossoff said .
“ So arrogant that he disregarded public health expertise and so arrogant that he ’ s not with us here today to answer questions .
It shows an astonishing arrogance and sense of entitlement for Georgia ’ s senior U.S. senator to believe he shouldn ’ t have to debate at a moment like this in our history.
” Ossoff also accused the incumbent of ducking the debate to avoid explaining stock trades he made after receiving private briefings about the coronavirus pandemic .
Ossoff called it “ a strange @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a sitting United States senator who is not here to debate , as he asks for the votes of the people to be reelected.
” He said Perdue perhaps didn ’ t feel he could handle himself in debate or perhaps is concerned he may “ incriminate himself.
” Ossoff said Perdue could have answered questions “ if the senator were not too much of a coward.
” Ossoff called Perdue “ a crook ” in an exchange that went viral from a previous debate .

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No opponent, no problem.
Democratic challenger Jon Ossoff blasted U.S. Sen David Perdue (R-Ga.) for failing to show up at their debate in Atlanta Sunday, calling him a “coward” who displayed “astonishing arrogance.”
Perdue said last month he would not participate, so Ossoff turned their scheduled showdown into a one-man show. The two are vying for one of the two U.S. Senate seats up for grabs in Georgia’s Jan. 5 runoff election.
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Ossoff accused the absent incumbent of downplaying the coronavirus.
“The reason that we are losing thousands of people per day to this virus is because of the arrogance of politicians like David Perdue,” Ossoff said. “So arrogant that he disregarded public health expertise and so arrogant that he’s not with us here today to answer questions. It shows an astonishing arrogance and sense of entitlement for Georgia’s senior U.S. senator to believe he shouldn’t have to debate at a moment like this in our history.”
I showed up to debate tonight.
David Perdue pleaded the fifth.pic.twitter.com/doKt1EiJ0j — Jon Ossoff (@ossoff) December 7, 2020
Ossoff also accused the incumbent of ducking the debate to avoid explaining stock trades he made after receiving private briefings about the coronavirus pandemic.
Ossoff called it “a strange situation to be asking a question of a sitting United States senator who is not here to debate, as he asks for the votes of the people to be reelected.”
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He said Perdue perhaps didn’t feel he could handle himself in debate or perhaps is concerned he may “incriminate himself.”
Ossoff said Perdue could have answered questions “if the senator were not too much of a coward.”
Last time I debated an empty suit. This time I debated an empty podium. pic.twitter.com/BZMzvC8F2v — Jon Ossoff (@ossoff) December 7, 2020
Perdue’s campaign said Ossoff “lost the debate against himself,” 11 Alive reported.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-07--Steve Kornacki's 'Sunday Night Football' Debut Has Election Twitter Going Wild

The Steve Kornacki crossover into “ Sunday Night Football ” is here , and surprise surprise , his fans love it .
The NBC political correspondent , who found fast fame with his masterful coverage of the Nov. 3 presidential election , debuted on the network ’ s pregame and halftime shows Sunday for the Kansas City Chiefs ’ win against the Denver Broncos .
Kornacki broke down the odds for the 32 teams in the playoff race as expertly as he did the election , when he provided tireless , round-the-clock analysis of polling data as it rolled in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ ve been a fan of the game since I was kid and SNF has been must-see TV for me since it started back in ’ 06 , ” Kornacki said in a statement .
“ Truly a thrill to get this chance , especially as the season reaches its most exciting point .
I spent the last year using the Big Board to map out all of the various roads to 270 [ Electoral College votes ] and I can ’ t wait to put it to use breaking down all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kornacki , his map and his go-to TV uniform ― khaki slacks , white shirt and striped tie ― has won him nicknames such as “ chartthrob , ” “ Steve Korsnacki ” and “ map daddy , ” and even landed him on People Magazine ’ s “ Sexiest Men Alive ” list for 2020 .
As he walked viewers through the various paths in the playoffs , his adoring fans ( some of whom seemed to be watching the NFL for only one reason ) went wild on Twitter : Steve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NBCSports tonight explaining football to those of us who have no clue what ’ s going on 😂 pic.twitter.com/Yp8JBBRWtH — Grace Panetta ( @ grace_panetta ) December 7 , 2020

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The Steve Kornacki crossover into “Sunday Night Football” is here, and surprise surprise, his fans love it.
The NBC political correspondent, who found fast fame with his masterful coverage of the Nov. 3 presidential election, debuted on the network’s pregame and halftime shows Sunday for the Kansas City Chiefs’ win against the Denver Broncos.
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Kornacki broke down the odds for the 32 teams in the playoff race as expertly as he did the election, when he provided tireless, round-the-clock analysis of polling data as it rolled in for days following the vote.
“I’ve been a fan of the game since I was kid and SNF has been must-see TV for me since it started back in ’06,” Kornacki said in a statement. “Truly a thrill to get this chance, especially as the season reaches its most exciting point. I spent the last year using the Big Board to map out all of the various roads to 270 [Electoral College votes] and I can’t wait to put it to use breaking down all of the paths to the playoffs.”
Kornacki and his khakis make their FNIA debut! @NBCNews' @SteveKornacki is in the house to break down the NFL playoff picture. pic.twitter.com/muDVy1LhD6 — Sunday Night Football (@SNFonNBC) December 7, 2020
Kornacki, his map and his go-to TV uniform ― khaki slacks, white shirt and striped tie ― has won him nicknames such as “chartthrob,” “Steve Korsnacki” and “map daddy,” and even landed him on People Magazine’s “Sexiest Men Alive” list for 2020.
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As he walked viewers through the various paths in the playoffs, his adoring fans (some of whom seemed to be watching the NFL for only one reason) went wild on Twitter:
Watching Steve Kornacki do the Big Board with football stats instead of polling/politics like: pic.twitter.com/dqt8zQQQ0Y — Olivia Morgan (@olivemor) December 7, 2020
Seeing Steve Kornacki trending post election pic.twitter.com/JSzVKehX99 — Your Annoying Little Token (@ShounenChild) December 7, 2020
Steve Kornacki is going to be on the halftime show? I most certainly will. — Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) December 7, 2020
Contender for this year’s best crossover: Steve Kornacki breaking down NFL playoff odds pic.twitter.com/r7oLASLVKM — Ben Williamson (@_WilliamsonBen) December 7, 2020
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I do love that @SteveKornacki got to do this. pic.twitter.com/NpPhDcFeUe — Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) December 7, 2020
Steve Kornacki explaining the NFC East pic.twitter.com/zyEFEjd7xJ — Danny Heifetz (@Danny_Heifetz) December 7, 2020
Highlight of my weekend easily was watching national treasure Steve Kornacki mapping out various paths to the playoffs pic.twitter.com/7oJVHILUwv — greggnog (@greggnog) December 7, 2020
Steve Kornacki back at the big board on @NBCSports tonight explaining football to those of us who have no clue what’s going on 😂 pic.twitter.com/Yp8JBBRWtH — Grace Panetta (@grace_panetta) December 7, 2020
Steve Kornacki breaking down the playoff picture is everything I didn’t know I needed before Sunday Night Football. — Maggie Loney (@MaggieJLoney) December 7, 2020
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I haven’t watched football in a couple of seasons but now I’m all caught up. Steve Kornacki rules. https://t.co/IYTCtL50cg — Shan (@ShanWow78) December 7, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-07--As Virus Slams Rural California, Many Still Pan Restrictions

“ This is my first episode of civil disobedience in my entire life .
My whole family is in law enforcement .
I ’ m a follow-the-rules kind of person , ” said Luntey , owner of San Francisco Deli , a popular sandwich shop in Redding , more than 200 miles ( 320 kilometers ) north of the restaurant ’ s namesake city .
It ’ s in northern Shasta County , one of several rural California counties that appeared to dodge the virus in the spring but are now seeing some of the most alarming spikes in COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ avoid overwhelming hospitals , Gov .
Gavin Newsom announced a strict new shutdown order that has taken effect in many other parts of California and will likely soon affect Shasta County .
Luntey is not a virus skeptic .
She washes her hands so much they ’ re raw .
But she shrugs off the idea of a stay-at-home order that shutters businesses .
She watched other restaurants collapse , and she and her husband , both in their 70s , can not afford that .
California has had some of the most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It was the first state to impose a stay-at-home order in March that shut businesses and schools for months , and now most of the state is under a nighttime curfew and a majority of restaurants were ordered to close indoor dining .
But many are still reluctant “ to accept that this is a real and dangerous virus , ” said Chuck Smith , spokesman for the COVID-19 response center in Sutter and Yuba counties .
“ A lot of transmission is caused by people not taking the precautions that are being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Adventist Rideout Memorial , which is overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients .
It has no intensive care beds available , and staff were treating 50 COVID-19 patients after having none just a month ago , spokeswoman Monica Arrowsmith told the CBS-13 television station last week .
The strict new shutdown order in California took effect starting Sunday in Southern California , much of the San Francisco Bay Area and a vast swath of the Central Valley .
The new measures , which include a stay-at-home order and widespread business closures , are triggered in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ threshold of 85 % .
The rest of the state is on the brink of the same restrictions .
In a pre-Thanksgiving Facebook post , Shasta County Sheriff Eric Magrini asked people to be responsible but said he “ will not be enforcing the compliance of any health or emergency orders related to curfews , stay at home orders , Thanksgiving or other social gatherings ” or mask mandates .
Several sheriffs in other areas have made similar statements .
In Sutter County , “ we ’ re not running around arresting people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ personal responsibility , ” said Smith of the COVID-19 response center .
“ But can you tell me a law enforcement agency anywhere in California that is enforcing this ?
” “ We had a lot of people who could not understand why in the world we would be doing that .
We had very few cases , and not a lot of spread , ” said Kerri Schuette , spokeswoman for the Shasta County Health and Human Services Agency .
Shasta now has more than 5,000 cases and at least 50 deaths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the agency noted that it took 206 days to hit the first 1,000 infections , from March 8 to Sept. 30 , while the second thousand took 28 days .
The third thousand came in 16 days .
The fourth thousand took seven days .
Lakshmi Davulur prepares a sandwich for a lunch patron at the San Francisco Deli in Redding , Calif. , on Dec. 3 , 2020 .
Brenda Luntey , who owns the deli with her husband , is openly violating the state 's order to close her restaurant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the precautions advised , but does n't force customers to wear a face mask .
Schuette says people are taking it more seriously now , but officials nationwide are bracing for higher numbers after Thanksgiving gatherings and worrying about Christmas .
Most of the transmission in hard-hit counties is due to socializing with family or friends , officials say .

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REDDING, Calif. (AP) — Brenda Luntey is openly violating California’s order to close her restaurant to indoor dining. But she wants her customers and critics to know she isn’t typically a rule-breaker. It’s a matter of survival.
“This is my first episode of civil disobedience in my entire life. My whole family is in law enforcement. I’m a follow-the-rules kind of person,” said Luntey, owner of San Francisco Deli, a popular sandwich shop in Redding, more than 200 miles (320 kilometers) north of the restaurant’s namesake city.
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It’s in northern Shasta County, one of several rural California counties that appeared to dodge the virus in the spring but are now seeing some of the most alarming spikes in COVID-19 infections statewide. In an effort to avoid overwhelming hospitals, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a strict new shutdown order that has taken effect in many other parts of California and will likely soon affect Shasta County.
But outside California’s big cities, especially in conservative areas, the backlash against tough new restrictions is growing, and some sheriffs say they won’t enforce health orders.
Luntey is not a virus skeptic. She washes her hands so much they’re raw. But she shrugs off the idea of a stay-at-home order that shutters businesses. She watched other restaurants collapse, and she and her husband, both in their 70s, cannot afford that.
“I want people to understand we are not thumbing our nose at the government,” Luntey said. “I’m trying to keep my business alive.”
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Brenda Luntey, poses for a photo by a sign advising customers to wear face masks that is posted on the door of the San Francisco Deli in Redding, Calif., on Dec. 3, 2020. AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli
California has had some of the most aggressive coronavirus measures in the country. It was the first state to impose a stay-at-home order in March that shut businesses and schools for months, and now most of the state is under a nighttime curfew and a majority of restaurants were ordered to close indoor dining.
In the nation’s most populated state, confirmed infections have surged past 1.3 million, with an average of nearly 15,000 new cases a day. Each day brings dire new records in hospitalizations and deaths, which neared a total of 20,000 on Sunday.
But many are still reluctant “to accept that this is a real and dangerous virus,” said Chuck Smith, spokesman for the COVID-19 response center in Sutter and Yuba counties. “A lot of transmission is caused by people not taking the precautions that are being recommended.”
Sutter County, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) northeast of San Francisco, logged one of the state’s highest rates of positive tests last week at 20.2%, and neighboring Yuba County ranked close behind at 17%.
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They share one hospital, Adventist Rideout Memorial, which is overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients. It has no intensive care beds available, and staff were treating 50 COVID-19 patients after having none just a month ago, spokeswoman Monica Arrowsmith told the CBS-13 television station last week.
The strict new shutdown order in California took effect starting Sunday in Southern California, much of the San Francisco Bay Area and a vast swath of the Central Valley. The new measures, which include a stay-at-home order and widespread business closures, are triggered in any region that crosses an ICU capacity threshold of 85%. The rest of the state is on the brink of the same restrictions.
“If we don’t act now, we will continue to see our death rate climb,” Newsom said.
Tough in tone, his orders lack enforcement, which is frustrating for health officials issuing local guidance — often to no avail.
In a pre-Thanksgiving Facebook post, Shasta County Sheriff Eric Magrini asked people to be responsible but said he “will not be enforcing the compliance of any health or emergency orders related to curfews, stay at home orders, Thanksgiving or other social gatherings” or mask mandates. Several sheriffs in other areas have made similar statements.
In Sutter County, “we’re not running around arresting people, so it’s all about personal responsibility,” said Smith of the COVID-19 response center. “But can you tell me a law enforcement agency anywhere in California that is enforcing this?”
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Some officials in the San Francisco Area are handing out tickets and fines.
Many in rural California were lulled into a false sense of security early in the pandemic when the virus seemed to hit mostly cities. Counties with low virus rates last spring objected to a one-size-fits-all shutdown.
“We had a lot of people who could not understand why in the world we would be doing that. We had very few cases, and not a lot of spread,” said Kerri Schuette, spokeswoman for the Shasta County Health and Human Services Agency.
Shasta now has more than 5,000 cases and at least 50 deaths. Illustrating how fast the virus multiplies, the agency noted that it took 206 days to hit the first 1,000 infections, from March 8 to Sept. 30, while the second thousand took 28 days. The third thousand came in 16 days. The fourth thousand took seven days.
Lakshmi Davulur prepares a sandwich for a lunch patron at the San Francisco Deli in Redding, Calif., on Dec. 3, 2020. Brenda Luntey, who owns the deli with her husband, is openly violating the state's order to close her restaurant to indoor dining. She takes all the precautions advised, but doesn't force customers to wear a face mask. AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli
Schuette says people are taking it more seriously now, but officials nationwide are bracing for higher numbers after Thanksgiving gatherings and worrying about Christmas. Most of the transmission in hard-hit counties is due to socializing with family or friends, officials say.
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Tensions over virus restrictions are encapsulated at Luntey’s deli, where a sign on the door tells customers to wear masks but whether they do is up to them.
“My take on that is, it’s your choice,” said Luntey, adding that her staffers wear masks and she’s reduced seating by half, to a dozen well-spaced tables.
The deli, in a strip mall, has no place to put substantial outdoor seating. Earlier in the year, she tried to survive on takeout, but it wasn’t enough to pay the bills or wages for 15 employees.
She’s not concerned about getting penalized because authorities have taken a “quiet, backseat” approach to enforcement. And her regulars praise her for staying open.
“We all need to eat,” said longtime customer Tracy Foster-Olstad who stopped to talk with Luntey after lunch. She said she doesn’t agree with “the way things are being governed” and wants to support struggling local businesses.
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“The ripple effect of COVID is horrible,” Foster-Olstad said. “To me, this is an essential place.”
___


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-07--Florida Police Raid House Of COVID-19 Whistleblower Rebekah Jones

Rebekah Jones , the former Florida official who says she was ousted from her job managing the state ’ s COVID-19 data for refusing to censor and alter case information , said Monday that armed officers raided her Tallahassee home and took all of her tech hardware .
Jones , who was fired in May from her job in which she led data scientists and public health experts at Florida ’ s Department of Health , posted a video she captured of the Monday morning incident in which at least four officers entered with a warrant on her computer .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ my children , ” Jones yells in the footage after telling the officers that her husband and two kids are also in the house .
1/ There will be no update today .
At 8:30 am this morning , state police came into my house and took all my hardware and tech .
They were serving a warrant on my computer after DOH filed a complaint .
They pointed a gun in my face .
They pointed guns at my kids.. pic.twitter.com/DE2QfOmtPU — Rebekah Jones ( @ GeoRebekah ) December 7 , 2020 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jones went public with allegations that her superiors had told her to put misleading and false information on the public-facing COVID-19 dashboard , which people could use to track data about coronavirus infections in Florida .
The information they asked her to post would have over-counted the number of COVID-19 tests performed and under-counted the total number of cases , she said , as Florida rushed to reopen its economy .
She also said she was asked to remove evidence of people testing positive for the virus in January .
She has since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she has been posting daily updates on case counts .
The police took the phone and computer she uses to post that information , she said , telling her they were related to a security breach and a complaint filed by Florida ’ s health department .
2/ They took my phone and the computer I use every day to post the case numbers in Florida , and school cases for the entire country .
They took evidence of corruption at the state level .
They claimed it was about a security breach @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the gestapo .
— Rebekah Jones ( @ GeoRebekah ) December 7 , 2020 “ This morning FDLE served a search warrant at a residence on Centerville Court in Tallahassee , the residence of Rebekah Jones , ” the statement said .
“ FDLE began an investigation November 10 , 2020 after receiving a complaint from the Department of Health regarding unauthorized access to a Department of Health messaging system which is part of an emergency alert system , to be used for emergencies only .
Agents believe someone at the residence on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ FDLE Commissioner Rick Swearingen sent HuffPost a second statement later on Monday evening , saying the officers searched Jones ’ home after an investigation found that someone at her residence had hacked into the state ’ s emergency alert system .
He also stated that Jones “ refused to come to the door for 20 minutes and hung-up on agents.
” The video Jones posted shows her opening the door with her hands in the air and cooperating with the officers ’ requests to step outside .
Swearingen disputed Jones ’ claim that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her children .
But Jones ’ video indicates that they may have pointed weapons in her family ’ s general direction .
When the officers enter the house , one demands her husband come downstairs while another points what appears to be a firearm directly to the top of the staircase .
“ If [ DeSantis ] thought pointing a gun in my face was a good way to get me to shut up , he ’ s about to learn just how wrong he was , ” she tweeted .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And then I ’ m going to get back to work .
”

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Rebekah Jones, the former Florida official who says she was ousted from her job managing the state’s COVID-19 data for refusing to censor and alter case information, said Monday that armed officers raided her Tallahassee home and took all of her tech hardware.
Jones, who was fired in May from her job in which she led data scientists and public health experts at Florida’s Department of Health, posted a video she captured of the Monday morning incident in which at least four officers entered with a warrant on her computer.
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“He just pointed a gun at my children,” Jones yells in the footage after telling the officers that her husband and two kids are also in the house.
1/
There will be no update today.
At 8:30 am this morning, state police came into my house and took all my hardware and tech.
They were serving a warrant on my computer after DOH filed a complaint.
They pointed a gun in my face. They pointed guns at my kids.. pic.twitter.com/DE2QfOmtPU — Rebekah Jones (@GeoRebekah) December 7, 2020
After her ouster in the spring, Jones went public with allegations that her superiors had told her to put misleading and false information on the public-facing COVID-19 dashboard, which people could use to track data about coronavirus infections in Florida.
The information they asked her to post would have over-counted the number of COVID-19 tests performed and under-counted the total number of cases, she said, as Florida rushed to reopen its economy. She also said she was asked to remove evidence of people testing positive for the virus in January.
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She has since launched her own coronavirus dashboard, where she has been posting daily updates on case counts. The police took the phone and computer she uses to post that information, she said, telling her they were related to a security breach and a complaint filed by Florida’s health department.
2/
They took my phone and the computer I use every day to post the case numbers in Florida, and school cases for the entire country.
They took evidence of corruption at the state level.
They claimed it was about a security breach.
This was DeSantis.
He sent the gestapo. — Rebekah Jones (@GeoRebekah) December 7, 2020
Jones accused Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) of sending the police to her house. When reached for comment, his office directed HuffPost to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
The FDLE provided a statement about the incident to U.S. News and World Report, saying it’s still an active investigation.
“This morning FDLE served a search warrant at a residence on Centerville Court in Tallahassee, the residence of Rebekah Jones,” the statement said. “FDLE began an investigation November 10, 2020 after receiving a complaint from the Department of Health regarding unauthorized access to a Department of Health messaging system which is part of an emergency alert system, to be used for emergencies only. Agents believe someone at the residence on Centerville Court illegally accessed the system.”
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FDLE Commissioner Rick Swearingen sent HuffPost a second statement later on Monday evening, saying the officers searched Jones’ home after an investigation found that someone at her residence had hacked into the state’s emergency alert system.
He also stated that Jones “refused to come to the door for 20 minutes and hung-up on agents.” The video Jones posted shows her opening the door with her hands in the air and cooperating with the officers’ requests to step outside.
Swearingen disputed Jones’ claim that the officers pointed guns at her and her children. But Jones’ video indicates that they may have pointed weapons in her family’s general direction. When the officers enter the house, one demands her husband come downstairs while another points what appears to be a firearm directly to the top of the staircase.
Jones said she’ll return to work running her dashboard on Tuesday.
“If [DeSantis] thought pointing a gun in my face was a good way to get me to shut up, he’s about to learn just how wrong he was,” she tweeted. “I’ll have a new computer tomorrow. And then I’m going to get back to work.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-07--Trump Administration Declined Summer Offer To Buy More Of Pfizer’s Vaccine: Reports

The Trump administration declined an offer from Pfizer to buy more doses of its COVID-19 vaccine at the end of the summer , according to several reports .
The New York Times first reported Monday that Pfizer offered to sell the U.S. government more of its promising vaccine candidate , developed in partnership with the German company BioNTech .
The U.S. agreed to buy 100 million doses of the Pfizer drug in July , but the vaccine takes two injections to work , meaning the contract is only enough for 50 million people .
( At the time , there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ none had shown widespread efficacy in late-stage , large-scale trials ) .
Pfizer has since struck deals with many countries , including the United Kingdom and Australia , and the Times added that the company may not be able to provide the U.S. with more of its vaccine than it already promised due to its commitments to other nations .
ABC News later confirmed the report , citing a senior administration official familiar with the talks .
The drug company told the Times that “ any additional doses beyond the 100 million are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agreement , ” but did not elaborate on how much time an additional contract would take to fulfill .
Last month , Pfizer announced trial data showing the vaccine was more than 90 % effective , prompting the company to apply for approval from the Food and Drug Administration for its emergency use in the U.S .
The vaccine could receive FDA authorization as soon as this weekend ( another candidate from Moderna has also shown to be extremely effective in trials , and that company has also asked for emergency approval ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , The White House said The New York Times report was “ not true ” and accused Pfizer of attempting to negotiate in public .
HHS told the Times that it was confident of its deal with Pfizer and other vaccine suppliers , stating : “ We are confident that we will have 100 million doses of Pfizer ’ s vaccine as agreed to in our contract , and beyond that , we have five other vaccine candidates.
” .
@ WhiteHouse officials say reports the Administration turned down an offer from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccine last summer are simply `` not true . ''
On Pfizer 's warning that it may not have more vaccine available for the US market until next summer ... ... .
1/2 — John Roberts ( @ johnrobertsFox ) December 7 , 2020 The United Kingdom will begin distributing 800,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine on Tuesday , the first Western country to do so .
The initial round of inoculations will go to people 80 or older who are hospitalized or have doctors appointments scheduled , as well as to some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported Monday that President Donald Trump plans to sign an executive order this week to ensure that those in the U.S. would have access to a coronavirus vaccine before the federal government assists other nations .
“ The priority is to make sure we distribute these vaccines to Americans before we start shipping them around the world to get international access , ” an administration official told the outlet .

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The Trump administration declined an offer from Pfizer to buy more doses of its COVID-19 vaccine at the end of the summer, according to several reports.
The New York Times first reported Monday that Pfizer offered to sell the U.S. government more of its promising vaccine candidate, developed in partnership with the German company BioNTech. The U.S. agreed to buy 100 million doses of the Pfizer drug in July, but the vaccine takes two injections to work, meaning the contract is only enough for 50 million people. (At the time, there were several promising vaccine candidates, but none had shown widespread efficacy in late-stage, large-scale trials).
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Pfizer has since struck deals with many countries, including the United Kingdom and Australia, and the Times added that the company may not be able to provide the U.S. with more of its vaccine than it already promised due to its commitments to other nations. ABC News later confirmed the report, citing a senior administration official familiar with the talks.
The drug company told the Times that “any additional doses beyond the 100 million are subject to a separate and mutually acceptable agreement,” but did not elaborate on how much time an additional contract would take to fulfill.
Last month, Pfizer announced trial data showing the vaccine was more than 90% effective, prompting the company to apply for approval from the Food and Drug Administration for its emergency use in the U.S. The vaccine could receive FDA authorization as soon as this weekend (another candidate from Moderna has also shown to be extremely effective in trials, and that company has also asked for emergency approval).
The White House, Department of Health and Human Services and Pfizer did not respond to HuffPost’s request for comment.
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In a statement to Fox News, The White House said The New York Times report was “not true” and accused Pfizer of attempting to negotiate in public. HHS told the Times that it was confident of its deal with Pfizer and other vaccine suppliers, stating: “We are confident that we will have 100 million doses of Pfizer’s vaccine as agreed to in our contract, and beyond that, we have five other vaccine candidates.”
.@WhiteHouse officials say reports the Administration turned down an offer from @pfizer to procure more doses of the vaccine last summer are simply "not true." On Pfizer's warning that it may not have more vaccine available for the US market until next summer....... 1/2 — John Roberts (@johnrobertsFox) December 7, 2020
The United Kingdom will begin distributing 800,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine on Tuesday, the first Western country to do so. The initial round of inoculations will go to people 80 or older who are hospitalized or have doctors appointments scheduled, as well as to some workers in nursing homes.
Fox News reported Monday that President Donald Trump plans to sign an executive order this week to ensure that those in the U.S. would have access to a coronavirus vaccine before the federal government assists other nations.
“The priority is to make sure we distribute these vaccines to Americans before we start shipping them around the world to get international access,” an administration official told the outlet.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-07--Which Essential Workers Should Get Vaccinated First? States Face A Painful Decision

When the coronavirus pandemic first started , John Costa , president of the Amalgamated Transit Union , lost sleep wondering if the bus drivers that his union represents should be pulled off the job to avoid getting sick .
Nine months later , with multiple COVID-19 vaccines on the horizon , a different question keeps Costa up at night : When can his members get vaccinated ?
Federal and state officials are undertaking the most ambitious and complex vaccination program in U.S. history , and promising clinical trials so far have buoyed hopes that an end to the pandemic is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ahead about which groups should get the first available doses .
Each state will make its own final decisions on who gets priority , while looking to the federal government for advice .
An advisory committee for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued guidance last week saying frontline health care workers and nursing home residents should be vaccinated first .
Officials must soon decide whether other essential workers and elderly people who are not in long-term care should be next in line .
The former group includes more than 55 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , from farm workers and bus drivers to grocery store clerks and teachers .
A disproportionate number of these workers are people of color , and all of them face varying levels of exposure to COVID-19 .
The Food and Drug Administration is likely to approve the first of several vaccines later this week .
Late last month , Costa sent letters to all 50 governors making a case for why bus drivers should be vaccinated early , noting how critical they are to transporting other frontline workers and how much contact they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Each state is going to have a slightly different take on what is an essential worker , ” said Josh Michaud , associate director for global health policy at the Kaiser Family Foundation , a nonprofit focused on health care issues .
“ Understandably , these different groups are lobbying basically to be at the front of the line.
” The CDC ’ s advisory committee will continue to make recommendations on how best to distribute vaccines as they become available , though states are ultimately free to adopt or ignore them .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ CDC will most likely categorize different types of essential workers according to risk level , Michaud said , but it may not go so far as to create a clear road map that states should follow when vaccinating millions of workers .
The United Food and Commercial Workers Union has urged the CDC to give priority to all workers in grocery , meatpacking and food processing .
At least 350 of the union ’ s members in those fields have died from COVID-19 so far .
Meatpacking plants in particular have seen some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Last week , the CDC issued guidance that already shows some of the thorny questions states will face when deciding which essential workers to prioritize .
For example , the advisory panel ’ s recommendations for the first round of vaccines listed emergency medical technicians but did not explicitly include firefighters .
Yet , many firefighters are cross-trained as EMTs and perform frontline medical care .
The International Association of Fire Fighters , a union representing 320,000 firefighters and paramedics , sent a letter to CDC Director Robert Redfield on Wednesday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that firefighters were not part of the initial guidance .
The union asked that all firefighters be designated for the first round of vaccines .
“ Doctors and nurses ― there isn ’ t anyone who thinks they shouldn ’ t be tier 1 , ” Doug Stern , a union spokesperson , told HuffPost .
“ But they have the benefit of people coming to them in the hospital where they can be protected .
Our firefighters and EMTs are going out to people ’ s houses .
... We ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” The American Federation of Teachers , a union with 1.7 million members , has been pushing the CDC and states to prioritize teachers .
The union also represents a number of health care workers and has asked the CDC to clarify that staff in congregate living facilities and emergency dispatchers are included in the early distribution .
“ Our members who are 911 and 311 dispatchers are not only working under duress , but also in crowded conditions where there are very few if any mitigation strategies , ” the union said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Even if states do manage to order workers according to priority , they may still face difficult choices within those groups .
What should be done for someone who is an essential worker but also has a health condition that puts them at significantly higher risk for COVID-19 ?

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When the coronavirus pandemic first started, John Costa, president of the Amalgamated Transit Union, lost sleep wondering if the bus drivers that his union represents should be pulled off the job to avoid getting sick. Nine months later, with multiple COVID-19 vaccines on the horizon, a different question keeps Costa up at night: When can his members get vaccinated?
“I understand doctors and nurses [going first]. We should be at least the next round in essential workers,” Costa told HuffPost. “We’re in a can all day driving, with hundreds of people coming in and out.”
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Federal and state officials are undertaking the most ambitious and complex vaccination program in U.S. history, and promising clinical trials so far have buoyed hopes that an end to the pandemic is within sight. But difficult decisions lie ahead about which groups should get the first available doses.
Each state will make its own final decisions on who gets priority, while looking to the federal government for advice. An advisory committee for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued guidance last week saying frontline health care workers and nursing home residents should be vaccinated first. Officials must soon decide whether other essential workers and elderly people who are not in long-term care should be next in line.
The former group includes more than 55 million workers in a host of critical industries, from farm workers and bus drivers to grocery store clerks and teachers. A disproportionate number of these workers are people of color, and all of them face varying levels of exposure to COVID-19.
The Food and Drug Administration is likely to approve the first of several vaccines later this week. Late last month, Costa sent letters to all 50 governors making a case for why bus drivers should be vaccinated early, noting how critical they are to transporting other frontline workers and how much contact they have with the general public.
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What’s more, his union has lost 94 members to COVID-19 around the country so far.
“Our members are getting sick at a rate that is much higher than the general population because we are continuously exposed to large crowds,” Costa wrote the governors.
Essential workers such as this grocery store employee are likely to be prioritized for COVID-19 vaccines, but states will have to set their priorities. Lucas Jackson / Reuters
Other unions representing millions of workers in essential fields, such as meatpacking, transit and warehousing, are making similar urgent pitches about the hazards they have faced on the job for months, often with little or no hazard pay.
“Each state is going to have a slightly different take on what is an essential worker,” said Josh Michaud, associate director for global health policy at the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonprofit focused on health care issues. “Understandably, these different groups are lobbying basically to be at the front of the line.”
The CDC’s advisory committee will continue to make recommendations on how best to distribute vaccines as they become available, though states are ultimately free to adopt or ignore them. In guidance still to come, the CDC will most likely categorize different types of essential workers according to risk level, Michaud said, but it may not go so far as to create a clear road map that states should follow when vaccinating millions of workers.
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The end result could be a mix of science-based recommendations and political considerations that reflect a particular state’s economy. For instance, a state that relies heavily on tourism could decide that hospitality workers are economically critical and move them up in the line.
“There’s a lot of gray area here,” Michaud said.
The United Food and Commercial Workers Union has urged the CDC to give priority to all workers in grocery, meatpacking and food processing. At least 350 of the union’s members in those fields have died from COVID-19 so far. Meatpacking plants in particular have seen some of the worst clusters in the country.
Marc Perrone, the union’s president, said in a statement that vaccinating food-chain workers “is essential to keeping our communities safe and stopping future outbreaks.”
“Each state is going to have a slightly different take on what is an essential worker.” - Josh Michaud, associate director for global health policy at Kaiser Family Foundation
Last week, the CDC issued guidance that already shows some of the thorny questions states will face when deciding which essential workers to prioritize. For example, the advisory panel’s recommendations for the first round of vaccines listed emergency medical technicians but did not explicitly include firefighters. Yet, many firefighters are cross-trained as EMTs and perform frontline medical care.
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The International Association of Fire Fighters, a union representing 320,000 firefighters and paramedics, sent a letter to CDC Director Robert Redfield on Wednesday, saying it was “deeply disappointed” that firefighters were not part of the initial guidance. The union asked that all firefighters be designated for the first round of vaccines.
“Doctors and nurses ― there isn’t anyone who thinks they shouldn’t be tier 1,” Doug Stern, a union spokesperson, told HuffPost. “But they have the benefit of people coming to them in the hospital where they can be protected. Our firefighters and EMTs are going out to people’s houses. ... We’re the first link in the public-health chain.”
The American Federation of Teachers, a union with 1.7 million members, has been pushing the CDC and states to prioritize teachers. The union also represents a number of health care workers and has asked the CDC to clarify that staff in congregate living facilities and emergency dispatchers are included in the early distribution.
“Our members who are 911 and 311 dispatchers are not only working under duress, but also in crowded conditions where there are very few if any mitigation strategies,” the union said in its letter to the CDC.
Even if states do manage to order workers according to priority, they may still face difficult choices within those groups. What should be done for someone who is an essential worker but also has a health condition that puts them at significantly higher risk for COVID-19?
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