thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-03--California Announces Impending Stay-Home Order For Worst-Hit Regions

The governor ’ s new approach , announced Thursday at a press briefing , divides the state in five regions and enforces stay-at-home orders in each one whenever their intensive care unit availability falls below 15 % .
None of the regions have crossed that threshold yet , but all are projected to within the coming weeks .
Four of the five regions , excluding the San Francisco Bay Area , should anticipate the possibility of a lockdown in a matter of days .
The restrictions will largely return those regions to a state of lockdown similar to the early @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wineries , personal services and salons must shut down entirely .
Restaurants may only be open for takeout and delivery , and retail must be reduced to a 20 % capacity .
All critical infrastructure and schools with a waiver may remain open .
The move is “ fundamentally predicated on the need to stop gathering with people outside of your household , to do what you can to keep most of your activities outside , and ... non-pharmaceutical intervention ― that is , wear face coverings , wear a mask , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decision comes as the state enters a dark new chapter in coronavirus pandemic .
California is currently averaging close to 15,000 new cases per day , a 47.8 % increase from two weeks ago , according to data from the Los Angeles Times .
Newsom reported at his press conference that there were 18,591 new cases on Wednesday alone .
Deaths are high as well .
“ In the last 24 hours , similar to the previous 24 hours , we reported back-to-back days with 113 deaths , ” Newsom said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 1000 Californians have lost their lives , due to COVID-19.
” The state broke the record for COVID-19 hospitalizations last week , and that number continues to rise .
As of Thursday , 8,517 people were hospitalized with the disease , a figure 15 % higher than the previous record in the summer .
Newsom made a grim warning that we haven ’ t yet seen the post-Thanksgiving spike associated with people gathering for the holiday .
“ The effects of Thanksgiving , they have not yet been felt , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a number of weeks.
” California ’ s situation closely mirrors that of the rest of the country .
On Wednesday , a record 100,000 Americans were hospitalized with COVID-19 .
Outgoing President Donald Trump still has not issued any national response to the outbreak .
On Wednesday , White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany called plans like Newsom ’ s “ draconian restrictions ” and encouraged people to gather in groups for holiday parties .

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California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued impending shelter-in-place orders on Thursday as COVID-19 cases continued to soar and the state inched dangerously close to maximum capacity in hospitals.
The governor’s new approach, announced Thursday at a press briefing, divides the state in five regions and enforces stay-at-home orders in each one whenever their intensive care unit availability falls below 15%. None of the regions have crossed that threshold yet, but all are projected to within the coming weeks. Four of the five regions, excluding the San Francisco Bay Area, should anticipate the possibility of a lockdown in a matter of days.
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The restrictions will largely return those regions to a state of lockdown similar to the early days of the pandemic. Bars, wineries, personal services and salons must shut down entirely. Restaurants may only be open for takeout and delivery, and retail must be reduced to a 20% capacity. All critical infrastructure and schools with a waiver may remain open.
The move is “fundamentally predicated on the need to stop gathering with people outside of your household, to do what you can to keep most of your activities outside, and ... non-pharmaceutical intervention ― that is, wear face coverings, wear a mask,” the governor said.
Newsom’s decision comes as the state enters a dark new chapter in coronavirus pandemic. California is currently averaging close to 15,000 new cases per day, a 47.8% increase from two weeks ago, according to data from the Los Angeles Times. Newsom reported at his press conference that there were 18,591 new cases on Wednesday alone. Deaths are high as well.
“In the last 24 hours, similar to the previous 24 hours, we reported back-to-back days with 113 deaths,” Newsom said. “Just in the last 14 days close to 1000 Californians have lost their lives, due to COVID-19.”
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The state broke the record for COVID-19 hospitalizations last week, and that number continues to rise. As of Thursday, 8,517 people were hospitalized with the disease, a figure 15% higher than the previous record in the summer.
Newsom made a grim warning that we haven’t yet seen the post-Thanksgiving spike associated with people gathering for the holiday.
“The effects of Thanksgiving, they have not yet been felt,” he said. “They will be felt in a number of weeks.”
California’s situation closely mirrors that of the rest of the country. On Wednesday, a record 100,000 Americans were hospitalized with COVID-19. Outgoing President Donald Trump still has not issued any national response to the outbreak. On Wednesday, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany called plans like Newsom’s “draconian restrictions” and encouraged people to gather in groups for holiday parties.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-03--A Day In The Life Of Dr. Anthony Fauci

A Day In The Life Of Dr. Anthony Fauci

Anthony Fauci has run the National Institutes of Health ’ s infectious diseases agency since Ronald Regan was president and has played key roles in virtually every public health intervention and policy since then .
That is , until his candor about the novel coronavirus pandemic contradicted President Donald Trump ’ s falsehoods .
For months , the White House largely disregarded Fauci ’ s advice .
Trump , his allies and right-wing media painted the soft-spoken Brooklyn native as a villain .
Trump repeatedly threatened to terminate Fauci ’ s employment ( something he can ’ t really do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Fire Fauci !
” Former Trump adviser Steve Bannon said Fauci should be executed and his head placed on a pike on the White House grounds .
“ Each day is different , ” Fauci , who turns 80 this month , told HuffPost in an interview on the day before Thanksgiving .
“ It ’ s just , you know , drinking out of a firehose trying to keep ahead of everything that ’ s going on.
” The night before , he ’ d been awake until around 11 p.m. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was too tired to continue .
“ I get like over a thousand emails a day and when they screen it , they screen it down to those few hundred that I have to deal with , ” he said .
“ Then you have a day that is wall-to-wall , literally.
” He was back up at 5:10 a.m. on Wednesday , facing a day with a mere 20 minutes of unscheduled time .
He expected to lose that break as new business arose over the course of the day .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ be on his way home , where his day would end with a 45-minute power walk alongside his wife , Christine Grady , a nurse and the chief of the Department of Bioethics at the NIH ’ s Clinical Center .
Then , he planned to have dinner followed by more calls and emails until he couldn ’ t keep his eyes open .
There ’ s not much room for a personal life these days .
Fauci doesn ’ t ride Washington ’ s Metro or run errands .
He hasn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or family .
His adult children didn ’ t come home for Thanksgiving this year , as he ’ d begged others not to do as well .
The extent of his indulgences is ordering takeout .
He can ’ t afford to contract the disease he spends his days fighting .
“ One , because nobody wants to get infected , but two , I really have an important job that I ’ d hate to be laid up for because I got infected , ” he said .
“ I have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they drive me to work , they stay here , they make sure that nobody tries to break in [ to my home ] and , as Steve Bannon would like , have somebody behead me , ” Fauci said .
“ I don ’ t socialize .
It ’ s my wife and I and the federal agents .
We ’ ve sort of become like a new family unit.
” Even a detailed recounting understates the fullness of Fauci ’ s days .
He uses two laptops for his many video @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the next meeting while he ’ s attending the current one .
He swaps computers and carries on , barely missing a beat .
In the middle of his conversation with HuffPost , he received a text from the White House that required a call back after the interview , jeopardizing the rest of his schedule and threatening to take away the only 20 free minutes he had all day .
( It also may have changed in any number of ways after his HuffPost interview . )
Fauci is used to this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it through the Ebola outbreak from 2014 to 2016 and during the creation of major health initiatives , like President George W. Bush ’ s President ’ s Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief .
Even during crises , there are the regular day-to-day operations of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases he must oversee as director .
The 2,000-person agency finances and conducts biomedical research , and its nearly $ 6 billion budget is the second-largest in the NIH , behind only the National Cancer Institute .
Fauci also helps coordinate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and foreign governments , and personally leads the NIAID ’ s Laboratory of Immunoregulation , overseeing a team of scientists .
He writes and publishes scientific journal articles .
He treats patients at the NIH ’ s Clinical Center .
He ’ s a coveted speaker at scientific and health care conferences .
And he ’ s an experienced and effective public communicator on science and medical issues in high demand from journalists .
“ It ’ s much more likely that I would have to do that compared to other institute directors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that they ’ re responsible for , ” he said .
“ You don ’ t usually have acute emergencies in endocrinology or acute emergencies in cardiology or acute emergencies in genetics .
But you do have acute emergencies in infectious diseases .
”

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Anthony Fauci has run the National Institutes of Health’s infectious diseases agency since Ronald Regan was president and has played key roles in virtually every public health intervention and policy since then. That is, until his candor about the novel coronavirus pandemic contradicted President Donald Trump’s falsehoods.
For months, the White House largely disregarded Fauci’s advice. Trump, his allies and right-wing media painted the soft-spoken Brooklyn native as a villain. Trump repeatedly threatened to terminate Fauci’s employment (something he can’t really do). Crowds at Trump rallies chanted “Fire Fauci!” Former Trump adviser Steve Bannon said Fauci should be executed and his head placed on a pike on the White House grounds.
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But Fauci has kept a relentless pace trying to correct the country’s coronavirus course.
“Each day is different,” Fauci told HuffPost in an interview on the day before Thanksgiving. “It’s just, you know, drinking out of a firehose trying to keep ahead of everything that’s going on.”
The night before, he’d been awake until around 11 p.m. sorting through a mountain of email until he was too tired to continue. “I get like over a thousand emails a day and when they screen it, they screen it down to those few hundred that I have to deal with,” he said. “Then you have a day that is wall-to-wall, literally.”
He was back up at 5:10 a.m. on Wednesday, facing a day with a mere 20 minutes of unscheduled time. He expected to lose that break as new business arose over the course of the day.
With a national holiday on the horizon, the biggest portion of his 18-hour workday was to be spent doing press.
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Here’s what Fauci’s Thanksgiving eve looked like.
5:10 a.m. to 6 a.m. Showered and shaved
6 a.m. to 6:30 a.m. Resumed dealing with email
6:30 a.m. to 7 a.m . Appeared on ABC News’ “Good Morning America”
7 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. Left home for NIH
7:30 a.m. to 8 a.m. Appeared on C-SPAN’s “Washington Journal”
8 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. Appeared on WNYC-FM’s “The Takeaway”
8:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. Interview with Chicago television station
9 a.m. to 10 a.m. Visited two severe COVID-19 patients under treatment at the NIH Clinical Center and their primary physicians
10 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Video meeting with senior National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases staff
10:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Interview with newspaper reporter
11:00 a.m. to 11:50 a.m . Video meeting with Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, NIH Director Francis Collins, CDC Director Robert Redfield, FDA Administrator Stephen Hahn and other health officials
11:50 a.m. to 12 p.m. A bathroom break and more email
12 p.m. to 12:30 p.m. Interviewed with Byron Allen for theGrio on skepticism about the vaccine among Black Americans
12:30 p.m. to 1 p.m. HuffPost interview
1 p.m. to 1:30 p.m . Another television appearance
1:30 p.m. to 1:50 p.m. The elusive scheduled break
1:50 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Another newspaper interview
2:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. Interview with scientific journal
3 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Prep for an upcoming speech to “the centers for science and international something-or-other, one of those think tanks in Washington”
3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Video meeting with White House Coronavirus Task Force
4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Video meeting with NIH vaccine scientists
5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Responding to phone calls
By 7 p.m., he hoped to be on his way home, where his day would end with a 45-minute power walk alongside his wife, Christine Grady, a nurse and the chief of the Department of Bioethics at the NIH’s Clinical Center. Then, he planned to have dinner followed by more calls and emails until he couldn’t keep his eyes open.
“I don’t socialize. It’s my wife and I and the federal agents. We’ve sort of become like a new family unit.” - Dr. Anthony Fauci
There’s not much room for a personal life these days. Fauci doesn’t ride Washington’s Metro or run errands. He hasn’t attempted to safely socialize with friends or family. His adult children didn’t come home for Thanksgiving this year, as he’d begged others not to do as well. The extent of his indulgences is ordering takeout.
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He can’t afford to contract the disease he spends his days fighting. “One, because nobody wants to get infected, but two, I really have an important job that I’d hate to be laid up for because I got infected,” he said.
But he and Grady have also become more cautious amid the violent rhetoric from Trump and other conservatives, which has included death threats and harassment.
“I have federal agents that protect me. So they drive me to work, they stay here, they make sure that nobody tries to break in [to my home] and, as Steve Bannon would like, have somebody behead me,” Fauci said. “I don’t socialize. It’s my wife and I and the federal agents. We’ve sort of become like a new family unit.”
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, works in his office at the National Institutes of Health on Dec. 19, 2017, in Bethesda, Maryland. AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster
Fauci’s Day Job
Even a detailed recounting understates the fullness of Fauci’s days. He uses two laptops for his many video calls and a technician logs him into the next meeting while he’s attending the current one. He swaps computers and carries on, barely missing a beat.
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In the middle of his conversation with HuffPost, he received a text from the White House that required a call back after the interview, jeopardizing the rest of his schedule and threatening to take away the only 20 free minutes he had all day. (It also may have changed in any number of ways after his HuffPost interview.)
Fauci is used to this kind of unrelenting rigor. He did it through the Ebola outbreak from 2014 to 2016 and during the creation of major health initiatives, like President George W. Bush’s President’s Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief.
Even during crises, there are the regular day-to-day operations of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases he must oversee as director. The 2,000-person agency finances and conducts biomedical research, and its nearly $6 billion budget is the second-largest in the NIH, behind only the National Cancer Institute.
Fauci also helps coordinate U.S. federal policy with state, local and foreign governments, and personally leads the NIAID’s Laboratory of Immunoregulation, overseeing a team of scientists. He writes and publishes scientific journal articles. He treats patients at the NIH’s Clinical Center. He’s a coveted speaker at scientific and health care conferences. And he’s an experienced and effective public communicator on science and medical issues in high demand from journalists.
Fauci steps back from day-to-day management of the NIAID and his lab at crisis points like the one we’re in now, putting more responsibility on the team he’s spent 36 years assembling.
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“It’s much more likely that I would have to do that compared to other institute directors because by the nature of the discipline that they’re responsible for,” he said. “You don’t usually have acute emergencies in endocrinology or acute emergencies in cardiology or acute emergencies in genetics. But you do have acute emergencies in infectious diseases.”
He also has to sacrifice his scientific endeavors, spending less time researching, writing and keeping up with the latest scientific literature.
As he enters his ninth decade, Fauci isn’t in a hurry to slow down. On Thursday, he told CBS News that he plans to stay on at the NIH under the Biden administration, which has made the pandemic response its top priority. If anything, Fauci’s responsibilities are likely to increase under a president not inclined to deny the seriousness of the outbreak.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-03--12 Gifts For Anyone Struggling With Their Mental Health This Year

As we continue through a pandemic that seems to be getting worse every day , gifting a self-help book to @ @ @ @ @ tough time may help them feel inspired .
There are hundreds of wonderful self-help books @ @ @ @ @ points , but Glennon Doyle ’ s `` Untamed , '' Brené Brown ’ s @ @ @ @ @ Mark Manson ’ s `` The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck `` and @ @ @ @ @ Maybe You Should Talk To Someone `` are all good options .

A Highly Recommended Self-Help Book
Amazon
As we continue through a pandemic that seems to be getting worse every day, gifting a self-help book to someone who is having a tough time may help them feel inspired. There are hundreds of wonderful self-help books at a range of price points, but Glennon Doyle’s " Untamed ," Brené Brown’s " Daring Greatly ," Mark Manson’s " The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck " and Lori Gottlieb’s " Maybe You Should Talk To Someone " are all good options.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-03--Supreme Court Orders Review Of California's Coronavirus Restrictions For Churches

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — The Supreme Court on Thursday ordered a lower federal court to reexamine California restrictions on @ @ @ @ @ hard hit by the coronavirus in light of the justices ’ recent ruling in favor @ @ @ @ @ New York .
The high court ’ s unsigned order , with no noted dissent @ @ @ @ @ in place for now .
But it throws out a federal district court ruling that @ @ @ @ @ limits from Pasadena-based Harvest Rock Church and Harvest International Ministry , which has more than @ @ @ @ @ .
Last week , the Supreme Court split 5-4 in holding that New York could @ @ @ @ @ attendance at churches and synagogues .
With a sharp increase in coronavirus cases in recent @ @ @ @ @ Gavin Newsom has put most of the state under heightened restrictions , which include a @ @ @ @ @ chanting .

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WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Thursday ordered a lower federal court to reexamine California restrictions on indoor religious services in areas hard hit by the coronavirus in light of the justices’ recent ruling in favor of churches and synagogues in New York.
The high court’s unsigned order, with no noted dissent, leaves the California restrictions in place for now. But it throws out a federal district court ruling that rejected a challenge to the limits from Pasadena-based Harvest Rock Church and Harvest International Ministry, which has more than 160 churches across the state.
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Last week, the Supreme Court split 5-4 in holding that New York could not enforce certain limits on attendance at churches and synagogues.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-03--Fauci To Meet With Biden's 'Landing' Team For First Time

Dr. Anthony Fauci , the top infectious disease expert on the White House coronavirus task force , is slated to meet with President-elect Joe Biden ’ s transition landing team for the first time on Thursday .
Fauci , during an interview with CBS News ’ “ The Takeout ” podcast , said the meeting via Zoom will mark the first “ substantive ” discussion between himself and representatives of the incoming administration .
“ It ’ s fortuitous ... that in a couple of hours , I ’ m actually meeting with the entire , what we call landing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Garrett .
The nonpartisan Center for Presidential Transition says landing teams “ seek information that is necessary to help the president-elect ’ s transition team create a policy plan for the first 100 to 200 days of the new administration.
” “ These teams will be interested in receiving an overview of hot-button issues facing the agency , pressing decisions that need to be made early in the new administration and opportunities to begin implementing the president ’ s agenda , ” the center says in its 2020 agency transition guide .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Trump appointee ― formally initiated the transition process on Nov. 23 , weeks after virtually all major media organizations projected Biden as the winner .
Even after the GSA finally ascertained Biden as president-elect , Trump has failed to concede , peddling baseless conspiracy theories alleging a “ rigged ” election and widespread voter fraud .
His campaign has presented no evidence to support these claims .
Biden has argued the GSA ’ s delay will lead to more COVID-19 deaths because it reduced the time his representatives have to prepare coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Fauci ’ s team .
“ I would have liked to have seen us getting involved with the team as early as we possibly can because we want the smooth transition to occur , ” Fauci told CBS News on Thursday .
“ Everyone believes that a smooth transition is certainly better than no transition.
” Fauci said he ’ s spoken with Biden ’ s chief of staff , Ronald Klain , a couple of times in recent weeks , but said the conversations were not in depth .
He said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but plans to in the near future .
Fauci said he expects Biden will want him to continue advising the White House on the pandemic after the Jan. 20 presidential inauguration .

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Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top infectious disease expert on the White House coronavirus task force, is slated to meet with President-elect Joe Biden’s transition landing team for the first time on Thursday.
Fauci, during an interview with CBS News’ “The Takeout” podcast, said the meeting via Zoom will mark the first “substantive” discussion between himself and representatives of the incoming administration.
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“It’s fortuitous ... that in a couple of hours, I’m actually meeting with the entire, what we call landing team,” Fauci told host Major Garrett.
The nonpartisan Center for Presidential Transition says landing teams “seek information that is necessary to help the president-elect’s transition team create a policy plan for the first 100 to 200 days of the new administration.”
“These teams will be interested in receiving an overview of hot-button issues facing the agency, pressing decisions that need to be made early in the new administration and opportunities to begin implementing the president’s agenda,” the center says in its 2020 agency transition guide.
Dr. Anthony Fauci tells @MajorCBS he's staying at @NIH and has spoken with incoming White House chief of staff @RonaldKlain. Today, he'll meet with the @JoeBiden landing team via Zoom. pic.twitter.com/AYTUF7ZnEQ — The Takeout w/ Major Garrett (@TakeoutPodcast) December 3, 2020
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The U.S. General Services Administration ― led by a Trump appointee ― formally initiated the transition process on Nov. 23, weeks after virtually all major media organizations projected Biden as the winner.
Even after the GSA finally ascertained Biden as president-elect, Trump has failed to concede, peddling baseless conspiracy theories alleging a “rigged” election and widespread voter fraud. His campaign has presented no evidence to support these claims.
Biden has argued the GSA’s delay will lead to more COVID-19 deaths because it reduced the time his representatives have to prepare coronavirus measures, including vaccine distribution plans, with Fauci’s team.
“I would have liked to have seen us getting involved with the team as early as we possibly can because we want the smooth transition to occur,” Fauci told CBS News on Thursday. “Everyone believes that a smooth transition is certainly better than no transition.”
Fauci said he’s spoken with Biden’s chief of staff, Ronald Klain, a couple of times in recent weeks, but said the conversations were not in depth. He said he hasn’t spoken to Biden, but plans to in the near future.
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Fauci said he expects Biden will want him to continue advising the White House on the pandemic after the Jan. 20 presidential inauguration.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-03--U.S. Surpasses Record For Coronavirus Deaths In A Single Day

More than 100,000 Americans are currently hospitalized with COVID-19 .
Hospital occupancy peaked on April 15 at 59,924 .
That @ @ @ @ @ , when the U.S. saw 62,059 hospitalized .
The number has crept steadily higher every @ @ @ @ @ 100,226 currently hospitalized , 19,396 are in intensive care units and 6,855 are on a @ @ @ @ @ provided by The Atlantic ’ s COVID Tracking Project .

More than 100,000 Americans are currently hospitalized with COVID-19. Hospital occupancy peaked on April 15 at 59,924. That record held until Nov. 10, when the U.S. saw 62,059 hospitalized. The number has crept steadily higher every day since.
Of the 100,226 currently hospitalized, 19,396 are in intensive care units and 6,855 are on a ventilator, according to data provided by The Atlantic’s COVID Tracking Project.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-03--Coronavirus Pandemic Death Toll Mounts As Danger Season Approaches

WASHINGTON ( Reuters ) - U.S. deaths from the coronavirus pandemic have surged past 2,000 for two days in a row as the most dangerous season of the year approached , taxing an overwhelmed healthcare system with U.S. political leadership in disarray .
The toll from COVID-19 reached its second-highest level ever on Wednesday with 2,811 lives lost , according to a Reuters tally of official data , one short of the record from April 15 .
The sobering data came as the head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday warned that December , January @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the most difficult time in the public health history of this nation.
” CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield told an event hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce that the United States could start losing around 3,000 people - roughly the number that died in the attacks of Sept. 11 , 2001 - each day over the next two months .
“ The mortality concerns are real and I do think unfortunately before we see February , we could be close to 450,000 Americans that have died from this virus , ” Redfield @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the start of the pandemic stands at around 273,000 .
Meanwhile , the administration of outgoing President Donald Trump has yet to articulate an effective strategy to contain the virus beyond promoting the development of a vaccine , which could be rolled out later this month but faces an uphill battle amid a skeptical public and logistical challenges .
The Republican president ’ s few public appearances recently had been dedicated to efforts to overturn the results of the Nov. 3 election won by Democratic President-elect Joe Biden , who will assume office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hogan , a Republican , said he had been concerned about the transition between the Trump and Biden administrations , but he had grown more hopeful that the federal government response would not lapse .
“ We ’ re in the middle of the worst battle of this war , and the hand-off has got to be smooth .
We ’ ve got to work together .
There ’ s got to be no politics in this virus , ” he told ABC News ’ “ Good Morning America ” program .
Hogan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dark days ahead and noting even when vaccines are approved , there initially won ’ t be enough to even cover all of his state ’ s healthcare workers .
“ The worst part of this virus is coming in the weeks and maybe the month or two to come .
And we ’ re not going to have enough for everybody , so we ’ re just asking for patience , ” Hogan said .
Hospitals are filling up with COVID-19 patients , reducing care for people needing treatment for other ailments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospitals were in areas designated as coronavirus “ hot zones.
” U.S. Presidents Barack Obama , George W. Bush and Bill Clinton have volunteered to get their COVID-19 jabs on television to help demonstrate their safety , CNN reported , citing press aides to Bush and Clinton and an Obama interview on Sirius XM radio .

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. deaths from the coronavirus pandemic have surged past 2,000 for two days in a row as the most dangerous season of the year approached, taxing an overwhelmed healthcare system with U.S. political leadership in disarray.
The toll from COVID-19 reached its second-highest level ever on Wednesday with 2,811 lives lost, according to a Reuters tally of official data, one short of the record from April 15.
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Nearly 200,000 new U.S. cases were reported on Wednesday, with record hospitalizations approaching 100,000 patients.
The sobering data came as the head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday warned that December, January and February were likely to be “the most difficult time in the public health history of this nation.”
CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield told an event hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce that the United States could start losing around 3,000 people - roughly the number that died in the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 - each day over the next two months.
“The mortality concerns are real and I do think unfortunately before we see February, we could be close to 450,000 Americans that have died from this virus,” Redfield said. The U.S. death toll since the start of the pandemic stands at around 273,000.
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Patient Care Technician Fanta Keita speaks with Donna Plummer, a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) positive patient, as she lays on an emergency room bed at Roseland Community Hospital on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois, U.S., December 2, 2020. (REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton) Shannon Stapleton / Reuters
Meanwhile, the administration of outgoing President Donald Trump has yet to articulate an effective strategy to contain the virus beyond promoting the development of a vaccine, which could be rolled out later this month but faces an uphill battle amid a skeptical public and logistical challenges.
The Republican president’s few public appearances recently had been dedicated to efforts to overturn the results of the Nov. 3 election won by Democratic President-elect Joe Biden, who will assume office on Jan. 20.
Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, a Republican, said he had been concerned about the transition between the Trump and Biden administrations, but he had grown more hopeful that the federal government response would not lapse.
“We’re in the middle of the worst battle of this war, and the hand-off has got to be smooth. We’ve got to work together. There’s got to be no politics in this virus,” he told ABC News’ “Good Morning America” program.
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Hogan echoed Redfield’s warning, citing dark days ahead and noting even when vaccines are approved, there initially won’t be enough to even cover all of his state’s healthcare workers.
“The worst part of this virus is coming in the weeks and maybe the month or two to come. And we’re not going to have enough for everybody, so we’re just asking for patience,” Hogan said.
Hospitals are filling up with COVID-19 patients, reducing care for people needing treatment for other ailments. Redfield said 90% of U.S. hospitals were in areas designated as coronavirus “hot zones.”
Rural and suburban hospitals were particularly affected, threatening their economic viability, Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, told MSNBC on Thursday.
“There’s no end in sight because there’s so much community spread,” Adalja said, warning that the pandemic could force hospital closures.
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Still, rapid vaccine development, aided by the Trump administration’s “Operation Warp Speed” program, offered a ray of hope.
Britain on Wednesday gave emergency approval to Pfizer Inc’s COVID-19 vaccine, a sign that U.S. regulators may soon follow suit and allow inoculations within weeks.
U.S. Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton have volunteered to get their COVID-19 jabs on television to help demonstrate their safety, CNN reported, citing press aides to Bush and Clinton and an Obama interview on Sirius XM radio.
“I may end up taking it on TV or having it filmed, just so that people know that I trust this science,” Obama said.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-03--Trump Aide Banned From Justice Department Building After Trying To Get Case Info

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — The official serving as President Donald Trump ’ s eyes and ears at the Justice Department has been banned from the building after trying to pressure staffers to give up sensitive information about election fraud and other matters she could relay to the White House , three people familiar with the matter tell The Associated Press .
Heidi Stirrup , an ally of top Trump adviser Stephen Miller , was quietly installed at the Justice Department as a White House liaison a few months ago .
She was told within the last two weeks to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ learned of her efforts to collect insider information about ongoing cases and the department ’ s work on election fraud , the people said .
Stirrup is accused of approaching staffers in the department demanding they give her information about investigations , including election fraud matters , the people said .
They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the matter .
The effort came as Trump continues to level baseless claims that he won the election and alleges without evidence that massive voting fraud was responsible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Stirrup had also extended job offers to political allies for positions at some of the highest levels of the Justice Department without consulting any senior department officials or the White House counsel ’ s office and also attempted to interfere in the hiring process for career staffers , a violation of the government ’ s human resources policies , one of the people said .
Earlier this week , Attorney General William Barr told the AP that U.S. attorneys and the FBI had looked into allegations of election irregularities and found no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ change the outcome of the election .
“ To date , we have not seen fraud on a scale that could have effected a different outcome in the election , ” he said on Tuesday .
Trump shot back at Barr on Thursday , saying the Justice Department “ hasn ’ t looked very hard ” and calling it a disappointment .
But he stopping short of implying Barr ’ s future as attorney general could be cut short .
He was also critical of Barr ’ s statement that much of what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump campaign and its allies amounts to allegations that belong in lawsuits , not federal crimes .
Stirrup , who previously was a central figure in the Trump administration ’ s push for hard-line immigration policies , technically still remains in her position after being placed at the Justice Department by the White House Office of Presidential Personnel .
The Trump administration has been working to have liaisons report directly to the White House instead of the agencies where they work .
Across the administration , there have been concerns that the liaisons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ career professionals but also of Trump ’ s own political appointees .
Shortly after the election , the presidential personnel office had also instructed the liaisons to fire any political appointees who were looking for jobs while Trump refused to accept the election results .
Trump ’ s term ends at noon on Jan. 20 .
Several thousand political appointees across the government will see their jobs end by that date .
The White House personnel office has been headed by former Trump personal assistant John McEntee , who has renewed Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those deemed “ disloyal ” to the president .

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WASHINGTON (AP) — The official serving as President Donald Trump’s eyes and ears at the Justice Department has been banned from the building after trying to pressure staffers to give up sensitive information about election fraud and other matters she could relay to the White House, three people familiar with the matter tell The Associated Press.
Heidi Stirrup, an ally of top Trump adviser Stephen Miller, was quietly installed at the Justice Department as a White House liaison a few months ago. She was told within the last two weeks to vacate the building after top Justice officials learned of her efforts to collect insider information about ongoing cases and the department’s work on election fraud, the people said.
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Stirrup is accused of approaching staffers in the department demanding they give her information about investigations, including election fraud matters, the people said. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the matter.
The effort came as Trump continues to level baseless claims that he won the election and alleges without evidence that massive voting fraud was responsible for his defeat to President-elect Joe Biden.
Stirrup had also extended job offers to political allies for positions at some of the highest levels of the Justice Department without consulting any senior department officials or the White House counsel’s office and also attempted to interfere in the hiring process for career staffers, a violation of the government’s human resources policies, one of the people said.
The Justice Department declined to comment. Attempts to reach Stirrup for comment were not immediately successful.
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Earlier this week, Attorney General William Barr told the AP that U.S. attorneys and the FBI had looked into allegations of election irregularities and found no evidence of widespread voting fraud that would change the outcome of the election.
“To date, we have not seen fraud on a scale that could have effected a different outcome in the election,” he said on Tuesday.
Trump shot back at Barr on Thursday, saying the Justice Department “hasn’t looked very hard” and calling it a disappointment. But he stopping short of implying Barr’s future as attorney general could be cut short.
“Ask me that in a number of weeks from now,” Trump said when asked if he still has confidence in Barr.
“They should be looking at all of this fraud,” Trump said.
He was also critical of Barr’s statement that much of what has been presented so far by the Trump campaign and its allies amounts to allegations that belong in lawsuits, not federal crimes.
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“This is not civil. This is criminal stuff. This is very bad, criminal stuff,” Trump said.
Stirrup, who previously was a central figure in the Trump administration’s push for hard-line immigration policies, technically still remains in her position after being placed at the Justice Department by the White House Office of Presidential Personnel.
The Trump administration has been working to have liaisons report directly to the White House instead of the agencies where they work. Across the administration, there have been concerns that the liaisons were undercutting the work not just of career professionals but also of Trump’s own political appointees.
Shortly after the election, the presidential personnel office had also instructed the liaisons to fire any political appointees who were looking for jobs while Trump refused to accept the election results. Trump’s term ends at noon on Jan. 20. Several thousand political appointees across the government will see their jobs end by that date.
The White House personnel office has been headed by former Trump personal assistant John McEntee, who has renewed Trump’s push to rid the administration of those deemed “disloyal” to the president.
In September, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson inadvertently made public his anger with McEntee when cameras captured writing on the back of a page he was consulting during a speech.
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In a reference to the White House Presidential Personnel Office, Carson’s notes said: “I am not happy with the way PPO is handling my agency.” It’s a sentiment that has been shared across the government.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-03--Stimulus Checks Excluded From Latest COVID-19 Relief Legislation

Direct cash payments to most American households were one of the most popular and efficient measures Congress enacted as part of its response to the coronavirus pandemic earlier this year , but lawmakers seem to have lost interest in another round of checks .
Legislators this week resuscitated talks over a new coronavirus relief package , which includes new unemployment assistance , money for vaccine distribution and more aid for businesses and state governments .
But none of the potential compromise proposals includes another round of stimulus checks .
“ We ’ re sending money out as a relief for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a stimulus .
This is not a stimulus bill , ” Sen. Mitt Romney ( R-Utah ) told HuffPost about bipartisan $ 900 billion legislation he is crafting with other moderate senators .
Sen. Joe Manchin ( D-W.Va. ) , one of the Democratic authors of the compromise , said it was more urgent to get a deal preventing federal unemployment benefits and other emergency programs from expiring , but that he did support another round of direct payments .
Romney ’ s GOP colleagues pose the biggest obstacle to providing more checks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to deficit spending as the prospect of Joe Biden ’ s victory in the Nov. 3 presidential election became more likely .
Within three months of Congress passing the Coronavirus Aid , Relief and Economic Security Act , the Internal Revenue Service sent direct payments to more than 200 million households .
The Economic Impact Payments were arguably more efficient than other big CARES Act initiatives such as unemployment insurance , which state workforce agencies struggled to deliver , and Paycheck Protection Program subsidies , which were funneled through banks that prioritized their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1,200 per adult and $ 500 per child , with amounts gradually reduced for individuals who earned more than $ 75,000 in 2019 .
Total payments equaled $ 281 billion , according to the Congressional Budget Office , meaning they were less costly than the unemployment insurance ( $ 442 billion ) or payroll subsidies ( $ 541 billion ) .
“ To me , the quickest way that you can give people the relief that they need is to give a check .
It shouldn ’ t be controversial .
We ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s not in any bills , ” Sen. Josh Hawley ( R-Mo . )
told HuffPost , vowing not to support any stimulus package without new direct payments .
People like it when the government helps them : 77 % of Americans approved of the CARES Act in March , and 70 % said in August they favored another round of direct payments , according to Gallup surveys .
Fully 74 % said in an October HuffPost/YouGov survey that the government should do another coronavirus relief bill ( with or without direct @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t going to settle for checks and unemployment benefits without a bigger agreement and hinted that she suspected the president just wanted direct payments to help get himself reelected .
“ It ’ s no use giving them a false thing just because the president wants to put a check with his name on it in the mail that we should not be doing all we can , ” Pelosi said in an October CNN interview .
McConnell , meanwhile , continued on Thursday to bash earlier House-passed legislation that included another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some undocumented immigrants .
He has not publicly embraced the bipartisan effort by rank-and-file members to reach a deal .
“ There is no actual reason why the fates of common-sense policies like a second round of the job-saving Paycheck Protection Program had to be linked to the fates of fringe proposals like stimulus checks for illegal immigrants , ” McConnell said in a floor speech on Thursday .

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Direct cash payments to most American households were one of the most popular and efficient measures Congress enacted as part of its response to the coronavirus pandemic earlier this year, but lawmakers seem to have lost interest in another round of checks.
Legislators this week resuscitated talks over a new coronavirus relief package, which includes new unemployment assistance, money for vaccine distribution and more aid for businesses and state governments. But none of the potential compromise proposals includes another round of stimulus checks.
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“We’re sending money out as a relief for people in distress, as opposed to a stimulus. This is not a stimulus bill,” Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) told HuffPost about bipartisan $900 billion legislation he is crafting with other moderate senators.
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), one of the Democratic authors of the compromise, said it was more urgent to get a deal preventing federal unemployment benefits and other emergency programs from expiring, but that he did support another round of direct payments.
“Hopefully that will happen when Joe Biden becomes president,” Manchin said.
Romney’s GOP colleagues pose the biggest obstacle to providing more checks to Americans. They renewed their objections to deficit spending as the prospect of Joe Biden’s victory in the Nov. 3 presidential election became more likely.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) in July unveiled a proposal that included a second set of stimulus checks, but he abandoned it after fierce backlash from conservatives over its $1 trillion price tag. McConnell now insists on a slimmed-down, $500 billion measure.
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Within three months of Congress passing the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, the Internal Revenue Service sent direct payments to more than 200 million households. The Economic Impact Payments were arguably more efficient than other big CARES Act initiatives such as unemployment insurance, which state workforce agencies struggled to deliver, and Paycheck Protection Program subsidies, which were funneled through banks that prioritized their wealthiest clients.
The payments were $1,200 per adult and $500 per child, with amounts gradually reduced for individuals who earned more than $75,000 in 2019. Total payments equaled $281 billion, according to the Congressional Budget Office, meaning they were less costly than the unemployment insurance ($442 billion) or payroll subsidies ($541 billion).
People used the money for basic expenses such as food, shelter, utilities and car payments, according to the Congressional Research Service.
“To me, the quickest way that you can give people the relief that they need is to give a check. It shouldn’t be controversial. We’ve already done it. Yet it’s not in any bills,” Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) told HuffPost, vowing not to support any stimulus package without new direct payments.
People like it when the government helps them: 77% of Americans approved of the CARES Act in March, and 70% said in August they favored another round of direct payments, according to Gallup surveys. Fully 74% said in an October HuffPost/YouGov survey that the government should do another coronavirus relief bill (with or without direct payments).
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But lawmakers dithered all summer and fall on another pandemic relief bill, despite broad public support and with COVID-19 cases surging, winter coming, job growth slowing and all CARES Act programs expiring.
Before the election, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin tentatively agreed to include checks as part of a broader deal, but those negotiations collapsed.
Pelosi said Democrats weren’t going to settle for checks and unemployment benefits without a bigger agreement and hinted that she suspected the president just wanted direct payments to help get himself reelected.
“It’s no use giving them a false thing just because the president wants to put a check with his name on it in the mail that we should not be doing all we can,” Pelosi said in an October CNN interview.
Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer have included direct payments in their most recent demands but have since thrown their support behind a bipartisan compromise that excludes checks.
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McConnell, meanwhile, continued on Thursday to bash earlier House-passed legislation that included another round of direct payments, including to some undocumented immigrants. He has not publicly embraced the bipartisan effort by rank-and-file members to reach a deal.
“There is no actual reason why the fates of common-sense policies like a second round of the job-saving Paycheck Protection Program had to be linked to the fates of fringe proposals like stimulus checks for illegal immigrants,” McConnell said in a floor speech on Thursday.
Senate Majority Whip John Thune (R-S.D.) was more blunt about a new round of checks, telling HuffPost that it “probably doesn’t make it” into another relief package.
Sen. Angus King, an independent who caucuses with Democrats and is a member of the bipartisan group that helped restart talks this week, said people need to be realistic about what can pass in a sharply divided Congress.
“We have to find a compromise where we can reach a number that we can agree on again and get passed. A substantial something is better than nothing,” King said.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-03--Biden Shakes His Head At Republicans Blocking Bipartisan COVID-19 Bill: 'Back To Square One'

During a roundtable discussion on the impact of COVID-19 on Wednesday , President-elect Joe Biden said that he was paying close attention to the “ failure of some of our friends in Congress to move forward on an economic package needed to help people.
” Biden said that Congress was “ trying like the devil ” to pass a coronavirus relief package , and mentioned the $ 908 billion bipartisan compromise that had been presented on Tuesday as a means of breaking the impasse in the Senate .
“ It wouldn ’ t be the answer , but it would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ things quickly , ” Biden said .
“ But what happened was the president said he wouldn ’ t support it , and apparently , Republicans in the Senate said they wouldn ’ t support it , so it ’ s now back to square one again.
” Taking aim at President Donald Trump ’ s downplaying of the coronavirus in the early months of 2020 , Biden said that Trump had tried to ensure the disease “ didn ’ t spook the stock market ” without taking into account working-class Americans who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ invest .
The working class has ended up most affected by COVID-19 , Biden said .
The president-elect added that even though his hands were tied until Jan. 20 , one of his main priorities after taking office would be to support those who had lost their houses or jobs due to the pandemic .
“ No one should be evicted from their apartment or home for failing to pay their rent or mortgage until this crisis is over , ” Biden stated .
“ And that should be funded.
” Biden also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thought “ the same people who need what used to be called food stamps ... should have to work.
” The COVID-19 compromise that Biden brought up was dismissed by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ( R-Ky. ) on Tuesday .
The majority leader has attempted to pass his own $ 500 billion relief package that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-Calif. ) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer ( D-N.Y. ) have blocked due to it being a far cry from their own proposed plan of $ 2.2 trillion , which McConnell @ @ @ @ @ @

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During a roundtable discussion on the impact of COVID-19 on Wednesday, President-elect Joe Biden said that he was paying close attention to the “failure of some of our friends in Congress to move forward on an economic package needed to help people.”
Biden said that Congress was “trying like the devil” to pass a coronavirus relief package, and mentioned the $908 billion bipartisan compromise that had been presented on Tuesday as a means of breaking the impasse in the Senate.
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“It wouldn’t be the answer, but it would bring immediate help for a lot of things quickly,” Biden said. “But what happened was the president said he wouldn’t support it, and apparently, Republicans in the Senate said they wouldn’t support it, so it’s now back to square one again.”
Taking aim at President Donald Trump’s downplaying of the coronavirus in the early months of 2020, Biden said that Trump had tried to ensure the disease “didn’t spook the stock market” without taking into account working-class Americans who had neither the time nor funds to invest.
The working class has ended up most affected by COVID-19, Biden said. The president-elect added that even though his hands were tied until Jan. 20, one of his main priorities after taking office would be to support those who had lost their houses or jobs due to the pandemic.
“No one should be evicted from their apartment or home for failing to pay their rent or mortgage until this crisis is over,” Biden stated. “And that should be funded.”
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Biden also criticized the attitudes of Republican opponents who thought “the same people who need what used to be called food stamps ... should have to work.”
“Come on, we’re way beyond that,” he said.
The COVID-19 compromise that Biden brought up was dismissed by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Tuesday. The majority leader has attempted to pass his own $500 billion relief package that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) have blocked due to it being a far cry from their own proposed plan of $2.2 trillion, which McConnell has called far too expensive.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-03--Lou Dobbs Is Now A Hub For Pro-Trump Election Conspiracies

John Lamparski via Getty Images `` Lou Dobbs Tonight '' on Fox Business Network has become a hub for wild conspiracies about the 2020 election .
As President Donald Trump ’ s attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election have veered into embarrassing farce , many of Fox ’ s biggest stars have begun to hedge their support of Trump ’ s delusional claims of an election fraud conspiracy .
Not Lou Dobbs .
Dobbs , the top-rated host on Fox Business and a fervent Trump ally , has been unwavering in his support of the president ’ s baseless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supporters stole the election .
Dobbs has declared that Trump should take “ drastic action ” over the vote .
He ’ s hosted guests making unfounded claims of election fraud , and raged at Republican officials accepting the legitimate results of the election .
This makes Dobbs one of Fox ’ s last true holdouts denying that Biden won the election .
While far-right media outlets have largely detached themselves from reality , many mainstream conservative personalities have been more subtle : raising conspiracy theories , but not fully backing them .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ as Tucker Carlson , have carefully walked a line of appealing to pro-Trump audiences while claiming some veneer of independence .
Dobbs , whom Fox touts as having the most watched program on business television , has instead gone all in on trying to delegitimize the election .
Dobbs started this week by giving pro-Trump lawyer Sidney Powell free rein to spout groundless allegations of voter fraud while presenting no credible evidence .
Powell , who was abruptly kicked off Trump ’ s legal team last week , claimed on Monday that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ historical , egregious fraud the world has ever seen.
” Meanwhile , Dobbs called on Trump to take action against “ the crimes that have been committed against him and the American people.
” The next day Dobbs was at it again , suggesting that Attorney General William Barr was “ compromised ” and part of the “ deep state ” after Barr ( belatedly ) acknowledged there has been no proof of widespread election fraud .
Dobbs attacked Barr , himself a close Trump ally , as “ a liar or a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in with the radical Dems.
” Dobbs continued to espouse unfounded allegations and bizarre conspiracy theories throughout the show .
On the same episode , Dobbs interviewed Jesse Morgan , a truck driver who claimed to have witnessed massive voter fraud but who has provided dubious evidence for his allegations .
Morgan previously claimed in a series of YouTube videos that his family was being haunted by ghosts and that he caught a “ shadow person ” on camera .
On Thursday , Dobbs is slated to host former national security adviser Michael @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a call for Trump to declare martial law in order to hold a new election .
In addition to his calls to suspend the Constitution , Flynn ― whom Trump pardoned last week for twice pleading guilty to lying to the FBI ― has been promoting a groundless conspiracy that China somehow rigged the election for Biden to win .
It ’ s been this way for weeks .
Throughout November , Dobbs featured guests like Powell on his show while trying to delegitimize the election and call on Republicans to rally around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote .
“ This is an attempt to take over the country and deny this president what is rightfully his , a second term , ” Dobbs said in mid-November .
Dobbs ’ relentless fealty to Trump , whom he has called “ arguably the greatest president in our history , ” has made his show more reminiscent of programming on far-right conspiracy outlets such as One America News Network and Newsmax than most of the other marquee Fox hosts at this point .
Although Fox News hosts such as Sean Hannity are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , most of the network ’ s programming now conveys a sense of inevitability about Biden ’ s inauguration in January .
Even informal Trump advisers such as hosts Carlson and Laura Ingraham have started to distance themselves from the president ’ s most egregious falsehoods , and have at times been critical of the lack of evidence for his claims .

"Lou Dobbs Tonight" on Fox Business Network has become a hub for wild conspiracies about the 2020 election. John Lamparski via Getty Images
As President Donald Trump’s attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election have veered into embarrassing farce, many of Fox’s biggest stars have begun to hedge their support of Trump’s delusional claims of an election fraud conspiracy. Not Lou Dobbs.
Dobbs, the top-rated host on Fox Business and a fervent Trump ally, has been unwavering in his support of the president’s baseless allegations that President-elect Joe Biden and his supporters stole the election. Dobbs has declared that Trump should take “drastic action” over the vote. He’s hosted guests making unfounded claims of election fraud, and raged at Republican officials accepting the legitimate results of the election.
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This makes Dobbs one of Fox’s last true holdouts denying that Biden won the election. While far-right media outlets have largely detached themselves from reality, many mainstream conservative personalities have been more subtle: raising conspiracy theories, but not fully backing them. The savvier Fox News hosts, such as Tucker Carlson, have carefully walked a line of appealing to pro-Trump audiences while claiming some veneer of independence. Dobbs, whom Fox touts as having the most watched program on business television, has instead gone all in on trying to delegitimize the election.
Dobbs started this week by giving pro-Trump lawyer Sidney Powell free rein to spout groundless allegations of voter fraud while presenting no credible evidence. Powell, who was abruptly kicked off Trump’s legal team last week, claimed on Monday that the election represented “the most massive and historical, egregious fraud the world has ever seen.” Meanwhile, Dobbs called on Trump to take action against “the crimes that have been committed against him and the American people.”
The next day Dobbs was at it again, suggesting that Attorney General William Barr was “compromised” and part of the “deep state” after Barr (belatedly) acknowledged there has been no proof of widespread election fraud. Dobbs attacked Barr, himself a close Trump ally, as “a liar or a fool or both” who “joined in with the radical Dems.” Dobbs continued to espouse unfounded allegations and bizarre conspiracy theories throughout the show.
“Could it be that antifa was running the election for Democrats in that room?” Dobbs asked a guest during a segment about Michigan vote tallying.
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On the same episode, Dobbs interviewed Jesse Morgan, a truck driver who claimed to have witnessed massive voter fraud but who has provided dubious evidence for his allegations. Morgan previously claimed in a series of YouTube videos that his family was being haunted by ghosts and that he caught a “shadow person” on camera.
On Thursday, Dobbs is slated to host former national security adviser Michael Flynn, who this week tweeted out a call for Trump to declare martial law in order to hold a new election. In addition to his calls to suspend the Constitution, Flynn ― whom Trump pardoned last week for twice pleading guilty to lying to the FBI ― has been promoting a groundless conspiracy that China somehow rigged the election for Biden to win.
It’s been this way for weeks. Throughout November, Dobbs featured guests like Powell on his show while trying to delegitimize the election and call on Republicans to rally around Trump’s attempts to overturn the vote.
“This is an attempt to take over the country and deny this president what is rightfully his, a second term,” Dobbs said in mid-November.
Dobbs’ relentless fealty to Trump, whom he has called “arguably the greatest president in our history,” has made his show more reminiscent of programming on far-right conspiracy outlets such as One America News Network and Newsmax than most of the other marquee Fox hosts at this point. Although Fox News hosts such as Sean Hannity are still deeply in the tank for Trump, most of the network’s programming now conveys a sense of inevitability about Biden’s inauguration in January.
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Even informal Trump advisers such as hosts Carlson and Laura Ingraham have started to distance themselves from the president’s most egregious falsehoods, and have at times been critical of the lack of evidence for his claims.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-03--Rudy Giuliani's 'Voter Fraud' Witness Reminds People Of A Certain 'SNL' Character

Video of a witness who appeared before the Michigan House Oversight Committee with Rudy Giuliani is going viral for her bizarre testimony about alleged voter fraud .
Continuing his efforts to overturn President-elect Joe Biden ’ s election victory , Giuliani , Donald Trump ’ s personal attorney , spent hours questioning witnesses who accompanied him to hearings before state lawmakers Tuesday and Wednesday .
None of the testimony produced evidence of widespread fraud , the Detroit Press reported .
But it did produce some comic relief .
Witness Melissa Carone was a contract worker for voting machine company Dominion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where votes were tabulated .
Carone claimed to have witnessed “ complete fraud , ” with thousands of ballots being counted numerous times .
At one point she raised her voice at GOP state Rep. Steve Johnson , who tried to clarify discrepancies in her story .
Giuliani appeared to make an effort to subdue her .
Holy smokes the sequel is even better !
Rudy Giuliani tries to shush her to calm her down and the Republican even tries to reel her in !
She treats this Republican* like he ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ went down .
*corrected pic.twitter.com/CK1HqGpp2d — Ryan J. Reilly ( @ ryanjreilly ) December 3 , 2020 Carone has appeared across right-wing media in recent weeks , making bizarre and unsubstantiated claims to support the Trump campaign ’ s false “ stolen election ” narrative .
She and another witness , Jessy Jacob , filed affidavits in a lawsuit that was dismissed by Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Timothy Kenny .
Kenny said the lawsuit ’ s interpretation of what took place at the TCF Center was “ incorrect and not credible.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up on social media Wednesday , raking in millions of views .
Cecily Strong was trending because many viewers were convinced Carone was in fact Strong ’ s “ SNL ” character , “ Girl you Wish You Hadn ’ t Started A Conversation With.
” Decided to mix in clips of the SNL “ Girl You Wish You Hadn ’ t Started A Conversation With at a Party ” character .
It ’ s uncanny .
https : //t.co/A4pNFzaQZ1 pic.twitter.com/Al3s9JHfWb — Parker Molloy ( @ ParkerMolloy ) December 3 , 2020 I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rudy Giuliani is attempting to tell you to cool it you do in fact need to cool it .
https : //t.co/NRFSx0X04e — Jessica Huseman ( @ JessicaHuseman ) December 3 , 2020

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Video of a witness who appeared before the Michigan House Oversight Committee with Rudy Giuliani is going viral for her bizarre testimony about alleged voter fraud.
Continuing his efforts to overturn President-elect Joe Biden’s election victory, Giuliani, Donald Trump’s personal attorney, spent hours questioning witnesses who accompanied him to hearings before state lawmakers Tuesday and Wednesday.
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None of the testimony produced evidence of widespread fraud, the Detroit Press reported. But it did produce some comic relief.
Witness Melissa Carone was a contract worker for voting machine company Dominion Voting Systems at the TCF Center, where votes were tabulated. Carone claimed to have witnessed “complete fraud,” with thousands of ballots being counted numerous times.
At one point she raised her voice at GOP state Rep. Steve Johnson, who tried to clarify discrepancies in her story. Giuliani appeared to make an effort to subdue her.
Still not convinced this isn’t a SNL character. (A judge previously declared this Trump supporter /freelance contract IT worker’s testimony “simply not credible.”) pic.twitter.com/ptsN665A0T — Ryan J. Reilly (@ryanjreilly) December 1, 2020
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Holy smokes the sequel is even better!
Rudy Giuliani tries to shush her to calm her down and the Republican even tries to reel her in!
She treats this Republican* like he’s a Chick-fil-A employee and the milkshake machine went down.
*corrected pic.twitter.com/CK1HqGpp2d — Ryan J. Reilly (@ryanjreilly) December 3, 2020
Carone has appeared across right-wing media in recent weeks, making bizarre and unsubstantiated claims to support the Trump campaign’s false “stolen election” narrative.
She and another witness, Jessy Jacob, filed affidavits in a lawsuit that was dismissed by Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Timothy Kenny. Kenny said the lawsuit’s interpretation of what took place at the TCF Center was “incorrect and not credible.”
Excerpts from Carone’s testimony blew up on social media Wednesday, raking in millions of views.
Cecily Strong was trending because many viewers were convinced Carone was in fact Strong’s “SNL” character, “Girl you Wish You Hadn’t Started A Conversation With.”
Check out the banter below.
Decided to mix in clips of the SNL “Girl You Wish You Hadn’t Started A Conversation With at a Party” character. It’s uncanny. https://t.co/A4pNFzaQZ1 pic.twitter.com/Al3s9JHfWb — Parker Molloy (@ParkerMolloy) December 3, 2020
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Convince me this isn’t Cecily Strong’s SNL character “Girl You Wish You Hadn’t Started a Conversation With” pic.twitter.com/vWj4nzpwUJ — Mari Manoogian (@MariManoogian) December 3, 2020
I can say with absolute certainty that if Rudy Giuliani is attempting to tell you to cool it you do in fact need to cool it. https://t.co/NRFSx0X04e — Jessica Huseman (@JessicaHuseman) December 3, 2020
This is like pretty much the trumpiest thing I’ve ever seen
pic.twitter.com/2NgXi3vVvB — Molly Jong-Fast🏡 (@MollyJongFast) December 3, 2020
Here, sitting next to Rudy, is the Trump legal team’s star witness. https://t.co/o6D3DXvyWb — Jonathan Karl (@jonkarl) December 3, 2020
You'll never convince me this isn't in fact Cecily Strong. https://t.co/q7tRaHBkvN — Jeremy PLEASE WEAR MASKS! Konyndyk (@JeremyKonyndyk) December 3, 2020
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a drunk woman is trump team’s star witness in michigan pic.twitter.com/qGxEI3hp2G — marisa kabas (@MarisaKabas) December 3, 2020
anyone who’s watched SNL has seen a character just like this https://t.co/M4cm8DNsJZ — John Harwood (@JohnJHarwood) December 3, 2020
"Tom, don't you think you're kind of exaggerating about the rise of ignorant, narcissistic, juvenile behavior in America?"
Hold all the beers: https://t.co/fRJdpSIdCo — Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) December 3, 2020
So there’s fraud because she had to use a shuttle?🤣🤣 https://t.co/9AzvVMbszm — Rex Chapman🏇🏼 (@RexChapman) December 1, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-03--Trump To Sell Arctic Refuge Oil Leases 2 Weeks Before Biden Inauguration

The 11th-hour lease sale is slated for Jan. 6 , the Bureau of Land Management announced Thursday .
That ’ s exactly two weeks before Biden , who has pledged to protect the vast wilderness area , assumes office .
“ Oil and gas from the Coastal Plain is an important resource for meeting our Nation ’ s long-term energy demands and will help create jobs and economic opportunities , ” Chad Padgett , the BLM ’ s Alaska state director , said in a statement .
But several analyses have found that the supposed economic benefits the Trump administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ push to transform the refuge ’ s 1.56 million-acre coastal plain into an oil field are unattainable .
The Interior Department has said that leases would generate an estimated $ 1.8 billion in federal revenue over a decade , while outside organizations have pegged the figure at between $ 37.5 million and $ 145.5 million .
The refuge , often described as “ America ’ s Serengeti , ” covers more than 19 million acres in northeastern Alaska .
The region is home to polar bears , caribou , moose and hundreds of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s coastal plain , known as the “ 1002 Area , ” has long been a battleground for energy companies and conservationists .
“ Trump isn ’ t even pretending to care what the public thinks about giving the Arctic Refuge to Big Oil , ” she said .
“ We ’ re counting on the Biden administration and the courts to protect polar bears and our climate where Trump wouldn ’ t. ” “ As President , Biden will take immediate steps to reverse the Trump administration ’ s assaults on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by reversing Trump ’ s attacks on the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge , Bears Ears , and Grand Staircase-Escalante , ” reads Biden ’ s comprehensive plan for tribal nations , which his campaign released in October .
U.S .
Fish and Wildlife Service via AP An airplane flies over caribou from the Porcupine Caribou Herd on the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in northeast Alaska .
The Indigenous Gwich ’ in people of northern Alaska and Canada call the refuge “ the sacred place where life begins ” and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the caribou herds that roam the area as a primary food source .
In his statement , Padgett noted that the Interior Department is acting on Congress ’ directive .
The GOP tax law passed in late 2017 included a provision , championed by Sen. Lisa Murkowski ( R-Alaska ) , requiring the department to approve at least two lease sales , each covering no less than 400,000 acres .
But the administration itself has made opening the Arctic refuge to fossil fuel development a top priority , and Trump hasn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speech in 2018 , the president said that he wasn ’ t interested in the issue until a friend called and informed him that Republicans have unsuccessfully tried to give oil producers access to the refuge for decades .
In the rush to greenlight drilling , top Interior Department officials have scrubbed and ignored career scientists ’ work in an effort to downplay the potential environmental impacts , as investigative journalist Adam Federman reported in Politico last year , citing leaked documents .
“ The Trump Administration is hell-bent on selling off the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ door , rules and laws be damned , ” Matt Lee-Ashley , a senior fellow at the left-leaning Center for American Progress , said on Thursday .
“ But they have made such a mess of the leasing process — suppressing science , cutting corners , ignoring the rights and voices of the Gwich ’ in people — that this whole boondoggle can and should be tossed in the trash by the courts or the next Administration .
”

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The Trump administration will sell off rights to drill for oil in Alaska’s pristine and fragile Arctic National Wildlife Refuge just days ahead of President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration.
The 11th-hour lease sale is slated for Jan. 6, the Bureau of Land Management announced Thursday. That’s exactly two weeks before Biden, who has pledged to protect the vast wilderness area, assumes office.
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“Oil and gas from the Coastal Plain is an important resource for meeting our Nation’s long-term energy demands and will help create jobs and economic opportunities,” Chad Padgett, the BLM’s Alaska state director, said in a statement.
But several analyses have found that the supposed economic benefits the Trump administration and Republican lawmakers have touted in their push to transform the refuge’s 1.56 million-acre coastal plain into an oil field are unattainable. The Interior Department has said that leases would generate an estimated $1.8 billion in federal revenue over a decade, while outside organizations have pegged the figure at between $37.5 million and $145.5 million.
The refuge, often described as “America’s Serengeti,” covers more than 19 million acres in northeastern Alaska. The region is home to polar bears, caribou, moose and hundreds of species of migratory birds. The refuge’s coastal plain, known as the “1002 Area,” has long been a battleground for energy companies and conservationists.
Kristen Monsell, senior attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity, slammed the announcement, calling President Donald Trump’s effort to rush through leases “incredibly reckless” and illegal.
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“Trump isn’t even pretending to care what the public thinks about giving the Arctic Refuge to Big Oil,” she said. “We’re counting on the Biden administration and the courts to protect polar bears and our climate where Trump wouldn’t.”
Biden has committed to doing just that.
“As President, Biden will take immediate steps to reverse the Trump administration’s assaults on America’s natural treasures, including by reversing Trump’s attacks on the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Bears Ears, and Grand Staircase-Escalante,” reads Biden’s comprehensive plan for tribal nations, which his campaign released in October.
An airplane flies over caribou from the Porcupine Caribou Herd on the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in northeast Alaska. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service via AP
The Indigenous Gwich’in people of northern Alaska and Canada call the refuge “the sacred place where life begins” and for thousands of years have relied on the caribou herds that roam the area as a primary food source.
In his statement, Padgett noted that the Interior Department is acting on Congress’ directive. The GOP tax law passed in late 2017 included a provision, championed by Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), requiring the department to approve at least two lease sales, each covering no less than 400,000 acres.
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But the administration itself has made opening the Arctic refuge to fossil fuel development a top priority, and Trump hasn’t hesitated to take credit. During a speech in 2018, the president said that he wasn’t interested in the issue until a friend called and informed him that Republicans have unsuccessfully tried to give oil producers access to the refuge for decades.
“After that, I said, ‘Oh, make sure that’s in the [tax] bill,’” Trump said.
In the rush to greenlight drilling, top Interior Department officials have scrubbed and ignored career scientists’ work in an effort to downplay the potential environmental impacts, as investigative journalist Adam Federman reported in Politico last year, citing leaked documents.
“The Trump Administration is hell-bent on selling off the Arctic Refuge on its way out the door, rules and laws be damned,” Matt Lee-Ashley, a senior fellow at the left-leaning Center for American Progress, said on Thursday. “But they have made such a mess of the leasing process — suppressing science, cutting corners, ignoring the rights and voices of the Gwich’in people — that this whole boondoggle can and should be tossed in the trash by the courts or the next Administration.”
On Tuesday, Bank of America joined other major U.S. and international banks in committing not to finance oil and gas drilling in the refuge.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-03--Wisconsin Supreme Court Refuses To Hear Trump Election Lawsuit

MADISON , Wis. ( AP ) — The Wisconsin Supreme Court on Thursday refused to hear President Donald Trump ’ s lawsuit attempting to overturn his loss to Democrat Joe Biden in the battleground state , saying the case must first wind its way through lower courts .
Trump had asked the Wisconsin Supreme Court to disqualify more than 221,000 ballots in the state ’ s two biggest Democratic counties , alleging irregularities in the way absentee ballots were administered .
His lawsuit echoed claims that were earlier rejected by election officials in those counties during a recount that barely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about 20,700 votes .
Trump had wanted the Conservative-controlled Wisconsin Supreme Court to take the case directly , saying there wasn ’ t enough time to wage the legal battle by starting first with a lower court given the looming Dec. 14 date when presidential electors cast their votes .
But attorneys for Gov .
Tony Evers and the state Department of Justice argued the law required the lawsuit to start with lower courts .
It was not immediately known if Trump would still pursue the case through lower courts .
His campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seeking comment .
Trump filed a similar lawsuit in federal court on Wednesday .
Chief Justice Patience Roggensack , writing for the minority , said she would have taken the case , referred it to lower courts for factual findings , which could then be reported back to the Supreme Court for a ruling .
She noted that by not taking the case now , “ there are significant time constraints that may preclude our deciding significant legal issues that cry out for resolution by the Wisconsin Supreme Court.
” He claimed there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ written application on file .
He argued that the electronic log created when a voter requests a ballot online — the way the vast majority are requested — doesn ’ t meet the letter of the law .
He also challenged more ballots where election clerks filled in missing address information on the certification envelope where the ballot is inserted , even though the practice has long been accepted in Wisconsin and the state elections commission told clerks it was OK. And Trump challenged absentee ballots where voters declared themselves to be “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exempts them from having to show photo identification to cast a ballot , and one that was used much more heavily this year due to the pandemic .
The Wisconsin Supreme Court in March ruled that it was up to individual voters to determine their status .
“ President Trump ’ s ( lawsuit ) seeks nothing less than to overturn the will of nearly 3.3 million Wisconsin voters , ” Evers ’ attorneys said in filings with the court .
“ It is a shocking and outrageous assault on our democracy .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wisconsin ’ s electoral votes , even though he lost the statewide election.
” Two other lawsuits filed by conservatives are still pending with the Wisconsin Supreme Court seeking to invalidate ballots cast in the presidential election .
In addition to Trump ’ s federal lawsuit , there is another one in federal court with similar claims from Sidney Powell , a conservative attorney who was removed from Trump ’ s legal team .

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MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Wisconsin Supreme Court on Thursday refused to hear President Donald Trump’s lawsuit attempting to overturn his loss to Democrat Joe Biden in the battleground state, saying the case must first wind its way through lower courts.
The legal defeat was the latest in a string of losses for Trump’s post-election lawsuits. Judges in multiple battleground states have rejected his claims of fraud or irregularities.
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Trump had asked the Wisconsin Supreme Court to disqualify more than 221,000 ballots in the state’s two biggest Democratic counties, alleging irregularities in the way absentee ballots were administered. His lawsuit echoed claims that were earlier rejected by election officials in those counties during a recount that barely affected Biden’s winning margin of about 20,700 votes.
Trump had wanted the Conservative-controlled Wisconsin Supreme Court to take the case directly, saying there wasn’t enough time to wage the legal battle by starting first with a lower court given the looming Dec. 14 date when presidential electors cast their votes. But attorneys for Gov. Tony Evers and the state Department of Justice argued the law required the lawsuit to start with lower courts.
The court ruled 4-3 against Trump, with swing Justice Brian Hagedorn joining three liberal justices in denying the petition. The order said Trump can file in circuit court.
It was not immediately known if Trump would still pursue the case through lower courts. His campaign spokeswoman did not immediately return a message seeking comment. Trump filed a similar lawsuit in federal court on Wednesday.
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Hagedorn said the law was clear that Trump must start his lawsuit in lower courts where factual disputes can be worked out.
“We do well as a judicial body to abide by time-tested judicial norms, even — and maybe especially — in high profile cases,” Hagedorn wrote.
Chief Justice Patience Roggensack, writing for the minority, said she would have taken the case, referred it to lower courts for factual findings, which could then be reported back to the Supreme Court for a ruling.
She noted that by not taking the case now, “there are significant time constraints that may preclude our deciding significant legal issues that cry out for resolution by the Wisconsin Supreme Court.”
President Donald Trump walks on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Sunday, Nov. 29, 2020, after stepping off Marine One. Trump is returning from Camp David. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky) ASSOCIATED PRESS
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Trump’s lawsuit challenged procedures that have been in place for years and never been found to be illegal.
He claimed there were thousands of absentee ballots without a written application on file. He argued that the electronic log created when a voter requests a ballot online — the way the vast majority are requested — doesn’t meet the letter of the law.
He also challenged more ballots where election clerks filled in missing address information on the certification envelope where the ballot is inserted, even though the practice has long been accepted in Wisconsin and the state elections commission told clerks it was OK.
And Trump challenged absentee ballots where voters declared themselves to be “indefinitely confined,” a status that exempts them from having to show photo identification to cast a ballot, and one that was used much more heavily this year due to the pandemic. The Wisconsin Supreme Court in March ruled that it was up to individual voters to determine their status.
Attorneys for Democratic Gov. Tony Evers called the lawsuit an “assault on democracy” and urged the court not to accept the original jurisdiction of the case.
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“President Trump’s (lawsuit) seeks nothing less than to overturn the will of nearly 3.3 million Wisconsin voters,” Evers’ attorneys said in filings with the court. “It is a shocking and outrageous assault on our democracy. ... He is simply trying to seize Wisconsin’s electoral votes, even though he lost the statewide election.”
Two other lawsuits filed by conservatives are still pending with the Wisconsin Supreme Court seeking to invalidate ballots cast in the presidential election. In addition to Trump’s federal lawsuit, there is another one in federal court with similar claims from Sidney Powell, a conservative attorney who was removed from Trump’s legal team.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-03--Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey Confirms Trump Was On The Line When He Ignored Phone Call

Arizona Gov .
Doug Ducey didn ’ t want to be interrupted while he was certifying Joe Biden ’ s election victory in the state ― not even by Donald Trump .
The Republican state leader confirmed Wednesday that the defeated president was on the line when viral video showed Ducey ignoring a phone call as he signed the certification paperwork , the Arizona Republic reported .
During the public ceremony , “ Hail to the Chief ” sounded from Ducey ’ s phone ― a ring tone the governor has said he used to signal a call from Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pulled the cellphone from his pocket , quickly checked the caller ID and placed the phone on his desk .
He then resumed signing documents to validate President-elect Joe Biden ’ s win in Arizona .
Ducey was asked at a press conference if Trump had called to ask him to not certify the vote .
Trump continues to push baseless claims of widespread and he and his allies have unsuccessfully pressured state GOP leaders to go along with the lie .
“ The answer is no , ” Ducey replied , per @ @ @ @ @ @ @ phone aside was the right call , “ I was at a public ceremony , doing an official act , so regardless of who was calling , I was not going to answer the phone at that moment , ” he said .
“ The president has got an inquisitive mind , ” Ducey said , per The Associated Press .
“ When he calls , he ’ s always got a lot of questions , and I give him honest answers , direct feedback and my opinion when it is necessary.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ GOP supporter of the president , he is not immune from Trump ’ s wrath .
The president posted a video of Ducey officially confirming Arizona ’ s results and asked on Twitter : “ Why is he rushing to put a Democrat in office ... Republicans will long remember !
”

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Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey didn’t want to be interrupted while he was certifying Joe Biden’s election victory in the state ― not even by Donald Trump.
The Republican state leader confirmed Wednesday that the defeated president was on the line when viral video showed Ducey ignoring a phone call as he signed the certification paperwork, the Arizona Republic reported.
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During the public ceremony, “Hail to the Chief” sounded from Ducey’s phone ― a ring tone the governor has said he used to signal a call from Trump or Vice President Mike Pence. Ducey pulled the cellphone from his pocket, quickly checked the caller ID and placed the phone on his desk. He then resumed signing documents to validate President-elect Joe Biden’s win in Arizona.
Ducey was asked at a press conference if Trump had called to ask him to not certify the vote. Trump continues to push baseless claims of widespread and he and his allies have unsuccessfully pressured state GOP leaders to go along with the lie. “The answer is no,” Ducey replied, per the Republic.
Ducey said putting his phone aside was the right call, “I was at a public ceremony, doing an official act, so regardless of who was calling, I was not going to answer the phone at that moment,” he said.
He said he later called Trump back.
“The president has got an inquisitive mind,” Ducey said, per The Associated Press. “When he calls, he’s always got a lot of questions, and I give him honest answers, direct feedback and my opinion when it is necessary.”
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But Ducey discovered that even as a GOP supporter of the president, he is not immune from Trump’s wrath.
The president posted a video of Ducey officially confirming Arizona’s results and asked on Twitter: “Why is he rushing to put a Democrat in office ... Republicans will long remember!”