thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-24--Trump Announces Phony New Health Care 'Plan'

The truth is that , like in so many other areas , Trump doesn ’ t want to do the work .
After all , as Trump once said , health care is “ complicated !
” Who needs the headache when there are people of color to insult and golf to play ?
Executive orders like these are little more than campaign press releases printed on fancier stationery .
Since Trump doesn ’ t have the interest or patience to actually work with Congress to make laws , he tosses off toothless executive orders and farms out his Obamacare @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s packed with his own judges .
There ’ s no evidence that Trump cares about health care at all beyond his intense desire to undo anything President Barack Obama did in office .
Has there been anything about Trump ’ s response to the novel coronavirus pandemic to suggest that the health and well-being of Americans is a priority for him ?
Two hundred thousand dead say otherwise .
Trump barely engaged in the 2017 legislative fight to repeal the Affordable Care Act and replace it with a GOP plan that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Americans off their health care .
After that failed , he gave up even trying to legislate on health care , and instead , his administration turned its focus to sabotaging the ACA ’ s health insurance marketplaces , imposing onerous new requirements on Medicaid beneficiaries , promoting the sale of junk health insurance policies that , unlike ACA plans , do exclude people with preexisting conditions , and getting the courts to kill the ACA for him .
A president whose primary health policy objective is scrapping his predecessor ’ s law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ historic low can ’ t plausibly claim to be fixing the health care system .
“ Obamacare is bad ” is not a policy , and anyone who expected Trump to finally , at long last , explain to the public how he would replace that law ― if such a person still exists ― has been disappointed yet again .
Trump is part of a lawsuit the Supreme Court is scheduled to take up in November ( after Election Day , of course ) that could eliminate the whole law .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s “ vision ” for health care reform , not whatever bogus claims he makes to get him out of a political jam he put himself in by joining a legal case originated by a bunch of Republican state officeholders .
“ The president is declaring that it is the policy of the United States to provide protections to ensure that Americans with preexisting conditions are protected regardless of whether the Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional and its protections for preexisting conditions invalidated , ” Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Trump ’ s speech .
Simply declaring in an executive order that people with preexisting conditions should be able to buy health insurance if the high court knocks down the ACA is entirely meaningless .
If it were that simple , some other president would have done it already and become extremely popular .
More than that , no president can just order an entire industry to not do something .
That ’ s why there ’ s a Congress that passes laws .
Surprise bills are one of the worst aspects @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and that ’ s really saying something considering how awful it is in so many other ways .
Over the past couple of years , Congress has tried and failed to devise a solution to this problem that would protect patients from unexpected bills from out-of-network providers the patients often don ’ t even know treated them .
Trump ’ s new solution ?
An executive order that directs the Department of Health and Human Services to start coming up with some kind of plan next year if Congress doesn ’ t pass @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ He will instruct me to investigate executive actions and regulatory actions that we can take that will ensure that patients are nonetheless protected against surprise medical bills , ” is how Azar described it .

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President Donald Trump really, really wants to fool voters into thinking he has a plan to make the health care system great again. But he really, really doesn’t.
In Charlotte, North Carolina, on Thursday, Trump signed executive orders he claims address two of the biggest concerns Americans have about the health care system: coverage for people with preexisting conditions and surprise medical bills.
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The orders don’t do anything about anything, though. It’s just more vaporware from the Trump administration. Slogans, lies and exaggerations aren’t policies. Trump pitched his phantom plan by saying it rests on three pillars: “more choice,” “lower costs,” and “better care,” and that it would “put patients first.”
Those focus-group-tested slogans sound great! Except they’re hogwash.
The truth is that, like in so many other areas, Trump doesn’t want to do the work. After all, as Trump once said, health care is “complicated!” Who needs the headache when there are people of color to insult and golf to play?
Executive orders like these are little more than campaign press releases printed on fancier stationery. Since Trump doesn’t have the interest or patience to actually work with Congress to make laws, he tosses off toothless executive orders and farms out his Obamacare repeal efforts to a court system he’s packed with his own judges.
There’s no evidence that Trump cares about health care at all beyond his intense desire to undo anything President Barack Obama did in office. Has there been anything about Trump’s response to the novel coronavirus pandemic to suggest that the health and well-being of Americans is a priority for him? Two hundred thousand dead say otherwise.
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Trump barely engaged in the 2017 legislative fight to repeal the Affordable Care Act and replace it with a GOP plan that would have kicked tens of millions of Americans off their health care. After that failed, he gave up even trying to legislate on health care, and instead, his administration turned its focus to sabotaging the ACA’s health insurance marketplaces, imposing onerous new requirements on Medicaid beneficiaries, promoting the sale of junk health insurance policies that, unlike ACA plans, do exclude people with preexisting conditions, and getting the courts to kill the ACA for him.
Empty Promises And Falsehoods
Trump rattled off a litany of policies his administration has implemented or proposed, ranging from relaxing health insurance regulations to attempting to lower drug prices, few of which have amounted to anything.
In fact, some of his supposed accomplishments further give the lie to his claim that he supports protections for preexisting conditions. The Trump administration has expanded access to several kinds of health “insurance” that aren’t available to people with preexisting conditions, like short-term health plans.
The term “gaslighting” gets overused these days, but there’s no better way to describe what Trump is perpetrating. His claims about these executive orders are entirely detached from reality and his claims about his own record on health care range between completely made-up to highly exaggerated.
A president whose primary health policy objective is scrapping his predecessor’s law that brought the uninsured rate to a historic low can’t plausibly claim to be fixing the health care system. “Obamacare is bad” is not a policy, and anyone who expected Trump to finally, at long last, explain to the public how he would replace that law ― if such a person still exists ― has been disappointed yet again.
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It’s worth being extremely clear about why anyone is worried about people with preexisting conditions in the first place. After all, it’s been a full decade since the Affordable Care Act made it illegal for health insurance companies to deny coverage or charge higher rates to people based on their medical histories.
Well, it turns out that protection might disappear, along with the rest of the ACA, because Trump and the Republican Party want it to.
These pieces of paper won't make your health insurance, medical bills or prescription drugs any cheaper. AP Photo/Evan Vucci
Trump is part of a lawsuit the Supreme Court is scheduled to take up in November (after Election Day, of course) that could eliminate the whole law. This, in fact, is Trump’s “vision” for health care reform, not whatever bogus claims he makes to get him out of a political jam he put himself in by joining a legal case originated by a bunch of Republican state officeholders.
If the Republican plaintiffs win ― an outcome made more likely by the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg last week ― an estimated 20 million people would lose their health coverage, and everyone with a preexisting condition, no matter how minor, would be at risk.
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There is nothing on the table to mitigate the vast harm that ruling would create, despite assertions from Trump like this: “If we win, we will have a better and less expensive plan that will always protect individuals with preexisting conditions.”
So, again, his plan is to not have a plan. If he had one, he would tell us.
“The president is declaring that it is the policy of the United States to provide protections to ensure that Americans with preexisting conditions are protected regardless of whether the Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional and its protections for preexisting conditions invalidated,” Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said during a conference call with reporters prior to Trump’s speech.
“The policy of the United States” is an empty phrase. It’s not a law. It’s not even an actual policy. Also, the current real policy of the United States on this issue is encoded in a law called the Affordable Care Act that Trump is trying to get rid of.
Simply declaring in an executive order that people with preexisting conditions should be able to buy health insurance if the high court knocks down the ACA is entirely meaningless. If it were that simple, some other president would have done it already and become extremely popular. More than that, no president can just order an entire industry to not do something. That’s why there’s a Congress that passes laws.
“The term “gaslighting” gets overused these days, but there’s no better way to describe what Trump is perpetrating. His claims about these executive orders are entirely detached from reality and his claims about his own record on health care range between completely made-up to highly exaggerated.”
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Almost unbelievably, Trump’s action on surprise billing is even more fake than his preexisting conditions nonsense. “We will end surprise billing,” he said. No, they won’t.
Surprise bills are one of the worst aspects of the U.S. health care system, and that’s really saying something considering how awful it is in so many other ways. Over the past couple of years, Congress has tried and failed to devise a solution to this problem that would protect patients from unexpected bills from out-of-network providers the patients often don’t even know treated them.
But Congress and the administration failed to come to a deal after intense lobbying by hospital and physician groups, and the private equity companies that own medical practices that make tons of money from surprise bills.
Trump’s new solution? An executive order that directs the Department of Health and Human Services to start coming up with some kind of plan next year if Congress doesn’t pass a bill by Jan. 1, 2021. “He will instruct me to investigate executive actions and regulatory actions that we can take that will ensure that patients are nonetheless protected against surprise medical bills,” is how Azar described it.
That’s not a plan. It’s a plan to come up with a plan that won’t work because the White House can’t just order hospitals not to bill people. Again, that’s why lawmaking exists.
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Lies About Biden
Trump also took aim at Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s health care plan ― or a caricature of it, anyway.
“The [Democratic] Party is pushing a socialist nightmare. Their plans will result in rationing care, denying choice, putting Americans on waitlist, driving the best doctors out of medicine permanently and delaying cures,” Trump said.
This will be shocking news to Biden, who won the Democratic primary by opposing the kinds of health care reforms, like “Medicare for All,” that his progressive opponents favored and that also wouldn’t do what Trump says they would. Instead, Biden is running on a potentially consequential but also kind of boring plan to make Obamacare coverage cheaper.
Election Day is 40 days away, and Trump knows he’s on the wrong side of public opinion on health care. He’s going to keep repeating falsehoods and misrepresentations about his health care record and agenda. But the totality of his actions as president makes very clear that his promises of better, cheaper health care are extremely hard to believe.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-24--Doctors Have ID'd A New Sleep Disorder In Kids. Here's What Parents Should Know.

Parents know they are not going to get much sleep when they have a new ( or , yes , even new-ish ) baby at home .
In fact , research suggests parents don ’ t sleep all that well for the first six years of their children ’ s lives .
But eventually , the majority of children and families settle into a routine , and the nights become more restful .
So when kids are still struggling , doctors start to consider more serious underlying sleep disturbances , which affect up to 30 % of babies and children @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one : restless sleep disorder , or RSD .
The condition affects children between the ages of 6 and 18 who toss and turn far more than is typical .
They often have a difficult time focusing and face emotional and behavioral challenges as a result .
The researchers who defined the new disorder last month say it represents an exciting step forward in the world of pediatric sleep science , providing a “ why ” for many families who have failed to help their children get enough high-quality sleep and opening up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this , we didn ’ t have the tools — a standard of diagnosis — to say , ‘ Oh yes , your child has restless sleep disorder , ’ ” Dr. Lourdes DelRosso , a sleep physician at the University of Washington School of Medicine and Seattle Children ’ s Hospital , told HuffPost .
DelRosso was the first to study RSD and led a 10-person international task force that , over 18 months , set forth diagnostic criteria for the newly defined disorder .
It is too soon to say how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ estimates that about 7 % of the children she sees in her sleep lab may have the disorder .
For Melissa Caveness , a Washington-based mom of three , the new diagnosis has been game-changing .
Her youngest daughter , Emily , was diagnosed with RSD after thrashing in bed at night basically since infancy .
She kicked her blankets off and frequently fell out of bed .
And if Emily slept with her parents , one of them would inevitably end up with a fat lip or black eye , Melissa recalled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s inability to get a truly restful night ’ s sleep began undermining her behavior .
“ It was hard for her to focus .
She was constantly moving .
She was cranky , ” Melissa told HuffPost .
She and her husband felt fairly certain it had something to do with her sleep , and they tried everything : strict sleep routines , melatonin , calming music , meditation .
And that is when things began to turn around for Emily and her family — because the treatment for RSD is generally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work into the mechanisms underlying RSD is ongoing , DelRosso and her colleagues have found a strong tie between nighttime restlessness and low levels of ferritin , a blood protein that stores iron .
It is too soon to say exactly how many children who have RSD have iron deficiencies , and whether that is the specific cause of the disorder .
DelRosso is also studying the possible role the sympathetic nervous system ( basically , the system that controls the fight-or-flight response ) plays in RSD , as well as a link @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sleep ) and these kinds of large , constant movements .
Emily , who is now 9 , was given an intravenous iron infusion followed by ongoing supplementation , and Melissa said the change in her daughter was profound and almost immediate .
“ We can snuggle and sleep with her and she doesn ’ t hurt us , ” she said .
“ She doesn ’ t fall out of bed .
She ’ s not a tornado anymore .
She wakes up on her pillow , happy instead of angry with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ though that research is still evolving , DelRosso said she hopes the formal definition of this new disorder will spread to pediatricians and other clinicians who can at least let struggling families know it ’ s a possibility .
A diagnosis requires meeting eight criteria , including a sleep study confirming children are having five or more large body movements per hour and the continuation of disrupted nights at least three nights a week , for more than three months .
Because parents can play such a key role in helping kids get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take sleep seriously and to seek an outside opinion if their kids aren ’ t getting the rest their growing brains and bodies need .

Click&Boo via Getty Images Researchers have defined a new sleep disorder in children, restless sleep disorder.
Parents know they are not going to get much sleep when they have a new (or, yes, even new-ish) baby at home. In fact, research suggests parents don’t sleep all that well for the first six years of their children’s lives.
But eventually, the majority of children and families settle into a routine, and the nights become more restful. So when kids are still struggling, doctors start to consider more serious underlying sleep disturbances, which affect up to 30% of babies and children.
Advertisement
Researchers have just defined a new one: restless sleep disorder, or RSD. The condition affects children between the ages of 6 and 18 who toss and turn far more than is typical. They often have a difficult time focusing and face emotional and behavioral challenges as a result.
The researchers who defined the new disorder last month say it represents an exciting step forward in the world of pediatric sleep science, providing a “why” for many families who have failed to help their children get enough high-quality sleep and opening up an option for treatment.
“Before this, we didn’t have the tools — a standard of diagnosis — to say, ‘Oh yes, your child has restless sleep disorder,’” Dr. Lourdes DelRosso, a sleep physician at the University of Washington School of Medicine and Seattle Children’s Hospital, told HuffPost. DelRosso was the first to study RSD and led a 10-person international task force that, over 18 months, set forth diagnostic criteria for the newly defined disorder.
There wasn’t really anything doctors could do for those children previously, DelRosso said, and “that’s what makes this very important,” she argued.
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It is too soon to say how common RSD may be, although DelRosso estimates that about 7% of the children she sees in her sleep lab may have the disorder.
For Melissa Caveness, a Washington-based mom of three, the new diagnosis has been game-changing. Her youngest daughter, Emily, was diagnosed with RSD after thrashing in bed at night basically since infancy. She kicked her blankets off and frequently fell out of bed. And if Emily slept with her parents, one of them would inevitably end up with a fat lip or black eye, Melissa recalled to HuffPost.
Eventually, Emily’s inability to get a truly restful night’s sleep began undermining her behavior. “It was hard for her to focus. She was constantly moving. She was cranky,” Melissa told HuffPost. She and her husband felt fairly certain it had something to do with her sleep, and they tried everything: strict sleep routines, melatonin, calming music, meditation.
At age 7, Emily’s pediatrician referred her to Seattle Children’s Sleep Medicine Clinic for a sleep study (an overnight stay in a lab). Emily and her family connected with DelRosso, who told them about her work on RSD.
And that is when things began to turn around for Emily and her family — because the treatment for RSD is generally pretty simple: iron supplementation. Although work into the mechanisms underlying RSD is ongoing, DelRosso and her colleagues have found a strong tie between nighttime restlessness and low levels of ferritin, a blood protein that stores iron.
Advertisement
It is too soon to say exactly how many children who have RSD have iron deficiencies, and whether that is the specific cause of the disorder. DelRosso is also studying the possible role the sympathetic nervous system (basically, the system that controls the fight-or-flight response) plays in RSD, as well as a link between sleep instability (choppy, non-consolidated sleep) and these kinds of large, constant movements.
Emily, who is now 9, was given an intravenous iron infusion followed by ongoing supplementation, and Melissa said the change in her daughter was profound and almost immediate.
“We can snuggle and sleep with her and she doesn’t hurt us,” she said. “She doesn’t fall out of bed. She’s not a tornado anymore. She wakes up on her pillow, happy instead of angry with bags under her eyes.”
But even though that research is still evolving, DelRosso said she hopes the formal definition of this new disorder will spread to pediatricians and other clinicians who can at least let struggling families know it’s a possibility. A diagnosis requires meeting eight criteria, including a sleep study confirming children are having five or more large body movements per hour and the continuation of disrupted nights at least three nights a week, for more than three months.
Because parents can play such a key role in helping kids get diagnosed, DelRosso urged all caregivers to take sleep seriously and to seek an outside opinion if their kids aren’t getting the rest their growing brains and bodies need.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-24--Massachusetts Construction Worker Dies From Eating Too Much Black Licorice

A Massachusetts construction worker ’ s love of black licorice wound up costing him his life .
Eating a bag and a half every day for a few weeks threw his nutrients out of whack and caused the 54-year-old man ’ s heart to stop , doctors reported Wednesday .
“ Even a small amount of licorice you eat can increase your blood pressure a little bit , ” said Dr. Neel Butala , a cardiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital who described the case in the New England Journal of Medicine .
The problem is glycyrrhizic acid , found in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and dietary supplements containing licorice root extract .
It can cause dangerously low potassium and imbalances in other minerals called electrolytes .
Eating as little as 2 ounces of black licorice a day for two weeks could cause a heart rhythm problem , especially for folks over 40 , the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warns .
“ It ’ s more than licorice sticks .
It could be jelly beans , licorice teas , a lot of things over the counter .
Even some beers , like Belgian beers , have this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some chewing tobaccos , said Dr. Robert Eckel , a University of Colorado cardiologist and former American Heart Association president .
He had no role in the Massachusetts man ’ s care .
The death was clearly an extreme case .
The man had switched from red , fruit-flavored twists to the black licorice version of the candy a few weeks before his death last year .
He collapsed while having lunch at a fast-food restaurant .
Doctors found he had dangerously low potassium , which led to heart rhythm and other problems @ @ @ @ @ @ @ revived but died the next day .
The FDA permits up to 3.1 % of a food ’ s content to have glycyrrhizic acid , but many candies and other licorice products don ’ t reveal how much of it is contained per ounce , Butala said .
Doctors have reported the case to the FDA in hope of raising attention to the risk .
Jeff Beckman , a spokesman for the Hershey Company , which makes the popular Twizzlers licorice twists , said in an email that “ all of our products @ @ @ @ @ @ @ full compliance with FDA regulations , ” and that all foods , including candy , “ should be enjoyed in moderation.
” The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute ’ s Department of Science Education .
The AP is solely responsible for all content .

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A Massachusetts construction worker’s love of black licorice wound up costing him his life. Eating a bag and a half every day for a few weeks threw his nutrients out of whack and caused the 54-year-old man’s heart to stop, doctors reported Wednesday.
“Even a small amount of licorice you eat can increase your blood pressure a little bit,” said Dr. Neel Butala, a cardiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital who described the case in the New England Journal of Medicine.
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The problem is glycyrrhizic acid, found in black licorice and in many other foods and dietary supplements containing licorice root extract. It can cause dangerously low potassium and imbalances in other minerals called electrolytes.
Eating as little as 2 ounces of black licorice a day for two weeks could cause a heart rhythm problem, especially for folks over 40, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warns.
“It’s more than licorice sticks. It could be jelly beans, licorice teas, a lot of things over the counter. Even some beers, like Belgian beers, have this compound in it,” as do some chewing tobaccos, said Dr. Robert Eckel, a University of Colorado cardiologist and former American Heart Association president. He had no role in the Massachusetts man’s care.
The death was clearly an extreme case. The man had switched from red, fruit-flavored twists to the black licorice version of the candy a few weeks before his death last year. He collapsed while having lunch at a fast-food restaurant. Doctors found he had dangerously low potassium, which led to heart rhythm and other problems. Emergency responders did CPR and he revived but died the next day.
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The FDA permits up to 3.1% of a food’s content to have glycyrrhizic acid, but many candies and other licorice products don’t reveal how much of it is contained per ounce, Butala said. Doctors have reported the case to the FDA in hope of raising attention to the risk.
Jeff Beckman, a spokesman for the Hershey Company, which makes the popular Twizzlers licorice twists, said in an email that “all of our products are safe to eat and formulated in full compliance with FDA regulations,” and that all foods, including candy, “should be enjoyed in moderation.”
___


thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-24--Here's What To Do If Someone Sneezes Or Coughs Near You

Anthony Fauci , the nation ’ s top infectious disease expert , offered a sobering warning earlier this month as the weather in the United States begins to cool and flu season is looming : Americans need to stop looking at the “ rosy side of things ” and prepare for a second wave of COVID-19 .
“ We need to hunker down and get through this fall and winter , because it ’ s not going to be easy , ” Fauci , the director of the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases , said during a panel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , offered a grim prediction as well , telling the Journal of the American Medical Association in July that the fall and winter , “ are going to be probably one of the most difficult times that we ’ ve experienced in American public health.
” This means that Americans need to be diligent about protecting themselves and others from the airborne virus to quell a spike of infections in the next few months .
And given that COVID-19 is primarily transmitted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coughing , Fredrick Sherman , a professor at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine , offered The Atlantic a new and helpful tip to help curb the spread .
Sherman said that if you find yourself in a high-risk scenario in which a someone sneezes or coughs near you , “ Immediately exhale to avoid inhaling droplets or aerosols .
Purse your lips to make the exhaling last longer .
Turn your head fully away from the person and begin walking.
” This method won ’ t definitively protect you from COVID-19 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus you ’ re exposed to if the person who coughs or sneezes happens to be contagious .
You ’ re more likely to get sick if you inhale higher doses of the virus , according to The Atlantic .
The amount of time you ’ re exposed to infected particles also matters in terms of transmission ; the longer you ’ re around them , the more time the virus has to get into your system .
There are , of course , more longterm steps you should be taking to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the winter , continue to socialize outdoors , despite the weather .
According to the CDC , you have a higher risk of contracting the virus indoors than you do outdoors , due to less ventilation and space , which makes it harder for people to socially distance .
Albert Ko , the chair of the department of epidemiology of microbial diseases at Yale School of Public Health , told The Atlantic that people should also accept that face masks “ will be a part of our lives indefinitely.
” Some experts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last well into 2021 , even when there is a vaccine .
“ And it ’ s not just the design of masks themselves , ” Ko said .
“ We can come up with more innovative ways to promote face-mask use.
” Luxembourg , for example , sent its entire population face masks via mail in April .
Experts are still learning about COVID-19 .
The information in this story is what was known or available as of publication , but guidance can change as scientists discover more about the virus .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Prevention for the most updated recommendations .

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Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, offered a sobering warning earlier this month as the weather in the United States begins to cool and flu season is looming: Americans need to stop looking at the “rosy side of things” and prepare for a second wave of COVID-19.
“We need to hunker down and get through this fall and winter, because it’s not going to be easy,” Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases, said during a panel at Harvard Medical School.
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Robert Redfield, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, offered a grim prediction as well, telling the Journal of the American Medical Association in July that the fall and winter, “are going to be probably one of the most difficult times that we’ve experienced in American public health.”
This means that Americans need to be diligent about protecting themselves and others from the airborne virus to quell a spike of infections in the next few months. And given that COVID-19 is primarily transmitted person-to-person through respiratory droplets from sneezing or coughing, Fredrick Sherman, a professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, offered The Atlantic a new and helpful tip to help curb the spread.
Sherman said that if you find yourself in a high-risk scenario in which a someone sneezes or coughs near you, “Immediately exhale to avoid inhaling droplets or aerosols. Purse your lips to make the exhaling last longer. Turn your head fully away from the person and begin walking.”
This method won’t definitively protect you from COVID-19, but it could reduce how much of the virus you’re exposed to if the person who coughs or sneezes happens to be contagious.
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You’re more likely to get sick if you inhale higher doses of the virus, according to The Atlantic. The amount of time you’re exposed to infected particles also matters in terms of transmission; the longer you’re around them, the more time the virus has to get into your system.
Drazen Zigic via Getty Images
There are, of course, more longterm steps you should be taking to reduce your risk of COVID-19. Even in the winter, continue to socialize outdoors, despite the weather. According to the CDC, you have a higher risk of contracting the virus indoors than you do outdoors, due to less ventilation and space, which makes it harder for people to socially distance.
You should also be vigilant about wearing face masks, which arguably offer the best protection against the virus.
Albert Ko, the chair of the department of epidemiology of microbial diseases at Yale School of Public Health, told The Atlantic that people should also accept that face masks “will be a part of our lives indefinitely.” Some experts even say use of face masks may last well into 2021, even when there is a vaccine.
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Ko said that by continuing to wear masks, “We can focus on improving their effectiveness and making them less annoying to wear.”
“And it’s not just the design of masks themselves,” Ko said. “We can come up with more innovative ways to promote face-mask use.” Luxembourg, for example, sent its entire population face masks via mail in April.
Finally, continue to wash or disinfect your hands as well as high-touch surface areas in your home.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-24--Trump Keeps Holding Packed Campaign Rallies During A Pandemic

President Donald Trump continues to hold large campaign events that public health experts say could lead to more infections and death amid a raging pandemic that has cost 200,000 American lives and counting .
The U.S. reached the grim milestone this week as Trump addressed thousands of supporters who were jammed together , mostly without masks , in Pennsylvania on Tuesday , where he mocked his Democratic rival Joe Biden for wearing a face mask .
Trailing badly in the polls and fighting for reelection , Trump has flouted coronavirus restrictions by rallying supporters at crucial battleground states across the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scheduled this week in Florida and Virginia .
The president and his supporters defended holding rallies by calling them “ peaceful protests , ” justifying skirting state rules limiting gatherings by pointing to national demonstrations against racial injustice .
His allies also believe the images of crowded events compared to those of Biden , who has eschewed them out of safety , are a positive sign of enthusiasm for the president .
But Democrats say Trump is putting at risk the health of not only his own supporters but the general public , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after the events are over .
“ He ’ s got superspreader events all over the country , ” Sen. Debbie Stabenow ( D-Mich. ) told HuffPost .
“ I think it ’ s completely irresponsible for the president of the United States to be encouraging people to jeopardize their health.
” At least one person who attended Trump ’ s Freeland , Michigan , rally on Sept. 10 has since tested positive for the coronavirus , according to NBC .
Michigan health officials could not confirm whether the person contracted the disease @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10,000 people , according to CNN .
After holding a packed indoor rally in Nevada earlier this month that drew condemnation from the state ’ s Democratic governor , Trump suggested to a reporter that he is not worried about contracting COVID-19 at his rallies because he is on a stage that is “ very far away.
” Republicans , especially those running for reelection , have tried to project a different message to the public by echoing public health officials and urging voters to wear masks and practice social distancing .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ majority of things Trump says or does , GOP lawmakers declined to directly criticize the president or urge him to change course .
“ His supporters wouldn ’ t attend if they if thought they were at risk .
He feels comfortable with his style and I don ’ t think it ’ s going to probably change , ” Sen. Mike Braun ( R-Ind . )
told HuffPost on Wednesday .
Public health experts have repeatedly warned about the dangers of contracting coronavirus at social gatherings and unwittingly passing it on to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doesn ’ t necessarily experience symptoms themselves .
“ We know we could get into serious trouble if we don ’ t do certain things , ” Dr. Anthony Fauci , the nation ’ s top infectious disease expert , told CNN this week .
“ And I hope that that understanding is not going to frighten people , but will jolt them into realizing that it is within our hands to prevent that.
” Senate Majority Whip John Thune ( R-S.D . )
agreed , telling reporters last week that while “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distancing would be better ... most of the people who attend those rallies are people who are going to come either way .
”

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President Donald Trump continues to hold large campaign events that public health experts say could lead to more infections and death amid a raging pandemic that has cost 200,000 American lives and counting.
The U.S. reached the grim milestone this week as Trump addressed thousands of supporters who were jammed together, mostly without masks, in Pennsylvania on Tuesday, where he mocked his Democratic rival Joe Biden for wearing a face mask.
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President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally at Pittsburgh International Airport in Moon Township, Pennsylvania, on Sept. 22. MANDEL NGAN via Getty Images
Trailing badly in the polls and fighting for reelection, Trump has flouted coronavirus restrictions by rallying supporters at crucial battleground states across the country. He has two campaign events scheduled this week in Florida and Virginia.
The president and his supporters defended holding rallies by calling them “peaceful protests,” justifying skirting state rules limiting gatherings by pointing to national demonstrations against racial injustice. His allies also believe the images of crowded events compared to those of Biden, who has eschewed them out of safety, are a positive sign of enthusiasm for the president.
But Democrats say Trump is putting at risk the health of not only his own supporters but the general public, who could become infected by rallygoers days after the events are over.
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“He’s got superspreader events all over the country,” Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) told HuffPost. “I think it’s completely irresponsible for the president of the United States to be encouraging people to jeopardize their health.”
At least one person who attended Trump’s Freeland, Michigan, rally on Sept. 10 has since tested positive for the coronavirus, according to NBC. Michigan health officials could not confirm whether the person contracted the disease at the event, which drew about 10,000 people, according to CNN.
Very little social distancing and not many masks inside crowded airport hangar in Michigan for Trump rally. pic.twitter.com/KcdYmFYQWR — Jim Acosta (@Acosta) September 10, 2020
After holding a packed indoor rally in Nevada earlier this month that drew condemnation from the state’s Democratic governor, Trump suggested to a reporter that he is not worried about contracting COVID-19 at his rallies because he is on a stage that is “very far away.”
“I’m not at all concerned,” Trump said in an interview with the Las Vegas Review Journal.
He again attempted to downplay the pandemic at a campaign rally on Monday by saying it affects “elderly people with heart problems and other problems.”
“It affects virtually nobody. It’s an amazing thing,” he added.
Trump supporters file out of a packed Chandler ballroom where Don Jr, Kimberly Guilfoyle and Turning Point USA President Charlie Kirk spoke for about an hour. #12News pic.twitter.com/OiJyLJIJiC — JOE DANA (@JoeDanaReports) September 22, 2020
Republicans, especially those running for reelection, have tried to project a different message to the public by echoing public health officials and urging voters to wear masks and practice social distancing.
But as is the case with the vast majority of things Trump says or does, GOP lawmakers declined to directly criticize the president or urge him to change course.
“His supporters wouldn’t attend if they if thought they were at risk. He feels comfortable with his style and I don’t think it’s going to probably change,” Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.) told HuffPost on Wednesday.
Public health experts have repeatedly warned about the dangers of contracting coronavirus at social gatherings and unwittingly passing it on to more vulnerable groups, even if one doesn’t necessarily experience symptoms themselves.
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“We know we could get into serious trouble if we don’t do certain things,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, told CNN this week. “And I hope that that understanding is not going to frighten people, but will jolt them into realizing that it is within our hands to prevent that.”
The retiring chairman of the Senate health committee, Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), declined to comment on Wednesday when asked if Trump holding rallies amid a pandemic was appropriate.
Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) said he was glad that Trump is holding events outdoors, at least.
“It most certainly is better than inside,” Rounds added.
Senate Majority Whip John Thune (R-S.D.) agreed, telling reporters last week that while “outdoor rallies would be better and social distancing would be better ... most of the people who attend those rallies are people who are going to come either way.”
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), meanwhile, said that everyone needed to be vigilant about taking steps to mitigate transmission but similarly declined to criticize the president.
“Anybody ― if I throw a birthday party ― I think we all need to be conscious of the setting that we invite people into,” Murkowski said.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-24--Top Republicans Promise 'Peaceful Transfer Of Power' After Trump Wouldn't

Top Republicans on Thursday vowed to ensure a peaceful transfer of power should President Donald Trump lose the November election , a day after Trump refused to commit to doing so .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ( R-Ky. ) , who almost never publicly pushes back against Trump , said whoever wins the election will be inaugurated on Jan. 20 .
“ There will be an orderly transition just as there has been every four years since 1792 , ” McConnell tweeted .
Earlier Thursday , Rep. Liz Cheney ( R-Wy . )
, the third-ranking Republican in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s leaders ” would carry out their duties to the Constitution by guaranteeing a peaceful transition .
“ The peaceful transfer of power is enshrined in our Constitution and fundamental to the survival of our Republic , ” Cheney tweeted .
“ America ’ s leaders swear an oath to the Constitution .
We will uphold that oath.
” Asked at a press briefing Wednesday whether he would commit to a peaceful transfer of power if he loses reelection , Trump said , “ We ’ re gon na have to see what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about mail-in ballots , which he and several top White House aides have used to vote in previous elections .
Election officials have denied his claims that mail-in ballots facilitate voter fraud .
“ Get rid of the ballots and you ’ ll have a peaceful ― there won ’ t be a transfer , frankly , there ’ ll be a continuation , ” Trump said Wednesday .
“ The ballots are out of control .
You know it.
” As the election draws nearer and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden continues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump has been laying the groundwork to declare the election illegitimate .
He has claimed that mail-in ballots would result in a “ rigged ” election and undermined the U.S .
Postal Service , the agency tasked with processing those ballots .
Sen. Lindsey Graham ( R-S.C. ) , chairman of the Senate judiciary committee , told Fox News on Thursday that the election results may face litigation in the Supreme Court , but that Republicans would “ accept ” the results if they lose .
“ We need a nine-person Supreme Court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been pushing , along with other top Republicans , for a swift vote in the Senate to fill the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg ’ s seat on the bench .
“ And people wonder about the peaceful transfer of power , I can assure you it will be peaceful , ” Graham continued .
“ Now we may have litigation about who won the election , but the court will decide and if Republicans lose we will accept that result.
” Trump said Wednesday that he wants a ninth justice to be confirmed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election is contested all the way to the Supreme Court .
If Republicans succeed in filling Ginsburg ’ s seat , the court will have a 6-3 conservative majority .
Some Republicans were less than willing to explicitly promise a peaceful transfer of power should Trump lose the election .
Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California , the House ’ s top Republican , said during a press briefing Thursday that he believes there will be a “ smooth transition ” and that Trump “ will have a very good inaugural.
” White House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Trump would accept the results of “ a free and fair election.
” But the president has made clear that he doesn ’ t believe this year ’ s election will be fair , falsely claiming that Democrats could only win by cheating .

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Top Republicans on Thursday vowed to ensure a peaceful transfer of power should President Donald Trump lose the November election, a day after Trump refused to commit to doing so.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who almost never publicly pushes back against Trump, said whoever wins the election will be inaugurated on Jan. 20.
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“There will be an orderly transition just as there has been every four years since 1792,” McConnell tweeted.
Earlier Thursday, Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wy.), the third-ranking Republican in the House, promised that “America’s leaders” would carry out their duties to the Constitution by guaranteeing a peaceful transition.
“The peaceful transfer of power is enshrined in our Constitution and fundamental to the survival of our Republic,” Cheney tweeted. “America’s leaders swear an oath to the Constitution. We will uphold that oath.”
Asked at a press briefing Wednesday whether he would commit to a peaceful transfer of power if he loses reelection, Trump said, “We’re gonna have to see what happens.”
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“You know that I’ve been complaining very strongly about the ballots,” the president said, referring to mail-in ballots.
Trump has repeatedly spread misinformation about mail-in ballots, which he and several top White House aides have used to vote in previous elections. Election officials have denied his claims that mail-in ballots facilitate voter fraud.
“Get rid of the ballots and you’ll have a peaceful ― there won’t be a transfer, frankly, there’ll be a continuation,” Trump said Wednesday. “The ballots are out of control. You know it.”
As the election draws nearer and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden continues to outperform Trump in national polls, Trump has been laying the groundwork to declare the election illegitimate. He has claimed that mail-in ballots would result in a “rigged” election and undermined the U.S. Postal Service, the agency tasked with processing those ballots.
A handful of other Republicans, including Sens. Marco Rubio (Fla.) and Mitt Romney (Utah), reiterated the importance of the peaceful transfer of power following Trump’s remarks Wednesday.
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Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), chairman of the Senate judiciary committee, told Fox News on Thursday that the election results may face litigation in the Supreme Court, but that Republicans would “accept” the results if they lose.
“We need a nine-person Supreme Court,” said Graham, who has been pushing, along with other top Republicans, for a swift vote in the Senate to fill the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s seat on the bench.
“And people wonder about the peaceful transfer of power, I can assure you it will be peaceful,” Graham continued. “Now we may have litigation about who won the election, but the court will decide and if Republicans lose we will accept that result.”
Trump said Wednesday that he wants a ninth justice to be confirmed before Election Day, in case the election is contested all the way to the Supreme Court. If Republicans succeed in filling Ginsburg’s seat, the court will have a 6-3 conservative majority.
Some Republicans were less than willing to explicitly promise a peaceful transfer of power should Trump lose the election. Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California, the House’s top Republican, said during a press briefing Thursday that he believes there will be a “smooth transition” and that Trump “will have a very good inaugural.”
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-24--Mourners Shout 'Vote Him Out' As Trump Pays Respects To Ginsburg

When President Donald Trump on Thursday went to the Supreme Court building to pay his respects to the late Justice @ @ @ @ @ shouted “ vote him out ” and “ honor her wish.
” Trump and Senate @ @ @ @ @ select and confirm a replacement for Ginsburg before the November presidential election .
On her @ @ @ @ @ died Friday at the age of 87 , dictated a statement to her granddaughter Clara @ @ @ @ @ her “ most fervent wish ... that I will not be replaced until a new @ @ @ @ @ ’ s death has raised the stakes for the election , putting key issues like @ @ @ @ @ access and reproductive rights at risk , and giving Trump an opportunity to cement a @ @ @ @ @ for decades .

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When President Donald Trump on Thursday went to the Supreme Court building to pay his respects to the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, mourners shouted “vote him out” and “honor her wish.”
Trump and Senate Republicans are moving quickly to select and confirm a replacement for Ginsburg before the November presidential election.
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On her deathbed, Ginsburg, who died Friday at the age of 87, dictated a statement to her granddaughter Clara Spera, saying it was her “most fervent wish ... that I will not be replaced until a new president is installed.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-24--Maskless Woman Tased, Arrested After She Refused To Leave Football Game

The department said the officer advised the woman several times that she had to wear a mask , per school @ @ @ @ @ resisted , claiming she had asthma , the officer warned her that if she did @ @ @ @ @ have to leave .
After she continually refused his request to exit , Smith told @ @ @ @ @ for trespassing and escorted off the premises , according to police .
Her resistance continued @ @ @ @ @ and Smith tased her , as he had warned he would , to secure the @ @ @ @ @ Kitts , of Marietta , Ohio , was charged with criminal trespassing and other charges @ @ @ @ @ .
The woman seen interfering may also face charges .
The schools in the Logan @ @ @ @ @ lockout protocol because of death threats over the matter , an NBC affiliate reported Thursday @ @ @ @ @ respond to a HuffPost request for comment .
Click here for the full police statement @

The department said the officer advised the woman several times that she had to wear a mask, per school policy. When she repeatedly resisted, claiming she had asthma, the officer warned her that if she did not comply, she would have to leave. After she continually refused his request to exit, Smith told her she would be cited for trespassing and escorted off the premises, according to police.
Her resistance continued, the statement said, and Smith tased her, as he had warned he would, to secure the handcuffs on her wrists.
Kitts, of Marietta, Ohio, was charged with criminal trespassing and other charges are pending, police said. The woman seen interfering may also face charges.
The schools in the Logan Hocking district were placed under lockout protocol because of death threats over the matter, an NBC affiliate reported Thursday.
Kitts did not immediately respond to a HuffPost request for comment.
Click here for the full police statement.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-24--The Biggest Question Of The Election: How Will Trump Cheat Next?

Mary Trump , the president ’ s niece who wrote in her recent book , “ Too Much and Never Enough , ” that Trump even cheated getting into the University of Pennsylvania by paying someone to take his SATs for him , said there is no need to speculate .
“ It ’ s already happening .
He ’ s actively cheating already , ” she said , citing the mistrust he is sowing in the use of mail ballots and his sabotage of the postal service to make it harder to deliver those ballots .
Trump himself , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would commit to a peaceful transfer of power should he lose , would not do so .
“ Well , we ’ re going to have to see what happens , ” he said , and then continued his attacks on the legitimacy of mail ballots .
“ Get rid of the ballots and you ’ ll have a very , we ’ ll have a very peaceful — there won ’ t be a transfer , frankly .
There will be a continuation.
” That came hours after he admitted that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Supreme Court , which is why he wants to fill the vacancy created by the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg last week .
“ This scam that the Democrats are pulling ― it ’ s a scam ― this scam will be before the United States Supreme Court , ” he said .
All of Trump ’ s comments trying to delegitimize the coming election have come against the backdrop of Attorney General William Barr ’ s politically charged investigation to discredit a special counsel probe into the assistance Trump received @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the recent revelation that Russia is working to help Trump again .
Trump , rather than publicly renouncing such assistance from Russian dictator Vladimir Putin , instead criticized his FBI director for revealing it to Congress .
“ The president absolutely in his mind is convinced that the law does not apply to him , ” the former official said , adding that Trump would , if he thought he could get away with it , try to invalidate the election entirely .
“ I would not put it past this president at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Putin-esque strongman , he would love that.
” That pattern of ignoring rules and conventions continued into his 2016 presidential campaign .
Trump solicited help from Russia in finding damaging information against Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton , and his campaign actually invited Russian representatives to its headquarters for a meeting on the topic .
Later , when Russians made available material they had stolen from the Clinton campaign , Trump used it daily during the final month before the election — even though he had been told that it had been stolen by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no sooner did that investigation wrap up did Trump start a new attempt to cheat in his coming reelection , this time by trying to extort the newly elected Ukrainian president into smearing the Democratic opponent he most feared with false accusations .
That attempt was exposed by a whistleblower and ultimately ended with Trump ’ s impeachment , making him only the third president in American history to be so censured .
This spring , after weeks of downplaying the danger posed by the coronavirus that included , at one point , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Trump managed to get his own name on a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention mailer that went out to every household in the United States .
He used National Security Council staff and the Justice Department to try to block publication of former national security adviser John Bolton ’ s book , which described , among other things , how Trump begged China ’ s dictator to help him win reelection by buying large quantities of farm produce .
Trump insisted on having his name appear on relief checks sent to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And on Thursday Trump announced he would send a $ 200 card to every Medicare recipient in the coming weeks to use for prescription drug co-payments , after previously trying to force pharmaceutical companies into sending them a $ 100 card .
Exactly how that would be paid for is unclear .
“ Trump and Barr know they are unlikely to win in conditions of fair and free elections and will do anything necessary to stay in power , ” Ben-Ghiat said .
“ In their minds they have just begun to consolidate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an annoyance to be neutralized so they can continue.
” He added , nevertheless , that he has deep worries about the coming election , because Trump shows zero regard for democratic institutions and norms .
“ The president and his rhetoric are like a loaded gun , and he is pointing that gun in every direction , ” Taylor said .
“ He is already actively seeding the narrative for potential nationwide unrest .
That ’ s the most concerning thing to me .
”

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WASHINGTON — With just six weeks to go until Election Day, President Donald Trump’s critics have a nagging worry: How will he cheat next?
With a president accused of stiffing hundreds of contractors as a private businessman, who knowingly accepted Russian help to win in 2016, who has already begged and extorted foreign leaders for help winning in 2020, that he will try in the coming days, they say, is a foregone conclusion.
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“I think the notion of whether he will try to cheat is almost laughable. Of course he is going to cheat,” said Daniel Goldman, the former federal prosecutor who led the House Intelligence Committee’s impeachment investigation of Trump’s attempted extortion of Ukraine.
Goldman said the possibilities range from actively encouraging foreign help again to announcing trumped-up charges against prominent Democrats in the closing days to trying to suppress the vote. “I think you’re going to see him use all the levers of government at his disposal,” he said. “That is incredibly scary.”
Mary Trump, the president’s niece who wrote in her recent book, “Too Much and Never Enough,” that Trump even cheated getting into the University of Pennsylvania by paying someone to take his SATs for him, said there is no need to speculate. “It’s already happening. He’s actively cheating already,” she said, citing the mistrust he is sowing in the use of mail ballots and his sabotage of the postal service to make it harder to deliver those ballots.
“The closer we get, the more bad polling he sees, the more desperate he will be,” she said.
Neither the White House nor Trump’s campaign responded to HuffPost queries on this topic.
Trump himself, asked specifically on Wednesday about whether he would commit to a peaceful transfer of power should he lose, would not do so. “Well, we’re going to have to see what happens,” he said, and then continued his attacks on the legitimacy of mail ballots. “Get rid of the ballots and you’ll have a very, we’ll have a very peaceful — there won’t be a transfer, frankly. There will be a continuation.”
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That came hours after he admitted that he expects the election to be decided by the Supreme Court, which is why he wants to fill the vacancy created by the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg last week. “This scam that the Democrats are pulling ― it’s a scam ― this scam will be before the United States Supreme Court,” he said.
Which itself came after repeated assertions that any election he does not win is, by that very fact, proof of its illegitimacy. “The only way they can win is to cheat, in my opinion,” he said last week.
“He will seek to shut down the election process as quickly as possible, so that a full count becomes difficult,” said Ruth Ben-Ghiat, an authoritarianism expert at New York University.
All of Trump’s comments trying to delegitimize the coming election have come against the backdrop of Attorney General William Barr’s politically charged investigation to discredit a special counsel probe into the assistance Trump received from Russia in 2016 as well as the recent revelation that Russia is working to help Trump again. Trump, rather than publicly renouncing such assistance from Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, instead criticized his FBI director for revealing it to Congress.
One former national security official in Trump’s White House, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Americans who are not yet alarmed by Trump’s actions and statements to date are making a grave miscalculation.
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“The president absolutely in his mind is convinced that the law does not apply to him,” the former official said, adding that Trump would, if he thought he could get away with it, try to invalidate the election entirely. “I would not put it past this president at all. If he could be a Putin-esque strongman, he would love that.”
A Lifetime Of Cheating
Flouting rules and laws has been a well-documented part of Donald Trump’s life since he was a young man taking over his father’s real estate business in the early 1970s.
His first mention in the New York Times, in 1973, was when President Richard Nixon’s Department of Justice forced Trump and his father to stop violating anti-discrimination laws by refusing to rent apartments to Black people.
For years, Trump knowingly worked with organized crime in his construction projects. In 1980, he underpaid undocumented immigrant laborers to demolish a building to make way for his Trump Tower high-rise.
And over a period of three decades, Trump has been accused by hundreds of contractors of cheating them out of promised payments for work they did on his buildings and golf courses.
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He was accused of treating the charity he founded as a personal slush fund, using it for items ranging from a $12,000 football helmet signed by quarterback Tim Tebow to $7 for his son’s Boy Scout dues. He ultimately was forced by the New York State attorney general to shut it down.
That pattern of ignoring rules and conventions continued into his 2016 presidential campaign. Trump solicited help from Russia in finding damaging information against Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, and his campaign actually invited Russian representatives to its headquarters for a meeting on the topic. Later, when Russians made available material they had stolen from the Clinton campaign, Trump used it daily during the final month before the election — even though he had been told that it had been stolen by Putin’s intelligence services.
Those actions led to a two-year investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller, who detailed both the Russian assistance as well as Trump’s efforts to throttle the probe. Barr, however, misrepresented its findings to favor Trump weeks before it was finally released, and Congress took no action to hold Trump to account.
And no sooner did that investigation wrap up did Trump start a new attempt to cheat in his coming reelection, this time by trying to extort the newly elected Ukrainian president into smearing the Democratic opponent he most feared with false accusations. That attempt was exposed by a whistleblower and ultimately ended with Trump’s impeachment, making him only the third president in American history to be so censured.
Destabilizing Our Democracy
The Senate Republican majority, though, with the exception of Utah’s Mitt Romney, voted to let Trump remain in office notwithstanding.
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While some senators predicted that Trump would learn his lesson from the ordeal and stop trying to abuse his powers, Trump if anything ramped up his willingness to use the authorities of his office for his own political benefit.
This spring, after weeks of downplaying the danger posed by the coronavirus that included, at one point, dismissing it as “a hoax,” Trump managed to get his own name on a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention mailer that went out to every household in the United States. He used National Security Council staff and the Justice Department to try to block publication of former national security adviser John Bolton’s book, which described, among other things, how Trump begged China’s dictator to help him win reelection by buying large quantities of farm produce.
Trump insisted on having his name appear on relief checks sent to most Americans because of the pandemic. And on Thursday Trump announced he would send a $200 card to every Medicare recipient in the coming weeks to use for prescription drug co-payments, after previously trying to force pharmaceutical companies into sending them a $100 card. Exactly how that would be paid for is unclear.
And, most worrisome to critics, he got his attorney general and Department of Homeland Security to clear a public park of peaceful protesters using tear gas and beatings so that he could be photographed holding a Bible in front of a church across from the White House. Photos and video from that event quickly appeared in his campaign’s advertising.
“Trump and Barr know they are unlikely to win in conditions of fair and free elections and will do anything necessary to stay in power,” Ben-Ghiat said. “In their minds they have just begun to consolidate their power, and the election is an annoyance to be neutralized so they can continue.”
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Indeed, Trump’s ability to rely on Barr and his acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf gives him brute force authority, should he choose to use it. And the possibility that most worries his critics: that he will abuse that authority in the coming election.
“Rather than trying to cheat in the election, he’s just going to try to steal the election,” said Goldman, adding that Trump, like “a fairly ineffective mob boss,” has been open about his intentions. “You know what his motivations are, because he says them, and he tells you what they are.”
Fernand Amandi, a Democratic pollster in South Florida with expertise in the Latino vote, said he can think of an easy scenario for Trump already: Send in Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, as he has already done to quell urban unrest, only this time to respond to reports of ballot “fraud.”
“What if he utilizes a battalion of ICE folks to the Miami-Dade Supervisor of Elections office and seizes custody of the mail ballots? Who’s going to stop him?” Amandi said. “What happens if he does that not only in one county in one state, but in battleground states all over the country? For the first time in American history, we need election monitors from outside the country to watch what’s going on inside the United States.”
One Trump critic, though, said he thinks the fear of outright, third-world-dictator-style election tampering is overblown. Miles Taylor, who as chief of staff in Trump’s DHS oversaw those ICE agents, said they will follow the law, just as they followed the law when they refused Trump’s orders to turn away asylum seekers at the Mexican border.
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“Most of these line agents don’t want to end up in jail. They know their authorities,” he said.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-24--Judge Rules Eric Trump Must Testify In New York Probe Prior To Election

State Judge Arthur Engoron said President Donald Trump ’ s middle son , a Trump Organization executive , must comply with a subpoena to give a deposition under oath no later than Oct. 7 , adding that the court is not “ bound by the timelines of the national election.
” New York Attorney General Letitia James went to court to enforce Eric Trump ’ s subpoena after his lawyers abruptly canceled a July interview with investigators in her office ’ s probe , which is focused on whether the Trump Organization lied about the value of its assets in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Eric Trump , the company ’ s executive vice president of development and acquisitions , was first served with the subpoena in May .
James , a Democrat , said in a statement after the ruling that “ justice and the rule of law prevailed today.
” “ To be clear , no entity or individual is allowed to dictate how or when our investigation will proceed or set the parameters of a lawful investigation , ” James said .
“ The court ’ s order today makes clear that no one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an organization or an individual with the name Trump.
” In a court filing last week , his lawyers said he was willing to comply with the subpoena , but that he could do so only after the Nov. 3 election .
Beside scheduling conflicts related to his father ’ s reelection campaign , they said they wanted “ to avoid the use of his deposition attendance for political purposes.
” At Wednesday ’ s hearing , Futerfas said they were “ happy for him to sit down and be deposed , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he testified to review with him thousands of pages of documents that James ’ office is seeking as part of the civil probe .
“ As the world knows , there ’ s an election going on in about four weeks in this country , maybe five weeks , ” Futerfas argued .
“ Eric Trump is a vital and integral part of that , and he ’ s traveling just about seven days a week.
” Matthew Colangelo , a lawyer for the attorney general ’ s office , countered that Eric @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have a legal basis to seek a delay and were doing so “ simply on the grounds of personal inconvenience to the witness.
” He argued that the typical compliance deadline courts have found is reasonable is five days .
Eric Trump ’ s lawyers had proposed four dates for him to testify , the earliest being Nov. 19 , which they contended was just after James ’ office is scheduled to interview other witnesses in the investigation .
Eric Trump switched lawyers in mid-July , Futerfas said , contributing to the need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not participate in Wednesday ’ s hearing , which was held via Skype .
Eric , the third of Trump ’ s five children , was scheduled to appear Wednesday at a campaign event in Glendale , Arizona , called “ Evangelicals for Trump : Praise , Prayer , and Patriotism.
” James went to court to compel Eric Trump and other business associates to testify and turn over documents as part of a civil investigation into whether the family ’ s company , the Trump Organization , lied about the value of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ estate .
James ’ investigators are looking into how the Trump Organization and its agents assessed the value of Seven Springs , a 212-acre ( 86-hectare ) estate north of Manhattan that President Trump purchased in 1995 with the intent of turning it into a golf club .
After that project failed to progress , the elder Trump granted an easement over 158 acres ( 60 hectares ) to a conservation land trust in 2016 to qualify for an income tax deduction .
James ’ office said a professional appraisal at the time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million prior to the donation and that the land being conserved in exchange for the tax deduction was worth $ 21.1 million , it said .
Cohen said during his congressional testimony that when Trump was trying to buy the NFL ’ s Buffalo Bills in 2014 , he provided financial statements to Deutsche Bank saying Seven Springs was worth $ 291 million as of 2012 .
The attorney general ’ s office is also looking at a conservation easement donated over part of the Trump National Golf Club property near Los Angeles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2014 , and the handling of tax issues related to more than $ 100 million of debt from the Trump International Hotel and Tower Chicago that was forgiven between 2010 and 2012 .

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NEW YORK (AP) — Eric Trump must testify in a New York investigation into his family’s business practices before the November presidential election, a judge ruled Wednesday, rejecting his lawyers’ claims that his “extreme travel schedule” on the campaign trail warranted a delay.
State Judge Arthur Engoron said President Donald Trump’s middle son, a Trump Organization executive, must comply with a subpoena to give a deposition under oath no later than Oct. 7, adding that the court is not “bound by the timelines of the national election.”
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New York Attorney General Letitia James went to court to enforce Eric Trump’s subpoena after his lawyers abruptly canceled a July interview with investigators in her office’s probe, which is focused on whether the Trump Organization lied about the value of its assets in order to get loans or tax benefits.
Eric Trump, the company’s executive vice president of development and acquisitions, was first served with the subpoena in May. James, a Democrat, said in a statement after the ruling that “justice and the rule of law prevailed today.”
“To be clear, no entity or individual is allowed to dictate how or when our investigation will proceed or set the parameters of a lawful investigation,” James said. “The court’s order today makes clear that no one is above the law, not even an organization or an individual with the name Trump.”
A message seeking comment on the ruling was left with Eric Trump’s lawyer, Alan Futerfas.
In a court filing last week, his lawyers said he was willing to comply with the subpoena, but that he could do so only after the Nov. 3 election. Beside scheduling conflicts related to his father’s reelection campaign, they said they wanted “to avoid the use of his deposition attendance for political purposes.”
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At Wednesday’s hearing, Futerfas said they were “happy for him to sit down and be deposed,” but that they needed more time before he testified to review with him thousands of pages of documents that James’ office is seeking as part of the civil probe.
“As the world knows, there’s an election going on in about four weeks in this country, maybe five weeks,” Futerfas argued. “Eric Trump is a vital and integral part of that, and he’s traveling just about seven days a week.”
Matthew Colangelo, a lawyer for the attorney general’s office, countered that Eric Trump’s lawyers didn’t have a legal basis to seek a delay and were doing so “simply on the grounds of personal inconvenience to the witness.” He argued that the typical compliance deadline courts have found is reasonable is five days.
Eric Trump’s lawyers had proposed four dates for him to testify, the earliest being Nov. 19, which they contended was just after James’ office is scheduled to interview other witnesses in the investigation. Eric Trump switched lawyers in mid-July, Futerfas said, contributing to the need for a delay.
Eric Trump did not participate in Wednesday’s hearing, which was held via Skype. Eric, the third of Trump’s five children, was scheduled to appear Wednesday at a campaign event in Glendale, Arizona, called “Evangelicals for Trump: Praise, Prayer, and Patriotism.”
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James went to court to compel Eric Trump and other business associates to testify and turn over documents as part of a civil investigation into whether the family’s company, the Trump Organization, lied about the value of assets including a suburban New York City estate.
Investigators have yet to determine whether any law was broken, James’ office has said.
James launched the investigation in March 2019 after President Trump’s longtime personal lawyer Michael Cohen told Congress that the president had repeatedly inflated the value of his assets to obtain more favorable terms for loans and insurance coverage.
James’ investigators are looking into how the Trump Organization and its agents assessed the value of Seven Springs, a 212-acre (86-hectare) estate north of Manhattan that President Trump purchased in 1995 with the intent of turning it into a golf club.
After that project failed to progress, the elder Trump granted an easement over 158 acres (60 hectares) to a conservation land trust in 2016 to qualify for an income tax deduction. James’ office said a professional appraisal at the time determined Seven Springs was worth $56.5 million prior to the donation and that the land being conserved in exchange for the tax deduction was worth $21.1 million, it said.
Cohen said during his congressional testimony that when Trump was trying to buy the NFL’s Buffalo Bills in 2014, he provided financial statements to Deutsche Bank saying Seven Springs was worth $291 million as of 2012.
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The attorney general’s office is also looking at a conservation easement donated over part of the Trump National Golf Club property near Los Angeles in exchange for a tax deduction in 2014, and the handling of tax issues related to more than $100 million of debt from the Trump International Hotel and Tower Chicago that was forgiven between 2010 and 2012.
Investigators said they have not been able to confirm whether any of that forgiven debt was recognized as taxable income, according to the court filings.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-24--What Is Going On With Unemployment Claims?

More people than usual are losing their jobs , and policymakers have left workers to fend for themselves while the coronavirus pandemic continues virtually unabated within the U.S .
But experts say the claims data is not exactly right , and probably fewer than a million people actually got laid off in the traditional sense last week .
Shierholz said the claims number would be closer to half a million if it weren ’ t for recent policy changes allowing more people to qualify for benefits .
That ’ s still well above the level weekly claims in recent years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Multiple millions of people lost their jobs each week in March and April as state and local governments ordered businesses to shut down to encourage social distancing and slow the spread of the coronavirus .
The majority of those early layoff victims , however , expected to return to the jobs that laid them off ― another unprecedented feature of the coronavirus recession .
James Dooley of Gig Harbor , Washington , for instance , lost his job driving a truck for a sand and gravel company due to the coronavirus shutdown in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , along with the now-expired $ 600 federal supplement , but eagerly returned to work when they called him back a month later .
“ I was making more on unemployment than I was at work , but I need something to do , ” Dooley , 48 , said in an interview .
“ Even if you ’ re making more money , it ’ s not like I could go to the movies .
It ’ s not like I could hang out with friends or anything.
” Dooley said he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month later because the company ’ s trucks broke down .
He got another job driving for a subcontractor at a quarry , but said he lost that position last month after safety inspectors cited the mine ’ s owner for violations .
He feels certain he could get another job quickly if he needed to , but less certain he could find one he likes as much as the ones he lost this year .
More than a third of initial jobless claims in August were filed by people like Dooley , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then laid off again , according to an analysis of Labor Department data by Andrew Stettner , an unemployment expert with the Century Foundation .
It ’ s not a good time to lose your job .
There are more than two unemployed workers for every job opening , according to the latest data from the Labor Department ’ s Bureau of Labor Statistics , which said in its most recent monthly employment report that there were 13.6 million jobless workers in August .
There are more than 26 million “ continued claims @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thursday ’ s report from the department ’ s Employment and Training Administration .
The department characterizes continued claims as “ persons claiming benefits , ” but the number reflects claims , not actual people .
It includes workers filing belated claims for multiple weeks , for instance , resulting in each week being counted as its own separate claim .
The number of unemployment claimants is higher than the number separately tabulated as unemployed for a variety of reasons , including eligibility changes that have allowed workers to claim partial benefits even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Stettner said 12 % of new claims in August were for partial benefits , whose recipients would not count as unemployed .
In March , Congress created a special federal benefit to catch workers who aren ’ t eligible for traditional state-funded unemployment insurance , such as Uber drivers and entrepreneurs .
Of the 1.5 million new claims the Labor Department announced Thursday , 630,000 were for the special Pandemic Unemployment Assistance benefits that did not exist in previous recessions .
The claims numbers are not compiled by economists in the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Department reports .
Instead , 53 different state and territory agencies report them to Washington ― all of which have struggled with the fundamental tasks of answering their phones and offering functional websites .
Errors often plague data coming from state agencies , said Michele Evermore , an unemployment expert with the National Employment Law Project .
Layoffs are “ still higher than the highest point in history but the data is just so off and so bad right now , ” Evermore said .
In an example of data volatility , Thursday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the number of ongoing claims for pandemic assistance , with the total number of people continuing to receive the new federal benefit after filing an initial claim falling from 14.4 million to 11.5 million , likely because California froze its pandemic program in order to clear a backlog and stop suspected fraud .
Sophisticated fraud rings have targeted creaky benefit systems in state after state .
Stettner said that the new initial unemployment claims may not be a great proxy for layoffs in the sense that a million-plus people are not suddenly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people are losing long-held jobs , but some people are losing hours of work , and a significant chunk are losing jobs that they had already lost and regained .

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The U.S. Labor Department announced Thursday that 1.5 million American workers filed new unemployment claims last week, marking 27 consecutive weeks above a million ― a shocking streak.
Before this crisis, there had never been more than a million new unemployment claims in a single week, according to seasonally adjusted Labor Department data going back to 1967.
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More people than usual are losing their jobs, and policymakers have left workers to fend for themselves while the coronavirus pandemic continues virtually unabated within the U.S. But experts say the claims data is not exactly right, and probably fewer than a million people actually got laid off in the traditional sense last week.
“I do not think there actually are a million people losing their jobs every week now,” said Heidi Shierholz, a former Labor Department chief economist now with the liberal Economic Policy Institute.
Shierholz said the claims number would be closer to half a million if it weren’t for recent policy changes allowing more people to qualify for benefits. That’s still well above the level weekly claims in recent years, which have hovered around 200,000.
Multiple millions of people lost their jobs each week in March and April as state and local governments ordered businesses to shut down to encourage social distancing and slow the spread of the coronavirus. The majority of those early layoff victims, however, expected to return to the jobs that laid them off ― another unprecedented feature of the coronavirus recession.
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James Dooley of Gig Harbor, Washington, for instance, lost his job driving a truck for a sand and gravel company due to the coronavirus shutdown in March. He started receiving unemployment benefits, along with the now-expired $600 federal supplement, but eagerly returned to work when they called him back a month later.
“I was making more on unemployment than I was at work, but I need something to do,” Dooley, 48, said in an interview. “Even if you’re making more money, it’s not like I could go to the movies. It’s not like I could hang out with friends or anything.”
Dooley said he lost that job, again, a month later because the company’s trucks broke down. He got another job driving for a subcontractor at a quarry, but said he lost that position last month after safety inspectors cited the mine’s owner for violations. He feels certain he could get another job quickly if he needed to, but less certain he could find one he likes as much as the ones he lost this year.
“It’s disheartening,” said Dooley, who has resumed his unemployment claim without the federal supplement.
More than a third of initial jobless claims in August were filed by people like Dooley, who got laid off, rehired and then laid off again, according to an analysis of Labor Department data by Andrew Stettner, an unemployment expert with the Century Foundation.
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“You’ve already been kicked to the ground and you start to get up and you get kicked again,” he said.
It’s not a good time to lose your job. There are more than two unemployed workers for every job opening, according to the latest data from the Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, which said in its most recent monthly employment report that there were 13.6 million jobless workers in August.
There are more than 26 million “continued claims” for unemployment benefits, according to Thursday’s report from the department’s Employment and Training Administration. The department characterizes continued claims as “persons claiming benefits,” but the number reflects claims, not actual people. It includes workers filing belated claims for multiple weeks, for instance, resulting in each week being counted as its own separate claim.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics tracks layoffs separately, and its data shows layoffs declined to their pre-pandemic levels in May.
The number of unemployment claimants is higher than the number separately tabulated as unemployed for a variety of reasons, including eligibility changes that have allowed workers to claim partial benefits even if they’re working part time. Stettner said 12% of new claims in August were for partial benefits, whose recipients would not count as unemployed.
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In March, Congress created a special federal benefit to catch workers who aren’t eligible for traditional state-funded unemployment insurance, such as Uber drivers and entrepreneurs. Of the 1.5 million new claims the Labor Department announced Thursday, 630,000 were for the special Pandemic Unemployment Assistance benefits that did not exist in previous recessions.
The claims numbers are not compiled by economists in the same manner as other jobs data the Labor Department reports. Instead, 53 different state and territory agencies report them to Washington ― all of which have struggled with the fundamental tasks of answering their phones and offering functional websites.
Errors often plague data coming from state agencies, said Michele Evermore, an unemployment expert with the National Employment Law Project. Layoffs are “still higher than the highest point in history but the data is just so off and so bad right now,” Evermore said.
In an example of data volatility, Thursday’s report included a sharp drop in the number of ongoing claims for pandemic assistance, with the total number of people continuing to receive the new federal benefit after filing an initial claim falling from 14.4 million to 11.5 million, likely because California froze its pandemic program in order to clear a backlog and stop suspected fraud. Sophisticated fraud rings have targeted creaky benefit systems in state after state.
Stettner said that the new initial unemployment claims may not be a great proxy for layoffs in the sense that a million-plus people are not suddenly getting axed out of nowhere. Many people are losing long-held jobs, but some people are losing hours of work, and a significant chunk are losing jobs that they had already lost and regained.
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Stetter said the numbers are still a reasonable measure of economic suffering.
“I still think it’s a million new people each week that are either losing a job or losing hours,” he said.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-24--President's Niece Mary Trump Sues Trump Family For Millions

NEW YORK ( AP ) — Donald Trump ’ s niece followed up her best-selling , tell-all book with a lawsuit Thursday alleging that the president and two of his siblings cheated her out of millions of dollars over several decades while squeezing her out of the family business .
The lawsuit alleged the president , his brother Robert , and a sister , the former federal judge Maryanne Trump Barry , portrayed themselves as Mary Trump ’ s protectors while secretly taking her share of minority interests in the family ’ s extensive real estate holdings .
Robert Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were sent to the Justice Department and lawyers for the president .
Messages also were sent to a lawyer for Robert Trump and to email addresses listed for Maryanne Trump Barry .
According to the lawsuit , Donald Trump and his siblings devalued Mary Trump ’ s interests , which included a share of hundreds of New York City apartments , by millions of dollars even before Donald Trump ’ s father , Fred Trump Sr. , died on June 25 , 1999 .
After the family patriarch ’ s death , Mary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the will and Donald Trump and his siblings “ ratcheted up the pressure ” to settle by cutting off health insurance to their niece and nephew , the lawsuit said .
As they pressured Mary Trump to accept a settlement and relinquish all interests in the Trump businesses , the uncles and aunt provided fraudulent accounting and financial statements that misrepresented the value of their father ’ s estate at $ 30 million or less , the lawsuit said .
In keeping with a confidentiality clause in a settlement of the dispute over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawyers for Mary Trump refused to say how much she received .
But the numbers provided in Thursday ’ s lawsuit make it unlikely that she would have received more than several million dollars .
In a lawsuit aimed at stopping the July publication of Mary Trump ’ s book , “ Too Much and Never Enough : How My Family Created the World ’ s Most Dangerous Man , ” Robert Trump said the payout was substantial .
Roberta Kaplan , one of Mary Trump ’ s lawyers , said in an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a level that is certainly miles away from the luxury her aunts and uncles enjoy.
” Since her book ’ s publication , Mary Trump has promoted it extensively .
She also has released portions of 15 hours of recordings she made in 2018 and 2019 with Maryanne Trump Barry in which her aunt is heard criticizing Donald Trump , saying “ he has no principles ” at one point and “ Donald is cruel ” at another .
The lawsuit said the fraud against Mary Trump “ was particularly egregious and morally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they disliked her.
” It noted that the president , in a tweet , has said she was “ rightfully shunned , scorned and mocked her entire life.
” It said cited tweets in which he described her as “ a mess ” who her grandfather “ couldn ’ t stand.
” In her book , Mary Trump , a psychologist , analyzed the president extensively in unflattering ways and made an assertion — which he denied — that he paid someone to take the SATs for him when he sought to transfer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump maintains that she learned of the fraud only after an in depth analysis of the Trump family financial history by The New York Times that discussed how Donald Trump and his siblings inherited and built fortunes .
In a statement , she said : “ Recently , I learned that rather than protecting me , they instead betrayed me by working together in secret to steal from me , by telling lie after lie about the value of what I had inherited , and by conning me into giving everything away for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I am bringing this case to hold them accountable and to recover what is rightfully mine .
”

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NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump’s niece followed up her best-selling, tell-all book with a lawsuit Thursday alleging that the president and two of his siblings cheated her out of millions of dollars over several decades while squeezing her out of the family business.
Mary L. Trump sought unspecified damages in the lawsuit, filed in a state court in New York City.
“Fraud was not just the family business — it was a way of life,” the lawsuit said.
The lawsuit alleged the president, his brother Robert, and a sister, the former federal judge Maryanne Trump Barry, portrayed themselves as Mary Trump’s protectors while secretly taking her share of minority interests in the family’s extensive real estate holdings. Robert Trump died last month.
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Messages seeking comment were sent to the Justice Department and lawyers for the president. Messages also were sent to a lawyer for Robert Trump and to email addresses listed for Maryanne Trump Barry.
Mary Trump and her brother, Fred Trump III, inherited various real estate business interests when her father, Fred Trump Jr., died in 1981 at 42 after a struggle with alcoholism. Mary Trump was 16 at the time.
According to the lawsuit, Donald Trump and his siblings devalued Mary Trump’s interests, which included a share of hundreds of New York City apartments, by millions of dollars even before Donald Trump’s father, Fred Trump Sr., died on June 25, 1999.
After the family patriarch’s death, Mary Trump and her brother filed objections to the will and Donald Trump and his siblings “ratcheted up the pressure” to settle by cutting off health insurance to their niece and nephew, the lawsuit said.
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It said the action amounted to “unfathomable cruelty” because Fred Trump III’s third child, born hours after Fred Trump Sr.’s funeral, was having seizures and required extensive medical care including months in a neonatal intensive care unit.
As they pressured Mary Trump to accept a settlement and relinquish all interests in the Trump businesses, the uncles and aunt provided fraudulent accounting and financial statements that misrepresented the value of their father’s estate at $30 million or less, the lawsuit said.
“In reality, Mary’s Interests were worth tens of millions of dollars more than what Defendants represented to her and what she received,” the lawsuit said.
In keeping with a confidentiality clause in a settlement of the dispute over Fred Trump Sr.’s will, lawyers for Mary Trump refused to say how much she received. But the numbers provided in Thursday’s lawsuit make it unlikely that she would have received more than several million dollars.
In a lawsuit aimed at stopping the July publication of Mary Trump’s book, “Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man,” Robert Trump said the payout was substantial.
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Roberta Kaplan, one of Mary Trump’s lawyers, said in an interview that today she lives “at a level that is certainly miles away from the luxury her aunts and uncles enjoy.”
Since her book’s publication, Mary Trump has promoted it extensively. She also has released portions of 15 hours of recordings she made in 2018 and 2019 with Maryanne Trump Barry in which her aunt is heard criticizing Donald Trump, saying “he has no principles” at one point and “Donald is cruel” at another.
The lawsuit said the fraud against Mary Trump “was particularly egregious and morally culpable because Defendants deliberately targeted her because they disliked her.” It noted that the president, in a tweet, has said she was “rightfully shunned, scorned and mocked her entire life.” It said cited tweets in which he described her as “a mess” who her grandfather “couldn’t stand.”
In her book, Mary Trump, a psychologist, analyzed the president extensively in unflattering ways and made an assertion — which he denied — that he paid someone to take the SATs for him when he sought to transfer to the University of Pennsylvania.
The lawsuit, which seeks a jury trial, would have to overcome laws that limit how long someone can wait to sue over fraudulent activity.
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Mary Trump maintains that she learned of the fraud only after an in depth analysis of the Trump family financial history by The New York Times that discussed how Donald Trump and his siblings inherited and built fortunes.
In a statement, she said: “Recently, I learned that rather than protecting me, they instead betrayed me by working together in secret to steal from me, by telling lie after lie about the value of what I had inherited, and by conning me into giving everything away for a fraction of its true value. I am bringing this case to hold them accountable and to recover what is rightfully mine.”