thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-02--Olympic Decathlon Champ Rafer Johnson Dead At 86

His Olympic career included carrying the U.S. flag at the 1960 Games and lighting the torch at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to open the 1984 Games .
Johnson set world records in the decathlon three different times amid a fierce rivalry with his UCLA teammate C.K .
Yang of Taiwan and Vasily Kuznetsov of the former Soviet Union .
On June 5 , 1968 , Johnson was working on Kennedy ’ s presidential campaign when the Democratic candidate was shot in the kitchen of the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles .
Johnson joined former NFL star Rosey Grier and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moments after he shot Kennedy , who died the next day .
“ I knew he did everything he could to take care of Uncle Bobby at his most vulnerable moment , ” Kennedy ’ s niece , Maria Shriver , said by phone .
“ His devotion to Uncle Bobby was pure and real .
He had protected his friend .
Even after Uncle Bobby ’ s death he stayed close.
” They eventually settled in Kingsburg , near Fresno in the San Joaquin Valley .
It was less than 25 miles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who would win the decathlon at the 1948 and 1952 Olympics and prove an early inspiration to Johnson .
After winning the national decathlon championship in 1956 , Johnson was the favorite for the Olympics in Melbourne , but pulled a stomach muscle and strained a knee while training .
He was forced to withdraw from the long jump , for which he had also qualified , but tried to gut out the decathlon .
“ We were all there to fete him and he just didn ’ t want to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ That was one of the things I loved about him .
He didn ’ t want credit.
” Johnson retired from competition after the Rome Olympics .
He began acting in movies , including appearances in “ Wild in the Country ” with Elvis Presley , “ None But the Brave ” with Frank Sinatra and the 1989 James Bond film “ License to Kill.
” He worked briefly as a TV sportscaster before becoming a vice president at Continental Telephone in 1971 .
His children , Jenny Johnson Jordan and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jenny was a beach volleyball player who competed in the 2000 Sydney Olympics and is on the coaching staff of UCLA ’ s beach volleyball team .
Josh competed in javelin at UCLA , where he was an All-American .

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Rafer Johnson, who won the decathlon at the 1960 Rome Olympics and helped subdue Robert F. Kennedy’s assassin in 1968, died Wednesday. He was 86.
He died at his home in the Sherman Oaks section of Los Angeles, according to family friend Michael Roth. No cause of death was announced.
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Johnson was among the world’s greatest athletes from 1955 through his Olympic triumph in 1960, winning a national decathlon championship in 1956 and a silver medal at the Melbourne Olympics that same year.
His Olympic career included carrying the U.S. flag at the 1960 Games and lighting the torch at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to open the 1984 Games. Johnson set world records in the decathlon three different times amid a fierce rivalry with his UCLA teammate C.K. Yang of Taiwan and Vasily Kuznetsov of the former Soviet Union.
Rafer Johnson, who won the decathlon at the 1960 Rome Olympics and helped subdue Robert F. Kennedy’s assassin in 1968, died Wednesday. He was 86. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Johnson won a gold medal at the Pan American Games in 1955 while competing in just his fourth decathlon. At a welcome home meet afterward in Kingsburg, California, he set his first world record, breaking the mark of two-time Olympic champion and his childhood hero Bob Mathias.
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On June 5, 1968, Johnson was working on Kennedy’s presidential campaign when the Democratic candidate was shot in the kitchen of the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. Johnson joined former NFL star Rosey Grier and journalist George Plimpton in apprehending Sirhan Sirhan moments after he shot Kennedy, who died the next day.
“I knew he did everything he could to take care of Uncle Bobby at his most vulnerable moment,” Kennedy’s niece, Maria Shriver, said by phone. “His devotion to Uncle Bobby was pure and real. He had protected his friend. Even after Uncle Bobby’s death he stayed close.”
Johnson later called the assassination “one of the most devastating moments in my life.”
Born Rafer Lewis Johnson on Aug. 18, 1934, in Hillsboro, Texas, he moved to California in 1945 with his family, including his brother Jim, a future NFL Hall of Fame inductee. Although some sources cite Johnson’s birth year as 1935, the family has said that is incorrect.
They eventually settled in Kingsburg, near Fresno in the San Joaquin Valley. It was less than 25 miles from Tulare, the hometown of Mathias, who would win the decathlon at the 1948 and 1952 Olympics and prove an early inspiration to Johnson.
Johnson was a standout student and played football, basketball, baseball and track and field at Kingsburg Joint Union High. At 6-foot-3 and 200-plus pounds, he looked more like a linebacker than a track and field athlete.
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During his junior year of high school, Johnson’s coach took him to Tulare to watch Mathias compete in a decathlon, an experience Johnson later said spurred him to take up the grueling 10-event sport.
As a freshman at UCLA, where he received academic and athletic scholarships, Johnson won gold at the the 1955 Pan Am Games, and set a world record of 7,985 points.
After winning the national decathlon championship in 1956, Johnson was the favorite for the Olympics in Melbourne, but pulled a stomach muscle and strained a knee while training. He was forced to withdraw from the long jump, for which he had also qualified, but tried to gut out the decathlon.
Johnson’s teammate Milt Campbell, a virtual unknown, gave the performance of his life, finishing with 7,937 points to win gold, 350 ahead of Johnson.
It was the last time Johnson would ever come in second.
Johnson, Yang, and Kuznetzov had their way with the record books between the 1956 and 1960 Olympics.
Kuznetzov, a two-time Olympic bronze medalist who the Soviets called their “man of steel,” broke Johnson’s world record in May 1958 with 8,016 points.
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Later that year at a U.S.-Soviet dual meet in Moscow, Johnson beat Kuznetzov by 405 points and reclaimed the world record with 8,302 points. Johnson won over the Soviet audience with his gutsy performance in front of what had been a hostile crowd.
A car accident and subsequent back injury kept Johnson out of competition during 1959, but he was healthy again for the Olympics in 1960.
Yang was his primary competition in Rome. Yang won six of the first nine events, but Johnson led by 66 points going into the 1,500 meters, the decathlon’s final event.
Johnson had to finish within 10 seconds of Yang, which was no small feat as Yang was much stronger running at distance than Johnson.
Johnson finished just 1.2 seconds and six yards behind Yang to win the gold. Yang earned silver and Kuznetsov took bronze.
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At UCLA, Johnson played basketball for coach John Wooden, becoming a starter on the 1958-59 team. In 1958, he was elected student body president, the third Black to hold the office in school history.
“He stood for what he believed in and he did it in a very classy way with grace and dignity,” Olympic champion swimmer Janet Evans said by phone.
Evans last saw Johnson, who attended her 2004 wedding, at a luncheon in his honor in May 2019.
“We were all there to fete him and he just didn’t want to be in the spotlight,” she said. “That was one of the things I loved about him. He didn’t want credit.”
Johnson retired from competition after the Rome Olympics. He began acting in movies, including appearances in “Wild in the Country” with Elvis Presley, “None But the Brave” with Frank Sinatra and the 1989 James Bond film “License to Kill.” He worked briefly as a TV sportscaster before becoming a vice president at Continental Telephone in 1971.
In 1984 Johnson lit the Olympic flame for the Los Angeles Games. He took the torch from Gina Hemphill, granddaughter of Olympic great Jesse Owens, who ran it into the Coliseum.
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“Standing there and looking out, I remember thinking ‘I wish I had a camera,’” Johnson said. “My hair was standing straight up on my arm. Words really seem inadequate.”
Throughout his life, Johnson was widely known for his humanitarian efforts.
He served on the organizing committee of the first Special Olympics in Chicago in 1968, working with founder Eunice Kennedy Shriver. Johnson founded California Special Olympics the following year at a time when positive role models for the intellectually and physically disabled were rare.
“Rafer really paved the path for many of us to understand the responsibilities that come with being a successful athlete and the number of lives you can impact and change,” Evans said.
Maria Shriver recalled meeting Johnson for the first time at age 10 or 11 through her mother Eunice.
“He and I joked that I’ve been in love with him ever since,” she said. “He really was an extraordinary man, such a loving, gracious, elegant, humble man who handled his success in such a beautiful way and stayed so true to himself throughout his life.”
Peter Ueberroth, who chose Johnson to light the Olympic torch in 1984, called him “just one great person, a marvelous human being.”
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Johnson worked for the Peace Corps, March of Dimes, Muscular Dystrophy Association and American Red Cross. In 2016, he received the UCLA Medal, the university’s highest award for extraordinary accomplishments. The school’s track is named for Johnson and his wife Betsy.
His children, Jenny Johnson Jordan and Josh Johnson, were athletes themselves. Jenny was a beach volleyball player who competed in the 2000 Sydney Olympics and is on the coaching staff of UCLA’s beach volleyball team. Josh competed in javelin at UCLA, where he was an All-American.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-02--Airlines No Longer Have To Treat Emotional Support Animals As Service Animals

WASHINGTON , Dec 2 ( Reuters ) - Only trained dogs qualify as service animals on U.S. airlines , as regulators rejected requests to extend legal protections to miniature horses , monkeys and other species , under final U.S. Transportation Department rules issued Wednesday .
Airlines can still choose which other species to allow onboard , but the rules issued on Wednesday largely resolve years of disputes with passengers who falsely claim pets as “ emotional support animals , ” which may travel in the cabin with little oversight .
Under existing rules , airlines were required to recognize with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ animals .
Now they can classify them as pets .
Legally protected service animals are now limited to dogs trained to do perform tasks for a person who may be visually impaired or have psychiatric or other disabilities , and airlines do not have to allow “ emotional support animals.
” Different airlines have different policies around traveling with animals .
But according to a new Department of Transportation rule , airlines are no longer required to recognize emotional support animals as service animals .
Instead , ESAs can be treated as pets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's pet policies may be .
Airlines charge as much as $ 175 to transport pets , a good reason to claim pets as emotional support animals .
As recently as 2017 , U.S. carriers transported 751,000 of them .
Species such as horses , cats and capuchin monkeys will not get service animal status from U.S. regulators , but airlines may recognize them as service animals if they choose .
Airlines may still not refuse a service animal based solely on breed or generalized physical type .
Airlines for America , an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” will protect the traveling public and airline crew members from untrained animals in the cabin.
” U.S. carriers including Southwest Airlines Co , Delta Air Lines , United Airlines and American Airlines in recent years have limited emotional support animals in cabins to largely dogs and cats after passengers boarded with exotic pets such as monkeys , pigs and birds that could pose a safety risk .
Spirit Airlines Inc told regulators it had lost ” millions of dollars in pet carriage fees from passengers fraudulently claiming their ‘ house pets are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2018 , Delta noted some passengers “ attempted to fly with comfort turkeys , gliding possums known as sugar gliders , snakes ” and spiders .
That year , American Airlines said it would not allow a wide variety of creatures on flights as support animals including goats , ferrets , hedgehogs , amphibians and reptiles .
The new rules will take effect 30 days after publication in the federal register .

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WASHINGTON, Dec 2 (Reuters) - Only trained dogs qualify as service animals on U.S. airlines, as regulators rejected requests to extend legal protections to miniature horses, monkeys and other species, under final U.S. Transportation Department rules issued Wednesday.
Airlines can still choose which other species to allow onboard, but the rules issued on Wednesday largely resolve years of disputes with passengers who falsely claim pets as “emotional support animals,” which may travel in the cabin with little oversight.
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Under existing rules, airlines were required to recognize with limited exceptions emotional support animals as service animals. Now they can classify them as pets.
Legally protected service animals are now limited to dogs trained to do perform tasks for a person who may be visually impaired or have psychiatric or other disabilities, and airlines do not have to allow “emotional support animals.”
Different airlines have different policies around traveling with animals. But according to a new Department of Transportation rule, airlines are no longer required to recognize emotional support animals as service animals. Instead, ESAs can be treated as pets, and subject to whatever the airline's pet policies may be. nadisja via Getty Images
Airlines charge as much as $175 to transport pets, a good reason to claim pets as emotional support animals. As recently as 2017, U.S. carriers transported 751,000 of them.
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Species such as horses, cats and capuchin monkeys will not get service animal status from U.S. regulators, but airlines may recognize them as service animals if they choose. Airlines may still not refuse a service animal based solely on breed or generalized physical type.
Airlines for America, an industry trade group, said the rule”will protect the traveling public and airline crew members from untrained animals in the cabin.”
U.S. carriers including Southwest Airlines Co, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and American Airlines in recent years have limited emotional support animals in cabins to largely dogs and cats after passengers boarded with exotic pets such as monkeys, pigs and birds that could pose a safety risk.
Spirit Airlines Inc told regulators it had lost”millions of dollars in pet carriage fees from passengers fraudulently claiming their ‘house pets are service or support animals.’”
In 2018, Delta noted some passengers “attempted to fly with comfort turkeys, gliding possums known as sugar gliders, snakes”and spiders. That year, American Airlines said it would not allow a wide variety of creatures on flights as support animals including goats, ferrets, hedgehogs, amphibians and reptiles.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-02--Crystal Mason, Imprisoned For Illegal Voting In 2016, Appeals To Texas Top Court

Max Faulkner/Fort Worth Star-Telegram/Tribune News Service via Getty Images Crystal Mason ( middle ) was convicted for illegal voting and sentenced to five years in prison in 2018 .
Crystal Mason , a Black woman who was imprisoned in Texas for casting a provisional ballot in 2016 while she was ineligible to vote , is appealing to overturn her conviction .
“ This is one of the most important voting rights cases in modern Texas history , ” said Andre Segura , legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas , in a press release announcing the appeal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals , cites as precedent the case of Tom DeLay , a former high-level Texas congressman whose conviction for campaign finance violations was overturned by the court in 2013 .
“ In reversing the criminal conviction of former Republican U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay , the Court held that an individual must actually realize they are acting in violation of the Election Code in order to be lawfully convicted for such a violation , ” Segura said .
Mason contends she did not realize she was ineligible to vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ team of legal experts supporting Mason ’ s effort to overturn her conviction , which has been widely condemned by human and civil rights activists .
In 2018 , a Texas judge sentenced Mason to five years in prison for voting illegally , after she submitted a provisional ballot in 2016 while on supervised release for a previous tax fraud conviction .
Texas law prohibits people with felony convictions from voting until they ’ ve completed their sentence .
During her trial , Mason said she wasn ’ t aware that she was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cast her ballot and a probation official testified that he ’ d never warned her she would face repercussions if she tried to vote .
Although Mason ’ s provisional ballot was never counted , she was still convicted and served several months in prison for illegal voting .
Her case garnered national attention , with civil rights activists pointing to Mason ’ s imprisonment as an example of voter suppression and the disproportionately punitive treatment that Black people often receive from the government when trying to vote .
Her conviction was still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ March of this year .
She has now turned to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals , which is effectively the state ’ s supreme court for criminal cases .
When HuffPost spent several days with Mason ahead of oral arguments in that earlier appeal , she shared that the conviction had already devastated her life , causing her to lose her job and potentially her home and forcing her to leave responsibilities to her teenage daughter while Mason went to prison .
She was released to a halfway house this spring .

Crystal Mason, a Black woman who was imprisoned in Texas for casting a provisional ballot in 2016 while she was ineligible to vote, is appealing to overturn her conviction.
“This is one of the most important voting rights cases in modern Texas history,” said Andre Segura, legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas, in a press release announcing the appeal. The filing, submitted Monday to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, cites as precedent the case of Tom DeLay, a former high-level Texas congressman whose conviction for campaign finance violations was overturned by the court in 2013.
“In reversing the criminal conviction of former Republican U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay, the Court held that an individual must actually realize they are acting in violation of the Election Code in order to be lawfully convicted for such a violation,” Segura said. Mason contends she did not realize she was ineligible to vote.
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The Texas ACLU is among a team of legal experts supporting Mason’s effort to overturn her conviction, which has been widely condemned by human and civil rights activists.
In 2018, a Texas judge sentenced Mason to five years in prison for voting illegally, after she submitted a provisional ballot in 2016 while on supervised release for a previous tax fraud conviction. Texas law prohibits people with felony convictions from voting until they’ve completed their sentence. During her trial, Mason said she wasn’t aware that she was ineligible to vote at the time she cast her ballot and a probation official testified that he’d never warned her she would face repercussions if she tried to vote. Although Mason’s provisional ballot was never counted, she was still convicted and served several months in prison for illegal voting.
Her case garnered national attention, with civil rights activists pointing to Mason’s imprisonment as an example of voter suppression and the disproportionately punitive treatment that Black people often receive from the government when trying to vote. Her conviction was still upheld by a lower appeals court in March of this year. She has now turned to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, which is effectively the state’s supreme court for criminal cases.
When HuffPost spent several days with Mason ahead of oral arguments in that earlier appeal, she shared that the conviction had already devastated her life, causing her to lose her job and potentially her home and forcing her to leave responsibilities to her teenage daughter while Mason went to prison. She was released to a halfway house this spring.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-03--Former Presidents Pledge To Take Vaccine

Former Presidents Pledge To Take Vaccine Former Presidents Barack Obama , George W. Bush and Bill Clinton all said they @ @ @ @ @ .

Former Presidents Pledge To Take Vaccine
Former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton all said they would take a coronavirus vaccine.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-03--Ex-RNC Chair Has 1 Damning Word For People Still Donating To Donald Trump

Michael Steele , the former chair of the Republican National Committee , could barely contain his contempt on Wednesday as he talked about people who are donating to President Donald Trump ’ s futile bid to overturn the 2020 election results .
Steele used one word to describe the donors ― “ suckers ” ― as he warned them that the reported $ 170 million contributed so far “ ain ’ t going to no recount ” but instead is being put into a so-called “ leadership ” PAC whose rules on spending are not massively regulated .
“ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Donald Trump right now is raising money at a faster rate to , sort of , steal the election than he did when he was trying to win the election , ” Steele told MSNBC ’ s Joy Reid .
“ And that ’ s what people need to understand .
All right ?
” he added .
“ He ’ s raising more money now than he did when he was actually running for the job that he ’ s now trying to say that they stole from him !
So , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ baby !
It is just on .
You need to understand it.
” Steele ran the RNC from 2009 to 2011 and has been a vocal Republican thorn in Trump ’ s side throughout his presidency .
He acknowledged that people can give Trump all the money they want .
“ That ’ s on you , ” he said .
“ But know what it ’ s going to.
” Steele ’ s comments echoed those of CNN ’ s Anderson Cooper , who on Tuesday described Trump ’ s fundraising effort @ @ @ @ @ @

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Michael Steele, the former chair of the Republican National Committee, could barely contain his contempt on Wednesday as he talked about people who are donating to President Donald Trump’s futile bid to overturn the 2020 election results.
Steele used one word to describe the donors ― “suckers” ― as he warned them that the reported $170 million contributed so far “ain’t going to no recount” but instead is being put into a so-called “leadership” PAC whose rules on spending are not massively regulated.
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“The great little dirty part of this is Donald Trump right now is raising money at a faster rate to, sort of, steal the election than he did when he was trying to win the election,” Steele told MSNBC’s Joy Reid.
“And that’s what people need to understand. All right?” he added. “He’s raising more money now than he did when he was actually running for the job that he’s now trying to say that they stole from him! So, look, the grift is on, baby! It is just on. You need to understand it.”
Steele ran the RNC from 2009 to 2011 and has been a vocal Republican thorn in Trump’s side throughout his presidency.
He acknowledged that people can give Trump all the money they want.
“That’s on you,” he said. “But know what it’s going to.”
Steele’s comments echoed those of CNN’s Anderson Cooper, who on Tuesday described Trump’s fundraising effort as “another con.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-03--Mary Trump Warns What Her Uncle Will Put 'Considerable Energy' Into Post-Presidency

Mary Trump doesn ’ t think her uncle , Donald Trump , will run for president again — despite his teasing this week of a 2024 campaign .
But the author and clinical psychologist — who released the tell-all memoir “ Too Much and Never Enough ” about her uncle in July ― doesn ’ t expect him to step away from politics altogether either .
Instead , Mary Trump thinks the outgoing president will “ take the position of spoiler because he lost so decisively ” to President-elect Joe Biden and “ because he can not bear the thought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to put considerable energy , as least as long as he ’ s able to , into delegitimizing Biden ’ s win and his administration , ” she warned on Wednesday ’ s broadcast of CNN ’ s “ Cuomo Prime Time.
” It would be “ terrible ” for the United States , she told host Chris Cuomo .
“ At that point , we need to look at the Republicans in power and lay the blame at their feet at that point because they would be in a position to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seem not to be willing to do that because they know they need Donald ’ s base , ” said Trump .
Post presidency , President Trump will `` put considerable energy , at least as long as he 's able to , into delegitimizing Joe Biden 's win and his administration , '' but he wo n't run for President again , predicts his niece , Mary Trump .
pic.twitter.com/9yMrdrIrOv — Cuomo Prime Time ( @ CuomoPrimeTime ) December 3 , 2020

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Mary Trump doesn’t think her uncle, Donald Trump, will run for president again — despite his teasing this week of a 2024 campaign.
But the author and clinical psychologist — who released the tell-all memoir “Too Much and Never Enough” about her uncle in July ― doesn’t expect him to step away from politics altogether either.
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Instead, Mary Trump thinks the outgoing president will “take the position of spoiler because he lost so decisively” to President-elect Joe Biden and “because he cannot bear the thought of losing.”
“He’s going to put considerable energy, as least as long as he’s able to, into delegitimizing Biden’s win and his administration,” she warned on Wednesday’s broadcast of CNN’s “Cuomo Prime Time.”
It would be “terrible” for the United States, she told host Chris Cuomo.
“At that point, we need to look at the Republicans in power and lay the blame at their feet at that point because they would be in a position to stop this insanity and thus far they seem not to be willing to do that because they know they need Donald’s base,” said Trump.
“The ReTrumplicans,” Cuomo responded.
Check out the full interview here:
Post presidency, President Trump will "put considerable energy, at least as long as he's able to, into delegitimizing Joe Biden's win and his administration," but he won't run for President again, predicts his niece, Mary Trump. pic.twitter.com/9yMrdrIrOv — Cuomo Prime Time (@CuomoPrimeTime) December 3, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-03--Ivanka Trump Deposed As Part Of Inauguration Donor Funds Lawsuit

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — Ivanka Trump has been deposed by attorneys alleging that President Donald Trump ’ s 2017 inauguration committee misused donor funds , a new court filing reveals .
The document , first reported by CNN Wednesday , notes that Ivanka Trump , the president ’ s oldest daughter and a senior White House adviser , was interviewed Tuesday by attorneys from the Washington , D.C. , attorney general ’ s office .
The office has filed a lawsuit alleging waste of the nonprofit ’ s funds , accusing the committee of making more than $ 1 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Washington , D.C. , hotel during the week of the inauguration in 2017 .
As part of the suit , they have subpoenaed records from Ivanka Trump , first lady Melania Trump , Thomas Barrack Jr. , a close friend of the president who chaired the inaugural committee , and others .
Barrack was also deposed last month .
Trump ’ s inaugural committee spent more than $ 1 million to book a ballroom at the Trump International Hotel in the nation ’ s capital as part of a scheme to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and enrich the president ’ s own family in the process , the District of Columbia ’ s attorney general , Karl Racine , alleges .
He has accused the committee of misusing nonprofit funds and coordinating with the hotel ’ s management and members of the Trump family to arrange the events .
“ District law requires nonprofits to use their funds for their stated public purpose , not to benefit private individuals or companies , ” Racine has said .
“ In this case , we are seeking to recover the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the Trump family business.
” The committee raised an unprecedented $ 107 million to host events celebrating Trump ’ s inauguration in January 2017 , but its spending has drawn continued scrutiny .
In a statement , Alan Garten with the Trump Organization said that “ Ms .
Trump ’ s only involvement was connecting the parties and instructing the hotel to charge a ‘ fair market rate , ’ which the hotel did .
”

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Ivanka Trump has been deposed by attorneys alleging that President Donald Trump’s 2017 inauguration committee misused donor funds, a new court filing reveals.
The document, first reported by CNN Wednesday, notes that Ivanka Trump, the president’s oldest daughter and a senior White House adviser, was interviewed Tuesday by attorneys from the Washington, D.C., attorney general’s office.
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The office has filed a lawsuit alleging waste of the nonprofit’s funds, accusing the committee of making more than $1 million in improper payments to the president’s Washington, D.C., hotel during the week of the inauguration in 2017.
As part of the suit, they have subpoenaed records from Ivanka Trump, first lady Melania Trump, Thomas Barrack Jr., a close friend of the president who chaired the inaugural committee, and others. Barrack was also deposed last month.
Trump’s inaugural committee spent more than $1 million to book a ballroom at the Trump International Hotel in the nation’s capital as part of a scheme to “grossly overpay” for party space and enrich the president’s own family in the process, the District of Columbia’s attorney general, Karl Racine, alleges.
He has accused the committee of misusing nonprofit funds and coordinating with the hotel’s management and members of the Trump family to arrange the events.
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“District law requires nonprofits to use their funds for their stated public purpose, not to benefit private individuals or companies,” Racine has said. “In this case, we are seeking to recover the nonprofit funds that were improperly funneled directly to the Trump family business.”
The committee raised an unprecedented $107 million to host events celebrating Trump’s inauguration in January 2017, but its spending has drawn continued scrutiny.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-02--Ex-Trump Lawyer Sidney Powell Urges Georgia Voters To Boycott Runoff Elections

Sidney Powell , a former lawyer for the Trump campaign , told Georgia residents this week to boycott the Senate runoffs on Jan. 5 because their state ’ s voting machines are archaic and can not be trusted .
Powell , who had been working to overturn President-elect Joe Biden ’ s victory in the 2020 election , made the eyebrow-raising remarks during a Wednesday appearance at a “ Stop the Steal ” rally in Atlanta .
The two runoffs will decide which party ends up controlling power in the Senate .
“ There should not be a runoff , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she told the crowd .
“ I would encourage all Georgians to make it known that you will not vote at all until your vote is secure .
I mean that regardless of party .
We can ’ t live in a free republic unless we know our votes are legal and secure.
” The former federal prosecutor and conservative firebrand has falsely claimed that Georgia ’ s voting machines ― manufactured by Dominion Voting Systems ― were rigged to weigh Biden ’ s votes more heavily than those for President Donald Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support that .
Days later , a Washington Post review of 10 states ( Arizona , Colorado , Florida , Georgia , Michigan , Minnesota , Nevada , North Carolina , Pennsylvania and Wisconsin ) found that the majority of counties that used Dominion machines were actually won by Trump , not Biden .
On Wednesday , however , Powell doubled down on her claims , suggesting that voter fraud took place in all 50 states .
“ I think we will eventually find that the algorithm that flipped votes at a certain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ] was run all across the country , ” she said .
“ There might be a few areas that it wasn ’ t used in , but not many.
” In recent weeks , the Trump campaign has made a distinct effort to distance itself from Powell after she vowed to “ blow up ” Georgia with a “ biblical ” court filing .
Later , she was widely mocked on social media after filing typo- and error-filled legal documents alleging that voter fraud took place in Michigan and Georgia .

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Sidney Powell, a former lawyer for the Trump campaign, told Georgia residents this week to boycott the Senate runoffs on Jan. 5 because their state’s voting machines are archaic and cannot be trusted.
Powell, who had been working to overturn President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 election, made the eyebrow-raising remarks during a Wednesday appearance at a “Stop the Steal” rally in Atlanta. The two runoffs will decide which party ends up controlling power in the Senate.
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“There should not be a runoff, certainly not on Dominion machines,” she told the crowd. “I would encourage all Georgians to make it known that you will not vote at all until your vote is secure. I mean that regardless of party. We can’t live in a free republic unless we know our votes are legal and secure.”
Just now in an alternate reality, the crowd went wild as disgraced conspiracy theorist Sidney Powell gets introduced as “The Kraken.” pic.twitter.com/Ukj305T9pr — The Recount (@therecount) December 2, 2020
The former federal prosecutor and conservative firebrand has falsely claimed that Georgia’s voting machines ― manufactured by Dominion Voting Systems ― were rigged to weigh Biden’s votes more heavily than those for President Donald Trump. She has provided no evidence to support that.
A statement issued by Dominion Voting Systems last week dimissed Powell’s claims as “baseless, senseless, physically impossible, and unsupported by any evidence whatsoever.”
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Days later, a Washington Post review of 10 states (Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin) found that the majority of counties that used Dominion machines were actually won by Trump, not Biden.
On Wednesday, however, Powell doubled down on her claims, suggesting that voter fraud took place in all 50 states.
Today’s ‘Stop The Steal’ event:
• Sidney Powell’s conspiracies
• Lin Wood’s Bible
• Dog in sweater pic.twitter.com/fYhiShrkU6 — The Recount (@therecount) December 3, 2020
“I think we will eventually find that the algorithm that flipped votes at a certain percentage from Trump to [Joe Biden] was run all across the country,” she said. “There might be a few areas that it wasn’t used in, but not many.”
In recent weeks, the Trump campaign has made a distinct effort to distance itself from Powell after she vowed to “blow up” Georgia with a “biblical” court filing. Later, she was widely mocked on social media after filing typo- and error-filled legal documents alleging that voter fraud took place in Michigan and Georgia.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-03--Conservative Pundit Fears Now Is 'Most Dangerous' Part Of Donald Trump’s Presidency

Charlie Sykes , the founder of the conservative website The Bulwark , on Wednesday warned Americans to keep focused on Donald Trump now more than ever as it could actually be the “ most dangerous ” part of his presidency .
On Wednesday ’ s broadcast of MSNBC ’ s “ Deadline : White House , ” the conservative pundit and staunch “ Never Trumper ” said people could “ probably spare ourselves some heartburn if we recognize ... there are no norms that he is not willing to violate , there ’ s no standard of decency that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also suggested “ we have not even seen how low he ’ s going to go on his pardon-palooza.
” Trump last month pardoned former national security adviser Michael Flynn , who had pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI during the Russia investigation .
The president is also reportedly exploring the pardon of three of his adult children ( Ivanka Trump , Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump ) , his son-in-law Jared Kushner and personal attorney Rudy Giuliani .
“ We don ’ t know what the extent of the corruption @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continued .
“ But what we do know is the president of the United States , right now in real-time , is trying to overturn a legitimate , democratic election.
” “ If somebody would have suggested a few years ago that we would be seeing a president of the United States that is actively trying to disenfranchise millions of voters to overturn an election and have himself declared the winner , people would have thought , oh , that ’ s Trump Derangement Syndrome , ” he added .
“ But that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on right now.
” '' This is actually the most dangerous 60 days of the Trump presidency because I think we can probably spare ourselves some heartburn if we recognize , there are no norms that he is not willing to violate '' - @ SykesCharlie w/ @ NicolleDWallace pic.twitter.com/ruqgKg2nh4 — Deadline White House ( @ DeadlineWH ) December 2 , 2020

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Charlie Sykes, the founder of the conservative website The Bulwark, on Wednesday warned Americans to keep focused on Donald Trump now more than ever as it could actually be the “most dangerous” part of his presidency.
On Wednesday’s broadcast of MSNBC’s “Deadline: White House,” the conservative pundit and staunch “Never Trumper” said people could “probably spare ourselves some heartburn if we recognize ... there are no norms that he is not willing to violate, there’s no standard of decency that he is not willing to shred.”
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Sykes also suggested “we have not even seen how low he’s going to go on his pardon-palooza.” Trump last month pardoned former national security adviser Michael Flynn, who had pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI during the Russia investigation. The president is also reportedly exploring the pardon of three of his adult children (Ivanka Trump, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump), his son-in-law Jared Kushner and personal attorney Rudy Giuliani.
“We don’t know what the extent of the corruption is going to be,” Sykes continued. “But what we do know is the president of the United States, right now in real-time, is trying to overturn a legitimate, democratic election.”
“If somebody would have suggested a few years ago that we would be seeing a president of the United States that is actively trying to disenfranchise millions of voters to overturn an election and have himself declared the winner, people would have thought, oh, that’s Trump Derangement Syndrome,” he added. “But that’s literally what’s going on right now.”
Check out the full video here:
"This is actually the most dangerous 60 days of the Trump presidency because I think we can probably spare ourselves some heartburn if we recognize, there are no norms that he is not willing to violate" - @SykesCharlie w/ @NicolleDWallace pic.twitter.com/ruqgKg2nh4 — Deadline White House (@DeadlineWH) December 2, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-03--Mike Pompeo Sends Out 900 Invitations For One Big Holiday Party: Report

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and his wife have sent out around 900 invitations for one of several indoor holiday parties at the State Department , despite the coronavirus pandemic and bleak warnings from public health officials to avoid large gatherings , according to a report in The Washington Post .
The event , called “ Diplomacy at Home for the Holidays , ” is set to take place on Dec. 15 on the 8th floor of the State Department building in Washington , D.C .
The Post reported that event planners were told to disregard official health guidance despite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ change all “ non-mission critical events ” to “ virtual ” meetings rather than in-person gatherings .
The State Department released a statement late Wednesday amid the report , saying : “ We plan to fully enforce social distancing measures at this reception , and face coverings are mandatory for admittance.
” “ We ’ ve taken every precaution to thin out the number of individuals in all spaces at one time , and plan to keep outdoors space open and available to attendees , weather permitting , ” the spokesperson added in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. is in the midst of the worst phase of the pandemic so far .
More than 100,000 people were hospitalized with the virus and 200,000 others tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday , both record highs , and the country was on track to have its highest one-day death toll on Wednesday as well .
More than 270,000 people nationwide have died of COVID-19 so far , and the head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that figure could almost double by early next year if trends continue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , before we see February , we could be close to 450,000 Americans who ’ ve died from this virus , ” Dr. Robert Redfield , the director of the CDC , said this week .
Large events in Washington have already been linked to mass outbreaks of the coronavirus that have spread through the Trump administration , the halls of Congress and beyond .
President Donald Trump tested positive for the virus after a large gathering celebrating the nomination of now-Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett on Sept. 26 .
Few people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the event .
Pompeo has a predilection for lavish events .
Earlier this year , he came under scrutiny for hosting about two dozen taxpayer-funded events at the State Department during his tenure that featured powerful Republican lawmakers and conservative Fox News hosts .
The events were dubbed the “ Madison Dinners ” and hosted by Pompeo and his wife , Susan , in historic diplomatic reception rooms , according to an investigation by NBC News .
Trump and first lady Melania Trump plan to host at least 20 holiday parties this @ @ @ @ @ @

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Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and his wife have sent out around 900 invitations for one of several indoor holiday parties at the State Department, despite the coronavirus pandemic and bleak warnings from public health officials to avoid large gatherings, according to a report in The Washington Post.
The event, called “Diplomacy at Home for the Holidays,” is set to take place on Dec. 15 on the 8th floor of the State Department building in Washington, D.C. The Post reported that event planners were told to disregard official health guidance despite Pompeo’s own agency recommending employees change all “non-mission critical events” to “virtual” meetings rather than in-person gatherings.
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The State Department released a statement late Wednesday amid the report, saying: “We plan to fully enforce social distancing measures at this reception, and face coverings are mandatory for admittance.”
“We’ve taken every precaution to thin out the number of individuals in all spaces at one time, and plan to keep outdoors space open and available to attendees, weather permitting,” the spokesperson added in a comment to The Hill.
The U.S. is in the midst of the worst phase of the pandemic so far. More than 100,000 people were hospitalized with the virus and 200,000 others tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday, both record highs, and the country was on track to have its highest one-day death toll on Wednesday as well.
More than 270,000 people nationwide have died of COVID-19 so far, and the head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that figure could almost double by early next year if trends continue.
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“I do think, unfortunately, before we see February, we could be close to 450,000 Americans who’ve died from this virus,” Dr. Robert Redfield, the director of the CDC, said this week.
Large events in Washington have already been linked to mass outbreaks of the coronavirus that have spread through the Trump administration, the halls of Congress and beyond. President Donald Trump tested positive for the virus after a large gathering celebrating the nomination of now-Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett on Sept. 26. Few people were seen wearing masks or socially distancing at the event.
Pompeo has a predilection for lavish events. Earlier this year, he came under scrutiny for hosting about two dozen taxpayer-funded events at the State Department during his tenure that featured powerful Republican lawmakers and conservative Fox News hosts.
The events were dubbed the “Madison Dinners” and hosted by Pompeo and his wife, Susan, in historic diplomatic reception rooms, according to an investigation by NBC News.
Trump and first lady Melania Trump plan to host at least 20 holiday parties this season at the White House.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-03--Retiring Sen. Tom Udall: Biden Win Was 'Best Thing' That Could Happen For The Planet

“ The crises aren ’ t so quiet anymore , ” Udall told HuffPost in a Tuesday interview .
“ We have a sixth mass extinction , with 1 million species threatened because of human activity .
In New Mexico , we recently saw one of the largest migratory bird die-offs in recent decades .
The U.S. is losing a football field worth of nature every 30 seconds.
” At 72 , Udall says he ’ s still optimistic we can stem the disasters ― but a “ troubled optimist.
” He ’ s retiring from Congress after 20 years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it , he wants to try out something else in public service .
He is reportedly on President-elect Joe Biden ’ s shortlist to lead the Interior Department , the federal agency responsible for 500 million acres of federal land , or roughly one-fifth of the country ’ s landmass .
As someone born into a family of conservationists and who has spent his career championing environmental causes , Udall said it ’ s been painful to watch President Donald Trump spend the last four years gutting environmental rules , dismantling public land @ @ @ @ @ @ @ undermining Native American tribal sovereignty .
But after years of Trump ’ s efforts to cut regulations and boost fossil fuel production in a quest for so-called “ energy dominance , ” Biden is pledging to put the U.S. on track to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 and make massive investments in clean energy research .
Biden is also vowing to not only restore the national monuments that Trump dismantled but establish new protected sites to safeguard ecologically important landscapes .
“ Who wouldn ’ t want to serve in President Biden ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the speculation that he is up for the job .
“ I think he ’ s heading in the right direction.
” Udall ’ s conservation vision is already part of Biden ’ s plan .
The president-elect has committed to signing a Day One executive order to conserve 30 % of America ’ s lands and waters by 2030 ― a target in line with the United Nations ’ plan for protecting biodiversity .
Udall has championed the “ 30 by 30 ” plan in the U.S. , introducing a resolution last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That target should be the “ organizing principle ” of the incoming administration , he said , and if Biden is serious about achieving these conservation and climate goals , he ’ ll have to work closely with Native American tribes .
“ We know there is a very intimate tie with tribes and nature , ” he said .
“ Their traditions around the usage of land are something that we can really learn from .
There ’ s a lot of wisdom there.
” We know there is a very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Their traditions around the usage of land are something that we can really learn from .
In addition to overseeing federal land , the Interior Department is responsible for honoring the government ’ s commitments to tribes , which it has failed to do time and time again .
It also oversees the Bureau of Indian Education and the Bureau of Indian Affairs , the latter of which manages more than 55 million acres of land held in trust for Native Americans by the government .
Both agencies are notoriously underfunded and have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As partisan as Congress is these days , Udall said he thinks Biden will find strong support on Capitol Hill for advancing tribal priorities .
Most legislative activity on tribal matters begins in the Senate Indian Affairs Committee , of which Udall has been vice chair for the last three years , and the panel has been remarkably collegial and productive in that time .
Some of the bills it passed that went on to become law include legislation targeting the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women , providing billions in COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Native American languages , and providing seed money for business incubators in Indian Country to help cultivate Native American-owned small businesses .
This all happened despite the “ disaster ” that Trump has been for tribes , he said .
Yes , the president signed those bills into law , but Udall said he couldn ’ t remember hearing a word from the president on whether he liked any of those bills , whether he was pushing for any of them or if he was helping to bring particular Republicans on board with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legacy on tribal matters is “ nothing more than callous disregard and often outright hostility to Native peoples , ” said Udall , becoming as animated as it gets for this otherwise unshakably mellow senator .
“ The border wall .
Destroying sacred sites .
...
Arguing against upholding treaty rights before the Supreme Court .
Wanting to leave tribes out entirely in the COVID-19 relief bill .
”

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In 1963, Interior Secretary Stewart Udall published “The Quiet Crisis,” a book detailing the threats facing the nation’s wildlife and natural resources at the time.
Nearly 60 years later, the planet is facing a rapidly worsening climate and extinction crisis ― and that man’s son, Sen. Tom Udall (D-N.M.), is sounding the alarm.
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“The crises aren’t so quiet anymore,” Udall told HuffPost in a Tuesday interview. “We have a sixth mass extinction, with 1 million species threatened because of human activity. In New Mexico, we recently saw one of the largest migratory bird die-offs in recent decades. The U.S. is losing a football field worth of nature every 30 seconds.”
At 72, Udall says he’s still optimistic we can stem the disasters ― but a “troubled optimist.” He’s retiring from Congress after 20 years because, as he’s put it, he wants to try out something else in public service. He is reportedly on President-elect Joe Biden’s shortlist to lead the Interior Department, the federal agency responsible for 500 million acres of federal land, or roughly one-fifth of the country’s landmass.
As someone born into a family of conservationists and who has spent his career championing environmental causes, Udall said it’s been painful to watch President Donald Trump spend the last four years gutting environmental rules, dismantling public land protections, abandoning U.S. climate action and undermining Native American tribal sovereignty.
On top of all that, his actions have tanked morale among career public servants, including the 70,000 who work for Interior.
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“They’ve taken a wrecking ball to the Interior Department,” he said.
But after years of Trump’s efforts to cut regulations and boost fossil fuel production in a quest for so-called “energy dominance,” Biden is pledging to put the U.S. on track to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 and make massive investments in clean energy research. Biden is also vowing to not only restore the national monuments that Trump dismantled but establish new protected sites to safeguard ecologically important landscapes.
“The best thing that could have happened for the planet was Joe Biden getting elected president,” Udall said. “Our planet really couldn’t have survived four more years of Trump.”
Sen. Tom Udall (D-N.M.) is considered a top contender to serve as President-elect Joe Biden's interior chief. Udall and then-Vice President Biden are pictured here during a ceremony in Washington in 2015. ASSOCIATED PRESS
The Democratic senator has high expectations for the Biden administration to right the wrongs of the Trump era ― regardless of whether he ends up with a Cabinet spot.
“Who wouldn’t want to serve in President Biden’s administration?” he said of the speculation that he is up for the job. “I think he’s heading in the right direction.”
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Udall’s conservation vision is already part of Biden’s plan. The president-elect has committed to signing a Day One executive order to conserve 30% of America’s lands and waters by 2030 ― a target in line with the United Nations’ plan for protecting biodiversity. Udall has championed the “30 by 30” plan in the U.S., introducing a resolution last year to make it a national goal.
That target should be the “organizing principle” of the incoming administration, he said, and if Biden is serious about achieving these conservation and climate goals, he’ll have to work closely with Native American tribes.
“We know there is a very intimate tie with tribes and nature,” he said. “Their traditions around the usage of land are something that we can really learn from. There’s a lot of wisdom there.”
“Many of these Indian nations have a lot to say about where we should head on our management, our stewardship, all of those kinds of things,” Udall added.
“We know there is a very intimate tie with tribes and nature. Their traditions around the usage of land are something that we can really learn from.” - Sen. Tom Udall
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In addition to overseeing federal land, the Interior Department is responsible for honoring the government’s commitments to tribes, which it has failed to do time and time again. It also oversees the Bureau of Indian Education and the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the latter of which manages more than 55 million acres of land held in trust for Native Americans by the government. Both agencies are notoriously underfunded and have failed to adequately serve Indigenous communities.
As partisan as Congress is these days, Udall said he thinks Biden will find strong support on Capitol Hill for advancing tribal priorities. Most legislative activity on tribal matters begins in the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, of which Udall has been vice chair for the last three years, and the panel has been remarkably collegial and productive in that time.
Some of the bills it passed that went on to become law include legislation targeting the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women, providing billions in COVID-19 resources for Native health systems, preserving Native American languages, and providing seed money for business incubators in Indian Country to help cultivate Native American-owned small businesses.
“It’s kind of a little island of bipartisanship that I don’t think people recognize,” Udall said of the committee. “When we start talking about accomplishments, I can’t even list all the things.”
This all happened despite the “disaster” that Trump has been for tribes, he said. Yes, the president signed those bills into law, but Udall said he couldn’t remember hearing a word from the president on whether he liked any of those bills, whether he was pushing for any of them or if he was helping to bring particular Republicans on board with any of them.
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Trump’s legacy on tribal matters is “nothing more than callous disregard and often outright hostility to Native peoples,” said Udall, becoming as animated as it gets for this otherwise unshakably mellow senator. “The border wall. Destroying sacred sites. ... Arguing against upholding treaty rights before the Supreme Court. Wanting to leave tribes out entirely in the COVID-19 relief bill.”
The Biden administration will be a sharp contrast to this, he added, namely because Biden understands and respects tribal sovereignty.
Udall remained coy on his Interior prospects. Rep. Deb Haaland (D-N.M.) and former Deputy Interior Secretary Michael Connor are also reportedly on the shortlist, either of whom would make history as the first-ever Native American Cabinet secretary if chosen.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-02--Obama, Clinton and Bush Say They Will All Get Safe COVID-19 Vaccine, Maybe On TV

Former President Barack Obama said Wednesday that he planned to take a COVID-19 vaccine , possibly on television in an effort to encourage Americans to do the same , if officials said it was safe .
“ I will be taking it , and I may take it on TV or have it filmed so people know that I trust this science , ” Obama said in an interview on SiriusXM radio .
“ If Anthony Fauci tells me this vaccine is safe and can immunize you from getting COVID , absolutely I ’ ll take it.
” Obama joins @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Clinton in supporting an eventual COVID-19 vaccine deemed to be safe by public health officials .
Bush ’ s chief of staff told CNN : “ When the time is right , [ Bush ] wants to do what he can to help encourage his fellow citizens to get vaccinated.
” “ First , the vaccines need to be deemed safe and administered to the priority populations , ” the chief of staff , Freddy Ford , said .
“ Then , President Bush will get in line for his and will gladly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s press aide also told the outlet that the Democrat “ will definitely take a vaccine as soon as available to him ” and do so in a public setting .
Obama said he trusted Dr. Fauci , the nation ’ s top infectious disease expert , “ completely ” and would use him as a touchstone for wisdom surrounding any vaccines .
Fauci himself has said in recent days he had hope after several vaccine candidates — from Pfizer and Moderna — released “ spectacular ” results from large-scale trials .
Pfizer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for emergency approval from the Food and Drug Administration , an encouraging sign for the wide rollout of a vaccine ( the agency plans to convene an advisory panel on the Pfizer candidate on Dec. 10 and could make a decision on the treatment shortly afterward ) .
But Obama ’ s comments this week come amid troubling news for the U.S. More than 100,000 people were hospitalized with the virus and 200,000 others tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday , the first time the country had seen either figure during the course @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also on track to hit a daily high for coronavirus deaths on Wednesday .
Dr. Robert Redfield , the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , warned Americans that the coming months would , in his estimation , be “ the most difficult time in the public health history of this nation.
” “ I do think , unfortunately , before we see February , we could be close to 450,000 Americans who ’ ve died from this virus , ” Redfield added in a bleak address .
More than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the U.S. , more than any in other nation .
At the same time , public trust in a vaccine has seesawed in recent months .
In a Gallup poll , 58 % of Americans said they would get a COVID-19 vaccine , up from a low of 50 % in September .
But those surveys found 42 % still said they would not get one , a significant hurdle in getting the U.S. economy back to normal .
Obama addressed such concerns in his interview this week , pointing specifically to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been disproportionately harmed by the coronavirus .
Only 48 % of non-white Americans said they planned to get a vaccine , and Obama pointed to longstanding distrust in government programs .
“ I understand , historically , everything dating back all the way to the Tuskegee experiments and so forth , why the African American community would have some skepticism , ” he said .
“ But the fact of the matter is , is that vaccines are why we don ’ t have polio anymore .
And they ’ re the reason @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whole bunch of kids dying from measles , and smallpox and diseases that used to decimate entire populations and communities .
”

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Former President Barack Obama said Wednesday that he planned to take a COVID-19 vaccine, possibly on television in an effort to encourage Americans to do the same, if officials said it was safe.
“I will be taking it, and I may take it on TV or have it filmed so people know that I trust this science,” Obama said in an interview on SiriusXM radio. “If Anthony Fauci tells me this vaccine is safe and can immunize you from getting COVID, absolutely I’ll take it.”
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“What I don’t trust is getting COVID,” he added.
Obama joins former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton in supporting an eventual COVID-19 vaccine deemed to be safe by public health officials. Bush’s chief of staff told CNN: “When the time is right, [Bush] wants to do what he can to help encourage his fellow citizens to get vaccinated.”
“First, the vaccines need to be deemed safe and administered to the priority populations,” the chief of staff, Freddy Ford, said. “Then, President Bush will get in line for his and will gladly do so on camera.”
Clinton’s press aide also told the outlet that the Democrat “will definitely take a vaccine as soon as available to him” and do so in a public setting.
Obama said he trusted Dr. Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, “completely” and would use him as a touchstone for wisdom surrounding any vaccines. Fauci himself has said in recent days he had hope after several vaccine candidates — from Pfizer and Moderna — released “spectacular” results from large-scale trials. Pfizer applied last month and Moderna this week for emergency approval from the Food and Drug Administration, an encouraging sign for the wide rollout of a vaccine (the agency plans to convene an advisory panel on the Pfizer candidate on Dec. 10 and could make a decision on the treatment shortly afterward).
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Britain this week became the first Western country to approve the Pfizer vaccine, paving the way for mass inoculations.
But Obama’s comments this week come amid troubling news for the U.S. More than 100,000 people were hospitalized with the virus and 200,000 others tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday, the first time the country had seen either figure during the course of the pandemic. The nation was also on track to hit a daily high for coronavirus deaths on Wednesday.
Dr. Robert Redfield, the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, warned Americans that the coming months would, in his estimation, be “the most difficult time in the public health history of this nation.”
“I do think, unfortunately, before we see February, we could be close to 450,000 Americans who’ve died from this virus,” Redfield added in a bleak address.
More than 270,000 people have already died of COVID-19 in the U.S., more than any in other nation.
At the same time, public trust in a vaccine has seesawed in recent months. In a Gallup poll, 58% of Americans said they would get a COVID-19 vaccine, up from a low of 50% in September. But those surveys found 42% still said they would not get one, a significant hurdle in getting the U.S. economy back to normal.
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Obama addressed such concerns in his interview this week, pointing specifically to fears among communities of color that have been disproportionately harmed by the coronavirus. Only 48% of non-white Americans said they planned to get a vaccine, and Obama pointed to longstanding distrust in government programs.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-03--Georgia Voters Could Decide If There's Any Hope For Raising The Federal Minimum Wage

Democrats acknowledge that their plan to increase the minimum wage to $ 15 an hour over the course of several years stands virtually no chance if Republicans maintain control of the upper chamber , even with Joe Biden in the White House and a slim Democratic majority in the House .
Even a more modest hourly increase likely would not have enough votes in a GOP Senate .
Murphy said the odds of a minimum wage hike ― like much of the progressive agenda ― were “ slim to none ” unless Democratic nominees Jon Ossoff and Rev .
Raphael @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Kelly Loeffler .
A double win in Georgia would create a 50-50 tie in the chamber , and Vice President Kamala Harris would have the tie-breaker vote .
In that case , Democrats could pass a minimum wage hike on their own , but only if they were willing to blow up the filibuster .
But even with Senate control , it ’ s still not clear Democrats would have the votes necessary to pass what has become party doctrine : a $ 15 wage floor from coast to coast .
Some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reluctant to back an aggressive wage hike over the objections of business groups , and Democrats ’ smaller majority in the House leaves less room for error .
As of now , Democrats will hold 222 seats to Republicans ’ 210 next session , with three seats still up in the air .
When the House voted on a $ 15 minimum wage in July 2019 , it passed 231-199 , with six Democrats voting against it and three Republicans voting for it .
Judy Conti , government affairs director for the National @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 15 minimum wage bill would still pass the House if every member who voted for it last year did so again , though the margin would be tighter .
She also noted the popularity of the proposal with voters , pointing to a successful ballot measure in Florida last month that will raise the state ’ s minimum wage to $ 15 by 2026 .
That measure required 60 % approval as an amendment to the state constitution ; it ended up with 60.82 % .
“ We plan to come out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ soon as the new Congress is set , ” she said .
“ We will be urging [ House ] leadership to move this quickly .
We ’ re going to push like hell to get this on the Senate floor as well .
It ’ s absolutely shameful that we keep the minimum wage this low.
” But even if Democrats manage to win both Senate seats in Georgia , they would still need to persuade more members in the caucus to support the $ 15 proposal in order for it to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ desk .
Several Democrats so far have declined to co-sponsor the bill in the Senate ― including moderates like Sens .
Joe Manchin ( W.Va. ) and Kyrsten Sinema ( Ariz. ) ― despite the concept of a $ 15 minimum wage growing more mainstream each year .
It can be easier to pass bold proposals like last year ’ s House bill when there is no chance they ’ d become law under a divided Congress .
If Democrats were on the cusp of actually phasing in a $ 15 wage floor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from businesses .
That ’ s especially true if they pursue an end to the “ tip credit ” that allows for a lower minimum wage in restaurants ― an issue the industry has mobilized around in local political fights .
Last year ’ s House bill phased out the credit over the course of several years .
“ Behind the scenes , it was not a sure thing that $ 15 was going to pass the House , ” Saltsman said .
“ Obviously , if Republicans keep the Senate for at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the federal level you ’ re probably not going to be having a conversation about the minimum wage .
Does it come down to Georgia ?
...
If [ Democrats ] pull out a miracle in Georgia , maybe they move a $ 12 minimum wage.
” Anything less than $ 15 could disappoint the progressive wing of the party , especially since the minimum wage has already gone the longest stretch ever without an increase .
Fifteen has become the rallying cry of the union-led Fight for $ 15 worker campaign that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other industries .
Indeed , for all the popularity of raising the minimum wage , November ’ s elections showed once again that GOP politicians pay little to no political price for not doing it .
Florida voters passed their minimum wage ballot initiative with a supermajority , yet Trump still managed to carry the state by more than three points .
Plenty of voters are obviously capable of supporting the higher wage floor as well as the candidate who would stand in the way of one .

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The federal minimum wage has been stuck at $7.25 an hour for more than 11 years. Whether or not it rises anytime soon largely depends on Georgia, where two runoff elections in January will determine which party controls the Senate.
Democrats acknowledge that their plan to increase the minimum wage to $15 an hour over the course of several years stands virtually no chance if Republicans maintain control of the upper chamber, even with Joe Biden in the White House and a slim Democratic majority in the House. Even a more modest hourly increase likely would not have enough votes in a GOP Senate.
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While most states have their own, higher minimum wages, there are 21 states where the federal minimum wage is the law. Congress hasn’t approved a hike since George W. Bush occupied the White House, with Republicans blocking repeated efforts by Democrats.
“[Senate Majority Leader] Mitch McConnell hasn’t given a crap about the minimum wage his entire career,” Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) told HuffPost. “He’s not going to care about it in 2021.”
Murphy said the odds of a minimum wage hike ― like much of the progressive agenda ― were “slim to none” unless Democratic nominees Jon Ossoff and Rev. Raphael Warnock knock off Republican incumbents David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler. A double win in Georgia would create a 50-50 tie in the chamber, and Vice President Kamala Harris would have the tie-breaker vote. In that case, Democrats could pass a minimum wage hike on their own, but only if they were willing to blow up the filibuster.
But even with Senate control, it’s still not clear Democrats would have the votes necessary to pass what has become party doctrine: a $15 wage floor from coast to coast. Some moderate members in both chambers could be reluctant to back an aggressive wage hike over the objections of business groups, and Democrats’ smaller majority in the House leaves less room for error.
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As of now, Democrats will hold 222 seats to Republicans’ 210 next session, with three seats still up in the air. When the House voted on a $15 minimum wage in July 2019, it passed 231-199, with six Democrats voting against it and three Republicans voting for it.
“Mitch McConnell hasn’t given a crap about the minimum wage his entire career.” - Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.)
Judy Conti, government affairs director for the National Employment Law Project, said the $15 minimum wage bill would still pass the House if every member who voted for it last year did so again, though the margin would be tighter. She also noted the popularity of the proposal with voters, pointing to a successful ballot measure in Florida last month that will raise the state’s minimum wage to $15 by 2026. That measure required 60% approval as an amendment to the state constitution; it ended up with 60.82%.
Conti said she is confident there will be movement on the issue regardless of what happens in Georgia.
“We plan to come out of the gate strong with a campaign as soon as the new Congress is set,” she said. “We will be urging [House] leadership to move this quickly. We’re going to push like hell to get this on the Senate floor as well. It’s absolutely shameful that we keep the minimum wage this low.”
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But even if Democrats manage to win both Senate seats in Georgia, they would still need to persuade more members in the caucus to support the $15 proposal in order for it to pass and head to Biden’s desk. Several Democrats so far have declined to co-sponsor the bill in the Senate ― including moderates like Sens. Joe Manchin (W.Va.) and Kyrsten Sinema (Ariz.) ― despite the concept of a $15 minimum wage growing more mainstream each year.
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It can be easier to pass bold proposals like last year’s House bill when there is no chance they’d become law under a divided Congress. If Democrats were on the cusp of actually phasing in a $15 wage floor, vulnerable members would feel tremendous pressure from businesses. That’s especially true if they pursue an end to the “tip credit” that allows for a lower minimum wage in restaurants ― an issue the industry has mobilized around in local political fights. Last year’s House bill phased out the credit over the course of several years.
Michael Saltsman, managing director of the Employment Policies Institute, an industry-aligned group that opposes minimum wage hikes, predicted that even some House Democrats who previously supported the bill could get wobbly and that their target wage level might drop.
“Behind the scenes, it was not a sure thing that $15 was going to pass the House,” Saltsman said. “Obviously, if Republicans keep the Senate for at least the next two years, at the federal level you’re probably not going to be having a conversation about the minimum wage. Does it come down to Georgia?... If [Democrats] pull out a miracle in Georgia, maybe they move a $12 minimum wage.”
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Anything less than $15 could disappoint the progressive wing of the party, especially since the minimum wage has already gone the longest stretch ever without an increase. Fifteen has become the rallying cry of the union-led Fight for $15 worker campaign that began in fast food and spread to other industries.
“It’s really not the time to talk about compromising on raising it to $15 or not,” said Conti. “It’s got to happen on a somewhat aggressive schedule to reset wages for this country as a whole.”
At the same time, compromising at $12 might still not be enough to bring any Republicans on board in the Senate if Democrats need them.
“We’re going to push like hell to get this on the Senate floor.” - Judy Conti, National Employment Law Project
Indeed, for all the popularity of raising the minimum wage, November’s elections showed once again that GOP politicians pay little to no political price for not doing it. Florida voters passed their minimum wage ballot initiative with a supermajority, yet Trump still managed to carry the state by more than three points. Plenty of voters are obviously capable of supporting the higher wage floor as well as the candidate who would stand in the way of one.
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“The question is not whether or not increasing the minimum age is wildly popular. Florida didn’t answer that question ― that had been answered long before,” Murphy said. “Republicans have never let the popularity of the minimum wage affect their opposition to it.”
Regardless of how the Senate shakes out, progressive groups plan to pressure Biden to implement an executive order raising the minimum wage to $15 for workers under federal contracts. The president can put such mandates on employers who accept federal dollars, as Obama did in 2014 when he signed an executive order requiring minimum pay of $10.10.
Jennifer Epps-Addison, president of the progressive Center for Popular Democracy, said well-organized pressure campaigns are still the key to minimum wage hikes at the local and federal levels. She sees a federal increase as possible if Democrats win in Georgia, but she believes a lot of work remains to push $15 over the line even within the party.
She said a think-tank report would not persuade Manchin, but that the number of West Virginians who “organize themselves and make their voice known to him” would have an impact.
“If the party lined up and he was a key vote, what sways him won’t be anything we can say to him,” Epps-Addison said. “It will be what people on the ground can show him.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-03--Tucker Carlson Springs His Dumbest Attack Yet On Anthony Fauci

The coronavirus pandemic rages as many Americans and their political leaders ignore the guidance of Dr. Anthony Fauci and other health officials .
But Fox News personality Tucker Carlson on Wednesday took an astounding cheap shot at the infectious disease expert anyway .
( Watch the video below . )
The prime time host said Fauci should never work in public policy again .
Carlson arrived at his punchline after bloviating on a medical journal report that suggested the coronavirus was present in the U.S. in December , weeks earlier than scientists had suspected .
A study published in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 106 of 7,389 American Red Cross blood donations collected from Dec. 13 to Jan. 17 contained coronavirus antibodies .
That suggests the virus was present in the U.S. in December , although “ widespread community transmission was not likely until late February , ” the authors wrote .
Carlson spun the study into an indictment of Fauci , who sounded the alarm later .
He also weaponized a clip of Fauci saying in January that China was being more transparent about the virus than it was about SARS .
“ Now , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that would make certain that you ’ d never work in public policy again , ” Carlson said .
Fauci , of course , turned up the urgency as more became known about COVID-19 .
As a member of the White House coronavirus task force , he grew steadfast in pleading with Americans to wear masks , wash hands and maintain social distance ― advice he continues to push .
He cautioned against the rapid reopening of business , and warned against holiday travel and gatherings .
All the while , President Donald @ @ @ @ @ @ @ threat of the virus , even though the president knew early on it was lethal .
They pushed unproven and dangerous treatments , attempted to discredit Fauci , and ignored safety guidelines .
Nearly 200,000 new cases were reported on Wednesday , bringing the total to more than 13.9 million .
U.S. deaths have climbed above 273,000 .
Trump , consumed with his election defeat , has barely acknowledged the rising toll .

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The coronavirus pandemic rages as many Americans and their political leaders ignore the guidance of Dr. Anthony Fauci and other health officials. But Fox News personality Tucker Carlson on Wednesday took an astounding cheap shot at the infectious disease expert anyway. (Watch the video below.)
The prime time host said Fauci should never work in public policy again.
Carlson arrived at his punchline after bloviating on a medical journal report that suggested the coronavirus was present in the U.S. in December, weeks earlier than scientists had suspected.
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A study published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases Monday found that 106 of 7,389 American Red Cross blood donations collected from Dec. 13 to Jan. 17 contained coronavirus antibodies. That suggests the virus was present in the U.S. in December, although “widespread community transmission was not likely until late February,” the authors wrote.
Carlson spun the study into an indictment of Fauci, who sounded the alarm later. He also weaponized a clip of Fauci saying in January that China was being more transparent about the virus than it was about SARS.
“Now, in a well-functioning country, a line like that would make certain that you’d never work in public policy again,” Carlson said.
Fauci, of course, turned up the urgency as more became known about COVID-19. As a member of the White House coronavirus task force, he grew steadfast in pleading with Americans to wear masks, wash hands and maintain social distance ― advice he continues to push. He cautioned against the rapid reopening of business, and warned against holiday travel and gatherings.
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All the while, President Donald Trump and his acolytes falsely downplayed the threat of the virus, even though the president knew early on it was lethal. They pushed unproven and dangerous treatments, attempted to discredit Fauci, and ignored safety guidelines.
Nearly 200,000 new cases were reported on Wednesday, bringing the total to more than 13.9 million. U.S. deaths have climbed above 273,000. Trump, consumed with his election defeat, has barely acknowledged the rising toll.
But sure, Tucker, blame away.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-02--Years After Trump's 'Zero Tolerance' Border Policy, Hundreds Of Families Remain Separated

The parents of at least 628 migrant children who were separated from their families by the Trump administration in 2017 and 2018 still haven ’ t been located , lawyers tasked with reuniting the families said in a court filing on Wednesday .
The affected children — whose families were torn asunder under the Trump administration ’ s so-called “ zero tolerance ” border policy — have now been without their parents for at least two years .
Attorneys from the American Civil Liberties Union , which is part of a court-appointed “ steering committee ” that ’ s been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the court filing that the parents of at least 295 of the still-separated children have been deported to their countries of origin .
“ Our efforts to locate them … are ongoing , ” the ACLU said of the parents who have yet to be found .
The Trump administration — in the same filing saying it ca n't find the parents of 628 kids — asked the judge if it can give less frequent public updates `` given the relatively low number of separations . ''
https : //t.co/p0waFOX8lC — Jacob @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 2020 The ACLU also noted that the Trump administration had only recently provided the steering committee with potentially useful information from the Executive Office for Immigration Review , an agency under the Justice Department .
That information included “ phone numbers that had not previously been disclosed.
” “ We ’ ve been asking them for any additional information they have forever and we only finally got this information after outcry that parents still could not be found and the issue reached the presidential debate level .
This is information we should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at least a year ago , ” Gelernt told CNN .
“ We hope we can find a significant number of parents and children through this information .
But make no mistake about it : Not only has the Trump administration not been helping us , but it ’ s now clear they failed to disclose information in their possession , ” he added .
The Trump administration requested in the filing to be allowed to update the ACLU on a quarterly basis rather than monthly , “ given the relatively low number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ repeatedly lambasted Trump and his administration for separating at least 4,200 children from their parents in 2017 and 2018 ― and for not doing more to help reunite the families that remain separated .
“ Their kids were ripped from their arms and separated , and now they can not find over 500 of the sets of those parents , and those kids are alone .
Nowhere to go .
Nowhere to go .
It ’ s criminal , ” Biden said during the second presidential debate .

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The parents of at least 628 migrant children who were separated from their families by the Trump administration in 2017 and 2018 still haven’t been located, lawyers tasked with reuniting the families said in a court filing on Wednesday.
The affected children — whose families were torn asunder under the Trump administration’s so-called “zero tolerance” border policy — have now been without their parents for at least two years.
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Attorneys from the American Civil Liberties Union, which is part of a court-appointed “steering committee” that’s been working to reunite separated families, said in the court filing that the parents of at least 295 of the still-separated children have been deported to their countries of origin.
“Our efforts to locate them … are ongoing,” the ACLU said of the parents who have yet to be found.
The Trump administration — in the same filing saying it can't find the parents of 628 kids — asked the judge if it can give less frequent public updates "given the relatively low number of separations." https://t.co/p0waFOX8lC — Jacob Shamsian (@JayShams) December 3, 2020
The ACLU also noted that the Trump administration had only recently provided the steering committee with potentially useful information from the Executive Office for Immigration Review, an agency under the Justice Department. That information included “phone numbers that had not previously been disclosed.”
ACLU attorney Lee Gelernt said the Trump administration should’ve provided this information “at least a year ago.”
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“We’ve been asking them for any additional information they have forever and we only finally got this information after outcry that parents still could not be found and the issue reached the presidential debate level. This is information we should’ve gotten a year ago, at least a year ago,” Gelernt told CNN.
“We hope we can find a significant number of parents and children through this information. But make no mistake about it: Not only has the Trump administration not been helping us, but it’s now clear they failed to disclose information in their possession,” he added.
The Trump administration requested in the filing to be allowed to update the ACLU on a quarterly basis rather than monthly, “given the relatively low number of separations.”
President-elect Joe Biden has repeatedly lambasted Trump and his administration for separating at least 4,200 children from their parents in 2017 and 2018 ― and for not doing more to help reunite the families that remain separated.
“Their kids were ripped from their arms and separated, and now they cannot find over 500 of the sets of those parents, and those kids are alone. Nowhere to go. Nowhere to go. It’s criminal,” Biden said during the second presidential debate.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-03--Trevor Noah Imagines The Vainglorious Way Donald Trump May Try To Pardon Himself

Trevor Noah isn ’ t sure if Donald Trump will actually be able to pardon himself before leaving office , @ @ @ @ @ considered .
But “ The Daily Show ” host sure wants the outgoing leader of @ @ @ @ @ it a go .
“ It would be fun to see how he ’ d @ @ @ @ @ comedian explained on Wednesday ’ s episode of his Comedy Central program .
Noah then @ @ @ @ @ to imagine the president pardoning — and , of course , complimenting — himself with @ @ @ @ @ , there were some definite Evil Queen in “ Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs @ @ @ @ @ .
Check out the video here :

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Trevor Noah isn’t sure if Donald Trump will actually be able to pardon himself before leaving office, as the president has reportedly considered.
But “The Daily Show” host sure wants the outgoing leader of the free world to give it a go.
“It would be fun to see how he’d do it,” the comedian explained on Wednesday’s episode of his Comedy Central program.
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Noah then jumped into character as Trump to imagine the president pardoning — and, of course, complimenting — himself with a mirror.
And yes, there were some definite Evil Queen in “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” vibes in the bit.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-03--Stephen Colbert Thinks Trump Misread 1 Key Word In His 46-Minute Rant On Facebook

Stephen Colbert on Wednesday tore into President Donald Trump ’ s conspiracy theory-filled speech on Facebook about the election , and suggested that the president had misread one critical word in his rant .
Trump started the 46-minute diatribe by saying it “ may be the most important speech I ’ ve ever made.
” Colbert , however , thought it was perhaps the president ’ s most “ impotent ” address .
“ Because it was just another rambling mass of lies that lasted a full 46 minutes , ” the “ Late Show ” host said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ done this a week ago , not because he said anything worth hearing , but at least the people who canceled a big family Thanksgiving could have pretended they were still eating with their racist uncle.
” Later in his monologue , the comedian claimed that Trump had shown a “ surprising amount of self-awareness ” when he acknowledged “ what I ’ m saying now will be demeaned and disparaged , but that ’ s OK. ” “ Well , as long as it ’ s OK , ” Colbert said , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ You ’ re a petty , angry man desperate for validation you will never receive and have never deserved , ” he said .
“ And in 50 days , you ’ ll be out of the White House without the protections of executive power , and no court is going to uphold you pardoning yourself.
” “ And here ’ s the thing : All the contested states are now certified .
It ’ s over , ” he concluded .

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Stephen Colbert on Wednesday tore into President Donald Trump’s conspiracy theory-filled speech on Facebook about the election, and suggested that the president had misread one critical word in his rant.
Trump started the 46-minute diatribe by saying it “may be the most important speech I’ve ever made.” Colbert, however, thought it was perhaps the president’s most “impotent” address.
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“Because it was just another rambling mass of lies that lasted a full 46 minutes,” the “Late Show” host said. “My big complaint? He should have done this a week ago, not because he said anything worth hearing, but at least the people who canceled a big family Thanksgiving could have pretended they were still eating with their racist uncle.”
Later in his monologue, the comedian claimed that Trump had shown a “surprising amount of self-awareness” when he acknowledged “what I’m saying now will be demeaned and disparaged, but that’s OK.”
“Well, as long as it’s OK,” Colbert said, before letting loose on the president.
“You’re a petty, angry man desperate for validation you will never receive and have never deserved,” he said. “And in 50 days, you’ll be out of the White House without the protections of executive power, and no court is going to uphold you pardoning yourself.”
“And here’s the thing: All the contested states are now certified. It’s over,” he concluded.
Check out Colbert’s monologue here:


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-03--Jimmy Kimmel Finds A Fitting Running Mate For Donald Trump In 2024

And President Donald Trump ― who this week hinted at running again in four years — had a surprising running @ @ @ @ @ .
With Trump reportedly considering pardons for three of his adult children before he leaves @ @ @ @ @ “ Tiger King ” star Joe Exotic ’ s own plea for clemency from the @ @ @ @ @ ‘ Tiger King ’ and the lying king could team up to form a winning @ @ @ @ @ Kimmel cracked .
The commercial suggested that Exotic , who ’ s serving 22 years @ @ @ @ @ hire someone to murder wildlife sanctuary owner Carole Baskin , could be the perfect veep @ @ @ @ @ sleepy Joe , it takes a crazy Joe , ” said the fake clip ’ @ @ @

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thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-02--Couple Arrested After Boarding Flight To Hawaii While Infected With COVID-19

“ They knowingly boarded a flight aware of their positive COVID-19 test results , placing the passengers of the flight @ @ @ @ @ ” Kauai police said , according to Hawaii News Now .
Police said the two @ @ @ @ @ the Lihue Airport .
They were released after posting bail of $ 1,000 each .
@ @ @ @ @ home by a family member .

“They knowingly boarded a flight aware of their positive COVID-19 test results, placing the passengers of the flight in danger of death,” Kauai police said, according to Hawaii News Now.
Police said the two were stopped after arriving at the Lihue Airport. They were released after posting bail of $1,000 each.
Their 4-year-old child was taken home by a family member.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-03--'Breaking Point': Navajo Hospitals Warn Of Bed, Nurse And Oxygen Supply Shortages

“ I am a very concerned about this second rise in COVID-19 cases that we ’ re seeing locally , ” said Dr. Jonathan Iralu , an infectious disease specialist at the Gallup Indian Medical Center .
“ It ’ s gotten to the point where our facilities are deeply challenged and getting to the point of being overwhelmed.
” Navajo Nation ― the largest American Indian reservation in the United States , spanning roughly 27,000 square miles across portions of Arizona , New Mexico and Utah ― was able to reduce the spread of the virus in the early @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the late spring and early summer .
But cases , hospitalizations and deaths across the reservation have begun to rise at an alarming rate in recent weeks , as those numbers surge in other areas of the U.S. as well .
As of Wednesday , there have been more than 17,000 confirmed cases on Navajo Nation and at least 658 deaths , according to data compiled by the Navajo Department of Health and Navajo Epidemiology Center .
Securing enough respiratory support systems , like high-flow oxygen machines , has been a challenge and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as hospitals nationwide compete for supplies , several doctors said during the briefing Thursday .
“ On Friday , we had too few high flow machines for the numbers of patients needing them , ” Vincent said .
“ We were able to make adjustments but it was traumatic for staff.
” “ Our greatest concern is the potential for having to allocate resources if demand for our resources exceeds supply , ” she added .
“ So we are trying to proactively address that so that our hospital staff do not have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the Navajo area are operating at close to full capacity and transporting patients who need more intensive care has been extremely challenging , according to the doctors .
“ What we know is that our hospital beds are full and when we try to send a person other hospitals in New Mexico or Arizona , they are essentially 100 % full , ” Iralu said .
“ I saw nurses who really care ― they ’ re deeply dedicated to their work ― but they ’ re very very tired , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the worry lines on their faces above their face masks ... We are truly in crisis mode here on Navajo.
” “ Our hospitals are reaching a breaking point , ” Ritchie said during the briefing .
“ We are going to face a moment in time when our hospitals are stretched even further than they were in May .
...
These are not normal times.
” Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez announced Thursday that he was extending the stay-at-home order and reinstating the weekend curfews for at least another three weeks .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ excluding essential workers ) are not allowed outside of their home between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m. Mondays through Thursdays , or from 9 p.m. on Fridays through 5 a.m. on Mondays .
“ We need your help , ” he said , speaking to residents .
“ You can help us and you can help your fellow Navajo citizens , your Navajo relatives .
We are related through clans .
We are all in this together .
This is entirely in our hands .
”

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Navajo Nation leaders and medical professionals on Thursday warned the reservation is facing shortages of hospital beds, nurses and oxygen supplies as COVID-19 cases continue to surge in the area and across the country.
During a livestreamed briefing on the pandemic, several doctors working at hospitals in the Navajo region described a health care system at its breaking point.
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“I am very concerned about this second rise in COVID-19 cases that we’re seeing locally,” said Dr. Jonathan Iralu, an infectious disease specialist at the Gallup Indian Medical Center. “It’s gotten to the point where our facilities are deeply challenged and getting to the point of being overwhelmed.”
Navajo Nation ― the largest American Indian reservation in the United States, spanning roughly 27,000 square miles across portions of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah ― was able to reduce the spread of the virus in the early fall after being hit especially hard in the late spring and early summer. But cases, hospitalizations and deaths across the reservation have begun to rise at an alarming rate in recent weeks, as those numbers surge in other areas of the U.S. as well.
As of Wednesday, there have been more than 17,000 confirmed cases on Navajo Nation and at least 658 deaths, according to data compiled by the Navajo Department of Health and Navajo Epidemiology Center.
“What we see is really unprecedented since the influenza pandemic of 1918,” Dr. Ouida Vincent, clinical director of the Northern Navajo Medical Center, said during the briefing Thursday.
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Securing enough respiratory support systems, like high-flow oxygen machines, has been a challenge and one that is likely to get worse as hospitals nationwide compete for supplies, several doctors said during the briefing Thursday.
“On Friday, we had too few high flow machines for the numbers of patients needing them,” Vincent said. “We were able to make adjustments but it was traumatic for staff.”
“Our greatest concern is the potential for having to allocate resources if demand for our resources exceeds supply,” she added. “So we are trying to proactively address that so that our hospital staff do not have to make those decisions.”
The Northern Navajo Medical Center is operating at about 50% of its nursing staff, a staggering vacancy rating exacerbated by school closures and fatigue that could continue to get worse, Vincent said.
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Several hospitals in the Navajo area are operating at close to full capacity and transporting patients who need more intensive care has been extremely challenging, according to the doctors.
“What we know is that our hospital beds are full and when we try to send a person to other hospitals in New Mexico or Arizona, they are essentially 100% full,” Iralu said.
“I saw nurses who really care ― they’re deeply dedicated to their work ― but they’re very very tired,” he added. “You can see the worry lines on their faces above their face masks ... We are truly in crisis mode here on Navajo.”
Doctors, public health officials and Navajo leaders pleaded with residents to adhere to coronavirus restrictions, including wearing masks, social distancing and washing hands frequently.
Dr. Eric Ritchie, chief medical officer for the Chinle Comprehensive Health Care Facility, urged community members not to travel and to continue to practice mitigation measures even if they test negative for the virus.
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“Our hospitals are reaching a breaking point,” Ritchie said during the briefing. “We are going to face a moment in time when our hospitals are stretched even further than they were in May. ... These are not normal times.”
Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez announced Thursday that he was extending the stay-at-home order and reinstating the weekend curfews for at least another three weeks. Under the executive order, residents (excluding essential workers) are not allowed outside of their home between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m. Mondays through Thursdays, or from 9 p.m. on Fridays through 5 a.m. on Mondays.
Nez said his office is also planning to issue a major disaster declaration for Navajo Nation to secure additional resources from the U.S. government.
“Hospital resources are at capacity or even over capacity,” Nez said during the briefing. “Critical life-saving equipment is in very short supply.”
“We need your help,” he said, speaking to residents. “You can help us and you can help your fellow Navajo citizens, your Navajo relatives. We are related through clans. We are all in this together. This is entirely in our hands.”