thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-20--Democrats Blast GOP Senators For Posing As China Hawks After Cozying Up To The Country

Before entering Congress , Daines spent years as an executive at Procter & Gamble at a time when the industrial giant was shutting down production facilities across the U.S. and expanding production in China .
Daines , who lived in China for much of the 1990s , oversaw the company ’ s efforts to infiltrate the nascent Chinese consumer market with the active collaboration of the ruling Chinese Communist Party .
Both Daines and the company say that his responsibilities were limited to helping P & G penetrate the nascent Chinese consumer market , overseeing manufacturing expansion to sell household @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to export them back to the U.S. At the time , P & G was building relationships with the Chinese Communist Party ’ s neighborhood watch committees to hawk their products , a practice that other multinational corporations would subsequently emulate .
Daines has made “ holding China accountable ” a central theme of his reelection campaign since early April .
In a Facebook ad capable of reaching hundreds of thousands of people , Daines has promised to “ EXPOSE China ’ s deadly cover-up of the China virus.
” The language closely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Senate Republicans , which advised candidates in an April memo to “ attack China ” for its alleged role in allowing the novel coronavirus to spread , and to also run on re-shoring domestic manufacturing .
“ It ’ s kind of hard to have this career in the private sector and then in Congress support this free trade with China and then come out as someone who is attacking China , ” said David Parker , a Montana State University political scientist whose book , “ Battle for the Big Sky @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ It just doesn ’ t seem to me like it ’ s terribly believable.
” In 2015 , GOP Sens .
Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Cory Gardner of Colorado voted against both a bipartisan amendment that would have made cracking down on currency manipulation a higher priority in U.S. trade policy and a bipartisan bill vesting the Customs and Border Protection agency with greater authority to enforce trade agreement compliance .
( Many economists blame China ’ s policy of boosting the value of the U.S. dollar and suppressing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ artificially increasing the attractiveness of Chinese exports , thus contributing to the loss of manufacturing jobs in the U.S. ) Gardner remains opposed to the Trump administration ’ s use of tariffs in trade with China , but has taken a more aggressive line toward the country , calling for the Department of Defense to encourage domestic mining of rare Earth minerals to reduce dependence on imports from there .
And One Nation , a pro-Gardner group , is airing a TV spot claiming the incumbent has a “ long track record of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a spokesman for the Democratic Senate Majority PAC , said , “ Republicans are so desperate to claw their way out of their leadership failures on COVID-19 that they ’ re latching onto the GOP anti-China playbook as a life raft .
Their hypocrisy knows no bounds , and if voters don ’ t reject them for that , they ’ ll certainly reject them for playing politics while Americans suffer.
” Tillis campaign spokesperson Andrew Romeo referred HuffPost to a host of comments from Tillis that criticized China ’ s human @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a military threat , and called for tougher enforcement of bilateral trade rules , including safeguards on U.S. intellectual property .
( Out of 15 examples that the campaign provided , however , just two date to before Trump ’ s election in 2016 on an anti-China platform . )

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A number of Republican senators seeking reelection in November are posing as China hawks after careers spent encouraging, and sometimes profiting from, investments by U.S. corporations in the country.
Despite their previous stances and links, these Republicans enthusiastically have adopted the poll-tested GOP talking point of blaming the Chinese government for the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and casting themselves, alongside President Donald Trump, as the group uniquely capable of confronting the U.S. rival.
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But Democrats are eager to undermine the new GOP messaging by focusing on the more dovish records these Republicans have toward China.
In Montana, for instance, where GOP Sen. Steve Daines faces a tough challenge from Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock, Democrats are already spending money to cast doubt on Daines’ commitment to take a tougher line with China.
As a Procter & Gamble executive, Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) helped the company expand in China during the 1990s. As he now depicts himself as a hardliner on Chine, Daines and the company deny that he was involved in offshoring U.S. manufacturing. Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call/Getty Images
Before entering Congress, Daines spent years as an executive at Procter & Gamble at a time when the industrial giant was shutting down production facilities across the U.S. and expanding production in China. Daines, who lived in China for much of the 1990s, oversaw the company’s efforts to infiltrate the nascent Chinese consumer market with the active collaboration of the ruling Chinese Communist Party.
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Daines went on to become a champion of U.S.-China relations in Congress, supporting trade agreements that increased U.S. companies’ presence in the country.
The Senate Majority PAC, a Democratic super political action committee, is spending more than $1 million to air a TV ad across Montana that highlights Daines’ work for Procter & Gamble.
“Daines got rich while we struggle to make ends meet,” the spot’s narrator says. “Steve Daines profits from our pain.”
No proof has surfaced that Daines directly profited from, or presided over, the offshoring of U.S. jobs by Procter & Gamble. The company did downsize its workforce in 1993, laying off 13,000 workers ― 4,000 of them in the U.S.
The company simultaneously began scaling up its operations in China, which Daines was heavily involved in. He lived in Guangzhou, China, from 1992 to 1997, shepherding P&G’s expansion in the country.
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Both Daines and the company say that his responsibilities were limited to helping P&G penetrate the nascent Chinese consumer market, overseeing manufacturing expansion to sell household products to Chinese consumers, rather than to export them back to the U.S. At the time, P&G was building relationships with the Chinese Communist Party’s neighborhood watch committees to hawk their products, a practice that other multinational corporations would subsequently emulate.
As a guest earlier this month on the conservative talk radio show “Open for Business with Tom and Shane” in his home state, Daines began to get annoyed when a Montanan who called in accused him of moving American factories to China.
“We were producing and selling products to compete directly with the Chinese companies,” Daines responded. “Nothing we produced there was shipped back to the United States.”
“It’s kind of hard to have this career in the private sector and then in Congress support this free trade with China and then come out as someone who is attacking China.” - David Parker, Montana State University
In any event, the federal government recognized two specific cases during that same period when P&G replaced U.S. production with plants overseas. The Department of Labor awarded workers laid off at P&G plants in Staten Island, New York, and Hatboro, Pennsylvania, with trade adjustment assistance benefits reserved for workers who lost their jobs due to offshoring.
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And even if Daines was not involved in offshoring jobs to China during his tenure at P&G, his current harsh line against the country runs counter to a congressional career spent encouraging deeper trade ties between the country and the U.S.
Daines has made “holding China accountable” a central theme of his reelection campaign since early April. In a Facebook ad capable of reaching hundreds of thousands of people, Daines has promised to “EXPOSE China’s deadly cover-up of the China virus.” The language closely mirrors the recommendations of the campaign arm for Senate Republicans, which advised candidates in an April memo to “attack China” for its alleged role in allowing the novel coronavirus to spread, and to also run on re-shoring domestic manufacturing.
But as The Daily Beast reported in May, Daines stands out on Capitol Hill as a cheerleader for U.S.-China relations prior to the COVID-19 outbreak. He has been such an outspoken advocate of opening Chinese markets to Montana cattle exports that he made his fifth official trip to China last August.
He also has used those trips to reassure the Chinese government that the U.S. has no plans to stop recognizing Chinese sovereignty over Taiwan. China’s ambassador to the U.S. has called Daines China’s “ambassador to Congress.”
“It’s kind of hard to have this career in the private sector and then in Congress support this free trade with China and then come out as someone who is attacking China,” said David Parker, a Montana State University political scientist whose book, “Battle for the Big Sky,” chronicled Daines’ 2014 election. “It just doesn’t seem to me like it’s terribly believable.”
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“Republicans are so desperate to claw their way out of their leadership failures on COVID-19 that they’re latching onto the GOP anti-China playbook as a life raft.” - Matt Corridoni, Senate Majority PAC
A spokesperson for Daines’ campaign did not respond to multiple requests for comment on whether his history of support for U.S.-China trade and diplomatic relations is inconsistent with his more hawkish tone as a candidate.
Two other Republican senators facing contentious re-election battles also have histories of support for U.S. trade with China that they are now rushing to offset with hawkish positions.
In 2015, GOP Sens. Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Cory Gardner of Colorado voted against both a bipartisan amendment that would have made cracking down on currency manipulation a higher priority in U.S. trade policy and a bipartisan bill vesting the Customs and Border Protection agency with greater authority to enforce trade agreement compliance. (Many economists blame China’s policy of boosting the value of the U.S. dollar and suppressing the value of its own currency for artificially increasing the attractiveness of Chinese exports, thus contributing to the loss of manufacturing jobs in the U.S.)
That same year, both senators also voted against a Democratic-backed bill that would have enacted tax benefits for companies that create jobs in the U.S. and levied tax penalties on companies that move U.S.-based jobs overseas. (Daines likewise did not vote for these three measures.)
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Now Tillis is touting his co-sponsorship of a bill incentivizing domestic production of personal protective equipment.
Gardner remains opposed to the Trump administration’s use of tariffs in trade with China, but has taken a more aggressive line toward the country, calling for the Department of Defense to encourage domestic mining of rare Earth minerals to reduce dependence on imports from there. And One Nation, a pro-Gardner group, is airing a TV spot claiming the incumbent has a “long track record of getting tough on China.”
Matt Corridoni, a spokesman for the Democratic Senate Majority PAC, said, “Republicans are so desperate to claw their way out of their leadership failures on COVID-19 that they’re latching onto the GOP anti-China playbook as a life raft. Their hypocrisy knows no bounds, and if voters don’t reject them for that, they’ll certainly reject them for playing politics while Americans suffer.”
A spokesperson for Gardner’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment.
Tillis campaign spokesperson Andrew Romeo referred HuffPost to a host of comments from Tillis that criticized China’s human rights record, characterized the country as a military threat, and called for tougher enforcement of bilateral trade rules, including safeguards on U.S. intellectual property. (Out of 15 examples that the campaign provided, however, just two date to before Trump’s election in 2016 on an anti-China platform.)
Tillis “has been fighting to hold China accountable for years on trade, military matters, human rights and intellectual property, and has a plan to ramp up those efforts in the wake of COVID-19,” Romeo said in a statement.
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As of now, the Daines-Bullock faceoff in Montana remains the campaign where U.S.-China relations have played the biggest role. The race has become increasingly seen as crucial in the battle for Senate control, with Bullock ― a popular two-term governor ― given a fighting chance to unseat Daines in a GOP-leaning state.
A win in Montana's U.S. Senate race by Democrat Steve Bullock, the state's governor, would give his party a huge boost in it's bid for a Senate majority. Scott Olson/Getty Images
Bullock’s campaign has declined to comment on Daines’ shift on U.S.-China relations, leaving that to the Senate Majority PAC and the Montana Democratic Party.
“Daines’ new talking points are nothing more than a desperate attempt to save his political career,” Christina Wilkes, a spokesperson for the state party, said in a statement. “This dishonest pivot is just further evidence that Montanans can’t trust him on the issues.”
Bullock, a short-lived 2020 presidential candidate, delighted national Democrats when he announced his plans to challenge Daines in March. Bullock won reelection as governor by 4 percentage points in 2016 as Trump was carrying Montana by 20 points in the presidential race.)
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In his role as Montana’s chief executive during the coronavirus pandemic, Bullock has been an omnipresent public figure for the past few months, even as normal campaigning has slowed to a trickle. The Washington-based Cook Political Report moved the race from “lean Republican” to a “toss-up” in June.
But as with virtually any bid to dislodge an incumbent, Bullock must persuade voters not only of his basic suitability, but that Daines doesn’t merit another term. Undercutting Daines’ self-portrayal as a China hawk could neutralize the main tool that he and other Republicans are relying on to deflect attention from Trump’s mismanagement of COVID-19 and the accompanying economic fallout.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-20--NAACP Plans Virtual March On Washington To Press For Police Accountability

The NAACP is launching a “ virtual march ” on Washington next month to press its demand for police accountability and to mobilize voters , the organization said on Monday .
The online Aug. 28 event will mark the 57th anniversary of the historic Washington march when Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his powerful “ I Have a Dream ” speech .
The 2020 Virtual March on Washington is also happening the day after Donald Trump is expected to make his reelection nomination acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention in Jacksonville , Florida .
The NAACP event will feature @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the families of Black individuals who have died at the hands of police officers .
The virtual march is “ about asking everyone — from protesters in the streets to elected officials at all levels of government — to commit to pursuing a new agenda that prioritizes equity , justice , and equal opportunity for all , ” NAACP President Derrick Johnson said in a statement .
“ As we approach the November elections , we must mobilize to vote like we ’ ve never done before , ” he added .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to “ honor the life and legacy ” of the late Rep. John Lewis , the civil rights titan who died Friday of pancreatic cancer at the age of 80 , Johnson noted .
The virtual march kicks off the night of Aug. 27 with speeches and entertainment across social media sites and television networks .

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The NAACP is launching a “virtual march” on Washington next month to press its demand for police accountability and to mobilize voters, the organization said on Monday.
The online Aug. 28 event will mark the 57th anniversary of the historic Washington march when Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his powerful “I Have a Dream” speech.
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The 2020 Virtual March on Washington is also happening the day after Donald Trump is expected to make his reelection nomination acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention in Jacksonville, Florida.
The NAACP event will feature online appearances by Martin Luther King III and the families of Black individuals who have died at the hands of police officers.
The virtual march is “about asking everyone — from protesters in the streets to elected officials at all levels of government — to commit to pursuing a new agenda that prioritizes equity, justice, and equal opportunity for all,” NAACP President Derrick Johnson said in a statement. “As we approach the November elections, we must mobilize to vote like we’ve never done before,” he added.
The march will also be an opportunity to “honor the life and legacy” of the late Rep. John Lewis, the civil rights titan who died Friday of pancreatic cancer at the age of 80, Johnson noted.
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The virtual march kicks off the night of Aug. 27 with speeches and entertainment across social media sites and television networks.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-20--Federal Agents In Portland Used Tear Gas Against Protesters, Police Say

PORTLAND , Ore. ( AP ) — Portland police early Monday detailed another night of conflict between protesters and federal forces outside the U.S. courthouse in Oregon ’ s largest city , including a small fire outside the building and tear gas deployed to disperse the crowd .
A department statement said police officers did not engage with the the crowd , and that federal authorities periodically came of out of the courthouse to keep demonstrators at bay , according to police and news outlets .
Video posted online also showed protesters taking down fencing that had surrounded the courthouse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , helmets , gas masks , umbrellas , bats , and hockey sticks approached the doors ” before federal law enforcement came out and dispersed the crowd , ” police said .
“ At 1:34 a.m. people lit a fire within the portico in front of the federal courthouse .
Others gathered around the fire adding wood and other debris to make it larger .
At 1:42 a.m. federal law enforcement came out of the courthouse , dispersed the crowd and extinguished the fire , ” the statement said .
Gas was used @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the statement said , but Portland officers “ were not present during any of the activity ” or deploy any “ CS gas.
” The statement comes as some local and state leaders have voiced their displeasure with the presence of federal agents in the city that has seen protests every day since the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis nearly two months ago .
I am here outside the Federal Courthouse in Downtown Portland , where a crowd of mothers have gathered again after being tear gassed last night by feds .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ crowds we have seen this month .
pic.twitter.com/QuAwj8xvD2 — Robert Evans ( The Only Robert Evans ) ( @ IwriteOK ) July 20 , 2020 Speaking on CNN ’ s “ State of the Union , ” Democratic Mayor Ted Wheeler said federal officers “ are not wanted here .
We haven ’ t asked them here .
In fact , we want them to leave.
” Top leaders in the U.S. House said Sunday they were “ alarmed ” by the Trump administration ’ s tactics against protesters in Portland and other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve called on federal inspectors general investigate .
“ This is a matter of utmost urgency , ” wrote House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler , D-New York , Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie G. Thompson , D-Mississippi , and Oversight and Reform Committee Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney , D-New York , in a letter to the inspectors general of Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security .
The Democratic lawmakers are seeking an investigation “ into the use of federal law enforcement agencies by the Attorney General and the Acting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Amendment protected activities in Washington , D.C. , Portland , and other communities across the United States.
” “ We are trying to help Portland , not hurt it , ” Trump tweeted Sunday .
“ Their leadership has , for months , lost control of the anarchists and agitators .
They are missing in action .
We must protect Federal property , AND OUR PEOPLE .
These were not merely protesters , these are the real deal !
” Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler on federal troops descending upon the unrest in his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actually leading to more violence and more vandalism .
And it 's not helping the situation at all .
They 're not wanted here '' # CNNSOTU pic.twitter.com/G4KwrPmCgS — CNN Politics ( @ CNNPolitics ) July 19 , 2020 Late Saturday , Portland police declared demonstrations near the federal courthouse a riot after saying protesters broke into the Portland Police Association building and started a fire .
Dumpster fires were also set and fencing was moved and made into barricades , police said .
Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum sued Homeland Security and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Friday .
The complaint said unidentified federal agents have grabbed people off Portland ’ s streets “ without warning or explanation , without a warrant , and without providing any way to determine who is directing this action .
”

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PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Portland police early Monday detailed another night of conflict between protesters and federal forces outside the U.S. courthouse in Oregon’s largest city, including a small fire outside the building and tear gas deployed to disperse the crowd.
A department statement said police officers did not engage with the the crowd, and that federal authorities periodically came of out of the courthouse to keep demonstrators at bay, according to police and news outlets.
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Video posted online also showed protesters taking down fencing that had surrounded the courthouse. “Dozens of people with shields, helmets, gas masks, umbrellas, bats, and hockey sticks approached the doors” before federal law enforcement came out and dispersed the crowd,” police said.
“At 1:34 a.m. people lit a fire within the portico in front of the federal courthouse. Others gathered around the fire adding wood and other debris to make it larger. At 1:42 a.m. federal law enforcement came out of the courthouse, dispersed the crowd and extinguished the fire,” the statement said.
Gas was used at least twice to remove protesters, the statement said, but Portland officers “were not present during any of the activity” or deploy any “CS gas.”
The statement comes as some local and state leaders have voiced their displeasure with the presence of federal agents in the city that has seen protests every day since the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis nearly two months ago.
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I am here outside the Federal Courthouse in Downtown Portland, where a crowd of mothers have gathered again after being tear gassed last night by feds.
This is one of the largest Portland crowds we have seen this month. pic.twitter.com/QuAwj8xvD2 — Robert Evans (The Only Robert Evans) (@IwriteOK) July 20, 2020
Speaking on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Democratic Mayor Ted Wheeler said federal officers “are not wanted here. We haven’t asked them here. In fact, we want them to leave.”
Top leaders in the U.S. House said Sunday they were “alarmed” by the Trump administration’s tactics against protesters in Portland and other cities, including Washington, D.C. They’ve called on federal inspectors general investigate.
“This is a matter of utmost urgency,” wrote House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler, D-New York, Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie G. Thompson, D-Mississippi, and Oversight and Reform Committee Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney, D-New York, in a letter to the inspectors general of Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security.
The Democratic lawmakers are seeking an investigation “into the use of federal law enforcement agencies by the Attorney General and the Acting Secretary of Homeland Security to suppress First Amendment protected activities in Washington, D.C., Portland, and other communities across the United States.”
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President Donald Trump has decried the demonstrations, and Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf blasted the protesters as “lawless anarchists” in a visit to the city last Thursday.
“We are trying to help Portland, not hurt it,” Trump tweeted Sunday. “Their leadership has, for months, lost control of the anarchists and agitators. They are missing in action. We must protect Federal property, AND OUR PEOPLE. These were not merely protesters, these are the real deal!”
Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler on federal troops descending upon the unrest in his city: "Their presence here is actually leading to more violence and more vandalism. And it's not helping the situation at all. They're not wanted here" #CNNSOTU pic.twitter.com/G4KwrPmCgS — CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) July 19, 2020
Late Saturday, Portland police declared demonstrations near the federal courthouse a riot after saying protesters broke into the Portland Police Association building and started a fire. Dumpster fires were also set and fencing was moved and made into barricades, police said.
Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum sued Homeland Security and the Marshals Service in federal court late Friday. The complaint said unidentified federal agents have grabbed people off Portland’s streets “without warning or explanation, without a warrant, and without providing any way to determine who is directing this action.”
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Rosenblum said she was seeking a temporary restraining order to “immediately stop federal authorities from unlawfully detaining Oregonians.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-20--John Oliver Tackles Conspiracy Theories With Help Of Shirtless John Cena And More

Struggling to sway friends or relatives who are falling for misinformation about coronavirus ?
John Oliver ’ s assembled a panel of beloved celebs they might be willing to listen to .
In a segment dedicated to tackling conspiracy theories on Sunday , the “ Last Week Tonight ” host enlisted an assortment of stars to help send his message as dangerous misinformation about coronavirus continues to spread like wildfire online .
It doesn ’ t help , Oliver noted , that President Donald Trump persistently amplifies these baseless claims .
While it may be tempting to scream , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you titanic fucking idiot , ” Oliver said , he suggested a slightly less confrontational approach when attempting to help those around you to use rational thinking .
“ What experts say is that the most effective way to approach someone is not by shaming them for believing something or overwhelming them with counter-evidence , but to try and be empathetic , meet them where they are , and nudge them to think a little more critically , ” he said .
To that end , he brought on some voices that people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
For instance , for the “ confused grandparents ” sharing misinformation about not wearing a face mask , he suggested a 90-second message recorded by “ Jeopardy ” host Alex Trebek , who reminded viewers that it ’ s important to ask questions .
For the cousin who likes wrestling and “ Fast and Furious ” movies , who better to bring in than John Cena ?
The star noted in his own address ― while slowly removing his clothing ― that it ’ s important to check information you find online @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fact that he and John Oliver were born on the exact same day , despite having very different-looking bodies for their age ( it ’ s true , we checked ) .
In his own bit , Billy Porter said there ’ s “ a lot of convincing-looking shit on the internet and most of it ain ’ t true.
” He suggested using your brain “ like it ’ s the first roll of toilet paper in a brand new pack : unsparingly and with gusto.
” And Paul Rudd , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was dead because # RIPPaulRudd was trending , ” urged viewers to check multiple trusted sources to see if information you ’ ve read holds water .
Watch the video below , or visit TheTrueTrueTruth.com , to hear what Rudd , Cena , Trebek , Porter and Catherine O ’ Hara have to say .

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Struggling to sway friends or relatives who are falling for misinformation about coronavirus? John Oliver’s assembled a panel of beloved celebs they might be willing to listen to.
In a segment dedicated to tackling conspiracy theories on Sunday, the “Last Week Tonight” host enlisted an assortment of stars to help send his message as dangerous misinformation about coronavirus continues to spread like wildfire online. It doesn’t help, Oliver noted, that President Donald Trump persistently amplifies these baseless claims.
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While it may be tempting to scream, “Why do you believe this nonsense, you titanic fucking idiot,” Oliver said, he suggested a slightly less confrontational approach when attempting to help those around you to use rational thinking.
“What experts say is that the most effective way to approach someone is not by shaming them for believing something or overwhelming them with counter-evidence, but to try and be empathetic, meet them where they are, and nudge them to think a little more critically,” he said.
To that end, he brought on some voices that people might be more willing to listen to.
For instance, for the “confused grandparents” sharing misinformation about not wearing a face mask, he suggested a 90-second message recorded by “Jeopardy” host Alex Trebek, who reminded viewers that it’s important to ask questions.
For the cousin who likes wrestling and “Fast and Furious” movies, who better to bring in than John Cena? The star noted in his own address ― while slowly removing his clothing ― that it’s important to check information you find online. Like, for example, the fact that he and John Oliver were born on the exact same day, despite having very different-looking bodies for their age (it’s true, we checked).
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In his own bit, Billy Porter said there’s “a lot of convincing-looking shit on the internet and most of it ain’t true.” He suggested using your brain “like it’s the first roll of toilet paper in a brand new pack: unsparingly and with gusto.”
And Paul Rudd, who noted that “I once thought I was dead because #RIPPaulRudd was trending,” urged viewers to check multiple trusted sources to see if information you’ve read holds water.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-20--Beauty2theStreetz Gives Makeovers And Hope To Homeless People On Skid Row

She ’ s now 52 years old , and three years ago she founded the nonprofit organization Beauty2theStreetz , comprising a team of roughly 20 volunteers who visit the backstreets of Los Angeles ― and the Skid Row neighborhood , which has one of the largest homeless populations in the nation ― to provide food , hot water , hygiene products , beauty services and community for those in need .
Raines recognizes that the lack of a home doesn ’ t mean the lack of humanity , and provides not just basic necessities but the things that make us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shower and the hope-inducing feeling of looking in the mirror and loving what you see .
As a self-professed “ hood stylist , ” Raines has impressive styling skills without any formal cosmetology training , but she ’ s made it a point to add licensed cosmetologists to her team .
Her twin sister is a licensed makeup artist who volunteers her services alongside licensed stylists and barbers who help with the more technical aspects of hair care , such as cuts and color .
Though she considers her self-taught skills good enough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believes the homeless men , women and children she serves should also have access to professional services .
And she does her best to offer choices to her clients because choice is something that has often been taken away from them .
Pre-coronavirus , Beauty2theStreetz would serve about 30 clients a day , four days a week , providing hot meals as they waited for their requested styling services and sending clients off with their choice of snacks and clothes before leaving .
When government officials urged people to stay home due to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ team followed the guidance and ceased operations .
A few of Raines ’ clients were able to access social media and let her know they were hurting without her .
Shelters had started accepting fewer residents , leaving more people homeless , and without regular access to news outlets , many were uninformed about the latest COVID-19 developments .
To continue serving the population but reduce risk of contagion , Raines and her team made arrangements to set up at a local McDonald ’ s for roughly six hours once a week on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and styling services but now adding masks , hand sanitizer and general information about the pandemic to their list of options .
When it came to managing the coronavirus in these communities , Raines said , “ We quickly understood that when the world said , ‘ Everybody stay in , we got you , ’ they didn ’ t mean the homeless.
” Beauty2theStreetz relies on donations from Patreon subscribers and thousands of followers on Instagram and Twitter .
The 600-700 masks Raines distributes each Saturday are either sewn or purchased by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Raines .
Makeup brands NYX cosmetics and Thrive cosmetics have been donating makeup for a long time , and ManicPanic and L ’ Oreal have supplied hair color .
Raines has also received hand sanitizer donations from brands such as Orly , GreenerWays and toothpaste from Bite .
The organization has even caught the attention of celebrities like Miley Cyrus and Brie Larson , who have not only shared Raines on their own Instagram pages but made donations themselves .
Though she ’ s applied for grants , Raines suspects the reason @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that people don ’ t view her services as a necessity ; but these makeovers , as Raines puts it , are “ more than something superficial.
” Even if some people can ’ t understand the power of a shower and makeover , Raines is reassured of her impact when she looks at her clients .
“ Nothing else is gon na work for you unless you love yourself and feel good about yourself ; and this is helping them get to that level of feeling confident and clean enough and beautiful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ put in a job application or go into an establishment and put in a housing application.
” Just as Raines ’ services bring joy to her clients , they have brought joy to her as well .
Raines said clients have eased the process of mourning her son because “ all the love and care and all the things I have that I can ’ t give him , I still can give it to other people ’ s kids , as well as my other five living kids .
I kind of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s really helped me to find a purpose , find a reason for my pain.
” As someone whose calling found her by chance , Raines suggests anyone looking to be of service to others should get familiar with their clientele and pay attention to both their needs and their wants .
“ Being organic is very important , ” she said .
“ I would advise you to go out there and take care of the needs , and the wants will organically appear .
If you ’ re gon na be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to go out there and build the relationships with them .
You have to invest that time with them .
They have to learn to trust you and you have to get to know them .
That ’ s the only way it ’ s gon na succeed .
”

Beauty2theStreetz Shirley Raines applies color to a client's hair on the streets of Los Angeles.
About 30 years ago, Shirley Raines felt lost and looking for meaning after the tragic loss of her toddler son. A friend invited her to feed the homeless, and as female clients complimented her hair and makeup, a light bulb went off.
She offered to bring beauty products whenever she came out, and after weeks of supplying beauty goods for the cisgender and transgender women on the streets, Raines realized this was her purpose.
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She’s now 52 years old, and three years ago she founded the nonprofit organization Beauty2theStreetz, comprising a team of roughly 20 volunteers who visit the backstreets of Los Angeles ― and the Skid Row neighborhood, which has one of the largest homeless populations in the nation ― to provide food, hot water, hygiene products, beauty services and community for those in need.
“Nothing else is gonna work for you unless you love yourself and feel good about yourself; and this is helping them get to that level of feeling confident and clean enough and beautiful enough to go into a place and put in a job application.” - Shirley Raines
Raines recognizes that the lack of a home doesn’t mean the lack of humanity, and provides not just basic necessities but the things that make us feel inherently human, like a hot shower and the hope-inducing feeling of looking in the mirror and loving what you see.
As a self-professed “hood stylist,” Raines has impressive styling skills without any formal cosmetology training, but she’s made it a point to add licensed cosmetologists to her team. Her twin sister is a licensed makeup artist who volunteers her services alongside licensed stylists and barbers who help with the more technical aspects of hair care, such as cuts and color.
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Beauty2theStreetz Beauty2theStreetz depends on the work of these volunteers.
Though she considers her self-taught skills good enough to make people look fabulous, Raines believes the homeless men, women and children she serves should also have access to professional services. And she does her best to offer choices to her clients because choice is something that has often been taken away from them.
Pre-coronavirus, Beauty2theStreetz would serve about 30 clients a day, four days a week, providing hot meals as they waited for their requested styling services and sending clients off with their choice of snacks and clothes before leaving. When government officials urged people to stay home due to the coronavirus pandemic, Raines and her team followed the guidance and ceased operations.
Beauty2theStreetz A Beauty2theStreetz volunteer braids a client's hair.
A few of Raines’ clients were able to access social media and let her know they were hurting without her. Shelters had started accepting fewer residents, leaving more people homeless, and without regular access to news outlets, many were uninformed about the latest COVID-19 developments.
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To continue serving the population but reduce risk of contagion, Raines and her team made arrangements to set up at a local McDonald’s for roughly six hours once a week on Saturdays, still supplying clients with food and styling services but now adding masks, hand sanitizer and general information about the pandemic to their list of options.
When it came to managing the coronavirus in these communities, Raines said, “We quickly understood that when the world said, ‘Everybody stay in, we got you,’ they didn’t mean the homeless.”
Beauty2theStreetz relies on donations from Patreon subscribers and thousands of followers on Instagram and Twitter. The 600-700 masks Raines distributes each Saturday are either sewn or purchased by social media followers who send them directly to Raines. Makeup brands NYX cosmetics and Thrive cosmetics have been donating makeup for a long time, and ManicPanic and L’Oreal have supplied hair color. Raines has also received hand sanitizer donations from brands such as Orly, GreenerWays and toothpaste from Bite.
The organization has even caught the attention of celebrities like Miley Cyrus and Brie Larson, who have not only shared Raines on their own Instagram pages but made donations themselves. Though she’s applied for grants, Raines suspects the reason she’s never received any is that people don’t view her services as a necessity; but these makeovers, as Raines puts it, are “more than something superficial.”
Beauty2theStreetz A woman gets her hair dyed during a visit from Beauty2theStreetz volunteers.
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Even if some people can’t understand the power of a shower and makeover, Raines is reassured of her impact when she looks at her clients. “Nothing else is gonna work for you unless you love yourself and feel good about yourself; and this is helping them get to that level of feeling confident and clean enough and beautiful enough to go into a place and put in a job application or go into an establishment and put in a housing application.”
Just as Raines’ services bring joy to her clients, they have brought joy to her as well. Raines said clients have eased the process of mourning her son because “all the love and care and all the things I have that I can’t give him, I still can give it to other people’s kids, as well as my other five living kids. I kind of adopted a whole community and it’s really helped me to find a purpose, find a reason for my pain.”
As someone whose calling found her by chance, Raines suggests anyone looking to be of service to others should get familiar with their clientele and pay attention to both their needs and their wants.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-20--Trump Now Says Face Masks Are Patriotic But Twitter Users Aren't Impressed

After months of mocking mask use and watching Covid cases climb , Trump finds a racist way to change his @ @ @ @ @ never admit he was wrong .
Did the same thing when he fessed up to @ @ @ @ @ birth certificate in 2016 and tried to blame Hillary Clinton for it .
https : @

After months of mocking mask use and watching Covid cases climb, Trump finds a racist way to change his tune.
This guy can never admit he was wrong. Did the same thing when he fessed up to his lie about Obama's birth certificate in 2016 and tried to blame Hillary Clinton for it. https://t.co/5ArNBffV8H


thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-20--The BMI Is Racist And Useless. Here's How To Measure Health Instead.

The BMI is inherently racist and sexist .
Although Quetelet noted that it was a population-level tool and not meant to be used on individuals , physiologist Ancel Keys reintroduced the calculation in 1972 as the Body Mass Index , and it has since been adopted by the medical community as a way to measure individual health .
A BMI outside the “ normal ” range ( 18.5-25 ) is considered less healthy , and an indicator of greater health risks .
“ It is racist , and also sexist , to use mostly white men within your study population @ @ @ @ @ @ @ create norms and expectations for women and people of color , ” Strings told HuffPost .
“ They have not been included in the initial clinical analyses , and therefore their actual health outcomes can not be determined by these findings.
” Weight standards have long been used to perpetuate racism .
She describes how the thin bodies of northern and western Europeans were upheld as the ideal , while the often larger bodies of eastern and southern Europeans , as well as Africans , were considered signs of their inferiority .
All @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anything about the ( still blurry and confounding ) relationship between weight and health .
The modern BMI and its categories ― underweight , normal , overweight and obese ― have inherited much of that racism .
“ Even after all of the work that I ’ ve done and the work that I ’ ve read about the creation of these weight categories , I ’ ve long wondered , ‘ Who is this even based on ?
’ ” Strings said .
“ This 18.5-25 ‘ normal ’ BMI category that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is that even about ?
There ’ s something so strange about that .
I feel almost certain that they were not researching people in places like Samoa , where people can be healthier at much heavier weights.
” Making assumptions about a person ’ s health based on their BMI is preposterous .
“ There are so many ramifications of trying to create one normative table for the diverse people of the world .
The whole thing is preposterous.
” - Sabrina Strings , an assistant professor at the University of California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ affect BMI .
It ’ s important to note that while the average adult American BMI falls into the “ overweight ” category , there are marked differences between ethnic groups .
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , the prevalence of “ obesity ” ( a BMI over 30 ) is highest among Black adults , followed by non-Black Hispanic adults .
But it ’ s discriminatory and unfair to make blanket statements without examining why this is the case .
“ The question is , what contributed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ] population ?
The answer lies in poverty , in minority stress , in experienced traumas related to food inaccessibility and fear and worry in the household about safety or financial security , ” Gaudiani said .
“ It lies in the propulsion of diet culture onto certain groups in ways that start weight cycling from a really early age and do not honor body diversity.
” “ I think that racism has a multi-system impact on the body , ” said Lesley Williams , a family medicine physician and certified eating disorder @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ It ’ s waking up every day and dealing with micro- and macro-aggressions that you ’ re maybe not even familiar with but your body is absorbing ...
It has an impact on stress levels , which can then increase cortisol levels , which then impacts the body ’ s composition.
” In turn , those at higher BMIs experience even more discrimination .
Williams explained that many doctors believe that when a person is at a higher BMI , it is not only their right but their obligation as a doctor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the patient to lose weight , discuss the patient ’ s body size and eating habits without the patient ’ s permission , and address this “ issue ” of weight before discussing whatever medical problem the patient may have come in for .
“ I ’ ve had so many patients who have specifically sought me out in the past because I advertise that it ’ s a safe environment , who have been avoiding health care because they have felt that it is unsafe , ” Williams added .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ My physician wouldn ’ t listen to me .
I had this myriad of complaints that had nothing to do with my weight , and all they wanted to do was talk about my weight , and I was not being served , and I ’ ve just elected not to go back.
’ ” “ I think BMI is used because it ’ s a very blunt tool , if you will , and it ’ s easy , ” she said .
Instead of making assumptions based on a patient ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issue brought them to her office , collects the data she needs , and targets her intervention based on those specifics .
It might be a little more time-consuming , but it ’ s also more accurate and patient-centered .
The BMI won ’ t disappear overnight , nor will racism or discrimination against those at higher weights .
But the number of physicians and other experts beginning to reject , or at least seriously question , its validity as a tool for measuring health is growing .
While we all work to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ America , we must also hold the medical community accountable for their role in perpetuating these systems through the use of flawed tools like BMI .

C.J. Burton via Getty Images
If a research group today conducted a study on a single gender or ethnic group, critics would be quick to point out that its findings couldn’t reasonably be applied to anyone outside of that gender or group. It seems like basic logic, right?
Unfortunately, such is the case with the Body Mass Index (BMI), a weight-to-height ratio used by health care providers, insurance companies and the scientific community.
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There is growing criticism for the use of BMI. For example, it doesn’t take body composition (fat versus muscle) into account, and a person’s weight doesn’t correlate directly with their health. However, there’s not much mainstream discussion about its racist roots or the way it furthers the oppression of and discrimination against certain groups.
A growing number of experts believe it’s time to change that.
The BMI is inherently racist and sexist.
The racist roots of the BMI go back a long way. Created by Belgian mathematician Adolphe Quetelet in 1832 as the “Quetelet Index,” the scale was created using data from predominantly European men to measure weight in different populations.
Although Quetelet noted that it was a population-level tool and not meant to be used on individuals, physiologist Ancel Keys reintroduced the calculation in 1972 as the Body Mass Index, and it has since been adopted by the medical community as a way to measure individual health. A BMI outside the “normal” range (18.5-25) is considered less healthy, and an indicator of greater health risks.
While the BMI has countless failings as a reliable tool, racism is chief among them, said Sabrina Strings, an assistant professor at the University of California, Irvine.
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“It is racist, and also sexist, to use mostly white men within your study population and then try to extrapolate that and create norms and expectations for women and people of color,” Strings told HuffPost. “They have not been included in the initial clinical analyses, and therefore their actual health outcomes cannot be determined by these findings.”
In short, the way BMI is being used is unscientific because of its origins and the homogenous population it was created from.
Weight standards have long been used to perpetuate racism.
In her book ”Fearing the Black Body,” Strings outlines the history of body standards and the ways in which thinness was used to uphold white superiority as recently as the early 20th century.
She describes how the thin bodies of northern and western Europeans were upheld as the ideal, while the often larger bodies of eastern and southern Europeans, as well as Africans, were considered signs of their inferiority. All of this was before we really knew anything about the (still blurry and confounding) relationship between weight and health. The modern BMI and its categories ― underweight, normal, overweight and obese ― have inherited much of that racism.
“Even after all of the work that I’ve done and the work that I’ve read about the creation of these weight categories, I’ve long wondered, ‘Who is this even based on?’” Strings said. “This 18.5-25 ‘normal’ BMI category that they arbitrarily came up with ― what is that even about? There’s something so strange about that. I feel almost certain that they were not researching people in places like Samoa, where people can be healthier at much heavier weights.”
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“There are so many ramifications of trying to create one normative table for the diverse people of the world,” Strings added. “The whole thing is preposterous.”
LeoPatrizi via Getty Images
Making assumptions about a person’s health based on their BMI is preposterous.
Racism aside, BMI just isn’t a very good measure of a person’s overall health.
“At present day, [BMI] has been widely adopted by the medical world as a shorthand for healthy or unhealthy,” said Jennifer Gaudiani, an internal medicine physician and certified eating disorder specialist based in Denver, Colorado. “That fact is unscientific and harmful.”
For one thing, it can blind physicians to a patient’s actual medical conditions. Many males with anorexia nervosa go undiagnosed because they are technically within the “normal” BMI category, Gaudiani said. The same thing happens to people at higher weights, who often don’t get screened for eating disorders despite things like significant recent weight loss, symptoms of malnutrition or reported eating disorder behaviors.
“There are so many ramifications of trying to create one normative table for the diverse people of the world. The whole thing is preposterous.” - Sabrina Strings, an assistant professor at the University of California, Irvine
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Gaudiani described another instance where a former patient of hers had lymphoma that was written off by her former doctor as “part of her fat neck” until it was stage 4.
While Strings and Gaudiani both pointed out that weight is linked to certain medical conditions, they emphasized that being at a certain weight doesn’t make a person healthy or unhealthy.
The experience of racism can affect BMI.
It’s important to note that while the average adult American BMI falls into the “overweight” category, there are marked differences between ethnic groups. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the prevalence of “obesity” (a BMI over 30) is highest among Black adults, followed by non-Black Hispanic adults. But it’s discriminatory and unfair to make blanket statements without examining why this is the case.
“The question is, what contributed to higher weight across an entire [ethnic] population? The answer lies in poverty, in minority stress, in experienced traumas related to food inaccessibility and fear and worry in the household about safety or financial security,” Gaudiani said. “It lies in the propulsion of diet culture onto certain groups in ways that start weight cycling from a really early age and do not honor body diversity.”
She explained that a young girl of color might go to a pediatrician at age 7 or 8 and be told that they’re fat, when in fact they’re just experiencing a normal prepubescent weight surge earlier than a young white girl might.
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“That sets up in them a body consciousness and fearfulness or maybe even dieting pattern, that may indeed affect metabolism and, later in life, body weight,” Guadiani said.
What’s more, just the experience of racism can affect a person’s weight and BMI.
“I think that racism has a multi-system impact on the body,” said Lesley Williams, a family medicine physician and certified eating disorder specialist based in Phoenix, Arizona. “It’s waking up every day and dealing with micro- and macro-aggressions that you’re maybe not even familiar with but your body is absorbing ... It has an impact on stress levels, which can then increase cortisol levels, which then impacts the body’s composition.”
FatCamera via Getty Images
In turn, those at higher BMIs experience even more discrimination.
While discrimination and lack of access to quality medical care can affect BMI, they can also simultaneously be the result of a higher BMI ― an endless cycle.
Williams explained that many doctors believe that when a person is at a higher BMI, it is not only their right but their obligation as a doctor to try and intervene: to encourage the patient to lose weight, discuss the patient’s body size and eating habits without the patient’s permission, and address this “issue” of weight before discussing whatever medical problem the patient may have come in for.
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“That’s doing harm, and can negatively impact someone’s mental and physical health,” Williams said.
“I’ve had so many patients who have specifically sought me out in the past because I advertise that it’s a safe environment, who have been avoiding health care because they have felt that it is unsafe,” Williams added. “I hear time and time again, ‘My physician wouldn’t listen to me. I had this myriad of complaints that had nothing to do with my weight, and all they wanted to do was talk about my weight, and I was not being served, and I’ve just elected not to go back.’”
As Gaudiani mentioned, this can lead to legitimate health issues going unchecked and unmonitored, which in itself can greatly worsen health outcomes. Yes, a person’s weight might serve as one data point in their medical profile, but no single number can determine how healthy someone is overall.
“We cannot use weight as a marker of health,” Gaudiani said. “It just does not correlate, except on the very extremes.”
“We cannot use weight as a marker of health. It just does not correlate, except on the very extremes.” - Jennifer Gaudiani, an internal medicine physician and certified eating disorder specialist based in Denver, Colorado
Unfortunately, there’s no easy substitute. Both Gaudiani and Williams agree that the answer isn’t to just replace the BMI with another basic measurement ― say, taking a person’s muscle mass or body fat percentage and using that instead. These too are only single factors, and can’t predict health outcomes.
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Instead, Williams thinks that doctors must take all of a person’s health markers into account when determining their health. That includes factors like their background, their stress levels, their access to food and dietary habits, any underlying health concerns or conditions, their relationship with movement and exercise and more.
Of course, this takes more time and doesn’t come out to a single number that can be entered into a chart.
“I think BMI is used because it’s a very blunt tool, if you will, and it’s easy,” she said. Instead of making assumptions based on a patient’s BMI, she focuses on whatever issue brought them to her office, collects the data she needs, and targets her intervention based on those specifics. It might be a little more time-consuming, but it’s also more accurate and patient-centered.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-20--Missouri Governor Says School Kids Will Catch COVID-19 And ‘Get Over It’

The Republican governor of Missouri is pushing for children to return to school while acknowledging that doing so is likely to result in the mass spread of COVID-19 .
Gov .
Mike Parson ’ s controversial comments came during a Friday interview with radio host Marc Cox on KFTK , and align with the message coming from the White House , which ignores the risk of children infecting teachers and adult family members at home .
“ These kids have got to get back to school , ” Parson told Cox .
“ They ’ re at the lowest risk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 , which they will — and they will when they go to school — they ’ re not going to the hospitals .
They ’ re not going to have to sit in doctor ’ s offices .
They ’ re going to go home and they ’ re going to get over it.
” Although the symptoms of COVID-19 are generally more mild in children than adults , there have been many cases of serious illness and even deaths among juveniles .
An 8-year-old girl in North Carolina died in early @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for COVID-19 , and a school-aged child in Oklahoma died this month of complications related to the disease .
As of Monday , a child no older than 5 became the youngest person to die from COVID-19 in Minnesota .
Millions of U.S. students returning to crowded classrooms could upend the scientific community ’ s current understanding of the role children play in transmission .
Some studies indicate children are less likely to contract and transmit the coronavirus , but researchers have not pinpointed the reason and know little about the long-term effects @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A large study from South Korea found that children ages 10 and up are just as capable of spreading the virus as adults , suggesting that school reopenings are likely to trigger new outbreaks , according to The New York Times .
The uncertainties give Parson little pause .
He told KFTK that Missouri has “ got to move on ” and that requiring people to wear masks is “ not a good road to go down.
” And he asserted that children not returning to school “ will create more problems than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Of course , there ’ s no way for Parson to know that .
If schools become breeding grounds for new infections , as Parson himself expects will happen , it seems highly likely that COVID-19-positive children will come home from school ― as they do at the end of the day ― and infect scores of parents and elderly relatives .
Missouri is among more than 30 states experiencing a surge in coronavirus infections , with a record of 958 new cases confirmed on Saturday .
There have been at least @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state , according to a database maintained by the Times .
“ Mike Parson today said he is fine with every child in Missouri getting COVID-19 and spreading it to their family members , ” said party spokesman Kevin Donohoe .
“ There is no place in our politics for such a reckless disregard for Missourians ’ lives.
” “ To be very clear , we don ’ t want CDC guidance to be a reason why people don ’ t reopen their schools , ” Vice President Mike Pence said last week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , referring to advice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , the nation ’ s foremost public health agency .

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The Republican governor of Missouri is pushing for children to return to school while acknowledging that doing so is likely to result in the mass spread of COVID-19.
Gov. Mike Parson’s controversial comments came during a Friday interview with radio host Marc Cox on KFTK, and align with the message coming from the White House, which ignores the risk of children infecting teachers and adult family members at home.
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“These kids have got to get back to school,” Parson told Cox. “They’re at the lowest risk possible. And if they do get COVID-19, which they will — and they will when they go to school — they’re not going to the hospitals. They’re not going to have to sit in doctor’s offices. They’re going to go home and they’re going to get over it.”
Although the symptoms of COVID-19 are generally more mild in children than adults, there have been many cases of serious illness and even deaths among juveniles. An 8-year-old girl in North Carolina died in early June just four days after testing positive for COVID-19, and a school-aged child in Oklahoma died this month of complications related to the disease. As of Monday, a child no older than 5 became the youngest person to die from COVID-19 in Minnesota.
Missouri Gov. Mike Parson with First Lady Melania Trump earlier this month. Parson appears to not know or care that reopening schools puts adults in danger too. JIM WATSON via Getty Images
Millions of U.S. students returning to crowded classrooms could upend the scientific community’s current understanding of the role children play in transmission. Some studies indicate children are less likely to contract and transmit the coronavirus, but researchers have not pinpointed the reason and know little about the long-term effects of COVID-19 on children and adults. A large study from South Korea found that children ages 10 and up are just as capable of spreading the virus as adults, suggesting that school reopenings are likely to trigger new outbreaks, according to The New York Times.
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The uncertainties give Parson little pause. He told KFTK that Missouri has “got to move on” and that requiring people to wear masks is “not a good road to go down.” And he asserted that children not returning to school “will create more problems than the virus will ever think about creating.”
Of course, there’s no way for Parson to know that. If schools become breeding grounds for new infections, as Parson himself expects will happen, it seems highly likely that COVID-19-positive children will come home from school ― as they do at the end of the day ― and infect scores of parents and elderly relatives.
Missouri is among more than 30 states experiencing a surge in coronavirus infections, with a record of 958 new cases confirmed on Saturday. There have been at least 35,154 cases and 1,158 deaths in the state, according to a database maintained by the Times.
In a statement Monday, the Missouri Democratic Party called Parson’s comments “despicable and morally reprehensible.”
“Mike Parson today said he is fine with every child in Missouri getting COVID-19 and spreading it to their family members,” said party spokesman Kevin Donohoe. “There is no place in our politics for such a reckless disregard for Missourians’ lives.”
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President Donald Trump and allied Republicans have largely abandoned science in their rush to reopen schools and businesses.
“To be very clear, we don’t want CDC guidance to be a reason why people don’t reopen their schools,” Vice President Mike Pence said last week at a roundtable at Louisiana State University, referring to advice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the nation’s foremost public health agency.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-20--Oxford Coronavirus Vaccine 'Safe' And Showing 'Promising Results'

A UK vaccine against coronavirus has shown “ promising ” results , findings of the first phases of the study suggest .
The early-stage trial showed the vaccine is “ safe , causes few side effects , and induces strong immune responses , ” results published in The Lancet said .
However , scientists warned it is still too soon to know if the results are enough , and larger trials are currently under way .
The vaccine , developed by the University of Oxford , is called ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 and is delivered via a chimpanzee virus , called the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a genetically engineered virus that causes the common cold in chimpanzees , which is then engineered to express the coronavirus spike protein to trigger a strong immune response in the human body .
Trials involving 1,077 healthy adults between April 23 and May 21 showed the injection led to them making antibodies and white blood cells that can fight COVID-19 .
It did not produce any serious side effects .
Professor Sarah Gilbert , from the University of Oxford , UK , said : “ There is still much work to be done @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will help manage the COVID-19 pandemic , but these early results hold promise .
“ As well as continuing to test our vaccine in phase-three trials , we need to learn more about the virus — for example , we still do not know how strong an immune response we need to provoke to effectively protect against Sars-Cov-2 infection .
“ If our vaccine is effective , it is a promising option as these types of vaccine can be manufactured at large scale .
“ A successful vaccine against Sars-Cov-2 could be used @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the whole population , with high-risk populations such as hospital workers and older adults prioritized to receive vaccination.
” Scientists behind the trial said the current trial is “ too preliminary ” to confirm whether the new vaccine effectively protects against coronavirus .
An ideal vaccine should be effective after one or two vaccinations , work in target populations including older people and those with preexisting health conditions , offer protection for a minimum of six months , and reduce transmission of the virus to contacts .
Phase 3 trials for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ South Africa , while combined phase 2/3 trials are continuing in the UK .

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A UK vaccine against coronavirus has shown “promising” results, findings of the first phases of the study suggest.
The early-stage trial showed the vaccine is “safe, causes few side effects, and induces strong immune responses,” results published in The Lancet said.
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However, scientists warned it is still too soon to know if the results are enough, and larger trials are currently under way.
The vaccine, developed by the University of Oxford, is called ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 and is delivered via a chimpanzee virus, called the vaccine vector.
It is made from a genetically engineered virus that causes the common cold in chimpanzees, which is then engineered to express the coronavirus spike protein to trigger a strong immune response in the human body.
The UK government has already ordered 100 million doses of the vaccine.
Oxford’s Covid-19 vaccine produces a good immune response, reveals new study.
Teams at @VaccineTrials and @OxfordVacGroup have found there were no safety concerns, and the vaccine stimulated strong immune responses: https://t.co/krqRzXMh7B pic.twitter.com/Svd3MhCXWZ — University of Oxford (@UniofOxford) July 20, 2020
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Trials involving 1,077 healthy adults between April 23 and May 21 showed the injection led to them making antibodies and white blood cells that can fight COVID-19. It did not produce any serious side effects.
Professor Sarah Gilbert, from the University of Oxford, UK, said: “There is still much work to be done before we can confirm if our vaccine will help manage the COVID-19 pandemic, but these early results hold promise.
“As well as continuing to test our vaccine in phase-three trials, we need to learn more about the virus — for example, we still do not know how strong an immune response we need to provoke to effectively protect against Sars-Cov-2 infection.
“If our vaccine is effective, it is a promising option as these types of vaccine can be manufactured at large scale.
“A successful vaccine against Sars-Cov-2 could be used to prevent infection, disease and death in the whole population, with high-risk populations such as hospital workers and older adults prioritized to receive vaccination.”
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NEW—UK’s #COVID19 vaccine is safe and induces an immune reaction, according to preliminary results https://t.co/rDPlB9fDKr pic.twitter.com/z2t9Aubjim — The Lancet (@TheLancet) July 20, 2020
Scientists behind the trial said the current trial is “too preliminary” to confirm whether the new vaccine effectively protects against coronavirus.
An ideal vaccine should be effective after one or two vaccinations, work in target populations including older people and those with preexisting health conditions, offer protection for a minimum of six months, and reduce transmission of the virus to contacts.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-20--Gun-Wielding St. Louis Couple Hit With Felony Charge

ST. LOUIS ( AP ) — St. Louis ’ top prosecutor told The Associated Press on Monday that she is charging a white husband and wife with felony unlawful use of a weapon for displaying guns during a racial injustice protest outside their mansion .
Gardner said in an interview with the AP ahead of more broadly announcing the charges that the McCloskeys ’ actions risked creating a violent situation during an otherwise nonviolent protest .
Gardner is recommending a diversion program such as community service rather than jail time if the McCloskeys are convicted .
Typically , class E @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years in prison .
Several Republican leaders have condemned Gardner ’ s investigation , including President Donald Trump , Missouri Gov .
Mike Parson and Sen. Josh Hawley , who has urged Attorney General William Barr to undertake a civil rights investigation of Gardner .
Parson said in a radio interview Friday that he would likely pardon the couple if they were charged and convicted .
St. Louis , like many cities across the country , has seen demonstrations in the weeks since George Floyd ’ s death in Minneapolis , and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the demonstration on June 28 .
Several hundred people were marching to the home of Democratic Mayor Lyda Krewson , a few blocks from the McCloskeys ’ home .
Krewson had angered activists by reading on Facebook Live the names and addresses of some who had called for defunding police .
The McCloskeys live on a private street called Portland Place .
A police report said the couple heard a loud commotion and saw a large group of people break an iron gate marked with “ No Trespassing ” and “ Private Street @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Rev .
Darryl Gray , said the gate was open and that protesters didn ’ t damage it .
Trump spoke by phone with Parson last week to criticize Gardner ’ s investigation .
Parson , when he was in the Legislature , co-authored Missouri ’ s “ castle doctrine ” law that justifies deadly force for those who are defending their homes from intruders .
He has said that the McCloskeys “ had every right to protect their property.
” The McCloskeys ’ attorney , Albert Watkins , said they are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ message of the Black Lives Matter movement .
He said they grabbed their guns when two or three white protesters violently threatened the couple , their property and that of their neighbors .
Gardner , St. Louis ’ first Black circuit attorney , has been at odds with some in the St. Louis establishment since her election in 2016 .
Most notably , her office charged then-Gov .
Eric Greitens with felony invasion of privacy in 2018 for allegedly taking a compromising photo of a woman during an extramarital affair .
The charge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in June 2018 .
Gardner also has butted heads with police leaders , especially after she developed an “ exclusion list ” of more than two dozen officers who were barred from serving as primary witnesses in criminal cases over what Gardner called credibility concerns .
The move angered Police Chief John Hayden , who also is Black .
In January , Gardner filed a federal lawsuit accusing the city , the police union and others of a coordinated and racist conspiracy aimed at forcing her out of office .
The lawsuit also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impeding her efforts to change racist practices .
Several Black leaders in St. Louis have expressed support for Gardner , including U.S. Rep. William Lacy Clay , a Democrat , who has said protesters “ should never be subject to the threat of deadly force , whether by individuals or by the police .
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ST. LOUIS (AP) — St. Louis’ top prosecutor told The Associated Press on Monday that she is charging a white husband and wife with felony unlawful use of a weapon for displaying guns during a racial injustice protest outside their mansion.
Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner announced the charges against Mark and Patricia McCloskey, who are both personal injury attorneys in their 60s. They also face a misdemeanor charge of fourth-degree assault.
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Gardner said in an interview with the AP ahead of more broadly announcing the charges that the McCloskeys’ actions risked creating a violent situation during an otherwise nonviolent protest.
“It is illegal to wave weapons in a threatening manner — that is unlawful in the city of St. Louis,” Gardner said.
Gardner is recommending a diversion program such as community service rather than jail time if the McCloskeys are convicted. Typically, class E felonies could result in up to four years in prison.
Supporters of the McCloskeys said they were legally defending their $1.15 million home. Photos emerged as memes on both sides of the gun debate.
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Several Republican leaders have condemned Gardner’s investigation, including President Donald Trump, Missouri Gov. Mike Parson and Sen. Josh Hawley, who has urged Attorney General William Barr to undertake a civil rights investigation of Gardner. Parson said in a radio interview Friday that he would likely pardon the couple if they were charged and convicted.
Gardner said Trump, Parson and others are attacking her to distract from “their failed approach to the COVID-19 pandemic” and other issues.
St. Louis, like many cities across the country, has seen demonstrations in the weeks since George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis, and the McCloskeys’ home was initially incidental to the demonstration on June 28. Several hundred people were marching to the home of Democratic Mayor Lyda Krewson, a few blocks from the McCloskeys’ home. Krewson had angered activists by reading on Facebook Live the names and addresses of some who had called for defunding police.
The McCloskeys live on a private street called Portland Place. A police report said the couple heard a loud commotion and saw a large group of people break an iron gate marked with “No Trespassing” and “Private Street” signs. A protest leader, the Rev. Darryl Gray, said the gate was open and that protesters didn’t damage it.
Video posted online showed Mark McCloskey wielding a long-barreled gun and Patricia McCloskey waving a small handgun. No shots were fired.
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Trump spoke by phone with Parson last week to criticize Gardner’s investigation. Parson, when he was in the Legislature, co-authored Missouri’s “castle doctrine” law that justifies deadly force for those who are defending their homes from intruders. He has said that the McCloskeys “had every right to protect their property.”
Gardner declined to discuss why she decided the castle doctrine didn’t apply.
The McCloskeys’ attorney, Albert Watkins, said they are longtime civil rights advocates and support the message of the Black Lives Matter movement. He said they grabbed their guns when two or three white protesters violently threatened the couple, their property and that of their neighbors.
Gardner, St. Louis’ first Black circuit attorney, has been at odds with some in the St. Louis establishment since her election in 2016. Most notably, her office charged then-Gov. Eric Greitens with felony invasion of privacy in 2018 for allegedly taking a compromising photo of a woman during an extramarital affair. The charge was eventually dropped, but Greitens resigned in June 2018.
A private investigator Gardner hired to investigate the claims against Greitens was later indicted for perjury for allegedly lying during a deposition. His case is pending.
Gardner also has butted heads with police leaders, especially after she developed an “exclusion list” of more than two dozen officers who were barred from serving as primary witnesses in criminal cases over what Gardner called credibility concerns. The move angered Police Chief John Hayden, who also is Black.
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In January, Gardner filed a federal lawsuit accusing the city, the police union and others of a coordinated and racist conspiracy aimed at forcing her out of office. The lawsuit also accused “entrenched interests” of intentionally impeding her efforts to change racist practices.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-20--Congress Returns From Recess With $600 Unemployment Benefits In Limbo

Congress returns to work this week with a critical deadline looming : the expiration of an additional $ 600 per week in federal unemployment benefits it created to help workers through the coronavirus pandemic .
More than 25 million unemployed people are receiving some form of unemployment benefits .
But the additional $ 600 weekly that Congress added in March will expire in a matter of days if lawmakers don ’ t act .
The lapse in benefits would be devastating not only to the economy but also to those Americans still struggling to pay bills on time , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Oregon said she had been looking for a new marketing job when the pandemic struck earlier this year .
Her husband works in the film industry and projects dried up ; they ’ ve both relied on the extra benefits to pay their expenses .
If Congress doesn ’ t replace the extra benefits , people won ’ t be entirely cut off , but they ’ ll be left with state-funded benefits that average about $ 364 .
Gaddini said she and her husband each receive less than $ 300 in state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extra $ 600 , we aren ’ t going to make it , ” Gaddini , 37 , said in an email .
“ We have a mortgage , we have a child , we have bills .
What do we choose to not pay ?
” “ I think most people would rather have a job that ’ s going to be there for months , not a benefit that ’ s going to be there for three or four , ” Sen. Marco Rubio ( R-Fla. ) told CBS4 , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ But at the same time , we can ’ t ignore employers saying to us that they ’ ve tried to rehire people and who are unwilling to come back as long as their benefit is there because they ’ re actually making more this way , ” Rubio continued .
More people are losing their jobs , and that means there are so many more people applying to the jobs I ’ m applying for .
When lawmakers created the extra jobless pay as part of the CARES Act in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that pandemic conditions would improve after a few months .
But the coronavirus is now surging , particularly in states such as Florida that reopened their economies against the advice of public health experts .
“ More people are losing their jobs , and that means there are so many more people applying to the jobs I ’ m applying for , ” Gaddini said .
“ I ’ m not getting any calls for interviews .
It ’ s way different than in February.
” The fight over whether and at what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ benefits is shaping up to be one of Congress ’ biggest as it races to craft the next coronavirus relief package ahead of its annual August recess .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ( R-Ky. ) is expected to unveil a bill this week representing his party ’ s opening bid during the negotiations .
It ’ s unclear how much of the added federal unemployment benefit boost it will preserve , if at all .
The proposal is said to focus mainly on providing more funding for schools and coronavirus testing , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from lawsuits dealing with the pandemic .
The details will likely be hashed out after McConnell meets with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy ( R-Calif. ) and President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday , and after a Senate Republican conference meeting on Capitol Hill later this week .
“ From what we understand from press reports , Leader McConnell ’ s bill will prioritize corporate special interests over workers and main street businesses , and will fail to adequately address the worsening spread of the Coronavirus , ” Schumer wrote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ approach to this legislation is the same approach that delayed the passage of the CARES Act and the subsequent interim emergency relief legislation , failed on policing reform , and it won ’ t work this time around either .
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Congress returns to work this week with a critical deadline looming: the expiration of an additional $600 per week in federal unemployment benefits it created to help workers through the coronavirus pandemic.
More than 25 million unemployed people are receiving some form of unemployment benefits. But the additional $600 weekly that Congress added in March will expire in a matter of days if lawmakers don’t act. The lapse in benefits would be devastating not only to the economy but also to those Americans still struggling to pay bills on time, including rent.
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Megan Gaddini of Portland, Oregon said she had been looking for a new marketing job when the pandemic struck earlier this year. Her husband works in the film industry and projects dried up; they’ve both relied on the extra benefits to pay their expenses.
If Congress doesn’t replace the extra benefits, people won’t be entirely cut off, but they’ll be left with state-funded benefits that average about $364. Gaddini said she and her husband each receive less than $300 in state benefits.
“If we lose the extra $600, we aren’t going to make it,” Gaddini, 37, said in an email. “We have a mortgage, we have a child, we have bills. What do we choose to not pay?”
Most Senate Republicans oppose extending the added unemployment benefits at their current level, arguing that the boost in income is incentivizing the unemployed not to return to work amid a pandemic.
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“I think most people would rather have a job that’s going to be there for months, not a benefit that’s going to be there for three or four,” Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) told CBS4, a Miami television program, over the weekend.
“But at the same time, we can’t ignore employers saying to us that they’ve tried to rehire people and who are unwilling to come back as long as their benefit is there because they’re actually making more this way,” Rubio continued.
“More people are losing their jobs, and that means there are so many more people applying to the jobs I’m applying for.” - Megan Gaddini of Portland, Oregon
When lawmakers created the extra jobless pay as part of the CARES Act in March, there was a general assumption that pandemic conditions would improve after a few months. But the coronavirus is now surging, particularly in states such as Florida that reopened their economies against the advice of public health experts.
“More people are losing their jobs, and that means there are so many more people applying to the jobs I’m applying for,” Gaddini said. “I’m not getting any calls for interviews. It’s way different than in February.”
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The fight over whether and at what level to extend the added federal unemployment benefits is shaping up to be one of Congress’ biggest as it races to craft the next coronavirus relief package ahead of its annual August recess.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is expected to unveil a bill this week representing his party’s opening bid during the negotiations. It’s unclear how much of the added federal unemployment benefit boost it will preserve, if at all. The proposal is said to focus mainly on providing more funding for schools and coronavirus testing, as well as liability protections for businesses from lawsuits dealing with the pandemic.
The details will likely be hashed out after McConnell meets with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday, and after a Senate Republican conference meeting on Capitol Hill later this week.
Republicans are aiming to hold down the cost of the fifth coronavirus relief package to about $1 trillion. House Democrats passed their own, broader $3 trillion bill two months ago.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) blasted the GOP approach in a letter to his caucus on Monday, reminding them that a final product will require Democratic support in both chambers of Congress.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-20--Mitch McConnell Wears A Tan Suit, Even Though It Caused A Scandal For Obama

Once again , the specter of a tan suit is rearing its head in Washington , D.C .
This time , though , the offender isn ’ t Barack Obama but Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell .
On Monday , the term “ tan suit ” was trending on Twitter after photos were released showing the Kentucky Republican sporting some pale beige menswear while meeting with President Donald Trump .
As readers who were alive in 2014 will no doubt recall , then-President Obama wore something similar at a press conference that August , rocking American democracy to its very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ King ( N.Y. ) criticized Obama for the grave misstep .
King told reporters the president ’ s outfit indicated a “ lack of seriousness , ” as The Washington Post noted last year .
Joking aside ― tan suits are obviously not a big deal , regardless of who ’ s wearing them ― references to Obama ’ s suit have become a kind of shorthand in the Trump era , as the Post notes ― a way of contrasting the relative lack of scandals during Obama ’ s presidency with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration .
On Monday , many Twitter users pointed out the hypocrisy of McConnell wearing the same kind of threads that Republicans once attacked a Democratic president for donning .
But it turns out , people did have a good reason to criticize McConnell ’ s outfit .
Some suggested that other colors seemed more apt for the majority leader .
Since we ’ re here for Mitch and his tan suit , how ’ s this red white and blue ensemble looking on him ?
pic.twitter.com/UgzVqgVzHS — Robert Yoder SEASON ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kirk Acevedo , known for his work on shows like “ Oz , ” “ Fringe ” and “ Arrow , ” was brave enough to ask the real question on everyone ’ s mind : Who wore it better ?

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Once again, the specter of a tan suit is rearing its head in Washington, D.C. This time, though, the offender isn’t Barack Obama but Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.
On Monday, the term “tan suit” was trending on Twitter after photos were released showing the Kentucky Republican sporting some pale beige menswear while meeting with President Donald Trump.
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As readers who were alive in 2014 will no doubt recall, then-President Obama wore something similar at a press conference that August, rocking American democracy to its very foundations. Republican officials like Rep. Peter King (N.Y.) criticized Obama for the grave misstep.
King told reporters the president’s outfit indicated a “lack of seriousness,” as The Washington Post noted last year.
Joking aside ― tan suits are obviously not a big deal, regardless of who’s wearing them ― references to Obama’s suit have become a kind of shorthand in the Trump era, as the Post notes ― a way of contrasting the relative lack of scandals during Obama’s presidency with the near-constant ones that have characterized the Trump administration.
On Monday, many Twitter users pointed out the hypocrisy of McConnell wearing the same kind of threads that Republicans once attacked a Democratic president for donning.
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Today Mitch McConnell wore a tan suit in the Oval Office, which is nothing like the time Barack Obama wore a tan suit, the worst scandal in presidential history. pic.twitter.com/eRiQafhfv1 — The Daily Show (@TheDailyShow) July 20, 2020
Is this a tan suit or is McConnell molting his skin? https://t.co/J2CWOt2sGz — Subhah (@Subhah) July 20, 2020
Remember when Obama wore a tan suit and every Republican acted like he just gave Russia our nuclear launch codes? https://t.co/yYGJX9GQVo pic.twitter.com/W9jw3bzzN4 — Stephen Ford (@StephenSeanFord) July 20, 2020
Mitch McConnell in a tan suit? The year of controversy continues. pic.twitter.com/bxnmnOxHYU — The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) July 20, 2020
But it turns out, people did have a good reason to criticize McConnell’s outfit.
black shoes and socks on a tan suit?! c’mon, Mitch! https://t.co/o1JjujOKIv — Siraj Hashmi (@SirajAHashmi) July 20, 2020
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Some people speculated there was a method to McConnell’s madness:
things are going so badly for the GOP mcconnell’s trying to camouflage himself pic.twitter.com/mYJ6s3wt8v — Sal Gentile (@salgentile) July 20, 2020
Some suggested that other colors seemed more apt for the majority leader.
Since we’re here for Mitch and his tan suit, how’s this red white and blue ensemble looking on him? pic.twitter.com/UgzVqgVzHS — Robert Yoder SEASON (@seasoncz) July 20, 2020
Actor Kirk Acevedo, known for his work on shows like “Oz,” “Fringe” and “Arrow,” was brave enough to ask the real question on everyone’s mind: Who wore it better?


thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-20--Mark Cuban: 'National Anthem Police Are Out Of Control'

Mark Cuban thinks debates over athletes kneeling during the national anthem at sporting events have gotten out of control .
The Dallas Mavericks “ governor ” ( the term he prefers to “ owner ” ) voiced his opinion about the topic in response to a tweet from a local talk show host who was looking forward to NBA games starting again July 30 ― but not if politics were involved .
“ The minute one player kneels during the anthem , I am out , ” Mark Davis tweeted to Cuban , asking him to “ lead the way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do whatever gesture they wish without insulting the nation.
” I am so ready to be be in on this year 's # Mavericks home stretch : so much promise , so much personality .
But the minute one player kneels during the anthem , I am OUT .
Surely @ mcuban can lead the way for # Mavs , # NBA to do whatever gesture they wish without insulting the nation .
https : //t.co/PWMWrpgwAc — Mark Davis ( @ MarkDavis ) July 20 , 2020 Cuban obviously wasn ’ t in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ based on this testy response : The National Anthem Police in this country are out of control .
If you want to complain , complain to your boss and ask why they do n't play the National Anthem every day before you start work .
https : //t.co/NUwv7asO44 — Mark Cuban ( @ mcuban ) July 20 , 2020 As professional sports leagues prepare to start their seasons after coronavirus-related delays , debate over athletes kneeling during the national anthem to protest police brutality and racial injustice have resurfaced .
Some critics have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In June , Cuban said he would support players who kneeled during the anthem .
“ If they were taking a knee and they were being respectful , I ’ d be proud of them , ” he told ESPN .
“ Hopefully I ’ d join them.
” Cuban ’ s clapback got support from “ Westworld ” actor Jeffrey Wright , who had some ideas of his own .
100 .
Also , can we add nurses , doctors , grocery store staff , restaurant kitchen workers , EMT 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ' and , say , teachers , etc .
to the moment during EVERY NBA game when only members of the US military are recognized ?
Can we spread the love a li ' l ?
https : //t.co/K7YpAHE6ui — Jeffrey Wright ( @ jfreewright ) July 20 , 2020 Former talk show host Montel Williams also pointed out that kneeling is both a method of protest and respect .
However , Texas Sen. Ted Cruz ( R ) responded that what Cuban was sarcastically suggesting was actual reality in Washington , D.C. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Senate with a prayer & the Pledge of Allegiance .
Because our boss told us to .
https : //t.co/fVFvGvoOKa — Ted Cruz ( @ tedcruz ) July 20 , 2020 But at least one group called out Cruz on that .

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Mark Cuban thinks debates over athletes kneeling during the national anthem at sporting events have gotten out of control.
The Dallas Mavericks “governor” (the term he prefers to “owner”) voiced his opinion about the topic in response to a tweet from a local talk show host who was looking forward to NBA games starting again July 30 ― but not if politics were involved.
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“The minute one player kneels during the anthem, I am out,” Mark Davis tweeted to Cuban, asking him to “lead the way” for the NBA players “to do whatever gesture they wish without insulting the nation.”
I am so ready to be be in on this year's #Mavericks home stretch: so much promise, so much personality. But the minute one player kneels during the anthem, I am OUT. Surely @mcuban can lead the way for #Mavs, #NBA to do whatever gesture they wish without insulting the nation. https://t.co/PWMWrpgwAc — Mark Davis (@MarkDavis) July 20, 2020
Cuban obviously wasn’t in the mood to deal with the threat based on this testy response:
The National Anthem Police in this country are out of control. If you want to complain, complain to your boss and ask why they don't play the National Anthem every day before you start work. https://t.co/NUwv7asO44 — Mark Cuban (@mcuban) July 20, 2020
As professional sports leagues prepare to start their seasons after coronavirus-related delays, debate over athletes kneeling during the national anthem to protest police brutality and racial injustice have resurfaced. Some critics have attempted to claim the protests are anti-military.
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In June, Cuban said he would support players who kneeled during the anthem.
“If they were taking a knee and they were being respectful, I’d be proud of them,” he told ESPN. “Hopefully I’d join them.”
Cuban’s clapback got support from “Westworld” actor Jeffrey Wright, who had some ideas of his own.
100. Also, can we add nurses, doctors, grocery store staff, restaurant kitchen workers, EMT's, bus drivers, other 'essential workers' and, say, teachers, etc. to the moment during EVERY NBA game when only members of the US military are recognized? Can we spread the love a li'l? https://t.co/K7YpAHE6ui — Jeffrey Wright (@jfreewright) July 20, 2020
Former talk show host Montel Williams also pointed out that kneeling is both a method of protest and respect.
Kneeling for the anthem doesn’t “disrespect” America. If kneeling is good enough for Church it’s good enough for the anthem... — Montel Williams (@Montel_Williams) July 20, 2020
However, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz (R) responded that what Cuban was sarcastically suggesting was actual reality in Washington, D.C.
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Actually, we begin every day in the Senate with a prayer & the Pledge of Allegiance.
Because our boss told us to. https://t.co/fVFvGvoOKa — Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) July 20, 2020
But at least one group called out Cruz on that.