thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-01--Obama Says ‘Defund The Police’ Alienates Voters, Drawing Sharp Rebuke From The Left

Former President Barack Obama drew criticism from progressive Democrats this week for suggesting that “ snappy ” slogans like “ defund the police ” are alienating voters and making it harder from a political standpoint to enact “ changes you want done.
” In an interview with Peter Hamby , who hosts the Snapchat political show “ Good Luck America , ” Obama said “ you [ lose ] a big audience the minute ” a slogan like “ defund the police ” is used , making “ it a lot less likely that you ’ re actually going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Defund the police ” refers to the reallocation or redirection of government funding from police departments to social services for minority communities .
As Rashawn Ray of the Brookings Institution noted , defunding does not mean the abolishment of police departments but instead “ highlights fiscal responsibility ” and “ advocates for a market-driven approach to taxpayer money.
” Ben LaBolt , Obama ’ s former press secretary and communications strategist , shared part of Obama ’ s chat with Hamby online on Tuesday .
The full interview will air at 6 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s remarks — particularly his use of the term “ slogan ” — were promptly lambasted by several progressive Democrats , including Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota , Kentucky state Rep. Charles Booker and Cori Bush , who made history last month when she became the first Black woman elected to represent Missouri in Congress .
“ We didn ’ t lose Breonna because of a slogan , ” said Booker , referring to Breonna Taylor , a Black woman who was shot dead in her own apartment by Louisville police in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when he became the youngest Black lawmaker elected to the Kentucky state legislature in nearly a century .
“ We lose people in the hands of police .
It ’ s not a slogan but a policy demand , ” wrote Omar , who is the first woman of color to represent Minnesota in Congress and one of the first two Muslim women to serve in the legislative body .
We didn ’ t lose Breonna because of a slogan .
Instead of conceding this narrative , let ’ s shape our own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the people , organize and build coalitions around our own message , and cast a vision that inspires us all to lead for change at the ballot box and beyond .
https : //t.co/mBg7wanaR6 — Charles Booker ( @ Booker4KY ) December 2 , 2020 We lose people in the hands of police .
It ’ s not a slogan but a policy demand .
And centering the demand for equitable investments and budgets for communities across the country gets us progress and safety .
https : //t.co/Vu6inw4ms7 — Ilhan Omar ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Obama ― echoing other centrist Democrats who ’ ve similarly taken issue with “ defund the police ” and what they ’ ve decried as radical messaging ― told Hamby that Democrats could benefit from adopting softer rhetoric when talking about police reform .
“ If you instead say , ‘ Hey , you know what ?
Let ’ s reform the police department so that everybody ’ s being treated fairly .
And not just in policing , but in sentencing , how can we divert young people from getting into crime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her reaction to Obama ’ s comments , Omar noted that “ defund the police ” isn ’ t about mere words but a “ demand for equitable investments and budgets for communities across the country .
”

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Former President Barack Obama drew criticism from progressive Democrats this week for suggesting that “snappy” slogans like “defund the police” are alienating voters and making it harder from a political standpoint to enact “changes you want done.”
In an interview with Peter Hamby, who hosts the Snapchat political show “Good Luck America,” Obama said “you [lose] a big audience the minute” a slogan like “defund the police” is used, making “it a lot less likely that you’re actually going to get the changes you want done.”
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“Defund the police” refers to the reallocation or redirection of government funding from police departments to social services for minority communities. As Rashawn Ray of the Brookings Institution noted, defunding does not mean the abolishment of police departments but instead “highlights fiscal responsibility” and “advocates for a market-driven approach to taxpayer money.”
Ben LaBolt, Obama’s former press secretary and communications strategist, shared part of Obama’s chat with Hamby online on Tuesday. The full interview will air at 6 a.m. EST Wednesday on Snapchat.
President Obama, about the best message architect there is, suggests a thoughtful alternative to "Defund." Via @PeterHamby. https://t.co/ai64FDPgTI pic.twitter.com/UABXL5yLmr — Ben LaBolt (@BenLaBolt) December 2, 2020
Obama’s remarks — particularly his use of the term “slogan” — were promptly lambasted by several progressive Democrats, including Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Kentucky state Rep. Charles Booker and Cori Bush, who made history last month when she became the first Black woman elected to represent Missouri in Congress.
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“We didn’t lose Breonna because of a slogan,” said Booker, referring to Breonna Taylor, a Black woman who was shot dead in her own apartment by Louisville police in March. Booker broke barriers in 2018 when he became the youngest Black lawmaker elected to the Kentucky state legislature in nearly a century.
“We lose people in the hands of police. It’s not a slogan but a policy demand,” wrote Omar, who is the first woman of color to represent Minnesota in Congress and one of the first two Muslim women to serve in the legislative body.
“It’s not a slogan. It’s a mandate for keeping our people alive,” Bush said.
With all due respect, Mr. President—let’s talk about losing people. We lost Michael Brown Jr. We lost Breonna Taylor. We’re losing our loved ones to police violence.
It’s not a slogan. It’s a mandate for keeping our people alive. Defund the police. https://t.co/Wsxp1Y1bBi — Cori Bush (@CoriBush) December 2, 2020
We didn’t lose Breonna because of a slogan.
Instead of conceding this narrative, let’s shape our own. It’s time we listen to the people, organize and build coalitions around our own message, and cast a vision that inspires us all to lead for change at the ballot box and beyond. https://t.co/mBg7wanaR6 — Charles Booker (@Booker4KY) December 2, 2020
We lose people in the hands of police. It’s not a slogan but a policy demand. And centering the demand for equitable investments and budgets for communities across the country gets us progress and safety. https://t.co/Vu6inw4ms7 — Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) December 2, 2020
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Obama ― echoing other centrist Democrats who’ve similarly taken issue with “defund the police” and what they’ve decried as radical messaging ― told Hamby that Democrats could benefit from adopting softer rhetoric when talking about police reform.
“If you instead say, ‘Hey, you know what? Let’s reform the police department so that everybody’s being treated fairly. And not just in policing, but in sentencing, how can we divert young people from getting into crime?’” he said.
In her reaction to Obama’s comments, Omar noted that “defund the police” isn’t about mere words but a “demand for equitable investments and budgets for communities across the country.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-02--Donald Trump Tells Christmas Party Guests At White House: 'See You In 4 Years'

Lame duck President Donald Trump suggested to guests at a White House Christmas party on Tuesday that he ’ ll seek another term in 2024 if his efforts to overturn his 2020 defeat fail .
( See the video below . )
“ It ’ s been an amazing four years , ” the outgoing president said in footage of the event posted by The Daily Mail .
“ We are trying to do another four years .
Otherwise , I ’ ll see you in four years.
” The crowd of mostly Republican National Committee members cheered the pronouncement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public comments ” the president has made about running again .
Trump ’ s remarks also seemed to be a subtle admission of President-elect Joe Biden ’ s victory .
Trump has refused to concede , and he and his supplicants continue to assert baseless claims of election-rigging .
Last week Vice President-elect Kamala Harris scoffed at the idea of another Trump bid for the White House , saying “ Please.
” Trump has privately floated the idea of kicking off his 2024 campaign announcement during Biden ’ s inauguration week , or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inauguration , according to The Daily Beast .

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Lame duck President Donald Trump suggested to guests at a White House Christmas party on Tuesday that he’ll seek another term in 2024 if his efforts to overturn his 2020 defeat fail. (See the video below.)
“It’s been an amazing four years,” the outgoing president said in footage of the event posted by The Daily Mail. “We are trying to do another four years. Otherwise, I’ll see you in four years.”
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The crowd of mostly Republican National Committee members cheered the pronouncement, which Politico called “the most public comments” the president has made about running again.
Trump’s remarks also seemed to be a subtle admission of President-elect Joe Biden’s victory. Trump has refused to concede, and he and his supplicants continue to assert baseless claims of election-rigging.
Last week Vice President-elect Kamala Harris scoffed at the idea of another Trump bid for the White House, saying “Please.”
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-01--Federal Judge Rejects Trump Rules Limiting Foreign Worker Visas

The changes applying to the H-1B visa program announced in October include imposing salary requirements on companies employing skilled overseas workers and limits on specialty occupations .
Department of Homeland Security officials deemed it a priority because of coronavirus-related job losses and estimated as many as one-third of those who have applied for H-1B ’ s in recent years would be denied under the new rules .
U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White in California said the government didn ’ t follow transparency procedures and its contention that the changes were an emergency response to pandemic job losses didn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ floated the idea for some time but only published the rules in October .
“ The COVID-19 pandemic is an event beyond defendants ’ control , yet it was within defendants ’ control to take action earlier than they did , ” White wrote .
The U.S. issues up to 85,000 H-1B visas each year in sectors including technology , engineering and medicine .
Usually , they ’ re issued for three years and renewable .
Most of the nearly 600,000 H-1B visa holders in the U.S. are from India and China .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ election were part of President Donald Trump ’ s wider agenda to curb nearly all forms of immigration .
In June , he issued an order temporarily suspending the H-1B program until the end of the year .
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and universities including the California Institute of Technology sued in California , arguing there wasn ’ t adequate notice or time for the public to comment on the changes .
They also said the rules , particularly related to requiring a prevailing wage for visa-holders , would have a drastic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the employment relationship of hundreds of thousands of existing employees in the United States.
” The University of Utah cited an example where an H-1B employee seeking renewal was paid an $ 80,000 salary but would have to be paid $ 208,000 under the new rule .
The judge agreed that the federal government didn ’ t make a case for implementing the rules under the Administrative Procedure Act , which makes agencies accountable to the public by requiring a detailed process for enacting regulations .
“ Defendants failed to show there was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and thoughtful discourse that is provided by the APA ’ s notice and comment requirements , ” White wrote .
The rule on wages , proposed by the Department of Labor , took effect in October , while the Homeland Security rule on occupations and other issues was supposed to take effect Monday .
It also would have placed limits on “ offsite ” firms that employ and contract out H-1B visa holders to other companies ; their visas would have been limited to one year at a time .
“ This is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ program , ” said attorney Paul Hughes , who represented the plaintiffs .
“ This ruling enables those individuals to maintain their jobs and their families in the United States.
” The Chamber of Commerce said in a statement that the ruling “ has many companies across various industries breathing a huge sigh of relief , ” with the visa changes having “ the potential to be incredibly disruptive to the operations of many businesses .
”

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CHICAGO (AP) — A federal judge on Tuesday struck down two Trump administration rules designed to drastically curtail the number of visas issued each year to skilled foreign workers.
The changes applying to the H-1B visa program announced in October include imposing salary requirements on companies employing skilled overseas workers and limits on specialty occupations. Department of Homeland Security officials deemed it a priority because of coronavirus-related job losses and estimated as many as one-third of those who have applied for H-1B’s in recent years would be denied under the new rules.
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U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White in California said the government didn’t follow transparency procedures and its contention that the changes were an emergency response to pandemic job losses didn’t hold water because the Trump administration has floated the idea for some time but only published the rules in October.
“The COVID-19 pandemic is an event beyond defendants’ control, yet it was within defendants’ control to take action earlier than they did,” White wrote.
The U.S. issues up to 85,000 H-1B visas each year in sectors including technology, engineering and medicine. Usually, they’re issued for three years and renewable. Most of the nearly 600,000 H-1B visa holders in the U.S. are from India and China.
The H-1B rules announced weeks before the election were part of President Donald Trump’s wider agenda to curb nearly all forms of immigration. In June, he issued an order temporarily suspending the H-1B program until the end of the year.
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The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and universities including the California Institute of Technology sued in California, arguing there wasn’t adequate notice or time for the public to comment on the changes. They also said the rules, particularly related to requiring a prevailing wage for visa-holders, would have a drastic impact on new hires and “sever the employment relationship of hundreds of thousands of existing employees in the United States.”
The University of Utah cited an example where an H-1B employee seeking renewal was paid an $80,000 salary but would have to be paid $208,000 under the new rule.
The judge agreed that the federal government didn’t make a case for implementing the rules under the Administrative Procedure Act, which makes agencies accountable to the public by requiring a detailed process for enacting regulations.
“Defendants failed to show there was good cause to dispense with the rational and thoughtful discourse that is provided by the APA’s notice and comment requirements,” White wrote.
The rule on wages, proposed by the Department of Labor, took effect in October, while the Homeland Security rule on occupations and other issues was supposed to take effect Monday. It also would have placed limits on “offsite” firms that employ and contract out H-1B visa holders to other companies; their visas would have been limited to one year at a time.
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“This is incredibly important decision to preserve the H-1B program,” said attorney Paul Hughes, who represented the plaintiffs. “This ruling enables those individuals to maintain their jobs and their families in the United States.”
The Chamber of Commerce said in a statement that the ruling “has many companies across various industries breathing a huge sigh of relief,” with the visa changes having “the potential to be incredibly disruptive to the operations of many businesses.”
Messages left Tuesday for spokespeople with the Labor and Homeland Security departments weren’t immediately returned.
The wage rule has prompted at least two other federal lawsuits in New Jersey and Washington, D.C.
___


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-02--Are Tides And Waves The Missing Piece Of The Green Energy Puzzle?

It looked almost like it was upside down : three 16-foot rotors , attached on a triangular metal base , sat motionless atop the deck of the rusted barge .
They resembled propellers , but weren ’ t there to give the boat thrust .
Instead , they ’ d be sent overboard , craned gingerly into the depths of the tidal flat that stretches from just east of Manhattan to the western shore of Queens .
All you can see from the surface is a set of six bobbing white buoys , but about 30 feet down the turbines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to produce electricity .
Verdant Energy ’ s East River project will generate just enough electricity to power 500 homes in the nation ’ s largest city , but it marks one of the first serious attempts in the United States to jump-start what could be a multibillion-dollar industry of tidal energy .
More than a dozen states , including New York , have passed laws mandating zero-carbon electricity as a way to slow global warming .
In a dense metropolis like New York City , there ’ s little space to glaze @ @ @ @ @ @ @ towering forests of wind turbines .
And with the city ’ s last nuclear power plant set to close next year , it ’ s unclear how it will meet that goal with a meager mishmash of rooftop panels , battery storage and as-yet-unbuilt offshore wind turbines .
That afternoon , the barge was supposed to arrive before 3 p.m. , allowing a small armada of tugboats and cranes to hoist the turbines into the water and place them in a precise spot Verdant surveyed and measured for years leading up to this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effort by hours .
But this project required patience .
The company ― which Banigan said has raised $ 46 million , half from Canadian , Irish and U.S. government grants , and half from private investors ― had already spent more than two decades designing turbines and assessing viable locations .
Costs remain high , and that looks unlikely to change until the tidal industry settles on a preferred equipment design .
Arrays of rotors like those off Scotland or in the East River seem promising , and mimic the look and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and shape of turbines , and how and whether to anchor them to the seafloor or float them on vessels , remain open questions .
The United Kingdom , which has jagged coasts that offer a multitude of potential tidal resources , emerged as an early benefactor for tidal startups , offering generous payments for tidal energy fed onto the grid .
But , in a show of how sensitive the industry is to small policy changes , the British government ultimately tweaked the rules to put tidal energy under the same category @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mature industry with an ironclad global supply chain and major corporate players already making money off turbines dotting the seas across Europe and Asia .
Tidal energy couldn ’ t compete , the British Institution of Mechanical Engineers concluded last year .
The model for government support , he said , is in his native Nova Scotia .
In 2009 , the rural province on Canada ’ s eastern coast opened the Fundy Ocean Research Centre for Energy on the Bay of Fundy , considered one of the most promising tidal energy resources @ @ @ @ @ @ @ five underwater berths with four subsea cables running from the bay to a substation that processes the power generated at tidal sites .
The province then agreed to pay a high premium of more than $ 400 per megawatt-hour of electricity produced , and the Canadian government made direct investments in the companies that set up shop there .
The U.S. has set up steep hurdles for companies hoping to operate here .
Verdant submitted four telephone books ’ worth of studies to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission , and ultimately required 23 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ operating in the East River .
Financial support , by contrast , has been more scattershot , coming from a handful of federal agencies , including the departments of Defense and Energy , and municipalities such as New York City .
It hasn ’ t been enough .
Even more uncertain is the price batteries would need to reach to wipe out any demand for a costly but predictable new generating method .
Batteries cost $ 1,100 per kilowatt-hour in 2010 , and fell 87 % to $ 156 in 2019 , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ By 2023 , the consultancy forecast the average price to hit about $ 100 per kilowatt-hour .
Investment in the metals needed to make batteries , including cobalt and nickel , lag far behind growing battery demand , estimates from the energy research firm Wood Mackenzie indicate , suggesting there could be a bottleneck in the supply chain .
But if battery prices continue to fall before tidal companies can garner enough public support and build an efficient supply chain , it could smother the industry .
“ Between the Philippines and Indonesia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of good sites and demand nearby if you run a cable from a tidal generator half a kilometer to shore , ” she said .
“ Meanwhile Singapore is trying to set themselves up to be the supplier for all this technology in Asia .
They really believe in it .
”

NEW YORK ― On a foggy October afternoon, a strange vessel chugged slowly through the East River’s mist toward Roosevelt Island.
It looked almost like it was upside down: three 16-foot rotors, attached on a triangular metal base, sat motionless atop the deck of the rusted barge. They resembled propellers, but weren’t there to give the boat thrust. Instead, they’d be sent overboard, craned gingerly into the depths of the tidal flat that stretches from just east of Manhattan to the western shore of Queens. All you can see from the surface is a set of six bobbing white buoys, but about 30 feet down the turbines are harvesting the kinetic energy of tides to produce electricity.
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Verdant Energy’s East River project will generate just enough electricity to power 500 homes in the nation’s largest city, but it marks one of the first serious attempts in the United States to jump-start what could be a multibillion-dollar industry of tidal energy. More than a dozen states, including New York, have passed laws mandating zero-carbon electricity as a way to slow global warming. In a dense metropolis like New York City, there’s little space to glaze entire fields with solar panels or erect towering forests of wind turbines. And with the city’s last nuclear power plant set to close next year, it’s unclear how it will meet that goal with a meager mishmash of rooftop panels, battery storage and as-yet-unbuilt offshore wind turbines.
That problem isn’t unique to New York, and it’s propelling a new wave of interest in an age-old concept of tidal energy. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory estimates that shifting tides and crashing waves could produce one-third of the United States’ electricity needs and roughly 10% of the European Union’s.
Costly supply chains and competition from other renewables and fossil fuels have frustrated the industry’s development for years, leaving behind a wake of bankrupt startups and fruitless experiments. Still, its advocates hope that growing interest and support from the incoming Biden administration could change that ― and New York’s experiment is just the start.
A Shift In The Tides
John Banigan, the CEO of Verdant Energy’s East River project, believes tidal power is poised for a breakthrough. Alexander C. Kaufman/HuffPost
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Standing on the eastern shore of Roosevelt Island, a quiet sliver of land in the middle of the East River, John Banigan ― a soft-spoken former investment banker with neatly combed blond hair and a natural fit for boat shoes and a polo shirt ― seemed antsy. His glasses kept fogging with the breath rising from his face mask. But it was the fog on the water that had disrupted the Verdant chief executive’s carefully laid plans.
That afternoon, the barge was supposed to arrive before 3 p.m., allowing a small armada of tugboats and cranes to hoist the turbines into the water and place them in a precise spot Verdant surveyed and measured for years leading up to this moment. The foggy weather delayed the effort by hours. But this project required patience. The company ― which Banigan said has raised $46 million, half from Canadian, Irish and U.S. government grants, and half from private investors ― had already spent more than two decades designing turbines and assessing viable locations.
Now, at last, Banigan believes tidal power is poised for a breakthrough as countries scrambling to reduce climate-changing emissions look to generate an exponentially larger share of their electricity from zero-emissions sources. Tidal energy, he warned, doesn’t work everywhere. But until batteries become much smaller, cheaper and more efficient than they are today, producing power from the tides offers a dependable source of electricity to augment solar panels and wind turbines.
“You can’t predict when the sun’s going to shine and the wind’s going to blow,” Banigan said. “There are slack tides, but they’re predictable.”
Behind him, the four candy-cane smokestacks of the oil- and gas-burning Ravenswood Generating Station, one of New York’s dirtiest power plants, loomed as a visual reminder of what’s at stake in finding the right mix of clean alternatives to meet the city’s electricity needs.
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In many ways, this nascent sector harks back to some of humanity’s earliest technologies. People have harnessed kinetic energy from the water as far back as the sixth century, when Irish monks rigged mills that used the flows from coastal inlets to grind grain. The United States built the world’s first hydroelectric dam in Appleton, Wisconsin, in 1882, and dams remain the globe’s top source of renewable power.
Top left: View of the hydroelectric dam of Rance Brittany, France, in 2019. This hydroelectric plant with tidal energy built on the estuary of Rance between Dinard and Saint-Malo was inaugurated in 1966. Top right: An employee walks in the underwater part of the La Rance tidal-turbine power plant in La Richardais, western France, in 2012. Bottom left: A photo from 2012 shows one of the 24 turbines of the La Rance power plant. Bottom right: The control room of the power plant in 2012. Getty Images
But it wasn’t until 1966 that the energy from high and low tides started generating electricity. That year, French authorities in the province of Brittany erected the Rance Tidal Power Station. The 2,461-foot barrage of 24 turbines, stretched across an estuary of the Rance River, was the first tidal energy project in the world.
Today it remains the second-largest ever constructed, which may say as much about the relative compactness of tidal projects as it does about how few have been deployed.
Over the past decade, global investment in solar and wind energy has routinely topped $200 billion per year, according to data from the energy research firm BloombergNEF. But marine energy investment all but evaporated after brief peaks in 2007 and in 2011, when South Korea completed the Sihwa Lake Tidal Power Station, the world’s largest tidal array, roughly four decades after the project was first proposed.
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But 2019 signaled a new shift, when the tidal power startup SIMEC Atlantis Energy generated enough electricity from a project off the northern coast of Scotland to power more than 2,200 homes. Unlike the projects in France and South Korea, which are part of a singular, dam-like structure that mimics the design of traditional hydroelectric plants, the Scottish project was designed as an array of underwater turbines, somewhat resembling a wind farm.
That July, SIMEC Atlantis broke a record for what the company identified as “the longest period of uninterrupted generation from a multi-megawatt tidal turbine array ever achieved.” Last August, the company told the Securities and Exchange Commission that it was exporting more than 30 gigawatt hours of electricity to the grid.
But in that same filing, the firm reported a 47% increase in annual losses.
Costs remain high, and that looks unlikely to change until the tidal industry settles on a preferred equipment design. Arrays of rotors like those off Scotland or in the East River seem promising, and mimic the look and feel of windmills. But the size and shape of turbines, and how and whether to anchor them to the seafloor or float them on vessels, remain open questions.
The sun rises behind Sihwa Lake Pylon VD702. The Sihwa Lake Tidal Power Station in South Korea is the world's largest tidal array. Getty Images
Government Support Rolls Out, Government Support Rolls In
The flow of that money has been far less predictable than the tides themselves.
The United Kingdom, which has jagged coasts that offer a multitude of potential tidal resources, emerged as an early benefactor for tidal startups, offering generous payments for tidal energy fed onto the grid. But, in a show of how sensitive the industry is to small policy changes, the British government ultimately tweaked the rules to put tidal energy under the same category as offshore wind, a far more mature industry with an ironclad global supply chain and major corporate players already making money off turbines dotting the seas across Europe and Asia. Tidal energy couldn’t compete, the British Institution of Mechanical Engineers concluded last year.
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“The U.K. experience demonstrates the impact of public policy,” said Alisdair McLean, executive director of the Offshore Energy Research Association. “Combining tidal energy and offshore wind almost killed the tidal energy industry in Scotland.”
The model for government support, he said, is in his native Nova Scotia. In 2009, the rural province on Canada’s eastern coast opened the Fundy Ocean Research Centre for Energy on the Bay of Fundy, considered one of the most promising tidal energy resources in the world. The facility includes five underwater berths with four subsea cables running from the bay to a substation that processes the power generated at tidal sites. The province then agreed to pay a high premium of more than $400 per megawatt-hour of electricity produced, and the Canadian government made direct investments in the companies that set up shop there.
The U.S. has set up steep hurdles for companies hoping to operate here. Verdant submitted four telephone books’ worth of studies to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and ultimately required 23 permits from 14 different agencies to begin operating in the East River. Financial support, by contrast, has been more scattershot, coming from a handful of federal agencies, including the departments of Defense and Energy, and municipalities such as New York City. It hasn’t been enough.
“We need subsidies to make us competitive with other alternative renewable sources,” Banigan said.
Above: A time-lapse video shows the tides rolling in and out of Canada’s Bay of Fundy, considered one of the most promising tidal resources in the world.
The Biden administration has signaled its plans to increase federal research and support for clean energy technologies. But it’s unclear where marine energy might fall on that list of priorities.
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Even more uncertain is the price batteries would need to reach to wipe out any demand for a costly but predictable new generating method. Batteries cost $1,100 per kilowatt-hour in 2010, and fell 87% to $156 in 2019, according to BloombergNEF data released last year. By 2023, the consultancy forecast the average price to hit about $100 per kilowatt-hour. Investment in the metals needed to make batteries, including cobalt and nickel, lag far behind growing battery demand, estimates from the energy research firm Wood Mackenzie indicate, suggesting there could be a bottleneck in the supply chain. But if battery prices continue to fall before tidal companies can garner enough public support and build an efficient supply chain, it could smother the industry.
“The benefit of predictable energy from tidal power becomes less powerful if solar-plus-battery or wind-plus-battery can provide the same predictability at a lower price,” McLean said. “That’s the challenge tidal energy faces: It’s got to get its costs down fast enough that it can continue to generate interest from policymakers.”
The marine energy sector might draw more interest once technology to convert waves into power becomes viable. Unlike tidal resources, which are mainly concentrated in the Northern Hemisphere or near small islands, waves could be harvested on virtually any ocean coasts.
“It’s promising because wave energy opportunity is even larger than the tidal opportunity by roughly an order of magnitude, especially on the U.S. West Coast,” said Levi Kilcher, the head of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s ocean energy resource research. “It’s really a large ocean and a lot of energy there, from the West Coast to the Alaskan Coast.”
But in the last few years alone, roughly 90 designs for wave technology have been tested, from buoys that sit atop oceans to devices that sit on the seafloor and produce power as waves squish an attached bag.
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“The technology is lagging behind tidal,” said Andrea Copping, a researcher at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. “It’s very hard to do, so it’s just not as advanced.”
By the end of next year, Verdant plans to remove the test turbines in the East River and begin work on commercial models twice the size of those rotors. Banigan said the company would like to set up a manufacturing site somewhere in New York, possibly in the city, where advocates are pushing to repurpose industrial waterfront property in Brooklyn and the Bronx for clean energy manufacturing, or upstate, which would put Verdant closer to the Canadian market. But the first commercial projects the company has in the pipeline will be in northwest Wales, Banigan said.
However, Copping said the future of the industry looks brightest in East Asia.
“Between the Philippines and Indonesia, there are probably thousands and thousands of good sites and demand nearby if you run a cable from a tidal generator half a kilometer to shore,” she said. “Meanwhile Singapore is trying to set themselves up to be the supplier for all this technology in Asia. They really believe in it.”
Banigan agrees. Northern Europe, he said, is Verdant’s first stop. But in the mid 2020s, he expects the market in East Asia to bloom. By 2050, he predicted the tidal industry could generate $70 billion a year.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-02--UK Approves Pfizer/BioNTech Coronavirus Vaccine For Emergency Use

The Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine has been approved for use in the UK and will be made available from next week , U.K. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said .
U.K. regulators are the first to approve Pfizer ’ s vaccine for emergency use and Britain will be one of the first countries to start vaccinating their population .
U.S. and European Union regulators are reviewing the Pfizer shot , along with a similar vaccine developed by Moderna .
British regulators are also reviewing a vaccine candidate developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca .
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is set @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to recommend the Pfizer vaccine for emergency use .
The first shipments of the vaccine will arrive in the U.S. on Dec. 15 , CNN reported .
The U.K. has secured some 40 million doses in total , with 10 million due in the country by the end of the year .
The shots will have to come to Britain from the company ’ s distribution center in Belgium , and need to be stored at minus 70C .
Hancock told BBC Breakfast on Wednesday morning that 800,000 doses of the vaccine will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ several millions ” more arriving throughout December .
He added : “ We ’ ll then deploy at the speed that it ’ s manufactured , and the manufacturing is , of course , being done by Pfizer in Belgium , so that will determine the speed at which we can roll it out.
” Sir Simon Stevens , chief executive of the NHS in England , said the vaccination program would be the “ largest-scale vaccination campaign in our country ’ s history.
” “ The NHS stands ready to start vaccinating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first country in the world to have a clinically approved vaccine for supply.
” On the challenge posed by the need for the vaccine to be stored at an ultra-low temperature , Hancock told Sky News : “ This is a challenging rollout and the NHS in all parts of the UK stands ready to make that happen .
“ It ’ s not easy but we ’ ve got those plans in place , so this morning I spoke to my counterparts in the devolved nations to make sure that we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccine … from early next week.
” In a statement , Stevens said : “ This is an important next step in our response to the coronavirus pandemic and hospitals will shortly kick off the first phase of the largest-scale vaccination campaign in our country ’ s history .
“ The NHS has a proven track record of delivering large-scale vaccinations from the winter flu jab to BCG and , once the final hurdles are cleared and the vaccine arrives in England ’ s hospitals , health service staff will begin offering people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will expand to cover the whole country in the coming months.
” “ This follows months of rigorous clinical trials and a thorough analysis of the data by experts at the MHRA who have concluded that the vaccine has met its strict standards of safety , quality and effectiveness .

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The Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine has been approved for use in the UK and will be made available from next week, U.K. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said.
U.K. regulators are the first to approve Pfizer’s vaccine for emergency use and Britain will be one of the first countries to start vaccinating their population.
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Studies have shown the jab to be 95% effective and works in all age groups. No safety concerns arose from clinical trials.
U.S. and European Union regulators are reviewing the Pfizer shot, along with a similar vaccine developed by Moderna. British regulators are also reviewing a vaccine candidate developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is set to meet Dec. 10 and decide whether to recommend the Pfizer vaccine for emergency use. The first shipments of the vaccine will arrive in the U.S. on Dec. 15, CNN reported.
The U.K. has secured some 40 million doses in total, with 10 million due in the country by the end of the year.
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People will need two doses, meaning enough has been bought for 20 million Brits.
The shots will have to come to Britain from the company’s distribution center in Belgium, and need to be stored at minus 70C.
Hancock told BBC Breakfast on Wednesday morning that 800,000 doses of the vaccine will be available next week, with “several millions” more arriving throughout December.
He added: “We’ll then deploy at the speed that it’s manufactured, and the manufacturing is, of course, being done by Pfizer in Belgium, so that will determine the speed at which we can roll it out.”
Sir Simon Stevens, chief executive of the NHS in England, said the vaccination program would be the “largest-scale vaccination campaign in our country’s history.”
Hancock tweeted: “Help is on its way. The [Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)] has formally authorised the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine for Covid-19.
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“The NHS stands ready to start vaccinating early next week. The UK is the first country in the world to have a clinically approved vaccine for supply.”
(Russia has approved a vaccine but there are concerns about safety and its efficacy).
Help is on its way.
The MHRA has formally authorised the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine for Covid-19.
The NHS stands ready to start vaccinating early next week.
The UK is the first country in the world to have a clinically approved vaccine for supply. — Matt Hancock (@MattHancock) December 2, 2020
On the challenge posed by the need for the vaccine to be stored at an ultra-low temperature, Hancock told Sky News: “This is a challenging rollout and the NHS in all parts of the UK stands ready to make that happen.
“They are used to handling vaccines and medicines like this, with these sorts of conditions.
“It’s not easy but we’ve got those plans in place, so this morning I spoke to my counterparts in the devolved nations to make sure that we are all ready to roll out this vaccine … from early next week.”
In a statement, Stevens said: “This is an important next step in our response to the coronavirus pandemic and hospitals will shortly kick off the first phase of the largest-scale vaccination campaign in our country’s history.
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“The NHS has a proven track record of delivering large-scale vaccinations from the winter flu jab to BCG and, once the final hurdles are cleared and the vaccine arrives in England’s hospitals, health service staff will begin offering people this ground-breaking jab in a program that will expand to cover the whole country in the coming months.”
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “The government has today accepted the recommendation from the independent MHRA to approve Pfizer/BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine for use.
“This follows months of rigorous clinical trials and a thorough analysis of the data by experts at the MHRA who have concluded that the vaccine has met its strict standards of safety, quality and effectiveness.
“The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) will shortly also publish its latest advice for the priority groups to receive the vaccine, including care home residents, health and care staff, the elderly and the clinically extremely vulnerable.
“The vaccine will be made available across the U.K. from next week.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-02--Ex-Arizona Politician Gets 6 Years For Running Illegal Adoption Scheme

PHOENIX ( AP ) — A former Arizona politician who admitted running an illegal adoption scheme in three states involving women from the Marshall Islands was sentenced in Arkansas to six years in federal prison .
It was the first of three punishments he ’ ll face for arranging adoptions prohibited by an international compact .
Paul Petersen , a Republican who served as metro Phoenix ’ s assessor for six years and also worked as an adoption attorney , illegally paid women from the Pacific island nation to come to the U.S. to give up their babies in at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Utah and Arkansas , prosecutors said .
Judge Timothy Brooks , who imposed the sentence from Fayetteville , Arkansas , said Petersen abused his position as an attorney by misleading or instructing others to lie to courts in adoptions that wouldn ’ t have been approved had the truth been told to them .
The judge said Petersen turned what should be joyous adoption occasions into “ a baby-selling enterprise.
” He also described Petersen ’ s adoption practice as a “ criminal livelihood ” and said he ripped off taxpayers at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them .
Brooks rejected Petersen ’ s claims that he initially thought he was acting within the bounds of the law , but later realized what he was doing was illegal .
Appearing by videoconference , Petersen told the judge that his actions in the Arkansas case weren ’ t indicative of who he is as a person and offered an apology to any birth mothers who felt disrespected by his treatment of them .
Petersen said he was horrified to learn that subordinates he did not name during the hearing had mistreated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ didn ’ t know about it at the time and did not condone it .
Federal prosecutors have said the former assessor — responsible for determining property values in the county that encompasses Phoenix — defrauded state courts , violated an international adoption compact and took advantage of mothers and adoptive families for his own profit .
The money Petersen made from the adoption scheme helped pay for his lavish lifestyle , including expensive trips , luxury cars and multiple residences , prosecutors said .
Prosecutors said the passports of some birth mothers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leaving the United States and that they were threatened with arrest if they tried to back out of adoptions .
Petersen ’ s attorneys vigorously disputed that their client played any role in keeping some of the mothers ’ passports , much less condoned it .
He is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 22 in Phoenix for submitting false applications to Arizona ’ s Medicaid system so the mothers could receive state-funded health coverage — even though he knew they didn ’ t live in the state — and for providing documents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ false information .
Petersen has said he has since paid back $ 670,000 in health care costs to the state of more than $ 800,000 that prosecutors cited in his indictment .
Earlier in his life , Petersen , who is a member of The Church of Jesus Christs of Latter-day Saints , had completed a proselytizing mission in the Marshall Islands , a collection of atolls and islands in the eastern Pacific , where he became fluent in the Marshallese language .

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PHOENIX (AP) — A former Arizona politician who admitted running an illegal adoption scheme in three states involving women from the Marshall Islands was sentenced in Arkansas to six years in federal prison. It was the first of three punishments he’ll face for arranging adoptions prohibited by an international compact.
Paul Petersen, a Republican who served as metro Phoenix’s assessor for six years and also worked as an adoption attorney, illegally paid women from the Pacific island nation to come to the U.S. to give up their babies in at least 70 adoptions cases in Arizona, Utah and Arkansas, prosecutors said.
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Marshall Islands citizens have been prohibited from traveling to the U.S. for adoption purposes since 2003 and prosecutors said Petersen’s scheme lasted three years.
Judge Timothy Brooks, who imposed the sentence from Fayetteville, Arkansas, said Petersen abused his position as an attorney by misleading or instructing others to lie to courts in adoptions that wouldn’t have been approved had the truth been told to them.
The judge said Petersen turned what should be joyous adoption occasions into “a baby-selling enterprise.” He also described Petersen’s adoption practice as a “criminal livelihood” and said he ripped off taxpayers at the same time he was elected to serve them.
Brooks rejected Petersen’s claims that he initially thought he was acting within the bounds of the law, but later realized what he was doing was illegal.
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“You knew that lying and making these false statements to immigration officials and state courts was wrong,” said Brooks, who gave Petersen two years longer in prison than sentencing guidelines recommended.
Appearing by videoconference, Petersen told the judge that his actions in the Arkansas case weren’t indicative of who he is as a person and offered an apology to any birth mothers who felt disrespected by his treatment of them.
Petersen said he was horrified to learn that subordinates he did not name during the hearing had mistreated birth mothers, though he claimed he didn’t know about it at the time and did not condone it.
“I take responsibility for my lack of oversight,” said Petersen said.
Petersen, who earlier pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit human smuggling in Arkansas, faces sentencing next month for convictions in Utah and Arizona.
Federal prosecutors have said the former assessor — responsible for determining property values in the county that encompasses Phoenix — defrauded state courts, violated an international adoption compact and took advantage of mothers and adoptive families for his own profit. The money Petersen made from the adoption scheme helped pay for his lavish lifestyle, including expensive trips, luxury cars and multiple residences, prosecutors said.
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Prosecutors said the passports of some birth mothers were taken away to prevent them from leaving the United States and that they were threatened with arrest if they tried to back out of adoptions. Petersen’s attorneys vigorously disputed that their client played any role in keeping some of the mothers’ passports, much less condoned it.
He is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 22 in Phoenix for submitting false applications to Arizona’s Medicaid system so the mothers could receive state-funded health coverage — even though he knew they didn’t live in the state — and for providing documents to a county juvenile court that contained false information. Petersen has said he has since paid back $670,000 in health care costs to the state of more than $800,000 that prosecutors cited in his indictment.
His sentencing in Utah on human smuggling and other convictions is set for Jan. 20.
Earlier in his life, Petersen, who is a member of The Church of Jesus Christs of Latter-day Saints, had completed a proselytizing mission in the Marshall Islands, a collection of atolls and islands in the eastern Pacific, where he became fluent in the Marshallese language.
He quit as Maricopa County’s assessor in January amid pressure from other county officials to resign.
Petersen has said he carried out hundreds of legal adoptions after he discovered a niche locating homes for vulnerable children from the Marshall Islands and helping needy mothers who wanted a more stable family life for their children.
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Petersen in a letter to the Arkansas judge several ago said he is now ashamed, as a fiscal conservative, for imposing the pregnancy labor and delivery costs on Arizona taxpayers.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-02--Ousted Trump Campaign Manager Names Biggest Reelection Blunder

Former Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale said President Donald Trump ’ s failure to show empathy for Americans affected by the coronavirus pandemic was the biggest mistake of his 2020 reelection campaign .
“ We had a difference on this .
I thought we should have public empathy .
I think people were scared , ” Parscale told Fox News anchor Martha MacCallum in a wide-ranging interview that aired on the conservative network Tuesday .
“ I think if he would have been publicly empathetic , he would have won by a landslide there , ” Parscale said of Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leaned into it instead of run away from it.
” “ And I think a young family with a young child who were scared to take them back to school wanted to see an empathetic president and an empathetic Republican Party , ” said Parscale .
“ And I think that , and I said this multiple times , and he chose a different path.
” Trump for months misled the public by downplaying the risk of COVID-19 , while acknowledging its threat in private .
He mocked people who wore masks , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to reopen .
Parscale was removed from his campaign manager role in July and replaced by his deputy Bill Stepien as Trump ’ s poll numbers plunged and he staged a disappointing rally in Tulsa , Oklahoma .
After his firing , Parscale returned to work on digital projects for the campaign .
In September , his wife , Candice Parscale , called police to their home alleging he ’ d threatened to hurt himself and had hit her .
She later retracted her statement .
Days later , Parscale said he was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to “ get help dealing with the overwhelming stress.
” Asked by MacCallum about the incident with his wife , Parscale responded : “ Well , the good thing is my wife and I are in a much better place now .
My family ’ s in a great place.
” Parscale said he backs Trump ’ s efforts to overturn the election result , but criticized the “ D-level ” talking heads surrounding the president .
He repeatedly said he still loves the president and the Trump family , though it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have heard from him recently .

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Former Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale said President Donald Trump’s failure to show empathy for Americans affected by the coronavirus pandemic was the biggest mistake of his 2020 reelection campaign.
“We had a difference on this. I thought we should have public empathy. I think people were scared,” Parscale told Fox News anchor Martha MacCallum in a wide-ranging interview that aired on the conservative network Tuesday.
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“I think if he would have been publicly empathetic, he would have won by a landslide there,” Parscale said of Trump. “I think he could have leaned into it instead of run away from it.”
Parscale suggested Trump’s loss with suburban voters reflected “the decision on COVID to go for opening the economy versus public empathy.”
“And I think a young family with a young child who were scared to take them back to school wanted to see an empathetic president and an empathetic Republican Party,” said Parscale. “And I think that, and I said this multiple times, and he chose a different path.”
Trump for months misled the public by downplaying the risk of COVID-19, while acknowledging its threat in private. He mocked people who wore masks, held crowded campaign rallies and pressured states to reopen.
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Parscale was removed from his campaign manager role in July and replaced by his deputy Bill Stepien as Trump’s poll numbers plunged and he staged a disappointing rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
After his firing, Parscale returned to work on digital projects for the campaign. In September, his wife, Candice Parscale, called police to their home alleging he’d threatened to hurt himself and had hit her. She later retracted her statement. Days later, Parscale said he was “stepping away” from the campaign to “get help dealing with the overwhelming stress.”
Asked by MacCallum about the incident with his wife, Parscale responded: “Well, the good thing is my wife and I are in a much better place now. My family’s in a great place.”
Parscale said he backs Trump’s efforts to overturn the election result, but criticized the “D-level” talking heads surrounding the president. He repeatedly said he still loves the president and the Trump family, though it’s “pretty hurtful” not to have heard from him recently.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-02--Stephen Colbert Suggests New Ringtone For Trump-Ignoring GOP Gov.

“ The Late Show ” host Stephen Colbert has a new ringtone suggestion for Arizona ’ s Republican Gov .
@ @ @ @ @ viral this week of Ducey appearing to ignore a call from President Donald Trump or @ @ @ @ @ Ducey had set his cell to play “ Hail to the Chief ” when the @ @ @ @ @ when it played amid his certification of the state ’ s election results Monday , @ @ @ @ @ shoulder .
On Tuesday , Colbert joked Ducey would have to change the Trump-Pence song @ @ @ @ @ hit “ Loser ” after President-elect Joe Biden ’ s inauguration .
Colbert , who @ @ @ @ @ week that ’ s he ’ s developed benign positional vertigo , also mocked first @ @ @ @ @ White House Christmas decorations , describing them as “ a departure from previous years ” @ @ @ @ @ festive for 2020 .
And listen to “ Loser ” by Beck here :

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“The Late Show” host Stephen Colbert has a new ringtone suggestion for Arizona’s Republican Gov. Doug Ducey.
Video went viral this week of Ducey appearing to ignore a call from President Donald Trump or Vice President Mike Pence. Ducey had set his cell to play “Hail to the Chief” when the White House called. But when it played amid his certification of the state’s election results Monday, he gave it the cold shoulder.
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On Tuesday, Colbert joked Ducey would have to change the Trump-Pence song to Beck’s 1994 hit “Loser” after President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration.
Colbert, who revealed to Vanity Fair this week that’s he’s developed benign positional vertigo, also mocked first lady Melania Trump’s White House Christmas decorations, describing them as “a departure from previous years” because the theme is actually festive for 2020.
Check out Colbert’s monologue here:
And listen to “Loser” by Beck here:


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-02--Jimmy Kimmel Taunts Donald Trump With Yet Another New Nickname

Monikers for Donald Trump have been a dime a dozen throughout his presidency .
On Tuesday , Jimmy Kimmel added @ @ @ @ @ list .
The “ Jimmy Kimmel Live !
” host picked apart Trump ’ s @ @ @ @ @ 2020 election results , including his fundraising of $ 170 million to purportedly support lawsuits @ @ @ @ @ Uncle Scam has been raking it in , ” Kimmel cracked .

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thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-02--Elliot Page's Wife Says She's 'So Proud' Of Him For Coming Out As Transgender

Elliot Page ’ s wife , Emma Portner , posted a sweet message expressing love and support for the actor after he came out as transgender on Tuesday .
Portner , a professional dancer and choreographer , shared Page ’ s announcement , adding in the caption that she is “ so proud ” of him .
“ Trans , queer and non-binary people are a gift to this world , ” she wrote .
“ I also ask for patience & privacy but that you join me in the fervent support of trans life every single day .
Elliot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and of itself .
Shine on sweet E. Love you so much.
” Elliot Page and Emma Portner have been married since 2018 .
The “ Juno ” and “ X-Men ” star spoke publicly about his gender identity for the first time on Tuesday , telling fans that he will be using the pronouns “ he ” and “ they.
” “ I feel overwhelming gratitude for the incredible people who have supported me along this journey , ” he wrote .
“ I can ’ t begin to express how remarkable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ am enough to pursue my authentic self .
I ’ ve been endlessly inspired by so many in the trans community .
“ Thank you for your courage , your generosity , and ceaselessly working to make this world a more inclusive and compassionate place.
” He currently stars as Vanya Hargreeves in the Netflix series “ The Umbrella Academy.
” The streaming service is in the process of updating Page ’ s name across all titles , Variety reported .

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Elliot Page’s wife, Emma Portner, posted a sweet message expressing love and support for the actor after he came out as transgender on Tuesday.
Portner, a professional dancer and choreographer, shared Page’s announcement, adding in the caption that she is “so proud” of him.
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“Trans, queer and non-binary people are a gift to this world,” she wrote. “I also ask for patience & privacy but that you join me in the fervent support of trans life every single day. Elliot’s existence is a gift in and of itself. Shine on sweet E. Love you so much.”
Elliot Page and Emma Portner have been married since 2018. Pacific Press via Getty Images
The “Juno” and “X-Men” star spoke publicly about his gender identity for the first time on Tuesday, telling fans that he will be using the pronouns “he” and “they.”
“I feel overwhelming gratitude for the incredible people who have supported me along this journey,” he wrote. “I can’t begin to express how remarkable it feels to finally love who I am enough to pursue my authentic self. I’ve been endlessly inspired by so many in the trans community.
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“Thank you for your courage, your generosity, and ceaselessly working to make this world a more inclusive and compassionate place.”
Page and Portner have been married since 2018.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-02--Gloria Estefan Reveals She Caught COVID-19, But Has Since Recovered

MIAMI ( AP ) — Singer and businesswoman Gloria Estefan said on Wednesday that she spent much of November in isolation after testing positive for COVID-19 , days after dining outdoors at a Miami-area restaurant .
Estefan , 63 , says she was fortunate , enduring only “ a little bit of a cough ” and dehydration after losing her sense of smell and taste , and has tested negative twice since recovering .
In a video shared on Instagram , the Cuban-born “ Conga ” singer says she was infected despite rigorously following public health protocols , and speculates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a fan who was not wearing a mask .
The fan tapped on her shoulder and got very close to talk to her as she was dining with three family members , Estefan said .
“ I was very lucky , but I just wanted to share with you that I was in quarantine , and one day I went out and met with one person who was not wearing a mask .
I even held my breath through their talk , but something must have happened there , ” she said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ infected after losing her sense of taste in early November , and then spent two weeks in total isolation on the second floor of her home .
She credits vitamins — and possibly a low viral load from whomever infected her — for her ability to avoid the disease ’ s worst impacts .
“ Fear was my biggest problem , ” Estefan said .
“ We ’ ve got to grab fear and shake it and just do whatever you can to keep your immune system as healthy as you can.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ multiple business interests in South Florida , which has been heavily impacted by the pandemic .
With her husband Emilio Estefan , she owns Cuban-themed restaurants , a Miami Beach hotel and a stake in the Miami Dolphins .
“ I know we are kind of in a very big spike in Miami .
It ’ s tough here now , ” she said in her video .
“ Please everybody wear your masks , try to stay 6 feet away and protect yourselves.
” Florida ’ s health officials on Wednesday reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 96 new deaths , raising the death toll to more than 19,000 .
The state on Tuesday surpassed 1 million confirmed COVID-19 cases , joining Texas and California in reaching that milestone .
The caseload increases over the past couple of weeks in Florida are the highest since early August when the state was recovering from a summer surge of the virus .
About 4,200 patients were hospitalized on Wednesday with COVID-19 .

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MIAMI (AP) — Singer and businesswoman Gloria Estefan said on Wednesday that she spent much of November in isolation after testing positive for COVID-19, days after dining outdoors at a Miami-area restaurant.
Estefan, 63, says she was fortunate, enduring only “a little bit of a cough” and dehydration after losing her sense of smell and taste, and has tested negative twice since recovering.
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In a video shared on Instagram, the Cuban-born “Conga” singer says she was infected despite rigorously following public health protocols, and speculates that she could have been exposed by a fan who was not wearing a mask. The fan tapped on her shoulder and got very close to talk to her as she was dining with three family members, Estefan said.
“I was very lucky, but I just wanted to share with you that I was in quarantine, and one day I went out and met with one person who was not wearing a mask. I even held my breath through their talk, but something must have happened there,” she said.
Estefan said she learned she had been infected after losing her sense of taste in early November, and then spent two weeks in total isolation on the second floor of her home. She credits vitamins — and possibly a low viral load from whomever infected her — for her ability to avoid the disease’s worst impacts.
“Fear was my biggest problem,” Estefan said. “We’ve got to grab fear and shake it and just do whatever you can to keep your immune system as healthy as you can.”
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Estefan, a Grammy-winning singer, has multiple business interests in South Florida, which has been heavily impacted by the pandemic. With her husband Emilio Estefan, she owns Cuban-themed restaurants, a Miami Beach hotel and a stake in the Miami Dolphins.
“I know we are kind of in a very big spike in Miami. It’s tough here now,” she said in her video. “Please everybody wear your masks, try to stay 6 feet away and protect yourselves.”
Florida’s health officials on Wednesday reported nearly 10,000 new confirmed virus cases and 96 new deaths, raising the death toll to more than 19,000. The state on Tuesday surpassed 1 million confirmed COVID-19 cases, joining Texas and California in reaching that milestone.
The caseload increases over the past couple of weeks in Florida are the highest since early August when the state was recovering from a summer surge of the virus. About 4,200 patients were hospitalized on Wednesday with COVID-19.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-02--A Record 100,000 Americans Are Currently Hospitalized With COVID-19

More than 100,000 Americans are currently hospitalized with COVID-19 , a grim record amid three straight weeks of them : Every day since Nov. 9 has seen more Americans hospitalized than at the peak of the first wave of this virus this spring , with more admissions every day .
This spring , hospital occupancy peaked on April 15th at 59,924 , according to data provided by The Atlantic ’ s COVID Tracking Project .
That record held until Nov. 10 , when the U.S. saw 62,059 hospitalized ; the number has crept steadily higher every day since .
Deaths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are already approaching 2,500 , on par with the worst numbers we saw in April : Health officials are scrambling to add capacity as hospitals are once again pushed to the brink and staff are stretched perilously thin .
“ Hospitals all around the country are worried on a day-to-day basis about their capacity , ” Dr. Amesh Adalja , a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security , told The Associated Press , “ and we ’ re not really even into winter season and we haven ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thanksgiving gatherings.
” Adalja noted that this surge of the virus is different than the hot spots we saw earlier in the year .
This time , vast swaths of the country are seeing concurrent outbreaks , so resources ― including doctors and nurses ― can ’ t simply reallocate from elsewhere .
In North Dakota , home to the highest COVID-19 mortality rate in the world in mid-November , desperate hospitals have tried to lure in traveling nurses with salaries in excess of $ 8,000 a week .
“ Nurses quit , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a different hospital down the street , making two to three times the rate , ” Jordan Sorenson , a project manager for the Utah Hospital Association , told NBC News .
“ So it ’ s really a kind of a rob-Peter-to-pay-Paul staffing situation.
” Dr. Joseph Varon hugs and comforts a patient in the COVID-19 intensive care unit on Thanksgiving day at the United Memorial Medical Center in Houston , Texas .
Data collected by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services ’ “ Protect ” system shows 13.64 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. are occupied by COVID-19 patients and 68.02 % , or 484,736 beds , overall are full , though the accuracy of those numbers is highly disputable .
An investigation by Science Magazine in November found HHS Protect data to be highly inconsistent after the Trump administration and White House Coronavirus Task Force in July forced the CDC to turn over COVID-19 tracking responsibility to private contractors .
In the last two months , HHS Protect data tracking COVID-19 inpatient totals has been off by more than 20 % in 30 states compared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ found .
That discrepancy has led to real-world life and death problems as health officials seek to accurately distribute scarce resources .
In Wisconsin , for instance , HHS Protect data reported 71 % of state beds were full on Nov. 16 , while a different system showed occupancy was 91 % .
“ The HHS Protect data are poor quality , inconsistent with state reports , and the analysis is slipshod , ” a CDC source who requested anonymity out of fear of retaliation from the Trump administration told Science .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 ] is through the roof .
”

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More than 100,000 Americans are currently hospitalized with COVID-19, a grim record amid three straight weeks of them: Every day since Nov. 9 has seen more Americans hospitalized than at the peak of the first wave of this virus this spring, with more admissions every day.
This spring, hospital occupancy peaked on April 15 at 59,924, according to data provided by The Atlantic’s COVID Tracking Project. That record held until Nov. 10, when the U.S. saw 62,059 hospitalized; the number has crept steadily higher every day since.
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Of the 100,226 currently hospitalized, 19,396 are in intensive care units and 6,855 are on a ventilator.
The United States recorded 2,804 deaths on Wednesday, the highest number ever recorded during the pandemic, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. The previous one-day high of 2,603 deaths was set on April 15.
There were at least 2,804 COVID-19 deaths recorded in the U.S. on Wednesday, according to a Johns Hopkins University tally. Johns Hopkins University
Health officials are scrambling to add capacity as hospitals are once again pushed to the brink and staff are stretched perilously thin.
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“Hospitals all around the country are worried on a day-to-day basis about their capacity,” Dr. Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, told The Associated Press, “and we’re not really even into winter season and we haven’t seen the impact of Thanksgiving travel and Thanksgiving gatherings.”
Adalja noted that this surge of the virus is different than the hot spots we saw earlier in the year. This time, vast swaths of the country are seeing concurrent outbreaks, so resources ― including doctors and nurses ― can’t simply reallocate from elsewhere.
In North Dakota, home to the highest COVID-19 mortality rate in the world in mid-November, desperate hospitals have tried to lure in traveling nurses with salaries in excess of $8,000 a week.
“Nurses quit, join traveling nursing companies and go work for a different hospital down the street, making two to three times the rate,” Jordan Sorenson, a project manager for the Utah Hospital Association, told NBC News. “So it’s really a kind of a rob-Peter-to-pay-Paul staffing situation.”
Dr. Joseph Varon hugs and comforts a patient in the COVID-19 intensive care unit on Thanksgiving day at the United Memorial Medical Center in Houston, Texas. Go Nakamura via Getty Images
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Data collected by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ “Protect” system shows 13.64% of all inpatient beds in the U.S. are occupied by COVID-19 patients and 68.02%, or 484,736 beds, overall are full, though the accuracy of those numbers is highly disputable.
An investigation by Science Magazine in November found HHS Protect data to be highly inconsistent after the Trump administration and White House Coronavirus Task Force in July forced the CDC to turn over COVID-19 tracking responsibility to private contractors.
In the last two months, HHS Protect data tracking COVID-19 inpatient totals has been off by more than 20% in 30 states compared to state-supplied data, the academic journal found.
That discrepancy has led to real-world life and death problems as health officials seek to accurately distribute scarce resources. In Wisconsin, for instance, HHS Protect data reported 71% of state beds were full on Nov. 16, while a different system showed occupancy was 91%.
“The HHS Protect data are poor quality, inconsistent with state reports, and the analysis is slipshod,” a CDC source who requested anonymity out of fear of retaliation from the Trump administration told Science. “And the pressure on hospitals [from COVID-19] is through the roof.”
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-02--CDC Head Says 180,000 More Americans Could Die From COVID-19 By February

Dr. Robert Redfield , head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , issued a stark warning to Americans about how hard the coming months could be due to the increasing spread of the coronavirus .
“ We are at a very critical time now , ” Redfield told the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation on Wednesday .
“ The reality is December and January and February are going to be rough times .
I actually believe they ’ re going to be the most difficult time in the public health history of this nation.
” The U.S. is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day from the virus .
“ I do think , unfortunately , before we see February , we could be close to 450,000 Americans who ’ ve died from this virus , ” Redfield said .
More than 270,000 people in the U.S. have died from COVID-19 in the nine months since the virus began to significantly spread here .
Redfield ’ s projection suggests another 180,000 could die in just two months .
The CDC head noted that Americans can help change the course of the pandemic and reduce the rapid spread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public health experts have recommended for months now : social distancing , wearing masks , gathering in small groups outdoors rather than indoors .
“ The time for debating whether or not masks work is over , ” Redfield added , saying that scientific studies have repeatedly shown the effectiveness of masks in reducing COVID-19 risks .
“ Leadership matters in terms of messaging , ” said Redfield , urging everyone to “ recognize this is a serious situation.
” Outgoing President Donald Trump has repeatedly downplayed the threat of the virus .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ holiday parties , even though Trump and dozens of people surrounding him , including his family members , tested positive after a crowded White House event earlier this fall .
In California , Gov .
Gavin Newsom ( D ) warned on Monday that he may issue a new stay-at-home order as hospitalizations have rapidly increased and intensive care units are projected to surpass capacity by mid-month in many areas of the state .
Redfield said the country was “ severely underprepared ” for the COVID-19 pandemic .
He urged lawmakers to invest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ systems so that “ the next time this happens — and there will be a next time — this nation is much more prepared .
”

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Dr. Robert Redfield, head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, issued a stark warning to Americans about how hard the coming months could be due to the increasing spread of the coronavirus.
“We are at a very critical time now,” Redfield told the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation on Wednesday. “The reality is December and January and February are going to be rough times. I actually believe they’re going to be the most difficult time in the public health history of this nation.”
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The U.S. is currently experiencing 1,500 to 2,500 deaths per day from the virus.
“I do think, unfortunately, before we see February, we could be close to 450,000 Americans who’ve died from this virus,” Redfield said.
More than 270,000 people in the U.S. have died from COVID-19 in the nine months since the virus began to significantly spread here. Redfield’s projection suggests another 180,000 could die in just two months.
.@CDCDirector: "The mortality concerns are real...before we see February we could be close to 450,000 Americans have died from this virus." pic.twitter.com/aq4UnhWzqG — CSPAN (@cspan) December 2, 2020
The CDC head noted that Americans can help change the course of the pandemic and reduce the rapid spread of the virus by following measures that public health experts have recommended for months now: social distancing, wearing masks, gathering in small groups outdoors rather than indoors.
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“The time for debating whether or not masks work is over,” Redfield added, saying that scientific studies have repeatedly shown the effectiveness of masks in reducing COVID-19 risks.
“Leadership matters in terms of messaging,” said Redfield, urging everyone to “recognize this is a serious situation.”
Outgoing President Donald Trump has repeatedly downplayed the threat of the virus. The White House plans to hold multiple holiday parties, even though Trump and dozens of people surrounding him, including his family members, tested positive after a crowded White House event earlier this fall.
In California, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) warned on Monday that he may issue a new stay-at-home order as hospitalizations have rapidly increased and intensive care units are projected to surpass capacity by mid-month in many areas of the state.
Redfield said the country was “severely underprepared” for the COVID-19 pandemic. He urged lawmakers to invest in the nation’s public health systems so that “the next time this happens — and there will be a next time — this nation is much more prepared.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-02--San Francisco Bans Cigarette Smoking In Apartments, Pot Still Allowed

SAN FRANCISCO ( AP ) — City officials in San Francisco have banned all tobacco smoking inside apartments , citing concerns about secondhand smoke .
But lighting up a joint inside ?
That ’ s still allowed .
The Board of Supervisors voted 10-1 Tuesday to approve the ordinance making San Francisco the largest city in the country to ban tobacco smoking inside apartments , the San Francisco Chronicle reported .
The original proposal sought to ban residents from smoking marijuana in their apartments , but supervisors voted to exclude marijuana after cannabis activists said the law would take away @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It ’ s illegal under state law to smoke cannabis in public places .
“ Unlike tobacco smokers who could still leave their apartments to step out to the curb or smoke in other permitted outdoor smoking areas , cannabis users would have no such legal alternatives , ” said Supervisor Rafael Mandelman , who wrote the amendment to exempt cannabis .
Those against the ban argued that it infringed on their rights inside their homes .
Supporters said it ’ s important to protect the health of nonsmokers — particularly low-income residents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cigarette smoking kills more than 480,000 people per year in the United States , including more than 41,000 deaths caused by exposure to secondhand smoke , according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
The Department of Public Health will be responsible for enforcing the new law .
Under the ordinance , the department must first try to educate violators and help smokers quit .
Repeat offenders could be fined $ 1,000 a day but can not be evicted for a smoking violation .
The ordinance must pass a second vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mayor must sign it .
Once that happens , the new law would go into effect 30 days later .

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SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — City officials in San Francisco have banned all tobacco smoking inside apartments, citing concerns about secondhand smoke. But lighting up a joint inside? That’s still allowed.
The Board of Supervisors voted 10-1 Tuesday to approve the ordinance making San Francisco the largest city in the country to ban tobacco smoking inside apartments, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
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The original proposal sought to ban residents from smoking marijuana in their apartments, but supervisors voted to exclude marijuana after cannabis activists said the law would take away their only legal place to smoke. It’s illegal under state law to smoke cannabis in public places.
“Unlike tobacco smokers who could still leave their apartments to step out to the curb or smoke in other permitted outdoor smoking areas, cannabis users would have no such legal alternatives,” said Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, who wrote the amendment to exempt cannabis.
San Francisco now joins 63 California cities and counties with such a ban.
Those against the ban argued that it infringed on their rights inside their homes. Supporters said it’s important to protect the health of nonsmokers — particularly low-income residents who live in dense apartment buildings.
Cigarette smoking kills more than 480,000 people per year in the United States, including more than 41,000 deaths caused by exposure to secondhand smoke, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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The Department of Public Health will be responsible for enforcing the new law. Under the ordinance, the department must first try to educate violators and help smokers quit. Repeat offenders could be fined $1,000 a day but can not be evicted for a smoking violation.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-02--Kayleigh McEnany Defends White House Holiday Parties Amid COVID Surge

Coronavirus infections and hospitalizations are surging to record highs , but President Donald Trump will carry on with White House holiday gatherings as usual , press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said Wednesday .
Her comments came in response to a reporter who asked her at a news briefing how the White House could continue with planned holiday parties while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention asks Americans to forgo celebrations to slow the spread of COVID-19 .
“ If you can loot businesses , burn down buildings , engage in a protest , you can also go to a Christmas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You can celebrate the holiday of Christmas , and you can do it responsibly.
” The White House plans at least 25 indoor holiday parties this month .
All will include more than 50 guests , The Washington Post reported , and few attendees will be tested in advance .
Invitations make no mention of coronavirus precautions .
The White House parties will have smaller guest lists than usual , McEnany said .
Still , it ’ s clear Trump is comfortable hosting hundreds of guests .
Two recent events ― a celebration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and an election night party ― were linked to a flurry of new coronavirus cases .
Basic safety protocols ― masks and social distancing ― will be optional at the holiday parties , McEnany said .
“ Masks are going to be available .
Social distancing is going to be encouraged , ” she said .
If Trump ’ s past gatherings are any indication , it ’ s likely most guests will ignore safety measures .
Few who ’ ve attended Trump ’ s large-scale events have worn masks or kept safe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rarely been seen wearing a mask ― reckless behavior mimicked by thousands of supporters at his campaign rallies .
The decision to carry on with holiday parties at the White House comes amid a devastating surge in new coronavirus cases nationwide .
A record 96,039 COVID-19 patients were hospitalized on Monday , according to the Covid Tracking Project .
The U.S. is averaging more than 150,000 new cases every day ― around double the number during the summer surge .
The pandemic continues to disproportionately impact nonwhite people .

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Coronavirus infections and hospitalizations are surging to record highs, but President Donald Trump will carry on with White House holiday gatherings as usual, press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said Wednesday.
Her comments came in response to a reporter who asked her at a news briefing how the White House could continue with planned holiday parties while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention asks Americans to forgo celebrations to slow the spread of COVID-19.
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“If you can loot businesses, burn down buildings, engage in a protest, you can also go to a Christmas party,” McEnany responded. “You can celebrate the holiday of Christmas, and you can do it responsibly.”
The White House plans at least 25 indoor holiday parties this month. All will include more than 50 guests, The Washington Post reported, and few attendees will be tested in advance. Invitations make no mention of coronavirus precautions.
The White House parties will have smaller guest lists than usual, McEnany said. Still, it’s clear Trump is comfortable hosting hundreds of guests. Two recent events ― a celebration for then-Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett and an election night party ― were linked to a flurry of new coronavirus cases.
Basic safety protocols ― masks and social distancing ― will be optional at the holiday parties, McEnany said.
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“Masks are going to be available. Social distancing is going to be encouraged,” she said.
If Trump’s past gatherings are any indication, it’s likely most guests will ignore safety measures. Few who’ve attended Trump’s large-scale events have worn masks or kept safe distances from others. Trump himself has rarely been seen wearing a mask ― reckless behavior mimicked by thousands of supporters at his campaign rallies.
McEnany, during her Tuesday briefing, referred to safety protocols encouraged by Democratic leaders as “draconian restrictions.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-02--Katie Porter Pummels Mnuchin At Hearing After He Calls Her Question 'Ridiculous'

Porter was questioning Mnuchin ’ s plan to claw back $ 455 billion in unspent stimulus package funding to the Treasury ’ s general fund .
The move would make it harder for his successor to access the money .
Reading aloud a section from the stimulus measure , known as the CARES Act , Porter noted that remaining funds can be transferred back to the Treasury no sooner than Jan. 1 , 2026 .
Mnuchin did not answer the question and accused her of “ putting words in my mouth that are not correct.
” “ Of course it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ snapped .
“ How ridiculous to ask me that question to waste our time.
” “ Well , Secretary Mnuchin , I think it ’ s ridiculous that you ’ re play-acting to be a lawyer when you have no legal degree , ” Porter replied .
When I tried to read @ stevenmnuchin1 the law that contradicts his bogus claim to get people less COVID relief , he questioned whether I 'm a lawyer .
Just want to make sure he has the answer : one of us is a lawyer , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — Rep. Katie Porter ( @ RepKatiePorter ) December 2 , 2020 Mnuchin argued that he has “ plenty of lawyers ” in his department who advise him .
Porter then asked Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell , who was questioned by the committee alongside Mnuchin , if he was a lawyer .
“ OK , so Secretary Mnuchin , you are trying to tell Chairman Powell to send over any remaining funds right now , and you ’ re claiming , ― falsely , in my opinion ― that that is what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Porter did not acknowledge his question .
She has a law degree from Harvard and is a tenured professor of law at the University of California , Irvine .
Democrats have questioned the legality of Mnuchin ’ s plan , which would require his presumed successor , former Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen , to get congressional authorization to access the remaining funds .
It would leave her with just $ 80 billion in relief funds at her discretion .
Mnuchin has rejected charges from Democrats that he is attempting to hobble @ @ @ @ @ @ @ manage the economic crisis .
“ This is Treasury ’ s latest ham-handed effort to undermine the Biden Administration , ” he tweeted .
“ The good news is that it ’ s illegal and can be reversed next year.
” The Fed initially objected to Mnuchin ’ s decision but agreed to return the funds .
Both Powell and Mnuchin urged lawmakers in hearings Tuesday and Wednesday to strike a deal on another stimulus bill .

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Porter was questioning Mnuchin’s plan to claw back $455 billion in unspent stimulus package funding to the Treasury’s general fund. The move would make it harder for his successor to access the money.
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Reading aloud a section from the stimulus measure, known as the CARES Act, Porter noted that remaining funds can be transferred back to the Treasury no sooner than Jan. 1, 2026.
“Secretary Mnuchin, is it currently the year 2026? Yes or no,” Porter asked.
Mnuchin did not answer the question and accused her of “putting words in my mouth that are not correct.”
Porter repeated her question.
“Of course it’s not 2026,” Mnuchin snapped. “How ridiculous to ask me that question to waste our time.”
“Well, Secretary Mnuchin, I think it’s ridiculous that you’re play-acting to be a lawyer when you have no legal degree,” Porter replied.
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When I tried to read @stevenmnuchin1 the law that contradicts his bogus claim to get people less COVID relief, he questioned whether I'm a lawyer.
Just want to make sure he has the answer: one of us is a lawyer, and it's not him. pic.twitter.com/iFYzAyflle — Rep. Katie Porter (@RepKatiePorter) December 2, 2020
Mnuchin argued that he has “plenty of lawyers” in his department who advise him.
“Secretary Mnuchin, are you in fact a lawyer?” Porter asked.
“I do not have a legal degree. I have lawyers that report to me,” Mnuchin replied.
Porter then asked Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, who was questioned by the committee alongside Mnuchin, if he was a lawyer.
Powell confirmed that he formerly practiced law. He holds a law degree from Georgetown University.
“OK, so Secretary Mnuchin, you are trying to tell Chairman Powell to send over any remaining funds right now, and you’re claiming, ― falsely, in my opinion ― that that is what the law says,” Porter said.
Mnuchin then interrupted Porter to ask, “Are you a lawyer?”
Porter did not acknowledge his question. She has a law degree from Harvard and is a tenured professor of law at the University of California, Irvine.
Democrats have questioned the legality of Mnuchin’s plan, which would require his presumed successor, former Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen, to get congressional authorization to access the remaining funds. It would leave her with just $80 billion in relief funds at her discretion. Mnuchin has rejected charges from Democrats that he is attempting to hobble President-elect Joe Biden’s options to manage the economic crisis.
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Bharat Ramamurti, a Democratic member of the congressional watchdog commission appointed to oversee the relief funds, lambasted the move last week.
“This is Treasury’s latest ham-handed effort to undermine the Biden Administration,” he tweeted. “The good news is that it’s illegal and can be reversed next year.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-02--Wisconsin Gov. Calls Trump Election Fraud Lawsuit An 'Assault'

MADISON , Wis. ( AP ) — President Donald Trump ’ s attempt to overturn Wisconsin ’ s election results by tossing ballots only from the state ’ s two most heavily Democratic counties is an “ assault on democracy , ” attorneys for Democratic Gov .
Tony Evers said in filings with the Wisconsin Supreme Court .
The filings , made late Tuesday , come as the state ’ s highest court is weighing Trump ’ s request to disqualify more than 221,000 ballots in Milwaukee and Dane counties .
Democrat Joe Biden defeated Trump by a 2-to-1 margin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a 20,682-vote win statewide .
Trump is not challenging any ballots in the state ’ s other 70 counties , the majority of which Trump won .
Trump ’ s legal challenges in other states to overturn election results have failed .
In Wisconsin , Trump wants to skip lower courts , saying in his lawsuit that there isn ’ t time to go through the normal process due to the looming Dec. 14 date when electors will gather to cast the state ’ s 10 Electoral College votes .
The state Supreme @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to hear the case , forcing it to lower courts , which would effectively kill it .
Or it could accept the case and issue a decision later .
It could also just render a decision based on written arguments .
Attorneys for Evers , as well as lawyers from the state Department of Justice representing the Wisconsin Elections Commission , urged the court not to accept the original jurisdiction of the case , saying it must start in lower courts .
“ President Trump ’ s ( lawsuit ) seeks nothing less @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 3.3 million Wisconsin voters , ” Evers ’ attorneys said .
“ It is a shocking and outrageous assault on our democracy .
...
He is simply trying to seize Wisconsin ’ s electoral votes , even though he lost the statewide election.
” Trump ’ s lawsuit repeats many claims he made during a recount of votes in Milwaukee and Dane counties .
He seeks to disqualify 170,140 absentee ballots that were cast early , in-person , saying there wasn ’ t a proper written request made for the ballots ; 28,395 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ indefinitely confined ” status ; 17,271 absentee ballots collected by poll workers at Madison parks , and 5,517 absentee ballots where clerks filled in missing information on the envelope the ballots were placed in .
None of the ballots Trump challenged during the recount were discounted by election officials in Dane and Milwaukee counties .
Evers argues in his filings that there is no legal basis for the ballots not to be counted .
For example , Evers notes that the Wisconsin Elections Commission agreed more than four years ago to allow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on envelopes containing absentee ballots .
And the commission at least since 2011 said that the envelope doubles as a written request , something Trump is contesting .
Evers ’ attorneys say Trump ’ s arguments related to the accepting of ballots in Madison ’ s parks and challenges to those who identified as “ indefinitely confined ” should have been raised before the election .
The state Justice Department also faulted Trump for seeking to invalidate only ballots in two counties “ presumably for partisan reasons , ” even though each category @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disqualify relies on statewide guidance and ballots “ surely ” were cast in other counties .
Attorneys for Evers and the elections commission also argued that it would be wrong to throw out ballots cast by people who relied on guidance from elections officials .

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MADISON, Wis. (AP) — President Donald Trump’s attempt to overturn Wisconsin’s election results by tossing ballots only from the state’s two most heavily Democratic counties is an “assault on democracy,” attorneys for Democratic Gov. Tony Evers said in filings with the Wisconsin Supreme Court.
The filings, made late Tuesday, come as the state’s highest court is weighing Trump’s request to disqualify more than 221,000 ballots in Milwaukee and Dane counties. Democrat Joe Biden defeated Trump by a 2-to-1 margin in those counties on his way to a 20,682-vote win statewide.
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Trump is not challenging any ballots in the state’s other 70 counties, the majority of which Trump won. Trump’s legal challenges in other states to overturn election results have failed.
In Wisconsin, Trump wants to skip lower courts, saying in his lawsuit that there isn’t time to go through the normal process due to the looming Dec. 14 date when electors will gather to cast the state’s 10 Electoral College votes.
The state Supreme Court could deny Trump’s request to hear the case, forcing it to lower courts, which would effectively kill it. Or it could accept the case and issue a decision later. It could also just render a decision based on written arguments.
Attorneys for Evers, as well as lawyers from the state Department of Justice representing the Wisconsin Elections Commission, urged the court not to accept the original jurisdiction of the case, saying it must start in lower courts.
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“President Trump’s (lawsuit) seeks nothing less than to overturn the will of nearly 3.3 million Wisconsin voters,” Evers’ attorneys said. “It is a shocking and outrageous assault on our democracy. ... He is simply trying to seize Wisconsin’s electoral votes, even though he lost the statewide election.”
Trump’s lawsuit repeats many claims he made during a recount of votes in Milwaukee and Dane counties. He seeks to disqualify 170,140 absentee ballots that were cast early, in-person, saying there wasn’t a proper written request made for the ballots; 28,395 absentee ballots cast by those who claimed “indefinitely confined” status; 17,271 absentee ballots collected by poll workers at Madison parks, and 5,517 absentee ballots where clerks filled in missing information on the envelope the ballots were placed in.
None of the ballots Trump challenged during the recount were discounted by election officials in Dane and Milwaukee counties. Evers argues in his filings that there is no legal basis for the ballots not to be counted.
For example, Evers notes that the Wisconsin Elections Commission agreed more than four years ago to allow election clerks to fill in missing information on envelopes containing absentee ballots. And the commission at least since 2011 said that the envelope doubles as a written request, something Trump is contesting.
Evers’ attorneys say Trump’s arguments related to the accepting of ballots in Madison’s parks and challenges to those who identified as “indefinitely confined” should have been raised before the election.
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The state Justice Department also faulted Trump for seeking to invalidate only ballots in two counties “presumably for partisan reasons,” even though each category of the vote they are trying to disqualify relies on statewide guidance and ballots “surely” were cast in other counties.
Attorneys for Evers and the elections commission also argued that it would be wrong to throw out ballots cast by people who relied on guidance from elections officials.
“Widespread disenfranchisement for following the rules does not comport with due process or a healthy democracy,” Justice Department attorneys said.
The Democratic National Committee and Biden’s electors are also attempting to intervene in the lawsuit.