thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-17--How To Instill A Healthy Attitude About Exercise In Your Kids

“ Research on this topic has found that children of parents who are overly concerned about their weight are at increased risk for modeling their unhealthy attitudes and behaviors , like compulsive exercise , ” she added .
“ On the flip-side , research indicates that children of parents who have a healthy relationship with food , exercise and body image are more likely to have positive self-esteem , improved school and social functioning , and a reduced risk for eating disorders.
” “ In our thin-obsessed culture , it ’ s too easy for children to come to believe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ obtain a thin body or to lose weight or to achieve a certain physical appearance , ” said Rebecca Puhl , a professor in the department of human development and family sciences and deputy director for the Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity at the University of Connecticut .
“ These messages are damaging to youth , so parents need to be mindful of those broader societal messages that children see and hear , and to instead focus on engaging in physical activity for the purpose of health and well-being.
” Talk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Parents could also speak about their enjoyment of a challenging physical activity , ” said Nailah Coleman , a sports medicine pediatrician and American College of Sports Medicine fellow .
“ When finishing a nice run , game of catch or swim in the pool , a parent could say , ‘ Wow !
That was fun !
Even though running that mile was hard/even though it is difficult to throw very far right now/even though swimming that last lap made me tired , I am proud that I finished it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you feel about our activity ?
’ ” “ Our children are much more likely to follow our behavior than to follow our instructions , ” Coleman noted , adding that parents can serve as models for active living .
“ If we do it regularly and with enjoyment , they will consider it part of a healthy life and be more likely to do it , too , especially if we include them in our activities.
” “ Hold family yoga classes , especially with young children , as it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which also promotes more general emotional wellbeing , ” suggested psychotherapist Noel McDermott .
“ Active play with younger kids in the local park is great fun .
If you have the courage to learn to climb trees in your local park , children love this form of activity , which is also great exercise .
Family days out rambling is also a great , fun activity which provides super bonding time , exercise and all the well-being benefits of being in nature.
” Find out what type of movement your kids enjoy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an answer , you can suggest some ideas and see which they might be willing to try .
It doesn ’ t have to be a formal sports team , but could simply be riding their bike , dancing to their favorite music or at-home yoga .
Don ’ t show displeasure if they aren ’ t interested in your favorite form of exercise , and instead be supportive of their participation in whichever activities they enjoy .
You can give kids control by involving them in decision-making about group activities , like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Once you ’ ve determined which forms of physical activity they enjoy , show your support by signing them up for programs , providing transportation , buying equipment and even engaging in the exercise with them .
Identify times of day that are best for these activities and make them a regular part of the family routine .
“ Make movement fun for the whole family ― whether it ’ s going for a walk or bicycle ride as a family , building an obstacle course and timing how long it takes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or blasting music to have a dance party to start the day , ” Giller said .
“ Parents can plan activities or trips that promote new ways to exercise , such as hiking , kayaking , rock climbing .
Allowing kids to invite friends along also helps to make exercise more social and fun.
” Never use exercise in the context of shame or punishment .
“ Avoid body-shaming as a way to motivate kids to get moving , ” Giller advised .
“ Statements such as ‘ look at how much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around on your computer these past three months ’ or ‘ when was the last time you moved ?
’ are likely to induce feelings of shame and insecurity about one ’ s body and may backfire in terms of a child ’ s willingness to engage in any physical activity.
” One thing to look out for is if your child is engaging in a physical activity not because they want to , but because they feel like they have to , and if they ’ re giving themselves breaks to rest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or compulsive exercise is often a symptom of eating disorders .
“ If you suspect that your young person is experiencing mental illness that involves eating , body image , or exercise , then it ’ s a really good idea to check in with a mental health professional who is trained in eating disorders , ” Lyster-Mensh explained .
“ Eating disorder professionals are very good at figuring out the difference between an impulse that is true to the person and one that is being driven by mental illness .
Early intervention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It can save a life .
”

Getty Images/HuffPost
When it comes to a child’s relationship with physical activity, it’s clear that parents play a major role.
“Parents are typically the earliest influence in the child’s development of attitudes and values, including those related to food, body image and exercise,” said Claire Mysko, CEO of the National Eating Disorders Association.
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“Research on this topic has found that children of parents who are overly concerned about their weight are at increased risk for modeling their unhealthy attitudes and behaviors, like compulsive exercise,” she added. “On the flip-side, research indicates that children of parents who have a healthy relationship with food, exercise and body image are more likely to have positive self-esteem, improved school and social functioning, and a reduced risk for eating disorders.”
It’s natural to want to encourage your child to be active to promote their physical and mental health, but parents should be mindful of the way they go about this. Sometimes, focusing too much on exercise can foster negative associations in kids.
To help promote positive relationships with fitness, HuffPost spoke to Mysko and other experts to identify everyday ways parents can instill a healthy attitude about exercise in their kids.
Separate exercise from physical appearance.
One major way to foster a healthy attitude toward exercise is to separate it from how a person looks.
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“In our thin-obsessed culture, it’s too easy for children to come to believe that the purpose of exercise is to obtain a thin body or to lose weight or to achieve a certain physical appearance,” said Rebecca Puhl, a professor in the department of human development and family sciences and deputy director for the Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity at the University of Connecticut. “These messages are damaging to youth, so parents need to be mindful of those broader societal messages that children see and hear, and to instead focus on engaging in physical activity for the purpose of health and well-being.”
As with other issues, parents can offer counter-messaging to combat the harmful notions about fitness and body image that kids may absorb from advertising, pop culture or even their peers. Caregivers should avoid words, behaviors and actions that tie exercise to the pursuit of weight loss.
“Parents can encourage physical activity as part of a healthy lifestyle rather than a means to achieving a certain weight or body size,” Mysko said. “By shifting the focus away from appearance, we can frame exercise in the context of joyful movement: walking the dog, play dates at the park, impromptu dance parties, and more.”
seksan Mongkhonkhamsao via Getty Images "Small comments can have a lasting impact on a child as they develop beliefs about their body image," one clinical psychologist says.
Talk about physical activity in a positive way.
Parents should examine their own attitudes toward exercise and try to work through any harmful tendencies. They should also be mindful of their communication about physical activity in front of their children.
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“Small comments can have a lasting impact on a child as they develop beliefs about their body image and satisfaction or dissatisfaction,” said Lindsey Giller, a clinical psychologist in the Mood Disorders Center at the Child Mind Institute. “If a parent says, ‘Ugh, in order to eat that dessert, I’m going to need to spend hours at the gym’ or ‘I hate exercising, it’s such a drag,’ kids pick up on that and internalize it.”
If parents make it clear that they see exercise as a chore or negative experience, that view may rub off on their children. Instead, they can make an effort to talk about movement in a positive way and highlight how it makes them feel good physically and mentally.
“Parents could also speak about their enjoyment of a challenging physical activity,” said Nailah Coleman, a sports medicine pediatrician and American College of Sports Medicine fellow. “When finishing a nice run, game of catch or swim in the pool, a parent could say, ‘Wow! That was fun! Even though running that mile was hard/even though it is difficult to throw very far right now/even though swimming that last lap made me tired, I am proud that I finished it and did my best. How do you feel about our activity?’”
Model an active lifestyle.
“Our children are much more likely to follow our behavior than to follow our instructions,” Coleman noted, adding that parents can serve as models for active living. “If we do it regularly and with enjoyment, they will consider it part of a healthy life and be more likely to do it, too, especially if we include them in our activities.”
Parents should try to encourage and integrate movement in everyday life. Those who are able-bodied may consider participating in adult sports leagues, biking to work, going for regular runs and taking dance classes.
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“Hold family yoga classes, especially with young children, as it’s an excellent way to do healthy exercise which also promotes more general emotional wellbeing,” suggested psychotherapist Noel McDermott. “Active play with younger kids in the local park is great fun. If you have the courage to learn to climb trees in your local park, children love this form of activity, which is also great exercise. Family days out rambling is also a great, fun activity which provides super bonding time, exercise and all the well-being benefits of being in nature.”
fizkes via Getty Images Don’t show displeasure if your child isn't interested in your favorite form of exercise, but instead be supportive of their participation in whichever activities they enjoy.
Find out what type of movement your kids enjoy.
“Another way parents can help foster a healthy attitude toward exercise is by asking their children what type of movement makes them feel good inside and out,” Mysko said.
If kids don’t have an answer, you can suggest some ideas and see which they might be willing to try. It doesn’t have to be a formal sports team, but could simply be riding their bike, dancing to their favorite music or at-home yoga. Don’t show displeasure if they aren’t interested in your favorite form of exercise, and instead be supportive of their participation in whichever activities they enjoy.
“Together, you might consider creating an activity list for the upcoming week or month,” Giller suggested. “Kids are more likely to buy into things if they feel an element of control in choosing the way to participate.”
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You can give kids control by involving them in decision-making about group activities, like choosing the route for your family walk. Once you’ve determined which forms of physical activity they enjoy, show your support by signing them up for programs, providing transportation, buying equipment and even engaging in the exercise with them. Identify times of day that are best for these activities and make them a regular part of the family routine.
“Make movement fun for the whole family ― whether it’s going for a walk or bicycle ride as a family, building an obstacle course and timing how long it takes for the kids to complete it, or blasting music to have a dance party to start the day,” Giller said. “Parents can plan activities or trips that promote new ways to exercise, such as hiking, kayaking, rock climbing. Allowing kids to invite friends along also helps to make exercise more social and fun.”
Don’t make it about competitive sports.
“Avoid becoming too focused on competitive sports as the only or major form of exercise,” McDermott advised. “There is an important role for those activities, but it can become problematic. The focus should be on health and wellbeing, not success or achievement.”
He noted that interest in competitive sports often evolves naturally from general enjoyment of physical activity, so it’s best to let it happen that way, rather than push competition on kids. Seeing exercise strictly as a way to win is not a particularly healthy attitude.
“It’s better to value exercise in a way that emphasizes health and wellbeing, not simply excellence,” McDermott explained. “Exercise needs to be seen in the context of whole person development and not simply be an end in itself.”
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Parents should focus on skill-based accomplishments, rather than wins or numbers like calories burned and pounds lost.
“Look for ways to praise the child’s effort in developing the new skill, whether that is doing jump rope, riding a bicycle, or learning to play a sport,” Giller suggested. “When a child notices improvement in a new activity, they are more likely to stick with it.”
Sladic via Getty Images "Parents should help children find forms of activity they enjoy and feel successful with, and then reinforce participation in those activities,” one expert says.
Never use exercise in the context of shame or punishment.
“Avoid body-shaming as a way to motivate kids to get moving,” Giller advised. “Statements such as ‘look at how much weight you’ve gained from sitting around on your computer these past three months’ or ‘when was the last time you moved?’ are likely to induce feelings of shame and insecurity about one’s body and may backfire in terms of a child’s willingness to engage in any physical activity.”
When kids are engaging in physical activity, don’t show judgment or suggest they’re doing something wrong (unless they are at risk for harm). This makes the activity less enjoyable.
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“Parents should not force children to engage in vigorous physical activity or specific activity programs against their will,” noted Russell R. Pate, a former ACSM fellow and director of the Children’s Physical Activity Research Group at the University of South Carolina. “Parents should not criticize their children (particularly in front of siblings and peers) if they are not successful with a particular physical activity. Rather, parents should help children find forms of activity they enjoy and feel successful with, and then reinforce participation in those activities.”
Using exercise as a form of punishment is also a big no-no. Rather than relieving stress, it makes movement inherently more stressful and negative. Physical activity should not be something kids dread; it should be something they feel self-motivated to pursue.
Pay attention to your child’s behavior.
Even if you follow all the expert advice, it’s still important to pay attention to your child’s relationship with exercise. Laura Collins Lyster-Mensh, executive director of FEAST (Families Empowered And Supporting Treatment for Eating Disorders), said that some children learn harmful attitudes, but others may simply have a more innate inclination.
“If you see a young person starting to have strong thoughts and behaviors that center on eating or exercise, have your antenna up,” she cautioned. “There may be a mental illness coming into play, and that needs to be treated differently.”
One thing to look out for is if your child is engaging in a physical activity not because they want to, but because they feel like they have to, and if they’re giving themselves breaks to rest when they’re tired. Excessive or compulsive exercise is often a symptom of eating disorders.
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“If you suspect that your young person is experiencing mental illness that involves eating, body image, or exercise, then it’s a really good idea to check in with a mental health professional who is trained in eating disorders,” Lyster-Mensh explained. “Eating disorder professionals are very good at figuring out the difference between an impulse that is true to the person and one that is being driven by mental illness. Early intervention with eating disorders is really important. It can save a life.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-16--Trump Issued COVID-19 Travel Restrictions Too Late To Help NYC: CDC Report

“ They failed , and the virus came to New York , and Americans died because of government failure .
Period , ” declared New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo ( D ) at a press conference Thursday where he responded to the report .
Trump didn ’ t impose restrictions on Europeans entering the U.S. until March 13 — almost six weeks after his curbs on Chinese travelers .
But community spread of COVID-19 was already occurring in New York City by March 8 .
The viral strain in the city closely matched that of the coronavirus circulating in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was transmitted from Europe or possibly from other areas of the U.S. None of the New York City strains were directly connected to Wuhan , China , where the global outbreak is believed to have originated — an “ unanticipated ” finding , wrote CDC researchers .
“ By the time the European restrictions were implemented , importation and community transmission of SARS-CoV-2 had already occurred , ” the study says .
More than 23,000 people in New York City have died of COVID-19 .
Cuomo has repeatedly insisted that the virus circulating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which had been supported by earlier studies .
The CDC report “ definitively explains what happened in New York , ” he said at Thursday ’ s press conference .
Cuomo said federal officials “ still are not following the science , and the government is still not competent , and that is the increase we ’ re seeing all across the country.
” Cuomo warned that the “ second wave ” in the state is going to be a “ rebound of COVID from the other states that now got infected , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He called it a “ double-barreled shotgun of federal incompetence.
” Trump has repeatedly blamed China for not stopping the virus within its borders , though the Trump administration was unable to do that when there were just a handful of known cases of the coronavirus in the U.S .
He has also repeatedly boasted that he saved millions of lives with travel restrictions .
But the restrictions , which now appear to have been of limited help in New York , applied only to foreign nationals .
U.S. citizens were free to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Europe .
Now , ironically , Americans are not allowed into Europe because of the spike in COVID-19 cases in the U.S .
The European Union extended the ban for two additional weeks on Thursday .
British epidemiologist Neil Ferguson told HuffPost said that likely “ many hundreds of thousands of lives ” were saved in the U.S. by state leaders who issued stay-at-home and social distancing orders and required quarantines .
The CDC study looked at data collected by the New York Department of Health and Mental Hygiene from March 1 to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic in the U.S .

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“They failed, and the virus came to New York, and Americans died because of government failure. Period,” declared New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) at a press conference Thursday where he responded to the report.
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“These are facts. They missed the science. Government failed in its job, and they are still failing,” Cuomo added.
Trump didn’t impose restrictions on Europeans entering the U.S. until March 13 — almost six weeks after his curbs on Chinese travelers. But community spread of COVID-19 was already occurring in New York City by March 8. The viral strain in the city closely matched that of the coronavirus circulating in Europe — not China — indicating it was transmitted from Europe or possibly from other areas of the U.S.
None of the New York City strains were directly connected to Wuhan, China, where the global outbreak is believed to have originated — an “unanticipated” finding, wrote CDC researchers.
“By the time the European restrictions were implemented, importation and community transmission of SARS-CoV-2 had already occurred,” the study says. More than 23,000 people in New York City have died of COVID-19.
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Testing at the time was also limited in New York, so COVID-19 cases were increasing undetected, the report said.
Cuomo has repeatedly insisted that the virus circulating in the city came from Europe, which had been supported by earlier studies. The CDC report “definitively explains what happened in New York,” he said at Thursday’s press conference.
From Feb. 2 to March 13, Cuomo said, more than 3,900 flights arrived from Europe at John F. Kennedy International and Newark-Liberty airports.
Cuomo said federal officials “still are not following the science, and the government is still not competent, and that is the increase we’re seeing all across the country.”
Cuomo warned that the “second wave” in the state is going to be a “rebound of COVID from the other states that now got infected, transmitting it back to New York.” He called it a “double-barreled shotgun of federal incompetence.”
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“You know what virus is worse than COVID?” he asked reporters. “The virus of American division and federal incompetence. That’s the virus that’s wreaking havoc on this country.”
Trump has repeatedly blamed China for not stopping the virus within its borders, though the Trump administration was unable to do that when there were just a handful of known cases of the coronavirus in the U.S.
He has also repeatedly boasted that he saved millions of lives with travel restrictions. But the restrictions, which now appear to have been of limited help in New York, applied only to foreign nationals. U.S. citizens were free to fly back and forth to China and Europe.
Now, ironically, Americans are not allowed into Europe because of the spike in COVID-19 cases in the U.S. The European Union extended the ban for two additional weeks on Thursday.
British epidemiologist Neil Ferguson told HuffPost said that likely “many hundreds of thousands of lives” were saved in the U.S. by state leaders who issued stay-at-home and social distancing orders and required quarantines.
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The CDC study looked at data collected by the New York Department of Health and Mental Hygiene from March 1 to 20, the early days of the pandemic in the U.S.
As of late Thursday, there were more than 3,570,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the U.S., with a death toll surpassing 138,000.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-16--U.S. Shatters Single-Day Coronavirus Record With More Than 77,000 New Infections

The United States shattered its daily record for coronavirus infections on Thursday , reporting more than 77,000 new cases as the number of deaths in a 24-hour period rose by nearly 1,000 , according to a Reuters tally .
The loss of 969 lives was the biggest increase since June 10 , with Florida , South Carolina and Texas all reporting their biggest one-day spikes on Thursday .
More than 138,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 , a toll that experts warn will likely surge following recent record spikes in case numbers and an alarming rise in hospitalizations in many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Arizona are running out of places to store bodies as their morgues fill up and are bringing in coolers and refrigerated trailers .
U.S. deaths peaked in April , when the country lost on average 2,000 people a day .
Fatalities have steadily fallen , averaging 1,300 a day in May and under 800 a day in June before rising again in July , according to a Reuters tally .
EMTs cleanse their materials outside Memorial West Hospital where coronavirus disease ( COVID-19 ) patients are treated , in Pembroke Pines , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
REUTERS/Maria Alejandra Cardona TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY Americans have become increasingly divided on issues such as the reopening of schools and businesses and wearing face masks in public , hindering the fight against the virus .
The current tally of 77,217 cases surpasses the previous record set on Friday when cases rose by 69,070 .
In June , cases rose by an average of 28,000 a day , according to a Reuters tally .
In July , they have risen by an average of 57,625 a day .
On Thursday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to a Reuters tally of county data , while Florida reported nearly 14,000 new cases and California almost 10,000 .
Dr. Anthony Fauci , the government ’ s top infectious diseases expert , has warned that cases could soon top 100,000 a day if Americans do not come together to take steps necessary to halt the spread of the virus .

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The United States shattered its daily record for coronavirus infections on Thursday, reporting more than 77,000 new cases as the number of deaths in a 24-hour period rose by nearly 1,000, according to a Reuters tally.
The loss of 969 lives was the biggest increase since June 10, with Florida, South Carolina and Texas all reporting their biggest one-day spikes on Thursday.
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More than 138,000 Americans have died from COVID-19, a toll that experts warn will likely surge following recent record spikes in case numbers and an alarming rise in hospitalizations in many states.
The hardest-hit areas in Texas and Arizona are running out of places to store bodies as their morgues fill up and are bringing in coolers and refrigerated trailers.
U.S. deaths peaked in April, when the country lost on average 2,000 people a day. Fatalities have steadily fallen, averaging 1,300 a day in May and under 800 a day in June before rising again in July, according to a Reuters tally.
EMTs cleanse their materials outside Memorial West Hospital where coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients are treated, in Pembroke Pines, Florida, U.S. July 13, 2020. REUTERS/Maria Alejandra Cardona TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY Maria Alejandra Cardona / Reuters
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Americans have become increasingly divided on issues such as the reopening of schools and businesses and wearing face masks in public, hindering the fight against the virus.
The current tally of 77,217 cases surpasses the previous record set on Friday when cases rose by 69,070. In June, cases rose by an average of 28,000 a day, according to a Reuters tally. In July, they have risen by an average of 57,625 a day.
On Thursday, Texas reported over 15,000 new cases, according to a Reuters tally of county data, while Florida reported nearly 14,000 new cases and California almost 10,000.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the government’s top infectious diseases expert, has warned that cases could soon top 100,000 a day if Americans do not come together to take steps necessary to halt the spread of the virus.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-17--Top Democrats Tell Lawmakers And Delegates To Skip Nomination Convention: Report

Democratic leaders have told congressional lawmakers and party delegates to skip the Democratic National Convention set to take place next month amid mounting concerns over the ongoing coronavirus pandemic .
The New York Times first reported that the convention , set to take place from Aug. 17 to 20 in Milwaukee , would be a shell of what officials had hoped for before the planet was thrust into this midst of the pandemic , even after it was delayed for more than a month .
Former Vice President Joe Biden , the party ’ s presumptive nominee , will still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accept the nomination , as will a few other party leaders .
“ We have been working closely with state and local public health officials , as well as epidemiologists , and have come to the hard decision that members of Congress should not plan to travel to Milwaukee , ” Chasseny Lewis , a senior adviser to the convention committee , wrote in an email to lawmakers ’ offices , per The Times .
“ No delegates will travel to Milwaukee and Caucus and Council meetings will take place virtually.
” Most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ DNC will take place online or be canceled , the Times notes , including voting on a party platform .
Reports have swirled for weeks that most of the event would be virtual and party officials had previously informed delegates that they shouldn ’ t plan to head to Wisconsin .
“ Ensuring the safety and well-being of everyone involved with the 2020 Democratic National Convention drives every decision we make , ” Katie Peters , a DNC spokeswoman , told The Hill .
“ This communication reiterates our guidance from several weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elected leaders—should plan to conduct their official business remotely.
” The plans fall in contrast to those of the GOP .
President Donald Trump had urged the Republican nominating convention to be moved to Florida from Charlotte , North Carolina , after the Democratic governor , Roy Cooper , said social distancing measures would be enforced , angering the White House .
The GOP moved most of the convention ’ s major events to Jacksonville last month .
However , Republican officials conceded Thursday that attendance would have to be limited at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are still expected to attend , including upward of 7,000 for Trump ’ s speech accepting the party ’ s nomination .
“ I want to make clear that we still intend to host a fantastic convention celebration in Jacksonville , ” RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel wrote in a letter to delegates .
“ We can gather and put on a top-notch event that celebrates the incredible accomplishments of President Trump ’ s administration and his re-nomination for a second term — while also doing so in a safe and responsible manner.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks they plan to skip that convention even if it does go forward , citing nationwide infection rates and particularly those in Florida , one of the U.S. epicenters of the pandemic that is reckoning with state leaders ’ decision to reopen the economy .

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Democratic leaders have told congressional lawmakers and party delegates to skip the Democratic National Convention set to take place next month amid mounting concerns over the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
The New York Times first reported that the convention, set to take place from Aug. 17 to 20 in Milwaukee, would be a shell of what officials had hoped for before the planet was thrust into this midst of the pandemic, even after it was delayed for more than a month. Former Vice President Joe Biden, the party’s presumptive nominee, will still appear to deliver a keynote speech and accept the nomination, as will a few other party leaders.
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“We have been working closely with state and local public health officials, as well as epidemiologists, and have come to the hard decision that members of Congress should not plan to travel to Milwaukee,” Chasseny Lewis, a senior adviser to the convention committee, wrote in an email to lawmakers’ offices, per The Times. “No delegates will travel to Milwaukee and Caucus and Council meetings will take place virtually.”
Most of the events traditionally associated with the DNC will take place online or be canceled, the Times notes, including voting on a party platform. Reports have swirled for weeks that most of the event would be virtual and party officials had previously informed delegates that they shouldn’t plan to head to Wisconsin.
People wait for Democratic presidential candidate, former Vice President Joe Biden, to speak at a campaign event on July 14, 2020, in Wilmington, Del. AP Photo/Patrick Semansky
“Ensuring the safety and well-being of everyone involved with the 2020 Democratic National Convention drives every decision we make,” Katie Peters, a DNC spokeswoman, told The Hill. “This communication reiterates our guidance from several weeks ago that all members of state delegations—including elected leaders—should plan to conduct their official business remotely.”
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The plans fall in contrast to those of the GOP. President Donald Trump had urged the Republican nominating convention to be moved to Florida from Charlotte, North Carolina, after the Democratic governor, Roy Cooper, said social distancing measures would be enforced, angering the White House. The GOP moved most of the convention’s major events to Jacksonville last month.
However, Republican officials conceded Thursday that attendance would have to be limited at the events in Florida. Thousands of people are still expected to attend, including upward of 7,000 for Trump’s speech accepting the party’s nomination.
“I want to make clear that we still intend to host a fantastic convention celebration in Jacksonville,” RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel wrote in a letter to delegates. “We can gather and put on a top-notch event that celebrates the incredible accomplishments of President Trump’s administration and his re-nomination for a second term — while also doing so in a safe and responsible manner.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-17--Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot Calls Kayleigh McEnany 'Karen' After Insult

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Thursday called Kayleigh McEnany “ Karen ” after the White House press secretary referred to her as a “ derelict mayor ” at a briefing .
“ Karen ” is a slang pejorative for a rude white woman exploiting her privilege .
A source close to the mayor confirmed to the Chicago Sun-Times that Lightfoot used the word in that context .
At a White House press briefing , McEnany criticized Lightfoot for not requesting federal help to curb gun violence in her city .
McEnany said the city leader was “ doing a very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” NBC Chicago noted , and called her the “ derelict mayor of Chicago.
” Chicago logged 385 murders this year through July 12 , compared with 260 in the same period in 2019 , according to police department statistics .
McEnany ’ s attack on the Democratic mayor is in step with President Donald Trump ’ s regular targeting of the Windy City .
Trump called Chicago violence “ worse than Afghanistan ” this week ― a comparison he has used before , WGN reported .
Trump is “ intent on portraying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ soft on crime and anti-police , ” the Sun-Times wrote .
Back in May , Lightfoot had colorful words for the president : “ I will encode what I really want to say to Donald Trump .
It ’ s two words : It begins with ‘ F ’ and it ends with ‘ U .
’ ”

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Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Thursday called Kayleigh McEnany “Karen” after the White House press secretary referred to her as a “derelict mayor” at a briefing.
“Hey, Karen. Watch your mouth,” Lightfoot tweeted.
Hey, Karen. Watch your mouth. pic.twitter.com/zhjRyokKD5 — Mayor Lori Lightfoot (@chicagosmayor) July 16, 2020
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“Karen” is a slang pejorative for a rude white woman exploiting her privilege. A source close to the mayor confirmed to the Chicago Sun-Times that Lightfoot used the word in that context.
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot exchanged insults on Thursday. Getty
At a White House press briefing, McEnany criticized Lightfoot for not requesting federal help to curb gun violence in her city. McEnany said the city leader was “doing a very poor job at protecting her streets,” NBC Chicago noted, and called her the “derelict mayor of Chicago.”
Chicago logged 385 murders this year through July 12, compared with 260 in the same period in 2019, according to police department statistics.
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McEnany’s attack on the Democratic mayor is in step with President Donald Trump’s regular targeting of the Windy City. Trump called Chicago violence “worse than Afghanistan” this week ― a comparison he has used before, WGN reported. Trump is “intent on portraying Democrats and 2020 rival Joe Biden as soft on crime and anti-police,” the Sun-Times wrote.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-16--Evangelical Churches Sue California Governor Over Ban On Singing During Services

The evangelical congregations insist Newsom is infringing on their religious liberty by forcing them to stop singing and chanting during indoor services , according to a lawsuit filed Wednesday in federal court in Sacramento .
California ’ s health department updated its guidelines for houses of worship on July 1 , adding new restrictions on singing and chanting .
The guidelines explain that these activities “ negate the risk reduction achieved through six feet of physical distancing ” since there is a greater chance that COVID-19 will spread through “ contaminated exhaled droplets.
” “ Consider practicing these activities through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) that ensure individual congregation members perform these activities separately in their own homes , ” the guidelines say .
But the Northern California churches ― Calvary Chapel of Ukiah , Calvary Chapel of Fort Bragg and River of Life Church in Oroville ― don ’ t appreciate the government telling them how to worship .
The churches are seeking an injunction against the health department ’ s ban in a lawsuit that names Newsom and three health officials as defendants .
The complaint quotes multiple Bible verses demonstrating that “ singing and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worship .
Houses of worship are being unfairly singled out , the churches claim , since singing and chanting haven ’ t technically been banned in other indoor locations , such as shopping malls , child care centers and schools .
The lawsuit tries to paint Newsom as a hypocritical for supporting Black Lives Matter protests while banning singing and chanting at indoor worship services .
If a protest were to take place indoors , singing and chanting would be allowed there , the churches argue .
Guidelines from the federal Centers for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that houses of worship refrain from using a choir and having congregants sing .
But in late May , the agency removed that guidance from its website .
According to The Washington Post , the White House requested that change .
The California churches are being represented by three conservative Christian legal defense groups : Advocates for Faith and Freedom , the National Center for Law & Policy , and the American Center for Law & Justice .
The ACLJ is run by Jay Sekulow , a member of President Donald Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his son and the executive director of the law firm , called banning singing an “ unconstitutional abuse of power.
” “ To do it in the name of a pandemic is despicable , ” the younger Sekulow said .
“ This ban is clearly targeted at religion.
” Across the country , conservative Christian legal groups have been pushing for houses of worship to be allowed to function with minimal legal restrictions during the pandemic .
In California , over 1,500 pastors signed a “ declaration of essentiality ” in mid-May calling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ earlier than the governor originally intended .
Advocates for Faith and Freedom were involved in that push .
On May 25 , the governor allowed churches to reopen at 25 % capacity or up to 100 attendees while following social distancing rules .
Days later , a divided Supreme Court affirmed that California could enforce limits on faith gatherings during the COVID-19 pandemic .
Conservative Christian activists have framed the debate over reopening houses of worship as a religious freedom issue , while largely ignoring the science behind why congregational worship is particularly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have suggested that the virus can spread through aerosolized respiratory droplets .
High-powered vocalizations , such as shouting and singing , are particularly efficient at carrying these aerosols farther .
Indoor choir rehearsals and performances have been linked to outbreaks of COVID-19 across the world .
Churches in California , such as this one in Fontana , were allowed to reopen May 25 if social distancing and other virus-prevention measures were observed .

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Three California churches are suing Gov. Gavin Newsom over his attempt to combat the spread of COVID-19 by banning singing at houses of worship.
The evangelical congregations insist Newsom is infringing on their religious liberty by forcing them to stop singing and chanting during indoor services, according to a lawsuit filed Wednesday in federal court in Sacramento.
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“To prohibit group singing and chanting is to effectively prohibit corporate Christian worship,” the complaint states.
California’s health department updated its guidelines for houses of worship on July 1, adding new restrictions on singing and chanting. The guidelines explain that these activities “negate the risk reduction achieved through six feet of physical distancing” since there is a greater chance that COVID-19 will spread through “contaminated exhaled droplets.”
“Consider practicing these activities through alternative methods (such as internet streaming) that ensure individual congregation members perform these activities separately in their own homes,” the guidelines say.
But the Northern California churches ― Calvary Chapel of Ukiah, Calvary Chapel of Fort Bragg and River of Life Church in Oroville ― don’t appreciate the government telling them how to worship. The churches are seeking an injunction against the health department’s ban in a lawsuit that names Newsom and three health officials as defendants.
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Three Northern California churches are suing Gov. Gavin Newsom over the state health department's guidelines on singing at church services. Hector Amezcua/Associated Press
The complaint quotes multiple Bible verses demonstrating that “singing and praying aloud” are integral parts of worship. Houses of worship are being unfairly singled out, the churches claim, since singing and chanting haven’t technically been banned in other indoor locations, such as shopping malls, child care centers and schools.
The lawsuit tries to paint Newsom as a hypocritical for supporting Black Lives Matter protests while banning singing and chanting at indoor worship services. If a protest were to take place indoors, singing and chanting would be allowed there, the churches argue.
Newsom’s office did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment.
Guidelines from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also initially suggested that houses of worship refrain from using a choir and having congregants sing. But in late May, the agency removed that guidance from its website. According to The Washington Post, the White House requested that change.
The California churches are being represented by three conservative Christian legal defense groups: Advocates for Faith and Freedom, the National Center for Law & Policy, and the American Center for Law & Justice. The ACLJ is run by Jay Sekulow, a member of President Donald Trump’s legal team. Jordan Sekulow, his son and the executive director of the law firm, called banning singing an “unconstitutional abuse of power.”
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“To do it in the name of a pandemic is despicable,” the younger Sekulow said. “This ban is clearly targeted at religion.”
An "Open for Worship" banner is posted July 9 outside the Crossroads Community Church in Yuba City, Calif. Adam Beam/Associated Press
Across the country, conservative Christian legal groups have been pushing for houses of worship to be allowed to function with minimal legal restrictions during the pandemic. In California, over 1,500 pastors signed a “declaration of essentiality” in mid-May calling on Newsom to open houses of worship earlier than the governor originally intended. Advocates for Faith and Freedom were involved in that push. On May 25, the governor allowed churches to reopen at 25% capacity or up to 100 attendees while following social distancing rules. Days later, a divided Supreme Court affirmed that California could enforce limits on faith gatherings during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Conservative Christian activists have framed the debate over reopening houses of worship as a religious freedom issue, while largely ignoring the science behind why congregational worship is particularly risky during the pandemic. Health experts have suggested that the virus can spread through aerosolized respiratory droplets. High-powered vocalizations, such as shouting and singing, are particularly efficient at carrying these aerosols farther. Indoor choir rehearsals and performances have been linked to outbreaks of COVID-19 across the world.
Churches in California, such as this one in Fontana, were allowed to reopen May 25 if social distancing and other virus-prevention measures were observed. Damian Dovarganes/Associated Press
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-16--'Rules Don't Apply To Us': Ex-Ethics Chief Blasts Real Message Of Ivanka's Goya Stunt

The former head of the federal Office of Government Ethics on Thursday blasted Ivanka Trump ’ s stunt posing on Twitter with a can of beans as a pointed message to the public that the “ rules don ’ t apply ” to the Trump family .
“ If it ’ s Goya , it ’ s got to be good , ” the first daughter tweeted Tuesday in English and Spanish .
The message was sparked by calls to boycott Goya products last week after company CEO Robert Unanue gushed that the nation was “ blessed ” to have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his daughter ’ s message the next day with his own tweet posing with several Goya products lined up on the Oval Office ’ s Resolute desk while he grinned and gave two thumbs-up .
Ivanka Trump ’ s post flat-out “ violated an executive branch ethics regulation prohibiting employees from misusing their official positions to endorse commercial products , ” former OGE Director Walter Shaub declared in a Washington Post op-ed .
But even more troubling , Shaub noted , was that the father-and-daughter messages were part of a drumbeat theme that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trumps — or to the Republican administration .
“ As a pictorial representation of the Trump administration ’ s war on government ethics , both photos are perfectly clear , ” Shaub said .
“ They scream ‘ the rules don ’ t apply to us , ’ a central message of the Trump administration from the start.
” Just three weeks after Trump took office , White House counselor Kellyanne Conway stomped on ethics rules when she told the public to “ go buy ” Ivanka Trump ’ s products in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As the OGE ’ s director , I asked the White House to address this violation of the misuse of position regulation .
The White House shrugged off the violation , responding that Conway had uttered her endorsement in a ‘ light offhand manner ’ and was ‘ highly unlikely to do so again.
’ ” But she did break ethics regulations again and again — “ dozens of times ” — so much so that Henry Kerner , Trump ’ s appointee to head the U.S. Office of Special Counsel , later @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Shaub pointed out .
Trump refused .
“ The tone taken by those at the top is everything in government ethics , and the tone from the top of the Trump administration consistently undermines the principles of government ethics , ” Shaub said .
The message from the Trumps is as clear as Ivanka Trump ’ s bean tweet , added Shaub : “ Lawlessness is not just tolerated in the Trump administration ; it ’ s virtually required .
”

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The former head of the federal Office of Government Ethics on Thursday blasted Ivanka Trump’s stunt posing on Twitter with a can of beans as a pointed message to the public that the “rules don’t apply” to the Trump family.
“If it’s Goya, it’s got to be good,” the first daughter tweeted Tuesday in English and Spanish. The message was sparked by calls to boycott Goya products last week after company CEO Robert Unanue gushed that the nation was “blessed” to have Donald Trump as president.
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If it’s Goya, it has to be good.
Si es Goya, tiene que ser bueno. pic.twitter.com/9tjVrfmo9z — Ivanka Trump (@IvankaTrump) July 15, 2020
Trump followed his daughter’s message the next day with his own tweet posing with several Goya products lined up on the Oval Office’s Resolute desk while he grinned and gave two thumbs-up.
Ivanka Trump’s post flat-out “violated an executive branch ethics regulation prohibiting employees from misusing their official positions to endorse commercial products,” former OGE Director Walter Shaub declared in a Washington Post op-ed. But even more troubling, Shaub noted, was that the father-and-daughter messages were part of a drumbeat theme that rules don’t apply to the Trumps — or to the Republican administration.
“As a pictorial representation of the Trump administration’s war on government ethics, both photos are perfectly clear,” Shaub said. “They scream ‘the rules don’t apply to us,’ a central message of the Trump administration from the start.”
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Just three weeks after Trump took office, White House counselor Kellyanne Conway stomped on ethics rules when she told the public to “go buy” Ivanka Trump’s products in a televised interview.
Shaub recalled: “As the OGE’s director, I asked the White House to address this violation of the misuse of position regulation. The White House shrugged off the violation, responding that Conway had uttered her endorsement in a ‘light offhand manner’ and was ‘highly unlikely to do so again.’”
But she did break ethics regulations again and again — “dozens of times” — so much so that Henry Kerner, Trump’s appointee to head the U.S. Office of Special Counsel, later recommended that the serial-regulation buster be terminated, Shaub pointed out. Trump refused.
“The tone taken by those at the top is everything in government ethics, and the tone from the top of the Trump administration consistently undermines the principles of government ethics,” Shaub said.
The message from the Trumps is as clear as Ivanka Trump’s bean tweet, added Shaub: “Lawlessness is not just tolerated in the Trump administration; it’s virtually required.”
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-17--'I’m Getting Excited': Democrats Have Started Dreaming Of A Senate Sweep

At the beginning of the 2020 election cycle , Democrats had a narrow path to the majority , reliant on sweeping a series of Democratic-leaning and swing states while limiting their losses .
With less than 120 days until Election Day , they believe some of those states are all but locked up , and a candidate fundraising surge combined with Republican President Donald Trump ’ s plummeting poll numbers has them believing they can triumph in even solidly Republican territory .
A potentially expanded majority could have significant implications for the Democratic agenda .
Senators such as Joe Manchin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Arizona have long been willing to vote against the party line , and Democrats ’ ability to pass the party ’ s plans to expand health care , combat climate change and tackle other issues will grow if Democratic leaders don ’ t need to count on moderates for a majority vote .
It ’ s far from guaranteed Democrats will even take back the Senate , never mind build a substantial majority .
Many of their candidates , including Theresa Greenfield in Iowa and Cal Cunningham in North Carolina , are relative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statewide general election and are about to experience tens of millions of dollars ’ worth of attacks on their character and policy positions for the first time .
Republicans are skeptical of a Senate wipeout .
Democrats were optimistic about taking back the Senate in 2016 and even briefly saw a path in 2018 , but had their hopes dashed each year as the candidates who were supposed to triumph in Republican-leaning and swing states faded on Election Day .
Still , Republicans believe their incumbents will be able to highlight the work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ navigate the pandemic ― Sen. Susan Collins of Maine , for instance , has aired multiple ads about her authorship of the small-business lending program ― and contrast that with the thin records of Democrat challengers they believe have skated by up to this point .
Senate Republicans ’ biggest problem , however , remains Trump .
His failure to mount an effective federal response to the coronavirus and his persistent use of racist rhetoric in response to the Black Lives Matter movement have driven him to new levels of unpopularity .
Multiple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a double-digit lead in the presidential race .
Trump has largely disappeared from Republican campaign ads .
But it is highly unlikely any GOP candidates will break with the president in a significant way , for fear of angering their party ’ s core voters .
Even Collins , who refused to vote for the president in 2016 , has remained mum on whether she plans to back him this time .
“ Some of these things are temporary release valves , not realignments that are going to last until November , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of staff to McConnell .
“ Don ’ t make decisions you can ’ t take back .
This is not the time for radical shifts.
” Still , the number of red states where Democrats now intend to compete is lengthy : In Kansas , they think former Republican state Sen. Barbara Bollier can triumph if anti-immigrant hard-liner Kris Kobach wins the GOP nomination ; in South Carolina , former state Democratic Party leader Jamie Harrison raised more than $ 14 million to challenge Republican Lindsey Graham ; and in Alaska , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ physician and independent who has managed to top incumbent Republican Dan Sullivan in fundraising .
Georgia is perhaps the best example of why the map is expanding and why Democrats may struggle to ultimately capitalize .
The state is a tempting target for Democrats , with 16 electoral votes and two Senate seats up for grabs , to go with an increasingly liberal group of voters in the suburbs and more than 150,000 voters of color who have registered since 2018 .
“ All the money in the world for television in October @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are registered in the summer , and the resources are there to protect the franchise , ” Ossoff said .
“ This will be ground zero in November , and I think the national party recognizes that.
” Democrats ’ path to a sizable majority almost certainly requires winning one , if not both , seats in Georgia .
But there are real obstacles to a victory in either race .
Ossoff plans to contrast his work as an investigative journalist with what he calls Perdue ’ s self-enrichment and corruption , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ossoff , who narrowly lost the most expensive House race in American history in 2017 .

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Democrats are increasingly bullish on their chances of winning a Senate majority in November, eyeing not only the ouster of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell but also the construction of a majority that would empower them to pass large swaths of their agenda.
At the beginning of the 2020 election cycle, Democrats had a narrow path to the majority, reliant on sweeping a series of Democratic-leaning and swing states while limiting their losses. With less than 120 days until Election Day, they believe some of those states are all but locked up, and a candidate fundraising surge combined with Republican President Donald Trump’s plummeting poll numbers has them believing they can triumph in even solidly Republican territory.
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“In this environment, races that felt like Hail Marys don’t feel like Hail Marys anymore,” said J.B. Poersch, the executive director of Senate Majority PAC and the top Democratic operative on Senate races, as he ticked off the party’s newfound opportunities in Georgia, Kansas, Alaska and elsewhere. “Do I sound excited? I’m getting excited.”
Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden told a group of journalists on Monday that he was optimistic the party could win up 53 Senate seats in November, up from the 47 they hold today. (Two independent senators, Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Angus King of Maine, vote with the Democrats.)
A potentially expanded majority could have significant implications for the Democratic agenda. Senators such as Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona have long been willing to vote against the party line, and Democrats’ ability to pass the party’s plans to expand health care, combat climate change and tackle other issues will grow if Democratic leaders don’t need to count on moderates for a majority vote.
It’s far from guaranteed Democrats will even take back the Senate, never mind build a substantial majority. Many of their candidates, including Theresa Greenfield in Iowa and Cal Cunningham in North Carolina, are relative newcomers who have never run in a statewide general election and are about to experience tens of millions of dollars’ worth of attacks on their character and policy positions for the first time.
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Only two of the states Democrats are targeting, Colorado and Maine, saw Hillary Clinton victories four years ago, and winning in states where Biden falls short or decides not to fully compete could prove impossible in an era of nationalized elections.
Republicans are skeptical of a Senate wipeout. Democrats were optimistic about taking back the Senate in 2016 and even briefly saw a path in 2018, but had their hopes dashed each year as the candidates who were supposed to triumph in Republican-leaning and swing states faded on Election Day.
“I have déjà vu all over again,” said Steven Law, the chair of Senate Leadership Fund and Poersch’s Republican equivalent. Both Senate Leadership Fund and Senate Majority PAC are super PACs, able to collect and spend unlimited sums, dedicated to winning the Senate for their respective parties.
Republicans are unquestionably on defense: National Republican groups have not reserved a single dollar’s worth of television time in any state held by a Democratic senator for the fall, but they plan to spend roughly $55 million in Montana, Kentucky and Iowa ― three states Trump won by more than 10 percentage points in 2016.
“All the money in the world for television in October will not win the day unless voters are registered in the summer, and the resources are there to protect the franchise.” - Jon Ossoff, Democratic Senate candidate in Georgia
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Last week, both Democratic and Republican groups reserved ad time in Georgia. Poersch said the state had increasingly been showing up in Democratic modeling as a “tipping point state” that could decide whether the party wins the majority.
“Georgia isn’t a second-tier state anymore,” Poersch said.
Adding to the problem is the astonishing fundraising hauls put together by Democratic candidates: astronaut Mark Kelly in Arizona raised $12 million, Cunningham took in $7.4 million and Montana Gov. Steve Bullock raised $7.8 million. All banked at least $3 million more than GOP incumbents in their states.
In total, 13 Democratic challengers outraised Republican incumbents in the second quarter of 2020, according to newly filed Federal Election Commission reports. Only one Republican challenger, veteran and businessman John James of Michigan, managed to outraise a Democratic incumbent.
Still, Republicans believe their incumbents will be able to highlight the work they’ve done to help constituents navigate the pandemic ― Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, for instance, has aired multiple ads about her authorship of the small-business lending program ― and contrast that with the thin records of Democrat challengers they believe have skated by up to this point.
“I would trade the Democratic fundraising advantage in a heartbeat for the quality of our candidates,” Law said.
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Senate Republicans’ biggest problem, however, remains Trump. His failure to mount an effective federal response to the coronavirus and his persistent use of racist rhetoric in response to the Black Lives Matter movement have driven him to new levels of unpopularity. Multiple public surveys this week showed Biden taking a double-digit lead in the presidential race.
Trump has largely disappeared from Republican campaign ads. But it is highly unlikely any GOP candidates will break with the president in a significant way, for fear of angering their party’s core voters. Even Collins, who refused to vote for the president in 2016, has remained mum on whether she plans to back him this time.
The bet, Republicans strategists said, is that Trump’s slide isn’t permanent and committed GOP voters will “put their jerseys on” in the fall.
“Some of these things are temporary release valves, not realignments that are going to last until November,” said Josh Holmes, a former chief of staff to McConnell. “Don’t make decisions you can’t take back. This is not the time for radical shifts.”
Still, the number of red states where Democrats now intend to compete is lengthy: In Kansas, they think former Republican state Sen. Barbara Bollier can triumph if anti-immigrant hard-liner Kris Kobach wins the GOP nomination; in South Carolina, former state Democratic Party leader Jamie Harrison raised more than $14 million to challenge Republican Lindsey Graham; and in Alaska, Democrats have backed Al Gross, a physician and independent who has managed to top incumbent Republican Dan Sullivan in fundraising.
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Democrats are dreaming of building a Senate majority, but Republicans are less than impressed by candidates like Jon Ossoff in Georgia. Paras Griffin via Getty Images
Georgia is perhaps the best example of why the map is expanding and why Democrats may struggle to ultimately capitalize. The state is a tempting target for Democrats, with 16 electoral votes and two Senate seats up for grabs, to go with an increasingly liberal group of voters in the suburbs and more than 150,000 voters of color who have registered since 2018.
Jon Ossoff, who won the Democratic primary for the right to challenge GOP Sen. David Perdue in November, said national Democrats need to invest in legal work to protect voters in a state where voter suppression has led to hours-long waits at polling sites in majority-Black precincts.
“All the money in the world for television in October will not win the day unless voters are registered in the summer, and the resources are there to protect the franchise,” Ossoff said. “This will be ground zero in November, and I think the national party recognizes that.”
Democrats’ path to a sizable majority almost certainly requires winning one, if not both, seats in Georgia. But there are real obstacles to a victory in either race. Ossoff plans to contrast his work as an investigative journalist with what he calls Perdue’s self-enrichment and corruption, but Republicans don’t think much of Ossoff, who narrowly lost the most expensive House race in American history in 2017.
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“A résumé so fake Hollywood could write it,” a new ad from the National Republican Senatorial Committee says of Ossoff. “Policies so extreme only Hollywood would want them.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-17--As COVID-19 Toll Soars, Trump Brags About Bringing 'Back' Incandescent Light Bulbs

In another rambling , campaign-style speech , President Donald Trump boasted at a Thursday news conference about bringing “ back ” incandescent light bulbs — while failing again to offer a plan to stem the record-breaking wrath of COVID-19 .
Trump also bragged about “ stopping the egregious abuse of the Clean Water Act ” when he last year rolled back pollution protections for the nation ’ s waterways .
When “ I signed that legislation I had many farmers and construction workers standing behind me ; people that haven ’ t cried since they were a baby , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ never even when they were a baby , and they were crying .
We gave ’ em back their life.
” As for the incandescent lightbulbs , which Trump apparently considers a highlight of his administration , he noted : “ I brought ’ em back .
They have two nice qualities : They ’ re cheaper and they ’ re better .
They look better , they make you look so much better .
That ’ s important to all of us.
” Incandescent bulbs never vanished and weren ’ t brought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ standards for many common lightbulbs , but incandescent bulbs have largely been replaced by cheap , long-lasting and efficient LED bulbs .
Trump , however , claimed the old-style bulbs are “ selling like hotcakes.
” 🚨 TEARS ALERT 🚨 '' People that have n't cried since they were a baby .
Some of them never even when they were a baby , and they were crying '' pic.twitter.com/1kk0yTOEwL — Aaron Rupar ( @ atrupar ) July 16 , 2020 People who listened to the president ’ s remarks were stunned .
People @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our environment again ?
What a great story .
🤦♂ — My Pal Joe ( @ joe_w3 ) July 16 , 2020 130,000 dead and counting ... and the president is patting himself on the back for bringing back incandescent lightbulbs and allowing corporations to pollute more https : //t.co/myk39dLJqa — Hayley Miller ( @ hayleymiller01 ) July 16 , 2020 I for one am v thankful we once again have free and easy access to shitty light bulbs and dirty water — generation hex ( @ queenneen13 ) July 16 , 2020 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And I mean who the heck wants or needs CLEAN WATER ?
?
?
?
This from the King of the Swamp !
!
— CarolLynn Sane ( @ carollynnsane ) July 16 , 2020

In another rambling, campaign-style speech, President Donald Trump boasted at a Thursday news conference about bringing “back” incandescent light bulbs — while failing again to offer a plan to stem the record-breaking wrath of COVID-19.
Trump also bragged about “stopping the egregious abuse of the Clean Water Act” when he last year rolled back pollution protections for the nation’s waterways.
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When “I signed that legislation I had many farmers and construction workers standing behind me; people that haven’t cried since they were a baby,” he said. “Some of them never even when they were a baby, and they were crying. We gave ’em back their life.”
As for the incandescent lightbulbs, which Trump apparently considers a highlight of his administration, he noted: “I brought ’em back. They have two nice qualities: They’re cheaper and they’re better. They look better, they make you look so much better. That’s important to all of us.”
Incandescent bulbs never vanished and weren’t brought back. Trump did eliminate energy efficiency standards for many common lightbulbs, but incandescent bulbs have largely been replaced by cheap, long-lasting and efficient LED bulbs. Trump, however, claimed the old-style bulbs are “selling like hotcakes.”
🚨 TEARS ALERT 🚨
"People that haven't cried since they were a baby. Some of them never even when they were a baby, and they were crying" pic.twitter.com/1kk0yTOEwL — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 16, 2020
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People who listened to the president’s remarks were stunned.
People cried because they were able to pollute our environment again? What a great story. 🤦♂ — My Pal Joe (@joe_w3) July 16, 2020
Is he on mushrooms? — Odd Jock (@oddjock) July 16, 2020
130,000 dead and counting... and the president is patting himself on the back for bringing back incandescent lightbulbs and allowing corporations to pollute more https://t.co/myk39dLJqa — Hayley Miller (@hayleymiller01) July 16, 2020
I for one am v thankful we once again have free and easy access to shitty light bulbs and dirty water — generation hex (@queenneen13) July 16, 2020
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I find myself saying, "wtf is he even talking about," multiple times a day. — Arilyn (@arilyn123) July 16, 2020
They didn't even cry as babies! Pretty unusual. — X Soviet (@XSovietNews) July 16, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-17--Civil Rights Leader Rev. C.T. Vivian Dies At 95

His civil rights work stretched back more than six decades , to his first sit-in demonstrations in the 1940s in Peoria , Ill .
He met King soon after the budding civil rights leader ’ s victory in the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott .
Vivian helped organize the Freedom Rides to integrate buses across the South and trained waves of activists in non-violent protest .
It was Vivian ’ s bold challenge of a segregationist sheriff while trying to register Black voters in Selma , Alabama , that sparked hundreds , then thousands , to march across the Edmund Pettus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of the people who had the most insight , wisdom , integrity and dedication , ” said Andrew Young , who also worked alongside King .
President Barack Obama honored Vivian the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013 .
The reverend had continued to advocate for justice and equality in recent years .
Speaking with students in Tennessee 50 years after the Voting Rights Act was signed into law , he explained that the civil rights movement was effective because activists used strategies to make sure that their messages were amplified .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; our voice was really heard .
But it didn ’ t happen by accident ; we made certain it was heard , ” Vivian said .
As a young theology student at the American Baptist College in Nashville , Tenn. , Vivian helped organize that city ’ s first sit-ins .
Under King ’ s leadership at SCLC , Vivian was national director of affiliates , traveling around the South to register voters .
In 1965 in Selma , he was met on the Dallas County courthouse by Sheriff Jim Clark , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rights , and then punched him in the mouth .
Vivian stood back up and kept talking as the cameras rolled before he was stitched up and jailed .
His mistreatment , seen on national television , eventually drew thousands of protesters , whose determination to march from Selma to Montgomery pressured Congress to pass the Voting Rights Act later that year .
Vivian continued to serve in the SCLC after King ’ s assassination in 1968 , and became its interim president in 2012 , lending renewed credibility and a tangible link @ @ @ @ @ @ @ SCLC stagnated for years due to financial mismanagement and infighting .
“ There must always be the understanding of what Martin had in mind for this organization , ” Vivian said in a 2012 interview .
“ Nonviolent , direct action makes us successful .
We learned how to solve social problems without violence .
We can not allow the nation or the world to ever forget that.
” Vivian had a stroke about two months ago but seemed to recover , Rivers said .
Then , “ he just stopped eating , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said he was 21 when he met Vivian at Shaw University in Raleigh , North Carolina .
Back then , he worked as an audio director when Vivian was the dean of the university ’ s divinity school .
The two remained close over the years and Rivers said he handled the business side of Vivian ’ s work .

ATLANTA (AP) — The Rev. C.T. Vivian, a civil rights veteran who worked alongside the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and later led the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, has died.
Vivian died at home in Atlanta of natural causes Friday morning, his friend and business partner Don Rivers confirmed to The Associated Press. Vivian was 95.
In this Jan. 4, 2012 photo, civil rights activist C.T. Vivian poses in his home in Atlanta. (AP Photo/David Goldman) ASSOCIATED PRESS
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His civil rights work stretched back more than six decades, to his first sit-in demonstrations in the 1940s in Peoria, Ill. He met King soon after the budding civil rights leader’s victory in the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott.
Vivian helped organize the Freedom Rides to integrate buses across the South and trained waves of activists in non-violent protest. It was Vivian’s bold challenge of a segregationist sheriff while trying to register Black voters in Selma, Alabama, that sparked hundreds, then thousands, to march across the Edmund Pettus bridge.
“He has always been one of the people who had the most insight, wisdom, integrity and dedication,” said Andrew Young, who also worked alongside King.
President Barack Obama honored Vivian the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013. The reverend had continued to advocate for justice and equality in recent years. Speaking with students in Tennessee 50 years after the Voting Rights Act was signed into law, he explained that the civil rights movement was effective because activists used strategies to make sure that their messages were amplified.
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“This is what made the movement; our voice was really heard. But it didn’t happen by accident; we made certain it was heard,” Vivian said.
President Barack Obama awarding C.T. Vivian the Presidential Medal of Freedom in the East Room of the White House, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2013, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) ASSOCIATED PRESS
Cordy Tindell Vivian was born July 28, 1924, in Howard County, Mo., but moved to Macomb, Ill., with his mother when he was still a young boy.
As a young theology student at the American Baptist College in Nashville, Tenn., Vivian helped organize that city’s first sit-ins. Under King’s leadership at SCLC, Vivian was national director of affiliates, traveling around the South to register voters. In 1965 in Selma, he was met on the Dallas County courthouse by Sheriff Jim Clark, who listened as Vivian argued for voting rights, and then punched him in the mouth.
Vivian stood back up and kept talking as the cameras rolled before he was stitched up and jailed. His mistreatment, seen on national television, eventually drew thousands of protesters, whose determination to march from Selma to Montgomery pressured Congress to pass the Voting Rights Act later that year.
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Vivian continued to serve in the SCLC after King’s assassination in 1968, and became its interim president in 2012, lending renewed credibility and a tangible link to the civil rights era after the SCLC stagnated for years due to financial mismanagement and infighting.
“There must always be the understanding of what Martin had in mind for this organization,” Vivian said in a 2012 interview. “Nonviolent, direct action makes us successful. We learned how to solve social problems without violence. We cannot allow the nation or the world to ever forget that.”
Vivian had a stroke about two months ago but seemed to recover, Rivers said. Then, “he just stopped eating,” he said.
Rivers, 67, said he was 21 when he met Vivian at Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina. Back then, he worked as an audio director when Vivian was the dean of the university’s divinity school. The two remained close over the years and Rivers said he handled the business side of Vivian’s work.
“He’s such a nice, gentle, courageous man,” Rivers said, adding that the reverend wasn’t in it for the money but, “he was always giving, giving, giving.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-16--Virus Prompts Drastic Measures As Death Tolls Set Records

HOUSTON ( AP ) — The coronavirus kept surging in hot spots around the U.S. on Thursday , with one city in South Carolina urging people to pray it into submission , a hospital in Texas bringing in military medical personnel and morgues running out of space in Phoenix .
Record numbers of confirmed infections and deaths emerged again in states in the South and West , with hospitals stretched to the brink and fears worldwide that the pandemic ’ s resurgence is only getting started .
Texas reported 10,000 new cases for the third straight day and 129 additional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ third of its more than 3,400 total COVID-19 fatalities in the first two weeks of July alone .
South Carolina confirmed 69 deaths , more than double any other day .
In Louisiana , where officials thought they had contained the virus earlier this year only to become a hot spot again , it ’ s averaged more than 2,000 new confirmed infections a day over the past week .
Many of the governors leading states with the highest rising numbers had refused to mandate masks in public or prevented local officials doing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have reversed course — including Arkansas ’ Republican governor — and at least 25 states now have mask rules , Georgia Gov .
Brian Kemp banned cities and counties from requiring face coverings and then sued Atlanta to prevent the city from defying his order .
Georgia ’ s capital and 14 other cities had ordered masks be worn , but the Republican governor has maintained that no local directive can be more or less restrictive than his statewide mandates .
“ How can we take care of our local needs when our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and then says , ‘ Ignore the advice of experts ?
’ ” Savannah Mayor Van Johnson told reporters .
He later added : “ If you don ’ t want to protect us , then allow us the opportunity to protect ourselves.
” Arizona , meanwhile , has been so hard hit by the virus , the medical examiner ’ s office in metro Phoenix has gotten portable storage coolers and ordered more to handle an influx of bodies — reminiscent of New York City at the height of the pandemic there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rising numbers are hitting big cities like Houston as well as smaller communities along the Mexico border .
This month , Hidalgo County , about 220 miles ( 354 kilometers ) south of San Antonio on the border , has reported more deaths than Houston ’ s Harris County .
Dr. Ivan Melendez , Hidalgo County ’ s public health authority , said it ’ s not uncommon for the body of a COVID-19 patient to lay on a stretcher for 10 hours before it can be removed in the overcrowded hospitals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Some of the soldiers from around the country wore their uniforms .
Others wore scrubs affixed with strips of surgical tape that had their ranks , names and medical titles .
“ This facility , working with the United States military , is something that we asked for , ” said U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee , a Houston Democrat , standing near the soldiers as they worked .
“ We have exhausted medical personnel that we ’ re so grateful to , but we didn ’ t have enough.
” Declaring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what for centuries has been nicknamed the Holy City for the number of church steeples dotting its colonial skyline , Tecklenburg was surrounded by pastors of various faiths who prayed for the dead , the sick , their families , health care workers , scientists seeking a vaccine and politicians .
Charleston is one of the biggest hot spots in a state that ’ s among the worst in the nation for the rate of new cases .
South Carolina is a microcosm of how the virus has been playing out in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 39 % of the more than 62,000 known cases in the state have been diagnosed in the past two weeks .
More than 13.5 million infections have been confirmed worldwide and over 588,000 have died , according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University .
The numbers are likely higher for a number of reasons , including limited testing .
— Brazil ’ s health ministry reported that the country had passed 2 million confirmed infections and 76,000 deaths .
Since late May , Brazil has recorded more than 1,000 daily deaths on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yet to tilt downward .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
HOUSTON (AP) — The coronavirus kept surging in hot spots around the U.S. on Thursday, with one city in South Carolina urging people to pray it into submission, a hospital in Texas bringing in military medical personnel and morgues running out of space in Phoenix.
Record numbers of confirmed infections and deaths emerged again in states in the South and West, with hospitals stretched to the brink and fears worldwide that the pandemic’s resurgence is only getting started.
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Texas reported 10,000 new cases for the third straight day and 129 additional deaths. The state has seen a third of its more than 3,400 total COVID-19 fatalities in the first two weeks of July alone.
Florida reached another ominous record, with 156 virus deaths, and health officials reported a staggering 13,965 new cases.
South Carolina confirmed 69 deaths, more than double any other day. In Louisiana, where officials thought they had contained the virus earlier this year only to become a hot spot again, it’s averaged more than 2,000 new confirmed infections a day over the past week.
Many of the governors leading states with the highest rising numbers had refused to mandate masks in public or prevented local officials doing so. While a number of them have reversed course — including Arkansas’ Republican governor — and at least 25 states now have mask rules, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp banned cities and counties from requiring face coverings and then sued Atlanta to prevent the city from defying his order.
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Georgia’s capital and 14 other cities had ordered masks be worn, but the Republican governor has maintained that no local directive can be more or less restrictive than his statewide mandates.
“How can we take care of our local needs when our state ties our hands behind our back and then says, ‘Ignore the advice of experts?’” Savannah Mayor Van Johnson told reporters. He later added: “If you don’t want to protect us, then allow us the opportunity to protect ourselves.”
Arizona, meanwhile, has been so hard hit by the virus, the medical examiner’s office in metro Phoenix has gotten portable storage coolers and ordered more to handle an influx of bodies — reminiscent of New York City at the height of the pandemic there earlier this year.
The Arizona agency’s regular morgue storage was 63% full Thursday. Marcy Flanagan, executive director of the Maricopa County Department of Public Health, said many funeral homes are at capacity and unable to accept more bodies.
In Texas, the rising numbers are hitting big cities like Houston as well as smaller communities along the Mexico border. This month, Hidalgo County, about 220 miles (354 kilometers) south of San Antonio on the border, has reported more deaths than Houston’s Harris County.
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Dr. Ivan Melendez, Hidalgo County’s public health authority, said it’s not uncommon for the body of a COVID-19 patient to lay on a stretcher for 10 hours before it can be removed in the overcrowded hospitals where intensive care space is running short.
“Before someone gets a bed in the COVID ICU unit, someone has to die there,” Melendez said.
Elsewhere in the second-largest state, health officials in San Antonio also turned to refrigerated trailers to store the dead, and soldiers prepared to take over a COVID-19 wing of a Houston hospital.
An 86-person Army team of doctors, nurses and support staff was setting up a nursing station at United Memorial Medical Center and expected to begin treating up to 40 patients in the coming days.
Some of the soldiers from around the country wore their uniforms. Others wore scrubs affixed with strips of surgical tape that had their ranks, names and medical titles.
“This facility, working with the United States military, is something that we asked for,” said U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, a Houston Democrat, standing near the soldiers as they worked. “We have exhausted medical personnel that we’re so grateful to, but we didn’t have enough.”
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In South Carolina, where the coronavirus crisis was deepening, the mayor of Charleston asked for spiritual help.
“We do turn to God at a time like this,” Mayor John Tecklenburg said.
Declaring a day of prayer and remembrance in what for centuries has been nicknamed the Holy City for the number of church steeples dotting its colonial skyline, Tecklenburg was surrounded by pastors of various faiths who prayed for the dead, the sick, their families, health care workers, scientists seeking a vaccine and politicians.
Charleston is one of the biggest hot spots in a state that’s among the worst in the nation for the rate of new cases. South Carolina is a microcosm of how the virus has been playing out in the U.S. the past few months. Nearly 39% of the more than 62,000 known cases in the state have been diagnosed in the past two weeks.
South Carolina has set records for COVID-19 hospitalizations nearly every day this month. The 69 deaths reported Thursday pushed it well past 1,000 people killed by the virus, the 25th state to cross that somber threshold.
More than 13.5 million infections have been confirmed worldwide and over 588,000 have died, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. The numbers are likely higher for a number of reasons, including limited testing.
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Elsewhere around the world:
— Brazil’s health ministry reported that the country had passed 2 million confirmed infections and 76,000 deaths. Since late May, Brazil has recorded more than 1,000 daily deaths on average in a gruesome plateau that has yet to tilt downward.
— With Europe’s summer vacation season kicking into high gear for millions weary of months of lockdown, scenes of drunken British and German tourists on Spain’s Mallorca island ignoring social distancing rules and reports of American visitors flouting quarantine measures in Ireland raised fears of a resurgence of infections.
— In France, which has seen new outbreaks, Prime Minister Jean Castex said masks would be mandatory in closed public places as of next week — sooner than Aug. 1 as previously announced.
— India’s record daily increase of nearly 32,700 cases pushed its total close to 1 million and led authorities to reimpose a three-day lockdown and nightly curfew in the popular western beach state of Goa, two weeks after it was reopened to tourists.
___
Parra reported from Madrid and Collins reported from Columbia, South Carolina. Associated Press reporters around the world contributed to this report.
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___


thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-17--Inside The Coronavirus Data Mess The Trump Administration Created

Earlier this week , critical data about the availability of ICU and hospital beds around the country vanished from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ’ s website .
Independent researchers who rely on the data to track and forecast the toll of the virus no longer had quick access .
Members of the public who wanted more information to make decisions about their lives ― whether to travel , send kids to camp or visit elderly relatives ― couldn ’ t find it .
The Trump administration claims the problem will be fixed and has insisted the goal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ data , not less , out to the public .
“ It will continue to be public .
It should be public , ” White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said during a Thursday press conference .
But in the meantime , the administration rattled the medical community and showed how easily vital data can disappear .
Trump and his team insist they are laser-focused on defeating the coronavirus , which they call the “ invisible enemy.
” But it ’ s become clear in recent weeks that the administration ’ s real @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that show the devastating consequences of the government ’ s bungled pandemic response .
“ We ’ re in the middle of the worst pandemic in 100 years .
More than 137,000 Americans have died , ” tweeted Dr. Tom Frieden , the former director of the CDC .
“ Covid is exploding in Arizona , Texas , South Carolina , Florida , and other states .
And the administration has chosen to sideline the CDC .
Where did this data go ?
” There are conflicting accounts surrounding the data ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s administration had directed the CDC to wipe the figures from its website .
In interviews with Politico , however , officials at HHS placed the blame squarely on the CDC itself : “ No one came out of our conversations believing that CDC was going to stop doing analysis , ” an anonymous HHS official with direct knowledge of the situation told the outlet .
“ All it did was feed into this narrative that we were cutting off the CDC when that ’ s not what happened at all.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ among the nation ’ s top public health organizations only threatens to exacerbate the deadliest pandemic in a century , experts say .
It comes at a time when infections are surging across much of the country as Trump openly blasts the CDC ’ s safety public guidelines and the White House attacks the nation ’ s leading infectious disease expert , Dr. Anthony Fauci .
“ It was frustrating that something as basic as data on hospitalizations and ICUs — two of the most critical metrics we use to allocate resources and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” he added .
“ What we ’ ve seen with this administration is that they ’ re willing to politicize anything.
” The policy change also had an immediate impact on independent researchers who use the data to track and forecast the toll of the virus across the country .
Nonprofit news site ProPublica used it for its tracker on states ’ efforts to reopen their economies .
A note on the site ’ s information about ICU beds now reads : “ Data Is No Longer Being Released By The CDC.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ data is Covid Exit Strategy , which tracks each states ’ progress toward reducing infections , as well as hospital readiness and testing capabilities .
Ryan Panchadsaram , who helps run the site , told HuffPost that there ’ s a misconception that everything is now back to normal — despite reassurances from Pence and other members of the Trump administration that the government is providing “ full transparency.
” Nearly a week ’ s worth of data on hospital capacity is still missing .
While the CDC restored the dashboards that had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ afternoon , they had not been updated beyond July 14 .
The result , Panchadsaram said , is that researchers are unable to provide a full picture of how hospitals are faring during the crisis .
More than 30 states are recording increases in cases , and the U.S. recorded a record 75,600 new infections on Thursday , according to a New York Times database .
It was frustrating that something as basic as data on hospitalizations and ICUs — two of the most critical metrics we use to allocate resources and [ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we ’ ve seen with this administration is that they ’ re willing to politicize anything .
“ Every week that goes by with this indicator missing , it ’ s leaving us in the dark on a very critical measure that helps us understand truly how our health system is going to respond , ” he said .
“ It shows how severe an outbreak is within a state , from the spread to the impact to the health system .
It gives folks a view of what might happen in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ come .
It ’ ll help folks prepare , but more than anything it will help people take it even more seriously.
” Panchadsaram said he does not believe the shift in policy was malicious but was rather intended to streamline data and make things easier on hospitals .
The result , however , was that it kept key coronavirus data from the public .
Panchadsaram hopes that HHS uses this as an opportunity to figure out how to share all of the data it has with the American public .
There is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to itself as it pushes for schools and states to get back to normal .
An internal White House document obtained by the Center for Public Integrity shows that 18 states are in the “ red zone ” for COVID-19 cases , with more than 100 per 100,000 people last week .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Earlier this week, critical data about the availability of ICU and hospital beds around the country vanished from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website. Independent researchers who rely on the data to track and forecast the toll of the virus no longer had quick access. Members of the public who wanted more information to make decisions about their lives ― whether to travel, send kids to camp or visit elderly relatives ― couldn’t find it.
The Trump administration claims the problem will be fixed and has insisted the goal of the change was to get more data, not less, out to the public. “It will continue to be public. It should be public,” White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said during a Thursday press conference.
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But in the meantime, the administration rattled the medical community and showed how easily vital data can disappear. Trump and his team insist they are laser-focused on defeating the coronavirus, which they call the “invisible enemy.” But it’s become clear in recent weeks that the administration’s real fight is against the science and data that show the devastating consequences of the government’s bungled pandemic response.
On Tuesday, the Trump administration changed its coronavirus reporting rules to require hospitals to bypass the CDC and submit information directly to the Department of Health and Human Services, as The New York Times first reported. The following day, the hospital capacity maps on the CDC’s website were removed.
Many health experts responded with outrage, accusing the administration of suppressing the information for political purposes and further burdening already-strained hospitals.
“We’re in the middle of the worst pandemic in 100 years. More than 137,000 Americans have died,” tweeted Dr. Tom Frieden, the former director of the CDC. “Covid is exploding in Arizona, Texas, South Carolina, Florida, and other states. And the administration has chosen to sideline the CDC. Where did this data go?”
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As U.S. cases of COVID-19 surged last week, President Donald Trump declared that the country is "in a good place." Alexander Drago / Reuters
There are conflicting accounts surrounding the data’s disappearance. News outlets initially suggested that Trump’s administration had directed the CDC to wipe the figures from its website. In interviews with Politico, however, officials at HHS placed the blame squarely on the CDC itself: “No one came out of our conversations believing that CDC was going to stop doing analysis,” an anonymous HHS official with direct knowledge of the situation told the outlet. “All it did was feed into this narrative that we were cutting off the CDC when that’s not what happened at all.”
Such infighting and lack of coordination among the nation’s top public health organizations only threatens to exacerbate the deadliest pandemic in a century, experts say. It comes at a time when infections are surging across much of the country as Trump openly blasts the CDC’s safety public guidelines and the White House attacks the nation’s leading infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci.
Doctors were blindsided by the missing data, according to Dr. Rob Davidson, a western Michigan emergency room physician and the executive director of the Committee to Protect Medicare.
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“I was bewildered, but not surprised,” said Davidson, who went viral on Twitter earlier this year for confronting Vice President Mike Pence about the Trump administration’s planned health care cuts.
“It was frustrating that something as basic as data on hospitalizations and ICUs — two of the most critical metrics we use to allocate resources and [measure demand] — disappeared,” he added. “What we’ve seen with this administration is that they’re willing to politicize anything.”
The policy change also had an immediate impact on independent researchers who use the data to track and forecast the toll of the virus across the country. Nonprofit news site ProPublica used it for its tracker on states’ efforts to reopen their economies. A note on the site’s information about ICU beds now reads: “Data Is No Longer Being Released By The CDC.”
Another site that relied on the data is Covid Exit Strategy, which tracks each states’ progress toward reducing infections, as well as hospital readiness and testing capabilities. Ryan Panchadsaram, who helps run the site, told HuffPost that there’s a misconception that everything is now back to normal — despite reassurances from Pence and other members of the Trump administration that the government is providing “full transparency.”
Nearly a week’s worth of data on hospital capacity is still missing. While the CDC restored the dashboards that had been taken down, as of Friday afternoon, they had not been updated beyond July 14. The result, Panchadsaram said, is that researchers are unable to provide a full picture of how hospitals are faring during the crisis. More than 30 states are recording increases in cases, and the U.S. recorded a record 75,600 new infections on Thursday, according to a New York Times database.
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“It was frustrating that something as basic as data on hospitalizations and ICUs — two of the most critical metrics we use to allocate resources and [measure demand] — disappeared. What we’ve seen with this administration is that they’re willing to politicize anything.” - Dr. Rob Davidson, emergency room physician
Friedman, along with other former CDC directors Jeffrey Koplan, David Satcher and Richard Besser, warned of the consequences of politicizing the COVID-19 response in a sobering Washington Post op-ed earlier this week.
“Public health experts face two opponents: covid-19, but also political leaders and others attempting to undermine the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,” they wrote. “We’re seeing the terrible effect of undermining the CDC play out in our population. Willful disregard for public health guidelines is, unsurprisingly, leading to a sharp rise in infections and deaths.”
HHS told CNBC on Thursday that it had directed the CDC to make the data public once again. Panchadsaram said that while that’s promising to hear, the major question is when.
“Every week that goes by with this indicator missing, it’s leaving us in the dark on a very critical measure that helps us understand truly how our health system is going to respond,” he said. “It shows how severe an outbreak is within a state, from the spread to the impact to the health system. It gives folks a view of what might happen in the week to come, two weeks to come. It’ll help folks prepare, but more than anything it will help people take it even more seriously.”
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Panchadsaram said he does not believe the shift in policy was malicious but was rather intended to streamline data and make things easier on hospitals. The result, however, was that it kept key coronavirus data from the public. Panchadsaram hopes that HHS uses this as an opportunity to figure out how to share all of the data it has with the American public.
“Don’t just give us back these one to two indicators, share everything you’re seeing,” he said. “Put us on the same page as you.”
There is more the administration has opted to keep to itself as it pushes for schools and states to get back to normal. An internal White House document obtained by the Center for Public Integrity shows that 18 states are in the “red zone” for COVID-19 cases, with more than 100 per 100,000 people last week.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-17--Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s Cancer Returns

Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s Cancer Returns

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has announced that she started chemotherapy in May to treat a recurrence of liver cancer .

Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s Cancer Returns
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has announced that she started chemotherapy in May to treat a recurrence of liver cancer.