thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-14--Alaska Congressman Who Mocked Coronavirus As 'Beer Virus' Now Infected

ANCHORAGE , Alaska ( Reuters ) - The Alaska congressman who once ridiculed the seriousness of the novel coronavirus , calling it the “ beer virus , ” said on Thursday he is now infected with it .
The announcement by Representative Don Young comes as the state ’ s governor on Thursday warned that health-care and public-safety systems were at risk of being overwhelmed by the rapid spread of the virus across Alaska .
Young , the 87-year-old Republican who is Alaska ’ s sole U.S. House of Representatives member , made the announcement on Twitter .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ am feeling strong , following proper protocols , working from home in Alaska , and ask for privacy at this time , ” he said on the Twitter post .
Young , who was just re-elected to his 25th term and is the longest-serving member of Congress , said in March that COVID-19 concerns were “ created primarily by hysteria.
” “ I call it the beer virus .
How do you like that ?
” he said in a March speech at a senior center in Palmer , Alaska , in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Anyway , it attacks us senior citizens .
I ’ m one of you .
I still say we have to as a nation , as a state , to go forth with the everyday activities.
” Governor Mike Dunleavy on Thursday sent an emergency text to state mobile phones with a link to a video warning about “ escalating ” COVID-19 cases .
“ No matter what you believe about the virus , the facts are the facts .
Hospitalizations and sick health-care workers are reaching untenable levels , ” the Republican @ @ @ @ @ @ @

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ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) - The Alaska congressman who once ridiculed the seriousness of the novel coronavirus, calling it the “beer virus,” said on Thursday he is now infected with it.
The announcement by Representative Don Young comes as the state’s governor on Thursday warned that health-care and public-safety systems were at risk of being overwhelmed by the rapid spread of the virus across Alaska.
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Young, the 87-year-old Republican who is Alaska’s sole U.S. House of Representatives member, made the announcement on Twitter.
“I have tested positive for COVID-19. I am feeling strong, following proper protocols, working from home in Alaska, and ask for privacy at this time,” he said on the Twitter post.
Young, who was just re-elected to his 25th term and is the longest-serving member of Congress, said in March that COVID-19 concerns were “created primarily by hysteria.”
“I call it the beer virus. How do you like that?” he said in a March speech at a senior center in Palmer, Alaska, in a mocking reference to Corona beer. “Anyway, it attacks us senior citizens. I’m one of you. I still say we have to as a nation, as a state, to go forth with the everyday activities.”
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Governor Mike Dunleavy on Thursday sent an emergency text to state mobile phones with a link to a video warning about “escalating” COVID-19 cases.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-14--Trump Puts Democracy To The Test After Losing Presidency To Biden

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — Winston Churchill was not known for leaving his thoughts unspoken .
One of them was this : “ It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government , except for all those other forms that have been tried.
” A sitting American president is , for the first time , trying to convince the people that they should not believe the numbers that clearly demonstrate his rival ’ s win .
Rather , Trump is making baseless claims of massive fraud , demanding recounts and calling for audits in an effort to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ process , put democracy itself on trial .
It ’ s possible that the mercurial president is one tweet away from a change of heart , but so far that is not the case .
And the sweeping majority of his fellow Republicans are allowing him to play this out .
“ I ’ m more troubled by the fact that other Republican officials , who clearly know better , are going along with this , are humoring him in this fashion , ” Obama told CBS ’ “ 60 Minutes.
” “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not just the incoming Biden administration but democracy generally .
And that ’ s a dangerous path.
” With one eye on Trump , Republicans may have the other fixed on Georgia , where they want his energy to help their candidates win two Senate runoffs in January and ensure at minimum that Biden has to deal with divided government .
Republicans have seen how Trump batters dissidents , and few have chosen this consequential moment to cross him .
An agency little known outside Washington , the General Services Administration , has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president-elect , denying him access to the money , offices and machinery routinely afforded to the incoming team .
Biden has also been denied the classified briefings that previous presidents shared with presidents-elect so that rising national security threats don ’ t catch the next administration and the country off guard .
Trump installed loyalists at the Pentagon and fired his defense secretary after Biden ’ s victory .
States have until Dec. 14 to finish the counting and certify the results .
That ’ s also the day Electoral College delegations are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cast and tally electoral votes , with a joint session of Congress set for Jan. 6 to affirm the count and declare the official result .
It ’ s a process thick with pro-forma minutia that Americans rarely need to understand but this time conceivably might .
The story of presidential elections the night of , the day after , or even weeks of indecision later has been one of the candidates swallowing the bitterness of defeat and smoothing the path for the winner .
Presidential transitions have unfolded as if by muscle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has never been in question in living memory until now .
Perhaps the closest the U.S. has come to today ’ s conflict was the presidential election of 1876 , when Samuel Tilden , the Democrat , appeared to win , only to have Rutherford B. Hayes , the Republican , ultimately declared the winner after cutting a deal to secure electoral votes in three Southern states in exchange for effectively ending Reconstruction .
Read live updates on the election below .
For the latest results , maps and more , check out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Note : An ad blocker may prevent you from seeing the blog , so if you ’ re using one , please pause or turn it off . )

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Winston Churchill was not known for leaving his thoughts unspoken. One of them was this: “It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government, except for all those other forms that have been tried.”
President Donald Trump, who has professed admiration for, if not deep knowledge of, the British prime minister, is putting Churchill’s observation to one of its greatest tests by refusing to accept the results of an election that delivered victory for Democrat Joe Biden. Trump’s predecessor, Barack Obama, calls this a “dangerous path” for the United States.
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Scroll down or click here for the latest updates from HuffPost’s election live blog.
Trump has forced a dusting off of the arcana of the procedures for the Electoral College, which for almost the entirety of the nation’s history has been a formality and not an instrument to overturn people’s votes.
A sitting American president is, for the first time, trying to convince the people that they should not believe the numbers that clearly demonstrate his rival’s win. Rather, Trump is making baseless claims of massive fraud, demanding recounts and calling for audits in an effort to discredit the outcome and, in the process, put democracy itself on trial.
It’s possible that the mercurial president is one tweet away from a change of heart, but so far that is not the case. And the sweeping majority of his fellow Republicans are allowing him to play this out.
Obama, who invited Trump to the White House soon after Trump’s election four years ago and pledged cooperation in the transfer of power, is not shocked that a man who “never admits loss” is refusing to acknowledge defeat now.
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“I’m more troubled by the fact that other Republican officials, who clearly know better, are going along with this, are humoring him in this fashion,” Obama told CBS’ “60 Minutes.” “It is one more step in delegitimizing not just the incoming Biden administration but democracy generally. And that’s a dangerous path.”
With one eye on Trump, Republicans may have the other fixed on Georgia, where they want his energy to help their candidates win two Senate runoffs in January and ensure at minimum that Biden has to deal with divided government. Republicans have seen how Trump batters dissidents, and few have chosen this consequential moment to cross him.
“Republicans are sticking with him out of fear,” said Eric Dezenhall, a crisis management expert who worked in communications in Ronald Reagan’s White House. “Fear has always worked for Trump. Tantrums have always paid dividends.
“Republicans fear if they don’t stand by him, one midnight tweet will cost them Georgia,” he said. More broadly, “they don’t want to anger him.”
Trump is using not just his sway over the party but also the levers of government to keep Biden at bay at least for a while longer.
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An agency little known outside Washington, the General Services Administration, has held off on recognizing Biden as the president-elect, denying him access to the money, offices and machinery routinely afforded to the incoming team. Biden has also been denied the classified briefings that previous presidents shared with presidents-elect so that rising national security threats don’t catch the next administration and the country off guard. Trump installed loyalists at the Pentagon and fired his defense secretary after Biden’s victory.
In the meantime, a contagion of falsehood has been spread from the losing side, magnified on social media, and given brute force by Trump himself.
President Donald Trump arrives to speak in the Rose Garden of the White House, Friday, Nov. 13, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) ASSOCIATED PRESS
In Philadelphia, a beleaguered city commissioner on the panel responsible for conducting and counting the vote said he’s been stunned by the traction that wild tales of fraud have gained in the state that clinched victory for Biden. The commissioner, Al Schmidt, is a Republican.
“One thing I can’t comprehend is how hungry people are to consume lies,” he told CNN. Asked if he held Trump himself responsible for that, Schmidt said: “People should be mindful that there are bad actors who are lying to them.”
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During a break from even more pressing electoral business, his team checked allegations of dead people voting. “We looked it up,” Schmidt said. “Not a single one of them voted in Philadelphia after they died.”
Trump is also making unsupported claims of unfairness in five states, repeating allegations even when they’ve been firmly debunked. This as his supporters hail race calls by the media when those calls go their way and denounce calls as illegitimate when they don’t.
Not everyone in officialdom shares the timidity of GOP lawmakers when it comes to standing up to Trump.
The Homeland Security Department’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has slapped down rumor after unfounded rumor about voting malfeasance and joined with state election officials in a statement declaring the election to have been the “most secure in American history.”
By secure, they meant there was no evidence that any voting system deleted or lost votes, changed votes “or was in any way compromised.” That was a clear repudiation of Trump’s unfounded accusations.
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States have until Dec. 14 to finish the counting and certify the results. That’s also the day Electoral College delegations are to meet in their respective states to cast and tally electoral votes, with a joint session of Congress set for Jan. 6 to affirm the count and declare the official result. It’s a process thick with pro-forma minutia that Americans rarely need to understand but this time conceivably might.
The U.S. has long promoted the conceit that it is the world’s beacon of democracy. Now, the most essential tool of democracy, the vote, is under attack.
The story of presidential elections the night of, the day after, or even weeks of indecision later has been one of the candidates swallowing the bitterness of defeat and smoothing the path for the winner. Presidential transitions have unfolded as if by muscle memory. The peaceful transfer of power has never been in question in living memory until now.
Perhaps the closest the U.S. has come to today’s conflict was the presidential election of 1876, when Samuel Tilden, the Democrat, appeared to win, only to have Rutherford B. Hayes, the Republican, ultimately declared the winner after cutting a deal to secure electoral votes in three Southern states in exchange for effectively ending Reconstruction.
That election, unlike this one, did not involve an incumbent trying to cling to power. Nor did others that loom large in more recent history.
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In 1960, Democrat John F. Kennedy defeated Republican Richard Nixon by only about 112,000 votes out of more than 68 million cast, though Kennedy held a decided advantage in the Electoral College. Nixon felt cheated and considered challenging the outcome but declined, conceding the morning after the election.
Al Gore, the Democratic nominee in 2000, won the popular vote by about 540,000 votes out of 100 million cast. But he conceded twice — at first prematurely on election night, then again weeks later when a decision by the Supreme Court handed Florida, and an Electoral College majority, 271-266, to Republican George W. Bush.
Bush had turned to the high court with a legal case based not on fraud but on his claim that voters were denied equal protection because Florida did not have proper standards for recounts.
In 2016, Trump won Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania by a combined 77,000 votes; Democrat Hillary Clinton called him on election night and publicly conceded the next day. Her advantage in the popular vote of nearly 3 million has animated the grievances of her supporters to this day, but the Electoral College arithmetic was inexorable and not to be challenged.
Obama then welcomed Trump to the White House in a display to the world of the rituals of an American democratic transition.
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In 2008, Obama had been the beneficiary of similar graciousness. That’s when Republican rival John McCain conceded before a crowd of supporters, converting their boos at the mention of Obama’s name to cheers and applause for the Democrat, for the process and for the historic achievement of the first Black American to win the presidency.
“I wish Godspeed to the man who was my former opponent and will be my president,” McCain said.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-14--'Bad Boy For Life' Trump Might Leave The White House Without Shaking Biden's Hand

President Donald Trump may leave the White House in January in the same way the Detroit Pistons ’ star players infamously walked off of the NBA court in 1991 without shaking the hands of the winning Chicago Bulls .
An unidentified senior Trump staffer on Friday told CNN ’ s chief White House correspondent , Jim Acosta , that the president was “ a bad boy for life ” — a reference to the Pistons ’ “ Bad Boys ” nickname from the 1980s and early ’ 90s , as well as the name of the latest film in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the title of a song by rap artist Diddy .
“ The adviser went on to say the president could do the same when it comes to this election : leave the stage without conceding defeat , ” Acosta told CNN ’ s Wolf Blitzer .
The Detroit Pistons competed in the 1991 NBA playoffs at the Palace of Auburn Hills in Michigan against Michael Jordan and the Bulls , who went on to win the championship .
After the Bulls slammed the Pistons , most of the team ’ s star @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the victors .
The lack of good sportsmanship stung Jordan , who said at the time that he “ hated them.
” He still has sore feelings to this day , according to the Detroit Free Press .
Trump has yet to show any signs of conceding the White House , aside from a moment in a Friday COVID-19 news conference during which he appeared almost to admit President-elect Joe Biden ’ s victory .
“ Ideally , we won ’ t go to a lockdown ― I will not go , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lockdown , ” Trump said about coronavirus mitigation measures in the upcoming months .
“ Hopefully , the , uh , whatever happens in the future , who knows which administration it will be .
I guess time will tell .
”

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President Donald Trump may leave the White House in January in the same way the Detroit Pistons’ star players infamously walked off of the NBA court in 1991 without shaking the hands of the winning Chicago Bulls.
An unidentified senior Trump staffer on Friday told CNN’s chief White House correspondent, Jim Acosta, that the president was “a bad boy for life” — a reference to the Pistons’ “Bad Boys” nickname from the 1980s and early ’90s, as well as the name of the latest film in the Will Smith and Martin Lawrence movie franchise and the title of a song by rap artist Diddy.
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“The adviser went on to say the president could do the same when it comes to this election: leave the stage without conceding defeat,” Acosta told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer.
LOL @Acosta reports @realDonaldTrump planning to go out like the Bad Boys @DetroitPistons. They even put it in the chyron 💀 pic.twitter.com/UD1lK4l5Or — Ryan Maquiñana 😷 (@RMaq28) November 13, 2020
The Detroit Pistons competed in the 1991 NBA playoffs at the Palace of Auburn Hills in Michigan against Michael Jordan and the Bulls, who went on to win the championship. After the Bulls slammed the Pistons, most of the team’s star players stalked off without shaking the hands of the victors.
The lack of good sportsmanship stung Jordan, who said at the time that he “hated them.” He still has sore feelings to this day, according to the Detroit Free Press.
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Trump has yet to show any signs of conceding the White House, aside from a moment in a Friday COVID-19 news conference during which he appeared almost to admit President-elect Joe Biden’s victory.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-14--Giuliani's Wild Four Seasons Rant Reportedly Scared Top Attorneys From Election Fight

A number of lawyers were so disturbed by Rudy Giuliani ’ s conspiracy-riddled rant at a news conference last week that they bailed on commitments to work on President Donald Trump ’ s election legal challenges , Politico reported Saturday .
Now Trump has put Giuliani , his personal attorney , in charge of all of his campaign lawsuits , which already faced stiff odds .
Campaign aides reportedly tried desperately to talk Giuliani out of his wild Nov. 7 news conference in Philadelphia on the day several media outlets declared Joe Biden the winner of the presidential election .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrong Four Seasons — not the luxury hotel but rather the Four Seasons Total Landscaping company between a sex shop and a crematory .
Earlier in the week , Giuliani was widely mocked after he argued that mail-in ballots “ could be from Mars as far as we ’ re concerned.
” He also said Biden could have voted “ 5,000 times ” in Pennsylvania , a state where he ’ s not registered to vote .
“ I can ’ t imagine that a rational person ... wouldn ’ t be adversely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Barry Richard , a lawyer who represented George W. Bush in the 2000 Florida election recount , told Politico .
Unnamed sources told Politico that Giuliani ’ s over-the-top claims sharply undercut a “ meticulous ” legal strategy forged over months by Trump ’ s advisers .
Campaign aides characterized the news conference as a disaster that triggered the flight of valuable legal talent that the campaign had spent months cultivating , sources told Politico .
Now they fear not only that the suits will wither , but also that Giuliani @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and his political future .
Trump tapped Giuliani to handle his lawsuits on Friday after a series of setbacks in the president ’ s court battles to challenge the outcome of the presidential election .
Lawyers from the prominent law firm of Porter Wright Morris & Arthur withdrew from the campaign ’ s lawsuit in federal court in Pennsylvania .
Meanwhile , judges in Pennsylvania and two other states dismissed the Trump campaign ’ s lawsuits seeking to prevent or stop mail-in ballots from being counted .

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A number of lawyers were so disturbed by Rudy Giuliani’s conspiracy-riddled rant at a news conference last week that they bailed on commitments to work on President Donald Trump’s election legal challenges, Politico reported Saturday.
Now Trump has put Giuliani, his personal attorney, in charge of all of his campaign lawsuits, which already faced stiff odds.
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Campaign aides reportedly tried desperately to talk Giuliani out of his wild Nov. 7 news conference in Philadelphia on the day several media outlets declared Joe Biden the winner of the presidential election. The bungled event took place at the wrong Four Seasons — not the luxury hotel but rather the Four Seasons Total Landscaping company between a sex shop and a crematory.
Earlier in the week, Giuliani was widely mocked after he argued that mail-in ballots “could be from Mars as far as we’re concerned.” He also said Biden could have voted “5,000 times” in Pennsylvania, a state where he’s not registered to vote.
“I can’t imagine that a rational person ... wouldn’t be adversely affected by the way he conducts himself,” Barry Richard, a lawyer who represented George W. Bush in the 2000 Florida election recount, told Politico.
... rudy giuliani was giving a press conference when the election was called.
here’s how that went. pic.twitter.com/eGf0023eLi — fake nick ramsey @ 🏡 (@nick_ramsey) November 7, 2020
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Unnamed sources told Politico that Giuliani’s over-the-top claims sharply undercut a “meticulous” legal strategy forged over months by Trump’s advisers. Campaign aides characterized the news conference as a disaster that triggered the flight of valuable legal talent that the campaign had spent months cultivating, sources told Politico.
Now they fear not only that the suits will wither, but also that Giuliani will further hurt Trump’s reputation and his political future.
Trump tapped Giuliani to handle his lawsuits on Friday after a series of setbacks in the president’s court battles to challenge the outcome of the presidential election.
Lawyers from the prominent law firm of Porter Wright Morris & Arthur withdrew from the campaign’s lawsuit in federal court in Pennsylvania.
Meanwhile, judges in Pennsylvania and two other states dismissed the Trump campaign’s lawsuits seeking to prevent or stop mail-in ballots from being counted.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-14--Judge Rules DHS Head Didn't Have Authority To Suspend DACA

NEW YORK ( AP ) — A federal judge in New York ruled Saturday that Acting Department of Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf assumed his position unlawfully , a determination that invalidated Wolf ’ s suspension of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program , which shields young people from deportation .
“ DHS failed to follow the order of succession as it was lawfully designated , ” U.S. District Judge Nicholas Garaufis wrote .
“ Therefore , the actions taken by purported Acting Secretaries , who were not properly in their roles according to the lawful order of succession @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Karen Tumlin , an attorney who represented a plaintiff in one of two lawsuits that challenged Wolf ’ s authority , called the ruling “ another win for DACA recipients and those who have been waiting years to apply for the program for the first time.
” Wolf issued a memorandum in July effectively suspending DACA , pending review by DHS .
A month earlier , the U.S. Supreme Court had ruled that President Donald Trump failed to follow rule-making procedures when he tried to end the program , but the justices kept @ @ @ @ @ @ @ again .
In August , the Government Accountability Office , a bipartisan congressional watchdog , said Wolf and his acting deputy , Ken Cuccinelli , were improperly serving and ineligible to run the agency under the Vacancies Reform Act .
The two have been at the forefront of administration initiatives on immigration and law enforcement .
In Garaufis ’ ruling Saturday , the judge wrote that DHS didn ’ t follow an order of succession established when then-Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen resigned in April 2019 .
DHS did not immediately respond to a request @ @ @ @ @ @

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NEW YORK (AP) — A federal judge in New York ruled Saturday that Acting Department of Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf assumed his position unlawfully, a determination that invalidated Wolf’s suspension of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which shields young people from deportation.
“DHS failed to follow the order of succession as it was lawfully designated,” U.S. District Judge Nicholas Garaufis wrote. “Therefore, the actions taken by purported Acting Secretaries, who were not properly in their roles according to the lawful order of succession, were taken without legal authority.”
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Karen Tumlin, an attorney who represented a plaintiff in one of two lawsuits that challenged Wolf’s authority, called the ruling “another win for DACA recipients and those who have been waiting years to apply for the program for the first time.”
Wolf issued a memorandum in July effectively suspending DACA, pending review by DHS. A month earlier, the U.S. Supreme Court had ruled that President Donald Trump failed to follow rule-making procedures when he tried to end the program, but the justices kept a window open for him to try again.
In August, the Government Accountability Office, a bipartisan congressional watchdog, said Wolf and his acting deputy, Ken Cuccinelli, were improperly serving and ineligible to run the agency under the Vacancies Reform Act. The two have been at the forefront of administration initiatives on immigration and law enforcement.
In Garaufis’ ruling Saturday, the judge wrote that DHS didn’t follow an order of succession established when then-Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen resigned in April 2019.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-14--Biden May Break More Barriers And Pick A Woman To Lead Pentagon

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — President-elect Joe Biden is expected to take a historic step and select a woman to head the Pentagon for the first time , shattering one of the few remaining barriers to women in the department and the presidential Cabinet .
Her selection would come on the heels of a tumultuous Pentagon period that has seen five men hold the top job under President Donald Trump .
The most recent defense secretary to go was Mark Esper , who was fired by Trump on Monday after pushing back on issues including troop withdrawals and the use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Democrats have long sought to name a woman to the top post in a department that didn ’ t open all combat jobs to female service members until about five years ago .
Flournoy had been the expected choice of Hillary Clinton if she had won the 2016 election .
Her name surfaced early as a front-runner for Biden ’ s Cabinet said officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss personnel matters .
Seen as a steady hand who favors strong military cooperation abroad , Flournoy , 59 , has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ starting in the 1990s and most recently as the undersecretary of defense for policy from 2009 to 2012 .
She serves on the board of Booz Allen Hamilton , a defense contractor , which could raise concerns from some lawmakers .
But her moderate views would likely ensure wide bipartisan support in a position that requires Senate confirmation .
She has been outspoken on American foreign and defense policy , particularly over the past year .
She favors closer international cooperation after four years of a Trump White House that touted an “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distrustful and critical of allies .
“ Whoever the next president is , ” she said in March , “ whether it ’ s a second Trump term or Vice President Biden or whoever it is , one of the top agenda items is going to try to , I think , repair some of that perception ” that America may no longer be a reliable partner .
“ But I don ’ t think it ’ s going to be easy or happen overnight .
I think it ’ s going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of years to recover that trust and that standing.
” “ One of the most dangerous tendencies is for — after a change of administration , particularly when there ’ s a change of party — for the new team to come in and use the term ‘ repudiation.
’ But to come in and assume that everything their predecessors did was wrong , you know , they throw the baby out with the bathwater , basically , and they overcorrect in another direction , ” she said in a Hudson Institute @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of three Cabinet agencies — the others being Treasury and Veterans Affairs — that have never been led by a woman .
Some of the 28 men who have held the top defense job since it was created in 1947 , including three who served in Trump ’ s administration — Jim Mattis , Esper and current acting Secretary Christopher Miller — have been military veterans .
Flournoy did not serve in the military .
Like Mattis and Esper , Flournoy views China as the most significant long-term challenge to American predominance on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she said the United States is losing its military technological advantage over key competitors like China and that reversing this trend must be the Pentagon ’ s top priority .
She has , however , also warned against abandoning the Middle East and instead advocates “ more modest levels of continuous presence ” there .
As an example , she has backed a limited role in Afghanistan that focuses more on countering the terror threat and less on rebuilding the country .
“ We want to reduce our commitment , but we want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s smart and that safeguards our interests in the process , ” she said in March about Afghanistan , adding that she hopes “ we don ’ t just cut and run.
” Trump has pushed for a full troop withdrawal from Afghanistan by the end of the year , but so far the Pentagon has no orders to do that .
On North Korea , she said in an October online forum that while nuclear disarmament should remain the ultimate goal , she finds it “ hard to see ” Kim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his nuclear weapons , which she said he sees as his regime ’ s “ survival card.
” Regarding Iran , Flournoy has argued for a revised approach of deterring the Islamic Republic by breaking the familiar pattern of sending more American forces to the Gulf in response to Iranian provocations , as the Trump administration did in May 2019 after what it called credible threats to U.S. interests in the region .

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WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Joe Biden is expected to take a historic step and select a woman to head the Pentagon for the first time, shattering one of the few remaining barriers to women in the department and the presidential Cabinet.
Michele Flournoy, a politically moderate Pentagon veteran, is regarded by U.S. officials and political insiders as a top choice for the position.
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Her selection would come on the heels of a tumultuous Pentagon period that has seen five men hold the top job under President Donald Trump. The most recent defense secretary to go was Mark Esper, who was fired by Trump on Monday after pushing back on issues including troop withdrawals and the use of the military to quell civilian unrest.
If confirmed, Flournoy would face a future that is expected to involve shrinking Pentagon budgets and potential military involvement in the distribution of a coronavirus vaccine.
Democrats have long sought to name a woman to the top post in a department that didn’t open all combat jobs to female service members until about five years ago. Flournoy had been the expected choice of Hillary Clinton if she had won the 2016 election. Her name surfaced early as a front-runner for Biden’s Cabinet said officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss personnel matters.
Seen as a steady hand who favors strong military cooperation abroad, Flournoy, 59, has served multiple times in the Pentagon, starting in the 1990s and most recently as the undersecretary of defense for policy from 2009 to 2012. She serves on the board of Booz Allen Hamilton, a defense contractor, which could raise concerns from some lawmakers. But her moderate views would likely ensure wide bipartisan support in a position that requires Senate confirmation.
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Few other names have been mentioned, though former Department of Homeland Security chief Jeh Johnson was listed as a possible choice at one point. Choosing a woman would be consistent with Biden’s pledge to have a diverse Cabinet.
She has been outspoken on American foreign and defense policy, particularly over the past year. She favors closer international cooperation after four years of a Trump White House that touted an “America First” policy and was more distrustful and critical of allies.
“Whoever the next president is,” she said in March, “whether it’s a second Trump term or Vice President Biden or whoever it is, one of the top agenda items is going to try to, I think, repair some of that perception” that America may no longer be a reliable partner. “But I don’t think it’s going to be easy or happen overnight. I think it’s going to take a lot of work over a number of years to recover that trust and that standing.”
She has also cautioned against drastic, immediate changes.
“One of the most dangerous tendencies is for — after a change of administration, particularly when there’s a change of party — for the new team to come in and use the term ‘repudiation.’ But to come in and assume that everything their predecessors did was wrong, you know, they throw the baby out with the bathwater, basically, and they overcorrect in another direction,” she said in a Hudson Institute forum.
Arnold Punaro, a retired Marine two-star general and former staff director of the Senate Armed Services Committee under then-Democratic Sen. Sam Nunn of Georgia, said recently that he regards Flournoy as “incredibly well-qualified” to lead the Pentagon.
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The Defense Department is one of three Cabinet agencies — the others being Treasury and Veterans Affairs — that have never been led by a woman. Some of the 28 men who have held the top defense job since it was created in 1947, including three who served in Trump’s administration — Jim Mattis, Esper and current acting Secretary Christopher Miller — have been military veterans. Flournoy did not serve in the military.
Like Mattis and Esper, Flournoy views China as the most significant long-term challenge to American predominance on the world stage. In July, she said the United States is losing its military technological advantage over key competitors like China and that reversing this trend must be the Pentagon’s top priority.
She has, however, also warned against abandoning the Middle East and instead advocates “more modest levels of continuous presence” there. As an example, she has backed a limited role in Afghanistan that focuses more on countering the terror threat and less on rebuilding the country.
“We want to reduce our commitment, but we want to do it in a way that’s smart and that safeguards our interests in the process,” she said in March about Afghanistan, adding that she hopes “we don’t just cut and run.” Trump has pushed for a full troop withdrawal from Afghanistan by the end of the year, but so far the Pentagon has no orders to do that.
On North Korea, she said in an October online forum that while nuclear disarmament should remain the ultimate goal, she finds it “hard to see” Kim Jong Un agreeing to give up all his nuclear weapons, which she said he sees as his regime’s “survival card.”
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Regarding Iran, Flournoy has argued for a revised approach of deterring the Islamic Republic by breaking the familiar pattern of sending more American forces to the Gulf in response to Iranian provocations, as the Trump administration did in May 2019 after what it called credible threats to U.S. interests in the region.
Flournoy is a co-founder of Westexec Advisors, a consulting firm that provides advice and geopolitical risk analysis to corporate clients. She works with a mixture of former senior government officials — including Antony Blinken, a former deputy secretary of state and currently Biden’s top foreign policy adviser — and military experts such as retired Army Gen. Vincent Brooks, who led U.S. forces in Korea until 2019.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-14--Missouri's First Black Congresswoman: GOP Colleagues Called Me 'Breonna Taylor'

Democratic Rep.-elect Cori Bush made history last week by becoming Missouri ’ s first Black congresswoman .
But on her first day of work , GOP colleagues mistakenly called her “ Breonna ” because she wore a face mask with Breonna Taylor ’ s name on it in memory of the Black woman killed by police in her own apartment in Louisville , Kentucky .
Bush has spoken about the challenges of being a woman of color on the job and tweeted Friday that “ it hurts ” to encounter people who appear not to know about Taylor .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ll come to know her name [ and ] story because of my presence.
” It ’ s Day One , so I ’ m wearing my “ Breonna Taylor ” mask .
A few of my Republican colleagues have called me Breonna , assuming that ’ s my name .
It hurts .
But I ’ m glad they ’ ll come to know her name & story because of my presence here .
Breonna must be central to our work in Congress .
— Cori Bush ( @ CoriBush ) November @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only in the sense that she “ could be a Black woman murdered in [ her ] bed tonight , ” she told reporters .
“ This Breonna Taylor was murdered in her bed at night , and she does not have justice , ” Bush said , pointing to the name on her mask .
She added : “ We have to stretch ourselves and pay attention to what ’ s happening in other parts of the country .
... People have protested in the streets with this name , and it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — people that want to be in leadership — don ’ t know the struggles that are happening to Black people in this country .
And it was hurtful , absolutely hurtful .
I didn ’ t hear it once .
I didn ’ t hear it twice .
I heard it several times.
” Bush is a St. Louis native , Ferguson activist and former nurse who unseated Republican Rep. William Lacy Clay in August and defeated Republican Anthony Rogers on Nov. 3 .
She previously tweeted that she was the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ middle of a pandemic and intended to champion working class people who “ need representatives who look like them and who have experienced their struggles .
”

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Democratic Rep.-elect Cori Bush made history last week by becoming Missouri’s first Black congresswoman. But on her first day of work, GOP colleagues mistakenly called her “Breonna” because she wore a face mask with Breonna Taylor’s name on it in memory of the Black woman killed by police in her own apartment in Louisville, Kentucky.
Bush has spoken about the challenges of being a woman of color on the job and tweeted Friday that “it hurts” to encounter people who appear not to know about Taylor. But, she added, “they’ll come to know her name [and] story because of my presence.”
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It’s Day One, so I’m wearing my “Breonna Taylor” mask.
A few of my Republican colleagues have called me Breonna, assuming that’s my name.
It hurts. But I’m glad they’ll come to know her name & story because of my presence here.
Breonna must be central to our work in Congress. — Cori Bush (@CoriBush) November 13, 2020
Bush is Breonna Taylor only in the sense that she “could be a Black woman murdered in [her] bed tonight,” she told reporters.
“This Breonna Taylor was murdered in her bed at night, and she does not have justice,” Bush said, pointing to the name on her mask.
She added: “We have to stretch ourselves and pay attention to what’s happening in other parts of the country. ... People have protested in the streets with this name, and it just saddens me that people in leadership — people that want to be in leadership — don’t know the struggles that are happening to Black people in this country. And it was hurtful, absolutely hurtful. I didn’t hear it once. I didn’t hear it twice. I heard it several times.”
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Bush is a St. Louis native, Ferguson activist and former nurse who unseated Democratic Rep. William Lacy Clay in August and defeated Republican Anthony Rogers on Nov. 3.
She previously tweeted that she was the first nurse attending Congress from Missouri in the middle of a pandemic and intended to champion working class people who “need representatives who look like them and who have experienced their struggles.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-14--Biden Faces Tough Choice Over COVID-19 Lockdowns

For now , it ’ s a question the president-elect would prefer to avoid .
In the week since he defeated President Donald Trump , Biden has devoted most of his public remarks to encouraging Americans to wear a mask and view the coronavirus as a threat that has no regard for political ideology .
But the debate has been livelier among members of the coronavirus advisory board Biden announced this week .
One member , Dr. Michael Osterholm , suggested a four- to six-week lockdown with financial aid for Americans whose livelihoods would be affected .
He later walked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two other members of the panel who said a widespread lockdown shouldn ’ t be under consideration .
That ’ s a sign of the tough dynamic Biden will face when he is inaugurated in January .
He campaigned as a more responsible steward of America ’ s public health than President Donald Trump is and has been blunt about the challenges that lie ahead for the country , warning of a “ dark winter ” as cases spike .
But talk of lockdowns are especially sensitive .
For one , they ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enact on his own , requiring bipartisan support from state and local officials .
But more broadly , they ’ re a political flashpoint that could undermine Biden ’ s efforts to unify a deeply divided country .
“ It would create a backlash , ” said Dr. Amesh Adalja , a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security who added that such a move could make the situation worse if people don ’ t comply with restrictions .
“ Lockdowns can have consequences that diminish the value of such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appearance since losing the election , Trump noted on Friday that he wouldn ’ t support a lockdown .
The president , who has yet to publicly acknowledge Biden ’ s victory , would likely reinforce that message to his loyal supporters once he ’ s left office .
The coronavirus is blamed for 10.6 million confirmed infections and almost a quarter-million deaths in the U.S. , with the closely watched University of Washington model projecting nearly 439,000 dead by March 1 .
Deaths have climbed to about 1,000 a day on average @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back some of the restrictions first imposed during the spring .
But leaders in much of the country are proceeding with caution , aware that Americans are already fatigued by virus-related disruptions .
Dr. Vivek Murthy , the former U.S. surgeon general who ’ s serving as one of the co-chairs on Biden ’ s coronavirus advisory board , said the group is looking at a “ series of restrictions that we dial up or down ” based on the severity of the virus in a given region .
“ We ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re saying shut the whole country down .
We ’ ve got to be more targeted , ” Murthy said on ABC ’ s “ Good Morning America.
” “ If we don ’ t do that , what you ’ re going to find is that people will become even more fatigued .
Schools won ’ t be open to children and the economy will be hit harder , so we ’ ve got to follow science , but we ’ ve also got to be more precise.
” During the campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and widely available ; to hire thousands of health workers to help implement contact tracing programs ; and to instruct the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to provide clear , expert-informed guidelines to businesses , schools and local officials on reopening in regions where they ’ ve closed .
But Biden himself fueled some of the confusion about his stance on lockdowns during the campaign .
He initially told ABC he would “ listen to the scientists ” if they advised him to shut down the country , and then took a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s going to be no need , in my view , to be able to shut down the whole economy , ” he said at a town hall in September .
Even if a nationwide lockdown made sense , polling shows that Americans ’ appetite for a closure is waning .
Gallup found that only 49 % of Americans said they ’ d be “ very likely ” to comply with a month-long stay-at-home order because of an outbreak of the virus .
A full third said they ’ d be very or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ order .

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Joe Biden faces a decision unlike any other incoming president: whether to back a short-term national lockdown to finally arrest a raging pandemic.
For now, it’s a question the president-elect would prefer to avoid. In the week since he defeated President Donald Trump, Biden has devoted most of his public remarks to encouraging Americans to wear a mask and view the coronavirus as a threat that has no regard for political ideology.
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But the debate has been livelier among members of the coronavirus advisory board Biden announced this week. One member, Dr. Michael Osterholm, suggested a four- to six-week lockdown with financial aid for Americans whose livelihoods would be affected. He later walked back his remarks and was rebutted by two other members of the panel who said a widespread lockdown shouldn’t be under consideration.
That’s a sign of the tough dynamic Biden will face when he is inaugurated in January. He campaigned as a more responsible steward of America’s public health than President Donald Trump is and has been blunt about the challenges that lie ahead for the country, warning of a “dark winter” as cases spike.
But talk of lockdowns are especially sensitive. For one, they’re nearly impossible for a president to enact on his own, requiring bipartisan support from state and local officials. But more broadly, they’re a political flashpoint that could undermine Biden’s efforts to unify a deeply divided country.
“It would create a backlash,” said Dr. Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security who added that such a move could make the situation worse if people don’t comply with restrictions. “Lockdowns can have consequences that diminish the value of such an approach.”
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During his first public appearance since losing the election, Trump noted on Friday that he wouldn’t support a lockdown. The president, who has yet to publicly acknowledge Biden’s victory, would likely reinforce that message to his loyal supporters once he’s left office.
Still, the pandemic’s toll continues to escalate.
The coronavirus is blamed for 10.6 million confirmed infections and almost a quarter-million deaths in the U.S., with the closely watched University of Washington model projecting nearly 439,000 dead by March 1. Deaths have climbed to about 1,000 a day on average.
New cases per day are soaring, shattering records over and over and reaching an all-time high on Thursday of over 153,000.
Several states are beginning to bring back some of the restrictions first imposed during the spring. But leaders in much of the country are proceeding with caution, aware that Americans are already fatigued by virus-related disruptions.
Indeed, after Osterholm made his comments, a number of Biden’s task force members went out to publicly disavow lockdown possibilities.
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Dr. Vivek Murthy, the former U.S. surgeon general who’s serving as one of the co-chairs on Biden’s coronavirus advisory board, said the group is looking at a “series of restrictions that we dial up or down” based on the severity of the virus in a given region.
“We’re not in a place where we’re saying shut the whole country down. We’ve got to be more targeted,” Murthy said on ABC’s “Good Morning America.” “If we don’t do that, what you’re going to find is that people will become even more fatigued. Schools won’t be open to children and the economy will be hit harder, so we’ve got to follow science, but we’ve also got to be more precise.”
Speaking on CNBC, Dr. Celine Grounder, an infectious-disease specialist at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine and another task force member, said that, “as a group, really the consensus is that we need a more nuanced approach.”
“We can be much more targeted geographically. We can also be more targeted in terms of what we close,” she said.
During the campaign, Biden pledged to make testing free and widely available; to hire thousands of health workers to help implement contact tracing programs; and to instruct the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to provide clear, expert-informed guidelines to businesses, schools and local officials on reopening in regions where they’ve closed.
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To prepare for possible surges in cases, he’d prepare Department of Defense resources to provide medical facility capacity, logistical support and doctors and other medical personnel if necessary.
Biden would also use the Defense Production Act to ramp up production of masks, face shields and other personal protective equipment to help alleviate shortages at hospitals.
But Biden himself fueled some of the confusion about his stance on lockdowns during the campaign. He initially told ABC he would “listen to the scientists” if they advised him to shut down the country, and then took a more nuanced position. “There’s going to be no need, in my view, to be able to shut down the whole economy,” he said at a town hall in September.
Even if a nationwide lockdown made sense, polling shows that Americans’ appetite for a closure is waning. Gallup found that only 49% of Americans said they’d be “very likely” to comply with a month-long stay-at-home order because of an outbreak of the virus. A full third said they’d be very or somewhat unlikely to comply with such an order.
Kathleen Sebelius, who was the health and human services secretary during the Obama administration, said Biden would be wise to keep his options open for now, especially as Trump criticizes lockdowns.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-14--House Dems Cancel Indoor Dinner For New Members As Virus Case Numbers Skyrocket

ASSOCIATED PRESS As part of freshman orientation week , Statuary Hall in the Capitol was set up for a dinner to welcome newly elected members of the House .
Democrats ended up choosing to-go meals instead .
Democratic House leadership changed course after plans to host an indoor dinner for newly elected members of Congress were met with public outcry .
Images of the dining room where House Democratic and Republican leaders were planning their respective orientation dinners quickly drew criticism when they were posted online on Friday .
Pundits and politicians alike decried the event as a bad look @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the increase in coronavirus infections and deaths across the country this week .
Following a week of coronavirus-related records , on Friday , there were nearly 185,000 new COVID-19 cases in the U.S. and the country ’ s death toll from the virus reached 244,332 , according to data from Johns Hopkins University .
House Dem and GOP leaders are holding respective dinners for new members .
.
@ SpeakerPelosi told me it ’ s safe .
“ It ’ s very spaced , ” she said and there is enhanced ventilation and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — Leigh Ann Caldwell ( @ LACaldwellDC ) November 13 , 2020 Hours after the images went viral , Democrats “ modified ” their plans , instead having new members pick up to-go meals , “ to be a further model for the nation , ” said Drew Hamill , spokesperson for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-Calif. ) .
Hamill added that there was “ no group dinner ” and new Democratic representatives left the Capitol after picking up their food .
Pelosi had initially told NBC News that the indoor dining @ @ @ @ @ @ @ room was “ very spaced , ” had enhanced ventilation and that the Capitol physician had approved it .
Republican leadership also reportedly planned an orientation dinner , but it wasn ’ t clear whether those plans moved forward .
Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy ’ s ( R-Calif. ) office didn ’ t immediately respond to HuffPost ’ s request for comment .
A Stanford study released this week found that indoor dining is one of the riskiest activities when it comes to the spread of the coronavirus .
Meanwhile , Pelosi and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surpassed more than 1 million COVID-19 cases this week , and Gov .
Gavin Newsom ( D ) issued an advisory Friday urging people not to travel out of the state unless it was essential , and to self-quarantine for 14 days upon returning from another state .
One new member , Marjorie Taylor Green ( R-Ga. ) , a QAnon supporter , complained on Twitter that the first orientation session about coronavirus focused on “ masks , masks , masks.
” “ I proudly told my freshman class that masks are oppressive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ GA , we work out , shop , go to restaurants , go to work , and school without masks .
My body , my choice.
” Georgia has recorded nearly 420,000 cases of COVID-19 and more than 8,900 deaths related to it .

As part of freshman orientation week, Statuary Hall in the Capitol was set up for a dinner to welcome newly elected members of the House. Democrats ended up choosing to-go meals instead. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Democratic House leadership changed course after plans to host an indoor dinner for newly elected members of Congress were met with public outcry.
Images of the dining room where House Democratic and Republican leaders were planning their respective orientation dinners quickly drew criticism when they were posted online on Friday. Pundits and politicians alike decried the event as a bad look and a public health hazard, given the increase in coronavirus infections and deaths across the country this week.
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Following a week of coronavirus-related records, on Friday, there were nearly 185,000 new COVID-19 cases in the U.S. and the country’s death toll from the virus reached 244,332, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
House Dem and GOP leaders are holding respective dinners for new members.
.@SpeakerPelosi told me it’s safe. “It’s very spaced,” she said and there is enhanced ventilation and the Capitol physician signed off. pic.twitter.com/ZXjf72lnrP — Leigh Ann Caldwell (@LACaldwellDC) November 13, 2020
Hours after the images went viral, Democrats “modified” their plans, instead having new members pick up to-go meals, “to be a further model for the nation,” said Drew Hamill, spokesperson for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). Hamill added that there was “no group dinner” and new Democratic representatives left the Capitol after picking up their food.
Pelosi had initially told NBC News that the indoor dining plan was safe, noting the dining room was “very spaced,” had enhanced ventilation and that the Capitol physician had approved it.
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Republican leadership also reportedly planned an orientation dinner, but it wasn’t clear whether those plans moved forward. Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s (R-Calif.) office didn’t immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment.
A Stanford study released this week found that indoor dining is one of the riskiest activities when it comes to the spread of the coronavirus.
Meanwhile, Pelosi and McCarthy’s home state of California surpassed more than 1 million COVID-19 cases this week, and Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) issued an advisory Friday urging people not to travel out of the state unless it was essential, and to self-quarantine for 14 days upon returning from another state.
This week, newly elected members of Congress traveled from their home states to Washington, D.C., for freshman orientation.
One new member, Marjorie Taylor Green (R-Ga.), a QAnon supporter, complained on Twitter that the first orientation session about coronavirus focused on “masks, masks, masks.”
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“I proudly told my freshman class that masks are oppressive,” Greene tweeted. “In GA, we work out, shop, go to restaurants, go to work, and school without masks. My body, my choice.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-14--Native American Voters Were Crucial To Joe Biden's Victory

Arizona was a huge get for Biden , who is the first Democrat to win the state since 1996 .
Votes are still being counted , but Biden is projected to win the state given that his vote margin is greater than the number of ballots left to be counted .
As of Friday , Biden was leading Trump by 11,434 votes .
As of Friday , Navajo voters in these precincts cast a total of 52,375 votes , which translates to roughly 64 % of eligible Navajo voters in these precincts .
That ’ s way more than the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the 2016 election .
Biden was overwhelmingly the preferred candidate .
As of data crunched Thursday , of all ballots cast in Navajo precincts , 42,248 went for Biden and 8,591 went for Trump .
That breaks down to about 83.1 % of Navajo voters going for Biden versus 16.8 % for Trump .
“ For those of us who have worked in voter mobilization within Indian Country , we know that to build these levels of voter turnout , it has taken years of investment and years of work from different @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coalition to come out with these numbers , ” said Willie .
“ I think this data shows you that when you are targeting the Native vote , they will come out and support your candidate.
” “ Four years ago , the DNC was not in tribal communities .
I think the perception is , ‘ Tribes will always vote Democratic , so they ’ ll back us up , ’ ” said Nez .
“ But this time around , I did tell Chairman Perez , ’ You need to go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to encourage them , get workers and staff hired in places that have high populations of Native Americans ...
It looks like they really inspired Native people to get out and vote at record-breaking levels.
” Biden won the state by roughly 21,000 votes .
There are about 71,500 voting-age Native Americans in the state and more than half of them reside in eight of the state ’ s counties , said Brandon Yellowbird Stevens , vice chairman of Oneida Nation of Wisconsin .
Based on preliminary numbers , Biden got about 78,300 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Hillary Clinton in 2016 , Stevens continued .
He said it is appropriate to use Menominee County as a bellwether on the overall tribal vote in Wisconsin , a county that saw a 24 % spike in voter turnout versus 2016 .
Asked why he thinks Native voters turned out so much in this election cycle , Stevens said Biden gets credit for visiting tribes in the state and inviting tribal leaders to help contribute to his tribal nations plan .
“ Everyone reaches out to us last , which is really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s the truth , ” said the tribal vice chairman .
“ But Biden spent a lot of time developing his tribal nations plan , which is 15 pages long in comparison to Trump ’ s three-page plan.
” “ When Trump spent a lot of time with the Cuban population in Florida , they came out for him , ” he said .
“ Likewise , for whoever spends time with tribes in 2024 or in the midterms , it will be key.
” “ In the end , our engagement efforts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Native Americans supporting our ticket by wide margins in crucial states like Arizona , ” said Pratte .
“ We ’ re honored to have earned their votes and thankful to our supporters in Indian Country for their tireless work to send President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris to the White House .
”

Joe Biden speaks during a campaign event in Phoenix, Arizona, in October 2020. Kevin Lamarque / Reuters
President-elect Joe Biden won the Nov. 3 election by flipping key battleground states to Democrats and trouncing President Donald Trump in the popular vote.
He likely couldn’t have pulled it off without Native American voters.
Arizona was a huge get for Biden, who is the first Democrat to win the state since 1996. Votes are still being counted, but Biden is projected to win the state given that his vote margin is greater than the number of ballots left to be counted. As of Friday, Biden was leading Trump by 11,434 votes.
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A closer look at the data coming out of Navajo precincts in Apache, Navajo and Coconino counties ― all of which overlap with Navajo Nation ― shows a huge spike in voter turnout and massive support for Biden.
As of Friday, Navajo voters in these precincts cast a total of 52,375 votes, which translates to roughly 64% of eligible Navajo voters in these precincts. That’s way more than the 41,067 Navajo voters who turned out here in the 2016 election.
In Navajo County alone, nearly 66% of registered voters in Navajo precincts voted, which is a 12.64% increase since the last presidential election. Apache County saw a 9.44% increase in voter turnout in Navajo precincts.
Biden was overwhelmingly the preferred candidate. As of data crunched Thursday, of all ballots cast in Navajo precincts, 42,248 went for Biden and 8,591 went for Trump. That breaks down to about 83.1% of Navajo voters going for Biden versus 16.8% for Trump.
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“The power of the Native vote is strong,” said Mellor Willie, a political consultant for Diné C.A.R.E., a grassroots Native American organization that led a get-out-the-vote campaign on reservations in Arizona. Willie shared his analysis of Navajo precinct voter turnout.
“For those of us who have worked in voter mobilization within Indian Country, we know that to build these levels of voter turnout, it has taken years of investment and years of work from different Native organizations who came together as a coalition to come out with these numbers,” said Willie. “I think this data shows you that when you are targeting the Native vote, they will come out and support your candidate.”
Wilson Deschine sits at the "be my voice" voter registration stand at the Navajo Nation annual rodeo in Window Rock, Arizona. David Howells via Getty Images
Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez said he met with Democratic National Committee chairman Tom Perez earlier in 2020 and told him not to let the party take Native American votes for granted.
“Four years ago, the DNC was not in tribal communities. I think the perception is, ‘Tribes will always vote Democratic, so they’ll back us up,’” said Nez. “But this time around, I did tell Chairman Perez, ’You need to go out to Indian Country, you need to encourage them, get workers and staff hired in places that have high populations of Native Americans ... It looks like they really inspired Native people to get out and vote at record-breaking levels.”
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In terms of Biden’s victory, he added, “The overwhelming turnout in tribal communities in the state of Arizona was key.”
Wisconsin was another crucial swing state for Biden, and one where Native turnout may have made all the difference.
Biden won the state by roughly 21,000 votes. There are about 71,500 voting-age Native Americans in the state and more than half of them reside in eight of the state’s counties, said Brandon Yellowbird Stevens, vice chairman of Oneida Nation of Wisconsin.
Based on preliminary numbers, Biden got about 78,300 more votes in those eight counties compared to Hillary Clinton in 2016, Stevens continued. He said it is appropriate to use Menominee County as a bellwether on the overall tribal vote in Wisconsin, a county that saw a 24% spike in voter turnout versus 2016.
“The overwhelming turnout in tribal communities in the state of Arizona was key.” - Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez
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Asked why he thinks Native voters turned out so much in this election cycle, Stevens said Biden gets credit for visiting tribes in the state and inviting tribal leaders to help contribute to his tribal nations plan.
“Everyone reaches out to us last, which is really difficult to say. But it’s the truth,” said the tribal vice chairman. “But Biden spent a lot of time developing his tribal nations plan, which is 15 pages long in comparison to Trump’s three-page plan.”
Given that Biden won by small margins in pivotal states like Wisconsin, Stevens said the Democratic Party needs to recognize that Indigenous voters are a powerful voting bloc and should treat them accordingly.
“When Trump spent a lot of time with the Cuban population in Florida, they came out for him,” he said. “Likewise, for whoever spends time with tribes in 2024 or in the midterms, it will be key.”
Clara Pratte, the Biden campaign’s tribal engagement director, said the president-elect is “especially proud” of his campaign’s outreach to tribal communities, which included a historic paid media program targeting Native voters with print, digital and radio ads running in tribal media nationwide.
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“In the end, our engagement efforts in Indian Country paid off, with Native Americans supporting our ticket by wide margins in crucial states like Arizona,” said Pratte. “We’re honored to have earned their votes and thankful to our supporters in Indian Country for their tireless work to send President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris to the White House.”
Biden and Harris both gave shoutouts to Native Americans in their victory speeches on Nov. 7. Harris said her historic win made her think about her late mother, who immigrated to the United States from India at the age of 19.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-15--Navajo Nation Reinstates Stay-At-Home Order As COVID-19 Cases Surge

WINDOW ROCK , Ariz. ( AP ) — The Navajo Nation on Monday will reinstate a stay-at-home lockdown for the entire reservation while closing tribal offices and requiring new closures and safety measures for businesses due to rising COVID-19 cases .
Much of the Navajo Nation was closed between March and August as the coronavirus swept through the vast reservation that covers parts of Arizona , New Mexico and Utah in the U.S. Southwest .
The Navajo Nation Department of Health on Wednesday warned residents of new “ uncontrolled spread ” of the virus in 34 communities on the reservation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the huge reservation had 172 new cases and no recent deaths , increasing the total of cases to 13,249 with 598 deaths .
“ With nearly 900 new cases of COVID-19 reported on the Navajo Nation in the last week and with surging cases across the country , we have to implement these public health measures to protect our Navajo people and reduce the spread of this virus , ” tribal President Jonathan Nez said in a statement .
With the new uncontrolled spread , “ we are inching closer and closer to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we could potentially see our hospitals filling up with patients , ” Nez said .
The reservation ’ s health care system could not sustain a prolonged surge in cases , he said .
“ The safest place to be is at home here on the Navajo Nation.
” Tribal officials already have urged residents to wear face masks , practice social distancing and limit gatherings to less than five people .
Nez ’ s statement said a new executive order requires government offices and enterprises to close beginning Nov. 16 thru Dec. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ employees .
It also requires that all schools on the reservation operate online .
A separate new public health emergency order implements the three-week stay-home lockdown order and restricts travel off the Navajo Nation and in-person gatherings , the statement said .
“ Individuals may leave their place of residence only for emergencies or to perform essential activities such as obtaining food or groceries , obtaining medicine , gathering firewood with appropriate permit , and others , ” the statement said .
Only essential businesses such as gas stations , grocery stores , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they can only be open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and must enforce masking and distancing the statement said .
Most people experience mild or moderate symptoms with the coronavirus , such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks .
But for some — especially older adults and people with existing health problems — it can cause more severe illness , including pneumonia , and death .

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WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. (AP) — The Navajo Nation on Monday will reinstate a stay-at-home lockdown for the entire reservation while closing tribal offices and requiring new closures and safety measures for businesses due to rising COVID-19 cases.
The lockdown goes into effect Monday for a three-week period, tribal officials announced Friday night. A previously ordered 56-hour weekend curfew began Friday night.
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Much of the Navajo Nation was closed between March and August as the coronavirus swept through the vast reservation that covers parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah in the U.S. Southwest.
The Navajo Nation Department of Health on Wednesday warned residents of new “uncontrolled spread” of the virus in 34 communities on the reservation.
On Saturday, tribal officials said the huge reservation had 172 new cases and no recent deaths, increasing the total of cases to 13,249 with 598 deaths.
“With nearly 900 new cases of COVID-19 reported on the Navajo Nation in the last week and with surging cases across the country, we have to implement these public health measures to protect our Navajo people and reduce the spread of this virus,” tribal President Jonathan Nez said in a statement.
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With the new uncontrolled spread, “we are inching closer and closer to a major public health crisis in which we could potentially see our hospitals filling up with patients,” Nez said. The reservation’s health care system could not sustain a prolonged surge in cases, he said. “The safest place to be is at home here on the Navajo Nation.”
Tribal officials already have urged residents to wear face masks, practice social distancing and limit gatherings to less than five people.
Nez’s statement said a new executive order requires government offices and enterprises to close beginning Nov. 16 thru Dec. 6, with the exception of essential employees. It also requires that all schools on the reservation operate online.
A separate new public health emergency order implements the three-week stay-home lockdown order and restricts travel off the Navajo Nation and in-person gatherings, the statement said.
“Individuals may leave their place of residence only for emergencies or to perform essential activities such as obtaining food or groceries, obtaining medicine, gathering firewood with appropriate permit, and others,” the statement said.
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Only essential businesses such as gas stations, grocery stores, laundromats and restaurants may remain open and they can only be open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and must enforce masking and distancing the statement said.
The reservation spans more than 27,000 square miles.
Most people experience mild or moderate symptoms with the coronavirus, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. But for some — especially older adults and people with existing health problems — it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-15--Minn. GOP State Senate Warns Only Republicans Of COVID Outbreak

Observers were stunned this week when Minnesota GOP legislative officials urgently warned only Republicans about a serious COVID-19 outbreak in the State Senate .
No one said a word to Democratic politicians or staff who shared the same spaces .
The outbreak amid a number of GOP senators and staff appeared to be linked to a Republican senator who tested positive after attending a party caucus earlier this month .
Senate Republican Chief of Staff Craig Sondag alerted Republicans to the outbreak in a memo Tuesday , and instructed all GOP Senate staffers to work from home , The Star @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outrageous and completely unacceptable that Senate DFL members were not notified of the recent COVID-19 outbreak among Senate Republicans prior to Thursday ’ s floor session , ” Senate Minority Leader Susan Kent said in a statement .
“ This lack of transparency is a blatant disregard for the health and safety of others : our DFL and nonpartisan staff , members , and the communities we go home to.
” Gov .
Tim Walz ( DFL ) issued a statement Saturday saying that anyone who knows about a positive COVID-19 test has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ others who may be at risk .
“ As elected officials , we must lead by example .
I simply do not understand why Senate Republicans chose only to share that there were positive cases in their caucus with members of their own party before Thursday ’ s floor session.
” COVID-19 doesn ’ t operate along party lines , and neither can we .
If we know of a positive case , we have a moral obligation to share that information with others so they can protect themselves and their families .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) November 14 , 2020 I do not understand why Senate Republicans chose to share positive cases only with members of their own party , putting staff and other senators at risk .
We must put aside our differences and look out for our neighbors .
At the end of the day , we ‘ re all Minnesotans .
— Governor Tim Walz ( @ GovTimWalz ) November 14 , 2020 A memo Saturday from Senate Republicans insisted that “ the only people in close , prolonged contact with COVID-positive GOP senators were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The memo claimed that the COVID-19 outbreak secrecy was being “ misconstrued for political purposes .
”

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Observers were stunned this week when Minnesota GOP legislative officials urgently warned only Republicans about a serious COVID-19 outbreak in the state Senate. No one said a word to Democratic politicians or staff who shared the same spaces.
The outbreak amid a number of GOP senators and staff appeared to be linked to a Republican senator who tested positive after attending a party caucus earlier this month.
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Senate Republican chief of staff Craig Sondag alerted Republicans to the outbreak in a memo Tuesday, and instructed all GOP Senate staffers to work from home, The Star Tribune reported Saturday.
But there wasn’t a peep to state Senate Democrats (or as the party is known in Minnesota, Democratic-Farmer-Labor), who attended a special floor session Thursday amid the secret outbreak.
“It is outrageous and completely unacceptable that Senate DFL members were not notified of the recent COVID-19 outbreak among Senate Republicans prior to Thursday’s floor session,” Senate Minority Leader Susan Kent said in a statement. “This lack of transparency is a blatant disregard for the health and safety of others: our DFL and nonpartisan staff, members, and the communities we go home to.”
Gov. Tim Walz (D) issued a statement Saturday saying that anyone who knows about a positive COVID-19 test has a “moral obligation” to inform others who may be at risk.
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“As elected officials, we must lead by example. I simply do not understand why Senate Republicans chose only to share that there were positive cases in their caucus with members of their own party before Thursday’s floor session,” he said.
COVID-19 doesn’t operate along party lines, and neither can we. If we know of a positive case, we have a moral obligation to share that information with others so they can protect themselves and their families. — Governor Tim Walz (@GovTimWalz) November 14, 2020
I do not understand why Senate Republicans chose to share positive cases only with members of their own party, putting staff and other senators at risk. We must put aside our differences and look out for our neighbors. At the end of the day, we‘re all Minnesotans. — Governor Tim Walz (@GovTimWalz) November 14, 2020
A memo Saturday from Senate Republicans insisted that “the only people in close, prolonged contact with COVID-positive GOP senators were GOP senators and some GOP staff.”
But DFL members have since tested positive for COVID-19.
The memo claimed that the COVID-19 outbreak secrecy was being “misconstrued for political purposes.”
COVID-19 cases are skyrocketing to new records in the state.
MN Senate GOP sends memo outlining actions, timeline re covid cases: pic.twitter.com/pclJb5JAxi — Torey Van Oot (@toreyvanoot) November 14, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-14--COVID Vaccine Czar Awaiting Trump OK To Reach Out To Biden To Save Lives

The head of the Trump administration ’ s COVID-19 vaccine project is awaiting President Donald Trump ’ s crucial approval to interact with President-elect Joe Biden ’ s health team for a smooth transition that could save “ thousands ” of lives .
Former pharmaceutical executive Moncef Slaoui , appointed by Trump to help boost the development of a vaccine and therapeutics in Operation Warp Speed , told The Financial Times that it ’ s crucial for the project to continue to operate smoothly or lives could be at risk .
Making contact with Biden ’ s team is an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Yet Slaoui said he can ’ t do that unless he gets approval from the White House .
“ It ’ s not for us to decide , ” he explained .
“ I hope nothing interferes ” with Operation Warp Speed , he told the newspaper .
“ It is a matter of life and death for thousands of people .
The operation has always been about making vaccines and therapeutics available faster for the country and for the world.
” Trump has refused to concede the election to Biden .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ General Services Administration to recognize Biden ’ s victory .
That ’ s a requirement before an official administration transition can begin .
Pfizer announced last week that its promising vaccine could be ready before the end of the year — possibly for high-risk populations — and for distribution to the general public in 2021 .
The vaccine is a joint creation of Pfizer and German partner BioNTech .
Pfizer officials have emphasized that the vaccine development has never been part of Trump ’ s Operation Warp Speed , even though Trump falsely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Friday .
“ We were never part of the Warp Speed , ” Kathrin Jansen , a Pfizer senior vice president told The New York Times last week .
“ We have never taken any money from the U.S. government , or from anyone.
” Pfizer signed an incentivizing agreement with the U.S. government in July worth $ 1.95 billion to supply 100 million doses if the vaccine is approved by the Food and Drug Administration .
Slaoui ’ s time as Trump ’ s “ vaccine czar , ” has not been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ harsh criticism for failing to divest his pharmaceutical stocks , creating a potential conflict of interest concerning rival companies ’ vaccine development .
He held stocks as recently as September , according to financial filings .

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The head of the Trump administration’s COVID-19 vaccine project is awaiting President Donald Trump’s crucial approval to interact with President-elect Joe Biden’s health team for a smooth transition that could save “thousands” of lives.
Former pharmaceutical executive Moncef Slaoui, appointed by Trump to help boost the development of a vaccine and therapeutics in Operation Warp Speed, told The Financial Times that it’s crucial for the project to continue to operate smoothly or lives could be at risk. Making contact with Biden’s team is an important part of that, he said.
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Yet Slaoui said he can’t do that unless he gets approval from the White House. “It’s not for us to decide,” he explained.
“I hope nothing interferes” with Operation Warp Speed, he told the newspaper. “It is a matter of life and death for thousands of people. The operation has always been about making vaccines and therapeutics available faster for the country and for the world.”
Trump has refused to concede the election to Biden. He also won’t allow the General Services Administration to recognize Biden’s victory. That’s a requirement before an official administration transition can begin.
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Pfizer announced last week that its promising vaccine could be ready before the end of the year — possibly for high-risk populations — and for distribution to the general public in 2021.
The vaccine is a joint creation of Pfizer and German partner BioNTech. Pfizer officials have emphasized that the vaccine development has never been part of Trump’s Operation Warp Speed, even though Trump falsely took credit for the vaccine in remarks Friday.
“We were never part of the Warp Speed,” Kathrin Jansen, a Pfizer senior vice president, told The New York Times last week. “We have never taken any money from the U.S. government, or from anyone.”
But the company could end up being a vaccine supplier in Operation Warp Speed.
Pfizer signed an incentivizing agreement with the U.S. government in July worth $1.95 billion to supply 100 million doses if the vaccine is approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
Slaoui’s time as Trump’s “vaccine czar,” has not been without controversy. He has come under harsh criticism for failing to divest his pharmaceutical stocks, creating a potential conflict of interest concerning rival companies’ vaccine development. He held stocks as recently as September, according to financial filings.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-15--As D.C. Clashes Erupt, Trump Sics Police On 'Antifa Scum' In Stunningly Vicious Tweet

President Donald Trump urged Washington , D.C. , police not to “ hold back ” in cracking down on “ antifa scum ” in a shockingly violent tweet late Saturday .
Trump was reacting to street confrontations that erupted Saturday night between leftover members of a march earlier in the day protesting his loss in the presidential election , and counterprotesters .
At least 20 people were arrested throughout the day , including four on gun charges , The Washington Post reported .
Two police officers were injured , and a man in his 20s was in critical condition after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Proud Boys , a violent extremist group , clashed at various times with counterprotesters , witnesses reported .
In one videotaped scene , a large number of men in what appeared to be typical clothing worn by the Proud Boys battled with counterprotesters and chanted : “ F**k antifa.
” Is THIS what trump meant when he hold his terrorist Proud Boys to `` stand back and stand by ? ''
THEY ARE RIOTING .
WHERE 'S THE OUTRAGE ?
pic.twitter.com/fYHVPZ7lpM — BrooklynDad_Defiant !
( @ mmpadellan ) November 15 , 2020 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day golfing at his club in Sterling , Virginia , he claimed Saturday night to know exactly what happened in Washington .
He tweeted that “ antifa scum ran for the hills ” earlier in the day because people at the “ Trump Rally ... aggressively fought back.
” But they returned to “ attack innocent MAGA people.
” He urged : “ DC police , get going — do your job and don ’ t hold back !
!
!
” ANTIFA SCUM ran for the hills today when they tried attacking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because those people aggressively fought back .
Antifa waited until tonight , when 99 % were gone , to attack innocent # MAGA People .
DC Police , get going — do your job and don ’ t hold back !
!
!
— Donald J. Trump ( @ realDonaldTrump ) November 15 , 2020 Critics on Twitter slammed Trump for seizing the opportunity yet again to inflame violence .
Trump , stop this right now .
For the love of God , do not descend our country into violence and Civil War @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eugenegu ) November 15 , 2020 Please do not not incite violence .
Act like a president that you wish you could be .
— David Leavitt ( @ David_Leavitt ) November 15 , 2020 Oh what a surprise that Trump is once again trying to fuel CHAOS and mayhem !
Rather than act like a LEADER and attempt to reduce tension he does the exact opposite & makes things worse .
The sooner he is OUT of the White House , the better !
Bring on January 20 !
— MURRAY🧢🇺🇸 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2020 Donald Trump is using his platform to incite violence .
He needs to be suspended as a matter of public safety .
— Frederick Joseph ( @ FredTJoseph ) November 15 , 2020

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President Donald Trump urged Washington, D.C., police not to “hold back” in cracking down on “antifa scum” in a shockingly violent tweet late Saturday.
Trump was reacting to street confrontations that erupted Saturday night between leftover members of a march earlier in the day protesting his loss in the presidential election, and counterprotesters.
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At least 20 people were arrested throughout the day, including four on gun charges, The Washington Post reported.
Two police officers were injured, and a man in his 20s was in critical condition after he was stabbed in the back.
The Proud Boys, a violent extremist group, clashed at various times with counterprotesters, witnesses reported.
In one videotaped scene, a large number of men in what appeared to be typical clothing worn by the Proud Boys battled with counterprotesters and chanted: “F**k antifa.”
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Is THIS what trump meant when he hold his terrorist Proud Boys to "stand back and stand by?"
THEY ARE RIOTING.
WHERE'S THE OUTRAGE?pic.twitter.com/fYHVPZ7lpM — BrooklynDad_Defiant! (@mmpadellan) November 15, 2020
Though Trump spent the middle of the day golfing at his club in Sterling, Virginia, he claimed Saturday night to know exactly what happened in Washington.
He tweeted that “antifa scum ran for the hills” earlier in the day because people at the “Trump Rally ... aggressively fought back.” But they returned to “attack innocent MAGA people.” He urged: “DC police, get going — do your job and don’t hold back!!!”
ANTIFA SCUM ran for the hills today when they tried attacking the people at the Trump Rally, because those people aggressively fought back. Antifa waited until tonight, when 99% were gone, to attack innocent #MAGA People. DC Police, get going — do your job and don’t hold back!!! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 15, 2020
Critics on Twitter slammed Trump for seizing the opportunity yet again to inflame violence.
Trump, stop this right now. For the love of God, do not descend our country into violence and Civil War. — Eugene Gu, MD (@eugenegu) November 15, 2020
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Worst President in American history. — Paul 👻 (@pablo_honey1) November 15, 2020
Please do not not incite violence.
Act like a president that you wish you could be. — David Leavitt (@David_Leavitt) November 15, 2020
Oh what a surprise that Trump is once again trying to fuel CHAOS and mayhem! Rather than act like a LEADER and attempt to reduce tension he does the exact opposite & makes things worse. The sooner he is OUT of the White House, the better! Bring on January 20! — MURRAY🧢🇺🇸 (@murray_nyc) November 15, 2020
Donald Trump is using his platform to incite violence. He needs to be suspended as a matter of public safety. — Frederick Joseph (@FredTJoseph) November 15, 2020
Shame on you for igniting violence on your way out of office. #SoreLoser — Republicans for Joe Biden 🇺🇸 (@RepsForBiden) November 15, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-15--Kayleigh McEnany Breaks White House Whopper Record With MAGA Crowd Tally

White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany spectacularly broke the White House fib meter in an administration with an astounding reputation for lies .
She gushed Saturday that the “ Million MAGA March ” in Washington to protest President Donald Trump ’ s election loss had more than a million marchers .
She was only off by some 980,000 people — and that ’ s being generous .
Most estimates in the media were “ thousands.
” The Washington Post characterized McEnany ’ s tweet as “ ludicrous.
” The National Park Service issued a permit to march organizers for 10,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gathered , DCist reported .
The plaza ’ s maximum capacity is 13,900 .
Trump ’ s own estimate of the crowd size was initially “ hundreds of thousands.
” He later referred in a tweet to “ tens of thousands.
” McEnany 11:16 AM : “ More than one MILLION marchers ” Trump 3:24 PM : “ Hundreds of thousands of people ” Trump 12:00 AM : “ Tens of thousands of people ” pic.twitter.com/cu8jdOzAQD — Daniel Dale ( @ ddale8 ) November 15 , 2020 We don ’ t have exact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remotely close to a million people .
https : //t.co/J4y0IJp2xm — Daniel Dale ( @ ddale8 ) November 14 , 2020 Twitter critics ’ collective jaw dropped .
They wondered if the same math was being used to tote up Trump ’ s imagined votes .
Lol !
“ A million ” !
Well I guess seeing as you ’ re Kayleigh Macaroni we should give you a point for not saying “ a bajillion ” ... pic.twitter.com/vFZ46hiKhe — Hounddog1971 ( @ houndinater ) November 15 , 2020 If that 's a Million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Billion votes instead of 5.5 million .
— Mrs. Krassenstein ( @ HKrassenstein ) November 14 , 2020 Girl , you ca n't count .
Maybe that 's why you are having such a hard time understanding the election results .
— SB2019 ( @ DSBLuvsDogs ) November 15 , 2020 The inability to tell the difference between a Thousand MAGA March and a Million MAGA March is another reason Trump lost the counts in GA , PA , MI , AZ , NV and WI https : //t.co/zyg5XYYOqw — Max Burns ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Yeah , not quite .
Now this ...
THIS was a march .
And no one showed up in body armor .
pic.twitter.com/8zR0rediNx — Carissa in NV 💛 # CountEveryVote ( @ bluelyon ) November 14 , 2020 This administration is going out the same way it came in : by blatantly lying about crowd size .
— Brian Tyler Cohen ( @ briantylercohen ) November 14 , 2020 I see that you went to the Sean Spicer school of crowd size .
😂😂😂😂 — cyanoticwaveLVT ( @ califtotex ) November 15 , @

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White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany spectacularly broke the White House fib meter in an administration with an astounding reputation for lies. She gushed Saturday that the “Million MAGA March” in Washington to protest President Donald Trump’s election loss had more than a million marchers.
She was only off by some 980,000 people — and that’s being generous. Most estimates in the media were “thousands.” The Washington Post characterized McEnany’s tweet as “ludicrous.”
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The National Park Service issued a permit to march organizers for 10,000 people in Freedom Plaza, where participants gathered, DCist reported. The plaza’s maximum capacity is 13,900.
Trump’s own estimate of the crowd size was initially “hundreds of thousands.” He later referred in a tweet to “tens of thousands.”
McEnany 11:16 AM: “More than one MILLION marchers”
Trump 3:24 PM: “Hundreds of thousands of people”
Trump 12:00 AM: “Tens of thousands of people” pic.twitter.com/cu8jdOzAQD — Daniel Dale (@ddale8) November 15, 2020
We don’t have exact figures, but the crowd is not remotely close to a million people. https://t.co/J4y0IJp2xm — Daniel Dale (@ddale8) November 14, 2020
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Twitter critics’ collective jaw dropped. They wondered if the same math was being used to figure Trump’s imagined votes.
Lol! “A million”! Well I guess seeing as you’re Kayleigh Macaroni we should give you a point for not saying “a bajillion”... pic.twitter.com/vFZ46hiKhe — Hounddog1971 (@houndinater) November 15, 2020
If that's a Million people then Joe Biden won by 5.5 Billion votes instead of 5.5 million. — Mrs. Krassenstein (@HKrassenstein) November 14, 2020
Girl, you can't count.
Maybe that's why you are having such a hard time understanding the election results. — SB2019 (@DSBLuvsDogs) November 15, 2020
The inability to tell the difference between a Thousand MAGA March and a Million MAGA March is another reason Trump lost the counts in GA, PA, MI, AZ, NV and WI https://t.co/zyg5XYYOqw — Max Burns (@themaxburns) November 14, 2020
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That's… not a million. — Pé (@4everNeverTrump) November 14, 2020
Yeah, not quite.
Now this... THIS was a march. And no one showed up in body armor. pic.twitter.com/8zR0rediNx — Carissa in NV 💛 #CountEveryVote (@bluelyon) November 14, 2020
This administration is going out the same way it came in: by blatantly lying about crowd size. — Brian Tyler Cohen (@briantylercohen) November 14, 2020
I see that you went to the Sean Spicer school of crowd size. 😂😂😂😂 — cyanoticwaveLVT (@califtotex) November 15, 2020
shouldn't you be working on your Linked In profile right now — Jeff Tiedrich (@itsJeffTiedrich) November 14, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-14--Fox News' Tucker Carlson Apologizes For His Fake Dead Man Voting Story

Fox News host Tucker Carlson apologized Friday for one of his fake news stories that a dead man had voted in Georgia .
He admitted he was absolutely wrong , and that it was the dead veteran ’ s widow who voted in Georgia , and not her late husband .
Georgia officials tracked down the vote that Carlson milked on his show as he claimed it was illegal and cast by World War II veteran James Blalock of Covington , who died in 2006 .
Carlson was parroting a Trump campaign tale harping about the same vote .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 33 years , until he passed away in 2006 .
Fourteen years later , according to state records , he was still mailing things , ” Carlson said snidely as he opened his program Thursday .
“ James Blalock cast a ballot in last week ’ s election.
” But it was Blalock ’ s widow , who is registered to vote as Mrs. James E. Blalock , Jr. , who cast the ballot , said Newton County election officials .
“ Her voter registration was signed as Mrs. James E. Blalock , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ signed her name when she voted in the Nov. 3 general election , ” they said in a statement .
Agnes Blalock told Atlanta ’ s 11Alive-TV , which was the first to correct the fake story : “ He ’ s not voting .
He didn ’ t vote .
It was me.
” Blalock said she voted “ for the Democrats , for Biden , ” adding : “ I guess you could say I voted against the other one , really.
” ( Check out the video up top .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ tried to be perky about it and make it cute .
“ We ’ ve got some good news tonight and an apology , ” he said .
“ One of the people who voted in last week ’ s election isn ’ t dead .
James Blalock is still dead .
We told you about him , but it was his wife who voted .
She voted as Mrs. James Blalock .
It ’ s old-fashioned , and we missed it.
” Tucker Carlson issues a correction and gives an apology after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voted in Georgia .
He goes on to assert that he was correct , however , about other dead voters even though the other report he mentioned was debunked as well .
pic.twitter.com/wXTFWFRIUK — Mikael Thalen ( @ MikaelThalen ) November 14 , 2020 He still insisted , though , that “ a whole bunch of dead people did vote.
” But 11Alive also discovered that another deceased Georgian who the Trump campaign — and Carlson — claimed voted did not .
A living person with the same name did .

Fox News host Tucker Carlson apologized Friday for one of his fake news stories that a dead man had voted in Georgia.
He admitted he was absolutely wrong, and that it was the dead veteran’s widow who voted in Georgia, and not her late husband.
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Georgia officials tracked down the vote that Carlson milked on his show as he claimed it was illegal and cast by World War II veteran James Blalock of Covington, who died in 2006. Carlson was parroting a Trump campaign tale harping about the same vote.
“Mr. Blalock was a mailman for 33 years, until he passed away in 2006. Fourteen years later, according to state records, he was still mailing things,” Carlson said snidely as he opened his program Thursday. “James Blalock cast a ballot in last week’s election.”
But it was Blalock’s widow, who is registered to vote as Mrs. James E. Blalock, Jr., who cast the ballot, said Newton County election officials.
“Her voter registration was signed as Mrs. James E. Blalock, Jr. and that is exactly how she signed her name when she voted in the Nov. 3 general election,” they said in a statement.
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Agnes Blalock told Atlanta’s 11Alive-TV, which was the first to correct the fake story: “He’s not voting. He didn’t vote. It was me.” Blalock said she voted “for the Democrats, for Biden,” adding: “I guess you could say I voted against the other one, really.” (Check out the video up top.)
Carlson finally fessed up, but tried to be perky about it and make it cute.
“We’ve got some good news tonight and an apology,” he said. “One of the people who voted in last week’s election isn’t dead. James Blalock is still dead. We told you about him, but it was his wife who voted. She voted as Mrs. James Blalock. It’s old-fashioned, and we missed it.”
Tucker Carlson issues a correction and gives an apology after falsely claiming that a deceased individual had voted in Georgia.
He goes on to assert that he was correct, however, about other dead voters even though the other report he mentioned was debunked as well. pic.twitter.com/wXTFWFRIUK — Mikael Thalen (@MikaelThalen) November 14, 2020
He still insisted, though, that “a whole bunch of dead people did vote.”
But 11Alive also discovered that another deceased Georgian who the Trump campaign — and Carlson — claimed voted did not. A living person with the same name did.
Earlier this month Carlson pleaded on his program: “Let’s all stop lying.”