thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-21--Drew Barrymore Confirms Grandfather's Corpse Party Rumor

Drew Barrymore says the contested rumor that the body of her late grandfather , the actor John Barrymore , was removed from the morgue by his friends for one final party is true .
The “ Santa Clarita Diet ” star said ― while taking part in YouTube channel First We Feast ’ s latest spicy wings challenge ― that the actor Errol Flynn , comedian W.C. Fields and poet Sadakichi Hartmann had indeed propped her grandfather ’ s corpse against a poker table following his death at age 60 in 1942 .
“ And I will say this , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for me , ” Barrymore said .
“ That is the kind of spirit I can get behind .
Just prop the old bag up .
Let ’ s have a last few rounds.
” “ I think death comes with so much morose sadness , and I understand that , ” Barrymore added .
“ But if it ’ s OK , just for me , if everyone could be really happy and celebratory and have a party , that would be my preference.
” Check out Barrymore ’ s comments from @ @ @ @ @

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Drew Barrymore says the contested rumor that the body of her late grandfather, the actor John Barrymore, was removed from the morgue by his friends for one final party is true.
The “Santa Clarita Diet” star said ― while taking part in YouTube channel First We Feast’s latest spicy wings challenge ― that the actor Errol Flynn, comedian W.C. Fields and poet Sadakichi Hartmann had indeed propped her grandfather’s corpse against a poker table following his death at age 60 in 1942.
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“And I will say this, I hope my friends do the same for me,” Barrymore said. “That is the kind of spirit I can get behind. Just prop the old bag up. Let’s have a last few rounds.”
“I think death comes with so much morose sadness, and I understand that,” Barrymore added. “But if it’s OK, just for me, if everyone could be really happy and celebratory and have a party, that would be my preference.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-22--Joe Biden: I'll 'Listen To The Scientists' On Coronavirus And Shut Down Again If Needed

Democratic nominee Joe Biden said that as president he would be prepared to shut the United States down again to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus if that is what the scientists recommended .
“ I would shut it down .
I would listen to the scientists , ” Biden told “ ABC World News Tonight ” anchor David Muir in a clip released Friday ahead of a full joint interview alongside vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris to be aired Sunday .
Biden said he was “ prepared to do whatever it takes to save lives because we can not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus.
” “ That is the fundamental flaw of this administration ’ s thinking to begin with , ” the Democratic presidential candidate continued .
“ In order to keep the country running and moving and the economy growing and people employed , you have to fix the virus , you have to deal with the virus.
” “ I would shut it down .
I would listen to the scientists.
” Joe Biden tells @ DavidMuir in an exclusive interview that as president , he would shut the country down to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ move was recommended by scientists .
https : //t.co/2A9r07d7EC pic.twitter.com/Ib99cshlSI — ABC News ( @ ABC ) August 21 , 2020 President Donald Trump , meanwhile , continues to face widespread criticism for his administration ’ s disastrous handling of the public health crisis .
Trump downplayed the risk of COVID-19 for months as cases surged worldwide .
He later pushed for the premature easing of lockdown restrictions in a bid to boost the economy ahead of the 2020 election .
The president has also hyped unproven treatments for the disease and sent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ masks to prevent its spread .
In other preview clips of the interview , both Biden and Harris criticized and dismissed Trump ’ s recent attacks on Harris .
The president has called Harris “ nasty ” and a “ madwoman ” and also leaned into a racist birther conspiracy theory about her .
“ I think that there is so much about what comes out of Donald Trump ’ s mouth that is designed to distract the American people from what he is doing every day , ” Harris said of Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about neglect , negligence and harm to the American people.
” EXCLUSIVE : Asked about Pres .
Trump ’ s insults against her , Sen. Kamala Harris tells @ DavidMuir , “ There is so much about what comes out of Donald Trump 's mouth that is designed to distract the American people from what he is doing.
” https : //t.co/IQsUqgpryX pic.twitter.com/8EvCPv73T9 — ABC News ( @ ABC ) August 22 , 2020

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Democratic nominee Joe Biden said that as president he would be prepared to shut the United States down again to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus if that is what scientists recommended.
“I would shut it down. I would listen to the scientists,” Biden told “ABC World News Tonight” anchor David Muir in a clip released Friday, ahead of the full interview, which will air Sunday and also features vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris.
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Biden said he was “prepared to do whatever it takes to save lives because we cannot get the country moving until we control the virus.”
He continued: “That is the fundamental flaw of this administration’s thinking to begin with. In order to keep the country running and moving and the economy growing and people employed, you have to fix the virus, you have to deal with the virus.”
“I would shut it down. I would listen to the scientists.”
Joe Biden tells @DavidMuir in an exclusive interview that as president, he would shut the country down to stop the spread of COVID-19 if the move was recommended by scientists. https://t.co/2A9r07d7EC pic.twitter.com/Ib99cshlSI — ABC News (@ABC) August 21, 2020
President Donald Trump, meanwhile, continues to face widespread criticism for his administration’s disastrous handling of the pandemic.
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Trump downplayed the risks posed by COVID-19 for months at the start of the pandemic as cases surged worldwide. He later pushed for the premature easing of lockdown restrictions, against the advice of public health experts, in a bid to boost the economy ahead of the 2020 election.
The president has also hyped unproven treatments for the disease and sent mixed messages on the need to wear masks to prevent its spread.
The virus has now killed more than 170,000 people nationwide.
In other preview clips of the interview, both Biden and Harris criticized and dismissed Trump’s recent attacks on Harris, which have included calling her “nasty” and a “madwoman,” and leaning into a racist birther conspiracy theory about her.
“I think that there is so much about what comes out of Donald Trump’s mouth that is designed to distract the American people from what he is doing every day,” Harris said. “That is about neglect, negligence and harm to the American people.”
EXCLUSIVE: Asked about Pres. Trump’s insults against her, Sen. Kamala Harris tells @DavidMuir, “There is so much about what comes out of Donald Trump's mouth that is designed to distract the American people from what he is doing.” https://t.co/IQsUqgpryX pic.twitter.com/8EvCPv73T9 — ABC News (@ABC) August 22, 2020
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-22--Anderson Cooper Overcome With Emotion After Coronavirus Patient's Sweet Message

CNN ’ s Anderson Cooper was overcome with emotion on Friday following the broadcast of a profile of a health care worker from Miami who has been hospitalized since March after contracting the coronavirus .
Toward the end of the segment about EEG technician Rosa Felipe ’ s months-long battle against COVID-19 — during which she has been separated from her two sons — Felipe wished Cooper and his 4-month-old son Wyatt well .
“ Could you please congratulate Anderson Cooper on his baby ?
” Felipe , 41 , who has diabetes and asthma and , because of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ possible amputation of her hands , asked CNN correspondent Randi Kaye .
“ I certainly will , ” Kaye responded .
“ These are the things you think about when you ’ re laying in the hospital bed ?
” “ Yeah .
I ’ m happy that he has a baby , and that he ’ s so cute , ” replied Rosa .
The well-wishes were too much for Cooper .
After the segment ended and the broadcast cut back to the studio , he welled up , removed his glasses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mean , wow , what she has been through , ” Cooper replied .
“ Yeah , and what she ’ s still going through , Anderson , and yet , that was the only time in our whole interview that she smiled was talking about you and Wyatt , ” Kaye said , adding , “ When we started talking about you , that ’ s when she ’ s really lit up .
I think she ’ s clung to that as this bright spot in all of this .
”

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CNN’s Anderson Cooper was overcome with emotion on Friday following the broadcast of a profile of a health care worker from Miami who has been hospitalized since March after contracting the coronavirus.
Toward the end of the segment about EEG technician Rosa Felipe’s months-long battle against COVID-19 — during which she has been separated from her two sons — Felipe wished Cooper and his 4-month-old son Wyatt well.
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“Could you please congratulate Anderson Cooper on his baby?” Felipe, 41, who has diabetes and asthma and, because of the effects of the coronavirus, faces the possible amputation of her hands, asked CNN correspondent Randi Kaye.
“I certainly will,” Kaye responded. “These are the things you think about when you’re laying in the hospital bed?”
“Yeah. I’m happy that he has a baby, and that he’s so cute,” replied Rosa.
The well-wishes were too much for Cooper. After the segment ended and the broadcast cut back to the studio, he welled up, removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes.
“So sweet, right?” Kaye asked.
“I mean, wow, what she has been through,” Cooper replied.
“Yeah, and what she’s still going through, Anderson, and yet, that was the only time in our whole interview that she smiled was talking about you and Wyatt,” Kaye said, adding, “When we started talking about you, that’s when she’s really lit up. I think she’s clung to that as this bright spot in all of this.”
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-21--TikTok Is Becoming A Powerful Outlet For LGBTQ 'Conversion Therapy' Survivors

LONDON , Aug 18 ( Thomson Reuters Foundation ) - When Mike Dorn told his parents he was gay , aged 15 , they tried to make him straight by sending him to a Christian camp in California for three months , where he was told he would go to hell , forced to dig holes and shoved if he disobeyed orders .
Dorn ’ s trauma came to the surface when he was confined to his home for weeks during a COVID-19 lockdown in the United States in June and he decided to share his story on TikTok .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ dark time being at home all the time and I knew that I needed to talk about it , ” said the 30-year-old sign language interpreter , whose videos have been viewed 1 million times , with thousands of supportive comments .
The TikTokers have been overwhelmed by the response from hundreds of other survivors and young people who fear they will be forced to undergo the secretive practice , which is illegal for minors in 20 U.S. states after Virginia banned it in March .
“ I didn ’ t think it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an extreme form of torture , ” said Dorn , whose parents locked him in his bedroom for about three months after he returned from camp .
It can be hard for LGBT+ people to find support when their families want to change their sexuality or gender identity , or to deal with the depression , suicidality and self-destructive behavior that often result from conversion therapy .
“ It ’ s just a miracle whenever a child in that situation manages to get some legal help , ” he said , adding that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them from their parents , the NCLR had succeeded in every situation in which it was directly involved .
After her girlfriend broke up with her , Merry blamed her anxiety about being gay - which had contributed to the relationship ’ s failure - on a church counselor ’ s efforts to make her straight when she was 17 .
“ I was just in a really dark place and I really felt like Ididn ’ t really have any physical person to turn to , ” said Merry , a 20-year-old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ofGeorgia , who declined to publish her full name .
One of her videos , “ How to survive conversion therapy , part one , ” has been watched more than 500,000 times since December and she has received messages from about 50 teens at risk of conversion therapy and 20 survivors , from teens to late 40s .
One girl in New York , where conversion therapy for minors is banned , said her aunt and uncle wanted to take her to another state for treatment .
Merry said she contacted child @ @ @ @ @ @ @ live with other relatives .

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LONDON, Aug 18 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - When Mike Dorn told his parents he was gay, aged 15, they tried to make him straight by sending him to a Christian camp in California for three months, where he was told he would go to hell, forced to dig holes and shoved if he disobeyed orders.
Dorn’s trauma came to the surface when he was confined to his home for weeks during a COVID-19 lockdown in the United States in June and he decided to share his story on TikTok.
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“I was going through a pretty dark time being at home all the time and I knew that I needed to talk about it,” said the 30-year-old sign language interpreter, whose videos have been viewed 1 million times, with thousands of supportive comments.
“A lot of people were messaging me, and it was this form of love and support and family that I’ve never experienced before.”
Dorn is one of a growing number of Americans sharing their experiences of conversion therapy on TikTok, amid mounting efforts to outlaw the discredited practice, with Canada, Britain, Israel and Mexico among those mulling bans.
The TikTokers have been overwhelmed by the response from hundreds of other survivors and young people who fear they will be forced to undergo the secretive practice, which is illegal for minors in 20 U.S. states after Virginia banned it in March.
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Nearly 700,000 Americans have undergone conversion therapy, half when under 18, according to the UCLA’s Williams Institute, which can range from counseling and ‘praying away the gay’ to electric shocks.
President Donald Trump has threatened to ban the Chinese-owned short-video app TikTok - which boasts 100 millionU.S. users and is popular with young LGBT+ people for sharing niche jokes and making online friends - over security concerns.
TORTURE
Dorn said half of the roughly 600 messages he received on TikTok were from conversion therapy survivors in countries including Britain, Mexico and Indonesia, most of whom wentthrough it as teens.
Several people, including one in the United States, said they had been given electric shocks while looking at same-sex images, some of them erotic.
“I didn’t think it really existed, because that is such an extreme form of torture,” said Dorn, whose parents locked him in his bedroom for about three months after he returned from camp.
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“I do let them know I’m always here to talk.”
It can be hard for LGBT+ people to find support when their families want to change their sexuality or gender identity, or to deal with the depression, suicidality and self-destructive behavior that often result from conversion therapy.
Shannon Minter, legal director of the U.S. National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), said he gets two or three requests for help a year.
“It’s very difficult for young people who are being put into conversion therapy, or threatened with conversion therapy, toreach out to anybody,” said Minter, who has helped survivors with legal assistance and counseling since 1993.
“It’s just a miracle whenever a child in that situation manages to get some legal help,” he said, adding that while it was hard to legally remove them from their parents, the NCLR had succeeded in every situation in which it was directly involved.
Although films like 2018’s “Boy Erased,” starring Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe, are helping to raise awareness of the damaged caused by conversion therapy, Minter said its popularity was not declining in the United States.
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“There are still so many parents who don’t want their children to grow up to be gay or transgender,” he said. “It’s very much market-driven.”
Research by the Williams Institute found that 81% of U.S.conversion therapy survivors were subjected to it by a religious leader and 31% by a health care provider. U.S. legal bans only cover healthcare professionals, not religious providers.
MONSTER
After her girlfriend broke up with her, Merry blamed her anxiety about being gay - which had contributed to the relationship’s failure - on a church counselor’s efforts to make her straight when she was 17.
So she took to TikTok, where she felt anonymous.
“I was just in a really dark place and I really felt like Ididn’t really have any physical person to turn to,” said Merry, a 20-year-old music student from the southern U.S. state ofGeorgia, who declined to publish her full name.
“I got on the internet and started ranting.”
One of her videos, “How to survive conversion therapy, part one,” has been watched more than 500,000 times since December and she has received messages from about 50 teens at risk of conversion therapy and 20 survivors, from teens to late 40s.
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Merry said a church counselor forced her to put her hand in a bowl of ice until it melted while talking about her “homosexual thoughts” - an aversion technique aimed at making her associate attraction to women with pain.
The breaking point came when Merry’s pastor told her to tella younger teenage boy that being gay would make him miserable.
“I was just feeding him all this ... bullshit that I hadbeen fed for the past year,” Merry said.
“I remember watching this kid’s heart just break and sink. I was like, I’ve really just turned into this monster. I’m now damaging this kid.”
In her father’s car afterwards, Merry broke down crying. The following week, she argued with her pastor and parents and moved out.
After posting her story on TikTok, Merry started receiving five or six messages from teenagers every day.
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“I got some terrifying messages from some kids where I ended up seeking out legal intervention to get them out,” she said.
One girl in New York, where conversion therapy for minors is banned, said her aunt and uncle wanted to take her to another state for treatment. Merry said she contacted child protection services who sent the girl to live with other relatives.
She was also contacted by a gay 18-year-old living in her town whose pastor was trying to get him to suppress his attraction to men.
Merry gave the teenager support after each session with the pastor and they now attend the same LGBT-friendly church.
Meanwhile, Dorn said he believes more conversion therapy survivors should speak out to ensure it is outlawed.
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“The more that we tell our stories, the more that we educate people who don’t even realize that this is happening ... (it can lead to) policies being made and hopefully full-on bans,” he said.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-21--Christian Leaders Call On Fellow Believers To Take Science Seriously During The Pandemic

The signers come from a wide range of theological convictions ― from the solidly conservative New Testament scholar N. T. Wright to the progressive Christian author and podcaster Mike McHargue .
Timothy Dalrymple and Daniel Harrell , the president and editor-in-chief of the evangelical magazine Christianity Today , added their names , as did Mark Labberton , president of California ’ s Fuller Theological Seminary , Walter Kim , president of the National Association of Evangelicals , and the popular Christian author Philip Yancey .
More than 4,000 members of the public have also signed the statement .
“ COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is , ” he added .
“ It does not care about theology , or liberty or an election .
If we do not face this virus on its terms , millions will die , and it will be our fault.
” Deborah Haarsma , an astrophysicist and devout Christian , is one of the leaders behind the campaign .
As the president of BioLogos , a faith-based advocacy group that helped organize the statement , Haarsma has spent years trying to show Christians and the wider world that science and religion can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enhance the other .
Haarsma said she and her BioLogos colleagues have seen conspiracy theories about COVID-19 pop up on their social media feeds and in conversations with people in their churches and families .
People were becoming more skeptical that the pandemic was happening and doubting that public health measures recommended by experts were worth following .
She said she ’ s never seen this much mistrust of medicine in her community before .
One prominent evangelical pastor , John MacArthur , has been welcoming thousands of congregants to his California megachurch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or the wearing of masks .
During a recent CNN interview , MacArthur said that he doubted the coronavirus death counts published by the Los Angeles health department .
Asked if he was worried that his parishioners could die or get sick , MacArthur said , “ I ’ m not going to add to the fear because I ’ m not convinced that what is being propagated is actually reality.
” This skepticism about science isn ’ t uncommon among members of MacArthur ’ s religious group .
According to a survey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Enterprise Institute , a conservative-leaning think tank , most white evangelicals ( 58 % ) told the researchers that they believed scientists ’ judgments were just as likely to be biased as other people ’ s .
Majorities of all other religious groups surveyed said they believed scientists made judgments based solely on the facts .
Haarsma said she thinks some Christians lose confidence in science because of the way it has been used to try to prove that God does not exist , which contradicts what they ’ ve experienced in their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claims about God ’ s existence go beyond the realm of what science is capable of investigating . )
Christians of color have even greater reasons to mistrust doctors because they have long experienced discrimination or outright oppression from the health care community , Haarsma said .
“ We as a group really want the larger world to know that there are large numbers of Christians who see science as a gift from God in this context and are supportive of the scientists doing the research and are behind the measures for public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about 7 % of evangelicals who regularly attend church said that their congregation is holding services in the same way it did before the coronavirus outbreak , according to a Pew Research Center report conducted in mid-July .
Most ( 64 % ) said that their churches were open with modifications .
Nevertheless , the survey suggested that some commonly recommended measures to stop the virus from spreading ― such as social distancing ( 52 % ) , requiring people to wear masks ( 32 % ) and limiting or prohibiting communal singing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t particularly popular at reopened evangelical churches .
Haarsma said she hopes that the statement ’ s signatures ― and its careful explanation of the scriptural rationale for following public health experts ’ advice ― will help church leaders start conversations with people in their communities who are skeptical about COVID-19 .
And ultimately she hopes it encourages Christians to live out their faith during the pandemic by making wise decisions supported by scientific evidence .

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Dozens of Christian leaders have signed a statement defending science and calling on fellow believers to follow the advice of public health experts during the coronavirus pandemic.
The list of 76 leaders includes Christian writers, pastors, theologians, scientists, doctors and seminary leaders. They say they are deeply concerned about the “polarization and politicization of science” that is emerging in some Christian communities during the COVID-19 crisis.
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“The word ‘science’ has become a weapon in the culture wars,” the leaders wrote in the statement published Monday. “Scientists are vilified and their findings ignored, while conspiracy theories go viral.”
“Thoughtful Christians may disagree on public policy in response to the coronavirus, but none of us should ignore clear scientific evidence,” the leaders wrote.
The signers come from a wide range of theological convictions ― from the solidly conservative New Testament scholar N. T. Wright to the progressive Christian author and podcaster Mike McHargue. Timothy Dalrymple and Daniel Harrell, the president and editor-in-chief of the evangelical magazine Christianity Today, added their names, as did Mark Labberton, president of California’s Fuller Theological Seminary, Walter Kim, president of the National Association of Evangelicals, and the popular Christian author Philip Yancey. More than 4,000 members of the public have also signed the statement.
All of the signers pledged to respond to the pandemic by praying, wearing masks, correcting misinformation, seeking justice for hard-hit communities and, eventually, getting vaccinated.
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McHargue told HuffPost that he signed the statement because he believes it’s very important to accept the insights science offers about COVID-19. When prominent Christian leaders cast doubt on science or flagrantly encourage people to behave in ways counter to the advice of epidemiologists, the consequences are dire, he said.
“I hope that the faith leaders signing a statement like this, particularly those who are more theologically conservative than I, will encourage Christians to shift away from creating the problem toward participating in solutions,” McHargue said.
“COVID-19 does not care what your faith background is,” he added. “It does not care about theology, or liberty or an election. If we do not face this virus on its terms, millions will die, and it will be our fault.”
Hand sanitizer and face masks are placed on tables at the sanctuary entrance of a church in Las Vegas on May 31. Ethan Miller via Getty Images
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Deborah Haarsma, an astrophysicist and devout Christian, is one of the leaders behind the campaign. As the president of BioLogos, a faith-based advocacy group that helped organize the statement, Haarsma has spent years trying to show Christians and the wider world that science and religion can coexist ― and that each can actually enhance the other.
BioLogos was founded in 2009 by Francis Collins, a biologist who led the Human Genome Project and went on to direct the National Institutes of Health. Haarsma, who took over the reins at BioLogos in 2013, has plenty of experience fielding skepticism from evangelicals about evolution and climate change.
But something new has been happening over the past few months, she said.
Haarsma said she and her BioLogos colleagues have seen conspiracy theories about COVID-19 pop up on their social media feeds and in conversations with people in their churches and families. People were becoming more skeptical that the pandemic was happening and doubting that public health measures recommended by experts were worth following. She said she’s never seen this much mistrust of medicine in her community before.
“The fear and challenges of the pandemic have fanned this into a flame,” she said. “It’s fed, in some quarters, into this skepticism that science itself is invalid.”
Haarsma said she’s been deeply concerned that the evangelical leaders with the loudest voices on the issue have been those who are defying public health experts’ advice.
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Pastor Tony Spell, center background, talks to congregants at Life Tabernacle Church in Central, Louisiana, on March 31. Spell's church has held mass gatherings in defiance of public health orders during the coronavirus pandemic. Gerald Herbert/Associated Press
Christian legal defense firms have led a nationwide push for churches to reopen with minimal restrictions and ahead of the schedules set by public health experts. Conservative Christian activists have painted coronavirus limitations on worship services as violations of religious liberty. There have also been several high-profile cases of pastors and their congregations openly flouting local restrictions.
One prominent evangelical pastor, John MacArthur, has been welcoming thousands of congregants to his California megachurch since late July without enforcing social distancing or the wearing of masks. During a recent CNN interview, MacArthur said that he doubted the coronavirus death counts published by the Los Angeles health department. Asked if he was worried that his parishioners could die or get sick, MacArthur said, “I’m not going to add to the fear because I’m not convinced that what is being propagated is actually reality.”
This skepticism about science isn’t uncommon among members of MacArthur’s religious group. According to a survey conducted in late June by the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative-leaning think tank, most white evangelicals (58%) told the researchers that they believed scientists’ judgments were just as likely to be biased as other people’s. Majorities of all other religious groups surveyed said they believed scientists made judgments based solely on the facts.
Parishioners worship at Water of Life Community Church in Fontana, California, on Sunday, May 31, 2020. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
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Haarsma said she thinks some Christians lose confidence in science because of the way it has been used to try to prove that God does not exist, which contradicts what they’ve experienced in their own lives. (BioLogos believes that claims about God’s existence go beyond the realm of what science is capable of investigating.) Christians of color have even greater reasons to mistrust doctors because they have long experienced discrimination or outright oppression from the health care community, Haarsma said.
One of the main motivations behind the BioLogos statement is to make sure the broader public knows that most Christians accept what scientists have learned about COVID-19, she said.
“We as a group really want the larger world to know that there are large numbers of Christians who see science as a gift from God in this context and are supportive of the scientists doing the research and are behind the measures for public health,” she said.
Only about 7% of evangelicals who regularly attend church said that their congregation is holding services in the same way it did before the coronavirus outbreak, according to a Pew Research Center report conducted in mid-July. Most (64%) said that their churches were open with modifications. Nevertheless, the survey suggested that some commonly recommended measures to stop the virus from spreading ― such as social distancing (52%), requiring people to wear masks (32%) and limiting or prohibiting communal singing (16%) ― aren’t particularly popular at reopened evangelical churches.
Over 4,000 people have signed a statement calling on Christians to follow the advice of public health experts and support scientists doing crucial biomedical research on COVID-19. statement.biologos.org
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The majority of evangelicals (62%) said that houses of worship should be required to follow the same rules about social distancing and large gatherings as other organizations or businesses in their areas.
Haarsma said she hopes that the statement’s signatures ― and its careful explanation of the scriptural rationale for following public health experts’ advice ― will help church leaders start conversations with people in their communities who are skeptical about COVID-19. And ultimately she hopes it encourages Christians to live out their faith during the pandemic by making wise decisions supported by scientific evidence.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-21--Russian Opposition Politician Navalny Put On Plane After Suspected Poisoning

Aug 22 ( Reuters ) - Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny has been put on a plane set to take @ @ @ @ @ spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh said on Twitter on Saturday .
Gravely ill Kremlin critic Navalny , @ @ @ @ @ after drinking what his allies believe was poisoned tea , was meant to be airlifted @ @ @ @ @ care after the opposition politician ’ s allies accused the Russian authoritie sof trying to @ @ @ @ @ Reporting by Olzhas Auyezov ; Editing by Sandra Maler )

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BERLIN (Reuters) - Gravely ill Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny was evacuated to Germany for medical treatment on Saturday, flown out of the Siberian city of Omsk in an ambulance aircraft and taken to a hospital in Berlin.
There was no word yet from the Charite hospital on his condition but the founder of the activist group that arranged the flight called Navalny’s health condition “very worrying”.
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A long-time opponent of President Vladimir Putin and campaigner against corruption, Navalny collapsed on a plane on Thursday after drinking tea that his allies believe was laced with poison.
Medical staff at the hospital in Omsk said on Friday evening, after clearing Navalny to be flown out, that he was in an induced coma and his life was not in immediate danger.
The air ambulance, arranged by the Cinema for Peace Foundation, flew to Berlin’s Tegel airport early on Saturday and Navalny, 44, was rushed to the Charite hospital complex.
The hospital said in a statement it would provide an update about his condition and further treatment once tests have been completed and after consulting with his family. It added this could take some time.
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“His health condition is very worrying,” Cinema for Peace founder Jaka Bizilj told reporters outside the hospital.
“We got a very clear message from the doctors that if there had not been an emergency landing in Omsk, he would have died,” said Bizilj, adding that it would be up to doctors and Navalny’s family to provide further information on his condition.
Bizilj, a Slovenian-born activist and filmmaker, was earlier quoted by Bild tabloid as saying Navalny’s condition was stable during the flight and after landing.
Kira Yarmysh, Navalny’s spokeswoman, said on Twitter that “This is another proof that nothing was preventing Navalny from being transported, and it was necessary to do so as early as possible.”
DELAYED EVACUATION
German doctors flew to Russia on Friday to evacuate Navalny at the request of his wife and allies who said that the hospital treating him was badly equipped.
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But there was then a delay flying him out as the Omsk hospital initially said his condition meant he could not travel.
The Omsk doctors later said they had no objections after the German doctors deemed him fit for travel.
Navalny’s wife, Yulia, sent a letter to the Kremlin directly appealing for it to intervene and grant permission for him to be allowed to be flown out.
Navalny’s allies have said they feared authorities in Russia might try to cover up clues as to how he fell ill.
The doctors in Omsk said on Saturday they were ready to share all information they have with the German clinic.
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Two years ago, Pyotr Verzilov, another anti-Kremlin activist and a member of the Pussy Riot art collective, was treated at the Charite hospital after he was poisoned in Moscow.
Navalny has been a thorn in the Kremlin’s side for more than a decade, exposing what he says is high-level graft and mobilising crowds of young protesters.
He has been repeatedly detained for organising public meetings and rallies and sued over his investigations into corruption. He was barred from running in a presidential election in 2018.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-22--Rachel Maddow Thinks This Will Haunt Donald Trump Throughout The RNC

Rachel Maddow on Friday focused how President Donald Trump has once again been left scrambling to downplay his relationship with @ @ @ @ @ charges .
The MSNBC host speculated how the arrest of former White House chief strategist @ @ @ @ @ potential to reveal negative information about the president — might be on Trump ’ s @ @ @ @ @ Convention next week .
“ I mean that ’ s not the normal background noise @ @ @ @ @ happening , ” said Maddow .
“ If you are running against an incumbent president @ @ @ @ @ ’ t usually do you the favor of having their third straight campaign chief arrested @ @ @ @ @ opposition party picks its nominee.
” Bannon , who served as a top aide on @ @ @ @ @ , was arrested Thursday on federal fraud charges .
He and three others are accused @ @ @ @ @ online “ We Build The Wall ” crowd-funding campaign .
Bannon has pleaded not guilty @ @ @ @ @ now .
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Rachel Maddow on Friday focused how President Donald Trump has once again been left scrambling to downplay his relationship with a former adviser facing federal charges.
The MSNBC host speculated how the arrest of former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon — and his potential to reveal negative information about the president — might be on Trump’s mind throughout the Republican National Convention next week.
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“I mean that’s not the normal background noise while the nominating conventions are happening,” said Maddow. “If you are running against an incumbent president, the incumbent president doesn’t usually do you the favor of having their third straight campaign chief arrested on the day that the opposition party picks its nominee.”
Bannon, who served as a top aide on Trump’s 2016 campaign, was arrested Thursday on federal fraud charges. He and three others are accused of embezzling donations to an online “We Build The Wall” crowd-funding campaign. Bannon has pleaded not guilty.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-22--Washington Post Editorial Board Debunks Donald Trump’s 2 ‘Huge’ Election Lies

The Washington Post editorial board warned in no uncertain terms what could happen to the United States if President Donald Trump wins reelection .
And in its latest column Friday — headlined “ A second Trump term might injure the democratic experiment beyond recovery ” — the newspaper ’ s board also debunked “ two huge falsehoods ” that Trump will likely tell in a bid to beat Democratic nominee Joe Biden in November .
“ One is that the nation , his presidency and , above all , Mr. Trump himself are innocent victims of COVID-19 .
In fact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ malpractice turned what would have been a daunting challenge for any president into a national disaster , ” wrote the board .
“ The other is that there was anything to admire in his record before the virus struck , ” it said .
“ It is true that the economic growth initiated under President Barack Obama had continued , at about the same modest rate .
Mr. Trump achieved this growth by ratcheting up America ’ s deficit and long-term debt to record levels , with a tax cut that showered benefits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ torched ” the country ’ s “ standing in the world , loyalty to allies , commitment to democratic values , constitutional checks and balances , faith in reason and science , concern for Earth ’ s health , respect for public service , belief in civility and honest debate , beacon to refugees in need , aspirations to equality and diversity and basic decency , ” it added .

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The Washington Post editorial board warned in no uncertain terms what could happen to the United States if President Donald Trump wins reelection.
And in its latest column Friday — headlined “A second Trump term might injure the democratic experiment beyond recovery” — the newspaper’s board also debunked “two huge falsehoods” that Trump will likely tell in a bid to beat Democratic nominee Joe Biden in November.
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“One is that the nation, his presidency and, above all, Mr. Trump himself are innocent victims of COVID-19. In fact, his own negligence, ignorance and malpractice turned what would have been a daunting challenge for any president into a national disaster,” wrote the board.
“The other is that there was anything to admire in his record before the virus struck,” it said. “It is true that the economic growth initiated under President Barack Obama had continued, at about the same modest rate. Mr. Trump achieved this growth by ratcheting up America’s deficit and long-term debt to record levels, with a tax cut that showered benefits on the wealthy.”
Ultimately, “history will record Mr. Trump’s presidency as a march of wanton, uninterrupted, tragic destruction,” the board wrote.
Trump had “torched” the country’s “standing in the world, loyalty to allies, commitment to democratic values, constitutional checks and balances, faith in reason and science, concern for Earth’s health, respect for public service, belief in civility and honest debate, beacon to refugees in need, aspirations to equality and diversity and basic decency,” it added.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-22--Embattled Sen. McSally Tells Backers Not To Eat — And Give Her The Money They Save

Sen. Martha McSally ( R-Ariz ) has cooked up an unusual fundraising pitch : She wants supporters to “ fast ” for a meal — then give her the money that they save for her campaign .
Stunned critics pointed out that this is the same senator who voted for tax cuts for corporations and billionaires .
“ We ’ re doing our best to catch up , you know , to get our message out , ” she told backers in an audio recording of a recent meeting in northern Arizona obtained by CBS affiliate KPHO-TV .
“ But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ give $ 5 , $ 10 .
If you can , fast a meal and give what that would be.
” McSally is struggling against her Democratic rival , former astronaut Mark Kelly — the husband of shooting survivor and former Rep. Gabby Giffords — who is polling at least five points ahead of the Republican .
He also reportedly had more than twice the campaign cash on hand as McSally did in mid-July .
Officials with her campaign insisted that McSally was joking about skipping a meal — though she didn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ This is a dumb non-story about a candidate making a joke on the stump , ” campaign spokesperson Caroline Anderegg told the Arizona Republic .
She said McSally would “ literally give the shirt off her back for anyone.
” I ’ m going to starve myself for Martha McSally said no one ever !
— Yer Wan ( @ MyCharlestonPad ) August 22 , 2020 LAST MONTH : McSally ended unemployment insurance for ppl who lost their jobs b/c of pandemic THIS MONTH : McSally wants people to `` fast a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ give her campaign cash .
Honestly , she 's making Marie Antoinette look good .
https : //t.co/H24xzWxBPu — Jesse Ferguson ( @ JesseFFerguson ) August 22 , 2020 The audacity to ask constituents to sacrifice a meal so she can stay in power & continue to vote against a covid stimulus , let Trump shred the Constitution & even sabotage USPS .
— KD ( @ Fly_Sistah ) August 22 , 2020 Skipping a meal is like practice for what would happen if McSally and Republicans keep the Senate .
https : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ briantylercohen ) August 22 , 2020 Instead of working to get that other round of relief money to people who need it , a Republican senator is out here asking people to go without and give to her instead .
Deplorable .
— great scott !
🇺🇸 ( @ GreatScott1991 ) August 22 , 2020 Wow , I will gladly contribute to @ CaptMarkKelly to replace those meals .
Not sure if you have heard Martha , but millions can not feed their families or put a roof over their heads !
THIS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ D Magee ( @ jamesdavidmagee ) August 22 , 2020 '' Harm yourselves , so I can stay in power and harm you even more '' ... .
at least it 's on brand — Ohm ( Unit of Resistance ) 🆘 ( @ HereToResist ) August 22 , 2020

Sen. Martha McSally (R-Ariz) has cooked up an unusual fundraising pitch: She wants supporters to “fast” for a meal — then give her the money that they save for her campaign.
Stunned critics pointed out that this is the same senator who voted for tax cuts for corporations and billionaires.
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“We’re doing our best to catch up, you know, to get our message out,” she told backers in an audio recording of a recent meeting in northern Arizona obtained by CBS affiliate KPHO-TV. “But it takes resources ... if you can give $5, $10. If you can, fast a meal and give what that would be.”
McSally is struggling against her Democratic rival, former astronaut Mark Kelly — the husband of shooting survivor and former Rep. Gabby Giffords — who is polling at least five points ahead of the Republican. He also reportedly had more than twice the campaign cash on hand as McSally did in mid-July.
Officials with her campaign insisted that McSally was joking about skipping a meal — though she didn’t sound like she was joking.
“This is a dumb non-story about a candidate making a joke on the stump,” campaign spokesperson Caroline Anderegg told the Arizona Republic. She said McSally would “literally give the shirt off her back for anyone.”
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Twitter wits weren’t buying it.
I’m going to starve myself for Martha McSally said no one ever! — Yer Wan (@MyCharlestonPad) August 22, 2020
LAST MONTH: McSally ended unemployment insurance for ppl who lost their jobs b/c of pandemic
THIS MONTH: McSally wants people to "fast a meal" so they can afford to give her campaign cash.
Honestly, she's making Marie Antoinette look good. https://t.co/H24xzWxBPu — Jesse Ferguson (@JesseFFerguson) August 22, 2020
The audacity to ask constituents to sacrifice a meal so she can stay in power & continue to vote against a covid stimulus, let Trump shred the Constitution & even sabotage USPS. — KD (@Fly_Sistah) August 22, 2020
Skipping a meal is like practice for what would happen if McSally and Republicans keep the Senate. https://t.co/ouZffoomLw — Brian Tyler Cohen (@briantylercohen) August 22, 2020
Instead of working to get that other round of relief money to people who need it, a Republican senator is out here asking people to go without and give to her instead. Deplorable. — great scott! 🇺🇸 (@GreatScott1991) August 22, 2020
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Wow, I will gladly contribute to @CaptMarkKelly to replace those meals. Not sure if you have heard Martha, but millions cannot feed their families or put a roof over their heads! THIS is @realDonaldTrump administration! — James D Magee (@jamesdavidmagee) August 22, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-21--Lincoln Project Uses Trump's Goodyear Boycott Call To Blast Him In Ohio Ad

The Lincoln Project , led by conservative Republicans , is using President Donald Trump ’ s startling call to boycott Goodyear in a scathing attack ad this week in Ohio .
The ad criticizes Trump for calling for a boycott of the 122-year-old American company just as the nation is reeling from 175,000 COVID-19 deaths and record unemployment .
Why call for a boycott that risks 3,300 union jobs ?
the ad asks .
Because Trump ’ s “ feelings got hurt.
” Trump called for the action Wednesday against one of Ohio ’ s largest employers after Goodyear Tire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at its plants .
Trump falsely claimed the company banned “ Make American Great Again ” hats , but they were not mentioned in the Goodyear policy .
Don ’ t buy GOODYEAR TIRES - They announced a BAN ON MAGA HATS .
Get better tires for far less !
( This is what the Radical Left Democrats do .
Two can play the same game , and we have to start playing it now ! )
.
— Donald J. Trump ( @ realDonaldTrump ) August 19 , 2020 Trump “ talks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s not on our side , ” says a narrator in the Lincoln Project ad .
“ Never has been .
Never will be.
” The company dropped the policy after Trump ’ s tweet .
Trump , meanwhile , was slammed as a “ snowflake ” and a “ cancel culture ” hypocrite .
Ohio residents , union leaders and lawmakers were stunned that Trump could cavalierly demand an economic blow to the largest tire manufacturer in the nation .
Akron , Goodyear ’ s headquarters , is known as “ Rubber @ @ @ @ @ @ @ battleground state runs the risk of jeopardizing Trump ’ s reelection chances .
Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan slammed Trump in a tweet for “ coming to destroy the American economy and heartland jobs , adding : “ Luckily , you seem to fail at everything you do.
” It included a gif of NBA hometown star LeBron James in a judge ’ s wig .
( James said of the boycott call Thursday : “ We don ’ t bend , fold or break for nobody.
” ) First , you came to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ came to destroy American institutions .
Now you 're coming to destroy the American economy and heartland jobs .
Luckily you seem to fail at everything you do .
pic.twitter.com/zzVJ9X0ap4 — City of Akron , Ohio ( @ AkronOhioMayor ) August 19 , 2020 It ’ s absolutely despicable that the President would call for a boycott of an American company , based in Akron , that employs thousands of U.S. workers .
https : //t.co/0wI5CT1zjG — Sherrod Brown ( @ SenSherrodBrown ) August 19 , 2020 Keep in mind , this is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own Trump-branded products overseas .
He failed to stand up for workers in Lordstown , and now he betrays the workers in Akron .
— Sherrod Brown ( @ SenSherrodBrown ) August 19 , 2020 The never-Trumper Lincoln Project , co-founded by George Conway , husband of White House counselor Kellyanne Conway , is buying $ 425,000 worth of TV spots through next week in Cleveland , Akron and Youngstown just as Trump will be accepting the Republican presidential nomination .

The Lincoln Project, led by conservative Republicans, is using President Donald Trump’s startling call to boycott Goodyear in a scathing attack ad this week in Ohio.
The ad criticizes Trump for calling for a boycott of the 122-year-old American company just as the nation is reeling from 175,000 COVID-19 deaths and record unemployment. Why call for a boycott that risks 3,300 union jobs? the ad asks. Because Trump’s “feelings got hurt.”
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Trump called for the action Wednesday against one of Ohio’s largest employers after Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. banned political message attire at its plants. Trump falsely claimed the company banned “Make American Great Again” hats, but they were not mentioned in the Goodyear policy.
Don’t buy GOODYEAR TIRES - They announced a BAN ON MAGA HATS. Get better tires for far less! (This is what the Radical Left Democrats do. Two can play the same game, and we have to start playing it now!). — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 19, 2020
Trump “talks a good game, but he’s not on our side,” says a narrator in the Lincoln Project ad. “Never has been. Never will be.”
Trump’s tweet immediately sent the company’s stock down.
The company dropped the policy after Trump’s tweet. Trump, meanwhile, was slammed as a “snowflake” and a “cancel culture” hypocrite.
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Ohio residents, union leaders and lawmakers were stunned that Trump could cavalierly demand an economic blow to the largest tire manufacturer in the nation. Akron, Goodyear’s headquarters, is known as “Rubber City.” The boycott call in a battleground state runs the risk of jeopardizing Trump’s reelection chances.
Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan slammed Trump in a tweet for “coming to destroy the American economy and heartland jobs, adding: “Luckily, you seem to fail at everything you do.” It included a gif of NBA hometown star LeBron James in a judge’s wig. (James said of the boycott call Thursday: “We don’t bend, fold or break for nobody.”)
First, you came to destroy American decency. Next, you came to destroy American institutions. Now you're coming to destroy the American economy and heartland jobs. Luckily you seem to fail at everything you do. pic.twitter.com/zzVJ9X0ap4 — City of Akron, Ohio (@AkronOhioMayor) August 19, 2020
It’s absolutely despicable that the President would call for a boycott of an American company, based in Akron, that employs thousands of U.S. workers. https://t.co/0wI5CT1zjG — Sherrod Brown (@SenSherrodBrown) August 19, 2020
Keep in mind, this is a President who spent years making his own Trump-branded products overseas.
He failed to stand up for workers in Lordstown, and now he betrays the workers in Akron. — Sherrod Brown (@SenSherrodBrown) August 19, 2020
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The never-Trumper Lincoln Project, co-founded by George Conway, husband of White House counselor Kellyanne Conway, is buying $425,000 worth of TV spots through next week in Cleveland, Akron and Youngstown just as Trump will be accepting the Republican presidential nomination.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-21--Trump Told Homeland Security To Take Its Orders From Lou Dobbs, Former Official Says

President Donald Trump told officials from the Department of Homeland Security to get their marching orders by listening to Fox Business host Lou Dobbs “ every night , ” former DHS chief of staff Miles Taylor told Anderson Cooper on Friday .
Dobbs , an effusive supporter of Trump , was basically the “ shadow chief of staff ” for the department , Taylor said in the CNN interview .
“ The president would call us and ... he would say , ‘ Why the hell didn ’ t you watch Lou Dobbs last night ?
You need to listen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what I want to do , ’ ” Taylor said .
“ So if Lou Dobbs peddled a conspiracy theory on late-night television or made an erroneous claim about what should be done ... at the border ... the president wanted us to be tuning in every night , ” he added .
Taylor said he didn ’ t have time to watch Dobbs while the 250,000-person DHS was “ trying to guard against some of the most severe threats to this country.
” “ We can ’ t be watching Lou Dobbs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but this happened on a regular basis , ” Taylor said .
Taylor served in the Department of Homeland Security from 2017 to 2019 , including as chief of staff to former Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen .
He has blasted the Trump administration and is endorsing Democrat Joe Biden for president .
He accused Trump in a blistering Washington Post op-ed of sacrificing national security for his personal benefit .
Taylor said earlier this week that Trump once asked if America could swap Puerto Rico for Greenland and that he frequently made disparaging comments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
DHS official Miles Taylor discusses when Pres .
Trump said he wanted to trade Puerto Rico for Greenland : '' The fact that the President of the US wanted to take a US territory of Americans and swap it for a foreign country is beyond galling . ''
`` I did not take it as a joke . ''
pic.twitter.com/cE8Idn3slZ — MSNBC ( @ MSNBC ) August 19 , 2020 Trump has responded to Taylor ’ s criticisms by saying he ’ s a ” disgruntled employee ” and a “ real @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heard of.
” Check out what Taylor had to say to Cooper in the video clip up top .

President Donald Trump told officials from the Department of Homeland Security to get their marching orders by listening to Fox Business host Lou Dobbs “every night,” former DHS chief of staff Miles Taylor told Anderson Cooper on Friday.
Dobbs, an effusive supporter of Trump, was basically the “shadow chief of staff” for the department, Taylor said in the CNN interview.
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“The president would call us and ... he would say, ‘Why the hell didn’t you watch Lou Dobbs last night? You need to listen to Lou. What Lou says is what I want to do,’” Taylor said.
“So if Lou Dobbs peddled a conspiracy theory on late-night television or made an erroneous claim about what should be done ... at the border ... the president wanted us to be tuning in every night,” he added.
Taylor said he didn’t have time to watch Dobbs while the 250,000-person DHS was “trying to guard against some of the most severe threats to this country.”
“We can’t be watching Lou Dobbs and taking our orders from him, but this happened on a regular basis,” Taylor said.
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Taylor served in the Department of Homeland Security from 2017 to 2019, including as chief of staff to former Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen. He has blasted the Trump administration and is endorsing Democrat Joe Biden for president. He accused Trump in a blistering Washington Post op-ed of sacrificing national security for his personal benefit.
Taylor said earlier this week that Trump once asked if America could swap Puerto Rico for Greenland and that he frequently made disparaging comments about the Puerto Rican people.
Fmr. DHS official Miles Taylor discusses when Pres. Trump said he wanted to trade Puerto Rico for Greenland:
"The fact that the President of the US wanted to take a US territory of Americans and swap it for a foreign country is beyond galling."
"I did not take it as a joke." pic.twitter.com/cE8Idn3slZ — MSNBC (@MSNBC) August 19, 2020
Trump has responded to Taylor’s criticisms by saying he’s a ”disgruntled employee” and a “real stiff” whom he has “never heard of.”
Check out what Taylor had to say to Cooper in the video clip up top.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-22--Senator ‘Sums Up 2020’ With 1 Hot Mic F-Bomb After Another In Online Hearing

Tom Carper , the Democratic senator for Delaware , dropped not one , not two but three hot mic F-bombs during a virtual Senate hearing on Friday .
Wits on Twitter immediately suggested Carper had summed up 2020 with the amusing outburst that has now gone viral .
Carper rattled off the series of curse words after he was called on to question Postmaster General Louis DeJoy but initially struggled to unmute himself .
“ Fuck , fuck , fuck , ” Carper was heard saying after Sen. Ron Johnson ( R-Wis. ) suggested skipping him because of the audio @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unfortunate hot mic moment when he dropped the f-bomb during this morning ’ s nationally televised virtual Senate hearing on recent changes to USPS .
https : //t.co/CUZn5FAYYE pic.twitter.com/UKnErBcYUb — POLITICO ( @ politico ) August 21 , 2020 After uttering the expletives and proving he was indeed audible , Carper was then able to join in with the quizzing of DeJoy over the recent changes made to the U.S .
Postal Service amid President Donald Trump ’ s pushing of unfounded fears of mass mail-in voter fraud ahead of the 2020 election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ POLITICO that he “ got frustrated with technical difficulties this morning , but that pales in comparison to his frustration with a Postmaster General who ’ s actively undermining the U.S .
Postal Service during a national crisis.
” Those who know me know that there are few things that get me more fired up than protecting the Postal Service !
# DontMessWithUSPS — Senator Tom Carper ( @ SenatorCarper ) August 21 , 2020

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Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) dropped not one, not two but three F-bombs during a virtual Senate hearing on Friday.
Twitter users immediately suggested that Carper had summed up 2020 with the amusing outburst, which went viral.
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Carper rattled off the series of curse words after he was called on to question Postmaster General Louis DeJoy but initially struggled to unmute himself.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” Carper was saying, as his voice became audible.
Sen. Tom Carper had an unfortunate hot mic moment when he dropped the f-bomb during this morning’s nationally televised virtual Senate hearing on recent changes to USPS. https://t.co/CUZn5FAYYE pic.twitter.com/UKnErBcYUb — POLITICO (@politico) August 21, 2020
After uttering the expletives and proving he wasn’t on mute anymore, Carper was able to question DeJoy over recent changes made to the Postal Service, after President Donald Trump’s admission that he wants to make voting by mail more difficult ahead of the 2020 election.
A spokesperson for Carper confirmed to Politico that he “got frustrated with technical difficulties this morning, but that pales in comparison to his frustration with a postmaster general who’s actively undermining the U.S. Postal Service during a national crisis.”
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Carper later tweeted:
Those who know me know that there are few things that get me more fired up than protecting the Postal Service!#DontMessWithUSPS — Senator Tom Carper (@SenatorCarper) August 21, 2020
Now that I have your attention, an important reminder: https://t.co/rrOKzvnEDU — Senator Tom Carper (@SenatorCarper) August 22, 2020
Fellow Twitter users agreed that Carper’s comments summed up the year:
Senator Tom Carper is all of us. — Blogger formerly known as DCup (@lisagolden) August 21, 2020
Senator Tom Carper: "FUCK! FUCK! FUCK!"
Sums up 2020 quite well. — Ryan 🏳🌈🐝 (@RyRousseau) August 21, 2020
2020 in a single video:
(Tom Carper is a gem) pic.twitter.com/KGNvKk0w8k — Santiago Mayer (@santiagomayer_) August 21, 2020
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-22--Democrats Are Walking A Fine Line On The Election's Main Foreign Policy Issue: China

At several points during his presidential campaign , Democratic nominee Joe Biden has alarmed some foreign policy doves and progressive activists with what came off as belligerence toward China ― like when he said in an April ad that President Donald Trump “ rolled over for the Chinese ” and promised to be tougher .
But some clear political incentives exist for Biden to push an aggressive posture .
For one thing , Trump and his allies are calling the Democrat “ Beijing Biden ” and highlighting his son Hunter ’ s former business venture in the country .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is an obvious need to respond with bluster .
And a Pew survey conducted in June and July found that Americans have an increasingly unfavorable view of China , with Democrats especially wary of the U.S. ’ s close economic relationship with the country and keen to press its leaders on human rights concerns , like the Chinese government ’ s abuses against Uighurs .
Democratic officials are eager to highlight Trump ’ s record of flattering Chinese President Xi Jinping and overlooking Xi ’ s failure to uphold his side of Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more U.S. goods .
Biden ’ s posture has reflected these dueling pressures .
In May , he released a less alarmist message , narrowly focusing on Trump ’ s support for China ’ s leadership and avoiding fear-mongering about Chinese people .
In his speech accepting the nomination at the virtual Democratic National Convention on Thursday , Biden only said of China : “ We ’ ll make the medical supplies and protective equipment our country needs .
And we ’ ll make them here in America .
So we will never @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and other foreign countries in order to protect our own people.
” Yet the party ’ s 2020 platform mentions China 22 times in largely adversarial terms compared to seven references in the 2016 document .
And overall , the current platform adopts a tone that suggests it ’ s chosen to engage in what experts warn could be a race to the bottom ― and a more dangerous world .
Biden ’ s foreign policy circle also points to a potentially more hawkish approach .
Michèle Flournoy , widely expected to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recently wrote that while conflict would not serve the interests of either the U.S. or China , the American military and its partners should consider developing capabilities to , for instance , sink the entire Chinese Navy within 72 hours to deter Beijing .
Flournoy argued that China was becoming more confident because it perceives Washington as weak .
Winograd , who helped organize a letter signed by hundreds of delegates that criticized Flournoy , Sullivan and other top Biden foreign policy aides , continued in an email , “ What would we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coast of California ?
We would interpret it as a threat.
” Her views show how China could divide the party ’ s factions despite the unity it has built on other international issues , like ending U.S. support for a Saudi-led military intervention in Yemen that Biden and former President Barack Obama greenlit .
Biden ’ s commitment to that has impressed her , Winograd said .
The repeated references at the Democratic convention about winning over Republicans and showcasing Biden ’ s ties to figures associated with foreign interventions like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sen. John McCain ( R-Ariz. ) also suggested the candidate isn ’ t as wary of the thinking that led to past mistakes as some in his coalition would like .
Indeed , some Republican foreign policy figures , including former Trump officials , see an opportunity to help shape Biden ’ s approach to China because they have given up on the president , The Daily Beast reported .
In Biden , the nation would be “ putting somebody in the White House who understands how to fight and cooperate with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” said Sen. Chris Murphy ( D-Conn. ) , who party insiders often mention as a possible secretary of state .
“ There are very few people , maybe no one else that we could have nominated for president , who will be ready to understand the complicated nuance of that relationship better than him.
” Asked about concerns from the left that Democrats could adopt an overly confrontational approach , particularly in trying to court some GOP voters , Khanna said , “ I don ’ t think that ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I think he will seek to bridge divides around the world and project a better and more cooperative American framework.
” A policy born of that identity isn ’ t necessarily bellicose ; in speaking of areas to compete with China , for instance , Murphy repeatedly has called for the U.S. to encourage innovation more quickly than that nation .
And China experts advising Biden like Ely Ratner and Ryan Hass have spoken of ensuring the U.S. is focused on rebuilding its strength at home and making clear it seeks to engage @ @ @ @ @ @ @

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At several points during his presidential campaign, Democratic nominee Joe Biden has alarmed some foreign policy doves and progressive activists with what came off as belligerence toward China ― like when he said in an April ad that President Donald Trump “rolled over for the Chinese” and promised to be tougher.
Such messages run the risk of bolstering hawkishness and racism at home and making other items on Biden’s agenda — like rallying international action against climate change and ending the economic pain of Trump’s trade wars — harder to accomplish.
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But some clear political incentives exist for Biden to push an aggressive posture. For one thing, Trump and his allies are calling the Democrat “Beijing Biden” and highlighting his son Hunter’s former business venture in the country. That has created what some Biden allies say is an obvious need to respond with bluster.
And a Pew survey conducted in June and July found that Americans have an increasingly unfavorable view of China, with Democrats especially wary of the U.S.’s close economic relationship with the country and keen to press its leaders on human rights concerns, like the Chinese government’s abuses against Uighurs. Democratic officials are eager to highlight Trump’s record of flattering Chinese President Xi Jinping and overlooking Xi’s failure to uphold his side of Trump’s much-touted trade deal by buying more U.S. goods.
Biden’s posture has reflected these dueling pressures. In May, he released a less alarmist message, narrowly focusing on Trump’s support for China’s leadership and avoiding fear-mongering about Chinese people. In his speech accepting the nomination at the virtual Democratic National Convention on Thursday, Biden only said of China: “We’ll make the medical supplies and protective equipment our country needs. And we’ll make them here in America. So we will never again be at the mercy of China and other foreign countries in order to protect our own people.”
Yet the party’s 2020 platform mentions China 22 times in largely adversarial terms compared to seven references in the 2016 document. And overall, the current platform adopts a tone that suggests it’s chosen to engage in what experts warn could be a race to the bottom ― and a more dangerous world.
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Biden’s foreign policy circle also points to a potentially more hawkish approach. Michèle Flournoy, widely expected to be tapped by Biden as defense secretary, recently wrote that while conflict would not serve the interests of either the U.S. or China, the American military and its partners should consider developing capabilities to, for instance, sink the entire Chinese Navy within 72 hours to deter Beijing. Flournoy argued that China was becoming more confident because it perceives Washington as weak.
Another Biden national security advisor, Jake Sullivan, also has called for more U.S.-led naval exercises in waters near China.
Marcy Winograd, a Democratic convention delegate, said, “I would urge the Biden administration to reject advice from” Flournoy.
Winograd, who helped organize a letter signed by hundreds of delegates that criticized Flournoy, Sullivan and other top Biden foreign policy aides, continued in an email, “What would we think if China conducted war games off the coast of California? We would interpret it as a threat.”
Her views show how China could divide the party’s factions despite the unity it has built on other international issues, like ending U.S. support for a Saudi-led military intervention in Yemen that Biden and former President Barack Obama greenlit. Biden’s commitment to that has impressed her, Winograd said.
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Michèle Flournoy, an undersecretary for defense in former President Barack Obama's administration, is seen as a frontrunner to serve as defense secretary under Joe Biden. Her views on U.S. policy toward China have raised concerns among progressives. Yuri Gripas / Reuters
The repeated references at the Democratic convention about winning over Republicans and showcasing Biden’s ties to figures associated with foreign interventions like Iraq War architect Colin Powell and late Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) also suggested the candidate isn’t as wary of the thinking that led to past mistakes as some in his coalition would like. Indeed, some Republican foreign policy figures, including former Trump officials, see an opportunity to help shape Biden’s approach to China because they have given up on the president, The Daily Beast reported.
Speaking to reporters during the convention, influential Democrats working on global affairs emphasized a party consensus on the China issue and confidence that Biden would craft a thoughtful strategy in office.
In Biden, the nation would be “putting somebody in the White House who understands how to fight and cooperate with a country like China at the same time,” said Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), who party insiders often mention as a possible secretary of state. “There are very few people, maybe no one else that we could have nominated for president, who will be ready to understand the complicated nuance of that relationship better than him.”
Rep. Ro Khanna of California, who co-chaired the Democratic presidential primary campaign of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), said the party is offering “a two-track approach” that is “different from Trump’s call for a new Cold War.”
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Asked about concerns from the left that Democrats could adopt an overly confrontational approach, particularly in trying to court some GOP voters, Khanna said, “I don’t think that’s where Biden’s instincts are. I think he will seek to bridge divides around the world and project a better and more cooperative American framework.”
Murphy added that in this election, “We are the national security party.”
A policy born of that identity isn’t necessarily bellicose; in speaking of areas to compete with China, for instance, Murphy repeatedly has called for the U.S. to encourage innovation more quickly than that nation. And China experts advising Biden like Ely Ratner and Ryan Hass have spoken of ensuring the U.S. is focused on rebuilding its strength at home and making clear it seeks to engage with Beijing beyond just pressuring it.
Still, the public perception and environment that Democrats create matters ― and the political winds they help shape can ultimately influence crucial decisions on international relations more than careful analysis.
“We have to also speak about ending these wars and the foreign interventionism and I’m hopeful that that will be part of the theme tonight,” Khanna said ahead of the convention’s final night.
It wasn’t.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-22--2020 Is Proving Another Disastrous Year For Our Earth's Climate

“ This drastic decline in ice shelves is clearly related to climate change , ” University of Ottawa glaciology professor Luke Copland said in a statement .
“ This summer has been up to 5°C ( 41 degrees Fahrenheit ) warmer than the average over the period from 1981 to 2010 , and the region has been warming at two to three times the global rate .
The Milne and other ice shelves in Canada are simply not viable any longer and will disappear in the coming decades.
” “ We ’ ve long known that as climate change takes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pronounced in the Arctic , ” said NSIDC Director Mark Serreze , who conducted research on the St. Patrick Bay ice caps as a graduate student in 1982 .
“ But the death of those two little caps that I once knew so well has made climate change very personal .
All that ’ s left are some photographs and a lot of memories.
” “ This is not the last , quote end quote , ‘ record-breaking ’ historic heat dome and experience that we will have in the state , or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or in our hemisphere in our lifetime , ” Gov .
Gavin Newsom ( D ) said at a press conference Tuesday .
“ This is exactly what so many scientists have predicted for decades.
” NOAA earlier this month updated its outlook for this year to forecast between 19 and 25 named storms , seven to 11 hurricanes , and three to six major hurricanes of Category 3 or stronger .
That ’ s up from the 13 to 19 named storms , six to 10 hurricanes , and three to six @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The storm brought flash flooding and tornadoes , and it downed trees and powerlines .
At least nine people were killed and millions were left without power .
New York City utility company Con Ed reported more outages from Isaias than any other storm except 2012′s Superstorm Sandy .
Connecticut Gov .
Ned Lamont governor declared a state of emergency after more than 700,000 of the state ’ s residents were left without electricity for several days .
More than 350 tornadoes were reported in the U.S. during the month , the second-highest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to preliminary numbers by the National Weather Service , whose records date back to 1970 .
These storms killed 40 people , making April the deadliest tornado month since 41 people died in May 2013 .
May and June , in contrast , saw the fewest number of tornadoes for that period , with both months seeing a combined total of just 249 tornadoes , according to the NWS .
That ’ s despite May and June typically averaging the most number of tornadoes in the U.S. , at least over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Weather.com .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Record-breaking heat, melting ice caps, raging wildfires and a particularly grim hurricane forecast may have taken a backseat in news cycles dominated by politics and a health pandemic, but that doesn’t mean these climate phenomena have gone away.
The year still has more than four months to go, but 2020 already has proven itself to be another eventful one in terms of natural disasters, rising global temperatures and threatening environmental outlooks.
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Here’s a look at just some of the anomalies we’ve faced so far in 2020.
Record-Breaking Heat
The year is expected to rank among the five warmest on record for the planet, according to a July report by a National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration office, which said a 75% chance exists it ends up being the hottest or second hottest.
Mountains nearly devoid of snow stand behind a road and a polar bear warning sign during a summer heatwave on Svalbard archipelago on July 29 near Longyearbyen, Norway. Sean Gallup via Getty Images
During the first seven months of the year, the Earth’s global land and ocean surface temperature set its second-highest heat record. The temperature of 58.79 degrees Fahrenheit (14.88 Celsius) was only .007 of a degree less than the record set in 2016.
July also saw the global temperature rise 1.66 degrees Fahrenheit (0.92 of a degree Celcius) above the 20th-century average, tying it with 2016 as the second-hottest July on record. It was just .02-degree short of 2019′s record rise in July of 1.71-degree Fahrenheit (0.95 of a degree Celcius).
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The Northern Hemisphere, meanwhile, saw the highest ever recorded combined land and ocean surface average temperature in July, with the mercury rising 2.12 degrees Fahrenheit (1.18 degree Celcius) above average. This combined temperature surpassed July 2019 by 0.14 of a degree Fahrenheit (0.08 of a degree Celcius).
Global land and ocean temperature anomalies in July. NOAA
“The six warmest Julys on record have occurred in the last six years, consistent with our warming climate,” NOAA reported.
Temperatures in Death Valley, California, were recorded hitting 130 degrees Fahrenheit last Sunday. If verified, this would be the highest temperature recorded on Earth since at least 1913.
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We end the first half of 2020 as the hottest 1st half of any year ever recorded in #Miami.
The ratio of record heat to record cold temperatures so far is
121 to 1
among the 3 main airports in Key West, Ft Lauderdale & Miami. It's a clear sign of an imbalance in our #climate pic.twitter.com/anWDdb855w — John Morales (@JohnMoralesNBC6) July 1, 2020
Loss Of Sea Ice
Unfortunately, all this heat affects more than just air conditioner sales.
July set a new record low for Arctic sea ice for the month ―120,000 square miles below the previous record low mark for July set in 2019, according to the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC). And the figure for this July was 840,000 square miles below the 1981-2010 average.
The ice loss was attributed to above-average air temperatures and extensive melt pond development, which reduces the ice surface’s ability to reflect light and consequently allows more of the sun’s energy to be absorbed, the NSIDC said.
News of the record lows came as researchers announced that Canada’s last fully intact Arctic ice shelf had collapsed.
The 4,000-year-old Milne Ice Shelf in Nunavut, Canada, lost more than 40% of its area, or 31 square miles, over two days in late July.
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Canada’s ice shelves were a sheet spanning approximately 3,475-square miles when discovered by polar explorer Robert Peary in 1902, according to NSIDC. By 2000, it had been reduced to just 405 square miles, the BBC reported.
“This drastic decline in ice shelves is clearly related to climate change,” University of Ottawa glaciology professor Luke Copland said in a statement. “This summer has been up to 5°C [9º Fahrenheit] warmer than the average over the period from 1981 to 2010, and the region has been warming at two to three times the global rate. The Milne and other ice shelves in Canada are simply not viable any longer and will disappear in the coming decades.”
The St. Patrick Bay ice caps, also in Nunavut, completely vanished last month. The caps were reduced to only five percent of their former area between 1959-2015 and then rapidly deteriorated after an especially warm summer in 2015, according to NSIDC and NASA imagery.
“We’ve long known that as climate change takes hold, the effects would be especially pronounced in the Arctic,” said NSIDC Director Mark Serreze, who conducted research on the St. Patrick Bay ice caps as a graduate student in 1982. “But the death of those two little caps that I once knew so well has made climate change very personal. All that’s left are some photographs and a lot of memories.”
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This map from the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration identifies some of the most significant weather and climate events that have occurred so far this year. NOAA
California’s Raging Wildfires
Amid heat waves and dry lightning strikes, California is again dealing with a massive wildfire crisis that state officials say has consumed more than 422,000 acres of land, destroyed nearly 300 structures and forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of people.
As of this past week, the state’s largest fire ― designated as the SCU Lightning Complex ― had torched nearly 140,000 acres as it burned east of San Jose. That’s nearly double the size of last year’s largest blaze, the Kincade fire, which burned more than 77,700 acres across Sonoma County.
The state’s fire season has lengthened by about 75 days and has seen an increase in larger fires in recent years, according to state officials, who blame warmer spring and summer temperatures, earlier spring snowmelt and more intense dry seasons for the vegetation’s increased fire susceptibility.
Flames from the wildfire designated as the LNU Lightning Complex are seen around Lake Berryessa in Napa County, California on Wednesday. Fire crews across the region have scrambled to contain dozens of wildfires sparked by lightning strikes. ASSOCIATED PRESS
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“The fire season in California and across the West is starting earlier and ending later each year,” California’s Department of Forestry & Fire Protection reported last year. “Climate change is considered a key driver of this trend.”
Half of California’s 20 most destructive wildfires have occurred within the last 10 years; the state’s most destructive and deadliest, the Camp Fire, occurred in 2018.
“This is not the last, quote end quote, ‘record-breaking’ historic heat dome and experience that we will have in the state, or in this region or in our nation or in our hemisphere in our lifetime,” Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) said at a press conference Tuesday. “This is exactly what so many scientists have predicted for decades.”
One 2015 study found that fire seasons, globally, have lengthened as well.
A charred tricycle was about all that was left standing Thursday inside a burnt-to-the-ground home in Bonny Doon, California. Half of California’s 20 most-destructive wildfires have occurred within the last 10 years. ASSOCIATED PRESS
An ‘Extremely Active’ Hurricane Season
Forecasters have predicted an above-average season for hurricanes this year, possibly one of the busiest on record.
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In just the first two months of the hurricane season ― which runs from June 1-Nov. 30 ― a record-setting nine named storms occurred. That’s seven more than the average number through early August, according to NOAA.
NOAA earlier this month updated its outlook for this year to forecast between 19 and 25 named storms, seven to 11 hurricanes, and three to six major hurricanes of Category 3 or stronger. That’s up from the 13 to 19 named storms, six to 10 hurricanes, and three to six major hurricanes it predicted in May.
The agency never before has forecast up to 25 named storms.
“This year, we expect more, stronger and longer-lived storms than average,” said Dr. Gerry Bell, the lead seasonal hurricane forecaster at NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center.
NOAA’s predicted Accumulated Cyclone Energy (ACE) index, which measures the combined intensity and duration of all named storms during the season, also “extends well above NOAA’s threshold for an extremely active season,” he said.
Reasons for the extreme activity include above-average sea surface temperatures in the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean, as well as an enhanced West African monsoon, NOAA said.
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Tropical Storm Isaias
Tropical storm Isaias, the ninth named storm of this season, initially made landfall in North Carolina on Aug. 3 as a Category 1 storm before traveling up the Atlantic coast, weakening along the way.
A Philadelphia police officer rushes to help a stranded motorist during Tropical Storm Isaias on Aug. 4. The storm spawned tornadoes and dumped rain during an inland march up the East Coast after making landfall as a hurricane along the North Carolina coast. It was NOAA's ninth-named storm so far this year, an unusually high number. Associated Press
The storm brought flash flooding and tornadoes, and it downed trees and powerlines. At least nine people were killed and millions were left without power. New York City utility company Con Ed reported more outages from Isaias than any other storm except 2012′s Superstorm Sandy. Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont governor declared a state of emergency after more than 700,000 of the state’s residents were left without electricity for several days.
Iowa’s Derecho
Earlier this month, a rare storm known as a derecho tore across the Midwest, with hurricane-force winds topping 100 mph. The storm killed at least three people in Iowa, destroyed or extensively damaged about 8,200 homes, and destroyed a third of the state’s cropland, Gov. Kim Reynolds said.
Ten days after the storm hit, nearly 19,000 people in Iowa remained without power.
Reynolds filed an expedited presidential major disaster declaration while estimating that the damage amounted to nearly $4 billion.
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Damaged grain bins are shown at the Heartland Co-Op grain elevator on Aug. 11, in Luther, Iowa, after a powerful derecho battered the region. An estimated 8,200 homes were destroyed or extensively damaged. Daniel Acker via Getty Images
The storm was the result of unstable, extremely moist air that had lingered over the northern plains for days before forming into the powerful weather formation.
Tornadoes
Though April is typically not one of the worst months for tornadoes, this year proved an exception.
More than 350 tornadoes were reported in the U.S. during the month, the second-highest number of twisters ever for an April, according to preliminary numbers by the National Weather Service, whose records date back to 1970. These storms killed 40 people, making April the deadliest tornado month since 41 people died in May 2013.
April 2020 was very busy for us here at the Storm Prediction Center. This thread highlights some of the more notable numbers for the month, including the outlook progressions for the 3 days with tornado fatalities pic.twitter.com/Ero3YmMZbQ — NWS Storm Prediction Center (@NWSSPC) May 1, 2020
May and June, in contrast, saw the fewest number of tornadoes for that period, with both months seeing a combined total of just 249 tornadoes, according to the NWS. That’s despite May and June typically averaging the most number of tornadoes in the U.S., at least over the last 20 years, according to Weather.com.
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Weather systems over the Southeast in May and June were blamed for preventing moisture, necessary for storm development, from traveling to the Great Plains region that is known as Tornado Alley.
“It was one unfavorable pattern after another,” Jeff Frame, a teaching associate professor of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Illinois, told CNN. “It’s rare to see something like this.”