thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-29--Mitch McConnell Punts On $2,000 Stimulus Checks Bill Despite Bipartisan Pressure

McConnell acknowledged that Trump , as he signed the most recent COVID-19 relief package on Sunday , also asked for action on three areas of his concern , including the stimulus payments .
The other issues on Trump ’ s wish list are intensified election security and lesser liability protections for social media companies .
The Democratic-controlled House on Monday passed a bill to more than triple the relief payments from the $ 600 in the bill that Trump signed to $ 2,000 , with dozens of Republicans voting in favor .
The Senate ’ s Democratic leadership is pressing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 2,000 payments to a vote in the upper chamber , but the majority leader has so far refused to commit to that .
McConnell on Tuesday offered a vague preview of his legislative plan as the current congressional session draws to a close shortly into the new year .
“ This week , the Senate will begin a process ” to bring the three issues raised by Trump “ into focus , ” he said from the Senate floor .
The heftier checks “ could mean the difference between American families having @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going hungry , ” Schumer said in a floor speech .
He then asked , “ Will Senate Republicans fight for a vote on the House-passed [ bill ] or will they look some other way ?
” After a monthslong impasse , Congress last week finally passed a $ 900 billion COVID-19 relief package .
But Trump , whose administration helped negotiate the bill , stunned Republicans when he urged lawmakers to increase the $ 600 payments outlined in the legislation .
For a few days he left the impression he might @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it while noting his objections .
Some Democrats , along with Sen. Bernie Sanders ( I-Vt. ) , have been pushing for $ 2,000 stimulus checks for months .
They are now offering their full-throated support for Trump ’ s call for the higher payments .
At least five Senate Republicans ― including Marco Rubio of Florida and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina ― have said they would vote in favor of the heftier checks .
GOP Sens .
Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue of Georgia announced their support for the payments on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pivotal runoff races in their state that will determine which party controls the Senate in the next congressional session .
McConnell signaled Tuesday that the $ 2,000 payments could be negotiated as part of a deal tackling the two other issues Trump wants addressed .
It ’ s unclear , however , when such negotiations would take place .
Sanders on Monday said he would filibuster a Senate vote to override Trump ’ s veto of the National Defense Authorization Act , scheduled for Wednesday , to pressure McConnell to bring the $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ On Tuesday , Sanders called for McConnell to hold a vote on the $ 2,000 checks bill immediately after Wednesday ’ s scheduled NDAA veto override vote , but the Republican leader rejected the request .
“ Working families need help now ― not next year ― but right now , ” Sanders said in Senate floor remarks .
“ Now it is time for the Senate to step up to the plate and do what the working families of this country overwhelmingly want us to do.
” He continued : “ Hunger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that it has been for decades , with moms and dads struggling to feed their kids and working families lining up mile after mile to get emergency food packages .
... All of this taking place in the wealthiest country in the history of the world.
” “ Unless Republicans have a death wish , and it is also the right thing to do , they must approve the $ 2000 payments ASAP .
$ 600 IS NOT ENOUGH !
” Trump wrote .
He then accused “ Big Tech ” of “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Democrats stole the presidential election .

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Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Tuesday punted on a House-passed bill to increase coronavirus relief payments to $2,000 despite mounting bipartisan support for the checks, including from President Donald Trump.
McConnell acknowledged that Trump, as he signed the most recent COVID-19 relief package on Sunday, also asked for action on three areas of his concern, including the stimulus payments. The other issues on Trump’s wish list are intensified election security and lesser liability protections for social media companies.
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The Democratic-controlled House on Monday passed a bill to more than triple the relief payments from the $600 in the bill that Trump signed to $2,000, with dozens of Republicans voting in favor. The Senate’s Democratic leadership is pressing McConnell to bring the measure calling for $2,000 payments to a vote in the upper chamber, but the majority leader has so far refused to commit to that.
McConnell on Tuesday offered a vague preview of his legislative plan as the current congressional session draws to a close shortly into the new year. “This week, the Senate will begin a process” to bring the three issues raised by Trump “into focus,” he said from the Senate floor.
Moments later, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) sought unanimous consent for the Senate to take up the $2,000 payments bill.
The heftier checks “could mean the difference between American families having groceries for a few extra weeks or going hungry,” Schumer said in a floor speech. He then asked, “Will Senate Republicans fight for a vote on the House-passed [bill] or will they look some other way?”
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McConnell swiftly blocked Schumer’s request.
Sen. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer: "Will Senate Republicans stand against the House of Representatives, the Democratic majority in the Senate, and the president of their own party, to prevent these $2,000 checks from going out the door?" pic.twitter.com/Dj7CAWb2WQ — The Recount (@therecount) December 29, 2020
After a monthslong impasse, Congress last week finally passed a $900 billion COVID-19 relief package. But Trump, whose administration helped negotiate the bill, stunned Republicans when he urged lawmakers to increase the $600 payments outlined in the legislation. For a few days he left the impression he might veto the bill, before ultimately signing it while noting his objections.
Some Democrats, along with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), have been pushing for $2,000 stimulus checks for months. They are now offering their full-throated support for Trump’s call for the higher payments.
At least five Senate Republicans ― including Marco Rubio of Florida and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina ― have said they would vote in favor of the heftier checks. GOP Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue of Georgia announced their support for the payments on Tuesday, a week ahead of the pivotal runoff races in their state that will determine which party controls the Senate in the next congressional session.
McConnell signaled Tuesday that the $2,000 payments could be negotiated as part of a deal tackling the two other issues Trump wants addressed. It’s unclear, however, when such negotiations would take place.
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Sanders on Monday said he would filibuster a Senate vote to override Trump’s veto of the National Defense Authorization Act, scheduled for Wednesday, to pressure McConnell to bring the $2,000 payments bill to a vote. On Tuesday, Sanders called for McConnell to hold a vote on the $2,000 checks bill immediately after Wednesday’s scheduled NDAA veto override vote, but the Republican leader rejected the request.
“Working families need help now ― not next year ― but right now,” Sanders said in Senate floor remarks. “Now it is time for the Senate to step up to the plate and do what the working families of this country overwhelmingly want us to do.”
He continued: “Hunger in America is at the highest level that it has been for decades, with moms and dads struggling to feed their kids and working families lining up mile after mile to get emergency food packages. ... All of this taking place in the wealthiest country in the history of the world.”
There it is. McConnell blocks motion to vote on Democrats' $2,000 relief checks bill. pic.twitter.com/iYceWbNxiU — Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) December 29, 2020
In a series of tweets Tuesday, Trump attacked Republican leadership for dragging their feet on the increased stimulus checks bill.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-29--CNN Fact-Checker Checks Donald Trump Jr. With Actual Facts

Donald Trump Jr. attempted to own CNN fact-checker Daniel Dale on Tuesday , but the truth is , he failed because of the facts .
It all started when President Donald Trump ’ s eldest son retweeted a tweet criticizing Dale for comments he made in The Atlantic about how he will approach his job when Joe Biden becomes president .
In the article , Dale said fact-checking Biden “ will not be a 24-hour , seven-day-a-week job , ” mainly because the president-elect doesn ’ t lie nearly as often as Trump does .
CNN “ fact checker ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fact checking Biden to focusing on “ online disinformation , ” AKA CNN code for Republicans who use the internet + `` congressional leaders '' which will almost undoubtedly = congressional Republicans in practice .
So predictable 🙄 https : //t.co/SzkFuYKIFJ — Donald Trump Jr. ( @ DonaldJTrumpJr ) December 29 , 2020 Dale quickly responded to Don Jr. ’ s Twitter taunt , explaining , once again , that he was explaining that Biden like pretty much every other politician lies much less than the president .
Not at all what I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I said : Since Biden - like every non-Trump Republican in the 2016 field and potential 2024 field !
- lies way less frequently than Trump , there ’ ll be time in the Biden era to *also* fact check others in addition to the president .
https : //t.co/rptI57OSjQ — Daniel Dale ( @ ddale8 ) December 29 , 2020 CNN will rigorously fact check President Biden .
It ’ s just objective and obvious fact that it takes less time to fact check basically everyone in politics than it takes to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
If you choose to call me biased for stating that fact , feel free .
— Daniel Dale ( @ ddale8 ) December 29 , 2020 I can ’ t even count how many days I spent writing stories like “ Trump makes 25/30/40 false claims at rally.
” That doesn ’ t happen with Biden - as it doesn ’ t with McConnell or McCarthy or etc .
And so , post-Trump , there ’ s more time to spend on people other than the prez .
The end .
— @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 29 , 2020 So far , Don Jr. hasn ’ t responded to Dale ’ s Twitter thread .
Important conversations are happening now .
Add your voice !
Join HuffPost Today !

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Donald Trump Jr. attempted to own CNN fact-checker Daniel Dale on Tuesday, but the truth is, he failed because of the facts.
It all started when President Donald Trump’s eldest son retweeted a tweet criticizing Dale for comments he made in The Atlantic about how he will approach his job when Joe Biden becomes president.
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In the article, Dale said fact-checking Biden “will not be a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week job,” mainly because the president-elect doesn’t lie nearly as often as Trump does.
Don Jr. interpreted it differently.
CNN “fact checker” admitting that he’s pivoting from fact checking Biden to focusing on “online disinformation,” AKA CNN code for Republicans who use the internet + "congressional leaders" which will almost undoubtedly = congressional Republicans in practice.
So predictable 🙄 https://t.co/SzkFuYKIFJ — Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) December 29, 2020
Dale quickly responded to Don Jr.’s Twitter taunt, explaining, once again, that he was explaining that Biden like pretty much every other politician lies much less than the president.
Not at all what I said; no “pivot.” What I said: Since Biden - like every non-Trump Republican in the 2016 field and potential 2024 field! - lies way less frequently than Trump, there’ll be time in the Biden era to *also* fact check others in addition to the president. https://t.co/rptI57OSjQ — Daniel Dale (@ddale8) December 29, 2020
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CNN will rigorously fact check President Biden. It’s just objective and obvious fact that it takes less time to fact check basically everyone in politics than it takes to do Trump, a staggeringly incessant liar. If you choose to call me biased for stating that fact, feel free. — Daniel Dale (@ddale8) December 29, 2020
I can’t even count how many days I spent writing stories like “Trump makes 25/30/40 false claims at rally.” That doesn’t happen with Biden - as it doesn’t with McConnell or McCarthy or etc. And so, post-Trump, there’s more time to spend on people other than the prez. The end. — Daniel Dale (@ddale8) December 29, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-29--Arizona GOP's Trump Painting Reminds Twitter Users Of Famous Traitor Benedict Arnold

The Arizona Republican Party posted a portrait of Donald Trump on Twitter Monday night , but probably never pictured the reaction it would generate .
The painting shows the president in Colonial-era garb holding a flag in his left hand and a gun in his right while a bald eagle flutters behind him .
The Arizona GOP did not mention the name of the artist , but Boing Boing said Canadian artist Lyudmila Tomova painted it .
Although the portrait portrays Trump as a modern-day founding father , art is in the eye of the beholder .
And to many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ portrait resembled disgraced Revolutionary War general Benedict Arnold , who has long been known as “ America ’ s No .
1 Traitor ” for switching sides to fight for the British .
People on Twitter pointed both to similarities as well as differences between the two figures .
The only Revolutionary War figure you can compare him to is Benedict Arnold , and even that 's unfair because at least that traitor actually served in the military .
https : //t.co/Wdkhgebl7J — Frank Lesser ( @ sadmonsters ) December 29 , 2020 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ portrait of Trump grasping a gun dressed like Benedict Arnold .
This is some scary s**t some of these GOP Trumpers are up to .
pic.twitter.com/LylqA3HdHo — Mike Sington ( @ MikeSington ) December 29 , 2020 I can make a pretty good argument that Benedict Arnold 's actions were more justifiable than Donald Trump*s. The legal definition of Treason is intentionally narrow .
Unfortunately , SO narrow that when we have an ACTUAL TRAITOR in the White House , we ca n't take action !
pic.twitter.com/JrEQ1xoX9g — Mark Judson For Congress - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) December 29 , 2020 At some point they ’ re going to figure out they can ’ t troll their way out of an election loss ... https : //t.co/2wSGSOVPDi — Auld Lang Bryan ( @ SchottHappens ) December 29 , 2020 how did joe biden win arizona you may ask ?
how did a democrat buck historical trends and win this state ?
you might say it would help if the state gop was detached from reality while the dems ran a winning campaign there .
you might say that .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ owillis ) December 29 , 2020 It ’ s the second time this month the Arizona GOP has posted something that inspired viral mockery .
A few weeks back , the group came under fire for two tweets that appeared to encourage Trump supporters to give their lives to overturn the election results .

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The Arizona Republican Party posted a portrait of Donald Trump on Twitter Monday night, but probably never pictured the reaction it would generate.
The painting shows the president in Colonial-era garb holding a flag in his left hand and a gun in his right while a bald eagle flutters behind him. The Arizona GOP did not mention the name of the artist, but Boing Boing said Canadian artist Lyudmila Tomova painted it.
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Although the portrait portrays Trump as a modern-day founding father, art is in the eye of the beholder.
And to many Twitter users, the Trump in the portrait resembled disgraced Revolutionary War general Benedict Arnold, who has long been known as “America’s No. 1 Traitor” for switching sides to fight for the British.
People on Twitter pointed both to similarities as well as differences between the two figures.
The only Revolutionary War figure you can compare him to is Benedict Arnold, and even that's unfair because at least that traitor actually served in the military. https://t.co/Wdkhgebl7J — Frank Lesser (@sadmonsters) December 29, 2020
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The Arizona Republican Party tweets out a portrait of Trump grasping a gun dressed like Benedict Arnold. This is some scary s**t some of these GOP Trumpers are up to. pic.twitter.com/LylqA3HdHo — Mike Sington (@MikeSington) December 29, 2020
I can make a pretty good argument that Benedict Arnold's actions were more justifiable than Donald Trump*s.
The legal definition of Treason is intentionally narrow.
Unfortunately, SO narrow that when we have an ACTUAL TRAITOR in the White House, we can't take action! pic.twitter.com/JrEQ1xoX9g — Mark Judson For Congress - Scorched Earth Dem 2022 (@Judson4Congress) December 29, 2020
The post inspired other snarky reactions from Twitter users.
Sgt. Mushroom's Lonely Hearts Club Band https://t.co/Hwnud61U1V — Tommy X-TrumpIsARacist-opher (@tommyxtopher) December 29, 2020
At some point they’re going to figure out they can’t troll their way out of an election loss... https://t.co/2wSGSOVPDi — Auld Lang Bryan (@SchottHappens) December 29, 2020
Comical? Or sinister? This stuff is always comical until it -- isn't. https://t.co/QJzLHmN9kN — Jay Nordlinger (@jaynordlinger) December 29, 2020
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Did they have bronzer and hairspray in 1776? https://t.co/A4AGeEsB23 — Christian Christensen (@ChrChristensen) December 29, 2020
I believe he was disqualified from service on account of bone spurs https://t.co/9uvceY0uGn — David B. Larter (@DavidLarter) December 29, 2020
how did joe biden win arizona you may ask?
how did a democrat buck historical trends and win this state?
you might say it would help if the state gop was detached from reality while the dems ran a winning campaign there.
you might say that. https://t.co/d39C8vOnHO — Oliver Willis (@owillis) December 29, 2020
It’s the second time this month the Arizona GOP has posted something that inspired viral mockery.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-29--GOP Sens. Loeffler, Perdue Announce Support For Trump's $2,000 Stimulus Checks Drive

Republican Sens .
Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue of Georgia have come out in support of President Donald Trump ’ s push to increase coronavirus relief payments to $ 2,000 for every eligible American .
The decision to back the heftier stimulus checks ― which some Democrats have been championing for months ― comes a week ahead of their highly anticipated runoff races , which will determine which party will control the Senate .
Trump , whose administration helped negotiate the latest COVID-19 relief package , stunned Republicans last week when he demanded lawmakers boost the stimulus checks outlined in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2,000 .
The House passed a separate bill on Monday to do just that , with 231 Democrats and 44 Republicans voting yes .
But Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ( R-Ky. ) hasn ’ t indicated whether he will take up the proposed legislation .
Loeffler was forced to take a position on the $ 2,000 checks when asked Tuesday during an interview with “ Fox & Friends ” whether she supported the higher payments .
“ I ’ ve stood by the president 100 % of the time , ” Loeffler @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to do that and I ’ ve said absolutely , we need to get relief to Americans now and I will support that.
” Trump lost Georgia during the presidential election this year , but he remains wildly popular among Republicans nationwide , which adds to the pressure Perdue and Loeffler face to stand in lockstep with the president as they vie for reelection .
Jon Ossoff and the Rev .
Raphael Warnock ― the Democratic challengers of Perdue and Loeffler , respectively ― have already announced their support for the $ 2,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whether the Senate has the 60 votes it would need to pass the bill for increased payments .
Sen. Bernie Sanders ( I-Vt. ) said Monday that he plans to filibuster a Senate vote to override Trump ’ s veto of a defense spending bill until McConnell brings the $ 2,000 payments bill to a vote on the floor .
At least three other Republican senators ― Josh Hawley of Missouri , Marco Rubio of Florida and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina ― have said they will support the legislation .

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Republican Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue of Georgia have come out in support of President Donald Trump’s push to increase coronavirus relief payments to $2,000 for every eligible American.
The decision to back the heftier stimulus checks ― which some Democrats have been championing for months ― comes a week ahead of their highly anticipated runoff races, which will determine which party will control the Senate.
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Trump, whose administration helped negotiate the latest COVID-19 relief package, stunned Republicans last week when he demanded lawmakers boost the stimulus checks outlined in the bill from $600 to $2,000.
The House passed a separate bill on Monday to do just that, with 231 Democrats and 44 Republicans voting yes. But Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) hasn’t indicated whether he will take up the proposed legislation.
Loeffler was forced to take a position on the $2,000 checks when asked Tuesday during an interview with “Fox & Friends” whether she supported the higher payments.
“I’ve stood by the president 100% of the time,” Loeffler said. “I’m proud to do that and I’ve said absolutely, we need to get relief to Americans now and I will support that.”
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Later Tuesday, Perdue tweeted that Trump is “right.”
“I support this push for $2,000 in direct relief for the American people,” he wrote.
Trump lost Georgia during the presidential election this year, but he remains wildly popular among Republicans nationwide, which adds to the pressure Perdue and Loeffler face to stand in lockstep with the president as they vie for reelection.
What’s more, recent polling shows Georgians are wildly in favor of direct federal stimulus payments, which Loeffler and Purdue initially opposed.
Jon Ossoff and the Rev. Raphael Warnock ― the Democratic challengers of Perdue and Loeffler, respectively ― have already announced their support for the $2,000 stimulus checks.
It’s unclear whether the Senate has the 60 votes it would need to pass the bill for increased payments. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said Monday that he plans to filibuster a Senate vote to override Trump’s veto of a defense spending bill until McConnell brings the $2,000 payments bill to a vote on the floor.
At least three other Republican senators ― Josh Hawley of Missouri, Marco Rubio of Florida and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina ― have said they will support the legislation.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-29--Trump Is Set To Violate Palm Beach Deal By Staying Too Long At Mar-A-Lago. Again.

WASHINGTON ― President Donald Trump is yet again set to violate the agreement he signed almost three decades ago with the town of Palm Beach , Florida , by staying more than seven straight days at Mar-a-Lago as of Wednesday evening , potentially jeopardizing his “ special exception use ” permit to operate the estate as a for-profit club .
As a condition of converting the 118-room mansion from a single-family residence to a social club for which he could sell memberships , Trump agreed there would be no more than 10 guest suites and very restricted stays .
Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at 6:45 p.m. on Wednesday ― just as he did over the winter holidays a year ago with a 16-day stay and in 2017 with a 10-day stay .
It is unclear how the three-visit limit was meant to be interpreted , but Trump visited 10 times in 2017 for a total of 31 nights , eight times in 2018 for 24 nights , eight times in 2019 for 31 nights , and five times this year , staying 19 nights thus far , according to a HuffPost review .
Neither Palm Beach @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Palm Beach Town Council responded to HuffPost ’ s queries on whether the town intended to enforce its agreement with Trump .
And neither Trump ’ s White House nor the Trump Organization ― his family business , which operates Mar-a-Lago ― responded to questions about why Trump was breaking the written agreement that he signed .
Trump ’ s former lawyer and “ fixer ” Michael Cohen said the second question is easy .
“ Donald Trump thinks that rules and laws are meant to be broken so long as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” said Cohen , who served time in federal prison for , among other things , arranging illegal hush-money payments just ahead of the 2016 election to women who had had affairs with Trump .
“ You really think that Donald Trump cares about rules or laws ?
The second you turn your back on him , he does whatever he wants , ” Cohen said .
“ He ’ s been violating that agreement since the day he signed it.
” It ’ s unclear , however , why Trump stays at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he owns three houses in the immediate proximity of the resort : a 10,000-square-foot oceanfront home at 1125 South Ocean Blvd.
, just north of Mar-a-Lago ’ s beach club , which he bought from his sister Maryanne Trump Barry in 2018 for $ 18.5 million ; a 6,000-square-foot house across the street at 1094 South Ocean Blvd.
, worth $ 10.4 million ; and a 3,000-square-foot house just to its west at 124 Woodbridge Road , worth $ 3.3 million .
According to his 2020 financial disclosure , Trump earns rental income @ @ @ @ @ @ @ promise not to live there , Trump also used Mar-a-Lago as his “ legal residence ” to register to vote and cast ballots in Florida ’ s March presidential primary , its August primary for other offices , and the November general election .
Palm Beach County elections supervisor Wendy Sartory Link previously told HuffPost that it was not her role to police his agreements with the town of Palm Beach , but simply to make sure that Trump was using a valid address .
But while town officials may not care about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1993 deal , some of his neighbors do , particularly in light of reports that he is considering moving to Mar-a-Lago permanently after leaving the White House next month .
“ As everyone knows , President Trump is already in violation of the Use Agreement by using Mar-a-Lago in excess of the allotted time .
This violation ( as well as others on record ) will continue without Town intervention , ” lawyer Reginald Stambaugh wrote to the town council in a Dec. 15 letter first reported by The Washington Post .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ responsibility to right these wrongs and restore safety and security to the neighborhood by upholding its Use Agreement .
In order to avoid an embarrassing situation for everyone and to give the president time to make other living arrangements in the area , we trust you will work with his team to remind them of the Use Agreement parameters .
Palm Beach has many lovely estates for sale and surely he can find one which meets his needs.
” Mar-a-Lago has been among the Trump properties that he has used to funnel money @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both foreign and domestic special interests into his own pockets during his presidency .
The resort doubled its initiation fee from $ 100,000 to $ 200,000 after his election in 2016 and saw a spike in memberships .
Trump has collected many tens of thousands of dollars from the U.S. government for the Secret Service agents and other federal officials who have stayed with him during his dozens of visits there .
And a new HuffPost analysis of all political spending at Trump ’ s properties during his four years in office found @ @ @ @ @ @ @ personally controlled spent $ 639,031 at Mar-a-Lago , while other Republican candidates and committees spent $ 104,900 there .

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WASHINGTON ― President Donald Trump is yet again set to violate the agreement he signed almost three decades ago with the town of Palm Beach, Florida, by staying more than seven straight days at Mar-a-Lago as of Wednesday evening, potentially jeopardizing his “special exception use” permit to operate the estate as a for-profit club.
As a condition of converting the 118-room mansion from a single-family residence to a social club for which he could sell memberships, Trump agreed there would be no more than 10 guest suites and very restricted stays.
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“The use of guest suites shall be limited to a maximum of three (3) non-consecutive seven (7) day periods by any one member during the year,” the Aug. 10, 1993, agreement reads.
Trump himself will have violated the seven-day limit at 6:45 p.m. on Wednesday ― just as he did over the winter holidays a year ago with a 16-day stay and in 2017 with a 10-day stay.
It is unclear how the three-visit limit was meant to be interpreted, but Trump visited 10 times in 2017 for a total of 31 nights, eight times in 2018 for 24 nights, eight times in 2019 for 31 nights, and five times this year, staying 19 nights thus far, according to a HuffPost review.
Neither Palm Beach Town Manager Kirk Blouin nor any member of the Palm Beach Town Council responded to HuffPost’s queries on whether the town intended to enforce its agreement with Trump. And neither Trump’s White House nor the Trump Organization ― his family business, which operates Mar-a-Lago ― responded to questions about why Trump was breaking the written agreement that he signed.
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Trump’s former lawyer and “fixer” Michael Cohen said the second question is easy. “Donald Trump thinks that rules and laws are meant to be broken so long as there is a benefit to him,” said Cohen, who served time in federal prison for, among other things, arranging illegal hush-money payments just ahead of the 2016 election to women who had had affairs with Trump.
“You really think that Donald Trump cares about rules or laws? The second you turn your back on him, he does whatever he wants,” Cohen said. “He’s been violating that agreement since the day he signed it.”
It’s unclear, however, why Trump stays at Mar-a-Lago in violation of his deal when he owns three houses in the immediate proximity of the resort: a 10,000-square-foot oceanfront home at 1125 South Ocean Blvd., just north of Mar-a-Lago’s beach club, which he bought from his sister Maryanne Trump Barry in 2018 for $18.5 million; a 6,000-square-foot house across the street at 1094 South Ocean Blvd., worth $10.4 million; and a 3,000-square-foot house just to its west at 124 Woodbridge Road, worth $3.3 million. According to his 2020 financial disclosure, Trump earns rental income from all three homes.
Despite his promise not to live there, Trump also used Mar-a-Lago as his “legal residence” to register to vote and cast ballots in Florida’s March presidential primary, its August primary for other offices, and the November general election. Palm Beach County elections supervisor Wendy Sartory Link previously told HuffPost that it was not her role to police his agreements with the town of Palm Beach, but simply to make sure that Trump was using a valid address.
But while town officials may not care about Trump’s refusal to honor his 1993 deal, some of his neighbors do, particularly in light of reports that he is considering moving to Mar-a-Lago permanently after leaving the White House next month.
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“As everyone knows, President Trump is already in violation of the Use Agreement by using Mar-a-Lago in excess of the allotted time. This violation (as well as others on record) will continue without Town intervention,” lawyer Reginald Stambaugh wrote to the town council in a Dec. 15 letter first reported by The Washington Post. “It is the Town Council’s responsibility to right these wrongs and restore safety and security to the neighborhood by upholding its Use Agreement. In order to avoid an embarrassing situation for everyone and to give the president time to make other living arrangements in the area, we trust you will work with his team to remind them of the Use Agreement parameters. Palm Beach has many lovely estates for sale and surely he can find one which meets his needs.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-29--Judge Orders Georgia Counties To Halt Voter Purge Ahead Of Senate Runoffs

A federal judge on Monday ordered two Georgia counties to reverse a decision removing thousands of voters from the rolls ahead of Jan. 5 runoff elections that will determine which political party controls the U.S. Senate .
The counties seemed to have improperly relied on unverified change-of-address data to invalidate registrations , the judge , Leslie Abrams Gardner , said in her order filed late on Monday in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia .
“ Defendants are enjoined from removing any challenged voters in Ben Hill and Muscogee Counties from the registration lists on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Gardner wrote in the order .
The judge is the sister of Democratic activist Stacey Abrams , who lost a race for Georgia governor in 2018 .
Gardner has declined to recuse herself from the case .
The bulk of the registrations that the counties sought to rescind , more than 4,000 of them , were in Muscogee County , which U.S. President-elect Joe Biden won handily in November , Politico reported .
An additional 150 were from Ben Hill County , which President Donald Trump won by a wide margin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million people have cast ballots in the U.S. Senate runoff election in Georgia that will determine whether Democrats control both chambers of Congress and the fate of Biden ’ s agenda , according to state data published Thursday .
The runoffs pit Democratic challengers Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff against Republican incumbents Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue , respectively .
If Republicans win one or both Senate seats in Georgia , they will retain a slim majority in the chamber and can block Biden ’ s legislative goals and judicial nominees .
If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be split 50-50 , giving the tie-breaking vote to Vice President-elect Kamala Harris .

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A federal judge on Monday ordered two Georgia counties to reverse a decision removing thousands of voters from the rolls ahead of Jan. 5 runoff elections that will determine which political party controls the U.S. Senate.
The counties seemed to have improperly relied on unverified change-of-address data to invalidate registrations, the judge, Leslie Abrams Gardner, said in her order filed late on Monday in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia.
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“Defendants are enjoined from removing any challenged voters in Ben Hill and Muscogee Counties from the registration lists on the basis of National Change of Address data,” Gardner wrote in the order. The judge is the sister of Democratic activist Stacey Abrams, who lost a race for Georgia governor in 2018. Gardner has declined to recuse herself from the case.
The bulk of the registrations that the counties sought to rescind, more than 4,000 of them, were in Muscogee County, which U.S. President-elect Joe Biden won handily in November, Politico reported.
An additional 150 were from Ben Hill County, which President Donald Trump won by a wide margin, the report added.
Nearly 2.1 million people have cast ballots in the U.S. Senate runoff election in Georgia that will determine whether Democrats control both chambers of Congress and the fate of Biden’s agenda, according to state data published Thursday.
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The runoffs pit Democratic challengers Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff against Republican incumbents Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue, respectively.
If Republicans win one or both Senate seats in Georgia, they will retain a slim majority in the chamber and can block Biden’s legislative goals and judicial nominees.
If Democrats win both, the chamber will be split 50-50, giving the tie-breaking vote to Vice President-elect Kamala Harris.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-29--Senate To Decide Fate Of $2,000 COVID-19 Relief Payments

The outcome is highly uncertain heading into Tuesday ’ s session .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has declined to publicly address how he plans to handle the issue .
But Democrats , sharing a rare priority with Trump , have seized on the opportunity to force Republicans into a difficult vote of either backing or defying the outgoing president .
“ There ’ s strong support for these $ 2,000 emergency checks from every corner of the country , ” Schumer said in a statement late Monday .
He called on McConnell to make sure the Senate helps “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ families who are crying out for help.
” As Trump spent days fuming from his private club in Florida , where he is spending the holidays , dozens of Republicans calculated it was better to link with Democrats to increase the pandemic stipend rather than buck the outgoing president and constituents counting on the money .
Democrats led passage , 275-134 , but 44 Republicans joined almost all Democrats in approval .
Senators were set to return to session Tuesday amid similar , stark GOP divisions between those who align with Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to what had been more traditional conservative views against government spending .
Congress had settled on smaller $ 600 payments in a compromise over the big year-end relief bill Trump reluctantly signed into law .
The legislative action during the rare holiday week session may do little to change the $ 2 trillion-plus COVID-19 relief and federal spending package Trump signed into law Sunday , one of the biggest bills of its kind providing relief for millions of Americans .
That package — $ 900 billion in COVID-19 aid and $ 1.4 trillion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long-sought cash to businesses and individuals and avert a federal government shutdown that otherwise would have started Tuesday , in the midst of the public health crisis .
But the outcome will define Trump ’ s GOP , putting a spotlight on the Georgia runoff election Jan. 5 where two Republican senators are in the fights of their political lives against Democrats in a pair of races that will determine which party controls the Senate next year .
Together with votes Monday and Tuesday to override Trump ’ s veto of a sweeping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one last confrontation between the president and the Republican Party he leads as he imposes fresh demands and disputes the results of the presidential election .
The new Congress is set to be sworn in Sunday .
Rep. Kevin Brady of Texas , the ranking Republican on the Ways and Means Committee , acknowledged the division and said Congress had already approved ample funds during the COVID-19 crisis .
“ Nothing in this bill helps anybody get back to work , ” he said .
Aside from the direct $ 600 checks to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the bill revives a weekly pandemic jobless benefit boost — this time $ 300 , through March 14 — as well as a popular Paycheck Protection Program of grants to businesses to keep workers on payrolls .
It extends eviction protections , adding a new rental assistance fund .
Trump ’ s sudden decision to sign the bill came as he faced escalating criticism from lawmakers on all sides over his eleventh-hour demands .
The bipartisan bill negotiated by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin had already passed the House and Senate by wide margins @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s blessing after months of negotiations with his administration .
The president ’ s defiant refusal to act , publicized with a heated video he tweeted just before the Christmas holiday , sparked chaos , a lapse in unemployment benefits for millions and the threat of a government shutdown in the pandemic .
It was another crisis of his own making , resolved when he ultimately signed the bill into law .
In his statement about the signing , Trump repeated his frustrations with the COVID-19 relief bill for providing only $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about what he considered unnecessary spending , particularly on foreign aid — much of it proposed by his own budget .
Most House Republicans simply shrugged off Trump ’ s push , 130 of them voting to reject the higher checks that would pile $ 467 billion in additional costs .
Another 20 House Republicans — including Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California , a Trump confidant — skipped the vote , despite pandemic procedures that allow lawmakers to vote by proxy to avoid travel to the Capitol .
McCarthy was recovering at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .

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WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s push for $2,000 COVID-19 relief checks now rests with the Senate after the House voted overwhelmingly to meet the president’s demand to increase the $600 stipends, but Republicans have shown little interest in boosting spending.
The outcome is highly uncertain heading into Tuesday’s session. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has declined to publicly address how he plans to handle the issue. But Democrats, sharing a rare priority with Trump, have seized on the opportunity to force Republicans into a difficult vote of either backing or defying the outgoing president.
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After bipartisan approval by the House, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer warned, “There is no good reason for Senate Republicans to stand in the way.”
“There’s strong support for these $2,000 emergency checks from every corner of the country,” Schumer said in a statement late Monday. He called on McConnell to make sure the Senate helps “meet the needs of American workers and families who are crying out for help.”
The House tally was a stunning turn of events. Just days ago Republicans blocked Trump’s sudden demands for bigger checks during a brief Christmas Eve session as he defiantly refused to sign the broader COVID-19 aid and year-end funding bill into law.
As Trump spent days fuming from his private club in Florida, where he is spending the holidays, dozens of Republicans calculated it was better to link with Democrats to increase the pandemic stipend rather than buck the outgoing president and constituents counting on the money. Democrats led passage, 275-134, but 44 Republicans joined almost all Democrats in approval.
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Senators were set to return to session Tuesday amid similar, stark GOP divisions between those who align with Trump’s populist instincts and others who adhere to what had been more traditional conservative views against government spending. Congress had settled on smaller $600 payments in a compromise over the big year-end relief bill Trump reluctantly signed into law.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi declared, “Republicans have a choice: Vote for this legislation or vote to deny the American people the bigger paychecks they need.”
The showdown could end up as more symbol than substance if Trump’s effort fizzles out in the Senate.
The legislative action during the rare holiday week session may do little to change the $2 trillion-plus COVID-19 relief and federal spending package Trump signed into law Sunday, one of the biggest bills of its kind providing relief for millions of Americans.
That package — $900 billion in COVID-19 aid and $1.4 trillion to fund government agencies — will deliver long-sought cash to businesses and individuals and avert a federal government shutdown that otherwise would have started Tuesday, in the midst of the public health crisis.
But the outcome will define Trump’s GOP, putting a spotlight on the Georgia runoff election Jan. 5 where two Republican senators are in the fights of their political lives against Democrats in a pair of races that will determine which party controls the Senate next year.
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Together with votes Monday and Tuesday to override Trump’s veto of a sweeping defense bill, it’s potentially one last confrontation between the president and the Republican Party he leads as he imposes fresh demands and disputes the results of the presidential election. The new Congress is set to be sworn in Sunday.
Rep. Kevin Brady of Texas, the ranking Republican on the Ways and Means Committee, acknowledged the division and said Congress had already approved ample funds during the COVID-19 crisis. “Nothing in this bill helps anybody get back to work,” he said.
Aside from the direct $600 checks to most Americans, the COVID-19 portion of the bill revives a weekly pandemic jobless benefit boost — this time $300, through March 14 — as well as a popular Paycheck Protection Program of grants to businesses to keep workers on payrolls. It extends eviction protections, adding a new rental assistance fund.
The COVID-19 package draws and expands on an earlier effort from Washington. It offers billions of dollars for vaccine purchases and distribution, for virus contact tracing, public health departments, schools, universities, farmers, food pantry programs and other institutions and groups facing hardship in the pandemic.
Americans earning up to $75,000 will qualify for the direct $600 payments, which are phased out at higher income levels, and there’s an additional $600 payment per dependent child.
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Meantime the government funding portion of the bill keeps federal agencies nationwide running without dramatic changes until Sept. 30.
President-elect Joe Biden told reporters at an event in Wilmington, Delaware, that he supported the $2,000 checks.
Trump’s sudden decision to sign the bill came as he faced escalating criticism from lawmakers on all sides over his eleventh-hour demands. The bipartisan bill negotiated by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin had already passed the House and Senate by wide margins. Lawmakers had thought they had Trump’s blessing after months of negotiations with his administration.
The president’s defiant refusal to act, publicized with a heated video he tweeted just before the Christmas holiday, sparked chaos, a lapse in unemployment benefits for millions and the threat of a government shutdown in the pandemic. It was another crisis of his own making, resolved when he ultimately signed the bill into law.
In his statement about the signing, Trump repeated his frustrations with the COVID-19 relief bill for providing only $600 checks to most Americans and complained about what he considered unnecessary spending, particularly on foreign aid — much of it proposed by his own budget.
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While the president insisted he would send Congress “a redlined version” with spending items he wants removed, those are merely suggestions to Congress. Democrats said they would resist such cuts.
For now, the administration can only begin work sending out the $600 payments.
Most House Republicans simply shrugged off Trump’s push, 130 of them voting to reject the higher checks that would pile $467 billion in additional costs. Another 20 House Republicans — including Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California, a Trump confidant — skipped the vote, despite pandemic procedures that allow lawmakers to vote by proxy to avoid travel to the Capitol. McCarthy was recovering at home from elbow surgery, his office said.
A day after the signing, Trump was back at the golf course in Florida, the state where he is expected to move after Biden is sworn in on Jan. 20.
___
Colvin reported from West Palm Beach, Florida. Associated Press writer Andrew Taylor contributed to this report.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-29--Boston Removes Statue Of Slave Kneeling Before Lincoln

A statue of Abraham Lincoln with a freed slave appearing to kneel at his feet — optics that drew objections amid a national reckoning with racial injustice — has been removed from its perch in downtown Boston .
Workers removed the Emancipation Memorial , also known as the Emancipation Group and the Freedman ’ s Memorial , early Tuesday from a park just off Boston Common where it had stood since 1879 .
City officials had agreed in late June to take down the memorial after complaints and a bitter debate over the design .
Mayor Marty Walsh acknowledged at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and visitors alike “ uncomfortable.
” The bronze statue is a copy of a monument that was erected in Washington , D.C. , three years earlier .
The copy was installed in Boston because the city was home to the statue ’ s white creator , Thomas Ball .
It was created to celebrate the freeing of slaves in America and was based on Archer Alexander , a Black man who escaped slavery , helped the Union Army and was the last man recaptured under the Fugitive Slave Act .
But while some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feet while shaking off the broken shackles on his wrists , others perceived him as kneeling before Lincoln , his white emancipator .
Freed Black donors paid for the original in Washington ; white politician and circus showman Moses Kimball financed the copy in Boston .
The inscription on both reads : “ A race set free and the country at peace .
Lincoln rests from his labors.
” More than 12,000 people had signed a petition demanding the statue ’ s removal , and Boston ’ s public arts commission voted unanimously @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was to be placed in storage until the city decides whether to display it in a museum .
The memorial had been on Boston ’ s radar at least since 2018 , when it launched a comprehensive review of whether public sculptures , monuments and other artworks reflected the city ’ s diversity and didn ’ t offend communities of color .
The arts commission said it was paying extra attention to works with “ problematic histories.
” Last summer , protesters vowed to tear down the original statue in Washington , prompting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to guard it .

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A statue of Abraham Lincoln with a freed slave appearing to kneel at his feet — optics that drew objections amid a national reckoning with racial injustice — has been removed from its perch in downtown Boston.
Workers removed the Emancipation Memorial, also known as the Emancipation Group and the Freedman’s Memorial, early Tuesday from a park just off Boston Common where it had stood since 1879.
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City officials had agreed in late June to take down the memorial after complaints and a bitter debate over the design. Mayor Marty Walsh acknowledged at the time that the statue made residents and visitors alike “uncomfortable.”
The bronze statue is a copy of a monument that was erected in Washington, D.C., three years earlier. The copy was installed in Boston because the city was home to the statue’s white creator, Thomas Ball.
It was created to celebrate the freeing of slaves in America and was based on Archer Alexander, a Black man who escaped slavery, helped the Union Army and was the last man recaptured under the Fugitive Slave Act.
But while some saw the shirtless man rising to his feet while shaking off the broken shackles on his wrists, others perceived him as kneeling before Lincoln, his white emancipator.
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Freed Black donors paid for the original in Washington; white politician and circus showman Moses Kimball financed the copy in Boston. The inscription on both reads: “A race set free and the country at peace. Lincoln rests from his labors.”
More than 12,000 people had signed a petition demanding the statue’s removal, and Boston’s public arts commission voted unanimously to take it down. The statue was to be placed in storage until the city decides whether to display it in a museum.
The memorial had been on Boston’s radar at least since 2018, when it launched a comprehensive review of whether public sculptures, monuments and other artworks reflected the city’s diversity and didn’t offend communities of color. The arts commission said it was paying extra attention to works with “problematic histories.”
Last summer, protesters vowed to tear down the original statue in Washington, prompting the National Guard to deploy a detachment to guard it.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-29--Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Rips GOP Lawmaker's Anti-Stimulus Stance In Fiery Tweet

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ( D-N.Y. ) fired back on Monday at colleagues who opposed increasing direct stimulus payments to Americans for coronavirus relief .
The House passed legislation Monday to increase stimulus checks to $ 2,000 for most Americans .
Rep. Kevin Brady ( R-Texas ) said he opposed the increased amount because it would go toward people paying down credit card debt or making “ new purchases online at Walmart , Best Buy or Amazon.
” Ocasio-Cortez , who has long advocated for higher direct payments , mocked the Republican ’ s take , pointing to Congress ’ monthslong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I don ’ t support $ 2k survival checks because it might help people get out of debt that our gov ’ t inaction helped put or keep them in in the first place.
” - GOP Congressman https : //t.co/BpfuvkKg9h — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ( @ AOC ) December 28 , 2020 President Donald Trump signed the stimulus package that included $ 600 checks to Americans on Sunday , but he requested the amount be increased to $ 2,000 .
The House passed a bill 275-134 Monday to do so .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , where its fate is questionable .
Ocasio-Cortez followed up with a second tweet slamming Republicans who opposed the increased stimulus and other components of the package .
“ Notice how Republican Congressmen who like to claim they are the party of “ personal responsibility ” refuse to take any responsibility themselves for blocking retroactive unemployment benefits , voting against $ 2k survival checks , stoking doubt about the pandemic to begin with , etc , ” she wrote .
The progressive also fact-checked Oregon Rep. Kurt Schrader , a Democrat , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all , aid starts phasing out at $ 75k 2. it ’ s already tied to outdated income info , don ’ t make it worse 3 .
Ppl who made $ 100k+ also had income disrupted 4 .
Is this really a good reason to block aid for millions 5 .
If you ’ re going to err , err on the side of helping people https : //t.co/tBSuR99WLN — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ( @ AOC ) December 28 , 2020 Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer ( D-N.Y. ) requested unanimous consent to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Tuesday .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ( R-Ky. ) blocked the effort , though the legislation could still be voted on at a later time .

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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) fired back on Monday at colleagues who opposed increasing direct stimulus payments to Americans for coronavirus relief.
The House passed legislation Monday to increase stimulus checks to $2,000 for most Americans. Rep. Kevin Brady (R-Texas) said he opposed the increased amount because it would go toward people paying down credit card debt or making “new purchases online at Walmart, Best Buy or Amazon.”
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Ocasio-Cortez, who has long advocated for higher direct payments, mocked the Republican’s take, pointing to Congress’ monthslong delay in providing desperately needed pandemic aid.
“I don’t support $2k survival checks because it might help people get out of debt that our gov’t inaction helped put or keep them in in the first place.” - GOP Congressman https://t.co/BpfuvkKg9h — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) December 28, 2020
President Donald Trump signed the stimulus package that included $600 checks to Americans on Sunday, but he requested the amount be increased to $2,000.
The House passed a bill 275-134 Monday to do so. It now moves through the GOP-controlled Senate, where its fate is questionable.
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Ocasio-Cortez followed up with a second tweet slamming Republicans who opposed the increased stimulus and other components of the package.
“Notice how Republican Congressmen who like to claim they are the party of “personal responsibility” refuse to take any responsibility themselves for blocking retroactive unemployment benefits, voting against $2k survival checks, stoking doubt about the pandemic to begin with, etc,” she wrote.
The progressive also fact-checked Oregon Rep. Kurt Schrader, a Democrat, who voted against the bill.
1st of all, aid starts phasing out at $75k
2. it’s already tied to outdated income info, don’t make it worse
3. Ppl who made $100k+ also had income disrupted
4. Is this really a good reason to block aid for millions
5. If you’re going to err, err on the side of helping people https://t.co/tBSuR99WLN — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) December 28, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-29--2 Louisville Police Officers Involved In Breonna Taylor Raid Face Possible Firing

Two more officers from the Louisville Metro Police Department involved in the raid that led to the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor are reportedly facing possible termination from their jobs .
Detective Joshua Jaynes , who prepared the search warrant for the raid , and Detective Myles Cosgrove , who was among the officers who shot at Taylor , received pretermination letters from Acting Police Chief Yvette Gentry on Tuesday , the officers ’ attorneys told The Courier-Journal .
Neither Jaynes nor Cosgrove has yet to be officially fired , according to The Courier-Journal .
Jaynes reportedly has a closed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which he ’ ll be given an opportunity to fight for his job .
“ Detective Jaynes and I will show up for the pretermination hearing to try to convince acting Chief Gentry that this action is unwarranted , ” Jaynes ’ lawyer , Thomas Clay , told The Courier-Journal .
“ Jaynes did nothing wrong.
” The New York Times , citing Gentry ’ s letter to Jaynes , said the officer was facing termination for lying and violating the department ’ s policies on search warrants .
It ’ s also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Gentry to make his case .
The Louisville Metro Police Department has not responded to HuffPost ’ s request for comment .
Look , I do n't want to be *that* person , but the letters for Joshua Jaynes and Myles Cosgrove are PRE-termination letters .
Jaynes has a hearing with the chief Thursday .
It may become official -- but it 's not yet.https : //t.co/y65IgWoeHE — Tessa Duvall ( @ TessaDuvall ) December 30 , 2020 Cosgrove was among a group of officers who forced their way into Taylor ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ March 13 as part of a narcotics investigation involving Taylor ’ s former boyfriend .
In total , three officers — Cosgrove , Sgt .
Jonathan Mattingly and Detective Brett Hankison — fired 32 bullets into Taylor ’ s home and neighboring units .
Taylor , a 26-year-old Black emergency medical technician , was shot six times and died in her hallway .
The FBI later determined that Cosgrove had fired the fatal shot .
Of all the officers involved in Taylor ’ s shooting , only one has been fired and charged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the police department in June for “ wantonly and blindly ” firing 10 bullets into Taylor ’ s apartment .
He was later charged by a grand jury with three counts of first-degree wanton endangerment .
Mattingly and Cosgrove faced no charges .
Jaynes , who was not present at the time of the raid but wrote the sworn affidavit that sought a judge ’ s permission to search Taylor ’ s home , has come under scrutiny for allegedly lying in the document .
Jaynes said in the affidavit that a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ packages at Taylor ’ s home ― despite the fact that his colleagues at the Louisville police department were told “ repeatedly ” by the Shively Police Department that no suspicious packages had been sent there .
Shively officers said they confirmed this fact with a U.S. postal inspector .
In her pretermination letter to Jaynes , Gentry said a Professional Standards Unit investigation had determined that Jaynes had lied in the affidavit and had committed “ extreme violations of our policies , which endangered others.
” “ Your actions have brought discredit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she wrote in the letter .
“ Your conduct has severely damaged the image our department has established within our community.
” Police never found any drugs in Taylor ’ s apartment .
Her former boyfriend , Jamarcus Glover , who was being investigated by police , said Taylor had never been involved in the drug trade .
“ There was nothing never there or anything ever there , and at the end of the day , they went about it the wrong way and lied on that search warrant and shot that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Courier-Journal in August .

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Two more officers from the Louisville Metro Police Department involved in the raid that led to the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor are reportedly facing possible termination from their jobs.
Detective Joshua Jaynes, who prepared the search warrant for the raid, and Detective Myles Cosgrove, who was among the officers who shot at Taylor, received pretermination letters from Acting Police Chief Yvette Gentry on Tuesday, the officers’ attorneys told The Courier-Journal.
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Neither Jaynes nor Cosgrove has yet to be officially fired, according to The Courier-Journal. Jaynes reportedly has a closed hearing with Gentry on Thursday, during which he’ll be given an opportunity to fight for his job.
“Detective Jaynes and I will show up for the pretermination hearing to try to convince acting Chief Gentry that this action is unwarranted,” Jaynes’ lawyer, Thomas Clay, told The Courier-Journal. “Jaynes did nothing wrong.”
The New York Times, citing Gentry’s letter to Jaynes, said the officer was facing termination for lying and violating the department’s policies on search warrants.
The contents of Cosgrove’s letter have not been made public.
It’s also unclear whether or when Cosgrove will meet with Gentry to make his case. The Louisville Metro Police Department has not responded to HuffPost’s request for comment.
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Look, I don't want to be *that* person, but the letters for Joshua Jaynes and Myles Cosgrove are PRE-termination letters.
Jaynes has a hearing with the chief Thursday.
It may become official -- but it's not yet.https://t.co/y65IgWoeHE — Tessa Duvall (@TessaDuvall) December 30, 2020
Cosgrove was among a group of officers who forced their way into Taylor’s apartment in the early hours of March 13 as part of a narcotics investigation involving Taylor’s former boyfriend. In total, three officers — Cosgrove, Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly and Detective Brett Hankison — fired 32 bullets into Taylor’s home and neighboring units.
Taylor, a 26-year-old Black emergency medical technician, was shot six times and died in her hallway. The FBI later determined that Cosgrove had fired the fatal shot.
Of all the officers involved in Taylor’s shooting, only one has been fired and charged with a crime.
Hankison was fired by the police department in June for “wantonly and blindly” firing 10 bullets into Taylor’s apartment. He was later charged by a grand jury with three counts of first-degree wanton endangerment. Mattingly and Cosgrove faced no charges.
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Jaynes, who was not present at the time of the raid but wrote the sworn affidavit that sought a judge’s permission to search Taylor’s home, has come under scrutiny for allegedly lying in the document.
Jaynes said in the affidavit that a drug suspect had been receiving potentially suspicious packages at Taylor’s home ― despite the fact that his colleagues at the Louisville police department were told “repeatedly” by the Shively Police Department that no suspicious packages had been sent there. Shively officers said they confirmed this fact with a U.S. postal inspector.
In her pretermination letter to Jaynes, Gentry said a Professional Standards Unit investigation had determined that Jaynes had lied in the affidavit and had committed “extreme violations of our policies, which endangered others.”
“Your actions have brought discredit upon yourself and the department,” she wrote in the letter. “Your conduct has severely damaged the image our department has established within our community.”
Police never found any drugs in Taylor’s apartment. Her former boyfriend, Jamarcus Glover, who was being investigated by police, said Taylor had never been involved in the drug trade.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-29--Officer Who Sought No-Knock Warrant At Breonna Taylor's Home Could Be Fired

LOUISVILLE , Ky. ( AP ) — Louisville police have taken steps that could result in the firing of an officer who sought the no-knock search warrant that led detectives to the apartment where Breonna Taylor was fatally shot .
Detective Joshua Jaynes has received a pretermination letter , media outlets reported Tuesday .
It came after a Professional Standards Unit investigation found he had violated department procedures for preparation of a search warrant and truthfulness , his attorney said .
The fatal shooting of the 26-year-old Black woman in her home sparked months of protests in Louisville alongside national @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Jaynes has a hearing with interim Chief Yvette Gentry and her staff on Thursday .
“ Detective Jaynes and I will show up for the pretermination hearing to try to convince acting Chief Gentry that this action is unwarranted , ” attorney Thomas Clay told the Courier Journal .
“ Jaynes did nothing wrong.
” Jaynes was not present during the shooting at Taylor ’ s apartment in Louisville .
About 12 hours earlier , he secured a warrant with a “ no-knock ” clause from a judge .
The officers were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when they shot Taylor , but no drugs or cash were found in her home .
Taylor was an emergency medical worker who had settled in for the night when police busted through her door .
Former officer Brett Hankison was charged by a grand jury with wanton endangerment , a low-level felony , for firing into an adjacent apartment where people were present .
The two officers who shot Taylor , according to ballistics evidence , were not charged by the grand jury .
One of those officers was shot by Taylor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ returned fire .
Taylor ’ s boyfriend said he thought an intruder was breaking into her apartment .

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LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Louisville police have taken steps that could result in the firing of an officer who sought the no-knock search warrant that led detectives to the apartment where Breonna Taylor was fatally shot.
Detective Joshua Jaynes has received a pretermination letter, media outlets reported Tuesday. It came after a Professional Standards Unit investigation found he had violated department procedures for preparation of a search warrant and truthfulness, his attorney said.
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The fatal shooting of the 26-year-old Black woman in her home sparked months of protests in Louisville alongside national protests over racial injustice and police misconduct.
Jaynes has a hearing with interim Chief Yvette Gentry and her staff on Thursday.
“Detective Jaynes and I will show up for the pretermination hearing to try to convince acting Chief Gentry that this action is unwarranted,” attorney Thomas Clay told the Courier Journal. “Jaynes did nothing wrong.”
Jaynes was not present during the shooting at Taylor’s apartment in Louisville. About 12 hours earlier, he secured a warrant with a “no-knock” clause from a judge.
The officers were serving a narcotics warrant on March 13 when they shot Taylor, but no drugs or cash were found in her home. Taylor was an emergency medical worker who had settled in for the night when police busted through her door.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-29--Parents Of Bullied Child Who Killed Himself Can Sue Educators: Court

CINCINNATI ( AP ) — The parents of an 8-year-old student who killed himself after being persistently bullied can move forward with a lawsuit against the Cincinnati school district that alleges wrongful death and other charges , a federal appeals panel ruled Tuesday .
The three-judge panel of the 6th U.S .
Circuit Court Appeals said Gabriel Taye ’ s parents had established “ reckless behavior ” that prevents school officials from receiving governmental immunity for their handling of the case .
The lawsuit ’ s allegations also charge school officials with intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawsuit says Taye was bullied at his elementary school starting in first grade , with the bullying escalating in his third grade year .
Other students punched and kicked him in assaults and on Jan. 24 , 2017 , knocked him unconscious by throwing him against a bathroom wall , the parents say in the lawsuit .
He stayed home sick the next day , returned to school Jan. 26 and was bullied again in the bathroom by students who took his water bottle and tried to flush it down the toilet , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that evening in his bedroom .
Taye ’ s parents , Cornelia Reynolds and Benyam Tate , say school officials either misrepresented bullying attacks on their son or failed to inform them .
The court ruling says that administrators at Carson Elementary didn ’ t call 911 when Taye was knocked out , failed to punish the bullies , didn ’ t tell teachers of problems , didn ’ t supervise the bathroom despite repeated bullying , and withheld information .
They “ ultimately , prevented Taye ’ s parents from fully understanding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Elementary until it was too late , ” wrote Judge Bernice Bouie Donald .
The opinion noted that the school ’ s own safety guidelines warned that suicide can result from bullying .
“ This is a preliminary decision based on plaintiffs ’ side of the story and assuming that everything they say in their complaint is true , ” the defendants ’ attorney , Aaron Herzig , said by email .
“ However , it does not reflect the facts as they have developed throughout this case.
” He declined to say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ruling , which upheld a lower court .
“ The truth about what happened to Gabe at Carson Elementary needs to be revealed and shared with all parents , ” Jennifer Branch , attorney for Taye ’ s mother , said by email .
“ We have been able to gather testimony and evidence these last few months .
Now we can proceed to trial.
” This story has been corrected to show that attorney Jennifer Branch represents the boy ’ s mother , not both parents .

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CINCINNATI (AP) — The parents of an 8-year-old student who killed himself after being persistently bullied can move forward with a lawsuit against the Cincinnati school district that alleges wrongful death and other charges, a federal appeals panel ruled Tuesday.
The three-judge panel of the 6th U.S. Circuit Court Appeals said Gabriel Taye’s parents had established “reckless behavior” that prevents school officials from receiving governmental immunity for their handling of the case.
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The lawsuit’s allegations also charge school officials with intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress and failure to report child abuse. The lawsuit says Taye was bullied at his elementary school starting in first grade, with the bullying escalating in his third grade year.
Other students punched and kicked him in assaults and on Jan. 24, 2017, knocked him unconscious by throwing him against a bathroom wall, the parents say in the lawsuit.
He stayed home sick the next day, returned to school Jan. 26 and was bullied again in the bathroom by students who took his water bottle and tried to flush it down the toilet, his parents say. He killed himself that evening in his bedroom.
Taye’s parents, Cornelia Reynolds and Benyam Tate, say school officials either misrepresented bullying attacks on their son or failed to inform them. The court ruling says that administrators at Carson Elementary didn’t call 911 when Taye was knocked out, failed to punish the bullies, didn’t tell teachers of problems, didn’t supervise the bathroom despite repeated bullying, and withheld information.
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They “ultimately, prevented Taye’s parents from fully understanding Taye’s horrifying experience at Carson Elementary until it was too late,” wrote Judge Bernice Bouie Donald. The opinion noted that the school’s own safety guidelines warned that suicide can result from bullying.
“This is a preliminary decision based on plaintiffs’ side of the story and assuming that everything they say in their complaint is true,” the defendants’ attorney, Aaron Herzig, said by email. “However, it does not reflect the facts as they have developed throughout this case.”
He declined to say whether there would be further appeals of the ruling, which upheld a lower court.
“The truth about what happened to Gabe at Carson Elementary needs to be revealed and shared with all parents,” Jennifer Branch, attorney for Taye’s mother, said by email. “We have been able to gather testimony and evidence these last few months. Now we can proceed to trial.”
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Follow Dan Sewell at https://www.twitter.com/dansewell
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-29--Justice Department Declines Charges Against Officers In Tamir Rice Case

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — The Justice Department announced Tuesday that it would not bring federal criminal charges against two Cleveland police officers in the 2014 killing of 12-year-old Tamir Rice , saying video of the shooting was of too poor a quality for prosecutors to conclusively establish what had happened .
In closing the case , the department brought to an end a long-running investigation into a high-profile shooting that helped galvanize the Black Lives Matter movement and that became part of the national dialogue about police use of force against minorities , including children .
The decision , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not condone the officers ’ actions but rather says the cumulative evidence was not enough to support a federal criminal civil rights prosecution .
Tamir was playing with a pellet gun outside a recreation center in Cleveland on Nov. 22 , 2014 , when he was shot and killed by Officer Timothy Loehmann , who is white , seconds after Loehmann and his partner , Officer Frank Garmback , arrived at the scene .
The officers were called to the recreation center after a man drinking beer and waiting for a bus had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guy ” was pointing a gun at people .
The caller told a 911 dispatcher that it was probably a juvenile and the gun might be “ fake , ” though that information was never relayed to the officers .
To bring federal civil rights charges in cases like these , the Justice Department must prove that an officer ’ s actions willfully broke the law rather than being the result of a mistake , negligence or bad judgment .
It has been a consistently tough burden for federal prosecutors to meet across @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Justice Department declining criminal charges against police officers in other high-profile cases in recent years , including in the deaths of Eric Garner in New York City and Michael Brown in Ferguson , Missouri .
In this case , the Justice Department said poor-quality surveillance video recorded in the area where the shooting took place prevented prosecutors from being able to conclusively determine whether Rice was or was not reaching for his toy gun just prior to being shot .
The two officers who were investigated told authorities soon after the shooting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weapon prior to being shot and was given multiple commands to show his hands .
But the video reviewed by federal prosecutors makes the sequence of events less clear .
The grainy time-lapse video , which has no audio , “ does not show detail or perspective ” and the camera ’ s view is obstructed by a police patrol car , prosecutors said .
In addition , they said , though the positioning of the boy ’ s arms suggests they were in the vicinity of his waist , “ his hands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it can not be determined from the video what he was doing.
” The Justice Department says seven use-of-force experts — three retained by the family , four by local authorities — reviewed the recording , but the poor quality of the video on which they relied and their “ conflicting opinions added little to the case.
” The experts used by the family said the shooting was unreasonable while the four others said that it was reasonable .
Inconsistent witness statements also complicated any prosecution , and neither person said they saw @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the shooting , according to the Justice Department .
Both Loehmann and Garmback also said in statements after the shooting that Loehmann had given Tamir “ multiple commands to show his hands before shooting ” and both officers saw him reaching for the weapon .
Prosecutors said Loehmann and Garmback were the only two witnesses in the “ near vicinity of the shooting.
” The Justice Department also investigated whether the officers obstructed justice in statements they made to other investigators soon after the shooting .
Prosecutors concluded that though the statements included @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consistent .
And since there was not enough evidence to prove the statements were untrue , there was also not enough evidence to prove that the officers sought to misled investigators or to obstruct a probe into their actions .

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WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department announced Tuesday that it would not bring federal criminal charges against two Cleveland police officers in the 2014 killing of 12-year-old Tamir Rice, saying video of the shooting was of too poor a quality for prosecutors to conclusively establish what had happened.
In closing the case, the department brought to an end a long-running investigation into a high-profile shooting that helped galvanize the Black Lives Matter movement and that became part of the national dialogue about police use of force against minorities, including children. The decision, revealed in a lengthy statement, does not condone the officers’ actions but rather says the cumulative evidence was not enough to support a federal criminal civil rights prosecution.
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Tamir was playing with a pellet gun outside a recreation center in Cleveland on Nov. 22, 2014, when he was shot and killed by Officer Timothy Loehmann, who is white, seconds after Loehmann and his partner, Officer Frank Garmback, arrived at the scene. The officers were called to the recreation center after a man drinking beer and waiting for a bus had called 911 to report that a “guy” was pointing a gun at people. The caller told a 911 dispatcher that it was probably a juvenile and the gun might be “fake,” though that information was never relayed to the officers.
To bring federal civil rights charges in cases like these, the Justice Department must prove that an officer’s actions willfully broke the law rather than being the result of a mistake, negligence or bad judgment. It has been a consistently tough burden for federal prosecutors to meet across both Democratic and Republican administrations, with the Justice Department declining criminal charges against police officers in other high-profile cases in recent years, including in the deaths of Eric Garner in New York City and Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri.
In this case, the Justice Department said poor-quality surveillance video recorded in the area where the shooting took place prevented prosecutors from being able to conclusively determine whether Rice was or was not reaching for his toy gun just prior to being shot. The two officers who were investigated told authorities soon after the shooting that Rice was reaching for his toy weapon prior to being shot and was given multiple commands to show his hands.
But the video reviewed by federal prosecutors makes the sequence of events less clear. The grainy time-lapse video, which has no audio, “does not show detail or perspective” and the camera’s view is obstructed by a police patrol car, prosecutors said. In addition, they said, though the positioning of the boy’s arms suggests they were in the vicinity of his waist, “his hands are not visible in the video and it cannot be determined from the video what he was doing.”
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The Justice Department says seven use-of-force experts — three retained by the family, four by local authorities — reviewed the recording, but the poor quality of the video on which they relied and their “conflicting opinions added little to the case.” The experts used by the family said the shooting was unreasonable while the four others said that it was reasonable.
The New York Times reported in October that the department had effectively shut down the investigation, but Tuesday’s announcement makes it official.
Inconsistent witness statements also complicated any prosecution, and neither person said they saw exactly what Rice was doing just before the shooting, according to the Justice Department.
In a statement at the scene to three other law enforcement officers, Loehmann “repeatedly and consistently stated” that Tamir was reaching for a gun before he shot him, prosecutors said.
Both Loehmann and Garmback also said in statements after the shooting that Loehmann had given Tamir “multiple commands to show his hands before shooting” and both officers saw him reaching for the weapon. Prosecutors said Loehmann and Garmback were the only two witnesses in the “near vicinity of the shooting.”
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A state grand jury had declined to indict Loehmann, though he was later fired after it was discovered he was previously deemed “unfit for duty.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-29--Body Cam Footage Shows Nashville Police Evacuating Area Before RV Explodes

Newly released body camera footage shows police officers evacuating people just before and after a bomb detonated in downtown Nashville , Tennessee , on Christmas morning in a chilling scene that officers likened to something “ out of a movie.
” “ If you hear this message , evacuate now .
Stay clear of this vehicle , ” an audio message can be heard blaring from a parked recreational vehicle in the video released by the Metro Nashville Police Department on Monday .
The RV was rigged with explosives .
Officer Michael Sipos was walking past the vehicle along Second @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which he had been issued only days earlier , captured the eerie warning , the department said .
“ That ’ s like some shit out of a movie , ” Sipos tells an officer walking with him .
Less than a minute after Sipos turns a corner off the street , there ’ s a loud explosion , followed by the sound of broken glass and a car alarm going off .
The officer then dons what appears to be a ballistic vest from the trunk of his vehicle before hurrying back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the street is seen littered with broken glass and larger debris .
There ’ s a fire burning where the RV was parked .
A panicked man , carrying a child over his shoulder as he hustles down the street , is given evacuation instructions by an officer .
Emergency personnel work near the scene of the Christmas morning explosion in downtown Nashville that injured three people .
Sipos was one of six officers praised by the department late Friday for their heroism and bravery in going door to door to evacuate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tore through the area , knocking some of the officers off their feet .
“ I ’ ll never forget the windows shattering after the blast all around me , ” Officer Amanda Topping , one of those six , recalled at a press conference Sunday .
“ It kind of looked like a big prop from a movie scene , all the glass breaking at once.
” Three people were injured from the blast while Anthony Quinn Warner , the man later identified as having detonated the bomb from the inside of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ motive for the attack was unknown as of Tuesday .

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Newly released body camera footage shows police officers evacuating people just before and after a bomb detonated in downtown Nashville, Tennessee, on Christmas morning in a chilling scene that officers likened to something “out of a movie.”
“If you hear this message, evacuate now. Stay clear of this vehicle,” an audio message can be heard blaring from a parked recreational vehicle in the video released by the Metro Nashville Police Department on Monday. The RV was rigged with explosives.
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Officer Michael Sipos was walking past the vehicle along Second Avenue North when his body camera, which he had been issued only days earlier, captured the eerie warning, the department said.
“That’s like some shit out of a movie,” Sipos tells an officer walking with him.
“Like ‘The Purge,’” the other officer responds, referencing the dystopian film series.
Less than a minute after Sipos turns a corner off the street, there’s a loud explosion, followed by the sound of broken glass and a car alarm going off. The officer then dons what appears to be a ballistic vest from the trunk of his vehicle before hurrying back toward the scene.
At the intersection, the street is seen littered with broken glass and larger debris. There’s a fire burning where the RV was parked. A panicked man, carrying a child over his shoulder as he hustles down the street, is given evacuation instructions by an officer.
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Emergency personnel work near the scene of the Christmas morning explosion in downtown Nashville that injured three people. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Sipos was one of six officers praised by the department late Friday for their heroism and bravery in going door to door to evacuate residents in the moments before the explosion tore through the area, knocking some of the officers off their feet.
“I’ll never forget the windows shattering after the blast all around me,” Officer Amanda Topping, one of those six, recalled at a press conference Sunday. “It kind of looked like a big prop from a movie scene, all the glass breaking at once.”
Three people were injured from the blast while Anthony Quinn Warner, the man later identified as having detonated the bomb from the inside of the vehicle, was killed. The motive for the attack was unknown as of Tuesday.
Nashville Police Chief John Drake (left) joins a group of police officers credited with evacuating people before an RV exploded. ASSOCIATED PRESS


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-29--Boeing 737 Max Returns To U.S. Skies After Lengthy Grounding

MIAMI ( AP ) — A Boeing 737 Max departed Miami International Airport with 100 passengers aboard Tuesday for the aircraft ’ s first U.S. commercial flight since faulty sensor readings contributed to two deadly crashes in 2019 .
The American Airlines flight is scheduled to land at New York ’ s LaGuardia Airport around 1:30 p.m. Eastern , according to an airline spokeswoman .
The airline gave customers the chance to change flights if they were uncomfortable on the Max .
Last month , the Federal Aviation Administration approved changes that Boeing made to an automated flight-control system implicated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ killed 346 people in all .
In both crashes , the system pushed the nose down repeatedly based on faulty sensor readings , and pilots were unable to regain control .
Regulators in Europe and Brazil cleared the way for airlines to resume using the plane if certain changes were made and pilots were provided with additional training .
The first passenger flight with a revamped Max took place this month in Brazil .
Brazil ’ s Gol airlines has since operated more than 540 flights and Aeromexico has operated more than 80 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ service Flightradar24 .
The Max was grounded worldwide in March 2019 , days after the second crash .
Reports by House and Senate committees faulted Boeing and the FAA for failures in the process of certifying the plane .
FAA Administrator Stephen Dickson , a former military and airline pilot , operated a test flight in September and vouched for the plane ’ s safety , saying he would put his family on it .
American Airlines President Robert Isom planned to be on Tuesday ’ s inaugural U.S. flight .
American plans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between Miami and New York with the planes through Jan. 4 before putting the Max on more routes .
United Airlines plans to resume flights with the Max in February , and Southwest Airlines plans to resume flights with the planes in March .

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MIAMI (AP) — A Boeing 737 Max departed Miami International Airport with 100 passengers aboard Tuesday for the aircraft’s first U.S. commercial flight since faulty sensor readings contributed to two deadly crashes in 2019.
The American Airlines flight is scheduled to land at New York’s LaGuardia Airport around 1:30 p.m. Eastern, according to an airline spokeswoman. The airline gave customers the chance to change flights if they were uncomfortable on the Max.
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Last month, the Federal Aviation Administration approved changes that Boeing made to an automated flight-control system implicated in crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia that killed 346 people in all. In both crashes, the system pushed the nose down repeatedly based on faulty sensor readings, and pilots were unable to regain control.
Regulators in Europe and Brazil cleared the way for airlines to resume using the plane if certain changes were made and pilots were provided with additional training.
The first passenger flight with a revamped Max took place this month in Brazil. Brazil’s Gol airlines has since operated more than 540 flights and Aeromexico has operated more than 80 with Max planes, according to tracking service Flightradar24.
The Max was grounded worldwide in March 2019, days after the second crash. Reports by House and Senate committees faulted Boeing and the FAA for failures in the process of certifying the plane.
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FAA Administrator Stephen Dickson, a former military and airline pilot, operated a test flight in September and vouched for the plane’s safety, saying he would put his family on it. American Airlines President Robert Isom planned to be on Tuesday’s inaugural U.S. flight.